Taylor Swift's <i>Fearless</i>
Photo: Big Machine Records

After taking a couple of weeks off, Taylor Swift will once again top next week's Billboard albums chart. But the big news is the post-Grammy sales bump, which sent her album and plenty of others surging back up into the upper reaches of the chart.

Possibly thanks to her duet with Miley Cyrus on the Grammy telecast, Swift's Fearless sold more than 91,700 copies to grab #1, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Sitting at #2, with sales of more than 76,500 copies — a 715 percent increase from last week — is Robert Plant & Alison Krauss' Raising Sand, which took home five awards on Grammy night, including Album of the Year. On last week's chart, Sand sat at #69. Two weeks ago, it was out of the Top 200.

Landing at #3, with sales of close to 75,400 copies, is neo-soul chanteuse India.Arie, who scored the week's biggest debut with her Testimony: Volume 2, Love & Politics. Last week's chart champs, the Fray, sit at #4, selling more than 75,100 copies of their self-titled album. Chippy Brit Lily Allen debuts at #5, selling about 69,900 copies of her sophomore album, It's Not Me, It's You.

Bruce Springsteen's Working on a Dream sits at #6, with sales of more than 64,500 copies, and Bobby Valentino's Rebirth bows at #7, with 64,100 sold.

Coldplay — who took home three awards on Grammy night, including Song of the Year — jumped all the way from #31 to #8, selling more than 62,100 copies (a 271 percent increase from the previous week's numbers) of Viva la Vida Or Death and All His Friends. The 2009 Grammy Nominees compilation is next at #9, with sales of 61,000 copies, and Best New Artist winner Adele leapt from #27 to #10, selling more than 56,000 copies of her debut, 19.

Outside the top 10, there were plenty of other artists who benefitted from some post-Grammy love. Jamie Foxx — who performed a tribute to the Four Tops alongside Ne-Yo during the telecast — posted a 10 percent increase in sales, landing at #14. T.I., whose "Swagga Like Us" won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, saw a boost from his pair of Grammy performances, as sales of Paper Trail increased by 45 percent, locking him in at #18. Kid Rock didn't win any awards, but thanks to his performance, sales of his Rock N Roll Jesus album jumped up 64 percent, giving him the #21 spot.

Lil Wayne won a trio of trophies on Grammy night and rocked the stage twice, which might explain why he saw sales of Tha Carter III jump 34 percent, placing it at #29. Jennifer Hudson's strong and soulful performance boosted sales of her self-titled debut by 112 percent; moving it all the way from #47 to #30. The Kings of Leon, Duffy, Lady Antebellum, Radiohead, M.I.A. and John Mayer also saw big jumps in sales thanks in part to their Grammy participation.

Check out MTV News' complete Grammy 2009 coverage right here!

• Taylor Swift
• Coldplay
• India.Arie
• Lily Allen
• Adele

Johnny Cash's <i>American V: A Hundred Highways</i>
Photo: Lost Highway

Johnny Cash's American V: A Hundred Highways earned the #1 spot on Billboard's albums chart with 88,000 copies sold during a slow holiday week at retail — overall sales for the nation's top 200 albums were down by nearly 450,000 units, according to SoundScan.

Had Chris Carrabba waited seven days to release his latest studio offering, Dusk and Summer, he may have finally scored that Billboard-topping debut that's eluded Dashboard Confessional, who opened at #2 on the previous albums chart with 134,000 copies sold — right behind the first-place finisher India.Arie with Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship.

American V was one of only four new releases to crack the top 200 this week, and one of only two to debut in the chart's top 10. The latest Rick Rubin-helmed release from the late music legend contains "Like the 309," the final song Cash wrote and recorded before his September 2003 death. A Hundred Highways is the first of Cash's acclaimed American recordings to reach the top 20 on the Billboard 200.

The Sufferer & the Witness, the fourth studio release from Chicago punks Rise Against, scores the #10 spot after selling more than 48,000 during its first week of release.

The two other newcomers to the chart include the soundtrack to last weekend's #1 film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." The record opens at #24 with sales of 30,000 and change. Latin sensation Diana Reyes' Las No. 1 de la Reina bows at #143 with 6,000 scans.

Nelly Furtado came close to returning to #1 this week, following the chart-capping success of her Loose two weeks prior. But the album came up 7,000 copies short of swiping the rug out from under Cash, climbing one spot to #2 with 81,000 discs scanned. India.Arie's Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship follows at #3 with nearly 69,000 sales, just in front of the Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way, which stays put at #4 with sales of 57,000 and then some.

Gnarls Barkley climb one spot to #5 after selling close to 56,000 copies of their St. Elsewhere last week, while Rihanna's A Girl Like Me drops one to #6 with over 55,000 sales. Rascal Flatts' Me & My Gang comes in at #7 with close to 55,000 scans. And in at #8 is the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical," which continues to rack up sales. Close to 52,000 people grabbed a copy this past week, bringing the disc's six-month sales total to over 2.6 million.

And what of Carrabba, you wonder? Well, Dashboard's Dusk and Summer slid seven spots on this week's chart to #9. Week-two sales of the LP dropped a fairly standard 63 percent, to finish with just under 50,000 scans.

Check out "MTV News RAW: Johnny Cash" to watch one of the music legend's last interviews.

And see "How Nelly Furtado Got Her Ghetto Pass" for an in-depth look at Loose.

• Johnny Cash
• Rise Against
• Dashboard Confessional
• Nelly Furtado
• Gnarls Barkley

India.Arie's <i>Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship</i>
Photo: Universal

Close, but no cigar.

Chris Carrabba — the man behind Dashboard Confessional — told MTV News last month that debuting at #1 on the Billboard albums chart wasn't a goal, but he did admit that "it would be cool to look back at, as it's something of an accomplishment." It was more important, he added, "to still be on the charts after a year" (see "Secrets? Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba Has A Few About Dusk And Summer").

Still, one can't help but wonder what's going through the songwriter's mind as the new SoundScan totals reveal Dashboard's latest, Dusk and Summer, is the band's second-straight LP to miss that magical mark — bowing at #2 with just over 134,000 first-week sales. Three years ago, A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar sold 122,000 copies to also debut at #2, behind Alan Jackson's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2.

This time around, it wasn't a country icon who pulled the rug out from under Carrabba's feet, but soul artist India.Arie, who claims the Billboard crown with her third release, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship.

India.Arie's latest is also her first chart-topping debut. Voyage to India (2002) debuted at #6 with 110,000 discs sold, and her inaugural offering, Acoustic Soul (2001), bowed at #10 with 76,000-plus scans. Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship racked up 161,000 in week-one sales — not a runaway victory, but enough to keep Dashboard Confessional at bay.

