Ne-Yo’s third studio album probably couldn’t have a better title. 2008’s Year of the Gentleman is packed with songs of love, graciousness, and puppy dog likeability. By having delved deep into the female mindset penning songs for Rihanna, Mary J. Blige, and Beyonce, it’s probably no surprise that Ne-Yo would be fully equipped to take the more sensitive road and truly deliver what the ladies want. Year of the Gentleman proves that he’s been paying attention and taking abundant notes, representing a sober love for women more than a crude lust for bedpost notches. Ne-Yo’s aim with his latest is to capture the vibe set by the Rat Pack, indicating the sort of suit-and-tie slickness that Sinatra and Davis Jr. perfected. And to be sure, the 28-year-old singer/songwriter has come pretty damn close to echoing the smooth ways of those cats. Year of the Gentleman is as strong an album of love songs as has come out in many years. With other R&B and pop stars trumpeting their egos and flirting with purported “mischievous” ideas, Ne-Yo’s record spins with the excellence and mindfulness of somebody finally acting their age. There is heart, strength, and maturity to his words. The songs are constructed brilliantly, with uncomplicated production. Featuring no guest stars, Year of the Gentleman is an album with an easy, elegant concept based around tender tunes about love and kindness. Surefire single “Mad” is an excellent example of this. Backed by an easy beat and gorgeous, affectionate piano, Ne-Yo delves into a touching chorus and gracefully steps through the song’s gorgeous lyrics. “I don’t want to go to bed mad at you,” he pleads. It is one of my favourite tracks of the year. “Miss Independent” sparks ahead with a solid beat and piano foundation, as Ne-Yo delivers his ode to the self-sufficient, working woman. He isn’t shy about admiring a woman’s leadership, popping out lines like “She move like a boss, that’s why I love her” with smoothness and delicate awe. Other tracks find Ne-Yo taking the blame for a bad relationship (the shattering “Why Does She Stay”) or putting his arm around the broken hearted in the utterly spectacular “So You Can Cry.” He even pours out his own heart on the Justin Timberlake-esque “Lie to Me.” “Single” sounds better without NKOTB and the first single, “Closer,” is a great opener to the album. With stellar lyrics, excellent song composition, and Ne-Yo’s always reliable vocal talents, Year of the Gentleman is one of the best R&B records of the year. It brims with love, modesty, sadness, and the singer’s enthusiasm to plead his case of warmth to the women of the world.

It's been goshawful busy over here at the Round-Up, with summer and fall releases piling up and lots of good music bursting insistently out of the piles of magical plastic. There's something for nearly everyone in this week's edition, from bluegrass innovators and a blues traditionalist to a solo disc from a member of Matchbox 20 and a couple of sharp "comeback" CDs. Onward to the music… Cadillac Sky, Gravity's Our Enemy One of the most rewarding experiences a new music aficionado can have is to come upon a band that both fulfills and transcends a beloved genre. Cadillac Sky is every bit a bluegrass band, but the Texas quintet quietly expands the frontiers on its second CD, and the result is one of the best discs to have hit my mailbox this year. They establish their country and bluegrass credentials right away, with principal songwriter Bryan Simpson's high-lonesome keen opening "U Stay Gone." Close harmonies, banjo picking, a call-and-response section, and a mournful fiddle solo from Ross Holmes all follow, building into and out of hummable choruses - and that's just the first song. The tempo picks up with the nervously jumpy "Goodbye Story," which is topped with sweet-as-molasses harmonies, another inventive fiddle solo, short features for Simpson's mandolin and Matt Menefee's banjo, and a clever breakdown section. "Bible By the Bed" is a gentle, sad ballad with a standard country music structure under a catchy, pop-inflected melody which devolves into a tasteful, wordless coda. "My Precious Waltz" brings a spooky Eastern European flavor, aided by a guest appearance from Dan Cantrell on musical saw. It serves as an introduction to the fast-picked "I Hate How Happy She Is," which draws a twisted classic-rock sound from a set of acoustic bluegrass instruments and also showcases banjo wizard Menefee, while Simpson wails, "Why can't she be as miserable as me?" That sense of humor is one reason these extremely skillful musicians never sound too studiously virtuosic. The CD continues with sad songs, inventive instrumentals, and some very un-bluegrassy moments, like the quirky instrumental break in "Wouldn't Put It Past Love," the old-time jazzy verses of "Inside Joke," and the unexpected minor-chord changes and plucked rhythms in "The Wreck." Simpson's also handy with traditional country-music songwriting rhetorical devices, as evidenced by "It Won't Be Over You," which closes pithily: "When my bones grow weary of this world / And my days are numbered few / I might hang my head down in regret / But it won't be over you." Donna Lewis, In the Pink After making a couple of sultry splashes in the late '90s with hits like "I Love You Always Forever" and "Love Him," Welsh-born Donna Lewis took a hiatus to raise a family. Now she's back, picking right up where she left off with an excellent new disc of danceable electronica-pop. Many of the songs have a meditative bent but also just enough catch that one's ears stay perked up. The songs with the livelier beats (like "Shout" and "Obsession") should stand up to any sort of dance-club use or abuse, while the quieter moments (like "Kick Inside" and the folky "You To Me") have a thoughtful and slightly exotic quality, reminding me of Emiliana Torrini.page 1 | 2 | 3

