Mew perform in New York on Friday
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — MTV News' trek through the maze of venues and bands that is the CMJ Music Marathon continues. As we told you Wednesday (scroll down for prior CMJ reports), the festival is cluttered, confusing, exhausting, and, of course, a really good time.

FRIDAY, November 3 / SATURDAY, November 4

For all the whining, scrambling and gnashing of teeth that comes with it, sometimes CMJ is totally awesome. Like on Friday night, for example, when we were lucky enough to catch a Twin Cities doubleheader in the form of the mighty Hold Steady and the equally weighty Plastic Constellations, who, as luck would have it, played sets within minutes — and blocks — of each other. ...

The Steady topped an impressive bill at the Annex, taking the postage-stamp-size stage after Dirty on Purpose and the Cold War Kids had already rocked the invite-only crowd (we're not sure who this "private party" was for, but there were many casualties at the door, including our buddy Kevin — sorry Kevs). It was an abbreviated set, like many at CMJ, but it still packed plenty of punch, with Craig Finn and company blasting through a host of boozy standards from their new Boys and Girls in America album ("Stuck Between Stations," "Chips Ahoy!" and the set-closing "Southtown Girls") while the crowd pumped their fists. ...

As soon as the last guitar note had faded away, we made a beeline for Pianos, arriving just in time to catch the Plastic Constellations plugging in. Conjuring a stumbling racket like their Minnesota forebears Hüsker Dü — and earning geek points for singing about decidedly "D&D" topics like dragons and swords and stuff — TPC windmilled their way through a terse 40-minute set featuring material from their criminally overlooked Crusades LP and a pair of hard-charging new tunes, all while looking like they were having the time of their lives. They rule. ...

Uptown at the Nokia Theater, Austin, Texas' premier drone merchants, the Black Angels, served up a head-nodding set of hypnotic psychedelic rock — in marked contrast to the frantic roots-rock of headlining duo the Black Keys. While the Angels' influences are obvious — the Velvet Underground and Spacemen 3 being most prominent — they do the drone thing so well that any derivativeness is more than forgiven. They're also enormously fun to watch: less for charisma or stage antics than for the way they interact musically, with each of the six members tastefully contributing to the whole rather than showboating. (Having said that, slugger Stephanie Bailey is just about the most bad-ass drummer we've seen all year.) ...

Another of us headed over to the Mercury Lounge to check out some of Australian quartet the Drones' grunge-metal guitar torture. Alternating spare and bluesy riffs with all-out chaos, the band worked itself into psychotic fits of string-tearing, throat-shredding hysteria. Frontman Gareth Liddiard grew increasingly unhinged as the set wore on, grinding his boot into his effect-pedals while flinging himself across the stage. ...

The music was equally intense but somewhat sweeter at the Bowery Ballroom, where adorable London quintet the Fields politely made their way through a set of lovely anthems. Built around frontman Nick Peill's quickly strummed, effects-laden acoustic guitar, the group recalled a more lush, less meandering Broken Social Scene as simple riffs swelled into epic refrains. ...

Denmark's Mew took Fields' ambitious sound and pumped it up even bigger, adding a psychedelic film display on a giant banner hung behind them. At first the group came off as a psych-rock Duran Duran with Kenny G on keyboards (seriously), but that impression didn't last long: Singer Jonas Bjerre's soaring tenor is truly arresting and a perfect match for the band's polished art-pop. ...

Back in Manhattan, Lavender Diamond turned in a sublime set at Joe's Pub. Clad in a red velvet dress, kooky frontwoman Becky Stark delivered more LOLs with her loopy stage banter than a David Cross comedy night — and this was before the folksy quartet had played a note. When Stark opened her mouth to actually sing, it felt as if an angelic golden light had been cast over the room: The band is often lumped in with L.A.'s freak-folk scene, but its fairy tale-ish and precious qualities were more joyful than grating. The group is currently recording its debut full-length with former Pernice Brothers bassist-turned-producer Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Brightblack Morning Light).

A completely different — but just as amazing — experience was to be had at the Studio B rave-up in Brooklyn, featuring Parisian dance duo Justice (a.k.a. Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay). The pair crafted a masterful set of slamming, sweeping peaks and valleys as the sweaty capacity crowd danced manically. Highlights included tracks from their Waters of Nazareth EP, a tweaked version of Justin Timberlake's "My Love," a remix of Franz Ferdinand's "The Fallen" and the duo's recent MTV European Music Award-winning (and Kanye West-enraging: see "Kanye Admits To Having Had A 'Sippy Sippy' (Or Two) Before EMA Rant") remix of Simian's "We Are Your Friends." At 4 a.m., the exhausted crowd was still yelling for more. ...

On Saturday in Brooklyn, we bore witness to an afternoon of booze, BBQ and Bobby Bare Jr., all thanks to the good folks at Bloodshot Records. In keeping its longstanding tradition (and its decidedly alt-country bent), the label turned the hipster haven Union Pool into an old-fashioned honky tonk, complete with cold beer in the can, an honest-to-goodness campfire and, well, about 5 million bearded dudes in delivery-driver jackets. ...

After downing several burgers and taking full advantage of Bloodshot's somewhat laissez-faire approach to free drinks, we somehow made it to Northsix for yet another invite-only shindig, a multi-band monster that went under the billing "New York to London." Once again, the beer was free and the room was hot, as a host of up-and-coming acts (most notably Illinois, who took great pleasure in antagonizing the industry-heavy crowd, and L.A.'s Pumpkins-esque rockers Silversun Pickups) made glorious noise. The party raged until 4 a.m. and, to be honest, we don't really remember a whole lot, but we're pretty sure one of our pals went a little heavy on the hospitality and was nearly booted for yelling "Australia sucks!" at the Phoenix Foundation (who are actually from New Zealand). ...

Not far away, at Brooklyn's coolest venue — Warsaw, a club tucked inside the Polish National Home, where you can get pierogies and sausage to munch on during gigs — the Secret Machines brought their ear-pummeling psych-rock and brain-tickling light show. It was the last gig on the act's tour behind its latest LP, Ten Silver Drops, and featured the band playing on a specially designed circular stage that was set up in the center of the room. After nearly 90 minutes of roaring crescendos and space jams, the trio wrapped the night with a fuzzy feedback loop after ripping through a high-energy take of "First Wave Intact." ...

And finally, on Sunday, though CMJ was drawing to a close, we got the sort of unexpected treat that can make the fest so totally worth it. After stumbling up to Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn's hipster main drag, to soothe our sore heads with some bloody marys, we found ourselves sharing a bar with none other than the Shins, who were in much higher spirits than us, tossing back beers and watching the New York Giants squeak past the Houston Texans. (OK, so they were actually sitting across the room from us, but whatever.) Serendipitous? Perhaps. A mirage? Most certainly not. After all, this is CMJ. And you never know who you'll be sharing a bar with.

