Ghostface Killah's <I>The Big Doe Rehab</i>
Photo: Island Def Jam

The eight days of Hanukkah begin at sunset Tuesday (December 4), and in commemoration of the holiday, we've lined up the week's eight biggest new releases:

Ghostface Killah's The Big Doe Rehab
December 4 matters more to Ghost than to a lot of the artists dropping new releases this week, mainly because he actually had to put up a fight to keep the date. While he told Mixtape Monday in October that his seventh studio album had been cemented for a December 4 release date "for the longest [time]," he came to discover that the new Wu-Tang Clan album, The 8 Diagrams, had been pegged for the same date. But apparently in an effort to appease Ghost, RZA delayed the latter disc a week — which likely made him as content as he appears on his new CD's album cover. He has most of his fellow Clan along for the ride — RZA's nowhere to be found, though — as well as Beanie Sigel, Chrisette Michele and others on the follow-up to Fishscale, which was widely ranked as one of the best rap releases of 2006.

Wyclef Jean's Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant
Ghost's guest list pales in comparison to Wyclef's, which isn't just longer but runs the gamut in terms of music genres. Mary J. Blige, Lil Wayne, Serj Tankian, T.I., Norah Jones, Akon, Shakira, Chamillionaire and even Paul Simon play a role on the release, which features a bonus big name on pretty much every track. Pick up the deluxe edition for even more guest-star goodness — Weezy, 'Kon, Raekwon and more are featured on some of the extra CD's five additional tracks and three videos. The iTunes version of Carnival II has yet another bonus track, while the Best Buy edition comes with three Rhapsody Original extras.

DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz: The Album
There's yet another red-hot guest list in the mix this week, and it's the one featured on Drama's long-overdue studio-LP debut. Diddy, Outkast, T.I., Young Jeezy, Lil Jon, Wayne, the Clipse, Yung Joc, Pharrell, Paul Wall and Nelly all piled onto the disc. The effort was delayed a few times due to Drama's much-publicized studio raid earlier this year and controversy over his well-known moniker, which left him time to come up with another banger or two. "What a better time to drop than during the holidays, a week and a half after Thanksgiving?" Drama recently told Mixtape Monday. "I call myself 'Mr. Thanksgiving.' "

Mariah Carey's "The Adventures of Mimi" DVD
Mirroring Justin Timberlake — who released his new "FutureSex/LoveShow - Live From Madison Square Garden" DVD only through Best Buy a couple of weeks ago — Mimi has stepped up with her own exclusive double-DVD release for the chain. Her first video package since 2000's "#1's" collection captures her October 8, 2006, concert in Anaheim, California, with 19 performances, behind-the-scenes clips, a tour documentary, a karaoke-style feature and more.

Nelly Furtado's Loose: The Concert
Furtado is feeling a bit more generous than Carey — the singer is not only releasing her concert set wide, she's also issuing it in both CD and DVD form. The former item finds Furtado running through 11 of her best-known songs while on her recent European and U.S. tours in support of Loose — including "I'm Like a Bird" and "Promiscuous" — while the expanded DVD has her covering Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and chalking up a bunch more songs, including "Turn Off the Light" and "Powerless." In case fans need even more incentive to grab the DVD instead, it comes with a half-hour's worth of behind-the-scenes video footage with the pop star.

Styles P's Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman)
We've been streaming for free the third solo effort from the D-Block member, a disc that has "Blow Ya Mind" (featuring Swizz Beatz) as its first single. But that's not the only guest P has in tow — he also tapped one of his December 4 competitors, Ghostface, as well as Beanie Sigel, Akon, Jadakiss and others. "I'm just trying to be the MC and come with good, old-fashioned street soul music," he recently told Mixtape Monday of the vibe of the effort, which marks his debut on Koch Records. "I really feel like the '90s era."

Godsmack's Good Times, Bad Times ... Ten Years of Godsmack
The hard-rock band has sold about 11 million albums in the U.S. since it formed 11 years ago, and with a dozen or so singles that rock radio has probably burned into your brain, a greatest-hits collection is only fitting. Also "good timing," so to speak — given Led Zeppelin's recent reunion — is Godsmack's cover of the classic-rockers' "Good Times, Bad Times," which kicks off the 16-song menu. Aficionados will likely want to grab the CD-plus-DVD edition, which features the band performing acoustically at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.

Blake Lewis' Audio Day Dream
Last but not least, the beatboxing "American Idol" alumnus steps up with his first album — for which he claimed to MTV News that he had invented a whole new genre. "I call it '2080,' because it's a mix of all the great pop music that's inspired me," he said of the disc, which blends funk, soul, rock and pop. The sixth-season finalist's album is led by the single "Break Anotha," which was co-written with and produced by Ryan "Alias" Tedder of One Republic, as well as other tracks Tedder helped craft. J.R. Rotem produced and co-wrote "What'cha Got 2 Lose?" with Lewis and fellow "Idol" finalist Chris Richardson, while none other than Lupe Fiasco — who cranks out his own new album, Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool," in a couple of weeks — is featured on "Know My Name."