Jenny Lewis doesn’t believe in standing still. No way. Just when one project is finished, this true-blue California Girl adds another to her checklist. •Form an indie rock band (Rilo Kiley, as if anyone didn’t know) that’s a little bit country. Check. •Take a break to record her first solo (sort of) record, by teaming up with the statuesque Watson Twins (Chandra and Leigh), then go on the road and share top billing with the North Mississippi Allstars. Check. •Get back with aforementioned indie rock band (which isn’t so indie anymore) to make one of the best albums of 2007, Under the Blacklight. Check. •Head out with that act on a successful worldwide tour, making men of all shapes and sizes swoon while teenage girls and mature women wonder what it’s like to be you. Check. •Collaborate with a number of heavy hitters, including Elvis Costello and The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson, and take only three weeks to record Solo Album No. 2, Acid Tongue. Check. She’s not done yet, ladies and gentlemen. Even before Acid Tongue dropped on September 23, Lewis was making the rounds again. Her new tour (without either Rilo Kiley or the Watsons) began earlier this month and included a September 17 stop at the Bluebird Theater in Denver (left). She’ll headline a number of dates and join sometime collaborator Conor Oberst on others. Denver witnessed a superlative show from the pixie princess of pop and her Rilo Kiley mates as recently as May at the Ogden Theatre, but so what? There are new tunes, new band members, and new outfits to show off. At the Bluebird, Lewis was dressed to impress, wearing cute-as-a-button bib overalls with short-shorts, elf-like anklets and a multicolored short-sleeve top while her flowing brown hair was extra long in the back and the ever-present bangs in the front were constantly toying with her eyes. The sexy overbite was on display throughout, as Lewis constantly flashed that girlish grin. This show didn’t draw quite the crowd that flocked to see Rilo Kiley in May (and the Bluebird is a smaller venue), but the mix of well-dressed collegians, trendy women with hats, and middle-aging moms and pops seemed to enjoy the selections from Lewis’ new project. She wasted little time in getting right to it, arriving onstage to the sounds of “Home on the Range,” then kicking off her 1-hour, 15-minute show at the piano on the finger-snapping “Jack Killed Mom,” topped with a church-revival ending, and was followed by the soulful “Pretty Bird,” both from Acid Tongue. Rabbit Fur Coat, her smart story-telling release with the Watsons, came into play next. While Lewis switched to acoustic guitar on the countryish “The Charging Sky,” the highlight was the pedal-steel guitar playing of “Farmer Dave” Scher, her current album's co-producer. Scher also was a commanding presence on keyboards, even the synth-heavy “Sing a Song for Them” off Acid Tongue.page 1 | 2

By having mastered the aesthetic and creativity behind great music, Kuwaiti-born AMIT is already making some serious waves in the world of enchanting, blissful pop. With his upcoming EP, Hello World, set to drop on October 14 and a Live Art and Music Show set for NYC at Le Poisson Rouge on September 26, this talented artist is getting set to unleash his brand of joyful noise on a public in need. I had an opportunity to sit down and chat with AMIT recently and discovered an artist with visual sensibility, a sense of humour, and an affinity for great film composers. Part Canadian, part Mexican, fully Indian, AMIT multi-ethnic stylings are a breath of fresh air. Having traveled the world searching for the perfect beat, he was in Vienna when I was able to catch up with him. After discussing Vienna briefly and running the risk of having the conversation turn to Grow-Op 101, we got down to the serious business at hand and began to discuss the Hello World EP. “When is the EP due out?” I asked. “As soon as I finish it,” he said with a laugh and a wink. AMIT’s sense of humour was always apparent. “Goal is to finish it by the end of the month. My mixer is out in Vancouver, actually, and we’re kinda working iChat style.” He added that he was in Vienna for a change of scenery. After checking out some of his tracks on MySpace, I noted the “label” or genre that his music was covered under: “happy hardcore.” “Freakin’ MySpace genres,” he said. “The genre of the album is really the mood and the mood is ridiculously happy. So I have more freedom to bring in elements from hip-hop, ska, probably some Indian classical, and samba.” “Happy hardcore” sounds pretty damn close to me. “It’s not good to be handcuffed by genres,” I ventured. “I love shit that switches it up.” “Yeah, lately I’ve been into making disjointed music, kinda mash-up style but all the same song,” he replied. page 1 | 2

