Kurupt (file)
Photo: MGM

A Death Row rapper, a tiny Aussie pop star and a wild-maned songstress lead the pack of new releases this week.

Kurupt made his rap debut on Dr. Dre's 1992 album, The Chronic, and guested on a smattering of Death Row releases, including Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle, which led to his collaboration with Snoop in Tha Dogg Pound. While his three solo albums have met with middling success, the persistent rapper is going for the gold again this week with Against the Grain.

Locomotion-ing into stores is "Body Language Live," a concert DVD from pint-sized Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue. The show was filmed at London's Hammersmith Apollo in November 2003 and features the singer performing hits like "Love at First Sight" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head."

Helium-voiced R&B singer Macy Gray releases her first greatest-hits album, The Very Best of Macy Gray, which includes tracks from her three studio albums as well as her most recent single, a cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way."

Silkk the Shocker, brother of Master P and C-Murder, released his debut, The Shocker, in 1996 and has appeared on numerous albums by No Limit artists. Based on a True Story, the rapper's fourth solo record, hits stores this week.

Power-pop revivalist Matthew Sweet releases his ninth album, Living Things, this week, while Jill Sobule, best known for her 1995 hit "I Kissed a Girl," unleashes Underdog Victorious. Smooth-voiced R&B singer Anita Baker, who hasn't released an album since 1994's Rhythm of Love gets back into the game with My Everything.

Two-man rock band the Black Keys release their third effort, Rubber Factory, while indie-rockers Radio 4 deliver their third as well, Stealing of a Nation.

Also out this week are albums by veteran metal outfit Dio (Master of the Moon), DJ Paul van Dyk (Perfect Remixes Vol. 2), jamming jazzers Medeski Martin & Wood (End of the World Party [Just in Case]), former Replacements leader Paul Westerberg (Folker), and rockers Senses Fail, who release their debut full-length, Let It Enfold You.

Out Tuesday, September 7:

• Amon Amath - Fate of Norns (Metal Blade)
• Anita Baker - My Everything (Blue Note)
• Patricia Barber - Live: A Fortnight in France (Blue Note)
• The Black Keys - Rubber Factory (Fat Possum/ Epitaph)
• The Break - Handbook for the Hopeless (Ferret)
• Greg Brown - In the Hills of California (Red House)
• John Cale - HoboSapiens (Or Music)
• Bob Carpenter - The Sun, the Moon & the Stars (Favored Nations)
• Roger Creager - Live Across Texas (DualTone)
• D.O.A. - Live Free or Die (Sudden Death)
• Krishna Das - Greatest Hits of the Kali Yuga (Karuna)
• Ram Dass - Meditations on the Gita (Karuna)
• Daz - I Got Love in These Streetz (Red Urban)
• Dio - Master of the Moon (Sanctuary)
• DJ Krush - Jaku (Red Ink)
• Julie Doiron - Goodnight Nobody (Jagjaguwar)
• Big Joe Duskin - Big Joe Jumps Again! (Yellow Dog)
• The Exit - Home for an Island (Some)
• Ustad Faiyaz/ Kahn Sahib - Golden Shadows (Dunya)
• Fear Before the March of Flames - Art Damage (Equal Vision)
• Gabriel & Dresden - Bloom (Nettwerk)
• Bade Ghulan/ Ali Khan - Regal Resonance (Dunya)
• Girlyman - Remember Who I Am (Daemon)
• Macy Gray - The Very Best of Macy Gray (Epic)
• Hanalei - We're All Natural Disasters (Thick)
• Hi-5 - Jump & Jive with Hi-5 (Koch)
• Seth Horan - Conduit (Benchmark)
• Jack Irons - Attention Dimension (Breaching Whale)
• Alan Jackson - What I Do (Arista Nashville)
• David Jacobs-Strain - Ocean or a Teardrop (Northern Blues)
• Will Johnson - Vultures Await (Misra)
• Vic Juris - Blue Horizon (Zoho)
• Mike Keneally and Metropole Orkest - The Universe Will Provide (Favored Nations)
• Kill Radio - Raised on Whipped Cream (Columbia)
• Kurupt - Against the Grain (Death Row)
• Tim Lee - No Discretion (Paisley Pop)
• Jens Lekman - When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog (Secretly Canadian)
• Janiva Magness - Bury Him at the Crossroads (Northern Blues)
• Christine McVie - In the Meantime (Koch)
• Medeski Martin & Wood - End of the World Party (Just in Case) (Blue Note)
• Jane Monheit - Taking a Chance on Love (Sony Classical)
• Jean-Michel Pilc - Follow Me (Dreyfus)
• Chuck Prophet - The Age of Miracles (New West)
• Radio 4 - Stealing of a Nation (Astralwerks)
• Jason Ringenberg - Empire Builders (Yep Roc)
• Riptyde - Sonic Undertow (Alternity)
• Senses Fail - Let It Enfold You (Vagrant)
• Kierra Kiki Sheard - I Owe You (Chordant)
• Silkk the Shocker - Based on a True Story (Koch)
• Jill Sobule - Underdog Victorious (Artemis)
• Bill Staines - Journey Home (Red House)
• Matthew Sweet - Living Things (Racm)
• This Day & Age - Always Leave the Ground (One Eleven)
• Artie Traum - Acoustic Jazz Guitar (Roaring Stream)
• Trio Mundo - Rides Again (Zoho)
• Truth Enola - 6 O'Clock Straight (Solid)
• Underminded - Hail Unamerican! (Kung Fu)
• Paul van Dyk - Perfect Remixes Vol. 2 (Warlock)
• Dr. Allean Verando - I'm a Whosoever (Gar)
• Claudia Villela and Kenny Werner - Dreamtales (Adventure)
• Vollmar - 13 or So People Who Need Chances (Bluesanct)
• Paul Westerberg - Folker (Vagrant)
• Jesse Colin Young - Living in Paradise (Artemis)
• Various artists - Code of the Streets, Vol. 1 (Koch)
• Various artists - Judgement Day: Songs of Robert Johnson (Warlock)
• Various artists - Vancouver Complication (Sudden Death)
• Various artists - Who's America (System)
• DVD: Kylie Minogue - "Body Language Live" (Capitol)
• DVD: Various artists - "Peepshow III" (Fat Wreck)

• Nelly - Sweat (Fo' Reel/ Universal)
• Nelly - Suit (Fo' Reel/ Universal)
  Read: "Nelly's Double Dose Features Mase, X-tina And ... Tim McGraw?"
• Tears for Fears - Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (Hip-O)
• Prodigy - Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (Maverick)
  Read: "Twista, Kool Keith, Juliette Lewis Smack Up New Prodigy LP"

• Green Day - American Idiot (Warner)
  Read: "Green Day Make Bold Statement About Their Homeland On American Idiot"
• Ben Harper & the Blind Boys of Alabama - There Will Be a Light (Virgin)
• Shadows Fall - War Within (Century Media)
• Keb' Mo' - Peace ... Back by Popular Demand (Sony)

• Brian Wilson - Smile (Nonesuch)
• Joss Stone - Mind, Body & Soul (S-Curve)
• Hilary Duff - Hilary Duff (Hollywood)
• Queen Latifah - The Dana Owens Album (Interscope)

• Kurupt
• Kylie Minogue
• Macy Gray
• Matthew Sweet

They're back on the road, have re-released a good chunk of their catalog and they have a new-ish double album out this week. While it's true that only one of those activities requires the group to actually do anything, it's also true that the Rolling Stones are showing no signs of slowing down.

Forty Licks, a compilation featuring the band's most popular songs hits shelves alongside a compilation from a less venerable, though still popular group: the "American Idol" gang.

"American Idol" Greatest Moments includes some of the unforgettable individual performances from the TV show, plus a special collabo track: "California Dreamin'" by the Finalists. And don't think you can get away from Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This" and "Before Your Love," because they're on the CD, too.

Xzibit returns with his Man Vs. Machine, while Good Charlotte's The Young & the Hopeless debuts in addition to Floetry's Floetic and Elvis Costello & the Imposters' tour CD Cruel Smile unofficially subtitled: "Studio Mysteries, Airshots, Dub Mixes and World Tour Performances."

