Menomena

Now that the Austin dust has settled, it's time to gain some perspective on last weekend's South By Southwest madness. Thousands of signed and unsigned bands descended on the Texas city like a swarm of locusts (locusts with demos). Ultimately, there were only a handful of bands truly worth recognizing. While Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse and the Stooges may have garnered the most press -- here are some of the bands that may have regrettably slipped through the cracks.

Who: Yeasayer

Where are they from? Brooklyn, New York

Is there a record out? No, not yet. But its debut will be released via Baltimore, Maryland's Monitor Records this coming summer. In the meantime, you can hear a couple of demos on their MySpace page.

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? At times, the foursome projected a wholly distinct vibe like a manic Peter Gabriel -era Genesis channeled through Animal Collective but the band also manipulates their collective vocals (yes, they all sing) producing a sweet, harmonious cacophony.

The great moment: Performing the whole time under a green hoodie, front man Chris Keating walked intermittently into the audience frantically slapping his tambourine in the air.

Who: Ra Ra Riot

Where are they from? Syracuse, New York

Is there a record out? The band doesn't have a label yet, so there's only a self-released EP (which, incidentally, doesn't do justice to the live show). But based on the buzz of its SXSW performances this will all change very, very soon. What, you can't hear the labels bidding in the background?

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? The six college aged kids create an enormous, hefty sound complete with a cello and violin, not unlike the Arcade Fire or the Olivia Tremor. And singer Wesley Miles croons earnestly but still not emotive enough that it's emo. Ra Ra Riot has enormous potential and considering the band is only a year old, the actualization is inevitable.

The great moment: Guitarist Milo Bonnacci and bassist Mathieu Santos rested their respective foreheads on one another's shoulders while riffing on their instruments.

Who: Jamie T

Where are they from? London, England

Is there a record out? Jamie's debut Panic Prevention is available in Europe on Virgin Records and at this current time, he has no American label.

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? The cockney cockiness of the Arctic Monkeys meets the disjointed, slurred flow of the Streets meets the middle-finger attitude of the Clash meets the pop sensibility of Lily Allen meets the carelessness of the Fall. Basically, a lot of meetings.

The great moment: When an audience member noted, "This guy is completely wasted." And it was probably true.

Who: Menomena

Where are they from? Portland, Oregon

Is there a record out? The debut I Am the Fun Blame Monster (an anagram for The First Menomena Album) was released on indie label filmGUERRO and features an 80-page flipbook. This year's critically acclaimed Friend And Foe was released on Barsuk in January and it's inarguably one of the year's strongest records.

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? The unpretentious side of art-rock. There hasn't been a threesome as competent at playing their respective instruments since Rush. Justin Harris, Danny Seim, and Brent Knopf craft oddly timed, intricate pop songs that are heartbreakingly fragile.

The great moment: When drummer Seim flailed on his kit like the octopus prodigy of Keith Moon.

Who: The Black Lips

Where are they from? Atlanta, Georgia

Is there a record out? There are three indie releases out already but the forthcoming Los Vallentes del Mundo Nuevo, a live album recorded in Tijuana, is their first for Vice Records.

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? Dirty, dirty rock and roll. The Nuggets -influenced retro-ruckus of the Lips is no revelation but these four rarely sober characters bring the party wherever they go.

The great moment: Considering the band performed thirteen times over the span of four days, there was no definitive great moment. Let's just say that all those live sets culminate into one massive great moment.

Who: The Twilight Sad

Where are they from? Glasgow, Scotland

Is there a record out? Fat Cat Records is currently offering two EPs but the full-length Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters will be out in just a few weeks.

Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? Orchestral rock with a honed passion. The guitar, bass, and drums project an aural fullness while singer James Graham's heartfelt, moving vocals soar above it all. Like Snow Patrol with bite, or Mogwai with sensitivity training.

The great moment: When Graham looked down pensively at the floor holding on to the microphone stand with extreme intensity while his band set off power-chord fireworks.

Who: Datarock

Where are they from? Norway

Is there a record out? Yes, but Datarock Datarock is only available on import and via iTunes, although, Nettwerk will release it this coming spring in the US.
Website? Click Here

What do they sound like? Based on the unabashed silliness of the Datarock uniform--a red hoodie, red sweatpants, and mirrored visors--this band is refreshingly brazen about having fun. Their songs reference the dance rock of Franz Ferdinand, the angular zaniness of Devo and the geeky white boy funk of Hot Chip. There wasn't a still person in the room.

The great moment: When front man Fredrik Saroea riled the crowd up into a frantic clap-along.

Watch videos from this year's artists.

VH1 Blog: Complete SXSW Coverage.

• Amy Winehouse
• The Stooges
• Peter Gabriel
• Animal Collective
• Arcade Fire

Juvenile's <I>Reality Check</I>
Photo: Atlantic / Wea

Tone Def: Juvenile has no shortage of friends on his latest effort, Reality Check — Ludacris, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, 8Ball, Fat Joe, Bun B, Trey Songz and, more surprisingly, Brian McKnight all make appearances. But the real story behind the New Orleans rapper's release might not be the tracks themselves but what you can do with them: A special feature lets you create ring tones from any part of any song on the record. Which means, in theory, you can have a little piece of "Loose Booty" with you at all times.

