Pavement's Stephen Malkmus
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/ Getty Images

After nearly 10 years, four reissues (and four Stephen Malkmus solo records), one documentary and one fawning, posthumous "band biography," late, lamented indie greats Pavement finally confirmed long-standing rumors that they would be reuniting for a "one-time-only" tour in 2010.

The band — frontman Malkmus, guitarist Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg, bassist Mark Ibold, drummer Steve West and jack-of-all-trades Bob Nastanovich — will take the stage together for the first time since a November 1999 show at London's Brixton Academy, according to a statement released by their longtime label, Matador Records, on Thursday morning (September 17). Their first announced show (no word on whether it's the first actual show) is a September 21, 2010, performance at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.

"Pavement's catalog ... has come to define in the eyes of many the blueprint for independent rock over the past generation," the typically self-effacing statement said. "An evidentiary compilation release is planned to coincide with the touring sometime in 2010. ... Please be advised this tour is not a prelude to additional jaunts and/or a permanent reunion."

In other words: Don't get your hopes up. This reunion is a one-and-done type of affair. Pre-sale tickets for the Rumsey Playfield show go on sale Friday (September 18) at 10 a.m. ET. Additional information can be found on the Matador Records blog.

Pavement formed in Stockton, California, in 1989 — originally comprising just Malkmus, Kannberg and drummer Gary Young. Over the next decade, they would add and shed members, tour the world and release five influential albums (most notably 1992's Slanted and Enchanted and '94's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain). Their work became a touchstone of '90s indie rock, and they even scored a minor hit ("Cut Your Hair"). After their split in '99, Malkmus went solo, and the other members of Pavement explored various other musical endeavors (Ibold joined Sonic Youth, Kannberg released a trio of albums under the "Preston School of Industry" moniker), but fan demand for a reunion never relented.

News of the reunion actually broke earlier this week on the Brooklyn Vegan music blog, which quoted "reliable sources" as saying Pavement would reunite for "multiple, possibly four, nights of shows at NYC's Central Park Summerstage." The blog also speculated that Pavement could headline the 2010 Coachella Festival, though at press time, Matador would only confirm the September 21 show.

• Pavement

Photo: DGC/ Geffen/ Virgin/ Matador/ Capitol

On The Record: Billy Corgan And The Pinkerton Effect

Ever wanted to get tons of irate, condescending e-mails from dudes with handles like "disenchanted_zero," "*sivamOrningstar*" and "paladinofdarkness"? Just write a column in which you: A) take a few potshots at Billy Corgan; B) compare the new Smashing Pumpkins to Perry Farrell's disastrous Satellite Party project; and C) call the band's Zeitgeist album "not much more than the second (or third) Corgan solo record."

That's what I did last week in Bigger Than the Sound, which means it's been "angry e-mails ahoy" for seven days now. Seems Pumpkins fans worldwide don't take kindly to people ripping their chrome-domed leader, and were eager to make me aware of that fact. (Sample missive: "Billy Corgan is not a sell out, or a money whore, and your bias for his actions for bringing HIS band back is just unnecessary ... Zwan was a cry for help, a way for Billy to get back into the scene, and while it bombed, it had shown that Billy's passion for music — yes, Billy does enjoy what he does whether you choose to believe that or not — was alive and well.")

Phew! And while most of my e-mail exchanges were equally, uh, zesty, I did find out that most (rational) Pumpkins fans — when pressured — would admit that Zeitgeist isn't that great. In fact, the phrase I kept hearing over and over was something along the lines of, "It's better than Machina but not as good as Adore."

And to me, that was hilarious. Because almost 10 years after its release, Pumpkins fans have finally come around to Adore, a somber, beautiful, experimental and accomplished album that everybody hated. Reaction was so bad that Corgan famously went on "The Howard Stern Show" and said he was "disappointed" by his fans, and declared, "Rock is dead" — then followed that up by doing an interview with Rolling Stone's David Fricke, in which Corgan compared Adore to Lou Reed's ambitious 1973 clusterf--- Berlin and summed up his feelings about Smashing Pumpkins fans thusly:

"There's definitely the moment where you go, 'What happened?' You have this feeling of desertion: Maybe they don't love you anymore."

Of course, it probably didn't help matters any that Corgan supported the album with videos featuring him looking like a goofy Nosferatu and rocking a rather inexplicable cowboy hat, but the fact remained that pretty much no one gave Adore a chance. Until the Pumpkins were dead and buried, that is — and the fans realized it's pretty great.

Not only that, but a lot of SP fans I recently spoke with now see Adore as possibly the most important record the Smashing Pumpkins ever made: a stylistic departure that's colored everything Corgan has done since, and without a doubt the line of demarcation between "classic" Smashing Pumpkins and whatever the hell has been going on since. No one may have gotten it at the time, but now, with nearly 10 years' worth of hindsight, people understand Adore, appreciate it as both a historical document and a slightly misguided-yet-ultimately-rewarding goth-tronica album.

It's something that we're calling the Pinkerton Effect, after Weezer's 1996 effort, which was initially maligned but in recent years has come to be recognized as both the band's finest hour and a touchstone of emo's second wave. It applies to any album that flies over pretty much everyone's head when it's first released, yet only grows in import and stature given time. A Pinkerton Effect album usually follows the "breakthrough" album in most bands' catalogs, oftentimes killing (or seriously wounding) said band's career and leading to the departure of "original members." It is a record for which you could say, "After [insert title here], nothing was ever the same." (By that school of thought, you could also call this the Paul's Boutique Effect.)

And all that got me thinking: If Adore has finally been rewarded with Pinkerton status, then why shouldn't other equally deserving albums receive the treatment? So, off the top of my head, here are a couple of efforts that I feel are due a little love.

