Jamie Foxx
Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Wonder what kids are learning these days on "Sesame Street"? On Wednesday's episode, viewers will find out that Jamie Foxx can bust a mean alphabet song, but he's no fox. The singer/actor faces off with a fox Muppet named Jamie, who points out that Foxx is missing the requisite bushy tail and pointy ears. And while Foxx is just visiting the Street, a new girl has moved into the neighborhood. Three-year-old fairy-in-training Abby Cadabby — who has purple pigtails, wings and a magic wand — is the first female Muppet to join the show in 13 years. ...

Kelis teamed up with someone special for the second single from her upcoming album. "Blindfold Me," the next track set to be released from the August 22 LP, features Nas, her husband. Kelis Was Here also includes a collaboration with Will.I.Am as well as production from Cee-Lo, Scott Storch and Sean Garrett. ... Lil' Flip has signed with Asylum/ Warner Bros. Records and plans to release the album I Need Mine this fall. The new release will feature fresh songs that weren't included in a version of I Need Mine that leaked during Flip's label transition, Warner Bros. said in a statement. ...

Beck is giving out The Information. His ninth studio album and fourth one produced by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead) will contain 15 tracks — the most songs the Silver Lake, California, Scientologist has put on one album since 1994's One Foot in the Grave. Homemade videos for "This Girl," "1,000 BPM," "No Complaints," "Nausea," "We Dance Alone" and "Movie Theme" have already been floating around online, but, according to Beck's Web site, "This Girl" won't be appearing on the record. The remaining tracks will be: "Elevator Music," "Think I'm in Love," "Cell Phone's Dead," "Soldier Jane," "Strange Apparition," "Dark Star," "Motorcade," "The Information," "New Round" and "Horrible Fanfare/ Landslide/ Exoskeleton." ...

Steve-O will set out to "de-wussify" American men in "Camp Steve-O," a reality-TV pilot that's been greenlit by USA Networks. In the half-hour program, the "Jackass" star will tour the country in a camper van and bring his boot camp directly into "the homes and offices of wimps, nerds and couch-potatoes," according to a press release. ... Bring on the major leagues. Noirish indie-rockers Interpol have left Matador Records and signed to Capitol. The group is scheduled to begin recording its third album, the still-untitled follow-up to 2004's Antics, this fall. The new LP is tentatively scheduled for mid-2007 release, according to a Capitol Records spokesperson. ...

The Rolling Stones have nixed another concert date in Spain as frontman Mick Jagger continues to recover from a sore throat, The Associated Press reports. "I am very sorry to be canceling this show as well," Jagger said in a statement. "But unfortunately I have no other choice and I apologize to everyone who bought tickets for El Ejido." The tour is slated to restart Sunday in London. ... XM subscribers will get to hear Bob Dylan's new album in the first moments of August 28, a day before the disc hits stores. Modern Times — Dylan's first studio LP in five years — will premiere at midnight ET on XM's Deep Tracks, the Village and Hear Music stations, with repeat plays at 6 a.m., noon and 7 p.m. ET. ...

Imagine WWE champ Chris Jericho sharing a romantic moment with R&B diva Patti LaBelle — sure they'd make an odd couple, but what would they sound like together? Fox's "Celebrity Duets" is pairing celebs such as Jericho, Alfonso Ribeiro ("The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"), Jai Rodriquez ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") and Lucy Lawless ("Xena: Warrior Princess") with hit recording artists including LaBelle, Macy Gray, Michael Bolton and Dionne Warwick. The competition, which will be judged by producer David Foster, kicks off August 29. ...

B Real is close to finishing his first solo studio album, Smoke in Mirrors. "I got about 25 songs in the can right now," the Cypress Hill rapper said. "I'm going to work a little bit longer on it just to make sure I'm satisfied with what I got." ... Mike Patton's Peeping Tom have been tapped to open for the Who for seven shows next month. Look for them to take the stage in Philadelphia (September 12); Wantagh, New York (September 13); Ottawa, Ontario (September 15); Boston (September 16); New York (September 18 and 19); and Holmdel, New Jersey, on September 21. ... About 30 minutes into their set at Auburn, Washington's Endfest 15 on Saturday, the Mars Volta were hit with bottles of urine hurled by concertgoers. According to The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala made comments about playing at a corporately owned venue on Native American soil before storming off the White River Amphitheater stage. ...

Kasabian have booked a North American fall tour to promote their new album, Empire, due September 19. The outing begins September 17 in Boston and wraps up exactly one month later in Portland, Oregon. ... Damon Gough, better known as Badly Drawn Boy, will release his fifth album, Born in the U.K., on October 17. A fall tour will be announced soon. ... The inaugural Radio Rebellion Tour, featuring Norma Jean, Between the Buried and Me, Fear Before the March of Flames, Misery Signals, the Fully Down and the Confession, will kick off in Nashville on October 6. The tour has 34 dates scheduled through a December 2 stop in Atlanta. ... The New York Dolls will play a free concert at South Street Seaport's Pier 17 in New York on Friday. The gig will commence at 8 p.m., and the band is expected to perform several cuts from its latest LP, One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This. ... Bruno Kirby, Billy Crystal's co-star in "City Slickers" and "When Harry Met Sally," died Monday due to complications from recently diagnosed leukemia, according to "Access Hollywood." Kirby, who also appeared in "The Godfather: Part II," "Donnie Brasco," "Sleepers," "This Is Spinal Tap" and "Good Morning, Vietnam," was 57. He most recently played a producer on HBO's "Entourage." ...

