Gag order issued over 'Potter' leak
COQUITLAM, British Columbia (AP) -- A handful of people in Canada got a sneak peak of the latest Harry Potter book, but a British Columbia Supreme Court judge ordered them to keep it a secret.
The book was sold to 14 people who snagged a copy of J.K. Rowlings' much anticipated "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," when it landed on shelves last Thursday at a local grocery store.
The book, officially set for release this coming Saturday, has been shrouded in secrecy and its debut has been highly orchestrated to enable everyone -- readers, reviewers, even publishers -- to crack it open all at once. It's the sixth in Rowling's seven-book fantasy series on the young wizard.
But the store slipped up and sold 14 copies before realizing its mistake.
"It was an inadvertent error on behalf of one of our staff," said Geoff Wilson, a spokesman for the Real Canadian Superstore. He said the books were quickly removed.
Justice Kristi Gill last Saturday ordered customers not to talk about the book, copy it, sell it or even read it before it is officially released at 12:01 a.m. July 16.
The order also compels them to return the novel to the publisher, Raincoast Book Distribution Ltd., until the official release. At that time it will be returned to them.
As an added incentive, Raincoast will include Rowling's autograph and a gift pack.
INXS Not Trying to Replace Hutchence
LOS ANGELES - Although INXS is looking for a new singer, guitarist Tim Farriss says the band isn't "in any way, shape or form trying to replace Michael Hutchence."
"What we really want is somebody who brings their own personality along and someone completely different," Farriss told AP Radio in a recent interview. The band has used guest vocalists since Hutchence died in 1997.
A new reality show to find a lead singer, "Rock Star: INXS," premiered Monday night on CBS, hosted by Dave Navarro, former guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction, and TV personality Brooke Burke.
Fifteen performers are competing on the show. The last singer standing will make an album with INXS and go on tour with the band, known for their hits "What You Need" and "Need You Tonight."
What would Hutchence say about the contest?
"I think he'd think it was kind of funny in a good way, 'cause in some ways it is," Farriss said. "But in another way, it's really an organic way to find a new singer. It's the best way we could think of."
'Simpsons', 'Family Guy' Have Cartoon Feud
NEW YORK - "The Simpsons" took a shot at fellow Fox cartoon "Family Guy." So that series' creator is taking a shot right back.
Seth MacFarlane said an episode of "The Simpsons" where a Homer Simpson clone was identified as "Family Guy" dad Peter Griffin was "definitely a slam."
But since the "Family Guy" team dishes out plenty of its own insults, it should be able to take some, MacFarlane told Blender magazine.
"To me, Peter is much more similar to Ralph Kramden than he is to Homer, right down to his voice," he said, referring to the character from "The Honeymooners." "That's what I see. But because `The Simpsons' and `Family Guy' are really the only two shows of their kind of television, there'll be comparisons made."
MacFarlane said he was definitely influenced by "The Simpsons."
"I mean, in its prime, it was one of the greatest comedy shows of all time," he said. "But it's not the show it was. It can't be. You can't do 16 seasons and be consistent."
The Couch Potato Report - July 12th, 2005
This week The Couch Potato Report features an Academy Award winning masterpiece.
In this day of twenty-four hour media coverage, the internet, and all of the many other ways that are available for you and I to find out the things we know about movies, and the people who star in movies, it is very rare that a film can be released without many people knowing about it.
Whether it is a big summer film like BATMAN RETURNS or a smaller film such as THE UPSIDE OF ANGER, we usually hear about films prior to their release.
Usually.
That wasn't the case late last year when a film called MILLION DOLLAR BABY was released.
There was very little information about it, and hardly any publicity, but then, there it was, coming soon to a theatre near you.
I must admit that when I first heard the title of the film, I thought it might have been a remake of the 1994 TV movie MILLION DOLLAR BABIES about the Dionne Quintuplets.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Clint Eastwood's MILLION DOLLAR BABY has no quintuplets, or quadruplets, triplets, or even twins for that matter.
Instead this film is about an aging trainer and a woman from a small town who wants to be a boxer.
The narrator is a former boxer himself, who is also the trainer's best friend.
Hilary Swank plays Maggie Fitzgerald. Her hope is that Eastwood's Frankie Dunn will train her.
He declines. He doesn't train girls.
Eventually the relentless Maggie wins him over and they work together. Morgan Freeman plays the narrator and with his help Maggie and Frankie eventually find themselves on their way to a championship fight.
Yes, this film has boxing in it, but if you don't like boxing or sports movies, I implore you not to be scared off by that. MILLION DOLLAR BABY is not a boxing movie. It is a movie about a boxer.
It is also a masterpiece.
Hilary Swank won her second Academy Award for her work, and Eastwood was honoured with his second Oscar for Directing. Both are very deserving.
Morgan Freeman also won an Oscar, his first, for his efforts.
In a time of special effect filled, uninteresting movies, MILLION DOLLAR BABY stands out as it is exceptionally well written and full of real people.
Simply put, and I will say it again, it is a masterpiece.
