Kanye West and 50 Cent at the 2007 VMAs on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Ladies and gentlemen, at long last, your 2007 New Releases main event:

While they were quiet enough onstage when they appeared together at Sunday night's VMAs — Kanye, after the show, not so much — both rappers have said their piece about the widely anticipated matchup between 50's Curtis and Kanye's Graduation. Fiddy recently insisted to MTV News that "I will be #1 on September 11," while the confident 'Ye has said the face-off was his idea in the first place.

But while each MC is probably envisioning himself as the chart-topper, how's the betting line shaping up? Let's take a look:

50 Cent:

· Fif's 2003 debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin', has sold a hefty 7 million copies to date; the 2005 follow-up, The Massacre, has moved 5 mil.

· His initially leaked Curtis songs weren't so well-received, and first single "Ayo Technology" has only peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 — even though the track features another superstar, Justin Timberlake (and a rapping super-producer, Timbaland, to boot).

· 50 has hit a few obstacles lately: His pre-VMA poolside concert was cut short after it nearly became an underwater concert. In August, he trashed the G-Unit offices in New York after his Robin Thicke collaboration "Follow My Lead" was leaked. And, after promising to stop writing music if West beats him, he later got wet feet and reneged.

Kanye West:

· 'Ye's 2004 debut, The College Dropout, has sold 2.5 million copies; 2005's Late Registration has moved roughly the same number. Yeah, Fiddy definitely has 'Ye's "number" in terms of album sales.

· But on the other hand, West has done a much better job tearing up the charts lately. His first Graduation single, "Stronger," is sitting comfortably at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Barry Bonds," which was leaked in August, has also been getting strong reception.

· Apparently Graduation is both "whiter" and "blacker" — talk about expanding your demographic!

Well, no matter what happens, after all is said and done, it's good to know that the MCs are willing to put aside their differences for the good of hip-hop. And this week is certainly going to be good for hip-hop.

Song Title of the Week:

"Peter Lorre Overture" from World/Inferno Friendship Society's Addicted to Bad Ideas

Album Cover of the Week:

Tie between Modeselektor's Happy Birthday! and Gang Gang Dance's Rawwar

Other Notables:

The Black Lips' Good Bad Not Evil
Notorious for spewing fluids from multiple orifices, the Lips have been a part of way-underground garage-rock labels Bomp! and In the Red but are dishing up their new album on the red-hot Vice Records. The psych-garage freaks have come up with a perplexing new song, "Katrina," which was written the night the band learned that a hurricane of the same name had destroyed New Orleans. The jangly, cheery track only has a handful of lines, including: "O Katrina, why you gotta be mean?/ You saw a highway down in New Orleans/ I can't believe what I saw on the TV screen/ O Katrina, why you gotta be mean?" The subject matter on the rest of the album, while delivered with the band's patented "flower pop," is equally bleak: Songs deal with one bandmember finding his mother's body, juvenile-detention centers and a fatal car accident, which is captured in "How Do You Tell a Child That Someone Had Died."

The Good Life's Help Wanted Nights
While the Lips actually enlisted a local Atlanta bartender to help produce their fifth effort, this Nebraska crew also went the boozy route for their fourth one. Main man Tim Kasher based the songs — including first single "Heartbroke" and "You Don't Feel Like Home to Me" — around a small-town bar and had been intending to use them as the soundtrack to a screenplay he didn't finish until recently. The Saddle Creek album was produced by — who else? — label regular Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, the Faint).

Pinback's Autumn of the Seraphs
And there's just no keeping Rob Crow down. The indie-rock guru — who put out a solo album, Living Well, earlier this year, despite his myriad other projects — has tossed together another installment in his best-known band's oeuvre. The San Diego band's fourth album, recorded in its home studios, features drumming by former Rocket From the Crypt and No Knife members and features "How We Breathe," "Subbing for Eden" and "Blue Harvest." The initial run will come with a bonus disc featuring three additional new studio recordings.

