<i>Sing-a-Longs and Lullabies From the Film "Curious George"</i>
Photo: Universal

See Jack Sing: Jack Johnson's curious transmutation into children's-music performer might turn off some fans, but it hasn't alienated his friends Ben Harper, Matt Costa and G. Love, all of whom croon along on Sing-a-Longs and Lullabies From the Film "Curious George." Jack runs through the "Schoolhouse Rock" staple "Three Is a Magic Number" — reconfigured as a lesson in environmentalism, with the three R's being reduce, reuse and recycle — and, more curiously, the White Stripes' "We're Going to Be Friends."

Not-So-Everyday People: Different Strokes by Different Folks is more of a various-artists tribute to Sly & the Family Stone, but chances are you'll find it under "S," not "VA," in the CD bins. With rumors swirling about the long-dormant Sly resurfacing at the Grammys, some of today's biggest names have been wise to show their affection in advance: Big Boi ("Runnin' Away" and "[You Caught Me] Smilin' "), Will.I.Am ("Dance to the Music"), Maroon 5 ("Everyday People"), John Mayer ("You Can Make It if You Try"), Joss Stone ("Family Affair") and the Roots ("Star"). Groovy.

Dem's Deluxe: After hooking up with Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat and Bow Wow for the So So Def remix of "I Think They Like Me," Dem Franchize Boyz could be ATL's top commodity in early '06. They ride into record stores in style with a deluxe edition of On Top of Our Game, which is supplemented with a DVD featuring videos for the "I Think They Like Me" remix and "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" (featuring Peanut and Charlay); a live performance; behind-the-scenes footage; and two bonus audio cuts, "My Girlfriend" and "Super Clean."

Orton's O'Rourke-ian Twist: For her fourth record, Beth Orton ganged up with Sonic Youth laptop whiz Jim O'Rourke — but don't expect many embellishments, as Orton keeps her songs spare throughout Comfort of Strangers. The limited edition comes with a bonus disc boasting five tracks: "What We Begin," "On My Way Home," "Comfort of Strangers #9," "Did Somebody Make a Fool Outta You ... ?" and "Northern Sky."

Religious Awakening: Christianity seeps into Belle and Sebastian's seventh effort, The Life Pursuit, on parts one and two of "Act of the Apostle Part 1," which centers around a girl who dreams about the Old Testament. (A limited deluxe edition is bundled with a six-track live DVD and comes with hardbound book packaging.)

There are even more titular nods to Big Brother on the second volume of the "Elizabethtown" soundtrack, which finds Rachael Yamagata chipping in "Jesus Was a Crossmaker," and Washington Phillips wondering "What Are They Doing in Heaven Today." (Also featured: My Morning Jacket, Ryan Adams, Ulrich Schnauss and Pinback.) And on another soundtrack — for "Transamerica" — the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band nestle "I Find Jesus" alongside cuts by Duncan Sheik, Lucinda Williams and Dolly Parton.

If you're familiar with Chick Corea, it's probably because of his legendary piano playing or collaborative performance with the Foo Fighters at the 2004 Grammys. But you probably didn't know Corea is a devout Scientologist, a fact he makes no bones about on his latest CD. Based on a 1939 novella by L. Ron Hubbard, The Ultimate Adventure is about a homeless man who is transported to the mythical City of Brass from "Arabian Nights" and finds himself living among alien races like the Jinns, Ifrits and Ghouls. Try making a soundtrack to that.

Conga expert Miguel Angá Díaz provides a "musical religious service" on Echu Mingua, an album he named after his Yoruba saint. (Yoruba being an ancient African religion that worships multiple deities known as Orishas.) He's joined by everyone from Chucho Valdés to French hip-hop artists to a West African kora musician.

And last but not least, Hamell on Trial lace their latest, Songs for Parents Who Enjoy Drugs, with a particularly blasphemous song about President Bush performing sexual acts with the Bible.

Song Title Of The Week:

"Matrimonioids (For: Elvin + Susana Estela)" from Prefuse 73's Security Screenings

Other Notables:

Various artists' To: Elliott - From: Portland: Although a tribute to Elliott Smith might seem premature, this salute is more personal than meets the eye. Eric Matthews, who covers "Needle in the Hay," actually played on an unreleased version of the track with Smith; "Hard Times" is performed by Sean Croghan, a former roommate of Smith's; and the Thermals recorded "Ballad of Big Nothing" with Smith's ex-girlfriend Joanna Bolme at Jackpot Studios, which Smith had a hand in constructing. Past renditions by the Decemberists, Swords and the Helio Sequence help flesh out the 15-track set.

In Flames' Come Clarity: Ferret Music is bolstering the promotion behind one of its biggest acts, underground metal titans In Flames, in style. Various stores are offering free patches, tour samplers, posters and more with purchase of the CD — and in one of the more unique offers, Denver's Independent Records gives you two bucks off the disc if you show them your concert-ticket stub. There's also a special edition with a bonus DVD of rehearsal footage floating around.

Rick Moranis' The Agoraphobic Cowboy: Yes, you're reading right — that's actor Rick Moranis, last heard on the "Little Shop of Horrors" soundtrack, cowboying up with his country best on The Agoraphobic Cowboy. Equally inspired by his love of Ray Stevens and his recent exposure to Widespread Panic, Moranis' effort was previously released online but is finally hitting stores this week. Giving Cowboy an extra layer of bizarreness, the album has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Comedy Album.

New Releases:

• Aceyalone (accompanied by RJD2) - Magnificent City (Decon Inc.)
• AM Syndicate - Empire (Sickroom)
• AV Club - AV Club (Insubordination)
• The Avett Brothers - Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions (Ramseur)
• Sibylle Baier - Colour Green (Orange Twin)
• Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (Matador)
• Layzie Bone & Young Noble - Thug Brothers (Real Talk)
• Pat Boone - Hopeless Romantic (Gold Label)
• Burst - Origo (Relapse)
• Century - Faith and Failure (Tribunal)
• The Chuck Norris Experiment - The Chuck Norris Experiment (Devil Doll)
• Clogs - Lantern (Brassland)
• Jason Collett - Idols of Exile (Arts & Crafts)
• The Coors - Home (Atlantic/Rhino)
• Chick Corea - The Ultimate Adventure (Stretch)
• Cross Culture - Proof Positive (Selectric)
• The Danger O's - Little Machines (EP; Blackout)
• Deadboy and the Elephantman - We Are Night Sky (Fat Possum)
• De/Vision - Subkutan (Dancing Ferret)
• Jack DeJohnette - The Elephant Sleeps but Still Remembers (Kindred Rhythm)
• Dem Franchize Boyz - On Top of Our Game (deluxe edition with DVD also available; Virgin)
  Buy Now: On Top of Our Game (Virgin)
• DJ Reflex - Sandunga Music (Cutting)
• Fefe Dobson - Sunday Love (enhanced; Island)
  Buy Now: Sunday Love (Island)
• Electric Six - Señor Smoke (Metropolis)
• Eyes of Fire - Prisons (enhanced; Century Media)
• Jen Foster - The Underdogs (American Garage Recorded Entertainment)
• Burnt Friedman and Jaki Liebezeit - Secret Rhythms, Vol. 2 (Nonplace)
• Gastr Del Sol - Harp Factory on Lake Street (Table of Elements)
• Gates - The Dew Line (Table of Elements)
• A Global Threat - Where the Sun Never Sets (BYO)
• Hamell on Trial - Songs for Parents Who Enjoy Drugs (Righteous Babe)
• Sarah Harmer - I'm a Mountain (Zöe/Rounder)
• Hem - No Word From Tom (Nettwerk)
• Himsa - Hail Horror (Prosthetic)
• Brotha Lynch Hung & MC Eiht - The New Season (Real Talk)
• Charlie Hunter Trio - Copperopolis (Rope-a-Dope)
• In Flames - Come Clarity (special edition due same day; Ferret)
• Elton John - "Billy Elliot: The Musical" original cast recording (Decca)
• Jack Johnson and Friends - Sing-a-Longs and Lullabies from the Film "Curious George" (Universal)
  Read: "Jack Johnson Says 'Curious George' Shouldn't Monkey Around With Adult Themes"
• Matson Jones - The Albatross Mates for Life, but Only After a Lengthy Courtship That Can Take Up to Four Years (EP; Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• The Ladies - They Mean Us (Temporary Residence)
• Latrice - Illuminate (Ultra)
• Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers - Pandelirium (Yep Roc)
• Lesbians on Ecstasy - Giggles in the Dark (Alien 8)
• Jackie Leven - Shining Brother Shining Sister (Silverline)
• Lil Al - Hood Raised (SMC)
• Lil Uno - The Streets (Toltec)
• Lokyata - Purified by Anger (Indianola)
• Jason Miles - What's Going On? Songs of Marvin Gaye (Narada)
• The Minus 5 - The Minus 5 (Yep Roc)
• Misstress Barbara - Come With Me ... (Uncivilized World/ Koch)
• Rick Moranis - The Agoraphobic Cowboy (Artistshare)
• Cindy Morgan - Postcards (Reunion)
• Monday Morning - Fool's Paradise (enhanced; Selectric)
• Mr. Pookie - Return of Tha Rippla (Boss Entertainment)
• Mylo - Destroy Rock & Roll (Red Ink)
• Anna Nalick - Wreck of the Day (DualDisc; Columbia)
• Oceansize - Everyone Into Position (Beggars Banquet)
• Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers (limited edition with bonus disc also available; Astralwerks)
• Penuckle - The Sun Beckons (Red Urban)
• Prefuse 73 - Security Screenings (Warp)
• Psychic Ills - Dins (The Social Registry)
• San Quinn - The Rock: Pressure Makes Diamonds (SMC)
• Remy Ma - There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story (limited edition also available; SRC/Universal)
• Sherri Roberts, Phil Woods and Lew Soloff - The Sky Could Send You (Pacific Coast Jazz)
• Ray Russell - Goodbye Svengali (Cuneiform)
• Shrift - Lost in a Moment (Six Degrees)
• Slowride - C/S (Deep Elm)
• Sly & the Family Stone - Different Strokes by Different Folks (Epic/Legacy)
• Small Arms Dealer - A Single Unifying Theory (Deep Elm)
• Southcott - Flee the Scene (Rust)
• State Radio - Us Against the Crown (Nettwerk)
• Kelley Stoltz - Below the Branches (Sub Pop)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Big Summer Classic, On the Road: Fall 2005, On the Road: Spring 2005 and On the Road: Vegoose 2005 (Nettwerk)
• Stroke 9 - Cafe Cuts: A Collection of Acoustic Favorites (Rock Ridge)
• Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives - Live at the Ryman (Universal South)
• Swearing at Motorists - Last Night Becomes This Morning (Secretly Canadian)
• Telepathe - Farewell Forest (EP; The Social Registry)
• The Thrillseekers - Night Music Volume One (Water)
• Bill Toms & Hard Rain - The West End Kid (B.T.)
• KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope (Virgin)
• Univers Zero - Live (Cuneiform)
• Jason Whitton - Thriftstore Cowboy (VAVV)
• The Mary Lou Williams Collective - Zodiac Suite: Revisited (Mary)
• Joachim Witt - Bayreuth 3 (Dancing Ferret)
• Various artists - Hi Power 2006 (Thump)
• Various artists - Idol Tryouts Two (Ghostly International)
• Various artists - Lowrider 2006 Tour (Thump)
• Various artists - Mews Too: An Asthmatic Kitty Compilation (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Various artists - New Arrivals, Vol. 1 (Mpress)
• Various artists - Run the Road Volume 2 (Vice)
• Various artists - To: Elliott - From: Portland (Expunged)
• Various artists - Totally Country Vol. 5 (BMG Heritage)
• Various artists - "Elizabethtown, Vol. 2" soundtrack (RCA)
• Various artists - "One Tree Hill Volume Two: Friends With Benefit" soundtrack (Maverick)
• Various artists - "Transamerica" soundtrack (Nettwerk)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Art Blakey - Live! At Slug's N.Y.C. (Empire Musicwerks)
• Richard Cheese - The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of Richard Cheese (Surfdog)
• Chamillionaire - The Sound of Revenge (special edition with bonus DVD; Universal)
• The Bob Crewe Generation - The Best of the Bob Crewe Generation: Music to Watch Girls By (Varèse)
• Ray Davies - The Storyteller (Koch)
• Dave Douglas - Keystone (Koch)
• John Entwistle - Mad Dog, The Rock and Too Late the Hero (Sanctuary)
• José Feliciano - Introduction to José Feliciano (Fuel 2000)
• Roberta Flack - The Very Best of Roberta Flack (Rhino)
• Dexter Gordon - Getting Around - RVG Series (Blue Note)
• Andrew Hill - Smokestack - RVG Series (Blue Note)
• Mastodon - Call of the Mastodon (Relapse)
• Hank Mobley - Workout - RVG Series (Blue Note)
• Lee Morgan - The Gigolo - RVG Series (Blue Note)
• Pérez Prado - The Best of P#233;rez Prado: The Original Mambo # 5 (RCA Victor/ Legacy)
• The Prodigy - Their Law: Singles 1990-2005 (XL/Beggars)
  Buy Now: Their Law: Singles 1990-2005 (XL/Beggars)
• Remembering Never - Suffocates My Words to You (One Day Savior)
• Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times (The End)
• Horace Silver - Horace-Scope - RVG Series (Blue Note)
• Nat Stuckey - The Very Best of Nat Stuckey (Koch)
• Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - An Introduction to Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee (Fuel 2000)
• Richard Thompson - The Life and Music of Richard Thompson (five CDs; Free Reed)
• Stanley Turrentine - Joyride - RVG Series (Blue Note)
• Whitesnake - The Definitive Collection (Geffen)
• Trisha Yearwood - Jasper County (MCA Nashville)
• Various artists - Electro Slash Disco: Underground 80's Dance Floor Sounds (Koch)
• Various artists - Lost Classics of Salsa, Vol. II (Libertad)
• Various artists - Sleepless in Seattle: The Birth of Grunge (High Wire)
• Various artists - "Golden Boy" original Broadway cast recording (DRG)

