Shakira on the cover of <i>Teen People</i>
Photo: Time, inc.

Shakira might have said that she's lucky her breasts are "small and humble" in "Whenever, Wherever," but there was a time when she considered getting breast-augmentation surgery because she was unhappy with her body, the singer reveals in the next issue of Teen People. The magazine's latest cover star also said that wasn't the only plastic surgery she looked into. "I considered ... all kinds of things. 'Maybe my eyebrows should be higher. Maybe my lips should be bigger.' " Eventually Shakira came to accept herself, despite all the insecurities. "I'm actually shy; I've just learned to hide it." But her hips don't lie — and her dancing reveals more skin than she sometimes would like to show. "It's not my hobby to show my belly! The moves I do when I perform require it. People of America, I want you to know that I wear clothes once in a while!" ...

Diddy introduced a select few to the next phase of Bad Boy Records Tuesday night in New York. Sean Combs held a small party at his Daddy's House studio and previewed music by newcomers Cheri Dennis and Yung Joc and veterans 8Ball and MJG. ... Jack White is preparing to unleash his brand-new band, the Raconteurs, on America — for one night, at least. On April 7, the band — which also features Detroit songwriter Brendan Benson and two-thirds of Cincinnati garage-rockers the Greenhornes — will play its first-ever U.S. gig at Irving Plaza in New York. Tickets go on sale Thursday at noon via Ticketmaster.com. The Rac's debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, is due in stores May 16. ...

Nick Lachey has decided on a title and release date for his second album: What's Left of Me, due May 9. The title is the same as the first single, which recently hit the airwaves. ... Paul Wall has titled his fall release Ain't No 401K for a Hustla. Wall is also set to appear alongside Lil' Keke on The Day Hell Broke Loose 3 compilation, due in August. ... Pimp-C will release a DVD documenting his experiences being incarcerated during the Houston boom in 2005 and what has happened after his recent release. "Pimpalation: Return of the Trill," hosted by MTV News' Sway, is due April 11 and will be followed by a CD called Pimpalation on June 13. ... Foo Fighters will be featured in a pair of episodes of "The West Wing." The shows will air Sunday and April 9 at 8 p.m. on NBC. ... Notorious B.I.G.'s family will receive $1.1 million from the city of Los Angeles after the City Council on Wednesday approved the amount U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper awarded in January. The money covers the family's legal expenses in a civil trial that was ruled a mistrial last year when it was discovered that the Los Angeles Police Department withheld statements that linked two rogue LAPD officers, David Mack and Rafael Perez, to the rapper's shooting. ...

Could it really be over so soon? That's what former Howard Stern listeners across the East Coast and Midwest might have been asking themselves Wednesday morning (March 29) when they turned on their radios to find Stern replacement David Lee Roth absent. Yes, preliminary numbers for Roth have not been promising, but a CBS Radio spokesperson denied reports that the former Van Halen singer had been canned just three months into his gig, saying the motor-mouthed morning man was simply taking a few days off to travel back to New York after broadcasting from Miami Beach Monday and Tuesday. Roth is expected to be back on the air Friday. ... Elsewhere on the dial, Mighty Mighty Bosstones singer Dicky Barrett has attacked Los Angeles' Indie 103.1 after he was recently fired as host of the station's morning show. In a statement released by his publicist, Barrett said he was fired for expressing his dislike on air for a Morrissey song the station was spinning and for an unauthorized pro-choice conversation he had with a caller. Indie General Manager Dawn Girocco responded by saying Dicky was not as committed to the show as he needed to be. ...

After complaints and a lawsuit earlier this year from a Louisiana man, Apple Computer released a software update Wednesday that allows iPod owners to set a maximum volume on their players. The free download works with Nanos and fifth-generation models that play video, and it also allows parents to set a volume limit on their child's iPod and lock it with a special code. The free update is available at apple.com/ipod/download. ... On Monday a judge ordered Michael Jackson and his ex-wife Debbie Rowe to submit copies of legal papers missing from their divorce file, The Associated Press reports. The documents, concerning the custody of the pair's two children, include Rowe's 2001 motion to terminate parental rights and an emergency motion filed two years later seeking temporary custody as well as Jackson's filing opposing his ex-wife's custody motion. Attorneys for Jackson and Rowe have 30 days to turn over the paperwork. A hearing has been set for May 24. ...

As he awaits his murder trial, troubles keep mounting for famed "wall of sound" record producer Phil Spector. A former personal assistant has sued Spector for more than $5 million in Los Angeles, claming sexual harassment, according to an Associated Press report. Spector sued former assistant Michelle Blaine in September, alleging that she skimmed hundreds of thousands of dollars from his accounts. Blaine hit back on Friday, saying that Spector authorized the payments to her, including those for a $700,000 house and that he sexually harassed her, sometimes appeared naked in front of her and once asked Blaine to find a prostitute for him. Blaine also claims that after Spector was charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003, the producer repeatedly proposed marriage to her as a way to block her from testifying against him. Spector's murder trial is slated to begin in September. ...

Eugene Landy, the show-business psychologist famous for his controversial relationship with troubled Beach Boys star Brian Wilson, died March 22 in Honolulu of complications from lung cancer, the Los Angeles Times reports. He was 71. Landy, who also worked with original shock rocker Alice Cooper and actor Rod Steiger, pioneered the concept of "24 hour therapy" when he began treating Wilson in the mid 1970s. Hired to work on Wilson's intense phobias and drug addictions, Landy took control of every aspect of the singer's life, monitoring him 24 hours a day and eventually acting as his manager and artistic collaborator, crossing an ethical line and eventually giving up his license to practice in California after admitting to a charge of unlawfully prescribing drugs in 1989. ...

Prolific songwriter Cindy Walker, known as the "dean of Texas songwriters," died of natural causes Thursday at the age of 87, according to The Los Angeles Times. Walker was known for the more than 500 sentimental, Western-flavored songs she wrote, performed by everyone from Roy Orbison ("Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)"), to Ray Charles ("You Don't Know Me"), with the latter covered by more than 75 artists, including Elvis Presley. Willie Nelson released an album-length tribute to Walker this month called You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker. Walker, often called the greatest living country music songwriter, was a charter member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997.

03.28.2006

Mariah Carey's been dreaming of a Broadway Christmas since late 2004, when she originally announced plans for a holiday musical, and now she's finally making progress with her plan. "I don't want to mention anything definitive until things are signed," she told MTV Radio, "but there's a very big company that just signed on to develop the project with me." Carey said the musical — which she'll create, produce and star in — will incorporate music from her 1994 album, Merry Christmas, as well as new material. "It's probably going to be a movie first," she said. "I don't want to say a television movie, because it's not like a cheesy network movie, but then it's going to be made for the Broadway production. So the [TV movie] will set the stage for the stage." ...

It was nothing but royalty Monday night in New York as a king, queen and prince came together for the premiere of "ATL." T.I. (the King of the South), Queen Latifah and former Prince of Bel Air Will Smith (with Jada Pinkett) joined Jay-Z, Usher, DJ Drama, Tisha Campbell and Duane Martin at the Tribeca Theater. Latifah's longtime friends and business partners Shakim Compere and Lance "Un" Rivera were also on hand. ...

Jessica Simpson is moving up in the world — at least as far as FHM's annual list of 100 Sexiest Women is concerned. While Scarlett Johansson nabbed the top spot, Simpson catapulted from #16 on last year's list to #4 this year. Other singers making the top half of the chart include Paris Hilton (#11), Lindsay Lohan (#14), Beyoncé (#18), Shakira (#20), Jennifer Lopez (#26; she was #1 in 2000 and 2001), Mariah Carey (#28), Mandy Moore (#31), Christina Aguilera (#37), Gwen Stefani (#40) and Kelly Clarkson (#50). Hilary Duff, the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie and Stefani were new entries this year, but Britney Spears, who was #1 in 2004, was nowhere to be found (Check out photos of FHM's Sexiest Women.). ... Since Lindsay Lohan's upcoming movie "A Prairie Home Companion" (in theaters June 9) focuses on a radio show, it's only natural that the soundtrack would include some of the songs performed on said show. Out May 23, the soundtrack will feature performances from castmembers Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly and Lohan herself, who contributes "Frankie & Johnny." ...

Not every singer on "American Idol" is a pop-star hopeful or graduate of the performance competition, as recent appearances by Stevie Wonder and Barry Manilow have proven. This week the show hopes to shake things up even further with belly-dancing Shakira, who will perform "Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean on Wednesday night's elimination episode. ... And forgive us if this one sounds familiar, but Simon Cowell is at it again. After expanding his stranglehold on U.S. viewers with his "American Inventor" show earlier this month, the acerbic "Idol" judge is adding a third show to his empire: "America's Got Talent." Open auditions will begin next month for the NBC show, which will be open to performers of all ages and talents — from singers and dancers to jugglers and magicians, according to Reuters. The show will have a celebrity three-judge panel (it will not include Cowell) and the winner will take home a $1 million prize. ...

