The Good the Bad & The Queen To open this oddball supergroup's debut, Paul Simonon hints at "Guns of Brixton," and when Tony Allen's flex rhythms come in, there's a shadow of Fela Kuti, too. Then Damon Albarn's slow grit of a voice enters—framed by Simon Tong's flecked guitar. And collectively, The Good, the Bad, & the Queen is quickly sui generis, adamantly different than anything you think you've heard. A band with this much power has at least two options: to cut loose raucously or to mute their overt power for a more covert, dub-inflected atmospheric potency. Smartly, Albarn and his crew opt for the half-light of elastic bass lines, the clouds between the parentheses of drums—the covert. It's not until "Kingdom of Doom," the erstwhile 'single' of the album, that motion expands beyond the languorous. And even then, Tony Allen largely sits out. You get the full flush of Simonon and Allen on "Three Changes" shuffling time even while holding the tempo to a dubbish gait. It's not Blur, the Clash, Fela, the Verve, or Gorillaz. It's more than just names on albums. —Andrew Bartlett

Alanis Morissette When Alanis Morissette visited Mother India in 1997, she gained new composure and, in a state of numinous bliss, wrote 17 songs for Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, each suffused with the search for enlightenment and self-knowledge. To the likely dismay of many fans, Morissette now rages at herself. But this long-awaited follow-up to 1995's record-smashing Jagged Little Pillis far from a disappointment. Imbued with dark, swirling psychedelic licks borrowed from Jimmy Page's song book, the disc is paradoxically both more enigmatic and revealing than Pill. And while Junkieshows that Morissette is no less stingy about revealing herself to her fans—her staccato stream-of-consciousness style is again employed to surrender her secrets and foibles a little too easily in these tales of abuse, lost love, and self-flagellation—Junkiealso makes one wonder what this musical sphinx holds back. In "Baba" she takes on competitive spirituality, sneering at the fashionable grasp for enlightenment. "Would Not Come" returns to a similar theme—taking us on a tour of her diary. "Would Not Come" and "Your House" offer the only hints of sexual innuendo. The only revenge she wreaks on an errant lover is in the percussive "Are You Still Mad," this time dishing up a much subtler payback than on "You Oughta Know." The record's standouts, meanwhile, are "Thank U" and the hip-poppy "So Pure." One complaint (and there is only one): Morissette's rapid-fire wordplay is at times engulfed by ponderous instrumentation. The worldbeat rhythms and elaborate guitar play add fresh twists to the album, but they also sometimes bury her message. —Jaan Uhelszki

The Chemical Brothers One can never accuse the Chemical Brothers of consistency. We Are the Nightcontinues their eclectic electronica approach even though the big-beat groove of the title track remains their digital calling card. Spotted with a minimalist keyboard pattern, vocal non sequiturs, and sampled sound effects, the infectious groove of "We Are the Night" eventually evolves into the monotone-chanted dance chorus of "We are the night skies/We are the bright lies," recalling Brian Eno circa Here Come the Warm Jets. However, for every catchy electro-dance, there's a tune that leaves you scratching your head. What to make of the novelty song "The Salmon Dance" is anybody's guess, though you might find some illumination in a salmon recipe on their Web site. With fractured nursery-rhyme lyrics that are sung like an off-color Sesame Streetrap, it will drive you up the wall—or at least toward the skip button. Then there's Midlake singing the trancey ballad "The Pills Won't Help You Now," making the Chemical Brothers sound like a sci-fi version of Coldplay. Retro-analog synthesizers dominate, with the electro-grooves of "Das Spiegel,""Burst Generator," and "Saturate," which builds on a Kraftwerk-forged metal framework coupled with storming sampled drums. The circuits of '70s techno-pop artist the Normal are re-soldered on "Do It Again." With Ali Love singing the title-track chorus, it's built to be a summertime anthem akin to Tag Team's "Whoomp! (There It Is)," albeit robotically chilled. —John Diliberto

Madonna Madonna’s eleventh, and final, studio album for Warner Bros., Hard Candyis a brilliant up-tempo collection that adds a hip-hop beat to the cultural icon’s club sensibilities, thanks to collaborations with Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, and Nate "Danja" Hills. Following her previous studio album, 2005’s Confessions On A Dance Floor, which debuted #1 and has sold more than 8 million copies around the globe, Hard Candypunctuates the first 25 years of the album career of the most successful female artist in history with a musical exclamation point.

Madonna Photo

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The Confessions Tour - Live from London (CD+DVD) [LIVE]

Confessions on a Dance Floor

Madonna: GHV2 (Greatest Hits Volume 2)

Ray of Light

Madonna [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Like a Prayer

The Immaculate Collection (1990)

Something to Remember [SOUNDTRACK]

Like a Virgin [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

True Blue [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Music

Madonna - Video Collection 1993-99 (1999)

Madonna - Drowned World Tour 2001

Madonna - The Girlie Show (Live Down Under) (1993)

Bedtime Stories

Erotica [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

I'm Going to Tell You a Secret [SOUNDTRACK]

American Life [ENHANCED] [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

You Can Dance

The New Radicals Until its shallow posturing gets to be just too much, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Toois fodder for a decent game of Spot the Influence. Singer/songwriter Gregg Alexander's admittedly well-crafted project is indebted to the vaguely funky pop-rock of World Party. But despite airplay for the single "You Get What You Give," he isn't tuneful enough to make his empty social pronouncements stick as more than fleeting entertainment, and when he starts dissing his hooky betters Courtney Love and Beck as "fakes," there's little to do but laugh. At him, not with him. —Rickey Wright

