US Chart Notes

• Chris Brown (feat. T-Pain) tops the Billboard Hot 100 this week with "Kiss Kiss," displacing Soulja Boy Tell Em's "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" after 7 non-consecutive weeks at the top. "Crank That" now ties Rihanna's "Umbrella" for the year's longest stay at the top, not counting the 10 week stay by Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" That began in December of last year. Sadly this is not another remake of the dance song popularized by Tarkin, Stella Soleil, and Holly Valance, but a new song.
• T-Pain can actually claim the unusual feat of having three singles in the top 10 this week, albeit in a supporting role in each case. In addition to appearing on Chris Brown's single, he's also at #7 on Kanye West's "The Good Life" and at #8 on Baby Bash's "Cyclone." Those two singles trade places on the chart this week.
• T-Pain's not the only artist with multiple top 10 hits this week. Kanye West also appears at #6 with his former #1, "Stronger," and Timbaland is at #2 with "Apologize (feat. OneRepublic)" and at #10 with "The Way I Are (feat. Keri Hilson)."
• Fergie makes her top 40 debut this week with her latest solo single, "Clumsy," which rises 17 spots from #45 to #28. The track is the fifth release from Fergie's debut album, The Dutchess. The last female artist to score five top 40 hits off of one album was Kelly Clarkson with 2004's Breakaway. They are the only ones I know of to manage this feat this decade.

Personal Chart, November 3, 2007

TW LW Title - Artist
1 ... 12 ... Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis (1 week @ #1)
2 .... 1 .... Valerie - Mark Ronson Featuring Amy Winehouse (1 wk @ #1)
3 .... 3 .... Apologize - Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic
4 .... 8 .... 2 Hearts - Kylie Minogue
5 ... 13 ... Rule the World - Take That
6 .... 4 .... The Way I Are - Timbaland Feat. Keri Hilson & DOE
7 .... 2 .... About You Now - Sugababes (2 wks @ #1)
8 .... 9 .... Wake Up Call - Maroon 5
9 .... 7 .... Hate That I Love You - Rihanna Featuring Ne-Yo
10 .. 6 .... Can't Get Along (Without You) - Hard-Fi

New from Dannii Minogue

Kylie's little sister is back with this new single "Touch Me Like That," produced by Jason Nevins. Dannii's actually got a lot going on these days. She's joined The X Factor as a judge, along with Simon Cowell, Sharon Osborne, and Louis Walsh. She also has a remix album, Unleashed, out next week, although this single isn't on it, so I'm not sure why this is being released.

UK Chart Notes

Leona Lewis claimed #1 on the UK singles chart this week in magnificent style with her second single, "Bleeding Love," the first release from her forthcoming debut album, Spirit. Not since Will Young has a British reality TV act emerged with such potential to actually make it big.

While many X-Factor and other reality TV winning acts have been able to transform their TV fame into an initial #1 hit, prospects after that often fall quickly. Take Michelle McManus, winner of Pop Idol's second season, who hit #1 with her first single "All This Time," but was dropped by her record label after her second, "The Meaning of Love," failed to hit the top 10. Lewis, who last year won the third season of X-Factor, is in fact the show's first alum to score a second #1. I'm hopeful that her album, which attracted the assistance of Clive Davis as co-executive producer (with Simon Cowell).

Lewis didn't just top the chart though, she did it with by far the best sales figure of the year, moving over 218,000 copies of "Bleeding Love," more than double the year's previous best sales week for a single, the nearly 86,000 copies The Proclaimers featuring Brian Potter and Andy Pipkin moved of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" in its first week in March.

In any other week this year then, the single at #2 this week, Take That's "Rule the World," would have been the single with the biggest one-week sales total, for it moved almost 98,000 copies. Still, although it was kept from #1 by a monster hit, the single is a vast improvement over the #17 performance of their last single, "I'd Wait for Life," which ended their run of six consecutive #1 hits.

Another act kept from #1 that is likely accustomed to be there by now is McFly, who lands at #3 with their 13th single, "The Heart Never Lies." Seven of the band's singles have hit the top spot, including their last, "Baby's Coming Back," with 9000 sales fewer than their latest hit. I'll say it again: It was an amazing sales week for the UK singles chart.

Oasis debuts at #10 with their latest, "Lord Don't Slow Me Down," ending their run of 18 consecutive top 5 hits. Not since "Live Forever," their classic 1994 release, have they charted so low.

While next week can't possibly be as grand as this, it's shaping up to be pretty exciting too, as Westlife will go head-to-head with Leona with their latest, a remake of Michael Buble's "Home," which they are hoping will be their 15th #1 hit. Also out are new singles from Timbaland, Samim, Robyn, Keane, Avril Lavigne, Akon and Celine Dion.

Personal Chart, Year to Date, 3rd Quarter

As of the end of September, here's the top 10 songs of the year on my personal chart:

# .. Peak ... Title - Artist
1 .... 1(1) ... Glamorous - Fergie
2 .... 1(6) ... Big Girls Don't Cry - Fergie
3 .... 1(3) ... The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani Featuring Akon
4 .... 1(1) ... Say It Right - Nelly Furtado
5 .... 1(1) ... What Goes Around...Comes Around - Justin Timberlake
6 .... 1(2) ... U + Ur Hand - Pink
7 .... 1(3) ... Umbrella - Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
8 .... 1(1) ... Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs
9 .... 1(1) ... Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5
10 .. 1(2) .. Shine - Take That

Album release update

My listing of key album releases over the next few weeks. With the runup to Christmas now fully loaded there are lots of hits collections and big-name releases. This year's annoying trend would seem to be that if you don't have a new product to release, just put out your last one and call it a "deluxe" edition. Dates reflect UK release dates:

October 29

• Britney Spears - Blackout. See my review.
• Freemasons - Unmixed. Not sure what's on this.
• Backstreet Boys - Unbreakable. Kevin's gone now, but the other four are still at it, releasing their 6th album. While their last album, the 2005 comeback Never Gone, gave them a decent-sized hit in "Incomplete," the first single from this album, "Inconsolable," is a flop.
• Ministry of Sound (Various Artists) - The Annual 2008. The annual 3-CD release of current dance hits.
• The Libertines - Time for Heroes: The Best Of. Greatest hits set from Pete Doherty's infamous defunct group. Includes tracks such as "Can't Stand Me Now" and "Up the Bracket."

November 5

• Westlife - Home Again. Their 9th studio album, which, judging from the tracklist contains a number of remakes such as first single "Home" (Michael Buble), "Have You Ever" (Brandy), and "I'm Already There" (Lonestar).
• McFly - Greatest Hits/All the Greatest Hits. Greatest Hits contains only #1 hits, "That Girl," and three new tracks, while the longer All the Greatest Hits includes all that plus other singles that weren't #1s.
• Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (Deluxe Edition). Includes a bonus disc with some new songs plus "Valerie."
• Dannii Minogue - Unleashed. A remix disc.

November 12

• Spice Girls - Greatest Hits. Finally finally finally the Spice Girls release their greatest hits collection. And they even reformed for it, are touring, and have a new single, "Headlines (Friendship Forever)."
• Leona Lewis - Spirit. This may be the first album worth buying from an X-Factor winner, Britain's current answer to American Idol. Leona is set to hit #1 this afternoon with her second single, "Bleeding Love."
• Celine Dion - Taking Chances. This is a return of sorts for Celine, who hasn't released a hit-seeking English language album since 2003's One Heart (Miracles, her 2004 Anne Geddes tie-in looked like a one-off). First single "Taking Chances" is actually pretty decent.
• Killers - Sawdust. The Killers B-sides, rarities, and remixes set is thankfully heavy on B-sides and rarities, so unless you're a collector, it may feel like a new album. Includes singles "Shadowplay" (US release) and "Tranquilize" (UK release).
• Craig David - Trust Me. British Pop/R&B singer Craig David releases his fouth album, featuring first single "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)," which features a liberal David Bowie sample.
• Seal - System. Mr. Heidi Klum puts out his fifth album, only his second not to be named just "Seal." Includes a duet with his wife, "Wedding Night," (cringe) and first single "Amazing," which isn't bad. Rumour is that it will be more dance-oriented like his first album.
• David Gray - Greatest Hits. Predictable collection that includes new single "The World to Me."
• Garth Brooks - Ultimate Hits. Two-disc collection of Garth Brooks' singles, which gets an earlier (Nov. 6) release in the US.
• Take That - Beautiful World (Deluxe). Another re-release, presumably to also include current hit "Rule the World"
• Groove Armada - GA10 (Greatest Hits). Celebrates 10 years of the band with a 2-CD set of hits, such as "I See You Baby" and last summer's Mutya Buena collaboration, "Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control)"

November 19

• Alicia Keys - As I Am. Her third album, released too late in the year to qualify for a Grammy nomination. Maybe next year. Features first single "No One."
• Girls Aloud - Tangled Up. Their fourth album, to include recent single "Sexy! No No No..."
• Now 68. The latest hit collection.

