Jay-Z
Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images

In honor of Black History Month, Jay-Z has partnered with thinkMTV to present a two-minute video clip for "Minority Report," the rapper's somber response to the Hurricane Katrina aftermath. Visit "Minority Report: New Orleans Today" to see the clip, read Jay's lyrics and find out how you can help the recovery efforts. ...

According to a post on Metallica's Web site, the band is wrapping up preproduction on its forthcoming album and will begin recording the effort March 12. "We're pretty f---in' psyched about it and pretty f---in' psyched to be sharing this experience with [producer Rick Rubin]," the post reads. Metallica plan to take a break from the studio with a European tour this summer. ...

Like a young LL Cool J, Bow Wow is in need of love. So to help the teen rapper promote his new single, "Outta My System," he's looking for a virtual Valentine via his MySpace page, through which he's asking fans to send him video V-Day messages. The winning entries will be broadcast on his site at a later date. ...

The Grammy Awards received an 18 percent ratings boost Sunday night — and they might have Simon, Randy and Paula to thank, according to The Associated Press. After getting trounced by "American Idol" upon going head-to-head with the reality show last year, the Grammys attracted an estimated 20.1 million viewers this time around. The show also outdid its ratings from 2005, when 18.8 million people tuned in. ... John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae teamed up for a Sunday night Grammy performance, but that won't be the last time the two join forces. Legend will kick off his North American spring tour — featuring Bailey Rae as the opener — on April 3 in Irvine, California. The tour will make stops in cities including Los Angeles; Denver; Minneapolis; Boston; New York; and Orlando, Florida, before wrapping up May 4 in Atlanta. Legend will perform the following day at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. ...

Unsung hip-hop hero J Dilla continues to get accolades after his passing last year. The producer won two posthumous awards — for Artist of the Year and Record Producer of the Year — at the Plug Awards, held Saturday night in New York. Other winners included Sufjan Stevens (Male Artist of the Year), Arctic Monkeys (New Artist of the Year), Broken Social Scene (Live Act of the Year), Band of Horses (Album of the Year, Song of the Year), Yo La Tengo (Indie Rock Album of the Year), Wolf Parade (Music Video of the Year) and Thom Yorke (Electronic/Dance Album of the Year). ... A coroner has determined that Gerald Levert's November death was due to a fatal combination of prescription narcotics and over-the-counter drugs, AP reports. The R&B singer had three prescription painkillers, an anti-anxiety drug and two over-the-counter antihistamines in his system. The death was ruled accidental. ...

Modest Mouse are preparing to hit the road this spring in support of their next album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, which is slated for a March 20 release. So far, the band has booked gigs in Mexico City, Mexico (March 10); Portland, Oregon (March 14-15); Missoula, Montana (March 16); Sioux Falls, South Dakota (March 18); and Fargo, North Dakota (March 19). ... None More Black have called it quits. "We did all we could with this band," the group said in a post on its MySpace page, "and you know what, we had a blast. We ended it on the highest note possible, like every band should." The band's final effort was the 2006 album This Is Satire. ...

"TRL" faves the Jonas Brothers have signed on with Hollywood Records and will drop a new, eponymous album in August. The pop group is also collaborating with Topps Confections for the company's Baby Bottle Pop candy line, and the Brothers' new single — "Kids of the Future" — will accompany the upcoming animated flick "Meet the Robinsons." ... Pop-punks MxPx have also signed a new deal — they've rejoined with former label Tooth & Nail. The band is working in Seattle with producer Aaron Sprinkle (Pedro the Lion, Eisley) on its first effort for the label in 10 years. Expect the LP this summer. ...

MySpace is making it harder for users to post videos containing unauthorized copyrighted content on their profiles. The site recently announced that it will start using an Audible Magic digital-fingerprinting tool to filter video uploaded by users and block any video that shows a fingerprint in MySpace's database. "MySpace is dedicated to ensuring that content owners, whether large or small, can both promote and protect their content in our community," MySpace CEO and co-founder Chris DeWolfe said in a statement. "For MySpace, video filtering is about protecting artists and the work they create." ...

YouTube has reached an agreement with Digital Music Group Inc. — an online distributor of independent music, TV shows and film — that will allow the video-sharing host to post upward of 4,000 hours of content on its Web site, according to The Wall Street Journal. In exchange for the rights to air television shows such as the Bill Cosby 1960s comedy/adventure series "I Spy," YouTube will pay Digital Music an undisclosed portion of advertisement revenue and use filtering technology to alert the company of content being used on the site without authorization. ...

Former Murder Inc. associate Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, 46, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday, one week after jurors found the convicted drug kingpin guilty of ordering a retaliatory hit on two men. Prosecutors pursued death by lethal injection for McGriff, who was originally arrested in 2003 on money-laundering charges as a part of the Murder Inc. federal raid, but jurors failed to reach a consensus. The Inc. CEO Irv Gotti and his brother Chris were previously acquitted of all charges in a separate trial. ... Nidge Miller, founding guitarist of British punk band Blitz, has died, according to a note SOS Records posted on its MySpace page. Miller was struck by a car and killed following the band's show in Austin, Texas, Friday night.

02.09.2007

50 Cent is at it again. After a heated exchange with Cam'ron last week on New York radio station Hot 97, the G-Unit general took aim at the Diplomats top dog on the track "Funeral Music," which made its debut on DJ Kay Slay's MySpace page Thursday night. In the YouTube video clip, 50 poked fun at Cam being shot last year and mocked the Harlem, New York, rapper's rhyme style before adding, "I'm not gonna destroy Dipset, just gotta make some changes." He then proceeded to rearrange the Dipset ranking order to put Jim Jones and Juelz Santana over Cam in the hierarchy. "From now on, Jimmy's the boss of Dipset and Juelz is the capo," 50 says in the clip. "Cam's demoted to soldier!" ...

We've learned that Ozzfest will be free this summer — but how will one gain admission to the traveling metal monstrosity? Well, tickets will be paid for and distributed by the festival's sponsors, including Jägermeister and Monster Energy Drink. Those signed up at Ozzfest.com will get info on how to score their free tickets first. Once you've landed one, you'll need to print it out and bring it to Ozzfest the day of the show. The shows will be general admission and seats will be divvied out on a first-come, first-to-claim-a-seat-and-watch-the-show-from-there basis. The prices of merchandise, beer, soda, water and food will not be raised at all, according to organizers. A limit on tickets has yet to be determined, and more information on the free fest will be revealed in the coming weeks. ...

Bloc Party are in need of a fill-in for drummer Matt Tong, who has a serious respiratory condition that caused his lung to collapse during the band's last U.S. tour. Tong is likely to suffer complications from his condition during the band's upcoming U.K. tour, and the temporary replacement should help Bloc Party avoid cancelling any gigs. ... Tha Dogg Pound aren't ready to be muzzled just yet. After reconciling in spring 2005, Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger and Kurupt dished up a reunion LP, Cali Iz Active, in June. Now they're ready to issue that LP's successor less than a year later: Dogg Ch--, due March 27. The album was completely produced by the group, but it features a veritable guest list to boot, including the Game, Jayo Felony and Too Short. ...

Cartoon Network General Manager and Executive Vice President Jim Samples resigned Friday (February 9) in the wake of the network's botched "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" publicity campaign, CNN reports. "I deeply regret the negative publicity and expense caused to our company as a result of this campaign," Samples wrote in a letter to employees, referring to the stunt that led to a terrorism scare in Boston last week. "As general manager of Cartoon Network, I feel compelled to step down, effective immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch." The Cartoon Network's parent company, Turner Broadcasting System — along with marketing company Interference Inc. — agreed earlier this week to pay $2 million to reimburse local agencies and fund homeland-security programs. ...

Weeks after bloggers began posting unofficial lists of artists they claimed would play this year's South by Southwest music conference, organizers have confirmed an initial lineup for the annual fest, which will hit Austin, Texas, on March 14-18. The Stooges, Bloc Party, Mastodon, the Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr., Kings of Leon, Jack's Mannequin, Chingo Bling, Dirty on Purpose, the Horrors, Spoon, Apples in Stereo, the Bravery and Amy Winehouse are among the acts on the fest's current list of performers. For more information on the conference, visit SXSW.com ...

