40 Favorite New Wave Albums

In response to Ultimate Classic Rock's recent male-dominated list of the Top 40 new wave albums, I give you my list of 40 new wave favorites. 

A couple of caveats: Unlike UCR, I only allowed one album per artist. (Still reeling over the fact that their list had FOUR Talking Heads albums, and THREE Elvis Costello and THREE Devo albums!) Suffice to say, if I'm a fan of Romeo Void's "Benefactor" you can guess that I'm also wild about "It's a Condition" ... and so on. I didn't grow up in a Talking Heads-Costello-Devo environment -- or even David Bowie -- so none of their albums made my list. (Please don't excoriate me for only being a casual fan of all four.) 

What's here are the albums I truly love -- not the ones I think I'm supposed to love -- records I have listened to 100+ plus times, that I know every word and every breath of. And it's no surprise that the Top 10 features all female singers. Also, my best "new wave" friend chastised me when I included songs from after 1984 on a list in the past, so I'm using that year as the (I feel random) cutoff point. If I hadn't, the debut albums by Lone Justice, 'Til Tuesday and Pet Shop Boys may very well have made the cut, as well as "The Queen Is Dead" by the Smiths.

Regular readers won't be terribly surprised by many of these. But here's hoping a few of you learn something you'd never heard of before -- and that you send me your picks in the comments so that I may learn a thing or two, too! 

My full list BELOW.

Rolling Stone Rattles Cages With Revamped List of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

Rolling Stone has updated its famed list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Times "from scratch" -- is anything more divisive than a ranking of music?! -- and while it's hard to take seriously a "greatest" list that includes a solo effort by a member of One Direction, I will say I still eat stuff like this up. 

After years of crying over the placement of personal favorites like Blondie's "Parallel Lines" (now a paltry #146), the classic Pretenders debut (#152) and the Go-Go's "Beauty and the Beat" (#400), I finally accepted that inclusion -- rather than ranking -- is ultimately what matters here. (I'm sorry, but there's no way Beyonce's "Lemonade" is better than Joni Mitchell's "Court and Spark" and the complete works of Phil Spector no matter what some queer activist on Hornet says.) 

With streaming taking over the music business -- even for me -- I thought it was interesting to note which of these I owned when you actually had to pay money for a particular grouping of songs (aka "an album") -- and was surprised to see that even budget-constrained Kenny had purchased 75 of these mostly as a kid, including five of the Top 10. 

Read 'em and weep HERE!

Albums I bought:

Note: My list is 100% honest, so no pretending for coolness's sake that I owned every Ramones, Stooges and Joy Division album back in the day (I didn’t.) Working in a movie theater concession stand only paid $3.35 so I was lucky to get what I had!

496. Shakira, 'Dónde Están los Ladrones'

Columbia, 1998

494. The Ronettes, 'Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes'

Philles, 1964

490. Linda Ronstadt, 'Heart Like a Wheel'

Capitol, 1975

489. Phil Spector and Various Artists, 'Back to Mono (1958-1969)'

ABKCO, 1991

474. Big Star, '#1 Record'

Ardent, 1972

466. The Beach Boys, 'The Beach Boys Today!'

Capitol, 1965

456. Al Green, 'Greatest Hits'

Hi/EMI, 1975

452. Diana Ross and the Supremes, 'Anthology'

Tamla/Motown, 1974

435. Pet Shop Boys, 'Actually'

EMI Manhattan,, 1987

431. Los Lobos, 'How Will the Wolf Survive?'

Slash/Warner Bros., 1984

430. Elvis Costello, 'My Aim Is True'

Columbia, 1977

425. Paul Simon, 'Paul Simon'

Columbia, 1972

410. The Beach Boys, 'Wild Honey'

Capitol, 1967

401. Blondie, 'Blondie'

Private Stock, 1977 (actually 1976 and re-released in '77 on Chrysalis)

