Die-hard Aimee Mann fans knew the singer-songwriter had something in the works in addition to the acclaimed nine-song set that made up most of the Magnolia soundtrack. Bachelor #2, the long overdue follow-up to Mann's I'm With Stupid (1995), is now available online. The thirteen-track album has a three-song overlap with Magnolia, including "Deathly," Nothing Is Good Enough" and "Driving Sideways." Bachelor #2 will reach record store shelves in the near future, but in the meantime, it is available through www.aimeemann.com . . .

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY will grace the cover of the March/April issue of Modern Maturity Magazine; the magazine put out by the American Association of Retired Persons. McCartney, who turns fifty-eight in June, was chosen because he represents a new trend in boomers who are choosing to spend their golden years buzzing with activity. Hugh Delehanty, editor of the mag, which is mailed to over 20.5 million households, told reporters that most of the feedback generated by the cover has been positive. "What's going on in this country is a real shift in the way people perceive later life," said Delehanty. "Paul McCartney in his 50s hasn't rolled over and lived on a golf course" . . .

'N SYNC are ready to do whatever it takes to promote their second album, No Strings Attached, which is due out on March 21. The chart-topping boy band has revamped their Web site, www.byebyebye.com, and they also plan to work the record the old-fashioned way by deluging TV viewers with their toothsome faces. The band will appear on Total Request Live, on March 8; Saturday Night Live, on March 11; Ultra Sound, on March 11; and will wake up with the early birds on March 13 for an appearance on Good Morning America. After a week's rest, the boys will submit to a ROSIE O'DONNELL cheek tweaking on March 20; Total Request Live again, as well as Nickelodeon's All That on March 25; The View on March 27; and finally The Tonight Show on April 4 . . .

GEORGE MICHAEL and QUEEN LATIFAH have been added to the list of performers for the Equality Rocks benefit concert on April 29 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Previously announced performers include GARTH BROOKS, MELISSA ETHERIDGE, K.D. LANG and the PET SHOP BOYS. Etheridge, ELLEN DEGENERES, ANNE HECHE and MARGARET CHO, as well as many other Equality Rocks performers, will be joined by the families of hate-crime victims Matthew Shepard and James Byrd at the rally on the National Mall the following day. More performers are expected to be added . . .

BRITNEY SPEARS may not have taken home a Grammy for Best New Artist, but she does have another trick up her spandex sleeve. The teen sensation has nabbed R&B producing whiz Rodney Jenkins to record the ROLLING STONES' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" for her new album. But Spears has to wait in line; the over-booked Jenkins has been in the studio with Michael Jackson, the Spice Girls, and Whitney Houston. The teen queen has also lined up Mutt Lang (Shania Twain, Def Leppard) to work on her as-yet untitled album, due for a May release. So what's in store aside from some classic rock leanings? Spears told reporters that the disc will be "more mature sounding" than her 1998 debut, ...Baby One More Time, though that may be a dubious claim since she titled her first single "Oops! I Did It Again." You can decide for yourself when the single hits radio on March 27 . . .

SNOOP DOGG will join Q-TIP as a guest on the LUCY PEARL's track "You," from their upcoming debut album (due May 16). The R&B supergroup is composed of RAPHAEL SAADIQ (formerly of TONY! TONI! TONE!), DAWN ROBINSON (formerly of EN VOGUE) and ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD (formerly of A TRIBE CALLED QUEST) . . .

It looks as though No Limit recording artist MCKINLEY PHIPPS, aka MAC THE CAMOUFLAGE ASSASSIN, may have only lived up to half of his nickname. Phipps was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder in the Monday night shooting of nineteen-year-old Barron Victor, Jr. at Club Mercedes, in Slidell, La., where the rapper was scheduled to perform. The victim apparently tried to break up a fight when he was shot once in the chest. According to a police spokesman, twenty-two-year-old Phipps was identified by witnesses as the gunman. Phipps is being held without bail until a grand jury convenes in March. His debut album, World War III, was released in September . . .

Where did our love go? The hullabaloo about the SUPREMES putting Humpty Dumpty back together again appears to be nothing but scrambled eggs. According to the Chicago Tribune, the reunion between DIANA ROSS and the girls has been called off because "Ross and MARY WILSON are still feuding." Insiders claim that Wilson wanted $3 million to go out and tour, but Ross balked at that, reportedly saying, "If she won't take two, we'll get someone else." Like who? Lil' Kim? . . .

RONALD ISLEY's assets, which included a music catalog featuring "Twist and Shout," "It's Your Thing" and "Who's That Lady?" was bought for $4.8 million by the Pullman Group on Feb. 23. Federal bankruptcy Judge Kathleen March rejected an offer for the catalog made by MICHAEL BOLTON, who lost a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by Isley in 1994. Isley claimed that Bolton's 1991 hit "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" lifted parts of an Isley Brothers song of the same name . . .

BRYAN FERRY told Rolling Stone.com last fall that he had been consorting with his old ROXY MUSIC compatriot BRIAN ENO for his forthcoming solo album, and it looks like the sophisticated duo has recruited a pair of new collaborators. RADIOHEAD guitarist JONNY GREENWOOD and EURYTHMICS' DAVE STEWART have singed up to appear on the disc, which is due to be released later this year . . .

MARK LANEGAN, STEVE EARLE, TOM WAITS, L7 and the SUPERSUCKERS are among those lined up to appear on a benefit compilation by Aces & Eights, a new imprint on Koch records co-founded by Suckers frontman EDDIE "SPAGHETTI" DALY. The untitled album is being assembled to raise money and awareness for "The Memphis Three"; three youths who were convicted of the 1993 slaying of three eight-year-old boys. The controversial trial of the teens was brought to public attention four years ago in the documentary Paradise Lost. Daly hopes to move quickly in adding bands to the Aces & Eights roster. "We have the best of both worlds," he says of the Koch partnership. "We get to sign acts knowing there will be money to support them" . . .

