Hot Hot Heat's <I>Elevator</i>
Photo: Sire

The temperature is about to rise in record stores across the country as Canadian rock outfit Hot Hot Heat release their new album.

The Victoria, British Columbia-bred band are back after 2002's Make Up the Breakdown with Elevator, an album packed full of energetic pop-rock. While recording this LP, the band bid "Goodnight, Goodnight" to original guitarist Dante DeCaro and replaced him with Luke Paquin.

Expect to see some "O.C." junkies rushing the record store on Tuesday as the fourth installment of "The O.C." mix series drops. This time around, the album's creators make the most underground-friendly mix yet, with tracks by Imogen Heap, Pinback, the Reindeer Section and Flunk, among others. More mainstream names like Beck and Modest Mouse are thrown in for good measure.

Four years after Faith Evans released Faithfully, the R&B songstress is back to crown herself The First Lady. For her return, Evans was supported by producers the Neptunes, Jermaine Dupri, Chucky Thompson, Mario Winans and Bryan Michael-Cox.

The Crystal Method release their Community Service, Vol. 2 this week. The album features remixes of the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues," New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" and Smashing Pumpkins' "1979," as well as nine of the Crystal Method's original tracks.

Elvis' little girl, Lisa Marie Presley, is back with her own brand of hip-swaying swagger on Now What, her follow-up to 2003's To Whom It May Concern.

Also out this week are albums by Fischerspooner (Odyssey), British Sea Power (Open Season), Reel Big Fish (We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy) and Adema (Planets).

Out Tuesday, April 5:

• Absurd Minds - The Focus (Dancing Ferret)
• Adema - Planets (Earache Records)
• Beelow - Presents Louisiana's Sickest (Bungalo)
• Benevento/ Russo Duo - Best Reason to Buy the Sun (Ropeadope)
• Bludshot - Another Day (Bludshot)
• Brainstorm - Liquid Monster (Metal Blade)
• British Sea Power - Open Season (Rough Trade)
• Armin Van Buren - State of Trance 2005 (Ultra Records)
• Kristin Chenoweth - As I Am (Sony)
• The Long Defeat - Choose Your Own Adventure (Sit-n-Spin)
• Alex Cortiz - Magnifico (Varese Sarabande)
• The Crystal Method - Community Service II (3AM/Ultra)
  Buy Now: Community Service II (3AM/Ultra)
  
• Dirty Projectors - The Getty Address (Western Vinyl)
• Eligh - Enigma (Legendary)
• Faith Evans - First Lady (Capitol)
  Buy Now: First Lady (Capitol)
  
• Eyeball Skeleton - #1 (My Pal God)
• Fantômas - Suspended Animation (Ipecac)
• Far from Finished - East Side of Nowhere (Victory)
• Fischerspooner - Odyssey (Capitol)
  Buy Now: Odyssey (Capitol)
  
• Fripp and Eno - The Equatorial Stars (Discipline Global Media)
• Graveworm - (N)utopia (Nuclear Blast)
• The Gun Shys - The Gun Shys (Aeronaut)
• Tord Gustavsen Trio - The Ground (ECM)
• Scott Hamilton & the Bill Charlap Trio - Back in New York (Concord)
• Hammerfall - Chapter 5 (Nuclear Blast)
• Fareed Haque Group - Cosmic Hug (Magna Carta)
• Hot Hot Heat - Elevator (Sire)
  Read: "Hot Hot Heat's Ups And Downs Inspire Elevator"
  Buy Now: Elevator (Sire)
  
• Issam Houshan - Wassan Pharaon (Ark 21)
• Illanotix - Killa Products (EV Productions)
• Brandon Jenkins - Down in Flames (Western Soul)
• Charles Lloyd - Jumping the Creek (ECM)
• Longshot - Open Mouths Fed (EV Productions)
• Lost City Angels - Broken World (Universal Motown)
• Magnolia Electric Co. - What Comes After the Blues (Secretly Canadian)
• Keiko Matsui - Walls of Akendora (Narada)
• Irvin Mayfield - Strange Fruit (Basin Street)
• Donnie McClurkin - Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs (Jive)
• Kate McGarry - Mercy Streets (Palmetto)
• OCS - 3 & 4 (Narnack)
• Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy (Secretly Canadian)
• Ellis Paul - American Jukebox Fables (Rounder)
• Pepper's Ghost - Shake the Hand That Shook the World (Hybrid)
• Lisa Marie Presley - Now What (Capitol)
  Buy Now: Now What (Capitol)
  
• Pretendo - Pretendo (54º40' or Fight!)
• Reel Big Fish - We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy (Jive)
  Buy Now: We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy (Jive)
  
• Serena Ryder - Unlikely Emergency (Isadora)
• Diane Schuur with the Caribbean Jazz Project - Schuur Fire (Concord)
• A Static Lullaby - Faso Latido (Columbia)
• Strength in Numbers - The Veil (Victory)
• Supersuckers - Devil's Food (Mid-Fi)
  Buy Now: Devil's Food (Mid-Fi)
  
• Todd - Purity Pledge (Southern)
• Vast Aire & DJ Mighty Mi - The Best Damn Rap Show (Eastern Conference)
• Ben Watt - Buzzin' Fly Vol. 2 (Astralwerks)
• Aaron Watson - Live at the Texas Hall of Fame (RED)
• White Circle Crime Club - Written in Black (54º40' or Fight!)
• Yellow #5 - Demon Crossing (Scat)
• Eli Young Band - Level (Carnival/RED)
• Various artists - Bonnaroo 2004 (Sanctuary)
• Various artists - Electro Bossa (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - Everything Comes and Goes: A Tribute to Black Sabbath (Temporary Residence)
• Various artists - Verve Remixed 3 (Verve)
• Various artists - Soundtrack to "Millions" (Milan)
• Various artists - Music From the O.C.: Mix 4 (Warner Bros.)
• DVD: "Edgeplay: A Film About the Runaways" (Image)

April 12:

• Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi (Island)
• Garbage - Bleed Like Me (Interscope)
  Read: "Garbage Breakup Ends With New LP — If They Did Actually Break Up"
• Mudvayne - Lost and Found (Sony)
  Read: "Mudvayne Lose The Makeup, Find Inspiration In Isolation"

April 19:

• Mike Jones - Who Is Mike Jones? (Atlantic)
• Flaming Lips - Latenight Tales (Another Late Night)
• Rob Thomas - Something to Be (Atlantic)
  Read: "Rob Thomas Ready For The Gravy After Testing Himself With Solo LP"

May 3:

• Amerie - Touch (Sony)
• New Order - Waiting for the Sirens' Call (Warner Bros.)
• Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust (Sony)

• Faith Evans
• Hot Hot Heat
• Lisa Marie Presley
• Fischerspooner
• The Crystal Method

Ozzy Osbourne (file)
Photo: Sony/Legacy

Anyone who's ever even heard the name Ozzy Osbourne knows that nearly everything about him is unconventional. It's only fitting, then, that a retrospective box set to mark his 25-year solo career would be anything but typical.