I have seen MILLION DOLLAR BABY about half a dozen times now, and every time I see it something new reveals itself to me. The story has so many levels and the characters say so little, but upon repeated viewings they also say so much.
I could continue on about the film, but since this is a film that snuck up on all of us prior to its theatrical run, it should so the same upon its video and DVD release. The less you know about MILLION DOLLAR BABY before you see it, the more there will be to enjoy as you are watching it.
So stay away from the media coverage, the internet, and every other way that is available for you and I to find out the things we know about movies and just pick this film up and press play.
MILLION DOLLAR BABY is a movie about heart, faith, trust, love, forgiveness, and the ultimate test of friendship and love.
It is a one hundred and thirty two minute masterpiece!
Movies like this are why I fell in love with movies in the first place!
Clint Eastwood's Academy Award winning masterpiece MILLION DOLLAR BABY is available now at a store near you.
COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT
In CONSTANTINE Keanu Reeves follows up THE MATRIX TRILOGY by playing a man who keeps a delicate balance between Heaven and Hell.
Keanu Reeves is a star that we have known about for a while now. A young star on the rise is Michelle Trachtenberg. She plays the lead in the film ICE PRINCESS about a smart, but unpopular young student who follows her figure skating dreams. The film also features performances from Kim Cattrall and Joan Cusack.
I'm Dan Reynish and I will have more on those films, and some other releases in seven days.
For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!
In the Pipeline
Seeing as we're almost exactly at 2005's half-way mark, here's a quick update of the year's most popular films as well as their DVDFile reviews and/or retail release dates.
Box Office Stats:
1. Revenge of the Sith (Fox):
$361,000,000 - DVD release date: 1 November 2005 (subject to change)
2. Hitch (Sony):
$180,000,000 - Now Available
3. Madagascar (DreamWorks):
$164,000,000 - DVD release date: TBD
4. The Longest Yard (Paramount):
$144,000,000 - DVD release date: 20 September 2005
5. Batman Begins (Warner Bros.):
$133,000,000 - DVD release date: TBD
6. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Fox):
$132,000,000 - DVD release date: TBD
7. Robots (Fox):
$128,000,000 - DVD release date: 20 September 2005
8. The Pacifier (Buena Vista):
$113,000,000 - Now Available
9. Are We There Yet? (Sony):
$83,000,000 - Now Available
10. Monster-in-Law (New Line):
$80,000,000 - DVD release date: 30 August 2005
(all data valid as of 30 June, 2005)
Johanson's Sunday sex show cancelled
TORONTO (CP) - No more TV sex from Sue, at least not in Canada.
Sex counsellor Sue Johanson says she's ceasing production on her Sunday Night Sex Show on the W network, but insists it has nothing to do with ratings. The popular therapist, grandmother and former nurse says she will continue to do the U.S. version of her show here, which she had been taping immediately after the Canadian one. It began airing on the Oxygen network south of the border in 2002.
"I've been doing the show now on Canadian television for 21 years," she says. "So I felt that if something's going to give, it has to be the one that's longest in the tooth."
Johanson says she will, however, continue to teach sex ed to Canadian college and university students right across the country.
She insists she didn't cease the Canadian show because doing both of them was too tiring.
"I'm one of these women that has too much energy. I'm a pain in the butt."
She says it was simply a case of contract renewal time and while the show was a ratings winner for W, which owned the show, her travel commitments made it impossible to stretch herself any further.
"I do 60 colleges and universities a year right across the country."
Johanson concedes W was surprised by her decision but that Canadian kids and their parents have been exposed to her "yapping" for a long time now.
She doesn't know of any plans at present for a Canadian broadcaster to start importing the Oxygen show.
Johanson's sex counselling show started on Toronto radio in 1984, then moved to WTN in February 1996. With WTN re-branded as W, the live show continued on Sundays with classic episodes running during the week.
Johanson has been a popular guest on such U.S. talk shows as The View, David Letterman and Conan O'Brien. Her show also airs, with Portuguese subtitles, in Brazil.
Her quarter century of experience includes establishing Toronto's Don Mills Birth Control Clinic in 1970, where she remained as a clinic co-ordinator until '86. She began teaching sex and sexuality in schools in 1974. And she's written three books on sexuality, not including one on her show, Nocturnal Emissions: Behind the Scenes of the Sunday Night Sex Show.
The last original show has already aired on W. Repeats will continue until the fall.
SINGULAR SENSATIONS IN THE RUNNING
Just last year, Fountains of Wayne made big pop news with the surprise hit "Stacy's Mom." Now they're being called one-hit wonders.
Remember the Donnas? They're the California girl band famed for "Take It Off," their hit rock song on Billboard's charts — way back in 2003.
They, too, are performing in the Run Hit Wonder race in New York's Central Park on July 20, where bands with only one big song play along the route.
"I hate to admit it, but it's kind of accurate," Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger told The New York Post. "At this point we are a one-hit wonder."
You can quibble about the lineup, but there's no disputing how popular the Nike-sponsored run has become in a year's time.
