Rock News: Music's high and low notes

LISA LOEB SAYS HELLO KITTY

Lisa Loeb made an unusual appearance last weekend in New York accompanied by Hello Kitty to perform songs from her new album, "Hello Lisa," out on Artemis Records. "Hello Lisa," features 11 songs (as well as a hidden bonus track) all written or co-written by Loeb, including the single "Underdog." The album's cover art depicts Lisa and the famous Hello Kitty character wearing Lisa's trademark glasses. A longtime Hello Kitty fan, Lisa Loeb teamed up with Sanrio, the company that owns the Hello Kitty franchise, for the creation of the album cover.

"We're really excited to be working with Lisa on this project," said Sanrio Marketing Director Bill Hensley. "She's an incredible artist and an incredible Hello Kitty fan. The pairing seems very natural."

Loeb currently is on tour in support of "Hello Lisa" with the Goo Goo Dolls and headlining select solo shows.

BILLY JOE SHAVER'S 'FREEDOM'S CHILD'

Singer-songwriter Billy Joe Shaver's new record, "Freedom's Child," comes out today on the Houston-based Compadre Records. The album is Shaver's first without his son Eddy since 1987's "Salt of the Earth." Recorded in less than two weeks in early September, the disc marks a reunion with storied roots-rock maverick R.S. Field -- who also produced Shaver's stunning "Tramp On Your Street" in 1993 -- and underpins the songwriter's unmistakable rough-hewn vocals with an eclectic band made up of guitarists Will Kimbrough and Jamie Hartford, bassist Dave Roe, drummer Jimmy Lester, keyboardist Steve Conn, multi-instrumentalist Chris Carmichael and Paco Shipp on harmonica.

The 63-year-old Shaver is regarded as one of America's greatest songwriters, a status confirmed when Shaver was named the inaugural recipient of the Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting at the AMA's first annual Americana Awards show Sept. 14.

ROB ZOMBIE AND DROWNING POOL

Drowning Pool releases a new DVD, "Sinema," today just as frontman Dave Williams announces his decision to leave the group. The remaining members of the band have recorded a song with Rob Zombie on vocals for release on the "Daredevil" soundtrack. The composition tentatively is titled "The Man Without Fear." The soundtrack will be released on Wind-up records in February. The complete track listing will be forthcoming at a later date. Meanwhile the band will continue the search for a fourth member to replace Williams.

MASSIVE ATTACK PLANNED

Massive Attack announced details of "100th Window," the band's first new album since 1998's "Mezzanine." Scheduled for release in the United Kingdom this February, the 10-track release features vocal contributions from Damon Albarn, Sinead O'Connor and Horace Andy. The band's Robert "3-D" Del Naja, who recorded most of the album alone, also says he already has begun work on the new record's follow-up, which likely will feature collaborations with Tom Waits and Mos Def.

PAUL WELLER'S 'ILLUMINATION'

Paul Weller's "Illumination" album, a huge hit in the United Kingdom, is scheduled for release in the United States Jan. 14 on Yep Roc Records. The album, which debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. top albums chart in September, is the songwriter's first stateside studio album since 1997. Weller is planning a U.S. tour to promote the album in February. The American release will be an expanded version that includes several U.K. b-sides and a bonus DVD with videos for the first two singles in the United Kingdom ("It's Written In The Stars" and "Leafy Mysteries") and five live songs (videos) from a concert in London's 22,000-person capacity Hyde Park in July 2002.