With no less than three hot-ticket shows occurring Thursday night — the Sub Pop Records showcase at the Bowery Ballroom, featuring the Shins; Hot Chip at Webster Hall; and the Horrors at the Annex — hands were wrung, schedules drawn up, plans made (then dashed) and curses uttered. Most CMJ goers were left with one of two daunting options: scrapping one show in favor of another, or arriving at a venue really early, making it through a bunch of bands they didn't want to see and complaining about persistent foot pain and back aches from all the standing around — or maybe that's just us.

THURSDAY, November 2

With no less than three hot-ticket shows occurring Thursday night — the Sub Pop Records showcase at the Bowery Ballroom, featuring the Shins; Hot Chip at Webster Hall; and the Horrors at the Annex -- hands were wrung, schedules drawn up, plans made (then dashed) and curses uttered. Most CMJ goers were left with one of two daunting options: scrapping one show in favor of another, or arriving at a venue really early, making it through a bunch of bands they didn't want to see and complaining about persistent foot pain and back aches from all the standing around -- or maybe that's just us. ...

One thing CMJ attendees learn really fast: When it comes to getting into the conference's biggest shows, your badge might as well be a "kick me" sign — unless you're prepared to get to the venue a couple of hours in advance to wait in the doubtless already-long line of badgeholders. Oddest of all, when you finally get in, the venue is likely to be three-quarters full. (We've stopped asking why: It's like when you see a lane on the highway blocked off for miles, without any construction in sight.)

This was the case at Thursday's Sub Pop Records showcase at the Bowery Ballroom — which one of us was foresighted, smart, lucky, connected and (most importantly) sexy enough to get on the guest list for. We arrived in time to catch Portland, Oregon's the Thermals, whose adenoidal mix of punk and pop was impressively on point. (We heard the Oxford Collapse, who preceded the Thermals, were also pretty great.) Next up were the Album Leaf, whose pretty, gauzy sound you'd think would go over like a Catholic-school slumber party in a live setting. However, head Leaf/keyboardist Jimmy Lavelle was accompanied by a full band (drummer, guitarist, violinist) who beautifully embellished the songs' swelling, sonorous peaks. The evening's headliners, the Shins, have some stellar songs and may have changed Natalie Portman's life in "Garden State," but live they're a little snoozy. Frontman James Mercer is anything but, relegating himself to stage left so the keyboardist/bassist Marty Crandall — he of the terrible jokes — takes center stage. And although the band has a new album, Wincing the Night Away, due in January, they played old material at half-mast. It also didn't help that they hit the stage at 1 a.m.; we decided to hit the hay midway through their set. ...

At a packed Webster Hall, hotly tipped British electro outfit Hot Chip bobbed their way through a set that the NME described as "rousing" but we felt was closer to "eh." They played the truly excellent songs from their sophomore album, The Warning, some not-so-excellent ones and bowed a couple of brand new-songs, too... all while hammering keyboards, tweaking knobs and jerking around like geeky salmons out of the brook. Of course, the crowd — which was loaded bloggers clutching Canon ELPHs, dudes in glasses effortlessly texting with one hand and, strangely, goofy white guys with afros — ate it up, but we would've liked to see a bit more of the Devo-esque moxy that separates Chip's records from the millions of faceless electro-drones out there. ...

Speaking of which, it's one thing to hold up your cellphone for a favorite song, but the eerie blue/green glow of Sidekick and Razrs is lighting up the audience like an alien invasion at every venue (and majorly distracting from the stage action). If you're there to rock, chill with the texting, OK cowboys? ...

Anyway, during a set by Canadian odd-pop-rockers Malajube at the Mercury Lounge, we noticed a sign on the wall behind the soundboard that read, "No pyro/hazers smoke machines." We don't even know what hazers are, but we're glad they're not allowed because they might have caused the monstrously over-perfumed woman standing in front of us (perhaps a bandmember's mom — or maybe an aunt, considering her whining about having to pay admission for the show) to burst into a chemical fireball. The band's unusual fusion of pop hooks with off-kilter song structures works pretty well on record, but the mix was off and the keyboardist could roll out his falsetto a little less often. ...

The Vice showcase a few blocks away was running about an hour behind schedule, leaving us to see the entirety of the Panthers' set. Now, there's nothing wrong with worshipping Black Sabbath, but here's the thing: there's no smiling in metal. We're OK with the Ozzyesque maniacal grin that says, "You think I'm leaning in to kiss you but I might take a bite out of your cheek," but Panthers singer Jayson Green's goofy smirk just didn't work with his band's dinosaur stomp, which heavily featured tracks from their upcoming album, Sweet Beast. One thing kept coming to mind as we watched him wail away: Andy Metalakis (or maybe it was Ozzy Milonakis). ...

On the other hand, Atlanta's Black Lips laid down a shambolic bubblegum/garage fusion that rocked the roof off of the joint. It was an odd situation: the shabby-looking-and-sounding quartet often wandered off-key, off-beat and off-kilter, but their enthusiasm, sense of fun and infectious songs made technical proficiency seem like just something else to laugh at. While the band is renowned for onstage misbehavior, on this night they kept it light: On the last song, the rhythm guitarist (who was actually wearing a shiny gold grill) smashed a beer bottle, played slide guitar with the neck and then dragged the jagged end across his shirt (although we didn't see any blood). ...

Friday looks even more jam-packed schedule-wise, as evidenced by the following IM exchange:

MTV News Reporter: Apparently, we need to go to the show right after work CMJ-Dazed Fiancee: what? CMJ-Dazed Fiancee: oh CMJ-Dazed Fiancee: ok MTV News Reporter: Because the line-up is Dirty on Purpose, Cold War Kids and then the Hold Steady CMJ-Dazed Fiancee: well if thats what we gotta do CMJ-Dazed Fiancee: so when does it actually start? MTV News Reporter: 6:30, but nothing will probably happen until like 10pm MTV News Reporter: AAAAARGH

WEDNESDAY, November 1

Sure sign that you're at CMJ, #1: A guy in beer-mug pattern pajama bottoms and a fuzzy pink bunny hat is standing on the corner outside the downtown club Pianos. (He's gotta be in a band.)

Sure sign that you're at CMJ, #2: The singer of Somebody Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin utters this so-indie-it-hurts statement: "That song is on the colored vinyl re-release of our first album. There's a couple [in the back of the club] if you want to buy one."

Given the ridiculous number of shows by bands most people have never heard of, there are several ways to attack CMJ. You can dash frantically from one hipster set to the next, hoping to catch a song or two. You can opt to only see bands based on the ridiculous pictures next to their names in the CMJ festival guide. Or you can camp out all night at a club like the Knitting Factory, which has three stages on three floors, each hosting multiple acts (approximate total number of stairs climbed or descended by one reporter on this night: 1,800).