That's a Rap: Hip-hop heads have a lot on their plate this week — in addition to all the above, there's also a new album from Scarface, Made, that features guest spots from (surprise!) Lil Wayne and T.I. Scarface's last album did well, reaching #12 on the Billboard albums chart and selling more than 300,000 copies, but with hardly any promotion behind his new effort, it's going to be tough for him to score a repeat performance. Also back in stores is Too Short, whose Get Off the Stage is coming under the radar as well — probably because it's the last release he's putting out through Jive. It features E-40, the Pack and more.

There's plenty more bristling on the archival front too, chiefly the new two-part The Best of 2Pac collection. The discs are being sold separately and feature one unreleased song and one new remix apiece: Part 1: Thug has "Resist the Temptation" and a new mix of "Dear Mama" featuring Anthony Hamilton, whose original version was nominated for a Grammy Award; while Part 2: Life contains "Dopefiend's Diner," which finds 2Pac using a vocal sample of the melody line from Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner," and an acoustic remix of "Thugz Mansion."

Mack 10, Fiend and Westside Connection are also getting some love from the vaults with best-of collections, while some of Eazy-E's most memorable guest spots were culled for Featuring Eazy-E. An expanded 20th-anniversary edition of N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton is also hitting stores — with five bonus slices, including a live performance of "Compton's N the House" by Dr. Dre and MC Ren, and covers of Compton tracks by Snoop Dogg, C-Murder, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Mack 10 and WC. And repping newer talent is TVT's Crunk Hits Vol. 4 comp, which has the latest crunk classics by T.I., Lil Jon, Chris Brown and more.

Song Title of the Week:

"Conjunctions, Conjunctions, Everybody Loves Them" from Memphis May Fire's Memphis May Fire

Album Cover of the Week:

Ex-Boyfriends' three different "Clue"-themed covers for In With

Other Notables:

Various artists' "Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis"
In case you weren't privy to the landmark 7/7/07 event, a little guy named Al Gore is trying to raise awareness about a little issue called global warming. Backing him up at the concerts were about 100 of the world's best-known musicians whose performances across the globe were whittled down for the two-hour broadcast captured on this two-DVD/one-CD set. The first video disc spotlights John Legend, Beastie Boys, Black Eyed Peas, Snow Patrol and more; the second one has Rihanna, Foo Fighters and the Smashing Pumpkins, among others; and the CD includes tunes by Madonna, John Mayer, Keane, the Police and others. The net proceeds from the sale of the package go to the Alliance for Climate Protection.

Daft Punk's Alive 2007
The Parisian house duo had a huge year, ruling at Lollapalooza and getting a big boost from Kanye West. Their new live album — the release of which was delayed in the U.S. due to production issues — tries to put all that energy into disc form by immortalizing the act's first show in their hometown in 10 years. The two-disc version comes as a bound book and houses an extra enhanced CD with five songs from Daft Punk's encore, as well as 50 pages of photos and a video of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger," which 'Ye lifted for his song "Stronger."

Lamb of God's Sacrament - Deluxe Producer Edition
Not crazy about the metal titans' latest disc, the genre's top-selling album last year? Well, why not rework it yourself? That's what the guys are offering this week — a version of the disc with the studio tracks isolated, separated and prepared for use on Macs or PCs. Fans can rearrange or mix up the music at their whim, which means they'll have no reason to complain if they're still not happy with songs like "Walk With Me in Hell" and "Foot to the Throat."

New Releases:

· 4 Bonjour's Parties - Pigments Drift Down to the Brook (Mush)
· Aloha - Light Works (Polyvinyl)
· Ben's Brother - Beta Male Fairytales (Virgin)
· Bodies of Water - Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink (Thousand Tongues)
· Bonde do Rolê - Marina Gasolina (EP; Domino)
· Daft Punk - Alive 2007 (limited-edition version comes with bonus CD; Virgin) [Buy Now]
· DJ Drama - Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Atlantic) [Buy Now]
Read: "DJ Drama May Lose His Name, But He'll Always Have Outkast"
· Ex-Boyfriends - In With (Absolutely Kosher)
· Food for Animals - Belly (Hoss)
· Nelly Furtado - Loose: The Concert (Geffen) [Buy Now]
· Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab (Def Jam [Buy Now]
· Isis - Holy Tears (EP; Ipecac)
· Wyclef Jean - Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant (Best Buy edition comes with three Rhapsody Original bonus tracks; Columbia) [Buy Now]
Read: "T.I. Kick-Starts Wyclef Jean's LP; Mary J. Blige, Akon Tagging Along"
· Blake Lewis - Audio Day Dream (Arista/J) [Buy Now]
Read: "'American Idol' Runner-Up Blake Lewis Creates Own Genre On A.D.D. Debut"
· Memphis May Fire - Memphis May Fire (Trustkill)
· Shane Newville - Formless (Syntax)
· Rademacher - Stunts (self-release)
· Scarface - Made (Asylum) [Buy Now]
· Chris Schlarb - Twilight & Ghost Stories (Asthmatic Kitty)
· Shipwreck - Rabbit in the Kitchen With a New Dress On (None)
· Styles P - Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) (Koch) [Buy Now]
· Tender Forever - Wider (K)
· Too Short - Get Off the Stage (Jive) [Buy Now]
· Armin van Buuren - Universal Religion 2008: Live From Armada at Ibiza (Ultra)
· Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall (with DVD; Geffen) [Buy Now]
· Woelv - Tout Seul dans la Forêt en Plein Jour, Avez-Vous Peur? (K)
· The Wreckers - Way Back Home: Live From New York City (with DVD; Warner Bros.)
· Various artists - Night Owls 4 - A Shot in the Dark (Syntax)
· Various artists - To the Fallen Records Presents Country: Volume I and Rock: Volume I (To the Fallen)
· Various artists - "P.S. I Love You" soundtrack (Atlantic)
· Various artists - "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" soundtrack (Columbia)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· 2Pac - The Best of 2Pac: Part I - Thug and Part 2 - Life (Interscope) [Buy Now]
· Trace Adkins - Greatest Hits, Volume II: American Man (Capitol)
· Jason Aldean - Relentless (with bonus "Soundcheck" DVD; available exclusively at Wal-Mart)
· David Bowie - David Bowie Box (10-CD box set; ISO/Columbia) [Buy Now]
· James Brown - The Singles: Volume Four - 1966-1967 (limited-edition two-CD set; Hip-O-Select) [Buy Now]
· Nick Drake - Fruit Tree (box set with three CDs and one DVD; UMe/Fontana) [Buy Now]
· Eagles - Desperado; Eagles Live (two CDs); Eagles Greatest Hits: Volume 2; Hotel California; On the Border; One of These Nights; The Long Run; Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and the two-CD The Very Best Of (Asylum) [Buy Now]
· Eazy-E - Featuring Eazy-E (Capitol/Priority)
· Fiend - The Best of Fiend: Mr. Whomp Whomp (Capitol/Priority)
· Godsmack - Good Times, Bad Times ... Ten Years of Godsmack (also available with DVD; Republic) [Buy Now]
· Billie Holiday - Rare Live Recordings 1935-1959 (five-CD box set; ESP Disk Ltd.)
· Lamb of God - Sacrament - Deluxe Producer Edition (with bonus CD of audio tracks that have been isolated, separated and prepared for use on Mac or PC; Epic)
· The Libertines - The Best Of: A Time for Heroes (Rough Trade) [Buy Now]
· Lindisfarne - The Very Best of Lindisfarne (Caroline)
· Mack 10 - The Best of Mack 10: Foe Life (Priority) [Buy Now]
· N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton - 20th Anniversary Edition (Capitol/Priority) [Buy Now]
· Westside Connection - The Best of Westside Connection: The Gangsta, the Killa and the Dope Dealer (Capitol/Priority)
· Various artists - Crunk Hits Vol. 4 (TVT)
· Various artists - 20 Years of Nuclear Blast (Nuclear Blast)

Music DVDs:

· Mariah Carey - "The Adventures of Mimi" (two DVDs; Best Buy exclusive) [Buy Now]
· Brian Eno - "77 Million Paintings by Brian Eno" (two DVDs; Hannibal)
· Nelly Furtado - "Loose: The Concert" (Geffen) [Buy Now]
· Pelican - "After the Ceiling Cracked" (with CD; Hydra Head)
· Scissor Sisters - "Hurrah: A Year of Ta-Dah" (Universal) [Buy Now]
· The Marshall Tucker Band - "Carolina Dreams Tour '77" (Shout! Factory/Ramblin'; one DVD and two CDs)
· Rufus Wainwright - "Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy!: Live From the London Palladium" (Geffen)
· Various artists - "Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis" (two DVDs and one CD; Reprise)

Digital Releases:

· Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - American X: Baby 81 Sessions (limited-edition EP; available exclusively at ThinkIndie.com)
· Echo and the Bunnymen - B-Sides and Live (2001-2005) (Cooking Vinyl)
· Interpol - Interpol Live (EP; available exclusively at ThinkIndie.com)
· John Lennon - "John Lennon Video Album" (available exclusively at Starbucks via the iTunes Digital Release card; Capitol/EMI Music Marketing)
· Nassiri - Holiday Collection (self-release)
· Professor Murder - Professor Murder on a Desert Island (free EP; RCRD LBL)
· Various artists - Through the Wilderness: A Tribute to Madonna (Manimal Vinyl)

Coming Attractions:

December 11:
· Bow Wow and Omarion - Face Off (also available with bonus DVD; Columbia) [Preorder]
Read: "Bow Wow Says His Face Off With Omarion Will Mean A 'Whole Bunch Of #1 Records' "
· R. Kelly - "Trapped in the Closet, Chapters 1-22" DVD (Jive) [Preorder]
· Mario - Go (J) [Preorder]
· Wu-Tang Clan - The 8 Diagrams (Best Buy edition comes with exclusive DVD; Def Jam) [Preorder]
Read: "Wu-Tang Clan's 'First-Ever Cleared Beatles Sample' Claim Is Incorrect"

