Zac Efron
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Zac Efron is doing fine after having his appendix removed Tuesday (January 15), according to People.com. The star — who recently signed on for "High School Musical 3" — was rushed to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after suffering from appendicitis, TMZ.com reports. "Zac had his appendix removed and is recuperating," the actor's representative, who was not named, reportedly said in a statement. ...

A very revealing photo of Heidi Montag graces the new cover of Maxim, and for the accompanying interview, she also revealed to the mag that she wants to be the next Madonna. "But it's not like with most pop artists, where they have a song sent to them that has nothing to do with their emotions or lives," she insisted about her yet-untitled, in-the-works LP. "It's all about me and my life. I'm taking my time to make sure it's a classic. I don't want to be the next pop person who's in or out. I want to be like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Stevie Wonder — all the greats." Montag also dished on new parents Nicole Richie and Joel Madden recalling that one time they "came up to [Montag's fiance,] Spencer [Pratt,] and me at the Beverly Hills Hotel [in California] and started yelling something Spencer said about Nicole in an interview, like, two years ago. ... Joel was yelling, 'You've been talking sh-- about my girl!' " ...

Madden has blogged on the Web site for his clothing company, DCMA, about arriving home with his and Richie's daughter, who was born on Friday. "Well I am finally home with my beautiful girlfriend and our brand new little daughter," the Good Charlotte frontman wrote. "Harlow Winter Kate Madden was born on January 11th 2008 at 3:13 p.m. She weighed in at 6 pounds and 7 ounces. She is 19 inches long and growing everyday already! She really is a wonderful addition to the GC/DCMA/DEADEXEC family. We are so blessed to have this beautiful little baby in our lives. I want to thank everyone for all the love and kind words they've sent our way. We apologize we weren't accepting gifts/cards/calls at the hospital, but if you'd like to send something, we'd rather you make a donation to the Richie-Madden Foundation, which we started in Harlow Winter's honor. She looks so much like her mom it's crazy! She eats like a little maniac and she's really sweet. She barely ever cries, even when daddy is changing her diaper, and believe me I suck when it comes to diapers, but I'm learning! I can't wait to show off some pictures, until then, THANKS!! and GOD BLESS... Joel." ...

From an "Umbrella" to a handbag: Rihanna has made a match with Marc Jacobs as she and the fashion designer have partnered to produce a new pair of purses named after the leggy singer. The two models are available as a part of Jacobs' spring line. ... Missy Elliott has stepped up with two new tunes for the February 5 soundtrack to "Step Up 2 the Streets." The MC's "Ching-A-Ling" — which is already sizzling in the streets — and "Shake Your Pom Pom" will appear on the soundtrack, and might resurface on her yet-untitled new LP, due in May. The soundtrack also features Cassie, who stars in "Step Up 2 the Streets," as well as T-Pain, Flo Rida, Trey Songz, Plies and Scarface. ...

Twista has inked a deal with Koch to release a project with his longtime group, the Speedknot Mobstaz. The Mobstaz's forthcoming sophomore album, Mobstability II: Nation Bizness, is set to feature Jim Jones and production by Cuzzo and China White Productions. ... The Grammys will not be getting a free pass from the Writers Guild of America. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Grammys have not asked for a special waiver to allow striking Guild employees to work on the show, but even if they did request one, it would not likely be granted. In addition, a number of top musicians who also have Screen Actors Guild cards, including Justin Timberlake and Queen Latifah, are being lobbied by the WGA not to attend the February 10 show, according to AdAge.com. ...

In a $35 million lawsuit filed on Monday, Victory Records claimed that Virgin/EMI "improperly induced" Hawthorne Heights to disregard their contract with the independent Chicago label. In a news release on the suit, Victory also claimed that Virgin/EMI paid $55,000 to the band, which used the money to fund the initial phase of a 2006 lawsuit against Victory, and helped the bandmembers search for a music-industry lawyer to help them with their legal action. "The facts alleged in this case demonstrate classic interference with contractual and business relations," Victory lawyer Robert Meloni said. "They did more than merely offer a carrot to the band, but also saddled the horse, paid for a rider to take the reins, and led it out of the barn." The suit seeks $10 million in compensation and $25 million in punitive damages for Virgin/EMI's "willful, wanton and deliberate conduct." Victory maintains that HH owe the label two more albums, but the band, which lost guitarist Casey Calvert in November after a fatal drug interaction, has vowed not to record for Victory again. ...

