Hilary Duff
Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

Hilary Duff has racked up her share of screen and radio hits, but when it came to the Billboard albums chart, she was never a bona fide #1, as her first two albums — 2003's Metamorphosis and 2004's self-titled outing — both debuted at #2.

Most Wanted — a compilation disc mixing Duff's biggest hits with current "TRL" favorite "Wake Up" and other new tracks — lived up to its name its first week out. The collection sold close to 208,000 copies to become Duff's best-performing debut and opens as Billboard's #1 album, edging out country singer Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted and Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi, according to the latest SoundScan figures.

Paisley's latest debuts at #2, with scans of nearly 193,000, followed by Mimi, which moved close to 109,000 copies this time out and has sold more than 3 million copies over its 19 weeks in release. Coming in right behind Mariah — with more than 108,000 week-five scans — is the 19th installment in the Now That's What I Call Music! franchise, featuring tracks from Eminem, Gwen Stefani, Destiny's Child and Coldplay.

The week's third-best debut belongs to Omaha, Nebraska, funk-rock outfit 311, whose eighth studio effort, Don't Tread on Me, takes the chart's #5 with first-week sales of more than 91,000. The album is topped in 311's chart history by 1997's Transistor, which moved more than 128,000 copies and came in at #4 its first week out.

The Black Eyed Peas' Monkey Business grabs #6 this time around, moving more than 82,000 copies. Staind's Chapter V, last week's #1, took a 59 percent drop in sales, hitting #7 with over 76,000 scans. Faith Hill's Fireflies comes in at #8 with close to 73,000 scans, followed by Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway, which sold over 62,000 copies to capture #9. Young Jeezy's Let's Get It moved 61,000 units, taking the chart's #10 slot.

The Killers' Hot Fuss jumps 18 chart positions this week to #11 with 60,000 scans — an 88 percent sales spike. Coldplay's X&Y falls five spots to #12 with sales of 59,000 and change, followed by Green Day's American Idiot, which sold more than 52,000 copies last week and has moved over 4 million since its release.

The latest outing from the Gorillaz, Demon Days, takes this week's #14 with close to 52,000 scans, just in front of the debut disc from the Click Five, Greetings From Imerie House, which opens at #15 with first-week sales of nearly 52,000. Country trio Rascal Flatts takes the chart's #16, moving more than 51,000 copies of their latest, Feels Like Today, followed by Fall Out Boy's From Under the Cork Tree, which netted week-16 scans of close to 49,000. Bow Wow's Wanted follows at #18 with sales of more than 45,000. Sugarland's Twice The Speed Of Life is it at #19 with 44,000 scans, and #20 finisher Gwen Stefani's Love, Angel, Music, Baby sold more than 43,000 copies.

The chart is teeming with noteworthy debuts, including Taproot's Blue-Sky Research at #33 with close to 28,000 scans, Silverstein's Discovering the Waterfront at #34 with 26,000 plus sales, and singing sisters Aly and AJ's debut disc Into the Rush at #36, with 24,000 scans. 10 Years' Autumn Effect takes #72 with 14,000 copies sold, while the Soopa Villianz debut Furious finishes at #92 with 11,000 plus scans. Christian metal act Stryper's Reborn, pre-ordered copies of which included an autographed Bible, opens as the chart's #111, with close to 9,500.

Check out "Hilary Duff: The Nicest Brat" for more on the chart champ. And see "Click Five Winning Over Soccer Moms On Ashlee Simpson Tour" for a profile on the band that scored #15.

• Hilary Duff
• Mariah Carey
• Eminem
• Gwen Stefani
• Destiny's Child

Hilary Duff's <i>Most Wanted</i>
Photo: Hollywood Records

Mmm ... Duff: Hilary Duff's Most Wanted comes clean with three new songs ("Wake Up," "Beat of My Heart," "Break My Heart") produced by the Dead Executives — OK, the secret's out, it's the Madden brothers — but if those tracks and a few remixes aren't enough to tide you over, a "signature collector's edition" has four additional cuts (an acoustic "Who's That Girl"; an alternate "Jericho"; a dance remix of "Party Up"; and another new song, "Supergirl"), four "autographed" photo cards, a different album cover and a wristband.

Click Here: Dapperly dressed Berklee College of Music grads the Click Five, who've played with everyone from Ashlee Simpson to Rod Stewart (?!), removed the cover of the Tiffany staple "I Think We're Alone Now," which appeared on promo versions of their debut, Greetings From Imrie House, and tacked on a sendup of the Thompson Twins' "Lies" instead. Other highlights: "Just the Girl" (first single), "Catch Your Wave" and "Angel to You (Devil to Me)," co-written by Kiss' Paul Stanley and Cars guitarist Elliott Easten, who also lends some licks.

A Funk Eternal: Rick James gets a few touching goodbyes on Rick James Forever, from Johnny Gil and Howard Hewitt on "Just Got Played," and from daughter Ty on the closing track, "My Life." Other tracks on the posthumous release include the vintage-James-titled "When Your Body's Mine," "Freak Baby" and "Sex Slave."

Because Platinum Isn't Enough: The Killers' "Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll" has thoroughly infected radio, prompting a limited-edition re-press of the band's successful debut, Hot Fuss, along with two more B-sides, "The Ballad of Michael Valentine" and "Under the Gun." This one's got a straight-black cover, so you have no excuse for getting confused.

