The Shins' <i>Wincing the Night Away</i>
Photo: Sub Pop

The All Tomorrow's Parties festival gives the crem de la crem of the indie-rock netherworld a chance to periodically strut their self-deprecating stuff. But in case you haven't been able to make one of the 18 installments, there will be a re-enactment of sorts in record stores this week. The lack of heavy-hitters on the roster — with Madonna's live set bumping to next week, we're looking at you, Pretty Ricky — leaves a vacuum that's being filled by a drove of indie luminaries including the Shins, Clinic and Of Montreal.

A few stragglers might be giving those contestants a bit of a challenge, though. Pretty Ricky — who have been seducing the ladies on the Scream tour alongside Bow Wow and Omarion — dish up their second effort, Late Night Special, led by the single "On the Hotline." Also, the Miami quartet consisting of Spectacular, Baby Blue, Pleasure and Slick 'Em "Push It," "Stay" and "Make It Like It Was."

Elsewhere, Victory Records kisses its former metalcore mavens Atreyu goodbye with The Best of Atreyu. Adorned with an illustration of a rainbow arching over the disembodied head of a pink sheep with a bowtie in her hair, the package culls the Orange County, California, band's three LPs and includes a DVD with seven videos for good measure.

Fellow OC native Dustin Kensrue will give his neighbors a run for their money. Splitting away from his principal project, Thrice, the frontman spills singer/songwriter goodness onto his first solo outing. Look for eight songs on the digipak, including "Consider the Ravens," "Blanket of Ghosts" and "Weary Saints."

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Presents: 10 Days Out - Blues From the Backroads and John Mellencamp's Freedom's Road are also expected to do some chart damage this week, but let's not dilly-dally with them. Here are your 10 most anticipated college-friendly releases this week:

The Shins' Wincing the Night Away: After becoming just the second Sub Pop band to perform on "Saturday Night Live," the "Garden State" juniors are hoping their broadened success means big things the third time around. And yes, those are elements of hip-hop and electronic music you're hearing on "Sea Legs" and "Sleeping Horses," respectively.

Of Montreal's Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?: The Athens, Georgia, act has outlasted many of its brethren in the Elephant 6 collective, and mtvU recently gave lots of love to their last video, "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games." This album also has plenty of bleeps and bloops but features much bleaker lyrics.

Clinic's Visitations: The Liverpool, England, critic darlings lost their grip a little with 2004's tepidly received Winchester Cathedral, but they're also verified vets at this point, having been around for a decade. For their fourth release, though, Clinic are freer than ever after having toyed around with a steam calliope, gong, melodica and more in their new home studio.

Deerhoof's Friend Opportunity: The Radiohead tourmates just witnessed a grammar school in Maine perform an entire show based on their Milk Man — will they get lucky again? There's a decent chance: While the San Francisco gang is now scaled down to a threesome, its latest material is being called its most accessible yet.

Six Parts Seven's Casually Smashed to Pieces: Jazz, Americana, mariachi and rock come together on this LP, and fans of Tristeza and Mogwai's more ambient material need look no further. The Kent, Ohio, quartet continues to be all-instrumental, but they've got enough melody and texture for bands twice as big.

Rob Crow's Living Well: You know him from Pinback, the Ladies and every other collaborative side project Travis Barker isn't in — now the artist is taking a break to reflect on his own life. The autobiographical lyrics describe Crow's wedding and the birth of his first child, and the CD is stocked with images of the artist with his family.

Ghost's In Stormy Nights: You know it's a Ghost album if one of the six songs runs 28 minutes long and is actually a combination of multiple live recordings carefully sewn together. The Tokyo band has been around for 23 years, and this experimental acid-doom-jazz disc is proof of that fact.

The Broken West's I Can't Go on, I'll Go On: It's never easy for a band to change its name after promo CDs reach rock critics. But that's exactly what these Los Angelinos — formerly named the Brokedown — are hoping to do with their debut. Power-pop fans, prepare to be hooked.

Vietnam's Vietnam: The quiet Brooklyn, New Yorkers dropped a live album almost three years ago — well before stepping up with this, their first studio LP. Jenny Lewis, Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle, Zwan) and others climb onboard the effort — but not the Living Things, who allegedly got into a public brawl with the duo last year.

Exploding Star Orchestra's We're All From Somewhere Else: The Chicago post-rock scene is notoriously incestuous — just look at the résumé of any member of Tortoise to prove it. This album underscores the trend: Jeff Parker, Rob Mazurek, John McEntire, Matt Lux and others unite — thanks to a commission from the Chicago Cultural Center — to form a three-part narrative "involving the death and ascension of a stingray into an exploding star, intelligent conversations with electric eels and the destructive power of humans," according to a press release. We're there.

Song Title of the Week: "Getting Mugged and Loving It" from Piebald's Accidental Gentleman

Other Notables: The Good, the Bad & the Queen's The Good, the Bad & the Queen: Move over, Helen Mirren — Damon Albarn's bastard version of the Queen has arrived. The artist — who also has Gorillaz, Blur and Mali Music under his belt — gangs up with Paul Simonon of the Clash, Fela Kuti collaborator Tony Allen and the Verve's Simon Tong for an album's worth of dub-informed world-music fun.

Julie Doiron's Woke Myself Up: Eleven years after Eric's Trip disbanded, its former co-pilots are getting back together on this half-hour release. Don't expect to hear much reminiscing about the band, though: Here, Rick White — who produces and contributes bass, among other instruments — is helping Doiron reflect on her own family life on songs like "Don't Wanna Be/ Liked by You," "Me and My Friend" and "I Left Town."

Lee Hazelwood's Cake or Death: It's rare that an artist's new album is advertised as his "final" one — unless the musician is dead, of course — but that's exactly what's happening with this LP of reworked classics and originals. The guest list alone is enough to attract attention: Hazelwood teams with his granddaughter, one of Scandinavia's top jazz singers, the woman who composed the "March of Penguins" soundtrack and more. The disc closes with the tear-jerker "T.O.M. (The Old Man)."

