Fall Out Boys' Joe Trohman
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

It might not be humanly possible to think of two bands with less in common than Fall Out Boy and dance-punks-turned-art-freaks Liars. And yet, thanks to a hotel in Belgium, a band from Australia and some serious late-night iTunes snooping, the latter nearly spilled the beans on a huge secret involving the former.

Or did they?

Confused? Well, let's begin with Liars, former champions of Brooklyn, New York's dance-punk scene (see "Liars And Yeah Yeah Yeahs — The Next Strokes And Stripes?") who hightailed it to Berlin in 2004 to make atmospheric, spooky records about drums and something called "Mt. Heart Attack." Earlier this month, they were in Belgium to play the Pukkelpop festival and ran into some of the guys from Architecture in Helsinki, who, despite their name, are actually from Australia. The two groups got to talking — and drinking — and AIH told Liars they had spent the previous night in a local hotel using their MacBook to browse through the iTunes of some of the hotel's other guests ... some of whom just happened to be members of other bands in town to play the fest.

And, well, we'll let Liars' MySpace blog take it from here:

"Those guys were in a hotel where all the occupants' iTunes were connected. ... They logged on and found heaps of guitar-riff recordings that were apparently awesome. So they search to find whose computer it's coming from, and lo and behold, it's the solo recordings of FOB's lead guitarist (insert name here) ... who knew!?"

FOB's lead guitarist is, of course, Joe Trohman. And without ever knowing it, Liars suddenly made news about his private recordings very, very public. But just what were the mystery riffs? Potential seedlings for a Trohman solo record? Leftovers from the "Riff of the Month" thingy he was posting on FriendsOrEnemies.com? Brand-new Fall Out Boy songs?

Well, yes.

"You know, it's hard to say what exactly the ... Helsinki guys were checking out," Trohman told MTV News in an e-mail. "Everything I have recorded has either been some riffs floating around in my head that I just had to record (which have no purpose within FOB or anything at all so far) or are for Fall Out Boy, just mainly demos. I definitely love metal and from time to time come up with ideas for some heavy songs. Metal and heavy music in general is what I grew up on as you know, so I can't escape the ideas I have for those songs. Are they for a side project? No side projects here. My focus is all on Fall Out Boy, and it would be safe to say that some of the heavy stuff that was heard is for Fall Out Boy, or being proposed for some new song ideas."

So you can step back from the ledge, FOB fans: There will be no Trohman side project anytime soon. Like he said, his current focus is Fall Out Boy. But that doesn't mean that somewhere down the road, he wouldn't, you know, avert that focus to something else. Especially something involving rocking doctors ...

"You know, I have a million ideas for cool side projects all the time and I always come up with weird names for them too. But those are generally so fleeting. The reason they don't come to fruition is my own fault, I'm just too obsessed with FOB," he wrote. "My dad did have an amazing singing troupe in medical school though called 'Dr. T and the M.D.'s.' I would love to reignite that for fun — my dad was even talking about taking singing lessons."

In all seriousness, Trohman said he's just committed to finishing up Fall Out Boy's seemingly endless tour schedule (one that just got more endless thanks to the recent announcement of their Young Wild Things jaunt, which kicks off in mid-October and runs until the beginning of December; see "Fall Out Boy: Monsters Of Rock? Band's Tour To Have 'Where The Wild Things Are' Theme"). And though he claims he's not weirded out by Architecture in Helsinki's alleged spying, he is taking precautions to make sure that sort of thing doesn't happen again.

"At first ... I freaked out, had a terrible pit in my stomach, so to speak. I have an extreme lack of confidence in myself, and am very private about my little things I recorded for self-satisfaction. With that being said, I'm also bad with computers. I had no clue my iTunes was on 'Share Mode,' " he wrote. "But upon reading Liars' blog, it was really cool hearing some positive feedback about something that I never planned on showing anyone. Definitely really flattering. I back that band, and AIH, so it's cool to hear that stuff from bands I like. Either way, I went into my preferences and turned the sharing off. I'm shaking thinking about it right now."

Seen a great show? MTV News wants your photos, videos and reports from all the latest concerts for our new You R Here community. Check out the site to read, rate and comment on reviews from around the globe. We'll put the best stuff on our You R Here blog, and even in on-air news!

• Fall Out Boy
• Liars

My Chemical Romance's <I>Life on the Murder Scene</I>
Photo: Reprise / Wea

Chemical Overdose: My Chemical Romance are in such a giving mood they're packing their concert-clip-collection Life on the Murder Scene with two DVDs. Running more than four hours in length, and cobbling together footage from their MTV $2 Bill and MTV Discover and Download gigs, the set also sweeps up demos and other odds and ends. If you didn't preorder a copy, you won't be able to enter the band's Web contest — the winner and a friend are getting flown to Los Angeles to hang with the band — but this hefty package should be enough to romance the fans.

The Quest for Peas: Hold on a sec before you run to the record store to grab Black Eyed Peas' new Renegotiations: The Remixes EP. The seven-track appetizer — featuring remixes by Erick Sermon, Pete Rock, DJ Premier and Jazzy Jeff — will be made available on iTunes only this week, with copies then parachuting into Best Buy stores March 28. There's another reason to jump on the chance this week, though: The iTunes version has the video for "Like That." And That's a Rap: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Bizzy Bone leads this week's rap charge with a new solo LP, which should put to rest rumors of Bizzy's disappearance/insanity. Described as an album devoid of "the overbearing thug references," one that instead tells the story of Byron McCane the man, Bizzy nonetheless finds himself mulling "The Future Thugs-N-Harmony." Other tunes include "The Truth," "All Day, All Night" and "So What Cha' Sayin."

As Bizzy is stepping away from Bone Thugs, so is M-1 breaking away from another boundary-busting squad, Dead Prez, for his first solo outing. With DP's eviction from Sony Urban still fresh in mind, M-1 stretches out on his indie Confidential, roping in Q-Tip and Cassandra Wilson ("Love You Can't Borrow"), Styles P and Bazaar Royale ("Comrade's Call") and his DP pal, Stic.man.

Also coming out on Koch is B.G.'s The Heart of Tha Streetz: Vol. 2 (I Am What I Am), led by the Mannie Fresh-produced and -featuring single "Move Around." The Hot Boys agent — who now has 10 solo albums to his name, even though he's only 25 years old — is co-releasing his latest through his own Chopper City imprint, and he's roped in Paul Wall ("Deuces Up"), the Show ("F--- 'Em") and Evelyn ("Get Yo Mind Right") for the affair.

Urban Mystic has a sequel dropping this week as well, and it too features Paul Wall: Ghetto Revelations: II. The major-label release built some early anticipation with the KayGee-produced "It's You" (featuring Wall), and it follows suit with "Bounce Wit Me," which features fellow Floridian and Warner Bros. labelmate Stacks and is produced by Scott Storch; the pro-social-change track "Let's Make a Change," featuring Trick Daddy; and "Can U Handle This?," on which Pitbull spits out a few rhymes.

Geiger Counter: It'll be at two come May 9, when Teddy Geiger puts out the CD-plus-DVD version of his debut album. In the meantime, fans of the Kristin Cavallari swooner will have to satisfy themselves with the standard edition of Underage Thinking, which has 12 tracks by the 17-year-old, including "For You I Will (Confidence)," "Seven Days Without You" and "Love Is a Marathon."

