System of a Down's <I>Mezmerize</I>
Photo: Sony

On the heels of a frenzied 10-city tour, System of a Down will give rabid fans the first taste of their double album with Mezmerize, hitting stores this week.

Packed with System's patented manic, thrashing rock, the 37-minute record (see "System Of A Down Album Preview: Band Pulls No Punches With The Pummeling Mezmerize") is the first half of Mezmerize/Hypnotize, with the latter portion set for release in the fall. The first half comes on the heels of its debut single, the hotly political "B.Y.O.B."

While System make the metalheads scream, American Idol Season 4: The Showstoppers will likely induce squeals and shrieks from equally frenzied pop fans. The 13-track disc features the show's top 12 contestants covering new songs and old classics including Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Want to Be" performed by Bo Bice; Jessica Sierra's rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart," originally sung by Bonnie Tyler; and the Broadway hit "My Funny Valentine" as interpreted by Constantine Maroulis.

Jay-Z fans hungry for new material from the "retired" rapper would do well to check out Memphis Bleek's new LP, 534. The track "Dear Summer," produced by Just Blaze, is featured on the MC's follow-up to 2003's M.A.D.E.

Like the hugely successful Now That's What I Call Music! series, the 6-year-old Totally Hits set provides pop fans with a ready-made top 40 mix CD. Featured on Totally Hits 2005 are tracks including "Since U Been Gone" (Kelly Clarkson), "Bring Em Out" (T.I.) and "Shut Up!" (Simple Plan).

Juliette Lewis makes her foray into rock and roll official this week with the release of Juliette & the Licks' You're Speaking My Language, while rock veterans Def Leppard release Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection.

Insane Clown Posse drop The Calm one year after the two-part Hell's Pit, while on a somewhat mellower note, Mercury Rev release their latest album, The Secret Migration, full of symphonic and piano-driven instrumentals. Brian Jonestown Massacre release the double-disc We Are the Radio.

Also out this week are albums by Natalie (Natalie), Idiot Pilot (Strange We Should Meet Here), Junior M.A.F.I.A. (Riot Musik), Toby Keith (Honkytonk University), Van Morrison (Magic Time), Sound of Urchin (The Diamond) and Huey Lewis and the News (Live at 25).

Out Tuesday, May 17:

• Miss Angel - That's the Way I Tumble (Electro-Fi)
• Chris Beard - Live Wire (NorthernBlues)
• Breaking Point - Beautiful Disorder (Wind-Up)
• Brian Jonestown Massacre - We Are the Radio (Tee Pee)
• Clearlake - Wonder if the Snow Will Settle EP (Domino)
• Common Ground - High Voltage (Delmark)
• Elizabeth Cook - This Side of the Moon (Emergent/92E)
• Cowboy Troy - Loco Motive (Warner Bros. Nashville)
• Matt Darey - Upfront Trance (Water Music)
• De Novo Dahl - Cats & Kittens (Theory 8)
• Deathray Davies - The Kick and the Snare (Glurp)
• Disbelief - 66sick (Nuclear Blast America)
• DJ Rap - Bulletproof (System Recordings)
• Eleven Days of Rain - Within (Dark Star)
• Epoxies - Stop the Future (Fat Wreck Chords)
• The Forecast - Late Night Conversations (Victory)
• Frost - Welcome to Frost Angeles (Thump)
• Robbie Fulks - Georgia Hard (Yep Roc)
• Gang of Four - Entertainment! (reissue, Rhino)
• Alexander Hacke - Sanctuary (Koolarrow)
• Jon Hassell - Maarifa Street (City Hall)
• Horace Pinker - Texas One Ten (Thick/Southern)
• Idiot Pilot - Strange We Should Meet Here (Warner Bros.)
• Insane Clown Posse - The Calm (Psychopathic)
• Vijay Iyer - Reimagining (Savoy Jazz)
• Juliette and the Licks - You're Speaking My Language (Fiddler)
  Read: "Juliette Lewis Has Something To Say ... With Licks"
• Junior M.A.F.I.A. - Riot Musik (Mega Media)
• Toby Keith - Honkytonk University (DreamWorks Nashville)
  Buy Now: Honkytonk University (DreamWorks Nashville)
  
• Kem - Album II (Motown)
• Huey Lewis and the News - Live at 25 (Rhino)
• Def Leppard - Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (Mercury)
  Buy Now: Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (Mercury)
• Memphis Bleek - 534 (Def Jam)
  Read: " 'Retired' Jay-Z Releasing New Track Via Memphis Bleek LP"
• Mercury Rev - The Secret Migration (V2)
• Van Morrison - Magic Time (Geffen)
• Natalie - Natalie (Motown)
• Nudge - Cached (Kranky)
• Bobby Pinson - Man Like Me (RCA)
• The Red Chord - Clients (Metal Blade)
• Renegade Foxxx - Still Hustlin' (Thump)
• Rippingtons - Wild Card (Concord)
• The Rocket Summer - Hello, Good Friend (The Militia Group)
• Avi Rothbard - Twin Song (MidLantic)
• Billy Joe Shaver - A Tribute to Billy Joe Shaver: Live (Compadre)
• The Sound of Urchin - The Diamond (Hybrid)
• Supermachiner - Rise of the Great Machine (Undecided)
• System of a Down - Mezmerize (Columbia)
  Read: "System Of A Down Shoot Fiery 'B.Y.O.B.' Clip, Find Inspiration In Fistfights"
• Finis Tasby - What My Blues Are All About (Electro-Fi)
• Tight Phantomz - Crazy When Wet (Southern)
• Troubled Hubble - Making Beds in a Burning House (Lookout!)
• Ricky Warwick - Love Many, Trust Few (Sanctuary)
• Paul Westerberg - Besterberg: The Best of Paul Westerberg (Rhino)
• Various artists - American Idol Season 4: The Showstoppers (RCA)
  Read: " 'Idol' Covers Paying Off For Gavin DeGraw, Los Lonely Boys"
• Various artists - Feuding Banjos: Revenge of the Citybillys (V.I. Music)
• Various artists - Totally Hits 2005 (Rhino)
• Various artists - "Best of the Muppets Featuring the Muppets' Wizard of Oz" (Walt Disney)
  Read: "After Reworking 'Wizard Of Oz,' Ashanti Remixing Her Music"
• Various artists - "Darcy's Wild Life" soundtrack (BMG Heritage)
• Various artists - "Hour of the Gun" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)
• Various artists - "Live Fast, Die Never: Music From the TV Series 'Angel' " (Rounder)
• Various artists - "The Shield" soundtrack (Lakeshore)
• DVD: The Flaming Lips - "The Fearless Freaks" (Shout! Factory)
• DVD: Peter Gabriel - "Growing Up on Tour: A Family Portrait" (Lakeshore/Riverside)
• DVD: Various artists - "Live From Bonnaroo 2004" (BMG)

May 24:

• Audioslave - Out of Exile (Interscope)
  Read: "Audioslave's Morello Says New LP Feels Less Like Soundgarden + Rage"
• Gorillaz - Demon Days (Virgin)
  Read: "Cartoon Gorillaz Put A Muzzle On Danger Mouse, Damon Albarn"
  Buy Now: Demon Days (Virgin)
• The Wallflowers - Rebel, Sweetheart (Interscope)

May 31:

• Better Than Ezra - Before the Robots (Artemis)
  Buy Now: Before the Robots (Artemis)
• Maxïmo Park - A Certain Trigger (Warp)
• Oasis - Don't Believe the Truth (Epic)
  Read: "Noel Gallagher Refuses To Watch New Oasis Video"

June 7:

• Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business (A&M)
  Read: "Black Eyed Peas Team Up Again With Timberlake For New LP"
• Coldplay - X&Y (Capitol)
  Read: "Coldplay Album Preview: X&Y A Complex Stadium-Rocker"
  Buy Now: X&Y (Capitol)
• White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan (V2)
  Read: "White Stripes Album Preview: Confounding Satan Both Loud And Subtle"

• System of a Down
• Memphis Bleek
• Juliette Lewis
• Insane Clown Posse
• Natalie

Word out of the Outkast camp is that the duo have a title for their next album: 10 the Hard Way. Big Boi has been saying in radio interviews that the album is in the process of being recorded and will feature 10 songs that return to a raw rap style. He and Andre 3000 still plan on dropping a soundtrack to their long-awaited — long, long-awaited — HBO movie, "My Life in Idlewild," beforehand. That movie is currently filming in North Carolina. ...

