Los Abandoned
Photo: Lissa Hahn

Van Nuys es very nice, but it's not paradise/ Dejaste los Andes por el cemento y los swimming pools ...

When Chilean-born Lady P. (Pilar Diaz) of post-punk quartet Los Abandoned sings those lyrics from the band's 2004 single "Van Nuys (Es Very Nice)," she is echoing the sentiments of countless U.S. residents who straddle two cultures.

"It's sort of my childhood lament on being the daughter of an immigrant, and seeing the differences between both countries and asking, 'Why did you leave something as beautiful as the Andes Mountains, as beautiful as the Amazon forest and Machu Picchu, for Van Nuys [California], which is just, like, cement and smog?' "

(See Los Abandoned, Kinky and other bilingual bands speak up in this clip.)

The fact that this playful dig at her second hometown was written in English and Spanish certainly adds to its effect. But Los Abandoned don't limit their bilingual lyrics to any subject matter; like many bands, they also sing about relationships, current events and daily observations, expressing themselves in their music the way they converse every day — bilingually. So do bands like the Mars Volta (see "Mars Volta's Amputechture Inspired By Immigrant Marches, Possessed Nuns"), Los Lonely Boys, Go Betty Go and many others.

This isn't a trend: It's the voice of the United States' growing bilingual population.

"When we first started, [being bilingual] was more like a need for expression," Lady P. said. "But as soon as we started playing live, we started to see an audience that was just like us, who grew up with both languages and goes back and forth between them."

There have been successful bilingual bands in the past — Ozomatli have been bringing audiences their unique combination of hip-hop/funk/Latin beats since the mid-'90s; roots rockers Los Lobos started performing in East L.A. in the late '70s; and there have been several Spanish-language or bilingual hits on the U.S. charts since the '50s (notably the late Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba," which became a hit again when Los Lobos covered it in '87). But there's no question that the number of musicians doing it has exploded in recent years.

Dominican-born DJ/producer Nova of the multi-genre outfit Pacha Massive, said, "The Latin community has been growing at such a rate that it's really easy to speak your language."

Pacha Massive bassist Maya, who was born in Colombia, agreed. "It's more socially acceptable to speak slang and Spanglish, and I think that's reflected in music. I mean, music is a reflection of how society is evolving and changing, and that's been something you can see quite clearly — that Latin culture has been socially more accepted in the United States and around the world, and more valued, I think."

As language and cultural barriers have broken down, so has the rigid structure of the music business: The growth of independent labels and the Internet has been a boon to niche artists.

Members of the Monterrey, Mexico, band Kinky said their bilingual fusion of rock and electronica encountered resistance from both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking quarters. "[With] purists of rock en español, if you don't fit with all the rules, you're just out of the picture," said singer Gilberto Cerezo. So a do-it-yourself attitude is key: "You need to use every window that is available for you."

These days, arguably the biggest such window is MySpace. Pacha Massive's Nova has made logging on a part of his morning ritual. "You have your cup of coffee and go to MySpace," he said. "You basically try to respond to as many people as possible and keep trying to make new friends." It's how the Bronx, New York-based group was able to attract fans from as far away as Argentina and Japan.

"[Being bilingual] is a way of living, it's a way of thinking, and it's a way of being," Maya said. "And you can see that at the shows, because people are open and like, 'Wow, this is pretty cool.' "

• Bilingual Bands Speak Up

• The Mars Volta
• Ozomatli
• Pacha Massive

Los Abandoned
Photo: Lissa Hahn

Van Nuys es very nice, but it's not paradise/ Dejaste los Andes por el cemento y los swimming pools ...

When Chilean-born Lady P. (Pilar Diaz) of post-punk quartet Los Abandoned sings those lyrics from the band's 2004 single "Van Nuys (Es Very Nice)," she is echoing the sentiments of countless U.S. residents who straddle two cultures.

"It's sort of my childhood lament on being the daughter of an immigrant, and seeing the differences between both countries and asking, 'Why did you leave something as beautiful as the Andes Mountains, as beautiful as the Amazon forest and Machu Picchu, for Van Nuys [California], which is just, like, cement and smog?' "

(See Los Abandoned, Kinky and other bilingual bands speak up in this clip.)

The fact that this playful dig at her second hometown was written in English and Spanish certainly adds to its effect. But Los Abandoned don't limit their bilingual lyrics to any subject matter; like many bands, they also sing about relationships, current events and daily observations, expressing themselves in their music the way they converse every day — bilingually. So do bands like the Mars Volta (see "Mars Volta's Amputechture Inspired By Immigrant Marches, Possessed Nuns"), Los Lonely Boys, Go Betty Go and many others.

This isn't a trend: It's the voice of the United States' growing bilingual population.

"When we first started, [being bilingual] was more like a need for expression," Lady P. said. "But as soon as we started playing live, we started to see an audience that was just like us, who grew up with both languages and goes back and forth between them."

There have been successful bilingual bands in the past — Ozomatli have been bringing audiences their unique combination of hip-hop/funk/Latin beats since the mid-'90s; roots rockers Los Lobos started performing in East L.A. in the late '70s; and there have been several Spanish-language or bilingual hits on the U.S. charts since the '50s (notably the late Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba," which became a hit again when Los Lobos covered it in '87). But there's no question that the number of musicians doing it has exploded in recent years.