The reunited Stooges — who will release The Weirdness, their first album in more than 30 years, March 20 — have announced several shows planned for the spring. The band will play its SXSW gig March 17, followed by concerts in Boston (April 7), New York (April 9), Detroit (April 13), Denver (April 17), San Francisco (April 19) and Seattle (April 27). ... Gus Van Sant has agreed to an alcohol-diversion program after being arrested on drunken-driving charges in December, The Associated Press reports. The director appeared briefly in a Portland, Oregon, court Friday morning. Those who enter the program have to plead guilty or no contest, but a DUI conviction can be avoided if the participant successfully completes the program. ...

Saves the Day's next album has a title, even though the band hasn't started working on the LP just yet. Frontman Chris Conley revealed that the group's next record will be called Under the Boards, in a statement posted on the band's MySpace page. Saves the Day have demoed 13 tracks for the effort but have no plans to enter the studio anytime soon. Conley said he hopes the album will be in stores before the end of the year. ... Gomez are chasing their recently released Five Men in a Hut (A's, B's & Rarities: 1998-2004) CD anthology with a similarly titled DVD: "Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004." The career-spanning collection, due February 20, compiles 12 music videos along with six unreleased performance clips, two interviews and more. ...

Maybe Steve Jobs is on to something. Just days after the Apple Inc. boss wrote an open letter saying he'd support removing copy protection from the iTunes store, one of the major labels, EMI Group PLC — home of the Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Beatles and Coldplay — has revealed that it is talking to online retailers about possibly selling its digital catalog without copy protection, according to The Wall Street Journal. Citing people familiar with the talks, the Journal reported that EMI asked retailers to submit proposals telling the company what size advance payments it would offer in exchange for the right to sell EMI's music as unprotected MP3s. A decision on whether to go ahead with the plan could come soon. Over the past few months EMI has experimented with copy protection-free MP3 by Norah Jones, Lily Allen and Relient K, getting positive results from fans.

• You Hear It First: Sufjan Stevens

• Jay-Z
• Metallica
• Bow Wow
• John Legend
• Gerald LeVert

Jay-Z's <I>Kingdom Come</I>
Photo: Roc-A-Fella

Zzz: In case you've been sleeping for the past month or so, a fellow by the name of Jay-Z has a new album dropping this week. If that whole weekend promo stunt he pulled wasn't enough to wake you up, maybe Kingdom Come guest spots by his lover, Beyoncé, as well as contributions from John Legend, Usher and Pharrell will. Still not convinced? The deluxe version boasts a DVD with live clips, behind-the-scenes footage and more. Expect this one to wake up the chart in a big way.

The Poop on Snoop: With Jamie Foxx, Nate Dogg, LaToiya Williams and Stevie Wonder helping him out with his new album, Snoop Dogg doesn't have much to feel blue about. But that shouldn't stop you from feeling his LP, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment: It's packed with 21 tracks, including "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)," "I Wanna F--- You" and "Beat Up on Yo Pads."

UTube: U2 have bundled up 18 slices in the form of U218 Singles, but if that's not enough to entice you, they've also put together a limited version with a DVD that, not-so-incidentally, is also being sold separately. Oh, and the music comp also features two new cuts: their cover of "The Saints Are Coming" with Green Day, plus "Window in the Skies," a second tune they laid down at Abbey Road Studios with producer Rick Rubin.

Killer: As if the artwork of their new As Daylight Dies weren't enough, Killswitch Engage gave fans who preordered — get this — a dog tag designed by bassist Mike D'Antonio. Said item has a code that unlocks a Web site featuring an outtake from the Daylight recording sessions. On top of that, New England retailer Newbury Comics offered fans a signed booklet from the Boston band with their preorders.

Pac'ing It Up?: In case you didn't hear, Tupac Shakur apparently left a song or two lying around after he passed. The seemingly endless line of posthumous releases continues this week with Pac's Life, a 13-cut comp featuring Ludacris ("Playa Cardz Right [Male]," which also features Keon Bryce), Lil Scrappy ("Don't Sleep") and Chamillionaire ("Sleep"). Swizz Beatz also contributes, putting his remix sheen on the lead track, "Untouchable."

Dudes by Any Other Name: "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry might be taken for a slimmed-down Vin Diesel, but he's bringing his own action this week with Daughtry, a 12-track disc he's releasing under the same name. He recorded the effort with session musicians — oh, and some guy named Slash, who appears on "What I Want." Another aspiring singer, Lukas Rossi, also gets a shot this week with Rock Star Supernova's eponymous debut, finally overshadowing the legal issues that have dominated news surrounding the band that also features GN'R vet Gilby Clarke, ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and Mötley Crüe skin-pounder Tommy Lee. That CD — preorders of which were tacked with a bonus DVD — includes songs called (seriously) "Make No Mistake ... This Is the Take," "Be Yourself (and 5 Other Cliches)" and "Social Disgrace." Yeeeah.

Winging It: The wait is over, peeps: Winger are dropping their first album in 14 years. Winger IV — which, notably, is the band's fourth album — finds founding fathers Kip Winger, Reb Beach and Rod Morgenstein ganging up for one more dose of hair-brained tuneage. Ethan Van Sciver, who pencils "Superman" and "Batman" comics when he's not doing Winger artwork, also lends a hand with the album cover. And in the blue corner, there's Europe, who also have a new Job-ber — sorry, that one's for "Arrested Development" fans only — in the DVD "Live in Sweden: The Final Countdown Tour 1986 - 20th Anniversary Edition." That sucker has a previously unissued goodie, the instrumental "Where Men Won't Dare" — yes, the jokes keep coming this week — plus some bonus video of the band recording The Final Countdown. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with a ringtone.

Brand-New Brand New (Couldn't Resist): Long Island, New York, is getting a bit louder this week with the evocatively titled The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, the latest by emo pop-punkers Brand New. The LP sees the band on its third label in as many albums and setting forth "Archers Bows Have Broken," "Limousine (MS Rebridge)" and "Welcome to Bangkok." Unfortunately for those across the pond, the effort won't be hitting European stores until January 12. At which point it won't be so brand-new. On to the next release ...

Not Brand-New at All: It's getting to be the holiday season, which means it's also time to hit the vaults for some surefire sellers. P.O.D.'s Greatest Hits (The Atlantic Years) chalks up 17 songs by the Christian critters, including the never-before-released "Going in Blind" and "Here We Go," plus the "Passion of the Christ" soundtrack contribution "Truly Amazing." There's also a repolished version of MxPx's Let It Happen - Deluxe Edition, with six unreleased tracks and a bonus DVD; Emery's The Question: The Deluxe Edition, also with a wealth of unreleased cuts and a DVD; Jamiroquai's self-explanatory High Times: Singles 1992-2006, with two fresh joints; The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II, which pulls together hookups with Dylan, Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings; and rare 1971 releases from Karen Dalton (In My Own Time) and Jackie Mittoo (Wishbone), the former of which includes adoring liner notes from Nick Cave and Devendra Banhart.

But while those might fit into your stocking, this batch of back-catalog boxes won't: Robert Plant's Nine Lives contains a hefty nonet's worth of CDs, brimming with unreleased treats, not to mention a nifty DVD; the Doors' limited 40th anniversary Perceptions goes two steps further with a dozen discs, loaded with unearthed tracks and surround-sound mixes; and David Crosby's three-disc Voyage, which culls recordings from the sperm donor himself as well as slices from the Byrds, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby & Nash and ... oh, well, you get the idea.

Song Title of the Week:

"The World Gets Smaller When You Dream" from Dave Fischoff's Crawl

Other Notables:

Various artists' Plague Songs: Haven't read the Bible? Perhaps you'd like to hear it instead. No, we're not talking book-on-tape style, we're talking Plague Songs, a fresh comp that finds artists taking delight in revisiting the storied tales of locusts, boils and other desert desserts. The 10 original tracks feature rocketing newbie Imogen Heap, Rufus Wainwright, the Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt, plus a long-awaited return from woefully underrated Roots buddy Cody Chestnutt. Now that's sick.

