Day26's self-titled album
Photo: Bad Boy

Sean "Diddy" Combs must have a mile-wide grin on his face this morning. That's because the hip-hop mogul's been seeing double these days. On next week's Billboard albums sales chart, one of Diddy's musical creations, Day26, will claim the #1 spot, debuting with week-one sales clocked at close to 190,000. This is just a week after Danity Kane, another Diddy-honed pop act, opened at #1.

Day26 — the all-male R&B quintet formed during the fourth installment of MTV's "Making the Band" — issued their inaugural, self-titled LP last week and somehow managed to outsell mega-emo act Panic at the Disco, whose new album, Pretty. Odd., opens at #2 with 139,000 units sold, according to the latest SoundScan totals. In fact, the chart's top three slots are all occupied by newcomers this week: Claiming the #3 position, with 106,300 copies snatched up, is the Counting Crows' new release, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings. The ladies of Danity Kane fall three spots from last week to #4 after selling another 88,700 copies of Welcome to the Dollhouse.

As for the rest of the top 10, it's mostly filled with the usual suspects. The 27th installment in the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation series sits in the #5 spot, with 67,100 scans, while Rick Ross' Trilla follows at #6, selling another 51,400 units. Jack Johnson's Sleep Through the Static falls three spots to #8, with 36,600 sold, and Flo Rida's Mail on Sunday drops five positions to #9, with 33,600 scans. And coming in at #10 is Sara Bareilles' Little Voice, which sold 31,200 copies.

All told, 20 new releases make their impact on next week's chart, including the only other newcomer to enter the chart's top 10: The Raconteurs' Consolers of the Lonely bows at #7, generating nearly 42,000 in sales. Elsewhere on the chart, the B-52's return with Funplex, which claims the #11 slot after selling a reported 29,600 copies. Enrique Iglesias' 95/08 debuts at #18, generating 22,400 scans.

Opening at #24 with 17,400 sold, it's WWE: The Music, Vol. 8, a compilation featuring the likes of Saliva, Airbourne and Disciple, and coming in at #33 with 15,800 copies flying off store shelves, is Simon and Garfunkel's Live 1969. Meanwhile, the Cavalera Conspiracy's Inflikted enters the chart at #72, with 9,000 sold, and Pennywise's Reason to Believe bows at #98 with 7,200 copies purchased. Former Smiths frontman Morrissey's Greatest Hits just makes the top 200 cut at #178, having sold 3,700 copies, and Starfield's I Will Go follows right behind at #179, selling 42 fewer copies.

• MTV News RAW: Panic At The Disco

• Diddy
• Day26
• Danity Kane
• Panic at the Disco
• Counting Crows

Angelina Jolie
Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Angelina Jolie opens up about expecting a child in an interview with NBC News, scheduled to air Thursday at 7 a.m. on "Today" and Sunday at 7 p.m. on "Dateline." Jolie's sit-down took place in Namibia, where she's currently focused on a new venture — and it's not delivering a baby (Jolie says she her pregnancy is not yet eight months along). The actress/activist is promoting Global Education Week, an effort to ensure that education is available to all of the world's children, millions of whom do not have the opportunity to go to school. The actress, who says she knows the sex of her baby, did answer questions about Brad Pitt during the rare interview, saying, "I don't talk about our, my, relationship in public. But we also don't talk about it at home. You know, it's one of those funny things that like just happens, you live your life and you're a family. But you never actually discuss [it]. ... So that's why I giggle about it. I just don't know how to address that kind of thing." ...

John Legend and John Mayer are among the acts scheduled to perform at the fifth annual Jazz at Lincoln Center Spring Gala benefit at New York's Apollo Theater on June 5. Tracy Chapman, Joe Cocker and Natalie Merchant are also on the bill and Bernie Mac is hosting. ... After announcing a lawsuit against New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday, designer Marc Ecko just released the bill for his second annual Save the Rhinos Benefit Concert, to be held in New York on June 8. Rakim, Common, newcomer Lupe Fiasco and Rhymefest are among those tapped for the event. ...

Dave Matthews Band want to help New Orleans recover, so they're offering a $1.5 million challenge grant to help build the New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village, which would consist of Habitat for Humanity-constructed homes and feature the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. "After [Hurricane Katrina] first struck, we were shocked by the destruction, and we knew we wanted to help," DMB said in a statement. The grant money comes from a fundraising concert in Denver that also featured the Neville Brothers and the John Butler Trio. "Many people donated their time and resources to keep costs to a minimum so we could maximize the donation," DMB said. "This is our way to get the word out that there is more work to do, and ask people to step up to the challenge and make a donation to help." Contributions, which can be made online at Habitat-NOLA.org, will be matched dollar-for-dollar through the grant, raising the total donation potential to $3 million. ... Shinedown are doing their own part to help rebuild the Crescent City. The Jacksonville, Florida, rock band will take a day off from touring in New Orleans next week to team with Habitat and help rebuild homes. Singer Brent Smith recently wrote "New Orleans" on the front of his shirt for two national television performances of their current single, "I Dare You," as a reminder that work still needs to be done in the city. ...

