T.I.'s <i>T.I. vs. T.I.P.</i>
Photo: Atlantic Records

Fireworks are happening everywhere this week — can T.I. bring some to the record racks, too? With the competition at a bare minimum, the rapper is trying to get his ego crisis under control so he can Tip the charts and blow away the contenders. They include Velvet Revolver, who are firing off a new release of their own this week; Kelly Rowland, who gave her fresh material some shine (with help from Eve) at the BET Awards; and Silverstein, whose label has just slightly high expectations for the band's new LP. Let the festivities begin ...

Who Is This Man?: T.I. vs. T.I.P. revolves around the rapper's dueling identities, but he/they are hardly the only ones trying to sort things out on the LP — Eminem, Jay-Z, Nelly, Busta Rhymes, Mannie Fresh and Wyclef Jean are also onboard for the 18-track outing. (Sad news for fans: Slices with Justin Timberlake, Ciara and others didn't make the final cut.) Warner Music Group CEO Lyor Cohen is also spotted on the three-act disc, playfully warning Tip not to mess with his money, but it's not all fun and games — early in the album, the rapper reflects on his daughter's miscarriage and the shooting of a friend.

Bang Bang Baby: It hasn't all been smooth sailing for Velvet Revolver — the band scrapped a concept-album concept for its second disc and changed producer plans too when Brendan O'Brien took the helm instead of Rick Rubin. "We really kind of flat-lined for a while," Scott Weiland told Billboard. All the same, fans can scream for Libertad, now that it's arrived three years after its predecessor, Contraband. The latter LP opened at #1 on the Billboard albums chart — but so did T.I.'s last one, King. VR's new single "She Builds Quick Machines" hasn't been doing terribly well at rock radio, but maybe their head-scratching cover of Electric Light Orchestra's "Can't Get It Out of My Head" will attract some more curious buyers and help the disc debut with a bang.

Cirque de Rock: VR drummer Matt Sorum has been slapping some extra skins this year — he played on the first effort by Circus Diablo, which features other current and past members of the Cult — Billy Duffy and Billy Morrison — as well as Fuel's Brett Scallions and the Almighty's Ricky Warwick. (Tying everything together, Sorum and Weiland are in another Morrison project, Camp Freddy.) Songs include "Red Sun Rising," "Mad Parade" and "Commercial Break."

Dear Ms. Kelly: With testosterone dominating this week, don't forget about Ms. Kelly — Ms. Kelly Rowland, that is. She might have some trouble planting her second album in people's brains, though — the follow-up to 2002's Simply Deep was supposed to come out last year but got shelved and reworked. Here it is at last, and Eve ("Like This"), Tank ("The Show") and Snoop Dogg ("Ghetto") are propping up the former Destiny's Child singer with guest spots. Look for a ringtone, cell phone wallpaper, a digital track download and more to accompany the release.

Andre the Giant: As huge as Andre 3000's reputation is, you might have trouble finding him in the racks this week — he sneaks up on the soundtrack to "Class of 3000," the animated series he created and produced. Andre can be heard on the disc via the voice of Sunny Bridges, the music teacher, although all the tunes on the set were actually written by Mr. Benjamin — yup, even "The Crayon Song," "UFO Ninja," "Oh Peanut" and "Banana Zoo."

Silver and Bold: In what has to be one of the ballsier hype sheets in recent memory, Victory Records declares outright: "Silverstein will debut in the top 10 on Billboard's top 200 on July 11." The Canadian post-hardcore act did manage to get rid of more than 300,000 copies of its last album, Discovering the Waterfront, and it sided with Blink-182 producer Mark Trombino for the follow-up, Arrivals and Departures. The album, which leaked a couple of weeks ago, features "The Sand Will Turn to Glass," "Vanity and Greed" and "Love With Caution"; the Best Buy edition has a couple of goodies too: "Rain Will Fall" and "Falling Down." Don't tell Michael Douglas!

