The Bowdoin Orient

The last six months have not been going well for Snoop Dogg. He was arrested twice for gun violations and marijuana possession. Two weeks ago, he was sentenced to five years of probation for drug and gun charges. On the top of it all, his request to enter the U.K. has been denied, to the great disappointment of all his European fans. Australia also denied him entrance. Despite all this, Snoop continues to tour extensively and even record albums. When these albums turn out to be amazing, I think most will forgive Snoop's recent misbehavior.

"Southern Hospitality" by Anthony Hamilton is a compilation album that is not bad by any means. All die-hard Hamilton fans should own it, despite the fact that it leaked onto the Internet a week ago. It is not a defining statement on soul and does not have the punch of his previous two albums because it consists of leftover songs. They were not good enough to get a spot on his previous records, but they are not at all bad, because they showcase his immense vocal skill.

Although I have never been a fan of Mid-Atlantic "pop punks," I'd have to say that I enjoyed Good Charlotte's breakout album, "The Young and the Hopeless," no matter how corny it was. It arrived two years after the band's self-titled debut and featured very catchy riffs and had tons of energy. Its 2004 follow-up, "Chronicles of Life and Death," was more mature, more diverse in musical ideas, but far from a masterpiece.

Who said that punk is dead, baby? Truth to be told, to some extent it is, because what would be considered punk today is pigeonholed as "alternative music" and that does it no justice at all (or, alas, into "fake punk" like Good Charlotte and other ridiculous bands I am not a fan of). Since forming in 1994, The Ataris has always been one of the most heartfelt and mature alternative rock groups around. Its last album, released on February 20 and titled "Welcome to the Night," is a knockout.

Jazz pianist and singer Norah Jones has been a critic's darling ever since her first album, "Come Away With Me," was released in February 2002. It blew away everyone else on the jazz scene and took home a trophy case of awards, including eight Grammys. Her sophomore effort, "Feels Like Home," changed directions from jazz to country (not severing the pop influences that marked both albums) and sold even faster than the first one. The album also earned her three Grammys.

All the hype you have probably heard is true. Nas's eighth album, "Hip Hop Is Dead," is something that most of us hip-hop fans have been waiting for all year. It came as quite a holiday present?on December 19 of last year?and revived an industry that has been stagnant for some time.

Jay-Z, if not the greatest rapper ever, is at least the most celebrated street-hustler-turned-Def-Jam-CEO alive. His new album, "Kingdom Come," released on November 21, is a strange animal. It is a grown-up, tuned-down and very corporate perspective on life, appearing three years after Hova's retirement from the game in 2003. I would not call it bad, but is still unworthy of the status that "Reasonable Doubt," "The Black Album," and "The Blueprint" achieved.

For all Eric Clapton fans, his new album with J.J. Cale is something that they have waited for some 40 years. That's right?the career of each of these two giants of rock has spanned more than 40 years. Their unique new collaborative album, titled "The Road to Escondido," hit stores on November 7.

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) is advertising Saurday's concert by the African musical group Kakande as a chance for Bowdoin students to do "something different this weekend." By blending traditional African instruments with xylophonic talent, African musical group Kakande certainly offers "something different" than the everyday jam band or a cappella concert: an insightful first-hand glimpse into African identity. The group will perform in Morrell Lounge at 8 p.m. Admission is free for all students.

Fans of 20th century modernist music can satisfy their musical craving at the latest edition of the Bowdoin Music Department's Teatime Concert Series. Blair McMillen, a young and accomplished modernist pianist, will perform selections from Debussy, Bartok, Ives, and other contemporary composers. The concert is today at 4 p.m. in Gibson Hall.

Let me start this review by saying that I have a generally positive attitude towards Ludacris. I think he is a skilled rapper. His beats are always big and loud; his lyrics are always full of pop culture references and contain more tongue-in-cheek puns per line that you can keep count of. True, most puns are just crude, trashy, juvenile humor, but some are diamonds in the rough.

The tragic life and legacy of Robert and Clara Schumann have long interested Applied Music Instructor Christana Astrachan. This Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bowdoin Chapel, she and her partner, tenor Bruce Fithian, will perform "lieder" ("songs" in German) by the two great pianists and lovers, intermingled with excerpts of their letters and diaries read aloud.

The second Justin Timberlake album, four long years in the making, has already gotten much more hype than it deserves. "FutureSex/Love Sounds," a brainchild of Timberlake and urban producer Timbaland, who collaborated with Justin on six of the 13 tracks on "Justified," is confused, awkward, cocky, repetitive, and pseudo-original.