New Music : April 20, 2010 - April 26, 2010

Soundtrack "Glee: The Power of Madonna"
The MUCH anticipated all-Madonna episode of "Glee" aired twice last week, with a simultaneous soundtrack release. "Glee: The Power of Madonna" features nine songs from the Material Girl's back catalog, including a medley of "Borderline" and "Open Your Heart." Like previous "Glee" offerings, this collection seems a bit uneven: the Cheerios' full-throttle "Express Yourself" could rouse the dead, but the snippet of "Like a Virgin" we heard was convincingly sweet, although the guys' singing on it made for an uncomfortable moment. And the remake to "4 Minutes" made a danceable groove into a sit- down-fest.

Soundtrack/AC/DC "Iron Man 2"
Another notable soundtrack is the AC/DC movie collaborative, "Iron Man 2." Features music used in the 1986 Stephen King misfire "Maximum Overdrive," "Iron Man 2" includes 15 previously released tunes from the Australian titans of metal, serving as a de facto "Greatest Hits"--which is cool, since the band had consistently eschewed issuing just such a collection. The selections span their entire career from "T.N.T." to "War Machine." While their sound may not have changed much, their fortunes sure have. It's hard to believe the band that entered the charts at No. 1 in 29 countries with "Black Ice" in 2008 barely troubled the lower reaches of the Billboard 200 with its 1976 international debut "High Voltage."

Rufus Wainwright "All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu"
This talented singer/songwriter/producer marks a sharp departure from his previous project, the original opera "Prima Donna." After working with a 70-piece orchestra on that extravaganza, the brooding troubadour opts for just voice and piano here. Wainwright's sixth studio album is his first since the death of his mother, Kate McGarrigle. For those in the dark, she is a folk music great who died last January. Rufus brings out a character that is more bittersweet than melancholy. The program opens strongly with the beguiling "Who Are You New York?" and also includes stripped down renditions of the "Prima Donna" aria "Les Feux D'Artifice T'Appellent" and three of the Shakespearan sonnets he set to music for a Robert Wilson theater piece last year.

Sevendust "Cold Day Memory"
The first full-length from this ever loud, grundge industials since the modern metal quintet reunited with original guitarist Clint Lowery in 2008. Not breaking from previous and obviously successful formula, thier new album delivers the same pummeling sound, albeit with the occasional moment to catch your breath; check out the sudden dynamic shift toward the end of the otherwise brutal opener "Splinter." The eighth album from the Atlanta combo was produced by 2009 Producer of the Year Grammy Award nominee Johnny K (Disturbed, Staind, Plain White T's).

Cydepress Hill "Rise Up"
Four years in the making, these ever adapting "hip-mash-hoppers" finally drop thier follow-up to 2004's "Till Death Do Us Part." The Latino stars are in plenty of good company, with guest turns from guitarists Tommy Morello (of the defunct Rage Against the Machine and the original SUPER-GROUP, Audioslave) and Daron Malakian (System of a Down), Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, Everlast, and even Cheech & Chong, plus producers like Pete Rock, Jim Jonsin, and, of course, DJ Muggs. These former Lollapalooza headliners also have an early contender for one the year's best summer jams in "Armada Latina," a groovy tune featuring Marc Anthony, Pitbull, and a ridiculously catchy sample from the 1969 CS&N hit "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes." We like the feel of this and hope it does "rise up" both on the charts and the volume level.

Other New Releases Worth Checking Out:
(Have not listened to, but please feel free to post a review) 

• Dan Snaith: "Swim"
• Sam Amidon "I See the Sign" 
• Merle Haggard "I Am What I Am" 
• Shelby Lynne: "Tears, Lies and Alibis" 
• The Infamous Stringdusters: "Things That Fly"