Photo: MTV News

If you hate non-biodegradable Styrofoam packaging as much as I do, well, then today is like spring break, Christmas and your 21st birthday all rolled into one. It's Earth Day, the annual celebration of environmentalism, ecological awareness and, uh, recycling (or something). But, of course, you probably knew that already.

Anyway, if you're like me, you're celebrating Earth Day by churning the compost heap, grilling up seitan patties and — most importantly — recycling some old albums.

And when I say "recycling," I don't mean "using them as coasters" or "trading them in to SecondSpin.com for a copy of 'MLB '09: The Show.' " No, I'm talking about rediscovering some gems that warrant a second chance — albums that, whether it was due to the fickle nature of the scene or your evil college girlfriend stealing them from you, never really got the shine they deserved.

And since this is the final Earth Day of the decade, I've decided to focus on albums from the 2000s. So here are 10 overlooked albums that should be recycled ... and not just because music really is a renewable resource. Consider it as yet another way to think globally (and act locally), only, you know, you don't really have to do anything at all. Every one you listen to will save roughly 10,000 trees and offset your entire family's carbon footprint. Or something like that.

The Glands, S/T (2000): A swoony, spindle-legged indie album from Athens, Georgia, that plays like a tour through the town's musical history (R.E.M.'s jangle, the B-52s' bizarre party-pop, the entire Elephant 6 collective's sun-dappled retro-ism). The brainchild of singer/guitarist/songwriter Ross Shapiro, the Glands' self-titled second album laid the blueprint for the success of acts like the Shins with songs like "Mayflower" and "Livin' Was Easy," and the fact that the band has yet to release a follow-up only adds to its mystique.

Green Day, Warning (2000): After the prom anthem ("Good Riddance") and before the rebirth (American Idiot), which is to say "at the exact time when no one cared about them." Warning is the band's worst-selling album, though it's rather unjustly overlooked. Billie Joe Armstrong's writing is super strong — he really begins his blue-collar period here — and tracks like "Minority" and "Warning" proved that GD could still be plenty snotty when they wanted to.

Modest Mouse, The Moon And Antarctica (2000): The album where Modest Mouse got arty. Not as urgent as The Lonesome Crowded West or as uniting as Good News for People Who Love Bad News, the wandering Antarctica is a conceptual work of sorts, about loneliness and isolation (it's reportedly about the soul-crushing time frontman Isaac Brock spent in seemingly disparate locales like Seattle and Gainesville, Florida). Not exactly listener-friendly — the middle section of the album consists of three songs spanning 17 downward-spiraling minutes — it's where Brock began to mature as a lyricist (and a musician). Uneasy listening at its finest.

Q and Not U, No Kill No Beep Beep (2000): Jagged, art-damaged post-punk from impossibly skinny D.C. kids, this is probably the finest record Dischord released this decade. It's also probably the most overlooked, for reasons I'm not exactly clear on. Songs like "Little Sparkee" and "Y Plus White Girl" bristle with spastic energy, the kind the band would forgo on following albums (2002's Different Damage and '04's Power, both of which are plenty good too). They called it quits a few years back, which is a shame. They'll be missed.

Mewithoutyou, Catch for Us the Foxes (2002): Ignore, if possible, the rather bizarre rantings of frontman Aaron Weiss (who is sort of like a Freegan preacher, if that makes any sense) and focus on the searing guitar work on tracks like "January 1979" and "Paper Hanger," or the slow burn of "The Soviet." Actually, Weiss is really good here too, sounding very much like he's on the verge of mental collapse ... which he actually could be. Sorta Christian-core, kinda post-hardcore, Mewithoutyou have always been indefinable. And this is their most indefinable album. It's also their finest.

Brand New, Deja Entendu (2003): Sure, kids in the scene (whatever that is) can claim this one, but can you? Probably not ... though you probably should. Originally intended as a sort of commentary on the state of modern rock, Deja has become a landmark album of so-called "emo-punk" (even though it's nothing of the sort), thanks to songs like "Sic Transit Gloria ... Glory Fades" and "I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light," both of which sound like they could be part of a Fall Out Boy set list today. If you want to trace the evolution of punk from Refused's The Shape of Punk to Come to FOB's From Under the Cork Tree, this is your middle stop.

The Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat (2004): A highly conceptual, overlapping work of art-rock (and art-wonk), Boat confounded pretty much everyone who had buzzed about the Furnaces' debut, Gallowsbird's Bark, though it remains one of the decade's greatest accomplishments. Featuring more than 20 instruments, songs that stretch to 10 minutes and lyrical mentions of Damascus and the 1917 World Series, it's an album that deserves to be heard. And debated. And probably misunderstood.