DVDs:

• Jim Brickman - "Jim Brickman at the Magic Kingdom: The Disney Songbook" (Disney)
• The Crown - "14 Years of No Tomorrow" (three DVDs; Metal Blade)
• Bireli Lagrene and Gipsy Project "Live in Paris" (Dreyfus)
• Mint Condition - "Live From the 9:30 Club" (Image Entertainment)
• The Prodigy - "Their Law: Singles 1990-2005" (XL/Beggars)
• Sasha & John Digweed - "Delta Heavy" (System)
• The Sugarcubes - "Live Zabor" and "The DVD" (Rhino)
• Andrew W.K. - "Who Knows? Live 1992-2004" (Music Video Distributors)
• Whitesnake - "Live in the Still of the Night" (with CD; Hip-O)
• Various artists - "Blow! Volume 5: Pushin' the Raw and Uncut" (Inner City)
• Various artists - "Champions in Action: Volume 1," "Volume 2" and "Volume 3" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "Don Diva Presents: A Gangster's Story" (Don Diva)
• Various artists - "Don Vito Presents: Crunk and Famous" (Koch Vision)
• Various artists - "Fresh 96: 10th Anniversary Special Edition, Part One" and "Part Two" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "Gotta Serve Somebody: Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan" (Image Entertainment)
• Various artists - "GT Extravaganza Singers" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "Hustle Up Latino" (Hustle Up)
• Various artists - "Punk Is Dead" (Image Entertainment)
• Various artists - "Scribble Jam: Archive Number 2" (Scribble Jam)
• Various artists - "Street Heat Hood Fights" (Cornbread)
• Various artists - "Street Heat, Volume 16: Young Jeezy" (Cornbread)
• Various artists - "Tribunal Records: The Video Collection" (Tribunal)

Coming Attractions:

February 14:

• Jaheim - Ghetto Classics (Warner Bros.)
• Sergio Mendes - Timeless (Concord)
  Read: "Will.I.Am Wants To Pull A Rick Rubin With Sergio Mendes, Macy Gray"
• The Sword - Age of Winters (Kemado)

February 21:

• Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Domino)
  Read: "You Hear It First: Arctic Monkeys"
  Buy Now: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Domino)
• Ray Davies - Other People's Lives (V2)
• William Orbit - Hello Waveforms (Sanctuary)

February 28:

• Hawthorne Heights - If Only You Were Lonely (Victory)
• Kid Rock - Live Trucker (Atlantic)
• Ne-Yo - In My Own Words (Def Jam)
  Read: "You Hear It First: Jay-Z's Picks"

Get your MTV News fresh daily as a podcast — in video or audio. Click on Mac or PC for more info.

• Jack Johnson
• Dem Franchize Boyz
• Sly & the Family Stone
• Remy Ma
• Chamillionaire

Beck performs at the Elliott Smith memorial concert
Photo: MTV News

HOLLYWOOD — With tears in their eyes, friends and fans of Elliott Smith sang along to some of the troubadour's most poignant material on Monday at a memorial concert a few miles from where he took his life less than two weeks ago.

Beck, Beth Orton, Lou Barlow and others performed at the Music Box at the Fonda Theater, although it was Smith's tender melodies and anguished lyrics that took center stage.

"For us, Elliott is one of the great pillars to the kind of music we try to contribute to," Rilo Kiley singer/guitarist Blake Sennet said backstage. "And for a moment we felt like one of the pillars had fallen, but later you realize the pillar is his music, and that's what he left behind. Ultimately, he tried to make his misery into a positive thing."

Most of the artists who took part in Monday's concert played only Smith songs, although some performers tossed in a song or two that they knew Smith liked or that they felt were appropriate. Some were stripped down to nothing but a voice. Others were dolled up with as many as eight musicians. And while the Smith songs spanned from his first solo album to his last, and even included music from his early band Heatmiser, all of them had a similar, somber tone.

"This is really a memorial for his fans, but also for his friends," Beck said backstage. "He had a lot of friends in L.A. and in these parts, and this is our chance to say goodbye and thanks" (see "Singer/Songwriter Elliott Smith Dead; Friends, Fellow Musicians Pay Tribute").

Beck ended his solo set with exactly those words, after strumming through "Ballad of Big Nothing," "Clementine" and "Alameda" — the first and last from 1997's Either/Or and the second from 1995's Elliott Smith, the album that turned Beck on to Smith.

"The good thing about his songs is they're so well made, they're so crafted and meticulous, they can weather even the most feeble rendition," Beck said. "I've been working on them pretty hard the last two days."

Beck's set was flawless in delivery, but others found Smith's songs more challenging. Some admitted to giving up on learning more songs, while others stopped halfway through versions, noting that it was an Elliott trademark.

"His music is so incredible on so many levels, a lot of the musicians playing here tonight have commented on how difficult it is to learn it," said Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis, who stunned the capacity crowd with an a cappella rendition of "I Didn't Understand" from 1998's XO. "He was such an amazing guitar player and incredible lyricist and beautiful voice. For this generation of songwriters, he was incredibly important and timeless."