November 26

• Kylie Minogue - X.If I said earlier this year that Kelly Clarkson's My December was the album I was most anticipating this year, I was lying. It's this one, Kylie's first album in 4 years, featuring first single "2 Hearts."
• Shayne Ward - Breathless. The former X-Factor winner puts out his second album.
• Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds (Deluxe). Another re-issue, to include the new duet version of "Until the End of Time" with Beyonce.

December 3

• Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains. Her 8th album.

December 10

• Nelly - Brass Knuckles. His 5th album, which gets a November 13 release in the US.

December 18

• Natasha Bedingfield - N.B. (US version). Natasha Bedingfield's second album succumbed to a serious sophomore slump--its third single, "Say It Again (feat. Adam Levine)," didn't even chart in the top 75 when it released. Ouch! She's having better luck in the US so far though, with "Love Like This (feat. Sean Kingston)" charting strongly on the top 40 airplay chart.

Not on the list:

• Mariah Carey. Her 10th studio album has been pushed back to February 2008.
• Dido. Current estimated date is March 2008, four and a half years after Life for Rent. According to Q Magazine the album will be more acoustic than her first two.
• The Feeling. Second album, The Moon, is expected in early 2008.
• Goldfrapp. Their fourth album, titled Seventh Tree, is due in February.
• Whitney Houston. Clive Davis promised us an amazing album by the end of the year, but it's not in the cards. Frankly if this ever gets released it will be a miracle. No word yet on a date
• Madonna. Her 12th studio album is expected in March 2008, with a greatest hits package to follow sometime after she's done promoting singles from it. This will finish out her Warner Bros. contract so she can begin her Live Earth era.

Looking Back: Kylie's Albums

The release of Kylie Minogue's 10th album, X, is less than one month away now. Here's my overview of her previous nine releases:

Kylie (1988). (3.5/5) Light and frothy late ‘80s pop that made Kylie a name all over the world. In the U.S., “The Loco-Motion” became, for years, her sole major hit. But in the rest of the world, particularly Europe, the album spawned multiple hits, most notably “I Should Be So Lucky,” perhaps the best example of super producers Stock Aitken Waterman’s (SAW) work at the time. It doesn’t try to be anything more than a good time and it succeeds very well. Essential: I Should Be So Lucky

Enjoy Yourself (1989). (3/5) Kylie’s second album was essentially more of the same SAW fluffy pop. This album falls down a bit though when Kylie tries on a few slow songs, which have never been (and probably never will be) her strong suit. Aside from that though, it’s pretty good. Essential: Hand on Your Heart

Rhythm of Love (1990). (4/5) Things get a little more interesting with Kylie’s third album. Still a SAW production, but with a concerted effort to update Kylie’s sound for the ‘90s, the album wisely avoided the balladry that weakened her last album. The results are not unlike what Cathy Dennis—a future critical collaborator—was doing at the time. “Better the Devil You Know,” the album’s first track, remains one of Kylie’s strongest early singles. Essential: Better the Devil You Know

Let’s Get to It (1991). This is the only Kylie album I don’t own, so I can’t say much about it, but the fact that I don’t have it says something about my lack of interest in it. This was the first albeit tentative step into more adult territory for Kylie, who was becoming increasingly interested in asserting herself in her music and not being just a dance pop producers’ plaything. The singles from the album, if they are indicative of the rest, are just average though. Essential: Finer Feelings

Kylie Minogue (1994). (4/5) After taking a 3-year break and emerging on a new record label, Kylie Minogue was a forceful statement that Kylie was taking a new, more mature direction with her music. Freed completely from the Stock Aitken Waterman production house that made her a household name, Kylie was free to experiment. Nowhere is this more evident than with “Confide in Me,” the haunting, vaguely Middle Eastern first single that is markedly different than anything else Kylie has ever done. Dance pop is still the emphasis, but the flavor is much more adult than teen oriented. Essential: Confide in Me

Impossible Princess (1997). (3/5). Here’s where things got really weird. This is the furthest from dance pop that Kylie ever ventured, and the results are interesting but mixed. The disc spans from the dark trip-hop of “Jump” to the soulful and upbeat “Some Kind of Bliss.” Essential: Some Kind of Bliss

Light Years (2000) (4.5/5). Another long break and Kylie emerged once again into a new musical era, this time embracing the frothy dance pop that made her famous, updated for the new millennium and injected with a heady dose of ‘70s disco influence. Light Years is confident, joyous fun, particularly her campy collaborations with Guy Chambers and Robbie Williams on “Loveboat,” “Kids,” and “Your Disco Needs You.” But the more contemporary tracks, “Spinning Around,” “On a Night Like This,” and “Please Stay,” were good too, and returned Kylie to the top of the charts after the relative drought of her experimental period. Essential: Spinning Around

Fever (2001). (5/5) Fever is the best dance pop album ever made and one of my favorite albums. Every track is a winner and the thoroughly modern sound fits Kylie like a glove. While the camp and retro elements of Light Years were fun, I don’t miss them here at all. This time the inspiration came from the best of current dance music, such as the obvious Daft Punk influence on “Love at First Sight.” Cathy Dennis’ remarkable work on “Come Into My World” and the classic “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” is also notable. Essential: Can’t Get You Out of My Head

Body Language (2003). (4/5) Kylie shifted her emphasis again for Body Language away from house dance pop toward a more electro sound with ‘80s influence. The results aren’t as enjoyable as her last two albums, but this is still solid, particularly on the sexy, breathy “Slow” or “Chocolate.” Upbeat tracks like “Secret (Take You Home)” and “Still Standing” are great too, as is the Justin Timberlake-influenced “Red Blooded Woman.” Essential: Slow

Album Review: Britney Spears - Blackout (2/5)

While Britney’s been a bad girl for some time, it used to be that bouts of bad behavior were followed by coquettish statements from her PR machine. On her own now sans PR (clearly), Britney is content to not even try to hide her bad side, but to exploit it, as evidenced by the title of her 5th album, Blackout, a state she’s surely been in more than once over the last year, a period during which she's shed any last shred of dignity. There are tabloid queens and then there is Britney--shaving her head, checking in and out of rehab, acting like a zombie on MTV, hitting and running, doing who knows what to lose custody of her kids, I could go on and on, and that was all just since January.

That Blackout isn't a complete disaster could come as a surprise, until you remind yourself that Britney's albums have always been producer-driven affairs, with her contribution coming in the form of image, packaging and desirability. So what we have here is basically a bunch of really hot producers offering up ready-made sleek pop songs not unlike what they've produced recently for other artists. Britney showed up (more or less) to do the vocal and voila: slick, electronic, beat-heavy pop with lots of vocal processing and a good dose of attitude. I like a good futuristic electro-pop romp as much as the next guy, but the results here are disappointing, with Blackout being the weakest of Britney's five albums.

There are a few good songs, but "good" is relative. Nothing here stands up to "...Baby One More Time," "Toxic," or even "Stronger." The album's best track is "Heaven on Earth," which 0pens with a pulsing synth bass line and has a faster tempo than most of the other songs. The melodic song embodies an ‘80s sound, reminiscent of the work Gwen Stefani’s been doing lately. First single, "Gimme More," also manages to be pretty good when stacked up against the rest of what she's done here.

I also like both of the songs produced by Bloodshy and Avant, the duo that made Britney's second-biggest hit, "Toxic," a few years ago. "Piece of Me" is Britney's chance to take on her detractors, and the highly processed track makes her sound pretty good, even if it lacks enough melody to really hold together. "Toy Soldier" has a better beat and an interesting sound, but the producer/songwriter who boasts in the opening, "hear a smash on the radio, bet I penned it,” may be waiting to hear this on airwaves anytime soon.

The rest is unfortunate, uninteresting, and in a few cases just unlistenable. Nate "Danja" Hills, who crafted the awesome "Say It Right" for Nelly Furtado, tries to work similar magic for Britney with "Break the Ice," "Hot as Ice," "Get Naked (I Got a Plan), " and "Perfect Lover." "Break the Ice" is the best of this pack, and comes closest to emulating "Say It Right," but emulation isn't a very high bar for a producer, are fine, but nothing special.

Of the rest, "Radar" is electronic, attitude-filled, and bland. "Freakshow" is just bad--a lean track of bleeps, hand claps, and vocals. By the time the end of the album rolls around with "Ooh Ooh Baby" and Pharrell Williams' "Why Should I Be So Sad," I'm too bored to really care.

Anyone who thinks Britney miraculously took a break from her headline-bating ways over the last few months to sit down and pour herself into crafting a fine pop album is kidding themselves. Critics have been surprisingly generous with this; Entertainment Weekly, for example, gave it a B+, but I'm not buying it (literally--I listened to it on MTV's the Leak, which is all I'd recommend doing).

When she doesn't get drowned out by the beats and bleeps, Britney's vocal delivery sounds like it was phoned in. She’s not the greatest singer, and these songs don’t need her to be, which is why a few songs do work, but too often she gets lost in the production. But hey, she likely wasn’t very involved in it in the first place.