An unabashed love for the Insane Clown Posse has landed two junior juggalos in hot water. On Friday morning, two students at Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, spray-painted the walls of the school with "ICP logos and writing consistent with the gangs following" the group, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department. When the students were identified and suspended, other students decided to protest the decision, resulting in six other suspensions for "disruptive behavior." The school also received word of a "pending gun threat from the ICP/Juggalo gang," though the threat never materialized. ... Hilary Duff is one of the many celebrities who have contributed to a new children's book by Marlo Thomas, "Thanks & Giving: All Year Long." The book, which benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, features poems, short stories, illustrations and songs by the likes of Tiger Woods, Maurice Sendak, Donald Trump and Kevin Bacon. ... Trick Daddy and Trina showed some down-bottom love to Jay-Z on Friday in Miami. The two MIA natives performed as part of the Jay-Z and Friends outing at the American Airlines Arena. P. Diddy, Mary J. Blige and Busta Rhymes were a few of the pals who rolled with Jay Saturday night at Tampa's St. Pete Times Forum and Sunday at Jacksonville's Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. ...

Alicia Keys is "the real deal," according to Glamour magazine, which has just named the winners for its 15th annual Women of the Year Awards. The awards ceremony, which will take place Monday (November 8) at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, will air on Saturday as a one-hour syndicated TV special hosted by Sarah Michelle Gellar. Keys will be presented with the Real Deal award by Natalie Cole, Kate Winslet will be handed the Class Act award by Susan Sarandon and MTV Networks Chairman and CEO Judy McGrath will be presented the Mogul award by Jon Stewart. Keys will also perform at the event. ... Jessica Simpson covers a lot of Christmas standards on her upcoming holiday-themed album, Rejoyce, but one song is not a Christmas classic — yet. Simpson co-wrote "It's Christmas Time Again" with her husband, Nick Lachey (with whom she duets on Dean Martin's "Baby, It's Cold Outside"). Other songs include "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow," "O Holy Night," "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," "What Child Is This" and "Little Drummer Boy," a duet with her sister, Ashlee. ...

Wyclef Jean brings his all-star jam session to DVD with "Wyclef Jean's All Star Jam at Carnegie Hall." Due December 7, the DVD features performances from Destiny's Child, Mary J. Blige, Marc Anthony, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and Macy Gray, among others. The show benefited Clef's Kids, a performing-arts sponsorship program for New York City children. ... Kylie Minogue has branched out from her lingerie collection, Love Kylie, and has launched a hosiery line as well, called LK Legs. Minogue ushered in the line in central London's Cavendish Square on Wednesday, along with a preview of her spring/summer 2005 Love Kylie collection, which has grown to include DD cups. ...

Fatboy Slim, in support of his new album, Palookaville, starts his tour in Chicago on Friday, but before he hits the road, he'll hit the TV. In his first live televised performance in the U.S., Slim will perform with a band Tuesday on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," which airs weeknights at 12:35 a.m. ET. His next single will be "Wonderful Night," which is currently being used in an Olympus camera ad. ... Goth-punkers AFI have a bone to pick with their former label, Nitro Records. On their Web site, the band writes, "To any fans who may have bought Nitro Records' AFI Anthology, we would like you to know that the decision to create this compilation was made solely by Nitro ... it was not the band's decision to compile, create or promote a 'retrospective' at this point in our career ... we are much more focused on creating our new record for our fans." The anthology collects tracks from AFI's mid-'90s albums and EPs. Nitro Records had no comment on the matter. ...

Now that the Brian Jonestown Massacre have a new lease on life thanks to the documentary "Dig!," leader Anton Newcombe and his merry band will release their first greatest-hits collection, Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: A Retrospective, on November 16. The two-disc set contains 38 tracks culled from the 14 albums released during the group's eight-year career. ... Meshuggah, the Dillinger Escape Plan and Mastodon are among the metal bands set to pay tribute to the Melvins, one of the first bands to merge heavy metal and punk rock. We Reach: The Music of the Melvins is expected to be ready in May. ...

MF Doom (a.k.a. King Gheedorah, Viktor Vaughn, Zev Love X and Daniel Dumile) has signed an exclusive record deal with indie label Rhymesayers Entertainment. The first offering from the new deal will be Doom's MM ... Food. Due November 16, the album marks Doom's first solo record since 1999's Operation Doomsday. Doom has lined up a string of shows to promote the album. The tour, which will also feature Brother Ali, will kick off on November 15 in Chicago and wrap on November 24 in New York. ...

11.05.2004

Destiny's Child are releasing their new album, Destiny Fulfilled, one day early — on Monday, November 15. The group's record label cites consumer demand, Internet leaks and CD piracy as its reasons for pushing up the release. ...

Thirty-five was live. After attending the New York premiere of Jay-Z's "Fade to Black" film at the Ziegfeld Theater, P. Diddy celebrated his 35th birthday with a party at Cipriani's in lower Manhattan. Usher, Mariah Carey and Clive Davis all helped P.D. party. ... Wedding bells tolled last week for Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler. The couple wed October 30 in Santa Barbara, California, at a ceremony inspired by the animated cult classic "The Nightmare Before Christmas." ...

Not everyone thinks Jessica Simpson's scented body-care line Dessert is so sweet. The singer is being sued for breach of contract to the tune of nearly $190,000 by a Los Angeles company called Cosmojet, for products it manufactured and sold to Dessert but for which it was not paid in full. Simpson's business partner Randi Shinder said that the company had refused payment on a portion of a shipment that didn't meet its "high product standards," while the singer's rep pointed out that Simpson has no involvement in the day-to-day operation of the business, so she would have no knowledge of and no responsibility for billing and payment. ... Meanwhile, Britney Spears' foray into the perfume world has been pretty successful. According to Elizabeth Arden's first-quarter results, released Thursday, Spears' Curious fragrance, which launched in September, "has exceeded both retailer and industry expectations," and is currently the #1 fragrance in U.S. department stores. ...

MTVU has announced the winners of the 2004 Woodie Awards, which are given to artists who have made an impact on the college music scene over the last year. Modest Mouse were the big winners, taking home the Woodie of the Year and the Best Video of the Year awards. Other winners include Sum 41, Taking Back Sunday, Coheed and Cambria, the Killers and N.E.R.D. ... The supergroup calling itself Band Aid 20 has just added Paul McCartney and Bono to its ranks. The former Beatle will play bass on "Do They Know It's Christmas?," the original version of which benefited Ethiopian famine relief, while the U2 frontman will reprise his line, "Well tonight, thank God it's them instead of you." The new version will also benefit famine relief in Africa, specifically in Sudan. ...

Michael Jackson has a new accuser. A Louisiana man named Joseph Thomas Bartucci Jr. is suing the singer for sexual assault and battery based on an incident he says took place in May 1984, which he claims he didn't recall — having repressed the memory — until watching Court TV in November 2003, when he learned of the current criminal charges against Jackson. Bartucci, who was 18 at the time of the alleged abuse, claims he's suffered a list of ailments as a result, including scarring, aggravation of pre-existing heart problems, eyesight impairment, suicidal tendencies and post-traumatic stress disorder. Jackson's lawyer Thomas Mesereau said in a statement: "These issues will be fully litigated in a court of law. There will be no further comment regarding this matter." ... The Ruff Ryders are up and riding again. The crew consisting of DMX, Drag-On, the LOX, Infa.Red and Cross, among others, are back in the studio recording another compilation. Tentatively titled Ruff Ryders: Ride or Die Vol. 4, the album is slated to drop in early 2005. The release will be the group's first on Artemis Records. ...

