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Evanescence, 'Fallen': Classic Track-By-Track
March 04, 2013 12:20 PM EST 120 84 0 "They threw us out of the office. They said, 'A chick and a piano? Are you kidding? On rock radio?'" According to Wind-up Records president Ed Vetri, that's what a radio programmer said back in 2003 when Wind-up knocked o ...
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David Bowie, 'The Next Day': Track-By-Track Review
February 27, 2013 12:45 AM EST 254 301 0 0 The first single released from David Bowie's first album in 10 years, "Where Are We Now?", is an anomaly. It is gentler, slower and lighter than the other 13 songs on "The Next Day," this musical chameleon's retur ...
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The Postal Service, 'Give Up': Classic Track-By-Track Review
February 19, 2013 2:30 PM EST 11 10 0 0 In 2003, singer-songwriter Ben Gibbard had released three increasingly popular LPs with his alt-rock group Death Cab For Cutie. By the end of the decade, they would become the poster children for crossover-friendly indie rock, and Gibbard's ...
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50 Cent, 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin'' at 10: Classic Track-By-Track Review
February 06, 2013 11:45 AM EST 51 28 0 Ten years ago today, the hip-hop landscape shifted. 50 Cent, a young upstart from Queens, New York, put the rap game in a chokehold with the release of his debut studio album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." The album was an audio snapshot ...
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My Bloody Valentine, 'mbv': Album Review
February 03, 2013 10:30 AM EST 53 11 0 0 My Bloody Valentine mbv (self-released) 21 years. *21 years!* That's how long it's taken My Bloody Valentine to release the follow-up to the brilliant "Loveless," the album that defined 1990s dreampop and cast a towering shad ...
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Tim McGraw, 'Two Lanes of Freedom': Track-By-Track Review
February 01, 2013 4:58 PM EST 62 10 0 Tim McGraw will release his first record on Big Machine, "Two Lanes of Freedom," on Feb. 5. Produced by McGraw and longtime studio partner Byron Gallimore, the album is loaded with the hallmarks of the pair's past successes while ve ...
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Tegan and Sara, 'Heartthrob': Track-By-Track Review
January 29, 2013 11:10 AM EST 35 22 0 TEGAN AND SARA "Heartthrob" Sire/Warner Bros. Release Date: January 29 It takes 10 songs and a little over 36 minutes for Tegan and Sara Quin to redefine their profile within the confines of indie rock music, but "Heartthrob," ...
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A$AP Rocky, 'Long.Live.A$AP' Track-By-Track
January 15, 2013 12:05 PM EST 8 2 0 We live in a post-"good kid, m.A.A.d city" world. Released less than three months ago, Kendrick Lamar 's debut album raised the bar for storytelling in mainstream hip-hop, as K-Dot's "short film" wrapped a narrative arc ...
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Neon Hitch's 'Happy Neon' EP Premiere: Listen To Exclusive Stream
January 14, 2013 1:10 PM EST 1 0 0 Ahead of her forthcoming debut album, U.K. singer-songwriter Neon Hitch has unveiled a new EP, "Happy Neon," launching exclusively on Billboard.com. Stream the six-track release in its entirety below: Produced by Neon Hitch and Happy P ...
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Girls' Generation, 'I Got A Boy': Track-By-Track Review
January 04, 2013 4:00 PM EST 0 0 0 Girls' Generation are rightfully one of the acts at the forefront of K-pop's international advancement with their immense popularity in Korea allowing them to spend 2012 focused on other environs, namely Japan and the U.S. Such a long ti ...
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Bruno Mars, 'Unorthodox Jukebox': Track-By-Track Review
December 11, 2012 1:50 PM EST 0 0 0 Bruno Mars is extremely talented -- we've known this since he popped up without warning singing the hook on B.o.B 's "Nothin' On You," and fully understood his versatility on his 2010 debut "Doo-Wops & Hooligans.&qu ...
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Hinder, "All American Nightmare"
December 03, 2010 3:57 PM EST 0 0 0 Hinder drops its third album, "All American Nightmare," with a chip on its shoulder and a palpable sense of something to prove, given the sophomore sales slump the Oklahoma quintet suffered with 2008's "Take It to the Limit" ...
