All this scratchin' is making me itch! I swear turntablist extraordinaire Mr. Dibbs must be an octopus, with multiple arms flying, dropping needles, cuing beats, and wagging platters like a mad audio scientist. Sure, he's been awarded top-10 DJ status from Spin, Trace, and Thrasher magazines, but it's the sheer creativity of the layers be builds up, drops out, and smashes together that's amazing: fuzzy psychedelica over jazz, Led Zeppelin into Lenny Kravitz, ragamuffin pimp-strolling beats, and snippets of spoken-word children's records. More of a mind trip than a mix CD, his new Live in Memphis disc is a breakbeat delight on the Nu Gruv/Stereotype label, with jaw-dropping imagery of sweating to the old school hip-hop religion in a sea of turntables. The first two tracks - recorded live in 1998 - clock in at 28 and 18 minutes of funky stream-of-consciousness wizardry, rolling and weaving a cornucopia of sound snatches. When he's not searching out obscure used vinyl to deconstruct in his mad lab, Mr. Dibbs can be found each summer at Cincinnati's outdoor Scribble Jam and as the founding member of the 1200 Hobos crew. ... It's hard to believe, but the Go-Go's have regrouped and are recording their first new material in 15 years. Most intriguing is the announcement that the production team of Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade will helm the recordings, sure to bring an interesting edge, as they're responsible for such work as Hole's Live Through This and Radiohead's Pablo Honey and The Bends albums. ... Dig this for a super group: Wayne Kramer of the MC5, Brian Jones of the Damned, Stewart Copeland of the Police, Adam Pearson of Sisters of Mercy, Clem Burke of Blondie, and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses. This eclectic gang of six rockers has formed The Racketeers, and a debut album, Mad for the Racket, has just been released on the Track label. ... My head continues to shake at Madison Avenue's use of hip music for television commercials. Who'dathunk that the Pixies or the Buzzcocks would one day be adding audio sizzle to car campaigns? The Gap looks to be taking a lower-key approach - have you seen its new holiday commercials featuring Low's minimalist cover of "The Little Drummer Boy"? Look for music from the UK critical rave Badly Drawn Boy to grace Gap ads soon, too. ... The heck with the Florida vote madness - the Presidents of the United States of America are back with Freaked Out and Small, a return to the group's catchy little pop-crazed roots on the Music Blitz label. Head Prez Chris Ballew is keeping busy, as his side project with Tad Hutchison of The Young Fresh Fellows has just been released as well. The Orange Records recording, simply entitled Hand Me That Door by Chris & Tad, is a perfect match for the wholesomely goofy twosome as they rock and shake through 14 endearing tracks - poppin' fresh ditties that bring to mind a spontaneous Nu Wave Beach Blanket Bingo party. ... Down By Law and Pseudo Heroes share guitarist Sam Williams, and a new "spilt CD" on the Theologian label serves up a little of both. The 10 tracks offer up five songs from each band, with Down By Law offering up all covers - The Who's "The Kids Are Alright," AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie," The Clash's "Safe European Home," Cheap Trick's "Surrender," and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama." ... My pick of the week is Zero, the long awaited 10th album from The Brian Jonestown Massacre on the Bomp/Committee To Keep Music Evil label, a mellow little paisley-infused journey that I can best describe as a Brian Wilson Pet Sounds melodic headiness blended with the hypnotic underroll of The Dandy Warhols' slow-motion acoustic catapults à la early Cure. Whew! I can't help but float past the speakers as they drone out waves of drugged-out lullabies, with darkly innocent lyrics like "You're like candy to me / But candy's no good." Highly recommended.

Television Alert:

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes N Sync tonight, Erykah Badu on Thursday, Everlast on Monday, and P.O.D. on Tuesday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien hosts Lynyrd Skynyrd Friday overnight and Sonic Youth Monday overnight; The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn kicks it with the Red Rocker - Sammy Hagar - on Thursday overnight; and Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is Christina Aguilera.

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

Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains Live (Columbia) 15 tracks recorded in 1990, 1993, and 1996

Blenderhead - Figureheads on the Forefront of Pop Culture (Tooth and Nail)

David Bryan - Lunar Eclipse (Rounder) debut smooth-jazz solo album from the Bon Jovi keyboardist

Disappearing Acts - original motion picture soundtrack (Artemis/Antra) with music from Angie Stone, Common, Chaka Khan, and Talib Kweli & Les Nubians

Eve - Scorpion (Interscope) self-described as the Ruff Ryders' pit bull in a skirt

Funkmaster Flex - 60 Minutes of Funk: The Mixtape Volume IV (Loud) with all new music from Xzibit, Faith Evans, and DMX

Juvenile - Playaz of Da Game (Cash Money/Universal)

K-Ci & JoJo - X (MCA) with guest Aretha Franklin

Marshall Dyllon - Enjoy the Ride (Dreamcatcher)

Memphis Bleek - The Understanding (Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam) with guests Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, and Amil

Freddie Mercury - Solo (Hollywood) two-CD set containing his Mr. Bad Guy and Barcelona albums plus seven bonus tracks, a 28-page booklet, and his take on "The Great Pretender"

O Brother, Where Art Thou? - original motion picture soundtrack (Mercury) 19 tracks of hillbilly blues fill the mood in this new Coen Brothers' retelling of the Homer Odyssey set in 1937 Mississippi

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Time Warp: The Very Best of (A&M) featuring the 1970s classic "Jackie Blue"

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Playback (MCA) DVD collection of 17 videos

Rage Against the Machine - Renegades (Epic) studio and live album of songs by the MC5, Minor Threat, DEVO, Afrika Bambaataa, Rolling Stones, the Stooges, and Bob Dylan

Usher - All About U (LaFace/Arista)

Roger Waters - In the Flesh (Columbia) two-CD live collection

The Who - Thirty Years of Maximum R & B Live (MCA) DVD re-issue featuring rare documentary footage and interviews

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