The Cure's 1980 American debut collects tracks from their 1979 British LP, Three Imaginary Boys, alongside early singles such as "Jumping Someone Else's Train." It's a great collection that captures the band's early jumpy, Post-Punk sound and worth owning simply for "Killing An Arab" and "10:15 Saturday Night." Editor: Jon Pruett
Lykke Li may play the sweet and innocent girl, but under that sugar-coated charm is a robust mix of wit and sophistication. The songstress' slight Swedish accent rolls off in pixie coos that succeed in being frank ("And for you I keep my legs apart") just as well as they do vulnerable ("Oh, how I love the way tears suit my face"). With the help of producer Bjorn Yttling (of Peter Bjorn and John), pops of heavy bass, retro sing-along harmonies and subtle electro beats never overtake the star of this show. Move over Feist, the Swedes have got the next indie-pop sweetheart on their hands. Editor: Stephanie Benson
Maybe it's just because we listened to it approximately 16,000 times our senior year of high school, but something about "Hyperballad" gives us gooseflesh and brings a barely contained sob to our throats and makes us want to throw up in the most wonderful way. Actually, her entire fourth(ish) album is an incredible combination of weird and poignant and rip-your-guts out gorgeous and ... accessible (well, more or less) -- the kind of collection Bjork just doesn't put out anymore. And then there's "It's Oh So Quiet," quite possibly the weirdest Bjork song ever. Editor: Rachel Devitt
Arriving on the heels of a two-year hiatus, Slipknot's All Hope is Gone proves worth the wait with a barrage of near-perfect metal musicianship spanning 12 tracks. Subtly channeling the angst of Iowa ("Gematria [The Killing Name]"), the masked band shows its ability to go from solid hard rock ("Dead Memories") to technical heaviosity ("Butcher's Hook"). Both newcomers and long-time supporters should find something to dig into here, though the sraight-up ballad "Snuff" could be a longshot. Editor: Jen Guyre
After the success of Doctor's Advocate, L.A.X., the Game's third and supposedly final album, serves as his victory lap. The L.A. native shines when cooking up hard drive-by music, lacing the Travis Barker-produced "Dope Boys" with cocky belligerence and cranky indifference ("I'm sick of bl*wj*bs, b*tch, leave me alone"). "My Life" is more serious, as he and Lil' Wayne hauntingly contemplate why God has spared them while taking so many friends. And while "Gentleman's Affair" and "Touchdown" fall flat, L.A.X. is a solid final chapter to the Game's gangsta saga. Editor: Toshitaka Kondo
Coldplay have mastered their anthemic craft so precisely that with every peak of Chris Martin's falsetto you can hear the faintest cha-ching of dollar signs. So, for them to usher in Brian Eno to help dip their toes into new terrain is a move that deserves some props. Eno gives them room to build their grandiose crescendos, while adding in oblique bars of airy soundscapes ("Life in Technicolor"), Eastern strings ("Yes"), Renaissance strut ("Strawberry Swing") and even some Phil Collins swagger ("Violet Hill"). It's a good progression, but not as innovative as they might have been hoping for. Editor: Stephanie Benson
After the success of Doctor's Advocate, L.A.X., the Game's third and supposedly final album, serves as his victory lap. The L.A. native shines when cooking up hard drive-by music, lacing the Travis Barker-produced "Dope Boys" with cocky belligerence and cranky indifference ("I'm sick of bl*wj*bs, b*tch, leave me alone"). "My Life" is more serious, as he and Lil' Wayne hauntingly contemplate why God has spared them while taking so many friends. And while "Gentleman's Affair" and "Touchdown" fall flat, L.A.X. is a solid final chapter to the Game's gangsta saga. Editor: Toshitaka Kondo
Arriving on the heels of a two-year hiatus, Slipknot's All Hope is Gone proves worth the wait with a barrage of near-perfect metal musicianship spanning 12 tracks. Subtly channeling the angst of Iowa ("Gematria [The Killing Name]"), the masked band shows its ability to go from solid hard rock ("Dead Memories") to technical heaviosity ("Butcher's Hook"). Both newcomers and long-time supporters should find something to dig into here, though the sraight-up ballad "Snuff" could be a longshot. Editor: Jen Guyre
Spurned by his former patrons, gangsta rapper the Game has carved out a musical niche that isn't aligned with Dr. Dre's West Coast or 50 Cent's East Coast dominions. Unfortunately, this style, as exemplified on his new album, is little more than a star-sponsored imitation celebrating gangsta-rap's golden age. More
