· The upcoming sequel to Wesley Snipes' vampire- hunting film Blade teams hip-hop gentry with hot electronica knob-twisters. The Blade II soundtrack on the Immortal imprint is due mid-March and promises pairings from Eve and Fatboy Slim, Ice Cube and Paul Oakenfold, Redman and Gorillaz, Bubba Sparxxx and The Crystal Method, Mystikal and Moby, Mos Def and Massive Attack, and The Roots with BT.

· Speaking of Paul Oakenfold and Fatboy Slim, this Tuesday brings new breakbeat CDs from each artist, aimed at DJs, producers, and home-grown sample spinners. The discs, Oakenfold's Bust a Groove and Norman Cook's All Star Breakbeats, are loaded with killer loops and scratches guaranteed to let the freshman DJ rock the floor like a seasoned pro. Most interesting on these Hypnotic/Cleopatra releases are the generous bowls of spoken-word shout-outs and sampled nuggets, perfect to drop into your live mix or mix tape.

· Four of punk rock's finest are ready to square off this week on two nifty CD EPs in a "split-CD rumble." First up is Rancid vs. NOFX on the Better Youth Organization label, with each band covering six songs by the other. Just as brutal is Vagrant Records' similar challenge, with Face to Face vs. Dropkick Murphys, on which the bands cover each other and also cough up covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son," Press' "21 Gun Salute," and Stiff Little Fingers' "Wasted Life."

· Matador Records bows down to the gritty underground scene of the late 1970s this Tuesday with a two-CD anthology from Richard Hell, the legendary punk pioneer and founding member of the Neon Boys, Heartbreakers, and Voidoids. Entitled simply Time, the collection features the rare cassette-only ROIR "RIP" sessions and concert recordings from London's Music Machine and New York's CBGB. Cool highlights include "You Gotta Lose" with guest vocalist Elvis Costello and a raw cover of the Rolling Stones' "Shattered."

· Also on this week's "cover hunt" is something strange but beautiful on Mondo Melodia's Desert Roses 2 compilation of Arabic rhythms. This amazing collection of Egyptian pop blends Merengue and Middle Eastern sensuality with Sting collaborator Cheb Mami, Hakim with guest Kemo of Delinquent Habits, Olga Tanon, and other contemporary Arab singers. Delightfully weird is the inclusion of a remake of Squeeze's "Take Me I'm Yours" by the song's writers, Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, alongside Tunisian diva Latifa and Trans-Global Underground.

· Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto, two of the founders of old-school new wave, have joined forces in a new project being released this Tuesday, Buzzkunst on the Spin Art Records label. Calling themselves simply ShelleyDevoto, the respective Buzzcocks and Magazine founders have crafted a seamless electronic/rock pop album that takes the listener on a late-1970s time trip with Devoto's eerie vocals and Shelley's driving melodies. Much fun!

· This Tuesday the American Recordings label re-issues three tremendous albums from Johnny Cash, originally released in 1994, 1996, and 2000, when Sony Music distributed the label. Through a new distribution deal with Universal, these Grammy-winning classics, American Recordings, Unchained, and American Recordings III, are available again. When the first of this somber trilogy was released, it turned a lot of post-punk and grunge-filled heads with its overcast tone and intimate setting of just Cash and his guitar. Interestingly, country's senior statesman showed he's well-versed in today's artists, with cover selections such as Glenn Danzig's "Thirteen," Beck's "Rowboat," and Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage" sprinkled on the first two albums. Highly recommended.

Television Alert:

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Train on Thursday, Alison Krauss on Friday, and Chris Isaak on Monday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Ice Cube on Thursday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien features The Jaguares on Friday overnight; and the terrific new Last Call with Carson Daly sits down with Michelle Branch on Monday overnight, Mobb Deep on Tuesday overnight, and Static X on Wednesday overnight.

New Releases Coming Tuesday, March 5:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change

The Apex Theory - Random Bursts (Dreamworks)

Audio Learning Center - Friendships Often Fade Away (Vagrant)

The Blasters - Anthology (Rhino) two-CD set featuring eight rarities, including "Justine" with X vocalist John Doe

The Boggs - We Are the Boggs We Are (Arena Rock)

Brandy - Diamond (Atlantic)

Greg Brown - Over & Under (Trailer/Rubric)

The Business - "Hell 2 Pay" (TKO) seven-inch and CD single from these old-school Oi! legends featuring a cover of Eddie & The Hot Rods' "Do Anything You Wanna Do"

The Catheters - Static Delusions & Stone-Still Days (SubPop)

Chore - The Coastaline Fire (Sonic Unyon)

Biffy Clyro - Blackened Sky (Beggars Banquet)

Coheed & Cambria - Second Stage Turbine Blade (Equal Vision) with guest guitarist Dr. Know

EchoBrain - EchoBrain (Surfdog) highly anticipated new album from former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted

Eternal Elysium - Share (Meteor City) genre-bending second album from this riff-heavy Japanese trio

Flying Lutterbachers - Infection & Decline (Troubleman) the band's 10th album, featuring a 16-minute cover of Magma's "De Futura"

Freestylers - Pressure Point (Mammoth)

The Good Life - Black Out Full-Length (Saddle Creek)

Natalie Imbruglia - White Lilies Ahead (RCA)

Judas Priest - Turbo, Ram It Down, Painkiller, and Priest ... Live (Columbia Legacy) reissues with two bonus tracks on each

KFMDM - Attack (Metropolis)

Mark Kleiner Power Trio - Love to Night (Mint) formerly of Vancouver's The Prairies

Lazy Dog - Lazy Dog II (Astralwerks) two-CD collection mixed by Ben Watt of Everything but the Girl and Jay Hannan

Park Avenue Music - To Take with You (Sugar Free) pulsating ethereal pop from home-recording experimenter Wes Steed and concert pianist Jeannette Faith

Party of Helicopters - Space & How Sweet It Was (Troubleman) two-CD set collecting new material and the band's rare Tundra EP

Playgroup - Playgroup (Astralwerks)

Prevent Falls - A Newer More Shattered You (Equal Vision)

Bo Ramsey - In the Weeds (Trailer/Rubric) with guest Lucinda Williams on "Desert Flower"

The Scooters - I Can See Your House from Here (Aeronaut) jangle pop from Cardiff, Wales

Six Feet Under - original television soundtrack (Universal) music from the HBO series featuring Lamb, Peggy Lee, Shuggie Otis, The Dandy Warhols, Julie London, and The Beta Band

Songs for Emma - Red Lies, Black Rhymes (Broken Rekids) San Francisco pop-punk featuring former Strawman founder Tommy Strange

V for Vendetta - Beneath This Mask (Mr. Lady) duo from Providence, Rhode Island, fusing indie-rock mentality with prog-rock smarts

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