Photo: Warner Bros. / Getty Images

If there's been one unifying theme to 2008, it's that there really are no sure things. No one — not even his label — expected to sell a million copies of Tha Carter III in a week. Everyone suspected Usher's Here I Stand would be a massive blockbuster. As you probably know by now, only one of those statements actually proved to be true.

So, in celebration of Thanksgiving, and to the year that was (or, more specifically, wasn't), I've written a list of the year's 10 biggest turkeys. These are albums and artists that disappointed commercially, critically or — more often than not — both. Misfires. Miscalculations. Missteps from the usually surefooted. In the following weeks, I'll also be writing my annual Best Songs and Albums of 2008 lists, but I figured I'd get the ugly stuff out of the way first.

Oh, and a special note — this isn't a list of actual turkeys. Because then this one would totally come in at #1. Anyway, if you're angered by what's below, feel free to drop me a line at BTTS@MTVStaff.com ... and now, let's talk turkey (wow, sorry).

10. Simple Plan
Raise your hand if you're aware they released an album this year. Well, they did ... a self-titled stinker on which they attempted to reinvent themselves as a serious-minded rock outfit with broken dreams and heavy hearts (you know, despite a back catalog that includes albums called No Pads, No Helmets ... Just Balls and Still Not Getting Any ... ). The buzz was bad on this one from the very beginning, as frontman Pierre Bouvier touted several "very synthy, very beat-oriented" songs they were working on with Timbaland protégé Nate "Danjahandz" Hills. Then the album's release date got pushed back from December to February, and finally, to add insult to injury, when SP premiered the (unintentionally hilarious) album cover, fan reaction was so negative that they were forced to scrap the idea and just go with a simple black-and-white job. Not surprisingly, the album stiffed, debuting at #14 on the Billboard charts, then dropping quickly into oblivion.

9. The Pussycat Dolls
A brief recap of the past 12 months in PCD Land: Lead singer Nicole Scherzinger spends the first half of the year promoting a solo album that never sees the light of day. Carmit Bachar (a.k.a. "the scary one") leaves the group in March to start a solo career. She is never heard from again. In September, PCD release Doll Domination, an album so full of Scherzinger retreads, touch-ups and water damage that it should've come with a complimentary Carfax report. Their label spends the remainder of the year hastily flinging singles from the album against the wall, hoping one will stick. Ultimately, none do, and to date, Doll Domination has sold less that 167,000 copies in the U.S. Scherzinger would finally admit that "some" of the songs on the PCD album were, in fact, intended for her failed solo album, which she promises will be out in 2009 as a companion piece to Domination. You have been warned.

8. Weezer
There is a very good chance Rivers Cuomo has gone insane. That's about the only way to describe what happened to Weezer in 2008. From the inexplicable cover of their Red Album (on which Cuomo looks like a nerdier version of Bruno Kirby in "City Slickers") to the inexplicable video for "Troublemaker" (in which Cuomo dresses like a Cholo and rocks a neck tattoo), it's been an annus terribilis for the rockers, who now resemble their sweater-clad glory days in name only. Barely. All those transgressions would've been forgiven, however, if Red were any good — sadly, it's not. And die-hard Weezer fans seem to agree with me. Not only have I not been able to find one person who will give the album any more than "eh, it's better than Maladroit," but it' sold only 375,000 copies to date ... a far cry from 2005's Make Believe, which moved more than 1.2 million units.

7. Jessica Simpson
Simpson kicked off 2008 by cursing the Cowboys and ended it being cursed by them. In January, she drew the ire of many a 'Boys fan when she and boyfriend Tony Romo (who just so happens to also be the Cowboys' starting QB) took a trip to Mexico while the team was supposedly preparing for an upcoming playoff game against the New York Giants. The Cowboys lost, and many — including players and members of the media — mentioned the trip as the reason Romo looked less-than-sharp in the game. In July, she decided that a country-music makeover was just what she needed to revive her stalled career, and she premiered her first single, "Come on Over," on her Web site. That same month, she made an appearance at the Country Thunder USA festival in Wisconsin, where she was booed off the stage. One concertgoer summed it up best, telling "Access Hollywood": "Just because she's dating Tony Romo, it doesn't make her country. ... She doesn't fit in with country, and I'll have to drink a lot of beer to sit through her concert."

6. Usher
Sure, his Here I Stand album debuted at #1 and eventually went platinum, but it didn't go nine times platinum like its predecessor, the massive Confessions, did. Couple that with the lack of follow-up singles, the messy "you're fired, just kidding, you're rehired!" game he played with mom-ager Jonnetta Patton and the bizarre tirade he launched into during a May 28 appearance on "TRL," in which he ripped into fans and shattered the unintentional-comedy scale by shouting, "My wife is not 40 years old!" into the camera, and 2008 was one to forget for Ush. And let's not even get into his harebrained attempt to re-establish himself as a sex symbol with his ladies-only One Night Stand Tour — which, as it turned out, anyone could attend, though many probably didn't want to.

5. Danity Kane
Diddy's girls did plenty right in 2008: Their sophomore album, Welcome to the Dollhouse, debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts in March, and the single "Damaged" made a splash both on the Hot 100 and as a digital download. But in October, things started to go really wrong. First, Aubrey O'Day — who had spent much of the past few months boasting about her breasts and posing for demure photo shoots like this one — was kicked out of the group by Diddy. He booted O'Day's BFF, D. Woods, too. Diddy has insisted that DK will continue on as a trio, which means the group now consists of three girls who could casually be described as "the plain one, the (other) blond one and the one who dates the guy in Day26."

4. Panic at the Disco
Really, these guys deserved better. And believe me, they'll get it when I write my "Best Albums of 2008" column in a few weeks. But for right now, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the colossal tanking of their Pretty. Odd. album, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard albums chart back in April but quickly disappeared from the public consciousness within a few months. Of course, all the warning signs were there: the writing sessions in a cabin, the subsequent scrapping of everything from those sessions, the dropping of the exclamation point from their name. But in the end, Panic fell victim to the same trap that befalls many a rock act with: A) a young fanbase, and B) something to prove — they changed the formula up too much, overshot just about everyone and are now crashing back to Earth. This is not to say ambition is a bad thing (it isn't) or that Pretty. Odd. isn't good (it is), but I'd be willing to bet that in five years, it'll also serve as the prime example of what happens to up-and-coming bands who get a little too big for their britches.

3. Madonna
As if the cover of Madge's Hard Candy album wasn't terrifying enough, consider the sentiment contained within that album: Here is Madonna, one of the 20th century's greatest icons, reduced to chasing trends and looking (and sounding) for the very first time like a 50-year-old mother of three. A blatant attempt to cash in on the "urban" market (check the collabos with Timbaland and Pharrell!), Candy doesn't have a single moment that doesn't recall a better one by Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado or even — gasp! — Britney, which made me feel rather sad for Maddy. On top of that, Candy hasn't exactly burned up the charts, selling selling just over 670K here in the U.S. Of course, all that sympathy was quickly lost when she decided to name her tour "Sticky & Sweet," wore an unending stream of Wonka-esque top hats and began taking ham-fisted potshots at politicians from the stage. And then, to top things off, she divorced her husband and (allegedly) started dating New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, which sort of makes me wonder whether she's actually a terrible person. Had she started dating Kevin Youkilis, I would not even consider this.

2. Mariah Carey
It's difficult to think of an album that flopped harder in 2008 than Carey's E=MC², which, given the fact that it's currently the sixth-best-selling album of the year, is saying something about just how impossibly high the expectations were. The long-in-the-works follow-up to her career-reviving The Emancipation of Mimi, it debuted at #1 and has sold nearly 1.2 million copies to date. But the fact remains that no one seems particularly excited about it — especially not Carey, who promoted it with a ho-hum interview on "Oprah" and a downright bizarre video for the first single "Touch My Body," which featured "30 Rock" actor Jack McBrayer wailing on a fake guitar, wearing a Viking helmet and parading around with a unicorn. As a follow-up, she married actor Nick Cannon and basically disappeared from public life. Neither of the three subsequent singles from the album did much of anything, and to date, E=MC² has sold less than one-fifth of what Emancipation did. Oh, and her big year was topped off with the announcement that her much-discussed film "Tennessee" will not open in December but rather, in February. Always a good sign.