The 411 on Tread: A few additional 311 tracks have been hitting the pavement along with the band's Don't Tread on Me. iTunes offered the album's 11 songs plus bonus track "Little Brother" and two live slices prior to the release date; subsequently, it's offering just "Little Brother." But there's more: Early birds can get a free vinyl 7-inch at participating stores. Album tracks include "Thank Your Lucky Stars," "Whiskey & Wine" and "Long for the Flowers," a revised outtake from Transistor that was originally called "Grifters."

Covering the Bases: Madness go the way of the cover song on The Dangermen Sessions, Volume One, polishing off Diana Ross & the Supremes ("You Keep Me Hanging On"), the Kinks ("Lola") and Bob Marley ("So Much Trouble"). In the meantime, Cowboy Junkies use their Early 21st Century Blues to reinterpret Bruce Springsteen ("Brothers Under the Bridge," "You're Missing"), U2 ("One") and Bob Dylan ("License to Kill") — which could have qualified them for Drive-Thru's two-disc Listen to Bob Dylan, bristling with tips-o'-the-hat from Jason Mraz, Something Corporate and Rx Bandits.

Blood on the Tracks: "Blood on My Hands" (Todd Agnew's Reflection of Something), "Fist Wrapped in Blood" (Silverstein's Discovering the Waterfront), "The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears" (Machine Head's "Elegies" DVD).

Four for the Road: BoDeans and Magic Slim recorded their live albums at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee and at the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, California, respectively. Also, "Alcohol" is the first single on Brad Paisley's salute to the sauce, Time Well Wasted; and Waco Brothers cough up "Drinkin' & Cheatin' & Death" on Freedom and Weep.

Song Titles Of The Week:

"Whacko Jacko Steals the Elephant Man's Bones," "Macaulay McCulkin" (The Fall of Troy's Doppelgänger)

Other Notables:

Taproot - Blue-Sky Research (Atlantic): Seeing as how it's been nearly three years since Taproot's Welcome, it may come as no surprise that the band came up with around 80 songs for Blue-Sky Research, with 13 cuts making the cut. Despite being on tour with Chevelle, they've managed to find time to shoot a video for the first single, "Calling." Other selections include "Lost in the Woods," "Violent Seas" and "Promise," all co-written by Billy Corgan.

Idlewild - Warnings/Promises (Capitol): The Scots seem to be snoozing on their fourth record, with songs like "As if I Hadn't Slept," "Too Long Awake" and "Goodnight," which ultimately puts the LP to rest. Released in March across the pond, this is the first album to feature the band's new bassist, Gavin Fox, and longtime touring guitarist, Allan Stewart.

Johnny Cash - The Legend: Limited Edition (Columbia/Legacy): The $329.98 price tag on this box-set-on-steroids might make you cry, cry, cry, but if you're a diehard fan, start filling up the piggybank. Unlike the standard set released earlier this month, this one has a 12-by-16-inch lithograph portrait and a hardback book of the same size. Plus there's a fifth disc, "Johnny Cash on the Air," featuring a 1955 recording of the Man in Black's first time on the radio, and a DVD containing a 1980 TV special.

Out Tuesday, August 16:

New releases:

• Todd Agnew - Reflection of Something (Ardent)
• Eric Alexander & Vincent Herring - The Battle: Live at Smoke (HighNote)
• Aly & AJ - Into the Rush (Hollywood)
• American Minor - American Minor (Red Ink/ Jive)
• Marc Antoine - Modern Times (Rendezvous Entertainment)
• Eddy Arnold - After All These Years (RCA Nashville)
  
