Panic at the Disco's Brendon Urie performs at the "Rock Band 2" pre-VMA party on Saturday
Photo: Jordan Strauss/WireImage

HOLLYWOOD — It was difficult to say who drew the most applause on Saturday night at the House of Blues on Sunset Strip: Panic at the Disco's dueling pretty boys (Ryan Ross and Brendon Urie), Plain White T's apple-cheeked, aw-shucks frontman (Tom Higgenson) or the shaggy-haired dude who totally wailed on Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" (nameless, bizarrely pumped Harmonix employee). So let's just call it a three-way tie.

There was a whole lot of everything going on at the event that was dubbed "the official launch party" for MTV-owned Harmonix's much anticipated "Rock Band 2" video game, which also doubled as a pre-Video Music Awards shindig, a fundraiser for the nonprofit LIFEbeat organization, a Yankee swap meet and a celebrity bake sale (just kidding about the last two). Oh, and both Panic and PWT took the stage for short sets too.

Whether it was a near-flawless performance of Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" taking place on one of the several "Rock Band" stages set up throughout the club, or PWT playing "Hey There Delilah" on the main stage, it was greeted with tons of high-pitched screams and more than a few cell phones held aloft. Watching bemusedly from the VIP section were a host of celebs, including Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson, "From G's to Gents" host Fonzworth Bentley, Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd and, uh, James Woods.

As for the music, well, "Rock Band 2" looks pretty awesome. And the bands were pretty good too. Higgenson and the T's played just four songs — the first single ("Natural Disaster") and the title track from their upcoming album Big Bad World, plus "Delilah" and "Our Time Now" — barely breaking a sweat but still delivering poppy, shiny anthems on a minor scale. As they exited, they blew kisses to the crowd and promised a much lengthier set when they return to Los Angeles on the "Rock Band" Live Tour (synergy!).

Panic were the "headliners" of the night, so they got to play seven songs, including "That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)," "Nine in the Afternoon" and a pair of older tunes that were given a husky, guitar-heavy makeover, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and "But It's Better If You Do." And while it was just a 30-minute set, you couldn't help but notice that somewhere along the way, Panic had morphed into a pretty good band, channeling — at moments — the shaggy, countryside psychedelia of the Band's Music From Big Pink and the sun-stained studio pop of the Beatles (their "Northern Downpour" sounds like an Abbey Road outtake).

And while the actual rock bands wrapped by midnight, the virtual versions wailed on deep into the night (or at least 1 a.m.). Inspired by what they saw onstage, kids in braces rocked out alongside gray-haired guys in suits, and women in high heels dueted on "Runnin' With the Devil." After all, this was only a concert in the loosest sense of the term, and there were plastic guitars to grasp and rock dreams to fulfill. The bands were almost an afterthought, really.

It's a wrap! Now that the 2008 VMAs have come and gone, check out all the winners, the most surprising moments, the best red-carpet fashions and more at VMA.MTV.com.

• Behind The Scenes At The VMAs

• Stars Collide At The 2008 VMA Weekend Parties
• VMA 2008: Behind The Scenes

• Panic at the Disco
• Plain White T's

Prince and Alicia Keys at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

With most of this year's Grammy Awards handed out before the show even started, the early winners list included Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake and more.

(Check out the list of 2008 Grammy Award winners right here.)

Winehouse and Keys were big winners early, taking Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "No One," respectively. Kanye landed a pair of victories before the televised ceremony started, grabbing Best Rap Solo Performance for the hit single "Stronger" and Best Rap Song for "Good Life." Maroon 5, meanwhile, won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for "Makes Me Wonder." The win meant that even though Plain White T's singer Tom Higgenson brought the inspiration for the band's hit "Hey There Delilah" to the show with him, he wasn't going to be able to wave a Grammy in her face at the end of the night. Amy Winehouse also struck early pay dirt with a Best Pop Vocal Album win for Back to Black and a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance victory for "Rehab."

Former and once-again Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant won Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for his song "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss. Justin Timberlake scored a Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "What Goes Around ... Comes Around" and Best Dance Recording for "LoveStoned/ I Think She Knows" and the Beastie Boys beat out a galaxy of jazz stars for the Best Pop Instrumental Album for The Mix-Up, while former "American Idol" Carrie Underwood won Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Before He Cheats," though former "Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry's eponymous band was 0-3 in the early running.

Other early wins included Best Electronic/Dance Album for the Chemical Brothers' We Are the Night, and Best Rock Song and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for Bruce Springsteen's "Radio Nowhere," with the latter denying Beck the chance to be the first artist to win a Grammy for an online-only single. The White Stripes struck gold with "Icky Thump," which won for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals and Best Alternative Music Album, the Foo Fighters won Best Hard Rock Performance for "The Pretender," and Slayer took Best Metal Performance for "Final Six."

A pair of R&B legends won awards as well, with Prince nabbing the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Future Baby Mama" and Chaka Khan taking Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for "Disrespectful" (featuring Mary J. Blige); Khan also won Best R&B Album for Funk This, which denied buzzed-about singer Ledisi one of her two potential Grammys. Gerald Levert, who passed away in late 2006, won Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for his tune "In My Songs." Lupe Fiasco made his pal Kanye proud with a Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Daydreamin' " from his 2006 debut, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor.

Other early winners included Keys for Best R&B Song ("No One"), Ne-Yo for Best Contemporary R&B Album (Because of You) and Common for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group ("Southside"). Mark Ronson was awarded the Producer of the Year prize for his work on albums by Winehouse, Lily Allen and his own solo album, while controversial director Tony Kaye won Best Short Form Music Video for his stark, star-filled video for the song "God's Gonna Cut You Down" by the late Johnny Cash.

In other categories, the "Dreamgirls" track "Love You I Do" was named Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, while composer Michael Giacchino's musical accompaniment to "Ratatouille" picked up Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

And in a grudge match worthy of the presidential primary season, Senator Barack Obama bested former President Bill Clinton — as well as Maya Angelou and another former president, Jimmy Carter — in the Best Spoken Word Album category for the audio-book version of his book "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming The American Dream."

Geek out on the Grammys with MTV News' complete coverage right here!

[This story was originally published at 8:10 pm E.T. on 2.10.2008]

• Grammys 60-Second Recap: Celebrating Amy Winehouse And The AARP

• 2008 Grammy Award Nominees: Akon, Fergie, T.I., More
• 2008 Grammy Awards Performers And Presenters
• 2008 Grammy Parties
• Beyonce, Fergie, Miley, More Rock The 2008 Grammy Red Carpet

• Amy Winehouse
• Alicia Keys
• Kanye West
• Justin Timberlake
• Maroon 5

Akon at the Grammy nominations press conference Thursday morning
Photo: MTV News

There's the old saying about it being an honor just to be nominated. That saying no doubt holds true for the artists, composers and songwriters who landed nominations for the 50th annual Grammy Awards, but they'd also like to win.