1. Me
Why? Well, here's a list of my 2008 highlights: Took countless potshots at Britney Spears. Insisted that her career was over despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Proposed that Soulja Boy Tell'em is a 21st-century Marcel Duchamp. Insulted a massive portion of Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus fans with a sappy column in late September. Royally pissed off tons of cougars when I suggested that David Cook was "the reason the rest of the world hates us." Offended Diddy on an episode of "FNMTV," then rather than standing up for myself, wrote a passive-aggressive column about it the following week. Drafted Brian Westbook over Adrian Peterson in not one, but two fantasy-football leagues. Spent two-thirds of the year telling anyone who would listen how much I disliked Panic at the Disco's Pretty. Odd. album, only to discover that it's actually pretty great. Made borderline racially insensitive comments in a story I wrote about Lollapalooza (prediction #6 if you aren't sure). Killed a man. Actually liked Coldplay's Viva la Vida album. Killed another man. Bought a car even though I don't really need one, thereby making my carbon footprint a carbon bootprint. Actually liked the Killers' Day & Age album. Actually really like Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy.

Questions? Concerns? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com.

• Simple Plan
• Pussycat Dolls
• Weezer
• Jessica Simpson
• Usher

Michael Jackson's 25th anniversary edition of <i>Thriller</i>
Photo: Sony

Did you happen to catch Michael Jackson's appearance at Sunday night's Grammy Awards? Yeah, we didn't either. While the rumors were coming on hot and heavy, the reclusive pop legend didn't surface at the show — and that certainly didn't help the ceremony, which could have used some more pizzazz, or the promotional efforts behind the 25th anniversary edition of Jacko's landmark album, Thriller.

The LP might be older than you are, but it's pretty rare to see a reissue loaded with as much contemporary appeal as this one. Kanye West, Will.I.Am, Akon and Fergie all contributed in various capacities for the birthday gift, with Chris Brown, Nick Cannon and Imogen Heap all participating in a related 40-episode podcast series called Thrillercast (snag the widget for it right here).

For a release as big as this — oh, and did we mention Thriller is the top-selling album of all time? — it only makes sense that there would be a single to hype it. Well, there is one indeed: a new version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " that features 'Kon, Will and, of course, Mr. Jackson.

"He's a genius," Akon told MTV News last month about working with the icon. "Just to be in the same room [with him], I felt everything I wanted to accomplish in life has been achieved. That aura ... that's how incredible that aura is. We about to shake the world up, man."

Thriller 25 has a few more silver bars too, including a Kanye-produced remix of "Billie Jean"; Will.I.Am's reworkings of "The Girl Is Mine" and "P.Y.T."; Fergie's version of "Beat It"; an outtake from the original Thriller sessions called "For All Time"; "Someone in the Dark"; "Carousel"; and the original "Billie Jean" demo. To boot, there's a DVD encompassing the related Thriller short films, Jackson's Emmy-nominated performance of "Billie Jean" during the "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" TV special and more.

Now that's what you call a reissue. As for what else is in store for this week, seeing as how it's almost Valentine's Day and all, we're bringing the 411 to you as a series of couples. After all, we heart having fun in New Releases.

Hoser-ed Down: Montreal's Simple Plan have spent nearly four years honing their third studio album, and it's finally done. The long dry spell is probably going to be a challenge for the pop-punks — after all, their last release, 2004's Still Not Getting Any ..., debuted at #3 on the Billboard albums chart, and that's when bands were actually still selling CDs! Still, Simple Plan did manage to rope in some star power on the production side, tapping go-to-guy-of-the-moment Danjahandz as well as producers who have previously teamed with Justin Timberlake, Avril Lavigne and others. The eponymous album is also available as a limited-edition deluxe digipak with a bonus DVD featuring a documentary, behind-the-scenes clips and more.

There's another batch of Canucks in the mix this week too: City and Colour, who nabbed a Juno Award in 2007 for their last studio album, Sometimes. The band — which is actually an acoustic side project centered around Alexisonfire guitarist Dallas Green — is teeing up its second disc, with songs like "What Makes a Man?," "Constant Knot" and "Sleeping Sickness" (featuring the Tragically Hip's Gordon Downie) in the mix. The disc is called Bring Me Your Love — which might get it confused with PJ Harvey's 1995 outing, To Bring You My Love.

Credit Where Credit's Due: While we're on the subject of Canada, one of the country's biggest contributions to the rock annals is no doubt Neil Young, and he's getting a round of applause this week courtesy Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young for Charity. The two-CD set bristles with '90s alterna-rock mainstays Kristin Hersh, Veruca Salt and Tanya Donnelly, as well as the Watson Twins, Britta Phillips and Jill Sobule. Proceeds will go to Casting for Recovery, a nonprofit that supports women who have or have had breast cancer.

Paying tributes of a different variety altogether this week are the YMD, two Philly MCs who name-check some unlikely suspects on their new one, Excuse Me, This Is the Yah Mos Def. Defunct San Diego post-punks Drive Like Jehu get some props with the song "Jive Like Jehu," while the founder of Gern Blandsten Records is cited in "Charles Maggio's Real Last Name Is Ash" and "The Riches" actress Nicole Hiltz is presumably the person being referenced in "Hiltz Is Hot." Upping the WTF? level a notch, Distro and B. Awesome interweave unlikely samples by underground acts like Minor Threat, Bikini Kill and the Shipping News.

Elsewhere on the tribute front this week: Dread Zeppelin return with Bar Coda; Puntilla y el Conjunto Todo Rumbero salute a rumba legend with A Tribute to Gonzalo Asencio: Tio Tom 1919-1991; and Terence Blanchard, Nancy Wilson and other jazz luminaries join forces for Cannon Re-Loaded: An All-Star Celebration of Cannonball Adderley.

Good Samaritans: The women who converged for Cinnamon Girl aren't the only ones feeling charitable this week. Southern jam fiends Widespread Panic recently sponsored a house in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward through the Make It Right foundation's Pink Project, and they offered their song "Walk on the Flood" for download in exchange for a $10 donation to the organization. The 22-year-old band's new disc, Free Somehow, features that track as well as "Boom Boom Boom," "Up All Night" and more.

Meanwhile, long-running Indiana singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomer has a new disc, too (The Geography of Light), and she's donating 10 percent of the profits from the accompanying tour to the American Friends Service Committee, a peacemaking group that was founded by the Quakers.

Pleased To Meet You: Speaking of "newcomers," there are a pair of notable ones this week, starting with Dallas' Deaf Pedestrians. You might be familiar with the alterna-rockers already — their nerd number "Hail to the Geek" was featured on MTV's own "My Super Sweet 16." The quirky song references "Dungeons & Dragons" and "Spider-Man," and as frontman Charlton Parker said in a recent press release, "Now, a lot of people come up to me at shows and ask if I really play 'D&D.' ... I can give them the satisfaction of knowing, yes, indeed, I have no life."

On the opposite end of the newcomer spectrum are the Informati, a Radiohead-inspired project featuring a progressive composer and an experimental guitarist. The duo's self-titled debut finds them blending classical arrangements with electronic rhythms, psychedelic guitars, dub bass — and best of all, the entire effort is sung in Latin!

Indie Delights: While Europe is on the brain, let's turn to British Sea Power, who are roaring back with their third opus, the coyly titled Do You Like Rock Music? The album was recorded with Arcade Fire producer Howard Bilerman and features songs about migration and pollution, but more exceptionally, the Brighton crew recorded it inside a converted water tower and in a forest in the Czech Republic, among other locations.

He may not be British, but sometimes ex-Guided by Voices majordomo Robert Pollard is mistaken for being just that, given his vocal inflections and obsession with British Invasion acts. The indomitable imbiber from Dayton, Ohio, has had an ongoing singles series on his own Happy Jack Rock Records, but this week's Superman Was a Rocker marks the label's first full-length.

Freebies!: Have rumors of recession been giving you the jitters? Check it out — there are two new releases that you don't even have to throw down for this week. Four Year Strong, who recently signed to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz's Decaydance Records, have posted their new album, Rise or Die Trying, for free download at FriendsorEnemies.com. You better jump on the offer, though — it expires Wednesday.

Likewise, Face to Face captain Trever Keith is streaming his first-ever solo release, Melancholics Anonymous, for free on his Web site, TreverKeith.com. If you're not crazy about streaming, the 11-track item can also be downloaded for just $5.

Song Title of the Week:

"More Hot Dogs Please" from Robert Pollard's Superman Was a Rocker

Album Cover of the Week:

Fools Gold by Ssion

Other Notables:

Metric's "Live at Metropolis" DVD
The indie-pop act is part of the north-of-the-border indie-pop explosion that has also included Feist and Broken Social Scene — in fact, Metric and BSS have a singer in common: Emily Haines. The time is ripe, therefore, for the release of Metric's first-ever DVD, "Live at Metropolis," which immortalizes the group's sold-out 2007 show at the Montreal venue. The 13 concert performances are bolstered by a trio of music videos, for "Monster Hospital," "Poster of a Girl" and "Empty."

