Dave Matthews (file)
Photo: RCA

If you get caught pouring human excrement and urine all over a bunch of tourists, sometimes it's just best to fess up. And that's what Dave Matthews Band tour bus driver Stefan Wohl did on Wednesday (March 9), when he pleaded guilty to charges of reckless conduct and discharging contaminates to cause water pollution, which stemmed from an August incident in which Wohl emptied the bus' septic tank while driving across the open grating deck of the Kinzie Street bridge in Chicago. According to The Associated Press, Wohl, who managed to hit passengers on a boat below the bridge with the waste, was sentenced to 18 months probation and 150 hours of community service, and was fined $10,000, which will be paid to the conservation group Friends of the Chicago River. ...

Britney Spears is threatening to storm back on the scene, according to a recent post on her Web site: "I feel as though I have been very quiet and still lately. 'The calm before the storm' ... I can really relate to that statement right now." Then again, in the five months since she's announced she was taking a break, the singer's released a greatest-hits collection, co-directed a video, leaked a song on the radio, posed for two magazine covers (Redbook and Allure), participated in her husband's Details cover story, and started writing regularly on her Web site — so much for being quiet. ... Madonna's follow-up to "Truth or Dare," an as-yet-untitled documentary about her Reinvention Tour, looks "very likely" to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, to be held May 11-22, according to the singer's rep. The documentary was directed by Jonas Akerlund, who chronicled her tour and the "new" Madonna. A theatrical release is planned for later this year. ...

J-Kwon has teamed up with fellow St. Louis rappers Nelly and Chingy for Louisville Slugger, the follow-up to his 2004 debut, Hood Hop. The album, due this summer, will also feature Ebony Eyez, a female rapper from the Lou who performed "Get XXX'd" (from the "XXX: State of the Union" soundtrack, due April 19) with J-Kwon at last week's Soul Train Awards. ... Moby will launch a tour in support of his upcoming double album, Hotel (March 22), on April 11 with a show in Norfolk, Virginia. The 16-date swing is currently scheduled to hit Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto and Chicago, ending with a May 8 date in San Diego, according to his spokesperson. Buck 65 will open on most of the dates. ...

Missouri's emo stalwarts the Get Up Kids announced this week through a statement posted on their Web site that they'd be throwing in the towel. "After 10 years, close to a hundred recorded songs and several trips around the world, the Get Up Kids will be playing their last shows this summer," the statement reads. "We feel it's best to let the last 10 years speak as a document for what the band was. We can look back and say that we are proud of everything that we accomplished. In the end, we will always remember this as a good time; we hope that you remember it that way, too." The Get Up Kids' final performance will go down July 4th weekend in the band's hometown of Kansas City, Missouri ... The punk rock breast-cancer benefit site Shirts for a Cure — which helps raise money to provide financial assistance and therapy to underprivileged women fighting breast cancer — has added a number of new shirts for sale. Exclusive tees from the bands Alkaline Trio, Coheed & Cambria, Dillinger Escape Plan, Funeral for a Friend and Head Automatica will soon join shirts from Motion City Soundtrack, the Get Up Kids, Hot Water Music, My Chemical Romance, Bouncing Souls, Thursday and Avenged Sevenfold. Check out shirtsforacure.com for more information. ...

RZA — who has scored "Kill Bill," "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" and "Blade: Trinity" — is stepping in front of the camera with his first full-fledged acting gig in the upcoming Jennifer Aniston/ Clive Owen movie "Derailed," in which he plays an ex-con mailroom clerk named Winston. But now that the Wu-Tang mastermind has the acting bug, what he really wants to do is direct. He's been talking to Quentin Tarantino, Jim Jarmusch and John Woo to get advice, and has his first film project already planned out. "I'm ready to come out of the can," RZA said. "I got some scripts passed over to me, but I want to do one I wrote myself, 'The Man With the Iron Fist.,' " a kung-fu movie. ... British funk act Jamiroquai will issue album number six, Dynamite, on May 24. No word on whether the album's title is a nod to the film "Napoleon Dynamite," which prominently featured Jamiroquai's song "Canned Heat" during one of the film's most memorable scenes. ...

"So What the Fuss" will be the first single off of Stevie Wonder's new album, A Time to Love, due in stores on May 3. It'll be the first studio album in a decade for the legendary singer . ... Meanwhile, Tiger Woods' annual fund-raiser for his Tiger Woods Learning Center, Tiger Jam VIII, will take place on May 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will be headlined by Wonder, according to an event spokesperson. Counting Crows will open the show. ... The All-American Rejects will be hitting the road this spring for a nine-week headlining tour kicking off March 29 in Atlanta. The band will be plugging songs from its sophomore album, still untitled, which is set to be released this summer. ...

