Cassidy's <i>I'm a Hustla</i>
Photo: J-Records

Cassidy will have to observe the release of his new album, I'm a Hustla, from behind bars.

The rapper, who turned himself in on June 17 for the murder of a 22-year-old man in Philadelphia, will be in jail, waiting for a July 19 preliminary hearing when his sophomore album (which features production by Swizz Beatz), hits stores. Cassidy was officially charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault and weapons charges.

Prior to his arrest, the rapper was also getting media attention for his beef with 50 Cent, who warned the MC on Hot 97 to watch his mouth. Fans of Cassidy might take a look at the most recent project from another jailed rapper who also had words for 50 if they're concerned about the future of Cassidy's career. Shyne recorded his entire album Godfather Buried Alive behind bars and saw it debut at #3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Out Tuesday, June 28:

• 1 Cause 1 Effect - Dropped the Axe (Bungalo)
• Arcana - Le Serpent Rouge (Projekt)
• Astral Doors - Evil Is Forever (Locomotive)
• A Band of Bees - Free the Bees (Astralwerks)
• Bering Strait - Pages (Universal South)
• Bizarre - Hannicap Circus (Sanctuary)
• Cassidy - I'm a Hustla (J-Records)

Read: "Swizz, Mary J. Keep Bangin' On Cassidy's 'I'm A Hustla' "
Buy Now: I'm a Hustla (J-Records)

• Bill Charlap - Plays George Gershwin: The American Soul (Blue Note)
• CKY - An Ånswer Can Be Found (Island)

Read: "CKY Line Up Fall Tour, Won't Have To Pack Any Shoes"
Buy now: An Ånswer Can Be Found (Island)

• Communic - Conspiracy in Mind (Nuclear Blast)
• Rita Coolidge - And So Is Love (Concord)
• Darkest Hour - Undoing Ruin (Victory)
• Debbie Davies - All I Found (Telarc)
• Raheem DeVaughn - The Love Experience (Jive)
  Buy Now: The Love Experience (Jive)
  
• DevilDriver - The Fury of Our Maker's Hand (Roadrunner)
• The Early November - The Acoustic EP (Drive Thru)
• Richard Elliot - Metro Blue (ARTizen)
• Esthero - Wikked Lil' Grrrls (Reprise)
• Fountains of Wayne - Out-of-State Plates (Virgin)
  Read: "Fountains Of Wayne To Spout 26-Song Rarities Collection, Tour In June"
• Sean-Gemini - Inner Me (Lightyear)
• Terry Gibbs - Feelin' Good: Live in Studio (Mack Avenue)
• Gorerotted - A New Dawn for the Dead (Metal Blade)
• Vivian Green - Vivian (Columbia)
  Buy Now: Vivian (Columbia)
  
• The Greencards - Weather and Water (DualTone)
• Anthony Hamilton - Soulife (Rhino)
• Hot Apple Pie - Hot Apple Pie (Dreamworks Nashville)
• Isle of View - Gentle Firefly Radio (Undecided)
• Clay Jones - Mountain Tradition (Rural Rhythm)
• Sean Jones - Gemini (Mack Avenue)
• Ladybug Mecca - Trip the Light Fantastic (Nu-Paradigm)

Read: "Rebirth Of Digable Planets Has Ladybug Mecca Tripping"

• Jamie Liddel - Multiply (Warp)
• A Life Once Lost - Hunter (Ferret)
• Lina - The Inner Beauty Movement (Red Urban)
• Little Barrie - We Are (Artemis)
• Longwave - There's a Fire (RCA)
  Buy Now: There's a Fire (RCA)
  
• Pat McGee Band - Save Me (Kirtland)
• Shannon McNally - Geronimo (Back Porch/EMI)
• David Mead - Wherever You Are (Eleven Thirty)
• Noiseshaper - Rough Out There (Sounds From the Roof)
• Open Road - Lucky Drive (Rounder)
• Joan Osborne - One of Us (Artemis)
• P$C - 25 to Life (Atlantic)
• The Posies - Every Kind of Light (Rykodisc)
  Buy Now: Every Kind of Light (Rykodisc)
  
• Ernest Ranglin - Surfin' (Telarc)
• Skeletons and the Girl-Faced Boys - Git (Ghostly International)
• The Soviettes - LP III (Fat Wreck Chords)
• John Stevens - Red (Maverick)
• George Strait - Somewhere Down in Texas (MCA Nashville)
• The String Cheese Incident - One Step Closer (SCI Fidelity)
• Throwdown - Vendetta (Trustkill)
• Thunderstone - Tools of Destruction (Nuclear Blast)
• Tsar - Band-Girls-Money (TVT)
• Vio-Lence - Eternal Nightmare (Megaforce)
• Patricia Vonne - Guitars & Castanets (CoraZong)
• Steve Walsh - Shadowman (33rd Street)
• John Williams -- "War of the Worlds" soundtrack (Decca)
• World Leader Pretend - Punches (Warner Bros.)