Another new release with an impossibly long and enigmatic title is the Flaming Lips' The Day They Shot a Hole in the Jesus Egg - The Priest Driven Ambulance Album, Demos and Outtakes, featuring music from the band's first eight years together, while rocker Matthew Sweet has a similar LP, simply called To Understand: The Early Recordings of Matthew Sweet. Sweet.

Out Tuesday, October 1:

• 3rd Storee - Get With Me (Def Jam)
• Advent - Sketched for Life (EFA-CAR)
• Blondie - Greatest Hits (Chrysalis)
• Blue States - Man Mountain (ELS)
• Joe "King" Carrasco - Joe "King" Carrasco (Tornado)
• Cassius - Au Rêve (Astralwerks)
• Cherrie Blue - Chemical Messiah (Underground Inc.)
• Elvis Costello & the Imposters - Cruel Smile (Island)
• Darkane - Expanding Senses (Nuclear Blast)
• Daylight Dies - No Reply (Relapse)
• Digger - Keystone (Hopeless)
• Discount - Singles Collection Vol. 2 (New American Dream)
• DJ Vadim - U.S.S.R. The Art of Listening (Ninja Tune)
• Downthesun - Downthesun (Roadrunner)
• Dzihan & Kamien - Gran Riserva (Six Degrees)
• Electrochemie LK - Gold! (Radikal)
• Feel - Feel (Curb)
• The Flaming Lips - The Day They Shot a Hole in the Jesus Egg - The Priest Driven Ambulance Album, Demos and Outtakes (Restless)
• Floetry - Floetic (DreamWorks)
  Read: "Floetry Bring London Vibe To Philly Soul Movement"
   
• Good Charlotte - The Young & the Hopeless (Epic)
  Read: "Good Charlotte Shoot Vid With 'NSYNC, Tenacious D Members"
     Buy Now: The Young and the Hopeless (Epic/ Sony)
• Hate Eternal - King of All Kings (Earache)
• Homunculus - Words (Megaforce)
• Isyss - Way We Do (Arista)
  
• Junction 18 - Heroes From the Future (EP, Fearless)
• Mark Knopfler - Ragpicker's Dream (Warner Bros.)
• Bobby Konders and Massive Sounds - Lost Era in NYC (EFA-CAR)
• Less than Jake - Pezcore: Remixed and Remastered (Fueled by Ramen)
• Life in a Blender - Tell Me I'm Pretty (Fang)
• Midwikid - Something Wikid This Way Comes (Arista)
• Necrophobic - Bloodhymns (Hammerheart)
• Pork Tornado - Pork Tornado (Rykodisc)
• Primordial - Storm Before Calm (Hammerheart)
• Relativez - Snoop Dogg Presents: The Takeover (AMC)
• Bill Ricchini - Ordinary Time (Megaforce)
• Kim Richey - Rise (Lost Highway)
• Leann Rimes - Twisted Angel (Curb)
  Read: "LeAnn Rimes Talks Sex Over Techno Beat On Twisted New Album
• Rolling Stones - Forty Licks (Virgin)
   
• Michael Schenker - Thank You 3 (Shrapnel)
• Sissel - Sissel (Decca)
• Slightly Stoopid - Acoustic Roots (Megaforce)
• Sourvein - Will to Mangle (Southern Lord)
• Squarepusher - Do You Know Squarepusher? (Warp)
• Stavesacre - Stavesacre (Nitro)
• Sting/The Police - The Very Best of Sting and the Police 2002 (Universal TV)
• Stroke 9 - Rip It Off (Universal)
• Matthew Sweet - To Understand: The Early Recordings of Matthew Sweet (Hip-O)
• Thievery Corporation - Richest Man in Babylon (ESL)
• Thyrfing - Vansinnesvisor (Hammerheart)
• Steve Von Till - If I Should Fall to the Field (Neurot)
• Tino - Tino's Breaks Hallowe'en Dub Vol. 6 (Tino Corp.)
• Various artists - '90s Pop Hits (Sony)
• Various artists - "American Idol" Greatest Moments (RCA)
  Read: "'American Idol' CD To Feature Four Kelly Clarkson Numbers"
• Various artists - Amiata: Milano Lounge (Amiata)
• Various artists - Love Songs (Sony)
• Various artists - New Wave Hits of the '70s and '80s (Sony)
• Various artists - Pop and Soul Divas (Sony)
• Various artists - Rebirth of the Heavy (Music Cartel)
• Various artists - Soul Hits of the '70s (Sony)
• Various artists - Soul Hits of the '80s (Sony)
• Various artists - Ultra Trance Vol. 1 (Ultra)
• Xzibit - Man Vs. Machine (Sony)
  Read: "Xzibit Clip Has Bus With Stripper Pole But 'Nothing Corny' "
   