Some rewards of an evening at the Knitting Factory:

» The Two-Man Gentlemen Band, who wore Mark Twain-meets-"Clockwork Orange" white suits with suspenders and porkpie hats and played old-timey ragtime tunes on banjo, kazoo and stand-up bass.

» Dracula Zombie USA: Three women in wifebeaters and black miniskirts wearing dead-president masks, accompanied by a male cohort clad in a Dracula cape and George Bush mask. They played a dance-beat-fueled riot-grrrl mashup we'll call punko — or maybe discunk?

» The Mall: The lead singer screams into a microphone fashioned out of an old phone handset. What more do you need to know?

» A well-dressed couple cuddling lovingly while seated on a red beanbag near a dumpster. A passerby sniffs, "Is that one of those things where they just fell into a trash pile and said, 'Ha ha ha!'?"

» Rah Bras: The drummer, wearing a clingy halter top and a Mardi Gras mask, uses his thong-clad butt as an improvised percussion device. (Again, what more do you need to know?)

» A couple of hipster dudes blocking traffic on the steps as they try to jam their skateboards into a single backpack.

» Shellshag: As soon as we saw the 6-foot tall male singer in girl jeans, a skintight tank top (with a fake dress shirt collar and zebra-striped tie painted on it) and a cropped gold lame sweater holding a star-shaped guitar, we naturally thought, "joke band." But then we heard the tribal, Melvins-ish sludge-metal sound he made with the girl drummer (wearing bells on her ankles and around her waist). Tribal metal sleigh-bell grunge is the next big thing — and guys wearing girl jeans with tank tops is the next big fashion statement.

» QUOTE OF THE EVENING: "Are you just trying to moderate my anger by putting your water on my banjo case?"

Elsewhere, the Club NME Party at Harmony Palace advertised performances by Brazilian synth rockers CSS, heavily hyped goth-punks the Horrors and "special guests." While it's usually a very bad sign when said guests go on first, they turned out to be the highly touted Swedish outfit the Sounds, who plowed through a bubbly set of highly danceable, new-wave-inflected material. Word gradually spread that CSS' lead singer was feeling too ill to perform, and after an hour of truly inept DJ-ing (reportedly by the members of CSS who felt good enough to DJ, although if that were the case our ears beg to differ), the Horrors salvaged the evening with a stomping, in-your-face, 20-minute set of punk rock. Lead singer Faris "Rotter" Badwan leaped into the bewildered crowd, perilously swinging the microphone stand and screaming like a banshee. ...

However, the evening's best band may well have been the one with the least printable name. Holy F--- are four guys from Toronto who play a wild brand of experimental electronic noise that somehow melds itself into a hard-core dance party. At the Canal Room, two keyboard/sound manipulators hunched over racks holding a mind-boggling number of wires while a rhythm section — containing an extremely nimble bassist and a monster of a drummer — held the whole shebang together. As the psychotic din gradually inspired some crowd members to actually (gasp!) dance, the group was joined by New York MC Beans, who barely paused for air between his poetic screeds. It's often more entertaining to see a rapper accompanied by a live band than a DJ, and any MC who can keep up with a swirling mish-mash of electronic jams is clearly on his game. ...

Over at the Mercury Lounge, the Mobius Band inadvertantly distracted us with their striking resemblances to local indie-rockers (drummer Noam Schatz could pass for Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan; singer/guitarist Ben Sterling looks a bit like ex-Luna frontman Dean Wareham). The Brooklyn-via-Massachusetts trio's mellow glitch-rock has echoes of the Postal Service's lo-fi electro, with shuffling beats underscoring melodies that veer from the mini-anthemic to the wistful. It took a little while, but the group finally worked themselves into a mellow groove that benefited greatly from sporadic, tiny crescendos. ...

Further uptown, the Knife played a set filled with loads of tension (but not quite enough release) to an astonishingly packed house at Webster Hall. The group's superb new LP, Silent Scream, was heavily represented, but the dance beats never kicked in for long enough to send the crowd into the raptures it was anticipating. Such sublime subtlety and menace can sometimes get lost in a live setting. ...

But enough about music, let's get to the first thing on many people's minds: FREE STUFF! Similar in theory (if not in content) to the gift bags filled with iPods, designer clothing and blingage you read about A-list actors receiving at Sundance, the CMJ gift bag is a magical combination of promotional ephemera, plastic junk and CDs you will never listen to, with a couple of pins and the occasional "WTF?" item thrown in for good measure (this year's: a G.I. Joe's severed head). Here's the breakdown of this year's goodie bag, by the numbers:

» Number of fliers, publications and other paper-based products: 119, including a 94-page edition of the CMJ New Music Report, a poster for the Gorillaz's "Rise of the Ogre" autobiography, a postcard with Borat's face on it, and a flier for the Center for Neurofeedback and Integrative Health, Inc.

» Number of Energy Drinks: 1: UpShot — "the smallest, most powerful energy drink" and proud sponsors of the "Kickass Tour."

» Number of Energy Drinks That Don't Taste Like a Robitussin/Espresso Combo: 0

» Number of Condoms: 1

» Number of Promotional Cigarette Tins and/or sets of Monsters of Indie Rock trading cards: 2. The cards especially rule, conjuring up fleeting memories from our Donruss-fueled youths. Plus, now we've totally got a Bob Pollard in mint condition.

» Number of Action-Figure Heads: 1, promoting the return of "Kung-Fu Grip" G.I. Joe figures to Hot Topic Stores nationwide.

» Number of Sampler CDs: 6, plus a full copy of Public Enemy's underwhelming New Whirl Odor. Best of the bunch? Either the disc for "powerful, aggressive" rockers Box of Poems ("Currently Unsigned"!) or the full-blown rancor of the sampler from Psychopathic Records: home to such luminaries as Insane Clown Posse and Dark Lotus and, as the raspy-voiced man on the disc tells us, "the label that runs beneath the streets."

Tuesday, October 31

As music-industry conferences go, the CMJ Music Marathon is a rougher ride than South by Southwest. It's more cluttered and confusing, with hundreds of bands playing at nearly 70 venues scattered across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Hoboken, New Jersey, between Wednesday and Saturday. Assembling a "must-see" list practically requires a degree in quantum mechanics with a minor in cartography. The lines are a bit longer, the crowds a bit angrier and the haircuts more asymmetrical.

