Here's what I think of some of the shizzle that's come out lately. As always - the scale goes <br> JarJar -- Luke -- Anakin -- Jabba -- Han Solo -- Greedo -- Lando -- Yoda -- Vader -- Boba Fett

• Ben Harper, "Lifeline" (Lando) - sounds like Ben Harper. It's nice; reminiscent of a slightly funkier Cat Stevens. If you like BH, you'll probably like this. If you like singer-songwriter types, you'll probably like this.
• Jamie T., "Panic Prevention" (Lando)- this straddles the line between brilliant and annoying. It's like an older Art Brut meets the Streets. It's cute and catchy, but all that talking sometimes gets on my nerves.
• New Young Pony Club, "Fantastic Playground" - (Greedo) kind of fun indie girl pop. Not really my cup of tea, but nothing really wrong with it.
• VHS or Beta, "Bring on the Comets" (Han) - WHERE DID MY BAND GO? I love VHSoB, but I couldn't find any hint of their former selves on this CD at all. It's very rock-y, and not in a good way. I cried.
• Galactic, "From the Corner to the Block" (Vader) - THIS ALBUM FUCKING ROCKS!!! It combines the best bits of hip hop & funk, with a little jazz thrown in.
• Scorpions, "Humanity Hour" (Luke) - sounds like the Scorpions, only they're not rocking like a hurricane anymore, more like maybe a tropical storm warning. Since I wasn't a big fan to begin with, listening to this was painful.
• Blaqk Audio, "Cexcells" (Luke) - An annoying project by AFI people that I feel like I should like, since it rips off everyone I hold dear. However, it's basically what would happen if present-day Depeche Mode re-made <i>Pretty Hate Machine</i>, then sent it back in time for Giorgio Moroder to produce in 1985. The result it the goth equivalent of lounge music-- and not in a good way.
• Okkervil River "The Stage Names" (Yoda) - I like this, though I can't remember why. It's kind of new wavey, I think.
• Korn, "Untitled" (Han) - I like Korn, yes I do. I don't think I'd buy one of their CDs, but I enjoy hearing them when other people play them. Thus said, this CD sounds basically like Marilyn Manson covering Black Album-era Metallica. This is a good thing for me, but not for most Korn fans. I wouldn't buy it myself, but it's better than listening to most of the other new stuff we got promos for in store where I work.
• Bob Marley, "Roots Rock Remixed" (Lando). This is really fun. The remixes are really good, not cheese-ass club trash like a lot of remixes these days.
• Tegan & Sara "The Con" (Greedo). I like this better than everyone's favorite Canadian twin lesbians' last album. It's got some good lyrics and occasionally succeeds in rocking out.
• U.N.K.L.E. "War Stories" (jury's still out). I'm not sure if I love this CD or think it's really boring. James L. and friends made a rock album, which I'm not sure I approve of. I have to listen to it a bunch more times befoew I have a real opinion, I think.
• Prince, "Planet Earth" (jury's out). I thought this was lame and cheesy the first couple of times I heard it. However, every critic on earth is falling to his knees to kiss Prince's purple ass. I don't see it, but maybe I have to listen more closely. Yes, I'm influenced by shit I read on the innernets; sue me.
• Sum 41, "Underclass Hero" (shoot me now)
• Chemical Brothers "We Are the Night" (Greedo) - it has some good tracks, but is by no means a masterpiece. I dig it, but not as much as their older stuff.
• the Editors, "The End Has a Start" (Vader) - I love it! This album is so awesome! It doesn't stray far from what made their last album awesome, but it takes the same formula and matures it a bit. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Yes, the dude's voice sounds kind of like Paul Banks's from Interpol, but the backing music is completely different. Give them a chance.
• M.I.A., "Kala" (Vader) - This is awesome! This album combines snippets of various kinds of ethnic music pieced together with frenetic electronic beats, and the result is dancey, intelligent, and basically fun. M.I.A. has a lot to say on the state of the world, but she's not the best rapper on earth. On this, her vocals are toned down and mixed well so they don't stick out too much from the mix. Rock the fuck on.
• Interpol, "Our Love to Admire" (Vader) - I really like this. I can't explain why-- it sounds like Interpol, only they took their sound and made it a notch more cheery, but not in a bad way.
• Smashing Pumpkins "Zeitgeist" (Yoda) - I never really listened to Smashing Pumpkins before, having missed the 90s. However, I do remember liking that song "1979" (was that it? It was called a number). This album basically sounds like an entire album made up of that song. I approve.
• Against Me! "New Wave" (Lando) - Modern punk is not really my bag, but I like this album. The Against Me! guys are sincere, and this is a heartfelt punk album that doesn't sound completely cookie-cutter and repetitious.
• Ulrich Schnauss, "Goodbye" (Luke) - I know it's supposed to be all ambient and artsy about itself, but this album totally puts me to sleep. I'm getting sleepy just thinking about it. It sounds bland and new-agey to me.
• Justice, "†" (Vader) - Love it! Dancey (like the single "D.A.N.C.E."), fun, takes the cheese from disco and New Wave and turns it into really awesome dance music. Maybe I just like it because of the line "you are such a P.Y.T." -- a shout out to Michael Jackson's <i>Thriller</i>?
• Junior Senior "Hey Hey My My Yo Yo" (Yoda) - Fun dancey retro disco. It's awesome, but sometimes verges a little too much on sounding exactly like they copied cheese disco verbatim and not something new and different. Still, fun and awesome.
• Spoon, "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" (Lando) - I like it, but I don't know; I guess I'm just not a huge Spoon fan. It doesn't do much for me although the lyrics are witty and the music is nice. I guess the songs sound kind of all the same, but then I haven't really listened to it that many times.
• Velvet Revolver "Libertad" (JarJar) - music for Jem and the Holograms to play. This is generic 'rock music' like you'd see in an 80s movie where the repeatedly parents yell "TURN IT DOWN!". Ack.
• Rilo Kiley, "Under the Black Light" (Greedo) - there are a couple of nice pop songs on here. There are a bunch of forgettable schlocky numbers that bring to mind late 90s Shania Twain, too.
• Architecture in Helsinki, "Places Like This" (Greedo) - These guys are quirky to the point of sometimes being annoying. I think they call this "twee pop" with good reason. You will probably either love them or hate them. I like a couple of the songs on this CD and find the rest really irritating.