LOS LOBOS Tin Can Trust [Shout Factory!] The news that Los Lobos has canceled an Arizona concert in protest of the state’s immigration laws makes the group’s first album of new material in four years seem frustratingly minor. Our most prominent Mexican-American band presumably has some thoughts about how matters are being handled near the Southern border, yet the recording of Tin Can Trust wrapped up before those feelings could be put to music.... 

STING Symphonicities [Deutsche Grammophon] The last several years have seen Sting giving fans exactly what they wanted—a reunion tour from his former group, the Police. But in the studio, he’s given fans a few things they didn’t ask for—namely, one album of 16th-century lute-based songs and another of winter-themed madrigals. Now he splits the difference with Symphonicities, which presents selections from his considerable songbook—including... 

STRIPMALL ARCHITECTURE Feathersongs for Factory Girls stripmallarchitecture.com Though the songs do bear a psychedelic feel, the enigmatic quartet that calls itself Stripmall Architecture generally defies categorization. Rebecca Coseboom’s dreamy vocals compete with weird sonic elements and akimbo melodies, but the end results are consistently intriguing.  Read More →

MILAGRES Seven Summits myspace.com/milagresmusic Milagres maintains a mysterious aura, a dark yet dreamlike sound that recalls the likes of the Moody Blues, Genesis, Ultravox and other cosmic contemporaries. Its debut finds the band fixated on a mountain-climbing theme, expressed through related tales of tragedy and intrigue.  Read More →

SARAH DASHEW Where I Belong sarahdashew.com QUICK TAKE + Dashew’s emotive vocals and lithe arrangements make Where I Belong a formidable follow-up to 2006’s much-lauded Jealous Girl. The catchy title track and haunting “Anywhere” and “Almost Here” find her channeling a variety of emotions while still creating a coherent whole.  Read More →

JENNIE ARNAU Chasing Giants jenniearnau.com QUICK TAKE + Jennie Arnau’s blend of vibrancy and vulnerability brings a fresh approach to Chasing Giants. Whether accompanied by the pluck of a banjo and a brace of fiddles (the cheery “For the Winter”) or simply ambling along contentedly (the assuring “Safe Tonight” and “No Guarantees”), Arnau is always appealing.  Read More →

ÓLAFUR ARNALDS And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness olafurarnalds.com QUICK TAKE + This 23-year-old Icelandic composer casts a haunting spell. These brooding, overcast tunes meander at a sobering pace before finally gathering momentum and building into a series of sweeping crescendos. This is beautifully crafted neo-classical music, with an emphasis on mood as much as melody.  Read More →

THE WELL WISHERS Post Modern Romantic myspace.com/thewellwishers Tallying 10 albums in 17 years, first with his band Spinning Jennies and more recently with acclaimed power-pop champs the Well Wishers, singer, guitarist and chief musical architect Jeff Shelton has racked up an impressive track record. Post Modern Romantic is his most formidable effort to date, a non-stop barrage of power chords, relentless riffing and hard-crunching melodies. The... 

VARIOUS ARTISTS Sing Me to Sleep: Indie Lullabies indielullabies.com With all proceeds going to the Valerie Fund, an organization helping children with cancer and blood disorders, this effort succeeds before the first note is ever strummed. Despite contributions from a broad contingent of shoegazing ensembles, there aren’t many headliners—Stars, Neil Halstead and Tanya Donelly are the few better-known names. Yet given a selection of standards... 

CHRIS PUREKA How I Learned to See in the Dark chrispureka.com With How I Learned to See in the Dark there’s only a little light cast on Chris Pureka’s surroundings. It’s a more plaintive set of songs, as defined by its measured tones and a sense of quiet contemplation. Mournful violin and subdued guitars provide the accompaniment, giving Pureka’s emotional delivery all the emphasis it needs. A closer listen is occasionally required to fully... 