Rancid fans, time to grow those Mohawks back — the band started recording new material in a California studio on Monday. The punks' yet-unnamed follow-up to 2003's Indestructible is due later this year, on guitarist Brett Gurewitz's Epitaph/Hellcat label, of course. ... Tiger Army have welcomed an old comrade back into their ranks. Stand-up-bass player Geoff Kresge, who toured with the psychobilly band from 1999-2004 — and who also has a stint with AFI on his résumé — replaces Jeff Roffredo, who "left the band on good terms to pursue other interests," according to a press release from the band's publicist. Tiger Army hit the road earlier this week and have a heap of shows planned for throughout the year. ...

Now that Marilyn Manson and Twiggy Ramirez have reconciled, what better way to celebrate than with some concerts? Manson has tacked on a few more to his upcoming trek, which starts Saturday in Orlando, Florida. The newly added gigs will be staged in Phoenix (February 27); Dallas (February 29); Austin, Texas (March 1); and Houston (March 2). Veteran rock act Ours will be the opening act on the tour, according to Pollstar.com. ... Here's a novel idea: Yellowcard are giving fans who buy the rockers' Live From Las Vegas at the Palms release an early chance at getting tix to one of their upcoming shows. The iTunes exclusive will be available starting January 22, and fans who snatch it up before January 29 will get a Ticketmaster code allowing them to nab up to four tickets for the band's trek, which starts March 7 in Salt Lake City and ends April 12 in Los Angeles. From Las Vegas at the Palms immortalizes Yellowcard's show at the Palms Casino Resort's Pearl venue in October. ...

EMI — home to Coldplay, the Rolling Stones and other acts — will slash a third of its work force, or 1,500-2,000 jobs, over the course of the next months, multiple outlets reported Tuesday. According to the Web site for England's Telegraph, the reunited Verve could be the next major group to withhold its upcoming album in light of the major-label shake-up. The paper reports that the Verve may join Robbie Williams and Coldplay in threatening to hold onto their next albums unless they receive assurances about the company's financial health and how their albums will be marketed. The company's new boss, Guy Hands, was reportedly to be grilled by the managers of some of the label's top acts on Tuesday as he revealed plans for streamlining the company. ...

"American Idol" judge Randy Jackson is known for name-dropping, but his new album, Music Club Vol. 1, might finally back up some of his boasting. Jackson's upcoming solo album, due March 11, will feature pals ranging from Mariah Carey and Joss Stone to Jason Mraz, former "Idol" contestants Elliott Yamin and Katharine McPhee and country star Travis Tritt. Fellow judge Paula Abdul will be featured on "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow," her first new recording in more than a decade. Last week, TVGuide.com reported that Jackson and Abdul had been rehearsing a video for the single, and that she was in talks to perform it at the Super Bowl on February 3. Also included on the album are Van Hunt, Three 6 Mafia, Angie Stone, Richie Sambora and Keb' Mo'. ...

My Morning Jacket are going big time: The longhaired Kentucky rockers will headline a show at New York's Radio City Music Hall on June 20. The band's yet-untitled album will drop 10 days earlier. ... Noise Pop just got a bit noisier. The Walkmen, the Dodos, MSTRKRFT, Stellastarr and the Helio Sequence have climbed onto the roster for the San Francisco fest, which is happening February 26-March 2. Jamie Kennedy's comedic documentary "Heckler" — which features George Lucas, Rob Zombie, David Cross and others — will open the Film Festival portion of the event. ... Carla Bruni has been making headlines lately amid her high-profile romance with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Now the chanteuse can parlay that attention into promotion for the wide release of No Promises, an album that is currently only available Stateside on iTunes and at Barnes & Noble stores. The disc — which is being issued through Downtown Records, home to Gnarls Barkley and Spank Rock, and pays tribute to English-language literary legends — will hit retail stores nationwide February 19.

1.14.08

Nearly six years after the alleged sex tape first surfaced, the court proceedings in the R. Kelly case continue to move at a snail's pace. The prosecutors originally sought to have testimony from one expert witness, Dr. Sharon Cooper, cover several different areas — the age of the girl on the tape based on forensic pediatrics, the identification of the man on the tape based on the vein pattern on his hands, and the behavior profile of the girl based on the psychology of child sex-abuse victims. Judge Vincent Gaughan had previously ruled that Dr. Cooper could testify about the victim's age, but not the behavior profile, so prosecutors had asked him to reconsider. At a hearing on Monday (January 14), Gaughan ruled once again that Dr. Cooper would not be able to testify about why the girl in the case would deny that she was a victim, or how common denial is in sex-abuse cases. Kelly is due back in court March 12 for another pre-trial hearing, while the trial itself is slated to start on May 9. ...