The White Stripes Jokingly referred to as the White Stripes' British album, Elephantis scattered with cultural references that give away the fact it was recorded far from home. Just listen to the lyrics on "Seven Nation Army" ("From the Queen of England to the hounds of Hell") or the album outro, in which someone chips in, "Jolly good, cup of tea?" But while there are new twists here, from Meg White discovering her voice to a tongue-in-cheek threesome with Holly Golightly, Elephantis no great departure for Jack and Meg White. They still push their creativity (and the boundaries of their eight-track) to new heights. Check out the startling, Queen-inspired "There's No Home for You Here," while the deep bass line on "Seven Nation Army" makes it a classic indie dance track. But while some songs fly off into new realms, there's plenty of their trademark straight-up bluesy rock, notably the overtly sexual "Ball and Biscuit." And there's Jack's plaintive, resolutely modest and yet theatrical voice. —Caroline Butler

Everclear If scientists strived to merge crunchy, hook-heavy pop-rock-punk and the super-shiniest production techniques this side of Smashing Pumpkins, the result would probably sound exactly like Everclear's Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude. It's a hit-or-miss outing. On the one hand, it's a step up from the tepid Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1, and it takes the boys back to the loose but mighty muscularity that made Sparkle and Fadesuch a delight. Art Alexakis and company take some chances, like the funky groove of "Babytalk" and the ballad to bombast and back again of "Out of My Depth." On the minus side, the production is so slick that there's no friction, and rock music without friction is like, well, like large chunks of this Attitude. Definitely a mixed bag from Everclear. —Jason Josephes

Zwan On initial hearing, Mary Star of the Seaby Zwan—Billy Corgan's first musical project after the Smashing Pumpkins—sounds light and breezy. His new bandmates— Slint/Tortoise guitarist Dave Pajo, Skunk guitarist Matt Sweeney, A Perfect Circle bassist Paz Lenchantin and fellow Pumpkin Jimmy Chamberlain on drums—have given Corgan a fresh perspective and his time as touring guitarist for New Order seems to have heightened his love for mid-80s British indie. There are moments of straightforward jangle pop herein, while "Settle Down" reflects the moody angular style adopted by the likes of Interpol. He also appears to have fallen in love. "Honestly" has Corgan sighing "There is no place I could be without you…I feel love" like a newly reborn soppy fool. "Declarations of Faith" has him declaring "maybe we were born to love" to a gooey melody that recalls American Anglophile indie bands like Papas Fritas.

It's all a million musical and spiritual miles away from the messy pretension that led to the end of the Pumpkins. As the album progresses, though, Zwan merge this new perspective with the FM radio suss that characterised the best of the Pumpkins to produce a record that takes in 70s balladry and a 14 minute Spiritualized tribute (the title track) without feeling forced. There is even a nod to Britpop ("Baby Let's Rock!" is Suede pretending to be Menswear). It'll all end in tears, of course, but on this record Corgan's having the time of his life. —Ian Watson

Gorillaz A side project doesn¹t usually hit gold, especially when said project is a quirky virtual collective fronted by cartoon characters. But the first, self-titled album by Gorillaz—the brainchild of illustrator Jamie Hewlett and Blur frontman Damon Albarn—actually hit platinum and turned into a surprise worldwide hit. Naturally expectations were a lot higher for Gorillaz's sophomore effort, but Demon Daysactually is even better than its predecessor. With producer Dan "the Automator" Nakamura gone, Albarn, a.k.a. 2D, has paired up with DJ Danger Mouse (responsible for the infamous Grey Albumthat illegally mixed the Beatles and Jay-Z) to steer the musical ship, while a whole new slew of guests enlivens the proceedings. Albarn has described Demon Daysas being darker, but there's a real kooky dance-party vibe coursing through the CD. Despite its somber tone, "Kids with Guns" is lifted by a killer bass line, for instance, while the catchy first single, "Feel Good Inc," is augmented by an appealing contribution from De La Soul. Other noteworthy guests include Roots Manuva and Tricky collaborator Martina Topley-Bird on the dubby "All Alone" and Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder on the bouncy "DARE." And yet it's a 69-year-old actor who gets to deliver the most baffling contribution—just listen to Dennis Hopper's spoken-word narrative on "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head."Elisabeth Vincentelli

The Flaming Lips After two expansive yet winsome epic albums like The Soft Bulletinand Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robotsthat dealt with the inevitability of death in the face of life, the Oklahoma City art provocateurs have abandoned the concept album approach and done an about face. They've returned to their earlier canon, channeling their messy psychedelica through a 70s funk scrim, and yet again figured out a way to elevate the ordinary to the sublime—even out-weirding Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd on a track like "Pompeii," and precariously balancing out on the astral plane on "Wizard Turns On." And while you might be tempted to believe that this band is just about their cartoonish space bubbles on pink rabbits, it is at your own peril. At War With the Mysticsis an intelligent and searing indictment of George W. Bush, his administration, suicide bombers, superficiality and undeserved stardom—branding them all sinners of similar stripe. A song like "Sound of Failure/It's Dark...Is it Always This Dark?" boldly calls out pop culture princesses Gwen Stefani and Britney Spears, but not without first giving them a wet kiss goodnight. "Free Radicals" is a precious soul romp that sounds like Prince in his prime, but instead was oddly inspired by a dream about Devendra Banhart, and is an sharp arrow aimed straight at the heart of would-be terrorists. Major domo and head Lip Wayne Coyne is a shrewd observer of human nature, and an even shrewder songwriter and this album stands as his greatest and most varied work yet. —Jaan Uhelszki