Prince's Preference: Copies of Ultimate Prince were already being rested in the record racks last week when Warner Bros. decided to yank them, ceding to the artist's demand that the collection of yesteryear material not detract from his new batch of tunes, 3121 (which is coming out on Universal). And you'd better enjoy these new songs, as the practicing Jehovah's Witness has reportedly put the kibosh on performing 50 vintage tunes because they're too explicit. Apparently his new "Lolita" and "Black Sweat" are safe.

Which Side Is Which?: Ben Harper's making things a bit confusing for his fans, tacking an extra disc onto a release that already has one. À la the Foo Fighters, Both Sides of the Gun splays 18 hard and soft tracks over the course of two divergent discs — the grand total is 63 minutes — but the special edition has another CD with jam-a-riffic live acoustic versions, alternate mixes and more.

Speaking of the Foos, their skin-slapping star finally steps up to the mic for the long-awaited Taylor Hawkins & the Coattail Riders. Recorded with producer Drew Hester — a drummer for Joe Walsh, whose "Life of Illusion" the Foos covered a few years back — Hester's roommate, Gannin, and Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, the 11-track outing includes the very Foo-sounding "NOA," "Walking Away" and "End of the Line."

Visual Overload: Download, schmownload. Here are four reasons to hit the record store instead:

1. Liars' Drum's Not Dead: The third album by the NYC no-wave spazzoids comes with a DVD featuring three film versions of the album, sort of an abstract, fictional arm-wrestle between two dichotomies, Drum (assertion, productivity) and Mount Heart Attack (stress, doubt). Each flick has a video for every song on the record — that's 36 videos in total.

2. "Kill the Moonlight": The movie about a toxic-waste-janitor-turned-wanna-be-racecar-driver consists of two DVDs and a CD, the soundtrack that features three exclusive Beck songs and three by his side project Loser (not-so-coincidentally, "Kill the Moonlight" inspired Beck's "Loser").

3. Red Animal War's Seven Year War: When you have more than two or three enhanced videos, that usually merits a bonus DVD — but apparently these Texans didn't get the memo. Their comp of old and new tracks has no less than nine enhanced videos to go along with the 13 music tracks, some of which were recorded with Jawbox's J. Robbins.

4. Aki Tsuyuko's Hokane: The dancer and sometime Nobukazu Takemura collaborator has crafted a visual piece to go along with her new record. Hokane is the first in a series of so-called "music books" that will be arriving from Chicago label Thrill Jockey.

Far Out: Chicago's Yakuza channel Napalm Death, prog and Far East sounds to make Samsara, which also features a guest spot by Mastodon singer/bassist Troy Sanders; Karate High School stay true to their album's title — Arcade Rock — by feeding off games like "Contra" and "Paperboy"; MC Lars sets "Moby Dick" to a Supergrass sample on The Graduate; and on the Seconds' Kratitude, "the concepts normally associated with words are dissolved in the repetition and all that remain are the sounds of the mouth, tongue and throat." Yowsers.

Other notables:

Kiefer Sutherland vs. Josh Rouse: In a battle royal that sees an action hero squaring off against a Nebraska-born singer/songwriter, both are kicking off their own labels this week. Jack Bauer's Ironworks Music imprint sees its first release in Rocco DeLuca and the Burden's I Trust You to Kill Me, a four-piece that has played on "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" and uses a rootsy combination of steel guitar, bass, drums and percussion. Rouse has a new record of his own to christen his Bedroom Classics imprint, a joint venture with Nettwerk Records. Subtítulo salutes the Spanish Mediterranean coast where he recorded it, but he also squeezes in a song about the mafia on "Jersey Clowns."

Southern Culture on the Skids' Doublewide and Live and the various-artists collection Songs for Sixty Five Roses: The ever-prolific SCOTS are dumping a limited-edition double-enhanced deluxe disc into their fans' laps this week. The 16-track Doublewide was recorded in three days in November 2004 at Chapel Hill, North Carolina's Local 506 and features perennials like "Banana Pudding," "Lordy Lorry" and "Meximelt." If that's still not enough SCOTS for you, look for their appearance on Sixty Five Roses, where they redo the Moaners' "Everybody Wants My Baby." The disc — a benefit for cystic fibrosis, which North Carolina producer John Plymale's daughter suffers from — also finds Portastatic (Superchunk's Mac McCaughan) revamping "Oh My Sweet Carolina" next to Jason Ross and Two Dollar Pistols' respective covers of 'Chunk's "Mower" and "Driveway to Driveway."

New Releases:

• 57 State - Bang Streets (Captiva)
• Mina Agossi - Well You Needn't (Candid)
• Amandine - Leave Out the Sad Parts (EP; Fat Cat)
• Ambulette - Lottery (EP; Astralwerks)
• Amorphis - Eclipse (Nuclear Blast America)
• Anti-Flag - For Blood and Empire (RCA)
  Buy Now: For Blood and Empire (RCA)
  
• Apathy - Eastern Philosophy (Babygrande)
• The Appleseed Cast - Peregrine (digipak; Militia Group)
• Army of the Pharaohs - Jedi Mind Tricks Presents: Army of the Pharaohs - The Torture Papers (Babygrande)
• Richard Ashcroft - Keys to the World (with DVD; Virgin)
  Buy Now: Keys to the World (Babygrande)
  
• Balance - Young & Restless (SMC)
• Band of Horses - Everything All The Time (Sub Pop)
• Dave Barnes - Chasing Mississippi (Ripley)
• B.G. - The Heart of Tha Streetz: Vol. 2 (I Am What I Am) (Chopper City/ Koch)
  Buy Now: The Heart of Tha Streetz: Vol. 2 (I Am What I Am) (Chopper City/ Koch)
  
• Big Silver - Afterlife (digipak; Max)
• Gus Black - Autumn Days (Cheap Lullaby)
• Bleeding Kansas - Dead Under Decor (Abacus)
• Luka Bloom - Innocence (Cooking Vinyl)
• Blueground Undergrass - Faces (Landslide)
• Bizzy Bone - The Story (Real Talk Entertainment)
• Boy Sets Fire - The Misery Index: Notes From the Plague Years (Equal Vision)
  Buy Now: The Misery Index: Notes From the Plague Years (Equal Vision)
  
• Corey Branan - 12 Songs (Madjack)
• Brown Boy - Represent the Brown (enhanced; Thump)
• Cadence - Songs of Vice & Virtue (Paperweight)
• Shawn Camp - Fireball (Emergent)
• Cannibal Corpse - Kill (Metal Blade)
• Dee Cartensen - Patch of Blue (Exit Nine)
• Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Etiquette (Tomlab)
• Chicago - XXX (Rhino)
• Barbara Cook - Barbara Cook With Special Guests Live (two CDs; Koch)
• D-Block - Mix Tape (with DVD; Koch)
• The Josh Davis Band - The White Whale (Authentic)
• Rocco DeLuca and the Burden - I Trust You to Kill Me (Ironworks)
• DJ Boris - Believe (Moist Music)
• Joey DeFrancesco - Organic Vibes (Concord Jazz)
• Sugar Pie DeSanto - Refined Sugar (Jasman)
• Eastern Youth - 365-Step Blues (Five One Inc.)
• The Ecclesia - Birdsong Over the Interior Castle (digipak; Arena Rock)
• Editors - The Back Room (Fader)
  Buy Now: The Back Room (Fader)
  
• The Essex Green - Cannibal Sea (Merge)
• Faktion - Faktion (Roadrunner)
• Follow the Train - A Breath of Sigh (Darla)
• From Fiction - Bloodwork (digipak; Last Gang)
• From First to Last - Heroine (Epitaph)
  Read: "From First To Last Are Done With Wes Borland, Target Rob Zombie"
  Buy Now: Heroine (Epitaph)
  
