New CD Releases – March 15th

Another list of whats hot (and sometimes not) in the world of popular music. We managed to remove all traces of Gwyneth Paltrow after last week's Gwynvasion. Our security systems have been updated and we are confident that it will not happen again. This week's new releases cover a broad spectrum of styles with a little something for everyone.

Lady Gaga – Born This Way [EP]

Love her or hate her, Lady Gaga is always going to be around in one form or another. Just as Madonna dominated the 80's and had a huge share of the market in the 90's, Gaga owns the 10's. Ooops did I mention Madonna in the same breath as the song 'Born this way'. Buy it and draw your own conclusion.

WARNING! This is an EP offering just 4 tracks. 4 different mixes of Born This Way. You may want to wait for the full CD coming in May.

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers – Rare Bird Alert

Yes, it is THAT Steve Martin. Steve Martin has been a bluegrass banjoist for decades and is pretty good at it. Rare Bird Alert plays like a banjo roller coaster with timely shifts in tempo from thumb blistering speed to melodic and mellow. This disc includes 2 live tracks, one of which is the ever popular King Tut.

Various Artists – American Idol: 10^th Anniversary - The Hits Volume 1

The first thing that scares me about this CD is the fact that it is subtitled VOLUME 1, suggesting that there may be more to come. This disc brings together 12 tracks from the 9 winners plus 3 memorable finalists. A must have addition for any die hard Idol fan and a nice shiny coaster for the other 95% of the population.

Daniel O'Donnell – Moon Over Ireland

Remember the movie 'Twins'? Arnie and DeVito played 2 diametrically opposed twin brothers, one of whom consisted of all that is good and wholesome in the world, and the other brother made up of slime and snails and puppy dog tails. Well to create an analogy, Daniel O'Donnell would be the awesome Arnie to Shane MacGowan's (The Pogues) derelict DeVito. If you like it safe and clean with an Irish lilt then Dan's your man. Not to be confused with Rosie O'Donnell or her New York politician brother, also called Daniel.

The Naked and Famous – Passive Me Aggressive You

It took a while but lo-fi, dark 80's music has finally reached New Zealand. And this is a great 13 track effort from the 5 piece kiwi outfit. They are sneaking around in the undercurrent of US and UK music and are going to be THE band to watch for 2011. If you only buy 1 album this month, then buy this one.

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