Norah Jones
Photo: Danny Clinch/ Blue Note Records

Last week, Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High usurped Norah Jones' Not Too Late — the previous week's #1 — as the nation's top-selling LP, relegating the jazzy songstress to the chart's #2 position and scoring the Chicago rockers the first chart-crowning debut of their careers. This week, Jones returned the favor.

With nearly 211,000 copies of Not Too Late sold during the album's third week of release, Jones reclaims Billboard's coveted throne, leaving Fall Out Boy in the proverbial dust. Sales of Infinity on High dipped by more than 50 percent, dropping FOB to the chart's #5 slot with second-week sales reported at close to 119,000, according to the latest SoundScan results.

But the bigger news is the windfall from the 2007 Grammy Awards, handed out early last week. Whether you took home a statuette or not didn't matter much to consumers — even albums by nominees who didn't win experienced major sales boons.

The biggest spike in retail interest came for the Dixie Chicks, whose Taking the Long Way was honored with five Grammys, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year prizes (see "Timberlake Rocks; Blige Weeps; Chicks, Chilis Clean Up At Grammys"). Sales of the LP rose a whopping 714 percent to top 103,000, landing the Chicks in the chart's #8 slot; during the previous week, Taking the Long Way sold nearly 13,000 units, and occupied the #72 position.

Likewise, nominee Corinne Bailey Rae's self-titled album experienced a 132 percent sales surge, scanning another 120,000 copies — enough to help the disc hop four places to #4. Even the 2007 Grammy Nominees compilation — featuring 23 tracks from this year's contenders — enjoyed a 116 percent increase in sales, climbing from #7 to #3 with more than 131,000 copies sold.

Sales of FutureSex/LoveSounds by Justin Timberlake — who walked off with the Best Dance Recording and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration awards — soared 123 percent for a total of 108,000, earning JT the #7 spot. John Mayer's Continuum, winner of the Best Pop Vocal Album, was the beneficiary of a 182 percent sales jump, ending the week with more than 80,000 scans at #10 — up from #29 the week before. The Best Rock Album winner, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium, climbs to #12 from #39, selling 67,000 units — a sales increase of 194 percent. Big winner Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough sold more than 43,000 — a 161 percent sales spike — and ends up at #21, climbing more than 30 chart positions.

Gnarls Barkley's Best Alternative Album-winning St. Elsewhere soars 192 percent to finish at #44 — up from #111 — with 27,000 scans, and James Blunt's Back to Bedlam closes out the week at #47 after experiencing a 152 percent increase in sales.

Elsewhere on the chart, Robin Thicke's The Evolution of Robin Thicke continues selling like hotcakes, holding at #6 with around 116,000 units scanned; sales of the disc jumped 90 percent. And ending the week at #9 — down six spots from #3 but still up 34 percent in sales — is Daughtry, the self-titled debut from "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry's rock act, with 102,000 copies sold.

When it comes to new releases, a mere four pop up on the latest chart, including the late Gerald Levert's In My Songs. The first posthumous release from the singer, who died in November at age 40, In My Songs is Levert's highest-charting debut, opening at #2 with 165,000 copies sold. Further down the chart is Lucinda Williams' West, bowing at #14 with 57,000 scans, while Van Morrison's Van Morrison at the Movies follows at #35 with week-one sales of 29,000-plus. And finally, debuting at #84 with 13,000 sold is the latest solo mixtape by the Dipset's JR Writer, JR Writer: Writer's Block 4; the album was largely produced by the Diplomats' Dukedagod.

• It's Showtime!: 2007 Grammy Awards Photos

• Norah Jones
• Gerald LeVert
• Fall Out Boy
• Dixie Chicks
• Robin Thicke

Gerald Levert's <i>In My Songs</i>
Photo: Atlantic

No offense to the week of February 13, 2007, but we're starting to feel like we've been dressed up for the letdown.

The first quarter began in earnest on January 30 with new LPs by pop's leading ladies: Madonna, Katharine McPhee and Norah Jones (with junior mint Lily Allen also in the mix). The rockers kicked things up a notch the following week, making sure Fall Out Boy, Bloc Party and the Used fans got their fill of fresh material.

That brings us to this week, which is cowering in the wake of the two previous powerhouse Tuesdays. If there's a metaphor to encapsulate this batch of new releases, it might be the 2000 Senate re-election bid ex-Attorney General John Ashcroft made against then-Governor Mel Carnahan. Carnahan defeated Ashcroft in November — even though he died two weeks prior to the election. Similarly, the recently departed Gerald Levert has a strong chance of trumping Lucinda Williams and the rest of the pack this week.

Beyond that, how do influential '90s underground crustaceans Seafood taste these days? Are Iceage Cobra something to be afraid of? Does this guy Soulkid#1 have any relation to Musiq Soulchild? And what are members of a reputed skateboard crew doing in a video for a song called "Porn" — by a band named Tack, no less?

Time to round up the mongrels.

Levert's Leavings: Gerald Levert, who passed away November 10 from a heart attack at the tender age of 39, has left us with one heck of a tear-jerker. Before the lauded R&B singer begins crooning on In My Songs, his father — Eddie Levert of the O'Jays — details in a spoken-word passage how excited his son was about the LP. From that point onward, it's all Gerald, lending support to a female friend on "Hang in There" and picking up the pace with the dance-floor-ready "DJ Don't." The final track could not be a more fitting close to the effort: It's called "Is This the Way to Heaven."

Lucinda's Laments: Lucinda Williams has a knack for picking impeccable backing-band musicians — Doug Pettibone and Bob Dylan collaborator Charlie Sexton among them — and she's found some equally seasoned talent as she heads West. Longtime Lou Reed collaborator Hal Willner sits behind the boards as guitar master Bill Frisell and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks chime in on the LP, which is already drawing raves. Williams seals the set with four song titles beginning with the letter "W": "What If," "Wrap My Head Around That," "Words" and "West."

See? Food: Britain has a bad reputation for aliments, but indie-rockers worldwide have developed a palette for Seafood since the band began in 1996. Tours with Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eat World have helped cast a spotlight on the band, and now it's looking for even more success with its latest opus, Paper Crown King. The effort was recorded during frontman David Line's 10-month recovery from a collapsed lung and features "I Will Talk," "Last Outpost" and "How You Gonna Live Without Me?"

For Reel: If "Singles" was the '90s film for the grunge set, "Half-Cocked" was the flick that harnessed an indie-rock scene festering even deeper underground. Members of unsung heroes June of 44, the Make-Up and the Grifters star in the fictional 1997 flick that documents the Louisville, Kentucky, netherworld — and if you think Seattle was gritty, you're in for a surprise. On DVD for the first time, the ultra-low-budg movie is furthered with an accompanying film, "Radiation," which documents the failed tour of Spain the "Half-Cocked" filmmakers made and features Will Oldham and members of Stereolab. And speaking of movies, the soundtrack to romance-drama "Starter for 10" has a somewhat random cast including the Cure, Motörhead and Kate Bush.

