Eminem confronts Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (file)
Photo: Image Direct

For a two-foot-tall hand puppet, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog sure has a lot of enemies. He's permanently banned from the Westminster Kennel Club, has feuded with the animal-rights group PETA, and — most prominently — engaged in a rather heated war of words with Eminem.

And as such, it was probably a bit of a shock to anyone who tuned in to "TRL" last Thursday and saw the stogie-smoking pooch canoodling with Em (as only a puppet and a man can) in the video for "Ass Like That," the rapper's brand-new, booty-obsessed video.

Well, it turns out that Triumph — inspired by recent beef-quashing sessions amongst hip-hop's elite (see: "Snoop Dogg Holds Summit To Squash Beefs, Unify West Coast" and "T.I Squashes His Beef With Lil' Flip, Plans To Serve 25 To Life") — decided to put the past behind him and join forces for the "Ass Like That" clip, which features Eminem rapping in a Triumph-inspired voice, judging the rather prodigious backsides of some female dancers and, well ... "manipulating" Triumph himself.

"Let's get one thing straight: I used a stunt double for all those scenes. I would never let Eminem put his hand up my ass," Triumph said. "But we never had a real beef. I've always admired his talent and his smooth white hair, which reminds me of a beagle's n--sack. And Em was just confused at the VMAs [where they exchanged words] that night, as he had never seen the Conan O'Donnell show. And who can blame him? It's like staring at your own poop for a whole hour — without getting to eat it" (see "Triumph The Insult Comic Dog Poops On Eminem, Timberlake").

But just because he and Eminem are video buddies, Triumph is not above getting in a parting shot or three at the Detroit MC.

"I can't believe that he's obsessed with me after all this time. I think he's jealous because I'm black," Triumph joked. "But seriously, it's been three years [since the VMA incident]. The guy needs to work on his timing. Like that 'Mosh' video, coming out in, what, November? That's sure going to hurt Bush in 2008. I keed Eminem, I wish him luck with his new anti-Milosevic video."

And since he's moving forward, Triumph is more than happy to reveal plans for the future, which include the continuous pimping of his DVD "The Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" (still available in stores!) and lining up A-List talent for the follow-up to his Grammy-nominated debut, Come Poop With Me.

"I'm doing a duets CD with Eminem, Sting, Elton John, Dave Grohl, that Evanescence chick, Moby, Bon Jovi, Lil Jon, Green Day and, if we can get him, Tony Danza," Triumph enthused. "Put that all down. Once it's on the Internet, it becomes fact. And my DVD is kicking ass. Air Bud has nothing on me. Air Bud likes to be peed on. They don't call him 'Golden Receiver' for nothing."

And since one of Triumph's signature bits involved him interviewing fans who had camped out for months to see "Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace" way back in 1999, we were interested in getting his take on the legions of Star Wars "nerds" who lined city blocks to catch "Revenge of the Sith" last week. But Triumph didn't want to play along. After all, the past is behind him (sort of.)

"I think I said it all when I visited them for 'Attack of the Clones.' The nerds wanted me to come back this year, but as we've learned from George Lucas, sequels usually suck," he laughed. "I just hope now that Lucas is done making money, he cuts those nerds a break and CGIs them some girlfriends."

For a full-length feature on Eminem, check out "Eminem: Embattled But Not Embittered."

• Eminem
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken to apologize for his anti-cat sentiments expressed in Rolling Stone, and they're holding their next ad campaign over his head until he does. An ad with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog featuring the slogan, "Get Neutered, It Didn't Hurt Clay Aiken" will commence unless Aiken makes amends to cat lovers. Should he do so, the slogan will be changed to "Cut 'em off. They don't taste that great anyway." ...

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey will perform during the halftime show of college football's Orange Bowl on New Year's Day in Miami. If you can't catch the live performance, worry not: MTV has begun taping the second season of "Newlyweds" and will be with the happy couple at the event. ... Jay-Z's 40/40 Club sports bar might be stretching it legs. Plans are being discussed to franchise the establishment in Las Vegas and Miami. ...

A Crow Left of the Murder, Incubus' fifth album, is scheduled to drop February 3. The follow-up to 2001's Morning View was produced by Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Papa Roach), and its first single is titled "Megalomaniac." ... Isaac Hanson, the oldest brother in Hanson, has been admitted to a New York hospital for undisclosed reasons. Isaac, who turned 23 on Monday, was in the city looking for an apartment in the Tribeca/ SoHo area, and had been out on the town Monday night celebrating his birthday. Hanson were also preparing for the launch of their new album this spring. ...

Eminem's ex-wife, Kim Mathers, finally showed up in court to answer on two dates she skipped last week. In a Macomb County court near Detroit in the morning, Mathers posted $50,000 bond on cocaine-possession charges and was released. The judge placed her on an electronic tether (to indicate when she leaves her home) and ordered her to drug rehab and testing while also setting a December 18 hearing. In the afternoon, Mathers headed to Warren, Michigan, to catch up on her other missed court date. A District Court judge reinstated her outstanding $3,000 bond and set a hearing for December 16. ... Ashlee Simpson's reality show pilot was picked up by MTV for a full season. "The reason I chose to do the show is because I want kids to see the process [of recording an album] and to see that it's reachable for them and that they can do it too," Jessica's sister said excitedly. ...

After collecting the Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Female Artist award at Sunday's American Music Awards, Missy Elliott took a minute backstage to explain the title of her new album, This Is Not a Test. "You normally hear the [warning] and 'This is only a test.' That mean don't get alarmed, it's not the real emergency. But this album is the real thing. And you don't have time to go get yourself together. This is the real jump-off." ... Also backstage at the event, Macy Gray revealed details on several upcoming projects, including a fashion line launching in the spring, a collaboration with David Bowie for the upcoming Olympics (the two are also touring together in early 2004) and her contribution to the upcoming "Mona Lisa Smile" soundtrack, "Santa Baby." "I did it with [Art of Noise's] Trevor Horn," Gray said of the track. "It was like a big band, like horns and strings and all that sh-- and he did it authentic, like we really recorded in the '30s or '40s." ...

In an effort to both appease hungry fans and nip piracy in the bud, the Dixie Chicks are pushing the release date of their double CD/DVD package Top of the World Tour Live from November 25 to November 21, duplicating the same move made earlier this week by Korn. Not only are the Chicks the first country act to advance their release date, they're the first women to do so. ... When JC Chasez launches a club tour in early December, he will bring along a full band. "I'm gonna squeeze everybody I can on that stage," he said recently. "The important thing to me now is touching hands and seeing eye to eye with these people and things like that." ...

