WHEELS & DEALS: CHICKS STILL RULE, OK?

Just when you thought the female teen-pop signing frenzy had peaked, another one comes along--one that could end up being among the biggest derbies of the year. Starting last year, A&R playas were suckas for every teen female singer in sight, signing them right and left to ride Avril's coattails. So far, not one of those signings has approached Avril's sales levels. However, teen film star Lindsay Lohan may just be poised to become the teen-chick nextbigthing. She's definitely the media darling of the moment, having starred in films such as The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday and, more recently, Mean Girls. And she sings on her film soundtracks as well. Word on the street is that she's been hotly pursued by a number of majors over the past months, and that she may have already chosen a label home by the time you read this. And although Lohan recorded music for soundtracks released through Disney, rumor has it that an ongoing feud between Lohan and Hollywood Records artist Hilary Duff may have prevented Hollywood from pursuing Lohan for a deal. Stand by... The pub derby for the Immortal-managed Velvet Revolver is in high gear. Weiland, Slash and the other former members of GNR have apparently been taking meetings and hearing the pitch from pubcos over the past few weeks. Industry attendance was high (dude!) at the bands two recent L.A. shows, which were very well-received. And VR's first-week sales, which came in north of 256k, surpassed expectations--by a lot. While were on the subject, kudos to red-hot producer/Virgin A&R exec Josh Abraham for dialing in the bands sound. Whoa!... In case you haven't heard, newly acquired Epic Records act Eighteen Visions signed a pub dealio with Kenny MacPherson and Kevin Knight at Chrysalis Music... Is the H.I.M. deal closing with an East Coast-based major? Word on the street is that a deal has been struck. Stand by... Has a recent buzz band overplayed their hand with courting labels, asking for too much dinero and suddenly finding themselves with no deal at all? Tongues are flapping that the band had two offers, both of which have gone away... The Atlantis Music Conference is going down in Hotttlanta, GA, next month (July 21-24). Log on to www.atlantismusic.com for more info and for a list of showcasing acts... Lastly, we're sad to report that former SR-71 bass player Jeff Reid passed away over the weekend, losing his battle with cancer. In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society... BUZZIN': Nanci Walker, Anti-Flag, The Adored-STL, Morningwood and Tick Hit me up foe ah bitch-slap yo azz: [email protected]