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Dwele, "W.ants W.orld W.omen (W.W.W.)"
July 30, 2010 4:40 PM EDT 0 0 0 Dwele - Kanye West 's vocal wingman ("Power," "Flashing Lights") and McDonald's McCafe pitchman-thematically expands his horizons on "W.ants W.orld W.omen (W.W.W.)" Dividing his fourth album into three distinc ...
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School of Seven Bells, "Disconnect From Desire"
July 30, 2010 4:32 PM EDT 0 0 0 It's hard to imagine School of Seven Bells turning to Brian Eno 's list of "Oblique Strategies" for inspiration. Because from the sound of its new album, it used his "disconnect from desire" suggestion in title alone. T ...
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3OH!3, "Streets of Gold"
July 30, 2010 4:16 PM EDT 0 0 0 Following the release of its much buzzed-about 2008 breakout album, "Want," electro-rap duo 3OH!3 returns with more fast-paced, catchy digital-pop beats on its latest set, "Streets of Gold." The single "My First Kiss" ( ...
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Kelis, "Flesh Tone"
July 30, 2010 2:59 PM EDT 0 0 0 Buoyed by a favorable divorce settlement, a baby boy and a newly released high-energy dance album, "Flesh Tone," the recently single Kelis is ready to bring the boys back to the yard. Backed by an elevating electro beat on the David Guetta ...
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Wolf Parade, "Expo 86"
July 30, 2010 2:51 PM EDT 0 0 0 Montreal rock outfit Wolf Parade received critical acclaim for its 2005 debut, "Apologies to the Queen Mary," and three years later for follow-up "At Mount Zoomer." For its third album, "Expo 86," the band tempers the m ...
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Blake Shelton, "All About Tonight"
July 30, 2010 2:36 PM EDT 0 0 0 We know that Blake Shelton can make a solid full-length album, but he's definitely onto something with these "Six Pak" EPs. Like his album "Hillbilly Bone" earlier this year, which reached No. 2 on Billboard's Top Count ...
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Bret Michaels, "Custom Built"
July 30, 2010 2:17 PM EDT 0 0 0 "Custom Built," the Poison frontman's first solo album since 2005's "Freedom of Sound," is a mixed-bag affair, with songs from his various reality TV pursuits sprinkled among new tunes, covers, remixes and a handful of ...
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Eminem, "Recovery"
July 23, 2010 4:31 PM EDT 0 0 0 Throughout "Recovery," the rapper's first album since overcoming an addiction to pharmaceuticals, Eminem is unsparing in assessing the weakness of character that led to his descent into drugs. But the strong-selling rapper is even mor ...
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Scissor Sisters, "Night Work"
July 23, 2010 4:28 PM EDT 0 0 0 The Scissor Sisters ' third nightlife-themed album, "Night Work," is a return to the glittery, flamboyant pop of the group's 2004 self-titled debut. Inspired by the New York music scene of the late '70s/early '80s, when ...
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Buckcherry, "All Night Long"
July 23, 2010 4:24 PM EDT 0 0 0 Los Angeles rock revivalists Buckcherry waste no time getting down to business on their latest album, "All Night Long," which opens with a cowbell-enhanced title track where singer Josh Todd announces that "a good time coming will kee ...
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Robert Randolph & the Family Band, "We Walk This Road"
July 23, 2010 4:10 PM EDT 0 0 0 With the help of renowned producer T-Bone Burnett , pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph takes a backward glance at American roots music to discover the true soul of sacred steel on his latest album, "We Walk This Road." The uplifting set ...
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The Chemical Brothers, "Further"
July 23, 2010 3:52 PM EDT 0 0 0 The Chemical Brothers make giant gut-wallops of electronic sound that carry best in an arena or open field in England. But the visual cacophony is as essential to the live Chems experience as the aural one-scrambles of psychedelic delight that have ...