Young Gunz recently shot a video in Los Angeles for "No Better Love" featuring Rell, the first single from their debut LP, Tough Luv, due January 27. The album will also include the "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" remix with Chingy and a Juelz Santana collaboration built around the Hall & Oates track "Rich Girl." ... 112 took them to church Tuesday night while performing at an album-release party for their new LP, Hot & Wet. The highlight of their set at Webster Hall was an extended version of their song "Player." Kelis also performed her hit "Milkshake" in an opening set. ...

A year after he unleashed "the f---ing fury" on a female airplane passenger, Yngwie J. Malmsteen will unleash his new album, Attack!!!, on January 13. Malmsteen's 20th album will be the metal virtuoso's first domestic release in over three years. …

11.18.03

Britney Spears is already a star — but now she has a bronze one on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to prove it. Before almost 2,000 screaming fans, the singer got her star added to the famed sidewalk on Monday, a day before the release of her latest album, In the Zone. "I'm seriously speechless right now," she told the crowd. "This is something I've dreamed about since I was a little girl, and I can't believe I'm actually here with all of you amazing fans. I'm really honored." Spears is the 2,242nd performer to receive the honor. ...

The pathologist who performed Aaliyah's autopsy testified Monday at the opening of a coroner's inquest that the singer died of severe burns and a blow to the head after her plane crashed in the Bahamas in 2001, according to wire services. Dr. Giovander Raju also said Aaliyah had a weak heart and "went into such a state of shock, even if she had survived the crash, recovery would have been near impossible." Investigators who are examining the crash and the deaths of Aaliyah and the other passengers believe the plane was 700 pounds overloaded. Aaliyah's parents reached an undisclosed settlement in a negligence lawsuit against the airline in September. ...

Pharrell Williams, Evanescence's Amy Lee, Jason Mraz, Stacie Orrico, Moby and Dido are among the artists who will be on hand at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on December 4 to announce the nominations for the 46th annual Grammy Awards. The ceremony will take place on February 8. ... R. Kelly as well as 50 Cent with G-Unit have been added to the list of performers for the Vibe Awards, taping Thursday in Santa Monica, California, and airing Friday on UPN. Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Russell Simmons, Quincy Jones, Ashton Kutcher and the cast of "Girlfriends" will appear at the event, while Monica, Musiq, Kelis, Free and Nona Gaye have been added as presenters. ...

A Christina Aguilera concert shot at London's Wembley Arena recently will air November 30 on the WB. Titled "Stripped ... Live in the U.K.," the special will be released January 13 on DVD. ... Justin Timberlake's upcoming TV special, "Down Home in Memphis," was scheduled for broadcast November 25, though NBC has now bumped its premiere to November 28, a day after Thanksgiving. In the one-hour program, Timberlake gives viewers a tour of his hometown and performs "Rock Your Body" and "Cry Me a River" from Justified, as well as a duet with the Rev. Al Green on his classic 1971 hit "Let's Stay Together." ...

Creed are ramping up for a big 2004, promising to release a collection of hits, unreleased material and new recordings as well as solo projects from frontman Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti. No timetable has been set for the releases. ... Months of touring have not stopped 3 Doors Down from writing material for their next album, which they plan to record early next year. "We stay busy on the road, we write every day," guitarist Matt Roberts said. ...

Big-boned rocker Meat Loaf, touring to support his eighth album, Couldn't Have Said It Better, collapsed on a London stage Monday night and was taken to a hospital for observation. Loaf's spokesperson cited exhaustion due to a prolonged, non-life-threatening viral infection as the cause. He remained hospitalized Tuesday and canceled his show that night, per doctor's orders. ... Wu-Tang Clan's RZA has been forced to cancel the 21 remaining dates on his national tour due to exhaustion, a problem that landed him in the hospital for a few days last week. The producer/rapper, who just released a solo album, Birth of a Prince, is resting for a couple of weeks and will not reschedule the dates. ...

Another brick in the wall ... another rock music action figure. Six of the memorable characters, hallucinations and icons from Pink Floyd's 1982 movie, "The Wall," are now available as part of a toy statuette box set. Each figure — Scorpion & Pink, the teacher, marching hammers, the judge, megaphone hammer and eagle warplane — is 6-8 inches tall and comes attached to its own piece of "the wall." The figures are available from thewalldirect.com. ... A lawsuit filed by P. Diddy's former business associate Kirk Burrowes against the hip-hop mogul was thrown out of federal court Tuesday because the complaint failed to meet the requirements to continue at a federal level. A determined Burrowes now plans to take his case to state court. ...

Kid Rock is checking in with fans before determining the next single from his just-released self-titled album, but he knows what he would like to get on the radio. "I'd love to get some of that rock and roll blues stuff from the record," said Rock, who played an unexpected show Friday at the Malibu Inn along the Pacific Coast Highway in California. "We went into the club to have a drink and then there was a band playing and they said, 'Hey, would you guys like to play?' We said, 'Of course, we'd love to,' and they made a big production out of it. The owner did a sneak move and went and put our name on the marquee." ... Rock attended Sunday's American Music Awards with on-again, off-again girlfriend Pamela Anderson, who said she is launching a clothing line in February. "Pamouflage?" Rock asked. "No, that's just one thing," she answered. "Damn, I like that name," Rock responded. ...

When Chevelle return to the studio in March, the Chicago trio hope to score the assistance of a big-name producer. "I want Dave Grohl, actually," singer/guitarist Pete Loeffler said. As for the direction of the album, drummer Sam Loeffler added, "We're a heavy rock band, so we're gonna stay with that, heavy and melodic. We've got some ideas of things to make it just bigger, more double-kick [drum] stuff and things like that." ... Indie-rock bastions Pavement haven't been a band for four years, but Spiral Stairs' solo career keeps climbing. Guitarist Scott Kannberg's post-Pavement venture, Preston Schools of Industry, is gearing up for its second album, Monsoon, due in January. The follow-up to 2001's All This Sounds Gas features Wilco's Jeff Tweedy on a track called "Get Your Crayons Out." Meanwhile, Kannberg is looking through his archives for a deluxe, expanded reissue of Pavement's breakthrough classic, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, originally released in 1994. ...

Without a TV show on the air, Tom Green is staying busy writing an album to follow up his infamous "The Bum Bum Song." Among the subjects the comedian is tackling with his lyrics are the Grand Canyon, monkeys and vegetarianism. "It's gonna be really positive," he said. "Not a lot of the sex stuff that's in music these days, that's really kinda corrupting our youth." ... One of the country's largest CD-bootlegging operations, believed to have illegally manufactured more than $50 million worth of CDs by artists such as Ja Rule, Ludacris, Britney Spears and Eminem, was busted earlier this month in Atlanta, police announced last week. A raid resulted in the confiscation of more than 127,000 CDs and brought multiple counts of conspiracy and pirating-of-copyrighted-material charges against six alleged ringleaders. ...

