IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Nine Inch Nails, Wyclef Jean have new CDs

More new CDs from Blake Lewis, Lurrie Bell and a Live Earth compilation
/ Source: Billboard

Nine Inch Nails, “Y34RZ3r0r3mix3d”Trent Reznor has become something of a nouveau-marketing poster boy lately, and from the liner notes of this remix disc, you might think it was just another interactive, nontraditional, brand-positioning tactic. “Included on this DVD is everything you need to get started remixing every track from ‘Year Zero,”’ it reads, going on to break down the process for NIN-devoted bedroom producers. But you’ve got to hand it to Reznor: The reinterpretations here are so good that the fan engagement tactic is just icing (or perhaps scabbing). The Faint exploits the jauntiness of “Meet Your Master” and pushes it further into electro-bop territory. Italian trio Pirate Robot Midget makes “My Violent Heart” less hearty and more violent. Ladytron even sneaks the keys from NIN classic “Closer” onto the back of its “The Beginning of the End” redo. OK, Trent, you win.

Wyclef Jean, “The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant”Wyclef Jean has spent the 10 years since the original “Carnival” in projects of scattered ambition and success, some that hit (“Hips Don’t Lie”) and some that didn’t (anyone remember his reworking of “The Gambler” with Kenny Rogers?). But hip-hop loves its Roman numerals, and it was probably only a matter of time before he revisited the concept. “The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant” isn’t nearly as fresh as its older cousin, mostly because it seems only partly interested in its timely concept, but it’s a stronger-than-usual collection that succeeds more when Clef sits back (“Heaven’s in New York” and the Norah Jones-assisted “Any Other Day”) than when he works hard at showing off his sprawling pedigree (the needlessly overdone “Hollywood Meets Bollywood” and the too long “Touch Your Button Carnival Jam”). Things feel much weightier when Paul Simon shows up for a moving cameo on “Fast Car,” proving that “Carnival II” sounds louder when it’s quieter.

Blake Lewis, “Audio Day Dream”One can’t help but proceed with caution when an album is named after Attention Deficit Disorder, especially when the artist caught his break by beatboxing on a reality TV show where he used to sing the praises of 311. But skeptics can relax: “American Idol” season six runner-up Blake Lewis’ debut is indeed a little all over the map, but, surprisingly, it works. Unlike other run-of-the-mill debuts from former “Idol” contests, the album is packed with electro-funk jams, hip-hop beats and soaring ballads that explode with Lewis’ personality. Taking cues from Justin Timberlake (“Break Anotha”), Erasure (“End of the World”), Prince (“She’s Makin’ Me Lose It”) and the Police (“1,000 Miles”), Lewis gives fans plenty to get excited about here, even those with short attention spans.

Various artists, “Worried Noodles”
Visual artist/writer David Shrigley is a strange talent. Two years ago, he released an LP-size book, “Worried Noodles,” filled with idiosyncratic song lyrics but no actual songs, along with his silly and demented drawings. Now, 29 of indie rock’s most notable acts have tried their hand at musically interpreting his works on this double-disc album. Deerhoof, Psapp, Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip and Liars exclusively contributed equally silly and demented efforts to this odd but fun record. Standouts, of which there are plenty, include a loveable “One” from Christopher Francis, the hiccupping “Joy” by Islands and the beat-happy “The Film” by Trans Am, complete with canned crowd noise and meandering keyboard lines. Throughout, the mood swings from carnival-esque (David Byrne) to eerily depressing (Casiotone for the Painfully Alone).

Lurrie Bell, “Let’s Talk About Love”This is only the third album Chicago blues artist Lurrie Bell has released in the last eight years, and it’s his most convincing effort during that span of time. The record is a solid testimony to Bell’s Chicago pedigree. He’s working these tunes with a sturdy group of session players, including Felton Crews, Kenny Smith, Johnny Iguana, Anthony Palmer and guest Billy Branch on harmonica. Favorite tracks begin with a soulful cover of Pop Staples’ “Why (Am I Treated So Bad)” and down-home acoustic number “Feeling Good,” which Bell sings with guest vocalist Jimmy Johnson. Bell also lays down the beautiful blues shuffle “Missing You,” accented by his incisive lead guitar.

Various artists, “Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis”
This CD/DVD memento from Al Gore’s day of global-warming awareness kicks off shakily with Madonna’s “Hey You,” an acoustic ballad about saving the world that doesn’t sound serious enough to advocate saving the last piece of pizza for tomorrow’s breakfast. Other bummers follow: James Blunt’s “Wiseman” (call it “Motel California”), Damien Rice and David Gray’s “Que Sera Sera” (wimpier than usual) and a routine run through Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” But a few songs would be strong enough to recommend even if proceeds weren’t going somewhere worthwhile. Linkin Park manages some sparks on “Bleed It Out,” the reunited Police put a kick into ”Driven to Tears,” Bon Jovi gets Jersey fists in the air with “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and Corinne Bailey Rae and John Legend do fairly right by Marvin Gaye’s sympathetic soul on “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology).”