This month, we review CDs from The Neptunes, Bad Boy Bill, Incognito, Rufus Wainwright, The Rapture, Peaches, The Russian Futurists and Girls are Short
Artist: The Neptunes
Title: Clones
Label: Arista
Rating: 3 1/2
The Neptunes are the new hardest working men in show business. They're generally known for their sparse, stripped-down approach to production and they take this basic approach to its logical conclusion on Clones, a minimal but still effective album. Most of the tracks have nearly no melody and only basic drum tracks, putting the burden on the top-flight guests (Busta Rhymes, Nas, Nelly, Ludacris). Luckily the stars deliver and the Neptunes throw in a few welcome twists, such as Pharrell's freaky falsetto hit "Frontin'," a rock interlude from NERD and their backing band Spymob, and a knockout Snoop Dogg jam. Clones isn't the most ground-breaking effort ever but there's a little something for everybody. --Steve Geise
Artist: Bad Boy Bill
Title: Behind The Decks
Label: System Recordings
Rating: 3
Chicago DJ Bad Boy Bill is deserving of his reputation as a full-on party DJ, as his latest mix CD, Behind The Decks, ably demonstrates. Cramming 40 tracks onto a single disc, his mixing is fast and furious -- he rocks multiple copies of the same record, plays a capellas, and scratches up a storm. If slamming house music is your thing, this will satiate your need. The release also comes with a 5.1 surround DVD so you can really feel like you're "inside" the music. Behind The Decks can sometimes be a bit much, as Bill rarely lets the energy level fall below "frenetic as all get-out," but if you're looking for something to bang on the way to the club, look no further. --Douglas Adams
Artist: Incognito
Title: Who Needs Love
Label: Narada Jazz
Rating: 4
Arriving on the first wave of the acid jazz scene in the very early '90s, Incognito firmly established its place alongside founders of the genre like the Brand New Heavies. The group's latest, Who Needs Love, refines that sound while staying true to the original appeal. Beautiful melodies and inspirational lyrics guarantee any Sunday afternoon drive to the beach to be a nice one regardless of the traffic. There's nothing edgy here, just a slick, non-abrasive sound. Whether it's one of the few house tracks on the album, one of the many funk tunes or the slightly more ethnic Brazilian feel of the title track, the sound never sways from sexy, smooth and jazzy. Lead vocals by Joy Rose and Kelli Sae on several of the tracks alone make this album worth owning. --Noah Massey
Artist: Rufus Wainwright
Title: Want One
Label: DreamWorks Records
Rating: 4
If you're looking to expand your musical repertoire, check out Rufus Wainwright's Want One. Wainwright's style is unlike anything in today's musical landscape; it's different and unique, in a good way. You know how when your mom tries to set you up with her friend's son/daughter who's got a "great personality," it automatically translates to ugly? That's not the case here. Wainwright's melodies are at once grand, operatic, intense, whimsical, joyous and melancholic. It's akin to rock opera (but, again, in a good way). The soaring orchestra in the tracks, "Oh What A World," and, "I Don't Know What It Is," illustrate that style perfectly, while the ballads ("Natasha" is a real gem) reveal Wainwright's emotional, sensitive side. All this and personality too. --Ella Ngo
Artist: The Rapture
Title: Echoes
Label: Strummer/DFA/Universal
Rating: 3
They call it disco punk, and music journalists have been tripping over each other for the past two years, declaring it the best thing since electroclash. Listening to Echoes, the debut full length by scene kings The Rapture, you have to wonder what all the fuss is about. Yes, the band's breakthrough single, "House of Jealous Lovers," is pretty damn hot, a raw mix of dance beats and angular, sloppy guitar, but a whole album of this can grow tiresome, especially since none of it is anywhere near as incendiary as the single. Perhaps a live album would have better captured The Rapture's energy? --Douglas Adams
Artist: Peaches
Title: Fatherf**ker
Label: XL Recordings
Rating: 1
The sophomore album from electroclash shock queen Peaches is, in a word, sophomoric. The minimal '80s production that defines the electroclash sound runs throughout the album but is rarely interesting. Peaches attempts to shock you with her open sexuality and dirty words but the shock you may or not experience barely lasts through the first few tracks. By the end of the album you will likely be more bored than shocked. If you're into cheap-sounding, simple, '80s-inspired beats with silly lyrics, then this might be for you, but honestly, it was done much better back in the '80s when it was actually fresh and interesting. --Noah Massey
Artist: The Russian Futurists
Title: Let's Get Ready To Crumble
Label: Upper Class
Rating: 3 1/2
Artist: Girls Are Short
Title: Early North American
Label: Upper Class
Rating: 3
Electronic music is crashing into indie pop, especially up in Toronto where these two "groups" come from. Both favor clever melodies and the kind of bratty vocals that make teenage girls with bob haircuts swoon, and both know how to rock the funky beat samples.
The Russian Futurists' Let's Get Ready To Crumble is the sound of Phil Spector being channeled into Harold Wormser, the genius computer kid in Revenge of the Nerds. That is, it's brilliantly catchy, drenched in reverb, and very, very cute. Girls Are Short also run around the cute track, although their sound is more Boards of Canada on Ritalin, all hyperactive breaks and naive melody. The perfect soundtrack for The Powerpuff Girls, actually. --Douglas Adams