... And You Will Know Us by the Trail Of Dead, Worlds Apart (2005): A total and complete disaster of an album, one that effectively destroyed all the good will Trail of Dead had built with 2002's monumental Source Tags & Codes. The epic World's Apart is a testament to ego and excess, full of chanting choirs, screaming eagles and violin workouts. It also happens to feature thunderous guitars and drums, not to mention one of the greatest album intros of the decade. TOD deserved better than the backlash they got for this.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, Some Loud Thunder (2007): Hey, speaking of backlash, this is maybe the most backlashiest album released this decade. From the self-release to the production to the shrillness of "Satan Said Dance," CYHSY went for broke on Thunder, and, well, it broke them. Given a few years, I've grown to appreciate this one, if not for the sheer amount of risks the band took, but for the really great second half, highlighted by songs like "Yankee Go Home" and "Underwater (You and Me)."

Panic at the Disco, Pretty. Odd. (2008): I have a love/hate relationship with this band and this album (and I've written plenty about them/it that falls under either category), but I will just say two things: 1) A year after its release, I still listen to P.O. regularly; and 2) Give this one a decade ... we could have another Pinkerton on our hands.

Questions? Concerns? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com.

• Green Day
• Modest Mouse
• Panic at the Disco
• Brand New
• Mewithoutyou

Alchemist's <i>1st Infantry Deluxe</i>
Photo: Koch Records

As you can see, it's a pretty weak week for new releases — don't expect to see many new faces cracking next week's top 10 ... or 20, for that matter. In fact, it's so slow that we've decided to double up some of the latest rack contenders tag-team style and see who'd come out on top. It's probably the only time you'll see a margarita-swilling folk legend conspiring with death-metal cretins to body-slam a band of cabaret-loving punks.

Round One: Tricked-Out Magic

Alchemist and Elefant vs. Moby and Coachella: Alchemist is hoping to turn his fading 1st Infantry record — it's been out for almost two years — back into gold with a DVD-enhanced deluxe edition. New York dynamos Elefant are up to some mojo of their own with their second release, The Black Magic Show, taking on producer Don Gilmore (Good Charlotte, Linkin Park) and mixer Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Sonic Youth). In the other corner, Moby pours two bonus films, a cover of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" and a full CD of remixes into his "Live - Hotel Tour 2005" set, then gangs up with the cast of "Coachella: The Film" — including the Flaming Lips, Radiohead and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Winners:

When the other Coachella backups — Belle and Sebastian, Muse and Tenacious D — find themselves up against Al's impressive guests (Nas, Game and T.I.), it's time to ring the bell.

Round Two: Burnin' Up

The Fiery Furnaces and Just a Fire vs. Judge Jules and the Red Krayola: Native Chicago twosome the FF burn into this competition with their fourth opus, Bitter Tea, frothing over with songs like "The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry," "Police Sweater Blood Vow" and "Whistle Rhapsody?" Windy City cohorts Just a Fire — featuring members of June of 44 and Sweep the Leg Johnny — keep the temperature raised with their second record, Spanish Time. On the other end of the ring, pre-eminent DJ Judge Jules dishes up his first domestic release in almost 13 years with The Global Warm-Up Mix CD, which cobbles together tracks by lesser-known players like Signalrunner, Randy Katana and E-Craig; and the 40-year-old Red Krayola throw another iron in the fire with their ill-named Introduction, even if it is their first studio set in more than five years.

Winners: Fiery Furnaces and Just a Fire out-sweat the competition.

Round Three: Lunch Break

The Disco Biscuits and Banana Blender Surprise vs. Matthew Sweet and Marshall Chapman: Jam-rock spazz-outs the Disco Biscuits have the most colorful album cover this week with The Wind at Four to Fly, and their tag-team partners Banana Blender Surprise promise even more dietary goodness on their own double-disc affair, Paint the Town Brown, which culls together most of the band's old material. Matthew Sweet and the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs come together to recap some of their favorite '60s tunes by the Beatles, Neil Young and the Velvet Underground for Under the Covers, Vol. 1, while Chapman antes up with Mellowicious!, her first outing in nine years.

Winners: Sweet and Mellowicious! let their sugary tendencies get the better of them, and DB and BBS' continental breakfast makes them the new intercontinental champions.

Round Four: Getting Frisky

Animal Liberation Orchestra and Be Your Own Pet vs. the Lovely Feathers and Lizzie West: ALO put out a different version of Fly Between Falls last summer, but their new one has a fresh recording of "Walls of Jericho" — a song featured on Jack Johnson's recent live DVD — plus reworked takes of "Girl, I Wanna Lay You Down" and "Barbecue." Be Your Own Pet, in the meantime, keep it elementary on their Summer Sensation EP with tracks like "Bicycle, Bicycle" and "Fire Department." On the opposing side, the Lovely Feathers get up on their Hind Hind Legs digipak to name off a couple of their heroes on "Pope Jean Paul" and "Rod Stewart," while Lizzie West ropes in the White Buffalo to craft I Pledge Allegiance to Myself, on which she covers songs by Bob Marley and Steve Goodman.

Winners: Freedom fighters ALO and Be Your Own Pet claw through their opponents (with some help from Elefant, who hunt down the White Buffalo when the ref's not looking).

