<i>Arthur And The Invisibles</i>
Photo: Atlantic Records

With the recent news that album sales tumbled yet again in 2006 — this time a 4.9 percent decline from the previous year — it's no wonder '07 is off to such a slow start. Sure, major labels drag their feet every January, hoping to squeeze in a few more weeks of hibernation before climbing out of the cave. But with new Mos Def and Mario albums bumping to the spring (or beyond) at the last minute, 2007 doesn't exactly seem like a party the majors are waiting to get started.

With that in mind, it might be slightly less shocking that this week's "heavyweights" are Sloan, Ron Sexsmith and the Autumn Defense. All of whom could be outdone by a soundtrack, be it the Snoop-featuring one to "Arthur and the Invisibles" or Philip Glass' score to "Notes on a Scandal." Or, better yet, they could be one-upped by the book sales 50 Cent will likely amass with his new street-literature series, which also debuts in stores Tuesday (January 9).

But at least that leaves room for the colorfully named 7000 Dying Rats, PoPo and Chumbawamba — yes, they live! — to steal a little more of the limelight. That is, until another equally foreboding set of contenders — America and the Smithereens among them — storm their way onto store shelves next week.

The Sound of Soundtracks: Were it not for new songs by Snoop Dogg and Jewel, the "Arthur and the Invisibles" soundtrack would be little more than a score. Well, OK, there is a contribution from Elijah too, but the remainder of the disc was crafted by composer Eric Serra. So if you're just after Snoop's "Go Girl," you might want to try the single-download route instead.

Elsewhere in the wide, wonderful world of musical accompaniments, Disney hopes the "Jump In!" soundtrack does even half — or a third, or fourth — as well as the one to "High School Musical," which sold more than any other CD last year. The "Jump In!" soundtrack features Keke Palmer, N.L.T., T-Squad and other be-tween artists. In the meantime, the more recognizable Will.I.Am, 2Pac and Cypress Hill surface, along with Talib Kweli and Miri Ben-Ari, on the soundtrack to "Freedom Writers." And if you're still hearing composer Philip Glass' music from the buzzed-about "Notes on a Scandal," that's also available for your listening pleasure.

Green Days Are Here Again: Well, yes and no. Reprise recently secured rights to two of the group's early releases that had been originally issued by Lookout! Records, based in the band's Bay Area homeland. But while the latter label reissued 1,039/ Smoothed Out Slappy Hours and Kerplunk! in 2004, those re-releases went out of print shortly thereafter and are now being reserviced once again — in frill-free form — by Reprise. So, in other words, if you're a Green Day fan who's somehow managed to miss these two formative items, here's your third chance.

Flavas of the Week: In case you haven't caught up yet with two of rap's hottest burgeoning subgenres, TVT Records — home to the Ying Yang Twins and Pitbull — is serving up a couple of generous packages. Crunk Hits Vol. 3 cobbles together tracks by those artists, plus Lil Jon, Paul Wall, Akon, Lil Wayne and Three 6 Mafia. Hyphy Hitz, on the other hand, sticks it to the Bay Area, where the hyphy sound was born, with a set featuring Keak Da Sneak, Mistah F.A.B. and E-40. Get 'em while they're hot.

In Their Defense: From hyphy to alt-country — ah, such is the beauty of New Releases. If you're getting a bit impatient for Wilco's next opus, you can kill some time with the third effort by side project the Autumn Defense. Featuring bassist John Stirratt and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, the band's self-titled CD is its first since 2003's Circles and finds the duo re-immersing itself into country-pop, lo-fi and other Byrds-like sounds.

Chumb Change: Just when you thought you'd never hear the name "Chumbawamba" again, the politically charged British troupe is back with its umpteenth effort, A Singsong and a Scrap. This time around, the crew has kept it mostly acoustic, eschewing the loops, samples and synths in favor of traditional secular English tunes. But don't worry: The "Tubthumping" group's four-part harmonies are still very much intact.

Canadian Comebackers: Ron Sexsmith gets a hand from none other than Kiefer Sutherland this week, as the singer/songwriter's Time Being drops on Ironworks Music, a label co-owned by Jack Bauer. But for the LP, which was previously available overseas, Sexsmith also ganged up with a band of Elvis Costello collaborators: producer Mitchell Froom, bassist Davey Faragher and drummer Pete Thomas. (Musos may recall that it was the Mojo magazine cover image of Costello holding Sexsmith's first LP that drew attention to the latter singer/songwriter.)

