Fabolous, From Nothin' To Somethin'
The artist: Brooklyn rapper whose album has been pushed back five times, dating back to December '06.
The sound: You will know each song's sound by its guest star—the roster includes Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Lloyd, and Jay-Z.
The first in line: The very, very, very patient.

Queens Of The Stone Age, Era Vulgaris
The artist: Throwback hard rockers and their bulby little pal.
The sound: Chugging riffs, bitter words.
The first in line: Beer-guzzling rock fans who are craving a new feel-good hit for this summer.

Paramore, Riot!
The artist: Perhaps the grrrliest band on Fuse right now. (We know, that isn't saying much.)
The sound: Teenage kicks and hooks that stay up all night.
The first in line: Older sisters who want the kids to know that being sassy can change their lives.

Dizzee Rascal, Maths And English
The artist: British rapper who achieved blogstar notoriety in the old days ... of 2003
The sound: He's brushing off his grime, with help from Lily Allen and the Arctic Monkeys.
The first in line: UKrazy types with Net connections—it's only available via digital outlets.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Rihanna, Good Girl Gone Bad
The artist: Barbados cover girl with a seemingly tireless album-release schedule.
The sound: Crunchy, futuristic radio-pop.
The first in line: Chart followers looking for another track to add to their "Summer Jams Of '07" playlist.

Big & Rich, Between Raising Hell And Amazing Grace
The artist: Country duo that's just finding out about this hot trend called "crunk."
The sound: A ride around Nashville that picks up AC/DC and Wyclef along the way.
The first in line: Good old boys, the bad girls who love to ride 'em, and curious John Legend aficionados.

Paul McCartney, Memory Almost Full
The artist: Former Beatle plunging into the digital/Starbucks era.
The sound: One of the songs is titled "Ever Present Past"; that sort of sums up the feel of the album, 21st-century distribution methods aside.
The first in line: A harried vice-president with a latte jones.

Poison, Poison'd
The artist: Hard rock stalwarts who somehow managed to survive the Capitol-Virgin merger.
The sound: Lipstick-kissed covers of Bowie, Kiss, and The Cars.
The first in line: Rocklahoma road-trippers.

T-Pain, Epiphany
The artist: Drank-buyin', stripper-lovin' flirt.
The sound: Vocodered, airy R & B.
The first in line: VIP-room DJs looking for post-last-call fodder.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Maroon 5, It Won't Be Soon Before Long
The artist: Hall & Oates revivalists who command a nice chunk of change.
The sound: Blue-eyed soul with a lot of surface appeal.
The first in line: Suburban women who think Robin Thicke is a little too "edgy."

The Used, Lies For The Liars
The artist: Utahan rockers who have a brewing beef with My Chemical Romance.
The sound: The first-ever emo dis record. (We think.)
The first in line: Gerard Way.

KRS-One and Marley Marl, Hip Hop Lives
The artist: Godfathers of hip-hop respectfully offering a rebuttal to Hip Hop Is Dead.
The sound: Wise words and fresh beats being passed down to the next generation.
The first in line: Nas.

The National, Boxer
The artist: Brainy, blog-adored Brooklynites.
The sound: Weary, gorgeous, horn-tinged rock and roll.
The first in line: Weary, gorgeous, and brainy urbanites.

Kidz Bop Kidz, Kidz Bop Country
The artist: The cheeriest sixth-grade chorus ever committed to tape.
The sound: Scrubbed-up versions of "Jesus, Take The Wheel," "Life Is A Highway," and other twangy hits.
The first in line: Elementary school gym teachers in the heartland.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Linkin Park, Minutes To Midnight
The artist: Rap-rock stalwarts looking to break free from the first half of the decade ... by looking like the Strokes.
The sound: Less rap, more moaning, same quotient of not-very-good.
The first in line: The few. The proud. The people who still listen to modern rock radio.

Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
The artist: Elder statesmen who still manage to remain scruffy.
The sound: A long, divisive ride back to the early '70s album-rock era.
The first in line: Mailing list subscribers (at least, the band hopes so).

Megadeth, United Abominations
The artist: Premier shredder Dave Mustaine and his latest band of hired hands.
The sound: Heavy riffing and New World Order ranting.
The first in line: Diehard fans hoping for a return to Rust In Peace form (and who almost, almost get it).

Gretchen Wilson, One Of The Boys
The artist: Dirt-kicking lass who wears her redneck-woman status proudly.
The sound: Whiskey-filled, but melancholy—like those 30 minutes between last call and the bar shutting down.
The first in line: Cowgirl tomboys who like to shoot whiskey, pool, and the shit.

Rufus Wainwright, Release The Stars
The artist: Just your everyday gay messiah.
The sound: Pomp-filled pop orchestrated in part by the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant.
The first in line: Drama club kids.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Bjork, Volta
The artist: Bewitching Icelandic exclamation-point user and a supporting cast that includes Timbaland, Antony Hegarty, and Konono No. 1.
The sound: Scraps of sounds from all over the galaxy, pasted together with glee.
The first in line: This guy.