Swan Lake's Beast Moans: With songs like "A Venue Called Rubella," "The Partisan but He's Got to Know" and "Are You Swimming in Her Pools?," how can you go wrong with this 13-track platter of indie-rock goodness? The maiden release by this north-of-the-border band brings together Daniel Bejar (New Pornographers, Destroyer), Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade) and Casey Mercer (Frog Eyes), who collaboratively wrote and produced the opus.

Various artists' Brats on the Beat: Ramones for Kids: Enough of your 'Mon-ing — it's time to let your kids in on the action. Partly an effort to support St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, the outing corrals members of Alkaline Trio, Pennywise, TSOL and the Donnas, who all lend their "kiddified" expertise to classics by the punk pioneers. Former Queens of the Stone Age bassist/singer Nick Oliveri also rears his head, for an appropriate rendition of "Suzy Is a Headbanger."

New Releases:

· Stephen D. Anderson - Remembering the Rain: The Music of Bill Evans (Art of Life) · Antiquus - Eleutheria (Cruz del Sur) · Tim Barry - Rivanna Junction (Suburban Home) · Ben & Vesper - More Questions (Sounds Familyre) · Maya Beiser - Almost Human (Koch) · Cheryl Bentyne - The Book of Love (Telarc) · Blackmore's Night - Winter Carols (Locomotive) · Woody Bradshaw - Lightning in a Bottle (Thump) · Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (Interscope) [Buy Now] · Paul Brill - Harpooner (Young American) · Guy Clark - Workbench Songs (Dualtone) · Steve Cole - True - (Narada) · Crescent Shield - The Last of My Kind (Cruz del Sur) · Dark Meat - Universal Indians (Cloud) · Darzamat - Semidevilish (MVD Audio) · Daughtry - Daughtry (19 Recordings/ RCA) [Buy Now] Read: "Chris Daughtry Drafts Fuel Guitarist, My Chemical Romance Producer For LP" · Dirty Faces - Get Right With God (Jagjaguwar) · Enter Chaos - Dream Worker (MVD Audio) · Fat Jack and Mascaria - Timespan · Dave Fischoff - Crawl (Secretly Canadian) · Frontside - ... For Ours Is the Kingdom, the Power and Glory ... (MVD Audio) · Robin Gibb - My Favorite Carols (Koch) · Great Big Sea - In Concert: Courage & Patience & Grit (with DVD; Zöe/Rounder) · Handful of Hate - Gruesome Splendour (Cruz del Music) · Hopewell - The Notbirds EP (Tee Pee) · Hybrid - I Choose Noise (Distinct'ive) · Il Divo - Siempre (Columbia) [Buy Now] · Jay-Z - Kingdom Come (deluxe version with DVD also available; Roc-A-Fella) [Buy Now] Read: "Jay-Z's 'Retirement' Is Finally Over: New Album Due In November" · Simon Joyner - The Skeleton Blues (Jagjaguwar) · Killswitch Engage - As Daylight Dies (Roadrunner) [Buy Now] Read: "Killswitch Engage Turn On The Heavy For Glass-Shattering As Daylight Dies" · Kyau & Albert - Worldvibe (enhanced; Water) · Patti Labelle - The Gospel According to Patti Labelle (Bungalo) · Loreena McKennitt - An Ancient Muse (Verve) · Nightmares on Wax - My Definition: One Artist, One Album, One Journey (My Definition) · P-1 - Power (Esntion Silver) · Marty Raybon - When the Sand Runs Out (Aspirion) · Rock Star Supernova - Rock Star Supernova (Epic) [Buy Now] · Satellite - A Street Between Sunrise and Sunset (MVD Audio) · The Scumfrog - Mega Scum (Effin) · Sizzla - The Overstanding (Koch) · Snoop Dogg - Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (Geffen) [Buy Now] · Speakerfire - Audio Alchemy (EP; Piermont) · Tomasz Stanko - Wolnosc W Sierpniu (MVD Audio) · Summer Hymns - Backward Masks (Misra) · Swan Lake - Beast Moans (Jagjaguwar) · Tralala - Is That the Tralala (Audika) · Turbo - Identity (MVD Audio) · Jimmy Van M - Balance 010 (three CDs; E.Q.) · TK Webb - Phantom Parade (Social Registry) · John Wetton - Amata (MVD Audio) · Winger - Winger IV (Shrapnel) · Darryl Worley - Here and Now (903) · David Young - A Christmas I'll Remember (Universe) · Various artists - Abstract Latin Journey Mixed by Julius Papp (MVD Audio) · Various artists - Brats on the Beat: Ramones for Kids (Go-Kart) · Various artists - Forever, for Always, for Luther: Volume II (digipak; Rendezvous) · Various artists - Plague of Songs (4AD) · Various artists - Rockpalast: Crossroads Festival Vol. 1 (Inakustic) · Various artists - Thankful (Temporary Residence) · Various artists - "Bobby" soundtrack (Island) · Various artists - "The History Boys" soundtrack (Rhino) · Various artists - "National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj" soundtrack (Eleven Seven)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material :

· Abba - Number Ones (Polydor/UMe) · Charly Antolini - Knock Out 2000 (MVD Audio) · Audionom - Retrospektiv (Kemado) · Kevin Ayers - Joy of a Toy (Water) · Beatles - Love (special edition with DVD also available; Apple/Capitol) · Behemoth - Sventevith (MVD Audio) · Buckcherry - Buckcherry - Special Edition (comes in a slipcase and with a bonus DVD; Geffen) · Eddie Calvert - Songs of the Golden Trumpet (ASV Living Era) · Johnny Cash - The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II (Island) · Billy Cobham - Stratus (MVD Audio) · David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name (with DVD) and Voyage (three-CD box set) (Rhino) · Karen Dalton - In My Own Time (Light in the Attic) · Doors - Perceptions (limited-edition box set with six CDs and six DVDs; Rhino) · Emery - The Question: The Deluxe Edition (with bonus DVD; Tooth & Nail) · Enya - Amarantine (box set; Reprise) · Big John Hamilton - How Much Can a Man Take (Sundazed) · Jagged Edge - "The Hits" (Epic) · Jamiroquai - High Times: Singles 1992-2006 (Epic) · Kiss - Alive! 1975-2000 (four-CD box set) and 20th Century Masters: The Best of Kiss - The Millennium Collection Volume 3 (Island) · Kottonmouth Kings - Hidden Stash III (two CDs and DVD; Suburban Noize) · Bettye LaVette - Do Your Duty (Sundazed) · Vera Lynn - The Forces' Sweetheart (two CDs; ASV Living Era) · Freddie Mercury - Lover of Life, Singer of Songs: The Very Best of Freddie Mercury Solo (Hollywood) · Mirah - Joyride: Remixes (K) · Jackie Mittoo - Wishbone (Light in the Attic) · MxPx - Let It Happen - Deluxe Edition (with DVD; Tooth & Nail) · Oasis - Stop the Clocks (special edition with bonus CD and DVD also available; Epic) [Buy Now] · Pendragon - Acoustically Challenged (MVD Audio) · Robert Plant - Nine Lives (nine-CD box set; Rhino) · P.O.D. - Greatest Hits (The Atlantic Years) (Rhino) [Buy Now] · Reel Big Fish - Greatest Hit ... and More (Mojo/Jive) · Sufjan Stevens - Sufjan Stevens Presents: Songs for Christmas Singalong (five-CD box set; Asthmatic Kitty) · Chris Tomlin - The Early Years (two CDs; Sparrow) · Tupac Shakur - Pac's Life (Amaru/Interscope) [Buy Now] · U2 - U218 Singles (limited-edition version with DVD also available; Interscope) [Buy Now] · Tom Waits - Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards (three CDs; Anti) · Robert Pete Williams - An Introduction to Robert Pete Williams (Fuel) · Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings - Struttin' Our Stuff (MVD Audio) · Various artists - A Fine Time! The South Side of Soul Street (Sundazed) · Various artists - An Introduction to Classical Music (Fuel) · Various artists - Dreamgirls - Original Broadway Cast Album: Special Edition (two CDs; Decca Broadway/ UMe) · Various artists - Southern Fried Funk: 22 Funky Soul Grooves From New Orleans and the Deep South (Grapevine)

