Nightmare of You
Photo: Brian Appio

Superman as an emo-punk hero? Well, he's already got the black hair and the chunky belt (though it's not studded and he might want to change it from yellow to white), and his Spandex pants could pass for girl jeans, but the whole concept is a bit of a stretch.

That hasn't stopped Warner Bros. — which will unleash "Superman Returns" June 30 — from greenlighting two separate records based on the Man of Steel: an official movie score by composer John Ottman and Sound of Superman, an album featuring contributions from a host of Warped Tour faves.

Jack's Mannequin, the Academy Is ... and the Receiving End of Sirens are among the artists contributing songs to the album, which, in keeping with the spirit of most "inspired by" soundtracks, features a mix of new tunes and covers. Jack's Mannequin donate a new song, the piano-driven "Meet Me at My Window"; while TAI and the Receiving End went the covers route (both do versions of songs called "Superman," by '60s garage rockers the Clique and Stereophonics, respectively).

And while there is no official track list for Sound of Superman, Rhino Records (which is releasing both movie albums) confirmed that other acts on the album include the Sun, Nightmare of You, American Hi-Fi and Plain White T's. It's due in stores May 23, while Ottman's score will hit shelves June 27.

Check out everything we've got on "Superman Returns."

Visit Movies on MTV.com for more from Hollywood, including news, interviews, trailers and more.

• "Superman Returns"

• Nightmare of You
• Jack's Mannequin
• The Academy Is...
• American Hi-Fi
• Plain White T's

Mariah Carey (file)
Photo: Island

Freeing herself from saccharine, one-word album titles like Daydream, Butterfly, Rainbow and the critically panned Glitter, Mariah Carey has The Emancipation of Mimi set for release Tuesday (April 12).

Named after her childhood nickname, Mariah Carey's eighth studio album is a predominantly pop and R&B effort. The album is tinged with hip-hop inflections thanks to collaborations with Jermaine Dupri, the Neptunes, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West and Twista. Featuring mostly ballads and a few up-tempo dance tracks, The Emancipation of Mimi lands on shelves on the heels of its first single, "It's Like That."

After four years and an almost-permanent breakup, Garbage will release Bleed Like Me, their fourth studio album and the follow-up to 2001's Beautiful Garbage. The band, which came close to silencing its stylish, brash rock sound in early 2003, is back with a sped-up, grizzled rock album led by the single "Why Don't You Love Me" and featuring Dave Grohl on the track "Bad Boyfriend."

While Garbage stick to a tried-and-true sound on their new album, Mudvayne shake things up a bit on their new release, Lost and Found, turning down the screaming and adding in more melody. Though the band loses its heavy makeup for this album, it also manages to find its metal sound within more intricate orchestration.

Scandinavian punk group Millencolin and New York electro-punk outfit Mindless Self-Indulgence keep things heavy with their new projects, Kingwood and You'll Rebel to Anything, respectively. Slipknot, meanwhile, release a deluxe edition of their latest album, Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses).

Alt-rockers American Hi-Fi release Hearts on Parade, the follow up to their 2003 album, The Art of Losing, while the DVD of "DiG!," the documentary about Portland, Oregon-bred bands the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre, will also hit shelves this week.

Also due are albums by Better Than Ezra (Before the Robots), the Indigo Girls' Amy Ray (Prom), Goldie Lookin Chain (Straight Outta Newport), The National (Alligator) and Martha Wainwright (Martha Wainwright).

Out Tuesday, April 12:

• American Hi-Fi - Hearts on Parade (Maverick)
  Buy Now: Hearts on Parade (Maverick)
  
• Architecture in Helsinki - In Case We Die (Bar/None)
• Etta Baker - Railroad Bill (Music Maker)
• Better Than Ezra - Before the Robots (Artemis)
• Bills - Let 'Em Run (Red House)
• Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi (Island)
  Read: "Mariah Carey: Is Mariah Carey Free At Last?"
  Buy Now: The Emancipation of Mimi (Island)
  
• Diplomats of Solid Sound - Destination ... Get Down! (Estrus)
• Dutch Dub - Dutch Dub (Record Collection)
• Garbage - Bleed Like Me (Interscope)
  Read: "Garbage Breakup Ends With New LP — If They Did Actually Break Up"
  Buy Now: Bleed Like Me (Interscope)
  
• Gatsby's American Dream - Volcano (Fearless)
• Harmony Street - Doo Wop and More (Collectables)
• Micah P. Hinson and the Gospel of Progress - Micah P. Hinson (Overcoat)
• Ryan Holladay - New Kid in Town (Skaggs Family)
• Isis - Oceanic: Remixes/Reinterpretations (Hydra Head)
• Ashley Jade - Dreaming (Water Music)
• Kane Hodder - The Pleasure to Remain So Heartless (Fueled by Ramen)
• Maktub - Say What You Mean (Velour)
• Millencolin - Kingwood (Burning Heart/Epitaph)
  Buy Now: Kingwood (Burning Heart/Epitaph)
  
• Mindless Self-Indulgence - You'll Rebel to Anything (Metropolis)
• Marcus Miller - Silver Rain (Koch)
• Mudvayne - Lost and Found (Epic)
  Read: "Mudvayne Lose The Makeup, Find Inspiration In Isolation"
  Buy Now: Lost and Found (Epic)
  
