T.I.
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

It's said New Year's resolutions are meant to be broken. This is probably why most boozy pledges made as December 31 expires are long forgotten by mid-January, leaving a trail of unused treadmills, unopened Nicorette patches and un-creased self-help books in their wake.

And yet, year after year, we continue to make them ... hoping against hope that this will finally be the year that we organize the garage or stop drinking cough syrup. And musicians, being just like the rest of us (except, you know, with more money and fame and all that) are no different, starting each new year with the resolve to better themselves. And while it's not known if they have a higher success rate than the rest of us, we're willing to bet the answer is no.

Which is why it was surprising to see several of them making the, uh, "brave" — meaning perhaps contractually obligated — decision to post their New Year's resolutions on YouTube.com, where they'll stand for all eternity (or until some copyright law banishes them from the Internet) as a testament to their hopes and dreams for building better selves.

We've compiled some of our favorites here to see if, in 12 months, we notice some real and definite change in our favorite rappers and rockers (and James Blunt, too). From the sublimely ridiculous to the ridiculously ridiculous, here's what some today's biggest and brightest hope to accomplish in '07.

Trick Daddy, self-proclaimed "Mayor of Dade County," huge proponent of the kids: "My New Year's resolution is to make some money and to stay out of jail. I'm not gonna spend any money on bail bonds or lawyers this year. That's my resolution. And if you're out there representing the streets, you should do that for me too."

Jon Walker, Panic! at the Disco's former replacement (now permanent) bassist and token "normal dude": "I can't think of anything better to do on New Year's than maybe enjoy an extra-value meal from one of my favorite fast-food chains and watch some videos on YouTube."

Pretty Ricky, Creatively maned, sartorially unique Miami quartet: "Our New Year's resolution is to make more money. And ya'll should make some more money too."

Ben Gibbard, Death Cab for Cutie's permanently hangdog frontman: "In the year 2007, I'm looking forward to possibly buying some kind of island that I can build a log cabin on, that I can build a helipad on. So I can have our bus driver — who also flies helicopters — take me to the grocery store. And I'll buy a helicopter too. The first thing is to get a loan for an island, because I don't think I have enough money for an island right now."

T.I., rapper, actor, so-called "King of Atlanta": "This year I wanna be more organized, maybe work out a bit more. Maybe get a chance to sleep more, rest more, vacation more."

Travis McCoy, Gym Class Heroes' strangely sweet, (even more) strangely street frontman: "[To] stop wearing those fake-ass sneakers. Don't buy Okie Dokes, because I hate Okie Dokes. Okie Dokes are bad, yo."

David Desrosiers, Simple Plan's sorta-goth bassist: "My New Year's resolution is to try what I was intending to do last year's New Year's resolution, which is to try and go to bed earlier. I actually did go to bed really, really early the other day. It was like 6 in the morning."

James Blunt, balladeer, former member of the British Army, dater of supermodels: "My New Year's resolution? I'm going to drink more."

Nick Cester, Jet's borderline-insufferable, certifiably delusional frontman: "I personally don't think I have any flaws, therefore I don't consider it necessary to make any resolutions. If you're on a winning ticket, why change? I'm just gonna steam ahead as I have done for most of my life."

Kid Rock, Pamela Anderson's husband of nearly five months, current divorcee: "I think for my New Year's resolution, I'm gonna give up something ... I'm gonna give up sleeping. I think it's overrated, and I'm gonna give it up. So I'm not gonna be in bed anymore, I'm gonna devote all my time to just having more fun."

• New Year Resolutions: Snoop, Wentz, JoJo

• T.I.
• Kid Rock
• James Blunt
• Trick Daddy
• Death Cab For Cutie

Pharrell
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

You can't rock a stage — or the studio for that matter — if you don't truly believe you're God's gift to the music world. Where would guys like Kanye West and Kid Rock be without their titanic reserves of self-confidence?

But sometimes the hype fails to reach the reality, and artists who promise to change the axis of the earth's rotation with their musical gold wind up filling out the $1 bins at the local used-record shop — or at least getting the cold shoulder from fans and critics.

We looked at a few recent examples of burst hype bubbles and tried to figure out what went wrong.

Who: The Killers, Sam's Town

You can quote me on that: "I can't walk around with a chip on my shoulder all the time. I have to realize that people aren't going to like us," said frontman Brandon Flowers before the release of the band's second LP. "We just have to make the best album that we can. And we're doing it. This album is one of the best albums in the past 20 years. There's nothing that touches this album. And that sounds like I'm being cocky, but I'm just so excited. I hope that helps people. I hope people hear this album and realize that you don't need to worry about the second album."

Then again ...: Flowers, commenting on the backlash to the pre-album hype, said, "People ask if we were trying to be funny with this record, and my answer is, 'I don't think Beethoven was trying to be funny.' "

Chart debut: #2 with 315,000 copies, for the band's highest chart position ever. Their first LP, Hot Fuss, opened at #59 with 23,000 and never got beyond #7. Sam's Town suffered a 68 percent drop-off in its second week, falling to #6 on sales of almost 102,000.

Critical mass: Rolling Stone magazine said, "On their second album ... the Las Vegas party boys ditch their cheerfully fake Bowie moves and try to get heavy by copying Bruce Springsteen. Yes, that means glockenspiel solos. Yes, it means anthems about the road and looking for America and girls named Mary. No, it's not a good move. ... All over Sam's Town, the Killers leave no pompous arena cliché untweaked in their quest to rewrite Born to Run — even though one of the reasons Springsteen's a genius is that he's never tried to rewrite Born to Run himself."

Mitigating circumstance: Flowers later explained the "20 years" quote was simply an acknowledgment that bands don't seem to be trying as hard these days.

Maybe next time: Ditch the Western outfits and the funny mustaches if you want to be taken seriously. Or, do what the Hold Steady did on their new record, Boys and Girls in America, and actually make the best album Springsteen never recorded.

Who: Jet, Shine On

You can quote me on that: Two songs into a recent Hollywood show, one of the first U.S. dates in support of the Aussie band's second album, drummer Chris Cester yelled, "We're the best f---ing band in the world, and here's the proof," before launching into the new song "Holiday," according to The Hollywood Reporter, which described the song as consisting of "reprocessed riffs."

And that: In a posting on their official Web site earlier this year, the bandmembers said they were hard at work on a "raucous rocker" that they promised "is going to destroy your constitution."

Chart debut: #16 with 51,000 sold. Their 2003 debut, Get Born, opened at #79 with 16,300. Their latest fell hard in its second week with a 70 percent drop off, sliding down to #56 on sales of 15,500.

Critical mass: Again, talking about the L.A. show, the Reporter said, "As long as there are bands like Jet, rock will never die, but it won't be incredibly inspiring. During its 85-minute set ... the Aussie quartet did everything possible to keep rock alive by recycling some of its classic elements, but the band's by-the-numbers approach proved to be ultimately unsatisfying."

Mitigating circumstance: First single "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" has more cowbell than a pasture full of Holsteins.

Maybe next time: Take less direction from your pals in Oasis and more from the humble dudes in the Arctic Monkeys, who brought it, but didn't brag about it.

Who: Angels & Airwaves, We Don't Need to Whisper

You can quote me on that: "[An Angels & Airwaves show] really feels like an ascension to heaven. People are lifting off the ground. There are people crying. ... It's incredible," said frontman Tom DeLonge.

And that: "I put the record on and listened to it, and I had this overwhelming rush of emotions. I was like, 'Oh my God, this is going to be huge,' and I started having these panic attacks thinking about every country in the world wanting us there multiple times," DeLonge said. "Conquering the globe is a pretty large endeavor."

Okay, one more: Before former Blink-182 singer/guitarist DeLonge unleashed A&A on the world, he also promised he was "preparing the greatest rock and roll revolution for this generation," one that he swore in a subsequently removed Web site post was "the best f---ing album anybody has heard in 20 years." In fact, the music was so good, so much better than Blink, that at one point, DeLonge said, "I am currently sh---ing my pants."

Chart debut: #4 with 126,800 — 417,000 have sold to date. The debut-week numbers were about half the amount of first-week sales for the final two Blink albums, both of which went on to sell more than 2 million copies.

Critical mass: Drowned in Sound said, "I really just cannot believe that he's getting away with this example of self-indulgence in quite such monstrous measures. Why isn't it just called Tom DeLonge's Band? Why is it called anything? Why is there anything at all? ... By aiming to sound like U2 and Pink Floyd, A&A ends up sounding like an emo version of an even more plodding Coldplay."

