Rock News: Music's high and low notes

CHICKS GRILLED BY HATE MAIL

The New York Post reports the Dixie Chicks are upset by hate mail and threats from right-wingers who are agitated by Natalie Maines' observations about the invasion of Iraq. Page Six reports the group members believe they're in danger of bodily harm.

"We've gotten a lot of hate mail, a lot of threatening mail," Chick Martie Maguire told Australian radio Saturday after a gig in Sydney. "Emily (Robison) had the front gate of her ranch smashed in. We have to have security when we get back to the States. It puts my well-being in jeopardy."

Maines said she's still shocked at the reaction, the Post reports. "What is wrong with the world when what the Dixie Chicks say is more important than the war? Why does anyone care what we think?" she asked.

The backlash has left Maguire with "a combination of emotions. Either I want to speak out more or I'm scared to say anything."

MTV OKS ANTI-WAR VIDEO

MTV took issue with a New York Post report the music video station was banning anti-war videos. President Van Toffler told the Post MTV is not censoring anti-war videos.

"It was not made into policy and not adhered to in any way," he told Page Six. "We would never want to leave anyone with the impression what we are censorious as opposed to being sensitive," Toffler said. "We've taken pride in representing all sides of the issue, even if certain viewpoints are unpopular."

The Post's report the Michael Moore-directed video of System of a Down's "Boom!" was banned by MTV rival Much Music turns out to be false. MTV is also airing the video, which documents the band at various peace demonstrations.

AARON NEVILLE IN HALL OF FAME

Legendary New Orleans singer Aaron Neville will be inducted into the Delta Music Museum and Hall of Fame in Ferriday, La., Saturday. Neville will have an exhibit of photographs and memorabilia in place within the museum, and will be presented with a star on the Walk of Fame outside. Neville is on tour with his quintet in support of his gospel album "Believe" (Tell It/EMI Gospel). The museum, which is run by the State of Louisiana, opened in Ferriday in 2002 and inducted four people from its hometown in its first Hall of Fame class -- Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley, Jimmy Swaggart and jazz musician Pee Wee Whittaker. Neville will be the first New Orleanian invited into

the Hall of Fame, and others inducted will be country music legend Conway Twitty and former Louisiana governor and entertainer Jimmie Davis. The first induction festival drew an audience of 15,000, and an even larger audience is expected this year.

LINKIN PARK ON SPIN COVER

Linkin Park members are more than the eight-times platinum "nice guys" of nü metal, according to the cover story in the May issue of Spin magazine. In a genre known for gratuitous nastiness, Linkin Park is an exception, the band you'd trust to escort your sister to a movie, except it probably would stand her up to log some extra studio time. The band's new album, "Meteora," which went on sale March 25, sold over 810,000 copies its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The six guys who make up Linkin Park began hammering out "Meteora" during Ozzfest 2001. After shows, they'd lay down riffs and melodies and half-finished songs on the Pro Tools digital recording rigs they carry with them. Back home, they started arranging and rearranging, re-recording, micromanaging. Even the lyrics, which co-frontmen Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda write together, usually after the music is finished, are put to the test.

Linkin Park would rather talk about how the songs resonate with fans, the people who come to the meet-and-greets and pass them long letters about how the band's 2000 debut, "Hybrid Theory," kept them from running away from home -- kids who don't just dig the songs but really rely on them.

"That's why it's hard to talk about the songs and just say, 'This is what it's about'," Bennington said. "Because there are all these different things that can trigger the same emotions, getting kicked out of school, having your parents get divorced, or losing a boyfriend. All of these things can trigger anger, depression, aggression, self-doubt."

INSTRUMENTS A COMIN'

Tipitina's Uptown, at 501 Napoleon Ave., will host the 2nd annual "Instruments A Comin'" Monday, April 28, to benefit the Carter G. Woodson Learning Academy and the McMain Secondary School in New Orleans. The all-star benefit concert will include a multi-media outdoor festival on Napoleon Avenue with the Lil Stooges and Hot 8 brass bands, Big Chief Peppy and the Golden Arrows Mardi Gras Indians, artist S.J. Gray, a painting demonstration by J. Pierre, photography exhibitions by Michael P. Smith, Bob Compton, Earl Perry, Jenny Bagert, Zack Smith, food by Dunbar's Creole Cooking and a performance by the recipients of last year's "Instruments A Comin'" benefit, the Joseph S. Clark and Booker T. Washington high school bands.

Original Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli, and R&B legend Walter "Wolfman" Washington will be inducted into the Tipitina's Walk of Fame. The all-star benefit show features The Founder's Band: George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville, Cyril Neville, Stanton Moore, June Yamagishi, and The Dirty Dozen Horns. Also featured are Dr. John, The Radiators, Galactic, Tip's Allstars -- Leo Nocentelli, "Mean" Willie Green, Tony Hall, and Ben Ellman -- Walter "Wolfman" Washington and The Roadmasters, Fred Leblanc, Marva Wright, Anders Osborne/Henry Butler, Tab Benoit/Monk Boudreaux/Brian Stoltz, Cyril Neville and The Uptown Allstars, Rebirth and Lil Rascals.