• The Apples in Stereo - Velocity of Sound (SpinART)
• Bon Jovi - Bounce (Mercury)
  Read: "Bon Jovi Album Preview: The Real Meets The Ideal"
   
• Ben Folds - Ben Folds Live (Epic)
• Jennifer Love Hewitt - Barenaked (Jive)
  Read: "In Jennifer Love Hewitt's Latest Role She's 'Bare Naked' "
     Buy Now: Barenaked (Jive)
    First Listen: Jennifer Love Hewitt - Barenaked
• Jurassic 5 - Power in Numbers (Interscope)
  Read: "Nelly Furtado, Big Daddy Kane On New Jurassic 5 Album"
     Buy Now: Power in Numbers (Interscope)
   First Listen: Jurassic 5 - Power in Numbers
• Sinead O'Connor - Sean-Nos Nua (ARC)
• Soft Cell - Cruelty Without Beauty (Cooking Vinyl)
• Tahiti 80 - Wallpaper for the Soul (Minty Fresh)
• Various artists - Rise Above (2.13.61/Sanctuary)
  Read: "Rollins Raises Black Flag To Salute West Memphis Three"

• LL Cool J - Ten (Def Jam)
  Read: "LL Cool J Has No Butterflies, Gives Ladies Extra Love In New Video"

• Adema - Insomniac's Dream (EP, Arista)
• Toni Braxton - TBD (Arista)
  Read: "Toni Braxton Making 'Hit After Hit,' Rodney Jerkins Promises"
    Buy Now: TBD (Arista)
• The Donnas - Spend the Night (Atlantic)
• Foo Fighters - One by One (RCA)
  Read: "Foo Fighters Cross The Rock Line On One By One
    
• Kelly Rowland - Simply Deep (Columbia)
  Read: "Kelly Rowland Moves Into 'Leave It To Beaver' House"
• Saint Etienne - Finisterre (Mantra/Beggars)
• Santana - Shaman (Arista)
  Read: "Michelle Branch Plays Romantic 'Game' With Santana"
    Buy Now: Shaman (Arista)
• SR-71 - Tomorrow (RCA)
• Various artists - Metal Blade 20th Anniversary (Metal Blade)
• Various artists - "Paid in Full" soundtrack (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
• WC - Ghetto Heisman (Def Jam)

• Christina Aguilera - Stripped (RCA)
  Read: "Christina Aguilera: Not Your Puppet"
• Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk (Epic)
  Read: "Tori Amos Writes Scarlet Letters, Draws Tour Map"
• Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Thug World Order (Epic)
• Nick Carter - Now or Never (Jive)
  Read: "Nick Carter Album A Trip Back To The '80s"
• Shaggy - Lucky Day (MCA)
• Sigur Ros - Untitled (MCA)
• Too Short - What's My Favorite Word? (Jive)
  Read: Too Short Gets Serious (About Pimpin') On New Album"
• Various artists - "8 Mile" soundtrack (Shady/Aftermath) Read: " '8 Mile' Soundtrack To Include Cuts From Jay-Z, Eminem, Nas"

• Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed the Fish? (Artistdirect)
• Björk - Björk's Greatest Hits (Elektra)
• David Cross - Shut Up, You F — -ing Baby! (Sub Pop) Read: "David Cross Says Shut Up, You F — -ing Baby! With Sub Pop's Help"
• David Gray - A New Day at Midnight (ATO)
  Read: "In Bed With Your Daughter? No Thanks, Says David Gray"
• Ms. Jade - Girl Interrupted (Beat Club/Interscope)
  Read: "Ms. Jade, Nelly Furtado Battle Timbaland On Video Set"
• Jaheim - Still Ghetto (Divine Mill/Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Jaheim Shooting For 10 Million With Still Ghetto"
• Jay-Z - The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
• Third Eye Blind - Crystal Baller (Elektra)
  Read: "Third Eye Blind Recruit Fred Durst, Andrew W.K. For Third Album"
• Justin Timberlake - Justified (Jive)
  Read: "Dirty South Pop: Timberlake Teams Up With Bubba Sparxxx"
• Twista - Kamikaze (Atlantic)
  Read: "Twista Finishing His Kamikaze, Playing Mickey And Mallory With Lil' Kim"
• The Wallflowers - Red Letter Days (Interscope)

• 3 Doors Down - Away From the Sun (Universal)
• Crazy Town - Darkhorse (Columbia)
  Read: "Crazy Town Take On All Comers With Darkhorse"
• Fat Joe - Loyalty (Atlantic)
  Read: "Fat Joe Won't Dance With Ginuwine, But Records With R. Kelly"
• Kool G Rap - The Giancana Story (Rawkus/Koch)
  Read: "Kool G Rap LP Finally On The Way, Capone-N-Noreaga, Michael Stipe Included"
• O-Town - O2 (J)
  Read: "O2 Gives Members Of O-Town Room To Breathe, Write"
   Buy Now: O2 (J)
• Pearl Jam - Riot Act (Epic)
  Read: "Pearl Jam Finalize Riot Act, Plan More Live Albums"
• Saliva - Back Into Your System (Island)
  Read: "Saliva Shoot Down Domestic Abuse On New Single 'Always' "
• TLC - 3D (Arista)
  Read: "TLC Album Preview: 3D Tributes Left Eye With Sass, Spunk, Silence"
• U2 - U2 - The Best of 1990-2000 (Interscope)
• Various artists - "Die Another Day" soundtrack (Warner Bros.)
  Read: Madonna Escapes Electric Chair, Engages In Deadly Duel"
• Various artists - We're a Happy Family (DV8/Columbia)
  Read: "Rob Zombie Finalizes Ramones Tribute With Last-Minute Adds"

• Audioslave - Audioslave (Epic)
  Read: "Rage/Cornell Project To Release Album In November"
• Foxy Brown - Ill Na Na 2: The Fever (Def Jam)
  Read: "P. Diddy In Director's Chair For Ill Na Na 2"
• George Harrison - Brainwashed (Dark Horse/Capitol)
• Ja Rule - The Last Temptation (Murder Inc./Def Jam)
  Read: Ja Rule, Bobby Brown Team Up For 'Thug Lovin' "
• Nas - God's Son (Columbia)
  Read: "Nas Sets Release For God's Son, Pooh-Poohs Jay-Z's Challenge"
• Matchbox Twenty - More Than You Think You Are (Atlantic)
• Mudvayne - The End of All Things to Come (Epic)
  Read: "Mudvayne Reach The End With New Album"

• Baby - The Birdman (Cash Money)
  Read: "Cash Money's Baby Makes Video Plans With P. Diddy, Toni Braxton"
• DJ Envy - Block Party (Epic)
• Jennifer Lopez - This Is Me ... Then (Epic)
  Read: "J. Lo Sets Release Date For LP After Song Leaks Out"
• Sum 41 - Does This Look Infected? (Island)
  Read: "Sum 41 Ask, Does This Look Infected?"
• Various artists - "Chicago" soundtrack (Epic)
  Read: "Janet Jackson To Appear On LP With Mya ... And Richard Gere"

• Charli Baltimore - The Diary (You Think You Know)
  (Murder Inc./Def Jam) Read: "Charli Baltimore's Working All Night And Needs Pink"

• Mariah Carey - TBD (MonarC/Island/Def Jam)

• Xzibit
• The Rolling Stones
• Floetry
• Blondie
• Elvis Costello

Paul McCartney
Photo: Kevin Mazur

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hanson
Photo: Island

The Hanson brothers know that their teen-idol looks and impeccable hooks, along with their unsettling habit of, like, playing guitars, make them an anomaly in the pop-music world of 2001.