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Justin Bieber, "My Worlds Acoustic"
December 03, 2010 3:54 PM EST 0 0 0 The intent of Justin Bieber 's acoustic album is twofold, according to the star: It's a holiday-timed gift for fans who want to feel closer to their teen idol, but also a response to critics who have panned his sound as overproduced bubble ...
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R. Kelly, "Love Letter"
December 03, 2010 3:51 PM EST 0 0 0 "This album is dedicated to the girls who stood beside me," R. Kelly sings in the a cappella introduction to his latest studio album, "and even all the bootleggers that couldn't afford to buy me." A characteristic bon mot fr ...
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Various Artists, "Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack"
December 03, 2010 3:45 PM EST 0 0 0 The soundtrack to "Burlesque," Christina Aguilera 's first star vehicle, could be a continuation of her 2006 album "Back to Basics." And why not? It showcased her distinctive flair for the big band style. The soundtrack come ...
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Calle 13, "Entren los Que Quieran"
December 03, 2010 3:39 PM EST 0 0 0 By putting an illustration of a bomb on the cover of its latest album, "Entren los Que Quieran," and appearing as terrorists disguised as nuns in a violent video for first single "Calma Pueblo," Calle 13 simultaneously exceeded a ...
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Curren$y, "Pilot Talk II"
December 03, 2010 3:36 PM EST 0 0 0 Curren$y releases are relatively low-pressure affairs: with beats comprising cozy synthesizers, the New Orleans rapper's manner is generally good-natured as he rhymes about weed, women and living the good life. While latest release "Pilot ...
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Eric Benét, "Lost in Time"
December 03, 2010 3:30 PM EST 0 0 0 Paying homage to the past can be a tricky proposition. Do you risk losing your contemporary footing? Is there still a market for feel-good R&B? Eric Benét skillfully maneuvers the balancing act and delivers a strong set in the process with this ...
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Kanye West, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"
November 30, 2010 1:11 PM EST 0 0 0 Fresh off his media-storm-induced hiatus that followed his now-infamous hijacking of Taylor Swift 's acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West crashes back onto the scene to steal the spotlight with possibly the best albu ...
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Ke$ha, "Cannibal"
November 30, 2010 12:43 PM EST 0 0 0 One thing's for sure: Ke$ha knows the score. "Guess it worked out/Got here by runnin' my mouth," she declares on "Crazy Beautiful Life," one of nine tracks on the follow-up to her No. 1-debuting 2010 album, "Animal ...
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Underoath, " 0 (Disambiguation)"
November 30, 2010 12:19 PM EST 0 0 0 The word "Disambiguation"-the title of Underoath 's seventh album-refers to the clarity that occurs after a source of ambiguity is removed. It would be wrong to interpret the title as a jab at departed drummer/co-vocalist Aaron Gilles ...
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Norah Jones, ". . . Featuring"
November 30, 2010 12:09 PM EST 0 0 0 Throughout the course of her four studio albums, Norah Jones has honed in on a remarkably well-defined jazz-folk sound; even last year's relatively dark "The Fall" was instantly identifiable as the work of the woman who gave brunch sp ...
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Atomic Tom, "The Moment"
November 30, 2010 12:06 PM EST 0 0 0 Atomic Tom scored a hit in the viral video world when the band used its iPhones to perform the song "Take Me Out" on a New York subway car. For its full-length debut, "The Moment," the group fuses electro-pop with classic British ...
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Rascal Flatts, "Nothing Like This"
November 30, 2010 12:02 PM EST 0 0 0 Anyone who wondered what affect a label change might have on Rascal Flatts ' particular blend of country and pop: Rest assured, the impact was practically nil. The genre-straddling virtues that have delivered five No. 1 albums and two dozen top ...
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Daft Punk, "Tron: Legacy"
November 29, 2010 5:41 PM EST 0 0 0 A-list superstars in their native electronic-music realm, the robot-masked men of France's Daft Punk have established a foothold among more mainstream listeners thanks to glittery disco-house jams like "Around the World," "One Mo ...