Fans expecting a collection of greatest hits get that on the first two discs of the 52-track Bible of Ozz, due February 8. Remastered studio versions of "Crazy Train," "Mr. Crowley," "Dee" and "Dreamer" appear alongside concert takes of "Suicide Solution," "Ultimate Sin" and "Gets Me Through," while demos and rare B-sides round out the remaining tracks.

On the third and fourth discs, things really get weird. So weird that collaborations with the Wu-Tang Clan ("For Heaven's Sake") and the combined force of techno duo the Crystal Method, rappers Ol' Dirty Bastard and DMX, and P. Diddy's former rock protégés Fuzzbubble ("Nowhere to Run") seem expected compared to Ozzy's pairings with the muppet Miss Piggy ("Born to Be Wild"), Dweezil Zappa ("Stayin' Alive") and Was (Not Was) ("Shake Your Head (Let's Go to Bed)"). Other matchups on the disc titled "Oddities and Duets" include ones with those more in tune with the metal scene, such as Motörhead, Primus and Type O Negative.

Osbourne, with guitarists Jerry Cantrell (ex-Alice in Chains), Robert Randolph and Leslie West (Mountain) in tow, recently recorded some of his favorite songs for the fourth disc, "Under Covers." It's easy to imagine Osbourne taking over the lyrical reins for hard rock classics like King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" and the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil"; it's anyone's guess how his versions of the Beatles' "In My Life" and Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" will come off.

Bible of Ozz track list, according to Epic Records:

Disc 1
• "I Don't Know" (live)
• "Mr. Crowley"
• "Crazy Train"
• "Goodbye to Romance" (live)
• "Suicide Solution" (live)
• "Over the Mountain"
• "Flying High Again" (live)
• "You Can't Kill Rock and Roll"
• "Diary of a Madman"
• "Bark at the Moon" (live B-side)
• "Spiders" (B-side)
• "Rock and Roll Rebel"
• "You're No Different"
• "Dee"

  Disc 2

• "Ultimate Sin" (live)
• "Never Know Why" (live)
• "Thank God for the Bomb" (live)
• "Crazy Babies"
• "Breaking All the Rules"
• "I Don't Want to Change the World" (demo)
• "Mama, I'm Coming Home" (demo)
• "Desire" (demo)
• "No More Tears" (single version)
• "Won't Be Coming Home" (demo)
• "Perry Mason" (live)
• "See You on the Other Side" (demo)
• "Walk on Water" (demo)
• "Gets Me Through" (live)
• "Bang Bang" (original demo for "Facing Hell")
• "Dreamer"

  Disc 3

• "Iron Man" (with Therapy)
• "N.I.B." (with Primus)
• "Purple Haze" (with Zakk Wylde, Randy Castillo and Geezer Butler)
• "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (with Type O Negative)
• "Shake Your Head (Let's Go to Bed)" (with Was (Not Was))
• "Born to Be Wild" (with Miss Piggy)
• "Nowhere to Run" (with Crystal Method, DMX, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Fuzzbubble)
• "Led Clones" (with Gary Moore)
• "For Heaven's Sake" (with Tony Iommi and Wu-Tang Clan)
• "I Ain't No Nice Guy" (with Motörhead)
• "Therapy" (with Infectious Grooves)
• "Stayin' Alive" (with Dweezil Zappa)

  Disc 4

• "Good Times" (originally recorded by Eric Burdon)
• "21st Century Schizoid Man" (King Crimson)
• "In My Life" (The Beatles)
• "Mississippi Queen" (Mountain)
• "For What It's Worth" (Buffalo Springfield)
• "Fire" (Arthur Brown)
• "Hi-Ho Silver Lining" (The Jeff Beck Group)
• "All the Young Dudes" (Mott the Hoople)
• "Sympathy for the Devil" (The Rolling Stones)
• "Changes" (Black Sabbath)

• Ozzy Osbourne
• DMX
• Miss Piggy
• The Crystal Method

Alicia Keys and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds will host the 18th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, which will air live March 20 from the International Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Outkast, R. Kelly, Nelly, Murphy Lee, Jermaine Dupri, Usher, Ruben Studdard, Anthony Hamilton, Erykah Badu, Ron Isley and Michelle Williams are scheduled to perform. ...

Evanescence will release "Everybody's Fool" as the fourth single from Fallen. The band is currently writing the follow-up album. ... All those boy-band fans out there lying in wait for the next Backstreet Boys album have a new reason to live: The shape-shifting cute-boy troupe Menudo, which launched the career of Ricky Martin, is being resurrected. The international search for boys ages 10-14 interested in joining the outfit, touted as having "a contemporary hip urban/Latin crossover sound in both English and Spanish," begins in New York this summer. ...

The Army's 4th Infantry Division didn't give Saddam Hussein three steps toward the door of the rat hole in which they found him in December, and for that they might be treated to "Gimme Three Steps," "Gimme Back My Bullets" "On the Hunt," "That Smell" and other Lynyrd Skynyrd hits when the band performs especially for the Saddam-routing troops. The Tribute to Heroes event is scheduled for April 22 at Fort Hood, Texas. ... The recording industry's crusade against illegal file-sharers hit a stumbling block Friday when a federal judge in Philadelphia ruled that 203 individuals could not be lumped into one collective lawsuit. Instead, in order to gain the identity of the so-called "John Doe" defendants, the RIAA must offer evidence against each alleged song-swapper individually, at a cost of $150 in court fees each. More than 800 lawsuits, in Atlanta; Orlando, Florida; New York; Washington, D.C.; and Trenton, New Jersey, remain outstanding. The RIAA was forced to employ John Doe suits after a federal court prevented it from obtaining the identities of alleged pirates from their ISPs without a judge's signature. ...