December 18:
· Christina Aguilera - "Back to Basics: Live and Down Under" (RCA) [Preorder]
· Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains (Geffen) [Preorder]
Read: "Mary J. Blige Says She's 'Just Fine' With Her New Album, Losing 'Umbrella' To Rihanna"
· Chamillionaire - Mixtape Messiah 4 (Universal) [Preorder]
· Chingy - Hate It or Love It (Disturbing Tha Peace) [Preorder]
· Rivers Cuomo - Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo (Geffen)
· Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's the Cool (Atlantic) [Preorder]
Read: "Lupe Fiasco's Cool World: Tragedy Meets 'Mad Poppy Beats'"
· Rick Ross - Trilla (Def Jam) [Preorder]

December 25:
· Various artists - "High School Musical 2": Non-Stop Dance Party (Disney)
· Various artists - "Young Frankenstein: The New Mel Brooks Musical" (Decca Broadway)

• Ghostface Killah
• Wyclef Jean
• Mariah Carey
• Nelly Furtado
• DJ Drama

Lupe Fiasco
Photo: MTV News

• Lupe Fiasco
• Ben Harper
• Amy Winehouse
• Juliette & the Licks
• Kings Of Leon

Brooke Valentine's <I>Chain Letter</i>
Photo: Virgin

Stand back — there's about to be a "Girlfight" and a "Riot" among the artists included in this week's new releases.

R&B singer Brooke Valentine, featured on MTV's "You Hear It First," has been building major buzz around the release of her album Chain Letter, with the help of debut single "Girlfight." Lil Jon and Big Boi have her back on the song, while the late Ol' Dirty Bastard lent a hand to another track, "Blah, Blah, Blah."

Indie-pop up-and-comers the Kaiser Chiefs are ready to do battle with their LP Employment and its single "I Predict a Riot." The debut album from the Leeds, England-bred quintet combines classic Britpop sounds with dance-rock and undeniably catchy hooks.

The singles compilation Now 18 will also put up a strong fight this week. The album includes Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For?," Lindsay Lohan's "Rumors," Destiny's Child's "Soldier," Ashanti's "Only U," Omarion's "O," John Legend's "Used to Love U" and Good Charlotte's "I Just Wanna Live," among others.

Their last studio album was out in 2001, but Sweden's the Soundtrack of Our Lives are back this week with Origin Vol. 1. Trivium represent for metal with their second album, Ascendancy. Australian blues-infused outfit John Butler Trio release their second LP as well, called Sunrise Over Sea, while energetic Parisian dance-music duo Daft Punk put out their fourth album, Human After All.

Also out this week are albums by Keren Ann (Nolita), the Blind Boys of Alabama (Atom Bomb), Dishwalla (Dishwalla), Al Green (Everything's OK) and Long-View (Mercury).

Out Tuesday, March 15:

• Keren Ann - Nolita (Metro Blue/Blue Note)
• Avila Brothers - The Mood: Soundsational (Thump)
• Baby Bash - Super Saucy (Universal Motown)
• Ron E. Beck - Soul Cry (Thump)
• Biirdie - Morning Kills the Dark (Pop Up)
• Blind Boys of Alabama - Atom Bomb (Real World)
• Blood or Whiskey - Cashed Out on Culture (Punkcore)
• David Bowie - David Live (Virgin)
• David Bowie - Stage (Virgin)
• John Butler Trio - Sunrise Over Sea (Atlantic)
  Buy Now: Sunrise Over Sea (Atlantic)
  
• Celtic Fiddle Festival - Play On (Green Linnet)
• Coughs - Fright Makes Right (Load)
• Daft Punk - Human After All (Virgin)
  Buy Now: Human After All (Virgin)
  
• Matt Darey - Point Zero (Varese Sarabande)
• Devin Davis - Lonely People of the World, Unite! (Mousse)
• Dishwalla - Dishwalla (Orphanage)
• Dr. Dog - Easy Beat (National Parking)
• Eagles - Eagles (Rhino)
• Al Green - Everything's OK (Blue Note)
• Mary Haskell - Inspired Standards - Good for the Soul (Insight)
• Holy Shroud - Ghost Repeaters (Level-Plane)
• Hope 7 - Hope 7 (Trauma)
• Kaiser Chiefs - Employment (Universal)
  Read: "Kaiser Chiefs 'Predict A Riot,' Music Press Predicts Franz Ferdinand-Like Success"
  Buy Now: Employment (Universal)
  
• Kamelot - The Black Halo (Steamhammer US)
• Konks - The Konks (Bomp)
• Miranda Lambert - Kerosene (Epic Nashville)
• Nguyen Le Quartet - Walking on the Tiger's Tail (HighNote)
• Long-View - Mercury (Columbia)
• Los Lobos - Live at the Fillmore (Hollywood)
• Curtis Mayfield - Mayfield: Remixed — The Curtis Mayfield Collection (Rhino)
• Marian McPartland & Friends - 85 Candles — Live in New York (Concord)
• New Monsoon - Live at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival (SCI Fidelity)
• Gruff Rhys - Yr Atal Genhedlaeth (Sanctuary)
• Joanne Shenandoah - Skywoman (Silver Wave)
• The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Origins, Vol. 1 (Republic Records)
• Steely Dan - Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz Radio Broadcast (Concord)
• Paul Taylor - Nightlife (Peak/Concord)
• Tierra Santa - Apocalipsis (Locomotive)
• Trivium - Ascendancy (Roadrunner)
• Ultralyd - Chromosome Gun (Load)
• Urban Knights - VI (Narada Jazz)
• Brooke Valentine - Chain Letter (Virgin)
  Read: "Don't Mess With 'Girlfight' Singer Brooke Valentine: Lil Jon And Big Boi Have Her Back"
  Buy Now: Chain Letter (Virgin)
  