Mike Jones, The American Dream
The artist: Houston hip-hop impresario who can't wait for your phone call.
The sound: Blippy beats and and unbridled shoutouts ... to Mike Jones.
The first in line: Americans named Mike Jones. (It's always nice to have anthems to yourself.)

The View, Hats Off To The Buskers
The artist: Scottish next-big-kids who have had a bit of a rough time crossing the pond.
The sound: The next Arctic Monkeys! Or something.
The first in line: Fans of "Mis-Shapes who aren't so sure about the MisShapes.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Strength & Loyalty
The artist: Cleveland vocal-rap group whose "Tha Crossroad" is one of the '90s greatest laments.
The sound: More love, less thug (and guest spots from half of R & B, including Akon, Mariah Carey, and Swizz Beatz).
The first in line: Michelle Malkin's assistant.

Mary Timony Band, The Shapes We Make
The artist: Growly guitar goddess and a pair of pals.
The sound: Chunky, twisty, knotty strands of prog-influenced indie rock.
The first in line: Willie Mae Rock Camp counselors.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

After the jump, we give you the lowdown on the latest albums from Ne-Yo, Dinosaur Jr, Corbin Bleu, and Miranda Lambert, as well as the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack.

Ne-Yo, Because Of You
The artist: R & B prodigy who's as fierce as the kiss-off anthems he pens.
The sound: Fine, fine soul that jacks Prince's style on more than one occasion.
The first in line: If the radio stations we flipped through this weekend are any indication, it'll be a race to the cash registers.

Dinosaur Jr, Beyond
The artist: Indie-rock heroes, reunited at last.
The sound: Like 1987, only a little bit grayer.
The first in line: The Web Sheriff. Haha, just kidding!

Corbin Bleu, Another Side
The artist: High School Musical guy graduates to the solo-career stage.
The sound: Justin Timberlite: High-energy pop that seems tailor-made for YouTube dance contests.
The first in line: Your local middle school.

Miranda Lambert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
The artist: The lone breakout star in the galaxy of Nashville Star hopefuls.
The sound: Feisty (but not Feist-y) pickin' and poppin'.
The first in line: Women who think Carrie Underwood didn't go far enough.

Various Artists, Spider-Man 3
The artists: Indie-in-genre-name-only's heavy hitters ... and Chubby Checker.
The sound: Like elbo.ws, only with more Oohlas.
The first in line: Chad Kroeger, as he tries to figure out what could have caused the movie's producers to not invite Nickelback this time around.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Nine Inch Nails, Year Zero
The artist: Internet-friendly industrial powerhouse.
The sound: Apocalyptic, glitch-filled nightmares.
The first in line: Digg users. (The ones who buy CDs, anyway.)

Avril Lavigne, The Best Damn Thing
The artist: "Bratty" "punky" "Canadian" "blonde" "singer."
The sound: An overly self-satisfied eight-year old slapping you in the face for 45 minutes straight.
The first in line: Manga hounds.

Mark Ronson, Version
The artist: DJ/producer/Foreigner-fortune heir.
The sound: An all-covers album that's either completely ironic or completely sincere. We can't tell anymore.
The first in line: People who were really into the sound of Back To Black. (Honestly? They should really buy a Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings record instead.)

Bucky Covington, Bucky
The artist: The eighth-place finisher on last season's American Idol.
The sound: Gruffly slick slide-guitar pop. (Our prediction? It won't do Daughtry numbers, but it may outsell Taylor Hicks.)
The first in line: Idol watchers who can't wait for tomorrow's Martina McBride-shepherded episode.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

After the jump, we look at new releases by Timbaland, Sick Puppies, Hilary Duff, and the trio of Alan Jackson, George Strait, and Jimmy Buffett.

Timbaland, Timbaland Presents Shock Value
The artist: If you don't know by now, we have clearly failed.
The sound: Fifteen pounds of crap in a 10-lb. bag that, curiously, does not include the awesome M.I.A. track.
The first in line: Magoo-hunters.

Alan Jackson, George Strait, and Jimmy Buffett, Live at Texas Stadium
The artists: Two Texans and a Mississippian who teamed up for a fluke triple bill back in '04.
The sound: An all-night party where margaritas and Lone Star beer are the only offerings.
The first in line: Revelers who have no qualms about pairing a Hawaiian shirt with a cowboy hat.

Sick Puppies, Dressed Up As Life
The artist: Aussie rockers turned YouTube phenomena. (You remember "Free Hugs," right? Right?)
The sound: Apparently, nu-metal is still big down under.
The first in line: We have no idea, although we're leaning toward it being someone who picked up Korn Unplugged a few weeks back.

Hilary Duff, Dignity
The artist: Disney princess turned queen of the MisShapes set, thanks to her dalliance with one of the Good Charlotte guys.
The sound: Sprightly pop tinged with post-breakup bitterness.
The first in line: Scholars of intertextual pop analysis who will try and match lyrics on this record to those from Good Morning Revival.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

After the jump, we look at new releases from Jennifer Lopez, Klaxons, Redman, and Good Charlotte, as well as the week's probable No. 1: Now 24.