What's a hip-hop artist with a successful sneaker line to do when the weather gets cold? Roll out a line of signature boots! Bryan "Baby" Williams is teaming up with Lugz Shoe Company (with whom he launched his "Birdman" collection last spring) to put out a line of boots called the "Birdman Nightwing" on November 5. The leather boots will come in a range of colors and heights, including a high boot with fur. The ad campaign will feature the debut of the "Never Fold" concept, focusing on strength, self-discipline and tenacity. Commercials will start airing this month, featuring Baby in situations where he "never folds." ... The Roots are back in the studio recording their next album. According to drummer ?uestlove, the LP will be titled Game Theory and is due in August. The set will be the hip-hop band's seventh, and will serve as the follow-up to this year's The Tipping Point. ...

The live video for the song "Pantomime," from Incubus' forthcoming DVD "Live at Red Rocks," due November 23, has been posted on the band's Web site (www.enjoyincubus.com). Meanwhile, Brandon Boyd and company have added a drumhead, baseball cap and Incubus "Chuck" mask — all autographed — to the auction block for their Make Yourself Foundation charity. Fans can bid on these and other items at www.makeyourselffoundation.org. ... For his follow-up to 2001's Rockin' the Suburbs, ivory-tickling rocker Ben Folds has recorded a tribute to the late Elliott Smith, with whom Folds toured in 1998 when he fronted the trio Ben Folds Five. Folds' as-yet-untitled second solo album is expected to drop in February. ... First season "American Idol" runner-up Justin Guarini has landed a role in the upcoming Beach Boys-based musical "Good Vibrations," which opens on Broadway on January 27 (preview performances will start December 20). Guarini has also been composing new music and is in final discussions with a new record label about his next album. ...

• OutKast
• Insane Clown Posse
• Hilary Duff
• Alicia Keys
• Fatboy Slim

Snippets of songs from Britney Spears' forthcoming In the Zone are now available on Britney.com. Besides the album's first single, "Me Against the Music," featuring Madonna, fans can also hear portions of four other songs, including her next single, "(I Got That) Boom Boom," the more atmospheric "Breathe on Me," the R. Kelly-penned "Outrageous," and "Toxic." Although P. Diddy's track for Britney, "The Answer," won't be making the U.S. version of the LP, it's been designated as a bonus track for the U.K. release. A clip of that song is available on Britney fan site WorldofBritney.com. ...

The G-Unit shoe being designed by 50 Cent and Reebok's RBK line has an in-store release date of November 11. The red-white-and-blue sneakers are being launched in conjunction with the latest shoe from Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson, the Answer 7. ... Add Beanie Sigel to the ever-growing list of hip-hop artists coming out with a line of sneakers. Beans is bringing Pro-Keds back from the dead with his new State Property footwear, scheduled to hit stores in February. ...

Like getting hurt from running with scissors, this kind of disaster was bound to happen. A fan dressed up in a giant panda-bear costume passed out Friday during a Flaming Lips show in England, forcing the band to halt its show. Fans dressing up like oversized stuffed animals and dancing in the wings of the stage has been a Lips staple since they began promoting their latest album, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. ... The White Stripes have announced that they'll perform a New Year's Eve show at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. Jack and Meg recruited one of their favorite bands, the Flaming Lips, to open up the show. Tickets went on sale Tuesday (November 4). ...

Bob Guiney, better known as the man in demand from this season's "The Bachelor" TV show, has shot a video for "Girlfriend," the first single from his album, 3 Sides, due in November on Wind-Up Records. Director Nigel Dick (Britney Spears, Guns N' Roses) shot the video Monday and Tuesday in Los Angeles. ... Following the suicide of a teenager in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the FYE record store there temporarily pulled all copies of Insane Clown Posse albums. John Sullivan, vice president of Trans World Entertainment, FYE's parent company, said it was done out of respect for the teen's family. A school administrator for the teenager speculated that his suicide on October 13 was linked to the music and fandom of the Clowns. A spokesperson for the record chain told the local newspaper that the ICP albums would return to the shelves once the issue was sorted out. ...

A portion of the proceeds from the Thursday, Thrice, and Coheed and Cambria show Monday at San Diego's SOMA was donated to the San Diego Fire Relief Fund, a fund started by the NFL's San Diego Chargers to help the area's community recover from the devastating wildfires that burned down hundreds of homes. Island Records has matched the amount made by their bands, Thrice and Thursday. ... Jane's Addiction's first go at pulling a flashgig, an impromptu performance or art happening modeled after the flashmob phenomenon, proved a success. After their show in London Friday, fans were alerted to meet in front of Brixton Academy, where frontman Perry Farrell, wearing a jester's hat, led the crowd through a group sing-along of hits. ...

11.03.2003

Now that his run is over, P. Diddy might want to take a cue from Britney Spears and rest up. The singer ran herself so ragged promoting her upcoming album that she caught the flu and a severe throat infection and had to cancel a week's worth of activities overseas. No longer on her schedule — presenting at MTV's Europe Music Awards in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Thursday. Ordered to take bed rest, she's at home recovering. ...

The Roots have been dubbed the hardest-working band in hip-hop, but who knew they could rock and roll all night and party every day? The Philly group played its annual Halloween show in costume once again this year, this time fully made up as rock icons Kiss. Their show at Nashville's Vanderbilt University included a brief Kiss medley. Last year, the Roots dressed as N.W.A. ... The songs just keep pouring out of R. Kelly. According to his musical co-conspirator Baby, the duo are still working on their Best of Both Worlds 2 LP. But since the project is coming along so well, they’ve decided to make it a double album. The set is slated to drop in February. ...

Missy Elliott is no stranger to good causes, but she's recently upped her involvement with one in particular. She announced on Monday (November 3) that she's going to be the spokesperson for Break the Cycle, a nonprofit domestic-abuse prevention group in Los Angeles, and she's launching a $5 million fundraising and awareness campaign for the charity. "I know how domestic violence can affect a family and I want to do everything I can to stop it from happening to others," she said in a statement. "The most important thing we can do is teach kids that they can break the cycle." Missy's including information about the organization — on whose committee she's served for years — in the jacket of her upcoming album, This Is Not a Test, due out November 25. She also hopes to raise proceeds via her Where My Girls At? Tour. For more information about the charity, visit Breakthecycle.org. ...

Phil Spector's $1 million bail has been extended a second time, now to January 9. The district attorney's office is still putting together its case against the legendary producer accused of shooting actress Lana Clarkson at his mansion in February. ... Detroit rocker Kid Rock has been added to the November 10 Johnny Cash tribute at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Other performers include George Jones, John Mellencamp, Brooks & Dunn, Dwight Yoakam and Cash's daughter Rosanne Cash. Tickets will be distributed through a lottery. ...

Musicians Justin Timberlake, Linkin Park bassist Phoenix and Tim McGraw; actors George Lopez, Damon Wayans, Kelly Preston and Sara Rue; and Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter of "The Bachelorette" have been added to list of presenters at the American Music Awards, airing live from Los Angeles on November 16. Fleetwood Mac, performing via satellite from their current European tour, and Toby Keith have been added as performers. ... Putting rumors to rest that there might be another Black Star album with Mos Def in the works, Talib Kweli is in the studio working on his next solo album. The tentative title is The Beautiful People, and it's due out in the spring. ...