• The National - Alligator (Beggars Banquet)
• Willie Nelson - Songs for Tsunami Relief: Austin to South Asia (Lost Highway)
  Buy Now: Songs for Tsunami Relief: Austin to South Asia (Lost Highway)
  
• Christopher O'Riley - Hold Me to This: Plays Radiohead (Harmonia Mundi/World Village)
• Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins (Polyvinyl)
  Buy Now: The Sunlandic Twins (Polyvinyl)
  
• Old Haunts - Fallow Field (Kill Rock Stars)
• David Olney - Migration (Loud House)
• Ozone Cocktail - Magnetic (Le Maquis/Dreyfus)
• David Pack - Unborn (Oglio)
• Amy Ray - Prom (Daemon)
  Buy Now: Prom (Daemon)
  
• Rova: Orkestra - Electric Ascension (Atavistic)
• Shurman - Jubilee (Vanguard)
• Sights - The Sights (New Line)
• Slipknot - Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) Special Edition (Roadrunner)
  Buy Now: Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) Special Edition (Roadrunner)
  
• Keely Smith - Vegas '58 - Today: Recorded Live at Feinstein's at the Regency (Concord)
• Starflyer 59 - Talking Voice Vs. Singing Voice (Tooth & Nail)
• Supersystem - Always Never Again (Touch and Go)
• Ian Tyson - Songs from the Gravel Road (Vanguard)
• VNV Nation - Matter + Form (Metropolis)
• Martha Wainwright - Martha Wainwright (Zöe/Rounder)
• Wednesday 13 - Transylvania 90210 (Roadrunner)
• Victor Wooten - Soul Circus (Vanguard)
• Zincs - Dimmer. (Thrill Jockey)
• Various artists - Gangsta Rap Instrumentals (Thump)
• Various artists - "A Lot Like Love" soundtrack (Columbia)
• Various artists - "Sprout" soundtrack (Record Collection)
• DVD: "DiG!" (Palm Pictures)
• DVD: Howard Hewett - "Intimate: Greatest Hits Live" (Shout! Factory)

April 19:

• Mike Jones - Who Is Mike Jones? (Atlantic)
  Buy Now: Who Is Mike Jones? (Atlantic)
  
• Flaming Lips - Late Night Tales (Azuli)
  Buy Now: Late Night Tales (Azuli)
  
• Rob Thomas - Something to Be (Atlantic)
  Read: "Rob Thomas Ready For The Gravy After Testing Himself With Solo LP"

April 26:

• Amerie - Touch (Sony)
  
• New Order - Waiting for the Sirens' Call (Warner Bros.)
• Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust (Columbia)

May 3:

• Ryan Adams - Cold Roses (Lost Highway)
• Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth (Interscope)
• Stevie Wonder - A Time to Love (Motown)

• Mariah Carey
• Garbage
• Mudvayne
• Millencolin
• Slipknot

Lindsay Lohan (file)
Photo: Jason Squires

Lindsay Lohan has finished recording her debut album, which she's calling Speak, according to her Web site. The actress/singer is currently deciding which tracks will make the final cut. ...

Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz got in a tangle with two paparazzi on Saturday night in Hollywood, and ended up snatching one of the photographers' camera. According to an attorney for the couple, Diaz and Timberlake acted in their own defense and only took the camera to identify the photographers later. The LAPD says the department has received a complaint from one of the photographers, claiming battery and grand theft. The matter is under investigation. ... No Doubt's Tom Dumont has posted his wedding pictures on his Web site. The three photos, which can be found at http://tomdumont.com/photos.asp, showcase his bride Mieke Binzer's wedding dress, which Dumont's bandmate Gwen Stefani designed. ...

Devastated to learn of Ashlee Simpson's "Saturday Night Live" lip-synch snafu? If you were planning on tossing your copy of her album into the trash, hold up. New York music venue the Knitting Factory, in conjunction with Horrified Observers of Pedestrian Entertainment (H.O.P.E.), are offering unhappy customers a bit of musical solace. Drop by the Knitting Factory box office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and exchange Ashlee's disc for an album by Elvis Costello, the Ramones, the Grateful Dead, Ray Charles or Aretha Franklin, among others, courtesy of Rhino Records. Don't live in New York? Check out www.hopeinamerica.com for other exchange information. ... Fantasia is about to be Fantabulous. The "American Idol" winner will have two M.A.C. lipglass shades named after her, Fantabulous 1 (a smoldering copper) and Fantabulous 2 (a full-on reddened bronze). Fantasia will launch the lipglasses at M.A.C.'s Harlem, New York, location on November 22, the day before her debut album, Free Yourself, hits stores. ...

