Monsters Of Folk's Conor Oberst and Jim James
Photo: MTV News

In 2004, the Monsters of Folk were in need of a new name. Seems their original handle didn't quite roll off the tongue the way they'd hoped.

"We used to have a really long name," MOF'er (and Bright Eyes main man) Conor Oberst laughed. "We were called 'An evening with Bright Eyes, Jim James and M. Ward.' It wasn't very catchy."

"So our road manager just started calling us the 'Monsters of Folk,' because each of our careers have been so storied on folk," fellow Monster (and My Morning Jacket frontman) Jim James added. "It really seemed to fit, especially since it didn't."

And thus, a supergroup was formed ... and not just any supergroup, mind you, but perhaps the most indie-riffic in history. Born after Oberst, James and She & Him's M. Ward joined forces for a brief run of dates in '04, the Monsters added multi-instrumentalist Mike Mogis to the mix and, over the next two years — in between making albums with their other bands — somehow also found time to work on a Monsters of Folk album too.

Sort of.

"A lot of procrastination went into this record," Oberst laughed. "You know, whenever we had time, we'd get into it."

"You know, people's schedules get busy, and we had to turn it from a pipe dream into a reality," James added. "And to do that, we had to commit to some time. Which we eventually did."

The result of those two years is the Monsters' self-titled debut (out September 22), 15 songs of sun-dappled, well-worn (sorta) folk tunes (plus the occasional bubble of electronics). Recorded in Malibu, California, and Oberst's hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, and produced by Mogis, it's an album that tackles topics like love, loss, religion and politics ... all filtered through the respective, reflective lenses of Oberst, James and Ward.

"Everyone came in with ideas and concepts that were then fleshed out by the group. We didn't write these songs specifically for our other bands, we just wrote them because we like writing," Oberst explained. "For me, specifically, I don't think about what I'm going to do with the song before it's written ... I don't really think of anything before it's written. It has to exist before I can ponder what to do with it. So I was writing for different records, and I just chose which ones felt like they'd work for this record."

So will there be another record? Or is this a one-time thing? No one in the Monsters seems to know, though — aside from a tour of North America and Europe in October and November, they've got nothing else on their schedule. That said, it'd be a shame if they let such a killer name go to waste ... especially one they fought so hard to get. Or, you know, something like that.

"There actually was a Monsters of Folk before this Monsters of Folk, and we were really upset because they stole the name from us before we even knew each other. They were on tour in, like, 1997, and we didn't start Monsters of Folk until 2003, but they shoulda known we were gonna get together," James said, a smile stretching across his face. "So we threatened to sic our lawyers on them, and all of a sudden they decided to let us use the name. Which was really cool of them."

• Monsters Of Folk Talk Monsters Of Folk

• Bright Eyes
• My Morning Jacket

Photo: sxsw.com

South by Southwest is sort of like running a marathon, except you're drunk most of the time, and there's nothing but BBQ and tacos to eat, and have sun stroke, and you basically hear live music from the moment you wake up until the second you pass out. So, actually, it's not really like a marathon at all, except in duration (and probably perspiration).

Yes, it's that time of year again — SXSW is upon us. It's a magical week that comes around each March, when the city of Austin, Texas is overrun with hundreds of bands and thousands of hipsters in really tight pants, all braving the blazing Texas sun to catch can't-miss sets from much-buzzed blog acts, top-secret performances by some of the biggest names in music (there's a couple of doozies this year), and have a really gigantic, really debauched party.

At SXSW 2008, there were performances by mainstays like Paramore, N.E.R.D., R.E.M., and My Morning Jacket, star-making turns by Vampire Weekend, No Age, MGMT and Katy Perry, appearances by Perez Hilton and Rachael Ray, even a Britney Spears rumor (and, as luck would have it, we spoke to almost all of 'em). Rumor has it, there was also plenty of partying — though we don't really remember, to be honest.

This year, things are looking to be just as awesome. There are rumors (repeat: rumors) of performances by Metallica — under the relatively awesome Norse name of Volsung — on Friday and Kanye West on Saturday. We'll see the return of alt-rock greats Jane's Addiction — in all their original-lineup glory — and faerie queen Tori Amos. Big Boi, Rick Ross and Jadakiss are all scheduled to appear. There will be sets by the Silversun Pickups, Explosions in the Sky, Primal Scream, Devo, the Hold Steady, M. Ward and Peter Bjorn and John. Plus, indie heavyweights like the Thermals, the Decemberists (performing their new album, The Hazards Of Love, in its entirety) and Grizzly Bear, who will unveil tracks from their much-anticipated Vecktimest album at what promises to be a revelatory church show.

We know it's a lot to handle.

Of course, it wouldn't be SXSW if there weren't also a ton of up-and-comers grabbing headlines, too. From lo (perhaps even no)-fi noisemakers like San Diego's Wavves and Brooklyn's the Pains of Being Pure at Heart to NME-approved female electro-poppers Little Boots and Ladyhawke, there's no shortage of buzzed-up bands to catch in and around Austin this week. And that's not even mentioning bands like Passion Pit, Crystal Stilts, the Dirty Projectors and Marnie Stern — who's already given us an SXSW preview of her own. Throw in a strong hip-hop contingent — multiple sets by Asher Roth, Kid Cudi, Kid Sister and B.o.B — and you can see why the whole "marathon" comparison is more than apt. There literally is not enough time in the day to see everything, but that doesn't mean you're not gonna try your hardest to do it.

And, of course, MTV News is going to be there too — checking out bands, staying up way too late, making terrible decisions and trying very hard to remain sane. We'll be bringing you up-to-the-minute updates on SXSW on MTVNews.com, the Newsroom blog. We'll have live video of shows, interviews with bands and even a BBQ story or three. In short, we're going to try and bring you everything you're missing at SXSW 2009. It's hard work, for sure. But we do it because we care.

MTV News will be all over the South by Southwest festival this week, with blogs, articles and video on all the gigs, the artists and the scene!

• South By Southwest 2009: Looking Back

• Passion Pit
• Metallica
• Silversun Pickups
• The Decemberists
• Kanye West

My Morning Jacket's Jim James
Photo: MTV News

"We almost broke up the band," My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan joked on the topic of the laborious sequencing process for the new record, Evil Urges. But joking aside, the band makes it clear that the recording process was far from easy this go-round.

"It was the hardest record we've ever made. We did have a lot of fun in the conceiving of it — but in the making, it was more like work," lead singer Jim James explained. "It was just like kind of slamming at it — working with sounds and trying to get it to work out."

While James typically demos new material on his own, the recording process for the Louisville rockers' new album had a few more stages than usual. About 25 demos were presented to the band for realization in a lax Colorado atmosphere.

"I thought there'd be songs on the record that [in the end] didn't even make the record," said James. "A lot of the songs don't work out — but some of them work out great that you didn't think would work out." And after a month or two of fiddling around in Colorado, it was on to New York for the actual recording.

This time, the pressures of recording in a New York studio, as opposed to their usual Louisville spots, added some creative restrictions. "I think we're more used to working on our [own] terms ... just the pressure of having an end point added a different edge to our workday because before, we could just record whenever the feeling hit," Hallahan said of the problems they faced.

"From, like, noon to midnight, we could only be in the studio for 12 hours," James added. "We didn't want it to be an electronic-sounding record. I wanted it to be organic — [just] a band playing. And to do that on some of the songs, it took a lot of takes and a lot of time, miking, getting everything worked out so it would be ... almost to halfway trick you into thinking it was a drum machine. But it's not. It's a person playing. But trying to do that in the real world took a lot of time."

Due in stores June 10, Evil Urges is a hodgepodge of different sounds and genres that coalesce nicely into a new My Morning Jacket package. It won't be the opus to launch them into superstardom, but it continues what has been their slow upward trajectory to the top echelon of American rock.

• My Morning Jacket Learn That Less Is More

• My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket
Photo: MTV News

Evil Urges is surely going to blow minds. The question is, though, for better or for worse?

