Break out the parka and the long underwear: The first batch of dates for the 2005 SnoCore Tour have been announced. The winter trek, which features Chevelle, Helmet, Crossfade, Future Leaders of the World and Strata, kicks off January 22 in Vail, Colorado, with confirmed shows running through March 6 in Poughkeepsie, New York. More dates are expected to be added. ...

Handmade holiday cards created by the likes of Jay-Z, Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, Jessica Simpson, Howard Stern, Adam Sandler and others are being auctioned off on eBay. Proceeds from the "Cards for Charity" project benefit the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. ... Pennywise, Camper Van Beethoven and Ozomatli are among the bands donating tracks to Look At All the Love We've Found, a Sublime tribute album due in the summer. Blackalicious' Gift of Gab and Spearhead are collaborating for "What I Got" and Fishbone are recording "Date Rape," while No Doubt, Jack Johnson and G. Love and Special Sauce have also expressed interest in contributing. ...

The Killers, the Crystal Method, Paul Oakenfold, John Digweed, Mark Farina and Jason Bentley will headline the four stages of the fifth annual Giant Village New Year's Eve celebration in Los Angeles. This year's party, running from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., will take place on Wilshire Boulevard in downtown L.A. ... In the wake of 2001's "Being Mick," Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and his production company, Jagged Films, are getting behind a "Being" series. Like Mick's episode, the A&E series takes viewers inside the daily life of a celebrity. "Being" is expected to air in 2006. ...

For Geezer Butler, there's no going out to play until his Ohmwork is done. The Black Sabbath bassist's solo album is expected to drop in late April. ... Gomez are heading out on a five-city, 10-date tour of the western U.S. in January, starting in the San Diego area on January 14. The run will feature two shows in West Hollywood, three in San Francisco, two in Boulder, Colorado, and a concluding show in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on January 26. ...

12.17.2004

Chart toppers Nelly and Destiny's Child will be staying up late Saturday night as they will serve as the musical guests on FOX's "Mad TV" and NBC's "Saturday Night Live," respectively. Nelly will perform "Na-Nana-Na." Meanwhile, Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle will take the "SNL" stage for "Cater 2 U" and "Soldier," which will also feature an appearance by Lil' Wayne. ...

U2's Bono has been getting the opera bug lately. After shooting a video for the song "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" with an opera theme, the singer collaborated with opera icon Luciano Pavarotti on a cover of "Ave Maria," which will be featured on the B-side of "Sometimes You Can't." The DVD single will feature a remix of earlier single "Vertigo" remixed by Trent Reznor. ... The frame and the famed rusted tin roof that was shouted out in the B-52's track "Love Shack" are all that is left after a recent fire. The Athens, Georgia, cabin believed to be the inspiration for the track was once inhabited by B-52's singer Kate Pierson but was unoccupied at the time of the blaze, according to The Associated Press. A local fire inspector told the AP that an electric problem or gas leak could not be blamed, as the cabin was not hooked up for utilities, adding that building supplies being used to renovate the place were stolen. ...

Montreal buzz band the Arcade Fire are taking their act Stateside for a full-scale tour. The trek begins January 12 with a three-night stand in San Francisco and winds its way through most of the West and South before wrapping up February 3 in Boston. ... Johnny Ramone's unfinished book may see the light of day. On the Ramones' Web site, Marky Ramone posted a note saying that Johnny's "writer called me for an interview about four months ago, and was very professional. I just hope that there isn't going to be someone else completing Johnny's book, it wouldn't be accurate, and we definitely don't need another book of quotes. He did tell me that he was going to make a book that included posters, backstage passes, old photos and other interesting things to look at." ...

Xbox gamers, start planning for summer. "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," which has previously only been available for the PlayStation 2 platform, is coming to the Xbox and PCs on June 7. ... Stereolab singer Laetitia Sadier plans on dropping her second album under the Monade moniker in March. The as-yet-untitled LP follows 2003's Socialisme Ou Barbarie. ... Some Cities, the third album by ambient rock trio Doves, is set for release March 1. The disc follows up their 2002 breakthrough, The Last Broadcast. ...