Beastie Boy Mike D at the 2003 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
Photo: BarryBrecheisen

INDIO, California — If not for the palm trees and smoldering temperatures, it would've been easy to forget that the Coachella festival was in the Southern California desert.

This past weekend, Queens of the Stone Age and Ben Harper gave homecoming performances of sorts (both are from nearby towns) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack Johnson and Black Eyed Peas made the two-hour drive from Los Angeles, but for the most part it was all about England, New York and Detroit. (Click to see photos from the festival.)

From England came Blur, Johnny Marr and Primal Scream, along with the bubbling-under Libertines, the Music, South, Badly Drawn Boy, Gomez, Groove Armada and countless DJs. New York brought Saturday's headliner, a standout show from the Beastie Boys, and fellow icons Sonic Youth, along with Interpol, Fischerspooner, the Rapture and the Mooney Suzuki. There's only two of them, but the White Stripes had no problem representing Detroit's garage scene, while the Von Bondies and Whirlwind Heat were two of the most talked about breakthrough bands on the bill.

Coachella featured more than 75 acts playing on five stages over two days. Here's a rundown on some of the more memorable performances:

• The Beastie Boys took the stage Saturday without their instruments, but DJ Mix Master Mike more than made up for it with his own ill communication, tweaking every track and mixing in beats from Missy Elliott's "Work It" and Erik Sermon's "React." The trio rapped parts of at least three new tracks, all of which had the hip-hop simplicity of their latest single, the anti-war anthem "In a World Gone Mad." Mostly, though, the set was heavy on party starters — "Root Down," "Body Movin'," "So What'cha Want," "Intergalactic" and even a bit of the old gem "Brass Monkey" — a sharp contrast to Adam "MCA" Yauch's political banter between songs. "At the next election, vote anyone but Bush," he said at one point.

• Like the Beasties, the Chili Peppers focused their headlining slot on keeping the sun-drenched festival-goers on their feet. Though the band mellowed some on last year's By the Way, their hit-filled live show Sunday was as energetic as ever. Short of sporting only socks, the guys were their old selves, jumping around like caged animals, spouting random dialogue and giving it away now.

• N.E.R.D.'s one-hour set on Saturday was a bit misleading, as the first half was all Spymob, the Minneapolis rock group that doubles as N.E.R.D.'s live band, performing Police-inspired songs from their upcoming debut. When Pharrell Williams and company finally came out, they played three songs before taking a break so friend Kenna could sing his new single. For a finale, Williams brought out Kelly Osbourne and Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am for "Rock Star," though Osbourne proved hardly that, running offstage midway through.

• "Who here doesn't like the Hives?" singer Pelle Almqvist asked, silencing the crowd. "Who here came for the Hives?" he followed to a deafening roar. "Point taken." Obnoxious confidence is part of their shtick, but he did make a point. Both the Hives Saturday and the White Stripes Sunday drew enormous crowds curious to hear two of last year's breakthrough bands.

• In their sharp formalwear, Interpol easily rivaled the Hives for best dressed. The NYC band conjured its swanky interpretation of Joy Division, combining bleak atmosphere with pop hooks, and delivered nearly flawless renditions of songs from Turn on the Bright Light. Despite going up against the Chili Peppers, Interpol generated a large crowd that even lingered for a good while in hopes of an encore that never came.

• While "Song 2" and "Girls and Boys" generated the loudest response, Saturday's crowd was quite receptive to the moody and eclectic tracks a retooled Blur previewed from their forthcoming Think Tank. Frontman Damon Albarn dedicated a song to the late Joe Strummer during a set that mixed Think Tank tunes like the infectious "Crazy Beat" with Britpop classics like "Beetlebum."

• "Scottish people and the desert don't mix very well," Idlewild singer Roddy Woomble joked Saturday afternoon. The floppy-haired lads struggled against the sweltering heat as they began "Little Discourage" from 2000's 100 Broken Windows, but they'd found their places by the song's chorus, easing smoothly into several of the driving and emotive tunes from this year's The Remote Part and earlier tracks like "I'm a Message" and "Roseability."

• Damon Gough was dressed even more poorly for the weather, sporting the cap, beard and thick denim that have become synonymous with his Badly Drawn Boy persona. Gough, more than willing to show off his prowess with a guitar, harmonica and piano, even sang about playing Coachella. "I was told I was headlining the show," he crooned with his typical combination of wit, self-effacement and mock arrogance. "And I am, 'cause that's how I feel."

• Despite sound problems, Hot Hot Heat gave a blistering performance that brought over a herd of VIPs, including Tony Hawk and Kelly Osbourne, who were singing the catchy "Bandages" like everyone else when the show was over. The problems escalated as the night went on, and ended with the Libertines playing only two songs — not good for their first U.S. performance. Organizers squeezed them back in on Sunday so Stateside tastemakers could see the band British journalists are calling the next Strokes.

• Anyone expecting an explosion similar to their former band's musical bombast may have been disappointed by ex-At the Drive-In members Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez's set with the Mars Volta on Sunday. Latin rhythms and long percussive jams were the name of the game as Bixler's nearly Whitesnake-like falsetto soared over every hacky sack and Frisbee game on the far reaches of the field while Rodriquez split his time between barely distorted picking (with scarcely a metallic palm mute to be found) and effects-drenched noise.

• Ben Folds played only the keys in his largely improvisational set, which ended with the singer/songwriter bringing "Song for the Dumped" to a crawl and ad-libbing vulgar yet hilarious lyrics. In a similarly fun set Saturday, Ben Kweller played a little piano, too, spewing out some of the poppiest songs of the weekend.

• On Sunday, Jack White and Juliette Lewis took in an early show from bare-bones rockers the Von Bondies in the Mojave Tent. Later, Los Angeles' Rooney finally gave that stage something that sounded local, blending Beach Boys-like harmonies with Phantom Planet-like tunes (singer Robert Carmine is Jason Schwartzman's brother). And finally, Fischerspooner treated a packed tent to a theatrical show complete with choreographed routines from dancers in feather hair extensions and fishnet bodysuits. The only group that could compete with that kind of spectacle was the Blue Man Group, who closed out their visual orgy with a cover of the Who's "Baba O'Reilly."

