Madonna, "Music." I came across the most ridiculous poll the other day on CDNow. Cast your vote for who you think will last the longest: 1) Britney Spears, 2) Madonna or 3) Christina Aguilera. The person or persons who came up with this statistical wonder must have just been introduced to the world of music only a month or so ago. With even the most scant amount of historical perspective, anybody would already know that Madonna has more than 20 years of hit making and superstar status on either of these teen-pop sensations. And her new single and video "Music" is a blunt reminder that Madonna can and will do anything she wants, do it with more style and class than anyone, and do it with more sex appeal than even the most adorable teen princess. Period.

In stark contrast to the complexity and introspective nature of Ray of Light, "Music" is a simple, synth-pop gem that, like any other Madonna song, begs you to dance until you are no longer able to stand. "Music" reminds me so much of Madonna from the '80s. "...Hey mr. DJ put a record on, I want to dance with my baby..." is all you need to know about the lyrics. The rest is about the beat and making sure you're moving to it, which is where Madonna comes through ultra-vividly again by introducing us to French DJ, Mirwais, whose handiwork on this number is nothing short of dizzying. This is gonna have Madonna fans both old and new reeling in one giant, universal spine tingling.  -Jeff Ashley.

Melodramatic, "Melo Deez" b/w "Watchu Wanna Do Now." Familiar drum kicks, melodic keys, and a whole lot of desire make the single from Silver Spring, MD duo Melodramatic an intriguing listen. The fact that "Melo Deez," their first single of their self-titled album, arrived at our offices on 12-inch vinyl should have been my first clue that these young men were serious about their hip-hop. The lyrical content of "Melo Deez" is devoid of the "lifestyles of the rich and dangerous" overtones found in much of today's hip-hop music. Combining traditional hip-hop elements with blues and jazz, the musical production is the perfect complement to their unique and refreshing poetry.

Climb aboard now because if this first single is any indication, Melodramatic won't be underground for long. To my heads out there note, this single is a must for your next mix tape. Peace and Love ya'll and ah...keep the vinyl coming. Available from L-Tight Records.  -Cecil Beatty-Yasutake.

Whiskeytown, "Theme for a Trucker" (Double 7-inch). Four sad country songs. "Theme for a Trucker" has enough destructive grace to unravel even the most tightly wadded-up heart into tears. These are confessions of one driving blankly past the red line of indiscretion into the pit of indulgent agony. "The Strip" also shows signs of such calamities being passed on as legacy.

"My Daddy saw the moon / and heard the sound of the strip / it called out his name / and it called his son's name too."

The twin vinyl set finishes with "Houses on the Hill," an acoustic dirge that fleshes out the transition from wife to widow. All in all, this sucker is a dangerous affair clothed in finely strummed guitar and a nice gatefold cover. Keep your hanky close.  -Al Cordray.

Herbaliser, "Wall Crawling Giant Insect Breaks" (CD single). This little smack of Herbaliser is of high interest to those who enjoy their trip-hop more on the hip-hop side of things. The title track includes some hilarious television samples, and there are some oft-sampled breakdancing beats that'll take you right back to the days of cardboard and white gloves. But the surprise here is some soft lounge jazz mated with some funky beat and scratch, specifically on the live cuts of "Ginger Jumps the Fence" and "40 Winks." It keeps you reaching for the "volume up," which just about says it all in my opinion. Available from Ninja Tune.  -Al Cordray.

