Though they could hardly be more dissimilar stylistically, two albums being released this week share one very important aspect.

First up is exciting French band M83, whose new album Saturdays = Youth tells it like it is, title-wise!

Secondly, our very own Mariah Carey--certainly a trendsetter of the highest order--has come back strong as ever with E=MC2!

And what do they have in common? Simple!

They're finally putting to rest those horrid rumors that today's music--in its quest for maximum sales impact--is becoming too overtly formulaic!

Mariah Carey: E=MC2 (Island) OK, between you and me, if I knew how to operate the wacky keyboard this is being written on, I'd make that "2" really small so you'd realize this album's title is really pronounced "E equals MC squared." But that doesn't tell you anything about how great this album is! Featuring fabulous guest stars like T-Pain and Damian Marley, red-hot producers like Jermaine Dupri, Rodney Jerkins and will.i.am, and tracks with lascivious titles like "Touch My Body," it's got everything you'd expect from a Mariah Carey album in 2008--only lots more of it! I'd be inclined to say it's the finest album ever if space aliens were pointing a gun to my head and asking me to do so, but--candidly--it seems extremely unlikely that would ever happen! So it's pretty good. And she doesn't sound like Flipper anymore!

Vanilla Ice: The Best Of Vanilla Ice (Capitol) The best rapper of all time? An astonishingly prefabricated embarrassment to the human race? A guy who, just like you and me, needs to eat three square meals a day? None of the above! Just some guy with a greatest hits album! I'd be willing to bet a significant percentage of these albums will be bought by smartypants consumers who'll bestow them on other people as novelty gift items! But that's OK, at least they're buying CDs! Didn't he know Madonna once?

Original Soundtrack: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Verve Forecast) One of the downsides of "clever" movie marketing is that sometimes you can drive around Los Angeles and in one day see maybe five billboards all bearing some tacky promo slogan about this fictional "Sarah Marshall" woman. Maybe that will make some people want to see a movie about her. All I know is, I did an image search for one of those billboards because I wanted to make them meaner! And the results of my search were--shall we say--not office-appropriate! Luckily this fabulous soundtrack is--with the exception of the Bird And The Bee's charming "F***ing Boyfriend," which will likely make them many new fans. Incidentally, this sex stuff can drive you crazy!

Lady Antebellum: Lady Antebellum (Capitol Nashville) A perky and appealing country trio with good looks, good songs, and nowhere to go but up! They recently dropped by the Yahoo office and I got to ask them the sort of question that in many ways reveals my special skills as an interviewer: "Hey," I said with a grin, "isn't the 'antebellum' part of the brain?" "No," they declared, "that's the cerebellum." Outside, the wind howled and a dog barked. I felt cold!

Asia: Phoenix (Frontiers/EMI) Sometimes one-time big bands can seem pretty silly years after the fact. Like, if you met a guy today who told you his favorite bands were REO Speedwagon, Warrant and, I dunno, Pat Benatar, you might think he was less than hip. But other bands that once seemed kind of sappy--say Hall & Oates or Grand Funk Railroad--now seem cooler than ever in retrospect! So where do Asia fit into all this? Easy! They were always cool and now they're back! Boasting four superstar instrumentalists (from Yes, King Crimson, the Buggles and Emerson, Lake & Palmer), a knack for crafting catchy tunes despite their prog-rock leanings, and one of the finest logos in the business, Asia are absolutely a band you should brag about always loving! Especially around beautiful girls! Yeah, do it! That's my suggestion, guys!

Does It Offend You, Yeah?: You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into (Almost Gold/Columbia) A trendy electro-rock band from Reading, England, these guys could be the biggest band in the history of the world if they were ever able to leave England! Unfortunately, every time they try, airport customs agents ask them what band they're in and trouble ensues! Even worse: when they ask them the name of their new album! Talk about being your own worst enemy, dudes!

M83: Saturdays = Youth (Mute)  A dandy French band with nomenclatural similarities to the MC5 and M--who, incidentally, under the name Robin Scott can be found in the fascinating Wikipedia category of "Living People"--these guys aren't bad! Filled with sounds apparently intended to evoke the '80s nostalgia of head M83er Anthony Gonzalez, this album is melodic, pretty, and almost the polar opposite of James Brown's "Cold Sweat," which I am coincidentally listening to at this very moment. I figure in 20 more years, I can review a James Brown box set while listening to M83 and everything will work out fine! Recommended for all ages!

The Black Angels: Directions To See A Ghost (Light In The Attic) Every once in a while, the old systems still work! I wanted to check out this band because it sounded like they took their name from the Velvet Underground's "The Black Angel's Death Song"--and I guess they did--but what usually happens next is the band in question is no good! Check it out! But in this case, these Austin, Texas dudes actually do create a fascinating psychedelic mess that surprisingly sounds original more often than not! Guess from this point forward, every band will be just as good as their influences! In many ways, I credit Timbaland!

Can: Monster Movie (Mute) Look, how many times in a guy's life can he draw attention to what may be the best album cover of all time? Not to mention one of the best albums of all time? The debut album by Germany's legendary Can, originally issued in 1969, is out yet again, courtesy of Mute Records, and is positively the album most deserving of your hard-earned money this week! Featuring the band's unique lead vocalist Malcolm Mooney--who'd soon depart--and dual classics "Father Cannot Yell" and "Yoo Doo Right"--Monster Movie combines the Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, James Brown in a blender! Literally! That's what makes it so unusual! It must've hurt!

Tristan Prettyman: Hello (Virgin) An appealing singer-songwriter from San Diego who surfs and is fascinated by the number 23--heck, me too!--Tristan returns with her second major label album and an optimistic perspective about her future! If she were a guy, you think she'd change that last name? Just asking!