It's always nice to find something a little different when reviewing a new album, and a recent release from Big Bang Records (gotta love that name) fills the bill — but more later about that. Explorations is the latest from the David Leonhardt Trio, a group that - surprise - is led by pianist David Leonhardt, accompanied by drummer Alvester Garnett and bassist Matthew Parrish. A piano-drums-bass trio has always been one of the most common forms around for a jazz group, but there's nothing ordinary about the talent level here. All three guys are respected veterans, with extensive experience in a variety of venues, and judging by this album it's obvious that they reach a high comfort level when playing together. Getting back to that little surprise I mentioned before, it has to do with the mix of music offered here. Many of the jazz albums I review consist of a combination of jazz standards and new songs written by the members of the group — usually the leader. The dozen tracks here do include some new compositions by Leonhardt - and a couple of standards too - but there are also several pieces from the pop/rock world. Although this isn't the first time I've seen that - or even the second - it's still uncommon enough to be intriguing. Leonhardt and his guys have included nice arrangements of songs like James Taylor's "Fire And Rain," which was probably my favorite here, along with Clapton's "Sunshine Of Your Love," and Elton John's "Your Song." They've even included George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," a nice trick in a guitar-less trio, but Leonhardt's strong keyboard lead, paced by the fiery play of both Garnett and Parrish, is more than adequate to the task. Jazz standards include "Yesterdays" and a very nice and whisper-soft interpretation of Horace Silver's classic "Peace." Among the new songs I especially enjoyed "Late Night Blues," a driving piece with an insistent, almost addictive beat, and "The Dawn Over Morocco," which manages to convey a mood evocative of its title. A good collection of solid traditional jazz and something just a little different.

One of Claude Von Stroke’s Dirtybird partners-in-crime, Justin Martin is gearing up for the release of his second Chaos Restored mix CD for Ben Watt’s Buzzin Fly label next month. It’s something of a coup, but Martin’s had his unofficial remix of Radiohead’s track Nude cleared to feature on the compilation. Martin downloaded the parts for Nude from the Radiohead website earlier this year when the seminal band launched a remix competition. Although his rework wasn’t selected as the winner, it got the blogosphere talking and turned into something of an underground cult hit. Inspired by the turn of events, Martin has decided to �do a Radiohead’ himself, putting up the parts for his own track The Fugitive and asking producers around the globe to turn in their own remixes. The winner will be included on the official release of Martin’s next track My Angelic Demons. Head here if you want to take part. In related news, after the success of their first remix comp Radiohead have decided to open up the floodgates once again, this time giving fans the chance to interpret Reckoner, also lifted from their 2007 album In Rainbows. If you want to find out more check out radioheadremix.com. RSS del.ici.ous Digg Facebook

Undoubtedly the coolest kids show on the planet, Nickelodeon’s Yo Gabba Gabba debuted their second season in the US this week and they’ve once again called upon a rather sparkling array of cutting edge indie, electro and hip hop artists to lend a hand. Hosted by the delightfully fruity DJ Lance Rock, the second season of Yo Gabba Gabba will feature MGMT, Ladytron, Datarock, The Ting Tings, Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys, Chromeo and The Roots. Biz Markie will also reprise his role for the �Biz’s Beat Of The Day’ segment. If it was a music festival you’d be lining up for a ticket! Not just a success story in America, Yo Gabba Gabba is so far ranked as Australia’s #1 TV show for preschool aged kids (0-4 years) in 2008, beating out gazillionaires The Wiggles for the top spot. The Yo Gabba Gabba season 1 DVD is released in November, and it’d make the perfect Christmas present for any younger siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins (or kids of your own, if you’re at that lifestage!), so keep it in mind to give them a kick-start on some quality music. While we patiently wait for season 2 to make its way down under why not have a read of inthemix’s interview with the show’s creators earlier this year, and take a listen to this mash-up of The Ting Tings’ That’s Not My Name with Yo Gabba Gabba’s Party In My Tummy. Maybe that’s how the producers found the band to invite them on the show? RSS del.ici.ous Digg Facebook