Bruce Springsteen joined friends Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers for a 75-minute set Saturday at the fourth annual Light of Day Concert to Benefit the Parkinson's Disease Foundation at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Parkinson's Disease sufferers Michael J. Fox and concert organizer Bob Benjamin took the stage to sing along for the event's theme song, Springsteen's "Light of Day." ... The All-American Rejects' previously unreleased "The Cigarette Song" will be featured on Doghouse 100, a compilation celebrating Doghouse Records' 100th release. Due November 25, the album will also include unreleased songs from Limbeck, Gameface and River City High. ...

Mandy Moore took to the message board on her Web site to explain why she dropped out of Barbara Kopple's "Havoc." "Not only did it not work out timing-wise, but it was also a film that I didn't feel ultra-comfy being a part of," she wrote. "It was very sexually themed and full of drugs and violence and I was actually scared to go there. I absolutely adore the director and wanted to work with her so badly, but I guess it will have to be with another project." Moore was replaced by Anne Hathaway ("The Princess Diaries"). ... Just when you thought "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" couldn't get any more absurd, along comes The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show, a 19-track compilation featuring punk bands covering the tunes from the cult classic 1975 soundtrack. Participating artists include One Man Army, who perform "Dammit, Janet," the Groovie Ghoulies, who offer their version of "The Time Warp," and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes and the Ataris, who each lend a version of "Science Fiction/ Double Feature." The LP will hit shelves on December 2. ...

Eighties metal band Hanoi Rocks will drop the domestic version of Twelve Shots on the Rocks, complete with five bonus tracks, on January 27. The band's first studio album in 17 years was released last year in the U.K. ... New wave punk band the Stranglers will begin a tour of the U.K. November 25 to support their new album, Norfolk Coast, which drops February 10 overseas. The first single, "Good Thing Coming," is expected to surface across the pond in January. ...

• Britney Spears
• G-Unit
• Insane Clown Posse
• The Flaming Lips

Insane Clown Posse's Violent J
Photo: John Shearer

During the first of two sold-out performances Monday in Denver, Insane Clown Posse fans — juggalos, Milenko kids and newbies alike — scrambled to collect plastic 2-liter bottles of Faygo cola as they rained from the sky.

Projected like missiles, the sugary bombs bounced off of stage lights, amplifiers and, most often, body parts in the clownish, face-painted crowd. By the end of the show, it was clear that Violent J, Shaggy 2 Dope and their entourage of wicked, water gun-wielding clowns had launched enough soda to accommodate each of the 1,000 fans who'd crammed into the Ogden Theater.

A tour to support the release of Insane Clown Posse's The Wraith: Shangri-La should have appeared more apocalyptic: In the Detroit rap/metal/wrestling duo's clownish cosmology, the album, their sixth joker card, signals the end of times. And even though the world didn't explode after their animated performance, the Faygo-drenched venue definitely looked as though it had endured a natural disaster following the two-hour ordeal.

The somewhat eerie performance felt a bit like a game show from hell, with Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope presiding over a flashing, Vegas-style set for their "Murder Mayhem Show," which suggested a diabolical version of "The Price Is Right." Arguably the most reviled duo in the history of hip-hop and rock, in lieu of any live instrumentation, ICP threw down a performance that was part gangsta rap, part Gwar-like freak show and part high-drama karaoke over a scratchy tape that blasted through the venue's sound system.

Spanning the group's six-disc catalog, the show demonstrated moments of staged suspense. At one point, a red-haired posse member waved a Confederate flag around the stage before being wrestled to the ground during a performance of "Your Rebel Flag" by Shaggy 2 Dope.

A dark-haired beauty pranced the runway doing her best Vanna White impression in a green sequined gown as ICP's henchmen — sporting red yarn wigs and sadistic smiles — brought out box after box of Faygo to stage some sort of Midwestern fructose torture ritual.

Halfway through the set, Violent J donned a glittery glove and a shiny jacket and moonwalked down the runway to a loop of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." "I'm just playin, y'all," he said, throwing the glove in mock disgust and reverting to more appropriately macho and anarchic songs, including "Down With the Clown," "I'm Sorry" and "F--- the World," which disses everything from Dionne Warwick and music critics to Oprah and opera.

Though themes of violence and thuggery permeated ICP's stage show like a noxious odor, the group's antics appeared decidedly mild compared to the ho-down offered by concert openers 2 Live Crew, who emerged from their longtime performance exile to join the Shangri-La tour. Taking the stage with a flock of bikini-wearing dancers, the notoriously randy crew humped its way through songs like "We Want Some P---y," and "Me So Horny," inviting audience members too young to remember their lyric-based run-ins with the Supreme Court to join them onstage and simulate sex acts.

Clearly more at home at a circus than a peepshow, the ICP crowd was mostly quiet through 2 Live Crew's set. But after a brief set break that moved some kids to slam each other — out of cheerful anticipation or boredom — the lights dimmed and the chanting began: "ICP! ICP!" Later, after the last of the evening's Faygo had been squeezed from the stage, fans shuffled out onto the streets with their face paint smeared from mosh-pit encounters and hair dreaded with pop and sweat, their inner clowns thoroughly satisfied.

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

• Insane Clown Posse

The insanity is turning out to be even more insane that expected. Insane Clown Posse have hit the road with '80s rap hellraisers 2 Live Crew and Anybody Killa. The Posse will remain on tour through April 26 in Columbus, Ohio, and they're mixing up their formula until it's as explosive as a shaken bottle of Faygo by presenting the public with totally rad new face paint. Instead of standard black-and-white patterns, the Clowns will alter their designs to meet their twizted moods. Crazy. ...

Bay Area punks Rancid are working on their sixth studio album, produced by Epitaph founder and Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The band's first recording since 2000's self-titled album is due for release in June, just in time for their headlining slot on this summer's Warped Tour. ... The girls of T.a.t.u. are back in their native Russia, where Julia Volkova is seeking treatment — possibly surgery — for a throat ailment. As a result of the diagnosis, the group was forced to postpone a few promotional shows in the U.K. last week. ...

Har Mar Superstar, eccentric Midwestern singer/ Kelly Osbourne's date for the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, is in negotiations to play Dancing Ernie in "Starsky & Hutch," director Todd Phillips' big-screen update of the 1970s cop show that stars Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson in the title roles. Snoop Dogg will also appear, as street-informant Huggy Bear. ... Adam Levy, the guitarist in Norah Jones' band, is releasing a solo album, Get Your Glow On, April 8 on his own Lost Wax label. Jones and Memphis soul singer Otis Clay are among the guest performers. ...

American Head Charge keyboardist Aaron Zilch has parted ways with his bandmates due to irreconcilable differences. In a post on the band's official Web site, bassist Chad Hanks said the group will not seek a replacement, and that from now on their other keyboardist, Justin Fowler, will handle all sampling duties. ... Lamb of God's new album, As the Palaces Burn, will come out May 6. The disc, which is being produced by Strapping Young Lad frontman Devin Townsend, will feature appearances by Townsend, ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland and Today Is the Day vocalist Steve Austin. ...

01.27.03

Mariah Carey will perform during halftime at the NBA All-Star Game on February 9 in Atlanta. The game and performance will be broadcast live on TNT at 7:30 p.m. ET. ...

The nefarious Rob Zombie has signed on to direct the video for Black Label Society's new single, "Stillborn," which features guest vocals by Ozzy Osbourne. Black Label Society's new disc, The Blessed Hellride, drops April 22. ... A Perfect Circle, the group that includes Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan, ex-Tool guitar tech Billy Howerdel and Queens of the Stone Age's touring guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen, reconvened in a Los Angeles studio on January 17 to begin recording their second album. "When it's done, you all will be the first to know," Keenan wrote on the band's Web site. "Actually, the second to know." ...

