MUSIC BITS ‘N’ BEATS
By your host Takis Haggiandreou

Week of 31/01/ -07/02/2010

This week’s Top 5 UK/US

UK

(1) Fireflies (Owl City)
(2) Replay (Iyaz)
(3) Don’t stop beleivin’ (Glee Club)
(4) Starstruck (3 Oh!3/Katy Perry)
(5) Riverside (Sidney Samson/Wizard Sleeve)

US

(1) Tik tok (Ke$ha)
(2) Bad romance (Lady GaGa)
(3) Empire state of mind (Jay Z/Alicia Keys)
(4) Bedrock (Young Money/Jeezy)
(5) Replay (Iyaz)

(B) One Year ago….. Top 5 UK/US.

(1) Just dance (Lady GaGa/Colby O’ Donis)
(2) Day’n’ nite (Kid Cudi/Crookers)
(3) Broken strings (James Morrison/Nelly Furtado)
(4) Issues (Saturdays)
(5) Let it rock (Kevin Roudolf/Lil Wayne)

US

(1) Just dance (Lady GaGa/Colby O’Donis)
(2) Single ladies (Beyonce)
(3) Heartless (Kanye West)
(4) Live your life (T.I./Rihanna)
(5) Love story (Taylor Swift)

5 Years ago……..Top 5 UK/US

UK

(1) It’s now or never (Elvis Presley)
(2) Only U (Ashanti)
(3) Goodies (Ciara/Petey Pablo)
(4) Galvanize (Chemical Bros)
(5) Shine (Lovefreekz)

US

(1) Drop it like it’s hot (Snoop Dogg/Pharrell)
(2) Let me love you (Mario)
(3) 1, 2 step(Ciara/Missy Elliott)
(4) My boo (Usher/Alicia Keys
(5) Over and over (Nelly/Tim McGraw)

© This and that

………. The nominees for the 2010 BRITs have been announced and the UK press overfloweth with talk of the female pop rockets who look set to dominate proceedings. "Brits A Girl Thing" screams The Sun, after Lily Allen, Florence & The Machine, Pixie Lott and Lady GaGa were shortlisted for three prizes apiece. However, the big story here has to be the complete absence of a certain Susan Boyle.

How can this be? Without question, the big story of 2009 in music was the emergence of the Scottish warbler, who walked onstage an unknown at "Britain's Got Talent" one day and wandered off minutes later the biggest talking point in international entertainment. Her debut album, "I Dreamed A Dream", was amongst the year's biggest and has only just been shifted from the American chart summit after a six-week run.

What exactly is the problem with the BRITs judging panel? Elsewhere in the nominations, it's difficult to fault too many decisions, with Robbie Williams an absolute cert to bring next month's bash to a spectacular climax. However, the drab beyond compare list of acts competing for the 30th anniversary album prize - Phil Collins, Sade, Dire Straits, Dido, Travis, no Radiohead, Blur, Stone Roses and the wrong Oasis album - is further evidence of how out of touch these people are.

Even Ged Doherty, BRIT Awards Chairman and head of Boyle's record label, Sony, who have seen eight million copies of her debut sold around the world in just two months, called the snub "a crime". "I can't explain it…..

….The "Hope for Haiti Now" charity album debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 171,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan, becoming the first digital-exclusive set to top the tally in its nearly 54-year history . . .

(C) CD Spotlight

“Animal” by Ke$ha

….pop singer Ke$ha scored a No. 1 hit with her frothy first single, "TiK ToK," but the 22-year-old protege of Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald still has plenty to prove on her debut album, "Animal." Luckily for her, the set teems with choruses that stick with the listener for days, from the blissful "Your Love Is My Drug" to the catty "Backstabber." Equally prevalent, however, are the heavily processed vocals, which make it difficult to tell whether Ke$ha can actually sing. The song "Take It Off," which lifts heavily from Robert Miles 1995 trance-lite hit "Children," demonstrates how easily individuality can get lost in a sea of Auto-Tune. Another misstep is the ageist, Vanity 6-biting "Dinosaur," which could only appeal to the most heartless of teens. (Ke$ha blares on the chorus, "You need a CAT scan!") But she does have a point: This music is definitely not for the faint of heart.

(D) CD Spotlight

“This is war” by 30 Seconds to Mars.

When 30 Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto wants to go epic, he doesn't go halfway. In nearly every song on the band's third album, "This Is War," Leto enlists the services of a backing choir (some of the vocals were provided by fans, recorded at a series of so-called summits held around the world), while others came from a group of Tibetan monks. Produced for the most part by U2 collaborator Flood, the new album rarely operates at anything less than a frenzied fever pitch, with thundering percussion grooves ("Vox Populi"), Leto's top-of-the-lungs yowl ("Search and Destroy") and wave after wave of Edge-style guitar theatrics ("Kings and Queens"). A widely reported collaboration with Kanye West ("Hurricane") didn't make the album-Leto has blamed label issues-but perhaps that was for the best. It's not easy to imagine where the rapper would have found room to fit here.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Backtracks” by AC/DC.

The most popular version of the new AC/DC boxed set, "Backtracks," will be the one that includes a CD of B-sides and other rarities, a CD of live performances and a DVD of videos. But the real prize is the deluxe configuration, available from the band's Web site, which includes an extra CD of performances, a DVD of a 2003 concert, a vinyl record, a high-quality photo book and replicas of various memorabilia-schoolboy outfit not included -in a case that doubles as a working amplifier. As for the music, AC/DC has spent three decades giving old-fashioned rock the frenzied energy of metal, and the band hasn't heard a riff that's too raucous (check out the song "Stick Around") or a double-entendre that's too crude (one rarity is called "Snake Eye"). The concert -a 2003 performance from Munich-shows the band in its true element, as guitarist Angus Young seems to sweat out his own weight onstage. It's good, dirty fun.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Them Crooked Vultures” by Them Crooked Vultures.

With Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme on guitar/ vocals, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl on drums and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones on bass/keyboards, Them Crooked Vultures' self-titled debut comes with a high pedigree and even higher expectations. Like Monsters of Folk (Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward and Mike Mogis), this rock supergroup delivers by drawing upon each member's talents and creating a sound that's refreshingly singular and remarkably fun. "Them Crooked Vultures" features technically polished, bluesy guitar-driven bar rock, with the song "Mind Eraser, No Chaser" and first single "New Fang" relying on start-stop tempos and punishing solos. While Jones adds depth on bass and Grohl's drumming is predictably top-notch, Homme commands the spotlight throughout the album with sexually charged yet haunting vocals. "I don't need a reason, baby/Put your arms around me," he sings on "Caligulove" before an unexpected keyboard solo sweeps the track in a different direction. The set may be a one-off experiment, but the band's chemistry points to a potentially bright future with this star-studded lineup.

(D) CD Spotlight

"If on a Winter's Night . . ." by Sting.

Sting has said that his latest album, "If on a Winter's Night . . .," was inspired by his favorite cold-weather season. But what's surprising about the best cuts from the 15-track set is how much heat the Police frontman and his varied collaborators create. On "Christmas at Sea"-a Robert Louis Stevenson poem set to music by Sting and Scottish harpist Mary MacMaster-the players layer folky string-band licks over a percolating African-inspired groove, and "The Burning Babe"-based on a 16th-century poem by the Jesuit writer Robert Southwell -climaxes in a surprisingly fierce bit of sax-and-drums clatter by jazz veterans Kenny Garrett and Jack DeJohnette Elsewhere, Sting recasts "The Hounds of Winter" (from his 1996 album "Mercury Falling") as a slow-mo bossa nova with percussion by Brazil's Cyro Baptista And "Hurdy Gurdy Man" turns a bit of Schubert into a fireside lullaby.

(D) CD Spotlight

“My Christmas” by Andrea Bocelli.

It's difficult to know which of Andrea Bocelli's duet partners on his first holiday album, "My C hristmas," makes for the most unlikely match with the Italian pop-classical crooner. There's Mary J. Blige, who bends the melody of "What C hild Is This" into new R&B shapes. There's also Reba McEntire, next to whom Bocelli couldn't sound less down-home, in a gently swinging version of "Blue C hristmas." Of course, neither of those stars usually work in children's venues, nor are they made of felt-both of which are the case with the Muppets, who show up for "Jingle Bells." (More characteristic guests on the set include Natalie C ole, Katherine Jenkins and the Mormon Tabernacle C hoir) Though there's no shortage of starchy church-service fare ("Angels We Have Heard on High," "Adeste Fideles"), much of "My C hristmas" seems intended to show off Bocelli's previously disguised playfulness. That doesn't mean it's terribly playful-his version of "Santa C laus Is C oming to Town" doesn't contain a drop of wit. But isn't it nice to hear the big guy try?

(D) CD Spotlight

“Christmas in the heart” by Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan is so far into the creative renaissance that began with his 1997 album, "Time out of Mind," that even fans could forget his knack for taking unexpected left turns. But even by Dylan's standards, his new album "Christmas in the Heart" is an odd one-a collection of straight-ahead Christmas songs that benefits Feeding America, as well as food charities in other countries. But it will remind listeners that for nearly a decade Dylan has been working on his croon-exploring musical styles that are more polished than folk and blues. This set, which mixes holiday classics like "Here Comes Santa Claus" with lesser-known songs like "Christmas Island" and a raved-up, accordion-heavy take on "Must Be Santa," includes a breadth of styles that reminds one of Dylan's satellite radio show as much as his albums. And speaking of left turns, he sings part of "O Come All Ye Faithful" in Latin-and gets away with it.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Congregation of the Damned” by Atreyu.

Atreyu's 2007 release, "Lead Sails Paper Anchor," found the band experimenting with a softer side when the group's Alex Varkatzas ditched his snarling growl for clearer vocals. But Atreyu has resharpened its teeth on its new album, "Congregation of the Damned," which features the return of Varkatzas' deadly scream. But the set still features somber moments, as heard on songs like "Wait for You," "So Wrong" and "Insatiable." Traces of Atreyu's earlier material-like the 2004 "The Curse-can be found on "You Were the King, Now You're Unconscious," "Stop! Before It's Too Late and We've Destroyed It All" and "Bleeding Is a Luxury"-all of which contain back-and-forth vocal exchanges between Varkatzas and drummer Brandon Saller, mixed with chugging guitars, heavy bass and pounding drums.

(D) CD Spotlight

Various Artists, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "

Given that last year's "Twilight" soundtrack sold more than 2 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, it's not surprising that the sequel's companion album largely reproduces the first set's alt-rock grab-bag approach-albeit with bigger names befitting the higher profile of "New Moon." Music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas landed top-shelf exclusives from the Killers (the spacey, piano-led "A White Demon Love Song"), Thom Yorke ("Hearing Damage," a tense piece of digital electro-funk) and Death Cab for Cutie ("Meet Me on the Equinox," guitar-guy melancholia at its prettiest). But Patsavas' real accomplishment is using "New Moon" to introduce mainstream listeners to hipster-beloved indie acts: Grizzly Bear contributes a typically gorgeous psych-folk incantation called "Slow Life" (with guest vocals from Beach House's Victoria Legrand), and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon duets with St. Vincent on "Roslyn," which could warm even a vampire's heart.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Out of ashes” by Dead By Sunrise

There's a question that lingers when listening to the debut album from Dead by Sunrise, the new project from Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington: What can he do musically in this setting that he can't in his day job? The answer, apparently, is quite a bit. Bennington's emotive vocals and a similar quiet-to-loud dynamic identify Dead by Sunrise with Linkin Park, but "Out of Ashes" is grittier and more punk-driven. This is best displayed on the punchy groove of "Crawl Back In," the blistering cadence driving "Inside of Me," the three-chord attack of "My Suffering" and the butt-kicking rock of "End of the World." Bennington and his Dead by Sunrise bandmates (who hail from the electronic rock band Julien-K also display a deft touch with atmospherics and textures on tracks like "Too Late," "Give Me Your Name" and the goth-tinged "Let Down," among others. On the opening track, "Fire," Bennington searches for "a way to keep my pain from burning down to the bone." But his agony is the listener's sonic gain, so let it burn.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Kaleidoscope” by Tiesto

Only Timbaland could corral a guest list more impressive (or more eclectic) than the one on Dutch producer/DJ Tiesto's new studio album, "Kaleidoscope." Atop Tiesto's whooshing keyboards and pulsating beats, the new set features vocals from Nelly Furtado, Tegan & Sara, Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke, Calvin Harris and Sigur Ros' Jonsi Birgisson, among others. Unlike Timbo, Tiesto isn't much of a songsmith-a lot of this is longer on groove than on tune, and it all hews pretty closely to one sonic template. The listener can't always tell why one track called for the folk-soul stylings of Priscilla Ahn ("I Am Strong"), for example, as opposed to Okereke's post-punk yelp ("It's Not the Things You Say"). Still, there's no denying the big-room throb of cuts like Furtado's "Who Wants to Be Alone" and "Knock You Out," with Metric singer Emily Haines. And given the generally faceless nature of most trance albums, "Kaleidoscope" represents a virtual avalanche of personality.-

(D) CD Spotlight

“Black gives away to blue“ by Alice in Chains.

Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley is gone but hardly forgotten-at least not as an integral component of the band's murky, melodic brand of hard rock. The quartet returns 14 years after its last new studio album (and seven years after Staley's death), with an 11-track set that sounds like it could well have been recorded in the same session as the 1995 "Alice in Chains." New singer William DuVall's voice boasts the same kind of cadence and weight as Staley's, and more importantly his vocal blend with guitarist Jerry Cantrell ensures that that integral harmonic trademark remains intact. So does Alice in Chains' dark countenance, from the twisting opening of the song "All Secrets Known" to the sinewy groove of the first single, "Check My Brain." The droning "Private Hell" takes the listener into a trance-like state, while the album-closing title track is a salute to Staley that features Elton John on piano.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Crash Love” by AFI

AFI’s eighth studio album, "Crash Love," remains faithful to the arena-ready pop noir that made the rock band a multiplatinum superstar earlier this decade. Singer Davey Havok once again puts on his best Smiths-esque strut while dancing his way through glammy new wave beats, bouncy rhythm sections and first-pumping choruses. The track "End Transmission" is dressed up in '80s charm, bolstered by a punchy bassline and pounding keys, while gang chants and pulsating synths pepper "I Am Trying Very Hard to Be Here." Listeners will be hard pressed to find a single screamed vocal; it's as if AFI has finally made the transition from "Nightmare Before Christmas"-like spook punk to polished goth-pop. Even though "Crash Love" isn't terribly progressive in scope and the band's '80s idolatry might one day run its course, the set is ultimately another highlight in a discography that's as consistent as it is expansive.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Brand New Eyes” by Paramore.

Paramore has flirted with rock stardom in the past few years, thanks to hits like "Misery Business," "That's What You Get" and "Decode." But the band's new album, "Brand New Eyes," marks its full-fledged introduction to rock's elite class. Past efforts have ultimately fallen short of fulfilling Paramore's full potential, but the band has finally redefined its sound-a blend of fast-paced rock ("Careful" and the lead single, "Ignorance") and upbeat picture-perfect pop ("Brick by Boring Brick," "Playing God"), with both styles buoyed by monster singalong choruses. The best parts of "Brand New Eyes" come when the guitars and lyrical themes are heavy. But thankfully, very little here carries the same Hot Topic mentality that crept onto "Decode," Paramore's contribution to the "Twilight" soundtrack. Although the new set may lack the wide-eyed naivete that made the group's past efforts so endearing, the newfound maturity makes for a compelling set of songs. 

(D) CD Spotlight

“Backspacer” by Pearl Jam.

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder still uses a typewriter to craft lyrics, and the band's new album, "Backspacer," is named for a key on his favorite old technology. A reluctance to dismiss the past has always marked Pearl Jam's career, and this newest effort specifically. To help recapture its rollicking, mid-1990s energy, Pearl Jam recruited its longtime producer Brendan O'Brien. "Backspacer" opens with a charging block of fast-paced, radio-ready alt rock, while "Gonna See My Friend" and the Police-ish "Got Some" ride on sizzling guitar riffs that play off Vedder's signature impassioned vocals. The lead single, "The Fixer," is a buoyant pop gem. The whole album has a pleasurable mix of lean, mean rock'n'roll and pensive ballads that reflect both the state of the world and the band's place in it. The album closes with "The End," a string-tinged love song with a careful beauty that proves that Pearl Jam has not only returned to form, but has revitalized itself.-

(D) CD Spotlight

“Artwork” by The Used.

On The Used's fourth full-length album, "Artwork," the rock band is distancing itself from musical descriptions like "emo" and "screamo." Singer Bert McCracken, who mixes impassioned shrieking with earnest lyrics, rejects these genres and instead offers "gross pop" as another suggestion. Energized by its new direction, the Used pushes boundaries with the frenetic lead single "Blood on My Hands," whose video features McCracken as a gleeful, blood-soaked vigilante. But the song doesn't so much reinvent the band's sound as amplify it. Other tracks like "Sold My Soul" and "The Best of Me" highlight the Used's knack for crafting brutal yet crowd-pleasing anthems. But there are some surprises on "Artwork"-McCracken dials down the screaming and blood lust on the polished, piano-driven "Kissing You Goodbye." This track may not represent the evolution the Used has imagined for itself, but it suggests depth beyond the labels the group hopes to leave behind.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Get Lucky” by Mark Knopfler

Fifteen years removed from the global success of Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler is ever the quiet craftsman, sculpting one modest gem after another beyond the spotlight (at least in the United States). It's a shame that his solo music is largely ignored outside the States, because his albums are cohesive and complete in concept and they boast an aural bonanza of sound. "Get Lucky" is a tribute to the experiences and personalities of Knopfler's youth. The album takes sonic sojourns to the likes of Scotland ("Border River") and the Wild West ("Cleaning My Gun"), and the songs all seem to lock, with such prayer-like moments as the lovely "Remembrance Day." Listening to "Get Lucky" feels like a journey, where great care has been taken to ensure that you'll come back a little better.

(D) CD Spotlight

"The Blue Ridge Rangers Ride Again" by John Fogerty

John Fogerty released his first solo CD, an album of covers on which he played all the instruments, under the name the "Blue Ridge Rangers," and he revives that concept on 2009's The Blue Ridge Rangers Ride Again. Where the first smacked of the righteous zeal of a young purist, Ride Again is a lot looser in its attack, something reflected in how it splits the difference between country and rockabilly classics and reflective numbers from '70s songwriters. These unexpected covers of John Prine, Delaney & Bonnie, and John Denver offer a peek at a sweeter, gentler Fogerty, a Fogerty who can also be heard on how he lays back instead of pushing ahead on Buck Owens' "I Don't Care (Just as Long as You Love Me)" and Ray Price's "I'll Be There," and even on his revamp of his own neglected swamp rocker "Change in the Weather." He can still raise an unholy ruckus, wailing his way through Gene Simmons' rockabilly classic "Haunted House" and joyously duetting with Bruce Springsteen on the Everlys' "When Will I Be Loved," but Ride Again isn't a raucous rock & roll album, it's a relaxed good time, a little bit of cheerful nostalgia that's pretty charming.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Ursa Major” by Third Eye Blind.

After a few false starts and pushed-back release dates, Third Eye Blind's fourth full-length release, "Ursa Major," will finally see the daylight. Six years have passed since the release of the rock band's last album, "Out of the Vein," but the new set finds the group is still writing upbeat and off-kilter pop songs. The first single, "Don't Believe a Word," is outwardly political yet vintage Third Eye Blind, complete with singer/guitarist Stephan Jenkins' trademark hip-hop-cadenced verses and a fist-pumping singalong chorus. "Bonfire" and "Summer Town" are breezy, bouncy anthems, while the slow burner "Monotov's Private Opera" combines delicate acoustic guitar with pitter-patter percussion and Jenkins' hushed vocals. It's ultimately encouraging to hear the singer declare, "Let's start a riot, me and you/'Cause a riot's overdue," on the album opener "Can You Take Me"-proof that the band hasn't lost its swagger. "Ursa Major" isn't Third Eye Blind's crowning jewel, but it's a welcome return to form after such a lengthy hiatus.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Hot mess” by Cobra Starship.

Cobra Starship first gained momentum after the 2006 release of its "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)" theme song for "Snakes on a Plane," and the New York dance-rock act hasn't stopped since. Its third full length album, "Hot Mess," is full of rhythmic dance songs and power-pop anthems -- the set even includes a song title shout-out (crowd-mover "Pete Wentz Is the Only Reason We're Famous") honoring Decaydance founder and Fall Out Boy bassist Wentz. "Nice Guys Finish Last" is a theatrical track layered with co-ed vocals, while "Fold Your Hands Child" opens with harmonies and glistening new wave synth beats taht are similar in tempo to Chris Brown's "Forever." Catching your breath isn't an option on the danceable "The Scene Is Dead; Long Live the Scene," but Cobra Starship is joined by Atlanta rapper B.o.B on the slow jam "The World Will Never Do." The band also collaborated with "Gossip Girl" actress Leighton Meester on the track "Good Girls Go Bad." If you don't finish this part record a hot mess, then you probably didn't have a good time.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Horehound” by The Dead Weather.

The debut album from Jack White's new rock band the Dead Weather was recorded quickly at his Third Man studio/label/vinyl shop in Nashville. The propulsive 11-track "Horehound" finds the White Stripes and Raconteurs frontman every bit as able on the drums as he is on guitar. On the dub-inflected garage-hop banger "I Cut Like a Buffalo," White throws down a funky beat while delivering vocals. His drumming is best reflected on "No Hassle Night," an otherwise slow and soulful tune that begins with thrash metal speed. Allison Mosshart, who is best-known as the singer for rock duo the Kills, lends angry vocals to "60 Feet Tall" and "Hang You From the Heavens." Guitarist Dean Fertita switches between organ and guitar as easy as he does Blue Cheer and Tubeway Army, while bassist Jack Lawrence provides the bottom end on a keyboard-bass that combines the sounds of Roger Glover and John Lord. The Dead Weather's gothic and electric R&B sound is exemplified on "Treat Me Like Your Mother," and the quartet demonstrates psychedelic swagger on a blistering cover of Bob Dylan's "New Pony."

(D) CD Spotlight

“Battlefield” by Jordin Sparks.

On her 2007 self-titled debut, former "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks compared love to permanent body art and her entire supply of oxygen. Lyrical themes get a bit murkier on her appropriately titled sophomore effort, "Battlefield." "You better go and get your armor," Sparks sings on the title track of the new 12-song set, where similarly dark sentiments prevail throughout. "No Parade" is a radio-friendly ballad written and produced by Scott Cutler, Anne Preven and Dapo Torimiro. On the track, Sparks doesn't lament an actual breakup, just that it's so uninteresting. She triumphantly purges those feelings on the rock-influenced "Let It Rain," which carries a religious subtext, as does "Faith," one of four tracks that Sparks co-wrote. "Battlefield" takes an uptempo turn on "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)," with its dance-worthy chorus provided by '80s freestyle queen Shannon. Meanwhile, Dr. Luke and T-Pain lend their touch to "Watch You Go," on which Sparks proves she can straddle pop and R&B, while also evoking the synergy between joy and pain.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Leave this town” by Daughtry.

American Idol" graduate Chris Daughtry established himself as a hard-driving rocker with his band's 2006 multiplatinum debut album. After an impressive couple of years, Daughtry and his band -Josh Steely (lead guitar), Brian Craddock (rhythm guitar), Josh Paul (bass) and Joey Barnes (drums)-return with similar aggression on their sophomore album, "Leave This Town." Daughtry's ferocious growl is still the centerpiece of the new songs, but the band has also taken a few creative risks. The singer pulls the reins on his powerful voice for "September," while the acoustic-rock-meets-country ballad "Tennessee Line" features a guest spot by Vince Gill. Daughtry also dials his vocals back on the catchy ballad "Life After You," which was co-written with Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger. But heavy hitters "No Surprise," "What I Meant to Say" and "You Don't Belong" find Daughtry indulging his rock fans by showing off his gravelly pipes. Overall, "Leave This Town" is a reflective piece about leaving the past behind-a concept Daughtry may have contemplated three years ago while traveling from his home in North Carolina to the "American Idol" stage in Los Angeles.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Life Death Live and Freedom” by John Mellencamp

Recorded live in 2008, "Life Death Live and Freedom" is a companion piece to John Mellencamp's acclaimed "Life Death Love and Freedom." That said, "Live" stands on its own. The eight-song album is an honest-to-goodness testament to Mellencamp's longevity, artistry and ability to connect with his audience. When "Live" was being recorded, the tunes were new to the audience, which responds enthusiastically nonetheless. "Longest Days," with its stripped-down acoustic guitar and trademark Mellencamp growl, is raw and real. In fact, the album wasn't overdubbed or tweaked in any way—something exceedingly rare these days when it comes to so-called "live" sets. But we wouldn't expect any less from Mellencamp. Other highlights include the driving "If I Die Sudden," "Troubled Land," "Don't Need This Body" and "Young Without Lovers," which turns into a crowd singalong.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Uplifter” by 311.

Working with former Metallica confidant Bob Rock, the veteran Omaha, Neb., rap-rockers serve up their usual blend of laid-back rhymes and hard-edged riffs on "Uplifter," 311's ninth studio disc and its first since 2005's "Don't Tread on Me." Muscular, in-your-face cuts like "Never Ending Summer" and "Daisy C utter" are sure to satisfy the band's devoted extreme-sports following, but 311 is more impressive here when it flexes its knack for pure pop. Anyone who dug the group's cooled-out cover of the C ure's "Love Song" (featured on the "50 First Dates" soundtrack) should appreciate "Too Much Too Fast," a bouncy midtempo charmer, and "Two Drops in the Ocean," which boasts a chord progression surprisingly similar to Stevie Wonder's "I Just C alled to Say I Love You."

(D) CD Spotlight

“Chickenfoot” by Chickenfoot.

It's impossible not to be excited about this ridiculously named super-group, which teams former Van Halen bandmates Sammy Hagar on vocals and Michael Anthony on bass with guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. Chickenfoot's self-titled debut favors straight-ahead rockers like the single "Oh Yeah" or the blues-fed "Sexy Little Thing," and "Soap on a Rope" sounds like a Led Zep outtake sent back from the year 2019. There are darker, grungy tones on the heavy "Get It Up" and the driving "Runnin' Out," which speak to a nation facing crisis. Co-produced by Andy Johns (Van Halen), the set captures the fun energy of a mind-blowing all-star jam: Satriani's fretwork is surprisingly raw, loose and gritty, while Smith channels John Bonham more than once. But it's Anthony's signature backing vocals—set against Hagar's tequila-rubbed wail—that make these new songs arena-ready.

(D) CD Spotlight

"Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” by Phoenix

Paris-based quartet Phoenix continues its run of success with this fourth full-length, blending retro and futuristic sounds with a panache shown by few contemporaries. The group has polished its '60s-rock-revivalist sound to near perfection, but keeps expanding its aural palette, experimenting with layered rhythms and sonic textures. Opener "Lisztomania" captures the group at its peak: Sprightly rock rhythms and shimmering guitar licks intertwine beautifully with Thomas Mars' lead vocals, which ruminate on musical fame throughout raucous verses and spare, keyboard-plinking choruses. But in a departure from past releases, Phoenix doesn't linger in a thematic box, and there's something for everyone: "1901," with its pulsating fuzz bass riff, is the hardest rock moment in the group's catalog, while "Fences" gives a nod to sophomore album "Alphabetical," with its slinky, dancefloor-ready groove. And the two-part centerpiece "Love Like a Sunset" juxtaposes an ominous instrumental with a heartfelt open-chord ballad.

… Eminem charges onto the Billboard 200 at No. 1 with "Relapse," his fifth consecutive chart-topping set. He first appeared with the No. 2-peaking "The Slim Shady LP," on March 13, 1999, and followed with the No. 1s "The Marshall Mathers LP" (2000), "The Eminem Show" (2002), "Encore" (2004) and "Curtain Call: The Hits" (2005).

How rare is the feat of linking at least five straight No. 1s on the Billboard 200? In the chart's 53-year history, only seven artists have enjoyed such a run of continuous success:

8 consecutive No. 1s, The Beatles (1965-69)
5 consecutive No. 1s, Eminem (2000-09)
5 consecutive No. 1s, DMX (1998-2003)
5 consecutive No. 1s, U2 (1987-97)
5 consecutive No. 1s, Paul McCartney (1973-77)
5 consecutive No. 1s, Chicago (1972-75)
5 consecutive No. 1s, Elton John (1972-74)

….Here are the 20 acts that have sold the most albums since the first week of January 2000. The number immediately after the artist's name is the total number of albums that the artist has sold in this decade. I also identify when the artist first cracked The Billboard 200, and the title of their best-selling album since January 2000.

1. Eminem, 31,127,000. First charted: 1999. Eminem, 36, is the top male artist and the top rap artist so far in this decade. His 2000 album The Marshall Mathers LP is his best-seller. It has sold 10,178,000 copies.

2. The Beatles, 27,591,000. First charted: 1964. The Beatles have sold more albums in the 2000s than any other group, rock act or foreign act. Their 2000 compilation 1 is their best-seller. It has sold 11,402,000 copies. The Beatles were the #5 album-selling act of the 1990s.

3. Tim McGraw, 24,295,000. First charted: 1994. McGraw, 42, is the #1 country artist so far in the 2000s, nosing out Toby Keith. McGraw was the #38 album-selling act of the ‘90s. His 2000 compilation Greatest Hits is his best-selling album of the decade. It has sold 5,995,000 copies.

4. Toby Keith , 24,189,000. First charted: 1993. Keith, 47, is the #2 country artist of this decade. His 2003 album Shock'n Y'All is his best-seller. It has sold 4,420,000 copies.

5. Britney Spears, 22,937,000. First charted: 1999. Spears, 27, is the youngest artist on this list, edging out Josh Groban by one year. She is also #1 female artist in this decade. Her 2000 album, Oops!...I Did It Again, is her best-seller of the decade. It has sold 9,183,000 copies. Spears was the #108 album-selling act of the ‘90s.

6. Kenny Chesney, 21,396,000. First charted: 1996. Chesney, 41, is the #3 country artist of this decade. His best-selling album is 2004's When The Sun Goes Down, which has sold 4,111,000 copies.

7. Nelly, 21,206,000. First charted: 2000. Nelly, 34, is the #1 new artist to emerge in this decade, edging out Linkin Park. He's also the #1 African American artist, edging out Jay-Z, and the #2 rap artist. Nelly's 2000 debut, Country Grammar, is his best-selling album. It has sold 8,454,000 copies.

8. Linkin Park, 21,125,000. First charted: 2000. Linkin Park is the #2 rock group of the decade, behind the Beatles. It's also the #2 new artist. The band's 2000 debut album, Hybrid Theory, is its best-seller. It has sold 9,600,000 copies.