• Clay Aiken
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
• Jessica Simpson
• Jay-Z
• Incubus

What better way to kick off this week's new releases than with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's debut album, Come Poop With Me? The puppet pooch, known from "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" and his scuffle with Eminem at last year's VMAs, sings such showstoppers as "Lick Myself," "Cats are Cu--s" with Conan O'Brien and "Bob Barker" with Jack Black.

Ja Rule drops Blood in My Eye, which features the singles "Clap Back" and "Crown," while Fabolous conjures More Street Dreams Part 2: The Mixtape, and Wyclef Jean's The Preacher's Son cavorts with Missy Elliott, Monica and Carlos Santana.

Ryan Adams releases two albums this week: Rock N Roll — on which he collaborates with Melissa Auf Der Maur, girlfriend Parker Posey and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong — and the EP Love Is Hell Part 1, recorded with producer John Porter (Smiths, Roxy Music). Green Day also make a cameo on Iggy Pop's Skull Ring, on which Pop both reunites with the Stooges and teams up with the likes of Sum 41 and Peaches.

Toby Keith loves rockin' y'all and Shock'n Y'all. His newest album finds this country boy back on his favorite subject — defending the U.S. of A. Hot on the heels of "Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," he sings about the "American Soldier" and "The Taliban Song." On Afterglow, Sarah McLachlan also addresses the post-September 11 experience on "World on Fire."

P.O.D. release Payable on Death alongside "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" soundtrack with music by Pantera, Hatebreed, Static-X, Fear Factory and Shadows Fall. The popular "Now That's What I Call Music!" series hits volume 14 this week with such popular songs as Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love," Chingy's "Right Thurr," Fountains of Wayne's "Stacy's Mom" and Justin Timberlake's "Senorita." In other compilation news, Tricky presents Back to Mine featuring the Cure, Kate Bush, Eric B. & Rakim and Le Tigre.

Out Tuesday, November 4:

• Ryan Adams - Love Is Hell, Part 1 and Rock N Roll (Lost Highway)
  Buy Now: Love Is Hell, Part 1 (Lost Highway)
  Buy Now: Rock N Roll (Lost Highway)
  
• Against Me! - As the Eternal Cowboy (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Alli With an I - I Learned It by Watching You (Law of Inertia)
• Afrika Bambaataa - Presents Eastside (Obsessive)
• Bexar Bexar - Haralambos (Western Vinyl)
• The Blue Series Continuum - Sorcerer Sessions (Thirsty Ear)
• Bluebird - Falling Back to Earth (Dim Mak)
• Bon Jovi - This Left Feels Right — Greatest Hits With a Twist (Mercury)
  Buy Now: This Left Feels Right — Greatest Hits With a Twist (Mercury)
  
• Brother JT3 - Hang in There, Baby (Drag City)
• George Calle - Oh Yeah! 2 (Oh Music)
• Catch 22 - Dinosaur Sounds (Victory)
• Chicken Lips - DJ-Kicks (¡K7)
• Karen Clark Sheard - The Heavens Are Telling (Elektra)
• Curl Up and Die - ... But the Past Is Not Through With Us (Revelation)
• Dimension Zero - This Is Hell (Century Media)
• The Dirty Projectors - The Glad Fact (Western Vinyl)
• Dolorean - Not Exotic (Yep Roc)
• The Everyothers - The Everyothers (Hautlab)
• Explosions in the Sky - The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place (Temporary Residence Limited)
• Fabolous - More Street Dreams, Part 2 — The Mixtape (Elektra)
  Read: "Fabolous To Let Idaho In On The Mixtape Game"
  Buy Now: More Street Dreams, Part 2 — The Mixtape (Elektra)
  
• Falconer - The Sceptre of Deception (Metal Blade)
• Nik Freitas - Heavy Mellow (Future Farmer)
• General Jah Mikey - Jah Works (Paras Group)
• Grand Ulena - Neosho (Family Vineyard)
• IRS - Welcome to Planet IRS (Avatar)
• Goran Ivanovic & Fareed Haque - Macedonian Blues: Laments and Dances (Proteus)
• J-Live - Always Will Be (Fatbeats)
• Ja Rule - Blood in My Eye (Def Jam)
  Read: "Ja Rule To Drop Blood In My Eye LP In November"
  Buy Now: Blood in My Eye (Def Jam)
  
• Wyclef Jean - The Preacher's Son (Clef/J)
  Read: "Wyclef Jean Nabs 'All-Ghetto Cast' — Including Tom Jones — For Album"
  Buy Now: The Preacher's Son (Clef/J)
  
• Jennyanykind - Peas and Collards (MoRisen)
• Junkyard - Tried and True (Heat Slick)
• Toby Keith - Shock'n Y'all (DreamWorks Nashville)
• Steve Lawler - Lights Out 2 (Global Underground/Lights Out)
• Lovely Midget - North Head (Family Vineyard)
• Mägo de Oz - Gaia (Locomotive)
• The Marshamllow Coast - Antistar (Misra)
• Barbara Mason - Greatest Hits - Expanded Edition (E2)
• Sarah McLachlan - Afterglow (Arista)
  Buy Now: Afterglow (Arista)
  
• The Mediaeval Baebes - Mistletoe & Wine (Nettwerk America)
• Motochrist - Greetings from the Bonneville Salt Flats (Heat Slick)
• Movietone - The Sand and the Stars (Drag City)
• The Mummies - Death by Unga Bunga (Estrus)
• Nervous Cop - Nervous Cop (5 Rue Christine)
• Nightfist - Epic (Temporary Residence Limited)
• Faris Nourallah - Problematico (Western Vinyl)
• Kotara Oshio - Dramatic (Narada)
• P.O.D. - Payable on Death (Atlantic)
  Read: "P.O.D. Go Back To Their Roots, Insist They're Not Preachers"
  Buy Now: Payable on Death (Atlantic)
  
• Pako & Frederick - Atlantic Breakers (GU)
• June Panic - Hope You Fail Better (Secretly Canadian)
• Park - It Won't Snow Where You're Going (Lobster)
• Parker/Drumm/Zerrang - Out Trios Volume 2 (Atavistic)
• Iggy Pop - Skull Ring (Virgin)
  Read: "Iggy Pop, Sum 41 Think They 'Know It All' "
  Buy Now: Skull Ring (Virgin)
  