Due June 10 on ATO Records, Urges is the fifth album from the ever-evolving Louisville, Kentucky, act My Morning Jacket, and it finds them continuing down the same path they started on with their critically acclaimed 2005 record, Z.

"I feel like Z is the perfect bridge from what we were gradually doing before — and Z to [Evil Urges] is the perfect bridge between everything. ... On the first listen, there's a lot of variety in a lot of different places, but I think after repeated listens, hopefully the listener would understand the similarities more than the differences," frontman Jim James told MTV News.

And he's not kidding when he talks about the "variety" found on this record.

The first three tracks will immediately stun fans of MMJ with heavy funk beats and synths galore. The title track and "Highly Suspicious" also find James singing in his rarely heard super-high falsetto, all too reminiscent of Prince or the Bee Gees. It's jarring stuff, but like everything else on the record, it makes sense in the band's evolution and really adds a terrific new element to its repertoire.

After the opening tracks, the band enters "more familiar territory," as James put it, for the next good portion of the record. The falsetto, synths and big beats are suddenly replaced by James' typical (read: beautiful) crooning, steel-pedal guitar and plenty of country all around, while the band slowly and methodically mellows things out.

"I'm Amazed" is a classic MMJ Southern-rock guitar jam with plenty of guitar/piano interplay, while "Librarian" is a track as straightforward as they come, finding James in stripped-down singer/songwriter form, narrating and professing his secret love for the "sweetest little bookworm hidden underneath ... the sexiest librarian."

But the mellow middle of the record stands in sharp contrast to those first few tracks, which quickly begin to feel out of place as the record trudges on. That is until the end few rockers and the disco-y number "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream (Part 2)" take us full circle, kicking things back into the stratosphere and making even the middle of the record itself seem out of place.

Of the tracks, James said, "There's things that run through them. ... Even though a song doesn't necessarily sound the same, there's different themes and chord structures that pop up in a lot of them that you don't necessarily hear at first listen ... but as you listen to it more, you realize the interconnectedness within all the variety and different directions."

Recording in New York also changed the overall direction of the music, James said. "We kind of deliberately wanted to make it different from our previous environments, where it was more loose and stretched-out. We wanted the feeling of being under this thing to add a precision to it. ... I do feel like it was a hard record to make — the hardest record we've ever made. We did have a lot of fun in the conceiving of it, but in the making of it, it was work."

"We like to ask a lot, but we don't ask too much. I think we expect that from the listener," multi-instrumentalist Carl Broemel says of the record.

Evil Urges is an album that isn't easily digestible — even for the seasoned My Morning Jacket fan. And while much of the record is enjoyable if you compartmentalize it, as a whole it may take some getting used to.

• My Morning Jacket

Fans celebrate their last night at South by Southwest '08
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images

AUSTIN, Texas — It's something pretty much every South by Southwest vet will tell you, but at first, you probably won't believe it: Saturday sucks.

It's got something to do with the fact that, for four days now, everyone's been going nonstop, partying way too hard, eating terrible food and watching the same bands play the same "at capacity" venues. There's a strange sort of weary tension that descends upon Austin come Saturday, like everyone is just looking to make it through the festival's final 24 hours without killing anyone. It wears you down, honestly.

And then there's Sixth Street, the city's main drag, which has become a clogged tunnel of tired, sunburned and slightly buzzed humanity. Come midnight, it's like "Day of the Dead" out there, as packs of drunken college kids stare down hipster dudes in skinny jeans, and shirtless meatheads cruise the strip, looking for something to set them off. The cops are all edgy, the gutters lined with garbage, and everything sort of smells like a locker room. There are sirens and car horns blaring throughout the night, and everyone is shouting and full of booze and generally unpleasant. Really, Saturday at SXSW sucks.

So perhaps it's fitting that Saturday's biggest musical moment was also perhaps the smallest and most intimate of the entire SXSW festival: an acoustic set by My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, limited to just 240 seats and taking place inside the 150-year-old St. David's Episcopal Church. (Read about My Morning Jacket's big SXSW show on Thursday here.)

Four hours before James was scheduled to play, MMJ fans began lining up, hoping to snag one of the spots in the tiny sanctuary. Once inside, the lucky 240 were treated to a few intense, hushed ballads from Los Angeles' Jacob Golden and a brief set from M. Ward, who played a walking blues version of his song "Rollercoaster" after a nearly speaker-blowing cover of "Oh Lonesome Me," during which he looped his string-scraping slide solo as he accompanied himself in real time.

James came out a short time later and played the rest of the set with Ward, including their 2006 collaboration on "Chinese Translation," which melded James' honeyed, ecstatic wails with Ward's scratchier, sandpaper vocals. The lyrics to the new MMJ song "Look at You" seemed custom-made for the hushed setting, with James intoning, "We believe in your power to guide us in this world ... look at you ... you're such a glowing example of peace and glory." The shaggy-haired frontman seemed genuinely honored to be playing St. David's, saying that although religion can sometimes divide people, he appreciated the opportunity to play in the sanctuary, thanking God for "letting us use his house, or her house or its house."

Once Ward left, James took over, and with the occasional assist from MMJ multi-instrumentalist Carl Broemel on lap steel, he played a spare "It Beats for You," with barely perceptible guitar strums underneath his soaring voice. During "What a Wonderful Man," James played on the Omnichord, a battered keyboard on which he pressed buttons with his left hand and made space-age droning sounds by rubbing his index finger on a mouse-pad-like surface.

Another new song, "Librarian," featured site-appropriate lyrics, including a line about how "when God gave us mirrors, we had no idea." Through it all, James seemed humbled by the hushed space and attentive crowd, and as the last, haunting chords of "Gideon" bounced around the room, it was clear that they had shared something truly special, and maybe even a bit sacred.

But, given that this was Saturday night at SXSW, the shows weren't all reverent. Across town, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton had decided to throw himself a party, complete with a fully functional hair salon, lots of free booze, snooty, clipboard-clutching doormen and, of course, plenty of beautiful people.

There was also plenty of music, though none of the acts Hilton assembled for his soiree could top his opener: ultra-sleek, super-sexy (and fabulously profane) Swedish star Robyn, who, for most of the past decade, has been writing some of the most forward-thinking pop music on the planet — and doing so without a label here in the States.

Hilton introduced her as "the most exciting thing happening in pop music today," and Robyn didn't disappoint. From the minute she strode on stage — poured into a tight black jumpsuit with a cape stretching down her left arm — she primped, preened and steamed, breathing heavily through a shimmery version of "Who's That Girl?," then slipping effortlessly into her take on Snoop's "Sensual Seduction," which was all slink and supple electronic baubles.

Then, she turned up the raunch, pushing headlong into her hit "Konichiwa B----es," which takes the art of the sexual metaphor to heights (lows?) that only Luther Campbell could dream of. And then she threw in a showy little cover of Prince's "Jack U Off," which had the crowd singing along and the Mohawked Hilton shimmying stage right. And to top it all off (and to make sure you all have your minds off church), Robyn invited several scantily clad ladies onto the stage and grinded with them while performing her current UK single, "With Every Heartbeat."

And if you're gonna close a Saturday-night SXSW set, that's the way to do it. Perhaps it's not as bad here as we'd originally thought.

Other Highlights From a Sorta Scary Saturday in Austin, From Our Intrepid (and Tired) MTV News Team

John Norris:

With 1,700-plus bands in town, there's way more music than any one person could begin to get a handle on here. Still, every year there are some artists that just seem to be ubiquitous. Lightspeed Champion told us a couple of days ago that he was playing 14 shows here, and that seemed like a lot. But everywhere you turn, it seems you're seeing another performance by the Cool Kids, F--- Buttons or She and Him, the duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward.

