Unwritten Law
Photo: Lava Records

Don't be surprised by the lack of new albums hitting stores this week. Yeah, CD sales have been dipping pretty low these days, but what's happening here is nothing more than a result of late-night New Year's Eve soirees, the post office kicking back for a few days and record labels hibernating for another week or so.

That leaves us with an Unwritten Law greatest-hits collection, a new Carly Simon album, the soundtrack to "The L Word" and an Elvis Presley compilation — or, as far as you're probably concerned, just an Unwritten Law greatest-hits collection.

Luckily for you readers, there's a bit of a story behind the Law's self-devised set, The Hit List. See, apparently the 17-year-old band was in the process of putting together its own best-of comp when Interscope slapped together the skimpy 20th Century Masters: The Best of Unwritten Law - The Millennium Collection and dropped it in mid-October.

But while the Law sounded off on their Web site about what they consider to be a sub-par comp, the reality bites: They don't own the masters to all their own material. So they've resorted to a different approach — one previously taken by Night Ranger, Cyndi Lauper and Cracker — and re-recorded choice tracks for what they're calling their "authorized" best-of CD.

"We've been in the studio most of the year re-recording all of the old songs so that they are new again," the band said in a post on its Web site. "We've delayed this album a couple of times already 'cos we just wanted to get it right. The old songs are completely re-recorded and rearranged and they rock like you've never heard them before — like the way that the band has grown since the Oz Factor days."

Besting the 12-track Millennium Collection, The Hit List collects 19 cuts. While the former has "Holiday," "Before I Go," "Mean Girl" and "Geronimo," the latter skips those tracks and swaps in "Shoulda Known Better" (the band's new single), "C.P.K.," "Superman," "Shallow," "Rescue Me," "Rest of My Life," "Blame It on Me," "Save Me," "She Says," "Celebration Song" and "Oblivion."

The Law's biggest competition this week comes in the form of one of your mom's favorite artists: Carly Simon. The ever-grinning, 61-year-old New Yorker covered standards the last time around, on 2005's Moonlight Serenade, and for this occasion she's taking a similar approach by revisiting folk and pop classics, as well as lullabies. Yes, lullabies.

Produced by Simon and Jimmy Parr — who engineered 2004's Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits — Into the White finds the singer tackling songs made famous by the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Stephen Foster and James Taylor. She gets assists from singers Teese Gohl, Peter Calo, Jan Hyer and David Saw — and for your narcotic listening pleasure, tosses in "Over the Rainbow," "You Are My Sunshine" and "Oh! Susanna."

So in other words, beware. This ain't no "American Idol" picnic. As Simon (no, not Cowell — we're talking Carly here) says in a post on her Web site: "This is very much an album for grownups, as well as children. The album is very, very soothing ... it doesn't startle you. It just does nice things to you."

And that's about all, folks. Check back next week when the year really gets started with new ones from Mos Def and Mario.

Song Title of the Week:

"Dating My Frankenstein" from Ryan Parmenter's The Noble Knave

New Releases:

· Robert Tabby Crabb - Three Ducks on a Pond (Musark) · Rob Kendt - I'm Not Sentimental (Ruby) · Ryan Parmenter - The Noble Knave (Split Difference) · Jane Pickens - Music in the Air (Sepia) · André Rieu - Romantic Moments With André Rieu (Laserlight) · Carly Simon - Into the White (Columbia) [Buy Now] · Windstorm - Snapshots of Life (Windstorm) · Wonder - Welcome to Wonderland (Dump Valve) · Various artists - L Tunes: Music From and Inspired by "The L Word" (Columbia/ Music With a Twist)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Angelica - Angelica (Atlantic) · Elvis Presley - The Essential Elvis Presley (Sony BMG) · Unwritten Law - The Hit List (Rocket Science) [Buy Now] · Various artists - Country Heartbreak (Laserlight) · Various artists - Crooners: Be My Love (Madacy) · Various artists - Crooners: Love Story (Madacy) · Various artists - Crooners: Some Enchanted Evening (Madacy) · Various artists - Crooners: Unforgettable (Madacy) · Various artists - Essential Love (Madacy) · Various artists - Highway Fever: All-Time Greatest Country Road Songs (American Beat) · Various artists - I Love Paris: Sensuous French Classics (Laserlight) · Various artists - Incurable Romantic: Piano Music for Lovers (Laserlight) · Various artists - Kings of Country: Love Songs (Laserlight) · Various artists - Latin for Lovers (Laserlight) · Various artists - Power Ballads (Madacy) · Various artists - Queens of Country: Love Songs (Laserlight) · Various artists - Romantic Jazz: Music for Lovers (Laserlight) · Various artists - Romantic Moments of the 70s and 80s (Laserlight) · Various artists - Sensuous Saxophone: Music for Lovers (Laserlight) · Various artists - Simply Romantic: Guitar Music for Lovers (Laserlight) · Various artists - The Best of Body and Soul (Madacy) · Various artists - The Romantic 60s (Laserlight) · Various artists - Torch Singers: Sirens of Song (Laserlight)

Music DVDs: · Various artists - "Gotta Have Gospel! Gold: The World's Top Gospel Artists and Songs" (Gospocentric)

Coming Attractions:

January 9: · Green Day - 1,039/ Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (enhanced; Reprise) [Preorder] and Kerplunk (Reprise) · Mario - Go! (J) [Preorder] Read: "On-The-Go! Mario Changes LP Title, Reaches Out To Disadvantaged Kids" · Mos Def - Tru3 Magic (Geffen) [Preorder]

January 16: · America - Here & Now (Burgundy) · The Smithereens - Meet the Smithereens! (Koch) [Preorder] · Various artists - "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls" soundtrack (Atlantic)

January 23: · Clinic - Visitations (bonus track; Domino) [Preorder] · Dustin Kensrue - Please Come Home (digipak due same day; Equal Vision) · Madonna - "Confessions Tour" DVD (Warner Bros.) [Preorder]

• Unwritten Law
• Carly Simon
• Elvis Presley

Carrie Underwood
Photo: Rusty Russell/ Getty Images

She'd spent a year as the winner of "American Idol" and was about to receive a college degree from Northeastern State University, but May was a month of dread for Carrie Underwood, who was certain her big graduation day would be a disaster. "I was like, 'People are going to boo me,' " the singer told Teen People in the magazine's September — and final — issue. Underwood, who said a story in a student newspaper claimed she was getting too much attention, got through the ceremony to receive her degree without a boo — "I was just another graduate." And while the triple-platinum country singer says she'd enjoy working in small-town broadcast journalism, a shorter career jump to a more pop sound is not in her future. "What could I bring to that market? I don't dance. I'm not a tummy show-er. ... I felt I fit in the country world, where I don't have to change." Teen People's final issue, which also features the new cast of "Laguna Beach," is on newsstands Friday (August 4). ...

