Foster the People

Supermodel

Columbia / Columbia Records / Startime

Pop/Rock

The Los Angeles trio's sophomore album of bouyant, organic pop with layered production via Paul Epworth.

— Matt Collar

Kylie Minogue

Kiss Me Once

Parlophone / Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

The agelessly brilliant pop star's 12th album is an uplifting, frequently sexy album that's tailor-made for nights out on the dancefloor.

— Tim Sendra

Perfect Pussy

Say Yes to Love

Captured Tracks

Pop/Rock

The band's mix of fury and vulnerability is even more potent and poetic on their official debut.

— Heather Phares

Bill Barretta / Ty Burrell / Tina Fey / Ricky Gervais / Dave Goelz / Eric Jacobson / Peter Linz / David Rudman / Matt Vogel / Steve Whitmire

Muppets Most Wanted

Walt Disney

Stage & Screen

The Muppets try and re-establish the Rainbow Connection again, this time with the help of Tina Fey and Ricky Gervais.

— James Christopher Monger

YG

My Krazy Life

Def Jam

Rap

Y.G.'s Def Jam debut is a thrilling throwback to the days when the West Coast ruled Gangsta Rap.

— David Jeffries

Freddie Gibbs / Madlib

Piñata

Madlib Invazion

Rap

The avant producer and the Indiana rapper collaborate on an excellent album that should please both left-field and hardcore rap fans.

— David Jeffries

Enrique Iglesias

Sex and Love

Republic

Latin, Pop/Rock

On his first album in four years, the Spanish singer and songwriter walks the line between dance club groovers and ballads.

— Thom Jurek

The Floacist

Rise of the Phoenix Mermaid

Shanachie

R&B

Natalie Stewart's third solo album, produced entirely by Chris "Big Dog" Davis, is a sprawling set of positive and empowered reflections.

— Andy Kellman

Black Lips

Underneath the Rainbow

Vice / Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

The band's seventh album finds them cleaning up and streamlining their garage punk sound, throwing in some bloozy Southern rock for good measure.

— Tim Sendra

Luther Dickinson

Rock 'n' Roll Blues

New West

Blues

The Mississippi guitarist showcases his writing ability in this riveting autobiographical song cycle drenched in blues, country, and folk.

— Thom Jurek

The War on Drugs

Lost in the Dream

Secretly Canadian

Pop/Rock

Third album of dreamy, understated, and slowly unfurling rock stands as this Philly group's finest hour.

— Fred Thomas

Unwound

Rat Conspiracy

Numero Group

Pop/Rock

Second in a series of box sets reissuing the entire catalog from these essential '90s indie punk legends.

— Fred Thomas

George Michael / Symphonica Air Orchestra

Symphonica

Island / Virgin EMI

Pop/Rock, Vocal

Perfectly pleasant collection of live symphonic recordings from Michael's 2011-2012 tour.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Hauschka

Abandoned City

Temporary Residence

Avant-Garde, Pop/Rock

Inspired by ghost towns, Hauschka's first solo album in nearly a decade teems with fascinating, melancholic musical life.

— Heather Phares

Kevin Drew

Darlings

Arts & Crafts

Pop/Rock

Seven years after his first attempt, Broken Social Scene's frontman finally makes a proper solo record.

— Timothy Monger

Lyla Foy

Mirrors the Sky

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock

Solid debut of whispery electro-indie pop fare from this London-based singer/songwriter.

— Fred Thomas

Sisyphus

Sisyphus

Asthmatic Kitty / Joyful Noise

Pop/Rock, Rap

The first full-length LP from unusual trio Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux, and Serengeti is a mixed bag.

— Timothy Monger

Dexter Romweber / Dexter Romweber Duo

Images 13

Bloodshot

Pop/Rock

More cool moods and inspired picking from the former Flat Duo Jets frontman and his ex-Let's Active sister.

— Mark Deming

Shit Robot

We Got a Love

DFA

Electronic

Featuring a wide range of guests and showing a mastery of electronic dance music of all kinds, Shit Robot's second LP is a gem.

— Tim Sendra

The Bunny the Bear

Food Chain

Victory Records

Pop/Rock

The Bunny the Bear put mainstream music through the wood chipper, offering a look at the possible future of pop music on Food Chain.