• A legion of Smiths fans gathered to catch a glimpse of former guitarist Johnny Marr and his backup band the Healers on Sunday, with so many of them proudly rocking vintage Morrissey T-shirts and tattoos that it almost seemed as if Marr's post-Smiths work with Electronic and other artists had never happened. Despite being cut short by organizers, Marr delivered a laid-back but potent performance of swirling tunes punctuated by his smooth croon. Much-buzzed-about English upstarts the Music were even more psychedelic the night before, invoking the spirit of the Stone Roses and basking in the glow of an impressive light show.

• While a majority of the rock bands at Coachella pounded out fierce odes to the Velvet Underground and the Clash, there were a few who offered a soundtrack for enjoying the tranquil atmosphere of the venue. Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and G. Love & Special Sauce all gathered huge audiences who toasted warm beers to their blends of blues and folk.

• In the group's first performance in more than 25 years, the Stooges (with Mike Watt on bass) treated Sunday's crowd to classics like "TV Eye" and "Fun House." Even those who had no idea who the group was ("Iggy who?" a security guard near the stage asked a friend) were able to enjoy Iggy Pop's erratic stage demeanor.

• Though Ian MacKaye has been notoriously particular about when, where and how he'll be interviewed during the two decades he's run Dischord Records and played in bands like the Teen Idles, Embrace and Fugazi, the two question-and-answer sessions he submitted to at Coachella were total free-for-alls, with kids asking him about everything from straight edge to music, politics, tour stories and the time he was kicked out of Disneyland. One member of the crowd asked the 41-year-old punk icon why he was willing to appear at an expensive festival while Fugazi refuse to play shows with high door prices. "My friend Patti Smith was saying that anyone who has a chance to get in front of a microphone right now and say they're against war should do so," he replied.

• Is Dallas the next Detroit? Two of the most talked about Coachella performances came from that city's Polyphonic Spree, whose 23 members offered a truly original orchestral pop sound, and Eisley, the female-fronted rock quintet handpicked for Coldplay's summer tour.

• Coachella would not be complete without surprises, and while Radiohead rumors proved untrue, Perry Farrell did pop into the tiny Gobi Tent for a surprise DJ set that mixed house music with the kind of tropicalia he explored on his solo album. Farrell's appearance makes him the only artist to play every Coachella.

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

• Beastie Boys
• Badly Drawn Boy
• Black Eyed Peas
• Blur
• Fischerspooner

Wouldn't you know it, Destiny's Child have a kid sister, and she's a Solo Star. Solange Knowles' project finally sees the light of day this week after about a year of build-up. The disc does not include any DC cameos — Solange instead opts for B2K and the St. Lunatics.

On the other end of the new-releases spectrum are two albums from hipster bands, Rainer Maria (Long Knives Drawn) and Pretty Girls Make Graves (the EP). True to form, the industry darlings deliver their special brand of indie, punky, emo-y pop.

Groove Armada's eclectic DJ set Love Box features rock, funk, soul, hip-hop, raga, down-tempo tracks and even "Buffalo Stance" honey Neneh Cherry on a couple of songs, while the Sea and Cake deliver an equally diverse listening experience on their new album, One Bedroom.

Finally, Cody Chesnutt, the You Hear It First alum, Strokes cameo man, Roots compadre and lo-fi rock and soul star finally gets The Headphone Masterpiece distributed in actual music stores this week rather than exclusively on his temperamental Web site. The two-CD set features such testosterone-infused favorites as "The Seed," "Bitch, I'm Broke," and "War Between the Sexes," plus the ubiquitous hitz for da ladiez, "Can We Teach" and "Smoke and Love."

Out Tuesday, January 21:

• 4 Way Street - 4 Way Street (Sliced Bread)
• Rikk Agnew - All by Myself (Frontier)
• Ape Breaks - Volume 3 (Ubiquity)
• Arrivals - Exsenator Orange (Thick)
• Axe - Offering (Wounded Bird)
• Benumb - By Means of Upheaval (Relapse)
• Bitter Bitter Weeks - Bitter Bitter Weeks (My Pal God)
• Bob Log III - Log Bomb (Fat Possum)
• Bombshell Rocks - From Here and On (Burning Heart)
• Brokeback - Looks at the Bird (Thrill Jockey)
• Burnside Project - The Networks, the Circuits, the Streams, the Harmonies (Bar/None)
• Steve Caballero - Bandology 1 (Sessions)
• Calla - Televise (Arena Rock)
• Cargo Cult - Strange Men Bearing Gifts (Touch & Go)
• Cody Chesnutt - The Headphone Masterpiece (2 CDs, Ready Set Go) Read: Cody Chesnutt: 60s Rock And Soul, Dirty South Hip-Hop, British New Wave And Talent"
  Buy Now: The Headphone Masterpiece (Ready Set Go)
• Cinch - Cinch (EP, Dirtnap)
• Colossal - Brave the Elements (EP, Asian Man)
• Crooked Fingers - Red Devil Dawn (Merge)
• Cuica - City to City (Ubiquity)
• The Delgados - Hate (Mantra)
• Whit Dickey and Trio Ahxoloxha - Prophet Moon (Aum Fidelity)
• DJ Kid - Hitz 4 Kidz (DM)
• Endless Struggle - Till the End (A-F)
• The Eurythmics - In the Garden (RCA)
• Future Bible Heroes - The Lonely Robot (EP, Instinct)
• Gang of Four - Hard/Solid Gold (Wounded Bird)
• Graves - Love Love Love (Film Guerrero)
• Green on Red - Gravity Talks (Wounded Bird)
• Groove Armada - Lovebox (Jive-Electro)
• Jeff Hanson - Son (Kill Rock Stars)
• Happy Apple - Youth Oriented (Sunny Side)
• Holopaw - Holopaw (Sub Pop)
• The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Bigger Cages, Longer Chains and Up for Sale (EPs, Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  Buy Now: Bigger Cages, Longer Chains (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• John & Spencer Booze Explosion - John & Spencer Booze Explosion (Tiger Style)
• Jonny Z - Barrio Knights (One Lil' Vato)
• King Missile III - The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (Instinct)
• Kinski - Airs Above Your Station (Sub Pop)
• Kizzy Rock - The Realist (Kela/In the Paint)
• Laika - Lost in Space (Beggars Too Pure)
• Last Days of May - Inner System Blues (Squealer)
• Last Hombres - Redemption (Koch)
• Ledisi - Soulsinger (Tommy Boy)
• Richard Lloyd - Alchemy (Collector's Choice)
• Main - Transiency (Tigerbeat6)
• Mary Lorson & Billy Coté - Piano Creeps (The First Time)
• Mannheim Steamroller - Romantic Melodies (American Gramaphone)
• Microphones - Mount Eerie (K)
• Chieili Minucci - Night Grooves (Shanachie)
• Mission U.K. - Even After ... Live (Sanctuary/Castle)
• Negative Approach - Tied Down (Touch and Go)
• Bob Neuwirth - Bob Neuwirth (Water)
• David Newman - Gift (High Note)
• No Trend - Tritonian Nash-Vegas Polyester Complex (Touch & Go)
• Mike Nock - Changing Seasons (Diw)
• The Out Crowd - Go On, Give a Damn (Orange Sky)
• Paper Garden - Paper Garden (Gear Fab)
• William Parker, Joe Morris and Hamid Drake - Eloping With the Sun (Aum Fidelity)
• Jeremy Pelt - Insight (Criss Cross)
• Jimmy Ponder - Alone (High Note)
• Pretty Girls Make Graves - Pretty Girls Make Graves (EP, Dim Mak)
• Rainer Maria - Long Knives Drawn (Polyvinyl)
• Rasputina - Lost & Found 2nd Edition (EP, Instinct)
• Redneck Girlfriend - Blood Sweat & Beers (Infect)
• Reversal Penetrations - Generation Mindwar (Cop International)
• Sea and Cake - One Bedroom (Thrill Jockey)
• Matthew Shipp - Equilibrium (Thirsty Ear)
• Solange - Solo Star (Columbia) Read: "Solange 'Feeling' It With Beyonce, N.O.R.E., Others"
  Buy Now: Solo Star (Columbia)
• Sole - Selling Live Water (Anticon)
• Sonna - Smile and the World Smiles With You (Temporary Residence Limited)
• SoulSkin - SoulSkin (Askew)
• Sport Murphy - Uncle (Kill Rock Stars)
• Tiffany Nicole - Tiffany Nicole (Dreamscape)
• Unwritten Law - From Music in High Places (Lava) Read: "Unwritten Law Frolic Naked, Trash House"
  Buy Now: From Music in High Places (Lava)
• Sarah Vaughn - Nature Boy (Golden Stars)
• Tom Verlaine - Tom Verlaine (Collector's Choice)
• Virginia Coalition - Rock and Roll Party (DCN)
• The Volta Sound - This Is the Yin and the Yang (Orange Sky)
• Written in the Sand - 47 Ursae Majoris (Johann's Face)
• Zero 7 - Simple Things: Remixes (Palm Pictures)
• Various artists - Adults Only Vols. 1. & 2 (Sanctuary)
• Various artists - Almost You: The Songs of Elvis Costello (Glurp/Bar/None)
• Various artists - At Least You Can Die With a Smile on Your Face (Bella Union)
• Various artists - Cheap Date (Columbia)
• Various artists – "Girl Most Likely" soundtrack (DRG)
• Various artists - History of Rock (Box Set, Collectables)
• Various artists - Indiana Jones Trilogy (Silva America)
• Various artists - Mob Action Against the State (Alternative Tentacle)
• Various artists - Mollie's Mix (Kill Rock Stars)
• Various artists - The Now Sound of Brazil (Six Degrees Travel Series)
• Various artists - Pulse from Mid-America (Anatomy)
• Various artists - Pure Punk Rock (Punkcore)
• Various artists - Respond II (Signature)
• Various artists - Tiger Style Sampler (Tiger Style)
• Various artists – "Who's Your Daddy" soundtrack (Koch)

• Erasure - Other People's Songs (Mute)

February 4:

• Jars of Clay - Furthermore: From the Studio to the Stage (BMG)
• Pet Shop Boys - Disco 3 (EP, Sanctuary)
• Various artists - "Daredevil" soundtrack (Wind-Up)

February 11:

• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Nocturama (Epitaph)
• Massive Attack - 100th Window (Virgin)
• John Mayer - Any Given Thursday (Sony)
• Various artists - We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to the Ramones (Sony)

February 18:

• R. Kelly - Chocolate Factory (Jive)

February 25:

• Third Eye Blind - Crystal Baller (Elektra)

• Solange
• Cody ChesnuTT
• Unwritten Law
• The Sea and Cake
• Groove Armada

Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, and Nelly announce 2003 Grammy nominations
Photo: MTV News

When nominations for the 45th annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday morning, reactions ranged from sincere congratulations to "What were they thinking?" (Click here for the list of nominees.)

Few readers writing to MTVNews.com's You Tell Us forum had sour sentiments about demure Norah Jones, the jazz-influenced singer/pianist who's got a chance to sweep the four biggest categories — Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist (see "Eminem, Avril Lavigne, Nelly, Norah Jones Nab Most Grammy Noms"). Jones is also among the eight artists who garnered five nominations. (Click for photos of this year's Grammy nominees.)

"I'm sooo happy for [Norah Jones]," wrote 18-year-old Lexi, from Seattle. "I know many people haven't heard her music, but those who have know how great it is. Big ups to the critics for giving this girl the credit she deserves."