Mandy Moore is a home-wrecker on the season finale of "The Simpsons," voicing a character named Fiona, the sexy singing wife of a struggling second baseman who seeks marital advice from Homer and Marge. In an episode called "Homer and Marge Turn a Couple Play," airing May 21 at 8 p.m. on Fox, Moore's character seems to be getting back on track with her husband, Buck (voiced by Stacy Keach) — until Buck catches Homer giving Fiona a post-show neck massage, causing both couples to separate. ... Tom Petty's also in for some voiceover action when he returns to "King of the Hill," resuming his role as Lucky in an episode called "Edu-Macating Lucky." On the show's season finale, airing May 14 at 7:30 p.m. on Fox, Lucky gets schoolteacher Peggy to tutor him for his GED, which Peggy hopes will prod him to take a job far away from Luanne — but when she discovers he's planning to propose to Luanne, she purposely teaches him incorrect material. ...

Producer Jazze Pha has put together an R&B quartet called Cherish. The group's debut, Unappreciated, is due August 1, but single "Do It to It," featuring a guest rap from Sean Paul of Youngbloodz and produced by Don Vito, was just released. ... 30 Seconds to Mars, actor Jared Leto's band, recently shot a video for "The Kill" that he is calling an homage to "The Shining." Leto will debut a portion of the video during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on May 2, the night before the band performs on the show. ... Ben Folds recently helmed the soundtrack for "Over the Hedge," the animated comedy featuring the voices of Bruce Willis and Steve Carell. The album is due May 16. ...

A new Web site — NationalDayofSlayer.org — is calling on all metalheads worth their salt to celebrate the legendary thrashers on June 6. According to the site, "6/6/06 isn't a date that comes around very often ... and while plenty of stupid horror movies and terrible albums will be released for the hype value of the day that bears 'the number of the beast,' [we've] decided that this would be a perfect day for Hessians across the country to come together and engage in something upon which we can all agree — listening to Slayer." The site suggests that Slayer fans honor a National Day of Slayer by listening to the band's albums "at full blast" in their cars, homes, workplaces and in public because "national holidays in America aren't just about celebrating; they're about forcing it upon non-participants." The site also suggests staging a "Slay-out" by staying home from work and listening to Slayer all day. ...

Mick Jagger has signed on for a sitcom pilot for ABC's fall schedule, with a working title of "Let's Rob Mick Jagger." The Rolling Stones singer shot his scenes for the pilot last week in an Auckland, New Zealand, hotel room, although the show would take place in New York. In the series, the janitor for Jagger's building would try to rob his apartment over the course of a 24-episode season. If the pilot is picked up, Jagger would appear occasionally, but not in every episode, as the plot revolves around the would-be thieves. Meanwhile, the Stones deny reports that they refused to give up their reservations at the Imperial Hotel in Vienna, Austria, to accommodate President Bush this June. The band's camp issued a statement saying that no one associated with Jagger, other members of the Stones, the tour director or those responsible for travel arrangements for the tour were ever contacted by the Imperial Hotel, Bush or anyone on his behalf requesting them to change their reservation. ...

Counting Crows and Goo Goo Dolls are joining forces this summer for a 45-city North American tour. The jaunt, which kicks off June 17 in Las Vegas and wraps up September 9 in Dallas, marks the first time the two bands are heading out on the road together. They'll hit cities including Denver, Detroit, Atlanta and Boston, as well as the Crows and Dolls' respective hometowns, San Francisco and Buffalo, New York. ... The Lemonheads have been playing reunion shows since they re-formed last year, and now the Boston alterna-folk rockers are making it official by signing to a new home, emo/punk label Vagrant Records. The band is currently putting the finishing touches on what will be its eighth studio album, due in the fall. The record was self-financed and co-produced by Lemonheads impresario Evan Dando and drummer Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag). The band is rounded out by bass player Karl Alvarez (Descendents).

04.25.2005

BET is developing a new DMX reality series, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Revolving around the rapper's life, "DMX: Soul of a Man" is slated to be part of the channel's next season of programming. ...

Coldplay, Gorillaz, James Blunt and Kaiser Chiefs are among the artists nominated for the 51st annual Ivor Novello Awards, songwriting honors presented by the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters. Coldplay lead the list with three nominations — "Speed of Sound" is up for International Hit of the Year as well as Most Performed Work (running against Blunt's "You're Beautiful" in both categories), while "Fix You" faces off with Arctic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See" for the Best Song Musically and Lyrically prize. The awards will be presented May 25 in London. ...

In related news, a songwriters panel consisting of Jimmy Jam, Linda Perry, John Rich of country duo Big & Rich and Michael Giacchino — the composer for "Lost" and "Mission: Impossible III" — convened on Thursday in Hollywood for the "I Create Music" Expo. The first-time event, put on by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, also featured Tom Petty, Jill Scott, Glen Ballard, Mike Elizondo and John King of the Dust Brothers sharing words of wisdom with 1,000 budding songwriters and composers. "Songwriting is interesting because it's done behind the scenes and everybody kind of has their own way of doing it," said Jimmy Jam, who took a break from producing Janet Jackson and Jessica Simpson's new records to attend. "The artists make the songs come alive, but without the songs, the artists don't really have anything. Songwriting is the backbone of music, so this is all about music creation, the music creator and to shine a little spotlight on them, which I think is fantastic." ...