Sexsmith's Canadian comrades Sloan have returned too, with Never Hear the End of It. The guys seem to be a little backed up: Their first release in three years features no less than 30 tracks, only one of which is shorter than a minute. The Beatles-esque band's eighth release features "Living With the Masses," "Before the End of the Race" and "Fading Into Obscurity."

Song Title of the Week:

"We Had 'Dying' in Our Name Before All Those Metalcore Co------ers Came Along" from 7000 Dying Rats' Season in Hell

Other Notables:

7000 Dying Rats' Season in Hell: What, the band name isn't convincing enough? Well then maybe soon-to-be grindcore classics like "Altar of Goat Skulls," "Death Hammer of the Bearded Ones" and "Balls of Bigotry" are enough to convince you? How about a rapid-fire cover of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid"? Still not feelin' it? Sheesh. Read on.

The PoPo's The PoPo: Originally due out late last year, this maiden release by Philadelphia's so-called "post-hip-hop" band also incorporates traces of punk and world music. Written and recorded in the group's basement, the iconoclastic effort features eight tracks, including "I Feel Mysterious Today," "London Falling" and "Funtimes on the Frontline."

Various artists' At the Crossroads: A Benefit for Homeless Youth: San Francisco street-youth support program At the Crossroads is getting a helping hand from the likes of Calexico, the Faint, Rogue Wave and others on this comp, the sales of which go toward the organization. The Scattered Pages chip in with a cover of the Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want," while Creeper Lagoon, Thee More Shallows, Boyskout, Bettie Serveert and the Pink Mountaintops round out the release.

New Releases:

· 7000 Dying Rats - Season in Hell (HeWhoCorrupts) · The Autumn Defense - The Autumn Defense (Broadmoor) · Chumbawamba - A Singsong and a Scrap (Trade Root) · Philip Glass - "Notes on a Scandal" soundtrack (Rounder) · Ty Herndon - Right About Now (Pyramid) · Lang Lang - Dragon Songs (with DVD; Deutsche Grammophon) · Yo-Yo Ma - Appassionato (Sony Classics) · Erin McKeown - Sing You Sinners (Nettwerk) · Anna Netrebko - Russian Album (Deutsche Grammophon) · The PoPo - The PoPo (Buddyhead) · Ron Sexsmith - Time Being (Ironworks) · Sloan - Never Hear the End of It (Yep Roc) · Spanic Boys - Sunshine (Cinaps) · Sqad Up - We Here Now (Emergent) · Trashlight Vision - Alibis and Ammunition (Evo) · John Waite - Downtown ... Journey of a Heart (Rounder) · Various artists - At the Crossroads: A Benefit for Homeless Youth (Three Ring) · Various artists - My Chemical Romance: A Piano Tribute (Copycats) · Various artists - Rockabye Baby!: Lullaby Renditions of The Eagles (Baby Rock) · Various artists - Rockabye Baby!: Lullaby Renditions of Queens of the Stone Age (Baby Rock) · Various artists - "Arthur and the Invisibles" soundtrack (Atlantic) · Various artists - "Freedom Writers" soundtrack (Hollywood) · Various artists - "Jump In!" soundtrack (Disney)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Meryn Cadell - Angel Food for Thought (Bongo Beat) · Green Day - 1,039/ Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (enhanced digipak; Reprise) and Kerplunk (Reprise) [Buy Now] · Ian Hunter - All the Good Ones Are Taken (American Beat) · Jefferson Airline - High Flying Bird: Live at the Monterey Festival (Music Avenue) · Graham Parker - Another Grey Area (American Beat) · Brian Setzer - The Knife Feels Like Justice/ Live Nude Guitars (American Beat) [Buy Now] · Various artists - Crunk Hits Vol. 3 (TVT) · Various artists - Hyphy Hitz (TVT)

Music DVDs:

· Black Oak Arkansas - "Live at Royal Albert Hall" (S'more) · Chet Baker - "Live at Ronnie Scott's London" (Image) · Nazareth - "From the Beginning" (S'more)

Coming Attractions:

January 16: · America - Here & Now (Burgundy) [Preorder] · The Smithereens - Meet the Smithereens! (Koch) · Various artists - "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls" soundtrack (Atlantic)

January 23: · Clinic - Visitations (Domino) [Preorder] · Dustin Kensrue - Please Come Home (digipak due same day; Equal Vision) · Madonna - "Confessions Tour" DVD (Warner Bros.) [Preorder]