Though Austin, Texas' 20-year-old SXSW schmoozefest draws bigger names these days, CMJ is older (the 2006 edition marks its 26th year in the Big Apple), and it has catapulted more acts to stardom, with a list of alumni that includes U2, Beastie Boys, Soundgarden, Green Day and the Killers. It's heavily attended by music-industry executives (and wannabes), college-radio personnel (ditto), musicians (yep) and even fans, some of whom will attend the discussion panels and speeches that take place during the day; all of whom will try their best to get into the most buzzed-about gigs and parties at night, and who will try to see (and rub elbows with) today's most promising up-and-coming artists while spending as little money doing so as possible.

The most exciting shows, early in the week, look to be hyper-literate songsmiths the Decemberists, power-pop titans the Shins, L.A. buzz band the Cold War Kids, Swedish sibling duo the Knife and an unlisted show from boozy, Bruce-y Brooklyn rockers the Hold Steady.

None of this is news to the jaded types who attend the convention, but we'd like to think that at least some of our readers aren't bloggers or publicists or business-savvy musicians, but real music fans who've probably never been to CMJ or SXSW (because passes to the weeklong conferences are expensive). So we're going to try and bring the experience of CMJ to you. There will be loads of info about bands and music, but also about packed clubs, mile-long lines, surly bouncers and late-night quests for pizza. We'll trek from the seediest clubs to the 2,000-capacity concert halls, analyze the vaunted CMJ gift bag, crash the discussion panels and as many parties as we can get into.

We've got an elite squadron of writers on the ground, gig lists in hand, ready to report and — most certainly — rock. Check one-two! Let's do it!

[This story was originally published on 11.02.2006 at 2:01 p.m. ET.]

• Wu-Tang Clan, Clipse, More At The 2006 CMJ Music Marathon

• Mew
• Secret Machines
• The Decemberists
• The Shins
• The Horrors

Rihanna's <i>A Girl Like Me</i>
Photo: Def Jam

Wasting No Time: It's only been eight months since Def Jam princess Rihanna stepped out with her Music of the Sun debut, but that's not keeping the singer from already pumping out her second record. Look for "Break It Off," a duet with Sean Paul, and "Dem Haters" (featuring Dwayne Husbands) — or, if you're in a collectible mood, check out the import-edition bonuses "Coulda Been the One" and "Who Ya Gonna Run To" (Japan), the original versions of "If It's Lovin' That You Want" and "Pon De Replay" (U.K.), and the "Full Phatt Remix" of "Pon De Replay."

Taking Back Take Over: Despite having sold more than 1.4 million copies of their two indie-label releases, Taking Back Sunday are hoping for even bigger numbers with their Warner Bros. debut, Louder Now. The punk band's "Liar (It Takes One to Know One)" is a lot darker than what fans are used to, while singer Adam Lazzara has called "What It Feel Like to Be a Ghost" a song about "a pre- pre-midlife crisis."

Folked Up: Everyone knows Bruce Springsteen is one boss rocker, but he's spending his 21st record sowing his folk roots on We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, featuring 13 traditional tracks affiliated with acoustic legend Pete Seeger. The E Street Band are nowhere to be found on songs like "Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep" and "Froggie Went A-Courtin'," but Bruce introduces his new set of players in the half-hour's worth of video content on the flipside. The DualDisc version also has a special booklet with notes from the big guy, plus the bonus tracks "Buffalo Gals" and "How Can I Keep From Singing."

Oh God: For his band's fourth studio effort, Godsmack singer Sully Erna holed up in his Spiral Recordings Studio in Los Angeles — not Boston, where they're from — to sit at the decks and twiddle the knobs for the first time. The dudes sifted through 40 songs and settled on 11, including the first single, "Speak"; "Livin' in Sin"; and "Voodoo Too," a quasi-sequel to the 1998 tune "Voodoo." Wicca awesome.

Streets Hits the Pavement: The Streets is the latest artist to stream his entire album, Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living, for free on MySpace prior to its store release, and he's gone a step further by throwing some new videos on there too. Mike Skinner comes clean about everything from speeding around Vegas in a Ferrari without a license to sleeping with an unnamed female pop star on songs like "Pranging Out," "Never Went to Church" and "Fake Streets Hats."

California Civil War: If L.A. and San Fran ever wanted to duke it out musically, this'd be the week. From the Southland comes the Vacation's self-titled American Recordings debut, originally titled Band From World War Zero and released in the U.K. last year but now spruced up by Rick Rubin; "Betty Blowtorch and Her Amazing True Life Adventures," an expanded edition of the DVD chronicling the ill-fated potty-mouths; and the 13-song The Stories Are True digipak by street punks Time Again, who tread the path blazed by Rancid and TSOL.

From the Bay is Pick a Bigger Weapon, the latest batch of controversial tunes by leftist hip-hoppers the Coup that includes "Babyletshaveababybeforebushdosomethingcrazy" and "My Favorite Mutiny" and features guest spots by Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello, Talib Kweli and Jello Biafra; pure-pop collective Push to Talk's colorful eponymous first release; the self-explanatory Bay Area Funk 2: Funk and Soul Essentials From San Francisco, Oakland, and the Bay Area, featuring Project Soul, Mary Love and Soft Touch; the dronish Conference of the Birds by meditative metallers Om; and the Invaders compilation, which features sludge-meisters High on Fire. The North wins this civil war too.

Fighting for a Cause: A handful of comps try to bring attention to important topics this week, beginning with Voices From the Frontline, a 24-track journal of spoken-word confessions and songs by U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. The frank recordings include love letters back home, existential musings and harrowing near-death experiences with improvised explosive devices. Part of the proceeds go to Operation AC, a nonprofit group that provides soldiers with noncombat supplies.

The two-disc audio-and-video set "Red, Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter" doubles, oddly enough, as both a salute to the eminent American composer and a benefit for AIDS research and relief. U2, Tom Waits, Sinéad O'Connor and the Neville Brothers redo classic compositions on the CD — which originally came out as a standalone set — while directors Jonathan Demme, Wim Wenders and Jim Jarmusch contribute clips that address the impact of AIDS on the DVD, also featuring interviews with Richard Gere and John Malkovich. All proceeds from the set go to the Red Hot Organization.

Last but not least is Unexpected Dreams - Songs From the Stars — no, not Dreamz — a 14-track set that gives actors Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Garner, Teri Hatcher and Ewan McGregor an excuse to belt out a few choice numbers with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. John Stamos singing "Goodnight My Angel" should be reason enough to nab this gem, which supports the Philharmonics' educational arm, Music Matters.

Meet the Metalheads: There's a deluge of heavier-than-thou debuts this week, including threatening Sacramento, California, metalheads Abominable Iron Sloth's nine-track self-titled LP; doom-lovin' Black Cobra's Bestial; Austin, Texas, heavy rockers Cardinale's 31:13; and German classic-metal mavens Motorjesus' Deathrider. Enjoy.

