Fall Out Boy released “Believers Never Die” on Tuesday, but the last person to ask if the best-of collection spells the end of the emo band is co-founder Pete Wentz.
 

He’s as in the dark as the rest of us. The band is on hiatus and the future is unclear:  “It’s so hard for me to say. I think the biggest thing is that people want us to give a definitive [answer to] when we’ll go on tour again or when we’ll put more music out-- and there just isn’t one,” he told me during a recent interview for AOL.  “If I said one, that would be a lie and if I said that there wasn’t going to be one, that would be a lie too because I don’t really know.”
 

Wentz also admits there’s a back story to the collection’s new tune, “From Now On We Are Enemies,” but he wants fans to do a little digging around on their own to find it. “It is in quotes for a reason: it’s a quote. It’s really hard to find,” he says. “It’s an interesting story. The closest thing that comes to explaining that are the lyrics are the thoughts of two different men and the perceptions of each other.”
 

While he decides FOB’s future, Wentz is busy raising his child with wife, Ashlee Simpson Wentz, and continuing to run his label, Decaydance, whose roster includes such acts as Panic! At the Disco and Gym Class Heroes.  But he’s found out that being CEO and overseeing over musicians’ careers  is really short-hand for playing poppa.
 

“Boys in bands are more difficult to deal with than one-year-old babies,” he says with a laugh. “I’ve been one of them and I am one of them, but it is the truth. Boys in bands are just big babies…I think I gave everybody too much room to call me at 3 a.m. and whine about this or that and I’m always talking them off the ledge. At the end of the day, we’re more of a gang than a label, but I end up being kind of like, not the godfather, I kind of end up being everybody’s big brother. Everybody calls me up and goes “This thing’s happening; it’s the end of the world” and I’m like “It’s not the end of the world because your record’s leaked, every one’s record leaks now... “
 

He’s also spending time playing video games: FOB appears in Activision’s new “Band Hero” game and he’s a gamer from way back, who recently got back into playing.   “When we did the Nintendo Fusion tour and Nintendo sent us these Wiis and we didn’t know anything about what they were, but I just fell in love with it. I threw my back out playing tennis…The best thing with the Wii is I play it when I’m semi… I’ve been overserved a little bit and I’m in my own house and there’s no paparazzi there. It’s great. Whenever I go play tennis, I’m always in some dumb outfit and get some stupid picture taken of me. You gotta do it sober. Not as fun.”

First came ‘The Fame,’ now comes “The Fame Monster,” an enhanced version of Lady GaGa’s “The Fame” featuring eight new tracks.
 

The new cuts are available for streaming on MTV’s “The Leak.”

 

 “Bad Romance”: Already shaping up as another massive hit for Lady GaGa, “Bad Romance” grows more infectious upon repeated listening, but it remains a collage of song snippets more than any kind of real tune. She’s still ripping off Madonna’s “Vogue” in the spoken section and Laura Branigan in the sing-along, mid-‘80s chorus. The video is, hands down, the best clip of the year.
 

“Alejandro”: a throwaway track that opens like a sappy Mexican telenovela before turning into LG’s version of “Isla Bonita.”
 

“Monster”: Adorable mid-tempo dance number that features LG singing with an autotuned homage to ‘80s dance pop thrown in. For those of us old enough to remember, the “Ate My Heart” refrain will definitely delightfully recall Stacy Q’s “Two of Hearts.” Plus we get to hear GaGa (she tells us not to call her that, by the way) sing for an extended patch of time.
 

“Speechless”: The closest we’ve heard Lady GaGa come to a rock tune, complete with electric guitars and an ELO-like production. GaGa’s full –on singing here without a sense of post-modern irony. We like it, but wouldn’t want to hear a full album of it. Definitely one of the more intriguing tunes here because it reveals a different side from her hits.
 