• Toni Price - Born to Be Blue (Antone's/Texas Music Group)
• Pseudosix - Days of Delay (54º40' or Fight!)
• Richie Rydell - New York City Underground - Club Traxx Volume 2 (Diesel Groove)
• Joanne Shenandoah - Covenant (Silver Wave)
• A Small Victory - The Pieces We Keep (Lobster)
• Mykal Somer - Element of Surprise (E.R.C./Eskeh)
• Spokane - Measurement (Jagjaguwar)
• Stratovarius - Elements Part 2 (Nuclear Blast)
• Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway (Jetset)
• The Thrills - So Much for the City (Virgin)
• Too Short - Married to the Game (Jive)
• Transatlantic - Live in Europe (Metal Blade)
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog - Come Poop With Me (Warner Bros.)
• Twenty2 - The Dudes of Hazzard (New School)
• U.S. Maple - Purple on Time (Drag City)
• Uncle Junior's Friday Fish Fry - Djinji Brown Presents: The Market (7Heads)
• Wheat - Per Second, Per Second, Per Second, Every Second (Aware/Columbia)
• Various artists - Amsterdam Nights (Water Music)
• Various artists - The Essential Chill Collection (Topaz)
• Various artists - A Guitar Tribute to Jack Johnson (Tribute Sounds)
• Various artists - A Guitar Tribute to Rod Stewart (Tribute Sounds)
• Various artists - "Matrix Revolutions" soundtrack (Warner Sunset/Maverick)
• Various artists - Maybe This Christmas, Too (Nettwerk)
• Various artists - No More Prisons 2 (Raptivism)
• Various artists - NOW That's What I Call Music! Vol. 14 (Columbia)
• Various artists - Revolution: The String Quartet Tribute to P.O.D. (Vitamin)
• Various artists - Rewind — Party Hits (Tommy Boy)
• Various artists - "Runaway Jury" soundtrack (Varése Sarabande)
• Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to 3 Doors Down (Vitamin)
• Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to Evanescence (Vitamin)
• Various artists - The String Quartet to Jimi Hendrix(Vitamin)
• Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to 311 (Vitamin)
• Various artists - Tricky Presents: Back to Mine (DMC)
• Various artists - A Tribute to Audioslave (Tributized)
• Various artists - A Tribute to the Deftones (Tributized)
• Various artists - A Tribute to Willie Nelson (Tribute Sounds)
• Various artists - A Tribute to Rancid (Tributized)
• Various artists - "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" soundtrack (Nitrus/DRX)
• DVD: Blues Traveler - On the Rocks (Sanctuary)
• DVD: Coldplay - Live 2003 (Capitol)
  Read: "Coldplay To Release Live DVD, CD"
• DVD: David Cross - Let America Laugh (Sub Pop)
• DVD: Hilary Duff - All Access Pass (Buena Vista/Hollywood)
• DVD: Avril Lavigne - My World (Arista)
• DVD: Tenacious D - The Complete Masterworks (Epic)
• DVD: Darryl Worley - Have You Forgotten? (DreamWorks Nashville)
• DVD: Various artists - The Roots of Rap (X-Ray)
• DVD: Various artists - Victory Video Collection Vol. 3 (Victory)

November 11:

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

November 18:

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

November 28:

• Jay-Z - The Black Album (Roc-a-Fella)
  Read:

• Ja Rule
• Ryan Adams
• P.O.D.
• Iggy Pop
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog

Missy Elliott is nearly done with her as-yet-untitled fifth album, which is due in November. Timbaland is once again on board as a producer. ... Meanwhile, a live version of Elliott's "Work It" will be released October 14 on Sessions@AOL, a compilation of tunes culled from the bi-weekly series on AOL Music and the Fuse television network. Coldplay, Avril Lavigne, Alicia Keys, Michelle Branch and Vanessa Carlton are also on the album. ...

Nelly shook his tailfeather with the man who invented the remix, so since he and P. Diddy are so chummy, maybe Puffy will make a new beat for one of the pimp-juice-drinking MC's hits. The captain of the St. Lunatics is currently soliciting producers for a remix album, which should contain reworkings of a selection of cuts from his two LPs, Country Grammar and Nellyville, the Tics' group effort, Free City, and Ali's solo debut, Heavy Starch. ... Obie Trice is pulling a Willy Wonka with the release of his debut album, Cheers, due September 23. Three copies of the LP will contain a "golden ticket" that entitles the bearer to chill with Eminem in the studio while he records his next album. ...

Radiohead singer Thom Yorke joined R.E.M. onstage in Vancouver on August 29 for their encore on "E-Bow the Letter" and "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." The next night at the same venue, R.E.M. vocalist Michael Stipe returned the favor by joining Radiohead for an encore of "Karma Police." In addition, R.E.M. dedicated "Orange Crush" to Radiohead, who gifted their own "Lucky" to Stipe and friends. ... Neil Young's 17th annual Bridge School Benefit concert is set for October 25 and 26 at Shoreline Amphitheater outside San Francisco. Pearl Jam, who will be making their sixth appearance at the event, are the only band announced so far. ...

The Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council recently hosted a community get-together called Jam Master Jay Day in the Hollis section of Queens, New York, and now the group says it has the support of Queens councilman Leroy Comrie in its efforts to have 203rd Street named after the slain Run-DMC DJ. They have given up hope of the renaming becoming official by October 30, which is the one-year anniversary of the hip-hop icon's death. Instead, they want to have the change take place by January 21, which is JMJ's birthday. The Youth Council says it will meet with Community Board 12 in Queens in two weeks to further discuss the matter. ...

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog has renamed his debut album Come Poop With Me. The comedy album now carries a release date of October 7 and features appearances by Adam Sandler, Jack Black, Horatio Sanz, Subway spokesperson Jared Fogel, members of the "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" house band and Conan himself. ... The Flaming Lips will open for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the West Coast leg of their fall tour. The trek begins October 8 in Las Vegas and ends October 21 in Seattle. ...

Following a successful tour with this year's Ozzfest, Marilyn Manson will headline his own North American jaunt starting October 10 in Los Angeles. Dates run through Halloween in Dallas. ... The seventh annual MOBO Awards, an English ceremony to celebrate Music of Black Origin, will take place September 25 at Royal Albert Hall. Nominees include Beyoncé, Ashanti, Justin Timberlake and Kelly Rowland for Best R&B Act and 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Eminem, Jay-Z and Joe Budden for Best Hip-Hop Act. ...

The Polyphonic Spree will kick off a North American tour September 19 in their hometown of Dallas. The outing, which will feature the Starlight Mints on the first leg and the Sleepy Jackson on the second, ends with a two-night stay November 23 and 24 in San Diego. ... The Special Goodness, Weezer drummer Pat Wilson's side project with former Rocket From the Crypt drummer Atom, are planning to issue their next record through punk staple Epitaph. "We are proud to announce that we've agreed in principle to sign with Epitaph Records," reads a posting on the band's Web site. ...

