BACK TO THE FUTURE As musicians flock to the warm sound of analog, what are the best recording choices for you?  Years ago even the most intrepid musicians couldn’t make an album without renting a pro recording studio and all the pricey yet required accoutrement that went with it. Today the process is fast, easy and cheap—anyone with a laptop and a few accessories can create an album in a bedroom. Digital technology has changed everything. Or... 

THE WATERBOYS An Appointment With Mr. Yeats mikescottwaterboys.com Had he come along a century later, Ireland’s greatest poet might have been its greatest rock ’n’ roll frontman. Such is the idea behind this, the first Waterboys album in five years, a set of 14 songs adapted from poems by W.B. Yeats. Mike Scott, long the singer and driving force behind this Scottish-born band, makes subtle changes to Yeats’ texts, repeating certain lines and... 

TOM BRISLIN Hurry Up and Smell the Roses tombrislin.com Filled with smart, grown-up pop songs written and performed by a man making sense of the modern world, the debut album from this New Jersey-born, Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist is “adult contemporary” in the truest sense. Brislin has played keyboards for the likes of Yes, Meat Loaf and Debbie Harry, and here, amid classical-informed piano figures, unapologetically proggy ’80s synths,... 

GURF MORLIX Finds the Present Tense gurfmorlix.com On the cover of his first album in four years, this country-folk lifer sits in front of a time bomb, head in hands. Listening to these 10 tracks, one suspects he’s longing for the boom, hoping a quick blast will save him from life’s interminable creep. No such luck. “I done some things of which I ain’t proud,” Morlix sings on “Series of Closin’ Doors,” adding, “Nothing I really wanna... 

AFTER SUNDAY After Sunday aftersundayband.com Take this as gospel: The Christian rock that stands the best chance of actually changing lives needs to stand on its own as rock music. That means good hooks, punchy guitars and urgent lyrics, all of which floweth over on this six-song EP. Frontman Mike Ross leaves no ambiguity about his subject matter—he’s singing for Jesus—but “Today” and “Plain Jane” could be popular Train or Bryan Adams... 

BETH HART Bang Bang Boom Boom bethhart.com While not requisite reading, Beth Hart’s bio complements this record nicely, helping to explain the heft of the lyrics and gutsy jumps from brassy jazz to broken-down blues to chest-thumping soul. Taken out of context, these songs suggest an Americana Adele or Amy Winehouse, but Hart has earned her Billie Holiday affectations and bold stylistic leaps. A would-be star who squandered her shot in the ’90s,... 

SUSIE GLAZE & THE HILONESOME BAND White Swan susieglaze.com If Susie Glaze were a newscaster, this crazy world would be a lot easier to take. On grisly murder ballads and carefree romps alike, the Tennessee native sings smooth and sweet, her voice like buttermilk pie. Having appeared on Broadway, Glaze has a knack for theatrics, and that serves her well on “Fair Ellender,” “Evangeline” and “The Dark Eileen,” three of this album’s... 

T.V. MIKE & THE SCARECROWES Weeks to Days bravescarecrow.com Among urban rustics, there’s a tendency toward dourness and musical purism. Witness all those bearded dudes in flannel shirts singing murder ballads. Led by three Indiana transplants, this San Francisco group does the opposite. They’ve got a slide guitar and banjo and harmonies to boot, but their second album veers off the wagon trail and lands someplace—get this—fun. The most... 

CARMEN VILLAIN Sleeper myspace.com/carmenvillain Even pretty people get the blues. Such is the message, evident in both the bummed-out lyrics and washed-out music, of this former model’s debut album. Villain—a half-Mexican, half-Norwegian beauty who has graced such magazines as Glamour and Vogue—plays guitar, bass, keyboards and drum machines, and she approaches them all in much the same way. The instruments coalesce into a disorienting fog... 

WHITE BLUSH White Blush whiteblushh.com On her website, L.A. synth-pop spellbinder Carol Rhyu, aka White Blush, offers up a mixtape of favorite songs. The collection spans gloomy post-punk godheads Joy Division to Julee Cruise—director David Lynch’s go-to artist for nightmarishly beautiful pop songs—with Desire’s Drive soundtrack cut “Under Your Spell” thrown in for good measure. All three inform Rhyu’s debut EP, though her experimental... 