• Further Seems Forever - Hope This Finds You Well (Tooth & Nail)
  Buy Now: Hope This Finds You Well (Tooth & Nail)
  
• Teddy Geiger - Underage Thinking (DualDisc also available; Columbia)
  Buy Now: Underage Thinking (DualDisc also available; Columbia)
  
• Howe Gelb - 'Sno Angel Like You (Thrill Jockey)
• Victor Goines - New Adventures (Criss Cross)
• Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun (two CDs; special edition comes with third CD; Virgin)
  Buy Now: Both Sides of the Gun (two CDs; special edition comes with third CD; Virgin)
  
• Taylor Hawkins & the Coattail Riders - Taylor Hawkins & the Coattail Riders (Thrive)
  Read: "It's The Foos' Taylor Hawkins' Turn To Prove He's More Than Just A Drummer"
• Helltrain - Route 666 (Jimmy Franks)
• Herod - Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Fight (Lifeforce)
• Monica Huggett and Richard Savino - Essential Giuliani, Vol. I (two CDs; Koch)
• Hurt - Vol. 1 (Capitol)
• Denise James - Promises (digipak; Rainbow Quartz)
• Karsh Kale - Broken English (Six Degrees)
• Karate High School - Arcade Rock (Evo)
• Kulcha Don - It's All About You (Ruffnation)
• Kutless - Hearts of the Innocent (enhanced; BEC)
  Buy Now: Hearts of the Innocent (enhanced; BEC)
  
• Robbie Lee - Sleep, Memory (I and Ear)
• Frank Lenz - Vilelenz and Thieves (Hidden Agenda)
• Sondre Lerche and the Faces Down Quartet - Duper Sessions (Astralwerks)
  Buy Now: Duper Sessions (Astralwerks)
  
• Liars - Drum's Not Dead (Mute)
  Buy Now: Drum's Not Dead (Mute)
  
• Lifetime - Somewhere in the Swamps of Jersey (Jade Tree)
• Ligeia - Your Ghost Is a Gift (Ferret)
• Loose Fur - Born Again in the U.S.A. (Drag City)
• Love Equals Death - Nightmerica (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Kathleen Madigan - In Other Words (Warner Bros.)
• M-1 - Dead Prez Presents M-1: Confidential (DualDisc; Koch)
• Machinemade God - The Infinity Complex (Metal Blade)
• Ashley MacIsaac - Pride (Koch)
• Virginia Mayhew - Sandan Shuffle (Renma)
• Mates of State - Bring It Back (Barsuk)
  Buy Now: Bring It Back (Barsuk)
  
• MC Lars - The Graduate (Nettwerk)
• Men Women & Children - Men Women & Children (Reprise)
• Sophie Milman - Sophie Milman (Koch)
• Moth - Immune to Gravity (digipak; High Wire)
  Buy Now: Immune to Gravity (digipak; High Wire)
  
• Ms. John Soda - Notes and the Like (Morr)
• Murs and 9th Wonder - Murrays Revenge (Definitive Jux)
• My Chemical Romance - Life on the Murder Scene (with two DVDs; Reprise)
  Read: "My Chemical Romance's 'Murder' DVD Just Got Bigger"
  Buy Now: Life on the Murder Scene (with two DVDs; Reprise)
  
• The New Amsterdams - Story Like a Scar (digipak; Vagrant)
• No Trigger - Canyoneer (Nitro)
• Norma Jean - O' God, the Aftermath (enhanced; deluxe digipak edition with bonus DVD also available; Tooth & Nail)
  Buy Now: O' God, the Aftermath (enhanced; deluxe digipak edition with bonus DVD also available; Tooth & Nail)
  

• Gary Numan - Jagged (Metropolis)
• Okai - Dekonstruktion of the Mind (digipak; Nomadic Wax)
• Steve Oliver - Radiant (Koch)
• Opus Däï - Tierra Tragame (Double Blind)
• The Outfield - Any Time Now (Sidewinder)
• Chris Parish - Late Bloomer (SLK)
• Gilles Peterson and Jazzanova - Kings of Jazz (two CDs; Rapster)
• Prince - 3121 (Universal)
  Buy Now: 3121 (Universal)
  

• Quasi - When the Going Gets Dark (Touch &and Go)
• Red Animal War - Seven Year War (enhanced with nine videos; End Sounds)
• Megan Reilly - Let Your Ghost Go (Carrot Top)
• Kenny Rogers - Water & Bridges (Capitol)
• Jim Rotondi - Iron Man (Criss Cross)
• Josh Rouse - Subtítulo (Bedroom Classics/ Nettwerk)
  Buy Now: Subtítulo (Bedroom Classics/ Nettwerk)
  
• Röyksopp - Röyksopp's Night Out (limited-edition EP; Astralwerks)
• Tom Russell - Love & Fear (Hightone)
• The Sainte Catherines - Dancing for Decadence (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Kokanko Sata - Kokanko Sata (Honest Jons)
• The Seconds - Kratitude (5 Rue Christine)
• Harry Shearer - Dropping Anchor (Couragette)
• Shoplifting - Body Stories (Kill Rock Stars)
• David Sills - Down the Line (Origin)
• The Sounds - Dying to Say This to You (Scratchie/ New Line)
  Buy Now: Dying to Say This to You (Scratchie/ New Line)
  