Live singer Ed Kowalczyk has released a statement in support of "American Idol" contestant Chris Daughtry, who sang a cover of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line" last week with an arrangement similar to the version recorded by Live — but without giving the band credit. "We wish Chris the best of luck in the competition," Kowalczyk said. "I thought he did a great job with the song. There's no doubt he's a talented performer and I hope he goes far." Live, meanwhile, will hit the road beginning April 22 in Providence, Rhode Island, in support of their seventh studio album, Songs From Black Mountain, due May 9. ... Travis Barker and DJ AM will take their experimental show to San Francisco April 7 and New York April 13 and 14. VIP packages for the shows are available at StubHub.com and will benefit the Race to Erase MS. ... Chamillionaire and Lil' Flip are teaming for the Texas Boyz Tour, which kicks off March 30 in San Diego and wraps up early this summer. Chamillionaire has recorded several remixes of his new single, "Ridin'," featuring rappers ranging from the Game to Bun B to Fabolous. ...

In a post on Evanescence's official message board Sunday, singer Amy Lee wrote that she and new guitarist Terry Balsamo were in the studio finishing mixes on the group's upcoming album. "We'll be done mixing [the new album] next week! I can hardly believe it, we've been working on this album for so long," Lee wrote. "The stuff sounds so good. ... Wow, what a trip this has been." The singer said Balsamo is "doing really well" after the stroke he suffered in November and that she's busy trying to figure out the order of the songs on the still-untitled album. "It's going to be hard to hold this music in all summer," Lee said. "I really want to thank you guys again for being so patient — I know it's gonna be worth it." A spokesperson for the group confirmed the post and added that the album is slated for release in the fall, with a tour to follow. ...

The Offspring's Dexter Holland is turning into some sort of bionic man or something. In late 2004 he completed a 10-day solo flight around the globe, subsisting only on Doritos and beef jerky. And for an encore — and for charity — he decided to take on the Los Angeles Marathon. Running on behalf of the Innocence Project, a nonprofit legal organization aimed at using DNA testing to free the unjustly convicted, Holland finished in a little more than five hours, good enough for 7,900th place — but not better than Oprah Winfrey's 1994 Washington, D.C., marathon time of 4 hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds, which was Holland's stated goal. Still, he raised money for a good cause and is happy with his efforts. "I hit a wall at about 16 miles," Holland wrote on Offspring.com, "but I'm glad I was able to finish. I shouldn't have eaten those tacos for breakfast! I didn't beat Oprah's time, but I challenge her to a rematch." ...

If you asked Alanis Morissette, she might say, "Isn't it ironic ... a little too ironic?" Victor Willis, 54, the singer who dressed as the policeman in '70s disco juggernaut the Village People, faces up to five years in prison after his arrest Sunday. He was booked for bailing on a plea deal he cut last year following an arrest on charges of possessing cocaine and a gun. Willis — who left the group in 1980 — had agreed to a maximum of 16 months in jail on the original charge, but when he goes to court Tuesday (March 28) he's looking at four years and four months on the original charges and a possible eight additional months on new drug charges, according to a Reuters report.

[This story was originally published at 12:47 pm E.T. on 03.29.2006]

• Shakira
• Diddy
• Eightball & MJG
• Michael Jackson
• Brian Wilson

Animosity
Photo: Metal Blade Records

The last thing San Francisco grindcore virtuosos Animosity wanted to hear was that the festival for which they'd been confined to a van for 72 hours — driving in one straight shot, from San Diego to New Jersey — was canceled. But unfortunately, 15 minutes after arriving in the Garden State, frontman Leo Miller said he got the call: No Hellfest this year, kids.

Like many of the 150-plus other bands that'd traveled to Trenton to perform at the three-day metal fest that was canceled Wednesday night (see "Three-Day Metal Hellfest Canceled Over Insurance Snag"), Animosity have spent the last 24 hours scrambling to find a venue — be it a club, skate park or someone's basement — that'll let them gig.

"It's pretty f---ing amazing what people are doing," Miller explained. "They're pretty on top of it, pulling shows together. The thing is, most of these last-minute shows are going to be pretty decent, because all of these headlining-type bands now don't have shows to play." So far Animosity — rounded out by drummer Navene Kopperweis, bassist Dan Kenny, and guitarists Frank Costa and Chase Fraser — have been in touch with Turmoil, Most Precious Blood and Converge to discuss a possible "Let's make the best of it" gig, the singer said.

As of press time, nothing had been firmed up for Animosity, who'll be touring through late September with Ed Gein and Curl Up and Die. Other acts did manage to set up shows of their own — the much-anticipated reunion of Lifetime will happen on Sunday at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, with the Bouncing Souls and the Loved Ones, while God Forbid will perform Friday night (August 19) at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville with Chimaira, Unearth, Madball, Nora, If Hope Dies, the Banner and Six Feet Under.

As if trying to justify a weekend in Jersey's not enough to worry about, Animosity have the release of their second disc, Empires, coming up this week; the disc hits stores on Tuesday through Black Market and Metal Blade. Miller's anxious for people to hear it.

Shut It Down came out in 2003 through Tribunal, when the bandmembers weren't even old enough to drive, "and it was recorded in 2002, so the music's pretty old and doesn't represent us in the way we want," said Miller who like much of the group, is 18. "It's not how we play anymore. On the other hand, Empires totally does. There's nothing on it that pisses us off when we hear it."

As the band's matured — and for a bunch of dudes who still can't legally drink, that word holds even more true — so too has Animosity's sound. "When we started, we were just trying to emulate the bands we wanted to be like," Miller said. "It was kind of like we were just taking influence from similar bands and trying to be like other bands. Now we're listening to a bunch of weird, progressive music from the '60s and '70s. We're no longer trying to be like all the other bands that we play with."

The rest of the week's metal news:

All three members of reformed West Coast gore-grind band Blood Freak were killed in a car accident last weekend. According to their label, the bandmembers left their native Anaheim, California, the morning of August 12 and were heading for Seattle, where they'd planned to record their second outing, Live Fast, Die Young, & Leave a Flesh-Eating Corpse. Outside Portland, Oregon, the band's van veered off the road. "Exactly what went 'wrong' isn't known yet," reads a statement posted on Razorback Records' Web site. "We hope to have more details soon. What we do know is that [we] mourn the deaths of our fellow gore-hounds in Blood Freak." ... Throughout their 24-year history, Ministry have hardly been the most organized or deadline-oriented band on the planet. That may soon change. Frontman Al Jourgensen has just announced new tour dates nearly nine months in advance. The jaunt with the band's alter ego, Revolting Cocks, and Spyder Baby will begin in San Antonio on May 6 and run through June 25 in Cleveland. Ministry's remix album, Rantology: The Definitive Collection Celebrating 25 Years of Service, which features the new song "The Great Satan," comes out September 27. ...

Alice Cooper will launch a North American tour with Cheap Trick on August 20 in Cincinnati, with dates running through September 16 in Los Angeles. Cooper will then play 15 more solo dates, ending October 29 in Tacoma, Washington, before heading to England. Cooper's new album, Dirty Diamonds, was released August 2. ... "Waking Up Dead," a film about the seedy underworld of '80s metal as seen through the eyes of Skid Row and Saigon Kick member Phil Varone, will debut August 26 in New York. The unflinching documentary was directed by Emmy Award-winning journalist Fabio Jafet and was filmed over a four-year period. ... The biggest-ever band of Antarctican space warriors, Gwar, will release a quadruple-DVD box set on October 18. The package will feature videos for "Rendezvous With Ragnaro," "It's Sleazy," "Gwar: Tour de Scum" and "Dawn of the Day" and more. ... Atlanta death-metal band Withered will release their first disc, Memento Mori, on September 20. The band will launch a U.S. tour on August 27 in Washington, D.C. ...

Every Time I Die have scheduled dates with High on Fire, the Red Chord, the Chariot and the Esoteric from September 7 in Poughkeepsie, New York, through October 24 in State College, Pennsylvania. Every Time I Die's fourth album, Gutter Phenomenon, comes out August 23. ... Vancouver punk outfit Black Halos will launch a North American tour on August 25 in Portland, Oregon. Dates run through October 9 in San Bernardino, California. The band will be touring to support its third album, Alive Without Control, which came out June 28. ... Into the Moat were forced to cancel six shows after their guitarist, Robert Shaffer, quit the band in the middle of their tour with Soilent Green. It wasn't the only recent shake-up for the band; bassist Joshua Thiel quit due to always ambiguous "medical reasons" on the first date of the tour, leaving the group to continue as a four-piece. ... Sludge metallers Brand New Sin have been tapped to open up the upcoming Black Label Society tour, which kicks off October 14 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The five-week trek, which follows the band's brief September run with Life of Agony, wraps November 20 at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

• Animosity
• Alice Cooper
• Withered
• Into the Moat

<i>Roc-A-Fella Records Presents Teairra Marí</i>
Photo: Roc-A-Fella

The Princess Awakes: Detroit's Teairra Marí has melted L.A. Reid and Jay-Z alike, but it's the latter mogul who'll be giving the singer a presidential push this week with Roc-A-Fella Records Presents Teairra Marí. She's already made waves with "Make Her Feel Good," which samples Eric B. & Rakim and appears on this record along with two versions of "No Daddy," co-written by Sean Garrett (Destiny's Child, Beyoncé).