And the Wu-Tang Clan infighting goes on. U-God — who complained about RZA being callous toward him in the studio nearly four years ago — is now suing Wu's label, alleging that he is owed $170,000, according to TMZ.com. U-God (born Lamont Hawkins) reportedly filed papers in a New York district court, alleging that Wu Music owes him money for services rendered dating back to March of last year. Wu Music is licensed to Universal Music. ...

Paula Abdul doesn't just have the seventh season of "American Idol" on her mind these days. "I want kids!" the singer recently told Ladies' Home Journal for its February issue. "If it doesn't happen naturally, I can always adopt." The 45-year-old Abdul opened up even more about her personal life, saying of 32-year-old boyfriend J.T. Torregiani, "I've experienced real loneliness, so I love knowing there's someone I can share the good and the not-so-good with." ... Everyone's wondering how the seventh season of "Idol" is going to fare in light of some retooling and the writers' strike, but if you ask Chris Daughtry, the show is "in a state of decline." The Daughtry frontman recently spoke with RollingStone.com about the show, adding that if it doesn't right itself, "it's probably not gonna last too much longer. I'm sure that'll be used against me, but that's the truth, you know?" He also said the show is "definitely lacking some credibility at this point." ...

White Stripes, Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, Mark Ronson, Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Cheifs and recent MTV Artist of the Week Kate Nash have all landed Brit Award nominations, although Leona Lewis, Mika and Take That have scored the most, with four apiece. Rihanna, Ronson, Kaiser Chiefs, Kylie Minogue and Paul McCartney are slated to perform at the February 20 ceremony. ... R.E.M. have pulled the curtains back on a new Web site surrounding the April 1 release of their 14th studio album, Accelerate. Their NinetyNights.com Web site has daily high-definition-video snippets shot by Arcade Fire collaborator Vincent Moon ...

Björk attacked a newspaper photographer who was attempting to take her picture at the Auckland International Airport on Sunday, according to reports in the New Zealand press. The singer, who was flying in to perform at the Big Day Out concert on Friday, reportedly ripped New Zealand Herald photographer Glenn Jeffrey's shirt after he snapped a photo of her. Jeffrey told the New Zealand Press Association that he was warned by a man traveling with Björk not to take her picture, and once he did, the singer came up behind him, grabbed the back of his shirt and tore it before tumbling to the ground. In 1996, Björk attacked a reporter in an airport in Bangkok, Thailand, after she objected to being photographed. ... The Walkmen and White Rabbits will hop along the U.S. this month for nine shows. On the itinerary are Pittsburgh (Wednesday); Detroit (Thursday); Milwaukee (Friday); Madison, Wisconsin (Saturday); Chicago (Sunday); St. Louis (January 21); Columbus, Ohio (January 22); Philadelphia (January 23); and Baltimore (January 24). ...

For the first time in 25 years, former Clash members Mick Jones and Topper Headon reportedly shared the same stage at a gig by Jones' new band, Carbon/Silicon. The duo performed "Train in Vain" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" during the set. ... Megadeth have recruited Chris Broderick (Nevermore, Jag Panzer) to be their newest guitarist, following the recent departure of Glen Drover. Broderick will make his live debut with the band on February 4, at a gig in Finland. ...

Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali said the band will not be revived following the late November death of frontman Kevin DuBrow. In an online statement, Banali claims he had been "approached to see if I would be interested in contacting Rudy Sarzo and Carlos Cavazo and to audition singers for Quiet Riot." He said that he's even fielded an offer to re-form "the version of Quiet Riot that included Paul Shortino, Carlos Cavazo and Sean McNabb." But Banali rejected any suggestions of the band performing live. "My friendship, love and respect for Kevin DuBrow, as well as my personal love and affection for Kevin's mother and his family, makes it inconceivable for me to ever entertain any ovation to re-form or to continue Quiet Riot," he wrote. "It would also be a disrespect to the fans who have supported [the band] for nearly 25 years." ...

Roger Avary, the Oscar-winning co-writer of "Pulp Fiction," was arrested on Sunday after a fatal single-car crash in Ojai, California. According to a Reuters report, Avary, 42, was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence, and was released from jail after posting $50,000 bail. Andreas Zedini, a 34-year-old passenger in the car, died of his injuries at a local hospital. Avary's wife, Gretchen, 40, was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries after being thrown from the car.

• Heidi Montag Poses For Maxim

• Good Charlotte
• Justin Timberlake
• Queen Latifah
• Hawthorne Heights
• The Verve

Pink's <i>I'm Not Dead</i>
Photo: La Face

Dead Alive: Proving she's got much more than just a pulse, Pink rails against politicians and a culture that breeds bulimia and rampant materialism on her fourth record, I'm Not Dead. The Indigo Girls sing along on "Dear Mr. President," while the singer's father appears on the hidden track "I Have Seen the Rain." Get totally Pink'd with the DualDisc, which has a promo clip and making-of segments for her single "Stupid Girls," plus interview footage and a teaser for her forthcoming "Live in Europe" DVD.