Want to hear some of the Rapture's new album, Pieces of the People We Love? The New York dance rockers' disc is due September 12, but the band is currently streaming five new songs — the title track, "Get Myself Into It," "Don Gon Do It," "The Sound" and "Whoo! Alright - Yeah ... Uh Huh" at PiecesOfThePeopleWeLove.com. Users must upload a picture of themselves into a massive virtual collage to gain access to the new tracks. ... Cursive, who will release Happy Hollow on August 22, will head out on the road next month, starting with a gig in Fargo, North Dakota, on September 22. Dates are scheduled through November 27 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. ... Filmmaker Adam Muskiewicz has a proposition for conspiracy theorists: Prove that Elvis Presley is alive and he'll fork over $3 million. "This is the biggest myth in the history of pop culture," the director of the upcoming documentary "The Truth About Elvis" said in a statement, "and I hope to determine, once and for all, if Elvis is dead or alive." You can take a look at some of the evidence Muskiewicz has collected and compare notes with other amateur detectives at ElvisWanted.com.

08.14.2006

Hilary Duff's relying on neither her sister nor her boyfriend for help with her next album. While Haylie helped write songs on her debut, she's sitting out this time, as are Joel and Benji Madden, who had produced the three new songs on Hilary's Most Wanted greatest-hits collection. "They're working on their own album," Hilary explained. "I'm writing most of the stuff this time. It's kind of just Kara [DioGuardi, a frequent Hilary collaborator] and me writing, and then going in the studio and recording." While it's still "very early on," she said, she's going in a new direction, "more dancey ... but really hip-hop because we're using a lot of real instruments." "I don't know exactly how to explain what we're doing, but it's fun and funky and different, something new for me," she said. "It's really cool." In the meantime, Hilary has unveiled her newly designed Stuff by Hilary Duff fall collection, as well as HilaryOnRed.com, a new Web site for her fashion line. The site will feature a fashion show on Tuesday in which she'll offer up commentary while seven young runway models showcase each new look to the tune of the singer's new single, "Play With Fire." ...

"American Idol" hopefuls should bone up on the classics, if Simon Cowell's favorite songs are any indication of what he wants to hear in auditions. The judge, who shared his all-time favorites on BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs," revealed eight top tracks — and only one, Daniel Bedingfield's "If You're Not the One," was released in the past 30 years. Tops for Cowell is Bobby Darin's "Mack the Knife," which he called "the best song ever made, ever produced, ever sung." Herb Alpert's "This Guy's in Love With You" is his pick for "sexiest song ever," while he named Charles Aznavour's "She" among "the most beautiful songs of all time." Cowell said he'd also choose to bring a mirror on his island adventure — "because I'd miss me." ...

Kate Hudson and the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson are separating after being married for six years, The Associated Press reports. The couple have a 2-year-old son, Ryder Russell Robinson. ... Travis Barker's ex Shanna Moakler is dusting herself off and hitting the dance floor next month for ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." The former Miss USA will be facing off against "High School Musical" star Monique Coleman; singers Willa Ford and Sara Evans; talk-show host Jerry Springer; football legend Emmitt Smith; actors Vivica A. Fox, Mario López, Harry Hamlin, Joe Lawrence; and conservative talking head Tucker Carlson in the ballroom-dancing competition, the third season of which premieres September 12. ...

Dancer/rapper/model Kevin Federline is a man of many hats, and now he's adding record executive to the mix. Federation Records, a joint venture between Federline and manager Dan Dymtrow, will release — you guessed it — K-Fed's own Playing With Fire as its inaugural LP. Federline's single "Lose Control" is scheduled to arrive at radio August 21, the morning after he performs the track as the closing act of the Teen Choice 2006 awards show. ... Joanna, fresh off Teen People's Rock & Shop Mall Tour, has been named the opening act for Nick Lachey's fall tour, which kicks off September 20 in Albany, New York. Joanna's debut, This Crazy Life, is due Tuesday, while her single "Let It Slide" is already at radio. ...

After shooting a special acoustic show for this week's performance night of "Rock Star: Supernova," the final eight rockers on the show hosted a mid-season party at their Los Angeles mansion. The finalists entertained guests with an impromptu jam session featuring Magni and Toby Rand dueting on U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name," Dilana (with help from Storm Large) delivering the Janis Joplin staple "Me and Bobby McGee" and Ryan Star debuting one of his own tunes. ... Former Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul is teaming up with Mudvayne's Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett, and Nothingface's Jerry Montano and Tom Maxwell, for a new project that has yet to be named. In a bulletin on Nothingface's MySpace page, Montano said the material that the new group has been working on "is amazing," and that the still-unnamed act's album should be out in the spring, followed by a U.S. tour. ...

Having spent most of the summer abroad, the Strokes will return to North America later this month to kick off a string of live shows. The band has four gigs set in Mexico between August 30 and September 3, and will play Toronto on September 10. The Strokes mark their return to the U.S. with a September 12 performance in Boston and have headlining shows scheduled in Ithaca, New York (September 17); Norfolk, Virginia (September 19); Pompano Beach, Florida (September 24); Kansas City, Missouri (October 1); Albany, New York (October 6); and Hampton Beach, New Hampshire (October 8). The Strokes will also open for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in Chicago (September 14-15); Gainesville, Florida (September 21); Atlanta (September 22) and Los Angeles (September 26). ... Brooklyn, New York, rockers TV on the Radio are hitting the road in support of their upcoming album, Return to Cookie Mountain, which is due September 12. The 25-date North American trek kicks off September 14 in New Orleans and comes to a close November 21 in Philadelphia. The tour includes stops at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on September 16 and a two-night stand at New York's Irving Plaza on November 17 and 18. ...

