New and Notable This Week

• Junior Senior: Hey Hey My My Yo Yo
  The hit “Move Your Feet” from Junior Senior’s previous album, D-D-Don’t Don’t Stop the Beat, was great because it was impossible to listen to it and not want to dance and be in a good mood. Party music is what they do best. Europop, funky electronic dance music and psychedelic disco grooves that remind you of an updated The B-52s, Pet Shop Boys, Devo and The Sugarcubes. (”Take My Time” features Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson from The B-52’s.) If you love Scissor Sisters, LCD Soundsystem, Datarock or HBO’s “Flight of the Concords”, then I highly recommend it.
• Eisley: Combinations
  An eclectic set of songs with spooky vocals like Radiohead and sweet harmonies reminiscent of Belly and Sixpence None the Richer. Also reminds me of Travis. (And they have geek cred—their name comes from the town of Mos Eisley in Star Wars.)
• Matt Nathanson: Some Mad Hope
  Nathanson’s a singer-songwriter in the David Gray, Damien Rice, Ari Hest mold. It’s a little sugary for my taste but if it isn’t for yours then this could be good music to code by.
• Linda Thompson: Versatile Heart
  Folk in the style of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez with overtones of country.
• Blaqk Audio: CexCells
  A side project by two members of the punk rock band AFI. Only it’s not punk, it’s a throw back to dark electronica/synth pop like Joy Division, Depeche Mode, New Order and 808 State. My criticism is that it may be too authentic and that they don’t take the sound anywhere new. But if you’ve been jonesing for the 80’s…
• Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds: Live At Radio City
  A must for Dave Matthews fans, skippable for everyone else.
• Paul Van Dyk: In Between
  Two hours of dance/trance music by the 20-year veteran German DJ for $9.99. There was a time when that would have seemed like a great offer to me.

New to iTunes

• John Lennon: Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon
  The whole John Lennon catalog was added to iTunes. (Another small step towards offering The Beatles catalog…) This is a 2-CD/38-song greatest hits collection from his solo career. It’s also from EMI so it’s iTunes Plus (no DRM and better sound quality for $.30/song extra).

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