Flaming Tongues Tied: And if you don't think yours will be too, try saying track names like "It Overtakes Me/ The Stars Are So Big, I Am So Small ... Do I Stand a Chance?" or "Pompeii Am Gotterdammerung" 10 times fast. If you're looking for a longer kiss from the Lips, pick up the special edition of At War With the Mystics, which is backed with a bonus DVD featuring extra songs, videos and, feeding the outlandish band's surround-sound addiction, select mystical tracks in 5.1 stereo.

He's No Circus Clown: Morrissey looks innocent enough on the cover of his Ringleader of the Tormentors, dressed in a suit, rolling his eyes and playing the violin. But with some unusually lewd lyrics — if "There are explosive kegs between my legs" doesn't make you blush, other lines on the record will — Moz is dirtier than ever this time around. The limited deluxes have a bonus DVD with videos for "You Have Killed Me," "The Youngest Was the Most Loved" and "In the Future When All Is Well," plus additional behind-the-scenes stuff.

A Monkey Chases Its Tail: They've pulled off a virtual tour, have turned themselves into holograms and are even planning a mobile-phone adventure, but first things first, the Gorillaz have a DVD to eke out. The remarkably straightforward "Demon Days Live at the Manchester Opera House" finds the group running through last year's Demon Days track list with De La Soul and Shaun Ryder of the Happy Mondays, capping off the affair with the B-side "Hong Kong" and "Latin Simone," from 2001's Gorillaz.

Gorillaz's "Dare" doesn't only appear again this week on Now That's What I Call Music! 21 — Mariah, Chris Brown, Black Eyed Peas and Rihanna also crop up on that set — it also rears its head on The DFA Remixes: Chapter One. The electro-post-punk whizzes pull together that track plus their remixes of Chemical Brothers, Le Tigre, Fischerspooner and Hot Chip tunes for the comp. Chapter Two, due this summer, will feature their touch-ups on songs by N.E.R.D., Goldfrapp and Nine Inch Nails.

Speaking of which, DFA's remix of NIN's "Hand That Feeds" is tucked onto Every Day Is Exactly the Same, a single that's been beefed up to EP status. The set leads off with the title track and has a remix of the same tune by Interpol's Carlos D and Sam Fogarino, but there are two more songs on the set, both of which are presented, er, twofold: the DFA and straight mixes of "Hand That Feeds," plus retreatments of "Only" by El-P and Richard X.

Finding nice company in this wild-eyed pack are trip-hop pioneers and remix junkies Massive Attack, who, like Gorillaz, have also collaborated with Madonna recently. MA take a look back with Collected, and while fans will only find a new single on the standard release, the limited-edition version has a bonus DualDisc granting a trove of previously unissued tracks, rarities and all the collective's videos to date.

Vision Valley, the new album from the very-ape Vines, has no special adornments, and the song titles are light on cheer too: Tracks include "Nothin's Comin', " "Don't Listen to the Radio," "F--- Yeah," "Futuretarded" and "Dope Train."

Last but not least, as smooth as R&B crooner Van Hunt may be, his sophomore effort is called On the Jungle Floor and puts some rock into his repertoire. Songs include "Daredevil, Baby," "Priest or Police" and "The Thrill of This Love."

With Very Special Guest: Three artists are in pretty far-out company this week. Unicorns offshoot project Islands recruit the two guys who invented a type of video game music called Mario Paint Music Maker, plus a bass player who hails from Togo and James R. Guthrie, grandson of Woody Guthrie, for their Return to the Sea debut. Folk instrumentalist John McCutcheon has an even more esteemed guest list for his Mightier Than the Sword, roping in a U.S. poet laureate, Pulitzer Prize nominee and National Humanities Medal winner. But jam masters Umphrey's McGee might feature the most badass outside help of all on their Safety in Numbers, even if it only consists of one person: Huey Lewis.

Song Title of the Week:

"Jesus Christ R'n R" from Dir en Grey's Withering to Death

Other notables:

Bubba Sparxxx's The Charm: After being on the down low for the past few years, Bubba's Charm-ed to have shifted over to the Purple Ribbon imprint run by Outkast's Big Boi. And he's hoping for an extra boost in light of featured spots by Ying Yang Twins, Frankie J, Petey Pablo, Sleepy Brown and Killer Mike, plus production by Timbaland, Organized Noize, Big Boi and more.

