Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony To Reunite Saturday In Cleveland

20 Jul 2011 12:53:45 EDT

Krayzie Bone returns for Ohio Homecoming, also featuring Drake.
By Rob Markman

Things haven't been harmonious with Bone Thugs lately. In April, Krayzie Bone announced that he was leaving Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, but after three short months, Kray, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone and Flesh-n-Bone will reunite onstage at the Ohio Homecoming concert on Saturday.

The concert, which will also feature Drake and local Ohio artists such as Stalley and Ray Cash, will double as a celebration of Cleveland's 215th birthday.

"They ain't seen us, all five, since Flesh came out [of prison in 2008]," Bizzy Bone told MTV News. "We ain't been able to really put on a showcase for 'em, and this is a beautiful platform. It's gonna be thousands and thousands and thousands of people there, and it's Cleveland's birthday."

Bone Thugs got their start in 1994 with the EP Creepin on ah Come Up and became certified stars with their multiplatinum 1995 single "Tha Crossroads." Through the years, however, the Cleveland group has experienced its fair share of ups and downs. First, there was Flesh-n-Bone's incarceration in 2000, then Bizzy left the group during the promotional tour for the quintet's BTNHResurrection album.

To the casual fan, it might seem as if Krayzie's recent departure is just another chapter in the group's tumultuous history. Layzie, however, downplayed the drama. "I can kind of understand with recent activity and everything why they would probably think that we wouldn't come together for something so big like 215 years — Cleveland's birthday," he said. "Over the years, we proved ourselves. OK, we break up to make up, but we proved to be a family that comes together throughout anything."

So, will the upcoming show bring Bone Thugs back together for good? Wish Bone wouldn't say, but did share that he thinks BTNH's status has been blown out of proportion. "We're not just band members that were put together: We're real family," Wish said. "It's a shame that sometimes we go through things like anybody else but by us being in the public eye, it gets magnified about a million times. It makes it worse than it really is, but that's part of the game ... No matter what, we're going to come together for something that's very important to us."

What do you predict the future holds for Bone Thugs? Tell us below!

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Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Put 'Rough Road' Behind Them On Tour

06 Apr 2010 20:47:00 EDT

'At the end of the day we're still family,' Wish Bone says.
By Jayson Rodriguez

On the heels of releasing their ninth group project, this time featuring all five members together, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony realized the endurance that kept them together all these years was exactly what they needed to deliver their new album.

The Cleveland collective is currently touring to promote their forthcoming Uni-5: The World's Enemy without charismatic member Bizzy Bone, who opted out of the trek because of a financial dispute. Wish Bone, though, said being back onstage trumps any trouble, albeit temporary, that might have arisen between the group.

"For us to be able to go out and sell tickets and people to want to come see us, we thank God for that, first and foremost," he said. "It's been a rough road. We brothers, cousins and best friends — we have ups and downs and whatever, but at the end of the day we're still family. So we're gonna bring it together to do what we do — which is music — and reach the masses."

"Meet the Sky" is the group's current single and it features recently arrested member Flesh-N-Bone, who was previously incarcerated for 10 years during the group's rise to success. The rapper declined to comment on the incident, which stemmed from a 12-year-old alleged assault against his mother. Krayzie Bone urged fans to ignore the headlines and pay attention to the new project instead.

"We maintaining, holding together and kept pushing forward," he explained. "And we were able to find success. We were gonna make it work — this is what we wanted to do all our lives, this music."

Are you excited about Bone Thugs-N-Harmony reuniting? Let us know in the comments below!

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Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Flesh-N-Bone Arrested At An Ohio Show

29 Mar 2010 21:55:00 EDT

Rapper had two outstanding warrants for his arrest due to a domestic dispute with his mom 12 years earlier.
By Christopher Campbell

Rapper Flesh-N-Bone, of the Grammy-winning hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, was arrested in Ohio on Sunday for assaulting his mother, according to The Associated Press.