Round Five: Location, Location

The Dresden Dolls and Stereophonics vs. Jimmy Buffett and Impaled Nazarene: Cabaret hasn't stopped Boston's Dresden Dolls from showing some skin on their Yes, Virginia ... digipak; just look to songs like "Sex Changes" and "First Orgasm" for proof. They get some help from the 'Phonics, who cram 20 nuggets into the two-disc Live From Dakota, which the Brits are putting out on their own Vox Populi imprint. Buffett heads to the Stereophonics' homeland with "Werewolves of London," which appears on the "Hoot" soundtrack; but things are noticeably grittier up north in Finland, where death-metal maniacs Impaled Nazarene send up "One Dead Nation Under Dead God" and "Goat Sodomy" as part of their Pro Patria Finlandia.

Winners: After the other side passes out from too many margaritas and too much animal intercourse, the Dresden Dolls and Stereophonics are the last ones standing.

Round Six: Evil vs. Good

Rye Coalition and Killing Joke vs. the Church and Dio: Indie-rock vets Rye Coalition stuck true to their roots and pulled off a heroic feat by nabbing Curses — their fourth, Dave Grohl-produced record — back from Interscope, breaking their contract with the major label but retaining ownership of the LP all the same (now the record's dropping on underground imprint Gern Blandsten). Backing up Rye are Killing Joke, who holed up in a basement in Prague and used tape-echo machines dating back to 1979 to craft their nine-track Hosannas From the Basement of Hell. On God's side are the Church, who recorded their Uninvited Like the Clouds last summer in Sydney; and Dio, who's Holy Diver Live gives him an excuse to recap hits like "Stand Up and Shout" and "Heaven and Hell," the latter of which he originally tracked with the very unholy Black Sabbath. (Completing the circle, Grohl played drums on Tenacious D's tribute track "Dio.")

Winners: Daniel Johnston — whose documentary "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" precipitated this week's Welcome to My World: The Music of Daniel Johnston archival set — dives into the ring and pile-drives the Church and Dio. Who says Satan can't cheat?

Main Prize: Hogs all around for the winners! There's Demolition Doll Rods' There Is a Difference, plus reissues of the Knights' Hot Rod High and Mr. Gasser and the Weirdos' Hot Rod Hootenanny and Rods N' Rat Finks. Now that's a hootenanny.

Song Title of the Week:

"Cool and Unusual Punishment" from NOFX's Wolves in Wolves' Clothing

New Releases:

• Mindi Abair - Life Less Ordinary (GRP)
• Above & Beyond - Tri-State (Ultra)
• AFX - Chosen Lords (Rephlex)
• Ben Allison - Cowboy Justice (Palmetto)
• Karrin Allyson - Footprints (Concord Jazz)
• American Heartbreak - American Heartbreak (Liquor & Poker)
• Android Lust - Stripped & Stitched (Projekt)
  Buy Now: Stripped & Stitched (Projekt)
  
• Be Your Own Pet - Summer Sensation (EP; Ecstatic Peace)
• Adrian Belew - Side Three (Sanctuary)
• Anthony Braxton Quintet - Live at the Royal Festival Hall - London (2004) (Leo)
• Mel Brown and the Homewreckers - Blues - A Beautiful Thing (Electro-Fi)
• Richard Butler - Richard Butler (Koch)
• Marshall Chapman - Mellowicious! (Tallgirl)
• The Church - Uninvited Like the Clouds (Cooking Vinyl)
• Cities - Cities (digipak; Yep Roc)
• Cretin - Freakery (Relapse)
• Crime in Stereo - The Troubled Stateside (Nitro)
• A.J. Croce - Cantos (digipak; Seedling)
• Da Back Wudz - Wood Work Album (Universal)
  Buy Now: Wood Work Album (Universal)
  
• Demolition Doll Rods - There Is a Difference (Swami)
• Dio - Holy Diver Live (two CDs; Eagle)
  Buy Now: Holy Diver Live (Eagle)
  
• The Disco Biscuits - The Wind at Four to Fly (digipak; two CDs; Sci Fidelity)
• The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia ... (digipak; Roadrunner)
  Buy Now: Yes, Virginia ... (Roadrunner)
  
• Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse (New West) http://www.mtv.com/music/#/music/artist/drive_by_truckers/albums.jhtml?albumId=1265189
• Elefant - The Black Magic Show (Kemado)
  Buy Now: The Black Magic Show (Kemado)
  
• Erasure - Union Street (Mute)
  Buy Now: Union Street (Mute)
  