In 2003, The Age of Rockets frontman Andrew Futral created and released his first record under the moniker, entitled The Drive Home, while attending the Purchase College Conservatory of Music. For his second effort, Hannah, he pulled in fellow classmates Bess Rogers and Saul Simon-MacWilliams. Futral is mainly responsible for the songs, arrangements, and the electronic elements, but it wouldn't have quite the same complexity and power without the organic instrumentation and vocals that Rogers and Simon-MacWilliams bring to the recording. Hannah is designed to be a palindrome of an album. The first five songs reflect the last five songs, with the middle sixth track creating the pivot point. Listening to an album that is half-music, half-mathematical art piece can sometimes be disappointing, but despite (or because of) this structure, Hannah stands on its own as a cohesive and fun collection of delicately blended electronic/organic tunes. Honestly, I hardly noticed the relationship between the songs in the dozen or so times I have listened to this album over the past couple of months. When I played this album for the first time, I was worried that I was not going to like it. However, by the time the song "Elephant & Castle" came up — with its synthesized percussive vocal chords — I was hooked. Hannah begins with a slower piece ("What Story Down There Awaits Its End?") with plenty of space between the notes and a sense that celestial bodies are singing in the background. This is followed by an uptempo song ("Avada Kedavra") that begins with a wall of sound created by full-throated harmonizing vocals resting on synthesized bass chords, which hints at the layers and shifts that occur throughout the rest of the album. There are several other stand-out tracks, such as "1001 Dirty Tricks to Kill Your King," which sounds like it should be accompanied by courtly dancers from the 1700s, and "We Won't Stop," with its strings interlude featuring the highly addictive melody plucked on the violin. And, I would be remiss if I did not mention "H. Soft Escape," which was already in my top five favorite tracks on the album before leaping to number one due to the fantastic percussion work throughout the last minute of the song. Futral's vocal work is likely to appeal to fans of The Apples in Stereo or The Postal Service. Hannah should be in the collection of every electronic pop music aficionado.

In a stunning move, Republican Senator John McCain announced Wednesday afternoon (September 24) that he is suspending his campaign to focus on the troubled economy. He also asked that Friday’s first presidential debate be postponed so that he and Democratic rival Senator Barack Obama can return to Washington and help hammer out a relief bill to deal with what he called the “historic” crisis facing the slumping U.S. economy. McCain also called on Obama to suspend his campaign and agree to delay the debate so that both of them can get back to Congress and work on the bill. “If we do not act, every corner of our country will be impacted,” a somber McCain warned. “We cannot allow this to happen.” McCain said he met with a group of economic advisers on Wednesday morning to discuss the steps that need to be taken to deal with the crisis and the $700 billion proposal currently on the table. “I am calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself,” McCain told reporters while in New York, where he and running mate Sarah Palin were meeting with world leaders at the United Nations. “It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.” The White House said in a statement that it appreciates McCain’s suggestion. “It’s time for both parties to come together to solve this problem,” McCain said. “We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats and Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved.” According to Fox News, McCain has also suspended the airing of all campaign ads as he works on the crisis. According to CNN, the surprise move by McCain came just hours after the Obama campaign reached out to McCain’s camp Wednesday morning to suggest that the candidates release a joint statement on the principles they think are important to incorporate in any bailout bill. The statement would also stress that it is important for Congress to work together on this bill. At 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, McCain returned the call and agreed to work together on some language for a joint statement. That statement was expected by the end of the day, along with comments from Obama on the McCain’s suspension and the bailout bill. Sources reportedly told CNN that Obama would not be suspending his campaign and saw no reason to cancel Friday’s debate. At press time, the Obama camp had not yet issued a statement. Congress and the Bush administration are in the middle of intense negotiations on the details of a potentially $700 billion economic recovery bill that would help bail out the troubled mortgage and lending markets. While many Democrats in Congress have expressed support for such a bill — though they are adamantly asking for strong oversight on it and provisions that would include limits on executive compensation — Bush has faced unusually strong pushback from conservative Republicans on the measure, some of whom have likened the effort to government-sanctioned socialism. President Bush has scheduled a prime-time address for Wednesday night to discuss the economic crisis. McCain said after that meeting with members of Congress, “it has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the administration’s proposal. I do not believe the proposal on the table would pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time.”

Publishing company Canongate has secured the rights to publish a new novel by Nick Cave. ‘Death Of Bunny Munro’ is due out in September 2009. Canongate publisher and managing director Jamie Byng described it as being “a modern Faustus of sorts” that will “shock and amaze a lot of people”. The book focuses on a man who travels around the south of England with his son after the suicide of his wife. It is expected that the release of ‘Death Of Bunny Munro’ will also be tied in with an audiobook of the novel, to be read by Cave himself. Cave’s first novel, 1989’s ‘And The Ass Saw The Angel’, has gained cult status among fans.