The KCRW annual benefit concert in Los Angeles, A Sounds Eclectic Evening, featuring Coldplay, Café Tacuba, Van Hunt, Nellie McKay and others, has been rescheduled for March 12. The event, which was supposed to take place on November 20, was moved due to scheduling and logistical conflicts; Rilo Kiley and Ben Watt, originally slated to perform, will be unable to do so now. Tickets for the original sold-out show will be honored for the rescheduled date. ... In the three-against-one battle of the Beastie Boys versus jazz flutist James Newton, the rappers have emerged victorious. A U.S. appeals court decided on Tuesday that it would not reconsider its 2003 decision which allowed the group to use a six-second sample from Newton's 1978 composition "Choir," according to Reuters. The original decision said that the band paid a license fee to use the recording in their song "Pass the Mic" from 1992's Check Your Head, and therefore had abided by copyright protections and did not have to pay an additional fee. ...

American Hi-Fi's new album, Hearts on Parade, is available for streaming on the band's Web site, www.AmericanHi-Fi.com. The group's third studio album, the follow-up to last year's The Art of Losing, will be released March 1. ... Twenty-five years after the Cure released their first album, Three Imaginary Boys, in the U.K., the British version of the band's landmark debut will get its first domestic release December 7. The double-disc reissue, which includes a full disc of rarities, also marks the beginning of Rhino Records' reissue campaign of the band's entire catalog. ...

The Big Day Out Tour just got a little bigger with the addition of the Hives, Slipknot, the Polyphonic Spree, the Blues Explosion, Hatebreed and Le Tigre. The new acts join an existing lineup of the Beastie Boys, the Donnas, System of a Down, the Chemical Brothers and the Streets, on the six-date trek of Australia and New Zealand that kicks off January 21. ... Though Justin Guarini announced only a week ago that he was joining the Broadway production of the Beach Boys musical "Good Vibrations," the former "American Idol" runner-up has already left the cast. In a statement issued Wednesday, the producers of the show announced that they've "parted company." His replacement will be announced soon. ...Meanwhile, the off-Broadway They Might Be Giants musical, which opened November 4, has extended its limited run through December 11. "People Are Wrong!" stars TMBG member John Flansburgh. ...

11.10.2004

There was no love lost on Friday between Fabolous and Power 99 DJ Golden Girl at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center. According to the DJ, a member of Fabolous' entourage slammed her to the ground after she and a girlfriend asked for a ride on the rapper's tour bus out of the venue. "He told me no, so I said, 'That's OK. I won't play your records anymore,' " Golden Girl said of the incident. "There were words exchanged, and then his bodyguard pushed me. Then he picked me up and slammed me to the ground." The alleged assault took place backstage at the station's annual Powerhouse concert. In response, Fabolous released the following statement via his label: "In regards to the incident in Philadelphia, I was on my tour bus and did not witness the alleged incident so I'm not aware of any details concerning the matter. I never touched or did anything to Golden Girl, therefore, I am not involved and do not have anything further to say or do with that incident." At press time, no charges were filed. ...

Courtney Love pleaded not guilty — for the second time — to a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday. She's accused of attacking L.A. musician Kristin King when she found her sleeping on her ex-boyfriend's couch in April. King had previously testified that Love dumped a bottled of whiskey all over, threw the bottle at her face, threw a lit candle at the back of her head, sat on her, pulled her hair, dug her nails in her arm, pinched her breasts, and chased with her a flashlight, leaving her with bruises, nail marks and a chipped tooth. Love rolled her eyes when the prosecution asked the court to remind the singer that a restraining order was still in place prohibiting Love from contacting King. Love is due back in court December 15. ...

Alicia Keys flexed her literary muscles Tuesday night at the release party for her book "Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics." Held at New York's Harlem Grill, the party, which also celebrated the recent release of Keys' DVD "The Diary of Alicia Keys," turned into a poetry slam hosted by poet/actor Mums and featured performances by Keys, Kanye West, Mos Def and Common, among others. ... The New York restaurant where Keys filmed her "You Don't Know My Name" video was devastated by a fire early Wednesday morning (November 10). More than 100 firefighters came to the aid of Harlem's neighborhood institution Pan Pan, where it took them close to 90 minutes to get the fire under control. According to TV station NY1, the owners of the restaurant say that Pan Pan's future is uncertain, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. ...

It's splitsville for Nicky Hilton and her money-manager husband, Todd Meister. On Monday a Las Vegas judge granted an annulment to the couple, who had been married for less than three months. Court papers, now sealed, indicated that neither side sought any compensatory gain. "Both parties have ended the marriage amicably, and they remain good friends," the couple said in a joint statement. The two had wed in a surprise ceremony orchestrated by Hilton's sister, Paris, on August 15. ... Also breaking up are Madonna and her longtime manager Caresse Henry, who, after 13 years, have "mutually agreed to go their separate ways," according to the singer's rep. ...

Classic rockers Cream are re-forming for a week-long residency in London next week. Singer/guitarist Eric Clapton, drummer Ginger Baker and singer/bassist Jack Bruce will soon begin to rehearse for the shows at the Royal Albert Hall, the same venue that housed the band's last gig nearly 36 years ago. ... Some of Johnny Ramone's vintage movie posters, including ones for "Frankenstein" and "Dracula," will be going up on the auction block on November 18 at Heritage Galleries in Dallas. The late guitarist, a known fan of sci-fi and horror movies, consigned parts of his collection before his death in September. ...