• The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea (digipak also available; Fat Possum)
• The Frauds - The Frauds (High Wire)
• Ian Gillian - Gillian's Inn (DualDisc; Immergent)
• Jon Dee Graham - Full (Freedom/ City Hall)
• Gram Rabbit - Cultivation (Stinky)
• Eddy Grant - Reparation (Ice)
• Hil St. Soul - Soulidified (Shanachie)
• Monica Huggett and Richard Savino - Essential Giuliani Vol I (two CDs; Koch)
• Ihsahn - The Adversary (Candlelight)
• Impaled Nazarene - Pro Patria Finlandia (The End)
• Sherman Irby - Black Warrior (Black Warrior)
• Judge Jules - The Global Warm-Up Mix CD (Koch)
• Junkie XL - Today (Ultra)
• Just a Fire - Spanish Time (Sick Room)
• Kaiser George & the Hi-Risers - Transatlantic Dynamite! (Spinout)
• Kalas - Kalas (digipak; Tee Pee)
• Mat Kearney - Nothing Left to Lose (Aware/ Columbia)
• Killing Joke - Hosannas From the Basement of Hell (Cooking Vinyl)
• Michael Leviton - My Favorite Place to Drown (Ace Fu)
• Eric Lewis & Andy Ratliff - Only Home I've Had (Madjack)
• The Lovely Feathers - Hind Hind Legs (digipak; Equator)
• Lylas - Lessons for Lovers (Fictitious)
• Maritime - We the Vehicles (Flameshovel)
• Muallem - Frankie Splits (digipak; Compost)
• Mugison - Little Trip (Ipecac)
• Ann Nesby - In the Spirit (Shanachie)
• NOFX - Wolves in Wolves Clothing (Fat Wreck Chords)
  Buy Now: Wolves in Wolves Clothing (Fat Wreck Chords)
  
• Mark O'Leary/ Uri Caine/ Ben Perowsky - Closure (Leo)
• People Under the Stairs - Stepfather (two CDs; Basement)
• Phoenix Mourning - When Excuses Become Antiques (Metal Blade)
• The Red Krayola - Introduction (Drag City)
• Vernon Reid & Masque - Other True Self (Favored Nations)
• Rhino Bucket - & Then It Got Ugly (Acetate)
• Rye Coalition - Curses (with bonus DVD; Gern Blandsten)
• Harmonica Shah - Listen at Me Good (Electro-Fi)
• Sick of It All - Death to Tyrants (Abacus)
  Buy Now: Death to Tyrants (Abacus)
  
• Silent Civilian - Rebirth of the Temple (Mediaskare)
• Spank Rock - Yo Yo Yo Yo Yo (Big Dada)
• Spice 1 - Life After Jive (Real Talk Entertainment)
• Stereophonics - Live From Dakota (two CDs; Vox Populi/ V2)
  Buy Now: Live From Dakota (Vox Populi/ V2)
  
• Stoley P.T. - Lesson #1 (In Music We Trust Records)
• Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - Under the Covers, Vol. 1 (Shout! Factory)
  Buy Now: Under the Covers, Vol. 1 (Shout! Factory)
  
• The Tango Saloon - The Tango Saloon (Ipecac)
• Tony Terry - Changed! (Koch)
• Lizzie West & the White Buffalo - I Pledge Allegiance to Myself (Appleseed)
• Rob Whitlock - Sketchin' 2 (Sketchin')
• Various artists - Pure Joy (Koch)
• Various artists - Putumayo Presents: Paris (Putumayo)
• Various artists - Seventeen: The Best New Music (Hear It First!) (BMG Strategic Marketing)
• Various artists - "Hoot" soundtrack (Mailboat)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Aiden - Our Gang's Dark Oath (Victory)
• The Alchemist - 1st Infantry Deluxe (with DVD; Koch)
  Buy Now: 1st Infantry Deluxe (Koch)
  
• Animal Liberation Orchestra - Fly Between Falls (Brushfire)
• Banana Blender Surprise - Paint the Town Brown (two CDs; Freedom)
• Chuck Berry - Definitive Collection (Universal)
• Oscar DeLeon - Millennium Collection (Universal)
• Cornell Dupree - Night Fever: The Versatile Sessions (Empire Musicwerks)
• First Choice - It's Not Over: The Greatest Hits of First Choice (Koch)
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Birth of a Band - Isle of Wight Festival, Sat August 29th, 1970 (DualDisc; Eagle Rock)
• The Ghouls - Dracula's Deuce (Sundazed)
• Buddy Holly - Definitive Collection (Universal)
• Instant Funk - I Got My Mind Made Up: The Best of Instant Funk (Koch)
• Daniel Johnston - Welcome to My World: The Music of Daniel Johnston (High Wire)
• The Kickstands - Black Boots and Bikes (Sundazed)
• The Knights - Hot Rod High (Sundazed)
• Jerry Lee Lewis - Definitive Collection (Universal)
• Mae - The Everglow (special edition with DVD; Tooth & Nail)
  Buy Now: The Everglow (Tooth & Nail)
  
• Ed McCurdy - A Ballad Singer's Choice (Empire Musicwerks)
• Marian McPartland - ... With You in Mind (DRG)
• Mr. Gasser and the Weirdos - Hot Rod Hootenanny, Rods N' Rat Finks and Surfink! (Sundazed)

DVDs:

• Herbie Hancock - "Possibilities" (Magnolia)
• Moby - "Live - Hotel Tour 2005" (with CD; Mute)
• Trina - "Live and Uncut ... Sex, Money and Jewels" (SMC)
• Yes - "9012 Live" (Image Entertainment)
• Young Jeezy - "Hoodz: Street Code - Young Jeezy" (Hoods DVD Magazine)
• Zyklon - "Storm Detonation Live" (Candlelight)
• Various artists - "Coachella: The Film" (Epitaph)

Coming Attractions:

April 25:

• Godsmack - IV (Republic)
  Read: "Godsmack Finishing Up 'Killer' Fourth LP, Working On Football Theme"
  Buy Now: IV (Republic)
  
• Rihanna - A Girl Like Me (Def Jam)
  Read: "Rihanna Getting In Touch With Her Rock Side For Next LP"
  Buy Now: A Girl Like Me (Def Jam)
  
• Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Taking Back Sunday Say Debuting At #800 Wouldn't Bother Them"
  Buy Now: Louder Now (Warner Bros.)

May 2:

• Lil' Flip - I Need Mine (Sony Urban)
• Mobb Deep - Blood Money (Interscope)
  Read: "Mobb Deep, 50 Cent Get Tattoos To Prove Their Loyalty"
  Buy Now: Blood Money (Interscope)
  
• Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam (J)
  Read: "Pearl Jam, Post-'Therapy': 'The Sex Is Better Than Ever!' "
• Thursday - A City by the Light Divided (Island)
  Read: "Thursday Frontman Says He Doesn't Want To Exploit My Chemical Romance, But ..."
  Buy Now: A City by the Light Divided (Island)
  
• Tool - 10,000 Days (Volcano)
  Buy Now: 10,000 Days (Volcano)
  

May 9:

• The Isley Brothers - Baby Makin' Music (Island)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium (two CDs; limited edition with DVD also available; Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Chili Peppers Stoked About New Album, Possible Kanye Tour"
  Buy Now: Stadium Arcadium (Warner Bros.)
• Snow Patrol - Eyes Open (A&M)
  Read: "Snow Patrol Turn 'Candy-Assed' Music Into Beastly Arena Rock"
  Buy Now: Eyes Open (A&M)
  

• The Alchemist
• The Dresden Dolls
• Moby
• Rye Coalition
• Elefant

The Fiery Furnaces (file)
Photo: Rough Trade

To call the Fiery Furnaces prolific is like calling Tom Cruise overexposed. Having released two albums and a long-form EP in less than 17 months, the eccentric indie-rock duo — multi-instrumentalist Matt Friedberger and singer sister Eleanor — have two new albums completed and at least another LP's worth of material written.

"Who doesn't want to write songs?" Matt said nonchalantly of the band's industrious output. "It's fun. I'd like to get on a normal schedule of releasing albums — every four months."

The first product of their recent fecundity, Rehearsing My Choir, is due October 26 and is a quasi-concept album inspired by the life and stories of the duo's octogenarian grandmother Olga Sarantos. The album's conceit finds Eleanor playing a young Sarantos while the grandmother plays herself in the present day, reflecting on her life and interacting with her younger self.

"She was an organist and choir director at her Greek Orthodox church in the '40s in Chicago, so some of the stories revolve around that," Eleanor said, by way of explaining the album's title. The subject matter reads like a short-story collection — or, as Matt put it, "late '40s adventure stories." "Candymaker's Knife in My Handbag" is "about the night she was supposed to meet her father-in-law for the first time," Eleanor said. "She goes to a tiki bar and gets far too drunk on sweet tropical drinks and throws up on a stoop when she meets him," Matt added. "Seven Silver Curses," which sounds like a parable from the movie "Big Fish," is about "going to a gypsy and getting some curses to get rid of your husband's mistress," Matt laughed.

Known for their unpredictable approach — the band's past releases include 10-minute song collages and freewheeling epics that twist and turn like different films running simultaneously — the group describes its latest opus as a melange of Randy Newman, the Small Faces, '60s girl groups and a few disco beats, all set to the Dylan-esque talk-singing of their grandmother.

The ambitious pair hope to release an expanded version of Choir with an accompanying quasi-documentary the group has shot of the elderly Sarantos narrating a tour of the Chicago backdrop where much of her personal history took place. The creatively impatient group will tour North America in September and October, before the album is available in stores. "It'll be slightly confusing, as [the band will be playing] a rearranged version of a record that's not out," Matt chuckled, "but hopefully people will be amused by that."

Already looking ahead, the Fiery Furnaces have just put the finishing touches on Bitter Tea, a record they hope to release in the winter. Though the group claims that both discs are the most accessible things they've done to date, the concept-free Tea sounds slightly more digestible.

"It's a nice record with bright, love songs," Matt said, describing the the disc rather comically as "a newfangled version" of the synthesizer-heavy music from the Who's 1975 "Tommy" film, and an "old-time '20s version of Devo" with mandolin orchestras.

"The story is someone sampling some adult experiences for the first time and learning their lessons," Matt said of the title track. "It's the bittersweet knowledge that experience provides — set in Taipei [Taiwan]." Other songs slated for Tea include "Little Thatched Hut," "I'm in No Mood," "Waiting to Know You" and "Teach Me, Sweetheart."