Mitigating circumstance: Hopefully DeLonge got to keep all those cool, futuristic clothes from the videos for "The Adventure" and "It Hurts." Plus, he and Flowers have something to bond about when they get together at radio holiday shows this winter.

Mitigating circumstance number two: DeLonge recently promised he's got a top-secret plan for the next "layer" of the multimedia Angels project, which he said would unfold over a three- to five-year period. "When people laugh and say, 'Oh, yeah, what a big revolution that was!' ... they have no idea. I have access to developing this record far beyond what people can understand." DeLonge said he was laughing when he made the "20 year" comment, realizing it would get "everyone talking." The truth, he said, is that "people underestimate me, they always have."

Maybe next time: There's nothing wrong with shooting for the stars, but even Pink Floyd saved the concept album with accompanying high-concept action/ war flick until 10 albums in.

Who: Pharrell, In My Mind

You can quote me on that: On the single "Number One," Skateboard P and his equally humble friend Kanye West sing, "Number one/ Smash hit/ Off the charts/ Classic ... World's ... world's ... world's famous."

Chart debut: The album bowed at #3 on sales of 141,000 — 330,000 total so far. By contrast, N.E.R.D.'s Fly or Die came in at #6 its first week on sales of 119,000 and has sold 414,000 to date, so he's in the ballpark, though In My Mind has already dropped off the top 200 on the Billboard albums chart. "Number One," however, didn't quite live up to its title. The song debuted at #85 and clawed all the way up to #10 on sales of about 3,000 copies.

Critical mass: Pitchfork said, "It's all pizzazz, no pathos ... The less said about 'Number One' — perhaps Kanye West and Pharrell's lowest four minutes ever — the better."

Mitigating circumstance: OK, so the song is using chart position as a metaphor for love, but if you are promising her she'll be #1, you gotta bring the track that will get her there.

Maybe next time: If you're gonna boast about hitting the top of the charts before the album's released, save some of those killer beats and hooks for yourself, P.

• The Killers
• Jet
• Angels & Airwaves
• Pharrell Williams

Ashlee Simpson in the London production of "Chicago"
Photo: Dave M. Bennett/ Getty Images

Ashlee Simpson has joined the one-night-only, 10th-anniversary performance of "Chicago" slated for November 14 at the Ambassador Theater in New York. The performance will benefit victim-assistance organization Safe Horizon and will also feature former Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson and original castmembers. ...

Kevin Federline has rolled out the track list to his debut CD, Playing With Fire. The October 31 release will feature 14 tracks, including a hidden one: "Intro," "The World Is Mine," "America's Most Hated," "Snap," "Lose Control," "Dance With a Pimp" (featuring Ya Boy), "Privilege" (featuring Bosco), "Crazy" (featuring Britney Spears), "A League of My Own," "Playing With Fire," "Caught Up Intro," "Caught Up," "Kept on Talkin' " and "Middle Finger" (hidden). ...

Lady Sovereign, 30 Seconds to Mars, Ghostface, the Subways, Murs, Slug of Atmosphere and Eugene Hütz of Gogol Bordello have been announced as presenters at the mtvU Woodie Awards, to be taped October 25 at New York's Roseland Ballroom. Brandon Reilly of Nightmare of You will DJ the preshow. ... Busta Rhymes has signed former Blackstreet singer Chauncey Black to his Flipmode Squad label. The singer's solo debut will feature production from Dr. Dre and Teddy Riley and guests such as the Game, Young Buck and Rah Digga. ...

Bono testified again in court on Tuesday (October 17) against ex-stylist Lola Cashman, who U2 claim stole and tried to hock band memorabilia, The Associated Press reports. "We want out stuff back. We want her to stop selling it," the singer said in an Irish High Court. Cashman has said the band gave her the items as gifts. ... Bobby Brown has paid $11,000 in delinquent child-support payments, according to AP. A Massachusetts judge said two weeks ago that the singer would be arrested if he were to enter the state without settling up. ...

The saga of Madonna's adoption of 1-year-old David Banda from Malawi continued on Monday, as the child was flown from the African nation to London in the company of one of the singer's bodyguards and a personal assistant. According to Reuters, Banda made the trip despite 50 rights groups that filed court documents asking for an injunction to block the adoption. On Monday, Malawian authorities waived local rules against non-residents adopting children to grant Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie an interim adoption. "My husband and I began the adoption process many months prior to our trip to Malawi," Madonna said in a letter posted on CNN.com. "I did not wish to disclose my intentions to the world prior to the adoption happening, as this is a private family matter. ... Nevertheless, we have gone about the adoption procedure according to the law like anyone else who adopts a child. Reports to the contrary are totally inaccurate. The procedure includes an l8-month evaluation period, after which time we hope to make this adoption permanent." "It is expected that the family will be reunited within the next few days," Madonna's longtime representative Liz Rosenberg said in a statement. ...

James Blunt will play a benefit show for Doctors Without Borders on November 16 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. Tickets for the show are $40 and go on sale Wednesday at noon PT via HOB.com. Blunt is also raising money for the organization by auctioning one-on-one meetings with fans at each stop on his tour. Blunt's trek hits Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday. ... Jermaine Dupri, Stevie Wonder and Gavin DeGraw will be honored at the November 1 Songs of Hope IV benefit for City of Hope, an organization that aids the fight against life-threatening diseases such as cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson will MC the event, which will be held at Esquire House 360 in Beverly Hills, California. Songs of Hope IV will have sheet music and original lyrics signed by artists including Mariah Carey, Paul McCartney and Paul Simon up for silent auction and features performances by Wonder and DeGraw. ...

Wesley Snipes was indicted Tuesday on eight counts of tax fraud, AP reports. Federal prosecutors accuse the actor of fraudulent claims of $12 million in refunds on taxes already paid. The indictment, filed in Tampa, Florida, also alleges that the actor failed to file tax returns between 1999 and 2004. Snipes has not been arrested because authorities don't know where he is. He faces a maximum of 16 years in prison if convicted. ...

Leonardo DiCaprio is pitching in to develop a reality-TV series focusing on the environment, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show, "E-topia," which is being shopped to networks, will document the monthslong effort to transform an American town into a "green" utopia of tomorrow. DiCaprio is a co-creator and executive producer of the project, which will feature an environmental "call to action" at the end of each episode. ...

On January 23, the Shins will return to record stores with their third full-length album, Wincing the Night Away. Produced by frontman James Mercer and former Beck collaborator Joe Chiccarelli, Wincing features 11 tracks, including "Sleeping Lessons," "Pam Berry," "A Comet Appears" and the first single, "Phantom Limb." ... Jet have been forced to postpone part of their current European tour so frontman Nic Cester can rest his pipes after developing acute laryngitis. The postponed dates were originally scheduled through October 25. The singer lost his voice two weeks ago during a performance in New York and has since developed nodules on his vocal cords as a result of returning to the stage earlier than his doctors had advised. ...

Brooklyn queen MC Lyte returned to her NYC stomping grounds Monday night to perform at the launch party for Black Girls Rule! Inc., a nonprofit mentoring service founded by DJ Beverly Bond. Lyte, who was honored at VH1's Hip-Hop Honors — which airs Tuesday on VH1 — and DJ Jazzy Joyce were recognized by the organization for their achievements as women in the music industry. DJ Premier presented the awards, and Dres of Black Sheep and writer/activist Kevin Powell were also in attendance. ... Several Ramones tracks have been retooled in kid-friendly form by some of punk's current leaders. Brats on the Beat: Ramones for Kids, which hits stores November 21, will boast a cover of "Blitzkrieg Bop" by Pennywise's Jim Lindberg, "Rock 'N' Roll High School" performed by Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba, the Donnas' Brett Anderson tackling "California Sun" and the Dwarves' Blag Dahlia doing "Rockaway Beach." ...

Runner James Murphy, the magnate of New York dance-rockers LCD Soundsystem, has teamed up with Nike for 45:33: Nike+ Original Run, an original composition only available through iTunes. The "album" contains a single eponymous track that runs 45 minutes and 33 seconds. The second project in the Nike+ Original Run series follows Drive, a soundtrack by Crystal Method. "In testing, I found that 'hard, fast, propulsive' music was NOT the best running music for me," Murphy said. "Sometimes the best way to keep running is to find the parts of the run that are actually rests — that while you're still running, you're viewing some of the run as soothing and recuperative, rather than constantly feeling like you're running for your life." 45:33 is currently available on iTunes.

