BEYONCÉ I Am … World Tour [Columbia] I Am … World Tour gathers two dozen of Beyoncé’s best-loved songs from various stops on a 78-city world tour. All her biggest hits are here: “Crazy in Love,” “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and a sleek version of Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” just for starters. The live setting strips away some of the hyperactive sheen of the studio versions and lets you hear Beyoncé put her ringing... 

SOCIAL DISTORTION Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes [Epitaph] The nihilistic Mike Ness of Mommy’s Little Monster, Social Distortion’s 1983 debut, has long since disappeared. The singer and guitarist is still a tough guy, but ever since embracing country and rockabilly influences in the mid-1980s he’s played a more sympathetic sort of antihero: the ruffian with the heart of gold. On Social Distortion’s first album since 2004, Ness remains very... 

DUFFY Endlessly [Mercury] Twenty-six-year-old Welsh singer Duffy created a stir with her 2008 debut Rockferry, eliciting a wave of comparisons to Amy Winehouse. This fine follow-up won’t rid her of that tag entirely, but it does edge Duffy closer to a stylistic identity of her own. Half the disc embraces the retro R&B style that shaped Duffy’s debut, while the other boasts a Euro-chic pop sound more akin to Kylie Minogue. Standout moments... 

THE DECEMBERISTS The King Is Dead [Capitol] Decemberists leader Colin Meloy has a flair for fanciful storytelling—but because America is too young to have produced its own ancient folklore, he and his cohorts tend to look elsewhere for inspiration. On its last two albums the band drew on Japanese and European traditions, creating elaborate fairy-tale song cycles. On first listen, The King Is Dead seems the opposite: a collection of scaled-back Americana... 

PAUL TURNER Another World paulturner.com With songs both pensive and forlorn, Paul Turner’s downcast demeanor is reminiscent of previous haunted souls like Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. The music conveys a tender fragility, with cello and acoustic guitar creating the sparse settings. Despite its meditative insularity, Another World is finally a welcome space for listeners.  Read More →

RAT WAKES RED Acres ratdisk.com Who would think that a trio that tags itself Rat Wakes Red would sound so seductive? If the name suggests punkish mischief, the music shatters that suggestion through its dimly lit melodies and sensual settings. The supple addition of violas, synths and keyboards to standard rock regalia makes Acres all the more alluring.  Read More →

ARTHUR NASSON Echo Garden arthurnasson.com Arthur Nasson effectively blurs the boundaries between pop practitioner and avant-garde innovator. Consequently, Echo Garden varies dramatically in its tones and textures, running the gamut from more engaging entries to brash rockers, with several songs given over to atonal soundscapes. Few other artists could so effectively express experimental ambition on such a grand scale.  Read More →

LELAND SUNDRIES The Apothecary EP lelandsundries.com Nick Loss-Eaton, also known as Leland Sundries, is a public-relations professional by trade but a musician at heart. On this sepia-toned EP, he proves as adept at creating intriguing music of his own as he is at marketing the sounds of others.  Read More →

MIC HARRISON AND THE HIGH SCORE Great Commotion micharrison.com The vibrant fall foliage that adorns the cover of Great Commotion reflects the homespun attitude in the grooves. Although Harrison and company tone down their edgier inclinations on this sixth album, the band still sounds ruggedly assured, even when allowing opportunity for sentiment to shine through.  Read More →

NOVEMBER Sugar Free novembernow.com November is a darker month, when trees are stripped of their leaves and the populace braces for the onslaught of winter. Not surprisingly then, the band with that name boasts an ominous sound—a snarling, insistent jackhammering that suggests danger on the way. Some songs are sweeping in scope (“Follow Me,” “Imagination”), but others lumber along insistently (“Scars,” “Love the Lonely”) like Pearl... 

CASEY NEILL & THE NORWAY RATS Goodbye to the Rank and File caseyneill.org Casey Neill emerged from the Pacific Northwest, a populist folk rocker with a penchant for posturing and protest. Half a dozen albums on, Neill offers his most accomplished effort yet, one that combines his world-weary view with a dramatic delivery. The riveting “All Summer Glory,” the bittersweet ballad “Ouroboros” and the reflective “Radio Montana” are strikingly... 