The idiosyncratic nature of the Fiery Furnaces' forthcoming material hasn't kept them out of the British music press, where much has been made of Eleanor's year-plus relationship with Franz Ferdinand singer Alex Kapranos and a track from the forthcoming Franz record called "Eleanor, Put Your Boots Back On," which neither band has yet confirmed is actually about the Furnaces' Eleanor. The Franz connection doesn't end there: Furnaces touring drummer Andy Knowles might be joining the Scottish rockers while current drummer Paul Thompson takes a turn on guitar for the group's forthcoming gigs (see "Set A Man On Fire, Name Next LP — Franz Ferdinand Do Whatever They Want").

And as for the siblings' well-documented squabbling, both onstage and off, Matt chalks it up to standard familial friction. "We get along great overall," he said. "We're quick to say harsh words, but you're so familiar, so other people think it's terrible. I think it's just a regular thing with siblings do who love each other very much."

Track list for the Fiery Furnaces' Rehearsing My Choir, according to the band's publicist:

• "Garfield El"
• "The Wayward Granddaughter"
• "Candymakers Knife in My Handbag"
• "We Wrote Letters Everyday"
• "4823 22nd St"
• "Guns Under the Counter"
• "Seven Silver Curses"
• "Though Let's Be Fair"
• "Slavin' Away"
• "Rehearsing My Choir"
• "Does It Remind You of When?"

Fiery Furnaces' North American tour dates, according to the band's publicist:

• 9/20 - Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
• 9/21 - New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
• 9/24 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
• 9/28 - Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture Center
• 9/29 - West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour
• 9/30 - San Francisco, CA @ Café Du Nord
• 10/1 - San Francisco, CA @ Café Du Nord
• 10/2 - Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
• 10/3 - Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
• 10/6 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
• 10/7 - Chicago, IL @ Logan Square Auditorium
• 10/8 - Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center
• 10/10 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
• 10/12 - Boston, MA @ Museum of Fine Arts
• 10/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
• 10/14 - New York, NY @ Town Hall
• 10/15 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat

• The Fiery Furnaces
• Franz Ferdinand

JoJo (file)
Photo: Blackground

JoJo has picked "Not That Kinda Girl" to be her next single. She's shooting the video in Los Angeles with Fat Cats at the helm on February 1 and 2, before flying off to Australia the following week to film her movie debut, "Aquamarine." JoJo's slated to shoot Down Under through May. ...

As part of mtvU's "Stand In" series, Nas and his father, jazz musician Olu Dara, surprised students at Morehouse College in Atlanta when they subbed as guest professors for the day for a class on improvisational jazz. The Nas class — in which father and son composed a new piece of music with the students — will air on February 1 at 1 p.m. on mtvU. The segment will also premiere online at www.mtvu.com the same day. ... The newest incarnation of Nine Inch Nails is shaping up to hit the road. On NIN.com, Trent Reznor confirmed that the touring version of Nails has been assembled, featuring A Perfect Circle's Jeordie White on bass, former Icarus Line member Aaron North on guitar, Jerome Dillon on drums and Allessandro Cortini on keyboards. Reznor also said that Nine Inch Nails' new album, With Teeth, will hit stores on May 3. ...

The Strokes have begun work on the follow-up to 2003's Room on Fire. Squirreled away in its Hell's Kitchen recording studio, the New York quintet has recorded five new songs with producer David Kahne (Sugar Ray, Sublime). The band has no release date set, but maintains the record will come out later in 2005. ... West Coast music fans keen on melting in the sun can rejoice. The sixth Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is set for April 30-May 1 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. Confirmed acts so far for the two-day fest include Rilo Kiley, Bloc Party, the Bravery, Fiery Furnaces, French Kicks, British Sea Power, the Futureheads, M83 and Ambulance LTD. More acts are expected to be announced in a few weeks. ...

Will.I.Am will guest star on an upcoming episode of "Joan of Arcadia," in which he'll play a character called, strangely enough, Three Card Monte Guy God. In the episode, airing February 18 at 8 p.m. on CBS, the Black Eyed Peas leader teaches Joan a lesson about keeping her eye on what's important while he tricks her with the cards. ... James Woods, Danny Masterson and "Hustle & Flow" co-star DJ Qualls were among the Sundance Film Festival attendees who showed up to check out Ludacris' set at Harry O's on Main Street in Park City, Utah, Sunday night. ...

Metallica frontman James Hetfield has designed the fifth in his series of custom guitars with manufacturer ESP. The new model, dubbed the "Truckster," is based on the guitar Hetfield used on the St. Anger tour and features "a multi-layered finish strategically sanded through and fully distressed" to match Hetfield's battered battle axe. ... Bob Dylan has been nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award for his memoir, "Chronicles, Vol. 1." The tome will go up against biographies of Alexander Hamilton and William Shakespeare for the prize. The awards ceremony will take place on March 18. ...