New Releases:

· Abigail Williams - Legend (limited-edition LP; Candlelight) · The Affair - Yes Yes to You (Absolutely Kosher) · Sunshine Anderson - Sunshine at Midnight (Music World) · Arbouretum - Rites of Uncovering (Thrill Jockey) · Walter Beasley - Ready for Love (Heads Up) · Eric Bibb - Diamond Days (Telarc) · The Bird and the Bee - The Bird and the Bee (Blue Note) · Black Diamond Heavies - Every Damn Time (Alive) · The Broken West - I Can't Go on, I'll Go On (Merge) · Tom Brosseau - Grand Forks (Loveless) · Cadillac Sky - Blind Man Walking (Skaggs Family) · Clinic - Visitations (Domino) · Rob Crow - Living Well (Temporary Residence) · Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity (Kill Rock Stars) · Tony DeSare - Last First Kiss (Telarc) · Destruction - Thrash Anthems (Candlelight) · Devilz Rejects - Necronomicon (Dynasty Muzik/ Raptivism/ Imperial) · Julie Doiron - Woke Myself Up (Jagjaguwar) · Earlies - Enemy Chorus (Secretly Canadian) · Exploding Star Orchestra - We're All From Somewhere Else (Thrill Jockey) · José Feliciano - The Soundtrack of My Life (Hip-O) · Tony Furtado - Thirteen (Funzalo) · Future of Forestry - Twilight (Credential) · Chris Garneau - Music for Tourists (Absolutely Kosher) · Get Set Go - Selling Out & Going Home (TSR) · Ghost - In Stormy Nights (Drag City) · Gipsy Kings - Pasajero (Nonesuch) · The Good, the Bad & the Queen - The Good, the Bad & the Queen (Virgin) · John Hammond - Push Comes to Shove (Back Porch) · Lee Hazlewood - Cake or Death (Ever) · Kristin Hersh - Learn to Sing Like a Star (Yep Roc) [Buy Now] · Hit the Lights - This Is a Stick Up ... Don't Make It a Murder (Triple Crown) · I Walk the Line - Desolation Street (Gearhead) · Dustin Kensrue - Please Come Home (digipak; Equal Vision) Read: "With Thrice Halfway Through Four-Disc Set, Singer Takes Solo Turn" · David Kilgour - The Far Now (Merge) · Chuck Loeb - Presence (Heads Up) · Macromantics - Moments in Movement (Kill Rock Stars) · Maher Shalal Hash Baz - L'Autre Cap (K) · John Mellencamp - Freedom's Road (Universal Republic) [Buy Now] · Menomena - Friend & Foe (Barsuk) · Moe - The Conch (digipak; Fatboy) · Múm - The Peel Session (Fatcat) · MV & EE With the Bummer Road - MV & EE With the Bummer Road (Ecstatic Peace) · Ken Navarro - The Meeting Place (Positive) · The New Trust - Dark Is the Path Which Lies Before Us (Slowdance) · Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (Polyvinyl) [Buy Now] · Only Crime - Virulence (Fat Wreck Chords) · Carey Ott - Lucid Dream (Dualtone) · Permanent Me - After the Room Clears (Stolen Transmission) · Ed Pettersen - The Punk Blues of Ed Pettersen (digipak; Split Rock) · Piebald - Accidental Gentlemen (Side One Dummy) [Buy Now] · Pretty Ricky - Late Night Special (Atlantic) [Buy Now] · Alasdair Roberts - The Amber Gatherers (Drag City) · Sonny Rollins - Sonny, Please (Emarcy) · Peter Rowan and Tony Rice - Quartet (Rounder) · Saliva - Blood Stained Love Story (Island) [Buy Now] · Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Kenny Wayne Shepherd Presents: 10 Days Out - Blues From the Backroads (with DVD; Reprise) [Buy Now] · The Shins - Wincing the Night Away (Sub Pop) [Buy Now] · Six Parts Seven - Casually Smashed to Pieces (digipak; Suicide Squeeze) · DJ Spinna - Compositions 2 (Sickbay) · Marnie Stern - In Advance of the Broken Arm (Kill Rock Stars) · Billy Strayhorn - Lush Life (Blue Note) · The Tiny - Starring Someone Like You (Eyeball) · Tony Trischka - Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular (Rounder) · Twilight Singers - A Stitch in Time (EP; One Little Indian) · David Vandervelde - The Moonstation House Band (Secretly Canadian) · Caetano Veloso - Cê (Nonesuch) · Vietnam - Vietnam (Kemado) · Year of Desolation - Year of Desolation (Prosthetic) · You Am I - Convicts (Yep Roc) [Buy Now] · Various artists - Grammy Nominees 2007 (BMG Strategic Marketing) · Various artists - Casey Kasem Presents: The Long Distance Dedications (Top Sail) · Various artists - Fabric 31: Marco Carola (Fabric) · Various artists - "Catch and Release" soundtrack (Legacy/Sony Music Soundtrax) · Various artists - "Dane Cook's Tourgasm" soundtrack (Rhino)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Atreyu - The Best of Atreyu (with DVD; Victory) · Bee Gees - 1st, Horizontal and Idea (each comes with a bonus CD; Rhino) · Glenn Branca - Indeterminate Activity of Resultant Masses (Atavistic) · The Chrome Cranks - Diabolical Boogie: Singles, Demos & Rarities (1992 B.C. - 1998 A.D.) (two CDs; Atavistic) · D.O.A. - Bloodied but Unbowed: The Damage to Date 1973-83 (Sudden Death) · Echo & the Bunnymen - The Very Best of Echo & the Bunnymen: More Songs to Learn and Sing (with DVD; Rhino) · Faces - The Definitive Rock Collection (two CDs; Rhino) · Grateful Dead - Live at the Cow Palace: New Year's Eve 1976 (three CDs; Rhino) · The Jam/ The Style Council/ Paul Weller - Hit Parade (Yep Roc) · Al Martino - An Introduction to Al Martino (Fuel) · Medford Drive - All of Your Wonder (Blood & Ink) · Mew - Frengers (Epic) · Placebo - Meds (Virgin) · Pete Townshend - The Definitive Collection (Hip-O) · Pete Townshend/ Ronnie Lane - Rough Mix (Hip-O) · White Lion - The Definitive Rock Collection (two CDs; Rhino) · Yes - The Definitive Rock Collection (two CDs; Rhino) · Various artists - Forever Changing: The Golden Age of Elektra 1963-1973 (five CDs plus CD-ROM; deluxe limited edition due same day; Rhino) · Various artists - Ultra Dance 8 (Ultra)

Music DVDs:

· Hate Eternal - "Perilous Fight" (Earache) · Various artists - "Chicago Blues Reunion: Buried Alive in the Blues" (with CD; Eagle Vision) · Various artists - "Pure '80s: Headbangers Rule," "Totally New Wave" and "Video Idols" (Hip-O) · Various artists - "We Are the Future" (Image Entertainment)

Coming Attractions:

January 30: · Alkaline Trio - Remains (Vagrant) [Preorder] · Norah Jones - Not Too Late (Blue Note) [Preorder] · Madonna - The Confessions Tour (with DVD; Warner Bros.) [Preorder] · Katharine McPhee - Katharine McPhee (RCA) [Preorder] Read: "Katharine McPhee's LP: A Little Bit Pussycat Dolls, A Little Bit Mariah"

February 6: · Bloc Party - Weekend in the City (Vice) [Preorder] Read: "After Failed Panic! At The Disco Tour, Bloc Party Look Ahead To New LP" · Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High (Island) [Preorder] Read: "Jigga What? Fall Out Boy Get A Hand From Jay-Z On Infinity" · The Used - Berth (live CD with DVD; Reprise) [Preorder] Read: "The Used Hate Los Angeles But Love To Write About It"