January 30: · Alkaline Trio - Remains (Vagrant) [Preorder] · Norah Jones - Not Too Late (Blue Note) [Preorder] · Katharine McPhee - Katharine McPhee (RCA) [Preorder] Read: "Katharine McPhee's LP: A Little Bit Pussycat Dolls, A Little Bit Mariah"

• Green Day
• Snoop Dogg
• The Autumn Defense
• Philip Glass
• 7000 Dying Rats

"Idol" personalities Simon Cowell, Ryan Seacrest, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson
Photo: George Lange/ FOX

The owners and creators of "American Idol" are being sued by a fan who says the show stole his idea for a Web game based on the singing competition. Adam Pick claims in a lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court that he invented an interactive fantasy game called "Idol Go Home," in which people could reverse the voting process by picking who should get booted instead of who should win. "It's fantasy football with a reality-TV twist," Pick said of the game, which would let users post blogs and photos as well. But after pitching the idea and giving "Idol" a prototype of the site, Pick claims show representatives said they weren't interested, but that Pick could launch his own site. Once he did so, Pick says, "Idol" demanded that he shut down the site, while at the same time, according to his lawsuit, "Idol" modified its site to incorporate Pick's ideas. Pick is seeking monetary damages and an injunction restraining the show from using his idea. Fox had no comment. ...

Prince will be presented with lifetime-achievement honors at the 10th annual Webby Awards, set for June 12 in New York. One of the first artists to release a Web-only album (1997's Crystal Ball), Prince is being recognized for his innovative use of the Internet to distribute music and connect with fans. "Besides being a musical genius, Prince is a visionary who recognized early on that the Web would completely change how we experience music," Webby Awards founder Tiffany Shlain said. Previously announced special-achievement honorees include Gorillaz and the founders of MySpace. ...

Hilary Duff's dog Lola now has her very own blog, hosted in the fan-club-only section of the singer/actress' official site, HilaryDuff.com. And what does the pampered pet of a pop star have to say? So far the Chihuahua has posted her endorsement of a dog-care book written by the owner of a Maltese pal. ... Black Eyed Peas are starring as superheroes who spend their days making candy and their nights defending hip-hop in a series of digital films — a.k.a. online commercials — promoting Snickers. The "digi-sodes" launch Monday on InstantDef.com. ...

When AFI's new album, Decemberunderground, hits stores Tuesday, the most devoted fans might want to pick up four copies. The band has placed one of four different collectible booklets behind the disc's cover insert, each featuring the face of a group member. The limited-edition booklets will be available exclusively in the album's first pressing. ... Rob Thomas and Matchbox Twenty have donated $200,000 to the Consortium for Worker Education, a resettlement agency aiding music education in Gulf Coast high schools affected by Hurricane Katrina, The Associated Press reports. Thomas will also raise money for the fund during his current tour with Jewel, which hits Portsmouth, Virginia, on Wednesday (May 31). Music instruction in school will "groom generations of musicians who are so vital to rebuilding New Orleans, its infrastructure and its culture," Thomas said in a statement. ... Now that he's through sending off ousted "American Idol" contestants, Daniel Powter is hitting the road. The "Bad Day" singer will launch a U.S. tour beginning July 17 at Philadelphia's Theatre of the Living Arts. The trek wraps up with a two-night stand at West Hollywood's Roxy Theater on August 4 and 5. ...

Foo Fighters have added two more dates to their upcoming acoustic jaunt, which the band has nicknamed its "Afoostic" tour. But that's become something of a misnomer, now that the Foos have announced that one of the just-announced shows will be performed electric. That performance will be held August 18 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa's Event Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, while the band will play a proper stripped-down set August 15 at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. ... Tegan and Sara will release their first DVD, "It's Not Fun. Don't Do It!," August 8. Content includes a full concert shot at the Phoenix in Toronto, a tour documentary filmed by the twin sisters, the making of 2004's So Jealous and all the duo's videos. ...

A National Guardsman who lost his right arm near the shoulder and left arm above the wrist in Iraq filed suit Friday in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, against filmmaker Michael Moore for allegedly including him in "Fahrenheit 9/11" without his permission, claiming defamation and invasion of privacy. Sergeant Peter Damon, who was injured in October 2003, was featured in a 10-second clip in Moore's documentary that depicted him awaiting surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. But those 10 seconds of footage were from an interview with NBC News' Brian Williams, and Damon claims that he was never asked, nor did he consent, for the interview to be used elsewhere. Damon says he disagrees politically with Moore and that the interview made it appear as if he were complaining about the war effort instead of talking about the pain he felt when he lost his arms. (Moore has denied any intention to demean the service of U.S. troops through the film.) Damon's seeking $100 million and also named Harvey and Robert Weinstein, Miramax, Lionsgate and NBC in the suit. The Weinsteins, NBC and Lionsgate had no comment. ...