400. The Go-Go’s, 'Beauty and the Beat'

I.R.S., 1981

399. Brian Wilson, 'Smile'

Nonesuch, 2004

398. The Raincoats, 'The Raincoats'

Rough Trade, 1979

394. Diana Ross, 'Diana'

Motown, 1980

392. Ike and Tina Turner, 'Proud Mary: The Best of Ike and Tina Turner'

EMI, 1991

359. Big Star, 'Radio City'

Ardent, 1974

354. X-Ray Spex, 'Germfree Adolescents'

EMI, 1978

353. The Cars, 'The Cars'

Elektra, 1978

336. Roxy Music, 'Avalon'

E.G./Warner Bros., 1982

331. Madonna, 'Like a Prayer'

Sire, 1989

320. X, 'Los Angeles'

Slash, 1980

303. ABBA, 'The Definitive Collection'

Universal, 2001

294. Weezer, 'Weezer (The Blue Album)'

Geffen, 1994

293. The Breeders, 'Last Splash'

Elektra, 1993

288. The Modern Lovers, 'The Modern Lovers'

Beserkley, 1976

285 Big Star, 'Third/Sister Lovers'

PVC, 1978

266. The Beatles, 'Help!'

Capitol, 1965

262. New Order, 'Power, Corruption & Lies'

Factory, 1983

247. Sade, 'Love Deluxe'

Epic, 1992

231. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 'Damn the Torpedoes'

Backstreet, 1979

229. Patsy Cline, 'The Ultimate Collection'

Universal, 2000

222. Madonna, 'Ray Of Light'

Maverick, 1998

220. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, 'Déjà Vu'

Epic, 1970

200. Sade, 'Diamond Life'

Epic, 1984

198. The B-52's, 'The B-52's'

Warner Bros., 1979

184. Cyndi Lauper, 'She’s So Unusual'

Portrait, 1983

182. James Taylor, 'Sweet Baby James'

Warner Bros., 1970

172. Simon and Garfunkel, 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'

Columbia, 1970

165. R.E.M., 'Murmur'

I.R.S., 1983

163. Various Artists, 'Saturday Night Fever'

RSO, 1977

161. Crosby, Stills & Nash, 'Crosby, Stills & Nash'

Atlantic, 1969

152. The Pretenders, 'Pretenders'

Sire, 1980

150. Bruce Springsteen, 'Nebraska'

Columbia, 1982

146. Blondie, 'Parallel Lines'

Chrysalis, 1978

141. Pixies, 'Doolittle'

4AD/Elektra, 1989

138. Madonna, 'The Immaculate Collection'

Sire, 1990

124. U2, 'Achtung Baby'

Island, 1991

118. The Eagles, 'Hotel California'

Asylum, 1976

113. The Smiths, 'The Queen Is Dead'

Sire, 1986

110. Joni Mitchell, 'Court and Spark'

Asylum, 1974

107. Television, 'Marquee Moon'

Elektra, 1977

106. Hole, 'Live Through This'

Geffen, 1994

96. R.E.M., 'Automatic for the People'

Warner Bros., 1992

83. Dusty Springfield, 'Dusty in Memphis'

Atlantic, 1969

56. Liz Phair, 'Exile in Guyville'

Matador, 1993

48. Bob Marley and the Wailers, 'Legend'

Island, 1984

46. Paul Simon, 'Graceland'

Columbia, 1986

38. Bob Dylan, 'Blonde on Blonde'

Columbia, 1966

35. The Beatles, 'Rubber Soul'

Parlophone, 1965

29. The Beatles, 'White Album'

Apple, 1968

26. Patti Smith, 'Horses'

Arista, 1975

25. Carole King, 'Tapestry'

Sony, 1971

24. The Beatles, 'Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band'

Capitol, 1967

23. The Velvet Underground, 'The Velvet Underground and Nico'

Verve, 1967

13. Aretha Franklin, 'I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You'

Atlantic, 1967

11. The Beatles, 'Revolver'

Apple, 1966

7. Fleetwood Mac, 'Rumours'

Warner Bros., 1977

6. Nirvana, 'Nevermind'

Geffen, 1991

5. The Beatles, 'Abbey Road'

Apple, 1969

3. Joni Mitchell, 'Blue'

Reprise, 1971

2. The Beach Boys, 'Pet Sounds'

Capitol, 1966

Cyndi Lauper Takes Her Country Show on the Road

Order HERE.