February 13: · Gerald LeVert - In My Songs (Atlantic) [Preorder] · Bobby Valentino - Special Occasion (Def Jam) [Preorder] Read: "Bobby Valentino Asks Sean Garrett, Rodney Jerkins To Attend Special Occasion" · Lucinda Williams - West (Lost Highway) [Preorder]

• The Shins
• Pretty Ricky
• Of Montreal
• Atreyu
• Clinic

Justin Timberlake
Photo: Dave Hogan/ Getty images

Justin Timberlake will not be making his big-screen debut in "Edison" after all. The crime drama — now titled "Edison Force" — that also stars LL Cool J and Oscar winners Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey, is bypassing theatrical release to go direct to DVD. The good news for Timberlake fans is that the disc hits stores Tuesday. And Timberlake's "Alpha Dog" — based on a 2000 murder allegedly involving Jesse James Hollywood — has prosecutors in Santa Barbara, California, in hot water. Lawyers for Hollywood have asked an appeals court to take the Santa Barbara County district attorney's office off the murder case because Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen shared confidential files with producers of the film, the Los Angeles Times reports. Hollywood was apprehended in Brazil last year for the 2000 kidnapping and killing of a 15-year-old boy. Appellate justices are expected to enter their decision — which could take Zonen or the entire D.A.'s office off the case — in two or three months. ...

Korn will perform acoustically for the first time ever on TV Tuesday. Jonathan Davis and company will strip down "Coming Undone" and "Twisted Transistor" on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," in part to promote their upcoming Family Values Tour. ... Bobby Valentino has a Special Occasion brewing for September 19. The R&B singer's second LP — being issued by DTP/ Island Def Jam — will feature production by Rodney Jerkins, Sean Garrett and Dre & Vidal. ...

A judge has released C-Murder from home confinement, characterizing his participation in a home-monitoring program as a "burden" on the police department in Gretna, Louisiana, The Associated Press reports. C-Murder is awaiting a retrial on a second-degree murder charge stemming from the 2002 slaying of a 16-year-old boy at a now-defunct nightclub in Harvey, Louisiana. The rapper has been under house arrest since March 20. Prosecutors had petitioned a judge to send C-Murder back to jail, claiming he'd violated the terms of his home confinement by moving outside the range of the police's monitoring equipment numerous times. ...

Actor/filmmaker Zach Braff has already released one indie-friendly soundtrack with his directorial debut, "Garden State," so it's no surprise that his next film, "The Last Kiss," also features a list of indie-rock tearjerkers. Braff posted the track list for the movie's soundtrack on his Web site. The disc — featuring tracks by Coldplay, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, Snow Patrol, Rachel Yamagata and Imogen Heap — is due August 9. ... Hawthorne Heights, Relient K, Emery, Plain White T's and the Sleeping have been tapped to perform on the fourth annual Nintendo Fusion Tour, which kicks off September 27. As with previous versions of the tour, the bands are only part of the attraction: Fans will get a chance to test out a variety of new Nintendo products, including the anxiously awaited Wii, Nintendo's next-gen system. ...

Gnarls Barkley and Peeping Tom will head out on a 10-date run that starts Thursday in Costa Mesa, California. Peeping Tom will also play several headlining gigs with the Dub Trio on Gnarls tour off-nights. The trek concludes August 17 in New York. ... What's the perfect date for a band like Slipknot to release a DVD? Halloween, naturally. Slipknot are tentatively planning to issue the yet-untitled follow-up to 2002's Disasterpieces on October 31. There's no word yet on what footage the disc will feature. ... Australians have had enough of Barry Manilow, apparently. Officials have been blasting his music at the Cook Park Reserve outside of Sydney as a way of keeping people away from the park at night on the weekend, AP reports. The six-month campaign, which only started recently, already has locals peeved. ...

Mastodon will head out on a U.S. headlining run with Converge and the Bronx that's set to kick off in Baltimore on September 6. The band has 14 gigs lined up through September 23 in Seattle, with stops planned in New York, Chicago, Detroit and Portland, Oregon. Mastodon's forthcoming LP, Blood Mountain, is due September 12. ... The Bled's Michael Pedicone has been recruited to fill in for Helmet drummer Mike Jost, who has stepped off this summer's Warped Tour following the recent birth of his child. Pedicone will play two sets on each Warped date, one with his own band and one with Helmet. He learned all of the songs in Helmet's set in a single day. ... Ill Niño have officially parted ways with Roadrunner Records, less than a year after the release of the band's third album, One Nation Underground. Ill Nino guitarist Ahrue Luster and wife, Xylia, welcomed a baby girl Friday. ...

Calexico have set aside the month of September for touring. After hitting up a variety of festivals — Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Touch and Go's 25th anniversary shindig among them — the band will play September 18 in New Orleans. From that day forward, Calexico will play daily (except for one day off, September 26) through the end of the month, closing with a show in Lawrence, Kansas. ... TV on the Radio have set September 12 as the release date for their upcoming album, Return to Cookie Mountain. A video for the single "Wolf Like Me" was shot this weekend in Brooklyn, New York, by director John Watts. ... Canadian orchestral rockers the Dears have finalized the U.S. release of their upcoming third album. Due October 3, Gang of Losers will be released on Arts & Crafts, the label home to Stars and Broken Social Scene. ...

Roger O'Donnell, keyboardist for the Cure, has remixed "Cutting Ballons" by Cassettes Won't Listen, and the fresh version will be posted Tuesday on Stereogum.com. ... Rockers Clinic and indie-folk group Adem who share the same homeland (Britain) and record label (Domino), have announced records coming out this fall. Adem's sophomore disc, Love and Other Planets, will be released September 12 and Clinic's fourth album, Visitations, is due October 10. ... Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie was assaulted in a hotel bar in Madrid, Spain, on Friday, BBC News reports. The singer was advised by a doctor not to fly to the U.K. — where the band was due to perform on "Top of the Pops" — until Sunday afternoon, though he was able to play a show in Barcelona as scheduled on Saturday. Gillespie's manager said the singer is back home and doing well despite two black eyes.

07.14.2006

Justin Timberlake hit the stage at London's Hammersmith Palais on Thursday night for a set that showcased songs from his upcoming album, FutureSex/ LoveSounds along with Justified favorites. Timbaland joined Timberlake onstage during the intimate gig, which sold out in four minutes. (Check out photos of Justin rocking the crowd right here.) Timberlake's video for "SexyBack" premieres on MTV's "Making the Video" July 25 at 4:30 p.m. ET. ...

A civil court jury, in a split decision Friday (July 14), awarded former Michael Jackson business associate F. Marc Schaffel $900,000, The Associated Press reported. Schaffel originally sued for $3.8 million in the money dispute. The jury also awarded Jackson $200,000 in his cross-complaint against Schaffel. ...

