Juvenile's <I>Reality Check</I>
Photo: Atlantic / Wea

Tone Def: Juvenile has no shortage of friends on his latest effort, Reality Check — Ludacris, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, 8Ball, Fat Joe, Bun B, Trey Songz and, more surprisingly, Brian McKnight all make appearances. But the real story behind the New Orleans rapper's release might not be the tracks themselves but what you can do with them: A special feature lets you create ring tones from any part of any song on the record. Which means, in theory, you can have a little piece of "Loose Booty" with you at all times.

Welcome Back, Carter: While Juve is letting his listeners cut up his songs, Lil Wayne has let some producers chop and screw his. Don't get these remixes confused with the chopped-and-screwed ones that came with the deluxe edition of Tha Carter, Vol. 2; those were alternate takes of songs released before that album, while these all pertain to Carter 2 and run in the same order as the LP.

New Matis? Yahoo!: Youth, the latest effort by Hasidic rapper Matthew Miller (a.k.a. Matisyahu), comes in three shapes and sizes: the standard release, produced by NYC avant-garde guru Bill Laswell and containing 13 tracks; Youth Dub, a limited disc that came with preorders of the album and features eight dub mixes plus two new songs; and the DualDisc version, with videos and behind-the-scenes treats, due at a later date.

Not-So-Public Enemy: Public Enemy have been doing the indie thing for a little while, but with their new one, they're delving even deeper into obscurity. Rebirth of a Nation is coming out on Guerrilla Funk Recordings, a label that "counters the corporate stranglehold of censorship currently plaguing the entertainment industry." Its owner, Paris — the politically conscious rapper behind "Bush Killa" — essentially co-authors the new PE record, producing it and appearing on songs like "Make It Hardcore," "Hannibal Lecture" and "Hard Truth Soldiers." MC Ren, Sister Souljah and Dead Prez also help with the Rebirth.

Making The Rounds: Do you smell a hippie? You must be near a record store, then, because they're hitting them in droves this week. Five Grateful Dead albums are getting deluxe-reissue treatment, gifting fans with bonus tracks, splendid packaging and more. Also on the bohemian front, Dead amigo David Grisman has produced Mike Compton and David Long's Stomp, while jam master John Medeski has written the liner notes for 70-year-old pianist Ran Blake's All That Is Tied.

His troupe Medeski, Martin & Wood, in the meantime, take part on the Herb Alpert mash-up record Whipped Cream & Other Delights Rewhipped, also featuring Ozomatli and Thievery Corporation. There's only one stranger mash-up due this week, and that's "Rapture Riders," a collision of Blondie's "Rapture:" and the Doors' "Riders on the Storm," which surfaces on Blondie's Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision collection.

Another MMW agent, bassist Chris Wood, has his hands full with the Wood Brothers, a project pairing him with brother Oliver Wood. Oh, and speaking of brothers, they're a topic of conversation this week too: Ted Leo's brother Chris is trotting out the second effort by his Vague Angels, Let's Duke It Out at Kilkenny Katz; and Ray Davies, the Kinks leader who put out a new album a couple of weeks ago, is seeing his long-running feud with brother Dave Davies reignited this week when Dave releases his Kinked collection.

Song Titles of the Week:

"Too-Rai-Skippery-Dappery Day" and "Just Blow, Don Quixote! Blow!" from Vague Angels' Let's Duke It Out at Kilkenny Katz

Other Notables:

Bad Religion's "Live at the Palladium" and the Casualties' "Can't Stop Us" DVDs: Cobbling together live footage from Hollywood's historic punk venue as well as rare performances, TV appearances, interviews and the like, Bad Religion had every reason to promote their new visual item with a special screening and autograph session at Virgin Records in Tinsel Town. Unlike BR, the Casualties haven't been around for 20 years, but they've got plenty of punk spirit, as shown in their gritty disc, which proudly advertises footage of "riots, riots and more riots." The footage is derived from gigs in Mexico and Japan and has 20 leather-clad clips.

Mogwai's Mr. Beast and Goldfrapp's Supernature: Glasgow's Mogwai are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, and maybe not coincidentally they're breathing some new life into their younger, louder selves with Mr. Beast. Limited copies are bundled in hard-book deluxe package and come with a bonus DVD. Another Brit, singer/composer Allison Goldfrapp, has a similar game plan: The deluxe version of her latest has a DVD bristling with videos, documentary footage, a performance film and more. As the first track on her album says, "Ooh La La."

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness' Fear Is on Our Side and Revolting Cocks' Cocked and Loaded: You've heard the name, now finally you can hear the album. Instead of Spoon's Britt Daniel, who produced the band's initial EP, ILYBICD went instead with Paul Barker, who's worked with Ministry and the Revolting Cocks. Speaking of which (see where this is going?), the latest by the Cocks (led by Ministry's Al Jourgensen) attracted two Gibbies — ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons and Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers — plus Jello Biafra and members of Cheap Trick. Leave it to Al to do it up right.

New Releases:

• Agency - Agency (digipak; Aeria)
• Big Al Anderson - After Hours (Sony Legacy)
• Architects - Revenge (SideCho)
• Balli - New Blood - The D.N.A. (Black Five)
• The Bamboos - Step It Up (Ubiquity)
• Warren Barfield - Reach (Reunion)
• Bitter:Sweet - The Mating Game (Quango)
• The Black Dove - The Black Dove (Tompkins Square)
• Ran Blake - All That Is Tied (digipak; Tompkins Square)
• Blush - From the Falls to the Path (Rust)
• Boom Boom Satellites - Full of Elevating Pleasures (Tofu)
• Buzzcocks - Flat-Pack Philosophy (Cooking Vinyl)
• Caedmon's Call - In the Company of Angels II - The World Will Sing (Brentwood)
• Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas (V2)
  Buy Now: Ballad of the Broken Seas (V2)
• Larry Carlton - Fire Wire (RCA)
• Caroline - Murmurs (Temporary Residence)
• Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Anti)
• Centro-Matic - Fort Recovery (Misra)
• Exene Cervenka and the Original Sinners - Sev7en (Nitro)
• Mattie Moss Clark - I'm Not Alone: Hands of God Reached Out (Sounds of Gospel)
• Mike Compton and David Long - Stomp (Acoustic Disc)
• Controller.Controller - X-Amounts (Paper Bag)
• Eric Darius - Just Getting Started (Narada)
• David & the Citizens - David & the Citizens (digipak; Friendly Fire)
• Kimya Dawson and Matty Pop Chart - Kimya Dawson and Matty Pop Chart (EP; K)
• Daylight Dies - Dismantling Devotion (Candlelight)
• Jesse Dayton - South Austin Sessions (Stag)
• Desole - Story to Tell (Abacus)
• Deus - Pocket Revolution (V2)
• Dévics - Push the Heart (Reincarnate)
• Dian Diaz - Dian Diaz (Strip City)
• Dir En Grey - Withering to Death (Warcon Enterprises)
• Dismember - The God That Never Was (Candlelight)
• Dogme 95 - The Reagle Beagle (Empyrean)
• Downtown Singapore - Don't Let Your Guard Down (Dcide)
• Dryline - Reach for the Surface (Zero Sum)
• The Duke Spirit - Cuts Across the Land (Star Time)
• Eastern Conference Champions - Southampton Collection (EP; Retone)
• Edubb - Don't Flex (I.M.)
• The Elysian Fields - Suffering G.O.D. Almighty (Black Lotus)
• Mark Erelli - Hope & Other Casualties (Signature)
• Anthony Evans - Letting Go (Sony)
• Jace Everett - Jace Everett (Epic)
• Cesaria Evora - Rogamar (RCA)
• Field Music - Field Music (Memphis Industries)
• Figurines - Skeleton (Control Group)
• Fresh Digress - Fresh Digress (Beatmart)
• Charles Gayle - Time Zones (digipak; Tompkins Square)
• Ghostdigital - In Cod We Trust (Ipecac)
• David Gilmour - On an Island (Columbia)
• Gnarkill - Gnarkill Vs. Unkle Matt & the Sh--birdz (10/90)
• Goldfrapp - Supernature (with DVD; Mute)
• Half-Handed Crowd - Halos & Lassos (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Jeff Hamilton - From Studio 4 (Azica)
• Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid - Exchange Session 1 (Domino)
• Hotel Lights - Hotel Lights (Bar None)
• James Hunter - People Gonna Talk (Rounder)
• I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - Fear Is on Our Side (Secretly Canadian)
• If Hope Dies - Life in Ruin (Metal Blade)
• The Impossible Shapes - Tum (Secretly Canadian)
• Javier - Left of Center (Capitol)
• Chachi Jones - Dymaxion Daydream (Reincarnate)
• Juvenile - Reality Check (DualDisc; Atlantic)
  Read: "Juvenile Gets Busy At The Holiday Inn — Making An Album "
  Buy Now: Reality Check (Atlantic)
• The Killing Moon - Message Through Your Teeth (Fearless)
• Glenn Kotche - Mobile (Nonesuch)
• Kris Kristofferson - This Old Road (New West)
• Jon Langford - Gold Brick (Roir)
• Ana Laura - Ana Laura (Reunion)
• The Lawrence Arms - Oh Calcutta (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Rolf Lislevand - Nuove Musiche (ECM)
• Lil Wayne - Tha Carter II: Chopped & Screwed (Cash Money)
  Buy Now: Tha Carter II: Chopped & Screwed (Cash Money)
• The Little Willies - The Little Willies (Milking Bull)
• The Lonely Hearts - Paper Tapes (Tooth & Nail)
• Lucky Luciano - Pimps Up Hoez Down (Vista Media)
• Janiva Magness - Do I Move You? (Northern Blues)
• Matisyahu - Youth (Epic)
  Buy Now: Youth (Epic)
• Mellowdrone - Box (3 Records/ Red Ink)
• Mogwai - Mr. Beast (Matador)
  Buy Now: Mr. Beast (Matador)
• Van Morrison - Pay the Devil (Lost Highway)
• Most Hi-Fi - Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Slam Jamz)
• Mudhoney - Under a Billion Suns (Sub Pop)
• Munk - Gommagang 3 (Gomma)
• Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas - Hang It High, Hang It Low (Rounder)
• Nicolette - I Am Where the Party's At (Early)
• Nightmares on Wax - In a Space Outta Sound (Warp)
• The Ocean - Aeolian (Metal Blade)
• Outlawz - Against All Oddz (Real Talk Entertainment)
• Lee Roy Parnell - Back to the Well (Universal South)
• Patrizio - The Italian (Universal)
• Pinetop Seven - Beneath Confederate Lake (Empyrean)
• Pink Mountaintops - Axis of Evol (Jagjaguwar)
• Pinmonkey - Big Shiny Cars (Back Porch)
• Planeside - Milk (Exotic)
• Lucas Prata - Let's Get It On (Ultra)
• Presence - Presence (Curb)
• Public Enemy - Rebirth of a Nation (Guerrilla Funk)
• Raising The Fawn - The Maginot Line (Sonic Unyon)
• Revolting Cocks - Cocked and Loaded (Megaforce)
• The Rogers Sisters - The Invisible Deck (Too Pure/ Beggars)
• Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Solo (Blue Note)
• Scarface - My Homies, Vol. 2 (Asylum/Rap-a-Lot)
• Terry Smith - Fall Out (Sunbeam)
• Soldier Ink - The Newest and the Strongest (enhanced; Thump)
• Sparks - Hello Young Lovers (In the Red)
• Stereolab - Fab Four Suture (with DVD; Too Pure/ Beggars)
  Buy Now: Fab Four Suture (Too Pure)
• The Story - Tale Spin (Sunbeam)
• Streetlight Manifesto - Keasbey Nights, Vol. 2 (Victory)
• Television Personalities - My Dark Places (Domino)
• Ten Falls Forth - Excuse Me I Believe That's My Ride (Rise)
• The Tennessee Boltsmokers - Hydro Radio (Madjack)
• Terrestrial Tones - Dead Drunk (Paw Tracks)
• Trent Tomlinson - Country Is My Rock (Lyric Street)
• Tres Chicas - Bloom Red & the Ordinary Girl (Yep Roc)
• Ralph Tresvant - Rizz Wa Faire (Xzault Media Group)
• Turbulence - Born for This (Charm)
• Gecko Turner - Guapapasea! (Quango)
• The Vacation - The Vacation (American)
• Vague Angels - Let's Duke It out at Kilkenny Katz (Pretty Activity)
• Voodoo Blue - Smile N Nod (Dcide)
• The Weepies - Say I Am You (Nettwerk)
• Witch - Witch (Tee Pee)
• The Wood Brothers - Ways Not To Lose (Blue Note)
• Mike Younger - Every Stone You Throw (Bare Bones)
• Nadine Zahr - Underneath the Every Day (Chirality)
• Various artists - Paris Presents: Hard Truth Soldiers (Guerilla Funk)
• Various artists - Tunnel Trance Force America 2 (Water)
• Various artists - "Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King" soundtrack (Dancing Ferret)
• Various artists - "Date Movie" soundtrack (Lakeshore)
• Various artists - "That's So Raven Too" soundtrack (Disney)
• Various artists - "Zoey 101 Music Mix" soundtrack (Nick)

Notable Reissues And Archival Material:

• Agnostic Front - Live at CBGB (with DVD; Nuclear Blast)
• Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights Rewhipped (Shout! Factory)
• Blondie - Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision (with DVD; Capitol)
• Peabo Bryson - The Very Best of Peabo Bryson (Time Life)
• Cheap Trick - Dream Police and All Shook Up (with bonus tracks; Epic/Legacy)
• Joe Cocker - Gold (two CDs; Hip-O)
• The Czars - Goodbye (Bella Union)
• Darkest Hour - So Sedated So Secure (Victory)
• Dave Davies - Kinked (Koch)
• Martin Denny - The Best of Martin Denny's Exotica (Capitol)
• Grateful Dead - Blues for Allah, From the Mars Hotel (two CDs), Shakedown Street, Terrapin Station and Wake of the Flood (digipaks with bonus tracks; Rhino)
• Jethro Tull - Aqualung Live (Fuel 2000)
• Little Feat - Barnstormin' Live Box (Hot Tomato)
• Loretta Lynn - Gold (two CDs; MCA Nashville)
• Simon Joyner - Beautiful Losers: Singles & Compilation Tracks 1994-1999 (Jagjaguwar)
• Willy Mason - Where the Humans Eat (enhanced; with bonus tracks; Astralwerks)
• Gwen McCrae - Rockin' Chair/Let's Straighten It Out (Koch)
• Liza Minnelli - Liza With a "Z" (Columbia/Legacy)
• Moondog - Moondog (Astralwerks)
• Fred Neil - Fred Neil (Water)
• Pentagram - First Daze Here Too (two CDs; Relapse)
• Martha Reeves & the Vandellas - Gold (two CDs; Motown)
• Snoop Dogg - Death Row's Snoop Doggy Dogg Greatest Hits (digipak; Death Row)
• Sun Dial - Return Journey (Relapse)
• Glenn Tipton - Baptizm of Fire (Rhino)
• Glenn Tipton, John Entwistle and Cozy Powell - Edge of the World (Rhino)
• Conway Twitty - Gold (two CDs; MCA Nashville)
• Various artists - Hip Hop Essentials, Vol. 9, Vol. 10, Vol. 11 and Vol. 12

DVDs:

• Bad Religion - Live at the Palladium (Epitaph)
• The Casualties - Can't Stop Us (Side One Dummy)
• Bing Crosby - A Little Bit of Irish: Bing Crosby in Dublin (Varèse)
• Deicide - When London Burns (Earache)
• Luke Kelly - The Performer (Dark Peak)
• Various artists - Assemblage, Vol. 1 (Grey Two-Eleven)

Coming Attractions:

March 14:

• E-40 - My Ghetto Report Card (Warner Bros.)
  Buy Now: My Ghetto Report Card (Warner Bros.)
• Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree: Limited Black Clouds and Underdogs Tour Edition (Island)
  Read: "Fall Out Boy Promise An 'Event' Video For 'Sixteen Candles' "
  Buy Now: From Under the Cork Tree: Limited Black Clouds and Underdogs Tour Edition (Island)
• Hard-Fi - Stars of CCTV (Atlantic)
  Read: "You Hear It First: Hard-Fi"

March 21:

• Teddy Geiger - Underage Thinking (Columbia)
• My Chemical Romance - Life on the Murder Scene (with DVD; Reprise)
  Read: "My Chemical Romance's 'Murder' DVD Just Got Bigger"
• Prince - 3121 (Universal)

March 28:

• Ghostface Killah - Fishscale (Def Jam)
  Read: "Ghostface Killah Spins Tales From The 'Hood On Fishscale"
  Buy Now: Fishscale (Def Jam)
• T.I. - King (limited-edition re-release with bonus DVD; Atlantic)
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones (Interscope)

Read: "Are The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Anxious About Bones? No No No"

• Juvenile
• Matisyahu
• Lil Wayne
• Bad Religion
• Stereolab

Britney Spears (file)
Photo: Jive

Britney Spears has written a poem about her honeymoon and has posted it on her fan club's Web site. In the nearly blow-by-blow account of her trip to Fiji's Turtle Island, Spears describes her time alone with her new husband, Kevin Federline, as "magical nights" and a "little piece of heaven" but cuts short the details when it gets to the bedroom: "A meal, a shower and some ice cream/ Then I threw my man down, you know what I mean!" ... Lindsay Lohan is giving fans a sneak peek of her upcoming debut album, Speak — the actress/singer has posted four audio clips of songs on her Web site and is taking a poll to see which tracks people prefer. The songs are "Nobody 'Til You," "Symptoms of You," "Over" and the title track. ...

A pretrial hearing was held on Wednesday in Los Angeles for the case in which a photographer is alleging that Christina Aguilera's bodyguard beat him up outside a club last year. "He was punched in the mouth, his mouth was bloodied, he had lacerations inside his mouth," the photographer's lawyer said in court. Aguilera has countersued photographer David Keeler, claiming she had nothing to do with what happened, and her lawyer said a self-defense argument would be explored. The judge encouraged both parties to reach an agreement. ... Aguilera's former tourmate isn't having much luck with paparazzi, either. Two photographers are suing Justin Timberlake and his girlfriend, Cameron Diaz, for assault and battery, claiming the couple attacked them when they tried to photograph the pair on November 6. Saul Lazo and Jose Gonzalez claim in a lawsuit filed Friday that they did nothing to harass the couple and stood more than 10 feet away when Diaz ran at Lazo, hit him, tripped him and took his camera. They say Timberlake screamed at the photographer, who was bleeding and on the ground. In a previous statement, the couple claimed they had been ambushed and acted in self-defense, and that Diaz only took the camera to later identify the photographers. ...

Timberlake's 'NSYNC groupmate Lance Bass makes a cameo appearance on the new show "$25 Million Hoax." For the show's second episode, the singer's job is to help a woman, who is trying to record a Britney Spears song at a recording studio, convince her friends and family that she has won the lottery and has become a spendaholic. The episode airs Monday (November 15) at 10 p.m. on NBC. ... Puddle of Mudd will play a show for some lucky fans at an undisclosed Los Angeles location Tuesday. On its Web site, the band extended an invitation to the first 150 of its "biggest fans" to attend a concert that will be recorded for release on DVD. Winners were supposed to be notified by no later than Monday, so if you haven't heard back yet, you're probably out of luck. ...

Ben Lee has finished his new album, Awake Is the New Sleep. Lee worked with producer Brad Wood (Liz Phair, Smashing Pumpkins) on the album, due out in February. ... Morrissey has announced plans to reissue his latest album, You Are the Quarry, in a special CD/DVD deluxe edition. The CD half of the package now features nine B-sides. The DVD collects all three of the Mozzer's appearances on "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn" from earlier this year along with his videos for "Irish Blood, English Heart" and "First of the Gang to Die." The combo is scheduled to hit shelves in December. ... Experimental U.K. group Stereolab are working on a three-disc retrospective of the EPs they've issued in their dozen years together. The as-yet-untitled set is due in April. Meanwhile, the band continues to work on a new series of EPs to follow up Margerine Eclipse, which dropped in January. ...

11.12.2004

Fantasia has selected "Truth Is," produced by Soulshock & Karlin (Tupac, Usher), as the first single from her debut album, Free Yourself, due November 23. The album will also feature Fantasia's "American Idol" show-stopping cover of George Gershwin's "Summertime," a version of "You Were Always on My Mind" (made famous by Willie Nelson) and three collaborations with Missy Elliott. ...

Nelly, Kanye West and Hoobastank are among the artists who will be on hand to read the nominations for the 47th annual Grammy Awards on December 7 at Hollywood's Music Box. ... Though they just starred together this week on "That '70s Show," Lindsay Lohan and Wilmer Valderrama have called it quits, according to People magazine. The couple had only recently made their relationship public, once Lohan turned 18 this July, and had also exchanged promise rings, according to Lohan's mother. They're said to still be friends. ...