The Coup's "Best Coup DVD Ever": The unapologetically political Oakland rap assemblage try to get equally radical onscreen, with videos for "Fats Cats & Bigga Fish," "Not Yet Free" and "Me and Jesus the Pimp in a '79 Granada Last Night." Filling out the disc are interviews with Boots Riley and DJ Pam the Funkstress, plus a bonus film called "Eating Forever: A South African Hip Hop Travelog," shot during the Black August hip-hop tour.

Victory at Sea's All Your Things Are Gone and the New Orleans Social Club's Sing Me Back Home: What do veteran Boston indie-rockers and a handful of New Orleans soul legends have in common? They've both lost their homes in recent months. A fire destroyed Victory at Sea drummer Dave Norton's house, which doubles as the band's recording space. (To make matters worse, their violin player, Taro Hatanaka, has been unable to re-enter the States because of visa problems.) Closer to the equator, Ivan Neville, founding members of the Meters and other bayou greats have formed NOSC as a way to cope with the Katrina devastation. Their cover of John Fogerty's anti-war anthem "Fortunate Son" is especially poignant, while you may have already heard "Sing Me Back Home," which the Neville Brothers recorded in Austin, Texas, six weeks after Katrina.

New Releases:

• 46 Short - Truth Denied (TKO)
• 5 Browns - No Boundaries (DualDisc due also available; RCA)
• Abysmal Dawn - From Ashes (Crash)
• Aereogramme - Seclusion (Sonic Unyon)
• All-Stokz - A Bronx Tale (Paperchase/ Warlock)
• American Princes - Less and Less (Yep Roc)
• Angel Blake - Angel Black (Metal Blade)
• Daryl Anger's Republic of Strings - Generation Nation (Compass)
• Barnes - The Last Shall Be First (Sugar Water)
• Bird Show - Lightning Ghost (Kranky)
• Bitter: Sweet - The Mating Game (digipak; Quango)
• Blackmore's Night - Village Lanterne (Steamhammer/ SPV)
• Blue October - Foiled (enhanced; Universal/ Motown)

Buy Now: Foiled (Universal/ Motown)
• Erin Boheme - What Love Is (Concord)
• Danielle Bollinger - When the Broken Hearted Love Again (Esntion Silver)
• Anouar Brahem - Le Voyage de Sahar (ECM)
• Darius Brooks - My Soul (Journey)
• Francesco Cafiso Quartet - Happy Time (CAM Jazz)
• Caliban - The Undying Darkness (Abacus)

Buy Now: The Undying Darkness (Abacus)
• Concretes - In Colour (Astralwerks)
• John Corbett - John Corbett (Fun Bone)
• Carl Cox - Second Sign (Koch)

Buy Now: Second Sign (Koch)
• Guy Davis - Skunkmello (Red House)
• Dead to Fall - The Phoenix Throne (Victory)
• Bob Delevante - Columbus and the Colossal Mistake (Relay)
• Dir en Grey - Withering to Death (with bonus DVD; Warcon)
• Dirty Sanchez - Dirty Sanchez (Cleopatra)
• DJ Crucial - Test Presses and Dub Plates (F5)
• Dmitri From Paris and DJ Muro - Super Disco Friends (Headphone Heroes)
• Dog Fashion Disco - Adultery (Rotten)

Buy Now: Adultery (Rotten)
• Lila Downs - La Cantina (Narada)
• Enablers - Output Negative Space (Neurot)
• Evergrey - Monday Morning Apocalypse (Inside Out)
• Facedowninsh - NPON (Relapse)
• Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics (special edition with DVD also available; Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Flaming Lips Go To War Against Britney, Gwen On New LP"

Buy Now: At War With the Mystics (Warner Bros.)
• Flower Kings - Paradox Hotel (Inside Out)
• Radney Foster - This World We Live In (Dualtone)
• Mimi Fox - Perpetually Hip (two CDs; Favored Nations)
• Fragments of Unbecoming - Sterling Black Icon (Metal Blade)
• Moncef Genoud - Aqua (Savoy Jazz)
• Girl Authority - Girl Authority (Zöe)
• Governor Washington - Son of Pain (Atlantic)
• Gregor Samsa - 55:12 (Kora)
• G-Rod - Tha Movement (Warlock)
• Hawk Nelson - Smile, It's the End of the World (Tooth & Nail)
• Head Control System - Murder Nature (The End)
• Hell Promise - Aim for Hell (RocketStar)
• Van Hunt - On the Jungle Floor (Capitol)

Buy Now: On the Jungle Floor (Capitol)
• Irving - Death in the Garden Blood on the Flowers (Eenie Meenie)
• Islands - Return to the Sea (digipak; Equator)
• Shooter Jennings - Electric Rodeo (Universal South)
• Lacuna Coil - Karmacode (enhanced; Century Media)