Jennifer Lopez, Como Ama una Mujer
The artist: Bronx diva who's trying to rebrand, and even restoring the other 10 letters of her name to do so.
The sound: Reed-thin voice trying to find its way through Spanish lyrics, Shakira-ish "rock."
The first in line: Star readers; Scientology recruiters looking for extra insights into a potential member.

Various Artists, Now That's What I Call Music 24
The artists: Pop's heavy hitters, plus Lily Allen.
The sound: All the hits you got sick of hearing in Walgreen's four months ago ("My Love," "Irreplaceable").
The first in line: The still-surprisingly high number of people who have never heard of iTunes.

Klaxons, Myths Of The Near Future
The artist: The UK's entry in the bands that will change your life sweepstakes.
The sound: A fine rock record (we're as surprised as you that we're saying this). Plus, "Golden Skans" reminds us of Johnny Hates Jazz's "Shattered Dreams" in an abstract way.
The first in line: Britpop freaks who didn't have the purchasing power to buy it on import.

Redman, Red Gone Wild
The artist: Newark rapper (and former Fairly OddParents guest) releasing his first proper album since 2001.
The sound: Old-school blaze, with a little bit of Timbaland tossed in for good measure.
The first in line: Hip-hop heads whose long wait has finally ended.

Good Charlotte, Good Morning Revival
The artist: "Punk" "rockers" currently more famous for their ladyfriends than for their songs.
The sound: A hot mess. No, wait. It's just a mess.
The first in line: Really, the only people who we can see caring about this thing are Avenged Sevenfold completists excited about its members' cameos.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Modest Mouse, They Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
The artist: American Idol-ized Northwest rockers, who now have Johnny Marr in tow.
The sound: Big guitars, nautical overtones, and a few harmony lines from James Mercer.
The first in line: American Idol fans. Wait, why are you laughing?

El-P, I'll Sleep When You're Dead
The artist: Underground hip-hop pioneer, who has Chan Marshall and Trent Reznor in tow.
The sound: Bleak, furious, and summed up by the line, "The whole design got my mind crying."
The first in line: Fatalist backpackers.

Tracey Thorn, Out Of The Woods
The artist: Everything But The Girl frontwoman goes solo for the first time since the '80s.
The sound: A long, satisfying stroll through the past two decades of dance music.
The first in line: Us. (No, we're not kidding.)

LCD Soundsystem, Sound Of Silver
The artist: World-weary Ultimate Fighter-slash-remixer-slash-blogger.
The sound: Cowbells and handclaps syncopating 21st-century dread.
The first in line: The chart-storming troops.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Welcome to On The Shelf, Idolator's regular look at new releases that are arriving in stores every Tuesday. In addition to the new album from the most important band of all time (or, at least, this month), there are new releases by the likes of Air, Korn, the Stooges, and the Notorious B.I.G. Our look at those releases comes after the jump.

Air, Pocket Symphony
The artist: Whisper-quiet knob-twiddlers.
The sound: Shh. They're thinking.
The first in line: These guys. (Hey, they'll be in line for the Arcade Fire record, anyway.)

Korn, Unplugged
The artist: Nu-metallers get sensitive, drag Amy Lee and Robert Smith along for the ride.
The sound: We'll just direct you here.
The first in line: Angry dudes who are trapped in their adolescence like a mosquito in amber.

The Stooges, The Weirdness
The artist: Punk legends ready to roar after 30 years of dormancy.
The sound: A loud squall of yowls and guitars.
The first in line: AARPunkers.

Notorious B.I.G., Greatest Hits
The artist: Hip-hop heavyweight who was gunned down 10 years ago this week.
The sound: Classics from the '90s and remixes, plus a couple of cameo-riffic new tracks.
The first in line: Diddy—and he'll bring his camera along.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Kidz Bop Kids, Kidz Bop 11
The artist: The world's No. 1 song-sanitizer.
The sound: The top 40 charts meet sixth-grade chorus arrangements.
The first in line: As long as Razor & Tie keeps pumping these albums out, parents and music teachers will keep buying them; the last installment of Kidz Bop moved 116,500 copies in its first week. But we have one question: Who on earth decided that a Hinder cover was a good idea?

Kittie, Funeral For Yesterday
The artist: Canadian metal chicks who have seen 50% lineup turnover since their last record.
The sound: Crunching riffs buried underneath almost-lilting vocals.
The first in line: Disgruntled Flyleaf fans.

Charlie Louvin
The artist: Country music legend's first album in 10 years is backed by an all-star cast, including Jeff Tweedy, Elvis Costello, and members of Lambchop.
The sound: Old-school twang with alt-country touches.
The first in line: Nashville diehards; Wilco completists.