New Releases:

· 40 Cal. - Broken Safety 2 (Koch)
· 50 Cent - Curtis (G-Unit/Interscope)
Read: "50 Cent Explains Last Week's Blowup, Says 'I Will Be #1 On September 11' "
· Akron/Family - Love Is Simple (with DVD; Young God)
· Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam (Domino)
· Axe Riverboy - Tu Tu to Tango (Minty Fresh)
· B5 - Don't Talk, Just Listen (Bad Boy)
· Baby Elephant - Turn My Teeth Up (Godforsaken)
· The Birthday Massacre - Walking With Strangers (Metropolis)
· Bizzy Bone - Trials & Tribulations (Real Talk)
· Black Francis - Bluefinger (Cooking Vinyl)
· The Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil (Vice)
· Eugene Blacknell - We Can't Take Life for Granted (Luv N Haight)
· Kenny Chesney - Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates (RCA)
· Vic Chestnutt - North Star Deserter (digipak; Constellation)
· Cloak/Dagger - We Are (Jade Tree)
· C.O.C.O. - Play Drums + Bass (K)
· Alberta Cross - The Thief & the Heartbreaker (Geffen)
· The Deadly Syndrome - The Ortolan (Dim Mak)
· Ani DiFranco - Canon (Righteous Babe)
· Dirty Projectors - Rise Above (Dead Oceans)
· Downchild - Live at the Palais Royale (Linus/Koch)
· Enuff Z'nuff - Tonight, Sold Out (Crash)
· Eulogies - Eulogies (Dangerbird)
· Figurines - Where the Deer Wore Blue (Control Group)
· Film School - Hideout (Beggars Banquet)
· Gang Gang Dance - Rawwar (EP; Social Registry)
· Giacomo Gates - Luminosity (with DVD; DoubleDave)
· The Go! Team - Proof of Youth (Sub Pop)
· The Good Life - Help Wanted Nights (Saddle Creek)
· Grand National - A Drink & A Quick Decision (digipak with bonus tracks not featured on digital release; Recall)
· Grayskul - Bloody Radio (Rhymesayers)
· Ha Ha Tonka - Buckle in the Bible Belt (Bloodshot)
· Hatesphere - Serpent Smiles and Killer Eyes (EP; Steamhammer)
· Joe Henry - Civilians (Anti-)
· Hot Hot Heat - Happiness Ltd. (with DVD; Reprise)
· Jenny Hoyston - Isle Of (Southern)
· Icarus Witch - Songs for the Lost (Cleopatra)
· Jupiter Rising - Electropop (Chime)
· Kane, Welch, Kaplin - Kane, Welch, Kaplin (Compass)
· Kenna - Make Sure They See My Face (Interscope)
· Sander Kleinenberg - This Is Sander Kleinenberg (Ultra)
· Le Loup - The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly (Hardly Art)
· Devin Lima & the Cadbury Diesel - Mozart Popart (111)
· Scott Matthews - Passing Stranger (Republic)
· Modeselektor - Happy Birthday! (BPitch Control)
· Oakley Hall - I'll Follow You (Merge)
· Orange - Escape From L.A. (Hellcat)
· Adrian Orange and Her Band - Adrian Orange and Her Band (K)
· Para One - Epiphanie (Naive/Ryko)
· Picastro - Whore Luck (Polyvinyl)
· Pinback - Autumn of the Seraphs (Touch and Go)
· Pitch Black - Revenge (Travio)
· Emma Pollock - Watch the Fireworks (4AD)
· Qui - Love's Miracle (Ipecac)
· Raging Speedhorn - Before the Sea Was Built (SPV)
· Rainman - Bigga Than Life (Chime)
· Red Stick Ramblers - Made in the Shade (Sugar Hill)
· Johnathan Rice - Further North (Reprise)
· Shakra - Infected (Locomotive)
· Shout Out Louds - Our Ill Wills (Merge)
· Simian Mobile Disco - Attack Decay Sustain Release (Interscope)
· Taken by Trees - Open Field (Eleven Music)
· Chris Volz - Redemption (Rock Ridge)
· X-Press 2 - Makeshift Feelgood (Tommy Boy)
· Kanye West - Graduation (Roc-A-Fella)
Read: "Kanye West And Lil Wayne Counting On 'Barry Bonds' For A Hit Single"
· Wiley - Playtime Is Over (Big Dada)
· Ann Wilson - Hope & Glory (Zoë/Rounder)
· Wooden Shjips - Wooden Shjips (Holy Mountain)
· World/Inferno Friendship Society - Addicted to Bad Ideas (Chunksaah)
· Michael Yonkers Band - Grimwood (De Stijl)
· Zoroaster - Dog Magic (Southern Lord)
· Various artists - Choices EP II (Ubiquity)
· Various artists - Grey's Anatomy - Original Soundtrack 3 (Hollywood)
· Various artists - Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Rolling Stones (Baby Rock)
· Various artists - Sowing the Seeds: The 10th Anniversary (two CDs; Appleseed)
· Various artists -- "Dedication" soundtrack (Commotion/Koch)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Joan Baez - Carry It On (Vanguard)
· Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True - Deluxe Edition (two CDs; Hip-O/UMe)
· Ani DiFranco - Canon (Righteous Babe)
· Genesis - Turn It on Again: The Hits - The Tour Edition (two CDs; Rhino/Atlantic)
· June Panic - Songs From Purgatory: The Complete Recordings of June Panic - 1991-1996 (Secretly Canadian)
· Mono - Gone: A Collection of EPs 2000-2007 (Temporary Residence)
· The Alan Parsons Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination - Deluxe Edition (two CDs; Island)
· Sonny Rollins - The Sound of Sonny (Riverside)
· Billy Joe Shaver - Storyteller: Live at the Bluebird 1992 (Sugar Hill)
· Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys - Seven Miles Out of Town (Varèse Sarabande)
· Trisha Yearwood - Greatest Hits (MCA Nashville)
· Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth and the Collected Works of Young Marble Giants (three CDs; Domino)
· Various artists - Cinematic: Classic Film Music Remixed (Six Degrees)
· Various artists - The Commitments - Deluxe Edition (two CDs; Geffen)
· Various artists -- Four Decades of Folk Rock (four-CD box set; Time Life)
· Various artists - I'm Beginning to See the Light: Dance Hits From the Second World War (Legacy)
· Various artists - Monster Ballads Xmas (Razor & Tie)
· Various artists - The Pop Parade: Hits of the '40s, '50s & '60s (three CDs; Shout! Factory)
· Various artists - Sentimental Journey: Hits From the Second World War (Legacy)
· Various artists - When Rhythm Was King (Heartbeat)
· Various artists - "The War: A Ken Burns Film" soundtrack (four-CD box set also includes I'm Beginning to See the Light; Sentimental Journey and Songs Without Words: Classical Music From the War; Legacy)