Watch Out: If the record racks are too bare for you this week, turn on your computer — there's a bit going on in the digital sphere. Tom Morello — oops, the Nightwatchman — is tacking "Alone Without You," a tune featured in pal Michael Moore's new "Sicko" flick, onto his recently released debut, One Man Revolution. "Sick 'cause this hammering litany of sins/ Is bangin' and burnin' and I can't stand the din," he sings on the track, which is told from the viewpoint of a dying man. "Sick 'cause the darkness keeps seepin' on in/ Sick to be leaving my family and friends." Also floating around online is Sedated Times, a seven-track EP by Norwegian experimentalists 120 Days. The set consists of "So This Is Suicide," "Sleepless Nights #11" and a bonus tune, "Come Out Come Down Fade Out Be Gone," reconstructed by Secret Machines.

Song Title of the Week:

"Tomorrow's Another Day" from Collie Buddz

Album Cover of the Week:

Twiztid's Independent's Day

New Releases:

· Sara Bareilles - Little Voice (Epic)
· Circus Diablo - Circus Diablo (Koch)
· Collie Buddz - Collie Buddz (Epic)
· Damien Dempsey - To Hell or Barbados (United Opportunity)
· Erik Mongrain - Fates (MVD Audio)
· Kelly Rowland - Ms. Kelly (Columbia) [Buy Now]
· Marvin Sapp - Thirsty (Verity)
· Silverstein - Arrivals and Departures (Victory) [Buy Now]
· T.I. - T.I. vs. T.I.P. (Atlantic) [Buy Now]
Read: "T.I. Taking On T.I.P. With Help From Eminem, Justin Timberlake"
· Twiztid - Independent's Day (Psychopathic) [Buy Now]
· Velvet Revolver - Libertad (RCA) [Buy Now]
Read: "Scott Weiland Pumped For Velvet Revolver LP, Solo Collabo With Pharrell"
· Various artists - "Class of 3000" soundtrack (La Face) [Buy Now]
· Various artists - "Talk to Me" soundtrack (Atlantic)
· Various artists - "Transformers" soundtrack (Warner Bros.)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· 2Pac - Evolution: Duets and Remixes (Koch)
· The Climax Blues Band - 20 Greatest Hits (Fuel)
· John Coltrane - My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport (Impulse) [Buy Now]
· Joe Ely - Honky Tonk Masquerade and Joe Ely (CBuJ) [Buy Now]
· Widespread Panic - Choice Cuts: The Capricorn Years - 1991-1999 (Capricorn/Legacy)
· Various artists - Cobra Record Corp. - Treasures From the Vaults (Fuel)

Digital Releases:

· 120 Days - Sedated Times (EP; Vice)
· The Nightwatchman - One Man Revolution (re-released with a bonus track; Epic) [Buy Now]

Coming Attractions:

July 10:
· Aly & AJ - Insomniatic (Hollywood) [Preorder]
· Interpol - Our Love to Admire (special edition packaged in hard-covered book form due same day; Capitol) [Preorder]
Read: "Call Interpol 'The Worst Band On The Planet' — They Don't Care"
· Mike Jones - The American Dream (Ice Age) [Preorder]
Read: "The Dream Is Nearly Over For Mike Jones"
· Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist (Reprise) [Preorder]
Read: "Smashing Pumpkins Drummer Offers More Clues About Forthcoming LP" · Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge) [Preorder]

July 17:
· All-American Rejects - "Tournado" DVD (Interscope) [Preorder]
· Avenged Sevenfold - "All Excess" DVD (Warner Bros.) [Preorder]
· Too Short - I Love the Bay (Up All Nite) [Preorder]
· Yellowcard - Paper Walls (deluxe edition with DVD due same day; Capitol) [Preorder]
· Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 25 (UTV)

July 24:
· Cartel - Cartel (Epic) [Preorder]
Read: "Pop-Punks Cartel Show Off Grandma's Digs, Borrow Benz For 'Cribs' "
· Sum 41 - Underclass Hero (Island) [Preorder]
Read: "Sum 41 Kill President In New Song — Deryck Whibley Says It's 'A Metaphor' "
· Tegan and Sara - Con (deluxe edition with DVD due same day; Vapor/Sanctuary) [Preorder]