So, in the grand scheme of things, six performances only qualifies as a modest amount at SXSW, yet Memphis indie-punk stalwart Jay Reatard, who's playing that many this week, says there is a noticeable difference in the crowds this year. We spoke to Jay just after his rapid-fire, 10-songs-in-15-minutes set at Beerland, and he said that there definitely seems to be an ongoing discovery of his music, as evidenced by the recent renewed interest in his 2006 album Blood Visions.

Also on the bill at Beerland: Atlanta punk in the form of Beat Beat Beat and those lovely ladies whom I met at last year's fest, the Coathangers. I don't know if any band has more fun onstage than they do, what with all the trading of instruments, wearing of wigs and singing of tunes like "Nestle in My Boobies" and "Don't Touch My Sh--."

From there it was up to Waterloo Park for the best way to spend a sunny Austin afternoon: an outdoor fest, in this case the Mess With Texas party. Three stages, tons of merch, beer and, most important, veggie dogs meant I was set. On the music front, it was a lot of this week's usual suspects, including Atlas Sound, Yeasayer, White Denim, Two Gallants and, onstage as we arrived, Ethan Miller and Howlin Rain. And, of course, Mess With Texas was the only place you could catch the Breeders, in town to promote their upcoming Mountain Battles album.

James Montgomery:

Highlights of a Saturday spent trying to find the strength to make it through one more day: interviewing the mighty Ice Cube in a bathroom at the Convention Center, then heading over to Beauty Bar to talk with Rachael Ray about her SXSW party and her seven-layer sliders (that's a fancy name for "little hamburgers," which ruled). While we were there, we caught her husband's band, the Cringe, playing an afternoon set and jamming out with surprise guest Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top (he ruled more than the seven-layer sliders). No Eliminator in sight, but hey, you can't have everything.

Later in the day, we went to the Q magazine party, which was held at the very posh Driskill hotel, where I caught These New Puritans (who looked like they worked very hard at looking painfully disinterested) and Kate Nash, who is way more talented than you probably think and deserved better than a mid-afternoon set over the din of inebriated partygoers. Then, as I mentioned above, there was the majesty of Robyn at Perez's little shindig. I had high hopes of catching another Swedish act, the Tough Alliance (who I'm told don't really perform as much as "press keys on a laptop and hold baseball bats onstage," which is badass), but I was told the venue was "at capacity," and after just slogging through the sea of (drunken) humanity that was Sixth Street, I decided that it was time to pull the plug on SXSW 2008.

Other quick moments: Having a 15-minute conversation about puppies with Ally and AJ's mom in the lobby of the Omni Hotel, then shaking hands with M. Ward mere moments later. Seeing My Morning Jacket patrolling the lobby of the same hotel a few hours earlier. Laughing at former teeny-crooner Ryan Cabrera's new hard-edged look (think tats, hilarious facial hair, permanent scowl). Eating an Austin benedict at the Driskill hotel. Not dying of heat exhaustion. Falling asleep.

Gil Kaufman:

Earlier in the day, I was trying to keep the schedule light and, ironically, I had to travel more than 1,000 miles to see a band from my hometown. Cincinnati's Foxy Shazam have earned a well-deserved reputation for their wild, unhinged live shows, and they brought the whole arsenal for their day show at Emo's. Lead singer Eric Nally sliced his hand open writhing on the stage, flossed with the microphone cord, shimmied up a support beam, did a clumsy upside-down stripper-slide down it and nearly brained himself with the mic stand trying to kick it up off his foot in a punk homage to James Brown. All the band's members got into the act, jumping up and down, bashing into one another, wildly thrashing their heads around and in the case of keyboardist Schuyler White — who might own the biggest muttonchops on this side of the Atlantic — standing on his keyboard and pounding on the keys with his fists like a great ape.

The band's chaotic sound mixed punk, some spoken word, emo and prog-rock for a messy car crash of energy that had the crowd staring in awe, especially when Nally lit three cigarettes and then proceeded to chew up and swallow the burning butts.

I also checked out Florida teenage metal revivalists Black Tide, who proved to be well up to the Metallica comparisons they've earned, with a thrashing set of hair-flying agro anthems. Lead singer/ guitarist Gabriel Garcia, 15, alternated between grunting out the lyrics to songs like "Show Me the Way" from the band's major-label debut and playing acrobatic bundles of riffs as his nearly waist-length hair whipped back and forth, obscuring his face.

The night ended with a fun set from Los Angeles' Phantom Planet, who worked out some of the new, harder songs from their upcoming album, while treating the fan-boy/girl audience to favorites like "Lonely Day," "By the Bed," the new up-tempo single "Do the Panic" and, though I didn't stick around to see it, the expected show-closing anthem, "California."

Before calling it a night, I checked in with one of my discoveries from last year, Pittsburgh psychedelic freakers Black Moth Super Rainbow, whose trippy alien jams were just the thing to cap off a weird, wonderful week of music. As a bonus, in an homage to the Flaming Lips, they also took the prize for the best props by filling the audience and the stage with colorful balloons, blasting confetti cannons onto the crowd, tossing out candy-filled piñatas and passing around tiny, half-dollar-size tambourines for people to play along on. If there's a better set of lasting images to go home with, I can't think of them.

We're all over the bands, BBQ and hipster parties at SXSW '08. Check out the MTV Newsroom Blog and You R Here for more.

• Five Questions At South By Southwest: N.E.R.D., Paramore, Vampire Weekend, More
• 'John TV' At South By Southwest

• Vampire Weekend, Paramore, N.E.R.D., & More Rock SXSW 2008

• My Morning Jacket
• Kate Nash

My Morning Jacket performs at SxSW on Thursday
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images

AUSTIN, Texas — In life, there are few sure things. At South by Southwest, there are even fewer. Still, this one was about as sure as sure could get: My Morning Jacket — the nation's leading purveyors of bearded, multifaceted, critically adored, blog-approved rock — were taking their show down to Austin on Thursday night, to the music festival that has become practically synonymous with dudes with beards, rock critics and bloggers. And they were going to be unveiling a batch of songs from their hotly anticipated new album, Evil Urges. Oh, and Yo La Tengo was opening for them.

Yeah, it was pretty safe to say that this show was going to be a big one. From the venue — the cavernous Austin Music Hall, which, though recently renovated, still resembles an authentic Texas honky-tonk (albeit a ginormous one) — to the expectations surging through the thoroughly amped (and vocal) crowd, the show was as huge as you could possibly get at SXSW, rivaling the open-aired, free-wheeling spirit usually associated with fests like Bonnaroo or Coachella. Clearly, only My Morning Jacket could pull this off.

(Check out photos from other great South by Southwest '08 shows here.)

Throughout the course of the nearly near two-hour show, MMJ reared back, summoned up voluminous waves of sound, tossed around guitar solos with reckless abandon, stretched songs (and time signatures) to the breaking point, and squealed and echoed in their own, completely unclassifiable way. But on this night — or most others, as any true Jacket fan can attest — they also drew amazing power from the notes they didn't play, bringing volume to even the most quiet and spacey moments in their set, a strength particularly apparent in those aforementioned new songs.

Taking the stage under the veil of purple light and wisps of fog (organizers clearly blew their entire fog-machine budget on this show), the band launched headlong into the title track from Evil Urges, a twisting and often-ominous number that showcased the soulful side of frontman Jim James' (oft-derided) voice and featured a surprising middle section that was all hard-charging chords and James' wheedling guitar lines.

That was followed by "Off the Record" and "Gideon" from their 2005 album, Z, that packed a wallop but also displayed the power of "loud-quiet-loud" syncopation. Then, it was time for another new song, "Highly Suspicious," which commenced with James pushing his voice to previously unheard-of heights (seriously, it sounded like he could hurt himself), but was quickly tossed into a head-whirling mix of Roboto vocal effects, crunching chords and a driving, machine-like back-end that had kids in the audience doing that hippie shake thing.

There were more songs from Z (a shimmering "Worldless Chorus," a raucous "What a Wonderful Man") and even older fare (a truly massive "One Big Holiday," an excellent take on "The Way He Sings"), but really, the songs from Urges got top billing on this night, and justifiably so.