Song Title of the Week:

"The Song We Used to Call 'Wasting Time' " from the Riverboat Gamblers' To the Confusion of Our Enemies

Other Notables:

The Secret Machines' Ten Silver Drops: The New York psych-otics nod to avant-gardists Kraftwerk and La Dusseldorf on their second outing, which consists of eight songs revolving around isolation that were mixed by Alan Moulder (Nine Inch Nails, Yeah Yeah Yeahs). The eight-minute "Daddy's in the Doldrums" highlights the set of effects-heavy tunes, which also features the slightly more upbeat "Lightning Blue Eyes" and "I Hate Pretending."

Amel Larrieux's Morning: Larrieux hails from L.A., but her third opus melds straight-up R&B and soul with Middle Eastern and West African sounds. The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter and Groove Theory member spends the title track ruminating on insomnia, uses innovative sound delays on "Mountain of When," and devotes the last track, "Weary," to hardworking bachelors everywhere.

... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's Live Slew: The exhaustively named Austin, Texas, post-rockers have an even more exhaustive heap of limited-edition live discs this week, including 12 individualized 2005 gigs from their hometown, Detroit, San Francisco and Boston. Call it pulling a Pearl Jam.

New Releases:

• 10 City Run - Somethin' Else (Universal South)
• Abominable Iron Sloth - Abominable Iron Sloth (Goodfellow)
• ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Axis Nightclub - Boston, MA 4/12/05, 'Canes - San Diego, CA 5/28/05, Canopy Club - Urbana, IL 4/21/05, Emo's - Austin, TX 4/30/05, Fillmore - San Francisco, CA 5/25/05, First Ave - Minnesota, MN 4/25/05, Granada Theater - Lawrence, KS 4/27/05, Gypsy Tea Room - Dallas, TX 4/29/05, Irving Plaza - New York NY, 4/10/05, Majestic Theater - Detroit, MI 4/20/05, Metro Smart Bar - Chicago IL 4/22/05, Sokol Auditorium - Omaha NE 4/26/05 (limited-edition sets; Instant Live)
• Natacha Atlas - Mish Maoul (Beggars)
• Avant - Director (Geffen)
  Buy Now: Director (Geffen)
• Bob Belden - "Three Days of Rain" soundtrack (Sunny Side)
• Tab Benoit - Brother to the Blues (Telarc)
• Black Cobra - Bestial (At a Loss)
• Blanco Diablo - Paper Poison Revolution (Rock Ridge)
• The Cardinal Sin - Hurry Up and Wait (Grey Flight)
• Cardinale - 31:13 (Arclight)
• Chas Mtn - Hugs (Western Vinyl)
• Christ.O - Vanden Plas (Inside Out)
• Clan of Xymox - Breaking Point (Metropolis)
• The Coup - Pick a Bigger Weapon (Epitaph)
• The Drips - The Drips (White Drugs)
• Eleventh Dream Day - Zeroes and Ones (Thrill Jockey)
• Elf Power - Back to the Web (Rykodisc)
  Buy Now: Back to the Web (Rykodisc)
• Fermata - Vessel (EP; Dough Main)
• The Fever - In the City of Sleep (Kemado)
  Buy Now: In the City of Sleep (Kemado)
• Filastine - Burn It (Soot)
• Freeheat - Back on the Water (Planting Seeds)
• Godsmack - IV (Republic)
  Read: "Godsmack Finishing Up 'Killer' Fourth LP, Working On Football Theme"
  Buy Now: IV (Republic)
• The Golden Gods - ... The Thorny Crown of Rock and Roll (Control Group)
• Goo Goo Dolls - Let Love In (Warner Bros.)
  Buy Now: Let Love In (Warner Bros.)
• Eddy Grant - Reparation (Ice)
• Groove Collective - People People Music Music (digipak; Savoy Jazz)
• Günther - Pleasureman (digipak; Rhino)
• Danielle Howle - Thank You Mark (Valley)
• Jehro - Jehro (Recall)
• Jeff Healey & the Jazz Wizards - It's Tight Like That (Stony Plain)
• Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris - All the Roadrunning (Warner Bros.)
• Gregg Kowalsky - Through the Cardial Window (Kranky)
• Amel Larrieux - Morning (Bliss Life)
  Buy Now: Morning (Bliss Life)
• The Late Cord - Lights From The Wheelhouse (EP; 4AD)
• Cheikh Lô - Lamp Fall (Nonesuch)
• Michy Mano - Cool Side of the Pillow (Enja Justin Time)
• Rose Melberg - Cast Away the Clouds (Double Agent)
• MercyMe - Coming Up to Breathe (Columbia)
• Paolo Mojo - Balance 009 (two CDs; EQ)
• Moonspell - Memorial (special edition; Steamhammer/ SPV)
• Motorjesus - Deathrider (Locomotive)
• Nobody & Mystic Chords of Memory - Tree Colored See (Mush)
• The Obsessed - Lunar Womb (Meteor City)
• Om - Conference of The Birds (Holy Mountain)
• One Bad Son - This Aggression Will Not Stand (Versailles)
• OSI - Free (Inside Out)
• Push to Talk - Push to Talk (Doghouse)
• RadioVipers - The Morning Sunburst (Versailles)
• The Rakes - Capture/ Release (V2)
• Rihanna - A Girl Like Me (Def Jam)
  Read: "Rihanna Getting In Touch With Her Rock Side For Next LP"
  Buy Now: A Girl Like Me (Def Jam)
• Rin' - Inland Sea (Domo)
• Riverboat Gamblers - To the Confusion of Our Enemies (Volcom)
• Rachael Sage - The Blistering Sun ... (Mpress)
• The Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops (Reprise)
• Shooting at Unarmed Men - Yes Tinnitus (Too Pure/ Beggars)
• Silent Civilian - Rebirth of the Temple (Mediaskare)
• Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (DualDisc also available; Columbia)
  Buy Now: We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (Columbia)
• Starlight Mints - Drowaton (digipak; Barsuk)
  Buy Now: Drowaton (Barsuk)
• Stars and Stripes - One Man Army (I Scream)
• The Streets - Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living (Vice)
  Buy Now: Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living (Vice)
• Jimmy Sturr - Greatest Hits of Polka (Rounder Select)
• Survivor - Reach (Frontiers)
• Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Taking Back Sunday Say Debuting At #800 Wouldn't Bother Them"
  Buy Now: Louder Now (warner Bros.)
• Michael Talbott & the Wolfkings - Freeze-Die-Come to Life (Antenna Farm)
• The Terms - Small Town Computer Crash (Maple Jam)
• Irma Thomas - After the Rain (Rounder)
• Time Again - The Stories Are True (digipak; Hellcat)
• Nestor Torres - Dances, Prayers & Meditations for Peace (Heads Up)
• The Vacation - The Vacation (American/ Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Meet The Vacation: A Band Not Afraid To Bleed For Rock"
• Tom Verlaine - Around and Songs and Other Things (Thrill Jockey)
• Violet Nine - Any Wonder (PKG Entertainment)
• Voices & Organs - Orphanage (Western Vinyl)
• The Waybacks - From the Pasture to the Future (Compass)
• Various artists - Bay Area Funk 2: Funk and Soul Essentials From San Francisco, Oakland, and the Bay Area (Luv N'Haight)
• Various artists - Invaders (Kemado)
• Various artists - It's So Easy: A Millennium Tribute to Guns N' Roses (Versailles)
• Various artists - The Projekt Almost Free CD (digipak; Projekt)
• Various Artists -- Unexpected Dreams - Songs From the Stars (Rhino)
• Various artists - Voices From the Frontline (Crosscheck)
• Various artists - "Halo 2 Original Soundtrack: Volume 2" (Sumthing Else)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Agoraphobic Nosebleed - PCP Tornado (three-inch CD with second CD; Hydra Head)
• Rance Allen - Stax Profiles (Stax)
• Ass Ponys - Okra Years (two CDs; Shake It)
• Booker T & The MG's - Stax Profiles (Stax)
• Cinderella - Gold (Mercury/ Universal)
• The Cowsills - Painting the Day: The Angelic Psychedelia of the Cowsills (Él)
• Marianne Faithfull - Fuel Presents an Introduction to Marianne Faithfull (Fuel)
• Feist - Open Season: Remixes and Collabs (Arts & Crafts)
• Eddie Floyd - Stax Profiles (Stax)
• Helloween - Chameleon (two CDs with seven bonus tracks), Pink Bubbles Go Ape (with four bonus tracks) and Walls of Jericho (two-CD reissue with Helloween EP and bonus track) (Sanctuary Classics)
• k.d. lang - Reintarnation (digipak; Rhino)
• Howard Keel - Fuel Presents an Introduction to Howard Keel (Fuel)
• Doug Kershaw - Fuel Presents an Introduction to Doug Kershaw (Fuel)
• Albert King - Stax Profiles (Stax)
• Little Milton - Stax Profiles (Stax)
• Mama's Boys - Power & Passion (Gott Discs)
• Otis Redding - Stax Profiles (Stax)
• Frankie Ruiz - Gold (two CDs; Universal Latino)
• Rush - Gold (Mercury/ Universal)
• Scorpions - Gold (two CDs; Hip-O)
• Solas - Reunion: A Decade of Solas (with DVD; Compass)
• Johnnie Taylor - Stax Profiles (Stax)
• Ten Tenors -- Tenology (Rhino)
• Carla Thomas - Stax Profiles (Stax)
• Rufus Thomas - Stax Profiles (Stax)
• Various artists - Classic African-American Ballads From Smithsonian Folkways (Smithsonian Folkways)
• Various artists - Disco Remixed 2 (Empire Musicwerks)
• Various artists - Hip-Hop Gold (Hip-O)
• Various artists - Jazz Vocalists: Hear & Now (Concord)
• Various artists - Moments to Remember: The Golden Hits of the '50s and '60s (three CDs; Shout! Factory)
• Various artists - That's Entertainment! The Ultimate Anthology of MGM Musicals (six CDs; Rhino)