Pavement's Wowee Zowee (1995, Matador)
Following on the heels of 1994's (snicker) breakthrough Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Zowee was Pavement at their most stony, most boozy and, well, most annoying ("Half a Canyon"). Yet it also showcased frontman Stephen Malkmus' growing obsession with twee folk, English pop and goofy prog — three things he's still exploring today on his solo albums. Initially seen as a huge misstep by most of the band's fans — and, ahem, most of the band — it has, over time, become a favorite of both, and just last year, Matador reissued the album as a deluxe two-disc edition.

The Amps' Pacer (1995, 4AD/Elektra)
Kim Deal originally intended the Amps to be nothing more than a side project, but when it became apparent that her sister's struggles with heroin meant that there weren't going to be any Breeders albums coming anytime soon, the band — which included Breeders drummer Jim MacPherson and two members of Dayton, Ohio's the Tasties — became the Kim Deal project. The resulting album, Pacer, was recorded over one long summer, and the resulting songs are delightfully raw, slightly off-kilter and incredibly immediate. And when Deal eventually reconvened the Breeders for 2002's Title TK, the result sounded a whole lot like the Amps. Perhaps expecting a repeat of Deal's success with the Breeders' Last Splash album, Elektra shipped a huge first pressing of Pacer, which led to its availability in discount bins for years. And that makes the fact that very few people have discovered it all the more puzzling, because at its best, Pacer sounds like Guided by Voices covering the Pixies, Belly and the Breeders — and if you're saying that, then there's really no "at worst."

Beck's Midnite Vultures (1999, DGC)
The first album on which Beck assumed the lion's share of the production duties was also the first in his career to be considered a "misstep," which for a guy who spent the first half of the '90s recording leaf-blower solos, is saying something. Midnite Vultures is all sexed-up falsettos, horny robots and piss-take R&B jamz, so it's not difficult to see why so many critics and fans were left scratching their heads. Reportedly, Beck was deeply hurt by the reaction to Vultures' jokiness and has spent most of the time since its release trying to downplay the inherent humor in his music. And that's a shame, because listening to Vultures now, it's hard not to be struck by just how ahead of the game it seems — both lyrically (ahem, Har Mar Superstar, Annie) and sonically. Because for all the horny hullabaloo surrounding it, Midnite Vultures is, at its very core, a very forward-thinking electronic pop album, one that feels futuristic even today (though maybe that's because of all the robo-humping).

Modest Mouse's The Moon and Antarctica (2000, Epic)
The Mouse made the leap to the majors with Moon, an album that saw them reining in their shambling, 10-minute guitar excursions and focusing on (relatively) tight, ruminations on topics both personal and universal. The album title serves as a metaphor for the isolation and depression frontman Isaac Brock felt living in Seattle and Gainesville, Florida, and those twin themes manifest themselves on nearly every song on the record. Opening with the tinny guitars of "3rd Planet," weighing down in the middle thanks to "The Cold Part," "Alone Down There" and "The Stars Are Projectors" (a near-17-minute exercise in bottom-scraping) and ending with the breakneck "What People Are Made Of," Moon is far from easy listening. But those who made it all the way through were rewarded with the most fully realized MM album to date, a theme-driven exercise that Brock has been attempting to duplicate (with decidedly greater commercial results) ever since.

1515's Take: Some Of Our Greatest Minds Weigh In With Their Pinkerton Effect Picks

Faith No More's Angel Dust (1992, Slash)
Robert Mancini, MTV News editorial director: So Faith No More break through big time with the bombastic bounce of "Epic," delivering rap-rock to an eager world and seemingly introducing themselves to the masses as a bunch of righteous dudes always up for a good time (sure, the whole goldfish thing was weird, but the song was pure pop gold). And how did they choose to build on that mainstream success? With songs like "Crack Hitler," "Jizzlobber" and "Be Aggressive" (an ode to gay oral sex). Frontman Mike Patton found lyrical inspiration in fortune cookies, Scientology and sleep-deprivation experiments, all of which are fairly apparent when you dig into Angel Dust (perhaps the most appropriately named album of all time). Patton wasn't exactly engaging while touring behind Angel Dust either, almost daring audiences to hang in there as he sat at the front of the stage eating cigarettes (seriously... they made opening act Helmet look like Mouseketeers). Critics applauded the album, but fans (at least those lured in by their MTV success) were, well, "perplexed" might be putting it mildly. I even remember seeing the band live and watching in astonishment as one college gymnasium slowly bled its audience as the band's new direction sent kids hoping for another "Epic" back to their cars scratching their heads. It was, of course, pure genius. The album is now considered the band's high-water mark, its dark, ambitious vision elevating FNM beyond the rap-rock genre they inspired. Bottom line: Angel Dust is why Faith No More matter, and people who don't love it are not to be trusted. Period.

Deftones' Deftones (2003, Maverick)
Chris Harris, MTV News reporter: It was no easy task, following up an album like 2000's White Pony — often regarded by fans as the band's crowning achievement and most mature studio offering. Hell, it even featured a breathtaking duet between cherubic frontman Chino Moreno and Tool's Maynard James Keenan. But in 2003, the Deftones made magic once again with their self-titled masterpiece, an experimental album that was initially shunned for being "too eclectic," but with songs like "When Girls Telephone Boys" and "Hexagram," Deftones showed the Sacramento, California, band at its brutal best. The LP marked a turning point in the band's career, crossing many different genres and ideas that only previous efforts had hinted at; fans were worried, at first, that the 'Tones were heading in a more electronic direction. The album laid the groundwork for even more ambient expeditions found on last year's Saturday Night Wrist. Moreno's obvious love affair with My Bloody Valentine and the Cure was never as evident as on Deftones, on which the band separated itself from the nü-metal heap, abandoning excess breakdowns for more emotional territory.