Yes, They're Related: New Zealand-born singer Natasha Bedingfield — sister of dance-pop artist Daniel — hopes to replicate her substantial European success with the U.S. release of her debut, Unwritten (she's only the third solo singer in U.K. history to debut at #1). The DualDisc has behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and more.

Another Blonde Gone: Faith Hill, who showed up on the cover of 2002's Cry as a tempting, sweat-drenched blonde befitted with a crucifix, now appears as a sleek, Pantene-d brunette on Fireflies. (Maybe husband Tim McGraw, who duets with her on "Like We Never Loved at All," had a few words to say this time around.) Expect a big splash from Hill's sixth record, which contains "Mississippi Girl," a song that debuted higher than any of her previous singles on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Fans can get the album signed through a limited offer on FaithHill.com.

The Prom Kings Got Game — But Where?: Funky L.A. rockers the Prom Kings have opened for Sum 41 and Papa Roach and have shipped to radio two hip-shaking cuts from their self-titled debut: "Alone" and "Birthday." Only time will tell if the Kings will crown their Game-featured golden egg, "Down," as single number three. Yes, that's the Game.

Rewriting History: Michael Penn tells a history lesson with his long-awaited fifth album, Mr. Hollywood, Jr. 1947, with wife Aimee Mann stepping in for a brief bit of bass playing and backup singing. A limited run has a bonus track, "Down by the Riverside," plus a video for "Walter Reed."

Song Titles of the Week:
"In a Lose, Lose Situation," followed by "In a Win, Win Situation" (Emery's The Question)

Other Notables:

• Alice Cooper - Dirty Diamonds

Has the Coop flown the way of Christina Aguilera ("Dirrty") and Kanye ("Diamonds")? Nope, he's just back to his bizarro ways, dishing up "Gutter Cats vs. the Jets," featuring a horn section; an obscure cover of the Left Banke's "Pretty Ballerina"; and a nod to 1973's watershed Billion Dollar Babies with "Sunset Babies (All Got Rabies)."
• Deadman - Our Eternal Ghosts and D'Nell - 1st Magic (BBE)

Texans Steven and Sherilyn Collins name-check authors (William Faulkner, on "Absalom! Absalom!"), painters ("Monsters of Goya") and Native Americans ("Sad Ole' Geronimo") on their third record, which has been getting raves in the U.K. In the meantime, D'Nell, another co-ed duo (don't be fooled by the SWF on the album cover), recorded their soul-meets-hip-hop debut in a London studio apartment.
• The Greenhornes - East Grand Blues EP

The White Stripes' tour partners don't really sound bluesy at all on songs like "I'm Going Away" and "Shelter of Your Arms." Think classic-rock throwback instead.
• Maria Muldaur - Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul

Grammy-nominated Maria Muldaur tips her hat to female blues legends like Memphis Minnie on Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul, getting a boost from Taj Mahal and Alvin Youngblood. And fans won't want to miss Muldaur on peer Angela Strehli's Blue Highway, which also features longtime collaborator Stevie Ray Vaughan.
• Various artists - The Free Design: The Now Sound Redesigned

In case you haven't been scooping up Light in the Attic's series of 12-inches hailing lost soft-psych group the Free Design, the label presents the entire fleet of remixes, plus a few unissued tracks, as The Free Design: The Now Sound Redesigned. Producers include Danger Mouse, Stereolab, Super Furry Animals and members of Belle and Sebastian and the Mars Volta.
• Various artists - Generations: A Hardcore Compilation

Sinking Ships and Robot Whales bring an aquatic feel to this Revelation roundup of punk up-and-comers.

Out Tuesday, August 2:

New releases:

• Amadou & Mariam - Dimanche a Bamako (Nonesuch)
• Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten (Epic)
  Buy Now: Unwritten (Epic)
• BA - Sports (Rah)
• Danny Barnes - Get Myself Together (Terminus)
• Bass Freq - Neon Skyline (Neurodisc)
• Blindside - The Great Depression (RTE/DRT)
  Buy Now: The Great Depression (RTE/DRT)
• Bliss - Quiet Letters (Quango)
• Bootcut - Hammond vs. Drums (Gadfly)
• Brazen Abbot - My Resurrection (Melodic Symphony)
• Alice Cooper - Dirty Diamonds (New West)
• D'Nell - 1st Magic (BBE)
• Deadman - Our Eternal Ghosts (One Little Indian)
• Benjamin Diamond - Out of Myself (!K7)
• Emery - The Question (Tooth & Nail)
• The Greenhornes - East Grand Blues EP (V2)
• Johnny Freeman - How Much Is Free (Southern Signal)
• Don Friedman VIP Trio - Timeless (441)
• Mitchell Froom - A Thousand Days (Inner Knot)
• Faith Hill - Fireflies (Warner Bros.)
  Buy Now: Fireflies (Warner Bros.)
• Stan Hope - Put on a Happy Face (Savant)
• Houston Calls - A Collection of Short Stories (Rushmore/Drive-Thru)
• I Self Divine - Self Destruction (Rhymesayers)
• Lorene Drive - Romantic Wealth (Lobster)
• Madball - Legacy (Ferret)
• Madredeus - Faluas Do Tejo (Metro Blue)
• Teairra Marí - Roc-A-Fella Records Presents Teairra Mari (Roc-A-Fella)
  Read: "Jay-Z's Picks: Teairra Mari, Rihanna, Ne-Yo"
• Milk Inc. - Closer (Water Music)
• Mr. Del - The Future (Holy Hip Hop)
• Maria Muldaur - Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul (Stony Plain)
• Greg Osby - Channel Three (Blue Note)
• Michael Penn - Mr. Hollywood, Jr. 1947 (spinART)
  Read: "Free At Last, Michael Penn Attempts A Comeback With Mr. Hollywood Jr."
• Doug Pinnick - Emotional Animal (Magna Carta)
• Tristan Prettyman - Twentythree (Virgin)
• The Prom Kings - The Prom Kings (Geffen)
• Darryl Lee Rush - Llano Avenue (Infinity Nashville)
• Sahnas - Odyssey (Native Language)
• Sons of the Never Wrong - Nuthatch Suite (Gadfly)
• Angela Strehli - Blue Highway (MC)
• Turning Point - Matador (Native Language)
• Various artists - Dark Trance vs. Neogoth (Cleopatra)
• Various artists - Desire: Piano Tribute to U2 (Vitamin)
• Various artists - Fashion Lounge (Cleopatra)
• Various artists - Fusion for Miles (Tone Center)
• Various artists - Generations: A Hardcore Compilation (Revelation)
• Various artists - Harley Davidson: Ride (Capitol)
• Various artists - Kidz Bop, Vol. 8 (Razor & Tie)
• Various artists - Nu:Jazz Brasilia (Sunswept)
• Various artists - The Piano Tribute to Iron Maiden (Vitamin)
• Various artists - Pick Yourself Up From the Ground: Pickin' on Eric Clapton Vol. 2 (CMH)
• Various artists - Pickin' on Beck (CMH)
• Various artists - Pickin' on Franz Ferdinand (CMH)
• Various artists - Pickin' on Nickelback (CMH)
• Various artists - Prinz Myshkin: Treats From the Garden of Earthly Delights (Radikal)
• Various artists - Smooth Sounds Tribute to Mariah Carey's Greatest Hits (Tribute Sounds)
• Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to Queens of the Stone Age, Volume 2 (Vitamin)
• Various artists - Tribute to Insane Clown Posse (Big Eye)
• Various artists - "Broken Flowers" soundtrack (Decca)
• Various artists - "Rainbow Six: Lockdown" soundtrack (Calvin) (dualdisc)
• Warren Brothers - Barely Famous Hits (BNA)
• Abigail Washburn - Song of the Traveling Daughter (Nettwerk)
• Wetton/ Downes - Icon (Frontiers)
• Reuben Wilson - Fun House (Savant)
• Madelin Zero - Gotta Know (Indecent Media)

Notable reissues:

• Johnny Cash - The Legend (Columbia) (box set)
• June Carter Cash - Keep on the Sunny Side: Her Life in Music (Columbia)
• John Coltrane - The Bethlehem Years (Shout! Factory) (two CDs)
• Bill Cosby - Inside the Mind Of (live) (Geffen)
• Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt (Kemado) (with second disc containing five unreleased bonus tracks)
• Richard Hell - Spurts: The Best of Richard Hell (Rhino)
• Marshall Tucker Band - Just Us (Shout! Factory) (with two bonus alternate takes)
• Charles Mingus - East Coasting (Shout! Factory) (with eight bonus remixes)
• Public Enemy - Power to the People and the Beats: Greatest Hits (Def Jam)
• The Rolling Stones - Forty Licks (limited-edition box set) (ABKCO/Virgin)
• Six Feet Under - 13/ Graveyard Classics, Vol. 2 (Metal Blade)
• The Slits - Live at the Gibus Club (Castle/Sanctuary)
• Various artists - The Free Design: The Now Sound Redesigned (Light in the Attic)
• Various artists - "Raging Bull" soundtrack (Capitol)

DVDs:

• Beulah - "A Good Band Is Easy to Kill" (Music Video Distributors)
• Impotent Sea Snakes - "Alive in Germany" (Music Video Distributors)
• Suzanne Vega - "Retrospective: The Videos of Suzanne Vega" (Universal)
• Various Artists - "Cool Runnings: The Reggae Movie" (Universal)
• Various Artists - "Give 'Em the Boot (A Film by Tim Armstrong)" (Epitaph)
• Various Artists - "The Industry" (Image Entertainment)
• Various Artists - "Poets in Hip Hop" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various Artists - "Rap Life: Behind the Scenes" (Bayside Distribution)

• Teairra Marí
• Natasha Bedingfield
• Faith Hill
• Michael Penn
• Alice Cooper

Paul Green with a student in "Rock School"
Photo: Newmarket Films

Long before Jack Black strapped on a guitar for "School of Rock," failed guitar god Paul Green opened the real School of Rock, an after-school learning center for kids in Philadelphia who aspire to be the next Ozzy, Angus or Billie.

After observing Green with his students, it took local filmmaker Don Argott all of 10 minutes to decide to make a documentary about the school. The end result, "Rock School" — which opens in select cities Friday (go to www.rockschoolthemovie.com for listings) — exposes the world to the complex character that is Green, a quick-witted dork with a heart of gold.

With that in mind, rather than doing a standard interview with Green at the Sundance Film Festival — where "Rock School" debuted to rave reviews — MTV News gave him the microphone and let him interview Argott, some of his students, and one of his idols (who performed with the Rock School band at Sundance), Alice Cooper.

Paul Green: Don, in making a movie about a rock icon such as myself, what was the biggest challenge?

Don Argott: I think the biggest challenge, honestly, is that you are a very complex character, and I think you walk that very fine line between angel and devil. I think what we tried to do is really balance the film so you didn't come across as too mean or too nice, which I think is very true to who you are.

Green: Were there any scenes that were difficult for you to include, that you thought would resonated a little too sourly with the audience?

Argott: There actually were quite a few of them and we had to choose the scenes very carefully because, again, I think your teaching style is very unique and I think that it can be misconstrued and taken the wrong way by the wrong type of person. There are a lot of scenes that we really had to be careful that we didn't mislead the audience into thinking something about you that we didn't want them to think.

Green: This is C.J. [C.J. Tywoniak, guitar prodigy and Green's most accomplished student]. C.J.'s really good now, but you vultures [reading or watching this] will probably pick at his bones, and he'll be getting major facial surgery and skin lightening by the time he's 22. How does that make you feel?

Tywoniak: I don't know.

Green: Do you know that no child star has ever made it and not been completely insane by the time they're 24? How does that make you feel?

Tywoniak: It doesn't really ...

Green: This is C.J.'s mother — in other words, a soon-to-be-wealthy woman. How do you plan to exploit your boy's talents for mass financial gain?

C.J.'s mother: Absolutely not at all. He's rich in spirit and he's got great talent, so I don't have to do anything. I just have to support him.

Green: Isn't that great? But boring. This is Madi [Diaz, a Quaker singer who receives much wrath from Green in "Rock School"]. Madi and I really have a very good relationship.

Diaz: We love each other.

Green: The thing about Madi is her work ethic — it's second to none.

Diaz: Green, I'm going to pull the plug.

Green: Seriously, after the movie, Madi and I had a little bit of a falling-out and I'm honestly — and I say this without a hint of sarcasm — I'm really amazed by the opportunity to have her back 'cause she's a phenomenal talent.

Diaz: Seriously?

Tucker and Asa Collins, twin metal heads who started at the School of Rock as nine-year-olds, and their mother, Andrea.

Green: Hi, little girl. What's your name?

Tucker Collins: [Hits Green] First of all, Green, I am a boy. You have known me for three years.

Green: Really? Why do you still play with dollies? I'm just kidding. In your tiny chest beats the heart of rock 'n' roll. So Asa [Collins, who appears in the film's poster], how do you feel having to grow up as "That Kid From That Movie Poster?

Asa Collins: Well, in a way ...

Green: Hey, aren't you that kid from that movie poster?

Asa: I feel excited, yet sort of nervous about that.

Green: So Andrea [Tucker and Asa's mom], when are you going to pay your tuition to the school?

Andrea: I was hoping somebody else out there would fall in love with my children and send money to me or Green to pay their tuition.

Dom Milandro, another one of the school's guitar prodigies.

Green: Dom [another Rock School guitar prodigy] — how old are you?

Dom Milandro: 16

Green: Let's be serious for a minute. Dom, do you have a girlfriend?

Milandro: Not yet.

Green: What's the furthest you've ever gone with a girl?

Milandro: Man, I'm not going to answer this question on MTV.

Green: Mr. Alice Cooper, do you know that you're the man?

Cooper: According to some of the kids, I'm the man. I think I scared them in a few movies and things like that, so I have some credibility.

Green: Is this the youngest backup band you've ever had?

Cooper: Absolutely. My original band was 16 years old, when I first started. And I never wanted any younger than that, but these guys can play. I was really surprised. I got there in rehearsal and they were doing "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson. They're 12 years old and I'm going, "My band won't even try that song."

Green: That's my fault. I'm a big old hard-rock head. Is there anything you can impart to these young rock n' rollers as they embark on their own careers?

Cooper: Attitude. It's all attitude. Once you get up there and you know the parts, sell it. It's not so much singing the song, but selling the song. You know, Rod Stewart can sing a song; I can sell a song. You gotta get it right in the face. Once you get on that stage and you got all that adrenaline coming and you got all that music behind you, the audience is yours. Take them!

Relive everything big, bad, hairy and awesome from the last 365 days in film when the 2005 MTV Movie Awards air Thursday, June 9 at 8:30 p.m. The action kicks off a half an hour earlier with MTV News' pre-show when the red carpet action, celebrity interviews and surprises begin at 8 p.m.

Check out everything we've got on "Rock School."

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

• "Rock School" photos

• Alice Cooper

Lindsay Lohan (file)
Photo: Michael Gibson

Lindsay Lohan's mother told People magazine that her actress/singer daughter has exchanged "promise rings" with her boyfriend, Wilmer Valderrama. "Wilmer's a sweetheart," Dina Lohan said. "He is very protective. He's basically Lindsay's first boyfriend. ... They're living publicly. They're going to make mistakes. They're going to have fights. It's normal behavior." For his part, Valderrama told the magazine that his relationship with Lindsay is "about trust." "She's a smart girl," he said. "She knows what's good for her." ...

50 Cent's G-Unit Clothing Company is releasing a line of women's wear. The company will launch its G-Unit Women's collection at the end of this month, with such items as T-shirts and blazers making their debut in stores this winter. The line, geared toward women ages 16-26, is for the female who is "street-refined with a definite taste for the better things in life," according to the line's creative director. ... Can't wait until October 19 for Korn's Greatest Hits Volume 1 to hit stores? Good news: The release date for the 19-track album, which features covers of Cameo's "Word Up" and Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall, Parts 1, 2, 3," has been pushed ahead two weeks and will now hit stores on October 5. ...

A Perfect Circle plan to release a collection of songs on Election Day about war, peace, love and greed. eMOTIVe will feature new material as well as covers of John Lennon's "Imagine," Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and Fear's "Let's Have a War." One of the new songs, "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums," will coincide with an animated video poking fun at Bush. "Remember, every single vote counts," singer Maynard James Keenan said in a statement Thursday (August 26). "It is important for us all to engage this political system and to be conscious of who is being chosen to speak for us. If you choose not to be involved with decisions that affect your life on a daily basis, in our opinion, you forfeit your right to complain about it later. Think for yourself. Question authority." ...