Music DVDs:

• After the Fire - "Live at Greenbelt" (Music Video Distributors)
• Bernard Allison - "Energized - Live in Europe" (Music Video Distributors)
• Anti-Flag - "Death of a Nation" (Music Video Distributors)
• Arena - "Smoke & Mirrors" (Music Video Distributors)
• The Beatles - "Liverpool" (two DVDs; Arts Magic)
• Betty Blowtorch - "Betty Blowtorch and Her Amazing True Life Adventures" (Cinema Libre)
• Cam'ron - "Killa Season" (Asylum/ Rap-a-Lot)
• Candido - "Hands of Fire" (Music Video Distributors)
• Captain Beefheart - "Under Review" (Sexy Intellectual)
• Mariah Carey - "Unauthorized: Definition of a Diva" (Music Video Distributors)
• Rosemary Clooney - "Great Women Singers of the 20th Century" (Kultur)
• DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist - "Freeze" (Freeze)
• D.O.A. - "Positively D.O.A.: Live" (Cherry Red)
• Exodus - "A Ray of Sunshine" (Music Video Distributors)
• Gun Club - "Live at the Hacienda" (Cherry Red)
• Head Cat - "Rockin the Cat Club: Live From the Sunset Strip" (Cleopatra)
• Joe Pro - "Still Crunk" (Joe Pro)
• Landmarq - "Turbulence: Live in Poland" (Music Video Distributors)
• Likehell - "The Unbelievably True and Amazingly Accurate Story Behind Rock's Most Legendary Supergroup" (S.O.S. Productions)
• Metallica - "Kill Em All to St. Anger: The Ultimate Critical Review" (Classic Rock Legends)
• Nico - "All Tomorrow's Parties: Nico Live" (Cherry Red)
• Joel Plaskett Emergency - "Make a Little Noise" (Maple)
• Refused - "Refused Are F---ing Dead" (Epitaph)
• Steel Pulse - "Introspective" (United States Distributors)
• Turbo - "The History: 1980-2005" (Music Video Distributors)
• The Velvet Underground - "Under Review" (Sexy Intellectual)
• Various artists - "Black History Part 1" and "Part 2" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "Cornbread Presents Street Heat, Volume 17: Got Drank? Hosted by Bun B" (Cornbread)
• Various artists - "Dancehall Boom Dynamite" (Iriedvd.com)
• Various artists - "Groupies: The Movie" (Cleopatra)
• Various artists - "Heartbeat Video Culture Splash" (Heartbeat)
• Various artists - "Island Explosion '06 Part 1" and "Part 2" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "King of Kings: Unite the People" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "Metal's Dark Side, Volume 1: The Hard and the Furious" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "Original Dancehall Jam Jam Part 1," "Part 2" and "Part 3" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "Punk Icons: The Ultimate Collection" (Classic Rock Legends)
• Various artists - "Red, Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter" (with CD; Shout! Factory)
• Various artists - "Street Dogg 2: The Adventure Continues" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "Unity Splash Part One" and "Part Two" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "West Kingston Jamboree Part 1" and "Part 2" (Music Video Distributors)

Coming Attractions:
May 2:

• Mobb Deep - Blood Money (Interscope)
  Read: "Mobb Deep, 50 Cent Get Tattoos To Prove Their Loyalty"
  Buy Now: Blood Money (Interscope)
• Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam (J)
  Read: "Pearl Jam, Post-'Therapy': 'The Sex Is Better Than Ever!' "
• Thursday - A City by the Light Divided (Island)
  Read: "Thursday Frontman Says He Doesn't Want To Exploit My Chemical Romance, But ..."
  Buy Now: A City by the Light Divided (Island)
• Tool - 10,000 Days (Volcano)