Dominican-born DJ/producer Nova of the multi-genre outfit Pacha Massive, said, "The Latin community has been growing at such a rate that it's really easy to speak your language."

Pacha Massive bassist Maya, who was born in Colombia, agreed. "It's more socially acceptable to speak slang and Spanglish, and I think that's reflected in music. I mean, music is a reflection of how society is evolving and changing, and that's been something you can see quite clearly — that Latin culture has been socially more accepted in the United States and around the world, and more valued, I think."

As language and cultural barriers have broken down, so has the rigid structure of the music business: The growth of independent labels and the Internet has been a boon to niche artists.

Members of the Monterrey, Mexico, band Kinky said their bilingual fusion of rock and electronica encountered resistance from both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking quarters. "[With] purists of rock en español, if you don't fit with all the rules, you're just out of the picture," said singer Gilberto Cerezo. So a do-it-yourself attitude is key: "You need to use every window that is available for you."

These days, arguably the biggest such window is MySpace. Pacha Massive's Nova has made logging on a part of his morning ritual. "You have your cup of coffee and go to MySpace," he said. "You basically try to respond to as many people as possible and keep trying to make new friends." It's how the Bronx, New York-based group was able to attract fans from as far away as Argentina and Japan.

"[Being bilingual] is a way of living, it's a way of thinking, and it's a way of being," Maya said. "And you can see that at the shows, because people are open and like, 'Wow, this is pretty cool.' "

• Paris Hilton: A Simple Life

• The Mars Volta
• Ozomatli
• Pacha Massive

Ashanti
Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

Ashanti pulled out of a planned concert in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday after her cousin was killed by a drunk driver while running an errand for the singer before the show. According to the Cape Times Web site, 20-year-old Quinshae Snead was thrown into oncoming traffic from a car in which she was a passenger after it was struck by an unlicensed 17-year-old drunk driver who had stolen his mother's car. The teen was arrested for drunk driving. Ashanti was on the bill for the Redd's Divas Concert at the Coca-Cola Dome, which also featured Lauryn Hill, Regina Belle and a host of popular African singers. ...

04.14.06

Madonna, Elton John, INXS, Staind, and Ozomatli are among the artists participating in Music Rising's online ticket auctions, raising funds to replace musical instruments and equipment destroyed during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Sixty-five auctions are already under way, with the rest being added each weekend throughout the month at
www.ticketmaster.com. ...

Jennifer Lopez was hit with a lawsuit on Tuesday. TV writer Jack Bunick filed a federal suit in New York against the singer, as well as CBS, UPN, and MTV's parent company, Viacom, for copyright infringement. He claims that the UPN show that Lopez executive produces, "South Beach," improperly used his script in a January 11 broadcast of the two-hour season premiere "Pilot/ I'm Not Your Baby." (The script for that episode was credited to Matt Cirulnick, Greg Cirulnick, and co-executive producer Philip Levens). ...

Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore and Paula Abdul are teaching kids how to be safe on the Internet via a series of PSAs that will begin airing this week. Other celebs featured in the spots include Celine Dion, Tony Danza, Donny Osmond, Kathy Ireland, and the cast of "7th Heaven." The campaign is sponsored by the KlaasKidds Foundation and the Child Safety Network, who are providing fingerprint cards, child photo I.D. cards, DNA kits, and access to the national database of registered sex offenders. ... Florida's chapter of the Recording Academy will present their Honors award to the Backstreet Boys on Monday. Puerto Rican pop artist Ednita Nazario is also being honored. ...

"Laguna Beach" star Alex Murrel is recording an album due June 20 on Eyecon/ Universal Records. She's also hitting the road this spring on the Rock Your Prom Tour. ... O.A.R. and Jack's Mannequin are teaming for a summer tour kicking off June 8 in Phoenix. The trek will wrap August 13 in Wallingford, Connecticut. ... The Strokes have added several more U.S. stops to their current North American tour. Before the New York rockers head to Canada May 6 for eight gigs, they'll hit Tucson, Arizona, April 29 and then return to the States May 20 with a concert in Glen Allen, Virginia. The band will also play Memphis (May 22); Birmingham, Alabama (May 23); North Charleston, South Carolina (May 25); and June 11, they'll be in Santa Barbara, California, for the tour's final stop. ... MySpace and Cingular have teamed to offer unsigned acts the ability to create and sell ring tones. The process is available MySpace.com/CingularStudio. ...

Death Cab for Cutie, the Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth, Secret Machines, Wolfmother, the Go! Team, the Hold Steady and She Wants Revenge will constitute the bill for this year's Kuyahoga Festival, which is being sponsored by Cleveland rock station WXRK. The concert will be held August 3 at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, with more bands being added in the coming weeks. ... The Sword, former Guided by Voices frontman Robert Pollard, Blue Cheer, Rhymefest and Erase Errata have been added to the lineup for this year's Intonation Music Festival, which is set for June 24 and June 25 at Chicago's Union Park. The bill also features previously announced performers Lady Sovereign, Lupe Fiasco, the Constantines, High on Fire, Annie and headliners Bloc Party and the Streets. ... Colin Meloy of the Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens are among the acts on The Sound the Hare Heard, the latest compilation from Kill Rock Stars. Death Vessel, Wooden Wand and Devin Davis are also included on the album, due in May. ...

Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit film company inked a first-look deal with Focus Features and Rogue Pictures this week. Under the terms of the agreement, Latifah and her producing partner Shakim Compere will develop feature projects for both Focus and Rogue. So far, Flavor Unit's productions include "Bringing Down the House," "The Cookout" and "Beauty Shop." Latifah is expected to star in some of the new projects, but the deal is structured to nurture new talent as well. ... Ice Cube will continue his break from movies for the next month and a half to hit the road in support of his upcoming seventh solo album, Laugh Now, Cry Later (June 6). The 22-date swing is slated to kick off Thursday with a show at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California, according to Cube's spokesperson, and it includes dates in San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Atlanta, Houston, Denver and Las Vegas. The tour is currently slated to wrap up with a June 3 date at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. ...

Rob Thomas and Jewel are teaming up for a summer tour. The two will trek cross-country for seven weeks starting May 23 in Clearwater, Florida, and wrapping July 5 in San Diego. Jewel's next album, Goodbye Alice in Wonderland, is due May 2. ... "Let's Rock Again!," the behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling the life and career of late Clash frontman Joe Strummer, is scheduled for release on DVD on June 27. The movie, directed by the punk icon's longtime friend Dick Rude, has personal interviews and backstage footage shot in the 18 months leading up to Strummer's death in 2002. The film traces Strummer's beginnings from his days fronting the Clash to his tireless tours with late-period band the Mescaleros. That's not to be confused with a second, in-the-works Strummer doc directed by close friend Julian Temple. ...

Despite rumors to the contrary, Solange Knowles is not pregnant with a second child, she assured fans Thursday. "There is absolutely no validity to this rumor," Beyoncé's younger sister said in a statement. "The bloggers are circulating old photos of me from my baby shower over two years ago and misrepresenting them as current photos." Solange also said that she's been busy producing, recording, and negotiating future movie deals. ... Babyface filed suit Thursday in Los Angeles against Anita Baker, claiming the singer failed to pay him for a song he produced for her. Babyface claims he's owed $100,000 for co-writing "Like You Used to Do" during a Detroit session in May 2004. The song was used on Baker's gold album My Everything. Babyface is also asking to be paid $150,000 for two shows that he agreed to do with Baker in July 2005 that she canceled (He was paid, however, for the concerts they did do together).

04.13.2006

Nearly two months after the deadline passed for Michael Jackson to make good on $270 million worth of loans from Fortress Investment Group, the singer has finally completed a refinancing deal, his Bahrain-based advisory team confirmed Thursday (April 13). While they wouldn't disclose terms of the deal, Jackson's team said the singer got some help from Sony — co-owners of Sony/ ATV Music Publishing, which contains the Beatles catalog — and that the transaction was structured by Citigroup, the investment arm of Citibank. Sources close to the singer say Sony has the option to buy half of Jackson's stake in the Beatles catalog, while the singer has a new $300 million loan from Fortress, with reduced interest payments. ...

When Paula Abdul's not judging "American Idol," she spends her free time designing jewelry. Now she's got a 26-piece collection of charms, pendants, earrings and bracelets in a mix of textures and metals, adorned with inspirational phrases "to give a piece of hopeful spirit back to the world," Abdul said. She'll debut the Paula Abdul Jewelry Collection April 21 in two one-hour shows airing at 1 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET on QVC. ...

Lucky Kanye West fans in the U.K. will be able to get their hands on 'Ye's first-ever live album April 24. The CD/DVD release Late Orchestration captures his September performance for 300 lucky fans at the famed Abbey Road Studios. According to a spokesperson for West's label, Def Jam, the CD features 13 tracks, while the DVD is loaded with live performances — including a duet with John Legend — plus music videos and a never-before-seen interview with the College Dropout himself. ...

Wild child Bijou Phillips is now officially a rock chick in her own right, having learned to play bass for the Germs biopic "What We Do Is Secret." Phillips — who plays Lorna Doom in the flick, due out later this year — told Stuff magazine that, when she was too sore to keep playing, she super-glued duct tape over the blisters on her fingers because "you want to chop off your hand at the end." "We recorded all the songs by the Germs live and played to our own recordings in the movie," she told the mag for its May cover. "It was guerrilla filmmaking, but I can't imagine doing a movie about the Germs with a big budget. That would be so wrong." ...

Metallica's James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo will perform with Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney May 12 at the second annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert, to be held at the Music Box @ Fonda in Hollywood. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will open the show, which will also feature a performance by Jason Mraz. During the event, Hetfield will be presented with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund and his devotion to helping other addicts with recovery process. ...

In related news, Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan has joined Alice in Chains for a show airing next month, but will he join the band for its upcoming European summer tour? "It's been rumored," McKagan teased. "The amount of songs they wrote, I got a list of songs to learn, 33 songs. I look at this list, and I'm like, 'OK, how many of these are filler songs? This is a huge song, this is a huge song. ... I've going to have to learn them all.' " "If he comes to Europe," Alice guitarist Jerry Cantrell interrupted. "If the rumors are true," McKagan agreed. "I'm not saying they are, or did I?" "I don't know, you might have," Cantrell laughed. "So that put the rumors to rest, didn't it?" McKagan laughed. "I could be showing up in Europe. That would be cool." Alice in Chains' performance on VH1 Classic's "Decades Rock Live!" tribute to Heart airs May 5 at 8 p.m. ...

