In heavy rotation

Henry asked me a week or two ago what I was listening to. That week it was an odd assortment of Chinese pop music. But thinking back on that I thought it might be fun to post every Friday the albums that are in heavy rotation, based on the play count in itunes, or some data fascimile thereof.         This week, I've rediscovered New Order's Power, Corruption, and Lies, and discovered Francoise Hardy's The Yeh-Yeh Girl from Paris. The former is a classic of synth pop, establishing New Order's sound as separate from Joy Division. The latter is a clean slice of 60s French pop. Rounding out the top four are Missy Elliott's This is Not A Test and Jay Chou's Fantasy. Missy's moves on from Under Construction by mining a more modern, stripped back sound. Again, it's all about her crazy lyrics and Timbaland's inspired beatmaking. While the entire album doesn't stand up, the production carries the day. Jay Chou is a Taiwanese pop star known for writing his own music and playing his own instruments, blending rock and hip hop into the traditional Asian pop scene. Top singles this week include "Age of Consent" by New Order, "Anywhere But Here" by Hilary Duff, "Crossroads" by Cream, "Pure" by the Lightning Seeds, and "Tecumsah Valley" by Steve Earle.