“Dance in the Dark”: A fairly undynamic, mid-tempo dance track that salutes “saline’ and “silicone” and a girl who has plenty of both, but they don’t make up for the love her boyfriend withholds. And there she goes with the spoken-word again. Madonna wants her voice back. At least GaGa isn’t affecting fake British accent too.

“Telephone” featuring Beyonce: A sibling to “Video Telephone,” featured on Beyonce’s “I Am… Sasha Fierce,”  “Telephone” is a mid-paced dance number about finally hanging up so you can hit the dance floor. The melody recalls “Poker Face” and Ciara’s “Goodies.” (Plus, of course, any number of Madonna-dance oriented numbers).
 

Beyonce doesn’t have a lot to do here other provide a fun interlude about leaving her phone at home. “I should have left my phone at home because this is such a disaster,” she sings with great attitude.   Really fun track.

“So Happy I Could Die”: Another chance for Lady GaGa to sing. Again, she sounds remarkably like Madonna, but in this case crossed with Rihanna because of the “hey-ey-hey-ey” refrain.  Hypnotic and a fun sing-along, this could be a single.

“Teeth”: “Show me your teeth.” That’s a novel pick-up line if we’ve ever heard one. Then, of course, there’s the more traditional “Don’t want your money, just want your sex.” This stomp of a song that sounds like it could be in a musical. Really inventive and intriguing more than catchy, but compelling in a way that many of the other songs on “Fame Monster” are not.  “Open your mouth boy, show me what you got.” I’ll have to try that one. Can’t wait to see the video on this one.  
 

“The Fame Monster” begins rolling out in three different configurations on Monday, Nov. 23. That day, fans can purchase only the eight new songs or the “Deluxe Version,” which features the original 13 tracks from “The Fame” and these eight new songs on an additional disc.
 

Then on Dec. 15, LG fanatics can buy the “Limited Edition” version, which includes the deluxe version and such oddities as a puzzle, 3-D glasses and, yes, a lock of her hair. Shortly thereafter, you will be served with a restraining order to make sure you stay at least 500 feet from your object of desire.

Is Bob Dylan nuttier than a fruitcake? The evidence strongly suggests yes in the video for “ Must Be Santa.” The infectious polka, which borrows heavily from the repeating theme of “12 Days of Christmas,” is a track off of Dylan’s first holiday CD, “Christmas in the Heart. “
 

There’s a mildly heated debate about whether the album is a joke or really Dylan’s sincere effort at holiday cheer. Well, the video isn’t going to help clear up matter.  It all takes place at a Christmas party in a lovely home in an era that’s impossible to decipher. Could be current, could be the early ‘60s. It’s Bob’s world, he makes the rules.
 

The video, which premiered on Rollingstone.com,  is the first that Dylan has appeared in since 1997’s “Not Dark Yet.”

Sporting  a  top hat (and then fedora) and a blunt, chin-length wig that recalls a wacked-out cross between Tom Petty and Anna Wintour’s hairstyles, Dylan seems above the fray as the raucous party goes from nice to naughty. We think he’s sporting the wig so he could easily use a stunt double in the dancing scenes.

Do you think that’s him dancing in the Santa hat?

Dylan and Santa shrug their shoulder in the closing scene and, in our minds, scamper up the chimney to deliver toys to all the good girls and boys.  It’s a short blast of holiday cheer, but we suspect Dylan’s been dipping into the eggnog one too many times.
 

Check out other holiday-themed CDs here.

 

Two years ago, no one what a Leona Lewis was in the United States. Flash forward and she holds the record as the first British solo female to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200; plus her single “Bleeding Love” is one of the most played songs of the decade.
 

“Echo” follows on the same continuum started by her predecessor, the multi-platinum “Spirit.” Lewis is flexing her songwriting muscle, co-writing nine of the 13 songs here, but she wisely surrounds herself with friends old and new. “Bleeding Love” co-writer, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder (whom we interviewed last week and will post that story soon) returns to co-write and produce a number of songs, including first single, the mid-tempo weeper “Happy,” which is a bit of an odd blend between Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” and Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself.”
 