India.Arie and Dashboard are the only newcomers to crack the top 10 on the latest chart, while a dozen other new releases make the top 200 cut.

Nelly Furtado's Loose, which debuted at #1 the previous week, slips to #3 with 99,000 units sold, followed by the Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way at #4 with more than 78,000 scans. Rihanna's A Girl Like Me scored a 14 percent sales boost, moving 62,000 copies and climbing seven spots to #5.

Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere rises two to #6 with sales of more than 60,000, while Rascal Flatts' Me & My Gang claims the #7 spot with 59,000 scans. Busta Rhymes' The Big Bang slips three to #8 with 58,000 copies sold, and the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical" comes in at #9 with nearly 58,000 sales. Rounding out the top 10 is the soundtrack to the animated feature "Cars," which sold over 50,000 copies its fourth week in stores.

Shawnna, an MC from the south side of Chicago who calls blues guitarist Buddy Guy "Dad," notches the third-highest opening on the chart. Her Block Music takes the #13 slot with 47,000 scans, followed at #16 by Hank Williams Jr.'s That's How They Do It in Dixie: The Essential Collection, which netted week-one sales nearing 39,000.

The Snoop Dogg-produced Cali Iz Active — the latest from Tha Dogg Pound, featuring Snoop, Daz Dillinger and Kurupt — debuts at #28, with more than 30,000 units scanned. Lostprophets follow at #33 with Liberation Transmission, racking up 27,000 sales. Ray Cash's debut LP, Cash on Delivery, opens at #41 with 24,000 scans while II, the new one from punk quartet Billy Talent, pops up at #134 with 7,000-plus copies sold. The soundtrack to the Broadway musical "Tarzan," which features music by Phil Collins, opens at #170 with over 5,000 copies sold.

• India.Arie
• Dashboard Confessional
• Shawnna
• Tha Dogg Pound
• Lostprophets

Dashboard Confessional's <I>Dusk and Summer</I>
Photo: Vagrant Records

A Dash of Heartbreak: "Reason to Believe," "Secret's in the Telling," "Rooftops and Invitations" ... yep, sounds like a new Dashboard Confessional album all right. Dusk and Summer took Chris Carrabba three years to create, with help from producers Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan) and Don Gilmore (Avril Lavigne, Duran Duran), so make sure you've got extra Kleenex. If you're in DC's demo, show your student ID at a nearby Best Buy and the disc will only cost you $6.99.

Let's Get Active: Kurupt and Daz Dillinger threw a collar on Snoop Dogg and yanked him onto Cali Iz Active, Tha Dogg Pound's first full-fledged LP since 2001's, er, 2002. While Snoop is considered an official member this time around and has an executive-producer credit, he only crops up on a couple of tracks. Still, spots by Diddy, Ice Cube, Paul Wall, David Banner, Lady of Rage and Nate Dogg should make up for it.

Block Party: Shawnna's got a pretty impressive guest list of her own, especially for a sophomore artist. The Def Jam singer and "You Hear It First" alum coaxed Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Too Short, Syleena Johnson, Bobby Valentino and even her father, blues king Buddy Guy, onto Block Music. Tracks include "Candy Coated," "Lil Daddy What's Good" and the remix of "Gettin' Some," featuring Luda, Wayne and Short.

How to Sum It Up?: Welsh rockers Lostprophets have been around for almost 10 years, but they still seem to have a hard time speaking succinctly. Their third offering, the Bob Rock (Metallica, Mötley Crüe)-produced Liberation Transmission — which has already spawned numerous import versions — features such longwinded titles as "Can't Catch Tomorrow (Good Shoes Won't Save You This Time)," "Broken Hearts, Torn Up Letters and the Story of a Lonely Girl" and "Always All Ways (Apologies, Glances and Messed Up Chances)."

Björk'd: The Icelandic queen has a handful of box sets already out there, and she's keeping her fans Surrounded with a seven-DualDisc chest. Each one is a 5.1 surround-sound update of one studio record — and her recent soundtrack to husband Matthew Barney's "Restraint 9" — plus respective videos for that effort. The brick package is a work of art in and of itself.

Cases of Mistaken Identity: No, that's not Sammie making a comeback this week, even though we recently reported that the R&B crooner is in fact on the rebound. Rather, it's the Sammies, North Carolina's latest rock hopefuls, whose self-titled debut arrives shortly after one of the group's songs was used on ABC Family's "Wildfire." And no, that's not actress Julia Roberts singing on Men & Mascara — it's country/pop artist Julie Roberts, who mulls if she's "Too Damn Young" but finds room to "Smile" on her second effort. Nor is that U.K. luminaries the Coral dishing up Volcano and Heart this week. It's actually Santa Barbara, California's the Coral Sea whose "Look at Her Face" you may have heard on "Grey's Anatomy."

But that is '80s mainstays Warrant getting Born Again with their first full-fledged set of original studio recordings since 1995's Ultraphobic, albeit without Jani Lane singing. And that is Afroman still enjoying the aftereffects of his 2001 hit "Because I Got High" with yet another similarly titled record, Drunk 'n' High.

Getting Saucy: St. Patrick's Day, Mardi Gras and Cinco de Mayo may be behind us, but that's not stopping this week's roster from getting its drink on. Afroman's already buzzing with his aforementioned Drunk 'n' High, and Julie Roberts is "Chasin' Whiskey" on Men & Mascara, but not to be overlooked are the Moonshine Bandits tossing back a few with Bubba Sparxxx, Celly Cel, Jay Tee and others on Prohibition. And needless to say, there's more than a few cocktails being tipped back on Dr. Dre's Chronicles: Death Row Classics, the two-part "Reggae Spring Break" DVD series and, presumably, Rendezvous in Rio by folk-pop singer Michael Franks.

A Docking of the Docs: Three music documentaries of note this week, beginning with "Let's Rock Again," a snapshot of fallen Clash frontman Joe Strummer taken by friend Dick Rude. The set captures Strummer in the 18 months leading up to his death and features interviews and more. "We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen" is a portrait of the influential San Pedro, California, punks and features interviews with Flea, Ian MacKaye, Thurston Moore, Henry Rollins and tons more. "Look at All the Love We Found: Live - A Tribute to Sublime," on the other hand, isn't a documentary of the '90s stalwarts but a chronicle of a tribute gig staged in Los Angeles last year that featured Unwritten Law, Blackalicious, Los Lobos and other amigos. The bonus CD chips in a handful of tracks that didn't appear on last year's audio comp of the same name.

