Hello and welcome!

Apologies for being absent a week and a day, but I've justreturned from an exotic vacation to the east coast--where, tragically, my onlyconnection to the internet came via a colorful Dunkin' Donuts franchise, whichwas not exactly where I wanted to be at the precise time I'd normally bewriting last week's blog!

To compensate, I've therefore included two albums thatactually were released last week,rather than this week, and as a result, have made the title of this blog ahollow, empty lie rather than thesophisticated, descriptive tag for which it has been widely celebrated!

Still, considering that I spent part of last week attendingan actual clambake--that's right, aclambake--I'm quite sure that the trade-off will be regarded by all of us as well worth it!

Except for our friend the clam!

The Throne (KanyeWest & Jay Z): Watch The Throne(Universal Republic)  The cliché has itthat first impressions are often the truest, and so it is that when I heardthat the joint

Hello and welcome to this very special edition of New This Week!

If you noticed I forgot to write a post last week, you're not alone! I tried my hardest, but after spending 15 minutes trying to write something interesting about spectacularly-named R&B artist Lloyd--who, tragically, was the single artist of note to release any product whatsoever last week, but who went uncovered because I couldn't manage to track down his last name--I decided to give myself, and you, a break and finally watch the fourth season of 24, which had been sitting on my shelf for a few years now!

Besides, I reasoned, why should I waste the 200th post of New This Week on a bunch of artists I'd only make fun of? I didn't spend the past four years reviewing 2,000 albums in spectacular depth and detail only to peter out half-heartedly with a lame joke about some television show starring Jeff Bridges' dad!

Plus, I had to go pick up my pants at the dry cleaners!

Blake Shelton: Red River Blue (Warner Bros.

Hi! Just came back from one of the more exotic vacations of my lifetime--I can't believe humans can actually fly if they're willing to pay enough money!--and I couldn't be more excited about this week's new album releases!

Especially if I was barely conscious!

Well-known names, superstars, rising talents, obscure bands no one's ever heard of and likely never will--who could deny that this is music's all time peak and we're living through it?

Well, maybe my friend Larry--but that's just because he reads all the Best Buy circulars every Sunday since he's really into getting a new hard drive! What say we ignore his prejudiced opinion and simply drop down the cash to purchase this week's great new hot product? And if you can't make it a tax write-off, that's your problem!

Jackie Evancho: Dream With Me (SYCO/Columbia)  I think we've all been a little taken aback by the spectacular talent displayed by young Jackie Evancho, the unbelievably cute 10-year-old who rose to fame via the best TV

Forgive me if I'm not bursting with enthusiasm as I write this, for I'm about to take a week's vacation and, as is my nature, I've been spending hours thinking about what clothes I should pack!

But thanks to modern technology, I've absolutely no doubt whatsoever about what music I should take with me!

I've spent a good three hours this afternoon packing my iPod!

And on this trek: Albums with orange on their covers, bands that start with "D" and "S," and any British blues band that made a record between 1967-1972!

I find that when I show people my iPod, stuff like that really impresses them!

The Rosebuds: Loud Planes Fly Low (Merge)  Since everything's just about as good as everything else, why not start this week's post with my favorite album of the past few months--by North Carolina's fabulous Rosebuds? The latest in a series of deeply appealing, minor-key & quirky song collections by a couple who've had their personal ups and downs, they can be heard here tastefully baring their