Babyshambles' Pete Doherty and Adam Ficek speak with MTV News Germany
Photo: MTV News Germany

Troubled British singer Pete Doherty interrupted a recent MTV Germany interview with his band Babyshambles by squirting a syringe full of what appeared to be his own blood at the camera.

"That was a wicked shot," Doherty said afterward, smiling as his bandmembers looked on in shock.

"I'm really sorry about this," guitarist Drew McConnell replied, apologizing to the crew as he left the room. "That's f---ing f---ed up."

The MTV News crew sat down with McConnell and drummer Adam Ficek after a concert in Berlin on Thursday, but Doherty initially refused to participate.

Shortly after the interview began, however, he strolled into the room, sat down next to McConnell and took aim at the camera with his syringe, splattering the blood on the crew.

Doherty left shortly after and then returned with Ficek and sat back down, pretending to be an MTV News reporter. He picked up a guitar and ad-libbed a song. "Oh Drew, what's the matter with you," he sang, then went on to mumble something about blood.

The incident is the latest in a long string of shocking behavior by Doherty, the former Libertines frontman and Kate Moss' ex-boyfriend.

In December and again in January, Doherty was arrested for possession of small quantities of heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana, and in February, he was sentenced to a year of community service and ordered to rehab. Last month, Doherty was arrested on suspicion of drug offenses in London after pictures surfaced allegedly showing him injecting a drug into the arm of an apparently unconscious female fan. And last week he failed to appear for a court hearing in London for a review of his detox program.

			Doherty's Bloody Stunt Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty shoots what appears to be blood at an MTV News camera.

Doherty has long battled a drug addiction that has caused multiple setbacks to both Libertines and Babyshambles.

In the interview before Doherty appeared, McConnell expressed the band's frustration with the singer's erratic behavior, particularly his tendency to show up late for or miss shows.

"I don't like leaving people waiting 10 minutes, let alone three f---ing hours," McConnell said. "It's rude and out of order, and it's not something that sits comfortably with us, and we apologize from the bottom of our hearts to anyone who's ever had to wait for a show."

So why do they continue on?

"The reason why we put up with this as a pair of musicians who are working with Peter is we believe in the music very much, and I suppose that could translate to the fans," he said. "Obviously the music means a lot to them too. And when you've got a friend who you love very much, you put up with a lot because there's something inside you stopping you from abandoning him."

• Babyshambles
• The Libertines

Former Libertines frontman Pete Doherty (file)
Photo: Jo Hale

Former Libertines frontman Pete Doherty has been arrested for his alleged role in the assault of a 30-year-old documentary filmmaker at the Rookery Hotel in the central London, according to British newspaper The Guardian.

A Scotland Yard spokesperson told the paper that police went to the hotel shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday evening, following "a report of a man being assaulted." While a police spokesperson confirmed that an arrest had been made in connection with the incident, he did not confirm the identity of the detained person.

The man — whom several British media outlets are reporting is Doherty — was also charged with suspicion of theft.

Max Carlish, the alleged victim, told The Guardian that he had been treated for two black eyes and a broken nose. Doherty reportedly accused Carlish of selling pictures of the self-confessed drug addict "smoking heroin" to newspapers.

Carlish told the Daily Mirror that he and Doherty were in a hotel, and that "everything was going fine until he started demanding loads of cash. He wanted thousands, and I knew he was going to go out and spend it on heroin. He was desperate for a fix. I said 'No,' and he went berserk, punching me."

Doherty, who has been romantically linked to supermodel Kate Moss, was kicked out of the Libertines last year and subsequently formed his current band, Babyshambles (see "Courtney Love Tame By Comparison To U.K.'s Libertines In 2004"). In 2003, he spent six months in jail for burglarizing the home of former Libertines bandmate Carl Barat, and was handed a four-month suspended jail sentence this fall for an unrelated weapons-possession charge.

• The Libertines

The Libertines (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Looking back on 2004, one can't help but wonder where all the rock and roll debauchery has gone. Yellowcard seem like good kids — after all, they sing songs about their high school sweethearts and their dear old dads. Good Charlotte's Joel Madden likes spending his time with a certain wholesome pop princess. The members of Green Day, who are about a decade older than the other groups on today's chart, continue to get ill ... when they're not reading their kids bedtime stories, that is.

Sure, there are a few artists who still feel it's their duty to party on all days that end in "y." Sum 41 and Avril Lavigne are two of them, though their Canadian citizenship doesn't bode well for the hell-raising quotient in the States. But as American rock threatens with all of the untamed fury of a Clay Aiken concert, British quartet the Libertines have dutifully picked up the slack. The band's exploits over the past year, which include onstage fallouts, myriad stints in rehab, no-shows and riots, make even Courtney Love's antics seem tame by comparison.

What's even more remarkable is that the Libertines managed to create one of the better albums that came out this year, their self-titled second LP, while getting in as much trouble as a Scott Weiland/ DMX/ Bobby Brown supergroup. For a band whose principal members, Pete Doherty and Carl Barat, were compared to great songsmith teams such as Lennon-McCartney and Jagger-Richards, their breakthrough single, "What a Waster," unfortunately became the apt descriptor for Doherty.

Doherty's miserable plight started in August 2002, when the band, which also includes bassist John Hassal and drummer Gary Powell, was forced to perform a show as a trio because Doherty went AWOL after an in-studio scuffle with co-singer/guitarist Barat. He reappeared two days later, beginning a streak of delinquency that would continue through the end of 2004.

Doherty's drug use became problematic the following year, when strings of shows had to be canceled and he started what would become almost comical attempts at cleaning up. With Doherty in rehab, the band soldiered on to Japan without him, so after fleeing the facility, he did what any estranged bandmember would do under similar circumstances: He broke into Barat's house and stole some equipment and a laptop computer for drug money.

The term "good behavior" and Pete Doherty go together like oil and water, but amazingly, the six-month prison sentence he received for the crime was shortened to only a month. In October 2003, he rejoined his band and things were relatively calm for a while.

The subsequent storm hit in March of 2004, when the Libertines' wheels truly fell off. A triumphant three-night stand in London ended with Doherty smashing his guitar and storming offstage halfway through the final set. He returned a few songs later with a mysterious gash across his chest. Needless to say, there was no encore.

A rambling message posted on his Web site, www.babyshambles.com, a few days later announcing his side project, Babyshambles, fueled speculation that the Libertines' days were numbered. The new group's early gigs only hinted at the disasters that lay ahead.