Folk, That: If you enjoyed East Vancouver, Canada's Po'Girl the first time around, you're in for a surprise. The group — which originated as a duo in 2002 when Allison Davies and Trish Klein of the Be Good Tanyas collaborated to perform jazz songs — has since reconfigured itself into a crew of five multi-instrumentalists. Their sophomore LP, Home to You, is likely to win over even more folk fans as they get an additional boost from beat-boxer C.R. Avery and Chris Brown. No, not that Chris Brown — the one helping out here is the Canadian pop performer who frequently collaborates with Kate Fenner. Sink your ears into even more rootsy goodness with Fork in the Road by Nashville bluegrass sextet the Infamous Stringdusters and Martha Scanlan's The West Was Burning, which was partially recorded at a house owned by Levon Helm of the Band.

Sk8tr Boyz: What does Chicago punk rock have in common with pornography? Roller-skating, of course. Dead Town Revival — a crew of rookie punks from Chi-Town's South Side who recently opened for the Smoking Popes — granted those who preordered their Hasta la Muerte debut with guest passes to see the band perform at an upcoming South by Southwest party hosted by its label, Sinister Muse, and the Lonestar Rollergirls. Likewise, Tack — a politically charged band started up by Colin Edwards of Bay of Pigs — just shot the video for their album's title track with a gang of professional and amateur skateboarders. The song deals with a heavy topic, though: It's about an American soldier stuck in Iraq.

All in the Family: Some Midnight Kissin', the full-length debut by Florida pop-rockers the Dark Romantics, was produced by Starflyer 59's Jason Martin and features two sets of spouses. Another squad of newcomers, Santa Rosa, California's the New Trust, also features a husband and his wife. This week they dish up Evolve Into Nothing, which features the snarky song titles "You've Got to Be F---ing Sh---ing Me," "Chill the F--- Out" and "Wake Up, It's the Nineties." And Sophe Lux, an indie-pop outfit from Portland, Oregon, are fronted by singer Gwynneth Haynes — sister to "Far From Heaven" and "Velvet Goldmine" director Todd Haynes.

Song Title of the Week:

"Do the Black Lung" from Iceage Cobra's Brilliant Ideas From Amazing People

Other Notables:

Soulkid#1's Americanized: After selling more than 100,000 iTunes downloads of their song "(More Bounce in) California" — a number that's also become a "Laguna Beach" staple and was featured in both "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton" and "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" — it's time for the former DreamWorks signees to finally step up with their debut disc. The album — which was written more than five years ago and deals with a foreigner's experience living in the U.S. after 9/11 — is frothing forth via the band's own Secret Agent Records.

Ben Davis's Battle of the Beards: While this album is being considered a solo release by the onetime Sleepytime Trio and Milemarker operative, the toned-down, lush effort is really a collaborative affair between Davis and Aimee Argote of punk-rockers Des Ark. This isn't the first time they've pooled their talents, though: Argote sang throughout and scribed two songs on Davis' 2004 effort, Aided and Abetted.

The Visitors' The Visitors: The umpteenth debut album hitting stores this week is by Brooklyn, New York's latest garage-rock sensations. But while they have plenty to say on their first, 12-track opus, they make room to update two vintage tunes: "I Walked With a Zombie" by Roky Erickson and "Stop What You're Doing" by the even more obscure Viscaynes. Now that's digging deep.

New Releases:

· Chris Bruni - Watch Me Burn (Realize)
· The Dark Romantics - Some Midnight Kissin' (Lujo) [Buy Now]
· Ben Davis - Battle of the Beards (Lovitt)
· Dead Town Revival - Hasta la Muerte (Sinister Muse) [Buy Now]
· Iceage Cobra - Brilliant Ideas From Amazing People (Iceage Cobra) [Buy Now]
· The Infamous Stringdusters - Fork in the Road (Sugar Hill) [Buy Now]
· Gerald Levert - In My Songs (Atlantic) [Buy Now]
· Anaïs Mitchell - The Brightness (Righteous Babe)
· Mick Overman & the Maniacs - Good Thing Happen (Max)
· The New Trust - Evolve Into Nothing (Slowdance) [Buy Now]
· Papercuts - Can't Go Back (Gnomonsong) [Buy Now]
· Po'Girl - Home to You (Nettwerk) [Buy Now]
· Rio en Medio - Bride of Dynamite (Gnomonsong) [Buy Now]
· Travis Rush - Come and Get It (Broken Halo/ Mason)
· Martha Scanlan - The West Was Burning (Sugar Hill)
· Seafood - Paper Crown King (Cooking Vinyl) [Buy Now]
· Sophe Lux - Waking the Mystics (Zarathustra)
· Softlightes - Say No! To Being Cool - Say Yes! To Being Happy (enhanced; Modular Interscope) [Buy Now]
· Soulkid#1 - Americanized (Secret Agent)
· Storyhill - Storyhill (Red House)
· Tack - Porn (Tarpit) [Buy Now]
· The Visitors - The Visitors (Eschatone)
· Lucinda Williams - West (digipak; Lost Highway) [Buy Now]
· Young Dubliners - With All Due Respect: The Irish Sessions (429)
· Various artists - "Barbie Fairytopia" soundtrack (Koch)
· Various artists - "Music and Lyrics" soundtrack (Atlantic)
· Various artists - "Starter for 10" soundtrack (Rhino)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Blue Öyster Cult - Some Enchanted Evening: Legacy Edition (with DVD) and Spectres (Columbia/Legacy) [Buy Now]
· Doobie Brothers - The Very Best of the Doobie Brothers (two CDs; Rhino) [Buy Now]
· Nina Hagen - Fearless (Koch)
· Van Morrison - Van Morrison at the Movies: The Soundtrack Hits (Manhattan/EMI)
· Various artists - Ricky Jay Plays Poker: Deluxe Edition (with DVD; Octone/Legacy)

Music DVDs:

· Jaco Pastorius - "Live and Outrageous" (Shanachie)
· Various artists - "Half-Cocked" (with "Radiation"; Rumur)
· Various artists - "The U.S. Vs. John Lennon" (Lionsgate)

Coming Attractions:

February 20:
· Calla - Strength in Numbers (Beggars Banquet) [Preorder]
· Kittie - Funeral for Yesterday (X of Infamy) [Preorder]
· Various artists - Kidz Bop 11 (Razor & Tie)

February 27:
· Beck - The Information (deluxe-edition reissue; Geffen) [Preorder]
· Fabolous - From Nothing to Something (Def Jam) [Preorder]
Read: "Fabolous Opens Up About Shooting Incident; Hooks Up With Jeezy, Ne-Yo"
· Slim Thug & Tha Boss Hogg Outlawz - Serve & Collect (Koch)

March 6:
· Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (deluxe edition with book due same day; Merge) [Preorder]
· Jonny Greenwood - Jonny Greenwood Is the Controller (Trojan)
· Albert Hammond Jr. - Yours to Keep (enhanced; New Line)
· Korn - MTV Unplugged (Virgin) [Preorder]
Read: "Korn Quiet Down With The Cure, Amy Lee For 'MTV Unplugged' "
· Relient K - Five Score and Seven Years Ago (Capitol) [Preorder]
Read: "Relient K Pump Serious Rock, Sugary Pop In The Tank For Upcoming LP"

• Gerald LeVert
• Lucinda Williams
• Seafood
• Visitors
• Ben Davis

Jay-Z
Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images

In honor of Black History Month, Jay-Z has partnered with thinkMTV to present a two-minute video clip for "Minority Report," the rapper's somber response to the Hurricane Katrina aftermath. Visit "Minority Report: New Orleans Today" to see the clip, read Jay's lyrics and find out how you can help the recovery efforts. ...

