THE BLACK ANGELS Phosphene Dream [Blue Horizon Ventures] On “Sunday Afternoon,” the fourth song on their third album, the Black Angels prove just how far they’ll follow their cult-like obsession with the ’60s. Having already unleashed its usual barrage of fuzz-and-buzz guitars and organs, the sextet goes all in and recreates the wobbly electric-jug sound of the 13th Floor Elevators, a fellow Austin band that invented psychedelic punk some... 

LIZA MINNELLI Confessions [Decca Records] When Liza Minnelli covered Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” in this summer’s Sex and the City 2, it was one of the uneven sequel’s few high points. Likewise, Confessions, her first album in eight years, shines brightest when she’s at her most lighthearted, reveling in the tricky rhythms of “You Fascinate Me So” and the subtle sauciness of the Disney classic “He’s a Tramp.” Unfortunately,... 

ISOBEL CAMPBELL & MARK LANEGAN Hawk [Vanguard] The third album from ex-Belle & Sebastian chamber folk-popper Isobel Campbell and former Screaming Trees grunge growler Mark Lanegan offers something old and something new. “We Die and See Beauty Reign” and “Time of the Season” definitely maintain the duo’s prior modus operandi–dark, languid duets that balance Lanegan’s whiskey-and-gravel vocals with Campbell’s more gossamer tones.... 

JIMMY EAT WORLD Invented [Interscope] Since settling on its sound—the widescreen arena-emo of 2001’s Bleed American, one of the decade’s defining albums—Jimmy Eat World has been in a holding pattern. It can’t make music that’s bigger or more earnest without becoming U2, but pulling back would be a retreat. With its seventh full-length album, the Arizona quartet finds a subtle way to push things forward. Instead of churning out another... 

BOOK REVIEW HERB WISE People You’d Like to Know [Omnibus Press] Photographer Herb Wise has a knack for capturing his subjects in the middle of a moment. In People You’d Like to Know, a compilation of his work from the 1960s through the 1980s, we see many faces of famous and not-so-famous musicians seemingly in the process of breaking into a smile—as if suddenly seeing a familiar friend. Wise was a mainstay on the festival circuit in the ’70s,... 

NEIL YOUNG Le Noise [Reprise Records] If nothing else, Le Noise is proof that Neil Young doesn’t need a band to raise a ruckus. The elements are simple: Young’s voice and guitar, treated with the aggressive sonic manipulation of producer Daniel Lanois. The title is a pun on Lanois’ name, but it’s perfectly apt nonetheless—Young’s electric guitar rumbles and roars, and his producer’s eerie soundscapes are dissonant and dark. The sonic... 

GIN BLOSSOMS No Chocolate Cake (429 Records) It’s been 17 years since the Gin Blossoms broke through with their post-grunge power-pop hits “Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You.” The band forged on following the tragic suicide of main songwriter Doug Hopkins in late 1993, and even managed to retain its trademark summery style. The latest disc from the on-again, off-again group holds true to that same vibe. Strewn with jangly guitars, hook-laden... 

RAY LAMONTAGNE AND THE PARIAH DOGS God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise [RCA] With three albums to his credit, Ray LaMontagne’s soulful, rough-edged voice doesn’t startle the way it did when it seemed to come fully formed out of nowhere on his 2004 debut, Trouble. That’s not to say he sounds any less compelling on his fourth album, the first to also credit his band. It’s a stirring collection of folky songs built around LaMontagne’s... 

KT TUNSTALL Tiger Suit [Virgin] When KT Tunstall burst into the limelight with 2006’s beatbox-driven hit “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree,” it was clear the Scottish singer-songwriter had a firm grounding in songcraft. On her third album, Tunstall leans toward a more adventurous set of electronic textures. Happily, instead of burying her songwriting under sheets of production, the broadened soundscape enhances and enriches her compositions.... 

ELVIS COSTELLO National Ransom [Hear Music] Elvis Costello has touched on a wide variety of genres during his career, but he usually sticks with one style at a time. On National Ransom, he finally blends two of his distinct artistic modes into one. Last year’s Secret, Profane & Sugarcane featured a band of Nashville acoustic-music ringers, who here are joined by Costello’s longtime rock outfit, the Imposters. The combination is a versatile... 

INTERPOL Interpol [Matador] Interpol’s songs aren’t set in the real world—where people smile and go grocery shopping and wear colors other than black—but rather a swank, anxious underworld, where singer Paul Banks dresses to the nines and sips drinks with spooky lovers and personal demons. The New York City foursome recorded its fourth album just before parting ways with Capitol Records and bassist Carlos D. Those changes will register later,... 