RYAN MONTBLEAU BAND Heavy on the Vine ryanmontbleauband.com Credit Ryan Montbleau with the ability to sound folksy without being folk-y. His down-home shuffles belie an uptown sound, and given his casual vocals and the feast of fiddles that weave their way into the mix, Montbleau’s breezy presentation provides a jam-band feel without that genre’s tendency toward overindulgence. Take the low-key “Slippery Road,” a pleasing paean to procrastination,... 

CONNIE LIM The Hunted connielimmusic.com Connie Lim describes her music as “retrotronica,” a melding of old-school folk and modern techno. The 24-year-old Lim’s reverence for role models like Suzanne Vega, Feist and Natalie Merchant is made evident in her sophomore set through the purity of her vocals and her Anglophile inclinations. Likewise, several songs—“Sugar,” “Now” and “Morning”—evoke the pastoral imagery of quiet idyllic... 

THE PINX Southern Tracks myspace.com/thepinxatlanta Atlanta rock trio the Pinx come roaring out of the gate on this Molotov cocktail of an EP, bashing through these seven cuts as if their rock ’n’ roll lives were at stake. Classic-rock influences prevail, but there’s no dust on these guys—singer and guitarist Adam McIntyre, bass player Joseph T. Giddings and drummer Jim O’Kane play as if they’re opening for a double bill of the Who and... 

TREASA LEVASSEUR Low Fidelity treasalevasseur.com Plowing the fertile fields of blues, soul, jazz and cabaret, Canada’s Juno award-winning chanteuse Treasa Levasseur is an old soul recast as a contemporary crooner. Suggestive, seductive, soulful and scornful—depending on the song and circumstance—she sounds as timeless as the love-struck laments that soar throughout this set. With hints of Sade, Norah Jones, Laura Nyro and Bonnie Raitt, Levasseur’s... 

DAVID LANZ Liverpool: Re-imagining the Beatles davidlanz.com Any attempt to reinterpret the Beatles runs the risk of coming off as corny, cheesy or worse. So credit David Lanz for recasting these songs as stirring instrumentals that ring true to the originals while adding an original perspective to the mix. A skilled pianist and adept arranger, Lanz transforms “Things We Said Today,” “Yes It Is” and “Lovely Rita” into elegiac mini-suites... 

KRISTIAN HOFFMAN Fop kristianhoffman.com Veteran pop purist Kristian Hoffman has previously notched credits working with former Kinks kingpin Dave Davies and veteran producer Earle Mankey. On Fop, his fourth solo sojourn, he expands his ambitions by weaving together the strands of America’s popular music traditions. From the sounds of the roaring ’20s (“Imaginary Friend”) to ’70s-style power ballads (“Something New Is Born,” “Cassandra”)... 

GAELIC STORM Cabbage gaelicstorm.com Like fellow Irish expatriates Black 47, Santa Monica’s Gaelic Storm pays homage to the homeland and keeps the ties intact. Not surprisingly, then, fiddles, bagpipes, rock and reels make Cabbage a hearty stew. Comprised mostly of uptempo tunes, the album revives the celebratory style that got the Storm attention for its role as the resident dance band in the film Titanic. Gaelic Storm’s spirited approach informs... 

KEVIN CONNOLLY North/East kevinconnolly.com Over two decades and a catalog that includes nine independently released albums, Kevin Connolly has become one of New England’s most respected troubadours. However, unlike the usual wistful folkies who haunt the region’s clubs and coffeehouses, Connolly’s music can be tough and tenacious. Although its roots are in the singer-songwriter tradition, he’s never been reticent to inject elements of R&B,... 

MARSHALL CHAPMAN Big Lonesome tallgirl.com Marshall Chapman’s been mining a roots-oriented sound for nearly 35 years, first for major labels and subsequently under her own Tall Girl imprint. She’s also toured and recorded with Jimmy Buffett, releasing a live album as the maiden offering on Buffett’s Margaritaville label. Her ongoing association with Buffett bandmate Tim Krekel informs Big Lonesome, an album that highlights her usual mix of feisty... 

