Justin Timberlake previewed his new LP, Justified, Tuesday night at New York's Centrofly. Musiq, as well as one of the album's producers, Timbaland, were on hand to help the singer celebrate. Among the songs J.T. previewed was "Take It From Here," where he sings, "I wanna be your air/ So sweet and dear." ... To raise awareness about drunk driving, Timberlake will write and produce a 30-second public service radio and television spot for RADD, Recording Artists, Actors, and Athletes Against Drunk Driving. The singer was moved to become a spokesperson for the organization after a fan, Anna White, was killed by a drunk driver outside of a radio station in Los Angeles earlier this month. ...

Renegade 3LW member Naturi Naughton spent the weekend in Atlanta at producer Jermaine Dupri's studio, where they "just vibed." Although no tracks were recorded, she said a collaboration is possible. ... The Murderdolls, Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison's side project, will film an episode of the WB TV series "Dawson's Creek" in Wilmington, North Carolina, Thursday. The horror-flick-inspired quintet will play themselves performing at a Halloween party in the episode, which is titled "Living Dead Girl" and is set to air October 30. ...

Peter Gabriel will launch his first North American tour in nearly a decade on

November 5 with a date at Philips Arena in Atlanta. The 20-date trek in support

of his just-released studio album, Up, is currently slated to run

through a December 15 date at the Compaq Center in San Jose, California; a dollar

from each ticket will be donated to Witness, a human rights organization

co-founded by Gabriel. ...

In the midst of sessions for their third album, Houston, Texas, punkers Fenix

TX have thrown in the towel. The group cited the age-old "creative

differences" as the reason for the split, and it is not known at this time if

the songs the group completed for its follow-up to 2001's Lechuza will be

released. ... A section of State Highway 19 near Nutbush, Tennessee, will be renamed the "Tina Turner Highway," after powerhouse diva Tina Turner, according to The Tennessean. Nutbush, Turner's birthplace, is the subject of her 1973 hit song, "Nutbush City Limits." ...

High on Fire have announced two separate tours through the U.S., one with Superjoint Ritual (starting October 7) ,the other with Mushroomhead and Shadows Fall (starting October 24). ... Earache Records has signed Matt Zane's band Society 1. Zane is the adult film director responsible for the "Backstage Sluts" series. The band will release Exit Through Fear in early 2003. ... Steve Von Till of Neurosis will release his next solo album, If I Should Fall to the Field on October 1. ... Traktor 7 Records has finally opened its doors and released the first album by the band Crash and Burn. ... Carnal Forge have returned to the studio to work on their next album, The More You Suffer. ... Lounge singer Bud E. Love has recorded lounge versions of a batch of Black Sabbath songs. The album is called, fittingly, Diary of a Loungeman. ...

English dance duo Basement Jaxx are currently in the studio working on the follow-up to their 2001 album, Rooty, which featured the dance hit "Where's Your Head At." So far, they've written about 30 new songs and hope to have the record ready for release next spring. ... The Chemical Brothers will release the appropriately titled U.S.-only AmericanEP on November 19. The five-track EP will feature rare and

unreleased remixes of "Star Guitar (Trisco LA Funk Dub)," "Come With Us (H

Foundation Mix)," the B-side "HIA," "Electronic Battle Weapon 6" and a live

version of "Temptation/Star Guitar," in addition to videos for "The Test" and

"Star Guitar." ... Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot has signed on with Broadway Books to write "Wilco: Learning How to Die." Not just a history of the band, the book is said to be a study of music business politics as well. The book has a projected release date of spring 2004. ...