Welcome Back, Carter: While Juve is letting his listeners cut up his songs, Lil Wayne has let some producers chop and screw his. Don't get these remixes confused with the chopped-and-screwed ones that came with the deluxe edition of Tha Carter, Vol. 2; those were alternate takes of songs released before that album, while these all pertain to Carter 2 and run in the same order as the LP.

New Matis? Yahoo!: Youth, the latest effort by Hasidic rapper Matthew Miller (a.k.a. Matisyahu), comes in three shapes and sizes: the standard release, produced by NYC avant-garde guru Bill Laswell and containing 13 tracks; Youth Dub, a limited disc that came with preorders of the album and features eight dub mixes plus two new songs; and the DualDisc version, with videos and behind-the-scenes treats, due at a later date.

Not-So-Public Enemy: Public Enemy have been doing the indie thing for a little while, but with their new one, they're delving even deeper into obscurity. Rebirth of a Nation is coming out on Guerrilla Funk Recordings, a label that "counters the corporate stranglehold of censorship currently plaguing the entertainment industry." Its owner, Paris — the politically conscious rapper behind "Bush Killa" — essentially co-authors the new PE record, producing it and appearing on songs like "Make It Hardcore," "Hannibal Lecture" and "Hard Truth Soldiers." MC Ren, Sister Souljah and Dead Prez also help with the Rebirth.

Making The Rounds: Do you smell a hippie? You must be near a record store, then, because they're hitting them in droves this week. Five Grateful Dead albums are getting deluxe-reissue treatment, gifting fans with bonus tracks, splendid packaging and more. Also on the bohemian front, Dead amigo David Grisman has produced Mike Compton and David Long's Stomp, while jam master John Medeski has written the liner notes for 70-year-old pianist Ran Blake's All That Is Tied.

His troupe Medeski, Martin & Wood, in the meantime, take part on the Herb Alpert mash-up record Whipped Cream & Other Delights Rewhipped, also featuring Ozomatli and Thievery Corporation. There's only one stranger mash-up due this week, and that's "Rapture Riders," a collision of Blondie's "Rapture:" and the Doors' "Riders on the Storm," which surfaces on Blondie's Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision collection.

Another MMW agent, bassist Chris Wood, has his hands full with the Wood Brothers, a project pairing him with brother Oliver Wood. Oh, and speaking of brothers, they're a topic of conversation this week too: Ted Leo's brother Chris is trotting out the second effort by his Vague Angels, Let's Duke It Out at Kilkenny Katz; and Ray Davies, the Kinks leader who put out a new album a couple of weeks ago, is seeing his long-running feud with brother Dave Davies reignited this week when Dave releases his Kinked collection.

Song Titles of the Week:

"Too-Rai-Skippery-Dappery Day" and "Just Blow, Don Quixote! Blow!" from Vague Angels' Let's Duke It Out at Kilkenny Katz

Other Notables:

Bad Religion's "Live at the Palladium" and the Casualties' "Can't Stop Us" DVDs: Cobbling together live footage from Hollywood's historic punk venue as well as rare performances, TV appearances, interviews and the like, Bad Religion had every reason to promote their new visual item with a special screening and autograph session at Virgin Records in Tinsel Town. Unlike BR, the Casualties haven't been around for 20 years, but they've got plenty of punk spirit, as shown in their gritty disc, which proudly advertises footage of "riots, riots and more riots." The footage is derived from gigs in Mexico and Japan and has 20 leather-clad clips.

Mogwai's Mr. Beast and Goldfrapp's Supernature: Glasgow's Mogwai are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, and maybe not coincidentally they're breathing some new life into their younger, louder selves with Mr. Beast. Limited copies are bundled in hard-book deluxe package and come with a bonus DVD. Another Brit, singer/composer Allison Goldfrapp, has a similar game plan: The deluxe version of her latest has a DVD bristling with videos, documentary footage, a performance film and more. As the first track on her album says, "Ooh La La."

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness' Fear Is on Our Side and Revolting Cocks' Cocked and Loaded: You've heard the name, now finally you can hear the album. Instead of Spoon's Britt Daniel, who produced the band's initial EP, ILYBICD went instead with Paul Barker, who's worked with Ministry and the Revolting Cocks. Speaking of which (see where this is going?), the latest by the Cocks (led by Ministry's Al Jourgensen) attracted two Gibbies — ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons and Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers — plus Jello Biafra and members of Cheap Trick. Leave it to Al to do it up right.