ELTON JOHN/LEON RUSSELL The Union [Decca Records] This much-anticipated collaboration between Elton John and Leon Russell had all the ingredients for greatness—two brilliant singers and pianists, an extraordinary producer in T Bone Burnett, and a profound mutual admiration between the artists involved. It turns out that “greatness” is too strong a word, but the album does have its rewards. As you might expect, The Union mixes Russell’s bluesy,... 

ERIC CLAPTON Clapton [Reprise Records] Eric Clapton has always been willing to shrug off his audience’s expectations and even its desires. Fans might prefer that he crank out one guitar-heroic solo after another, but his tendency toward taste and understatement just won’t let him do it. He abandoned the Yardbirds when they went too pop, Cream when the trio got too self-indulgent and Blind Faith when the supergroup got too popular too quickly.... 

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... 

MATTHEW RYAN Dear Lover (The Acoustic Version) matthewryanonline.com Over the course of a dozen albums, Matthew Ryan has created a singular sound that combines low-lit arrangements with a pensive perspective. The haunting music is so consistently somber it often makes Leonard Cohen seem giddy by comparison. Regardless, Ryan’s opted to strip the sound down even more by reimagining his last album with the barest of instrumentation—acoustic guitar... 

DAVID RHODES Bittersweet davidrhodes.org David Rhodes’ lengthy résumé as a guitarist and composer includes work with Paul McCartney, Roy Orbison and Robert Plant, but he is perhaps best known for his 25-year collaborative partnership with Peter Gabriel. Bittersweet is the first solo album of his prodigious career, and his most concerted effort since his work with the band Random Hold in the late ’70s. Not surprisingly, songs like “Bittersweet,”... 

JODY PORTER Close to the Sun jodyporter.com Taking temporary leave of his day job with Fountains of Wayne, guitarist Jody Porter hews to his edgier inclinations. With only a couple of exceptions—“Aurora” and “In Between Time”—there’s little here that resembles the playful pop his usual band is best known for. Close to the Sun is more in line with Belltower, the artsy British band Porter played with early in his career. Then as now, Porter... 

GREAT BIG SEA Safe Upon the Shore greatbigsea.com After 18 years and 10 albums, Newfoundland’s leading musical proponents are newly independent and pared down to a core trio. The newfound flexibility becomes a launching point for Great Big Sea to veer from their usual overarching anthems. Recording in far-flung locales—studios, buses and basements—they welcome special guests, including producer Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. Following last year’s... 

ALBERT CASTIGLIA Keepin’ On albertcastiglia.com On his aptly titled fourth album, Castiglia, a Cuban-American guitar slinger, walks the line between traditional treatments and contemporary reinvention. His back-to-basics approach follows in the footsteps of those who fostered the blues in the Mississippi Delta and the smoky late-night haunts of Chicago. Castiglia’s muscular style is reflected in the fluid fretwork of “Cadillac Assembly Line,”... 

CINDY BULLENS Howling Trains and Barking Dogs cindybullens.com It’s fitting that 30 years after her solo bow with “Survivor,” Cindy Bullens remains as spirited as ever. It hasn’t been easy; after contributing to the Grease soundtrack and singing with Elton John, family obligations curtailed a promising career. A move to Nashville in 1990 boosted her fortunes, offering opportunities to write with noted vets Radney Foster, Bill Lloyd, Matraca... 

WILLIAM BRITTELLE Television Landscape myspace.com/williambrittelle William Brittelle demonstrates the distinction between a traditional songwriter and a sophisticated composer through a series of symphonic soundscapes bearing an expansive and thematic feel. Synths, strings, supple acoustic guitars and flailing metallic riffing provide a shifting setting, as Brittelle braces the arrangements with rich, vibrant textures and continual kinetic fluidity.... 

THE BRITANNICAS The Britannicas myspace.com/thebritannicas Chicago’s Herb Eimerman, a member of America’s power-pop elite, goes international with the Britannicas—literally and figuratively. Featuring Eimerman on bass, joined by Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson and Aussie drummer Joe Algeri, the Britannicas’ self-titled debut overflows with ear candy and retro touches. The soaring harmonies that grace “Those Good Vibrations” suggest the... 

THE JASON ADAMO BAND Transistor jasonadamomusic.com The Jason Adamo Band’s latest album bulges with emotive anthems, surging melodies, towering refrains and passionate performances. This is music that would sound just fine on rock radio playlists between mainstays U2, Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen. Transistor bodes well for that possibility, with songs like “Los Angeles,” “Guilty Bystander” and “Far Away From Here” conveying the angst... 