More than 10,000 New Yorkers have already paid $20 to reserve a spot along the five-mile course in the park's lower loop.
Last year, for New York's first such event, the roster was more faithful to the definition of one-hit wonder bands, with performances from Devo ("Whip It"), A Flock of Seagulls ("I Ran [So Far Away]"), Tone-Loc ("Wild Thing") and Tommy Tutone ("867-5309/Jenny").
This year's performers, on the other hand, include acts who've technically had more than one hit — like rap artist Chingy ("Right Thurr" and "Holidae Inn") and '80s rocker Joan Jett ("I Love Rock 'n' Roll" and "Crimson & Clover").
One dollar of each entry will go to "Save CBGB," the fund to help prevent the downtown punk club from closing (savecbgb.com).
David Lee Roth to replace Howard Stern
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Infinity Broadcasting isn't commenting on an online report penned by a former Howard Stern Show regular that suggests David Lee Roth will be one of the personalities that ultimately replaces the ribald DJ on the airwaves.
Chaunce Hayden, a gossip and celebrity writer for New York/New Jersey entertainment guide SteppinOutMagazine.com, writes that "an Infinity source has confirmed the signing."
In February, the Securities and Exchange Commission reportedly questioned Hayden about possible insider trading of shares in Sirius Satellite Radio. Hayden was in Stern's studio Oct. 6, 2004, the day Stern announced his plans to move to Sirius in January 2006. The news drove up Sirius shares by 16% at the close of that day's trading.
What is certain is that Roth is among many entertainers that Infinity has auditioned on-air since Stern's bombshell announcement last year. Infinity executives have repeatedly made it clear that they are not looking for a singular personality to succeed Stern.
In April, Infinity president of programing Rob Barnett told Billboard Radio Monitor he was working with Roth in Boston at classic rock station WZLX. "The station has kind of turned the town on its ear with cab drivers, waiters and waitresses and employees of Barnes & Noble talking about this amazing guy on the radio," Barnett said. "It's an example of just being able to surprise and entertain your listeners without necessarily giving them the exact same menu every day." In Boston, Stern is heard on Infinity modern rock station WBCN.
The Diamond Dave-as-morning-man idea actually sprung from an Infinity station 3,000 miles away. VP of FM talk Jack Silver put Roth on the air for three hours earlier this year at KLSX Los Angeles, which Silver programs. "We were so taken by that performance that we created a stunt here in Boston to give classic rock listeners the opportunity to hear him all week long," Barnett said in April.
Infinity chairman and CEO Joel Hollander said in February, "One thing you should expect not to happen, is one person to be dropped in to replace (Stern) at 27 radio stations."
While Stern's contract is set to end Dec. 31, 2005, Hayden says that Roth will hit the airwaves in early September. Asked to comment on the Roth rumor, an Infinity spokesperson said, "We are looking at a number of personalities to replace Howard Stern, however there are no imminent announcements at this time."
Roth has two summer concerts on his schedule: July 15 in Sarnia, Ontario, and July 29 in Redding, Calif.
Chicago to host Farm Aid's 20th anniversary benefit show
The Chicago area will be the site of the 20th anniversary Farm Aid concert, co-founders Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp announced Monday (7/11).
This year's show is set to take place Sept. 18 at Tinley Park, IL's Tweeter Center, the site of the first Farm Aid Concert in 1985. (The venue was known at the time as the New World Music Theatre.) Tickets will go on sale July 30, organizers said.
Besides Nelson and Mellencamp, this year's Farm Aid show will also feature longtime supporters Neil Young and Dave Matthews. Other performers will be announced, according to a press release.
The anniversary concert will be preceded by a week's worth of food and music events in Chicago aimed at drawing attention to the city's efforts to promote foods grown on family farms.
Last year's Farm Aid concert took place at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, WA, which is located about 35 miles southeast of Seattle, and previous shows have been held in Burgettstown, PA; Noblesville, IN; Columbus, OH; and Bristow, VA, among other farming regions.
Nelson, Mellencamp and Young staged the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Matthews, who has appeared on several Farm Aid bills, joined Farm Aid's board of directors in 2001.
Organizers say that Farm Aid has raised more than $27 million over its history to support family farms.
Marvel Chief Urges Patience for Ratner's 'X-Men'
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com)- Marvel CEO Avi Arad has just finished a lengthy discussion on the dangers of Internet rumor-mongering and the evils of reviewing unfinished projects, which perfectly segues into the excitable mogul's feelings about online reaction to the selection of Brett Ratner to direct the next "X-Men" film.
"Idiots," he says plainly, before continuing. "Idiots."
Ratner, best known for relentless self-promotion and the blockbuster "Rush Hour" films, became a last-minute fill-in director on "X-Men 3" after original director Matthew Vaughn bailed last month to spend more time with his family. From the second Ratner's name entered the equation, netizens from Aint-It-Cool-News to IMDB messageboards began spewing outrage, sadness and resignation, jotting off open letters to imaginary executives at Fox and launching purely hypothetical petitions to enlist a new director. Arad, who was close to hiring Ratner several times previously, is just confused by all the vitriol.