The Crystal Method were the big winners at Tuesday's Dancestar USA Awards, taking home trophies for Best Act, Best Album (Legion of Boom) and Best Single ("Born Too Slow"). The Chemical Brothers, Madonna and Paris Hilton (Best Celebrity DJ) were also awarded at the ceremony, the climax of the annual Winter Music Conference in Miami. Moby was honored for his Outstanding Contribution to Dance Music and won Best Music DVD. ... Calling all axemen: Jagged Edge are looking for players to get down with them on a new album they're mapping out called Ghetto Guitar. The group says it wants to incorporate guitar into all the tracks on the album. Prince and Slash are two guitarists on the ATL singers' wish list. ... Prince's concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on March 29 will be broadcast in 32 Regal Cinemas movie theaters around the country. The show is the kickoff of his upcoming Musicology Tour. ...

Original Kiss drummer Peter Criss is again out of the band. In a post on his Web site, Criss said that his contract with the group has expired and neither he nor his attorney has been contacted about an extension for future touring. Kiss are expected to rehire Eric Singer for their upcoming tour of Japan, which starts May 27 in Tokyo. ... Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has applied for a marriage license thorough the Pierce County Auditor's office, the Tacoma News Tribune reports. Novoselic's fiancée is 41-year-old artist Darbury Ayn Stenderu. ...

Goths rarely rejoice, but they might crack a smile when they hear that Siouxsie and the Banshees frontwoman Siouxsie Sioux will play 14 shows starting May 19 in Seattle and running through June 9 in New York. The show, billed as "An Evening With Siouxsie: The Creatures & The Banshees," will feature two hours of material from her 25-year career. ... John McGeoch, a punk guitarist who has worked with Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magazine and Public Image Ltd., died in his sleep on Thursday at the age of 48. No further details on his death are available. In 1995, McGeoch gave up touring and got a degree in nursing, however he continued to write music. In a post on his Web site, Banshees bassist Steve Severin said, "He was always in my heart and often in my thoughts. Without a doubt, he was the most inventive guitarist of our generation and my favorite Banshee." ...

Truth Hurts and Raphael Saadiq have finished up work on her next LP. Set for released through Saadiq's Pookie Entertainment Label on May 11, Truth has titled her sophomore album Ready Now. The first single is the title track and comes out March 30. ... In an underground hip-hop union of the minds, Long Island, New York, rapper MF Doom and Los Angeles producer/MC Madlib will become Madvillain in their first full-length collaboration. The album, Madvillainy, will see release on March 23. ...

Pioneering German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten will play 15 shows in North America, starting April 23 in Washington, D.C., and running through May 16 in Asheville, North Carolina. The band is touring to support its new album, Perpetuum Mobile, which came out last month. ... Thuggish metal-rap band 3rd Strike have broken up. The band has posted a message on its Web site that reads in part, "Sorry people, it's true. Thanks to all our loyal fans." The group's debut album, Lost Angel, was released in 2002. ... The High Times stoner-metal compilation The Stoner Rock Collection has been delayed a few weeks from its previously announced date of May 4. The disc will feature songs by Corrosion of Conformity, Unida, the Hidden Hand, Clutch and others. ...

03.09.2004

Seven years ago Tuesday (March 9), the Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed in Los Angeles, a murder that remains unsolved. Several hip-hop artists are gathering in New York for a tribute show to Biggie and other fallen rappers to mark the occasion. Scheduled to appear at B.B. King's Blues Club Tuesday night are Mos Def, Gang Starr, Busta Rhymes and M.O.P., who will unveil their new rock band. ...

Cam'ron, Dame Dash and Farnsworth Bentley were among the hip-hop notables who reached out to the kids on Saturday in New York for the launch of the "Read 2 Succeed" literacy program. They were all on hand at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture for the initiative, which is sponsored by the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and the National Urban League with support from the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council. ... A week after launching a do-it-yourself Jay-Z remix package, the creators of the Jay-Z Construction Set have set up a blog for people to share their various remixes. It can be found at www.jayzconstructionset.com/hype. ...

Jurors in the trial of Jesus Mezquia, accused of raping and killing punk singer Mia Zapata of Seattle band the Gits in 1993, will have to decide if the DNA evidence that led to his arrest last year is enough to convict him of murder. Mezquia, 49, was nabbed when DNA taken from Zapata's body matched the DNA that was entered into a database for convicted felons after he had been busted for burglary. ... For the first time, an officially sanctioned version of 1985's Live Aid concert is coming to home video. After concert organizers, who include Boomtown Rats' Bob Geldof, noticed bootleg copies available online, they decided to auction off the DVD distribution rights to the 12-hour, two-city event, which raised money to combat famine in Africa. Money raised through the auction will benefit the Band Aid Trust, which continues to provide for the poor and hungry in Ethiopia. The video is expected to be available by the end of the year. ...

Eleven new dates have been tacked on to the Strokes' U.S. tour, beginning May 2 in Nashville. The trek, which kicked off Tuesday to support the band's second album, Room on Fire, will now wrap up with a hometown gig on May 19 in New York. ... Rapper Lyrics Born has recorded a remix of his single "Callin' Out," to be released soon. The new version features the colorful vocabulary of E-40 and the boasts of Casual. ...

Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry continues to encourage fans to play around with his Boneyard Brew hot sauce. And for those who can't take the heat, there's still the free Boneyard Brew video game "Genie Joe and the Axeman," at www.starmountainstudios.com. In the fast-action game, fans play Chef Anthony as he scurries around to collect ingredients for the sauce and avoids sour notes sent to him by the evil Axeman. Perry recorded voices and music for the game. ... Add Michael Anthony to the list of rockers who like it hot. The Van Halen bassist is preparing to bottle his own Mad Anthony's Hot Sauce, which, according to a post on his Web site, will "make sweatin' it out on the can the next morning part of your everyday ritual." Now doesn't that sound appetizing? ...