Jennifer Lopez will not be appearing in the forthcoming Hollywood remake of the TV soap "Dallas," her spokesperson confirmed. J. Lo had signed on for the role of booze-swigging Sue Ellen Ewing opposite John Travolta, who will play conniving oil tycoon J.R. Ewing. ... Nelly Furtado has picked her next U.S. single. "Maneater" will be the second track from Loose to hit the airwaves. ... Only four dancers are left standing in Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" competition — two were eliminated this week following a performance by Omarion — and next week, a winner will be crowned. Ciara and Fergie will appear on Thursday's finale, performing "Step Up" and "London Bridge," respectively. Tickets for the "So You Think You Can Dance Tour," which kicks off September 12 in Seattle, go on sale August 12. ...

The video for "Lose Control" is set in a nightclub, so rather than deck out a soundstage, Kevin Federline went straight to the real thing when it came time to shoot the clip. Federline took over the Pure nightclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on July 29 for a 15-hour shoot, reports In Touch magazine, which has a behind-the-scenes look at the production in its August 14 issue. After the work was done, Pure's late-night crowd was treated to a preview of "Lose Control" — which the DJ played three times as Federline sang along. "The single is really high energy," he told the magazine. "It's a great song to perform." ...

A release date has been set for Rob Zombie's remake of the horror classic "Halloween," but fans of the rocker's flicks will need to wait awhile before the film hits the screen. Zombie's "Halloween" is scheduled to open October 19, 2007. ... Ohio punk foursome Dead Poetic's forthcoming album, Vices, will feature a very special guest on the track "Paralytic" — Deftones frontman Chino Moreno, who also co-produced two songs for the effort. Vices will be in stores October 31. ... Actress Monica Keena has been missing from "Entourage" this season, but she has a new hot chick to play. Keena will voice a character in "The Sopranos" video game, due in November. ...

It's been known for some time that Modest Mouse were working on their new album with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, but what's news to us is the fact that Marr is now apparently a full-fledged member of the band. A spokesperson for the band's label, Epic Records, confirmed that Marr had joined Modest Mouse and will tour with them in support of their upcoming album, tentatively titled We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. The band (including Marr) recorded the new album at Sweet Tea studios in Mississippi, the same place the group recorded its breakout 2004 album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News. The new Modest Mouse LP is tentatively due this fall. ... Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" was featured on the season finale of "Grey's Anatomy" in May — with the line "Would you lie with me and just forget the world?" pointedly playing as a surgeon lies in a hospital bed alongside the dead body of a beloved patient — and the song quickly became a hit on iTunes. Now there's a mash-up of sorts posted on ABC's Web site, pairing the track with scenes from the series. The free video will be posted at ABC.com through August 14. ...

The Clash bassist Paul Simonon has confirmed that he'll be collaborating with Blur/ Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn, former Verve guitarist Simon Tong, and Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen in a new band that has yet to be named. According to BBC News, the group will be releasing an album, called The Good, the Bad and the Queen, January 2007; Gnarls Barkley's Danger Mouse — who is also Albarn's partner in Gorillaz — is producing the disc, which has been in the works for the last two years. ... On August 15, the Sex Pistols will reissue Spunk, which originally came out as a bootleg in 1977. The disc features the original demos recorded with bassist Glen Matlock, who was fired and replaced by Sid Vicious before the band recorded Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. ...

Sorta-industrial Canadian grinders Death From Above 1979 have called it a day. Bassist/keyboardist Jesse Keeler broke the news via a post on the band's official Web site, writing, "I'm sure most of you assume the band isn't happening anymore, since there are no shows, no work on a new album, etc. I wanted to let you know that your assumptions are correct. We decided to stop doing the band." Keeler goes on to say that he and drummer/vocalist Sebastien Grainger actually decided to split about a year ago, but they opted to finish their busy tour schedule — which included a slot opening for Nine Inch Nails and the Queens of the Stone Age — and then break up. "We started as a punk band with pop aspirations and we met every goal we set for ourselves," Keeler wrote. "A few weeks ago, the album [their 2004 debut, the thundering You're a Woman, I'm a Machine] finally went gold in Canada and that was the final mark I really wanted to reach." ...

Unlike most best-of collections, Unwritten Law's forthcoming retrospective will feature fresh new takes on some old songs. The band re-recorded 17 tracks for the disc, The Hit List, which is set for release September 26. The collection will also feature some unheard, unreleased studio cuts. ... Melissa Etheridge and her band will be auctioning off autographed instruments used during their summer 2006 tour to benefit the Breast Cancer Care and Research Fund. The auction, hosted by GivingWorks.eBay.com, kicks off Friday with a new instrument added each week this month. ... Doug Fieger, lead singer of the Knack, underwent successful surgery to remove two brain tumors Thursday, The Associated Press reports. He is expected to have a full recovery. The Knack's upcoming tour — which included an August 11 stop at the Corbin Music Festival in Corbin, Kentucky — has been postponed.

08.03.2006

The Rolling Stones will have Kanye West pumping up the crowd for the first three dates of their A Bigger Bang tour's fall North American leg. The rapper will perform before the rock vets during concerts at Boston's Gillette Stadium (September 20); Halifax, Nova Scotia's Halifax Commons (September 23); and East Rutherford, New Jersey's Giants Stadium (September 27). ...

According to Attleboro, Massachusetts' The Sun Chronicle, a 42-year-old man from Cranston, Rhode Island, was charged with indecent assault following Ozzfest's August 1 stop in Mansfield, Massachusetts, for allegedly reaching under a woman's skirt. Joseph Rinaldi was released on $860 bail following his arraignment on Wednesday. The victim told police he'd grabbed underneath her skirt as she was walking back to her tour bus with a friend. The victim's identity has not been revealed. Rinaldi was also charged with possession of a class-B substance when police found he was carrying Vicodin. ...

Religious leaders are lashing out at Madonna in advance of her Sunday concert in Rome, The Associated Press reports. The singer plans to stage a mock crucifixion at the show, as she has been doing throughout her Confessions tour. "To crucify yourself in the city of the pope and the martyrs is an act of open hostility" toward the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Ersilio Tonini told Italian daily newspaper La Stampa on Wednesday. Mario Scialoja, president of the Muslim World League in Italy, called the demonstration "an act of bad taste," while Riccardo Pacifici, a spokesperson for Rome's Jewish community, said, "It's a disrespectful act, and to do it in Rome is even worse." ...