Crazy Town's last album, Darkhorse, debuted near the bottom of the Billboard albums chart, and now singer Shifty Shellshock has sunk even lower. Shellshock, a.k.a. Seth Binzer, has teamed up with Rick Solomon, who once dated actress Shannen Doherty, and producer Zack Bautzer to release "Beverly Hills Pimps and Ho's," a DVD series that shows some of Hollywood's hottest actresses in compromising positions. ... Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise have set a November 11 release date for their fourth album, Still Lovin' You. "It's more natural sounding with natural instruments and no loops," Bradley said of the music. "I'm trying to get back to the old 1975 vibe. A little country in it, but mostly R&B with a rock flavor." ...

Chris Slusarenko and Superdrag's Sam Powers will sit in with Guided by Voices for the group's upcoming tours of the U.S. and Europe, respectively, following the departure of bassist Tim Tobias, according to a post on GBV's Web site. ... No doubt spurned on by the band's overseas critical acclaim and #1 spot on the albums chart in their U.K. home, Atlantic Records has bumped up the Stateside release of The Darkness' debut album from early next year to later this month. The throwback hard rock band's Permission to Land will now hit U.S. stores on September 16. ...

Echo and the Bunnymen will launch a North American tour on October 23 in Boston. Dates run through November 7 in Anaheim, California. The band will follow the U.S. jaunt with a lengthy world tour. ... Barenaked Ladies' sixth studio album, Everything to Everyone, is due October 21. Members of the Blue Man Group guest on a song on the LP called "Shopping." ...

Ambient experts Enigma will release a new album, Voyageur, on September 30. ... Nü-ish metal band Static-X are inviting fans to show up on Thursday for the shooting of their video for "The Only," the first single from their upcoming album, Shadow Zone, due October 7. The band is seeking 20 males and 20 females 18 years of age or older, and the shoot is taking place at GMT Studios in Culver City, California. ...

09.02.03

The latest albums from Cody Chesnutt, Floetry, Sigur Rós, the Streets and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are among the 10 finalists for the Shortlist Music Prize. The other five finalists — the Black Keys, Bright Eyes, Cat Power, Interpol and Damien Rice — will perform at the Shortlist Concert October 5 in Los Angeles. The winner, selected by a panel that includes Gwen Stefani, the Neptunes and Coldplay's Chris Martin, will be announced that night and will receive a $5,000 prize. ...

Fat Joe will join Latin singer La India and funk collective Yerba Buena in a tribute to late salsa singer Celia Cruz at the Hispanic Heritage Awards, taking place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Friday. NBC will broadcast the event on September 13. ... Ozzy Osbourne has postponed a string of U.K. tour dates that had been scheduled to begin this week in order to undergo a foot operation. Osbourne's publicist wouldn't comment on the injury. The rescheduled dates begin October 22 in Dublin and conclude November 1 in his hometown of Birmingham, England. The rest of the overseas tour, which will now begin in the Netherlands on September 9, is not expected to be affected. ...

Justin Timberlake, the new Ronald McDonald? The pop singer is filling some big red shoes as part of a McDonald's global marketing campaign that features his new song "I'm Loving It." He'll have cameos throughout the spots, which will appear in 100 countries. The fast-food chain is also sponsoring Timberlake's 2003 35-city European tour, which kicks off in November in Germany. The U.S. launch of the campaign is slated for late September. ... Next summer Rob Zombie will publish a book featuring stories from some of his favorite authors, Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker and Charles Dickens. "Rob Zombie Presents: Monsters, Maniacs and Madmen" will feature an introduction by Zombie and new original artwork. ...

Nickelback have mapped out their first trek in support of their fourth album, The Long Road. With support from Trapt and Three Days Grace, the jaunt kicks off October 14 in Lubbock, Texas, and runs through September 9 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. ... Come Feel Me Tremble, Paul Westerberg's sixth solo album since disbanding the Replacements, is due October 21, the same day a Westerberg documentary of the same name will be released on DVD. The album includes a cover of Jackson Browne's "These Days." ... The latest go-round of Vagrant Records' cross-country namesake tour will be headlined by Alkaline Trio and will include labelmates From Autumn to Ashes, Reggie & the Full Effect and No Motiv, the label's first signing. The 33-city tour begins October 29 in Minneapolis. ...

Sarah McLachlan, who will tour extensively in 2004, according to her Web site, is planning a November release for her first studio album in six years. The still-untitled disc will feature the single "Fallen," which is being released to radio this week. ... When Hoobastank's Dan Estrin rides into a roped-off section of the parking lot on a minibike, he really rides into a roped-off section. While doing just that last week, Estrin was clotheslined by the rope and thrown from his bike, resulting in a skull fracture that caused a blood clot near his brain. Surgery removed the clot, but the guitarist, scheduled to leave the hospital Tuesday (September 2), is out of commission for five to six weeks, so the band has canceled all of its September shows. Estrin is expected to be ready in time for the Nokia Unwired Tour, which kicks off October 2 with the All-American Rejects, Ozomatli and Diffuser. ...

Lisa Marie Presley, who just wrapped a tour with Chris Isaak, will kick off a headlining outing September 13 in Las Vegas. The short trek, to promote her debut, To Whom It May Concern, will wrap up October 6 in New Orleans. ... It's no wonder England can't get the hang of such U.S. trends as hip-hop and driving on the right side of the street — we keep sending them things like Sk8er Rock, a 27-track double album featuring the artists skaters love to shred to, like Pink, Puddle of Mudd, Chad Kroeger, the Calling and the inspiration for the comp's name, Avril Lavigne. And since the album is only available overseas, if you buy it in the States you get to pay more for it! ...

Offspring guitarist Noodles writes on the band's Web site that Pennywise's Jim Lindberg and T.S.O.L.'s Jack Grisham recorded backing vocals with the band for its next album, which may or may not be called Chinese Democracy. Either way, it's the follow-up to 2000's Conspiracy of One. ... If Willie went wicked, he'd probably be first in line for the "Wicked Wonka" tour. Featuring Insane Clown Posse, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Kottonmouth Kings and Tech N9ne, the 34-city trek begins September 17 in Cleveland. ...

Trina might be the baddest one, but someone did her mo' bad. A man posing as her manager weaseled his way into her hotel room in Greenville, North Carolina, late Thursday night and stole more than $300,000 in cash and jewels from the rapper while she was performing at a nearby club. Police are reviewing hotel security video, according to a spokesperson for the Hilton Greenville. ... Josh Homme's next Desert Sessions project (volumes nine and 10, for those scoring at home) is set for release October 7. Recorded in February during a jam session at Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert, the disc includes contributions from A Perfect Circle's Josh Freese, Dean Ween, PJ Harvey and Twiggy Ramirez. ...