• Southern Culture on the Skids - Doublewide and Live (Yep Roc)
• Storsveit Nix Noltes - Orkideur Hawai (Bubble Core)
• Swayzak - Route De La Slack (!K7)
• Take 6 - Feels Good (Take 6)
• Talkdemonic - Beat Romantic (digipak; Arena Rock)
• Television Personalities - My Dark Places (Domino)
• Teye & Belen - Flamencobsesionarte (Corazong)
• Lobi Traoré - Lobi Traoré (Honest Jons)
• Aki Tsuyuko - Hokane (Thrill Jockey)
• Urban Mystic - Ghetto Revelations: II (Warner Bros.)
• Jesse Van Ruller - Views (Criss Cross)
• Vienna Choir Boys - 500th Anniversary (Koch)
• Dale Watson - Whiskey or God (Palo Duro)
• Randy Weston and His African Rhythms Trio - Zep Tepi (Random Chance)
• Pamela Williams - Elixir (Shanachie)
• Witchery - Don't Fear the Reaper (Century Media)
• Yakuza - Samsara (Prosthetic)
• Young People - All at Once (Too Pure/ Beggars)
• Various artists - Breakfast Club: Milan (Water)
• Various artists - Celluloid Years (Collision Cause Chap)
• Various artists - Idol Tryouts Two: The Ghostly International Company Vol. Two (Ghostly International)
• Various artists - Now ¡Esto Es Musica! Latina (Warner Strategic Marketing)
• Various artists - Perfecto Chills, Vol. 3 (Thrive)
• Various artists - Songs for Sixty Five Roses (Songs for Sixty Five Roses)
• Various artists - Songs From an Unmade Bed (Ghostlight)
• Various artists - South Beach Sounds: Miami Music Week Vol. 1 (DualDisc; DVD)
• Various artists - Texas Harmonica Rumble (Dialtone)
• Various artists - "Brick" soundtrack (Lakeshore)
• Various artists - "The Hills Have Eyes" soundtrack (Lakeshore)
• Various artists - "Inside Man" soundtrack (Varèse)
• Various artists - "Lost" soundtrack (Varèse)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• A Flock of Seagulls - We Are the '80s (DualDisc; VH1 Classic/ Legacy)
• Gene Ammons - Boss Tenor - (Prestige)
• Gene Autry - That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine - (nine-CD box set; Bear Family)
• The Bangles - We Are the '80s (DualDisc; VH1 Classic/ Legacy)
• Blight - Detroit (Touch and Go)
• Bow Wow Wow - We Are the '80s (DualDisc; VH1 Classic/ Legacy)
• David Bowie - Serious Moonlight (Virgin)
• Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane - Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane - (Prestige/New Jazz)
• Cocteau Twins - Lullabies to Violaine: Singles and Extended Plays 1982-1996 (limited-edition four-CD set; 4AD)
• John Coltrane - Lush Life - (Prestige)
• Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet - The Juliet Letters - (Rhino)
• Miles Davis - Relaxing With the Miles Davis Quintet - (Prestige)
• Dion - Bronx in Blue - (Razor & Tie)
• Eric Dolphy - Out There - (Prestige/New Jazz)
• Kenny Dorham - Quiet Kenny - (Prestige)
• Electric Light Orchestra - ELO II and No Answer - (with bonus tracks; Epic/ Legacy)
• Marianne Faithfull - Come My Way - (Lillith)
• Red Garland - Red Garland's Piano - (Prestige)
• Coleman Hawkins - The Hawk Relaxes - (Prestige/New Jazz)
• Armin Jordan - Dukas: The Sorcerers Apprentice/ Symphony in C (Rhino)
• Keak Da Sneak - The Farmboyz - Special Edition (Gotta Get It)
• Lovedrug - Pretend You're Alive (Red Ink)
• Mclusky - Mcluskyism (limited-edition three-CD set; Too Pure/ Beggars)
• Men at Work - We Are the '80s (DualDisc; VH1 Classic/ Legacy)
• The Modern Jazz Quartet - Django - (Prestige)
• Marky Ramone - Start of the Century (Fuel)
• Henry Rollins - Big Ugly Mouth/ Short Walk on a Long Pier - (two CDs; 2.13.61)
• Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus - (Prestige)
• The Romantics - We Are the '80s (DualDisc; VH1 Classic/ Legacy)
• Otis Rush & Friends (featuring Eric Clapton and Luther Allison) - Live at Montreux 1986 (Eagle)
• Scandal - We Are the '80s (DualDisc; VH1 Classic/ Legacy)
• Soft Machine - Floating World Live (Moonjune)
• Stereo Total - Juke Box Alarm and My Melody (Kill Rock Stars)

DVDs:

• Bill Anderson With the Po' Folks Band - "40 Years of Hits Live" (Varèse)
• The Black Crowes - "Freak 'N' Roll ... Into the Fog: The Black Crowes All Join Hands - The Fillmore, San Francisco" (Eagle Vision)
• Willy DeVille - "Live in the Lowlands" (Eagle Vision)
• Fat Joe - "Live at the Anaheim House of Blues" (Nutech Digital)
• Oliver Jones - "Serenade" (Justin Time)
• Rodney Jones - "Live at Smoke" (Mel Bay)
• Bryan Lee - "Live & Dangerous" (Justin Time)
• Macc Ladds - "Come to Brum" (Screen Edge)
• Megadeth - "Arsenal of Megadeth" (two DVDs; Capitol)
• Teddy Pendergrass - "Teddy! Live in '79" (Shout! Factory)
• Queen - "The Making of A Night at the Opera" (Eagle Vision)
• Otis Rush & Friends (featuring Eric Clapton and Luther Allison) - "Live at Montreux 1986" (Eagle Vision)
• Pamela Williams - "A Night With the Saxtress" (Shanachie)
• Various artists - "Born to Ball, Vol. 2: Basketball With Kid Capri" (Urban Works)
• Various artists - "Kill the Moonlight" (with CD soundtrack featuring Beck)
• Various artists - "Underground TV: Raw and Uncut, Vol. 1" and "Vol. 2" (In the Vault)

Coming Attractions:

March 28:

• Ghostface Killah - Fishscale (Def Jam)
  Read: "Ghostface Killah Spins Tales From The 'Hood On Fishscale"
• T.I. - King (limited-edition re-release with bonus DVD; Atlantic)
  Buy Now: King (limited-edition version with bonus DVD due same day; Atlantic)
  
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones (Interscope)
  Read: "Are The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Anxious About Bones? No No No"
  Buy Now: Show Your Bones (Interscope)

April 4:

• Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Flaming Lips Go To War Against Britney, Gwen On New LP"
  Buy Now: At War With the Mystics (Warner Bros.)
  
• Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors (Sanctuary)
  Buy Now: Ringleader of the Tormentors (Sanctuary)
  
• Pink - I'm Not Dead (La Face)
  Read: "Pink Pens An Open Letter To President Bush On New Album"
  Buy Now: I'm Not Dead (La Face)
  

April 11:

• Built to Spill - You in Reverse (Warner Bros.)
  Buy Now: You in Reverse (Warner Bros.)
  
• Calexico - Garden Ruin (digipak; Quarterstick)
  Buy Now: Garden Ruin (digipak; Quarterstick)
  
• Eagles of Death Metal - Death by Sexy ... (Downtown)
  Read: "Eagles Of Death Metal Frontman's 'Soft Boomerang Of Love' Takes Center Stage In Clip"

• My Chemical Romance
• Black Eyed Peas
• Bizzy Bone
• Prince
• Liars

JC Chasez has incurred the wrath of the publisher of Schizophrenia Digest because the artwork for his new album, Schizophrenic, depicts the singer in a straitjacket. The publisher of the magazine, Bill MacPhee, who suffers from the disorder, accuses Chasez of misrepresenting the ailment and contributing to the public's misunderstanding. In a statement, the singer claimed he chose the album title because of the "wide range of musical styles in the album" and added, "I apologize to anyone I may have offended with the title and cover." ...

N.E.R.D. have recorded a remix of their single "She Likes to Move" with Q-Tip, De La Soul and Busta Rhymes. It's Pharrell and Chad's tribute to the late-'80s/early-'90s bohemian rap collective known as the Native Tongues, with which all three guest artists were affiliated. The remix is expected to be released within a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, N.E.R.D. will appear on "Saturday Night Live" this Saturday, in anticipation of their upcoming album, Fly or Die. ... Beyoncé, Bernie Mac and Luther Vandross were a few of the big winners at Saturday night's NAACP Image Awards. Vandross won four awards, the always irreverent funnyman Mac took home two, and Beyoncé was named Entertainer of the Year. Other winners included Outkast and Cuba Gooding Jr. The 35th NAACP Awards air Thursday night on FOX. ...

Outkast have apparently cleared their schedules and set a concrete time to start filming their Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below movie for HBO. The flick, which is being co-written and helmed by "Hey Ya!" video director Bryan Barber, will shoot for the entire month of April. ... Jay-Z is scheduled to headline the Prince's Trust Urban Music Festival, which takes place May 8 and 9 at Earls Court in London. Considered Britain's largest celebration of black music, the festival will also feature Alicia Keys and native son Dizzee Rascal. ...

