ROD STEWART Time [Capitol] After a decade of lucrative, critically unloved covers records—five Great American Songbook sets, plus collections of rock and soul chestnuts—Rod Stewart has finally gone back to writing songs. The impetus, he’s said, was his 2012 autobiography, which got him thinking back, taking stock, and basically doing what rock stars do when they research a certain age. With Time, the 68-year-old superstar sings his life in 12... 

BRAD PAISLEY Wheelhouse  [Arista Nashville] Since upping the ante with the musically and lyrically progressive American Saturday Night in 2009, Brad Paisley has positioned himself as a guitar-slinging messiah sent here to abolish a rift between red and blue states. He directly addresses that divide multiple times on Wheelhouse, a hodgepodge of pop culture references and patriotic salutes. On the bluesy “Accidental Racist,” notable for a bizarre... 

TRICKY False Idols [False Idols] It’s been 18 years since Tricky released Maxinquaye, the trip-hop masterpiece that expanded that genre’s parameters. Nine albums later, he’s still trying to top it. The British producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist named his second album Pre-Millennium Tension, and he’s been working that theme, more or less, ever since. False Idols hits all the usual signposts: densely layered beats, gritty dance rhythms,... 

MUDHONEY Vanishing Point [Sub Pop] As a grunge revival quakes among younger bands, Mudhoney is still rumbling on with the abrasive sound that has served them since Seattle was the center of the alt-rock world. They’ve consistently turned out corrosive guitar records, and their ninth studio effort reflects a keenly focused ferocity. They’ve reined in their trademark overdriven guitars, and yet on these tight, targeted songs, singer Mark Arm’s... 

IGGY & THE STOOGES Ready to Die [Fat Possum] Forty years after James Williamson last contributed to a Stooges album, the guitarist makes his presence known right away on the band’s latest. Opener “Burn” uncorks with the crack of a drum and is immediately overrun with a tidal-wave riff that’s loud, dirty and dangerous—everything that’s always been great about the Stooges. There’s plenty of that on Ready to Die, an album whose best... 

VAMPIRE WEEKEND Modern Vampires of the City  [XL Recordings] Vampire Weekend’s third album expands its varied repertoire with a musical valentine to their hometown of New York City. Set to liquid chords and languid rhythms, the band’s serious-minded lyrics center on the trials of 20-something life. The band incorporates numerous sounds, from rubbery bass on the mod-rockabilly number “Diane Young” to Hammond organ on the Beach Boys-inspired... 

TODD RUNDGREN State [Esoteric Antenna/Cherry Red] Following a recent release that delved into hard rock, fearsome blues and radically redefined versions of seminal songs he produced for others, State finds Rundgren testing his parameters yet again. Chameleon-like by nature, Rundgren revisits the synthesized setups and exotic experimentation that once marked his work with Utopia and later colored solo albums like The Individualist and Nearly Human.... 

GOO GOO DOLLS Magnetic [Warner Bros.] Last time out, on 2010’s Something for the Rest of Us, the Goo Goo Dolls went deep, singing about paralyzed war veterans, the plight of the 99 percent and other bummer subjects far removed from the misunderstood soul who pined for true love in “Iris.” For their 10th album, Magnetic, frontman John Rzeznik returns to familiar territory, penning inspirational tunes with titles like “Bulletproof Angel.”... 

THE POSTAL SERVICE Give Up: Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition  [Sub Pop] The two biggest sellers in Sub Pop’s history reveal some of the key differences between the generation that raged along with grunge in the early ’90s and the one that took solace in emo in the early ’00s. Whereas Nirvana’s Bleach, which dropped in 1989 but didn’t really hit until a few years later, is caustic and vague—notable less for what Kurt Cobain said than for... 

SHE & HIM Volume 3 [Merge] She & Him—vocalist Zooey Deschanel and producer/guitarist M. Ward—concoct a vibrant spirit on this charming, if kitschy, collection of lo-fi psychedelic pop. Deschanel wrote 11 of the 14 songs, most of which deal with the hardships of new love. Her roll-with-the-punches performance, full of innocent sighs and moody expressions, throbs with ache. On “London,” an abstract, hypnotic piano ballad, she adds shades... 

STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES (& DUCHESSES) The Low Highway [New West] Though not exactly a New Orleans record, Steve Earle’s latest has a distinct Big Easy flavor. In part, that’s because Earle wrote three of the songs for the HBO series Treme, on which he played a street musician. There’s zydeco-style accordion on “That All You Got?”, and jaunty bayou fiddle on “Love’s Gonna Blow My Way,” and the titular reference of “After Mardi... 

THE PASTELS Slow Summits [Domino] Though they haven’t released an official album in 16 years, the Pastels haven’t kept silent. A film soundtrack in 2003 and collaboration with the Japanese band Tenniscoats in 2009 helped the band to evolve its sound, as has a continuously revolving line-up. With Slow Summits, the Pastels’ move from shambolic rock to subdued, off-kilter pop seems complete. Their sound has changed shape, and the thinned-out guitars... 

SOUND CITY [RCA] Dave Grohl’s directorial debut centers on the titular studio—the defunct Southern California facility where Nirvana cut Nevermind and countless other artists did some of their finest work—but that’s not really what this film is about. On a micro level, it’s about “the Neve,” an analog recording console purchased by Sound City’s owners in 1973 for the then-princely sum of $75,000. If Grohl and his buddies—an impressive... 

ÓLÖF ARNALDS Sudden Elevation [One Little Indian] Ólöf Arnalds embraces subtlety in her mixes, even as she creates more complex works. On her third solo album and first entirely in English, the Icelandic singer-songwriter exercises tremendous restraint in her arrangements, and initial listens don’t reveal how much has been seamlessly integrated under the fingerpicked guitars. Arnalds’ classical training is apparent in the sparse string arrangements... 

THE BRYAN FERRY ORCHESTRA The Jazz Age [BMG] Bryan Ferry is no stranger to albums filled with cover songs. But The Jazz Age, credited to the Bryan Ferry Orchestra, is something different: 13 songs, spanning Roxy Music’s first single to Ferry’s most recent solo album, done in the style of 1920s jazz. It’s so lovingly and faithfully recreated that you’re half expecting the clicks and pops of vintage 78s on these lo-fi mono recordings. The Jazz... 

THE THERMALS Signed and Sealed in Blood [Domino] The sixth album from this Portland pop-punk trio sees a return to the kinds of scratchy vocals and trebly guitar strains heard in its earlier work. Freshly signed to Saddle Creek, the band wastes little time getting down to business. “Born to Kill” opens with Hutch Harris simultaneously striking his first guitar note and declaring, “I was born to kill / I was made to slay / unafraid to spill blood... 

AMY SPEACE How to Sleep in a Stormy Boat amyspeace.com In the lead-up to her latest, Amy Speace lost some things—love, judging from the lyrics, and also her voice, thanks to a bout with acute laryngitis. Still, by virtue of being alive and having the friends, family and emotional toughness to muddle on, for better or worse, this Nashville-based singer-songwriter considers herself among the “Fortunate Ones” she sings about on the leadoff track.... 

CERAMIC DOG Your Turn marcribot.com Best known for working with two of the greatest lyricists and most distinctive vocalists of our time—Tom Waits and Elvis Costello—guitarist Marc Ribot doesn’t need to say a word. He sings plenty on this, the second album by his trio Ceramic Dog, and railing against Mother Nature (“Lies My Body Told Me”) and freeloading MP3 downloaders (“Masters of the Internet”), he’s got some interesting things... 

JOHN MURRY The Graceless Age johnmurry.com On one level, there’s a shuffling, off-the-cuff feel to John Murry’s music. Singing songs about heartache and heroin addiction, he’s got the laid-back strum and rough, jaded delivery of a been-there, took-that, lived-to-tell troubadour. But there’s nothing casual about The Graceless Age, an album of dense, meticulous sonic collages masquerading as alt-country tunes. Murry’s backstory is as cluttered—or... 