Do you love your iPod, but are troubled by its inability to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays? Well, sunglasses manufacturer Oakley has the product for you: the Thump, the world's first-ever "digital music eyewear." The shades come in seven color combinations and two different versions: 128 megabytes, which holds 60 songs; and 256 megabytes, which holds 120 songs. Prices start at $395. ... Glassjaw have a show scheduled on December 26 in New Jersey, but Todd Weinstock won't be there. The guitarist believes he's no longer a part of the band, since no one thought of inviting him to play. Instead, guitarist Justin Beck and singer Daryl Palumbo will perform with a hired bassist and drummer. In a statement, Weinstock said, "After seeing Beck's vision of Glassjaw, I realized I was not part of it anymore." ...

Damon Dash was honored for his philanthropy efforts with Team Roc Tuesday night at B.B. King's in New York by the S.H.I.N.E. (Seeking Harmony in Neighborhoods Everywhere) organization. Roc-A-Fella recording artists Rell, Denim, Nicole Wray and Samantha Ronson performed. ... Jason Mraz is midway through recording his follow-up to 2002's Waiting for My Rocket to Come. Steve Lillywhite, coming off of U2's new album, is producing the sessions in both Woodstock, New York, and Mraz's hometown of San Diego. ...

Although the Derderian brothers had hoped to postpone civil proceedings until after their criminal case surrounding the 2003 Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island is closed, a judge ruled otherwise. The Derderians and the former manager of Great White, the band playing at the time of the fire, face 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter. ... Soft Cell singer Marc Almond is recovering faster than expected from a recent motorcycle accident and was moved this week from Royal London Hospital to a private facility. "Although he has some way to go to full recovery he is looking forward to getting back to work when he can," a statement on Almond's Web site read. ...

The Exies will release their second major-label album, the Nick Raskulinecz-produced Head for the Door, on November 30. First single "Ugly" was released to radio last week. The band is currently opening some shows for Velvet Revolver. ... Paperwork on both sides of the peer-to-peer debate was filed in court earlier this week. While groups representing the movie and music industries filed friend-of-the-court briefs that urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court's ruling that services like Grokster and Kazaa were not responsible for the widespread copyright infringement that takes place on their networks, Streamcast Networks, the company behind Morpheus, filed a brief pushing the court to uphold the ruling. ...

• Lindsay Lohan
• Justin Timberlake
• Ashlee Simpson
• Coldplay
• Fantasia

Jason Biggs, Eugene Levy, and Alyson Hannigan of "American Wedding"
Photo: Universal

Avril Lavigne probably never went to band camp, but that didn't disqualify her from the soundtrack for "American Wedding," the third slice of celluloid from the "American Pie" series.

The previously unreleased Avril song "I Don't Give" will be featured on the disc, which comes out July 22. The track was recorded during the session for Let Go, and is about an independent girl who refuses to be played. "You know I'm not gonna cry/ About some stupid guy/ A guy who thinks he's all that," she sings in the chorus.

The 17-song "American Wedding" soundtrack also features an unreleased New Found Glory song, "Forget Everything," and the new Wallflowers tune "Into the Mystic." In addition, the record features album cuts by Foo Fighters, Good Charlotte, Sum 41, the All-American Rejects, American Hi-Fi, Feeder and others.

The first single from the album will be new artist Matt Nathanson's cover of the James song "Laid." The movie comes out in theaters August 1.

Track list for the "American Wedding" soundtrack, according to Universal Records:

• Foo Fighters - "Times Like These"
• Good Charlotte - "Anthem"
• New Found Glory - "Forget Everything"
• Sum 41 - "The Hell Song"
• The All-American Rejects - "Swing Swing"
• Avril Lavigne - "I Don't Give"
• Matt Nathanson - "Laid"
• American Hi-Fi - "The Art of Losing"
• Hot Action Cop - "Fever for the Flava"
• Gob - "Give Up the Grudge"
• Sugarcult - "Bouncing Off the Walls"
• Feeder - "Come Back Around"
• NU - "Any Other Girl"
• The Working Title - "Beloved"
• Blue October - "Calling You"
• Joseph Arthur - "Honey & the Moon"
• The Wallflowers - "Into the Mystic"

• Avril Lavigne
• New Found Glory
• Foo Fighters
• Sum 41
• Good Charlotte

This week the WB's "Smallville" soundtrack offers up some super music: Weezer's "Island in the Sun," the Flaming Lips' "Fight Test," Ryan Adams' "Nuclear" and Phantom Planet's "Lonely Day."

Former Verve man Richard Ashcroft releases his second solo album, Human Conditions, which finds the morose musician introspective as usual and also dabbling in some existential contemplation on such songs as "Lord I've Been Trying" and "Paradise."

Cheeky electro group Fischerspooner consider their album #1. The LP includes the breakout single "Emerge" and a cover of Wire's "The 15th." The Minus 5's Down With Wilco, meanwhile, was recorded around the same time as Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and features all four members of Wilco as well as R.E.M.'s Peter Buck.

Peanut Butter Wolf's Badmeaningood Vol. 3 has remixes of Grandmaster Flash, Human League and Iron Butterfly, while Roc-a-Fella rapper Freeway, known for the single "Roc the Mic" and cameos on Jay-Z's The Blueprint 2, finally releases his long-awaited Philadelphia Freeway featuring "What We Do."