The funeral for Keith Bender Jr., the 35-year-old Detroit man police say was shot by D12's Proof at the CCC Nightclub on April 11, has been scheduled for Thursday morning at New Galilee Baptist Church in Detroit. A Keith Bender Jr. Memorial Fund has been established for his family, and donations may be made at any Chase bank in the Detroit area. Proof was fatally shot during the April 11 incident, allegedly by Bender's cousin, Mario Etheridge. ... Lil Jon shot the breeze with none other than Kid from '80s rap group Kid 'N Play at a screening of Larry Clark's "Wassup Rockers" in Santa Monica, California, Monday night. Actor Michael Rapaport also kicked it with Jon for a bit. ...

Phil Spector's murder trial will hardly be a speedy one. The music producer's murder case has been pushed all the way to January 16, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. The trial had been set for September, but Superior Court Judge Larry P. Fidler told lawyers he had scheduled another trial for the same date. Spector is accused of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in February 2003. ...

"American Idol" producers are assigning two voting phone numbers to each contestant beginning Tuesday (April 25). "We're getting like 33 million, 34 million calls each week, and we've never gotten quite that many before," Co-Executive Producer Ken Warwick explained. "We normally went to the two and three phone numbers in the finale, but this year, we start this week." ... Pink Floyd's Roger Waters will perform the band's classic 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon, from start to finish on his forthcoming North American tour. The 19-gig trek kicks off September 6 in Holmdel, New Jersey, and wraps up October 12 in Seattle. Waters will perform two nights at New York's Madison Square Garden. ...

Want to see a private performance by the All-American Rejects with 15 of your friends? If you answered "You bet," check out the American Eagle Outfitters Web site, where entries for the "Road Trip Party" contest are being accepted until May 2. The grand-prize winner — along with guests — will be flown out to Los Angeles in June for the concert. Before the show, the winner and his or her lucky friends will get to hang out with the band, and the prize also includes hotel accommodations and a $500 shopping spree. First-prize winners will win an All-American Rejects autographed guitar and a $500 American Eagle gift card. The second prize is a $50 gift card and an AAR CD signed by the band. ... Dashboard Confessional's forthcoming album has been given a title: Dusk and Summer. A summer release is planned. ...

OK Go will open select dates for She Wants Revenge as well as Panic! At the Disco this summer — when they're not headlining their own shows, that is. In most of the cities they're scheduled to play, the bandmembers will pair with YouTube.com and select a fan to shoot a 10-minute interview and the band's performance in exchange for editing something for the site. OK Go will release their new single, "Invincible," at the end of May. ... The Fiery Furnaces are hitting the road from June 8 in Detroit to June 30 in Washington, D.C. The duo are supporting the just-released Bitter Tea. ... Slipknot turntablist Sid Wilson will release his debut full length, The New Leader, in June. The album, to be issued under the alias DJ Starscream, will showcase a heavier side of mash-ups, which Wilson has dubbed "mosh-ups." ...

Metric frontwoman Emily Haines is taking a break from her synth-rock day gig to make her solo debut with Knives Don't Have Your Back, due September 26. Recorded over four years in four cities — New York, Los Angeles, Montreal and her hometown of Toronto — the 12-track album was produced by John O'Mahoney (Strokes, System of a Down) and Metric guitarist Jimmy Shaw. Knives also includes collaborations with fellow Canadian musicians Justin Peroff (Broken Social Scene) and Evan Cranley (Stars). ... Arcade Fire's touring violinist, Final Fantasy (a.k.a. Owen Pallet), will release his sophomore solo album, He Poos Clouds, on June 13. Eight of the album's 10 songs have a rather interesting inspiration: "Dungeons & Dragons." After his European trek comes to an end, Final Fantasy will play several American dates, including stops in New York; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Columbus, Ohio.

Hoboken, New Jersey, indie rockers Yo La Tengo are self-releasing an album of covers played at annual WFMU fundraisers from 1996-2003. Songs on the 31-track album, titled Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics, were recorded during the eight-year period when the band played requests on host Gaylord Fields' show in exchange for donations to help fund the independent radio station. For sale on the band's Web site, the disc includes the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," T. Rex's "20th Century Boy" and Velvet Underground's "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'." ... FX's fireman drama "Rescue Me" will release a soundtrack May 30 to coincide with the premiere of its third season. Bands on the disc include the Von Bondies (whose "C'mon, C'mon" serves as the series' theme), Stereophonics, the Subways, Ray LaMontagne, Wolf Parade and Our Lady Peace. ...

• Dave Matthews Band
• Mandy Moore
• Mick Jagger
• Counting Crows
• Goo Goo Dolls

Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba performs at the 2003 Bridge School Benefit
Photo: John Shearer/Wire Image

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California — Neil Young's 17th annual Bridge School benefit celebrated the best of human possibility on Saturday with homespun rock philanthropy, but as it coincided with a day of national protests against the U.S. occupation of Iraq, political discontent simmered beneath the event's finest moments.

The two-day, all-acoustic concert at the Shoreline Amphitheater raised funds for the Bridge School — which prepares students with severe physical or speech impediments for mainstream education — and offered music for every age and calling, from Dashboard Confessional and Incubus to the Indigo Girls and Willie Nelson. (The lineup returned for a second show on Sunday afternoon.)

The tone of Saturday's show was subdued — as reflective as it was celebratory.