THE SHARP THINGS Green Is Good thesharpthings.com After six years away, these Brooklyn pop experimentalists emerge from their laboratory flush with new music. This is the first installment of Dogs of Bushwick, a four-album set, and on the series’ title track, singer Perry Serpa describes his need to write songs. “There’s a radio station alive in my head,” he sings. “There’s a radio station that’s driving me mad.” At least the DJs have... 

CHARLES WALKER & THE DYNAMITES Love Is Only Everything thedynamites.net Pair a 70-something soul survivor with a pack of reverent young virtuosos, and you’ve got a couple of options. One is to make gritty, lo-fi recordings slavishly indebted to some romanticized past. The other is to admit the times have changed and go slightly more modern, and that’s what Nashville’s Dynamites and their veteran frontman do here. Walker was buds with James... 

KING DJANGO Anywhere I Roam kingdjango.com For two decades, Stubborn Records founder Jeff “King Django” Baker has kept the East Coast safe for ska and traditional Jamaican music. Here, the singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist pulls together a dozen tracks cut with friends and associates, and while all feature variations of the island’s distinctive offbeat bounce, Django keeps things as diverse as possible. In addition to swift,... 

SANDERS BOHLKE Ghost Boy sandersbohlke.com No amount of sonic ambiance—not amplifier hiccups, feedback blasts, cello hums or eerily childlike piano tinkling—can distract from the sentiments driving Sanders Bohlke’s music. On his first album in seven years, this 21st century Southern folkie threads together songs of love and Armageddon, promising, “I’ll rip your heart out like you want me to” on one track, then observing, “The devil is... 

JELLO BIAFRA White People and the Damage Done alternativetentacles.com No surprises here: “Werewolves of Wall Street,” “Mid-East Peace Process,” and the title track are about exactly what their titles suggest, and as anyone familiar with Biafra’s oeuvre might guess, these and others are irreverent hardcore ragers informed by pop, surf rock and even circus music. Biafra has been flinging these goofball grenades since the ’70s, when he was... 

PALENKE SOULTRIBE MAR palenkesoultribe.com There’s a tune here called “This Song Is for Whoever Feels Lonely,” and those eight words might preface any of the dozen tracks on this album. On the second part in a planned trilogy, this Colombian-born, L.A.-based electronic duo aims for inclusiveness at the risk of abrasiveness, honoring Old World traditions by completely uprooting them. Hip-hop, pop and EDM fans will dig the synthetic squiggles,... 

THE REV. JIMMIE BRATCHER Secretly Famous jimmiebratcher.com The God-versus-devil dynamic one might expect from a Midwestern preacher who’s also an ace blues guitarist doesn’t really come into play here, and that’s fine—there are plenty of conflicted souls making the rounds, exorcising demons through music. Bratcher is mostly upbeat on these dozen tunes, and even when he’s not—”When I Fall Apart,” “Nowhere to Go but Down”—he’s... 

TARMAC ADAM The History Effect tarmacadam.com.au That Tarmac Adam can reform after a decade away and pick up where they left off speaks volumes about their music. Warm, well crafted and slightly adventurous, theirs is a timeless sound reminiscent of ’60s pop, ’70s folk-rock and jangly ’80s indie—and of fellow Aussie rockers Crowded House. In fact, that band’s Nick Seymour sits in on bass, reprising his role from Tarmac’s 2003 debut, but... 

THE SO SO GLOS Blowout thesosoglos.com Better known for running (and living in) a series of DIY music venues than for making records, these Brooklyn punks know all about late-night parties, next-day cleanup and the cost-benefit calculation that makes it all worthwhile. And the costs can be high. “It’s never been such a crime to be free,” they holler on “Speakeasy,” a tune about getting hassled by police. While they occasionally tangle with... 