Music DVDs :

· Natasha Bedingfield - "Live in New York City" (Epic) · Tony Bennett - "An American Classic" (Columbia) · Bizzy Bone - "Live in Concert" (MVD Visual) · Blackalicious - "4/20 Live in Seattle" (MVD Visual) · David Bowie - "Under Review 1976-1979: The Berlin Trilogy" (MVD Visual) · Edgar Broughton Band - "At Rockpalast" (MVD Visual) · John Cale - "An Exploration of the Life and Work of One of the Most Influential and Enigmatic Figures in Music" (Kultur) · Cream - "Classic Artists: Cream" (Image) · Diamond Head - "To the Devil His Due" (MVD Visual) · Europe - "Live in Sweden: The Final Countdown Tour 1986 - 20th Anniversary Edition" (MVD Visual) · Fall Out Boy - "Solid Gold Uncertainty" (Chrome Dreams) · Chris Farlowe - "At Rockpalast" (MVD Visual) · Focus - "Music in Review" (two DVDs; Classic Rock Legends) · Free - "The Free Story: The Essential Albums of All Time" (Classic Rock Legends) · John Wesley Harding & Friends - "A Bloody Show: Live at Bumbershoot 2005" (Arcanum) · Il Divo - "Live at the Greek Theater" (Columbia) · Nils Lofgren & Friends - "Live Acoustic" (MVD Visual) · Joe Lovano Nonet - "Paris Concert" (MVD Visual) · Johnny Mathis - "Gold: A 50th Anniversary Celebration" · Meat Beat Manifesto - "Travelogue Live 05" (MVD Visual) · Reba McEntire - "Video Gold I" and "Video Gold II" (MCA Nashville) · Mission of Burma - "Not a Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story" (MVD Visual) · Murder Junkies - "European Invasion 2005" (MVD Visual) · Nirvana - "In Utero: A Classic Album Under Review" (MVD Visual) · The Osmonds - "Live in Concert: London 2006 - Collectors Edition" (MVD Visual) · Pendragon - "And Now Everybody to the Stage" (limited-edition package with two CDs; MVD Visual) · Elvis Presley - "The Ed Sullivan Shows" (three DVDs; Image) · Archie Shepp Band - "Geneva Concert" (MVD Visual) · Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - "Definitive Performances: 1963-1987" (Motown) · Bruce Springsteen - "Music in Review: The Ultimate Critical Review" (with book; Classic Rock Legends) · U2 - "U218 Videos" (Interscope) · Wendy O. Williams and the Plasmatics - "10 Years of Revolutionary Rock and Roll" (MVD Visual) · The Who - "Who's Better, Who's Best" (Geffen) · Robbie Williams - "Music in Review" (Classic Rock Legends) · Various artists - "A Very Special Latin Christmas: Noche del Paz" (Hip-O) · Various artists - "Awol One: Culturama 777: Audiovisual Bombshelter Vol. 3" (MVD Visual) · Various artists - "No More to Say & Nothing More to Weep For: An Elegy for Allen Ginsberg" (Kultur) · Various artists - "Our Forefathers: The Proto-Punk Box" (four-DVD box set; MVD Visual)

Coming Attractions :

November 28 :

· Incubus - Light Grenades (Epic) [Preorder] Read: "Incubus' Mike Einziger Lends Agent Sparks A Hand Making The Best Brunch LP Ever" · Ying Yang Twins - Chemically Imbalanced (TVT) [Preorder] · Young Buck - Buck Tha World (Interscope) [Preorder]

December 5 :

· Ciara - The Evolution (enhanced; LaFace) [Preorder] Read: "Ciara Talks Single Life, Dreams Of Acting Like A Boy On Evolution" · Lil Scrappy - Bred 2 Die, Born 2 Live (Reprise) [Preorder] Read: "Lil Scrappy Enlists Eminem, 50, Lil Jon For 'Half Sorry, Half Party' LP" · Metallica - "The Videos: 1989-2004" (Warner Bros.) · Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape (Interscope) [Preorder] Read: "Gwen Stefani's New LP, The Sweet Escape, Set For December" · Various artists - Eminem Presents the Re-Up (Shady) [Preorder] Read: "Eminem, New Shady Artists Join 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks On The Re-Up" · Various artists - "Fast Food Nation" soundtrack (Park the Van)

December 12 :

· Mary J. Blige - Reflections (A Retrospective) (Geffen) [Preorder] Read: "Mary J.'s Greatest-Hits LP Brings Three New Songs, Brushes Off Rumors" · Fantasia - Fantasia (J) [Preorder] Read: "Fantasia Collaborates With Her American Idol, Aretha Franklin" · Taylor Hicks - Taylor Hicks (RCA) [Preorder] Read: "Taylor Hicks Planning To 'Wamp' It Up With New Sound On Debut LP" · Bobby Valentino - Special Occasion (Def Jam) [Preorder] Read: "Bobby Valentino Asks Sean Garrett, Rodney Jerkins To Attend Special Occasion" · Young Jeezy - Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration (Def Jam) [Preorder] Read: "Jeezy Waiting On Kanye For LP; Addresses Rumors Of Tour With Jay, Nas"

• Roca-Air: Jay-Z's Hangar Tour

• Jay-Z
• Snoop Dogg
• U2
• Killswitch Engage
• Tupac

Thom Yorke's <I>The Eraser</I>
Photo: XL

Now that's what I call a thrashing.

The chips were stacked against Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke on Billboard's albums chart — as the chips are usually stacked against any artist releasing an album the same week that a Now That's What I Call Music compilation hits store shelves. So it was almost a given that the best Yorke could do with his debut solo album, The Eraser, was open at #2 on the Billboard chart — as the disc does this week, with more than 90,000 sales.

Now That's What I Call Music — featuring tracks from artists including Chamillionaire, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, Daniel Powter, Ne-Yo, Nickelback and the All-American Rejects — scored a decisive chart victory, racking up close to 398,000 scans its first week out to take #1, according to the latest SoundScan figures.

Pimp C's Pimpalation, one of 20 new releases to crack the next top 200, sold just over 87,000 copies — enough for a strong third-place debut. The UGK rapper finishes in front of Nelly Furtado's latest, Loose, which claimed the chart's #4 slot with more than 58,000 copies sold.

With the exception of just one other new album — Muse's Black Holes & Revelations, which opens at #9 with 48,000 copies sold — the rest of this week's top 10 belongs to the regulars. Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere claims the #5 spot with 56,000 sales. The prior week's chart champ, Johnny Cash's American V: A Hundred Highways, follows at #6 with nearly 54,000 copies sold its second week in stores. The soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical" takes #7 with close to 50,000 sales, while Rascal Flatts' Me and My Gang slips one position to #8 with 49,000 scans. The #10 spot is occupied by Rihanna's A Girl Like Me, which sold 47,000 copies during its 12th week out.

The Day Has Come, the debut album from singer/songwriter/MTV reality star Cheyenne Kimball, claims the chart's #15 slot, selling just under 40,000 copies. The Diplomats' JR Writer debuts at #25 after selling 29,000 copies of his History in the Making. The Early November's Mother Mechanic and the Path surfaces at #31 with sales topping 26,000, while Seether's One Cold Night bows at #50 with 17,000-plus scans.

Chicago rapper Rhymefest finishes at #61 with nearly 15,000 copies of Blue Collar snatched up. Sufjan Stevens' The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras From the Illinois Album! opens at #71, selling close to 14,000 units. The Format's Dog Problems ends the week with nearly 11,000 scans to debut at #84, while Butch Walker's The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's Go Out Tonites! takes #140 with 6,000 sales. Soul Asylum return to the chart at #155 as their new album, Silver Lining, sells nearly 6,000 copies. Phish's Live in Brooklyn follows at #162 with 5,000 scans, and Peaches' Impeach My Bush debuts at #168, selling 5,000 copies its first week in stores.