10.16.2006

Red Hot Chili Peppers and Gnarls Barkley are plotting an arena tour across the U.S. While dates have not been firmed up, the jaunt will take place from January through March. In other Gnarls news, the group is bulking up its St. Elsewhere debut as a CD-plus-DVD double-disc. The deluxe edition will have four videos, live tunes and a chunky 92-page booklet. ...

St. Lunatics rapper Ali was charged with third-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, property damage and driving on an expired license Saturday after he was pulled over in the Hazelwood area of St. Louis. Ali denied the charges to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, noting, "There is no way that I could kick him from the back seat." Ali said the officer used a taser on him 46 times and made several racial remarks. ...

How far would you go to promote an album? Would you fight the WWE champion? Kevin Federline would — and did, taking on John Cena in an argument that got physical in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Conveniently, the fight — which ended with Cena hitting Britney Spears' husband with a resounding slam — was captured as part of WWE's "Monday Night Raw." Three 6 Mafia, "Jackass" stars Steve-O and Chris Pontius, and Nick and Aaron Carter saw the action in person, but K-Fed's fall will be broadcast for all to see Monday (October 16) at 9 p.m. on USA Network. Federline's Playing With Fire is due October 31. ...

The first two dates of Guns N' Roses' fall U.S. trek have been postponed. The Jacksonville, Florida, stop — originally set for Friday — has been bumped to October 31. And the October 22 gig in Nashville has been pushed back to January. A new date hasn't been announced for the latter show. ...

Just days after leaving Malawi without the 1-year-old boy she planned to adopt — but with a promise that they would soon be united — Madonna has hit another snag in her quest to make David Banda a part of her family. According to Reuters, human-rights groups in Malawi are expected to seek a court injunction Monday to stop the adoption proceedings. The groups claim that the Malawi government hasn't followed its own laws, which prohibit adoptions by non-residents and require anyone wanting to adopt in the country to live there for at least 18 months. Madonna had been granted a temporary waiver that allowed her and husband Guy Ritchie to take custody of the boy. ...

After more than a year of touring, loose songwriting and demoing, it looks like Radiohead are finally getting down to the business of recording their seventh studio album. Frontman Thom Yorke made the announcement — along with some thoroughly harrowing notes about global warming and ExxonMobil — on the band's blog, Dead Air Space. "We've started the record properly now," Yorke wrote. "Starting to get somewhere, I think. Finally." Initial sessions for the still-untitled album began in August with producer Mark "Spike" Stent (Madonna, No Doubt) behind the boards, but last month, Radiohead let it slip that longtime collaborator Nigel Godrich was instead helming the recording process. A spokesperson for the group confirmed that Godrich was in, but "[couldn't] confirm the fate of the Spike sessions as yet." There is no completion date for the new record, the band's first since 2003's Hail to the Thief. ...

According to Metallica's Web site, the band will re-release its "2 of One" VHS in DVD form on December 5. The site claims the reissue will include all Metallica's videos — including a clip for "Mama Said" that never aired on North American television — as well as the theatrical version of their "The Unforgiven" video and the "Some Kind of Monster" trailer. All the contents will be remixed in 5.1 surround sound. ... According to Rob Zombie's Web site, an upcoming live effort is nearly completed. "Rob is in the studio finishing up with producer Scott Humphrey, mixing the tracks right now," the post reads "The CD will include live versions of everything from 'The Lords of Salem' [off Zombie's 2006 LP Educated Horses] to 'Black Sunshine' [from White Zombie's 1992 release La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1]." A release date has not been set. 20th Century Masters: The Best of Rob Zombie - The Millennium Collection hit stores last week. ...

Enrique Iglesias has lined up five club dates on his For the Fans - Exclusive Club Tour. The run kicks off at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom on November 30 and will hit venues in Atlantic City, New Jersey (December 1); Chicago (December 3); Houston (December 5); and Los Angeles' Wiltern LG (December 7). Select fans will get to meet Iglesias on the tour, which will also feature fan-only presales. For more information on special tour offers, check out EnriqueIglesias.com ... Following on the heels of the LA Weekly Detour — a music gala held earlier this month to drive more Los Angelenos downtown — the Secret Machines will play a similar concert to promote mass transit in the city. After playing Hollywood's Avalon on October 24, the band will pack up its gear and head downtown to Union Station for a Global Inheritance-sponsored show dubbed Public Displays of Affection. Only people who took the Metro to get to the show will be admitted. ...

As part of the rollout of Sirius Internet Radio — which allows listeners to sign up for monthly subscriptions without buying a companion unit — the company is making access to its programming, including Howard Stern, free for just two days: October 25 and October 26. ... Remember that song "Your Woman?" Well, the creators of the infectious 1997 track, White Town, are mapping a return following a long break with Don't Mention the War, a 12-track LP that should be in stores before year's end. Look for the effort to include "Somewhere Blue," "I Was Trotsky's Nun" and "Theme for a BBC Natural History Series Presented by Richard Dawkins." ... Country singer Freddy Fender died of lung cancer on Saturday in his Corpus Christi, Texas, home. He was 69. The Grammy-winning singer, who was one of the first Mexican-American artists to cross over to the mainstream pop charts, began his career in the 1950s performing rock covers in Spanish as El Be-Bop Kid, and gained notoriety in the mid-1970s with the country hits "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." In 1990, he won a Grammy as a member of the Tex-Mex all-star group the Texas Tornados and in 2001 he took another Grammy for best Latin pop album for his solo effort, La Musica de Baldemar Huerta.

• Ashlee Simpson In The London Production Of "Chicago"

• Ashlee Simpson
• Kevin Federline
• Lady Sovereign
• Busta Rhymes
• Madonna

Evanescence's <i>The Open Door</i>
Photo: Wind-up

Was three years just a little too long?

That was the question on the minds of several industry insiders last week when Evanescence released The Open Door, the follow-up to their 2003 breakout Fallen — an album that, to date, has sold close to 6.6 million copies in the U.S. alone. With artists like the Killers, Beck and Monica all releasing new discs on the same day that The Open Door landed in stores, some wondered whether Amy Lee's goth-rock outfit still had a strong enough fanbase to open up on top.

But the fans were there to clear a path for The Open Door to become the band's first chart-topping debut. With first-week sales of 447,000 plus, the #1 position on the Billboard albums chart was a lock for Evanescence, who outsold second-place finishers the Killers by more than 133,000 copies. The Open Door stacks up as the band's biggest debut, as Fallen opened at #7 with 142,000 copies sold, while 2004's live effort Anywhere But Home bowed at #39 with 54,000 scans.

The Killers second studio offering, Sam's Town, sold nearly 315,000 copies its first week out, securing the disc the chart's #2 slot. The Las Vegas rockers' debut LP, 2004's Hot Fuss, bowed at #59 with sales of 23,000; Fuss has since sold more than 3 million units.

The chart's #3 spot belongs to George Strait, whose It Just Comes Natural racked up more than 232,000 sales. Tony Bennett's Duets: An American Classic slides one spot to #4, with second-week sales reported at 128,000 and then some. Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/ Love Sounds holds #5, racking up another 116,000 scans its fourth week in stores, while Billboard's previous #1 — Ludacris' Release Therapy — drops to #6 its second week out thanks to a 64 percent sales dip.

Beck's The Information opens at #7 with 99,000 scans. That puts the rocker's latest disc behind Guero — the 2005 release that opened at #2 with 162,000 sales — but ahead of 2002's Sea Change, which bowed at #8 with 90,000 copies sold. Monica's The Makings of Me takes the #8 spot, generating 93,000 in first-week sales. Janet Jackson's 20 Y.O. slips seven spots to #9, selling 77,000 units — a 74 percent drop in sales — while Hinder's Extreme Behavior rounds out the top 10 with 76,000 copies sold.

A total of 31 newcomers make the Billboard 200, with 13 cracking the chart's top 50. Shine On, Jet's follow-up to 2003's Get Born, opens at #16 with 51,000 copies sold. Ray Sings, Basie Swings, a mashup pairing vintage Ray Charles with the contemporary Count Basie Orchestra, debuts at #23 with 36,000 sales. The Decemberists' The Crane Wife opens at #35 with more than 26,000 scans, Robin Thicke's The Evolution of Robin Thicke follows at #45 with 20,000 copies sold and South Park Mexican open at #46 with When Devils Strike moving nearly 20,000 units.