Read: "World Leader Pretend: Bluffing Their Way To The Top"
Buy Now: Punches (Warner Bros.)

• Ying Yang Twins - U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) (TVT)

Read: "WYing Yang Twins Fly The Flag For The U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta)"
Buy Now: U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) (TVT)

• Various artists - Spectral Sound, Vol. 1 (Spectral Sound)
• Various artists - Wendy Williams Brings the Heat, Vol. 1 (Virgin)
• Various artists -- "Devil's Rejects" soundtrack (Hip-O)
• DVD: Chicago/ Earth, Wind & Fire -- "Live at the Greek Theatre" (Image)
• DVD: Low -- "In Europe" (Plexifilm)
• DVD: Bette Midler -- "The Divine" (Shout! Factory)
• DVD: Niacin - "Live in Tokyo" (Eagle Rock)
• DVD: Lee Ritenour -- "Overtime" (Eagle Rock)
• DVD: Tom Russell - "Hearts on the Line" (HighTone)
• DVD: Keller Williams -- "Sight" (SCI Fidelity)
• DVD: Various artists -- "Eminem Presents the Anger Management Tour" (Aftermath/Interscope)

July 5:

• R. Kelly - TP3 Reloaded (Sony)
• Sufjan Stevens -- Illinois (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Various artists - "Fantastic Four" soundtrack (Wind-Up)

July 12:

• All-American Rejects - Move Along (Interscope)

Read: "All-American Rejects 'Had To Step It Up' On New LP — Or Else"

• Black Dahlia Murder - Miasma (Metal Blade)
• Bow Wow - Wanted (Sony)

July 19:

• DMX - Here We Go Again (Ruff Ryders)

Read: "Mase Advises DMX To Rap Again, Wait For The Lord's Call"
Buy Now: Here We Go Again (Ruff Ryders)

• Frank Black - Honeycomb (Back Porch)

Read "Frank Black Covers Elvis, Duets With Ex-Wife On Dylanesque Album"

• Cassidy
• Cky
• Ying Yang Twins
• Fountains of Wayne
• Ladybug Mecca

The estimated 15,000 singers who auditioned for "American Idol" in Cleveland this week was the largest group the show has seen in its four years, topping the 13,000 who tried out in New York a year ago. Cleveland was the first stop on an audition tour that will head to Orlando, Florida; St. Louis; Washington, D.C.; New Orleans; Anchorage, Alaska; San Francisco and Las Vegas. ...

According to Britney Spears' mom, the singer is shooting a TV spot this week to promote her upcoming Elizabeth Arden fragrance, called Curious. Lynne Spears posted on Britney's Web site that her daughter had also "been lying in the sun and doing some shopping," as "wedding plans are going along smoothly. Britney and I both are getting very excited!" The singer posted a note herself to fans, thanking them for the well wishes she received during her knee recovery and for the congratulations on her impending nuptials. "This is the happiest time for me," she wrote. ... Jam giants the String Cheese Incident will stretch their current tour through the end of the year. A 19-show fall stretch begins September 11 in San Francisco and includes a New Year's Eve gig at New York's Radio City Music Hall. ...

The Sean McGrath Hold Onto Your Friends cancer benefit concert has been postponed due to unforeseeable circumstances. Originally scheduled for August 14 in New York, the show was set to raise money for the final medical expenses of the late McGrath, who played bass with Saves the Day, Mouthpiece, Hands Tied and the Alps. Organizers say the event is tentatively rescheduled for November or December. ... Soulful songstress Nikka Costa always names her records at the 11th hour, and she's finally come up with a title for her long-overdue follow-up to 2001's Everybody Got Their Something. The more rockin' Can't Never Did Nothin' is due October 5; the first single is called "I Don't Think We've Met." ...