Buy Now: 10,000 Days (Volcano)

May 9:

• The Isley Brothers - Baby Makin' Music (Island)
• 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.)
• Snow Patrol - Eyes Open (A&M)
  Read: "Snow Patrol Turn 'Candy-Assed' Music Into Beastly Arena Rock"
  Buy Now: Eyes Open (A&M)

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"
  Buy Now: Killa Season (Rap-a-Lot)
• Hoobastank - Every Man for Himself (Island)
  Read: "Hoobastank Find Inspiration For New LP In Scott Weiland's Cold Shoulder"
  Buy Now: Every Man for Himself (Island)
• Christina Milian - So Amazin' (enhanced; Def Jam)
  Buy Now: So Amazin' (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"

• Rihanna
• Taking Back Sunday
• Godsmack
• Bruce Springsteen
• Secret Machines

Kevin Federline and Britney Spears
Photo: Jive

Britney Spears' husband, Kevin Federline, has created his own Web site, Kevinfederline.com, complete with a defensive animated intro chock full of sexual innuendo, two snippets of music and a message to his fans ("I don't think we've ever been formally introduced. My name is Kevin Federline. I'm 6 feet tall, have brown hair and brown eyes. I enjoy horseback riding, long walks on the beach and the wind whipping through my hair. Ha ha ha.") Federline promises his site will let people know who he really is when it fully launches in 2006. ...

"American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood's has been named Oklahoman of the Year. The Checotah native was given the title in the latest issue of Oklahoma Today magazine, which cited her for embodying all the qualities that make the state great. ... Actress Laura Dern and longtime boyfriend Ben Harper (of Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, not Yellowcard) made it official on Friday during a sunset wedding ceremony in Los Angeles, according to Us Weekly. The pair — who have two children together — got married in front of more than 150 friends and family members at a mansion formerly owned by actor Gregory Peck. ...

New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is after the music industry again. Spitzer, who has recently won multimillion-dollar judgments against two major labels for alleged payola practices, has issued subpoenas to all four majors in an investigation over the pricing of digital downloads. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Warner Music Group has verified that it received a subpoena as part of the industry-wide probe over whether the companies conspired to fix wholesale prices for downloadable music. Sony BMG also admitted to receiving a subpoena and sources at EMI Group and Universal Music said they either had or would soon be served as well. ...

The Secret Machines have announced the full track list and release date for their upcoming album Ten Silver Drops. The follow-up to their 2004 break-out album, Now Here Is Nowhere, features eight tracks (titles include "Lightning Blue Eyes," "I Hate Pretending" and "1,000 Seconds") and will hit stores on April 18, according to the Machines' label, Reprise Records. ... Tegan and Sara will release their first DVD, "It's Not Fun. Don't Do It!," on February 21. The disc will include a recent concert shot at the Phoenix in Toronto, a documentary about the making of So Jealous, and tour footage shot by the sisters. ...

Vietnamese police have announced that they will formally charge British rocker Gary Glitter with child molestation later this week, but drop an additional charge of child rape, according to a Reuters report. With medical tests inconclusive, officials were forced to drop the more serious allegation, which could have carried the death penalty. Glitter (real name Paul Gadd), 61, has been in detention since November 19, when authorities arrested him as he was trying to leave the country. He had denied the abuse allegations and said he was helping the girls — some as young as 12 — learn English. ... David Bowie completists, take note: On February 13, the singer will release the digital EP Serious Moonlight Live, which features four live tracks — including "Space Oddity" and "Young Americans" — taken from his 1983 Serious Moonlight World Tour. One month later, he'll reissue the "Serious Moonlight" concert film as a deluxe-edition DVD. Extras include an extended version of "Ricochet," which captures behind-the-scenes moments from tour stops in Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok, Thailand. ...

12.23.2005

Mariah Carey is zeroing in on the Beatles' record of 20 #1 hits thanks to her latest chart-topper, "Don't Forget About Us." The singer's 17th #1 song hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 on Thursday, putting Carey in a tie with Elvis Presley at #2 on the all-time list. (Click here for photos from a surprise party held in Aspen, Colorado, to celebrate Mariah's 17th #1.) ...

A judge threatened Foxy Brown with jail time and forced her to apologize after she stuck out her tongue in a New York court on Friday (December 23), according to The Associated Press. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson asked Brown to stop chewing gum, at which point Brown — who said she did not have gum in her mouth — opened her mouth and wagged her tongue, according to the AP. Brown was then handcuffed and a shouting match ensued between her and a female court officer. Brown later apologized after the judge threatened her with 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine; she was in court because of assault charges stemming from a nail-salon fight in Chelsea ...

A 100-year-old historic home in Olympia, Washington, owned by Courtney Love has been put up for public auction to pay off debts in a foreclosure case. According to The Associated Press, the house on 13 acres was bought by Love eight years ago and was most recently occupied by the sister of her late husband, Kurt Cobain. Love owes about $367,000 on the home, including the loan balance and legal fees. According to documents filed in a lawsuit over the property, Love stopped making mortgage payments on the property in December 2003. Love can hold onto the house if she pays off the debts before the public auction on January 6. ...

Howie Day was arrested for rowdy behavior on Wednesday at Logan International Airport in Boston after allegedly mixing alcohol with a sleeping pill on a flight, according to The Associated Press. The singer/songwriter was charged with interfering with the flight crew but pleaded innocent when he was arraigned in a Boston court on Friday. Day was released on personal recognizance and is due back in court March 16. ... Franz Ferdinand guitarist Nick McCarthy's got himself a side project — with his wife of five months, Manuela. Called Box Codax, the electro synth-pop duo plan to release their first single, "Naked Smile," next month in the U.K. through Thin Man Records. The disc will also feature the track "Red Wine in Tunis." Both cuts have been made available for download on iTunes. ...

The fifth Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is scheduled for June 16-18 on the same 700-acre site in Manchester, Tennessee, which last year drew tens of thousands for sets by Dave Matthews, the Mars Volta, Jurassic 5 and Modest Mouse. Though organizers have not announced a lineup yet, they said they are reducing the capacity of the event by 10,000 in order to make it more manageable. ... Relient K will celebrate guitarist Matt Hoopes' birthday on February 15 with the launch of a 24-date tour that kicks off in Kansas City, Missouri. Called the Matt Hoopes Birthday Tour, the trek will run through April 1 in Columbus, Ohio. ...