New Releases:

• Agency - Agency (digipak; Aeria)
• Big Al Anderson - After Hours (Sony Legacy)
• Architects - Revenge (SideCho)
• Balli - New Blood - The D.N.A. (Black Five)
• The Bamboos - Step It Up (Ubiquity)
• Warren Barfield - Reach (Reunion)
• Bitter:Sweet - The Mating Game (Quango)
• The Black Dove - The Black Dove (Tompkins Square)
• Ran Blake - All That Is Tied (digipak; Tompkins Square)
• Blush - From the Falls to the Path (Rust)
• Boom Boom Satellites - Full of Elevating Pleasures (Tofu)
• Buzzcocks - Flat-Pack Philosophy (Cooking Vinyl)
• Caedmon's Call - In the Company of Angels II - The World Will Sing (Brentwood)
• Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas (V2)
  Buy Now: Ballad of the Broken Seas (V2)
• Larry Carlton - Fire Wire (RCA)
• Caroline - Murmurs (Temporary Residence)
• Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Anti)
• Centro-Matic - Fort Recovery (Misra)
• Exene Cervenka and the Original Sinners - Sev7en (Nitro)
• Mattie Moss Clark - I'm Not Alone: Hands of God Reached Out (Sounds of Gospel)
• Mike Compton and David Long - Stomp (Acoustic Disc)
• Controller.Controller - X-Amounts (Paper Bag)
• Eric Darius - Just Getting Started (Narada)
• David & the Citizens - David & the Citizens (digipak; Friendly Fire)
• Kimya Dawson and Matty Pop Chart - Kimya Dawson and Matty Pop Chart (EP; K)
• Daylight Dies - Dismantling Devotion (Candlelight)
• Jesse Dayton - South Austin Sessions (Stag)
• Desole - Story to Tell (Abacus)
• Deus - Pocket Revolution (V2)
• Dévics - Push the Heart (Reincarnate)
• Dian Diaz - Dian Diaz (Strip City)
• Dir En Grey - Withering to Death (Warcon Enterprises)
• Dismember - The God That Never Was (Candlelight)
• Dogme 95 - The Reagle Beagle (Empyrean)
• Downtown Singapore - Don't Let Your Guard Down (Dcide)
• Dryline - Reach for the Surface (Zero Sum)
• The Duke Spirit - Cuts Across the Land (Star Time)
• Eastern Conference Champions - Southampton Collection (EP; Retone)
• Edubb - Don't Flex (I.M.)
• The Elysian Fields - Suffering G.O.D. Almighty (Black Lotus)
• Mark Erelli - Hope & Other Casualties (Signature)
• Anthony Evans - Letting Go (Sony)
• Jace Everett - Jace Everett (Epic)
• Cesaria Evora - Rogamar (RCA)
• Field Music - Field Music (Memphis Industries)
• Figurines - Skeleton (Control Group)
• Fresh Digress - Fresh Digress (Beatmart)
• Charles Gayle - Time Zones (digipak; Tompkins Square)
• Ghostdigital - In Cod We Trust (Ipecac)
• David Gilmour - On an Island (Columbia)
• Gnarkill - Gnarkill Vs. Unkle Matt & the Sh--birdz (10/90)
• Goldfrapp - Supernature (with DVD; Mute)
• Half-Handed Crowd - Halos & Lassos (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Jeff Hamilton - From Studio 4 (Azica)
• Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid - Exchange Session 1 (Domino)
• Hotel Lights - Hotel Lights (Bar None)
• James Hunter - People Gonna Talk (Rounder)
• I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - Fear Is on Our Side (Secretly Canadian)
• If Hope Dies - Life in Ruin (Metal Blade)
• The Impossible Shapes - Tum (Secretly Canadian)
• Javier - Left of Center (Capitol)
• Chachi Jones - Dymaxion Daydream (Reincarnate)
• Juvenile - Reality Check (DualDisc; Atlantic)
  Read: "Juvenile Gets Busy At The Holiday Inn — Making An Album "
  Buy Now: Reality Check (Atlantic)
• The Killing Moon - Message Through Your Teeth (Fearless)
• Glenn Kotche - Mobile (Nonesuch)
• Kris Kristofferson - This Old Road (New West)
• Jon Langford - Gold Brick (Roir)
• Ana Laura - Ana Laura (Reunion)
• The Lawrence Arms - Oh Calcutta (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Rolf Lislevand - Nuove Musiche (ECM)
• Lil Wayne - Tha Carter II: Chopped & Screwed (Cash Money)
  Buy Now: Tha Carter II: Chopped & Screwed (Cash Money)
• The Little Willies - The Little Willies (Milking Bull)
• The Lonely Hearts - Paper Tapes (Tooth & Nail)
• Lucky Luciano - Pimps Up Hoez Down (Vista Media)
• Janiva Magness - Do I Move You? (Northern Blues)
• Matisyahu - Youth (Epic)
  Buy Now: Youth (Epic)
• Mellowdrone - Box (3 Records/ Red Ink)
• Mogwai - Mr. Beast (Matador)
  Buy Now: Mr. Beast (Matador)
• Van Morrison - Pay the Devil (Lost Highway)
• Most Hi-Fi - Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Slam Jamz)
• Mudhoney - Under a Billion Suns (Sub Pop)
• Munk - Gommagang 3 (Gomma)
• Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas - Hang It High, Hang It Low (Rounder)
• Nicolette - I Am Where the Party's At (Early)
• Nightmares on Wax - In a Space Outta Sound (Warp)
• The Ocean - Aeolian (Metal Blade)
• Outlawz - Against All Oddz (Real Talk Entertainment)
• Lee Roy Parnell - Back to the Well (Universal South)
• Patrizio - The Italian (Universal)
• Pinetop Seven - Beneath Confederate Lake (Empyrean)
• Pink Mountaintops - Axis of Evol (Jagjaguwar)
• Pinmonkey - Big Shiny Cars (Back Porch)
• Planeside - Milk (Exotic)
• Lucas Prata - Let's Get It On (Ultra)
• Presence - Presence (Curb)
• Public Enemy - Rebirth of a Nation (Guerrilla Funk)
• Raising The Fawn - The Maginot Line (Sonic Unyon)
• Revolting Cocks - Cocked and Loaded (Megaforce)
• The Rogers Sisters - The Invisible Deck (Too Pure/ Beggars)
• Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Solo (Blue Note)
• Scarface - My Homies, Vol. 2 (Asylum/Rap-a-Lot)
• Terry Smith - Fall Out (Sunbeam)
• Soldier Ink - The Newest and the Strongest (enhanced; Thump)
• Sparks - Hello Young Lovers (In the Red)
• Stereolab - Fab Four Suture (with DVD; Too Pure/ Beggars)
  Buy Now: Fab Four Suture (Too Pure)
• The Story - Tale Spin (Sunbeam)
• Streetlight Manifesto - Keasbey Nights, Vol. 2 (Victory)
• Television Personalities - My Dark Places (Domino)
• Ten Falls Forth - Excuse Me I Believe That's My Ride (Rise)
• The Tennessee Boltsmokers - Hydro Radio (Madjack)
• Terrestrial Tones - Dead Drunk (Paw Tracks)
• Trent Tomlinson - Country Is My Rock (Lyric Street)
• Tres Chicas - Bloom Red & the Ordinary Girl (Yep Roc)
• Ralph Tresvant - Rizz Wa Faire (Xzault Media Group)
• Turbulence - Born for This (Charm)
• Gecko Turner - Guapapasea! (Quango)
• The Vacation - The Vacation (American)
• Vague Angels - Let's Duke It out at Kilkenny Katz (Pretty Activity)
• Voodoo Blue - Smile N Nod (Dcide)
• The Weepies - Say I Am You (Nettwerk)
• Witch - Witch (Tee Pee)
• The Wood Brothers - Ways Not To Lose (Blue Note)
• Mike Younger - Every Stone You Throw (Bare Bones)
• Nadine Zahr - Underneath the Every Day (Chirality)
• Various artists - Paris Presents: Hard Truth Soldiers (Guerilla Funk)
• Various artists - Tunnel Trance Force America 2 (Water)
• Various artists - "Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King" soundtrack (Dancing Ferret)
• Various artists - "Date Movie" soundtrack (Lakeshore)
• Various artists - "That's So Raven Too" soundtrack (Disney)
• Various artists - "Zoey 101 Music Mix" soundtrack (Nick)