New to Lewis’s sphere is Justin Timberlake, who co-wrote “Don’t Let Me Down,” and Bon Jovi/Sheryl Crow/Michelle Branch producer/collaborator John Shanks.  Swedish master Max Martin and rocker Mike Elizondo—who is on every record these days from Carrie Underwood to Kris Allen—both make strong contributions as well. Despite the overwhelming number of cooks in the kitchen, to Lewis’s credit the album doesn’t sound like it was put together Frankenstein style.
 

Lewis’s multi-octave range draws the obvious comparisons to her musical idols, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, but she also has much in common with ‘90s singer Sophie B. Hawkins (or even, as times, the Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan). Like Hawkins, her voice is supple, gorgeous and vulnerable. Plus, on much of the production here, Lewis’s vocals are so enhanced with echo (making the album appropriately named) and other effects, it’s as if the producers bathed her voice is soft, flattering, gauzy  light to deliver to you on a feathery, down pillow.  
 

Lewis is not a belter, she’s more of a nuanced singer, and most of the songs here reflect that. A notable exception is the up-tempo “Love Letter,” which sounds like it may have been better suited for a powerhouse like Kelly Clarkson, although Lewis redeems herself in the catchy choruses and her nearly unrivaled ability to coo.  
 

She’s also comfortable when she veers into dance territory on the delectable “Outta My Head,” a tune that would have fit in perfectly on a Donna Summer or Kylie Minogue set. “Echo’s” most interesting track is the mid-tempo “Brave,” a slow builder enhanced by tympanis, destined to be a centerpiece of her live show.  
 

While Lewis never strays beyond pop convention on her material on “Echo,” she and her plethora of producers throw in interesting fillips here and there keep the listener’s interest piqued, whether it’s the simple, spare beauty of the beginning of “My Hands,” or the intriguing synthetic drum and bass patterns on “Don’t Let Me Down.”  Plus, although only 24, Lewis already shows commanding control over her voice in terms of when to whisper and when to shout (although she does venture into “calling all dogs” territory on “Can’t Breathe,” when she soars in to the stratosphere one too many times.)  
 

Much of the album, such as on “Fly Here Now,” boasts big production with an emphasis on the drums that recalls the ‘80s. Think Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”:  Think big drums, atmospherics, and lots of air. Understatement is not in Lewis’s arsenal, but when voices come as big as this one, that may be expecting too much.
 

Don’t miss the last track, “Lost and Found,” which features OneRepublic and rolls over to hidden track, “Stone Hearts and Hand Grenades.”

Who is Kris Allen? We know he’s the winner of season eight of “American Idol,” but the glorified karaoke contest seldom leaves the viewer with the true sense of an artist’s direction.
 

It turns out Allen is pretty much what he presented himself to be on the television show—a straight-down-the-middle pop singer. Hear his new album, "Kris Allen," here.

As anyone who’s seen the “American Idol”  knows, Allen has a pleasing and strong, if somewhat non-distinctive, voice—sometimes he sounds like Jason Mraz, other times Adam Levine. There’s a reason why he won “American Idol”—Allen hits all the right notes without ever being remotely polarizing--unlike "AI" runner up Adam Lambert, whose album drops next week.  If you don’t love him, you certainly don’t hate him-- you probably feel indifferent about him. Like most mainstream artists, there’s nothing edgy or distinctive enough about him to find disagreeable.
 

Having said that, it would have been perfectly understandable if Allen had picked a peck of pop songs that were bland or simply exalted his new-found pop star status; instead, to his credit, he co-wrote nine of the 13 songs and aims thematically at a fairly weighty look at romantic disenchantment and loss.
 

On “Kris Allen,” Allen works with some of the top writers and producers, but also with a number of well-known singer/songwriters such as Train’s Pat Monahan, the Fray’s Joe King and Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman. The result is a stronger set of songs than if he’d penned the whole effort himself, but the downside is that with so many hands in the mix—and high profile, recognizable ones at that—it’s a little hard to find where Allen’s vision for himself begins and where his collaborators’ ends.
 