Wilco have added a slew of dates to their current tour, scheduled in the wake of Lollapalooza's cancellation. Starting August 6 in Portland, Maine, the band will travel across the country with stops at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island on Sunday and the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Texas September 19, ending in Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 10. Joining Wilco for seven dates will be the Fiery Furnaces, who are also headlining their own tour in support of their second album, Blueberry Boat, starting September 8 in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and ending October 31 in Hoboken, New Jersey. ... For the first time, video footage from the Warped Tour stage is available for purchase. Concertgoers can now purchase, download and burn videos from Altnet Network Web sites and peer-to-peer affiliates including Kazaa. "We want to give artists as many ways as possible to connect with their fans," Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman said in a statement. "If you can't make it to a show, check out Altnet's feed on our site, and even if you did, check it out to catch stuff you missed, or remember your favorite performances." ...

You won't find Death Cab for Cutie's new EP, Studio X Sessions, in stores. This four-song, piano-driven EP, recorded at the end of their spring tour, is available exclusively through iTunes' music store in MP3 format. Death Cab will also take part in four late summer festival dates, including Bumbershoot in Seattle, before joining Pearl Jam on the Vote for Change Tour in October. ... Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament, his Three Fish collaborator Richard Stuverud and King's X singer Doug Pinnick have recorded an album tentatively titled Montana. Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready also contributed to the group, which does not yet have a name. ...

Sheryl Crow is giving back to her hometown — by giving them a new swimming pool. The singer pledged last fall to get a new community pool for the town of Kennett, Missouri, and while details of her financial involvement were not disclosed, the local chamber of commerce kicked in a $250,000 grant to go toward building the Sheryl Crow Community Aquatic Center, which is scheduled to open around Memorial Day next year. ... Moby's tea, TeaNY, was launched this week in New York, where the bald-headed musician DJed at a cocktail/tea party at A60 in SoHo (the only time he's DJing in New York this year). Moby's cookbook/autobiography that ties into the tea line is now set to come out in April. ... Glam-pop group Scissor Sisters are bringing their traveling act to more familiar terrain. The band will embark on its first U.S. tour starting September 7 in Washington, D.C.; the monthlong trek wraps September 29 in Hollywood. ...

08.05.2004

New Found Glory's set Wednesday at the Bristow, Virginia, stop on the Vans Warped Tour was cut short by a microburst, a meteorological phenomenon in which a violent wind suddenly descends over a small area. The heavy wind caused a giant weather balloon to hit a fence, which then collided with some concertgoers. One boy was seriously injured and needed to be medivac-ed from the scene after having convulsions. He was kept overnight at a local hospital and was recovering at press time. ...

The 47th annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 13, 2005, it was announced Thursday (August 5). This marks the second straight year the event will be held at the venue. ... Destiny's Child want you — if you're hot and male and can dance, that is. The trio are looking for dancers for performances on tour, TV appearances and music videos. Auditions will be held in New York (Sunday at the City Center, Studio 4, at 2 p.m.), Atlanta (August 12 at Pop City Studios at 5 p.m.), Los Angeles (August 14 at Screenland Studios at 3 p.m.), Chicago (August 15, time/place TBD) and Houston (August 16, time/place TBD) with choreographer Frank Gatson. "It is my — and Destiny's Child's — belief that great dancers are everywhere," Gatson said in a statement. "Dancers have a destiny. ... If they are really talented, we will find them." ...

R. Kelly's upcoming double album, Happy People/ U Saved Me, due August 24, will have 21 tracks total. The next single from the release is a song called "If," shipping to radio on Friday. Other songs on the double LP include "Red Carpet (Pause, Flash)," "Ladies' Night (Treat Her Like Heaven)," "If I Could Make the World Dance," "Prayer Changes," "I Surrender," "The Diary of Me" and "3-Way Phone Call," featuring Kelly Price, Kim Burrell and Maurice Mahon. ... Pink Floyd's The Wall is coming to Broadway. Harvey Weinstein and Tommy Mottola will develop and produce a Broadway musical based on the band's 1979 double album, The Wall, the third-best-selling album of all time, with Floyd co-founder Roger Waters writing the show's book and arranging and orchestrating the music. "Now I can write in some laughs," Waters said, "notable by their absence in the movie." ...