STAN KILLIAN Evoke stankillian.com On his second set with this quartet, the NYC-via-Texas tenor saxophonist soundtracks his surroundings. The piano on “Kirby” is a mile-a-minute subway chatterer, while guitarist Mike Moreno’s liquid-cool playing is consistently harried and elegant. Killian adds melodic flourish, beauty amid the hustle-bustle.    Read More →

GUNSLINGER Breaking Through thelastgunslinger.com The two DJs—one Californian, the other Portuguese—behind this “rocktronica” act have better taste in electronica than they do in rock, but that’s cool. Slick, mainstream alt-rock pairs nicely with electro-bombast, and if any Soundgarden fans are still unsure about EDM, this is a way in.    Read More →

KENNY ROBY Memories & Birds kennyroby.net On this terrific disc of country-soul laments, Roby battles a host of beastly creatures, some metaphors for love and prejudice, others ugly sides of himself. “The Monster,” meanwhile, might actually be about something lurking in the woods. Scary stuff—but he sings so pretty.    Read More →

ANDY POXON Tomorrow andypoxon.com Pay no mind to the ginger afro: Poxon is a serious singer, songwriter, guitarist and arranger. Just 18, he’s absorbed blues, classic R&B and Jerry Lee Lewis rock ’n’ roll. The references scream yesterday, but Tomorrow introduces a guy with a future.    Read More →

THE COPPER GAMINS Los Ninos de Cobre facebook.com/thecoppergamins Whether it’s because Spanish is their first language or lucidity isn’t their principal concern, this pair of Mexican junk-punk bluesmen create songs that are as lyrically dreamlike—often in a jarringly romantic way—as they are musically fierce. The White Stripes meet Gabriel Garcia Marquez.    Read More →

THE FLAMING LIPS The Terror [Warner Bros.] No matter how much melancholy courses through their catalog, the Flaming Lips will always be known as a celebratory band. That’s more a product of their live shows—confetti-strewn freak-outs that feature frontman Wayne Coyne rolling over fans in a giant plastic ball—than it is their albums, though career highlights The Soft Bulletin (1999) and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002) offset sadness with... 

THE STROKES Comedown Machine  [RCA] The fifth album from these lo-fi New York City garage heroes clocks in at a mere 40 minutes, and for the first eight songs, it’s classic Strokes: an energetic romp that’s equal parts scratchy austerity and voltaic pop. After an opening screech, the trebly guitars on “Tap Out” smooth into something vaguely reminiscent of disco, while instantly appealing lead single “All the Time” finds frontman Julian... 

ROBBEN FORD Bringing It Back Home [Provogue] The title suggests that sometime during his four-decade career, Robben Ford abandoned the blues, but that’s not true. Even while immersed in jazz—he played with Miles Davis and was a member of the Yellowjackets—the gifted guitarist never completely strayed from the genre. Still, this is his most blues-saturated record in some time. Whether turning to established songsmiths (Earl King, Allen Toussaint)... 

ALICE IN CHAINS The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here [emi] “Hollow,” the opening track on AIC’s fifth album, is a fitting title for a band that conveys emptiness like no other. Though half the original lineup has succumbed to a shared demon—substance abuse—the enduring Seattle grunge group retains its distinctive sound. It’s almost as if late frontman Layne Staley has returned for the infectiously kinetic “Stone” and the title track’s foreboding... 

ICEAGE You’re Nothing [Matador] Barely into their 20s, the four Danish punks behind Iceage have already figured out what a cruel, alienating place the world can be. They radiate rage, but fortunately, they’ve found no shortage of ways to unburden themselves. On the follow-up to their stunning 2011 debut, New Brigade, the band once again smashes and refashions post-punk hallmarks, using the terse sounds of Gang of Four and Wire as rough templates... 

EMMYLOU HARRIS & RODNEY CROWELL  Old Yellow Moon  [Nonesuch] Thankfully, the second posthumous Winehouse release isn’t filled with scraps that didn’t make last year’s Lioness. Drawn from BBC appearances, it reminds listeners what a charismatic vocalist Winehouse was. The early material, recorded circa 2004’s Frank album, showcases Winehouse’s jazz roots, pairing her sultry, scat-like singing with big band arrangements. The handful... 

JOHNNY MARR The Messenger [Sire] Since leaving the Smiths in 1987, guitarist Johnny Marr has made a career of playing nice with others. He’s guested with such heavies as Talking Heads and Pet Shop Boys and even served stints with relative whippersnappers Modest Mouse and the Cribs. Through it all, he’s seemingly made a conscious effort to avoid his signature sound—that rolling, bittersweet jangle that defined not only the Smiths, but also indie... 