• Usher
• Menudo
• Alicia Keys
• Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Evanescence

Crystal Method's <i>Legion of Boom</i>
Photo: V2 Records

The Crystal Method's Legion of Boom features ex-Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland on "Weapons of Mass Distortion." Other guests such as Milla Jovovich ("I Know It's You") and the Roots' human beatbox, Rahzel ("American Way"), appear on the album as well.

Oh! From the Girls is a compilation from the Oxygen network that features songs by Avril Lavigne, Dido, Tori Amos, Macy Gray, Aimee Mann, Sarah McLachlan, Stacie Orrico and the Pretenders.

Lou Reed's Bataclan 72 is a live album from a show with John Cale and Nico recorded in Paris in 1972.

Finally, WWE Originals includes such classics as "Where's the Beer?" by Stone Cold Steve Austin, "I Don't Suck (Really)" by Kurt Angle and "Put a Little Ass on It" by Rikishi.

Out Tuesday, January 13:

• Ahvak - Ahvak (Cuneiform)
• Chava Alberstein - End of the Holiday (Rounder)
• Amici Forever - The Opera Band (RCA Victor)
• Bingo - The Cicada and Other Stories (Cravedog)
• Brian Bromberg - Choices (A440)
• Jimmy Buffett - Live in Cincinnati (Mailboat)
• Barbara Carr - Talk to Me (Mardi Gras)
• Claudia Quintet - I, Claudia (Cuneiform)
• The Crystal Method - Legion of Boom (V2)
• Joey DeFrancesco - Plays Sinatra His Way (HighNote)
• Joel Frahm with Brad Mehldau - Don't Explain (Palmetto)
• Achille Gajo Trio - Blue Sand (Piadrum)
• Guapo - Five Suns (Cuneiform)
• Holmes Brothers - Simple Truths (Alligator)
• The Honorary Title - The Honorary Title (EP)
• Jamie Hoover & Bill Lloyd - Paparazzi (Paisley Pop)
• Keren - Gone (Big Pea & a Dime)
• Habib Koité & Bamada - Fôly! Live Around the World (World Village)
• Laika and the Cosmonauts - Local Warming (Yep Roc)
• Brennen Leigh - Lonesome, Wild & Blue (Barking Dog)
• Lucky Dube - The Other Side (Heartbeat)
• Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath - Bremen to Bridgwater (Cuneiform)
• Mr. T Experience - Yesterday Rules (Lookout!)
• Kenny Neal and Billy Branch - Double Take (Alligator)
• Nerissa & Katryna Nields - This Town Is Wrong (Rounder)
• The New Original Sonic Sound - The New Original Sonic Sound (Book)
• David Newman - Song for the New Man (HighNote)
• Shane Nicholson - It's a Movie (Virt)
• Peligro - Sum of Our Surroundings (Dirrty)
• Richard Pinhas - Tranzition (Cuneiform)
• Lou Reed - Bataclan 72 (Pilot)
• Steve Roach and Vidna Obmana - Spirit Dome (Projekt)
• Kate Rusby - Underneath the Stars (Compass)
• Skrape - Up the Dose (RCA)
• Sons of Champlin - Secret (Sons of Champlin)
• Eddie Spaghetti - The Sauce (Mid-Fi)
• Mike Stern - These Times (ESC)
• Tanglefoot - Captured Alive (Borealis)
• Volebeats - Country Favorites (Turquoise Mountain/Rainbow Quartz)
• Matthew West - Happy (Universal South)
• Zao - Legendary (Solid State)
• Miguel Zenón - Ceremonial (Rounder/Marsalis Music)
• Various artists - Drum Nation, Volume 1 (Magna Carta)
• Various artists - Oh! From the Girls (Nettwerk)
• Various artists - "Pixel Perfect" soundtrack (Walt Disney)
• Various artists - "Teacher's Pet" (Walt Disney)
• Various artists - This Is Trance! (Water Music)
• Various artists - WWE Originals (DMZ/Soundtrax)
• DVD: Rammstein - Lichtspielhaus (Republic/Universal)

January 20:

• Cee-Lo - Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine (Arista)
• Ani DiFranco - Educated Guess (Righteous Babe)

January 27:

• Stereolab - Margerine Eclipse (Elektra)

• The Crystal Method
• Lou Reed
• Jimmy Buffett
• Tori Amos
• Avril Lavigne

The Crystal Method
Photo: Jason Campbell

Their studio is known as the Bomb Shelter, their new album is Legion of Boom and it features a song called "Weapons of Mass Distortion."

What's up with party hardy dance duo the Crystal Method getting all political on us?

"That song was called 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' at some point," said Scott Kirkland of the rocking dance track he created with partner Ken Jordan featuring ex-Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland. "That was the nickname for a long time, but we thought we had to get away from that because it was no longer cute or funny once the war started. There's no real political statement because it doesn't have any lyrics, but what was going on in the world with all the false reports and things leading up to the war was just so distorted."

The new title makes much more sense, especially given the pair's love of distortion, which has played a role in TCM's music since their 1997 debut, Vegas. The song — which mixes a booming bass line, big beats and a hypnotic guitar hook similar to the theme from "Knight Rider" — is one of the few on the album that retains the thickly layered sound of the group's previous album, 2001's Tweekend.

That's because Legion of Boom was inspired by a year of DJ dates the pair played behind their first mix CD, last year's Community Service.

During those shows, Kirkland said they reconnected with the ecstatic, bare-bones rave vibe that got them interested in making dance music more than a decade ago.

Ironically, the pair chose to collaborate almost exclusively with rock artists on their third studio album. Along with Borland, who appears on three tracks, they hooked up with Los Angeles blues-rock belter Lisa Kekaula (The BellRays) for a pair of grinding soul dance anthems, vocal instrumentalist Rahzel (Roots) for the pseudo-political "American Way" and former Kyuss singer John Garcia for the album's first single, "Born Too Slow."

