July 23, 2003 – Skim the piano woman's universe of influences, from pivotalbooks to the albums that taught her about darkness Be careful what you wish for. When we asked Tori Amos to compile a list of the records that have inspired her music, shebrought us a 100-pound carton of stuff handpicked from her archives. Not just music, either--among the goods was an 1893 geographicalsurvey of the Rocky Mountains that helped map her latest record, Scarlet's Walk, a knotty travelogue born of her post-9/11 cross-countrytravels. But don't expect the master keys to Tori's House of Mystery. "I'd almost release my gynecological records before I'd spill thebeans on my deepest influences," she says, curled up on the floor of a Manhattan hotel suite. "Everything here matters, but if you asked metomorrow, I'd give you different things." Fair enough.

July 23, 2003 – Dot AllisonWe Are Science(Mantra/Beggars) We Are Science is the sophomore release for Dot Allison, the former lead singer of the early 90s techno-pop band One Dove, but at times it seems like more of a debut. Written over a two-year period, the lack of coherence on Science is unsettling; although the album has some solid moments, wide variations in vocal range and tempo make it choppy in places. To make matters worse, the majority of Allison's tracks are based on formulaic drum-machine patterns that are heavy and troubling, foggy clouds of noise that obscure Allison's timid vocals. But the bland electronic rhythms that Allison relies on for too much of the album occasionally give way to guitar riffs, and inthe process reveal her real skill as a singer and songwriter.

July 23, 2003 – Where they're from:Robertsfors, a small town in northern Sweden What they sound like:Sleater-Kinney (minus the angst) busting the Runaways out of juvie and peeling off in a 1974 Camaro Z28 Are they foxy?Hell, yeah--just check out the fan forum on their website, which overflows with marriage proposals and querieslike "Ever date a fan before?" Album to pick up while you're shoplifting beer:Jennie Bomb, their girl-gang-chic U.S. debut, featuring such evocatively titledpunk-rock ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bombs as "Alright Alright (Here's My Fist, Where's the Fight?)" and "Only the Fakes Survive" Why they'll win converts in America (but won't be invited to perform for the Queen):"I hate England," bassist Johanna Asplundsays. "It's crappy in every way.

July 23, 2003 – By: Tim KenneallyDistillers frontwoman Brody Armstrong has a punk-rock-luminaryhusband, a history of drug abuse, and a honey-on-gravel rasp that'seerily reminiscent of a certain grunge diva. Still, any comparisonsto Ms. Love are curtly dismissed. "Courtney who?" theAustralia-bred Los Angeles resident scoffs. "A lot of artists haveinspired me: Wendy O. Williams, Poly Styrene, definitely DebbieHarry, and Siouxsie Sioux." Hawking up a sonic gob at mall moshers on their second album, Sing Sing Death House, the band conjures the spirit of '77 with razor-bladeriffery while Armstrong shouts about urban blight, school shootings, and her troubled youth (mom tossed out her violent dad; Armstrongleft home in her teens). Female empowerment is a recurring theme, though Armstrong denies playing the grrrl card.

July 23, 2003 – The first five minutes of The Rules of Attraction, ablissfully unrepentant look at collegiate hedonism from PulpFiction screenwriter Roger Avary, are a barrage of twistedenergy: James Van Der Beek is dealing drugs and seducing nubilefreshmen; Jessica Biel is downing Jack Daniel's and taking on anentire football team; and a gorgeous loser played by ShannynSossamon is getting raped and vomited on by a townie while anaccomplice videotapes it all.

July 23, 2003 – By: Jon DolanRadicalizing Metal One Head at a Time No one associates Ozzfest with political activism--unless you count fighting for your rightful place in the line foroverpriced bottled water. This year, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and System of a Down's Serj Tankian tried to change that.Their "Axis of Justice" center at each Ozzfest 2002 tour stop offered information on such issues as racism, human rights, globalization,and corporate crime. As the tour wound down, Morello and Tankian talked to Spin about "Axis" and rock politics in a post-9/11 world. Spin: Why do you think hard-rock fans are pigeonholed as apolitical? Serj Tankian: I think it has to do with the music being a bit more aggressive and people thinking that kids who participate inthis type of music are not thinking about justice or nonviolence in any way. But that's absolutely not true.

July 23, 2003 – By: Chris ZieglerThis Weezer show was a study in spirited schizophrenia, fitting fora band whose leader, Rivers Cuomo, loves to sing about personalitycrises. The set was heavy on Weezer tunes most likely to be foundon mix tapes (but where were "In the Garage" and "Pink Triangle"?),with Cuomo playing geek one song and guitar god the next. A blazing"Tired of Sex" blew away a meandering "Burndt Jamb" with a welcomewave of feedback; a snarly and raw "Hash Pipe" crashed into adeliberate and dignified "Only in Dreams," like the beefyjock-rockers probably ran over a shy Cuomo in some high schoolhallway long ago. But Cuomo doesn't want to be the guy who looksjust like Buddy Holly anymore. Tonight, his dapper suit and tie puthim a lot closer to Elvis Costello, and his gawky earnestness wasall Jonathan Richman.

July 23, 2003 – By: Chris NorrisAndrew Schuster is a very good worker: responsible, efficient,attentive to detail. He even does well on surprise job tests. Hegot one about three years ago, when he was patting down patrons atSt. Andrew's Hall, a storied Detroit nightclub that is surroundedby possibly the worst slums in America. The club hosts some of thecountry's more thug-oriented hip-hop nights and mosh-intensive rocknights. Weapons checks are, shall we say, an important part of theprocess. Staffers rely on frisking rather than metal detectors,which miss plastic shivs, fiberglass knuckles, and other popularaccessories. "I mean, you don't cup their junk or anything," Schuster says of crotch detail. "You just kinda put your forearm up there." This night, he felt a telltale rigidness--"The guy had jocked his gun." So Schuster responded accordingly: He punched the guy inthe face.

July 23, 2003 – By: Kate SullivanThey're every mother's nightmare, every schoolboy's dream. Butdon't call the Donnas punks, and don't mistake them for a gimmickband. After seven years of honing their chops, they just might bethe coolest band in America "I think we should be on the Anger Management Tour, 'cause we have a lot of anger to manage," Torry Castellano says, giggling. Castellano, thedrummer for the Donnas, is wearing excellent lip gloss and speaks in a candy-girly voice. Today, she and her bandmates are doing what they always do: driving aroundSan Francisco, looking for trouble. Anger management takes many forms for Castellano (a.k.a.

July 23, 2003 – By: Alex PappademasDave Grohl and his Foo Fighting clan have battled drugs,depression, and the hurricane that is Courtney Love. But could allthis torment somehow make One by One their ultimate sonicachievement? America's most famous ex-drummer candidly discussesthe future of the Foo When in Los Angeles, Dave Grohl and his girlfriend, Jordan Blum, stay in a rented house in Studio City, formerly occupied by goth pinup RoseMcGowan. For a place where Marilyn Manson may very well have slept, it's remarkably bright and cheery, and for a rock star's pied-à-terre, it's spotless--Grohl,33, is apparently a real hot dog with the Lemon Pledge and the vacuum when journalists aren't around. On the fridge: a Polaroid of Grohl holding a pair of Queen guitarist Brian May's underwear (long story), and some Magnetic Poetry ("Thou shalt marry rank peevishvixen").