03.08.2005

In the April issue of Allure magazine, Britney Spears admits that she let herself go in recent months and that the beginning of her marriage to Kevin Federline has been somewhat rocky. The singer said that she was grateful that paparazzi shots revealed she was gaining more pounds than usual because "it made me see that I needed to lose weight." Pointing to her stomach, she told the magazine, "As you can see, I still have the honeymoon aftereffect ... I was just lounging around and eating and laying out and just didn't have a care in the world." That didn't help the honeymoon transition into a successful marriage, she said, because "hardcore" reality set in after the first three weeks. "Before we got married, we were on tour, and we were like kids, ordering room service, saying, 'Let's go out tonight.' And then all of a sudden, you have the kids," she told the magazine, referring to Federline's children, Kori and Kaleb, "you have the diapers, get the dogs to the vet. It's this whole reality, you know. But we handled it fine, and now things are starting to go really smooth." However, she's no longer hoping to have a child of her own in the immediate future. "I'm not pregnant," she said. "It's not something I've striving for." ... (See photos of Britney Spears in April's Allure.)

R. Kelly lost another round in court on Friday, when a Chicago judge rejected his bid to declare the Illinois child-pornography statute unconstitutional (and thereby dismiss the charges against him). Kelly's defense tried to make the argument that if it's not illegal to have sex with a 17-year-old, since that's the age of consent, it shouldn't be illegal to take pictures of a 17-year-old engaging in a sex act. Cook County Assistant State Attorney Shauna Boliker, however, successfully argued that the state lawmakers broadened the scope of the pornography statute and that the charges should stand. Kelly is due back in court on April 21. ... The diamond wedding ring Michael Jackson gave to ex-wife Debbie Rowe is on the block on eBay with a starting bid of $50,000. "This beautiful ring was given to Debbie and she would love someone to have it who appreciates the beauty and intention in which it was given," reads a note on the auction site. The bidding on the platinum ring — which has a two-carat, center-cut diamond surrounded by 14 brilliant-cut diamonds — is being sold on a reserve basis, which means the buyer must meet an unspecified target price. There were four early bids, but as of Tuesday (March 8), no legitimate bids had been made for the sale, which ends Thursday. ...

A week after confirming their split with guitarist Tripp Eisen — who was recently arrested on charges of kidnapping, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child — Static-X leader Wayne Static announced on the band's Web site on Monday that former guitarist Koichi Fukuda has rejoined the group. Fukuda played on the band's debut, Wisconsin Death Trip, and toured with the group for two years before leaving to spend more time with his family. Fukuda has been recording with Static-X since October and will perform live with them at the Galaxy in Santa Ana, California, on March 25. ... Hilary Duff, poet? Well, at least for one night, when she guest stars on "George Lopez" as a feminist named Kenzie who enters a poetry slam. Her episode airs Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. ...

Tweet has just finished shooting a video for the theme song to the updated version of "Kojak," which premieres March 25 on USA. Ving Rhames plays the title role. The clip for "When I Need a Man" was directed by Antti J. Jokinen (Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This"). "What I wanted to do was give Kojak a great intro," Tweet said in a statement. "I wanted to make a statement with this song — 'Don't mess with Kojak.' " The track will also appear on Tweet's album It's Me Again, out March 22. ... Carmen Electra is going to be a sex slave — for her new role on the Sci Fi Channel's half-hour animated series "Tripping the Rift." Electra is joining the voice cast for the second season, which debuts in July, as "Six," a sexy android whose function is to serve the carnal needs of a stumpy purple alien named Chode. She has the added value of being brainy as well, and acts as the unheeded voice of reason on Chode's smuggling vessel. ...

Several celebs are donating the clothes off their backs to benefit the Children's Defense Fund, Cure Autism Now, and the UNICEF Tsunami Relief Fund. The "Clothes Off Our Back" auction at www.clothesoffourback.org features clothing and accessories worn during the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Golden Globes, and movies such as "Be Cool," including Tyra Banks' Elie Saab gown, Leonardo DiCaprio's Prada tuxedo, Mark McGrath's Holland ESQ suit, Cate Blanchett's Judith Leiber handbag, Jimmy Jam's Stetson hat and Sarah Jessica Parker's Vivienne Westwood pants. ... The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers slapped an Illinois watering hole with a copyright-infringement lawsuit on Monday, after it was learned that the Led Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love" was performed there by a cover band back in October. Each year, ASCAP files an average of 200 lawsuits against businesses that "present musical entertainment" to the public without permission, an attorney representing the organization said. ASCAP has issued licenses to more than 100,000 music venues nationwide; one is required if a bar or club wants to bring in a cover band or DJ to perform, for example. The bar in question, 602 North in Glendale Heights, could not be reached for comment. ...