Britney Spears is upsetting art critics in London, who've taken issue with an exhibition of pictures of the singer taken by David LaChapelle and Herb Ritts called "I Heart Britney" at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. In response to the criticism, the singer's record label reps have countered that the museum is the "most fitting place in London for a Britney Spears exhibition," since it's known for being "up-to-date, edgy and cool." ... After returning to the game a few months ago on the mixtape circuit, Shaquille O'Neal now has his own court to play in. Shaq is bankrolling the new imprint Deja34 Records, which will be distributed by Koch. The label's inaugural release will be a new album by DJ Kay Slay in April. Kay Slay also serves as the label's head of A&R. ...

Despite their #2 debut on the albums chart with eMOTIVe, Maynard James Keenan has put A Perfect Circle on the shelf for the time being. He's currently in the studio with his Tool bandmates working on the band's fourth album, the follow-up to 2001's Lateralus. The LP is expected to drop next year. ... "The O.C." is now more than just a TV show — it's also a game. "Skate the O.C." starts when the Cohens have left for Santa Barbara but have left their backyard gate unlocked. The show's familiar backyard — with its pool emptied and ramps in place — then becomes a skater's paradise at www.fox.com/oc/skatetheoc/. ...

Redman is eyeing a March release for his next album, Red Gone Wild. Around that time the rapper is scheduled to shoot a movie with Method Man where the two play undercover drug-enforcement agents. ... Ruben Studdard's has titled his upcoming gospel album I Need an Angel. Due November 23, it will feature the title track first single, produced by R. Kelly and Warryn Campbell. ...

On December 8, London's Royal Albert Hall will play host to the Refugee Voices for Darfur, a concert to benefit the 1.8 million displaced survivors of the bloody civil war in the African nation of Sudan. Musicians taking part in the concert include Franz Ferdinand (who have recorded a message to be played during the event), Chrissie Hynde and Mick Hucknall. The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will serve as the evening's backup band. ... Mary J. Blige, JC Chasez and Kelis are among the artists bringing holiday cheer to the Gap's winter TV campaign, called "How Do You Share It?" in which Sarah Jessica Parker runs into different musicians on the holiday party circuit. The ads debut next week. ... Mario's next album, Turning Point, is slated for a December 7 release. Besides Scott Storch's touch on first single "Let Me Love You," the R&B singer's second album features production from Lil Jon. ...

Want to spend quality time with Metallica? Or laze around on Nick Hexum's private Key West island? Those and other opportunities are being auctioned off to raise money for the T.J. Martell Foundation, which donates money for disease research. Artists such as Linkin Park, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte and Hilary Duff are each donating their time and memorabilia to be auctioned off beginning November 22 at www.fan2fan.com/ebayauction. ... Despite rumors to the contrary, Madonna told MTV Europe that she isn't planning to do a cameo in her husband Guy Ritchie's film "Revolver," currently shooting in London. Madge, however, does have other movie plans in the works — for her book "The English Roses." She said it would hopefully go into production this year. "It takes forever to get a movie made," she said. "So fingers crossed." As for her tour documentary that's supposed to hit theaters next year, she doesn't have a name for the project yet, but she hopes it'll be out by May. ...

• Britney Spears
• Lindsay Lohan
• Justin Timberlake
• Morrissey
• Puddle Of Mudd

Look out below as Twista unleashes his Kamikaze this week. In less reckless new-releases news, Destiny's Child's Michelle Williams drops her second solo album, Do You Know, and the Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews Band, P.O.D., Creed and Nickelback prove they're Committed 2 Rock on this "positive music" compilation.

Stereolab's 10th full-length album, Margerine Eclipse, sticks to the group's tried-and-true sound despite the absence of singer Mary Hansen, who was killed in 2002 (see "Stereolab Singer Killed After Being Struck By Car" ). The song "Feel and Triple" is a tribute to her.

For a change of mood, check out Voodoo Child, otherwise known as Moby, and his Baby Monkey, a straightforward dance album inspired by a party Moby attended in an abandoned railway tunnel in Glasgow, Scotland.

For the generally morose Elbow, it takes a Cast of Thousands to help them lighten up a bit. Meanwhile, another downer band, Starsailor, reveal that Silence Is Easy.

Finally, Air's two-disc set, Talkie Walkie, co-produced by Nigel Godrich, features the group's usual dreamy fare plus some instrumentals, including "Alone in Kyoto," which appeared in "Lost in Translation." 10-4. Over and out.

Out Tuesday, January 27:

• 10,000 Maniacs - Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings (Elektra)
• Against All Authority - Live at the Fireside Bowl (Liberation)
• Air - Talkie Walkie (Astralwerks)
• A. Skillz & Krafty Kuts - Tricka Technology (Finger Lickin')
• Bayside - Sirens and Condolences (Victory)
• Cheryl Bentyne - Talk of the Town (Telarc Jazz)
• John Berry - I Give My Heart (Clear Sky)
• Blueridge - Side by Side (Sugar Hill)
• Greg Brown - Honey in the Lion's Head (Trailer)
• Chemlab - Oxidizer (Invisible)
• Bradley Cole -In Our Time (Nomadic)
• The Cure - Join the Dots: B-sides and Rarities, 1978-2001 (Elektra)
• Felix Cutillo - Visage II (Europa Pop)
• Jon Delerious - No Warning (Nordic Trax)
• Discordance Axis - Jou Hou (Hydra Head)
• DJ Cam and Tassel & Naturel - Fillet of Soul (Inflamable)
• Dave Douglas - Strange Liberation (Bluebird)
• Down to the Bone - Cellar Funk (Narada)
• Drugmoney - MTN CTY JNK (Hybrid)
• Elbow - Cast of Thousands (V2)
• Darren Emerson & Mutiny - Underwater Episode 2 (Underwater)
• Emery - The Weak's End (Tooth & Nail)
• Fantômas - Delirium Cordia (Ipecac)
• The Flatlanders - Wheels of Fortune (New West)
• Front Line Assembly - Total Terror (Cleopatra)
• Marvin Gaye - Concert Anthology (Cleopatra)
• Gentle Giant - Playing the Cleveland (United States Dist.)
• Ghost - Hypnotic Underworld (Drag City)
• Gorerotted - Only Tools and Corpses (Metal Blade)
• Hammerfall - One Crimson Night (Nuclear Blast)
• J Majik - Fabric Live 13 (Fabric)
• Jay-J - Loveslapped Vol. 3 (Loveslap!)
• The Kiss of Death - Kiss of Death (Tribunal)
• Leahy - In All Things (Narada Jazz)
• Lil' C-Style - Blacc Balled (Rumm)
• Long Since Forgotten - Standing Room Only (Rocketstar)
• The Love Project - The Love Project (Narada)
• Meat Beat Manifesto - In Dub (:\ run)
• James Moody - Homage (Savoy Jazz)
• No Motiv - Daylight Breaking (Vagrant)
• Nodesha - Nodesha (Arista)
• The Notwist - Different Cars and Trains (Domino)
• Organic Infest - Way to Temptation (Crash Music)
• Pig Destroyer - Splits Collection (Robotic Empire)
• Poster Children - No More Songs About Sleep and Fire (Hidden Agenda)
• Premonitions of War - Life in Kowloon (Victory)
• Pyrexia - Cruelty Beyond Submission (Crash Music)
• RBX - Ripp Tha Game Bloody (Street Muzic)
• Remembering Never - Women and Children Die First (Ferret)
• Rosana - Marca Registrada (Universal Latino)
• Katy Rose - Because I Can (V2)
• Roy - Big City Sin and Small Town Redemption (Fueled by Ramen)
• Dani Siciliano - Dani Siciliano Likes (¡K7)
• Mindy Smith - One Moment More (Vanguard)
• Southern Culture on the Skids - Mojo Box (Yep Roc)
• Stampin' Ground - A New Darkness Upon Us (Century Media)
• Starsailor - Silence Is Easy (Capitol)
• Stasis - Past Movements (Peacefrog)
• Stereolab - Margerine Eclipse (Elektra)
• Symphorce - Twice Second (Metal Blade)
• Tarbox Ramblers - A Fix Back East (Rounder)
• Telefon Tel Aviv - Map of What Is Effortless (Hefty)
• Tenki - View of an Orbiting Man (Future Appletree)
• Throbbing Gristle - TG+ (Mute)
• Tiamat - Prey (Century Media)
• Ron Trent - Abstract Afro Journey (King Street Sounds)
• Trio Eléctrico - Echo Porcours (Stereo Deluxe)
• Twista - Kamikaze (Atlantic)
• Vesania - Firefrost Arcanum (Crash Music)
• Voodoo Child (a.k.a. Moby) - Baby Monkey (V2)
  Read: "Moby Goes Ape On Voodoo Child Techno Release"
• Weird War - If You Can't Beat 'Em, Bite 'Em (Drag City)
• Michael Whalen - From Conception to Birth: A Life Unfolds (Valley Entertainment)
• Michelle Williams - Do You Know (Music World)
• The Working Title - Everyone Here Is Wrong (R2)
• Yes - Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection (Rhino)
• Z-Man - Dope or Dogfood (Refill/Hiero Imperium)
• Various artists - City of God Remixed, Volume II (:\ run)
• Various artists - Committed 2 Rock (Time Life)
• Various artists - Deep Sensations (Sunswept)
• Various artists - Desert Grooves (Water Music)
• Various artists - Disneymania 2 (Walt Disney)
• Various artists - Favela Chic Postanove 3 (Milan)
• Various artists - Pedro Almodovar: Talk to Her - Viva Tristeza (Milan)
• Various artists - Smooth Sax Tribute to Stevie Wonder (Tribute Sounds)
• Various artists - "The Triplets of Belleville" soundtrack (Higher Octave)
• DVD: Celia Cruz Azúcar! (Image Entertainment)
• DVD: Dr. Chesky's Magnificent, Fabulous, Absurd & Insane Musical 5.1 Surround Show (Chesky)
• DVD: C-Murder - Straight From the Projects: Rappers That Live the Lyrics (Image Entertainment)
• DVD: Paul Oakenfold - A Voyage Into Trance (Hypnotic)

February 3:

• Five for Fighting - The Battle for Everything (Sony)
• Incubus - A Crow Left of the Murder (Sony) Read: "Incubus Experiment With New Sounds On Crow Left Of The Murder"
• TLC - Now and Forever (La Face) Read: "TLC Hits Album To Feature Lil Jon, Unreleased Left Eye Track"

• Norah Jones - Feels Like Home (Blue Note) Read:"Norah Jones Returns Home With New Album"
• Courtney Love - America's Sweetheart (Virgin)
• Kylie Minogue - Body Language (Capitol)
• Various artists - "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" soundtrack (Capitol)

• Twista
• Michelle Williams
• Katy Rose
• Stereolab
• Voodoo Child

It's time to kick back with a little Chicken-N-Beer this week as Ludacris serves up his latest fare, featuring the single "Stand Up," whose accompanying video portrays Cris as a pimped-out baby. The album that Ludacris calls his most versatile includes "Hip-Hop Quotables," produced by Erick Sermon, as well as his notorious "Hoes in My Room" with Snoop and "Teamwork," an ode to three-way sex.

Stereolab release their first album since the death of Mary Hansen. The five-track EP, Instant 0 in the Universe, hits shelves this week alongside Death Cab for Cutie's Transatlanticism; Portishead's Beth Gibbons' stripped-down acoustic set, Out of Season; Ladytron's Softcore Jukebox, featuring songs by My Bloody Valentine, Fannypack and !!!; and Belle & Sebastian's Dear Catastrophe Waitress.

And in what we're sure is just a happy coincidence, former B&S member Isobel Campbell releases a solo disc, Amorino, this week as well.

In hard rock news, Motörhead release their box set, Stone Deaf Forever, while Sevendust's Seasons features the single "Enemy," a bitter diatribe to ex-Coal Chamber frontman Dez Fafara. Fireball Ministry have their Second Great Awakening with the single "Flatline," and the two-disc Headbangers Ball CD from MTV features Marilyn Manson, Godsmack, Stone Sour, Rob Zombie and the aforementioned Sevendust.

Static-X step into the Shadow Zone on their latest disc while the Boo-Yaa Tribe round up Eminem and B-Real for "9-1-1," a song on West Koasta Nostra about the state of hip-hop. Also, Slipknot's Shawn "Clown" Crahan's side project, To My Surprise, release their self-titled debut, produced by Rick Rubin.

Out Tuesday, October 7:

• Agents of the Sun - Aurora (DCide)
• Anjali - The World of Lady A (Wiija/Beggars Banquet)
• Apollo Sunshine - Katonah (spinART)
• Armsbendback - The Waiting Room (Trustkill)
• Azure Ray - Hold on Love (Saddle Creek)
• The Band of Blacky Ranchette - Still Lookin' Good to Me (Thrill Jockey)
• Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
• Martyn Bennett - Grit (Real World)
• Tim Berne's Science Friction Band - The Sublime And (Thirsty Ear)
• Big Collapse - Prototype (The Militia Group)
• Boo-Yaa Tribe - West Koasta Nostra (Oglio/Sarinjay)
• The Books - The Lemon of Pink (Tomlab)
• Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy - When the Spirit Returns (Dreyfus/Birdology)
• Boxhead Ensemble - Quartets (Atavistic)
• The Brian Jonestown Massacre - And This Is Our Music (Tee Pee)
• Harold Budd - La Bella Vista(Shout! Factory)
• Alex Bugnon - Southern Living (Narada Jazz)
• Isobel Campbell - Amorino (Instinct)
• Kenny Chesney - All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan (BNA)
• Coheed & Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (Equal Vision)
• Cracker - Countrysides (iMUSIC)
• Culture Club - Kissing to be Clever (Virgin)
• Jason Darling - Night Like My Head (Yep Roc)
• Howie Day - Stop All the World Now (Epic)
  Buy Now: Stop All the World Now (Epic)
  