RICKY BYRD Lifer rickybyrd.com Flip on a classic rock station anywhere in America, and you’ll hear Ricky Byrd. This NYC native supplied the chunky, eternally air-guitar-inspiring power chords on Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll,” and while that song is hardly his sole accomplishment—he’s toured with Mott the Hoople’s Ian Hunter and Roger Daltrey, among others—it’s a good summation of his life. So is Lifer, his solo debut, a... 

THE DEER TRACKS The Archer Trilogy Pt. 3 thedeertracksmusic.com On the final installment of their Archer Trilogy—two albums and an EP culled from sessions held in a remote Swedish cabin—David Lehnberg and Elin Lindfors wig out on elfin electronica, a twitchy, glitchy mix of nightclub gloss and return-to-nature freakiness. Deer Tracks could easily stick to one or the other—the heavier dance bits are positively triumphant, suggesting glow-stick... 

PARQUET COURTS Light Up Gold parquetcourts.wordpress.com Why did three-fourths of this band’s lineup move to New York City from the Lone Star State? “As for Texas, donuts only,” frontman Andrew Savage sings on the aptly named “Donuts Only.” “You cannot find bagels here.” As their debut album makes clear, they didn’t just come for the baked goods. Light Up Gold is the work of wordy young strummers obsessed with Gotham greats the Ramones,... 

ELEPHANT STONE Elephant Stone elephantstonemusic.com Even when these Montreal psych rockers break out the sitar—a signature instrument for singer Rishi Dhir—they keep it sweet and poppy, putting drive behind the drone. Elsewhere, it’s all mystical jingle-jangle with the odd blast of fuzz or backward guitar—reverent, sure, but also refreshing.    Read More →

ROBERT “TOP” THOMAS The Town Crier wildrootsrecords.com With his gruff, mush-mouth drawl and sure-handed riffing, Thomas again earns the title of “swamp blues master.” Amid ruminations on freight trains, treacherous women and the healing powers of “blues grass,” he shares the spotlight with harmonica ace Stephen Kampa, a candidate for MVP.    Read More →

DUMBO GETS MAD Quantum Leap dumbogetsmad.com If “Tahiti Hungry Jungle,” a gnawing, grooving psych-rock take on rapper Azealia Banks’ “Liquorice,” were the most inspired moment, album two from these Italian experimentalists would warrant obsessive listening. Rap beats, surf riffs, detuned guitars and ’70s-soul flutes seal the deal—and only begin to tell the story.    Read More →

NEW AMERICAN FARMERS Brand New Day newamericanfarmers.org Paul Knowles and Nicole Storto don’t need help—these insightful folkie rockers hold a mirror to America as well as anyone—but Tom Waits trumpeter Ara Anderson and the Real Vocal String Quartet drop by anyway, making this rich and unique disc that much stronger.    Read More →

NICHOLAS ALTOBELLI Without a Home nicholasaltobelli.com A Dallas-based acoustic folkie heads back to his birthplace, Southern California, and makes a textured electric record indebted to the Byrds, Tom Petty and other sunshine strummers. That some of the songs are bum-outs hardly matters as Altobelli’s voice soothes, and this stuff is sublime.    Read More →

AUDIO-TECHNICA SYSTEM 10 DIGITAL WIRELESS SYSTEMS Wireless hi-fi mic system to go If you’re in the market for a 24-bit/48 kHz digital wireless system, check out the latest offering from Audio-Technica. System 10 is as easy to set up as it is to use, and offers a combination of frequency, time and space diversity to keep your signal locked in. You can run up to eight systems at a time, each based around the stackable ATW-R1100 digital receiver. Operating... 

DIGITECH WHAMMY FIFTH GENERATION Step up your game  The latest incarnation of DigiTech’s Whammy pedal is the most robust Whammy to date, delivering more interval presets, chordal Whammy pitch shifting and true bypass functionality. If you have yet to join the ranks of illustrious Whammy masters like the Edge, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Tom Morello, this Whammy just might have your name on it. The Whammy allows you to control pitch or harmony based... 