Poor Justin Hawkins. The ailing Darkness frontman has been battling what he calls "a tummy upset," and his band had to pull out of the Summer Sonic Festival in Osaka and Tokyo. The singer has actually been diagnosed with gastroenteritis, and his consultant recommended he take at least one week off from performing to recuperate before starting the tour up again. The band is scheduled to pick up the tour in Austria on Sunday and will still headline the U.K.'s Reading and Leeds festivals August 27-28. ... To add to his misery, on Wednesday Hawkins discovered his jet-black Jaguar XK8 up on bricks outside his London apartment. Seems someone had stolen all four wheels from the car. Hawkins is offering a reward for any information leading to the return of the wheels. ...

Duran Duran have started shooting a video for their upcoming comeback album, Astronaut. The clip for the first single, "Sunrise," is being directed by Mark and Michael Polish ("Twin Falls Idaho") with each bandmember's part shot separately. Bassist John Taylor's scenes are in the California desert, frontman Simon LeBon races his motorbike through Spain's countryside, drummer Roger Taylor cruises the U.K. in a car, guitarist Andy Taylor hits the clubs of Ibiza, and keyboardist Nick Rhodes hovers in a spaceship above London. ... Former Butthole Surfers frontman Gibby Haynes is launching a national tour to support his first solo album, Gibby Haynes and His Problem, due August 24. The trek kicks off at Emo's in his hometown of Austin, Texas, on September 4 and ends at the same venue on October 9. ...

Cincinnati's city council unanimously voted to lift a ban on concert general-admission seating that had been in place for almost 25 years, according to The Cincinnati Post. The ban was imposed after 11 fans were crushed to death at a performance by the Who on December 3, 1979. The decision to lift the ban came on Wednesday, accompanied by a set of regulations including a limit on the number of tickets for the festival seating area of shows and a requirement that promoters have a written evacuation plan. ... Shawn Colvin is sharing her experience with depression through a national education campaign, sponsored by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline. "Beyond the Music: Shawn Colvin Speaks Out About Depression" is designed to raise awareness of the symptoms of depression and to motivate those who may be suffering to seek medical help. ...

• Britney Spears
• The String Cheese Incident
• Wilco
• Nikka Costa

Perry Farrell (file)
Photo: Amy V. Cooper

Even though the rug was ripped out from under Lollapalooza this week, former Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell is optimistic that the eclectic music festival he co-founded in 1991 will resurface — and it might be sooner than you think.

"There are a few paths we are considering," Farrell said Wednesday. "I am getting letters back from many musicians, letting me know that if there is a possibility of becoming active, they will come on board again. Our position is thrilling. We can only be saved by the creative ideas we come up with. We feel like a team gathered around their coach, who is coming up with a play for the final seconds of a game."

The decision to scrap this year's tour was made Monday night, when organizers and promoters realized they faced huge financial losses based on poor ticket sales (see "Lollapalooza Canceled; Organizers Cite Poor Ticket Sales"). But by pulling the plug three weeks before the tour was set to begin, Lollapalooza wasn't given much of a chance for ticket sales to improve, as they usually do in the days leading up to a show.

Traditionally, 60 percent of the tickets sold for a stop on the Vans Warped Tour, for example, occur six days prior to the show. Those responsible for Lollapalooza's cancellation, however, didn't have faith that the tour would follow that pattern, or even the one Lolla set last year.

"Last year, walk-ups very much improved our final counts, and this year, we felt walk-ups were even more important. One reason is that with the economy in such a poor state, people don't cast their money that far into the future. Rather, they spend their money much closer to showtime," Farrell said.

"Last year, we sold out many of our shows and played to 20-25,000 people at times. This year, we never got a chance to launch our marketing or the bulk of our press campaign. Our campaign was beautiful and strong. We had aligned with MoveOn.org. We were set to reach out to millions of young voters. We were cut off."

When the lineup for this year's trek was announced, it was met with criticism that not many music fans, especially those in the middle of the country, would appreciate Morrissey, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey and the String Cheese Incident, let alone smaller acts like Broken Social Scene, Sound Tribe Sector 9 and the Dresden Dolls. It was never Farrell's intention to appeal to the lowest common denominator, though.

"I must state that my ambition was never to rip the dollar from the hands of 'pop culture,' " he said. "I'm an enthusiast. I cheer what I consider to be excellent. Mine is to present the alternatives of life that I experience and enjoy. I give people credit for being smart and, at the very least, curious."

The headliners, most of whom were using Lollapalooza to promote recent albums, were left scrambling to set something up in the wake of the tour's demise.