If it's good enough for Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, it's good enough for, um, Def Leppard and Bryan Adams? The British metal act and Canadian rocker will join forces this summer for the Rock 'N Roll Double-Header Tour, in which they'll play shows at 26 minor-league baseball stadiums. The tour is scheduled to kick off with a June 1 date in Portland, Oregon, at PGE Park (home of the Beavers), and end on August 10 in Lansing, Michigan, at Oldsmobile Park (home of the Lugnuts), according to a Def Lep spokesperson. The stage will be setup in the outfield and fans will be encouraged to sit on blankets on the field or watch from the stands. ... British buzz band Aqualung have the first single from the soundtrack to the upcoming Ashton Kutcher/ Amanda Peet romantic comedy, "A Lot Like Love." The band's "Brighter Than Sunshine" will be heard in trailers for the film, which traces the lives of a would-be couple as they keep running into each other over the course of seven years. Other artists featured on the soundtrack are Jet, the Cure, Travis, Butch Walker and Hooverphonic. The film hits theaters April 22, the soundtrack is in stores April 12, and Aqualung's first U.S. album, Strange and Beautiful, drops March 22. ...

Mandy Moore will soon add another stamp on her passport when she plays host for a series of events benefiting UNICEF in Japan. Moore, who has already been tapped to be the face of Coach's international spring advertising campaign, will travel to the land of the rising sun next month to cut the ribbon at the handbag and accessory brand's flagship store in Nagoya. The limited-edition Coach Scribble Signature wristbands will serve as a ticket to the charity concert at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on April 9, which will feature Moore as well as N.E.R.D. ...

• Dave Matthews Band
• Dave Matthews
• Madonna
• J-Kwon
• Nelly

Get Up Kids (file)
Photo: Vagrant

Get Up Kids frontman Matt Pryor is happily married and has an adorable 2-year-old daughter. Fortunately, he knows plenty of people who are still sad, desperate and dysfunctional.

"Elvis Costello once said that if you start having good relationships, you should write songs about other people's relationships, and that's exactly what I do," Pryor said. "The things that are exciting to me now are not necessarily exciting to your average 18-year-old."

On the Get Up Kids' fourth album, Guilt Show, Pryor taps into the lives of his miserable friends and extracts enough stories of abuse, betrayal and, well, guilt to make the lyrics ache. "Wouldn't Believe It" is about an incident of adultery that leads to divorce, "How Long Is Too Long" is about a guy who slept with another man's girlfriend, and the first single, "The One You Want," is about a woman Pryor would rather not have known. "She's bad news, and I never liked her at all," he said. "She sucks the soul out of people, and she spends all of my friend's money on drugs and stupid sh--."

The album title came out of a happy misunderstanding. The day the Get Up Kids finished working on the record at their studio in Eudora, Kansas, they saw a flier for a quilt show. "I misread it and thought, 'They're having a guilt show? That doesn't make any sense.' But it was a cool name, and there's a lot of underlying guilt in the lyrics, so we thought it fit."

While many of the songs on the disc are thematically bleak, Guilt Show is musically upbeat. The single sounds like T-Rex crossed with Big Star, and many of the other songs swim with hooky keyboards and peppy power-pop rhythms.

"The only thing we decided on in advance was to make something a little louder than what we had done," Pryor said. "Other than that, we approached songwriting the same way. We've always wanted to write a cool power-pop album, but we just failed in the past. Maybe by trying so long we finally got it right."

The Get Up Kids will tour with Dashboard Confessional and Thrice on the Honda Civic tour through June 30 (see "Dashboard Confessional To Spill Their Guts In A Customized Civic"). Every night, Pryor will look forward to taking the stage, but during the day he'll feel as lost and lonely as many of the characters he writes about. "The only thing I actually like about touring is performing," he said. "I don't like traveling, and I hate being away from my family."

• The Get Up Kids

Jessica Simpson (file)
Photo: Columbia

Jessica Simpson takes another stab at conquering the charts this week with the release of a revamped In This Skin. The "collector's edition" repackaging includes a few new tracks, including an acoustic version of current single "With You," and a DVD with memorable moments from the first season of "Newlyweds."

Adding Southern flava of a different kind to the mix, Cee-Lo comes with his long-awaited second album, Cee-Lo Green ... Is the Soul Machine, featuring producers such as Timbaland and the Neptunes. And Baby Bash breathes new life into Tha Smokin' Nephew with a chopped and screwed edition, cashing in on a trend that's rapidly gaining momentum.

Nineties feel-good rockers Hootie & the Blowfish return with a greatest-hits album — and before anyone asks if they even had a second album, let alone enough songs for a collection, it's actually been 10 years since lead singer Darius Rucker and company hit the scene. In addition to chart-toppers such as "Hold My Hand" and "Let Her Cry," the album also contains the band's remake of "Goodbye Girl," the theme song for the television adaptation of Neil Simon's play of the same name.

And in the spirit of oldies-but-goodies revisited, '80s mainstay Cheap Trick release Essential Cheap Trick, for all those people trying to relive pop's most colorful decade.