Song Title of the Week:

"Divine Birthrite (Maiden Voyage of the Grape Ape)" from An Albatross' Blessphemy (of the Peace-Beast Feastgiver and the Bear-Warp Kumite)

Other Notables:

Jonah Smith's Jonah Smith: The buzz is strong with this new New Yorker, who's drawing raves for his rich blend of soul and Americana. His eponymous effort was produced by Lee Townsend (Bill Frisell, John Scofield) and boasts "Little Black Angels," "My Morning Scene" and "Dressed in White."

An Albatross' Blessphemy (of the Peace-Beast Feastgiver and the Bear-Warp Kumite): Much fun to be had on the latest opus by the herky-jerky spazz-outs. In addition to the Song Title of the Week, be on the lookout for "Lysergically Yours, My Psychadelic Bride," "Ballad of the Electric Coyote" and a speedy, three-part "epic."

DJ Spooky's DJ Spooky Presents: In Fine Style - 50,000 Volts of Trojan Records!!!: Not so much a new Spooky record as an effort to show how vintage reggae tunes are largely responsible for much of today's club music, the DJ goes overboard with a two-disc set that culls tunes by Lee Perry, Desmond Dekker, Sly and Robbie and many more. A jolt indeed.

New Releases:

• 7L & Esoteric - A New Dope (Babygrande)
  
• A Life Once Lost - Hunter (Ferret)
  
• Afroman - Drunk 'n' High (Siccness)
  
• An Albatross - Blessphemy (of the Peace-Beast Feastgiver and the Bear-Warp Kumite) (Ace Fu)
  
• India.Arie - Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship (Universal)
  Buy Now: Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship (Universal)
  
• Authority Zero - Rhythm and Booze (Suburban Noize)
  
• Baby Ray - Low Rises (Dren)
  
• Balun - Something Comes Our Way (live; Brilliante)
  
• Hector Bambino - Roc la Familia & Hector Bambino "El Father" Present Los Rompe Discotekas (Roc-A-Fella)
  
• David Benoit - Full Circle (Peak)
  
• Big Mike - Keep It Playa (BCD)
  
• Billy Talent - II (Atlantic)
  Buy Now: II (Atlantic)
  
• Bittersweets - The Life You Always Wanted (Virt)
  
• Brand New Heavies - Get Used to It (Delicious Vinyl)
  
• John Brannen - Twilight Tattoo (Sly Dog)
  
• Héctor Buitrago - Conector (Nacional)
  
• Carpathian Forest - F--- You All!!!! (limited edition; Season Mist)
  
• Ray Cash - Cash on Delivery (Gheto-O-Vision/ Columbia)
  
• Gilbert Castellanos - Underground (Seedling)
  
• Catch 22 - Permanent Revolution (Victory)
  Buy Now: Permanent Revolution (Victory)
  
• Cellador - Enter Deception (Metal Blade)
  
• Cephas & Wiggins - Shoulder to Shoulder (Alligator)
  
• Chevreuil - Capoeria (Sickroom)
  
• The City Drive - Always Moving Never Stopping (Red Ink)
  
• The Coral Sea - Volcano and Heart (Hidden Agenda)
  
• Dashboard Confessional - Dusk and Summer (Vagrant)
  Read: "Secrets? Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba Has A Few About Dusk And Summer"
  Buy Now: Dusk and Summer (Vagrant)
  
• Dead Celebrity Status - Blood Music (Bodog)
  
• Kris Delmhorst - Strange Conversation (Signature)
  
• Jesse DeNatale - Soul Parade (Jackpine Social Club)
  
• Dirty on Purpose - Hallelujah Sirens (North Street)
  
• Dirty Rig - Rock Did It (limited edition with bonus DVD; New Media Studio)
  
• Dr. Octagon - The Return of Dr. Octagon (OCD)
  
• Dry Kill Logic - The Magellan Complex (Repossession)
  
• George Duke - In a Mellow Tone (Bizarre Planet)
  
• Four Tet - DJ Kicks (!K7)
  
• Michael Franks - Rendezvous in Rio (Koch)
  
• Good Riddance - My Republic (enhanced; Fat Wreck Chords)
  
• Graf Orlock - Destination Time Yesterday (Level Plane)
  
• Hacienda Brothers - What's Wrong With Right (Proper)
  
• John Lee Hooker Jr. - Cold as Ice (Telarc)
  
• Ray Wylie Hubbard - Snake Farm (Sustain)
  
• Glenn Hughes - Music for the Divine (Frontiers)
  
• iiO - Poetica (Made)
  
• The Illuminati - On Borrowed Time (enhanced; Liquor & Poker)
  
• François K - Frequencies (Wave Music)
  
• Mike Keneally Band - Guitar Therapy Live (Exowax)
  
• Sammy Kershaw - Honky Tonk Boots (Category 5)
  
• Chris Thomas King - Rise (21st Century Blues)
  
• Jeff Lang - Prepare Me Well: An Introduction to Jeff Lang (Telarc)
  
• Lord Jamar - The 5% Album (Babygrande)
  
• Lostprophets - Liberation Transmission (Columbia)
  Read: "Lostprophets Enlist Metallica Producer But Leave 'Chugga-Chugga' Metal Behind"
  Buy Now: Liberation Transmission (Columbia)
  
• Bobby Lyle - Hands On (Heads Up)
  
• Brad Mehldau Trio - House on Hill (Nonesuch)
  
• Metal Church - A Light in the Dark (Steamhammer)
  
• Moonshine Bandits - Prohibition (Independent Music Network)
  
• Tim O'Reagan - Tim O'Reagan (Lost Highway)
  
• John Ottman - "Superman Returns" original score (Rhino)
  
• Person - Entitled (Echelon Productions)
  
• Pet Shop Boys - Fundamental (limited two-CD deluxe edition also available; Rhino)
  Buy Now: Fundamental (Rhino)
  
• Grant-Lee Phillips - Nineteeneighties (Zöe/ Rounder)
  
• Julie Roberts - Men & Mascara (Mercury Nashville)
  
• The Sammies - The Sammies (MoRisen)
  
• Roger Sanchez - Come With Me (Ultra)
  
• The Seventh Cross - Scorched by the Flames of Vengeance (Candlelight)
  
• Shawnna - Block Music (enhanced; Def Jam)
  Buy Now: Block Music (Def Jam)
  
• Kierra KiKi Sheard - This Is Me (special edition also available; EMI Gospel)
  
• Slabz R Us - Mike Moe, Beltway 8 Boys (BCD)
  
• Jonah Smith - Jonah Smith (Relix Records/ Image Entertainment)
  
• DJ Spinna - Intergalactic Soul (Shanachie)
  
• DJ Spooky - DJ Spooky Presents: In Fine Style - 50,000 Volts of Trojan Records!!! (Trojan)
  Buy Now: DJ Spooky Presents: In Fine Style - 50,000 Volts of Trojan Records!!! (Trojan)
  
