Lady Gaga, Glee & Three Classic Boy Bands Are Back [New Music Tuesdays]

For a year now we have gotten bits and pieces of what the "new Lady Gaga album" would possess. Now that 'Born This Way' has arrived, Gaga's "little monsters" are finally satisfied... hopefully. I'm a firm believer that when it comes to their die-hard fans, artists like Lady Gaga can truly do no wrong. Gaga actually released the album yesterday (May 23) and even offered the album in full for 0.99 through a promotion with the new cloud feature on Amazon.com. Lyrically, Gaga talks about the usual sex, love & religion but it seems a little more personal this go round. The production is pounding, yet clean and on point. The album has received a little flack for the hooks and choruses not being as big & catchy as some of her previous work but overall, with a sound that is comparable to Madonna and the early 80's. You can't really go wrong with Gaga and her new album is definitely worth a listen.

What do you get when you combine two of the biggest boy bands of all time? You get an even bigger boy band. Seriously. Both New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys had their respective generations on lockdown. So when boy bands are long gone and those tweenage fans are now grown up women with families and careers, how do you make a comeback and get taken seriously ? Easy, you combine forces of two groups that could probably only fill up half the arena on their own and pow, NKOTBSB is born. The boy band duo has been traveling and doing shows on tour together and even have a stop scheduled here in Lafayette, LA on Friday, June 24, 2011. Today they dropped a collaboration of greatest hits from both bands on one disc. All the best New Kids and all the best Backstreet Boys on one CD, plus both bands teamed up together on a couple new tracks as well. Everybody, rock your body, and hang tough.

It didn't take a genius to see what New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys were doing today and whoever that person was in the New Edition camp was thinking on the right track. If two of the biggest boy bands were coming together and putting out their greatest hits on one album, it would only make sense for New Edition to get their piece of the pie too, right ? Getting their slice of pie is exactly what they are doing by dropping 'ICON', a greatest hits album featuring hits from N.E. as far back as when they got their start in the early 80's into the smooth sounds of a matured group in the 90's. After all, New Edition started the boy band movement of the 80's & 90's paving the way for acts like the New Kids, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys & N'Sync. The group's members included Ronnie DeVoe, Ralph Tresvant, Bobby Brown, Michael Bivins, and Ricky Bell, and later Johnny Gill. Even after the band broke up some members formed side projects, like Bel Biv Devoe, and have had successful solo careers as well. Another classic collection of hits from a classic group.

Calling all "gleeks", this one is definitely for you. According to one Amazon review - "The final CD for Season 2, which is the 6th full album, is nothing short of spectacular from front to back. Maybe one of the best of the entire series, thanks to some HEAVY hitting covers, and epic guest stars from Gwyneth Paltrow as the sultry Holly Holliday, to Kristin Chenoweth as the hilarious booze hound April Rhodes, to Jonathan Groff's triumphant return as Jesse St. James. The entire experience is as 'Gleeful' as we've come to expect." - With the Glee cast belting out their versions of hits like Gaga's 'Born This Way' and Adele' hit 'Rolling In The Deep', it's more than music. It's a 'gleekin' movement !

Tyga has a hot new single on his hands and he gets a pretty nice hook from a guy named Chris Richardson. You may have heard of him. Chris Richardson is a former American participant who has supposedly inked a new deal with Cash Money Records. This song is Tyga’s new single off his forthcoming Careless World LP and by listening to the records crossover feel, this could be a big one.

A few weeks back, I told you to watch out for a guy named Frank Ocean. He is a singer/songwriter from New Orleans who was displaced after Katrina and found his way out west eventually hooking up with an eclectic young group of teenagers called Odd Future, known for their abrasive punk-like behavior, but also for their good hip hop music. Ocean is definitely unlike Odd Future in more ways than anything but its his fresh approach to music, and his ability to make something good, yet "different" that connects him 100% with what Odd Future is all about. According to LA Times - even though he was signed to Def Jam, Ocean originally didn't wait around for the label to issue the disc, instead first offering the lush R&B album for free via Tumblr in February. (Though the link is expired on his site, the disc is easy to find, for now at least.) The strategy paid off: The free download of "nostalgia, ULTRA" garnered much acclaim, and no doubt prompted Def Jam to bring Ocean onto its release schedule. - Frank Ocean is also busy in the studio working with label mate Nas, and has also been snapped in the studio working with Beyonce on her upcoming album '4.' Novacane is the lead single off of "nostalgia, ULTRA", produced by Tricky Stewart and telling a story about a girl Ocean "met at Coachella." Call me crazy, but I think we are witnessing a star being born.

Britney has made a comeback in life and in music. She has an upcoming tour with Nicki Minaj. She has new music out in stores. She has been performing on awards shows and making appearances. With the successful release of 'Femme Fatale', Spears 7th studio album, it's safe to say that her life is a 180 from shaving her head and getting married to childhood sweethearts in Vegas. So far from her new album, she has given us singles like 'Til The World Ends' and the lead single 'Hold It Against Me.' There are also a few cuts on the album that bring the heat in the club and 'Big Fat Bass' is one of them. The track has exactly what it says in the title. Bass, and lots of it. Super producer will.i.am offers up production and vocal work on the track, and at times it feels like you are listening to a Peas record, minus Fergie and plus Britney. Regardless, even though this hasn't been an official single or pushed to the masses via radio it has been getting people crazy on the dancefloor. Give it a listen the next time you make your dance party playlist.

Ellie Goulding is a name that may not be familiar now, but she is slowly rising to stardom with her soft voice and top notch songwriting. A UK standout brought her sound into living rooms across America a few weeks back with a recent performance on SNL. Oh, and she also performed at this 'Royal Wedding' thingy too. Interestingly enough, fellow UK artist Tinie Tempah was the one who introduced Prince William to Ellie and her music at a festival, which eventually got her the invite to perform. Her debut album 'Lights' has been out since March here in the U.S. (a year after it was released with much success in the UK) and features the popular 'Starry Eyed' which was the debut single and the latest single 'Lights' which is gaining steam now with remix work from popular dubstep producer Bassnectar. Goulding's understanding and appreciation for electronic music is only gaining her more fans as the singer/songwriter makes her mark on the music scene. Give her a listen when you can and I promise she won't disappoint.