On February 20 in Somerville, Massachusetts, Bruce Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa will play a benefit concert for DoubleTake, a Boston magazine that suspended publishing in December due to lack of funds. Tickets will range between $1,000 and $5,000. ... Power thrash band Shadows Fall will shoot a video for "Destroyer of Senses" on February 16 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The second vid from their latest album, The Art of Balance, will be directed by Zack Merek (Converge, Atreyu), and will feature guest appearances by members of Hatebreed, Lamb of God, Converge and others. ...

Hootie and the Blowfish will release their first studio album in nearly five years on March 4. Don Was (Barenaked Ladies, B-52's) produced the self-titled collection, which will feature the single "Innocence," due at radio outlets in mid-February. ... I'm Staying Out, the second solo album from former Whiskeytown singer and violinist Caitlin Cary, is due April 22. Chris Stamey (Yo La Tengo) once again produced and Mary Chapin Carpenter, cellist Jane Scarpantoni (R.E.M.) and others make guest appearances. ...

• Insane Clown Posse
• 2 Live Crew
• Norah Jones
• Rancid
• Snoop Dogg

Stock up on the Faygo, cuz the clowns are coming to town. Insane Clown Posse are set to kick off their first full-scale headlining tour to support their latest album, The Wraith: Shangri-La, January 22 in Fargo, North Dakota. Thirty confirmed shows conclude March 9 in Peoria, Illinois, and additional dates are expected. ...

"In the Name of Love: Two Decades of U2," a retrospective on the Irish rockers, will open at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on February 8. Among the rare artifacts in the exhibit are the first U2 T-shirt made in an art class, a bio of the Hype — one of the band's early names — and rejection letters from two record companies. ... Mickey Finn, percussionist for the glam rock band T. Rex, died January 11 in a hospital in Croydon, England, following a prolonged illness, Reuters reported. Finn's manager Barry Newby told the news service that the musician, who played in the band between 1970 and 1975, is believed to have died of kidney and liver problems, but the exact cause of death hasn't been determined. ...

Police in England has recovered 500 tapes of original Beatles material following raids on suspected music thieves in London and the Netherlands, the BBC reported. The tapes contain the "Get Back" sessions, which have previously only been available as bootlegs. The songs were recorded in 1969 for an album called Get Back, but those plans were scrapped, and some of the songs later wound up on Let It Be. ... Ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash stepped onstage with former Black Sabbath singer Glenn Hughes and Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins on January 11 in Los Angeles to protest military action in Iraq. Also attending the event was Martin Sheen and Ron Kovic, the disabled Vietnam vet who wrote the book "Born on the Fourth of July," the basis of the 1989 film starring Tom Cruise. ...

"Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator," a documentary on the life of troubled pro skateboarder Mark Rogowski, once considered among the best in the sport, will make its world premiere January 18 at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. As his popularity was waning in 1992, Gator, who had appeared in Tom Petty's half-pipe-starring video for "Free Fallin'," raped and murdered a 21-year-old woman. ... File-swapping service Kazaa suffered a legal setback Friday, when lawyers for its parent company, Sharman Networks, failed to have the lawsuit brought against it by the motion picture and recording industry dismissed. A federal court judge in Los Angeles denied the motion, prompting the copyright-holding industries to comment in a statement that Sharman's "attempts to play an intricate and shameless shell game ... have rightly failed." ...

The Flaming Lips will release an enhanced DVD of their second single, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Part 1", on January 21. The enhanced DVD single will feature acoustic versions of the song, video and two rare instrumentals, "Fish Fry & the Bigot's Drunk" and "Galactic Melancholy," from frontman Wayne Coyne's soundtracks to the documentary "Okie Noodling" and his film "Christmas on Mars," respectively. ... Idlewild will release The Remote Part, the follow-up to their 2001 album 100 Broken Windows, in the U.S. on March 25. The Scottish rockers will promote the LP with a North American club tour beginning March 5 in Boston and later hitting the South by Southwest music conference in Austin. ...

Bygone hard rockers Def Leppard will appear as themselves in Tuesday's episode of the new NBC sitcom, "Hidden Hills." ... Hillbilly humorists Hayseed Dixie, a group that achieved infamy with 2001's A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC, which featured backwater send-ups of "Highway to Hell," "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," are at it again. Kiss are the target of Hayseed's latest homage, Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss, which features covers of such timeless Kiss cuts as "Lick It Up," "Detroit Rock City" and "Cold Gin." A tour to support the LP kicks off February 18 in Charlotte, North Carolina. ...

01.10.03

In addition to such previously confirmed performers as No Doubt, Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks and Celine Dion, the NFL is set to announce even more girl power for the pre-game stage lineup at the Super Bowl. Beyoncé Knowles and Michelle Branch will both be joining Branch's "Game of Love" compatriot Carlos Santana and his band. Super Bowl XXXVII will take place January 26 in San Diego, and will air live on ABC at 3 p.m. PT/ 6 p.m. ET. ...

It's time for the fellas to get their say. Nas continues to be one of the most sought-after MCs for remixes, as he appears on the new version of TLC's "Girl Talk," which is produced by the Trackmasters. ... Mariah Carey will kick off the motor sports festivities at the Daytona 500 by singing the national anthem, the Daytona International Speedway announced Thursday. The Daytona 500 will take place February 16 and will be broadcast live on Fox. ...

The members of Incubus are putting their time between albums to good use. Drummer Jose Pasillas and guitarist Mike Einziger, who is up for a Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Grammy for his work on the band's latest LP, Morning View, are among the musicians working with an 11-piece orchestra for an evening of psychedelic funk billed "The Time-Lapse Consortium." The ensemble will perform at the Roxy in Los Angeles on January 24. Meanwhile, the group's DJ Kilmore is sharpening his remixing skills, and singer Brandon Boyd has been surfing. ... Toni Braxton has selected a second single from her More Than a Woman LP, and this one most likely won't be mired in controversy like "Me and My Boyfriend," the singer's original choice for her next single until Jay-Z released his " '03 Bonnie & Clyde" track, which used the same Tupac sample. The diva has chosen to go with "Lies, Lies, Lies" instead. ...

Infectiousness in pop music is usually a good thing, but Avril Lavigne could do without this form of contagiousness. The 18-year-old rocker's name is used to identify a new computer virus, which attaches itself to e-mail that may have her name in the subject line and attempts to disable anti-virus and security software. Stranger still, if it's the 7th, 11th or 24th of the month, a browser directed at Lavigne's official Web site, www.avril-lavigne.com, will open. The virus, which follows fellow celebrity-named bugs Anna Kournikova, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, only affects PCs using the Windows operating systems. ...

"Can Fly! The R. Kelly Story," the 1998 children's book about the singer's rise to stardom, is being re-released on March 1. The author, Kim Dulaney, said the decision was made due to public demand. ... Jurassic 5's Chali 2na is two songs into recording a solo album. The rapper told the Los Angeles Times the LP would explore a variety of sounds outside of hip-hop. ... R&B and hip-hop fans: Are you going for a fashion statement that's equal parts Ziggy Stardust and P.M. Dawn? You're in luck. Producer 7 Aurelius, who has worked with Ashanti, Janet Jackson and Foxy Brown, is debuting his own clothing line. Creatively titled "Aurelius," the line will debut next week in Milan and will feature a signature "7" stitched on all the outfits. ...

The Walkmen will be doing a two-week tour of the West Coast starting January 23 in Vancouver and wrapping up February 7 in Seattle. After that, the band will hit the studio to record its second album. ... Rich Robinson of Black Crowes fame will set out with his new band Hookah Brown for an eight-date tour of the Northeast, beginning January 21 in Baltimore. The shows will feature some Black Crowes songs alongside Hookah originals, as the band looks for a record deal. ...

• Insane Clown Posse
• U2
• T. Rex
• The Flaming Lips
• Def Leppard

Eminem
Photo: Eli Reed

Despite a strong first-week showing from Justin Timberlake's solo debut, the "8 Mile" soundtrack will stay a stride ahead of the 'NSYNC singer on next week's Billboard albums chart.