With the school's students and their families seated onstage behind him, Neil Young opened the evening with "Sugar Mountain." Joined by Willie Nelson's harmonica player, Mickey Rafael, he played pump organ for the eco-hymnal "Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)." The song's somber plaint and call to action set the mood for many of the night's most potent performances.

"Oh Mother Earth/ With your fields of green/ Once more laid down by the hungry hand/ How long can you give and not receive/ And feed this world ruled by greed," Young sang. "Oh, freedom land/ Can you let this go/ Down to the streets/ Where the numbers grow?"

Dashboard Confessional took the stage next, strumming and drumming through angsty tunes such as "Screaming Infidelities." Singer Chris Carrabba started the upbeat love ode "Hands Down" with a whisper while drummer Mike Marsh chattered on the cymbals.

Wilco eased the crowd into a country vibe. Frontman Jeff Tweedy introduced a new song, "Company in My Back," which opened with the guitars picking a ringing melody over a laid-back groove. The band stomped through Woody Guthrie's "Christ for President," with Tweedy calling for "the Carpenter" to replace "the money-changers" in the White House.

"Every year we waste enough/ To feed the ones who starve/ We build our civilization up/ And we shoot it down with wars/ But with the Carpenter on the seat/ Way up in the capitol town/ The U.S.A. be on the way/ Prosperity bound."

With black dreadlocks piled high atop his head, a meaty-looking Adam Duritz led Counting Crows through the brooding "Rain King" and "All My Love (Richard Manuel Is Dead)," before dedicating a dirge-slow take on the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil" to the Dead themselves.

Indigo Girls Amy Ray and Emily Saliers got their 1989 hit "Closer to Fine" out of the way early, switching from guitars to banjo and mandolin for the old-timey folk "Get Out the Map." But they hit their stride on the angry, political call-to-arms "Go." Saliers strummed fast, while Ray pulled a cutting rock riff, singing, "So feed the fire and fan the flame/ I know the kids can stand the rain/ I know the kids are still upsetters/ 'Cause rock is cool but the struggle is better."

For many veteran Bridge-goers, the night's biggest surprise was a strong performance by Incubus. Stripped down to unplugged chops (though still with a DJ), the band's sound was fresh and nuanced.

Afroed guitarist Mike Einziger, ex-Roots bassist Ben Kenney, and drummer José Pasillas laid down a spare, easy groove on "Drive," while DJ Kilmore scratched deep behind them. Another tune, freshly penned, bubbled with syncopated bass and guitar runs. Singer Brandon Boyd crooned powerfully, with Einziger and Kenney adding backing vocals.

But the crowd didn't really get going until Pearl Jam showed up.

Frontman Eddie Vedder, who drew fire six months ago (at the height of the Iraq war) by stomping a George W. Bush mask onstage, wasted no time in launching into Bob Dylan's bilious "Masters of War."

"Like Judas of old/ You lie and deceive/ A world war can be won/ You want me to believe ... You hide in your mansion/ As young people's blood/ Flows out of their bodies/ And is buried in the mud."

The crowd greeted Pearl Jam by rising to its feet through the rest of the high-energy set, which included a new tune, "Man of the Hour," and covers of the Ramones' "Believe in Miracles" and Shel Silverstein's "25 Minutes to Go," which was recorded by Johnny Cash. Vedder dedicated Wayne Cochran's "Last Kiss" to an ebullient Bridge school alumna, now a third-year student at the University of California, who was seated onstage.

Country legend Willie Nelson took the stage in a black T-shirt and cowboy hat, his beat-up old guitar hanging from his trademark red, white and blue strap, singing his classics "On the Road Again" and "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." But the lonesome sound of Nelson's unique country-jazz picking style with Mickey Rafael's mournful harmonica was better suited to the slow stuff, like the regretful "Night Life" and the lovesick ballad "Crazy." On the darkly pretty "The Great Divide," Nelson sang each line, answering himself with Spanish-style fingerpicking and parlor jazz chordage.

In the closing spot, the four horsemen of folk rock, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, warmed up as they worked through "Helplessly Hoping," Young's "Harvest Moon," and "Our House." They hit it on "Déjà Vu," with Stephen Stills, Young, and Graham Nash picking while David Crosby scatted the intro. After the first vocal parts, the band dropped into an instrumental scrum, with Stills soloing, then Young, then Nash on harmonica.

CSNY's political contribution was Buffalo Springfield's Vietnam War-era protest anthem "For What It's Worth." Stills strummed the song as a gospel blues, underscored by his heavy vocal growl.

Most of the musicians returned for the grand finale, "Teach Your Children," which came way too soon — CSNY could have played for another hour. But most fans were satisfied.

"You see stuff here you don't see anywhere else," said Chuck Roeder, 46, who drove down from Reno, Nevada, for his sixth Bridge Concert. "I never leave here feelin' bad."

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

• Pearl Jam
• Dashboard Confessional
• Incubus
• Wilco
• Willie Nelson

John Mayer performs at Los Angeles' Staples Center
Photo: Wire Image

LOS ANGELES — "I'm not here," John Mayer said, flashing devil horns backstage Thursday at the Staples Center.

"I'm not here," he said, bending his pinky and index finger into a fist.

"I'm about here, 45 degrees," he said.

And so is the point of Mayer and the Counting Crows' co-headlining summer tour — a concert for half-metal signs, a show somewhere between the Justified and Stripped Tour and Ozzfest.