A riot broke out at the band's release party for its first single when the crowd spilled into the parking lot, where an impromptu sing-along set caused street traffic to come to a halt. Remarkably, despite the damage to the club, which included a collapsed wall, a second gig was booked just days later. That show went off without a hitch, and a few weeks later Doherty entered rehab again. His periodic postings on his Web site, which were often incoherent run-ons, declared his physical improvement but did little to restore confidence in his mental state. Following entries such as "Yes, children, the deliriums and caterwaulings are giving in to, well, Peter Doherty, whoever the f--- that may be," he unsurprisingly was placed on suicide watch, a serious condition that lasted just long enough for him to escape the facility.

Just days after becoming a free man, Doherty quit the band in late May. While slamming his former bandmates in the press every chance he got, he took off for yet another unsuccessful trip to rehab, this time in France.

Doherty rejoined the Libertines for a show in early June, and to the uninformed, things looked to be OK. Especially since, after the show, he declared that he would be leaving for an unorthodox rehab program based at the Thamkrabok Monastery in Thailand. His bandmates, manager and family were very optimistic — until he fled to Bangkok.

He returned to the U.K. in mid-June, and was arrested within hours upon touching down. Police stopped him for a driving offense and found a switchblade. As he professed his innocence, the Libertines vowed to continue without him.

Doherty, meanwhile, went solo. Without bandmates to keep him in check, he was driven solely by his dependency. He blew off two shows in early August, and a court appearance to answer the weapons charge the following week. At the rescheduled hearing, he pleaded guilty, and later got off easy with a four-month suspended sentence.

A few days after the hearing, Doherty claimed to have been attacked in the street by a thug who called him a crackhead. Having hit rock bottom, or at least seemingly so, the troubled rock star moved back in with his parents in September. But unable to let sleeping dogs lie, he lashed out at his former band with the first song by Babyshambles.

In October, the Libertines toured the U.S., while Doherty blew off a few more commitments. The one show he did manage to make was regrettable. Performing with Babyshambles at a trendy club, he wrecked a piece of modern art estimated to be worth £100,000 ($191,000). He was subsequently permanently banned from the club. Still, that didn't stop Babyshambles, which became a true spectator sport as the year wound down. At XFM's radio festival in December, after showing up two hours late the group got the boot from the multi-band lineup after playing just two songs.

Despite the obvious trainwreck his career was becoming, Doherty somehow thought he could hold it together long enough to tour the U.K. The first show on December 11 went off well enough, until fans started throwing things at him. He retaliated with a verbal assault that lost its potency upon turning into an unintelligible rant about napping on tour buses. A few shows later, he had to be pulled offstage by his manager. Concertgoers recounted scenes of his forgetting lines and actually nodding off at the mic. Doherty's bandmates got so fed up, they left him alone onstage to perform solo acoustic. After 30 minutes, he was forcibly removed from the stage in a headlock.

As the Libertines played what was likely their last show ever on December 18, making good on Barat's earlier statements that he didn't want to play in the band without Doherty, Babyshambles didn't play at all. They were scheduled to go on at midnight, but by 2 a.m. they were nowhere to be found. Deprived of their headliners, the fans stormed the stage and the police were called.

Leave it to Pete Doherty to end the year with a bang. And the best/worst might be yet to come. Despite his inability to perform on cue for one gig, the singer/guitarist has scheduled four shows for New Year's Eve. As if one catastrophe per night weren't enough.

• The Libertines

Halle Berry, Dave Chappelle, Kirsten Dunst, Eve, Jimmy Fallon, Kate Hudson, Scarlett Johansson, Shia LaBeouf, Tobey Maguire and Snoop Dogg have signed on as the first set of presenters for the 2004 MTV Movie Awards. Last week, Lindsay Lohan was named the host of this year's ceremony, which airs on June 10. ...

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow are celebrating the birth of their baby girl, Apple Blythe Alison Martin. The baby was born Friday at a London hospital and weighed in at 9 pounds, 11 ounces. "We are 900 miles over the moon, and we'd like to thank everyone at the hospital who have looked after us amazingly," Martin said in a statement. In commemoration, Coldplay have posted a spoof video on their Web site, in which they're wearing wigs and performing as the Nappies, who bear more than a slight resemblance to the Darkness. During the clip, which is available for one week, Martin raps, "I'll be there through the thin and the thick/ I'm gonna clean up all the poo and the sick." Paltrow announced in December that she and Martin were expecting. ...

Though it's meant for the U.K., Christina Aguilera's commercial for Virgin Mobile — where she has a sort of "When Harry Met Sally" moment — is now available online at www.xtina-spotted.com. ... Jessica Simpson and her sister Ashlee are teaming up for another commercial endorsement. Following their Pizza Hut ads together, the siblings are shilling for Ice Breakers' new Liquid Ice breath mints. "As a busy newlywed and singer, I know how important it is to have fresh breath," Jessica Simpson said in a statement. "Whether it's liquid or it's ice — Ashlee seems to think it's both — Liquid Ice does the trick. But I'm a little stumped, so I'm hoping everyone will try it, decide for themselves, and cast their vote at www.liquidice.com." For every vote received, Hershey Foods is donating $1 — up to $10,000 — to Rock the Vote. ...

Joey Fatone, who made his Broadway debut in "Rent," will return to the Great White Way in "Little Shop of Horrors." Fatone will play Seymour in the production at the Virginia Theatre, starting on June 24. ... P.O.D. were forced to cancel a show on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, after singer Sonny Sandoval fell from the stage and bruised his ribs at a show a few days earlier. Sandoval is recovering and was able to perform in Atlanta on Sunday. ...

The inaugural NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge will have a special guest when it kicks off at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 22. Lenny Kravitz will be the grand marshal and say the obligatory "gentleman, start your engines." ... Jon Bon Jovi will act in two upcoming films. According to the Bon Jovi Web site, the Jersey rocker will star as Frank in National Lampoon's "The Trouble With Frank," directed by Arthur Hiller. The singer also has a minor role in "Cry Wolf," a modern-day adaptation of the children's tale "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," which is slated for a fall release. ...

A host of reggae artists has gotten together to pay tribute to Bob Dylan. The 15-track Is It Rolling, Bob, due August 10, features contributions from Toots Hibbert, the Mighty Diamonds and Sizzla covering "Maggie's Farm," "Lay Lady Lay" and "Subterranean Homesick Blues," respectively. ... On May 31, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Baby Cham and T.O.K. will play at the fifth annual Celebrity Soccer Match, Caribbean Family Day and Food Festival taking place at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York. ...

Libertines frontman Pete Doherty checked into the Priory drug addiction clinic in London on Friday. The band's second album, tentatively due this summer, is currently being mixed. ... Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood has been hired by the BBC Concert Orchestra to write songs as a composer in residence. Greenwood's music will be broadcast in the U.K. by Radio 3, and he will also write for BBC festivals and theme tunes for programs. ...