09.24.02

Britney Spears will be honored with the Children's Choice Award at the Neil Bogart Memorial Fund's annual Bogart Tour for a Cure on November 4 in Los Angeles. The pop princess has established both a namesake foundation and a performing arts camp to benefit sick and disadvantaged children and raised $1 million during her Dream Within a Dream Tour for children affected by the September 11 attacks. ... Ever since 'NSYNC's Joey Fatone joined the cast for "Rent" last month, ticket sales have doubled, to the tune of $100,000 more a week. Of course, that pales in comparison to the millions raked in by new entry "Hairspray" -- this year's "The Producers" -- but for a long-running production ("Rent" is in its seventh year), the box office rebound is setting Broadway records, "Rent" reps say. ... A pre-trial hearing of second-degree assault charges brought against R&B singer Keke Wyatt for allegedly stabbing her husband took place Tuesday (September 24) in Kentucky's Shelbyville County Circuit Court. Attorneys were given 20 days to file motions and 30 days thereafter for responses, before the judge determines whether the case goes to trial. ...
Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell and wife Leighanne are crossing over, and we're not talking about transcending radio formats. The couple will be featured on Thursday's episode of psychic TV show "Crossing Over With John Edward," during which Edward will connect Littrell with a late childhood friend with whom he once shared a hospital room (check local listings for airtimes). ... The "Crossing Over" episode was filmed in the home of Littrell's groupmate A.J. McLean, who will appear in a future episode of the series. ... Meanwhile, fellow BSBer Howie Dorough and his sister Pollyanna will co-host and perform at the United Catholic Music and Video Association's third annual Unity Awards, taking place October 26 on the campus of Washington, D.C.'s Catholic University. In addition to performing "Fly to Heaven" with his sister, Dorough and his family will be honored with the Inspiration Award for the Dorough Lupus Foundation. ...
Def Jam impresario Russell Simmons celebrated the 10th anniversary of his hip-hop fashion brand Phat Farm with a runway show Sunday at New York's Bryant Park. The spring 2003 lines of Phat Farm and its Baby Phat women's apparel brand were examined by fashion insiders as well as music celebrities like Mya, Tweety from Next, Queen Latifah, Damon Dash and Mario. ... Guitarist Trey Anastasio and bassist Mike Gordon performed publicly for the first time since Phish went on hiatus during an impromptu jam session Monday at the Woodstock Film Festival at a party for the Allen Woody documentary "Rising Low," which Gordon directed. Gov't Mule (Woody's band) drummer Matt Abts, Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools, Deep Banana Blackout guitarist Fuzz and DJ Logic also sat in. ...
Who's the Boss" star Tony Danza has released his first album, The House I Live In, named after the title track, a remake of Frank Sinatra's 1949 hit. The album also includes the actor's rendition of "God Bless America." ... Alanis Morissette has contributed a new song, "Offer," to a benefit album for the Sabera Foundation for abandoned girls in Calcutta organized by actresses Melanie Griffith and Penelope Cruz, according to the Los Angeles Times. Ricky Martin, Elton John, Bob Dylan and Sting are donating previously released tracks -- some with a chorus made up of girls receiving health care and education from the foundation added to them -- to the project, due November 19. ... Badly Drawn Boy (a.k.a. Damon Gough) has pushed back the release date of his third album, Have You Fed the Fish?, from October 22 to November 5. His tour kicks off on October 17 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. and, after winding through New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Chicago and Portland, winds up at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on November 8. ...
The now-defunct Toadies will release the live album Best of Toadies - Live From Paradise on November 19. The 18-track collection, recorded before the band broke up in May 2001 at Boston's Paradise club, features a cover of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind." ... A cover of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" and "Fred Jones Part 2" featuring Cake's John McCrea are among the gems on the final track list for Ben Folds Live, due October 8. Folds will promote the album, the first 100,000 copies of which will include a bonus DVD with 35 minutes of live footage, with a tour beginning October 10 in Englewood, New Jersey and ending November 3 in Walla Walla, Washington. ... SR-71 have signed on for a residency at Los Angeles' famed Viper Room for three consecutive Wednesdays beginning October 2. The group are promoting their new album, Tomorrow, due October 22. ...