Ex-Afghan Whigs singer Greg Dulli will debut his new band, Uptown Lights, at a show in Los Angeles on February 19. The six-piece outfit grew out of sessions Dulli had recently with another of his groups, Gutter Twins, a collaboration with guitarist/singer Mark Lanegan. ... Want to be the new lead singer of INXS? The band is holding open-call auditions starting Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the Milestone Club and ending February 25 in Los Angeles at the Whisky. The camera-shy need not apply — this is all being documented for the band's reality show that will air on CBS this summer. ...

01.21.2005

Some people might think Jennifer Lopez is so yummy they just want to eat her up — and now they can. Cadbury and Madame Tussauds teamed up to make a chocolate likeness of the singer, which was introduced earlier this week at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London. ...

Queens of the Stone Age will kick off a North American tour in the spring. The trek will start on March 15 in Austin, Texas, and hit cities across the U.S. and Canada through April 18, when the tour wraps up in Los Angeles. ... In a move to protect digital music and video against piracy, Sony, Panasonic-brand owner Matsushita Electric Industrial, Samsung, and Dutch Philips Electronics have reached an agreement to use the same method of defense. This will also allow songs purchased in each company's online stores to be played on portable music devices manufactured by the others. The first version of this technology will be in use by summer. ...

Snoop Dogg is offering a chance to meet him in person, via a series of charity auctions where fans can bid on packages that include two premium tickets and two passes to hang with him backstage on his tour. The auctions are online at www.stubhub.com, and proceeds benefit Snoop's Youth Football League. ... All your Wu-Tang Clan questions will be answered in the upcoming "Wu-Tang Manual," a comprehensive book laying out the history and philosophy of the legendary New York hip-hop crew. Due in February, the book, written by RZA, explains the stories behind the members' pseudonyms, the major themes in their music, sampling philosophy, and fascination with martial arts and comic books. It also features a Wu-slang dictionary, annotated explanations of nine key songs and a number of rare pictures and original illustrations. ...

Tatiana Thumbtzen, the featured dancer in Michael Jackson's 1988 video for "The Way You Make Me Feel" and the first woman to kiss him in public, admits in her forthcoming book, "The Way He Made Me Feel," that she lied to Howard Stern and Maury Povich about having a romantic relationship with the singer back in 1993 when he first faced allegations of child molestation. She also describes Jackson's obsession with child actors like Macaulay Culkin and Ricky Schroder. Her co-author, Tonia Ryan, said in a statement, "You do the math." The book is due out February 14. ... One of dancehall music's leading choreographers, Gerald "Bogle" Levy, was killed on Thursday in a drive-by shooting in Kingston, Jamaica, according to The Jamaica Observer. Levy and four other people were reportedly sitting at an Esso gas station in Levy's car when two armed men on a motorbike rode up and proceeded to shoot at the vehicle. Levy and his passengers were all hospitalized, but only Levy was fatally wounded. Beenie Man posted a $1 million reward for the apprehension of the men who killed Levy and told the Observer that the reward will increase in the coming weeks until the murderers are captured. ...

Ruff Ryders Records will hold its inaugural Ruff Ryders Lifestyle Appreciation Weekend in New York from Friday to Sunday. Activities will include a family dinner at Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem, a visit to the International Motorcycle Show at the Jacob Javits Center, MC battles and an awards dinner. The RR family is also in the studio working on a new Ruff Ryders compilation, Ryde or Die Vol. 4: The Redemption, due this spring. ... Diana Ross has been named MAC's 2005 Beauty Icon, making her the face of this year's Beauty Icon series, available in stores this week. The collection focuses on the pink and bronze/coral color families and luster-filled finishes to mirror the diva's personality. ...

New York publishers started bidding on Friday (January 21) for a new Doors anthology tentatively called "Break on Thru," which promises to be, in effect, the band's autobiography. The book would take the form of a massive oral-history tome, with its contents derived mostly from recorded conversations with drummer John Densmore, keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robbie Krieger, and augmented by excerpts from interviews with late frontman Jim Morrison and comments from the group's closest associates. It would also include rare and exclusive photos, letters and memorabilia, as well as a CD/DVD featuring exclusive footage. ... New Order have a new album coming out called Waiting for the Siren's Call, produced by Tore Johansson and John Leckie and due in stores March 28. The first single is called "Krafy," while other song titles include "Jetstream" and "Sugarcane." ...

Jill Scott's Blues Babe Foundation's fund-raiser scheduled for Sunday at Philadelphia's Saks Fifth Avenue has been postponed due to inclement weather. There is no word yet on when the event will take place. ... Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan have covered three tracks from late bossa nova legend Antonio Carlos Jobim for the soundtrack to "Goldfish Memory," due February 22. The upcoming comedic drama, set in Dublin, also features other Irish acts such as the Frames. ...

• JoJo
• Nine Inch Nails
• Ludacris
• Will.I.Am
• The Fiery Furnaces

"Coach Carter" soundtrack
Photo: Capitol

Soundtracks can sometimes make or break a film, and this week a number of those smartly selected compilations — featuring Kanye West, the Game, Wyclef Jean and (appropriately) Soundtrack of Our Lives — are hitting stores.

