Ariana Grande

My Everything

Island / Republic

Pop/Rock

The diva largely cedes the spotlight to her producers and guest rappers on this appealing sophomore set.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Brad Paisley

Moonshine in the Trunk

Arista

Country

Paisley gets back to basics on this sleek, high-octane record.

The New Pornographers

Brill Bruisers

Matador

Pop/Rock

Gala, epic-scale effort from the indie rock supergroup that's fun and graceful despite its size.

— Mark Deming

J Mascis

Tied to a Star

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock

Second acoustic-based solo album from the Dinosaur Jr. founder is melodic, thoughtful, and full of great guitar work.

— Mark Deming

Basement Jaxx

Junto

Atlantic Jaxx

Electronic

The duo's first album in five years feels like the vivid, celebratory missing link between Remedy and Rooty.

— Heather Phares

The Rentals

Lost in Alphaville

Polyvinyl

Pop/Rock

The band's third album is an arena-sized meditation on time and loss that rocks hard in some spots, breaks hearts with tenderness in others.

— Tim Sendra

Robyn Hitchcock

The Man Upstairs

Yep Roc

Pop/Rock

An evocative half-covers/half-originals collection of new music produced by the great Joe Boyd.

— James Christopher Monger

Opeth

Pale Communion

Roadrunner Records / Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

On its brilliant follow-up to Heritage, the band doubles down on prog rock and leaves metal behind altogether.

— Thom Jurek

Bruce Hornsby

Solo Concerts

Vanguard

Pop/Rock

This double-disc set of highlights from his 2012/2013 American tour illustrates the pianist's idiosyncratic charm.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Bad Plus

Inevitable Western

Masterworks / OKeh Records

Jazz

Six months after their rigorous reading of The Rite of Spring, the Minnesota trio returns to its own musical universe with a bracing set of originals.

— Thom Jurek

The Bug

Angels & Devils

Ninja Tune

Electronic

Half-threatening, half-punishing collision of dub, ragga, grime, and other strands -- a masterstroke from Kevin Martin and crew.

— Andy Kellman

Kem

Promise to Love

Motown

R&B

Reliably smooth and silky adult contemporary R&B from the genre's most consistent, if not most prolific, artist.

— Andy Kellman

The Magic Numbers

Alias

Caroline

Pop/Rock

The British foursome's fourth studio album mixes yearning guitar rock with a '70s orchestral pop vibe.

— Matt Collar

Wand

Ganglion Reef

God?

Pop/Rock

Debut album from L.A. power psych stompers is a spaced-out tug of war between fuzzy heaviness and gentle acid folk.

— Fred Thomas

Merchandise

After the End

4AD

Pop/Rock

The Florida band's debut for 4AD is awash in the late-'80s, 120 Minutes-era glow of bands like the Church and the Mission U.K.

— Timothy Monger

Royal Blood

Royal Blood

Warner Bros.

Pop/Rock

British two-piece's hard-hitting debut treads between gritty rock riffs and radio-friendly melodies.

Gemma Ray

Milk for Your Motors

Bronzerat Records

Pop/Rock

The captivating British singer turns in another strong and diverse collection of torchy surf dirges and atmospheric pop-exotica.

— Timothy Monger

Rustie

Green Language

Warp

Electronic

Joined by D Double E, Danny Brown, and Muhsinah, the Scottish producer dials it down (just a bit) on his second Warp album.

— Andy Kellman

The Young

Chrome Cactus

Matador

Pop/Rock

Third album from this Texas guitar rock quartet takes a turn toward darker territory.

— Fred Thomas

Ashrae Fax

Never Really Been Into It

Mexican Summer

Pop/Rock

The cult dream poppers re-record their '90s demos with ethereal, mercurial results.

— Heather Phares

Mndsgn

Yawn Zen

Stones Throw

Rap

Full grooves and fresh takes on familiar sounds make the producer's debut for Stones Throw an easy recommendation.

— David Jeffries

Cold Specks

Neuroplasticity

Broken Hertz Records / Mute

Pop/Rock

Al Spx takes her "doom soul" to an exciting new level, pumping it full of nervy post-rock and no wave.

— James Christopher Monger

Full Force

With Love from Our Friends

Legacy

R&B

Undeniably nostalgic but armed with mostly new material, the group is joined by over 30 guests who range from Roxanne Shanté to Shanice.

— Andy Kellman

Johnny Aries

Unbloomed

Frenchkiss Records

Pop/Rock

Debut album by leader of Two Wounded Birds adds some '80s colors to the gloomy twang of his previous band's sound.

— Tim Sendra

Cymbals Eat Guitars

Lose

Barsuk

Pop/Rock

Third album from this '90s-modeled indie act finds the band dabbling with new and varied stylistic approaches.