Kirkland said the sessions with Garcia did not get off to a great start. "He came in understanding just enough about us to be comfortable with what we do," Kirkland said. "But it took him a few hours to loosen up. Having a bottle of Jack Daniel's and two cases of beer in the studio definitely helped ignite that performance."

Isolated in a vocal booth on the other side of the Bomb Shelter where Kirkland and Jordan couldn't see him, Garcia had a few acceptably soulful takes, but the pair could tell he was holding back. After a few more drinks, Kirkland said Garcia "blew the lid off it," resulting in a mix of deep funk and Led Zeppelin vocal gymnastics that builds to a crescendo in which Garcia howls with all his stoner-metal might.

Both Kirkland and Jordan have long mixed their love of club culture with an affinity for hard rock from the likes of AC/DC and Metallica, but the hook-up with Borland raised some eyebrows. "We met him on the Family Values Tour and listening to what he did with Limp Bizkit, we just thought he was an amazing guitarist who had a real different slant on rock music," Kirkland said.

Borland, taking a break from writing and recording the debut for his post-Bizkit band, Eat the Day, said because he'd never written or recorded anything for an electronic album before, he was interested in giving the collaboration a shot. "It wasn't odd at all," he said about switching gears from nü-metal to dance music. "It was super easy, because it's very similar to how I work by myself — sitting in a room and playing guitar into a computer."

Borland said he listened to the demos Kirkland and Jordan sent him, laid down some parts and trusted the pair to choose and manipulate the songs any way they wanted.

"He takes a different approach to his guitar," said Kirkland of Borland's bluesy, atmospheric riffs on "Born Too Slow," "Weapons of Mass Distortion" and "Broken Glass." "Every song we've ever done has some element of distortion and fuzz on it. Taking that and adding his guitar and more organic drums and bass works because rock is something we naturally hear in our music."

Borland said they can call him anytime. "[I was] a little surprised [they invited me to work on the album], but I was glad to accept the invitation and have the experience to put under my belt," he said.

"Born Too Slow" is featured on the new "Need for Speed Underground" racing game and is also on a new maxi-single CD with remixes by Deepsky, EK and Nu Breed, due out December 9.

Before taking Legion of Boom on the road in early 2004, Crystal Method will play a seven-city DJ tour beginning November 14 in Montreal.

The group's album drops January 13.

Crystal Method DJ dates, according to their spokesperson:

• 11/14 - Montreal, QC @ Sona
• 11/21 - Denver, CO @ Rise
• 12/12 - San Diego, CA @ L5
• 12/13 - Chicago, IL @ Vision
• 12/18 - Tucson, AZ @ City Limits
• 12/20 - Tempe, AZ @ Club Freedom
• 12/31 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues

• The Crystal Method
• The Roots

Peter Gabriel from his "Sledgehammer" video
Photo: Geffen

It's hard not to smile when you see the White Stripes cast in Lego and jamming away in the video for "Fell in Love With a Girl." Will the whimsical Michel Gondry video, nominated for Breakthrough Video at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, go on to be considered one of the most innovative and influential in music video history?

If you're thinking stop-motion-animated children's toys aren't significant enough to inspire future generations, keep in mind that dancing chickens and singing fruit were among the striking images that made Peter Gabriel's 1986 video for "Sledgehammer" so legendary.

The concept that directors Stephen R. Johnson, the Brothers Quay and Nick Park ("Wallace & Gromit") executed with "Sledgehammer," which went on to win nine VMAs (including Breakthrough Video), paved the way for videos such as Primus' "Sailing the Seas of Cheese" and Tool's "Prison Sex."

"It felt pretty exciting at the time, I must admit," said Gabriel of the video, which also featured the singer's head being circled by a train and bashed with hammers. "I think Stephen and myself were determined to get something that was a bit groundbreaking, and we were extremely lucky to be able to pull in the Brothers Quay. There was a team thing about that which was really fun and exciting, so it was easy to explore lots of different ideas."

As jaw-dropping as it was at the time, music videos have evolved considerably since "Sledgehammer" was a staple of MTV's daily playlist. While time and creativity have turned techniques such as rapid-fire edits, unearthly morphing and explosions worthy of the next "Star Wars" into commonplace elements of video's vernacular, they were all, at one point, considered groundbreaking.

Indeed, had Weezer not been transported to the set of "Happy Days" in the irony-drenched, Spike Jonze-directed clip for "Buddy Holly" (1995's Breakthrough Video), Foo Fighters might not have imitated a Mentos commercial in "Big Me." And if the Smashing Pumpkins hadn't made their own version of the 1902 film "A Trip to the Moon" with "Tonight, Tonight" (1996's Breakthrough Video), 'NSYNC might never have emulated a Charlie Chaplin movie in the beginning of their video for "Gone."

When MTV first hit the air on August 1, 1981, with the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," there was little indication that music videos would eventually feature Lego rock bands, a breakdancer with a giant nose for a head (the Crystal Method's "Name of the Game") or a dude stepping into a puddle and falling through the sidewalk (Maxwell's "This Woman's Work"). Those clips are all nominees for the 2002 Breakthrough Video, as are Coldplay's animated "Trouble," DMX's stark, caption-heavy "Who We Be" and Cake's novel "Short Skirt/Long Jacket," in which a seemingly random assemblage of people listens to the song on headphones and offers criticism.

Breakthrough Video winners have mostly been influential in one of two ways. Either they spawned new camera, editing or effect techniques that altered the look and feel of the video landscape, or they offered visual icons and thematic elements that were borrowed by other directors down the line.

Some Breakthrough Videos have directly inspired other media, including film. Richard Linklater's 2001 film "Waking Life" uses rotoscopic animation techniques reminiscent of those in A-Ha's 1985 video for "Take on Me." And in Joel and Ethan Coen's 2000 movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," many of the backgrounds were treated in post-production with a glazey sheen not dissimilar to the silvery desert shots in the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1992 Breakthrough Video, "Give It Away." Hollywood isn't the only entity to exploit new mediums — elements from Breakthrough Videos frequently surface in television commercials.