With Ozzy, Lollapalooza and the Vans Warped Tour outlasting the Horde Festival and Lilith Fair, the best option for fans of the more sensitive side of rock is an outing like this, with a few of the most popular performing full sets.

Mayer, who played last Thursday, a few weeks into the tour, entertained the near-capacity crowd by taking the favorites from his breakthrough debut, Room for Squares, and subtly rearranging them with additional choruses, guitar solos and music and lyrics from songs including "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

All the action in the songs, carried by Mayer's easy-on-the-ears baritone voice and his Stevie Ray Vaughn-inspired guitar workings, kept fans on their feet, which made his hilarious between-song banter just icing on the cake.

"This song is an excuse," he said, before breaking into "My Stupid Mouth" early in his set.

"This song is responsible for exposing my sexual inadequacies to millions of people," he explained, introducing the popular "Your Body Is a Wonderland." "I'm glad I did that."

	John Mayer "Come Back To Bed" (live at the Staples Center) Heavier Things (Sony)

And when it came time to play a few tunes from his upcoming Heavier Things, Mayer said, "You're probably pretty parched, so feel free to get a drink while I play a new song. ... No, no, never mind. Just stay; I think you'll like it."

Mayer was right; the crowd did like the new material, cheering during an extended jam and learning the catchy choruses as he sang them.

Before Mayer, the Counting Crows played an equally long 75-minute set, a mix of hits such as "Mr. Jones" and "Rain King" and songs from last year's Hard Candy. Highlights included a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi," which turned the Staples Center into a choir, and "A Long December," which featured Adam Duritz on piano and additional accordion backing.

"And it's one more night in Hollywood," Duritz emphasized, causing an outburst of screams and raised beer cups.

Toward the end of the Crows' show, Duritz invited the group's family and friends from the side of the stage, including openers Maroon 5, to join them singing and dancing to the party starter, "Hangin' Around."

Maroon 5 received star treatment for an opener, with Duritz introducing the group, Mayer joining them on "This Love" and a nearly full arena enjoying their 35-minute set.

"We're from Los Angeles, and not in the, 'We moved here a few years ago to be an actor or a model' way," singer Adam Levine declared. "This is a special show for us, to play where the Lakers call home!"

Levine, whose voice blends the best of Jamiroquai's Jay Kay and Justin Timberlake, poured loads of energy into each song, dropping to his knees or jumping off monitors à la David Lee Roth. Now that's 45-degree metal.

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

• John Mayer
• Counting Crows

Nelly
Photo: Universal

In its first week in stores, Red Hot Chili Peppers' By the Way pushed aside The Eminem Show to overtake the #2 position on next week's Billboard 200 albums chart. Although the band was able to outsell Slim Shady by nearly 50,000 units last week — racking up a total of more than 281,000 copies, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday — the Peppers weren't hot enough to take the top slot from Nelly.

Term limits must be non-existent in Nellyville, since for the third straight week the St. Louis rapper has presided over the rest of the chart with his second album. Nellyville again crushed the competition, moving more than 340,000 copies last week to bring its grand total to more than 1.5 million.

Chart newcomers Counting Crows' Hard Candy and Styles' Gangster & a Gentlemen fill the #5 and #6 positions, respectively. The Crows' first album since 1999's This Desert Life sold more than 138,000 copies, while the solo debut from the lyricist who's part of East Coast trio the LOX trails behind by only 4,000 copies.

Twenty-one-year-old singer Josh Groban enjoyed the biggest bump of any top-40 artist. His self-titled debut will move up 17 places to #8 thanks to selling more than 77,000 copies of his self-titled LP, an increase of more than 40,000 from the previous week's total. A possible reason for the goose was Groban's appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" July 11, which fulfilled the wishes of Winfrey's audience, who, as she said during the broadcast, made Groban the show's most requested guest of the year so far.

Life's not so "complicated" as long as you're selling more than 100,000 copies of your debut album. Such is the case with 17-year-old Avril Lavigne, whose Let Go won't let up on its rise to the top of the charts. The LP again saw an increase in sales, and it will occupy the #4 position with more than 600,000 total copies under its belt after a six-week chart life.

The remainder of next week's top 10 is rounded out by the Murder Inc. family album Irv Gotti Presents the Inc., which will slip to #7 after debuting this week at #3; Ashanti's self-titled debut, which continues its top 10 residency at #9, down from #6; and Aerosmith's O Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, falling six spots to #10.

Hip-hop veteran E-40's Grit & Grind will be the only other top 20 debut in next week's chart. The literally multi-faceted rapper (see alter egos Charlie Hustle, Forty Fonzarelli and 40-Water) will land at #13 by moving more than 52,000 copies of his follow-up to 2000's Loyalty and Betrayal.

Besides E-40's LP, no top-20 album moved up in chart position or increased its weekly sales. Among those who took the longest ride on the old Slip 'N Slide include Korn's Untouchables and N.O.R.E.'s God's Favorite, both of which forfeited their top 10 slots as they move down from #7 to #15 and from #8 to #17, respectively. Other LPs that took a nosedive are P. Diddy & Bad Boy Records' We Invented the Remix, sinking from #11 to #18; and Papa Roach's Lovehatetragedy, which will drop from #13 to #20.

