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Fans of Lil Mama's in- romania (or in the case of the City," still sounding incon- PORTISHEAD fectious "Lip Gloss" MADONNA absurdly large power ballad solable. And as one glossy Third have been waiting nearly a Hard Candy "Love," herculean '70s prog- ballad blends into another, Producer: Portishead year for the release of her Producers: various rock balladry), but without this pop -leaning effort, pro- Mercury debut album, wondering per- Warner Bros. producer Robert "Mutt" duced by Mike Flynn (the Release Date: April29 haps if the CD would empha- Release Date: April29 Lange, who left for the much Fray), starts to feel like one Sandwiched in the fer- size this young MC's desire to Madonna makes producers, pro- more profitable world of long, soft -focus sunset an- tile years that sepa- join the ranks of New York's ducers don't make Madonna. The diva plucked William country years ago, the results them: warm, well- crafted, rated grunge from the Spice rap elite or to turn Miley Cyrus Orbit, Mirwais and Stuart Price from electronic music are solid if unspectacular. It's hazy and very safe. -SP Girls was Portishead, a band devotees into hip -hop heads. obscurity, meshing her own pop sensibility with their tough to imagine "Sparkle that didn't change, start or in- "VYP: Voice of the Young sonic specialty. But for "Hard Candy," Madge hooked Lounge" putting the Lep LATIN spire much of anything. But People" suggests that those up with name -brand guys like the Neptunes and back out front for long, but XIMENA SARIÑANA its two albums of trip -hop noir two goals needn't be mutu- Timbaland, and even brought on Justin Timberlake as there are a handful of tracks Mediocre are suspended in the memory ally exclusive. Presiding over a writing partner. What results is, expectedly, of -the- here that'll sound pretty good Producers: various of that generation, beautiful tracks produced by A- listers moment and radio -ready. "4 Minutes," with Timber- on tour this summer. -JV Sei Track/Warner Bros. and singular. Eleven years including Dr. Luke, T -Pain, lake, is already a top three Billboard Hot 100 hit, and Release Date: April 29 later, "Third" doesn't fit in the Cool & Dre and Scott Storch, harmonious ballad "Miles Away" might be some of her AUGUSTANA As a generation of Mex- canon. The torch song melod- Lil Mama shows off some im- best work yet. But it feels familiar. "Miles" is a close Can't Love, Can't Hurt ican artists shaped by ies and crackly samples are pressive verbal firepower cousin to Timbaland's "Apologize," "Spanish Lesson" Producer: Mike Flynn MTV, MySpace and YouTube gone, replaced by psych - here, like when she challenges is a dead ringer for N'E *R *D's "She Likes to Move," and Epic finds its musical voice, it has guitar and gothic folk. Tense her skeptics over a booming "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" instantly recalls Release Date: April29 often come out sounding like elements like a skidding tire trash -can beat in "One Hit Timberlake's "Cry Me a River." That's par for pop acts Inspired by the success earnest mimicry of Anglo pop - thump ( "Plastic ") or an angry Wonder." Yet she never goes when they collaborate with producers who are bigger 11 of "Boston," a heartfelt, rock or a style- over -substance shaker ( "We Carry On ") put long before reminding us of stars than they are. But for a vanguard artist like widescreen ballad that has indie pose. Though singer/ the entire collection eternally the value of a killer chorus, ei- Madonna, it feels like a bit of a concession. -KM sold more than 1 million dig- songwriter Ximena Sariñana's on the ledge, teetering be- ther; in "Broken Pieces" she ital tracks, rock quintet Au- remarkable alt- pop -jazz de- tween order and oblivion. even pulls off an unlikely emo- gustana emphasizes piano but recalls Fiona Apple's best Pitch -shifting strings punctu- blues ballad. -MW sample on the hopeful "Keep colate throughout. "Nine and keyboards on this soph- brooding melodies, it carries ate the background like re- On Dreaming" and the reggae Lives" starts off with the omore collection of bitter- an emotional truth all its own. minders of the cinema of the riddims on the Wyclef Jean - gritty acoustic roots sound sweet songs about breakups, The seamless piano- and gui- past, but this Portishead LYFE JENNINGS assisted "You Think You've of the defiant "I'm Not breakdowns and breakaways. tar- driven production per- doesn't wink at anything, es- Lyfe Change Got It Bad." The hip -hop- Drowning," but "Fly" returns Modern -rock overdrive gives fectly complements Sar- chewing style altogether. In Producers: various driven "Brand New," a collab- us to the airy, expansive kind way to an airy semi -crunch, iñana's crisp, soaring vocals, our self -referential culture, an Columbia oration with T.I., contains el- of arrangement that Win - and there are new classic which occasionally bite the album like this is an aberra- Release Date: April29 ements of "If I Ruled the wood does so well, and rock influences on Tom Petty - audience, lovers and herself in tion. Again. -KM 101 Like its two predeces- World" by rapper Nas, an al- "Raging Sea" incorporates esque tracks like "I Still Ain't the process of seeking ap- sors, "Lyfe Change" fea- ternate rhythmic avenue for funky guitar licks and subtle Over You" or "Dust," while the proval. "Only geniuses stay HIP-HOP tures his staple heartfelt love Jennings as well. Still, songs Hammond organ fills. Recent epic "Hey Now" shows arena - around; tomorrow you'll for- LIL MAMA songs ( "Never, Never Land," like "It's Real," where Jennings concert partner Eric Clapton seeking confidence. One of get me," she sings on "No VYP: Voice of the Young "Midnight Train ") and uplift- rhymes over thumping drums provides some stinging work many plaintively soaring bal- Vuelvo Más," while an acoustic People ing tracks ( "Warriors "). The like his 2007 hit "S.E.X.," re- on "Dirty City," while "Hun- lads, "Twenty Years" is the se- version of Volován's "Monitor" Producers: various big, well, changes this time mind us why his sound didn't gry Man" stirs in African fla- quel to "Boston," only this has the power to wad you up Jive around are the production need much tweaking in the vors and "Secrets" heads in time frontman Dan Layus like a ball of tin foil. Forget Release Date: April 29 tactics, like the "Tom's Diner" first place. -MC a Latin direction. -GG wants to "move to New York you? Not a chance. -ABY