Blackmouth, "Smother." After breaking with her longtime Swans collaborator Michael Gira and overcoming a very intense medical challenge from an accident in the Middle East, Jarboe is back at making music with her usual prolific velocity and vigor. Blackmouth is one of her new long-distance Internet-based collaborations with two very industrious musicians, John Bergin and Brett Smith. Blackmouth is mechanical music from the world of the deep, dark underground that will swallow your soul. It is music that hovers around the gothic/industrial genre without the clove cigarettes burning away at the integrity of the compositions. With her aphrodisiac voice, Jarboe builds an intriguing organic layer to the haunting mechanical soundscape. The song "Smother" from Blackmouth's new release exemplifies the talents of Jarboe and her ambitious collaborators. A signed copy of the album is available through the Swans website. This disk is a must have for all those who enjoy having a powerfully dark atmosphere encompassing their eardrums.  -Danny Murphy

Thomas Brinkmann has been working his way through the alphabet with his 12" series. Each side marked with a girl's name, these records have been excursions into his famous minimalist techno sound. By the time he's reached "Wanda/Xenia" he's done away with the lock groove between the two tracks on each side, forgoing the extremely sparse structure of the early releases for a funkier snarl. Reminiscent of the work he has done on the two Soul Center discs, these four tracks (two for each girl) are hypnotic DJ-ready anthems looking for bodies just dying to get wiggling.

For the hyperkinetic kid hanging out near the speaker, Manifold Records has a 12-inch of combat between Mick Harris under his Quoit moniker and Kurt Gluck as Su8m3rgd3d. It's two tracks that'll knock the little spastic dancer across the room, bleeding from the ears and nose, as the subsonic bass and stratospheric breakbeats fight for dominance in the coils of your speakers. Manifold has recently become the outlet for some real menacing tech-step and this 12-inch is a blistering slab that will run with the best of the output from the Virus labs in England.

Speaking of Mick Harris and his various monikers, Scorn has been resurrected. Finding a home on the German Ant-Zen label (an obvious home considering some of their output these last few months), Mick turned in enough material for a full album (due in the fall) and an EP. Imaginaria Award finds Scorn in welcome form--thick slabs of beats with flexing metal and skittering echoes anchoring the clattering treble sonics. If you know Scorn, you've been waiting and the wait is over. If you don't, this is a good place to find out that you just haven't got enough low end on your system.

And finally, here's another blast from the past: The Fields of the Nephilim are back. And I'm not talking just Carl McCoy. Nope, the band has reformed, they've got a spelling they're happy with (that would be Fields of the Nephilim A.D.), and a new single out on Jungle Records to tease us all until their new album. Reworking two tracks off their original Burning the Fields EP from 1986, this is a clarion call to wake the Watchers who have slumbered these past seven years. Beginning with the dying echo of Zoon, "Trees Come Down" is filled with the layered howl of McCoy's voice, the thunderous percussion which filled Zoon, and the elegant curve of Paul Wright's guitar which so pervaded most of their albums. The second track, "Darkcell," is more languid than anything from Zoon yet still filled with the menace and dark bluster which makes Carl's voice so extraordinary. They've just signed a distribution deal here in America with Metropolis which means we might even be blessed with a few tour dates in the States.  -Mark Teppo.

Yes Virginia (Demo). "Smooth," however, would be exactly the right term to describe Yes Virginia. Smooth like Stevie Wonder, slinky like Steely Dan, there's enough groove in these two songs to make even the most jaded, aging punker shimmy to the beat. And it's probably for the best that Yes Virginia stop at only two (there are fragments of a third song here, but it's set as background music for a band introduction). Generally not one for this kind of disco-shaded R&B, I'm still enamored with this little gem and I'd hate to see what would happen to my fragile music ego if this were a full-length.  -Craig Young.

FAGEN, The Helsinki Effect. The best of this month's Singles arrived in the form of a three-song demo from New York's FAGEN. This newly formed quartet mixes dark pop textures against singer FaGeN's quiet, smoker's croon (yes, that's the proper--albeit annoying--spelling of his "name"). They've hit the target square on here, intuitively understanding how best to hook you with their understated guitar work and crafty melodic turns. Subtly complex without overshadowing the simple pop statements employed, the music keeps humming through your head long after the songs have stopped playing. Looking forward to wrapping my ears around a proper release.  -Craig Young.