music

"HONEY I'M HOME," Al B. Sure! (Hidden Beach)

On the surface, at least, the legend of the late great Townes Van Zandt makes for a familiar cliche.

"HOUSE MUSIC," Kikumoto Allstars (International Deejay Gigolo)

Chicago acid-house music isn't as aggressive as other sub-genres of electronica, but it's subversively compelling.

Sugar Ray. 50 Cent. Moby.
This summer promises so many new releases from old faces it might leave you asking, "What year is it again?"

JUNE

Jonas Brothers, "Lines, Vines and Trying Times" (June 16)
Lil Wayne, "Rebirth" (June 23)
The Mars Volta, "Octahedron" (June 23)

Love them, hate them or simply want to put another hole in your head every time you hear them, here's a 12-pack of songs that will be inescapable over the next few weeks.

-- Kelly Clarkson, "I Do Not Hook Up"
-- Grizzly Bear, "Two Weeks"
-- Jeremih, "Birthday Sex"
-- Passion Pit, "The Reeling"

"THE REAL THING," Vanessa Williams (Concord)

Vanessa Williams' new "The Real Thing" is so meticulously crafted that it sometimes feels disingenuous. Like the singer/actress herself, the release is almost unnaturally beautiful, creating an antiseptic effect that might leave the audience feeling glossed over.

"RELAPSE," Eminem (Aftermath/Interscope)
When he gleefully announced his return to the scene with the infectious 2002 single "Without Me," rapper Eminem turned his vitriol on electronica's Moby, condemning him as "too old" at 36, making a vulgar suggestion and ending the attack with a smug, "Nobody listens to techno!"

"21ST CENTURY BREAKDOWN," Green Day (Reprise)

Green Day needs a bailout.

"FAMILY TIME," Ziggy Marley (Tuff Gong)

For many adults, the term "family friendly" is code for "suitable for children, boring for parents."
But in the case of Ziggy Marley's "Family Time," it's the children who might get bored.

The Great American Songbook has been taken off the shelf.