Modest Mouse

The pop critics' take on "American Idol": In the midst of the fluff and the Jennifer Lopez-generated heat that filled this week's overlong results show, Ryan Seacrest introduced a new "Idol" feature whose bite may be bigger than its bark. The "American Idol Hit List" allows visitors to the program's website to select, from a list of the week's Top 50 songs, a special guest performer for the following results episode.

Hip-hop and R&B are the strongest backbeat of MTV at the moment, and that was evident Tuesday with the naming of the 2004 nominees for the channel's annual Video Music Awards. Jay-Z led the field with six nods, and his gritty "99 Problems" will contend for best video honors with "Hey Ya!" by OutKast, "Yeah!" by Usher, "My Band" by D12 and "Toxic" by Britney Spears.

Third time's the charm? The 2003 edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties pop music festival has been rescheduled a second time and scaled back from three days to two. The event is now slated for Nov. 8 and 9 in Long Beach. Originally slated for June 20 to 22 with performances in L.A. at the Palace, Palladium and Fonda theaters, the event, curated by "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, will now be spread over two stages, one at the Queen Mary, the other at nearby Marina Park.

SANTIAGO CANYON Noon Pop Music Continuing the Fest fest this weekend at Oak Canyon Ranch near Irvine Lake (which winds up Monday with the De La Soul-topped Live at the BBQ hip-hop festival), the annual This Ain't No Picnic alt-rock celebration has Beck headlining with Yo La Tengo, Modest Mouse, Grandaddy, Mike Watt, the Bicycle Thief and about a dozen more acts. Beck, incidentally, will be doing his full band Midnite Vultures show rather than the acoustic performance previously announced.