Guns N' Roses guitarist Buckethead and his side band, Deli Creeps, have contributed the title track to the upcoming straight-to-DVD film "Flesh for the Beast," a horror tale about an occultist who obtains an evil medallion that conjures female demons who take residence in a former brothel and kill, kill, kill. The Terry West-directed flick will be released October 28 in rated and unrated versions. The unrated disc will contain additional music by Buckethead. ... Cracker's Countrysides is due October 14 and will feature bonus footage of singer David Lowery telling off a Virgin Records executive. Cracker will promote the album with a tour beginning September 27 in Richmond, Virginia, and ending November 11 in Las Vegas. ...

Glam-rockers Poison lost a stage set, sound system and musical instruments when one of their transport trucks burst into flames Sunday while heading to a show in Clarkston, Michigan. The driver and crew tried to extinguish the blaze, but since there were pyrotechnics in the truck, they gave up and cleared the area until fire officials arrived. Despite the accident, Poison played that night and will finish the tour as planned. ...

• Missy Elliott
• Nelly
• Pearl Jam
• Eminem
• Beyoncé

Mariah Carey has recorded a cover of Def Leppard's 1981 hit "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" for her new album, Charmbracelet, now due December 3. The record will also include a cover of a more recent tune, Cam'ron's "Oh Boy," featuring the rapper. ... Following the postponement of a Halloween show at New York's Town Hall, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog has had a bone thrown his way by Bon Jovi. The New Jersey rockers, who were subjected to the puppet pooch's skewering at a hometown gig last summer, displayed a sense of humor to match the sheer volume of their hairdos circa Slippery When Wet by allowing Triumph to open their November 7 show at the Roseland Ballroom. ... When B2K's Pandemonium drops on December 10, it will be available in five different covers: a standard group photo and limited-edition versions featuring individual portraits of J-Boog, Raz-B, Lil' Fizz and Omarion. The group's holiday album Santa Hooked Me Up and DVD "Live at the House of Blues" are due on October 29. ... Staind have recorded a tribute to late Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley that is expected to appear on their new album, due in May. Staind's Aaron Lewis wrote the tentatively titled "Layne" despite never having met the troubled singer because "he felt his passing went unnoticed" and he "needed to let everybody know how talented he was." ...

Bassist Mark "London" Spicoluk has left Avril Lavigne's band to focus on his own band, Closet Monster, and label, Underground Operations. Spicoluk has told Canadian journalists he felt like a marketing tool in Lavigne's band and it wasn't where his heart was. ... Actress Sela Ward ("Once and Again") has recruited Britney Spears, Lance Bass and others to serve on an honorary committee for the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center, a $35 million project she is spearheading in her home state. Faith Hill, Jimmy Buffet, B.B. King, Morgan Freeman and none other than Kermit the Frog are also on the committee. ... Bass's fellow 'NSYNCer JC Chasez will support his former "Mickey Mouse Club" friend Tony Lucca by appearing at the launch party for his new record company at the House of Blues in Los Angeles on November 12. Chasez, whose single "Blowing Me Up (With Her Love)" will hit radio on November 18, told a Los Angeles radio station he may perform at the event. ...

Love is in the air for O-Town's Jacob Underwood, as he tied the knot with his high-school sweetheart, Janie, in San Diego on Sunday in an outdoor ceremony. Underwood may have to cut the honeymoon short, however, as the group is preparing to release O2 on November 12. ... Former Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh is debuting his paintings in an art show called "Infections" at the Paradise Lounge in Boston. Welsh's first public showing, which began October 25 and continues until Christmas, features a collection of nearly 50 acrylics, oils and collages. ... Metal veterans Bret Michaels (Poison) and Vince Neil (Mötley Crüe) will join rockers George Thorogood, Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Sheila E. and others at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp, a benefit for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the House of Blues in Los Angeles on November 14. Drew Carey is hosting the event. ...

Electronic music mastermind Carl Craig and Karriem Riggins (Common, Slum Village) are producing an album of Detroit jazz all-stars, including Marcus Belgrave, Regina Carter and others, due in February. Dubbed the Detroit Experiment, the album is the sequel to last year's Philadelphia Experiment, the jazz side project of the Roots' Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson. ... Wiley Publishing, the company responsible for educating more dummies than your local community college, will begin releasing "For Dummies" CDs early next year designed to school listeners in such genres as pop, soul, rock, jazz, blues, electronica and hip-hop. The discs will be distributed through independent label Superb Records and will be carried by bookstores, record stores and other retail outlets, the project's publicist said. ... Grammy Award-winning engineer/producer Tom Dowd, who worked with everyone from Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding to John Coltrane, the Allman Brothers and Eric Clapton in a career that spanned 50 years, died in Florida on Sunday at the age of 77. ...

10.28.02

"Kells, holla" — Kelly Rowland gave more than a shout-out to her boy Nelly on Friday on Long Island, New York. The singer, who had an in-store autograph session at a Manhattan FYE earlier in the day, made a surprise appearance onstage that night as the Nellyville tour stopped off at Nassau Coliseum, where the duo performed their duet "Dilemma." ... The release date for Dashboard Confessional's MTV Unplugged 2.0 album and DVD has been pushed back to December 17. The 15-track album will feature the recording of the band's "Unplugged" performance, including the songs "Swiss Army Romance," "Remember to Breathe," "Screaming Infidelities" and "Hands Down," while the DVD will feature two songs that did not appear on the original airing of the program. ...

Rapper Lil' Cease (James Lloyd Jr.) pleaded guilty Thursday to criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree and, given his clean criminal record, agreed to five years probation. Cease faced attempted murder charges stemming from an August 2001 incident. ... Charges of attempted murder against Cease's fellow Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Larceny (Antoine Spain) are expected to be dismissed following the sentencing of Cease and two accomplices who pleaded guilty to criminal possession and attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. ... Recently reformed cyber-metallers Fear Factory, who originally announced their breakup roughly six months ago, have posted samples of three new demo tracks on their Web site, FearFactory.com. Vocalist Burton C. Bell, drummer Raymond Herrera and bassist Christian Olde Wolbers have reunited without co-founder/ primary songwriter Dino Cazares, with Wolbers (who also performs with Cypress Hill and with Herrera in the Kush Project) handling both guitar and bass duties for now. ...