The Magnetic Fields' I (2004, Nonesuch)
Rodrigo Perez, MTV.com producer: Following up the classic triple-album opus 69 Love Songs wasn't an easy task. The discs were such a critical achievement, it cemented Stephin Merritt's spot in the pantheon of classic songwriters and he was all but dubbed "the modern-day Cole Porter" afterward. (I don't know about you, but that's keeper résumé material). The unspectacularly named I and its equally understated production made the whole affair feel like such a letdown in comparison to 69 Love Songs' grand aspirations. And how could it not be? Instead of an eclectic crop of songs with a panorama of synthesizers, drum machines and soaking-wet spacial reverb, I was completely acoustic and recorded with a dead-as-wood sound. This, we later learned, was for practical reasons: Merritt was diagnosed with a defect in the ear that causes loud noises to feed back exponentially and become rather painful. The Magnetic Fields were taking things down to a whisper in preparation for their live shows. The album showcased only acoustic guitars, upright pianos, ukuleles, cello and banjo, and any initially disappointed fan that stuck around long enough to get past the semi-drastic sound makeover realized that these were the same-old dramatic, bittersweet, sarcastic, wry and winsome songs wrapped in a new package.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's Some Loud Thunder (self-released, 2007)
Christopher "CJ" Smith, MTV News segment producer: Unlike the Arcade Fire, these Brooklyn, New York, "true" indie-rockers had a bunch of unreleased tunes they had been honing live throughout their brief existence — and quite good ones at that. Consequently, it was expected that their sophomore album would be a surefire follow-up in the vein of the leap the Talking Heads made from 77 to More Songs About Buildings and Food (i.e. no evolution whatsoever). Instead, the band made a departure record with the psychedelic Thunder, leaving its still-new fans baffled. Many even tried to claim the record was "a step back" — whatever that means, considering the band only had one record. But as is often the case with a record that defies expectations, one day it just clicked: production from Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips) and the band's new direction suddenly made sense. It's an album that reveals itself to me — and any listener who was ready to accept that a band can evolve into something new, just that quickly.

B-Sides: Other Stories I'm Following This Week

Judge rules Avril's response to Rubinoos' lawsuit contains "musical similarities" to Rubinoos' song "Nothing a Little Love Wouldn't Cure." Double-lawsuit bonanza ensues. (See "Avril Lavigne Responds To Lawsuit, Says She's Been 'Falsely Accused.' ")

This is an actual quote from Bang Camaro mastermind Alex Necochea: "Basically, all our songs are about girls and power." Bang Camaro rule. (See "Bang Camaro Prove That If One Metal Singer Is Awesome, 20 Are Awesomer.")

Dorks on parade: The "Harry Potter" premiere red carpet. (See " 'Harry Potter' Cast, Hannah Montana, Ashley Tisdale Enchanted At 'Phoenix' Premiere.")

Unhappy with my Pinkerton list? Got one of your own? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com.

• Beck
• Modest Mouse
• The Smashing Pumpkins
• Weezer
• Pavement

Jim Jones' <I>Hustler's P.O.M.E.</I>
Photo: Koch Records

Fightin' New Releases: After casting their ballot in the midterm elections on Tuesday (November 7), music lovers will head to a second voting booth: the record store. It's there that they'll show support for either the incumbent candidates or challenging hopefuls. Will it be four more weeks for Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere or OK Go's Oh No? Will Jim Jones and the Foo Fighters throw the bums out? Expect results Wednesday — of next week.

The Challengers:

Jim Jones' Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment):
· Synopsis: The junior rapper from New York is hoping that support from high-profile campaign contributors like Lil Wayne, Cam'ron and Juelz Santana leads to strong voter turnout. With hometown shout-outs on "So Harlem" and elsewhere, he would even have Hillary Clinton up against the wall in the Big Apple.

Various artists' Now That's What I Call Music! 23:
· Synopsis: This series has served almost as many terms as now-departed Senator Strom Thurmond did, but with help from Justin, Beyoncé and Christina, it still has youth on its side. Jessica and Nick are reunited once again here as well — with "A Public Affair" and "I Can't Hate You Anymore," respectively — which should get this candidate even more headlines.

Foo Fighters' Skin and Bones:
· Synopsis: Fans have been urging the Foos for years to run with a live album, and now they're finally entering the race with this tour companion set. Bonus iTunes contributions including a "Skin and Bones" video and "Ain't It the Life" tune fill the band's coffers, but the fact that the accompanying DVD isn't coming for three more weeks could hurt this contender in a dead heat.

PJ Harvey's The Peel Sessions 1991-2004:
· Synopsis: Sure, this CD is no spring chicken — the material is culled from more than a decade's worth of appearances on the late British DJ's radio show — but now these recordings are finally up for a vote. Twelve tracks — including a cover of Willie Dixon's "Wang Dang Doodle" from 1993 and an even rarer performance of "That Was My Veil" from '96 — will pique fans' interest, but candidate Harvey might not see a big turnout until she puts out her in-the-works studio album.

Isobel Campbell's Milk White Sheets:
· Synopsis: Her recent Ballad of the Broken Seas collaboration with Mark Lanegan won over a new voting bloc, but Campbell has an even more prominent supporter on her side in ex-Smashing Pumpkin James Iha, who lends a few licks to this LP. The Belle and Sebastian singer also has endorsements from Vaselines' Eugene Kelly and Soup Dragons' Jim McCulloch, who add extra life to the sparsely arranged songs.

Blowoff's Blowoff:
· Synopsis: Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar) and Richard Morel (producer of Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous") got their campaign off to a late start, as they bumped this release a few times. But they're running on a split ticket — both musicians share equal responsibilities in writing and performing — and are appealing to voters ranging from rock hounds to electronic-music lovers. Don't write this race off yet.

The Incumbents:

Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere - Deluxe Edition:
· Synopsis: Statesmen Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse scored a Barack Obama-like triumph across a wide-ranging demographic with their debut album when they ran in early May. Now they're up for re-election with a limited-edition version, which has a bonus DVD, 3-D album art and a 92-page booklet. With the elderly constituency finally getting the message — "Crazy" is finally making it to adult-contemporary radio — expect some Gnarl-y gains.