Former Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros frontman Perry Farrell will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming CMJ Rock Hall Music Fest, to be held June 14 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Farrell's DJ alter ego, Peretz, will man the ones and twos along with Mike Boogie and Prince Paul during the festival's opening-night shindig. ... Original Black Flag singer Keith Morris and onetime Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke joined L.A. punks the Bronx onstage for the last show of the band's monthlong residency at Los Angeles' Spaceland Monday night. Clarke produced the Bronx's 2003 self-titled debut. ...

Third Eye Blind's hits have been compiled for a CD/DVD set aptly titled Third Eye Blind: A Collection. The 19-track CD includes "Semi-Charmed Life," "How's It Gonna Be" and "Jumper," along with B-sides and bonus tracks. The DVD features all seven of Third Eye Blind's videos as well as two clips for the previously unreleased "Losing a Whole Year." ... Canadian indie rock veterans Sloan are lining up festival dates in the U.S. and Canada, but they don't plan to kick off a full-fledged tour until the fall. According to a post on the band's Web site, Sloan continue to work on their next album, which is due in September. But fans won't have to wait that long to hear something fresh from the foursome. "Look to criticize the new single in July," the update notes.

05.30.2006

The African nation of Namibia offered Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt the privacy they sought for the birth of their child, and now the couple are giving back. Jolie and Pitt, who welcomed their daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt in Namibia on Saturday, donated $300,000 toward the medical treatment of new babies in the country's hospitals and gave $15,000 for a school and community center in the town of Swakopmund, The Associated Press reports. "We want to contribute to Namibia and the people who have been so gracious to us at this time," the couple said in a statement. ...

Cingular Wireless announced Friday that more than 64.5 million text-message votes were cast throughout the fifth season of "American Idol." That smashes last season's record of 41.5 million. ... The Raconteurs are playing in-stores at Amoeba Music in Hollywood and San Francisco on the same day: June 8. The L.A. show is scheduled for 11 a.m., followed by the San Fran set at 9:30 p.m. ... Still aren't convinced Beck's about to issue his third LP in two years? A post that appeared on Beck.com late last week further confirmed the hard-to-believe accomplishment: "Beck has just completed his new album, which he's been in the studio working on with Nigel Godrich," the post read, referencing the producer who worked on 2005's Guero and 2002's Sea Change. "The album is due out this fall." ...

It turns out Korn haven't decided to axe guitarist Rob Patterson after all. Patterson, who had previously played with Otep, was recruited last year to fill in for Brian "Head" Welch as Korn's touring guitarist. But last week, during the European leg of the band's See You on the Other Side tour, fans noticed Patterson — who plays offstage during Korn shows — had been replaced by Fear Factory guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers. According to the band's management, that lineup was only temporary. "Korn played three shows with their longtime friend Christian to start the tour in Europe, but Patterson is now back at that position." ...

Snow Patrol were forced to postpone a pair of shows — Monday night in Atlanta and Wednesday in Washington, D.C. — in order to give frontman Gary Lightbody's voice a rest. Lightbody made the announcement on the band's site, SnowPatrol.com, writing, "My voice is in pieces. ... When we began the Eyes Open tour in February, I was told by my doctor a few days beforehand that I had laryngitis and it would be best if I took a week off to recover. I told him I didn't have a week, as we had shows pretty much every day." He added that he's seeing a specialist in New York and that the band will make up the postponed shows in mid-August. It's not known if Lightbody's ailment will also force Snow Patrol to bump their upcoming gigs in New York and Philadelphia. ...

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a cheat planned for their "Cheated Hearts" video: make someone else do the work. The band is looking for a few good fans to take their best shot at Karen O for the next clip from Show Your Bones. According to the announcement posted on the band's site, Yeah Yeah Yeahs are seeking video submissions from people who "dress the part" and "get lost in the song" against a white wall with the track blaring in the background. Entries must be submitted on DV, postmarked by June 12 and include a signed release form. Head to YeahYeahYeahs.com/cheatedhearts for additional tips and a copy of the release. ...