The Used claim the album they've been recently working on will be "the best record we have ever written." In an online post, bassist Jeph Howard described the writing process as "amazing ... I'm really so stoked." The band has written 22 songs, and Howard explained that "the record is coming along better than ever and we all feel more strongly about the Used than we ever have." No word yet on when the LP will surface. ... More dates have been revealed for Atreyu's upcoming trek with From First to Last, Every Time I Die and Chiodos. The tour will hit San Diego on October 6; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on October 15; Seattle on November 14; and Hollywood on November 20. ... Dates for Eighteen Visions' upcoming tour with Bullet for My Valentine, Escape the Fate and Drop Dead, Gorgeous are beginning to trickle out. The run will be making stops in Dallas (September 22); Austin, Texas, (September 23); Houston (September 24); Lake Buena Vista, Florida (September 27); and St. Petersburg, Florida (September 29). Additional stops will be announced in the coming weeks. ...

Last week's foiled terrorist plot targeting U.K.-to-U.S. flights has made traveling by plane a pain — just ask Snow Patrol. Two of the band's gigs — an Auburn, Washington, show scheduled for last Saturday and a Portland, Oregon, performance on last Sunday — were scratched when just two members of the five-man band were able to cross the Atlantic in time for the performances. "Continued delays and problems securing new flights have made it impossible for [frontman Gary Lightbody, drummer Jonny Quinn and bassist Paul Wilson] to arrive in time for the concerts," the band said in a statement. "Snow Patrol regrets any inconvenience or disappointment it has caused its fans." There's no word yet on when the band will reschedule the missed gigs, but the Patrol expect to make the show they have scheduled for Tuesday in Boston. ... The Rolling Stones have canceled a concert scheduled for Monday in Valladolid, Spain, after Mick Jagger was ordered to rest his voice. The singer has laryngitis, the band said in a statement, while a spokesperson for the show's promoter said the gig isn't likely to be rescheduled. "I am very sorry to be canceling this show," Jagger apologized to ticket holders in a statement posted on the band's Web site. "I always love playing in Spain, but unfortunately, I have no other choice." ... Boy George reported for duty at New York's Department of Sanitation on Monday (August 14) at 7.a.m., and was soon sweeping up trash and leaves from city streets before a crowd of journalists and photographers, AP reports. The singer, who was ordered to perform community service after pleading guilty to reporting a false incident earlier this year, quickly began to clash with the media. "Go home," the former Culture Club frontman told reporters. "This is supposed to be making me humble. ... I just want to do my job."

• Jamie Foxx
• Nas
• Kelis
• Steve-O
• Chris Jericho

Justin Timberlake
Photo: Dave Hogan/ Getty images

Justin Timberlake will not be making his big-screen debut in "Edison" after all. The crime drama — now titled "Edison Force" — that also stars LL Cool J and Oscar winners Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey, is bypassing theatrical release to go direct to DVD. The good news for Timberlake fans is that the disc hits stores Tuesday. And Timberlake's "Alpha Dog" — based on a 2000 murder allegedly involving Jesse James Hollywood — has prosecutors in Santa Barbara, California, in hot water. Lawyers for Hollywood have asked an appeals court to take the Santa Barbara County district attorney's office off the murder case because Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen shared confidential files with producers of the film, the Los Angeles Times reports. Hollywood was apprehended in Brazil last year for the 2000 kidnapping and killing of a 15-year-old boy. Appellate justices are expected to enter their decision — which could take Zonen or the entire D.A.'s office off the case — in two or three months. ...

Korn will perform acoustically for the first time ever on TV Tuesday. Jonathan Davis and company will strip down "Coming Undone" and "Twisted Transistor" on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," in part to promote their upcoming Family Values Tour. ... Bobby Valentino has a Special Occasion brewing for September 19. The R&B singer's second LP — being issued by DTP/ Island Def Jam — will feature production by Rodney Jerkins, Sean Garrett and Dre & Vidal. ...

A judge has released C-Murder from home confinement, characterizing his participation in a home-monitoring program as a "burden" on the police department in Gretna, Louisiana, The Associated Press reports. C-Murder is awaiting a retrial on a second-degree murder charge stemming from the 2002 slaying of a 16-year-old boy at a now-defunct nightclub in Harvey, Louisiana. The rapper has been under house arrest since March 20. Prosecutors had petitioned a judge to send C-Murder back to jail, claiming he'd violated the terms of his home confinement by moving outside the range of the police's monitoring equipment numerous times. ...

Actor/filmmaker Zach Braff has already released one indie-friendly soundtrack with his directorial debut, "Garden State," so it's no surprise that his next film, "The Last Kiss," also features a list of indie-rock tearjerkers. Braff posted the track list for the movie's soundtrack on his Web site. The disc — featuring tracks by Coldplay, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, Snow Patrol, Rachel Yamagata and Imogen Heap — is due August 9. ... Hawthorne Heights, Relient K, Emery, Plain White T's and the Sleeping have been tapped to perform on the fourth annual Nintendo Fusion Tour, which kicks off September 27. As with previous versions of the tour, the bands are only part of the attraction: Fans will get a chance to test out a variety of new Nintendo products, including the anxiously awaited Wii, Nintendo's next-gen system. ...

Gnarls Barkley and Peeping Tom will head out on a 10-date run that starts Thursday in Costa Mesa, California. Peeping Tom will also play several headlining gigs with the Dub Trio on Gnarls tour off-nights. The trek concludes August 17 in New York. ... What's the perfect date for a band like Slipknot to release a DVD? Halloween, naturally. Slipknot are tentatively planning to issue the yet-untitled follow-up to 2002's Disasterpieces on October 31. There's no word yet on what footage the disc will feature. ... Australians have had enough of Barry Manilow, apparently. Officials have been blasting his music at the Cook Park Reserve outside of Sydney as a way of keeping people away from the park at night on the weekend, AP reports. The six-month campaign, which only started recently, already has locals peeved. ...