Jones' Come Away With Me faces stiff competition from The Rising, Bruce Springsteen's return to form, and, to a lesser extent, The Eminem Show. Although the mainstream seems to have embraced the volatile rapper, with hardly a protest over his third major-label album or his fictionalized biopic "8 Mile," the Grammys might not be ready to bestow such a prestigious honor to a man who had a hit with a song that talks about killing the mother of his child and stuffing her in a trunk.

Then again, Eminem already has five golden gramophones in his trophy case (though none in the big four categories), and the Recording Academy did grant an Album of the Year Grammy to Steely Dan in 2001, for Two Against Nature, which featured the song "Cousin Dupree," about incest. But old guards like Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have always had Grammy odds in their favor, which is why Springsteen stands such a good shot. And even if The Eminem Show doesn't win for Album of the Year and "Without Me" doesn't lay claim to Record of the Year, Eminem is likely to make good on at least one of his other three nominations.

While Jones stands as the artist with the smallest presence at radio compared with fellow new-artist nominees R&B songbird Ashanti, singer/songwriter Michelle Branch, sensitive guy John Mayer and pop-rocker Avril Lavigne, most of you think the latter stands as her fiercest competition.

"I think Avril Lavigne definitely deserves Best New Artist," wrote 14-year-old Ashley of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. "She's worked so hard and accomplished so much this year."

"There is no doubt that Avril Lavigne should win Best New Artist," echoed 14-year-old Danielle, from Somerset, New Jersey. "She writes her own music, had three top 40 songs in 2002, sold over 4 million copies of her debut, Let Go, and hates Britney Spears. What more could you want in a Best New Artist?"

While statistics may garner gold records, they don't necessarily translate to a Grammy. Awards are (theoretically) doled out to those who demonstrate genuine artistry in their work. And that's Avril Lavigne, isn't it?

"Avril has no business being nominated for as much as she was," disagreed 19-year-old Andrea. "As far as music and creativity go, Britney is more creative — and you know that's a stretch, especially since Britney is nothing but manufactured bubble gum. Avril may have had something going with her and her ties but let's face it, MTV, that's all she has had."

After yesterday's announcement of the nominations, Lavigne has a lot more attached to her, namely a monumental mistake when she mispronounced David Bowie's last name. When reading the list of artists up for the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, she mispronounced Bowie as "bow-wie" (rhymes with oh, wowee!). An unnerving hush immediately enveloped Madison Square Garden.

"Am I the only person who realizes what a poser Avril Lavigne is?" queried 22-year-old Kim, from Denver. "First of all, she botched the pronunciation of David Bowie, one of the most influential musicians of our time. ... Does Avril know anything about music? ... My point is, although everyone seems to be touting Avril Lavigne as some new prodigy, the fact is that she is not a true musician or artist and is just as fake and untalented as Britney Spears."

And here we thought Avril was the anti-Britney.

While Mayer's the only guy among the gals in the Best New Artist pack, his fans warn not to count him out just because he's outnumbered.

"John Mayer deserves to win the Grammy for Best New Artist," declared 18-year-old Tiffany Johnson, from Austin, Texas. "He is just on a different level from the rest of the nominees. The guy is brilliant."

Nelly, who's up for Album of the Year, Best Male Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Album honors, among others, is feeling the brunt of haters. For the nearly 5 million copies of Nellyville sold, the St. Louis rapper seems to have just as many, if not more, detractors.

"I want to know what the Grammy folks see in Nelly," demanded 19-year-old Jason Curtis of Seattle. "Everyone is hypnotized by his so-called 'skills,' which are by no means good. As far as I'm concerned, Nelly doesn't deserve a Grammy."

It wasn't all trash talk directed at the St. Louis rapper, however. Many have their fingers crossed that the Band-Aid bearing MC will leave with even more gold than he came in with.

"I'm really anticipating seeing Nelly take home the Grammy for best album," wrote 14-year-old Linzi, from Sandusky, Michigan. "I mean, his music is totally hot, and I'm pretty sure that I don't know anyone who isn't into Nelly."

Linzi, meet 21-year-old James, from New Haven, Connecticut.

"It is clear once again that the awards honor what is popular, not what is good," James began. "Nelly has sunk so far down in the talent pool that he's left rapping about sneakers and some sort of heat wave that has apparently swept Nellyville. Talk about meaningless music. Seriously, if it's that hot in 'herre,' then drink a glass of water. Don't make a freakin' song about it."

Fellow hip-hopper Petey Pablo, up for Best Rap Album with Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry, faced some harsh reactions, with fellow nominee Mystikal also catching some heat.

"I am very upset to see that Pete Pablo has been nominated for Best Rap Album," expressed 25-year-old Curtis, from Tallahassee, Florida. "Also, Mystikal's Tarantula album was very disappointing. How come someone like Trick Daddy or Cee-Lo never gets nominated? He is pure trash, and I understand why people like Jay-Z protest the Grammys. If we want to make it mainstream for all these old white people, let's nominate Will Smith. Even though his album sold probably 200 copies, he does not curse."

Such outrage over those who were nominated couldn't rival the furor over those who were left out: uber-producers the Neptunes and anyone from the neo-garage school, such as the Hives, the Vines, the Strokes or the White Stripes.

"How did Dr. Dre get nominated in the Producer of the Year category, while the Neptunes were ignored?" wondered Venni, 18, from Blacksburg, Virginia. "Dre didn't do anything in 2002. Every single song on the radio was produced by the Neptunes."

OK, Venni may be exaggerating a bit, though Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are responsible for Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You," Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and Mystikal's "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)," all of which are Grammy-nominated.

"I'm surprised the new 'the' bands didn't get major nods," typed an aghast CJ, 18, from Newmarket, New Hampshire. "I'm sad that the White Stripes were shafted, when overrated Avril Lavigne gets all the credit. Well, the Grammys are pretty lame either way."

If the nominations aroused such fervent feelings in these folks, they'd better be prepared for the shock of February 23. While some surprises can be expected with the nods, utter jaw-droppers like the over-the-hill Jethro Tull winning for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 1988 are unmatched.

