· Music Video Distributors' stunning rap-umentary, entitled Through the Years of Hip-Hop Volume 1: Graffiti, is a joyous salute and celebration of the architects of the scratching, breaking, and cold cuttin' sound. This volume of a planned four-part DVD and VHS series focuses on the art that accompanied the music - aerosol cans of Krylon spray paint that tagged the city, from train cars to brick walls, and eventually the high-class art world. All the greats are represented in interview and commentary - the "writers," the critics, and the players - all pioneers in a truly American urban art form. Seven rare rap videos pad out the film, including Run DMC's "Rock Box," Dana Dane's "Nightmares," and Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock's "It Takes Two." Highly recommended.
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Natalie Imbruglia on Thursday and Ben Harper on Friday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Phantom Planet on Friday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien features Brandy on Friday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn gets silly with Tenacious D on Friday overnight and Neil Finn on Monday overnight; Last Call with Carson Daly sits down with Static X this evening overnight and Cracker on Monday overnight; and Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is India.Arie.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, March 12:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
Bathgate - Dear Rich America: My Story 2 You (Virgin)
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo - Live (Gold Circle) CD, VHS, and DVD release from their tour last summer
Blade II - original motion picture soundtrack (Virgin) featuring collaborations between major hip-hop and electronic stars
Greg Brown - Milk of the Moon (Red House) with guest Tom "T-Bone" Wolk on bass guitar
Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Footloose & Fancy Free (Discipline) two-CD or DVD from the King Crimson drummer now finding pleasure leading an acoustic sax-piano jazz quartet
Calibretto 13 - Adventures in Tokyo (Tooth & Nail)
Clinic - Walking with Thee (Dionysus) garage-fueled dub from Liverpool
Clockstoppers - original motion picture soundtrack (Hollywood) featuring a cover of Steve Miller's "Abracadabra" by Sugar Ray
Cornelius - "Drop" (Matador) 12-inch and CD single featuring remixes by Matthew Herbert and Kings of Convenience
Destiny's Child - This Is the Remix (Columbia)
The Distillers - Sing Sing Death House (Hellcat) featuring vocalist Brody Armstrong
Drivin N Cryin - Drivin N Cryin (Ichiban) all new featuring a cover of John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane"
Eels - Souljacker (Dreamworks) the first pressing contains a four-track bonus disc
Marianne Faithfull - Kissing Time (Hut) UK import with guests Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, and Jarvis Cocker of Pulp
Flinch - What It Is to Burn (Drive Thru/MCA)
The Frustrators - Achtung Jackass (Adeline) CD and 10-inch vinyl featuring members of Waterdog and Green Day and a cover of The Cars' "Best Friend's Girl"
Funkmaster Flex - 60 Minutes of Funk: The Mixtape Volume V (Loud) with all new music from Alicia Keys & Remy, LL Cool J, D12 & Eminem, Black Rob, and Ja Rule & Cadillac Tah
Paul Gilbert & Jimi Kidd - Raw Blues Power (Shrapnel) new teaming from the Racer X shredder and the Chicago blues legend
Hayden - Skyscraper National Park (Badman) after three years of silence, an all-new album from the dark and moody Canadian singer-songwriter
Henry Cow - Western Culture: Deluxe Edition (East Side Digital) expanded and remastered reissue of this 1978 art-rock classic featuring guitarist Fred Frith
Indigo Girls - Become You (Epic)
Jars of Clay - The Eleventh Hour (BMG)
Little Charlie & The Nightcats - That's Big (Alligator) with cover art by Jon Langford of the Mekons
Bobby McFerrin - Beyond Words (Blue Note) sounds created by his voice but without words
Millencolin - Home from Home (Burning Heart/Epitaph)
Bob Mould - Modulate (Granary) new solo album from the Hüsker Dü founder
N.E.R.D. - In Search of (Virgin)
Resident Evil - original motion picture soundtrack (Roadrunner) featuring Slipknot, Depeche Mode, Marilyn Manson, and Fear Factory
The RZA - The Flood (In the Paint)
Jimmy Scott - But Beautiful (Milestone/Fantasy) with guest Freddy Cole on "When You Wish Upon a Star"
Remy Shand - The Way I Feel (Motown) lush nu-soul influenced by Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye
The Snowdogs - Animal Farm (Victory) London-based brothers Ville and Mat Leppanen, who've recently scored the "single of the week" on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show
Songs: Ohia - Didn't It Rain (Secretly Canadian) their sixth album
Squad Five-O - Squad Five-O (Tooth & Nail)
The Supersuckers - Must've Been Live (Mid-Fi Recordings) featuring guest Audrey Freed of the Black Crowes and a cover of Conway Twitty's "Image of Me"
Fuzz Townshend - Far in (Stinky) new from the Pop Will Eat Itself drummer
Tommy Womack - Circus Town (Sideburn) new solo release from the Government Cheese founder