Mastodon will head out on a U.S. headlining run with Converge and the Bronx that's set to kick off in Baltimore on September 6. The band has 14 gigs lined up through September 23 in Seattle, with stops planned in New York, Chicago, Detroit and Portland, Oregon. Mastodon's forthcoming LP, Blood Mountain, is due September 12. ... The Bled's Michael Pedicone has been recruited to fill in for Helmet drummer Mike Jost, who has stepped off this summer's Warped Tour following the recent birth of his child. Pedicone will play two sets on each Warped date, one with his own band and one with Helmet. He learned all of the songs in Helmet's set in a single day. ... Ill Niño have officially parted ways with Roadrunner Records, less than a year after the release of the band's third album, One Nation Underground. Ill Nino guitarist Ahrue Luster and wife, Xylia, welcomed a baby girl Friday. ...

Calexico have set aside the month of September for touring. After hitting up a variety of festivals — Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Touch and Go's 25th anniversary shindig among them — the band will play September 18 in New Orleans. From that day forward, Calexico will play daily (except for one day off, September 26) through the end of the month, closing with a show in Lawrence, Kansas. ... TV on the Radio have set September 12 as the release date for their upcoming album, Return to Cookie Mountain. A video for the single "Wolf Like Me" was shot this weekend in Brooklyn, New York, by director John Watts. ... Canadian orchestral rockers the Dears have finalized the U.S. release of their upcoming third album. Due October 3, Gang of Losers will be released on Arts & Crafts, the label home to Stars and Broken Social Scene. ...

Roger O'Donnell, keyboardist for the Cure, has remixed "Cutting Ballons" by Cassettes Won't Listen, and the fresh version will be posted Tuesday on Stereogum.com. ... Rockers Clinic and indie-folk group Adem who share the same homeland (Britain) and record label (Domino), have announced records coming out this fall. Adem's sophomore disc, Love and Other Planets, will be released September 12 and Clinic's fourth album, Visitations, is due October 10. ... Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie was assaulted in a hotel bar in Madrid, Spain, on Friday, BBC News reports. The singer was advised by a doctor not to fly to the U.K. — where the band was due to perform on "Top of the Pops" — until Sunday afternoon, though he was able to play a show in Barcelona as scheduled on Saturday. Gillespie's manager said the singer is back home and doing well despite two black eyes.

07.14.2006

Justin Timberlake hit the stage at London's Hammersmith Palais on Thursday night for a set that showcased songs from his upcoming album, FutureSex/ LoveSounds along with Justified favorites. Timbaland joined Timberlake onstage during the intimate gig, which sold out in four minutes. (Check out photos of Justin rocking the crowd right here.) Timberlake's video for "SexyBack" premieres on MTV's "Making the Video" July 25 at 4:30 p.m. ET. ...

A civil court jury, in a split decision Friday (July 14), awarded former Michael Jackson business associate F. Marc Schaffel $900,000, The Associated Press reported. Schaffel originally sued for $3.8 million in the money dispute. The jury also awarded Jackson $200,000 in his cross-complaint against Schaffel. ...

Don't worry, Britney Spears fans: The singer says she has no intention of packing in her performing career when her second child arrives. "After this baby, I'm going to get really intense with it," Spears told Harper's Bazaar, explaining that she's looking forward to getting back into fighting shape once her baby is born. The pregnant pop star — who poses nude in the magazine's August issue — said she "can't wait" to return to the stage, "but I really have to take my time and do it right and be safe. Actually ... not that safe. When you perform, you have to be dangerous." ...

She plays Scarlett Johansson's best friend in next year's "The Nanny Diaries," an assassin in the upcoming "Smokin' Aces," and for a new project, Alicia Keys will be taking on the role of a producer — and a witch. Keys and producer/partner Jeff Robinson have signed a first-look film production deal to develop live-action and animated projects with Disney, Variety reports. Their first film, a remake of the 1958 comedy "Bell, Book and Candle," will star Keys as a witch who casts a love spell to lure a rival's fiance. ... Chris Brown will perform on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" on Thursday. The live one-hour results show airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox. ...

Cobra Starship, the project featuring Midtown's Gabe Saporta and a who's who of the MySpace scene — including members of the Academy Is ..., Gym Class Heroes and the All-American Rejects — will celebrate the release of Snakes on a Plane: The Album, featuring their song "Snakes on a Plane: Bring It," with a show at the Key Club in Los Angeles on August 16. ... Pete Doherty wants a chemical implant to help him beat his drug addiction, he told a judge in London on Thursday. During a progress review of his drug-rehabilitation program, the troubled Babyshambles rocker said he will, within the next two weeks, have a small implant that would stop him from getting high off opiates placed in his abdomen. "You are going in the right direction," Judge Jane McIvor told Doherty, who has yet to pass a drug test while in rehab. "I think your concentration should be, within six months of the order, to get a negative test." ...

Scottish band Travis stopped by No. 10 Downing Street in London on Thursday to leave a note stuck to the door for British Prime Minister Tony Blair. "Some steps forward," the giant Post-It read. "Much more to do at G8. Make poverty history." This year's G8 summit begins Saturday in Saint Petersburg, Russia. You can send your own reminder to G8 leaders at Live8Live.com. ... Muse will begin a three-week North American tour Tuesday in San Francisco in support of their recently released LP, Black Holes and Revelations. The trek will make a total of 14 stops — including gigs in San Diego, Denver, Chicago, Boston and New York — before winding down August 6 in Atlanta. ... The Yeah Yeah Yeahs asked fans to strut their best YYY stuff on camera for the band's Cheated Hearts clip, and hours of video — of lipsticked men posing as Karen O and rec room interpretations of Brian Chase and Nick Zinner — poured in. The final "Cheated Hearts" video and select outtakes are posted at YeahYeahYeahs.com. ...