Best: Heaven on Earth, Gimme More, Piece of Me, Toy Soldier, Break the Ice

Kylie X preview

Kylie's MySpace page is offering a free download mix of new tracks from her forthcoming X album. You can get it here. It includes:

"2 Hearts" - The single we already know and love.
"Like a Drug" - Sounds cool. Electronic dance music reminiscent of "Can't Get You Out of My Head."
"The One" - This is produced by the preeminent dance group the Freemasons, and it sounds like it's a standout.
"In My Arms" - At first I thought this was the Calvin Harris track, "Heart Beat Rock," but it's clearly "In My Arms," and it sounds good.

Based on this, it sounds like X will be a good blend of the electronic sound of Body Language, but with a stronger melodic emphasis like that of Fever. Could be really great.

UK Chart Notes

• The Sugababes spend a fourth week at #1 on the UK singles chart this week, making "About You Now" their longest-running #1 hit, besting the 3 weeks spent at the top by "Push the Button."
• Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse move into pole position with "Valerie," which also spends a second week at #1 on the UK airplay chart. The move ties Mark Ronson's current single with his previous biggest hit, "Stop Me" featuring Daniel Merriweather, which hit #2 earlier this year.
• Britney Spears returns to the UK top 10 after a two-year absence with "Gimme More," which makes its debut on download sales at #3, giving Britney her 10th top 3 hit, the last being "My Prerogative," which hit #3 just under 3 years ago. In total, she now has 18 top 10 hits in the UK.
• Timbaland makes a big splash at #6 with "Apologize (featuring OneRepublic)," whose official release is still over a week away. Both of Timbaland's last two singles, "The Way I Are" and "Give It to Me" were #1 hits.
• The Freemasons land their biggest hit yet at #8 with "Uninvited (featuring Bailey Tzuke)," their dance remake of Alanis Morissette's 1998 hit, which was not released in the UK. The dance act's previous best was the #11 hit from 2 years ago, "Love on My Mind."
• The Killers make a splash at #13 with "Tranquilize," the first single from their forthcoming B-sides/rarities/remixes collection, Sawdust. At #13, the single performs better than all of the Sam's Town singles except its first, "When You Were Young," which hit #2, making it the Killer's highest-charting UK single.
• Orson makes a disappointing #21 upon the physical release of "Ain't No Party," the first single from their second album. The band's first single, "No Tommrow," was a #1 hit last year, and even their second single, "Bright Idea," hit #11.
• This weekend's chart is shaping up to be a major chart battle, with a good number of notable releases: Take That's "Rule the World," Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love," McFly's "The Heart Never Lies," Britney's physical release of "Gimme More," Freemasons' physical release of "Uninvited," Newton Faulkner's "All I Got," and Mutya Buena's "Just a Little Bit." Any of the first four tracks on this list could easily hit #1: the new Take That single (its airplay is massive and "Patience" and "Shine" were huge #1 hits), the new Leona Lewis single (the first "real" single from a former reality show winner), McFly's new single (they've had seven #1 hits, always hitting #1 with the first two singles from a new album, and this is the first from their greatest hits), and Britney (who debuted very high at #3 last week on downloads alone).

Personal Chart, 10/27/2007

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 2 .... Valerie - Mark Ronson Featuring Amy Winehouse (1 week @ #1)
2 .... 1 .... About You Now - Sugababes (2 wks @ #1)
3 .... 4 .... Apologize - Timbaland Featuring One Republic
4 .... 3 .... The Way I Are - Timbaland Featuring Keri Hilson & DOE
5 ... 11 ... Happy Ending - Mika
6 .... 8 .... Can't Get Along (Without You) - Hard-Fi
7 .... 9 .... Hate That I Love You - Rihanna Featuring Ne-Yo
8 ... 17 ... 2 Hearts - Kylie Minogue
9 ... 10 ... Wake Up Call - Maroon 5
10 .. 12 .. Ain't No Party - Orson

Album Review: Radiohead - In Rainbows (4.5 / 5)

Quick history of Radiohead: First there was their debut Pablo Honey, which gave them their sole U.S. hit single, "Creep;" then highly regarded yet conventional The Bends; followed by highly regarded yet unconventional OK Computer, often cited as one of the '90's best albums (The Bends often is too); then the truly unconventional electronic departure of Kid A and its companion Amnesiac, which some people declare are genius albums and others go "huh?" Then finally Hail to the Thief, a return to a more conventional rock sound, albeit still pretty experimental.

This time the experiment goes beyond just the sound and over to the marketing. Radiohead has been a notable holdout in offering their catalog on iTunes, claiming they don't want consumers to pick tracks off their albums, as they insist they record their work as total album experiences. This is a claim, while pompous, that I would mostly agree with. But with record stores dying off quickly, what's a band that insists it's in the albums business to do? Self-release is Radiohead's answer, the band famously making In Rainbows available only on-line through its Web site, and even more famously, allowing purchasers to name their price (I paid $10, since I figured that's what I'd have been willing to pay had they offered this on iTunes). It's a clever experiment that's generated record heaps of press for the band, and probably delivered more sales in $3-$5 increments than they would have ever hoped to make with a conventional release at $10-$15 a pop.

It's a good thing too, for it's an astounding album. Some electronic flourishes remain, but this album's focus is on good songcraft, not just the soundcraft of Kid A. It's may more accessible than that album, Hail to the Thief, or even OK Computer. It's quite lovely too, with a good blend of upbeat and laid back tracks. Opener "15 Steps" is one of my favorites: laden with drums and blips, the track takes a nice mellow electronic break in the middle. It's a great opening track. Another upbeat track, the feedback-rich "Bodysnatchers" follows. Has Radiohead rocked like this since The Bends? I don't think so.

"Nude" is an aptly titled ballad, stripped of the typical flourishes, it's a simple vocal/acoustic guitar/keyboard/drum track, with just enough ambient synth effects to lend richness. "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" is lush, laid back acoustic guitar and haunting vocal with a musical build-up. It's fine, but goes on a bit long for what it is, making it my least favorite track. Emotional "All I Need" is another standout. Electronic bass and piano pulse forth here with a slowly delivered vocal and a rich, dramatic finish. "Faust Arp," short for arpeggio, is the album's shortest track, a lovely taste of acoustic guitar and strings.

On its face "Reckoner" would appear to be pretty straightforward--guitar and heavy percussion--until halfway through there's an abrupt break in the music, which switches to vocal harmony and strings, before then blending the two elements in the end. "House of Cards," which uses heavy reverb on Thom Yorke's vocals, manages to convey an unusual warmth for Radiohead, despite its atmospherics.

"Jigsaw Falling Into Place" is darker and a more conventional mix of typical band elements, with a good acoustic guitar and bass middle section. Piano chords begin "Videotape," the bleak closing track, which slowly adds in the other elements: vocals, bass, drums, background vocals, and sounds effects. They all recede until only the piano strikes the album's final note.

Media manipulation aside, In Rainbows is a fine album, and although it's rumored that more tracks will be included next year when the album gets a physical release, it feels complete as is. I've admired Radiohead for some time, but I didn't really consider myself a fan until now.

Best: 15 Steps, Bodysnatchers, All I Need, Reckoner, Nude, House of Cards, Faust Arp, Videotape, Jigsaw Falling Into Place

Chart Notes

UK

• Sugababes spend a third week at #1 with "About You Now," matching the 3-week run at the top from about 2 years ago this time of year for "Push the Button." The track is up to #2 on the airplay chart.
• Amy Winehouse has her biggest UK hit this week thanks to her producer Mark Ronson's single "Valerie," featuring vocals from Winehouse. The single rises four spots to #3 this week, beating the #7 peak of her previous best, "Rehab." "Valerie" also climbs to #1 this week on the UK airplay chart, her second #1 after the summer's big airplay hit "Tears Dry on Their Own."
• The Hoosiers debuts at #5 with "Goodbye Mr. A," matching the peak of their last single, "Worried About Ray." This was last week's airplay #1 (there's been a good deal of turnover on the airplay chart of late).
• Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" is up to #14, a new recent high for the single, originally a #2 hit in 1981. This single is perhaps the best example of the potential for the revised UK chart rules, which allow any commercially available track to chart, no matter how old or whether its an official "single" release.
• After only four days of airplay, Kylie Minogue's new single "2 Hearts" managed to debut on the airplay chart all the way up at #17. The single release won't come until November 12. "2 Hearts" is her first single since 2005's "Giving You Up," the second single from her 2004 greatest hits collection.

