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Daughtry
2007-12-16 14:31:00
Chris Daughtry starts his first post-American Idol disc with a song whose title reviewers coast to coast will be grateful for: "It's Not Over." What an understatement. For the Idol-watching rock fan's money, nobody--not even Southern-fried heartthrob Bo Bice in season four--stormed the stage with more raw talent. That it translates so well to a solo disc (Daughtry was recorded with studio musicians; future discs will include a Daughtry-assembled band) proves all he needed was a little prodding, the kind the tube has gotten so good at. Here are a dozen songs that'll flick your rock & roll switch, whether you're a Creed fan, a club kid, or a mambo king: "Used To" and "Over You," a couple of early tracks, ought to arrive bundled with a road map they're so highway sing-along-ready, and "Feels Like Tonight" screws the lid on the premise that Daughtry can deliver a punchy pop-rock song without flinching. Elsewhere, the North Carolina family man lets his inner (and outer, actually) go...
More About: Alternative Rock

The Reminder
2007-12-16 14:26:00
Feist is the solo project of Canada's Leslie Feist, a prolific artist who has also played in one capacity or another with Broken Social Scene, Kings of Convenience and half a dozen other bands. The Reminder , her third release, comes from the same well of quiet, appealing songwriting, and delicate vocalizations that made 2004's Let It Die such a sweet treat. This one is a bit more hushed and ballad heavy, closer to Cat Power than Peaches (with whom Feist has also worked with in the past) but maintains an indie-minded blend of confessional pop, jazzy folk, and lo-fi torch songs. The comparatively upbeat single "My Moon My Man" splits her voice off into unexpected harmonies, just dissonant enough to stick in your head. It's hard to predict where her melodies are going to end up; "Brandy Alexander" starts with a simple snap-pulse, and gradually unfolds into a cathartic chorus of sweeping vocal overlays. Throughout, the record profits from a simple, unfussy aesthetic that keeps the pr...
More About: Alternative Rock

Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus [ENHANCED] [SOUNDTRACK]
2007-12-12 10:55:00
Tweens aren't often heralded for their good judgment and excellent taste (Heelys--hello), but if any young starlet can redeem them, it's Hannah Montana . On this, the second soundtrack from the Disney Channel series, Miley Cyrus takes her cues from her TV alter ego, who has an alter ego of her own: Disc 1 features Miley as Hannah, hair-tossing pop princess by weekend, likable schoolgirl by weekday (see "Old Blue Jeans" and "True Friends" to get a sense of each episode's un-cloying sweetness). But disc 2 is the start of something new, as her friends over on the High School Musical set might say: Miley sings strictly as her spunky, truth-telling self. This yields a number of pepped-up pop tracks bound to vibrate through the walls of pink bedrooms everywhere--"See You Again" is a boy-centric song instantly relatable to anyone who's ever been in seventh grade and suffered a bout of bashfulness, "East Northumberland High" puts a punk spin on an I'm-just-not-into-you tale, and "Clear"...
More About: Soundtracks , Soundtrack , Meet

The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere
2007-12-12 10:48:00
For the first time during his historic career the world's best selling tenor Andrea Bocelli will be releasing a collection of his greatest hits. The CD will feature selections from the Bocelli repertoire and include "Time To Say Goodbye" in duet with Sarah Brightman from the 4 time platinum selling Romanza CD, "The Prayer" in duet with Celine Dion from the 2 time platinum selling Sogno CD, plus Bocelli favorites "Because We Believe" from his most recent platinum recording Amore, "Melodramma" from Cieli Di Toscana and more. The release will also feature 4 new exclusive recordings: A duet with one of the world's most popular pianists Lang Lang and new David Foster compositions.There will be a nationally televised concert special airing on PBS - Andrea's first full pop concert that was recorded in July with the Tuscan country side as a backdrop. The concert repertoire includes all the songs the will be on the forth coming Greatest Hits CD and features guests Chris Botti, Kenny G, La...
More About: Andrea Bocelli

