Pop music: Two for the money -- some acts pair up

The pop music calendar will be as packed as ever this season, though there's a touch of caution in the air, as the economy continues to depress a battered music business.

To ensure salability, some acts are doubling up - like Jay-Z and Kanye West, whose Watch the Throne comes out in March, or Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks, who play the Wells Fargo Center April 5. Others are making more intimate moves, like the Dead-connected Furthur tour, with five nights at the Tower Theater in March, or Steve Earle, whose Feb. 27 benefit concert is at cozy Johnny Brenda's.

Other names: Bon Jovi and Elton John, at the Wells Fargo, separately, on March 2 and March 25; Beach House at the Trocadero on Feb. 24; and Destroyer, at the First Unitarian Church, with the War on Drugs, on April 24.

And the first show of note at the new World Cafe Live in Wilmington will be Texas swing band Asleep at the Wheel on April 14.

Danielson, The Best of Gloucester County. "Tender shoots of melody and rhythm nursed to become eleven mighty oaks of rock-and-roll majesty." That's writer Rick Moody's description of this album by South Jersey avant auteur Daniel Smith, whose band on it features indie luminary Sufjan Stevens. (On sale Feb. 15; at Johnny Brenda's April 17.)

Hayes Carll, KMAG YOYO, and Jason Isbell, Here We Rest. Two of the finest young Southern roots-music storytellers team up at World Cafe Live on April 21. (KMAG YOYO on sale Feb. 15; Here We Rest April 12.)

PJ Harvey, Let England Shake. The riveting, pint-sized powerhouse singer-guitarist returns with her first solo album since 2007's piano-driven White Chalk. (Feb. 15.)

G. Love, Fixin' to Die. Philadelphia hip-hop folk-blues stalwart Garret Dutton makes a back-to-his-roots maneuver with Fixin' to Die, produced by Avett brothers Scott and Seth. (On sale Feb. 22.)

Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes. Swedish singer who made her name with the vulnerably inviting Youth Novels in 2008 toughens up on a follow-up release recorded in Los Angeles. (March 1; at the Theatre of Living Arts May 16.)

Marsha Ambrosius, Late Nights, Early Mornings. British-born Philadelphian Marsha Ambrosius used to be one half of Floetry, the neo-soul duo that came up out of Old City's Black Lily scene. Ambrosius' album features production by Philly duo Dre & Vidal, and songs cowritten with Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. (On sale March 1.)

Carolina Chocolate Drops. You might say the Durham, N.C., trio is on a mission to revive the African American string band tradition. But that would underestimate the fun to be had in their fiddle, jug, and kazoo-powered brew. (March 3, Theatre of Living Arts.)

Lupe Fiasco, Lasers. The first album in four years by nerd-rap luminary Lupe Fiasco puts to rest any talk of impending retirement by the 28-year-old Chicago MC. I hesitate to mention the acronym behind the title - "Love Always Shines, Everytime Remember 2 Smile" - for fear of fostering the impression that the smart-mouthed rapper is a lightweight. He is anything but. (March 8.)

Loretta Lynn. This year, Wanda Jackson has gotten the Jack White career-makeover treatment. In 2004, it was Loretta Lynn, the tough-as-nails country great who became known to hipsters through Van Lear Rose, produced by White. Here's a rare opportunity to see Lynn, the 78-year-old all-time country great, within the big-city limits. (March 8, the Temple Performing Arts Center.)

Robyn Hitchcock and Joe Boyd. New Jersey-born Joe Boyd produced much of the great English folk-rock of the '60s and early '70s, with Fairport Convention, Pink Floyd, and Nick Drake, among others. Boyd will be interviewed by the eccentric British songwriter Hitchcock, who'll perform Boyd-produced songs. (March 14, World Cafe Live.)

Brown Recluse, Evening Tapestry. Named for a deadly spider and fronted by Philadelphians Timothy Meskers and Mark Saddlemire, Brown Recluse's debut trades in winningly whispery psychedelic pop. (On sale March 15.)

R.E.M., Collapse Into Now. After a desultory spell, R.E.M. snapped out of it with Accelerate in '08. Michael Stipe & Co. promise a more expansive approach this time, with guests Patti Smith and Eddie Vedder. (On sale March 22.)

The Strokes, Angles. A decade ago, the Julian Casablancas-led fivesome defined downtown Manhattan rebel cool. It's been hit-or-miss ever since, but bassist Nikolai Fraiture is offering "a return to the basic" on this, their first album in five years. (March 22.)

Janet Jackson. The last time Janet Jackson headed out on the road, on 2008's arena tour, she was plagued by vertigo and poor ticket sales. This time she's taking no chances, playing smaller rooms on a greatest-hits tour. (March 25-26, the Borgata Event Center in Atlantic City.)

Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. The verbally gifted New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne and his cartoonishly outrageous female foil Nicki Minaj top the hip-hop bill of the season. (March 26 at the Wells Fargo Center.)

Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne. Two of the biggest names in rap join for their first full-length collaboration. They've done excellent work together, but their first new single, "H.A.M.," is underwhelming, so the jury's out. (On sale in March.)

Paul Simon, So Beautiful or So What. Simon's first new studio album in five years would seem to mix mortality-musing singer-songwriterisms with gospel, if song titles such as "The Afterlife" and "Love's Eternal Sacred Light" are any indication. (On sale April 12.)

Keren Ann & ?uestlove. The Frenchified Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, in April, is mostly a high-art event. But the cultural exchange will go pop with this collaboration between Paris-based singer-songwriter Keren Ann Zeidel, whose album 101 is due in spring, and omnipresent Roots drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson. (April 17, the Kimmel Center.)

Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Commitee, Part 2. Rap pranksters the Beastie Boys bumped their Hot Sauce Committee, Part 1 from its planned 2009 release when Adam Yauch was diagnosed with cancer. He's "healthy, strong, and hopeful" - though not cancer-free - and the album's being released as HSC, Part 2. (On sale in spring)

Lady Gaga, Born This Way. Expect the full-length follow to The Fame to be an over-the-top, fashion-forward, Gagaesque ode to acceptance. "I'm beautiful in my own way, 'cause God makes no mistakes," sings Stefani Germanotta. (She'll be at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Feb. 19; Born This Way is on sale May 23.)