Buy Now: Karmacode (Century Media)
• Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch & Fats Kaplin - Lost John Dean (Compass)
• Philip E. Karnats - Pleasesuite (Good)
• Tommy Keene - Crashing the Ether (digipak; 1130)
• Paula Kelley - Some Sucker's Life, Part 1 (Stop Pop & Roll)
• Sonya Kitchell - Words Came Back to Me (Velour)
• Tony Levin - Resonator (Narada)

Buy Now: Resonator (Narada)
• Eric Lindell - Change in the Weather (Alligator)
• Little Killers - Real Good One (Glen Blandsten)
• Charles Lloyd, Zakir Hussain and Eric Harland - Sangam (ECM)
• Jeremiah Lockwood - American Primitive (digipak; Vee-Ron)
• Nils Lofgren - Sacred Weapon (Vision Music)

Buy Now: Sacred Weapon (Vision Music)
• Lotus - The Strength of Weak Ties (Harmonized)
• Pat Martino - Remember: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery (Blue Note)
• MC Eiht - Affiliated (enhanced; Paid in Full/ Koch)
• Donny McCaslin - Soar (Sunny Side)
• John McCutcheon - Mightier Than the Sword (Appalsongs)
• John Medeski - Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz Radio Broadcast (Jazz Alliance)
• Mellowdrone - Box (Red Ink)
• Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors (limited deluxe edition with DVD also available; Attack/ Sanctuary)

Buy Now: Ringleader of the Tormentors (Attack/ Sanctuary)
• Matt Nathanson - At the Point (digipak; High Wire)
• Nazi Dogs - Chase the Man (TKO)
• Need to Breathe - Daylight (Atlantic)
• New Orleans Social Club - Sing Me Back Home (enhanced; Burgundy)
• Nine Inch Nails - Every Day Is Exactly the Same (EP; Nothing/ Interscope)

Buy Now: Every Day Is Exactly the Same (Nothing/ Interscope)
• Northey Valenzuela - Northey Valenzuela (The Lab)
• One Man Army and the Undead Quartet - 21st Century Killing Machine (enhanced; Nuclear Blast America)
• Alan Parsons - A Valid Path (remix LP; DualDisc; Immergent)
• Pink - I'm Not Dead (DualDisc also available; La Face)
  Read: "Pink Pens An Open Letter To President Bush On New Album"

Buy Now: I'm Not Dead (La Face)
• Placebo - Meds (limited special edition also available; Astralwerks)
• Protest the Hero - Kezia (Vagrant)
• Queensrÿche - Operation Mindcrime II (Rhino)
• Rainer Maria - Catastrophe Keeps Us Together (Grunion)
• Nelson Rangell - Soul to Souls (Koch)
• Rascal Flatts - Me and My Gang (Lyric Street)

Buy Now: Me and My Gang (Lyric Street)
• Bruce Robison - Eleven Stories (Sustain)
• June Rochelle - Changing Places (Titan/ Pyramid)
• Aldo Romano - Chante (Dreyfus)
• Sanctus Real - The Face of Love (Sparrow)
• The Scarred - No Solution (Punkcore)
• Scotch Greens - Professional (DRT)
• Sinai Beach - When Breath Escapes (Victory)
• Jan Smith - 29 Dances (Landslide)
• Sonata Arctica - For the Sake of Revenge (with bonus DVD; Nuclear Blast America; two CDs)
• Soul Position - Things Go Better With RJ and Al (Rhymesayers)
• South - Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars (Young American)
• Bubba Sparxxx - The Charm (New South/ Purple Ribbon/ Virgin)

Buy Now: The Charm (New South/ Purple Ribbon/ Virgin)
• Candi Station - His Hands (Astralwerks)
• Tanakh - Ardent Fevers (Alien 8 Recordings)
• Terror 2000 - Terror for Sale (Nuclear Blast America)
• Gecko Turner - Guapapaesa! (Quango)
• Umphrey's McGee - Safety in Numbers (Sci Fidelity)
• Unearthly Trance - The Trident (Relapse)
• Ursula 1000 - Here Comes Tomorrow (ESL)
• U.S. Bombs - We Are the Problem (Sailor's Grave)
• Venom - Metal Black (Sanctuary)
• Victory at Sea - All Your Things Are Gone (Gern Bladsten)
• The Vines - Vision Valley (Capitol)