"I had a couple of nominations last year, and I didn't win," laughed Ne-Yo, who picked up four Grammy nods on Thursday morning (December 6), including Best R&B Song for "Hate That I Love You" (featuring Rihanna) and Best R&B Vocal Performance for "Because of You." "And to get this many nominations this year, it's an honor for somebody to give you the recognition, of course, but it'd also be an honor if I win."

"Being recognized for doing something you truly love is an amazing thing, whether you win or lose," added Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, up for two Grammys, including Best Pop Vocal Album. "I still really want to win though!"

If Ne-Yo does take home a golden gramophone or two on February 10, he said he plans to celebrate "with a lot of alcohol and a lot of friends and family."

And he wasn't the only artist planning to keep it within the fam. Akon, who received four Grammy nominations of his own, had a similar idea. "I'm calling my mom," he smiled. "She's probably going to scream, 'cause she's always said, 'You know what, you're gonna win.' "

Of course, both of those guys are certified hitmakers — and practically old pros at the Grammy game. For a host of other acts, recognized by the Recording Academy is a completely new experience — and a complete surprise.

"I grew up watching the Grammys every year and always dreamed that some day I would be there," said Tom Higgenson, frontman of Plain White T's — who scored a pair of nods, including Song of the Year, for their massive hit "Hey There Delilah." "It's funny, but before I even started writing 'Hey There Delilah,' I joked with Delilah that the song I wrote for her would be the song that made the band successful and that she'd be my date for the Grammys. Looks like I'll have to give her a call."

"I don't know how we got here, but I ain't complainin'!" exclaimed Hayley Williams, fiery frontwoman of Best New Artist nominees Paramore. "2007 hasn't stopped getting better since it started."

And that enthusiasm wasn't just limited to wet-behind-the-ears newcomers. Take, for example, the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, who seemed positively giddy when he spoke about his band's five nominations — including one for Album of the Year.

"That's pretty huge. We never expected to get something like that," Grohl said. "You're always surprised when you're nominated at the Grammys, because this is the real deal, this is voted on by our peers, by people who really love and understand music. But Album of the Year ... man, I don't know. Maybe Rock Album, or maybe Rock Song, but ... not Album of the Year. Man."

Or Nelly Furtado, who got all prom queen when discussing her nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance.

"The Grammy Awards are like the senior prom of the music business, only they happen every single year," she told MTV News. "Who wouldn't want to be invited to the prom? I was prom queen in high school, so I am thrilled and honored. "

And then there are those who decided to play it cool, despite probably having no idea they'd ever end 2007 with an armload of Grammy noms. Take, for example, Canadian chanteuse Feist, whose breakout hit "1234" earned her four nods — as many as Bruce Springsteen and Rihanna — including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and a spot in the Best New Artist category. For her, it was just another day in the wilds of the Great White North, which meant shoveling snow and baking and a whole lot of gratitude.

"This news has hit me like the blizzard I'm in the middle of, up in the Canadian woods," she wrote in a statement to MTV News. "I haven't quite absorbed it yet, so I'm going to go shovel the walk and make an apple cobbler now. [It's] astounding and amazing and surreal. Thank you."

• Kanye West, Amy Winehouse Lead Grammy Nods

• 2008 Grammy Award Nominees: Akon, Fergie, T.I., More

• Akon
• Foo Fighters
• Linkin Park
• Mike Shinoda
• Plain White T's

Prince's <i>Planet Earth</i>
Photo: Columbia

Despite Prince's best efforts and a strong sales push for the soundtrack of the hit film "Hairspray," the 25th addition to the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation clings to the #1 spot on next week's Billboard albums chart (despite a 33-percent slip in sales) on nearly 150,000 copies sold.

With contributions from the likes of Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Daughtry, Now 25's commercial appeal is obvious — and historically, the Now collections are consistent best-sellers. But the Hairspray soundtrack did pose a modest threat to the compilation's #1 standing.

While the film hasn't been a box-office champ, sales of the soundtrack swelled by 41 percent, helping the disc — which features the pipes of John Travolta, Zac Efron, Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, and Michelle Pfeiffer — climb two chart positions to #2. During the album's third week in stores, it sold more than 101,000 units, according to the latest SoundScan figures, released Wednesday morning (August 1). Meanwhile, following at #3 is the 24th studio offering from Prince, Planet Earth, which debuts with 95,500 scans. But Prince's wasn't the only LP to make a top 10 bow this week.

Opening at #7, thanks to sales of 44,600, is the latest from Canadian punks Sum 41, Underclass Hero. It becomes the band's highest charting effort, surpassing 2004's Chuck, which debuted at #10, but with much stronger sales: 65,700 and change.

Falling two chart positions this week to #4 is Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, the latest from the star of the Disney Channel original series, which sold 92,300 copies. Miley's dad, country crooner Billy Ray Cyrus, is looking up at his offspring from the #20 position, where his new album, Home at Last, debuts this week with 28,200 scans. With close to 64,500 copies flying off record store shelves, rapper T.I.'s T.I. vs. T.I.P. lands in the #5 slot, followed at #6 by Fergie's The Dutchess, with a reported 52,600 scans. Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight slips one spot to #8, with 41,800 sold, while Amy Winehouse's Back to Black finishes at #9, with 40,200 scans.

It was released nearly four months ago, and now, thanks to its hit single, "Hey There Delilah," the Plain White T's' Every Second Counts finally cracked the chart's top 10, rounding things out with 39,200 copies sold. The LP debuted at #186, with sales of 4,500, and has steadily climbed the top 200 ever since. It'll be interesting to see how the album fares next week.

In all, there were 21 newcomers to next week's Billboard chart, including rapper Yung Berg's Almost Famous EP, which generated 19,500 scans to open at #32. Right behind him at #33 is the soundtrack to El Cantante, the new film starring Jennifer Lopez and hubby Marc Anthony, which sold just 35 fewer copies. Following at #34 is Tegan and Sara's Con, which scanned 19,300 units. Meanwhile, Christian rockers BarlowGirl bow at #40, having sold 18,000 copies of their album How Can We Be Silent.

Canadian rock act Evans Blue clears the top 50 with a #44 opener for their latest, The Pursuit Begins When This Portrayal of Life Ends, which sold 16,900 units. Hanson's new one, The Walk, follows at #56, thanks to 12,400 in week-one sales, and coming in at #68, with 10,700 scans, is Absolute Garbage, a retrospective release chronicling the career of the female-fronted rock group. Silverchair's Young Modern opens at #70, with 10,500 copies sold, while the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Is Is EP debuts at #72 with 10,200 scans.

Making its debut at #77 with 9,500 copies snatched up is Monsters of Rock: Platinum Edition, a collection of 18 cuts from the height of the hair-metal craze; the disc features songs from Skid Row, Poison, Warrant, Ratt, Winger and a whole host of other bands you'd long since forgotten about. Metal pops up again at #106, as Within Temptation's Heart of Everything nets sales of 7,000-plus, and just two spots down on the chart, with sales of just under 7,000, is the soundtrack to The Simpson's Movie." 