According to a post on Metallica's Web site, the band is wrapping up preproduction on its forthcoming album and will begin recording the effort March 12. "We're pretty f---in' psyched about it and pretty f---in' psyched to be sharing this experience with [producer Rick Rubin]," the post reads. Metallica plan to take a break from the studio with a European tour this summer. ...

Like a young LL Cool J, Bow Wow is in need of love. So to help the teen rapper promote his new single, "Outta My System," he's looking for a virtual Valentine via his MySpace page, through which he's asking fans to send him video V-Day messages. The winning entries will be broadcast on his site at a later date. ...

The Grammy Awards received an 18 percent ratings boost Sunday night — and they might have Simon, Randy and Paula to thank, according to The Associated Press. After getting trounced by "American Idol" upon going head-to-head with the reality show last year, the Grammys attracted an estimated 20.1 million viewers this time around. The show also outdid its ratings from 2005, when 18.8 million people tuned in. ... John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae teamed up for a Sunday night Grammy performance, but that won't be the last time the two join forces. Legend will kick off his North American spring tour — featuring Bailey Rae as the opener — on April 3 in Irvine, California. The tour will make stops in cities including Los Angeles; Denver; Minneapolis; Boston; New York; and Orlando, Florida, before wrapping up May 4 in Atlanta. Legend will perform the following day at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. ...

Unsung hip-hop hero J Dilla continues to get accolades after his passing last year. The producer won two posthumous awards — for Artist of the Year and Record Producer of the Year — at the Plug Awards, held Saturday night in New York. Other winners included Sufjan Stevens (Male Artist of the Year), Arctic Monkeys (New Artist of the Year), Broken Social Scene (Live Act of the Year), Band of Horses (Album of the Year, Song of the Year), Yo La Tengo (Indie Rock Album of the Year), Wolf Parade (Music Video of the Year) and Thom Yorke (Electronic/Dance Album of the Year). ... A coroner has determined that Gerald Levert's November death was due to a fatal combination of prescription narcotics and over-the-counter drugs, AP reports. The R&B singer had three prescription painkillers, an anti-anxiety drug and two over-the-counter antihistamines in his system. The death was ruled accidental. ...

Modest Mouse are preparing to hit the road this spring in support of their next album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, which is slated for a March 20 release. So far, the band has booked gigs in Mexico City, Mexico (March 10); Portland, Oregon (March 14-15); Missoula, Montana (March 16); Sioux Falls, South Dakota (March 18); and Fargo, North Dakota (March 19). ... None More Black have called it quits. "We did all we could with this band," the group said in a post on its MySpace page, "and you know what, we had a blast. We ended it on the highest note possible, like every band should." The band's final effort was the 2006 album This Is Satire. ...

"TRL" faves the Jonas Brothers have signed on with Hollywood Records and will drop a new, eponymous album in August. The pop group is also collaborating with Topps Confections for the company's Baby Bottle Pop candy line, and the Brothers' new single — "Kids of the Future" — will accompany the upcoming animated flick "Meet the Robinsons." ... Pop-punks MxPx have also signed a new deal — they've rejoined with former label Tooth & Nail. The band is working in Seattle with producer Aaron Sprinkle (Pedro the Lion, Eisley) on its first effort for the label in 10 years. Expect the LP this summer. ...

MySpace is making it harder for users to post videos containing unauthorized copyrighted content on their profiles. The site recently announced that it will start using an Audible Magic digital-fingerprinting tool to filter video uploaded by users and block any video that shows a fingerprint in MySpace's database. "MySpace is dedicated to ensuring that content owners, whether large or small, can both promote and protect their content in our community," MySpace CEO and co-founder Chris DeWolfe said in a statement. "For MySpace, video filtering is about protecting artists and the work they create." ...

YouTube has reached an agreement with Digital Music Group Inc. — an online distributor of independent music, TV shows and film — that will allow the video-sharing host to post upward of 4,000 hours of content on its Web site, according to The Wall Street Journal. In exchange for the rights to air television shows such as the Bill Cosby 1960s comedy/adventure series "I Spy," YouTube will pay Digital Music an undisclosed portion of advertisement revenue and use filtering technology to alert the company of content being used on the site without authorization. ...

Former Murder Inc. associate Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, 46, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday, one week after jurors found the convicted drug kingpin guilty of ordering a retaliatory hit on two men. Prosecutors pursued death by lethal injection for McGriff, who was originally arrested in 2003 on money-laundering charges as a part of the Murder Inc. federal raid, but jurors failed to reach a consensus. The Inc. CEO Irv Gotti and his brother Chris were previously acquitted of all charges in a separate trial. ... Nidge Miller, founding guitarist of British punk band Blitz, has died, according to a note SOS Records posted on its MySpace page. Miller was struck by a car and killed following the band's show in Austin, Texas, Friday night.

02.09.2007

50 Cent is at it again. After a heated exchange with Cam'ron last week on New York radio station Hot 97, the G-Unit general took aim at the Diplomats top dog on the track "Funeral Music," which made its debut on DJ Kay Slay's MySpace page Thursday night. In the YouTube video clip, 50 poked fun at Cam being shot last year and mocked the Harlem, New York, rapper's rhyme style before adding, "I'm not gonna destroy Dipset, just gotta make some changes." He then proceeded to rearrange the Dipset ranking order to put Jim Jones and Juelz Santana over Cam in the hierarchy. "From now on, Jimmy's the boss of Dipset and Juelz is the capo," 50 says in the clip. "Cam's demoted to soldier!" ...

We've learned that Ozzfest will be free this summer — but how will one gain admission to the traveling metal monstrosity? Well, tickets will be paid for and distributed by the festival's sponsors, including Jägermeister and Monster Energy Drink. Those signed up at Ozzfest.com will get info on how to score their free tickets first. Once you've landed one, you'll need to print it out and bring it to Ozzfest the day of the show. The shows will be general admission and seats will be divvied out on a first-come, first-to-claim-a-seat-and-watch-the-show-from-there basis. The prices of merchandise, beer, soda, water and food will not be raised at all, according to organizers. A limit on tickets has yet to be determined, and more information on the free fest will be revealed in the coming weeks. ...

Bloc Party are in need of a fill-in for drummer Matt Tong, who has a serious respiratory condition that caused his lung to collapse during the band's last U.S. tour. Tong is likely to suffer complications from his condition during the band's upcoming U.K. tour, and the temporary replacement should help Bloc Party avoid cancelling any gigs. ... Tha Dogg Pound aren't ready to be muzzled just yet. After reconciling in spring 2005, Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger and Kurupt dished up a reunion LP, Cali Iz Active, in June. Now they're ready to issue that LP's successor less than a year later: Dogg Ch--, due March 27. The album was completely produced by the group, but it features a veritable guest list to boot, including the Game, Jayo Felony and Too Short. ...

Cartoon Network General Manager and Executive Vice President Jim Samples resigned Friday (February 9) in the wake of the network's botched "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" publicity campaign, CNN reports. "I deeply regret the negative publicity and expense caused to our company as a result of this campaign," Samples wrote in a letter to employees, referring to the stunt that led to a terrorism scare in Boston last week. "As general manager of Cartoon Network, I feel compelled to step down, effective immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch." The Cartoon Network's parent company, Turner Broadcasting System — along with marketing company Interference Inc. — agreed earlier this week to pay $2 million to reimburse local agencies and fund homeland-security programs. ...