Mothership 2CD/1DVD [LIMITED EDITION] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
2007-12-12 10:35:00
Led Zeppelin redefined rock in the Seventies and for all time. They were as influential in that decade as the Beatles were in the prior one. Their impact extends to classic and alternative rockers alike. Then and now, Led Zeppelin looms larger than life on the rock landscape as a band for the ages with an almost mystical power to evoke primal passions.- from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's web page on the band s 1995 inductionIt's rare that a group can truly rock today s world, but the arrival of MOTHERSHIP, the first-ever comprehensive 2CD Led Zeppelin compilation with the soon to follow re-release of The Song Remains The Same on CD & DVD and a concert event reuniting Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones qualifies. Produced by Page and mixed by Kevin Shirley, MOTHERSHIP's 24 monolithic tracks were selected and sequenced by the band, who also oversaw the painstaking remastering. Spanning their epic career, the unprecedented collection pulls immortal songs from all eight ...
More About: Recording , Original , Classic Rock , Limited , Edition

Call Me Irresponsible
2007-12-09 14:36:00
Melding the contemporary and the classic in ways only he can, Michael Buble has created his most complete studio effort yet. Ranging from "I've Got The World On a String" to "Me and Mrs. Jones," in addition to two new songs co-written by Michael, Call Me Irresponsible makes this album irresistible.
More About: Pop , Easy Listening , Call Me Irresponsible

As I Am [ENHANCED]
2007-11-26 19:05:00
By the time this long-awaited album saw its release date, most fans had probably read at least a couple of interviews with Alicia Keys in which she explained that first single, "No One"--a firestorm of a song clearly born of a sore heart and steeped in serious soul-searching, was about her decision to retreat from the obligations of stardom when she found out a loved one was in need of her care. The anecdote sticks not just because it explained the song so well--you can actually hear the pain, commitment, and determination in her sultry voice--but because it gets at what makes the woman behind the music so appealing. There's only one way R&B artists grow to become legends, and it's by drenching the words they sing with feeling (think Gladys Knight, Roberta Flack). The skeptical listener might have had her doubts before As I Am, but there's no mistaking it now: Alicia Keys is well on her way to sharing a category with them. This record radiates not just old-soul maturity, the kind...

Raising Sand
2007-11-08 09:01:00
The musical collaboration of the decade, Raising Sand is the sound of two iconic figures stepping out of their respective comfort zones and letting their instincts lead them across a brave new sonic landscape. Despite hailing from distinctly different backgrounds, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant share a maverick spirit and willingness to extend the boundaries of their respective genres. This spirit, expertly honed by producer T Bone Burnett, has resulted in an album pitched three steps beyond some cosmic collision of early urban blues, spacious West Texas country, and the untapped potential of the folk-rock revolution. Supported by the unparalleled musicianship of Marc Ribot, Dennis Crouch, Mike Seeger, Jay Bellerose, Norman Blake, Greg Leisz, Patrick Warren, and Riley Baugus, Plant and Krauss -- as both solo and harmony vocalists -- tackle an intriguing selection of songs from such tunesmiths as Tom Waits, Gene Clark, Sam Phillips, Townes Van Zandt, The Everly Broth! ers, and Mel Ti...

Magic
2007-11-08 08:48:00
Magic, Bruce Springsteen's new studio recording and his first with the E Street Band in five years, is set for release by Columbia records on October 2, 2007. Produced and mixed by Brendan O'Brien, the album features eleven new Springsteen songs and was recorded at southern tracks recording studio in Atlanta, Ga.
More About: Magic

Kill to Get Crimson
2007-11-01 14:53:00
Building on last year?s Grammy®-nominated All The Roadrunning collaboration with Emmylou Harris, his highest charting non Dire Straits album to date Top 20 Pop, scanning 400,000 copies in the U.S. acclaimed singer-songwriterguitarist Mark Knopfler unveils his fifth solo album, Kill To Get Crimson. While certain to appeal to his loyal fan base, the album?s artful guitar rock will also entice new fans to Knopfler?s signature sound (he?s #27 on Rolling Stone?s 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time), instantly recognizable vocals and smart lyrics. A multiple- Grammy winner who has sold more than 110 million albums worldwide, Knopfler remains one of rock?s most admired artists.
More About: Album , Rims