Various Artists, We All Love Ennio Morricone
The artists: Metallica, Celine Dion, Andrea Boccelli, and Bruce Springsteen, among others, pay tribute to the Italian film composer.
The sound: As you might expect, it's all over the map, but there are also a few Morricone-conducted instrumentals.
The first in line: These guys.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Normally, we take time every Monday to spotlight a few new records that are coming out, but because tomorrow's album-release slate is almost as weak as the Grammys' Best Rock Album field, we figured we'd spotlight three albums that, according to Pause & Play, will be reissued in deluxe editions this week; they were all put out originally by the legendary UK label Stiff Records, and Tracey Ullman's take on the Kirsty MacColl-penned "They Don't Know" has been a particular favorite of ours since MTV's earliest days:

Any Trouble - Nice Girls [MP3, link expired]
Tracey Ullman - They Don't Know [MP3, link expired]]
Wreckless Eric - Whole Wide World [MP3, link expired]
On the CD Front [Pause & Play]

Fall Out Boy, Infinity On High
The artist: Sing-like-you-mean-it emo bois adored by the OMG set.
The sound: Sprawling anthems with clunky, Livejournal-ready lyrics. And a Jay-Z cameo.
The first in line: They have 1,460,983 MySpace friends—surely some of them will be willing to pony up the cash. Hey, isn't that what friendship is all about?

Bloc Party, A Weekend In The City
The artist: Britain's Next Big Thing ca. March '05 emerging from the hype wasteland.
The sound: Despondent, withered new wave chock-full of urban imagery.
The first in line: Robert Smith, if he's smart and wants to wash the whole "Korn collaboration" thing out of his head.

Ashley Tisdale, Headstrong
The artist: Wispy High School Musical starlet gets her solo break.
The sound: Discount-rack Max Martin with you-go-girl lyrics.
The first in line: Radio Disney devotees, moms who want to buck up their daughters.

Yoko Ono, Yes, I'm A Witch
The artist: Fluxus artist reworks her earlier works with an influx of collaborators, from Chan Marshall to Hank Shocklee.
The sound: Vintage Ono tracks filtered through the modes of each "featured guest."
The first in line: Your library's figure-drawing teacher.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Norah Jones, Not Too Late
The artist: The music industry's last, great hope.
The sound: Pretty, delicate, slightly soporific. (What, no Peeping Tom bonus track?)
The first in line: A harried mom who was planning on just getting a latte before she headed into work.

Katharine McPhee
The artist: Season-six American Idol runner-up who fancies herself a hybrid of Christina Aguilera and Judy Garland.
The sound: More Xtina than Judy, with a healthy dose of How Will I Know-era Whitney Houston.
The first in line: Foot fetishists, thanks to the strappy-shoe ode "Open Toes."

Young Love, Too Young To Fight It
The artist: Model-pretty scenester with a knack for aping the last three years' biggest disco-emo gestures.
The sound: Frothy, overproduced electro that wears thin after half a listen.
The first in line: The MisShapes of Peoria.

Various Artists, Endless Highway: Music Of The Band
The artists: It's like a Bonnaroo lineup: Jack Johnson, Guster, Widespread Panic, Bruce Hornsby. And Death Cab.
The sound: Painstaking reworks that border on the overly reverent.
The first in line: Rock writers in training.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Pretty Ricky, Late Night Special
The artist: Four dudes, four sets of six-pack abs, thousands of screaming girls.
The sound: What happens if you feed four boys a diet consisting solely of R. Kelly records. Also, there's a song called "Personal Trainer."
The first in line: Well, someone's been keeping them in the 106 & Park top 10 all these weeks.

The Good, The Bad, and The Queen
The artist: Damon Albarn's collection of NME-approved Superfriends.
The sound: World-weary laments that evoke "Help The Aged."
The first in line: Select readers of yesteryear.

Saliva, Blood Stained Love Story
The artist: Nu-metal holdovers who have somehow stuck around.
The sound: All you need to know: "The outfit has been finding inspiration from contemporary groups such as the Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance and Jet."
The first in line: People who are still bitter about being made fun of in high school.

The Shins, Wincing The Night Away
The artist: Sub Pop's shining beacon of hope.
The sound: Shimmering pop with a definite Morrissey fetish—and without those transcoded scratches.
The first in line: About half of the people reading this sentence.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

America, Here & Now
The artist: "Horse With No Name" troubadours who've hitched themselves to a cart filled with the likes of Ryan Adams and Adam Schlesinger.
The sound: Amped-up Americana.
The first in line: '70s revivalists, Fountains Of Wayne completists.

Stacie Orrico, Beautiful Awakening
The artist: Squeaky-clean pop singer who lists her influences as Jesus, Lauryn Hill, Ella Fitzgerald, and Whitney Houston.
The sound: Spunky, R & B-tinged Radio Disney fodder.
The first in line: Kids whose mothers think the Hyde-lurking JoJo is too wild of an influence.

Diana Ross, I Love You
The artist: The original Dreamgirl heads down the Rod Stewart cover-album path.
The sound: Soupy reworkings of "Always And Forever," "Take My Breath Away," and "You Are So Beautiful."
The first in line: Michael Jackson.