Yeah Yeah Yeahs With Show Your Bones, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs follow up to the heralded Fever to TellKaren O economizes on the screaming that so marked the trio’s debut EP. And oh how she exceeds her oft-noted influences (PJ Harvey and Chrissie Hynde, for two): Whether she’s hanging back with a staggered beat on "Phenomena," or riding on the kick-drum-pounded opening to "Honeybear," she’s always ready to disappear in a burst of Nick Zinner’s guitars and Brian Chase’s drums. The YYYs thrill precisely because of their keen mix, Karen O spiking the upper ranges (dig the caterwaul in "Mysteries") with a sharply cut vocal line or a simple, full-bodied singsong delivery while the guitars spin thick storms of sound before retreating to atmospherics (try the transition from the quick throttle of "Cheated Hearts" into the Cure-ish "Dudley," for one example). And marvel at how well radio would be served by blasting the acoustic, pleading vibe of "Warrior." Fabulous. —Andrew Bartlett

Billy Corgan Odd it may seem, Billy Corgan is wearing his heart on his extremely long sleeve, in his first proper solo album since dismantling the Smashing Pumpkins five years ago. Maybe it took that long to process the enormity of that loss, since The Future Embracesounds like nothing so much as a break-up album. But having said that, it's rather difficult to determine whether it's the absence of James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlain, and D'Arcy Wretzky or just something much more mundane than the shattering of an affair of the heart that his sent him on this 12-song confessional. To his extreme credit, Corgan isn't trying to obscure his pain and uncertainty behind layers of guitar distortion and sonic dissonance the way he did with the Pumpkins, instead he's employed a rather restrained hand as he tries to work his way out of this psychic maze of his own making, cavorting with the ghosts of his past, present and future on such kinetic panoramas as "All Things Change,""DIA," or the rather wrenching "The Camera Eye," where the musician wrestles with his fear of aging, his burgeoning religiosity as and the necessity of transformation. Don't miss Robert Smith singing rather angular back-ups on the Bee Gee's skewed ode to love, "You Don't Know What It's Like." A tremendous and noble effort from a major talent. —Jaan Uhelszki

No Doubt After No Doubt sold more than 10 million copies of Tragic Kingdom, riding that wave of success without toppling over must have been a daunting mission. No sweat for No Doubt. The band toiled as national unknowns with a loyal local following for a decade before that album's release, and during that time the band members were learning how to be better songwriters and musicians. The follow-up, Return of Saturn, glides along that continuum of songcraft perfection. The band presents a cleaner, less apologist representation of their influences. They pull off some of the more difficult maneuvers of pure reggae, ground-pounding ska, and Cars-esque New Wave. Gwen Stefani, the fearless Orange County princess, belts a powerful pout, her Mae West-meets-Siouxsie Sioux vocal bravado the bungee cord that springs in between the band's retro tendencies and SoCal pop-punk attitude. It seems believable that she could stamp her foot and always get her way, but her self-deprecating confessions evade brattiness. Songs like "Bathwater" and "Ex-Girlfriend" reveal the singer's vulnerability to being hurt or dumped on, and the band's sense of humor and exploration (albeit firmly controlled) matches the songs' sentiments. This group is growing out and tightening up, and while the rest of the ska-punk surfer-dude bands do nothing more than repeat history, No Doubt is creating it. —Beth Massa

Andrea Echeverri Intentionally or not, Andrea Echeverri's self-titled solo disc plays like a natural sequel to Julieta Venegas's Si. It's a comparison that both helps and hinders Echeverri, best-known as the lead vocalist for Colombian rock heroes Aterciopelados. All 12 tracks (and a bonus remix of "A Eme O") ride a mid-tempo, chill-out groove, anchored by Echeverri's thoughtful vocal work. And like Venegas's outing, Echeverri's album is a marked difference from earlier work, leaving behind crunchy rock guitars for lullaby-like arrangements and soulful grooves. But whereas the commercial appeal of Venegas's Sihad the taste of a calculated career move, Echeverri's work seems like a natural extension of her musical instincts. In fact, the album touches on Echeverri's recent pregnancy and the joys of motherhood, which gives the album the wistful, personal feel of a love letter. —Joey Guerra

Pearl Jam Vitalogyreaffirms the Seattle quintet's status as the principled, proudly confused voice of a generation. On their third album, they've found their footing as a raw, forward-looking '90s rock act that fearlessly tackles the Biggest Questions. Lead track "Spin the Black Circle" celebrates the healing power of Eddie Vedder's LP collection, but it is overshadowed by such masterstrokes as "Immortality" (which can be read, right or wrong, as a reaction to Kurt Cobain's suicide), the Lennonesque "Tremor Christ" and a thrilling anthem for the pro-choice movement, "Whipping."—Jeff Bateman

The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, The Flaming Lips' long awaited follow-up to 1999's The Soft Bulletin. Guest artist Yoshimi P-we plays with psyche-noise-experimental group the Boredoms and leads her own band OOIOO. The Yoshimi in the songs, however, is a fictional character. 11 tracks. 2002.