Outkast associate Sleepy Brown debuts at #53 after selling 18,000 copies of his Mr. Brown. Pillar's The Reckoning bows at #70 with 14,000 sales, and Amos Lee's Supply and Demand takes the chart's #76 opening with 13,200 scans. Lindsey Buckingham's Under the Skin, finishes its first week with 13,000 sales for a #80 debut. Gladys Knight's Before Me opens at #93 with 11,000 copies sold. Pepper's No Shame follows at #96 with nearly 11,000 sales, while former Phish frontman Trey Anastasio's Bar 17 bows at #102 with more than 10,000 scans.

Unk's Beat'n Down Yo Block! sold nearly 10,000 copies, which earns him the #109 spot, while the Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America claims #124 with more than 8,000 copies scanned. Sean Lennon's latest, Friendly Fire, surfaces at #152 with 7,000 sales, followed at #158 by He Is Legend's Suck Out the Poison which racked up 6,000 first-week scans.

• Evanescence
• The Killers
• Beck
• Monica
• Jet

The Killers' <I>Sam's Town</I>
Photo: Island

Sam's Sons: The Killers choked four singles out of their debut, Hot Fuss, which went on to become the longest-running rock album on the Billboard top 50 in 2005 — even though it was released in June 2004. Producers Flood and Alan Moulder are together again for the first time since they worked on Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, and with some amusing cowboy imagery à la Muse, the Las Vegas posse is hoping to mine more gold in Sam's Town. Songs include: "Bling (Confession of a King)," "Why Do I Keep Counting?" and "This River Is Wild."

Beck's Back: He's already put out more videos for his new album than some bands put out in their entire careers, but now it's time for Beck to finally deliver The Information. A bonus DVD that comes with copies of the Nigel Godrich-produced disc features all those videos — 15 in total, one for each track — plus stickers to help you build your own album cover. Songs include: "Strange Apparition," "1000BPM" and "Horrible Fanfare/ Landslide/ Exoskeleton."

Girl's Next Door: Amy Lee has some pretty big shoes to fill — her own. Having sold more than 14 million copies worldwide of their debut, Fallen, Evanescence are probably feeling the "Weight of the World," as one of their new songs puts it. You've probably already heard "Call Me When You're Sober," the first single from The Open Door, but keep an ear out for a string section on "Good Enough" — and don't expect a Nirvana cover on Evanescence's similarly titled "Lithium."

Take Off: There's myriad import versions of Jet's Shine On flying around out there. The version issued in their Australia homeland has five extra cuts — including two that appear, oddly enough, at the beginning of the track list. Japanese editions come with a different bonus cut, "Hold On," while most territories also have a limited digipak run, which you should be able to identify by the shrink-wrap.

Don't Sleep: He's cropped up on some major Outkast hits over the years ("The Way You Move," "So Fresh, So Clean"), but it's finally time for Sleepy Brown to rouse the masses with his solo debut. Mr. Brown comes through Big Boi's Purple Ribbon imprint and features a guest spot from the 'Kast member on "Margarita," which Pharrell also supports. Outkast proper appear on the last track, "I Can't Wait," while other songs include "Me, My Baby & My Cadillac," "One of Dem Nights" and "Till (Your Legs Start Shaking)."

Indie-Rock Till You Drop: This is another packed Tuesday for new releases — and one of the most rock-heavy ones in months — but it could also prove to be a watershed week for underground acts on the verge, so to speak. Here are the top 10 indie-rock releases to look for:

• The Decemberists' The Crane Wife: Probably the most established indie-rock band putting out new material this week, this Portland, Oregon, troupe is actually doing so on a major label: Capitol. Based on a Japanese children's folk tale, the conceptual LP — co-produced by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla — actually delves into dark tales of murder on songs like "You'll Not Feel the Drowning."
• Various artists' The DFA Remixes: Chapter Two: While various artists are indeed represented here — Nine Inch Nails, N.E.R.D., Hot Chip, Goldfrapp — the emphasis is clearly on the two-man combo that is Death From Above. Many of these mixes by the heralded underground duo are seeing commercial release for the first time.
• The Kooks' Inside In/ Inside Out: These Brighton, England, lads have already put out five singles in the U.K., before even issuing their maiden release in the U.S. This LP has already gone double-platinum in the Kooks' homeland, and they've sold out four headlining tours. As Stan Lee would say, 'nuff said.
• The Dears' Gang of Losers: Scrolling over to yet another part of the globe, these Montreal musicians actually put three tracks not available on the Canadian version of their LP on the U.S. edition. The band — which openly cites Serge Gainsbourg as a major influence — has shed most of the orchestral elements from 2004's No Cities Left in favor of more basically structured songs, which include "Sinthtro," "Ballad of Humankindness" and "There Goes My Outfit."
• Ad Astra Per Aspera's Catapult Calypso: The Lawrence, Kansas, post-punks actually infuse their songs with some Latin and roots sounds on their full-length debut, which features "Scatter Baby Spiders," "The Romantic One" and the epic closer "Flannery's Coming Home." Plus it boasts one of the most colorful album covers hitting stores this week.
• Cities' Variations: AAPA have some competition on the post-punk front in this Chapel Hill, North Carolina, gang, which is putting out a remix disc only months after issuing its debut. Ladytron put an electro touch on "Writing on the Wall," while lesser-known acts like Free the Robots and Daedelus also do some retooling. A second remix of "A Theme" was contributed by Mike Westbrook, who got a spot on the disc after winning a contest on the Yep Roc Records Web site.
• Thunderbirds Are Now!'s Make History: Detroit may have had some bad news over the weekend, what with its Tigers having lost their grip on the AL Central division title, but hopefully the city will find some recompense in the latest opus from these spazz-outs. That it was produced by Enon's John Schmersal and mixed by Les Savy Fav's Syd Butler should give you an idea of what to expect: 11 tracks of odd fits and starts, burps and farts.
• The Meeting Places' Numbered Days: Recorded in conjunction with the Ship — an Elephant 6-like group of Los Angelinos that includes Earlimart — the band's second album was captured by Grandaddy's Jim Fairchild. Blending piano and glockenspiel with kraut sounds and noise-pop, Numbered Days includes "Cardboard Robot," "Love Like the Movies" and "Mumble."
• Planes Mistaken for Stars' Mercy: Hop over to Denver for a louder dose of rock on songs like "Killed by Killers Who Kill Each Other," "Little Death" and "To Spit a Sparrow." Produced by Matt Bayles of Mastodon and Isis note, the CD is also adorned with glorious artwork by Pig Destroyer collaborator Chris Taylor.
• The Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America: No, proceeds from this disc do not go toward the Boys & Girls Club — the title is actually a line from Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" — but don't let that stop you from picking up these 11 passels of spunky rock. This CD actually serves as the masthead for BoysandGirlsinAmerica.com, an online community through which the band is encouraging fans to submit video about "Your first date to your worst date, your party fouls and your massive nights."

Song Title of the Week:

"Melody With Balls" from Warpig's Warpig

Other Notables:

Pepper's No Shame: With their single "Your Face" figuratively blowing up at radio, the Los Angeles-via-Hawaii band is ready for its frenzied fanbase to spice up the mainstream. Recent tours with 311 and the Wailers surely planted some seeds of interest among reggae-rock aficionados, but in case that didn't do the trick, Nick Hexum produced the effort, while No Doubt's Tony Kanal lends some bass parts.

Sean Lennon's Friendly Fire: Boasting contributions from such random guests as Jon Brion, Bijou Phillips and Cibo Matto's Yuka Honda, perhaps the only thing stranger about this set is the motley crew that appears on the companion DVD's short film: Carrie Fisher, Asia Argento and Lindsay Lohan. Lennon covers Marc Bolan and conjures images of "Dead Meat" on his first album in eight years, but plays fewer instruments than he did on his solo debut, Into the Sun.

Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3's Olé! Tarantula: Hitch recruited one-half of R.E.M. — Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey — for what he's calling the "rockingest record I've made in years." Kurt Bloch of the Fastbacks acts as engineer, while many other guests are also along for the ride: Soft Boys Morris Windsor and Kimberly Rew, plus members of Harvey Danger and Presidents of the United States of America. Those who preordered were gifted with a bonus disc with live tracks and more.