Out Tuesday, March 2:

• All State Champion - It Is Nothing to You (Five One)
• Artimus Pyle – F---ed From Birth (Prank)
• Baby Bash - Tha Smokin' Nephew: Screwed & Chopped (Universal)
• Branford Marsalis - Steep Anthology (Sony)
• Clint Black - Spend My Time (Equity Music Group)
• Cee-Lo - Cee-Lo Green ... Is the Soul Machine (Arista)
  Read: "Neptunes, Ludacris Help Cee-Lo Operate His Soul Machine"
• Cheap Trick - Essential Cheap Trick (Sony)
• Death Comet Crew - This Is Riphop (Troubleman Unlimited)
• Drift - Ribs Is Touchin (Lightyear)
• Get Up Kids - Guilt Show (Vagrant)
  Buy Now: Guilt Show (Vagrant)
• Here Kitty Kitty - This Is Broken (Lorelei)
• Hootie & the Blowfish - The Best of Hootie & the Blowfish, 1993 Thru 2003 (Atlantic)
• Keith Javors - Mo' City Jungle (Zoho)
• Just Jack - The Outer Marker (TVT)
• Jeff Kelly - From the Swan in the Hallway (Hidden Agenda)
• Kill Me Tomorrow - The Garbageman and the Prostitute (Gold Standard Laboratories)
• Denise LaSalle - Love Talkin' (Malaco)
• Layo & Bushwacka! - All Night Long (End Recordings)
• The Living End - Modern Artillery (Reprise)
• Lone Pigeon - Schoozzzmmii (Cargo/Revolver)
• Lunasa - The Kinnitty Sessions (Compass)
• Mahjongg - Machinegong (EP, Cold Crush)
• Kitty Margolis - Heart & Soul: Live in San Francisco (Mad-Kat)
• Dominic Miller - Shapes (Decca)
• Cyril Morin - Western Pansori (Milan)
• PBR Allstars - Buck and Roll Volume One (Universal South)
• Jessica Simpson - In This Skin (reissue, Columbia)
  Read: "Jessica Simpson Plans Breathtaking In This Skin Re-Release"
  Buy Now: In This Skin (Columbia)
  
• Sissel - My Heart (Decca)
• Lisa Sokolov - Presence (Laughing Horse)
• Sunny Jain Collective - Mango Festival (Zoho)
• Sweetback - Stage 2 (Sony)
• Taxi Chain - Smarten Up! (Northernblues)
• Dulcie Taylor - Mirrors and Windows (Black Iris)
• Various artists - Tha Down Low (Razor & Tie)
• DVD: Dave Gahan - Live Monsters (Rhino)
• DVD: Sissel - In Concert: All Good Things (Decca)
• DVD: Xzibit - Strong Arm Steady (Fortress)

March 9:

• BT - Music From and Inspired by the Film "Monster" (Digital Sound)

March 23:

• Johnny Cash - Life (Sony)
• Knoc-Turn'Al - The Way I Am (LA Confidential/Elektra)
• Pastor Troy - By Any Means Necessary (Universal)

March 30:

• Janet Jackson - Damita Jo (Virgin)
  Read: "Janet Jackson Making Sexiest Album Yet, Producer Says"
  Buy Now: Damita Jo (Virgin)

April 6:

• Rahzel - Rahzel's Greatest Knockouts (Readyrock)
  Buy Now: Rahzel's Greatest Knockouts (Readyrock)

• Jessica Simpson
• Cee-Lo
• Hootie & the Blowfish
• Baby Bash
• The Get Up Kids

Mystikal's attorney has filed a motion to withdraw the rapper's plea of guilty to sexual battery of the infirmed and no contest to extortion after learning prosecutors gave the judge a videotape of the alleged incident. J. David Bourland said part of the rapper's plea agreement was that the tape be sealed. "The court has the right to ask for it; I just should have been informed," he said. The judge will determine whether the defense can withdraw the plea at a January 15 hearing. If so, the case will start over. Mystikal already received five years of probation for the extortion charge and was scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday (December 3) on the battery charge. Bourland said his client, who faces up to 10 years, turned down a two-year offer from the district attorney. ...

Expect the visual funk to flow as freely as its sonic counterpart on "Outkast: The Videos," a DVD collecting the group's music videos through its 10-year career. Due December 16, all the duo's clips will be included, like their first, "Player's Ball," directed by Sean "Puffy" Combs; the circus setting of "The Whole World" and the colorful landscape of "B.O.B." Also featured will be the group's latest videos, for "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move." ...

John Mayer will return to the road in February with a tour beginning Valentine's Day in Vancouver. Though the full tour itinerary has yet to be released, the singer/songwriter will hit at least seven cities in North America, with stops in Bozeman, Montana; Nampa, Idaho; Las Vegas, Nevada; Fresno, California; Tucson, Arizona; and Las Cruces, New Mexico. ... If you ever wished you could be Scott Stapp, here's your chance. Creed members Mark Tremonti and Scott Phillips are looking for a lead singer for their as-yet-unnamed side project. Interested parties should send demos to JHMP, P.O. Box 616608, Orlando, Florida 32861. ...

