GARY HUSBAND Dirty & Beautiful Volume 1 garyhusband.com Drummer and keyboardist Gary Husband’s résumé is peppered with albums by famous musicians, Jeff Beck, Jack Bruce, Robin Trower and John McLaughlin among them. Several notables contribute here—McLaughlin, Trower, Steve Hackett and Allan Holdsworth included—but Dirty & Beautiful isn’t a mere exercise in superstar indulgence. Rather, it’s a showcase for Husband’s talents as... 

JEFF FINLIN The Tao of Motor Oil jefffinlin.com Singer and songwriter Jeff Finlin’s latest offering is a study in tone and temperament, ranging from the sobering pronouncements of “Barefoot in the Snow,” “Hands Off the Wheel” and “La Luna” to the steadfastly determined “East by West” and “Stones Must Roll.” The Tao of Motor Oil (a title Finlin said refers to his hope for a smoothly running life) maintains an unwavering resolve... 

STACIE COLLINS Sometimes Ya Gotta… staciecollins.com Stacie Collins represents a refreshing break from the shy, retiring types that seem to dominate Austin and Nashville these days. Opening track “Hey Mister” emphasizes that point by tossing out the typecasting so prevalent in commercial country music these days. “Hey mister, listen to the radio playin’/Another shooting star/But they ain’t got a damn thing to say.” Collins isn’t so... 

ERIC BRACE & PETER COOPER Master Sessions redbeetrecords.com Inspired by a shared admiration for a pair of iconic instrumentalists—Dobro legend Mike Auldridge and pedal steel master Lloyd Green—Peter Cooper and Last Train Home’s Eric Brace opted to celebrate their legacies by actually enlisting these veteran virtuosos themselves. With additional support from Nashville’s finest session players, the performances are flawless—and the material... 

BLEU Four bleutopia.com Bleu—also known as singer, songwriter and instrumentalist William James McAuley III—boasts a power-pop sound that embraces rousing anthems, outsized arrangements and the kind of insistent singalongs that might give the E Street Band a run for their money. After taking honors in Boston’s annual Battle of the Bands competition, McAuley joined L.E.O., a group that shared members with Chicago, Hanson and Jellyfish while... 

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... 

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... 

STAN RIDGWAY Neon Mirage stanridgway.com Over 33 years, first with Wall of Voodoo and subsequently through a solo career full of darkly cinematic musings, retro jazz affectations and creepy film scores, Stan Ridgway hasn’t exactly made accessibility his raison d’être. But Neon Mirage is his most revealing effort yet, one that bares his torn psyche following the deaths of his father, his uncle and musical colleague Amy Farris. “Big Green Tree,”... 

RAIN PERRY Internal Combustion rainperry.com Rain Perry is sassy and sensual on Internal Combustion, offering no qualms about exploring her sexuality in song. On opening track “The Compartmentalized Thing,” she touts the fact that she knows what she wants and isn’t shy about demanding it. “Keanuville” and “Next Best Thing” find her idolizing members of the opposite sex, and her take on the bedroom anthem to beat them all, Marvin Gaye’s... 

AJ JANSEN Bars, Scars and Old Guitars ajjansenmusic.com New England singer and songwriter AJ Jansen is in full strut on Bars, Scars and Old Guitars, a punchy EP that further refines the contemporary country sound she explored on her previous two albums. The sweetly vulnerable ballad “I’ll Let You” and pensive slow-burner “All Over This Town” are appealing in their own terms, but the comparably raucous remaining four songs set the overall... 

FRED EAGLESMITH Cha Cha Cha fredeaglesmith.com As the title implies, Cha Cha Cha recreates vintage sounds like classic gospel and retro rock ’n’ roll. Eaglesmith usually plays the irrepressible troubadour, but here his wry observations and critical commentary are tempered by the album’s romantic allure. Throughout these 10 tracks, Eaglesmith segues smoothly from the gypsy sway of “Careless” and the bottleneck shuffle of “Car” to the... 

THE DIRTY GUV’NAHS Youth Is in our Blood thedirtyguvnahs.com Youth may be in their blood, but tradition guides their instincts. With this sophomore disc, the Knoxville, Tenn. sextet channels respected forebears like the Allman Brothers, Doobie Brothers and the Black Crowes. The Guv’nahs reflect other influences along the way—specifically, the Stones’ strut and swagger on “It’s Dangerous” and John Mellencamp on “New Salvation.” The... 

AMY CORREIA You Go Your Way amycorreia.com Three albums on, Amy Correia continues to expand her palette, expressing herself through songs that cover a wide musical terrain, both stylistically and geographically. With Correia’s sturdy vocals at the fore, the arrangements range from laidback to brassy to string-laden serenades. The vocal performances on the fan-financed You Go Your Way conjure up comparisons to Bonnie Raitt (on “You Go Your Way”)... 

CARRY ME OHIO Oak and Iron Bound carrymeohio.com Colorado singer, guitarist, songwriter and onetime solo act Evan Pugh formed Carry Me Ohio in 2009 to play his songs in a full-band context, but the emphasis on Oak and Iron Bound remains on songcraft rather than showy musical fireworks. That said, this is a real band—guitarist David Goodheim’s licks pointedly punctuate Pugh’s vocals, bass player Jeff Miller’s low-end contributions are melodic... 