05.14.2004

Producer Phil Spector, on bail and awaiting trial for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, was arrested Friday after a scuffle with his chauffeur at his Los Angeles area mansion. Spector and his driver, Toby Wheeler, were reportedly arguing about business when a fight broke out and the two placed each other under citizen's arrest. Police arrested both men for investigation of misdemeanor battery, according to Lieutenant Elliot Kase, who said no weapons were involved. Spector's hand and Wheeler's jaw were treated on the scene. Spector is due in court June 14 to answer the charges, which will not affect his bail. ...

Usher is in preliminary talks with MGM to star in and executive produce — along with his mother/manager Jonnetta Patton — the script for "Step in the Name of Love," according to his spokesperson. The discussions are in very early stages, according to his booking agency, but if produced, the film would be a period piece on the step movement, a Chicago derivative of swing dancing. ...

Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child announced Friday (May 14) that she's marrying her boyfriend of six months Roy Williams, a safety with the Dallas Cowboys. Williams proposed in New York on Monday at a party, whose guests included Rowland's groupmate Beyoncé. ... Six months after they legally got married, Audioslave's Chris Cornell and Vicky Karayiannis celebrated with a ceremony in Paris last weekend. Following the nuptials, Cornell sang to his bride, while guests feasted on a six-foot wedding cake. Cornell's band, meanwhile, is gearing up to hit the studio to record its second album in the next few weeks. The LP is expected out by the end of the year. ...

Fans dressed "as maggotish as possible" will descend on New York on May 21 to spread the word about Slipknot's Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), set for release May 25. Organized by the Slipknot street team, the "March of the Maggots" will begin at the Roadrunner Records offices. ... New York radio station Hot 97 has just announced more acts for its June 12 Summer Jam concert at Giants Stadium. The G-Unit with Tony Yayo, Ludacris and Chingy have all been added. ...

Wilco's Jeff Tweedy has completed his stint in rehab, and the band will hit the road to support its fifth album, A Ghost Is Born, beginning May 19 in De Kalb, Illinois. Tweedy sought treatment for a painkiller addiction last month, forcing the band to cancel a handful of tour dates, including a stop at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival earlier this month. ... The long-awaited sixth album from Green Day will be called American Idiot and is tentatively scheduled for a September 14 release. The title track will serve as the album's first single. ...

U2's Bono said Thursday that the long-awaited follow-up to All That You Can't Leave Behind will be completed by the end of the summer. Referring to the still-untitled LP as the band's "first rock record," Bono also said that he expects the first single to hit the airwaves in September, followed by the album's release one month later. The U2 frontman made the revelations during an appearance on "CNN Live Today," where he discussed Canada's $50 million contribution to his global campaign to fight HIV/AIDS and his upcoming efforts to increase awareness of the disease amongst voters in the United States. ... The ninth installment of Epitaph Records' Punk-O-Rama series will be released June 8. The 24-track low-priced label sampler features tracks by longtime Epitaph bastions Bad Religion, Rancid and Pennywise, as well as newcomers such as the Matches, Scatter the Ashes and Nekromantix. ...

Truth Hurts' Ready Now apparently wasn't ready yet, so it's been moved from May 11 to a June 1 release date. Choreographer-turned-video-director Fatima Robinson recently shot a video for the title track in Los Angeles. The album follows the R&B singer's 2002 debut, Truthfully Speaking. ... AFI and Grandaddy will present, while Tesla, Night Ranger and Hieroglyphics will perform at the 27th annual California Music Awards on June 6 in Oakland. Green Day lead the pack of nominees with four nods, while AFI are up for three. ...

Florida Governor Jeb Bush has signed into law a proposal to ban suicide as a form of public entertainment. The law as enacted in response to the heavy metal band Hell on Earth, which announced one of its concerts would feature a live suicide. Under the new law, anyone promoting a live suicide would face a third-degree felony charge and a $5,000 fine. The proposal passed the Florida House and Senate last month. ... A battle has erupted between Great White and Cleopatra Records, which is scheduled to release a best-of collection called A Double Dose. Last month, Great White claimed the label was exploiting them by releasing an unauthorized collection that featured artwork of a shark jumping out of flames, a tasteless reference to the band's involvement in the tragic Station fire in Rhode Island. Cleopatra executive Jeff Gray told The Boston Globe that the label didn't plan to include flames with the artwork, and that although the band was aware of this, it made a stink simply to promote its upcoming tour. ...

Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse "The Devil" Hughes is preparing his solo flight. Fabulous Weapons features an appearance by ex-Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri. A two-track EP, A Pair of Queens, is expected to preface the album. ... One of alternative rock's biggest murder mysteries is going to be explored on "48 Hours" this weekend. The search for the man who killed Gits frontwoman Mia Zapata — whose 1993 murder went unsolved for nearly a decade before Jesus C. Mezquia was arrested last year — will be featured on the program, airing Saturday on CBS at 8 p.m. ET ...

• Coldplay
• Jessica Simpson
• The Libertines
• Bob Dylan
• Jon Bon Jovi

That Smash Mouth, always sweet-talkin' the ladies. "You are My Number One" is the first single from Get the Picture? and acts as the band's requisite summer single. Also on the album are the succinctly summarized tunes "Hot" and "Fun."

Killing Joke's latest self-titled album features drumming by Dave Grohl. Meanwhile, the Libertines release the EP I Get Along alongside '60s guitar god Jeff Beck's Jeff and Junior Senior's Euro-pop album D-D-Don't Stop the Beat.

Blues Traveler get honest on Truth Be Told, on which the jam band makes an effort to keep its songs from wandering. On the other hand, drummer Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, the Vandals) drops a solo album under the name Stripsearch and tries his hand at some improvisational sounds. The self-titled album features his brother and music mate Jason Freese on the saxophone, plus bass player Mike Elizondo (Eminem) and guitarist Michael Ward (Wallflowers).

Finally, with the exception of a song extolling the virtues of Zoloft and some routine wordplay, wacky Ween tone down their act a bit and get more serious on Quebec. Ooh la la.