Tommy Lee is enrolling in college, and he's bringing a camera crew with him. Lee is teaming with NBC for an as-yet-untitled reality show that will chronicle his adventures going back to school. Details, such as which school he'll be attending, have not been announced. Lee's autobiography, "Tommyland," is due in October. ... Alice Cooper made a few comments to the media about the Vote for Change Tour being "treason" during a Canadian stop of his tour, and is now saying that his remarks were misinterpreted. "When I said that rock stars doing concerts for presidential candidates were guilty of treason, I clearly said treason against rock and roll, meaning against the spirit of rock and roll, not against the president or the government or the U.S.A.," Cooper said in a statement Thursday. "I said that people shouldn't vote for a presidential candidate just because a rock star says so, and that's true whether it's Bruce Springsteen or Alice Cooper." ...

Radiohead have remixed "Go to Sleep," from last year's Hail to the Thief, to benefit War Child, an organization that provides aid to children injured or misplaced in conflicts around the globe. The song, recorded live in Osaka, Japan, and reworked by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, can be purchased for download at Warchildmusic.com starting September 9. ... The new album from Austin, Texas' ... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead has been pushed back until early 2005, despite it being completed since July. In other Trail of Dead news, according to a statement by lead singer Conrad Keely, the band has split with bassist Neil Busch because of his "severe health problems." ... Cake will launch their first headlining tour in three years October 5 in Los Angeles to promote Pressure Chief, which hits stores that day. The outing, with Northern State opening, wraps October 24 in Chicago. ...

Guster, Travis and Sixpence None the Richer's Leigh Nash are among the acts who have recorded covers of '70s songs for the soundtrack to the WB series "Everwood." Due October 19, the album will also feature previously released covers from Jason Mraz, Throwing Muses' Kristin Hersh and Stereophonics. ... Tantric had been wanting to record a cover for months but were undecided on a song. Singer Hugo Ferreira suggested turning on the radio and doing the first tune they heard. That was Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain," and now Tantric's cover has become the theme song for HBO's new series "Family Bonds," about bail bondsmen and bounty hunters, premiering September 19. Tantric, meanwhile, are hitting the road next month to promote their recently released album, After We Go. ...

8.25.04

Lions and tigers and Kermits, oh my?! A Muppets version of "The Wizard of Oz" has landed Ashanti to play the lead role of Dorothy, while Queen Latifah will be her Auntie Em. Other key parts of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Wicked Witch of the West will be played by Kermit, Gonzo, Fozzie and Miss Piggy. The made-for-TV movie also features a cameo by "Kill Bill" director Quentin Tarantino. ...

The recording industry is instituting new awards to recognize downloads. Beginning Monday, artists who have sold at least 100,000 downloaded singles will earn a gold award, while 200,000 or more downloaded tunes will receive a platinum award. Among those presently eligible are Outkast, Beyoncé, Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z, Usher, P. Diddy, Jessica Simpson, D12 and No Doubt. ... And while it applauds the artists who do legitimate business in the digital world, the recording industry continues to take aim at those who traffic in copyrighted files on the wrong side of the law. A new round of copyright-infringement lawsuits target 744 users of peer-to-peer platforms including eDonkey, Limewire, Grokster and Kazaa. ...

Producer Phil Spector, charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, has a new legal team again. Bruce Cutler, best known for representing mob boss John Gotti, has replaced Leslie Abramson, who told reporters, "If we wanted to be ethical and competent, we had to resign." ... The World Music Awards, usually held in Monte Carlo, are moving to Las Vegas this year and will be broadcast live September 15 on ABC. Usher, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Celine Dion and Josh Groban have all signed on to perform. ...

Ruben Studdard and Kimberly Caldwell will guest on the new FOX sitcom "Related by Family." Their episode, which airs in January, stars the former "American Idol" contestants as employees at a fast-food restaurant who break out into song praising the food. ... Just coming off the Warped Tour, Taking Back Sunday will continue to pound the pavement in support of their second album, Where You Want to Be. Following a few European shows, a fall tour will begin September 12 in San Francisco and end November 28 in Philadelphia. ...

The Beastie Boys have added a dozen dates to their fall tour, including shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia and Atlanta. The outing now runs until October 23 in Dallas, but more dates are still expected to be announced. The New York rappers will perform at an MTV2 Lifebeat benefit in Miami on Saturday before the tour kicks off on September 8 in Morrison, Colorado. ... A cross-section of artists and musicians, including Pearl Jam, Queensrÿche, comedian David Cross, Mudhoney, X's John Doe, and Grant-Lee Phillips are on board for the No Vote Left Behind Festival, taking place September 23-26 in venues all around Seattle. Proceeds from the festival will benefit the Democratic National Committee and other political action groups. ...

Want the Material Girl to get your cell phone into the groove? Madonna's now offering ring tones for sale on her Web site, along with other licensed mobile content like pictures of her striking a pose. Credit cards aren't necessary for the $2 tones, just a mobile phone number and handset type. Currently available tones include "Lucky Star," "Open Your Heart," "Beautiful Stranger," "Live to Tell" and "Frozen," among others. ... Fountains of Wayne, Godsmack, Guster, Howie Day, Aerosmith, Dropkick Murphys and Mission of Burma scored nominations for Album of the Year at the 17th annual Boston Music Awards. The ceremony will be held September 29 at the Avalon Ballroom in Boston. ...

U.N.K.L.E.'s second album, Never, Never, Land, will finally see a U.S. release on October 26. Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, Massive Attack's 3D, South's Joel Cadbury, Ian Brown and Brian Eno are among the guests on the album. ... Ben Kweller is slated to open for Incubus on the band's A Crow Left of the Murder tour, beginning September 24 in Memphis, Tennessee. His three-week stint ends October 12 in Richmond, Virginia. ... Mos Def and the Spirit Music Sextet will be performing at Central Park's Delacorte Theater in New York on Friday. The Emmy nominee will feature special guest Me'Shell Ndegeocello. ...

Kyle Gass, one half of Tenacious D, will be taking his side project Trainwreck out on the road starting next month. The band, which also features "Alias" actor Kevin Weisman on drums, kicks off its tour September 5 at the Moe Down Festival in Turin, New York. ... Fresh from their set at Little Steven's Underground Garage Festival, the New York Dolls will release a live album as an import on September 27. Pre-Crash Condition was recorded at London's Meltdown festival earlier this year. A DVD will complement the concert LP. ... Iconic rocker Bob Dylan will release "Chronicles: Volume One," the first in a planned three-book series of first-person narratives about his life and career, on October 12, according to Reuters. The first installment, which is 304 pages, will be followed one week later by a new edition of the collection of lyrics to almost every Dylan song, "Lyrics: 1962-2001." ...

• Lindsay Lohan
• 50 Cent
• Korn
• A Perfect Circle
• Alice Cooper

50 Cent has been nominated in six categories at the 2003 Billboard Awards, which will be held December 10 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The rapper is up for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year and Hot 100 Single of the Year. R. Kelly and Beyoncé are each nominees in five categories, and Sean Paul and the Dixie Chicks are up for awards in four categories. Justin Timberlake, Chingy and 3 Doors Down are each nominated for three, while Aaliyah, Linkin Park, Audioslave, Floetry, Norah Jones and Shania Twain are finalists in two categories. ... Meanwhile, 50 and G Unit were scheduled to shoot a video in Los Angeles on Tuesday (December 2) for "Poppin' Them Thangs," the next single from Beg for Mercy. Veteran hip-hop video director Little X is helming the clip. ...

A Swiss prosecutor in Zurich is considering filing charges against Marilyn Manson for breaching laws protecting religion and for inciting violence during a show there in 2001. A criminal investigation was launched after a religious organization there filed a complaint about his onstage shenanigans. Christian groups and politicians in Zurich attempted to block a recent Manson concert, claiming his views are offensive to the majority of the city's inhabitants, but the concert went on as scheduled. ... Playboy TV is launching a hip-hop show January 9 that will include uncensored videos, trips to strip clubs with rappers and segments such as Sex Tip of the Day. "Buckwild," named after host Ken "Buckwild" Francis, will feature Outkast, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Lil Jon and Loon, among others, in the first six episodes. ...

Grammy sweeper Norah Jones will appear on two songs from the upcoming Wax Poetic album Nublu Sessions, due February 10. Jones' two tracks were recorded between 1997 and 1998 when she was a member of the group. The record will also contain guest performances by N'Dea Davenport, Saul Williams and U-Roy. ... On Tuesday original shock rocker Alice Cooper was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Look for his star at the corner of Orange Drive and Hollywood Boulevard by the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel — it's the one next to the dead birds. ... Big Tank, one of the primary producers behind the soundtrack to B2K's "You Got Served" movie, said the album, due December 23, will include guest spots from R. Kelly, Fabolous and Mario. "It's a dance movie, so all I had to do was try to make things that I would love to hear at a club and kind of go off that," Big Tank said. ...