Beck Beck is bummed. Reallybummed. And if song titles such as "Lost Cause,""Lonesome Tears,""Already Dead," and "Nothing I Haven't Seen" don't make the point, his achingly sad lyrics and Sea Change's unerringly downcast sound do. While 1998's Mutations—arguably the singer-songwriter's masterwork and Sea Change's spiritual cousin—was filled with unflinching self-examination, moments of levity were found in songs like "Tropicalia." Not so on Sea Change. Beck's woozy, almost narcoleptic delivery seems to amplify the set's sense of ennui. But sad isn't necessarily bad, and despite the somber tone, there's much to praise, not the least of which is the return of producer Nigel Goderich (Mutations, Radiohead), who wraps Beck's gloom in a dreamy, warm blanket of soft strings and floating bleeps and gurgles. Like Daniel Lanois, Goderich is all about vibe, and even Beck's most bare-bones songs benefit from billowy atmospherics. That's especially true of "Paper Tiger," a restless, slowly building epic improbably propelled by a languid orchestra and Beck's expressionless drone. The inky black feel of "Round the Bend"—a glacially slow dirge with muffled vocals—may be the darkest thing Beck's ever written, not counting the very grim "Already Dead." Whatever's going on in Beck's world, at least we know he's purging, which, all things considered, may be better for his soul than ours. —Kim Hughes

Café Tacuba

The Killers Sawdust includes "All The Pretty Faces" (which was the b-side of "When You Were Young"); two movie soundtrack tunes, "Shadowplay" (a Joy Division cover from Control, Anton Corbijn's biopic of Ian Curtis) and "Move Away" (from Spiderman 3); as well as a cover of Kenny Rogers & The First Edition's "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" (written by Mel Tillis)

The collection will also contain songs which weren't completed for Hot Fuss and Sam's Town. The Killers recently went back into the studio to finish the tracks, including "Tranquilize" featuring Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lou Reed.

Oasis

Various Artists It would be impossible—and unfair—to expect The Matrix Reloadedto surpass the dizzying special effects, philosophical mind-twisters, and wicked sci-fi mayhem of the first Matrixmovie. The same holds true for its soundtrack sequel which, like the original, sets an ominous atmosphere with industrial beats, in-your-face metal riffs, and supersonic computerized techno. Highlights include Linkin Park's swirling morass of scratches, stutters and keyboards; the grooves thrown down by Oakenfold and Fluke that party with the gloom of a burned-out factory; and Rob Zombie, P.O.D., and Marilyn Manson's explosive, brain-bending digi-rock. Unfortunately, for the most part, the dark patches of Reloadedplod rather than soar (the Deftones' murky "Lucky You"), and rehash tired ideas instead of creating new frontiers (an Oakenfold remix of Dave Matthews Band that sticks out like khaki pants at a goth club). Surprisingly monotonous, Reloadedis unfortunately yet another second act that pales in comparison to its predecessor. —Annie Zaleski

Café Tacuba

Various Artists Among the recent glut of good-cause charity albums, No Alternativestands out as the best, both for its performances and its cause (proceeds benefit the Red Hot organization in the fight against AIDS). The high points are Soul Asylum's unlikely cover of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing;" outtakes from recent albums by Chicago's Urge Overkill and Smashing Pumpkins;"Unseen Power of the Picket Fence," the major-label debut by Pavement; a surprise hard-rocking Nirvana track, and "Memorial Song," an a capella tribute from punk godmother Patti Smith to the late Robert Mapplethorpe. —Jim DeRogatis

The Strokes An acclaimed debut prompts one of two kinds of follow-ups: either the band strives to broaden their palate or they attempt to deepen the colors they splashed all over that heralded first effort. The Strokes' second outing falls in the latter camp. In the tradition of the Ramones'Leave Homeand Oasis'(What's the Story) Morning Glory, the Strokes largely stay the course with their second full-length release, producing an album that won't cause the stir that its predecessor did, but has a sneaky appeal all its own. Thanks to the quintet's Lower East Side roots, Velvet Underground and Television references abound with these guys, but Boston new wavers the Cars, and in particular their hit-heavy second album, 1979's Candy-O, provide a more suitable point of reference for Room on Fire. As with Ric Ocasek and company, Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas and his cohorts have a Cars-like knack for sly riffs that creep deeper into ones consciousness with each listen. Not much longer than a half hour from start to finish, this 11-song is modest in intent and execution, and succeeds quite nicely on its own terms. —Steven Stolder

Smash Mouth Smash Mouth make no apologies for keeping the party going on their fourth album. There they again turn out a lighthearted mix of surf music, reggae lite, and beach anthems, even going so far as to graft a snippet of the Beach Boy's "Good Vibrations" onto "Hot" just to make sure we don't miss the point that they are thepreeminent summer band of their time. But they're at their best when they're anthropomorphizing their cars ("Hot") or singing the praises of driving in the fast lane, ("105") as they turn up the heat on the subversive-sounding Farfisa organ, conjuring up the greasy spirit of ? & the Mysterians. They're less appealing when they're reminiscing about the awkwardness of a school dance on "Seventh Grade Dance" or extolling mall culture. —Jaan Uhelszki

Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas

The Strokes

Pearl Jam

Modest Mouse It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment Modest Mouse started sounding like a real band. For the longest time, singer-songwriter Isaac Brock seemed to exist solely to defy the established rules, forging forward on sheer momentum and ingenuity. Even Pavement looked relatively ordinary in comparison to the band's early releases like 1996's This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think Aboutand 1997's The Lonesome Crowded West. But on Good News for People Who Love Bad News, the frontman sounds like he's finally touching the earth, and the band—minus founding member and drummer Jeremiah Green—follows suit. A relaxed mood prevails, not so much in volume but in attitude. On the follow-up to the group's 2000 major label debut, The Moon & Antarctica, big sloppy melodies battle it out with brass on punky epics like "Float On" and "The Ocean Breathes Salty." The lyrics are simpler, the arrangements tamer, but the vitality remains. The prevailing mood is that Modest Mouse has pulled off something extraordinary here: a well-rounded, lovable record that doesn't sound anything like David Gray. —Aidin Vaziri