James Blunt, who won the most performed song of the year prize at Thursday's Ivor Novello Awards, called it the "Most Overplayed Song" award while accepting the trophy, and now one radio station is doing its part to keep the former British army officer off the airwaves. Essex FM, an adult-contemporary station serving the eastern English county, has banned Blunt's music, citing listener demand. "We don't have anything against James Blunt," program director Chris Cotton said in a statement on the station's Web site. "We're pleased he's been so successful, but we really need a break. While his songs have been very popular, there is a tremendous amount of industry pressure to play certain artists very frequently. Often this can be out of step with the audience's tastes, which results in songs being overplayed." ...

Actor Paul Gleason, best known for his portrayals of Clarence Beeks in "Trading Places," Deputy Police Chief Dwayne Robinson in "Die Hard," and hard-as-nails Principal Richard Vernon ("Don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns") in the teen-comedy classic "The Breakfast Club," died Saturday in a California hospital. He was 67. The AP reports that Gleason died of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer linked to asbestos. Gleason appeared in more than 60 films and later in his career made several notable television appearances in TV shows including "Friends" and "Seinfeld." He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a granddaughter. ...

The Rollins Band will team up with Los Angeles punk legends X for the 18-date As the World Burns Tour, which kicks off July 28 in San Francisco and runs through an August 19 stop in Boston. ... Helmet's forthcoming album, Monochrome, has been slated for a July 18 release and will hit stores as the band travels the country on this summer's Warped Tour. The disc, the follow-up to 2004's Size Matters, will feature 10 new tracks including "Swallowing Everything," "410 and Goodbye" and "Money Shot." ... Sleepy Brown, Washington, D.C., duo Panacea and Waco, Texas' the Strange Fruit Project have joined previously announced headliner Big Daddy Kane and Chicago's Lupe Fiasco and Rhymefest on the lineup of the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, set for June 24 in New York's Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, located between the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge. For more information and to register for tickets to the free show, head to the fest's site, BrooklynBodega.com. ...

Gary Glitter is due in a Vietnam court June 15 to appeal his child-molestation conviction, Reuters reports. Glitter's lawyer said the one-day hearing to appeal the singer's three-year sentence will take place at Supreme Court in Ho Chi Minh City. Glitter has been incarcerated in the resort town of Vung Tau since March. ... Gorky's Zygotic Mynci are no more. In a Friday post on their Web site — titled "Gorky's Zygotic Mynci RIP (Rock in Peace)" — the Welsh band, which formed in 1990, announced that it's splitting up. "Richard, Megan, Euros and Pete would like to thank everyone who came to the gigs and bought the records over the years," the statement read. ...

• 'American Idol' Season Five Final 12

• Prince
• Hilary Duff
• Black Eyed Peas
• AFI
• Rob Thomas

Sloan (file)
Photo: BMG Music

Chris Murphy and Jay Ferguson are conflicted. The two Sloan members just want to get on with making a new record, but 2005 is gearing up to be a year of nostalgic re-evaluation for the Canadian quartet.

Having spent almost 15 years as a band, Murphy and Ferguson (along with guitarist Patrick Pentland and drummer Andrew Scott) are now grappling with a mid-career greatest-hits release and reissues of their classic discs.

Still alive and kicking, Sloan want you to know that their compilation, A Sides Win: Singles 1992-2005, due May 10, is not their death knell.

"I'm always nervous to put out a greatest-hit [disc]. It looks [to those on the outside] that we don't have any more songs. I have tons of songs," bassist and lead mouthpiece Chris Murphy declared.

For guitarist Ferguson, the idea of a best-of compilation makes him feel old, but it's not without its benefits. "It does feel awkward. I guess we've been around for a long time, but it should jumpstart the next record — rally the masses," he said optimistically.

The democratic group, whose members all write and sing their own songs, recently reconvened in the band's Toronto studio to record two new tracks for the compilation: the Pentland-penned rocker "All Used Up" and the Murphy song "Try to Make It."

The bonus disc of the best-of set will be a DVD containing all of Sloan's videos, a documentary on the making of the videos and live performances of those same singles. Tackling the big picture, however, seemed daunting. "The idea of doing the definitive history of Sloan was overwhelming," Ferguson said. "It's not the right time to do it — we're still going. The documentary on the videos was manageable."

"It's not like somebody's dead," Murphy sarcastically observed.

