Jay-Z (file)
Photo: Roc-A-Fella

There's a lot of big music hitting stores this week, but the hottest new release of the batch doesn't feature a single note.

Jay-Z strips The Black Album down to the bare essentials, throwing out the samples and sounds and focusing on just his lyrics for the a cappella version. Though it hits the stores officially this week, it has been on the streets for months, fueling creations like Danger Mouse's The Grey Album (see "Remixers Turn Jay-Z's Black Album Grey, White And Brown").

Garage-rock quartet Division of Laura Lee aim to ensure fans haven't forgotten the Swedish Invasion as they release Das Not Compute, the follow-up to 2002's Black City, which was released in the midst of a barrage of albums by Swedish rock outfits.

If you judge an album by it's title, Killswitch Engage's The End of Heartache might imply a departure from the band's metal sounds and a move toward monster ballads, and Seven Mary Three's sixth studio album, Dis/Location, might find the band departing from its usual alt-rock sound. But don't count on either one.

Out Tuesday, May 11:

• A-Wax & Baby Bash - So Quick ... Like a Heist (40 Ounce)
• Arild Andersen - The Triangle (ECM)
• Another Damn Disappointment - Hooligan (Volcom)
• Beelow - Beelow Presents: Thugz Gone Wild (CD/DVD combo, Ark 21)
• Clarence Bucaro - Sense of Light (Rounder)
• Shirley Caesar - Every Day Is Mother's Day (Liquid 8)
• Cans - Beyond the Gates (Sanctuary/Noise)
• Vinicius Cantuaria - Horse and Fish (Bar/None)
• Carolina Road - The Road That Took You There (CMH)
• Charalambides - Joy Shapes (Kranky)
• Popa Chubby - Peace, Love & Respect (Blind Pig)
• Lloyd Cole - Plastic Wood(One Little Indian)
• Jamie Cullum - Twentysomething (Verve)
• Detroit Grand Pubas - Galactic A** Creatures From Uranus (Poker Flat)
• Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Funeral for a Friend (Ropeadope/Artemis)
• Division of Laura Lee - Das Not Compute (Burning Heart)
  Read: "Sweden's Division Of Laura Lee Reboot With Das Not Compute"
  
  
• Dragonforce - Sonic Firestorm (Sanctuary/Noise)
• Effcee - Perfect (two CDs, Hypnotic/Cleopatra)
• Filthee Immigrants - Filthee Immigrants (Thump)
• Steve Forbert - Just Like There's Nothing to It (Koch)
• The Frank and Joe Show - 33 1/3 (Hyena)
• Donavon Frankenreiter - Donavon Frankenreiter (Universal)
• Gift of Gab - Fourth Dimensional Rocketships Going Up (Quannum)
• The Girls - The Girls (Dirtnap)
• Gone Without Trace - Gone Without Trace (Thorp)
• Great Deceiver - Terra Incognito (Peaceville)
• Great White - A Double Dose (Deadline)
• Hint Hint - Young Days (Suicide Squeeze)
• Jay-Z - The Black Album (A Cappella) (Def Jam)
  Buy Now: The Black Album (A Cappella) (Def Jam)
  