Don't worry, Britney Spears fans: The singer says she has no intention of packing in her performing career when her second child arrives. "After this baby, I'm going to get really intense with it," Spears told Harper's Bazaar, explaining that she's looking forward to getting back into fighting shape once her baby is born. The pregnant pop star — who poses nude in the magazine's August issue — said she "can't wait" to return to the stage, "but I really have to take my time and do it right and be safe. Actually ... not that safe. When you perform, you have to be dangerous." ...

She plays Scarlett Johansson's best friend in next year's "The Nanny Diaries," an assassin in the upcoming "Smokin' Aces," and for a new project, Alicia Keys will be taking on the role of a producer — and a witch. Keys and producer/partner Jeff Robinson have signed a first-look film production deal to develop live-action and animated projects with Disney, Variety reports. Their first film, a remake of the 1958 comedy "Bell, Book and Candle," will star Keys as a witch who casts a love spell to lure a rival's fiance. ... Chris Brown will perform on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" on Thursday. The live one-hour results show airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox. ...

Cobra Starship, the project featuring Midtown's Gabe Saporta and a who's who of the MySpace scene — including members of the Academy Is ..., Gym Class Heroes and the All-American Rejects — will celebrate the release of Snakes on a Plane: The Album, featuring their song "Snakes on a Plane: Bring It," with a show at the Key Club in Los Angeles on August 16. ... Pete Doherty wants a chemical implant to help him beat his drug addiction, he told a judge in London on Thursday. During a progress review of his drug-rehabilitation program, the troubled Babyshambles rocker said he will, within the next two weeks, have a small implant that would stop him from getting high off opiates placed in his abdomen. "You are going in the right direction," Judge Jane McIvor told Doherty, who has yet to pass a drug test while in rehab. "I think your concentration should be, within six months of the order, to get a negative test." ...

Scottish band Travis stopped by No. 10 Downing Street in London on Thursday to leave a note stuck to the door for British Prime Minister Tony Blair. "Some steps forward," the giant Post-It read. "Much more to do at G8. Make poverty history." This year's G8 summit begins Saturday in Saint Petersburg, Russia. You can send your own reminder to G8 leaders at Live8Live.com. ... Muse will begin a three-week North American tour Tuesday in San Francisco in support of their recently released LP, Black Holes and Revelations. The trek will make a total of 14 stops — including gigs in San Diego, Denver, Chicago, Boston and New York — before winding down August 6 in Atlanta. ... The Yeah Yeah Yeahs asked fans to strut their best YYY stuff on camera for the band's Cheated Hearts clip, and hours of video — of lipsticked men posing as Karen O and rec room interpretations of Brian Chase and Nick Zinner — poured in. The final "Cheated Hearts" video and select outtakes are posted at YeahYeahYeahs.com. ...

Mastodon will be issuing a limited edition 7-inch for the tracks "Crystal Skill" and "Capillarian Crest," which both appear on the band's forthcoming LP Blood Mountain, due September 12. Look for the 7-inch to surface August 8. ... A 40-year-old man who stabbed four people inside the Masquerade nightclub in Ybor City, Florida, during a Corrosion of Conformity concert June 23, 2005, pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery with a knife and aggravated assault with a knife, the St. Petersburg Times reports. Pyne, who killed Thomas Laskas and stabbed Laskas' wife, Wendy, and two other concertgoers, will be sentenced July 24. ...

Gap will host free, all-ages concerts at select stores on the next three Thursdays. The Chicago flagship (located at 555 North Michigan Avenue) will host Love Arcade (July 20), Living Things (July 27) and Plain White T's (August 3). A Los Angeles store (Grove at Farmer's Market) will feature Graham Colton Band with Joe Purdy (July 20), Waking Ashland (July 27) and the Hush Sound (August 3). New York's 680 Fifth Avenue shop will be rocked by Mike Doughty with Tristan Prettyman (July 20), Matt White (July 27) and Army of Me (August 3). A San Francisco Gap 2040 Chestnut Street) hosts Thriving Ivory with Samantha Stollenwerck (July 20), American Music Club with Graham Colton (July 27) and Ronnie Day (August 3). ... Lennon, who released her debut album, 5:30 Saturday Morning, in 2001, will end her recording silence with Damaged Goods, due September 19. So what's taken so long?" I've spent the last three years making sure it would be an album I'm truly proud of, and it is," the singer/songwriter/pianist said.

• Justin Timberlake
• LL Cool J
• C-Murder
• Gnarls Barkley
• Peeping Tom

Clinic (file)
Photo: Domino

While recording their full-length album, Clinic tacked the name "Winchester Cathedral" onto a tune with an old-fashioned folk vibe.

Months later, bassist Brian Campbell bought a rare keyboard off eBay from a woman who happened to live in Winchester, England. When he got the instrument, it included some song books, including one for the New Vaudeville Band's 1960s novelty hit, "Winchester Cathedral."

"We took it as a sign," Campbell recalled. "It was very 'X-Files.' " And very fitting for a band whose spooky, atmospheric songs would have provided a perfect soundtrack for the supernatural TV series.

So that explains the new album's title, Winchester Cathedral. Now, how about an explanation for the band's haunting sound?

"I think it's a collection of our four personalities," Campbell explained. "We're all psychotic, really, so I think our personalities all go into one melting pot and come out in this dark, slanted sort of music. But, I mean, there is also a humorous element, a dark humor, almost like a 'Monty Python' sort of style. I think this record sounds ridiculous ... in a good way. There is definitely a scary side to it, but I think if you look a few layers below that, there is some dark humor there. I think it's a party record. If you go to some weird parties, if you put it on, I think you could find everyone jumping around."

"Party record" and "humor" are not terms often associated with Clinic, who hail from Liverpool, wear surgeons' masks onstage, and are repeatedly compared to Radiohead, but the band hopes to change that with the video for Winchester Cathedral's first single, "The Magician." Campbell describes the clip as "a very big nod" to Terry Gilliam from "Monty Python."

"A lot of people think that Clinic take ourselves too seriously — and who can blame them when you see us [performing] live, in surgical masks? — but we wanna portray the image that we definitely don't take ourselves seriously," Campbell said. "If there was no humor there, we'd all be going insane."

Clinic came up with the concept and animated the video themselves, just as the Liverpool natives created their own album artwork.

"It's not like we want to have complete control over everything, but we do enjoy doing everything ourselves," Campbell said. "If we had to deliver the records to the record stores ourselves, we would do it. We spent, like, two years writing this album, so it's just nice to channel some creative ideas into something more visual, trying a different avenue of creating."

"The Magician," which has horn and organ elements similar to the title track from Clinic's acclaimed Walking With Thee (see "Clinic: Four Lads From Liverpool Creating Quite A Buzz" ), also has humorous elements, although few would ever know it.