Morrissey, who is currently in London for the two-day Meltdown Festival, may try to fill his summer with sporadic dates in the States, though a full-scale U.S. tour is expected this fall. The same goes for PJ Harvey, though she has a few European festivals to pepper her summer months with. Sonic Youth, who already had several dates scheduled in between their Lollapalooza gigs, will try to add more to their itinerary.

Modest Mouse, who were on tour in Europe when the Lollapalooza announcement was made, are already in the process of lining up a headlining trek, set to begin July 16 in Chico, California. The Flaming Lips plan to go back to Oklahoma to continue work on their long-awaited movie, "Christmas on Mars" (see "Flaming Lips Spew About New Album, Martian Christmas Movie").

As for Farrell, if Lollapalooza remains dormant this year, he plans to go to parties, write a few songs and start thinking about next year's tour.

"Please send the bands you would like to see to Lollapalooza.com," he said.

• Perry Farrell
• Morrissey
• Sonic Youth
• PJ Harvey
• The String Cheese Incident

Perry Farrell (file)
Photo: Wire Image

Three weeks prior to kickoff, Lollapalooza has been canceled.

Organizers cited poor ticket sales as the reason the 31-date, 16-city trek was called off. This year's lineup was set to include Morrissey, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, the Flaming Lips and the String Cheese Incident (see "Lollapalooza Adds Danger Mouse, Von Bondies; Dates Unveiled").

"The sadness upon hearing about the dismantlement of our tour has quickly turned to anger," read a statement from Lollapalooza co-founder Perry Farrell. "To watch something that you put so many hours of love and time into set ablaze sets my pride on fire. But, like the Phoenix, we still intend to rise. Our campaign will continue for the musicians, the artists, and all those attempting to change the world. Our voices will be heard."

The decision to scrap Lollapalooza was made Monday evening (June 21), when organizers and promoters realized they stood to lose several million dollars. In all markets except New York, advance ticket sales were below estimates.

"On the average, the losses, had ticket sales not dramatically picked up — which they showed no indication of doing — the people involved faced losses in the mid-to-high six figures on a per-show basis," said the William Morris Agency's Marc Geiger, another Lollapalooza co-founder.

Fans who purchased tickets will be given refunds.

Geiger said Lollapalooza's plight is indicative of a summer touring season on the slide.

"Lollapalooza is not alone in this," he said. "Everyone from the Dead to Dave Matthews to Norah Jones is suffering. There's not one explanation for this. It might be that ticket prices are too high, which doesn't account for Lollapalooza, because our tickets were priced between $15 and $25. Maybe it's the sundry add-ons [like service charges] that up the cost? Maybe gas prices are too high? Just like the record industry is suffering, the concert business is not exempt.

"After people get through this summer season," he added, "there's going to be a lot of fixing that needs to be done in the concert industry."

Early on in its 13-year history, Lollapalooza built a reputation for eclectic lineups, but as the years wore on it became more well known for having trouble getting off the ground (see "Perry Hits Lollapasnooza Button: Tour Sleeps Another Year"). After 1997's outing with Korn, Tool and Snoop Dogg, the tour had lain dormant until last year, when it returned with a lineup that featured Jane's Addiction, Queens of the Stone Age and Audioslave (see "Jane's Addiction Headline But Audioslave Steal Show At Lollapalooza Launch").

• Perry Farrell
• Morrissey
• Sonic Youth
• PJ Harvey
• The Flaming Lips

Perry Farrell (file)
Photo: Capitol

Perry Farrell might be the only one who doesn't see the String Cheese Incident as an anomaly on this year's Lollapalooza lineup.

Morrissey, this summer's comeback kid, seems a natural fit alongside orch-rockers the Flaming Lips, the choral-pop collective Polyphonic Spree, indie darlings Modest Mouse and alternative stalwarts Sonic Youth ("Lollapalooza Lineup Announced: Morrissey, Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth On Board"). And although diversity has always been a cornerstone of Lollapalooza lineups, never in its eight previous incarnations has a jam band been among the headliners.

The idea to include one of the genre's top draws came to Farrell, Lollapalooza's founder and organizer, in January, when he was DJing in Colorado on a bill with the improvisational electronic outfit Sound Tribe Sector 9.

"I just fell in love with the whole [jam] culture," Farrell said. "[After the show] we exchanged gifts backstage, so to speak, and got to talking. After leaving that weekend, I came home thinking, 'This is what I want to build Lollapalooza around.' I haven't felt a culture like this since probably 1991 [the year of the first Lollapalooza], when I felt like there was a true happening in music."