Rilo Kiley also played "The Biggest Lie," with Lewis releasing her pain by stomping her foot to the beat, and two of their own songs, which they said Elliott heavily inspired.

Orton, who performed just before a screening of the experimental documentary "Strange Parallel" ended the night, played "No Name #3" from 1994's Roman Candle as well as one of her own songs, "What We Begin."

"I wrote this song about one of my best friends growing up who hanged himself last year," Orton said, her voice trembling as she sang the opening line, "You're never comin' back, and we can't change that."

Orton told the audience she did not know Smith well but wanted to perform because it was a benefit for the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund, which will support groups for abused children.

"If any good can come out of this, it's that perhaps he wasn't lucky enough to overcome what he suffered, but through his organization, he can help other people to overcome what they suffer," she said of Smith, who was abused. Orton paused, then added, "This is such a headf---."

Barlow, the Folk Implosion singer who toured with Smith when Barlow was in Sebadoh in the mid-'90s, also played a song he wrote for a friend who had passed. "I know you've given all you can give to me," he sang. "I know there'll come a day I'll understand/ Until then I'll be trying to solve your mystery/ Wonder why I couldn't make you stay."

Barlow also played Smith's "Division Day," with the help of a crowd member who yelled out a line the singer forgot. "Elliott would stop [shows] like that," Barlow said. "I loved it when that happened. It showed humanity, and that was something Elliott brought to his music, and we all loved him for that."

Monday's show opened with Los Angeles buzz band the 88, who performed spot-on versions of "King's Crossing," "Can't Make a Sound" and "Stupidity Tries," the latter two from 2000's Figure 8, Smith's final album.

Other highlights included Papa M's "Half Right" (the hidden track on Heatmiser's Mic City Sons), Radar Brothers' "Between the Bars" from Either/Or and Future Pigeon's almost reggae version of "Waltz #2 (XO)."

John Doe performed "Rose Parade" from Either/Or as well as a new song and a favorite X song of Smith's. "Elliott influenced a lot of people," the X singer/bassist said. "He appealed to the underdog in everybody. So everybody related to him on a pretty deep level. It's like, 'Yeah, I'm that underdog, he's talking for me.' And he talked the talk and walked the walk."

The sold-out show, which also featured Alaska! and Tito Larriva, was recorded for a live album that will also benefit the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund.

For more on Smith and his music, check out the feature "One Of Us Is On The Moon."

• Beck
• Beth Orton
• John Doe
• Elliott Smith

The Raveonettes are back on the chain gang again, the Chain Gang of Love, that is. The group's major-label debut will lead with the single "That Great Love Sound," and a dark video shot by Sophie Muller (Coldplay, Radiohead) in which the Danish duo try to kill each other.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club follow up their 2001 debut, B.M.R.C, with Take Them On, On Your Own, a rock record through and through, best seen on "Stop" and "Six Barrel Shotgun."

Linkin Park reissue their "Frat Party at the Pancake Festival," a DVD of the group's videos from Hybrid Theory, including "Crawling" and "Points of Authority," as well as concert footage and a peek into a day in the life of Linkin Park.

Jeff Buckley re-releases Live at Sin-e, except this time the album contains more than two more hours of music than the original, plus a bonus DVD featuring more music and a poem by Buckley. The extended version of the album features Buckley covering Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan and Nina Simone.

Beth Orton finds herself on The Other Side of Daybreak, a remix album of last year's Daybreaker. Orton's music gets tinkered with by the likes of the Chemical Brothers and Roots Manuva.

The soundtrack to "Party Monster," the upcoming film starring Macaulay Culkin as nightclub kingpin turned murderer Michael Alig, features "The La La Song" by Marilyn Manson, "Seventeen" by Ladytron, and such classic dance songs as Stacy Q's "Two of Hearts" and Shannon's "Give Me Tonight."

Finally, the soundtrack to the vampire flick "Underworld" mostly features new songs including material by Wes Borland, John Frusciante, A Perfect Circle and David Bowie.

Out Tuesday, September 2:

• 31knots - It Was High Time to Escape (54º40' or Fight!)
• 93 Million Miles - 93 Million Miles (EP, Simba)
• Ace - Sounds Still Hungry (Snapper)
• The Actual - Songs on Radio Idaho (Eyeball)
• Airport Girl - Do You Dream in Color? (EP, Matinee)
• Corey Andrew - We're All Stars (A1s)
• Anti-Establishment - Oi! Collection (Captain Oi!)
• Barcode - Hardcore (Progress)
• Gene Bertoncini - Acoustic Romance (Sons of Sound)
• Black Box Recorder - Passionoia (One Little Indian)
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Take Them On, On Your Own (Virgin)
• Michael Bolton - Vintage (Passion Group)
• Jeff Buckley - Live at Sin-e (DVD, Sony)
• Buttless Chaps - Love This Time (Mint)
• The Caseworker - These Weeks Should Be Remembered (Manifesto)
• Cerberus Shoal - Claiming the Knoblessone (North East Indie)
• Chateau - Fight to the Last (Castle)
• Jesse Cook - Nomad (Narada World)
• Chris Cortez - Hold It Right There (Blue Bamboo)
• Crackdown - Rise Up (Progress)
• Pernell Disney - Severn Way (Disney Whirl)
• Linda Eder - Storybook (Angel)
• Either Orchestra - Neo-Modernism (Accurate)
• Fingertight - In the Name of Progress (Columbia)
• Daggers - Light Up Your Daughters (Unity Squad)
• Dead End Cruisers - Patron Saints of Wheeless Lane (Unity Squad)
• Destruction Made Simple - Revolution Evolution (One Shot)
• Devante - Ready or Not (A1s)
• Disrespect - Hit the Ceiling (Progress)
• Elegy Radio Ensemble - Elegy (Chairkickers)
• Elektrofant - Flipstick (Beatservice)
• Erika - Devuelveme la Vida (WEA)
• Erotic - Million Empty Lives (A1s)
• Evil Devil - Breakfast at the Psychohouse (Crazy Love)
• F-Minus - Sweating Blood (Bridge Nine)
• Find Him and Kill Him - Cut Them to Pieces (Happy Couples Never)
• The Fitness - Call Me for Together (The Control Group)
• Five Deez - Kinkynasti (K7)
• Freebase - My Life, My Rules (Progress)
• Freedom and Whiskey - Freedom and Whiskey (Progress)
• Goldblade - Strictly Hardcore (Thick)
• Holland - Little Monsters (Wounded Bird)
• Mike Holober - Canyons (Sons of Sound)
• Jesus and Mary Chain - BBC Live in Concert (Strange Fruit)
• Danko Jones - Born a Lion (Simba)
• Mick Karn - Each Path a Remix (United States)
• Knifehandchop - Rockstopper (Tigerbeat)
• Landmine Spring - Are We the Culprits? (Abstract Sounds)
• Graham Lindsey - Famous Anonymous Wilderness (Catamount)
• Little Wings - Discover Worlds of Wonder (K)
• Lee Mallory and Joey Stec - Japan (Sound City)
• Los Halos - Leaving VA (Loveless)
• Los Kung-Fu Monkeys- End Transmission (One Shot)
• Rick McLaughlin - Study of Light (Accurate)
• The National - Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (Brassland)
• Scout Niblett - I Am (Secretly Canadian)
• No-Man - Together We're Stranger (Snapper)
• Okkervil River- Down the River of Golden Dreams (Jagjaguar)
• Beth Orton - The Other Side of Daybreak (Astralwerks)
• Penance - Spiritualnatural (Martyr)
• The Raveonettes - Chain Gang of Love (Columbia)
  Read: "Raveonettes Attempt To Commit Murder In New Video"
• Noel Redding & Friends - Live from Bunker-Prague (Track)
• Riot Squad - Jump! (Castle)
• Rogue Nation - Sedition (Uprising)
• Dan Rose - Fountains (Midlantic)
• Roughnecks - Real Deal (Crazy Love)
• Alejandro Sanz - No Es Lo Mismo (Warner Music)
• Ken Schaphorst - Indigenous Technology (Accurate)
• Sham 69 - At the BBC (Strange Fruit)
• Naja Shiri - Dat Bomb (On the Block)
• Slipside - World Can Wait (Matinee)
• Soul-Junk - 1958 (Sounds Familyre)
• Speed Dealer - Bleed (DeAd Teenager)
• Spoken - A Moment of Imperfect Clarity (Solid State)
• Strangeways - Living in the Danger Zone (Castle)
• Stray - Time Machine: Anthology 1970-76 (Castle)
• There Were Wires - Somnambulists (EP, Iodine)
• Thou Shalt Not - The White Beyond (Dancing Ferret)
• Thug Law - Thug Life Outlawz, Chapter 2 (Riviera)
• Up to Vegas - Voodoo Truckin' (Crazy Love)
• Brad Upton - Lionheart (Black Orchid)
• The Wailing Souls - Souvenir from Jamaica (AO!)
• Woven Hand - Blush Music (Sounds Familyre)
• Richard X - Presents His X Factor, Vol. 1 (Astralwerks)
• Various artists - #1 Pop Hits (Madacy)
• Various artists - Aliens, Psychos, and Wild Things, Vol. 3 (Arcania)
• Various artists - Attack of the Killer Rock Sound (Columbia)
• Various artists - Definitive American Songbook, Vols. 1 and 2 (Capitol)
• Various artists - Fado: Exquisite Passion (Narada World)
• Various artists - Orange Twin Sampler (Orange Twin)
• Various artists - "Party Monster" soundtrack (TVT Soundtrax)
• Various artists - String Quartet Tribute to Jeff Buckley (Also John Cougar and Iron Maiden, Vitamin)
• Various artists - A Tribute to AFI (Also Ministry and Mudvayne, Big Eye)
• Various artists - "Underworld" soundtrack (Lakeshore)
• DVD: Linkin Park - Frat Party at the Pancake Festival (Warner Bros.)

September 9:

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

September 16:

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

October 7:

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

October 14:

• Mariah Carey - Remixes (Sony)

• Linkin Park
• The Raveonettes
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
• Beth Orton
• Jeff Buckley

Coldplay will be among the performers for the 45th annual Grammy Awards on February 23 in New York, according to the band's label. The British quartet is competing for Best Alternative Album, for A Rush of Blood to the Head, and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal, for "In My Place." ...

Nappy Roots and their label Atlantic Records are being sued by Willie Woods, who claims he wasn't compensated for composing and performing music for the Grammy-nominated "Po' Folks," off the Kentucky rappers' Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz. The St. Louis musician is seeking copyright ownership and damages. ...

Beth Orton is scheduled to bewitch the girls of "Charmed." The singer will perform her new single, "Thinking About Tomorrow," on an episode set to air February 9 at 8 p.m. on the WB. ... 

Staind frontman Aaron Lewis took his first steps as a label mogul by signing Lo-Pro to the new, as-yet-unnamed imprint he founded with Geffen president Jordan Schur. Lo-Pro, currently recording their debut album in L.A. with producer Don Gilmore, are composed of former Ultraspank members Pete Murray (vocals) and Neil Godfrey (guitar), departed Godsmack drummer Tommy Stewart, and guitarist Pete Ricci. ... Stereomud will drop their second album, Every Given Moment, March 11, four shows into this year's Jagermeister Tour, on which the quintet will share a stage with Saliva and Hed (Planet Earth). The album follows Stereomud's 2001 debut, Perfect Self. ...

David Bowie's classic concert film "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars - The Motion Picture" will be released on DVD on April 1, along with the double-disc soundtrack. The features on the DVD include commentary from director D.A. Pennebaker and DVD-Rom extras, such as a screen saver, desktop patterns and icons. ... George Harrison Tribute: Songs From the Material World, featuring covers of the late guitarist's Beatles and solo material by the Kinks' Dave Davies ("Give Me Love [Give Me Peace on Earth]"), late Who bassist John Entwistle ("Here Comes the Sun"), ex-MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer ("It's All Too Much") and They Might Be Giants ("Savoy Truffle"), is set for release February 25, which would have been Harrison's 60th birthday. ...

01.23.03

The NBA's All-Star weekend (February 6-9) always packs its share of ballers, and this year's no different, with Nelly, Ja Rule, Jermaine Dupri, the Clipse, Nappy Roots, and B2K among the artists playing the Club NBA music stage. They join Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, who'll perform at the televised "Read to Achieve" charity event on February 8, as artists heading to Atlanta for the gala weekend. ...

