Rock News: Music's high and low notes

PEARL JAM LIVE

Pearl Jam says the band will release an official bootleg of each show on the 2003 "Riot Act" world tour. Each bootleg will be a limited edition, double-disc CD set. Unlike the 2000 bootleg series, the 2003 bootlegs will not be available in stores.

Currently, the band plans to make them available only at the following URL addresses: pearljam.com, tenclub.net, and pearljambootlegs.com.

Bootlegs will be sold for $12.98 to Ten Club Members and for $14.98 to non-Ten Club members. Those who order an official bootleg prior to the show-date can expect it to be shipped within two to three days. Rush shipment options will be available. Also, anyone who orders an official bootleg will be able to download, at no additional cost, an mp3 of that show within hours of the show's real-time completion. The U.S. tour kicks off April 1 in Denver and runs to July 9 in New York.

AFRO CELTS BACK WITH "SEED"

The Afro Celts have a fourth album, "Seed" (Real World) set for release March 25. "Seed" follows the Grammy-nominated "Volume 3: Further in Time," released in 2001 when the group was still known as Afro Celt Sound System. As the revised group name suggests, "Seed" marks a new chapter for the group. The arrangements employ more acoustic instruments along with the world music and electronic elements for which the band is known. The album was recorded at the Britannia Row Studio in Islington, London, famous for its association with Pink Floyd. Though the core of the group remains -- Simon Emmerson (guitars), James McNally (keyboards, piano, bodhran, bamboo flute), Iarla O'Lionaird (vocals), Martin Russell (keyboards, programing), N'Faly Kouyate (vocals, kora, balafon), Myrdhin (harp), Johnny Kalsi (dhol drum, tabla), Mass (drum programing) and Emer Mayock (uilleann pipes) -- the Afro Celts enlisted a group of international musicians on the album, including Jesse Cook, Jah Wobble and Eileen Ivers.

RONNIE EARL GOES ON

Blues guitar great Ronnie Earl debuts for Canada's Stony Plain records March 18 with "I Feel Like Goin' On." One of the finest guitarists of his generation, Earl is at the top of his game on the new release, 74 minutes of pure, intense and soulful blues (almost all instrumental with the exception of a single vocal from Boston's Silver Leaf Gospel Singers on "Mary Don't You Weep.") Earl's music straddles the line between blues and jazz, with touches of soul and

rock. Joining Earl on the album are Dave Limina on keyboards, Jimmy Mouradian on bass and Lorne Entress on drums. Guitarist Jose Alverez makes a special guest appearance on second guitar on "Howlin' For My Darlin'." The album, produced by Earl at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Mass., was recorded live in the studio -- all first takes with one guitar

and one amp. Earl has called it his favorite studio recording of the dozen-odd CDs he's released since leaving Roomful of Blues in the late '80s.

JUSTIN IN ENGLAND

Former N'Sync heartthrob Justin Timberlake joined Oklahoma's The Flaming Lips in England last week during the band's performance on the long-running weekly hit parade TV show "Top of the Pops." British rock paper NME reports Timberlake met up with The Flaming Lips during the week preceding the show when both turned up for interviews at London's Radio One. The Lips asked Timberlake if he would play bass on the title track from the band's new album "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots." No word on Timberlake using the occasion to reiterate his undying love for Britney Spears.

DIY CONVENTION NAMES KEYNOTES

The 2003 DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music and Books will have Vagrant Records co-founders Rich Egan and Jon Cohen as the morning keynotes for the Saturday, Feb. 8, event, to be held at the American Film Institute in Hollywood. The DIY Convention is a series of panels and workshops focused on teaching musicians, filmmakers, authors and entrepreneurs how to create, promote, protect and distribute independent film, music and books. The convention is part of a three-day package of events that includes the DIY Film Festival and DIY Music Festival.

Vagrant Records is a Los Angeles-based label that serves as home to some of the hottest artists in music, including Dashboard Confessional, Saves The Day, Paul Westerberg, The Get Up Kids, Alkaline Trio and other cutting-edge acts. The label recently added to its clout by forming Vagrant Entertainment, a creative, production and development company serving the advertising and entertainment industries. With "multiple revenue streams" the buzz word in entertainment circles, Egan and Cohen promise to be timely and provocative. Registration for the DIY Convention, which includes admission to the DIY Film Festival and DIY Music Festival, is available online at diyconvention.com.