James Blunt's Back to Bedlam:
· Synopsis: Despite being well-loved by a wide range of the population, Blunt's positive campaign could be wearing thin. There's been a negative-publicity backlash building against "You're Beautiful" — "to call it 'overplayed' would be like saying Washington is 'influenced by special interests,' " goes the slogan — but a bonus disc encompassing a full gig in Ireland from last year could win over his voter base.

OK Go' Oh No:
· Synopsis: The pop-rockers pulled off an underdog victory of immense proportions by winning over the blogosphere with their viral videos, and now they're hoping for another jolt of approval with their re-election bid. Core supporters will be pleased with a number of new proposals on the bonus DVD, including a performance of "C-C-C-Cinnamon Lips" from public-access TV, 180 fan re-creations of the unforgettable "A Million Ways" clip, public-service announcements and a video game.

Nirvana's "Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!" DVD:
· Synopsis: The band ran with this ticket more than a decade ago — in 1994, when the Republicans retook Congress, actually — but history has treated the candidate well, and it's likely Nirvana will return to office. They don't really have a new message, per se — just five extra performances from an Amsterdam gig — but these days, Nirvana almost always sit well with the voters.

Dave Matthews Band's The Best of What's Around, Vol. 1:
· Synopsis: Will DMB's positive campaign — telling voters to "Hunger for the Great Light" and promoting the "American Baby" — play well with voters? Early poll data indicates yes, and a bonus disc with eight concert cuts should mean that the band will surge down the homestretch.

Pavement's Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition:
· Synopsis: More or less destined to win the indie-rock vote is this pivotal album from 1995, the band's most scattered but one many aficionados consider their most beloved candidate. A staggering 21 bonus tracks on a second disc — including 18 unreleased outtakes, BBC studio session and concert recordings — could even win over some red-state voters outside its home state of California.

Song Title of the Week:

"Thumbs Down Lampit" from Microwaves' Contagion Heuristic

Other Notables:

Josef K's Entomology: This band suffered a similar fate as experienced by Josef K himself, one of author Franz Kafka's doomed characters. Formed in Scotland in the late '70s, the band recorded three studio albums, only one of which ever saw release. But while K (previously named TV Art) didn't last long, their succulent, infectious pop has, meriting another look back at their oeuvre. This 22-track overview culls 7-inch tracks, "Fun 'N' Frenzy" and more.

Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum's Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum: You might know Brodsky best as the frontman of post-rock princes Cave In, but he's been sneaking out solo LPs for a while now, starting with 1999's Expose Your Overdubs. His third endeavor finds him boosted by Scissorfight drummer Kevin J. Strongbow and Thee Electric Bastards bassist Johnny Northrup, but the results aren't nearly as deafening as what those bands have put out. Expect lo-fi pop and much to be heartbroken about on "Red Headed Butterflies," "Spirals in Her Eyes" and other tracks of purple prose.

Holy Smokes' Holy Smokes Talk to Your Kids About Gangs: Consisting of seven musicians from various corners of the Earth — the Ladies' Zach Hill and Rob Crow, the Advantage's Carson McWhirter and others — the end product is what you might expect: a cacophony of chaotic noise-rock and free jazz. Listen for trumpets, toys and gadgets on "Don't Squab on God's Tracks," "If You Pull It Out, You Better Use It" and "Too Many Wives (All You Need Is Blood)."

New Releases:

· 31Knots - Polemics EP (Polyvinyl) · 36 Crazyfists - Rest Inside the Flames (DRT) · Acute - Selections (EP; Help) · Arsis - United in Regret (Willowtip) · Mickey Avalon - Mickey Avalon (MySpace/Universal) · Black Elk - Black Elk (Crucial Blast) · Blackmore's Night - Winter Carols (Locomotive) · Blowoff - Blowoff (Full Frequency) · Bon Savants - Post-Rock Defends the Nation (E to the I Pi Music) · Bowling for Soup - The Great Burrito Extortion Case (Jive);
Read: "Bowling For Soup's Latest Muse? A Mouse In A Burrito" · Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum - Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum (Hydra Head) · J.J. Cale & Eric Clapton - The Road to Escondido (Reprise) · Isobel Campbell - Milk White Sheets (V2) · The Chelsea Smiles - Thirty Six Hours Later (Acetate) · Danava - Danava (digipak; Kemado) · Linda Draper - Traces Of (EP; Planting Seeds) · Dredg - Live at the Fillmore (Interscope) · El Goodo - El Goodo (Empyrean) · El Perro del Mar - El Perro del Mar (The Control Group) · Europe - Secret Society (Sanctuary) · The Evens - Get Evens (Dischord) · Benjy Ferree - Leaving the Nest (Domino) · Foo Fighters - Skin and Bones (RCA) · Josh Groban - Awake (Reprise) · Holy Smokes - Holy Smokes Talk To Your Kids About Gangs (Skin Graft) · Ill Niño - The Under Cover Sessions (limited-edition digipak EP; Cement Shoes) · Jim Jones - Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment) (Koch);
Read: "NFL Players Shooting Jump Shots During Games? Blame Jim Jones" · Josef K - Entomology (Domino) · Shanna Kiel - Orphan (Thick) · Librarians - Alright Easy Candy Stranger (Postfact) · Lithops - Mound Magnet (Thrill Jockey) · Microwaves - Contagion Heuristic (Crucial Blast) · MoZella - I Will (Maverick) · Nonpoint - Live and Kicking (with DVD; Bieler Bros.) · Sally Nyolo and the Original Bands of Yaoundé - Studio Cameroon (Riverboat) · Jon Oliva's Pain - Maniacal Recordings (Locomotive) · One Night Band - Way Back Home (Stomp) · Owen - At Home With Owen (Polyvinyl) · Polar Goldie Cats - Feral Phantasms (Up) · The Punks - Unanimous Bangers (Kill Rock Stars) · The Residents - The River of Crime: Episodes 1-5 (with bonus CD; Cordless) · Alejandro Sanz - El Tren de los Momentos (Warner Music Latina) · Stars Are Falling - The Consequence of Revenge (Blood & Ink) · Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra - One With Everything (live; New Door) · SugarLand - Enjoy the Ride (Mercury Nashville) · Tech N9ne - Everready: The Religion (Strange) · Joaquin Torres - Joaquin Torres (Universal Latino) · Keith Urban - Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing (Capitol) · Dionne Warwick - My Friends & Me (Concord) · Various artists - A Raga for Peter Walker (Tompkins Square) · Various artists - Laguna Beach: Summer Can Last Forever (Interscope) · Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 23 (Sony) · Various artists - This American Life: Stories of Hope & Fear (two CDs; Shout! Factory) · Various artists - "A Good Year" soundtrack (Sony Music Soundtrax/ Legacy) · Various artists - "Shout! The Mod Musical" soundtrack (Rhino) · Various artists - "Stranger Than Fiction" soundtrack (Columbia/ Sony Music Soundtrax)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Cannonball Adderley - Riverside Profiles (two CDs; Riverside) · Louis Armstrong - Legends of American Music: The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong (box set with two CDs and one DVD; Time Life) · Chet Baker - Riverside Profiles (two CDs; Riverside) · Bee Gees - The Studio Albums 1967-1968 (six-CD box set; Rhino) · Tony Bennett & Bill Evans - The Tony Bennett & Bill Evans Album (Fantasy) · James Blunt - Back to Bedlam (limited-edition version with bonus CD; Atlantic) · Anne Cochran - This Is the Season (Fuel) · Marshall Crenshaw - The Definitive Pop Collection (two CDs; Rhino) · Dick Dale and His Del-Tones - Surfers' Choice (Sundazed) · Bobby Darin - The Definitive Pop Collection (two CDs; Rhino) · The Dirt Band - Make a Little Magic/ Jealousy (BGO) · Bill Evans - Riverside Profiles (two CDs; Riverside) · Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere - Deluxe Edition (with DVD, digipaks and 3-D version of album cover; Downtown) · Merle Haggard - 10 Top 10's Live (with DVD; Compendia) · PJ Harvey - The Peel Sessions 1991-2004 (Island) · Jack's Mannequin - Everything in Transit (with DVD; Maverick) · Kitaro - The Essential Kitaro (two CDs; Domo) · Loverboy - Keep It Up/ Lovin' Every Minute of It (Beat Goes On) · Manhattan Transfer - The Definitive Pop Collection (two CDs; Rhino) · Dave Matthews Band - The Best of What's Around, Vol. 1 (two CDs; RCA) · Memphis Slim - Fuel Presents an Introduction to Memphis Slim (Fuel) · Mighty Baby - Jug of Love (Sunbeam) · Thelonious Monk - Riverside Profiles (two CDs; Riverside) · Wes Montgomery - Riverside Profiles (two CDs; Riverside) · OK Go - Oh No (limited-edition version with DVD; Capitol) · Pavement - Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition (with bonus CD; Matador) · Frank Sinatra - Vegas (box set with four CDs and one DVD; Rhino) · Al Stewart - The Definitive Pop Collection (two CDs; Rhino) · Storyville - Bluest Eyes (Varèse Sarabande) · Sublime - Everything Under the Sun (box set with three CDs and one DVD; Geffen) · Frank Zappa - Trance-Fusion (Zappa) · Various artists - Blue Lights in the Basement: A Body + Soul Collection (Time Life) · Various artists - Only Hits (Rhino) · Various artists - Ruf Records Anthology - 12 Years of "Where Blues Crosses Over" (two CDs; Ruf) · Various artists - Serious Times (two CDs; XL)

Music DVDs:

· Andrea Bocelli - "Under the Desert Sky" (Sugar) · Bobby Darin - "Seeing Is Believing" (The Music Force) · Waylon Jennings - "Nashville Rebel" (RCA Nashville/ Legacy) · The Make-Up - "In Film/ On Video" (Dischord) · Ricky Martin - "MTV Unplugged" (Sony International) · Nirvana - "Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!" (Geffen) · The Pixies - "loudQUIETloud: A Film About the Pixies" (MVD Visual) · Rush - "Rush in Rio" (Rounder) · The Who - "The Vegas Job: The Who Live in Vegas Reunion Concert" (Passport Entertainment) · Andy Williams - "In Concert Series: Andy Williams" (Passport) · Various artists - "Carson Country" (Delta) · Various artists - "Harry Smith Project Live" (Shout! Factory)

Coming Attractions:

November 14: · Army of Anyone - Army of Anyone (Firm); Read: "Army Of Anyone Want To Be Judged By Their Fifth Album, Not Their Debut" · Fat Joe - Me, Myself and I (Virgin); Read: "Fat Joe On September Release: 'Bet The Kitchen Sink On Me' " · The Game - Doctor's Advocate (Geffen); Read: "Game Says Song On New LP Makes Him 'The One-Man N.W.A' " · Plus-44 - When Your Heart Stops Beating (Interscope); Read: "Plus-44 Address Blink Breakup On LP, Want Fans To 'Hear The Truth' " · Tenacious D - "The Pick of Destiny" soundtrack (Epic)

November 21: · Jay-Z - Kingdom Come (Roc-A-Fella); Read: "Jay-Z's 'Retirement' Is Finally Over: New Album Due In November" · Killswitch Engage - As Daylight Dies (Roadrunner); Read: "Killswitch Engage Turn On The Heavy For Glass-Shattering As Daylight Dies" · U2 - U218 Singles (limited-edition; with DVD; Interscope)

