JIM BIANCO Loudmouth jimbianco.com Even in a bad economy, people are willing to pay extra for products of rare character and quality. Case in point: Jim Bianco’s third album, a fan-funded collection that combines the populist soul-pop of Huey Lewis’ greatest hits with the gruff vocals and skewed humor of early Tom Waits records. Bianco is more Lewis than Waits—he never sounds like a wizened, whiskey-soaked lounge lizard—but he can turn a phrase... 

BAMBI KINO Bambi Kino bambi-kino.com Before they were proven songwriters, the Beatles were the hardest-working cover band on the Reeperbahn, the main drag in Hamburg’s red-light district. Fascinated by this period, Bambi Kino—members of Nada Surf and Guided by Voices, among others—recorded this album at the Indra Club, scene of the not-yet-Fab Four’s first German gig. The disc features tunes the lads would have played in 1960—everything... 

AURICAL Something to Say auricalmusic.com Rachel Rossos and Michael Gallant are classically trained musician-composers with incredibly diverse résumés. She’s written orchestral works and performed at Lincoln Center, while he’s scored plays and jammed with Phish’s Page McConnell and Herbie Hancock (full disclosure: Gallant is a contributor to M Music and Musicians). Aurical finds the duo in pop-rock mode, and their cleverness comes through... 

SHANNON AND THE CLAMS Sleep Talk shannonandtheclams.com Large and in charge, singer and bassist Shannon Shaw presides over her Clams like a misfit Marvellete or punk-rock version of a John Waters film character. She lives for the teen melodrama of doo-wop and early-’60s girl-group pop, and on this Oakland trio’s sophomore album, she pouts and growls but never plays the pushover. Shaw sounds genuinely heartbroken on ballads like “Tired of Being... 

COLD BLUE REBELS Blood, Guts N’ Rock & Roll myspace.com/coldbluerebels Cold Blue Rebels could easily be knocking out Stray Cats covers or ’50s standards, but these L.A. punkabillies would rather slather on the corpse paint and sing about dating dead chicks. It’s tasteless, juvenile stuff, but that’s the point. If “Zombie Love” doesn’t make you chuckle, you might be among the walking dead yourself.  Read More →

WOLFRAM Wolfram diskokaine.com Trinidadian singer Haddaway scored a crossover techno hit with 1993’s “What Is Love?” Austrian producer Wolfram devotes his debut to revisiting that question in sound and sentiment, reviving the disco beats and minor-key electronics of early-’90s Eurodance. Haddaway himself guests on “Thing Called Love,” still searching, still grooving.  Read More →

IAN AXEL This Is the New Year myspace.com/ianaxel Like Owl City without the synths or Vanessa Carlton with a Y chromosome, Ian Axel churns out smart, catchy songs about the pains of being a pure-hearted 20-something. The best of this bunch is the title cut—a piano-pop pep talk that even cynics might get behind.  Read More →

DIRTY BEACHES Badlands dirtybeaches.blogspot.com Taiwanese-born one-man-band Alex Zhang Hungtai explores the seedy side of ’50s culture, demonstrating the influence of filmmaker David Lynch as much as Elvis Presley. He creates lo-fi, laptop-made minimalist rockabilly soundtracks for your darkest, most twisted nightmares.  Read More →

ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS Into Bass and Time myspace.com/ancientastronautsswitch Proof that hip-hop can come from anywhere and sound like anything, the sophomore effort by these German producers features funk-soul brass, turntable scratches and Far Eastern strings, among other sounds. The constants: thumping bass and drums, the cement and water in a foundation thick enough to support it all.  Read More →

TAHITI 80 The Past, the Present & the Possible tahiti80.com The sixth Tahiti 80 album arrives via the band’s own Human Sounds imprint, cheekily named for the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. The French sextet is clearly acquainted with that touchstone of classic pop, but Brian Wilson’s masterwork isn’t the only influence on this music. Most of the tracks here combine ’80s synth-pop with modern R&B, satisfying both the “past” and “present”... 