Latin electronic musician Louie Vega of the duo Masters at Work will release a solo record, Elements of Life, in February. Vega will begin a DJ tour on December 11 in Chicago and will remain on the road through April. ... Metallica's revealing documentary "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" has been accepted by the Sundance Film Festival in the American Spectrum category. The movie, directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky ("Brother's Keeper," "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills"), is an unflinching fly-on-the-wall account of the creation of Metallica's St. Anger. Sundance begins January 15 in Park City, Utah. A theatrical release is planned for March. ... Pete Yorn, Phantom Planet, Lisa Loeb and Mellowdrone will headline the Gimme Shelter benefit concert December 11 at the Roxy in West Hollywood. Proceeds will go to the St. Joseph Center and New West School in Los Angeles. ...

Before opening for Linkin Park on a recent stint of U.K. dates, Welsh rap-rockers the Lostprophets shot a video in Los Angeles with director Brian Scott Weber (Trapt) for "Last Train Home." The song is the first single from Start Something, the follow-up to 2001's The Fake Sound of Progress, produced by Eric Valentine (Good Charlotte) and due February 3. ... Are you a onetime producer whose teen trio went from cash cow to broken mule once the pop market crashed? Maybe an aging rocker wondering why the check to the massage parlor bounced? Then EMI Music North America might be looking for you. The record company and publishing house has set up a Web site listing songwriters and producers they owe royalties to but can't seem to find. The AWOL artists include producer Salaam Remi (Fugees), QDIII (Quincy Jones' son) and the band Bigod20. ...

Margarine Eclipse, Stereolab's first album since the death of Mary Hansen last December, is due January 27. The follow-up to 2001's Sound Dust was recorded at the band's own Instant 0 studio in France with longtime producer Fulton Dingley. ... Yellowcard have been tapped to headline MTV2's Handpicked Tour, which kicks off December 4 in the band's hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, and wraps up December 20 in Los Angeles. Seattle rockers Acceptance are opening. ...

12.01.03

R. Kelly appeared in a Chicago court Monday (December 1) as his defense team filed several motions to dismiss the child-pornography charges against him as well as to suppress testimony and evidence. The center of the defense's argument is that the time frame of the allegations provided by the prosecution was too broad, preventing the singer from presenting an alibi for an exact date and time. Kelly's lawyers also asked to dismiss the case based on the unconstitutionality of Illinois child-porn statutes; to quash a grand-jury subpoena and suppress all evidence that was obtained during the grand-jury process; to preclude testimony from certain expert witnesses; and to suppress suggestive identification procedures. The prosecution said that it will address and answer the motions at the next hearing, set for February 6. ...

Animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is barking mad at Ashanti, who wore a $15,000 mink coat in a recent Christmas medley video to promote her new album. "It's so easy these days to have a look that kills without killing anything. Ashanti should know better," PETA said in a statement. The group plans to send Ashanti a video narrated by Pamela Anderson that depicts the barbaric practices of the fur industry in an effort to convince the R&B princess to change her ways. ...

For years, the tiny New York rock club CBGB served as a second home for Ramones frontman Joey Ramone, who helped pioneer the U.S. punk rock scene in the '70s. Now the city has recognized Ramone's accomplishments, and renamed a street across from the club Joey Ramone Place. The new street sign was unveiled at a celebration on Sunday attended by Ramone's mom, Charlotte Lesher, Marky Ramone and others. ... Queen have made their catalog available for download in Europe to mark World AIDS day. Band royalties for the first week of sale will be donated to the AIDS charity Mercury Phoenix Trust, and the band's U.K. label will match the donation. ...

No Limit rapper Soulja Slim was gunned down the night before Thanksgiving outside his mother's home in New Orleans. Slim, whose real name was James Tapp, was a childhood friend of Master P and his brother C-Murder; his most successful album, Give It 2 'Em Raw, came out in 1998 on P's No Limit Records. Slim's most recent album was Years Later ... A Few Months After, released in August. Police said they don't yet have a suspect or motive in the slaying. ... Memphis Bleek recently teamed with T.I. and Trick Daddy to shoot a video for "'Round Here," the second single from the Roc-A-Fella rapper's third album, M.A.D.E. Due December 16, the album also features Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel and Nate Dogg. ...

And you thought the only way to get a celebrity thumbprint was to hang out at the Los Angeles County Jail. London auction house Cooper Owen is auctioning off autographed thumbprints from Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Johnny Depp, Shakira and other music and film celebrities on December 9. The auction will take place online at cooperowen.com. ... Move over, Chingy, there's a new party rapper in town — from the communist party, that is. The Chinese Communist Party will be repackaging revolutionary icon Mao Tse-tung as a rap artist, according to the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph, in an attempt to appeal to China's youth. The China Record Company is setting one of Chairman Mao's lessons, "The Two Musts," to hip-hop beats for release next month to mark the 110th anniversary of Mao's birth on December 26, 1893. Two other recitations, "The East Is Red" and "Serve the People," will be set to pop music and released by the company as well. ...

Kelly Osbourne has finished a track with the Matrix for her as-yet-untitled second record. "It's sort of heavier than most of my other stuff and what it's about is more me," she explained recently. ... Meanwhile, the man on Osbourne's arm of late is nearing completion of his first solo album. "It'll probably be a little more hip-hop but it'll be angry," Transplants singer Rob Aston said. Tim Armstrong is producing, along with Cypress Hill's DJ Muggs. "He's one of the easiest guys to work with and he's a legend, so I'm honored to be working with that guy," Aston added of Muggs. ...

John Frusciante's fourth solo album, Shadows Collide With People, is due February 25. Red Hot Chili Peppers bandmates Flea and Chad Smith guest on the record, along with Bicycle Thief's Josh Klinghoffer. ... Youngbloodz staged a biker rally in Los Angeles last week for the video for "Lean Low," which will be the first single from the "Torque" soundtrack. Joseph Kahn, who directed the movie, also handled the video, which features stars from the film. ...

Boomkat are about halfway done recording their second album. "It's eclectic," singer/actress Taryn Manning said recently. "I like hip-hop and rock and I like old music and I like dance music, so [the album is] just everything I like." ... Metal band Manowar have always taken pride in being fast and furious, and now those attributes have paid off outside the music kingdom for guitarist Karl Logan. Recently, the Western New York Off-Road Association motocross league awarded the axe-slinging barbarian first place in the amateur racing category for his performance for the year. …

• 50 Cent
• Marilyn Manson
• OutKast
• Norah Jones
• Alice Cooper

If you thought all Bad Boy's Da Band did was choke each other on national television, think again. The kids from "Making the Band 2" got an album out of their time together as well. Too Hot for TV features the six scrappers from the series as well as guest star Wyclef Jean and da man behind Da Band, P. Diddy.

We've all heard about Sting's Sacred Love, but this time we're talking about his new album. Mary J. Blige joins him on the ballad "Whenever I Say Your Name," and Sting addresses the war in Iraq on "This War." Also out this week is airy Brit-pop singer Dido's Life for Rent, featuring the first single "White Flag" and "The Eyes of Alice Cooper," on which the rocker finally gives his famous eyeliner-smeared peepers their due.

Paul Oakenfold releases a mix CD — a two-disc set that remixes Madonna and Björk, among others. And Kelly Osbourne gets a bit of a remix herself as her debut album, Shut Up, is rechristened Changes. The disc features five new tracks, including a cover of Black Sabbath's "Changes" co-sung by her famous dad, Ozzy.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale features music by Michelle Branch, Blur and Joey Ramone, plus the Dandy Warhols on the show's theme song. Elsewhere in soundtrack land, the Jack Black movie "School of Rock" is set to classic rock tunes by the Who, the Doors, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Nicks, the Ramones and, of course, the School of Rock itself.

Finally, "Beef": it's what's on shelves this week. The DVD features 50 Cent, DMX, Ja Rule and other feuding rappers doing what they do best.

