By way of historical context, Laurie Anderson's last studio album, 'Life on a String,' was released a month before 9/11, largely written and recorded in the earliest months of Bush Lite's first term. On her new album, 'Homeland,' she proves again to be an astute commentator on the state of America (and the world). Even better, Anderson hasn't lost one iota of musical passion and provides an invigorating soundtrack for her fascinating travelogue.   

The Artist Formerly Known As Prince Then As An Unpronounceable Symbol and Now Prince Again gave an interview to Britain's Daily Mirror (which gave away his new album for free with a recent edition of the paper) and made the bold prediction that this crazy "Internet" trend was "completely over." Prince, who won't sell his albums online and has shut down his official Web site, told the paper that "all these computers and digital gadgets are no good."