Weeks after bloggers began posting unofficial lists of artists they claimed would play this year's South by Southwest music conference, organizers have confirmed an initial lineup for the annual fest, which will hit Austin, Texas, on March 14-18. The Stooges, Bloc Party, Mastodon, the Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr., Kings of Leon, Jack's Mannequin, Chingo Bling, Dirty on Purpose, the Horrors, Spoon, Apples in Stereo, the Bravery and Amy Winehouse are among the acts on the fest's current list of performers. For more information on the conference, visit SXSW.com ...

The reunited Stooges — who will release The Weirdness, their first album in more than 30 years, March 20 — have announced several shows planned for the spring. The band will play its SXSW gig March 17, followed by concerts in Boston (April 7), New York (April 9), Detroit (April 13), Denver (April 17), San Francisco (April 19) and Seattle (April 27). ... Gus Van Sant has agreed to an alcohol-diversion program after being arrested on drunken-driving charges in December, The Associated Press reports. The director appeared briefly in a Portland, Oregon, court Friday morning. Those who enter the program have to plead guilty or no contest, but a DUI conviction can be avoided if the participant successfully completes the program. ...

Saves the Day's next album has a title, even though the band hasn't started working on the LP just yet. Frontman Chris Conley revealed that the group's next record will be called Under the Boards, in a statement posted on the band's MySpace page. Saves the Day have demoed 13 tracks for the effort but have no plans to enter the studio anytime soon. Conley said he hopes the album will be in stores before the end of the year. ... Gomez are chasing their recently released Five Men in a Hut (A's, B's & Rarities: 1998-2004) CD anthology with a similarly titled DVD: "Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004." The career-spanning collection, due February 20, compiles 12 music videos along with six unreleased performance clips, two interviews and more. ...

Maybe Steve Jobs is on to something. Just days after the Apple Inc. boss wrote an open letter saying he'd support removing copy protection from the iTunes store, one of the major labels, EMI Group PLC — home of the Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Beatles and Coldplay — has revealed that it is talking to online retailers about possibly selling its digital catalog without copy protection, according to The Wall Street Journal. Citing people familiar with the talks, the Journal reported that EMI asked retailers to submit proposals telling the company what size advance payments it would offer in exchange for the right to sell EMI's music as unprotected MP3s. A decision on whether to go ahead with the plan could come soon. Over the past few months EMI has experimented with copy protection-free MP3 by Norah Jones, Lily Allen and Relient K, getting positive results from fans.

• You Hear It First: Sufjan Stevens

• Jay-Z
• Metallica
• Bow Wow
• John Legend
• Gerald LeVert

Gwen Stefani
Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images

Gwen Stefani can rest easy now that she's figured out which songs will end up on The Sweet Escape, due December 5. Besides first single "Wind It Up," she's also including four other Neptunes-produced tracks: "Orange County Girl," "Breakin' Up," "U Started It" and "Yummy," the last of which also features Pharrell. She also relied on production from No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal on three tracks: "Don't Get It Twisted," the ballad "4 In The Morning" and "Fluorescent," which features Fishbone's Angelo Moore on saxophone. Depeche Mode's Martin Gore guests as a guitarist on the Nellee Hooper-produced "Wonderful Life" (which Stefani originally co-wrote with Linda Perry), while Keane's Tim Rice-Oxley guests as a pianist/keyboardist on another Hooper-produced track, "Early Winter." Swizz Beatz produced "Now That You Got It," while Akon produced the title track. ...

Mariah Carey's production company filed a $1 million suit late last week seeking reimbursement for the singer's expenses for a show in Hong Kong that was canceled. Carey's suit claims that she had prepped for the show when the One Group Investments Private Limited breached its contract and canceled at the last minute. For the One Group's part, the company claims the cancellation was due to poor ticket sales and unreasonable demands. Meanwhile, Carey performed at New York's Chelsea Piers on Friday at the fourth annual gala for the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation, which funds the New York Yankees manager's efforts to end domestic violence through education. ...

My Chemical Romance, currently touring Europe, will return to the U.S. later this month for a handful of live gigs. The band will perform at radio-station-sponsored holiday shows in Providence, Rhode Island (November 29); Richmond, Virginia (November 30); Norfolk, Virginia (December 1); West Palm Beach, Florida (December 2); Tampa, Florida (December 3); Seattle (December 7); Sacramento, California (December 8); San Diego (December 10); Milwaukee (December 13); Detroit (December 14); and Chicago (December 15). ... Young Jeezy is set to include a long-format video of the album track "Child of God (Bury Me a G)" in the limited-edition version of his upcoming sophomore project, The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102. In a press release, the rapper described the track as him envisioning his own death and judgment. The Inspiration drops December 12. ...

A limited-edition Pink PSP value pack is now available. It includes a pink PSP, white headphones, remote and wrist strap, plus a special Pink UMD video featuring the clips for "Stupid Girls," "Who Knew" and "U + Ur Hand"; live performances of "Who Knew," "I'm Not Dead," "Family Portrait" and "Get This Party Started"; and the bonus track "Crash and Burn." ... Ludacris and Avril Lavigne will be signing limited-edition World AIDS Day tote bags on November 28 at Aldo in Beverly Hills, California. Adrien Brody, Rosario Dawson and Eva Mendes will also be on hand. ... Chris Brown, Ciara, "American Idol" season-three runner-up Diana DeGarmo and the cast of "High School Musical" will spend an upcoming Thursday morning on the streets of New York — as part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The broadcast of the 80th anniversary event kicks off November 23 at 9 a.m. on NBC. ...

Ms. Dynamite was injured Sunday while filming U.K. reality show "The Race." A car driven by AC/DC singer Brian Johnson clipped the U.K. rapper's vehicle while she was going about 100 m.p.h., causing the crash. Dynamite was airlifted to a hospital but suffered no serious injuries. Johnson won the race, edging out Gary Numan. ... Kylie Minogue played her second show since undergoing breast-cancer treatment last year Saturday night in her hometown of Sydney, Australia, with a special assist from Bono. The U2 singer joined Minogue, 38, for "Kids," her 2000 duet with Robbie Williams, during the second show of her Showgirl Homecoming Tour, according to Australia's Herald Sun. The two-and-a-half-hour concert featured such hits as "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and "Burning Up." ...

Snoop Dogg is putting an iced-out twist on the classic golden-ticket promotion. Nine copies of Snoop's November 21 album, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, will include tickets redeemable for diamond Ice Link watches worth $5,000 to $100,000. ... Bad news for Bloc Party fans: The band has been forced to pull out of all dates on the current Panic! at the Disco arena tour, due to drummer Matt Tong's collapsed lung. Originally, doctors said Tong's injury — which he suffered moments after BP left the stage at the Atlanta stop — would only keep Bloc Party off a handful of dates. But now they're gone for good, according to a statement from the band's publicist. "While Matt is on the road to recovery, doctors have advised that he not travel or play again for another few weeks in order to give his lung time to properly heal," the statement read. Bloc Party will be replaced on the bill by Plain White T's until November 28, and then Cobra Starship on all remaining dates. ...

Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose performed Paul McCartney's Wings song "Live and Let Die" — also featured on Guns' Use Your Illusion I — on Saturday at a fundraiser for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. The event, held at New York's Waldorf-Astoria, also featured appearances and performances from Sheryl Crow and Rob Thomas, and helped raise more than $5 million for the cause. ... Celeb blogger Perez Hilton will make his recording debut on the second album from P-1, due November 21. Perez contributes a Spanish rap interlude on "Ladrona." ... Elton John spoke out against organized religion in an interview published over the weekend in a supplement to London's Observer. "Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays," he said. "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people." John admitted that he knows many religious gay people, but said, "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate." ...

"Spider-Man" star Tobey Maguire's fiancee, Jennifer Meyer, gave birth to the couple's first child on Thursday, according to People. No word yet on the baby girl's name. ... Joe Jagger, the father of Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, died of complications from pneumonia at a hospital in Surrey, England, The Associated Press reports. He was 93. Jagger flew home in the midst of the Stones' A Bigger Bang tour on Friday to see his father and returned in time to perform with the band in Las Vegas on Saturday. ... Slayer will mount a North American headlining run next year with Unearth in the main support role. Just a few dates have been confirmed thus far, with the full routing expected to be announced in the coming days. Slayer's trek will hit Las Vegas (January 25); Los Angeles (January 26); Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (February 22); and Lake Buena Vista, Florida (February 23). The tour is also due to make stops in Providence, Rhode Island; New York; Tucson, Arizona; and Washington, D.C. ... Pennywise are working on their ninth studio LP, which should be ready for release this coming summer. ... Air guitar is going high-tech. A group of Australian engineers have developed an air-guitar shirt with sensors that pick up the strumming and picking motions of the wearer and wirelessly send them to a computer that generates the appropriate riffs. The unfortunately named Wearable Instrument Shirt can also be used to replicate the sounds of the less popular air tambourine.

11.10.2006

Kevin Federline's lawyer, Mark Kaplan, has issued a new statement regarding K-Fed's divorce with Britney Spears. "Kevin is prepared to go the distance in order to do what he feels is necessary to protect and safeguard the children and will not be intimidated or dissuaded from pursuit of those goals." ...

K-Fed's not alone, of course, as he will soon join Jason Alexander as one of Spears' ex-husbands. Alexander had some choice words for Federline on "Extra": "I don't hate the guy. I think he made an idiot of himself," Alexander said, among other remarks. Alexander also revealed that he's still infatuated with Spears, saying, "I still love her." "Give me a call. I'm a good guy to talk to ... and I'm here for you." ...

Katt Williams is out on bail after having served three days at a Los Angeles jail. The comedian, who was released Friday (November 10), had been detained on a weapons charge at Los Angeles International Airport while on his way to New York. "Good stuff happens, bad stuff happens," Williams said in a video clip that's spreading fast on YouTube. ...

Nas hosted an album-listening session at Sony Music Studios in New York on Thursday evening for his forthcoming Def Jam debut, Hip-Hop Is Dead ... The N. Label president Jay-Z was in attendance, as were superproducers Swizz Beatz and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. The crowd of reporters and industry insiders was teased with a brief clip of the long-awaited Nas/Jay-Z collabo cut. ... Later that night, Jay celebrated the one-year anniversary of his 40/40 Club in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hov was accompanied by Beyoncé, while Nas and Clive Davis were among the celebrities who made the trek down to A.C. for the festivities. ... Juvenile is in the clear. A six-person jury ruled in favor of the New Orleans rapper on Thursday, AP reports, exonerating him in a lawsuit that claimed he was responsible for an off-duty police officer injuring her knee during a shopping mall melee involving Juvenile. An attorney for the officer said he will file a motion for a new trial or appeal. ...

You can now add a couple of frat boys to the list of people who don't think "Borat" is funny. According to The Associated Press, two fraternity brothers from a university in South Carolina have filed suit against 20th Century Fox and three production companies associated with the hit movie, claiming that they were tricked into making boozy racist and sexist comments in the film and engaging in behavior "they otherwise would not have engaged in." The suit claims that the movie's production crew took the students, who are not named in the filing, to a bar to loosen them up for what they were told would be a documentary shown outside of the U.S. The men claim the comments they made while on camera have caused embarrassment and are asking for damages and for the studio to stop using their likenesses in the film's advertising. A studio spokesperson said the lawsuit has no merit. ...

Hinder have set a new record for rock-ringtone sales. Their song "Lips of an Angel" has sold more than 1 million units. ... On March 6, squeaky-clean pop-punksters Relient K will release Five Score and Seven Years Ago, the follow-up to their 2004 breakthrough disc, MMHMM. The new album is produced by Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, the Used) and features 14 songs, including "Come Right Out and Say It," "Forgiven" and "Bite My Tongue." It's book-ended by a pair of tracks ("Plead the Fifth" and the 11 minute album-closer "Deathbed") that are, according to frontman Matt Thiessen, about "a 19th century man with an intriguing conspiracy theory about Abraham Lincoln, and an aging cancer patient, respectively" (sounds, um, awesome!). The first single from Five Score, "Must Have Done Something Right," is expected to hit radio soon. ...

Bloc Party have been forced to drop off their current tour with Panic! at the Disco after drummer Matt Tong suffered a collapsed lung following Thursday night's show in Atlanta, according to the band's Web site. Tong was admitted to an Atlanta hospital after the show; he is in stable condition and not in any immediate danger but will likely remain in the hospital for three days of observation. It is not known when he will be able to return to the stage, which means the group will miss upcoming shows in Charlotte, North Carolina; Fairfax, Virginia; and next week's Madison Square Garden concerts in New York. ... The Texas chapter of the Recording Academy will honor indie rap label Swishahouse — founded by DJ Michael "5000" Watts and home to Paul Wall and Mike Jones — on Monday at its Governors Awards gala in Austin, Texas. ZZ Top, Yolanda Adams and the founders of the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference will also be honored at the ceremony, which includes a silent auction with proceeds benefiting MusiCares' support of Texas musicians. ...

A survey has been posted on the Ozzfest Web site, where metal fans can put in their two cents and perhaps even shape the lineup for the festival's 12th run. The questionnaire asks about past Ozzfests and seeks suggestions for bands that should grace the stage in 2007. ... Mastodon will hit the road next year with Converge and Priestess for a full U.S. trek that's set to kick off in Minneapolis on February 5. Just 11 dates have been confirmed so far, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. Gigs are currently booked through a February 17 show in Washington, D.C. ... There was more grit than glitz at Thursday night's tribute to Bob Dylan at New York's Lincoln Center, where musicians just jammed away to their favorite Dylan song. Some went the sad route (Philip Glass and Natalie Merchant's take on "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll") while others played for laughs (Sandra Bernhard turned into a storyteller and belted out "Like a Rolling Stone"). The audience burst into cheers as Rosanne Cash sang, "Who's gonna take away his license to kill? You are," in Dylan's "License to Kill," and the Roots received a standing ovation for "Masters of War." Ryan Adams, Cat Power, Patti Smith and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah also performed. ...

