The Beat

ATLANTIC CROSSING: Goo Goo Dolls' Johnny Rzeznik is making his production debut with the first album from Dallas singer/songwriter Ryan Cabrera. "Ryan and I were writing songs for the record, and then I was asked if I would co-produce it [with him]. What am I going to say? 'No'?" Rzeznik says.

Although he had never thought about producing, he's enjoying the process tremendously. "It's really exciting, because I have to be a grown-up. You have to worry about the budget, picking the right musicians, and it's fun."

Rzeznik has a tight deadline: "I have to have the entire album mixed and mastered by July 5," he says. "Then we'll go back on the road with Bon Jovi, and then we'll start working on the next record for us."

Cabrera's album will be on a new Atlantic imprint that is still being formed, according to sources. Cabrera, who is managed by Joe Simpson, has inked a publishing deal with EMI Music Publishing.



LIFE AFTER WARTIME: Following settlements in Incubus' lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and SME's countersuit (Billboard, April 26), the Immortal/Epic Records band is working on the follow-up to its double-platinum 2001 album, Morning View.

"We love Sony; they're our friends now," Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger jokes. "I'm pretty happy that I get to play music and not have to worry about all kinds of really evil, horrible things like [the lawsuit]." Einziger says the band has written 15 songs for the project and aims to return to the studio after its summer dates on Lollapalooza.

The new record, which is being produced by Brendan O'Brien, will "probably be very shocking to some people," Einziger predicts. "I guess you could compare it to some of our older records that we've made. The spirit and exploratory nature of those records is sort of indicative of what our new material is going to sound like."



ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE: Courtney Love is in final negotiations to sign a worldwide deal with Virgin Records. Love, who has been collaborating on a new project with songwriter/producer Linda Perry, had previously been on Interscope/Geffen/A&M. She and the label had countersued each other for breach of contract, which resulted in her being released from the label. Love is managed by Dave Lory of Worldwide Entertainment Group.



SIGNINGS: New York band Stellastarr* has signed with RCA Records. The label's VP of A&R, Brian Malouf, brought in the act, which is managed by Jonathan Kaplan. The group's label debut, produced by Tim O'Heir, will arrive in late summer/early fall . . . Island Records has signed singer/songwriter Marc Broussard. Broussard will enter the studio at the end of the year. Fellow Universal Music Group label Lost Highway is expected to also be involved in Broussard's development. He is represented by Brick Wall Management. Attorney Reid Hunter negotiated the deal.



STUFF: Citing slow ticket sales, the All Tomorrow's Parties (ATP) festival has been postponed from June 20-22 to Sept. 26-28. Organizers of the Los Angeles event, curated by The Simpsons' creator, Matt Groening, are trying to book a stronger lineup for the fall festival. ATP had already signed 30 acts, including Patti Smith, Nick Cave, the Breeders, and Yo La Tengo for the June festival, which was to take place in three Los Angeles venues . . . With the June 17 Bama Rags/RCA release True Reflections, Dave Matthews Band violinist Boyd Tinsley becomes the first member of the act to issue a solo set. Matthews is working on a solo album that will arrive in the fall.