His voice is still a fairly pliable, malleable one and while the album is an altogether strong effort, in today’s “strike-while-the-iron-is-hot” world, “Kris Allen” may not be a bold enough statement to entice people to come back for a second helping.
 

 Allen’s strengths shine through on lead single, “Live Like We’re Dying,” even though that song hasn’t reacted well at radio, and “Alright With Me,” a Buddy-Holly-like slice of acoustic guitar driven pop that’s jangly in all the right places. Co-written with the Fray’s King, it’s one of the album’s few unabashedly up-tempo tunes and one of its absolute best.  Similarly, on the slightly bluesy “Is it Over,” Allen begs a lover to turn around. But he seems most at home on “Red Guitar,” which Allen wrote before the whole “American Idol” adventure started. It’s a sweet, gentle comparison of his lover to a red guitar that “may not have all its strings, but she strums it beautifully.”
 

There are few turgid, piano ballads (“Bring It Back” and “Lifetime”)  that sound remarkably like the Fray (and are, surprisingly, not the ones that King co-wrote) that drag the midtempo-heavy  CD down. A little judicious editing would have made for a stronger overall set; although we applaud the decision to include Allen’s reinvention of Kanye West’s “Heartless,” which he performed toward the end of the “AI” season, and to drop his “AI” coronation song, “No Boundaries.”
 

The biggest challenge facing Allen going forward is to find his own voice. He’s shown he can play very well with others. Let’s see how he does when left to his own devices.
 

Hear that noise behind you? The one that sounds like a stampede? It's  the mad rush of titles vying for shelf space between now and Christmas. This week represents the biggest release week we've seen this fall. There will be lots of jockeying for the top spot on the charts as an “American Idol” winner vies for No. 1 this week with a platinum-plus rapper, a Beatle, a guitar slinger, a British diva-in-training and a pop princess. In other words, the holiday season is in full effect.  

Also, look for CDs to drop on Monday instead of the traditional Tuesday as labels try to ratchet up opening-week sales by adding an extra day into the mix. It's conceivable that the top 10 of the Billboard 200 released next week is comprised of all debuts. The only question is who will come in at No. 1 and leave the others licking their wounds. 

 

Kris Allen, “Kris Allen” (19 Recordings/Jive), “American Idol” season eight winner Kris Allen attempts to get some of the thunder back from runner up Adam Lambert. First single, “Live Like We’re Dying” has yet to catch the world on fire. Time to see if Allen is going to be a Kelly Clarkson or a Taylor Hicks. A who’s who of producers and songwriters, including Claude Kelly, Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman, the Fray’s Joe King and Train’s Pat Monahan worked with Allen on the pop/rock collection. Hot on his heels are next week's major label debut from Lambert and then Allison Iraheta.

 

Justin Bieber, “My World” (Island Def Jam): Canadian 15-year-old sensation has set adolescent hearts fluttering below the 49^th parallel with the sweet first two singles from “My World”: “One Time” and “One Less Lonely Girl.” Usher appears on the album as a guest vocalist. We’ll see if there’s room for a non-Disney-linked teen to break through. The Magic Ball says yes.

 

50 Cent, “Before I Self Destruct” (Aftermath/Interscope): 50’s first set since 2007’s “Curtis” got moved up after it leaked in its entirety. Fronted by first single, “Baby By Me,” (which features Ne-Yo), “Destruct” also finds the rapper pairing for R. Kelly on “Couldn’t Been You,” as well as taking on fellow artists Young Buck, Young Jeezy and the Game on “So Disrespectful.”

 

Forever the Sickest Kids, “The Weekend: Friday” (Universal Motown): Pop punkers, and faves of Selena Gomez (who appears on their tune “Whoa-Oh (Me VS Everyone)”) release the first of a trilogy of EPs that features their fun, colorful and goofy music geared straight at tweens and their slightly older siblings.