Mastodon will be issuing a limited edition 7-inch for the tracks "Crystal Skill" and "Capillarian Crest," which both appear on the band's forthcoming LP Blood Mountain, due September 12. Look for the 7-inch to surface August 8. ... A 40-year-old man who stabbed four people inside the Masquerade nightclub in Ybor City, Florida, during a Corrosion of Conformity concert June 23, 2005, pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery with a knife and aggravated assault with a knife, the St. Petersburg Times reports. Pyne, who killed Thomas Laskas and stabbed Laskas' wife, Wendy, and two other concertgoers, will be sentenced July 24. ...

Gap will host free, all-ages concerts at select stores on the next three Thursdays. The Chicago flagship (located at 555 North Michigan Avenue) will host Love Arcade (July 20), Living Things (July 27) and Plain White T's (August 3). A Los Angeles store (Grove at Farmer's Market) will feature Graham Colton Band with Joe Purdy (July 20), Waking Ashland (July 27) and the Hush Sound (August 3). New York's 680 Fifth Avenue shop will be rocked by Mike Doughty with Tristan Prettyman (July 20), Matt White (July 27) and Army of Me (August 3). A San Francisco Gap 2040 Chestnut Street) hosts Thriving Ivory with Samantha Stollenwerck (July 20), American Music Club with Graham Colton (July 27) and Ronnie Day (August 3). ... Lennon, who released her debut album, 5:30 Saturday Morning, in 2001, will end her recording silence with Damaged Goods, due September 19. So what's taken so long?" I've spent the last three years making sure it would be an album I'm truly proud of, and it is," the singer/songwriter/pianist said.

• Justin Timberlake
• LL Cool J
• C-Murder
• Gnarls Barkley
• Peeping Tom

Peeping Tom's Mike Patton
Photo: Ipecac

It was more than five years ago that Mike Patton's faithful followers first heard that the eccentric mastermind had started compiling a who's who of collaborators for a genre-bending project he was calling Peeping Tom.

And for five years, those fans waited — wondering when, if ever, the inaugural Peeping LP would surface.

The oft-delayed album sort of became the former Faith No More frontman's Chinese Democracy, with Patton devotees growing increasingly skeptical that the project would ever materialize. But unlike Axl, Patton delivered, and Peeping Tom's self-titled debut hit record stores two weeks ago at #103 on Billboard's album sales chart.

"I'm not quite that insane, please," said Patton, scoffing at the Axl comparison. "Give me a little credit, man! It was a learning process for me, making this record. Not having a band in front of you that you can sort of direct, and then press 'record' and say, 'One, two, three, four — let's go,' I mean, it was very different."

Compiling Peeping Tom's 11 tracks was an exercise in patience. Patton crafted the tunes, then dropped them in the mail to the musicians who had agreed to lend him a hand — a list that included artists ranging from Kid Koala and Massive Attack to Brazilian chanteuse Bebel Gilberto and Norah Jones (see "Norah Jones Curses Up A Storm For New Mike Patton Project").

"I'd send out a track and start working on something else," said Patton, explaining the Peeping Tom delay. "You don't sit around for the mailman to come, you work on other sh--. And that's what I did. It was really something I worked on over a period of several years that was in the background of my life.

"I think I'll approach it differently the second time around," Patton continued; he had intended to release the second Peeping Tom LP this fall, but said it's looking more like 2007 for the follow-up. "I know the process now, and the pitfalls of the process. Maybe I'll rack up some frequent-flyer miles and visit some people and record with them." Patton said he didn't impose deadlines for the first record, so it became "kind of like a long fishing trip, trying to reel in all this stuff."

For the second Peeping Tom effort, Patton said he already has several tracks in the can that didn't fit into the overall theme of the first record — songs he'd worked on with producer Richard Devine and Cypress Hill's DJ Muggs. He also has a lengthy wish list of possible collaborators, none of whom he'd mention, "because I don't want to jinx it."

One person he's been openly pursuing for the project is Björk. Patton contributed to the Icelandic singer's last LP, the nearly a cappella Medulla, which featured an all-star cast of eccentric vocalists, also including former Roots beatboxer Rahzel, English singer Robert Wyatt and Japanese vocal pyrotechnician Dokaka.

"I'm going to see her in a few days, and it's something we've been talking about," he said. "She was supposed to be on this album, but couldn't. We'll eventually find a way to make this work."

In the meantime, Peeping Tom has lined up a handful of North American gigs next month, including stops in Costa Mesa, California, on July 20; a pair of shows in Los Angeles on July 23 and 24 (supporting Gnarls Barkley); July 27 in Chicago; and an appearance at the Hedpeth Festival in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, on July 28. This fall, Patton said Peeping will be mounting a full U.S. trek.

"This little string of dates kind of materialized and I sort of saw it as a challenge to get it together," he said. "It's a preview, a little teaser." Patton has assembled a band featuring several artists who appear on Peeping Tom: drummer Joe Tomino, bassist Stu Brooks and guitarist Dave Holmes of Dub Trio; keyboardist Keefus Ciancia; backup singer Imani Coppola; DJ Mike Relm; Rahzel; and electronics wizard Alap Momin of Dälek.

"There's a few options on the table for this fall," he said. "Massive Attack is going out, we're talking about doing some dates with them. And if we do go out with them, we're going to be doing our own shows on the side. It's a nine-piece band. It's going to be a f---ing party, what can I say?"

Patton et al. recently shot a video for first single, "Mojo," with director Matt McDermitt (Backstreet Boys, Motion City Soundtrack) that features cameos by model Rachel Hunter, Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, Blink-182's Mark Hoppus and Patton buddy Danny DeVito. DeVito plays "a guy watching late-night TV in a wife-beater and boxers" who flips through the channels and gets bombarded by "each commercial and infomercial and Bowflex ad you'd see at 2:30 in the morning," with most of the album's collaborators playing roles in the re-created spots.