Notable Reissues And Archival Material:

• Agnostic Front - Live at CBGB (with DVD; Nuclear Blast)
• Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights Rewhipped (Shout! Factory)
• Blondie - Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision (with DVD; Capitol)
• Peabo Bryson - The Very Best of Peabo Bryson (Time Life)
• Cheap Trick - Dream Police and All Shook Up (with bonus tracks; Epic/Legacy)
• Joe Cocker - Gold (two CDs; Hip-O)
• The Czars - Goodbye (Bella Union)
• Darkest Hour - So Sedated So Secure (Victory)
• Dave Davies - Kinked (Koch)
• Martin Denny - The Best of Martin Denny's Exotica (Capitol)
• Grateful Dead - Blues for Allah, From the Mars Hotel (two CDs), Shakedown Street, Terrapin Station and Wake of the Flood (digipaks with bonus tracks; Rhino)
• Jethro Tull - Aqualung Live (Fuel 2000)
• Little Feat - Barnstormin' Live Box (Hot Tomato)
• Loretta Lynn - Gold (two CDs; MCA Nashville)
• Simon Joyner - Beautiful Losers: Singles & Compilation Tracks 1994-1999 (Jagjaguwar)
• Willy Mason - Where the Humans Eat (enhanced; with bonus tracks; Astralwerks)
• Gwen McCrae - Rockin' Chair/Let's Straighten It Out (Koch)
• Liza Minnelli - Liza With a "Z" (Columbia/Legacy)
• Moondog - Moondog (Astralwerks)
• Fred Neil - Fred Neil (Water)
• Pentagram - First Daze Here Too (two CDs; Relapse)
• Martha Reeves & the Vandellas - Gold (two CDs; Motown)
• Snoop Dogg - Death Row's Snoop Doggy Dogg Greatest Hits (digipak; Death Row)
• Sun Dial - Return Journey (Relapse)
• Glenn Tipton - Baptizm of Fire (Rhino)
• Glenn Tipton, John Entwistle and Cozy Powell - Edge of the World (Rhino)
• Conway Twitty - Gold (two CDs; MCA Nashville)
• Various artists - Hip Hop Essentials, Vol. 9, Vol. 10, Vol. 11 and Vol. 12