Out Tuesday, September 30:

• 22-20s - 0503 (EP, Astralwerks)
• Gary Allan - See If I Care (MCA Nashville)
• Bad Boy's Da Band - Too Hot for TV (Bad Boy)
• Richard Bona - Munia (The Tale) (Verve)
• Chris Botti - A Thousand Kisses Deep (Columbia)
• The Chemical Brothers - Singles 93-03 (Astralwerks)
  Buy Now: Singles 93-03 (Astralwerks)
  
• Alice Cooper - The Eyes Of (Spitfire)
• Billy Currington - Billy Currington (Mercury Nashville)
• Daúde - Neguinha, Te Amo (Real World)
• Neil Diamond - Stages (Sony)
• Dido - Life for Rent (Arista)
  Read: "Dido Won't Let Success Go To Her Head Or Her Songs"
  Buy Now: Life for Rent (Arista)
  
• Lila Downs - La Sandunga (Narada World)
• Dufus - 1:3:1 (ROIR)
• Enigma - Voyageur (Virgin)
• The Federation - The Federation (Virgin)
• Fragma - Embrace (Water Music)
• Paula Frazer - A Place Where I Know (Birdman)
• Grand Champeen - The One That Brought You (Glurp)
• Merle Haggard - Haggard Like Never Before (Compendia)
• Ill Niño - Confession (Roadrunner)
• Jethro Tull - Christmas Album (Fuel 2000)
• Kin Za Za - Number One in Shambala (Narada)
• KJ-52 - It's Pronounced Five Two (UpRok)
• Lo-Pro - Lo-Pro (413/Geffen)
• Lyle Lovett - My Baby Don't Tolerate (Lost Highway)
• Maria - My Soul (DreamWorks)
• Kathy Mattea - Joy for Christmas Day (Narada/Virgin)
• Martina McBride - Martina (RCA)
• Bette Midler - Bette Sings Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Songbook (Columbia)
• Leslie Mills - Different for Girls (Atlantic)
• Airto Moreira - Life After That (Narada Jazz)
• Geoff Muldaur's Futuristic Ensemble - Private Astronomy — A Vision of the Music of Bix Beiderbecke (edge)
• The Network - Money Money 2020 (Adeline)
• Paul Oakenfold - Perfecto Presents: Great Wall (Sire)
• Oranger - Shutdown the Sun (Jackpine Social Club)
• Kelly Osbourne - Changes (Sanctuary)
  Read: "Kelly Osbourne's Going Through Changes"
  Buy Now: Changes (Sanctuary)
  
• The Red West - The Red West (Atlantic)
• Martin Rev - To Live (File 13)
• Shikari - Dead Men (EP, Level Plane)
• Sting - Sacred Love (A&M)
  Buy Now: Sacred Love (A&M)
  
• Strike Anywhere - Exit English (Jade Tree)
• Donna Summer - The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer (UTV)
• Thousand Foot Krutch - Phenomenon (Tooth & Nail)
• Throttlerod - Hell and High Water (Small Stone)
• Tyrades - The Tyrades (Broken Rekids)
• Vexers - Gangland Ballads and the Death Sex Set (Ace Fu)
• Various artists - Blues Story (Shout! Factory)
• Various artists - Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale (Virgin)
• Various artists - Johnny Cash — Artist's Choice: Music That Matters to Him (Columbia/Legacy)
• Various artists - "Horatio's Drive" soundtrack (Columbia/Legacy)
• Various artists - "Journey of Lewis and Clark: Journey of Corps of Discovery" soundtrack (Sony)
• Various artists - Lion King Special Edition (Walt Disney)
• Various artists - Livin,' Lovin,' Losin,: The Songs of the Louvin Brothers (Universal South)
• Various artists - "School of Rock" soundtrack (Atlantic)
• Various artists - "SSX 3" soundtrack (Astralwerks)
• DVD: All-American Rejects - Live From Oklahoma: The Too Bad for Hell DVD! (DreamWorks)
• DVD: Various artists - "Beef" (Image Entertainment)

October 7:

• Jin - Almost Famous (Virgin)
  Read: "Ruff Ryders' New Dog: Jin"
  
• Belle and Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress (Sanctuary)
• Ludacris - Chicken and Beer (Def Jam)
  Read: "Ludacris Reveals Release Date Of Chicken & Beer, Picks Party Single"
  
• Macho Man Randy Savage - Be a Man (Big 3)
  Read: "'Macho Man' Savage Cuts Rap LP, Tells Hulk Hogan To Be A Man"
  

October 14:

• Mariah Carey - Remixes (Sony)
• Clay Aiken - Measure of a Man (RCA)
• Raphael Saadiq - All Hits at the House of Blues (Pookie)

October 21:

• Barenaked Ladies - Everything to Everyone (Warner Bros.)
• Mandy Moore - Coverage (Sony)
• Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Streetcore (Epitaph)
• Yo La Tengo - Today Is the Day (EP, Matador)

October 28:

• R.E.M - In Time: The Best of R.E.M 1998 — 2003 (Warner Bros.)
• The Strokes -Room on Fire (RCA)
  Read:
  
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog - Come Poop With Me (Warner Bros.)

November 4:

• Wyclef Jean - The Preacher's Son (J Records)
  Read: "Wyclef Jean Nabs 'All-Ghetto Cast' — Including Tom Jones — For Album"
  
• Stone Temple Pilots - Thank You (Atlantic)
• P.O.D - Payable on Death (Atlantic)
  Read: "P.O.D. Sound So Alive With New Guitarist, New Single"

November 11:

• Pink - Try This (Arista)
  Read: "Pink Didn't Have To Try Too Hard To Make Try This"
• Ruben Studdard - Soulful (J Records)
  Read: "R. Kelly, Missy Elliott Working On Ruben Studdard's Soulful Debut"

November 18:

• Blink-182 - Blink-182 (Universal)
  Read: "Blink-182 Tone Down Pranks, Get Down To Real 'Action' On Next LP"
• Courtney Love - America's Sweetheart (Virgin)
  Read: " 'A Lot Of God And A Lot Of Sex' On Courtney Love Solo Album"

November 28:

• Jay-Z - The Black Album (Roc-a-Fella)
  Read: "Jay-Z Strays From His Blueprint For Black Album"

• Bad Boy's Da' Band
• Dido
• Sting
• Kelly Osbourne
• Paul Oakenfold

When they're not shaking stadiums with their visceral vibes on the Summer Sanitarium Tour with Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Mudvayne, Deftones will do some club shows on the off days. Seven shows are scheduled thus far, beginning with Lincoln, Nebraska, on July 1, and ending with Boise, Idaho, on August 6. ...

The July 3 opening date of Lollapalooza in Ionia, Michigan, has been canceled due to technical problems. The tour will now kick off July 5 in Noblesville, Indiana. ... Comedian, talk-show host, and all-around guy's guy Jimmy Kimmel will host the 31st annual American Music Awards, which will be broadcast live on ABC on November 16. Nominations for the 17 AMA statuettes will be announced in September. ...

The as-yet-untitled follow-up to Nelly Furtado's 2000 debut, Whoa, Nelly!, is scheduled for a November 25 release. That album provided Furtado with a Grammy in 2001, for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, for its single "I'm Like a Bird." ... Aerosmith drummer and former Bronx resident Joey Kramer will be inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame at a June 22 ceremony, along with DJ Red Alert and "Raging Bull" boxer Jake LaMotta, among others. ...

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will release their first DVD, "God Is in the House," August 26. Featuring music videos and live footage recorded in Lyon, France, in 2001, the home video includes the documentary "No More Shall We Part - The Recording Sessions," which chronicles the making of the group's 2001 album. ... The vertically challenged but mighty Glenn Danzig has hired ex-Comes With the Fall drummer Bevan Davies to fill the stool of Joey Castillo, who split in September to join Queens of the Stone Age. Davies will debut with Danzig July 4 in Spain at the Bilbao Accion Rock Festival. The band is expected to begin recording a new studio album in July. ...

Alice Cooper will survive his upcoming Bare Bones Tour without being guillotined, electrocuted, hung or otherwise disposed of. The shows, which begin July 12 in Walker, Minnesota, will be free of theatrics and pyrotechnics, featuring only Cooper and his band banging out winners like "School's Out," "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "I'm Eighteen" to an audience that might miss the drama and excitement of pythons, dancing girls and a few well-placed flash pots. ... Seattle rock museum Experience Music Project is currently hosting a Kiss exhibit, which features stage costumes worn by the band through the years and other memorabilia. The display runs through the fall. ...

Superjoint Ritual, which features Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo, will shoot videos for "Dress Like a Target" and "Waiting for the Turning Point" on June 28 during a show the State Palace Theatre in New Orleans. Both songs are from the band's upcoming disc, A Lethal Dose of American Hatred, which comes out July 22. Tom Mignone, who worked on the band's DVD "Live From Dallas," will direct. ... Reel Big Fish drummer Carlos de la Garza has left the band to spend more time with his family. Justin Ferreria, who played in Fish singer Aaron Barrett's side project the Forces of Evil, is filling in on the band's current tour, which ends August 5 in San Francisco. The group's last disc, Cheer Up!, came out in July 2002. ...

06.13.03

A wax sculpture of Britney Spears at Madame Tussaud's in London will have inflatable breasts that pulsate in time to her dancing, according to Reuters. The figure will be posed shimmying around a pole and is set to be accompanied by dance instructors — real ones, not wax — who will teach visitors a routine. ...

