Brandon's Buzz

Well, the week we’ve been looking toward for months finally arrives. All that’s left to do now is pray that the final product is worthy of the breathless anticipation.

From the moment she tore onstage and ripped the roof off the joint belting out Aretha Franklin’s classic chestnut “Since You’ve Been Gone,” former backup singer Melinda Doolittle was my favorite among 2007’s “American Idol” wannabes. When she went down in a devastating, stunning defeat with an unjustified third place finish — shades of Tamyra in season one, and my darling Kim Locke in season two — clearing the way for an easy Jordin Sparks victory, we as a nation wondered if we’d ever see her again. But wonder no more: two years hence, Doolittle returns this week with her long-awaited solo debut, Coming Back to You. The album includes a sultry take on Kathy Troccoli’s underrated classic “If I’m Not in Love” which, even though it doesn’t match the original, is tons better than Faith Hill’s abominable cover of same. Welcome back, Miss Mindy Doo. We’ve missed the hell out of you, girlfriend.

A catchy little radio smash about domestic violence called “Face Down” propelled their hard-driving 2006 debut Don’t You Fake It to platinum status and made them instant contenders. They’ve smartly taken their time crafting Fake It‘s follow-up, and this week, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus are finally ready to lift the curtain on their efforts. Entitled Lonely Road, the record is said to be much more melodic and pop-leaning than its predecessor, with pianos taking center stage in a number of tracks — probably a good idea, that, considering how unwieldy and melodramatic their debut tended to feel — and to that, I say count me in.

Their smashing 1998 cover of The Hollies’ classic “The Air That I Breathe” — one of the greatest remakes I’ve ever heard in my life — is a heart-wrenchingly glaring omission, but beyond that, line ’em up, they’re all here: in a gorgeous new 17-track collection titled simply The Greatest Hits, the brilliant Mick Hucknall and his terrific band Simply Red present the highlights of their magnificent twenty-five-year career, from their haunting 1986 breakthrough “Holding Back the Years” plumb up through their 2003 comeback smash “Sunrise,” which turned Hall and Oates’ ’80s landmark “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” into a dizzying dancefloor epic. (Meantime, if you’re interested in adding “Breathe” to your collection — and, trust me, you damn well oughta be — you can find it at .

His surprise radio smash “Fall for You” was easily 2008’s most maddeningly unbearable — and unavoidable — hit single, and its success has apparently emboldened singer John Vesely — who, quite pretentiously, records under the moniker Secondhand Serenade — to believe we want to see him re-release (and in deluxe edition form, no less!) the album on which it appears. Hence, this week’s arrival in stores of an expanded version of A Twist in My Story, which features unnecessary acoustic readings of “Fall” and “Like a Knife,” as well as an unlistenable cover of Coldplay’s instant classic “Fix You” which makes Chris Martin’s whiny drone sound as if it came from on high. Don’t fall for this ridiculousness.

Speaking of the dreaded deluxe edition monster, it also strikes the divine Leona Lewis this week, as her lovely debut Spirit returns to the new release wall now containing four bonus tracks — including Jason Nevins’ ingenious remix of “Bleeding Love,” and “Run,” Lewis’ uncommonly gorgeous cover of an old Snow Patrol song which just became a sensation in the U.K. — plus a DVD of music videos (among them, both the American and British clips for “Bleeding Love”) and live performances. If you’re not keen on re-purchasing this disc, you can download “Run” from iTunes and be done with it, but if you missed this record the first time, don’t let it pass you by again. Girl’s got chops.

Featuring recent triumphs from R.E.M. (their breathtaking breakneck masterstroke “Supernatural Superserious”), brand new breakthrough Erin McCarley (“Love, Save the Empty,” the blistering title track from her terrific new album), and Tristan Prettyman (“Madly,” a worthy successor to her brilliant 2005 debut “Love, Love, Love”), as well as inviolable classics from The Cure (the goofy “Friday, I’m in Love”), Lily Allen (the intoxicating “Smile”), and Keane (“Somewhere Only We Know,” a far creative cry from their howlingly awful latest album, Perfect Symmetry), the original motion picture soundtrack for He’s Just Not That Into You hits stores this week.