Out Tuesday, August 5:

• Paolo Angeli - Bucato (ReR/Cuneiform)
• Arraya - Arraya (Volcom)
• Jeff Beck - Jeff (Sony)
• Terence Blanchard - Bounce (Blue Note)
• Blast - Alta Strata (ReR/Cuneiform)
• Blue October - History for Sale (Universal)
• Blues Traveler - Truth Be Told (Sanctuary)
  Buy Now: Truth Be Told (Sanctuary)
  
• BT - Emotional Technology (Nettwerk)
  Read:"BT Secretive About 'NSYNC Payback On Upcoming Album"
  
• Canterbury Music Festival - Rain & Shine (Rev-Ola)
• Nikki Cleary - Nikki Cleary (Jive)
• Cruxshadows - Frozen Embers (Dancing Ferret)
• Division of Laura Lee - Trapped In (Burning Heart)
• Enchant - Tug of War (Inside Out)
• Found Cats - Full Gospel Rockabilly (Golly Gee)
• Funker Vogt - Revivor (Metropolis)
• Jeff Golub - Soul Sessions (GRP)
• Shaun Groves - Twilight (Rocketown)
• Hocico - Disidencia Inquebrantable (EP, Metropolis)
• Hyperions - Under My Sombrero (Surprise Truck)
• Javier - Javier (Capitol/Priority)
• Wynonna Judd - What the World Needs Now Is Love (Curb)
• The Juliana Theory - Live 10.13.2001 (Tooth & Nail)
• Junior Senior - D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat (Atlantic)
  Read: "Junior Senior: Anarchistic Odd Couple Wants To 'Move Your Feet'"
  Buy Now: D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat (Atlantic)
  
• Killing Joke - Killing Joke (Red Ink)
• Lake Trout - Another One Lost (RX/Palm Pictures)
• Ben Lee - Hey You. Yes You. (F2 Music)
• Jeffrey Lewis - It's the Ones Who've Cracked That the Light Shines Through (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
• Libertines - I Get Along (EP, Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
• Charlotte Martin - In Parentheses (EP, RCA)
• Mr. Criminal - Criminal Mentality (Thump)
• New Amsterdams - Worse for the Wear (Vagrant)
• Pinebender - The High Price of Living Too Long With a Single Dream (Lovitt)
• The Poor - Poor (Rev-Ola)
• Robert Randolph & the Family Band - Unclassified (Dare/Reprise)
• Don Ross - Robot Monster (Narada)
• Rachael Sage - Public Record (Mpress)
• Smash Mouth - Get the Picture? (Interscope)
  Buy Now: Get the Picture? (Interscope)
  
• Steadman - Revive (Elektra)
• Stripsearch - Stripsearch (Magna Carta)
• Tampa Tony - Y-Not (Empire Musicwerks BMG)
• The Derek Trucks Band - Soul Serenade (Sony)
• Turbulence - The Truth (Sanctuary/Ras)
• Velvet Acid Christ - Hex Angel: Utopia-Dystopia (Metropolis)
• Ween - Quebec (Sanctuary)
• Luther Wright and the Wrongs - Guitar Pickin' Martyrs (Back Porch)
• Various artists - Supertones Surf (Golly Gee)
• Various artists - "Uptown Girls" soundtrack (Nettwerk)

August 12:

• Pat Benatar - Go (Bel Chiasso)
• Dashboard Confessional - A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar (Vagrant)
  Read: "Dashboard Confessional Singer Heals Scars, Stops Singing The Blues On New LP"
  Buy Now: A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar (Vagrant)
  

August 19:

• Kraftwerk - Tour de France Soundtracks (Astralwerks)
• Neil Young - Greendale (Warner Bros.)
• Various artists - Neptunes Presents: Clones (Arista)
  Read: "Summer Music Preview: Neptunes' Star Trak Presents ... Clones"
  Buy Now: Neptunes Presents: Clones (Arista)
  
• Bow Wow - Unleashed (Columbia)
  Buy Now: Unleashed (Columbia)
  

August 26:

• Hilary Duff - Metamorphosis (Disney)
  Read: "Hilary Duff: Not Just For Kids"
  Buy Now: Metamorphosis (Disney)
  
• Peter Frampton - Now (33rd St.)
• Anthony Hamilton - Coming From Where I'm From (Arista) Read: "Eve, D'Angelo Can Testify: Anthony Hamilton Is 'Hellified Powerful' "
  Buy Now: Coming From Where I'm From (Arista)
  
• Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (La Face)
  Buy Now: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (La Face)
  
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog - Songs in the Key of Poop (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Eminem Enemy Triumph Previews LP; Beefs With Bow Wow, Benji"

September 2:

• Mariah Carey - Remixes (Sony)

September 9:

• John Mayer - Heavier Things (Sony)
  Read: "John Mayer Tries Hip-Hop With Help From Roots' ?uestlove"
• Seal - Seal (Warner Bros.)

September 16:

• Elvis Costello - North (Universal)
• Bubba Sparxxx - Deliverance (Interscope)
  Read: "Bubba Sparxxx Softens Bumpkin Image, Teams Up With Justin For A 'Hootnanny' "
  
• Carnie Wilson - For the First Time (KMA)

October 7:

• Jin - Almost Famous (Virgin)
  Read: "Ruff Ryders' New Dog: Jin"

• Smash Mouth
• Killing Joke
• Junior Senior
• The Libertines
• Blues Traveler

In addition to her NASCAR flick, Britney Spears has another film in the works, which she'll be executive producing. The singer is adapting "A Mother's Gift," the book she wrote with her mother, Lynne Spears, into a two-hour movie for ABC Family, to be called "Holly." Spears is not expected to appear in the movie, which is still in development and has yet to be cast. ...

Plans have been set in motion by the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council to honor Jam Master Jay by renaming 203rd Street in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens, New York, after him. The Youth Council was hoping that the block would be dubbed "Jam Master Jay Way" by October 30 — the first anniversary of the Run-DMC DJ's death — but the first step in the process has to be reviewed by Community Board 12 in Queens and the board's spokesperson said it received the Youth Council's petitions too late to be considered before the board adjourned for the summer. The Youth Council said it turned in all required signatures in ample time. Regardless of the dispute over the paperwork, a street name change is usually a lengthy process that can take upwards of a year if approved. ...

Kid Rock is nearly finished with the follow-up to Cocky. The new LP will be released in the fall, with the first single due in early September. Rock produced the as-yet-untitled album at his own Allen Roadhouse studio, and is currently mixing the tracks in Los Angeles. ... It's time for the 2003 Christina Aguilera Look-A-Like Contest. If you're a Christina doppelganger, check out www.christinaaguilera.com to find out where you can send in your photos to win a grand prize that's "so good, it's still under wraps," according to the singer's official Web site. Last year's winner received a personal phone call from Ms. Dirrty herself. ...  

Despite a publicity push for "Try Seventeen" starring Elijah Wood and Mandy Moore, the flick, about first-year college students and wild imaginations, is going straight to cable, carrying the new name "All I Want." The movie debuts on Starz! August 1 at 8 p.m. ... The hopes of one of Britain's bright new bands, the Libertines, seem to be dimming now that co-frontman Pete Doherty has been arrested for burglary. Doherty started behaving erratically in June when he failed to appear during the band's European tour. On Friday night, he added legal woes to his troubles when he was busted after allegedly entering a basement apartment in central London. Doherty is scheduled to appear in front of the Horseferry Magistrates Court on charges August 11. ...