Inspired, Farrell assembled two lineups. One included Morrissey, Sonic Youth and a few other artists that leaned closer to Lollapalooza lineups of the past, which featured bands such as Queens of the Stone Age, the Beastie Boys, Soundgarden, Tool, Smashing Pumpkins and Farrell's own Jane's Addiction. The String Cheese Incident topped the other.

He took both preliminary lineups to promoters to gauge their interest and found them to be equally appealing. So rather than choosing between the two, Farrell merged them.

"Although it was risky, I was absolutely sure we should build one lineup that incorporated the jam culture, because I experienced it and felt it was ready. Maybe once in a decade there will be a musical movement that is indicative of what is really going on. And in the jam community [as opposed to the indie-rock scene], I felt like the music was leading and the media was following."

Farrell's hoping to create some electronic-rock hybrids of his own with an electronic-music tent that will also feature live musicians who happen to drop by.

"This year we're building a place on-site that will be especially for electronic music, but it's going to have a setup that includes Fender amps, keyboards and a percussion area," he said. "Musicians can come and jam with electronic artists, which should add a new spin on things."

With a lineup that promises to expand greatly as the show's first show, July 14 at Seattle's White River Amphitheatre, nears (Gomez and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have been added to the initial list of artists), a single day just wasn't enough. So Farrell is stretching this year's Lolla experience across two days — a plan he expects will enhance the caravanlike aesthetic.

After the first day's festivities are over, Farrell hopes concertgoers will reconvene at a downtown club to continue the party. He's even expecting some fans to attend multiple shows in different cities and is looking into creating multiple-show packages that include hotel accommodations.

"This opens up a whole beautiful world of evenings and traveling and packaging and all these other new ideas that stem from the idea of a two-day package," he explained. "And I think the club we choose should be right near the hotel where the bands are staying. If the talent is nearby and they need a place to have a drink, that's where the club is going to be."

• Perry Farrell
• The String Cheese Incident

The Flaming Lips (file)
Photo: Warner Bros

Lollapalooza 2004, the festival's ninth incarnation, promises to deliver two full days of indie rock, fringe culture and bad sunburn at each stop this time out, with Morrissey, String Cheese Incident, Sonic Youth, Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse and the Polyphonic Spree headlining the main stage.

These acts are part of a roster of more than 30 bands that will join the roving festival for its 20-city trek. More artists and a full itinerary are expected to be announced later this week.

"This summer we will embody the spirit of the Gypsy, the sense of exhilaration; traveling by caravan! Thirty bands and buses of artisans sleeping over each and every city. The days and nights will be filled with mischief," said Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell, who plays ringmaster to the road show yet again. As in previous years, Lollapalooza will also feature a traveling community devoted to political activism, cutting-edge technology and mass gaming.

If the thought of shelling out for two days of tickets is a turnoff, don't fret. Promoters are lowering Lollapalooza's ticket price.

• Morrissey
• The String Cheese Incident
• Sonic Youth
• The Flaming Lips
• The Polyphonic Spree

Godsmack (file)
Photo: Greg Delman

Their new album may be unplugged, but Godsmack rock hard enough to break on through to The Other Side. Sully Erna and the boys go acoustic for the first time this week on a seven-song EP that features new tracks such as "Running Blind" and "Voices," as well as "Touche," which gets a little help from Sully's friends and new protégés Dropbox.

Big Tymers' Big Money Heavyweight: The Screwed and Chopped Album features guest appearances by Ludacris and Petey Pablo, while newcomer Cassidy is joined by Jadakiss on his album Split Personality.

The "Mayor of the Sunset Strip" soundtrack features contributions from some of the movie's stars, including David Bowie, Courtney Love, the Ramones, Alice Cooper, Chris Martin and even the subject of the film himself: Rodney Bingenheimer. And in other movie news, the soundtrack to Jim Carrey's new flick, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," features tracks by Beck, the Polyphonic Spree and the Willows.

David Byrne's quirky Grown Backwards ranges from opera — a duet with Rufus Wainwright — to a cover of Lambchop's "The Man Who Loved Beer." Meanwhile, Joe Jackson's Live: Afterlife cozies up next to Jackson Browne's The Very Best Of and Finley Quaye's Much More Than Love, with songs written by William Orbit and featuring Beth Orton.