EDWARD ROGERS Sparkle Lane edwardrogersmusic.com Edward Rogers finds inspiration in the quaint melodies and elaborate arrangements first conjured up by acts like the Kinks, the Hollies and the Zombies as they were crafting their seminal ’60s sounds. As an English expatriate, Edwards comes by that heritage naturally. His earlier work with the folk-rock quartet Green Rooftops and his chamber pop duo, Bedsit Poets, offered the initial evidence, and... 

BOX SET REVIEW DELANEY & BONNIE & FRIENDS On Tour With Eric Clapton (Deluxe Edition) [Rhino Handmade] When the American rock and R&B outfit led by husband-and-wife team Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett snagged a slot as opening act on supergroup Blind Faith’s 1969 tour, little did they know they’d also be luring away the headliner’s guitarist. Eric Clapton was so taken with the fun of Delaney & Bonnie’s shows that he tagged along... 

REISSUE REVIEW STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN AND DOUBLE TROUBLE Couldn’t Stand the Weather (Legacy Edition) [Sony Legacy] The first album by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, 1983’s Texas Flood, was recorded on the fly using borrowed studio time. The follow-up was a very different story—the group headed for New York City to record for six weeks at the Power Station, where Vaughan had laid down his stinging guitar solos on David Bowie’s Let’s... 

BOOK REVIEW ROSANNE CASH Composed: A Memoir [Viking Press] First and foremost, Rosanne Cash wanted to write. It wasn’t a call to the stage that inspired the eldest daughter of Johnny Cash to make her first record in the late 1970s at age 23. Performing was simply a medium for songwriting, a craft that fascinated Cash and that she pursued with a fierce intellectualism. Her third book and first memoir, Composed is long on such procedural details about... 

DEAD CONFEDERATE Sugar [Tao Recordings/Old Flame] All the unflattering Nirvana-meets-My Morning Jacket comparisons heaped upon its 2008 debut didn’t do Dead Confederate any favors. Fortunately, the Athens, Ga., quintet doesn’t sound much like either band on its sophomore album, Sugar. Recorded in New Jersey with producer John Agnello, the record has a tough sound built around muscular guitarscapes and terse, stripped-down songs. On “Run From... 

MICKI FREE American Horse [Native Music Rocks/Mighty Loud] Past stints have found guitarist Micki Free tearing it up with such diverse entities as ZZ Top, Shalamar, Janet Jackson and punk icon Wendy O. Williams. Nevertheless, Free’s own efforts leave no doubt as to his direction. He carries the frenzied, heavy-handed blues that initially inspired him into hard rock realms previously trod by Jimi Hendrix, Cream and Robin Trower. His visceral take... 

ORGONE Cali Fever [Ubiquity] Guitars blasting and horns punctuating, West Coast funk and soul outfit Orgone roars out of the gate on its latest release with “The Last Fool,” a shuffling, syncopated piece. Cali Fever never lets up, trading off a succession of ferocious instrumental jams with vocal numbers that showcase the raw, piercing power of singer Fanny Franklin. Orgone’s building block is a species of hard-nosed funk, but the band mixes... 

VARIOUS ARTISTS Sweet Home Alabama: The Country Music Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd [Hip-O Records/UMe] Lynyrd Skynyrd’s iconic Southern rock songs fall victim to haphazard production and self-indulgent performances on this eight-song tribute disc released exclusively through Walmart. Produced by Jay Joyce, the album features Universal Music Group’s roster of country young guns (along with Uncle Kracker) on a series of aesthetically unconnected recordings.... 

ANDY BELL Non-Stop [Mute] After 25 years as half of the English synth-pop duo Erasure, it’s hard to imagine where singer Andy Bell finds the time for outside projects. And yet here he is with his second solo album, a three-suite affair aimed more at dance clubs than the airwaves. Working with Belgian producer Pascal Gabriel, Bell delivers 10 songs packed with relentless beats and dizzying electronic accompaniment. Deep, pulsing bass twists through... 

THE READY SET I’m Alive, I’m Dreaming [Sire/Decaydance] One-man band albums have been around forever, with folks like Paul McCartney, Dave Edmunds, John Fogerty, Emitt Rhodes and many others concocting some pretty great stuff while holed up alone in the studio. The latest addition to the club is Fort Wayne’s Jordan Witzigreuter. His debut as The Ready Set is an often infectious pop collection that, even though it clocks in at only 26 minutes,... 