Ethereal English band Elbow have to appear at Britain's V Festival in Chelmsford and Staffordshire on August 16 and 17 without their 12-foot-tall alien stage props. Police confiscated the statues on July 18 after worried drivers called police to report unsettling alien figures towering at the side of the M1 motorway. The statues, affectionately named "Elle" and "Bo" after the band, had been left at a rest stop in a farmer's field, where they were being stored before the concert. Police declared the figures a distraction and a safety hazard and ordered them to be taken down. Since then, one has broken in half. ...

Mercury Music Prize winner Ms. Dynamite had a baby boy on Friday. Her fiancé, Dwayne Seaforth, was with her at the time of the birth. Dynamite plans to take some time off to be a full-time mom. ... In October, electronic music mastermind Richie Hawtin will release his first album in five years under his techno alter ego, Plastikman. The follow-up to 1998's Consumed is titled Closer. ...

07.28.2003

Madonna will executive produce a romantic comedy called "She Rocks," which is being described as "Working Girl" set in the music industry. Amanda Peet ("Identity") will star and Amie Steir, who wrote the screenplay, will direct. ...

System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith will take part in the 45th annual Hollywood Stars baseball game at Dodger Stadium on August 9. Tyrese will likely also play ball, a publicist for the event said. Nick Lachey has been invited to play as well, and his wife, Jessica Simpson, has been asked to sing the national anthem at the event, which will be followed by a game between the Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. ... Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Lou Reed, Dan the Automator, the X-ecutioners and El-P are among the artists contributing tracks to Bird Up: The Charlie Parker Remix Project, due October 21. Tankian remixed the jazz legend's "Bird of Paradise," with new lyrics and vocals. ...

AFI's self-titled 7-inch has been re-pressed on limited-edition yellow vinyl by Adeline Records, the Bay Area label co-owned by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong that originally released the EP in 1998. ... California punks Death by Stereo were forced to cancel a handful of shows after guitarist Dan Palmer sprained his wrist at the gym. Palmer is under doctor's orders to stay away from his guitar for the next few weeks, but the injury is not expected to affect the band's upcoming tour with Thursday, according to a post on Epitaph Records' Web site. ...

Erik Braunn, the guitar player on Iron Butterfly's 17-minute-long rock classic "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," died Friday of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles. He was 18 when he replaced original Butterfly guitarist Danny Weis. Braunn played on two studio records, including the platinum In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, which came out in 1968. ... A Hatebreed concert in Providence, Rhode Island, erupted in violence on Thursday when two crowd members started fighting over a girl and one stabbed the other in the stomach with a penknife. The stabber fled, but was caught outside of the club. The victim was treated at the club and was not seriously hurt. ...

• Britney Spears
• Run-D.M.C.
• Jam Master Jay
• Christina Aguilera
• Kid Rock

Mary J. Blige
Photo: MCA

The new Mary J. Blige track "Love @ 1st Sight" is available to stream on her Web site, www.mjblige.com. The song, featuring Method Man, will appear on Blige's upcoming record, Love & Life. Due August 26, the LP was produced by Blige and P. Diddy and includes guest performances by 50 Cent, Eve and Jay-Z. ...

Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown are in talks to star in their first film together, "Beffy and Charlie," according to People magazine. The article reports that Houston and Brown will play the title characters — musicians who moonlight as gangsters. No word yet on who else is attached to the project or when it will be hitting theaters. ...

The new Korn single, "Did My Time," will be available for download on the band's Web site, www.korn.com, starting Tuesday. The track, which hits radio the day before, will be included in the film "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" and will also be featured on the next Korn album. ... Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley suffered a concussion from a bad spill in his home, an injury that kept him from serving as a counselor at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp, which began this week. His doctors are taking a "wait and see" approach to whether the axeman will be able to join the Who's Roger Daltrey and Grand Funk Railroad's Mark Farner at the camp for aspiring rockers. ...

The first two albums from Seattle punk band the Gits are back thanks to San Francisco indie label Broken Rekids. Frenching the Bully, released in 1992 and out of print since '94, was re-released June 9, and 1994's Enter: The Conquering Chicken is set for October 6. Both include bonus material. The group disbanded after singer Mia Zapata was murdered in 1993, spurring benefit albums and concerts. The man believed to be responsible for the crime was arrested in January. ... Before his wife, actress Kate Hudson, gives birth to their first child early next year, ex-Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson will hit the road with Elvis Costello. Dates begin July 9 in Philadelphia and end July 19 in Berkeley, California. Robinson and Hudson got married in December 2000. ...

The former bass guitarist for the Norwegian black metal band Svartahrid has been arrested after bringing a severed human head to a party and showing it off to the guests. The 26-year-old musician, who goes by the name Illvastar, pleaded guilty to raiding a morgue and desecrating a dead body, claiming he did so because he was under the influence of drugs, the Swedish newspaper Dagbladet reported. Illvastar was booted from Svartahrid after playing on the group's second record, As the Sunrise Flickers. ... British rock group the Libertines have been having problems with guitarist Pete Doherty, who is sitting out their current European tour. He has been replaced by the band's guitar tech but has not been booted from the band. In a press statement, the bandmembers said, "Pete is unwell, and we are very concerned for his well-being." ...

06.19.03

Kid Rock was among those who performed for the troops Wednesday night at Camp Doha in Kuwait as part of the kickoff show of the USO's Project Salute 2003, the first large-scale entertainment tour in the Persian Gulf since Operation Iraqi Freedom began. A second show is scheduled for later this week at an undisclosed location. Others onboard for the tour include Bubba Sparxxx, Nappy Roots and Wayne Newton, athletes Ervin Johnson and Duce Staley and actress Alyssa Milano. ...

The White Stripes have chosen "The Hardest Button to Button" as the second single from their fourth album, Elephant. A video for the track will be shot next month, but the band has not yet decided on a director. ...

R. Kelly will be staking his claim to greatness this fall when he releases The R. in R&B, a collection of his greatest hits and remixes of some of his biggest singles. There will be at least one new song included on the album, and according to Kelly's spokesperson, the track will be released in the beginning of July. Kelly's label is withholding the name of the song for now, but they say Kells will shoot a video for it in mid-July. ... P. Diddy visited a Hollywood soundstage Tuesday for the filming of Dream's new video, "Crazy," with director Matthew Rolston (Mary J. Blige). The song is the first single from the group's second album, Reality, due August 12. ...