And now what we do is list the rest of this week's releases ...

Out Tuesday, February 25:

• A18 - Forever After Nothing (Victory)
• Mindi Abair - It Just Happens That Way (Universal)
• Alpinestars - White Noise (Astralwerks)
• Scott Amendola Band - Cry (Cryptogramophone)
• American Hi-Fi - The Art of Losing (Island)
  Read: "American Hi-Fi Master Art Of Losing, Art Of Partying"
• Eric Andersen - Beat Avenue (two CDs, Appleseed Recordings)
• Richard Ashcroft - Human Conditions (Virgin)
• Audio Adrenaline - Worldwide (ForeFront)
• B3 Bombers - Live at the Green Mill (Alltribe)
• A Band of Bees - Sunshine Hit Me (Wall of Sound/Astralwerks)
• Doyle Bramhall - Fitchburg Street (Yep Roc)
• Burrito Deluxe - Georgia Peach (Lamon)
• Calavera - Tequilamatic (CBM)
• Communiqué - A Crescent Honeymoon (EP, Lookout!)
• Count the Stars - Never Be Taken Alive (Victory)
• Evan Dando - Baby I'm Bored (Generic)
• The D.O.C. - Deuce (Red Urban)
• David Darling - The Tao of the Cello (Hearts of Space/Valley Entertainment)
• Jesse Davis - The Setup (Alltribe)
• Dirty - Keep It Pimp & Gangsta (Universal)
• Vikter Duplaix - International Affairs (Hollywood)
• Echoboy - Giraffe (Mute)
• Essence - Mariposa (O.R. Music)
• Terry Evans - Live Like a Hurricane (AudioQuest/Valley Entertainment)
• George Fenton - "Sweet Home Alabama" score (Hollywood)
• Fischerspooner - #1 (Capitol)
• Freeway - Philadelphia Freeway (Def Jam)
• Funky Meters - Fiyo at the Fillmore Vol. 1 (Varese)
• Donald Glaude - Mixed Live 2nd Session (Moonshine Music)
• Peter Green Splinter Group - Reaching the Cold 100 (Eagle)
• Eileen Ivers - Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul (Koch)
• Juggaknots - Clear Blue Skies (Third Earth)
• Kem - Kemistry (Motown)
• Jeannie Kendall - Jeannie Kendall (Rounder)
• Jay Klum - Home Cookin' (Alltribe)
• Little Brother - The Listening (ABB)
• Lo Fidelity Allstars - Abstract Funk Theory (Obsessive)
• Lyle Lovett - Smile (MCA)
• Mae - Destination: Beautiful (Tooth & Nail)
• Tak Matsumoto - Hana (Favored Nations)
• Edwin McCain - The Austin Sessions (ATC)
• Maureen McGovern - Music Never Ends: The Lyrics of Alan & Marilyn Bergman (Varese)
• Memento - Beginnings (Columbia)
• Cory Morrow - Full Exposure (Write On)
• Mountaineers - Mountaineers (EP, Mute)
• Movielife - Forty Hour Train Back to Penn (MCA)
• Murder 1 - On High (Music Cartel)
• The Music - The Music (Capitol)
• Sevara Nazarkhan - Yol Bolsin (Real World)
• The Notwist - Neon Golden (Domino)
• Orchestre National de Jazz - Charmediterraneen (ECM)
• Paper Lions - The Symptom and the Sick (Kindercore)
• Peace 586 - Generations (Uprok/Tooth & Nail)
• Peanut Butter Wolf - Badmeaningood 3 (Ultimate Dilemma)
• Rachel Portman - "Nicholas Nickleby" score (Varese)
• The Rocket Summer - Calendar Days (Militia Group)
• Rockin' Highliners - Sputnik Cafe (Severn)
• Rufio - Rufio (EP, Nitro)
• Brady Seals - Thompson Street (Image Entertainment)
• Adrian Sherwood - Never Trust a Hippy (Real World)
• Slide Hampton - Spirit of the Horn (Manchester Craftsmen's Guild)
• DJ Smash - Phonography No. 2 (Blue Note)
• Soul Embraced - Immune (Tooth & Nail)
• Spyro Gyra - Original Cinema (Heads Up)
• Summon - And the Blood Runs Black (Napalm)
• John Surman With Jack DeJohnette - Free and Equal (ECM)
• Swingin' Utters - Dead Flowers, Bottles, Bluegrass and Bones (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown (Red Ink)
• Tosca - Dehli 9 (two CDs, Studio K7)
• Steve Turre - One 4 J: Paying Homage to J.J. Johnson (Telarc Jazz)
• Wilco & Minus 5 - Down With Wilco (Yep Roc)
• David Wilcox - Into the Mystery (What Are Records)
• Willie and Lobo - Manana (Narada World)
• Zao - All Else Failed (Tooth & Nail)
• Various artists - All Together Now (Music for Little People)
• Various artists - Covered in Filth - A Tribute to Cradle of Filth (Cleopatra)
• Various artists - Down & Out With the Dolls(Lakeshore)
• Various artists - Songs From the Material World: A Tribute to George Harrison (Koch)
• Various artists - Kloned and Remixed - A Tribute to Korn (Big Eye)
• Various artists - Sky Lounge (Water)
• Various artists - "Smallville" Soundtrack: The Talon Mix (Elektra)
  Read: "Weezer, Ryan Adams, Lifehouse On 'Smallville' Soundtrack"
• Various artists - This Is Electroclash (Hypnotic/Cleopatra)
• Various artists - Tribute to Avril Lavigne (Big Eye)
• Various artists - Tribute to Coldplay (Big Eye)
• Various artists - Tribute to LeAnn Rimes (Big Eye)
• Various artists - Tribute to P.O.D. (Big Eye)
• DVD: Various artists - Punk-O-Rama DVD Vol. 1 (Epitaph)

