Sound Check: Janet, Michael, More
March 2, 2001 -- ACTION JACKSONS: Though her brother's album was making headlines much earlier, Janet Jackson's next album, tentatively titled All for You, will easily beat Michael's long-awaited effort to the stores. Virgin Records says it's due April 24, with a single of the same name hitting radio this month. Michael's album, meanwhile, has been pushed back from its June release, and both Santana and Prince have been named as possible guests on songs.
AS SEEN ON TV: Destiny's Child previewed the upcoming single "Survivor" — which singer Beyoncé Knowles said is inspired by the show of the same name — in a performance Wednesday night at the Soul Train Awards. The performance will be televised in syndication Saturday night. The album of the same name, meanwhile, is set to come out May 1.
O COME ALL YE: Folky singer-songwriter Marianne Faithfull is drawing on big-name support for an upcoming album, according to British music mag NME. Former head Pumpkin Billy Corgan, who will perform with her at a March charity gig, is said to be working with her, as is Beck and former Eurythmic Dave Stewart.
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PUFFY: Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs teamed with spiritual advisor Hezekiah Walker to record Thank You, a gospel LP that includes guest appearances from Carl Thomas, Mario Winans, Brian McKnight, Mary Mary, Kelly Price, and Brandy. The 15-track album is due June 5 from Bad Boy and Arista Records.
BACK IN BLACK: Country legend Johnny Cash, recently hospitalized with a recurring health problem, was released Feb. 21, the same day he won a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. He plans a quick return to the studio, according to a note from his daughter on johnnycash.com, to record a follow-up to American III: Solitary Man.
LOWDOWN ON HI-TEK: DJ Hi-Tek, who teamed with Black Star rapper Talib Kweli on last year's Reflection Eternal will release his solo debut, Hiteknology on April 17, according to Rawkus Records.
NOT QUITE NEW: A trio of albums, originally recorded in the '70s, from German eletro-rock duo Neu! will be released Stateside for the first time on May 1 through Astralwerks Records. A self-titled album, Neu! 2, and Neu! 75 are considered groundbreaking for their use of electronic instrumentation in rock.
BACK TO THE BAKERY: Quirky pop-rock act Cake, while continuing to vend T-shirts on its Web site, has also been working in a studio doing other band-related work: recording an album. The still-untitled set is tentatively due in June from Columbia Records.
FOO FOR THOUGHT: While frontman Dave Grohl continues work on death metal side project Probot (as previously Sound Checked), he's invited his band mates in the Foo Fighters to his house for more than pizza and beer. This spring the group will spend time at his home studio in Virginia, according to MTV, recording songs for a follow-up to the Grammy-winning There Is Nothing Left to Lose, aiming for a release late in the year or early next year.
COOL AS A BLOWTORCH: Female hard rock quartet Betty Blowtorch gets an assist from onetime rap superstar Vanilla Ice on the groups upcoming debut, Are You Man Enough? The punk-metal album, helmed by Monster Magnet producer Matt Hyde, is due May 15 on WEA-distributed Foodchain Records.
BALLARD'S BLISS: Alanis Morissette producer Glen Ballard, who made headlines recently for redirecting the sound of the Dave Matthews Band, also recently put together the debut album from Detroit rock act Bliss 66. Trip to the 13th is due out May 29 from Epic Records, with first single "Sooner or Later" hitting radio earlier that month.
POWERMAN'S PICKS: Halfcocked, the first signing to Powerman 5000 label Megatronic (a DreamWorks Records imprint), will release The Last Star June 12. The Boston-based hard rock act has previously released Sell Out and Occupation: Rock Star.
THEY DID: Los Angeles-based acoustic duo The Red recorded its first album, Let's Not and Say We Did, which will be released April 10 through Ozone Recording Company. Guitarist Marco Aiello and upright bassist Victor Langhaar both take vocal parts on the 14 song collection of folky rock songs.