US

• Timbaland's "Apologize" moves up a notch to #3, matching the peak of his last single, "The Way I Are." Given that it's this week's sales gainer, the chances of it moving higher--even #1--look good.
• Alicia Keys scored her fifth top 5 hit this week with "No One," the first single from her forthcoming third album. Her last top 5 hit was as 1/2 of 2004 #1 hit "My Boo"with Usher.
• Kanye West (featuring T-Pain) holds at #10 with "The Good Life," his second Graduation single. The track matches the peak of the Michael Jackson track it samples, "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)."
• Justin Timberlake's "Until the End of Time," now a duet with Beyoncé, moves up four spots to #24. The track is the sixth top 40 hit from Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds, which is the most top 40 singles to come from one album since Michael Jackson had seven with 1991's Dangerous.

Album Review: Annie Lennox - Songs of Mass Destruction (4/5)

Former Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox's solo career hasn't exactly set the world on fire--she's released only four albums in the last 15 years--but when that foursome includes 1992's Diva, one of the perfect pop records of the '90s, then anything after is worth at least glancing examination. Which was all that her last album, the lackluster Bare, was worth, save for its few winning tracks like "Wonderful," "Honestly" or "A Thousand Beautiful Things."

While Songs of Mass Destruction doesn't hold a candle to the divinity of Diva, it's an improvement over Bare, a winning mix of ballads, upbeat tracks and even '80s throwbacks. At her best, Annie Lennox proves again that she is the best white British soul singer there is. In first single "Dark Road," Lennox reaches into her pain to find strength and hope amid synthetic keyboards and, at its high point, climactic organs. It's a great opening, followed by another soulful number, the upbeat "Love Is Blind," which sounds like it could have come from one of her '90s albums. "Smithereens" is the next great song, a synth and piano ballad with strong choruses, followed by energetic "Ghost in My Machine."

Then the album takes a dip with "Womankind," a typical Lennox woman empowerment song, one of two on this album, neither of which are lyrically very inspiring (they certainly don't measure up to say Diva's "Legend in My Living Room"), although the second one, "Sing," manages to be a pretty decent song despite its pretentions. It opens with an African woman talking about how the song was recorded to raise awareness of AIDS in Africa, although the lyrics are simple feminist stuff "Sing my sister sing, what won't kill you will make you strong" etc. Musically, it's pretty good though, the kind of melodic upbeat song you can't help but shake to. The big coup here is that features background vocals from the "choir of 23," which features a brigade of some of the world's biggest female artists, including Madonna, Beth Orton, Celine Dion, KT Tunstall, Faith Hill, Fergie, Gladys Knight, Sugababes, Melissa Etheridge, Pink, Sarah McLachlan, Isobel Campbell, KD Lang, Joss Stone, Marth Wainwright, Bonnie Raitt, Anastacia, and Dido. No Joke! Funny thing is, the only one I can make out distinctly is Madonna--she must have been close to the mic.

Other highlights include "Lost," a lovely piano-backed ballad about the pain of war. If it sounds familiar, it may be because you saw Paul Haggis' excellent recent film, In the Valley of Elah, where this song appears as the closing credits roll. "Coloured Bedspread" is good too, if only because it nods back so explicitly to the synth-heavy energy of the Eurythmics. I also like the classy closing number, the mellow and melodic piano piece "Fingernail Moon."

Whether the credit goes to Lennox or producer Glen Ballard (who is the producer of one of the '90s other perfect pop albums, Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill) for reinvigorating Lennox's musical style remains a mystery, but kudos to Annie for getting her groove back.

Best: Dark Road, Love Is Blind, Smithereens, Lost, Sing, Ghost in My Machine, Coloured Bedspread, Fingernail Moon

Personal Chart, 10/20/2007

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 1 .... About You Now - Sugababes (2 weeks @ #1)
2 .... 5 .... Valerie - Mark Ronson Feat. Amy Winehouse
3 .... 4 .... The Way I Are - Timbaland Feat. Keri Hilson & DOE
4 .... 8 .... Apologize - Timbaland Feat. OneRepublic
5 .... 3 .... Stronger - Kanye West (3 wks @ #1)
6 .... 2 .... Who Knew - Pink
7 .... 7 .... Ayo Technology - 50 Cent Feat. Justin Timberlake
8 ... 11 ... Can't Get Along (Without You) - Hard-Fi
9 ... 13 ... Hate That I Love You - Rihanna Feat. Ne-Yo
10 .. 10 .. Wake Up Call - Maroon 5

Kylie "2 Hearts"

Kylie Minogue is back and in great form with her new single and video "2 Hearts." The vampy track has a prominent bass-line, thundering piano, and strong vocal delivery from Kylie, who's sounding a lot like Goldfrapp here.

Personal Chart, 10/13/2007

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 4 .... About You Now - Sugababes (1 week @ #1)
2 .... 3 .... Who Knew - Pink
3 .... 1 .... Stronger - Kanye West (3 wks @ #1)
4 .... 2 .... The Way I Are - Timbaland Feat. Keri Hilson & DOE
5 .... 9 .... Valerie - Mark Ronson Feat. Amy Winehouse
6 .... 5 .... LoveStoned - Justin Timberlake
7 .... 7 ... Ayo Technology - 50 Cent Feat. Justin Timberlake
8 ... 14 ... Apologize - Timbaland Feat. OneRepublic
9 .... 6 .... 1973 - James Blunt
10 . 12 .. Wake Up Call - Maroon 5

I'm Back

I'm back from my week-long vacation in Montreal and Toronto, Canada. Both were lovely although different cities. Montreal was more unique and had a European feel--especially in the old part of town. It was impressive to be in a bilingual city. Toronto was larger and more commercial, like a more manageable (and much cleaner) version of New York. Both had great shopping and very nice, fashionable people.

One of the places I visited in Montreal was the Basilica Notre-Dame, a 19th century church where one famous French-Canadian pop singer, Celine Dion, was married in 1994. As the tour guide told us, most people prefer to get married in the smaller, more intimate wedding chapel at the back, but Celine and Rene used the larger main space and broadcast it on Canadian TV. Here's Celine recording her new single, "Taking Chances":

Hiatus

I'll be out of the country for the next week, so don't expect any new entries until I get back. While I'm gone you should be listening to....

• Annie Lennox's new album, Songs of Mass Destruction


• Hard-Fi "Can't Get Along (Without You)"


• Sugababes "About You Now"


• Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic "Apologize"


• Robyn "Handle Me"


• Fergie "Clumsy"


• Kanye West Featuring T-Pain "The Good Life"


• Mark Ronson Featuring Amy Winehouse "Valerie"


• Arctic Monkeys "Teddy Picker"


• Orson "Ain't a Party"


• Rihanna Featuring Ne-Yo "Hate That I Love You"


• Ida Corr vs. Fedde Le Grande "Let Me Think About It"


• Travis "My Eyes"

Fall TV

I've sampled several new TV shows. This is what I think:

1. Pushing Daisies (ABC). I think they've invented the new genre of "cheery noir" and I love it. The pilot was bold, colorful, funny, yet also dark and sinister. The leads really make the show--Neurotic Ned and his perky undead girlfriend. Best so far. A

2. Cane (CBS). A sweeping prime time soap. Powerful families. Lovely people. It's all a cliche, but it's well done and so far manages to be interesting. B

3. Back to You (Fox). Just as NBC's Thursday night, the pantheon of sitcoms, has done away with any vestiges of canned laughter and 4-camera cinematography, here comes a good ol' fashioned sitcom with veteran actors (Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton) that actually is funny. B

4. Bionic Woman (NBC). The pilot was disappointing. Way too much attitude. I get tired of characters that are just mean to each other, like they're just looking for the next opportunity to unspool a pithy comeback. The second episode was much better though, so I'm still holding out hope this will be good. B-

5. Dirty Sexy Money (ABC). I love Peter Krause, and he's the best thing about this silly, soapy drama, and frankly the only actor worth watching among the ensemble, most of whom make up an obscenely wealthy family, none of whom are at all likable. Who wants to watch a show where are the characters are unlikeable unless it's reality TV? D

Chart notes

• Britney Spears' "Gimme More" surges up the Billboard Hot 100 this week, advancing 65 spots to land at #3, making the single her second highest charting ever after her 1999 #1 hit "...Baby One More Time." This is Britney's fifth top 10 hit, following "...Baby...," "(You Drive Me) Crazy," "Oops!...I Did It Again," and "Toxic." The big surge is undoubtedly attributed to the single going on sale last week at iTunes, as its airplay has plateaued of late. Over on the R&R Top 40, for example, the song holds at #18 despite having climbed rather rapidly over the previous weeks.

• Two other singles make big jumps into the top 10. Up 16 at #6 is the third recent top 10 for Timbaland, this time featuring OneRepublic on the ballad "Apologize." His last single, the upbeat "The Way I Are" with Keri Hilson and DOE is still in the top 10, down one place this week at #4. Timbaland hit #1 earlier this year with "Give It To Me (feat. Justin Timberlake & Nelly Furtado)." The other big climber is Feist with "1,2,3,4," which moves up 20 places to #8. The single has been getting VH1 play for awhile, but got a big boost with the prominent feature of the song in the new Apple iPod Nano ad campaign.