Music DVDs:

· Mindless Self Indulgence - "Our Pain Your Gain" (Metropolis)
· Lionel Richie - "Live in Paris" (deluxe edition comes with CD; Island)
· Sublime - "The Ultimate Bundle for the Ultimate Sublime Fan" (two CDs and one CD; MVD Visual)
· U2 -- "PopMart Live from Mexico City" (limited edition comes with bonus DVD; Island)

Digital Releases:

· A.I. - Sex & Robots (A.I.)
· Marie Digby - Start Here (exclusive iTunes EP; Hollywood)
· Karmina - The Kiss (CBS)
· Louis XIV - The Distances From Everyone to You (EP; Atlantic)
· Meisterfakt - Down on My Ass (Kitty-Cuts)
· Mew - Live Session (exclusive iTunes EP; Columbia)

Coming Attractions:

September 18:
· Chamillionaire - Ultimate Victory (Motown)
Read: "Chamillionaire Ditches Bad Attitude; Hooks Up With Snoop, Busta For LP"
· Mya - Liberation (Motown)
Read: "Mya Gives Up Grudges And Ego, Picks Up Relationship Wisdom On Liberation"
· KT Tunstall - Drastic Fantastic (Virgin)

September 25:
· Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (RCA)
Read: "Dave Grohl May Be Fond Of String Quartets, But Foo Fighters Haven't Gone Soft"
· PJ Harvey - White Chalk (Island)
· Hell Rell - For the Hell of It (Koch)

October 2:
· Dashboard Confessional - The Shade of Poison Trees (digipak; Vagrant)
· J. Holiday - Back of My Lac (Capitol)
· Soulja Boy - Souljaboytellem.com (Interscope)

• Kanye Lectures On The Importance Of Graduation

• Pamela Anderson And Tommy Lee's Whirlwind VMA Weekend

• 50 Cent
• Kanye West
• Black Lips
• The Good Life
• Pinback

The Concretes live at CMJ
Photo: Candice Lawler

Every fall for the last 24 years, hordes of musicians, music-business types, college-radio programmers and fans have descended upon New York for the CMJ Music Marathon. The event includes discussion panels and seminars about the business, but what's most interesting are the concerts: This year, nearly 1,000 bands played at 56 venues over four manic days. Everyone's looking to discover the next Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers or Marilyn Manson (all then-unknown acts that garnered major attention from gigs at the Marathon), and most of the bands playing the convention are looking to become the next big thing.