DVDs:

• Bad Religion - Live at the Palladium (Epitaph)
• The Casualties - Can't Stop Us (Side One Dummy)
• Bing Crosby - A Little Bit of Irish: Bing Crosby in Dublin (Varèse)
• Deicide - When London Burns (Earache)
• Luke Kelly - The Performer (Dark Peak)
• Various artists - Assemblage, Vol. 1 (Grey Two-Eleven)

Coming Attractions:

March 14:

• E-40 - My Ghetto Report Card (Warner Bros.)
  Buy Now: My Ghetto Report Card (Warner Bros.)
• Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree: Limited Black Clouds and Underdogs Tour Edition (Island)
  Read: "Fall Out Boy Promise An 'Event' Video For 'Sixteen Candles' "
  Buy Now: From Under the Cork Tree: Limited Black Clouds and Underdogs Tour Edition (Island)
• Hard-Fi - Stars of CCTV (Atlantic)
  Read: "You Hear It First: Hard-Fi"

March 21:

• Teddy Geiger - Underage Thinking (Columbia)
• My Chemical Romance - Life on the Murder Scene (with DVD; Reprise)
  Read: "My Chemical Romance's 'Murder' DVD Just Got Bigger"
• Prince - 3121 (Universal)

March 28:

• Ghostface Killah - Fishscale (Def Jam)
  Read: "Ghostface Killah Spins Tales From The 'Hood On Fishscale"
  Buy Now: Fishscale (Def Jam)
• T.I. - King (limited-edition re-release with bonus DVD; Atlantic)
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones (Interscope)

Read: "Are The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Anxious About Bones? No No No"

• Juvenile
• Matisyahu
• Lil Wayne
• Bad Religion
• Stereolab

The Cure's Robert Smith performs at 2004 Coachella festival (file)
Photo: John Shearer

Time to get out the hairspray and black eyeliner again. Less than a week after headlining the Coachella festival in the Southern California desert, goth pioneers the Cure have unveiled plans for a full U.S. tour this summer.

The Curiosa Festival 2004 will feature the Cure headlining a bill that also includes three bands plainly influenced by Robert Smith and company: Interpol, the Rapture and Mogwai.

A second stage will also be part of the traveling road show, with Muse, Thursday, Cursive, Melissa Auf Der Maur, Cooper Temple Clause and Head Automatica rotating as performers.

The Cure formed in 1976, and only iconoclastic singer/songwriter Smith remains from the group's initial lineup. Simon Gallup, who joined the group in 1979, is the only other longstanding member in the current lineup. The group plans to release a new eponymous album on June 29, the band's first LP since 2000's Bloodflowers. The first single from the album bears the cheery title "The End of the World."

The tour kicks off July 24 in the unlikely tropical setting of West Palm Beach, Florida, and ends August 27 in Los Angeles. Venues have yet to be confirmed, and additional dates are still being added.

Dates for the Curiosa Festival 2004, according to a band spokesperson:

• 7/24 - West Palm Beach, FL
• 7/25 - Tampa, FL
• 7/28 - Nashville, TN
• 7/29 - Atlanta, GA
• 7/31 - New York, NY
• 8/1 - Camden, NJ
• 8/3 - Cincinnati, OH
• 8/4 - Cleveland, OH
• 8/7 - Boston, MA
• 8/11 - Detroit, MI
• 8/12 - Chicago, IL
• 8/14 - Dallas, TX
• 8/15 - Houston, TX
• 8/17 - Denver, CO
• 8/18 - Salt Lake City, UT
• 8/27 - Los Angeles, CA

• The Cure
• Interpol
• Mogwai

Boyd Tinsley's through playing second fiddle. This week Tinsley, best known as the violinist for the Dave Matthews Band, releases his solo album, True Reflections. He reworks Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" and is joined by pal Dave Matthews on the title track.

Underground heads can turn to Swollen Members' Bad Dreams Instrumentals or the Notwist's self-titled album, and the FTW constituency can tune in to the Suicide Machines as they light up their latest album, A Match and Some Gasoline, or Type O Negative's Life Is Killing Me.

Tricky gets Vulnerable this week. The British trip-hopper follows in his own tradition of including cover songs on his albums. This time he reinterprets the Cure's "The Love Cats" and XTC's "Dear God." Meanwhile, A Tribe Called Quest's Hits, Rarities and Remixes features "Award Tour," "Can I Kick It?," "Bonita Applebum" and some previously unreleased tracks like "Mr. Incognito" and "The Night He Got Caught."

