Music
Wednesday, 03 December 2008 03:12
Written by Ezra Glinter

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Britney Spears
Circus

Every time we dare to hope that the never-ending Spears saga has finally come to an inglorious finish, Britney seems to revive herself. Her newest album, to be released in conjunction with the former Mouseketeer's 27th birthday and following on the heels of a documentary about her life, looks set to do it again. Let the tabloid mania continue!

Britney Spears
Circus

very time we dare to hope that the never-ending Spears saga has finally come to an inglorious finish, Britney seems to revive herself. Her newest album, to be released in conjunction with the former Mouseketeer's 27th birthday and following on the heels of a documentary about her life, looks set to do it again. Let the tabloid mania continue!

 

Akon
Freedom

s its title suggests, the New Jersey hip hop artist's third LP completes the narrative arc of his first two albums, Trouble and Konvicted. The accounts of his criminal enterprises are largely fabricated, but that hasn't stopped his conquest of the charts. Then again, the singer's predilection for controversy hasn't exactly held him back.

John Zorn
The Crucible

ce American avant-garde saxophonist John Zorn has worked with everyone from Lou Reed to Bill Laswell, received a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant, and even directed his own record label. The Crucible continues to explore a fascination with the occult, following last year's Six Litanies for Heliogabalus.

Pavement
Brighten The Corners (2008)

avement were always a band whose influence far exceeded their popularity. Their contribution is now being recognized by the expanded, re-mastered re-release of their iconic catalogue. 1997's Brighten the Corners is one of Pavement's most accessible records, and the inclusion of b-sides and other previously unheard gems is a welcome event.

Common
Universal Mind Control

he eighth album from Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. is the latest installment of the Chicago rapper's unfolding career. Common's rise has been more like that of a tortoise than a hare, though collaborations with Kanye West and Erykah Badu have pushed the socially conscious artist to the forefront of the hip hop community.

Maroon 5
Call and Response

ith more and more bands holding remix contests, the future of live music is perilously up in the air. The Los Angeles-based Maroon 5 can still make an extra buck in between by releasing "reworked" versions of old material. Not the most exciting news perhaps, but given the quintet's exploding popularity in Asia there's no doubting the business sense behind it.

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