ANNA WARONKER California Fade [Five Foot Two] Anna Waronker fronted alt-rock darlings That Dog during the ’90s, which scored hits like “Never Say Never” before breaking up in 1997. Her long-awaited second solo album shimmers like the sun setting on the Pacific, as she crafts a lush, introspective indie pop sound that often brings to mind Aimee Mann (as on the fragile, soul-searching “How Am I Doing?”). Waronker’s outlook, however, offers... 

THE DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS Go-Go Boots [ATO] Like Colonel Sanders’ chicken, Patterson Hood’s songwriting is a testament to the power of a good formula. The lead Trucker tends to write about doomed Southern schemers—victims of fate, folly or some combination of the two—and he introduces yet another cast of Dixie miscreants on the band’s ninth album. Most are dark, desperate characters; Hood devotes two whole songs—the title track and “The... 

CONCERT FOR GEORGE [Rhino] BLU-RAY The home video presentation of 2002’s all-star salute to the late George Harrison offers a case study in the difference between a great concert and a great concert movie. Both the original DVD release and this lovingly rendered new Blu-ray rendition include two discs: the first featuring the complete show presented in chronological order, and the second offering the film as it was seen in theaters. The concert... 

MIDDLE BROTHER Middle Brother [Partisan] Middle Brother’s eponymous debut affirms the fact that three voices, three acoustic guitars and a wealth of solid songwriting can prove just as mesmerizing as a high-gloss production, lavish pyrotechnics and all the stunts and special effects Lady Gaga has in her arsenal. Moonlighting from their day jobs, Middle Brother’s three prime movers—John McCauley of Deer Tick, Matt Vasquez of the Delta Spirit,... 

JOHNNY CASH Bootleg Vol. II: From Memphis to Hollywood [Columbia/Legacy] The deluge of Johnny Cash vault material (and endless repackagings) released since he ceased to walk the line on this earthly plane shows no sign of abating. The first set in this “bootleg” series, Personal File, only scratched the surface of the hundreds of demos, outtakes and home recordings accumulated by the man over his lifetime. From Memphis to Hollywood dips into... 

GERRY BECKLEY Unfortunate Casino [Human Nature Music] Since he burst on the scene in the early ’70s as one-third of the folk-rock hit machine America, Gerry Beckley has evolved into an accomplished pop tunesmith who plays to his strengths: catchy melodicism and an easy lyrical intimacy. His latest effort is a low-key collection highlighted by the bouncy title tune, with rueful observations like “I’m walking by a pool in Vegas, I see them on... 

PEARL JAM 1993-1995 [Epic/Legacy] REISSUE The period following the mammoth success of their 1991 debut album, Ten, was a turbulent period for Pearl Jam. The adjustment to stardom was a difficult one, and the strain only grew with the suicide of Seattle contemporary Kurt Cobain, its doomed antitrust lawsuit against promoter Ticketmaster, guitarist Mike McCready’s growing alcohol abuse and the bubbling internal personality conflict between Vedder... 

SOLOMON BURKE & DE DIJK Hold on Tight [Verve] It’s an odd pairing on the surface: Solomon Burke, the great soul colossus, fronting a Dutch band hardly known outside their native country. But the members of Amsterdam-based De Dijk (translation: “the dike”) sound as if they were born to back Burke. Recorded in Brussels in just six days in late 2009, Hold on Tight features the soul legend covering (in English translations) a splendid R&B-drenched... 

NEW YORK DOLLS Dancing Backward in High Heels [429] Dancing Backward in High Heels continues the New York Dolls’ remarkably unexpected, and just plain remarkable, reunion. On their third 21st-century release—more than they managed during their original ’70s run—surviving original members David Johansen and Syl Sylvain are joined by returning reunion-era drummer Brian Delaney, onetime Blondie guitarist Frank Infante and bass player Jason Hill.... 

RAY DAVIES See My Friends [Decca] Former Kinks leader Ray Davies’ all-star duets project seems at first like a gimmicky tease. As Springsteen and Bon Jovi growl and wail through some of Davies’ more delicate gems, one can’t help but wonder what the point of all this might be. But eventually the bigger names stop chewing up the scenery, and the pairings become more like true collaborations than curiosities. Lucinda Williams’ weary take on “Long... 

SARA EVANS Stronger [Sony Nashville] On her first album in five years, Sara Evans courts country radio with a firm determination. A slick package of twang pop, Stronger begins with more Hallmark schmaltz than Tennessee waltz: her remake of Rod Stewart’s late ’80s hit “My Heart Can’t Tell You No” marks the nadir of a middling first half. The second half is where you’ll find the winners: Songs like “Alone” and “Ticket to Ride”... 