9. Creed, 20,398,000. First charted: 1997. Creed is the #3 rock group of the decade. 1999's Human Clay is the band's best-selling album. It has sold 9,480,000 copies since January 2000. Creed was the #167 album-selling act of the ‘90s.

10. Jay-Z , 19,379,000. First charted: 1996. Jay-Z, 39, is the #3 rap artist of the decade. 2003's The Black Album is his best-selling album of this decade. It has sold 3,338,000 copies. Jay-Z was the #152 album-selling act of the ‘90s.

11. Nickelback, 19,158,000. First charted: 2000. The Canadian group is the #2 foreign act of this decade (after the Beatles). Nickelback is also the #3 new artist and the #4 rock group. 2005's All The Right Reasons is its best-seller, with sales of 7,159,000 copies.

12. Josh Groban, 19,115,000. First charted: 2001. Groban, 28, is the #1 pop male artist of this decade. He's the #4 new artist. The pop/classical star's 2003 album Closer is his best-seller, with sales of 5,746,000 copies.

13. Rascal Flatts, 18,831,000. First charted: 2000. The trio is the #1 country group of this decade, nosing out Dixie Chicks. It's also the #5 new act. 2004's Feels Like Today is the act's best-selling album. It has sold 5,134,000 copies.

14. Metallica, 18,490,000. First charted: 1984. Metallica is the #1 hard rock act of the decade (unless you count the genre-bending Linkin Park). The band's 1991 blockbuster Metallica is the band's best-selling album of this decade. It has sold 3,691,000 copies since January 2000. Metallica was the #3 album-selling act of the ‘90s.

15. Alan Jackson, 18,479,000. First charted: 1990. Jackson, 50, is the oldest solo artist on this list, edging out Toby Keith. 2002's Drive is his best-selling album of this decade. It has sold 3,508,000 copies. Jackson was the #17 album-selling act of the ‘90s.

16. *NSYNC, 18,402,000. First charted: 1998. The boy band is the #1 pop group of this decade (assuming you classify the Beatles as rock). *NSYNC's 2000 album No Strings Attached is its best-seller, with sales of 11,111,000 copies. The quintet was the #80 album-selling act of the ‘90s.

17. Dixie Chicks, 18,293,000. First charted: 1998. The female trio is the #2 country group so far in this decade. 2002's Home is the act's best-selling album of this decade. It has sold 5,997,000 copies. Dixie Chicks was the #105 album-selling act of the ‘90s.

18. Johnny Cash, 17,860,000. First charted: 1958. The country legend, who died in 2003 at age 71, is the most surprising name on the list. He made it on the strength of an enormous catalog and a renewed focus on him after his death. His 1999 compliation 16 Greatest Hits is his best-seller of the decade. It has sold 2,846,000 copies since January 2000.

19. Kid Rock, 17,606,000. First charted: 1999. Kid Rock, 38, is the #1 male rock artist of this decade. Kid's 2001 album Cocky is his best-seller of the decade. It has sold 5,045,000 copies.

20. Celine Dion, 17,579,000. First charted: 1991. The Canadian diva, 41, is the #2 pop female artist of this decade, behind Britney Spears. Dion's 1999 greatest hits album, All The Way...A Decade Of Song, is her best-seller in the decade. It has sold 4,971,000 copies since January 2000.

(D) CD Spotlight

“Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King” by The Dave Matthews Band

Big Whiskey" is a big moment for the Dave Matthews Band—it's the act's first album in four years and first since the sudden August death of founding saxophonist (and titular king) LeRoi Moore. But this eulogy is a celebration, and "Big Whiskey" is a dense, humid album that, befitting its New Orleans origins, shrewdly cuts its melancholy with exuberance and vice versa. "Shake Me Like a Monkey" is classic DMB stutter-stepping funk, "Squirm" is an Eastern-flavored epic, "Why I Am" is a radio-directed bottle rocket with a sneaky little time shift, and "Time Bomb" unfolds into a full-blast rocker with Matthews doing his best Eddie Vedder. Moore's ghost haunts throughout—the saxman's fluttery work appears sporadically, most visibly on the sweet, sad "Lying in the Hands of God"—and the band clearly poured grief into the swelling carpe diem tune "Dive In." Matthews' lyrics can be of the make-love-shine variety, and there are a few meandering detours as usual, but "Big Whiskey" finds the band at its most pointed and purposeful in years.

(4) CD Spotlight

“21st Century Breakdown” by Green Day.