November 28: · Incubus - Light Grenades (Epic); Read: "Incubus' Mike Einziger Lends Agent Sparks A Hand Making The Best Brunch LP Ever" · Ying Yang Twins - Chemically Imbalanced (TVT) · Young Buck - Buck Tha World (Interscope)

• Jim Jones
• Foo Fighters
• Nirvana
• Gnarls Barkley
• OK Go

New songs from Jay-Z, Nelly, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Cash Money, Juvenile, Rah Digga, Cam'ron and others will be featured on DJ Envy Blok Party Vol. 1: The Desert Storm Mixtape, due in October. Envy's cohorts in the Desert Storm collective, including DJ Clue, provide production work on the album. ... Ja Rule, Irv Gotti, Brandy, Janet Jackson, Sunshine Anderson, J-Swift and Jazze Pha are slated to attend BMI's Urban Awards 2002 at Club Tropigala in Miami Beach on August 6 at 7 p.m. They join a previously announced guest list that includes N.O.R.E., Big Tymers, Lil' Wayne, Juvenile, the Neptunes, Rockwilder and Mario Winans. ...

The first 200,000 people to buy the explicit version of Queens of the Stone Age's new record, Songs for the Deaf, will get a free DVD featuring studio footage of the band as they worked on the album, three songs from their March show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, two songs from a 2000 Ozzfest performance in St. Louis and an interview from the Secret Tour. The album hits stores August 27. ... To compliment the October 8 release (pushed back from September 3) of her Greatest Hits, Björk will release Family Tree, a box set that chronicles her entire career — including a song she wrote on the flute when she was 15 — on five 3-inch CDs and one 5-inch CD. The collection will feature Sugarcubes tracks, previously unreleased Björk material and classical arrangements of some of her songs by the Brodsky Quartet. ... 3 Doors Down's second album, Away From the Sun, is scheduled to arrive on November 12. The follow-up to their 2000 debut was produced by Rick Parashar (Nickelback, Pearl Jam, Default). ...

Sense Field, Gameface, K-Luna and Crashcart performed at a benefit concert Tuesday that raised $4,800 for Sense Field guitarist Rodney Sellar's 4-year-old daughter, Leilani, who was left paralyzed from the neck down after an automobile accident on May 12. "Right Here Now: A Benefit for Leilani" was held at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California, and will help pay for the child's growing medical expenses. ... Nonpoint will release a DVD titled "Accompaniment" on September 10 that will feature all of their videos as well as backstage footage. The project will also document their U.K. tour and other past touring experiences. ...

Primal Scream are previewing "Some Velvet Morning," their cover of the Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazlewood song featuring supermodel Kate Moss on vocals, on their Web site, www.primalscream.net. The cover is included on the band's Evil Heat, due in the U.K. on Monday, which also features Robert Plant and My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields. ... Former Smiths frontman Morrissey had to reschedule his first week of U.S. tour dates after he had trouble getting his immigration clearance in time to start rehearsals. The tour, which had originally been slated to start Thursday (August 1) in Salt Lake City, will now begin on August 9 at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix. ...

An expanded reissue of Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted will be released on October 22. It will be mixed from original master tapes and include a sizeable portion of extra tracks from the period the LP was recorded as well as previously released B-sides and rare compilation appearances, the band's publicist said. ... On the same date, Pavement will also release a DVD titled "Slow Century." The disc will feature two concerts (one with multiple vantage points), all of the group's videos (with band and director commentary) and a documentary by Lance Bangs that provides an overview of the band's history. ...

07.31.02

Apparently it is really "Murda 4 Life," as Ja Rule has dispelled rumors that Vita left his musical family. "She's a part of Murder Inc., and her album will be out real soon on Murder Inc. Records," Ja said backstage at Jamaica's Reggae Sumfest on Saturday. ... U2 will release their second greatest-hits compilation, U2 - The Best of 1990-2000, on November 12. The first single, "Electric Storm," will be released in October and is one of two new songs on the 17-track album. ... Static X's Tripp Eisen will not be joining his other band, the Murderdolls, on their inaugural U.S. tour, which kicks off July 30 at the Epicentre in San Diego. Acey Slade of Dope will stand in for the guitarist for the duration of the tour. ...

Tuesday night at S.O.B.'s in downtown Manhattan, Arista Records hosted the New York stop on the Grindin' Tour, which features the label's new hip-hop acts. Arista's CEO L.A. Reid and Beat Club member Ms. Jade were among those on hand to watch Lady May, Midwikid, Rob Jackson and the headlining Clipse rap songs from their upcoming albums. ... A couple of miles uptown at B.B. King's in Times Square, singer DJ Rogers Jr. performed a showcase in front of the likes of "Yo! MTV Raps" co-host-turned-NYC radio personality Ed Lover and Motown labelmate India.Arie. Rogers, who has written songs for Faith Evans, 112 and Carl Thomas, drops his debut, Emosoul, on September 17, and it features Arie and Thomas as well as Angie Stone and Heavy D. ...

Run-D.M.C.'s Jam Master Jay will host the U.S. finals of the 17th annual DMC American Battleground turntable competition on August 23 at the Roxy in New York City. DJ Premier will be inducted into the DMC Hall of Fame at the competition, which has featured winning DJs like the X-ecutioners, Mix Master Mike and DJ Swamp in the past. ... Bay Area goth-punks AFI will enter a Los Angeles studio next month to begin recording their DreamWorks debut with producers Jerry Finn (Blink-182) and Garbage-man Butch Vig (Nirvana) behind the boards. "I'm really looking forward to seeing what they'll have to add to what we already have created on our own," vocalist Davey Havok said. ...

