Jadakiss (file)
Photo: Appio

In this week's batch of new releases, an experimental rock group gives birth to a ghost, a rapper plants a deadly smooch on the shelves of record stores, and a couple of hard rock groups hurl the metal at their fans with full force.

Given all the excitement and anticipation surrounding the release of Wilco's new album, it's hard to believe that the band was dropped by its label in 2001 after handing in what would become 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Wilco's newest effort, A Ghost Is Born, hits stores Tuesday (June 22).

Rapper Jadakiss really wants to make sure you remember his name when you pick up one of his albums. In 2001, he released Kiss Tha Game Goodbye, and on Tuesday he puts out Kiss of Death. Moving from rap to R&B, newcomer JoJo releases her self-titled debut this week, fueled by the single "Leave [Get Out]."

On the harder side of things, Ministry, Motörhead and the Scorpions all have albums hitting stores this week. After having allowed a few years to pass between past records, Ministry accelerate the process with Houses of the Molé, the follow-up to 2003's Animositisomina. Motörhead heat it up with Inferno, while the Scorpions put out Unbreakable, the band's first studio release in four years.

File under fusion: Los Angeles' Ozomatli combine salsa, hip-hop, rock, jazz and funk on Street Signs, while Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante releases his fifth solo album (and second this year), The Will to Death.

Beach Boys member Brian Wilson releases his solo effort Gettin' in Over My Head, and Morris Day, a founding member of Prince's band the Time, drops his first solo album since 1992, appropriately titled It's About Time.

Out Tuesday, June 22:

• Age of Ruin - Tides of Tragedy (Eulogy)
• The Album Leaf - In a Safe Place (Sub Pop)
• Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals' Starvation League - From the End of Your Leash (Bloodshot)
• Belles - Idle Acres (Second Nature)
• David Benoit and Russ Freeman - Benoit/Freeman Project 2 (Peak)
• BoDeans - Resolution (Zoë/Rounder)
• Trina Broussard - Same Girl (Motown)
• Chronic Future - Lines in My Face (Interscope)
• Consequence - Take Em to the Cleaners (Sure Shot)
• Morris Day - It's About Time (Hollywood)
  Buy Now: It's About Time (Hollywood)
  
• Despistado - The Emergency Response (EP, Jade Tree)
• DJ Spooky - Celestial Mechanix: The Blue Series MasterMix (Thirsty Ear)
• Nick Drake - Made to Love Magic (Island)
• Fourplay - Journey (Bluebird)
• John Frusciante - The Will to Death (Record Collection)
• Benny Golson - Terminal 1 (Concord Jazz)
• Rachel Goswell - Waves Are Universal (4AD)
• Benny Green and Russell Malone - Bluebird (Telarc Jazz)
• Mark Holland - For Such a Time as This (Cedar n Sage)
• Jadakiss - Kiss of Death (Interscope/A&M)
  Read: "Nate Dogg, Neptunes, Kanye West On New Jadakiss LP"
• Jahsir - Stress Free (X-Ray)
• JoJo - JoJo (Blackground)
• Keoki - The Great Soundclash Swindle (Hypnotic)
• Lit - Lit (DRT/Nitrus/Dirty Martini)
  Buy Now: Lit (DRT/Nitrus/Dirty Martini)
  
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - Lyve (Sanctuary)
• Miriam Makeba - Reflections (Heads Up)
• Maroon 5 - 1.22.03 Acoustic (RCA)
  Read: "Maroon 5 Plan To Keep It Hot And Steamy In Next Video"
• Edwin McCain - Scream & Whisper (DRT)
• Ministry - Houses of the Molé (Sanctuary)
  Read: "Ministry Visited By Aliens While Making Killer Mole"
  Buy Now: Houses of the Molé (Sanctuary)
  
• Motörhead - Inferno (Sanctuary/Metal-Is)
  Buy Now: Inferno (Metal-Is)
  
• Mystic Chords of Memory - Mystic Chords of Memory (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
• Ozomatli - Street Signs (Concord)
• Paulson - Variations (Initial)
• Elvis Presley - Elvis at Sun (BMG Heritage)
• Pretty Boy Floyd - Size Really Does Matter (Deadline)
• Qntal - Qntal III (Noir)
• The Race - If You Can (Flameshovel)
• Jonathan Richman - Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love (Sanctuary/Vapor)
• Robots in Disguise - Robots in Disguise (Recall)
• Salvatore - Tempo (Racing Junior)
• Scorpions - Unbreakable (Sanctuary)
• Erick Sermon - Chilltown New York (Universal)
• Ravi Shankar & Gingger - Celestial Body (Ark 21)
• Sonia Dada - Test Pattern (Calliope/Razor & Tie)
• Sweetback - Stage 2 (Epic)
• Tilly and the Wall - Wild Like Children (Team Love/Saddle Creek)
• Toy Crayzy - She So Crayzy (X-Ray)
• McCoy Tyner - Illuminations (Telarc Jazz)
• Bebo Valdes and Diego Cigala - Lagrimas Negras (Bluebird)
• Wilco - A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch)
  Read: "Wilco: Ghost Stories"
  
  
• Brian Wilson - Gettin' in Over My Head (Rhino)
• Various artists - America Will Always Stand (Time-Life Music)
• Various artists - Bombay Beats (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - Electro Cured: An Electro Tribute to the Cure (Cleopatra)
• Various artists - Mento Madness (V2)
• Various artists - "Queer as Folk - 4th Season" soundtrack (Tommy Boy)
• Various artists - "Spider-Man 2" soundtrack (Columbia)
  Read: "Hoobastank, Jet, Yellowcard Spin Songs For 'Spider-Man 2' Soundtrack"
• Various artists - "Two Brothers" soundtrack (Decca/Universal Classics)
• DVD: Flotsam & Jetsam - Live in Phoenix (Deadline)
• DVD: KMFDM - WWWIII Tour 2003 (Sanctuary)
• DVD: Bernie Williams - The Journey Within (GRP/Verve)
• DVD: Various artists - Toronto Rocks (Rhino)
• DVD: Various artists - Vans Warped Tour '03 (Kung Fu/Image Entertainment)

June 29:

• Lloyd Banks - Hunger for More (Interscope)
  Read: "G-Unit's Lloyd Banks, Young Buck Recording Solo Albums"
• Brandy - Afrodisiac (Atlantic)
  Read: "Brandy On Growing Up: A Candid Chat"
• The Cure - The Cure
  Buy Now: The Cure (Geffen)
  (Geffen)
• Dave Matthews Band - Live at the Gorge (RCA)
• Lil Wayne - Tha Carter (Cash Money)
• The Tragically Hip - In Between Evolution (Zoe)
• Uncle Kracker - 72 & Sunny (Lava)

July 6:

• Ray Manzarek - Golden Scarab (Lemon Records)
• Poco - Indian Summer (Lemon Records)
• Angie Stone - Stone Love (J Records)

July 13:

• Jimmy Buffet - License to Chill (RLG)
• Roots - Tipping Point (Geffen)
• They Might Be Giants - Spine (Zoë)

• Jadakiss
• Wilco
• Ministry
• Motörhead
• Ozomatli