Sloan have had bad U.S. label luck over their career, so to ensure that fans have access to everything they need, the band's current label, Koch Entertainment, will begin rolling out reissues of its studio albums, minus the 2004 release Action Pact — Smeared, Twice Removed, One Chord to Another, Navy Blues, Between the Bridges and Pretty Together — with new packaging, liner notes and photos.

Smeared and Twice Removed will kick off the re-releases in late summer, and the rest will follow a few months after. Each disc will be accompanied by B-sides and demos, and there's an extensive amount of material to exhume.

"With Twice Removed, there are a lot of demos that sound way different from how the record turned out. Some of [the reissues] could be two CDs ... another 75 minutes of music," said Ferguson, who cites "Summer's My Season" as the B-side he's most excited for fans to hear.

The well-respected band — whose devotees include Death Cab for Cutie, the Donnas, comedian David Cross and multiplatinum Aussie rockers Jet (who formed around their mutual affection for the Canadian quartet) — have become a Canuck institution, but in the U.S., the band still remains a cult phenomenon.

"There's some radio station ... that wanted to give us some lifetime achievement award, which just sounds beyond retarded," Murphy said, not at all ready to rest on any laurels.

But underground U.S. status has its perks, such as being asked to play the Coachella festival in May alongside their idols in New Order and native compatriots like the Arcade Fire and k-os (see "Coachella Snags Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, Bright Eyes, Wilco"). "The other years [we didn't play], I was jealous," said Ferguson. "I was like, 'Damn, I wish we could [play] there.' "

With that wish coming true, the band is eager to get on with making new records.

What direction a new LP might take all depends on what member of the four-headed hydra you're speaking to that day. Murph, for one, could use a change of pace. "We've been playing a fairly hard rock thing for what seems like two years now," he said. "My ears could use the rest — though, I almost feel safer going louder. If we get too folk-y, it might seem like we're really old."

"I've been trying to write really simple songs that you can apply a Plastic Ono Band/ T-Rex style to," Ferguson said. "Almost like '50s rock and roll, but layered with Fleetwood Mac harmonies. Whatever happens, I think the next record will have more variety."

A Sides Win: Singles 1992-2005 track list, according to Sloan's management:

• "Underwhelmed"
• "500 Up"
• "Coax Me"
• "People of the Sky"
• "The Good in Everyone"
• "Everything You've Done Wrong"
• "The Lines You Amend"
• "Money City Maniacs"
• "She Says What She Means"
• "Losing California"
• "Friendship"
• "If It Feels Good Do It"
• "The Other Man"
• "The Rest of My Life"
• "All Used Up"
• "Try to Make It"

Sloan tour dates, according to their management:

• 5/1 - Indio, California @ Empire Polo Grounds
• 5/3 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
• 5/6 - Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe
• 5/7 - Portland, OR @ Dante's
• 5/13 - Regina, SK @ The State

• Sloan

Sloan
Photo: BMG/Sloanmusic.com

Canadian rockers Sloan have begun recording demos for a new album that will have "less of the fruity acoustic songs," according to singer/guitarist Jay Ferguson.

Still, the new disc, which the band hopes to release next spring, won't be entirely heavy, either. "We're not going to turn into Korn or anything like that," Ferguson assured after a recent show at New York's Bowery Ballroom.

Ferguson and bandmates Chris Murphy (bass, vocals), Andrew Scott (drums) and Patrick Pentland (guitar, vocals) formed Sloan in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1991 and released their debut LP, Smeared, the following year. Over the course of five more studio albums, the band demonstrated an ability to jump from catchy power pop to melancholy acoustic ballads to electric rock-inspired tracks.

Despite a leaning toward its heavier tendencies this time around, the band doesn't plan to bring outside musicians to beef things up. "We're xenophobic," Ferguson quipped. "We don't want anybody in our inner circle. I think there's enough ideas and enough stuff going on in our own band."

They are, however, considering bringing back former sound tech and co-producer of last year's Pretty Together, Brenndan McGuire, to produce the new LP.

Due in part to the band's ever-evolving sound, Ferguson could offer little in terms of describing Sloan's next release. "You never know what's going to happen until you start recording," he said. "Just stick with us."

• Sloan

Paul McCartney
Photo: Kevin Mazur

The first-ever tribute to Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career is taking off.

Listen to What the Man Said: Popular Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney, scheduled for an October 9 release, focuses on McCartney's work since leaving the Beatles, both in Wings and as a solo artist. The compilation includes interpretations by artists such as Robyn Hitchcock, Matthew Sweet, Sloan and They Might Be Giants of the former Fab Four bassist's popular hits, as well as little-known gems, according to the album's publicist.