"It's a pretty cute, haunting video," said Patton. "[Nakamura and Hoppus] are thrust into a fake episode of 'Cops,' and they're getting harassed, beat-up and generally abused."

As for Patton's other projects, he said Fantômas, which boasts Melvins guitarist Buzz Osborne, Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn and Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, is on hold until next year. Patton says he's "way behind" on work with Tomahawk, his band with former Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison, ex-Helmet drummer John Stanier and Melvins bassist Kevin Rutmanis.

He's also working with Nakamura on "a whole new thing, which will be just the two of us," he said. "It's going to be kind of like DMX for white people. That's the concept. I think Dan wants me to bark like a dog."

And when it comes to his defunct act, Mr. Bungle, Patton said he has no plans to revive the experimental funk-metal band.

"Things die for a reason, and in Bungle's case, it was a lot of reasons," he said. "It was great while it lasted, but not something I'd go crawling back to. It was really just one of those things that ... it's like when you have friends in high school, and you start creeping up on age 40, those friendships can take other directions and diverge. That's pretty much what happened.

"It was basically just a lot of personal differences and differences in the way we approached the band, and work ethic. I wish we could have put more records out. We probably should have," he lamented. "The ones we did put out were OK, though."

• Peeping Tom
• Mike Patton

Dixie Chicks
Photo: Columbia

On the previous Billboard album sales chart, Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way debuted on top, moving close to 526,000 copies during its first week in stores. With the field of potential competitors nothing if not slim, the Dixie Chicks managed to stay the course and will spend a second week at #1 despite a 48 percent sales drop.

According to the latest SoundScan totals, another 271,000 copies of Taking the Long Way were snapped up, bringing total sales of the album within 1,500 units of the 800,000-sold mark — a feat that's taken the Red Hot Chili Peppers twice the time to pull off. The Chilis' double LP, Stadium Arcadium, climbs two spots to occupy the chart's #3 slot, selling 87,000-plus copies during its fourth week of release. Sandwiched between the Chicks and the Red Hots is the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical," which holds at #2 and moved another 103,000 copies last week to reach 2.3 million in sales.

Rascal Flatts climb two spots to #4, with sales of their Me & My Gang reported at 79,000, followed at #5 by "American Idol" Season 5: Encores, the latest compilation inspired by the hit television series; that disc, featuring contributions by the top 10 "Idol" finalists, including this season's champion Taylor Hicks, moved close to 68,000 units during its second week at retail. The #6 spot belongs to the 21st edition of the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation series, which 55,000 scans.

Tool's 10,000 Days hasn't fallen out of the chart's top 10 since its release five weeks ago, coming in this week at #7 with just under 55,000 copies sold; look for the LP to break the 1-million-sold mark within the next week or so. Last year's "American Idol" Carrie Underwood follows at #8, selling close to 54,000 copies of her album Some Hearts. James Blunt's Back to Bedlam returns to the top 10, surging ahead 16 spots with sales of 51,000 and change (a 53 percent boon in retail interest), securing the #9 post. Rounding out the top 10 is Shakira's Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, which sold close to 51,000 copies.

And Rick Rubin must be proud, as he produced three of the albums that appear in this week's top 10 — the Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way, the Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium, and Shakira's Oral Fixation, Vol. 2.

It was a rather anemic week at retail for new releases, with a mere seven albums making their debut on this latest chart. The honor of highest-charting opener belongs this week to ex-Faith No More frontman and current Peeping Tom mastermind Mike Patton, The self-titled first offering from Peeping Tom — which features collaborations with Norah Jones, Massive Attack, Bebel Gilberto, Dan the Automator, Kool Keith, Amon Tobin, Kid Koala, and the Dub Trio — netted first week sales of nearly 10,000, earning the chart's #103 position.

In at #115, with 8,000 scans, is Of Whales and Woe, the latest outing by Primus bassist Les Claypool. Vic Latino's ThriveMix02 bows at #125 with 7,000 copies sold. Silverstein's 18 Candles: The Early Years fills the #148 hole with 6,000 scans, while Sounds of Animals Fighting open at #183 with 5,000 copies of their Lover, the Lord Has Left Us sold.

• Dixie Chicks
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Tool
• Shakira
• Peeping Tom

Peeping Tom's <i>Peeping Tom</i>
Photo: Ipecac Recordings

Memorial Day was established to honor Union soldiers who fought in the Civil War. But the holiday isn't too civil to record stores, pretty much stymieing anything of interest from hitting the racks.

OK, that's a little harsh. There are some records you might care about as you recover from the long weekend:

Peeping Tom's self-titled record is classic Mike Patton. The Tomahawk/ Fantômas/ Lovage mastermind overextends himself yet again with this long-in-the-works project, which slipped out a much-prized bootleg demo years ago but hasn't made a peep since. Yanking the unconventional pop group out of obscurity is Norah Jones, who graces the second-to-last track, "Sucker." Patton's typically unpredictable guest list also includes Massive Attack, Bebel Gilberto, Dan the Automator, Kool Keith, Amon Tobin, Kid Koala and Dub Trio, who put out an album of their own last week. If you're looking for Patton product that isn't alienating, this is it.

Death Becomes Them: Just in case you didn't hear them screaming their faces off the first time around, Thine Eyes Bleed are reservicing their debut LP, In the Wake of Separation, in time for their tour in support of Slayer (TEB's bassist is the brother of Slayer's Tom Araya). The refreshed version has the bonus cut "Better Off Dead," which was only available in Japan, and the video for "Cold Victim." And Florida death-metal vets Morbid Angel — who are heavily influenced by Slayer — are reaching back even further with the re-release of 1989's Altars of Madness, which comes with three remix tracks and a bonus DVD featuring the band's gig at the U.K.'s Nottingham Rock City in '89.