"Did you see 'Red Dragon?' Did you see that?" Arad asks, referring to Ratner's reasonably well-reviewed Hannibal Lecter remake. "And you saw 'Family Man,' which is totally different, a very emotional story. Then, you have two giant comedies. What are they thinking? This is a great filmmaker. Do you know how much experience this guy has? Let alone his new Jessica Simpson video? This guy knows what he's doing."
Although Arad can't find positive words for "Money Talks" or "After the Sunset," he's certainly effusive about his new employee. Fans, though, aren't as certain.
Although few details from the sequel have come forth since Ratner's introduction, rumors of the addition of a new hooker mutant who may or may not be little-used character Stacy X have produced reactions from confusion -- several new characters including Beast and Juggernaut already need to be introduced -- to general disgust. Arad won't confirm or deny any specific changes, but he says that Ratner has, indeed, already left his fingerprints all over the script, originally written by Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg.
"Brett Ratner came onto this thing and from the get-go, you felt experience," notes Arad. "He's made lots of changes in the script that are very good, because he's thinking picture, not words. He's very cinematic."
Arad doesn't really sound concerned. He's been through the same thing before.
"Tell me a director they didn't go after," he challenges. "Maybe the only guy who got away with it was Sam [Raimi]. When Bryan [Singer] came on board the first time? Oh boy."
Working in Arad's favor is the overwhelming fan community support for the first two "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" films, as well as the fact that all four films have reached blockbuster status.
"So far, so good," he chuckles. "Give us a little break. Not much, just a little bit."
Production on "X-Men 3" is slated to begin in August, as Fox has already claimed Memorial Day 2006 for its premiere.
'Wedding Crashers' Breaks the Rules of Engagement
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Weddings, with their curious mix of sanctity and revelry, pose the ultimate temptation and challenge to any self-respecting party crasher. The cast of New Line Cinema's latest comedy "Wedding Crashers," however, didn't have the guts to meet that challenge in real life, even though they had the opportunity.
"We thought about it when we were shooting," reveals actress Rachel McAdams. "We were in Maryland staying at this beautiful hotel, and there was a wedding on the grounds. We were kind of jealous and thought, 'You know, we could say it was research,' but we chickened out."
The film's titular buddies played by Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn aren't so faint-hearted or scrupulous. John (Wilson) and Jeremy (Vaughn) are lifelong pals who share a love for crashing weddings so they can score food, booze and women -- especially women. They've even devised an elaborate set of guidelines, including "Invites are for losers" and "No one goes home alone."
Although the script only specified two rules, the Frat Packers tapped into their improv skills so they could one-up each other with additional rules.
"Over the course of the movie whenever Vince was on one of his rants, he would throw in rules to support whatever argument he had," says Wilson. "So I started to throw my own rules into the mix. Eventually, it got to Rule 87: 'Don't quote a rule to another. Don't go throwing rules in another wedding crasher's face.'"
Following the old adage that rules are meant to be broken, the movie's Casanovas find that they're the ones being pursued by aggressive women. Jeremy accidentally violates Rule No.7 -- "Avoid virgins. They're too clingy" -- when he hits on bridesmaid Gloria Cleary (Isla Fisher) at her sister's wedding.
After an interlude on the beach, Gloria declares her love, invites Jeremy to her family home and forces him into sexual situations. In a way, Vaughn also found the tables turned when acting opposite Fisher, whose portrayal of Gloria relegates the normally over-the-top Jeremy to playing the straight man.
"[Gloria] is on mood enhancers and Jeremy is crazy too," observes Fisher, who modeled her character's "crazy eyes" on an unnamed friend's features. "That's why they're the perfect match.
John finds himself in a similarly uncomfortable situation. Although he has his eye on Gloria's sister Claire (McAdams), it's her mother Kathleen who responds with amorous ardor. To play the Mrs. Robinson-esque "Kitty Kat" who goes topless in one scene, the filmmakers made an unusual choice, casting former "Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman" star Jane Seymour.
"I kind of knew her also as Dr. Quinn," says Wilson, whose character reluctantly gropes Kathleen. "So it was a little bit of a hiccup for me to be all of a sudden doing a scene where I'm supposed to be putting my hands on her in a slightly inappropriate way."
"Owen was very nervous about it," Seymour confirms. "We shot his side first and his hands came out like little ferret hands. I said, 'It's alright, Owen, squeeze. Do whatever you need to do. Don't worry about it.' Afterwards, he gave me a huge hug and thanked me for being brave enough to do it."
Bradley Cooper, who's best known for playing nice guy Will on ABC's "Alias" (although his new fall show, "Kitchen Confidential" will probably change that) is also cast against type. This time, he portrays Claire's arrogant boyfriend Sack Lodge, who's suspicious of interlopers John and Jeremy. He sets out to discredit them and goes overboard when body checking Jeremy in a supposedly friendly game of football.