Legendary R&B vocalist Gerald LeVert passed away Friday in his Cleveland home, his record label has confirmed. He was 40. According to early reports, the singer, best known for his hit single "Casanova," died of heart complications. "[LeVert] was one of the greatest voices of our time, who sang with unmatched soulfulness and power, as well as a tremendously gifted composer and an accomplished producer," read a statement issued by Atlantic Records. The feisty singer made his debut in the '80s as one-third of LeVert alongside his younger brother and childhood friend. He released his first solo album, Private Line, in 1991, and went on to release more than 10 LPs. That includes collaborative efforts with his father, former O'Jays singer Eddie LeVert, and a group project with Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill called LSG. Gerald LeVert is survived by his four children. ... Jack Palance has also died, AP reports. The actor died of natural causes and was 87 years old. Palance appeared in more than 100 movies, including "Shane" and "Sudden Fear," both of which earned him Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor. When he later accepted that trophy for his unforgettable role in 1991's "City Slickers," the then-73-year-old surprised the Academy Awards crowd by doing one-handed push-ups onstage.

• My Chemical Romance
• Chris Brown
• Ciara
• Snoop Dogg
• Bono

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Apparently Britney Spears doesn't want any beef with Paris Hilton — or her lapdog, Tinkerbell, either. In the wake of her boast, "I think my dogs are so much cuter than Tinkerbell," Spears has now released a statement on her Web site saying, "I was just being silly and of course I think that Tinkerbell is very cute." The pop diva even hopes to set up a play date for their miniscule canines. ...

Jury selection continued on Monday (February 28) in the perjury, obstruction and false-statements trial of rapper Lil' Kim. On Friday, several potential jurors who had voiced critical opinions about the musician's lifestyle (one responded in a juror survey that "crime seem[ed] to be part of the hip-hop culture") were ousted from consideration by U.S. District Judge Gerald Lynch, according to New York Newsday. Lil' Kim is accused of lying to a grand jury about a February 21, 2001, shooting she allegedly witnessed outside New York radio station Hot 97, which involved her two bodyguards. ... R&B singer/producer Gerald Levert was arrested Friday in Cleveland after confronting police at a downtown intersection, according to The Associated Press. Levert was cited on charges of driving under the influence and impeding the flow of traffic, then arrested on charges of obstructing official business, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer after he stopped his vehicle near where another motorist had been pulled over by police. Levert and the driver of another vehicle approached the officer and demanded to know why the other vehicle had been pulled over. They were told to leave but refused, and Levert became agitated and allegedly shoved an officer, who used pepper spray to subdue him. ...

Sum 41 might be taking the mature route on their new album, Chuck, and the video for their new single, "Pieces," may feature lead singer Deryck Whibley wandering the streets of Los Angeles all by his lonesome, but that doesn't mean they're above a good old dirty play on words: hence, the Go Chuck Yourself Tour. The first few dates of the North American trek have been announced, and the first two — April 7 and 8 in Toronto — are actually makeup shows from the gigs Sum canceled when Whibley fell ill with blistered vocal cords. The first U.S. date is April 12 in Buffalo, New York, with other shows scheduled for Philadelphia; Cleveland; Columbus, Ohio; and Kansas City, Missouri. Unwritten Law and Hawthorne Heights will open. ... Handsome Boy Modeling School are taking their curriculum on the road beginning March 28. The hip-hop duo will kick things off in Los Angeles and will tour from April 1-8 with Buck 65, and from April 9-20 with k-os, with the trek ending in New York. ...

Missed Morrissey on his tour? Don't get depressed — Morrissey feels your pain, so he's releasing a live CD and DVD from the tour behind his recent release, You Are the Quarry. The DVD, "Who Put the 'M' in Manchester," was filmed on May 22, 2004, at the singer's homecoming/birthday show in Manchester, England; while the CD, Live at Earls Court, was recorded at the end of the tour. Both will hit stores on March 29. ... Tiffany, the flame-haired 1980s teen pop sensation, is back ... again. This time, she's teamed up with new electronic dance act Second Sun for a duet, "He Said She Said," on their album Inside Out. The LP is set to drop on April 19. ...

Black Sabbath tributes by metal bands are a dime a dozen, so the newest disc of musical homages, Everything Comes & Goes: A Tribute to Black Sabbath, is definitely a change of pace. Due April 5, the nine-track disc will feature reinventions of Sabbath songs by a collection of unusual suspects including electronic laptop artist Four Tet, Japanese noise group Ruins and beatmaking Björk collaborators Matmos. ... Meanwhile, Kieran Hebden will release his fourth Four Tet album, Everything Ecstatic, on May 31. ... Los Angeles alt-rock club Spaceland — at the heart of the Silver Lake scene — is about to turn 10 years old, and to celebrate, a missing-in-action Silver Lake band is reuniting, and possibly for more than one night only. Lutefisk, who last played five years ago for Pop Defect's farewell gig, "return with fresh skills, new guitars, and a love of loudness that has never wavered," guitarist Beale Dabbs said. The show, on March 5, also includes local bands Sissybar, Velouria, Buck, Longstocking and a few "surprises." Just remember who else is from Silver Lake — and you might have an idea of who could swing by. ...

The Eagles are preparing to release their entire original vinyl Asylum Records catalog in one box set. Eagles Box, a limited-edition, nine-disc set, will include their seven chart-topping albums released between 1972 and 1980, featuring such singles as "Hotel California," "Life in the Fast Lane" and "Desperado." The set, which will hit stores on March 15, will also feature the debut of the band's "Please Come Home for Christmas/ Funky New Year" single on CD. ... Dan Snaith may have lost his moniker Manitoba in a lawsuit from Handsome Dick Manitoba, but it won't stop him from making music. His debut under the name Caribou, The Milk of Human Kindness, will hit shelves April 19. ...

2.25.2005

Good Charlotte and Simple Plan not only shared the stage earlier this month at MTV Asia Aid, but they're planning on repeating the experience this spring, when they head out on the road together. An itinerary has not been released yet for what Simple Plan singer Pierre Bouvier calls "the biggest tour ever," but it is scheduled to start May 3 in Kansas City, Missouri, and run through early June. ...

Apparently Jessica Simpson's caught the duet bug. On the heels of the news that she will soon record with country legend Willie Nelson, now word comes that Simpson will record a track with Irish popsters Westlife. The group's management confirmed the duet to MTV U.K. at Thursday night's Meteor Awards in Dublin, Ireland. ... Jamie Foxx recently said his upcoming album is all singles, but on Tuesday, the "Ray" actor said a track called "One Night Extravaganza" will likely be the first. "My man Mike City produced it," he said. ...

Lindsay Lohan's dad thinks all his legal troubles — from his messy divorce to getting arrested — only helps his daughter. In an interview conducted before his latest DWI arrest (for which he's being held without bail), Michael Lohan told ABC's "Primetime Live" that with his private difficulties becoming a public spectacle, his daughter's profile gets higher and she gets more offers than ever. "Don't they say any publicity is good publicity?" he asked. "I'm not doing anything to hurt my daughter." Lohan also said he's asking for half of the profits Lindsay's mom, Dina, gets for managing their daughter's career: "If you turn the tables and I was the one who was the manager for Lindsay, on paper, would she be entitled to half of what I get? I'm the one that supported them all their life. I'm the one that gave them diamond rings and fur coats and their cars... and every other thing they had. I paid for everything." If those terms aren't met in the divorce, he has another proposal for Lindsay's mom to pay him back — to star together in a television reality series, "a sort of Lohan version of the Osbournes." ...

Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé Knowles and David Beckham — co-stars in the latest international Pepsi commercial, called "Samurai" — attended the clip's premiere in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday. The ad is set in Hong Kong, where Lopez and Knowles ride motorcycles to a Pepsi bar where they get in a martial-arts fight while on a mission. Beckham accidentally sits on Lopez's purse at the end, when he tries to pick them up. ... JC Chasez is halfway through recording his second solo album and, like the first, the style varies from song to song. "I can't help that I'm eclectic, man," JC said. "It's different and that's what I like." Chasez is working with Dallas Austin this week. ...

Edward Patten, a member of Motown recording greats Gladys Knight & the Pips, died Friday morning (February 25) at a suburban Detroit hospital, due to complications of a stroke he suffered a few days earlier, according to The Associated Press. He was 65. Patten joined the Pips in 1959, and lent his tenor voice to some of their biggest hits, including "I Heard It Through the Grape Vine" and "Midnight Train to Georgia." ... Scottish pop singer Edwyn Collins, 45, best known for his 1995 hit "A Girl Like You," remains in serious condition in a London hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage on Sunday, according to BBC News. ...

U2's "Vertigo," Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For?" and Lindsay Lohan's "Rumors" are among the tracks included on Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 18, due March 15. ... Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash's famous black top hat was stolen from his limo when he was at the Grammys earlier this month, according to his rep. "He's pretty upset about it," Arlett Vereecke said. "He's had this hat for 12 years." Slash is offering a no-questions-asked return policy for the hat, and while he hasn't yet decided upon a reward, Vereecke said she's sure "we'll do something." Meanwhile, the new Slash limited-edition figurine still has his hat, an exact replica of the stolen one. It's now available for pre-order at Guitarhero.net. ...

Ben Lee celebrated the release of his latest offering, Awake Is the New Sleep, with a show at Tonic on New York's Lower East Side. Among the faithful who turned out on a cold and blustery Thursday night was longtime live-in ex-girlfriend, Claire Danes. When he performed the album's rawkiest track, "Close I've Come," Ben notably softened what is perhaps the album's most blistering lyric — "You broke my f---in' heart, but I still ... want you" — opting instead for the less aggressive "They can break our f---in' hearts, but they can't ... stop us!" ...

• Britney Spears
• Sum 41
• Lil' Kim
• Gerald LeVert
• Morrissey

The Strokes
Photo: RCA

After a three-week layoff, Outkast will resume their position at the top of the Billboard albums chart.

The hip-hop duo's Speakerboxxx / The Love Below sold more than 141,000 copies last week to pull just slightly ahead of Rod Stewart's As Time Goes By ... The Great American Songbook, Volume II in the weekly sales race. Just 500 albums sold separate the two, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday (November 5).

Outkast had held the #1 spot for two straight weeks after releasing their double LP in late September.

The two albums that temporarily kept the throne at the top warm for Big Boi and Andre 3000, Ludacris' Chicken-N-Beer and Clay Aiken's Measure of a Man, aren't too far behind the leaders. Four weeks after its release, Chicken-N-Beer will hold its position at #5, having sold more than 102,000 copies; while the "American Idol" runner-up's debut will slip to #3 with more than 140,000 copies sold, to forfeit its two-week grip on the #1 spot.

The Strokes' Room on Fire lived up to its rep as one of the most anticipated albums of the fall. More than 126,000 copies of the New York quintet's second album were scooped up by hipsters and those who just look like them in its first week out. Two years ago, the band's debut, Is This It, placed at #74 with only 16,000 in first-week sales. It may be too early to tell, but it seems that Room on Fire will have no trouble eclipsing the total sales of its predecessor, which stands at just more than 909,000 copies.

R.E.M. will also make an impressive splash on next week's chart. Had the alternative pioneers' greatest-hits set, The Best of R.E.M.: In Time 1988-2003, been issued only in one format, it might have bested the Strokes' position. Two separate packages, however, fall at #8 and #16. Proof of their dedication to the band, fans bought more than 75,000 copies of the deluxe set, which includes a CD of bonus material, while the single-disc album moved 51,000 copies.

Having made steady chart progress for more than four months, 3 Doors Down deserve some kind of medal for outstanding achievement. Since the end of June, when the then 7-month-old Away From the Sun stood at #80, it's been quietly advancing up the chart. The band's second album has re-entered the top 10, for the first time since it debuted at #8 last year, at #10, by selling more than 62,000 copies last week. Sustained success of singles "When I'm Gone," "The Road I'm On" and their latest, "Here Without You," has helped the band move more than 1.8 million copies of the follow-up to 2000's The Better Life.

The rest of next week's top 10 will find soul singer Gerald Levert's Stroke of Genius debuting at #6 (97,000); The Very Best of the Eagles falling from #3 to #7 (77,000); and Dido's Life for Rent slipping two spots to #9 (68,000).

Next week's only other notable chart debut is Hatebreed's fourth album, Rise of Brutality. The metal band's follow-up to last year's Perseverance sold more than 32,000 copies to land at #30.

• OutKast
• The Strokes
• Ludacris
• Clay Aiken
• Rod Stewart

The Strokes
Photo: RCA

Only one song on the new Strokes album is over three-and-a-half minutes long, and the whole CD clocks it at just over a half hour. It might leave some asking, Is This It?

It is. With Room on Fire, the band says more in 30 minutes than many express in a full 70. Economy is key on songs that are fueled by quirky riffs, head-swimming melodies and clever lyrics that, while sometimes indulgent, are never belabored.

Less is less might be a good theme for this week's album chart, which doesn't include many other hugely anticipated releases. There are still a handful of noteworthy records, including R.E.M.'s second greatest hits album, In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988 - 2003. The record includes singles such as "Stand," "Pop Song '89" and "Everybody Hurts" along with soundtrack cuts from "Coneheads," "Until the End of the World" "A Life Less Ordinary" and "Batman and Robin."

Several impressive metal albums will be released this week including the second major-label release by Hatebreed, The Rise of Brutality. The band, fronted by "Headbanger's Ball" host Jamey Jasta, plays ripping hardcore metal that fuses styles of bands like Slayer and Agnostic Front. Devildriver, the group from former Coal Chamber singer Dez Fafara, will release its nefarious self-titled debut, which combines black metal, death metal and thrash into a dangerous feast of demolition. Also look for the eponymous release by Element Eighty, a new band inspired by Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, Tool and Led Zeppelin.

Here's what's coming out.

