By Paul V.

Singled Out

Morningwood -- Nth Degree --
Capitol Records

What's that lump in yer pants? It's just the boner you got listening to this blast of rockin' new wave! Like a bunch of Silver Lake indie cheerleaders sporting Le Tigre pom-poms, Morningwood races blood to both your heads. Uh-oh, here we go, turn up the radio!

She Wants Revenge -- She Wants Revenge -- Geffen

Hailing from right here in L.A., SWR is duo Justin Warfield (vocals) and Adam 12 (bass/keys), apparently both DJs when not doing the band. Before I go any further, let me say: This is one of my favorite releases of 2005. But it's hard to decide if this band is a tribute or a calculated rip-off -- they've inhaled every early record by Human League, The Cure, Psychedelic Furs, Joy Division, and Bauhaus, and exhaled something that's an uncanny, near-perfect amalgamation. It is precise in its achievement: dark, foreboding, minor key dance-Goth for the artsy glitterati types; music to, as they say themselves, "make girls dance and cry." Justin's disaffected baritone has shades of a faux-Brit accent, and at times you swear he had a DNA injection from Joy Division's Ian Curtis. The guitar sound is like icy heat, the synths swell and quiver, and the spooky, haunting themes on the album are drenched in late night trysts and relationships gone awry. There's insecurity on "These Things," commitment fear on "I Don't Want to Fall In Love," a rush of a new romance in "Out of Control," and a scathing need for retribution on the disc's hit single, "Tear You Apart." But inside all this melancholic gloom, pain-as-beauty melodies and immediate hooks swirl inside your brain, especially on the Interpol-esque "Sister," where Warfield's captivating lyrics really draw you in. If the future really is retro, this is as good as it gets.

Mary J. Blige -- The Breakthrough -- Geffen

Longtime fans of the fierce Mary J. have tracked all the ups 'n downs of her tumultuous life, pinnacled on her biggest hit, "Family Affair." Blige is now married and beaming -- so has she lost her edge? Hell no! In fact, the now blissfully in love Mary has, indeed, found her breakthrough with expressive arrangements that showcase her major asset -- that voice that conveys leap-tall-buildings emotion with subtle touches instead of garish Celine Dionish histrionics. For the most part, the hip-hop side of the equation gets more evolved as mid-tempo laid-bare confessionals, such as "Take Me As I Am" and "Baggage." On "About You," she silkily weaves in a bruised hope sample of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" (also featuring Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am). Similarly, a snatch of Carla Thomas' "Tramp" in "Gonna Breakthrough" drives the song as a superior slab of classy soul. Other highlights: "MJB Da MVP" (which glides on 50 Cent's "Hate It Or Love It"), Jay-Z guesting on the euphoric "Can't Hide From Luv," and the "gift to her troubled sisters" on "Good Woman Down." Closing it all out is an astounding duet with U2 on a new version of their already remarkable "One." Unlike most R&B divas, Blige is the queen of raw power, serenity, conviction, and compassion, not formula. This is quite possibly the most vivid realization of her hard-knocks, gripping, tell it like it 'tis style we've come to love to languish in.

Imogen Heap -- Speak For Yourself -- RCA Victor

Imogen Heap just might have one of the most well-known voices around, while probably being totally unknown to those who hear it and say, "Who IS that?" As one half of duo Frou Frou (along with Seal/Madonna collaborator Guy Sigsworth), Heap enamored everyone with "Let Go," given new life via its inclusion in Zack Braff's Garden State. Similarly, the striking, vocoder-laden acapella "Hide & Seek" enticed us on the second season of The OC. Well, now it's time for this multi-talented ingénue to not only get known by name, but by this charming sophomore solo collection. Here, she slinks her way through dreamy synths and plush, techno-light landscapes that star her high-impact, one-of-a-kind vocals. And the key is that the electronica and instrumentation never drown her out. Airy, cotton-candy confectionary beats take hold on compelling tracks like "Goodnight & Go," "Loose Ends," and the walking on clouds euphoria of "Clear the Area." But before you go and write her off as some kind of Lillith Fair snooze-babe, she jettisons herself loudly into guitar-swirling Garbage territory on the dance-rocky "Daylight Robbery." A maverick auteur, Heap more than achieved the vision she had in her head, as she wrote, produced, played -- and funded -- this entirely herself. If one had to draw comparisons, it could be said Heap makes for a comfy fit between a more danceable Kate Bush, or a stripped-down, organic sounding Goldfrapp -- with a record that demands your headphones.

Catch Paul V. spinning tunes in Silver Lake: "MegaMonday" at MJ's, Dragstrip 66 (second Saturday each month at 1160 Vermont Ave.), Spit (third Saturday each month at Faultline), and "Milkshake" Thursday nights at MJ's. Tune in for his "Smash Mix" on Indie 103.1 FM on Fridays at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.dragstrip66.com.