Thursday have been forced to pull off the final three stops on the Taste of Chaos Tour. Frontman Geoff Rickly "has become very ill and is having some extreme issues with his throat," according to a post left on the band's Web site by its manager, Dave Ciancio. "We had to get him home and to his doctor ASAP. The band was really looking forward to these shows and [is] sad they can't come play them." Rickly will be examined by his doctor when he returns to New Jersey; there's no word on what symptoms he's been complaining about. The post adds that the band hopes to make the gigs up in the not-so-distant future. The remaining Taste of Chaos dates are Thursday night in Toronto, April 14 in Ottawa and April 15 in Montreal. ...

Following the breakout collabo success of Danger Doom with their 2005 opus The Mouse and the Mask, indie hip-hop label Stones Throw Records will again partner with cable TV's "Adult Swim" for a second venture: an album celebrating the West Coast label's 10-year anniversary. The yet-untitled album is set for a September 19 release and will feature contributions from Stones Throw's rich roster of talent — which includes MF Doom, Madlib and the late Jay Dee. The album will be executive produced by Peanut Butter Wolf. ...

Joan Jett — who'll perform this summer as part of the annual Warped Tour — will release Sinner, her forthcoming album with her infamous Blackhearts, June 6. The album features guest appearances by Bikini Kill/ Le Tigre frontwoman Kathleen Hanna on "Watersign," "Tube Talkin' " and "Five." It's Jett's first effort since 1999's Fetish. ... Swedish singer/songwriter José González will hit the road June 16 in Los Angeles for a 15-date North American tour, with openers Juana Molina and Psapp. Dates run through July 3 in New York, with the trek making stops in Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis and Philadelphia. ...

Dark New Day drummer Will Hunt has been filling in for Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee on the final few dates of the band's North American tour, which ends Thursday in Regina, Saskatchewan. Lee has been receiving anti-inflammatory injections to help him manage tendonitis in his right wrist. Hunt, who had previously backed Lee as part of the rocker's solo band, will not be leaving Dark New Day, according to the band's guitarist Clint Lowery — he's just doing the Crüe a favor. ... The New York Dolls will issue the album One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This on July 25, according to the band's label. The disc will include 13 tracks, including "Take a Good Look at My Good Looks," "Maimed Happiness," and the first single, "Dance Like a Monkey." Look for the album, which was produced by Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, Cheap Trick), to feature guest appearances by Iggy Pop, Bo Diddley, and R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe.

[This story was originally published at 2:47 pm ET on 04.14.2006]

• Ashanti
• Madonna
• Elton John
• INXS
• Staind

Jadakiss (file)
Photo: Appio

Jadakiss' second album is hardly the bad omen its title suggests.

After selling more than 245,000 copies last week, Kiss of Death will debut atop the next Billboard 200 albums chart, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday (June 30). The singles "Why," featuring Anthony Hamilton, and "Time's Up," featuring Nate Dogg, helped the LOX leader best his previous first-week mark set by 2001's Kiss Tha Game Goodbye. That album placed at #5 and sold more than 203,000 copies during its first week in stores.

It's been three weeks since Usher last held the #1 slot, but Mr. Entertainment hasn't gone far. While giving the Beastie Boys and Velvet Revolver a chance to rule the roost on the last two charts, Usher's Confessions only slipped to #2, where it remains after selling more than 149,000 copies last week.

The success of her single, "Leave (Get Out)," suggests that JoJo is here to stay. The teen-pop singer's self-titled debut sold more than 94,000 copies for a #4 placement.

As "Spider-Man 2" gears up to rake in millions of dollars, the soundtrack is making a pretty penny on its own. With a pair of singles providing the thrust — Dashboard Confessional's "Vindicated" and Train's "Ordinary" — the decidedly rocking soundtrack lands at #7 with more than 82,000 copies sold.

Wilco's fifth album, A Ghost Is Born, trails the superhero-inspired soundtrack by a little more than 1,000 copies, though its #8 debut can't be attributed to the prominence of a hit single or video. With a growing, dedicated fanbase and a sea of praising press, Ghost trumped the first-week sales of its predecessor, 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, by more than 26,000 copies and five chart slots.

The Beastie Boys' former chart champ To the 5 Boroughs falls two to #3 after selling more than 142,000 copies in its second week on shelves. The rap trio's sixth album has broken the half-million mark in total sales.

The top 10 is rounded out by Prince's Musicology, moving up one spot to #5 on sales of 92,000 copies to break the 1 million mark; Gretchen Wilson's Here for the Party falling two spots to #6 (86,000 copies sold); Velvet Revolver's Contraband plummeting six to #9 (78,000); and Avril Lavigne's Under My Skin sliding five to #10 (75,000).

Switchfoot's The Beautiful Letdown makes a huge stride thanks to the hit single "Dare You to Move" and a re-release that includes bonus tracks and a DVD. After more than a year on the chart, the band's fourth album jumps 28 spots to #16.