Singer/songwriter Owsley covers the classic "Band on the Run," the title track from Wings' 1973 third album, while pop-punkers SR-71 offer their take on "My Brave Face," a tune McCartney wrote with Elvis Costello for Paul's 1989 solo album, Flowers in the Dirt. Semisonic take "Jet" for a spin, and rockers Virgos, fronted by temporary Creed bassist Brett Hestla, deliver their rendition of the heart-wrenching "Maybe I'm Amazed," from Sir Paul's 1970 solo debut, McCartney.

A companion disc of McCartney covers by lesser-known artists arrives October 23. The 15-track Coming Up: Independent Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney features a few Mac nuggets, like the Andersons' version of "Temporary Secretary" (from 1980's McCartney II) and Band on the Run's "Helen Wheels" interpreted by the Shazam, alongside a trio of tunes — "Every Night" (Mark Bacino), "My Brave Face" (Star Collector) and "Maybe I'm Amazed" (Gadget White Band) — that are also covered on Listen to What the Man Said.

The LP also marks the return, after a 28-year absence, of Emitt Rhodes, who duets with Ray Paul on "Oh Woman, Oh Why." Rhodes was the frontman of late-'60s Brit-pop sound-alikes the Merry-Go-Round, whose "Pardon Me" closely resembles McCartney's Beatles composition "Fool on the Hill." He hasn't released an album since his 1973 solo LP Farewell to Paradise.

A portion of the proceeds from both albums will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Paul's late wife Linda lost her battle with the disease in 1998.

Track list for Listen to What the Man Said: Popular Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney, according to the album's publicist:

• Owsley - "Band on the Run"
• SR-71 - "My Brave Face"
• Barenaked Ladies' Steven Page and Kevin Hearn with the Lilac Time's Stephen Duffy - "Junk"
• Semisonic - "Jet"
• The Merrymakers - "No More Lonely Nights"
• Robyn Hitchcock - "Let Me Roll It"
• Finn Brothers - "Too Many People"
• The Minus 5 - "Dear Friend"
• Matthew Sweet - "Every Night"
• Sloan - "Waterfalls"
• World Party - "Man We Was Lonely"
• The John Faye Power Trip - "Coming Up"
• Virgos - "Maybe I'm Amazed"
• Judybats - "Love in Song"
• Linus of Hollywood - "Warm and Beautiful"
• They Might Be Giants - "Ram On"

Track list for Coming Up: Independent Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney:

• Starbelly - "Let 'Em In"
• The Jellybricks - "Take It Away"
• Mark Bacino - "Every Night"
• Cliff Hillis - "This One"
• Star Collector - "My Brave Face"
• The Andersons - "Temporary Secretary"
• Kyf Brewer - "Mull of Kintyre"
• The Masticators - "With a Little Luck"
• Phil Keaggy - "Somedays"
• Michael Carpenter - "Getting Closer"
• Gadget White Band - "Maybe I'm Amazed"
• The Shazam - "Helen Wheels"
• Ray Paul with Emitt Rhodes - "Oh Woman, Oh Why"
• Cherry Twister - "Another Day"
• Cockeyed Ghost - "Back on My Feet"

• Paul McCartney
• Matthew Sweet
• Semisonic
• Robyn Hitchcock
• Owsley

One of Canada's most prolific power-pop groups, Sloan, is once again hard at work on a new album, which the band hopes to have in stores next May.

After releasing two studio albums ("Navy Blues" and "Between The Bridges") and a double-live album ("4 Nights At The Palais Royale") in a span of less than two years, the group has decided to alter its recording pace. As Sloan guitarist Jay Ferguson recently told MTV News, the band is currently experimenting with a new studio approach.

"We're starting just by jamming, which we have never done before," Ferguson said. "[We'll] take a riff and play it for five minutes or 10 minutes. Ideally we'll take parts of these jams and maybe create songs like that: by playing together rather than writing on your own."

With all four Sloan members (Ferguson, guitarist Patrick Pentland, bassist Chris Murphy, and drummer Andrew Scott) living in Toronto, the band now has the time and flexibility to take a more relaxed approach to recording.

"In the past, we've been in studios paying by the hour," Ferguson explained, "so the records generally had to be done in four to six weeks.

"For this record, Brenndan McGuire, who is our sound engineer, has all his recording equipment, Logic [recording software], and all that stuff set up in our practice space," Ferguson said. "We are recording directly to computer, and we can take it home in Logic and play with it.