CAD MH510 SESSIONS HEADPHONES Wrap your head with studio monitor quality If you’re looking for headphones that hype bass and treble, you can stop here. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a set of phones that sound like studio monitors—with the added benefit of minimal bleed into the listening environment, read on. Available in four fashion-friendly color schemes, each pair of CAD MH510s comes with a straight and coiled cable as well as... 

TELEFUNKEN M81 DYNAMIC CARDIOID MIC Dynamic mic with maximum versatility The Telefunken M81 is the company’s second foray into the dynamic mic market, and is every bit as inspired as their initial offering. With a bit less high end than the M80, the M81 sounds and feels like the industry’s most popular dynamic microphone on steroids. It’s perfect for vocalists on the “brassy” side, as well as guitars and other dynamic instruments including... 

SONUUS WAHOO Killer analog wah and more with a step The Sonuus Wahoo produces classic analog effects with all the benefits of digital technology. If you’ve been looking for a single pedal that produces killer wah and filter effects, your search ends here. The Wahoo allows you to deep edit, store and share presets—and features 100 factory presets that sound great out of the box. You can also store up to 100 user presets that can be created and... 

TC-HELICON VOICELIVE TOUCH 2 Bringing the studio to the stage for vocalists Built to bring studio magic to the stage, the TC-Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2 provides four vocal-enhancing functions: processing, effects, harmonies and looping. Processing features such as adaptive EQ, compression and pitch-correction add an air of professional polish to vocals without demanding much in the way of setup. Effects ranging from smooth reverb to intense distortion... 

KINGKORG Digital synth with analog attitude From the sound of it, it’s hard to believe that the KingKORG is a digital keyboard. A testament to just how far Korg’s analog modeling has come? The filter emulation on the KingKORG alone will impress even the most die-hard analog synth nut. Performing keyboardists will revel in its live accessibility. Decades of classic synth sounds spring to life at the push of a button, and a series of dedicated controls... 

FENDER ACOUSTIC CUSTOM SHOP A whole new level of acoustics from Fender Fender unveiled an entirely new division at this year’s NAMM show: the Fender Acoustic Custom Shop. Run by master luthiers Tim Shaw and Ren Ferguson, the Connecticut-based workshop is devoted to combining historical guitar-making tradition, modern artistry along with the finest materials and techniques to create a stunning selection of instruments. Models featuring the earmarks... 

ROLAND BT-1 BAR TRIGGER PAD Ergonomic flexibility is the key With breakthrough technologies such as their dual-mesh head pads and SuperNATURAL drum engine, Roland has long been the leader in electronic drums. But it’s the simple ergonomic flexibility that makes the BT-1 Bar Trigger Pad. The BT-1 mounts easily to the rim of acoustic-style drum shells, right where it’s the most useful. Alternatively, you can stand mount the BT-1 where a cowbell... 

PRESONUS STUDIOLILVE Digital mixer that does it all PreSonus stepped up their StudioLive series with the powerful 32-channel/14-bus StudioLive 32.4.2AI. The 32.4.2AI begins with the same impressive functionality as previous models, and adds a staggering amount of additional horsepower to the mix. Each channel and bus supports complete Fat Channel processing—including full dynamics and a four-band parametric EQ—on top of amazing DSP effects. Integrated... 

BOSS STOMPBOXES Kicking off a new era of guitar effects BOSS has just launched three innovative stompboxes: the DA-2 Adaptive Distortion, MO-2 Multi Overtone and TE-2 Tera Echo. Each features BOSS’s new Multi-Dimensional Processing technology—which splits the signal into separate frequency bands for parallel processing—offering remarkable results. For instance, the DA-2 Adaptive Distortion delivers classic stompbox distortion that holds together... 

M-AUDIO M-TRACK Interface delivering performance and value M-Audio’s M-Track audio interfaces make recording fun, easy and affordable for musicians at every level. Choose from three models: the M-Track, the M-Track Plus and the M-Track Quad. Even the simple two-channel M-Track sports professional features such as separate XLR and TRS inputs and 24-bit/48 kHz digital conversion, and both MIDI and digital audio I/O are available on the more advanced... 

