Avril Lavigne - The Best Damn Thing - Potty mouth mall punk done about as well as it can be. If I were ten (okay twenty) years younger I could listen to this in a fast car or a noisy bar but at my age it feels slightly creepy. I guess I'll stick with Lavigne's elders Joan Jett, Deb Harry and the Go-Gos. My daughter, on the other hand, is probably rockin' the suburbs with Avril as we speak. Recommended.
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero - NIN is the kind of band I admire for doing what they do as well as they do it. I'm just not angry enough to want to listen to it on anything approaching a regular basis. Year Zero is a fururistic "concept album". Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto. I'm sure this'll go over gangbusters in the freshman dorms.
Bebel Gilberto - Momento - Perfectly formed soft sweet gently swaying Brazil-pop. Highly Recommended.
Just Added:
Miles Davis - Return of the Cool
Dinah Washington - September Rain
Minor Threat - Out of Step
Oyster Band - Meet You There - First rate preachy crossover Celt-rock.
The Apples - Tribute to the Beatles - Just like the Beatles but with half the talent! Actually these couple of dozen Beatles coves aren't all that bad in a power-poppy way but that's no excuse.
Wonderboys - Stronger Than You - One of the great things about a subscription service like Rhapsody is the ability to hear "import" albums without having to shell out "import albumk" prices. Wonderboys are a Swedish group - an offshoot of the Trampolines (who were Big in Japan apparently) who do a nice job with their Americana influenced sound.
The Sammies - The Sammies - Promising alt-rock from N.C. combo . Worth a listen.
Blue - Sitting on the Sofa - Another Swedish import. Fine collection of mod influenced soul stompers. If you miss the Jam then this is the album for you, Highly Recommended
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