Entertainment News_Global Entertainment News|Lyricf.com

Erykah Badu: Mama's Gun

From its audacious title through its final note, Erykah Badu's 1997 debut Baduizm announced the arrival of a new force in contemporary R&B. Influenced by hip-hop in attitude but leaning heavily on old

The New Pornographers: Mass Romantic

Some albums demand time to make their impact felt, revealing nuances over the course of multiple exposures. Other albums grab you by the hair the first time out. The New Pornographers' Mass Romantic a

Lil' Wayne: Lights Out

As the commercial histories of Death Row, Ruthless, No Limit and Bad Boy illustrate, the reigns of gangsta-rap dynasties tend to be nasty, brutish and short. The Cash Money label burst onto the scene

Xzibit: Restless

A ferocious battle-rapper, dark-humored misanthrope, and reality-rap griot, Xzibit received a huge break when Dr. Dre tapped him for a series of high-profile appearances, first on Snoop Dogg's "Bitch

Garbage: beautifulgarbage

The oft-maligned art of sampling has helped many musical acts turn derivativeness into an art form, but Garbage is savvier than most in cobbling together the sounds of its influences. Combining three

The Donnas: The Donnas Turn 21

All-woman rock bands tend to face a steady diet of condescension, as critics and fans pile on girls-can-rock-too faint praise, leering objectification, and excessive analysis of a political message th

O-Town: O-Town

There was a time when pop-music Svengalis did everything in their power to conceal their illusion-manufacturing roles, diverting attention and credit to their more photogenic teen-dream creations. But

Frank Black And The Catholics: Dog In The Sand

After inspiring innumerable bands as the Pixies' frontman, Frank Black spent the early '90s watching his progeny outdistance him commercially and critically as he struggled to find an identity as a so

Daft Punk: Discovery

In addition to almost single-handedly jump-starting the French house revival, Daft Punk's classic 1996 debut Homework earned the enigmatically faceless duo of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-

Semisonic: All About Chemistry

The success of Semisonic's Feeling Strangely Fine, and its ubiquitous single "Closing Time," was one of 1998's most encouraging musical success stories: It brought overdue recognition to a band that s

Spoon: Girls Can Tell

Spoon's label-leapfrogging could have proved a hurdle too high for the Texas band to clear: Girls Can Tell marks its third record label in five years and three albums. But Spoon has again survived the

Dave Matthews Band: Everyday

Dave Matthews is one of rock's most unlikely superstars, mostly because it's so difficult to get worked up over him. About as nondescript and unassuming as his inoffensive, technically proficient musi

Aerosmith: Just Push Play

The album covers tell the story of Aerosmith's ongoing comeback. In 1987, Permanent Vacation emphasized the classic band logo, signaling a return to classic Aerosmithian values after years spent in th

Eve: Scorpion

Few hip-hop acts have made as auspicious a debut as Eve, whose first album and stellar verses on The Roots' transcendent "You Got Me" and Missy Elliott's "Hot Boyz" remix announced her as the most pro

The Divine Comedy: Regeneration

Every once in a while, an album sounds exactly right for the times. In 1998, The Divine Comedy constructed just such an album with Fin De Siècle, distilling a decade's worth of pre-millennial tension

Bonnie Prince Billy: Ease Down The Road

Confounding under the best of circumstances, Will Oldham further confused admirers in 1997 by retiring "Palace," the name under which (with variations) he'd recorded for most of the decade. After a ha

Gorillaz: Gorillaz

As a supergroup, side project, and novelty act all in one, Gorillaz literally looks good on paper. Not only does Gorillaz feature Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and Blur's Damon Albarn (a.k.a. 2-D), but

2Pac: Until The End Of Time

Death has boosted the careers of many artists. But it's especially effective for rap stars, for whom dying, as a career move, usually ranks just below hiring Dr. Dre as a producer or getting Eminem to

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live In New York City

Despite his deserved reputation as one of the greatest live draws of all time, Bruce Springsteen's concerts have defied documentation. Well, legitimately, at least: Hundreds of bootlegs exist, their d

Big Pun: Endangered Species

Death has boosted the careers of many artists. But it's especially effective for rap stars, for whom dying, as a career move, usually ranks just below hiring Dr. Dre as a producer or getting Eminem to