Fiona Apple

Fiona Apple's new album is one for the books. The Guinness Book of World Records, that is. With what may be the longest album title in history, the name of Apple's sophomore release is more than a mouthful -- it's practically a recitation."

Fiona Apple played a short series of promotional shows earlier this year to support her upcoming album. Now, she's launching a full tour for "The Idler Wheel is Wiser" that includes stops in Baltimore and Washington D.C. Apple's mini-tour, her first series of live performances outside of Los Angeles, started at South by Southwest and garnered near-ecstatic reviews from critics who said she was giving once-in-a-lifetime performances....

Fiona Apple Sultry and emotional singer Fiona Apple performs Monday night at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, Va. Apple's latest album is the charming and quirky Extraordinary Machine. In the title track's chorus, she sings "be kind to me / or treat me mean / I'll make the most of it / I'm an extraordinary machine." As if we didn't know already. Tickets are $25-$40. 8 p.m. Call 703-255-1868 or go to wolf-trap.org.

The past year has been something of a whirlwind for Sara Bareilles, but last Sunday was especially dizzying. The unassuming pop singer-songwriter was on the red carpet at Los Angeles' Staples Center at the 51st annual Grammy Awards. She was up for two. Her smash, the catchy "Love Song," garnered nods for song of the year and best female pop vocal performance. "I couldn't believe I was there," Bareilles says, still sounding awe-struck. "It was one of the best days of my life. It was such a special experience.

Nickel Creek, the American acoustic trio known for its contemporary bluegrass and indie rock music, will hit Pier Six Pavilion during its Farewell (For Now) Tour at 7:30 tonight. Fiona Apple will also perform. The pavilion is at President Street and Eastern Avenue at the Inner Harbor. Tickets are $22.50-$37.50. Call 410-547-SEAT or go to tick etmaster.com.

Downloaded singles 1.Gold Digger, Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx 2.My Humps, Black Eyed Peas 3.Run It! (Remix featuring Juelz Santana), Chris Brown 4.Photograph, Nickelback 5.Hung Up (Radio Edit), Madonna[ Courtesy iTunes] Downloaded albums 1.Playing the Angel (bonus video edition), Depeche Mode 2.I Am Me, Ashlee Simpson 3.Elizabethtown (Music From the Motion Picture), Various Artists 4.Extraordinary Machine, Fiona Apple 5.Late Registration, Kanye West[ Courtesy iTunes] Video Game Sales 1.Madden NFL 2006, PS2 2.Madden NFL 2006, Xbox 3.NCAA Football 06, PS2 4.Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike, Xbox 5.Nintendogs: Dachshund and Friends, DS[ Courtesy Yahoo!

Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin -- Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Sept. 21. 410-547-SEAT or tick etmaster.com. Macy Gray and the Brand New Heavies -- DAR Constitution Hall in Washington on Sept. 14. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. tomorrow. 410-547-SEAT or tick etmaster.com. Musiq Soulchild -- Rams Head Live on Sept. 5. Also, They Might Be Giants is there Sept. 12. 410-244-1131 or ramshead live.com. Maroon 5 -- Verizon Center in Washington on Oct. 16. 410-547-SEAT or ticketmaster.

INSIDE TODAY WHAT THEY'RE SAYING TODAYS SUN COLUMNISTS BRAC and the city Military base realignment and closure is expected to bring thousands of new residents to Maryland, and they should consider settling in Baltimore City. Here are 100 reasons why. Maryland baltimoresun.com/rodricks A testing season This season will be a test for Ravens linebacker Bart Scott, who will try to prove that his performance in 2006 - including a Pro Bowl appearance -wasn't a fluke. Sports baltimoresun.

As long as she is miserable in love, as long as her emotions remain a magnificently tangled web, Fiona Apple will continue to satisfy her fans. The singer-songwriter's long-awaited new album, in stores today, is called Extraordinary Machine. It's a more realized extension of the passionate, arty pop approach heard on Apple's last record, 1999's When the Pawn ..., whose actual title is 90 words long. But this time around, the sound, though brilliantly layered, is more streamlined and accessible.

The Des Moines, Iowa, metal scene pretty much includes just two bands: Slipknot and Stone Sour. James Root and Corey Taylor are in both. Slipknot is known for intense live shows in which the nine members wear masks to de-emphasize themselves and focus on the blistering, heavy music. Stone Sour isn't known for much. Yet. Now in the middle of the band's first real tour (which stops in Baltimore Nov. 29 at Thunderdome), Root says crowd reactions have been favorable. "It's going really, really good so far," he says by phone from Toledo, Ohio.