Sourvein's Ghetto Angel
The down-tuned metal band is in the middle of a three-part EP series for heavier-than-thou label This Dark Reign Recordings, and this one is as swampy, doomy and sludgy as can be. The group, which previously called labels Southern Lord and Game Two home, will set out on a Metal Maniacs tour later this year, following stints with Zoroaster and Ganon.

The Bird and the Bee's One Too Many Hearts
And finally, there's a special valentine for all the lovers out there. The indie-pop duo consisting of Inara George and Greg Kurstin put out their debut LP around this time last year, and now they're back with a three-song EP that features "Birthday," "Last Day of Our Love" and "Come as You Were." Pucker up.

New Releases:

· Antietam - Opus Mixtum (Carrot Top)
· Averse Sefira - Advent Parallax (Candlelight) [Buy Now]
· Marco Benevento - Invisible Baby (Hyena)
· Blue Highway - Through the Window of a Train (Rounder)
· British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music? (Rough Trade)
· Rufus Cappadocia - Songs for Cello (Velour)
· City and Colour - Bring Me Your Love (Vagrant)
· Deaf Pedestrians - ... And Other Distractions (Virgin)
· Dread Zeppelin - Bar Coda (DMV)
· Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill - Welcome Here Again (Green Linnet) [Buy Now]
· The Heavy Circles - The Heavy Circles (Dynamite Child)
· Idiot Pilot - Wolves (Reprise)
· The Informati - The Informati (Inman)
· Jaded Heart - Sinister Mind (Locomotive)
· Chris Joss - Teraphonic Overdubs (Eighteenth Street)
· Little Annie & Paul Wallfisch - When Good Things Happen to Bad Pianos (Jnana)
· The Mumlers - Thickets & Stitches (Galaxia)
· Carrie Newcomer - The Geography of Light (Philo)
· Maceo Parker - Roots & Grooves (live; Heads Up)
· Robert Pollard - Superman Was a Rocker (Happy Jack Rock)
· Puntilla y el Conjunto Todo Rumbero - A Tribute to Gonzalo Asencio: Tio Tom 1919-1991 (Smithsonian Folkways)
· The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards - Spirit of the Glen (Fontana/Universal)
· Paul Sabu - Strange Messiah (Locomotive)
· Simple Plan - Simple Plan (enhanced; limited deluxe digipak comes with DVD; Lava/Atlantic) Read: "Simple Plan Still Not Getting Any, Expect To Look Like 95-Year-Olds" [Buy Now]
· Sourvein - Ghetto Angel (EP; This Dark Reign)
· Ssion - Fools Gold (Sleazetone)
· Andrew Sterman - The Path To Peace: Music Inspired by the Inner Journey of Mahatma Gandhi (Orange Mountain Music)
· Supreme Beings of Leisure - 11i (Rykodisc) [Buy Now]
· Sworn Enemy - Maniacal (Century Media)
· Heidi Talbot - In Love + Light (Compass)
· Widespread Panic - Free Somehow (Widespread) [Buy Now]
· Willits + Sakamoto - Ocean Fire (12K)
· The YMD - Excuse Me, This Is the Yah Mos Def (Southern/ My Pal God)
· Various artists - Cannon Re-Loaded: An All-Star Celebration of Cannonball Adderley (Concord)
· Various artists - Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young for Charity (two CDs; American Laundromat)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Allen/Lande - The Revenge (Locomotive)
· Marty Balin - Balin (American Beat)
· The Clark Sisters - Encore: The Best of the Clark Sisters (Rhino)
· Guru - The Best of Guru's Jazzmatazz (Virgin/EMI)
· Buddy Holly - Not Fade Away - Buddy Holly 1957: The Complete Recordings (El Toro)
· Ian Hunter - All American Alien Boy/ Overnight Angels (American Beat)
· Michael Jackson - Thriller 25 (with DVD; deluxe edition in hard-book packaging also available; Epic/Legacy) Read: "Michael Jackson, Akon Are 'Startin' Somethin' ' On Thriller 25 Track -- Listen To It Here!" [Buy Now]
· Dave Koz - Double Feature (with DVD; Capitol)
· Kylie Minogue - X (Capitol) [Buy Now]
· Johnny Rodriguez - 20 Greatest Hits (Select-O)
· The Romantics - The Romantics/ National Breakout (American Beat)
· Various artists - B.I.P.P.P.: French Synthwave 1979-1985 (Everloving)
· Various artists - The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 9: 1969 (six-CD box set; Hip-O Select)
· Various artists - Droppin' Science: Greatest Samples From the Blue Note Lab (Blue Note)

Music DVDs:

· Chet Baker - "Live in Tokyo" (Hudson Street)
· Whitney Houston - "Whitney Houston Live" (Hudson Street) [Buy Now]
· Tom Jones - "This Is Tom Jones: Legendary Performances" (three DVDs; Time Life) [Buy Now]
· Metric - "Live at Metropolis" (Last Gang)
· The Nomads - "Live in Madrid" (Cobraside)
· Orleans - "We're Still Havin' Fun!: A Live Concert Film" (Friday Music)
· Scorpions - "Live at Wacken Open Air 2006: A Night to Remember, a Journey Through Time" (Sony BMG) [Buy Now]
· Supersuckers - "Live at Helldorado" (Cobraside)
· Various artists - "Wow Gospel 2008" (Verity)

Digital Releases:

· The Bird and the Bee - One Too Many Hearts (EP; Blue Note)
· Epochs - The Epochs Remix EP (Rebel Group) [Buy Now]
· Four Year Strong - Rise or Die Trying (available for free download at FriendsorEnemies.com; I Surrender)
· Trever Keith - Melancholics Anonymous (available for free download at TreverKeith.com; self-release)

Coming Attractions:

February 19:
· Foxy Brown - Brooklyn's Don Diva (Black Rose Entertainment/ Koch) [Preorder]
· Mike Doughty - Golden Delicious (ATO) [Preorder]
· Various artists - Kidz Bop 13 (enhanced; Razor & Tie)

February 26:
· Erykah Badu - New Amerykah (Motown)
· Missy Higgins - On a Clear Night (Reprise)
· Janet Jackson - Discipline (deluxe edition comes with DVD; Island) [Preorder]

March 4:
· The Black Crowes - Warpaint (Silver Arrow/ Megaforce/ Sony) [Preorder]
· Flogging Molly - Float (Side One Dummy)
· Stephen Malkmus & Jicks - Real Emotional Trash (Matador)

• Michael Jackson
• Simple Plan
• British Sea Power

Simple Plan
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

There comes a time in every band's career when it has to choose between staying on the well-worn path or taking a detour onto the road less certain. For Simple Plan, that decision was made earlier this year when they headed down to Miami's Hit Factory studios to work with producer Nate "Danjahandz" Hills, Timbaland's protégé and the man responsible for Britney Spears' "Gimme More."

"We're a band that's sold something like 7 million records, had two records that did really well, so we had to find a way to change without changing, to kind of reinvent ourselves," frontman Pierre Bouvier said. "All the bands that stand the test of time always have that record where it sounds different than anything previous, so we wanted to make things that sounded a bit more fresh. And so we did things like work with guys like Danja. He'd come up with some stuff, very synthy, very beat-oriented, and we'd write on that, and we made these really cool songs. And from there, we felt more confident to try something different, so we wrote the rest of the record."

Working with Hills marked the beginning of the end of a year-and-a-half journey making SP's yet-untitled third album, which the guys say will be released in late January. The voyage took them from their hometown of Montreal to San Diego, down to Barbados and then to Miami, and saw them courting collaborations with artists like Gwen Stefani and Will.I.Am (though neither of those will appear on the final product). Through it all, they kept fans abreast of developments through copious amounts of MySpace blogging (see "Simple Plan Taking Their Time On New LP, But Promise To 'Blog Like Hardcore Nerds' "). And, somewhat understandably, as the developments kept getting weirder — or, at least, less Simple Plan-y — their fanbase got more and more worried.

So now that the record — which features three songs produced by Hills (the first single, "When I'm Gone," along with "The End" and "Generation") and an assist from former Limp Bizkit deckhand DJ Lethal (on "Your Love Is a Lie") — is finished, were all those worries justified? Have Simple Plan taken things too far?

Well, yes and no.