Other notable debuts include Erick Sermon's Chilltown, New York at #61; "You Got Served" actor Young Rome's Food for Thought at #98; Orange County rockers' Lit's self-titled fourth album at #113; multicultural collective Ozomatli's Street Signs at #125; and the Crunk Classics compilation, featuring cuts from Three 6 Mafia, Paster Troy and Youngbloodz, at #164.

• Jadakiss
• Usher
• Dashboard Confessional
• Wilco
• Beastie Boys

Jadakiss (file)
Photo: Appio

In this week's batch of new releases, an experimental rock group gives birth to a ghost, a rapper plants a deadly smooch on the shelves of record stores, and a couple of hard rock groups hurl the metal at their fans with full force.

Given all the excitement and anticipation surrounding the release of Wilco's new album, it's hard to believe that the band was dropped by its label in 2001 after handing in what would become 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Wilco's newest effort, A Ghost Is Born, hits stores Tuesday (June 22).

Rapper Jadakiss really wants to make sure you remember his name when you pick up one of his albums. In 2001, he released Kiss Tha Game Goodbye, and on Tuesday he puts out Kiss of Death. Moving from rap to R&B, newcomer JoJo releases her self-titled debut this week, fueled by the single "Leave [Get Out]."

On the harder side of things, Ministry, Motörhead and the Scorpions all have albums hitting stores this week. After having allowed a few years to pass between past records, Ministry accelerate the process with Houses of the Molé, the follow-up to 2003's Animositisomina. Motörhead heat it up with Inferno, while the Scorpions put out Unbreakable, the band's first studio release in four years.

File under fusion: Los Angeles' Ozomatli combine salsa, hip-hop, rock, jazz and funk on Street Signs, while Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante releases his fifth solo album (and second this year), The Will to Death.

Beach Boys member Brian Wilson releases his solo effort Gettin' in Over My Head, and Morris Day, a founding member of Prince's band the Time, drops his first solo album since 1992, appropriately titled It's About Time.

Out Tuesday, June 22:

• Age of Ruin - Tides of Tragedy (Eulogy)
• The Album Leaf - In a Safe Place (Sub Pop)
• Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals' Starvation League - From the End of Your Leash (Bloodshot)
• Belles - Idle Acres (Second Nature)
• David Benoit and Russ Freeman - Benoit/Freeman Project 2 (Peak)
• BoDeans - Resolution (Zoë/Rounder)
• Trina Broussard - Same Girl (Motown)
• Chronic Future - Lines in My Face (Interscope)
• Consequence - Take Em to the Cleaners (Sure Shot)
• Morris Day - It's About Time (Hollywood)
  Buy Now: It's About Time (Hollywood)
  
• Despistado - The Emergency Response (EP, Jade Tree)
• DJ Spooky - Celestial Mechanix: The Blue Series MasterMix (Thirsty Ear)
• Nick Drake - Made to Love Magic (Island)
• Fourplay - Journey (Bluebird)
• John Frusciante - The Will to Death (Record Collection)
• Benny Golson - Terminal 1 (Concord Jazz)
• Rachel Goswell - Waves Are Universal (4AD)
• Benny Green and Russell Malone - Bluebird (Telarc Jazz)
• Mark Holland - For Such a Time as This (Cedar n Sage)
• Jadakiss - Kiss of Death (Interscope/A&M)
  Read: "Nate Dogg, Neptunes, Kanye West On New Jadakiss LP"
• Jahsir - Stress Free (X-Ray)
• JoJo - JoJo (Blackground)
• Keoki - The Great Soundclash Swindle (Hypnotic)
• Lit - Lit (DRT/Nitrus/Dirty Martini)
  Buy Now: Lit (DRT/Nitrus/Dirty Martini)
  
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - Lyve (Sanctuary)
• Miriam Makeba - Reflections (Heads Up)
• Maroon 5 - 1.22.03 Acoustic (RCA)
  Read: "Maroon 5 Plan To Keep It Hot And Steamy In Next Video"
• Edwin McCain - Scream & Whisper (DRT)
• Ministry - Houses of the Molé (Sanctuary)
  Read: "Ministry Visited By Aliens While Making Killer Mole"
  Buy Now: Houses of the Molé (Sanctuary)
  
• Motörhead - Inferno (Sanctuary/Metal-Is)
  Buy Now: Inferno (Metal-Is)
  
• Mystic Chords of Memory - Mystic Chords of Memory (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
• Ozomatli - Street Signs (Concord)
• Paulson - Variations (Initial)
• Elvis Presley - Elvis at Sun (BMG Heritage)
• Pretty Boy Floyd - Size Really Does Matter (Deadline)
• Qntal - Qntal III (Noir)
• The Race - If You Can (Flameshovel)
• Jonathan Richman - Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love (Sanctuary/Vapor)
• Robots in Disguise - Robots in Disguise (Recall)
• Salvatore - Tempo (Racing Junior)
• Scorpions - Unbreakable (Sanctuary)
• Erick Sermon - Chilltown New York (Universal)
• Ravi Shankar & Gingger - Celestial Body (Ark 21)
• Sonia Dada - Test Pattern (Calliope/Razor & Tie)
• Sweetback - Stage 2 (Epic)
• Tilly and the Wall - Wild Like Children (Team Love/Saddle Creek)
• Toy Crayzy - She So Crayzy (X-Ray)
• McCoy Tyner - Illuminations (Telarc Jazz)
• Bebo Valdes and Diego Cigala - Lagrimas Negras (Bluebird)
• Wilco - A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch)
  Read: "Wilco: Ghost Stories"
  