Monica, who last was seen fighting with Brandy on "The Boy Is Mine," tells us what it was like After the Storm. Five years since her last album, Monica returns with the first single "So Gone," produced by Missy Elliott. Other guests on the album include DMX on "Don't Gotta Go Home" and Tyrese on "Go to Bed Mad." PMD's Awakening consists of tracks produced by Kutmasta Kurt, Pete Rock and DJ Honda, among others, plus collaborations with Fat Joe, B Real and, of course, Erick Sermon.

Now for some quick rock hits: Clutch release their first live album, Live at the Googolplex, while Death in Vegas trade in their electronica sounds for some good old-fashioned rock on Scorpio Rising. Liam, one half of the scowling Gallagher brothers from Oasis, appears on the title track, in full Beatles homage/rip-off regalia. Finally NYC "it" band the Fever release their Pink on Pink EP.

Out Tuesday, June 17:

• Bryan Adams - Live at the Budokan (A&M)
• Alchemist - Austral Alien (Relapse)
• All Girl Summer Fun Band - Summer of 98 (EP, Magic Marker)
• The American Analog Set - Promise of Love (Tiger Style)
• Amorphis - Chapter (Relapse)
• Animosity - Shut It Down (Tribunal)
• John Arch - Twist of Fate (EP, Metal Blade)
• Atomsmasher - Drop the Bomb (Rip Off)
• Jon Auer/Ken Stringfellow - Private Sides (EP, Arena Rock)
• Aurelie - Desde Que Naci (Swim)
• Bad Brains - Banned in DC: Bad Brains' Greatest Riffs (Caroline)
• Hank Ballard & the Midnighters - Best of the Best (Federal)
• The Banner - Posthumous (Blackout)
• Behemoth - Pandemonic Incantation (Season Mist America)
• Behemoth - Chaotica (Season Mist America)
• Madison Smartt Bell and Wyn Cooper - Forty Words for Fear (Gaff Music)
• Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys - It's Time! (Yep Roc)
• The Black Dahlia Murder - Unhallowed (Metal Blade)
• Bleu - Redhead (Red Ink)
• Bluestring - Bluestring (Flying Frog)
• Suzy Bogguss - Swing (Compadre)
• Brand New - Deja Entendu (Razor & Tie)
• Brand New Disaster - Maybe We Should Run (Tribunal)
• The Bug/Cutty Ranks - Gun Disease (EP, Rephlex)
• Calibretto - Dead by Dawn (Standard)
• Jack Casady - Dream Factor (Eagle)
• Johnny Cash - 20 All-Time Original Greatest Hits (TeeVee)
• Clem Snide - Soft Spot (Spin Art)
• Patsy Cline - Hall of Fame 1973 (Federal)
• Club 8 - Strangely Beautiful (Hidden Agenda)
• Clutch - Live at the Googolplex (Mega Force)
• Comets on Fire - Comets on Fire (Alternative Tentacles)
• Cranes - Live in Italy (Instinct)
• Criteria en Garde - Criteria en Garde (Initial)
• Julian Curry - Guide to Wine (Naxos)
• Death in Vegas - Scorpio Rising (Sanctuary)
• Deep Purple/Rainbow - Winning Combinations (Universal)
• Dirt Bike Annie - Show Us Your Demons (Dirtnap)
• D.O.A./Thor - Are U Ready (Sudden Death)
• Fats Domino - 20 Greatest Rock 'N' Roll Hits (TeeVee)
• The Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day (New West)
• Duvall - Racine (Asian Man)
• Eastmountainsouth - Eastmountainsouth (DreamWorks)
• Ephel Duath - Painter's Palette (Earache)
• Faith & Disease - Passport to Kunming (Projekt)
• Fasts - Fasts (Pollution)
• Fatback Band - Remixes (Southbound)
• The Fever - Pink on Pink (EP, Kemado)
• Finger Eleven - Finger Eleven (Wind-Up)
• Firewater - Man on the Burning Tightrope (Jetset)
• Forty Foot Echo - Forty Foot Echo (Hollywood)
• Pete Francis - Untold (Hollywood)
• King Geedorah - Take Me to Your Leader (Ninja Tune)
• Green Carnation - Blessing in Disguise (Season Mist)
• Steve Hackett - To Watch the Storms (Inside Out)
• Hella - Bitches Ain't Sh-- But Good People (EP, Suicide Squeeze)
• High Strung - These Are Good Times (Tee Pee)
• Himsa - Courting Tragedy and Disaster (Prosthetic)
• Claire Holley - Dandelion (Yep Roc)
• The Honor System - Rise and Run (Suburban Home)
• Ilya - Poise Is the Greater Architect (Second Nature)
• In Flames - Trigger (EP, Nuclear Blast America)
• George Jones - Best of the Best: Hall of Fame 1992 (Gusto)
• Kid Gorgeous - This Feeling Gets Old (Uprising)
• Knockout Drops - Killed by the Lights (Mayhem)
• Andre Lee - Simple Dre (Mardis Gras)
• A Life Once Lost - Great Artist (Deathwish Inc.)
• Limbeck - Hi, Everything's Great (Doghouse)
• The Love Scene - Blood Is the New Black (EP, Fenway)
• Lullatone - Computer Recital (Audio Dregs)
• Mad Parade - Bombs and the Bible (Dr. Strange)