"I'm Amazed" was a take on a traditional country rocker run through the wringer, thanks to some nifty guitar interplay between James and multi-instrumentalist Carl Broemel. "Thank You Too" was a pretty, mellow number that showed off a newfound sensitive side. "Sec Walkin' " was a twisty, dreamy number, buoyed by Broemel's pedal steel and featuring lyrics about traffic lights, and most noticeably, "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Part 2," with which MMJ closed their set, featured James strumming away on an Omnichord and some genuinely heart-quickening work by the rhythm section.

As "Touch Me" ended with a yelp from James, MMJ departed. But, in keeping with the whole "massive" theme of the night, they quickly returned to tear though a four-song encore (an unheard of thing at SXSW), before practically having to be dragged off the stage by Music Hall employees, to loud cheers from those still standing after a near two-hours of rock topography.

Much like R.E.M. on Wednesday night, My Morning Jacket's show was great primarily because it didn't feel like your typical SXSW showcase in any way, shape or form. It was loud, soft, loose and tight, often at the same time. And you get the feeling that unlike most bands spending the week in Austin, if they had the opportunity, MMJ would still be playing as you read this. For real.

Other Highlights From a Terrific Thursday in Austin, From Our Intrepid (and Tired) MTV News Team

John Norris:

I began my day with a sidewalk encounter with the name that, let's be honest, is on more lips than any other this SXSW '08: Vampire Weekend. Surely it must be just a tad embarrassing for them to come to Austin this week and mix it up with the rank and file, while riding a ridiculous wave of national attention, the cover of a little magazine called Spin and an appearance on a little show called "Saturday Night Live." So what do they do? They stick to the VW party line: This is not gonna change who we are or what we do; we can't control it, and we're just happy to be here. Vampire Weekend are doing everything in overdrive, and I think they are officially post-caring about the haters. Besides, hating on them is frankly pointless, they made a great great pop record. More power to 'em. (Read more about Vampire Weekend in the Newsroom Blog.)

Power? Dean and Randy of No Age embody that every time they take the stage, even when playing in the afternoon sun of an outdoor show sponsored by Rhapsody. I watched from a roof patio as L.A.'s noise-art duo powered through Weirdo Rippers favorites, as well as songs from the upcoming album, Nouns, including "Eraser" and the amazing "Teen Creeps."

My producer, Christopher "CJ" Smith, recently got me into Tyvek, a band of lo-fi Midwesterners that he was truly excited to see down here at SXSW, and once again his faith was well placed. After an alleyway interview, in which they explained their dedication to the basic, no-nonsense approach of what some call lo-fi, we watched them tear through a set at Beerland, one squall of ragged, raw rock after another in songs like "Give It Up" and "Stand and Fight."

Keeping it Midwest, why, here are Psychedelic Horsesh--. Every now and then, you just want to talk to a band that calls it as they see it, and PH deliver. Standing in the middle of Sixth Street, shoulder-to-shoulder with drunken fools at 11 p.m., PH opined on how this year's SXSW compares to last year's (answer: They haven't taken any illegal substances with Thurston Moore this year, something they say is necessary to appreciate "the vast majority" of bands at the festival) and spoke about the message behind their song "New Wave Hippies" and the line ("It's about Yeasayer. Bands like that."). Whoa.

And finally, late Thursday night, it seemed that a fair percentage of Austin was either inside — or outside trying to get in — a large, gray cinderblock warehouse at Third and San Jacinto. The occasion? Playboy's "Rock the Rabbit" party, apparently the must-attend event of the night. Was it the bill that featured, among others, French hipster superstar electroniques Justice and Brooklyn's headband-wearing duo MGMT? Maybe. But I'm gonna guess that number one draw was the Bunnies. I had a chat with one named Hiromi, who told me that she was a big MGMT fan and that the glorious single "Time to Pretend" (with its lyrics, "Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives") was on her MySpace page. Good choice, Hiromi.

James Montgomery:

Aside from MMJ, I really liked Islands' set at the Cedar Street Courtyard, and not just because I'm a big fan of dudes in pancake makeup, dueling Asian violinists and prog-rock songs about mythological appendages (though all of those things were part of the magic). No, basically, I've been an unapologetic shill for Islands' mastermind Nick Diamonds (he was the one in the pancake makeup on Thursday night) ever since his days in the much-missed bizarre pop outfit Unicorns. The stuff he's doing with Islands is much, much different — strings, Calypso leanings, a heavy dose of goofy mysticism, a whole lot of prog — but it's also pretty great. They played a bunch of songs off their upcoming Arm's Way album, and with their violin stabs, strange, herky-jerky movements, overall length and subject matter (it's a concept album ... about a magical arm), they're all guaranteed to annoy about 98 percent of the American public.

Also: Motörhead at Stubb's, because they're Motörhead and Lemmy will kill you. Eating breakfast at Guero's. Eating lunch at Iron Works BBQ. Talking to the genuinely good dudes from Tapes 'n Tapes about their new album, Walk It Off. Yo La Tengo, opening for MMJ. Going to sleep before 4 a.m. Oh, wait.

Gil Kaufman:

If you're me at SXSW, when you're not trying to bypass a block-long line by dropping a half dozen names until the right one gets you waved into some inner sanctum of rock, you're in search of that one great discovery. Every year, there's one band that transcends the hype and really does make you stop and take a long, serious listen. Luckily for me, that band was the very first one I saw on Thursday.

It was hard to take your eyes, or ears, off of indie electronica rock duo the Ting Tings, a kind of White Stripes in reverse, with frontwoman/guitarist/percussionist Katie White ruling the stage, backed by drummer Jules De Martino. Mixing up the Go! Team's dance beats and the Gossip's energy with punk guitars and sometimes rappy vocals, the Tings immediately won over the crowd with such English hits as the punchy "That's Not My Name." Remember the name because you're sure to hear it again.

Speaking of names, one of the most important decisions a band makes, London retro-rockers Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong should really have spent a bit more time on theirs. That being said, the band's disheveled "Panic at the Thrift Store" look and their high-energy British Invasion-style performance were compelling. Lean, wearing the tightest trousers in a city awash with them, looked like a tottering doe as he shimmied across the stage in his high-heeled boots and waved his spider-like arms in wide circles during songs like the Beatles-esque "Where Do You Go."

As unthreatening as the Jang Jongs were in their capes and double-breasted three-quarter length jackets, Virginia hip-hop duo the Clipse made up for that softness with a stripped-down, grinding afternoon set heavy on audience favorites like "Momma I'm So Sorry" and "Keys Open Doors." They also reclaimed the Baby song "What Happened to That Boy," saying they wrote it in the first place.

Wearing a gigantic, gleaming Re-Up Gang Records medallion, it wasn't long before Malice peeled off his sweatshirt and stalked the stage in a sweat-drenched white T, inviting Re-Up crew member Ab Liva up to give a hand. Liva, a mountain of a man with a low bass rumble of a voice that's almost as intimidating as his imposing stature, traded verses with Pusha T and Malice on the grimy street tale "Cot Damn" as the audience bounced along and a fragrant smell wafted up to the stage, prompting Malice to proclaim, "It smells good out there."

The afternoon also brought the star-studded Lou Reed tribute — where the Velvet Underground frontman turned the tables on looming photographers — and an equally star-heavy showcase for the Iraq-war documentary "Body of War," paving the way for an evening of chaos. It began with the band that seems to be stalking me at every SXSW, Toronto hard-core punks F---ed Up. Every year, it seems, I find myself face to face with 300-plus pound singer Pink Eyes, who invariably charges, sweaty and shirtless into me and drops me to the ground. At least he didn't pile drive me on the concrete floor like the guy next to me. I waited around for a blitzkrieg of punk thrash from prolific Memphis-based DIY auteur Jay Reatard, who didn't disappoint with a tight set of rapid fire blasts of fury with names like "See/Saw" and "Screaming Hand."