"We were in Israel, and we met this magician," Campbell said of the song's origins. "We were at this bar and he was trying to do some magic tricks and he was absolutely [terrible]. He was just so funny, doing all these tricks, like rabbits falling out of his sleeves and things like that, but he was trying to be so serious. He thought he was really good, but everything he was doing was going wrong. He's just an amazing character and it stuck with us. It's as simple as that."

Although Winchester Cathedral doesn't stray far from Walking with Thee, Clinic actually recorded it in a completely different fashion.

"The last album, we allowed technology to take over too much, where we'd allow computers to put the drums in time and stuff," Campbell said. "We wanted to make an honest record, where we capture the spirit rather than the musical ability. It's the sound of four guys in one room playing together, so there's glitches and mistakes on there, which I don't think many bands would allow to be put out, but we thought as long as it captured the spirit, we'd go ahead with it."

Clinic tour dates, according to the band's publicist:

• 10/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre Of Living Arts
• 10/14 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 10/15 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
• 10/16 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
• 10/17 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
• 10/19 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
• 10/21 - Phoenix, AZ @ Old Brickhouse Grill
• 10/22 - Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theatre
• 10/23 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
• 10/24 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
• 10/26 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox
• 10/29 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
• 10/30 - Chicago, IL @ Abbey Pub
• 10/31 - Chicago, IL @ Abbey Pub
• 11/2 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Fun House/Theatre
• 11/3 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
• 11/5 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
• 11/6 - Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street
• 11/8 - Portland, ME @ Big Easy
• 11/9 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

• Clinic

John Mayer and his friends in Maroon 5 plan on spending the summer together on the road. The artists, who've played several shows together in the past, kick things off July 2 in Milwaukee and continue through August 29 in Atlanta. ...

When a family in West Des Moines, Iowa, rented its house to Slipknot last week to use for the "Duality" video shoot, a little damage was expected, and since the family was planning to gut the house anyway to renovate it, that was OK. But the homeowners had no idea how extensive the devastation would be. The list of items the family is asking the band to replace or fix includes: windows throughout house, entire kitchen, driveway, lawn, front door, rugs, gutters, back door, window frames, basketball backboard, ceiling, chandelier and picnic tables. ... The Tipping Point, the Roots' follow-up to their Grammy-nominated album, Phrenology, is due June 29 and will be preceded by the single "Don't Say Nothin'." Producer Scott Storch, underground MC Jean Grae and comedian Dave Chappelle guest on the album. ...

A 21-year-old Texas college student has accused "Girls Gone Wild" producer Joe Francis of rape. The woman alleges Francis spiked her drink and raped her in his South Beach hotel room in Miami over the weekend of March 12. Although she couldn't remember what happened the night before, she assumed the next morning that she was raped because Francis told her they already had sex. Miami Beach police are investigating the charges, but an arrest warrant has yet to be issued. Francis denies the charges, according to his spokesperson. ...

James Brown, Chris Rock ... and Morrissey? A number of legendary performers have played the Apollo Theater in New York, and now the former frontman for the Smiths will be doing a five-night residency at the legendary Harlem venue. Morrissey will be there May 3-4 and May 6-8. ... A recording of a John Lee Hooker set that had been lost for 50 years, Jack O' Diamonds, will be packaged with Hooker's upcoming DVD, "Come & See Me," due May 18. The album was recorded during a private performance in someone's dining room in 1949. ...

From Autumn to Ashes and Atreyu will crash and wail as they stagger through a path of destruction on an upcoming tour that kicks off April 26 in Tempe, Arizona. The trek will continue through May 13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ... In addition to writing with Taproot and finishing his first solo album, Billy Corgan cowrote three tracks on Breaking Benjamin's second album, We Are Not Alone Here, due June 29. "It was the experience of a lifetime," singer Ben Burnley said in a statement. "He stressed 'thinking outside the box' and that's how we came up with 'Forget It,' which moves up a half-step every verse and chorus. Structurally and melodically, it's very cool." ...

Clinic have scheduled a North American tour for May, even though their third full-length album (and their debut for Universal), tentatively titled Winchester Cathedral, won't be out until August at the earliest. The tour begins May 8 in Brooklyn, New York, and ends May 23 in San Diego. ... The Velvet Underground's 1972 album, Live at Max's Kansas City, will be re-released in an expanded edition on June 8. The LP, culled from a 1970 audience recording of the Velvets' last show (until they briefly reunited in the 1990s), will feature a bonus disc of previously unreleased material. ...

Fastball's fourth album, Keep Your Wig On, is due June 8. Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger, Sheryl Crow songwriter Jeff Trott and ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead producer Mike McCarthy conspired to produce the record. ... More than 73 songs were recorded for Amen's new album, Death Before Music, due May 18, before singer Casey Chaos pruned the crop down to 15. The LP follows 2000's We Have Come for Your Parents. ...

03.30.2004

Cheers to the Lou. J-Kwon has kept his promise to keep the remix to his hit "Tipsy" "so so St. Louis." He just finished a new version of his track featuring Chingy and Murphy Lee. ...

U.S. District Judge Ronald Lagueux has ruled that all civil suits filed regarding the 2003 Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, will be handled in federal court. The judge announced his ruling on Monday, stating that the federal court system has authority to handle cases involving accidents in which 75 people or more died and a defendant lives in a different state than the one in which the accident took place. ... Country legend Loretta Lynn's first album in four years, Van Lear Rose, features a guest appearance by the White Stripes' Jack White, who also produced and arranged some tracks. After the Stripes' White Blood Cells was dedicated to Lynn, the singer opened for the band and sang several duets with Jack at a New York show last year. Preceded by the single "Portland, Oregon," Van Lear Rose is due April 27. ...

Ja Rule, Omarion, Courtney Love, MC Lyte, Ice-T and Jermaine Dupri were among the celebs who came to New York's Spice Market on Monday to celebrate the release of Janet Jackson's new album, Damita Jo. ... Missy Elliott's "Pass That Dutch" and Christina Aguilera's "Fighter" will be the leading contenders at the 13th annual Music Video Production Association Awards with six nominations each. Dave Meyers ("Pass That Dutch"), Floria Sigismondi ("Fighter"), David LaChapelle (No Doubt's "It's My Life"), the Malloys (Metallica's "St. Anger") and Sophie Muller (Pink's "Trouble") will vie for Director of the Year at the ceremony, May 20 at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles. ...

Queens of the Stone Age will release a limited-edition EP called Stone Age Complication on April 20. The disc will feature six B-sides, half of which will be covers: the Kinks' "Who Will Be the Next in Line," Subhumans' "Wake Up Screaming" and the Cramps' "The Most Exalted Potentate of Love." The collection will also feature the U.N.K.L.E. remix of "No One Knows" and the two originals "Born to Hula" and "The Bronze." Only 25,000 copies of the EP will be printed, and the disc will only be available at select retail outlets. ... Metallica fans in Sweden are trying to convince government officials to erect a stone in memory of late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. The fans have named the project "Cliff in Our Minds." Burton died in a 1986 bus accident near Ljungby, Sweden. ...