New Releases:

• Ad Astra Per Aspera - Catapult Calypso (Sonic Unyon)
  
• Oleta Adams - Christmas Time With Oleta (Koch)
  
• Akron/ Family - Meek Warrior (Young God)
  
• Akwid - E.S.L. (UniVision)
  
• Amon Amarth - With Oden on Our Side (two CDs; Metal Blade)
  Buy Now: With Oden on Our Side (Metal Blade)
  
• Trey Anastasio - Bar 17 (Red Ink)
  Buy Now: Bar 17 (Red Ink)
  
• Badi Assad - Wonderland (Deutsche Grammophon)
  
• Beck - The Information (Geffen)
  Read: "Beck Giving Fans Sticky Fingers With Quasi-Hip-Hop Album"
  Buy Now: The Information (Geffen)
  
• Big Rich - E-40 Presents Big Rich A.K.A. Fillmore Rich: Block Tested, Hood Approved (Koch)
  
• Bleu Da Vinci - Bleu Da Vinci Presents: The World Is BMF's - The Compilation (with DVD; Koch)
  
• Brand New Sin - Tequila (Century Media)
  Buy Now: Tequila (Century Media)
  
• Brazil - The Philosophy of Velocity (Immortal)
  
• Breaks Co-Op - The Sound Inside (Astralwerks)
  
• Jim Brickman - Escape (SLG)
  
• Lindsey Buckingham - Under the Skin (Warner Bros.)
  Buy Now: Under the Skin (Warner Bros.)
  
• Don Byron - Do the Boomerang: The Music of Junior Walker (Blue Note)
  
• Edie Carey - Another Kind of Fire (Accidental Poet)
  
• Celtic Woman - A Christmas Celebration (Manhattan)
  
• Chthonic - Seediqbale (Down Port)
  
• Cirque Du Soleil - Corteo (Cirque Du Soleil)
  
• Cities - Variations (EP; Yep Roc)
  
• Clark - Body Riddle (Warp)
  
• Dears - Gang of Losers (Arts & Crafts)
  Buy Now: Gang of Losers (Arts & Crafts)
  
• Decemberists - The Crane Wife (Capitol)
  Buy Now: The Crane Wife (Capitol)
  
• Delerium - Nuages Du Monde (Nettwerk)
  
• Plácido Domingo - Moments of Passion (Sony Classical)
  Buy Now: Moments of Passion (Sony Classical)
  
• Don't Die Cindy - Most Imperfect Skies (Cake)
  
• Richard Dorfmeister vs. Madrid de los Austrias - Grand Slam (G-Stone)
  
• Evanescence - The Open Door (Wind-Up)
  Read: "Amy Lee Says New Evanescence LP Has More Sensuality"
  Buy Now: The Open Door (Wind-Up)
  
• Michael Giacchino - "Lost: Season 2" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)
  
• Goldenboy - Underneath the Radio (Eenie Meenie)
  
• David Grover & the Big Bear Band With Steve Ide & Friends - Passin' It On (Koch)
  
• Stefon Harris - African Tarantella: Dances With Duke (Blue Note)
  
• Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3 - Olé! Tarantula (Yep Roc)
  
• The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (Vagrant)
  Buy Now: Boys and Girls in America (Vagrant)
  
• Into Eternity - The Scattering of Ashes (Century Media)
  Buy Now: The Scattering of Ashes (Century Media)
  
• Jeremiah - Chasing Forever (Siri)
  
• Jet - Shine On (Atlantic)
  Read: "Jet Reveal Commanding Track List For Shine On LP"
  Buy Now: Shine On (Atlantic)
  
• Jonezetta - Popularity (Tooth & Nail)
  
• K-Ci - My Book (Bungalo)
  
• Kennedys - Songs of the Open Road (Appleseed)
  
• Killers - Sam's Town (Island)
  Read: "Killers Album Preview: Massive Sound, Epic Ballads, Big Ideas Fill Sam's Town"
  Buy Now: Sam's Town (Island)
  
• King Britt's Interpretations - Nova Dream Sequence (Compost)
  
• Gladys Knight - Before Me (Verve)
  
• Kooks - Inside In/ Inside Out (Astralwerks)
  Buy Now: Inside In/ Inside Out (Astralwerks)
  
• Koop - Koop Islands (!K7)
  
• Jake La Botz - Graveyard Jones (Charnel Ground)
  
• Amos Lee - Supply and Demand (Blue Note)
  
• Sean Lennon - Friendly Fire (with DVD; Capitol)
  Buy Now: Friendly Fire (Capitol)
  
• Les Georges Leningrad - Sangue Puro (Tomlab)
  
• Los Straitjackets With the World Famous Pontani Sisters and Kaiser George - Twist Party!!! (Yep Roc)
  
• Make Believe - Of Course (Flameshovel)
  
• The Manhattan Transfer - An Acapella Christmas and The Symphony Sessions (Rhino)
  Buy Now: An Acapella Christmas and The Symphony Sessions (Rhino)
  
• Meeting Places - Numbered Days (Words On)
  
• Monica - The Makings of Me (J)
  Read: "Monica Overcomes Pregnancy Rumors, Ex-Boyfriend's Suicide To Form Makings Of Me"
  Buy Now: The Makings of Me (J)
  
• Nina Nastasia - On Leaving (Fat Cat)
  
• Nuttin' but Stringz - Struggle From the Subway to the Charts (Koch)
  
• Lisa Palleschi - Released (Lightyear)
  
• John Patitucci - Line by Line (Concord)
  
• Pepper - No Shame (Atlantic)
  
• Pillar - The Reckoning (Flicker)
  
• Planes Mistaken for Stars - Mercy (Abacus)
  
• John Popper - The John Popper Project Featuring DJ Logic (Image)
  Buy Now: The John Popper Project Featuring DJ Logic (Image)
  
• The Radiators - Dreaming Out Loud (Sci Fidelity)
  Buy Now: Dreaming Out Loud (Sci Fidelity)
  
• The Receiver - Decades (Stunnin Models on Display)
  
• Reyes Brothers - Ghetto Therapy (Latin Thug/ Koch)
  
• Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela (ATO)
  
• Sharam - Dubai (Global Underground)
  
• Skillet - Comatose (Atlantic)
  
• Slats - Boom Patrol (digipak; Latest Flame)
  
• Sleepy Brown - Mr. Brown (Virgin)
  Buy Now: Mr. Brown (Virgin)
  
• Some Action - The Band That Sucked the Life Out of Rock N' Roll and Killed Itself in the Process (Gigantic)
  
• Spitalfield - Better Than Knowing Where You Are (Victory)
  Buy Now: Better Than Knowing Where You Are (Victory)
  
• George Strait - It Just Comes Natural (MCA Nashville)
  Buy Now: It Just Comes Natural (MCA Nashville)
  
• Subtle - For Hero for Fool (Astralwerks)
  
• Robin Thicke - The Evolution of Robin Thicke (Interscope)
  Buy Now: The Evolution of Robin Thicke (Interscope)
  
• Thunderbirds Are Now! - Make History (French Kiss)
  
• Tokyo Police Club - A Lesson in Crime (Paper Bag)
  
• Transit War - Miss Your Face (Orange Peal)
  
• Trentalange - Photo Album of Complex Relationships (Coco Tauro)
  
• Twelve Tribes - Midwest Pandemic (Ferret)
  
• Unk - Beat'n Down Yo Block! (Koch)
  
• Visionaries - We Are the Ones (We've Been Waiting For) (Up Above)
  
• Warpig - Warpig (Relapse)
  
• Wolf - The Black Flame (Prosthetic)
  
• Michael Wolff - Love and Destruction (Wrong)
  
• Chris Young - Chris Young (RCA)
  Buy Now: Chris Young (RCA)
  
• Various artists - Adult Swim and Stones Throw Presents Chrome Children (with DVD; Stones Throw)
  
• Various artists - The DFA Remixes: Chapter Two (Astralwerks)
  
• Various artists - Fabric 30 - Rub-N-Tug (Fabric)
  
• Various artists - Rep Yo Set (Reputable)
  
• Various artists - Totally Hits 2006 (Warner Strategic Marketing)
  
• Various artists - We'll Inherit the Earth ... A Tribute to the Replacements (1234 Go)
  
• Various artists - "The Break-Up" soundtrack (Lakeshore)
  
• Various artists - "Sherrybaby" soundtrack (Lakeshore)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Tim Buckley - The Best of Tim Buckley (Rhino)
  
• Captain Beefheart - Doc at the Radar Station and Ice Cream for Crow (Astralwerks)
  
• Ray Charles - Ray Charles With the Voices of Jubilation (Medialink) and Ray Sings, Basie Swings (Concord)
  
• Chicago - 16 and 17 (Rhino)
  
• Darkest Hour - Archives (A-F)
  
• Desmond Dekker - This Is Desmond Dekker (Trojan)
  
• Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame, Some Great Reward and Songs of Faith and Devotion (two-CD deluxe editions; Rhino)
  Buy Now: A Broken Frame, Some Great Reward and Songs of Faith and Devotion (Rhino)
  