DWIGHT TWILLEY Green Blimp dwighttwilley.com There’s no shortage of individuals who would take credit for jumpstarting the power-pop movement way back when, but none of them stake as convincing a claim as Dwight Twilley. His 1975 Top 20 hit “I’m on Fire” helped lay the groundwork for the entire retro rock regimen, and by the time he returned to the charts with 1984’s “Girls,” his argument had been made. Sadly, Twilley’s accomplishments... 

VARIOUS ARTISTS Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 [Rhino] DVD REVIEW Rock ’n’ roll as a genre couldn’t exist without the electric guitar. That means Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, put on by the guitar legend tri-annually since 2004, is in essence a celebration of rock ’n’ roll’s very raison d’être. For each event Clapton handpicks a lineup of axe slingers that embraces a broad range of styles and generations, from his... 

JOHN LENNON Gimme Some Truth [Capitol] BOX SET REVIEW “Look at me,” sang John Lennon in 1970, with the Beatles’ bitter breakup just behind him and an uncertain new decade ahead. “What am I supposed to be?” Every great songwriter asks that question in one way or another, but few do so with the ruthless honesty with which Lennon pursued it through a solo career rich with contradictory impulses, wild course corrections and—of course—an... 

HILARY WILLIAMS WITH M.B. ROBERTS Sign of Life: A Story of Family, Tragedy, Music and Healing [Da Capo Press] BOOK REVIEW “Pain is a sign of life.” Those words from her doctor, which first seemed cruel, came to be a mantra for singer-songwriter Hilary Williams after a March 2006 car accident nearly killed her and left her unable to walk for several years. Pain is a part of Williams’ family legacy, as Hilary notes in this evocative memoir. Her... 

TRACE ADKINS Cowboy’s Back in Town [Show Dog/Universal] Trace Adkins’ new album begins with a punchline about the wah-wah guitar lines that once dominated porn soundtracks (“Brown Chicken Brown Cow”) and ends with a hillbilly brawl (“Whoop a Man’s Ass”). In between, the rest of this underwhelming set might make you forget the fact that Adkins, with his profound baritone, is one of modern country music’s most powerful voices. When... 

KATIE MELUA The House [Dramatico] Katie Melua has become a U.K. sensation, but stateside success has escaped her grasp so far. Her latest disc might just gain her the foothold she’s been seeking. Produced by techno-pop wizard William Orbit, The House boasts a Dido-flavored feel perfectly suited to Melua’s chanteuse-y approach. “I’d Love to Kill You,” the opening track, sets the tone, as Melua’s old-school pop voice is framed in a lovely... 

DAVID GRAY Foundling [Downtown] Following the breakup of his longtime backing band, David Gray pursued a new direction on 2009’s Draw the Line. Foundling is a spinoff from those earlier sessions, which found him shuffling off with a small group of essential players and doing solitary takes on songs originally intended for a larger ensemble. Not that this material is stripped down entirely; while selections like “Forgetting,” “The Old Chair”... 

SUPERCHUNK Majesty Shredding [Merge Records] Superchunk doesn’t aspire to be Merge Records’ most innovative or best-selling act. Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance—founders of both Superchunk and Merge—leave that to the Arcade Fire, whose Suburbs album recently became the venerable North Carolina indie imprint’s first-ever chart-topper. The decidedly less ambitious Majesty Shredding, Superchunk’s first full-length in nine years, is a gift... 

PETE YORN Pete Yorn [Vagrant] Pete Yorn’s latest proves that off-the-cuff projects can yield superb results. Recorded in just five days with former Pixies leader Frank Black producing, the disc strips Yorn’s songwriting, singing and guitar gifts to their essence. The opener, “Precious Stone,” sets the tone. Framed by fuzzed-up guitars and a molten bridge, Yorn sounds scruffy and vulnerable on this country-tinged pop rocker. “Velcro Shoes”... 