The chart's notable debuts are rounded out by Bacdafucup II, Onyx's full-circle return to their 1993 debut, Bacdafucup, at #46; Dolly Parton's Halos & Horns, which includes a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," at #58; Glassjaw's second LP, Worship & Tribute at #82; the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' first album in two years, Jackknife to a Swan, at #131; and the Grateful Dead live gem Steppin' Out - England '72 at #182.

For full-length features on Nelly, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Avril Lavigne and Eminem, check out "Nelly: Still Fly," "Red Hot Chili Peppers: The Secret Sauce," "Avril Lavigne: The Real Deal" and "Eminem: The Gift And The Curse."

• Nelly
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Counting Crows

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Photo: Julian Schnabel

Everything old is new again with this week's batch of new releases.

Both Red Hot Chili Peppers and Counting Crows return after three-year absences, with By the Way and Hard Candy, respectively.

On the harder side, Long Island melodic hardcore outfit Glassjaw release Worship and Tribute as the follow-up to their 2000 release, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence. Mighty Mighty Bosstones aim for a strong comeback with A Jackknife to a Swan.

The LOX's tough-talking lyrical enforcer Styles drops his long-awaited solo LP, A Gangster and a Gentleman. While the self-proclaimed "hardest rapper out" has been enjoying heavy radio play the past few months with "Good Times," produced by Swizz Beatz, as well as the Pharoahe Monch-featured "The Life," he still dishes out underground chunks of funk like "I'm a Ruff Ryder."

Out Tuesday, July 9:

• Aden - Topsiders (TeenBeat)
• Verden Allen - 20 Year Holiday (Griffin)
• Aphrodite - Aftershock (Gee Street)
• Babalu - Lo-Tech Hi-Fi Spaceblues (Kindercore/EWB)
• Bobby Bare, Jr. - Young Criminals' Starvation League (Bloodshot)
• Bis - Plastique Nouveau (spinART)
• Bonnie Bramlett - I'm Still the Same (Audium)
• Cass - Spundae Presents (Spundae/Mute)
• Jen Chapin - Open Wide (Purple Chair)
• The Cherry Valence - Riffin' (Estrus)
• Popa Chubby - The Good, the Bad, and the Chubby (Blind Pig)
• Counting Crows - Hard Candy (Geffen)
• Cousteau - Sirena (Palm Pictures)
• DJ Spooky - Optometry (Thirsty Ear)
• Death by Chocolate - Zap the World (Jetset)
• Joey DeFrancesco - Ballads and Blues (Concord Jazz)
• Echocast - Where the Future Ends (XS)
• Roger Espinoza - Cafe Fuego (New World Music)
• Mary Gauthier - Filth & Fire (Signature Sounds)
• Glassjaw - Worship and Tribute (Warner Bros.) Read about it ... Glassjaw Pulling Double Duty On Warped Tour, Ozzfest
• Ian Gomm - Rock 'N' Roll Heart (Gommsongs)
• Kieran Kane - The Blue Chair (Dead Reckoning/Compendia)
• Sharon Katz & the Peace Train - Imbizo (Appleseed Recordings)
• Koop - Waltz for Koop (Palm Pictures/Quango/JCR)
• Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials - Heads Up! (Alligator)
• Jason Loewenstein - At Sixes and Sevens (Sub Pop)
• Lycia - Tripping Back Into the Broken Days (Projekt)
• Magic Slim & the Teardrops - Blue Magic (Blind Pig)
• Roots Manuva - Dub Come Save Me (Big Dada)
• Meat Katie - Presents... Beyond the Darkness (4 Foot 11)
• Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Jackknife to a Swan (Side One Dummy) Read about it ... Bosstones Look Back For Their Future On Jackknife
• Lynn Miles - Unravel (Okra-Tone)
• Bill Miller - Spirit Rain (Paras Recordings)
• Abra Moore - No Fear (J)
• Orbital - Back to Mine (DMC)
• Dolly Parton - Halos & Horns (Sugar Hill)
• Phillips, Grier & Flinner - Looking Back (Compass)
• The Prom - Under the Same Stars (Barsuk)
• Quixotic - Mortal Mirror (Kill Rock Stars)
• Hugh Ragin - Feel the Sunshine (Justin Time)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way (Warner Bros.) Read about it ... Red Hot Chili Peppers: The Secret Sauce
• Kevin Russell's Junker - Buttermilk & Rifles (Sugar Hill)
• Six by Seven - The Way I Feel Today (Mantra/Beggars Banquet)
• Sixer - Beautiful Trash (BYO)
• The Slip - Angels Come on Time (Rykodisc)
• Smilez & Southstar - Crash the Party (ArtistDirect)
• Gary Stroutsos - Oru: The Natural Order (Paras Recordings)
• Styles - A Gangster and a Gentleman (Interscope)
• Styx - At the River's Edge: Live in St. Louis (Sanctuary/CMC Int'l)
• Sun Palace - Into Heaven (Drake)
• Superdrag - Last Call for Vitriol (Arena Rock)
• Swan Dive - June (Compass)
• Tabla Beat Science - Live in San Francisco (Palm Pictures)
• Trustcompany - The Lonely Position of Neutral (Geffen)
• Twinemen - Twinemen (Hi-N-Dry)
• Butch Walker - Left of Self-Centered (Arista)
• Bennie Wallace - In Berlin (Enja)
• Kevin Welch - Millionaire (Dead Reckoning/Compendia)
• Dhafer Youssef - Electric Sufi (Enja/Koch)