I haven't had a chance to check out Cyndi Lauper's new country album, "Detour." But I still have time to cram before she arrives in New York City for the supporting tour. Boy George is co-heading at her Beacon date, as well as others -- see below!

Info HERE.

An A-ha Moment

Enter to win a copy of the 30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition of A-ha's classic "Hunting High and Low" album HERE! 

Annie Lennox Returns With 'Nostalgia'

Great to hear that Annie Lennox is back with a new solo album, even if it made me cringe to realize it's her sixth -- and I only know the first two -- and own what I thought was the third but turns out to be the fourth (that I've never played ... oops). I like Annie a lot, but she's never been one of "my" girls, despite loving her solo debut beyond belief. Am happy to take a reaming from any diehard Annie fans on why I need to get the missing albums ASAP. Her latest, "Nostalgia" -- a second covers collection, this time made up of favorites from her youth -- is available to pre-order now HERE.

Nostalgia - Annie Lennox

This Town

With the Doors, Go-Go's, Runaways and Best Coast, L.A. Weekly's "20 Most L.A. Albums Ever: The Complete List" is worth a look -- and has me wanting to try my hand at a New York City list. Read HERE.

UPDATE: My somewhat-related Throwback Thursday post on Facebook seems to be getting a lot of attention, so I thought I would add it here!

#TBT Standing by the Go-Go's tour bus at Pine Knob (Detroit), circa 1984. INXS opened for the band's "Talk Show" tour, but my outfit was the real headliner.

Class of '82

It's not too late to vote in Deep Dish's latest Groovy Music Showdown -- and it's one of the greatest years in music history! Read HERE. 

Gay for Play

I would normally save this for my Friday ON THE RAG feature, but Next magazine's upcoming 25 Albums Every Gay Guy Should Hear list is just too fun to hold off on! Blondie, Madonna, Cher and Bette are no-brainers, but I love the inclusion of Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love," Hole's "Celebrity Skin" and the B-52's "Cosmic Thing." Online edition HERE.

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs Are Lost in the '80s

Sid 'n' Susie are up to their old tricks again, this time covering an eclectic batch of songs from the '80s -- R.E.M., Tom Petty, the dB's, the English Beat, Echo and the Bunnymen, etc. -- for "Under the Covers. Vol. 3." As with the previous two collections, it's the songs I know the least -- "The Bulrushes" by the Bongos, "Towers of London" by XTC -- and/or interpreted by an opposite-gender-from-the-original -- Susanna singing Dave Edmunds' "Girls Talk" and Lindsey Buckingham's "Trouble" -- that stick with me most. This is really saying something, however, seeing as Susanna also sings "Kid" (Pretenders) and "They Don't Know" (Kirsty MacColl), which are two of my all-time favorite songs. That they felt the need to include two songs that were actually from 1979 -- both mentioned above (can you spot 'em?) isn't really a compliment to the decade from which their careers were born. But then again, they're doing the "Vogue" dance in the promotional photo, so perhaps their cutoff point for new decades is different from mine! Order HERE.

Cher Unveils 'Closer to the Truth' Artwork, Track Listing

And the cover photo is about as far from the truth as you can get.

Track listing, which doesn't seem to include the rumored cover of "Our Lips Are Sealed" or the Lady Gaga duo.

Standard edition:

 1. "Woman's World"
 2. "Take It Like a Man" (featuring Jake Shears)

 3. "My Love" 

 4. "Dressed to Kill"

 5. "Red" 

 6. "Lovers Forever" 

 7. "I Walk Alone" 

 8. "Sirens" 

 9. "Favourite Scars" 

10. "I Hope You Find It" 

11. "Lie to Me" 

Deluxe edition:

 12. "I Don't Have to Sleep to Dream" 

 13. "Pride" 

 14. "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" (Original Version) 

 15. "Woman's World" (R3hab Remix) 

 16. "Woman's World" (Jodie Harsh Radio Remix) 

 17. "Will You Wait For Me"

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs Go Back to the '80s!