The three-disc, 46-track Live in Boston '70, which captures the Doors during a two-night stint in Beantown at the height of their fame; sold 5,100 copies, to open at #145. Meanwhile, coming in at #154 with 4,800 scans is the debut album from rapper Freekey Zekey, Book of Ezekiel, and down in the #167 slot, thanks to a reported 4,400 in sales, is former Phish frontman Trey Anastasio's newest, The Horseshoe Curve. Last but not least, barely making the top 200 with 3,800 units sold, is Prey for Eyes, the latest from metal merchants the Red Chord, who claim the chart's #198 position.

• Prince
• T.I.
• Fergie
• Sum 41
• Linkin Park

Justin Timberlake's <I>FutureSex/LoveSounds</I>
Photo: Jive

Just Did It: Justin Timberlake is serving up a few treats with his FutureSex/LoveSounds — fans who preordered from iTunes just got the digital version of "SexyBack," a short making-of-the-song video, plus the bonus cut "Boutique in Heaven" and a digital booklet. Beyond that, the only extra cut that seems to be floating around is "Pose," which appears on the U.K. edition. As for the proper 12-track LP, it boasts production by Timbaland, Will.I.Am, Rick Rubin and Timberlake himself, plus it features "(Another Song) All Over Again," "Until the End of Time" and two interludes: "LoveStoned/ I Think She Knows" and "What Goes Around ... Comes Around."

Not Just So So: Daz Dillinger drops his first disc on Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label this week, and he's calling it So So Gangsta. What a way to get on the boss' good side. But he's been cozying up with some other guys as well: Rick Ross, who appears on the first single, "On the Real"; Snoop, who pipes up on "DPG Fo' Life" with Supafly; Ice Cube, who cools off "Strizap"; Kurupt, who dirties up "Money on My Mind"; Jagged Edge, who help Daz prove he's "The One"; and Dupri songwriting cohort Johnta Austin, who helps savor the "Weekend." With additional production by Dupri and Scott Storch, expect Daz to, uh, dazzle.

TV Time: TV on the Radio might be making a Return to Cookie Mountain with their latest effort, but they're not returning to indie label Touch and Go — this LP is the band's first for Interscope. Still, the Brooklyn, New York, wizards are keeping it real by offering a free poster with purchase of the LP at a litany of indie record stores that they call out on their Web site. The U.S. version has three extra tunes that aren't being offered overseas: "Snakes and Martyrs," "Things You Can Do" and a remix of "Hours" by hip hip-hopper El-P.

Mission From Mars: With 2003's De-Loused in the Comatorium and last year's Frances the Mute saga, Mars Volta have spent their five-year career intent on challenging fans and frustrating nonbelievers. But while they again host Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante on Amputechture, and add ample amounts of horn and sound manipulation, this is their first LP that isn't a linear narrative. Which could make songs like "Tetragrammaton" and "Meccamputechture" either more or less coherent.

All in la Familia: Now that Tego Calderón's had his go at summer reggaetón sales, it's time for N.O.R.E. to step up and see if he can score higher than Tego's #43 Billboard albums chart debut. Diddy, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Don Omar and, incidentally, Daddy Yankee all take a seat at the table on N.O.R.E. y la Familia's Ya Tú Sabe, which marks the first release by the so-called "Nuyorican" artist. La prueba para permanecer la calma.

May Day: Now that the Jessica Simpson rumors are subsiding, John Mayer fans can concentrate on Continuum, his fourth studio LP and the first one he's produced (albeit with some help from John Mayer Trio drummer Steve Jordan). Mayer burns through a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Bold as Love" and chalks up new renditions of "Vultures" and "Gravity," both reworked by the JMT.

Which Did You Hear First?: It's a You Hear It First face-off this week, with mtvU faves Plain White T's decompressing from their Warped Tour jaunt with Every Second Counts. In the meantime, more-recent YHIF selections Tally Hall are hoping to ride off the love they got from "The O.C." and "The Real World" with their Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum. PWT's' third record drops just weeks before their Nintendo Fusion tour with Hawthorne Heights, but Tally Hall have four-part harmonies and taste-making SoCal radio station KCRW. Who's calling heads?

In the Garden of Good and Evil: Don't let Heavens' name fool you — the project is actually fronted by Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba, a proud member of Anton LaVey's Church of Satan. F-Minus' Josiah Steinbrick is the other half of the duo, and their bleak Patent Pending is coated with songs of murder and obsession. Conversely, Ozzfest stalwarts Norma Jean are a Christian band, despite what you might think from songs like "The End of All Things Will Be Televised," "Cemetery Like a Stage" and "No Passenger: No Parasite," all of which appear on their Redeemer LP.

Beyond Heavens, also stirring up trouble this week is Jihad Jerry, a.k.a. Gerald V. Casale, one of the co-founders of Devo. On his politically divisive Mine Is Not a Holy War, he's backed by the Evildoers, which include the other Devo guys, plus A Perfect Circle drummer Josh Freese and Goo Goo Dolls keyboardist Dave Shultz. And of course, there's the usual crop of brutal troublemakers — we're looking at you, Mastodon (Blood Mountain), Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society's Shot to Hell), Hella (Acoustics EP), Hatesphere (The Sickness Within), Manticora (Black Circus [Part One]), Meliah Rage (The Deep and Dreamless Sleep), Xasthur (Subliminal Genocide) and ex-New Kid on the Block Jordan Knight (Love Songs).

Friends in Need: One could say Lionel Richie has proven himself a mildly successful artist over the years, but in case there's any doubt surrounding his newest opus, he's tapped Jermaine Dupri, Raphael Saadiq, Dallas Austin and other big-time producers to ensure big sales. Make sure you don't get his Coming Home confused with New Found Glory's, which drops next week.

Veruca Salt is another name you probably haven't heard in awhile, but for their first album in six years, they've hopped onto inimitable underground label Sympathy for the Record Industry and called on Radio Vago's Nicole Fiorentino and Failure's Kelli Scott to become their new bassist and drummer, respectively.

Mark Hoppus, Tim Armstrong, Nick Hexum, John Feldmann and Brett Gurewitz are also doing their part this week, giving a boost to the Matches. All five big guns help produce the Bay Area band's second Epitaph offering, Decomposer.

Blue Note/ Metro is issuing two new sets by Brazilian artist Marisa Monte — Infinito Particular and Universo Ao Meu Redor — and they feature guest work by David Byrne, Philip Glass and other high-ranking stars.

Twenty-one-year-old Matt Duke probably didn't expect Marshall Crenshaw, in addition to Dylan and Wings collaborators, to be helping him put together his Winter Child. But that's exactly what the vets did for his disc, which is being released through Drexel University's student-run Mad Dragon label.

And in case "Grey's Anatomy" is in need of even more lucrative success, the TV show's second soundtrack might do the trick. It features Snow Patrol, KT Tunstall, Gomez, Metric and others.

On a lesser note: Ex-Arcade Fire drummer Howard Bilerman engineered Angela Desveaux's Wandering Eyes, which also features Godspeed You Black Emperor!'s Mike Moya; and underground fave RJD2 hops onboard Pigeon John ... and the Summertime Pool Party.