The incident occurred in Solon, Ohio, 12 years ago, and the rapper, whose real name is Stanley Howse, was in the local area with his act for a sold-out hometown performance at Cleveland's House of Blues. The concert was part of the group's reunion tour, which they kicked off last Wednesday, and marked Howse's first time in the state in more than a decade. He apparently did not expect two outstanding warrants for his arrest to disrupt the show.

Cuyahoga County Sheriff's deputies planned to take Howse into custody after Bone Thugs-N-Harmony finished their set. However, the rapper spotted the police in the crowd and attempted to make a getaway with help from members of the audience. He was apprehended backstage by one of the deputies with the assistance of the Cleveland Police Department.

Howse remained in jail Monday (March 29) with no legal representation reported. He is charged with domestic violence with a firearm and felonious assault. He allegedly struck his mother in the head with a gun in 1998, leaving her with a 1-inch gash on her forehead.

Since that time, Howse has had other troubles with the law. In 2000, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison in California on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and probation violation after aiming an AK-47 at a friend. He served eight years. In early 2009, he was again arrested for gun possession, but the charges were later dropped.

According to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Web site, a live Ustream chat scheduled for Monday had to be canceled and rescheduled.

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Bizzy Bone Robbed By Anti-Gang Worker, Los Angeles Police Say

13 Jan 2009 11:26:00 EST

The on-again/off-again Bone Thugs-N-Harmony member was allegedly beaten and robbed at an L.A. hotel last week.
By Gil Kaufman

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony member Bizzy Bone has been identified as the man who was beaten and robbed at a Los Angeles hotel last week, allegedly by an employee of an anti-gang organization.

While returning to his room at the Universal Hilton on January 5, Bizzy (born Byron McCane) was confronted by several people who beat and choked him before stealing his jewelry, according to the Los Angeles Times. On Friday, Los Angeles police arrested Marlo "Bow Wow" Jones, 30, a contract worker for the anti-gang organization Unite One, which does work for L.A. Bridges II gang-intervention program. Law-enforcement officials told the paper they are still seeking other male and female suspects in the case.

Jones is being held on $1.1 million bail. An official at Unity One told the paper that he was terminated from his contract but that he could possibly be rehired if cleared in connection with the case.

The Unity One program was founded after the 1992 Los Angeles riots by former gang member-turned-peacekeeper Darren "Bo" Taylor, who died in August.

Bizzy is an original member of the Cleveland rap crew best known for their intricate double-time flow and for being mentored by late N.W.A. member Eazy-E. Bizzy was kicked out of the group in 2003 for frequently missing shows and public appearances. He was not involved in sessions for their 2007 album, Strength and Loyalty, but he is rumored to be working on a reunion album with the rest of the group — including long-missing member Flesh-n-Bone, who finished an 11-year stint behind bars last year.

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'Notorious' Soundtrack Details Revealed: Features Jay-Z, Jadakiss, Faith Evans, Biggie's Son

03 Dec 2008 12:14:00 EST

Greatest hits, rare tracks fill out soundtrack to biopic, due in January.
By Shaheem Reid

Some of Notorious B.I.G.'s greatest hits and early, little-known recordings fill out the soundtrack to "Notorious," the forthcoming biopic about the legendary Brooklyn rapper. Slated for release on January 13 on Bad Boy/ Atlantic, the soundtrack features hit singles that endeared Biggie to the masses as well as some of his demos, appearances from his family and brand-new records some of his closest peers, including Jay-Z and Jadakiss. (The movie is slated for release January 16 through Fox Searchlight Pictures.)

Jay, who teamed up with Big for such classics as "Brooklyn's Finest," "I Love the Dough" and Puff Daddy & the Family's "Young G's," comes with "Brooklyn Go Hard," as previously reported by MTV News. The Kanye West-produced track features Santogold. Although an official video is still being discussed, an unsanctioned clip — featuring Hov in animated form — has already hit the Internet.