THE CHAPIN SISTERS Two thechapinsisters.com The aptly titled Two is a solid sequel to the Chapin Sisters’ critically hailed 2008 debut, Lake Bottom LP. With Jessica Craven on hiatus and focusing on her family, siblings Abigail and Lily Chapin take up the slack, their delicate, shimmering harmonies effectively filling the newfound space in the sound. The daughters of veteran singer and songwriter Tom Chapin (and the nieces of his late brother Harry),... 

ANDREW ANDERSON As Long as This Thing’s Flyin’ andrewandersonmusic.com The initial outing by Idaho-to-Austin transplant Andrew Anderson combines a sense of austerity with a hard-bitten, road-weary resolve. He and colleagues Luke Meade and Jeremy Harris rummage through a veritable acoustic instrumental arsenal on As Long as This Thing’s Flyin’, providing their ramshackle narratives with a distinctive back-porch flavor. Anderson wails defiance... 

LUKE DOUCET AND THE WHITE FALCON Steel City Trawler lukedoucet.com With a burgeoning reputation in his native Canada as both an incisive songwriter and a riveting guitar slinger, Luke Doucet now makes a determined effort to balance both aspects of his talent. Steel City Trawler is as gritty as its title implies, its pure, unapologetic rock ’n’ roll referencing the Stones, the Faces and even the Who in all their frayed and tattered glory. An amped-up... 

KURTH & TAYLOR TV made them famous, but real life separated them—until now Wally Kurth and Christian Taylor are the first to acknowledge that the decision to reunite their band, Kurth & Taylor, was spurred by a touch of midlife crisis. The group formed in 1992 and was known best for its performances on the ABC soap opera General Hospital, on which Kurth was a cast member. But the two found themselves settling in different areas (Kurth in... 

PERLA BATALLA A cross-cultural journey from her parents’ record store to the world stage Singer, songwriter and indie label owner (not to mention wife and mother) Perla Batalla has pursued her passion for music for the better part of the past 25 years. She’s made her mark in the realms of Latin and world music, played some of the most prestigious venues and attracted a global following that transcends musical boundaries. Born in Los Angeles... 

SHELBY LYNNE “Hell, no” to record labels, hello to independence Shelby Lynne doesn’t mince words when discussing the showdown that ensued when she presented her new album, Tears, Lies, and Alibis, to her record company—only to see it rejected. “When Lost Highway said they didn’t want the record, I said, ‘That’s fine, I’ll just do my own thing. I’m tired of this shit,’” she says. Twenty-four hours later, once and for all fed... 

Sonia & Disappear Fear A vision of equality and peace fuels a restless musical spirit Sonia Rutstein has never had trouble adapting to her surroundings. She leads the band disappear fear, and also records solo as simply SONiA. She’s gone from operating as a DIY artist to a successful stint with Rounder Records,  then back to managing her own independent record label. And even as she has advocated feminism, gay activism and other expressions... 

STONE RIVER BOYS Love on the Dial stoneriverboys.com QUICK TAKE + While they come across as a down-home country combo, replete with smooth harmonies and steel guitars, Stone River Boys are remarkably versatile—as evidenced by a heartfelt take on the R&B standard “Can I Change My Mind.” But even their soulful, deep-throated originals sound like instant classics.  Read More →

DAN NAVARRO WITH STONEHONEY Live at McCabe’s dannavarro.com QUICK TAKE + The pairing of Dan Navarro with rookie country-rock combo Stonehoney reaps dividends for both parties. Navarro’s breezy style adds a distinctive lead voice that supports Stonehoney’s early-’70s sensibilities, while the group muscles up Navarro’s more easygoing inclinations.  Read More →

MARK EVANS Rain on the Roses markevansmusic.com QUICK TAKE + New York City-based Mark Evans has composed for film, radio and television. His musical skill, as well as his obvious affinity for catchy country, are just as evident here. Given its instantly appealing melodies, this impressive debut should help him find his own place in the spotlight.  Read More →

ELLERY This Isn’t Over Yet ellerymusic.com QUICK TAKE + The sophomore effort by husband-and-wife duo Tasha and Justin Golden ups the ante over their highly praised debut. Enlisting the services of famed producer Malcolm Burn, Ellery further affirms its penchant for shimmering melodies, rich textures and emotional clarity.  Read More →

GEOFFREY GURRUMUL YUNUPINGU Gurrumul www.gurrumul.com QUICK TAKE + A native of the northern territories of Australia and blind since birth, singer and guitarist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu creates a soothing, hypnotic sound from little more than acoustic guitar and lush harmonies. Singing in the native tongue of the indigenous people, he creates lullabies that transcend language or locale.  Read More →

KEVIN WELCH A Patch of Blue Sky kevinwelch.com Ending an eight-year absence, Kevin Welch’s new album shows us all over again why he’s regarded as an Americana icon. Accompanied by an ace band that includes son Dustin on banjo and guitar, and frequent collaborator and fellow Dead Reckoner Fats Kaplin on pedal steel, he delivers touching songs of remorse and redemption with stoic conviction and indomitable resolve. “The Great Emancipation,”... 

SAHARA SMITH Myth of the Heart myspace.com/saharasmithmusic All of 21, Sahara Smith soars with the conviction and authority of someone several times her age. The Austin resident garnered honors at a songwriting contest sponsored by A Prairie Home Companion and eventually gained the attention of impresario T Bone Burnett. He oversaw the recording of this debut album, although Emile Kelman handled the production duties. Smith’s vocals soar to her...