PLUS SCARLETT JOHANSSON, LINDSAY LOHAN AND ANGELINA JOLIE SHARE THEIR DREAMS

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HMV Sound Choice takes the guesswork out of exploring new music. Every month, we single
out a selection of great albums for a little extra attention, and this month, it’s all about our
favourite releases of the last year. These are the best of the best, and we stand behind
every single one.
JET
Shine On
Shine On is a hard rock album of
epic proportions. From the snaking
bass lines and twin guitar assault to
the vocal howl that will flatten
mountains and open bedroom
doors, Shine On is a sonic boom ecstasy. Check out the
Big Star-influenced roar of “Stand Up” and the Curtis
Mayfield-infused shuffle of the first single “Put Your
Money Where Your Mouth Is”.
BILLY TALENT
II
After coming out of nowhere to land
atop the Canadian screamo/punk
scene with their eponymous 2003
debut, Billy Talent return to reclaim top
spot. Once again fuelled by singer Ben
Kowalewicz's potent vocals, II finds the quartet building on
their already impressive singles track record with the brazen
opener “Devil In A Midnight Mass” and the call-to-arms of
“Red Flag”. Elsewhere, cuts like “Fallen Leaves” and
“Surrender” deliver some of the album's tightest melodies.
ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA
Rock Star Supernova
Fresh from the success of the first
“Rockstar” series that saw Canada's
J.D. Fortune join Aussie rockers
INXS, here's take two. Rock Star
Supernova unites some of hard
rock's heaviest hitters - Gilby Clarke (ex-Guns'n'Roses),
Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe) and Jason Newstead (ex-
Metallica) and an as-yet-unnamed vocalist - for a rough
and raucous rock'n'roll ride.
PANIC! AT THE DISCO
A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out
With A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, Panic!
At the Disco’s genre-obliterating stunner
of a debut, the Las Vegas foursome aims
for the narrowest of niche markets - emo
kids who just wanna dance - and
develops a daring fusion of punk and disco. Backed by funky
beats, slippery synths and roaring guitars, frontman Brendon
Urie peppers P!ATD's ferocious dance-punk with clever
couplets and an elastic voice equally comfortable tackling
screamo howlers and music hall sass.
THREE DAYS GRACE
One-X
This Toronto-based quartet has
blasted onto the charts with One X
and its lead-off single, “Animal I
Have Become”. No surprise, given
the rapturous response the band's
debut album, featuring “I Hate Everything About You”,
received. One-X ups the alt-metal ante, packing even
more of a wallop than its predecessor.
FOO FIGHTERS
Skin and Bones
The drummer jokes end here. After
his former band Nirvana’s tragic end
(brought about by the suicide of
leader Kurt Cobain), drummer Dave
Grohl recorded a solo album under
the banner Foo Fighters, later forming the full-fledged
band, which has become one of alt-rock's biggest
forces. This retrospective offers the best of the Foos -
thus far. Includes the blistering hit singles “The Best of
Me” and “This Is a Call”.
Let’s face it, with the holiday season fast approaching, this is no time for heavy
thinking. With so many great albums released over the past twelve months and more
coming out every week, it’s pretty easy to miss something. So why strain your brain?
Leave the thinking to HMV Sound Choice!
SHAKIRA
Oral Fixation Volume 2
Throaty Columbian rump-shaker
Shakira concludes her two-disc, bestof-both-worlds
recording turn with the
edgier Oral Fixation Volume 2, the set's
all-English second installment.
Though initially designed to expose the singers repressed
inner rock star, a thirteenth-hour injection of irresistible
reggaeton rhythms in the Wyclef-crafted “Hips Don't Lie” is
what's really had an entire hemisphere looking to Shakira for
an infectious dose of truth.
KT TUNSTALL
Eye to the Telescope
Armed with equal measures of sass
and sensitivity, Scottish singersongwriter
KT Tunstall's debut feels
like a timeless favourite from the
very first listen. The standout lead
single “Other Side of the World” sets the album's toughyet-tender
tone early. Tunstall’s biting, open-hearted
lyrics call to mind a more rock-oriented Rickie Lee
Jones; loads of clever lines reveal a talented young
songwriter who already sounds like a seasoned pro.
MADONNA
Confessions on a Dancefloor
Mixing the high-energy pure pop of
her early hits such as “Holiday” and
“Lucky Star” with the ‘future disco’
sheen of modern Madonna classics
such as “Ray Of Light” and “Music”,
the latest album from Madonna is still going strong,
serving as a deliriously dynamic reminder that when it
comes to getting us ‘into the groove,’ no one can do it
quite like Madge. Co-conspirators include Mirwais, Joe
Henry and producer/ mixer/ DJ Stuart Price.
CORINNE BAILEY RAE
Corinne Bailey Rae
With comparisons to Billie Holiday
and more soulful Norah Jones
abounding, blissful Brit
singer/songwriter Corinne Bailey
Rae exudes her own unique style on
her eponymous debut set. Flowing over a rich, classic
soul tapestry that belies her relative youth, Rae caresses
each song with her slight rasp and soothing melodies on
a disc that's surely just the beginning of something truly
special.
BE GOOD TANYAS
Hello Love
The Vancouver-based Be Good
Tanyas have indeed found success
with the deep-rooted integrity and
honesty with which they approach
their music - an intoxicating mix of
old-time country and blues, folk, bluegrass and gospel.
The new album, Hello Love, contains originals like the
gorgeous lead-off track “Human Thing”, the rollicking,
groove-based “Ootischenia” and the bittersweet “Song
For R”.
SHAYE
Lake of Fire
Lake of Fire is the long anticipated new
album from Canada's top female trio.
The three songstresses, Kim
Stockwood, Damhnait Doyle and Tara
Maclean, have crafted a masterful
recording, both engaging and energetic, and Shaye has
come into its own as one powerful musical entity with three
distinct elements. Covering songs by Ron Sexsmith, the
Waterboys and Van Morrison and led by first single “Lake of
Fire”, the new record is a Canadian classic in the making.