Rock News: Music's high and low notes

THERE'S A ROACH IN THAT PEPSI

Hard rockers Papa Roach hope Pepsi will jolt the band's new single with a joint promotion. The group sings "Time And Time Again" in an upcoming television commercial for Pepsi-Cola North America's new berry/cola fusion, Pepsi Blue. The commercial is being directed by Samuel Bayer, whose claim to fame is Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video. Papa Roach and Bayer filmed the commercial and the music video for the tune last week in Los Angeles.

"Time And Time Again" is due to be released to radio Sept. 10. The Pepsi Blue spot starts airing Sept. 16 and MTV is expected to start playing the clip in September.

"This whole thing has been really cool," said Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix. "We've been fans of Sam Bayer for a long time, ever since he did those Nirvana videos. And the people at Pepsi have been great about letting us do what we want on the creative end. We're really proud of 'Time And Time Again' and we want as many people as possible to hear it."

DreamWorks Records principal executive Michael Ostin added: "We think these kinds of commercial and creative relationships are the wave of the future and we're thrilled to be involved in this one."

LAURA CANTRELL ON ELVIS COSTELLO TOUR

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Laura Cantrell will release her much-anticipated second album Sept. 24, followed by her first-ever U.S. tour opening for Elvis Costello. The Brooklyn-based singer will open 17 dates for Elvis Costello on his fall U.S. tour in support of "When the Roses Bloom Again."

Costello has been a fan of Cantrell's since hearing her first album, "Not the Tremblin' Kind," and personally invited her to open for him after hearing an advance copy of "When the Roses Bloom Again." Cantrell also is scheduled to record her third Peel Session at the British Broadcasting Corp.'s Maida Vale studios in London in October, and will return to the United Kingdom in December to open six shows for Teenage Fanclub and perform several headlining gigs, including the Borderline in London.

The title track of "When the Roses Bloom Again" is a cover of an out-take from the Wilco/Billy Bragg collaboration "Mermaid Avenue," that was dropped from the album of Woody Guthrie-penned lyrics when it was discovered the song actually was copyrighted by A.P. Carter. The album also includes songs written by Amy Rigby, Joe Flood, Dave Schramm (of the Schramms) and four Cantrell originals. Cantrell is the "proprietress" of the long-running "Radio Thrift Shop" on free-form radio station WFMU -- wfmu.org -- which is broadcast every Saturday afternoon and is archived at LauraCantrell.com.

MUSIC FANS TO PROTEST R.A.V.E. ACT

A coalition of pop music community members is protesting the R.A.V.E act now being considered by the U.S. Senate. The Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act, S.2633, would expand the federal "crackhouse" statute to allow water bottles, Glowsticks and chill out rooms to be classified as "drug promotion." Business people, promoters, venue owners and even homeowners will be liable for any drugs used on their premises under the act.

Protests are scheduled for Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York on Sept. 6.

The Los Angeles demonstration is for the Westwood Federal Building on Wilshire Blvd. Members of the L.A. and international DJ community, including Doc Martin, Richard Humpty Vission, Garth Trinidad, Colette, Curious, Daniel, Kid Dragon, Freddy B and others will host.

The R.A.V.E. Act was introduced in the Senate June 18 and passed the Senate Judiciary Committee a week later, without a public hearing or recorded vote. It was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar and could come up for a full Senate vote in September. A number of organizations, including civil liberties groups, business associations, and groups associated with the rave community, are working to defeat it or amend it to better protect innocent business owners, free speech and public health.

The R.A.V.E. Act would allow federal prosecutors to target other events, such as Rock or Hip Hop concerts, country music events, and world music festivals. It could apply to hotel and motel owners, cruise ship operators, stadium owners, landlords, real estate managers and event promoters.

NEIL YOUNG KNOCKS THE RUST OFF

"Rust Never Sleeps," the 116-minute concert film based on material from the Neil Young album of the same name, is being re-released Sept. 24 on DVD by Sanctuary records. "Rust Never Sleeps" -- directed by Young under the pseudonym Bernard Shakey -- earned a limited theatrical release and also was available briefly on home video. The DVD includes such bonus items as the original theatrical trailer and never-before-published photos from the "Rust Never Sleeps" tour. The sound is remastered for three options: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound.

The concert was filmed Oct. 22, 1978, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. In 1997, Rolling Stone named this concert as one of the Top 10 Live Shows in the history of rock 'n' roll. The songs include a blend of solo acoustic numbers and ferocious electric rave-ups with Crazy Horse -- guitarist Frank "Poncho" Sampedro, bass guitarist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina.

The "Rust Never Sleeps" set list comprised songs from the album as well as many of Young's greatest hits: "Sugar Mountain," "I Am a Child," "Comes a Time," "After the Gold Rush," "Thrasher," "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)," "When You Dance I Can Really Love," "The Loner," "Welfare Mothers," "The Needle and the Damage Done," "Lotta Love," "Sedan Delivery," "Powderfinger," "Cortez the Killer," "Cinnamon Girl," "Like a Hurricane," "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" and "Tonight's the Night."

MCCLINTON, COPELAND HEAD FLORIDA BLUES BASH

Delbert McClinton, Shemekia Copeland, Jeff Healy, Lucky Peterson, Colin James and Sonny Landreth are among the names scheduled to appear at the Fort Lauderdale Blues Festival in Florida Nov. 1-3. The show also will feature Ronnie Baker Brooks, Paul Reddick and The Sidemen, Richard Johnston, Anthony Gomes, Chef Chris and The Nairobi Trio, E.G. Kight, Eric Sardinas, Albert Castiglia, Damon Fowler, Prestage and Hawkins and Robert Belfour. Check for updates at floridastuff.com/events/bluesfest.html