LostprophetsThe Fake Sound Of ProgressColumbia RecordsWhy the heck hadn't I heard about these guys before? If you haven't discovered these prophets start the search. Lostprophets are from the UK, which explains why not everyone here is in the know. They are pretty much rock music's best kept secret right now. Originally a group of five members (now numbering six), Lostprophets was formed in late 1997 by a group of friends who were sick of the same old sounds and wanted to mix all of their favorite influences all into one. Their big hit is "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja", names of two arcade games. This song kicks ass. If you want to relate Lostprophets to something you know, think of Incubus style vocals, and turntables, mixed with some Deftones type of screaming, and some P.O.D. style bass guitars. These guys can play. Check out www.dragonninja.com or www.lostprophets.com. -Chux311
Meshell NdegeocelloCookie: The Anthropological Mixtape MaverickIt may be some underlying law of the pop universe that as your material improves your popularity will diminish. Ndegeocello has become of one of the few essential artists whose works can be considered mandatory listening for people who care about music (as opposed to "product"). Yet her sales numbers don't reflect her importance in pop culture. The Anthropological Mixtape is M.N.'s boldest CD yet. Who knows what lies ahead, but up to this point it seems to represent the height of her creative endeavors. The music is funky, evocative, beautiful; the lyrics are strong, conveying in a very straight forward way some of the singer's insights into the color-coded world she (we) deals with daily. Giving substance to pretty sounds is the forgotten territory of music made for the masses. M.N. does it about as well as anyone out there. "Out there" is a big space and sometimes even the best are not heard. But don't miss out on this. For tour dates go to www.meshell.com.-Beat
Brandy Full Moon AtlanticIt's been nearly four years, but the newly married and pregnant Brandy is back with her third effort that reflects her maturity. These songs about falling in and out of love are balanced out over a prodigious 17 tracks. While some songs serve as filler material, there are some genuine hits. "What About Us" is an up-tempo club banger, typical of producer Rodney Jerkins, who served in the same capacity for Michael Jackson on his last release. He even used some leftover MJ vocals from that project in "It's Not Worth It," showing that nothing goes to waste with him. His tracks also feature the bouncy rhythms found in Invincible, which may seem tired to some. Continuing the conceit started on her last album, Brandy performs one cover song. This time it's the P.M. Dawn hit "Die Without You," a duet with her brother Ray J. It captures the original feel while updating it for a new generation; a nice way to end the album. Brandy's last CD spawned several hit singles, and this new release has the potential to top that. -85 Mics