HOT TRACKS LISA ROBINSON

WHAT'S new? A survey of the previously unknown and undiscovered has revealed the following musical delights: On the sexy, worldly Amour Amer, Joël Virgel—who's been influenced by Brazilian music and sang backup for the Chili Peppers—performs knockout versions of Lou Reed and Serge Gainsbourg songs. A welcome relief from the tuneless meanderings of current R&B is Rewind, from Ricky Fanté, who possesses an extraordinary soul voice. Ditto for Van Hunt, whose self-titled debut is inspired by Curtis Mayfield and Sly Stone. A standout track on the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy soundtrack is the funkified, clever "An Area Big Enough to Do It In," from the stunningly talented Prophet Omega.

New, too:Dizzee Rascal won Britain's 2003 big-deal Mercury Prize and was declared "the future" by the Streets' Mike Skinner; on Boy in da Corner he justifies the love. Final Straw is the first offering from Snow Patrol, a dark, Velvet Underground-ish band from Belfast. Because I Can is from Katy Rose, a 16-year-old rebellious rocker who has more in common with PJ Harvey than with Avril Lavigne. Jessy Moss is an Australian rapper with a fabulous voice, and her Butch Vig-produced Street Knuckles validates the advance hoopla. HorrorPops deliver psychobilly fun on Hell Yeah! With producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in charge, Nodesha's eponymous debut stands out from that crowd of girls breathing down Ashanti's neck.

New to you: The latest contribution from the ubiquitous Ronson family is Samantha Ronson'sRed; with excellent production from brother Mark, Duncan Sheik, and Dallas Austin, it's a hard-rocking addition to the Roc-A-Fella label. British rock act the Cooper Temple Clause releases the hyped-up, hopped-up, psychedelic Kick Up the Fire and Let the Flames Break Loose. Mascott is former Helium and Sparklehorse member Kendall Jane Meade, who releases the beautiful Dreamer's Book. Aimee Mann and Joe Henry contribute their talents to Drill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See, the wonderful new CD from Jim White. The male singer-songwriter category just got bigger with John Gregory's Pictures from Home. Tried but new: There's none more groovy than the Parisian duo Air, whose Talkie Walkie features string arrangements from Serge Gainsbourg colleague Michel Colombier. Grant-Lee Phillips's Virginia Creeper is outstanding. Blondie's The Curse of Blondie is the 11th recording from the classic punk-rockers. Elbow'sCast of Thousands is mysterious and dreamy. Ani DiFranco's 21 st album is Educated Guess. Timbaland handles the production chores on the new one from Brandy. Bows and Arrows is the second disc from New York rockers the Walkmen. A more sophisticated Hanson is in evidence with the catchy Underneath. If you're a fan of Alanis Morissette's delirious vocals, polysyllabic lyrics, and Important Themes, then her So-Called Chaos is for you.

Also out: New CDs from Starsailor (including two tracks produced by Phil Spector), Kylie Minogue, Melissa Etheridge, Twista, the Coral, the Crystal Method, Stereolab, Mr. Vegas, and a live one from Lou Reed. Also, Tierney Sutton'sDancing in the Dark is inspired by, and includes songs from, the darker side of the Frank Sinatra songbook.

When you've loved and lost the way Frank has, then you know what life's about.