"It's a big step, and for sure, a lot of people will hear it and be like, 'Oh, my God, this is so not what they were before.' But if you want to make a mark on music, you have to take some risks," Bouvier said. "Like, you'll hear a song that when it starts, you'll be like, 'Whoa, this is not Simple Plan,' but by the end you'll realize that it is Simple Plan, but with a different flavor.

"In this day and age, you got to find a way to get ahead, and we did," he continued. "I think it all puts an edge to what we've been doing, but nothing too crazy. I hate when people go out and do collaborations and it sounds like two separate things that don't mesh together, but these songs feel honest. They don't feel forced. We could've been in the studio a year earlier, with 12 songs that would've been really good, but we wanted to make something more important than that."

Simple Plan claim to realize what usually happens to successful bands that try to shake things up. It's an age-old tale that usually ends in alienated fanbases and plenty of crashing and/or burning. But when they talk about some of the songs on the record, like "No Love," "What If" (which features an orchestra conducted by Beck's dad, David Campbell) and "Save You" (which Bouvier said is about his brother's recent battle with cancer), it's not difficult to tell that they're immensely proud of album number three, and they're willing to deal with any repercussions that come from the album.

"We're not really a strictly modern rock band. We're basically a pop band that played the Warped Tour, and so I think that gives us more freedom, because our fans are more open to what's good," Bouvier said. "If you're a band that only gets played on modern rock radio, and then you make a song with some keyboards in it, people are like, 'You sold out.' But for us, our fans will listen to anything. And hopefully they'll like this."

"There were definitely a few moments where we'd be listening to the music and we'd go, 'Are we really gonna do this?' And I think we all decided to do it," guitarist Jeff Stinco added. "If the five of us can endorse it, well, then it's probably good. We had to trust our opinions and what we felt. And when it was good enough for the five of us, we decided it was time to release it."

• Simple Plan

T.I.
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

It's said New Year's resolutions are meant to be broken. This is probably why most boozy pledges made as December 31 expires are long forgotten by mid-January, leaving a trail of unused treadmills, unopened Nicorette patches and un-creased self-help books in their wake.

And yet, year after year, we continue to make them ... hoping against hope that this will finally be the year that we organize the garage or stop drinking cough syrup. And musicians, being just like the rest of us (except, you know, with more money and fame and all that) are no different, starting each new year with the resolve to better themselves. And while it's not known if they have a higher success rate than the rest of us, we're willing to bet the answer is no.

Which is why it was surprising to see several of them making the, uh, "brave" — meaning perhaps contractually obligated — decision to post their New Year's resolutions on YouTube.com, where they'll stand for all eternity (or until some copyright law banishes them from the Internet) as a testament to their hopes and dreams for building better selves.

We've compiled some of our favorites here to see if, in 12 months, we notice some real and definite change in our favorite rappers and rockers (and James Blunt, too). From the sublimely ridiculous to the ridiculously ridiculous, here's what some today's biggest and brightest hope to accomplish in '07.

Trick Daddy, self-proclaimed "Mayor of Dade County," huge proponent of the kids: "My New Year's resolution is to make some money and to stay out of jail. I'm not gonna spend any money on bail bonds or lawyers this year. That's my resolution. And if you're out there representing the streets, you should do that for me too."

Jon Walker, Panic! at the Disco's former replacement (now permanent) bassist and token "normal dude": "I can't think of anything better to do on New Year's than maybe enjoy an extra-value meal from one of my favorite fast-food chains and watch some videos on YouTube."

Pretty Ricky, Creatively maned, sartorially unique Miami quartet: "Our New Year's resolution is to make more money. And ya'll should make some more money too."

Ben Gibbard, Death Cab for Cutie's permanently hangdog frontman: "In the year 2007, I'm looking forward to possibly buying some kind of island that I can build a log cabin on, that I can build a helipad on. So I can have our bus driver — who also flies helicopters — take me to the grocery store. And I'll buy a helicopter too. The first thing is to get a loan for an island, because I don't think I have enough money for an island right now."

T.I., rapper, actor, so-called "King of Atlanta": "This year I wanna be more organized, maybe work out a bit more. Maybe get a chance to sleep more, rest more, vacation more."

Travis McCoy, Gym Class Heroes' strangely sweet, (even more) strangely street frontman: "[To] stop wearing those fake-ass sneakers. Don't buy Okie Dokes, because I hate Okie Dokes. Okie Dokes are bad, yo."

David Desrosiers, Simple Plan's sorta-goth bassist: "My New Year's resolution is to try what I was intending to do last year's New Year's resolution, which is to try and go to bed earlier. I actually did go to bed really, really early the other day. It was like 6 in the morning."

James Blunt, balladeer, former member of the British Army, dater of supermodels: "My New Year's resolution? I'm going to drink more."

Nick Cester, Jet's borderline-insufferable, certifiably delusional frontman: "I personally don't think I have any flaws, therefore I don't consider it necessary to make any resolutions. If you're on a winning ticket, why change? I'm just gonna steam ahead as I have done for most of my life."

Kid Rock, Pamela Anderson's husband of nearly five months, current divorcee: "I think for my New Year's resolution, I'm gonna give up something ... I'm gonna give up sleeping. I think it's overrated, and I'm gonna give it up. So I'm not gonna be in bed anymore, I'm gonna devote all my time to just having more fun."

• New Year Resolutions: Snoop, Wentz, JoJo

• T.I.
• Kid Rock
• James Blunt
• Trick Daddy
• Death Cab For Cutie

Simple Plan's Pierre Bouvier
Photo: Donald Weber/ Getty Images

Simple Plan drummer Chuck Comeau wants everyone to know that his band is anything but the bunch of slackers the press has painted them to be.

"When I started reading that, it really bummed me out, 'cause we're workaholics," Comeau sighed. "We took a month off after touring for almost a year, and that was our first time off in almost seven years. And since April, we've been writing songs. We've written almost every single day."

Gee, we have no idea where that whole slacker myth might've started (see "Simple Plan: The Laziest Road Warriors In The Business"), but Comeau and company are obviously working hard to disprove it, having written something in the neighborhood of 70-80 "pieces" of songs over the past six months in their Montreal hometown and San Diego. They'll continue work in Barbados next week.

Now, according to Comeau, the big challenge is going to be putting all those pieces together.

"We have all these riffs and melodies and slow and fast parts — it's like a puzzle. Now we're turning all those parts into full songs and figuring out what the record is going to sound like," he said. "This is our third record, and it's a big deal. It's the record where bands usually fall apart. It's going to define where we're going to go for the next two years, and also where the next record is going to go. It's a turning point for our band, and we want to get it right."

The process has been slow, but Simple Plan currently have 10-11 completed songs, including a stomper called "Take My Hand" (which Comeau described as "AFI meets the Killers meets Simple Plan"), "Never Should've Let You Go," which kicks off with an intro reminiscent of Third Eye Blind and a piano-driven tune tentatively called "Forever."

"We know right away if something is going to be good or not," Comeau laughed. "After you put together the choruses and the verses, you know if you've got something special. We don't want to put any throwaways on the new record. We're sort of like our own A&R guys."

The plan is for SP to continue writing new material until Christmas, then head down to Brazil for a pair of massive outdoor concerts before finally hitting the studio in late January. Comeau said the band hasn't decided who'll produce the new album, but it's leaning towards working once again with Bob Rock, who helmed the sessions for 2004's Still Not Getting Any ...). He also named a few, um, less-than-traditional choices.

"We'd love to get in the studio with someone like Will.I.Am or Wyclef Jean, a couple of guys who aren't just great beat makers, they're very talented musicians. But we haven't reached out to them," he said. "We also really want to work with a female singer, someone with a really strong voice like Kelly Clarkson and Gwen Stefani. We've met them, and they're both super nice. So put that in your article, and maybe something will happen."

You never know, dude. In the meantime, Comeau said Simple Plan will continue writing, and they hope to have their third album in stores by April or May. And though he recognizes that's still a long ways off, he hopes fans know that the band's new songs are most definitely worth the wait.

"The songs we have right now, I'm very excited about," he said. "We might never have the buzz we had after our first record, but we can become a band that's a staple and that's important. And hopefully our fans have the faith and confidence in us to know that's what we're trying to do now."

• Simple Plan
• Gwen Stefani
• Will.I.Am
• Black Eyed Peas
• Kelly Clarkson

Simple Plan's Pierre Bouvier
Photo: Donald Weber/ Getty Images

By their own admission, the guys in Simple Plan weren't exactly chomping at the bit to begin work on the follow-up to their Still Not Getting Any ... album, pledging to spend the majority of 2006 "sleeping and relaxing."