• The Banner - Each Breath Haunted (Ferret)
• BEDlight for BlueEYES - The Dawn (Trustkill)
• David Benoit - Orchestral Stories (Peak/Concord)
• Elvin Bishop - Gettin' My Groove Back (Blind Pig)
• BoDeans - Homebrewed: Live From the Pabst (two CDs, Back Porch)
  Buy Now: Homebrewed: Live From the Pabst (Back Porch)
• Michael Brooks & Royal Priesthood - Michael Brooks & Royal Priesthood (Comin' Atcha)
• The Click Five - Greetings From Imrie House (Lava)
  Buy Now: Greetings From Imrie House (Lava)
  Read: "Click Five Winning Over Soccer Moms On Ashlee Simpson Tour"
• Shemekia Copeland - The Soul Truth (Alligator)
  Buy Now: The Soul Truth (Alligator)
• Cowboy Junkies - Early 21st Century Blues (Zoe/Rounder)
  Buy Now: Early 21st Century Blues (Zoe/Rounder)
• Joe Craven - Django Latino (Compass)
• Rodney Crowell - The Outsider (Columbia)
  Buy Now: The Outsider (Columbia)
• Cuban Link - Chain Reaction (Mob)
  Buy Now: Chain Reaction (Mob)
• Dirty - Hood Stories (Asylum/Rap-A-Lot)
• Hilary Duff - Most Wanted (Hollywood)
  Buy Now: Most Wanted (Hollywood)
  Read: "Cheaper By The Duo? Hilary Duff Teams Up With Madden Brothers For New LP"
• Aydin Esen, Anthony Jackson, Dave Liebman and Steve Smith - Flashpoint (Tone Center)
• The Fall of Troy - Doppelgänger (Equal Vision)
• Flotation Toy Warning - Bluffers Guide to the Flight Deck (Misra)
• Foghorn Stringband - Weiser Sunrise (Nettwerk)
• Gang Gang Dance - Hillulah (EP, Social Registry)
• Philip Gayle - The Mommy Row (Family Vineyard)
• Jimmie Dale Gilmore - Come on Back (Rounder)
• Goapele - Change It All (Columbia)
  Buy Now: Change It All (Columbia)
• Johnny Casino's Easy Action - We've Forgotten More Than You'll Ever Know (Steel Cage)
• Hanna-McEuen - Hanna-McEuen (DreamWorks Nashville)
• Harsh Krieger - Harsh Krieger (Megaforce)
• Idlewild - Warnings/Promises (Capitol)
  Buy Now: Warnings/Promises (Capitol)
• Rick James - Rick James Forever (Sanctuary Urban)
  Buy Now: Rick James Forever (Sanctuary Urban)
• Sheila Jordan and Cameron Brown - Celebration: Live at the Triad (HighNote)
• Madness - The Dangermen Sessions, Volume One (V2)
  Buy Now: The Dangermen Sessions, Volume One (V2)
• Magic Slim & the Teardrops - Anything Can Happen (Blind Pig)
• Bill Mays Trio - Live at Jazz Standard (Palmetto)
• Tony McManus & Alain Genty - Singing Sands (Compass)
• George McRae - Latest and Greatest Hits (Empire Musicwerks)
• Malcolm Middleton - Into the Woods (Chemikal Underground)
• Bart Millard - Hymned No. 1 (DualDisc same day; INO)
• Mira - There I Go Daydreamer (Projekt)
• Mr. Capone-E - A Soldier's Story (Thump)
• Nazarenes - Songs of Life (Heartbeat/Rounder)
• Salim Nourallah - Beautiful Noise (Western Vinyl)
• Oxes - Oxes EP (Monitor)
• Rocky Padilla - R&B Legend of the Underground (Thump)
• Brad Paisley - Time Well Wasted (Arista)
  Buy Now: Time Well Wasted (Arista)
• Papa Reu - Life & Music (Sanctuary Urban)
• Pras - Win Lose or Draw (Universal)
  Buy Now: Win Lose or Draw (Universal)
• Trevor Rabin - "The Great Raid" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)
• Randy Rogers Band - Live at Billy Bob's (Image)
• Side Sixty Seven - Beyond Warped Live Music Series (DualDisc, Immergent)
• The Siegel-Schwall Band - Flash Forward (Alligator)
• Silverstein - Discovering the Waterfront (Victory)
• Sleeping People - Sleeping People (Temporary Residence)
• Stryper - Reborn (Big3)
• Taproot - Blue-Sky Research (Atlantic)
  Buy Now: Blue-Sky Research (Atlanti)
  Read: "Taproot Tap Billy Corgan To Help Them Craft New LP"
• 10 Years - The Autumn Effect (Republic/Universal)
• 311 - Don't Tread on Me (Volcano)
  Buy Now: Don't Tread on Me (Volcano)
• 3rd Degree - The Pedestrian (Black Ice)
• Totalisti - Slaves to None (Magna Carta)
• Tren Brothers - The Swimmer EP (Western Vinyl)
• Unstable Ensemble - Embers (Family Vineyard)
• Waco Brothers - Freedom and Weep (Bloodshot)
• Jimmy Webb - Twilight of the Renegades (Sanctuary)
  Buy Now: Twilight of the Renegades (Sanctuary)
• A Wilhelm Scream - Ruiner (Nitro)
• Windsor for the Derby - Giving Up the Ghost (Secretly Canadian)
• Abdel Wright - Abdel Wright (Weapons of Mass Entertainment/ Interscope)
• Xeronimo - Xeronimo (Universal Latino)
• Various artists - Hands Across the Water: A Benefit for the Children of the Tsunami (Compass)
• Various artists - Listen to Bob Dylan (Drive-Thru)
• Various artists - Luaka Bop Remix (Luaka Bop)
• Various artists - This Is Americana, Vol. 2 (American Music Association)
• Various artists - "Valiant" soundtrack (Disney)

Notable reissues:

• Johnny Cash - The Legend: Limited Edition (box set, Columbia/Legacy)
• Dr. Israel - Inna City Pressure (two bonus tracks, ROIR)
• Ahmad Jamal - The Legendary Okeh and Epic Recordings (Epic/Legacy)
• Killers - Hot Fuss: Limited Edition (Island)
  Buy Now: Hot Fuss: Limited Edition (Island)
• Taj Mahal - The Essential Taj Mahal (Columbia/ Private Music/ Legacy)
• Gerry Mulligan - Jeru (Columbia/Legacy)
• Tito Puente - The Essential Tito Puente (RCA/Legacy)
• Ramones - Weird Tales of the Ramones (box set, Rhino)
• Artie Shaw - The Essential Artie Shaw (Bluebird/Legacy)
• Woody Shaw - Live at the Village Vanguard (Columbia/Legacy)
• Horace Silver - Silver's Blue (Columbia/Legacy)
• Stooges - Fun House (deluxe edition, Rhino)
• Stooges - The Stooges (deluxe edition, Rhino)
• Frank Zappa - Bongo Fury, Fillmore East, Freak Out!, Läther (box set, Rykodisc)
• Frank Zappa - One Size Fits All (remastered with mini album-jacket sleeve, Rykodisc)
• Frank Zappa - Roxy and Elsewhere (remastered with mini album-jacket sleeve, Rykodisc)
• Frank Zappa - Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar (remastered with mini album-jacket sleeve, Rykodisc)
• Frank Zappa - Weasels Ripped My Flesh (remastered with mini album-jacket sleeve, Rykodisc)
• Frank Zappa - Zappa in New York (remastered with mini album-jacket sleeve, Rykodisc)

DVDs:

• Judy Collins - "Pop Legends Live" (SRO)
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer - "Beyond the Beginning" (Sanctuary)
• Dizzy Gillespie - "Live in London" (Kultur)
• Benny Goodman - "At the Tivoli" (Kultur)
• Helloween - "Hellish Videos: The Complete Video Collection" (BMG)
• Herman's Hermits - "Pop Legends Live" (SRO)
• Chaka Khan - "Great Women Singers of the 20th Century" (Kultur)
• Abbey Lincoln - "Great Women Singers of the 20th Century" (Kultur)
• Machine Head - "Elegies" (Roadrunner)
• Magic Slim & the Teardrops - "Anything Can Happen" (live; Blind Pig)
• Randy Rogers Band - "Live at Billy Bob's" (Image)
• Sarah Vaughan - "Great Women Singers of the 20th Century" (Kultur)
• Nancy Wilson - "Great Women Singers of the 20th Century" (Kultur)
• Various artists- "The Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons" (featuring David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, George Harrison, Janis Joplin and more; Shout! Factory)
• Various artists- "Jamboree" (Warner Bros.)

Coming Attractions:

August 23:

• Björk - "Drawing Restraint 9" soundtrack (One Little Indian)
• Jim Jones - Harlem: Diary of a Summer (Koch)
  Buy Now: Harlem: Diary of a Summer (Koch)
• Kurupt - Against the Grain (Death Row)
  Buy Now: Against the Grain (Death Row)

August 30:

• Death Cab for Cutie - Plans (Atlantic)
  Buy Now: Plans (Atlantic)
  Read: "Death Cab For Cutie Living Up To The 'Death' Part On Next LP"
• Rihanna - Music of the Sun (Def Jam)
  Buy Now: Music of the Sun (Def Jam)
• Kanye West - Late Registration (Def Jam)
  Buy Now: Late Registration (Def Jam)
  Read: " 'Can He Do It Again?' — Kanye West Says New LP Backs Up His Bragging"

September 6:

• 50 Cent - The Massacre (re-release, Interscope)
  Buy Now: The Massacre (Interscope)
• Sarah McLachlan - Sarah McLachlan in Bloom (remix album, Arista)
• The Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang (Virgin)
  Buy Now: A Bigger Bang (Virgin)
  Read: "Rolling Stones Announce World Tour, Unveil New Song"

• Hilary Duff
• The Click Five
• Rick James
• 311
• Taproot

Chevelle's Pete Loeffler (file)
Photo: Amy V. Cooper

They've spent most of 2005 crossing the continental U.S. to drum up business for their latest disc, This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In), losing a founding member in the process. But road exhaustion and a lineup change apparently aren't going to slow Chevelle down.

The Chicago rockers — who have 12 gigs, including a CBGB benefit concert on August 4, left on their current summer tour with Taproot and 30 Seconds to Mars (see ) — revealed on their official Web site that they'll be taking a brief timeout from touring before heading back out on the road for a 27-date fall run that's set to kick off in Bakersfield, California, on September 12.

News of Chevelle's fall tour extension comes less than a month after Joe Loeffler's departure from the band; the bassist's bandmate brothers — drummer Sam and singer/guitarist Pete — fired Joe, citing "irreconcilable differences," and promptly replaced him with former Filter guitarist Geno Lenardo.

Aggro-rockers Taproot, who will release their latest offering, Blue Sky Research, on August 16, will continue as the support act for at least part of the fall tour. Taproot's forthcoming album features contributions from Billy Corgan and Gratitude/ Far frontman Jonah Matranga.

It's anticipated that additional openers will be announced in the coming weeks.

From Bakersfield, Chevelle's fall jaunt will hit Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Chicago and Minneapolis, including stops at college campuses, before winding down on October 21 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Chevelle tour dates, according to the band's official Web site:

• 8/2 - Boston, MA @ The Roxy
• 8/3 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 8/4 - New York, NY @ CBGB (benefit concert)
• 8/5 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 8/6 - Atlanta, GA @ 99X Downtown Rocks at Underground Atlanta
• 8/8 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
• 8/9 - Tampa, FL @ Jannus Landing
• 8/11 - Birmingham, AL @ Sloss Furnace
• 8/14 - Madison, WI @ Willow Island at Alliant Energy Center
• 8/16 - West Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
• 8/17 - Columbia, MO @ Blue Note
• 8/18 - Kansas City, MO @ Beaumont Club
• 9/12 - Bakersfield, CA @ Montgomery World Plaza
• 9/13 - Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theatre
• 9/14 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
• 9/16 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Avalon
• 9/17 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
• 9/18 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Venue of Scottsdale
• 9/21 - El Paso, TX @ The Zone
• 9/23 - San Antonio, TX @ Sunset Station
• 9/24 - Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheatre
• 9/25 - Lubbock, TX @ South Beach
• 9/27 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
• 9/30 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
• 10/1 - Spokane, WA @ Big Easy
• 10/2 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox
• 10/3 - Boise, ID @ Big Easy
• 10/5 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
• 10/6 - Fresno, CA @ Big Fresno Fair
• 10/7 - Sparks, NV @ New Oasis
• 10/10 - Rapid City, SD @ Rushmore Plaza
• 10/11 - Fargo, ND @ Playmaker's
• 10/13 - Carbondale, IL @ Southern Illinois University
• 10/14 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
• 10/15 - Duluth, MN @ Reif Recreation Center, College of St. Scholastica
• 10/17 - Milwaukee, WI @ Rave
• 10/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club
• 10/20 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
• 10/21 - Louisville, KY @ Jillian's

• Chevelle
• Taproot

Chevelle's Pete Loeffler (file)
Photo: Terry Woodside

The hard-riffing brothers Loeffler — otherwise known as Chevelle — will be spending much of this summer not in their native Chicago but on a bus, rocking their way across America with aggro-rock stalwarts Taproot and Jared Leto's 30 Seconds to Mars in tow.