Jadakiss appears on "A Letter to B.I.G." The track was originally recorded for Jada's Last Kiss LP, and the filmmakers thought it was perfect to include on the "Notorious" project. Obviously, Jada and Big were not strangers: The Biggie/ LOX collaborations during the Bad Boy dynasty years were legendary. The title of 'Kiss' record is self-explanatory: He speaks directly to his deceased friend, who died in a still-unsolved murder in 1997.

Bad Boy has also confirmed that Biggie's son, Christopher "CJ" Wallace Jr., will be performing on a new version of "One More Chance." It's being labeled as "a duet" by Bad Boy. CJ's mom, Faith Evans, sings on a remix of the song, also featured on the album.

Early records "Microphone Murderer" and "Guaranteed Raw" — which never made it onto an album but garnered Big a neighborhood buzz during his early years — are also included, along with his first-ever officially released track (from the 1993 "Who's the Man?" soundtrack), "Party & Bullsh--."

"Notorious" soundtrack track listing, according to Bad Boy Records:

1. "Notorious Thugs" (featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)
2. "Hypnotize"
3. "Notorious"
4. "Juicy"
5. "Party & Bullsh--"
6. "Warning"
7. "One More Chance" remix (featuring Faith Evans)
8. "Brooklyn Go Hard" (Jay-Z featuring Santogold)
9. "Letter to B.I.G." (Jadakiss featuring Faith Evans)
10. "Kick in the Door"
11. "What's Beef"
12. "World Is Filled"
13. "One More Chance" (featuring CJ)
14. "The Notorious Theme" (composed by Danny Elfman)
15. "Microphone Murderer" (previously unreleased demo)
16. "Guaranteed Raw" (previously unreleased demo)
17. "Love No Ho" (previously unreleased demo)

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Alicia Keys Lands Fourth Consecutive #1 On Billboard Chart With As I Am

21 Nov 2007 12:38:00 EST

Celine Dion, Led Zeppelin, Now! 26 enter chart's top 10 during busy sales week.
By Chris Harris

She's released four albums over the course of her career, and all four have debuted at #1 on the Billboard top 200, including her most recent studio offering, As I Am, which first landed in record shops last week. What this all means, at least in sports terms, is that R&B songbird Alicia Keys has a perfect 4-for-4 record.

But a fourth #1 opening isn't the only thing Keys is thankful for this week. With 742,400 copies sold, As I Am earns the distinction of being the singer's best-performing debut. Her 2001 LP Songs in A Minor sold 235,800 copies to enter the top 200 at #1 while 2003's The Diary of Alicia Keys scanned more than 618,300 copies; her 2005 Unplugged set sold close to 196,000 units. Plus, As I Am, according to the latest SoundScan totals, walked away with the chart's peak position, with her closest competitor, Josh Groban's Christmas-themed Nëel, trailing at #2 with sales reported at 223,000.

Keys' newest was one of 24 new releases to enter next week's chart, during what was a healthy week for album sales overall. During the previous week, the records comprising the top 200 sold a total of 4.2 million and change, while next week's top 200 scanned close to 5.4 million, which can means the holiday shopping season is once again upon us.

Four albums, including As I Am, bowed in the top 10, including Celine Dion's latest, Taking Chances, at #3 with 214,400 sold, and the 26th installment in the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation franchise follows at #4, scanning around 208,000 units; this latest edition to the family features tracks by the likes of Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Kanye West, the Plain White T's, Daughtry, Nickelback and more. Coming in at #7, with 136,400 copies snatched up, its Mothership, a two-disc compilation set chronicling the works of Led Zeppelin.

Meanwhile, the rest of the top 10's saturated with some of music's biggest names. Garth Brooks' Ultimate Hits sits in the #5 position, with 203,600 in second-week scans, followed at #6 by the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, selling another 197,500 copies. Jay-Z's American Gangster drops seven spots to #8 on sales of 130,600; week-two sales of the album declined by nearly 70 percent. Carrie Underwood, fresh off her American Music Award wins, owns the #9 spot, selling 113,200 copies of her Carnival Ride, while Chris Brown's Exclusive rounds things out at #10, with 109,600 scans.

