Alvin & The Chipmunks

The `Munks are back! Alvin & The Chipmunks is headed to movie theaters everywhere on December 14. To complement their silver screen return, they're bringing their fans a brand new album that mixes The Chipmunks' signature sound with Modern Rock, Pop, Reggae and Hip Hop. Get the soundtrack that can't be beat, which includes 'The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)'.

The Chipmunks may have been CGI-ized but the helium-distorted, super-high-pitched singing style of Alvin, Simon and Theodore has been preserved. If you have kids or are a kid at heart (with a special fondness for novelty tunes), this is a goldmine. The 'munk classic "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas, Don’t Be Late)" is covered twice: the "DeeTown OG Mix" is a fairly faithful version, while the "DeeTown Rock Mix" goes the emo-lite route; another nugget, "Witch Doctor," also gets dusted up, with the addition of a so-so rap. Nice bonus: The 1958 versions of these two songs are included as well, for old times' sake. Newer tracks are just as zany. The CD starts off with a take on David Powter's hit "Bad Day," which sounds completely insane done Chipmunk-style; "Funky Town" is downright hair-rising. The DeeTown Syndicate not only produced it all but also contributes several songs of its own that waffle between corny hip-hop ("How We Roll") and contempo Disney Channel style ("Coast 2 Coast"). It's all really nutty and really fun. --Elisabeth Vincentelli