Several Ozzfest bands released new albums last week, and second-stage act All That Remains lead the pack with their The Fall of Ideals opening at #75 with close to 13,000 copies sold. Festival vets Bury Your Dead take #129 after selling 7,000 copies of their Beauty and the Breakdown, and Strapping Young Lad's The New Black moved more than 4,000 units during its first week in stores to land at #200.

• Thom Yorke
• Chamillionaire
• Kelly Clarkson
• Nelly Furtado
• Pimp C

Thom Yorke's <I>The Eraser</I>
Photo: Xl Recordings

Call It What You Will: The debate rages on regarding Thom Yorke's The Eraser. Solo album? Not-so-solo album? When it comes to Radiohead, haven't people learned better than to bother with labels? After all, they dipped into The Eraser throughout their recent North American tour, introducing those tracks seamlessly with new ones of their own. For this week, just let the music do the talking. The Nigel Godrich-produced record includes "Analyse," "Atoms for Peace" and "Harrowdown Hill."

Light the Muse: The U.K. assault continues with Muse's Black Holes & Revelations and its equally grandiose-sounding "Starlight," "Invincible" and "Supermassive Black Hole." While Muse are still fresh in the States, they've been puttering around England for nearly 10 years now — which explains why you'll see them headlining the Glastonbury Festival on the bonus DVD. That extra disc comes with the first pressing only, although both editions were designed by Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd collaborator Storm Thorgerson.

Suffer Me Sufjan: If Sufjan Stevens keeps at the rate he's going, he'll have finished making an album for each state sometime in the early 22nd century. And it's not helping his cause that he's stopping to cobble together leftovers along the way: In addition to Illinois, the seemingly exhaustive 22-track disc he put out last year, now he's piling on 21 additional tracks from the sessions, including the typically long-winded "The Vivian Girls Are Visited in the Night by Saint Dararius and His Squadron of Benevolent Butterflies." Catch your breath and enjoy.

Seething in Concert: Keeping it much more simple are Seether, who strip down "Diseased," "Truth," "Broken" and "Remedy" for the acoustic-concert set One Cold Night. The CD has two versions of "The Gift," including an alternate mix, while the DVD compiles the February concert in Philadelphia with still images, an interview, the video for "The Gift" and behind-the-scenes clips.

Random Sightings (Emphasis on "Random"): Paul Wall, Ice-T and E-40 crop up in the same place this week, making guest appearances on the new ... Jamie Kennedy CD? Yup, you read it right — Kennedy's Blowin' Up with collaborator Stu Stone, which also has drop-ins by other, uh, big-name hip-hop talent like Kardinal Offishall, Gill T. Pleasure and Iceberg.

And yes, that's Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme and hard-rock vet Joan Jett clashing alongside the quieter-than-thou Feist on Peaches' new record, which she endowed with the all-too-dead-on title Impeach My Bush. Don't forget to "Stick It to the Pimp" and "Rock the Shocker."

Also going from loud to soft is Greg Graffin, the Bad Religion frontman who goes the way of Neil Young and the Band on his solo album Cold as the Clay. He welcomes singer/songwriter Jolie Holland — another Anti artist — on two tracks and touches on some traditional fare like "Omie Wise" and "Talk About Suffering."

On the same token, Jimmy Tamborello stepped away from the Postal Service to craft Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake, which he's releasing under the moniker James Figurine. Tamborello recorded the techno-pop tracks in Germany but got some additional help from Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis and members of Kings of Convenience, Whispertown 2000 and other lesser-knowns.

And members of a litany of groups — Broken Social Scene, Sadies, Weakerthans and more — come together to form Hylozoists, a Toronto collective who say their debut is an "ideal accompaniment for a macabre carnival carousel." The instrumental La Fin du Monde includes "Warning Against Judging a Christian Brother," "If Only Your Heart Was a Major Sixth" and "Hearts and Harps."

Maximum Psych: Bands might not be name-dropping the Jesus and Mary Chain quite yet — seems like it's all the Cure and Joy Division these days — but with their early records in your collection, you'll be one step ahead of the retro hipsters. These remastered versions of the band's first five studio albums — Automatic, Darklands, Honey's Dead, Psychocandy and Stoned & Dethroned — have three videos apiece on the video flipside.

One band that had no trouble finding an audience for psychedelia were Phish, whose 2004 shindig at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, is immortalized in both three-CD and two-DVD form as Live in Brooklyn. The concert was simultaneously broadcast to movie theaters while it was performed and was the first the band played after announcing its impending breakup. Shine on, you crazy diamonds.

Speaking of which, fans have been waiting for nearly an eternity for the "Pulse" double-disc by Phish's progenitors, Pink Floyd, to drop from the sky, and lo and behold, here 'tis. The footage was captured during the band's Division Bell tour in 1994 and was filmed at London's Earls Court during the band's 14-night residency there (try that one, Radiohead). The second disc features the band performing The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety, and was designed by the aforementioned Storm Thorgerson.

Song Title of the Week:

"Motor Driven Puppy Stabbers" from Indorphine's Glowsticks for Clubbing Baby Seals

Other Notables:

Cut Chemist's The Audience's Listening: With just two weeks to go before Jurassic 5 deliver their first studio album in almost four years, their former turntable master has just enough time to steal the spotlight with The Audience's Listening, his solo debut. The DJ hit the studio, cobbled together old samples and fused them with Brazilian and old-school beats for his new disc, which boasts "(My 1st) Big Break," "2266 Cambridge" and "Spat."

Kaada's Music for Moviebikers: Yet another record to be filed in the "Soundtracks to Films That Haven't Been Made Yet" category, the Norwegian experimentalist kept it fresh by hiring random folk musicians throughout Europe and recording the bulk of his record live instead of through programming. That resulted in more than 22 musicians participating on his instrumental disc, which includes "Julia Pastrana," "Mainstreaming" and "Retirement Community."

Various artists' Graciously: Label comps often slip through the cracks, but Wavelab Studio and Funzalo Records' new collection deserves some extra lovin'. All 12 songs — by Calexico, Robyn Hitchcock and Scout Niblett — are new and unreleased, and one-third of proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity's Musician's Village project in New Orleans.

New Releases:

• The Adored - A New Language (V2)
• Alcian Blue - Alcian Blue (Elephant Stone)
• All That Remains - The Fall of Ideals (Razor & Tie)
  Buy Now: The Fall of Ideals (Razor & Tie)
  
• Jessica Bailiff - Feels Like Home (Kranky)
• Betrayed - Substance (Equal Vision)
• Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys - Turntable Matinee (Yep Roc)
• Boy Hits Car - The Passage (Rock Ridge)
  Buy Now: The Passage (Rock Ridge)
  
• Bury Your Dead - Beauty and the Breakdown (Victory)
  Buy Now: Beauty and the Breakdown (Victory)
  
• Cairo Gang - Cairo Gang (Narnack)
• Cattle Decapitation - Karma Bloody Karma (Metal Blade)
• Jen Chapin - Ready (Hybrid)
• CSS - Cansei de Ser Sexy (Sub Pop)
• Cult of Luna - Somewhere Along the Highway (Earache)
• Cut Chemist - The Audience's Listening (Warner Bros.)
• D Block - The CD/ DVD Mixtape (Koch)
• Dead to Me - Cuban Ballerina (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Disaster Strikes - Liberty Toast (Alternative Tentacles)
• Johnny Dowd - Cruel World (Bongo Beat)
• Steve Earle - Live at Montreux 2005 (Eagle)
• The Early November - The Mother, the Mechanic and the Path (three-CD box set; Drive-Thru)
  Buy Now: The Mother, the Mechanic and the Path (Drive-Thru)
  
• Ramblin' Jack Elliott - I Stand Alone (Anti)
• William Lee Ellis - God's Tattoos (Yellow Dog)
• Evaline - Postpartum Modesty. A Portrait of Skin (EP; Maverick)
• Every Move a Picture - Heart = Weapon (V2)
• James Figurine - Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake (Plug Research)
  Buy Now: Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake (Plug Research)
  