Basketball and football aren't in any jeopardy of losing their status as the hip-hop community's favorite sports, but before you know it, NASCAR racing could slowly creep up. The organization is continuing to reach out to the black community with "Welcome to Atlanta - NASCAR weekend" in the ATL from Wednesday to March 15. Jermaine Dupri and Bow Wow are confirmed to attend the series of events, which include the Celebrity Malibu Grand Prix Go-Kart Challenge, a celebrity car show and a fashion show. ... Sixties rock legend David Crosby was arrested for marijuana and gun possession at 1 a.m. on Saturday at a hotel in New York's Times Square. Crosby stayed at the Times Square DoubleTree Suites on Friday, but forgot his suitcase when he checked out the next day to play a college in Wayne, New Jersey, with his band CPR. A hotel worker found the bag, and when he searched it for identification he found an ounce of weed, a .45 revolver, 26 rounds of ammunition and a hunting knife. The hotel notified the police, and when Crosby called the hotel to say he was coming back to pick up his forgotten luggage, cops were waiting to meet him. The rocker was released on $3,500 bail. If convicted on the gun charge, he could face up to seven years in jail. ...

Courtney Love got a breather in her misdemeanor under-the-influence-of-drugs case, for which she was scheduled to go to trial on Monday (March 8). Instead, a Los Angeles judge granted the singer a continuance until April 5 to face the charges. In the meantime, Love is due back in court on March 16 in her felony drug-possession case. ... The arraignment of Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson was postponed until March 22. Lifeson faces charges for allegedly fighting with police and pushing an officer down a stairwell during an altercation on New Year's Eve. ...

A DJ inspired by Danger Mouse's The Grey Album, a mix of Jay-Z's The Black Album and the Beatles' The White Album, has been hit with a cease-and-desist order for his own blend of the Jay-Z disc with Metallica's The Black Album. The legal papers sent to DJ Cheap Cologne came not from Metallica, but from the RIAA, which ordered the DJ to stop distributing and selling what he was calling The Double Black Album. "It started out as a joke when I made one song," Cheap Cologne said, "but like a lot of jokes I guess it went too far." ... Brooklyn, New York's Liars are taking to the road in support of their second album, They Were Wrong So We Drowned. The 21-date North American trek will start March 16 in Montreal and wrap up April 18 in Philadelphia. ...

Electronic DJ Paul van Dyk wants you to vote. In conjunction with his upcoming tour and Rock the Vote, van Dyk will unveil a public service announcement he shot in support of the organization and youth participation in politics. The 30-second spots will be distributed to MTV and various regional TV outlets across the country beginning in mid-March. ...

03.05.2004

At the height of his beef with Jay-Z, Nas came out against the Roots for their decision to back Jay for his MTV "Unplugged" performance. But that's apparently all water under the bridge now, as Nas and the Roots' ?uestlove are pairing up to record a new song for an ad for MSN Direct's new Smart Watches. The clip was directed by — and stars — Spike Lee. ...

Ludacris and Kanye West aren't headlining stadiums yet, but they'll both be playing Chicago's Soldier Field soon. It's for the Boost Mobile Pro of Snowboarding competition, to be held March 26-27, featuring 45 of the nation's top male and female snowboarders. ... DJ Shadow, Blackalicious and their Quannum crew will trek across the country for a monthlong tour. It starts April 4 in Portland, Oregon, heads to the East Coast and then wraps up May 1 in the artists' hometown of San Francisco. ...

Velvet Revolver were all set to shoot their first video, "Slither," on Sunday in Los Angeles with Kevin Kerslake slated to direct. But during Scott Weiland's probation progress report hearing on Friday (March 5), a Pasadena judge denied the singer's request to join his bandmates for the shoot, which has since been postponed. Weiland is due back in court March 23 for another progress report. He's also due back in court March 15 to face charges of driving under the influence of drugs. ...

The Pixies will release their latest best-of compilation, Wave of Mutilation, and self-titled DVD on May 4 through 4AD records. The releases coincide with the end of their 11-city North American reunion tour. ... Joe Berlinger, the co-creator of the Metallica documentary "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster," can't get enough of the boys in black. In November, he'll release the book "Metallica: This Monster Lives," which will chronicle the three years he spent making the movie and will address many issues that were impossible to explore in a two-and-a-half-hour film. ...

Artsy nü-metal band Otep have been added to the second stage of this year's Ozzfest. The band will have a new album out this summer. ... Great White have scheduled 17 more benefit shows for the Station Family Fund. The first gig is Friday night (March 5) in Hidalgo, Texas, and the concerts run through August 15 in Bellingham, Washington. Great White were playing in a Rhode Island club last year when their stage pyro ignited the walls and ceiling, causing a blaze that killed 100, including the band's guitarist Ty Longley. ...

The Cure's Robert Smith and the Smiths' Johnny Marr make special appearances on 2 a.m. Wakeup Call, the second LP by former Nine Inch Nails drummer/producer Chris Vrenna's Tweaker persona. The follow-up to 2001's The Attraction to All Things Uncertain is due April 20. ...

• JC Chasez
• N.E.R.D.
• Beyoncé
• David Crosby
• OutKast

JC Chasez (file)
Photo: Jive

JC Chasez may be Schizophrenic these days, but it seems to be working in his favor. The 'NSYNC member's solo debut album gets Chasez close to the ladies on the singles "Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)" and "Some Girls (Dance With Women)."

Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante releases another solo album this week. The ambient Shadows Collide With People drops alongside Liars' second proper, and darker, album, They Were Wrong So We Drowned. Inspired by folklore, fairy tales and witch hunts, the album opens with the track "Brocken Witch," which takes its name from Walpurgisnacht, the night that witches take their broomsticks out for a spin on Germany's Brocken mountain.

Tony Touch's Piece Maker II features the embarrassment of riches in the form of Snoop, P. Diddy, Method Man, Redman, N.O.R.E. and Fat Joe. Meanwhile, Young Gunz's Tough Luv is another cameo jackpot. Chingy, Cam'ron, Juelz Santana and Beanie Sigel all roll through the album.

Error, a band featuring members of Bad Religion, Nine Inch Nails and Dillinger Escape Plan, and their self-titled album share shelf space this week with Orgy's Punk Statik Paranoia and Cannibal Corpse's Wretched Spawn.

And, finally, from the cutesy-free title files, Royce da 5'9" reminds us that Death Is Certain.

Out Tuesday, February 24:

• 90 Day Men - Panda Park (Southern)
• Johnny A. - Get Inside (Favored Nations)
• Anathema - A Natural Disaster (Koch)
• The Battlefield Band - Out for the Night (Temple/Rounder)
• David Berkman - Start Here, Finish There (Palmetto)
• Andy Bey - American Song (Savoy Jazz)
• Eric Bibb, Rory Block and Maria Muldaur - Sisters & Brothers (Telarc)
• Blank & Jones featuring Robert Smith - A Forest (Water Music)
• Blasters - Live: Going Home (Shout! Factory)
• Blindside - About a Burning Fire (Elektra)
• Butterfly Boucher - Flutterby (A&M)
• Randall Bramblett - Thin Places (New West)
• Jonatha Brooke - Back in the Circus (Bad Dog)
• Paul Brown - Up Front (GRP)
• Cannibal Corpse - The Wretched Spawn (Metal Blade)
• Jen Chapin - Linger (Hybrid)
• JC Chasez - Schizophrenic (Jive)
  
• Read: "JC Chasez Learns To 'Shake It' Like A Polaroid Picture On Schizophrenic"
  Buy Now: Schizophrenic (Jive)
  
• The Cooper Temple Clause - Kick Up the Fire and Let the Flames Break Loose (RCA)
• Ferry Corsten - Right of Way (Moonshine)
• Darol Anger and the American Fiddle Ensemble - Republic of Strings (Compass)
• Dervish - Spirit (Compass)
• En Vogue - Soul Flower (33rd Street)
• Error - Error (Epitaph)
• Evening - Other Victorians (Lookout!)
• Falling Up - Crashings (BEC/Tooth & Nail)
• Frames - Set List (Anti)
• John Frusciante - Shadows Collide With People (Warner Bros.)
  Buy Now: Shadows Collide With People (Warner Bros.)
  
