Music

I vouch that all of the albums below with female singers (Anemo, Austin, Bedingfield, Birthday Massacre, Gilmore, Hill, Partlow) achieve batting averages of .500 or higher. At least, that is, if you ignore Gilmore's 11-track "bonus CD," which has no song titles, though track four (which kinda recalls Nirvana's "Sliver") and track eight are pretty noteworthy regardless. Also, please take into account that the most obnoxious cut on Faith Hill's album (a totally innocuous and muddleheaded anti-violence but apparently pro-war protest ditty with a chorus that asks, "Is everything A-OK in the U.S.A.?") may also be one of the best. As for 16-year-old exurban Memphis family farm pea picker and singer of Fran Drescher TV themes Hope Partlow, a leap of faith that she's the new John Cougar might help. But hey, it was easy enough for me.

ANEMO
Slowburn
(City Canyons Dark pop-rock album)
Download "Fallout Renegade"
Download "Johnny 5" (Mp3)

RENEÉ AUSTIN
Right About Love
(Blind Pig country-leaning blues-mama album)
Stream "Mouth of the Delta"
Stream "Right About Love" (Windows Media)

NATASHA BEDINGFIELD
Unwritten
(Epic/Phonogram teenpop R&B album)
Stream "Single"
Stream "Unwritten" (Windows Media)

THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE
Violet
(Metropolis Records dark pop-rock album)
Download "Play Dead"
Download "Blue" (MP3)

THE BLOODY HOLLIES
If Footmen Tire You. . .
(Alive Records garage-punk speedboogie album)
Stream "(Various Songs)" (MySpace Player)

JOHNNY CASINO'S EASY ACTION
We've Forgotten More Than You'll Ever Know
(Steel Cage hard garage rock album)
Stream "(Various Songs)" (MySpace Player)

DIRTY HALO
Damn Good Day
(Indecent Media dark pop-rock album)
Stream "Hey!"
Stream "Think Again" (RealAudio)

THEA GILMORE
Songs From the Gutter
(Compass/Hungry Dog/Flying Sparks Folk-rock singer-songwriter album)
Stream "Down To Nowhere"
Stream "Heart String Blues" (Windows Media)

FAITH HILL
Fireflies
(Warner Bros. pop-country album)
Stream "Sunshine & Summertime"
Stream "Fireflies" (Windows Media)

THE NEW LOU REEDS
Screwed by the New Lou Reeds
(Exit Stencil hard-rock art-garage album)
Download "Stranded in Ashland"
Download "I Am a Monster" (MP3)

HOPE PARTLOW
Who Are We
(Virgin Teen pop-rock album)
Stream "Who We Are" (Windows Media)

TOWERS OF LONDON
"On a Noose"/"I Lose It"
(TVT Glam-punk-verging-on-oi! single)
Download "On A Noose"