 

Norah Jones, “The Fall” (Blue Note): Jones undergoes a bit of career reinvention on this guitar-based album. She also brings in some new collaborators in producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon/Modest Mouse) and songwriters Ryan Adams and Okkervil River’s Will Sheff. First single, “Chasing Pirates” is a modest, sweet love song.

 

Leona Lewis, “Echo” (J/Syco): “Bleeding Love” singer, who landed one of the biggest debut albums ever in the U.S. by a British female with the Grammy-nominated “Spirit,” returns with a layered set that widens “Spirit’s” pop parameters. Working with the likes of “Bleeding Love” co-writer Ryan Tedder, as well as Max Martin, Justin Timberlake, John Shanks and Kevin Rudolf, the big-voiced Lewis is poised to be a diva in the Whitney Houston/Mariah Carey mold.

 

John Mayer, “Battle Studies” (Columbia): Mayer’s personal life has overshadowed his music for a minute, but this collection should put the focus back on the guitar slinger. Melody trumps flashy fret work on “Battle Studies,” in a deliberate move by Mayer to write his most melodic album yet. Lyrically, the CD examines the never-ending war between the sexes. Gentle, rolling first single, “Who Says” recalls Paul Simon.

 

Paul McCartney, “Good Evening New York City” (Hear Music/Concord) CD/DVD combo chronicles Macca’s two-night stand at New York’s Citi Field this past July. The set is also available in a 4-LP collection. Listen as the Beatle takes on Fab Four classics like “Back in the USSR” and “Paperback Writer,” as well as Wings standards like “Jet” and “Live and Let Die” as well as plenty of solo material. The next best thing to being there. 

 

OneRepublic, “Waking Up” (Mosley Music Group/Interscope): Colorado-based rock group follows up its mega-hit “Apologize” from “Dreaming Out Loud” with this atmospheric, diverse collection that recalls the grand sweep of U2 or Coldplay. Leader Ryan Tedder shows that, despite the awesome success he’s experiencing as a songwriter for the likes of Leona Lewis, Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson, he’s saved plenty of big hooks and memorable choruses for OneRepublic.

 

Katy Perry, “Katy Perry: MTV Unplugged’ (Capitol): Pop singer/fashion plate Perry recorded this session live in New York on July 22. The CD/DVD features her unplugging to reinvent a number of her hits including “I Kissed a Girl,” and “Waking Up in Vegas,” as well as unveiling two new tunes, a cover of Fountains of Wayne’s “Hackensack” and previously unreleased original song “Brick By Brick.”

 

Them Crooked Vultures, “Them Crooked Vultures” (Interscope): Group extraordinaire composed of Foo Fighters/Nirvana’s Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones will rock you with such heavy tracks as “New Fang” and “Mind Eraser, No Chaser.”

Robbie Williams, “Reality Killed the Video Star” (Astralwerks): British superstar has never gotten much traction in the U.S., perhaps because of his cheeky sense of humor, but  pop aficionados the world over love his smart, clever take. “Reality,” his first CD since 2006’s underperforming “Rudebox,” includes a song written as a tribute to Michael Jackson.

Dark and gloomy and with no linear storyline, the video for Rihanna’s “Russian Roulette” premiered on “20/20” Friday night.  The singer has said that the song is not to be taken literally as a call to play the dangerous gun game, but, rather, it is a metaphor for the dangerous game we all play when we fall in love.

That message is lost in the video that looks like something out of “12 Monkeys.” Rihanna, clad in the funkiest jailhouse outfit we’ve ever seen: designer revealing mini with a hoodie and high heels, leans up against a wall—we know she’s in anguish by her messily coiffed hair. Her tattooed love boy pushes a gun (remember, it a metaphor for love) towards her. She takes it and transported back to the olive green, sterile prison, which then seems to turn into a gas chamber as red plumes pour in. But wait! Somehow, Rihanna has broken free and managed to change into a tan, clinging, long-sleeved mini as she walks down a street. Then she’s under water performing some form of water ballet when she is shot in the heart—but keeps on swimming. Unlike the song, the video ends before the final gunshot, so it seems to end abruptly with Rihanna, out of the water,  and back on dry land, distraught but very much alive.