• God Awfuls - Next Stop, Armageddon (Kung Fu)
• John Gregory - Pictures From Home (Atlantic)
• Hasmik Harutyunyan - Armenian Lullabies (Rounder)
• Roy Haynes - Fountain of Youth (Dreyfus)
• Skip Heller - Fakebook (Hyena)
• Van Hunt - Van Hunt (Capitol)
• Hypocrisy - The Arrival (Nuclear Blast)
• Janis Ian - Billie's Bones (Oh Boy!)
• Ingram Hill - June's Picture Show (Hollywood)
• Bob James - Take It From the Top (Koch)
• Paul Kelly - Ways & Means (spinART)
• Kelsang Chukie Tethong - Voice of Tara (Narada Jazz)
• Kutless - Sea of Faces (BEC/Tooth & Nail)
• Lamb - Between Darkness and Wonder (Koch)
• Liars - They Were Wrong So We Drowned (Mute)
• Luomo - The Present Lover (Kinetic)
• Madcap - Under Suspicion (Victory)
• Anne McCue - Roll (Messenger)
• Brad Mehldau - Anything Goes (Warner Bros.)
• Minus 5 - In Rock (Yep Roc)
• Steve Morse - Major Impacts 2 (Magna Carta)
• Orgy - Punk Statik Paranoia (D1)
  Buy Now: Punk Statik Paranoia (D1)
  
• Outernationalists - Ethnomixicology (Six Degrees)
• Peter, Paul and Mary - In These Times (Rhino)
• Grant-Lee Phillips - Virginia Creeper (Zoë/Rounder)
• Poozies - Changed Days, Same Roots (Compass)
• Dirk Powell - Time Again (Rounder)
• Primal Fear- Devil's Ground (Nuclear Blast)
• Prong - Scorpio Rising (Locomotive)
• Ramon Valle - No Escape (ACT/HighNote)
• Royce da 5'9" - Death Is Certain (Koch/In the Paint)
• Scars of Tomorrow - Rope Tied to the Trigger (Victory)
• The Shoghaken Ensemble - Traditional Dances of Armenia (Rounder)
• Sly & Robbie/Mad Professor - The Dub Revolutionaries (Sanctuary/Ras)
• Rick Springfield - Shock Denial Anger Acceptance (Red Ink)
• Superlitio - Tripping Tropicana (BMG)
• Tangle Eye - Alan Lomax's Southern Journey Remixed (Zoë/Rounder)
• Tantric - After We Go (Maverick)
• Jimmy Thackery and Tab Benoit - Whiskey Store Live! (Telarc)
• Tony Touch - Piece Maker II (Touch/Koch)
• Vast - Nude (456)
• Visionaries - Pangaea (Up Above)
• The Washdown - Yes to Everything (Lookout!)
• Robin and Linda Williams - Deeper Waters (Red House)
• Young Gunz - Tough Luv (Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam)
• Various artists - Africa Straight Ahead (Heads Up/Telarc Jazz)
• Various artists - Bellydance Superstars Vol. II (Ark 21)
• Various artists - Clublife 2 (System)
• Various artists - Music as a Weapon II (Reprise)
• Various artists - Pure Progressive (Water Music)
• Various artists - Suite Royal: St. Moritz, Vibes Vol. II (Milan)
• DVD: David Cassidy - Live in Concert (Image Entertainment)
• DVD: Various artists - Cuban Hip Hop All-Stars (Raptivism)
• DVD: Various artists - Ministry of Sound: Annual 2003 (Image Entertainment)

March 2:

• Black Sabbath - Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath 1970-78 (Rhino)
• Cee-Lo - Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine (Arista)
• The Get Up Kids - Guilt Show (Vagrant)
  Buy Now: Guilt Show (Vagrant)
  
• Hootie and the Blowfish - The Best of Hootie and the Blowfish 1993-2003 (Atlantic)

March 9:

• BT - Music From and Inspired by the Film "Monster" (Digital Sound)

March 30:

• Janet Jackson - Damita Jo (Virgin)
  Read: "Janet Jackson Making Sexiest Album Yet, Producer Says"
  Buy Now: Damita Jo (Virgin)
  

April 6:

• Rahzel - Rahzel's Greatest Knockouts (Readyrock)
  Buy Now: Rahzel's Greatest Knockouts (Readyrock)
  

• JC Chasez
• Liars
• Tony Touch
• Young Gunz
• Orgy

Coldplay, Eric Clapton, Richard Ashcroft, Doves, Supergrass and Madness are among the artists scheduled to play the third annual Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concerts from March 24 to 29 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Teenage Cancer Trust aims to serve the needs of teenagers and young adults in the U.K. with cancer, leukemia, Hodgkin's and other related diseases. ... Eric Clapton, meanwhile, is going back to school Tuesday night (March 18), playing solo and answering questions at the Birkdale School in Sheffield, England, to help raise money for the school orchestra. ...

Alabama's Trust Company opted to begin work on their sophomore album, the follow-up to 2002's The Lonely Position of Neutral, over performing on the second stage of Ozzfest. A replacement has not yet been named. ... Craig David has chosen the next single from his Slicker Than Your Average LP: "Rise & Fall," which features Sting. On Thursday, David will give a special concert at Adrian High School in Adrian, Michigan, as an appreciation for students who brought clothes, food and other aid to the poverty-stricken town of Los Olivas, Mexico, whose residents must forage though a landfill for daily necessities. ...

Jesus Mezquia, the man accused of murdering Mia Zapata, singer for Seattle's the Gits, has abandoned his fight against being extradited to Washington. The Florida man was arrested in January and is being held without bail in Miami on first-degree murder charges, nearly a decade after 27-year-old Zapata was found beaten, raped and strangled on a Seattle street. ...

Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler suffered a broken collarbone and six broken ribs on Monday after the Honda motorcycle he was driving collided with a Fiat Punto in London's Belgravia district. Knopfler was rushed to St. Thomas' Hospital in Central London, treated for his injuries then discharged. Knopfler is scheduled to tour Europe in April. ... Slayer have delayed the release of their DVD "War at the Warfield" until sometime in April. The concert was recorded in San Francisco on December 7, 2001 during the band's God Hates the World Tour. It marks one of the final performances with drummer Paul Bostaph, who left the group to join Systematic. ...

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has sent 300 letters to companies whose employees are allegedly involved in illegally downloading music and films on company computers with file-sharing software including Kazaa and Morpheus. The RIAA pointed out that this is blatant copyright infringement and warned of possible fines and seizure of equipment. Most of the letters were sent to technology firms (35 percent), medical firms (20 percent) and manufacturing companies (20 percent). ...

Pete Yorn has tapped Grandaddy for his U.S. tour set to kick off April 21 in San Francisco and ending June 2 in Santa Barbara, California. Yorn's new album, Day I Forgot, hits stores April 15, while Grandaddy's album Sumday is slated for release on June 10. ... New York rockers the Liars have hit the studio to record the follow-up to their 2001 LP, They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top. The band will showcase some of its new songs during a string of concert dates beginning April 28 in Northampton, Massachusetts, and wrapping up June 1 in New York. ...