GERI HALLIWELL's defection from the SPICE GIRLS two years ago is still causing ripples. The girl band lost an estimated $1.6 million Wednesday in their court battle with Aprilia SpA, an Italian motorcycle firm who sponsored their 1998 tour. Aprilia complained that its ad campaign for the Spice Sonic Scooter was a "total marketing flop" when Geri Halliwell left the group; the company claimed the group knew Halliwell was planning her escape when they signed the contract to endorse the scooters. The contract stipulated that the Spice Girls were to be available for TV and cinema commercials, as well as photo shoots for the scooter until March 1999. The Spice Girls Ltd. will now have to pay more than $640,000 plus interest to Aprilia along with court costs . . .

Two months after the SMASHING PUMPKINS were unceremoniously and publicly dropped by manager SHARON OSBOURNE, BILLY CORGAN and his band filed have reportedly filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Osbourne and her Beverly Hills, CA based management company. The suit, filed Feb. 22 in California Superior Court in Los Angeles, claims that Osbourne "reneged without notice or any warning" on the Pumpkins agreement with her dated October 4, 1999, calling her withdrawal "a calculated vindictive attempt to damage the group both emotionally and professionally." Adding insult to injury, according to the Hollywood Reporter, the group asserts that their erstwhile manager convinced their tour accountant to walk out on the band before their European promo tour, and that she has refused to return the $150,000 advance the band gave her. At press time, no comment was available from representatives for either the Pumpkins or Osbourne...

At his New York criminal court arraignment on Tuesday, rapper JAY-Z, born Shawn Carter, pled not guilty to assault charges stemming from the Dec. 1 stabbing of record executive LANCE "UN" RIVERA. Rivera was granted an Order of Protection against the rapper, who is due back in court on March 29...

In an event reserved solely for ax-philes, the winners of the annual ORVILLE H. GIBSON AWARDS were announced Tuesday at the Hard Rock CafT in Los Angeles. JEFF BECK and CHRISSIE HYNDE were the winners of the Best Male and Female Rock Guitarist Awards, respectively. LYLE LOVETT upset favorite DAVE MATTHEWS for the Best Male Acoustic Guitarist and SHERYL CROW took home the award for Best Female Acoustic Guitarist. AIMEE MANN received a nod for Best Female Bassist, while LIMP BIZKITS's SAM RIVERS won the male counterpart of the award. And classical guitarist CHRISTOPHER PARKENING continued his reign of Gibson award terror by defeating MICHAEL LAUCKE, the only other nominee for Best Male Classical Guitarist. Former Police-man ANDY SUMMERS received the 2000 Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award. The Gibson award nominees are chosen by a panel of editors from guitar magazines, with the winners determined by music critics from around the country...

The engagement ring that SID VICIOUS gave to Nancy Spungen is on the auction block this week. Fraser, a London auctioneer, is including the battered ring in a sale of entertainment-based memorabilia. The bidding starts at 1,500 pounds and Fraser experts believe bidding could reach as high as 15,000 pounds ($24,120). All bids on the item must be received by Thursday...

Dog-lovin' rapper DMX will make a brief appearance in the martial arts action flick Romeo Must Die, due out on Mar. 24. Not only will his mug show-up on the screen, but his voice will be heard, along with those of a slew of other hip-hop and R&B acts, on the film's soundtrack, to be released by Virgin Records imprint Blackground Records, on Mar. 21. On Romeo Must Die: The Album, DMX duets with R&B diva Aaliyah, who also makes her feature film acting debut in Romeo. Other artists contributing tracks include Cash Money's BG, Destiny's Child, Ginuwine, Mack 10, Timbaland & Magoo, and more...

Speaking of soundtracks, the sequel to the 1981 animated cult classic Heavy Metal, cleverly titled Heavy Metal2000, may or may not open in theaters this summer, but the soundtrack is ready to kick your ass. INSANE CLOWN POSSE, MONSTER MAGNET, PANTERA, MDFMK (the new moniker for KMFDM), and more, have contributed new or previously unavailable material. BILLY IDOL, who voices one of the characters in the film, and BAUHAUS both recorded new material for the album. The eighteen-track double-CD, due out Apr. 18, will come in a limited edition form featuring a CD-ROM, PC game demos, a comic book version of the movie and the film's trailer...

After missing a number of concert dates last year following a stroke, RICK JAMES is geared up for a busy 2000. According to the funkster's management, he has recorded a double album's worth of material and should have a home for the album in the very near future. "We're in negotiations right now and things look very good," manager Kerry Gordy said of James latest recording. Though James recorded two discs worth of material (the discs represent "the soft side and the hard side of Rick James"), Gordy says the logistics of finding a label might mean the recordings will be condensed into a single album. James is also gearing up for a full-fledged tour, his first in years. He recently played a House of Blues gig with former protTgT Teena Marie, and is trying to line up a full list of shows for the summer. "Rick's better now. He doesn't want to do a half tour," Gordy says. "He wants to be on the road for a year."...

Since only a lucky few will make it to PETE TOWNSHEND's performances of songs from his Lifehouse Chronicles box set later this week, Web site MCY.com has arranged to share it with the rest of us. The shows themselves will be held on Friday, Feb. 25 and Saturday, Feb. 26, and MCY.com will webcast one of the gigs sometime during the next couple months. They haven't yet determined an air-date, but you can check in with their site for further information.

ANDREW DANSBY, CHRISTINA SARACENO, JAAN UHELSZKI
(February 25, 2000)