• Dead Low Tide - Dead Low Tide (Tiger Style)
• Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism (Barsuk)
  Buy Now: Transatlanticism (Barsuk)
  
• Christine Dente - Becoming (Rocketown)
• Dixie Hummingbirds - Diamond Jubilation (Rounder)
• DJ Nelson and Rafy Mercenario - Kakoteo Mix (Cutting)
• DJ Nightshade - The Sound of Arabia (E-magine)
• Early November - The Room's Too Cold (Geffen)
• Electric Music AKA - The Resurrection Show (Sanctuary)
• Mark Farina - Air Farina (Om)
• Michael Feinstein - Only One Life (Concord)
• Fireball Ministry - The Second Great Awakening (Nuclear Blast)
• Flick - Iron Bottom Sound (Red Ink/Columbia)
• Robben Ford - Keep on Running (Concord)
• Nnenna Freelon - Live (Concord Jazz)
• Fun Lovin' Criminals - Welcome to Poppy's (Sanctuary)
• Galactic - Ruckus (Sanctuary)
• Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out of Season (Sanctuary)
• Glamour Puss - Wire & Wood (NorthernBlues)
• Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Sleep Holiday (Sanctuary)
• Russell Gunn - Mood Swings (HighNote)
• The Handsome Family - Singing Bones (Carrot Top)
• Howard Hello - Don't Drink His Blood (Temporary Residence Limited)
• Hey Mercedes - Loses Control (Vagrant)
• Hi & Mighty - The Highlite Zone (Eastern Conference)
• Hieroglyphics - Full Circle (Hiero/Imperium)
• High Llamas - Beet, Maize and Corn (Drag City)
• Hospital Food - Medicate (New School)
• Greg Howe - Extraction (Tone Center)
• Hum Machine - Theorems and Compositions of the Last Action Rocker (Cancer)
• Impossible Shapes - We Like It Wild (Secretly Canadian)
• Jag Panzer - Decade of a Nail-Spiked Bat (Century Media)
• Jet - Get Born (Elektra)
• Kacey Jones - The Sweet Potato Queens (IGO)
• Rickie Lee Jones - The Evening of My Best Day (V2)
• Robert Earl Keen - Farm Fresh Onions (Audium/Koch)
• Kinski/Acid Mothers Temple - Kinski/Acid Mothers Temple (Sub Pop)
• Kiss - Symphony (single CD version, Sanctuary/Kiss)
• Dave Koz - Saxophonic (Capitol)
• Kreisor - Graveyard of Your Mind (Rubric)
• Krisiun - Works of Carnage (Century Media)
• The Ladybug Transistor - The Ladybug Transistor (Merge)
• Ladytron - Softcore Jukebox (Emperor Norton)
• Robert Lamm - Subtlety&Passion (Blue Infinity)
• Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead (Lookout!)
• Living Colour - Collidescope (Sanctuary)
• P.W. Long - Remembered (Touch and Go)
• Oscar Lopez - My Destiny (Narada)
• Lucky Luciano - You Already Know (Dope House)
• Ludacris - Chicken -N- Beer (Def Jam)
  Read: "Ludacris Reveals Release Date Of Chicken & Beer, Picks Party Single"
  Buy Now: Chicken -N- Beer (Def Jam)
  
• Lungfish - Love Is Love (Dischord)
• Lyrics Born - Later That Day ... (Quannum)
• Manishevitz - City Life (Jagjaguwar)
• Julian Marley - A Time and Place (Tuff Gong/Lightyear)
• Pat Martino - Think Tank (Blue Note)
• Maserati/The Mercury Program - Confines of Heat (Kindercore)
• Keiko Matsui - White Owl (Narada Jazz)
• Metric - Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?(Everloving)
• Melotron - Sternenstraub (Metropolis)
• Midwest Product - World Series of Love (Ghostly)
• Militia All-Stars - Coming at Cha (Entity/3citsyM)
• John Michael Montgomery - Mr. Snowman (Warner Bros. Nashville)
• Motörhead - Stone Deaf Forever (Box Set, Sanctuary)
• Motorpsycho & Jaga Jazzist Horns - In the Fishtank 10 (EP, Fishtank)
• Murk - Murk(Tommy Boy)
• Najee - Embrace (N-Coded)
• Orange Island - Orange Island (Triple Crown/Razor & Tie)
• Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham - Sonic Souvenirs (Jetset)
• Astor Piazzolla - Unmixed (Milan)
• The Planet The - Physical Angel (54°40' or Fight!)
• The Neal Pollack Invasion - Never Mind the Pollacks (The Telegraph Company)
• Portastatic - Autumn Was a Lark (Merge)
• The Post - Hasten the Homecoming (Jalisco)
• Elvis Presley - 2nd to None (BMG)
  Buy Now: 2nd to None (BMG)
  
• Rachel's - Systems/Layers (Quarterstick)
• Ranaldo/Miller/Hooker - Out Trios Volume 1: Monsoon (Atavistic)
• Andre Rieu - Live From Dublin (Denon)
• The RZA - The Birth of a Prince (Sanctuary)
• Randy Savage - Be a Man (Big3)
  Read: " 'Macho Man' Savage Cuts Rap P, Tells Hulk Hogan To Be A Man"
  
• Paul Schwartz - State of Grace II: Turning to Peace(Windham Hill)
• Peggy Seeger - Heading for Home (Appleseed)
• Sevendust - Seasons (TVT)
  Read: "Sevendust To Road-Test New Songs On Summer Trek"
  Buy Now: Seasons (TVT)
  
• Sleeping at Last - Ghosts (Interscope)
• Snatches of Pink - Hyena (MoRisen)
• Michael Snow - Never Say No to a Jar (IGO)
• Soul Position - 8 Million Stories (Fatbeats)
• Soulive - Turn It Out Remixed (Velour)
• Spiders - Glitzkrieg (Acetate)
• Static X - Shadow Zone (Warner Bros.)
• Stereolab - Instant 0 in the Universe (EP. Elektra)
• T.H.E.M. - Bang (Electrovenus)
• Teada - Teada (Green Linnet)
• To My Surprise - To My Surprise (Roadrunner)
• Toto - 25th Anniversary: Live in Amsterdam (Eagle)
• Paul Van Dyk - Reflections (Mute)
• Watch Them Die - Watch Them Die (Century Media)
• Dave Weckl - Live and Very Plugged In (Stretch)
• William Elliott Whitmore - Hymns for the Hopeless (Southern)
• Wilshire - New Universe (Columbia)
• Cassandra Wilson - Glamoured (Blue Note)
• Robert Wyatt - Cuckooland (Rykodisc)
• Rachael Yamagata - EP (EP, Private Music/AAL)
• Dan Zanes and Friends - House Party (Festival Five)
• Various artists - Astor Piazzolla Remixed (Milan)
• Various artists - "Avenue Q" soundtrack (RCA Victor)
• Various artists - Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot (NorthernBlues/Borealis)
• Various artists - "Gypsy 83" soundtrack (Metropolis)
• Various artists - "Intolerable Cruelty" soundtrack (Hip-O/UME)
• Various artists - Jpop (Tofu)
• Various artists - MTV2 Headbangers Ball (Roadrunner)
• Various artists - "My Life With Albertine — A New Musical" soundtrack (PS Classics)
• Various artists - "Prey for Rock & Roll" soundtrack (Hybrid)
• Various artists - Rough Trade 25th Anniversary: Stop Me If You've Heard This Before (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
• Various artists - "Seventh Heaven" soundtrack (Decca)
• Various artists - Totally Hits 2003 (BMG Heritage/Warner)
• Various artists - A Trip in Trance (Water Music)
• Various artists - V3: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly (Violator/Jive)
  Read: "G-Unit, Missy, Busta, Others Lined Up For New Violator LP"
  