Ryan Adams has released a three-song EP called Moroccan Role which is only available through iTunes. The disc features the previously unreleased tracks "Ah Life," "I'm Coming Over" and "Don't Even Know Her Name." ... Reunited San Francisco thrash metal band Exodus will launch a North American tour on April 10 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The dates, which run through May 9 in Santa Ana, California, will be to support the band's new album, Tempo of the Damned. ...

Erich "Mancow" Muller, a syndicated shock jock from Chicago, has sued a listener for filing multiple indecency complaints against his morning show. Mancow is accusing Chicagoan David Smith of filing more than 60 FCC complaints and pressuring sponsors to leave the show, and is seeking $3 million and a court order to stop him from filing more complaints. Mancow has been fined for six different shows as part of the FCC's recent crackdown on so-called offensive broadcasting. ... Dax Shepard from "Punk'd" is making his second guest appearance on "Life With Bonnie" this week. Though he last played a young director on an episode that aired just a month ago, Shepard this time takes on the role of a plastic surgeon who leaves his mark on Bonnie Hunt. The episode, called "Nip, Tuck and Roll," airs Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC. ...

Members of the Spice Girls and 98 Degrees are turning up the heat for the Broadway production of "Rent." Melanie Brown, a.k.a. Scary Spice, will be taking on the part of Mimi, starting April 16, and Drew Lachey, a.k.a. Nick's brother, will be taking the part of Mark, a role Joey Fatone once filled. Brown's stint will run through September, the month Lachey joins the cast, which means they'll overlap for a few weeks. ... The Polyphonic Spree have set a July 13 release date for Together We're Heavy, the many-membered group's second album. Tripping Daisy/ PJ Harvey collaborator Eric Drew Feldman produced the album for the Spree, who are about to hit the road with David Bowie. ...

Swedish melodic death-metal band In Flames will launch a tour with Killswitch Engage on May 3 in Pontiac, Michigan. Dates run through May 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia. In Flames' new album, Soundtrack to Your Escape, comes out April 6; the third Killswitch Engage record, The End of Heartache, will be released May 11. ... Late-'80s industrial/thrash band Prong will begin a tour of North America on April 29 in Sacramento. Dates run through May 29 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The stint will be the band's first in eight years. Prong's latest LP, Scorpio Rising, came out in November. ...

• Maroon 5
• The Roots
• Slipknot
• Morrissey
• The Velvet Underground

Lots of artists say they support U.S. troops. Linkin Park are putting a foot forward to demonstrate their devotion. A to-be-determined percentage of tickets from all shows on the band's Projekt Revolution Tour will be reserved for military men, women and their families. The passes will be provided free of charge, and will likely be distributed either through a lottery or on a first-come, first served basis. Projekt Revolution launches April 8 in Rochester, New York, and runs through August 30 in Little Rock, Arkansas. ...

A pop star's true best friend is still his dog, even if he does have bladder-control issues. 'NSYNC singer Lance Bass' pooch Jackson had a few problems with "finding the right time to go to the bathroom," so Bass took his dog to Animal Planet's resident pet psychic Sonya Fitzpatrick for a little pet pep talk, with the idea that perhaps she could help Jackson visualize the correct behavior. The "Pet Psychic" episode will air April 21 at 8 p.m. ET on Animal Planet. ...

An "American Idol" video game, in which players create, style and train a singer to compete for Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, is due in the fall for PlayStation 2 and PC formats. Meanwhile, former real-life contestants, including EJay Day and Vanessa Olivarez, will headline a 21-city "American Idol" mall tour, beginning Saturday. ... The controversial film "Biggie & Tupac" will be released on video and DVD on April 29. The movie was shot by English documentarian Nick Broomfield and chronicles the story of the two friends-turned-bitter-rivals and the events that led to both of their still-unsolved murders. ...

"You Got Served," the "Breakin' "-like hip-hop dance film featuring B2K, has gone into pre-production, according to the producers. Omarion and IMX's Marques Houston (a.k.a. Batman) are handling the lead roles in the movie, formerly titled "Dance." ... Michelle Branch has signed on to open for the Dixie Chicks on the second leg of their summer tour, beginning June 19 in Boston. Joan Osborne will open the first batch of dates, beginning May 1 in Greenville, South Carolina. ...

The Breeders, Sleater-Kinney with the B-52's' Fred Schneider, Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright, Yo La Tengo with Yoko Ono, and the Bens (Ben Kweller, Ben Folds and Ben Lee) are among the artists slated to pay homage to the transgender cult musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Proceeds from Wig in a Box: Songs From Hedwig and the Angry Inch, due in October, will benefit New York's Hetrick Martin Institute, home to the Harvey Milk High School for gay, lesbian and transgender students. ... Legislation informing parents, schools and employers of the illegality of Internet file-sharing passed unanimously in the California State Assembly Tuesday. House Resolution 5, which condemns online music, movie and software piracy, falls in line with a previously launched awareness campaign by the music and movie industries and is directed at parents, and corporate, governmental and education institutions. ...

Junkie XL, the electronic music mastermind behind last year's remix of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation," will release the double album Radio JXL - A Broadcast From the Computer Hell Cabin on June 2. Public Enemy's Chuck D, Sasha, former Republica singer Saffron, soul legend Solomon Burke, Gary Numan and the late Peter Tosh provide vocals on the collection, which is split into 3 p.m. and 3 a.m. discs. ... Former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon will stage a solo performance, his first full gig since exiting the British pop band, in England on April 18. Blur will release Think Tank, their first album since his departure, on May 6. ...

Ex-MK Ultra drummer Matt Torrey has joined Jets to Brazil, replacing founding member Chris Daly, who split from the group last year. The band is planning a summer tour. ... Speaking of Jets to Brazil, guitarist/ vocalist Blake Schwarzenbach's seminal indie band Jawbreaker are set to get the tribute treatment courtesy of Dying Wish Records. Artists set to cover tunes by the influential band include Sparta, Face to Face, Kill Your Idols, the Reunion Show and over a dozen others. ...

Clinic are working on their third album, Winchester Cathedral, the follow-up to last year's Walking With Thee, set for release later this year. ... Fred Hell, drummer for California "psychobilly" punk trio Tiger Army, is at home resting after being released from the hospital. Hell had been shot four times during a botched home invasion while hanging out at a friend's apartment. ...

Powerman 5000 and Stone Sour will embark on a tour together beginning April 15 in La Crescent, Minnesota. The trek, PM5K's first to support Transform, due May 20, concludes May 29 in New York. ... First he had an unsuccessful one-album run with Mötley Crüe as Vince Neil's replacement when the platinum screamer was out of the fold in the mid-'90s, and now John Corabi is parting ways with Brides of Destruction, Nikki Sixx's new band, before the group even releases a note. "It's amicable," Corabi said in a statement. "We're still friends, I am just really excited about the songs I've been writing and want to get a jump on my solo career." ...  