We're all over the bands, BBQ and hipster parties at SXSW '08. Check out the MTV Newsroom Blog and You R Here for more.

• Five Questions At South By Southwest: N.E.R.D., Paramore, Vampire Weekend, More
• 'John TV' At South By Southwest

• Vampire Weekend, Paramore, N.E.R.D., & More Rock SXSW 2008
• 10 Bands To Watch At SXSW

• My Morning Jacket
• Clipse
• Yo La Tengo
• MGMT
• Vampire Weekend

Hannah Montana (a.k.a. Miley Cyrus)
Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images

The Hannah Montana tour is definitely one of the hottest tickets in town for tweens and their parents, but one woman admits she went a little overboard in trying to win tickets for her daughter. Texas mom Priscilla Ceballos apologized Friday (January 4) on NBC's "Today" show for writing an essay falsely claiming the girl's father had died in Iraq just so the girl could see Hannah (a.k.a. Miley Cyrus) in person. "I just wanted to help my daughter write a compelling story," she said. The fabricated essay won the contest's grand prize, which included airfare for four to Albany, New York, and four tickets to a sold-out Hannah Montana concert there, as well as a makeover that included a blond Hannah Montana wig. "Please accept my heartfelt apology and please do not punish my child for my mistake," Ceballos urged on the show. ...

What's harder to find than a City of Gold? For "American Idol" rocker Chris Daughtry, it was one of his own songs. Daughtry was commissioned to write a song to play over the end credits of "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," but the single, "Feels Like Tonight," was left on the cutting-room floor, reports Variety. "It's a great song, and probably could have been a good marketing tool, but when we put it up with the movie, it just felt wrong," Disney music chief Mitchell Leib told the Hollywood trade. ...In other "Idol" alumni news, Season Two winner Ruben Studdard and semifinalist Frenchie Davis (who got the boot from the show after Fox discovered that she worked for an adult Web site before trying out) have signed on for the 30th anniversary national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical revue "Ain't Misbehavin'." Richard Maltby Jr. co-wrote and directed the Broadway production, which showcases the music of "Fats" Waller, and he will re-create his original direction. Studdard was in need of some good news after being the first "Idol" winner to be dropped from his label, when J Records let him go in December. Since appearing on "Idol," Davis was in the Broadway cast of "Rent." The "Ain't Misbehavin' " tour will begin in November and run at least through May 2009. ...

Literature probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of C-Murder, but the rapper — who is to be retried on a second-degree murder charge on February 11 — is taking part in a unique book club that connects readers with authors. On January 19, C-Murder will help christen the New Orleans "chapter" of the Conversations Book Club when he joins the group at the Comfort Inn & Suites downtown to discuss "Death Around the Corner," his recent novel about the city. ...

R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, Daniel Lanois, Tech N9ne and My Brightest Diamond are among the initial slate of bands scheduled to perform at this year's South by Southwest festival. Lou Reed will be the keynote speaker at the fest, which will take place in Austin, Texas, March 12-16. ... Birdman is being sued for allegedly sampling other artists' songs without paying for them. The lawsuit, which was filed in New Orleans, claims that the Cash Money Records co-founder (real name: Bryan Williams) owes several music publishers money for using copyrighted songs without permission. ... Does Britney have some competition? Both Whitney Houston and her estranged husband, Bobby Brown, were no-shows Friday (January 4) at their scheduled court appearance, TMZ.com reports. According to the Web site, Whitney's attorney, Stephen Kolodny, said the singer was sick. ...

Bay Area producer/DJ Amplive won't be putting out his remix of Radiohead's In Rainbows after all. Just a month after announcing his remix album, Rainydayz Remixes, which was to feature a cameo from Too Short, Amp announced on his MySpace page that he had received a cease-and-desist letter from Radiohead's publisher, Warner/Chappell, on December 18 that barred him from releasing the unapproved album, according to a story on Pitchfork linked to from Amp's site. In a video on his MySpace page, a dejected-looking Amp, holding a sign that reads "free," laments, "In Rainbows is one of the top Radiohead albums, and I'm a big Radiohead fan, and it was all done in celebration." He says he wanted to show his appreciation for Radiohead's pioneering pay-what-you-want scheme by doing a hip-hop remix album that would also have featured Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Jurassic 5's Chali 2na. He says he wishes that Radiohead could hear the free remix album, which he knows they would like, and suspects the band is not to blame for the legal action. "Thom [Yorke], holla at me, man," he pleads to the band's frontman at the end of the message. ...

Australia's first couple of music, Silverchair singer Daniel Johns and singer/actress Natalie Imbruglia, have announced that they will separate after four years of marriage, according to the Melbourne Herald Sun. The pair announced their split in a joint statement released Friday (January 4) that read, "While we are very sad that our marriage has ended, we want to make it clear that our parting is amicable and we remain friends. ... This mutual decision has not been taken lightly or quickly. However, our career demands and our lives in different parts of the world have brought us to the point where unfortunately this difficult decision was necessary for both of us. We have simply grown apart through not being able to spend enough time together." ... On March 25, long-running, genre-spanning party-poppers the B-52s will return with Funplex, their first album of new material since 1992's Good Stuff (and their first to feature co-frontwoman Cindy Wilson since '89's Cosmic Thing). Guitarist Keith Strickland describes the album as "loud, sexy rock and roll for your pleasure zones, with the beat pumped up to hot pink," just in case you were wondering. ...

Josh Groban had a great Christmas, but the music industry? Not so much. For the eighth year in a row, album sales were down, with total album sales diving 15 percent in 2007 to 500.5 million units, according to year-end figures from Nielsen SoundScan. The Los Angeles Times reports that it was the lowest tally and steepest decline since Nielsen began publishing estimates based on in-stores sales data in 1993. There was a bright spot with digital-album sales rising 2.4 percent to 30.1 million units, but even that paled in comparison to the 19 percent uptick in 2006. The overall picture, including albums, singles and individual-song downloads, showed a rise of 14 percent to 1.4 billion units, which, again, was down from the 19 percent gain in 2006. ...

Last year's Live Earth concert and the Roskilde Festival in Denmark will be recognized with environmental honors at the upcoming Midem Green World Awards in Cannes, France, later this month, according to BBC News. The awards pay tribute to events that promote a greater awareness of environmental issues. Live Earth is being recognized for the strict green guidelines it set out in order to create a low-impact worldwide event, while Roskilde, one of the largest European festivals, is earning praise for serving all its drinks in recyclable plastic mugs. ...

Not everyone is psyched about the huge music festival that is slated to touch down in Vineland, New Jersey, this summer courtesy of a hookup between Lollapalooza promoters C3 and the people behind England's Glastonbury Festival. According to the Vineland Daily Journal, a group of citizens, including a former City Council president, have mobilized under the banner of Neighbors Against Rock Concert Site in an attempt to block the show. The first meeting of NARCS is slated to take place Thursday, with the goal of blocking the festival — currently scheduled for August 8-10 — from taking place on a local 570-acre farm. The event is expected to draw 35,000-40,000 people over three days, with mostly on-site camping, which neighbors worry will have a negative impact on the area due to potential increases in traffic, noise, crime and pollution. According to the Journal, NARCS isn't opposed to the festival, just its location. The group is considering a lawsuit to stop the show, while suggesting that promoters move it to a more "appropriate" location, such as the local county fairgrounds. ...

The once-in-a-lifetime New Year's Eve gig at a small club in Surrey, England, that featured Who guitarist Pete Townshend, former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and guitar god Eric Clapton might not be a one-off after all. The secret show, which the trio performed under the name Totally Abandoned, benefited charity and included mostly "old classics," according to London newspaper The Independent. A Thursday post on the Who's site confirmed that the gig took place and teased that "a much larger gig" could happen in New York before March. ...