The annual Farm Aid benefit show is set for September 7 at the Germain Amphitheater in Columbus, Ohio. Founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp, along with Dave Matthews, are the only acts confirmed thus far for the show, which raises awareness and money for family-owned farms. ... Even when Madonna doesn't actively court controversy, it still seems to blow her way. Recently, the former material girl signed on to be a host for a benefit on Sunday for Bony Pony, a Malibu animal reserve and children's camp. But PETA, the watchdog for four-legged creatures the globe over, has intervened and pointed out to Madonna that the organization is not an animal sanctuary, it's an exotic animal rental business with what PETA referred to as a "troubling history." ...

The canceled Concert for Nelson Mandela, originally scheduled for February, has been recast for November 30. Bono and the surviving members of Queen are the only artists confirmed thus far for the event, which will take place in Capetown, South Africa. ... Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup rock, as all fans of "The Powerpuff Girls" know, and on August 12 they'll do so to the tunes of Vitamin C, Sahara Hotnights and Shonen Knife. Powerpuff Girls: Power Pop is the third album to be inspired by the Cartoon Network series. ...

LL Cool J has joined the cast of "Slow Burn," a crime thriller featuring Ray Liotta that begins shooting next month in Montreal. The rapper will play a stranger who manipulates a district attorney going after a powerful gang leader. ... Talib Kweli had a bunch of his friends with him Wednesday night at New York's S.O.B.'s. Mos Def, Common, Kanye West, Skillz and Pharoahe Monch joined him onstage at his show. ...

Kevin Richardson is opening a music-industry school in Louisville, Kentucky, in August. Called Music Workshop, the Backstreet Boy's venture will include a recording studio. ... Jessica Simpson, who just shot photos for an anti-smoking campaign by Circle of Friends, will sign copies of her new book, "I Do: Achieving Your Dream Wedding," Tuesday at Planet Hollywood in New York from 4:30-6 p.m. The Virgin Megastore across the street will be selling copies one day before it is available elsewhere. ... Hoobastank performed new material from their forthcoming second album for the first time at the Roxy in Los Angeles Wednesday. The as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2001's self-titled debut is due September 30. ...

Joe Jackson will return to the U.S. for three weeks of shows to support his latest record, Volume 4, his first album with the Joe Jackson Band in 23 years. The first show is in Hartford, Connecticut, on August 9 and the tour ends in West Hollywood, California, on August 28. ... Bill Callahan will take his (Smog) persona on the road for the second time in support of his latest album, Supper, which was released in late March. The six-week trek begins June 27 in Iowa City, Iowa, and wraps up August 9 in Chicago. ...

• Mary J. Blige
• Method Man
• Korn
• Whitney Houston
• Bobby Brown

Beastie Boy Mike D at the 2003 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
Photo: BarryBrecheisen

INDIO, California — If not for the palm trees and smoldering temperatures, it would've been easy to forget that the Coachella festival was in the Southern California desert.

This past weekend, Queens of the Stone Age and Ben Harper gave homecoming performances of sorts (both are from nearby towns) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack Johnson and Black Eyed Peas made the two-hour drive from Los Angeles, but for the most part it was all about England, New York and Detroit. (Click to see photos from the festival.)

From England came Blur, Johnny Marr and Primal Scream, along with the bubbling-under Libertines, the Music, South, Badly Drawn Boy, Gomez, Groove Armada and countless DJs. New York brought Saturday's headliner, a standout show from the Beastie Boys, and fellow icons Sonic Youth, along with Interpol, Fischerspooner, the Rapture and the Mooney Suzuki. There's only two of them, but the White Stripes had no problem representing Detroit's garage scene, while the Von Bondies and Whirlwind Heat were two of the most talked about breakthrough bands on the bill.

Coachella featured more than 75 acts playing on five stages over two days. Here's a rundown on some of the more memorable performances:

• The Beastie Boys took the stage Saturday without their instruments, but DJ Mix Master Mike more than made up for it with his own ill communication, tweaking every track and mixing in beats from Missy Elliott's "Work It" and Erik Sermon's "React." The trio rapped parts of at least three new tracks, all of which had the hip-hop simplicity of their latest single, the anti-war anthem "In a World Gone Mad." Mostly, though, the set was heavy on party starters — "Root Down," "Body Movin'," "So What'cha Want," "Intergalactic" and even a bit of the old gem "Brass Monkey" — a sharp contrast to Adam "MCA" Yauch's political banter between songs. "At the next election, vote anyone but Bush," he said at one point.

• Like the Beasties, the Chili Peppers focused their headlining slot on keeping the sun-drenched festival-goers on their feet. Though the band mellowed some on last year's By the Way, their hit-filled live show Sunday was as energetic as ever. Short of sporting only socks, the guys were their old selves, jumping around like caged animals, spouting random dialogue and giving it away now.

• N.E.R.D.'s one-hour set on Saturday was a bit misleading, as the first half was all Spymob, the Minneapolis rock group that doubles as N.E.R.D.'s live band, performing Police-inspired songs from their upcoming debut. When Pharrell Williams and company finally came out, they played three songs before taking a break so friend Kenna could sing his new single. For a finale, Williams brought out Kelly Osbourne and Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am for "Rock Star," though Osbourne proved hardly that, running offstage midway through.

• "Who here doesn't like the Hives?" singer Pelle Almqvist asked, silencing the crowd. "Who here came for the Hives?" he followed to a deafening roar. "Point taken." Obnoxious confidence is part of their shtick, but he did make a point. Both the Hives Saturday and the White Stripes Sunday drew enormous crowds curious to hear two of last year's breakthrough bands.

• In their sharp formalwear, Interpol easily rivaled the Hives for best dressed. The NYC band conjured its swanky interpretation of Joy Division, combining bleak atmosphere with pop hooks, and delivered nearly flawless renditions of songs from Turn on the Bright Light. Despite going up against the Chili Peppers, Interpol generated a large crowd that even lingered for a good while in hopes of an encore that never came.

• While "Song 2" and "Girls and Boys" generated the loudest response, Saturday's crowd was quite receptive to the moody and eclectic tracks a retooled Blur previewed from their forthcoming Think Tank. Frontman Damon Albarn dedicated a song to the late Joe Strummer during a set that mixed Think Tank tunes like the infectious "Crazy Beat" with Britpop classics like "Beetlebum."

• "Scottish people and the desert don't mix very well," Idlewild singer Roddy Woomble joked Saturday afternoon. The floppy-haired lads struggled against the sweltering heat as they began "Little Discourage" from 2000's 100 Broken Windows, but they'd found their places by the song's chorus, easing smoothly into several of the driving and emotive tunes from this year's The Remote Part and earlier tracks like "I'm a Message" and "Roseability."

• Damon Gough was dressed even more poorly for the weather, sporting the cap, beard and thick denim that have become synonymous with his Badly Drawn Boy persona. Gough, more than willing to show off his prowess with a guitar, harmonica and piano, even sang about playing Coachella. "I was told I was headlining the show," he crooned with his typical combination of wit, self-effacement and mock arrogance. "And I am, 'cause that's how I feel."

• Despite sound problems, Hot Hot Heat gave a blistering performance that brought over a herd of VIPs, including Tony Hawk and Kelly Osbourne, who were singing the catchy "Bandages" like everyone else when the show was over. The problems escalated as the night went on, and ended with the Libertines playing only two songs — not good for their first U.S. performance. Organizers squeezed them back in on Sunday so Stateside tastemakers could see the band British journalists are calling the next Strokes.

• Anyone expecting an explosion similar to their former band's musical bombast may have been disappointed by ex-At the Drive-In members Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez's set with the Mars Volta on Sunday. Latin rhythms and long percussive jams were the name of the game as Bixler's nearly Whitesnake-like falsetto soared over every hacky sack and Frisbee game on the far reaches of the field while Rodriquez split his time between barely distorted picking (with scarcely a metallic palm mute to be found) and effects-drenched noise.

• Ben Folds played only the keys in his largely improvisational set, which ended with the singer/songwriter bringing "Song for the Dumped" to a crawl and ad-libbing vulgar yet hilarious lyrics. In a similarly fun set Saturday, Ben Kweller played a little piano, too, spewing out some of the poppiest songs of the weekend.

• On Sunday, Jack White and Juliette Lewis took in an early show from bare-bones rockers the Von Bondies in the Mojave Tent. Later, Los Angeles' Rooney finally gave that stage something that sounded local, blending Beach Boys-like harmonies with Phantom Planet-like tunes (singer Robert Carmine is Jason Schwartzman's brother). And finally, Fischerspooner treated a packed tent to a theatrical show complete with choreographed routines from dancers in feather hair extensions and fishnet bodysuits. The only group that could compete with that kind of spectacle was the Blue Man Group, who closed out their visual orgy with a cover of the Who's "Baba O'Reilly."

• A legion of Smiths fans gathered to catch a glimpse of former guitarist Johnny Marr and his backup band the Healers on Sunday, with so many of them proudly rocking vintage Morrissey T-shirts and tattoos that it almost seemed as if Marr's post-Smiths work with Electronic and other artists had never happened. Despite being cut short by organizers, Marr delivered a laid-back but potent performance of swirling tunes punctuated by his smooth croon. Much-buzzed-about English upstarts the Music were even more psychedelic the night before, invoking the spirit of the Stone Roses and basking in the glow of an impressive light show.

• While a majority of the rock bands at Coachella pounded out fierce odes to the Velvet Underground and the Clash, there were a few who offered a soundtrack for enjoying the tranquil atmosphere of the venue. Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and G. Love & Special Sauce all gathered huge audiences who toasted warm beers to their blends of blues and folk.

• In the group's first performance in more than 25 years, the Stooges (with Mike Watt on bass) treated Sunday's crowd to classics like "TV Eye" and "Fun House." Even those who had no idea who the group was ("Iggy who?" a security guard near the stage asked a friend) were able to enjoy Iggy Pop's erratic stage demeanor.

• Though Ian MacKaye has been notoriously particular about when, where and how he'll be interviewed during the two decades he's run Dischord Records and played in bands like the Teen Idles, Embrace and Fugazi, the two question-and-answer sessions he submitted to at Coachella were total free-for-alls, with kids asking him about everything from straight edge to music, politics, tour stories and the time he was kicked out of Disneyland. One member of the crowd asked the 41-year-old punk icon why he was willing to appear at an expensive festival while Fugazi refuse to play shows with high door prices. "My friend Patti Smith was saying that anyone who has a chance to get in front of a microphone right now and say they're against war should do so," he replied.

• Is Dallas the next Detroit? Two of the most talked about Coachella performances came from that city's Polyphonic Spree, whose 23 members offered a truly original orchestral pop sound, and Eisley, the female-fronted rock quintet handpicked for Coldplay's summer tour.

• Coachella would not be complete without surprises, and while Radiohead rumors proved untrue, Perry Farrell did pop into the tiny Gobi Tent for a surprise DJ set that mixed house music with the kind of tropicalia he explored on his solo album. Farrell's appearance makes him the only artist to play every Coachella.

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

• Beastie Boys
• Badly Drawn Boy
• Black Eyed Peas
• Blur
• Fischerspooner

Time again for new releases, but this week's big story might not be a record: Eminem's rags-to-riches story, "8 Mile," makes its DVD debut and features deleted scenes of Em spontaneously battling extras from the film in a freestyle sequence.

The compilation Atticus: Dragging the Lake 2 features pop-punks Blink-182 and their side projects Box Car Racer and the Transplants, plus contributions from Sparta, Rocket From the Crypt and Alkaline Trio.

The Libertines up the racket in Up the Bracket, their punk rock album produced by the Clash's Mick Jones, which invokes the Jam and the Buzzcocks on "Horror Show" and "The Boy Looked at Johnny." Meanwhile, the Buzzcocks invoke themselves on their new eponymous album. After some shaky years trying to maintain relevance, the punk pioneers recapture some of their original magic as co-founder Howard Devoto returns to pen "Stars" and "Lester Sands" with Pete Shelley.

M. Ward, a singer/songwriter combination of Nick Drake and Neil Young with a hint of John Fahey, presents his haunting Transfiguration of Vincent, while Stereolab bassist Simon Johns releases Trinity Neon from his band Imitation Electric Piano.

Moldy Peaches and their Unreleased Cutz & Live Jamz share shelf space with the Blam's poppy garage rock on their self-titled LP, as well as with the North Carolina hip-hop trio Little Brother's Listening.

Now that the buzz on this band has increased, it's time for its major-label debut. You Hear It First alums the Raveonettes present, for the second time, Whip It On. And finally, Stephen Malkmus is back. The ex-Pavement star and his band the Jicks release their second album, Pig Lib. Wowee Zowee.

Out Tuesday, March 18:

• Alicen - Talk to Me (Hitpros)
• The Allman Brothers Band - Hittin' the Note (Peach/Sanctuary)
• Ape Breaks - Volume 5 (Ubiquity)
• Nate Ashley - The Darker Corners of Your Heart (Knw-Yr-Own)
• Philo Beddow - End the Measured Mile (The First Time)
• Belmondo - Entertainers (Kold)
• Big Country - Rarities III (Navarre)
• Biohazard - Kill or Be Killed (Sanctuary)
  Buy Now: Kill or Be Killed (Sanctuary)
• Jeff Black - B-sides and Confessions Volume One (DualTone)
• The Black Lips - Black Lips (Bomp)
• The Blam - The Blam (Mootron)
• The Blood Brothers - Burn, Piano Island, Burn (ARTISTdirect)
  Read: "Blood Brothers Seek Order In Muscle-Free Chaos"
• Blue Oyster Cult - Then and Now (Sanctuary)
• The Boils - Pride and Persecution (TKO)
• Briefs - Off the Charts (EP, Dirtnap)
• Mick Bund - Astronaut Graffiti (Madacy)
• Buzzcocks - Buzzcocks (Merge)
• Califone - Quicksand/Cradlesnakes (Thrill Jockey)
• Deana Carter - I'm Just a Girl (Arista)
• Cave In - Antenna (Hydra Head/RCA)
• Concrete Blonde - Live in Brazil (2 CDs, Ark 21)
• Crooks - Just Released (Navarre)
• Culture - Healing of the Nations (Varese Sarabande)
• Deerhoof - Apple O' (Kill Rock Stars)
• Detroit Experiment - Detroit Experiment (Rope A Dope)
• DF Dub - Country Girl (Columbia)
• DJ Debra - Wildlife 2003 (Studio K7)
• DJ Spooky - Dubtometry (Thirsty Ear)
• Drugstore - Songs for the Jet Set & Collector Number One (First Time)
• Ronnie Earl - I Feel Like Goin' On (Stony Plain)
• Exhibition - Sign of Tomorrow (Limb)
• Father MC - My (Empire Musicwerks)
• Lorraine Feather - Cafe Society (Sanctuary)
• Ibrahim Ferrar - Buenos Hermanos (Nonesuch)
• Fire - Magic Shoemaker (Navarre)
• Five Blind Boys of Alabama - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Liquid 8)
• Fleetwood Mac - Live in Boston 1&2 (Snapper Classics)
• FM Knives - Useless and Modern (Broken Rekids)
• Kim Fox - Return to Planet Earth (Franklin Castle/Oglio)
• Freaks - Man Who Lived Underground (Music 4 Freaks)
• Fred Frith - Prints (Fred)
• Rory Gallagher - Wheels Within Wheels (BMG)
• Howie Gelb - Listener (Thrill Jockey)
• Gentle Giant - Artistically Cryme (United States)
• Gigi - Illuminated Audio (Palm Pictures)
• Gluecifer - Basement Ape (Steamhammer)
• Grand Mal - Bad Timing (Arena Rock)
• Gravy Train - Hello Doctor (Kill Rock Stars)
• Gun Barrel - Battle Tested (Limb)
• Regie Hamm - American Dreams (Universal South)
• Jim Hightower - The People Are Revolting (In the Very Best Sense of That Word) (Alternative Tentacles)
• Imitation Electric Piano - Trinity Neon (Drag City)
• Incredible Expanding Mindf--k - Arcadia Son (United States)
• Jet Black Summer - Ladder of Divine Ascent (Lakeshore)
• Junior Panthers - Junior Panthers (First Time)
• Damien Jurado - Where Shall You Take Me? (Secretly Canadian)
• Kaskade - It's You It's Me (Om)
• Kill Your Idols - Skinnier Years (State of Grace)
• King Britt - Adventures in Lo-Fi (Studio K7)
• Jill King - Jillbilly (Blue Diamond)
• Lambrettas - Da-A-A-Ance (Navarre)
• Adam Levy - Get Your Glow On (Lost Wax)
• Libertines - Up the Bracket (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
• Little Brother - Listening (Abb Soul)
• Longwave - The Strangest Things (RCA)
  Read: "Longwave Different From Anthrax, Public Enemy; Get Career Help From The Strokes"
  Buy Now: The Strangest Things (RCA)
• Corb Lund Band - Five Dollar Bill (Stony Plain)
• Lylah - Lifeless Valentine (Vermillion)
• M. Ward - Transfiguration of Vincent (Merge)
• Magic - White Eyes (Universal)
• Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Pig Lib (Matador)
• Marmalade - Kaleidoscope: Psych-pop Sessions (Navarre)
• Meteors - Wreckin' Live (Navarre)
• The Midnight Evils - Straight Til Morning (Estrus)
• Miracle of 86 - Every Famous Last Word (Idelic Sounds/Lakeshore)
• Mirror - Eye of the Storm (Streamline)
• Moldy Peaches - Moldy Peaches 2000: Unreleased Cutz & Live Jamz (Sanctuary)
• Mr. Capone-e - Dedicated 2 the Oldies (Thump)
• Mr. Cheeks - Back Again (Universal)
  Read: "Mr. Cheeks Casts Ex-Destiny's Child Member As A Shorty With The Fatty"
  Buy Now: Back Again (Universal)
• Mr. Serv-On - No More Questions (D3)
• Mull Historical Society - Us (XL/Beggars Banquet)
• Neon Hunk - Smarmymob (Load)
• Pearlene - Pearlene (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• Pistoleros - Cult 45 (Navarre)
• Planet Earth - Blackout (Volcano/Jive)
• Puny Human - It's Not the Heat, It's the Humanity (Small Stone)
• The Raveonettes - Whip It On (Columbia)
  Read: " '8 Mile' Outtakes Coming Sooner Than You Think"
• Celine Dion - One Heart (Sony)
• Les Nubians - One Step Forward (Higher Octave)
• Linkin Park - Meteora (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Linkin Park Expand Meteora's Musical Horizons ... In 40 Minutes Or Less"
  Buy Now: Meteora (Warner Bros.)
• Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 12 (Virgin)

• The White Stripes - Elephant (V2)
  Read: "White Stripes To Put Their Best Trunk Forward On April Fool's Day With Elephant"
• Robbie Williams - Escapology (Virgin)
  Buy Now: Escapology (Virgin)

• Russell Crowe and 30 Odd Foot of Grunts - Other Ways of Speaking (Artemis)
• Godsmack - Faceless (Universal)
  Read: "Godsmack's Visions Of Spinal Tap, Dio, Worse Prompt A Change"
• Lisa Marie Presley - To Whom It May Concern (Capitol)
• Yo La Tengo - Summer Sun (Matador)

• Thicke - Cherry Blue Skies (Interscope)
  Read: "Robin Thicke: Mixing The Beatles, Zeppelin And Hendrix With Jay-Z"

• Eminem
• Mr. Cheeks
• The Raveonettes
• The Libertines
• Stephen Malkmus

The Libertines live at Webster Hall in NYC 10.12.2004

• The Libertines

2003 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

• Beastie Boys
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Ben Folds
• Ben Harper
• Blur