John Mayer will launch his latest U.S. headlining tour in support of Room for Squares with a string of 18 dates on college campuses and theaters beginning November 7 in Pompano Beach, Florida, at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater. Robert Randolph & the Family Band will open the first nine dates, followed by bluegrass group Nickel Creek for five nights and popsters Maroon 5 on the final four shows, which wrap with a two-night stand at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Connecticut. ... Breaking a five-year release drought in the U.S., Erasure have set January 28 as the date to offer up their new covers album, Other People's Songs. Known for their ABBA interpretations, the duo looked to early rock and roll as an inspiration, tackling songs by Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, the Righteous Brothers and the Ronettes, as well as tracks from Peter Gabriel and the MTV classic "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles.

• Mariah Carey
• B2K
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
• Staind
• Avril Lavigne

2 Many DJ's
Photo: Junkfood Inc.

For many college-radio and music-industry personnel, it's time to break out the fall jackets, earplugs, aspirin and business cards, because the annual CMJ Music Marathon is rolling out in New York again.

From October 30 to November 2, 900 artists will permeate the Big Apple with shows in more than 50 venues as part of the 2002 incarnation of one of the largest and longest-running music festivals. Mash-up maestros 2 Many DJ's, NYC "it"-sters the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Swedish exports the Soundtrack of Our Lives are among the must-see highlights, with Jurassic 5, Box Car Racer, the Chemical Brothers and Sigur Rós also due to turn in performances. Most shows are open to the public.

This year's marathon is not without its sense of humor, as comedic performances by David Cross, supporting his double-disc comedy album Shut Up You F---king Baby!, and puppet pooch Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, perhaps providing a glimpse at his forthcoming Come Poop With Me, are also scheduled.

Concerts are only half of the CMJ Music Marathon. Panel discussions on topics ranging from copyright protection and sampling to Internet radio, label consolidation and the rise of the New York rock scene take place each afternoon at the Hilton New York hotel. A Q&A session with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, conducted by rock scribe Dave Marsh, and an intimate discussion with Tori Amos are among the key talks.

Other artists slated to perform include Ben Kweller, the Polyphonic Spree, Radio 4, Medeski Martin and Wood, Bright Eyes, Thursday, the Moldy Peaches, Simian, (International) Noise Conspiracy, Pretty Girls Make Graves and Imperial Teen.

Although the kickoff is more than a week away, the event has already been met with its first flare-up. Ipecac Records, the independent label co-owned by former Faith No More singer and all-around eccentric Mike Patton, was forced to cancel a sold-out party and showcase on October 31 because its venue, the Roxy, was double-booked with a performance by DJ Carl Cox. Attempts to find another home for Skeleton Key, Isis, Tomahawk and Fantômas Melvins Big Band — the latter two groups include Patton — proved fruitless, and the show was called off.

"We started this label three and a half years ago as a way to operate differently than what is the norm in the music industry, to be artist friendly and fan friendly," Patton said in a statement. "This show was a celebration of what we have built in such a short period of time, a vindication of our goals. Now we stand here apologizing, looking like fools, yet we did nothing wrong."

Clear Channel Communications, which originally booked the Ipecac show at Irving Plaza and then moved it to the larger Roxy due to the high level of demand, has filed suit against the venue, seeking reimbursement and unspecified damages, according to an Ipecac spokesperson.

The Carl Cox show, which is not part of the festival, is going ahead as scheduled.

A complete list of performers and panels can be found at the CMJ Web site.

• Tori Amos
• Box Car Racer
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
• Jurassic 5
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs

After Jonathan Davis is through telling his fans that Pop Sux! on Korn's upcoming tour of the same name, the horror-obsessed singer is planning to demonstrate that the vampire Lestat does so, too — only in an entirely different way. The band's spokesperson said that Davis and guitarist Munky intend to hit the road with other musicians to perform songs Davis wrote for "The Queen of the Damned" that were sung by author Anne Rice's fictitious protagonist in the film. Dates for the tour have yet to be sorted out, but the stage show promises lots of leather, in a fetish-ball kind of way. ...

When Triumph the Insult Comic Dog drops his debut LP, hopefully some fans won't take its title literally. Despite it coming straight from the pooch's puss, the album's title will be Come Poop With Me, according to Warner Bros. Records, and not Songs in the Key of Poop as was previously reported. A release date remains undetermined. ... C-Murder, who was set to start his second-degree murder trial Tuesday (September 17), has been granted a continuance. The rapper, whose real name is Corey Miller, will stand trial October 7, according to the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, court. ...

Russell Simmons is going to the D.O.C.'s neck of the woods next month. According to a spokesperson for the media mogul, Simmons, D.O.C., Minister Benjamin Muhammad and Dallas Mayor Pro-Tem Don Hill will be among those in Dallas for the third Hip-Hop Summit on October 12. Previous summits were held in New York and California to discuss issues in the music industry; this one will focus on voter registration among young people. ... The Vines have climbed near the top of the heap for the 16th annual ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) awards with five nominations, including Best Group, Single of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Rock Album. Also garnering multiple nominations for the awards show, which takes place October 15, are Silverchair, Kasey Chambers and Kylie Minogue, each with six nods. ...

Kid Rock will bring some hip-hop attitude to this year's Farm Aid benefit concert, scheduled for Saturday at the Post-Gazette Pavilion in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. Also appearing at the event are founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp, as well as Dave Matthews, Gillian Welch, the Drive-By Truckers and Kenny Wayne Shepherd with Double Trouble. ? Following a run on this summer's Warped Tour, Reel Big Fish will return to the road beginning September 20 in Portland, Oregon, with a month-long headlining trek to support their fourth album, Cheer Up. The Starting Line and the Kicks will serve as openers. ... After fainting in her Stockholm home last Wednesday, Marie Fredriksson, 44, singer of Swedish pop group Roxette, was hospitalized and found to have a brain tumor, according to a statement from her management. While it has not yet been determined what treatment the singer will receive, the group has canceled a European tour slated to promote its latest single, "A Thing About You." ... Actress LaWanda Page, known to at least three generations of TV viewers as Aunt Esther on the 1970s sitcom "Sanford and Son," succumbed to diabetes on Saturday. The actress, who can still be seen flinging her purse at Redd Foxx in syndication, was 81. ...

Kelly Rowland's solo LP, Simply Deep, which includes production work by Brandy's husband, Robert Smith, is now due October 22 instead of September 24. Rowland plans to follow-up "Dilemma," her #1 collaboration with Nelly, with a single called "Stole." ...

9.16.02

No Doubt's Gwen Stefani and Bush's Gavin Rossdale were married Saturday in London. The couple of six years walked the aisle of St. Paul's Church before heading to Los Angeles for a second ceremony for their Stateside friends and family. ... TLC has decided to go with the Edmund "Eddie Hustle" Clement-produced "Girl Talk" as the first single from its upcoming album, 3D. The group had previously planned to offer the Dallas Austin-produced "Quickie" as the first single from the album, which hits stores on November 12. ...