It really is a marathon, with acts taking the stage at all hours of the day (and night). Loads of name acts — from Sonic Youth to TV on the Radio — performed at the convention, (click for photos), but we were most interested in catching the bands that are flying slightly below the radar. So, thanks to the New York subway system and more than a few cabs, we managed to find 10 acts that we believe are destined for big things. (Yes, quite a few of them are Canadian, but Montreal and Toronto are two of the most thriving scenes in North America at the moment.) Think of us as clerks in your local cool record store — except we're not going to sneer at you if you ignore what we say and buy the new Good Charlotte album instead.

Who: Adem
What: Homesongs
Why: Singer/songwriter Adem is also the bassist for the band Fridge, but that won't begin to prepare you for the stately beauty of his songs. His music isn't for every mood: The songs are sloooooow, with a folk flavor, aching choruses and understated musical accompaniment (acoustic guitars, autoharp, string bass, hand-held percussion). It's definitely not something you put on when you want to rock out — the album isn't called Homesongs for nothing — but if you like beautiful melodies that unravel slowly, you won't find anything better this year.

Who: Arcade Fire
What: Funeral
Why: If a single band was the buzz of the ball, it's this sprawling Montreal ensemble. Combining rock energy with violins, accordions, all manner of guitars and, in a live setting, anything they can beat with drumsticks, the band's sound is that of controlled chaos: The instruments meshing with Win Butler's shaky, almost David Byrne-like yelp into a beautiful, caterwauling sound that seems as if it could spin out of control at any moment. That air of imminent destruction is just one reason the Arcade Fire's music is so exciting.

Who: The Concretes
What: The Concretes
Why: Sweden's newest exports are unique for a number of reasons, the most obvious being that they sound absolutely nothing like the garage-rock crowd that came into vogue in 2002 thanks to the Hives. A curious but sublime conflation of '60s girl-groups, Mazzy Star and the sweet side of the Velvet Underground, the eight-member collective is dynamic, romantic and soft. Plus, they sing in cute Swedish accents and dress like they're going to the prom.

Who: Controller.Controller
What: History
Why: Two guitarists that look like back-up members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a bassist who could fill in for any member of Hot Hot Heat and a longhaired drummer who's probably auditioned for Slayer. Oh, yeah: there's also lead singer Nirmala Basnayake, a pint-sized powerhouse who struts around the stage with such unabashed sexiness that she makes Karen O look like a shrinking violet. Their debut EP, History, is one of the most visceral, confident and thrilling bows in recent memory, as the Toronto natives rip through seven songs of their self-described "death disco" in just over 24 minutes.

Who: The Dears
What: No Cities Left
Why: If you crossed the graceful side of Blur with the Smiths and Tindersticks, you might come close to the sound of the Dears. A unisex six-piece, the Montreal group plays sumptuous, sophisticated and elegant orchestral rock with epic horns, keyboards and soaring strings. Britpop is not only back, but alive and well in Quebec.

Who: Death From Above 1979
What: You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine
Why: Girls kiss each other, beers fly and utter mayhem breaks out in the moshpit: That's a typical Death From Above 1979 concert experience. Who needs guitars? The Toronto dirtbag duo — who reportedly met in prison and live in a former funeral parlor — forgo the traditional six-string crunch in favor of an immense, intense barrage of of metallic bass, machine-gun drums and howling vocals.

Who: Hope of the States
What: The Lost Riots
Why: England's Hope of the States don't do anything by half: The seven-piece band includes three guitarists (two of whom double on keyboards) and a full-time violinist; they play big, sweeping, majestic songs with loads of echo and big themes; and they perform in front of fast-moving films that include lots of Cold War-era American military footage. The twist? They're all in their early 20s. How a bunch of young guys came up with such a huge concept — let alone their sound, which combines the bombastic elements of Radiohead with the sonics of Godspeed! You Black Emperor and vocals reminiscent of early '90s mumblers like Dinosaur Jr. and the Afghan Whigs — is just part of this band's unique allure.