March 4:

• Cursive - Ugly Organ (Saddle Creek)
• Fabolous - Street Dreams (Elektra)
• Hootie & the Blowfish - Hootie & the Blowfish (Atlantic)
• Lil' Kim - La Bella Mafia (Atlantic)
• Special Goodness - Land Air Sea (Control Group)
• Voivod - Voivod (Navarre)
  Read: "Jason Newsted Says His New Band Can Kick Metallica's Ass"

March 11:

• Various artists - Punk Goes Acoustic (Fearless)

March 18:

• Buzzcocks - Buzzcocks (Merge)

March 25:

• Celine Dion - One Heart (Sony)
• Linkin Park - Meteora (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Linkin Park Discuss Meteora, Plan Surreal Video"

• Fischerspooner
• American Hi-Fi
• Richard Ashcroft
• Freeway
• The Movielife

American Hi-Fi
Photo: Island

After scoring a hit in 2000 with their first single, "Flavor of the Weak," American Hi-Fi were showered with praise and press. The experience of playing stadiums and landing mainstream radio play influenced frontman Stacy Jones to write the title track of the band's new album, The Art of Losing.

"We started out playing these sh--ty little clubs all over the country, and it was f---ing great," explained Jones. "Then when 'Flavor of the Weak' started getting played, we found ourselves on these bills where we were playing between Dream and the 'Moulin Rouge' chicks. I just remember looking at our guitar player Jamie [Arentzen] one night and going, 'What the f--- are we doing here?' "

The band's frustration fueled the single, which features a shuffling beat, surging, stabbing guitars and subversive pop-punk vocals. Lyrically, "The Art of Losing" is self-deprecating, humorous and defiant, climaxing with the chorus "Hey, ho, let's go/ I'm gonna start a riot, you don't wanna fight it/ One, two, f--- you/ Don't tell me what to do, I don't wanna be like you."

"It represents me and how I've always felt," Jones said. "It's about being the underdog and pressing forward even though people are telling you you should be doing things one way or another. It's just about sticking to your guns even though you're not necessarily succeeding. [When you do that], at least you know that what you're doing is coming from your heart."

A video for "The Art of Losing" was shot in Hays, Kansas, last month by the band's friend Chris Applebaum, who crafted "Flavor of the Week" as well as videos by Willa Ford, Third Eye Blind and Britney Spears. Instead of creating a slick, flashy clip, American Hi-Fi opted for something gritty and real. So they filmed a performance video in the house of a fan in the middle of nowhere and invited the locals to join the party. The decision was inspired by an experience the band had in the town a couple of months earlier.

"We did a show out there at a small college, and it was a four-hour drive from any nearby city, and it was f---ing great," Jones said. "From the stage, I said, 'Who's havin' a party tonight? Because we wanna hang out.' And these guys came up and gave me their address. So we showed up at this guy's house and it was the most rockin' party ever. The living room was packed, and kids were crowd-surfing to Green Day records. So when it came time to shoot the video, I said to Chris, 'Wouldn't it be killer to shoot it in that guy's living room?' "

Jones called party host himself to secure the location. "These guys were like, 'Oh, sh--! We're gonna throw the biggest f---in' party you've ever seen.' And they did. It was insane. The living room was packed and there were 500 people in the front yard and people were coming in the windows."

The experience was memorable for Jones not just because he likes killer parties, but because the band was able to capture a vibe far removed from that of the average polished Hollywood rock video.

"You've seen videos before with bands playing at quote-unquote parties, and there are always these models they cast in L.A., and it just looks cheesy and not real. This is the real f---in' deal. These are kids from Kansas that dig rock and roll, and we're right in the mix with them hanging out and rocking. It was great because we don't think of ourselves as these f---in' rock star dudes. I don't like there to be a line drawn between the band and the fans, because then you start looking like Scott Stapp or the guy from Nickelback — these cock-rock hero types. We don't ascribe to that."

• American Hi-Fi

Nickelback's Chad Kroeger
Photo: David Ungar

Following a lengthy tour of Europe, Nickelback will return to North America in April for this year's Campus Invasion Tour, which will also feature fellow Canadian rockers Default and Atlanta's Injected. English reflective pop band Starsailor will play the tour's MTV2 stage.

The tour will begin April 4 at Arkansas Tech University in Russelville, and the 16 dates announced so far run through April 27 at SUNY Binghamton in Binghamton, New York. Four more dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Nickelback are touring behind their multi-platinum disc Silver Side Up, Default are supporting their debut album, The Fallout, which came out in October, and Injected are plugging their first record, Burn It Black, out at the end of last month, and Starsailor are in the States to promote their debut album, Love Is Here, which was released in January.

