The new Melissa Etheridge is "4th Street Feeling" and it's on mighty, mighty Island Records. World weary is the prominent world view for Etheridge who has that gruff been-here-done-that voice. She is a long time lesbian icon that has won Grammys, an Academy Award, writes for the Huffington Post, somehow chose David Cosby for the sperm donor for her two kids, is active in progressive causes and is an all around cool chick and a great human being. Her songs are as solid as her Midwestern upbringing - often autobiographical and let us know more than we need to, maybe.

The latest from the Killers is "Battle Born" and it's on mighty, mighty Island Records. For some years, I've always nurtured a warm and fuzzy feeling for the Killers - saw 'em do a couple of tunes at Coachella a few years back which reinforced my feelings. Bleep happens and feelings change. This album is incredibly lame by-the-numbers arena rock - it's sort of like a new Journey album, a band I never liked and this darn fine paper tortured me extra by sending to review Journey at the Fair or back when the sundowns were in black & white. Utterly without soul or any redeeming social value whatsoever, these Killers could be used as torture on Death Row as I could not fast forward to eventually find a listenable song. I never did.