Now that the Pixies have wrapped their 2004 reunion tour, the alt-rock veterans are preparing to chronicle the eight-month-long trek around North America in an as-yet-untitled DVD. A live-concert disc, culled from seven shows that were filmed, is also being prepared for a 2005 release. ...

A two-page handwritten letter from Kurt Cobain to Courtney Love was sold to the highest bidder in a rock and roll memorabilia auction on Friday at the auction house Christie's. The letter, which details the late Nirvana frontman's life on tour, says in part: "I really do care but I'm not very convincing. He's sad. I'm sad. My throat is a swollen tumor, blood sausage -- colon. I puke air after coughing. It was morning by the time I fell asleep after talking to you. 200 lbs. I thought of a great idea for our video. Oh, forget it." Christie's estimates that the letter, which sold for $19,120, was written on November 28, 1991, the night after Nirvana performed on the BBC series "Top of the Pops," since the show is mentioned in the letter. ... A few months after the first soundtrack to "Ray" dropped, a second LP is on the way. Ray: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Vol. 2, due February 1, features many tracks the late Ray Charles re-recorded for the movie. ...

Snoop Dogg just finished shooting the independent film "The Tenants," in which he plays Willie Spearmint, a black militant writer. ... JoJo is helping her fans listen to her music on the go with a new contest posted on her Web site. The JoJo lot in the "Discover the Secret Strength of Today's Hottest Rising Music Stars" sweepstakes, which previously featured items by such artists as Hilary Duff, includes an iPod, printer, iPod tattoos and JoJo paraphernalia including an autographed CD, autographed photo and a T-shirt. ...

After touring the States with Good Charlotte, Sum 41 are returning to their native Canada for a month's worth of shows. The Go Chuck Yourself Tour, supporting their latest album, Chuck, kicks off January 14 in Montreal and runs through February 13 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Two weeks later, the band heads to Japan. ... Glitch-hop producer Prefuse 73, a.k.a. Scott Herren, will release his fourth disc, Surrounded by Silence, on March 22. Guests include the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA, GZA and Ghostface, as well as El-P, Blonde Redhead, Masta Killa, Beans and the Books. ...

Though they haven't yet revealed the dates for their upcoming tour, a reunited Queen -- featuring Paul Rodgers on vocals -- have announced one special performance, spearheading the 46664 South Africa concert on March 19. Former South African president Nelson Mandela announced on Monday that Queen would return to perform at the concert for the second year in a row. "This is a great occasion for Queen to fulfill our continuing commitment to Nelson Mandela's AIDS cause," said guitarist Brian May. The full lineup for the event will be announced early next year. ... For more than 20 years, mope-masters Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have been on a mission to spread their anti-mirth worldwide, and now the odds and ends of that quest have been collected in one place. Mute Records is getting ready to release B-Sides & Rarities, a three-disc set that features never-before-heard material. The set hits shelves on March 22. ...

12.20.2004

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. ...