Chevelle, still riding high on the success of their single "The Clincher" (see ), have spent the majority of 2005 on the road in support of their latest disc, This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In), released in September. The band closed out each night of the SnoCore Tour earlier this year, which was followed by a headlining jaunt.

Both Taproot and 30 Seconds to Mars have new albums on the way: Taproot's Blue Sky Research, which features contributions from Billy Corgan and Gratitude/ Far frontman Jonah Matranga, hits stores on August 16, the same day as 30 Seconds to Mars' sophomore release, A Beautiful Lie.

Chevelle's rock-and-roll train pulls into Indianapolis, on July 9 and will make stops in Detroit, Atlanta, New York, Boston and Philadelphia before rolling to a stop in Columbia, Missouri, on August 17.

Chevelle tour dates, according to the band's label:

• 7/9 - Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Egyptian Room
• 7/11 - Detroit, MI @ State Theatre
• 7/12 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Orbit Room
• 7/14 - Fort Wayne, IN @ Piere's
• 7/15 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
• 7/16 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
• 7/18 - Toledo, OH @ Headliners
• 7/19 - Pittston, PA @ The Staircase
• 7/21 - Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino
• 7/22 - Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street
• 7/23 - Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues
• 7/25 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
• 7/26 - Dewey Beach, DE @ Bay Center
• 7/29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
• 7/30 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
• 8/1 - Portland, ME @ State Theatre
• 8/2 - Boston, MA @ The Roxy
• 8/3 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 8/5 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 8/6 - Atlanta, GA @ Downtown Rocks at Underground Atlanta
• 8/8 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
• 8/9 - Tampa, FL @ Jannus Landing
• 8/11 - Birmingham, AL @ Sloss Furnace
• 8/14 - Madison, WI @ Willow Island
• 8/16 - West Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
• 8/17 - Columbia, MO @ Blue Note

• Chevelle
• Taproot
• 30 Seconds To Mars

Taproot (file)
Photo: Clay McBride

The members of Taproot recently hired former Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan to help them with material for their next album.

The Michigan-born band flew to Chicago to spend six days with Corgan, who listened to what they had written and offered suggestions on how the songs could be improved. "He really helped us to build a little bit of anticipation with the music rather than just have heavy parts and soft parts," frontman Stephen Richards said. "He helped us turn songs that were already 8 or 9s [out of 10] into 11s."

At the end of the counseling sessions, Corgan provided the band a bonus, writing a melody and guitar riff, then handing it over to his clients to mold as they see fit. "We totally didn't expect that," Richards said. "He basically wrote a new song for us with us in mind. We haven't had a chance to do anything with it yet, but we will."

The band connected with Corgan through its label, which wanted to provide Taproot with tools to help them write. "We sat down with our label and thought about who we wanted to produce this record," Richards said. "We rattled off the three or four top guys who are known as producers. Then our A&R guy went, 'Is there anyone you might want to work with who's not a producer?' And the main two musicians we were interested in were Dave Grohl and Billy Corgan. So they made the call and he said he'd love to work with us."

After flying to Chicago, the excitement began to die down and nervousness set in. "We were excited to meet him, but we weren't 100 percent sure if we were going to have him write songs from scratch or what," Richards said. "The first night we arrived, he called us up and asked us if we wanted to get a couple drinks just to get all the cobwebs out of the way. So we did that and it was good. It really helped to set us up for the week."

Taproot are in pre-production with producer Michael Beinhorn and have also tapped Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter to help them out with musical ideas for the album, which Richards said will be darker but more eclectic than the band's last disc, 2002's Welcome.

"There's gonna be a lot of aggression and a lot of heavy stuff, but there's more room to grow as songwriters and musicians when you strip everything down and try to write great songs, and that's why we asked Billy to work with us," Richards said. "A heavy song doesn't have to come across with screaming and wailing guitars."

And while the lyrics on the next Taproot album will address such heavy subjects as molestation and dependency, Richards said the tone will ultimately be positive.

"A lot of it is about rooting for the underdog," he said. "It's important to have a lot of faith and try to find happiness in times when you usually find yourself falling into a dark place. I'm really trying now to grasp to those positive elements in life and not sit around and wallow."

• Taproot
• Billy Corgan

Disturbed's Dave Draiman at Music as a Weapon 2
Photo: Nathan Lichtman

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — The parking lot at the historic Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, was partially full Thursday night, but there wasn't one eye fixated on the gridiron. The action was happening across the street at the Brown County Arena as Disturbed, Taproot and Chevelle kicked off their Music as a Weapon 2 Tour to a near-capacity crowd.

"Some people would like to say that nü-metal is broken [but] we are here to say that we will not be broken!" Disturbed frontman David Draiman declared minutes into the Windy City quartet's headlining performance.

All three acts on the bill seemed determined to make believers of the predominantly college crowd by performing frenetically throughout their sets, but by the end of the night it was clear that the crowd belonged to Disturbed. The nü-metal rockers, who certainly had the most elaborate stage decorations of the night with their faux stone staircases, matching drum riser and logo from the cover of Believe on a red curtain backdrop, captivated the crowd with the close-fisted dramatics of Draiman, double bass drum assaults from drummer Mike Wengren and feverish riffage from guitarist Dan Donegan.