One Chance (With Bonus Tracks)
2007-11-01 14:42:00
Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts has spent most of his life feeling 'insignificant'. Bullied at school for being 'different', he realized growing up that he had one true friend and that was his voice. Singing was his escape. He was able to lose himself in his own little world - the vicious words of his tormentors replaced by hauntingly beautiful lyrics and melodies that lifted his heart and spirit. It was a love, a passion, a lifeline that would follow Paul into adulthood and help him through many more periods of adversity.
More About: Chance , Bonus , Tracks , Album

Blackout
2007-11-01 14:03:00
Track Listings1. Gimme More2. Piece Of Me3. Radar4. Break The Ice5. Heaven On Earth6. Get Naked (I Got A Plan)7. Freakshow8. Toy Soldier9. Hot As Ice10. Ooh Ooh Baby11. Perfect Lover12. Why Should I Be Sad
More About: Album , Blackout

Shine
2007-10-18 18:51:00
Joni Mitchell is generally considered to be the single most important female singer-songwriter of the 20th Century. Her new CD features 10 great new songs that resonate on the level of some of her all-time classic work, with much of the material inspired by Joni?s passion to save the environment. Her lyrics on the subject are truly inspiring.
More About: Shine , Artis

Coco
2007-10-18 18:27:00
Singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat is one of the most celebrated artists to emerge from the growing talent pool of digitally-savvy self-launched artists, whose rise to prominence as the #1 unsigned artist on the popular myspace site has been largely due to her refreshing sense of understatement. With no marketing push and only the power of the music behind her, Caillat became a sensation on the social networking site. Rolling Stone highlighted her as one of the top female artists on myspace. Ultimately, her number of friends swelled to more than 100,000. Her profile has been visited over 3 million times, and she has more than l0 million plays. She's currently averaging 50,000 + a day.The songs on Caillat's debut album COCO mirror the Malibu-born Caillat's low-key, refreshing style. Armed with her acoustic guitar and her dusky vocals, she evokes the same gentle, yet spirited style of her musical influences John Mayer, Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill and The Weepies. The laid-back tempo o...
More About: Coco

CURTIS - 50 CENT
2007-10-04 23:31:00
Delayed release dates, slow-moving singles and G-Unit restructuring made 2007 a rough year for Curtis ?50 Cent ? Jackson. Now, ?Curtis? seems to be a mirror of where the MC is in his career: muddled. Though the album is good, for an artist of 50 Cent ?s caliber, it?s not great. ?I Get Money,? ?Man Down,? ?My Guns Go Off? and the Mary J. Blige-assisted ?All of Me? partially redeem his pop forays, and it?s nice to hear his gruff street stories and charming lyrics. Sadly, those aren?t in abundance on songs that too often sound like 2007 versions of earlier hits. ?Fully Loaded Clip? successfully updates ?How to Rob,? but neither ?Follow My Lead? nor ?Amusement Park? truly recaptures monster smashes like ?21 Questions? or ?Candy Shop.? In the end, ?Curtis? just doesn?t offer enough of the old slick-talking, charismatic 50 Cent. Curtis

BLUEFINGER - BLACK FRANCIS
2007-10-04 23:30:00
Cause for celebration: Erstwhile Pixies frontman/rock ?n? roll lifer Charles Thompson is back for another round, this time reclaiming his ?old? stage name Black Francis and rocking out harder on record than he has in years. For ?Bluefinger,? Francis drew inspiration from iconic Dutch musician/painter Herman Brood, whose mercurial, drug-fueled life and dramatic suicide color most of the album?s lyrics. The Brood cover ?You Can?t Break a Heart and Have It? is one of the high points, a furious power-trio jam on the barrelhouse blues number, complete with backing vocals by Francis? wife, Violet Clarke. ?Threshold Apprehension? has angular guitars, lung-busting lead vocals and ?oo-wee-oos? by Clarke that should remind listeners of the Pixies? Kim Deal. But no less enthralling is laid-back fare like ?Discotheque 36,? its easy groove informed by Thompson?s recent forays into Americana.
More About: Black Francis