Stars Of Track And Field, Centuries Before Love And War
The artist: Blogger buzz band that got snapped up by Wind-Up.
The sound: A product of its Pacific Northwest surroundings: the electro beats of the Postal Service mixed with the massive guitars of Built To Spill.
The first in line: Bloggers who forgot that they downloaded this album last spring.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Nas, Hip-Hop Is Dead ... The N
The artist: Queensbridge's pride and joy, post-Jay-Z reconciliation.
The sound: Old-school beats, with the occasional Langston Hughes reference thrown in.
The first in line: New York hip-hop partisans.

Bow Wow, The Price Of Fame
The artist: Former child rapper has shed the "Lil" 'cause he's all grown up. Well, he's 20, anyway.
The sound: Beats by Chris Brown (!) and Jermaine Dupri, tempered by the sort of sullenness that only a reformed child star can bring.
The first in line: Trainwreck aficionados who can't wait to hear if Bow Wow has responded to being dissed by Lil Romeo. Er, we mean Romeo.

RBD, Rebels
The artist: Telenovela-spawned group that's outsold Madonna and the Rolling Stones in Latin America.
The sound: Sleekly saccharine pop with the slightest spice of Latin influence.
The first in line: Young ladies in the know who are so over Hannah Montana.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Taylor Hicks, Taylor Hicks
The artist: Silver-haired sixth-season American Idol winner.
The sound: Remember those ads Ray Charles did for Diet Pepsi? Yeah.
The first in line: People who have no idea what to put in their office-party holiday grab bag.

Fantasia, Fantasia
The artist: Third-season Idol winner who recently emancipated herself from the show's management camp.
The sound: Brassy R & B with a slightly harder edge, thanks to input from Missy Elliott and Swizz Beatz.
The first in line: Lifetime devotees.

Tyrese, Alter Ego
The artist: Male model-turned-singer-turned-split-personality.
The sound: Disc 1 is smooth R & B, while disc 2 has Kurupt and The Game rapping alongside Tyrese's alter-ego "Black Ty."
The first in line: Honestly, we have no idea, but his last album moved 880,000 copies, so maybe a double-disc isn't too ambitious.

Ghostface, More Fish
The artist: 30 Rock's favorite Wu-Tang Clan member.
The sound: More thrillingly twisty word-puzzles, tempered a bit by lots of Theodore Unit appearances.
The first in line: These guys.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Ciara, Ciara: The Evolution
The artist: Dance-music darling who Lil' Jon christened "the first lady of crunk n' B."
The sound: Club-floor burners, with the occasional slow jam sprinkled in between Chamillionaire and 50 Cent cameos.
The first in line: Aerobicizers looking for a new workout soundtrack.

Brian McKnight, 10
The artist: Soul stalwart celebrating his 15th year in the business.
The sound: Late-night lover's rock—capped by a soldier's-story song that enlists country powerhouse Rascal Flatts.
The first in line: Ladies whose torch for McKnight has only grown brighter with age.

Various artists, Dreamgirls
The artists: A couple of R & B's marquee names (Beyonce, Jamie Foxx)—and the much-buzzed-about Idol cast-off Jennifer Hudson.
The sound: Motown gets the Broadway treatment.
The first in line: Idol completists, Beyonce fans, musical theater nerds.

Various artists, The OC Mix 6: Covering Our Tracks
The artists : Buzz bands of weeks past, including Pinback, Mates of State, and Rogue Wave.
The sound: Faithful updates to indie-kid classics like "Debaser" and "Pretty Vacant."
The first in line: Faithful indie-yuppies who haven't already cherry-picked their favorite covers from the filesharing wilds.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Welcome to On The Shelf, Idolator's weekly look at the new releases hitting stores on Tuesday morning. The end-of-year slowdown is in full force this week; the roster of new albums is dotted with a lot of greatest-hits collections and reissues, although there are a few big-name artists dropping records—including one duo whose latest album has been laying in wait for a few years.

After the jump, we look at new releases by Clipse, Incubus, Ying Yang Twins, and Our Lady Peace.

Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury
The artist: The Internet's favorite coke-rap duo.
The sound: Bleak beats and dizzying wordplay.
The first in line: Bittorrenting nerds who felt extra-super-guilty about downloading the record last week.

Incubus, Light Grenades
The artist: Nu-metal outfit led by the genre's prettiest boy, Brandon Boyd.
The sound: A slightly poppier spin on the Deftones' massive riffs, with a few lighter-worthy ballads thrown in for good measure.
The first in line: Chicks.

Ying Yang Twins, Chemically Imbalanced
The artist: The Dirty South's filthiest hip-hop pair.
The sound: Nasty, nasty rhymes about ladies and partying (unless, of course, you buy the clean version—but why would anyone do that?).
The first in line: Strip-club DJs who groan inwardly at the prospect of spinning "Badd" one more time.