"Sack's an amalgamation of four or five guys that I went to high school with ... that I just hated because they always got the girl," explains Cooper. "I never understood why. They were just such asses. I thought, 'What do you see [in him]?'"
In contrast, Christopher Walken traded his usual intimidating villain role for that of a doting father, William Cleary.
"I play a good guy basically. He's the Secretary of the Treasury. I got to play one of our nation's leaders. They don't usually ask me to do that," says Walken, who enjoys challenging people's expectations.
"I think that it'd be interesting for me to play something really different like ... 'Father Knows Best,'" he says, imagining a conversation between him and his offspring. "I'd have a pipe and say, 'Just try and do the right thing.' That would be a good part -- or I'd like to play a psychiatrist."
"Wedding Crashers" breaks with tradition beginning Friday, July 15.
Franz Ferdinand Unveils North American Tour
Having nearly completed work on its sophomore Domino/Epic album, U.K. rock act Franz Ferdinand has unveiled plans for a fall North American tour. The month-long trek will begin Sept. 20 in Chicago and has dates on tap through Oct. 18 in Toronto. The group is expected to return for more shows in the first portion of 2006.
Like its 2004 predecessor, the new album will be a self-titled affair. A number of songs from the set, due Oct. 4, were road-tested earlier this spring during a series of gigs in Russia, which allowed the band to fine-tune them before recording final versions.
"By the time we'd gone to Russia, we had the rough versions of the songs down," lead singer Alex Kapranos tells Billboard.com. "But in some ways, it was very, very good for us to play them in Russia. I don't think a song is complete until you've performed it in front of people live, which brings up a whole interesting point. I don't think a song is ever complete. Songs are always evolving. They're never quite the same. But you understand a song in a different way when you see how an audience responds to it. You can exaggerate the things that are working because you can see how people react."
Following the North American dates, Franz Ferdinand will embark on a European tour Oct. 28 in Paris. The group is also assembling its first DVD, which will feature footage contributed by fans.
Here are Franz Ferdinand's tour dates:
Aug. 9: San Sebastian, Spain (Estadio de Anoeta; w/ U2)
Aug. 11: Madrid (Estadio Vicente Calderon; w/ U2)
Aug. 20-21: Staffordshire/Chelmsford, England (V Festival)
Aug. 30-31: Edinburgh (Edinburgh Castle)
Sept. 20: Chicago (Aragon Ballroom)
Sept. 21: Minneapolis (Target Center)
Sept. 22: Kansas City, Mo. (Uptown Theatre)
Sept. 23: St. Louis (Pageant)
Sept. 25: Austin, Texas (Austin City Limits Festival)
Sept. 27: Denver (Fillmore Auditorium)
Sept. 28: Magna, Utah (Great Salt Air Amphitheatre)
Oct. 1-2: Seattle (Paramount Theatre)
Oct. 3: Portland, Ore. (Rose Garden Arena)
Oct. 4: Vancouver (Orpheum Theatre)
Oct. 6: San Francisco (Bill Graham Civic Auditorium)
Oct. 7: Los Angeles (Greek Theatre)
Oct. 9: San Diego (SDSU Open Air Theatre)
Oct. 11: Las Vegas (the Joint)
Oct. 17: New York (Theatre at Madison Square Garden)
Oct. 18: Toronto (Ricoh Centre)
Oct. 28: Paris (Zenith)
Oct. 31: Rouen, France (31st)
Nov. 1: Lille, France (Zenith)
Nov. 2: Metz, France (Les Arenes)
Nov. 4: Grenoble, France (Zenith)
Nov. 7: Dusseldorf, Germany (Phillishalle)
Nov. 8: Berlin (Tempodrom)
Nov. 9: Hamburg, Germany (Colour Line Arena)
Dec. 12: Munich (Zenith)
Stefani, Mario capture sound of 2005
Downloads were Gwen's world, while a super Mario hit dominated radio in the first half of 2005.
Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl outsold all competition as the top downloaded track so far this year. Stefani also scored the No. 8 track with Rich Girl. Total download sales hit 159 million, triple last year at this time.
Teen R&B crooner Mario's Let Me Love You easily topped the radio airplay list with a total audience of 2.6 billion (determined by total plays and listeners at radio nationwide) over the past 26 weeks. But his reign is not likely to last out the year.
Mariah Carey's We'll Be Together, which shattered total audience records in June, reached No. 6 for the first half on only three months' worth of airplay. It should soon surpass Mario's total and is the song to beat for the entire year.
The download top 10 continues to strongly reflect radio's hits. But radio leans more toward R&B and hip-hop: 51% of the top 100 first-half hits, compared with 20% for pop, 19% for country and 10% for rock.
Radio's strong R&B/hip-hop orientation may be waning: At the end of 2004, 61% of the hits were R&B/hip-hop records.
Meanwhile, the top 100 downloads are more balanced: 33% R&B/hip-hop, 32% pop, 31% rock (and 4% for country).
Each of the top 10 download tracks reached the top 20 at some point this year on the national airplay chart. And radio's biggest hits generally become top-priority downloads. Nine of the top 10 radio hits ranked among the top 40 download tracks.