— Fred Thomas

Dry the River

Alarms in the Heart

PIAS / Transgressive

Pop/Rock

The effusive London quartet finds the sweet spot between Stornoway and the Killers.

— James Christopher Monger

Floating Action

Body Questions

New West

Pop/Rock

Nerdy but potent R&B and reggae grooves inform this indie rock charmer from Seth Kauffman.

— Mark Deming

Motel Beds

These Are the Days Gone By

Misra

Pop/Rock

Dayton indie rockers Motel Beds offer a refresher course in their breezy, eternally sunny indie rock with a remastered retrospective of their increasingly prolific discography.

— Gregory Heaney

American Young

American Young

Curb

Country

The debut EP by the contemporary country duo of Jon Stone and Kristy Osmunson offers a previously released hit single and five new cuts.

— Thom Jurek

Annie Eve

Sunday '91

RED Music Solutions

Pop/Rock

The North London songstress delivers a textural and melancholic debut full of rainy-day woe.

— Timothy Monger

Shovels & Rope

Swimmin' Time

Dualtone Music

Pop/Rock

Familiar themes and sounds are redeemed by excellent execution from this Americana duo.

— Mark Deming

Stefano Bollani

Joy in Spite of Everything

ECM

Jazz

Using his decade-long trio and special guests Mark Turner and Bill Frisell, the Italian pianist delivers an excellent collection of colorful new material.

— Thom Jurek

SW/MM/NG

Feel Not Bad

Old Flame Records

Pop/Rock

Warm, trouble-free guitar pop in the key of summer from this dreamy Arkansas indie quintet.

— Timothy Monger

Kristian Bell / Gianni Honey / Dan Rumsey / The Wytches

Annabel Dream Reader

Partisan

Pop/Rock

U.K. band conjures up a web of spooky, '60s-inspired sounds and stories, though the results aren't always consistent.

— Mark Deming

John Cowan

Sixty

Compass / Compass Records

Country, Folk

Cowan's voice and vision are the silver thread and golden needle that hold this fine set together.

— Steve Leggett

Dwarves

The Dwarves Invented Rock & Roll

Burger Records

Pop/Rock

Sex, drugs, and criminal behavior played for laughs from these agile, professional punk reprobates.

— Mark Deming

Ben Chisholm / Kevin Dockter / Addison Quarles / Drew Walker / Chelsea Wolfe

Apokalypsis

Sargent House

Pop/Rock

Wolfe brings more nuance and depth to her doom-folk with a set of songs incorporating blues, punk, and more.

— Heather Phares

Chelsea Wolfe

The Grime and the Glow

Sargent House

Pop/Rock

The doom-folk songstress' lo-fi debut features some of her most haunting and challenging songs.

— Heather Phares

White Hills

Glitter Glamour Atrocity

White Hills

Pop/Rock

White Hills' mind-bending, hard-to-find third album finally gets a wide release thanks to Thrill Jockey.

— Gregory Heaney

The Time & Space Machine

The Way Out Sound from In

Ample Play

Pop/Rock

Tripped-out collection of remixes of modern psych pop tracks by Richard Norris, best known as half of the Grid.

— Tim Sendra

The Griswolds

Be Impressive

Wind-Up

Pop/Rock

The Australian group's debut is a flashing neon billboard of '80s-inspired pop, packaged for the world to hear.

— Timothy Monger

Khatia Buniatishvili

Motherland

Sony Classical

Classical

Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili inspires feelings of yearning and quiet reflection in her 2014 Sony release, Motherland.

— Blair Sanderson

Joanna Strzelecka-Orlowska

Fanny Hensel: The Year in Italy

Dux Records

Classical

Recommended for those interested in the Mendelssohn circle, in music by women, or simply in the early Romantic mind in general.

— James Manheim

Howard Shelley

Mendelssohn: The Complete Solo Piano Music, Vol. 2

Hyperion

Classical

This release is a must for Mendelssohn lovers, bringing together many pieces that are rarely heard in a convincing program.

— James Manheim

Wiener Philharmoniker / Christoph Eschenbach / Lang Lang

Sommernachtskonzert (Summer Night Concert) 2014

Sony Classical

Classical

For this 2014 Sony release, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra presents its annual Summer Night Concert, featuring Romantic showpieces.

— Blair Sanderson

Gustavo Dudamel / Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela

The Liberator (Libertador) [Original Soundtrack]

Deutsche Grammophon

Stage & Screen, Classical

Gustavo Dudamel scored the epic music for the Simón Bolívar biopic, which he conducts on this 2014 Deutsche Grammophon release.

— Blair Sanderson

George Petrou / Armonia Atenea

Beethoven: Prometheus

Decca

Classical

This is an unusually exciting reading of this work and adds a recommended fresh addition to the Beethoven literature.

— James Manheim

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