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Rabbit," and Alison Mosshart THE JOY JESSIE J glistens on Lennon & McCartney's FORMIDABLE Who You Are "Tomorrow Never Knows," while The Big Roar Producers: various Björk's "Army of Me" is sub- Producers: The Joy Lava/Universal Republic jected to an aggressive remix Formidable, Neak Menter, Release Date: April 12 that blends perfectly with the Rich Costey The latest product of London's star - new tracks. The soundtrack's Canvasback/Atlantic making BRIT School arrives in America most tender moment begins Release Date: March 15 with no shortage of at -home hype: Even before the U.K. with a male voice, Yoav, who Anyone who saw the Joy For - release of her debut album, "Who You Are," Jessie J won trades verses packed with vul- midable's blistering set at Bill- the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll and the Critics' Choice BRIT nerability with Browning on the board's South by Southwest Award, and when it came out last month in the United Pixies' "Where Is My Mind ?" showcase in late March knows Kingdom, the set debuted at No. 2 -right behind fellow Amid a rush of male- targeted that this Welsh trio doesn't do BRIT brat Adele's "21." Like that "Chasing Pavements" female power, it's the rare mo- anything small. Even the band's singer, Jessie J owns a big voice rich with old -soul intensity. ment that asks the audience to 2009 indie debut mini -LP, "A Here, she uses it most powerfully in "Mamma Knows Best," pause for reflection. -PG Balloon Called Moaning," had a brassy vaudeville -style number. But as befits a songwriter a big sound, big hooks and who helped pen Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A.," Jessie J even bigger ambitions. The Joy is less suspicious of radio -bait dance -pop than are some of PEARL JAM Formidable's new full -length, her old classmates. Indeed, she's best on "Who You Are" in Vs. & Vitalogy Deluxe "The Big Roar," ups the ante to uptempo cuts like "Abracadabra," one of several Dr. Luke Edition almost comical levels. It's a productions; another, "Price Tag," finds a surprising amount Producer: Brendan O'Brien sprawling 50 -plus- minute -long of juice left in the reggae- scented fruit previously squeezed Epic Records/Legacy opus filled with stadium -sized by Bruno Mars and B.o.B, the latter of whom contributes a Recordings choruses, wind -tunnel guitars, guest verse. -MW Release Date: March 29 deep bass rumble and several Following the same lavish canyons' worth of echo. The treatment Pearl Jam gave the twist comes in the three-piece's "Austere," "A Heavy Abacus," Producers: various Vries and Tyler Bates, with a full 2009 boxed set of 1991 debut unusual fusion of indie -pop and "Whirring," "Cradle" and "The Smithsonian Folkways SUCKER PUNCH orchestra under their employ, "Ten," the band has reissued sonic skyscraping. There's an Greatest Light Is the Greatest Recordings Producers: various bring a consistency to the and remastered 1993's multi - early -'90s alt -rock lilt in front - Shade." The bigness gets the Release Date: March 29 Watertower Music album, surrounding vocals with platinum "Vs." and 1994's woman Ritzy Bryan's vocals better of the threesome on sev- Created to replace the Smith- Release Date: March 22 deep and intense effects culled hearty, complex "Vitalogy" as and melodies that's toughened eral songs -but regardless, sonian's out -of -print 1973 jazz For the soundtrack to action - from speed metal and indus- the next phase of its 20th - by the volume and intensity, so smart money says the Joy For- overview, a 47- member com- fantasy film "Sucker Punch," trial dance clubs. The film's star, anniversary celebration. The in- "The Big Roar" sometimes midable will be one of this mittee has curated a package dark, eerie and violent sound - Emily Browning, is featured on spired pairing opens a window summons visions of the Breed- year's breakout bands. -JA that speaks best to academics scapes are used to rattle female three of the tracks, admirably into the heady year surround- ers playing with Muse's equip- looking fora compact jazz en- vocalists' interpretations of playing seductress on the al- ing Kurt Cobain's suicide when ment (and drummer). It's a cyclopedia. The approach is songs by the Beatles, Jefferson bum's leadoff number, "Sweet Pearl Jam grappled with the killer combination of sweetness VARIOUS ARTISTS chronological, the canon largely Airplane, Eurythmics, the Dreams (Are Made of This)." raw, uncomfortable pinnacle of and brawn that's best captured Jazz: The Smithsonian unchanged from previous Stooges and the Smiths. Pro- Emiliana Torrini delivers a con- its fame. In '93, frontman Eddie on the more compact songs Anthology compendia of the music's his- ducer/musicians Marius de vincing interpretation of "White Vedder viscerally howled tory, though room has been about the glare on "Blood," made for Sun Ra. The 200 - but by 1994's "Corduroy" and WIZ KHALIFA page book that accompanies BRITNEY SPEARS "Tremor Christ," he had donned Rolling Papers the six -CD, 111 -song set pro- Femme Fatale a mien of self -preservation Producers: various vides a dissection of mostly Producers: various ( "Take my time /Not my life "). Rostrum/Atlantic great works with technical, his- Jive Records Led by Vedder's familiar bari- Release Date: March 29 torical and musical details. Release Date: March 29 tone and the twin guitars of If the whole hip -hop thing some- Overall, it lacks a distinct point "I wanna go downtown where my Mike McCready and Stone how doesn't work out for Wiz Khalifa, he should consid- of view. The first four discs are posse's at," Britney Spears sings on Gossard, all the straight- ahead,

