The queen of candy-coated pop offers oodles of goodies in this special edition of her chart-topping sophomore album. Sweet extras include remixes of “E.T.” with Kanye West and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” with Missy Elliott and two brand new songs: the breakup number “Part of Me” and the naughty nugget “Dressin’ Up.”
Once married to Julia Roberts, the Texas native has become famous for his wry, eclectic style. Lovett’s latest covers everything from swing and gospel to bluegrass. Song highlights include the funny “Keep it Clean” and the gorgeous title track, sung as a country duet with kd lang.
On her new CD, the Grammy-winning singer puts her personal stamp on Beatles classics, delivering fresh interpretations of songs like “In My Life.” What Flack does with “Here, There and Everywhere” is a revelation, killing it softly with a slow, jazzy version that is entirely her own.
A radiant star with sales of over 14 million, McKennitt holds audiences spellbound with her otherworldly Celtic sound. Here, in an intimate live performance for a German radio station, the Canadian singer-harpist and her band conjure up visions of ye olde England, with haunting fan favorites like “The Bonny Swans” and “The Lady of Shallot.”
Bruce Springsteen has long been a champion of the underdog, his generation’s answer to Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. Springsteen’s 17th studio album, Wrecking Ball, is his angriest statement to date. Born out of disgust at corporate theft and the hardship faced by working people, it’s essentially the soundtrack of the Occupy movement. Says Springsteen: “My work has always been about judging the distance between American reality and the American Dream.” The album opens with the stirring “We Take Care of Our Own,” already adopted by President Obama’s re-election campaign. Other songs, like the whooping “Shackled and Drawn”’ and ...
Ireland’s Cranberries were one of the biggest bands of the ’90s, with Celtic-tinged pop and massive hit singles like “Linger” and “Zombie.” A big reason for their success was the sound of Dolores O’Riordan’s sweet yet edgy voice. The band broke up in 2003, leaving O’Riordan to release two solo albums and settle in southern Ontario with her Canadian husband and three children. Now the Cranberries are back with what O’Riordan calls “a sense of rejuvenation.” Their new album, Roses, is a return to the Cranberries’ distinctive sound. Produced by Stephen Street, who helped to shape the band’s second disc, No Need to Argue, Roses finds O’Riordan soaring over a lush bed of dreamy pop-rock. “Tomorro...
Scotland’s Simple Minds didn’t hit here until 1985, when “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” reached number one. This box set charts the band’s earlier rise, featuring five albums of diverse styles from arty post-punk and industrial rock to accessible, dance-oriented pop. Fans will feast on a wealth of rare bonus material.
She’s been called the people’s diva and America’s favorite soprano. Renée Fleming is certainly no ordinary opera star. The 53-year-old mother of two teenage daughters has sung with Lou Reed and Rufus Wainwright, performed on the Lord of the Rings soundtrack and recorded a jazz and folk album called Haunted Heart. Recently, she released her most adventurous recording to date: Dark Hope, a collection of covers by such indie rock groups as Arcade Fire, the Mars Volta and Death Cab for Cutie. Her video of the band Muse’s song “Endlessly” featured actor Matthew Modine as well as her daughters Sage and Amelia. But, first and foremo...
Like Adele, this English songbird sings convincingly about matters of the heart. But where Adele belts out her anguish, the power of Sarah Joyce, who performs under the name Rumer, is delivered softly, like a punch from a velvet glove. Channeling Karen Carpenter and Laura Nyro, Rumer caresses the listener with emotional ballads like the dreamy “Slow” and “Come to Me High,” with its lush, Bacharach-style arrangement. When she asks for acceptance on the gorgeous “Take Me as I Am,” resistance is futile.
Fans of England’s Pet Shop Boys will pant over this 2-CD set of B-sides and bonus tracks recorded between 1996 and 2009. As usual, the Boys’ strength lies in Neil Tennant’s deadpan vocals and the synth-pop duo’s reliably ear-pleasing dance music. “I Didn’t Get Where I Am Today” is a joyous rave-up featuring ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, while “Between Two Islands” floats along like a sensuous Mediterranean cruise. But the real gem is “In Private,” the collection’s thumping duet with Sir Elton John.