Although the download track list is rigorously oriented toward current hits, the occasional intriguing older title does crop up. Green Day's 1997 hit Good Riddance (The Time of Your Life) nearly cracked the top 50, likely boosted by the success of songs from the group's most recent album, American Idiot.
Also showing up in the top 200: Oasis' Wonderwall, Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama, Survivor's Eye of the Tiger, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, Lee Ann Womack's I Hope You Dance, The Eagles' Hotel California and Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby.
NEW CD RELEASES FOR JULY 12, 2005
A Love Ends Suicide The Cycle of Hope (Brand Name)
About the Fire Six Anthems from the Comfortably Jaded EP (HCNL)
The Adolescents O.C. Confidential (Finger)
All-American Rejects Move Along (Interscope)
Angelville We Are the Wolves (HCNL)
Apotheke (members of Hella, RxBandits and Satori) Apotheke (Mashdown Babylon)
Bronson Arroyo (pitcher for Boston Red Sox) Covering the Bases (all-covers album; songs by Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters and more) (Asylum/WEA)
Astronautalis You and Yer Good Ideas (Fighting)
The Bel Airs Got Love (HighTone)
Adrian Belew Side Two (Sanctuary)
The Black Dahlia Murder Miasma (Metal Blade)
Pat Boone Ready to Rock (guest members of the Eagles and Three Dog Night) (Oak)
Bow Wow Wanted (Dual Disc same day) (Columbia)
Meredith Bragg and the Terminals Meredith Bragg and the Terminals Vol. 1 (The Kora)
Tom Brosseau What I Mean to Say Is Goodbye (w/members of the Heartbreakers and Nickel Creek, Jon Brion and drummer Pete Thomas) (Loveless)
Paul Brown The City (Verve)
Stephen Bruton From the Five (New West)
Buckshot & 9th Wonder Chemistry (Duck Down)
Bury Your Dead Alive (DualDisc) (Victory)
Andi Camp Magnetic (Grafton)
B.C. Camplight Hide, Run Away (One Little Indian)
Capone Pain, Time & Glory (w/Devin the Dude, Raekwon, Scarface and more) (Koch)
Brian Capps Walk Thru Walls (HighTone)
Brandi Carlile Brandi Carlile (Columbia)
Philip Catherine Meeting Colours (Dreyfus)
Chicago Blues Reunion Band Buried Alive in the Blues (CD/DVD combo) (33rd Street/Out of the Box)
Circle of Dead Children Zero Comfort Margin (Willowtip)
Cirque du Soleil Dralion (Cirque du Soleil Musique)
Crime in Stereo The Contract EP (Blackout!)
Cruna A Hustla's Love Story (Reprise)
Dexter Danger Hellafornia (Orange Peal)
Darkane Layers of Lies (Nuclear Blast)
Ernest Dawkins and the Chicago 12 Misconceptions of a Delusion and Shades of a Charade (Dawk Music)
The Decemberists The Tain EP (Kill Rock Stars)
Deep Dish George Is On (guest Stevie Nicks on Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams;" includes bonus disc) (Thrive)
Brett Dennen Brett Dennen (Flagship)
Dew-Scented Issue VI (Nuclear Blast)
Dezeray's Hammer The Past That Decorates Me (Rock Ridge)
The Diplomats Present DipSet: More Than Music (w/Cam'ron, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and more) (Koch)
Doleful Lions Shaded Lodge and Mausoleum (Parasol)
The Domino Kings Some Kind of Sign (HighTone)
DopeGame DopeGame 2 (w/E-40 and Bonecrusher) (Sumday)
Down to Nothing Splitting Headache (Thorp)
The Dream Is Dead Hail the New Pawn (Escape Artist)
Driving East A Black Eye or a Broken Heart EP (Brand Name)
Nob Dylan and His Nobsoletes 12 Positively Stiff Dylans (garage-rock covers of Bob Dylan tunes) (Alternative Tentacles)
Kenny Ellis Hanukkah Swings! (holiday album) (Favored Nations)
Embrace Today We Are the Enemy (Deathwish)
The Endless Blockade Turn Illness Into a Weapon (Mordam)
Terry Evans Fire in the Feeling (Valley Entertainment)
Fatty Koo House of (Columbia)
Federation X Rally Day (Touch and Go)
Flipsyde We the People (Interscope)
Forensics Hogback Mountain Sessions Vol. 1 (limited edition improvised studio sessions) (Magic Bullet)
Susan Gibson OuterSpace (w/songs co-written by Randy Scruggs and Jim Lauderdale) (For the Records)
The Giraffes The Giraffes (Razor & Tie)
Gorod Neurotripsicks (Willowtip)
Gravy Train!!!! Are You Wigglin'? (Kill Rock Stars)
Hard-Fi Cash Machine (Vice)
Paul Hardcastle Tripping in Rhythm Volume 4 (V2)
Headrush Weight of the Water (DMI)
The Heart Attacks Heart Scissor Killers (Brand Name)
Heron Black Dog (Hux)
Hockey Night Keep Guessin' (enhanced CD) (Lookout!)