• Earth, Wind & Fire - In the Name of Love (Kalimba)
  
• Gloria Estefan - The Essential Gloria Estefan (two CDs; Epic/Legacy)
  Buy Now: The Essential Gloria Estefan (Epic/Legacy)
  
• The Future Sound of London - Teachings From the Electronic Brain (The Best of FSOL) (Astralwerks)
  
• Journey - Captured, Frontiers, Raised by Radio and Trial by Fire (expanded digipaks; Columbia/Legacy)
  Buy Now: Captured, Frontiers, Raised by Radio and Trial by Fire (Columbia/Legacy)
  
• John Kay & Steppenwolf - Live in London (Rainman)
  
• Chris LeDoux - The Ultimate Collection (two CDs; Capitol)
  
• Steve Perry - For the Love of Strange Medicine, Greatest Hits and Street Talk (expanded digipaks; Columbia/Legacy)
  
• Pet Shop Boys - PopArt (two CDs; Capitol)
  Buy Now: Pop Art (Capitol)
  
• Pink Floyd - Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd (two-CD special edition; Capitol)
  
• Elvis Presley - Elvis Christmas (RCA/BMG)
  
• Pretenders - Pretenders and Pretenders II (two-disc sets; Rhino)
  Buy Now: Pretenders and Pretenders II (Rhino)
  
• Boz Scaggs - Hits! (Columbia/Legacy)
  
• Sons of the Pioneers/ Roy Rodgers - The Republic Years (Varèse Sarabande)
  
• Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Pete Seeger Sessions - American Land Edition (special edition with DVD; Columbia)
  Buy Now: We Shall Overcome: The Pete Seeger Sessions - American Land Edition (Columbia)
  
• Dakota Staton - Dynamic! (Blue Note)
  
• UT - In Gut's House and Griller (Blast First/ Mute)
  
• Joe Williams - A Man Ain't Supposed to Cry (Blue Note)
  
• George Winston - Ballads and Blues 1972 - The Early Recordings: Special Edition (expanded digipak) and Complete Solo Piano Recordings: 1972-2004 (10-CD box set; Windham Hill/ Legacy)
  
• Various artists - Nick Jr Winter Wonderland (Nick)
  
• Various artists - Paint It Black (Virgin)
  
• Various artists - What It Is! Funky Soul and Rare Grooves (1967-1977) (four-CD box set; Rhino)
  
• Various artists - Windham Hill Holiday Guitar Collection (Windham Hill/ Legacy)

Music DVDs:

• Phil Collins - "Classic Albums: Face Value" (Eagle Vision)
  
• Elvis Costello & the Imposters - "Club Date: Live in Memphis" (Eagle Vision)
  
• Robert Earl Keen - "Live at the Ryman: The Greatest Show Ever Been Gave" (Koch)
  
• John Lennon and Yoko Ono - "Give Peace a Song" (Hip-O)
  
• Level 42 - "Live at Wembley" (Koch)
  
• Bob Marley and the Wailers - "Classic Albums: Catch a Fire" (Eagle Vision)
  
• Meat Loaf - "Classic Albums: Bat Out of Hell" (Eagle Vision)
  
• Pat Metheny Group - "The Way Up - Live" (Eagle Vision)
  
• Moe - "Live From the Fillmore" (Fat Boy)
  
• Pixies - "Live at the Paradise in Boston" (Eagle Vision)
  
• Pretty Ricky - "Live Concert: Live From the 305 (Volume 1)" (Atlantic)
  
• Steely Dan - "Classic Albums: Aja" (Eagle Vision)
  
• STS9 - "Live as Time Changes" (Sci Fidelity)
  
• James Taylor - "A MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute" (Rhino)
  
• U2 - "Classic Albums: The Joshua Tree" (Eagle Vision)
  
• The Who - "Classic Albums: Who's Next" (Eagle Vision)
  
• Various artists - "Moments to Remember: The Golden Hits of the 50s and 60s" (Shout! Factory)

Coming Attractions:

October 10:

• The Blood Brothers - Young Machetes (V2)
  Preorder: Young Machetes (V2)
  
• Teddy Geiger - Underage Thinking (special-edition re-release with demo bonus tracks; Columbia)
  Read: "Teddy Geiger Milks 'Fat Cows' For Underage Re-Release"
  Preorder: Underage Thinking (Columbia)
  
• Various artists - "American Hardcore - The History of American Punk Rock (1980-1986)" soundtrack (Rhino)
  Read: "Think You Know Punk Rock? Hardcore Vets Recall Real Blood-And-Sweat Years"

October 17:

• C-Murder - The Tru Story ... Continued (limited-edition version with DVD and bonus tracks; Koch)
  Preorder: The Tru Story ... Continued (Koch)
  
• Glenn Danzig - Black Aria II (Megaforce)
  Read: "Glenn Danzig Preps 'Final' Tour, Film, Box Set And, Uh, Dolls"
  Preorder: Black Aria II (Megaforce)
  
• Xzibit - Full Circle (Koch)
  Read: "Xzibit's An Indie Rapper Again, With Game And Quik In Tow"

October 24:

• My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (Reprise)
  Read: "My Chemical Romance Unveil Black Parade Track List, Album Art"
  Preorder: The Black Parade (Reprise)
  
• Sparta - Threes (Hollywood)
  Read: "Sparta Return With New LP, Outlook, Tour — And No Need For 'Hipster Points' "
  Preorder: Threes (Hollywood)
  
• Various artists - "The Nightmare Before Christmas" soundtrack (special two-CD edition; Disney)
  Read: "Fall Out Boy, Panic, Marilyn Manson Add To New 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Soundtrack"

• The Killers
• Beck
• Evanescence
• Jet
• Sleepy Brown

Jet
Photo: Kristian Dowling/ Getty Images

Hey, remember when Jet kept talking about that "whirlwind tour of the U.S." they were going to launch in support of their upcoming Shine On album? Well, it turns out they were lying.

They were actually plotting a whirlwind tour of North America.

On Monday (August 21), Jet announced 10 stops on that jaunt, which kicks off on September 20 at La Zona Rosa in Austin, Texas, and wraps with an October 7 gig at the Joint in Las Vegas. The news comes just days after the band revealed the track list for Shine On, due October 3 (see "Jet Reveal Commanding Track List For Shine On LP").

Tickets for some dates go on sale as early as Friday, with additional on-sale information being announced over the coming days on the band's official site, JetTheBand.com. But if you're not lucky enough to snag tickets to the shows, don't fret: The band's label, Atlantic Records, promises that dates are already being lined up for a "full-blown" tour sometime in November.

Jet tour dates, according to Atlantic Records:

• 9/20 - Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
• 9/21 - Dallas, TX @ Gypsy Ballroom
• 9/22 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
• 9/25 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
• 9/27 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 9/29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
• 10/1 - Toronto, ON @ The Guvernment
• 10/4 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
• 10/5 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Music Box at Fonda
• 10/7 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel

• Jet

Jet's Nic Cester
Photo: Patrick Riviere/ Getty Images

After months spent recording it, mastering it, promoting it and shooting videos for it, Jet have finally gotten around to announcing the track list for it.

"It," of course, refers to Shine On, Jet's high-octane follow-up to their 2003 breakout Get Born (see "Jet Say New LP Is 'Five Times Better' Than Get Born"). The new disc is due October 3.

Produced once again by Dave Sardy — and written and recorded during globe-trotting sessions in Barbados, Australia, Los Angeles and, um, Massachusetts — Shine On features 15 tracks, including the album opener "L'espirit D'escalier" (which translates roughly into "the spirit of the staircase"). The LP also comprises the swaggering first single, "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is," and a rather bossy run of four tracks in which the band commands listeners to "Shine On," "Come On Come On," "Stand Up" and "Rip It Up."

The band kinda sorta documented the recording process for the album via an infrequently updated blog on their site, JetTheBand.com (see "Jet Make Progress On New LP ... And Cocktail Mixes, 'Moon Tans' ").

Over the coming weeks, Jet will announce a string of U.S. dates — scheduled to run from September 18-October 6 — in support of Shine On. According to their label, Atlantic Records, Jet will return in late November for a full-blown run of North America.