— Gregory Heaney

Tycho

Awake

Ghostly International

Electronic, Pop/Rock

With more peaks and valleys -- and polish -- than Tycho's previous music, Awake offers a sunset of moods.

— Heather Phares

Elvis Presley

Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis [Legacy Edition]

Legacy / RCA

Pop/Rock, Country

Expansion of the 1974 live album features the full Memphis concert plus the earlier Richmond "rehearsal" show.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Taking Back Sunday

Happiness Is

Hopeless Records

Pop/Rock

Taking Back Sunday's original lineup continue their blazing run on the band's sixth album, Happiness Is.

— Gregory Heaney

John Oates

Good Road to Follow

Elektra / PS Records

Pop/Rock

Ambitious triple-EP project that touches on Oates' pop, soul, folk, and blues sides.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

André Cymone

The Stone

Blind Tango

Pop/Rock

An inspired and rocking return from the undervalued native Minneapolitan -- his first solo album since 1985.

— Andy Kellman

Mike Oldfield

Man on the Rocks [Bonus Instrumental Disc]

EMI / Virgin / Virgin EMI

Pop/Rock

After a six year break the guitarist, composer and producer returns to commercial yet poignant rock.

— Thom Jurek

Richard Buckner

Bloomed

Merge

Folk, Pop/Rock

Masterful debut from this gifted singer/songwriter that brings out the rootsy side of his material, with powerful results.

— Mark Deming

Ibibio Sound Machine

Ibibio Sound Machine

Soundway

International

This auspicious debut by a London-based international ensemble sets a new bar for the fusion of African and electronic music.

— Thom Jurek

Reine Fiske / Kenneth Kapstad / Ole Henrik Moe / Motorpsycho / Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan / Kari Rønnekleiv / Bent Sæther / The Sheriffs of Nothingness

Behind the Sun

Rune Grammofon

Pop/Rock

For their 25th anniversary, the Norse rockers dig deeper into their catalog of unrecorded material and deliver a stunner.

— Thom Jurek

Bl'ast!

The Expression of Power

Southern Lord Records

Pop/Rock

Revised and expanded version of the 1986 debut album from Santa Cruz's punk metal warriors and Black Flag acolytes.

— Mark Deming

Colin Vallon / Colin Vallon Trio

Le Vent

ECM

Jazz

On their sophomore ECM date, the pianist's trio offers more structure and statement without losing their contemplative approach.

— Thom Jurek

Dead Rider

Chills on Glass

Drag City

Pop/Rock

The Drag City debut by the Chicago-based quartet is more unhinged, humorous, and adventurous than its predecessors.

— Thom Jurek

Demon Hunter

Extremist

Relativity / Solid State

Religious

The Nashville-based five-piece delivers another solid set of brooding, stylistically unpredictable Christian metal.

— James Christopher Monger

Marianas Trench

Ever After

Interscope

Pop/Rock

Canadian pop-punk troubadours fashion a wildly ambitious concept album full of huge hooks and melodies.

— Timothy Monger

The See See

Days Nights & Late Morning Lights

Sundazed

Pop/Rock

London-based neo-psychedelic band introduced to the U.S. market via this excellent compilation.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Eliza Gilkyson

The Nocturne Diaries

Red House Records

Folk, Pop/Rock

A collection of songs, often full of striking images, that came to the gifted vocalist and tunesmith in the deep of night.

— Mark Deming

François & the Atlas Mountains

Piano Ombre

Domino

Pop/Rock

The versatile French indie outfit's fourth album boasts a depth and richness of detail that should resonate with fans.

— Timothy Monger

Gamma Ray

Empire of the Undead

Victor Entertainment

Pop/Rock

Despite losing their studio in a fire, power metal veterans Gamma Ray deliver a solid performance on their 11th studio album.

— Gregory Heaney

Jo Dee Messina

Me

eOne

Country

Messina's first post-Curb Records release finds her doing pretty much what's she's always done.

— Steve Leggett

The Coathangers

Suck My Shirt

Suicide Squeeze

Pop/Rock

Fourth album from Atlanta-based female garage punks shows them getting stronger without losing their sense of fun.