Toxic Death Day

While I'm on the on subject of mash-ups here's an even better one. Toxic (Britney) + Die Another Day (Madonna) + What U Waiting For (Gwen) = "Toxic Death Day"

Natasha Bedingfield vs. Chicane "Bruised Water"

Cool mashup: "I Bruise Easily" by Natasha Bedingfield + "Saltwater" by Chicane.

Keane, "The Night Sky"

Keane is releasing a new single later this month, "The Night Sky," to benefit the charity War Child. Listen below.

Madonnna nominated for Hall of Fame

Twenty-five years into her official musical career, Madonna has been nominated for induction in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Acts qualify for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Madonna released her first single, "Everybody," in 1982. Although not a major hit, it did well at the clubs, and was followed a year later by her first top 40 hit, "Holiday."

Other nominees this year include John Mellencamp, the Beastie Boys, Donna Summer, and Chic. Last year's inductees included R.E.M., Van Halen, and Patti Smith. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Cleveland, Ohio right on the lake. It's pretty cool, if you've never been.

Personal Chart, 10/6/2007

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 1 .... Stronger - Kanye West (3 wks @ #1)
2 .... 2 .... The Way I Are - Timbaland Feat. Keri Hilson & DOE
3 .... 4 .... Who Knew - Pink
4 ... 15 ... About You Now - Sugababes
5 .... 5 .... Lovestoned - Justin Timberlake
6 .... 3 .... 1973 - James Blunt
7 ... 12 ... Ayo Technology - 50 Cent Feat. Justin Timberlake
8 .... 8 .... Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John Feat. Victoria Bergsman
9 ... 18 ... Valerie - Mark Ronson Featuring Amy Winehouse
10 .. 6 .... Suburban Knights - Hard-Fi

Preview Songs of Mass Destruction

Annie Lennox's fourth solo album Songs of Mass Destruction is out today (tomorrow in the US). You can preview the entire thing here. My initial reaction is very positive--possibly her best since Diva.

Radiohead says pay what you want

Radiohead's 7th studio album, In Rainbows goes on sale October 10. Until December, it will be available only as a download and only from their own Web site--no iTunes, etc. The real catch so to speak is the price--you get to pay whatever you want. That's right. Name your price. I don't know if there's a lower (or upper) limit, but the Web site would appear to accept anything. One thing to be careful of is that it's in British pounds, so if you enter in 10, thinking you're paying $10, you're actually paying $20.44. I think a fair price would be $10, which is what I'd probably pay were it offered on iTunes. That converts to £4.89 as of today's exchange rate.

Chart News

• The Sugababes landed their 6th UK #1 this week with "About You Now." The track arrives in stores tomorrow, so a second week at #1 would seem likely. This is the fourth time in a row that the lead single from a Sugababes album has topped the UK singles chart after "Freak Like Me," "Hole in the Head" and "Push the Button." They may also be headed for #1 on the UK airplay chart, where they are currently #4 and rising. That chart has been rather stagnant, with Plain White T's occupying the top slot for the fourth week with "Hey There Delilah."
• After all the fuss over Kanye and 50 on the US albums chart last week, it comes as a surprise to see that neither is number one this week. Kanye got bumped from the top by Reba McEntire's Reba Duets, which features the recent country #2, "Because of You" featuring Kelly Clarkson. Kanye West's "Stronger" was also deposed on the Hot 100, with Soulja Boy reclaiming the top spot with "Crank That."
• Pink is #1 this week on the US top 40 airplay chart with "Who Knew." It's her fourth #1 on this chart and the first time that she's scored two #1s from one album, in this case her fourth, I'm Not Dead. Her second album, Missundaztood, yielded three top 2 tracks, but only "Don't Let Me Get Me" made it to #1. Her other #1s are "U + Ur Hand" from earlier this year and her 2001 super collaboration with Christina Aguilera, Mya, and Lil Kim, "Lady Marmalade."

Album Review: Kanye West - Graduation (4 / 5)

I'm not much of a rap fan, but I thought I'd give Graduation, the latest from Kanye West, a shot. West is the most interesting of current rap artists, and he's managed the amazing feat of having both of his first two albums, The College Dropout and Late Registration, snag nominations for the Album of the Year Grammy Award. The way critics are singing the praises of this album, it seems a good shot it will follow the other two. While the album isn't amazing, it's not bad, in fact, it's pretty good.

The album opens with the mellow introduction "Good Morning," followed by retro-flavored "Champion," which borrows liberally from Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne," These tracks are fine, but not standouts, the first of which comes next.

"Stronger" is an electric, energetic track, a prime example of the current fusion between electronic music and hip-hop that's helping to propel rap back into the pop music spotlight. The electronica comes courtesy of dance master Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."

The next three tracks are also among my favorites. Sample-heavy "I Wonder" ("My Song" by Labi Siffre) has a nice old school quality and welcome piano backing. "The Good Life" has a laid-back upbeat feel, "P.Y.T. (Michael Jackson)" samples, and surprising restraint in the product placement department, desipte this being a song about enjoying wealth and luxury. Darker "Can't Tell Me Nothing" would appear to send the mixed message that money can't buy happiness--West after all has just praised The Good Life--but even this more somber message is delivered with some brevity ("So if the devil wear Prada, Adam and Eve wear nada").

These are followed by perhaps my two least favorite. Tuneless "Barry Bonds" comes off like a big brag with no weight. "Here's another hit" he says, but I kind of doubt this track will be a hit. "Drunk and Hot Girls" is synth heavy but beat light, never mind misogynistic.

Thankfully two more standout tracks follow. "Flashing Lights" is totally cool. The kind of slower groove that still makes you want to move. It's typical celebrity stuff though--an anti-paparazzi rant about how all the "flashing lights" get him down, like a "Katrina with no FEMA." Then there's "Everything I Am," a slow, piano-laced track about being Kanye being true to himself.

Chris Martin of all people shows up for backing vocal duty on "The Homecoming." He's one among a long line of guests here, which includes T-Pain, Ne-Yo, John Legend, Lil Wayne, and Mos Def.

You have to admire him for admitting that he is who he is. He admits he's boastful ("with my ego, I can stand there in a Speedo and still be looked at like a...hero") he admits he likes to shop ("I shop so much I can speak Italian" he says in "Champion). He also loves to hand out free (or is it?) advertising. Louis Vuitton is the clear champion, mentioned in three tracks, followed by Christian Dior in two. Other product placements include Adidas, Bacardi, Delorean, Ferrari, Hugo Boss, Isotoner, Klondike, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Reebok, Speedo, Versace, and Volvo. Three films also get either direct or indirect mention: The Pursuit of Happyness, The Devil Wears Prada, and Snakes on a Plane.

Best tracks: Stronger, The Good Life, Flashing Lights, Can't Tell Me Nothing, Everything I Am, I Wonder

Personal Chart, 9/29/2007

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 1 .... Stronger - Kanye West (2 wks @ #1)
2 .... 3 .... The Way I Are - Timbaland Featuring Keri Hilson & DOE
3 .... 2 .... 1973 - James Blunt
4 .... 6 .... Who Knew - Pink
5 .... 7 .... Lovestoned - Justin Timberlake
6 .... 5 .... Suburban Knights - Hard-Fi
7 .... 4 .... Hold On - KT Tunstall (1 week @ #1)
8 ... 14 ... Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John Featuring Victoria Bergsman
9 .... 8 .... With Every Heartbeat - Robyn with Kleerup
10 .. 10 .. Big Girls Don't Cry - Fergie (6 wks @ #1)

Jamelia: Superstar - The Hits

Jamelia parted ways with her record company earlier this year, apparently over the mishandling of her last project, Walk with Me, which, while despite being a fantasic album, yielded few hits. So here they big a formal farewell by releasing 11 of Jamelia's more popular singles, omitting only a handful of the last popular. There are no new tracks.

From her first album, Drama (2000), we get "Money," collaboration with Beenie Man that served as her breakout single and first top 5 hit in the UK, and "Bout," for which she teamed up with Rah Digga. Both are from an era of British R&B where big sounds were really in, so you gets lots of loud beating bass drums and synth bursts. They're not bad, better than the mid-tempo "Call Me."

Almost half this collection consists of songs from Jamelia's second album, Thank You (2003), and for good reason. This was the peak of her career when Jamelia embraced a pop sound and scored a Mercury Music Prize nomination. "Superstar" remains her best single: funky, danceable, and irresistable. None of these singles are bad. "Thank You" is better than average empowerment pop. Her Chris Martin collaboration, "See It in A Boy's Eyes," is dark and funky but with a Coldplay piano pop touch. Bass-heavy "DJ" and soulful "Stop" were released together, and while not as good as these others, are still welcome.

Then finally there was Walk with Me (2006). Mid-tempo "Something About You" still sounds great, as does the "Personal Jesus"-sampling "Beware of the Dog." Releasing the over-produced "No More" as a single was a mistake though, as there were vastly superior choices from the album.