• Spores - Imagine the Future (Sidecho)
  
• Takeovers - Turn to Red (Fading Captain)
  
• Tha Dogg Pound - Cali Iz Active (Koch)
  Read: "Snoop, Ice Cube, Xzibit Show 'Cali' Love In DPGC Video"
  Buy Now: Cali Iz Active (Koch)
  
• Theatre of Tragedy - Storm (Candlelight)
  
• Wayman Tisdale - Way Up! (Rendezvous)
  
• Warrant - Born Again (Cleopatra)
  Buy Now: Born Again (Cleopatra)
  
• Peter White - Playin' Favourites (Columbia)
  
• Yip-Yip - In the Reptile House (Saf)
  
• Various artists - A Rough Guide to the Music of Iran (World Music Network)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Ian Anderson - The Ian Anderson Collection (two CDs; Fuel)
  
• Shirley Bassey - An Introduction to Shirley Bassey (Fuel)
  
• Debashish Bhattacharya - Calcutta Slide Guitar 3 (limited edition with bonus DVD; Riverboat)
  
• Björk - Surrounded (seven-DualDisc box set; Rhino)
  
• The Church - Sometime Anywhere (Lemon)
  
• Alex De Grassi - Pure Alex De Grassi (Windham Hill)
  
• Dissection - The Somberlain and Storm of the Light's Bane (two CDs each; The End)
  
• Dr. Dre - Chronicles: Death Row Classics (Death Row)
  Buy Now: Chronicles: Death Row Classics (Death Row)
  
• Dub Specialist - Version Dread: 18 Dub Hits From Studio One (Heartbeat)
  
• Michael English - Greatest Hits: In Christ Alone (Curb)
  
• The Flying Burrito Brothers - Airborne/ Flying Again (Acadia)
  
• Judy Garland - The Essential Judy Garland (Capitol)
  
• John Gorka - Pure John Gorka (Windham Hill)
  
• Michael Hedges - Pure Michael Hedges (Windham Hill)
  
• John Holt - I Can't Get You Off My Mind: 18 Greatest Hits at Studio One (Heartbeat)
  
• The Hot Doggers - Surfin' USA (Sundazed)
  
• The Kickstands - Black Boots and Bikes (Sundazed)
  
• B.B. King - Gold (two CDs; Geffen)
  
• The Knights - Hot Rod High (Sundazed)
  
• J.B. Lenoir - An Introduction to J.B. Lenoir (Fuel)
  
• Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction (limited-edition gold disc; Mobile Fidelity)
  
• Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane - The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings (two CDs; Riverboat)
  
• Van Morrison - Pay the Devil (deluxe edition with DVD; Lost Highway)
  
• Nightnoise - Pure Nightnoise (Windham Hill)
  
• Lee "Scratch" Perry - An Introduction to Lee Perry (Fuel)
  
• The Rip Chords - Summer U.S.A.! The Best of the Rip Chords (Sundazed)
  
• Sons of the Pioneers - Classic Cowboy Songs (Varèse Sarabande)
  
• The Specials - Greatest Hits (Big Eye)
  
• Dusty Springfield - Gold (two CDs; Hip-O/ UMe)
  
• Cat Stevens - Chronicles (three CDs; A&M/ UMe)
  
• Liz Story - Pure Liz Story (Windham Hill)
  
• Whitesnake - Gold (two CDs; Geffen)
  Buy Now: Gold (Geffen)
  
• Hank Williams Jr. - That's How They Do It in Dixie - The Essential Collection (Curb)
  
• Various artists - 60's Gold (two CDs; Hip-O/ UMe)
  
• Various artists - The New York Sound: From the East Coast to the Future (BGP)
  
• Various artists - Rockin' Bones: 1950s Punk & Rockabilly (four-CD box set; Rhino)
  
• Various Artists - US Vs. UK Punk (Sanctuary)
  
• Various artists - "Dolemite" soundtrack (Relapse)

DVDs:

• The Afro-Cuban All-Stars - "Afro Cuban Legends" (Kultur)
  
• Paul Anka - "Music Man: The Authorized Biography" (White Star)
  
• Chuck Berry - "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll" (two DVDs; four-DVD "Ultimate Collector's Edition" also available; Image)
  
• Chamillionaire - "Littles Presents: The East Coast Shakedown" (Best of Block)
  
• Cro-Mags - "Live in the Age of Quarrel (1986-2001)" (Cro-Mags)
  
• Deep Purple - "Music in Review" (Classic Rock Legends)
  
• The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine: The DVD (Relapse)
  
• Green Day - "The Ultimate Film Review" (Classic Rock Legends)
  
• Jim Jones - "A Day in the Fastlife" (Koch)
  
• Happy Mondays - "Live in Barcelona" (Music Video Distributors)
  
• Led Zeppelin - "Music in Review" (Classic Rock Legends)
  
• The Minutemen - "We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen" (two DVDs; Plexifilm)
  
• My Chemical Romance - "Things That Make You Go Mmmm!: An Unauthorized Documentary" (Music Video Distributors)
  
• Nico - "All Tomorrow's Parties: Nico Live" (Hep Cat)
  
• Omar & the Howlers - "Bamboozled: Live in Germany" (Music Video Distributors)
  
• Marty Robbins - "Music Anthology" (White Star)
  
• The Skeptix - "Live at CBGB's" (Music Video Distributors)
  
• Slade - "Slade Alive!: The Ultimate Critical Review" (Classic Rock Legends)
  
• Slightly Stoopid - "Live in San Diego: November 25 & 26 2005" (Shout! Factory)
  
• The Smiths - "Under Review" (Sexy Intellectual)
  
• Joe Strummer - "Let's Rock Again" (Image)
  
• Richard Thompson - "1000 Years of Popular Music" (one DVD with two CDs; Cooking Vinyl)
  
• Various artists - "Look at All the Love We Found: Live - A Tribute to Sublime" (with CD; Music Video Distributors)
  
• Various artists - "The Montreux Dream - The Story of the Montreux Jazz Festival" (Kultur)
• Various artists - "Reggae Spring Break Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2" (Music Video Distributors)

Coming Attractions:

July 4:

• Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways (Lost Highway)
  
• Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness (Geffen)
  Preorder: The Sufferer & the Witness (Geffen)
  
• Hans Zimmer - "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" soundtrack (Disney)

July 11:

• Muse - Black Holes & Revelations (Warner Bros.)
  Preorder: Black Holes & Revelations (Warner Bros.)
  
• Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras From the Illinois Album! (Asthmatic Kitty)
  Preorder: The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras From the Illinois Album! (Asthmatic Kitty)
  
• Thom Yorke - The Eraser (XL Recordings)
  Read: "Thom Yorke Records Album Without Radiohead, Rejects 'Solo' Label"
  Preorder: The Eraser (XL Recordings)
  
• Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 22 (Sony)

July 18:

• Alien Ant Farm - Up in the Attic (New Door)
  Preorder: Up in the Attic (New Door)
  
• The Bronx - The Bronx (digipak; Island)
  
• The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Don't You Fake It (Virgin)
  Read: "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: You Can Call Them Sellouts"

• Dashboard Confessional
• Tha Dogg Pound
• Shawnna
• Lostprophets
• Lord Jamar

Anthony Kiedis at the MusiCares tribute to Brian Wilson
Photo: Lester Cohen/WireImage.com

HOLLYWOOD — It was all good vibrations at Friday's MusiCares Person of the Year dinner, where the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Backstreet Boys and ?uestlove of the Roots honored Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson with kind words and musical tributes.

"He's a modern day Stravinsky,"
?uestlove said outside the Palladium before joining Wilson's band and John Legend for "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times." "The way he constructs his music, he's a madman. ... He was doing stuff [40 years ago] that modern people do now, looping his work and stuff. There's a track on Smile with a whole bunch of tubas having a conversation with trumpets. It's great."

(Click for photos from the concert.)

The Chili Peppers opened the concert portion of the event with a rendition of "I Get Around" featuring Anthony Kiedis half-singing/half-rapping the verses and guitarist John Frusciante and bassist Flea harmonizing the chorus.

"God only knows how much we love Brian Wilson," Kiedis told the crowd, referencing one of the Beach Boys' many popular tunes, "God Only Knows," which Wilson performed later with India.Arie.

"I knew someone else much more important would be doing 'God Only Knows,' so my next choice was 'Sail on Sailor,' " British crooner Jamie

	Photos: Chili Peppers, Backstreet Salute Brian Wilson

Other performers included veterans Richie Sambora; Earth, Wind & Fire; Darlene Love; Jeff Beck; Michael McDonald; Billy Preston; and Neil Young, who dedicated his moving version of "In My Room" to Brian as well as his late brothers, Dennis and Carl.

The only band to perform its own song was the Barenaked Ladies, who treated the full house to an acoustic version of "Brian Wilson."

"We're a band that focuses on harmonies, and [the Beach Boys] were the harmony rock and roll band," singer Steven Page explained of his band's longtime admiration for Wilson.

The Barenaked Ladies were one of the many acts who returned to the stage at night's end to perform with Wilson. After quickly thanking MusiCares (reading from a prompter) and singing "Heroes and Villains," "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations" with his band, Wilson welcomed the other performers for "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Love and Mercy."

"I'm leaving you with a littler prayer," Wilson said before the final tune. And his apostles fittingly followed along.

Brian Wilson Presents Smile is nominated in two categories at Sunday's Grammy Awards.

As this year's Grammys approach, you can get all the latest news on the show, the scene and the nominees in our Grammy news archive. On the big night, February 8, be sure to tune in to MTV at 7 p.m. for our "All up in the Grammys" preshow. Plus check out videos of the nominees and more right here on mtv.com.

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Backstreet Boys
• Brian Wilson
• John Legend
• Jamie Cullum

Vanessa Carlton as Dusty Springfield on "American Dreams"
Photo: Paul Drinkwater

The past meets revisionist history when the classics collide with Vanessa Carlton, B2K, Indie.Arie and others recreating songs from the golden age of rock and roll on the soundtrack to TV's "American Dreams."

American Dreams Original Soundtrack: 1963-1964, according to a Universal Records spokesperson, is due out May 6 and contains tunes featured on the drama series based on growing up in the shadow of the quintessential teen dance program "American Bandstand." Carlton renders her take on "Wishin' and Hopin' " by blue-eyed-soul diva Dusty Springfield; neo-soul crooner India.Arie pays homage to jazzy soul singer Nina Simone on "Come Ye"; and B2K featuring Marques Houston put on their best Temptations for a version of the Motown classic "My Girl." All the present-day artists on the 15-track LP have made guest appearances on the show.

Original songs by the Beach Boys ("Don't Worry Baby"), Martha & the Vandellas ("Heat Wave") and the Zombies ("She's Not There") round out the album.

"American Dreams" co-stars Vanessa Lengies and Brittany Snow also appear on the album, singing backup to Stacie Orrico's rendition of the Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back," and Tonic singer Emerson Hart performs "Generation," the series' theme song.

American Dreams Original Soundtrack: 1963-1964 track list (order not final), according to a Universal Records spokesperson:

• Vanessa Carlton - "Wishin' and Hopin'"
• India.Arie - "Come Ye"
• B2K featuring Marques Houston - "My Girl"
• Duncan Sheik - "Beyond the Sea"
• Stacie Orrico - "My Boyfriend's Back"
• Vivian Green - "Every Little Bit Hurts"
• Emerson Hart - "Generation"
• Martha & the Vandellas - "Heat Wave"
• The Zombies - "She's Not There"
• Simon & Garfunkel - "The Sounds of Silence"
• The Beach Boys - "Don't Worry Baby"
• Otis Redding - "That's How Strong My Love Is"
• The Impressions - "People Get Ready"
• The Everly Brothers - "Gone, Gone, Gone"
• The Kinks - "You Really Got Me"

• Vanessa Carlton
• B2K
• India.Arie

Nelly and Kelly Rowland at 2003 Grammy Awards
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Wireimage.com

You can tell Fred Durst's been kind of down lately by the way he's all agitated when responding to the have-you-and-Britney-been-dating questions and, more importantly, the fact that he's not sporting his usual jaunty red baseball cap.

At the 45th annual Grammy Awards in New York he wore a brown cap, an olive T-shirt over a gray long-sleeve top, and a sour though resolved expression when he admitted that he and Britney were seeing each other for a while, before she "played him out."

Durst was pretty much alone in his dressed-down look at the event, however. The men, everyone from Fat Joe to the Foo Fighters and Nelly, were all spiffed up in suits (click to see photos from the red carpet). Fat Joe wore his best Godfather gear — a black fedora, a black fur coat draped over his shoulders, and a black suit with a pink shirt for some color. Scruffy Dave Grohl cleaned up and got himself into a black suit without a tie and fellow Foo Fighter Taylor Hawkins channeled his inner Don Johnson by wearing a gray suit with a blue T-shirt underneath.

A Band-Aid-less Nelly, winner of two awards before he got to the end of the red carpet (click here for the list of winners), hooked up with Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey's tailor, who made the rapper a khaki suit with a matching checked vest, tie and hanky.