er becoming a motivational speaker. After all, the Pitts- pleasant listening experiences her killer new album, "because I got nine lives like a kitty often singalong -ready rock- burgh MC's debut full -length, "Rolling Papers," is an covering swing, big band, cat." Now there's a double- entendre worth the two -and- ers ( "Animal," "Better Man," overwhelmingly upbeat rap album that's all the more bebop and hard bop. The music a -half years we've been waiting for "Femme Fatale." "Daughter ") that defined the surprising following his dark February mixtape, "Cabin splinters on disc five, placing Beyond the top -shelf wordplay, though, that line (from Seattle band's early sound

Fever." Following the success of the Billboard Hot 100 - Stan Getz's bossa nova, John "How I Roll ") communicates an essential truth about this are here, with additional topping debut single "Black and Yellow," Khalifa offers Coltrane's version of a Mass professional comeback queen. Who else but Spears glimpses into the process af- a laid -back toast to young success, overcoming humble and the Mahavishnu Orchestra could survive the Great Bald Umbrella Attack of 2007? forded by bonus tracks. But beginnings and smoking plenty of weed over cozy syn- within the rubric of jazz. The Executive-produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin, the fans will find the most reveal- thesizer beds. Songs like "Top Floor" are packaged in a set does go out on a limb to ballad -less "Femme Fatale" seems designed to reassert ing glance into the time period warm haze, with Khalifa's flow floating over the subtle compartmentalize the post - Spears' dance -pop dominance in the age of Katy Perry on the "Live at the Orpheum, rhythms and pausing to let the beat breathe. While Coltrane era and it's encourag- and Ke$ha. Throbbing future -disco cuts like "Hold It Boston, MA" disc, which dis- Khalifa isn't the most technically dazzling performer, ing to see Tomasz Stanko, An- Against Me" and "I Wanna Go" gleam with a sense of plays how vital PJ has always the 23- year -old flashes charisma at every turn and thony Braxton and the Art cold -eyed purpose that reminds you how long the been live while simultane- understands the importance of a hook (see: "When I'm Ensemble of Chicago seated at singer's been with us. Spears doesn't always sound like ously catching the group in Gone," "Roll Up" and of course, "Black and Yellow "). the table with Duke Ellington she's having a great deal of fun here -on "Big Fat Bass" mid -songwriting process, Like Drake's "Thank Me Later" (2010), "Rolling Papers" and Charlie Parker, an acknowl- you can practically hear Will.i.am persuading her to let performing early versions is a unique opening statement from a gifted main- edgement that the music con- loose. But whoever said global conquest was supposed of the Neil Young -esque stream rapper. -JSL tinues to evolve deep in the to be a good time ? -MW "Not for You" and haunting shadows of popular culture. -PG "Immortality. " -JL

28 BILLBOARD APRIL 9, 2011