Lenny Kravitz [ tickets ]
"Lenny" (Virgin)
Street date: 10/30

The arrival of a new millennium has had little effect on Lenny Kravitz's sound. His sixth studio effort--which he wrote, produced, arranged and performed--may feature an occasional sprinkle of electronica, but it has "'70s" stamped all over it. Kravitz is at his finest on the raucous, up-tempo numbers "Battlefield of Love," "Pay to Play," "Dig In" (the first single) and "Bank Robber Man" (based on Kravitz's 2000 run-in with police). All four of those songs feature fuzzy electric guitars and booming, garage-band-esque drums behind Kravitz's powerful and slightly scratchy voice. The album's slower material is a bit dirge-like, but the lush vocals and harmonies redeem it. As always, Kravitz infuses his rock with enough funk to get you moving, and his catchy choruses will echo in your head long after the album ends. --Jon Zahlaway, LiveDaily

Dave Matthews Band [ tickets ]
"Live in Chicago 12.19.98 at the United Center" (RCA)
Street date: 10/23

This well-recorded two-CD set won't dissuade Matthews' detractors from labeling him as overly reminiscent of Sting and Peter Gabriel. Despite these similarities, the Matthews heard here belongs to a school of contemporary singers--Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, Alanis Morissette--who've expanded our expectations of what the human voice can do. Matthews bends and twists his until it's ready to snap, like a pet might do to a favorite toy. His band's playing is more tradition-bound, often tiresomely so. Though the songs here sound rambunctious compared with their original studio versions (excepting "Too Much," which is more threatening on the album "Crash"), the musical improvisations--minutes-long solos, coy melodic references--will appeal to fans only. A closing cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" makes a neat transition from folk-rock to a raging, Hendrix-style pinnacle. But the song's instrumental segments, lacking Matthews' weighty vocals, don't have much to say. --Marc Weidenbaum, citysearch.com

Bush [ tickets ]
"Golden State" (Atlantic)
Street date: 10/23

Whether or not Bush set out to mimic its earlier works, the band ends up doing so on "Golden State." The album may not break much new ground, but the band's performance is more dynamic than on previous releases. The old-school grunge that jump-started the group’s career remains intact, albeit updated by way of heavier drum sounds and a fuller production style. Gavin Rossdale's singing, delectably sweet and sour, is comparable to Janis Joplin's in that it inevitably polarizes listeners: they either love it, or hate it. The album's last song, "Float," showcases Bush at its best. Its catchy rhythm and perplexing lyrics provide the album with a strong close, though it can't compensate for the bulk of the album's recycled material. If Bush is to have any staying power, it will need more musical development than fancy production technique. --Tara Hall, citysearch.com

John Williams
"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" soundtrack (Atlantic)
Street date: 10/30

Like an invisibility cloak in the wrong hands, the soundtrack to this heavily hyped movie could have been especially disastrous. Fortunately, it was commissioned to John Williams, a man who's made his name composing magical film scores ("Star Wars," "Hook"). In this two-hour epic--his most innovative work in years--the cyclical style of "Peter and the Wolf" meets the enchanted atmosphere of Williams' "E.T." "Hedwig's Theme," named for the story's messenger owl, is the recurring musical theme; sometimes light and airy, sometimes deep and soaring, it is orchestrated so many different ways that it never becomes monotonous. It does get spooky, though, with heavy drums and bass that may scare small children. The soundtrack's one flaw comes midway through: "The Quidditch Match," is stock "Oh, no, what's going to happen next?" filler. But with that one exception, the score nicely accents the Potter tale and stands on its own beautifully. --Randi Schmelzer, citysearch.com

Jad Fair [ tickets ] and Daniel Johnston [ tickets ]
"The Lucky Sperms: Somewhat Humorous" (Jagjaguwar)
Street date: 10/30

The whole point of rock and roll is to help us stay 16. But with their fearlessly raw music, Jad Fair and Daniel Johnston want us to go back even farther. Listen to the drums--it's like they both walked into the studio never having seen drums before, let alone played them, and just started whacking away. Johnston can more or less play piano, which he uses to back the starkest lyrics since Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band." Fair, however, knows only that guitars make cool noises, and his lyrics are tone poems, a lot like the words a three-year-old yells while running around--frequently charming, sometimes tiring. The new rasp in Johnston's voice and the murky, funereal mix make "The Lucky Sperms" less accessible than an album rooted in childlike simplicity should be. A better introduction to this duo is its 1989 self-titled debut, recently reissued as "It's Spooky." --James Woster, LiveDaily

Previous Spin Cycles:

Oct. 18: Charlotte Church, John Mellencamp, New Order, Death Cab for Cutie, Dan Bern

Oct. 4: Elton John, Garbage, Spiritualized, tribute to Hank Williams, The Strokes

Sept. 20: Bob Dylan, Tori Amos, Ryan Adams, Diana Krall, Charlie Hunter

Sept. 6: Toby Keith, Macy Gray, Mary J. Blige, Slayer, Jimmie Vaughan

Have a comment or question? Send a message to the Spin Cycle editor: Don Harvey.