Previewing The Week Ahead
The question this week is this: Will the fact that OutKast's album is related to a movie result in sales less than if it were a standalone album? Soundtracks sell, but albums that aren't soundtracks sell better. Reviews have been pretty mild for Idlewild, the duo's first album since 2003's crossover smash Speakerboxx/The Love Below. Andy Kellman was lukewarm in his AllMusic.com review. The NY Times' review called it "more superficial than OutKast's older albums" and Billboard panned it. Rolling Stone gave it four stars, though, so somebody out there likes it.
The wildcard of the week is Paris Hilton's debut, Paris, on Warner Bros. Anybody who has a guess about this album's chances for success has just that: A guess.
Other key albums: The Mars Volta's Amputechture on Interscope, Danity Kane's self-titled Bad Boy album and Lambchop's Damaged on Merge.
Against Me!: Americans Abroad (Fat Wreck)
Eric Bachman: To The Races (Saddle Creek)
Chris Botti: Live (Columbia)
Broadcast: The Future Crayon (Warp)
Clerks II: Soundtrack (Bulletproof)
Cursive: Happy Hollow (Saddle Creek)
Deicide: The Stench of Redemption (Earache)
DJ Kayslay & DJ Greg Street: The Champions (KR Urban)
Gosling: Here Is (V2)
Gov't Mule: High and Mighty (Red Ink)
Music Groups