• Patrick Wolf - Wind in the Wires (Tomlab)
• Various artists - DJ Afrowax Presents: eVolution (VI Music)
• Various artists - Drum Nation 2 (Magna Carta)
• Various artists - "NASCAR in 3D: The IMAX Experience" soundtrack (Shout! Factory)
• Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 18 (Epic)
• Various artists - "Robots" soundtrack (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - Soldiers of the 213 (Thump)
• Various artists - Subdivisions (Magna Carta)
• DVD: Asleep at the Wheel - "Live at Billy Bob's" (Image)
• DVD: Various artists - "Magic Moments: The Best of '50s Pop" (Shout! Factory)

March 22:

• Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (Atlantic)
  Read: "Franz Ferdinand Give Bloc Party A Leg Up"
  Buy Now: Silent Alarm (Atlantic)
  
• Moby -Hotel (V2/BMG)
  Read: "Moby Takes Aim At Nick And Jessica With 'Beautiful'"
  Buy Now: Hotel (V2/BMG)
  
• Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyze (Interscope)
  Read: "Queens Of The Stone Age Keep LP, Tour Shrouded In Mystery"
  Buy Now: Lullabies to Paralyze (Interscope)

March 29:

• Beck - Guero (Geffen)
  Read: "Finished Version Of That Beck LP You Downloaded Due In March"
  Buy Now: Guero (Geffen)
  
• The Bravery - The Bravery (Island)
  Read: "The Bravery Bring Today's Technology To Yesterday's Sounds"
  Buy Now: The Bravery (Island)
  
• Will Smith - Lost & Found (Interscope)
  Read: "Will Smith Has 'Sumthin' For Eminem' On New LP, Due In March"
  Buy Now: Lost & Found (Interscope)

April 5:

• Faith Evans - First Lady (Capitol)
• Hot Hot Heat - Elevator (Sire)
  Read: "Hot Hot Heat's Ups And Downs Inspire Elevator"
• Various artists - Music from the O.C. Mix 4 (Warner Bros.)

• Brooke Valentine
• Kaiser Chiefs
• Daft Punk
• The Soundtrack Of Our Lives
• Al Green

Lil' Bow Wow is doing double duty behind the camera this week. Currently filming the movie "Like Mike" in Los Angeles, the rap pup will shoot the video for his next single, "Take Ya Home," out there on Tuesday. ... Dru Hill are at the halfway point in recording their third album. Woody, who left the group after its last LP to pursue gospel music, has returned to the fold. ... Metallica singer/guitarist James Hetfield and his wife, Francesca, welcomed their third child, daughter Marcella Francesca, into their family earlier this month. ... Kelly Price has been working with producers Warryn Campbell and Stevie J. on her next LP, Priceless, which is expected in June, with a first single due this spring. Among Price's guests in the studio are Faith Evans, Yolanda Adams and Raphael Saadiq. ...

Justin Timberlake, Brian McKnight and Jamie Foxx will join hoops stars and legends (including Earvin "Magic" Johnson) in the inaugural 989 Sports' All-Star Hoop-It-Up tournament. The games, which will put a celebrity, an NBA star, a WNBA star and an NBA legend on each team, will be held at the First Union Center in Philadelphia on February 9 during the NBA's All-Star Weekend. ... Björk is the first artist confirmed to play the third incarnation of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which will take place April 27 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California, according to a spokesperson for the singer. Last year's festival featured Jane's Addiction, Weezer and the Roots. ... Jessica Simpson will speak to young women about inner strength as one of the "Cheerleaders of Life" at the sixth annual NFL Super Bowl Cheerleading Spirit Clinic Saturday afternoon at the Louisiana Superdome. Lesslee Fitzmorris, choreographer of the Super Bowl Pregame Show, will teach more than 1,000 attendees football fundamentals and cheering skills. ...

Macy Gray is the latest artist tapped to perform at next month's Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, joining previously announced artists Dave Matthews Band, Foo Fighters and Creed as part of the Hallmark Olympic Celebration Concert Series, which runs from February 8-24. The raspy-voiced singer's set is slated for February 12, and more artists are expected to be announced in the days leading up to the event. ... Lo-Fidelity Allstars will release Don't Be Afraid of Love on March 5. The LP, which features a guest appearance by former Afghan Whig Greg Dulli, is their studio follow-up to 1999's How to Operate With a Blown Mind, which spawned the dance hit "Battle Flag." ... Ministry of Sound, one of the U.K.'s premier electronic music brands, is the latest to join the chillout fray with the release of the double-disc The Chillout Session on February 5. Soothing tunes from Radiohead (a rare Zero 7 remix of "Climbing Up the Walls"), Massive Attack, Air, Badly Drawn Boy, Sigur Rós and Underworld are included on the 29-track compilation. ...