"In the five years following [the "Sledgehammer" video], I saw a lot of advertisements that seemed influenced by what we had done," Gabriel said. "The companies are amazingly cheeky sometimes, because the ad agencies will just ask you to send copies of your work, then they rip off all the ideas and never pay you a penny. But then, that's the business."

The first VMA celebration in 1984 awarded its inaugural Breakthrough Video distinction, then called Experimental Video, to Herbie Hancock's "Rockit," which was directed by Godley & Creme. The video depicted robots carrying out pedestrian tasks, while much of the footage jerks back and forth in tandem with the scratching in the song. Elements of that editing style later surfaced in clips for Orbital's "The Box," Roni Size/ Reprazent's "Brown Paper Bag" and Swizz Beatz' "Guilty," and they're echoed in the dance routine from Daft Punk's "Around the World."

If "Rockit" raised the bar for the art of music videos, MTV's Experimental Video for 1985, Art of Noise's "Close (To the Edit)," set a new standard both conceptually and stylistically. The clip, directed by Polish avant-garde filmmaker Zbigniew Rybczynski, features long, single-edit shots of a little punk girl guiding three men in laying waste to musical instruments, such as demolishing a piano with a buzzsaw, a chainsaw and a power drill. Much of the footage is sped up and jittery, and the visuals are stark and industrial.

This creepy vibe lives on in clips such as Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" and Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People." The Prodigy have said that their video for "Firestarter" was influenced by "Close (To the Edit)," and Faith No More might have raised a glass to Rybczynski when they detonated a piano at the end of their video for "Epic."

The success of "Rockit" and "Close (To the Edit)" helped open the door for experimentation in mainstream music videos, but the vid for A-Ha's "Take On Me," the 1986 Moonman winner, was probably as influential as "Sledgehammer." The piece features a girl who steps into a comic book and is swept into another world where she falls in love with the cartoon hero. The Rotoscopic animation created a conduit for filmed characters to enter an animated environment, and vice versa. Incubus' "Drive," Limp Bizkit's "Boiler" and U2's "Elevation" have employed similar devices.

"['Take on Me'] was one of the first super, super creative videos," said director Francis Lawrence, who lensed P.O.D.'s "Alive" as well as videos by Nelly Furtado, Jennifer Lopez, Destiny's Child and loads of others. "It almost created the music video genre by incorporating performance into a little story with a gimmick."

The concept took a quantum leap 14 years later when Chris Cunningham took advantage of tremendous advances in digital technology to create Björk's "All Is Full of Love," one of the most stunning sci-fi videos to date. The video depicts the singer as an assembly line robot who falls in love with another female robot. But what's most remarkable are the digital effects, which convert the singer into a lifelike mechanical being.

"In my opinion, it's the most flawless video ever made," said Nathan "Karma" Cox, who co-directed Linkin Park's "In the End." "I remember watching that video and wanting to hang up my hat and get a job at a gas station. I watched it over and over and tried to figure out what was digital and what wasn't."

A similar style of digital wizardry was employed by Linkin Park DJ Joseph Hahn in the band's video for the "Points of Authority" remix. Its influence can also be seen in Basement Jaxx' "Where's Your Head At?" and even Backstreet Boys' "Larger Than Life."

Any modern music video that incorporates beautiful, reverent imagery owes a nod to R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion," which was named 1991's Breakthrough Video. The provocative clip, which was directed by Tarsem Singh, depicts singer Michael Stipe as a wounded angel and is filled with lingering shots of painterly tableaux. (Singh later used some of the same techniques in his movie "The Cell.") Metallica's "Unforgiven," Stone Temple Pilots' "Sour Girl" and the intro and outro to No Doubt's "Don't Speak" refer back to "Losing My Religion."

"The portrait work in that was just amazing," said director Cox. "It felt like a work of art instead of a video. It had ascended from pop art into high art of some sort."

Also approaching high art is director Stephane Sednaoui's video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Give It Away," which won a Breakthrough Video Moonman in 1992. Set in the desert, the video conveys the Peppers' colorful quirkiness in black and white as they gyrate away in gilded body paint and satyric makeup, using cinematic techniques reminiscent of '60s underground movies. Later videos that put artists in alien, arty environments include No Doubt's "Hella Good," Busta Rhymes' "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" and Garbage's "Queer."

When this year's Breakthrough Video envelope is opened and the winner is announced, the victor — whether it includes Lego, a big nose, animated birds, a puddle jumper, spiraling words or amateur music critics — will surely be reflected in clips for years to come (click for the complete list of 2002 VMA Nominees).

• The White Stripes
• Peter Gabriel
• Primus
• Weezer
• The Crystal Method

If you like being serenaded by young men, then listen up. This is the week for you.

First up in the nubile batch is Mario, the older-lady-killer who sings about his penchant on "Just a Friend" and "What Your Name Is." Next, B2K joins the growing rank of artists cashing in on the remix craze. Their offering to the genre, B2K: The Remixes Vol. 1, finds the boys re-imagining songs such as "Uh Huh" and "Gots Ta Be" and gives fans extra tracks like "Back Up." The last of the group is Cash Money kid Lil' Wayne, whose 500 Degreez hits shelves Tuesday (July 23) as well.

This new crop of teen dreams wouldn't be where they are today without Boyz II Men paving the way. The guys, who are officially on the "men" side of things these days, also have a new album out called Full Circle. See how nicely that works?

Turning our attention away from bare-chested boys for a moment: Look out for new albums from Public Enemy (Revolverlution) Toby Keith (Unleashed) and hall-of-famer Solomon Burke (Don't Give Up on Me) plus a mix offering from the Crystal Method (Community Service).