Stay tuned and stay calm.

For a look back at previous big Grammy winners, red carpet photos and much more, visit our Grammy News Archive.

• Eminem
• Norah Jones
• Nelly
• Dixie Chicks
• Bruce Springsteen

Nelly
Photo: Universal

With eight artists grabbing five nominations each, this year's Grammy Awards looks to be one of the most competitive in the ceremony's 45 years. (Click here for the list of nominees and for photos of this year's Grammy nominees and performers.)

Three relative newcomers, Ashanti, Norah Jones and Avril Lavigne, join Sheryl Crow, Eminem, Nelly, Raphael Saadiq and Bruce Springsteen as the artists with the greatest chances of leaving New York's Madison Square Garden on February 23 with the most golden gramophones in their arms.

All eyes will be on Norah Jones, who stands to reign supreme on Grammy night with four of her five nominations arriving in the big four categories: Best New Artist; Album of the Year, for Come Away With Me; and Song of the Year (given to the songwriter Jesse Harris) and Record of the Year for "Don't Know Why." Jones and her full-length debut album also received nods in the categories Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while the LP's producer, Arif Mardin, scored one in the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category to give the Norah Jones camp a whopping eight nominations combined.

Eminem, Nelly, Springsteen and Lavigne received two nods apiece for the big awards. Em's "Without Me" is up for Record of the Year, along with Nelly's "Dilemma" (which features Kelly Rowland), Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" and Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles." The Eminem Show will vie for Album of the Year honors against Come Away With Me, the Dixie Chicks' Home, Nelly's Nellyville and Bruce Springsteen's The Rising.

Springsteen was also nominated in the Song of the Year category for "The Rising." The Boss' tune, which resonated with many after the events of September 11, 2001, will face off against another song inspired by the tragedy, Alan Jackson's "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

The Best New Artist category finds John Mayer the sole male amidst a quartet of ladies, Ashanti, Michelle Branch, Jones and Lavigne, whose single "Complicated" is also up for Song of the Year. (Last year, Alicia Keys walked off with the prestigious honor. Who do you think should win Grammy's equivalent to Rookie of the Year? Take our poll.)

"Chauvinists unite!" Mayer joked at Madison Square Garden, in a half-hearted attempt to strum up support for his cause. "I'm just going to go to sports bars and lobby.

"It's cool," he continued sincerely. "I look at the list and say, 'It makes sense to me.' "

While Ashanti is likely to have her fingers crossed for the big Best New Artist win, she'll be doubly excited when the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category is awarded. Besides receiving a nod for assisting Fat Joe with "What's Luv?" the songbird with the second-best-selling debut album of 2002 has increased her chances of winning with "Always on Time," her collaboration with Ja Rule. Ashanti likes both songs, but she looks to the phrase "blood is thicker than water" when deciding whom to root for.

"I don't necessarily have a preference, but it I had to choose, it would have to be my brother Ja," she said. "That's my family, Murder, Inc. Records."

Nominations for the 45th annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday (January 7) at a press conference held in Madison Square Garden. Among the artists on hand to read the roster of those hopeful for Grammy gold were Ashanti, country singer Kenny Chesney, '80s faceplate Cyndi Lauper, Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, Justin Timberlake, Nelly and producer Jimmy Jam, who filled in for a previously scheduled but absent Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

The artists each took the podium in turn to announce the contestants for two of the categories, which made for some interesting pronunciations. Ashanti (pronounced a-shan-tee) became the faux-fabulous sounding "A-shan-tay" whenever most on hand mentioned her name; and Lavigne, in announcing the nominees for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance botched David Bowie's name, pronouncing it 'Bow-wee" (as in the dog sound "bow-wow"). The flub is not likely to go unnoticed among Lavigne's critics, and it just might go down in pop-star infamy, the way Britney Spears' remark that suggested Pat Benatar sang "I Love Rock 'N Roll," a song Joan Jett made famous, did in a fall 2001 interview.

Four nominations fell on the Dixie Chicks, Alan Jackson, R&B singer Remy Shand and Chad Kroeger, who scored one with his band Nickelback, and three others for his song "Hero," penned for the soundtrack to "Spider-Man."

Besides two in the big four, Vanessa Carlton's other nomination came in the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s). While most categories in the Composing/Arranging field are often overlooked in favor of more artist-specific ones, the 21-year-old pianist doesn't consider her third nod to be any less important. In fact, considering that she's the only nominee who's also an artist in that category, she said she's perhaps most proud of that honor because it shows her as the well-rounded artist she is.

"I am most excited for that nomination because it is recognizing the process, something other than the vocal and the song itself," she explained. "It kind of acknowledges how the puzzle fits together. I think [Be Not Nobody] is a beautiful record and I'm really proud to know that people recognized that. I was totally surprised, though. I really was."

India.Arie, Erykah Badu, Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, Dr. Dre, Randy Newman, Arif Mardin and No Doubt also nabbed three nominations each.

Touting over 100 categories, the Grammys is the most comprehensive music awards show, but even with classifications such as Best Polka Album (for which Jimmy Sturr's Top of the World looks to be the odds-on favorite) and Best Remixed Record, Non-Classical, there just aren't enough designations for some folks.

"Actually, one they didn't mention was best haircut-changing-style every year,' a near-bald Timberlake kidded. "I'm hoping I get the Victrola for that."

Maybe next year, Justin. In the meantime, the 'NSYNC star must be content with just one nomination, for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, for the Clipse-featured "Like I Love You," the first single from his solo debut, Justified.

Super production duo the Neptunes were puzzlingly absent from the Producer of the Year category, which instead found Dr. Dre, Nellee Hooper, Arif Mardin, Rick Rubin, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis attempting to stake their claim to the title. After producing a number of Grammy-nominated tracks, including Timberlake's "Like I Love You," Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and Mystikal's "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)," it's a mystery why Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams didn't receive any love from the Recording Academy.