JAZZ MAFIA Brass, Bows and Beats jazzmafia.com Doggedly blurring boundaries between genres, Jazz Mafia’s music seems a bundle of contradictions. After all, reconciling an entire jazz orchestra and a small army of musical virtuosos with hip-hop rhythms, rappers, singers and MCs would appear tough enough in the studio, but particularly unwieldy in concert. So it’s impressive that on the aptly named live disc Brass, Bows and Beats, this extraordinary... 

HOODOO GURUS Purity of Essence hoodoogurus.net While their résumé encompasses three decades and nine albums, the Hoodoo Gurus evince an energy that should make bands half their age envious. Co-producing with Charles Fisher (and employing veteran producer Ed Stasium for the mix), the group turns Purity of Essence into a blistering tour de force, as formidable a rock ’n’ roll record as anything in recent memory. “Crackin’ Up,” “Burnt Orange,”... 

TERRI HENDRIX Cry Till You Laugh terrihendrix.com With a stylistic sweep that encompasses country, blues, jazz and practically everything in between, Texan Terri Hendrix has created a flourishing cottage industry with a consistent string of albums hailed by fans and critics alike. Partnered once again with erstwhile producer and multitasking session pro Lloyd Maines, the new record finds Hendrix stirring the pot even more, opting to go it alone with... 

HALSTED Life Underwater halstedmusic.com Singer-songwriter Ryan Auffenberg reaped critical kudos with his last LP, 2008’s Marigolds, a title that hinted at the fact that his talents had just started to bloom. Now that he’s re-launched himself under a new name, his methods may have changed—but happily, his means have not. Auffenberg continues to purvey his hushed vocals and haunting pop melodies with equal aplomb, but in the company of the other... 

MARK ERELLI AND JEFFREY FOUCAULT Seven Curses markerelli.com, jeffreyfoucault.com Fans of forlorn folk music take note—this low-key summit of two exceptional singer-songwriters is a marriage made in the heartland. Taking on a set made up mostly of murder ballads penned by giants like Bruce Springsteen (“Johnny 99”), Steve Earle (“Ellis Unit 1”) and Neil Young (“Powderfinger”), Erelli and Foucault find a common thread in rustic arrangements... 

STEVE DAWSON I Will Miss the Trumpets and the Drums stevedawsonmusic.com As chief steward of Chicago’s alt-country combo Dolly Varden, Steve Dawson’s status as an Americana original is unquestioned.  Yet even though his tenure with the band has produced five albums over the course of a 15-year history, Dawson still has plenty to offer individually. This, his second solo album (third if one counts Duets, recorded with foil Diane Christiansen),... 

BOB CHEEVERS Tall Texas Tales bobcheevers.com The album cover offers a first hint of Bob Cheevers’ venerable nature—with a portrait that resembles the rugged Indian chief once etched on an old nickel, he projects an air of grizzled authenticity. And Cheevers is the real deal, a dusty Texas troubadour with a wise perspective and a weathered set of tunes. Whether he’s crooning everyday observations (“Grown Up People,” “Luckenbach”) moaning... 

ADMIRAL RADLEY I Heart California admiralradley.com Although the band is made up of members of nu-folk combos Earlimart (Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray) and Grandaddy (Aaron Burtch and Jason Lytle), Admiral Radley bears only a passing resemblance to the music the players make at their day jobs. For starters, this new conglomerate tends to eschew the hazy musings that those two groups are known for, substituting a cheerier approach suitable to warm... 

PERNICE BROTHERS Goodbye, Killer pernicebrothers.com Massachusetts’ Joe Pernice has honed his craft under a variety of guises over the last two decades—recording with the alt-country outfit the Scud Mountain Boys in the early 1990s, as a solo artist using both his own name and the pseudonym Chappaquiddick Skyline, and on and off for the past dozen years with his main vehicle, the Pernice Brothers. He mixes things up on this latest effort with... 

BOX SET REVIEW John Mellencamp On the Rural Route 7609 [Mercury/Island/UMe] When it comes time for the box-set treatment, most artists are content to line up a few discs’ worth of hits and rarities and let ’em fly. John Mellencamp is not like most artists. On the Rural Route 7609 is a four-CD collection that sets out to tell a story all its own, tracing connections among its songs and emphasizing its author’s current attitudes and concerns... 