Out Tuesday, July 23:

• 32 Frames - 32 Frames (Revelation)
• Aquanote - The Pearl (Naked Music/ Astralwerks)
• B2K - B2K: The Remixes Vol. 1 (Epic)
• Boyz II Men - Full Circle (Arista)
• Solomon Burke - Don't Give Up on Me (Fat Possum)
   Read: "Dylan, Waits, Costello Help Soul Legend Regain His Throne"
• Cool Dre - Keep it Real (Zion)
• Crystal Method - Community Service (Ultra)
• Deathray - Deathray (Doppler)
• Deep Side - Deep Side (Spy/ Brunswick)
• DJ Magic Mike - Bootyz in Motion Vol. 2 (Downlow)
• DJ Micro - (Moonshine)
• DJ Tiesto - In Search of Sunrise Vol. 3 (Black Hole)
• Dog Fashion Disco - Anarchists of Good Taste (Spitfire)
• Forsaken - Arts of Desolation (Century Media)
• Fourplay - Heartfelt (Bluebird)
• Christophe Goze - Show Me the Way (Bar de Lune)
• Hate - Cain's Way (World War III)
• Haystak - The Natural (In the Paint/ Koch)
• J-Zone - Pimps Don't Pay Taxes (Fat Beats/ Razor & Tie)
• John Butler Trio - Three (ATO)
• KHM - Game (Number 6)
• Toby Keith - Unleashed (DreamWorks Nashville)
• King's Evil - Deletion of Humanoise (Crash)
• Kotipelto - Waiting for the Dawn (Century Media)
• Legit Ballaz - Respect of the Game Vol. 3 (AMC)
• Lil' Wayne - 500 Degreez (Universal)
   Read:
• Mack 10 - Presents Da Hood (Hoo Bangin)
• Malevolent Creation - Envenomed II (Artic/ Crash)
• Mario - Mario (J)
   Read: "Mario Loves Older Women, Gets Help Talking To Them From Biz Markie"
   Buy Now: Mario (J)
  
• Micro - Music Through Me (Moonshine)
• Midwest Product - Specifics (Ghostly Int'l)
• Mr. Keal - Opposite of Hate (AMC)
• Murder Squad - Unsane, Insane & Mentally Deranged (Crash)
• Joe Nichols - Man with a Memory (Universal South)
• Mark Olson & the Creekdippers - December's Child (DualTone)
• Opeth - Blackwater Park (Koch)
• Shuggie Otis - In Session: Great Rhythm & Blues (Cleopatra)
• Jimmy Page - Bury the Axe (Dressed to Kill)
• Stephen Pearcy - Social Intercourse (Triple X)
• Places to Park - Better Sights Were Set (Volcom)
• Planet X - Moon Babies (Inside Out)
• Public Enemy - Revolverlution (Slam Jamz/ Koch)
   Read:
• Rakoth - Planeshift (Earache)
• RJD2 - Dead Ringer (Def Jux)
• Safety in Numbers - Build & Structure (Triple Crown)
• Scion - Arrange and Process Basic Channel Tricks (EFA-CAR)
• Skirts - Smashing the Sky (Blackliner)
• Stranglers - Early Years: Rare & Unreleased (Castle America)
• Subterranean Source - Vivid Circles (Release)
• Thirstin Howl III - Skilligan's Island (Landspeed)
• John Travolta - Saturday Night Fiction (Dressed to Kill)
• Trust Company - The Lonely Position of Neutral (Geffen)
   Read: "Trust Company's Debut Video Blows"
• Unknown Ghosts - Transfer at Dub (Invisible)
• Uriah Heep - Lansdowne Tapes (Castle America)
• Various artists - Abstract Sessions (Thump)
• Various artists - Backstock: Compiled and Mixed by John Tejada (Urabon)
• Various artists - BPM Magazine Presents: That Club Mix (Moonshine)
• Various artists – "The Country Bears" soundtrack (Walt Disney)
   Read: "Country Jamboree Movie: 'Almost Famous,' But With Bears"
• Various artists - Dance Alliance (Dance Alliance)
• Various artists - Dance Hits USA (Radikal)
• Various artists - Don't Be Scared Vol. 2 (Fearless)
• Various artists - Earth and Bass (Triloka)
• Various artists – "Eight Legged Freaks" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)
• Various artists - Essential Rave (Big Eye)
• Various artists - Faith No More: Tribute of the Year (Underground Inc.)
• Various artists - Fat Beats Vol. 2 (Fat Beats)
• Various artists - Feed Your Ears (Fueled by Ramen)
• Various artists – "Frontier House" soundtrack (Pacific Time)
• Various artists - How We Rock (Burning Heart/ Epitaph)
• Various artists - In the Pocket: A Taste of Blues Harmonica (Telarc)
• Various artists – "The Master of Disguise" soundtrack (Music World/ Sony Soundtrax)
• Various artists – "Monsoon Wedding" score (Milan)
• Various artists - Monsta Jamz (Razor & Tie)
• Various artists - Plastic Vol. 6 (Nettwerk America)
• Various artists - Radikal Techno Vol. 6 (Radikal)
• Various artists – "Reign of Fire" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)
• Various artists - Sonar 2002 (Milan)
• Various artists – "Son's Room" soundtrack (Pacific Time)
• Various artists - String Quartet Tribute to Pink Floyd (Vitamin)
• Various artists - String Quartet Tribute to the Who's Tommy (Vitamin)
• Various artists - Touch Tones (Tummy Touch)
• Various artists - Trance Essentials Vol. 1 (UBL)
• Various artists - Tribute to Garbage (Big Eye)
• Various artists - Tribute to Linkin Park (Big Eye)
• Various artists - Tribute to Slayer: Post Mortem (Dwell)
• Various artists – "Wendigo" soundtrack (Pacific Time)
• Voodou - Blessing of Curses (Underground Inc.)
• Waifs - Sink or Swim (ATO)
• Joe Louis Walker - In the Morning (Telarc)
• Without Face - Astronomicon (Earache)
• John Zorn - Filmworks XI: Under the Wing (Tzadik)

• Filter - The Amalgamut (Reprise)
• Lamya - Learning From Falling (J)
   Read: "You Hear It First: Lamya"
• Linkin Park - Reanimation (Warner Bros.)
   Read:
   Buy Now: Reanimation (Warner Bros.)
  
• Beth Orton - Daybreaker (Astralwerks)
   Read:
• Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - The Rising (Columbia)
   Read: "Springsteen, E Street Band On The Rise After 18 Years"
   Buy Now: The Rising (Columbia)
  
• Various artists - "Topdog/Underdog" soundtrack (MCA)
   Read: "Jay-Z, DMX, Wu-Tang, Mos Def Bone Up 'Topdog/Underdog' LP"

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

• Lady May - May Day (Arista)
   Read: "Lady May: Savage Hip-Hop Straight From the Suburbs"
• Murderdolls - Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls (Roadrunner)
   Read: "Corey Taylor Insists His Other Band Is No Slipknot Jr."

