Amazon.com $5 MP3 Albums - New Lady Gaga, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Rihanna, and More

I usually point out (um, rather late) Amazon.com's selection of $5 MP3 albums for each month, but right now they're offering more than 800 albums for that price. I'm not sure how many of these deals expire at the the end of the month (that's today), and how many will continue beyond that date. (UPDATE, 1/4/10: Amazon's site still says that "over 800" MP3 albums are available for $5 each, so you can probably assume that all the ones mentioned in the paragraphs below are still at that price.)

One Web page lists 100 $5 MP3 album downloadsfeatures selections including Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster, It's Blitz by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the self-titled album by Chickenfoot, and more, with genres such as rock, blues, R&B, country, etc. all grouped together. (This may be the December selection.)

Another list of more than 800 $5 MP3 albumsis broken down by genre so you can view, say, all pop or country albums. The 50 $5 pop albums include Lady Gaga's The Fame (not to be confused with The Fame Monster), Rihanna's Rated R, Classic Sinatra: His Greatest Hits, Mandy Moore's Amanda Leigh, Fergie's The Dutchess, and Australian guitarist Orianthi's Believe. Younger listeners may squeal with delight at the chance to get teen heartthrob Justin Beiber's My World for $5.

Among the classic rock titles are some real classics, including Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.

With more than 800 MP3 albums on sale for $5, I'll be buying more than a couple (am especially interested in that Orianthi album).

Musical Merger: Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore are Engaged

Roots rocker Ryan Adams and actress/singer Mandy Moore are engaged. It seemed like an odd pairing when they started dating a few years ago--the edgy alt-country musician and the sugary sweet actress--but after breaking up and spending time apart, they are back together and looking to make it permanent.

Moore's representative confirmed the engagement; Adams's people declined to comment on it.

Ryan Adams, former member of the alt-country band Whiskeytown, has released about half dozen names as a solo artist, performing most recently with his band The Cardinals. He's best know for "New York, New York," his love song to the city. He has dated high-profile women including the actresses Parker Posey and Winona Ryder and British singer Beth Orton.

Mandy Moore previously dated DJ AM, as well as the actors Wilmer Valderrama and Zach Braff, and tennis star Andy Roddick. She started out as a teen queen, doing teen-oriented movies and bubblegum pop, but her music has become more mature. Her well-reviewed album of cover songs, called "Coverage," featured new interpretations of songs from respected artists that aren't exactly household names, including XTC and Joan Armatrading.

Mandy Moore's films include The Princess Bride, A Walk to Remember, How to Deal, Chasing Liberty, American Dreamz, and License to Wed.