• The Judas Cradle - Too Bad They're All Dead (Eulogy)
• Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache (Roadrunner)
• Lil' Flip - U Gotta Feel Me: Chopped & Screwed (Sucka Free/Columbia)
• Loscil - First Narrows (Kranky)
• The Marked Men - On the Outside (Dirtnap)
• Teena Marie - La Dona (Universal)
• Matches - E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals (Epitaph)
• Lori McKenna - Bittertown (Signature Sounds)
• Helen Merrill - Lilac Wine (Sunnyside)
• Minus the Bear - Bands Like It When You Yell "YAR" at Them (EP, Suicide Squeeze)
• Mountain Heart - Force of Nature (Skaggs Family)
• Maura O'Connell - Don't I Know (Sugar Hill)
• Evan Parker/Electro-Acoustic Ensemble - Memory/Vision (ECM)
• Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers - Keepin' It Real (Blind Pig)
• Craig Pruess - Language of Love: Music for the Kama Sutra (Artemis)
• The Real Tuesday Weld - I, Lucifer (Six Degrees)
• Rhythm of Black Lines - Human Hand, Animal Band (GSL)
• Pete Rock - Soul Survivor II (BBE/Rapster)
• Louis Sclavis - Napoli's Walls (ECM)
• John Scofield - EnRoute (Verve)
• Seven Mary Three - Dis/Location (DRT)
• Sloan - Action Pact (reissue, Koch)
• Spit for Athena - Extermina (Eyeball)
• Tomasz Stanko Quartet - Suspended Night(ECM)
• Teargas & Plateglass - Teargas & Plateglass (Lakeshore)
• Thornley - Come Again (Roadrunner)
• Tonemasters - Goin' With the Flow (Blues Leaf)
• Marshall Tucker Band - Beyond the Horizon (Ramblin'/Shout! Factory)
• U.S. Roughnecks - Twenty Bucks and Two Black Eyes (Hellcat)
• Unicorns - The Unicorns 2014 (EP, Suicide Squeeze)
• Ben Vitamin - Bohemia (Nardis/Liquid 8)
• We Ragazzi - Wolves With Pretty Lips (Suicide Squeeze)
• Jody Williams - You Left Me in the Dark (Evidence)
• Various artists - Creole Bred: A Tribute to Creole & Zydeco (Vanguard)
• Various artists - Dancehall Xplosion 2004 (two CDs, Jam Down)
• Various artists - Guitar Tribute to 40 Years of the Beatles (Tribute Sounds)
• Various artists - Parkinsong Volume One: 38 Songs of Hope (Rykodisc)
• Various artists - Reggae Xplosion 2004 (two CDs, Jam Down)
• Various artists - Smooth Sax Tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire (Tribute Sounds)
• Various artists - String Quartet Tribute to Creed (Vitamin)
• Various artists - String Quartet Tribute to George Strait (Vitamin)
• Various artists - String Quartet Tribute to Good Charlotte (Vitamin)
• Various artists - This Is Rave 6.0: From Dusk Til Dawn (three CDs, Hypnotic/Cleopatra)
• Various artists - A Tribute to The Darkness (Big Eye)
• Various artists - A Tribute to Ruben Studdard (Big Eye)
• Various artists - A Tribute to the Misfits (Anarchy)
• Various artists - A Tribute to Tupac Shakur (Tribute Sounds)
• DVD: Disco Donnie - Rise: The Story of Rave Outlaw Disco Donnie (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: Various artists - Skgrilla Vol. 1 (Radikal)

May 18:

• Lenny Kravitz - Baptism (Virgin)
  Read: "Lenny Kravitz Ditches Funk, Feels Reborn On Baptism"
• Alanis Morissette - So-Called Chaos (Maverick)
• Morrissey - You Are the Quarry (Sanctuary)
• New Found Glory - Catalyst (Drive-Thru)

May 25:

• Everlast - White Trash Beautiful (Island)
• Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin (Arista)
  Read: "Avril Lavigne: No Looking Back"
• Slipknot-Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses (Roadrunner)
  Read: "Slipknot Album Preview: More Structured, But Still Programmed To Kill"

June 1:

• Auf Der Maur - Auf Der Maur (Capitol)
• Truth Hurts - Ready Now> (Pookie)

June 8:

• The Calling - Two (RCA)
  Read: "The Calling Returning With New LP, New Hired Hands"
• Corrs - Borrowed Heaven (Atlantic)
• Gene Simmons - A--hole (Sanctuary)
• Velvet Revolver - Contraband (RCA)
  Read: "Velvet Revolver Album Preview: GN'R + STP = Uphill Battle"

June 22:

• Mobb Deep - Amerikaz Nightmare (Jive)
• Stevie Wonder - A Time 2 Love (Motown)

• Jay-Z
• Division Of Laura Lee
• Seven Mary Three
• Killswitch Engage
• Lil' Flip

Division of Laura Lee (file)
Photo: David Holloway and Chris Mottalini

As four Swedish bands — Division of Laura Lee, the Hives, (International) Noise Conspiracy and Soundtrack of Our Lives — all prepare to release albums within the next four months, at least one person involved isn't exactly pleased about the timing.