Song Titles of the Week:

Tie between "Welcome to the Jungle Baby, You're Gunna Live!" from Hella's Acoustics EP and "I'm Wolverine and You're a Walrus and I'm Kicking Your Ass" from Miss Violetta Beauregarde's Odi Profanum Vulgus Et Arceo.

Other Notables:

Yo La Tengo's I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass: Sadly, YLT didn't come up with this album title themselves — it's actually a threat NBA Phoenix Suns forward/center Kurt Thomas made to New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury. In that vein, the pre-eminent New York indie-rockers developed a bonus "season pass" Web site for fans who preordered. If you've got the coupon code and instructions, a player streaming the entire album, a digital booklet, exclusive MP3s and advance notice on ticket sales are at your fingertips.

Xiu Xiu's The Air Force: "Your acne is like a pearl." Chances are the only place you'll be able to hear that phrase spoken is on the newest LP by the San Jose, California, post-punks, who fit right in alongside fellow noisemakers Deerhoof and Erase Errata. Produced by Deerhoof's Greg Saunier and touted as the band's "most accessible" outing — which is kinda like calling the Saturday New York Times crossword "easier" than the Sunday one — it features "The Pineapple vs. the Watermelon," "Saint Pedro Glue Stick" and "The Wigmaster" ("Seinfeld" buffs take note, perhaps).

OOIOO's Taiga: Here's one for all the CD-packaging fiends out there. The fifth effort by the all-female Japanese group — captained by Yoshimi P-We of Boredoms infamy — comes in a deluxe, holographic-foil, embossed digipak. The glorious package is "aimed to enhance the transcendental experience," according to the label. If you're still not sold, check out the track list: "UMA," "KMS," "UJA," "GRS," "ATS," "SAI," "UMO" and "IOA." RAD.

New Releases:

• The Album Leaf - Into the Blue Again (Sub Pop)
  
• Anonymous 4 - Gloryland (Harmonia Mundi)
  
• Anthropia - The Ereyn Chronicles: Part I - The Journey of Beginnings (Magna Carta)
  
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  Buy Now: Barenaked Ladies Are Me (Desperation)
  
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  Buy Now: Crazy Itch Radio (XL Recordings)
  
• Baumer - Come on, Feel It (Eyeball)
  
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• Bettie Serveert - Bare Stripped Naked (with DVD; Minty Fresh)
  
• Black Label Society - Shot to Hell (Roadrunner)
  Buy Now: Shot to Hell (Roadrunner)
  
• Black Keys - Magic Potion (Nonesuch)
  Buy Now: Magic Potion (Nonesuch)
  
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• Jonatha Brooke - Live in New York (with DVD; Bad Dog)
  
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• Kasey Chambers - Carnival (Warner Bros.)
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  Read: "Everclear Kick Off Drama With Controversial 'Hater' Jesus Video"
  Buy Now: Welcome to the Drama Club (Eleven Seven)
  
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• Peter Frampton - Fingerprints (New Door)
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• Steve Hackett - Wild Orchids (special-edition slipcase also available; Inside Out)
  
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• Hella - Acoustics (EP; 5 Rue Christine)
  
• Hostility - Uncompromised (RNB)
  
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  Buy Now: Monument to the Masses (Virgin)
  
• Indian Jewelry - Invasive Exotics (Monitor)
  
• Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers - Mine Is Not a Holy War (Cordless)
  
• Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye (Domino)
  
• Jordan Knight - Love Songs (Trans-Con)
  Buy Now: Love Songs (Trans-Con)
  
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  Buy Now: Loud and Dangerous (Shrapnel)
  
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  Buy Now: The Town and the City (Hollywood)
  
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• Mannheim Steamroller - Halloween 2 Music (two CDs and one DVD; American Gramaphone)
  
• Roger Joseph Manning Jr. - The Land of Pure Imagination (digipak; Cordless)
  
• Manticora - Black Circus (Part One) (Locomotive)
  
• The Mars Volta - Amputechture (GSL/ Universal)
  Read: "Mars Volta's Amputechture Inspired By Immigrant Marches, Possessed Nuns"
  Buy Now: Amputechture (GSL/ Universal)
  
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• Charlotte Martin - Stromata (Dinosaur Fight)
  
• Mastodon - Blood Mountain (Reprise; limited-edition version with DVD also available)
  Read: "Mastodon LP Tackles Auto-Cannibalism, One-Eyed Sasquatch"
  Buy Now: Blood Mountain (Reprise)
  
• Matches - Decomposer (Epitaph)
  
• Eric Matthews - Foundation Sounds (Empyrean)
  
• John Mayer - Continuum (Columbia)
  Buy Now: Continuum (Columbia)
  
• Sandra McCracken - Gravity/ Love (Townhee)
  
• Meliah Rage - The Deep and Dreamless Sleep (Screaming Ferret)
  
• Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau - Metheny/ Mehldau (Nonesuch)
  Buy Now: Metheny/ Mehldau (Nonesuch)
  
• Marisa Monte - Infinito Particular (enhanced) and Universo Ao Meu Redor (Blue Note/ Metro)
  
• The Mooney Suzuki - The Maximum Black EP (V2)
  Buy Now: The Maximum Black EP (V2)
  
• Jason Moran - Artist in Residence (Blue Note)
  
• Mouse on Mars - Varcharz (digipak; Ipecac)
  Buy Now: Varcharz (Ipecac)
  
• N.O.R.E. y la Familia - Ya Tú Sabe (Roc-A-Fella)
  
• Norma Jean - Redeemer (Tooth & Nail)
  Buy Now: Redeemer (Tooth & Nail)
  
• Now It's Overhead - Dark Light Daybreak (Saddle Creek)
  
• Tara Jane O'Neil - In Circles (Quarterstick)
  
• OOIOO - Taiga (digipak; Thrill Jockey)
  
• Page France - Hello Dear Wind (Suicide Squeeze)
  
• Papa Roach - The Paramour Sessions (Geffen)
  Buy Now: The Paramour Sessions (Geffen)
  
• Madeleine Peyroux - Half the Perfect World (Rounder)
  Buy Now: Half the Perfect World (Rounder)
  
• Pigeon John - Pigeon John ... and the Summertime Pool Party (Quannum)
  
• Plain White T's - Every Second Counts (Hollywood)
  Read: "Plain White T's Find Getting Personal Pays Off, Literally"
  Buy Now: Every Second Counts (Hollywood)
  
• Psychostick - We Couldn't Think of a Title (Rock Ridge)
  
• Purrs - The Purrs (digipak; Sarathan)
  
• Radio Citizen - Berlin Serengeti (Ubiquitous)
  
• The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love (Universal Motown)
  Buy Now: Pieces of the People We Love (Universal Motown)
  
• Dan Reeder - Sweetheart (Oh Boy)
  
• Lionel Richie - Coming Home (Island)
  Buy Now: Coming Home (Island)
  
• Randy Rogers Band - Just a Matter of Time (Mercury Nashville)
  Buy Now: Just a Matter of Time (Mercury Nashville)
  
• Bob Seger - Face the Promise (Capitol)
  Buy Now: Face the Promise (Capitol)
  
