September 25, 2003 – By: Chris RyanWHO: Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton, a rail-thin,bookish producer who prefers a furry mouse suit to Rocawear, andJemini the Gifted One, a burly Brooklyn rapper with a nasty nasalflow. SOUND LIKE: The odd couple's remarkable debut, Ghetto Pop Life, is an alternate-universe party record in the tradition of the Pharcyde (who guest on "Medieval") that peppers the cinematic sweep of Dr. Dre with exuberant indie quirks. Jemini kicks streetwise lyrics espousing the finer things in life (girls, guns, hubcaps, himself), while Burton dreams up a full choir singing about full clips. THE MOUSE WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA: A hip-hop kid from Westchester, New York, Burton migrated South for his higher education.

September 25, 2003 – By: Stephen SabanIt’s not easy being Seth Green. Sure, the small-framed,big-talking actor is extremely good--probably the best there is--atplaying clever sidekicks and snarky supporting roles. But whenyou’ve nailed the part as often as he has (e.g., thissummer’s hit caper flick The Italian Job), it canbecome as confining as a Mike Myers fat suit. So when Green, 29,was given a shot at a different kind of character--the dishy,swishy best friend of a club kid who kills his drug dealer--theAustin Powers costar was prepared to shelve his bags of shhhand get to work right away. “I felt like I’d won alottery,” he says. “Everything that I’d donebefore, no matter how dramatic or challenging, paled next to thescope of this.” The film is this month's Party Monster, and Green's role is that of trust-fund celebutante James St. James.

September 24, 2003 – By: Chris NorrisOne fine summer afternoon, a svelte rap star comes strolling into awest hollywood restaurant. Convention dictates a brief descriptionof his outfit here, usually pasted in by standard Rap-Write(tm)software: platinum chain, home-team ball cap, baggies from ownclothing line, tattoo of son/daughter/dead homie. But this rap staris Andre 3000 of Atlanta’s trailblazing hip-hop duo OutKast,one of the most fashion-forward men in music, if not the UnitedStates. Blond wigs, football shoulder pads, and velvet knickershave all played a part in Andre’s lonely quest for the NextLevel, thus his look today merits special attention. There it is:striped polo shirt, blue slacks, tan Banana Republic sports jacket,and tasseled loafers. Repeat: Tasseled. Freaking. Loafers.

September 23, 2003 – Geoff Rickly may be in love, but War All the Time is Thursday's most violent and conflicted album yet. The lead singer talks to Spin about relationships, war, and record labels in this one-on-one exclusive. SPIN: Let's talk about the tour that you just did. GEOFF RICKLY: Yeah, we'd been off six or seven months, writing the record, recording the record. It was weird because I had completely forgotten what it was like. It was actually so much like starting over, because we decided we were going to do small shows and get back in our old van and just do it that way. It was actually so much more stressful, but in a good way, because I think when you're playing big shows, it's really easy to avoid each other if you don't want to talk about anything.

September 16, 2003 – By: Peter GastonIf Elvis was American music's lifeblood and Bob Dylan itsconscience, then Johnny Cash was surely its weathered, wise oldsoul. Cash, 71, succumbed to complications from diabetes thatresulted in respiratory failure early Friday morning in Nashville,Tenn. Today the singer was laid to rest next to his wife, JuneCarter Cash, after a service that was attended by over 1,000friends, family, and colleagues.

September 15, 2003 – By: Caryn GanzWHO: Seattle punks incongruously named after a Smiths song.Their rock genealogy is fairly incestuous; members have all loggedtime in several overlapping bands, including Murder City Devils andKill Sadie. SOUND LIKE: On The New Romance, PrettyGirls’ relentlessly experimental follow-up to 2001’sGood Health, singer Andrea Zollo seizes the reins with herfearlessly riot grrrl roar, propelled by a frenzy of zigzaggingguitars. "We have limitless [musical] options," drummer Nick DeWitt says brightly. "Maybe I'll hold a cello in front of my face and scream into the back of it while everybody claps."WITHOUT THE HELP OF DR. PHIL: The group found a way to defuse their intra-band tension. "We had to make a rule about how much you can drink before you play," Zollo says.

September 15, 2003 – By: Marc Spitz“I’ll have a Jack Daniel’s--as strong as you canmake it,” says Peter Hayes of the psychedelic garage-gothband Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. It’s a humid July day inNew York City and singer/guitarist Hayes and bassist Robert Turnerof the San Francisco trio are clad in head-to-toe black denim. AmidWall Street traders and indie-film execs in a posh downtownrestaurant, they look bleary-eyed and out of their element. Whenthe nervous waitress brings Hayes a water glass filled withwhiskey, he can barely lift his head to thank her, but she hasalready fled. Perhaps their high-piled dirty hair rattled her, but more likely, it's the vibe of utter contempt they radiate in every direction: at the tape recorder, at the dinner rolls, at the art on the walls. Doing interviews is so establishment, and they are, after all, black rebels.

September 15, 2003 – By: Kristin RothAlison Lohman has never hoodwinked anyone in her entirelife--unless you count the work she’s been doing in front ofaudiences since the age of ten. “Acting is a lot likecon-artistry,” says Lohman, 23. “People have to believethat you’re the person you’re pretending to be.” Crime could be a lucrative second career for the actress, who has already proved adept at scene-stealing: She did it in last year's White Oleander, against a cast of formidable stars that included Michelle Pfeiffer and Renee Zellweger.

September 12, 2003 – We watch two burly customers in tank tops and aerodynamic Oakleys take aim, snicker, and reload. The average paintball rifle has a muzzle velocity between 200 and 300 feet per second; the Freak's protective suit resembles a Jackson Pollock canvas. Do the math. Feel the contusions. From behind a pair of state-trooper sunglasses, Carrabba takes it all in. It would please me to report that he then stepped up, threw the barker a wadded Benjamin, shouldered a rifle, and unleashed hell, pinning the Freak to the wall with round after colorful round--while shouting, "Who's emo now, bitch? Who's emo now?"--but that would be a lie. Instead, he just winces.

September 3, 2003 – When the Distillers' lead singer Brody Armstrong sang "City ofAngels," it almost seemed like a joke. "They say this is the city,the city of Angels," she sang, most likely not referring to TinleyPark, Ill. "All I see is dead wings." This suburban boomtown, 30miles away from any big city, was home to the "Chicago" stop ofthis summer's Lollapalooza festival, a nine-hour county fair/rockshow featuring tents, booths, kiosks, and $9 beers. It alsofeatured music, of course, from grrl punk to underground hip-hop torock'n'roll both mainstream and experimental. After a five-yearhiatus, the bands and the crowd were more than ready to rock. When the Distillers' lead singer Brody Armstrong sang "City of Angels," it almost seemed like a joke. "They say this is the city, the city of Angels," she sang, most likely not referring to Tinley Park, Ill.