The editors of Modern Tonic present a weekly music update here on Towleroad. The rest of the week, they scan the pop culture landscape for movie, TV, book and Web recommendations in their daily email.
it? While you await Adam Lambert’s debut (out Nov. 23), appease your
ears with Carrie Underwood’s third album, Play On, which finds the Okie
from Muskogee maintaining that note-perfect balance between pop and
country.
Serena Ryder is back on the scene with her third album, Is It O.K. If the Canadian singer-songwriter’s first two efforts garnered mucho Alanis Morissette comparisons, her gruff pipes now bear a striking resemblance to Melissa Etheridge.
Also released: The Ultimate Bee Gees; Nirvana — Live at Reading (CD/DVD); Morrissey — Swords (deluxe edition); Andrea Bocelli — My Christmas; Kathy Griffin — Suckin' It for the Holidays; Devo — Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! and Freedom of Choice (remastered reissues); Kate Earl — Kate Earl; Fleetwood Mac — Very Best Of; Deborah Cox — Triple Feature; Foo Fighters — Greatest Hits; and Marcy & Zina — The Album.
Ellie Goulding: “Under the Sheets”
This très
Brit pop newbie makes like Agent Smith stuck in a Baz Luhrmann production in the first clip from her forthcoming debut, which touts production from Mark Ronson and U.K. dubstep guru Burial.
Basement Jaxx feat. Lightspeed Champion: “My Turn”
As if we couldn’t get more worked up about the new Basement Jaxx album, here comes a pastel-crazy fantasia, featuring a chorus of adorably destructive bears who swipe the spotlight from… uh… the dude who’s singing.
Tegan & Sara: “Hell”
The first video from their new album, Sainthood, starts out bright and cheeky. Until that turquoise-wrapped thing appears in the mirror. Is that the Gimp from Pulp Fiction, or the typewriter from Naked Lunch? Disturbing stuff…
Madonna & Lady Gaga on SNL (dress rehearsal version)
One could (easily) argue that this skit was unsalvageable, but at least the twin divas hit their marks and don’t flub their lines in this pre-show run-through. The definitive take, perhaps, though the joke’s still pretty lame.