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Ozzy Osbourne, "Scream"
July 23, 2010 3:46 PM EDT 0 0 0 After surveying his life to this point in a best-selling autobiography ("I Am Ozzy"), Ozzy Osbourne incorporates some fresh blood-to good advantage-into his first new album in three years. On "Scream," longtime guitarist Zakk Wyl ...
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Sia, "We Are Born"
July 23, 2010 3:42 PM EDT 0 0 0 Known for her past collaborations with English electronica band Zero 7 and more recently with Christina Aguilera , Australian artist Sia Furler shines bright on her own on her newest release, "We Are Born." On the 14-song set, the singer/s ...
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Miley Cyrus, "Can't Be Tamed"
July 23, 2010 3:36 PM EDT 0 0 0 Miley Cyrus recently admitted in her Billboard cover story that she listens to "zero pop music" and insists that with her own material she's "not just sitting here trying to sell glitz and glamour." Cyrus proves her point on ...
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Macy Gray, "The Sellout"
July 23, 2010 3:33 PM EDT 0 0 0 Hindsight is always 20/20. And in the case of Macy Gray 's latest-which she says "reflects my true identity"-it makes you wonder if her career would've lost as much steam if this had followed her 1999 breakthrough, "On How L ...
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Cyndi Lauper, "Memphis Blues"
July 23, 2010 3:25 PM EDT 0 0 0 Everyone knows this girl just wants to have fun, but Cyndi Lauper means business on her new album, "Memphis Blues," a guest-studded trip toward Beale Street. And we'll give her a pass for treating Buddy Johnson 's "I'm ...
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Norman Brown, "Sending My Love"
July 16, 2010 5:01 PM EDT 0 0 0 If you're looking for respite from an issue-plagued world that seems to be spinning off its axis, Norman Brown 's latest album, "Sending My Love," offers a chill-out escape hatch. The guitarist-who either wrote or co-wrote nine o ...
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The Roots, "How I Got Over"
July 16, 2010 4:52 PM EDT 0 0 0 More than 15 years into their career, Philadelphia hip-hop group the Roots approached their long-awaited ninth album with nothing to prove. That security doesn't stop the Roots from challenging the boundaries of their sound on "How I Got O ...
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Tom Jones, "Praise & Blame"
July 16, 2010 4:36 PM EDT 0 0 0 What's new, pussycat? How about a devotional album from Tom Jones so unexpected that the Welsh pop icon's disarmed label chief was uttering God's name in varying degrees of vain when he heard about it. But Jones has always been surpri ...
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Kevin Rudolf, "To the Sky"
July 16, 2010 4:27 PM EDT 0 0 0 Singer/songwriter/producer Kevin Rudolf's rocker croon is paired with an assortment of dance and hip-hop beats on his second album, "To the Sky." And while guest appearances from such acts as Lil Wayne (who performed on Rudolf's ...
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Robyn, "Body Talk Pt. 1"
July 16, 2010 4:22 PM EDT 0 0 0 On her fifth album, "Body Talk Pt. 1," Swedish electro-pop singer Robyn proves she's ready for the dancefloor. The eight-track set-the first in a trio of releases slated for 2010-opens with the brusque "Don't Fucking Tell Me ...
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Grupo Fantasma, "El Existential"
July 16, 2010 4:06 PM EDT 0 0 0 After earning a Grammy Award nod for its 2008 album, "Sonidos Gold," Austin-based Latin funk act Grupo Fantasma returns with another international concoction of sound with its latest release, "El Existential." And this time aroun ...
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The Steve Miller Band, "Bingo!"
July 16, 2010 3:50 PM EDT 0 0 0 The Steve Miller Band's first new album in 17 years, "Bingo!" opens with the declaration, "Hey everyone, I think I'll take this time to have some fun." And that's exactly what Miller & Co. do as they hark back ...
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Kele, "The Boxer"
July 16, 2010 3:44 PM EDT 0 0 0 Bloc Party singer/guitarist Kele Okereke comes out swinging on his solo debut, "The Boxer." Despite branching out from the band, Okereke veers his album in the direction of the London-based act's 2008 set, "Intimacy"-its sou ...