FIVE O’CLOCK HEROES Different Times myspace.com/fiveoclockheroes It’s no wonder these New Yorkers hit first in England and are just now, three albums into their career, making their stateside debut. The Brits surely hear in the Heroes echoes of late-’70s U.K. greats Graham Parker, Joe Jackson and XTC, if not latter-day equivalents like the Fratellis and Kaiser Chiefs. Most of these songs find singer Anthony Ellis doing his best Andy Partridge... 

TURISAS Stand Up and Fight turisas.com Listening to the third album from Finnish symphonic-metal crew Turisas, the foremost question becomes what to do with one’s hands. Throwing the classic devil-horns gesture seems fitting—but only when the guitars are chugging, the double bass drums are charging like a Clydesdale, and singer Mathias “Warlord” Nygård is affecting a demonic growl. When the horns and strings swoop in, setting the stage for... 

YOUNG PRISMS Friends for Now myspace.com/youngprisms On its own, each element that makes up Young Prisms’ debut would sound monotonous, abrasive or both. The bass and drums throb pleasantly enough, ramping up old-school girl-group rhythms, but the guitars drone like amplified vacuum cleaners and the two singers do little more than howl into the sonic tornado. But when these wily San Franciscans put all these elements together they get songs like... 

WHITE MYSTERY Blood & Venom whitemysteryband.com Boy-girl duo, fat garage riffs, surname White: It’s a familiar premise, but White Mystery is no White Stripes rip-off. In this Chicago band the girl is up front, and Alex White has a personality as big and mean as her growly guitar tone. She also sings like a feral Ronette—or maybe a young Grace Slick minus the artsy pretension. Alex’s brother, Francis (yes, her actual sibling, contrasting... 

THE PAPERHEAD The Paperhead myspace.com/lookingglasssound When Ryan Jennings, one of three Nashville teens behind the Paperhead, sings “Back to Those Days,” it’s obvious just which days he’s talking about. The trio’s debut flashes unabashedly back to 1968, its swimmy, fuzzy guitars and amorphous song structures evoking such psych-rock classics as the Third Bardo’s “I’m Five Years Ahead of My Time.” Because Jennings and his cohorts... 

GLEASONS DRIFT Blythe Township Mellencamp gleasonsdrift.com Power-pop isn’t solely the purview of city slickers in skinny ties. The members of Gleasons Drift are more beard-and-flannel types, so it’s fitting that on their third album they deliver big riffs and bigger melodies with a backwoods twang befitting their native Pottsville, Pa. At their catchiest the songs recall ’70s-era NRBQ. When frontman Bill Whalen really gets going, singing about... 

SIMS Bad Time Zoo myspace.com/sims On his sophomore album, Minneapolis hip-hopper Sims celebrates successes personal (“LMG”) and professional (“Good Times”), while still finding plenty to get riled up about. Taking full advantage of producer Lazerbeak’s plethora of sounds—horn samples, reggae riddims and even noodling electric guitar—the MC born Andrew Sims blasts materialistic mainstream rappers and modern consumer culture. He’s a... 

SHANNON MCNALLY Western Ballad shannonmcnally.com On “High,” the second song on her 11th album, Shannon McNally recalls watching a red prairie sunrise. Amid shimmering, ghostly guitars, she admits, “I was just a little bit high.” That confession could account for about half of Western Ballad, which finds her and collaborator Mark Bingham cranking up the reverb and creating a cool, spooky sound they call “psychedelic Americana.” “Toast,”... 

GREG TROOPER Upside-Down Town gregtrooper.com Singer and songwriter Greg Trooper goes slumming on the Upside-Down Town track “They Call Me Hank,” sung from the perspective of a luckless wino—but for much of his 10th album, he’s king of the barroom, the leader of the band. Backed by guitar, electric piano and a warmly whirring organ, Trooper makes sweet Saturday-night music: country, rock, soul and blues, all doled out in equal measure. Trooper... 

LIFEGUARDS Waving at the Astronauts robertpollard.net Ohio-born Robert Pollard has released music under various pseudonyms during his long and storied career. But regardless of what it says on the album cover, the music within tends to sound a lot like Guided by Voices, the indie-rock institution he founded in the early ’80s and masterminded for more than two decades. Lifeguards is a collaboration with onetime GBV guitarist Doug Gillard, who wrote... 

