New Music : June 22, 2010 - June 28, 2010

Eminem "Recovery"
Billing only a few A-list guest stars prominently, the rapper sounds invigorated to be working with new producers including DJ Khalil, Just Blaze, Jim Jonsin and Boi-1da, and the record is an improvement over last year's "Relapse" and 2004's "Encore." Yes, he ping-pongs wildly between emotional states, sometimes as arrogant and misogynistic as ever, nakedly confessional at others, and downright inspirational on his recent No. 1 hit "Not Afraid." How much of that is real and how much is role-playing? Who cares? Most of the 17 tracks are hugely entertaining, his lyrical flow remains untouchable, and in the post- Lady Gaga universe, "authenticity" in pop is a moot point anyway.

The Roots "How I Got Over"
The Oft delayed album finally releases. Between the samples and the guest stars, plus the band's innovative musicianship -- remember, these guys have proven themselves adept at everything from jazz to Afro-beat -- this one should raise some eyebrows. "Right On" is built around a sample from elfin indie icon Joanna Newsom's 2004 breakthrough "The Milk-Eyed Mender," "Dear God 2.0" drops rhymes over the music of Jim James and the Monsters of Folk. John Legend pops up on two cuts on the album as well as members of Brooklyn art-rockers Dirty Projectors. Produced mainly by Black Thought and Questlove, the album also includes a killer funk-soul title tune that recalls Bobby Womack's classic "Across 110th Street."

Cyndi Lauper "Memphis Blues"
As she takes a trip to the River City, tons of luminaries welcome Cyndi - her straight-up blues set includes performances by B.B. King, Johnny Lang, Allen Toussaint, Ann Peebles and Charlie Musselwhite. Also making appearances are session players with credits on sides for Stax and Hi Records. Occasionally the timbre of Lauper's voice and her choice of selections and overall delivery is heartfelt and impeccable, ranging from a playful take on "Early in the Morning" to a smoldering country-blues interpretation of "Rollin' and Tumblin'." Blues purists may turn up their noses, but Lauper fans and curious music lovers will find much to admire here.

Herbie Hancock "The Imagine Project"
This jazz legend has always been big on collaborations, but the credits for his latest creation read like the U.N. roll call, check this out - India.Arie, Jeff Beck, Pink, Seal, John Legend, Ceu, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, The Chieftains, Juanes, K'NAAN, Los Lobos, Tinariwen, Dave Matthews, Chaka Khan, Wayne Shorter and Anoushka Shankar. This international celebration of peace and global responsibility finds Hancock interpreting songs immortalized by artists John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, Bob Marley and Peter Gabriel. While the whole concept sounds rather like Planet Starbucks on paper, some of the arrangements offer cool surprises, including the Afro-beat change-up during "Imagine" and a dose of Stevie Wonder-style '70s funk on "Tamatant Tilay/Exodus."

Mily Cyrus "I Can't Be Tamed"
The Pop-Princess ropes in at least one notable guest on her new album. The latest from the tweenie features a timely cover of Poison's "Every Rose Has It's Thorn," complete with backing vocals by Bret Michaels. But the bulk of the disc -- which Cyrus is saying will be her last for some time, while she concentrates on acting and "growing up" -- is given over to party fare like the twirling Euro-disco of "Who Owns My Heart" and the fun, feral title tune. Our only major complaint? Stop tweaking her vocals with so many studio FX and auto-tune! We like it when Miley sounds like a chain-smoking truck stop waitress.

Chemical Brothers "Further"
The UK electronic duo of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons have worked with Q-Tip, Beth Orton, Hope Sandoval along with members of Oasis, Mercury Rev, and New Order. So who's featuring on their latest full-length? Um ... nobody. These eight lengthy cuts are relying on their ability to configure blips, bleeps and other odd sounds into compelling grooves. And it works, from the eerie yet seductive opener "Snow" to the mind-bending tones and ebullient deep house elements of "Swoon," with the epic "Escape Velocity" as the masterful centerpiece. However, "Further" isn't entirely devoid of collaborations: The album is accompanied by eight original films made by Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall to sync up with the music.

Robert Randolph & The Family Band "We Walk This Road" 
With his scorching virtuosity and a devotional background (the Pentecostal church supplied his earliest musical influences) his cross-platfrom appeal makes him equally suitable for Bonnaroo, blues fests and SportsCenter promos. Randolph’s first album in four years, on which he and his Family Band ease back on the throttle for a more restrained version of their Sly Stone/Stevie Ray Vaughan blues-gospel-funk fusion. With the guiding hand of producer T Bone Burnett, Randolph’s noise is still joyful with a simmer when it used to be an inferno, but that’s purely by design. The new album is framed as a modern repurposing of African-American music drawn from all corners of the past century. It was recorded over two years and shaped by what Randolph has said were listening sessions to archival, sometimes public-domain, compositions. The album was designed to breathe life into a few dusty corners of Americana, a la Bruce Springsteen’s folk-meets-New-Orleans-revival Seeger Sessions project, but it’s also distinctly modern; Road starts off not with a big, Randolphian bang - “Traveling Shoes” sounds like it could burn the varnish off of stages this summer, this studio version comes off plastic-wrapped. Get ready for some real feel funk and blues.

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

• Sara Farmer "Oh Little Fire" 
• Various Artists "Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine" 
• Elvin Bishop "Red Dog Speaks"
• Lee Brice "Love Like Crazy"