• Magic Magicians - Magic Magicians (Suicide Squeeze)
• Barbara Mason - Greatest Hits (Empire Musicwerks)
• Nicolas Matar - Sun Dance (Journeys By DJ)
• Minus - Halldor Laxness (Victory)
• Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People (Matador)
• Moneen - Are We Really Happy With Who We Are Right Now? (Vagrant)
• Monica - After the Storm (J)
  Read: "Monica Revises LP With Help From Missy Elliott"
  Buy Now: After the Storm (J)
• No Motiv - Lola (Vagrant)
• The Notwist - Notwist (Bubble Core)
• On Broken Wings - Some of Us May Never See the World (Eulogy)
• O.T.T. - Blumenkraft (EFA)
• Outrageous Cherry - Stay Right Here For a While (Rainbow Quartz)
• Passenger - Passenger (Century Media)
• Pele - Elephant (Polyvinyl)
• PMD - Awakening (Solid)
• Portorock Blades - Hijo de Gloria (Universal Latino)
• Mr. Quintron - Are You Ready for an Organ Solo (Three-One-G)
• Eros Ramazzotti - 9 (RCA)
• Rated R - Ghetto Psychic (Universal)
• Razor Skyline - Bitter Well (Cop)
• Rhythm Makers - Funk Grooves (Classic World)
• Rifles at Recess - Whisper in Tongues (Tribunal)
• Sam Roberts - We Were Born In A Flame (Universal)
• Chuck Roberson - Woman Wants a Freak (Ecko)
• Rufio - MCMLXXXV (NIT)
• Rune - End of Nothing (Willowtip)
• Michael Schenker - Arachnophobiac (Shrapnel)
• Peggy Scott-Adams - Busting Loose (Miss Butch)
• Matt Sharp - Puckett's Versus the Country Boy (EP, In Music We Trust)
• The Sick Lipstick - Sting Sting Sting (Tiger Style)
• Sightings - Absolutes (Load)
• Singapore Sling - Curse of the Singapore Sling (Stinky)
• Phoebe Snow - Natural Wonder (Eagle)
• Soldado Lil 40 Oz - Malt Lyrics (Cinsity)
• Soul Purpose - Breaking Records (Coup d'Etat)
• Soviettes - Soviettes (Adeline)
• Spitalfield - Remember Right Now (Victory)
• Statistics - Statistics (EP, Jade Tree)
• Stills - Rememberese (Atlantic)
• Suicide Machines - A Match and Some Gasoline (USA Side 1 Dummy)
• Swollen Members - Bad Dreams Instrumentals (Battle Axe)
• Telescopes - As Approved by the Committee (Committee to Keep)
• Testors - Testors Complete Recordings 1976-79 (Swami)
• This Day Forward - In Response (Equal Vision)
• Thyrane - Hypnotic (Century Media)
• Robert "Duke" Tillman - Still Thinking (Waldoxy)
• Tindersticks - Waiting for the Moon (Beggars Banquet)
• Boyd Tinsley - True Reflections (RCA)
• Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine (Inside Out)
• Devin Townsend - Infinity (Inside Out)
• Tractor Kings - Gone to Heaven (Mud)
• A Tribe Called Quest - Hits, Rarities and Remixes (Jive)
  Buy Now: Hits, Rarities and Remixes (Jive)
• Tricky - Vulnerable (Sanctuary)
• The Tyde - Twice (Sanctuary)
• Type O Negative - Life Is Killing Me (Roadrunner)
• UGK - Best Of (Jive)
• Ugly Duckling - Taste the Secret (Emperor Norton)
• Vico-C - 15 Canciones Favoritas (RCA)
• Virus Nine - Blastin' Away (Af)
• Von Bondies - Raw and Rare (Dim Mak)
• The Wailers - Wailers Wailers Everywhere/Out of Our Tree (Big Beat UK)
• Doug Wamble - Country Libations (Rounder)
• Johnny Winter - Winter Essentials 1960-1967 (Varese)
• Steve Winwood - About Time (Sci Fidelity)
• Woven - 8 Bit Monk (Interscope)
• Yonder Mountain String Band - Old Hands (Sci Fidelity)
• Various artists - 20 All Time Country Hits (King)
• Various artists - Ambulance (TVT)
• Various artists - American Heritage Music Set (King)
• Various artists - Black Music (LTM)
• Various artists - British Dance Bands, Vol. 2 (Naxos)
• Various artists - Closure (TVT)
• Various artists - Essential Patriotic Collection (King)
• Various artists - First Damned (Season Mist America)
• Various artists - Food for Woofers (SPG)
• Various artists - Hardest Hits (SPG)
• Various artists - Juke Joint Saturday Night, Vol. 2 (Ecko)
• Various artists - Legends of the Fiddle: 20 Bluegrass Favorites (King)
• Various artists - "Nine: The Musical" soundtrack (PS Classics)
• Various artists - Old School Funk Jams (Thump)
• Various artists - Punk Seven Inch CD, Vol. 1: 1988-1989 (Lookout)
• Various artists - Radio Waves of the 80's: Pop Hits (Universal)
• Various artists - Ready Steady Go: The Countdown Records Story (Big Beat UK)
• Various artists - Sequence Mixtape, Vol. 1 (Sequence)
• Various artists - Smokey Mountain Pickin': 24 Great Bluegrass Ins (Rural Rhythm)
• Various artists - Summer Booty Party Vols. 1,2,3 (DM)