01.25.02

P. Diddy will shoot the video for his next single, a remix of "Roll With Me," with director Benny Boom next week in New York. Boom also directed the clip for "Got Ur Self A ..." by Nas. ... Adema and Earshot will accompany Alien Ant Farm, Fenix TX and Glassjaw on the SnoCore Rock Tour, which kicks off February 15 in Providence, Rhode Island. Adema will join the outing on March 1; Local H have been added to the first three dates. ... The Goodie Mob's Cee-Lo will release his debut solo album, Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections, on April 2. The first single and video from Cee-Lo, who is also a member of the Atlanta hip-hop collective the Dungeon Family, is "Closet Freak." ...

Hopefully the Spice Girls invested their fortune well, because they may have to fork over as much as $1.5 million to motor scooter company Aprilia. Three judges in a London Court of Appeal declared the ladies were guilty of misrepresentation for not telling the company of Geri Halliwell's plans to leave the group when they signed a sponsorship deal with the company. ... Raphael Saadiq of Tony! Toni! Toné! and Lucy Pearl will drop his solo debut, Instant Vintage, on May 28. D'Angelo guests on the album's first single, "Be Here," and will also appear in the video, which Saadiq will direct. ... Former Powerman 5000 bassist Dorian Heartsong (a.k.a. Dorian 27), who left the group in November under amicable circumstances, has resurfaced as the bass player for rock combo Flying Tigers. The band's self-titled debut will come out April 16. ...

Fresh off a tour with Sum41, Unwritten Law will kick off a headlining jaunt on February 12 in Tallahassee, Florida. The outing will support their fourth album, Elva, which hits stores on Tuesday. ... Rare tracks by Gallic acts such as Daft Punk, Air and Cassius will be released March 5 on My House in Montmartre. Highlights include Dimitri From Paris' remix of Alex Gopher's "Party People," Etienne de Crecy's remix of Air's "Modular Mix" and the Stardust favorite "Music Sounds Better With You." ... Also due March 5 is the self-titled debut album from Playgroup, the latest project from British producer and U2/Massive Attack remixer Trevor Jackson (a.k.a. the Underdog). Among the album's peculiar guests are Scottish artist Edwyn Collins, original riot grrrl Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre), Lucy Pearl singer Joi, and dancehall vocalist Shinehead on a cover of Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover."

• Bow Wow
• Metallica
• Macy Gray
• Diddy
• Foo Fighters

U2's Bono
Photo: Interscope

Gorillaz, Limp Bizkit, U2 and Craig David lead the list of nominees for the MTV Europe Music Awards, scheduled for November 8 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Blur's Damon Albarn and his cartoon side project are up for six awards: Best Group, Best New Act, Best Dance Act, Best U.K. Act, Best Song (for "Clint Eastwood") and the new Web Award for best Web site.

Limp Bizkit and U2 are each nominated for the same four trophies: Best Group, Best Album, Best Rock Act and the Web Award. Craig David is up for Best Male Act, Best New Act, Best R&B Act and Best U.K. Act.

The nominees were announced Tuesday (September 25) at London's Mayfair Club. The MTV Europe Music Awards, which will air live on MTV U.K. and Ireland, will feature performances from Destiny's Child, Dido and Janet Jackson. Others will be announced in the coming weeks.

Winners for all of the awards, with the exception of Best Video, are determined by online voting at www.mtveurope.com. Best Video is chosen by MTV Europe. Last year's winner was Moby's "Natural Blues."

Other acts with multiple nominations this year are Destiny's Child, Eminem and Dido, who have all garnered three nods each. Slim Shady received a fourth nomination with his group D12, which he is competing against for Best Hip-Hop Act. And while not officially nominated for "Stan," Dido appears on Eminem's track that is up for Best Song.

Crazy Town, Daft Punk, Madonna, Shaggy, Janet Jackson and Outkast are nominated for two awards apiece.

Nominees for the MTV Europe Music Awards:

Best Group:
• Destiny's Child
• Gorillaz
• Limp Bizkit
• R.E.M.
• U2

Web Award:
• Daft Punk
• Depeche Mode
• Gorillaz
• Limp Bizkit
• U2

Best Song:
• "Butterfly," Crazy Town
• "Clint Eastwood," Gorillaz
• "Lady Marmalade," Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink and Christina Aguilera
• "Stan," Eminem
• "Survivor," Destiny's Child

Best Female Act:
• Mariah Carey
• Dido
• Janet Jackson
• Jennifer Lopez
• Madonna

Best Male Act:
• Craig David
• Eminem
• Ricky Martin
• Shaggy
• Robbie Williams

Best Pop Act:
• Anastacia
• Atomic Kitten
• 'NSYNC
• Shaggy
• Britney Spears

Best Album:
• All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2
• Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, Limp Bizkit
• Music, Madonna
• No Angel, Dido
• The Invisible Band, Travis