Stephen Stills is recovering after having surgery for prostate cancer on Thursday. He is expected to be at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25 for the world premiere of "CSNY/ Déjà Vu," a movie directed by Neil Young that revolves around his and Stills' group, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

1.3.08

T.I. adjusted his calendar Thursday (January 3) after an Atlanta judge postponed until February 19 a suppression hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Grand Hustle rapper's lawyers are seeking to have evidence thrown out because they claim it was obtained as a part of an illegal search when T.I. (real name: Clifford Harris Jr.) was arrested in October for allegedly attempting to purchase illegal machine guns. Lawyers for the rapper filed a motion in November stating his vehicle had been searched without a warrant, consent or probable cause. He has been under house arrest awaiting trial after posting a $3 million bond in late October. ...

Chris Brown has hit a bump as he tours across the U.S. — the singer's set designer is suing him for breach of contract, according to TMZ. John Troxtel claims in a federal lawsuit he filed Christmas Eve that while he was paid for some of his labor, "extra work was required and requested." He says an oral agreement was made but that the touring company has refused to make good on its promise. Troxtel, who is seeking more than $1 million in damages, is also reportedly suing Brown for unjust enrichment. ...

Former B2K groupmates Dreux "Lil Fizz" Frederic and Jarell "J-Boog" Houston have released a statement through their publicist regarding the claims of sexual molestation Raz-B made against manager Chris Stokes in recent online videos. "We had nothing to do with the [videos], their release and/or their claims, we are unaware of any inappropriate behavior," the statement read. Raz-B later retracted and apologized for the accusations. Meanwhile, Raz-B's business partner had no comment on a new, recently surfaced tape of Raz-B, his brother Ricky Romance and Stokes, and said he didn't know when it was shot. ...

Nate Dogg suffered a stroke on December 19, according to a coordinator for the hip-hop crooner's recently formed gospel choir, Innate Praise. Reports had circulated that the longtime Snoop Dogg associate had been admitted to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center in California after suffering a heart attack. Erica Beckwith, however, confirmed to MTV News that Nate Dogg was released on December 26 after being treated for a stroke and is currently in a medical-rehab facility to assist him in his recovery. ...

The Jonas Brothers have inked a fat deal with Live Nation, and it's being called the first of its kind for an up-and-coming group, according to Billboard. The multimillion-dollar agreement will see the band of brothers playing a jaw-dropping 140 shows at theaters and arenas over the next two years. Eight shows have been lined up so far for the Look Me in the Eyes Tour, in Tuscon, Arizona (January 31); Las Vegas (February 1); Los Angeles (February 2); Everett, Washington (February 5); Portland, Oregon (February 6); February 8 (Salt Lake City); El Paso, Texas (February 11); and San Antonio (February 12). ... Radiohead have, according to the U.K.'s The Times, agreed to a deal with iTunes — which some fans may have noticed, given that the band's In Rainbows album is now available through the online store. "In terms of digital income, we've made more money out of this record than out of all the other Radiohead albums put together, forever," Thom Yorke reportedly said about the release. ...

Bono has teamed with Hard Rock for a new tee that is benefiting the Wildlife Conservation Society's Conservation Cotton Initiative, which helps educate impoverished African farmers. The Bono Signature Series T-shirt, which will be available starting Monday at Hard Rock's terrestrial and online shops, is being made available via Edun, a socially conscious clothing company that Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, launched in spring 2005. ... Bright Eyes mainman Conor Oberst, who toured as part of the Vote for Change Tour in support of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004, performed at a rally for another Democratic contender, Senator Barack Obama, in Iowa on Tuesday. According to The New York Observer, Oberst played for a crowd of approximately 1,000 Obama supporters and at one point told them, "I met the next president of the United States earlier today." But that's hardly the only star Obama has on his side. Scarlett Johansson was a special guest at a rally for him in Iowa on Wednesday night, according to The Nation. She reportedly spoke with a group of young supporters in Des Moines. ...

The Facebook profile cited in many articles (including MTV News') about Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the late Benazir Bhutto's son, is a hoax, according to a statement from Farahnaz Ispahani of the Pakistan Peoples Party. "The statement that's on [the Facebook profile] is not his statement," he told The New York Times. "It seems genuine but according to Mr. Zardari, and we checked with him, the Facebook statement has not been written by Bilawal." ...

Foo Fighters are following in Justin Timberlake's footsteps — the band is participating in this year's "My Grammy Moment" segment for the February 10 awards ceremony. Unsigned instrumentalists — sorry, singers — are getting the chance to perform with Dave Grohl and the gang as part of an orchestra, with the winner being showcased as the featured instrumentalist. Interested? Record a performance video that is no longer than one minute and reflects your talent and submit it here. A Grammy Awards panel will choose 45 quarter-finalists, after which the public will narrow down the group to semifinalists who will perform with the five-time Grammy-nominated band. ... Christina Aguilera and Katie Holmes, starring side by side in a new flick? Rumors are circulating online that the two have been tapped for an upcoming comedy called "Humboldt Park," but Rene Rigal, who is executive producing the flick, told MTV News in regards to the castings, "We haven't heard anything as of yet." ...

Mark this one with a "WTF?" on your calendar: Keytar-wielding indie-rockers and former You Hear It First artists Mute Math will open for Matchbox Twenty and Alanis Morissette on their Exile in America tour, which runs from January 25 in Hollywood, Florida, through March 18 in Las Vegas. ... Hot Chip will pad their February 5 release, Made in the Dark, with a smattering of shows in April. The British electro-poppers will play nine gigs, from an April 10 one in Philadelphia through an April 24 show in San Francisco. ... Meanwhile, Ween are barreling on with their longest tour in three years. The band will play six gigs in January — from January 23 in Washington, D.C., through January 31 in Orlando, Florida — and is slated to play February 1-2 in St. Petersburg and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before jetting overseas. ...

Sketch-comedy duo Tim and Eric have a few friends you may know. Maroon 5 bassist Mickey Madden, Phantom Planet frontman Alex Greenwald and the Like singer/guitarist Z have chalked up covers of songs by the pair's fictional Casey and His Brothers group. Check 'em out on TimAndEric.com. ... Sean Penn will head the awards jury at this year's Cannes Film Festival, which is slated for May 14-25. According to AP, the "Into the Wild" director said "a new generation of filmmaking may have begun," and that there seems to be "a rejuvenation of cinema building worldwide." ...

The Offspring are nearly finished with the follow-up to 2003's Splinter. According to a post from frontman Dexter Holland on the punk-rockers' Web site, they're "taking a quick break from recording right now to be with our families. I've got two lyrics to do, a couple more to sing, and various musical tweaks and fixes to get done. Then, we'll be ready to mix." There's no release date for the album yet, but the Offspring "want to thank all our fans who have been so patient, and we want you to know that we've been in the studio nearly every day now for quite awhile working hard to make a great record," the post says. ...

Former Kid 'N Play frontman Christopher "Play" Martin was reportedly hospitalized over the weekend when his car was struck by another vehicle whose driver was wounded by a bullet. According to North Carolina's The News & Observer, the one-time rapper's car was struck after a man — suspected of fleeing from where a home robbery took place — was allegedly fired upon by local police. The man, identified as Raul Riva Aldamo, reportedly died as a result of the gunfire. Martin and his companion, Michelle Gonzales, were released from doctor's care on Wednesday, and according to a rep for Martin, he is at home recovering.

• Hannah Montana
• Miley Cyrus
• R.E.M.
• My Morning Jacket
• Vampire Weekend

Lupe Fiasco
Photo: MTV News

• Lupe Fiasco
• Ben Harper
• Amy Winehouse
• Juliette & the Licks
• Kings Of Leon

Ludacris' <I>Release Therapy</I>
Photo: Def Jam

Everybody Loves 'Cris: After years pushing the limits of the afro and mimicking Austin Powers, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges is taking a turn toward the serious with his Release Therapy. The rapper takes a seat on the couch, mulling topics like child abuse and politics as Mary J. Blige ("Runaway Love"), Young Jeezy ("Grew Up a Screw Up"), Field Mob ("Ultimate Satisfaction") and Beanie Sigel ("Do Your Time") lift up Luda throughout. He does lighten up a little, though, on the Pharrell-produced "Girls Gone Wild."