04.02.03

Justin Timberlake and B2K are among the artists who will perform at Nickelodeon's 16th Annual Kids' Choice Awards on April 12 at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California. A host of other artists are scheduled to appear, including Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini of "American Idol," Will Smith, Sylvester Stallone and Brad Pitt. Rosie O'Donnell will serve as emcee. ...

The charity single due April 15 from the 10 "American Idol" finalists will now be a cover of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA." The group originally recorded "What the World Needs Now Is Love" with Burt Bacharach, but changed the song after the Greenwood hit went over so well on a recent episode of the show. ...

Madonna has collaborated with photographer Steven Klein for a dark and eerie exhibition called X-STaTIC PRo=CeSS, which opened Thursday and will run for six weeks in New York. The multimedia exhibit features three video works and two photographic animations created by the two. In one installation, Madonna is heard reading excerpts from the book of Revelation, accompanied by images of a burning wedding dress and herself as a masked beast. Klein's previous works have been featured in Calvin Klein, Versace and Gucci ads and on the covers of W and Vogue magazines. The exhibit is open Tuesday through Saturday at Deitch Projects in Manhattan, and is free. ...

The fourth annual Latin Grammy Awards will return to Miami this year, according to the Latin Recording Academy. The show is set for September 3 at the American Airlines Arena and will air on CBS. ... R&B singer Angie Stone will join the Broadway production of "Chicago" on April 14. She will take over the role of Matron "Mama" Morton, the character Queen Latifah portrayed in the Academy Award-winning movie version of the Bob Fosse musical. ...

Toni Braxton gave birth to her second son, Diezel Ky Braxton Lewis, on March 30 at an Atlanta area hospital. She and her husband, Keri Lewis, had their first child, Denim, last year. ... The HBO show "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry" will begin its third season April 4 with a performance by Jill Scott. Six other new episodes will follow. ...

The Dead, the reunited surviving members of the Grateful Dead, are launching a summer tour, which will kick off June 15 at the second annual Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. A first leg of the Dead Summer Getaway will go through July, followed by a second leg running through August. ... Metal band Nothingface vacated their tour opening for Ministry after only two dates. The bandmembers decided to bail after the March 29 show in Phoenix because they wanted to play headline sets to their own fans instead of playing second fiddle to a bigger band, said their publicist. Nothingface will begin their own tour soon and will play on the second stage at this year's Ozzfest. Nothingface's new record, Skeletons, comes out April 22. Ministry will remain on tour through May 24 in Somerset, Wisconsin. ...

Once the Hives, Soundtrack of Our Lives, Sahara Hotnights and other Swedish rockers became trendy, it was only a matter of time. Agnetha Faltskog is coming back. The former ABBA vocalist is working on her first album in 16 years, reported Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. Vocals for the record, which is scheduled for release next winter, will be in English. Faltskog's last record was 1987's I Stand Alone. ... If your favorite compilation album is Freedom Rock, you'll be ecstatic to find that Journey, Styx and REO Speedwagon are hitting the road together this spring for three months. The '80s radio dream bill, called Classic Rock's Main Event, runs through July 9 in Uniondale, New York. ...

• Linkin Park
• *NSYNC
• Paula Abdul
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Michelle Branch

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

Clinic
Photo: Appio

Thanks to a favorable response from Stateside fans, Liverpool's Clinic are taking their Walking With Thee for another stroll around the block.

The quartet's second album will enjoy another pass, not to mention greater distribution, when Universal Records re-releases the LP in conjunction with U.K. indie Domino on August 6, according to the band's publicist. Domino initially issued Walking With Thee in March.

Since then, the cyclically melodic rock band has amassed accolades from music critics in such publications as Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times with music that's at once driving and soothing, heavy and ethereal (see ).

A clip for the album's first single, "Walking With Thee," received some airplay on video outlets, and Los Angeles radio station KROQ has been spinning the tune even though it isn't scheduled to be officially serviced to stations until July 23. Streets can't wait, some would say, though the streets these anxious folks live on probably run through hipster neighborhoods like Silverlake and Los Feliz.

" 'Walking With Thee' is a party song, really," drummer Carl Turney said. "It's a whole sort of mishmash of lyrics. ... The idea is more of a feel to it, rather than being specifically about anything. ... It sounds sort of deranged but uplifting at the same time."

The rest of the Walking With Thee, like its title track, is more textural than thematic, bounding from creepy atmospheres created by the vintage sounds of a melodica to pulsing electronic beats or grinding punk guitars. Although its sundry tracks could be seen as slapdash construction, Walking With Thee was created in quite the opposite fashion.

Instead of experimenting in the studio as they had with 2000's International Wrangler, this time Clinic had a plan when the engineer hit "record." The result, Turney explained, is that there's "more of a mood to it, [and it's] perhaps easier to follow and more melodic."

The compliments paid to Walking With Thee have brought about comparisons to other buzz bands like the Strokes, the White Stripes and the Hives — who Clinic sound nothing like. Rather than be annoyed by the mismatches, Clinic take the skewed assessments as a sign that they must be doing something right.

"There's enough people who compare it to different things that it stands on its own anyway," Turney said. "Because it's really diverse, I don't think you can just fit it into any category or say that it sounds like anything else. That's something we're really careful about doing. If anything sounds like something even remotely contemporary, we just change track and do something different."

"It's probably a good thing that there's a lot of different comparisons, because if it's one thing all the time, we would start to worry, definitely," singer Ade Blackburn said. For a band that cites influences from garage to kraut-rockers Can to '60s girl group the Ronettes, that's not surprising.

Following their first U.S. tour in March (and some makeup dates in June), Clinic are back in Liverpool preparing a video for Walking With Thee's second single, "Come Into Our Room." A second tour of the U.S. is slated for September.

Clinic tour dates, according the band's publicist:

• 9/25 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
• 9/27 - Houston, TX @ Mary Jane's
• 9/28 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
• 9/29 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
• 10/4 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey
• 10/5 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo's 365 Club
• 10/6 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo's 365 Club
• 10/7 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
• 10/8 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox
• 10/11 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
• 10/12 - Chicago, IL @ Metro/Smart Bar
• 10/14 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
• 10/15 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
• 10/18 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
• 10/19 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza

• Clinic

Clinic
Photo: Domino

If you haven't heard the buzz on Clinic yet, perhaps you need to check into one.

The Liverpool, England, foursome have been causing a commotion in indie-rock circles for a few years, but a Thom Yorke endorsement, enthusiastic reviews for the just-released Walking With Thee and a high-profile South by Southwest show last week (see "Long Lines For Clinic, Lynch Mob For Icarus Line At SXSW") have raised their status to, well, the next Radiohead.