Best New Act:
• Craig David
• Dido
• Nelly Furtado
• Gorillaz
• Wheatus

Best Dance Act:
• Basement Jaxx
• Daft Punk
• Faithless
• Gorillaz
• Roger Sanchez

Best R&B Act:
• Craig David
• Destiny's Child
• Janet Jackson
• Outkast
• Wyclef Jean

Best Hip-Hop Act:
• D12
• Missy Elliott
• Eminem
• Outkast
• P. Diddy

Best Rock Act:
• Blink-182
• Crazy Town
• Limp Bizkit
• Linkin Park
• U2

Best U.K. Act:
• Artful Dodger
• Craig David
• Feeder
• Gorillaz
• S Club 7

• Gorillaz
• Limp Bizkit
• U2
• Dido
• Janet Jackson

Innovative videos from Gorillaz, Fatboy Slim and Orbital will have their U.S. premieres next month as part of Cinema Electronica, a component of the digital film festival Resfest.

Gorillaz' "19-2000" by Jamie Hewlett and Pete Candleland, Fatboy Slim's "Ya Mama" by Traktor (the Swiss creators of MTV's Jukka Brothers commercials) and Orbital's "Oi" by Paul Donnellan will premiere at the festival, which kicks off September 6 in San Francisco, according to Resfest's publicist.

Resfest, now in its fifth year, will showcase 1,500 entries, including features, short films, music videos, animation and other examples of state-of-the-art technology. Doug Pray's acclaimed turntablist documentary "Scratch" will be among the films shown.

Video highlights include Radiohead's "Pyramid Song" by Shynola and Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" by Spike Jonze, which has picked up nine 2001 MTV Video Music Awards nominations (see "Video Music Awards Nominations: Fatboy Slim, Missy Elliott, 'NSYNC, 'Lady Marmalade' Lead The Pack").

Others videos having their U.S. premieres include Dirty Vegas' "As Days Go By" by Blue Source, Super Furry Animals' "Juxtapozed with U" by Antoine Bardou-Jacquet and Ludovic Houplain, Red Snapper's "Some Kind of Kink" by Richard Anthony, Midfield General's "Midfielding" by Stephen McGregor, Mujaji's "Italian Waffles" by Duncan Creamer and Sara Scott-Harper and Clinic's "The Second Line" by Unit 9 Ltd.

Daft Punk's "Aerodynamic" by Leiji Matsumoto, Mouse on Mars' "Actionist Respoke" by Til Obladen, Amon Tobin's "4 Ton Mantis" by Floria Sigismondi, Tino's "Jazz Overload" by Ben Stokes, Etienne de Crecy's "Scratched" by Geoffroy de Crecy and Spacer's "The Beamer" by Run Wrake round out the videos lineup.

Last year's Cinema Electronica featured clips by Fatboy Slim, Moby, Underworld, Primal Scream and Leftfield. Resfest, associated with Res magazine, is the first video festival devoted exclusively to digital filmmaking.

Resfest dates, according to the festival's publicist:

• 9/6-8 - San Francisco, CA
• 9/13-15 - Seattle, WA
• 9/20-22 - Chicago, IL
• 10/4-6 - London, England
• 10/10-14 - New York, NY
• 10/25-28 - Los Angeles, CA
• 10/25-28 - Seoul, Korea
• 10/25-28 - Bristol, England
• 11/23-25 - Tokyo, Japan

For a feature interview with Gorillaz, check out "Gorillaz: In The Cage."

• Gorillaz
• Fatboy Slim
• Daft Punk
• Orbital

Fatboy Slim
Photo: Jill Greenberg

Italian house producer Spiller was the big winner at Wednesday's DanceStar 2001 Tiscali World Dance Music Awards, taking home trophies for Best Chart Act, Best House Act and Record of the Year for his overseas hit "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)." Spiller missed a sweep by one category, losing the prestigious DanceStar of the Year award to British singer Sonique, who scored a worldwide crossover hit last year with "It Feels So Good." The DanceStar Awards ceremony was held at London's Alexandra Palace. Erick Morillo, founder of New York dance label Subliminal Records, hosted the second annual event with Gail Porter. Faithless, garage duo Architechs and trance act Darude, which won Best Breakthrough Act, were among the evening's performers. Superstar DJ Fatboy Slim led the list of nominees with five nods, but walked away with just one award, for Best Breakbeat/Eclectic Act for his Jim Morrison-sampling "Sunset (Bird of Prey)." French duo Daft Punk ousted Fatboy Slim, Sonique and two-step trailblazer MJ Cole in the Best Album category with Discovery, which was recently released in the U.S. Cole also lost Best Garage Act to Wookie featuring Lain, who won with their track "Battle," but Cole beat out Wookie, Mirwais and BT for Best Producer. Best Trance Act went to German DJ Timo Maas for "Ubik," Best Radio DJ went to Essential Mix host Pete Tong and Best Club DJ went to U.K. veteran Carl Cox, who was also honored with the Outstanding Contribution to Worldwide Dance Music award. New York DJ Danny Tenaglia was given the Lifetime Achievement award.