Best: Superstar, Thank You, Something About You, See It in A Boy's Eyes, Beware of the Dog

Album Review: Mark Ronson - Version (3.5 / 5)

Mark Ronson is one of the most exciting producers at the moment. His biggest achievement in my mind is producing the better tracks on Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, but he's also done good work recently with Lily Allen, Christina Aguilera, and Robbie Williams.

Version then in his album, a collection of covers--many of them very recent songs--each featuring a different collaborator, including most of the above-mentioned artists.

Most of the best tracks are up front. The vibrant instrumental take on Coldplay's "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" is fresh and fun. So is the jazzy Lily Allen version of Kaiser Chief's "Oh My God." The Smith's "Stop Me" medley with the Supremes' "Keep Me Hanging On" featuring vocals from Daniel Merriwether is another highlight, downbeat and insistent. The retro-flavored Amy Winehouse take on the Zuton's "Valerie" is likewise a winner.

For the re-work of Maximo Park's "Apply Some Pressure," Ronson went back to the source and got the band's singer Paul Smith to do the vocal. It's also good--very similar to the other tracks. That is sort of the double-edged sword of this album. Ronson's sound is hot and great, but here, after awhile, all the songs start to sound the same. I love swirling strings and blaring horns over hip-hop beats, but I'd like to hear what else he can do. Originators Kasabian also show up on Ronson's cover of their "LSF," which is fine, but not a highlight. Better is Kenna's take on Ryan Adams' "Amy," which has a very '70s feel to it.

In the bin "doesn't work" falls the Ol' Dirty Bastard/Tiggers take on Britney Spears' "Toxic," which loses its frothy drive in a hip-hop incarnation. "Just," a funky Radiohead remake with Alex Greenwald of Phantom Planet is too long and not meaty enough. Robbie Williams sounds bored on the remake of The Charlatans "The Only One I Know."

Taken as a producer's chance to have some fun with his friends and remake some of his favorite songs into his own style this works pretty well. It's expected that it wouldn't all be great--it's an experiment after all, and when it delivers it is a lot of fun.

Best: Stop Me, Valerie, Oh My God, God Put a Smile Upon Your Face, Apply Some Pressure

Album Review: Robyn - Robyn (4.5 / 5)

Good comeback stories may be a dime a dozen in the pop music world, but they are always interesting. Take Robyn, a young Swedish pop singer who charmed the world in 1997 with her brand of Swedish pop on the cusp of the Swedish-produced pop invasion that would be BSB and Britney. "Show Me Love" and "Do You Know (What It Takes)" were top 10 hits in the US, all but assuring a follow-up chance. But record label RCA took a pass, and after two subsequent albums, Robyn parted ways with corporate labels.

After starting up her own label, Konichiwa Records, Robyn released Robyn in 2005. It was very successful in Sweden, but not anywhere else. It did catch the ear of one notable US pop columnist, Fred Bronson, who named "Be Mine" one of his favorite singles of the year. Two years later now the album has been given new life after Robyn recorded a new song "With Every Heartbeat," which she released in the UK and was a smash #1 hit, her first #1 single in any country. Its success prompted a re-release of Robyn with some new tracks, which has already been released in the UK.

Despite it being two years old, listening to Robyn feels like listening to the future of pop music. She's at the top of her game on the album's upbeat electronic pop tracks, which comprise the bulk of the album. Her girlish voice is a striking contrast to her sometimes raunchy vocals and street pretensions. "Konichiwa Bitches," during which Robyn raps, should be just silly, but it's actually pretty fun. Bass-heavy "Cobrastyle," one of the new tracks, is good too.

The next six songs though comprise the core of the album, and all of them are fantastic pop recordings. "Handle Me," slated as the next single, marries cello over bass and electronic bleeps and serves as a kiss off to an egotistical ex. "Bum Like You" is a sweet guitar-driven love song about how much she loves her guy, despite him being broke and not particularly good looking.

"Be Mine" is smashingly good. Intense strings keep the rhythm over the beats and keyboards. "With Every Heartbeat" is one those deceptively simple songs that really gets under your skin after a few listens. It's an earnest love song put to a electronic dance rhythm. (To hear a different and equally compelling take on this song, listen to the slower piano-backed version Robyn sang recently on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge with Jo Wiley. It's stunning.) Rhythmic "Who's that Girl" and "Crash and Burn Girl" finish off this fine run of class-act pop songs.

Robyn wisely kept the slower songs at the back of the album, which, while not bad, aren't as interesting as her upbeat pop. Best of the bunch is slinky "Should Have Known." Then there's perhaps the album's only misstep, "Robotboy," a metaphorical ballad that's just too lean to stand up. The UK re-release added a bass line, which helps, but it still doesn't cut it.

It's a minor misstep though in an overall very strong pop album that shows a lot of creativity, diversity, humor, and drive. With any luck, "With Every Heartbeat" will be an international success, putting Robyn back on the pile of pop acts with worldwide appeal.

Best: With Every Heartbeat, Be Mine, Bum Like You, Handle Me, Who's That Girl, Crash and Burn Girl, Cobrastyle, Konichiwa Bitches, Should Have Known

Chart News

• Britney Spears' "Gimme More" climbs five spots to #20 on the Radio & Records top 40 this week, making it a bigger hit at top 40 radio than Kelly Clarkson's "Never Again," which only managed #22. If "Gimme More" reaches the top 10, it will be only her 8th top 10 single. Among recent female pop artists, Britney is behind Christina Aguilera's 11 top 10 hits and Pink's nine.
• Timbaland (Featuring Keri Hilson) is #1 on the R&R Top 40 for a third week with "The Way I Are" and also has this week's highest debut at #29 with "Apologize," which features Onerepublic.
• Kanye West's "Stronger" topped the Billboard Hot 100 this week, propelled by the release of his album Graduation. This is West's second #1 single after 2005's "Gold Digger," third if you count his appearance on Twista's "Slow Jamz." Kanye also scores this week's Billboard Hot 100 Hot shot debut at #14 with Graduation album track "Good Life (featuring T-Pain)." Graduation's first single, "Cant Tell Me Nothing," which initially flopped at #80, has recently been climbing up the chart and gets a boost up to #41 this week. The release of Kanye's rival 50 Cent's album Curtis has helped his singles too. "Ayo Technology (featuring Justin Timberlake)" vaults up 14 spots to #5 while his other single, "I Get Money" enters the top 40 at #20.
• Pink's "Who Knew" climbs five spots to #9 on the Hot 100, matching the peak of her last single "U + Ur Hand." This single was originally released last year, but failed to make the top 100. Given new life after the unexpected success of "U + Ur Hand," "Who Knew" looks set to become the album's biggest hit. It's currently #2 at Top 40 radio.

Personal Chart, 9/22/2007

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 2 .... Stronger - Kanye West (1 week @ #1)
2 .... 3 .... 1973 - James Blunt
3 .... 6 .... The Way I Are - Timbaland Feat. Keri Hilson & DOE
4 .... 1 .... Hold On - KT Tunstall
5 .... 4 .... Suburban Knights - Hard-Fi
6 .... 8 .... Who Knew - Pink
7 ... 10 .... Lovestoned - Justin Timberlake
8 .... 9 .... With Every Heartbeat - Robyn (with Kleerup)
9 .... 5 .... Tears Dry on Their Own - Amy Winehouse (3 wks @ #1)
10 .. 7 .... Big Girls Don't Cry - Fergie (6 wks @ #1)

Kanye Wins

In the Kanye West vs. 50 Cent contest to see who's album would be #1 tomorrow, the winner is overwhelmingly Kanye West, who's Graduation moved nearly 1 million copies, beating the almost 700,000 sold by 50 Cent's Curtis. Word is out on whether 50 Cent will honor his promise to retire--something tells me he won't. According to Billboard, Kanye's total of 957,000 is the 15th best one-week sales week for an album since Soundscan starting tracking album sales in 1991. The last artist to sell as many copies of one album in one week was 50 Cent, with his 2005 release, The Massacre. We'll find tomorrow whether the releases push these artists current singles up the Hot 100, at #2 last week, Kanye West's "Stronger" looked like a good contender for #1.

Peter Bjorn and Friends

"Young Friends" by Peter Bjorn and Friends (featuring Victory Bergsman) is the hot new track in the UK right now. The song's on the Radio 1 A-list, is currently #15 on airplay and rising fast, and was released Monday. The video is really cool too:

Back from New York

I'm back from New York. The trip included the obligatory stop in Times Square's Virgin Megastore, my favorite music store in the U.S. Great sale there now. I picked up Mark Ronson's Version and the remastered re-release of Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Personal Chart, 9/15/2007

I'm gone the next few days, so the blog will be taking a break.