Timberlake Justified his #2 position with more than 439,000 copies sold, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday. However, fueled by the adrenaline-inducing single "Lose Yourself" and the momentum associated with the film topping weekend box-office charts (see "), the Eminem-stamped soundtrack bested the NSYNCer's LP by more than 68,000 copies to bring its two-week total to more than 1.2 million.

Eminem's über-presence in the media last week made more than 114,000 people realize that he's not just a movie star — he's got an album out, too. Sales to those catching on late in the game allowed The Eminem Show to continue its 25-week engagement in the top 10. The LP actually increased its weekly sales tally from last week's 99,000, nudging it up a slot on to #7. In all, the rapper's third major-label album clocks in with total sales upwards of 6.5 million.

Picked from hits of the last decade, including "Beautiful Day," "One" and "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," U2's "The Best Of 1990-2000 will debut at #3 with more than 184,000 copies sold. The landing surprised many chart watchers, not the least of whom is Christina Aguilera, whose second album, Stripped, will drop to #4 (168,000) in its second week.

Jaheim got into the #8 slot with Still Ghetto (see "), his follow-up to last year's Ghetto Love, while fans are still gettin' into the Dave Matthews Band big time. The group's Live at Folsom Field - Boulder, Colorado, which will follow at #9, continues their streak of high-charting LPs. Since 1994's breakthrough Under the Table and Dreaming, eight of their nine full-length albums — including live records — have placed in the top 10. Listener Supported, released in 1999, came in at #15.

Elsewhere in the chart's top 10, Santana's Shaman will slip a spot to #5; Faith Hill's Cry will maintain its #6 position for the second week, and Nirvana's greatest hits collection, Nirvana, will bring up the rear, falling seven spots from its #3 debut.

Juggalos nationwide united to give the Insane Clown Posse their highest chart debut in three years. The harrowing harlequins' latest album, The Wraith: Shangri-La (see "), will land at #15 with more than 76,000 copies sold. Only 1999's The Amazing Jeckel Brothers, — which came in at #4 and sold nearly twice as much — proved a more successful debut for the clown-faced couple.

"The Other Side," the first single from acoustic softie David Gray's latest album, A New Day at Midnight, helped propel the new release into top 20 territory. The British bard's fifth album will land at #17 after selling more than 71,000 copies in its first week.

In July, he presented the Inc. Now Irv Gotti has served more dishes with a new twist from his posse (see "), and hip-hop heads are salivating for a taste. Irv Gotti Presents the Remixes, featuring new takes on tunes by Ashanti ("Unfoolish"), Toni Braxton ("Me and My Boyfriend"), and Ja Rule ("No One Does It Better"), among others, will come in at #24 with more than 46,000 copies sold.

The Wallflowers' make their second attempt to match the success of their 1996 breakthrough, Bringing Down the Horse, with Red Letter Days (see "Red Letter Days Shows Wallflowers Aren't Leaving The Dance"), which will place at #32 with more than 38,000 copies sold. Unfortunately for Jakob Dylan and company, 2000's Breach fared far better after its first week in stores, having come in at #13 with more than 80,000 copies sold.

Other notable debuts on next week's chart include Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli's Sentimento at #12 (98,000); "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack alum Alison Krauss' Live at #36; classic rockers Boston's first full-length album of new material in eight years, Corporate Ame rica, at #42; Eric Clapton's two-disc tour re-visitation, One More Car, One More Rider, at #43; Missy Elliott and Timbaland protégé Ms. Jade's Girl Interrupted at #51; R&B crooner Brian McKnight's 13-year retrospective, From There to Here 1989-2002, at #62; living legend Johnny Cash's latest covers album, Amercian IV: The Man Comes Around, at #70; Grandes Exitos, a best-off culled from Shakira's three Spanish-language albums, at #80; Björk's Greatest Hits at #115; Badly Drawn Boy's uncharacteristically peppy pop album (see " Badly Drawn Boy Salutes Cobain, Turns Down Madonna"), Have You Fed the Fish? at #135; and Ours' second LP, Precious, at #187.

• Eminem
• Justin Timberlake
• U2
• Jaheim
• Christina Aguilera

DMX had a book-signing party on Tuesday night at studio 54 in New York to celebrate the release of his autobiography, "E.A.R.L." The book's co-author, Smokey D. Fontaine, X's longtime producer Dame Grease and Island/Def Jam head honchos Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles were among those who attended. ...

Nickelback have canceled the last week of their U.S. tour — a string of Budweiser-sponsored "surprise" theater dates — due to a throat infection suffered by guitarist Mike Kroeger, according to a spokesperson. The group will make up the shows in early January, with the rescheduled dates to be announced soon; they will, however, still play a few weeks of European shows, beginning with a November 20 date in Hamburg, Germany, and winding up at the Point in Dublin, Ireland, on December 4. ...

Ozzy Osbourne, Moby, Wyclef Jean, Metallica's Lars Ulrich and Linkin Park's Brad Delson appear in a 15-minute educational film from the Better Hearing Institute entitled "Listen Smart - Safely Handling the Power of Sound," which discusses the dangers of long-term hearing damage from playing and listening to loud music. The film, aimed at grades 7-12, was created to spread the word about noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and is being distributed to schools in the U.S. and Canada. ...

In a chat on msn.com on Tuesday, U2's Bono said the group had written the "the roughest ... mother of all rock 'n' roll tunes" for their upcoming album, a track tentatively titled "Full Metal Jacket." In addition to saying the song was so good it is "a reason to make a record," guitarist the Edge revealed that he's a big fan of the Neptunes and would "love" to work with the production team in the future. ... Nick and Aaron Carter were guests on a recently filmed episode of "Sesame Street." Nick has told reporters in the past he is a huge Big Bird fan. ...

Jane's Addiction, Underworld, Jimmy Eat World, Murderdolls, Xzibit and Sparta have joined the lineup for the Big Day Out 2003 festival, which kicks off in Auckland, New Zealand, on January 17. They join a roster that already includes Foo Fighters, the Vines, Wilco, Kraftwerk, PJ Harvey, Deftones, the Living End, Millencolin and Frenzal Rhomb. ...

Guns N' Roses have canceled a December 8 date at the First Union Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, citing "routing issues," according to the venue. The group is still scheduled to kick off its North American tour on Thursday at General Motors Place in Vancouver. ... Slipknot/ Stone Sour singer Corey Taylor will make a rare solo appearance this Friday on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." The man whose guttural bark brutalized seminal 'Knot classics like "Wait and Bleed" will perform Stone Sour's sensitive ballad "Bother," reportedly backed only by a string quartet. ...

The world tour in support of Pearl Jam's upcoming seventh studio album, Riot Act (November 12), will kick off in earnest on February 8 in Brisbane, Australia, at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. After four more Australian dates, the tour will jump to Japan for five dates, ending with a March 6 gig at the Shimin Kaikan Hall in Nagoya. The Healers, the new band fronted by former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, will open the Australian shows. … Pearl Jam, who were already scheduled to play a hometown benefit show at Seattle's Key Arena on December 8, just added a second night (December 9). ...

Insane Clown Posse have hooked up with Grokster for what they claim is a first-of-its-kind promotional pact between a major recording artist and a peer-to-peer file-trading network. The deal, coinciding with the Clowns' final-joker-card-revealing new album, The Wraith: Shangri-La, runs through November 26 and will give Juggalos a chance to win such items as "Wraith" leather jackets, novelty stand-ups, autographed posters, baseball caps and T-shirts. ... Moby has recorded a message for a People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) hotline (888 VEG-FOOD) concerning a common Thanksgiving tradition. "Each year the Butterball turkey company sponsors a turkey talk line to answer questions about proper cooking techniques," the message says. "Please join me in calling Butterball to let them know that there is no proper way to kill and cook these beautiful birds." ...