As the Super Bowl approaches, even more performers are being added to an already-crowded entertainment lineup. Sting is the latest addition to the halftime-show bill, joining the previously announced No Doubt and Shania Twain. Other performers throughout the show include the Dixie Chicks, Bon Jovi, Santana, Michelle Branch, Beyoncé Knowles, Styx, Celine Dion and Bonnie Raitt. ... Electronic music guru BT is producing a couple of tracks for Sting's upcoming album. "They're letting me do some very punk rock stuff that I didn't know if they were going to go for," BT said recently. "I've done some really crazy vocal treatments and stuff. It's like, 'Wow, Sting is now in a blender.' [There are] chunky breaks with Detroit techno sounds and then like Latin guitar and percussion." ...

Foo Fighters and Transplants are teaming up for a couple of shows at Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheater on April 17 and 18. The concert marks the Transplants' first live show since releasing their self-titled debut in October. ... Blink-182 are preparing to enter a rented house in San Diego to record their next album with longtime producer Jerry Finn (Green Day, Sum 41). A camera will record the action, and fans can watch on the band's Web site. ... Ani DiFranco, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Ozomatli, Chuck D & the Fine Arts Militia, and poet Saul Williams will perform a sold-out concert January 31 Berkeley, California, to benefit the anti-war organization Not in Our Name. ...

Marilyn Manson has finished mixing the final track for his upcoming album, The Golden Age of Grotesque, he wrote on his official Web site. He also revealed that the artwork for the disc is also complete, but he remains cryptic about everything else. "I have put the dirt back in my mouth and drank from the dead, regardless of what these powdered wig witch doctors prescribed," he wrote. "We will not be censored." ... Ben Falgoust, vocalist for the New Orleans extreme metal bands Soilent Green and Goatwhore, has nearly fully recovered from serious injuries he and Soilent Green bassist Jon Modell sustained in a van accident while on tour with Gwar last year. Soilent Green are writing the follow-up to A Deleted Symphony for the Beaten Down, while Goatwhore, whose second album will be released next month, will tour throughout March, sharing stages with the likes of Hate Eternal, Dying Fetus and Anal Blast. ...

Tool drummer Danny Carey won't just spin on his drum stool while Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan finishes up work on the second record by his other band, A Perfect Circle. Instead, he's formed a side project with King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew and ex-Primus bassist Les Claypool. The trio's first recording session was January 19, but as yet there are no concrete album plans. ...

• Coldplay
• Nappy Roots
• Staind
• Beth Orton
• Saliva

Beth Orton
Photo: Astralwerks

Beth Orton's new album is so full of broken hearts and bitter ends you'd think the lanky British singer would have given up on falling in love at this point.

"I don't know that I've had bad luck in love," Orton, 31, said. "I think I've experienced some brilliant love, I just think that I have high expectations." Those lofty aspirations color all kinds of mad, bad and sad love on the folktronica chanteuse's recently released third album, Daybreaker.

The LP bears her signature mix of dusky folk arrangements imbued with everything from full string sections and bossa nova horns to electronic beatscapes courtesy of frequent collaborators the Chemical Brothers, with a fresh twist of Americana courtesy of such new friends as Ryan Adams and Emmylou Harris.

When you live your songs and your songs live you, as Orton put it, it's hard not to feel like your life is just a step on the way to becoming your art. Orton, whose speaking voice is more girlish and playful than the breathy, fragile one of her albums, said she's not into "experimenting" with the people she meets. "I think that's a dangerous road to go down," she said. "True songs come from true life's experience, not from orchestrating situations that will breed inspiration."

That inspiration seems to come from everywhere these days for Orton, who said she can often be found staring up into the sky while singing. The intimate connection she feels between emotion and landscape finds her sitting on a train looking out the window ("Paris Train"), staring at the horizon ("Mount Washington") and worrying about the sky falling down on her head ("Concrete Sky").

On the latter, she collaborates with singer/songwriter Adams, who sings and plays on four songs on the album. But, as knocked out as Orton was by the ex-Whiskeytown singer's 2000 Heartbreaker album, their first meeting was less than auspicious.

"I thought he was an ass when I first met him," Orton admitted. "No offense, but I thought he was a cocky American. But then we got in the studio and he was wonderful. There is a beauty and wiseness expressed in his voice ... I thought he must be about 40. I suppose I was really attracted to that and to the crack of his voice [on his album] ... I'm not saying I heard it with my mind, I heard it with my heart."

One of Adams' other contributions, the lush acoustic ballad "This One's Gonna Bruise," wasn't written specifically for Orton, but with its mix of regret and naturalistic imagery, it might as well have been. The wistful story of a galaxy-spanning love reduced to a stack of Polaroids in a cardboard box ends with Orton glumly admitting, "I'm as dead as you."

"I think he wrote it about another girl," she said haltingly, "But with me in mind to sing it." She deflected questions about a rumored romance with the scruffy singer by saying, "All anyone needs to worry about or acknowledge is [what they hear] when they listen to the music. It was definitely a very strong musical connection, which is obvious when you hear the songs."

Orton's first meeting with another musical hero who chipped in on the album also got off to an awkward start, but ended up producing one of the record's most emotionally resonant songs, "Concrete Sky," another duet with Adams.

Orton met ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr backstage after one of her sets on the 1999 Lilith Fair. Introduced through a friend, Orton immediately struck up a conversation with the guitarist for the band she had an intense love/hate relationship with as a teen in England.

"I was and I wasn't a fan," she said of the Smiths. "They were everywhere, you couldn't get away from them growing up in England, especially in a small town. [But] I really liked him as a person when we met and we got on really well and we were talking, talking. Then I asked him, 'So, what do you do, anyway?' I didn't know who he was. [When I found out] I thought, 'Oh, f----ing hell!' "

Not the least bit slighted, Marr hooked up with Orton at their hotel that night and, with the help of several bottles of wine, began singing and playing their hearts out with a promise that they'd work together someday.

As confessional as her songs are, Orton is obviously a firm believer in privacy, especially when it comes to her personal relationships. While her liaisons are seemingly laid bare in her songs, the singer said she's careful to phrase them in such a way that only she knows the true meaning of her starry-eyed lyrics.

"There was one boyfriend who used to go on about how they were all about him and he should have a writing credit," she laughed. "I told him to f--- off."

• Beth Orton

This week Bruce Springsteen, the E Street Band, and their new album, The Rising, are poised to deliver a musical response to September 11, starting with, of course, the band's version of "My City of Ruins," which Springsteen played at the "America: A Tribute to Heroes" telethon last year.

Following in the Boss' wake are a bunch of less somber, more indulgent releases, starting with Linkin Park's Reanimation, yet another addition to the seemingly never-ending list of artists who won't stop tinkering with their own, previously released material. While the group prefers to call it a "reimagination" of songs from Hybrid Theory, it's a remix album.