Foo Fighters It’s likely that a decade after its debut record this band now has fans who might ask, "You mean Dave Grohl was in a band before the Foo Fighters?" But they, or any Foo followers who pine for the increasingly refined vocals and polished pop-punk uniformity of the first four albums, will swallow this one whole—or at least half. For as much as vocalist/bandleader Grohl and Co. mix a similar concoction on the 20-song double CD, they manage to agitate the formula ever so slightly. Disc one follows the Foo’s classic sonic blueprint: lip-smacking melodies and enigmatic lyrics, double-barrel guitars and drums that attack. But songs take a gentle turn on the second CD, showcasing Grohl’s underrated vocals amidst a high-energy ensemble of acoustic guitars, piano and mandolin (by studio guest John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin). Singing, not shouting, Grohl flips potential teen-rock anthems like "Miracle" and "Cold Day in the Sun" (with drummer Taylor Hawkins handling lead vocals) into impending adult-oriented radio staples and, 11 years after Nirvana, the Foo Fighters may finally have their triumph. —Scott Holter

Garbage Despite making it through a difficult four-year stretch in which the band temporarily broke up, singer Shirley Manson left her husband, and new technologies made the sleek electro-rock sound of its first three albums feel passé, Garbage resurfaces in rude health on Bleed Like Me. Manson is still kickboxing the air and stomping the glitter under her heels, as she channels Debbie Harry and Chrissie Hynde on edgy glam-rock anthems like "Run Baby Run" and "Metal Heart." All the while three bookish producers in the background—including Butch Vig, who famously helmed Nirvana's Nevermind—turn up the sleazy machine-like rhythms. Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl sits in on the drums for the menacing "Bad Boyfriend," but it's the confessional title track Bleed Like Me"—part "Walk on the Wild Side," part therapy session for former cutter Manson—that shatters Garbage's image as the ultimate non-stick studio band. "You should see my scars," goes the chorus. And, for once, Manson is actually willing to reveal them. — Aidin Vaziri

Various Artists The fourth in the series of Top 40-tracking compilations strikes a good balance between pop radio played-to-death singles, R&B standouts, and straight-up rock chart stormers. The beginning of the disc is packed with requisite teen pop; however, the Britney Spears offering "(You Drive Me) Crazy" will probably disappoint those who were hoping for the more recent "Oops!... I Did It Again"). This disc, where the Italian group Eiffel 65's dance-pop smash "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" lives in the same space as Blink 182's "All the Small Things," Ben Harper's "Steal My Kisses," and Macy Gray's "I Try," is like channel surfing during drive-time radio hours and scoring with every hit of the "seek" button. —Beth Massa

Weezer Limited Edition Japanese Import. Rare 6 track CD numbered for authenticity.

R.E.M.

The Vines Hailed by a growing number as "the future of rock," the Vines are more a conglomeration of the best of the past. The Sydney, Australia, quartet sounds alternately like Nirvana, the Beatles, T. Rex, and even the Beach Boys (and, at times, all of those blended together). On Highly Evolvedthey present 12 flawlessly crafted songs, each one living up to the title of the album and first song. The wistful yearning of "Homesick," the breakneck force of "Get Free," and the gritty party of "Sunshinin" are proof alone of their deserved success. Sonically more complex than their stripped-down contemporaries White Stripes and the Strokes, the Vines write songs worthy of orchestration. But unlike White Blood Cellsor Is This It, this album lacks cohesion. Each song is a world to itself, never quite uniting with the others. But such a critique, normally reserved for more established bands, shows the extent of the Vines’ accomplishments—getting compared to the greats your first time out isn’t too bad. —Laura Etling

Various Artists John Lennon would have turned 67 in 2007. If alive, he could well be at the forefront of bringing peace to Darfur, where more than half a million have died from violence and disease during four years of rebel discord. So to create awareness of the ongoing conflict, Amnesty International (with permission from Yoko Ono) has mined Lennon's solo work and rounded up nearly two dozen current artists to reinterpret the music, which spans the ex-Beatle's entire post-band catalog (plus a pair from while the Fab Four were still in business). As with any attempt to cover Beatles-related music, results are hit and miss, with kudos going to Snow Patrol and the Postal Service for capturing the starkness of "Isolation" and "Grow Old with Me," respectively, Mexican rock band Jaguares for uncovering the fear and fury in "Gimme Some Truth," and (surprise!) Christina Aguilera for nailing the complex composition and mood of "Mother." Other highlights include Jackson Browne's piano-led "Oh My Love," Green Day's louder straight take on "Working Class Hero," and the Black Eyed Peas turning "Power to the People" into a gospelly protest. Will resurrecting 30-to-40-year-old messages of peace and love be enough to help end the brutalities in Darfur? That remains to be seen. But selecting John Lennon as the author of those messages will make people listen and, with this collection, may keep them listening. —Scott Holter

Incubus A rare case in which a band actually gets better with time, this California hard rock quintet seems to have finally grown into its skin on its fifth album. Casting off the dated slap-bass funk and pointless nu-metal angst of its early years (well, mostly), Light Grenadesis not only a worthwhile follow-up to 2003's A Crow Left of the Murder—the expansive disc many fans consider Incubus's best—but shows improvements all around. Singer Brandon Boyd has learned to temper the words he plucks out of the thesaurus with genuine heartbreak, while the rest of the group proves it can do a lot more than offer up nonstop grooves. —Aidin Vaziri

Various Artists A splendid Seattle-scene overview featuring the likes of Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, Mudhoney—everyone of note, in fact, save Nirvana Bonus: two songs from Minnesotan Paul Westerberg, his first since folding the Replacements. —Jeff Bateman

Weezer There's a classic episode of The Little Rascals where one of the gang can't join everybody else on the ballfield because he has to stay home with his younger brother, who has the croup. "I can't come out and play," he whines. "I've got to stay home and grease Wheezer!" Nobody at Geffen Records knows whether this was the inspiration in naming Weezer, but it makes sense. Like many of their peers, the members of the Los Angeles quartet seem to have spent their formative years in front of the TV; when they were a little older, they were just as entranced by college rock. Finally, ala the Rascals, one of the gang said, "Hey, kids, let's put on a show!," and the result is Weezer's uplifting, unpretentious, and extremely endearing debut.