  
• Brian Wilson - Gettin' in Over My Head (Rhino)
• Various artists - America Will Always Stand (Time-Life Music)
• Various artists - Bombay Beats (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - Electro Cured: An Electro Tribute to the Cure (Cleopatra)
• Various artists - Mento Madness (V2)
• Various artists - "Queer as Folk - 4th Season" soundtrack (Tommy Boy)
• Various artists - "Spider-Man 2" soundtrack (Columbia)
  Read: "Hoobastank, Jet, Yellowcard Spin Songs For 'Spider-Man 2' Soundtrack"
• Various artists - "Two Brothers" soundtrack (Decca/Universal Classics)
• DVD: Flotsam & Jetsam - Live in Phoenix (Deadline)
• DVD: KMFDM - WWWIII Tour 2003 (Sanctuary)
• DVD: Bernie Williams - The Journey Within (GRP/Verve)
• DVD: Various artists - Toronto Rocks (Rhino)
• DVD: Various artists - Vans Warped Tour '03 (Kung Fu/Image Entertainment)

June 29:

• Lloyd Banks - Hunger for More (Interscope)
  Read: "G-Unit's Lloyd Banks, Young Buck Recording Solo Albums"
• Brandy - Afrodisiac (Atlantic)
  Read: "Brandy On Growing Up: A Candid Chat"
• The Cure - The Cure
  Buy Now: The Cure (Geffen)
  (Geffen)
• Dave Matthews Band - Live at the Gorge (RCA)
• Lil Wayne - Tha Carter (Cash Money)
• The Tragically Hip - In Between Evolution (Zoe)
• Uncle Kracker - 72 & Sunny (Lava)

July 6:

• Ray Manzarek - Golden Scarab (Lemon Records)
• Poco - Indian Summer (Lemon Records)
• Angie Stone - Stone Love (J Records)

July 13:

• Jimmy Buffet - License to Chill (RLG)
• Roots - Tipping Point (Geffen)
• They Might Be Giants - Spine (Zoë)

• Jadakiss
• Wilco
• Ministry
• Motörhead
• Ozomatli

Santana
Photo: Michael Caulfield/WireImage.com

Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, Musiq, Ozomatli, Seal and Citizen Cope will join previously announced guests Michelle Branch, Dido, Macy Gray, Placido Domingo and P.O.D. on Carlos Santana's new album, Shaman.

Santana's song with Branch, "The Game of Love," is already taking off at radio and was the most added track at Top 40 stations this week (see "Michelle Branch Plays Romantic 'Game' With Santana"). Shaman hits stores October 22.

"It has rhythm and melody and a lot of colors and is more vibrant than the other one," Santana said, comparing Shaman to 1999's Supernatural (see "Carlos Santana Promises Guest-Packed, Vibrant New Album"). "It's just more fun."

Supernatural, which featured Everlast, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Dave Matthews and Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, generated nine Grammys, spent 12 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and sold 25 million copies worldwide.

Santana and P.O.D. played their song "America" at the Latin Grammys earlier this month (see "Carlos Santana, P.O.D. Premiere New Song At Latin Grammys"), and Santana will be joined by Branch for a performance of "The Game of Love" at the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards on October 15 (see "Pink, Santana, Branch, Bowie To Play VH1 Fashion Awards").

Shaman track list, according to Arista Records:

• "The Game of Love" (featuring Michelle Branch)
• "Feels Like Fire" (featuring Dido)
• "Sideways" (featuring Citizen Cope)
• "Novus" (featuring Placido Domingo)
• "Amoré (Sexo)" (featuring Macy Gray)
• "Since Supernatural" (featuring Melky Jean, Governor Washington)
• "Why Don't You & I" (featuring Chad Kroeger)
• "Hoy Es Adiös" (featuring Alejandro Lerner)
• "Nothing at All" (featuring Musiq)
• "One of These Days" (featuring Ozomatli)
• "America" (featuring P.O.D.)
• "You Are My Kind" (featuring Seal)
• "Adouma"
• "Foo Foo"
• "Victory Is One"
• "Aye Aye Aye" (featuring Michael Shrieve)

• Santana
• Nickelback
• Musiq Soulchild
• Ozomatli
• Seal

Shelby Lynne performs at A Sounds Eclectic Evening  
Photo: Jay Morel

LOS ANGELES — One of Southern California's most esteemed radio shows took to the stage Friday for an inaugural concert celebrating diverse artists ranging from singer/songwriter Elliott Smith to country-fried rocker Shelby Lynne.

A Sounds Eclectic Evening, named after flagship National Public Radio station KCRW-FM's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" show, began as an emotional showcase of the world's top songsmiths and ended as a hip-hop salsa party that had the packed Wiltern Theatre audience dancing down the aisles. (Click for photos from the show.)