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, who are currently recording their second album, will curate next year's East Coast edition of All Tomorrow's Parties, which will take place September 2003 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, at the Convention Center and Paramount Theatre. Malkmus plans to take a break from recording to select the lineup for the event, according to his publicist. ... The original members of the Joe Jackson Band are reuniting for the first time in 22 years to record a new album, and they'll embark on a 25th anniversary tour in 2003. The group will be playing warmup gigs in the U.K. in September, and the band's namesake has already written 12 songs for the new album, which is slated for release in March or April.

• Jay-Z
• Ja Rule
• Janet Jackson
• Cam'ron
• Brandy

Nirvana's<BR> Kurt Cobain
Photo: Geffen

Imagine a ruthlessly efficient army of robots running wild through the nation's record stores, removing every bit of major label product from the shelves, from Britney to Bob Dylan — but leaving behind CDs from independent labels.

Since March, that unlikely scenario has taken place, more or less, on the free but legally precarious online music bazaar that is Napster.

A court injunction stemming from the major labels' copyright infringement suit against Napster has forced it to block access to copyrighted songs — but labels have the burden of naming the songs in question.

And many small and mid-size indie labels have so far chosen not to shoulder that particular burden, leaving Napster chock-full of their music. Want the entire catalogs of Pavement and Sleater-Kinney, or early work by Nirvana or Guided by Voices? It's all still available, even as the oeuvres of Christina Aguilera, Eminem and Metallica get harder and harder to find.

Some indie label executives say that even if they wanted to, a lack of money and manpower would prevent them from submitting lists of their copyrights to Napster. The court injunction requires labels not only to submit artist names and song titles, but also to list the specific file names used for those songs on Napster — a time-consuming and expensive process, the major labels claim.

The majors have paid a consulting firm "tens of thousands" of dollars to find such file names, and have spent at least 2,000 hours of their employees' time compiling song lists, according to court documents.

"We have a two-person team — me as the new media director and then the webmaster," said Josh Ayala of Seattle's Sub Pop Records, whose 500-album catalog includes classics by Soundgarden and Nirvana. "For us to go and compile the song list [is too difficult] — our energies are better spent elsewhere. Especially since [Napster] might increase our exposure." Many labels share the hope that their music's availability on Napster might put money in the pockets of artists by encouraging users to go out and buy what they hear. Only the most popular indie artists — those who already have a significant fanbase — stand to lose sales because of Napster, some executives argued.

"For most indie labels, giving people a chance to hear the music at all is one of the biggest challenges," said Molly Newman, general manager of Lookout! Records (as well as the drummer in riot grrrl pioneers Bratmobile). "The idea that people are sort of helping us with that [on Napster] is interesting." But the Lookout! Records catalog, which includes albums by Green Day, the Donnas and Operation Ivy, is not available on Napster, due to the label's deal with the paid download site EMusic. Because Napster is a direct threat to the site's business of selling MP3s, EMusic submitted its own screening lists, which include music from the numerous indies with whom it has deals.

Some larger indies, which tend to function much like mini majors, shooting for mass audiences rather than the smaller niches of other indies, have also chosen to submit screening lists of their own.

Bob Frank, president of Koch Entertainment, said that his company bypassed any manpower issues by focusing on their top titles, which include CDs from Stabbing Westward, KRS-One and the Kinks. "It was very easy — I just had one person go through one hundred of our biggest titles — they were all there," he said.

Even some medium-sized, high-cool-quotient labels haven't ruled out joining the screening game.

"We have not, in fact, given Napster a list of songs to block — but that doesn't mean that we won't do so at some point in the future," Matador Records general manager Patrick Amory said in an email interview. "The reason is that we haven't determined the extent to which Napster helps or hurts CD sales. Right now, it's clearly a toss-up." Both the Recording Industry Association of America — which represents the major labels — and Napster declined to comment for this story.

For complete digital music coverage, check out the Digital Music Reports.

• Nirvana
• Pavement

Scott Kannberg, far left, with Pavement
Photo: Charlie Gross

The post-Pavement landscape does not belong just to former frontman Stephen Malkmus anymore. Scott Kannberg, the Pavement guitarist once identified on album sleeves as "Spiral Stairs," has a new Bay Area band called the Preston School of Industry. According to a Matador Records spokesperson, All This Sounds Gas, the trio's first album, will likely be released August 28.

Kannberg is joined in PSOI by bassist Jon Erickson (Kinetics, Moore Brothers) and drummer Andrew Borger (Tom Waits, Moore Brothers). The band's moniker comes from a reform school near Oakland, California.

The band has toured with Scottish post-rockers Mogwai and Detroit garage-rock duo the White Stripes. A still-untitled EP (and 10-inch vinyl record) will be released next month on Amazing Grease, Kannberg's label.

The Matador spokesperson reckoned PSOI do not sound as much like Pavement as Malkmus and his band Jicks do, and added that Kannberg's group is influenced by such '80s indie-pop combos as the Go-Betweens, the Chills and Echo & the Bunnymen. PSOI are planning shows in Chicago and California next month.

• Pavement

Stephen Malkmus
Photo: Moses Berkson

NEW YORK — Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus loves John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, the 1970 solo debut that found Lennon singing, "I don't believe in Beatles." But when Malkmus' band "fizzled out" in 1999 and it came time to record his own solo debut, he wasn't interested in making a flamboyant break from his past as the leader of one of the most influential bands of the '90s.

"I don't believe in indie," he sang softly, trying out the line as he waited on a breakfast order at a Soho diner. "It's not like anyone would care, anyway." Instead, Stephen Malkmus, released February 13, is damn near a Pavement album: a collection of fragile, ambling rock songs with Malkmus speak-singing brainy lyrics that double as wise-ass poetry.

"I embraced my past. ... I was all for at least making one record that was, like, a pretty straight Pavement play," Malkmus said. "I wasn't particularly self-conscious while I was doing it, so I wasn't really worried if it was too much this or that." Pavement's quiet end was originally deemed a hiatus when the band announced it in November 1999, but the band's split turned out to be permanent, in part because the musicians tired of "the effort it took to get five people to agree." "'Fizzled out' is a good term — it's over," he said, adding that he wouldn't rule out a reunion in five or 10 years.