Jackson Action: She's up against country hero Alan Jackson and his Like Red on a Rose and R&B crooner Freddie Jackson and his Transitions, but Janet hopes to edge them out with her own new album, 20 Y.O. With a five-part saga that includes the intro, three interludes and the outro, Janet manages to squeeze in 11 additional cuts, like "Get It Out Me," "Show Me" and "Do It 2 Me." The special edition boasts a bonus DVD with dance auditions, in-the-studio material and the making of the "Call on Me" clip.

Christmas in September: Aly & AJ get a jumpstart on the holiday-album thing with this week's Acoustic Hearts of Winter, which may or may not wind up being as successful as Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas, being reissued today. The sparkly CD has "Greatest Time of Year," which will also be on "The Santa Clause 3" soundtrack, plus "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Little Drummer Boy" and "Joy to the World."

Oh Brother: Horns, accordions and organ make their way onto Brother, Sister, the second offering from hippie Christians Mewithoutyou. Fans who preordered at Interpunk.com got an exclusive T-shirt, but everybody can get their ears on "A Glass Can Only Spill What It Contains," "Brownish Spider" and "In a Sweater Poorly Knit." Ex-Sunny Day Real Estate singer Jeremy Enigk joins them for two tracks, and Seattle's favorite producer, Brad Wood, twiddles the knobs.

Oh Sister: Scissor Sisters are loading up ardent fans with even more gifts with the deluxe edition of their Ta-Dah — it's got a bonus six-song CD with a demo, remix and four more tunes. Both versions find the burlesquers hailing "Paul McCartney" and declaring "She's My Man" and "Everybody Wants the Same Thing."

Weird Science: Leave it to "Weird Al" Yankovic to brew up good-natured send-ups of familiar Green Day, Chamillionaire and R. Kelly cuts. Straight Outta Lynwood, his first LP in three years, is a DualDisc frothing over with two stereo mixes, instrumental-only versions of all 12 tracks, an onscreen lyrics option, nine behind-the-scenes clips and six new videos. Now that's straight-up.

Breaking Their Silence: In case you missed them at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, the Warped Tour or MTV's very own "You Hear It First" series, this week will be your chance to hear electro wizards Mute Math.The New Orleanians' record is actually a joint effort between their own label Teleprompt and Warner Bros., an unlikely deal that should probably benefit both sides, seeing as how the band has sold more than 45,000 CDs on their own so far. The first 25,000 copies are slapped with a bonus live EP that has six songs — do the math.

Curse of the Bandino: Have enough Dave Matthews Band live albums but not enough sports memorabilia? Make an excuse for yourself with Fenway Park, Boston MA, July 7-8, 2006, a quadro-CD set that brims with a whopping 38 tracks over four discs. Copies ordered through the Live Trax 6 store will have a sticker commemorating the event, plus the chance to win a Red Sox jersey signed by Matthews.

Morning Glory: Cameron Crowe faves and former Boston Pops collaborators My Morning Jacket remind us what makes their live shows so memorable with Okonokos: Double Live Album, mixed by Bob Dylan buddy Michael Brauer and mastered by the legendary Bob Ludwig. The set actually precedes a more comprehensive document of MMJ's explosive concert. Let the press-release description do the talking: "Inspired by a fairytale-like performance in Tokyo, the band decided to adorn their mysterious set with qualities akin to an old growth forest, capturing the essence of a timeless, nameless, anonymous place. The theme of straddling the line between the surreal and the actual is introduced at the film's prologue when a cast of characters draped in Victorian-era costume, along with one alpaca, are introduced." Right on.

Song Title of the Week:

"Polyester Meth Zeus" from Velvet Acid Christ's Lust for Blood

Other Notables:

Botch's Unifying Themes Redux: Botch gave birth to These Arms Are Snakes, Minus the Bear and Roy, but the Seattle hardcore heathens are being judged by their own merits on this LP, the first in a series of discs culling the band's archives. Unreleased tunes, comp-only tracks and other rarities flesh out the set.

Ladyfinger (ne)'s Heavy Hands: The Omaha, Nebraska, group — who use that (ne) at the end of its name, just so you don't forget — drop a new disc on (where else?) Saddle Creek Records of Bright Eyes and Faint note. Speaking of which, Ladyfinger share members with the Faint, Mayday and the lesser-known Race for Titles and Bleeders for Treats. So if you dig that stuff, look no further.

Lucero's Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers: David Lowery of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven fame stepped behind the boards to document this, the fifth opus by the soothing Memphis, Tennessee, band. Organs and pianos seep onto songs like "What Else Would You Have Me Be?," "I Can Get Us Out of Here" and "She's Just That Kinda Girl."

New Releases:

• Adem - Love and Other Planets (Domino)

Buy Now: Love and Other Planets (Domino)

• Airpushers - Themes for the Ordinarily Strange ... (Sarathan)

Buy Now: Acoustic Hearts of Winter (Sarathan)

• Aly & AJ - Acoustic Hearts of Winter (Hollywood)

Buy Now: Acoustic Hearts of Winter (Hollywood)

• Arma Secreta - A Century's Remains (Rithmetic)
• As Tall as Lions - As Tall as Lions (Triple Crown)

Buy Now: As Tall as Lions (Triple Crown)

• Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals Starvation League - Longest Meow (Bloodshot)

Buy Now: Longest Meow (Bloodshot)

• Jay Bennett - The Magnificent Defeat (Rykodisc)

Buy Now: The Magnificent Defeat (Rykodisc)

• Tony Bennett - Duets: An American Classic (Columbia)

Buy Now: Duets: An American Classic (Columbia)

• Bridges and Powerlines - Bridges and Powerlines (self-released EP)
• Brothermandude - Brothermandude (Adrenaline)
• Solomon Burke - Nashville (Shout! Factory)
• By the Tree - World on Fire (Fervent)

Buy Now: World on Fire (Fervent)

• Richard Cheese - Silent Nightclub (Surfdog)
• Mark Chesnutt - Heard It in a Love Song (CBUJ)
• Natalie Cole - Leavin' (Verve)
• Al Di Meola - Consequence of Chaos (Telarc)

Buy Now: Consequence of Chaos (Telarc)

• Dirty Projectors - New Attitude (Marriage)
• Enigma - A Posteriori (Virgin)

Buy Now: A Posteriori (Virgin)

• Escape the Fate - Dying Is Your Last Fashion (Epitaph)
• Dizzy Gillespie's All-Star Big Band - Dizzy's Business (MCG Jazz)
• Amy Grant - Time Again ... Live (Word)
• Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton - Knives Don't Have Your Back (digipak; Last Gang)
• Hedley - Hedley (enhanced; Capitol)
• Honeycut - The Day I Turned To Glass (Quannum)

Buy Now: The Day I Turned To Glass (Quannum)

• Vanessa Hudgens - V (Hollywood)
• Alan Jackson - Like Red on a Rose (Arista)

Buy Now: Like Red on a Rose (Arista)

• Freddie Jackson - Transitions (Orpheus)

Buy Now: Transitions (Orpheus)

• Janet Jackson - 20 Y.O. (Virgin)
  Read: "Jermaine Dupri Promises Mariah, Janet Duet On New Album"

Buy Now: 20 Y.O. (Virgin)

• Boney James - Shine (Concord)
• Keith Jarrett - The Carnegie Hall Concert (two CDs; ECM)

Buy Now: The Carnegie Hall Concert (ECM)

• Jupiter Rising - Jupiter Rising (Chime)
• Kaskade - Love Mysterious (Ultra)
• Eric Klinger - The Book of Mourning (Da' Core)
• Ladyfinger (ne) - Heavy Hands (Saddle Creek)
• The Lemonheads - The Lemonheads (Vagrant)

Buy Now: The Lemonheads (Vagrant)