The self-titled Weezeris lean and mean at 10 short, punchy tunes, but nearly every one is powered by a larger-than-life chorus or a simple but effective lyric. "Undone-The Sweater Song" uses an unraveling sweater as a metaphor for a relationship on the rocks;"Buddy Holly" pays heartfelt tribute to the '50s rocker, and "In the Garage" paints a scene of suburban teens jamming while surrounded by posters of Kiss. Producer Ric Ocasek of Cars fame pushes the vocals and rhythm guitars, and this bare-bones approach may earn comparisons to fellow garage-pop band Green Day. But Weezer has more in common with the late, lamented Big Dipper, another group of slacker wiseguys that you just had to love. —Jim DeRogatis

Thom Yorke This is Yorke's first solo album. "The Eraser" features nine new tracks and was produced by Nigel Godrich. Thom is currently on tour with Radiohead, who are showcasing brand new material alongside old favorites. Radiohead continue to tour through the summer, playing the US in June and festivals across Europe in August.

More from Thom Yorke and Radiohead

OK Computer, Radiohead

Kid A, Radiohead

The Bends, Radiohead

Hail to the Thief, Radiohead

Pablo Honey, Radiohead

Amnesiac, Radiohead

Green Day Green Day takes the title International Superhitsliterally, offering a no-surprises compilation of all the songs that made a big dent on commercial radio. From the pop-punk heroes' breakthrough album Dookie("Longview,""Welcome to Paradise") through Insomniac("Brain Stew"), Nimrod("Good Riddance [Time of Your Life]"), and Warning("Minority"), if a record produced a hit, that song is on this album. There are only two new tracks on the Superhits(both recorded a couple of months before the album's release)—the spazzed out rock & roll singalong "Maria" and the puppy-dog love of "Poprocks & Coke." Because International Superhitsdoesn't pull from Green Day's early EPs and Lookout albums or offer any live variations, though, this album is really only one for the serious-minded collectors who don't want to skip past a single Green Day release. — Jennifer Maerz

Aterciopelados

No Doubt

Radiohead Radiohead Photos        

More from Radiohead

OK Computer
The Bends
Kid A
Pablo Honey
Amnesiac
The Astoria London Live

Queens of the Stone Age Nick Oliveri may have departed, taking his naked bass playing skills with him, but Queens of the Stone Age remains in good hands with co-founder Josh Homme. Putting extracurricular projects like Eagles of Death Metal and the Desert Sessions briefly on hold, the restless front man keeps things dependably loud and sludgy on the group's third album. Monster riffs, choppy rhythms, explosive melodies, and, yes, even a generous serving of cowbell, propel standout songs like "Medication" and "Little Sister" on the follow-up to 2002's breakthrough Songs for the Deaf. Friends also lend a hand. ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons shreds through the reverberating "Burn The Witch," while Garbage's Shirley Manson and the Distillers' Brody Dalle join Homme for a tantalizing threesome on "You Got A Killer Scene."— Aidin Vaziri

Jack Johnson For a man who gets his biggest kicks surfing the waves and strumming his guitar on a lonely beach in native Hawaii, singer-songwriter Jack Johnson has carved out quite a remarkable career on the mainland. His 2003 album, On and On, debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 and subsequently went platinum on the back of hit single "The Horizon Has Been Defeated." The follow-up, meanwhile, seems destined to shine even brighter. The drifting chords and soft voice are still in place, only now Johnson's instinct for melody has sharpened alongside his ability to self-edit. These small concessions make third album, In Between Dreams, his most conspicuous, particularly on tracks like the three-minute relationship drama, "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing," and "Breakdown," a song he originally recorded for Handsome Boy Modeling School's White Peoplealbum remade here to reveal its full stripped-down loveliness. Imagine all the coconuts it will buy. — Aidin Vaziri

Pearl Jam

Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews doesn't exactly seem thrilled about this release. But how would you feel if you made an album with a producer you didn't like, dumped it, and then woke up one morning to find it leaked on the Internet and available at every bootleg stall in New York City? That's pretty much what happened with "The Lillywhite Sessions," the unreleased, darker predecessor to the blockbuster Everydayalbum. Rather than turn their back on the fans, however, Matthews and company returned to the studio to do the job right. On Busted Stuff, they revive those solemn songs with diligent intensity, creating lovely swaths of melancholy and transcendence. Elegant tracks like "Grace Is Gone" and "Digging a Ditch" replace the dreary gloss of the last album with dazzling intimacy, and even the band's usual tendency for meandering jazz-rock flights is kept in check by the sheer weight of the material. Impressive stuff, in spite of what Matthews apparently thinks. —Aidin Vaziri

Moby Elektra lived through Moby's wild musical mood swings only to have him jump ship to V2 Records where, on first try, he produced a genius, groundbreaking album that made him a household name. What's a hapless major label to do? Why, put out a quickie compilation attempting to cash in on his newfound fame, of course. Moby Songsis a veiled "Best of the Elektra Years" collection of the techno wizard's singles released under the Elektra umbrella. The problem with this disc is that Moby's discography is Babe Ruthian in its homerun-to-strikeout ratio. Furthermore, his best work occurred before and after he signed with the label. That leaves Elektra pulling 6 of the 13 tracks off of Everything Is Wrong(Moby's only consistent work while signed on). The rest is culled from his famously awful alt-rock offering Animal Rights, his collection of soundtrack work I Like to Score, and the title track from the MoveEP. Moby Songsonly serves those who are more morbidly curious with a snapshot of the man's scattered track record. Those who are interested in his finest should stick with his self-titled debut (which includes the rave classics "Drop a Beat,""Everything,""Next Is the E," and the original version of "Go") and Play. —Beth Massa