And it looks like they've kept their word — kind of. Because after finally wrapping the Getting Any promotional cycle earlier this year, SP decided to take some time off and enjoy life at home (see "Simple Plan Won't Let A Few Numb Teeth Stop Them From Touring"). And judging from the contents of drummer Chuck Comeau's MySpace blog — which is chock full of updates on his hockey prowess ("I played two games back to back on Sunday," he wrote. "Scored a hat trick in the first game") and his recent birthday festivities — they've been doing just that.

But into every working band's life a little responsibility must fall, and for Simple Plan, it looks like their vacation is finally coming to an end. According to Comeau, the band have begun work on the follow-up to the million-selling Getting Any, though they're doing it at their own rather unique pace.

"I know some of you have been wondering what we've been up to over the last few months. Well ... aside from playing hockey, we've been writing new songs every single day since we stopped touring," he wrote in his blog on Simple Plan's MySpace page. "Writing a record is not the easiest thing in the world, and we're working our asses off to make sure we bring you an album that we will be proud of and that hopefully you will love.

"It was hard at first because we had to try to figure out what we wanted to say and where we wanted to go with the music," Comeau's entry continued. "But we're finally getting into a groove right now and it's starting to really come together. I'm really excited about the new music. I can't wait for you guys to hear it. Please be patient ... it's coming."

When? Comeau doesn't say, and while there is no timetable for the album's release, an Atlantic Records spokesperson told MTV News that the Plan's, um, plan is to enter the studio in November.

Whenever SP does enter the studio, Comeau promises that they'll keep fans posted through their MySpace blog, a responsibility which he said the band will attack with all the intensity they're presumably attacking those new songs — which may or may not be a good thing.

"Starting today, we're gonna start to blog like hardcore Microsoft nerds. We're gonna become the Perez Hilton of band blogs," he wrote. "Well, not sure if we can blog that much, but we sure can't do worse than what we've been doing."

• Simple Plan

Audioslave's Chris Cornell
Photo: Getty Images

On Monday in Los Angeles, Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell and his wife, Vicky, welcomed into the world their second child, a son named Christopher Nicholas. Lil' Chris was born at 7:08 p.m. and weighed in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces. The couple already have a 14-month-old daughter, Toni. ...

There's a lot of recording going on at the Brown household. Bobby Brown, wife Whitney Houston and their kids are all recording albums of their own, according to Bobby, who simply described his effort as taking it back to the top. "My sound is Bobby Brown, I don't change for nobody." ... Reggaeton king Daddy Yankee is joining the likes of Nelly, Jay-Z and 50 Cent and signing on to launch his own sneaker under the Reebok umbrella. "I'm truly honored to be able to share my uniqueness and creativity with the rest of the world through my deal with Reebok," said Yankee, who's working on a new album slated to come out next year. ...

Simple Plan will be going head-to-head with gamers for the latest Xbox Live Game With Fame event on Thursday. The Canadian rockers will be challenging fans to the underground street-racing game "Need for Speed: Most Wanted" for two hours starting at 1 p.m. ET. "We're always playing Xbox on our bus. Our fans better get ready because I play 'Need for Speed' all the time," singer Pierre Bouvier warned. If you're up for the challenge, you can track the band down at gamertag simplegwf. ...

A two-disc compilation featuring unreleased material from more than 30 bands will precede the new edition of the Taste of Chaos Tour, which is set to kick off in late February. The album, called Best of the Taste of Chaos, hits stores on January 24 and includes tracks from some of the acts on this year's TOC bill — Deftones, Thrice and Story of the Year — as well as bands that were on previous incarnations of the trek. Songs from the likes of Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, the Dillinger Escape Plan, the Used, Avenged Sevenfold and Underoath also made the track list. ...

Super Bowl fans will not only get a taste of old-school rock with previously announced halftime act the Rolling Stones, but some Motown as well, courtesy of Stevie Wonder. The legendary singer has signed on to perform during February 5's pregame show at Detroit's Ford Field, The Associated Press reports, with more acts expected to be announced shortly. ...

"Rock Star: INXS" runner-up Marty Casey and his band the Lovehammers will release their self-titled debut album on January 24, featuring the single "Trees." The Chicago group will hit the road as INXS' opening act beginning January 18 in Vancouver, British Columbia. ...

The Prodigy are prepping a two-disc singles set for February 28 entitled Their Law - The Singles 1990-2005. The collection will feature a 50-page booklet alongside all the group's top-20 singles, plus the previously unreleased tracks "Razor," "Back 2 Skool," "Voodoo Beats" and a remix of "Under My Wheels." On the same day, a 33-track DVD set of the same name will hit stores with live clips and videos of songs such as "Smack My Bitch Up" and "Firestarter." ...

Jane Wiedlin revealed at the VH1 Big in '05 Awards over the weekend that her former bandmates are back together and working on a top-secret Go-Go's project. Wiedlin is also singing in a new band called the Downtown Sensation that performs classic jazz songs by such legends as Ella Fitzgerald. ...

The Eels are releasing a live album from their performance this summer at Town Hall in New York. Eels With Strings: Live at Town Hall, due February 21, will feature several tracks from 2005's Blinking Lights and Other Revelations as well as covers of Bob Dylan's "Girl From the North Country," Johnny Rivers' "Poor Side of Town" and the Left Banke's "Pretty Ballerina." A DVD with the same title and release date will also include nine additional tracks, including a take on Prince's "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man." ...

12.05.2005

Foxy Brown appeared in a New York courtroom Monday morning (December 5) for what was to be the start of her criminal trial — she was arrested last year for assault and harassment, stemming from an August 2004 dispute at a New York nail salon. The judge in Foxy's trial, Melissa Jackson, adjourned the proceedings until December 23, after Brown's attorney, Joseph Tacopina, revealed his client is almost totally deaf, according to an Associated Press report. Tacopina's disclosure came after he was asked why he'd spent the entire morning passing notes back and forth with his client. "She can't hear me," he said. "Anything I have to communicate with her now has to be written." Between now and December 23, Brown will undergo a second surgical procedure to correct her hearing problem. ...

Kelly Clarkson and Common have joined the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences' What's the Download Interactive Advisory Board as honorary members. The board, which is dedicated to creating a dialogue between fans and music makers, will participate with hundreds of teens in the "WTD Rap Session" taking place in the week leading up to the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in February. Other honorary members include Kanye West and members of Earth, Wind & Fire. ...

Producer Phil Spector will stand trial for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson beginning on April 24, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled Friday. Spector, however, could take the witness stand in a pretrial hearing next week to sort out an issue regarding a deposition he gave in a civil lawsuit he launched against former attorney Robert Shapiro. Spector is arguing for Shapiro to return a $1 million retainer he paid the attorney, whom he parted with shortly after. ... Brad Pitt wants to be the daddy to Angelina Jolie's kids, further fueling rumors that the couple are close to tying the knot. "We are confirming that Brad Pitt is in the process of becoming the adoptive father of both children," the actor's publicist said in a statement. Pitt, whose divorce from Jennifer Aniston was finalized in October, filed legal papers on Friday requesting that the last names of Jolie's two children, Maddox and Zahara, be changed to Jolie-Pitt. ...

"This is the best show you'll ever see in your life," Kanye West shouted from the stage at his Touch the Sky tour stop Saturday in Universal City, California. And Kanye did give the fans a show they wouldn't soon forget — blessing the crowd with hit after hit, he then gave them guest after guest, starting with Common. They did "Get 'Em High" together before Kanye let Common take over with "Go!" and "The Light." Maroon 5's Adam Levine found time to come out and sing his part on "Heard 'Em Say." Topping Levine was Patti LaBelle, who joined West for "Roses," a song she's not even credited for on Kanye's Late Registration album. The biggest crowd-pleaser of the night, though, arrived when Jamie Foxx's falsetto "She take my money ..." came through the speakers — not on wax, but live from the man himself. The pair danced around to "Gold Digger" and ran through "Slow Jamz" with Foxx even jokingly imitating Twista, who was not in the house. Foxx, probably the first Oscar winner to provide the beat box for a freestyle, did exactly that while Kanye rhymed. ...

Nine Inch Nails have rolled out a spate of new tour dates for 2006, many of them campus gigs and small-town stops. The first of the 22 dates on the trek is booked for February 10 at Assembly Hall on the Champaign campus of the University of Illinois, and the final date is set for March 27 in Wichita, Kansas. No openers for the tour have been identified yet. ... Hot on the heels of their first headlining tour and news of a spring jaunt with Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights have announced the release date and track list for their second album, If Only You Were Lonely. The LP, produced by David Bendeth in Hoboken, New Jersey, will hit stores on February 28. Lonely features 12 tracks, including "The Phoenix Sung So," "Seasons Lost (IV) You" and "Mockingbirds Help." ...