Rihanna will perform at Teen Choice 2006, which will air August 20 at 8 p.m. on Fox. Nick Lachey, Snoop Dogg, Jessica Alba, Kristen Bell, Sophia Bush, Brandon Routh, Kristin Cavallari, Wilmer Valderrama, Paula Abdul and the cast of "High School Musical" will also be appearing at the awards show. ... Making a TV performance of a different variety is David Hasselhoff, who will sing "Jump in My Car" on "America's Got Talent" Thursday night (August 3), with his former "Knight Rider" co-star KITT in tow. ...

Alabama's Bureau of Tourism & Travel is erecting six billboards with the pictures of Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard and Bo Bice under the words, "Where America finds its voice. Alabama." The billboards will go up just before "American Idol" auditions begin in Birmingham on August 21. ... In other ex-"Idol" news, Clay Aiken is heading back to the '70s for his next album. The singer's A Thousand Different Ways features 14 tracks — 10 are covers of hits from the 1970s through the 1990s, including Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again," which Aiken switched up from a country track to a pop ballad. The LP, due September 19, also includes the singer's take on hits by Elton John, Bryan Adams, Celine Dion and Foreigner as well as a new track written by Jon Bon Jovi called "These Open Arms." "This is an album of love songs," Aiken said, "but they are about all different kinds of love." ...

Snoop Dogg is among the guests on funk star Bootsy Collins' new holiday album, Christmas Is 4-Ever, due October 31. Snoop raps on "Happy Holidaze," while Charlie Daniels plays fiddle and sings on "Sleigh Ride." ... Tiger Army will join longtime friends AFI on the West Coast leg of their fall tour. The September shows will be the last Tiger Army appearances until after the recording of their follow-up to 2004's III: Ghost Tigers Rise. ... Aaron Carter has been discharged from the hospital after getting into a surfing accident earlier this week, The San Francisco Chronicle reports. The singer, whose car exploded after a collision last year, is recovering at home after his more recent mishap. ...

"There comes a time in a man's life when he's got to pull up his pants," Common told Men's Health in an interview featured in the magazine's September issue. "Not everyone wants to see your ass." The rapper explained that a man expresses himself through his clothing and revealed that there's a bonus to refining one's style: "Dressing like a gentleman brings respect." Common, who says a hat "gives a man another way to put on his crown," is working on a line of head coverings he's named Soji. Men's Health hits newsstands everywhere August 15. (Check out photos from Common's "Guide to Style" layout here). ...

Gnarls Barkley and Modest Mouse will headline the Bang! Music Festival at Miami's Bicentennial Park on November 11. Tiësto, Los Amigos Invisibles and Kinky are also on the bill, with more acts to be announced. ... Matisyahu, the Polyphonic Spree and Gomez are teaming up for a run of West Coast dates in September. The Spree are also headlining shows in Los Angeles, Dallas and Austin, Texas, that will include Pilotdrift and Philip E. Karnats, two acts signed to Polyphonic frontman Tim DeLaughter's Good Records Recordings. ... Frankie J, Nina Sky, Jeannie Ortega, Luis Fonsi and Orishas are heading out on tour together for the Lo McXimo de la Música concert series. Tour sponsors McDonald's will contribute $3 from every ticket sold to the Ronald McDonald House Charities/ Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources scholarship program. The tour kicks off in Phoenix on August 30 and hits cities including Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Miami and New York before wrapping up September 24 in Washington, D.C. ...

The Flaming Lips, DFA and legendary Detroit DJ Carl Craig are among the artists who remixed Goldfrapp songs for We Are Glitter. The collection of Supernature remixes is due October 17. ... A double-CD version of the recently released Black Crowes DVD "Freak'n'Roll Into the Fog: The Black Crowes All Join Hands" is due September 19. The album was recorded at San Francisco's Fillmore last year and includes an encore featuring their take on the Band's "The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down." ... Citizen Cope will release a new album, Every Waking Moment, September 12. Fans who preorder the LP will receive an autographed copy along with a bonus four-song EP. ...

Sister Hazel have set an October 10 release date for their next album, Absolutely. Shawn Mullins appears on the first single, "Mandolin Moon." ... Animal-protection organization In Defense of Animals will honor Moby with its Guardian Award. "Moby embodies the true spirit of what it means to be an animal guardian," IDA's president and founder, Dr. Elliot M. Katz, said in the statement. "We are proud to present him with our Guardian Award and look forward to a fruitful partnership that will benefit our animal friends." The musician will be honored August 13 in Alexandria, Virginia, as part of the Animal Rights 2006 National Conference. ... All-female tribute bands including the Iron Maidens and Cheap Chick are uniting on a compilation called Girls Got Rhythm, due August 22. Three of the acts honor AC/DC.

• Carrie Underwood
• Jennifer Lopez
• Nelly Furtado
• Rob Zombie
• Kevin Federline

Former Unwritten Law guitarist Rob Brewer (file)
Photo: Appio

SoCal pop-punk outfit Unwritten Law fired longtime guitarist Rob Brewer last week following an onstage fracas that left frontman Scott Russo with one less tooth. The incident unfolded during a performance at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California, on March 23 — an evening that also included a brief hospital stay for the sacked guitarist.

"The latest decision to part ways with [Brewer] was motivated by a number of volatile circumstances involving disputes between Rob and various bandmembers, as well as interactions between Brewer and the fans," the band said in a statement.

In an interview with MTV News on Monday night, Russo elaborated: "Long story short? [Rob] sucks. He hit me, and then we fired him."

The frontman provided a more detailed account of the events that led to Brewer's unexpected dismissal. His onstage antics aside, Brewer was an irresponsible member of the group, Russo said, and his overall presence in Unwritten Law was beginning to take its toll.

The weekend prior to the Anaheim gig, the band had planned to perform "F.I.G.H.T," from its latest disc, Here's to the Mourning.

"Kids have been coming up to the stage asking for that song," Russo said, "because they want to sing along. So we practiced the song during that weekend, and when it came down to the day of the show, Rob wasn't prepared to do the song. But we'd already committed to that song. We'd said we were going to be playing it."

But Brewer refused, telling the band he didn't have his parts nailed down. "We were like, 'Dude, it's on your record. It's been on your record for the last two months,' " Russo said, adding that Unwritten Law haven't been able to consistently play the new record's single, "Save Me," during live sets because of Brewer's failure to master the material.

"When it came down to it, he was frustrated, and I knew he was upset — I can tell. So I said on the microphone that Rob's mad at us. I went over to try and give him a hug, and he pushed me."