Congratulations are in order for No Doubt's Tom Dumont: He just got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Mieke, during a trip to New England last month. They plan to wed sometime next year. ... Russell Simmons and Motorola are teaming up to release the limited-edition Phat Farm II Signature Motorola i7333 mobile phone, a chrome-colored flip phone branded with the Phat Farm logo. It will feature screen wallpapers of Russell himself and the late Jam Master Jay, and will boast ring tones of such hits as Sean Paul's "Get Busy," 50 Cent's "In Da Club" and Missy Elliott's "One Minute Man." The phones will be released in time for Christmas and will retail for $399. ...

When Mötley Crüe decided to name their new box set Music to Crash Your Car To, they never even thought about singer Vince Neil's 1984 drunk-driving accident which killed his passenger, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley, who was the drummer for Hanoi Rocks, and seriously injured two others in another car, a spokesperson for the Crüe said. It was only after the musicians signed off on the title that Neil expressed some reservations, and by that time it was too late. Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe and guitarist Andy McCoy were less than understanding. In a press statement, they called the name "the most tasteless and murderous gimmick to cash in on the past that we've ever heard of," and added, "There's nothing cool or funny about death. How low can you go?" ...

It'll be a slice of the old Minneapolis funk scene in Los Angeles on December 13 when the Family Jamm hits the Great Western Forum. The concert will feature performances (and presumably jam sessions) from Prince's old crew the Revolution, the Time, Apollonia and concert organizer Sheila E. The show benefits Lil' Angel Bunny Foundation, a group that helps abused children through the arts. ... Midwestern emo heroes the Get Up Kids are hard at work on a new EP and are firming up dates for a U.S. tour scheduled to begin March 1. The Wouldn't Believe It EP, due in January, will include the tracks "Wouldn't Believe It" and "Martyr Me" from their forthcoming album The Guilt Show (expected in March), a new mix of "Walking on a Wire," a demo recording of "Overdue" and an acoustic take on "I'll Catch You." ...

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger will be knighted by the Queen of England at Buckingham Palace on December 12. Guitarist Keith Richards has been public about his objection to the event, telling the U.K.'s Uncut magazine, "I thought it was ludicrous to take one of those gongs from the establishment when they did their very best to throw us in jail. It's not what the Stones is about, is it?" ... About a week after hip-replacement surgery, Ray Charles is recovering at his home in Beverly Hills, California. The 73-year-old veteran musician dropped off his tour in July because of intense pain in his left hip. It was the first time in 53 years that Charles has canceled a road stint. He is expected to recover in time to launch a new tour in March. ...

Carmen Rasmusen recently recorded the first single for the soundtrack to "Pride & Prejudice," which opens in limited release on Friday and includes the second season "American Idol" finalist in a small role. The song, "Be With You," is getting airplay in Utah. "That's where the movie was made and that's where I'm from," she said. "So that's why I came out for their first song." ... Meanwhile, fellow finalist Trenyce has been auditioning for two different Broadway musicals. "I'm just having a good time, trying to finish my CD as well," she said. "I'm not signed yet, although a lot of people think I am, so I'm just hoping for the best deal possible." ...

Warp Records will make its entire back catalog of music available for pay-per-song download in January through its own www.bleep.com. Songs from the popular to the obscure, B-sides to remixes will be available for purchase, from such artists as Aphex Twin, Autechre and Beans. …

12.02.03

50 Cent has been nominated in six categories at the 2003 Billboard Awards, which will be held December 10 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The rapper is up for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year and Hot 100 Single of the Year. R. Kelly and Beyoncé are each nominees in five categories, and Sean Paul and the Dixie Chicks are up for awards in four categories. Justin Timberlake, Chingy and 3 Doors Down are each nominated for three, while Aaliyah, Linkin Park, Audioslave, Floetry, Norah Jones and Shania Twain are finalists in two categories. ... Meanwhile, 50 and G Unit were scheduled to shoot a video in Los Angeles on Tuesday (December 2) for "Poppin' Them Thangs," the next single from Beg for Mercy. Veteran hip-hop video director Little X is helming the clip. ...

A Swiss prosecutor in Zurich is considering filing charges against Marilyn Manson for breaching laws protecting religion and for inciting violence during a show there in 2001. A criminal investigation was launched after a religious organization there filed a complaint about his onstage shenanigans. Christian groups and politicians in Zurich attempted to block a recent Manson concert, claiming his views are offensive to the majority of the city's inhabitants, but the concert went on as scheduled. ... Playboy TV is launching a hip-hop show January 9 that will include uncensored videos, trips to strip clubs with rappers and segments such as Sex Tip of the Day. "Buckwild," named after host Ken "Buckwild" Francis, will feature Outkast, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Lil Jon and Loon, among others, in the first six episodes. ...

