You won’t find this album on sale at any store in America: it is only available in the UK. Here’s a little heads up — Mr. Hudson is one of the best new artists to hit the scene this year. You may have heard him on Jay-Z’s new song “Young Forever,” and now his solo career has exploded. His debut album, Straight No Chaser, is executive produced by Kanye West and features songs fitting for Kanye’s album 808’s and Heartbreak. Don’t let Kanye’s influence fool you though — Mr. Hudson thankfully succeeds where he miserably failed.

I should preface this by saying that I have never read any of the books in the Twilight series, nor did I see last year’s Twilight film. More then that, I have no desire to ever read a word that Stephanie Meyer has written about the turbulent love affair of Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan, or see any film adaptation of the story. I’ve come to this decision on my own without ever having direct exposure to the work, because like it or not, Twilight has become ingrained in our poplar culture as a nation, spawning a vampire-centric craze unseen since the glory days of my beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This vampire frenzy that dominates our media, from HBO’s True Blood to the confusing new John C.

MTV has unleashed many horrors upon the world: all the variations and spin-offs of The Hills, casts of the Real World that are actually pretty fake and immature brats on My Super Sweet 16. One of the only good things to come out of the network was the band Cartel, whose previous album was produced in Band in a Bubble. Once merely remembrance of the emo-pop phase, Cartel has returned with a new album, Cycles, with the desire to remain relevant.

Don’t worry. Normal as Blueberry Pie – A Tribute to Doris Day is a reference to a line from “Wonderful Guy,” and an ironic acknowledgment of the fact Nellie McKay is about as kooky as they come. Thank goodness.

All too often, tributes to classic musicians consist of some sort of gimmicky imitation, and result in a shtick that is actually “as corny as Kansas in August.” Nellie McKay does not succumb to this common pratfall. In her tribute to Doris Day, McKay captures the spirit of what made Day so wonderful. Her clean vocals, relaxed phrasing and ebullience suit this project perfectly.

Under the auspices of performing authentic music, you know, that it’s straight from the heart, bold, brave, daring — gasp! — soulful, even, Robert Francis, at the age of 21, has hit the national spotlight with an iTunes single of the week, “June Bug”: “That was when I loved you best / We were kids then / We shouldn’t think about rest,” he sings.

Following much anticipation, Alan Palomo’s creation, Neon Indian, was finally brought to life on Oct. 10 with the debut of Psychic Chasms. Neon Indian first hit the indie blogosphere in mid-July, releasing two tracks destined to become seasonal anthems — “Terminally Chill” and “Deadbeat Summer.” With a low-fi electronica sound, the bands’ relaxed aesthetic became a staple across the globe. Just as their fresh tracks were about to turn stale, the band has backed up their early success with 30 minutes of new music that will please Neon Indian’s growing fan base.

It’s official: I have found my new break up album. Noah and The Whale’s sophomore album to their successful indie album Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down, The First Days of Spring is so much more monumental since it’s the final album with lead singer Charlie Fink. The album as a whole departs from their much-beloved single upbeat “Five Years Time” to a more grand, dramatic sound.

Comebacks are rare, and returns from 15-year hiatuses are even more so. Throw in the death of a lead singer, a new record label and other personnel changes, and it stopped being fair long ago. Guns N’ Roses had a hard enough time with only half those problems. Yet guitarist / singer Jerry Cantrell and ’90s rock monster Alice in Chains just couldn’t be bothered with the mire, doom and gloom unless they were writing about it. Black Gives Way to Blue is more than a reunion with Mike Inez and Sean Kinney to produce a return to form. It’s also one of the best rock albums of 2009.

Jim James (of My Morning Jacket), M. Ward, Mike Mogis and Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) walk into a studio. Fortunately, this is not a joke. Although, they did decide to call themselves Monsters of Folk. Really?

The first track, “Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)” is slightly lackluster for an opening and needs some sort of break or variation — the existing break is not quite enough.

For too long we have been silently judged by the expressionless blonde in a popped yellow Polo shirt without even knowing what she sounds like. Vampire Weekend’s next album Contra, which drops Jan. 12, 2010, features the aforementioned blonde on its cover and has had the blogging world buzzing over what it contains inside. This silence has been broken however by the release of LP opener “Horchata,” a reference of course to the regional nut based beverage.