Russo responded by throwing water at Brewer, and apparently the guitarist was in no mood to get wet.

"He knocked one of my teeth out," Russo said. "So I walked offstage. Rob did too. But I walked back out, threw his guitar on, and we finished the set without him. Then I threw his guitar into the crowd and gave it to the kids."

After the show, Russo said he went backstage to find Brewer, "to f---ing have a word with him and do whatever."

Russo said he eventually found the guitarist. He was wielding a bottle of vodka and started "charging me, and he tries to hit me over the head with it." But, as Brewer was running through an open doorway, "the bottle connects with the top of the door jamb, and smashes, cutting half of his right pinkie off. Needless to say, he couldn't play the next two or three shows, because he had to have surgery to reattach his torn ligaments."

Russo said the band, which unceremoniously fired original drummer Wade Youman more than a year ago because of his alleged violent outbursts, digested the entire situation, and decided it was time for Brewer to go.

"[The outbursts] had become a once-a-month problem with him," he said. "We decided it was in our best interest to make sure this would never happen again. We wanted to get rid of him before the band started deteriorating, basically."

Russo said it was during the same Anaheim show that Brewer pushed a fan who had made his way backstage to meet the band. "He yelled at the kid, 'What the f--- are you doing in my [dressing] room?' and he hit the fan across the room. We we're just like, 'What the f--- is wrong with him?' "

Russo said he and the rest of the band — bassist Pat Kim, guitarist Steve Morris and drummer Tony Palermo — were "bummed" to have to give Brewer the boot, but, following several marathon discussions about the situation, felt they had no other options. "It wasn't a question for us of whether he was capable of doing this again — attacking one of us, attacking a fan," Russo said. "It was really a question of when he would. Trust me: We didn't want to do this."

Describing him as "irreplaceable," the band, currently on the road with Sum 41, said in a statement that it'll continue as a four-piece and has no immediate plans to replace Brewer.

Brewer could not be reached for comment.

• Unwritten Law

<i>Red, White & Crüe</i>
Photo: Hip-O Records

The biggest new release this week is as American as Aquanet, Harley Davidson and "Girls, Girls, Girls." Mötley Crüe salute their more than 20 years of hair-metal mania with a double-disc set titled Red, White & Crüe.

Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx saunter back into action with a two-disc set featuring classic Crüe tracks like their cover of "Smokin' in the Boys Room," "Dr. Feelgood" and "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)," as well as some of their lesser-known '90s songs and three new tracks.

Similarly paying herself homage this week is Kylie Minogue, whose Ultimate Kylie gets a Stateside release. The 33-track double-disc set features the Aussie songstress' first U.S. #1 hit, "The Loco-Motion," and runs the gamut of her career, including the dance track "Slow." Also included is a new single called "I Believe in You," co-written by the Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears and Babydaddy.

Pop-punk outfit Unwritten Law release Here's to the Mourning on the heels of the single "Save Me." Here's to the Mourning is the band's first studio album since 2002's Elva.

With the Grammy Awards rapidly approaching (February 13), the annual Grammy nominees album is hitting shelves. Grammy Nominees 2005 includes Green Day's "American Idiot," U2's "Vertigo," the Black Eyed Peas' "Let's Get It Started," Usher's "Burn" and Kanye West's "Through the Wire" as well as 15 others.

Also out this week are albums by Tina Turner (All the Best), Ed Harcourt (Strangers), Paul Oakenfold (Perfecto Presents ... The Club), and Pepper's Ghost (Arena).

Out Tuesday, February 1:

• Paul Brady - Say What You Feel (Compass)
• Brazilian Girls - Brazilian Girls (Verve Forecast)
• Precious Bryant - The Truth (Terminus)
• Bobby Caldwell - Perfect Island Nights (Music Force Media)
• Caribbean Jazz Project - Here and Now: Live in Concert (Concord)
• Tommy Castro - Soul Shaker (Blind Pig)
• Ray Charles - More Music From 'Ray' (Rhino)
• Chiara Civello - Last Quarter Moon (Verve)
• Joe Cocker - Heart & Soul (New Door/UME)
• Bill Connors - Return (Tone Center)
• Lars Danielsson - Libera Me (ACT/HighNote)
• Mario Frangoulis - Follow Your Heart (Sony)
• John Frusciante - Curtains (Record Collection)
  Buy Now: Curtains (Record Collection)
  
• Nanci Griffith - Hearts in Mind (New Door/UME)
• Rigmor Gustafsson with the Jack Terrasson Trio - Close to You (ACT/HighNote)
• Ed Harcourt - Strangers (Astralwerks)
  Buy Now: Strangers (Astralwerks)
  
• Scott Henderson - Live! (Tone Center)
• HIM - Love Metal (Universal)
• Impossible Shapes - Horus (Secretly Canadian)
• Johnny Boy - Threat to Society (Thump)
• Jess Klein - Strawberry Lover (Rykodisc)
• Nancy Lamott - Live at Tavern on the Green (Middle Music)
• Jack Logan and the Monday Night Recorders - Nature's Assembly Line (Orange Twin)
• Cass McCombs - Prefection (Monitor)
• Kylie Minogue - Ultimate Kylie (Capitol)
  Buy Now: Ultimate Kylie (Capitol)
  
• Jason Moran - Same Mother (Blue Note)
• Mötley Crüe - Red, White & Crüe (Hip-O)
  Read: "Original Lineup Of Motley Crue Reuniting For World Tour"
  Buy Now: Red, White & Crüe (Hip-O)
  
• Paul Oakenfold - Perfecto Presents ... The Club (Thrive)
  Buy Now: Perfecto Presents ... The Club (Thrive)
  
• Octane - Spock's Beard (Inside Out U.S.)
• Pepper's Ghost - Arena (Inside Out U.S.)
• Kelly Joe Phelps - Tap the Red Cane Whirlwind (Rykodisc)
• Pilot Scott Tracy - Any City (Alternative Tentacles)
• Dafnis Prieto - About the Monks (Zoho)
• SNMNMNM - As Best as We Can! (Unschooled)
• 3rd Force - Driving Force (Higher Octave)
• Tishamingo - Wear n' Tear (Magnatude)
• Tina Turner - All the Best (Capitol)
  Buy Now: All the Best (Capitol)
  
• Unwritten Law - Here's to the Mourning (Lava)
  Buy Now: Here's to the Mourning (Lava)
  