At 75 minutes, Disturbed's set was relatively short, though in that time they hit on material from both their breakout discs, The Sickness, as well as many tracks from their latest, Believe. Although the new material from Believe was well received, it was the old tracks from The Sickness like "Stupify," and "Down With the Sickness," that had the mosh pit swirling, while Draiman, dressed in black leather pants and a black sleeveless shirt, traversed the stage, frequently reaching out with his fist to emphasize his words. The collision of his primitive, throaty vocals intertwined with Donegan's muted chords made "Down With the Sickness" an evening favorite.

Of the new material they sang, Believe's title track, with its spinning melodic undercurrents, transformed the densely packed pit into a crawling fury, while "Remember" had many on the floor bobbing their heads to the simple melodies of the song. Draiman and the rest of Disturbed seemed to feed off the crowd's energy, constantly switching places on the stage and increasing the pace of the material. The fiery crowd, that was near silent during a brief set by openers Unloco, was mesmerized by Disturbed’s performance and expended all of its energy to make the band aware of this.

A rendition of "Intoxication" showcased the cohesive nature of the band, with bassist Fuzz and Donegan matching blunt notes as Draiman sung the chorus to the fans pressed against the barrier in front of the stage. The crowd, waving their hands in the air, echoed the singer's melodic vocals.

After touching the wall backstage, Disturbed resumed their positions onstage for a two-song encore. "I think it's time we took a little trip back in time and finished this thing the way it started. What do you say that we all get stupified?" Draiman asked, introducing the overdriven melodies of the group’s first big hit, "Stupify." The compressed and shimmering harmonics of the song worked well live and had many in the seated portion of the arena rushing to the floor to join in the mass of colliding sweaty bodies.

Without mention that it was the last song, the band launched into "Prayer," the first single released off of Believe. By this time, it was clear that fatigue had begun to set in and Draiman seemed more confined in his performance quarters. The singer sucked it up though, pounding the microphone on his chest as the band rolled through the angular, guitar-driven track. At the conclusion of "Prayer," Draiman raised his arms to the sky, feeling the warmth of the crowd's energy. "Thank you. We'll see you again, Green Bay," the Disturbed frontman told the crowd before walking offstage.

While the rest of the night's performances never quite matched the energy and intensity of the Disturbed set, Taproot and Chevelle were definitely no slouches. Earlier in the evening, Chevelle frontman Pete Loeffler attacked his PRS guitar with a ferocity that would make ex-Helmet frontman Page Hamilton proud. The band took to the stark stage — backed by a simple red flag with a white Chevelle logo as well as a large black trademark symbol — wasting no time before launching into a pulsing version of "Family System," the leading cut from their major-label debut, Wonder What's Next.

The band also injected a little bit of humor into its set by sprinkling comedic audio clips from various films between songs. In between "Send the Pain Below" and "Closure," for example, a clip of Captain Oveur and Joey from "Airplane!" played, with the pilot discussing the merits of gladiator films with the young boy. "We're Chevelle from Chicago and these are my two real brothers with me right here, in case you didn't know," the singer said, introducing his brothers, Joe and Sam. The trio then ripped into a studio-faithful version of "Comfortable Liar," a song that Pete told the crowd is "one of my favorite songs to play live."

The opening to "Don't Fake This" then cascaded over the crowd, and fans jumped in unison as the opening riff pushed its way to the back of the arena. While Sam confidently strode the stage shirtless, Pete stood in his trademark stance, left leg on the vocal monitor, closely guarding his guitar as he rattled off chunky riffs that increased the activity of the crowd.

But the trio elicited its biggest crowd reaction of the night with a spotless version of "The Red." Despite its popularity, Chevelle still approach the track with the vigor of a group that hasn't tired of the tune, even though Pete backed off by its conclusion, opting for a gentler repetition of "seeing red again," rather than the barrage of screams that are layered on the studio version. It’s possible that Pete may have chosen to save his voice for the intense two-month touring schedule that lay ahead.

On the other hand, Taproot took no precautions, fully exerting themselves with a physical performance that tested vocalist Stephen Richards' vocal cords. The band bludgeoned the crowd with dense blasts of guitar-driven energy throughout their nine-song, 30-minute set, opening with an intense rendition of "Mirror's Reflection." The fan favorite from their album, Gift, opened with clean guitar strumming before exploding into relentless riffs soaked in fuzz. Richards made his way back and forth across the stage, rattling off the rapid-fire lyrics of the song, clutching himself as he added melodic screams to the song. The intensity of "Mirror’s Reflection" was alleviated by Richards' earnest crooning during the chorus, as he sang, "Sometimes I would give anything just to be something more." During another Gift track, "I," Richards took the opportunity to get up close and personal with the crowd by taking a guided tour around the arena, shaking hands and shrugging off hugs as he delivered his lyrics without interruption. The crowd appreciated this maneuver that he is notorious for, and it seemed that the Taproot vocalist could do no wrong. However, little did he know, he would eventually push his luck. As a Michigan resident, Richards didn't get any cheers when he asked the loyal Packers crowd, "Are there any Lions fans in the house?" He quickly muted their boos, noting, "I was joking, I swear to God."

Taproot's set concluded with a raucous, sing-along version of their current hit, "Poem," with guitarist Mike DeWolf drawing out his notes on the chorus to give the crowd an opportunity to join in, illuminating the importance of bringing together enthusiastic fans and energized performers for the greater good of the genre.

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

• Disturbed
• Chevelle
• Taproot

Disturbed's David Draiman
Photo: Amy V. Cooper

The first Music as a Weapon Tour made such a successful strike, Disturbed and a new army of openers are poised for another attack.