Victory Scores: One label isn't getting much rest this weekend: punk imprint Victory Records. Its so-called "Super Tuesday" marks the arrival of In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, the second effort by pop duo the Forecast; Questions and Answers, the second one by angsty New Yorkers the Sleeping; 18 Candles: The Early Years, which packs in 18 retrospective tracks — including concert cuts and remixes — by Canadian post-hardcore act Silverstein; and The Great Compromise, a colorful record by cheerleading three-piece the Junior Varsity that features "Left Foot Right Foot," "Peter Cottontail and the Demise of the Carrot Tree" and more.

Don't Forget to Preorder: In case you haven't learned your lesson, here are two more reasons to plan ahead: preorders of Minutes to Miles by New Jersey newcomers Crash Romeo came with limited-edition tees, while early copies of Terror's three-hour "The Living Proof" DVD was bundled with a stencil and poster.

That's So Yesterday: It's like 1981 all over again this week, what with the 25th anniversary of psych-experimentalists Legendary Pink Dots. Their Your Children Placate You From Premature Graves follows up 2004's The Whispering Wall and includes "Stigmata (Part 4)" and "The Made Man's Manifesto." Celtic Frost have an equally impressive milestone with Monotheist, the hugely influential metal band's first record in 13 years.

'80s Hits Stripped culls acoustic tracks by Billy Idol, Rick Springfield, the Go-Go's and other yesteryear greats, and the label's so jazzed for the release that it's throwing a party at Johnny Depp's Viper Room on Hollywood's Sunset Strip. Blasters honcho Dave Alvin recaps John Fogerty, Jerry Garcia, Brian Wilson and other Left Coasters on West of the West, while blues-rocker George Thorogood and the Destroyers run through tunes by Bob Dylan, Fats Domino and more on The Hard Stuff. And if you're a Motörhead fan, you'll no doubt recognize the cover of "Killed by Death" that appears as a bonus cut on the debut LP by all-female Swedish quartet Crucified Barbara, who have already made waves back home.

You've definitely heard the Von Bondies' "C'mon C'mon" by now; the title track to "Rescue Me" kicks off the show's soundtrack, which also features Wolf Parade, the Brian Jonestown Massacre and other decidedly noncommercial acts. And if you're an ardent Zero 7 fan, you've probably already heard Sophie Barker's Earthbound, which dropped in the U.K. last year but is finally getting a U.S. release. And Finnish psychedelic minimalists Kiila issued their Heartcore five years ago in other territories, but it's finally dropping Stateside this week.

Chatham County Line — a rootsy project out of Raleigh, North Carolina, that incorporates fiddle, banjo and more — are churning out their third effort, the playfully titled Speed of the Whippoorwill. Singer/guitarist Dave Wilson says the bandmembers "see ourselves more like a rock band without a drummer and cables than a 1940s traditional bluegrass band." But debuting Chicago sextet the 1900s are more than happy to be lodged in the last century. The band's Plume Delivery EP calls to mind the New Pornographers and the Kinks and boasts "Bring the Good Boys Home" and "Flight of the Monowings."

If you want something really archaic, look no further than Wes Montgomery's "Live in Europe 1965," a DVD that captures the famed jazz guitarist in his prime. And while we're on the subject of age, let's give it up for Ralph Stanley, the bluegrass immortal who is putting out A Distant Land to Roam: Songs of the Carter Family at the tender age of 79.

Song Title of the Week:

"Don't Forget to Set the House on Fire Before You Crawl into Bed" from Junior Varsity's The Great Compromise

Other Notables:

Les Claypool's Of Whales and Woe: The Primus bass whiz has been busier than ever with a new feature film ("Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo"), novel and everlasting tour. His latest solo outing includes "Robot Chicken," the theme to the cartoon show of the same name; "Back Off Turkey," which showcases his two kids banging on various objects; and "Iowan Gal," a paean to Claypool's wife.

Quietdrive's When All That's Left Is You: These Minneapolis rockers have "buzz" written all over them, what with a red-hot MySpace page and raves from The Los Angeles Times. They get an additional boost from Avril Lavigne producer Butch Walker and heralded mixer Chris Lord-Alge on the LP, which features "Rise From the Ashes," "Take a Drink With Me" and "Maybe Misery."

Asobi Seksu's Citrus: Their name means "playful sex" in Japanese and they've topped mtvU's Dean's List, and if you're in the mood to dream, Asobi Seksu have your number. The group's bilingual, keyboard-laced sophomore disc includes "Pink Cloud Tracing Paper" and "Nefi+Girly" and will fit in comfortably next to your Lush and My Bloody Valentine CDs.

New Releases:

• The 1900s - Plume Delivery (EP; Parasol)
  
• Dave Alvin - West of the West (Yep Roc)
  Buy Now: West of the West (Yep Roc)
  
• Asobi Seksu - Citrus (Friendly Fire)
  
• Sophie Barker - Earthbound (Emperor)
  
• Boards of Canada - Trans Canada Highway (EP; Warp)
  Buy Now: Trans Canada Highway (Warp)
  
• Celtic Frost - Monotheist (Century Media)
  Buy Now: Monotheist (Century Media)
  
• Chatham County Line - Speed of the Whippoorwill (Yep Roc)
  
• Les Claypool - Of Whales and Woe (digipak; Prawn Song)
  Buy Now: Of Whales and Woe (Prawn Song)
  
• Cordovan - Lunaticworks Jazz Presents: Cordovan - Highway 10 Blues (Reincarnate)
  