"I really hope it doesn't happen again," Division of Laura Lee singer/guitarist Per Stīlberg lamented, dismissing the notion of a second coming of the much-hyped "Swedish Invasion" of 2002 (see "Swede Devotion: Life After the Hives"). "It wasn't like the five or six bands all planned to take over the world."

Far from global domination, the simultaneous emergence of these loosely like-minded groups — and the subsequent media pigeonholing — did have its upside.

"In a way, it was good for us that somebody invented this 'Swedish Invasion' thing," Stīlberg said, "because it opened the eyes of a lot of people. I just hope now people will understand that we don't have anything in common with those bands, except that we're all from Sweden. You can compare us to Fugazi or My Bloody Valentine, but it's always weird when people compare us to the Hives. We don't have anything in common with them ... except maybe the accent."

The attention focused on DOLL and their debut full-length, Black City (see "Division Of Laura Lee: They Could Even Make Health Care Rock"), sparked much anticipation for its follow-up. Stīlberg said people, especially producers, were coming out of the woodwork hoping to be involved with Das Not Compute, due May 11, but the ethically punk quartet wouldn't be taken in by a lengthy résumé.

"In general, big-time people suck," Stīlberg said wryly. "We don't give a sh-- about what they've worked on before. We want to work with people we can trust, people who are our friends."

With Black City producers Don Alstherberg and Kalle Gustafsson, whom Stīlberg calls the fifth and sixth members of the group, DOLL buckled down for three months to record 19 songs, 11 of which eventually made the record. Where Black City's lyrics dealt with personal issues, such as disassociation ("Need to Get Some"), isolation ("Trapped In") and self-deprecation ("The Truth Is F---ed"), Das Not Compute is more concerned with society's ills.

"It's titled Das Not Compute in the sense that something's not working," Stīlberg said. "For some reason, we can't really write happy lyrics. They're more haunted this time. There's more paranoia. It's more political in a global way."

Musically, only a handful of new songs resemble Black City's ferocious guitar assaults. Stīlberg, guitarist David Ojala, drummer Hīkan Johansson, and bassist Jonas Gustavsson have moved from the garage to loftier realms on "Breathe Breathe," "To the Other Side" and the Spiritualized-esque "There's a Last Time for Everything," which feature reverb-laden, melodic vocals amid space-rock atmospheres. Stīlberg wasn't joking about the My Bloody Valentine comparisons — there's even a dizzying song called "Loveless" (also the name of MBV's last album) — and the distinct tempo and textural shifts on the single "Does Compute" prove that there's a lot more to DOLL than three chords and posturing.

"We've matured a bit, but I don't know if we wanted to," Stīlberg said. "When you're getting older you have a wider perspective. It's easy to think differently. On the new record, we're really about making songs, not just riffs. We don't want to be one of those cool-riff bands. We wanted to be able to compare ourselves to the Beach Boys and Fugazi. If you would have asked me that question 15 years ago, I would have said that I never even liked the Beach Boys."

DOLL's forthcoming tour with countrymen the Sounds probably won't help them shake the Swedish stigma Stīlberg is complaining about, but he is excited for his band's third tour of the U.S.

"We have the opportunity to speak out, to say something," he explained. "I think the rock genre is kind of boring these days. If it's going to rock, it has to be dangerous. It has to be truthful. And that's lacking in rock. There are too many sh---y bands ruling the radio and MTV, so we have to push ourselves and get out there."