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Queensrÿche, "Empire"
November 19, 2010 5:38 PM EST 0 0 0 A good musician can play a song's notes well, but a true artist also skillfully navigates the breaths in between. Such holds true for Queensrÿche's approach to its 1990 commercial juggernaut, "Empire." The band treated each song& ...
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The Floacist, "The Floacist Presents Floetic Soul"
November 19, 2010 5:28 PM EST 0 0 0 As neo-soul duo Floetry , poet/MC Natalie Stewart and singer Marsha Ambrosius wrote songs for Michael Jackson and Jill Scott . The pair also crafted a distinctive blend of rap/singing artfully laced over soul and hip-hop beats, resulting in hit sing ...
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Violens, "Amoral"
November 19, 2010 5:20 PM EST 0 0 0 One could fashion a drinking game of "spot the influence" for Violens ' debut, "Amoral." And be assured that all participants would wind up pretty blotto by the time the album's 12 tracks finish. But be equally assured ...
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Elvis Presley, "Viva Elvis - The Album"
November 15, 2010 12:04 PM EST 0 0 0 There are certainly some Elvis Presley aficionados who will choke on their peanut butter and banana sandwiches upon hearing this companion album to Cirque du Soleil 's Las Vegas tribute to the King. The 12 tracks on "Viva Elvis-The Album&q ...
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N.E.R.D., "Nothing"
November 15, 2010 11:58 AM EST 0 0 0 While Pharrell Williams ' legacy as one-half of production duo the Neptunes has long been secure, his ventures as the frontman for hip-hop/funk trio N*E*R*D have yielded a challenging, inconsistent output. "Nothing," Williams' fo ...
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My Chemical Romance, "Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys"
November 15, 2010 10:39 AM EST 0 0 0 The uniforms, logos and socio-political bombast of My Chemical Romance 's 2006 album, "The Black Parade," have all been safely packed away. The rock quintet is comparatively stripped down and glammed up on its fourth studio album, &qu ...
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Weezer, "Death to False Metal"
November 15, 2010 10:35 AM EST 0 0 0 Weezer 's Kiss -loving frontman Rivers Cuomo has always had delusions of metal grandeur. On the aptly titled "Death to False Metal" compilation, many of the revisited outtakes from Weezer's discography aspire to metaldom heights ...
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7 Walkers, "7 Walkers"
November 15, 2010 10:27 AM EST 0 0 0 Grateful Dead spinoffs tend to be hit-and-miss affairs. But in 7 Walkers , Dead percussionist Bill Kreutzmann has hit pay dirt. The well-credentialed group-fronted by Louisiana singer/guitarist Papa Mali and now including Meters bassist George Porte ...
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Black Dub, "Black Dub"
November 15, 2010 10:18 AM EST 0 0 0 Daniel Lanois has already had a pretty remarkable year, with high-profile production gigs on albums by Brandon Flowers of the Killers and Neil Young , who titled his latest, "Le Noise," in honor of his partner's crucial creative contr ...
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Elvis Costello, "National Ransom"
November 15, 2010 10:12 AM EST 0 0 0 If Elvis Costello 's predilection for album-to-album change has been dizzying during the past 30-plus years, his latest release, "National Ransom," truncates that whirlwind across 16 tracks. Returning to "King of America" an ...
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Matt & Kim, "Sidewalks"
November 05, 2010 5:19 PM EDT 0 0 0 Brooklyn indie-pop duo Matt & Kim have always been a dance party type of band. But the beat on the pair's latest album, "Sidewalks," suggests that keyboardist/vocalist Matt Johnson and drummer Kim Schifino have been spending more ...
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Fania All Stars, "Ponte Duro: The Fania All Stars Story"
November 05, 2010 5:03 PM EDT 0 0 0 Reissues from the storied Latin label Fania have been a blessing of the new music era. Fans can rejoice again at the release of the four-disc boxed set "Ponte Duro: The Fania All Stars Story." The release guarantees a revelation for anyone ...