But as Hanson begin work on their third full-fledged major-label album, they don't feel trapped between pop and rock — they just feel free. And if you don't like it — well, they don't give an mmmbop.

"People have so many misconceptions about the band, and we don't care," lead singer Taylor Hanson said Monday from the brothers' family home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "It's always cool to challenge yourselves. In some ways it liberates you to have people go, 'You suck.'" But while some older listeners may hold a grudge against Hanson for giving the world "MMMBop," and younger ones may have been perplexed by the roots-rock of last year's This Time Around, the band has more than its share of fans among fellow musicians.

They've already teamed up with power-popster Matthew Sweet to write one song for possible inclusion on their new album, and they may bring him back to co-write more, according to Taylor's brother, guitarist Isaac Hanson. The song they wrote, a midtempo ballad called "Underneath" — one of more than 30 songs Hanson have penned for the new album — came together easily.

"This writing experience with Matthew was so successful that we joked that I hate to try it again because it can only be a downer from there, because we wrote this song in four hours," Isaac said. "He had friends coming over that night at 8, and we showed up at 4 and were actually kind of late, so we started chatting with him, and he said, 'I have this chord progression for a verse,' and we're like, 'Wow, that's really cool,' and we just kind of went from there." The brothers said they also hope to do some co-writing with piano guy Ben Folds, as well as with former Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, who was originally slated to produce This Time Around but left the project early on.

No matter which collaborators they ultimately choose, the brothers hope to build a bridge between the pure pop of 1997's Middle of Nowhere and their more rock-edged current sound.

"I'm never gonna be afraid of a really good pop song — I'm a fan of that great song that just gets in your head," Taylor said, citing the guitar-pop nugget "Runaway Run" from their last album as an example of the sound he's pursuing for the new one.

Taylor and Isaac, along with Hanson's third member, drummer Zac Hanson, have just begun recording sessions for the disc, laying down tracks with producer Bob Marlette, whose credits range from Tracy Chapman to Black Sabbath. But they ultimately hope to use several producers for the new album, which is slated for release before the end of the year.

While This Time Around was a commercial disappointment, the brothers said that they're more concerned with improving their chops and gaining respect than with climbing back up the charts.

"I think we're in a really weird place as a band because we are a band, and we always have been, but a lot of people don't realize that," Taylor said. "I want people to hear the name Hanson and think credible, musical, creative music. That's what people should think 'cause that's what it is — it's just about the music."

• Hanson
• Ben Folds
• Matthew Sweet

Canada's Delerium is currently finishing up a new album which features guest vocals from Matthew Sweet, Sixpence None The Richer frontwoman Leigh Nash, and the Mediaeval Baebes, among others.

Delerium, an ambient pop project conceived and anchored by Bill Leeb with occasional help from his former Front Line Assembly bandmate Rhys Fulber and longtime studio cohort Greg Reely, has recorded close to a dozen albums since its inception in 1986, mostly for the Nettwerk label.

Nettwerk is the Canadian home of Sarah McLachlan, who teamed up with Delerium for the club hit "Silence," which was released on Delerium's 1997 album "Karma." Remixes of the song were recently packaged on a commercial single in the U.S. with a new Delerium track, "Aria," that features the U.K's Mediaeval Baebes.

Currently "Silence," which was prominently featured in the trailer and on the soundtrack for the 1999 film "Brokedown Palace," is enjoying overseas airplay, with the single sitting at number three on the U.K. singles chart.

The new Delerium album, titled "Poem," is due out on November 21 through Nettwerk America and will include the group's first-ever collaboration with a male vocalist, Sweet.

• Sixpence None The Richer
• Matthew Sweet

Aspiring new actors, directors, and producers will descend upon Park City, Utah beginning this week for the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, and Third Eye Blind, Matthew Sweet, and Sixpence None The Richer will all participate in the fest's music event.

