Roadtrips

In Me, Myself and Irene, the forthcoming flick by the Farrelly Brothers (Dumb and Dumber, There's Something About Mary), Jim Carrey plays a schizophrenic Rhode Island state cop who falls for a lady felon he's been assigned to transport. Such romantic comedies almost invariably call for a Song, some sort of iconic musical presence, and the filmmakers located it in authentic, quintessentially New England singer/songwriter Ellis Paul's "The World Ain't Slowing Down," off his 1998 disc Translucent Soul. The track is featured prominently in the flick, and there's talk of releasing it as the lead single from the soundtrack album. Paul's also releasing a two-disc concert album, Live (Rounder), which will be available this Tuesday, and he'll be at the Wachusett Folk Café (978-632-2403) in Gardner on March 10.

Chicago-style indie gals Victory at Sea return from the road to a homecoming at the Milky Way Lounge and Lanes (617-524-3740) in Jamaica Plain on March 10. Also on the bill are 27 -- a quiet band featuring the principals from two fairly loud bands, the Dirt Merchants and Spore -- and the suburban indie band Tigersaw. Tigersaw go on to a bill at the Gloucester Artspace (978-283-1381) on March 12 backing singer/guitarist Mara Flynn, who has recorded two albums (with her label boss, notorious Shimmy Disc honcho Kramer, on backing instruments) under the name Milksop Holly. Also on the bill: a solo shot by Dub Narcotic/Beat Happening/K Records honcho Calvin Johnson.

On their new Crown Royal (Arista), with guest spots from Kid Rock and Fred "Limp" Durst, Run-D.M.C. put on a rap-rock clinic for the new school. And then they head back to school themselves, on a jaunt that will bring them to New England no fewer than nine times over the next two months, including stops at Worcester State College, Brandeis University, Boston College, Rhode Island College in Providence, Fitchburg State College, UMass-Lowell, and Wheaton College. For the moment, though, they're at Toad's Place (203-624-8623) in New Haven on March 13 and at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) in Providence on March 14.

Now that Marilyn Manson's shaved his head, changed his name to a runic symbol, and started babbling conspiratorial cosmology -- i.e., finally gone off the deep end -- spooky kids will have to get their goth-metal fix from Coal Chamber and Type O Negative, who hit Avalon (617-423-NEXT) in Boston on March 9 and Lupo's on March 10, with the Deadlights and Full Devil Jacket in tow. Or maybe from Detroit's Suicide Machines, now on Disney's Hollywood Records label, who look to follow Blink-182 into the pop-punk promised land when they hit the Skinny (207-871-8983) in Portland, Maine, on March 9 and the Met Café (401-861-2142) in Providence on March 10 before meeting up with No Doubt for a tour that reaches Avalon on March 29.
-- Carly Carioli