By Sarah Bigelow Copy Editor
It's that time of year again - the time when musicians jockey for radio play and our attention before the winter awards season. With all the new music out there, it can be a challenge to decide what to listen to first. But never fear, The Beacon is putting it all into perspective for you. From hip-hop rivalries to solo debuts, we've got all the September highlights right here.
SEPTEMBER 11
50 CENT: "Curtis" and KANYE WEST: "Graduation"
For fans and casual observers alike, this pair of releases has generated more than its fair share of buzz. In case you're out of the loop, "Fiddy" claims he'll retire from the hip-hop business if West outsells him. Both albums dropped this week, so now all we have to do is sit back and wait for the numbers to roll in. Who's got the edge? That's hard to say: West produced his own album, but 50 Cent has a harem of guests on his side, including Justin Timberlake, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Nicole Scherzinger (formerly of The Pussycat Dolls).
Check out: 50's "I Get Money" and West's "Champion."
THE GOOD LIFE: "Help Wanted Nights"
This new album from The Good Life follows its 2004 release, "Album of the Year," which was pretty much just that. Lead singer Tim Kasher (also of Cursive) sings deeply personal lyrics in a voice that crescendos to wails by the end of the song. "Album of the Year" spoke about Kasher's relationships and the heartbreak that often came with them. The new album should be another quality production by the four-piece band.
Check out: "Lovers Need Lawyers" off the band's last album.
SEPTEMBER 18
KT TUNSTALL: "Drastic Fantastic"
Unlike Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen, Tunstall has not carved out a niche in the American press as a bad girl. Instead, the Scot's incredible ability to merge folk with catchy melodies has captured the attention of fans at home and here in the States as well. "Drastic Fantastic" is more guitar heavy than her debut album, "Eye to the Telescope," but does not forget its folk roots. Tunstall continues to alternate between the upbeat and the melodic, but this time her songs seem more emotional and fun, and, at times, melancholy.
Check out: "Hold On," an energetic song that mixes contemporary rock with swing.
JAMES BLUNT: "All the Lost Souls"
Another UK import, Blunt returns with this sophomore effort. However, "All the Lost Souls" is more than just a follow-up to his five-time Grammy-nominated debut, "Back to Bedlam." Many of the songs on this album were inspired by Blunt's experience of near-overnight success and the stress of this sudden transformation from nobody to pop sensation. He recorded this album with the same band that backed him on his two-year international tour, adding depth to these songs.
Check out: "1973," a disco-inflected tune inspired by the club Pacha on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza.
EDDIE VEDDER: "Into the Wild"
Fresh off of Lollapalooza, the Pearl Jam frontman is releasing a solo debut with a twist - it's also a soundtrack. Sean Penn, the film's director, requested that Vedder provide the music for the upcoming film of the same name, staring Vince Vaugh and Emile Hersh. This is not the first time Vedder has provide music for Penn, having written songs for both "I Am Sam" and "Dead Man Walking."
Check out: "Hard Sun," a folky cover of the Indio original.
SEPTEMBER 25
MELISSA ETHERIDGE: "The Awakening"
Earlier this year, Etheridge won her first Oscar for "I Need to Wake Up," the song she wrote for Al Gore's film, "An Inconvenient Truth." Perhaps this success will continue this fall as she releases "The Awakening," arguably her most daring project to date. Etheridge's ninth studio album, "The Awakening" is autobiographical, spanning from her childhood to meeting her partner, Tammy Lynn Michaels, to her Oscar. Etheridge was inspired to write this album after her high-profile struggle with breast cancer.
Check Out: "California," which documents Etheridge's decision to leave the Midwest for, well, California and try her luck as a musician.
RASCAL FLATTS: "Still Feels Good"
The fifth album in six years from the pop-country group features songs written by fellow country star Kenny Chesney. The Nashville-based group has been nominated for numerous country music awards and remains ever-popular. Rascal Flatts' previous album, "Me and My Gang," went double-platinum in one week.
Check out: "Take Me There," in which frontman Gary LeVox asks his girlfriend to describe her home town.
TWO GALLANTS: "Two Gallants"
This two-piece band (one guitarist, one drummer) share singing time when they play their slow, bluesy tunes. The band often sounds like it is literally playing in a garage with poor sound quality, but the duo makes it sound so good. Originally from San Francisco, the band is currently on tour and coming to Portland on Monday night.
Check out: "Steady Rollin'" to get a sense of what this band is about.
OTHER SEPTEMBER RELEASES: Kenny Chesney, "Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates" (Sept. 11); The Foo Fighters, "Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace" (Sept. 25); Joni Mitchell, "Shine" (Sept. 25); Steve Earle, "Washington Square" (Sept. 25).
LOOKING AHEAD: Bruce Springsteen debuts his latest album, "Magic" on Oct. 2. "Magic" coincides with Springsteen's first full-scale U.S. and European tour since 2002-03. (He has yet to announce a concert date for Portland.) Visit his Web site, www.brucespringsteen.net, for a free iTunes download of his excellent new single, "Radio Nowhere."