• Louise Setara - Still Waters (Manhattan)
  
• Mitchy Slick - Urban Survival Syndrome (Angeles/ Tha WrongKind)
  
• Slumber Party - Musik (Kill Rock Stars)
  
• So Many Dynamos - Flashlights (Skrocki)
  
• Subhumans (Canada) - New Dark Age Parade (Alternative Tentacles)
  
• Sugarcult - Lights Out (V2)
  Buy Now: Lights Out (V2)
  
• Swollen Members - Black Magic (Battle Axe)
  
• Tall Firs - Tall Firs (digipak; Ecstatic Peace)
  
• Tally Hall - Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (Quack!Media)
  Read: "Tally Hall Want To Be First Hologram-Rocking, Geek-Chic Band In Colored Ties"
  Buy Now: Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (Quack!Media)
  
• Tankard - The Beauty and the Beer (Locomotive)
  
• Ten Tenors - Here's to the Heroes (Rhino)
  
• This Providence - This Providence (Fueled by Ramen)
  
• Sandi Thom - Smile ... It Confuses People (RCA)
  
• Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds (Jive)
  Read: "Justin's Album Shows Off Two Sides: Over-The-Top Saucy, Unassumingly Sweet"
  Buy Now: FutureSex/LoveSounds (RCA)
  
• TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (Interscope)
  Buy Now: Return to Cookie Mountain (Interscope)
  
• Two Ton Boa - Paraciticide (Kill Rock Stars)
  
• Veruca Salt - IV (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  Buy Now: IV (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  
• Vincent Van Go Go - Do U Know? (digipak; Quango)
  
• Viva Voce - Get Yr Blood Sucked Out (Barsuk)
  
• Bradley Walker - Highway of Dreams (Rounder)
  
• Wednesday 13 - Fang Bang (Rykodisc)
  
• Wired All Wrong - Break Out the Battle Tapes (Nitrus)
  
• Woven Hand - Mosaic (Sounds Familyre)
  
• Xasthur - Subliminal Genocide (Hydra Head)
  
• Xiu Xiu - The Air Force (5 Rue Christine)
  
• Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (Matador)
  Buy Now: I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (Matador)
  
• Young Widows - Settle Down City (Jade Tree)
  
• Various artists - Bedtime Beats - The Secret to Sleep (Smash Arts/ Rhino)
  
• Various artists - "Grey's Anatomy: Volume 2" soundtrack (Hollywood)
  
• Various artists - "Gridiron Gang" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)
  
• Various artists - "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Best Day Ever" (enhanced; Nick)
  
• Various artists - "Wassup Rockers" soundtrack (Record Collection)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Yolanda Adams - The Essential Yolanda Adams (two CDs; Verity/ Legacy)
  
• America - Definitive Pop (Rhino)
  
• Asia - Definitive Collection (Hip-O)
  
• Bluetones - A Rough Outline: The Singles & B-Sides 95-03 (three CDs; Fontana)
  
• Big Bill Broonzy - Amsterdam Live Concerts 1953 (two-CD box set; Munich)
  
• The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Best of Brubeck (1979-2004)
  
• Dead Moon - Echoes of the Past (Sub Pop)
  
• Eric Dolphy Quintet - Outward Bound (Prestige)
  
• Dr. John - Definitive Pop (Rhino)
  
• Charles Earland - Black Talk! (Prestige)
  
• Electric Light Orchestra - A New World Record, Face the Music and On the Third Day (Epic/ Legacy)
  
• Everly Brothers - Definitive Pop (Rhino)
  
• Marianne Faithfull - Faithfull: A Collection of Her Best Recordings (Fontana)
  
• Peter Frampton - Fingerprints (New Door)
  
• Gallio/ Voerkel/ Frey - Tiegel (Atavistic)
  
• Steve Goodman - Live at the Earl of Old Town (Oh Boy)
  
• Merle Haggard - Hag: The Best of Merle Haggard (Capitol Nashville/ EMI)
  
• Tommy James & the Shondells - Definitive Pop (Rhino)
  
• Steve Lacy Quintet - Esteem: Live in Paris 1975 (Atavistic)
  
• Lonestar - 16 Biggest Hits (slipcase; BNA)
  
• Dean Martin - Christmas With Dino (Capitol)
  
• John Phillips - John the Wolfking of L.A. (Varèse Sarabande)
  
• R.E.M. - And I Feel Fine: The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 (collector's edition with bonus CD also available; Capitol/ I.R.S.)
  Buy Now: And I Feel Fine: The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 (Capitol/ I.R.S.)
  
• Lou Rawls - Merry Christmas, Baby (Capitol)
  
• Johnny Rivers - Secret Agent Man: The Johnny Rivers Anthology (1964-2006) (two CDs; Shout! Factory)
  
• Sonny & Cher - Definitive Pop (Rhino)
  
• KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope (with DVD; Virgin)
  Buy Now: Eye to the Telescope (Virgin)
  
• Unkle - Self Defence (four-CD box set; Global Underground)
  
• Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons - Definitive Pop (Rhino)
  
• Various artists - American Music: The HighTone Records Story (box set with four CDs and one DVD; HighTone)
  
• Various artists - Blind Pig Records: 20th Anniversary Collection (two CDs and DVD; Blind Pig)
  
• Various artists - The Sex, The City, The Music: Barcelona, Berlin, Istanbul, Las Vegas, Moscow, Paris, New York, Shanghai and Tokyo (10 separately sold CDs; Petrol/EMI)

Music DVDs:

• Mariah Carey - "Mariah Carey" and "MTV Unplugged + 3" (Columbia)
  
• Marvin Gaye - "Live in Belgium 1981" (Motown)
  
• The Police - "Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out" (Hip-O)
  
• R.E.M. - "When the Light Is Mine: The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 - Video Collection" (Capitol/I.R.S.)
  
• Santana - "Viva Santana" (Columbia)
  
• Barbra Streisand - "One Voice" (Rhino)
  
• James Taylor - "Squibnocket" (Columbia)
  
• Temptations - "Get Ready: Definitive Performances 1965 to 1972" (Motown)
  
• Various artists - "Bang Your Head Festival 2005" (two DVDs; Locomotive)

Coming Attractions:

September 19:

• Chingy - Hoodstar (Capitol)
  Read: "Chingy Out To Prove Himself As A Hoodstar With Jermaine Dupri, Tyrese"
  Preorder: Hoodstar (Capitol)
  
• Fergie - The Dutchess (Interscope)
  Read: "Fergie's Split-Pea Soup: Reggae, Jazz, Ludacris, B Real On 'Crazy' Solo LP"
  Preorder: The Dutchess (Interscope)
  
• Jesse McCartney - Right Where You Want Me (Hollywood)
  Read: "In September, Get Jesse McCartney Right Where You Want Him"
  Preorder: Right Where You Want Me (Hollywood)
  
• New Found Glory - Coming Home (Geffen)
  Read: "New Found Glory Unveil Track List; New LP Is 'Different From Everything Out There' "
  Preorder: Coming Home (Geffen)

September 26:

• Janet Jackson - 20 Y.O. (Virgin)
  Read: "Jermaine Dupri Promises Mariah, Janet Duet On New Album"
  Preorder: 20 Y.O. (Virgin)
  
• Ludacris - Release Therapy (Def Jam)
  Read: "Therapy Session: Ludacris Previews New LP, Shows Off Home Studio"
  Preorder: Release Therapy (Def Jam)
  
• Mewithoutyou - Brother Sister (Tooth & Nail)
  Read: "Mewithoutyou Confront Rock's Limitations: 'You Can't Give People Hugs In A CD' "
  Preorder: Brother Sister (Tooth & Nail)

October 3:

• Beck - The Information (Geffen)
  Read: "Beck Giving Fans Sticky Fingers With Quasi-Hip-Hop Album"
  Preorder: The Information (Geffen)
  
• Evanescence - The Open Door (Wind-Up)
  Read: "Amy Lee Says New Evanescence LP Has More Sensuality"
  Preorder: The Open Door (Wind-Up)
  
• Killers - Sam's Town (Island)
  Read: "Killers Album Preview: Massive Sound, Epic Ballads, Big Ideas Fill Sam's Town"
  Preorder: Sam's Town (Interscope)

• Justin Timberlake
• Daz Dillinger
• TV On The Radio
• The Mars Volta
• John Mayer

Hawthorne Heights
Photo: Jason Campbell

Coming soon to a corporate-named pavilion near you: a whole bunch of emo kids and even more Nintendo-related frippery!

On Friday (July 28), organizers for the fourth annual Nintendo Fusion Tour — which this year includes Hawthorne Heights, Relient K and Plain White T's — revealed the full itinerary for the trek, scheduled to launch September 27 in Columbus, Ohio. The tour will make stops in 32 additional cities before coming to a close November 11 in Chicago.

While the lineup for this year's tour lacks much of the sizzle of Fusions past (which have included Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco and My Chemical Romance), it does boast one huge advantage: the chance for fans to get their hands on Nintendo's much-anticipated next-gen console, the Wii (see "The Revolution Has A Name: Nintendo Wii").

Nintendo Fusion Tour dates, according to Nintendo:

• 9/27 - Columbus, OH @ Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
• 9/28 - Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Egyptian Room
• 9/29 - Detroit, MI @ State Theatre
• 9/30 - Cleveland, OH @ Tower City Amphitheater
• 10/1 - Covington, KY @ Madison Theatre
• 10/4 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
• 10/5 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
• 10/7 - Pittsburgh, PA @ University of Pittsburgh
• 10/8 - New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
• 10/9 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
• 10/10 - Winston-Salem, NC @ The Millennium Center
• 10/11 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 10/12 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
• 10/13 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
• 10/14 - Jacksonville, FL @ Plush
• 10/15 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
• 10/17 - Jonesboro, AR @ ASU Convocation Center
• 10/18 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
• 10/19 - Selma, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
• 10/20 - Dallas, TX @ Nokia Theatre Grand Prairie (NextStage Arena)
• 10/22 - Phoenix, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre
• 10/24 - Anaheim, CA @ The Grove of Anaheim
• 10/25 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern LG
• 10/26 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
• 10/27 - San Diego, CA @ SOMA
• 10/28 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• 11/2 - Spokane, WA @ Big Easy
• 11/4 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
• 11/6 - Maplewood, MN @ Myth
• 11/7 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
• 11/8 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave/ Eagles Club
• 11/9 - West Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
• 11/10 - Champaign, IL @ Assembly Hall
• 11/11 - Chicago, IL @ Congress Theatre

• Hawthorne Heights
• Relient K
• Plain White T's

Red Hot Chili Peppers' <I>Stadium Arcadium</I>
Photo: Warner Bros/ Wea

Hungry?: The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been piquing fans' appetites with their "Dani California" single, but that song has 27 brethren on the two-disc Stadium Arcadium. The guys wrote 38 songs, but the number they whittled the list down to still exceeds the number of tracks on their Greatest Hits and Best Of records combined. The two CDs — nicknamed "Jupiter" and "Mars" — are boosted by a DVD in the limited-edition black-box version of the set, which has a chunky booklet, artwork by the band, an hour-long interview, the "Dani" video and more. Tracks on both versions include "Especially in Michigan," featuring a guitar solo by Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez; "Warlocks," with legend Billy Preston on clavinet; and "She's Only 18."

Lonely: Nick Lachey makes his second solo splash as the aftershocks of his break with Jessica Simpson are still rippling through the tabloids. The writing's on the, er, CD, as they say, on tracks like "I Can't Hate You Anymore," "On Your Own," "You're Not Alone" and — well, on just about all 12 songs. Lachey shares writing credits on most tracks, finding company in British singer/pianist Jamie Cullum on "Ghosts" and Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell collaborator Dan Muckala on three tunes, including "Outside Looking In." Hang in there, bub.

Korny: There's a reason you haven't heard about Korn's Live & Rare: It's being dished out by the band's former label, Epic, undoubtedly trying to piggyback on Korn's current album and tour promotions. Dubbed a companion piece to 2004's Greatest Hits, Vol.1, the single disc culls seven tracks from the group's gig at New York's CBGB in 2003, two from its 1999 Woodstock performance, plus covers of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall (Parts 1-3)," Metallica's "One" and Cheech & Chong's "Earache My Eye."

Gnarly: Wherever St. Elsewhere is, expect to find astronauts, purple panthers, pink palm trees, gas masks and other scattered military equipment — if the cover of Gnarls Barkley's debut is at all accurate. All songs were written primarily by Brian Burton, a.k.a. Danger Mouse — save a surprising cover of Violent Femmes' "Gone Daddy Gone" — while Thomas DeCarlo Callaway, a.k.a. Cee-Lo, mans the mic. Both partners are Grammy nominees, so expect this one to have some extra bounce with the critics.

Agelessly: Gotta love it when soul heroes the Isley Brothers advertise a fresh number as a "new vintage classic." That would be "Gotta Be With You," one of 11 new cuts by the bros that also include "Blast Off," which features and was written, produced and arranged by R. Kelly; the Jermaine Dupri-produced "Gotta Be With You," co-written by Bryan Michael Cox (Mariah Carey, Usher); "Heaven Hooked Us Up," with guitars by Ernest Isley; and the laudably titled "Forever Mackin'," which has the priceless lyric "I rock the grooves and make moves on all the mommies."

She's not as old as the Isleys, but veteran Motown and current Cash Money heavyweight Teena Marie follows up 2004's La Doña with Sapphire. The death of her close companion Rick James is at the root of her 13th record, for which her 14-year-old daughter, Alia Rose, pays more than a couple of visits. Also chiming in are Kurupt and his wife, Gail Gotti; Teena Marie's sister, Queen; plus Smokey Robinson, Gerald Albright and the late James (on "You Blow Me Away").

Fiery: For their fourth studio venture, Eyes Open, Snow Patrol sought some help from singer Martha Wainwright for the scorching duet "Set the Fire to the Third Bar." Oh, and if you've got an all-regions DVD player and some extra motivation, try to hunt down the limited-edition import copy of the record. The accompanying video disc has making-of material plus the video for "You're All I Have."