• Joe Cocker - Respect Yourself (Eagle/Red Ink)
• Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Reprise)
• Wayne Kramer - Adult World (MuscleTone)
• Lady May - May Day (Arista) Read about it ... Lady May: Savage Hip-Hop Straight From the Suburbs
• Lil' Romeo - Game Time (Universal/No Limit) Read about it ... Lil' Romeo Battles His Evil Twin On B-Ball Court
• Mad at Gravity - Resonance (ArtistDirect)
• Marah - Float Away with the Friday Night Gods (E-Squared/Artemis)
• Mary Mary - Incredible (Columbia) Read about it ... Mary Mary Are Incredible On New LP
• Dave Matthews Band - Busted Stuff (RCA) Read about it ... Dave Matthews Band's 'Lillywhite Sessions' To Be Busted In July
• Jerzee Monet - Love & War (DreamWorks) Read about it ... Jerzee Monet: Workin' For Her Big Break
• Robert Plant - Dreamland (Universal)
• Pulse Ultra - Headspace (Velvet Hammer/Atlantic) Read about it ... Ozzfest Act Pulse Ultra Lead New Nu-Metal Crusade
• Riddlin' Kids - Hurry Up and Wait (Aware/Columbia)
• Slum Village - Trinity (Priority/Capitol)
• Space Monkeyz Vs. Gorillaz - Laika Come Home (Astralwerks)
• Starting Line - Say It Like You Mean It (Drive-Thru/MCA)
• Swizz Beatz - Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories (DreamWorks) Read about it ... Metallica/Ja Rule, DMX, Eve, Nas Shake Up Swizz Beatz LP
• The Vines - Highly Evolved (Capitol) Read about it ... The Vines: Climbing Their Way To Nirvana
• Various artists - "Austin Powers in Goldmember" (Maverick) Read about it ... Dr. Evil, Dr. Dre Both Lend Remixes To 'Goldmember' Album
• Various artists - "Halloween Resurrection" (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - "Me Without You" (Epic/Sony Soundtrax/Legacy)
• Various artists - "Reign of Fire" (Varese Sarabande)

July 23:

• Mario - Mario (J) Read about it ... The Next Alicia Keys Might Be A Boy Named Mario
• Public Enemy - Revolverlution (Slam Jamz) Read about it ...

July 30:

• Filter - The Amalgamut (Reprise)
• Lamya - Learning From Falling (J) Read about it ... Lamya: Kenyan Raised In Oman Drawing Comparisons To Björk And Kate Bush
• Linkin Park - Reanimation (Warner Bros.) Read about it ...
• Beth Orton - Daybreaker (Astralwerks) Read about it ...
• Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - The Rising (Columbia) Read about it ... Springsteen, E Street Band On The Rise After 18 Years
• Various artists - "Topdog/Underdog" soundtrack (MCA) Read about it ... Jay-Z, DMX, Wu-Tang, Mos Def Bone Up 'Topdog/Underdog' LP

August 6:

• Eve - Eve-olution (Ruff Ryders/ Interscope) Read about it ... Eve, Alicia Keys Team Up For Some 'Gangsta Love'
• Trick Daddy - Thug Holiday (Slip-N-Slide/ Atlantic) Read about it ... Trick Daddy Celebrating Thug Holiday In August

August 27:

• Erykah Badu - TBD (EP, Motown)
• BBMak - Into Your Head (Hollywood)
• The Black Crowes - The Black Crowes Live (V2)
• Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (Nettwerk/ Capitol)
• The Dillinger Escape Plan - Irony Is a Dead Scene (EP, Epitaph)
• Dixie Chicks - Home (Open Wide/ Monument/ Columbia)
• Gus Gus - Attention (Moonshine)
• Aimee Mann - Lost in Space (Superego)
• Ms. Jade - Girl Interrupted (Beat Club/ Interscope) Read about it ... Ms. Jade's 'Big Head' Is Meant To Move Your Big Butt
• O-Town - O2 (J) Read about it ... New O-Town Album To Include Track From Nelly
• Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (Interscope) Read about it ... Queens Of The Stone Age Flex Their Star Power
• Silverchair - Diorama (Atlantic) Read about it ... Silverchair Craft U.S. Diorama, Plan New York Dates
• Trina - Diamond Princess (Slip-N-Slide/ Atlantic) Read about it ... Diamond Princess Trina Recruits Tweet For 'No Panties' Single

• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Styles
• Glassjaw
• Counting Crows
• Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Ryan Adams
Photo: Mercury

For his new video, Ryan Adams found himself in a field of red poppies with the Emerald City looming in the background. And though there was no Toto and there were no flying monkeys, Elton John was there to drive home the point that Adams certainly wasn't in Kansas anymore.

Actually, it was Long Island City, New York, to be specific, on the set of Adams' video for "Answering Bell," the second single from his second solo album, Gold. The clip, shot Friday by director Luke Scott (Train, Deana Carter), is loosely based on L. Frank Baum's classic novel about a dream-world stumbled upon after a nasty blow to the head. And like Dorothy's imagined adventure, the idea for the "Answering Bell" video came to Adams while he, too, was in a somewhat delirious state.