RICHARD X. HEYMAN Tiers/And Other Stories richardxheyman.com Whether it was intended as such or not, Tiers/And Other Stories stands as the ultimate test of Richard X. Heyman’s songwriting prowess. As the forward slash in the title suggests, this is two albums in one—and all told, an ambitious 31-track concept piece chronicling Heyman’s life since meeting Nancy Leigh, the woman who would become not just his wife but bass player and engineer. Best... 

ADAM SULLIVAN The Room Is Spinning Faster adamsullivan.com Once the initial eagerness of piano pop wunderkind Adam Sullivan’s “Nothing Like Being Alone” is overtaken by the thoughtful musings of softer songs like “Please Don’t Fall in Love With Me,” the influence of Elton John gives way to that of Nick Drake. Suitably then, Room is a haunting collection.  Read More →

TOM PRINCIPATO A Part of Me tomprincipato.com Aided by all-star sidemen like Chuck Leavell, Brian Auger, Willie Weeks and Sonny Landreth, guitarist Tom Principato offers wailing blues, gritty funk and swampy Southern rock in an incendiary brew. Principato’s gruff vocals have presence, but it’s instrumentals like “Back Again & Gone” and “Down the Road” that downright dazzle.  Read More →

NEW MYSTERY GIRL Twist City myspace.com/newmysterygirl Chrissy Flatt, a.k.a. New Mystery Girl, is a feisty chanteuse who brings a saucy attitude and a sassy spin to her music. Flatt’s assertive presence places her at the head of the roots-rock pack with a striking set of country crooners and rockabilly-tinged uptempo numbers.  Read More →

LORENZA PONCE Soul Shifter lorenzaponce.com Lorenza Ponce combines breezy melodies with a bluesy hue and enough rock and roots influences to moot any attempt at typecasting. Possessing a sultry, hypnotic voice—and impressive instrumental prowess extending to violin, viola and mandolin—Ponce ensures that Shifter is her most soulful effort yet.  Read More →

GURF MORLIX Blaze Foley’s 113th Wet Dream gurfmorlix.com Known for his guitar work behind acts like Lucinda Williams and Mary Gauthier, Gurf Morlix turns in a passionate tribute to an earlier employer, the late country singer and songwriter Blaze Foley. Judging from these heartfelt covers, Foley’s legacy is in good hands.  Read More →

SUSAN WERNER Kicking the Beehive susanwerner.com Inspired by her pilgrimage down the Mississippi River, Kicking the Beehive captures Werner’s desire to retrace her roots. Infused with R&B, Americana and sultry torch songs, these tracks exude the handworn feel of heartland hymns. Werner’s no stranger to this area, as three previous albums—Classics, The Gospel Truth and I Can’t Be New— found her channeling vintage styles through her own... 

SQUINT Goodnight, Bad Intentions squint.com A feisty, hard-rocking outfit that defies expectations for a band from southern Texas, Squint veers closer to Rush than rockabilly. “I’m looking for a new frustration,” they assert on opening track “We All Break the Same.” Later when they wail, “I’m really looking forward to depression” (on “Elisabeth”), it becomes increasingly evident that this is indeed a band that makes the most of... 

SICK OF SARAH 2205 sickofsarah.com Given that its branding and brooding attitude—as captured on the cover—create a punk-rock first impression, Sick of Sarah is something of a surprise. The music is brash and edgy but their delivery is measured—and despite the attitude, it’s a carefully constructed sound that doesn’t stint on hooks, melody and relentless refrains. Like obvious influence Joan Jett, these five young ladies make a statement... 

CHAS SANDFORD Wag More Bark Less chassandford.com With a lengthy production and songwriting career spent mostly in the shadows, Chas Sandford has rarely afforded himself the opportunity for his own voice to be heard. With Wag More Bark Less, he sounds as if he’s been ready for this moment for some time. Specializing in smooth but seductive midtempo melodies with radio-ready appeal, Sandford complements his guitar finesse with husky yet engaging... 