Foreshadowing: Sid 'n' Susie strike a '90s pose?

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs' beloved covers project -- Sid 'n' Susie -- are back with a third album, this time focusing on the 1980s. I have to admit that I was far more apprehensive about this one than I was the '60s and '70s collections -- the '80s are yours, mine and theirs, after all -- but after hearing their sparkling take on the Go-Go's finest moment, "Our Lips Are Sealed," I'm starting to get giddy about a lineup that also includes R.E.M.'s "Sitting Still," the Pretenders' "Kid," Kirsty MacColl's "They Don't Know" and the English Beat's "Save It for Later." :

"Under the Covers, Vol. 3" will be out Nov. 12 on Shout! Factory. Listen to "Our Lips Are Sealed" HERE.

The full track list for "Under the Covers, Vol. 3" includes:
1.      Sitting Still (R.E.M.)
2.      Girls Talk (Dave Edmunds)
3.      Big Brown Eyes (The dB's)
4.      Kid (Pretenders)
5.      Free Fallin’ (Tom Petty)
6.      Save It For Later (The English Beat)
7.      They Don’t Know (Kirsty MacColl)
8.      The Bulrushes (The Bongos)
9.      Our Lips Are Sealed (The Go-Go’s)
10.   How Soon Is Now (The Smiths)
11.   More Than This (Roxy Music)
12.   Towers of London (XTC)
13.   Killing Moon (Echo and the Bunnymen)
14.   Trouble (Lindsey Buckingham)

Bonus Tracks on iTunes Deluxe Version:
* Train in Vain (the Clash)
* You’re My Favorite Waste of Time (Marshall Crenshaw)
* I Would Die 4 U (Prince)

Extended Abbreviated Play

Fleetwood Mac, Paul Weller, Blondie and many other established artists are now releasing digital EPs instead of albums. On one hand, it makes sense. It's far more cost-efficient, it allows artists to give fans something new more often -- and God knows people's attention spans aren't exactly expanding. On the other hand, the album has always been the measure of an artist. And if big names aren't even going to produce them any more, new artists probably won't either -- which means there'll never be another "Beauty and the Beat," "Pretenders" or "Murmur." I don't like where this is going. Thoughts?

Album of the Day: 'Tinsel and Lights' by Tracey Thorn

Although the tree is nowhere in sight, this weekend I finally got around to listening to Tracey Thorn's "Tinsel and Lights," the Everything but the Girl singer's new holiday album. Not sure if it's because I was a tad underwhelmed by her last two solo albums -- however unfairly: played "Out of the Woods" again last night and was almost as impressed as I pretended to be when it came out in 2007 -- or if it's just because the stripped down arrangements here are more reminiscent of the EBTG albums that I so cherish, but "Tinsel and Lights" is smile-inducingly good, the best holiday album I've heard since Phil Spector's "Christmas Gift to You." (Having  Ben Watt on guitar probably doesn't hurt, either.) That it almost isn't even really a Christmas album definitely gives it a broader appeal -- with the exception of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," the songs are mostly holiday-adjacent, featuring two outstanding originals (including the title track), plus covers of songs by Green Gartside, Sufjan Stevens, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, Ron Sexsmith and The White Stripes. (The Scritti Politti frontman also duets on a cover of Low's "Taking Down the Tree.") -- yet all dozen tracks have an unmistakable winter affect, like the Pretenders' "2000 Miles" and EBTG's "25 December" did so many years ago. Thorn's title track and "Joy," Carol Hall's "Hard Candy Christmas" and Sufjan Stevens' "Sister Winter" are my favorites. With lyrics like "You loved it as a kid/But now you need it more than you ever did...We'll gather up our fears/And face down all the coming years/And all that they destroy/And in their face we throw our joy ...," Thorn looks this often-depressing time of year directly in the eye and reclaims its joyfulness for the adult in all of us that we never thought we'd become. Download the album HERE.