Bay Area, California, metal merchants Machine Head have invited fans to name their forthcoming live album. The lucky fan who sends the winning suggestion to contest@machinehead1.com anytime before November 22 will receive credit in the album, an autographed copy and the band's entire back catalog. ... Concrete Blonde singer Johnette Napolitano will release her first solo album, Sketchbook, later this month on the band's official Web site. The first 2,500 copies will be numbered and autographed. ... Meanwhile, Semisonic singer Dan Wilson has released his first solo material — the two-track Ballroom Sessions — on his band's Web site. Wilson is recording a full-length album, which will include collaborations with Sheryl Crow, the Honeydogs' Adam Levy, and his brother Matt Wilson. ...

11.05.02

Avril Lavigne will bring some girl power to the 2002 Billboard Music Awards (December 9) when she shares the stage at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas with fellow performers Puddle of Mudd, Creed and Nelly. Among the artists scheduled to appear at the event so far are Nick Carter, Lil' Romeo, Master P, Snoop Dogg, Justin Guarini and JC Chasez, according to a Fox Television spokesperson. ...

Ashanti will play Dionne Warwick and sing "Walk on By" on the December 15 episode of the NBC drama "American Dreams." Other artists who have appeared on the show, which revolves around "American Bandstand," include Nick Carter, Michelle Branch and Usher, whose episode will air Sunday. ... Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams will headline the inaugural Inspirational Soulfest 2002 on November 16 at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia. Also performing at the event, which will be hosted by Atlanta Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan, are New Edition's Johnny Gill, LaTocha Scott of Xscape and Tank. ...

Less than a week ago, we said to make sure you use a pencil when marking your calendar for the thrice-changed release date for the Rob Zombie-led Ramones tribute album, We're a Happy Family. The street date for the LP, which features contributions from Metallica, Eddie Vedder and U2, among others, has moved back to its former due date of December 24. ... On Sunday in Los Angeles the Rolling Stones unveiled their latest line of Rolling Stones Rockware, created by designers Chrome Hearts (leather jackets, platinum jewelry), Agent Provocateur (lingerie) and Buddhist Punk (custom surfboards, coat of arms, T-shirts). The new duds will be on sale at the band's official Web site beginning November 9. ...

Jimmy Eat World will release a low-dough ($7.98) DVD-EP on November 26 with all the videos from their recent album, as well as live and studio recordings as a preview of their upcoming full-length DVD. The band's covers of Prodigy's "Firestarter" and George Michael's "Last Christmas" are slated for release as a vinyl-only 7-inch through Better Looking Records sometime in December. ... Jimmy Eat World's singer, Jim Adkins, became a dad on October 29 when his wife, Amy, gave birth to a 7-pound, 5-ounce boy, Jackson Christopher. ...

Eat the Day have encouraged potential vocalists to continue contacting them, despite an online post from bandleader/former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland announcing that the group will soon "be meeting with an actual real human bean [sic] that sent us a recording of his amazing voice." Borland noted that "this whole going public with the singer search wasn't such a bad idea after all." ...

Black-haired, black-clothes-wearing Type O Negative drummer Johnny Kelly will sit in with black-haired, black-clothes-wearing hard rock outfit Danzig for an upcoming European jaunt that's scheduled to begin on November 21 in London. "I have nothing but great memories of when Type O toured with Danzig in 1994," Kelly wrote on Type O's official Web site, "and I'm really looking forward to creating some new ones on this adventure." ... Speaking of Type O Negative, Kelly's bandmates will continue working on their forthcoming sixth studio album in his absence at System's Two Studios in Brooklyn, New York, with keyboardist Josh Silver again producing. ...

Singer/songwriter Ben Lee's new Dan the Automator-produced album, Hey You, Yes You, will be released November 18 via EMI Australia. Despite the closing of his U.S. label, Grand Royal, and his current lack of a stateside record deal, Lee will support the album in America when he opens several shows for Vanessa Carlton. ..

• DMX
• Linkin Park
• Nickelback
• Guns N' Roses
• U2

Insane Clown Posse
Photo: Psychopathic

In their decade of debauchery, the Insane Clown Posse have been anything but predictable. Just when fans thought they'd seen Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J in every imaginable situation — from feuding with Sharon Osbourne to dissing Eminem to giving thousands nationwide reason to assemble in one place for the annual Gathering of the Juggalos festival — the clown-faced couple are poised to once again shock and startle by forfeiting their "to hell with it all" attitude and actually being ... positive.

"Maybe I'm getting old, but everything is just the bomb," Violent J beamed. "It's raining nothing but diamonds all over my face."

The sea change that swept over the homicidal harlequins comes on the brink of what J refers to as "the end of everything, but also the beginning," ICP's latest album, The Wraith: Shangri-La, the sixth and final Joker's Card, due November 5. An outward display of the transformation is evidenced by the clowns' new face paint. Colorful rather than the standard black and white, the cosmetic design will change to suit whatever outfits they're wearing.

"What I realized was that I'm a success," J said. "My boy Shaggy is a success. The dreams we had in school, we did and we succeeded. I'm so sick of complaining that MTV doesn't play my videos. I'm so sick of bitching that radio don't play my songs. What do I give a f--k? Look at all the sh-- we have."

Indeed. The clowns' accomplishments are no joke, and many artists sputter out before realizing even half of their accomplishments. Hanging on the walls of their Psychopathic Records imprint are two platinum and five gold certifications for sales in excess of 1 million and 500,000 copies, respectively. Tours are generally well attended and the plethora of ICP merchandise available is rivaled perhaps only by that of Kiss and the Rolling Stones.

"We might be a joke, but over on my end, I'm buying my mom another house. Over on my end, we do a show and I look out and see 1,000 painted faces, anywhere in the country."

Anywhere?

"OK maybe not, but we can play Fargo and draw 500."

For those unfamiliar with ICP lore, from their inception the over-the-top horror rappers have prophesized that six Joker's Cards would arise, each with its own apocalyptic bend, with the final one signifying the arrival of Judgment Day. Although ICP released 10 full-length albums overall, only five were classified Joker's Cards: 1992's Carnival of Carnage, 1994's The Ringmaster, 1995's The Riddle Box, 1997's The Great Milenko and 1999's The Amazing Jeckel Brothers.

J announced at the last Gathering of the Juggalos that the sixth card would come in two parts, with The Wraith: Hell's Pit positioned to follow Shangri-La by exactly one year, though that's no longer the case. Now that he's seen heaven, J's not about to even consider the flip side.

"Shangri-La is the end of the road," he explained. "It's the end of the Joker's Cards. After this I could do anything I want, for the rest of my life. The positivity was so unbelievable."

J's pleasure principle doesn't stem from ICP realizing their financial well-being. While that certainly is not overlooked, it's the community of Juggalos — as ICP fans are called — that the group has fostered that makes him view ICP as a success. The impact his group has had on their lives is the most rewarding thing for J.

J said he finally sat up and acknowledged his surroundings while on last year's Dark Lotus Tour with protégés Twiztid and rapper Marz. For the first time he was able to see past his dissenters and appreciate the fruits of his labors.

"Not only did we find light at the end of the tunnel," he said of his epiphany, "but we found naked chicks, the finest Faygo products, homies ... everything!"

While the rapper is secretive when it comes to what The Wraith sounds like, he did hint that it's a shift musically as well as thematically. J and Shaggy won't be getting as drastic as leading a polka resurgence or twanging their banging with a banjo, though J expects fans to take in their sound with jaws agape.

"There's no way I can be a badass 52-year-old gangsta rapper," he reasoned. "That ain't gonna happen. What the world is going to see now is the ICP with no limitations or expectations. People didn't notice, but we can sing. And we sing on this new record, and I don't give a f--- what people say — it don't matter. [The Wraith] is so dope it made my ma cry."

