Eminem made the Grammy compilation, but buddy Jay-Z? No go.

Credit: AP Photo

Need to catch up on the year in pop music? A great way is through the “2011 Grammy Nominees” album, which comes out Jan. 25 on Jive Records 

Each year, the Recording Academy, the folks who bring you the Grammys, link with a different major label, to release the collection which highlights songs nominated for the upcoming Grammy Awards. A part of the proceeds of the album sales goes to the Recording Academy’s two charitable organizations, MusiCares and the Grammy Foundation.

[More after the jump...]

Talib Kweli

Talib Kweli will deliver his first album in four years later this year but the wait is over for some new music. “Cold Rain”  from the forthcoming “Gutter Rainbows,” is immediately catchy between Kweli’s relaxed rap, the cascading piano, precise drum beat, and female backing singers wrapping their lyrics around the chorus, it’s a big thumbs up.

The former Black Star MC is concerned about the state of affairs in the Ski Beatz-produced song, which is no surprise given his previous material, but the Reflection Eternal member also takes an opportunity to talk about his responsibility to his community and take a few swipes at current rappers.

Click on this link to hear the song and download it for free from www.rcrdlbl.com. We did.

Miss PIggy channeling Nicki Minaj

We’ve already to two Muppet-homages to Kanye West’s “Monster.” After one surfaced earlier this week, a second one debuted yesterday. We like this one better.

Julian Casablancas of the Strokes

The new year is barely a week old and we’re already getting excited about a number of new releases coming out. Now comes word that The Strokes’ first album in five years will come here sooner than expected.

Bassist Nikolai Fraiture told BBC’s Radio 1 on Wednesday that the album, the group’s fourth, should be out “by March.” But in some ways, fans should expect a step backwards, rather than forward. “Sonically, I feel it’s the album we should have made between [2003’s] ‘Room On Fire’ and [2006’s] ‘First Impressions on Earth.’”

“Earth” was the band’s last album and in the meantime, most of the members have released their own projects. That led to a little weirdness when it came time to come back together. “There was a lot of weird energy flowing around,” Fraiture said. “ There are different dynamics in the group in different ways.” For example, lead singer Julian Casablancas recorded his vocals without the band around. “Usually we’re always in a room and changing stuff and doing it all together,” Lowe said. “It’s all a learning experience.”

Lowe also said the band will undergo a world tour in support of the as-yet-untitled set.

We tagged The Strokes’ new set as one of the most anticipated for 2011. Check out our list here.




 

Gerry Raffterty.

Gerry Rafferty, best known for his hits “Baker Street” and “Stuck in the Middle With You,” had died. He was 63.

The Scot passed away after a long illness, according to U.K. newspaper The Guardian. Rafferty first came to prominence in 1972 as part of Stealers Wheeler, whose “Stuck in the Middle With You” had a resurgence in the ‘90s after Quentin Tarantino featured the tune in “Reservoir Dogs.”

Jane's Addiction

Well, this should sound interesting. TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek has linked up with Jane’s Addiction to play bass and write tunes for the forthcoming Jane’s album.

He joins singer Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro and drummer Stephen Perkins in the band. Also signed on is producer Rich Costey, who’s worked with Muse, Franz Ferdinand and Interpol. Founding bassist Eric Avery, who has come and gone before, left the band last year. Duff McKagan joined briefly, but only lasted six months and left in September.

[More after the jump...]

Foo Fighters

The Foo Fighters are celebrating not only the new year, but the completion of their new album.

The band tweeted a group photo on Monday with the caption, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are officially done. Champagne, anyone?”

Head Foo Dave Grohl told BBC’s Radio 1 on Tuesday that the album was “massive...There’s 11 songs and front to back there’s not one sleepy ballad.”

[More after the jump...]

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters

After a contentious last few years, Pink Floyd and EMI have made up and inked a new five-year deal that allows the record company to continue to market and distribute the group’s catalogue.

The new pact also involves the settlement of any legal disputes the band had lodged against the label over royalty payments, according to a press release from EMI.

[More after the jump...]

Robbie Robertson

Trent Reznor and Tom Morello have signed on to appear on “How to Become Clairvoyant,” Robbie Robertson’s first album in more than a decade.

The set, which also features Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood and Robert Randolph, comes out April 5 on 429 Records. Clapton co-wrote three tracks with Robertson, who co-produced the album with Marius de Vries.

The album, Robertson’s first since 1998’s “Contact From the Underworld of Redboy,” explores the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s relationship with rock and includes his first song that directly addresses his departure from The Band.

To get a taste of “How to Become Clairvoyant,” check out the track “When the Night Was Young” here.

The track listing for “How to Become Clairvoyant” is as follows:
 
1.     Straight Down The Line


2.     When The Night Was Young


3.     He Don't Live Here No More


4.     The Right Mistake


5.     This Is Where I Get Off


6.     Fear of Falling


7.     She's Not Mine


8.     Madame X


9.     Axman


10.  Won't Be Back


11.  How To Become Clairvoyant


12.  Tango For Django

Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne is putting us on notice: she’s tired of being a good girl on new single, "What the Hell," which she debuted on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rocking Eve"  and is now streaming on her Facebook page. Okay, we confess, she had never seemed particularly like a goody two shoes to us, but whatever.

“All my life I’ve been good, but now I’m thinking what the hell.” That’s about as deep as this song gets, which is about a mile deeper than most pop fodder these days. Turns out Lavigne’s beau didn’t like it when she was making out with his friend. Well, guess what, buddy, “love hurts.”  We’re guessing she’s feeling her oats after splitting with hubby Deryck Whibley (although it must have been a very amicable parting since he worked on the new album, "Goodbye Lullaby," out March 8).