March begins with a strong week of new releases. This is the first big hip hop week of the new year with albums by Juvenile, Scarface, and a resurgent Public Enemy. Check out the great music coming your way.
1) Matisyahu - Youth
Utilizing the production talents of veterans Bill Laswell and Jimmy Douglass, Matisyahu sounds more confident than ever on his major label debut.
2) Juvenile - Reality Check
The New Orleans rapper returns with his first post-Katrina collection.
3) Javier - Left of Center
The second album by r&b singer Javier is another stunning stew of r&b, jazz, Latin, and rock influences.
4) Blondie - Greatest Hits: Sound and Vision
In honor of their upcoming induction to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, this is the Blondie collection you've been dreaming of. In addition to a disc that includes all of the great hits, this package includes a DVD of the classic music videos by the band.
5) David Gilmour - On an Island
For all of those classic rock fans in serious Pink Floyd withdrawal, the band's guitarist has released an album with much more than a passing kinship to classics like Dark Side of the Moon.
7) Scarface - My Homies, Vol. 2
This second volume of songs by Scarface and his friends is rumored to be even better than the first.
8) Public Enemy featuring Paris - Rebirth of a Nation
In the late 1980's Public Enemy redefined rap music and were, for a time, the racial conscience of the nation. Now, they have collaborated with Paris for their best album in many years.
9) Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Alternative music circles have created a seriously positive buzz about this album. Case is known for alt-country music and performing with the alt-pop band the New Pornographers.
10) Kris Kristofferson - This Old Road
Kristofferson was a music and pop culture icon in the early 1970's. He is one of the most talented country-pop songwriters of all time, and this is his first new material in 11 years.
