Liner notes

L.A. tune fest redux

By STEVE CHAGOLLAN

Drawing on the collective resources of the Whisky-a-Go-Go, Billboard Live, the Viper Room and Dragonfly, the second annual Los Angeles Music Festival will take to the streets Wednesday through Friday, running the gamut of new acts from a variety of music genres. The performances will be available around the world via the Internet (at www.visionbroadcast.com/LAMF-97), where offerings will include music features, interactive forums and chat rooms.

Skedded to appear are Edwin McCain, the Rugburns and the Ranch, among others, in an attempt to broaden the listening base of up-and-coming artists.

"We're not in Kansas anymore"

Audiences consumed with visiting Ozz this summer will be able to experience the thrashing and moshing of the popular Ozz-Fest at home. The release of "Ozz-Fest Live!" as the debut album from Ozzy Osbourne's fledgling label, Ozz Records, pieces together a collection of live recordings from the Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix and the Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion near L.A. The recording features songs from each of the 10 bands featured on last year's tour.

"'Ozz-Fest Live!' is something that I'm very proud of," Osbourne says. "The music industry thought the tour was a crap idea. They said it wasn't hip. It wasn't current. But our show was the biggest grossing show in California for all of '96. We did what we believed in."

Music to Fox's ears

The hydra-headed Fox company appears poised for major movement this year in music, as reports from each of the studio's divisions indicate.

Fox's Music Dept. will celebrate a 2-1/2-year restructuring this fall with the unveiling of the newly renovated Newman Scoring Stage, under the supervision of exec VP Robert Kraft. The stage was renamed in honor of Fox's longtime affiliation with the Newman family.

The division has seen recent successes with the releases of soundtracks for "Waiting to Exhale," "One Fine Day" and "That Thing You Do!" and recently saw the remastered soundtrack to "Star Wars" debut at No. 1 on Billboard's classical crossover chart, the first time in history that a soundtrack hit the top of the charts 20 years after its initial release.

On the indie front, the soundtrack to Fox Searchlight's "Star Maps" will reach retailers July 30. The Sundance favorite, about a young second-generation immigrant who tries to make it in Hollywood, features a collection of popular rock en espanol tracks including songs from Big Star and Rachel's. The album is produced by Lysa Flores and Gustavo Santaolalla.

Fox 2000 and Twentieth Television have reached an agreement with Yum Yum Music prexy Tracey Edmonds following her first cinematic endeavor, producing the music score for the Oscar-nominated short "Tuesday Morning Ride." The deal includes production of "Soul Food," Edmonds' first feature as a producer, starring Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox and Nia Long.

Was spins Web

Grammy-winning producer and musician Don Was will take the music biz to the net with an Internet-delivered music series that bows this month. Was's series "Liner Notes" will feature a different artist to be profiled every month including the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt. The Netcast (at www.linernotes.com) will include footage shot by Was and will be delivered through RealVideo technology.