Track list for Jet's Shine On, according to Atlantic Records:

• "L'espirit D'escalier"
• "Holiday"
• "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is"
• "Bring It On Back"
• "That's All Lies"
• "Hey Kids"
• "Kings Horses"
• "Shine On"
• "Come On Come On"
• "Stand Up"
• "Rip It Up"
• "Skin and Bones"
• "Shiny Magazine"
• "Eleanor"
• "All You Have to Do"

• Jet

Jet
Photo: MTV News

LOS ANGELES — The scorching-hot temperatures outside and the gritty rawness inside L.A.'s Alexandria Hotel seemed to be an appropriate setting Saturday for retro rockers Jet, who powered through the triple-digit heat to shoot the video for the first single from their sophomore album. Due October 3, the disc is titled Shine On — words that carry a special meaning for frontman Nic Cester.

"There's a song on the album called 'Shine On' that I wrote about my father, who passed away two years ago, so it's a bit of a tribute to him," Cester explained. "And there's a theme that kind of runs through a lot of the songs. A lot of them deal with what we went through over the last two years, and it just fit."

The bandmembers believe the album will include 12 to 14 songs, but the track list will be determined after they hear all the mixed recordings they laid down with producer Dave Sardy (see "Jet Make Progress On New LP ... And Cocktail Mixes, 'Moon Tans' ").

"We don't do anything unless it's good," Cester said. "We wanted to make sure this was five times better than the first record, and it is. The first time around I think we didn't go places, like using orchestrations and any additional instrumentation. So we had someplace to go this time — it's a bit more lush, I suppose."

"And some of the [new songs] are actually more raw as well," bassist Mark Wilson added. "The rock songs are a lot more raw than songs on Get Born, so there's kind of a juxtaposition there."

The album's first single is "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is," a bottom-heavy rock track that's become the Jet standard. It's slated to hit radio next month, and for the video, the band called upon director Robert Hales — who directed the Moonman-winning clip for "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" and has since helmed Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy." Working again with their old mate gave the guys an opportunity to make up for past mistakes.

"We didn't thank him when we won the MTV Video Music Award," Wilson sheepishly confessed. "We thanked everyone else in the world, except the guy who directed it. Obviously there's no love lost — we're back working together."

"[So] I'd just like to take this moment to thank Robert Hales for the 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' video," guitarist Cameron Muncey chimed in. "Thanks — we couldn't have done it without you, mate."

• Jet

Justin Timberlake and Timbaland on the set of "SexyBack"
Photo: Lalo Yasky/Jive Records

Beyoncé may be heating up the countdown on "TRL" with "Deja Vu," but a number of her fans say the new video has left them cold. More than 2,000 people have signed an online petition addressed to Beyoncé's label, Columbia Records, demanding a reshoot for the video. The petition requests the clip be taped again because, "This video is an underwhelming representation of the talent and quality of previous music-video projects of Ms. Knowles'." Included in the laundry list of offenses are a lack of theme, dizzying editing, over-the-top wardrobe choices and "unacceptable interactions" between B and her real-life beau, Jay-Z. Beyoncé's dance moves were also called into question by the petition, which labeled them "erratic, confusing and alarming at times." ...

Justin Timberlake doesn't talk to Britney Spears anymore, he told GQ for the mag's August cover story, but that doesn't mean he's not rooting for her. The two met while they were Mouseketeers — when Timberlake was 11 years old — and he said, "I was in love with her from the start. I was infatuated with her from the moment I saw her." But when the 21-year-old Timberlake split with the 20-year-old Spears, it hit him hard — and that's not surprising, he told GQ, "especially when you loved that person half your life." What hurt even more was that "she had a couple of opportunities to just sort of stick up for me, and she didn't," he said. "Which is fine. But at that time, you know, I fought back [with 'Cry Me a River']." Now that's he's moved on, Timberlake says it's a "distant thing," but he does feel bad for Spears when he sees how she's being treated by the media. "I wish her well, and I want to see her win," he told the mag. "I don't think you can ever count somebody like her out. Because she may appear one way, but she's very clever." Timberlake's latest video, "SexyBack" featuring Timbaland, will debut on MTV's "Making the Video" Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT. ...

"7th Heaven" isn't about to lose Haylie Duff to "Hairspray," so the TV show that jump-started the careers of Ashlee Simpson and Jessica Biel is going to shoot scenes in New York to accommodate Duff's Broadway schedule. Though Duff's character, Sandy Jameson, features prominently in the first two episodes of the new season, she really only has to interact with one main character in the cast — so Tyler Hoechlin, who plays Martin Brewer, is preparing to fly to the Big Apple to shoot scenes on Mondays, Duff's day off. During those scenes, Duff's character will try to figure out her relationship with Martin as she prepares to go to seminary school. The 11th season of "7th Heaven" premieres September 25 at 8 p.m. on the CW. ... Jet's new album will be called Shine On and will hit stores on October 3, according to the band's label, Atlantic Records. "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is," the first single from the album, is scheduled to land on radio August 7. As is becoming of a band working on the follow-up to a multiplatinum debut, Jet wrote a majority of the material in studios around the world — including Barbados, Australia and, um, Massachusetts — and committed it to tape at producer Dave Sardy's Hillside Manor studio in Los Angeles. According to Atlantic, Jet are also planning to support Shine On with a whirlwind U.S. tour, tentatively scheduled to run from September 18 through October 6. ...

Metallica have been named to Blender magazine's list of "The 25 Biggest Wusses ... Ever!" The list, published in the magazine's July issue, "salutes the most awesomely wimpy musicians of all time." And why did Metallica make the cut? Because "the haircuts were lame and the anti-Napster crusade lamer," the magazine explained. Nick Lachey , the Cure's Robert Smith, Belle and Sebastian, Coldplay's Chris Martin and Kenny G also made the list, which was topped by mellow singer/songwriter James Taylor. ... Thursday, Rise Against and Billy Talent will hit the road together this fall, following the bands' stints on this summer's Warped Tour. So far, just seven dates have been booked — the first set for October 23 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Dates are scheduled through a November 7 stop in Seattle. ... Iron Maiden have rolled out the first 11 dates of their upcoming international tour — and lucky for us, eight of them are in the U.S. The trek, with Bullet for My Valentine opening on most dates, will kick off in Hartford, Connecticut, on October 4. The tour will then hit Boston (October 6); Camden, New Jersey (October 7); Long Island, New York (October 12); East Rutherford, New Jersey (October 13); Auburn Hills, Michigan (October 17); Rosemont, Illinois (October 18); and Irvine, California (October 21). Additional dates will be announced in the coming weeks. Maiden's forthcoming LP, A Matter of Life and Death, will hit stores September 5. ...

"To Be Loved," the first single from Papa Roach's forthcoming LP, The Paramour Sessions, is now streaming on the band's Web site. The Paramour Sessions is scheduled for release on September 12. ... This year's Ozzfest isn't just about the music — it's also about crowning the first Miss Ozzfest. Throughout the summer, fans have been voting on the many contestants in the running, and now, Playboy.com is getting involved. The site will present "The Girls of Ozzfest" over the coming weeks, posting nude photos and videos of the "sexy metal maidens from the summer's most extreme tour." .... You Hear It First veterans Far-Less will be playing the rest of the gigs on their To the End Tour with Roses Are Red drummer Mike Lasaponara, who'll be taking over for Ray Felts. The band said Felts will not be able to close out the tour "due to circumstances beyond our control." Far-Less — who will be on the road through August 6 with Roses Are Red, Bedlight for Blue Eyes and the Panic Division — will be contributing a song to the soundtrack of "The Santa Clause 3: Escape Clause," due to hit stores this fall. ... A week after parting ways with Roadrunner Records, Ill Niño have announced that they've signed with Cement Shoes Records. The band is currently in Los Angeles working on a five-song EP that will feature two new tracks and three covers. A fall release is planned. ...

Bright Eyes will issue a rarities album October 24 titled Noise Floor. The disc will feature singles, covers, tracks rescued from the cutting-room floor and collaborations recorded between 1998 and 2005. Look for the release to boast 16 tracks, including "Drunk Kid Catholic," "Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man" and "When the Curious Girl Realizes She Is Under Glass Again." ... The Decemberists will release their fourth album, The Crane Wife, October 3. The 10-track LP was co-produced by Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla and features singer/songwriter Laura Veirs on the track "Yankee Bayonet." The Washington state indie rockers will tour in support of Crane starting October 17 in Portland, Oregon, and the 26-date trek wraps up a month later on November 18 in Vancouver, British Columbia. ... After months of speculation, Microsoft officially announced that it plans to launch its own digital-music player and download service, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Under the Zune brand, we will deliver a family of hardware and software products, the first of which will be available this year," Microsoft spokesperson Chris Stephenson said in a statement. "We see a great opportunity to bring together technology and community to allow consumers to explore and discover music together." The new player is expected to have WiFi wireless networking capacity that will enable users to share their playlists and individual songs and a download service that would have variable pricing, a move rival Apple's iTunes has resisted. ...