THE MOONDOGGIES Tidelands moondoggiesmusic.com The sophomore effort by Seattle’s Moondoggies marks a noticeable shift from their debut, 2008’s Don’t Be a Stranger, taking their freewheeling delivery into more atmospheric realms. Nevertheless, the group maintains their breezy, accessible sound on songs like “What Took So Long” and “Uncertain” by balancing eerier moments with a strong, solid undertow. They frequently drift to opposing... 

JOEY PERO Resonance joeypero.com It’s one thing to be an acclaimed jazz virtuoso, a graduate of Julliard and a trumpeter able to wail repeated 16th-notes with dazzling speed and proficiency. It’s another to transcend stylistic boundaries and operate effectively in the classical world. So credit Joey Pero for overachieving his first time out, courtesy of a 12-song set that ranks as a most impressive instrumental debut. Pero enlists a number of... 

LORI MCKENNA Lorraine lorimckenna.com A product of New England’s fertile folk scene, Lori McKenna offers intimate glances at ordinary individuals navigating the complexities of everyday existence. McKenna’s austere observations and atmospheric arrangements show clarity and conviction. Lorraine, her first independent effort following a flirtation with Warner Bros., finds her exploring a sound that’s both plaintive and personal. “You Get a Love... 

TIM MAHONEY Live From the Sky timmahoney.com Tim Mahoney is a tireless journeyman troubadour, the kind you’d be pleased to find dropping in at your local neighborhood bar. For the past 20 years or so he’s maintained a solid output with an unpretentious everyman attitude. Live From the Sky sums up his progress so far, a double disc of unplugged performances shared with eager audiences. While emphasizing his fan-favorite standards, including the... 

SUSAN JAMES Highways, Ghosts, Hearts & Home susanjamesmusic.com On three previous albums, Susan James filtered her Southern California sound through a prism of vague psychedelia. That was especially evident on her critically acclaimed double disc Fantastic Voyage, which found her wide-eyed narratives accompanying a set of adventurous instrumentals. James’ latest offers her an opportunity to further test the standard singer-songwriter template... 

DEEP RIVER Ten Mornings deeprivermusic.com As a member of the Brindley Brothers and as a solo artist, Luke Brindley has built a respectable reputation as a singer and songwriter with an intuitive pop know-how and a keen melodic sensibility. Here he reinvents himself by opting to play a supporting role in a trio more concerned with conjuring Jayhawks-esque folky pop. The songs are mostly of the singalong variety, with harmonies consistently in full... 

BROOKLYN RUNDFUNK ORKESTRATA The Hills Are Alive: Songs from Rogers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music brooklyn-ro.com The year is young, but Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata may have already clinched the prize for most creative concept of 2011. Initially the idea of fusing sounds minted in rock, jazz, R&B and hip-hop with a dozen of Rogers and Hammerstein’s classic Broadway compositions seems unwieldy. Purists will scoff—yet somehow it works,... 

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR Diamonds in the Dirt rufrecords.de Joanne Shaw Taylor has been hailed as one the best blues breakout artists of the last few years. The native Brit now residing in Detroit is a double threat on guitar and vocals, and her 2009 opus White Sugar netted a host of critical kudos. Her follow-up Diamonds in the Dirt builds on the momentum generated by its predecessor, presenting 10 scorching selections that find Taylor demonstrating her... 

BOB REA Ragged Choir bobreamusic.com Rea’s songs can come across ragged at times, but they’re also very easy to like. An old school raconteur with a stylistic similarity to the likes of Guy Clark, Waylon Jennings and Rodney Crowell, Rea demonstrates a surefooted take on the Everyman perspective.  Read More →

MICK RHODES ’Til I Am Dust myspace.com/mickrhodesmusic Mick Rhodes jumps genres like a kangaroo navigating the Outback, yet consistently cranks out great tunes. Whether it’s the pop spark of “Back to the 909,” the Americana revelry of “It’s Too Late” or the backwoods stomp of “Brown and Blue,” Rhodes rocks with conviction.  Read More →