Los Angeles' own Ozomatli headlined the benefit for KCRW with a rousing set of tunes mostly culled from their new album, Embrace the Chaos. The 10-member outfit looked like a hip-hop ska version of Slipknot, though not nearly as chaotic.

Bassist Wil-Dog Abers and guitarist Raúl Pacheco provided the majority of their Cypress Hill-like vocal tag teams, though trumpeter Asdrubal Sierra piped in for a few of the Latin-flavored numbers.

Ozomatli's latest single, "1234," proved to be the audience favorite, as the mostly white crowd waved its hands to the tune's Afro-Cuban beat.

The rest of the performances Friday were of a different breed, with the possible exception of a few Lynne numbers. Promoting her new record, Love, Shelby, she mixed the intimacy of a singer/songwriter with the attitude of an arena star by belting out the heartfelt lyrics she is known for with the vigor of a Las Vegas veteran like Bette Midler or Cher.

Pete Yorn, Smith, Badly Drawn Boy and Sparklehorse, on the other hand, let their lyrics be the sole stars.

Smith and Badly Drawn Boy both played short, acoustic sets from a small stage in front of the main curtain. Smith played all new material from his upcoming album, while Badly Drawn Boy opened by singing some new songs over prerecorded tracks — "karaoke-style" as he put it — and closed with some familiar numbers.

Badly Drawn Boy, stuffed between the subdued Smith and the even quieter Sparklehorse, provided a needed pick-me-up with his between-song banter. After introducing a few tracks from the new "About a Boy" soundtrack, he improvised a gag about his band being too ugly to bring onstage.

Covered in a stocking cap pulled down to his brow and illegally taking drags off a cigarette, Badly Drawn Boy garnered heavy applause (from fans such as Meg Ryan and Tracey Ullman) for The Hour of Bewilderbeast tracks "Once Around the Block" and "The Shining." He dedicated the latter to Osama bin Laden, asking the terrorist to make his next target "the twin cheeks of my ass."

Smith, who wore a skin-tight thrift store T-shirt and sported Willie Nelson-like pigtails, debuted new material that varied little from his past catalog of fairy tale folk with twists of pop.

"These [versions of the new songs] are very different than how they will sound on the record, but this is how they started out," Smith said in his dressing room after the show.

Yorn's set perhaps best summed up the title of the concert, as he powered through an eclectic set list that had equal moments of raucous rock 'n' roll splendor ("For Nancy (Cos' It Already Is)") and pour-your-heart-out grandeur ("Just Another").

"KCRW is a hell of a station, and I would go out of my way to help them," Yorn said shortly before taking the stage. "It's a really cool bill, and I am honored to be a part of it."

Opening duties for the evening fell to Sparklehorse, whose dreamy noise pop was a good introduction to both the concert and KCRW in general. Singer Mark Linkous kicked the vocal effects into high gear for most of the set, which focused on the tender love songs from their recent album, It's a Wonderful Life.

KCRW's music director and founder of "Morning Becomes Eclectic," Nic Harcourt, said the A Sounds Eclectic Evening will certainly be an annual tradition, if not more.

"It would be nice to expand it to some kind of tour, if we could find the time to do it," said Harcourt, who is credited with helping break R.E.M., PJ Harvey, Beck and many others. "I first thought about this a couple of years ago. We waited for the timing to be right, and my boss told me at the beginning of the year to go for it."

Harcourt has already spearheaded the release of a pair of CDs based on the show, including last spring's Sounds Eclectic compilation (see "Beck, David Gray, Travis On Live Radio Album").

• Ozomatli
• Pete Yorn
• Elliott Smith
• Shelby Lynne
• Badly Drawn Boy

Sonicnet Music News

The lineup for the Watcha 2000 Tour, the rock en español extravaganza that includes Mexico's edgy Café Tacuba and hip-hop/rock hybrid Molotov, Colombia's pop/trip-hop duo Aterciopelados, veteran Argentina rockeros Enanitos Verdes, and East L.A.'s worldly Ozomatli, is so impressive that even the bands are excited.

"For us it is a very good thing to play in big venues with other great groups. We are very proud to be part of this tour," Enanitos Verdes (Green Dwarves) singer/bassist Marciano Cantero said from a rehearsal studio in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Darryl Eaton is equally proud to be associated with the second coming of the Watcha (Spanglish for "check it out") Tour, which debuts August 11 in Universal City, California.

Eaton, a Creative Artists Agency representative, started the Watcha Tour last year along with Kevin Lyman (with whom he had created the Vans Warped Tour) and Latin band manager Jorge Mondragón. Eaton, who is Molotov's agent, recalled being invited by Mondragón to the "Vive Latino" concert, a two-day showcase for rock en español bands, in November 1998.

"I asked Kevin Lyman... 'What if we took out the U.S. bands and added in Latin bands? Just kept the same production, the same stages, and dropped all the Anglo bands in Miami?,'" he said. "It was a total experiment, but something we just decided to try to do."

Last year's Watcha Tour was remarkably successful for a new event, Eaton said. "The amazing thing is, the first-year Watcha actually did better numbers than the first-year Warped Tour. And the Warped Tour has now been around six years, and we're probably going to see 400,000-plus people this year [for Warped] in the U.S. alone."