Our Lady Peace, A Decade
The artist: Canadian dudes who have transformed themselves into their country's elder statesmen of alt-rock.
The sound: It's a greatest-hits comp, so think of it as a primer on the genre: big guitars, snarly, sorta-whiny vocals.
The first in line: Displaced Canucks looking for a taste of home, or at least its Canadian content-ruled radio stations.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

After the jump, we look at new releases by Snoop Dogg, Il Divo, and Daughtry, as well as the Ramones tribute Brats On The Beat.

Snoop Dogg, The Blue Carpet Treatment
The artist: Dr. Dre protege turned elder statesman.
The sound: Snoop's trademark pinched delivery, backed by sun-drenched beats from Dre and the Neptunes.
The first in line: Shoppers who spotted the CD while waiting to pay for Kingdom Come.

Il Divo, Siempre
The artist: Pop-opera heartthrobs who are opening for Streisand.
The sound: Schmaltz-laden four-part harmonies and delicate guitar, including over-the-top Italian-language covers of "Nights in White Satin" and "Without You."
The first in line: People who can't, for the life of them, figure out what to get their grandmothers for the holidays.

Daughtry
The artist: Bald American Idol castoff who made waves when he covered Live's cover of "I Walk The Line."
The sound: Let's just say that there's a reason every write-up of this dude mentions Nickelback somewhere.
The first in line: Idol completists, frustrated Fuel fans, people who wore out their copy of the Hinder record.

Various Artists, Brats on the Beat
The artists: Josie Cotton, Nick Oliveri, Britt Anderson of the Donnas and other grown-up punkers do kid-friendly Ramones covers.
The sound: Pretty faithful to the originals, although the gutter grime's been scraped off.
The first in line: Self-proclaimed "cool" aunts and uncles who feel a little weird about letting their nieces and nephews hear "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue."

On The CD Front [Pause and Play]

After the jump, we look at Doctor's Advocate, as well as releases from Kenny G, +44, and Joanna Newsom.

The Game, Doctor's Advocate
The artist: Everyone's favorite SoundScan-reading West Coast rapper.
The sound: Scott Storch and Sizz Beatz beats, cameos from Kanye, Busta, Nas, and Snoop, and lots of heated anger at 50 Cent.
The first in line: Advance buzz on this record has been so good, we're thinking that the only ones who definitely won't be in line are G-Unit loyalists.

Kenny G, I'm in the Mood for Love ... The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time
The artist: Bill Clinton's favorite squiggly-haired sax player.
The sound: Smoothed-out renditions of James Blunt, Barbra Streisand, and Elton John, among others.
The first in line: Easy lovers whose appetites were only whetted by the Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart cover-song compendiums.

+44, When Your Heart Stops Beating
The artist: Blink 182, minus one guy, plus two other dudes, divided by another dumb numeric name.
The sound: Well, now we know which members of Blink were into snide pop-punk.
The first in line: Pogoing punkers who thought Angels & Airwaves were "too weird."

Joanna Newsom, Ys
The artist: Doe-eyed, harp-wielding folkie.
The sound: Elaborate, elliptical epics.
The first in line: Shaggy-haired kids who can quote Pitchfork ratings on command. (Ys picked up a 9.4.)

On The CD Front [Pause and Play]

Josh Groban, Awake
The artist: Oprah Winfrey's favorite pop-classical crooner.
The sound: Schmaltzy popera, mostly, although there is an electro-tinged track featuring mtvU darling Imogen Heap.
The first in line: Winfrey devotees who wish Groban was their son.

Keith Urban, Love, Pain, & the whole crazy thing
The artist: Aussie cowboy currently cooling his heels in rehab.
The sound: Slick, radio-ready pop with a hint of twang.
The first in line: Country-music devotees, ladies who wore "Team Nicole" shirts during the Cruise-Kidman bust-up.

Mickey Avalon
The artist: Skinny, tattooed, foul-mouthed ex-junkie rapper with a MySpace page.
The sound: A raunchier version of the white-guy rap that was all over alt-rock radio in 1998.
The first in line: If you wish the Fun Lovin' Criminals would put out another record, this dude is for you.

Various Artists - Now 23 / Laguna Beach: Summer Can Last Forever
The artists: Justin, Hilary, Jessica, and more TRL favorites.
The sound: Now snags the songs that are currently slipping down the Billboard Hot 100, while the Laguna collection goes for the rock end of the spectrum with +44 and Dashboard Confessional.
The first in line: Carpoolers who hate commercials.

On The CD Front [Pause and Play]

Barry Manilow, The Greatest Songs Of The Sixties
The artist: Maternally beloved crooner who isn't writing the songs on this go-round.
The sound: Smoothed-out reinterpretations of Elvis, the Beatles, and "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You."
The first in line: A good chunk of the 35-54 demographic, if the No. 1 debut of his last decade-themed collection is anything to go by.

Deftones, Saturday Night Wrist
The artist: Sacramento's architects of wide-open rock spaces.
The sound: Crushing guitars, crashing drums, and lots of echo.
The first in line: We're going to guess that a lot of people buying this record will just mosey over to the store after their 2 p.m. wake-up calls.