"For the second year in a row, can you imagine that?" Williams said of his Grammy dis. "All the work we've done? For whatever reason, nobody thought to put us on the ballot."

The 45th annual ceremony marks the Grammys' return to New York, after Los Angeles hosted the previous four events. The show will be broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Before the show, catch MTV's pre-show telecast "Backstage at the Grammys," airing at 7 p.m. ET.

MTV's parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS.

For more Grammy news, check out the MTV News Grammy Archive.

• Nelly
• Avril Lavigne
• Norah Jones
• Eminem
• Vanessa Carlton

System of a Down's Serj
Photo: Emma Mitchell

NUREMBERG, Germany — You know you're a long way from home when Groove Armada and Faithless play for wilder crowds than the godfather of heavy metal.

"I can't f---ing hear you!" is Ozzy Osbourne's standard concert rallying cry, but it took on a new urgency Friday night at the kickoff of the three-day Rock Im Park festival in Nuremberg. As the 53-year-old showman peered out at the half-full Frankenstadion, his famous baffled expression — mouth agape, black-lined eyes open wide, arms extended as though desperately soliciting a hug — looked a bit more confounded than usual.

Of course the metal madman delivered, leading his band through such solo tunes as "Mr. Crowley," "Suicide Solution" and "Mama, I'm Coming Home" along with Black Sabbath classics like "War Pigs" and "Paranoid." But the crowd was apparently too burned out from all day in the sun to show him the love he's accustomed to.

Strange things are bound to happen when the headliners of Ozzfest spend the weekend with the likes of Santana, Neil Young, Lenny Kravitz, Macy Gray, Jewel and nearly a hundred other rock and electronica acts, as was the case at Rock Im Park and its sister festival, Rock Am Ring, held about 300 miles away in Nürburgring, Germany. The events, sponsored by MTV, collectively drew about 85,000 fans, mirroring each other by offering virtually the same lineups on different days.

Friday at Rock Im Park was mostly metal, featuring P.O.D., Bad Religion, System of a Down, Tool and Osbourne on the main stage. Saturday was more pop, with Jewel, Faithless, Counting Crows, Santana and Kravitz. Sunday was a bit harder to pin down, as Young topped a bill featuring Jamiroquai, Bush, Wyclef Jean, Natalie Merchant and Gomez.

But fans who ventured out of the stadium found a lot more noise to plug into. The 8,000-capacity Alternastage featured such performers as Macy Gray, Alien Ant Farm, Wilco, Groove Armada and Starsailor, while a smaller space showcased a host of indie rock and electronic acts, including Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Super Furry Animals.

Playing after Drowning Pool and Black Label Society, P.O.D. were the first to get a real rise out of the crowd. Concertgoers flooded toward the stage as though on a pilgrimage to a mecca of tattoos, dreads and rap-rock imbued with the Good Word. "If you don't know this one, act like you do," frontman Sonny Sandoval commanded as the band charged into "Southtown."

The hard stuff continued with Bad Religion and System of a Down. Tool rocked the sun down with their head-nodding grooves and percussive hammering. Wearing nothing but a Speedo-like garment and purple spray paint with orange dots, frontman Maynard James Keenan hovered in his now-standard position next to the drum set, his silhouette complementing, rather than a distraction from, the band's disturbing video show. "Sober" featured an image of an eyeball pinned open and being squirted with a liquid as footage flickered overtop showing two naked women spasming in fear as they were beaten with mechanical whips.

While Tool were tearing up the main stage, jazzy electronic outfit Groove Armada were getting asses shaking at the Alternastage with the party numbers "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'."

Ass-shaking skills were tested once again when Gray took the stage, sporting a long pink wig and retro shades. "I wanna see some booties shakin'," she demanded as she headed into "Relating to a Psychopath." The hopeless flirt, who's been known to get a little raunchy, was downright demure during "Sweet Baby," jumping down from the stage to serenade fans and even slow dance with a security guard.

Saturday's menu for the Alternastage brought Alien Ant Farm, Aussie rockers Powderfinger and Germany's own Beatsteaks and H-Blockx, while highlights for Sunday included Wilco, Muse and Starsailor. Wilco bandleader Jeff Tweedy looked like he'd just crawled straight from his bus bunk to the stage with his bedhead and sleepy eyes. The band loosely traced the story of love gone through the wringer from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, starting at its beginning, "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," and eventually arriving at "Reservations."

Kravitz proved to be an ideal headliner on the main stage Saturday, as the crowd embraced him with an enthusiasm that felt like an hour-long standing ovation. The retro rocker hammed up every second but held off from playing any big hits until he was six songs into his set, which only seemed to heighten the effect when he finally sang "Let Love Rule."

Kravitz may have owed some thanks for his warm reception to Santana and Faithless, whose sets established a feel-good vibe for him to build on. Santana's performance drew the strongest response from the predominantly young crowd with Supernatural material, which featured touring vocalists subbing for the album's superstar guests.

Jewel was all smiles earlier Saturday afternoon, showing no sign of her recent equestrian mishap, save for a barely evident brace underneath her black vest (see "Collarbone, Not Spirit, Broken As Jewel Resumes Tour Early"). Jay Kay, who performed with his band Jamiroquai on Sunday night, also looked as though he'd recovered quickly from the scuffle he was involved in last week in London, which reportedly left him with facial injuries. Between such crowd-rousers as "Canned Heat" and "High Times," the flashy singer called on the ladies in the house to bare their breasts, saying, "Give us a wobble."

His request apparently had a delayed effect, because the monitors on either side of the stage featured a seemingly endless procession of topless girls during the 40-minute downtime before Young's headlining performance. Young, 56, put an end to the girlie show when he took the stage and knocked out some good ol' rock and roll, including such classics as "Cinnamon Girl" and new tunes like "Goin' Home," from the recently released Are You Passionate?