• 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: "Ms. Jade's 'Big Head' Is Meant To Move Your Big Butt"
• O-Town - O2 (J)
   Read: "New O-Town Album To Include Track From Nelly"
   Buy Now: O2 (J)
  
• Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (Interscope)  Read: "Queens Of The Stone Age Flex Their Star Power"
• Silverchair - Diorama (Atlantic)
   Read: "Silverchair Craft U.S. Diorama, Plan New York Dates"
• Stone Sour - Stone Sour (Roadrunner)
   Read: "Corey Taylor Insists His Other Band Is No Slipknot Jr."
• Trina - Diamond Princess (Slip-N-Slide/ Atlantic)
   Read: "Diamond Princess Trina Recruits Tweet For 'No Panties' Single"
• Uncle Kracker - No Stranger to Shame (Lava/ Atlantic)
   Read: "Uncle Kracker Won't Pay Lip Service To Willa Ford In New Video"
   Buy Now: No Stranger to Shame (Lava/ Atlantic)
  

• Mario
• Lil Wayne
• B2K
• Public Enemy
• The Crystal Method

Crystal Method
Photo: Jason Campbell

Cyberfest organizers will release their second compilation album on November 13, featuring remixes of tracks from many of the electronic music icons the festival has featured, such as the Crystal Method, Roni Size, Keoki, Josh Wink, Armand Van Helden and Paul van Dyk.

Cyberfest 2001 — Sounds of the Digital Revolution Volume 2 also includes live video footage and artist interviews from previous Cyberfests, which have been held annually since 1992, according to a publicist for the project.

August's Cyberfest in San Francisco, headlined by the Crystal Method and Mix Master Mike, attracted 25,000 people. Following the success of the event, Cyberfests were scheduled in Houston in September and Miami in November (see "Crystal Method, De La Soul Sign On For Expanded Cyberfest"). A second Cyberfest has since been scheduled in San Francisco on New Year's Eve. Lineups for Miami and San Francisco have not been announced.

Cyberfest 2001 — Sounds of the Digital Revolution Volume 2 track list, according to the album's publicist:

• The Crystal Method - "Now Is the Time (The Crystal Method Millennium Mix)"
• Keoki - "Pass It On (Micro Remix)"
• Donald Glaude - "To the Soul"
• Third Sight featuring Dufunk - "Zodiak Killer"
• Planet B - "The World Keeps Falling
• St. John presents Europa - "Europa 2002"
• DJ Tiesto - "Flight 643 (Original Mix)"
• Wish FM - "Calabazita (Jason Mouse Mix)"
• Roni Size - "Breaks (Exclusive Mix)"
• Josh Wink - "Evil Acid (Original Mix)"
• Armand Van Helden - "I Can Smell U"
• Paul van Dyk - "Columbia (PVD Remix)"

• The Crystal Method
• Roni Size

Crystal Method
Photo: MTV News

Following a successful Cyberfest in San Francisco last weekend, organizers have announced they will bring the electronic music festival to two other U.S. cities this fall.

Cyberfest Houston is scheduled for September 22 and will feature the Crystal Method, De La Soul, Biz Markie, DJ Skribble and Keoki.

Another Cyberfest will be held November 24 in Miami. The lineup for that show has not been announced.

Other acts slated for the Houston festival include Darude, Pharoahe Monch, Madison Avenue, DJ Icey, Christopher Lawrence, Dieselboy, Daft Punk contributor Romanthony, Aphrodite and Dave Ralph. They will perform on a 140-acre field.

Last weekend's Cyberfest featured the Crystal Method, Überzone and Mix Master Mike (see "Festival Lineup: D12, Crystal Method, More In San Francisco"). Eminem's group, D12, did not perform.

• The Crystal Method
• De La Soul
• Biz Markie
• DJ Skribble
• Keoki

Fatboy Slim
Photo: Jill Greenberg

Hold onto your glowsticks — the breakout summer for electronic music outings is turning out to be a dud.

Following cancellations of the Mekka Tour and Creamfields Las Vegas last week, London-based promoter Cream announced Wednesday (August 8) it was axing Creamfields New York due to sluggish ticket sales.

The September 1 festival was to feature nearly 50 acts on six stages. Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, Orbital, Timo Maas and Darren Emerson were among the artists and DJs lined up to play the Calverton Business Park in Riverhead, Long Island.

An event spokesperson said Clear Channel (formerly SFX) advised Cream to call off Creamfields New York because ticket sales have been lower than expected. Clear Channel noted a decline in ticket sales for most summer tours and festivals (see "Concert Attendance Dips Sharply In First Half Of 2001").

"Both Cream and Clear Channel are hugely disappointed that the event is not going to take place this year," a Cream spokesperson said. "All the artists and DJs involved were looking forward to participating in such a significant event for dance and electronic music. We would like to apologize to anyone who has already purchased tickets and to anybody who was planning on doing so."

Ticket refunds are available at point of purchase.

Cream's Jim King said last week that Creamfields Las Vegas was canceled because "the land that we had been told was available for us to use in Las Vegas turned out to be unavailable" (see "Creamfields Las Vegas Canceled").

The Mekka Tour, which was to feature the Crystal Method, Paul Oakenfold and others, was postponed to next year just three days before it was to kick off, because organizers did not give themselves adequate time to plan it (see "Mekka Tour Postponed Until 2002").

A relative success in a summer of ill-fated ventures, Moby's Area:One Tour, featuring a mélange of electronic, hip-hop, pop and rock artists, came to a close on Sunday in Devore, California (click for a feature interview with Moby about the tour).

The fourth Creamfields U.K. is set for August 25 in Liverpool. Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, Gorillaz, Carl Cox and Paul van Dyk will headline.

• Fatboy Slim
• The Crystal Method
• Orbital
• Timo Maas
• Darren Emerson

47th Annual Grammy Awards Red Carpet

• Beyoncé
• Kanye West
• Mos Def
• Gwen Stefani
• Black Eyed Peas