03.17.03

Ginuwine has even more people to yell "Hell Yeah" with. For the remix of his current single, Gin teams with the song's writer and producer, R. "The Pied Piper of R&B" Kelly, Baby and the Clipse. ...

B2K will play the Temptations and sing "My Girl" in an episode of "American Dreams" filming this week in Los Angeles. Duncan Sheik and Vivian Green are also slated for appearances on the NBC drama, which has featured Vanessa Carlton, Nick Carter and others since it debuted last fall. ...

Detroit punk legend Iggy Pop will reunite with his Stooges bandmates Ron and Scott Asheton and for the first time in 28 years onstage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 27. The group will presumably play Iggy and the Stooges tunes, as well as a sample from the four songs the trio cut for Pop's upcoming solo LP, due this summer. Taking over the bass role for David Alexander, who died in 1975, will be former Minutemen/ Firehose bassist Mike Watt. Sweden's the Hives have also been added to the two-day festival, headlined by the Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers. ... A year after it launched, indie label Sub Pop Records released Nirvana's debut, Bleach, and the rest, as they say, is history. Brush up on your knowledge of the Seattle imprint's chronology with Terminal Sales, a retrospective of the label's legacy from 1988-2003, due June 3. The double-disc set will include tracks from Kurt Cobain and company, Sebadoh, the Shins, Soundgarden, Sunny Day Real Estate, the White Stripes and Bright Eyes, many of which have never before been released on CD and/or were featured in the Sub Pop Singles Club. ...

The Flaming Lips, who surprised fans by performing with Justin Timberlake recently, are continuing their pop aspirations, covering Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (a live favorite for the band) for an EP due April 22. Fight Test will also feature a cover of Radiohead's "Knives Out," a live performance of Beck's "The Golden Age" with the singer, a remix of "Do You Realize??" and two new tracks, "The Strange Design of Conscience" and "Thank You Jack White (For the Fiber-Optic Jesus That You Gave Me)," an ode to the White Stripes frontman. ... If the rumors of friction in the supergroup were true, apparently Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill have set aside their differences long enough to record another LSG album. The trio's follow-up to their 1997 self-titled LP is due in June. The first single, "Just Friends," samples Whodini's classic "Friends" and features Loon. ...

Currently on the SnoCore Rock tour through March 25, El Paso's Sparta will gear up for their two-week opening slot (April 19-May 3) on Pearl Jam's North American tour by priming crowds for Bad Religion from April 4 in San Bernardino, California, to April 13 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The band, composed of three former members of At the Drive-In, continues to support last year's Wiretap Scars. ... The Goo Goo Dolls and Hootie and the Blowfish have been added to the Dale Earnhardt tribute concert on June 28 at Daytona International Speedway. Sheryl Crow and several country bands are also performing at the concert, the first non-racing event to be held at the legendary speedway. ...

Teemu "Somnium" Raimoranta, the guitarist for death metal bands Impaled Nazarene and Finntroll, died March 16 in Finland. He was 25. A post on the Finntroll Web Site said, "This is an extremely heavy blow for us. We hope the fans and public won't speculate. More information will be available when things calm down." ... Frost, the drummer for Norwegian black metal band Satyricon, broke a bone in his foot during soundcheck in Milan, Italy, on March 12, but that didn't stop him from taking the stage that night. He also performed the band's next show two days later in Treviso. "Frost was in excruciating pain during our show," said a note on the band's Web site. "But he played remarkably well despite his break." ...

• Coldplay
• TRUSTcompany
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Sting
• Craig David

Whitney Houston
Photo: Arista

Fresh off her television appearance that lit up message boards everywhere, Whitney Houston is ready to get people talking again with her first release in four years, Just Whitney.

Of course, if you don't want an album that "just" features one artist, there's always hip-hop CDs with their many guest appearances. Common's Electric Circus features everyone from Erykah Badu and Jill Scott to Sonny from P.O.D. and the Neptunes' Pharrell Williams. Nas's double album God's Son, whose release date was bumped up to combat bootleggers, steers clear of Murder Inc. colleagues in favor of Alicia Keys and Kelis. And GZA teams up with many of his Wu-Tang affiliates like Ghostface Killah, RZA and Inspectah Deck on Legend of the Liquid Sword.

Most likely to stay away from swords of any kind are T.A.T.U., a pair of Russian teenagers who'll storm the States this week with 200 km/hr in the Wrong Lane and their cheery cover of the Smiths' "How Soon Is Now?," while homegrown teens B2K create purposeful Pandemonium! with their new album.

Phish reunited after several members' side projects for Round Room, while a couple of posthumous LPs come down the pike from Joey Ramone (Christmas Spirit ... In My House) and Aaliyah (I Care 4 U.)

Out Tuesday, December 10:

• 504 Boyz - Ballers (New No Limit)
  Read: "Master P Showing Off Gucci Ferrari, Helicopter In 504 Boyz Videos"
• Aaliyah - I Care 4 U (Universal)
  Read: "Aaliyah LP Will Have Hits, Six New Songs, DVD Of Her Videos"
  Buy Now: I Care 4 U (Universal)
• Ragheb Alama - Tab Leh (Mondo Melodia)
• Animal - 900 lb Steam (Perris)
• B2K - Pandemonium! (Epic)
  Read: "B2K, P. Diddy Inject New Life Into Retirement-Home Dances" Buy Now: Pandemonium! (Epic)
• Bile - Copy Machine (Underground Inc.)
• Black From the Dead - Black From the Dead (Underground Inc.)
• Eric Burdon - He Used to Be an Animal (Sanctuary)
• Byrne - Slowly and Gloriously (EP, Rocket Girl)
• Jerry Cantrell - Degradation Trip 1 & 2 (Roadrunner)
  Read: "Jerry Cantrell Reroutes His Degradation Trip, Plans Tour"
• Common - The Electric Circus (MCA)
  Read: "Common On A Musical Journey With Progressive Electric Circus"
• Count Bass D - Dwight Spitz (High Times)
• Covenant - Northern Light (Metropolis)
• Creeper Lagoon - Remember the Future (EP, Arena Rock)
• Dare - Belief (Legen)
• Disco & Vibe - The Album (Wicked)
• Duke of Earl - Duke of Earl (Familia)
• Esham - Acid Rain Greatest Hits (Psychopathic)
• Fatal - Fatal (Rap-a-Lot)
• Gathering - Black Light District (Psy)
• Philip Glass - "The Hours" soundtrack (Nonesuch)
• GZA/Genius - Legend of the Liquid Sword (MCA)
• Whitney Houston - Just Whitney (Arista)
  Read: "Whitney Houston 'Back To Goose-Bump Time' On New LP"
  Buy Now: Just Whitney (Arista)
• Independents - Back From the Grave (Jump Up)
• Jett Brando - Jagged Junktion (EP, Go Kart)
• Kills - Black Rooster (EP, Dim Mak)
• Liars/Oneida - Atheists Reconsider (Split EP, Arena Rock)
• Nivea - Nivea (Jive)
• Phish - Round Room (Elektra)
  Read: Phish Wrap New Album In Four Days, Plan February Tour
• Plan B - Like a Ship Sailing (Luckyhorse)
• Planetary Assault Systems - Archives 2 (Peacefrog)
• Punishers - Beat Me (Rumbl)
• Queen Latifah - She's a Queen: A Collection of Hits (Motown)
• Joey Ramone - Christmas Spirit ... In My House (EP, Sanctuary)
• Snypaz - Snypaz (Rap-a-Lot)
• Swizz Beatz - Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories (DreamWorks)
• T.A.T.U. - 200 km/hr in the Wrong Lane (Interscope)
• Throbbing Gristle - 24 Hours of Throbbing Gristle. (box set, Mute)
• Virtual Voodoo - Bugi-Vugi (EFA-Coline)
• Worthless United - I Am Nothing (EP, Now or Never)
• Various artists - Black on Black - Tribute to Black Flag (Initial)
• Various artists - Bossa Mundo 2 (Wave)
• Various artists - "Catch Me If You Can" soundtrack (DreamWorks)
• Various artists - "Drumline" soundtrack (Jive)
  Read: "JC Chasez, Joe, Jadakiss, Alicia Keys On 'Drumline' Soundtrack"
• Various artists - Fashion Week (George V)
• Various artists - Flipsides (Groove Attack)
• Various artists - Gatecrasher Residents Transmission (Gatecrasher)
• Various artists - Headquarters: Berlin (EFA-Caroline)
• Various artists - "The Hot Chick" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists - "La Boheme" soundtrack (DreamWorks)
• Various artists - "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" soundtrack (Reprise)
• Various artists - Making Singles, Drinking Doubles (Bloodshot)
• Various artists - "Pinocchio" soundtrack (Virgin)
• Various artists - Hidden Beach Recordings Presents: Unwrapped Vol. 2 (Epic)
• DVD: Tony Bennett - "Wonderful World: Live From San Francisco" (Columbia)
• DVD: "Drive-Thru Records" (Drive-Thru)
• DVD: Alanis Morissette - "Feast on Scraps" (Maverick)
  Read: "Alanis Fans To Feast On Scraps In December"
• DVD: A Motown Christmas (Motown)