Despite its obvious quality, new country superstar Dierks Bentley‘s most recent album, 2006’s deeply intimate Long Trip Alone, became his first album which failed to break the million mark in units sold. So Bentley and the folks at Capitol records have been trumpeting from the mountaintops their decision to backtrack toward Bentley’s frat-boy-fun-and-frolic roots on his latest, Feel That Fire. I won’t pass judgment until I hear the record — which contains what’s sure to be a masterpiece in “Beautiful World,” a devastating duet with the peerless Patty Griffin — but pardon me if I kinda sorta, um, liked the direction ol’ Dierks’ music was starting to take. (Alone‘s title track was, and remains, an utter knockout, boys.) We’ll see.

God, it’s been a long damn time — six interminable years! — since I’ve been able to discuss a new studio album from one of my all-time favorite people, the wickedly brilliant Wynonna Judd. Praise Jesus, that can all change this week, as Miss Wy releases Sing, Chapter 1, her first record since the 2003 comeback smash What the World Needs Now is Love triumphantly returned her to Nashville’s radar. A covers record, Sing contains Judd’s takes on tunes that she considers “part of her musical DNA,” including Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” Bonnie Raitt’s “Woman Be Wise,” and Dionne Warwick’s “Anyone Who Had a Heart” (which Wynonna already covered to dazzling effect during an all-star tribute to songwriter Burt Bacharach a decade ago). Mock me if you will, but I’m on the edge of my seat in anticipation of this. (Incidentally, I’ve been humbly and repeatedly begging Wynonna to be my guest on Brandon’s Buzz Radio to discuss this project, but to here, my pleas have fallen on deaf ears. But I persist.)

Thanks to non-stop touring, surprising cooperation from stodgy ol’ top 40 radio, and a couple of key television placements, their thrilling, transcendent 2005 debut How to Save a Life became a monster word-of-mouth epic smash. They’ve spent a solid year writing and recording Life‘s profoundly anticipated follow-up, and this week, the spectacularly gifted Isaac Slade and his brilliant band The Fray release their self-titled second album. Led by the shattering “You Found Me,” which wasted no time in becoming a multi-format radio triumph, and which received a bonus boost from ABC, who used the track in a promotional blitzkrieg for the new season of “Lost,” Slade promises that the record is a fuller, richer listening experience than was Life. If that’s true, we’re in for one hell of a beautiful ride here. And my seat belt’s already fastened.

Also noteworthy this week:

• I have utterly no idea what’s on it, and her website is of no assistance on this matter, but one of the planet’s great people, Susan Werner, is back with a new album, titled simply Classics. Good luck ascertaining a tracklist on this one, but rest assured: this woman could sing “Row Row Row Your Boat” and move you to tears with it. In other words, don’t fear going in blind.

 

• Doofy Damien Rice’s right hand gal Lisa Hannigan is up with her long-awaited solo debut, Sea Sew. Here’s hoping it’s not as ragingly self-important as any of her compadre’s musical efforts.

names dropped with reckless abandon: "American Idol", Bill Withers, Bonnie Raitt, Brandon's Buzz Radio, Burt Bacharach, Chris Martin, Coldplay, Damien Rice, Dierks Bentley, Dionne Warwick, Erin McCarley, Faith Hill, Hall and Oates, Isaac Slade, Jason Nevins, John Vesely, Jordin Sparks, Kathy Troccoli, Keane, Kimberley Locke, Leona Lewis, Lily Allen, Lisa Hannigan, Melinda Doolittle, Mick Hucknall, Patty Griffin, R.E.M., Secondhand Serenade, Simply Red, Snow Patrol, Susan Werner, Tamyra Gray, The Cure, The Fray, The Hollies, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Tristan Prettyman, Wynonna