Paul McCartney will release "Carnival of Light," a Beatles track previously unheard for 35 years, as reported by Reuters. The 14-minute song will serve as the soundtrack for a film montage of photographs memorializing his late wife, Linda. ... The Osbournes were awarded an Emmy statuette for Outstanding Non-Fiction Reality Program during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday, according to the Associated Press. The ceremony acknowledges technical and artistic achievements as a precursor to the 54th Annual primetime Emmy Awards that will air Sunday, September 22. ...

Feeling the band's auxiliary drummers were poorly represented on last year's Iowa, Slipknot guitarist Jim Root said the band is thinking much harder about how their third album will sound. With plans to reconvene in March to begin recording, Root said the next effort from the masked rockers will likely "take it to that third level, the obscure Neurosis/Pink Floyd level of more experimental, unstructured songs." ...

Prince will release his first live album, the three-disc box set One Nite Alone ... Live, this fall. The collection is culled from his stripped-down, jazzy spring tour and features an album of material recorded at his famed after parties, featuring guests like George Clinton and Musiq. ... As their new album, Stanley Climbfall, hits stores this week, Lifehouse announced the addition of guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme to their lineup. Woolstenhulme, whose brother Rick drums for the onetime trio, quietly parted company with the Calling in June and has been serving as Lifehouse's touring member throughout the summer. ...

Steve-O had an arraignment scheduled Monday (September 16) for charges of obscenity and battery, but he can breathe easy for a little while longer. The "Jackass" stunt-monger (whose real name is Stephen Glover) had a continuance granted instead. He's due back in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana on December 16. ... After being charged last month with misdemeanor battery, Vince Neil is now facing a million dollar lawsuit from the record producer who claims Neil attacked him. Michael Schuman filed the suit Thursday (September 12) in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that Neil "violently and brutally" struck him as he was exiting his vehicle in front of the Rainbow Bar & Grill. Neil's management said Monday that "the civil case is as ridiculous as the criminal case." ...

Finally the Punk Rockers Are Taking Acid 1983-1988, a three-CD set of the Flaming Lips' first full-length albums and 16 bonus tracks, is due September 17. Two weeks later, The Day They Shot a Hole in the Jesus Egg, a double CD set of 1990's In A Priest Driven Ambulance plus outtakes and demos, will hit stores. ...Sixpence None The Richer have completed production on their CD, Divine Discontent, slated to be released October 29 with the first single, "Breathe Your Name," in-stores on October 1. The band recently became involved in U2's Bono DATA initiative for Africa and will include sponsorship information in the album's liner notes. ...

After winning a Local H concert on eBay in July, highest bidder Kevin Krak — at $9701 — has picked the date for his private concert. Local H will play a venue to be determined in Chicago on November 27. Krak might even get two gigs out of his bid. A rep for Local H said that the band is considering playing one show at a school or on a school bus, and then another at a venue where tickets could be sold. ...

Supreme Beings of Leisure will promote their recently released Divine Operating System with their first national tour. A five-piece band will accompany the Los Angeles duo on the outing, which kicks off October 10 in Portland and wraps November 17 in Orlando. ... On October 30, the day after Sigur Rós' new album ( ) hits stores, the Icelandic soundscape innovators will kick off a North American tour in Toronto. The outing, which hits New York's Beacon Theatre, Washington, D.C.'s Lincoln Center and Los Angeles's recently remodeled Wiltern Theatre among other theaters, ends November 27 in Vancouver, British Columbia. ...

Seven soundtracks filled with the tunes of Judas Priest, Blondie, Hall and Oates, and other 1980s artists are set for release October 29, to coincide with the release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the fourth installment in the GTA series, set in the era marked by Reganomics and the birth of the music video. Each soundtrack corresponds with the in-game radio stations — spanning the metal, soul and power-ballad genres — with the underground hip-hop station boasting banter from the influential Mr. Magic, a forerunner of Funkmaster Flex, whose Sunday night radio show, Rapp Attack, on New York's WBLS was among the first to broadcast hip-hop.

• Korn
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
• C-Murder
• The Vines
• Roxette

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
Photo: MTV News

Now that Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's run-in with Eminem at the VMAs has blown over, the puppet pooch is about to start static with another pack of rappers. And like them, he's cooking up his beef on wax.

Triumph, who became Eminem's unwitting sparring partner at this year's MTV Video Music Awards (see "Was Eminem Out Of Line At VMAs, Or Just Being Real?"), said he expects to drop Songs in the Key of Poop this winter on Warner Bros. Records, although finishing touches are still being applied and a spokesperson for Warner couldn't confirm the title at press time. The "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" correspondent (see "Kurt Loder Bitten By Triumph The Insult Comic Dog") is trying to secure a guest spot from comedian Adam Sandler and is open to accommodating more cameos, but don't count on hearing from a couple of artists who would seem like a natural fit.

"Snoop and Bow Wow," he moaned. "I'm so tired of hearing, 'Why don't you perform with Lil' Bow Wow? Get it? Because he's a dog?' " he asked rhetorically in a mock-little-girl's voice.

"Screw him, you know?" he said, returning to his mysterious south-of-the-border accent. "There's only room for one dog, my friend. Lil' Bow Wow, he can rap. I can rap, but I can lick myself, too.

"No dogs on this album," Triumph swore. "No Snoop, no Lil' Bow Wow, no Courtney Love ... "

The songs on the LP bear titles like "Benji's Queer" and "Doggie Style," which Triumph described as a love song with a rap in it. He was even generous enough to offer a sample: "Lady left Tramp for a taste of my G/ I got the Westminster poodles lining up for me/ Lassie even gave me her IUD/ As a keepsake, I got Toto's brassiere."

"I forgot the rest," he said apologetically, before suddenly remembering the kicker: "Benji hit on my ass."

"I humped Mary Hart's leg on the 'ET' set," he continued. "I got Phil Jackson's crotch on the Lakers' team jet."

Another song, the Caribbean-flavored "Little Roundworm," concerns every parasite-plagued canine's plight: "Little roundworm; tiny roundworm/ Must you live in the ass of a hound, worm?"

"This is going to blow the roof off the whole dog world," Triumph declared.

For a feature interview with Triumph, check out "Triumph The Insult Comic Dog Poops On Eminem, Timberlake."

• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog

• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
• Eminem
• *NSYNC

Spankin' New Fall 2003

• Britney Spears
• blink-182
• G-Unit
• Enrique Iglesias
• P.O.D.

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog Photos

• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog

2002 VMA Top Moments

• Eminem
• TLC
• Guns N' Roses
• Diddy
• *NSYNC