• Crash Romeo - Minutes to Miles (limited edition comes with T-shirt; Trustkill)
  Buy Now: Minutes to Miles (Trustkill)
  
• Crucified Barbara - In Distortion We Trust (enhanced; Liquor & Poker)
  
• Todd Deatherage - Todd Deatherage (EP; Summer Break)
  
• The Forecast - In the Shadow of Two Gunmen (Victory)
  Buy Now: In the Shadow of Two Gunmen (Victory)
  
• The Junior Varsity - The Great Compromise (with DVD; Victory)
  
• Herbert - Scale (K7)
  
• Kiila - Heartcore (Say Hey)
  
• The Legendary Pink Dots - Your Children Placate You From Premature Graves (ROIR)
  
• Jesper Kyd - "Hitman: Blood Money" soundtrack (Sumthing Else)
  
• Peeping Tom - Peeping Tom (Ipecac)
  Read: "Norah Jones Curses Up A Storm For New Mike Patton Project"
  
• The Procussions - 5 Sparrows for 2 Cents (Red Urban)
  
• Quietdrive - When All That's Left Is You (Epic/ Red)
  
• The Sleeping - Questions and Answers (Victory)
  
• Ralph Stanley - A Distant Land to Roam: Songs of the Carter Family (Columbia)
  
• Surel - For My Good - Romans 8:28 (Comin' Atcha)
  
• George Thorogood and the Destroyers - The Hard Stuff (Eagle)
  Buy Now: The Hard Stuff (Eagle)
  
• Tied & Tickled Trio - A.R.C. (Morr)
  
• Amalea Tshilds - Painted Tiles (Fallen Fan)
  
• Various artists - '80s Hits Stripped (Sidewinder)
  
• Various artists - "Rescue Me" soundtrack (Nettwerk)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Jamie Lidell - Multiply Additions (Warp)
  
• Kris Kristofferson - Austin City Limits: Live From Austin, TX (New West)
  
• Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness (with DVD; Earache)
  Buy Now: Altars of Madness (Earache)
  
• Charley Pride - The Essential Charley Pride (two CDs; RCA/ Legacy)
  
• Jim Reeves - The Essential Jim Reeves (two CDs; RCA/ Legacy)
  
• Silverstein - 18 Candles: The Early Years (Victory)
  Buy Now: 18 Candles: The Early Years (Victory)
  
• Space Needle - Recordings 1994-1997 (Eenie Meenie)
  
• Thine Eyes Bleed - In the Wake of Separation (enhanced; The End)
  Buy Now: In the Wake of Separation (The End)
  
• Johnny "Guitar" Watson - Best of the Funk Years (Shout! Factory)

Music DVDs:

• The Beatles - "Liverpool" (Arts Magic)
  
• Blöod Düster - "The Shape of Death to Come" (Season Mist)
  
• The Charlatans UK - "Live at Last" (Standing Room Only)
  
• Alice Cooper - "Live at Montreux 2005" (Eagle Vision)
  
• Deep Purple - "Live at Montreux 1996" (Eagle Vision)
  
• Rory Gallagher - "Live at Montreux" (Eagle Vision)
  
• Wes Montgomery - "Live in Europe 1965" (EJazz Lines)
  
• Terror - "The Living Proof" (Trustkill)
  
• Ali Farka Touré - "A Visit to Ali Farka Touré" (Kultur)

Coming Attractions:

June 6:

• AFI - Decemberunderground (Interscope)
  Read: "AFI: Mad Prolific Or Mad Exaggerators?"
  Preorder: Decemberunderground (Interscope)
  
• Head Automatica - Popaganda (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Daryl Palumbo Spreads Head Automatica Popaganda"
  Preorder: Popaganda (Warner Bros.)
  
• Ice Cube - Laugh Now, Cry Later (Lench Mob)
  Read: "Ice Cube Wants The Last Laugh With Independent LP Featuring Lil Jon, Snoop"
  Preorder: Laugh Now, Cry Later (Lench Mob)
  
• Paul Oakenfold - A Lively Mind (Maverick)
  Preorder: A Lively Mind (Maverick)
  

June 13:

• The Futureheads - News and Tributes (Vagrant)
  Preorder: News and Tributes (Vagrant)
  
• Busta Rhymes - The Big Bang (Aftermath)
  Read: "Busta Rhymes Album Preview: Bus Gets Deep About The Big Bang"
  Preorder: The Big Bang (Aftermath)
  
• Shadows Fall - Fallout From the War (Century Media)
  Preorder: Fallout From the War (Century Media)
  
• Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped (Geffen)
  Preorder: Rather Ripped (Geffen)
  
• Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope (two-CD limited-edition version also available; Sire/ London/ Rhino)
  Preordere: Begin to Hope (Sire/ London/ Rhino)
  

June 20:

• Fefe Dobson - Sunday Love (enhanced; Island)
  Preorder: Sunday Love (Island)
  
• Nelly Furtado - Loose (Geffen)
  Read: "Nelly Furtado Hooks Up With 'Distant Cousin' Timberlake, Emerges With 'Sexy' Song"
  Preorder: Loose (Geffen)
  
• Keane - Under the Iron Sea (Interscope)
  Read: "Keane Nearly Followed Breakthrough With A Breakup"
  Preorder: Under the Iron Sea (Interscope)
  
• Madonna - I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (with DVD; Maverick)
  Preorder: I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (Maverick)
  
• Pearl Jam - Live at Easy Street (J)

• Peeping Tom
• Silverstein
• Les Claypool
• Thine Eyes Bleed
• The Charlatans UK

Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Amy Winehouse, More At Coachella 2007

• Arctic Monkeys
• The Jesus & Mary Chain
• Stephen Marley
• Satellite Party
• Jane's Addiction