Grammy sweeper Norah Jones will appear on two songs from the upcoming Wax Poetic album Nublu Sessions, due February 10. Jones' two tracks were recorded between 1997 and 1998 when she was a member of the group. The record will also contain guest performances by N'Dea Davenport, Saul Williams and U-Roy. ... On Tuesday original shock rocker Alice Cooper was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Look for his star at the corner of Orange Drive and Hollywood Boulevard by the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel — it's the one next to the dead birds. ... Big Tank, one of the primary producers behind the soundtrack to B2K's "You Got Served" movie, said the album, due December 23, will include guest spots from R. Kelly, Fabolous and Mario. "It's a dance movie, so all I had to do was try to make things that I would love to hear at a club and kind of go off that," Big Tank said. ...

Latin electronic musician Louie Vega of the duo Masters at Work will release a solo record, Elements of Life, in February. Vega will begin a DJ tour on December 11 in Chicago and will remain on the road through April. ... Metallica's revealing documentary "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" has been accepted by the Sundance Film Festival in the American Spectrum category. The movie, directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky ("Brother's Keeper," "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills"), is an unflinching fly-on-the-wall account of the creation of Metallica's St. Anger. Sundance begins January 15 in Park City, Utah. A theatrical release is planned for March. ... Pete Yorn, Phantom Planet, Lisa Loeb and Mellowdrone will headline the Gimme Shelter benefit concert December 11 at the Roxy in West Hollywood. Proceeds will go to the St. Joseph Center and New West School in Los Angeles. ...

Before opening for Linkin Park on a recent stint of U.K. dates, Welsh rap-rockers the Lostprophets shot a video in Los Angeles with director Brian Scott Weber (Trapt) for "Last Train Home." The song is the first single from Start Something, the follow-up to 2001's The Fake Sound of Progress, produced by Eric Valentine (Good Charlotte) and due February 3. ... Are you a onetime producer whose teen trio went from cash cow to broken mule once the pop market crashed? Maybe an aging rocker wondering why the check to the massage parlor bounced? Then EMI Music North America might be looking for you. The record company and publishing house has set up a Web site listing songwriters and producers they owe royalties to but can't seem to find. The AWOL artists include producer Salaam Remi (Fugees), QDIII (Quincy Jones' son) and the band Bigod20. …

Margarine Eclipse, Stereolab's first album since the death of Mary Hansen last December, is due January 27. The follow-up to 2001's Sound Dust was recorded at the band's own Instant 0 studio in France with longtime producer Fulton Dingley. ... Yellowcard have been tapped to headline MTV2's Handpicked Tour, which kicks off December 4 in the band's hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, and wraps up December 20 in Los Angeles. Seattle rockers Acceptance are opening. ...

• OutKast
• John Mayer
• No Doubt
• Creed
• The Get Up Kids

Reggie
Photo: Hesse McGraw

Defying the proverb about an old dog learning new tricks, a 43-year-old, blues-rooted ex-con named Reggie has become a poster boy of post-modern eclecticism since returning to the music scene with his first album of new material in nearly 15 years.

But even before he hunkered down in a Canadian prison recording studio with a fellow inmate to render Under the Tray, which nods to disparate genres from synth pop to death metal, Reggie's output was always about 20 years ahead of its time.

Only an extremely open-minded middle-aged man could harvest equally from Finnish black metallers Common Denominator — with whom Reggie reconnected after winning a chili-dog eating contest — and the inanimate sounds of Fluxuation, '80s new-wavers who unintentionally hid from fame in the shadow of the Pet Shop Boys. Besides having a great effect on Reggie, both groups appear as guests on Under the Tray, released February 18.

If a breadth of influence that also encompasses punk, emo, thrash and pop seems unbelievable, it is. Reggie doesn't actually exist. The incredible tale, which also tells of onstage fights, trashed hotel rooms and an assault with a lobster claw, is nothing more than folklore about Reggie and his band, the Full Effect. Under the Tray, however, the third release from the alter-ego of Get Up Kids keyboardist James Dewees, is just as entertaining as the legend behind it.

The idea sprung in the late 1990s while multi-instrumentalist Dewees was drumming for the hardcore band Coalesce before joining Get Up Kids.

"I would make these tapes in my basement — songs and people saying really dumb things," he said. "That's when [members of] the Get Up Kids were like, 'Dude, you should put this out.' So we did."

The Reggie myth began with the ironically titled debut Greatest Hits '84 to '87 in 1999. The 18-track LP was a pop-punk junk pile of songs and bizarre soundbites, recorded with members of both Coalesce and Get Up Kids that, though sloppy, shone brightly when Dewees used his keyboard to transcend the trite SoCal pop-punk sound.