Pavement formed in Stockton, California, in 1989 and became central to the indie-rock boom of the early '90s. The band's breakthrough second album, 1994's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, featured the single "Cut Your Hair," which became omnipresent at college and alternative radio.

With his former bandmates gone, Malkmus ended up recording his new album with drummer John Moen and bassist Joanna Bolme, musicians from his current hometown of Portland, Oregon. He dubbed them the Jicks and claims to have originally intended to release the album under that name, until his record company insisted otherwise.

Ultimately, for all the new album's similarity to the Pavement catalog, some differences did emerge.

Malkmus found himself playing emotive, straightforward guitar solos on the delicate elegy "Church on White" and other tracks. He didn't feel the need, he said, to diffuse the impact of his playing with atonal squawks or deliberate clumsiness — a frequent tactic of his Pavement past.

While maintaining his famous penchant for non sequiturs — most notably on "Jo Jo's Jacket," on which he sings about late actor Yul Brynner and house music — Malkmus also wrote several more-or-less straightforward story songs.

Over a "Honky Tonk Women" groove, "The Hook" tells the tale of a young pirate's rise through the ranks of his profession: "At age 19 I was kidnapped by Turkish pirates. ... By 25 I was respected as an equal/ My art was the knife. ... By 31 I was the captain of the galleon/ I was Poseidon's new son." The song could pass for a metaphorical run-through of Malkmus' own career, but that's not intentional, he claims. "It was this really standard riff I'd had, so it had to have funny lyrics. ... It could've been about a young dentist." Another narrative track, "Jennifer and the Ess-Dog," somehow ekes genuine pathos from the tale of 18-year-old Jennifer, who dates Ess-Dog, a 31-year-old man who plays in a '60s cover band.

The couple bonds over the Dire Straits album Brothers in Arms and a bandanna-wearing dog named Trey, and all seems well. But the relationship falls apart: "Jennifer left for school up in Boulder/ And ... Ess-Dog came to visit when he could/ But the strain was too much/ They could not make up the distance/ And the distance between their years." The track, which Malkmus noted as a favorite, is slated to be the album's second single, following the rocker "Discretion Grove." Malkmus is scheduled to play the new songs on a tour with the Jicks, starting March 8 in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the meantime, he hopes to get in some practice time.

"It's hard to rock out efficiently," he said.

North American tour dates, as provided by a Matador Records:

• 3/8 - Vancouver, BC @ Richards on Richards
• 3/9 - Seattle, WA @ Graceland
• 3/10 - Portland, OR @ Berbati's Pan
• 3/12 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
• 3/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey
• 3/14 - San Diego, CA @ 'Canes Bar & Grill
• 3/15 - Tempe, AZ @ Nita's Hideaway
• 3/17 - Austin, TX @ Music Hall (South by Southwest)
• 3/21 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
• 3/22 - Austin, TX @ Mercury
• 3/24 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
• 3/26 - Atlanta, GA @ Echo Lounge
• 3/27 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat's Cradle
• 3/29 - Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
• 3/30 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 3/31 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
• 4/5 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andy's
• 4/6 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
• 4/7 - Minneapolis, MN @ 1st Ave

• Stephen Malkmus
• Pavement

Schoolhouse Rock<BR>from<BR>"I'm Just a Bill"
Photo: ABC Children's Entertainment

"Schoolhouse Rock" creator Thomas G. Yohe died of cancer on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. He was 63.

Yohe, the creative director of the ABC animated series during its 1973–85 run, came up with the idea for a cartoon that blended educational messages with ear-candy pop music while working at an advertising firm in 1971.

" 'Schoolhouse Rock' gave him the most pride in the world," Yohe's wife, Diane Sanden Seely, told AP. Michael Eisner, former head of ABC's children's programming and now chairman of Walt Disney Co., championed the show, which went on to win four Emmy Awards and spawn such classic tunes as "Conjunction Junction," "I'm Just a Bill" and "Interplanet Janet." Those songs and several others were remade for a 1996 tribute album that featured the Lemonheads, Ween, Moby, Buffalo Tom, Biz Markie, Better Than Ezra, Pavement and Blind Melon, who scored a minor hit with their rendition of "Three Is a Magic Number," featuring Shannon Hoon softly crooning the words originally written and sung by jazz legend Bob Dorough.

In 1998, the Roots and John Popper joined an array of artists on Schoolhouse Rocks the Vote, a benefit album for Rock the Vote that featured "Schoolhouse" covers such as Joan Osborne and Isaac Hayes' "I'm Just a Bill." Yohe graduated from Syracuse University and began his career in advertising in 1961. His survivors include Seely, two sons, two daughters, two stepsons, a brother and four grandchildren.

• The Lemonheads
• Ween
• Moby
• Buffalo Tom
• Biz Markie

Beck, Pavement, Sonic Youth, and Sean Lennon are among the artists that have contributed new songs to an electronica-themed new album, "At Home With The Groovebox," due out in March via Grand Royal Records.

• "The Groovy Leprechauns" - Jean-Jacques Perrey
• "303 + 606 = Acid" - Buffalo Daughter
• "J.I.H.A.D." - John McEntire
• "Planet Vega" - Air
• "Robyn Turns 26" - Pavement
• "Insects Are All Around Us" - Money Mark
• "Boyz" - Beck
• "Winged Elephants" - Sean Lennon
• "Popcorn" - Gershon Kingsley
• "Campfire" - Sonic Youth
• "Oh My" - Bis
• "We Love Our Lawyers" - Cibo Matto
• "Today I Started Celebrating Again" - Dick Hyman

-- David Basham

• Beck
• Pavement
• Sonic Youth

Once again, it appears that the rumors surrounding Pavement's demise have been greatly exaggerated.

• Pavement