• Monica
• Tricky
• Boyd Tinsley
• Type O Negative
• Mogwai

Deftones' Chino Moreno
Photo: Warner

Move over, Eminem and Elton — the latest unlikely collaboration is between post-rockers Mogwai and Deftones frontman Chino Moreno.

The subtle Scottish quartet asked the burly aggro-rocker to contribute vocals to an unfinished track they recorded while working on their album Rock Action, scheduled for an April 24 release. Problem is, Moreno isn't sure what they're looking for.

"They sent me the track and I haven't yet finished it, because I'm waiting for them to give me a call and let me know exactly what they want," Moreno said on Friday. "It's really slow, three-piece type of stuff," he said of the song. "It's really good." Despite his rugged veneer, Moreno is a confessed softie who first expressed his fondness for the gentle Glaswegians when the two groups shared a stage in England a few years ago. Recently, Mogwai returned the compliment, resulting in the offer to collaborate.

"We were playing some show," Moreno began. "I think it was a festival or something, and one of the guys from the band came up to me [because] I had said something in a magazine [about how] I had liked the band.

"He just started talking to me about music, and then he sent me a track and asked me for the vocals on it," he continued. "To me, that's the best part about being in a band: when bands you admire actually [want] you to contribute [to] their work. I'm excited about that. "Hopefully I get to actually do it. I hope I didn't miss the deadline." Another obstacle is in Moreno's way: what to do with the tape itself. "I don't know if they want me to send it to them or what," he said. "They only sent me a DAT of the music. I don't know if they want me to record over that."

• Deftones
• Mogwai

Mogwai
Photo: Shawn Mortenson

Scottish post-rockers Mogwai will launch a world tour to promote their third album, Rock Action, on March 17 at the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas.

The band — singer/guitarist Stuart Braithwaite, guitarist Dominic Aitchison, guitarist John Cummings, drummer Martin Bulloch and keyboardist Barry Burns — will play eight North American dates before heading to Japan and Europe.

Rock Action, due April 24 on Matador Records, includes horn and string sections and has been described by the guitar-friendly band as "the most ambitious set of recordings that Mogwai have ever done." Super Furry Animals singer Gruff Rhys and Chavez guitarist Matt Sweeney make guest appearances on the album, which was produced by Mercury Rev's Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Elf Power). Fridmann also co-produced and engineered Mogwai's most recent album, 1999's Come on Die Young. Mogwai tour dates, according to Matador Records: 3/17 - Austin, TX @ Music Hall 3/18 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre 3/19 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo's 365 Club 3/21 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox 3/24 - Chicago, IL @ Metro 3/25 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House 3/27 - Boston, MA @ Somerville Theatre 3/28 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza

• Mogwai

Scottish post-rock quintet Mogwai have completed their third album, tentatively titled Nevermind That Sh--, Here Comes Mogwai!, according to a spokesperson for their U.S. label, Matador Records. Due April 10, the album features Super Furry Animals singer Gruff Rhys on one track and Chavez guitarist Matt Sweeney on another. The band also brought in horn and string sections for the first time on the new LP, which a spokesperson said the group jokingly referred to as "the most expensive post-rock album ever made." The album was recorded at Tarbox Road Studios in Cassadaga, New York, with Dave Fridmann, a member of Mercury Rev who has lent his lush, orchestral production style to the Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin, Elf Power's A Dream in Sound and the Rev's epic 1998 LP, Deserter's Songs, among dozens of others. Fridmann also co-produced and engineered Mogwai's previous album, 1999's Come On Die Young. The most recent release by the band, which is led by guitarist/vocalist Stuart Braithwaite and bassist/guitarist Dominic Atchison, was the Mogwai EP + 2 EP in October 1999. Adding the two tracks from their "No Education = No Future: F--- the Curfew" government-protest single to four new tracks, the EP signaled a more refined direction for Mogwai that is continued on their upcoming album, according to their spokesperson. Mogwai's 1997 debut, Young Team, balanced somber, sensitive pop and explosive guitar-crunch assaults, establishing the Glasgow band as the leaders of a burgeoning Scottish rock underground that also included Arab Strap, Belle & Sebastian and the Delgados. It was quickly followed by Ten Rapid, a singles compilation, as well as the remix collection Mogwai Fear Satan: Kicking a Dead Pig, which featured versions of their tracks by [u]-ziq, Kid Loco and My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields.

• Mogwai
• The Flaming Lips
• Elf Power