Next up is wrestler Chris Jericho's metal outfit Fozzy, complete with alter egos (more to stroke!) and a mock backstory of how the group came to be. Their second album, Happenstance, finds Moongoose McQueen and gang a bit more serious about their own music, though they still rock out with classic covers like Black Sabbath's "The Mob Rules."

The third exercise in vanity is obvious just by scanning the list below, where you'll find it nearly impossible to ignore one particular band who, following in Pearl Jam's footsteps, decided to simultaneously release 19 live albums — one for each of its shows from its most recent tour.

More traditional releases this week come from newcomers Amerie and Lamya who both issue their debut albums, All I Have and Learning From Falling, respectively, in addition to the soundtrack to the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Top Dog/Underdog," which features tracks from both of the show's stars, Mos Def and Jeffrey Wright, plus contributions from DMX, Jay-Z and the Wu-Tang Clan.

Also look for new music from Filter The Amalgamut and X, the first release from Def Leppard since 1999's Euphoria. Feels good just thinking about it.

Out Tuesday, July 30:

• The American Foxes - Cotton Candy (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• Amerie - All I Have (Columbia)
   Read: "Amerie Makes 'Em 'Fall In Love' With Debut Single, Nas Track"
• Brazil All-Stars - Rio Strut (Milestone)
• Cattle Decapitation - To Serve Man (Metal Blade)
• Datcyde - Positive Climb: The Mixed CD (D&D)
• Deep Forest - Music Detected (Sony/Red Ink)
• Def Leppard - X (Island)
• Disco Biscuits - Bisco Lives II (Hydrophonic)
• DJ Bam Bam - Do You Like it Hard? 100% Pure Hardhouse (Topaz/ Warlock)
• DJ Venom - Raise the Volume (Surge)
• The Enemies - Seize the Day (Lookout!)
• Fear Factory - Concrete (Roadrunner)
• Filter - The Amalgamut (Reprise)
• The Flipsides - Clever One (Pink & Black)
• Diana Fox - Running on Empty (Prisoners of Dance)
• Fozzy - Happenstance (Megaforce)
   Read: "WWE's Chris Jericho Explains Fozzy's Metal Legacy"
• Halo Friendlies - Get Real (Tooth & Nail)
• Knoc-Turn'Al - L.A. Confidential Presents (Elektra)
   Read: Knoc-Turn'Al Album Won't See Light Of Day Yet"
• Lamya - Learning From Falling (J)
   Read: "You Hear It First: Lamya"
• Linkin Park - Reanimation (Warner Bros.)
   Read: "2Na But No Neptunes On Linkin Park Remix LP — Here's Why"
   Buy Now: Reanimation (Warner Bros.)
  
• Michael Manson - The Bottom Line (A440)
• Kathy Mattea - Roses (Narada)
• Maysa - Out of the Blue (N-Coded)
• Mountain - Mystic Fire (Lightyear Records)
• Graham Nash - Songs for Survivors (Artemis)
• The Natural History - The Natural History (Star Time)
• Beth Orton - Daybreaker (Heavenly/ Astralwerks)
   Read:
• Greg Osby - Inner Circle (Blue Note/ Metro Blue)
• Pina Kollars - Quick Look (Real World)
• Dave Pirner - Faces and Names (Ultimatum Music)
• Plankeye - Wings to Fly (BEC/Tooth & Nail)
• David Poe - The Late Album (Epic)
• Willy Porter - Willy Porter (Six Degrees)
• Question - Vital Energy (Lightyear Records)
• Darius Rucker - Back to Then (Epic)
• Kevin Salem - Ecstatic (Future Farmer Records)
• Karen Clark Sheard - 2nd Chance (Elektra)
• James Alan Shelton - Song for Greta (Rebel)
• Shimmer Kids Underpop Association - The Natural Riot (Hidden Agenda)
• Sinch - Sinch (Roadrunner)
• Snot - Alive (Hip-O)
• Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - The Rising (Columbia)
   Read: "Springsteen, E Street Band On The Rise After 18 Years"
   Buy Now: The Rising (Columbia)
  
• Stepa - Stepa (Locomotive)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Ann Arbor, MI April 14, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Atlanta, GA April 20, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Atlanta, GA April 21, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Austin, TX April 4, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Austin, TX April 5, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Austin, TX April 6, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Birmingham, AL April 19, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Chicago, IL April 12, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Chicago, IL April 13, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Columbus, OH April 16, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Dallas, TX April 8, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Louisville, KY April 17, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Nashville, TN April 18, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: New Orleans, LA April 27, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: New Orleans, LA April 28, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Omaha, NE April 10, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Orlando, FL April 24, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Pompano Beach, FL April 23, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: Tulsa, OK April 9, 2002 (Sci-Fidelity)
• Linda Thompson - Fashionably Late (Rounder)
• Tierra - Sangre de Reyes (Locomotive)
• Ralph White - Trash Fish (Terminus)
• The Wildwood Valley Boys - Back Country Road (Rebel)
• Various artists - Brazil 5000 (Shadow)
• Various artists - Cabana Beach Club Vol. 2 (Streetbeat)
• Various artists - Nationwide R.A.N.: United We Stand (Realizme Ent.)
• Various artists - Rhythm + Grooves: Groove Is in the Heart (Time Life)
• Various artists - "Signs" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists – "Top Dog/Underdog" soundtrack (MCA)
   Read: "Jay-Z, DMX, Wu-Tang, Mos Def Bone Up 'Topdog/Underdog' LP"
• Various artists - The Very Best of This Is Acid Jazz (Instinct)
• Yes - In a Word: Yes (5 CDs, Rhino)

• Eve - Eve-olution (Ruff Ryders/ Interscope)
   Read: "Eve, Alicia Keys Team Up For Some 'Gangsta Love' "
   Buy Now: Eve-olution (Ruff Ryders/ Interscope)
  
• Trick Daddy - Thug Holiday (Slip-N-Slide/ Atlantic)
   Read: "Trick Daddy Celebrating Thug Holiday In August"
   Buy Now: Thug Holiday (Slip-N-Slide/ Atlantic)
  
• Various artists - Mali Music (Honest Jon's/ Astralwerks)
• Various artists - "XXX" soundtrack (2CDs, Universal)

• Brad - Welcome to Discovery Park (Redline)
• Slum Village - Trinity: Past, Present and Future (Priority/ Capitol)
• Keith Sweat - Rebirth (Elektra)