FISHMAN TRIPLEPLAY Guitar MIDI goes wireless The TriplePlay wireless pickup system by Fishman takes guitar MIDI evolution to the next level. Capturing each string separately and converting its sound into MIDI, the TriplePlay goes beyond the limits of conventional hex pickups by transmitting MIDI wirelessly to a USB receiver up to 100 feet away. That makes it easy to connect directly to a virtual instrument rig or DAW. With the capability to split... 

APHEX PROJECT CHANNEL Channel strip with epic tone-sculpting power Aphex’s Project Channel features harmonically rich and musically sweetened sound that’s ideal for studio and stage. A warm Class A mic pre kicks off the signal path with more than enough gain to push the onboard optical compressor. Aphex’s legendary Aural Exciter and Big Bottom processors work together to create a classic tape-like effect, adding air to the highs and low-end... 

PEAVEY VYPYR II VIP SERIES The next step in tonal versatility You can’t beat the versatility Peavey’s Vypyr II VIP Series combo amps offer. Perfect for performing multi-instrumentalists, Vypyr II VIP amplifiers handle electric guitars, basses, acoustic guitars and other acoustic-electric instruments. Powerful onboard DSP provides access to numerous amplifier and stompbox models, and feature superior studio-style effects and processors onboard... 

Two decades into his superstar career, Tim McGraw is still hungry for new musical adventures Tim McGraw is a man in motion. Twice a day, even while on tour, he hits the gym—lifting weights in the morning and devoting a couple of hours to a grueling CrossFit regimen in the afternoon. The concept of constant movement is also the driving force behind his creative philosophy. “I’m always looking for something that propels me forward and makes me... 

ROBYN HITCHCOCK   The enduring godfather of alt-rock is still full of sonic surprises  By Russell Hall  If Robyn Hitchcock never again hears the word “quirky,” that’ll be just fine with him. “I think what people mean is that, for me, an idea can come from anywhere,” he says. “They come from under the table, from behind the sofa, or from the back of a cupboard. They’re not the first places everybody looks. I suppose you could call... 

THE GAME A chart-topping rapper takes on the concept of religion  “I just feel free,” says the Game. “I’ve got good friends, I’m eating right, working out, doing my music. That’s how I feel.” That’s pretty good for the Compton, Calif., native, who was nearly shot to death when a drug deal went awry in 2001. Even after being signed by Dr. Dre in 2003, the artist born Jayceon Taylor feuded with 50 Cent, Jay-Z and Dre, leaving the... 

ERIC BURDON One of rock’s most distinctive voices gets personal with a new album   Ask Eric Burdon what’s on his mind and he says, “Being successful at my next gig.” After a half-century of lending his voice to hits, including “The House of the Rising Sun,” “It’s My Life,” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” for British Invasion band the Animals, and offering funk icons War their first taste of stardom in 1970 with “Spill... 

RICHARD THOMPSON The British folk-rock hero makes an Americana connection on his latest Richard Thompson is not content to stay in one musical place. Since the 1960s, when his ace guitar skills led Fairport Convention into the rarified league of groundbreaking musicians who invented British folk rock, he’s been something of a human prism, shifting and turning his talents to spotlight musical beauty—sometimes in the unlikeliest of places, as when... 

AARON NEVILLE An American treasure revisits the music that honed his otherworldly vocals   Aaron Neville has sung R&B, gospel and country, everywhere from Bourbon Street to Sesame Street, but now he’s returning to the street-corner sounds he’s loved since boyhood with his doo-wop record, My True Story. For the new album, Neville’s first on Blue Note Records, he called label president Don Was, who in turn reached out to longtime doo-wop... 

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON On his new album, a legendary storyteller sizes up a life well lived  At 76, Kris Kristofferson is as focused on his art as he was four decades ago. “For me, the creative part is when I write it and get it on tape,” he says. “After that, I really don’t have anything to do with the business part of it. Let the others do the hard part.” Kristofferson—whose résumé includes Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, actor,... 