This will be the sixth year for the spring outing, which last year featured American Hi-Fi, Sum41 and Saliva.

The Campus Invasion dates, according to Roadrunner Records:

• 4/4 - Russell, AR @ Arkansas Tech University
• 4/5 - Ruston, LA @ Louisiana Tech Univeristy
• 4/6 - Mississippi State, MS @ Mississippi State University
• 4/8 - College Station, TX @ Texas A&M University
• 4/9 - Norman, OK @ University of Oklahoma
• 4/11 - Columbus, OH @ Ohio State University
• 4/12 - Cleveland, OH @ John Carroll University
• 4/16 - East Lansing, MI @ Michigan State University
• 4/17 - Lexington, KY @ University of Kentucky
• 4/18 - Murray, KY @ Murray State University
• 4/19 - Carbondale, IL @ Southern Illinois University
• 4/20 - Champaign, IL @ University of Illinois
• 4/23 - Potsdam, NY @ SUNY Potsdam
• 4/25 - Dover, DE @ University of Delaware
• 4/26 - Amherst, MA @ University of Massachusetts
• 4/27 - Binghamton, NY @ SUNY Binghamton

• Nickelback
• American Hi-Fi
• Sum 41
• Saliva

Everclear
Photo: Capitol

ASBURY PARK, New Jersey — It's called the Civic Tour, after the Honda automobile, but the attitude and style of Saturday's show, featuring Everclear and American Hi-Fi, was more reminiscent of a muscle car.

That is, loud, fast and sometimes outrageous.

Starting with blistering renditions of "So Much for the Afterglow," "Heroin Girl" and "Nehalem," headliners Everclear turned in a spirited set at the Convention Hall that was alternately ferocious and fun.

Following such hits as "Santa Monica," "Father of Mine" and "I Will Buy You a New Life," bassist Craig Montoya sang lead on a rehearsal-style version of David Bowie's "Suffragette City" to close the show. Coaxed back for an encore, the band treated the crowd to "Rock Star," with singer Art Alexakis inviting dozens of fans onstage and dubbing them the "Everclear Dancers." The experience was reaffirming for diehard Everclear fans who were fearful that the band had grown too sedate on the recent Songs From an American Movie, Vol. One: Learning How to Smile and Songs From an American Movie, Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude. "I was kind of hoping that they didn't go completely pop," 17-year-old Joanna Kelly of Brooklyn, New York, said, referring to songs like "A.M. Radio," which came early in Everclear's set. "But they stayed true to themselves." The Portland, Oregon, band — whose lineup also includes drummer Greg Eklund — has enjoyed a string of uptempo, melodic rock hits that explore the themes of parental abandonment and drug addiction. Saturday's show, which included assistance from three additional musicians on guitar, keyboards and percussion, offered fans a fairly even sampling from throughout the band's nine-year career.

"They mixed in a lot of old songs with the new songs," said Adam Butterfield, 20, of Jackson, New Jersey. "I'd thought they'd be soft, but no, they rocked." The evening was not without hitches, however. The sound mix for Everclear's set was often muddy, and feedback was especially a problem on "A.M. Radio," but they got off easy compared to the other bands on the bill.

American Hi-Fi frontman Stacy Jones could hardly be heard through the mix. The former Letters to Cleo and Veruca Salt drummer and his bandmates performed in front of a flaming bird backdrop similar to the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am logo, alternating between power ballads and energetic rockers, including the Boston quartet's hit "Flavor of the Weak." The Mayfield Four, from Spokane, Washington, churned out a dense set of earnest grunge-informed songs, capped by a cover of the Who's "Baba O'Riley." Muscular, tattooed singer Myles Kennedy swung his guitar at the mic stand and sent it flying to close the band's set.

Show openers Flipp, a cartoonish punk band from Minneapolis, are fronted by Brynn Arens, whose black-and-white makeup, red lipstick, spiked hair and pinstriped suit made him look like a cross between Al Capone, Johnny Rotten and Two-Face. Arens ended each song by giving audience members the middle finger, while Flipp's bass player, decked out in a faux-leather body suit and sporting a purple spiked Mohawk, donned a jet pack that shot sparks during a solo.

The group led the audience through a hyped-up rendition of John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and later returned to clown around with Everclear on "Suffragette City." As for the Honda Civic, few in the audience seemed to notice or care that the tour was sponsored by Honda, despite the orange and black Civic, painted to resemble the cover of Everclear's Songs From an American Movie, Vol. Two, on display near the entrance of the hall.

"The bands have to make money, and it's better than paying $50 at the door," said 38-year-old Scott Vincelette of Sparta, New Jersey. Admission was $25 for the show, and approximately 1,200 attended — far from a sellout. "Now, I wish I didn't have to pay $3 for a cup of water." The tour concludes July 30 in Davis, California.

• Everclear
• American Hi-Fi
• The Mayfield Four

American Hi-Fi
Photo: Eufloria

This one time, at band camp, 3 Doors Down shot a video for the song "Be Like That," the first single from the "American Pie 2" soundtrack.

