Shannon McNally
Shannon McNally (Capitol)
With her raspy voice, bold lyrical musings, and oh-so-sexy inflections, Shannon McNally not only brings home the bacon, but fries it up in a pan. The New York singer-songwriter is as capable as she is beautiful. Songs like "I'll Always Be Around" and "Now That I Know" show country-blues influences, while elements of pop and a touch of jazz inform the heartfelt messages.
Ladytron
604 (Emperor Norton)
Ladytron proves that imitation, not necessity, is the mother of invention. On its debut LP, the band anchors "Discotrax" with the spirit of Giorgio Morodor's hit "Midnight Express," and owes its robo-speak on "He Took Her to a Movie" to Kraftwerk's "The Model." Throughout, the quartet adds catchy hooks, space-age effects, and layered harmonies to the mix. The banal lyrics lack depth, but they're charged with sensuality when Bulgarian chanteuse Mira Aroyo gets hold of the mike. Sure, it's mindless repackaged pop, but Ladytron's "PlayGirl" is still a wonderful song to mope to.
Jimmy Smith
Dot Com Blues (Verve)
The '50s jazz organ sound is back, pounded into hardcore blues by the original master of the Hammond B3. Those who have unfairly written off Smith's dozens of instrumental offerings, take note:On Dot Com Blues he highlights the vocals, bringing in the familiar utterances of guest soulsters Etta James, Keb' Mo', Taj Mahal, Dr. John, and B. B. King. Smith's slippery solo behind King's trademark holler on "Three O'Clock Blues" produces an especially sublime coupling to mutual advantage; it's bound to send a truckload of B. B. devotees scrambling for Jimmy's equally compelling backlist.
Joi
We Are Three (Real World)
One of the most dynamic worldbeat releases of the year, We Are Three is a brilliant synthesis of state-of-the-art electronics and traditional Bengali rhythms and instrumentation. The late Haroon Shamsher and his brother Farook fuse dance funk and dub reggae with ethereal vocals. "Don't Cha Know That" and "Tacadin" stand on their own, but the collection was written as a journey, so take the whole tour.
Rodney Crowell
The Houston Kid (Sugar Hill)
Today's youth-obsessed Nashville seems to have forgotten the hard-life themes that once defined country music. Rodney Crowell goes back to the basics with poignant, autobiographical songs about growing up in a highly dysfunctional home. In revisiting his harshest memories - his parents' brutal fights, his father's drunken rages - he comes to the conclusion that love is the only salve for such deep wounds.
Jonatha Brooke
Steady Pull (Bad Dog)
Brooke's heady combination of personal wordplay and complex melodies attracts rabid fans - and her latest CD delivers what they crave. Steady Pull is the first offering from the label Brooke launched after breaking ranks with folk-rock duo The Story and cutting two solo CDs. Thanks to coproducer Bob Clearmountain (who's worked with Bruce Springsteen and Guns N' Roses), the release also yields pumped-up, testosterone-injected rock. Spearhead's Michael Franti supplies a growly counterpunch to Brooke's clear soprano on the title track, and her duet with Crowded House's Neil Finn on "New Dress" speaks volumes about romantic yearning.
Tipsy
Uh-Oh (Asphodel)
Unlike a lot of electronica, Tipsy's prodigious sampling never sounds burdened by the complexities of the machines. The detailed layering of whimsical effects over strings, flutes, and woodwinds is eerily similar to the works of the great Carl Stalling - composer of classic Looney Tunes scores. Yet the music is also animated by a more modern dance-floor groove. Syncopated human coughs mutate gradually into the rhythm of "Moisture Seekers," preparing the scene for a wailing six-string solo. And you half expect Petula Clark to come trilling in on the steel-pedal guitar swooner "Bunny Kick." But this isn't kitsch; it's a surefire mood brightener.
Tortoise
Standards (Thrill Jockey)
This Chicago-based ensemble breathes new life into art-rock and jazz-fusion with contemporary arrangements and postrecording software tools. Using keyboards, guitars, and percussion, Tortoise improvises within structured compositions. Standards unveils progressive and intense numbers like "Benway,"which juxtaposes vintage synths with complex time signatures to show off the band's penchant for the bizarre.
STREET CRED
Red Alert 2
Terapin CD Video Recorder
The Handbook of Online Marketing Research
Groove
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P1
Xypoint Nomad
Schock 40 with CBTF
ReadMe
Music
Diamond Mako
Eiland, by Stefan van Dinther and Tobias Schalken
The Art of Innovation, by Tom Kelley
Just Outta Beta
Untitled: Darkness
Mac OS X
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