Adams was scheduled for a round of interviews with the press while in Hamburg, Germany, but fell ill and canceled. With nothing to do but rest and think, Adams put the downtime to good use.

"I'm all hopped up on whatever it is they give you to get rid of the flu, and I call my manager with this really great idea for the video. It's like a really tripped out version of 'The Wizard of Oz.' "

He said his next calls were to Counting Crows singer Adam Duritz, who supplies backing vocals on the track, and Elton John, who's been an outspoken proponent of Adams since Gold was released in September. Both appear in the clip, as does singer/songwriter Leona Naess, the object of Adams' affection as evidenced by the make-out scene in the poppy field. While the two lovebirds are entwined amongst the flowers, Sir Elton, looking exceptionally regal in a purple cape with star-topped scepter in hand, looks on just a few feet away.

The video is expected to surface in February, according to a Lost Highway Records spokesperson.

• Ryan Adams
• Elton John
• Counting Crows
• Leona Naess

Counting Crows' Adam Duritz
Photo: MTV

It'll be a long August, September and October for Counting Crows this year — the roots-rockers embark on a 34-date tour even as they continue work on their fourth studio album.

The group will hit clubs, college auditoriums and theaters on the tour, its publicity firm said Wednesday. The outing kicks off August 18 in Englewood, Colorado, and won't end until a November 7 show "somewhere in Middle America" — Lawrence, Kansas, to be precise.

Counting Crows expect to release the follow-up to 1999's This Desert Life next spring, according to their publicist. The band plans to write and record songs for the new album during breaks on the tour.

While the group had been working with producer Steve Lillywhite (Dave Matthews Band, U2), its publicist was unable to say whether Lillywhite is still involved with the project.

Counting Crows tour dates, according to their publicity firm:

• 8/18 - Englewood, CO @ AT&T Broadband World Headquarters
• 8/21 - Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete St. Amphitheater
• 8/22 - Austin, TX @ The Backyard
• 8/24 - San Marcos, TX @ Southwest Texas University Auditorium
• 8/25 - Huntsville, TX @ Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum
• 8/27 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
• 8/28 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
• 8/30 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
• 8/31 - N. Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 9/2 - Virginia Beach, VA @ American Music Festival
• 9/3 - Davidson, NC @ Belk Arena
• 9/7 - San Diego, CA @ Street Scene 2000
• 9/9 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
• 9/11 - San Francisco, CA @ Pier 30/32
• 10/6 - Hanover, NH @ Dartmouth College, Leade Arena
• 10/7 - New Haven, CT @ Yale University, Old Campus
• 10/10 - Hempstead, NY @ Hofstra University
• 10/11 - Lewiston, ME @ Bates College
• 10/13 - Chestertown, MD @ Washington College/LFC Building
• 10/14 - Allentown, PA @ Muhlenberg College
• 10/16 - Northampton, MA @ John M. Greene Hall
• 10/17 - Meadville, PA @ Allegheny College - Wisc Center
• 10/19 - Wayne, NJ @ William Paterson University Recreational Center
• 10/20 - Geneseo, NY @ SUNY Geneseo-Kuhl Gym
• 10/22 - Chestnut Hill, MA @ Conte Forum
• 10/23 - Mashantucket, CT @ Fox Theatre
• 10/26 - Utica, NY @ Stanley Performing Arts Center
• 10/27 - Washington, DC @ George Washington University - Smith Center
• 10/29 - Salem, VA @ Salem Civic Center
• 10/30 - Bloomington, IN @ IU Auditorium
• 11/1 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Hill Auditorium
• 11/4 - East Lansing, MI @ Michigan State University Auditorium
• 11/6 - Lincoln, NE @ Lied Center
• 11/7 - Lawrence, KS @ Lied Center

• Counting Crows

Uncle Kracker
Photo: Atlantic

Counting Crows, Third Eye Blind, the Go-Go's, the Wallflowers, Eve 6 and Uncle Kracker will be playing Los Angeles' Fan Nation festival on May 6.

The festival is sponsored by L.A.'s 98.7 FM, the same station that brings its listeners Danny Partridge — er, Bonaduce.

The event will be held at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, California. Tickets are on sale now.

• Counting Crows
• Third Eye Blind
• The Go-Go's
• The Wallflowers
• Eve 6

Counting Crows'<BR>Adam Duritz
Photo: MTV

Counting Crows will take a break from recording the follow-up to 1999's This Desert Life to stage a West Coast mini-tour in July.

The rootsy rockers will play smaller venues than usual - including a few wineries - on the nine-date trek, which kicks off July 6 at Humphries by the Sea in San Diego. The outing will hit additional cities in California as well as Portland, Oregon, and Seattle.

Counting Crows plan to take the opportunity to test out new material written for their as-yet-untitled new album, due in early 2002. Fans should go to www.countingcrows.com to find out when tickets are on sale. The band is nominated for three awards at the 24th Annual California Music Awards next month.

Counting Crows tour dates, according to their publicist:

• 7/6 - San Diego, CA @ Humphries by the Sea
• 7/7 - Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Hotel
• 7/9 - Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery
• 7/10 - Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery
• 7/12 - Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery
• 7/13 - Livermore, CA @ Wente Brothers Winery
• 7/15 - Kelseyville, CA @ Konocti Amphitheatre
• 7/17 - Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Auditorium
• 7/18 - Seattle, WA @ Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

• Counting Crows