Nickel Creek, the American acoustic trio known for its contemporary bluegrass and indie rock music, will hit Pier Six Pavilion during its Farewell (For Now) Tour at 7:30 tonight. Fiona Apple will also perform. The pavilion is at President Street and Eastern Avenue at the Inner Harbor. Tickets are $22.50-$37.50. Call 410-547-SEAT or go to tick etmaster.com.

INSIDE TODAY WHAT THEY'RE SAYING TODAYS SUN COLUMNISTS BRAC and the city Military base realignment and closure is expected to bring thousands of new residents to Maryland, and they should consider settling in Baltimore City. Here are 100 reasons why. Maryland baltimoresun.com/rodricks A testing season This season will be a test for Ravens linebacker Bart Scott, who will try to prove that his performance in 2006 - including a Pro Bowl appearance -wasn't a fluke. Sports baltimoresun.

Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin -- Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Sept. 21. 410-547-SEAT or tick etmaster.com. Macy Gray and the Brand New Heavies -- DAR Constitution Hall in Washington on Sept. 14. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. tomorrow. 410-547-SEAT or tick etmaster.com. Musiq Soulchild -- Rams Head Live on Sept. 5. Also, They Might Be Giants is there Sept. 12. 410-244-1131 or ramshead live.com. Maroon 5 -- Verizon Center in Washington on Oct. 16. 410-547-SEAT or ticketmaster.

Fiona Apple Sultry and emotional singer Fiona Apple performs Monday night at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, Va. Apple's latest album is the charming and quirky Extraordinary Machine. In the title track's chorus, she sings "be kind to me / or treat me mean / I'll make the most of it / I'm an extraordinary machine." As if we didn't know already. Tickets are $25-$40. 8 p.m. Call 703-255-1868 or go to wolf-trap.org.

Downloaded singles 1.Gold Digger, Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx 2.My Humps, Black Eyed Peas 3.Run It! (Remix featuring Juelz Santana), Chris Brown 4.Photograph, Nickelback 5.Hung Up (Radio Edit), Madonna[ Courtesy iTunes] Downloaded albums 1.Playing the Angel (bonus video edition), Depeche Mode 2.I Am Me, Ashlee Simpson 3.Elizabethtown (Music From the Motion Picture), Various Artists 4.Extraordinary Machine, Fiona Apple 5.Late Registration, Kanye West[ Courtesy iTunes] Video Game Sales 1.Madden NFL 2006, PS2 2.Madden NFL 2006, Xbox 3.NCAA Football 06, PS2 4.Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike, Xbox 5.Nintendogs: Dachshund and Friends, DS[ Courtesy Yahoo!

As long as she is miserable in love, as long as her emotions remain a magnificently tangled web, Fiona Apple will continue to satisfy her fans. The singer-songwriter's long-awaited new album, in stores today, is called Extraordinary Machine. It's a more realized extension of the passionate, arty pop approach heard on Apple's last record, 1999's When the Pawn ..., whose actual title is 90 words long. But this time around, the sound, though brilliantly layered, is more streamlined and accessible.

A funny thing happened on the way out of "Spice World" -- I realized I was a Spice Girls fan.Lord knows, it wasn't what I had expected. Back in November, when the "Spice World" album came out, I was distinctly unimpressed, finding little merit in the crass commerciality of the Pepsi jingle "Generation Next" or the musical ambition of a semi-show-tune like "Lady Is a Vamp." It was as if the Spice Girls had begun to believe their success was in some way connected to having actual musical ability.

The past year has been something of a whirlwind for Sara Bareilles, but last Sunday was especially dizzying. The unassuming pop singer-songwriter was on the red carpet at Los Angeles' Staples Center at the 51st annual Grammy Awards. She was up for two. Her smash, the catchy "Love Song," garnered nods for song of the year and best female pop vocal performance. "I couldn't believe I was there," Bareilles says, still sounding awe-struck. "It was one of the best days of my life. It was such a special experience.

The Des Moines, Iowa, metal scene pretty much includes just two bands: Slipknot and Stone Sour. James Root and Corey Taylor are in both. Slipknot is known for intense live shows in which the nine members wear masks to de-emphasize themselves and focus on the blistering, heavy music. Stone Sour isn't known for much. Yet. Now in the middle of the band's first real tour (which stops in Baltimore Nov. 29 at Thunderdome), Root says crowd reactions have been favorable. "It's going really, really good so far," he says by phone from Toledo, Ohio.

Fiona Apple's new album is one for the books. The Guinness Book of World Records, that is. With what may be the longest album title in history, the name of Apple's sophomore release is more than a mouthful -- it's practically a recitation."