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Good Charlotte, "Cardiology"
November 05, 2010 4:52 PM EDT 0 0 0 Early on "Cardiology," Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden declares that "we'll stay young forever." A decade and five albums into its career, the rock band certainly sounds as youthful as ever. But age has brought some more m ...
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Susan Boyle, "The Gift"
November 05, 2010 4:46 PM EDT 0 0 0 "The Gift," the second release from famed "Britain's Got Talent" contestant Susan Boyl e, is a bit of a tweener: mostly a holiday album and partly a follow-up to last year's massively successful "I Dreamed a Dream. ...
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Warpaint, "The Fool"
October 29, 2010 2:47 PM EDT 0 0 0 Willowy Los Angeles art-rock group Warpaint summons a remarkably heady atmosphere on its debut album, "The Fool," which follows a buzzed-about EP released last year on Los Angeles-based indie Manimal Vinyl. On the song "Bees," gu ...
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Liz Phair, "Funstyle"
October 29, 2010 2:45 PM EDT 0 0 0 Alternative rocker Liz Phair surprised fans when she posted tracks from her newest album, "Funstyle," on her website in July. The eclectic set is the singer's first release in five years and will be packaged with a set of demos and ra ...
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Dave Koz, "Hello Tomorrow"
October 22, 2010 11:41 AM EDT 0 0 0 Saxophonist Dave Koz brings the funk on "Hello Tomorrow," certainly more so than the smooth jazz poster boy has on previous efforts since the 1990s. Some of that credit goes to Koz' new production team of Marcus Miller and John Burk, ...
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Lil Wayne, "I Am Not a Human Being"
October 22, 2010 11:38 AM EDT 0 0 0 Lil Wayne's latest album, "I Am Not a Human Being," is not as experimental as the rapper's previous rock-tinged "Rebirth" set that arrived earlier this year, and most fans will likely appreciate this. But it doesn' ...
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Joshua Radin, "The Rock and the Tide
October 22, 2010 11:33 AM EDT 0 0 0 Joshua Radin goes for a certain irony on his third album, "The Rock and the Tide," ending the set with a reprise of "Brand New Day," the cheeriest track from 2008's "Simple Times." His declaration that "I' ...
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Shakira, "Sale el Sol"
October 22, 2010 11:29 AM EDT 0 0 0 Shakira's album material seems to strike a much purer chord in Spanish. Her latest project, "Sale el Sol," is no exception. It's a mix of uptempo dance tracks based on traditional Latin rhythms like merengue, hard-kicking rock tr ...
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The Band Perry, "The Band Perry"
October 22, 2010 11:24 AM EDT 0 0 0 Alabama-bred sibling trio the Band Perry has already built anticipation for its full-length debut, primarily with the top 20 country singles "Hip to My Heart" and the gold "If I Die Young." Expectations can backfire, but in this ...
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Brian Eno, "Small Craft on a Milk Sea"
October 22, 2010 11:17 AM EDT 0 0 0 Drawing on his art-rock work with David Byrne as well as his pioneering ambient output, master producer Brian Eno has released the sonic component of a three-act play with "Small Craft on a Milk Sea," his debut album on Warp Records. Recor ...
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Marco Antonio Solís, "En Total Plenitud"
October 22, 2010 11:11 AM EDT 0 0 0 Marco Antonio Solís didn't title his new album, "En Total Plenitud" ("Fully Realized"), after a track, but after a sentiment. Although the 12-song set primarily comprises romantic ballads, most of them potential singles, the ...
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Guster, "Easy Wonderful"
October 15, 2010 6:14 PM EDT 0 0 0 Guster fans expecting a more mellow sound from the band are in for a rude awakening. The group's latest release, "Easy Wonderful," is the quartet's most upbeat album to date. Arriving four years after "Ganging Up on the Sun, ...
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Faith Evans, "Something About Faith"
October 15, 2010 6:10 PM EDT 0 0 0 In the '90s, Faith Evans was on the verge of becoming one of the dominating R&B powerhouses of her generation. But other than a recent DUI arrest, the Notorious B.I.G. 's widow has been removed from the public eye for the past five yea ...
