New Music : November 3 - 9

Weezer's "Raditude"
A record full of big guitars and radio-friendly riffs. Rivers Cuomo and company dish out nervy power-pop, a la Cheap Trick and the Cars, on "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To," and glam it up for the arena-sized "Girl Got Hot." They get creative with A Lil Wayne collaboration "Can't Stop Partying," and the Bollywood fantasy "Love Is the Answer."

Soundtrack from "Glee."
New selections from the show about an oddball high school choir. "Glee: The Music, Volume 1" collects 17 of them. The best bits are still the arrangements that take risks with classic rock staples ("Don't Stop Believin'," "Somebody to Love"). In addition, Jill Scott's "Hate on Me" or Rihanna's "Take a Bow." Removed from the context of the show, and ingested back-to-back, the music loses some of its impact, but still worth listening to.

Carrie Underwood "Play On"
Since her 2005 victory, she's won four Grammy Awards, racked up 10 No. 1 country singles, and been inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame (right up there with Wanda Jackson and Patti Page). On her third album, Underwood continues writing more of her own material (she has a credit on seven of the 13 songs) and says she opened up lyrically. But there are also contributions from Top 40 pop heavyweights, including Kara DioGuardi, Max Martin, and Mike Elizondo; the latter, a cohort of Dr. Dre and Eminem, had a hand in her attitude-saturated smash "Cowboy Casanova."

Amerie "In Love & War"
The fourth album from this talented, yet underrated r&b diva. Her 2007 release, "Because I Love It," was barely released in America. That's a pity, since the R&B singer's aesthetic is refreshingly difficult to pigeonhole; at her best, she's the kind of wild card pop act Janet Jackson wishes she still was. Something in the breaks, scratches and audible crackles on her underrated summer jam "Why R U" gave it an edge more reminiscent of '90s trip-hop than contemporary Top #40. With a little push from her new label, Def Jam, more folks may discover what sets Amerie apart.

Slayer "World Painted Blood"
The ninth album from the two-time Grammy Award winners, is the first they wrote entirely in the studio, rather than working up material beforehand. Guitarist Kerri King has told press that the disc is a little more eclectic than most of their catalog, likening it to 1990's "Seasons in the Abyss" in that regard. The 11 selections include "Psychopathy Red," the hardcore punk number they showcased on limited edition 7-inch single last spring, and the whiplash-inducing tempo changes of "Hate Worldwide."

Morrissey "Swords"
A collection of B-sides spanning his 2004 return to form "You Are the Quarry" to the present. Pointed selections like "Good Looking Man About Town" and "Don't Make Fun of Daddy's Voice" are strong along with the deliverance of a cover of Bowie's "Drive-in Saturday".