All in the Family: This week would make Jack and Meg White proud. The Chicago husband-and-wife duo the Like Young step up with their third record, Last Secrets; Mercury Prize-nominated brothers the Electric Soft Parade deliver The Human Body EP — with a bonus track that didn't appear on the U.K. edition; and John Carter Cash contributes liner notes to a re-release of his father's The Johnny Cash Children's Album, which has four previously unissued tracks.

Pony Up is a project that pairs drummer Linsay Wills with her younger sister/ ad-hoc keyboardist Laura Elizabeth. The Montreal group cowboy up with their debut, Make Love to the Judges With Your Eyes, which the band tracked with Arcade Fire collaborator Howard Ian Bilerman and engineer Brian Paulson of Beck and Wilco note.

Grandaddy's Just Like the Fambly Cat is in the thick of the incestuous pack, even if the record is more of a signature on their set of divorce papers, while New York bluesman Popa Chubby reveals the art behind Stealing the Devil's Guitar. Accident Experiment is another family matter, so to speak, as the band's United We Fear opus adopts members of P.O.D., Sprung Monkey and Grammatrain.

And the third release by Danielson Famile spinoff Danielson brings together siblings Chris, Greg, John and Satomi and also features Sufjan Stevens and Serena Maneesh. As luck would have it, Pitchfork darlings Serena Maneesh drop their own self-titled record this week, a record the Norwegian group calls an exercise in serenity. Let's hope they don't have any in-laws!

Song Title of the Week:

"Tire Bracelets for Coffin Life" from Zach Hill and Mick Barr's Shred Earthship

Other Notables:

Matmos' The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast: The San Francisco duo's seventh record is really an event in and of itself. With help from Björk, the Kronos Quartet and Antony, Matmos pay homage to 10 notorious deviants, including Germs singer Darby Crash, Valerie Solanas — the woman who shot Andy Warhol — and William S. Burroughs. And it gets even more far-out when they acknowledge Bavarian ruler King Ludwig II and a '60s gay-porn director. Capping the milestone, Matmos enlisted an array of artists — including Ghost World and Art School Confidential mastermind Daniel Clowes — to craft a visual accompaniment for each piece.

Plain White T's' Hey There Delilah: Chicago's latest great "white" hope have already won big with this EP's title track, which has been downloaded more than 40,000 times on iTunes. A live version of the song plus four new numbers recorded with Sean O'Keefe (Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights) and four additional videos give this EP even more bang for the buck.

Kimya Dawson's Remember That I ♥ You: The Moldy Peach just got married and is expecting a baby this summer, but apparently that's not enough — she found time to birth her fifth solo LP as well. She fumes about the response to the 2004 tsunami in "12/26," declaring, "We'd have 12/26 tattooed across our foreheads if something this atrocious happened on our coast instead." But she saves some vitriol for the White House on "Loose Lips" — after all, what would a new-releases week be these days without some Bush bashing?

New Releases:

• Accident Experiment - United We Fear (Rock Ridge)
• The Aggrolites - The Aggrolites (digipak; Hellcat)
• Astral Doors - Astralism (Locomotive)
• ATB - The DJ in the Mix 3 (digipak; Water)
• Backyard Babies - People Like People Like People Like Us (Abacus)
• Susana Baca - Travesías (Luaka Bop)
• The Black Heart Procession - The Spell (digipak; Touch & Go)
  Buy Now: The Spell (Touch & Go)
  
• Black Hollies - Crimson Reflections (Ernest Jenning Record Co.)
• Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive (V2)
• Burden of a Day - Pilots & Paper Planes (Blood & Ink)
• Clear Static - Clear Static (Maverick)
• Harry Connick Jr. - Harry on Broadway, Act 1 (two CDs; Columbia)
• Cx Kidtronik - Krak Attack (Sound-Ink)
• Danielson - Ships (Secretly Canadian)
• Kimya Dawson - Remember That I ♥ You (K)
• Casey Driessen - 3D (Sugar Hill)
• The Electric Soft Parade - The Human Body (EP; Better Looking)
• The Everyothers - Pink Sticky Lies (EP; Kill Rock Stars)
• Flying - Just-One-Second-Ago-Broken Eggshell (Millpond)
• Forgive Durden - Wonderland (Fueled by Ramen)
• The Isley Brothers - Baby Makin' Music (Island)
• Girl Talk - Night Ripper (Illegal Art)
• Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere (Downtown)
  Buy Now: St. Elsewhere (Downtown)
  
• Grandaddy - Just Like the Fambly Cat (V2)
  Read: "Grandaddy Can't Wait To Leave Home — But They Have To Finish Telling It Off First"
  Buy Now: Just Like the Fambly Cat (V2)
  
• Grave Digger - 25 to Live (two CDs; Locomotive)
• Zach Hill and Mick Barr - Shred Earthship (5 Rue Christine)
• Jolie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You (digipak; Anti)
  Buy Now: Springtime Can Kill You (Anti)
  
• I See Hawks in L.A. - California Country (Western Seeds)
• Jagged Edge - Jagged Edge (Columbia)
  Buy Now: Jagged Edge (Columbia)
  
• Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch & Fats Kaplin - Lost John Dean (Compass)
• KMFDM - Ruck Zuck (EP; Metropolis)
• Korn - Live & Rare (Epic)
  Buy Now: Live & Rare (Epic)
  
• Darren Kozelsky - Let Your Mind Fly (Boo Hatch)
• Nick Lachey - What's Left of Me (Jive)
  Buy Now: What's Left of Me (Jive)
  
• Lansing-Dreiden - The Dividing Island (digipak; Kemado)
• The Like Young - Last Secrets (Polyvinyl)
• Little Annie - Songs From the Coal Mine Canary (Durtro/ Jnana)
• Teena Marie - Sapphire (Cash Money)
  Buy Now: Sapphire (Cash Money)
  
• Matmos - The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast (Matador)
• MC Magic - Magic City (Thump)
• McFly - Just My Luck (Universal)
• Julia Murney - I'm Not Waiting (Sh-K Boom)
• New Mexican Disaster Squad - Don't Believe (Jade Tree)
• Nomo - New Tones (Ubiquity)
• The Old Haunts - Fuel on Fire (Kill Rock Stars)
• Panzer AG - Your World Is Burning (Metropolis)
• Stephen Pearcy - Stripped (Sidewinder)
• Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah (enhanced EP; Fearless)
  Read: "Plain White T's Find Getting Personal Pays Off, Literally"
• Pony Up - Make Love to the Judges With Your Eyes (Dim Mak)
• Popa Chubby - Stealing the Devil's Guitar (Blind Pig)
• Rasheeda - Georgia Peach (Big Cat)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium (two CDs; limited edition with DVD also available; Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Chili Peppers Stoked About New Album, Possible Kanye Tour"
  Buy Now: Stadium Arcadium (Warner Bros.)
  