A worldwide academy of dance music artists, journalists and other industry experts chose the DanceStar nominees, and the public voted in the winners at www.dancestar.net.

• Fatboy Slim
• Sonique
• Daft Punk
• M.J. Cole
• Carl Cox

Fatboy Slim
Photo: MTV News

Fatboy Slim's five nods tops the long list of nominees for the DanceStar 2001 Tiscali World Dance Music Awards, which were announced Wednesday (April 25).

Close behind are Sonique and Spiller, each nominated for four awards, which will be presented June 6 at London's Alexandra Palace.

Fatboy Slim, a.k.a. Norman Cook, is up for Best Club DJ, DanceStar of the Year and Best Breakbeat/Eclectic Act for "Sunset (Bird of Prey)," Best Album of the Year for Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, and Best Video for "Demons" (featuring Macy Gray).

The other nominees for DanceStar of the Year are Timo Maas for "Ubik," Spiller for "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)," Craig David for "Rendezvous" and Sonique for "It Feels So Good." Sonique's Hear My Cry is also nominated for Best Album along with Daft Punk's Discovery, MJ Cole's Sincere and Bent's Programmed to Love. Fatboy faces stiff competition in the Best Club DJ category from Erick Morillo, Danny Tenaglia, Paul Oakenfold, Sasha, John Digweed, Seb Fontaine, Fergie, Carl Cox and Judge Jules.

Morillo, founder of New York dance label Subliminal Records, will host the awards along with Gail Porter and DJ Brandon Block.

Faithless, who occasionally feature founder Rollo's sister, Dido, are among the acts scheduled to perform. Others include U.K. garage duo Architechs, trance star Darude, Denmark percussionists Safri Duo and Jakatta, who will perform his hit European single "American Dream," a reworking of the title track to the film "American Beauty." Additional artists will be announced later.

Moby, Artful Dodger, ATB and Chicane (featuring Bryan Adams) performed at last year's inaugural ceremony.

DanceStar 2001 will be webcast live at Tiscali's music portal, www.musix.com.

A worldwide academy chose the nominees and winners are voted on by the public at www.dancestar.net.

In conjunction with the awards, DanceStar will release a compilation album featuring many of this year's nominees.

• Fatboy Slim
• Timo Maas
• Sonique
• Daft Punk
• M.J. Cole

• Daft Punk

Shaggy
Photo: Jason Campbell

Maybe Shaggy really does have an angel watching over him. Fueled by his latest single, "Angel," the reggae pop singer's Hotshot LP has hot-stepped its way back to the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart, surging past Dave Matthews Band's Everyday and Aerosmith's Just Push Play. Hotshot sold more than 209,000 copies last week to jump up from the #3 position, according to sales figures issued by SoundScan on Wednesday (March 21). DMB's Everyday sold 199,000 copies, sliding out of the top spot after its two-week run there.

Aerosmith, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday night, sold 125,000 copies of Just Push Play, which falls to #3. Former Faithless vocalist Dido lays claim to #4 — her highest Billboard 200 chart position yet — with No Angel, which has sold 2.5 million copies since its release in June 1999.

Reptile, the new album from Eric "Slowhand" Clapton, was the week's highest debut on the Billboard 200, selling more than 101,000 copies to enter the chart at #5. However, Clapton enjoyed a better debut with last year's Riding With the King LP, his collaboration with bluesman B.B. King, which sold more than 193,000 copies in its first week to enter the chart at #3.

Two R&B singers also managed to crack the new chart's top 10 in their first week. Tank's Force of Nature debuts at #7 (97,000 copies sold), while Jaheim's Ghetto Love lands at #9 (79,000 copies sold).

Rounding out the rest of the top 10 are Eve's Scorpion, at #6 (99,000 copies sold); DJ Clue's The Professional, Part 2, at #8 (91,000); and Limp Bizkit's Chocolate Starfish and the Hot-Dog Flavored Water, at #10 (78,000).

One title notably missing from the top 10 is The Beatles 1, which falls to #12 on the chart — marking the first time the Fab Four compilation has been out of the top 10 since arriving in stores in November.

Albums debuting elsewhere on the Billboard 200 albums chart include Daft Punk's Discovery, at #44; Our Lady Peace's Spiritual Machines, at #81; Trick Pony's self-titled album, at #91; Bishop T.D. Jakes' Storm Is Over, at #92; Semisonic's All About Chemistry, at #103; Clutch's Pure Rock Fury, at #135; and Pure 80's Hits, featuring tracks from Duran Duran, Simple Minds and Night Ranger, at #184.

For a full-length interview with Shaggy, check out the feature

• Shaggy
• Aerosmith
• Dave Matthews Band
• Dave Matthews
• Eric Clapton

Inside The 2007 "GQ" Men Of The Year Issue

• Kanye West
• Lil Wayne
• Daft Punk
• Rihanna
• Robin Thicke

Pearl Jam, Amy Winehouse, Lupe Fiasco, M.I.A., More At Lollapalooza 2007

• Pearl Jam
• M.I.A.
• Daft Punk
• Perry Farrell
• Against Me!

2002 Winter Music Conference Photos

• Daft Punk
• Rinôçérôse
• BT