While Ms. J reaches for the Kleenex, ICP fans may shed tears of joy when they finally understand the meaning of the number 17, references to which are peppered throughout the lyrics of ICP's discography — the clowns are kicking it with 17 friends, 17 hotties are hanging out backstage, J was shot 17 times, he's got 17 dead homies, etc. Naturally, the answer lies in track number 17.

"Everything is answered on track 17," he said, before warning, "you could just skip to track 17, but that's just stale. You've got to listen to it all then hit track 17.

"Besides," he added, "you've waited 10 years, you could take the hour to hear the whole record."

Although J can see beyond his critics, when it comes to reviews of The Wraith, he's doubtful music journos will reciprocate in kind.

"They'll just hear the 'f---s, bitches and sh--s, like they always hear, and assume it's another clown record," he said. "But to the Juggalos, when they listen to what we say on track 17, and they realize how the whole 10-year saga ends, it's going to make them break down and cry just like it did for my mom and half the other people I've played it for ... mostly women."

The release of The Wraith will be preceded by fanfare to match its anticipation. Beginning Friday (October 4), ICP will embark on their Haunted House Tour that stretches throughout the month to culminate in their ninth annual Hallowicked shows, October 30 and 31 at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, Michigan. On the Haunted House Tour, ICP will play frightening fixtures in the houses, scaring visitors and passing out sampler CDs.

After Hallowicked, there's no rest for the wicked clowns. In two days, November 4 and 5, 18 in-store record release parties are planned. ICP themselves will appear in Boston on November 4 and Los Angeles the following day, while other Psychopathic Records MCs will host the other fetes. A complete schedule of record release parties can be found at www.insaneclownposse.com.

Haunted House Tour dates, according to Psychopathic Records:

• 10/4 - Foxboro, MA @ Spooky World
• 10/5 - Philadelphia, PA @ Terror Behind the Walls Eastern State Penitentiary
• 10/7 - Virginia Beach, VA @ The Haunted Fun House
• 10/9 - Norcross, GA @ Chambers of Terror
• 10/11 - Fort Worth, TX @ Hangman's House of Horrors
• 10/12 - San Antonio, TX @ Nightmare on Grayson
• 10/13 - Lewisville, TX @ The Phantom's Haunted House
• 10/15 - Phoenix, AZ @ Alice Cooper's Nightmare
• 10/16 - Henderson, NV @ The Castle
• 10/18 - Colorado Springs, CO @ Halloween Fest
• 10/19 - Kansas City, MO @ Main Street Morgue
• 10/20 - St. Louis, MO @ The Darkness
• 10/21 - Louisville, KY @ Baxter Avenue Morgue
• 10/22 - Indianapolis, IN @ Demon's Funhouse
• 10/24 - Kalamazoo, MI @ Phobia House
• 10/25 - Melrose Park, IL @ Dream Reapers - Haunted House
• 10/26 - Columbus, OH @ Three C- Body Shops Shocktoberfest Polaris Amphitheater
• 10/27 - Pontiac, MI @ The Erebus Haunted House

• Insane Clown Posse

Things are certain to get "Complicated" at John Adams College this year when Avril Lavigne performs in a nightclub scene on an upcoming episode of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." Others making cameos on the show's fall season include the Goo Goo Dolls, Ashanti and MTV's own Carson Daly, who will join previously announced guests Course of Nature on the September 20 season premiere. ... The Insane Clown Posse is at it again with its latest album, The Wraith: Shangri-La, which is slated for a November 5 release through the duo's label, Psychopathic Records. ...

Jimmy Eat World, the Donnas, Guided by Voices, Mars Volta, El-P, Pretty Girls Make Graves and Blonde Redhead are among the acts who will take the stage on October 5 at the third This Ain't No Picnic festival at the Oak Canyon Ranch in Irvine, California. ... Jennifer Love Hewitt will host the third annual "Women Rock: Girls & Guitars" concert, airing October 25 on Lifetime Television, according to Variety. The event, put on by Lifetime Television and Marie Claire magazine and benefiting the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations, among others, will feature performances by Hewitt as well as other acts to be announced. ...

Ice Cube meets Walt Disney — the rapper/actor/auteur has written a new comedy, "De-Fense," which will be produced through Cube Vision and Disney-based Gunn Films, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The screenplay, polished by Tiger Williams, is about a suspended NFL player who rediscovers his love for the game after being told by the league to return to his hometown of L.A. to coach a high school football team. ... Johnny Cash, hospitalized Monday because of an allergic reaction, checked out of a Nashville hospital on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. This hospitalization followed a number of health problems that Cash, 70, has suffered from in recent years, some stemming from autonomic neuropathy. ...

08.27.02

Britney Spears accepted an invitation to "Celine's Club" — a Montreal strip joint — and agreed to sing a duet with golfer Tiger Woods called "Let's Make a Hole in One" for charity before a pair of Canadian DJ pranksters admitted they were just pretending to be Canadian diva Celine Dion. Spears reportedly laughed when the "Masked Avengers" admitted they were pulling her leg. ... Billie Joe Armstrong cut his head on his surfboard while surfing in Newport Beach, California, last week. The Green Day singer was treated by lifeguards and is reportedly doing fine. ... Marc Anthony and Carlos Vives are the first performers announced for the third annual Latin Grammy Awards, broadcasting live September 18. Nick Carter, Jon Secada and Daisy Fuentes will be presenters at the show, which Gloria Estefan and Jimmy Smits will host. ...

England's Leeds Festival erupted into violence over the weekend as 500 concertgoers went on a rampage, burning more than 70 portable toilets and pelting police with bottles and trash, resulting in some minor injuries, according to organizers. A teen attending the three-day event — which featured the first Guns N' Roses show in the U.K. in nine years as well as sets by the Prodigy, the Strokes and Foo Fighters — was found dead in his tent, though his death was reportedly unrelated to the violence. ... Jewel selected budding filmmaker Marcos Efron from a field of 120 entrants as the winner of her video director search. Efron will be given $50,000 to make a video for "This Way" in Los Angeles this week. ... DJ Jazzy Jeff, Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie and Public Enemy's Professor Griff will make appearances on the Underground Poets Railroad spoken word tour, founded by filmmakers Kip and Kern Konwiser. The outing, which begins September 3 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, will be filmed for a documentary that will benefit families of black firefighters who died on September 11. ... Footage from Sublime's final live performance, at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, California, in 1995, is featured on the DVD "Sublime: Live '94-'96," due September 10. The collection, which features a cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," culls performances from 1995's inaugural Warped Tour, as well as several club dates. ...

Country music luminary Johnny Cash was admitted to Baptist Hospital in Nashville on Monday, where he was treated for an allergic reaction to either food or medicine. A hospital spokesperson said the Man in Black was in stable condition, kept overnight for observation and expected to be discharged Tuesday (August 27). ... After five years together, Phish drummer Jon Fishman's side project Pork Tornado will release their debut album on October 1. The Burlington, Vermont, quintet will support the self-titled LP with a five-week tour that begins October 9 in Northampton, Massachusetts. ... The first three albums and an early EP by seminal post-punk quartet the Replacements will get the reissue treatment by Restless Records September 3. The band's 1981 debut Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, 1983's Hootenanny and 1984's Let It Be as well as the 1982 EP Stink, will be digitally remastered and feature improved artwork. ... William Warfield, 82, the renowned show tune singer who crooned "Ol' Man River" in the 1951 musical "Show Boat" died Sunday. At the time of his death he was at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago recovering from a fall he took in late July.

• Avril Lavigne
• Ashanti
• Insane Clown Posse
• Jennifer Love Hewitt
• Jimmy Eat World

Gathering of the Juggalos in Toledo, Ohio, 7/14/01

• Insane Clown Posse

All Access Week 2001

• Godsmack
• Tom Petty
• Staind
• Insane Clown Posse
• Stone Temple Pilots