Songs by the Game, Chingy, Fabolous and Twista should help the "Coach Carter" soundtrack score points when it lands on shelves Tuesday (January 11), followed by the movie itself on Friday. Faith Evans joins Twista on the first single, "Hope," while Kanye West, Malik Yusef and Common band together for "Wouldn't You Like to Ride." Also included on the soundtrack are tracks by Ciara, Van Hunt, the St. Lunatics and others.

Soundtrack of Our Lives, Peter Gabriel, Iron & Wine and Aretha Franklin help make the soundtrack to "In Good Company" (which stars Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace and Scarlett Johansson) a good companion to the film. Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" accompanied the previews, while Stephen Trask's music makes four appearances on the album.

Wyclef Jean and Deborah Cox make appearances on the soundtrack to the Don Cheadle film "Hotel Rwanda."

In non-soundtrack news, indie rock's the Fiery Furnaces release EP just under six months after their sophomore album, Blueberry Boat, hit stores. Longer than a standard EP, this 10-track album is full of singles, B-sides and a few new and previously unreleased tracks as well.

Out Tuesday, January 11:

• Grayson Capps - "A Love Song for Bobby Long" soundtrack (Hyena)
• Carpenters - Singles 1969-1981 (hybrid SACD reissue, A&M)
• Esthero - We R in Need of a Musical Revolution (EP, Reprise)
• Every New Day - The Shadows Cast (Hand of Hope)
• Felix da Housecat - Playboy: The Mansion (Koch)
  Buy Now: Playboy: The Mansion (Koch)
• Fiery Furnaces - EP (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
• Petra Haden and Bill Frisell - Petra Haden and Bill Frisell (Sovereign Artists)
• Mark Isham - "Racing Stripes" soundtrack (Varese Sarabande)
• Randy Johnston - Is It You? (HighNote)
• Kazu Matsui - The Stone Monkey (Narada)
• Jason Miles - Miles to Miles: In the Spirit of Miles Davis (Narada)
• Motion Trio - Pictures From the Street (Harmonia Mundi)
• David "Fathead" Newman - I Remember Brother Ray (HighNote)
• Randy Newman - "Meet the Fockers" soundtrack (Varese Sarabande)
• Donny Osmond - What I Meant to Say (Decca)
• Paris Combo - Motifs (Koch/DRG)
• Jocelyn Pook - "The Merchant of Venice" soundtrack (Decca)
• Roomful of Blues - Standing Room Only (Alligator)
• David Sanborn - Closer (Verve)
• Shivaree - Who's Got Trouble? (Zoe/Rounder)
• Howard Shore - "The Aviator" soundtrack (Decca)
• Corky Siegel - Corky Siegel's Traveling Chamber Blues Show (Alligator)
• Silent - Slippin Into Darkness (Thump)
• The Vanished - Favorite Scar (Kirtland Records/Red Ink)
• Waifs - Brief History (Compass)
• Wesla Whitfield - In My Life (HighNote)
• Wiggles - Live Hot Potatoes (Koch)
• Hans Zimmer - "Spanglish" soundtrack (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - KCRW Sounds Eclectic 3 (Palm Pictures)
• Various artists - Coach Carter: Music From the Motion Picture (soundtrack, Capitol)
  Read: "Kanye, Fabolous, Twista Make 'Coach Carter' Soundtrack A Slam Dunk"
  Buy Now: Coach Carter: Music From the Motion Picture (soundtrack, Capitol)
• Various artists - Elektra: The Album (soundtrack, Wind-Up)
  Read: "'Elektra' LP Serves Up Rare Cuts From Evanescence, Jet, Taking Back Sunday"
• Various artists - Hotel Rwanda: Music From the Film (soundtrack, Commotion)
  Buy Now: Hotel Rwanda: Music From the Film (soundtrack, Commotion)
• Various artists - "In Good Company" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• DVD: Peter Cetera - "Soundstage Presents Peter Cetera With Special Guest Amy Grant" (Koch Vision)
• DVD: Taj Mahal - "Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band in St. Lucia" (Image Entertainment)
• DVD: Scissor Sisters - "We Are Scissor Sisters ... And So Are You" (Koch)

January 18:

• The Game - The Documentary (Aftermath)
  Read: "Game Ready To Prove He's Worthy Of The Hype"
• Fozzy - All That Remains (Ash)

January 25:

• And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Worlds Apart (Interscope)
• Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (Saddle Creek)
• Chemical Brothers - Push the Button (Astralwerks)

February 1:

• Mötley Crüe - Red, White & Crüe (Hip-O)
  Read: "Original Lineup Of Motley Crue Reuniting For World Tour"
• Tina Turner - All the Best (Capitol)
  Buy Now: All the Best (Capitol)
• Various artists - 2005 Grammy Nominees (Capitol)

• The Fiery Furnaces
• Felix da Housecat
• Game
• Chingy
• Fabolous