Lil' Kim has gone from the Junior M.A.F.I.A to La Bella Mafia as 50 Cent, Missy Elliott and even the Notorious B.I.G. collaborate with the Queen Bee on her new album. Meanwhile, Fabolous pairs up with some of Kim's pals, P. Diddy and Mary J. Blige, on Street Dreams.
Folk Implosion -- the side project of Sebadoh's Lou Barlow that outlasted the original project -- return with The New Folk Implosion. And in other side project news, Weezer's Pat Wilson's the Special Goodness releases Land, Air, Sea.
Kristin Hersh packs a double punch this week as she releases both her moody solo rock on The Grotto and her band Throwing Muses' self-titled LP.
Continuing the eponymous album trend is metal outfit Voivod's 13th record, featuring the return of original singer Denis Belanger and new member Jason Newsted, formerly of Metallica. Plus, Hootie and the Blowfish issue their new, self-titled album alongside New Zealand rockers the Datsuns.
The soundtrack to last year's indie film "The Slaughter Rule" features contributions from Ryan Adams, Neko Case and Uncle Tupelo plus covers of classics like Vic Chesnutt's "Rank Stranger." Meanwhile, Eve and Foxy Brown appear on the "Bringing Down the House" soundtrack, the movie starring that hilariously mismatched pair of Queen Latifah and Steve Martin.
Finally, Johnny Cash's American IV: The Man Comes Around is the fourth installment in the Man in Black's partnership with producer Rick Rubin. On it, Cash covers Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt," the Beatles' "In My Life" and Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus."
The 88 - Kind of Light (EMK) Ataris - So Long, Astoria (Columbia) Bloodthirsty Lovers - Bloodthirsty Lovers (French Kiss) Boomkat - The Wreckoning (DreamWorks) Boris - Amplifier Worship (Southern Lord) Budapest - Too Blind to Hear (Universal) Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around (Universal) Read: [article id="1470173"]"Lens Recap: The Story Behind Johnny Cash's 'Hurt'"[/article]
Chilee Powdah - 480 Headbangers (Powdahland) Choppa - Straight From the N.O. (New No Limit) The Coral - The Coral (Columbia) Crusaders - Rural Renewal (GRP) Cursive - The Ugly Organ (Saddle Creek) Chris Cutler and Thomas Dimuzio - Dust (ReR) Datsuns - The Datsuns (V2) Decemberists - 5 Songs (EP, Hush) Delinquent Habits - Freedom Band (Ark 21) Entrance - The Kingdom of Heaven Must Be Taken by Storm (Tiger Style) Evanescence - Fallen (Wind-Up) Fabolous - Street Dreams (Elektra/Desert Storm) Read: [article id="1459364"]"Fabolous Gets Payback From Missy, Lil' Mo For New Album"[/article]
Rose Falcon - Rose Falcon (EP, Columbia) Jay Farrar - "The Slaughter Rule" soundtrack (Bloodshot) Folk Implosion - The New Folk Implosion (Artist Direct) Beth Gibbons - Tom the Model (Universal) Girls in the Club - Girls in the Club (Downsouthrap) Glass Candy and the Shattered Theatre - Love Love Love (Troubleman Unlimited) The Hangmen - We've Got Blood on the Toes of Our Boots (Acetate) Here Be Dragons - Alcohol & Rain (Silverwolf) Bernard Herrmann (conducted by Joel McNeely) - "The Day the Earth Stood Still" score (Varese Sarabande) Kristin Hersh - The Grotto (4AD/Beggars Banquet) Will Hoge - Black Bird on a Lonely Wire (Atlantic) Hollywood Hate - Product of Our Environment (TKO) Hootie and the Blowfish - Hootie and the Blowfish (Atlantic) Hot Action Cop - Hot Action Cop (Atlantic) Eric Idle - The Rutland Isles (iMusic) Intro5pect - Intro5pect (A-F) Inventing Edward - We've Met an Impasse: By Midnight We'll Be Naked (Substandard) Stephen Jones - Almost Cured of Sadness (Sanctuary) Lauren Kennedy - Sings the Songs of Jason Robert Brown (Image Entertainment) King Crimson - The Power to Believe (Sanctuary) Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow (Load) Lil' Kim - La Bella Mafia (Queen Bee/Undeas/Atlantic) Read: [article id="1470031"]"Lil' Kim Fights To Earn Back Street Cred On Mafia LP"[/article]
Oleander - Joyride(Sanctuary) Pay the Girl - Pay the Girl (TVT) Procol Harum - The Well's on Fire (Eagle) Red Thread - After the Last (Badman) Graeme Revell - "Daredevil" score (Varese Sarabande) Chris Rice - Run the Earth, Watch the Sky (Rocketown) Rivulets - Debridement (Chairkickers) Sharpshooters - Twice as Nice (Light in the Attic) Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co. (Secretly Canadian) The Special Goodness - Land, Air, Sea (Control Group) Thermals - More Parts Per Million (Sub Pop) Throwing Muses - Throwing Muses (4AD/Beggars Banquet) Triple Threat - Many Styles (Fat Beats) Tony Trischka - New Deal (Rounder) Brian Tyler - "Darkness Falls" score (Varese Sarabande) Under Threat - Behind Mankinds Disguise (Conquest) Voivod - Voivod (Chophouse/Surfdog) Read: [article id="1459215"]"Jason Newsted Says His New Band Can Kick Metallica's Ass"[/article]
Vue - Babies Are for Petting (EP, RCA) Wayne Wonder - No Holding Back (Atlantic) Woven Hand - Woven Hand (Sounds Familyre) Warren Zanes - Memory Girls (DualTone) Various artists - Adagio: A Windham Hill Collection (Windham Hill) Various artists - "Bringing Down the House" soundtrack (Hollywood) Various artists - "First Lady Suite: A Musical by Michael John LaChiusa" soundtrack (Image Entertainment) Various artists - Jazz Lounge 2 (Varese Sarabande) Various artists - "The Quiet American" soundtrack (Varese Sarabande) DVD: The Chieftains - "Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions" (RCA Victor) DVD: George Strait - "For the Last Time - Live from the Astrodome" (MCA Nashville) Various artists - Punk Goes Acoustic (Fearless) Buzzcocks - Buzzcocks (Merge) Celine Dion - One Heart (Sony) Linkin Park - Meteora (Warner Bros.) Read: [article id="1459532"]"Linkin Park Discuss Meteora, Plan Surreal Video"[/article]