Song of the Day: 'Picture Me' (live) by Susanna Hoffs

 I've been raving about Susanna Hoffs new album, "Someday," ever since it came out last month. I love all 10 songs, but the album's high point is the "Picture Me'-"One Day" one-two punch, which epitomizes the LP's '60s pop feel. No official videos have been released yet -- which is a shame -- but this acoustic version of "Picture Me" from Entertainment Tonight will give you an idea of what I'm talking about. Pure delight!

 

Out Today: 'Someday' by Susanna Hoffs

Susanna Hoffs' long-overdue third -- or fourth or fifth, depending on how you're counting -- is out today. I like what I've heard so far from everyone's favorite Bangle, including "This Is the Place" and the single "Raining" (official video below). Download the album for $8.99 HERE.

UPDATE: I got it this morning and it's fantastic! Others AGREE.

Music Box: 'Panic of Girls' by Blondie (Fan Pack Edition)

Blondie's ninth studio album, "Panic of Girls," may not actually be a million times better than its two comeback predecessors, but something about it sure feels better. The killer 1-2-3 opening punch of "D-Day," "What I Heard" and "Mother" probably has a lot to do with it, but the fun doesn't (entirely) stop there. I got the Fan Pack version for my birthday and as giddy as I was at 44 to be opening this treasure trove -- a glorious full-color magazine, six buttons, four postcards shot by Chris Stein, a two-sided poster and a deluxe-edition CD with two bonus tracks -- I'm thinking my head would have exploded if this had happened in the '80s! Kudos from me -- the biggest and most critical Blondie fan in the world -- to whoever put that magazine together. It's filled with very rare photos (many, many I've never seen before), individual interviews with all six band members, plus chapters on the band's influence, Debbie's style, Debbie's movie career, all the members' solo projects plus individual articles about each of the band's eight albums leading up to "Panic," with era-specific photos and fascinating insights from the producers and band (Clem said they never knew if any of their albums were good until "The Hunter," which he knew was "a hit!" Chris thought the only problem was that "awful cover"). The most revealing -- or perhaps telling -- thing I got out of the interviews was that "Maria" isn't high on list of Debbie's favorites. She admits it's a great song and understands why the fans like it, but she sees it as looking backward, something she (sadly) isn't interested in doing. (Apparently looking back on charts hits isn't something she's fond of either?) But don't panic. The new album has just enough old-school Blondie to still be good, and enough experimentation to keep Debbie happy -- but no rap, thank God! -- that you'll do more than breath a sigh of relief, you might actually enjoy it.

Here's my song-by-song review. Would love to hear from others who have the album already.

1) "D-Day": Quirky-sounding opener, not really sure what it's about, but has just enough of a hint of the debut album that I like it. 8/10

2) "What I Heard": This is the "Maria" of the album, which is to say the song that sounds most like vintage Blondie, complete with ultra-catchy hook. As hardcore fans know, Jimmy Destri was pushed out of the reformed band many years ago and it's a shame, as he is the member who writes songs that sound the most like "Blondie." (Hence Debbie's dismay.) The band is lucky that new member Matt Katz-Bohen -- another keyboardist -- has a similar songwriting style, although something tells me the lyrics would have been even a tad more clever had Jimmy had his hands on this near-miss-of-a-classic. 9/10

3) "Mother": This is Debbie's finest moment lyrically and vocally. As mentioned, Debbie hates looking back, yet "Mother" strikes just the right blend of nostalgia and modern-day pop sensibilities. The video's kinda lame, but so is being a rocker in your 60s. Get over it and love it! 10/10

4) "The End, The End": This album has a trio of reggae-flavored songs, which some fans may take exception to. (I'm a fan, but even if I weren't, I find it insurmountably preferable to more rap. If I could have one wish for the rest of my life, it would be that Debbie Harry never raps again! "Rapture," "Military Rap" and "The Beast" were fun -- everything since has been just awful.) Keep in mind, this is, as my friend Christopher calls it, "very very WHITE reggae, like we need it. I mean, it makes 'The Tide Is High' sound like Bob Marley." Unfortunately, this is the weakest of the three (the other two are covers). 5/10