• Retisonic - Levittown (EP; Ascetic)
• Serena Maneesh - Serena-Maneesh (Play Louder)
• Shearwater - Palo Santo (Misra)
• Paul Simon - Surprise (Warner Bros.)
  Buy Now: Surprise (Warner Bros.)
  
• Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King - My Heart's in Texas (Blind Pig)
• Snog - Snog Vs. the Faecal Juggernaut of Mass Culture (Metropolis)
• Snow Patrol - Eyes Open (A&M)
  Read: "Snow Patrol Turn 'Candy-Assed' Music Into Beastly Arena Rock"
  Buy Now: Eyes Open (A&M)
  
• Sodom - Sodom (Steamhammer/ SPV)
• The Stills - Without Feathers (Vice)
  Read: "The Stills Look To Britney Spears In Picking New Single"
  Buy Now: Without Feathers (Vice)
  
• Suga Free - Just Add Water (with bonus DVD; Bungalo)
• Sugarplum Fairies - Country International Records (Starfish)
• Thee More Shadows - Monkey Vs. Shark (Turn)
• Toots Thielemans - One More for the Road (Verve)
• Transition - Get There (Floodgate)
• Jim Van Cleve - No Apologies (Rural Rhythm)
• Wooden Wand - Harem of the Sundrum & the Witness Figg (5 Rue Christine)
• Yonder Mountain String Band - Yonder Mountain String Band (Vanguard)
• Hans Zimmer - "The Da Vinci Code" soundtrack (Decca)
• Various artists - Punk Goes 90's (Fearless)
• Various artists - Re-Bop: The Savoy Remixes (Savoy Jazz)
• Various artists - Rewind! 5 (Ubiquity)
• Various artists - Sail Away: The Songs of Randy Newman (Sugar Hill)
• Various artists - The Sound the Hare Heard (Kill Rock Stars)
• Various artists - "Charmed: The Final Chapter" soundtrack (Adrenaline)
• Various artists - "Mission: Impossible III" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)
• Various artists - "Poseidon" soundtrack (Interscope)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Chris Isaak - Best of Chris Isaak (two-disc version with DVD also available; Reprise)
• Barry Manilow - Barry Manilow II, Even Now and Tryin' to Get the Feeling (expanded with unreleased tracks; Arista/ Legacy)
• Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King - "My Heart's in Texas" (Blind Pig)
• Trivium - Ascendancy (special-edition slipcase with DVD; Roadrunner)
• Gino Vanelli - These Are the Days (Universal)
• Various artists - Pure '80s: #1s (UTV)

Music DVDs:

• Rory Gallagher - "Live at Montreux" (Eagle Vision)
• Grave Digger - "25 to Live" (Locomotive)
• New Order - "New Order Story" (Rhino)
• Whitesnake - "Live in the Still of the Night" (Hip-O)

Coming Attractions:

May 16:

• Ashley Parker Angel - Soundtrack to Your Life (Universal)
  Buy Now: Soundtrack to Your Life (Universal)
  
• Cam'ron - Killa Season (limited-edition version with DVD and two bonus tracks also available; Rap-a-Lot)
  Read: "Mixtape Monday: LL Cool J Stays Hungry, Cam'ron Delivers A Preview"
• Hoobastank - Every Man for Himself (Island)
  Read: "Hoobastank Find Inspiration For New LP In Scott Weiland's Cold Shoulder"
• Christina Milian - So Amazin' (enhanced; Def Jam)
• The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers (V2/ Third Man)
  Read: "Jack White: Don't Call The Raconteurs A Side Project"
• Rock Kills Kid - Are You Nervous? (Reprise)
  Read: "Rock Kills Kid Bring Music From Windowless Room To Radio"

May 23:

• Angels & Airwaves - We Don't Need to Whisper (Geffen)
  Read: "Tom DeLonge Spills More About Angels & Airwaves' Plans For World Domination "
• Don Omar - King of Kings (Universal)
  Read: "Reggaeton Star Don Omar Out To Spread Latino Unity"
• The Walkmen - Hundred Miles Off (Record Collection)

May 30:

• The Charlatans UK - "Live at Last" (Standing Room Only)
• Les Claypool - Of Whales & Woe (digipak; Prawn Song)
• Peeping Tom - Peeping Tom (Ipecac)

• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Nick Lachey
• Korn
• Snow Patrol
• Gnarls Barkley

Photo: Fearless Records

FEATURE BAR PROMO

Here's My Allowance Find out what compelled fans of Chicago's Plain White T's to hand over their hard-earned cash.

• Plain White T's

Nightmare of You
Photo: Brian Appio

Superman as an emo-punk hero? Well, he's already got the black hair and the chunky belt (though it's not studded and he might want to change it from yellow to white), and his Spandex pants could pass for girl jeans, but the whole concept is a bit of a stretch.

That hasn't stopped Warner Bros. — which will unleash "Superman Returns" June 30 — from greenlighting two separate records based on the Man of Steel: an official movie score by composer John Ottman and Sound of Superman, an album featuring contributions from a host of Warped Tour faves.

Jack's Mannequin, the Academy Is ... and the Receiving End of Sirens are among the artists contributing songs to the album, which, in keeping with the spirit of most "inspired by" soundtracks, features a mix of new tunes and covers. Jack's Mannequin donate a new song, the piano-driven "Meet Me at My Window"; while TAI and the Receiving End went the covers route (both do versions of songs called "Superman," by '60s garage rockers the Clique and Stereophonics, respectively).

And while there is no official track list for Sound of Superman, Rhino Records (which is releasing both movie albums) confirmed that other acts on the album include the Sun, Nightmare of You, American Hi-Fi and Plain White T's. It's due in stores May 23, while Ottman's score will hit shelves June 27.

Check out everything we've got on "Superman Returns."

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• "Superman Returns"

• Nightmare of You
• Jack's Mannequin
• The Academy Is...
• American Hi-Fi
• Plain White T's

Woodie Awards 2006 Red Carpet

• Gym Class Heroes
• The Academy Is...
• Plain White T's
• Imogen Heap
• Angels & Airwaves

Woodie Awards 2006 Winners and Presenters

• 30 Seconds To Mars
• Angels & Airwaves
• Plain White T's
• Lupe Fiasco
• Ghostface Killah

'Rock Band' Live Tour Lands In Vegas

• Panic at the Disco
• Dashboard Confessional
• Plain White T's

Beyonce, Fergie, Miley, More Rock The 2008 Grammy Red Carpet

• Fantasia
• Ace Young
• The Shins
• Joey Fatone
• Mark Ronson

2008 Grammy Award Nominees: Akon, Fergie, T.I., More

• Akon
• Amy Winehouse
• Jay-Z
• Christina Aguilera
• Justin Timberlake

The 2007 MTV Video Music Award Nominees

• Beyoncé
• Justin Timberlake
• Shakira
• Amy Winehouse
• Kanye West

Beck, 30 Seconds To Mars, Lupe Fiasco, More At The 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards

• Beck
• The Subways
• 30 Seconds To Mars
• Lupe Fiasco
• Lady Sovereign

You Hear It First: Plain White T's Photos

• Plain White T's