Comedian Dane Cook's latest, Rough Around the Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden, enters the chart at #11, with 90,200 copies flying off store shelves, while the Killers' Sawdust comes in at #12, with 81,900 scans. George Strait's 22 More Hits opens at #13 with 80,200 sold, and at #17 with sales of 63,000, it's James Taylor's new one, One Man Band. Boyz II Men return to the chart at #27 with Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA, an album that pays tribute to some of the legendary label's classic tracks; the set sold 41,700 units. Trisha Yearwood's Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love comes in at #30, selling 33,000 copies.

The Goo Goo Dolls' Volume 1: Greatest Hits, which implies a second installment somewhere down the line, finishes at #33 with 32,600 sold, while Seal's System follows at #35 with 30,200 scans. Duran Duran's Red Carpet Massacre bows at #36 with sales reported at 28,800, and coming in at #54 with 20,400 sold is Aretha Franklin's Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets With the Queen. Now That's What I Call Party Hits!, a compilation featuring contributions from Shop Boyz, Mims, Kelis, Amerie, Nelly Furtado and more, enters at #60 with 17,800 sold, followed at #65 by the Hives' Black and White Album, which scanned 17,200 copies.

T.H.U.G.S., an album of unreleased Bone Thugs-n-Harmony material, opens at #73 with 15,200 copies grabbed up, while David Gray's Greatest Hits enters at #96, selling 10,400. Aventura's K.O.B. Live comes in at #97 with sales of just over 10,300, with A.F.I.'s I Heard a Voice: Live from Long Beach Arena debuting at #133 with 7,400 scans. Meanwhile, the Dillinger Escape Plan's Ire Works enters at #142, with 7,000 sold. Ska kings Streetlight Manifesto's Somewhere in the Between opens at #154 with 6,300 scans, and finally, coming in at #173 with 5,500 sold, its Take Cover, a covers collection from American metallers Queensryche.

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Bone Thugs Feel Big Love As Mariah, Bow Wow Show Up For 'Lil L.O.V.E.' Video

06 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EDT

'It's a privilege to work with legends such as Bone,' Bow Wow says.
By Shaheem Reid

Only a little love? Hardly. Legendary hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony were feeling the devotion recently on the Los Angeles set of their new video. Mariah Carey, Swizz Beatz, Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupri all came out to appear in the clip for their huge collaboration, "Lil L.O.V.E."

"It's a privilege to work with legends such as Bone," Bow Wow said.

Dupri echoed that sentiment. "Everybody loves their style," he said. "Krayzie got their buzz going on the Chamillionaire record ['Ridin' '] and a couple of other records, and everybody was looking for them."

Earlier this year, Bone Thugs, minus Bizzy Bone, released Strength & Loyalty, which debuted as the #2 album in the country (see "Buble Takes Down Bone Thugs In Mother's Day Chart Melee"). The record sales and the airplay success of the single "I Tried," featuring Akon, were all the vindication they needed against those who said that Swizz Beatz, the album's executive producer, was wasting his time trying to help bring them back.

"It was a lot of naysayers: 'Bone fell off, Bone are washed up, Bone can't do it without Bizzy,' " Krayzie Bone recalled. "People didn't believe in us. For the album to come out and debut at #2, to hit the charts so hard with the song for Akon, it's a blessing. We thank the Lord and our fans."

"Lil L.O.V.E." is about a woman who tells her man he needs to spend a little more time with her instead of chasing dollars.

"The whole vibe of the video is how your girl is complaining that you doing too much," Layzie said. "You need to spend some time with her. So basically it's showing that aspect of the hustle."

"It's a performance video, going with surreal sets," director Chris Robinson said. "It's all black-and-white [since] relationships and love may seem black-and-white on the surface.