— Mark Deming

Krokofant

Krokofant

Rune Grammofon

Jazz, Pop/Rock

This Norse sax-guitar-drums power trio delivers an exciting debut that walks the line between electric jazz, prog rock, and metal.

— Thom Jurek

Luke Vibert

Ridmik

Hypercolour

Electronic

Now with Hypercolour and still armed with the TB-303, the producer coasts through some of his least inspired acid-laced material.

— Andy Kellman

Magic Touch

Palermo House Gang

100% Silk

Electronic

Debut album of thrilling retro-house music complete with trilling divas and pounding piano, as well as catchy songs.

— Tim Sendra

Next Stop: Horizon

The Harbour, My Home

Tapete Records

Pop/Rock

Second album from Swedish indie cabaret duo summons up the smoky mood of a late-night carnival.

— Fred Thomas

Rod Stewart

Live 1976-1998: Tonight's the Night

Rhino / Warner Bros. / WB Records

Pop/Rock, R&B

Surprisingly consistent collection of 58 unreleased live performances from 1976-1998.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Sandra Rhodes

Where's Your Love Been

Omnivore

Country, Folk, Pop/Rock, R&B

Veteran singer, songwriter, and vocalist, best known for her work with others, shines in her first and only solo effort.

— Mark Deming

Savage Messiah

The Fateful Dark

Earache

Pop/Rock

Another seductively wild ride from one of heavy metal's last bands of purists.

— James Christopher Monger

Space

Attack of the Mutant 50ft Kebab

Hug Records

Pop/Rock

Overblown comeback from '90s Brit-poppers who indulge their fondness for B-movies and ska.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Bill Engvall

Ultimate Laughs

Jack / Loudmouth Records / Warner Bros.

Comedy/Spoken

Covering the years 1996 to 2009, this set collects the best of the Blue Collar comedian's solo work, including the beloved "Here's Your Sign."

— David Jeffries

The New Mastersounds

Therapy

Légère Recordings

R&B

Funk grooves, greasy Memphis-styled soul stomps, breezy jazz touches, and enough joyous bounce to get the whole world to take to the dancefloor.

— Steve Leggett

Various Artists

Bombay Disco: Disco Hits from Hindi Films 1979-1985

Cultures of Soul

Stage & Screen, R&B

Former Combustible Edison keyboardist Brother Cleve curates this stellar collection of Bollywood dancefloor jams.

— Thom Jurek

Woo

When the Past Arrives

Drag City

Avant-Garde, New Age, Electronic, Pop/Rock

Collection of decade-spanning unreleased tracks from this recently rediscovered U.K. new age duo.

— Fred Thomas

The Brodsky Quartet

New World Quartets

Chandos

Classical

This superb release by Britain's Brodsky Quartet makes a fine place to start with performances of American music by British and continental European groups.

— James Manheim

The Sixteen / Harry Christophers

The Queen of Heaven [1 CD]

Coro

Classical

Fans of the Sixteen are going to gobble this up. All of the group's trademarks are here, yet this qualifyies as a genuine experiment.

— James Manheim

Gidon Kremer / Giedré Dirvanauskaité / Daniil Grishin / Kremerata Baltica / Daniil Trifonov

Mieczyslaw Weinberg

ECM

Classical

Kremer has proven a near-infallible guide to the neglected music of the former Soviet bloc and this is a beautifully recorded two-disc set.

— James Manheim

Daniel Barenboim / Wiener Philharmoniker

New Year's Concert (Neujahrskonzert) 2014

Sony Classical

Classical

Daniel Barenboim conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in the 2014 News Year's Concert, an annual celebration that showcases light music.

— Blair Sanderson

Olga Peretyatko

Arabesque

Sony Classical

Classical

There is nevertheless a sufficient number of really brilliant flashes here to make the voice-seekers sit up and take notice.

— James Manheim

JoAnn Falletta / Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

Glière: Symphony No. 3 "Il'ya Muromets"

Naxos

Classical

Glière's symphony on the medieval Russian hero Il'ya Muromets is performed uncut by JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

— Blair Sanderson

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