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE Harlem River Blues [Bloodshot] As evidenced by what is certainly his best album to date, Justin Townes Earle has put the brakes on his attitude and opted for a more traditional stance. Unabashedly emotional, these retro-minded songs could sub for old-school standards, each drawing on archetypal Americana styles ranging from bluegrass and classic country to blues, folk and gospel. They’re etched with bold strokes, mining a sound... 

MATT AND KIM Sidewalks [Fader] There’s a “grab the world by the tail” message tucked into the third full-length effort from the Brooklyn duo Matt and Kim. Singer Matt Johnson is so busy painting the town that he claims not to have time to stop and photograph any of it. But that fearless adventurousness isn’t transferred to the sound of the new songs. Other than the startlingly bare “Northeast,” this is nearly the same keyboard-driven,... 

EVEREST On Approach [Vapor/WBR] From the opening snare drum slam of “Let Go,” this second album by L.A.’s Everest finds ensemble playing and melodic hooks taking precedence over flashy soloing. That’s not to say this is merely living-room rock—with its propulsive backbeat and cascading guitars, “Let Go” sounds like a stadium anthem in waiting. Ditto for the hard-rock gestures of “I’ve Had This Feeling Before” and the lush closer,... 

CHARLES LLOYD QUARTET Mirror [ECM] Rabo de Nube, Charles Lloyd’s previous release with pianist Jason Moran, double-bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland, was so well received—awards galore, rave reviews—that it’s not surprising to find the same lineup returning for an encore. Mirror is more subdued than its predecessor—nearly all of the tracks are ballads, and while the musicianship is of course exemplary, it’s a relatively tamer... 

DIPLOMATS OF SOLID SOUND What Goes Around Comes Around [Pravda] Iowa City’s Diplomats of Solid Sound have been plying their trade for more than a decade now, so they’ve been at it since the early days of the soul revival that currently is fully dialed up. The band’s first three records were purely instrumental; they expanded their membership and their scope in 2008 with the addition of a trio of vocalists dubbed “the Diplomettes.” Two of... 

OLD 97’S The Grand Theatre Volume One [New West] While earlier albums found them etching their own variation on the roots-rock template, The Grand Theatre Volume One suggests the Old 97’s have again chosen to pursue a more rambunctious direction. The three songs that open the album—“The Grand Theatre,” “Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)” and “The Magician”—constitute a rowdy triple threat that soars on rapid-fire refrains... 

SYD BARRETT An Introduction to Syd Barrett [Capitol] The driving force behind just three full-length albums—Pink Floyd’s 1967 masterpiece The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and the 1970 solo albums The Madcap Laughs and Barrett—the late Syd Barrett nonetheless had a profound impact on rock. This 18-song collection, culled from the above albums and fleshed out with three essential singles, shows why Barrett remains such a revered cult figure. “Arnold... 

CORIN TUCKER BAND 1000 Years [Kill Rock Stars] The solo debut from Sleater-Kinney founding member Corin Tucker may not be instantly comparable to the aggressive work of her famous riot-grrl band, but it doesn’t qualify as a startling departure either. Despite being short on screams and relatively eclectic in its choice of instruments, 1000 Years channels the do-it-yourself spirit of punk rock during every second of its running time. Alongside the... 

THE CONCRETES WYWH [Friendly Fire] The Concretes used to be a band Camera Obscura fans could listen to when they tired of Scottish indie-pop and wanted to sample the Swedish equivalent. But that was before singer Victoria Bergsman went solo, leaving drummer Lisa Milberg to make that long walk from behind the kit to center stage. The new lineup makes its American debut with WYWH—a collection billed as their disco departure, although it turns out... 

LORETTA LYNN AND FRIENDS Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn [Columbia Nashville] This all-star salute commemorates the 50th anniversary of Loretta Lynn’s debut single, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl,” along with the 30th anniversary of her biopic Coal Miner’s Daughter. Top female country singers—Carrie Underwood, Gretchen Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, Faith Hill—offer up their heartfelt and mostly faithful covers of Lynn classics alongside... 