• Leon Ware - A Kiss in the Sand (Kitchen)
• The Yuppie Pricks - Brokers Banquet (Alternative Tentacles)
• Various artists - Days of Our Lives: Love Songs (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - Gangster Love Volume 2 (Thump)
• Various artists - Grammy Nominees 2005 (Capitol)
• Various artists - Tunnel Trance Force America (Varese Sarabande)
• DVD: Henry Rollins - "Shock & Awe: The Tour" (Image Entertainment)
• DVD: Various artists - "The MC: Why We Do It" (Image Entertainment)
• DVD: Various artists - "The Roots Present" (Image Entertainment)

February 8:

• Sage Francis - Healthy Distrust (Epitaph)
• Brian McKnight - Gemini (Motown)
  Buy Now: Gemini (Motown)
  
• 3 Doors Down - Seventeen Days (Universal)
  Buy Now: Seventeen Days(Universal)
  

February 15:

• Blue Merle - Burning in the Sun (Island)
• Goldfinger - Disconnection Notice (Maverick)
  Buy Now: Disconnection Notice (Maverick)
  
• They Might Be Giants - Here Come the ABCs (Disney)

February 22:

• Tori Amos - The Beekeeper (Sony)
  Buy Now: The Beekeeper (Sony)
  
• Omarion - O (Sony)
• Thievery Corporation - Cosmic Game (ESL Music)

• Mötley Crüe
• Kylie Minogue
• Unwritten Law
• Ray Charles
• HIM

Wouldn't you know it, Destiny's Child have a kid sister, and she's a Solo Star. Solange Knowles' project finally sees the light of day this week after about a year of build-up. The disc does not include any DC cameos — Solange instead opts for B2K and the St. Lunatics.

On the other end of the new-releases spectrum are two albums from hipster bands, Rainer Maria (Long Knives Drawn) and Pretty Girls Make Graves (the EP). True to form, the industry darlings deliver their special brand of indie, punky, emo-y pop.

Groove Armada's eclectic DJ set Love Box features rock, funk, soul, hip-hop, raga, down-tempo tracks and even "Buffalo Stance" honey Neneh Cherry on a couple of songs, while the Sea and Cake deliver an equally diverse listening experience on their new album, One Bedroom.

Finally, Cody Chesnutt, the You Hear It First alum, Strokes cameo man, Roots compadre and lo-fi rock and soul star finally gets The Headphone Masterpiece distributed in actual music stores this week rather than exclusively on his temperamental Web site. The two-CD set features such testosterone-infused favorites as "The Seed," "Bitch, I'm Broke," and "War Between the Sexes," plus the ubiquitous hitz for da ladiez, "Can We Teach" and "Smoke and Love."

Out Tuesday, January 21:

• 4 Way Street - 4 Way Street (Sliced Bread)
• Rikk Agnew - All by Myself (Frontier)
• Ape Breaks - Volume 3 (Ubiquity)
• Arrivals - Exsenator Orange (Thick)
• Axe - Offering (Wounded Bird)
• Benumb - By Means of Upheaval (Relapse)
• Bitter Bitter Weeks - Bitter Bitter Weeks (My Pal God)
• Bob Log III - Log Bomb (Fat Possum)
• Bombshell Rocks - From Here and On (Burning Heart)
• Brokeback - Looks at the Bird (Thrill Jockey)
• Burnside Project - The Networks, the Circuits, the Streams, the Harmonies (Bar/None)
• Steve Caballero - Bandology 1 (Sessions)
• Calla - Televise (Arena Rock)
• Cargo Cult - Strange Men Bearing Gifts (Touch & Go)
• Cody Chesnutt - The Headphone Masterpiece (2 CDs, Ready Set Go) Read: Cody Chesnutt: 60s Rock And Soul, Dirty South Hip-Hop, British New Wave And Talent"
  Buy Now: The Headphone Masterpiece (Ready Set Go)
• Cinch - Cinch (EP, Dirtnap)
• Colossal - Brave the Elements (EP, Asian Man)
• Crooked Fingers - Red Devil Dawn (Merge)
• Cuica - City to City (Ubiquity)
• The Delgados - Hate (Mantra)
• Whit Dickey and Trio Ahxoloxha - Prophet Moon (Aum Fidelity)
• DJ Kid - Hitz 4 Kidz (DM)
• Endless Struggle - Till the End (A-F)
• The Eurythmics - In the Garden (RCA)
• Future Bible Heroes - The Lonely Robot (EP, Instinct)
• Gang of Four - Hard/Solid Gold (Wounded Bird)
• Graves - Love Love Love (Film Guerrero)
• Green on Red - Gravity Talks (Wounded Bird)
• Groove Armada - Lovebox (Jive-Electro)
• Jeff Hanson - Son (Kill Rock Stars)
• Happy Apple - Youth Oriented (Sunny Side)
• Holopaw - Holopaw (Sub Pop)
• The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Bigger Cages, Longer Chains and Up for Sale (EPs, Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  Buy Now: Bigger Cages, Longer Chains (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• John & Spencer Booze Explosion - John & Spencer Booze Explosion (Tiger Style)
• Jonny Z - Barrio Knights (One Lil' Vato)
• King Missile III - The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (Instinct)
• Kinski - Airs Above Your Station (Sub Pop)
• Kizzy Rock - The Realist (Kela/In the Paint)
• Laika - Lost in Space (Beggars Too Pure)
• Last Days of May - Inner System Blues (Squealer)
• Last Hombres - Redemption (Koch)
• Ledisi - Soulsinger (Tommy Boy)
• Richard Lloyd - Alchemy (Collector's Choice)
• Main - Transiency (Tigerbeat6)
• Mary Lorson & Billy Coté - Piano Creeps (The First Time)
• Mannheim Steamroller - Romantic Melodies (American Gramaphone)
• Microphones - Mount Eerie (K)
• Chieili Minucci - Night Grooves (Shanachie)
• Mission U.K. - Even After ... Live (Sanctuary/Castle)
• Negative Approach - Tied Down (Touch and Go)
• Bob Neuwirth - Bob Neuwirth (Water)
• David Newman - Gift (High Note)
• No Trend - Tritonian Nash-Vegas Polyester Complex (Touch & Go)
• Mike Nock - Changing Seasons (Diw)
• The Out Crowd - Go On, Give a Damn (Orange Sky)
• Paper Garden - Paper Garden (Gear Fab)
• William Parker, Joe Morris and Hamid Drake - Eloping With the Sun (Aum Fidelity)
• Jeremy Pelt - Insight (Criss Cross)
• Jimmy Ponder - Alone (High Note)
• Pretty Girls Make Graves - Pretty Girls Make Graves (EP, Dim Mak)
• Rainer Maria - Long Knives Drawn (Polyvinyl)
• Rasputina - Lost & Found 2nd Edition (EP, Instinct)
• Redneck Girlfriend - Blood Sweat & Beers (Infect)
• Reversal Penetrations - Generation Mindwar (Cop International)
• Sea and Cake - One Bedroom (Thrill Jockey)
• Matthew Shipp - Equilibrium (Thirsty Ear)
• Solange - Solo Star (Columbia) Read: "Solange 'Feeling' It With Beyonce, N.O.R.E., Others"
  Buy Now: Solo Star (Columbia)
• Sole - Selling Live Water (Anticon)
• Sonna - Smile and the World Smiles With You (Temporary Residence Limited)
• SoulSkin - SoulSkin (Askew)
• Sport Murphy - Uncle (Kill Rock Stars)
• Tiffany Nicole - Tiffany Nicole (Dreamscape)
• Unwritten Law - From Music in High Places (Lava) Read: "Unwritten Law Frolic Naked, Trash House"
  Buy Now: From Music in High Places (Lava)
• Sarah Vaughn - Nature Boy (Golden Stars)
• Tom Verlaine - Tom Verlaine (Collector's Choice)
• Virginia Coalition - Rock and Roll Party (DCN)
• The Volta Sound - This Is the Yin and the Yang (Orange Sky)
• Written in the Sand - 47 Ursae Majoris (Johann's Face)
• Zero 7 - Simple Things: Remixes (Palm Pictures)
• Various artists - Adults Only Vols. 1. & 2 (Sanctuary)
• Various artists - Almost You: The Songs of Elvis Costello (Glurp/Bar/None)
• Various artists - At Least You Can Die With a Smile on Your Face (Bella Union)
• Various artists - Cheap Date (Columbia)
• Various artists – "Girl Most Likely" soundtrack (DRG)
• Various artists - History of Rock (Box Set, Collectables)
• Various artists - Indiana Jones Trilogy (Silva America)
• Various artists - Mob Action Against the State (Alternative Tentacle)
• Various artists - Mollie's Mix (Kill Rock Stars)
• Various artists - The Now Sound of Brazil (Six Degrees Travel Series)
• Various artists - Pulse from Mid-America (Anatomy)
• Various artists - Pure Punk Rock (Punkcore)
• Various artists - Respond II (Signature)
• Various artists - Tiger Style Sampler (Tiger Style)
• Various artists – "Who's Your Daddy" soundtrack (Koch)