• Various artists - Windham Hill Christmas II (Windham Hill)
• Various artists - "Zanna, Don't! — A Musical Fairy Tale" soundtrack (PS Classics)
• DVD: King Crimson - "Eyes Wide Open" (Sanctuary)
• DVD: Ian Moore - "Live From the Cactus Café" (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: Mr. Capone-E - "A Day 'N' the Life" (Thump)
• DVD: Primus - "Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People" (Universal)
• DVD: Quiet Riot - "Live! In the 21st Century — 20 Years of Metal Health' (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: Snoop Dogg - "Bossa Playa: A Day in the Life of Big Snoop Dogg" (Priority)
• DVD: Sting - "Inside" (A&M)
• DVD: Tower of Power - "In Concert — Ohne Filter" (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: Voodoo Glow Skulls - "Holmes Movies" (Music Video Distributors)

October 14:

• Clay Aiken - Measure of a Man (RCA)
  Buy Now: Measure of a Man (RCA)
  
• Mariah Carey - Remixes (Sony)
  Buy Now: Remixes (Sony)
  
• Raphael Saadiq - All Hits at the House of Blues (Pookie)

October 21:

• Barenaked Ladies - Everything to Everyone (Warner Bros.)
• Mandy Moore - Coverage (Sony)
  Buy Now: Coverage (Sony)
  
• Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Streetcore (Epitaph)
• Yo La Tengo - Today Is the Day (EP, Matador)

October 28:

• R.E.M - In Time: The Best of R.E.M 1998 — 2003 (Warner Bros.)
• The Strokes -Room on Fire (RCA)
  Read: "Strokes Album Preview: Gideon Yago Tours Their Room On Fire"
  
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog - Come Poop With Me (Warner Bros.)

November 4:

• Wyclef Jean - The Preacher's Son (J Records)
  Read: "Wyclef Jean Nabs 'All-Ghetto Cast' — Including Tom Jones — For Album"
  
• Stone Temple Pilots - Thank You (Atlantic)
• P.O.D. - Payable on Death (Atlantic)
  Read: "P.O.D. Sound So Alive With New Guitarist, New Single"

November 11:

• Pink - Try This (Arista)
  Read: "Pink Didn't Have To Try Too Hard To Make Try This"
• Ruben Studdard - Soulful (J Records)
  Read: "R. Kelly, Missy Elliott Working On Ruben Studdard's Soulful Debut"

November 18:

• Blink-182 - Blink-182 (Universal)
  Read: "Blink-182 Tone Down Pranks, Get Down To Real 'Action' On Next LP"

November 28:

• Jay-Z - The Black Album (Roc-a-Fella)
  Read: "Jay-Z Strays From His Blueprint For Black Album"

• Ludacris
• Snoop Dogg
• RZA
• Sevendust
• Stereolab

Stereolab's Mary Hansen (far left)
Photo: Elektra

Mary Hansen, the keyboardist and vocalist for Stereolab, was killed in East London on Monday afternoon after being struck by a car while riding her bicycle. She was 36.

"Obviously, you never expect incredibly tragic sorts of things like these to happen, and everyone in the band is just numb from deep, deep shock," said Martin Pike, Stereolab's manager and co-owner of the band's Super 45 imprint, Duophonic. "None of the band has spoken about how they'll deal with it yet."

Hansen joined Stereolab in 1992, helping the retro-pop band craft its signature synth-heavy, space-age sound. While the group never had blockbuster sales success, Stereolab and Hansen carved out a cult following of devoted fans, adoring critics and fellow musicians like Sonic Youth, Pavement and Blur, who all took Stereolab on tour.

The singer's body is being flown to her native Australia, where a private funeral will be held. London police say they are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Hansen's death. Pike says the family has yet to decide whether or not a civil suit is appropriate. "There is a legal process that will be gone through but it's just too soon to say what will happen," he said.

• Stereolab

Stereolab
Photo: Deidre O'Callaghan

Sonic experimentalists Stereolab are preparing to release their eighth studio album, Sound-Dust, on August 28, according to Elektra Records.

Recording of the 12-track LP, the successor to 1999's Cobra & Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night, primarily took place in Chicago, with longtime Stereolab collaborator John McEntire of Tortoise and Jim O'Rourke of Gastr Del Sol fame serving as co-producers and musical collaborators. A third Chicagoan, former Stereolab member Sean O'Hagan of the High Llamas, contributed keyboards to the album and arranged the brass and flute portions.

As is expected from the eclectic quintet, famed for its spacey, looped trip-hop and revolutionary Marxist views, a pair of the album's songs are sung entirely in French, with a third, "Captain Easychord," containing portions sung in the romantic language.

Coinciding with the release of the LP, Stereolab's UK label, Duophonic, will issue the four-song EP Captain Easychord. Stereolab's new lineup — singers Laetitia Sadier and Mary Hansen, drummer Andy Ramsay, bassist Simon Johns and multi-instrumentalist Tim Gane — is without Morgane Lhote, who departed to pursue other projects. Lhote replaced keyboardist Katherine Gifford prior to the recording of 1996's Emperor Tomato Ketchup. A North American tour will kick off October 21 at the U.S. debut of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival, which also features musical curators Sonic Youth, as well as Stephen Malkmus and Eddie Vedder, among others (see "Sonic Youth Invite Vedder, Malkmus To Their Party").

Sound-Dust's track listing, according to Elektra:

• "Black Ants in Sound-Dust"
• "Spacemoth"
• "Captain Easychord"
• "Baby Lulu"
• "The Black Arts"
• "Hallucinex"
• "Double Rocker"
• "Gus the Mynah Bird"
• "Nought More Terrific Than Man"
• "Nothing to Do With Me"
• "Suggestion Diabolique"
• "Les Bon Bons Des Raisons"

• Stereolab

Thurston Moore performing at a benefit for Kosovo, 5/99
Photo: Dylan Stableford

Eddie Vedder, Stereolab, and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks are among the acts scheduled to play the third incarnation of All Tomorrow's Parties, a U.K. festival that will hit these shores for the first time in October.

The lineup — which also includes '70s art-punks Television, alt-rock hipsters the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and airy-voiced songstress Cat Power — was chosen by festival curators Sonic Youth, who will also perform at the event, according to their publicist. All Tomorrow's Parties will be held October 19 and 20 at UCLA.