"Bone, Mariah, JD, Bow Wow — they're all icons in their own right," Robinson added. "The best was to set that up [visually]. Everybody gets their moment, and [then] we flip it and everybody is together."

"Lil L.O.V.E." is scheduled to debut sometime in July. Meanwhile, a trailer for the group's new film, "I Tried," just hit the Internet. The movie imagines what would have happened to Bone if they had never met the man who discovered them, their mentor Eazy E.

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Buble Takes Down Bone Thugs In Mother's Day Chart Melee

16 May 2007 12:57:00 EDT

New albums from Bobby Valentino, Björk also crack chart's top 10.
By Chris Harris

Last week, Michael Bublé came so close to scoring the first Billboard albums chart #1 debut of his career, he could taste it. But then R&B hunk Ne-Yo burst Bublé's bubble, scoring the top spot and leaving the Canadian crooner holding Billboard's silver medal.

But this week, it was Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's turn to feel the sting. Early sales projections had the group's comeback LP, Strength & Loyalty, pegged for a #1 opening. But in the end — possibly due to a last-minute Mother's Day sales push — the Bone couldn't touch the Bublé.

While sales of Bublé's latest, Call Me Irresponsible, dipped 32 percent last week, the LP still outsold Bone Thugs' new one by about 25,000 copies, earning the singer with the hard-to-pronounce name a belated Billboard conquest, according to the latest SoundScan figures. Bublé's album sold nearly 145,000 units to Bone Thugs' 119,000. The group has bowed at the top twice before, with 1995's E 1999 Eternal, which sold 307,000 copies, and 1997's The Art of War, which scanned to the tune of 394,000.

Meanwhile, R&B heartthrob Bobby Valentino's sophomore set, Special Occasion, opens at #3 on next week's chart, having sold 91,700 copies during its first week at retail; Bobby's no stranger to a #3 debut, as his self-titled 2005 LP also opened in third, but with much stronger sales of 180,000. Valentino's was one of four new releases to make it into this latest top 10, and one of 15 new releases in all to impact the chart. Debuting at #7 is legend Barbra Streisand's Live in Concert 2006, with close to 60,000 scans, and coming in at #9 is Icelandic songstress Björk's Volta, which netted week-one sales of 43,000.

Surprisingly, Volta earns the distinction of being the first Björk album to debut in the top 10. Her two previous efforts, 2001's Vespertine and 2004's Medúlla, opened at #19 and #14, respectively, with stronger sales of 75,000 and 65,000. Ne-Yo's Because of You slides three spots to #4 with 89,000 scans, while Avril Lavigne's The Best Damn Thing follows at #5 on 70,800 units.

The self-titled debut from "American Idol" season five finalist Chris Daughtry's eponymous rock outfit, Daughtry, inches up one spot to #6, with 66,800 copies sold, while Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts climbs two spots to #8 with 56,800 scans. The 24th installment in the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation series rounds out the top 10, having sold an additional 40,700 copies, adding to its already 743,000 take.

New Moon, a two-CD/ two-LP posthumous compilation album from the late Elliott Smith, opens at #24 on Billboard's chart, with sales reported at 24,400; the singer died in unclear circumstances in 2003. DipSet: More Than Music Vol. 2, a collection featuring Diplomats members Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, Hell Rell, J.R. Writer, 40 Cal. and others, follows at #26, with 23,000 scans. Meanwhile, Travis return to the top 200 at #58, with The Boy With No Name, which generated sales of 11,700, and coming in at #97 is the latest from rapper Sage Francis, Human the Death Dance, which sold 8,500 units.

Bone Brothers 2, a collaboration between Layzie Bone and former Bone Thugs partner Bizzy Bone, bows at #122 with 6,900 copies sold, while Punk Goes Acoustic 2, a collection of unplugged tracks from the likes of Jack's Mannequin, Silverstein, the All-American Rejects, Relient K, and Sherwood, opens at #125, with 6,800 scans. The debut offering from "American Idol" season five finalist Paris Bennett, Princess P, debuts at #133 with more than 6,300 copies sold, and coming in at #197, with 4,300 copies sold, is Houston rapper Z-Ro's new one, Power.

