Adam Lambert “Trespassing”
Missing Michael Jackson? Look no further. Adam is stepping into the shoes of the showman and yes, he CAN fill them. This is a retro-esque, yet new, way to hit the dance floor this summer. Lambert hits on all four cylinders here and shows he will be here for the long run. All 15 tracks are catchy, hot as butter melting in a pan. I’m feeling like a proud mother after having to beat him up on that last release. Thank you, Adam, for stepping up to the icon plate!

Best Cut: “Pop That Lock”
Location: Pride everywhere USA.

Beth Ditto “Beth Ditto – EP”
Oh my gawd. Beth goes all disco Madonna on us, resinging “I Wrote the Book” and offering this little sample of the new bad girl. A long, long cry from her punkier days when she graced the stage of our own Bottom of the Hill, on the return with this new sound, she is more likely to be found at Ruby Skye on Saturday night. Is this a bad thing? It does scare me a bit to lose the alterna-Ditto, but we all can roll with the changes as long as the heroine worship is limited and the drama queen rating is high.

Best Cut: “I Wrote the Book”
Location: Yep, Ruby Skye

Jason Mraz
“Love is a Four Letter Word”
Four letters for the fourth release from the now longhaired and road worn Mraz. After the pop-machine of the previous albums, this is a turn into a more reserved, deeper man. Compiled in between long tour schedules of the last few years, the album is surprisingly cohesive and a bit beautiful. Don’t look for mega hits here, but perhaps the glimmer of an artist becoming more of a musician than a machine.

Best Cut: “ I Won’t Give Up”
Location: Backyard Sunday Afternoon, Twin Peaks

Garbage “Not Your Kind of People”
Rock? No. Electronic. No. Now after beautiful garbage, absolute garbage, and greatest hits garbage, we feast on a hyper, super revved up, super sonic garbage. If you think this band is ready to sit back and relax, oh you are dead wrong. High energy, frenetic, toxic and all-like-listening-to-old-gwen-steffani-on-us. I like this. I like this a lot. And hey, Gwen isn’t delivering, so I’ll take this 80’s beat anywhere I can get it!

Best Cut: “Felt”
Location: Fast car, Golden Gate Bridge