On the road to San Francisco from Los Angeles, where Clinic performed Tuesday amidst the second week of a monthlong North American tour, singer Ade Blackburn humbly acknowledged the buzz.

"There's no doubt that the attention has built up quite a bit, and it is really flattering," Blackburn said. "I'm slightly worried about it, because if you have a fuss about you, you can be a flavor of the month, but I think the album stands up."

Walking With Thee, the follow-up to Clinic's acclaimed debut, 2000's Internal Wrangler, is a musical mishmash that is both haunting and catchy. Blackburn is a fan of Kid A and Amnesiac, and it shows, though the emphasis on organs and other classic instruments takes the album in another direction.

"We wanted to do it so it was less garage-based than Internal Wrangler," Blackburn said, "so we used clarinets and piano on it. We wanted it to be 11 complete songs, so I think it's a little more coherent and has more of a mood to it than our first album."

On Walking With Thee's first single, the title track, Clinic conjure up the Pixies' fuzzy guitars and simplistic vocals but spice it up with a danceable beat. Its musical mixed messages are consistent with the lyrics.

"We choose that because it's this mad party song," Blackburn said. "Lyrically, it's just fragments of things. I like the way one song can jump from one subject to the next. It seems to me to be the way things are day to day anyway. Nothing's ever that clear-cut."

Clinic formed when Blackburn and guitarist/keyboardist Hartley, then playing in a guitar band called Pure Morning, met bassist Brian Campbell and drummer Carl Turney at a Liverpool club.

"The music scene in Liverpool is quite small, so it was just through going to gigs and through mutual friends that we realized we had the same sort of approach to making music," Blackburn said. "We got talking and we had the same taste in music. It was as simple as that, really."

The band's name and its signature apparel — surgical masks — came out of the initial songwriting sessions. "We had a couple of songs that had medical-related titles to them," Blackburn said. "One of them was called 'Funky Hospital.' "

Clinic tour dates, according to their publicists:

• 3/21 - Sacramento, CA @ Capitol Garage
• 3/22 - Portland, OR @ Berbati's Pan
• 3/23 - Seattle, WA @ I Spy
• 3/24 - Vancouver, BC @ Richard's on Richards
• 3/27 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
• 3/28 - Chicago, IL @ The Abbey Pub
• 3/29 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Ship
• 3/30 - Detroit, MI @ The Shelter
• 3/31 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
• 4/1 - Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa
• 4/2 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
• 4/3 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
• 4/4 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballrom
• 4/5 - Philadelphia, PA @ North Star
• 4/6 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Club

• Clinic

Jerry Cantrell performs at SXSW 2002
Photo: MTV News

The 16th annual South by Southwest music conference drew to a close Sunday, and the only thing that lasts longer than the seemingly perpetual hangover that results from four debauched days of a music industry on spring break is the buzz emanating from the bands and key moments that defined this year's festival.

Of the more than 1,000 bands showcasing their chops before press, radio programmers, managers, lawyers, label execs and promoters in 48 venues strewn throughout Austin, Texas, a handful traditionally rise above the chaff to become the targets of hype hucksters and topics of critical discussion for weeks following the conference

Of the more than 1,000 bands showcasing their chops before press, radio programmers, managers, lawyers, label execs and promoters in 48 venues strewn throughout Austin, Texas, a handful traditionally rise above the chaff to become the targets of hype hucksters and topics of critical discussion for weeks following the conference (Read Iann Robinson's take on SXSW here, or check out photos from the event here).

Liverpool's Clinic, who kicked off their latest tour two days before their Friday SXSW showcase, were one of this year's must-see performances. The hype surrounding this synth-punk quartet was so intense that the line wrapped around the block and even Courtney Love, who was scheduled to speak at the conference the next day, was denied backstage access.

Newly signed Roadrunner Records artist Jerry Cantrell's gig attracted all those who would gleefully trade the twang that pervaded much of the conference for something a little heavier. Among those who came to support the Alice in Chains guitarist were Pantera's Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell, who made the drive from their hometown Dallas and joined Cantrell onstage toward the end of his set.

The country-fried Drive-By Truckers turned more than a few heads of label A&R scouts with fired-up selections from Southern Rock Opera, the Athens, Georgia, band's ambitious double concept album about the history of Dixie-rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd. It's safe to say that discussions with labels larger than their current indie are eminent.

The Shins, with a style equally linked to the Kinks and Beach Boys — that is, if Brian Wilson reinvented himself as the original emo survivor and Ray Davies never made it out of the garage — provided some decent audio buzz to accompany the alcoholic kind that surrounded their afternoon party as well as their 1 a.m. showcase. Following a similar though definitely rockier road, the neo-garage scene made it's presence felt this year, led by New Yorkers the Mooney Suzuki and Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.

An annual SXSW staple, the Columbia Records showcase displayed the label's hopefuls with a night that included pop-punkers the Ataris, the aggro-fueled Riddlin' Kids, Icelandic beat-conscious rap-rockers Quarashi, turntablists X-ecutioners and big-beat electronic conductors Lo Fidelity Allstars. Prior to their exhilarating exhibition, the Kids served as the house band for a karaoke tribute to the Ramones during the label's pre-showcase soiree.

Meanwhile, a separate bash sponsored by Capitol Records and MTV2 featured sets from the Feds, OK GO, Ed Harcourt and Starsailor.

More than just four days of concerts, SXSW is double-billed as an industry schmooze-fest and workshop promoting the exchange of ideas and advice. Besides the required entry-level how-to classes, most panel discussions reflected the industry's current state of affairs. Gone are the throngs of dot-com diatribes — both the "next big thing" and "why they fell" discussions — that pervaded years past, replaced by debates on copyright ownership, digital downloads and artist contract reform.

The hour-plus speech/rant/discussion by self-described expert on almost everything industry-related, Courtney Love (her pending lawsuit against Universal Music Group provides some actual validity) repeatedly strayed off-course and started fashionably late, of course. While reiterating claims about contract limitations and unfair business practices made in her suit, Love, complete with dangling cigarette, name-dropped (Bono, Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow) and trash-talked ("... and I saw you doing an 8-ball off the back of the Limp Bizkit record!").

But the real rock and roll mayhem was provided by Aaron North, guitarist for the Icarus Line. Near the end of the band's set at the Hard Rock Cafe, which followed a blistering performance by At the Drive-In offshoot Sparta, North broke a display case containing a guitar that once belonged to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan and attempted to plug in and play (Click to see the case get smashed). Considering that the name Stevie Ray Vaughan is spoken with the same reverence as God in Austin, the crowd didn't take too kindly to the blasphemous act, and North and singer Joe Cardamone were chased from the stage by security.

Read about all of the shows we've recently covered in Tour Reports.

• Clinic
• The Icarus Line
• Jerry Cantrell
• Drive-By Truckers
• Stevie Ray Vaughan

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• Wyclef Jean
• Q-Tip
• Beck
• Ginuwine
• Diddy