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Bobby Valentino Vs. Bjork, Plus Bone Thugs, Paris Bennett, Elliott Smith, H.I.M. & More, In New Releases

08 May 2007 06:01:00 EDT

Also due Tuesday: Sea and Cake, Bad Plus, Sea Wolf, Shannon Wright, Travis, Master P, Radiohead.
By Kurt Orzeck

With everyone still reeling from Saturday's riveting de la Hoya/ Mayweather match — we wanted more blood, but UFC has been spoiling us — what better time for another edition of New Releases face-offs? Here are the record-bin battles you can expect to see this week:

Calling Timbaland - Fight for the Crown: Bobby Valentino's Special Occasion vs. Björk's Volta
>>> The Mississippi R&B singer made a stunningly auspicious debut with his 2005 eponymous LP, which peaked at #3 on the Billboard albums chart. Valentino has invited even more friends to his new Special Occasion — Timbaland ("Anonymous"), Fabolous ("Let Him Go") and Ludacris ("Rearview [Ridin']") among them. Also featured is a cover of Babyface's "Soon as I Get Home," as well as a boatload of hit-making producers and songwriters: Sean Garrett, Bryan Michael-Cox, Dre & Vidal, Timbaland and Rodney Jerkins.

>>> Björk's Volta is also spewing with collaborators, chiefly producer Timbaland, who is behind three of the tracks: "Earth Intruders," "Innocence" and "Hope." With Antony Hagerty of Antony and the Johnsons duetting on two songs — "The Dull Flame of Desire" and "My Juvenile" — plus a 10-piece brass section, a band from the Congo and other diverse guests, Björk is ready to break out. That her last studio LP, 2004's Medúlla, was her highest-charting one yet in the U.S. only helps poise her for even greater success.

As Not Seen on TV - The "Idol" Contest: Paris Bennett's Princess P vs. Paula Abdul's Greatest Hits: Straight Up!
>>> While Jordin, LaKisha, Blake and Melinda keep hashing out on season six of "American Idol," one of last year's contenders doesn't want you to forget about her. Fifth-place finisher Bennett has at last dished up her solo debut, named after the nickname Ryan Seacrest endowed her with during the competition. Adding even more frothy "Idol" goodness is a guest spot by fellow contender Kevin Covais on "Let Me Rap"; other tracks on the LP, partly produced by Rodney Jerkins, include "All Hail the Princess," "Burnt Up" and "Get Bizzy."

>>> Meanwhile, "Idol" judge Abdul doesn't want you to forget that she's got pipes of her own — her Greatest Hits: Straight Up! bundles together 18 selections by the Grammy-winning singer, including "Opposites Attract," "Forever Your Girl" and "Rush, Rush." The clips for her six #1 singles are also coming out this week, so be on the lookout for MC Skat Kat.

A Bone to Pick - The Rap Battle: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Strength & Loyalty vs. Bone Brothers' Bone Brothers 2
>>> Cleveland's Thugs have clocked roughly 40 million CDs sold worldwide, but they've been on the wane lately — last year's Thug Stories barely scraped the top 25 on the Billboard albums chart. But with a new label — they were on Koch but now call Interscope home — and a litany of high-profile peeps lending support (Mariah, Akon, Bow Wow, Swizz Beatz, Will.I.Am), the now-trio are aiming a bit higher. The Best Buy edition of Strength & Loyalty, originally called The Bone Thugs Story, has the exclusive cut "Just Vibe," while Hastings Entertainment's version features an exclusive "I Tried" remix.