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Hot Hot Heat, "Future Breeds"
July 16, 2010 3:38 PM EDT 0 0 0 After a two-album stint on a major label, Canadian rock act Hot Hot Heat returns to its indie roots for its latest release, "Future Breeds." The move seems to have reignited the group, whose new Dangerbird set pulses with frantic energy. A ...
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Glenn Danzig, "Deth Red Sabaoth"
July 16, 2010 11:32 AM EDT 0 0 0 Glenn Danzig hasn't survived the music business for 30-odd years just because his use of horror-inspired imagery perpetually attracts generations of teens trying to shock their parents. It's his understanding of the niche he's carved ...
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M.I.A., "/\/\ /\ Y /\"
July 13, 2010 12:36 PM EDT 0 0 0 Anticipation is feverishly high for M.I.A. 's third album, and why shouldn't it be? Aside from finally breaching the U.S. pop charts with "Paper Planes," Maya Arulpragasm has founded her career on a seamless pattern of musical in ...
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Delta Spirit, "History From Below"
July 09, 2010 5:49 PM EDT 0 0 0 Delta Spirit is a California band with a Southern-fried sound. This is especially apparent on the group's third album, "History From Below," an attractive showcase of twangy, soulful rock balladry. With lyrical themes ranging from man ...
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We Are Scientists, "Barbara"
July 09, 2010 5:46 PM EDT 0 0 0 Rock act We Are Scientists typically has a good sense of what hits, but on its latest album, "Barbara," the band begins to figure out what misses. Opening track "Rules Don't Stop" showcases We Are Scientists' knack for ...
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The Gaslight Anthem, "American Slang"
July 09, 2010 5:38 PM EDT 0 0 0 The Gaslight Anthem makes music for the red-blooded and blue-collared. And on its newest album, "American Slang" (the follow-up to 2008's critically acclaimed "The '59 Sound"), the group spit-shines its soundtrack for w ...
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Foals, "Total Life Forever"
July 09, 2010 5:35 PM EDT 0 0 0 In an indie-rock music scene that's arguably overloaded with Brit rock and bands named after animals, one would think that British five-piece Foals (which falls into both categories) wouldn't stand a chance. But the group-which is already ...
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Sheryl Crow, "100 Miles From Memphis"
July 09, 2010 5:16 PM EDT 0 0 0 Sheryl Crow's hometown of Kennett, Mo., is indeed 100 miles from Memphis. So she comes by the soul flavor of her latest album-which has periodically crept into its predecessors-honestly. After the understandably dour countenance of 2008's ...
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The Like, "Release Me"
July 09, 2010 5:09 PM EDT 0 0 0 Los Angeles-based rock group the Like takes a decidedly retro approach on its second album, "Release Me," the follow-up to 2005's "Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?" In addition to recording in analog with gear from t ...
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Rhymefest, "El Che"
July 09, 2010 12:49 PM EDT 0 0 0 Chicago-based rapper Rhymefest had a good year in 2004 after winning a Grammy Award for co-writing Kanye West 's "Jesus Walks," which hit No. 2 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. He may remind listeners of this achie ...
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Sarah McLachlan, "Laws of Illusion"
July 09, 2010 12:14 PM EDT 0 0 0 "Here I go again," Sarah McLachlan sings on "Illusions of Bliss." And though the song describes the singer's inability to resist a doomed romance, she might just as easily be referring to her music. "Laws of Illusion&qu ...
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Drake, "Thank Me Later"
July 09, 2010 11:24 AM EDT 0 0 0 Toronto MC Drake has said that he wants fans to feel the different layers of his debut, "Thank Me Later." From the sounds of it, he's held little back, sharing with listeners his deepest thoughts on family, women, and fame. Over a thu ...
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Punch Brothers, "Antifogmatic"
July 09, 2010 11:06 AM EDT 0 0 0 Singer/mandolinist Chris Thile is best-known as a member of progressive blue-grass band Nickel Creek , which is on indefinite hiatus. But Thile's new band Punch Brothers is building a case for bigger fame with the release of its second album, & ...