• Lady May - May Day (Arista)
   Read: "Lady May: Savage Hip-Hop Straight From the Suburbs"
• Maná - Revolución De Amor (Warner Music Intl.)
• Murderdolls - Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls (Roadrunner)
   Read: "Corey Taylor Insists His Other Band Is No Slipknot Jr."
• Orbital - Work 89-02 (FFRR/ WSM)

• Erykah Badu - TBD (EP, Motown)
• Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash - Distance Between (Ultimatum)
• BBMak - Into Your Head (Hollywood)
• Beenie Man - Tropical Storm (Virgin)
• The Black Crowes - The Black Crowes Live (V2)
• Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (Nettwerk/ Capitol)
• The Dillinger Escape Plan - Irony Is a Dead Scene (EP, Epitaph)
• Dixie Chicks - Home (Open Wide/ Monument/ Columbia)
• Gus Gus - Attention (Moonshine)
• Aimee Mann - Lost in Space (Superego)
• Mudhoney - Since We've Become Translucent (Sub Pop)
• Ms. Jade - Girl Interrupted (Beat Club/ Interscope)
   Read: "Ms. Jade's 'Big Head' Is Meant To Move Your Big Butt"
• Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (Interscope)  Read: "Queens Of The Stone Age Flex Their Star Power"
• Silverchair - Diorama (Atlantic)
   Read: "Silverchair Craft U.S. Diorama, Plan New York Dates"
• Stone Sour - Stone Sour (Roadrunner)
   Read: "Corey Taylor Insists His Other Band Is No Slipknot Jr."
• Trina - Diamond Princess (Slip-N-Slide/ Atlantic)
   Read: "Diamond Princess Trina Recruits Tweet For 'No Panties' Single"
• Viva Death - Viva Death (Vagrant)

• Christina Aguilera - TBD (RCA)
• Cassius - Au Rêve (Astralwerks)
• Ladytron - Light & Magic (Emperor Norton)
• Nine Days - So Happily Unsatisfied (Epic)
• OK Go - OK Go (Capitol)
• Shadows Fall - The Art of Balance (Century Media)
   Read: "You Hear It First: Shadows Fall"

• Linkin Park
• Bruce Springsteen
• Amerie
• Filter
• Fozzy

Beth Orton
Photo: Arista

After lending her rich voice to all four Chemical Brothers studio albums, Beth Orton is finally getting her favors returned. Daybreaker, the techno-folkie's third full-length album, due July 30, features beats from Brothers Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons on the title track.

Other guests on the record include alt-country alchemist Ryan Adams harmonizing on "Concrete Sky" and composing on "OK," veteran Emmylou Harris contributing vocals to the ballad "God Song," and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr playing on several tracks.

"Paris Train," "Ted's Waltz," "Mt. Washington," "Anywhere," "Carmella" and "Thinking About Tomorrow" round out the album, which Orton's spokesperson described as "cinematic and grand, yet still deeply personal."

Everything But the Girl mastermind Ben Watt and Andy Bradfield (Björk, Deep Dish) mixed Daybreaker, the follow-up to 1999's Central Reservation (see "Beth Orton Joined In Studio By Ben Harper, Dr. John").

Orton will perform material from the forthcoming album on a 17-date North American tour that kicks off May 20 in Vancouver.

The British singer/songwriter launched her career with Spill, a one-off project with William Orbit, with whom she also collaborated with on his subsequent solo album. She later became the unofficial Chemical Sister, most recently contributing to "The State We're In" from Come With Us (see "Chemical Brothers Spent Months Refining Formula For Come With Us"). She also sang with Beck (see "Beck Discusses Atmospheric Duet With Beth Orton").

Orton released her debut album, Trailer Park, in 1996.   Beth Orton tour dates, according to her spokesperson:

• 5/20 - Vancouver, BC @ Richard's on Richards
• 5/21 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox
• 5/22 - Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater   
• 5/24 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
• 5/25 - Angels Camp, CA @ Calaveras County Fairgrounds
• 5/28 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues
• 6/1 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater    
• 6/3 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
• 6/4 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
• 6/5 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
• 6/7 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
• 6/8 - Montreal, QC @ Cafe Campus
• 6/10 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
• 6/11 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
• 6/12 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
• 6/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
• 6/15 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

• Beth Orton
• The Chemical Brothers
• Ryan Adams
• Beck

Rock iconoclast Beck is gearing up for his first major tour in support of his newest album, "Midnite Vultures," and he's selected Hank Williams III and Beth Orton to serve as openers for the North American leg.

• 1/25 - Austin, TX @ Austin Music Hall (w/ Hank Williams III)
• 1/26 - Dallas, TX @ Bronco Bowl (w/ Hank Williams III)
• 1/28 - Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre (w/ Hank Williams III)
• 1/29 - St. Louis, MO @ American Theatre (w/ Hank Williams III)
• 1/31 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Theatre (w/ Hank Williams III)
• 2/1 - Columbus, OH @ Memorial Auditorium (w/ Hank Williams III)
• 2/3 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Hill Auditorium (w/ Hank Williams III)
• 2/4 - Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre (w/ Hank Williams III)
• 2/6 - Toronto, ON @ Maple Leaf Gardens (w/ TBA)
• 2/9 - Montreal, QC @ Cepsum (w/ Beth Orton)
• 2/11 - Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre (w/ Beth Orton)
• 2/12 - Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre (w/ Beth Orton)
• 2/14 - New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall (w/ Beth Orton)
• 2/18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theater (w/ Beth Orton)
• 2/19 - Washington, DC @ Patriot Center (w/ Beth Orton)

-- David Basham

• Beck
• Beth Orton
• Hank Williams III

Beck Hansen will return to the charts next week as his new LP, "Midnite Vultures," debuts at number 34 on the "Billboard" album chart after selling more than 82,000 copies in its first week in stores, according to SoundScan.

-- David Basham

• Beck
• Beth Orton

Beth Orton and Katell Keineg will be among the artists performing at a tribute to Jeff Buckley which will place on what would have been the late singer's 32nd birthday, Wednesday, November 17.

-- Brian Ives

• Jeff Buckley
• Katell Keineg
• Beth Orton

"Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man" Photos

• U2
• Beth Orton
• Rufus Wainwright

Radiohead, Beasties, Blur, More For Field Day

• Liz Phair
• Bright Eyes
• Spiritualized
• Beastie Boys
• Radiohead