• Fish Karma - The Theory of Intelligent Design (Alternative Tentacles)
• The Format - Dog Problems (Nettwerk)
  Buy Now: Dog Problems (Nettwerk)
  
• From a Second Story Window - Delenda (Metal Blade)
• Full Blown Chaos - Within the Grasp of Titans (Stillborn)
  Buy Now: Within the Grasp of Titans (Stillborn)
  
• The Gentlemen Homicide - Understanding the Words We Speak (Blood & Ink)
• John Gorka - Writing in the Margins (Red House)
• Greg Graffin - Cold as the Clay (Anti)
• The Hylozoists - La Fin du Monde (Boompa)
• Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers - Mine Is Not a Holy War (Cordless)
• Indorphine - Glowsticks for Clubbing Baby Seals (Rock Ridge)
• Kaada - Music for Moviebikers (Ipecac)
• Matt Keating - Summer Tonight (Kealon)
• Robert Earl Keen - Live at the Ryman: The Greatest Show Ever Been Gave (Koch)
• Jamie Kennedy and Stu Stone - Blowin' Up (JKss)
  Buy Now: Blowin' Up (JKss)
  
• Khia - Gangstress (TME/ Phase One Communications)
  Buy Now: Gangstress (TME/ Phase One Communications)
  
• The Kilborn Alley Blues Band - Put It in the Alley (Blue Bella)
• Cheyenne Kimball - The Day Has Come (Epic/ Daylight)
  Buy Now: The Day Has Come (Epic/ Daylight)
  
• Chris Knight - Enough Rope (Emergent)
• Greg Laswell - Through Toledo (Vanguard)
• The Living End - State of Emergency (Adeline)
  Buy Now: State of Emergency (Adeline)
  
• The Lordz - The Brooklyn Way (Perfect Game)
• Bill Lupkin & Friends - Where I Come From (Blue Bella)
• Miranda Sound - Western Reserve (Sunken Treasure)
• Nick Moss and the Flip Tops - Live at Chan's (Blue Bella)
• Muse - Black Holes & Revelations (limited edition with DVD due same day; Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Muse Hope Fans Aren't Too Shocked By 'Genre-Morphing' New LP"
  Buy Now: Black Holes & Revelations (Warner Bros.)
  
• Anna Nalick - Wreck of the Day (Columbia)
• The North Atlantic - Wires in the Walls (We Put Out)
• Oneida - Happy New Year (Jagjaguwar)
• The Outline - You Smash It We'll Build Around It (Fearless)
• Peaches - Impeach My Bush (Kitty-Yo/ XL Recordings/ Beggars Group)
• Phish -- Live in Brooklyn (three CDs; Rhino)
  Buy Now: Live in Brooklyn (Rhino)
  
• Plaid - Greedy Baby (with DVD; Warp)
• Redding - Redding (Rock Ridge)
• The Remote - Too Low to Miss (Global Underground)
• Rhymefest - Blue Collar (J)
  Buy Now: Blue Collar (J)
  
• Seether - One Cold Night (with bonus DVD; Wind-Up)
  Read: "Seether Lose Guitarist; Frontman Credits Stomach With Acoustic Night"
  Buy Now: One Cold Night (Wind-Up)
  
• Shapes and Sizes - Shapes and Sizes (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Some Girls - Crushing Love (with DVD; Koch)
• Soul Asylum - The Silver Lining (Legacy)
  Buy Now: The Silver Lining (Legacy)
  
• Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras From the Illinois Album! (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Strapping Young Lad - The New Black (enhanced; Century Media)
  Buy Now: The New Black (Century Media)
  
• Striborg - Embittered Darkness/ Isles de Morts (Southern Lord)
• Tenebre - Heart's Blood (Candlelight)
• Torchebearer - Warnaments (Candlelight)
• Trendkill - No Longer Buried (Candlelight)
• Village of Dead Roads - Dwelling in Doubt (Meteor City)
• John Waite - Downtown Journey of a Heart (Frontiers)
• Butch Walker and the Let's Go Out Tonites - The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's Go Out Tonites (Red Ink)
  Read: "Butch Walker Works With Avril, Hot Hot Heat, Says Solo LP Won't Be 'Emo-Tastic' "
  Buy Now: The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's Go Out Tonites (Red Ink)
  
• Thom Yorke - The Eraser (XL)
  Read: "Thom Yorke Records Album Without Radiohead, Rejects 'Solo' Label"
• Various artists - The Backyardigans Groove to the Music (Nick)
• Various artists - Graciously (Wavelab/ Funzalo)
• Various artists - Hello Radio: The Songs of They Might Be Giants (Bar/ None)
• Various artists - I'm So Indicted (Capitol Steps)
• Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 22 (Sony)
• Various artists - The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson (Emergent)
• Various artists - Worship Jamz 2 (Razor & Tie)
• Various artists - "The Devil Wears Prada" soundtrack (Warner Bros.)
• Various artists - "The Groomsmen" soundtrack (Rykodisc)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Marc Anthony - Grandes Éxitos: Sigo Siendo Yo (Sony International)
  Buy Now: Grandes Éxitos: Sigo Siendo Yo (Sony International)
  
• Booker T. & the MG's -- The Definitive Soul Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Solomon Burke - The Definition of Soul (two CDs; Rhino)
• Robert Callender - Musee de l'Impressionisme (Fallout)
• Canned Heat - Canned, Labeled and Shelved (two CDs; Music Avenue)
• Ray Charles -- The Definitive Soul Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Common People - Of the People/ By the People/ For the People From the Common People (Fallout)
• The Drifters -- The Definitive Soul Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Aretha Franklin - Live at Fillmore West (two CDs; Rhino)
• The Free Spirits - Out of Sight and Sound (Sunbeam)
• The Jesus and Mary Chain - Automatic, Darklands, Honey's Dead, Psychocandy and Stoned & Dethroned (DualDiscs; Rhino)
• Freedy Johnston - Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop - April 25th, 1998 (Shout! Factory)
• King Curtis - Live at Fillmore West (Rhino)
• Curtis Mayfield - The Definitive Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Michele - Saturn Rings (Fallout)
• The Open Mind - The Open Mind (Sunbeam)
• Otis Redding - The Definitive Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Tom Paxton - Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop - February 23rd, 1991 (Shout! Factory)
• Wilson Pickett - The Definitive Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Tim Rice & Friends - That's My Story (Sunbeam)
• Sam & Dave - The Definitive Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Snoop Doggy Dogg - The Doggfather (enhanced; with bonus DVD; Death Row)
  Buy Now: The Doggfather (Death Row)
  
• Spinners -- The Definitive Soul Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live in Tokyo (Masterplan)
• The Who - Live From Toronto (two CDs; Immortal)
• Various artists - Brunswick Top 40 R&B Singles 1966-1975 (Brunswick)
• Various artists - Club Hits: The Platinum Collection (SPG)
• Various artists - Comic Strip Heroes: Music From Gotham City and Beyond (Silva)
• Various artists - Disco Fever: Turn the Beat Around (Time Life)
• Various artists - Irie Reggae: Best of Chill (Time Life)
• Various artists - Jamaica to Toronto: Soul Funk & Reggae 1967-74 (Light in the Attic)

Music DVDs:

• Johnny Cash - "The Man in Black: Live in Denmark 1971" (Columbia/ Legacy)
• Confessor - "Live in Norway" (Season Mist)
• The Derek Trucks Band - "Songlines Live!" (Columbia)
• Tommy Emmanuel - "Live at Her Majesty's Theatre - Ballarat, Australia" (Favored Nations)
• Israel & New Breed - "Alive in South Africa (Integrity/ Columbia)
• Led Zeppelin - "On the Rock Trail" (Delta)
• Ozzy Osbourne & Black Sabbath - "On the Rock Trail" (Delta)
• Phish - "Live in Brooklyn" (two DVDs; Rhino)
• Pink Floyd - "Pulse" (two DVDs; Columbia) and "On the Rock Trail" (Delta)
• Various artists - "Afro-Punk" (Image Entertainment)
• Various artists - "Doo Wop: Vocal Group Greats Live" (Shout! Factory)

