The Knack

He’s Back

While Arcade Fire celebrated its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 past this past week with the arrival of "The Suburbs," it's looking like a familiar face will return to the top slot next week: Eminem. His "Recovery" set will probably skip back to No. 1 as "The Suburbs" is likely take a steep sales slide in its second week and none of this past Tuesday's new releases are aiming to challenge for the top slot. "Recovery" will probably sell around 135,000 to 150,000 by week's end on Sunday, Aug. 15 -- a sales figure that will likely outpace the rest of the chart field. Industry prognosticators are suggesting that the tally's biggest debut will come from either Disney Channel's soundtrack to "Camp Rock 2: the Final Jam" or perhaps Black Label Society's "Order of the Black."...Read the rest of the story

3OH!3: Streets of Gold

Filled with brazen pop hooks, lyrics that inspire laughter and cringes, and endless exploration of sex, booze, and, well, more sex, 3OH!3 reach for the status of epic musical trash. What is great is that once you check the attitude at the door, it is tremendous fun to hear, and probably even better with a roomful of friends and plenty of alcohol. As a step forward, there are even a few sensitive moments built in. By the time Streets Of Gold winds down with a statement about upcoming preeminence of self love, it may just occur to you that this is a pair of serious musicians lurking behind the brash surface...Read the rest of the review

Getting To Know La Roux

For starters, La Roux didn't actually have it all easy. The songs that make up her debut album were four-and-a-half years in the making, no mere flashes in the pan dreamed up by a song writing team as is the pop norm. Her debut single, last year's 'Quicksand', paid a brief visit to Number 133 in the charts before disappearing. Music biz sources tell The Quietus that mainstream radio producers were initially extremely reluctant to add follow-up 'In For The Kill' to their playlists, only capitulating when the single started to sell, and sell, and sell. That track has now shifted nearly half a million copies, and La Roux sold out her autumn date at London's Scala in five minutes. Her next single 'Bulletproof' has the potential to do even better than the last and, more importantly, her eponymous debut album is packed with killer tracks...Read the interview