While Young played on, Kittie were sinking their claws into the Talent Forum, the smallest of the three venues and the place where music lasted the longest each night. A late-night dance party brewed up Saturday night with drum'n'bass trio Kosheen and continued when Lamb took over to bring the tempo down.

Concertgoers who wanted a break from the music had other options, including a venue showcasing comedians, vendors and other attractions like the brain chamber, where for three Euros they could chill out and watch trippy light patterns through special shades while listening to ambient music.

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

• Ozzy Osbourne
• Groove Armada
• Faithless
• P.O.D.
• System of a Down

Groove Armada
Photo: Mario Godlewski

What better way to prepare for the release of your next album than to live its title.

Jazzy electronic duo Groove Armada have done just that since finishing Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub) this summer.

"We've done all three albums in the countryside, but we won't be doing it anymore," multi-instrumentalist Andy Cato said last month from a resort in sunny Ibiza, Spain, where he and partner Tom Findlay were in the middle of a two-week stay. After completing the LP, which hits shelves Tuesday (September 11), they spent the rest of the summer spinning in clubs and vacationing all over Europe.

"The phone doesn't ring and nobody stops by for a beer," Cato said of his experience recording in the English countryside. "You can really concentrate and make deep music because your mood doesn't get broken. The downside is that you don't get to see your girlfriend or mates for a year."

Yes, it took Groove Armada an entire year to record Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub), the follow-up to 1999's breakthrough Vertigo, which featured the "shaking that ass" single "I See You Baby." That's because, rather than — like most of their contemporaries — sample the music of other artists, they made their own.

"We didn't want to make it more live and go jazzy and lose the toughness you get from sampled grooves, but we thought there's no point in going through our records from the '60s and '70s when we got great musicians who are fresh," Cato said. "We just sampled them so we could still keep the same sort of looped feeling. It was an exhausting experience. We had to build a studio first that could record drums and strings and guitars."

Cato played some trombone and keyboards on the record, and Findlay added trumpet and bass guitar work. The group's nine-member touring band also played a major role, along with some guest vocalists, including folksinger Richie Havens and Brooklyn, New York, rapper Jeru the Damaja.

Jeru raps on the album's groovy opening tune, "Suntoucher." "Superstylin'," the LP's first single, features Mike Daniel (a.k.a. M.A.D.), Groove Armada's live show MC.

Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub) is more of a musical hodge-podge than Vertigo or 1998's U.K.-only Northern Star, dabbling in genres like dancehall and trip-hop rather than delivering big-beat anthems like "I See You Baby" or "If Everybody Looked the Same."

"Whoever takes time to listen to it properly will get an enjoyable hour and 10 minutes," Cato said. "If you listen to it as a whole, it has a Pink Floyd feel."

Groove Armada will promote the album by bringing their live band back to the States for a November tour. Dates have not been announced.

Meanwhile, Cato and Findlay are already looking ahead to future projects. They are mixing an after-hours compilation called Another Late Night, which Cato said would be a similar idea to their Back to Mine series contribution. That album is due in January.

Both artists are also pursuing solo projects. "Before Groove Armada started, I was doing my own thing," Cato said. "I would like to get a record label going and put some stuff out on it. Tom has now got his own studio and he wants to do that thing."

• Groove Armada

Badly Drawn Boy
Photo: Beggars Banquet

The original idea was for companies like Mitsubishi and the Gap to use artists like Groove Armada and Badly Drawn Boy to sell cars and clothes. But in the end, it may be that Groove Armada and Badly Drawn Boy were simply using cars and clothes to sell their music.

Exhibit A: As Seen on TV: Songs From Commercials, due June 5 from the people behind the chart-topping Now That's I What Call Music compilations. As Seen on TV includes some of the more memorable TV ad songs of recent months, from late singer/songwriter Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" — featured in a much-remarked-upon Volkswagen ad — to Badly Drawn Boy's equally delicate "The Shining," which the Gap used in a winter-themed ad.

The 20-song album also includes Trio's new-wave nugget "Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha," used in a Volkswagen ad, the Propellerheads and Shirley Bassey's "History Repeating," used in a Jaguar ad, and Groove Armada's "I See You Baby," used in a Mitsubishi commercial.

Fittingly, As Seen on TV's makers plan to promote the TV-commercial comp with TV spots of its own.

Adam Starr, the UTV Records product manager who dreamed up As Seen on TV, said he hopes the compilation will give more exposure to acts like Drake and Badly Drawn Boy, whose sales hardly match their critical acclaim.

"When the Nick Drake commercial first happened, people were half disgusted by it and half, like, 'Great, he's getting attention.' And that's kind of the gist of what this is about," Starr said Tuesday (May 22).

Other tracks on the album, which UTV A&R Vice President Jeff Moskow described as "either cool or kitschy," include Handsome Boy Modeling School's "Rock n' Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This)," the Orb's "Little Fluffy Clouds," the Buzzcocks' "What Do I Get?" and, of course, Styx's "Mr. Roboto." UTV isn't the first company to see potential profit in the boom of hip commercial soundtracks — Volkswagen itself recently released the collection Street Mix — Music From VW Commercials Volume 1, which includes the same Trio, Drake and Styx tracks (see "Volkswagen Rolls Out Mix CD With Styx, Trio, Other Commercial Hits").

• Badly Drawn Boy
• Nick Drake
• Groove Armada
• Fatboy Slim
• Propellerheads

Sonicnet Music News

Soulful singer Me'Shell N'degeocello and Brooklyn rapper Jeru The Damaja will provide vocals on Groove Armada's next album, which the British dance duo describes as a "challenging listen."

"We're going for something a bit heavier and darker than the last album," Groove programmer, trumpeter and bass guitarist Tom Findlay said. "We'll still be using melodies and harmonies, but we want something that's going to be more of a mind f*** than 'Vertigo.'"

Groove Armada, which also includes Andy Cato on turntables, trombone, keyboards, and bass guitar, released "Vertigo," its second album, in the U.K. last year, but it didn't reach the United States until March. The record spawned the singles "I See You Baby," which was remixed by Fatboy Slim, and "At The River."