• Erasure - Other People's Songs (Mute)

February 4:

• Jars of Clay - Furthermore: From the Studio to the Stage (BMG)
• Pet Shop Boys - Disco 3 (EP, Sanctuary)
• Various artists - "Daredevil" soundtrack (Wind-Up)

February 11:

• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Nocturama (Epitaph)
• Massive Attack - 100th Window (Virgin)
• John Mayer - Any Given Thursday (Sony)
• Various artists - We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to the Ramones (Sony)

February 18:

• R. Kelly - Chocolate Factory (Jive)

February 25:

• Third Eye Blind - Crystal Baller (Elektra)

• Solange
• Cody ChesnuTT
• Unwritten Law
• The Sea and Cake
• Groove Armada

Missy Elliott composed a letter to the mayor of her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia, expressing her views on the importance of spaying and neutering all animals before they're adopted in order to prevent new generations of stray animals. The hip-hop diva was moved to pen the missive after learning that more than 2,300 cats and dogs were killed in shelters in Portsmouth last year, and that 4 to 5 million are killed annually in shelters nationwide. ... Meanwhile, Elliott will headline Motorola's fourth annual holiday party to benefit Toys for Tots at the Lot in West Hollywood on Thursday. Nelly, Nikka Costa, Macy Gray, Luke Wilson, Tobey Maguire and others are expected to attend the event, where guests are asked to bring a toy to be donated to Toys for Tots. ...

Whitney Houston will be giving a free preview of her new album, Just Whitney…, two days before its December 10 release date. The singer will perform three songs from the LP in front of New York's Lincoln Center as part of a taping for "Good Morning America." Houston's segment on "GMA" will air on the day her album drops. ... The Lyricist Lounge Tour, which had recently been canceled, is back on: The outing will kick off in Washington, D.C., on December 6, and will run until December 31 in Providence, Rhode Island. On the bill are Erick Sermon, Poverty, Blestenation, Killah Priest and Grafh, as well as Scarface, who will jump off the tour after the December 23 show. ...

Marc Anthony, Dionne Warwick, J Records founder Clive Davis, opera singer Beverly Sills and the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David have been selected by the New York Chapter of the Recording Academy to receive 2002 New York Heroes Awards. Atlantic Records founder and chairman Ahmet Ertegun is among the presenters of the awards, which honor those integral to the vitality of the music community and whose talents and accomplishments cross musical boundaries. Proceeds from the ceremonial dinner held December 11 at the Roosevelt Hotel will benefit the Academy's education and community-outreach programs. ...

Following a fallout with former label Interscope, Southern California rockers Unwritten Law have found a new home on Lava Records, joining Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker and Simple Plan on the label's roster. The 11-track Music in High Places, a stripped-down, best-of LP recorded at Yellowstone National Park, is the first of the band's multi-album commitment to the label, and will drop January 21. ...

Twisted Sister — vocalist Dee Snider, guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda, bassist Mark Mendoza and drummer A.J. Pero — will reunite in full costume next year for a couple of European shows. The band will headline the Sweden Rock Festival in Solvesborg on June 8 and the Bang Your Head Festival in Balingen, Germany, on June 27 and 28. A more extensive world reunion tour is expected to follow. ... Comic creator Todd McFarlane, who's previously directed videos for Korn and Pearl Jam, will helm his first non-animated clip December 18 in Vancouver. The "Spawn" mastermind takes a seat in the director's chair for Swollen Members' "Breath," the Canadian hip-hop crew's second single from their latest LP, Monsters in the Closet. Nelly Furtado sings on the track and is expected to appear in the video. ...

Chrome-domed singer Peter Garrett has left Midnight Oil after 25 years in the politically charged Australian quintet. A letter on the band's Web site said that Garrett quit to pursue other interests and that the band — huge Down Under and best known Stateside for "Beds Are Burning" from 1987's Diesel and Dust LP — will persevere. ... The 21st century Doors, with the Cult's Ian Astbury filling the void left by the late frontman Jim Morrison, will show themselves later than previously expected to allow drummer Stewart Copeland, of the Police fame, to recover from a bike accident that left him with a fractured arm over the Thanksgiving weekend. The first show with the new lineup will take place January 19 in Las Vegas, nearly a month after the previously planned debut on Sunday. A full-fledged tour is expected in spring and summer, with an album to follow in the fall. ...