5) "Girlie Girlie": This one's my favorite of the tropical numbers -- it's an "actual" reggae song that was a No. 1 hit in Jamaica for Sophia George, as well as a Top 10 hit in the U.K. -- and one of my favorites on the album, period. Light, breezy and playful -- put a daiquiri in my hand and I could listen to this on auto-repeat all day long. 10/10

6) "Love Doesn't Frighten Me": The second contribution from Matt Katz-Bohen is his "Nothing Is Real but the Girl." Another high-energy, catchy pop song that has single potential, but wouldn't be nearly as big a hit as "What I Heard." 7/10

7) "Words in My Mouth": This one sounds like Debbie had a great idea with its title and hook -- "don't put your words in my mouth, that's not what I meant" -- but the melody never really came together. 5/10

8) "Sunday Smile": The third reggae song is a Beirut cover (frontman Zachary Francis Condona was born the year "Rockbird" came out!). It's starting to grow on me -- the horns are very "Tide Is High" -- but that I dug up the original and like it better should tell you something. 7/10

9) "Wipe Off My Sweat": Debbie whips out her Spanish dictionary for this dance-friendly ditty. It's not nearly as good as "Keep on Going," one of few high moments of "Debravation" -- the "papi, papi" refrain alone is something I wish I'd never heard -- but the beat is pretty sweat sweet, so I'll give it somewhat of a slide. 4/10

10) "Le Bleu": I guess following a Spanish song up with a song sung entirely in French is the band's way of saying, "We're old and we're legends, so fuck you if you don't like it." Luckily, this one's by Chris Stein and has a certain film soundtrack sensibility to it that if not for its album predecessor would be an enjoyable novelty on the album. 6/10

11) "China Shoes": The sole Harry/Stein contribution on the album is a keeper. Maybe not vintage Blondie material, but clever lyrics and memorable tune make it "Def, Dumb and Blonde" worthy, which ain't half-bad. 7/10

Bonus tracks:

12) "Horizontal Twist": This one is the "punk" song that didn't make the final cut. It uses "Sheryl Crow" as a verb, seriously, but the "fancy that, fancy this ..." refrain is awfully catchy. They'd have been smart to include this one on the album instead of "The End, The End" or "Wipe Off My Sweat." 8/10

13) "Mirame": Yet another cover and another song in Spanish! This would have been the "perfect" throwaway bonus track if not for the two foreign-language songs already on the main album. 5/10

If my math is correct, the main album adds up to a 6.3. That may not sound great, but throw the six great songs on your iPod and you'll be cruising like it's 1980 and you're waiting for Debbie to come on "Solid Gold" ...

Order your Fan Pack HERE. I believe it comes out in a regular edition this fall.

A look at all the goodies

Music Box: 15 Albums

I rarely do any of those Facebook "lists," but there was something utterly irresistible about the "15 Albums" one that's been going around this week. Not only can I not resist talking favorite albums, long before the Internet was around, I used to kill time at various jobs writing endless lists of things just for fun -- everything from lists of every tennis racket I'd ever used and every album I own to lists of every book I'd ever read and every apartment I'd ever lived in (I still remember every address and ZIP code dating back to 1967). So this "15 Albums" list was a must-do.

Mind you, these are NOT my 15 favorite albums of all time -- I doubt I'd have forgotten "Beauty and the Beat" (Go-Go's), "Desperate" (Divinyls), "Dusty in Memphis" (Dusty Springfield), "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?" (Waitresses) or everything but Rosanne Cash if it had been. Instead, this is a list of "15 albums you've heard that will always stick with you." Here's what I came up with under the gun. Please grab an egg timer and feel free to put your list in the comments section -- I'd love to argue with you about your choices!

THE RULES: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.