And Jimmy Eat World frontman Jim Adkins represents for the Grand Canyon State, releasing fellow Arizona emo rockers Rubens Accomplice's latest, The Bull, the Balloon, and the Family, on his Western Tread label.

Out Tuesday, March 16:

• 36 Crazyfists - A Snow-Capped Romance (Roadrunner)
• Claudia Acuna - Luna (Max Jazz)
• Jason Anderson - New England (K)
• Ativin - Night Mute (Secretly Canadian)
• Beauty Pill - The Unsustainable Lifestyle (Dischord)
• Before the Dawn - My Darkness (Locomotive Music)
• Big Tymers - Big Money Heavyweight: The Screwed and Chopped Album (Universal)
  Buy Now: Big Money Heavyweight: The Screwed and Chopped Album (Universal)
• Blithe Sons - Arm of the Starfish (Family Vineyard)
• Jackson Browne - The Very Best Of (Elektra)
• Burd Early - Mind and Mother (Western Vinyl)
• David Byrne - Grown Backwards (Nonesuch)
• Calliope - Sounds Like Circles Feel (Thick)
• Cassidy - Split Personality (Full Surface/J)
• Coffin Lids - Rock 'n' Roll (Bomp!)
• Coma Star - Headroom of Conscience (Locomotive Music)
• Cropknox - Rock and Rot (Punkcore)
• Catie Curtis - Dreaming in Romance Languages (Vanguard)
• Grey DeLisle - The Graceful Ghost (Sugar Hill)
• Denial tha Danksta - Six Figure Dropout (Elephant Size)
• Gibson Brothers - Long Way Back Home (Sugar Hill)
• Gipsy Kings - Roots (Nonesuch)
• Godsmack - The Other Side (Republic)
  Read: "Godsmack Travel To The Other Side For New EP"
  Buy Now: The Other Side (Republic)
• Fred Hersch Trio - Fred Hersch Trio + 2 (Palmetto)
• Hunns - Long Legs Die Hunns (Disaster)
• Irish Tenors - Heritage (Razor & Tie)
• Joe Jackson - Live: Afterlife (Rykodisc)
• Simon Joyner - Lost With the Lights on (Jagjaguwar)
• Rebecca Luker - Leaving Home (PS Classics)
• New Black - New Black (Thick)
• Ozric Tentacles - Spirals in Hyperspace (Magna Carta)
• Finley Quaye - Much More Than Much Love (Sony)
• Rasputina - Frustration Plantation (Instinct)
• Enrico Rava - Easy Living (ECM)
• Dan Reeder - Dan Reeder (Oh Boy)
• Reubens Accomplice - The Bull, the Balloon, and the Family (Western Tread)
• Tad Robinson - Did You Ever Wonder? (Severn)
• Seventh Key - The Raging Fire (Inside Out)
• Shearwater - Winged Life (Misra)
• Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans (Sounds Familyre)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: September 5, 2003 Morrison, CO (SCI Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: September 6, 2003 Morrison, CO (SCI Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: October 4, 2003 Philadelphia, PA (SCI Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: December 8, 2003 Redwood City, CA (SCI Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: December 14, 2003 Vancouver, BC (SCI Fidelity)
• Threshold - Extinct Instinct (Inside Out)
• Gibb Todd - Goin' Home (Compass)
• Ute - Ute (Ark 21)
• Vivisick/Mukeka Di Rato - Vivisick/Mukeka Di Rato (split LP, Sound Pollution)
• Richard Youngs - River Through Howling Sky (Jagjaguwar)
• Various artists - Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics (Walt Disney)
• Various artists - Beethoven's Wig 2: More Sing Along Symphonies (Rounder)
• Various artists - "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists - "Mayor of the Sunset Strip" soundtrack (Shout! Factory)
• Various artists - Six Degrees 100 (Six Degrees)
• DVD: Marc Anthony - The Concert From Madison Square Garden (Columbia)
• DVD: R.E.M. - Perfect Square (Warner Bros.)