Hot Karl The Great Escape (guests MC Serch, Will.I.Am and 9th Wonder) (Headless Heroes)
How It Ends Beloved (Thorp)
William Hung Miracle: Happy Summer from (Koch)
Iommi (Black Sabbath guitarist) Fused (w/Deep Purple's Glenn Hughes and drummer Kenny Aronoff) (Sanctuary)
Sherman Irby Faith (Black Warrior)
J-Henry Another Long Day (Rock City/Fontana/Universal)
Chubby Jackson Takes Over (Empire)
Jemima James Book Me Back in Your Dreams (first album in 15 years) (Tomato)
JamisonParker Sleepwalker (Interscope)
Kyle Jason Revolution of the Cool (CD/DVD combo) (Music Video Distributors)
The Junior Varsity Wide Eyed (Victory)
Just Surrender If These Streets Could Talk (East West)
Carole King The Living Room Tour (two CDs; live versions of hits plus two previously unreleased tracks) (Hear Music)
Kinski Alpine Static (Sub Pop)
Jeff Klein The Hustler (produced by ex-Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers' Greg Dulli; guests Ani DiFranco and Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner) (One Little Indian)
The Knitters (members of X) The Modern Sounds of (Rounder)
Al Kooper Black Coffee (Favored Nations)
Daniel Lanois Belladonna (Epitaph)
Last Exit Koln (Touch and Go)
Lee Lessack In Good Company (duets with Michael Feinstein, Maureen McGovern and other cabaret singers) (LML Music)
Dave Liebman and Phil Markowitz Manhattan Dialogues (Zoho)
Lion Fever Haunted Water (Dim Mak)
Magnetophone The Man Who Ate the Man (Beggars Banquet)
Masters at Work Kings of House (two CDs; mixed compilation) (BBE/Rapster)
The Del McCoury Band The Company We Keep (McCoury Music)
Marian McPartland and Elvis Costello Piano Jazz (Concord)
Metalux Victim of Space (Kill Rock Stars)
Mixel Pixel Contact Kid (Kanine)
Marilyn Monroe A Life in Pictures (includes trailers, newsreels and performances) (Stardust)
The Morells Think About It (HighTone)
The Most Serene Republic Underwater Cinematographer (Arts & Crafts)
Natalia y La Fourquetina Casa (produced by members of Café Tacuba) (Sony BMG)
Natalise I Came to Play (Stars823)
Willie Nelson Countryman (Lost Highway)
Neon Blonde (members of the Blood Brothers) Headlines EP (Dim Mak)
The New York Rifles Faraway Faster (Empty)
Michelle Nixon & Drive What More Should I Say? (Pinecastle)
Nor Am I Cause Above the Conquest (Brand Name)
Orange Park Songs from the Unknown (Young American)
Paul Oscher Down in the Delta (Blues Fidelity)
The Oxford Collapse A Good Ground (Kanine)
Dave Peck Good Road (Let's Play Stella)
Pelican The Fire in Our Throats Beckons the Thaw (Hydra Head)
Piglet Lava Land EP (Team Av)
Poet Name Life (Black Eyed Peas' DJ) Calm Before the Storm (DualDisc) (Myutopia)
Pras Win Lose or Draw (guests Sean Paul and Wyclef; w/cover of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For") (Universal Motown)
Prefuse 73 Reads the Books EP (Warp)
Primes Primes (Action Driver)
The Quarter After The Quarter After (Bird Song)
Recourse Weakening the Structure (Dark Reign)
The Reigning Sound Home for Orphans (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
Frank Rose this is now, that was then (Infinity)
Röyksopp The Understanding (Astralwerks)
Rufio The Comfort of Home (Nitro)
Rupee 1 on 1 (Atlantic)
The Michael Schenker Group Heavy Hitters (covers album w/members of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and more) (Deadline)
Scratch Perverts Fabric Live 22 (mix CD w/tracks by the Roots, Dilated Peoples, Radiohead and more) (Fabric)
Sirone Live (Touch and Go)
Slim Thug Already Platinum (two-CD limited edition available same day) (Geffen)
Slug and Murs Present Felt 2: A Tribute to Lisa Bonet (Rhymesayers)
Slum Village Prequel to a Classic (Barak)
Snow and Voices Snow and Voices (Bird Song)
Son Volt Okemah and the Melody of Riot (w/new line-up; DualDisc w/interviews and video) (Transmit Sound/Legacy)
Rick Springfield The Day After Yesterday (covers album; songs by the Beatles, Human League, Foreigner, the Church and more) (Gomer/DKE)
Statistics Often Lie (Jade Tree)
Stephen From the Five (New West)
Liz Story Night Sky Essays (DMI)
Subthunk You Should Have Been Here Yesterday (Ureneely)
Michael B. Sutton (Motown songwriter/producer) Hopeless Romantic (Little Dizzy)
Suzukiton Service Repair Handbook (Crucial Blast)
Sweet Honey in the Rock Raise Your Voice (soundtrack to PBS special) (Earthbeat!)