Audioslave What was widely predicted to be a short-lived supergroup/side-project, Audioslave has instead gratifyingly yielded a bona fide band here. The follow-up to their promising, if not quite artistically congealed '02 debutfinds singer/songwriter Chris Cornell contributing a slate of songs that would have done his former Soundgarden proud, while guitarist Tom Morello and his former Rage Against the Machine bandmates cast them in a focused rhythmic groove that suggests the old school can still yield a timely lesson or two. Cornell's best songs may still lurk in the shadows (the funeral hypno-blues of "Heaven's Dead," the martial metal of anti-war opener "Your Time Has Come,""The Worm" as anthem for self-loathing), yet they're now brightened with such surprisingly sunny fare as "Dandelion,""Doesn't Remind Me"'s charged, existentialist daydream and even a hook-rich, dangerously optimistic back-to-the-future power ballad in "Be Yourself." Morello's work on the title track and elsewhere is a study in taste and less-is-more efficiency, a telling hint of how forcefully these iconic 90's stars have sublimated their egos as their new music has blossomed; who said there are no second acts in American (rock) lives? —Jerry McCulley

Weezer Weezer, those geek rockers who topped mid-'90s charts with those oh-so-precious pop fables "Undone (The Sweater Song)" and "Buddy Holly," were almost undone by 1997's bombastic Pinkerton. Their sophomore release turned its back on the band's clean-cut debut, with a thrash approach more influenced by Sabbath and Kiss than the Beach Boys. On their third album (self-titled, like their first, but referred to as the "Green Album"), the band makes a concentrated effort to return to anthemic '60s punky pop, demonstrating that, for Weezer at least, it's rather easy being green. In fact, one could say they're almost as green as Green Day, especially on "Knockdown Dragout." At their best, Weezer show such boundless energy and gleeful aplomb that you'd swear you were listening to a lost Badfinger album. Conversely, Rivers Cuomo's twisted genius makes its way onto the anxious and paranoid "Hash Pipe" and the jittery "Glorious Days," making the "Green Album" the most absorbing and rounded vision from these pop masters yet. —Jaan Uhelszki

Various Artists A sampler CD from Universal's "Gold" collections series.

Pearl Jam It's strange to think Pearl Jam was once herded under the grunge umbrella alongside pathos-spewing acts like Nirvana and Alice in Chains. The Seattle group's eighth album (give or take the 72 bootleg-style double CDs they released in 2001) has more in common with classic rock institutions like Crazy Horse and the Band than the snarling forces that were trying to tear away at their legacies. Appropriately, Riot Actis built on thematic pillars—love, death, politics—and fueled by dense, uncompromising power chords. It takes yet another step away from the courteous tones of the band's cornerstone LPs, Tenand Vs, and proudly flaunts egotism ("I know I was born and I know that I'll die/ The in-between is mine," Eddie Vedder sings on "I Am Mine") and a dark underbelly ("Green Disease"). But it's far from insufferable: If any band can make self-obsession sound hospitable, it's Pearl Jam. And when Vedder sneaks in the line "All you need is love" on the rollicking "Love Boat Captain," he proves that despite his furrowed-brow demeanor, he's a born entertainer. —Aidin Vaziri

The Hives It's about time some authority finally declared the Hives the greatest live band in the world. And The Black and White Album, their third U.S. full-length, as a jaw-dropping facsimile of a band leaping and lurching live, three feet from your face. Big backing vocals, propulsive rhythms, and twin-guitar thickness, will have you convinced the Swedish quintet is playing live inside your head. Yes, the trope of "Tick Tick Boom"—Black and White's first single—has come up in rock before (P.O.D., Saliva). But the Hives do the exploding "Boom" thing leaner, Pelle Almquist leading massed-vocal choruses and bright, fist-raised guitars—meshing upstart garage punk and sheer pop style. Black and Whitespills infectiously catchy singles, with the sing-song, stomping chorus of "Try it Again" ("up and down and round again/You get up, you get down, and you try it again") and maracas, and counter-riffing guitars creating a fab dance-floor vibe with the boom-boom-slap of the drums a perfect backdrop. Then there are the other 12 tunes here, a couple electro-tinged and the rest making a persistent case for these Swedes to be burned on your brain. —Andrew Bartlett

Madonna Apparently there's nothing in the Kabbalah that disallows sweaty, head-spinningly good dance music, because here comes a flame-haired Madonna hawking a dozen songs' worth: Confessions on a Dance Floordarts seamlessly from Madge's early days, when she emerged as the genre's enduring darling, through the political, kiddie, and acoustic pap that drove a wedge between her and early adopters of the fingerless glove look. Songs like the pop-leaning "Jump" and first single "Hung Up"—an adrenaline drip on high that, like many of these tracks, will inspire mild shame among those who've thrilled to the much thinner disco-dusted outpourings of younger divas recently—represent both a return to form and an unmistakable march into the future. "Get Together" is a sonic freak-out in the best sense;"Push" traffics in gut-level futuristic trance; and "Forbidden Love" loops in 80s blips and bleeps for a follow-me-into-the-past effect that's both neo and retro. For all the image-affirming innovations here, though, these confessions find Madonna framed in her share of reflective moments too. "Was it all worth it/How did I earn it?" she asks on "How High," a song featuring vocoder. "Nobody's perfect/I guess I deserve it," comes the answer. A later lyrical inquiry is left for the listener to judge: "Does this get any better?" Madonna wants to know. But that opens the door to a dizzying proposition. Few of us would have guessed, after all, that it got this good. —Tammy La Gorce