"We really wanted to start early this time and record quite a bit of stuff so we can put together a record that really flows together well," he said. "Having the luxury of time should help us to do that."

According to Ferguson, the songs the band has developed through jamming are not as pop-driven as Sloan songs past.

"Some of them are less poppy," said Ferguson, "but they probably have a bit more of a rhythm to them... more of a groove. They come about from more intuitive playing. They're kind of loose structures, but I think they will still have strong melodic content.

"The whole jamming aspect of the record might come out, and it might not," Ferguson offered. "It sort of remains to be seen. We are trying to go for -- it sounds corny to say -- different textures and different sounds. Sometimes it's hard to change the songwriting, but you can always change the production.

"It's not going to sound like a different band or something. It will sound like us."

As on previous albums, Ferguson said the bandmembers have been swapping instruments in the studio, which is part of the Sloan tradition.

"There are some where Chris will play drums, and I think there's even a few where I play drums!" Ferguson offered. "Andrew played keyboards, and Patrick mostly played guitar, but sometimes played bass. Pretty much everyone [is] revolving around."

According to Ferguson, Sloan still has its long-standing four-songwriter approach to rely on if the jamming doesn't bring satisfying results.

"Everybody has started to record everybody's own songs that they had anyway," Ferguson revealed. "We have just started doing that: tracking all the regular songs. That's kind of where it's at right now.

"We're going to aim to put out the new record next May," he said. "I think we can have the bulk or the meat of the record recorded quite soon, like in the next couple months. After that, it remains to be seen.

"Maybe we will start experimenting again with jamming and try and create some songs that way," he concluded, "with, in the back of our mind, knowing that we already have some concrete stuff already finished."

Along with work on the new record, Sloan has lined up a number of college dates in its home country for the end of the summer.

"It's basically our 'raise money to go back to Europe' tour," Ferguson said with a laugh. "We want to go back to Europe in the fall, so we are going to play some back-to-school shows."

Sloan's college tour kicks off September 1 in Montreal at McGill University and runs through September 29 at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, with 13 stops currently confirmed. The band has also lined up DV8 Festival dates in Ottawa, Ontario, on September 9 and in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on September 16.

• Sloan

"Rushmore" star Jason Schwartzman hit the skins with Sloan at a recent show for which his band, Phantom Planet, was the opening act.

• Sloan

Canadian power-pop quartet Sloan has put together its first-ever video compilation, "Second Hand Views," and the guys will be offering it up initially to fans in America.

• 10/29 - Pontiac, MI @ Clutch Cargo
• 10/30 - Buffalo, NY @ Tralfamadore Cafe
• 10/31 - Cleveland, OH @ Odeon Concert Club
• 11/2 - Columbus, OH @ Little Brother's
• 11/3 - Philadelphia, PA @ Khyber
• 11/4 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
• 11/5 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Club
• 11/6 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
• 11/7 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
• 11/9 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
• 11/11 - Orlando, FL @ Sapphire Supper Club
• 11/12 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbit's
• 11/13 - Atlanta, GA @ Cotton Club
• 11/14 - Birmingham, AL @ Nick
• 11/15 - Nashville, TN @ Exit / In
• 11/16 - St. Louis, MO @ Side Door
• 11/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
• 11/19 - Chicago, IL @ Metro / Smart Bar
• 11/20 - Toledo, OH @ Main Event

• Sloan

Sloan, Canada's premier power-pop, retro-rock quartet, will be heading south of the border this fall when it follows up the release of its latest album with a Stateside tour.

• 10/15 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
• 10/16 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
• 10/29 - Pontiac, MI @ Clutch Cargo
• 10/30 - Buffalo, NY @ Tralfamadore Café
• 10/31 - Cleveland, OH @ TBA
• 11/2 - Columbus, OH @ Little Brother's
• 11/3 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
• 11/4 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
• 11/5 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
• 11/6 - Philadelphia, PA @ Khyber
• 11/7 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
• 11/9 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
• 11/11 - Orlando, FL @ Sapphire Supper Club
• 11/12 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbit's
• 11/13 - Atlanta, GA @ Cotton Club
• 11/14 - Birmingham, AL @ The Nick
• 11/15 - Nashville, TN @ 12th and Porter
• 11/16 - St. Louis, MO @ Side Door
• 11/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ TBA
• 11/19 - Chicago, IL @ Metro / Smart Bar
• 11/20 - Toledo, OH @ Main Event

• Sloan