Division of Laura Lee tour dates, according to Epitaph Records:

• 4/19 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 4/20 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
• 4/23 - Houston, TX @ Engine Room
• 4/24 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
• 4/25 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
• 4/26 - Lubbock, TX @ Tokyo Joe's
• 4/28 - El Paso, TX @ E-9
• 4/29 - Tucson, AZ @ City Limits
• 4/30 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Brick House
• 5/3 - San Diego, CA @ Soma
• 5/4 - Las Vegas, NV @ Huntridge Theatre
• 5/5 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
• 5/7 - Portland, OR @ Dante's
• 5/8 - Seattle, WA @ Studio 7
• 5/10 - Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk
• 5/11 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
• 5/12 - West Hollywood, CA @ The Troubador

• Division Of Laura Lee

Division of Laura Lee's Per Stalberg
Photo: MTV News

BROOKLYN, New York — The members of Division of Laura Lee are a long way from being pretty boys, and they should take that as a compliment. Because, in case you're unfamiliar with the likes of Lemmy Kilmister, Iggy Pop, Joey Ramone, Alice Cooper and, more recently, System of a Down and Slipknot, ugly rocks ... hard.

While the Swedish quartet sounds splendidly hideous on their debut full-length, Black City, kicking off their first headlining tour of North America Wednesday at Southpaw, they sounded like a new haircut — strangely ill-fitting, easily duplicated and, at times, too flat.

Taking the stage shortly after 11 p.m., the members looked their sloppy selves. Flanked by guitarist David Ojala and bassist Jonas Gustafsson, both decked out in too-snug hipster garb, all 200-plus pounds of gap-toothed singer/guitarist Per StÅlberg lumbered up to the mic in a buttoned-up denim jacket and matching newsboy cap, which was shrugged off with his first headbang. The jacket would follow two songs later.

The apt opener, "We've Been Planning This for Years," came slamming out of the gate, all tightly wound, aggressive hooks and acerbic vocal jabs of "Give it all up" over a hammering rhythm. Gustafsson then seized lead vocals for "Black City," while the band plodded through verses filled with mounting intensity before violently throttling the chorus. Both songs brimmed with so much vigor that Division of Laura Lee were half spent by mid-set. Even Black City's best tracks, "Need to Get Some" and "Access Identity," fell victim to a lack of urgency that resulted in miscues and a muddled presentation.

On the record, the trance-inducing jams "I Walk on Broken Glass and "The Truth Is F---ed" show that D.O.L.L. aren't a one-trick pony, like countrymen the Hives, by revealing a heavy Joy Division and My Bloody Valentine influence (one of the two new songs they played is even titled "Loveless"). Folded into the concert setting, however, they're unwelcome distractions that push the band farther from the point at which it excels, namely taking its durable garage rock and delivering it battered and bruised but still standing proud.

Perhaps opening-night jitters played a part in the lackluster set. When D.O.L.L. played with the Hives in New York last year, they were loud, tight and vicious. Opening for a band that arrogantly sported a "next big thing" badge, they had something to prove. As headliners, they may have thought that fixing their place was behind them. It was clear, however, when performing for a finicky New York crowd, about half of which left before the end of a quick and unsolicited encore, that's never a safe assumption.

Philadelphia's Burning Brides performed just prior to D.O.L.L., and played songs from their debut, Fall of the Plastic Empire with definite purpose. Despite being short a member, unlike the headliners, the Brides filled the packed house with their slightly psychedelic stoner rock. Singer Dimitri Coats, with his wild, curly mane, provided the accents, screeching guitar solos and a cool stage presence, while bassist Melanie Campbell seductively laid the foundation. The single "Arctic Snow" exemplified the Brides' ethos, dynamic, loosely built structures that clinch up at the brink of falling apart. And by lapsing into jammy guitar freakouts whenever the mood struck, the Burning Brides showed that they could be both fun and fierce onstage.

Seattle garage rockers the Catheters are also a part of this three-band bill, but were a no-show. They're expected to pick up on the rest of the tour, which runs through February 6 in San Diego.