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy has announced plans for a solo tour in 2006. The trek kicks off January 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and runs until February 12 in Los Angeles. Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche will support Tweedy on most of the dates. ... The New York Dolls are returning to the studio on January 15 for the first time since 1974. Jack Douglas, the veteran producer who worked on the Dolls' self-titled debut in 1973, is returning behind the board. ...

Enigmatic guitarist Buckethead will be working his way down the West Coast this February as part of a nine-gig trek that kicks off February 17 in Seattle. The guitarist — who was briefly a member of Axl Rose's retooled Guns N' Roses — will wrap up the tour on March 1 in Flagstaff, Arizona. ... Boston punks the Dropkick Murphys will mount an 18-date tour on March 1 in New York. The trek will also feature Sick of It All, Horrorpops and the Tossers. The run will wind down in Beantown with five shows at the Avalon March 16-March 19. ...

• Britney Spears
• Carrie Underwood
• Ben Harper
• Secret Machines

Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

With most of New Orleans pumped dry and businesses beginning to clean up after Hurricane Katrina, one of the city's musical gems has decided to come back home ... for one day, anyway.

Last month, organizers announced that they would move the seventh-annual Voodoo Music Experience to Memphis' Tom Lee Park (see "Voodoo Music Experience Relocates From New Orleans To Memphis"). Now organizers say that they will split the festival into two parts, with the first night's show (October 29) taking place in New Orleans, and the second (October 30) in Memphis. The concert will be the first full-scale, large entertainment event within city limits since the disastrous hurricane and subsequent flood hit the city on August 29.

According to a message posted on the show's official Web site, the shows will be focused on "Two cities united with a common goal: to celebrate and renew the city of New Orleans. As a sign of support and rebirth as New Orleans begins to rebuild, this observance of music will bring together the diversity of culture that serves as the foundation for both cities."

The invitation-only New Orleans show at Riverview Park will celebrate the efforts of those who've worked on the cleanup and recovery efforts in the city for the past six weeks. Previous ticket holders will be welcomed to the New Orleans show, along with police, firefighters, National Guard, military and others who've worked on restoring the city.

"In the course of the past few weeks, the outpouring of support from not only the music industry, but from people from all walks of life, who want to come together to celebrate New Orleans has been tremendous," festival producer Stephen Rehage said in a statement. "The ability to move forward in two cities — with so much music history — is overwhelming to everyone involved with this year's event. We want to thank all the artists who have shown their support by honoring their commitment to this historic event. We all look forward to making this weekend one to remember."

The festival was originally scheduled to take place over Halloween weekend in New Orleans' City Park. When Katrina hit, organizers moved the entire show to Memphis, but they had a change of heart when community leaders in New Orleans approached them about moving the show back for a day as a tribute to the relief workers. Proceeds from the festival will benefit the New Orleans Restoration Fund as well as Mercy Corps, Habitat for Humanity and other local organizations working to restore the city's famed cultural heritage.

The New Orleans bill will feature Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, Digable Planets, the Bravery, New York Dolls, LCD Soundsystem, the Secret Machines, H.I.M., Sevendust, VHS or Beta, the Rebirth Brass Band and more than 20 other acts.

The Memphis show will take place at AutoZone Park and feature Cake, the North Mississippi Allstars, the Decemberists, New York Dolls, Better Than Ezra, VHS or Beta, Sevendust, Cowboy Mouth, H.I.M., World Leader Pretend and the Giraffes.

Memphis will also host a series of free downtown concerts beginning on October 27 and continuing through the weekend; lineups for those shows have not yet been announced. In addition, such New Orleans legends as Dr. John and the Neville Brothers will play special New Orleans-themed concerts on the city's Beale Street.

To find out what you can do to help provide relief to victims of Katrina, head to think MTV's hurricane relief page.

• Nine Inch Nails
• Queens of the Stone Age
• Digable Planets
• The Bravery
• The New York Dolls

The Secret Machines (file)
Photo: thesecretmachines.com

Even when adopting the most drastic measures, record labels seem helpless to prevent albums from surfacing online before their release dates. So now one label is taking the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach.

Four months before the debut album by New York trio the Secret Machines hits stores, Reprise Records, a Warner Bros. subsidiary, is making it available for sale online. In a campaign tied to Reprise's online marketing campaign, the label is trying to make sure fans have a legal way of acquiring new music they hear about on the Internet.

"[When] there's no legal alternative, it just drives people to file-trading to get the record," said Robin Bechtel, Warner Bros. vice president of new media. Beginning Tuesday, fans exposed to the ad campaign for Secret Machines' Now Here Is Nowhere, due on shelves in May, can go to iTunes, Amazon.com, TowerRecords.com and other online retailers to download the entire nine-song album for $8.91. The download will be bundled with a six-song sampler titled Sympathy for the Download, featuring tracks from the Von Bondies, the Walkmen, the Sun, Head Automatica and Jonathan Rice — other artists who are in line for the pre-release promotion.

As an added bonus, users will also receive a blank CD-R embellished with Secret Machines artwork in the mail.

The idea for the label's campaign came during online promotion for Trapt's self-titled debut, which began nearly a year before the album was released in November 2002. With their interest piqued but nothing available in stores, rock fans wanting to hear the music had no other recourse but to turn to Kazaa.

"When we do these Internet campaigns, we have to offer people a legal alternative to buy the music," Bechtel said. "I think that has contributed to the fall of the record industry, that we don't do this."

Warner Bros. isn't worried about people purchasing the downloadable tracks and then skipping the Now Here Is Nowhere CD when it hits stores. The hope is that the folks who download the tracks will tell their friends about it, so by the time the disc is out, word of mouth will have spread enough to bolster its sales.

Making the music available sooner rather than later is just fine by Secret Machines bassist/singer Brandon Curtis, who said he sees the campaign as a nod to the past instead of a reaction to present-day circumstances.

"It returns the immediacy of recording," he said. "You don't have to wait until the whole album, including packaging and liner notes, is done. You can record a song and a few weeks later it can be available, like in the 1950s and '60s, when artists recorded singles and turned them around in a week."

The Secret Machines are ideal for launching this initiative, the first of its kind by any major label, Bechtel said. The trio moved to New York from Dallas more than three years ago and infiltrated the local circuit with their driving, progressive rock. Since then, they've developed a sizable local and online following. In fact, the band is even more forward thinking than its label. The nine songs have been streaming on the Secret Machines' Web site since December, just two months after the tracks were finished.

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

• Secret Machines

Coachella Valley Music Festival 04.30 - 05.01.2005

• Nine Inch Nails
• Arcade Fire
• Bloc Party
• The Bravery
• The Futureheads

MTV.com Exclusive: The Secret Machines Photos 07.30.2004

• Secret Machines

• Interpol
• Calla
• Le Tigre
• Longwave
• The Natural History