REISSUE REVIEW Duran Duran Duran Duran [Capitol] As the 1980s dawned over England, both punk and disco seemed to be in decline. Bands like Birmingham’s Duran Duran began weaving strands of both styles together into a form that came to be known as “New Romantic”—a danceable, synthesizer-driven style that placed a premium on cutting-edge fashion and cutting-edge hooks alike. The band’s self-titled debut served as a template for a sound it... 

DVD REVIEW Still Bill [Late Night and Weekends] Music lovers owe filmmakers Damani Baker and Alex Vlack a debt of gratitude for their tenacity. Bill Withers has remained intensely protective of his privacy since he quit the music business 25 years ago, and the directors spent years convincing him to cooperate in the making of this priceless documentary. They somehow managed to not just film hundreds of hours of footage of Withers over two years, but... 

STEVE CROPPER & FELIX CAVALIERE Midnight Flyer [Stax] One of the challenges in convening a superstar summit is reconciling results with expectations. So if the sophomore collaboration from these two legendary names doesn’t achieve all that this pairing might promise, that doesn’t diminish their individual strengths. Rascals veteran Felix Cavaliere’s vocals have stood up well to the passage of time, as earnest and expressive as ever. Likewise,... 

PAUL THORN Pimps and Preachers [Perpetual Obscurity Records] Paul Thorn has been kicking around the edges of the Americana scene for years, opening for high-profile acts while never quite breaking through himself. It’s not for lack of artistry. His latest is a collection of vivid songs that draw on the opposite impulses Thorn absorbed from his father and an uncle—preacher and pimp, respectively—and colored with his own wry outlook. Thorn takes... 

TEENAGE FANCLUB Shadows [Merge] For years, Teenage Fanclub served a key purpose during those long stretches between Big Star reunions—the band’s rootsy, easy-breezy power-pop was a well-crafted, intermittently inspired substitute. The Glasgow group’s first album in five years arrives mere months after the death of Big Star leader Alex Chilton, so it’s fitting (if coincidental) that Shadows should be something of a somber listen. The songs... 

THE CONSTELLATIONS Southern Gothic [Virgin] The underbelly of after-hours Atlanta serves as ground zero for the seedy scenarios on Southern Gothic, the debut from that city’s eight-piece Constellations (re-released on a major after an earlier indie run). But the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce can chill—what happens here could happen most anywhere. When the strutting, magnetic vocalist Elijah Jones intones, “If you really want to live/Gotta be ready... 

THE FUTUREHEADS The Chaos [Dovecote Records] By combining echoes of punk, new wave and alt-rock, the Futureheads have established themselves as chief players in the U.K.’s modern pop pantheon, drawing comparisons to Keane, Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party. Those familiar with the angular, intense sound associated with those bands will find an easy connection here, although the Futureheads focus primarily on upping the energy level. Theirs is a jumpy,... 

JOHN BUTLER TRIO April Uprising [ATO] April Uprising represents something of a reboot for Australian singer-songwriter John Butler. After taking part in an Australian TV series that helped him trace his family roots, the hotshot guitarist discovered a strand of revolutionaries in his Bulgarian past. That revelation, coupled with a new rhythm section of bassist Byron Luiters and drummer Nicky Bomba, adds a palpable sense of discovery and urgency to... 

CHERRYHOLMES IV Common Threads [Skaggs Family Records] IV Common Threads is Sunday afternoon music, perfect for the moments when the church sermon’s still lingering in your ears as you enjoy the rest of your weekend. Several songs here touch upon religious themes, whether explicitly (“Idle Hands”) or implicitly (“It’s Your Love”). Both of those tunes come from B.J. Cherryholmes’ pen (although his brother Skip sings the latter). Sister... 

DELTA SPIRIT History From Below [Rounder] There are lots of great indie-rock acts out there, but do you want some morose shoegazers playing your July 4 picnic? Better to hire the Delta Spirit, a San Diego quintet that delivers its smart, contemplative Americana with a dash of self-awareness and an occasional smile. The band cut History From Below, its sophomore album, at the California studio favored by Tom Waits, a choice that hardly seems coincidental.... 