Queen Latifah will play a cab driver who teams up with a young cop to solve a series of bank robberies in "Taxi," a remake of the 1998 French movie of the same name. Tim Story ("Barbershop") is in negotiations to direct the flick, scheduled to start filming in September. ... Ja Rule and comedian George Carlin will make brief appearances in "Scary Movie 3," which is currently being shot in Canada. Pamela Anderson, Denise Richards, Charlie Sheen and Simon Cowell will also make cameos in the movie. ...

It's a boy! Hot 97 New York radio personality/rapper Angie Martinez and Dru Hill's Nokio welcomed their baby, whom they named Niko, into the world on Thursday in New York. ...

Zwan have canceled 23 dates of their international tour because of an unspecified family illness. Dates were scheduled between June 15 in Imola, Italy, and July 25 in Fuji, Japan. No additional details are available. ... Pretty soon there will be more anarchy in the U.S., as the Sex Pistols are scheduling their first American tour in seven years. The first on-sale date is for August 21 in Wantagh, New York, but the tour launches a day earlier in Boston, according to the band's Web site. If it doesn't implode in its first week, the tour runs through late September. The Sex Pistols' last Stateside appearance was in September at the KROQ 2002 Inland Invasion Concert. ...

• Deftones
• Nelly Furtado
• Alice Cooper
• Superjoint Ritual
• DJ Red Alert

Alien Ant Farm singer Dryden Mitchell is recovering smoothly after having undergone surgery to repair a broken back he sustained in a bus accident that occurred in May while the band was on tour in Spain. Mitchell, who made a surprise appearance onstage with 311 during a September 7 stop on the Sprite Liquid Mix tour in Irvine, California, resumed singing a few weeks ago, and AAF are writing songs for the follow-up to ANThology. ... Unwritten Law guitarist Steve Morris apparently has the law on his side, as his neighbor Martel Duvigneaud pleaded guilty on Thursday to felony assault and possession of an explosive and is now facing up to four years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to the Associated Press. In August, after making several noise complaints, Duvigneaud left two homemade explosive devices at Morris' home, one of which injured the guitarist and forced him to miss four concert dates ...

Filter have postponed all of their upcoming tour dates after frontman Richard Patrick checked himself into an undisclosed rehabilitation facility, according to the bandís record label. Filter were scheduled to launch their Rellim Tour this week, but Patrick said, "Right now Iím concerned about my health and want to get back into the best physical and mental condition to get back on the road next year." ... Da Brat has joined Ashanti and the Goo Goo Dolls as artists who'll appear on the WB TV series "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." Da Brat plays a hip-hop diva who magically switches places with Sabrina when her spell to make the rapping raven more pleasant backfires. ... The Mighty Mighty Bosstones will once again bring their ska-skewed show to the masses. Supporting their seventh studio album, A Jackknife to a Swan, the octet is scheduled to visit seven countries on a world tour whose U.S. dates begin October 24 in New Haven, Connecticut, and wrap up December 7 in Buffalo, New York. ...

TLC were inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame Saturday night, the Associated Press reported, with Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas accepting the honor on behalf of the trio, which lost Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in a car accident earlier this year. While groupmember Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins could not attend due to illness, Arista president L.A. Reid, Lopes' mother and sister and Thomas' boyfriend, Usher, were present at the ceremony. ... Nickelback got three big helpings of Wheaties at the fourth annual Prairie Music Awards, winning for Songwriter of the Year, Outstanding Rock Recording and Best Major-Label Album. The Canadian natives couldn't attend the homeland awards event, as they were on tour at the time. ...

Saliva frontman Josey Scott joined tongue-in-cheek hard rock cover band Metal Shop at the Viper Room in Hollywood Monday night for a crowd-pleasing rendition of Mötley Cr¨e's "Livewire" and the first verse of Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills." Kelly Osbourne, "Jackass" man Steve-O and members of the Used were also in attendance. ... David Lee Roth, Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil, Kiss axeman Ace Frehley, Dokken, Warrant, Quiet Riot, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf and others will perform October 19 in Polk City, Florida, as part of the full-fisted festival Rocktoberfest. The event is being billed as the biggest one-day outdoor festival in Florida history. ...

David Bowie will literally make a five-borough run on his New York City Marathon Tour, which will feature five shows over five nights in each city borough: Staten Island's the Music Hall at Snug Harbor on October 11, Brooklyn's St. Anne's Warehouse on October 12, Queens' Queens College Golden Center on October 16, Bronx's Jimmy's Bronx Café on October 17 and Manhattan's Beacon Theater on October 20. He'll also hit Philadelphia's Tower Theatre on October 21 and Boston's Orpheum Theatre on October 23. ... Aimee Mann and Barenaked Ladies will perform on Wednesday's (October 2) episode of the White House drama "The West Wing." The show will center around a Rock the Vote event featuring the two acts. ...

Camp Freddy, a group featuring Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, Guns N' Roses and Cult drummer Matt Sorum, guitarist Billy Morrison, bassist Scott Ford and drummer Donovan Leitch, will play a pre-Halloween show on October 30 with a public show at a to-be-announced location in Hollywood. Guests and other surprises are expected. ... W.A.S.P. have canceled their fall tour in order to continue working on their next rock opera opus, which isn't due until late 2003. The project will be released in two parts, with the first coming on Halloween 2003 and the second hitting around Christmas. ... Animated videos from DJ Spooky, Iffy, Supreme Beings of Leisure and 17 other acts are featured on the new DVD "Flash Frames: The Best of Internet Animation." ...

Look out, Phil Anselmo and Rob Zombie — Alice Cooper is demonizing and scarifying his haunted house, Alice Cooper's Nightmare, which will be open to the public in downtown Phoenix from October 2 to November 2. The 12,000-square-foot maze features a combination of horror special effects and rock memorabilia that should make heads roll. ... Tennis star Andre Agassi raised $5.6 million at his seventh annual Grand Slam for Children charity concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with the help of Elton John, India.Arie, Babyface, Rod Stewart and comedians Robin Williams, Jamie Foxx and Dennis Miller. The concert series has raised over $24 million for Las Vegas schools and non-profit organizations. ...

09.30.02

Lock your wives and daughters back up, because Creed have just announced they're hitting the road again in November, this time with Default and 12 Stones. The nine dates announced so far kick off November 6 in Birmingham, Alabama, and run through November 27 in Atlanta. ... Usher, Aaron Carter, Mya, Paula Abdul and Westlife will perform alongside KC & the Sunshine Band, the Trammps, the Weather Girls and other disco groups at the Disco Ball — A 30th Anniversary Celebration, a benefit concert on October 13 at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium. Profits from the disco tribute show will go to AIDS Project Los Angeles. ... O2, O-Town's second album, is now due November 12. The album's first single, "These Are the Days," will hit radio airwaves beginning Monday (September 30). ... The (International) Noise Conspiracy have completed work on Bigger Cages, Longer Chains for Burning Heart Records, according to the group's Web site. The six-song EP will include the title track, "Beautiful So Alone," "Waiting for Salvation," "A Textbook Example," "When Words Are Not Working" and a cover of N.E.R.D's "Baby Doll," which the band has been playing live. ...

Papa Roach bassist Tobin Esperance tied the knot with his girlfriend last week in Carmel, California. The band was home for a few weeks before heading out for a world tour, which begins Tuesday (October 1) in Osaka, Japan. ... Road warrior John Mayer will promote his breakthrough Room for Squares and the just released EP Inside Wants Out with a November tour. The outing kicks off November 7 in Pompano Beach, Florida, and wraps up November 30 in Wallingford, Connecticut. ... Now that bassist Dusty Hill has recovered from a bout of hepatitis C, ZZ Top will make up the European dates they canceled when he fell ill in 2000. Dates run from October 1 in Helsinki, Finland, through November 1 in London, then the band will return home and play Houston on March 4. ... The Disco Biscuits have embarked on a seven-week North American tour in support of their fourth album, Señor Boombox, which was released September 17. The trek wraps up November 10 in St. Louis, Missouri. ...

Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland will take the stage at the third-annual MAP Awards, set for November 7 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. Hosted by Robert Downey Jr., the event, an offshoot of the Musician's Assistance Program, an organization that helps members of the music industry overcome addiction, will recognize contributions made by Ivan Neville, former Thelonious Monster frontman Bob Forrest and RIAA Chairman and CEO Hilary Rosen. The Neville Brothers, Forrest, Jimmie Vaughan, Dr. John, Gary Le Mel, Daniel Lanois, Billy Childes and Martin LeNoble will also perform. ... A replacement has been chosen for Michael Greene, the head of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, who resigned suddenly in April with three years left on his contract. Neil Portnow, current Senior Vice President of West Coast Operations for the Zomba Group and former Vice President of A&R at EMI and Vice President/General Manager West Coast at Arista Records, was named the new President of the Recording Academy on Monday.