NOFX will be hitting the road on February 20 with the Lawrence Arms and the Loved Ones for a 12-date run. The trek winds down in Chicago on March 5. ... Nada Surf have scheduled a winter tour to kick off February 8 in Baltimore and wrap up March 11 in Toronto. The band is promoting its recently released The Weight Is a Gift. ... Amateur axe-wielders of the world, rejoice! Thanks to Virtual Air Guitar — a computer program designed by a trio of students at the Helsinki University of Technology in Finland — now your fictional fretwork can actually be heard. The program utilizes a pair of brightly colored gloves and special computer-vision software that tracks hand movements and gives them each their own unique guitar sounds. The software also recognizes hand gestures, so each make-believe power chord or hammer-on creates a pitch-perfect note. Who says you never learn anything good in college? ...

• Audioslave
• Whitney Houston
• Bobby Brown
• Daddy Yankee
• Simple Plan

Simple Plan's Sebastien Lefebvre, Pierre Bouvier and Chuck Comeau
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

Attention all angry concertgoers looking to chuck bottles at Simple Plan on their current tour: Bring it on.

Actually don't. Someone might get hurt. But less than two months after they were forced to cut short a homecoming show in Stratford, Ontario, when frontman Pierre Bouvier was clocked in the face with a bottle (see "Simple Plan's Homecoming Welcome: A Bottle To The Face"), Simple Plan want you to know that they've been through worse. And they've always bounced back.

"We know what it's like to play a show where you're hated, and that show wasn't it. There was no animosity in the air or anything. It was a great show that for some reason, someone decided to throw a bottle that was full, and they had really good aim, and it landed on my face," Bouvier laughed. "I was really bummed out that we couldn't finish the show, because it was really good coming back home. It was just a stupid incident, and it sucks that it had to happen on the day that we came back home, but I'm fine ... I just [still] can't feel my teeth. It takes more than that to stop us."

"We've had a bunch of bottles thrown at us before, and we know what it's like to be hated. It wasn't like a Warped [Tour] show date with like five haters and a bunch of bottles," drummer Chuck Comeau added. "It's ironic that after a bunch of shows where we got pelted with bottles, nothing [else] happened, and then the one show where like five bottles get thrown, it's like, 'Bang!' "

The band will return to Ontario in early December on its North American tour — the umpteenth in support of last year's Still Not Getting Any ... — and then head to the U.K. for a string of dates that runs until the middle of February. After that they'll finally put the record to bed. But at the moment, they've still got one more single to promote, the somber "Crazy" (see "Simple Plan Keep It Bleak For 'Crazy' Video"). So why don't we let Bouvier do just that.

"['Crazy' is] about all the bad things in the world. It could've been a 12-minute song with each verse about a different topic, but that wouldn't work," he said. "So it's about a few specific things: the gap between the rich and the poor around the world ... how women are objectified in the media, and all the stereotypes they're supposed to live up to."

Word. So with the end of the Still Not Getting Any ... promotional cycle in sight, just when can we expect SP to get to work on a follow-up? Well, as they've told us in the past, they aren't exactly the nose-to-the-grindstone types (see "Simple Plan: The Laziest Road Warriors In The Business"), so it'll be a while. But just how long of a while?

"We're trying to get some sleep, man. We don't really write on the road, and since we're always on the road, we haven't written anything," Bouvier said. "But after our European tour, we're going to write for about three months and knock it all out at once. Hopefully we'll have a new album done by next fall."

• Simple Plan

Franz Ferdinand's <i>You Can Have It So Much Better</i>
Photo: Sony

Yes, You Really Can Have It Better: Franz Ferdinand take us out for a second time with You Can Have It So Much Better, and while early birds who did the preorder thing were gifted with a bonus B-sides EP, the DualDisc has some treats of its own, including a 5.1 surround-sound version of the principal 13 tracks, plus studio and interview DVD footage. Tracks include: "Eleanor Put Your Boots On," "I'm Your Villain" and "Outsiders."

Smell Of Success?: Trina's putting plenty of promotional power into her new fragrance these days, but you've probably also gotten a whiff of her new album via the heavily rotated "Don't Trip" (featuring Lil' Wayne). The Diamond Princess already has a second single for the clunky titled Glamorest Life, "Here We Go" featuring Kelly Rowland, and she also teams with Trey Songz and Darren Philes on "Reach Out" and "Shake," respectively.

A Golden Opportunity: Twista is great at nabbing Grammy nominations, but he seems even more skilled at attracting Grammy (and Oscar, for that matter) winners. The MC hooks up with Mariah ("I'm a Winner"), Jamie Foxx ("So Lonely") and Pharrell ("Had to Call") on The Day After, not to mention high-shelf producers Timbaland, the Neptunes, David Banner and — surprise! — Scott Storch.

Right On: Chad Kroeger has proven himself to be one of Canada's more, uh, straightforward hard-rock songwriters ("Hero," "Someday," "How You Remind Me"), and fans of his conventional approach probably won't be disappointed by All the Right Reasons, the latest by his Nickelback. Tracks include: "Follow You Home," "Photograph" and "Animals." (One more thing: The band revisits the highway-themed artwork it used for 1996's Curb, but this time there's actually a car on the road.)

Pure And Not-So-Simple: The latest release by Simple Plan is anything but: The standard MTV Hard Rock Live has three live-video enhancements, but what's being dubbed the special "Mega-Fan" package is bundled with three acoustic bonus tracks ("Perfect," "Welcome to My Life," "Crazy"), a DVD of the entire concert in 5.1 surround sound, a 30-page color booklet and some secretive "special" merch items.

Best-Of Bonanza: Rack 'em up — The Best of Beta Band, The Best of C-Murder, Served Up Texas Style: The Best of the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band, The Best of Master P (reissue), The Best of Silkk the Shocker, The Best of Snoop Dogg, Tina Turner's All the Best: The Hits, The Best of Urban Knights and The Very Best of Jesse Colin Young. Oh, and that's not to mention Melissa Etheridge's Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled and Essential Harry Belafonte, Ravi Shankar and Frank Sinatra With the Tommy Dorsey Band comps.

Frontmen Frontin': The solo itch is especially strong this week, what with new opuses by American Music Club's Mark Eitzel (Candy Ass), Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson (Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull) and Depeche Mode's Andy Bell (Electric Blues). But there's another guy stepping away from his team, too, so to speak: Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, who makes an unlikely backup-singing appearance on Dream #29 by Grammy nominee (and Grease castmember) Cindy Bullens. Bullens, who used to sing for Elton John, also knuckles down with Captain Fantastic and Delbert McClinton.

Song Titles Of The Week: "Puke a Pitch Black Rainbow to the Sun" and "Oh Celebrate Your Vague Words and Coquettish Sovereighnty" (Boduf Songs' Boduf Songs).

Other Notables:

Broken Social Scene's Broken Social Scene Vs. Liz Phair's Somebody's Miracle: A few curious connections here. Both the Canadian ensemble and alt-rock queen take to the breeze with "Windsurfing Nation" and "Wind and the Mountain," respectively; for another, BSS' "Superconnected" and "Handjobs for the Holidays" sound, if only titularly, like classic Phair, while her "Stars and Planets" and "Lost Night" recall BSS' 2002 track "Stars and Sons" and 2001 record Feel Good Lost. BSS win on the extras, front, though: Limited versions of their new one come with a seven-track bonus EP.

Deftones' Rarities & B-Sides: Rhino is doing this odds-and-sods collection up right with 25 tracks spread over a CD and DVD, including Cure, Helmet and Jawbox covers. What might worry fans, though, is the fact that it's coming out on Rhino, a reissue label, and not Deftones' primary label, Warner cousin Maverick — could this be a hint?

My Morning Jacket's Z: The Louisville sluggers continue with their tradition of gorgeously decorated releases (this one features a vibrant pencil drawing of some aquamarine creatures), which is one reason to consider nabbing Badman Recording Co.'s simultaneous double-LP release; the other is that it has a bonus track, "Chills," which has appeared as a B-side in Europe and comes with Z's Japanese pressing.