Who: Pinback
What: Summer In Abaddon
Why: California's Pinback puts a new spin on indie-pop, adding complexity with sweet melodies and intricate song structure. On their most recent LP, Summer in Abaddon, the band's airy vocals are layered over delicate piano chords; percussion is occasionally treated as an afterthought, though it plays a starring role on the rock track "AFK." Thick basslines hold court over pop songs like "Fortress," while carefully crafted lyrics govern more atmospheric tracks like "The Yellow Ones." The band's music seems spare at first, but repeated listens reveal layers of dynamic instrumentals and smart lyrical structures.

Who: Q and Not U
What: Power
Why: With their third album, Power, the Washington, D.C., funk-punkers strike the right balance between the arty hardcore of fellow District alumni Fugazi and the sexed-up balladry of Purple Rain-era Prince. On the first single, "Wonderful People," singer/guitarist Chris Richards belts out comical pickup lines like the Purple One on helium while a four-on-the-floor disco beat and squiggly synthesizers boogie in the background. Throw in some jagged guitars, sing-song choruses and an extended flute solo or two, and you've got an experimental disco/punk album where Green Day meets the Village People — with a flute player.

Who: Straylight Run
What: Straylight Run
Why: This Long Island band (whose debut album will enter the Billboard albums chart at #100 next week) makes emo music for the optimistic masses. The group, which features former Taking Back Sunday members John Nolan and Shaun Cooper, combines the melancholy genre's moody and introspective lyrics with brighter hooks, energetic rhythms and the occasional power chord — although the group's soaring keyboards and vocal harmonies leave no shortage of melodrama. Fronted by Nolan and his sister Michelle, Straylight Run's debut album is optimistic, dramatic and upbeat, and unashamed of its emo soul, as evidence by song titles like "Existentialism on Prom Night," "Another Word for Desperate" and "Sympathy for the Martyr."

• Adem
• Arcade Fire
• The Concretes
• Controller.Controller
• The Dears

Sum 41 (file)
Photo: Christopher Wahl

This week Sum 41 attempt to immortalize a man who saved their lives. The pop-punk foursome's new album, Chuck, is named for U.N. peacekeeper Chuck Pelletier, who escorted the band out of danger in the Congo.

A merging of the pop sounds of their debut and the harder tones of 2002's Does This Look Infected?, Chuck shows some maturation with the track "We're All to Blame," which was inspired by the band's experience in the Congo.

Mos Def has been making politically and socially charged tracks for years, but it's been five years since he released his last album, Black on Both Sides. New Danger is the rapper's third studio album since he released his debut in 1998.

Duran Duran's last release, 2000's Pop Trash, was hailed by some critics as just that, so four years later, the group hired super-producer Dallas Austin, who said he helped the band get back their beloved '80s sound for Astronaut.

No Doubt are all about giving fans what they want — and some of the stuff they didn't even know they wanted, like B-sides, rarities and remixes. That's what they'll find on Everything in Time, previously only available as part of the band's out-of-print box set, Boom Box.

Also out this week are albums by "Band on the Run" winners Flickerstick (Tarantula); Camper Van Beethoven, who release their first album of original material since 1998; Montreal's the Dears (No Cities Left); L.A. dance-rockers Moving Units (Dangerous Dreams); San Diego quirk-pop experimentalists Pinback (Summer in Abbadon); and indie-pop/ bossa nova outfit A.M. Sixty (Big as the Sky).

Sliding down the record store chimneys as well is the first wave of Christmas albums. Artists who are getting into the holiday spirit early include Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Everything You Want for Christmas), Chris Isaak (Chris Isaak Christmas) and LeAnn Rimes (What a Wonderful World).

Out Tuesday, October 12:

• A.M. Sixty - Big as the Sky (V2)
• American Music Club - Love Songs for Patriots (Merge)
• Joseph Arthur - Our Shadows Will Remain (Vector)
• Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Everything You Want for Christmas (Vanguard)
• Frank Black - Frank Black Francis (spinART)
  Read: "New Pixies LP Unlikely, But Another New Track's On The Way"
• Blood Brothers - Crimes (V2)
• Richard Buckner - Dents and Shells (Merge)
• Busted - Busted (Universal)
• Camper Van Beethoven - New Roman Times (Vanguard)
• Barbara Cue - Rhythm Oil (Sanctuary)
• Dears - No Cities Left (spinART)
• Denver Harbor - Scenic (Universal)
• Celine Dion - Miracle (Epic)
• Duran Duran - Astronaut (Epic)
• Entrance - Wandering Stranger (Fat Possum)
• Flickerstick - Tarantula (Idol)
• From Satellite - When All Is Said and Done (Universal)
• Gold Chains and Sue Cie - When the World Was Our Friend (Kill Rock Stars)
• Holly Golightly - Slowly But Surely (Damaged Goods)
• Amy Grant - Greatest Hits 1986-2004 (A&M Records)
• Hidden Cameras - Mississauga, Goddam (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
• Mike Holober and the Gotham Jazz Orchestra - Thought Trains (Sons of Sound)
• The Ike Reilly Assassination - Sparkle in the Finish (Rock Ridge)
• Chris Isaak - Chris Isaak Christmas (Reprise)
• Jimmy D. Lane with Double Trouble - It's Time (APO)
• Adam Marsland - You Don't Know Me (Karma Frog)
• Mos Def - The New Danger (Geffen)
• The Mothers Anger - Mothers Anger (Dionysus)
• Moving Units - Dangerous Dreams (RX/Palm)
• Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Shaheedullah and Stereotypes (Penalty/Ryko)
• No Doubt - Everything in Time (Interscope)
  Buy Now: Everything in Time (Interscope)
• Pain of Salvation - Be (Inside Out U.S.)
• Pig Destroyer - Terrifyer (Relapse)
• Pinback - Summer in Abbadon (Touch and Go)
• Point of Grace - I Choose You (Touch and Go)
• Recover - This May Be the Year I Disappear (Universal)
• LeAnn Rimes - What a Wonderful World (Curb)
• Joe Sample - Soul Shadows (Verve)
• Dr. Lonnie Smith - Too Damn Hot (Palmetto)
• Jim Snidero - Close Up (Milestone)
• Straylight Run - Straylight Run (Victory)
• Sum 41 - Chuck (Island)
  Read: "Sum 41 Name Album After The Man Who Saved Their Lives"
  Buy Now: Chuck (Island)
• The Sun - Did Your Mother Tell You (Warner Bros.)
• Chris Thile - Deceiver (Sugar Hill)
• Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve (Lava)
• Vanessa Williams - Silver & Gold (Lava/Atlantic)
• Trent Willmon - Trent Willmon (Columbia)
• George Winston - Montana: A Love Story (Windham Hill/RCA Victor)
• Wrangler Brutes - Zulu (Kill Rock Stars)
• Yohimbe Brothers - The Tao of Yo (Thirsty Ear)
• Various artists - Disney's Karaoke Series: Mary Poppins (Walt Disney)
• Various artists - Disney's Read-Along: Mary Poppins (Walt Disney)
• Various artists - Pure Techno 2 (Water Music)
• Various artists - Rugrats Holiday Classics! (BMG/SMG)
• Various artists - "Shall We Dance?" soundtrack (Casablanca)
• DVD: Phish - "It" (WEA Corp.)
• DVD: Various artists - "Apollo at 70: A Hot Night in Harlem" (Rhino)

October 19:

• Michael Jackson - The Ultimate Collection (Sony)
  Read: "Michael Jackson's Ultimate Box Set Has Demos, Hits, Live DVD"
• Jimmy Eat World - Futures (Interscope)
  Read: "Jimmy Eat World Say If You Don't Like Futures Right Away, Don't Bother"
• Le Tigre - This Island (Universal)
• Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill (Anti)
  Read: "Elliott Smith's Final Album Due In October"

October 26:

• Nick Cave - Abattoir Blues/ Lyre of Orpheus (Anti)
• Leonard Cohen - Dear Heather (Sony)
• Donnas - Gold Medal (Atlantic)
  Read: "The Donnas Take Charge With Gold Medal"
• Simple Plan - Still Not Getting Any (Lava)
  Read: "Simple Plan Less Simple On Second Album"

November 2:

• AFI - AFI (Nitro)
• A Perfect Circle - Emotive (Virgin)
• Duran Duran - The Singles 1986-1995 (Capitol)
• Various Artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 17 (Capitol)

November 9:

• Britney Spears - Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (Jive)
  Read: "Britney Covers Bobby Brown's 'My Prerogative' For Forthcoming LP"
• Ruben Studdard - I Need an Angel (J Records)
  Read: "Ruben Studdard Decides Christmas Just Isn't Spiritual Enough"
• Vanessa Carlton - Harmonium (A&M Records)
• Shania Twain - Greatest Hits (Mercury Nashville

• Sum 41
• Mos Def
• No Doubt
• Pinback
• Frank Black