Coming Attractions: July 18:

• Alien Ant Farm - Up in the Attic (New Door)
  Preorder: Up in the Attic (New Door)
  
• The Bronx - The Bronx (digipak; Island)
• The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Don't You Fake It (Virgin)
  Read: "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: You Can Call Them Sellouts"
  Preorder: Don't You Fake It (Virgin)

July 25:

• Flogging Molly - Whiskey on a Sunday (DualDisc; Side One Dummy)
• Jurassic 5 - Feedback (Interscope)
• Pharrell Williams - In My Mind (Star Trak/ Interscope)
  Read: "Pharrell Williams: Fired Up"
  Preorder: In My Mind (Star Trak/ Interscope)

August 1:

• DMX - Year of the Dog, Again
  Read: "DMX Signs With Columbia, Will Release Long-Delayed LP This Spring"
  Preorder: Year of the Dog, Again (Columbia)
  
• Stone Sour - Come What(ever) May (Roadrunner)
  Read: "Slipknot's Taylor Gearing Up For Stone Sour LP — And Tenacious D Tribute"
• Various artists - Kidz Bop 10 (Razor & Tie)

• Thom Yorke
• Muse
• Sufjan Stevens
• Seether
• Peaches

Bow Wow and Ciara
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Guess that ring didn't mean a thing after all. Despite Ciara sporting a rock from Bow Wow that many assumed was an engagement ring, the couple don't appear to be headed down the aisle anytime soon. Ciara's rep confirmed the couple's split. ...

Nine of the 10 Ozzfest dates that Ozzy Osbourne will be headlining during this summer's trek have been revealed. The festival's namesake will top the bill during the tour's first night in Auburn, Washington, on June 29, as previously reported, and he'll also close out shows in San Francisco (July 1); San Bernardino, California (July 8); Chicago (July 16); East Troy, Wisconsin (July 22); New York (July 29); Boston (August 1); Camden, New Jersey (August 4); and Bristow, Virginia (August 6). The Ozzman's 10th appearance will be announced in the coming weeks. Bands on the lineup for this year's Ozzfest include System of a Down, Disturbed, Lacuna Coil, Hatebreed, Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society and Atreyu. ...

"South Park" is used to getting slammed by everyone from the Catholic League to Scientologists, but the foul-mouthed cartoon got some good news Wednesday when it was announced that it picked up a prestigious Peabody Award. In announcing the win, the Peabody panel said that "primitive animation is part of the charm of TV's boldest, most politically incorrect satirical series. Its simple style also makes possible the show's unmatched topicality." The awards will be handed out on June 5 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York by former winner Jon Stewart. Other honorees included PBS' "American Masters" series for its Bob Dylan biopic "No Direction Home" and WNYC Radio in New York's Radio Rookies Project, in which teenage reporters recorded moving first-person stories. ...

Kelly Rowland previewed tracks from her upcoming My Story ... at a listening party in New York on Thursday. R&B singer Tank, who worked with Jamie Foxx on his Unpredictable album, helped write and produce two songs, "The Show" and "Ghetto," and Kelly hopes to get Snoop Dogg on the latter track. Kelly told the crowd that the project "sums up my thoughts, my emotions and everything I have been feeling these past couple of years." My Story ... is due July 11. ... Jessica Simpson is being sued again. Tarrant Apparel Group, who she originally signed up with to create her clothing line, filed a breach-of-contract complaint on Thursday in New York, claiming that the singer failed to promote its products. The company's asking for $100 million in damages. ...

JoJo's about 90 percent done with her upcoming album, due late this summer, but there's going to be a longer wait after that for the next one — the 15-year-old singer said she's hanging it up until she's 18, as far as her music is concerned. "I want there to be growth," she said. "I want to live and experience things. That's something that's important." Until then, JoJo is busy collaborating with Swizz Beatz, Sean Garrett and Billy Steinberg (who co-wrote Madonna's "Like a Virgin"). ... Minneapolis rockers Soul Asylum will release their first new studio album in eight years, The Silver Lining, on July 11. The disc will feature several of the final recordings of bassist Karl Mueller, who died last year of throat cancer. ...

Sufjan Stevens will release The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras From the Illinois Album on July 25. The New Pantheon award-winning Illinois was initially conceived as a double album, according to a press release, and the 21 songs that didn't end up on the disc were culled together to create The Avalanche. Look for the disc to include the tracks "The Vivian Girls Are Visited in the Night by Saint Dargarius and His Squadron of Benevolent Butterflies," "The Mistress Witch From McClure (Or, The Mind That Knows Itself)," "The Perpetual Self, (Or, What Would Saul Alinsky Do?)" as well as three alternate versions of the tune "Chicago." ...

According to guitarist Josh Rand, Stone Sour's forthcoming LP — tentatively titled Come What May — is in the bag. The band recorded 16 tracks for the effort, including "30/30-150" and "Zzyzx Road." "We're in the process of picking just how many will go on the album," Rand wrote in a posting on the group's Web site. "It's much more diverse and mature than the first record. Sonically, it's amazing." Randy Staub (H.I.M., Avril Lavigne) will begin mixing the album Monday, and it should surface in July. ... Brand New have a free concert set for April 15 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville; the show is open to anyone who'd like to attend, even those who aren't enrolled at the school. The band, which has been working on the follow-up to 2003's Deja Entendu, will also be touring for much of the summer, starting with a gig in Sayreville, New Jersey, on June 20. The U.S. trek will make 30 stops before winding down July 27 in New York. ...

Former teen idol Leif Garrett has been jailed for 45 days after failing several drug tests while staying in a strict live-in drug rehab program, according to The Associated Press. The 44-year-old singer/actor began the sentence on March 30 after a court commissioner determined that he had violated the terms of the program, which he was placed in after violating probation in a 2004 cocaine possession arrest. ... The last show of Eric Clapton's European tour will be a first, marking his debut at Moscow's Red Square. Kicking off May 5 in France, the trek will hit 14 countries before wrapping up in Russia on August 3.

04.06.06

Eminem released a statement Thursday (April 6) responding to recent public comments made by his soon-to-be ex-wife. The rapper filed for divorce from Kim Mathers earlier this week, less than three months after remarrying her. He said he'd hoped to keep the matter private, but insisted in his statement that "a few of Kim's statements in a radio interview this morning need to be addressed. First, her allegations regarding my status post-rehab are both untrue and unfortunate. Second, she was aware that I was filing for divorce. We both tried to give our marriage another chance and quickly realized that a wedding doesn't fix the underlying problems." Em and Kim, his high school sweetheart, remarried on January 14. They were first married on June 14, 1999, and separated in October 2001. ...

Jennifer Lopez promised to go on tour last year, when she was still promoting Rebirth, and now she's finally making good on her word — kind of. J. Lo is booked for four dates overseas: April 23 in Mumbai, India; April 27 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; April 29 in Athens, Greece; and April 30 in Istanbul, Turkey. "I've tried to plan a tour so many times," Lopez previously lamented to MTV Europe. "Because of the fact that I work in film, it's been hard. It's been hard to map out that amount of time to really do it right." There are no details on the shows just yet, but the singer said she envisions the outing as "just me doing my thing." ... Mark your calendars, Harry Potter fans. You've got a big date lined up. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth movie in the series, is set to hit theaters June 13, 2007, according to Warner Bros. ...

Janet Jackson has titled her upcoming album 20 Years Old, a reference to the 20th anniversary of Control. "I just got to top the last two albums that came out from Usher and Mariah, and this is going to be the icing on the cake," said Jermaine Dupri, who is producing the LP with longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Janet's album is due in September, and a single is expected this summer. Dupri, meanwhile, has several other big projects lined up. "We got Monica, Usher is about to go back in the studio, Mariah is going back in the studio, Bow Wow is going back," he said. "It's grind season for me." ...