Swift The Absolute Uncontrollable (Tribunal)
Ten Years After Now (new album) (Fuel)
Through the Eyes of the Dead/The Knife Trade The Annihilation of Expectation (split release) (Lovelost)
Tom & Joy Antigua (Tommy Boy)
Transplants Haunted Cities (Atlantic)
Travers & Appice Live at the House of Blues (2004 show) (NMS)
Unto Ashes Grave Blessings (Projekt)
Chris Walker I Know It's Love (Canvas)
Nick Warren Shanghai (two CDs) (Global Underground)
The Dave Weckl Band Multiplicity (Concord)
Mary Lou Williams Collective (led by pianist Geri Allen) Zodiac Suite
Witness Speak to the Generations (Axiom)
Wolf Parade Shine a Light/You Are a Runner, and I Am My Father's Son EP (Sub Pop)
Jaguar Wright Divorcing Neo to Marry Soul (w/tracks produced by Raphael Saadiq) (Artemis)
Xiu Xiu La Forêt (Kill Rock Stars)
Yerba Buena Island Life (Razor & Tie)
Zucchero & Co. (guests Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, B.B. King, Sting and more) (Concord/Hear Music)
VA An All Star Tribute to Shania Twain (w/Wanda Jackson, Lisa Loeb, Tiffany and more) (All Starz)
VA Awaken (DualDisc; electronic compilation w/Rabbit in the Moon, King Britt and more) (Myutopia)
VA bargrooves: Cosmopolitan (two CDs; house music mix CDs w/Masters at Work, Ron Trent, Rollercone and more) (Seamless/Ultra)
VA Dance Mix 7 (mixed by Lil Cee) (Tommy Boy)
VA Fragile: The Piano Tribute to R.E.M. (Vitamin)
VA Hands in the Air (Water Music)
VA On a Dark Desert Highway: A Bluegrass Tribute to the Eagles (CMH)
VA Pick This Way: A Bluegrass Tribute to Aerosmith (CMH)
VA Pickin' on Montgomery Gentry (CMH)
VA Sah Presents: Supporting Radical Habits (w/Kottonmouth Kings, Slightly Stoopid and more; w/bonus DVD) (Suburban Noize)
VA The Piano Tribute to John Legend (Vitamin)
VA Vans - Triple Crown of Surfing (CD/DVD combo) (Epitaph)
OCR Sweet Charity (Koch)
OST Fantastic 4 (movie based on the Marvel Comics superheroes; score by John Ottman) (Varèse Sarabande)
OST Hustle & Flow (Anthony Anderson/Ludacris film; w/songs by Juvenile, Lil Scrappy, Paul Wall and more) (Atlantic)
OST March of the Penguins (Milan)
OST Me and You and Everyone We Know (score by Michael Andrews) (Everloving)
OST Stealth (Jamie Foxx film; w/three new Incubus songs, including duet w/Chrissie Hynde) (Epic)
OST The Cave (horror film w/tracks by Atreyu, Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage and more) (Lakeshore)
OST The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (score by Cliff Eidelman) (Varèse Sarabande)
OST The Wedding Crashers (Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn comedy; w/new song by the Flaming Lips and tracks by Death Cab for Cutie, Bloc Party and Jimmy Eat World) (New Line)
DVD Bodysong (documentary w/score composed and produced by Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood; bonus features include interviews w/Greenwood and director Simon Pummell) (Music Video Distributors)
DVD Music Box Biographical Collection: Britney Spears (unauthorized documentary) (MVB Films)
DVD Music Box Biographical Collection: Christina Aguilera (unauthorized documentary) (MVB Films)
DVD Music Box Biographical Collection: George Harrison (unauthorized documentary) (MVB Films)
DVD Music Box Biographical Collection: Paul McCartney (unauthorized documentary) (MVB Films)
DVD Paper Chasers (documentary on the business side of hip-hop industry; w/Ludacris, Fat Joe, Master P and more) (Koch)
DVD Crazy Club Chicks Back from Rehab (Music Video Distributors)
DVD Chris Cunningham Rubber Johnny (short film w/original soundtrack by Aphex Twin) (Warp)
DVD Mickey Gilley In Concert (2004 show) (Goldenlane)
DVD The Louisiana State Mass Choir Live in New Orleans (Koch)
DVD Sadie Shaw, Sarah Reed and Various Artists Charm the Movie (Touch and Go)
DVD Sweet Honey in the Rock Raise Your Voice (PBS documentary) (Firelight Media)
DVD VA Hip Hop by Da Bay (w/Zion I, Krushadelic, Pro and other undergound groups from San Francisco/Oakland area; w/28-page booklet) (Music Video Distributors)
DVD VA Kill Rock Stars Video Fanzine (Kill Rock Stars)
DVD VA Tino Vision (videos by Meatbeat Manifesto, DJ Shadow and more) (Music Video Distributors)