MAPS & ATLASES Perch Patchwork [Barsuk] Their band’s name to the contrary, the members of Maps & Atlases don’t always indicate in which direction they’re headed. As the follow-up to their 2006 EP Tree, Swallows, Houses and last year’s You & Me & the Mountain, Perch Patchwork finds this unusual quartet dabbling in eclectic styles. In doing so, they clutter their arrangements with odd effects and skittish tempos, making it clear... 

MYSTERY JETS Serotonin [Rough Trade] Mystery Jets singer Blaine Harrison learned about music through his father, Henry, who founded the group, spent years as a touring member and still helps the English quintet with songwriting. The elder Harrison is responsible for—or perhaps to blame for—his son’s love of freaky, frilly progressive rock, an influence the Jets mostly avoid on their third album. On highlights “Too Late to Talk” and “Flash... 

LEE RITENOUR 6 String Theory [Concord] The album is credited to Lee Ritenour, but the real star of 6 String Theory is the guitar itself. To celebrate his 50th anniversary as a picker, Ritenour invited a true who’s who of axemen to jam. The list includes fellow jazzers, of course—John Scofield burns on “Lay it Down,” Pat Martino shares a virtuosic tribute to a fallen legend in “L.P. (For Les Paul)” and Mike Stern kills on the Jeff Beck-associated... 

TRACY BONHAM Masts of Manhatta [Engine Room Recordings] Tracy Bonham’s brand of alternative pop-rock has often been compared to Liz Phair and PJ Harvey, but on Masts of Manhatta she edges closer to the sophisticated pop of Sam Phillips and Patty Larkin. Bonham gives her new songs a solid melodic foundation and applies adventurous arrangements to bring those tunes color and life. High points include “Josephine,” a cabaret song fitted with sputtering... 

PETER CASE Wig! [Yep Roc] To paraphrase 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, Peter Case has learned that what doesn’t kill you makes you rock harder. The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter survived a near-fatal heart attack last year to create his liveliest album in years. “Banks of the River” kicks with a jolt of bluesy rock ‘n’ roll, and the roadhouse ride continues from there. Teaming up with longtime X drummer DJ Bonebrake... 

AMERICAN HI-FI Fight the Frequency [Hi-Fi Killers/The Ascot Club] Backing Miley Cyrus, as three-quarters of the band has done for the last few years, American Hi-Fi doesn’t get to play many songs like “Bullet.” “I killed myself last night and you were what I used,” leader Stacy Jones sings, wallowing in the heartbreak that inspires much of his band’s fourth album. “Bullet” is typical of Fight the Frequency, which hits a bull’s-eye... 

EILEN JEWELL Butcher Holler [Signature Sounds] In assembling this tribute to Loretta Lynn, Eilen Jewell says she chose songs that spotlight the legendary country singer and songwriter’s personal strength. No surprise, then, that the record kicks off with “Fist City,” that most famous of take-no-crap Lynn songs. And no surprise that songs like “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man),” “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on... 

SUN KIL MOON Admiral Fell Promises [Caldo Verde] This fourth offering by Sun Kil Moon, the pseudonym for former Red House Painters leader Mark Kozelek, is a more subdued affair than previous efforts. The opener, “Alesund,” begins with a meticulously arpeggiated guitar underpinning a wistful vocal about an earthly muse. Similarly, the atmospheric “Half Moon Bay” conjures a bleak coastal landscape before winding its way to a long rubato guitar... 

JANE KRAKOWSKI The Laziest Gal in Town [DRG Records] “I hate to use the C word this early in the evening … but welcome to my debut in cabaret,” says Jane Krakowski on the live recording of her 2009 run at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency in New York City. The Broadway and TV actress knows full well the pitfalls of the format, and sprinkles her show with inspired reinventions, like “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” as a funk jam/rap and... 

DR. JOHN AND THE LOWER 911 Tribal [429] The advance hype on Tribal posited it as Dr. John’s funkiest and earthiest in years, as if anything Mac Rebennack touches could possibly not be funky and earthy. But there is something to be said for the rest of the hype. The album more than vaguely recalls those early records when he was still billed as “Dr. John the Night Tripper”—a time when his mesh of otherworldly, slinky voodoo and the deepest... 

KELIS Flesh Tone [Interscope] In this post-Black Eyed Peas world, it’s not enough for R&B singers to make genre records. The key, as Rihanna and Christina Aguilera can attest, is to move the masses with futuristic dance pop. This is fine by Kelis, an artist who has long dabbled in hip-hop and minimalist funk, showing a willingness to color outside the lines. On her fifth album, the Harlem-born singer does the dance-makeover thing on her own...