Buy Now: Vision Valley (Capitol)
• Keith Fullerton Whitman - Lisbon (EP; Kranky)
• Cassandra Wilson - Thunderbird (Blue Note)
• Various artists - Dieselboy Presents the Human Resource (two CDs; System Recordings/ HUMAN)
• Various artists - Disneymania 4 (Disney)
• Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 21 (UTV)
• Various artists - See You on the Moon! - Songs for Kids of All Ages (Universal)
• Various artists - Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of (Yazoo)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Cannonball Adderley - Great Sessions (Blue Note)
• The Alarm - The Best of the Alarm (Capitol)
• Bellamy Brothers - The Lost Tracks (Bellamy Brothers)
• Boston - Boston and Don't Look Back (digipaks; Epic/ Legacy)
• Daft Punk - Musique 1: 1993-2005 (with DVD; Virgin)
• Miles Davis - Great Sessions (Blue Note)
• Rick Derringer - Live at Cheney Hall (Fieldstone)
• DFA - The DFA Remixes: Chapter One (Astralwerks)
• Ani DiFranco - Carnegie Hall 4.6.02 (Righteous Babe)
• The J. Geils Band - Best of the J. Geils Band (Capitol)
• Grand Funk Railroad - Greatest Hits (Capitol)
• Herbie Hancock - Great Sessions (Blue Note)
• Lamb of God - New American Gospel (enhanced; with bonus tracks; Prosthetic)
• John Lennon - The Plastic Ono Band - Live Peace in Toronto, 1969 (Mobile Fidelity)
• Magneta Lane - Dancing With Daggers (Paper Bag)
• Massive Attack - Collected (limited DualDisc also available; two CDs; Virgin)
• Medeski Martin & Wood - Note Bleu: Best of the Blue Note Years 1998- 2005 (deluxe edition with DVD also available; Blue Note)
• Poison - The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock (Capitol)
• Little Richard - The Best of Little Richard: The Vee-Jay Years (Metro)
• Sonny Rollins - Great Sessions (Blue Note)
• Wayne Shorter - Great Sessions (Blue Note)
• Soul Asylum - Closer to the Stars: Best of the Twin Tone Years (Rykodisc)
• Sudden Death - Unpure Burial (Locomotive)
• Uriah Heep - Different World and Raging Silence (Blue Note)
• World Party - Goodbye Jumbo and Private Revolution (enhanced; Seaview)
• Zeke - Super Sound Racing and Flat Tracker (Relapse)
• Various artists - The '80s: A Body + Soul Collection (Time Life)
• Various artists - Gangsta Party (three CDs; Thump)
• Various artists - See You on the Moon! Songs for Kids of All Ages (Paper Bag)

DVDs:

• Herb Alpert with the Jeff Lorber Band - "Live at Montreux 1996" (Eagle Vision)
• Aly & AJ - "On the Ride" (Hollywood)
• The Coup - "The Best Coup DVD Ever" (Music Video Distributors)
• Cream - "Classic Albums: Cream - Disraeli Gears" (Eagle Vision)
• Desdemona - "Live 3.0" (Music Video Distributors)
• Bob Dylan - "Rolling Thunder and the Gospel Years: A Totally Unauthorized Documentary" (Music Video Distributors)
• Marvin Gaye - "The Real Thing: In Performance 1964-1981" (Hip-O)
• Gillian - "Live Edinburgh 1980" (Music Video Distributors)
• Gorillaz - "Demon Days Live at the Manchester Opera House" (Virgin)
• Leo Kottke - "Home & Away Revisited" (Music Video Distributors)
• Gary Moore & Friends - "One Night in Dublin: A Tribute to Phil Lynott" (Eagle Vision)
• Pantera - "3 Vulgar Videos From Hell" (Rhino)
• Russell Peters - "Two Concerts ... One Ticket" (Eclectic)
• The Who - "Music in Review: The Essential Music of the Who - The Moon Years" (Icons of Rock)
• Various artists - "The Grind" (Mercury)
• Various artists - "Hip-Hop Laws of Success" (Image)
• Various artists - "In the Beginning, Vol. 1: 2006 Montreal International Reggae Festival" (Razor & Tie)

Coming Attractions:

April 11:

• Calexico - Garden Ruin (digipak; Quarterstick)

Buy Now: Garden Ruin (Quarterstick)
• Eagles of Death Metal - Death by Sexy (Downtown)
  Read: "Eagles Of Death Metal Frontman's 'Soft Boomerang Of Love' Takes Center Stage In Clip"

Buy Now: Death by Sexy (Downtown)
• LL Cool J - Todd Smith (Def Jam)

April 18:

• Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia (digipak; Roadrunner)

Buy Now: Yes, Virginia (Roadrunner)
• NOFX - Wolves in Wolves Clothing (Fat Wreck Chords)

Buy Now: Wolves in Wolves Clothing (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Various artists - "Coachella" (Epitaph)

April 25:

• Godsmack - IV (Republic)
  Read: "Godsmack Finishing Up 'Killer' Fourth LP, Working On Football Theme"

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

• P!nk
• Gorillaz
• The Flaming Lips
• Nine Inch Nails
• The Islands

Coldplay's Chris Martin
Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images

UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Chris Martin only forgot the words once.