ROCK DEF LEPPARD THE ROOTS STEVE WINWOOD Songs From the Sparkle SANTOGOLD Rising Down Nine Lives Lounge Santogold Producer: Richard Nichols Producer: Steve Winwood Producers: Def Leppard, Producers: various Def Jam Columbia Ronan McHugh Downtown Release Date: April29 Release Date: April 29 Bludgeon Riffola/Island Release Date: April 29 It's a dark and stormy night on aSteve Winwood has Release Date: April 29 Blog- browsing hipsters have been "Rising Down," the Roots' 10th disc. There's a sense of made a career out of CI How you feel about hearing about this 32- year -old New Yorker since her sonic dirt, political sharpness and clenched -teeth pur- offhanded excellence, qui- "Songs From the single "Creator," with its post- M.I.A. electro -pop vibe, pose that may be the result of label woes (the disc etly exploring an ambitious Sparkle Lounge" will depend began burning up the Internet last year. Listeners with opens with a '94 phone screaming match between musical synthesis that occa- almost entirely on how you longer memories might remember Santi White (who band members), or it may be just thanks to an ongoing, sionally connects with the react when the hand claps records as Santogold) from her stint fronting Stiffed, if kind of unbelievable, need to prove itself. Temporarily pop mainstream, but more turn up on the final chorus of a short -lived East Coast soul -punk band, or from her

put on hold is the Philly collective's long- percolating often floats in its own kind of "Nine Lives," a highly carbon- writing /producing gig on "How I Do," the sadly slept - propensity for slow -rolling, low -light grooves, and the rock muso universe. "Nine ated country- rocker (co- on debut by Philly -based R &B singer Res. On her self - first salvo of tracks come like a series of punches Lives" follows suit with a set starring Tim McGraw) that's titled solo bow -which features collaborations with designed for a second -round knockout. Elsewhere, whose nine songs display an designed to trigger all the Diplo, Spank Rock and Switch -Santogold pours all "Criminal" and "I Will Not Apologize" find the group ensemble sensibility that synapses in your head that that experience into a bracingly eclectic set full of making its most acute, nail- driven points in years. Also, gives a generous allotment still have parts of "Hysteria" fuzzy New Wave synths, sticky avant -soul melodies, drummer Ahmir " ?uestlove" Thompson is, to use tech- of sonic room to members of rattling around them. The busted -laptop beats and sing -song vocal chants nical terms, absolutely nuts -check out his brain - Winwood's band -especially band's first new set since inherited from the likes of Neneh Cherry and Björk. If melting work on the old- school jam "Rising Up" and, flutist Paul Booth and per- 2002 is full of these well - you've managed to avoid her until now, you won't be well, "Rising Down." --.JV cussionist Karl Vanden Boss - intentioned attempts to re- able to for much longer. --NiV che, whose polyrhythms per- capture some of that '80s py-

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