Gabriel Yared This soundtrack to City of Angelshas a mighty tall order to fill. The film is a remake of Wim Wenders'Wings of Desire, and the German director is known for his effective use of music. But where Wenders can call on his friends such as R.E.M. and Elvis Costello to contribute songs, City of Angelsfeels more like a marketing device. No less than half the selections are by Warner Bros. artists, including some new music by Alanis Morissette, her first since Jagged Little Pill. That song, "Uninvited," is the album's highlight, a restrained modal ballad in the mode of Zeppelin's "Kashmir." The rest alternates between other female stars such as Paula Cole and Sarah McLachlan and bluesy selections from Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, and Eric Clapton. —Steven Mirkin

The Shins Indie-rock's hardest-working slackers finally release their third album, on which they've made the clear transition from bedroom-pop to stadium-rock without losing everything that makes them great. Those soaring vocals that sound like the unholiest collision of the Cure and Simon and Garfunkel, the nimble pop hooks that are never overused, those lyrics that are as self-deprecating and razor sharp as they are playful—dude, it's all still here. Relax, you can still swoon. Musically, there are some new elements, from the ragged surf-rock that propels "Pam Berry" to the near hip-hop beats of "Sea Legs" and percolating electronica on "Sleeping Lessons" (which two thirds of the way through shows Band of Horses how to write a song). Wincingis neither the clever genre recombinant exercise of their second album nor is it the perfect little self-contained universe of their debut. This is not the Shins' best album; it's their growing pains third record. James Mercer has learned how to shout his words so the folks in the back row can hear; a slightly harder edge and more confidence is on display. But it doesn't gel fully. Mercer remains one of the most talented songwriters working in pop today, and what this album proves is that the group deserves to move beyond the little Zach-Braff-movie-watching, This-American-Life-listening, Frappuccino-sipping demo-ghetto they've found themselves in. Wincingconfidently bristles with stupendous and smart rock music that deserves to be enjoyed by your kid brother and your folks as much as your dorm-mates. —Mike McGonigal

The Shins Get Their "Sea Legs"

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Stone Temple Pilots Shangri-La Dee Damay not be STP's most commercial outing, but the disc's 13 tracks comprise a satisfying aural journey despite its lack of quick-fix hits along the lines of "Sex Type Thing" and "Wicked Garden." From the dark, grinding rhythms and obfuscated vocals of "Dumb Love" to the lovely "Wonderful" to the buoyant power pop of "Days of the Week" to the edgy and disturbing "Coma," myriad facets of the lineup's musical temperament are explored. "Bi-Polar Bear" hints at STP's humor, though Shangri-Lais by no means lightweight; singer Scott Weiland's passionate and personal lyrics—especially on a touching ode to his infant son, "A Song for Sleeping"—are affecting and apt. The fifth outing from this California crew who've survived grunge and thrived in its aftermath is masterful and mature effort from a band who've spied some light at the end of their tunnel. —Katherine Turman

No Doubt There have been more baffling occurrences than the late-1990s ska revivial in the US—but not many. Yet somehow, this distinctly British movement—arising specifically out of the country's polarised racial dynamic—managed to cross over, finding an eager audience among suburban American teens, most of whom viewed it less as a social determinant, than as a stylistic outcrop of skate-punk and hardcore. Fronted by platinum-blonde Gwen Stefani, No Doubt defied the genre's traditionally masculine archetype, just as their sound—part Two-Tone, part Blondie—hinted at broader commercial ambitions. The supremely annoying "Just A Girl" might have bought them to mainstream attention, showcasing Stefani's little-girl delivery, but it was their subsequent singles——"Don—"Don't Speak", a melodramatic power-ballad, and the bouncy, irrepressible "Sunday Morning"—which really proved their mettle, even as their new-found success alienated many long-time fans. —Andrew McGuire

Beastie Boys The hiatus is back off, again, for the Beastie Boys, and music lovers will bob their heads with insuppressible glee. With its Nice & Smooth impersonations and shout outs to Brooklyn's Albee Square Mall, To the 5 Boroughs, their first album in six years, harkens the return of the trio to the city that made them who they are today. It's an up-tempo yet surprisingly homogenous assemblage of vintage electro-style party beats, and it's a strictly Beastie affair: the Boys co-wrote and produced each track themselves, which means that it sports none of the sonic fripperies and quirky collaborations that distinguished previous classics such as Paul's Boutique. Finally jelling after two years of on-again, off-again recording, To the 5 Boroughswill appeal to those fans old enough to remember the Licensed to Illtour. Those old-schoolers are sure to appreciate the album's mostly off-the-cuff lyrics and minimal-to-the-extreme musical landscape—even if its stripped-down sound may leave others longing for the days when the Boys were California dreamin'. —Rebecca Levine

The Mars Volta The genesis of The Mars Volta's new album The Bedlam in Goliath is a tale of long-buried murder victims and their otherworldly influence, of strife and near collapse, of the long hard fight to push "the record that did not want to be born" out into the world. Omar was in a curio shop in Jerusalem when he found the Soothsayer, an archaic Ouija-style "talking board." Had he known at that moment that the board's history stretched far beyond its novelty appearance, that its very fibers were soaked through with something terribly other, that the choral death and desire of a multi-h