Willie Nelson, Songbird
The artist: Country's red-headed stranger, with an assist from Ryan Adams.
The sound: Covers of "Hallelujah," "Amazing Grace," and the Grateful Dead that sneak into Whiskeytown here and there.
The first in line: Marijuana legalization advocates, Stereogum readers curious to see who the "old guy" is.

Birdman & Lil Wayne, Like Father Like Son
The artist: Cash Money's heaviest hitters celebrate their teacher/student relationship.
The sound: Filthy beats, brain-bending rhymes.
The first in line: Someone who hasn't already downloaded it, most likely.

Lady Sovereign, Public Warning
The artist: Britain's tiniest, brattiest MC.
The sound: Ringtone-ready blips mixed with boastful attitude.
The first in line: The download-happy cognoscenti tired of her an Internet era ago—but will the TRL-voting masses want to spend their money on a full-length CD?

On The CD Front [pauseandplay.com]

John Legend, Once Again
The artist: Grammy-winning, ivory-tinkling crooner/Kanye West pal.
The sound: Striking, slowed-down soul with a scratched-record sheen.
The first in line: Ladies left wanting by the velvet teddy bear's latest offering.

Brooke Hogan, Undiscovered
The artist: Hulk Hogan's singing, dancing, nearly-naked-picture posing offspring.
The sound: Scott Storch-helmed blondie-pop, with hip-hop cameos thrown in for extra cred.
The first in line: Post-Hulkamaniacs who have traded in their red headbands for Paul Wall's "budget" grills.

Skid Row, Revolutions Per Minute
The artist: Three-fifths of the Jersey band that gave the world "Youth Gone Wild" and "I Remember You."
The sound: Hooky hard rock, amped up to 21st-century compression levels.
The first in line: We're not sure, but it definitely won't be Sebastian Bach.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

JoJo, The High Road
The artist: Sixteen-year-old pop tartlet who got her start on Kids Say The Darndest Things.
The sound: Beats by Scott Storch and Timbaland, vocals by Autotune.
The first in line: Little girls with big dreams ... of starring in a Robin Williams vehicle.

Ruben Studdard, The Return
The artist: The second American Idol who's still sorry for (not having a record out since) 2004.
The sound: In theory, seductive R & B—but he starts off by calling himself the "velvet teddy bear," and the mood gets even weirder from there.
The first in line: Ladies with deep-seated issues about what makes a man "sexy."

Shiny Toy Guns, We Are Pilots
The artist: LA neo-wavers who made headlines when their female singer was rumored to be the "voice" of Paris Hilton.
The sound: A John Hughes soundtrack—after it's been put into a blender for 45 minutes.
The first in line: Devotees of VH1 Classic's The Alternative who thought She Wants Revenge was too edgy.

Xzibit, Full Circle
The artist: West Coast rapper who's back in the spotlight thanks to his Pimp My Ride gig.
The sound: Distorted vocals, filthy lyrics and cramped beats, with guest spots by Too $hort and Kurupt.
The first in line: Hardcore West Coast rap fans, people who are really into rims.

On the CD Front [Pause and Play]

We've already given you our take on new records by Lloyd Banks and the Blood Brothers; after the jump, find out more about new records from Rod Stewart, The Gothic Archies, and Ali Lohan.

Rod Stewart, Still the Same ... Great Rock Classics Of Our Time
The artist: Former Faces lead singer who can't stop chipping away at any remaining bits of legacy he might have.
The sound: Rod repeats his crime against Tom Waits' "Downtown Train," only this time with "Missing You," "The Best Of My Love," and other lite-rock standards.
The first in line: Your mom.

The Gothic Archies, The Tragic Treasury: Songs From A Series Of Unfortunate Events
The artist: Chief Magnetic Field Stephin Merritt, accompanied by Lemony Snicket on accordion.
The sound: Gloomy and doomy—appropriate enough, since each song scores a different volume of Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events collection.
The first in line: Snicket completists; saddoes who wore out their copy of 69 Love Songs long ago.

Ali Lohan, Lohan Holiday
The artist: Lindsay's little sister.
The sound: Peppy, piercing renditions of your favorite holiday tunes, with guest spots by Lindsay, Ali's mom Dina, and ... Amy Grant.
The first in line: Sharp-eared TMZ devotees who will scour the Lindsay-Ali duet "Lohan Holiday" for any references to "snow."

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Beck, The Information
The artist: Everybody's favorite sample-happy Scientologist.
The sound: Cut and paste beats n' irony ... oh, and then there's the song where he channels Eddie Vedder
The first in line: This guy.

The Decemberists, The Crane Wife
The artist: Grandiose yarn-spinners making the jump from Kill Rock Stars to Capitol.
The sound: Ever wonder what it would sound like if an issue of McSweeney's was turned into music?
The first in line: Grups who'll buy a copy of Boys And Girls In America at the same time, so as to keep their major-indie purchasing ratio at 1:1.