BUCKCHERRY  Confessions [Century Media] On Buckcherry’s sixth album, frontman Josh Todd reveals—but doesn’t necessarily repent for—his forays into the seven deadly sins. The tattoo-laden rocker is well qualified for such narratives. Through hard-hitting guitar, trenchant vocals and sleazy lyrics, he gives depravity a sonic correlative, presenting various forms of vice as a kind of musical slideshow. Opener “Gluttony” sets the template,... 

10CC In Concert  [Wienerworld] They’re usually described as “art-rock,” or some variation of that term, but more than anything, 10cc was a smart English pop band. After releasing a handful of well-crafted, durable AM radio hits and deceptively sophisticated albums in the ’70s, they said their goodbyes in the early ’80s. While the original quartet—Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley, Eric Stewart and Lol Creme—reunited in 1991 for one album,... 

JOE LOVANO Cross Culture [Blue Note] Over the course of his 22 previous Blue Note albums, Joe Lovano has proven one of the most versatile musicians in contemporary jazz. The formation of Us Five has invigorated the saxophonist and composer, and the quintet’s third album is astoundingly moving. Accompanied by his regulars—pianist James Weidman, bassist Esperanza Spalding and drummers Otis Brown III and Francisco Mela—as well as bassist Peter... 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS Push the Sky Away [Bad Seed] Though he’s demonstrated a penchant for sonic mayhem over the years, Nick Cave is often at his most unsettling when he turns down the volume. In fact, some of the songs are downright menacing on his latest with the Bad Seeds, their first new album since 2008’s Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! These nine new tunes simmer darkly, as spacious minor-key arrangements flow around Cave’s smooth, foreboding... 

DUANE ALLMAN Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective  [Rounder] Just how prolific was Duane Allman in his few years? Amazingly so. From the time he first recorded and performed publicly in the mid-’60s until his death in 1971 at the age of 24, Duane—older than brother Gregg by a year—was one busy fellow. Attempts have been made through the years to chronicle the work of “Skydog,” as he was called, both within and outside of the Allman Brothers... 

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB Specter at the Feast [Vagrant] Inspired by the popularity of his old-timey sets on his last tour, Andrew Bird returns less than a year after his last record, Break It Yourself. For this eight-song companion piece, the violinist and his band recorded in a barn around a single microphone. The approach was old fashioned, but the song selection was anything but. On the lone traditional tune, “Railroad Bill,” Bird’s jaunty... 

CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN La Costa Perdida [429] It’s not really a surprise Camper Van Beethoven’s first new album in nine years is full of quirky sounds and whimsical, borderline satirical lyrics. Effectively the mischievous older sibling of founding frontman David Lowrey’s other famous band, Cracker, CVB sounds as if they never went on hiatus. Following in the lyrical footsteps of its best-known songs—”Where the Hell Is Bill?” and “Take... 

KELLY WILLIS & BRUCE ROBISON Cheater’s Game [Premium] Willis and Robison may be new duet partners, but they have no less chemistry than country music’s classic pairs Johnny and June and Dolly and Porter. The husband-and-wife duo’s first album features seven stellar tunes written or co-written by Robison and a half-dozen by Dave Alvin, Razzy Bailey and Hayes Carll. As Robison’s loping Texas singer-songwriter sound combines with Willis’... 

DALE WATSON El Rancho Azul [Red House] Texas troubadour Dale Watson is a master storyteller who navigates his own plot twists with offhanded ease. He’s equally capable of wise-guy attitude and wistful nostalgia, and his generous spirit shines through on this, a set of hardcore honky-tonk spiked with traditional Western swing and Bakersfield country. This is Watson’s first recording with regular touring band the Lone Stars, whose rowdy twang is... 

DROPKICK MURPHYS Signed and Sealed in Blood [Domino] If the title of Dropkick’s last album, Going Out in Style, hinted that the Boston Celtic-punk band’s career was over, this one’s rousing opener, “The Boys Are Back,” sets the record straight. It’s a foot-stomping rallying cry, cut with whirring bagpipes. Whereas Out in Style centered on a fictional character, Signed and Sealed finds the septet telling personal tales wrapped in frenzied...