The five boys of 'N-"We're whole tonight"-SYNC all wore black suits, while Raphael Saadiq looked sharp in a brown suit with salmon accents and matching fedora. He was attended to by the outfit's designer and P. Diddy's personal valet, Farnsworth Bentley.

P. Diddy was his usual fashion-plate self in a black suit with a white tie and, starting to walk in Daddy's shoes already, was his son Justin in a matching outfit. Meanwhile, Usher wore a white suit with a tie-dye tie and John Mayer sported a black pinstripe suit with a silvery-gray tie.

T-Boz and Chilli of TLC tribute-dressed by wearing leather jackets over sparkly bra tops with homages to their late group member, Left Eye — the ladies accented their outfits with the word "Left" on Chilli's necklace and T-Boz's belt, and pictures of eyes on their clothes.

Rowdy and rag-tag Avril Lavigne and her band all wore the ugliest tuxedos they could find. On purpose. Lavigne wore a tux with studs and skull-and-crossbones because, she said, "There's no friggin' way I was going to wear a dress." The rest of her bandmates wore clashing tuxes with gaggy water-squirting flowers and light-up bow ties.

No Doubt's fashion frontman is usually and reliably Gwen Stefani, who didn't disappoint Sunday night, though she was slightly upstaged by drummer Adrian Young. Stefani wore a black-and-white polka-dot dress with an asymmetrical neckline and a white boa, while Young paraded around in a plaid skirt — not a kilt — and maroon Doc Martens.

Missy Elliott and Cam'ron were tickled pink to be there, literally, as they both wore rose from head to toe. Missy wore a "Gossip Folks"-type sweatsuit with a fuzzy pink Kangol cap, and Cam'ron dressed to match his pink cell phone. The real Pink, meanwhile, was rocking a cranberry mohawk and black shredded dress, cut high enough to let the new dragon tattoo on her left thigh peek out.

And Foxy Brown, as is her way, let a little more peek out. She wore a teal micro-micro minidress, slit all the way down the front to reveal a matching bra and a belly button.

While some other girls also opted for the minidress, like Kelly Rowland and Kylie Minogue, India.Arie wore a long white dress to complement her new buzz cut, and Ashanti wore a long Roberto Cavalli dress with a train to offset her new Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album.

Finally, what would an awards show fashion round-up be without a proper thrashing of the disastrous duds? Unfortunately, Christina Aguilera couldn't make it to the ceremony. ...

For more Grammy news, check out the MTV News Grammy Archive.

• Nelly
• Limp Bizkit
• Avril Lavigne
• P!nk
• TLC

Norah Jones accepts her Best Pop Vocal Grammy
Photo: Wire Image

Norah Jones is the Grammys' undisputed golden girl, generating eight wins, including a sweep of the four most coveted awards.

Jones' Come Away With Me won Best Album, Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while her "Don't Know Why" won Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. (Click here for a list of winners.) Jones also took the Best New Artist trophy over Avril Lavigne, Ashanti, Michelle Branch and John Mayer.

"I love you so much," Jones told her band in accepting her Best New Artist trophy. "You're the reason I do this."

Come Away With Me also won the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical award for Arif Mardin.

Bruce Springsteen and the Dixie Chicks followed Jones with three wins apiece. The Boss' The Rising won Best Rock Album, and the title track nabbed Best Rock Song and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, while the Dixie Chicks won Best Country Album for Home, Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal for "Long Time Gone" and Best Country Instrumental Performance for "Lil' Jack Slade."

Eminem lost in the Album of the Year category for the second time, but The Eminem Show won Best Rap Album and "Without Me" won Best Short Form Music Video.

Other multiple winners included Coldplay, India.Arie and Nelly, who won Best Male Rap Solo Performance with "Hot in Herre" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with his Kelly Rowland duet, "Dilemma." Coldplay, who performed "Politik" with the New York Philharmonic, won Best Alternative Music Album for A Rush of Blood to the Head and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal for "In My Place," while Indie.Arie won Best R&B Album for Voyage to India and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Little Things."

No Doubt won the first award of the ceremony, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal for "Hey Baby," just minutes after performing a medley of "Underneath It All" and "Hella Good." The show opened with a reunion by Simon and Garfunkel, who sang "The Sound of Silence."

After crooning "Your Body Is a Wonderland" in between performances by Vanessa Carlton and James Taylor, a casually dressed John Mayer won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the song, beating out Taylor and other veterans Elton John and Sting.

The Foo Fighters, whose Dave Grohl presented with Lou Reed earlier in the night, won the Best Hard Rock Performance for "All My Life."

In other notable categories, Santana and Michelle Branch's "The Game of Love" won Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, Sheryl Crow's "Steve McQueen" won Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, Korn's "Here to Stay" won Best Metal Performance, and Dirty Vegas' "Days Go By" won Best Dance Recording.

In the other rap contests, Missy Elliott's "Scream a.k.a. Itchin'" won Best Female Rap Solo Performance, and Outkast's "The Whole World" won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

In R&B, Ashanti's self-titled debut won Best Contemporary R&B Album, Mary J. Blige garnered Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "He Think I Don't Know," and Usher won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "U Don't Have to Call." The Best R&B Song went to Erykah Badu for "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)."

This year's 45th annual ceremony, at Madison Square Garden, marked the Grammys' return to New York after four years in Los Angeles.

For more Grammy news, check out the .

• Norah Jones
• Bruce Springsteen
• Eminem
• Nelly
• Kelly Rowland

Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, and Nelly announce 2003 Grammy nominations
Photo: MTV News

When nominations for the 45th annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday morning, reactions ranged from sincere congratulations to "What were they thinking?" (Click here for the list of nominees.)

Few readers writing to MTVNews.com's You Tell Us forum had sour sentiments about demure Norah Jones, the jazz-influenced singer/pianist who's got a chance to sweep the four biggest categories — Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist (see "Eminem, Avril Lavigne, Nelly, Norah Jones Nab Most Grammy Noms"). Jones is also among the eight artists who garnered five nominations. (Click for photos of this year's Grammy nominees.)

"I'm sooo happy for [Norah Jones]," wrote 18-year-old Lexi, from Seattle. "I know many people haven't heard her music, but those who have know how great it is. Big ups to the critics for giving this girl the credit she deserves."

Jones' Come Away With Me faces stiff competition from The Rising, Bruce Springsteen's return to form, and, to a lesser extent, The Eminem Show. Although the mainstream seems to have embraced the volatile rapper, with hardly a protest over his third major-label album or his fictionalized biopic "8 Mile," the Grammys might not be ready to bestow such a prestigious honor to a man who had a hit with a song that talks about killing the mother of his child and stuffing her in a trunk.

