Rock News: Music's high and low notes

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM PROFESSOR AND MARYANN

Professor and Maryann have released a new holiday single entitled "Ten Tubas" from their forthcoming record, "Runaway Favorite," due out in February. The single shipped to radio stations earlier this week only will be available for purchase through their Web site, professorandmaryann.com. All proceeds will go to The Foundation for Small Voices annual toy drive, which delivers gifts to children in hospitals, orphanages and shelters during the holiday season. FSV is a New York City-based non-profit organization dedicated to creating music with and for children that crosses cultural, ideological and generational boundaries.

CHESNEY SELLS OUT

Kenny Chesney's New Year's Eve show at Nashville's Gaylord Arena sold out in less than a week.

"Seems like every time I get a call down in the islands lately, I think it's a joke," said Chesney. "We'd been snorkeling when a friend I was staying with said to call my manager, because I'd sold out the New Year's Eve show... I started swimming back out, but he practically pulled me out of the water."

Sell-out shows aren't anything out of the ordinary for Chesney, who grossed more than $24 million and played to more than 1.8 million fans on his "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems Tour."

"We've tried to make our concerts about forgetting your problems and having a good time," Chesney said. "I tell the crowd every night, 'When you come in here, you leave your problems -- out there!' I want people to have fun, to sing along, have a party whether they're drinking or not, on a date or with a bunch of their friends. That's what makes me want to come see a show -- and that's what I want to give my fans!"

Joining Chesney for the year-ending blow-out are roadhouse refugees Montgomery Gentry and sinewy rocker Keith Urban.

"I'd love it if when people thought of me, they'd think of one of those parties where everybody has a good time," Chesney explained. "After having such a great time last year, I spent a lot of time trying to figure how to make this year's show even better... Lots of energy, wanting to make it fun -- those were the things I was looking for. With both Montgomery Gentry and Keith, I got it in the giant economy size."

INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW

International Pop Overthrow, a two-week festival of pop bands from around the world, returned to New York this week, where it will run through Dec. 14. Named as a tribute to Chicago pop band Material Issue, IPO showcases usually feature eight bands each performing a 20-minute set. New York-area venues working with IPO include Arlene's Grocery, Luna Lounge, Maxwell's in Hoboken, The Knitting Factory and Southpaw in Brooklyn. This year's festival features Mayflies USA, The Bigger Lovers, The Drowners, The Rosenbergs, Helicopter Helicopter, The Kennedys, Copperpot and the Dipsomaniacs.

FISCHERSPOONER SETS DEBUT ALBUM

New York City duo Fischerspooner will release their debut album, "No. 1," in the United States Feb. 25, 2003, with bonus remixes and videos, as well as a groundbreaking full-length DVD featuring the group's self-produced film work, music videos, live footage, documentary, projections and "surprises." Musician/filmmaker Warren Fischer and lyricist/performer Casey Spooner made their debut as Fischerspooner in an East Village Starbucks, playing one song and quickly drawing the attention of tastemakers in the city's music, art and fashion scenes. As their performances got bigger and bolder, Fischerspooner's supporting cast grew to include scores of dancers, singers, artists, filmmakers, choreographers and designers. Fans clamored to find the limited edition, eight-song CD (included on "No. 1"). The album features a diverse palette of synth-driven songs including "The 15th," a melancholy take on the post-punk-era Wire classic; "Turn On," a sexy romp partially inspired by the explorers Lewis and Clark; and, "Tone Poem," a minimal electronic ballad written around lyrics Casey found handwritten inside the cover of an 1895 physics textbook.

RHINO BANGS A GONG

Rhino records has scheduled the re-release of an expanded and remastered version of the T. Rex classic "Electric Warrior." The CD includes a slew of rare and previously unreleased tracks, including an interview with T. Rex leader Marc Bolan. One of the most important records of the glam-rock era, "Electric Warrior" was originally released in 1971. Produced by Tony Visconti, the original album showcases Bolan's sultry tenor on tracks like "Jeepster," "Mambo Sun," "Cosmic Dancer," "Planet Queen," and "Bang A Gong (Get It On)." In addition to the original 11 tracks (completely remastered for the first time), Rhino's reissue features five rare tracks -- "Hot Love," "King Of The Mountain Cometh," "Woodland Rock," "There Was A Time," and "Raw Ramp" -- and one previously unreleased track, an acoustic version of "Planet Queen." The five rarities originally were released as singles and B-sides around the same time as "Electric Warrior." The disc also includes an interview about the album with Bolan, previously available only on a promotional LP.