The Chicago quartet, armed with its second album, Believe, will begin its invasion of 19 North American cities March 6 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, according to the band's publicist. The first leg of the Music as a Weapon 2 trek will wind down April 1 in Norfolk, Virginia.

A second leg of West Coast dates will be announced later.

Taproot, Chevelle and Unloco have been tapped as openers.

In 10 major markets, including Chicago, Boston, New York and Philadelphia, Disturbed will give a local, unsigned band the opportunity to perform first, as a way to highlight the underground music scenes in various cities. Details on how the selection process works will soon be posted on the band's official Web site, www.disturbed1.com.

The video for Believe's second single, "Remember," is expected to surface next week, and Draiman had hoped to drop third single "Liberate" by mid-year. The follow-up to 2000's The Sickness has sold over a million copies since its release in September, according to SoundScan.

The first Music as a Weapon Tour in 2001 featured Adema, Systematic and Stereomud.

Dates for the Music as a Weapon Tour 2, according to Disturbed's publicist:

• 3/6 - Green Bay, WI @ Brown County Vet. Memorial Arena
• 3/7 - Fargo, ND @ Fargo Civic Auditorium
• 3/8 - Lincoln, NE @ Pershing Auditorium
• 3/10 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave / Eagles Ballroom
• 3/11 - Detroit, MI @ State Theatre
• 3/12 - Battle Creek, MI @ Kellogg Arena
• 3/14 - Dayton, OH @ Hara Arena
• 3/15 - Cleveland, OH @ TBA
• 3/16 - Toronto, ON @ Arrow Hall
• 3/18 - Springfield, MA @ Springfield Civic Ctr.
• 3/19 - Lewiston, ME @ Lewiston Civic
• 3/21 - Lowell, MA @ Paul E. Tsongas Arena
• 3/22 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Convention Hall
• 3/24 - Rochester, NY @ Blue Cross Arena
• 3/25 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
• 3/28 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
• 3/29 - Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Arena
• 3/30 - Baltimore, MD @ UMBC Fieldhouse
• 4/1 - Norfolk, VA @ Constant Convocation Center

• Disturbed
• Taproot
• Chevelle
• Unloco

Disturbed's David Draiman
Photo: MTV News

UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Disturbed weren't down with the original video they shot for their latest single, so David Draiman and company scrapped it recently and began again from square one.

The singer and the Brothers Strause (Linkin Park, Godsmack) directed the initial "Remember" clip in late September (see "Disturbed Sacrifice Their Girlfriends In 'Remember' Video"), but it "didn't come out the way that way we expected," according to Draiman.

Marc Webb (Unwritten Law, Green Day) handled the new, more "cryptic" version, which features more performance but still centers on the song's theme of the pitfalls of stardom.

"It's just basically revolving around the memories of a character that is separate from the band," Draiman explained backstage at a recent radio station festival (see "Audioslave Deliver Like Santa Claus, Creed Booed At Radio Show"). "It utilizes a lot of different imagery. I think there is an explosion in the ending sequence utilizing some of the band's equipment. And we are performing during a good portion of the video in front of a bunch of television monitors that are actually replaying events, memories in this character's life."

Like most of Disturbed's second album, Believe, "Remember" isn't a direct reflection of the success the band had with its debut, but is certainly influenced by it.

"You see things from a different perspective," Draiman explained. "Basically, the higher up the mountain you climb, the more you are able to see, and sometimes the more at peace you are with yourself, and sometimes not. But it definitely does change your perception and your vision."

Disturbed are taking a break for the holidays and will tour Japan and Australia early next year.

In the spring, the Chicago metal enthusiasts will launch the Music as a Weapon 2 Tour with Taproot, Chevelle and possibly one other band, along with a local opener in each city.

"[It's] just something that we want to do to kind of keep each area's local scene revived," Draiman explained. "We are going to have a competition and have bands battle it out to get that opening slot. They are going to be an unsigned act, so they are going to have the opportunity of potentially being looked at by myself and [guitarist] Danny [Donegan]. We have a label through Warner Bros., so we're looking for new talent anyway, and it's a good opportunity for them as well."

Also in the new year, Disturbed will contribute to the soundtrack to "The Matrix Reloaded" (see "Linkin Park, System, Disturbed In Running For 'Matrix Reloaded' Soundtrack"), though the band is still deciding how.

"Whether it's going to be a new original piece of material or whether it will be an existing track or even potentially a remix of an existing track, we do definitely want to have some involvement in it," Draiman said. "We're certainly fans of the first film, and from what we are hearing about how the second film has shaped up, it's looking to be something to be reckoned with."

By mid-year, Disturbed hope to release "Liberate" as the third single from Believe.

"We wanted to be able to kind of hit all sides of the spectrum, and we're probably planning on releasing it around the time of the summer touring season. It seems like a good summer touring song, you know, just straight-up metal," Draiman said. "I think that with whatever the situation will be in the summer, whether it is Ozzfest for us, which is a potential possibility, but nothing yet confirmed, or whatever else it may be, I can certainly see fires raging in the backs of the pits at the pavilion somewhere to that song."

• Disturbed
• Taproot

Taproot
Photo: MTV News

UNIVERSAL CITY, California — With "Poem" still rising on the modern rock singles chart, Taproot are eyeing their next single and it looks like "Mine" will likely be it.

Not that any other track from their second album, Welcome, would not be, well, welcome.