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 2 .... Hold On - KT Tunstall (1 week @ #1)
2 .... 5 .... Stronger - Kanye West
3 .... 7 .... 1973 - James Blunt
4 .... 6 .... Suburban Knights - Hard-Fi
5 .... 1 .... Tears Dry on Their Own - Amy Winehouse (3 wks @ #1)
6 .... 3 .... The Way I Are - Timbaland Feat. Keri Hilson & DOE
7 .... 4 .... Big Girls Don't Cry - Fergie (6 wks @ #1)
8 ... 10 ... Who Knew - Pink
9 .... 8 .... With Every Heatbeat - Robyn (with Kleerup)
10 ... 9 ... Lovestoned - Justin Timberlake

Kanye vs. 50

Tomorrow is the start of the first week sales showdown between rappers 50 Cent and Kanye West, both of whom are releasing their third albums, Curtis and Graduation, respectively. 50 Cent told the press he would stop putting out albums if Kanye beat him in first week sales. Let's see how they stack up:

Sales: 50 Cent. Kanye sold 5.8 million copies sold in the US of his first two albums, The College Dropout and Late Registration, compared to the 13 million copies 50 Cent sold of Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. Based solely on past sales, 50 has the advantage here.

Hits: 50 Cent. Kanye's "Gold Digger" is the single biggest hit between them, which spent 10 weeks at #1, but that's far and away Kanye's biggest hit, who, not counting featured appearances, has had only two other top 10's: the current "Stronger" at #2 this week and the #7 hit "All Falls Down." In contrast, 50 Cent has had three #1 singles--"In Da Club," "21 Questions," and "Candy Shop," plus four other top 10s.

Awards: Kanye West. If 50's a rapper for the masses then Kanye's a rapper for the critics, garnering far more awards than 50. 50's had 11 Grammy nominations--all but one in the rap categories--but he's never won. Kanye's won 6 Grammys, spread over rap and R&B categories for both performing and writing, plus he's been nominated in the general albums category twice and record of the year for "Gold Digger.

Current Single: Kanye West. Both artists stalled a bit getting their latest singles on the charts. Kanye's first Graduation single, "Can't Tell Me Nothing," stalled at #62 on the Hot 100, but he's rebounded with "Stronger," currently #2. It took 50 Cent four tries to find a single that appealed to a broad audience; "Ayo Technology" featuring Justin Timberlake is #18 and rising this week.

Verdict: 50 Cent. Personally I like Kanye West better. "Gold Digger" was great, and I'm really into "Stronger" right now. "Ayo Technology" isn't bad, but "Stronger's" better, so personally I would consider buying Kanye's new album, but probably not 50's. However, I think the sales record here is pretty clear, and that's what's at stake. And although Kanye is leading in iTunes presales (#2 right now, vs. #9 for Curtis), once the discs are in stores I bet 50 Cent will be the bigger seller when the Billboard chart is revealed next week.

Personal Chart, YTD 2nd Quarter 2007

As of the end of the June, these were the biggest hits of the year so far on my personal chart.

#...Peak Pos....Title - Artist
1 ... 1(1) ... Glamorous - Fergie
2 ... 1(3) ... The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani Featuring Akon
3 ... 1(1) ... Say It Right - Nelly Furtado
4 ... 1(1) ... What Goes Around...Comes Around - Justin Timberlake
5 ... 1(2) ... U + Ur Hand - Pink
6 ... 1(1) ... Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs
7 ... 1(2) ... Shine - Take That
8 ... 1(4) ... Grace Kelly - Mika
9 ... 1(1) ... Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5
10 ... 3 ..... Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne

Album Review: Hard-Fi - Once Upon a Time in the West (4.5 / 5)

My definition of a really good album goes something like this: At first listen a few tracks stand out as instantly likable. Upon repeat listens, the appeal of other tracks emerges, while the first favorites don't wear out their welcome. You can see yourself listening to this for years to come.

That's what we have with Hard-Fi's second album, Once Upon a Time in the West, a confident, sweeping second album from the English band who debuted 2 years ago with the impressive Stars of CCTV. In a year packed with second albums from British groups--Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, Editors--it's the best of the bunch, surpassing the band's first disc.

"Suburban Knights" opens with its best foot forward. It's upbeat, loud, brash, fun, marked by sharp electric guitar, a strong chorus (backed by a choir of "hey hey hey, oh oh oh, ah ah ah"), electronic keyboards, and even some strings to punch up the end. It even touches on suburban apathy toward the war on terror.

"I Shall Overcome" is also bold, but different, with alternating passes from electric and acoustic guitars. The strings and choir show up here too, but are used differently to underscore the chorus, vaguely sounding like a rock version of a dark disco track. Other songs embody a dance aesthetic too, like "Television," which I could almost imagine being a Pet Shop Boys track with a different arrangement. Piano and keyboards open this, and sound like their headed toward a clubby track, but then the song takes a punky pop/rock turn into its chorus.

"Tonight" is the second obvious highlight. It's a bold rock ballad, with big chorus, piano, strings. I like though, that it retains an electronic sheen pervasive through most of the album. Even the drum line sounds more like something from an electronic album than a rock album, which sets this apart from something that say Embrace or Coldplay would do. It seems like an obvious choice for third single.

The album shows remarkable musical diversity. The dark, string-laden "Watch Me Fall Apart" reminds me of early '90s Depeche Mode. Cheeky "I Close My Eyes" is a cacophony of percussive noise interlaced with insistent electric guitar and harmonic choruses. The lyrics long for escape from life's annoyances ("the boss is on my back"..."the phone keeps ringing"), but taunt the singer too with some "nyah nyah nyah."

Depression ballad "Help Me Please" tones down the exuberance of the previous tracks, but this is short-lived. The slight reggae and disco touches of slated second single "Can't Get Along (Without You)" reminds me of Smash Mouth. Following down-trodden "Help Me Please," it oozes joyous celebratory energy. Then there's "We Need Love," which pulses with a prominent electronic bass reminiscent of Goldfrapp's last album. My hometown gets a mention, along with New York, Glasgow, Liverpool, San Salvador, and London.

"Little Angel" is much brasher than its title would imply; another good sing-along number (if you know the lyrics). Final track "The King" is yet another winner. Darker and brooding ("With you I was The King, But now my story's done"), but lovely and melodic too. A bonus acoustic version of "Tonight" demonstrates that even without its heavy production, the song still holds up.

Not a bad track in the bunch, and quite a few really good ones. Once Upon a Time in the West is a very good sign that Hard-Fi will be around for awhile. I'd give this a "5," except for the fact that I'm not quite convinced it has "classic" potential. I therefore reserve the right to amend my rating.

Best: Suburban Knights, Tonight, I Shall Overcome, Can't Get Along (Without You), The King, Television, Little Angel, I Close My Eyes, We Need Love, Watch Me Fall Apart.

Natalie Imbruglia - Glorious: The Singles 1997 - 2007

The fall season for greatest hits releases is here. First up is Australian actress turned singer Natalie Imbruglia with Glorious: The Singles, the sort of hybrid greatest hits collection that's be in vogue lately, along the lines of what we got from Dannii Minogue and Hilary Duff: not quite substantial a catalog for a proper greatest hits but not enough new material to make a full album.

Glorious features all nine of Imbruglia's previous singles; new release "Glorious," which made a tepid bow at #23 on the UK singles chart last week; and four other new tracks. Included of course is her massive breakout, "Torn," which made her an instant international star. Unfortunately, she never lived up to it, and her third and very likable album, Counting Down the Days, never saw a US release. Here are the highlights:

1. "Torn" (from Left of The Middle). This 1997 single, her debut, became a massive hit in Britain, hitting #2 and spending 11 weeks at #1 on the airplay chart. A few months later it became a massive hit in the US, also spending 11 weeks at the top of the airplay chart. It's since earned a permanent home at adult top 40 radio stations, where the upbeat, easy to sing with track will always have a home.

2. "Shiver" (from Counting Down the Days). Something went terribly wrong with the promotion of her third album. "Shiver" is a glorious pop single, one of my favorites from 2005, and deserved to be an international smash on par with "Torn." It has a cool video too--a spy-themed chase across Europe in the vein of the Bourne films. It became a #1 hit on UK radio, but managed only #8 on the sales chart. Sadly, it was never released in the US, where I swear it would have been a hit. Interest in the album quickly waned as second single "Counting Down the Days" was released rather late and didn't chart well. We never whether "Perfectly," "Sanctuary," or "Starting Today" could have been hits.

3. "Beauty on the Fire" (from White Lilies Island). Imbruglia's second album wasn't nearly as successful as its first, and this, its third single, is the lowest charting of her 10 singles in Britain. Too bad, as the darker track with a mild downbeat influence, was the best single released from White Lilies Island.

4. "Big Mistake" (from Left of the Middle). This was the moody UK follow-up to "Torn," which followed its predecessor to #2. Strangely, it wasn't released in the US, in favor of "Wishing I Was There." Too bad, because it was much better. More of a rock song than poppy "Torn," it was also all over UK radio.

5. "Wrong Impression" (from White Lilies Island). A modest hit in both the UK and the US, this was the best White Lilies Island could offer. Not a classic, but a good song nonetheless.