WAYNE SHORTER The trailblazing saxophonist waxes philosophical about the future of jazz By Jeff Tamarkin   Those who’ve heard Wayne Shorter blow a solo know the legendary jazz saxophonist seems to reside in a world of his own creation. Burrowing deep inside of a melody, he finds a nugget that intrigues him, grabs it and runs with it—the music twisting, turning, climbing, falling and ultimately journeying to a place far from where it began …... 

MADELEINE PEYROUX The jazz-pop vocalist’s new collection reimagines a country classic For many artists, a covers album often becomes a mishmash of haphazardly chosen songs that suit the singer’s voice better than they suit each other. But on The Blue Room, jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux not only interprets the work of other artists, she also pays tribute to one, Ray Charles, and his pioneering album Modern Sounds in Country  and Western Music. “Something’s... 

THE MAVERICKS Serving up a fresh helping of their distinctive Tex-Mex-via-Miami magic  The Mavericks—one of the more dynamic acts on the 1990s country scene—are back with their first full-length album in nearly a decade. “We hadn’t been in the same room together in that time, much less made music together,” says frontman Raul Malo. “There was talk of a reunion tour, but that wasn’t reason enough to bring back the band. The Mavericks... 

JOHN CORBETT Proving his musical mettle with a laid-back, Texas-tinged new album John Corbett made his name in Hollywood, but when it comes to music he’s no poseur—and latest album Leaving Nothin’ Behind offers proof. “The fact is, I have more of a pedigree to play this kind of music than guys with No. 1 hits right now,” says the West Virginia native who’s been playing country music since he was a kid. “The good news is that when people... 

JOSH ROUSE The pensive singer-songwriter strikes an upbeat tone on his latest effort     For Josh Rouse, family played an important role in the writing and recording of his 10th album, The Happiness Waltz. In 2006, Rouse moved from Nashville to Spain with his wife, and the couple now has a young child. He’s settled happily into fatherhood and married life, but his newfound responsibilities make for a delicate balancing act. “Before I was just... 

KEITH STEGALL Artist, songwriter, producer—he’s seen success from all sides By Michael Gallant When it comes to country music, few producers have made as profound a mark as Nashville’s Keith Stegall. The multitalented studio master has produced more than 20 platinum albums and sold more than 70 million records. His résumé includes 50 No. 1 hits, four Country Music Association Awards, 10 Academy of Country Music Awards—and the list goes... 

ASHLEY MONROE HOMETOWN: Knoxville, Tenn. INFLUENCES: Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris,Patsy Cline ALBUM: Like a Rose, out now WEBSITE: ashleymonroe.com A publishing deal as a Nashville songwriter helped Ashley Monroe land a major record deal in 2006. Although the deal fell through, she remained undaunted, scoring cuts with Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood, collaborating with the Raconteurs, Ricky Skaggs and Trent Dabbs, and lending her voice to projects... 

ROZZI CRANE HOMETOWN: San Francisco, Calif. INFLUENCES: Lauryn Hill, Outkast,Destiny’s Child ALBUM: Rozzi Crane EP, out now WEBSITE: rozzicrane.com Rozzi Crane began performing while she pursued her degree at University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music in L.A. “I’d play anywhere they’d let me,” she says. “Whether it was a dorm Christmas party or a formal USC event, I’d do it, because I love performing.” After earning... 

SPENCER DAY HOMETOWN: East Layton, Utah INFUENCES: Joni Mitchell, John Lennon, Paul Simon ALBUM: The Mystery of You, out now WEBSITE: spencerday.com Modern jazz singer and pianist Spencer Day learned the power of music during his troubled childhood. He grew up in a strict Mormon household in small-town Utah, and his parents divorced when he was young. His mother, a classical opera singer turned teacher, encouraged his love of music as a means of... 

LYDIA SALNIKOVA The former Bering Strait vocalist does it all to keep the music playing   Born and raised in Obninsk, Russia, Lydia Salnikova grew up idolizing American music. The classically trained pianist wasn’t alone, and joined five other like-minded local musicians to form Bering Strait. It was an unusual grouping—a band of Russian teens obsessed with American bluegrass and country, in a city 60 miles outside Moscow. But over the next...