Joey "JoJo" Garza, bassist for the Grammy-winning Texas band Los Lonely Boys, was arrested on charges of assault causing bodily injury and possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana at an Austin, Texas, hotel on Saturday. The incident — in which Garza, 26, was accused of assaulting his fiancee — was simply a "misunderstanding," according to Carina Lyn, Garza's fiancee. "We were being too loud," she explained, according to The Associated Press. "We apologize to the hotel guests. JoJo and I are very much in love and we are planning to be married." The band was celebrating the release of its new album, Sacred, when a hotel guest reported a disturbance. ... Tina Fey is leaving "Saturday Night Live" after nine years. The "Weekend Update" co-anchor — who's poked fun at everyone from President Bush to Drew Barrymore from the news desk — announced that she's vacating her post at the sketch-comedy show to focus on her new duties as writer, producer and star of "30 Rock," explaining that she didn't want "either job to suffer." Fey, who joined "SNL" in 1997 and became head writer in 1999, is also taking "SNL" castmember Rachel Dratch with her to "30 Rock." "SNL" alumnus Tracy Morgan and frequent guest host Alec Baldwin will also star in Fey's new sitcom, which focuses on a sketch-comedy series — sound familiar? — and debuts October 11.

07.21.06

More than five months after postponing the remaining 10 dates of their Vertigo '06 Tour due to an undisclosed illness of a family member, U2 have finally rescheduled the tour and will be hitting Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Hawaii beginning on November 7 in Brisbane, Australia. According to the band's Web site, Kanye West will open shows in New Zealand and Australia, with the concluding December 9 date in Honolulu featuring Pearl Jam opening alongside Rocko and the Devils — the band led by U2's stage manager, Rocko Reedy. U2 also added three new shows at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo on November 29, 30 and December 4. ...

NBC announced Friday (July 21) that it will broadcast "Madonna: The Confessions Tour Live" in November. The two-hour special will be the first broadcast network performance by the singer and will be taped at London's Wembley Stadium this summer. ...

Hilary and Haylie Duff aren't going overboard with their cover of Madonna's "Material Girl," the song that inspired the sisters' upcoming "Material Girls" flick. "The song's going to be in the movie, but we're not going to release it as a single," Haylie said. "There's no time to shoot a video ... but we already recorded it, it'll be in the opening of the movie, and it'll be on a compilation coming out [(Lip Smackers Presents) Girl Next], but not as a single." ...

Police made five arrests Tuesday at the Ozzfest show at the Post-Gazette Pavilion in Pittsburgh, Observer-Reporter.com reports — a number that Hanover Township Police Chief Jim Geho says isn't bad given the hot weather and big crowd. Among the people arrested were William Solomon, 30, for head-butting Nicole Wilson, 27, in the parking lot. Solomon was charged with harassment and simple assault. Wilson, who suffered a contusion and swelling on the bridge of her nose, was also taken in for resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness after ignoring requests from police to stop cursing. Three other men were arrested after fighting on the venue's lawn with two other men and a woman, with one of the men suffering a severe head laceration. In all, police issued 252 citations for violations ranging from disorderly conduct to public drunkenness and underage drinking. ...

The release of "Casino Royale" is still four months off, but producers of the James Bond franchise have revealed that the next 007 film — which will also star new Bond Daniel Craig as the secret agent — will hit theaters May 2, 2008. ... MC Hammer's music catalog was sold to EverGreen Copyrights for $2.7 million, the company announced Thursday. The rapper lost his hold on the rights to his music when he filed for bankruptcy over a decade ago. ... They represent New Jersey, not Pittsburgh. And their frontman owns a team in the AFL, not the NFL. Still, Bon Jovi are performing Sunday at Pittsburgh's Heinz Stadium for the Steelers World Championship Celebration. The show is expected to include a video tribute to the Super Bowl champs, appearances by Pittsburgh Steelers players and the unveiling of the stadium's World Championship Column. Unionized stagehands have scheduled a strike vote for Saturday and plan to picket the event on Sunday if a strike is approved, but a Steelers spokesperson said the show will go on, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. ... The Mars Volta are streaming "Viscera Eyes," a tune from their upcoming LP Amputechture, on MarsVolta.com. ...

Steely Dan believe that the concept for the comedy "You, Me and Dupree" was lifted from "Cousin Dupree," a song about a depraved couch-surfer from their Grammy-dominating 2000 album Two Against Nature — so they've posted an open letter to Luke Wilson on their Web site. Yes, Luke, though it is Owen Wilson who stars in the film. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker warn in the post that Luke's "spaced out little bro is generating some major harsh-ass karma for himself" — they note in a postscript that they didn't realize Owen was older ("you seem a lot more mature somehow"). And the group has come up with a way for Owen to redeem himself: join Steely Dan onstage and tell "the audience and the band and the crew that he made a bad mistake and that he's sorry." ... Academy Award-nominated actor Jack Warden has died, AP reports. Warden appeared most recently in "The Replacements" and received Oscar nominations for his roles in "Shampoo" and "Heaven Can't Wait." He was 85. ...

Lyfe Jennings is headlining a New Orleans benefit concert at the city's Howlin' Wolf club on Friday. Robin Thicke, Urban Mystic and Cheri Dennis will also perform at the show in the "Bring 'Em Back" series with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity's efforts to rebuild New Orleans. ... Matthew McConaughey took off in an Airstream trailer to spread the word about "Sahara," and now the actor is using another classic vehicle to send a message. His blue 1971 Corvette Stingray convertible is being auctioned off on eBay, with the proceeds donated to Hurricane Katrina and Rita recovery efforts through Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network. "I admire and enjoy this car," McConaghey said in a statement, "but it's a luxury that I'm willin' to relinquish at this point because I am fortunate enough to have everythin' I need, and the sale of it will help so many with the necessities in life." For more information on the auction, check out Oprah.com. ... Haley Joel Osment is recovering in a Pasadena, California, hospital following his Thursday car crash. The actor, who is expected to make a complete recovery, fractured a rib and hurt his shoulder in the collision and will remain hospitalized at least through Friday, The Associate Press reports. The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department suspects that alcohol may have played a role in the crash, a spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times. Osment's blood-test results are expected in two to three weeks.

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Jet
Photo: Candice Lawler

With their hard-partying ways, it's a miracle that the guys in Jet get around to updating their Web site at all. So when they do find time to post an in-studio update — which they did this week — you can be pretty sure it's gonna be worth checking out.

Presented under the mouthy handle "Conducting Our Self With Decorum and Improving Our Hillside Manners," the Aussie rockers' latest communiqué reads: "We are deep beyond the looking glass that is album 2, my friends ... past the point of no return. We've tracked 20 cracking songs ... not only do we have drums and bass finished, but we are well into guitar overdubs. That means we are inundated with a cache of beautiful vintage guitars and amps. We admit that this maybe interesting info for musicians and perhaps boring for non-musicians. But as we are of the [former] bunch it has been lovingly included."

Thanks, dudes. The update also details frontman Cameron Muncey and guitarist Nic Cester's work on an unnamed "raucous rocker" of a tune, which the band promises "is going to destroy your constitution" (and not the "written-on-parchment" kind), while going on to describe all manner of in-studio shenanigans.

"As summer approaches and the sun intensifies here in L.A, we are all working on our smashing moon tans here in the dimly lit epicenter of Hillside Manor Studios and working on our White Russian mixes," the post continues. "Other Jet activity this week included some 'proper' discussions about album title and artwork for the cover. But we are not at liberty to divulge this information as we need to keep some surprises for you guys. ... I mean, we know we're in another paradigm shift and all, and that the world is getting closer and that the people want access, but that's no fun, now is it?"

Jet have been working on the follow-up to their million-selling debut, Get Born, since late last year (see "Jet's Second Album Slowly Taking Flight"). Producer Dave Sardy is once again at the helm of the sessions, which have been held at Hollywood's legendary Sunset Sound studio and at Sardy's own Hillside Manor studio. Initially, Jet claimed to be taking 27 tunes into the recording sessions, but that number has since been whittled down to 20.

While the guys said in an earlier post that the new album's release date would "depend on exactly when we are satisfied that the record is far superior to Get Born," according to their label, Atlantic Records, fans can expect it to hit stores on September 26.

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