Sleepy Brown, Mr. Brown
The artist: Big Boi protege who sang the hook for OutKast's "The Way You Move."
The sound: Neptunes-produced velvety soul recalling the best moments of LA and Babyface.
The first in line: Anyone whose favorite song of the last 20 years is "Rock Steady" by The Whispers.

Chris Young, Chris Young
The artist: Stubbly Tennessee-born winner of USA's Nashville Star.
The sound: Super-straightforward ballads and drinking songs driven by Young's understated baritone.
The first in line: Young's 25,000+ MySpace friends; people who got sucked into Nashville Star because they forgot to change the channel after Monday Night RAW.

On the CD Front [Pause and Play]

Ludacris, Release Therapy (Disturbing Tha Peace)
The artist: Atlanta hip-hop superstar returning to the recording studio after a couple of critically acclaimed acting turns.
The sound: Luda's trademark baritone storms through an album of half-"feel good" music, half-Luda getting things off his chest, and accompanied by a guest list including Young Jeezy, Mary J. Blige, and the again-omnipresent (sigh) Pharrell.
The first in line: Hip-pop fans and Academy members will be fighting it out all the way to the register.

Scissor Sisters, Ta-Dah! (Universal)
The artist: Gender-bending, NYC-born Elton John proteges who are huge pop stars in Britain, but who, as everyone is quick to remind us, can't make a dent in the US sales arena.
The sound: Slightly tempered take on the out-and-proud disco that made their debut album a staple both on the catwalks and at the clubs.
The first in line: Jock Jams fans. Ha ha, just kidding!

The Oohlas, Best Stop Pop (Stolen Transmission)
The artist: Ex-Everclear drummer and his brother team up with frontwoman Ollie Stone and her Kristin Hersh caterwaul.
The sound: Chunky alt-pop that cherry-picks stylistic flourishes from Throwing Muses, Cocteau Twins, and K Records.
The first in line: Recovering college radio DJs who can't bring themselves to pick up the new Veruca Salt album; fans of Stolen Transmission darling Ultragrrrl, who was the band's earliest champion—and who may actually have picked herself a winner, at least sound-wise. (Then again, after you've hailed the creepo Louis XIV, your taste can only get better.)

Alan Jackson, Like Red On A Rose (Arista Nashville)
The artist: Staunch country traditionalist who had a moment in the pop spotlight after releasing the Sept. 11 lament "Where Were You."
The sound: A subtler take on his sweet melodies, thanks to the recruitment of bluegrass fiddler Alison Krauss for production duties.
The first in line: Honky-tonked out fans of Jackson's deep tenor who want to reflect on love, aging, and romance. We're betting there are a lot of them, even though we don't personally know a single one—hey, we're talking about a man whose gospel record went platinum.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]

Lupe Fiasco, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (1st & 15th/Atlantic)
The artist: "Touch the Sky" guest lyricist and Chicago-born MC who loves Nas and isn't above engaging in a little bit of blog beef.
The sound: Leaked versions of Food & Liquor have been making their way around the Internet since this spring, resulting in a cat-and-mouse-like game of remixing, leaking, and more remixing. The final version of Food & Liquor (which showed up on p2p sites last week) is going to have more guests—including Mike Shinoda, Kanye West, and Jill Scott—than the green room at 106 & Park.
The market: Food & Liquor has pretty huge pop potential—the lush ode to skateboarding "Kick Push" is one of the year's strongest singles, sound-wise. But will enough people look past its earlier versions and plunk down the cash for the album's proper release?

Fergie, The Dutchess (Will.I.Am/A&M/Interscope)
The artist: The "Humps"-wiggling female vocalist from the Black Eyed Peas. To us, she'll always be Stacy Ferguson.
The sound: All over the map, including straightforward R & B, L'Trimm-like pouting, and a Rita Marley-produced "No Woman No Cry" rip that transforms into an ill-thought pop-ska song at the end. Ludacris and will.i.am guest.
The market: Teenyboppers, post-teenyboppers, sassy soccer moms, and diehard Wild Orchid fans.

The Hidden Cameras, Awoo (Arts & Crafts)
The artist: Yet another rotating collective of Canadians with big sonic dreams and lyrics like "I'd rather wallow in the mud of my own rich imagination."
The sound: Lush orchestral pop, and a frontman who sounds like he's trying to forcibly channel Taking Tiger Mountain-era Brian Eno. Irresistibly listenable, if a bit precious at times.
The market: Guess.

Bratz, Forever Diamondz (Universal)
The artist: The newest cluster of dolls from the mega-trillion-selling lipsticked n' miniskirted Bratz line.
The sound: Radio Disney-ready sheen-pop. Too bad the Svengali behind this project wasn't inspired to add a cover of Nice N' Wild's freestyle hit "Diamond Girl."
The market: Parents who want to introduce their daughters into the world of shameless, showy materialism, but aren't ready to shell out for a copy of The Dutchess.

"On the CD Front" [Pause & Play]