SARAH HARMER Oh Little Fire [Zoe/Rounder] Canadian Sarah Harmer’s fifth album offers her most engaging effort since her days in the 1990s group Weeping Tile. While her last offering, 2005’s I’m a Mountain, included intimate observations from an eco expedition through Southern Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment, the new record has her lightening her load with subjects less dire and more inclusive. By finding footing in cheerier realms, Harmer sounds... 

SERGIO MENDES Bom Tempo [Concord Records] Brazilian-born, U.S.-based Sergio Mendes staged a comeback in 2006 with his star-studded covers album, Timeless, and then solidified that return with 2008’s Encanto. Both albums were produced by Black Eyed Peas leader will.i.am. On Bom Tempo, Mendes takes the production reins himself with superb results. A sublime mix of samba rhythms, bossa nova beats and jazzy arrangements, the disc carries a glycerin-smooth... 

BLITZEN TRAPPER Destroyer of the Void [Sub Pop] Search YouTube and you’ll discover that the gods blessed us with a live cover version of the Band’s “I Shall Be Released” by Fleet Foxes and Jeff Tweedy. Blitzen Trapper’s Eric Earley lacks Tweedy’s brave introspection, but he sure sounds a hell of a lot like him, and his group’s fifth album extends the classic-rock spirit of that four-minute clip further than the Wilco frontman has on... 

THE DEAD WEATHER Sea of Cowards [Third Man/Warner Bros.] The Dead Weather was never going to be a song band. The supergroup’s 2009 debut Horehound seemed mostly an opportunity for White Stripes singer and guitarist Jack White to climb behind the drums and lay down some of the darkest, most depraved blues grooves imaginable with the help of three like-minded friends. Sea of Cowards, the quartet’s sophomore disc, is even less rooted in traditional... 

THE STANLEY CLARKE BAND The Stanley Clarke Band [Heads Up] The challenge for the jazz bassist as leader is to keep the music from becoming an exercise in bottom-focused strutting. A display of ace technique is expected, but most listeners lose interest quickly if there isn’t a song to be found among the rhythmic workouts. Stanley Clarke has always kept musicality at the fore—he understands that it’s not only possible but essential to entertain... 

MARAH Life is a Problem [Valley Farm Songs] The latest release from Marah comes with a lot of firsts. As usual, there have been changes in the lineup—Marah is now essentially the duo of singer and guitarist Dave Bielanko and keyboardist Christine Smith. Life Is a Problem is also the first Marah album not released on CD in the U.S. Instead, it’s available in hipster-deluxe gatefold LP, MP3 and cassette (yes, you read that correctly) formats. As... 

JIM LAUDERDALE Patchwork River [Thirty Tigers] Veteran singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale collaborated with legendary Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter for Patchwork River, and the result is a lovably twisted genre piece. Always an evocative singer, Lauderdale clearly relishes biting off existential verses such as “What do you get when you cross the street against the light with a cyclone fence?” In the best Dead tradition, Lauderdale and Hunter’s... 

CADILLAC SKY Letters in the Deep [Dualtone] Never known as a strictly bluegrass band, Cadillac Sky continues its musical evolution. With the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach on board as producer, the group incorporates rock elements (would Bill Monroe have ever used a Mellotron?) without abandoning their acoustic roots. Newcomer David Mayfield makes his presence known with a stinging electric guitar run on the opening cut, “Trapped Under the Ice.” “Trash... 

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM This is Happening [Capitol] The cliché is that people drink to forget, and the same is true for dance music, as care-nullifying a zone as ever existed. But James Murphy dances—or creates dance music—to remember. The music he masterminds under the LCD Soundsystem banner is at least as focused on lyrics as beats, and the one-man band’s third album, This Is Happening, goes for the gloriously neurotic. It’s very nearly a concept... 