MASTODON Live at the Aragon [Reprise] Prog-metal juggernaut Mastodon’s first-ever live album, a CD/DVD set recorded in 2009 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, offers an agreeably straightforward (if abbreviated) account of the band’s bruising stage show. The quartet plows through its most recent concept album, Crack the Skye, in its entirety and throws in a few oldies and a cover of the Melvins’ “The Bit.” The members’ performances are... 

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS All Eternals Deck [Merge] The title of All Eternals Deck ostensibly refers to a fictional set of Tarot cards, but the Mountain Goats’ latest draws less of its lyrical juice from fortune-telling than from scientific inquiry and the lives of faded Hollywood stars—as befits idiosyncratic singer and songwriter John Darnielle. It’s the latest in a continued evolution away from Darnielle’s one-man, lo-fi roots: The Mountain Goats... 

THE STROKES Angles [RCA] Angles marks the first time in the Strokes’ decade-long history that writing chores have been shared by all the members rather than dominated by lead singer Julian Casablancas. Perhaps the shift toward democracy explains why the scruffiness and arrogance that held the group’s previous records together share the stage here with new elements—sometimes the album is an invitation to an island-themed dance party, and sometimes... 

PAUL SIMON So Beautiful or So What [Hear Music/Concord] Elvis Costello, himself no stranger to conveying hard-won wisdom in song, pretty much nails it in his liner notes for Paul Simon’s first new album in five years: “This is a man in full possession of all his gifts, looking at the comedy and beauty of life with clarity and the tenderness bought by time.” Simon’s solo output has always been erratic, a zigzag of indisputable landmarks, most... 

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... 

SOUNDGARDEN Live on I-5 [A&M] ARCHIVAL Whether you’re in a marriage or a band, breaking up is hard to do—and lots of business gets left unfinished. Grunge powerhouse Soundgarden recorded several shows on the West Coast leg of its 1996 tour with an eye toward compiling its first-ever live album, but when the group announced its breakup the following April those plans were abandoned. With Soundgarden’s recent reunion, this lost fragment... 

VARIOUS ARTISTS The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings, Volume I [Scatter/Big Machine] TRIBUTE There’s a very good reason most tribute albums are lousy: The majority of them are collections of disparate tracks, each recorded by a completely different team of artists, musicians and producers. That almost always results in a lack of cohesion, even given the unifying factor provided by the songs. The Music Inside is a convincing... 

GRATEFUL DEAD Road Trips, Vol. 4 No. 2: April Fools’ ’88 [Rhino] BOX SET After years of struggles with drug abuse and poor health, Grateful Dead guitarist and singer Jerry Garcia slipped into a diabetic coma for five days in July 1986. When he awoke, he found that he had to re-learn how to play guitar, a process that took months. In 1989, during the making of the Dead’s final studio album, Built to Last, he relapsed into drug abuse and continued... 

THE WHITE BUFFALO Prepare for Black & Blue [Rough Shod] Take this EP’s title at face value: These are rough-and-tumble tales of damaged relationships, drinking and blood spilled. While “Love Song #2” is indeed a love song, it’s one that’s twisted up with drunken fights, an absent lover and the loneliness of the road. “Black & Blue” contrasts its gentle acoustic setting with a vivid portrait of a volatile relationship, while “In... 

CAGE THE ELEPHANT Thank You, Happy Birthday [Jive] With just two albums under its belt, Kentucky’s Cage the Elephant has transformed itself from a Lou Reed-meets-Red Hot Chili Peppers funk-punk outfit into something a bit darker. Trading away vocalist Matt Shultz’s previous raps for jarring screams will probably result in the band being less of a frat-house favorite, but it should also make it clear that this is a lead singer to keep an eye on.... 

MARCUS MILLER A Night in Monte-Carlo [Concord Jazz] With a playing style that glides effortlessly among jazz, R&B and funk, bassist Marcus Miller has long been in demand as a sideman. But he shines brightest when he’s the man up front, as on this live collaboration with the Monte- Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. Joined by an inspired cast of musicians including trumpeter Roy Hargrove, singer and guitarist Raul Midón and turntablist DJ Logic,... 

HAYES CARLL KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories) [Lost Highway] Alt-country rising star Hayes Carll crackles with road warrior enlightenment and follows his heart with damn-the-torpedoes political impropriety. KMAG YOYO (a military acronym for “Kiss My Ass Guys, You’re On Your Own”) finds the Texas native wearing many of his influences on his sleeve. “Stomp and Holler” could easily be this century’s “Highway 61 Revisited” for its... 