>>> While those guys are hoping for a resurgence, two other bros — founding members Bizzy Bone and Layzie Bone — have a few things of their own to say with Bone Brothers 2. While Layzie has kept it real with Bone Thugs, Bizzy has since been ousted — which should make the first song on their LP, "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony," pretty interesting. Also featured is "We Are Warriors," "Thugs Need Luv" and "Bone Thug 4 Life."

Lest You Forget - Vying in the Vaults: Elliott Smith's New Moon vs. H.I.M.'s And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997-2004
>>> Smith fans got a raft of unreleased material with 2004's From a Basement on the Hill, which culled 15 songs the singer/songwriter was on the verge of releasing before he passed away in 2003. Digging a little deeper, his label Kill Rock Stars has chalked up 24 more songs he recorded from 1994 to 1997, including "Looking Over My Shoulder," "All Cleaned Out" and an early version of "Miss Misery." Let's just pray that this is the final word on Smith and that his estate doesn't plunder the vaults ad nauseum à la Jeff Buckley's.

>>> While New Moon showcases material up through 1997, Finnish goth gushers H.I.M. begin at that year and take their best-of set through 2004. The band pours its heartagrams out on two new songs, "And Love Said No" and a cover of — yes, they really did it — Neil Diamond's "Solitary Man." Fans pining for more unreleased material can hold their collective breath for two weeks, when Uneasy Listening Vol. 2 hits stores.

Ahoy, Mateys — Battle on the High Seas: The Sea and Cake's Everybody vs. Sea Wolf's Get to the River Before It Runs Too Low
>>> While Chicago indie cognoscenti Sam Prekop, Archer Prewitt and John McEntire are always rearing their heads in one form or another — via side projects, collaborations, etc. — it's taken them four long years to crank out another opus. This one marks the first time in the band's 14-year history that it's looked outward for production help — the honors go to Brian Paulson (Wilco, Slint). Songs include "Up on Crutches," "Middlenight" and "Introducing."

>>> Look deeper in the underground ocean and you'll find Sea Wolf, who got their handle from the Jack London book of the same name. Roaming California troubadour Alex Brown Church is actually the man at the heart of the band, and he sews together guitar, cello and other lush sounds for his five-song debut EP. "You're a Wolf," "The Garden You Planted" and "I Don't Know if I'll Be Back This Time" are featured on the disc, which is issued by the red-hot Dangerbird Records (Silversun Pickups, All Smiles).

Yo Momma - Family Feud: Mother Mother's Touch Up vs. Mothernight's Mothernight
>>> Last Gang Records — which brought you Metric and Death From Above 1979 — rolls out the carpet for its latest hopefuls, Vancouver, British Columbia's jazz- and classical-influenced popsmiths Mother Mother. Better yet, they really are a family affair — singer/guitarist Ryan Guldemond is the brother of singer Molly. Their first set was produced by New Pornographers collaborator Howard Redekopp and features "Polynesia," "Oh Ana" and "Ball Cap."

>>> Also being introduced are Mothernight, an industrial-metal band from Warsaw that sounds nothing like the above. Fronted by Freya, the four-piece found a strange time to put out its maiden release — after all, Kurt Vonnegut, who wrote a book called "Mother Night" died less than a month ago. The song titles featured on Touch Up, however, don't quite mesh with Vonnegut's dark comedy — among them are "Someone to Feed On," "Shadowsblack" and "Infect Your Soul."

Song Title of the Week:

"Crackle Rotcha Tee Thout" from Chasing Victory's Fiends

Other Notables:

Lavender Diamond's Imagine Our Love
These country folksters have been making some pleasant noise in their Los Angeles hometown and beyond lately, and Matador is hoping they become the label's next Belle & Sebastian or New Pornographers. Giving Lavender Diamond — who are led by cool singer Becky Stark — an extra boost is their recent performance at South by Southwest, overseas deal with Rough Trade and recent tour with the Decemberists.