• T.I. And Twista Grill Up Smokin' Summer Clips

• T.I.
• Velvet Revolver
• Kelly Rowland
• Silverstein
• Andre 3000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Song Title of the Week:

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

Other Notables:

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

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

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

New Releases:

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

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

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

Music DVDs:

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

Coming Attractions:

June 6:

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

June 13:

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

June 20:

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

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

Photo: Victory Records

WEST HOLLYWOOD, California — Joining friends Hawthorne Heights, Bayside and Aiden on tour was supposed to be a dream come true for Canadian emo-rockers Silverstein, but that dream quickly turned into a nightmare in the early morning hours of October 31.

While traveling to Salt Lake City, Bayside's touring van hit a patch of ice on a Cheyenne, Wyoming, highway and flipped over, killing drummer John "Beatz" Holohan.

"It's been real, real hard the past week," Silverstein lead singer Shane Told said. "We rode in a van for two years and didn't wear seatbelts. We drove through ice storms with bad tires, so we just feel really lucky that nothing ever happened to us like this. [It has] really opened up our eyes."

"It brought all of us together in a different way," drummer Paul Koehler added. "We're really tight as friends, but I think we really got to support each other and see each other in a different light. You know, it's hard to see your best friends cry, but it's good to be there for each other."

It's been less than a month since the accident, but Silverstein said the remaining members of Bayside — including bassist Nick Ghanbarian, who was hospitalized after breaking his back — remain in good spirits considering their loss.

"[One night] somebody came in right when Nick had just broken his back, and Nick said, 'Dude, how's my hair?' The guy's like, 'I don't know, man.' [And Nick's] like, 'Cause the nurse is real hot!' " Told recalled, laughing. "It's just a perfect example of how those guys remain positive after going through the worst thing ever."

The bands canceled four dates of their current Never Sleep Again Tour so some could travel to New York to support Holohan's family and friends. But Silverstein said they resumed the tour days later because Beatz wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

And after missing two weeks' worth of dates, Bayside's Anthony Raneri and Jack O'Shea rejoined the tour on Wednesday, performing as an acoustic duo.

"Everyone's kind of still a mess and that's probably not going to change for a little while," Told said. "But the best thing is that Anthony and Jack from Bayside are going to ... play, which I think is really important for them to get past this."

"It's a good inspiration for a band like us who goes through a lot of hard stuff as well," Koehler added. "It's like, [we] know it could be a lot worse, and if they can keep going, so can we."

Silverstein — Told, Koehler, bassist Bill Hamilton and guitarists Josh Bradford and Neil Boshart — first formed in Ontario in 2000, and released two EPs that sparked the interest of Victory Records. After signing with the label in 2003, the band put out two full-length studio LPs — its debut, When Broken Is Easily Fixed, has sold 200,000 copies — and toured alongside Fall Out Boy and Senses Fail.

The band recently experimented with a more playful vibe with "Smile in Your Sleep", the first single from Discovering the Waterfront.

"Basically it was loosely based on the board game Clue," Bradford explained. "We each played a different character from the board game, and we're all in different rooms of a big mansion with different murder weapons. It was probably something that we would never have come up with. We always approach things from a more serious angle. It gave us the opportunity to have a little more fun with ourselves."

The concept stemmed from a dream Told had during his first trip to England. "It was the very first time we ever went over and so my sleeping patterns were all messed up. The first day I didn't sleep at all and then the second day I slept for 20 hours straight and when I woke up, I had no idea like where I was. I was totally confused and then I had this ridiculous dream and thought that it had all actually happened."

Produced by Cameron Webb (Motörhead, Social Distortion), Discovering the Waterfront features catchy songs with a metal edge that explore central themes like self-determination and the ability to cope with change.

"One thing we really wanted to show on this record was a lot of hope and that it's not the end of the world," Told said. "Bad things happen to everyone and people can move on. It's just something everyone experiences, whether you're in a dead-end job or a relationship that's really not good for you. You really need to take a chance sometimes, move on and make your life better."

The Never Sleeps Again Tour wraps up in Chicago on December 11.

• Silverstein