 

The video isn’t up on Rihanna’s website yet, but a “making of” that also reveals the plethora of shoes featured in the clip (you may be devastated by love, but who says you can’t look great in your misery) can be seen here.
 

The video didn’t make us feel any better about the disturbing song. Sure, it’s cinematically shot, but in that way like a bad foreign film leaves you wondering if it’s art and you just don’t get it or is it just intentionally obtuse.

 

 

Are there two hotter artists right now than Beyonce and Lady GaGa? The two have joined forces on “Video Phone,” a new track on the forthcoming “I Am…Sasha Fierce” deluxe edition and for “Telephone” on LG’s “The Fame Monster.”
 

“Video Phone” (Remix)  opens with haunting guitar strains on a gunslinger walking through a ghost town in a spaghetti western.  That’s the most interesting part of the whole song.  “Video Phone” is more a collection of insinuating beats and snippets than any hint of a real song with a chorus and verse.

“What, you want me naked? If you like me in this position you can tape it on your video phone,” Beyonce (or should we say Sasha) comes on to the listener. The tune meanders on for five minutes—there are some interesting horn blasts, but it never gains and kind of momentum. If it’s possible to be sexy and sterile at the same time, “Video Phone” achieves it.
 

The second part of the two-fer is the far superior “Telephone.” It’s a mid-paced dance number about finally hanging up so you can hit the dance floor. The melody recalls “Poker Face” and, call us crazy, Ciara’s “Goodies.” (Plus, of course, any number of Madonna-dance oriented numbers).
 

Beyonce doesn’t have a lot to do here other provide a fun interlude about leaving her phone at home. “I should have left my phone at home because this is such a disaster,” she sings with great attitude.   

Of the pair, “Telephone” is the clear winner. Expect plenty of remixes. It’s infectious and fun, everything that “Video Phone” is not. Plus, it’s the best thing Rodney Jerkins has produced in ages.
 

We would have liked more interplay between the two pop divas on both songs, but these were interesting first go-rounds.
 

A video for “Video Phone” was supposed to come out Nov. 5, but we’re still waiting and we can’t find any further info on it, so we’re thinking that idea may have been disconnected.

 

Click here to check out what other holiday-themed albums are dropping/have dropped this season.

Unless there’s a last minute surge by New Jersey record buyers, the Italian classical crossover singer keeps Bon Jovi’s “The Circle” out of the pole position. That title is slated to shift around 150,000 copies. This week’s charttopper by Carrie Underwood drops to No. 3. Only two other new releases are poised to come into the top 10: Flyleaf’s “Momento Mori” and  Switchfoot’s “Hello Hurricane.” Otherwise, old standbys like Taylor Swift’s “Fearless,” which will get an even bigger bump following her CMA wins, hold court.

 

Phish is ringing in the New Year over and over and over again. The jam band will play four nights at Miami’s American Airlines Arena, Dec. 28-31, including three sets on New Year’s Eve. This marks the first time since 2003 that the band has played on Dec. 31.
 

Fans can request tickets through http://phish.portals.musictoday.com/ until Nov. 15. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Nov. 21.

The concerts cap a phenomenal year for Phish, as the band reunited for its first tour in more tha five years. The sold out outing, which starts another leg Nov. 18, was one of the top tours of the year. Plus, more than 40,000 people attended Festival 8, the group’s three-day festival where it played eight shows. In addition, Phish covered the Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main Street.”  Phish also released its first non-archival album on its label, JEMP Records. “Joy,” produced by Steve Lillywhile, came in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.