KEVENS We Are One kevens.com Reggae has splintered into several subgenres over the years, but Kevens takes a traditional tack that would likely find Bob Marley nodding his approval. Opening track “HalleluJAH” echoes Marley’s spiritual side, while songs like “Open Your Eyes and “Breakdown the Walls” offer further affirmation. Kevens maintains a rock steady rhythm throughout.  Read More →

BIRDSONG AT MORNING Annals of My Glass House birdsongatmorning.com A lovely compendium combining Birdsong At Morning’s four EPs, Annals of My Glass House finds the chamber folk trio gently ruminating on matters of the heart. Nick Drake’s influence is obvious, but hushed covers of Blondie’s “Dreaming” and the Rolling Stones’ “Moonlight Mile” also prove revelatory.  Read More →

AUDITORIUM Be Brave auditoriummusic.com You’d expect a musician who brands himself Auditorium to go for theatrics, but the man behind this curtain, Spencer Berger, keeps the drama to a minimum. There’s delicacy in his deft approach, with his sweeping vocals and ornate acoustic settings rekindling memories of Mike Love and the Beach Boys.  Read More →

PATRICK WILLIAMS Aurora patrickwilliamsmusic.com While known mainly as a film and television composer, Grammy and Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Patrick Williams is also an accomplished jazz arranger whose work with Frank Sinatra, Tom Scott and clarinetist Eddie Daniels has earned him acclaim throughout his 50-year career. Aurora reunites Williams with Scott and Daniels and also includes other ace players like Hubert Laws, Arturo Sandoval, Chuck Findley... 

TIM LEE 3 Raucous Americanus timleethree.com After winning over rock fans in Let’s Active and the dubiously dubbed Windbreakers, Tim Lee has been soaking up the sounds of the South while touring what he and his wife, bass player Susan Bauer Lee, call the “pulled pork circuit.” The accurately titled, sprawling double disc Raucous Americanus emphasizes the gritty, no-nonsense MO that’s become the Tim Lee 3’s stock in trade. With drummer Matt... 

DARDEN SMITH Marathon dardensmith.com While Darden Smith’s Austin upbringing might lead some to tag him as just another Texas troubadour, his recent efforts have shown some distance from his homegrown roots. While he is known to dabble in pop, Marathon reflects a darker side to his musical persona, given a set of songs united by a sense of hushed introspection. The album maintains a consistent conceptual feel that connects the steadfast sway of... 

BRIAN RAY This Way Up brianray.com Although Brian Ray honed his chops backing Etta James, Smokey Robinson and French heartthrob Johnny Hallyday, since 2002 he has been perhaps best known as a member of Paul McCartney’s backing band. Not surprisingly, Ray’s second solo effort reflects a pop sensibility honed by experience and enhanced by long-term exposure to McCartney. Yet his fondness for big beats, vibrant hooks and catchy choruses doesn’t... 

MINI MANSIONS Mini Mansions minimansionsmusic.com Mini Mansions’ ambitious and complex sound draws equally from pop and prog-rock. Their appealing melodies aim for accessibility, and radiant textures and breezy harmonies make Mini Mansions feel spacious. At times the L.A.-based band’s members seem intent on proving their skill at shaping soundscapes, especially on songs like “Monk” and “The Room Outside.” That comes with the territory,... 

THE JIGSAW SEEN Bananas Foster thejigsawseen.com Given to elaborate arrangements that incorporate a staunchly retro feel, the Jigsaw Seen remains one of the more accomplished power-pop outfits to have emerged from L.A.’s 1980s paisley underground. Their music veers from exuberant and embracing to precious and precocious, giving songs like “David Hart’s Name of Song,” “Fruitbasket Upset” and “Melancholy Morning” a consistent sound that’s... 

KATE JACOBS Home Game katejacobsmusic.com Kate Jacobs’ sly, childlike vocals generally tread the divide between innocence and whimsy, but Home Game finds her cloaked in a blanket of domesticity. With two toddlers keeping her occupied, she sings of being drawn to the hearth although tempted by the tug of the road. The sentiments are simple, but Jacobs’ alluring delivery makes even the wistfully dreamy “Time for Bed” seem like a sumptuous delight....