March 23:

• N.E.R.D. - Fly or Die (Virgin)
  Read: "N.E.R.D. Step Up Their Game On Fly Or Die, Reminisce About Teen Years"
  Buy Now: Fly or Die (Virgin)
• Usher - Confessions (LaFace)
  Read: "Usher Lets Skeletons Out Of The Closet On Confessions"
  Buy Now: Confessions (LaFace)
• Vines - Winning Days (Capitol)
  Read: "Vines Saddle Up And 'Ride' To End Of The World"
• Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 15 (Capitol)

March 30:

• Aerosmith - Honkin' on Bobo (Sony)
  Read: "Aerosmith Blues Album Inspired By Bike Crashes And Funny Phrases"
• Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series 6: Concert at Philharmonic Hall (Sony)
• Janet Jackson - Damita Jo (Virgin)
  Read: "Janet Jackson Making Sexiest Album Yet, Producer Says"
  Buy Now: Damita Jo (Virgin)
• Various artists - Music From "The O.C." Mix 1 (Warner Bros.)

April 6:

• Barry Manilow - 2 Nights Live (BMG)
• Paul Oakenfold - Greatest Remixes (Topaz)
• Tamia - Still (Elektra)

April 13:

• Various artists - "Kill Bill 2" soundtrack (Maverick)

April 20:

• Hanson - Underneath (3CG)

May 4:

• Kimberley Locke - One Love (Curb)
  Read: " 'American Idol' Finalist Kimberley Locke Is Radio's '8th Wonder'"

• The Big Tymers
• Godsmack
• Cassidy
• David Byrne
• Jackson Browne

Dave Matthews (file)
Photo: RCA

Dave Matthews, Maroon 5, Kings of Leon and former Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson are among the dozens of artists slated for the three-day Bonnaroo festival.

Part of one of the most eclectic lineups of the summer concert season, they join Bob Dylan, the Dead, Wilco, Damien Rice, Grandaddy, Cut Chemist, David Byrne, the Black Keys, Willie Nelson, moe., Ani DiFranco, Yo La Tengo, My Morning Jacket and String Cheese Incident at the third annual festival, which will again be held on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville, on June 11-13.

Thirty other artists are confirmed thus far, according to a tour spokesperson. Additions are expected to be announced in the coming weeks to bring the total number of acts to more than 60.

Matthews is being billed as "with friends," a crop of pals that will include Trey Anastasio, who's also on board as a solo act. The Phish guitarist played with Matthews on his most recent outing.

More than 80,000 fans came out for last year's festival, 2003's second-highest-grossing concert at a single venue. Its more than $11.5 million was second only to the $38.6 million that Bruce Springsteen raked in from his sold-out 10-show run at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

As in previous years, the show will be filmed for a "Live From Bonnaroo" DVD, expected to drop this fall.

Tickets for the event go on sale February 21.

• Dave Matthews
• Maroon 5
• Bob Dylan
• Wilco
• Damien Rice

Phish's<BR>Trey Anastasio
Photo: VH1

The nominations for the second annual Jammys were announced Monday, and to no self-respecting jam fan's surprise, Phish lead the pack with six nods.

The Vermont quartet earned the right to compete in the prestigious Jam of the Year category with nominations stemming from May 22 "Ghost/Rock and Roll" jam and their Independence Day ad-libbing on "Gotta Jibboo," according to a spokesperson for the awards show. Phish's 10th LP, Farmhouse, will also compete for Studio Album of the Year against releases by the Disco Biscuits (They Missed the Perfume), Medeski Martin & Wood (The Dropper) and Ratdog (Evening Moods), among others.

Nipping at Phish's fins are moe. and the String Cheese Incident, with five nominations apiece, including moe.'s Dither receiving a nod for Release of the Year and two SCI concerts (July 17 and December 21) vying for Live Performance of the Year.

Presented by Jambands.com, Relix magazine and New York activist center/music club the Wetlands Preserve,..." the Jammys ceremony is scheduled for June 28 at New York's Roseland Ballroom. The Derek Trucks Band will serve as the house band, and additional performers are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, the spokesperson said.

Last year's Jammys were held at Irving Plaza, a smaller venue, and were highlighted by collaborative performances from Frogwings (with blues songstress Susan Tedeschi), Soulive (with guitarist John Scofield) and the Disco Biscuits (with Primus bassist Les Claypool). Winners included Phish, the Disco Biscuits, the Grateful Dead and moe.

"Last year we threw a great party, but this year we're going to step things up," Jambands.com Editor in Chief Dean Budnick and Wetlands owner Peter Shapiro said in a statement. "We will be taking the event to the next level in order to pay due tribute to the majesty and might of improvisational music."

• Phish
• moe.
• The String Cheese Incident
• The Disco Biscuits
• Medeski Martin & Wood