Out Tuesday, October 28:

• 40 Below Summer - The Mourning After (Razor & Tie)
• Akon - Trouble (Universal)
• Alias - Muted (Anticon)
• Bedroom Walls - I Saw You Coming Back to Me (Real Cats)
• Joshua Bell - Romance of the Violin (Sony Classical)
• Bottle Rockets - Blue Sky (Sanctuary)
• Billy Bragg - Must I Paint You a Picture? The Essential Billy Bragg (Rhino)
  Buy Now: Must I Paint You a Picture? The Essential Billy Bragg (Rhino)
  
• Albert E. Brumley, Jr. - I'll Fly Away (Copper Creek)
• Circus Devils - Pinball Mars (Fading Captain)
• Harry Connick, Jr. - Harry for the Holidays (Columbia)
• Billy Ray Cyrus - The Other Side (Word)
• The Delinquents - Town Business Part I (Dank or Die)
• Denali - The Instinct (Jade Tree)
• Devildriver - Devildriver (Roadrunner)
• Celine Dion - 1 Fille & 4 Types (Epic)
• Dipsomaniacs - Freakin' Eureka (Face Down)
• Element Eighty - Element Eighty (Universal)
• Erase Errata - At Crystal Palace (Troubleman Unlimited)
• The Glasspack - Bridgeburner (Small Stone)
• Marty Goetz - Songs of Israel (Tovah/Crowne)
• Hatebreed - The Rise of Brutality (Universal)
• Higher - Star Is Dead EP (Geffen)
• Him - Razorblade Romance (Universal)
• Ellis Hooks - Up Your Mind (Evidence)
• The Hot Club of Cowtown - Continental Stomp (HighTone)
• Jamison Parker - Notes & Photographs EP (Interscope)
• Gerald Levert - A Stroke of Genius (Elektra)
• Levinhurst - Perfect Life (Full Contact)
• M.V.P. - Hit the Spot (Casablanca)
• Manta Ray - Estratexa (FILMguerrero)
• The Moody Blues - December (Polydor/UME)
• Motivo - Motivo (Crowne)
• The Persuasions - A Capella Dreams (Chesky)
• Ana Popovic - Comfort to the Soul (Ruf)
• Professional Murder Music - Looking Through (Caroline)
• R.E.M - In Time: The Best of R.E.M 1998 - 2003 (Warner Bros.)
• The Strokes - Room on Fire (RCA)
  Read: "Strokes Album Preview: Gideon Yago Tours Their Room On Fire"
  Buy Now: Room on Fire (RCA)
  
• Salem - Love It or Leave Me (EP) (Geffen)
• Saturnalia Trio - Of Mosaic & Muse (New Weave)
• Steve Tyrell - This Guy's in Love (Columbia)
• The Urinals - What Is Real and What Is Not (Warning Label)
• Luther Vandross - Live at Radio City Music Hall (J Records)
• Various Artists - Fat Eyes: Dancehall Deelite (Heartbeat)
• Various Artists - A Global Destinations: Passport to the World (Image Entertainment)
• Various Artists - Heavyweight Breakz (MDMP)
• Various Artists - Jazz Sexy (Chesky)
• Various Artists - Sex & Subversion (Thick)
• DVD: "Alan Davey's Bedouin - Sonic Rock Solstice 2002" (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: "Candye Kane in Concert - Ohne Filter" (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: "Culture Club 20th Anniversary Concert - Live at Royal Albert Hall" (E2)
• DVD: "Hip Hop 101: The Game" (Win Media/King Biscuit)
• DVD: "Inside Hip Hop" (Image Entertainment)
• DVD: "Jin - The Making of a Rap Star" (Image Entertainment)
• DVD: "Rick Vito in Concert - Ohne Filter" (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: "Tabla Beat Science - Talamanam Sound Clash: Further Adventures in Hypercussion (Live from San Francisco's Fillmore)" (Palm Pictures)
• DVD: "Voodoo Village - Funk Soup Live" (40 West)
• DVD: "The Work of Director Chris Cunningham" (The Directors Label/Palm Pictures)
• DVD: "The Work of Director Michel Gondry" (The Directors Label/Palm Pictures)
• DVD: "The Work of Director Spike Jonze" (The Directors Label/Palm Pictures)
• DVD Audio: Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells 2003 (Rhino)
• DVD Audio: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Greendale (Reprise)

November 4:

• Wyclef Jean - The Preacher's Son (J Records)
  Read: "Wyclef Jean Nabs 'All-Ghetto Cast' — Including Tom Jones — For Album"
  
• Stone Temple Pilots - Thank You (Atlantic)
• P.O.D. - Payable on Death (Atlantic)
  Read: "P.O.D. Sound So Alive With New Guitarist, New Single"
  
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog - Come Poop With Me (Warner Bros.)

November 11:

• Pink - Try This (Arista)
  Read: "Pink Didn't Have To Try Too Hard To Make Try This"
  Buy Now: Try This (Arista)
  
• Ruben Studdard - Soulful (J Records)
  Read: "R. Kelly, Missy Elliott Working On Ruben Studdard's Soulful Debut"

November 18:

• Blink-182 - Blink-182 (Universal)
  Read: "Blink-182 Tone Down Pranks, Get Down To Real 'Action' On Next LP"

November 28:

• Jay-Z - The Black Album (Roc-a-Fella)
  Read:

• The Strokes
• R.E.M.
• Luther Vandross
• DevilDriver
• Gerald LeVert

K-Ci & JoJo, Gerald Levert, Kevon Edmonds, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly have signed on for the third annual SoulFest tour, an outing sponsored by the cereal brand HoneyNut Cheerios and slated to kick off on July 1 in Memphis, Tennessee.

As part of the SoulFest 2000 tour launch, a special commemorative Cheerios cereal box featuring Maze and Gerald Levert will hit store shelves in early July.

"We know how to groove but we also know how to do things soft,'' Frankie Beverly said in a statement announcing SoulFest 2000. "When we come to perform, we don't mess around. We owe it to the audience to give it all we got."

In related news, Kevon Edmonds will make an appearance as a wedding singer in the upcoming Disney film "The Kid" starring Bruce Willis and due out on July 7.

Edmonds' singing role in the film is similar to the part he played in an episode of the ABC daytime soap "All My Children" last month, when Edmonds sang at the wedding of the show's star-crossed lovers, Hayley and Matteo Santos.

Dates for the SoulFest 2000 tour:

• 7/1 - Memphis, TN @ Mid-South Coliseum
• 7/2 - St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theater
• 7/8 - Dallas, TX @ Starplex Amphitheater
• 7/9 - Houston, TX @ Compaq Center
• 7/13 - Washington, DC @ Nissan Pavilion
• 7/14 - Cleveland, OH @ State Theater
• 7/15 - Chicago, IL @ Arie Crown Theater
• 7/16 - Indianapolis, IN @ Black Expo/ Fieldhouse
• 7/21 - Charlotte, NC @ Blockbuster Pavilion
• 7/22 - Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Music Center
• 7/23 - Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob
• 7/26 - Boston, MA @ Fleet Pavilion
• 7/28 - Pittsburgh, PA @ I.C. Light Theater
• 8/3 - Miami, FL @ J.L. Knight Center
• 8/5 - Virginia Beach, VA @ GTE Amphitheater
• 8/6 - Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park
• 8/11 - Raleigh, NC @ Alltel Pavilion
• 8/12 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
• 8/13 - Richmond, VA @ Landmark Theater
• 8/18 - Los Angeles, CA @ Universal Amphitheater
• 8/19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Universal Amphitheater
• 8/20 - Oakland, CA @ Concord Pavilion

• K-Ci & JoJo
• Gerald LeVert

Mack 10 is currently reaching crossover audiences with his new single, "Money's Just a Touch Away," as the single, the first from Mack's third album, "The Recipe," made one of the highest debuts on last week's SoundScan charts, coming in at number 41.

• Gerald LeVert
• Mack 10

Carlysia

• Gerald LeVert