Groove Armada's upcoming album, which has yet to be titled, is being recorded in various makeshift studios across the U.K. countryside.

"So far, we've gone into Wales and recorded two weeks with our band, just jamming, basically," Findlay said, referring to the group's seven-piece touring band. "We talked through the ideas of the tracks, we played them some things and just picked up instruments. It will work as a nice starting point."

Unlike "Vertigo," Findlay said most of the new album will be recorded live and will include very few samples.

"We're going to try to push the production side of it, make sure that's brilliant," he said. "We're going to get anal about things like what kind of microphones we use and what kinds of compression we use. We just spent more money than we've ever spent on a mixing deck."

Findlay did not reveal details of the collaborations, but Jeru The Damaja (born Kendrick Jeru Davis) said he recorded two tracks with the duo, "Urban Organic" and "Sunshine."

"I wrote one in the studio and the other back in my hotel room and then we recorded them both in the same day," Jeru said. "They're just Jeru The Damaja. Nobody can really change my sound. I just add my element to whatever you're doing. What you do around me doesn't really matter. I'm just an artist."

Jeru said Groove Armada approached him about the collaborations, and although he had only heard the group once, he was eager to work with them.

"It's like funk. It's cool," he said of Groove Armada's eclectic sound. "If I didn't like it, I wouldn't have done it."

Groove Armada will record the majority of the album in the fall, and the group plans to finish it by late December. "We'll go off and listen to it in a different environment and then come back and make a few tweaks and changes," Findlay said. "We'll send it out to press in January, to be stripped apart and gutted."

Findlay expects a release in March or April of next year.

"Last time, we released the album in the U.K. and it came out a year later in America," he explained. "It put us in a really weird time, because we were promoting a record that was over to us. It will be great to be back in sync. Actually, I probably shouldn't use that phrase, 'in sync' — especially when I'm talking about collaborations."

The duo will release the second installment of the "Back To Mine" chill-out mix-CD series on September 5, featuring tracks by Barry White, Al Green, and A Tribe Called Quest. The album recently scored a Top 20 debut in the U.K.

• Groove Armada
• Jeru the Damaja

New songs by Moby, Groove Armada, Gomez, and The Cult will be included on the upcoming "Gone in 60 Seconds" soundtrack, due June 6.

Moby's "Flower," like many of the songs on his critically acclaimed 1999 album "Play," samples the field recordings of musicologist Alan Lomax. The track, which is used in the opening credits of the film, was recorded six weeks ago between tour dates, Moby's spokesperson said.

Groove Armada's "Rap" is an electronic hip-hop track featuring deep, slow beats. The Brighton, England, duo of Tom Findlay and Andy Cato is currently in rotation on MTV with the Fatboy Slim remix of "I See You Baby" from its February release, "Vertigo" (see "Groove Armada Shakes It On 'I See You' Single, Video").

The "Gone in 60 Seconds" soundtrack also includes a new tracks by British rockers Gomez ("Machismo") and The Cult, who provides the album's first single, "Painted On My Heart," a song which was originally recorded by Aerosmith (see "The Aerosmith Song You May Never Hear").

Also included is "Never Gonna Come Back Down," a collaboration between techno producer BT and former Soul Coughing frontman M. Doughty from BT's album "Movement In Still Life," due from Nettwerk America on June 6 (see "M. Doughty Talks Solo Plans With BT").

Other artists featured are the Chemical Brothers, Ice Cube, DMX and the Method Man and Redman tag team "Da Rockwilder."

"Gone in 60 Seconds," an action movie about car thieves starring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie, opens June 9.

In other Moby news, the ubiquitous electronic artist releases his fourth "Play" single this week, the melodic "Porcelain." The single features remixes by Rob Dogen and Futureshock.

• The Cult
• Groove Armada
• Moby

Fronted by the DJ duo of Tom Findlay and Andy Cato, Britain's Groove Armada is preparing to launch a North American tour next month support of its recent "Vertigo" album and its "I See You Baby" single, which currently has rumps shakin' in dance clubs across the U.S.

The cut features vocals from Gram'ma Funk, a singer Cato and Findlay told MTV News they met while visiting (and partying in) the Balearic Islands off the southeastern coast of Spain, and whom they invited to record with them back in London.

"'I See You Baby' we recorded about a year ago, I suppose," recalled Tom Findlay.

"It was about a year ago," agreed Andy Cato, Findlay said. "We brought her over, gave her a few Red Stripes, and got her going. She came up with a lot of vocal stuff, probably ten minutes of vocal stuff, most of which was far too rude to broadcast, but a little bit went into that tune."

"And we pieced it together," Cato continued, "to say, 'I see you baby, shakin' that --'"

"Can we say 'ass?'" Findlay asked aloud. "Excellent. 'Ass.'"

"'Shakin' that --'" Cato prompted.

"Ass," Findlay said. "And it's been remixed by Fatboy Slim, which is great." [RealVideo]

The "I See You Baby" single has spawned a sleek video currently in heavy rotation on MTV2. Groove Armada admitted that they would have liked to have had more of a say in the casting of the clip, which features gallivanting models being monitored by an ever-so groovy security guard.

"Well, the video is one of those strange ones," Findlay said. "We really didn't have that much to do with it, I've got to be totally honest. We saw the treatment and we had a few concerns about it, and we made a couple of changes to the treatment, which was cool.

"I really like it," he added. "It's the first video that we've ever really spent any money on. Most of the videos we do are for tiny, tiny budgets, so it's kind of got a big, American sheen to it, which I like."

"It looks proper," Cato said. Findlay explained.

"Yeah, having seen it, it would have been nice to have been there," Cato said, "but we weren't. But I'm sure everyone that was had a wonderful day." [RealVideo]

The Groove Armada will set sail across North America beginning on June 1 with a DJ date in Mexico City and wrapping up on June 19 in New York City (see "Groove Armada Brings Own Army To Live Gigs").

• Groove Armada