BRYAN FERRY Olympia [Astralwerks] The guest list for Bryan Ferry’s first batch of (mostly) original material in eight years is star-studded to the point of practically begging for attention. There’s Chic’s Nile Rodgers, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood—and those are just the guitarists. But if you don’t have the liner notes handy, the sidemen won’t matter, and your mind will stay focused on a single thought:... 

NORAH JONES …Featuring [Blue Note/EMI] For an artist with such a distinctive style of her own, Norah Jones is quite an adaptable character. …Featuring collects 18 tracks she has recorded with other artists over the last nine years, and her roster of musical partners has been remarkably diverse. Here we find Jones teaming with acts ranging from Foo Fighters and Willie Nelson to Outkast and Herbie Hancock, and sounding perfectly at home alongside... 

NEIL DIAMOND Dreams [Columbia] Neil Diamond has made a remarkable resurgence as a songwriter during the past decade, but this album of covers finds him paying tribute to material that helped shape that songwriting brilliance in the first place. Diamond instills these classic tunes from the ’60s and ’70s with an after-hours ambiance that spotlights their melodic strength and lyrical power. High points include an Americana-tinged take on the Beatles’... 

TAYLOR SWIFT Speak Now [Big Machine] “There is nothing I do better than revenge,” warns Taylor Swift on Speak Now, in one of many observations that demonstrate she’s still fond of wielding her smartly crafted pop-country songs as weapons against those who have wronged her. But her third and darkest album yet scales up the drama, her oversize emotions matched by full-bodied arrangements. During her teen years Swift took aim at classmates who... 

LENI STERN Sa Belle Belle Ba lenistern.com Virtuoso guitarist Leni Stern continues to explore her fascination with the rich culture of the African continent, deftly blending vibrant rhythms, communal chants and exotic instrumentation with Western styles like jazz, funk and R&B.  Read More →

ROB MORSBERGER The Chronicle of a Literal Man robmorsberger.com On first encounter Rob Morsberger sounds like a Dylan wannabe, but the sharp air of defiance in the title track quickly upends preconceived notions. Morsberger’s literate songs are etched with irony (“Old Jolly Farm”), nostalgia (“Nebraska in Winter”) and recrimination (“Like Eating a Stone,” “Independent Movie”).  Read More →

THE GREEN PAJAMAS The Red, Red Rose thegreenpajamas.com Hot on the heels of the recent reissue of their psychedelic classic Book of Hours, this new EP by Seattle’s Green Pajamas suggests they haven’t abandoned the MO they established nearly 25 years ago.  Read More →

JOHN DOKES With The GEORGE GEE SWING ORCHESTRA John Dokes Sings, George Gee Swings georgegee.com Newcomer Dokes’ smooth tenor combined with the big band sound of veteran Gee’s swinging orchestra brings to mind the classic collaboration between Joe Williams and Count Basie. The musicians create a rollicking set, their infectious exuberance easily bridging the generational divide.  Read More →

ANDREW COLE Why We Wonder andrewcolemusic.com Canadian Andrew Cole arrives fully formed, armed with instantly engaging songs, sumptuous arrangements and an emotional investment in his material. Finding common ground between Paul McCartney and David Gray, Cole scores a mesmerizing debut graced by a voice that effortlessly soars, and sentiments that are always fully felt.  Read More →

WRECKLESS ERIC & AMY RIGBY Two-Way Family Favourites wrecklesseric.com amyrigby.com They always seemed an unlikely musical couple, but for their second album together, Cockney pop punk Wreckless Eric and the unassuming Amy Rigby show their common roots through a heady cache of rock standards. Appropriating the formula mined by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs for their Under the Covers collaborations, Eric and Amy apply a twelve-string sheen,... 

JANINE WILSON Wakin’ Up janinewilsonband.com With her third album, Janine Wilson presents a study in contradictions. Her first set of original material finds her savvy but sensitive, questioning the motives of wandering lovers and her own ability to find a willing mate. Wilson’s never weepy; her ability to transform anguish and uncertainty into a sultry, assertive attitude rescues her from the trap of self-pity. The arrangements are forceful and...