TODD SNIDER Live: The Storyteller [Aimless] “If everything goes particularly well this evening, we can all expect a 90-minute distraction from our impending doom,” proclaims Todd Snider, near the start of this rollicking, talk-heavy two-CD live set. The sentiment captures perfectly Snider’s offhand way of couching life’s hard truths in snappy, sharp-witted lines and images. The Nashville veteran’s studio albums have earned a first-rate reputation—comparisons... 

TENNIS Cape Dory [Fat Possum] The debut album by husband-and-wife duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley is a surf-pop treasure spawned by an eight-month sailing journey up the East Coast. Everything goes swimmingly on the surface of Cape Dory (named after the boat’s manufacturer), but a stream of melancholy lurks beneath the waves. The best songs are like wistful glances back towards the shore: “Marathon” rides along on a terrific bass line and... 

JOHN VANDERSLICE White Wilderness [Dead Oceans] There’s always been an orchestral sensibility to John Vanderslice’s music. This time he makes it official by teaming with San Francisco’s Magik*Magik Orchestra on nine new tunes featuring Minna Choi’s subtle, skillful arrangements of strings, horns, woodwinds and more traditional rock toys like piano and pedal steel guitar. Sleek strings race crosswise across the contrapuntal groaning of wind... 

WIRE Red Barked Tree [Pink Flag] Wire’s angular omnipresence has long lurked in the deep corners of the English rock psyche. Morphing from the most art-damaged of the early punks to the most punk-damaged of the post-punk art-rockers, the band has spent 30 years off and on watching half-shed shards of its DNA pop up at intervals, and now even their descendants in the Feelies or the Pixies are old enough to go on reunion tours. While crashers like... 

DAVID LOWERY The Palace Guards [429 Records/Savoy] It’s taken San Antonio’s David Lowery nearly three decades to succumb to the urge of recording a solo album, although he was always the dominant creative force in his bands Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker. As it stands, close your eyes and The Palace Guards morphs into a very good Cracker album. The nine songs here veer between country cornpone and blazing rock, with Lowery’s signature wit... 

THE DIRTBOMBS Party Store [In the Red] Garage rock and soul are both unavoidable influences for any Detroit band reared on the local drinking water. The Dirtbombs love their Motown and Stooges, but they also know the city didn’t stop producing good music in the ’70s. Here the band explores a more obscure era of hometown history, covering a series of innovative techno singles from the ’80s and ’90s. The originals were recorded with drum machines... 

DESTROYER Kaputt [Merge] Dan Bejar has done lo-fi, he’s tried symphonic and now he goes for a super-glossy hi-fi sound on the latest from his band Destroyer. Kaputt is like the soundtrack for a Bryan Ferry biopic from an alternate reality—full of atmospheric synthesizers, effects-treated guitars, crisp drums and sleek, airless bass. The alto saxophone meandering through some of the songs is also part of the wistful mood of the record—all late... 

THE GADDABOUTS The Gaddabouts [Racecarlotta] While it’s only natural to mistake the Gaddabouts’ self-titled debut for another Edie Brickell album—perhaps a companion piece to the eponymous effort she released in January—that assumption misses the mark. This is an all-star assemblage, with Brickell being but one of the headliners alongside veteran drummer Steve Gadd, Who bassist Pino Palladino and British guitarist Andy Fairweather-Low. Gadd,... 

GANG OF FOUR Content [Yep Roc] Gang of Four roared out of the chute more than three decades ago with Entertainment!, one of the post-punk era’s finest albums. A prime influence on the alternative-rock crowd, the British quartet framed punk’s subversive spirit in jagged rhythms and shards of staccato riffs. Remarkably, the group’s first album of new material since reuniting in 2004 picks up right where its early work left off. Armed with sturdy... 

CARRIE RODRIGUEZ AND BEN KYLE We Still Love Our Country [Ninth Street Opus] Carrie Rodriguez, who began her career as part of a duo with Chip Taylor, finds a new collaborator on this duets album with Ben Kyle from the Minneapolis band Romantica. On this eight-song set the two travel some familiar Americana territory, covering Townes Van Zandt (“If I Needed You”), John Prine (“Unwed Fathers”), George Jones (“You’re Still On My Mind”)... 

JOE LOVANO/US FIVE Bird Songs [Blue Note] When Joe Lovano decided to record an album interpreting the songs of Charlie Parker, he knew the best approach he could take was to not pretend to be Parker himself. And why should he? Lovano has been one of the most consistently inventive saxophonists in jazz for more than two decades. The melodies and chordal shifts may be as familiar as bebop itself, but Bird Songs sounds and feels like what it is: a Joe...