Rhiannon Giddens

You're the One

Nonesuch

Blues, Country, Folk

A smart, sophisticated variation on a crossover record by the Americana stalwart.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Jon Batiste

World Music Radio

Interscope / Verve

R&B, Jazz

The pianist and singer brings a heartfelt intimacy to his seventh album's message of healing and unity.

— Matt Collar

Sonic Youth

Live in Brooklyn 2011

Silver Current

Pop/Rock

The veteran band's final U.S. show captures their greatness with a gripping set centered on their earliest, noisiest days in the underground.

— Heather Phares

Osees

Intercepted Message

In the Red Records

Pop/Rock

John Dwyer and his bandmates plug in their vintage synthesizers and celebrate the era of Devo and the Screamers.

— Mark Deming

Cautious Clay

Karpeh

Blue Note

R&B

Joshua Karpeh's second album -- his first for Blue Note -- is a pronounced and fascinating deviation from his debut.

— Andy Kellman

Grace Potter

Mother Road

Fantasy

Pop/Rock

The rocker reconnects with her past with a bold, colorful roots rock record filled with funky rhythms and big hooks.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Tallest Man on Earth

Henry St.

Anti-

Pop/Rock

Recording with a band that encourages him to embrace his joy, the Swedish singer/songwriter discovers his jaunty side.

— Mark Deming

Joe Strummer / Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros

Live at Acton Town Hall

BMG / Dark Horse

Pop/Rock, Reggae

One of the final concerts from the Clash's fiery frontman gets an authorized release, straight from the soundboard.

— Mark Deming

Hozier

Unreal Unearth

Columbia

Pop/Rock

An ambitious and moody song cycle partially inspired by Dante's Inferno.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Shamir

Homo Anxietatem

Kill Rock Stars

Pop/Rock

Ranging from '90s-inspired alt-pop to Delta blues homages, the singer/songwriter's ninth album balances polish and deeply felt emotion.

— Heather Phares

Cass McCombs / Mr. Greg

Sing & Play New Folk Songs for Children

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Children's, Pop/Rock

20 stylistically freewheeling original songs for preschoolers, including socially conscious fare in the tradition of Ella Jenkins and Woody Guthrie.

— Marcy Donelson

Various Artists

March of the Flower Children: The American Sounds of 1967

Grapefruit

Pop/Rock

Four-hour-long compilation collects a spectrum of American psychedelic rock, acid folk, sunshine pop, and more from the year 1967.

— Fred Thomas

Glenda Collins

Baby It Hurts: The Holloway Road Sessions 1963-1966

Cherry Red

Pop/Rock

The pop vocalist's mid-'60s work with Joe Meek is examined on a set of alternate takes, demos, and unreleased tracks discovered in the producer's archive.

— Tim Sendra

Mapache

Swinging Stars

Innovative Leisure

Pop/Rock

The L.A. folk-rock duo's fifth LP is marked by the chemistry and individuality of its two counterparts.

— Timothy Monger

Bobby Rush

All My Love for You

Deep Rush Records / Deep Rush Visuals

R&B, Blues

An unusually amiable and sunny record by the reigning king of the blues.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Infinite River

Space Mirror

Birdman Records

Pop/Rock

Serene, meditative second effort from the Detroit-area drone rock supergroup.

— Paul Simpson

Diners

DOMINO

Bar Records / Bar/None Records / None

Pop/Rock

With Mo Troper producing, Blue Broderick dials up the energy on a short, sweet, infectious sixth LP that evokes acts like Big Star and Matthew Sweet.

— Marcy Donelson

Stephen Steinbrink

Disappearing Coin

Western Vinyl Records

Pop/Rock

The prolific indie pop songwriter and multi-instrumentalist crafts beautiful, bittersweet music out of disappointment.

— Mark Deming

Saioa Hernandez / Lester Lynch / Freddie De Tommaso / Marek Janowski / Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra

Verdi: Un ballo in maschera

PentaTone Classics

Classical

Studio recording of Verdi's tragicomic opera reveals a star in the making.

— James Manheim

Elgan Llyr Thomas / Iain Burnside / Craig Ogden

Unveiled

Delphian

Classical

An unusually cohesive song recital examining the male homosexual experience.

— James Manheim

Renaud Capuçon / Kit Armstrong

Mozart: Sonatas for Piano & Violin

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

Modern-instrument Mozart violin-and-piano sonatas capture the works' lively, experimental quality.

— James Manheim

Andrew Manze / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Vaughan Williams: Job - A Masque for Dancing; Old King Cole; The Running Set

Onyx Classics

Classical

A trio of Vaughan Williams ballets prove irresistible in this energetic reading.

— James Manheim

Onyx Brass

The Sun Is Free to Flow with the Sea

NMC

Classical

An anniversary release from this brass ensemble shows the depth and variety of its interaction with contemporary composers.

— James Manheim

Hilary Hahn

Eugène Ysaÿe: Six Sonatas for Violin Solo Op. 27

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical

Brilliant, knife's-edge treatments of Ysaÿe's six virtuoso sonatas also delve into the traditions they represent.

— James Manheim

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