Redd Kross' influential 1987 album Neurotica will be reissued on February 4. Not so coincidentally, bandmember Steven McDonald will release the debut EP by the Steve McDonald Group two weeks earlier. No recording plans yet, though, for McDonald's other project Ze Malibu Kids, which features Red Kross bandmate and brother Jeffrey McDonald and That Dog's Anna Waronker. ... With nearly two years of hipster cachet at their backs, electroclash duo Fischerspooner will release their debut album, #1, February 25. The album, packaged with a DVD that includes the performance artists' film work and music videos, as well as live footage and a documentary, features Elvis remixer Junkie XL's reworking of Fischerspooner's breakthrough single, "Emerge." ...

Latin singing group Soluna are creating a sitcom based on their lives, which will also feature musical performances, for the UPN network. Next up for the ladies, whose debut album, For All Time, was released in May, is a charity performance for the Heart of Los Angeles Youth on December 4 in Beverly Hills. ...

12.02.2002

A high-kicking Jennifer Lopez reportedly battles a robotic Matt Damon to rescue her beau, Ben Affleck, in the new video game "Jen Saves Ben." According to the New York Post, director Kevin Smith commissioned Powerhouse Animation Studios to create the game to thank the couple for appearing in his film "Jersey Girl." The only way to play the game is to get cozy with J. Lo herself, as the game is not available commercially. ...

Britpop stars Oasis have been forced to postpone two shows in Germany due to Liam Gallagher's involvement in a pub brawl that cost him his two front teeth and also resulted in the singer's arrest. The fracas, during which Gallagher allegedly kicked an arresting officer in the ribs, pitted the volatile frontman and two of the band's security guards against "a group of youths" who initiated an "unprovoked attack" in a Munich club, according to the band's Web site. ... On a related note, London's High Court dismissed an attempted lawsuit by former Oasis drummer Tony McCarroll over his firing from the group. The judge ruled that McCarroll, who parted with Oasis in 1995, had failed to bring his claim to court within the legal limit of six years. ...

3 Down, a hip-hop group featuring sons of Big Punisher, Benzino and songwriter James Capra (New Edition), has called it quits. The trio, which met on the set for Benzino's video "Shine Like My Son," signed to Interscope, but had yet to finish an album. ... Nappy Roots, Neneh Cherry, Sunshine Anderson and Richie Havens contributed to Groove Armada's latest album, Lovebox, due January 21. The first single, "Purple Haze," was released in late November. ...

Peter Griesar, a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band who left the group in 1993, will release an album on February 11 on the Virginia indie label Offset Records. Dave Matthews Band saxophone player LeRoi Moore and longtime Matthews collaborator guitarist Tim Reynolds will appear on the album, titled Superfastgo. ... Avid custom car collector and Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony took "Best of Show" honors at the SEMA car show in Las Vegas last month with his tricked-out 2002 Ford Thunderbird. Anthony says the carmaker liked his silver sports coupe — which was designed by Bonspeed and powered by Steve Saleen — so much that it will produce a limited number of them in 2004. ...

Following a European trek, the Used will embark on a handful of dates with Finch, beginning February 4 in Washington, D.C. My Chemical Romance and the Movielife will serve as openers for the tour, confirmed dates for which conclude February 16 in Chicago. ... Lefty drummer Kenny Livingston is filling in for Sugarcult's Ben Davis, who has temporarily left the group for a 30-day rehab stint in California. Meanwhile, singer Tim Pagnotta succumbed to laryngitis last week, but rather than cancel a show in Virginia Beach, Sugarcult enlisted fans, members of their road crew and opening bands to sing their songs. In case the crowd wasn't satisfied, the group tossed out hundreds of dollars to the audience. ...

• Missy Elliott
• Whitney Houston
• Nelly
• Scarface
• Unwritten Law

Unwritten Law's Steve Morris
Photo: Interscope

The man who pleaded guilty to attacking Unwritten Law guitarist Steve Morris with a pair of homemade bombs in September will spend nearly a year in jail.

A San Diego judge is expected to sentence 22-year-old Martel Duvigneaud to 240 days in jail at a sentencing hearing on December 12, according to San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Anthony Campagna.

By pleading guilty to a lesser charge of assault with a deadly weapon in the September attack — during which Duvigneaud hurled two dry-ice bombs at Morris' apartment as part of an ongoing dispute over noise — Duvigneaud was spared conviction on more serious charges. The computer programmer will still have a felony "strike" on his record in the "three-strikes" state.

During his Tuesday court appearance, Duvigneaud apologized to Morris for the attack, saying, "What I did was wrong. I'm very sorry I did it. I feel horrible about it."

Morris, his girlfriend, a sheriff's deputy and a security guard were injured in the attack, which caused Unwritten Law to cancel four concerts while Morris recuperated from a concussion and damage to his eardrums and arms.

The explosives, made of dry ice packed into a plastic soda bottle, were thrown at Morris' front door and onto his balcony. When the latter failed to detonate, Morris put it into his freezer as evidence to show his landlord.

After the second bomb detonated outside his front door, Morris called police and a security service. Officials asked to see the first device, which exploded in the hands of the security guard (see "Unwritten Law Guitarist Injured In Alleged Bomb Attack").

Duvigneaud lived below Morris and his girlfriend in a Southern California apartment complex and had complained about noise the couple made while walking around, according to court records. Both men had been told by the complex's staff to avoid further contact before the incident occurred.

• Unwritten Law

Alien Ant Farm singer Dryden Mitchell is recovering smoothly after having undergone surgery to repair a broken back he sustained in a bus accident that occurred in May while the band was on tour in Spain. Mitchell, who made a surprise appearance onstage with 311 during a September 7 stop on the Sprite Liquid Mix tour in Irvine, California, resumed singing a few weeks ago, and AAF are writing songs for the follow-up to ANThology. ... Unwritten Law guitarist Steve Morris apparently has the law on his side, as his neighbor Martel Duvigneaud pleaded guilty on Thursday to felony assault and possession of an explosive and is now facing up to four years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to the Associated Press. In August, after making several noise complaints, Duvigneaud left two homemade explosive devices at Morris' home, one of which injured the guitarist and forced him to miss four concert dates ...