After taking more than a year off from performing, Coldplay returned to the stage over the weekend, headlining influential public radio station KCRW-FM's annual A Sounds Eclectic Evening concert on Saturday at the Universal Amphitheatre and warming up the night before at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. (Click for photos from Saturday's show.)

And while Martin stumbled through the opening of "Politik" during the encore of the KCRW show, the singer more than made up for it by treating fans to five new tracks from X&Y, due June 7, and six old favorites.

"When you have a record coming out and everyone's talking all this sh-- about you, there's a fine line between arrogance and total fear and dread, and I like to think we tread the line extremely badly," Martin joked of his nerves late into Saturday's sold-out show.

Still, Coldplay showed confidence in their new material, opening the set with an ambitious, Radiohead-ish tune, and later boasting that a different new number is "f---ing good."

The former, called "Square One" according to Coldplay's Web site (Martin never said any song titles), features a techno beat and guitar effects that could score a sci-fi movie.

Coldplay led the opener right into A Rush of Blood to the Head's "In My Place," during which Martin danced around the stage, hopping on one foot and proudly announcing, "We're Coldplay, from Britain."

Another new track, "White Shadows," a U2-inspired number that featured Martin joining Jonny Buckland on electric guitar, followed. "It's been a while," Martin then said during their first breather. "Some of us have cut our hair or grown our hair, but you guys came out to see us and took a shot once again."

Martin, whose hair was in fact visibly more shaggy, then led the band through "The Scientist," "Daylight" and "Sparks," during which Buckland played both the piano and guitar. "He's the most talented person, as are the rest of the guys in the band ... except for me," Martin quipped. Actually, Martin's got his talents as well, as he showed at the end of "The Scientist," when he sang a verse backward (something he learned while shooting the video). "Check this out!" he bragged with a boyish grin.

After "Sparks," with fans mostly relaxed in their seats, Coldplay introduced the new balled "A Message," which had a similar feel. "My song is love, is love I know/ And I've got to get that message home," Martin sang.

"You don't have to sit down for this one," Martin said as he pounded the piano opening of "Clocks," which easily brought the audience to its feet.

"We're proud of this song, but if you don't like it, f--- it, listen to the old stuff," Martin said to introduce "What If," a moving mid-tempo almost certainly about the singer's new child, Apple, with wife Gwyneth Paltrow. "What if she should decide/ That she don't want me there by her side/ That she don't want me there in her life," Martin sang over atmospheric, Sigur Rós-like backing.

After "Politik," Coldplay brought out "Speed of Sound," the first single off X&Y, which goes to radio stations in mid-April. The tune also has a breakbeat similar to "Square One," but the guitars are more prominent and the solos in the bridge make for a more anthemlike number.

"Hopefully we'll see you soon with a proper live show and even more new songs, proper outfits, everything you could dream of from 'Pop Idol,' but better," Martin said before the finale. "This is an oldie but goodie."

That "oldie" would be "Yellow," during which Martin begged for the house lights to come on (and it took some begging) and then asked for the audience to handle the singing.

KCRW, especially Nic Harcourt's flagship show, "Morning Becomes Eclectic," was the first American radio station to spin Coldplay, so Saturday's annual benefit for the station was a chance for payback.

Although past A Sounds Eclectic Evenings have featured surprise guests like Beck, Pete Yorn and Flaming Lips, Joseph Arthur was the only unannounced performer Saturday (not to take anything away from his intriguing live show, which finds Arthur building backing tracks live with the help of technology).

Rock en español stars Cafe Tacuba, Paul Buchanan (formerly of the Scottish cult band the Blue Nile), Prince-inspired soul singer Van Hunt, English singer/songwriter Aqualung, piano-pounding songstress Nellie McKay and female rock trio the Like rounded out the four-and-a-half-hour show.

Coldplay's only two confirmed North American dates for 2005 so far are on April 29 at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and the following night at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California (see "Coachella Snags Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, Bright Eyes, Wilco"), but according to the band's management, a 40-city North American tour is scheduled to kick off in late July.

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

• KCRW's "Sounds Eclectic Evening" With Coldplay

• Coldplay
• Café Tacuba
• Van Hunt
• Nellie McKay