Then again, Eminem already has five golden gramophones in his trophy case (though none in the big four categories), and the Recording Academy did grant an Album of the Year Grammy to Steely Dan in 2001, for Two Against Nature, which featured the song "Cousin Dupree," about incest. But old guards like Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have always had Grammy odds in their favor, which is why Springsteen stands such a good shot. And even if The Eminem Show doesn't win for Album of the Year and "Without Me" doesn't lay claim to Record of the Year, Eminem is likely to make good on at least one of his other three nominations.

While Jones stands as the artist with the smallest presence at radio compared with fellow new-artist nominees R&B songbird Ashanti, singer/songwriter Michelle Branch, sensitive guy John Mayer and pop-rocker Avril Lavigne, most of you think the latter stands as her fiercest competition.

"I think Avril Lavigne definitely deserves Best New Artist," wrote 14-year-old Ashley of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. "She's worked so hard and accomplished so much this year."

"There is no doubt that Avril Lavigne should win Best New Artist," echoed 14-year-old Danielle, from Somerset, New Jersey. "She writes her own music, had three top 40 songs in 2002, sold over 4 million copies of her debut, Let Go, and hates Britney Spears. What more could you want in a Best New Artist?"

While statistics may garner gold records, they don't necessarily translate to a Grammy. Awards are (theoretically) doled out to those who demonstrate genuine artistry in their work. And that's Avril Lavigne, isn't it?

"Avril has no business being nominated for as much as she was," disagreed 19-year-old Andrea. "As far as music and creativity go, Britney is more creative — and you know that's a stretch, especially since Britney is nothing but manufactured bubble gum. Avril may have had something going with her and her ties but let's face it, MTV, that's all she has had."

After yesterday's announcement of the nominations, Lavigne has a lot more attached to her, namely a monumental mistake when she mispronounced David Bowie's last name. When reading the list of artists up for the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, she mispronounced Bowie as "bow-wie" (rhymes with oh, wowee!). An unnerving hush immediately enveloped Madison Square Garden.

"Am I the only person who realizes what a poser Avril Lavigne is?" queried 22-year-old Kim, from Denver. "First of all, she botched the pronunciation of David Bowie, one of the most influential musicians of our time. ... Does Avril know anything about music? ... My point is, although everyone seems to be touting Avril Lavigne as some new prodigy, the fact is that she is not a true musician or artist and is just as fake and untalented as Britney Spears."

And here we thought Avril was the anti-Britney.

While Mayer's the only guy among the gals in the Best New Artist pack, his fans warn not to count him out just because he's outnumbered.

"John Mayer deserves to win the Grammy for Best New Artist," declared 18-year-old Tiffany Johnson, from Austin, Texas. "He is just on a different level from the rest of the nominees. The guy is brilliant."

Nelly, who's up for Album of the Year, Best Male Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Album honors, among others, is feeling the brunt of haters. For the nearly 5 million copies of Nellyville sold, the St. Louis rapper seems to have just as many, if not more, detractors.

"I want to know what the Grammy folks see in Nelly," demanded 19-year-old Jason Curtis of Seattle. "Everyone is hypnotized by his so-called 'skills,' which are by no means good. As far as I'm concerned, Nelly doesn't deserve a Grammy."

It wasn't all trash talk directed at the St. Louis rapper, however. Many have their fingers crossed that the Band-Aid bearing MC will leave with even more gold than he came in with.

"I'm really anticipating seeing Nelly take home the Grammy for best album," wrote 14-year-old Linzi, from Sandusky, Michigan. "I mean, his music is totally hot, and I'm pretty sure that I don't know anyone who isn't into Nelly."

Linzi, meet 21-year-old James, from New Haven, Connecticut.

"It is clear once again that the awards honor what is popular, not what is good," James began. "Nelly has sunk so far down in the talent pool that he's left rapping about sneakers and some sort of heat wave that has apparently swept Nellyville. Talk about meaningless music. Seriously, if it's that hot in 'herre,' then drink a glass of water. Don't make a freakin' song about it."

Fellow hip-hopper Petey Pablo, up for Best Rap Album with Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry, faced some harsh reactions, with fellow nominee Mystikal also catching some heat.

"I am very upset to see that Pete Pablo has been nominated for Best Rap Album," expressed 25-year-old Curtis, from Tallahassee, Florida. "Also, Mystikal's Tarantula album was very disappointing. How come someone like Trick Daddy or Cee-Lo never gets nominated? He is pure trash, and I understand why people like Jay-Z protest the Grammys. If we want to make it mainstream for all these old white people, let's nominate Will Smith. Even though his album sold probably 200 copies, he does not curse."

Such outrage over those who were nominated couldn't rival the furor over those who were left out: uber-producers the Neptunes and anyone from the neo-garage school, such as the Hives, the Vines, the Strokes or the White Stripes.

"How did Dr. Dre get nominated in the Producer of the Year category, while the Neptunes were ignored?" wondered Venni, 18, from Blacksburg, Virginia. "Dre didn't do anything in 2002. Every single song on the radio was produced by the Neptunes."

OK, Venni may be exaggerating a bit, though Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are responsible for Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You," Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and Mystikal's "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)," all of which are Grammy-nominated.

"I'm surprised the new 'the' bands didn't get major nods," typed an aghast CJ, 18, from Newmarket, New Hampshire. "I'm sad that the White Stripes were shafted, when overrated Avril Lavigne gets all the credit. Well, the Grammys are pretty lame either way."

If the nominations aroused such fervent feelings in these folks, they'd better be prepared for the shock of February 23. While some surprises can be expected with the nods, utter jaw-droppers like the over-the-hill Jethro Tull winning for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 1988 are unmatched.

Stay tuned and stay calm.

For a look back at previous big Grammy winners, red carpet photos and much more, visit our Grammy News Archive.

• Eminem
• Norah Jones
• Nelly
• Dixie Chicks
• Bruce Springsteen

Nelly
Photo: Universal

With eight artists grabbing five nominations each, this year's Grammy Awards looks to be one of the most competitive in the ceremony's 45 years. (Click here for the list of nominees and for photos of this year's Grammy nominees and performers.)

Three relative newcomers, Ashanti, Norah Jones and Avril Lavigne, join Sheryl Crow, Eminem, Nelly, Raphael Saadiq and Bruce Springsteen as the artists with the greatest chances of leaving New York's Madison Square Garden on February 23 with the most golden gramophones in their arms.

All eyes will be on Norah Jones, who stands to reign supreme on Grammy night with four of her five nominations arriving in the big four categories: Best New Artist; Album of the Year, for Come Away With Me; and Song of the Year (given to the songwriter Jesse Harris) and Record of the Year for "Don't Know Why." Jones and her full-length debut album also received nods in the categories Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while the LP's producer, Arif Mardin, scored one in the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category to give the Norah Jones camp a whopping eight nominations combined.