Remaining dates for Division of Laura Lee, Burning Brides and the Catheters, according to Epitaph Records :

• 1/16 - New York, NY @ The Mercury Lounge
• 1/17 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
• 1/18 - Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear's Place
• 1/19 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Khyber Pub
• 1/20 - Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Music Hall
• 1/22 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
• 1/23 - Detroit, MI @ Small's
• 1/24 - Chicago, IL @ Double Door
• 1/25 - Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
• 1/26 - Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
• 1/27 - Boulder, CO @ Tulagi
• 1/28 - Salt Lake City, UT @ X-Scape (Formerly DV8)
• 1/30 - Vancouver, BC @ Richard's on Richards
• 1/31 - Portland, OR @ The Satyricon
• 2/1 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile Cafe
• 2/3 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
• 2/4 - Pomona, CA @ Glass House
• 2/5 - West Hollywood, CA @ The Troubadour
• 2/6 - San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick

For more on Division of Laura Lee, check out You Hear It First: Division of Laura Lee.

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

• Division Of Laura Lee

R. Kelly's reconfigured upcoming album Chocolate Factory — once called Loveland — now has a release date as well as new tracks not previously bootlegged. It's due out January 14. ...

Unset your TiVos, Vines fans. Despite having been confirmed to perform on Monday night's (December 9) episode of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," the band was yanked from the program's lineup after trashing the set during an afternoon soundcheck. While rehearsing "Outtathaway!," singer Craig Nicholls led the charge in smashing the plexiglass guard surrounding the drums and causing general destruction. The talk show will go ahead as planned without a music guest. ...

Upon her return from a European tour in late March, Avril Lavigne will embark on a headlining tour of North America. The trek is only supposed to last a month, from April 15 to May 17, and an itinerary has yet to be hammered out. ...

Enrique Iglesias debuted the video for "Quizás," the second single from his album of the same name, on Telemundo last week. The song, which means "Maybe" in English, addresses the singer's turbulent relationship with his father, singer Julio Iglesias, and begins with a line, which translated, means "Hello old man, tell me how've you been/ There are so many things I want to explain." ...

In a stroke of irony, Radiohead will — for once — help combat, rather than induce, depression with their music. The band is donating a live video performance of "Idioteque" to the Samaritans Foundation, a counseling service and charity with which drummer Phil Selway has volunteered for years. The video and other tracks can be seen on the Samaritans Web site, changeourminds.com. ...

Hardcore veteran Henry Rollins will set out on a 50-date spoken-word tour, beginning January 7 in San Juan Capistrano, California. Rollins, whose latest projects include the West Memphis 3 benefit album Rise Above and the upcoming flick "Bad Boys 2," is hitting the road to support "I Am Sparticus," a DVD/CD package chronicling highlights from the former Black Flag frontman's 20 years of stand-up/spoken word. ...

Sweden's Division of Laura Lee are embarking on a U.S. tour this winter, with Burning Brides in tow. The 23-date outing starts January 15 in Brooklyn, New York, and wraps February 6 in San Diego, California. ... Glassjaw vocalist Daryl Palumbo has been released from a London hospital where he was treated for recurring symptoms of Crohn's Disease on the eve of a now-jettisoned European tour, itself a make-up jaunt scheduled after a similar flare-up caused prior cancellations. Palumbo is expected to fly back to the States Monday evening. ...

12.06.2002

Russell Simmons and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network have teamed with congressman and House Judiciary Committee member John Conyers to call for a fair court hearing on the Slick Rick deportation case. "We want the federal government to bring justice to this case by releasing Slick Rick," Simmons said in a statement. ...

On Thursday, Ludacris made a surprise appearance at Motorola's annual holiday party to benefit Toys for Tots in West Hollywood to join Missy Elliott on her next single, "Gossip Folks." Christina Aguilera, Pharrell Williams, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Christina Ricci, Johnny Knoxville and Anna Nicole Smith were among the celebrities who watched Elliott's short set, which included a breakdancing showcase during "Work It." ... Nelly has the distinct honor of being the first rapper to appear in the Got Milk? campaign. In his ad, Nelly has the slogan tattooed on his chest and, of course, a milk moustache. ...