"It might sound cliché, but we wanted to write an album of all singles, so no matter what the label or management suggested — obviously we have say in what the single is, too — but no matter what they suggested, we can say, 'Oh, that'll work,' " drummer Jarrod Montague said at KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas (see "Audioslave Deliver Like Santa Claus, Creed Booed At Radio Show").

Taproot are so proud of the follow-up to their 2000 debut, Gift (see "Taproot's Second Album Is Really Their Third … Kind Of"), that the Ann Arbor, Michigan, rockers are planning to tour behind the album for most of 2003, beginning with a European outing with Pulse Ultra in January. The group is then slated to join Disturbed and Chevelle on the Music as a Weapon 2 Tour in March.

"We are way happier with this record than we were with the first one," singer Stephen Richards said. "We spent a lot more time on it and I think the music is a little bit more mature. We spent a lot more creative energy on this record … and luckily for us it's doing really good right now."

In the meantime, the group will finish its current tour with Mudvayne.

Taproot tour dates with Mudvayne, according to Atlantic Records:

• 12/16 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
• 12/17 - Sparks, NV @ New Oasis
• 12/18 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore

• Taproot

P. Diddy got onstage at Madison Square Garden in New York Monday night to introduce his latest signing to the Bad Boy crew, New Edition. In the audience, such celebs as Jay-Z and Chris Rock watched as Michael Bivins, Johnny Gill, Ronnie DeVoe, Ricky Bell and Ralph Tresvant rummaged through their catalog of classics for the performance, which earned the group several standing ovations. ... Whether or not he's a full-fledged member of New Edition remains to be seen, but his boys from Boston say that Bobby Brown will definitely make it on the new album they record for Bad Boy. "Bobby Brown is with us no matter what he goes through," Michael Bivins said. "He's always in our hearts." ...

Liz Phair has nearly completed her first album in more than four years in a Los Angeles studio. The follow-up to 1998's Whitechocolatespaceegg is being helmed by a host of producers, including the Matrix, and Phair herself is producing four or five tracks. The songs she previously recorded with Michael Penn will not be among the tracks slated for the as-yet-untitled album, which Capitol Records hopes to release in the first half of next year. ...

Fearless Records is set to release Punk Goes Acoustic, a compilation LP featuring punk bands performing their songs unplugged. Bands on the album, which will hit stores March 13, include Thursday, Planes Mistaken for Stars, Rufio, Midtown and Piebald. ...

Taproot were late, but well worth the wait for fans who stuck around the "Last Call With Carson Daly" set last Monday. The rockers were stranded in Chicago due to inclement weather, and when producers realized that the band would eventually arrive for its taping — albeit hours late — they gave the 150 audience members the opportunity to stick around, and the 115 who took advantage of the offer were treated to a special half-hour set. Taproot's episode is scheduled for broadcast on Friday. ...

12.09.2002

R. Kelly's reconfigured upcoming album Chocolate Factory — once called Loveland — now has a release date as well as new tracks not previously bootlegged. It's due out January 14. ...

Unset your TiVos, Vines fans. Despite having been confirmed to perform on Monday night's (December 9) episode of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," the band was yanked from the program's lineup after trashing the set during an afternoon soundcheck. While rehearsing "Outtathaway!," singer Craig Nicholls led the charge in smashing the plexiglass guard surrounding the drums and causing general destruction. The talk show will go ahead as planned without a music guest. ...

Upon her return from a European tour in late March, Avril Lavigne will embark on a headlining tour of North America. The trek is only supposed to last a month, from April 15 to May 17, and an itinerary has yet to be hammered out. ...

Enrique Iglesias debuted the video for "Quizás," the second single from his album of the same name, on Telemundo last week. The song, which means "Maybe" in English, addresses the singer's turbulent relationship with his father, singer Julio Iglesias, and begins with a line, which translated, means "Hello old man, tell me how've you been/ There are so many things I want to explain." ...

In a stroke of irony, Radiohead will — for once — help combat, rather than induce, depression with their music. The band is donating a live video performance of "Idioteque" to the Samaritans Foundation, a counseling service and charity with which drummer Phil Selway has volunteered for years. The video and other tracks can be seen on the Samaritans Web site, changeourminds.com. ...

Hardcore veteran Henry Rollins will set out on a 50-date spoken-word tour, beginning January 7 in San Juan Capistrano, California. Rollins, whose latest projects include the West Memphis 3 benefit album Rise Above and the upcoming flick "Bad Boys 2," is hitting the road to support "I Am Sparticus," a DVD/CD package chronicling highlights from the former Black Flag frontman's 20 years of stand-up/spoken word. ...

Sweden's Division of Laura Lee are embarking on a U.S. tour this winter, with Burning Brides in tow. The 23-date outing starts January 15 in Brooklyn, New York, and wraps February 6 in San Diego, California. ... Glassjaw vocalist Daryl Palumbo has been released from a London hospital where he was treated for recurring symptoms of Crohn's Disease on the eve of a now-jettisoned European tour, itself a make-up jaunt scheduled after a similar flare-up caused prior cancellations. Palumbo is expected to fly back to the States Monday evening. ...

• Diddy
• Jay-Z
• New Edition
• Thursday
• Taproot

Ozzfest: A Look Back

• Rob Zombie
• Mudvayne
• Iron Maiden
• Black Label Society
• Andrew W.K.

MTV.com LIVE: Taproot Photos 08.04.2005

• Taproot

Taproot Photos

• Taproot

Ozzfest 2001 Tour Kickoff Photos

• Papa Roach
• Black Sabbath
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Slipknot
• Mudvayne