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Christina Aguilera, "Bionic"
July 02, 2010 12:37 PM EDT 0 0 0 We may have love affairs with all different kinds of gimmicky divas, but it takes Christina Aguilera to remind us that singing really matters. That's not to say the pop star's latest release, "Bionic," is all about her voice, a m ...
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Jewel, "Sweet and Wild"
July 02, 2010 12:27 PM EDT 0 0 0 Two years after she got her twang on, Jewel is still a country girl on her latest album, "Sweet and Wild." But the artist steps a touch closer to the pop side than she did on 2008 set "Perfectly Clear." Fiddle, pedal steel and th ...
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Korn, "Korn III--Remember Who You Are"
July 02, 2010 12:16 PM EDT 0 0 0 A subtitle like "Remember Who You Are" implies a blast back to the past. That may be just what Korn intended by bringing back Ross Robinson , who produced the heavy rockers' first two albums. But "Korn III" (a reference to t ...
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John Mellencamp, "On the Rural Route 7609"
July 02, 2010 12:00 PM EDT 0 0 0 "On the Rural Route 7609" isn't a boxed set meant to show off how many hits John Mellencamp has. There's no "Small Town" or "Hurts So Good"--most of the big ones aren't here. Instead, this handsomely pack ...
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Alex Cuba, "Alex Cuba"
July 02, 2010 11:50 AM EDT 0 0 0 Alex Cuba --the Cuban-Canadian singer/songwriter most recently known for co-writing Nelly Furtado 's 2009 Spanish-language debut album, "Mi Plan"--lets his versatility shine on this follow-up to the psychedelic folk-rock of his 2009 a ...
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Salif Keita, "La Difference"
July 02, 2010 11:42 AM EDT 0 0 0 One of the most alluring aspects of Afro-pop singer Salif Keita's sublime new album, "La Difference," is its intimate feel. The arrangements--at once richly textured and gracefully understated--truly give the listener a sense of Keita ...
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Deer Tick, "The Black Dirt Sessions"
July 02, 2010 11:25 AM EDT 0 0 0 Ragged roots-rock collective Deer Tick wrangled an eclectic indie following with pub-ready musings on life, love and loss on 2007 debut "War Elephant." The group's third studio album, "The Black Dirt Sessions," occupies the ...
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Travie McCoy, "Lazarus"
July 02, 2010 11:14 AM EDT 0 0 0 Relaxation, nostalgia, partying and acceptance. Such are the four stages of Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy's dynamic solo debut, "Lazarus." The 10-track album's inclusion of reggae-influenced beats and dance jams may pola ...
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Nada Surf, "If I Had a Hi-Fi"
July 02, 2010 10:59 AM EDT 0 0 0 Perhaps since it has more than enough original material under its belt for the time being, New York rock act Nada Surf recorded a collection of covers for its latest release, "If I Had a Hi-Fi." The group's poppy guitars and thick, la ...
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Against Me!, "White Crosses"
July 02, 2010 10:42 AM EDT 0 0 0 Mostly known for delivering folk-punk anthems, Against Me! delivers a no-fuss rock collection with its latest release, "White Crosses." The single "I Was a Teenage Anarchist" drives the final nail into the group's punk-rock ...
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The Cure, "Disintegration: Deluxe Edition"
June 25, 2010 12:52 PM EDT 0 0 0 The release of the Cure 's 1989 album, "Disintegration," sparked a dual watershed moment in pop culture. The brooding, sprawling masterpiece was a commercial and critical tipping point for the English band, garnering praise and platin ...
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Ratatat, "LP4"
June 25, 2010 12:46 PM EDT 0 0 0 Ratatat 's appropriately titled fourth album, "LP4," doesn't fall far from the New York electronic duo's 2008 set, "LP3." But the addition of a string section and hand-drums to the group's arsenal of clashing ...
