BY JOHN M. JAMES

Corporate entities forge ahead in their bought-and-paid-for appropriation of "the music of our lives," chopping great songs out of our hearts and memories, forever branding them onto this season's ad campaign. Very rarely does my scowl turn to a grin, but it did this past weekend. Did you see the catchy use of The Buzzcocks' 1978 single "What Do I Get" on the new Toyota RAV-4 commercial? Very nice. ... Speaking of good tunes sneaking under your skin, have you caught the use of Chris Isaacs' "Baby Did a Bad Thing" in the previews of the new Stanley Kubrick film Eyes Wide Shut? Looking for the track? Seek out his Forever Blue album from 1995. ... Get out the hair spray and start teasin' up the locks -- next week marks the return of the Portrait imprint from Columbia Records with a penchant for big hair, big guitars and lots of pouting. The first releases in the relaunching of the label bring Great White's new Can't Get There From Here, and, dig this, a new self-titled Ratt album. Still not moist enough in yer spandex? Rhino Records cranks out a Dokken anthology on Tuesday titled The Very Best Of with 16 tracks culled from their six albums, as well as the July 20 juggernaut in conjunction with VH-1's The Big 80s video showcase simply called The Big Hair with Quiet Riot, Warrant, Vixen, Cinderella, Y & T, and more. ... My pick of the week? It's gotta be the domestic issue of Black Box Recorder's debut, England Made Me, on the American indie Jetset label. This fantastic bleak Brit-Pop side project of the Auteurs' Luke Haines, John Moore of Jesus and Mary Chain, and vocalist Sarah Nixey is an intriguing dark ride that would be well-received by fans of Radiohead, Sparklehorse and other smart stuff. As a bonus, this reissue contains bonus B-sides and UK singles not found on its original release. ... On Tuesday, the Columbia Legacy label reissues two classic Peter Tosh albums on CD: 1977's Equal Rights and Legalize It from 1976, both with bonus tracks, as well as a 15-track best of anthology titled Scrolls of the Prophets, the only Tosh compilation created and endorsed by his estate.

Television Alert
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Brandy on Thursday, Wilco on Friday, and The Go-Gos on Tuesday. The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Country legend George Jones on Monday, and Sixpence None the Richer on Tuesday.

Releases Coming Tuesday
and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change... Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Volume 14 (Grateful Dead); Jimi Hendrix - Live At Woodstock (Hendrix Experience/MCA) restored and remastered by Hendrix's family, this new two-CD set adds 35 previously missing minutes from this historic awakening the morning of Aug. 18, 1969; Kristen Hersh - Sky Motel (4AD/Warner Bros.) new solo album from the co-founder of the Throwing Muses; The Meat Purveyors - More Songs About Buildings and Cows (Bloodshot) Austin's Alterna-Bluegrass superstars with covers of material by George Jones and Daniel Johnston, as well as their take on the Velvet Underground's "What Goes On"; New American Shame - New American Shame (Atlantic) on tour this summer with The Cult; Nomads - Big Sound 2000 (Estrus); Ozric Tentacles - Waterfall Cities (Phoenix Rising); The Porkers - Hot Dog Daiquiri (Moon Ska) from Australia; Scanner - Lauwarm Instrumentals (Beggars Banquet) electronic artist who blends pirated cordless telephone conversations into his mix; Squarepusher - Maximum Priest (Nothing) CD EP with four new tracks and three remixes; Superchunk - "Hello Hawk" (Merge) CD EP; The Stereo - Three Hundred (Fuel By Ramen); Swans - Public Castration is a Good Idea (Thirsty Ear); John Trudell - Blue Indians (Inside Recordings) highly anticipated from this Native American singer, songwriter and poet.

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