• Jeffrey Lewis - City & Eastern Songs (Rough Trade)
• Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Man Standing (Artist First)
• Michael Lington - A Song for You (Rendezvous)
• Lucero - Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers (Liberty & Lament)

Buy Now: Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers (Liberty & Lament)

• Ludacris - Release Therapy (Def Jam)
  Read: "Therapy Session: Ludacris Previews New LP, Shows Off Home Studio"

Buy Now: Release Therapy (Def Jam)

• Dave Matthews Band - Fenway Park, Boston MA, July 7-8, 2006 (four CDs; RCA)
• Paul McCartney - Ecce Cor Meum (EMI Classics)
• Audra McDonald - Build a Bridge (Nonesuch)
• Stephanie McKay - Stephanie McKay (EP; Astralwerks)
• Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood - Out Louder (Indirecto)
• Mewithoutyou - Brother, Sister (Tooth & Nail)
  Read: "Mewithoutyou Confront Rock's Limitations: 'You Can't Give People Hugs In A CD' "
• Travis Mitchell Band - Forget What's Wrong (Rock Ridge)
• Stanton Moore - III (Telarc)
• Mute Math - Mute Math (Teleprompt/ Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Electro-Poppers Mute Math Work Hard To Bring Back The Keytar"
• My Morning Jacket - Okonokos: Double Live Album (ATO/RCA)
• Nina Nastasia - On Leaving (Fatcat)
• NewFound Road - Life in a Song (Rounder)
• Only Son - The Drop to the Top (Cassette)
• Oohlas - Best Stop Pop (Stolen Transmission)
  Read: "Oohlas Have Spastic Frontwoman, Ex-Everclear Drummer — Is Fame On The Way?"
• Cale Parks - Illuminated Manuscript (Polyvinyl)
• Rhapsody of Fire - Triumph of Agony (special edition; Steamhammer)
• Samiam - Whatever's Got You Down (Hopeless)
• Saosin - Saosin (Capitol)
• Mark Schultz - Broken & Beautiful (Word)
• Scissor Sisters - Ta-Dah (deluxe edition due same day; Motown Universal)
• Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars - Living Like a Refugee (digipak; Anti)
• Sol.iLLaquists of Sound - As If We Existed (Anti)
• Sparklehorse - Dreamt for Years in the Belly of a Mountain (Astralwerks)
• Mario Vazquez - Mario Vazquez (Arista)
  Read: " 'Idol' Dropout Mario Vazquez Shows 'Grittier' Side On Debut, Hopes For Spot On Christina Tour"
• Velvet Acid Christ - Lust for Blood (Metropolis)
• Paul Westerberg - "Open Season" soundtrack (Lost Highway)
• Westbound Train - Transitions (digipak; Hellcat)
• Wolf Eyes - Human Animal (digipak; Sub Pop)
• "Weird Al" Yankovic - Straight Outta Lynwood (DualDisc; Jive)
• Richie Zito Project - Avalon (Frontiers)
• Various artists - Think Global: West Arica Unwired (World Music Network)
• Various artists - Why the Hell Not ... The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Sustain)
• Various artists - "Dora's World Adventure!" soundtrack (Nick)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Tori Amos - A Piano: The Collection (five CDs; Rhino)
• The Black Crowes - The Lost Crowes (two CDs; Rhino)
• Tommy Bolan - Whips & Roses II (Steamhammer)
• Botch - Unifying Themes Revisited (Hydra Head)
• The Byrds - There Is a Season (box set with four CDs and one DVD; Columbia/Legacy)
• Farmer Jason - A Day at the Farm With Farmer Jason and Rockin' in the Forest With Farmer Jason (Rhino)
• Fear Factory - The Best of Fear Factory (Roadrunner)
• Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas (Capitol)
• Jerry Garcia - The Very Best of Jerry Garcia (two CDs; Rhino/ J. Garcia)
• David Gray - Sell Sell Sell (Nettwork)
• George Harrison - Living in the Material World (limited-edition version with DVD due same day; Capitol)
• Holy Moses - Finished With the Dogs (Locomotive)
• Ill Niño - The Best of Ill Niño (Roadrunner)
• Waylon Jennings - Nashville Rebel (four-CD box set; RCA Nashville/ Legacy)
• John Lennon - "The U.S. Vs. John Lennon" soundtrack (Capitol)
• Little Feat - The Best of Little Feat (Rhino)
• Ziggy Marley - Love Is My Religion (Cooking Vinyl)
• Sarah McLachlan - Mirrorball: The Complete Concert (two CDs; Arista/Legacy)
• Steve Reich - Phases: A Nonesuch Retrospective (five-CD box set; Nonesuch)
• Sepultura - The Best of Sepultura (Roadrunner)
• Type O Negative - The Best of Type O Negative (Roadrunner)
• Fats Waller - If You Have to Ask, You Ain't Got It (three CDs; Bluebird/Legacy)

Music DVDs:

• Depeche Mode - "Touring the Angel: Live in Milan" (with bonus CD; Reprise)
• Dwarves - "Fefu: The DVD - Special Edition Director's Cut" (Music Video Distributors)
• Hot Tuna - "25 Years and Runnin': Live at Sweetwater" (Vestapol)
• Isis - "Clearing the Eye" (Ipecac)
• Buddy Rich - "Jazz Icons: Live in '78" (TDK)
• Seven Witches - "Years of the Witch" (Screaming Ferret)

Coming Attractions:

October 3:

• Beck - The Information (Geffen)
  Read: "Beck Giving Fans Sticky Fingers With Quasi-Hip-Hop Album"
• Evanescence - The Open Door (Wind-Up)
  Read: "Amy Lee Says New Evanescence LP Has More Sensuality"
• Killers - Sam's Town (Island)
  Read: "Killers Album Preview: Massive Sound, Epic Ballads, Big Ideas Fill Sam's Town"

• The Blood Brothers - Young Machetes (V2)
• Rod Stewart - Still the Same ... Great Rock Classics of Our Time (J)
• Various artists - "American Hardcore - The History of American Punk Rock (1980-1986)" soundtrack (Rhino)

• C-Murder - The Tru Story ... Continued (limited-edition version with DVD and bonus tracks; Koch)
• Glenn Danzig - Black Aria II (Megaforce)
  Read: "Glenn Danzig Preps 'Final' Tour, Film, Box Set And, Uh, Dolls"
• Xzibit - Full Circle (Koch)
  Read: "Xzibit's An Indie Rapper Again, With Game And Quik In Tow"

• Ludacris
• Janet Jackson
• Aly & AJ
• Mewithoutyou
• Scissor Sisters

Radiohead's Thom Yorke
Photo: Getty Images

In previous years, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival developed a reputation for being the most, um, granola-friendly summer concert out there (with a list of headliners that included Trey Anastasio, Dave Matthews, Widespread Panic and the Dead, it's not hard to see why). This year, however, it looks like all that will change.

That's because Radiohead have been confirmed as a headliner, joining an initial list of more than 50 acts that also includes Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, Damian Marley and Matisyahu. Bonnaroo 2006 will be held June 16-18 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee.

Radiohead — in their only confirmed U.S. summer festival appearance — will top the bill on one of the fest's three evenings, with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers penciled in as another headliner; the third, Phil Lesh and Friends (featuring the former Grateful Dead bassist), is more in line with the festival's traditional fanbase. Other acts scheduled to appear include Elvis Costello and the Impostors, My Morning Jacket, Cat Power, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

In 2005, organizers shook things up when they announced Modest Mouse as one of the headliners for Bonnaroo, which had traditionally played host to more jammy bands (see "Modest Mouse, Dave Matthews Band Top Bonnaroo 2005 Bill"). And though some longtime 'Roo supporters were ticked, more than 80,000 still showed up for the festival (see "Bonnaroo Kicks Out The Jams Thanks To Dave Matthews, John Mayer — And Bo Bice").

According to organizers, tickets will go on sale February 11 at 10 a.m. ET via Bonnaroo.com

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