-- David Basham

• Sixpence None The Richer
• Matthew Sweet
• Third Eye Blind

Matthew Sweet fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of his next album, "In Reverse," due in stores on October 12. However, if one more weekend without Sweet's latest music is too much to bear, you're in luck: the singer's Web site, at www.matthewsweet.com, launches on Friday, October 8, and the entire album will be available for streaming in the RealAudio format.

• 10/24 - Santa Fe, NM @ Paramount
• 10/25 - Dallas, TX @ Curtain Club
• 10/26 - New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues
• 10/27 - Atlanta, GA @ Cotton Club
• 10/28 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
• 10/29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theater Of The Living Arts
• 10/30 - Hartford, CT @ TBD
• 11/1 - Boston, MA @ Paradise
• 11/2 - New York, NY @ The Bottom Line
• 11/3 - Baltimore, MD @ Recher Theater
• 11/6 - Columbus, OH @ TBD
• 11/7 - Pontiac, MI @ 7th House
• 11/8 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
• 11/9 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
• 11/11 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
• 11/12 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Zephyr
• 11/15 - Seattle, WA @ ARO Space
• 11/16 - Portland, OR @ Berbatis Pan
• 11/17 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
• 11/18 - Los Angeles, CA @ TBD

• Matthew Sweet

It's been two years since Matthew Sweet's last effort, 1997's "Blue Sky On Mars," and now the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is returning with "In Reverse," an album that sees Sweet using a new sonic approach.

• Matthew Sweet

Electronic music pioneer Clara Rockmore died peacefully at her New York City home on Sunday following a recent stroke.

The 87-year-old Rockmore was the world's first and foremost virtuoso of the theremin, one of the very first synthesizers ever invented. The instrument has been featured most prominantly by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page (see the concert flick "The Song Remains the Same"), the Beach Boys ("Good Vibrations"), the Pixies ("Velouria"), Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Matthew Sweet (see "Matthew Sweet Branches Out On New Album").

Rockmore was a classically trained violinist before mastering the theremin, which is played without actually touching the instrument as its eerie wail is controlled by radio waves emanating from antennas. Rockmore was featured in a 1995 documentary on the instrument's Russian inventor, Leon Theremin.

• Clara Rockmore
• Jimmy Page
• The Beach Boys
• The Pixies
• Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Wilco and Sister Hazel are the latest bands to hop on-board an upcoming tribute album to power pop pioneers Big Star that already boasts the Afghan Whigs, Matthew Sweet, R.E.M.'s Mike Mills and Gin Blossoms among others.

Big Star drummer Jody Stephens has been working on the album, titled "BIG STARsmall world," for years, and since we first reported on the tribute in November of 1996, Wilco has handed over a version of "Thirteen" and Sister Hazel entered Ardent Studios in Memphis (where Stephens now works) to record "September Girls."

"It's interesting to hear how the songs hold up under different musical interpretations," Stephens told MTV News Online of the project. He said that after a year of mostly paperwork, the album may see the light of day this summer on Ignition Records, but the label says that no release date has been set yet.

Stephens also said that Big Star may get together for a few shows when the album is released.

During Big Star's brief run from 1972 to 1978, the band crafted a sound that influenced bands from the Replacements to R.E.M. Many of those who worship at the alter of Big Star will turn up on "BIG STARsmall world." Here's what you'll find:

• Afghan Whigs - "Nightime"
• The Posies - "What's Goin Ahn"
• The Gin Blossoms - "Back of a Car"
• Kelly Willis - "When My Baby's Beside Me"
• Whiskeytown - "Give Me Another Chance"
• Teenage Fanclub - "Jesus Christ"
• Juliana Hatfield - "Don't Lie To Me
• Matthew Sweet w/ R.E.M.'s Mike Mills - "Ballad of El Goodo"
• The Idle Wilds - "You Get What You Deserve"
• Wilco - "Thirteen"
• Sister Hazel - "September Girls"
• Big Star - "Hot Thing"

• Big Star
• R.E.M.
• Sister Hazel
• Matthew Sweet
• Wilco