Atonement

The good news: Atonement looks absolutely stunning. The bad news: It doesn't get a US release until December. Arg!!!!! Atonement debuted in Britain today to universal acclaim; it gets a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating based on its 14 mostly British reviews. The Guardian said "there are moments - delirious, languorous, romantic moments - when this film appears to have the lineaments of a classic."

The film is based on Ian McEwan's acclaimed 2002 novel, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, an honor he earned yet again this year for his novella On Chesil Beach. Aside from Harry Potter, Atonement is my favorite novel so far this decade, an epic World War II romantic tale about how the lie of a barely adolescent girl can forever change the lives of those close to her. The book, and I hear the film too, ends with a delicious twist.

The movie stars Oscar nominee Keira Knightley and James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland). Joe Wright, who helmed the lovely but light 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice, which also starred Knightley directs. Clearly, this is the most obvious early shoo-in to get a Best Picture Oscar nomination. That the early reviews are all stellar bodes well for it, as well as Knightley, McAvoy, and Wright.

Personal Chart, 9/8/2007

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 1 .... Tears Dry on Their Own - Amy Winehouse (3 weeks @ #1)
2 .... 5 .... Hold On - KT Tunstall
3 .... 3 .... The Way I Are - Timbaland Featuring Keri Hilson & DOE
4 .... 2 .... Big Girls Don't Cry - Fergie (6 wks @ #1)
5 .... 6 .... Stronger - Kanye West
6 .... 8 .... Suburban Knights - Hard-Fi
7 .... 7 .... 1973 - James Blunt
8 .... 4 .... With Every Heartbeat - Robyn (with Kleerup)
9 .... 9 .... Lovestoned - Justin Timberlake
10 .. 14 .. Who Knew - Pink

Klaxons Take Mercury Prize

Newcomers The Klaxons picked up the Nationwide Mercury Prize last night, Britain's prestigious music award that is supposed to honor the quality of the music, as opposed to the Brits, the more mainstream award that also figures in popularity and sales. The Klaxons released their debut Myths of the Near Future early this year. The album has scored four top 40 singles including the top 10 hit "Golden Skans" and their most recent single, a remake of the '90s dance hit "It's Not Over Yet."

Oddmakers had tipped Bat For Lashes' Fur and Gold to win. Other popular nominees included the latest from Jamie T, The View, and Arctic Monkeys, who won the Mercury Prize last year for their debut, Whatever It Is You Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.

The evening's highlight was said to be Amy Winehouse's rendition of "Love Is a Losing Game," from her nominated album Back to Black, during which one British journalist said the room fell absolutely silent. It was Winehouse's first live performance since her recent spat of trouble, which has left her bloodied, in rehab, and contributed to the cancellation of US tour dates and her scheduled appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards. See the video below--I agree she is mesmerizing, and it would appear, sober.

Personal Chart, YTD 1st Quarter 2007

I'm finally getting around to recording the points from my weekly top 40 charts to calculate the biggest hits of the year. I'm up through March. These were the top 10 hits of the year, as of 3/31/2007:

1. Say It Right - Nelly Furtado (1 week @ #1)
2. What Goes Around...Comes Around - Justin Timberlake (1 wk @ #1)
3. Grace Kelly - Mika (4 wks @ #1)
4. A Bad Dream - Keane (1 wk @ #1)
5. The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani ft. Akon (#2, later 3 wks @ #1)
6. Patience - Take That (4 wks @ #1)
7. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs (1 wk @ #1)
8. Shine - Take That (2 wks @ #1)
9. Irreplaceable - Beyoncé (2 wks @ #1)
10. Glamorous - Fergie (1 wk @ #1)

Looking Back: Summer 1987

June

The summer of 1987 kicked off with several upbeat #1 hits. First their was Kim Wilde with her energetic remake of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hanging On" followed by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam's first and biggest #1 hit "Head to Toe." Both still sound great today.



Summer's biggest dance pop landed at #1 at the end of June, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston. It was the first single from Whitney's second album, Whitney, and Houston's 4th consecutive #1 hit--a run that would last for three more singles, setting up a still unbroken record seven # hits in a row. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" is tuneful, joyous, frothy pop at its best and remains one of my favorite singles from 1987. It was the year's fourth biggest hit. Check out her poodle 'do in the video.



Other big hits from June include Atlantic Starr's #1 ballad "Always," Genesis's fifth and final Invisible Touch single, "In Too Deep," and Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive." Somewhat forgotten it would seem was Herb Alpert Featuring Janet Jackson's top 10 hit "Diamonds" (video above). I hadn't even heard this song until recently, and it's not bad. It was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, so musically it goes quite well along the Control singles of the era. This song is not available on iTunes and was not included on Janet Jackson's 1995 greatest hits collection.

July



With Whitney remaining at #1 for a second week, the only new #1 single for the month of July was "Alone" by Heart, which spent 3 weeks at #1 becoming the year's second biggest hit. It was heart's second (and last) #1 hit, following "These Dreams" from 1986. It's a great '80s big rock ballad.

Instrumental hits are rare, but Kenny G had one in 1987, "Songbird," his biggest single. Expose offered their second single, "Point of No Return;" better than "Come Go With Me," it became their second top 5 hit. The System offered poppy "Don't Disturb This Groove," which you wouldn't be faulted for thinking was titled "Hang This Sign Up on The Door."

August



August is key, for we're finally up to the point in 1987 that I started listening to popular music. And who was there to greet me at this critical juncture? Madonna of course, who had her 6th #1 with "Who's that Girl." The first of two US singles from the movie sountrack, "Who's that Girl" is slightly Spanish-influenced pure '80s dance pop, sounding similar to the music on her album from the previous year, True Blue. The video is one of Madonna's odder ones. She seems strangely serene for her, a frumpily dressed, and the clip seems more of an opportunity to showcase scenes from the film than scenes of her--something that future Madonna soundtrack singles would not do. While not a classic, it is a solid Madonna '80s single.

August had two other #1 hits, "Shakedown" by Bob Seger from the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop II, one of the year's biggest hit movies, and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," U2's second #1 hit of the year and a Grammy nominee for record of the year. Like "With or Without You" it's a slow burning rock track that doesn't grab you at first, but sinks in after repeat listens.



"I Want Your Sex" was the height of controversy in 1987. George Michael's first single from his solo debut, Faith, the track and its sexy video pushed the limit of acceptable raciness. A closer listen to the lyrics though shows that those who criticized it probably weren't playing close attention--the song is a celebration of the joy of sex in a committed relationship ("Sex is best when it's one one one"), with Michael writing "explore monogamy" in lipstick on a model. Of course we since learned that he didn't actually want her sex, but that's a story for later.

August was indeed a busy month. Other notable tracks include Suzanne Vega's domestic abuse story, "Luka," also a Grammy nominee for record of the year; "Heart & Soul" by T'Pau, a band named after a Vulcan priestess from Star Trek; "The Pleasure Principle," Janet Jackson's final Control single; Jet's "Cross My Broken Heart"; and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You," Gloria Estefan's first Let it Loose single, one of four from that album to hit the top 10.

Preview Hard-Fi

Hard-Fi's second album, Once Upon a Time in the West, can be previewed in its entirety on MySpace here. It's out Monday in the UK. I love first single "Suburban Knights," and the several other tracks I've listened so far are great, especially "Tonight." I'm very excited about this.

Album Review: Bat for Lashes - Fur and Gold (4/5)

Otherworldly is a good word to describe the debut album from British/Pakistani singer Bat for Lashes a.k.a. Natasha Khan. Moody soundscapes and a wide array of stringed instruments from violins to harpsichords to harps create a dramatic fantasy-land atmosphere. Her voice and general oddness evoke Bjork, although with more accessible songs. I have no idea what they're about lyrically--wizards, heaven, court jesters and even seals (see Feist) make an appearance.

Strong tracks "Horse and I" and "Trophy" lead the pack with dramatic almost theatrical touches of insistent harpsichord, marching drums, and hand claps. Khan's voice is pure and ethereal, also lending to the gothic atmosphere. Piano comes into play with the milder third track, "Tahiti."

The middle section includes the album's strongest tracks, such as "What's a Girl to Do," which pulses with prominent bass drums over (i think) harpsichord. "The Wizard"is another good one, albeit slinky and weird. Upbeat "Prescilla" features handclaps, stringed instruments, and piano.

The last three tracks are quite good too. Understated "Seal Jubilee" is a good contrast to the froth of most of the album, presenting a moody melancholy. "Sarah" opens with some space-age sound effects, has a good rhythmic vibe, and alternates between single and multi-voice vocal phrases. Final track "I Saw a Light" is a mellow piano-driven number that builds to a climactic middle.

The only tracks I don't really care for are "Sad Eyes," which is somewhat lackluster, and "The Bat's Mouth," which starts out well but gets too weird and cacophonous by the end.

Best: What's a Girl to Do, Prescilla, Sarah, Horse and I, Trophy, Seal Jubilee, The Wizard