· In soundtrack news, the score to the John Carpenter scare-fest Ghosts of Mars is due this coming Tuesday on the Varese Sarabande imprint, with Carpenter serving as composer as well as director. The instrumental set looks to be a fret-shredder's dream, with a "band" of monster guitarists Steve Vai, Anthrax's Scott Ian, enigmatic Buckethead, and The Cars' Elliot Easton.
· More six-string mania is promised later this month as the Shrapnel label is issuing the Stone Cold Queen tribute on September 25. This tribute attack features covers of classic Queen material by a royal who's who of participants including Dweezil Zappa, Steve Stevens, Glenn Hughes, Marty Friedman, Billy Sheehan, Joe Lynn Turner, Jake E, Lee, Carmine Appice, Aynsley Dunbar, Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, Albert Lee, and Kip Winger.
· This Tuesday brings the Interscope/Doggy Style original motion picture soundtrack to The Wash, a clever new film starring Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg busting suds at a crazy inner-city car wash. Inspired by the old-school soul-and-soap comedy Car Wash, this new film opens in early October and features the new Dre and Snoop single "Hard on the Boulevard" and Truth Hurts' "Benefit of a Doubt" featuring Eve.
· My pick of the week is this Tuesday's debut of the Six Degrees label's Under the Influence mix CD series. The inaugural artist at the turntables and under the spotlight is New York City's DJ Spooky (aka That Subliminal Kid), spinning a 70-minute set that blends a most unlikely of sources into a rushing, seamless flow. Some of the 25 artists found hovering in and out of the mix include Sonic Youth, Moby, Amon Tobin, Mike Ladd, Ryuichi Sakamoto, KutMasta Kurt, Emergency Broadcast Network, and Michael Franti's Spearhead.
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Jamiroquai tonight, P.O.D. on Friday, and Alien Ant Farm on Monday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts U.K. sensations Travis tonight, Joe Henry on Thursday, Iggy Pop on Friday, and Tori Amos on Tuesday; and Late Night with Conan O'Brien gets down with Ben Folds on Friday overnight.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, September 18:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
Tori Amos - Strange Little Girls (Atlantic) highly anticipated new album of interesting covers
Beehive & The Barracudas - Plastic Soul with the White Apes (Sympathy for the Record Industry) featuring members of Rocket From the Crypt and Hot Snakes
Catatonia - Paper Scissors Stone (Atlantic)
Common Rider - Thief in a Sleeping Town (Lookout) new from Jesse Michael of Operation Ivy with guests Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and Dan Panic of Screeching Weasel
Alice Cooper - Dragon Town (Spitfire)
Curve - The Gift (Hip-O) all new from Toni Halliday and Dean Garcia
Dub Pistols - Six Million Ways to Die (Geffen) with guests Terry Hill of the Specials and Horace Andy of Massive Attack
Einsturzende Neubauten - Strategies Against Architecture III (Mute)
Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It on (Motown) deluxe edition reissue expanded to two CDs
Macy Gray - The Id (Epic) featuring the single "Sweet Baby" featuring Erykah Badu and other guests Slick Rick, Angie Stone, Billy Preston, Mos Def, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante
Bill Hicks - Philosophy: The Best of (Rykodisc) fantastic career retrospective of this blisteringly bright comedian who died much too young, guaranteed to both unnerve you and make you pee your pants with laughter
Ill Nino - Revolution/Revolucion (Roadrunner) South American hard rock featuring Cristian Machado of Pro-Pain
Jettingham - Jettingham (Republic) from Fort Wayne, Indiana, featuring the hit "Cheating"
Al Kooper - Rare & Well Done: The Greatest & Rarest (Columbia Legacy) two-CD set from the master producer and session player highlighting his own work as an artist from 1965 to the present
Lambchop - Tools in the Dryer (Merge) singles compilation
Live - IV (Radioactive) featuring guest Tricky
Milemarker - Anesthetic (Jade Tree)
Modest Mouse - Everywhere & His Nasty Parlor Tricks (Epic) CD EP featuring the band's out-of-print vinyl-only Night on the Sun EP and three new studio recordings
Modjo - Modjo (MCA) Parisian house music featuring the number-one UK hit "Lady Hear Me Tonight"
Billy Nershi & Liza Oxnard - It's About Time (SciFidelity) new from the founders of String Cheese Incident and Zuba
"Money" Mark Nishita - Change Is Coming (Emperor Norton) all new from the "fourth" Beastie Boy, featuring members of Los Lobos
Oingo Boingo - Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheater Halloween 1995 (A&M) two-DVD set featuring bonus videos and a full-length documentary of backstage footage
Owen - Owen (Polyvinyl) all-by-himself solo project of Mike Kinsellas of Joan Of Arc and Cap' N Jazz
Pram - Somniloquy (Merge)
Quad - Quad (Man's Ruin) collection of solo work by Gary Ramon of Sundial
Ratos de Porao - Guerra Civil Canibal (Alternative Tentacles) new socio-political Brazilian hardcore from the Basement Rats on CD and 10-inch vinyl EP
Remy Zero - The Golden Hum (Elektra) on tour with Travis starting September 28
Reveille - Bleed the Sky (Elektra) hot off of last year's Ozzfest with guest vocalist Steve Richards of Taproot on the track "Plastic"
River City High - River City High Won't Turn You Down (Doghouse) pop punk featuring guest backing vocals by Mary Lou Lord
Satelliters - Sexplosive! (Dionysus) full of fuzz, farfisa, and snot
Simian - Chemistry Is What We Are (Source/Astralwerks) new British adventurers slipping down the rabbit hole
Smog - Rain on Lens (Drag City)
Bubba Sparxxx - Dark Days, Bright Nights (Interscope) debut from Timbaland's Beat Club crew
Superchunk - Here's to Shutting Up (Merge) with guests from the Rock*A*Teens and Japancakes
Therapy? - Shameless (Ark 21) recorded by master grunge producer Jack Endino
Tweaker - Linoleum (Six Degrees) new EP from former Nine Inch Nails member Chris Vrenna with guest vocals by David Sylvian of Japan, Will Oldham of the Palace Bros., and Craig Wedren of Shudder to Think
various artists - MTV Presents Def Jam: Let the People Speak! (Def Jam) 15-track history of hip hop selected from the label's catalog by 12,000 voting fans
various artists - Chill Out Bombay (Water Music) ambient grooves with a curried flavor featuring Talvin Singh, Nitin Sawhney, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Victim's Family - Apocalicious (Alternative Tentacles) all new
Vue - Find Your Home (SubPop)
David S. Ware - Corridors & Parallels (AUM Fidelity) featuring Matthew Shipp
The Who - Live at Leeds (MCA) deluxe-edition reissue expanded to include a second CD of a live performance of the Tommy rock opera
Jah Wobble & Bill Laswell - Radioaxiom: A Dub Transmission (Axiom/Palm) all new sonic explorations from the former Public Image Limited bassist and the Material ringleader with special guests Sly Dunbar and Nicky Skopelitis