MACY GRAY The Sellout [Concord Records] More than 10 years have passed since Macy Gray struck gold with her smash hit, “I Try.” That old-school soul song and the debut album from which it sprang (On How Life Is) served as a kind of gateway drug for the likes of Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone. Gray has since floundered, releasing albums that either lacked direction (2001’s The Id) or were over-polished (2007’s Big). Happily, The Sellout marks... 

WE ARE SCIENTISTS Barbara [Masterswan/Megaforce] On a micro level—minutes and seconds—We Are Scientists is obsessed with time. On its third album, the New York City trio moves quickly from hook-worthy verses to still-catchier choruses, offering little that cannot be hummed. The stopwatch is constantly running, and even on the Goth-tinged ballad “Pittsburgh,” founders Keith Murray and Chris Cain won’t let things drag. In a macro sense—eras... 

JACK JOHNSON To the Sea [Brushfire] Jack Johnson may still be strumming his guitar lazily in the sand from time to time, but To the Sea suggests that he’s running into the house more often to experiment with his sound. It’s a low-key compromise for the millions who love him for being so easily digestible and those who were losing patience with his mellow, beach bum vibe. To listeners in the second group, some small changes to the very bankable... 

The Rubinoos Biff-Boff-Boing! rubinoos.com QUICK TAKE + Billed as a children’s album, Biff-Boff-Boing! moots the distinction between camp and kids’ stuff with a nostalgic tone that carries echoes of both bubblegum and Broadway. The power-pop veterans’ own kooky creations fit seamlessly alongside beloved novelty numbers like “Boris the Spider” and “Sugar Sugar.”  Read More →

Eric Roberts My Brazilian Heart ericroberts.org QUICK TAKE + Titles can be misleading: First, no, Roberts isn’t the actor of the same name. And while this six-song EP dabbles in the occasional tropical rhythm, it’s really more about mellow jazz. Roberts, an accomplished guitarist, mostly cedes the spotlight here to superb ensemble performances.  Read More →

Ruby James Happy Now rubyjames.com QUICK TAKE + Ruby James makes a striking first impression on Happy Now, bolstered by the production work of Charlie Sexton. The album combines sinewy ballads, sultry vocals and sensuous hooks into a very inviting package. Newcomers to this burgeoning talent will be impressed.  Read More →

Dick 50 Late Show facebook.com/dick50 QUICK TAKE + It’s reasonable to assume that the first “solo” set by Delbert McClinton’s backing band will be blues-based. It’s notable, then, that the band clearly doesn’t feel confined to any format on Late Show, with songs such as “Like You Did” and “2012” stepping far outside the roadhouse.  Read More →

Amy Cook Let the Light In amycook.com QUICK TAKE + Having Alejandro Escovedo at the production helm of her new album is certainly an attention-getter for Amy Cook—but her own spirited vocals command respect regardless of his presence. Let the Light In is a compelling album full of tangled emotions.  Read More →

The Successful Failures Three Nights thesuccessfulfailures.com Any attempt at unraveling the seemingly contradictory halves of their handle finds the Successful Failures demonstrating much more of the former than the latter. Frontman Mick Chorba, who also leads the Dipsomaniacs, has gradually made the Successful Failures his primary focus—and their fourth album, Three Nights, offers plenty of reasons why. The key to their success basically boils... 

Rachael Sage Delancey Street rachaelsage.com Rachael Sage’s soft, sultry vocals and solitary piano-plied gravitas might imply she’s a diva of the first order, especially given the fact that she includes leadingly titled songs like “Meet Me in Vegas” and Hall and Oates’ “Rich Girl” as part of her latest set. Fortunately, Sage proves she’s more than a mere drama queen by injecting a tattered vulnerability and quiet resolve into originals... 

Rooney Eureka rooney-band.com Productivity doesn’t necessarily come easily to Los Angeles-based Rooney—they’ve managed only three albums in 10 years, and they took three separate stabs at recording their second. That places high expectations on this new outing, and the band clears the bar nicely. Rooney aspires to pop perfection and often succeeds, with tuneful influences like Cheap Trick, the Raspberries and Badfinger pushed clearly to the...