Death Row Records boss Marion "Suge" Knight spoke out on Wednesday, a day after he filed for bankruptcy. The embattled rap mogul said he filed Chapter 11 proceedings for the label on Tuesday to protect it from a threat of being taken over by a court-appointed receivership over an unpaid $107 million judgment awarded to Lydia Harris, who claims to have co-founded Death Row. According to a statement from Knight's publicist, lawyers are planning to file a motion against Harris and her attorneys for their "blatant violation of federal bankruptcy law," following their attempt to hold Knight in contempt for failure to appear at a debtor's examination on Tuesday. "For the last few years there's been a stigma attached to Death Row," Knight said in a statement following the bankruptcy filing. "People like the Harrises have been coming out of the woodwork and it's been like a dark cloud hanging over me. I've decided that I'm serving Death Row its last meal. I'm setting a new table." Knight's lawyers could not be reached for comment at press time. ...

Fans who've caught Mötley Crüe on the band's current Canadian tour have noticed kitman Tommy Lee playing with a brace on his right wrist. Lee's been receiving anti-inflammatory injections to treat tendonitis, and while it's been difficult for him to perform through the pain, he's been taking the stage like a champ. But on April 5, acting on the advice of his doctors, Lee sat the Red Deer, Alberta, show out — and the Crüe selected a diehard fan to fill the void. Drummer Harvey Warren, who spends his days managing a local Starbucks, was chosen to sit in for Lee. Warren, a member of Canadian Crüe tribute band Bröken Töyz, thought it was a joke when he was contacted by the show's promoter. After some convincing, he realized it was a true offer and accepted but was sworn to secrecy. Warren called performing with the band "a chance of a lifetime." ...

Tha Dogg Pound have set a June 27 release date for their reunion album, Cali Iz Active, due on Doggy Style Records. Along with Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and Daz Dillinger, the album will feature guest appearances by Busta Rhymes, David Banner, Paul Wall and B-Real and production by Diddy, Jazze Pha and the Alchemist. Tha Dogg Pound will tour this summer with Ice Cube. ... Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take the Wheel" won country song of the year at Wednesday's 37th annual Gospel Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Brian Littrell won inspirational song of the year for "In Christ Alone," which the Backstreet Boy recorded for the WoW #1's compilation. Littrell's full-length solo debut, Welcome Home, is due May 2. ...

Echo and the Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch will stand trial beginning September 6 on charges that he assaulted two fans during a concert in Glasgow, Scotland, last October. The alleged victims claim the singer kicked open a bathroom door, striking one in the head and then pushed the other. McCulloch has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was also arrested on a breach of the peace charge, for allegedly screaming, swearing and hurling threats at the pair. ... Last month, Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome announced that the Cleveland punks would be recording new tracks, and were in the process of lining up a bunch of Canadian and European gigs. But in a recent chat with Cleveland Scene, Chrome said that all Dead Boys activity is canceled, and refused to elaborate further. The band (minus frontman Stiv Bators, who died in 1990) regrouped last year for a string of dates. Those gigs spurred talk of something bigger, but it looks like the Boys will remain dead for now. ...

Foetus playing Carnegie Hall? Well, not exactly. Iconoclastic chamber music ensemble the Kronos Quartet will perform a world premiere piece by the Australian industrial pioneer J.G. "Foetus" Thirlwell Friday night in the Zankel Hall portion of the legendary concert venue. This will be a first for the prolific Thirlwell — possibly more notorious for his aggressive work with bands like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry — whose work is normally tailored to the tattooed rather than the tuxedoed. The piece in question, dubbed "Nomatophobis," was specially commissioned by the Carnegie Hall Corporation and UCLA Live. In addition to the Foetus piece, the Kronos Quartet will perform a work by the equally confrontational New York post-punk pioneer Glenn Branca.

• 2005 VMA Instant Fashion Profile: Ciara

• Ciara
• Bow Wow
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens
Photo: Denny Renshaw

The New Pantheon Music Award burst onto the scene with a roar — but its first year is ending with a glorified whimper.

When the award was first announced back in November, founder Tom Sarig said the New Pantheon will be "a platform and a way to shine a light on musicians who might not get the attention they deserve," a successor to the discontinued Shortlist Music Prize, chosen by an elite group of tastemakers intended to honor the best under-the-radar music of the year (see "Linkin Park's Bennington, Shinoda Help Do The Honors For Shortlist's Successor").

Sarig announced a gala concert to crown the inaugural NP winner, an "event ... that will be attended by artists like Alicia Keys or Missy Elliott," that was originally scheduled to take place on February 6 in Los Angeles. But as that date grew closer, no venue or performers for the concert were announced, and in late January organizers said the ceremony had been postponed until March (see "New Pantheon Award Ceremony Postponed To Undetermined Date").

Finally, on the last day of the month — without a concert or even much fanfare — the winner of the first New Pantheon has been announced: Sufjan Stevens' sprawling Illinois.

The ambitious and critically lauded album (see "MTV News: You Hear It First: Sufjan Stevens") was chosen from a field of finalists that included Death Cab For Cutie's Plans, Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine and the Arcade Fire's Funeral (see "Death Cab, M.I.A., Fiona Among New Pantheon Finalists"). The New York-based folkie will receive $5,000 and a snazzy New Pantheon trophy.

In the end, Sarig blamed the New Pantheon's rather anti-climactic climax on "logistical reasons," which were the cause for the cancellation of the Los Angeles ceremony too. But he pledged to iron out all those problems by next year, adding in a statement that "plans are already under way for next year's proceedings."

"It's our first year for the New Pantheon [and] the intention has only ever been to set up a completely independent, totally organic effort for creative people by creative people that could help further expose the creative leading lights of the year," he said in the statement. "Thanks to our incredible nominating panel for generously giving of their time. They nominated an incredible slate of artists' albums, and ultimately the records which became New Pantheon finalists have proven to be among the most important music to be released in the last several years."

And though this year's New Pantheon didn't exactly help to dispel memories of the Shortlist, there appear to be no plans to revive the erstwhile Prize. Greg Spotts — who, along with Sarig, founded the Shortlist in the summer of 2001 — was reportedly considering legal action against Sarig if he proceeded with the New Pantheon ceremony, though he did not respond to MTV News' requests for comment on the subject of that award or a relaunched Shortlist Music Prize.

• Sufjan Stevens

Death Cab for Cutie
Photo: Appio

Though we won't know the winner of the inaugural New Pantheon award until next month, the list of nominated albums just got a whole lot, uh, shorter.

Organizers for the New Pantheon — a replacement for the on-hiatus Shortlist Music Prize, given to the year's most outstanding under-the-radar album (see "Linkin Park's Bennington, Shinoda Help Do The Honors For Shortlist's Successor") — gave MTV News an exclusive first look at the 10 albums that'll compete for the hardware.

Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine, M.I.A.'s Arular, Sufjan Stevens' Illinois, Antony and the Johnsons' I Am a Bird Now, Death Cab for Cutie's Plans, Bloc Party's Silent Alarm, the Kings of Leon's Aha Shake Heartbreak, Animal Collective's Feels, the Arcade Fire's Funeral and the Decemberists' Picaresque are the 10 finalists for the inaugural New Pantheon award, which will be handed out February 6 in Los Angeles.

That list was culled from an initial slate of more than 90 albums, submitted by the New Pantheon's panel of celebrity judges, which include Beck, ?uestlove of the Roots, country musician Keith Urban and actor Adam Brody ("The O.C.").

Back in November, Tom Sarig — one of the founders of the Shortlist Prize and the man behind the New Pantheon — stated that his goal was to honor "left of center" albums that the mainstream might have missed, and for the most part, it looks like he's succeeded. Only Apple's Machine and Death Cab's Plans could be considered "hit" albums. Antony and the Johnsons' Bird did take home the Mercury Prize — given to the most outstanding British or Irish act — in September.

To be eligible for the award, an album must not have been certified as gold (500,000 copies shipped) by the RIAA in the period of July 1, 2004, to October 30, 2005.

• Death Cab For Cutie
• M.I.A.
• Fiona Apple
• Bloc Party
• Kings Of Leon

Photo: Denny Renshaw

• Sufjan Stevens

You Hear It First: Sufjan Stevens Photos

• Sufjan Stevens