Other bands confirmed for the festival include indie-rockers Le Tigre, U.S. Maple and Neil Michael Hagerty; techno duo Autechre; solemn songcrafters Smog and Papa M; free-jazz guitarist Derek Bailey and pianist Cecil Taylor; Japanese noisemakers Merzbow and the Boredoms; and '70s deconstructionists Destroy All Monsters. More artists are expected to be added.

Screenings by such filmmakers as Jim O'Rourke of Gastr del Sol fame will also be part of the eclectic gathering, as will spoken-word performances, the publicist said.

All Tomorrow's Parties, named after a Velvet Underground song, debuted in England last April. Curated by Stereolab, the lineup featured Sonic Youth, Shellac, Mogwai and Plaid, among others.

The event's second coming occurred in April of this year, with a lineup assembled by Tortoise that included Yo La Tengo, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Calexico, Television, Broadcast and the Sea and Cake.

Festival organizers created a live album from April's festival, released only in the U.K., and they're planning on similarly documenting the U.S. version.

• Sonic Youth
• Stephen Malkmus
• Stereolab
• Pearl Jam
• Television

Neu! circa 1972
Photo: Peter Lindbergh/Neu

What's old is Neu! again, as the 1970s German electronic-rock duo are releasing their massively influential first three albums for the first time in the United States May 1, on Astralwerks.

Founded in the Krautrock hotbed of 1971 Düsseldorf, Germany, by Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger, Neu! were among the leaders of the German experimental-music movement that included artists such as Kraftwerk, Can and Amon Düül. These bands challenged the boundaries of the rock form by adding electronic instrumentation, employing unconventional song structures and emphasizing a new style of groove based on extended repetition and an oddly syncopated rhythm that became known as "motorik." Formed after Rother and Dinger left an early incarnation of Kraftwerk, Neu! recorded their self-titled debut in just four days, ironically with Kraftwerk producer/engineer Conny Plank. The album's processed effects and freeform jams established a prototype for electronic funk of every stripe to come in its wake. Neu! 2, despite just 20 minutes of newly recorded material (due to limited expenses), formed another cornerstone of the techno realm. These tracks were altered in the studio — sped up and slowed down, among other effects — to form new variations, thereby creating enough songs for a full album and, arguably, inventing the remix.

Although the duo disbanded after the second album, with Rother forming the proto-ambient outfit Harmonia with Dieter Moebius and Joachim Roedelius (of Cluster), they reunited to record Neu! 75, which meshed electronic minimalist templates with somersaulting walls of chugging guitar textures. The roots of contemporary artists from a myriad of scenes can be traced back to the early German experimental era, and although Kraftwerk and Can are regularly given lip-service as inspiration, Neu! are the secret weapon in the Krautrock artillery. From Mouse on Mars' Teutonic eclecticism to Sonic Youth's discordant shards of melodic guitar beauty to David Bowie's '70s drone — he has said Neu! influenced "Station to Station" — to, perhaps most notably, Stereolab's expansive song structures and motorik rhythms, Neu!'s reach is both deep and wide. A section of "Jenny Ondioline," from Stereolab's 1993 opus Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements, is a clear-cut ode to "Hallogallo," from Neu!'s first album, while "Metronomic Underground," the opener on 1996's Mars Audiac Quintet, undeniably mines Neu! territory. Similarly, the fragile frayed edges of "After Eight," from Neu! 75, wouldn't be out of place on a Sonic Youth's late-'80s masterpiece such as Evol or Sister. Neu! reunited to record Neu! 4 in the mid-'80s, but the album wasn't released for some 10 years, and was largely dismissed at that time.

• Neu!
• Kraftwerk
• Can
• Stereolab

Chemical Brothers
Photo: Astralwerks

Cornershop, the Chemical Brothers and the Buzzcocks are among the 56 bands included on an upcoming compilation celebrating the 25th anniversary of a legendary U.K. record store.

Rough Trade Shops — 25 years, a four-CD collection featuring rare and exclusive tracks from the likes of Stereolab, Talking Heads, Mudhoney and the Lemonheads, pays tribute to the first Rough Trade Shop, which opened in West London in February 1976.

The store, renowned for its involvement in independent music throughout the world, spawned a record label and distribution company, along with several shops around England.

The compilation, due March 5 on Mute Records (no U.S. release date exists as yet), boasts songs from some of the top bands on the Rough Trade Records roster over the years, including the Fall, the Smiths, the Pixies, Scritti Politti, the Go-Betweens and Mazzy Star.

Several other bands on the compilation, including Joy Division and the Sugarcubes, never released albums on Rough Trade but were influenced by the record shops and label. Rough Trade, the brainchild of Geoff Travis, is also celebrating its anniversary with 10 days of special live events in venues across London beginning February 23. Acts confirmed for the concerts include Beth Orton, the Sea and Cake, the Raincoats, Tindersticks, Nectarine No. 9 and Echoboy.

The shows will raise money for various national charities, including the Sickle Cell Society, London Lighthouse, Breast Cancer Campaign and Prostate Cancer Charity. Show details are available at www.deo.com.

• The Chemical Brothers
• Cornershop
• Stereolab
• Talking Heads

After releasing the highly acclaimed album "Cold Bouncy," the High Llamas are in dry-dock for at least a little while as the band's vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Sean O'Hagan re-teams with Stereolab percussionist Andy Ramsay and guitarist Tim Gane in England for the second release from the side project Turn On.

Musical cross-pollination is nothing new for the High Llamas, who are part of a close- knit circle of artists that includes members of Stereolab and Tortoise among others. As O'Hagan recently told MTV News, while the family of artists shares a common musical lineage, their union was forged by other forces as well.

"It's based on friendship number one," O'Hagan said before taking the stage at New York City's Tramps nightclub recently with his fellow Llamas bassist Jon Fell and percussionist Rob Allum.

"To a certain extent, certainly within the British music industry," O'Hagan continued, "I think both bands are somewhat sidelined from what we've come to know as a very efficient, voracious pop industry which demands certain very regimented formulaic behavior patterns which we obviously don't seem to adhere to. So I don't know whether our working partnership is based on the fact that were occupying the same corner, or because of the shared artistic background" [1MB QuickTime].

And while it might seem that a side project like Turn On can stand as a distraction, O'Hagan said that he and everyone else involved look to Turn On as fertile creative ground where the seeds for future projects can first take root.

"That's a project that Andy Ramsey, Tim and myself forged about a year ago," O'Hagan said of Turn On. "That was very much a sort of experimental test ground for some of the ideas that ended up on (Stereolab's) 'Dots And Loops' or 'Cold And Bouncy,' and to be quite honest, I think that I can hear some of those ideas trickling onto Tortoise records as well, obviously because John McIntyre of Tortoise was involved. A lot of those ideas were actually taken from Turn On into the 'Dots And Loops' project. It's kind of nice to know that it's a musical community that you can communicate with."

After testing the boundaries with Turn On, O'Hagan will rejoin the High Llamas to play a number of European festival dates this summer. The band also hopes to hook up with a U.S. tour this summer as well.

• The High Llamas
• Stereolab