Eminem, Nelly, Springsteen and Lavigne received two nods apiece for the big awards. Em's "Without Me" is up for Record of the Year, along with Nelly's "Dilemma" (which features Kelly Rowland), Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" and Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles." The Eminem Show will vie for Album of the Year honors against Come Away With Me, the Dixie Chicks' Home, Nelly's Nellyville and Bruce Springsteen's The Rising.

Springsteen was also nominated in the Song of the Year category for "The Rising." The Boss' tune, which resonated with many after the events of September 11, 2001, will face off against another song inspired by the tragedy, Alan Jackson's "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

The Best New Artist category finds John Mayer the sole male amidst a quartet of ladies, Ashanti, Michelle Branch, Jones and Lavigne, whose single "Complicated" is also up for Song of the Year. (Last year, Alicia Keys walked off with the prestigious honor. Who do you think should win Grammy's equivalent to Rookie of the Year? Take our poll.)

"Chauvinists unite!" Mayer joked at Madison Square Garden, in a half-hearted attempt to strum up support for his cause. "I'm just going to go to sports bars and lobby.

"It's cool," he continued sincerely. "I look at the list and say, 'It makes sense to me.' "

While Ashanti is likely to have her fingers crossed for the big Best New Artist win, she'll be doubly excited when the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category is awarded. Besides receiving a nod for assisting Fat Joe with "What's Luv?" the songbird with the second-best-selling debut album of 2002 has increased her chances of winning with "Always on Time," her collaboration with Ja Rule. Ashanti likes both songs, but she looks to the phrase "blood is thicker than water" when deciding whom to root for.

"I don't necessarily have a preference, but it I had to choose, it would have to be my brother Ja," she said. "That's my family, Murder, Inc. Records."

Nominations for the 45th annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday (January 7) at a press conference held in Madison Square Garden. Among the artists on hand to read the roster of those hopeful for Grammy gold were Ashanti, country singer Kenny Chesney, '80s faceplate Cyndi Lauper, Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, Justin Timberlake, Nelly and producer Jimmy Jam, who filled in for a previously scheduled but absent Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

The artists each took the podium in turn to announce the contestants for two of the categories, which made for some interesting pronunciations. Ashanti (pronounced a-shan-tee) became the faux-fabulous sounding "A-shan-tay" whenever most on hand mentioned her name; and Lavigne, in announcing the nominees for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance botched David Bowie's name, pronouncing it 'Bow-wee" (as in the dog sound "bow-wow"). The flub is not likely to go unnoticed among Lavigne's critics, and it just might go down in pop-star infamy, the way Britney Spears' remark that suggested Pat Benatar sang "I Love Rock 'N Roll," a song Joan Jett made famous, did in a fall 2001 interview.

Four nominations fell on the Dixie Chicks, Alan Jackson, R&B singer Remy Shand and Chad Kroeger, who scored one with his band Nickelback, and three others for his song "Hero," penned for the soundtrack to "Spider-Man."

Besides two in the big four, Vanessa Carlton's other nomination came in the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s). While most categories in the Composing/Arranging field are often overlooked in favor of more artist-specific ones, the 21-year-old pianist doesn't consider her third nod to be any less important. In fact, considering that she's the only nominee who's also an artist in that category, she said she's perhaps most proud of that honor because it shows her as the well-rounded artist she is.

"I am most excited for that nomination because it is recognizing the process, something other than the vocal and the song itself," she explained. "It kind of acknowledges how the puzzle fits together. I think [Be Not Nobody] is a beautiful record and I'm really proud to know that people recognized that. I was totally surprised, though. I really was."

India.Arie, Erykah Badu, Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, Dr. Dre, Randy Newman, Arif Mardin and No Doubt also nabbed three nominations each.

Touting over 100 categories, the Grammys is the most comprehensive music awards show, but even with classifications such as Best Polka Album (for which Jimmy Sturr's Top of the World looks to be the odds-on favorite) and Best Remixed Record, Non-Classical, there just aren't enough designations for some folks.

"Actually, one they didn't mention was best haircut-changing-style every year,' a near-bald Timberlake kidded. "I'm hoping I get the Victrola for that."

Maybe next year, Justin. In the meantime, the 'NSYNC star must be content with just one nomination, for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, for the Clipse-featured "Like I Love You," the first single from his solo debut, Justified.

Super production duo the Neptunes were puzzlingly absent from the Producer of the Year category, which instead found Dr. Dre, Nellee Hooper, Arif Mardin, Rick Rubin, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis attempting to stake their claim to the title. After producing a number of Grammy-nominated tracks, including Timberlake's "Like I Love You," Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and Mystikal's "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)," it's a mystery why Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams didn't receive any love from the Recording Academy.

"For the second year in a row, can you imagine that?" Williams said of his Grammy dis. "All the work we've done? For whatever reason, nobody thought to put us on the ballot."

The 45th annual ceremony marks the Grammys' return to New York, after Los Angeles hosted the previous four events. The show will be broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Before the show, catch MTV's pre-show telecast "Backstage at the Grammys," airing at 7 p.m. ET.

MTV's parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS.

For more Grammy news, check out the MTV News Grammy Archive.

• Nelly
• Avril Lavigne
• Norah Jones
• Eminem
• Vanessa Carlton

John Legend and India.Arie Perform At New York's Madison Square Garden

• John Legend
• India.Arie

What You Didn't See At The Grammys

• Justin Timberlake
• Timbaland
• P!nk
• Shakira
• Kanye West

Kanye, Rihanna, Fonzworth, More At 2006 BET Awards

• Kanye West
• Rihanna
• Fonzworth Bentley
• Bow Wow
• Paul Wall

Foxx, Duff, "Napoleon Dynamite," More Strut The "Ten" Fashion Show Runway 02.22.2005

• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Hilary Duff
• India.Arie
• Kanye West

MusiCares 2005 Person Of The Year Ceremony 02.11.2005

• India.Arie
• Backstreet Boys
• Neil Young
• John Legend
• Red Hot Chili Peppers

Avril, Pink, Nelly, No Doubt, More On 2003 Grammy Red Carpet

• Nelly
• Kelly Rowland
• No Doubt
• Foo Fighters
• Avril Lavigne

45th Annual Grammy Award Nominees, Presenters, And Performers

• Ashanti
• Norah Jones
• Avril Lavigne
• John Mayer
• Nelly

• Alicia Keys
• Christina Aguilera
• Destiny's Child
• Eve
• India.Arie

Exclusive India Arie Photos

• India.Arie