New Releases:

• 1349 - Hellfire (Candlelight)
• Aiden - Nightmare Academy (enhanced; Victory)
• Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine (also available as DualDisc; Epic)
  Read: "Fiona Apple's Long-Delayed LP Slotted For October 4 Release"
  Buy Now: Extraordinary Machine (Epic)
• Arild Andersen Group - Electra (ECM)
• Ian Anderson - Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull (Benz-Street)
• Atmosphere - You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having (two CDs; Rhymesayers)
• Anita Baker - Christmas Fantasy (Blue Note)
• Andy Bell - Electric Blues (enhanced; Sanctuary)
• Clint Black - Drinkin' Songs & Other Logic (Equity Music Group)
• Black Label Society - Kings of Damnation: 98-04 (Spitfire)
• James Blunt - Back to Bedlam (Custard/Atlantic)
• Boduf Songs - Boduf Songs (Kranky)
• Ronnie Bowman - The Mountain (Koch)
• Jim Brickman - The Disney Songbook (enhanced; Walt Disney)
• Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts)
  Read: "Broken Social Scene's Agenda: Two LPs, Touring, Hating On Audioslave"
  Buy Now: Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts)
• Alex Bugnon - Free (Narada)
• Cindy Bullens - Dream #29 (Letsplay)
• Chris Cagle - Anywhere but Here (Capitol Nashville)
• Chevreuil - Sport (Sickroom)
• Cream - Royal Albert Hall: London May 2-3-5-6 2005 (Reprise)
• Cross Canadian Ragweed - Garage (with limited-edition DVD; Universal South)
• Deadly Snakes - Porcella (In the Red)
• Deftones - Rarities & B-Sides (two CDs; Rhino)
  Buy Now: Rarities & B-Sides (Rhino)
• DJ Dan - Lift (Thrive)
• DOO - Cold Shower (Dreyfus)
• Will Downing - Soul Symphony (GRP)
• Dr. John - Live at Montreaux, 1995 (Eagle)
• Dwele - Some Kinda (Virgin)
• Ebony Eyez - 7 Day Cycle (Capitol)
• Linda Eder - By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland (Angel)
• Mark Eitzel - Candy Ass (Cooking Vinyl)
• Sara Evans - Real Fine Place (RCA)
• Exodus - Shovel Headed Kill Machine (Nuclear Blast)
• The Fall - Fall Heads Roll (Narnack)
• Rosie Flores - Christmasville (Emergent)
• Flyleaf - Flyleaf (Octone)
• Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better (also available as DualDisc; Domino/Epic)
  Read: "Set A Man On Fire, Name Next LP — Franz Ferdinand Do Whatever They Want"
  Buy Now: You Could Have It So Much Better (Domino/Epic)
• Béla Fleck - Crossing the Tracks (Rounder)
• Kirk Franklin - Hero (Gospocentric)
• Paula Frazer - Leave the Sad Things Behind (Birdman)
• Ghostface Killah - 718: Stapleton to Somalia (Koch)
• Robert Glasper - Canvas (Blue Note)
• The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike (Columbia)
• Kevin Gordon - O Come Look at the Burning (Crowville Collective)
• Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom - The Days of Mars (DFA/Astralwerks)
• Sara Groves - Add to the Beauty (INO/Columbia)
• Eric Hansen - Across the Universe: A Beatles Journey (Narada)
• Reverend Horton Heat - We Three Kings: Christmas Favorites (Yep Roc)
• Marcos Hernandez - C About Me (TVT)
• Bruce Hornsby - Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz Radio Broadcast (Jazz Alliance)
• Hyatari - The Light Carriers (Earache)
• The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Armed Love (American)
  Read: "(International) Noise Conspiracy Prefer Armed Love To Hippie Love"
  Buy Now: Armed Love (American)
• Jemima James - Book Me Back in Your Dreams (Tomato)
• Jimmy Eat World - Stay on My Side Tonight (EP; Interscope)
• Anders Jormin - Xieyi (ECM)
• Journey - Generations (Sanctuary)
• Kiss Me Deadly - Misty Medley (Alien 8)
• Kenny Lattimore and Chanté Moore - Uncovered (Jive)
• Ladytron - Witching Hour (Rykodisc)
• Les Nubians - Les Nubians Presents Echos (Triloka)
• Let Go - Let Go (Militia Group)
• Lichens - The Psychic Nature of Being (Kranky)
• Little Feat - Barnstormin' Live: Volume Two (Hot Tomato)
• Living Things - Ahead of the Lions (Jive)
• Look What I Did - Minuteman for the Moment (Koch)
• Loose Cannon - Who Do U Think U R? (KGB)
• Steven Lynch - The Craig Machine (What Are)
• The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers (Capitol)
• Make Believe - Shock of Being (Flameshovel)
• Master P - Ghetto D (Priority)
• Metric - Live It Out (Last Gang)
  Read: "Metric Make It Through A Blue State To Live It Out"
  Buy Now: Live It Out (Last Gang)
• Mugison - Is This Monkey Music? (Ipecac)
• My Morning Jacket - Z (ATO/RCA)
  Buy Now: Z (ATO/RCA)
• Nickelback- All the Right Reasons (Roadrunner)
  Read: "Nickelback Go The John Mellencamp Route For New Video"
  Buy Now: All the Right Reasons (Roadrunner)
• O.A.R. - Stories of a Stranger (Lava)
• Sinéad O'Connor - Throw Down Your Arms (Sanctuary)
• Jeffrey Osborne - From the Soul (Koch)
• Paths of Possession - Promises in Blood (Metal Blade)
• Liz Phair - Somebody's Miracle (Capitol)
• PorkBelly Futures - Way Past Midnight (Wildflower)
• Randy & the Bloody Lovelies - Lift (Cheap Lullaby)
• Enrico Rava, Stefano Bollani and Paul Motian - TATI (ECM)
• Herlin Riley - Cream of the Crescent (Criss Cross)
• The Ripple Effect - Hybrids (Kindred Rhythm)
• Bobby Rush - Night Fishin' (Deep Rush Visuals)
• Sa-Ra - The Second Time Around (Sound in Color)
• Sean T - Ain't Playin (Sumday)
• Jake Shimabukuro - Dragon (Hitchhike)
• Shinedown - Us and Them (limited edition also available; Atlantic)
• Si*Sé - More Shine (Mob)
• Simple Plan - MTV Hard Rock Live (deluxe edition with DVD also available; Lava)
• Soulfly - Dark Ages (Roadrunner)
  Buy Now: MTV Hard Rock Live (Lava)
• Sound Tribe Sector 9 - Artifact Perspectives (System)
• Sponge - The Man (Idol)
• The Standard - Albatross (Yep Roc)
• Straylight Run - Prepare to Be Wrong (EP; Victory)
• Ticonderoga - The Heilig-Levine LP (54º40' or Fight!)
• Tokyo Rose - New American Saint (Sidecho)
• Tragedy Khadafi - Thug Matrix (Fastlife)
• Trina - Glamorest Life (Atlantic)
  Read: "Snoop Dogg Seduces, Lil' Wayne Spends On Trina's New LP"
  Buy Now: Glamorest Life (Atlantic)
• Tunnel Rats - Both Sides (Thump)
• Twista - The Day After (Atlantic)
  Read: "Twista To Reunite With Kanye And Jamie Foxx On Kamikaze Follow-Up"
  Buy Now: The Day After (Atlantic)
• Richard Vission - Automatic (two CDs; Thrive)
• Kirk Whalum - Performs the Babyface Songbook (Rendezvous)
• Why? - Elephant Eyelash (Anticon)
• Various artists - 2K6 Basketball: The Tracks (Decon)
• Various artists - 40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas (Peak)
• Various artists - Armageddon Over Wacken: Live 2004 (three CDs; Cleopatra)
• Various artists - Destination Lounge: New York City (two CDs; Revive the Soul)
• Various artists - Goth Electro: Tribute to Depeche Mode (Cleopatra)
• Various artists - I Believe to My Soul (Rhino)
• Various artists - Putumayo Presents: Celtic Crossroads (Putumayo World Music)
• Various artists - Queensbridge Project (Fastlife)
• Various artists - The Sound of Young New York & Toronto (Plant)
• Various artists - Show D.I.T.C. Presents: Street Talk (Lumberjack)
• Various artists - WOW Hits 2006 (enhanced; Chordant)
• Various artists - "Wipeout Pure" soundtrack (Distinctive)

Notable Reissues:

• Chuck Berry - The Definitive Collection (Universal)
• Harry Belafonte - The Essential (RCA)
• Beta Band - The Best of Beta Band (Astralwerks)
• Blood, Sweat & Tears - Blood, Sweat & Tears (limited-edition hybrid SACD; Mobile Fidelity)
• Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man (limited-edition hybrid SACD; Mobile Fidelity)
• C-Murder - The Best of C-Murder (Priority)
• C-Murder - The Tru Story: Continued (Koch)
• Digable Planets - Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles (Blue Note)
• Melissa Etheridge - Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled (Island)
• Fates Warning - Still Life & Chasing Time (limited edition; three CDs; Metal Blade)
• The Human League - Crash (Astralwerks)
• Iron Maiden - Death on the Road (live; two CDs; Columbia)
• Smokin' Joe Kubek - Served Up Texas Style: The Best of the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band (Bullseye)
• Gerald LeVert - Voices (Rhino)
• Master P - The Best of Master P (Priority)
• Master P - Ghetto D (Priority)
• Master P - Ice Cream Man (Priority)
• Paris Combo - Living Room (DRG)
• Paris Combo - Paris Combo (DRG)
• Elvis Presley - Hitstory (BMG)
• Propaganda - A Secret Wish (ZTT)
• Screeching Weasel - Weasel Mania (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Ravi Shankar - The Essential (Private Music)
• Silkk the Shocker - The Best of Silkk the Shocker (Priority)
• Frank Sinatra - The Essential Frank Sinatra With the Tommy Dorsey Band (RCA)
• Snoop Dogg - The Best of Snoop Dogg (Priority)
• Talking Heads - Talking Heads Brick (eight-CD DualDisc box set; Rhino)
• Peter Tosh - Talking Revolution (two CDs; Pressure Sounds)
• Tina Turner - All the Best: The Hits (Capitol)
• Urban Knights - The Best of Urban Knights (Narada)
• The Edgar Winter Group - They Only Come Out at Night (limited-edition hybrid SACD; Mobile Fidelity)
• Jesse Colin Young - The Very Best of Jesse Colin Young (Artemis)
• Various artists - Air - LateNightTales (Another Late Night)

DVDs:

• America - Live (Eagle Vision)
• Ian Anderson - Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull (Benz-Street)
• Blondie - Live (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
• Body Count - Cypress Hill's 6th Annual Smoke Out Presents: Body Count Featuring Ice-T (Eagle Vision)
• Cream - Royal Albert Hall: London May 2-3-5-6 2005 (Reprise)
• Cream - Farewell Concert: November 26th 1968, Royal Albert Hall (restored extended edition; Image)
• Dio - Evil or Divine (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
• Dr. John - Live at Montreaux, 1995 (Red Distribution)
• Einstèrzende Neubauten - Liebeslieder (Navarre)
• Hall & Oates - Live (Eagle Vision)
• Happy Mondays - Live in Barcelona (Music Video Distributors)
• Ian Hunter and the Rant Band - Just Another Night: Live at the Astoria, London (Music Video Distributors)
• Iron Maiden - Death on the Road (live; two DVDs; Columbia)
• Jesus Jones - Live at the Marquee (Music Video Distributors)
• Jethro Tull - Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
• Murphy's Law - Up With Us ... Down With Them (Music Video Distributors)
• Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Shoot the Neds! In Concert (Music Video Distributors)
• Paths of Possession - Promises in Blood (Metal Blade)
• Pink Floyd - London 1966*1967 (Navarre)
• Pixies - Sell Out: 2004 Reunion Tour (Rhino)
• The Police - Synchronicity Concert (A&M/Universal)
• Scorpions - Moment of Glory: Berliner Philharmoniker Live (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
• Cat Stevens - Majikat: Earth Tour 1976 (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
• George Thorogood and the Destroyers - 30th Anniversary Tour: Live (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
• Tupac - Live at the House of Blues (Death Row)
• Tina Turner - Live in Amsterdam/ One Last Time (collector's edition; two DVDs; Red Distribution)
• Twisted Sister - Live at Wacken: The Reunion (Eagle Rock)
• The Wonder Stuff - Construction for the Modern Vidiot (Music Video Distributors)
• Bobby Womack - Soul Seduction Supreme (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "Extra: A Selection of Outstanding Electronic Music Videos (Navarre)

Coming Attractions:

October 11:

• Ricky Martin - Life (Columbia)
• Alicia Keys - Unplugged (J)
  Read: "Alicia Keys Taps Mos Def, Common For 'Inspired' 'Unplugged' "
  Buy Now: Unplugged (J)
• Story of the Year - In the Wake of Determination (Maverick)

October 18:

• Depeche Mode - Playing the Angel (Reprise)
• Ashlee Simpson - I Am Me (Geffen)
  Read: "Ashlee Remembers 'SNL' Incident But Forgets Boys On New LP"
  Buy Now: I Am Me (Geffen)
• Thrice - Vheissu (Island)
  Read: "Thrice Going Underground — In A Sense — For Enigmatic Vheissu"
  Buy Now: Vheissu (Island)

October 25:

• Chamillionaire - The Sound of Revenge (Universal)
• Destiny's Child - #1's (DualDisc; Columbia)
  Read: "Destiny's Child Look Back With #1's Before Going Their Separate Ways"
  Buy Now: #1's (Columbia)
• Fefe Dobson - Sunday Love (enhanced; Island)

• Franz Ferdinand
• Twista
• Trina
• Simple Plan
• Nickelback

Simple Plan's Pierre Bouvier
Photo: Getty Images

You would think getting clocked in the head by a bottle would be all the stark reality Simple Plan frontman Pierre Bouvier could handle for a while.

But that's not the case. Less than one week after he took a bottle to the face while performing at the Ovation Music Festival in Stratford, Ontario (see "Simple Plan's Homecoming Welcome: A Bottle To The Face"), comes news that Bouvier and the rest of Simple Plan have shot a bleak, black-and-white video for the song "Crazy."

Filmed in Los Angeles, the "Crazy" clip reunites Simple Plan with director Marc Klasfeld, who helmed their ultra-serious "Untitled" video (see "Simple Plan Shoot Sober Video With Drunk-Driving Plot"), and continues in the same somber vein. Scenes of real-life suffering — a young man dying of AIDS, an anorexic girl, a soldier with missing limbs — are all shot in austere monochrome, making, as Klasfeld writes in the treatment, "the gritty imagery seem beautiful ... like a coffee-table book brought to life."

The director hit the streets of L.A. to find subjects for the video, refusing to cast any actors and striving for "real faces ... no cookie-cutter Hollywood types." Those scenes will be intercut with a low-key performance by the bandmembers, who are all dressed in black and shot in a minimally lit room.

But it's not all sadness and suffering. Klasfeld hopes to infuse a sense of hope in the video by slowly breaking up the monochrome monotony. As the song reaches its crescendo, hints of color begin to appear on characters and in the band, subtly brightening up each frame. And by the time the song ends, the entire world has been changed to a full-color, Technicolor wonderland.

"It's a stark contrast from where we came from ... but one that people will remember," Klasfeld writes. "We'll leave the viewers with a message of hope."

And a message of hope was what the guys in Simple Plan were hoping to convey with the "Crazy" video. No matter how bad things get in people's lives, they said, things will always get better.

"The song is about all the things that are screwed up in the world, all the things that are messed up with people's lives." Bouvier said back in July. "[Drummer] Chuck [Comeau] comes up with all the treatments for the videos, and he's got some ideas kicking around. But we definitely want it to reflect all those bad things, but also the idea that things can get better, and they will."

• Simple Plan

Spankin' New Music Week 2005: Live From TRL

• Thrice
• Pharrell Williams
• Green Day
• Usher
• The Click Five

Spankin' New Week Fall 2005: Artist Polaroids

• The Click Five
• Usher
• Pharrell Williams
• Robin Thicke
• Chris Brown

Hilary, Gwen, Chad, Mischa, Nick, Ryan And More At The 2005 Teen Choice Awards

• Hilary Duff
• Gwen Stefani
• Ashlee Simpson
• Black Eyed Peas
• Jesse McCartney

2005 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees

• Green Day
• Gwen Stefani
• Missy Elliott
• U2
• Coldplay

Nokia Unwired @ Hard Rock Live: Simple Plan 05.31.05

• Simple Plan

Live 8 Around The World: Good Charlotte, Bjork, Green Day and More

• Audioslave
• Shakira
• Good Charlotte
• Björk
• Green Day

Gwen, Jen, Kelly, Jesse, Backstreet At Z100's Zootopia 2005 Show

• Gwen Stefani
• Jesse McCartney
• Frankie J
• Gavin DeGraw
• Black Eyed Peas

Keys, Clarkson, Good Charlotte, More Support MTV Asia Aid

• Alicia Keys
• Good Charlotte
• Kelly Clarkson
• Hoobastank
• Simple Plan

Spankin' New Music Week: Simple Plan Photos 11.09.2004

• Simple Plan

MTV.com Exclusive: Simple Plan Photos 10.28.2004

• Simple Plan