If you ever wanted to listen to the "Miami Vice" or "Nightrider" theme songs for entertainment without being ridiculed by your peers, you are in luck. This Norwegian delight embodies the best of that heavy keyboard-in-motion, crime-fighting feel, without the dumb plots and bad acting, all rolled into one cool indie package.
Fergie The Dutchess (A & M)
What do you get when you gather an ensemble of tremendously untalented hip-hop sellouts for a pop album? A bunch of shitty Fergie songs, apparently. Minimal vocal capabilities, low-rent lyrics and bizarre production, manned by Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am, all work together to culminate in a tacky, disturbingly sexual mess. But what else could we expect from the people who brought us “My Humps”? Watch out for this album, as over the next year, after “London Bridge” is played out, about five more excruciating tracks will be lurking around every corner.
The Lemonheads The Lemonheads (Vagrant)
Evan Dando has the same haircut and dreamboat qualities, but over a decade after their It’s A Shame About Ray heyday, The Lemonheads (plus two J. Mascis guest shred sessions) are transformed. Their simplicity, one-of-a-kind vocals, country leanings and upbeat-despite-serious-substance-abuse-problems tone remains intact, but it feels more mature and calm, less catchy … eh, maybe that’s middle age. Whatever’s changed, this is still a comeback Lemonheads fans can respect.