Last year's Watcha lineup of "alter-Latino" bands included Café Tacuba (which returns to the latest edition after opening a tour for Beck earlier this year), Todos Tus Muertos, Argentina's Illya Kuryaki, and Puerto Rico's Puya.

"I think we were lucky in that we had great bands. It was just a great collection of very talented bands in the area of rock en español," Eaton said.

Eaton also is trying to entice the Warped Tour fans to attend this year's Watcha, which includes an August 14 showcase in New York in conjunction with the Latin Alternative Music Conference.

Last year, Molotov played on both bills. This summer, Argentine metal rock outfit A.N.I.M.A.L. is doing the same. (Warped wraps August 6 in El Paso, Texas.)

"That's what we're hoping. We try to put one of the rock en español bands on the Warped Tour every year," Eaton said.

Watcha 2000 is loaded with bands such as Argentina's Enanitos Verdes, who have a following in the United States but nothing compared to what they have in South America. In 1995 they played to 60,000 people on a beach in Lima, Peru. "We have pictures," singer/bassist Cantero said, as if he couldn't quite believe it himself.

The Argentines will be emphasizing their latest album, 1999's "Nectar," which includes the anthem "Cordillera" (Mountain Range) and the ominous sax- and flute-spiked "Tequila." But "we will be playing songs from all our albums," Cantero said. He'll be joined by guitarist Felipe Staiti, drummer Daniel Piccolo, and guest guitarist Marcelo Lucero.

Twice nominated for Grammy Awards, Enanitos Verdes have 11 albums in all, including 1996's "Guerra Gaucha," which was produced by friend Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers). In fact, having been around since 1979 (with a brief separation at the start of the '90s), the trio is older than the Watcha Tour's target audience.

The musicians speak to the history of rock en español, especially in Argentina, where they don't even represent the first generation of rockeros.

"We have a little bit of Argentinean music, but not the traditional or the folk music. But we have a lot of years hearing Argentine rock, with musicians like Luis Alberto Spinetta and Charly Garcia," Cantero said.

"When I was a kid, I hear Spinetta and Charly Garcia," he added. "So we have a lot of background in the rock of Argentina."

The current itinerary for Watcha 2000:

• 8/11 - Universal City, CA @ Universal Amphitheatre
• 8/12 - Chula Vista, CA @ Coors Amphitheatre
• 8/13 - San Jose, CA @ Santa Clara Fairgrounds
• 8/14 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza (Watcha Showcase)
• 8/16 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore
• 8/18 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon
• 8/19 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew's Hall
• 8/22 - Worchester, MA @ Palladium
• 8/23 - New York, NY @ Tunnel
• 8/25 - Santo Domingo, DR @ Quisqueya Stadium
• 8/26 - San Juan, PR @ Hiram Bithorn Amphitheatre
• 8/27 - Miami, FL @ Bayfront Park

• Molotov
• Ozomatli

Café Tacuba, Ozomatli, and Molotov will be among the artists flexing their Latino pride on this year's Watcha tour, which kicks off in August.

Enanitos Verdes, Aterciopelados, and A.N.I.M.A.L. will also be on board when the tour begins its 18-city run in Los Angeles. As we previously reported, one of the tour's stops will find Molotov headlining a Watcha Tour showcase on August 14 at Irving Plaza in New York, as part of the Latin Alternative Music Conference (see "Molotov Headline Latin Alternative Music Conference").

For Café Tacuba and Molotov, Watcha 2000 marks a return to the festival as both bands played the tour's inaugural run last year with Puya, Illya Kuryaki, Todos Tus Muertos, Bersuit Vergarabat, and others.

This year, there will be a charitable twist on the tour as well as 50 cents from every ticket will go to a scholarship fund at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities with scholarships being awarded to students in each of the l8 cities the tour will visit.

If you want to check out what "Spin" magazine described as "a seamless marathon of bandsŠ packed with Latino punks, Goths, rockeros and generic hipsters flying various national flagsŠ a day of well-earned brown pride," here's where to check out the tour (as always, tour dates are subject to change):

• 8/11 - Los Angeles, CA
• 8/12 - San Diego, CA
• 8/13 - San Jose, CA
• 8/14 - New York, NY
• 8/16 - Denver, CO
• 8/18 - Chicago, IL
• 8/19, - Detroit, MI
• 8/20 - Washington, DC
• 8/22 - Boston, MA
• 8/23 - New York, NY
• 8/25 - Santo Domingo
• 8/26 - Puerto Rico
• 8/27 - Miami, FL
• 8/30 - Houston, TX
• 8/31 - San Antonio, TX
• 9/1 - South Padre Island, TX
• 9/2 - Dallas, TX
• 9/3 - El Paso. TX
• 9/4 - Phoenix, AZ

• Café Tacuba
• Ozomatli

Ozomatli, Black Star, and Me'Shell N'degeocello will all play the School Not Jails Benefit concert next month in Santa Cruz, California as part of the campaign against Proposition 21, a juvenile crime initiative.

• Black Star
• Ozomatli

• Ozomatli
• Elliott Smith
• Shelby Lynne
• Badly Drawn Boy
• Pete Yorn