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THE MELVINS:

NUDE WITH BOOTS

(IPECAC) **½

You just don't realize how prettified most hard rock and metal is until you listen to The Melvins. The Melvins strip it all down to muscle and sinew - it ain't pretty, but it's way more functional.

Opening track "The Kicking Machine" sounds like Led Zeppelin's "Out on the Tiles" being attacked by the titular object. The twin drum team of Dale Crover and Coady Willis make like a four-armed John Bonham, slapping the tricky beat around like a kid whose lunch money they're going to take.

"Dog Island" and "Dies Iraea" provide a breather from the frenetic riffing with some grimy ambience, but a little too much of one. Overall, "Nude" isn't as all-killer as 2006's "A Senile Animal," but it'll still beat up everything else on your iPod.

Download this: "Billy Fish"

Curtis Ross

SOLANGE:

SOL-ANGEL AND THE HADLEY ST. DREAMS

(GEFFEN) **

Seriously, what can one really expect from Solange Knowles, the little sister of pop princess Beyonce?

Put it this way: The best thing about Sol-Angel is the Hadley St. Dreams, the band.

Solange is breathy at times, distracting with her impromptu chatting and struggling to find her range. "Ode To Marvin" and "Would've Been the One" are great-sounding tracks but need serious pipes to pull them off.

What's crazy is that Solange's sophomore album has a dream team on production. But this wannabe diva can't sing, and, unfortunately, super producers Mark Ronson, The Neptunes and Q-Tip can only work so much magic.

Download This: "Sandcastle Disco"

Sarah Hoye

THE DANDY WARHOLS:

EARTH TO THE DANDY WARHOLS

(BEAT THE WORLD RECORDS) ***½

Rarely does a disc come along that is this original, this creative, that encompasses so many styles and genres, hitting each one perfectly.

"Earth to the Dandy Warhols" could be the soundtrack to a Quentin Tarantino film. It spans the universe of popular music - from Brit pop ("The World Come On") to 1960s psychedelica ("Wasp In the Lotus") to Beach Boys-style surf guitar ("Mis Amigos") - each one of the 13 tracks a pleasant surprise.

I discovered The Dandy Warhols by accident about eight years ago on the "Igby Goes Down" soundtrack because of the stellar single, "Bohemian Like You." Then I promptly forgot them.

Don't make the same mistake. Buy this album.

DOWNLOAD THIS: "Mission Control"

John W. Allman