Nick Carter performed Wednesday for a Wisconsin High School that won a contest sponsored by Milwaukee radio station WXSS by donating more than 10 tons of food for the needy. The Backstreet Boy performed a 40-minute, eight-song set before more than 1,000 students and staff of Wilmont High School. ... Rock memorabilia ranging from a signed harmonica played by Alanis Morissette to lyrics to "Souljacker Pt. II" handwritten by Eels singer E on toilet paper are included in an eBay.com auction benefiting People for the American Way. The auction, which also features items from Pearl Jam, Madonna and Paul Oakenfold, begins Sunday and ends a week later. ... After scoring the winning bid in an eBay auction, Chicago area entrepreneur Kevin Krak will bring Local H to his favorite neighborhood pub, Duke O'Brien's, in Crystal Lake, Illinois, on December 14. Krak paid $9,701 in the first auction of a live performance on eBay. ...

The Red Hot Chili Peppers won't tour the U.S. until spring, but the band will tease American audiences with a special half-hour-long outdoor concert in Park City, Utah, on December 20. The show, which caps off a celebration for the Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix, will be aired on December 21 at 9 p.m. on NBC. ... The movie "Brown Sugar" and its soundtrack spawned 10 nominations for this year's NAACP Image Awards, leading the pack of nominees. Other nominees up for multiple awards at the show, taking place March 7 in Los Angeles, include Nelly, India.Arie, Ashanti and Erykah Badu. ...

After receiving some flak from singer/songwriter Robbie Fulks for not having a sense of humor when a heckler called him "Bryan Adams," Ryan Adams has redirected his rage toward fellow troubadour Jack White of the White Stripes. White had previously criticized Adams on a White Stripes fan site for changing some lyrics to a Stripes song Adams performed live, and Adams responded none too kindly to the U.K.'s New Music Express about it. In a subsequent interview, Adams inquired as to whether White had responded and fired off a barrage of insults, calling him a "little girl" and "f---ing ponce." Adams also claimed in the NMEthat he was first offered White's bit part in the Civil War flick "Cold Mountain" but turned it down because the last time he looked he "didn't see acting anywhere on my job application to be a rock f---ing star" and he would "rather get a gun and blow my eyeball out" than say "three lines in a two-and-a-half hour film." ...

Pianomen Elton John and Billy Joel will reunite for another Face to Face Tour in February. The pair, which previously played together on the original Face to Face Tour in 1994, and again in 1995, 1996 and 1998, has lined up five dates thus far, beginning February 21 in Birmingham, Alabama, and continuing through March 9 in Buffalo, New York. ... Irish alt-metal band Therapy? are currently in the studio writing their seventh record, which they plan to release early next year. The disc will be the first to feature new drummer Neil Cooper, who replaced Graham Hopkins late last year. ...

On Tuesday, GZA and members of the Wu-Tang Clan will celebrate the release of GZA's new album, The Legend of the Liquid Sword, with a performance at New York's B.B. King's Blues Club. DJ Tony Touch will be commanding the one and twos. ... Grammy-winning DJ duo Deep Dish will record the 25th edition of seminal mix-album series Global Underground at the Guvernment in Toronto on Saturday. Deep Dish were also behind Global Underground 021: Moscow. ... Turntablist Kid Koala will publish his first novel, called "Nufonia Must Fall," in February. "It's about this robot who's trying to write love songs to get the attention of this girl, but he's a robot so he can't sing," Koala said of the book, which will come with a 10-song soundtrack of original music from the DJ. ...

• R. Kelly
• Avril Lavigne
• The Vines
• Radiohead
• Enrique Iglesias

• Division Of Laura Lee

• The Hives
• Sahara Hotnights
• The Soundtrack Of Our Lives
• The (International) Noise Conspiracy
• Division Of Laura Lee