Five years after "American Idiot" restored Green Day as a modern-rock powerhouse, the trio returns with an even riskier album. "21st Century Breakdown" mixes the pop-punk charge of the band's "Dookie" days with the political awareness of "Idiot," resulting in an arena-ready record with a sense of purpose. Much of "Breakdown" is as sprawling as its 69-minute length would suggest: Ballads like "21 Guns" build into fiery singalongs, while "American Eulogy" uses a song-suite structure to voice social dissatisfaction. Billie Joe Armstrong's lyrics are just as riveting, with images of bleeding hearts, falling towers, endless wars and atom bombs. While "Breakdown" offers a harsh reality, an underlying sense of hope runs throughout, with Armstrong singing, "I just want to see the light/I need to know what's worth the fight." The album is a call to arms for the digital age, and 20 years into its career, Green Day's ambition continues to dazzle

CD Spotlight

“Together through life” by Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan's recent trifecta of "Time Out of Mind," "Love and Theft" and "Modern Times" represents the kind of late-career renaissance so many stars shoot for and nobody actually hits. Those albums were based in an often near-apocalyptic darkness. "Life" hangs loosely on the concept of the highs and horrors of actual, carbon-based love. Dylan wastes no time, dealing out both a consuming love and a bruising void in the opener, "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'." It's pretty close to the archetypal new, froggy-voiced Dylan—odd, as lyric co-writing credit goes to Robert Hunter on eight of 10 songs, which tamps things down noticeably. And there are clunkers, like the half-there torch song "Life Is Hard." But the great thing about 67-year-old Dylan is that even when it's not working, it's working. His band, anchored by Heartbreaker Mike Campbell's guitar and David Hidalgo's blissful border-town accordion, create a sublime atmosphere built from scraps of 100 years of American music: porch-blues, but also Cajun swing, ragged folk, saloon boogie, the circus and a cast of dusty characters who drift into towns and wander. And there are plenty of peak moments, including "I Feel a Change Comin' On" and "It's All Good," a sharp-tongued send-off about failure and shackled-up hope. (He's being sarcastic with the title.) Lacking a fireworks moment or a big revelation, "Together Through Life" might not be on par with Dylan's newest holy trinity, but as a continuation of the inscrutable, impenetrable Dylan story, it's all good.

(CD) Spotlight

“Roadsinger (To warm you through the night)” by Yusuf

While Yusuf (formerly known as Cat Stevens) officially returned to the pop world in 2006 with the welcomed "An Other Cup," his re-entry has only now been fully realized with the thoroughly engaging "roadsinger (To Warm You Through the Night)." The 11-tune collection marks Yusuf's harking back to his "Tea for the Tillerman"/"Teaser" vein of reflective spiritual quest in a musical setting that is largely acoustic and intimate, recorded live with minimal overdubs. His jangly acoustic guitar rhythms buoy the times-roll-on leadoff track "Welcome Home," and he quotes the piano open of "Sitting" (from 1972's "Catch Bull at Four") on his catchy "Be What You Must," a tune about the wisdom of seeking a fulfilled life. While Yusuf probes the dark throughout (most poignantly on the string-turbulent "Rain"), the underlining buoyancy of "roadsinger" is his troubadour spirit embodied in a confident faith that provides the light.

CD Spotlight

“Sounds of the Universe” by Depeche Mode.

While most of its '80s electro-pop contemporaries have faded into semiobscurity, Depeche Mode continues to produce darkly atmospheric tracks about love, lust and death that have the vulnerability and immediacy of a shared secret. The chirps and bleeps that marked the band's debut, "Speak & Spell," gradually gave way to emotionally raw, expansive songs under the guidance of songwriter Martin Gore. After nearly 30 years, the trio—now comprising Gore, Dave Gahan and Andrew Fletcher—still imbue every aspect of its 12th studio album, "Sounds of the Universe," with imagery and sonic flourishes that make its music fresh and familiar. "Corrupt" and "Wrong" wouldn't be out of place on "Violator" or "Music for the Masses"; they possess the taut, Gothic glamour of those albums. And, Gahan, who wrote two worthy tracks ("Come Back" and "Miles Away"), handles provocative lyrics with his usual swagger. Some of the album's less successful songs—"Little Soul," for example—are also its sunniest and most languorous, and lack the dramatic tension that has been Depeche Mode's calling card. Despite the departure of Alan Wilder in 1995 and tales of intraband combustibility, "Sounds of the Universe" captures an act with enough passion and inspiration to teach the artists it has influenced a few new tricks.

CD Spotlight

“R.O.O.T.S.” by Flo Rida.

The acronym in the title of Flo Rida's sophomore set stands for "Route of Overcoming the Struggle," but "R.O.O.T.S." doesn't bother the listener with much in the way of hardship. As he did on last year's "Mail on Sunday," Flo Rida spends most of these 13 pop-rap confections pondering the finer points of his growing bank account and his incomparable way with women. The best cuts are those that mirror the MC's usual themes with even more familiar sounds: "Right Round," a surging, Dr. Luke-produced rehash of Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)"; "Sugar," which rides an unlikely interpolation of "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65; and "Gotta Get It (Dancer)," a rowdy strip-club celebration that keeps threatening to turn into Madonna's "Music."

CD Spotlight

“A woman a man walked by” by PJ Harvey & John Parish.

PJ Harvey's solo work might be taking on the self-aware sheen of maturation. But John Parish has a way—perhaps it's his angular rhythms or his aimless melodies begging to go down a dangerous lyrical path—of bringing her back to the primal scenes of 1993's "Rid of Me" and her 1995 breakthrough, "To Bring You My Love." In that sense, the frequent collaborators' second co-billed outing (he provides the music, she the words) is more like the Harvey of old than 2007's "White Chalk." She sighs and croons and rasps her way through Parish's twisted folk landscape, jabbing at an eternally disappointing lover with renewed ferocity and fresh heartbreak. Such a musical mind-meld, so expressive of both artists' perspective, is rare.

Takis Haggiandreou
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