December 13:

• Nas - God's Son (Sony)
  Read: "Nas To Release God's Son Earlier Than Planned

December 17:

• Lil' Flip - The Leprechaun (Sucka Free/Columbia)
• Lil' Romeo - Game Time (New No Limit)
• S Club 7 - Don't Stop Movin'(Universal)
• Various artists - "Gangs of New York" soundtrack (Interscope)
• Various artists - The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 6 (Def Jam)

December 24:

• Various artists - We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to the Ramones (Sony)
  Read: "Rob Zombie Finalizes Ramones Tribute With Last-Minute Adds"

December 31:

• Various artists - "Deliver Us From Eva" soundtrack (Hollywood)

January 14:

• Fabolous - Street Dreams (Elektra)
  Read: "Fabolous Shoots 'Party' Video, Dreams With Mary J. Blige"

January 21:

• Pretty Girls Make Graves - Pretty Girls Make Graves (EP, Tiger Style)

February 11:

• Third Eye Blind - Crystal Baller (Elektra)
  Read: "Third Eye Blind Recruit Fred Durst, Andrew W.K. For Third Album"

February 21:

• Blu Cantrell - Bittersweet (Arista)

• Whitney Houston
• Aaliyah
• Phish
• B2K
• Common

Liars
Photo: Joe Dilworth

"Why start a band if you're just going to do the same thing everyone has done for the last 50 years?" asks Liars bassist Pat Nature.

Adopting that rhetorical statement as mantra, Nature's band reins in odd sounds, group shouting and walls of noise on its debut, They Threw Us in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top, sending the mash careening through unorthodox bass-driven melodies for a result that at once takes a stern punk stance while being unapologetically infectious.

"It's a search for new sounds," Nature continued, explaining the New York quartet's ethos. "It's the experimentation of trying to find sounds in untraditional areas that you gravitate toward because they are unexpected."

With the album's first single, "Mr Your on Fire Mr," just beginning to get its legs, and a three-track Fins to Make Us More Fish-Like EP set to drop November 12, the band's hooks and innovative approach can hardly be attributed to experience — and thanks to the lack thereof, Liars maintain their freshness.

"This band is more about not what we learn, but what we collectively unlearn," singer Angus Andrew said in his deep Australian drawl. "A lot of the best art is the most uninformed. Bad drawings are great, and we work off that premise. If we don't know how to do something, then that might give us the one up."

One thing Liars don't know how to do is keep it short and simple. Their album, issued last year on Gern Blandsten and reissued this year by Mute, sports a 13-word title as well as songs with names like "Grown Men Dont Fall in the River, Just Like That," "Nothing Is Ever Lost or Can Be Lost My Science Friend" and "Tumbling Walls Buried in the Debris With ESG"? Why are your titles so damn long?

"Why are everyone else's song titles so damn short?" guitarist Aaron Hemphill fired back.

Liars buck convention with such aplomb that they've risen to the top of New York's "next big thing" set, along with Interpol, Radio 4, !!! and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, with whom they recently toured, supporting Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The two buzz bands will tour again beginning October 23 in Cleveland on a co-headlining tour carrying the biggest cachet of cool since the White Stripes and the Strokes played together this summer.

"It feels right to be on tour with them," Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O said. "I think it's the most exciting bill ever. If I was a teenager, I'd be on cloud nine. It's going to be a real high-energy, raucous show."

It also promises to be one fueled by friendly competition.

"If we have to go first, we'll try to make them step up to us," O explained. "And if they go first, we're going to have to rise to the occasion because they're so good. We're constantly trying to outdo each other, so that's going to make it a really fun and crazy show."

Like Liars' laurels — Rolling Stone, Spin, The New York Times and others have pinned them as among the best in the Big Apple — praise for the YYY runs deep. The bassless trio that also features guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase will play the stripped-down Stripes to Liars' supercharged Strokes on the upcoming jaunt, and their five-song EP, Master, released by bedroom indie Shifty last year and given a larger display in July by Chicago's Touch and Go, sparked a label bidding war.

Flattered but not swayed, the band rejected the offers and instead decided to record in Brooklyn's Headgear Studios on its own dime, just like the Strokes, and then test the contractual waters. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have 17 songs in the can, which they'll prune to 12 for an album due in February.

"We're just really protective of what we're doing," O said. "We don't want to put ourselves into a position where we're subject to any outside pressure or being told what to do. That makes sense to us because we've basically done everything ourselves from the beginning, so we're kind of just going along on the same path of 'do it yourself.' "

Master dances from garage rock ("Bang," "Miles Away") to bouncy, edgy pop ("Mystery Girl") to avant-garde noise ("Art Star"), and Karen said the new album promises similar schizophrenia.

"We're consistent that way," she joked. "Consistent with not being consistent."

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' decision to remove themselves from the industry's clutches is also a reaction to months of relentless hype.

"It's really exciting because there are so many opportunities that have come up that have made the experience really wild and crazy, but it's gotten a little too wild and crazy," O said. "The problem with all of the attention and all of the hype is that it quickens the pace of things. So we have to put the brakes on and re-sort ourselves out. Things were moving a little too fast for us, and we just basically wanted to write songs and play shows."

Liars, conversely, realize that hype and loftily expectations can be construed as a kick in the pants to keep them from taking it too easy.

"As much as you try to ignore the press, it still gets to you," Andrew explained. "It's just another factor that you have to deal with, and you become better for it because you're challenged in that way. People might say, 'No, you're not really that good, and you're on the cover of a magazine.' And I'm glad they're thinking that, because at least they're thinking about us. But maybe we do have to be better ... or maybe we shouldn't be on the magazine cover."

Liars/Yeah Yeah Yeahs tour dates, according to Liars' publicist:

• 10/23 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop

• 10/24 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick

• 10/25 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle

• 10/26 - Chicago, IL @ Fireside Bowl

• 10/27 - Newport, KY @ Southgate House

• 10/28 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Laga

• Liars
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs