R. Kelly leaves court in December
Photo: Tasos Katopodis/ Getty Images

Nearly six years after the alleged sex tape first surfaced, the court proceedings in the R. Kelly case continue to move at a snail's pace. The prosecutors originally sought to have testimony from one expert witness, Dr. Sharon Cooper, cover several different areas — the age of the girl on the tape based on forensic pediatrics, the identification of the man on the tape based on the vein pattern on his hands, and the behavior profile of the girl based on the psychology of child sex-abuse victims. Judge Vincent Gaughan had previously ruled that Dr. Cooper could testify about the victim's age, but not the behavior profile, so prosecutors had asked him to reconsider. At a hearing on Monday (January 14), Gaughan ruled once again that Dr. Cooper would not be able to testify about why the girl in the case would deny that she was a victim, or how common denial is in sex-abuse cases. Kelly is due back in court March 12 for another pre-trial hearing, while the trial itself is slated to start on May 9. ...

And the Wu-Tang Clan infighting goes on. U-God — who complained about RZA being callous toward him in the studio nearly four years ago — is now suing Wu's label, alleging that he is owed $170,000, according to TMZ.com. U-God (born Lamont Hawkins) reportedly filed papers in a New York district court, alleging that Wu Music owes him money for services rendered dating back to March of last year. Wu Music is licensed to Universal Music. ...

Paula Abdul doesn't just have the seventh season of "American Idol" on her mind these days. "I want kids!" the singer recently told Ladies' Home Journal for its February issue. "If it doesn't happen naturally, I can always adopt." The 45-year-old Abdul opened up even more about her personal life, saying of 32-year-old boyfriend J.T. Torregiani, "I've experienced real loneliness, so I love knowing there's someone I can share the good and the not-so-good with." ... Everyone's wondering how the seventh season of "Idol" is going to fare in light of some retooling and the writers' strike, but if you ask Chris Daughtry, the show is "in a state of decline." The Daughtry frontman recently spoke with RollingStone.com about the show, adding that if it doesn't right itself, "it's probably not gonna last too much longer. I'm sure that'll be used against me, but that's the truth, you know?" He also said the show is "definitely lacking some credibility at this point." ...

White Stripes, Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, Mark Ronson, Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Cheifs and recent MTV Artist of the Week Kate Nash have all landed Brit Award nominations, although Leona Lewis, Mika and Take That have scored the most, with four apiece. Rihanna, Ronson, Kaiser Chiefs, Kylie Minogue and Paul McCartney are slated to perform at the February 20 ceremony. ... R.E.M. have pulled the curtains back on a new Web site surrounding the April 1 release of their 14th studio album, Accelerate. Their NinetyNights.com Web site has daily high-definition-video snippets shot by Arcade Fire collaborator Vincent Moon ...

Björk attacked a newspaper photographer who was attempting to take her picture at the Auckland International Airport on Sunday, according to reports in the New Zealand press. The singer, who was flying in to perform at the Big Day Out concert on Friday, reportedly ripped New Zealand Herald photographer Glenn Jeffrey's shirt after he snapped a photo of her. Jeffrey told the New Zealand Press Association that he was warned by a man traveling with Björk not to take her picture, and once he did, the singer came up behind him, grabbed the back of his shirt and tore it before tumbling to the ground. In 1996, Björk attacked a reporter in an airport in Bangkok, Thailand, after she objected to being photographed. ... The Walkmen and White Rabbits will hop along the U.S. this month for nine shows. On the itinerary are Pittsburgh (Wednesday); Detroit (Thursday); Milwaukee (Friday); Madison, Wisconsin (Saturday); Chicago (Sunday); St. Louis (January 21); Columbus, Ohio (January 22); Philadelphia (January 23); and Baltimore (January 24). ...

For the first time in 25 years, former Clash members Mick Jones and Topper Headon reportedly shared the same stage at a gig by Jones' new band, Carbon/Silicon. The duo performed "Train in Vain" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" during the set. ... Megadeth have recruited Chris Broderick (Nevermore, Jag Panzer) to be their newest guitarist, following the recent departure of Glen Drover. Broderick will make his live debut with the band on February 4, at a gig in Finland. ...

Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali said the band will not be revived following the late November death of frontman Kevin DuBrow. In an online statement, Banali claims he had been "approached to see if I would be interested in contacting Rudy Sarzo and Carlos Cavazo and to audition singers for Quiet Riot." He said that he's even fielded an offer to re-form "the version of Quiet Riot that included Paul Shortino, Carlos Cavazo and Sean McNabb." But Banali rejected any suggestions of the band performing live. "My friendship, love and respect for Kevin DuBrow, as well as my personal love and affection for Kevin's mother and his family, makes it inconceivable for me to ever entertain any ovation to re-form or to continue Quiet Riot," he wrote. "It would also be a disrespect to the fans who have supported [the band] for nearly 25 years." ...

Roger Avary, the Oscar-winning co-writer of "Pulp Fiction," was arrested on Sunday after a fatal single-car crash in Ojai, California. According to a Reuters report, Avary, 42, was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence, and was released from jail after posting $50,000 bail. Andreas Zedini, a 34-year-old passenger in the car, died of his injuries at a local hospital. Avary's wife, Gretchen, 40, was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries after being thrown from the car.

1.11.08

Mary J. Blige has a love-hate relationship with her fans, she reveals in the new issue of Vibe, out Tuesday. They don't seem to like her when she's happy — but she doesn't want to be dark and depressed just to make them happy. "When I took the chance to show people I can be happy, I lost a million of my fans," she told the magazine. "I was like, 'I'm gonna have to lose y'all in order for us to live, because if I keep going down this dark hole, we're all gonna die together. I'm gonna slit my wrists or take some pills, and it's gonna be over." That's why Blige feels obliged, more than ever before, to write love songs that she dedicates to her husband. "That's my buddy, my best friend, my business partner," she said. "He's got my back like nobody's ever had my back. I feel like God used him to come and pull me together." Also getting Mary's back is Bill Cosby's wife, Camille, who helped inspire the themes on Blige's Growing Pains. "Bill Cosby called me like, 'My wife loves you! She says there's a song you need to write about love,' " Blige tells the magazine. "I finally called Bill back and said, 'We got the record.' He says, 'Mrs. Cosby will be so glad to hear that.' I damn near cried." ...

Wyclef Jean is being sued for copyright infringement by Blahz of New York rap squad Blahzay Blahzay, who is alleging that an unauthorized sample appears on the former Fugee's latest solo effort, Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant, according to XXL. The suit, which was filed last month, reportedly claims Wyclef used a sample from Blahzay Blahzay's hit song "Danger" on his tune "Welcome to the East" but didn't clear the sample or credit the group. Blahz did say in a statement, however, that he was contacted by Wyclef's people over use of the sample, XXL reports. ...

Jessica Alba, Katie Holmes and Rosario Dawson celebrated the 10th anniversary of V-Day, a worldwide effort to stop violence against women and girls, at a private luncheon on Thursday, according to The Associated Press. A two-day event commemorating the anniversary will reportedly be held in April at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. ... While we're talking Superdomes, TVGuide.com reports that Paula Abdul is in talks to perform live at the Super Bowl on February 3. She is reportedly rehearsing a music video for a duet with "American Idol" peer Randy Jackson, and the song is due to be the first single from Jackson's forthcoming solo LP, Music Club Vol. 1. According to TVGuide.com, footage from the Super Bowl performance will be folded into the video if Abdul does indeed perform at the football extravaganza. Tom Petty is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show. ...

Daughtry are working on the follow-up to their self-titled LP — which was the biggest-selling disc on the Billboard 200 during the December 2006-November 2007 chart year. "Some songs are coming out a little heavier than the last record, and some songs are just way more beautiful," frontman Chris Daughtry told Gibson.com about the new material. ... Paris Hilton has been named Woman of the Year by college comedy magazine The Harvard Lampoon. Hilton will accept the award February 6 at Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and speak to the student body. ...

Does Marilyn Manson reconciling with Twiggy Ramirez remind you of Robert Plant reuniting with Jimmy Page? Probably not, but the Antichrist Superstar recently told RollingStone.com that the Led Zeppelin comeback gig spurred him to make amends with Ramirez. "The turning point for me was when I went to see Led Zeppelin's reunion show, and I saw Jimmy Page and Robert Plant look at each other for a moment, and they probably said, 'Holy sh--, we wrote "Stairway to Heaven." ' ... I want to look at Twiggy and go, 'Holy sh--, we wrote "The Beautiful People." ' I called him, and I said, 'Let's go do this.' " How modest. ... Zooey Deschanel swung by NPR Southern California affiliate KCRW's "Open Road" recently, during which it was revealed that the actress is cobbling together an album with singer/songwriter M. Ward, with whom she has performed in concert in the past. According to ThePlaylist.com, the album — the name of which has yet to be revealed — will drop in March via Merge Records. ...

Gnarls Barkley frontman Cee-Lo made a guest turn recently on "The Boondocks" as Reverend Rollo Goodlove. Cee-Lo's character lends his support to Huey's hunger strike against BET and narrates the entire episode, which skewers several of the network's top execs. A preview of the show appears on YouTube with a note stating the original airdate was Monday, but the show hasn't aired yet. ... Jill Scott announced dates for her Real Thing tour on Friday (January 11). The recent NAACP nominee (Best Female Artist and Best Actress) will hit the stage on multiple nights in Oakland, California (February 7-8); Atlanta (February 22-23); and Baltimore (February 26-27), as well as play a four-night stand in Washington, D.C., beginning March 11. The run ends March 30 in Birmingham, Alabama. ...

Funnyman Patton Oswalt has been tapped to host this year's Plug Independent Music Awards, which will also feature performances by indie folkie José González and St. Vincent, the solo project by Polyphonic Spree guitarist Annie Clark. The ceremony will be held March 6 in New York. ... The Take Action Tour is getting even more charitable. Do Something, a nonprofit group that helps teens fight discrimination and homelessness, is partnering with the trek to offer three $500 grants to young people looking to make change in their neck of the woods. Go here for more info on the Take Action Grants. ... Fiery Furnaces got some sad news recently when Olga Sarantos, the grandmother of two of the indie-rock group's members, passed away, according to BrooklynVegan.com. Sarantos was heard telling tales of her youth on the band's 2005 disc, Rehearsing My Choir.

• R. Kelly
• Björk
• Frankie Banali
• Quiet Riot
• The Clash

Mary J. Blige
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

Word to Mike Seaver and Boner: Mary J. Blige has some Growing Pains of her own. The singer has settled on that as the title for her new album — and has bumped its release by a week, from November 20 to November 27. The first single is called "Just Fine" and will be released to radio on Thursday (September 27). The track was produced by Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart (Britney Spears, Mya), and is an uptempo party record with a dance/disco sound. On the track, Mary expresses the joy of having high self-esteem. "No time for moping around/ Are you kidding?" she sings. "And no time for negative vibes, 'cause I'm winning ... Got my head on straight, got my vibe right, ain't gonna let you kill it/ See, I wouldn't change, my life's just fine." ...

Is Kanye West the next MLK, Gandhi or Jesus? His mother, Donda West, didn't shy away from such comparisons in a recent interview with the Baltimore Sun — she was in town to promote her recent book, "Raising Kanye." "Kanye keeps it real," she said. "He touches the people. You never know how words can save a person's life, physically or otherwise. People like Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi or, in my view, Barack Obama, or Jesus Christ — people whose job it is to tell the truth — I see that in Kanye. Now, people like you are gonna go, 'Oh, Kanye's mom said he's like Jesus!' but ... when you have a gift, you didn't get it by yourself. ... Your truth is your truth." ...

Amy Winehouse isn't one to hold back either — the troubled U.K. starlet has named her new DVD "I Told You I Was Trouble," according to Uncut magazine. Packed onto the disc is a documentary, a full concert she played in April at London's Shepherds Bush Empire, her "Rehab" performance from the Brit Awards, an early acoustic version of "There Is No Greater Love" and more. "I Told You I Was Trouble" will drop November 6, her publicist confirmed to MTV News. ...

Paul Wall's next album is going to have more of a rock edge, now that Travis Barker is producing it. "Paul usually stays around the same element," Barker told MTV News in Las Vegas while he was in town for the VMAs. "Most of the Houston stuff is slow and real feel-good. This has faster tempos. Still feel-good, but it'll be different for Paul." ... Before he took his wild imagination to the big screen with "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," French director Michel Gondry was best known for his frequent collaborations with Björk, perhaps most memorably on the video for her song "Human Behaviour." Now the two are at it again. Gondry revealed to MTV News that a month from now, he will be directing the music video for "Declare Independence," from the Icelandic singer's latest album, Volta. ... Dave Grohl is getting axed — Gibson Guitar has come up with a new specialized model, the DG-335, for the Foo Fighters frontman. The instrument — which has a rare Pelham blue finish and looks like Grohl's signature guitar — will be available October 4. The price tag for the blue model is $4,468, while the ebony version is a bit cheaper at $3,880. ...

Evan Rachel Wood apparently isn't too afraid of boyfriend Marilyn Manson's fans. "I do feel [some of] his fans like me," she told People for its new issue, which streets Friday. But the actress revealed that she was a little more nervous about Manson seeing her sing onscreen in the new flick "Across the Universe." "I was shy because I didn't want to scare him off," she said. "I'm a singer too! Listen to me! But he's been really supportive, it's great. He's encouraged me about my singing more than anybody." The shock-rocker wasn't the only one who inspired Wood to sing, however — she also name-dropped David Bowie and let it be known that she has a tattoo of his Aladdin Sane lightning bolt. She also has matching tattoos with Manson. "We both got black hearts," she said. "It represents mad love." ...

The Smashing Pumpkins have issued a statement regarding the death of a man at their concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday night, in what police believe was a crowd-surfing accident. "The Smashing Pumpkins were deeply saddened to learn about the passing of a young man who attended their Vancouver show Monday night," read the statement, which was posted on their Web site. "As they and everyone else await news from the investigation into the nature of his passing, the band wants to express their sincerest condolences to his family and friends." ... Vivica A. Fox pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of drunk driving on Thursday, The Associated Press reports. The actress, who was arrested after being caught speeding in March, could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted. ...

Paris in Rwanda: Hilton is making good on her promise to engage in philanthropic efforts by traveling to the impoverished African country, according to "Access Hollywood." The heiress will travel with a member of Playing for Good, a group that connects celebrities with charity organizations, and she is expected to make a financial contribution as well. According to TMZ.com, Hilton will go to Rwanda in November after she finishes filming her horror rock opera "Repo! The Genetic Opera." ... Will Ferrell's charity auction has been won by a Dallas man, and his 10-year-old son will get the chance to play an extra in Ferrell's upcoming "Step Brothers" flick, People reports. The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, put in a winning bid of $47,000, which will go to the Cancer for College foundation run by Ferrell's friend Craig Pollard. ...

Looks like it's almost Tool time again: The indefatigable heavy-rock band is putting together yet another stretch of dates in support of 10,000 Days, which came out way back in May 2006. Dates have yet to be confirmed, but according to Tool's site, they're stirring up a stretch across the West Coast that will begin in mid-November and last until Christmas. ... Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell recently told MTV News' Tim Kash that he wants to see the fest travel across the world "before I die," but while those plans haven't come about yet, the dates are in place for next year's annual Chicago installment. Lolla will go down August 1-3, once again at Grant Park. ...

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Magic isn't happening until Tuesday, but they snuck out a vinyl version of the release on Wednesday that will allow it to be considered for the Grammys, according to the Los Angeles Times. ... The Wu-Tang Clan's Killah Priest has been added to several dates on Bury Your Dead's upcoming headlining run. Look for him to take the stage in Richmond, Virginia (October 17); Wilmington, North Carolina (October 18); Jacksonville, Florida (October 19); and Tampa, Florida (October 20). ... Bad news for fans of hardcore hip-hoppers Twiztid: The band's upcoming Toxic Terror Tour, featuring openers Mower, has been nixed following a recent car accident involving Twiztid's Monoxide. He suffered a torn ACL muscle in his knee, which will require he stays off it for the next month or so. ...

While System of a Down's members go off and do their own things — what with the band on hiatus — drummer John Dolmayan has firmed up plans for his new comic book site, TorpedoComics.com. The Internet retail shop goes live November 1 and will boast some 15 million items, including comics, toys, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, superhero action figures and other related memorabilia. Dolmayan has also teamed with guitarist Daron Malakian for a new project, Scars on Broadway. ... Former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, former Anthrax frontman Joey Belladonna, ex-Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson and Sevendust singer Lajon Witherspoon are among the celebrities who'll appear at the Morgan Rose Celebrity Golf Classic, scheduled for November 15-16 at the Heritage Golf Club in Tucker, Georgia. Proceeds from the event will help support the Atlanta Children's Shelter. ...

Mudvayne will release their latest LP, By the People, for the People, on November 27. The disc will boast several live recordings, rarities, demos and two new studio tracks, "Dull Boy" and a cover of the Police's "King of Pain." The album will be entirely fan-generated; the band is asking its fans to participate in creating the album's contents. Fans can visit the band's Web site and MySpace pageMySpace page to help pick the track list, submit fan-generated album artwork and participate in creating the video for "Dull Boy," the first single. ...

Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," which has been shown in some college and high school classrooms, got blowback earlier this year when a Washington school put a moratorium on the global-warming movie. Now a British school governor is taking an even stronger measure by suing the British government for distributing the movie to more than 3,500 secondary schools, according to AP. Paul Downes, a lawyer for Stewart Dimmock, said, "Given the serious inaccuracies in the film and the misrepresentations it contains, the film is irredeemable." The lawyer added that even though the movie has already been shown to some students, the High Court could still rule that the government had acted unlawfully and cease distributing it. ...

There's no stopping the Martin Scorsese rock-doc train. The esteemed director, who has directed films about the Rolling Stones, the Band and Bob Dylan in the past, will focus his lens next on the life of George Harrison, according to Variety. Scorsese will produce the yet-untitled picture with Harrison's widow, Olivia, and the late guitarist's former Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will also participate. The flick will revolve around Harrison's time in the Beatles and his later years, and also touch on his involvement with Eastern spirituality as well. In related news, McCartney and Starr are participating in Liverpool, England's European Capital of Culture celebration. Macca will perform at the Anfield soccer stadium on June 1. Starr will return to the city — where the Beatles hailed from — for a ceremony at St. George's Hall on January 11, and he will also appear at the Echo Arena on January 12.

09.26.07

Mariah Carey got a win in court last week when a federal judge decided that a copyright-infringement case against her had no merit. Singer Rachele Chafir had sued Carey in April 2006, claiming that Carey's hit "It's Like That" was copied from her song "Sexy" and lifted key pieces, including the music, for the chorus. Chafir, who copyrighted the song in 2004, claimed Carey had access to "Sexy" since it was available on a Web site, but U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood decided that wasn't proof Carey or her collaborators had gone to the Web site or lifted the material, which wasn't "strikingly similar" enough to be considered infringement. With "no genuine issues of material fact," Wood closed the case. "It was the right decision," Carey's lawyer Ilene Farkas told MTV News. "The record was clear in this case." Meanwhile, Carey is moving on with her yet-untitled follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi, which her record label confirmed is now due December 4. ...

Going, going ... to Cooperstown. And with an asterisk on it. Baseball star Barry Bonds' record-breaking home-run ball, which was purchased two weeks ago in an online auction by hip-hop fashion mogul Marc Ecko, will be heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum after all. Ecko bought the ball and launched a Web site giving fans the chance to vote on the ball's final destination: outer space or to Cooperstown, with or without an asterisk signifying Bonds' alleged steroid use in helping him become the all-time home-run king. The announcement was made Wednesday morning (September 26) on the "Today" show after a week of voting. According to Vote756.com, over 10 million votes were cast, of which 47 percent chose to send the tagged ball to the famed baseball museum. ...

The twisted saga of the investigation into the unsolved 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. took another turn this week when Waymond Anderson, an inmate serving life for murder, recanted testimony in which he had implicated the Los Angeles Police Department in the rapper's murder. The Los Angeles Times reports that Anderson said in a recent deposition that he lied about LAPD involvement as part of a "scam" cooked up with two other convicts to get a big monetary settlement from the city of Los Angeles. Most shockingly, Anderson accused the rapper's family — which has filed a wrongful-death suit seeking damages from the city — and its lawyer of taking part in the scheme and offering to pay him a percentage of the settlement for false testimony against the LAPD. In the August 20 testimony, Anderson said he had never met the officers he implicated, despite earlier statements in which he described conversations with the two disgraced ex-LAPD cops. A lawyer for Biggie's family, Perry Sanders, called Anderson's allegations "100 percent, demonstrably false," adding yet another twist to the already-knotted-up story by saying that Anderson appeared to be changing his story at the behest of Chuck Philips, a Times reporter who has written extensively about the murder investigation and has questioned the theory of LAPD involvement. Phillips and the Times dismissed the allegations. ...

In other Biggie news, the recently released documentary "The Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life" follows the rapper's life from his early days to his death with interviews from many of the behind-the-scenes music-industry figures and friends who watched the rapper rise from a street-corner hustler to one of the biggest rap stars in the world. The film also features several minutes of previously unreleased footage shot by a bystander of the scene on the night Biggie was gunned down. The fan's video — which director Peter Spirer ("Beef," "Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel") said has been reviewed by authorities — doesn't capture the moment Biggie's car was shot at, but it does have audio of the shots and shaky footage of the chaotic aftermath. ...

Embattled football player Michael Vick is facing stricter release conditions after testing positive for marijuana earlier this month, The Associated Press reports. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson imposed the new conditions, which include restricting Vick to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and making him submit to random drug tests. He was ordered to continue participating in substance-abuse and mental-health counseling. Vick was put under pretrial release supervision in July, and the restrictions included refraining from the use of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who pleaded guilty in August to federal dogfighting charges, is awaiting sentencing December 10 — and Vick's violation of the conditions of his release could be taken into consideration by the judge. He faces up to five years in prison for the federal charges, and has been indicted on additional state charges in Virginia as well. ...

A second woman has filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne over a melee that broke out during one of his shows at Morgan State University in Baltimore in October. According to an AP story, Carlisa Dixon said she was impaled on a metal pole after the crowd surged to snatch up money that was being tossed from the stage. Dixon is seeking $1 million from Wayne's record label and touring companies, and another $1 million from the university, claiming she underwent surgery for a puncture wound as a result of the crowd surge. A lawsuit was filed in August by another woman who claimed she was trampled in the same money-throwing incident. A spokesperson for Wayne could not be reached for comment at press time. ...

A man died at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Monday night in what police think may have been a crowd-surfing or moshing accident. The Canadian Press reports that Vancouver police say the man was unconscious when he was dragged out of the crowd at the Pacific National Exhibition Forum during the show and worked on by first-aid personnel on site before being transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have ruled out foul play. ... The Voodoo Music Experience is shifting locations, but just slightly. The fest, to take place October 26-28, has a new site in New Orleans City Park to accommodate ongoing restoration and improvement of the park. The shift brings the fest closer to Tad Gormley Stadium, where Voodoo was first held in 1999. ...

Do you march to Nelly's beat? The rapper is cobbling together a marching band for his performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards on October 13. Auditions will be held Sunday starting at 11 a.m. in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans and St. Louis, and Nelly is looking for girls who can play drums, tri-toms, bass drum, tuba or trumpet. Prospective players need to know how to perform his song "Grillz" and move to the beat of the song while playing their instruments. Final auditions will be held October 8 in Atlanta, and those who can't make the auditions in person can post a one-minute video clip on Nelly's drum-line-audition site. ... If you've been doubting Swizz Beatz's fashion sense, think again — Gap has tapped the hugely popular producer for its spring ad campaign. ...

VH1 Rock Docs picked up its first Emmy win on Monday as "DMC: My Adoption Journey" earned the award for News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming. The program, which revolves around the Run-DMC member's search for his birth mother, premiered in February 2006 and will re-air on VH1 on Saturday at 10 p.m. ... Have you already imported Babyface's Playlist into your own playlist? Then mark you calendar — the singer is putting together a tour in support of his recently released LP. Babyface will play a gig in the Philippines on October 13, followed by a stretch in Japan; after that he'll hit Oakland, California, on November 23, and Sparks, Nevada, the following day. ...

During a recent visit to "The Howard Stern Show," Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx spoke out about drummer Tommy Lee and his apparent departure from the band. He told Stern that Lee quit, and Sixx blamed the current legal problems the band is having with one of its former managers for the turmoil. Sixx said that, since Lee isn't the Crüe's frontman or chief songwriter, the band should be fine without him. He added that he harbors no ill will toward Lee. ... Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson was expected to appear in court in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday to answer to drug-possession charges filed against him this summer. While the charges weren't dropped, the prosecution doesn't intend on taking "further action," meaning the charges will either have to be re-raised again or dropped altogether. ...

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's side project Brad are getting back together for a one-night-only show on October 17 at New York's Webster Hall. The benefit event will also feature Billy Bragg and be hosted by Tim Robbins. It is being held to support Woody and Marjorie Guthrie, and the 40th anniversary of the Huntington's Disease Society of America, which was founded by Marjorie. ... Puddle of Mudd aren't ones for Southern hospitality, apparently. Frontman Wesley Scantlin has been banned from Memphis' Graceland after hopping in the pool in Elvis Presley's mansion during a tour on Monday. ...

The Eagles will perform on an awards show for the first time when they take the stage at the Country Music Awards, which will air November 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Carrie Underwood is also slated to perform. ... The Rolling Stones' recent tour didn't just carry the band to the top of Forbes' list of biggest-earning music acts — it landed them in the Guinness World Records, according to Reuters. The classic-rockers' A Bigger Bang tour took $437 million dollars to give them a new record, for the world's most successful music tour. ...

Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God will be teaming up for a late-fall co-headlining tour, which is set to kick off November 28 in Lowell, Massachusetts, with dates booked through December 17 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. DevilDriver and Soilwork will open on all dates. ... Chris Cornell has added another round of dates to his North American tour, which began in the spring. He has booked another 28 gigs, meaning the trek will continue through November 23, when he's expected to perform at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. ...

A photo from Elton John's collection has been pulled from a British gallery where it was to be displayed over concerns by police that it might be child pornography. The photo — which was taken by award-winning American photographer Nan Goldin — shows two young girls, one with her legs spread apart, and was to be displayed at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in northern England before it was seized by police, according to London's Times Online. John released a statement, explaining, "The photograph entitled 'Klara and Edda belly-dancing' (1998) is one of 149 images comprising the 'Thanksgiving' installation by renowned U.S. photographer Nan Goldin ... The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world [and] has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York in 2002 and 2004, and has previously been exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid [Spain], New York, Portugal, Warsaw [Poland] and Zürich [Switzerland] without any objections of which we are aware."

• Mary J. Blige
• Travis Barker
• Paul Wall
• Marilyn Manson
• The Smashing Pumpkins

Tommy Lee (file)
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

We saw round one of the fight between Tommy Lee and Kid Rock at the VMAs, but what if they really got in the ring? Boxing promoter Bob Arum is hoping to get a legitimate fight off the ground between the two rockers in Las Vegas, according to TMZ. And to sweeten the pot, a $5 million purse will go to the winner. "I will make sure this fight happens no matter what the cost," Arum said. ...

On Thursday in Philadelphia, Bono will be presented with the Liberty Medal by former president George H.W. Bush in recognition of his work to combat poverty and disease in Africa. The medal — and the accompanying $100,000 prize — is being presented by the National Constitution Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the ideas and values of the U.S. Constitution. The ceremony, being held at the National Constitution Center in Philly, will be webcast live starting at 7 p.m. ET at LibertyMedal.org. ...

Ahh, the celebrity life. After Jennifer Lopez's husband Marc Anthony confessed his love for KFC to "Access Hollywood" ("I can't eat anything else after a concert"), the fast-food chain offered up its services to the star couple. "We would like to offer you, your entourage and a few VIP guests an 'all access' pass to the KFC location of your choice," KFC President Gregg Dedrick wrote in an open letter to the pair, according to People magazine. The couple, whose North American tour kicks off September 29 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, didn't immediately respond to the offer. ... What do you buy your pop-star girlfriend who has everything? A Mercedes, of course. Hilary Duff's hockey-player boyfriend, Mike Comrie, surprised the singer/actress with an early present for her 20th birthday. "I opened the garage, and I was just like shocked, just standing there," Duff told People. The New York Islanders player decided on a Mercedes-Benz G-class SUV for Duff. "I've driven it tons," she said of her birthday present. "When I called him I was like, 'You're crazy! It's perfect!' " ...

Apparently, former CBGB owner Hilly Kristal, who died last month, was reportedly worth $3.7 million, according to a story in the Village Voice, and his family members, who thought he was broke, are allegedly at odds over the fortune. The story claims that Kristal's son, Dana, is upset about the way his sister, Lisa Kristal Burgman, allegedly encouraged his mother, Kristal's ex-wife Karen, to sign away her rights to the CBGB corporation in 2005 at a time when she was showing signs of senility and may not have realized what she was signing. Dana was left $100,000 in a trust and Lisa was named co-executor of the will and left all of Kristal's property, the paper reported. ...

Jurors in the Phil Spector trial got back to work Friday (September 21) with a new set of instructions. The judge offered the panel new scenarios Thursday of how Spector might have killed actress Lana Clarkson — including one where the music producer forced Clarkson to put the gun in her own mouth. The defense argued against the new instructions, which came after jurors were deadlocked 7-5. ... Alicia Silverstone's revealing new People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals TV ad has been pulled in Houston, Texas. The vegetarian actress is nearly naked in the commercial, in which she urges people to consider a meatless diet. The spot was directed by Dave Meyers, who has directed more than 180 music videos, including Missy Elliott's "Work It" and "Control Yourself." ...

Seal wrote the song "Wedding Day" for his supermodel wife, Heidi Klum, and now she's returning the favor — by contributing vocals to the song on Seal's new album, System, the singer's rep confirmed to People. The LP is due October 30. ... Gucci Mane will release his third album, Trap-A-Thon, on Tuesday, which includes the original version and remix of the Atlanta rapper's 2006 "Freaky Gurl" and an bonus DVD called "The Glockumentary," which chronicles his 2006 murder trial and beef with Young Jeezy. ...

As if buying tickets to your favorite concerts weren't expensive enough, now it appears some fans are resorting to buying pass codes to fan clubs so they can get in on presale ticket opportunities offered to fan club members, according to the Wall Street Journal. The practice, which includes fan-club members selling the pass codes on eBay and Craigslist for anything from $4 to $20, has angered the people who run the fan clubs, who say it undercuts their attempts to make sure fans have first dibs on tickets.

09.20.07

Snoop Dogg struck a plea deal on Thursday (September 20) in his weapon-possession case stemming from an arrest at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, in September 2006, The Associated Press reports. The rapper (real name: Calvin Broadus) was sentenced to 160 hours of community service and three years' probation, and ordered to make a $10,000 charitable donation. In the September incident, Snoop was found carrying a collapsible baton — while he claimed it was for a video shoot, authorities considered it to be a dangerous weapon. If he doesn't violate the law again, his felony conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor after one year. "We are very pleased with the outcome," his attorney Donald Etra told AP. "He wants to get on with his life." ...

Game (real name: Jayceon Taylor) was given a conditional discharge on Thursday in the case involving the rapper allegedly impersonating a police officer in New York in November, AP reports. Per Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Marc Whiten's order, if Game is not arrested again within six months, the misdemeanor criminal-impersonation charge will be dismissed. Claiming innocence, Game had rejected previous plea deals that would have kept him out of jail in exchange for a guilty plea. He was arrested after allegedly telling a cab driver he was an undercover cop and instructing him to run red lights, but Game denied that claim and instead argued that the driver decided to run the red lights on his own. Game's lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, pointed out Game's facial tattoo and said it was doubtful the driver would have believed the rapper to be a police officer. "I've never seen a cop with writing all over his face," Game said. ...

First Dr. Dre makes an appearance at the VMAs, and now he's got an interview in the latest issue of GQ — maybe Detox really is on the way. The notoriously reclusive producer appears in the 50th anniversary issue of the men's magazine and, for the first time, goes on record about the rift between his Aftermath artists 50 Cent and Game. "It was definitely a conscious thing," he said of his decision to not speak up in the past about the feud. "This is something that's between labelmates. I've said, 'When you guys are ready to make some music, let's get down. Let's get in the studio.' All that other stuff, that's not for me. This is something they created, so it's something they have to handle. I don't feel like I have to choose a side." Dre also revealed that, at the behest of Interscope Chairman Jimmy Iovine, he once asked Game not to dis 50 during a New York show. "I knew that this one wasn't gonna go away," he said. "I know these guys, and I know nobody is gonna back down." ...

Gerard Way had some kind words to say to the University of Maine's campus newspaper, The Maine Campus, about Bon Jovi — his band, My Chemical Romance, will open for the rock legends October 25-26 as part of the christening of Newark, New Jersey's Prudential Center. "I grew up as a Bon Jovi fan. Whenever you're dealing with Bon Jovi or Springsteen, it's just a great honor and at that point; it doesn't really matter what genre you play. It really just kind of matters that you're all from New Jersey." Way also had a thing or two to say about MCR being labeled "emo," although his words on that subject weren't so kind. "Emo bands were being booked while we were touring with Christian metal bands because no one would book us on tours. I think emo is f---ing garbage, it's bullsh--. I think there's bands that unfortunately we get lumped in with that are considered emo and by default that starts to make us emo. All I can say is anyone actually listening to the records, put the records next to each other and listen to them and there's actually no similarities. I think emo's a pile of sh--." ...

Yung Joc will perform at the 100th anniversary of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity's Cornell University chapter, according to the campus' paper, The Cornell Daily Sun. The October 12 concert, to be held at the Zeta Beta Tau house, will serve to benefit the Children's Miracle Network, an alliance of hospitals for children. ... Jennifer Lopez has a new album on the brain — Brave, which drops October 9 — but that hasn't stopped her from hooking up with Carlos Santana for a new slice set to be featured on the rock icon's Ultimate Santana collection, due October 16. Baby Bash also surfaces on "This Boy's Fire," which was partly produced by Sean Garrett. Two more previously unreleased collabos — "Into the Night" with Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and "The Game of Love" with Tina Turner — also beef up the best-of disc. ...

Missy Elliott posted a teaser on her Web site announcing that she's back in the lab cooking up a new album that she hopes to release in the spring. No other information was given on the album, which would be her first since 2005's The Cookbook. ... As huge as the Kanye West/ 50 Cent album showdown appeared to be, LP sales are still down 9 percent compared to the same week last year, Billboard reports. ... Tired of seeing Kanye West all over the place? Too bad. The recent Gradu-ee will perform September 29 on "Saturday Night Live." Spoon will play on the show the following week. ...

Sammy Hagar says he wouldn't have toured with the reunited Van Halen without founding bassist Michael Anthony, who has been replaced with Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang Van Halen, for the band's reunion tour with singer David Lee Roth. According to the Web site for Internet radio station KNAC, Hagar said, "I wouldn't do it without Mike. ... If Eddie wants to play with his son, fine. I love my son too, but I got him a different job. ... I just think the fans are gonna walk away with a little bit of a disappointment because Mike's a big part of that band." ... In related news, Van Halen have tossed three more California dates onto their much-anticipated reunion tour, which kicks off September 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band will hit Fresno on November 29, Anaheim on December 18 and will now bring the jaunt to a close in Oakland on December 22. ...

The inaugural Girlfrenzy concert scheduled for October 27 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, California, has been postponed. Though organizers have not given any reason for the show's cancellation, they said in a post on the show's MySpace page that it will be rescheduled for 2008. The show was to feature Avril Lavigne, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow and Colbie Caillat. ... After three years, Scratch magazine is calling it a day. The hip-hop mag's final issue features 50 Cent and Timbaland on the cover and is due out at the end of September. No reason was given for the magazine's shuttering. ...

The 10th anniversary edition of Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp will get an extra dose of power this year with appearances from Slash, Who singer Roger Daltrey, Vince Neil and Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh. Also on the roster for the event, to be held November 7-11 in Las Vegas, are Cream bassist Jack Bruce, as well as members of Iron Maiden, Yes, Steely Dan, Bad Company, Megadeth and Winger. ... Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will give Asbury Park, New Jersey, fans a sneak preview of their upcoming tour in support of their upcoming album Magic, which is due October 2. The Boss has scheduled a pair of benefit shows for Monday and Tuesday night at the Asbury Park Convention Hall, with the $100 tickets selling out almost immediately when they went on sale Thursday morning (September 20), according to the promoter. ...

Gene Simmons, glam-rocker, reality-TV star, magazine entrepreneur and ... science-fiction author? You read it right — the Kiss frontman has penned the first installment of a planned sci-fi series, "Zipper," for release in November. The heavily illustrated book tells the story of a drone soldier from another planet who "begins to question his purpose and contemplate his autonomy ... he realizes his own capacity for individualism and wishes to explore it further," according to Simmons' Web site. ... Hardcore heroes Snapcase are getting back together for a one-off show to benefit Callum Robbins, the son of Jawbox's J. Robbins who is suffering from spinal muscular atrophy. The gig will go down at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York, on November 24 and also feature 108 and Triple Threat. The show is being organized by 108 member and author Norman Brannon, whose "The Anti-Matter Anthology: A 1990s Post-Punk & Hardcore Reader" — a tome revolving around the defunct fanzine — is due in stores November 6. ...

Gina Gershon can't stop the rock. The "Showgirls" actress, whose 2004 reality show chronicled her attempted crossover into the world of rock and roll, will preview songs from her upcoming album In Search of Cleo during a residency at the New York club the Box every Sunday and Monday night in October. Backed by a five-piece band and three dancers, Gershon will unveil the suite of songs — all of which she wrote or co-wrote — that tell the true story of the search and recovery of her lost cat, Cleo. According to a press release, the 10 songs focus "on the literal and metaphoric experience of the search, not just for Cleo, but for love," using "biting humor, country, blues and jazz-influenced singing and a splash of sexy."

• Kid Rock And Tommy Lee Have It Out!

• Pamela Anderson And Tommy Lee's Whirlwind VMA Weekend
• Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene
• Adrian Grenier, Nelly, Shia LaBeouf, Britney And More Stars Spotted In Vegas
• Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, More At The Premiere Of "El Cantante"

• Bono
• Tommy Lee
• Kid Rock
• Jennifer Lopez
• Marc Anthony

Every Time I Die's <i>The Big Dirty</i>
Photo: Ferret Records

Well, artists must have been planning their year around the VMAs, because while August was bristling with new releases and September 11 is going to pack an epic punch, this week is wicked slow. Here's what we're looking at:

Metal Overload: Every Time I Die spent their summer greasing fans for their next album on the Sounds of the Underground Tour, and now it's finally time to deliver the sucker. Following 2005's critically approved Gutter Phenomenon, ETID aim for even loftier heights on The Big Dirty: One track, "Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Battery," is incredulously based on Federico Fellini's "8 1/2." Other cuts, like "Inrihab" and "Depressionista," continue the band's tradition of wacky song titles — though "Rendez-Voodoo" and "Rebel Without Applause" could use some work.

While ETID were on SOTU, Chiodos did the whole Warped Tour deal, delivering their brand of Detroit post-hardcore to the masses. A lot of kids scooped up the band's 2005 debut, All's Well That Ends Well — it has sold more than 160,000 copies — and now the group is hoping for some repeat success with its second effort. While ETID are channeling Fellini, Chiodos have a muse of their own in boozy author Charles Bukowski, whose "Bone Palace Ballet" serves as the title of the band's disc. And try this little nugget of Fall Out Boy-esque trivia on for size: The song "I Didn't Say I Was Powerful, I Said I Was a Wizard" was originally called "A Final Opinion Is of Less Value Than an Appreciation and Tolerance for Obscurity."

If you want to take it a notch heavier, look no further than Bam Margera Presents: Viva la Bands, Volume Two, which is littered with repeat death-metal offenders In Flames, Gwar, Children of Bodom and more. And if you're a Margera fan, Christmas is coming early: The release's DVD component features roughly an hour of Bam footage that is seeing the light of day for the first time.

Last but not least, Megadeth are also storming the metal front this week. The band's recent "That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires" DVD made such a big splash that it has converted the concert into CD form too. The double-disc has three slices from the October 9, 2005, show in Argentina that were not featured in the video package: "Skin of My Teeth," "Die Dead Enough" and "Angry Again."

To the T: London singer/songwriter Jamie T — who's only 21 — has already proven himself back home, outdoing Thom Yorke and Jarvis Cocker for Best Solo Artist at the NME Awards, and he made a bit of a stir Stateside earlier this year at SXSW. Now it's time for him to finally drop his aptly titled Panic Prevention — he suffered from panic attacks as a kid — in the U.S. He's already broken out three singles from the disc: "Sheila," "If You Got the Money" and "Calm Down Dearest."

Digital Underground: The record racks aren't popping too much this week, but there's a bit of activity in the digital ether. Long-running San Francisco string quartet Kronos Quartet — who have previously tackled Philip Glass and Bill Evans, among others — quiet down for Kronos Quartet Plays Sigur Rós. And French ambient act M83 are making sure their Digital Shades Vol. 1 lives up to its name by issuing digitally the first chapter in the unreleased-material series.

Song Title of the Week:

"If I Cut My Hair, Hawaii Will Sink" from Chiodos' Bone Palace Ballet

Album Cover of the Week:

Chiodos' Bone Palace Ballet

Other Notables:

Heavy Trash's Going Way Out With Heavy Trash

When all else fails, there is always Jon Spencer. The Blues (Explosion) brother has ground out another album with onetime Madder Rose bassist Matt Verta Ray. They've tapped some unlikely influences for the affair — in a press release, Spencer said the album salutes everyone from underground acts like the Gories and Doo Rag to Waylon Jennings and Charlie Feathers. But the closing track, "You Can't Win," might have the best foundation: "Partially inspired by post-9/11 paranoia, partially inspired by Greil Marcus' 'The Shape of Things to Come,' and partially inspired by the book 'You Can't Win,' by Jack Black (the hobo, not the funnyman)."

Nurses' Hangin' Nothin' but Our Hands Down

They're up against experimental British act Nurse With Wound, but Nurses think they have the best medicine for music lovers this week with an LP that calls to mind Modest Mouse and Blood Brothers. A nonsensical entry posted on the Chicago band's MySpace page essentially reflects what they're all about: "A few years ago, [the bandmembers] promised each other to become this rock band, write great songs and make as much as possible, and do not deviate from this plan, even though their home state of Idaho had noo shortage of new rok-geroev." If you want to be even more thoroughly confused, look no further than brittle songs like "And Now the Curse of Marjorie" and "Lots of Brass."

Ferraby Lionheart's Catch the Brass Ring

What's a pizza-delivery guy to do in his spare time? Well, write songs, of course. Singer/songwriter Ferraby Lionheart did just that, filtering his love of Prince and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" into his computer in the form of late-night compositions. The Ballad of Ferraby Lionheart features "The Octopus and the Ambulance," "Youngest Frankenstein" and "Put Me in Your Play."

New Releases:

· Jay Azzolina - Local Dialect (Garagista)
· Joshua Bell - Red Violin Concerto (Sony Classics)
· Birgit - True Stories I Made Up (Zip)
· Suzy Bogguss - Sweet Danger (Loyal Dutchess)
· Manu Chao - La Radiolina (Nacional/Because) [Buy Now]
· Chiodos - Bone Palace Ballet (Equal Vision) [Buy Now]
· Clare & the Reasons - The Movie (Frog Stand)
· The Coathangers - The Coathangers (Rob's House)
· Lars Danielsson & Leszek Mozdzer - Pasodoble (Act Music + Vision)
· EleventySeven - Galactic Conquest (Reunion)
· Every Time I Die - The Big Dirty (Ferret) [Buy Now]
· Ferraby Lionheart - Catch the Brass Ring (Nettwerk)
· The Flatliners - The Great Awake (Fat Wreck Chords)
· Marla Hansen - Wedding Day (Standard Recording)
· Calvin Harris - I Created Disco (Almost Gold)
· Heavy Trash - Going Way Out With Heavy Trash (Yep Roc)
· The Holloways - So This Is Great Britain? (enhanced; TVT)
· Jamie T - Panic Prevention (Caroline)
· Just Jack - Overtones (enhanced; TVT)
· Will Kimbrough - (EP) (Thirty Tigers)
· Kosmos - Kosmos (The End) [Buy Now]
· Mancino - Manners Matter (Mancino Music) [Buy Now]
· Megadeth - That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires (two CDs; Image) [Buy Now]
· New Model Army - High (Attack Attack)
· Ted Nugent - Love Grenade (Eagle)
· Nurses - Hangin' Nothin' but Our Hands Down (Sargent House)
· Panacea - The Scenic Route (Rawkus)
· The Perishers - Victorious (Nettwerk)
· Chris & Rich Robinson - Brothers of a Feather: Live at the Roxy (Eagle Rock)
· Kendra Ross - New Voice (Lola's Child)
· Patti Scialfa - Play It as It Lays (Columbia)
· Michelle Shocked - To Heaven U Ride (Mighty Sound)
· Various artists - Bam Margera Presents: Viva la Bands, Volume Two (with DVD; Ferret)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Ice Cube - In the Movies (Capitol/Priority) [Buy Now]
· Jars of Clay - The Essential Jars of Clay (two CDs; Essential/Legacy) [Buy Now]
· Nurse With Wound - Homotopy to Marie (Jnana)
· Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (limited-edition three-CD reissue; Capitol) [Buy Now]
· Yes - Live at Montreux 2003 (two CDs; Eagle Rock) [Buy Now]
· Townes Van Zandt - Be Here to Love Me and For the Sake of the Song (Fat Possum)

Music DVDs:

· Dave Brubeck - "Jazz Icons" (Reelin' in the Years/ Naxos)
· John Coltrane - "Jazz Icons" (Reelin' in the Years/ Naxos)
· Duke Ellington - "Jazz Icons" (Reelin' in the Years/ Naxos) [Buy Now]
· Dexter Gordon - "Jazz Icons" (Reelin' in the Years/ Naxos)
· Isaac Hayes - "Live at Montreux 2005" (Eagle Rock)
· Charles Mingus - "Jazz Icons" (Reelin' in the Years/ Naxos)
· Wes Montgomery - "Jazz Icons" (Reelin' in the Years/ Naxos)
· Chris & Rich Robinson - "Brothers of a Feather: Live at the Roxy" (with CD; Eagle Eye)
· Sarah Vaughan - "Jazz Icons" (Reelin' in the Years/ Naxos)
· Various artists - "The British Beat Live!: Best of the '60s" (Shout! Factory)
· Various artists - "Improvisation" (two DVDs; Eagle Eye)
· Various artists - "Shakespeare Was a George Jones Fan: Cowboy Jack Clement's Home Movies" (Shout! Factory)

Digital Releases:

· Karmina - The Kiss (EP; CBS) [Buy Now]
· Kronos Quartet - Kronos Quartet Plays Sigur Rós (Nonesuch) [Buy Now]
· M83 - Digital Shades Vol. 1 (Mute) [Buy Now]
· The Milwaukees - American Anthems, Vol. 1 (City Desk) [Buy Now]
· Rhythm King and Her Friends - The Front of Luxury (Kitty-Yo)
· Sons of William - What Hides Inside (Red Lick)

Coming Attractions:

September 11:
· 50 Cent - Curtis (G-Unit/Interscope) [Preorder]
Read: "50 Cent Album Preview: Eminem, Dr. Dre Help Curtis 'Keep It Funky' "
· Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam (Domino) [Preorder]
· Hot Hot Heat - Happiness Ltd. (Reprise) [Preorder]
· Kenna - Make Sure They See My Face (Interscope) [Preorder]
· Kanye West - Graduation (Roc-A-Fella) [Preorder]
Read: "Kanye's Graduation: Inside The NYC Listening Party For West's So-Called 'Comeback' "

September 18:
· Chamillionaire - Ultimate Victory (Motown) [Preorder]
Read: "Chamillionaire Ditches Bad Attitude; Hooks Up With Snoop, Busta For LP"
· Mya - Liberation (Motown) [Preorder]
Read: "Mya Gives Up Grudges And Ego, Picks Up Relationship Wisdom On Liberation"
· KT Tunstall - Drastic Fantastic (Virgin)

September 25:
· Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (RCA) [Preorder]
· PJ Harvey - White Chalk (Island)
· Hell Rell - For the Hell of It (Koch) [Preorder]

• Every Time I Die
• Chiodos
• Megadeth
• Jamie T.
• Manu Chao

Full Blown Chaos
Photo: Zeiss

It isn't easy to sum up in one word Full Blown Chaos' forthcoming album, Heavy Lies the Crown, but "vicious" certainly comes to mind — even "venomous." The New York hardcore punks' music is downright evil, and the lyrics ... well, they're straightforward and to the point. You see, FBC frontman Ray Mazzola's not a subtle dude, and he doesn't censor himself — he speaks his mind, regardless of the consequences.

"You f--- with someone in this band, and you're going to end up with a song about you," the stout singer explained. "There will be people who'll read these lyrics, and they'll know the song's about them — they'll read it and go, 'Ouch.' Some of the actual lyrics are from letters I'd written to people, and e-mails, just basically confirming or cutting off friendships. I have no qualms with putting that into my music, because that's who I am. I can't deny myself. If you deny yourself, then who are you? I'm a person, an individual, and I have very strong emotions towards things. It's time people see what's been going on this last year."

Mazzola said a lot has gone down since the band's memorable appearances on last year's Ozzfest. In that time, Full Blown cut ties with Hatebreed ringleader Jamey Jasta's Stillborn Records and bids came in from many metal labels — including Century Media, Metal Blade and Roadrunner Records — all of whom wanted to add some Chaos to their rosters. In the end, the band inked a deal with Ferret, which will release Heavy Lies the Crown August 21. The set — produced by Biohazard's Billy Graziadei — features a dozen tracks, including "The Hard Goodbye," "Fail Like a Champ" and "Raise Hell."

But label politics aside, Mazzola said that, on a personal level, he has learned over the past year who his true friends are, and much of the resulting disappointment and ire that came with that understanding helped shape the disc's feel.

"There have been a lot of people who were supposed to be in our corner fighting for us that just totally neglected the situation," he explained. "We were throwing punches, and they should have been holding our back the whole time. They weren't. We needed to know where our friends were and where we stand and who was going to have our back at the end of the day. The album's title refers to a friend who we came up [with] ... going to shows, doing our thing, pushing our bands. One person went one way and one person went the other way. You can go the one way and remember where you came from, or you can go the other way and manipulate situations for your own greedy endeavors. And that's what's happened.

"Everyone will be able to take something from it, whether it's how to maintain and use their anger in a positive way or help them understand that not everybody in the world feels like they do," he added. "This record deals with everything from problems with general life, the music business, relationships and trying to keep everything under control [to maintaining] your own individual self."

Unfortunately, Full Blown Chaos haven't been able to line up any tours around the album's release. But they will head out this fall with Obituary, Hemlock and Alabama Thunderpussy for a U.S. run that's scheduled to launch September 1.

Mazzola said he can't wait to get back out there and play the new material, which is punishing and ultra-aggressive, and teems with sludgy, Southern metal influences. While Mazzola said there are some positive moments on the record, they are few and far between.

"This album shows you the problem and gives you the solution — that's the type of record it is," he said. "Our New Year's resolution was, 'It's time to step it up and take it to the next level, and see if we can roll with the bigger bands.' I know we can. We focused on the material more, the songwriting, and we came together to make this awesome record. It's a real record — it shows you where we stand and that we're not going to stop fighting. Cut our legs off, and we'll drag ourselves. That's how it works: Nothing's going to stop the momentum of this band — at least not while I'm fronting it."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Megadeth will release Warchest, a box set containing four CDs and one DVD, October 2. The package features 33 previously unreleased audio and video tracks, including a full 1990 concert from London's Wembley Stadium, B-sides and demos of "Holy Wars ... the Punishment Due," "Tornado of Souls," "Five Magics" and "Architecture of Aggression." The DVD features 10 songs recorded at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1992. "This is, by far, the best and most comprehensive look at all things Mega," frontman Dave Mustaine said in a press statement. "With some of the most famous, and infamous, shows and any of the fluid, or flammable, lineups, listening to this box set — when it was all done — was an adrenalin surge. I have got to hand it to my past bandmates, they played great for how turbulent times could get in the blink of an eye." ...

After months of speculation, Down's forthcoming album III -- Over the Under has finally been scheduled for release: Look for it in stores on September 25. ... Divine Heresy, the new band featuring ex-Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares, will release their debut album, Bleed the Fifth, August 28. The day of release, the group will play a record-release show at West Hollywood, California's Whisky a Go Go — its second gig with new bassist Joe Payne (ex-Nile). "I began my musical career in Los Angeles, and I felt that there was no better place to launch the debut," Cazares said in a statement. "The Whisky is the perfect-sized venue for this record-release show so we can get close to the fans and give them the most intense performance we possibly can." The band recently shot with director Christoffer "Salzy" Salzgeber (Damageplan, Soulfly) a video for its first single, "Failed Creation," that which will go to video outlets soon. ...

Cellador guitarist Bill Hudson will take the stage Friday night (August 10) with one of his idols, Danger Danger singer Ted Poley, for a concert in São Paulo, Brazil. "I'm sure it'll be an amazing experience," Hudson said in a press release. "As much as Danger Danger sounds nothing like Cellador, they're one of my favorite bands of all time." (Maybe so, but if you've heard Cellador's music, they clearly take a back seat to Iron Maiden.) Cellador will enter the studio with Erik Rutan (Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal) in November to record the follow-up to 2006's Enter Deception. ... Sick of It All, As I Lay Dying, Unearth, Converge, Earth Crisis and Walls of Jericho raised money in a recent German eBay auction for the charity organization Zartbitter, which provides help for sexually abused children. For the auction, which ran through Sunday, each band signed a skateboard deck at the Pressure Festival in Herne, Germany. ...

Vancouver, British Columbia's comical extreme-metal band Zimmers Hole have started tracking their third full album, which will be released by their new label Century Media later this year. Tentative track titles include "The Dark Church of Whatever," "We Rule the F---ing Land" and "Hair Doesn't Grow on Steel." "As you can see, it's all about having a good time with the Hole," the band said in a press release. "Make no mistake, though, we are very serious about our love of metal: It made us who we are, and we wear our influences on our sleeves proudly." Zimmers Hole feature ex-Strapping Young Lad members Byron Stroud (bass) and Jed Simon (guitar), along with singer Chris "The Heathen" Valagao and drummer Steve Wheeler. ...

Experimental Norwegian pagans Ulver will release Shadows of the Sun, the band's first offering since 2005's Blood Inside, October 2. "We believe we have succeeded in giving our fears some kind of form," the band said in a statement of the new songs. "We feel it is our most personal record to date. Low-key, dark, and tragic. As we are." Tracks include "Eos," "Vigil," "Let the Children Go" and "Funebrae." ... Power-metal powerhouses Brainstorm have entered Gate Studios in Wolfsburg, Germany, with producers Sascha Paeth (Angra, Kamelot) and Michael Rodenberg (Rhapsody of Fire, Heaven's Gate) to record their seventh album, which should drop in early 2008. "Recordings are going extremely well so far and we are simply overwhelmed how [impressive] the new songs sound," the Krauts wrote on their MySpace site. "These are definitely the best Brainstorm songs that have seen the light of day yet." ...

Los Angeles thrash band Warbringer have signed to Century Media for the release of their full-length debut. The band is currently in the studio working on the album with producer Bill Metoyer (Slayer, D.R.I.). "Working with Bill has been excellent," singer John Kevill said in a press release. "He completely gets the kind of sound we are going for. He's an easy guy to work with and has a lot of good input on how to make things sound right. The album has been coming along at a very nice steady pace and we think it's sounding great so far." The yet-untitled disc is scheduled for release in January, in time for the band's tour with Exodus, Goatwhore and Arsis. Dates will be forthcoming. ... Speaking of Exodus, they're the latest band to land guest slots in the metal cartoon series "Metalocalypse." Singer Rob Dukes described the experience as a dream come true. "If I died today it would all be good," he wrote on Exodus' MySpace page.

• Full Blown Chaos
• Megadeth
• Down

American Black Lung
Photo: Uprising

Work in music journalism long enough and you'll find that bands that spend as much of their time on the road as the dudes in the American Black Lung, traveling from one dismal dive to the next, have stories. Little yarns about experiences they've shared while logging miles and trying to pay the rent. These stories can range from the put-me-to-sleep boring ("One time we watched a porno together") to the unbelievable ("One time we killed a drifter in Idaho, just because").

Diamond Rhino, who fronts the ABL — a band that hails from Tucson, Arizona, and switch-hits between modern hardcore, fist-pumping garage rock and metal — doesn't have too many unbelievable stories from the band's touring past. But he did offer one nugget that falls somewhere in the middle.

"There was this one time when we were in El Paso [Texas]," he began, "and we were staying in this hotel, which coincidentally was the same hotel that booked the show. The show was going to be in the bar of the hotel — already a bad idea. I can see people running across the border in the distance, and we're just yelling, 'Run,' at them and, 'Go for it,' cheering them on. So, we're downstairs, and we're hanging out outside the hotel, and it's a three-story hotel. All of a sudden, this dude jumps from the third story and lands on the concrete."

The band didn't know what to do. The guy had taken a nosedive into the ground and "his leg [was] pointing in a direction that a human leg should not point," according to Rhino. The guys decided to help the man, whose femur was poking out from his leg.

"We called 911, but it took a little while for the police to show up," Rhino explained. "So we decided it was a good time for a photo-op. All of us collectively stand around this dude, and start taking, like, posse pictures. This dude's so f---ed up, he doesn't even know what's going on. He's not feeling any pain at all, and we're there giving the thumbs up with our arms around him — I think he did in one photo, too. I do look at those pictures on a regular basis and giggle."

It was this one incident, Rhino continued, "when I finally realized being in a rock and roll band is fun."

When they're not trying to help or exploit people jumping off buildings, American Black Lung — whose sophomore LP, Sudden Departure of Vultures, hit stores in mid-July — spend their time touring and writing. In fact, they're one of several heavier acts to bolster this year's Warped Tour, which they'll be trekking with through August 15 in Kansas City, Kansas. Warped seems an odd fit for a band like the ABL, but they survived last summer's run and even took a few fans away in the process.

"We're not too heavy," the singer explained. "We skip out on the breakdowns, but we're heavy enough to appeal to the hardcore kids who want to do karate in the crowd. I catch a major dose of secondhand embarrassment when I see that sh-- going on. ... We were the band the old dudes would track down. So this summer, we'll use our rock to our advantage, and we're going to try to appeal to ... dudes in Mötley Crüe T-shirts."

The band's new album isn't much of a departure from 2006's ... And They Rode Their Weapons Into War, Rhino admits. But on Vultures, the ABL did beef up their sound a tad.

"Trends come and they go," he explained. "We're not reinventing the wheel, but I think there's room in popular music for some gritty rock and roll. The first album had a real organic feel. It was gritty and raw but still tight — the way records were made 25 years ago. So, when we went in for the second one, it [was] like making a horror film — you want to up the body count, you want to up the gore. But we wanted to up the raunchiness and the real gritty sound we have.

"A lot of bands, for their sophomore record, they want to refine and almost make things more accessible," he continued. "I think we went the complete opposite direction and made a [rawer] record that comes across as being more sincere and less genre-specific. It's just a strong, gnarly sounding rock record. It's like a musical collage of all the best parts of rock and roll — or what we consider our favorite parts."

The band had hoped to head out in the fall for a tour with the Bled, but the trek was postponed once the latter act was added to the Projekt Revolution lineup. Instead the ABL will hit the road post-Warped with I Am the Ocean for the Your Vultures Need Swallowing Tour from August 17 in Salt Lake City through September 4 in Austin, Texas.

While everything seems to be moving right along for the American Black Lung, don't expect a video from them anytime soon — they cost too much money and, being on an indie label, money's something the ABL don't have, according to Rhino.

"Maybe we'll take one of our songs and do a video montage of people getting hit in the crotch with footballs," he said.

The rest of the week's metal news:

For months, Ministry's Al Jourgensen has said the band's upcoming disc The Last Sucker, which comes out September 18, will be Ministry's last. But that's not quite true. Weird Al recently told German mag Metal Hammer that Ministry will drop an album of cover tunes early next year. In addition to previously released numbers like Black Sabbath's "Supernaut" and Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay," the disc will feature the following new tracks: The Beatles "I Want You (She's so Heavy"), Deep Purple's "Space Trucking," Ram Jam's "Black Betty," Golden Earring's "Radar Love," Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb." ... A name has been chosen for the new band featuring Clutch frontman/guitarist Neil Fallon, CKY drummer Jess Margera and Fireball Ministry frontman/guitarist James A. Rota: the Company Band. The group, which also features Puny Human bassist Jason Diamond and guitarist Dave Bone, hit the studio recently to flesh out some tracks for an EP that's due in stores later this year. ...

In March, Megadeth released the DVD "That One Night - Live in Buenos Aires," which was filmed at Obras Stadium in Argentina in October 2005. For those who dig the DVD — which has since gone gold — but long to hear the tracks on CD, your wish is Dave Mustaine's command. On September 4, Megadeth will release the concert as a live double CD featuring three tracks not on the DVD. "This was one of the greatest nights of my life," Mustaine said in a press release. "I am glad I was able to document it and share it with you." ...

German metal legends Scorpions will release their 17th studio album, Humanity - Hour 1, in North America on August 28. (The disc came out in May everywhere else.) On August 25, Scorpions will launch a North American tour in Shawinigan, Quebec, that's set to run through September 29 in Boston. ... Metal duo Jucifer have released a video for "Hennin Hardine" on SingingFool.com. The clip is the second from the band's 2006 album, If Thine Enemy Hunger. On August 17, Jucifer will launch their fall tour in Huntsville, Alabama, with dates scheduled through October 25 in Austin, Texas. ...

Riverside, California, extreme-metal band Suicide Silence will release their debut full-length, The Cleansing, September 18. The disc was recorded by John Travis (Static-X) and mixed by Tue Madsen (Himsa, the Haunted). Last month, Suicide Silence shot a video for the album track "The Price of Beauty" with Matt Bass (Black Dahlia Murder, the Esoteric). "All I can say is that the treatment is pretty grotesque, and we filmed in some very creepy locations," singer Mitch Lucker said. "This was the first budgeted music video we'd ever done, and we were very detailed in our approach." Suicide Silence will tour with Unearth, Darkest Hour and August Burns Red from September 27 in Towson, Maryland, through October 6 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ... Metalcore bands Escape the Fate, Lovehatehero, Bless the Fall, Dance Gavin Dance and Before Their Eyes will grace the stage of the Hot Topic-sponsored Black on Black Tour, which starts September 1 in Las Vegas and runs through October 14 in Phoenix. ... Power-doom trio Zoroaster have finished their debut full-length Dog Magic, which is due September 11.

• The American Black Lung
• Megadeth
• Jucifer

DevilDriver
Photo: Roadrunner Records

DevilDriver's first two albums, 2003's self-titled LP and 2005's The Fury of Our Maker's Hand, combined the savagery of classic thrash and death metal with some modern musical touches. More importantly, the discs established frontman Dez Fafara (ex-Coal Chamber) as more than a casualty of the nü-metal movement. At times, however, the records seemed a bit too much like apologies for a misguided past. Well, Fafara is done apologizing. DevilDriver's new disc, The Last Kind Words (out June 5), is a scathing declaration of war to anyone who continues to deny the band's importance.

"The 'last kind words' could be 'f--- you' before complete annihilation," Fafara said. "For me, this album is about being motivated to stand up to the punishment of being a human and to have the character in you to go on when all people want to do is hold you down."

Even so, the album isn't just a tirade of hostility. Lyrically, Fafara also aims to be constructive, addressing the importance of living in the moment ("Not All Who Wander Are Lost"), band solidarity ("Bound by the Moon") and moving on after the ugly demise of friendship ("Clouds Over California").

"Lyrically, it's dark and foreboding," Fafara said. "But it's gonna give you inspiration to go through this earthly experience and keep kicking."

As insightful as the best lyrics are, it's the band's musical evolution that makes The Last Kind Words truly exceptional. Like DevilDriver's other albums, this one is filled with jackhammer beats, chainsaw riffs and demonic roars, but the compositions are more complex and progressive, interlaced with melodic and textural nuances and stunning rhythmic variation.

"I think we knew we had to reach within ourselves as a team and pull something out that was really different," Fafara said. "Everyone totally put aside their egos and stepped up to the plate to do what needed to be done. In America right now, there's so much of that sing-songy metal going on, so we knew if we did something totally balls-out it was going to be well-received."

As if intuitively sensing that they needed extra time to make album number three eclipse their first two discs, guitarists Mike Spreitzer, Jeffrey Kendrick and bassist Jon Miller started writing riffs immediately after the completion of The Fury of Our Maker's Hand. Song parts were finessed on the road and then everything was assembled in the rehearsal room. By the time DevilDriver entered the studio on November 13 with Jason Suecof (Trivium, Chimaira), they were ready to hit "record."

"There was literally no preproduction to be done," Fafara said. "Jason said, 'Wow man, these are ready to go.' And everyone didn't just stick to his instrument either. The guys switched guitars and basses a lot — whatever was best for the song. Sometimes, if some guy writes a song, he may not be the best person to track it, and he's gotta be able to give that up to someone else. And when you see that happen with no fights, that's an amazing thing."

The only moments of tension came from working with Suecof, who Fafara described as "a total wing nut."

"We couldn't be more polar opposite, and I had to tell him to shut the f--- up so many times," Fafara recalled. "We actually got into it about two or three times where he would criticize something and I would just be like, 'You suck, you've got no groove.' But the friction worked and we actually came out of it the best of friends. More importantly, he really captured this band, and now I feel like it would be hard to work with anyone else."

There's no question that Suecof and his bandmates played a major role in making The Last Kind Words the most impacting DevilDriver disc to date. However, it was Fafara's clear focus and refusal to compromise that really drove DevilDriver to new heights.

"Years ago I used to think about commerce as an artist, but now I'm just thinking of pure art," he said. "So hopefully what we put out is going to be a kick in the face to what's going on in metal right now. That's the most important goal."

The rest of the week's metal news:

According to Megadeth's Dave Mustaine, his annual Gigantour festival won't be happening this summer, but will return in 2008. Mustaine said time constraints forced the suspension of the tour, which was launched in 2005 and featured Megadeth, Lamb of God, Opeth, Arch Enemy and more last year. ... Behemoth, who'll be on this summer's Ozzfest, have unveiled the track list for their forthcoming album, The Apostasy, which hits stores July 17. The LP will boast 11 cuts, including "Slaying the Prophets Ov Isa," "At the Left Hand Ov God" and "Christgrinding Avenue." ...

Seems the Red Chord have had a change of heart concerning the name of their forthcoming album. Instead of Birdbath, which frontman Guy Kozowyk told MTV News last year would be the LP's title, the band is going with Prey for Eyes, and it will land in stores this summer. Produced by Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall), the disc will boast 14 tracks, including "It Runs in the Family," "Intelligence Has Been Compromised" and "Birdbath." ... P.O.D. have reportedly enlisted Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir to guest on their upcoming, yet-untitled album. According to singer Sonny Sandoval, P.O.D. are honored that Muir would lend his talents to the LP. No word yet on when the album might surface or what tracks it will include. ...

The Sword have announced that they'll be taking the summer off from touring so they can continue writing material for the forthcoming follow-up to their debut LP, 2006's Age of Winters. "We have withdrawn to our stronghold to forge new implements of sonic destruction and plan the next phase of our campaign of conquest," the band said in a statement. "Look for us when the days grow short and the air turns cold." ... Every Time I Die's forthcoming album The Big Dirty has been set for a September 4 release date through Ferret. The disc was produced by Steve Evetts, who has worked with the Dillinger Escape Plan and Sepultura in the past. ... Former Motograter guitarist Matt "Nuke" Nunes has aligned himself with bassist Johnny Montanio for a new project they're calling Curiosity Killed the Cop. CKTC have written seven tracks but are still light on members, and they've been auditioning singers, guitarists and drummers. Interested in trying out? E-mail the band at jmontanio43@yahoo.com. ...

The release date for Horse the Band's forthcoming album A Natural Death has been pushed back to August 28 from the previously announced June 26 date. The band's label has not offered an explanation for the delay, but fans can head on over to Horse the Band's MySpace page to check out the album's first single, "Murder." ... Katatonia, Scar Symmetry, Insomnium and Swallow the Sun will team up in a few months for a North American run. The tour is set to get under way September 4 in West Springfield, Virginia, and run through September 26 in Houston. ... Fireball Ministry have begun writing new material for their next studio offering. Frontman the Rev. James A. Rota II said in a statement that the next LP is "going to be a bit different than our last three. We've definitely decided to take the band to some new territory, but it's definitely Fireball Ministry." It's possible the band will preview some of the latest material when it plays a show June 23 in Malibu, California, with Fu Manchu. ...

Iced Earth have a new guitarist — with a pretty metal name — in Troy Steele. "Troy did a few solos on the new record and will be touring with us," main man Jon Schaffer said in a statement. "He's been a friend of mine for about 10 years and is from the Indianapolis area. He's by far the best guitar player in Indy and will be bringing some cool vibes to the table." The band's forthcoming EP, Overture of the Wicked, will land in stores June 5 and feature two cuts: "Ten Thousand Strong" and the three-part "Something Wicked Trilogy." ... Blessed By a Broken Heart have wrapped recording their Century Media debut, Pedal to the Metal. The album was produced by GGGarth (Atreyu, L7) and is being eyed for release later in the year. "We are very excited to announce that our record is finally done," the band said in a statement. "This is and will always be the greatest record of all time — well, except for maybe Rick Astley's Whenever You Need Somebody, but it sure comes close."

• DevilDriver
• Iced Earth
• Megadeth
• Lamb of God

Linkin Park's <i>Minutes to Midnight</i>
Photo: Warner Bros.

Sixty-seven years ago Tuesday (May 15), McDonald's was founded. In the spirit of fast food, let's see — real quick-like — what helps turn this week's new releases into Happy Meals.

Time's a Wastin': For starters, Linkin Park serve their ominously themed third studio album, Minutes to Midnight — for which they spent 14 months in the studio and racked up a stupefying 100 demo songs. Rick Rubin put his Grammy-winning spit-shine on the LP and even let the bros use his 808 drum machine, which rap-rock crossover pseudo-brethren Beastie Boys used on License to Ill more than 20 years ago.
Happy Meal: The special edition comes with a Music Video Interactive DVD containing downloadable MP3s for all the tracks, plus videos, a "What I've Done" ringtone and much more.

Look, Up in the ...: Wilco's Sky Blue Sky is already drawing critical raves — duh, it's Wilco — and, were it born 30 years ago, would have fit comfortably on AOR radio. Their melancholic sixth release follows 2004's A Ghost Is Born, their first to crack the Billboard albums chart top 10 — and unless Rick James or Megadeth have something to say about it, this could very well be the second-biggest release dropping this week.
Happy Meal: Move over, LP — Wilco have a special edition of their own, and it also comes with a bonus DVD littered with surprises: a 45-minute documentary co-directed by Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, interview clips with the six bandmembers and more.

Still Getting His Freak On: Rick James had put the finishing touches on a new studio album before he passed in August 2004, and almost three years later, Deeper Still finally makes its way into stores. The set features 11 tracks, 10 of which James wrote or co-wrote and all of which he produced, even though the funk master had originally wanted it to be a double album consisting of 20 cuts.
Happy Meal: "Do You Wanna Play" is, according to a press release, "an unadulterated invitation to carnal pleasures," while "Secrets" and "Funk Wit Me" are equally intimate, to put it politely.

Give (It) Up: For their fourth effort, metalcore stewards Hopesfall huddled with Mike Watts — no, not the legendary punk bassist; Mike Watts, producer of like-minded bands like As Tall as Lions and As Cities Burn. The North Carolina group's latest includes "Swamp Kittens," "Cubic Zirconias Are Forever" and "Devil's Concubine."
Happy Meal: The brilliant Magnetic North cover art.

Playing Tag: Rawkus Records is back as you probably know, and the label is hoping it has a new Mos Def or Talib Kweli on its hands in newcomer Marco Polo. The NYC-by-way-of-Toronto rapper, who is a former member of the Beat Society and was named one of Urb's Next 100 artists, produced his first album all on his own.
Happy Meal: Guest spots by Masta Ace, Large Professor and Kool G Rap round out the release.

Wain's World: Speaking of self-produced albums, Rufus Wainwright's Release the Stars is the first he did completely by himself — although it was executive produced by Pet Shop Boys conspirator Neil Tennant. The emotional singer/songwriter also got assists on his fifth album from guest stars Richard Thompson, Joan Wasser and veteran Welsh stage actress Siân Phillips.
Happy Meal: Look no further than Wainwright's quintessential operatic heart-on-his-sleeve outpouring, which inevitably crops up again throughout his latest LP.

Strung Out: The High Strung have been touring libraries — yes, you, uh, read that right — to hype their third album, which is appropriate in light of the many fictional character sketches and narratives brought forth in Get the Guests. That includes "Rimbaud/Rambo," about a narrator weighing the romantic potential of both; "The Curator," about a museum employee who covers the walls with his own art; and "Arrow," which imagines what would happen if Cupid were to stick himself with one of his love spears.
Happy Meal: Song titles include "There Was No One Before You, There Was No One Before Me," "The Meddler" and — wait for it — "What a Meddler!"

Friendly Fire: Welsh rockers Funeral for a Friend — who recently toured with My Chemical Romance — churn out Tales Don't Tell Themselves this week, with a big assist from Foo Fighters producer Gil Norton. The band's third album features the first single, "Into Oblivion (Reunion)" — the video for which landed 14,000 views in its first 24 hours — "Out of Reach" and "On a Wire."
Happy Meal: Norton employs strings, French horns and a 26-piece orchestra on many of the tracks.

The genesis of Genesis: The band is back this summer — without Peter Gabriel, beware — and Rhino is hailing the reunion with a six-CD/six-DVD set, Genesis 1976-1982. The first of three box sets the label is planning features the band's five studio discs from that era, expanded with bonus tracks, remastered sound, unreleased videos, photo galleries, interviews and much more.
Happy Meal: Fans will go gaga over rare B-sides, EP tracks and more that are littered throughout the hefty set.

Metal Mayhem: On the topic of "genesis," Job for a Cowboy — who have made the rounds with Cannibal Corpse and are set for this summer's Sounds of the Underground Tour — are using that term as the title of their first album. The LP features weightily named songs like "Altered From Catechization," "Reduced to Mere Filth" and "Martyrdom Unsealed" and was mixed by Grammy-winning Megadeth collaborator Andy Sneap.

Sneap also reconvened with 'Deth for their 11th studio release, United Abominations, which Dave Mustaine and the gang churn out this week. Recorded in Los Angeles and England, the old-school throwback album recaps the band's classic track "À Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free)" with new vocals by Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia.

Happy Meal: Metalheads are always happy.

Odds 'N' Sods: Also this week, Zach Barocas is helping out his onetime Jawbox bandmate, post-punk icon J. Robbins, with a two-CD tribute comp, For Callum. The set has been crafted to raise funds for Robbins' son, who has spinal muscular atrophy, and it features contributions from Mission of Burma, David Grubbs, Jawbreaker and many more. It's only available at Catlick Records' Web site.

Also hard to find but available on Dischord's Web site is a remastered version of Fugazi's Red Medicine and a slew of entries in the Fugazi Live Series. The label is selling the remaining stock of CDs from the series, after which it plans to release the concert recordings digitally.

And speaking of digital releases, hip-hop producer and X-ecutioners collaborator Marshall Law has posted his 60-minute experimental mix, Testing the Waters, right here for free download.

Last but not least, Starbucks is exclusively releasing the collection Bluesville, featuring tracks by Albert King, Willie Dixon and other blues greats.

Song Title of the Week:

"And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman" from Dance Gavin Dance's Downtown Battle Mountain

Other Notables:

Dungen's Tio Bitar: The Swedish psych-rockers take guitar noise to another level with their second disc, which also encompasses violin, flute, piano and organ, along with the usual bass and drums. Gustav Ejstes and company dish up "Ska Inte Tro Alt Det Ordnar Sig," "Mon Amour," "Familj," and other tracks you don't understand. Just don't let the artwork make you too dizzy.

Betty Davis' Betty Davis and They Say I'm Different: The funk and soul goddess — who counts Ice Cube and Herbie Hancock among her fans — gets some retro lovin' with her first reissues ever. Mrs. Miles Davis' first two albums — which she wrote and produced all on her own, like her other releases — feature three and four unreleased bonus cuts, respectively.

Tim Buckley's "My Fleeting House": There's another first in the archival world this week: the release of the only authorized Buckley DVD to date. The footage spans the entirety of his career (1967-'74) and includes 11 full songs and three partial performances, plus unreleased footage from "The Steve Allen Show," interviews with his collaborators and more.

New Releases:

· The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism (Ramseur)
· Balkan Beat Box - Nu Med (JDub)
· Before Their Eyes - Before Their Eyes (Rise)
· Blacktop Mourning - No Regret (Megaforce)
· Chaka Khan - Classikhan (Music World)
· Dance Gavin Dance - Downtown Battle Mountain (Rise)
· Dirty Sweet - ... Of Monarchs & Beggars (Seedling)
· Dungen - Tio Bitar (Kemado)
· Flatfoot 56 - Jungle of the Midwest Sea (Flicker)
· Funeral for a Friend - Tales Don't Tell Themselves (Atlantic)
· Great Northern - Trading Twilight for Daylight (Eenie Meenie)
· Howard Hewett - If Only (Machine Productions)
· The High Strung - Get the Guests (Park the Van)
· Hollywood Rose - Dopesnake (Cleopatra)
· Hopesfall - Magnetic North (Trustkill)
· The Horrors - Strange House (enhanced; Stolen Transmission)
· Ian Hunter - Shrunken Heads (Yep Roc)
· Rick James - Deeper Still (Stone City)
· Job for a Cowboy - Genesis (Metal Blade)
· JT and the Clouds - The City's Hot Yeah the City's Hot (Dishrag)
· Kari Kimmel - A Day in the Life (self-release)
· Lewis & Clarke - Blasts of Holy Birth (La Société Expéditionnaire)
· Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight (special edition comes with MVI DVD; Warner Bros./ Machine Shop) [Buy]
Read: "Linkin Park's Minutes To Midnight Preview: Nu-Metallers Grow Up"
· Harry Manx and Kevin Breit - In Good We Trust (Stony Plain)
· Marco Polo - Port Authority (Red Urban)
· Megadeth - United Abominations (Roadrunner) [Buy]
· Maria Muldaur - Naughty, Bawdy & Blue (Stony Plain)
· The Narrator - All That to the Wall (Flameshovel)
· The O'Jays - Imagination (Music World)
· Dolores O'Riordan - Are You Listening? (Sanctuary)
· Ozma - Pasadena (Reincarnate)
· The Phoenix Foundation - Horsepower (Young American)
· Pink Martini - Hey Eugene! (Heinz)
· The Race - Ice Station (Flameshovel)
· Fennesz Sakamoto - Cendre (Touch)
· The Shake - Kick It (Unicycle)
· Southerly - Storyteller and the Gossip Columnist (Greyday)
· Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars (Geffen) [Buy]
· Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (enhanced; Nonesuch) [Buy]

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· The Alan Parsons Project - The Essential Alan Parsons Project (two CDs; Arista/Legacy)
· Betty Davis - Betty Davis and They Say I'm Different (Light in the Attic)
· Genesis - Genesis 1976-1982 (six CDs and six DVDs; Rhino)
· Jefferson Airplane - Sweeping Up the Spotlight: Live at the Fillmore East 1969 (RCA/Legacy)
· Moby Grape - Listen My Friends! The Best of Moby Grape (Epic/Legacy)
· The Remains - The Remains (Epic/Legacy)
· UB40 - Live at Montreux 2002 (Eagle)
· Chucho Valdéz & His Combo - The Complete 1964 Sessions (MVD Audio)
· Chucho Valdéz Trio - Jazz Bata (MVD Audio)
· Various artists - Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten (Legacy)

Music DVDs:

· Tim Buckley - "My Fleeting House" (MVD Visual)
· Madonna - "The Wild Angel - The Unauthorized Story" (Eagle Vision)
· Garnett Silk - "Earth Day Celebration: A Reggae Tribute to Garnett Silk - Live 2003" (MVD Visual)
· TLC - "Now & Forever: The Video Hits" (La Face)
· Miroslav Vitous - "Live in Vienna" (MVD Visual)

Coming Attractions:

May 22: · Tim Armstrong - A Poet's Life (with bonus DVD; Hellcat)
· The Bravery - The Sun and the Moon (Island) [Preorder]
· KRS-One and Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives (Koch) [Preorder]
· Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long (Octone) [Preorder]
Read: "Maroon 5 Back With 'Harder' Album After Adam Levine Gets Sick Of Partying"
· Ozzy Osbourne - Black Rain (Epic) [Preorder]

May 29: · Les Claypool - "Fancy" DVD (Prawn Song)
· Danzig - The Lost Tracks of Danzig (two CDs; Megaforce) [Preorder]
Read: "Glenn Danzig Preps 'Final' Tour, Film, Box Set And, Uh, Dolls"
· R. Kelly - Double Up (Jive)
Read: "New R. Kelly LP Includes Akon, Jeezy, 'Flirt' — But No 'Closet' Till July"

June 5: · Chris Cornell - Carry On (A&M)
Read: "Chris Cornell Ready To Carry On As Solo Artist: 'I'm Best In My Own World' "
· Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me (Nothing)
Read: "Marilyn Manson Reveals He Came Close To Suicide; LP 'Was My Salvation' "
· O.A.R. - Live From Madison Square Garden (two-CD set and two-DVD set; Everfine/Lava/Atlantic)

• Linkin Park
• Wilco
• Rick James
• Megadeth
• Rufus Wainwright

Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
Photo: R. Russell

You might call Dallas Taylor a little ... well ... infatuated with the tale of Ma Barker. She was the legendary matriarch of the Barker/Karpis Gang, a band of outlaws whose criminal exploits across the Midwest during the Great Depression gripped the American public. It was a story the Maylene and the Sons of Disaster frontman first heard as a youth, growing up in Ocala, Florida; Barker and one of her sons, who've been called "some of the meanest examples of humanity ever known to exist," were shot dead when the FBI raided a cottage she was renting just outside of — you guessed it! — Ocala, Florida.

The legend of Ma Barker continues to haunt the hard-rocker. In fact, the tale even inspired his band's forthcoming conceptual sophomore LP, II, which hits stores March 20.

"I've always wondered what made Hitler tick — what made him think he was doing a good deed?" said Taylor, who was the original singer for Underoath but left that band's fold in 2003. "Serial killers too — it's always boggled my mind, and I've always wanted to know why they thought what they were doing was right? I've read up on Ma Barker, and she basically thought her family was doing a good deed," by committing a spree of robberies, kidnappings and other crimes between 1931-'35.

"We're a Christian band, but we're not a band that pushes our beliefs down people's throats," he continued. "We have a concept to our band that's really strange for Christians to grasp sometimes, because it's based on Ma Barker and her sons. It's basically us playing the roles of the sons, and our take on the whole thing is, if you live a life of wrongdoing and of hurting people, it's going to come back around on you — kind of like divine justice. This album's about the downfall of the family — about them coming to their deaths, and them narrating their own deaths."

But the concept is not restricted to Taylor's lyrics. The album's layout re-creates the fatal shootout that claimed Ma Barker's life, featuring images of the band, riddled with bullet holes, slumped over in chairs and spread out across a small cabin's floorboards. It's easy to understand why Maylene and the Sons of Disaster might be a tough pill for most Christians to swallow.

II, which was produced by Jason Elgin (Haste, Wayne), features 11 furious tracks, including "Memories of the Grove," "Darkest of Kin" and "The Day Hell Broke Loose at Sicard Hollow." The band wrote the material over the course of four months, both in the studio and on the road, inside Maylene's tour van. Taylor, who confirmed Maylene's appearance on this summer's Warped Tour, thinks the album's got something for everyone.

"Our old stuff was a bit heavier, I guess, because this time around we just went with it and did whatever we felt like doing," he explained. "We didn't have a set plan as to what the record was going to sound like — it just kind of came out. At first, we wondered how the fans we do have would respond to it, but I think it will open a lot more doors for us and get us out there more to people who might be a little closed-minded to our old stuff. Our first record [2005's self-titled effort] was more just really heavy and if you wanted to put it into a box, it would have been heavy Southern rock. This record, we took a lot of influences from like Led Zeppelin and AC/DC ... it just has a more grown-up feel to it."

Maylene and the Sons of Disaster are currently on the road with From Autumn to Ashes, Haste the Day, the Sleeping and Alesana through May 4 in Millvale, Pennsylvania. As far as his relationship with his former Underoath associates goes, Taylor said there's no animosity between him and the band — which asked him to quit, as he was dealing with relationship drama — and that he's rekindled his friendships with the bandmembers.

"It was a little weird at first, but we sit back and laugh about it now," he said. "They didn't know how to take it, and they saw me hurting. Instead of going with me through [relationship difficulties], it just put so much stress on them. But it's worked out for the best."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Megadeth have announced a May 15 release date for their upcoming album, United Abominations. An MP3 of the track "Sleepwalker" is available on the band's Web site, and a demo of "Gods of War" can be streamed at MySpace.com/Megadeth. The band will head out on a Canadian tour with Heaven and Hell and Down starting Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia. Dates run through March 28 in Ottawa, Ontario. ... Montreal's Despised Icon will release their second, yet-untitled album on May 22. The disc was produced by ex-guitarist Yannick St-Amand (Beneath the Massacre, Ion Dissonance) and mixed by Andy Sneap (Machine Head, Megadeth). Along with director Jean-Philippe Bernier (A Perfect Murder), the band recently shot a video for "In the Arms of Perdition" that will debut in the spring. "We spent the entire weekend shooting [in] minus-40-degree weather on a secluded icy mountain near Quebec City," singer Alex Erian said in a post on the band's Web site. ...

Four of the five original members of influential San Francisco '80s thrash band Testament are back in the practice room working on songs for a new album. Singer Chuck Billy, bassist Greg Christian, and guitarists Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson are being joined by ex-Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth drummer Nick Barker, and so far they've got six new songs. Tracking is scheduled to begin in June. "Working hard with Nick on some new ideas and some cool old-school styles [that are] coming together really killer," Peterson said in a statement. "It's been a long time coming," Billy added. "This new album is like a good wine: You throw in the grapes and crush." As part of their current world tour, Testament will play five U.S. shows, starting March 26 in Dallas and ending March 31 in Santa Ana, California. ... Immolation, veterans of the New York death-metal scene, will release their seventh album, Shadows of the Light, May 8. The disc was recorded with longtime producer Paul Orofino in Millbrook, New York. "It's aggressive, emotional and haunting," guitarist Robert Vigna said. "And it's catchy as hell. It's a very complete record." The album track "World Agony" can be previewed at MySpace.com/ImmolationNY. ... Finnish folk/black-metal band Finntroll will release their next album, Ur Jordens Djup, in the U.S. on April 3. The disc was recorded by Nino Laurenne at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland, and marks the debut of singer Mathias Lillmans, who replaced Tapio Wilska last spring. Tracks include "Gryning," "Sang," "Nedgang" and "Ormhaxan." A sampler can be heard at Finntroll.net. ...

Cephalic Carnage are nearly done recording their fifth, yet-untitled album, which is tentatively due for release in May. The bandmembers are working with producer Dave Otero, who they've collaborated with in the past, and so far they've recorded "Endless Cycle of Violence," "Touched by an Angel," "G.lobal O.verhaul D.vice" and "Ov Vicissitude." ... After a long delay, Jesu have finally secured work permits and visas to enter the U.S. The band was originally scheduled to start touring with Isis on February 22, but there was an "unforeseen backlog at the U.S. embassy in London" that prevented Jesu from entering the country. The band's first show in North America will now be Sunday in Washington, D.C., with dates scheduled through April 8 in Los Angeles. Danny Walker, whose band Intronaut have been filling in for Jesu on the Isis tour, will replace Ted Parsons, who was unable to make the Jesu trek. ... Byzantine's "Salvation" DVD will be released April 17. The disc will feature live performances, interviews, tutorials and an extended version of the "Jeremiad" video. The band is currently in Sissonville, West Virginia, working with producer Charles A. Fisher on its next album, Oblivion Beckons. ...

New Jersey mathcore merchants the Number 12 Looks Like You have begun recording their next LP in Seattle with producer by Casey Bates (Heavy Heavy Low Low, Fear Before the March of Flames). The album should drop in June, although a definitive release date has yet to be announced. In the meantime, you can catch the band playing Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday; Allentown, Pennsylvania, Wednesday; and Danbury, Connecticut, March 17. Starting March 30 in Hackensack, New Jersey, Number 12 will hit the road with Horse the Band for a trek that runs through April 26 in San Francisco. ... Hope you're prepared to bear the burden of His word? Nachtmystium, Angel Corpse and Watain will invade the U.S. in May to play mostly East Coast gigs. The trek commences May 9 in Minneapolis and will make stops in Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York and Atlanta before wrapping up May 20 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ... "Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal," a documentary about the evolution of the thrash-metal scene of the early '80s, will receive its North American premiere Sunday at the Wave in Austin, Texas, as part of the 2007 Texas Rock Fest. The film was directed by Rick Ernst, a longtime freelance producer for MTV who has worked on "Headbangers Ball" — he'll be on hand to answer questions following the screening. "Get Thrashed" features interviews with Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Dark Angel, Kreator, Sodom, Lamb of God, Shadows Fall and a host of others.

• Megadeth
• Cephalic Carnage
• Testament

Megadeth's Dave Mustaine
Photo: Sanctuary

The Gigantour is back for more.

A second helping of Dave Mustaine-endorsed metal is ready to hit the road as the Megadeth frontman's answer to Ozzfest returns on September 7, seeking to replicate the success of last year's inaugural run. Gigantour is scheduled to shred across 25 cities, launching in San Diego and wrapping up October 8 in Sunrise, Florida.

As with last year's festival, 2006's Gigantour will be anchored by headliners Megadeth, who have an LP titled United Abominations in the bag and due this fall (see "Megadeth Heading Back To The Old School With United Abominations").

The festival's bill — handpicked by Mustaine — is rounded out by Virginia post-thrash five-piece Lamb of God, Swedish death metal act Opeth and their aggressive countrymen Arch Enemy, New York thrash quartet Overkill, Canadian death metallers Into Eternity, North Carolina thrashers Sanctity and New York post-hardcore outfit the Smashup. Additional second-stage artists will be announced in the coming weeks. The first Gigantour featured Dream Theater, Fear Factory, Anthrax, Nevermore, Life of Agony, Dillinger Escape Plan, Symphony X, Dry Kill Logic and Bobaflex.

"This is the concert that I, as a heavy metal music fan, would want to see," Mustaine said in a press release. "It is going to be something to look forward to each year, to see what kind of tremendous talent we can assemble for Gigantour festivals in the years to come."

Gigantour will be rolling through several major U.S. and Canadian cities, including Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, and Orlando. Details on at least five of the stops at have yet to be revealed.

Lamb of God — who are out on the road through July 26 with Slayer's Unholy Alliance tour, featuring Mastodon, Children of Bodom and Thine Eyes Bleed (see "Dates Unveiled For Slayer's Unholy Alliance With Mastodon, Lamb Of God") — will be using the Gigantour to promote their forthcoming album, Sacrament, due August 22 (see "Lamb Of God Ease Up On Bush But Get Deep Musically On Sacrament,").

Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton said he's looking forward to sharing the stage with Megadeth.

"Megadeth is one of the main reasons I started playing metal guitar in the first place," Morton said in a statement. "To finally tour with them is really exciting and it's a great way to start off our world tour supporting Sacrament. We've been dying to get the new material up and running on the live stage. We've worked so hard on the new record — it's really a great sense of accomplishment to see the new tunes come to life in a live setting. We're really looking forward to this one."

Gigantour tour dates, according to the festival's publicist:

• 9/7 - San Diego, CA @ TBA
• 9/8 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
• 9/9 - San Luis Obispo, CA @ Pozo Saloon
• 9/10 - Devore, CA @ Hyundai Pavilion of Glen Helen
• 9/12 - Las Vegas, NV @ TBA
• 9/13 - Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theater
• 9/15 - West Valley City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
• 9/16 - Englewood, CO @ Coors Amphitheatre
• 9/17 - Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion
• 9/19 - TBD
• 9/21 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave/ Eagles Club
• 9/22 - Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
• 9/23 - Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
• 9/24 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
• 9/25 - Toronto, ON @ Park Place
• 9/27 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
• 9/28 - Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
• 9/29 - TBD
• 9/30 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
• 10/1 - TBD
• 10/3 - TBD
• 10/5 - TBD
• 10/6 - Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
• 10/7 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
• 10/8 - Sunrise, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center

• Megadeth
• Lamb of God
• Opeth
• Arch Enemy
• Overkill