Its follow-up, Promotional Copy (2000), exemplified Dewees' capabilities, as he honed his punk and guitar-pop chops while toying with a little hip-hop, electronica and hardcore. The experiments are just as off the wall on Under the Tray as before, but they sound more realized, like a refined next step from a guy who grew up listening to Duran Duran, Def Leppard and Loverboy, as well as the Cramps, Bad Brains and the Dead Kennedys. The phantom prodigy also studied piano, wrote his first musical composition at 10 and won a school songwriting contest at 14. He's now in the process of working on the fourth album for underground "it" band the Get Up Kids.

Amidst the cheeky humor, Under the Tray is its own mixtape, a mash of styles played with varying degrees of sincerity and aptitude. The jokes never go on for too long, and the engaging hooks hang around just long enough to miss them. The self-indulgence factor is tolerable ... only because the self being mined is so full of surprises.

"The songs aren't meant to be totally stupid," Dewees said in spite of titles such as "Apocalypse WOW," "Linkin Verbz" and "Megan 2K2 (Even Though It's 2K3 Now)." "And if you don't like one, you can skip it and there might be a completely different style of music on the next track. That's kind of why the band is called the Full Effect — because I didn't want to pigeonhole it into, 'Oh, this is emo,' or 'Oh, this is death metal,' or 'This sounds like a frickin' 311 rip-off.' "

Dewees' sense of humor blends blatant guffaws with a witty, practical-joke sensibility that sometimes flies over the head of his audience. He estimated about 12,000 copies of Promotional Copy were returned by retailers fooled by the title and plain packaging. He facetiously hoped he'd top that figure by people suspecting their copy of Under the Tray was a factory defect because the CD isn't where it's supposed to be.

"The people that run the record industry really don't have a sense of humor," Dewees said. "I did the joke to play with them and the kids, as well. It wasn't that I just did it to piss everybody off. If you find the humor in it, then cool. If you don't, then I'm sorry."

Dewees, er, Reggie, is in the midst of a solo promotional tour, after which he'll continue to work on the next Get Up Kids effort in the band's Eudora, Kansas, studio. Upon that album's completion, Dewees will launch a full-scale summer tour with the Full Effect in July.

• The Get Up Kids
• Reggie & The Full Effect

The Get Up Kids
Photo: Vagrant

If they continue their older and wiser ways, the Get Up Kids may have to change their name.

To create their third album, On a Wire, the twentysomething quintet adopted a more mature approach that could warrant a the group to re-title themselves the Grown Up Kids, if it didn't sound so stupid.

For starters, the 12 songs featured on the LP, which was released May 14, were collectively written by the band — and credited as such — as opposed to their previous two albums, which were primarily singer-guitarist Matt Pryor's forums for emotionally wrought power pop that obsessed over budding relationships. They also wrote more than twice the amount of tunes that wound up making the final cut.

"The idea was to write as many songs we possibly could, and to let everybody have input," Pryor said from his home in Lawrence, Kansas, where he lives with his wife and infant daughter. "We all write songs, but the way we had always done before was whatever 12 songs we had when we went into the studio, that's what ended up being on the records. So this time around, every individual member would come to practice with a song and we'd finish it.

"I think it's also healthy," he continued, mindful of his five-year-old band's anticipated longevity. "When one person is writing all the material, and everybody else is in fact a songwriter, and they don't have an outlet to do that in, it starts to build resentment. So we kind of have this sewing- circle thing going on."

After the group finished knitting their pop ditties, they embarked on another first that's usually reserved for older artists. Together with big-time producer Scott Litt (R.E.M., Incubus), the group took a looser, more hands-on approach to the recording process, where the songs were more constructed than simply recorded.

"We've always sort of had songs, played them a bunch as a band — possibly even toured on them — before we'd go into the studio and bust them out really fast," Pryor explained. "Whereas this time it was more like, 'Yeah, I have this demo that's just me playing acoustic guitar,' and we'd build a song around that."

As such, when preparing for their tour, which kicked off May 24 and runs through July 16 (see ), the band basically had to learn how to play the songs together, since, unlike during previous recording sessions, they hadn't played the songs collectively.

The trek comes on the heels of On a Wire's first single, "Overdue," a unforgiving mid-tempo ballad on which Pryor leads off with "You're a few years overdue/ I spent them waiting there for you." At first he was hesitant to reveal the inspiration and meaning behind the melancholy acoustic strummer, choosing, as he usually does when pressed for "the story behind the song," to let the fans interpret it however they wish. The wall eventually crumbled, though.

"It's about my dad," he fessed up. "I know there's no way to say that and be slick about it, but I try not to be incredibly obvious in interviews, just in case whomever the song is about reads the interview.

"I wrote the music and was just singing along and that first line was the first thing I came up with. And when I started writing the lyrics, it all came out really fast because it's about things that I think about sometimes — especially now as a parent myself. If I'm going to learn anything from my parents, it's going to be what not to do."

A video for "Overdue" was recently completed and comprises both animated and live-action sequences. The animation was conceived by Travis Miller, the artist responsible for the cover of 1999's Something to Write Home About and the elaborate, die-cut Digipak encasing On a Wire. Again, Pryor, who had yet to view the end result, was hesitant to reveal too much about the "secret" video, though he explained his reasons for holding back with a little more confidence.

"I'm sort of vague on the whole thing," he said. "We have a tendency to give Travis a free rein on what he does. All I know is that my artsy-fartsy friends visited him in New York, saw clips of it and said it was really good. I'm never disappointed in Travis' stuff."

Get-Up Kids tour dates, according to Vagrant Records:

• 6/3 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues
• 6/4 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues
• 6/5 - San Diego, CA @ The Scene
• 6/6 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
• 6/7 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
• 6/8 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
• 6/10 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox
• 6/11 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox
• 6/13 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Brick's
• 6/14 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
• 6/25 - Boynton Beach, FL @ Ovation
• 6/26 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
• 6/27 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
• 6/28 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
• 6/29 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
• 6/30 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 7/1 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 7/2 - New York, NY @ Roseland
• 7/3 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
• 7/5 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
• 7/6 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
• 7/7 - Rochester, NY @ Harro East
• 7/9 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
• 7/10 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
• 7/11 - Pontiac, MI @ Clutch Cargo
• 7/12 - Chicago, IL @ Metro / Smart Bar
• 7/13 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 7/14 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 7/15 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club
• 7/16 - Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre

• The Get Up Kids

The Get Up Kids
Photo: Vagrant Records

The Get Up Kids are set to release their third album and will hit the road to support it beginning May 24.

The 12-track On a Wire is scheduled for release May 14, according to a Vagrant Records spokesperson. "Overdue" will be the leadoff single from the LP, which was produced by Scott Litt (Incubus, R.E.M.). The album follows the Kansas City, Missouri, quintet's last album, 1999's breakthrough Something to Write Home About, a record which helped forge mainstream prominence of what's often referred to as "emo."

The band will embark on a 40-show tour to support On a Wire beginning May 24 in Houston, and 37 dates are confirmed thus far. The nearly two-month trek, including pairs of shows in San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. and three gigs in Chicago and West Hollywood, California, will meander across the nation to wrap up in the group's hometown on July 16.

A revolving cast of opening bands will tag along with the Kids for the jaunt. Labelmates Hot Rod Circuit — supporting their third album, Sorry About Tomorrow, released in March — are on the bill from the start, performing just prior the Get Up Kids' set until June 24, then dropping down a notch on the marquee to make room for indie-rock stalwarts Superchunk, who'll join the tour from June 25 until its conclusion. Superchunk are promoting their eighth album, last year's Here's to Shutting Up. 

Audio Learning Center and the Jealous Sound will also be on the bill for select dates.

Get Up Kids tour dates, according to Vagrant Records:

• 5/24 - Houston, TX @ Engine Room 
• 5/25 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's Barbeque
• 5/26 - Fort Worth, TX @ Ridglea Theatre
• 5/28 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Cajun House
• 5/29 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues 
• 5/30 - San Diego, CA @ Canes 
• 6/2 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues 
• 6/3 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues 
• 6/4 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues 
• 6/5 - San Diego, CA @ The Scene 
• 6/6 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore 
• 6/7 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore 
• 6/8 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom 
• 6/10 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox 
• 6/11 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox 
• 6/13 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Brick's 
• 6/14 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre 
• 6/25 - Boynton Beach, FL @ Ovation 
• 6/26 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues 
• 6/27 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade 
• 6/28 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz 
• 6/29 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa 
• 6/30 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club 
• 7/1 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club 
• 7/2 - New York, NY @ Roseland 
• 7/3 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory 
• 7/5 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre 
• 7/6 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium 
• 7/7 - Rochester, NY @ Harro East 
• 7/9 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre 
• 7/10 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's 
• 7/11 - Pontiac, MI @ Clutch Cargo 
• 7/12 - Chicago, IL @ Metro / Smart Bar 
• 7/13 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 7/14 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues 
• 7/15 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club 
• 7/16 - Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre

• The Get Up Kids

Coldplay
Photo: Eufloria

Coldplay, Ben Folds, Unwound and Sense Field are among the acts set to perform at CMJ Music Marathon in New York in September.

Also on tap for the four-day fest are Clinic, Convoy, Firewater, Charles Gayle, the Get Up Kids, God Forbid, Starsailor, the Mooney Suzuki and Turin Brakes, according to a spokesperson for the conference.

CMJ, organized yearly by the College Music Journal, will be held at the New York Hilton and Towers on September 13-16 and feature more than a thousand artists in 50 venues. Day events include panels, keynote speeches, tutorials and demo sessions.

The festival will mark one of Folds' first solo performances with his new band. The former Ben Folds Five leader will warm up with a brief string of dates in July.

• Coldplay
• Ben Folds
• Unwound
• Sense Field
• The Get Up Kids

MTV.com Exclusive: The Get Up Kids Photos

• The Get Up Kids