1. PRETENDERS (1980) -- The Pretenders

2. PLASTIC LETTERS (1978) -- Blondie

3. IT'S A CONDITION (1981) -- Romeo Void

4. SUMMER DAYS (AND SUMMER NIGHTS) (1965) -- The Beach Boys

5. THERE GOES RHYMIN' SIMON (1973) -- Paul Simon

6. ALL OVER THE PLACE (1984) -- The Bangles

7. TAPESTRY (1971) -- Carole King

8. TWO SIDES TO EVERY WOMAN (1979) -- Carlene Carter

9. UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN (1982) - X

10. SLOW CHILDREN (1981) -- Slow Children

11. RATTLESNAKES (1984) -- Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

12. HIGH LAND, HARD RAIN (1983) -- Aztec Camera

13. BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT (1986) -- Everything but the Girl

14. SOUND AFFECTS (1980) -- The Jam

15. DESPERATE CHARACTER (1981) -- Kirsty MacColl

Soon to be hits

White Picket Fence Lyrics Joe Purdy	Never Alone Lyrics Lady Antebellum
The Hardest Part of Letting Go..Sealed With a Kiss Lyrics Megadeth	Birthday Suit Lyrics Sean Paul
No Way Out Lyrics Kevin Cossom	The Spell Lyrics Alphabeat
Diez Deditos Lyrics Jose-Luis Orozco	Talking Chess Lyrics Josh Groban
The Shot Heard Round The World Lyrics Boys Like Girls	All Stops Lyrics Lil Wyte

More blog tools found here.

Virgin Territory

While most people 40 and under have turned exclusively to music downloads I still can't get enough of those square plastic dust collectors. So I headed over to the Virgin Mega Store in Union Square last night after a low-key dinner with Michael (we're both recovering from being ill). I'd heard so many good things about Bruce Springsteen's new album, "Magic," that I had to have it. Turns out it doesn't come out until today, but a Starbucks we stopped at afterward had it out already and although they weren't allowed to sell it to me, they were allowed to charge me for another one of their collections and let me take "Magic" home (HUH? Sorry, no royalties for that one, Bruce!). I'm no Bruce expert. In fact, I'm obsessed with "Nebraska" and "Tunnel of Love" ("Tougher Than the Rest" rules) but have never even heard any of his other albums (well, not counting "Born in the U.S.A." 'cause virtually every song was released as a single). But every so often I get the urge for Bruce and it cannot be denied. I've only played "Magic" a couple times and I'm already really enjoying it. I was sort of startled that the opening track, "Radio Nowhere," doesn't even credit Tommy Tutone's "867-5309/Jenny" for a sample -- it's the exact same guitar riff -- but the rest of the album is all Bruce and casts a dark spell with an upbeat feel to it. "Girls in Their Summer Clothes," "You'll Be Comin' Down," "Long Walk Home" and "Livin in the Future" are my favorites so far.

I also picked up the Bat for Lashes album, "Fur & Gold," that includes the video I posted last week. I'm intrigued by the variety of the songs (none of the other tracks sound hardly anything like "What's a Girl to Do?"). Shades of Kate Bush?

I was listening to Lloyd Cole's charming collection of lost tracks and rarities from 2004, "Etc.," this afternoon and my disc started to skip, so I replaced it with a fresh copy.

And last but not least (don't laugh) I finally picked up "The Best of Corey Hart." A friend (Jen) at Kandy's wedding mentioned her girlhood crush on the pouty-lipped Canadian pretty boy and it really took me back. (I was smitten with him too.) I was devastated a year or two ago when VH1's promotional materials said Corey was going to be on "The Surreal Life" but it turned out to be the motocrosser Carey Hart. Although I could only think of "Sunglasses at Night" and "Never Surrender" by name, it's easy to forget that he actually had 10 great chart hits back in the day (While Bryan Adams may have had a bigger and longer career, Corey will never have pox marks). "I Am By Your Side," It Ain't Enough," "A Little Love" and his cover of "Can't Help Falling in Love" are instant iPod classics around my house -- and I certainly don't regret not just downloading this one: just look at that cover photo :-)

Read all Music Box posts HERE.