The Mississippi band is scheduled to shoot the clip this week in London, according to its management, and the video is expected to include some members of the "American Pie 2" cast as well as a setting that nods to the recurring "one time, at band camp ..." joke in the original movie.

The "American Pie 2" soundtrack, due July 24, will also include new songs from several other rock acts, according to music supervisor Gary Jones, who put together the soundtrack along with director J.B. Rogers (see "3 Doors Down Get Taste Of 'American Pie'").

American Hi-Fi contributed "Vertigo," Uncle Kracker recorded the uptempo party track "(I'm Gonna) Split This Room in Half" and Alien Ant Farm laid down "Good for a Woman." Green Day contributed the hard-to-find B-side "Scumbag," while Blink-182 lent the album track "Everytime I Look for You." Sum41's pop-punk-meets-hip-hop hit "Fat Lip" is expected to be re-released as the album's second single, Jones said.

The first single, the ballad "Be Like That," was last week's most-added song on numerous radio formats, according to Republic/Universal Records, which is releasing the soundtrack album. "[The soundtrack is] a reflection of where I think music is. It's a mixture of songs that fit the film and giving opportunities to younger bands that I think will be saying something," Jones said. "It's not about getting every great band to turn over their B-sides — this is a thought-out process." The film, which hits theaters August 10, will revisit the lives and relationships of the original movie's characters when they return home for the summer after their first year of college.

"American Pie 2" track listing:

• Blink-182 - "Everytime I Look for You"
• Green Day - "Scumbag"
• Left Front Tire - "Bring You Down"
• American Hi-Fi - "Vertigo"
• Uncle Kracker - "(I'm Gonna) Split This Room in Half"
• 3 Doors Down - "Be Like That"
• Alien Ant Farm - "Good for a Woman"
• Angela Ammons - "Always Getting Over You"
• Jettingham - "Cheating"
• Flying Blind - "She Only Likes Me When I'm High"
• Fenix*TX - "Phoebe Cates"
• Lucia - "I Will"
• Sum41 - "Fat Lip"
• Oleander - "Halo"
• The Exit - "Susan"

• 3 Doors Down
• Sum 41
• Green Day
• Alien Ant Farm
• American Hi-Fi

Staind
Photo: Elektra

WASHINGTON, D.C. — They came. They saw. They rocked. They made a video.

More than 60,000 fans turned out each day to see bands including Staind, Green Day, Live, Fuel, Fatboy Slim, 3 Doors Down, Incubus and Lifehouse perform at the HFStival held at RFK Stadium Sunday and Monday.

The twelfth annual event, which volleys between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, brought more acts to the nation's capital than ever before and expanded to two days from its usual one. Three stages — including the main stage, a street stage and a local band stage — kept the crowd hopping for about 20 hours. Monday's concertgoers were in for an added treat: they appeared in Good Charlotte's video for their next single, aptly titled "Festival Song," which was shot during their set.

"I grew up coming to the HFStival," said Good Charlotte frontman Joel, who hails from nearby Waldorf, Maryland. "I wrote this song about being here, how we wanted to quit our jobs to be in a band. We have all our friends, the fans and the radio support right here." Sunday's last-minute appearance by Green Day provided one of the festival's highlights as the band set fire to its instruments after delivering a high-energy set that included "Welcome to Paradise," "Hitchin' a Ride," "Waiting" and "Minority." Live — who earned a pair of late-night performances on the main stage — also set the crowd buzzing after being joined by Tricky for "Evolution Revolution Love," from the latter's Blowback, due June 26. Weezer also got tongues wagging, performing for a select group of radio contest winners in a small conference room at the stadium Monday. The Cult, American Hi-Fi, Saliva, SR-71, Coldplay, Stabbing Westward, Linkin Park, Tantric, Powderfinger and Idlewild also hit the stage.

"The best shows are the festivals," Lifehouse frontman Jason Wade said. "It's great to see everyone singing along to every song." "Festivals in America have gotten really cool," Live's Kowalczyk said. "They've been big in Europe for so long, the idea of bringing lots of bands together for the camaraderie of it. I love it." HFStival has been a vital stop on many a breaking band's tour itinerary. No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, Hole, Beck and Everclear have taken the stage in past years.

Due to the prestige of the gig, concertgoers were eager to make predictions about mainstream fame. "Stone Temple Pilots brought the young and old together last year," Tim O'Neill, 30, of Bowie, Maryland, said. "Saliva could be the breakout act this year." "Staind and Linkin Park made it great," Brianne Laplant, 16, of Eldersburg, Maryland, said. While the music was the main focus, the crowd provided a sideshow of its own as girls flashed the audience whenever the camera put them in the spotlight.

Despite so-called "blanket tosses" and some attendees getting sprayed from bottles of urine during New Found Glory's performance, injuries at the festival were minimal, WHFS promotions director Donna Jean Rumbley said. "For 120,000 people, the crowd was well-behaved. No casualties."

• Staind
• Green Day
• Tantric
• The Cult
• American Hi-Fi

American Hi-Fi Photos February 2003

• American Hi-Fi

• American Hi-Fi