Filter have postponed all of their upcoming tour dates after frontman Richard Patrick checked himself into an undisclosed rehabilitation facility, according to the bandís record label. Filter were scheduled to launch their Rellim Tour this week, but Patrick said, "Right now Iím concerned about my health and want to get back into the best physical and mental condition to get back on the road next year." ... Da Brat has joined Ashanti and the Goo Goo Dolls as artists who'll appear on the WB TV series "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." Da Brat plays a hip-hop diva who magically switches places with Sabrina when her spell to make the rapping raven more pleasant backfires. ... The Mighty Mighty Bosstones will once again bring their ska-skewed show to the masses. Supporting their seventh studio album, A Jackknife to a Swan, the octet is scheduled to visit seven countries on a world tour whose U.S. dates begin October 24 in New Haven, Connecticut, and wrap up December 7 in Buffalo, New York. ...

TLC were inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame Saturday night, the Associated Press reported, with Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas accepting the honor on behalf of the trio, which lost Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in a car accident earlier this year. While groupmember Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins could not attend due to illness, Arista president L.A. Reid, Lopes' mother and sister and Thomas' boyfriend, Usher, were present at the ceremony. ... Nickelback got three big helpings of Wheaties at the fourth annual Prairie Music Awards, winning for Songwriter of the Year, Outstanding Rock Recording and Best Major-Label Album. The Canadian natives couldn't attend the homeland awards event, as they were on tour at the time. ...

Saliva frontman Josey Scott joined tongue-in-cheek hard rock cover band Metal Shop at the Viper Room in Hollywood Monday night for a crowd-pleasing rendition of Mötley Cr¨e's "Livewire" and the first verse of Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills." Kelly Osbourne, "Jackass" man Steve-O and members of the Used were also in attendance. ... David Lee Roth, Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil, Kiss axeman Ace Frehley, Dokken, Warrant, Quiet Riot, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf and others will perform October 19 in Polk City, Florida, as part of the full-fisted festival Rocktoberfest. The event is being billed as the biggest one-day outdoor festival in Florida history. ...

David Bowie will literally make a five-borough run on his New York City Marathon Tour, which will feature five shows over five nights in each city borough: Staten Island's the Music Hall at Snug Harbor on October 11, Brooklyn's St. Anne's Warehouse on October 12, Queens' Queens College Golden Center on October 16, Bronx's Jimmy's Bronx Café on October 17 and Manhattan's Beacon Theater on October 20. He'll also hit Philadelphia's Tower Theatre on October 21 and Boston's Orpheum Theatre on October 23. ... Aimee Mann and Barenaked Ladies will perform on Wednesday's (October 2) episode of the White House drama "The West Wing." The show will center around a Rock the Vote event featuring the two acts. ...

Camp Freddy, a group featuring Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, Guns N' Roses and Cult drummer Matt Sorum, guitarist Billy Morrison, bassist Scott Ford and drummer Donovan Leitch, will play a pre-Halloween show on October 30 with a public show at a to-be-announced location in Hollywood. Guests and other surprises are expected. ... W.A.S.P. have canceled their fall tour in order to continue working on their next rock opera opus, which isn't due until late 2003. The project will be released in two parts, with the first coming on Halloween 2003 and the second hitting around Christmas. ... Animated videos from DJ Spooky, Iffy, Supreme Beings of Leisure and 17 other acts are featured on the new DVD "Flash Frames: The Best of Internet Animation." ...

Look out, Phil Anselmo and Rob Zombie — Alice Cooper is demonizing and scarifying his haunted house, Alice Cooper's Nightmare, which will be open to the public in downtown Phoenix from October 2 to November 2. The 12,000-square-foot maze features a combination of horror special effects and rock memorabilia that should make heads roll. ... Tennis star Andre Agassi raised $5.6 million at his seventh annual Grand Slam for Children charity concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with the help of Elton John, India.Arie, Babyface, Rod Stewart and comedians Robin Williams, Jamie Foxx and Dennis Miller. The concert series has raised over $24 million for Las Vegas schools and non-profit organizations. ...

09.30.02

Lock your wives and daughters back up, because Creed have just announced they're hitting the road again in November, this time with Default and 12 Stones. The nine dates announced so far kick off November 6 in Birmingham, Alabama, and run through November 27 in Atlanta. ... Usher, Aaron Carter, Mya, Paula Abdul and Westlife will perform alongside KC & the Sunshine Band, the Trammps, the Weather Girls and other disco groups at the Disco Ball — A 30th Anniversary Celebration, a benefit concert on October 13 at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium. Profits from the disco tribute show will go to AIDS Project Los Angeles. ... O2, O-Town's second album, is now due November 12. The album's first single, "These Are the Days," will hit radio airwaves beginning Monday (September 30). ... The (International) Noise Conspiracy have completed work on Bigger Cages, Longer Chains for Burning Heart Records, according to the group's Web site. The six-song EP will include the title track, "Beautiful So Alone," "Waiting for Salvation," "A Textbook Example," "When Words Are Not Working" and a cover of N.E.R.D's "Baby Doll," which the band has been playing live. ...

Papa Roach bassist Tobin Esperance tied the knot with his girlfriend last week in Carmel, California. The band was home for a few weeks before heading out for a world tour, which begins Tuesday (October 1) in Osaka, Japan. ... Road warrior John Mayer will promote his breakthrough Room for Squares and the just released EP Inside Wants Out with a November tour. The outing kicks off November 7 in Pompano Beach, Florida, and wraps up November 30 in Wallingford, Connecticut. ... Now that bassist Dusty Hill has recovered from a bout of hepatitis C, ZZ Top will make up the European dates they canceled when he fell ill in 2000. Dates run from October 1 in Helsinki, Finland, through November 1 in London, then the band will return home and play Houston on March 4. ... The Disco Biscuits have embarked on a seven-week North American tour in support of their fourth album, Señor Boombox, which was released September 17. The trek wraps up November 10 in St. Louis, Missouri. ...

Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland will take the stage at the third-annual MAP Awards, set for November 7 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. Hosted by Robert Downey Jr., the event, an offshoot of the Musician's Assistance Program, an organization that helps members of the music industry overcome addiction, will recognize contributions made by Ivan Neville, former Thelonious Monster frontman Bob Forrest and RIAA Chairman and CEO Hilary Rosen. The Neville Brothers, Forrest, Jimmie Vaughan, Dr. John, Gary Le Mel, Daniel Lanois, Billy Childes and Martin LeNoble will also perform. ... A replacement has been chosen for Michael Greene, the head of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, who resigned suddenly in April with three years left on his contract. Neil Portnow, current Senior Vice President of West Coast Operations for the Zomba Group and former Vice President of A&R at EMI and Vice President/General Manager West Coast at Arista Records, was named the new President of the Recording Academy on Monday.