SMALL FACES

Tenacious D is at work on its debut album with the Dust Brothers producing at their L.A. studio for an April release from Epic Records. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl is back behind the drums for some of the songs, with Redd Kross’ Steve McDonald guesting on bass behind the inimitable duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass. . . .

Michael Penn, who did the musical score for “Boogie Nights” and “Hard Eight,” has been hired to score “The Anniversary Party,” with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming as co-writers, co-directors and co-stars of the film featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Kline, Jennifer Beals and Phoebe Cates. . . .

Sonic collage artist DJ Shadow, signed to Island Records in the U.K., is now on fellow Universal label MCA Records for U.S. releases and is working on the follow-up to his acclaimed 1997 album, “Endtroducing,” likely due in April. He recently did the score for the independent film “Dark Days,” with a single excerpting the work out now.