The Mary Timony Band's The Shapes We Make
Timony's former band Helium were one of Matador's key '90s linchpins, as a matter of fact, but after many subsequent years of obscurity, she's hoping to rebound with this release produced by Jawbox's J. Robbins. Timony enlists keyboards, banjos, analog synths, the melotron, viola, and even an old Casio PT1 for the LP, which was crafted in Robbins' Baltimore studio and Timony's attic studio in her Washington, D.C., home.

Wooden Stars' People Are Different
This Canadian band nabbed the Juno Award for Best Alternative Album for its collaborative effort with Julie Doiron in 2000 — and it celebrated the prize by disbanding for four years. Now the Wooden Stars are shining bright again with their first release in eight years, which sounds something like XTC jamming with the Clash. If these guys can count the Arcade Fire among their fans, surely they can count you as well.

New Releases:

· Keren Ann - Keren Ann (Blue Note)
· The Bad Plus - Prog (Heads Up)
· Bassnectar - Underground Communication (Om)
· The Bellamy Brothers - Jesus Is Coming (Curb)
· Paris Bennett - Princess P (306)
Read: "Idols Now: Paris Bennett Debut Includes Rapper ... Kevin Covais?"
· Steve Bertrand - Pain Is a Megaphone (enhanced; Icon)
· Björk - Volta (Atlantic) [Buy]
Read: "Tsunami, Timbaland Help Shape Bjork's Forthcoming Volta"
· Bone Brothers -

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Mariah Hooks Up With Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — And Willie Nelson?

21 Feb 2007 18:00:00 EST

Carey joins Bow Wow on new Bone track; Nelson co-writes track with Mimi for her new movie.
By Jennifer Vineyard, with additional reporting by Zeina Hijazi

Mariah Carey is just getting started on her new album. And although she hasn't said yet who she'll be working with, if some of her recent collaborations are any indication, we could be in for some surprises.

First, Carey recorded a track with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony for the group's comeback album, Strength and Loyalty, due April 17, according to the group's label rep. "She promised that she was gonna do a song with us once, and she kept her promise," Krayzie Bone previously told MTV News (see "Bone Thugs Dropping Two New LPs; Second Disc To Feature Dre, Kanye, Mariah").

Carey not only kept her word, but she brought along Bow Wow to sweeten her offering on the song "Lil L.O.V.E." "I call it 'Little Little,' " she told MTV Europe. "It's a favorite of mine. It's a nice song, and I think it really kind of gives you the back-in-the-day Bone vibe but also a very new take on who they are as artists."

Carey said that she and other artists owe a debt to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony because their influence is so widespread in rap and hip-hop. "A lot of times people are like, 'I will make up a part,' and people actually think they made up that part," she said. "But I am so influenced by their style that it kind of merges together. It's funny, because so many artists today are influenced by Bone, and they may not even realize it."

Carey's got another influence her fans might not recognize — at least for the song in her upcoming movie "Tennessee." Her character, Krystal, is a waitress — just like Carey's role in 2002's "WiseGirls" — but this time, she's also an aspiring songwriter. Through the course of the story, as she joins two brothers on their journey to find their estranged father, she writes a song and performs it in a bar.

Krystal's song is being co-written by Carey and Willie Nelson. Carey hasn't shot the scene yet (it will be filmed next week), but in another part of the movie, she'll hint at her influence by singing a bit of Nelson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night" a cappella, according to the film's rep.

"This character is really far from who I am in a lot of ways," Carey said. "There are some parallels, some internal things, nothing that people would ever look at and go, 'That's very Mariah.' But this is not me at all. The character is so not what you would think. This is not about hairdos and ensembles. The girl's in the trenches. And I'm the third lead, so it's nice to work with an ensemble cast and to really just be able to do my work and go home at night."

Carey started shooting "Tennessee" in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico, last month. She's back there shooting this week, before shooting her bar scenes in Nashville and wrapping her one month of production. No release date has been set for the film.

Meanwhile, her next album, "which is really early on in the creative process," is due this fall, according to her label rep.

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