Antony and the Johnson's Cut the World is a bracing, beautifully arranged live document recorded with a symphony orchestra.
A candy-coated trippy treat, Bubblegum Graveyard captures the raw rocking and red-eyed, acid-damaged vibes of '60s psych and garage.
Mature Themes is more focused than Pink's previous work, but he's still as fascinating and multi-layered as ever.
Life Is People, Bill Fay's first recording in 41 years, is not a comeback album, but a continuation of the work of a master.
Bloc Party return from their lengthy hiatus with a revitalized feel and a surprisingly heavy set of songs.
Consistently catchy, this album featuring members of Spoon, New Bomb Turks, and Wolf Parade is far too natural-sounding to be the work of a supergroup.
A typically fine album from the underappreciated artist, this one features a more pronounced '80s touch, from 1980-1981 jazz-R&B to 1982-1983 electro-funk.
The young but mature R&B singer, songwriter, and producer's contemporaries -- as well as her individuality -- are clear on this impressive debut.
Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra deliver the seven Sibelius symphonies with extraordinary musicality and sound quality.
Camilo Lara's Mexican Institute of Sound comes up with the perfect social consciousness and frenzied dance party music on Politico.
Yorkston's first album of self-penned material in four years is a pensive but life-affirming collection of idiosyncratic, folk-tinged songs.
En Yay Sah, by Sierra Leone's Janka Nabay and his Brooklyn-bred Bubu Gang, is an infectious party album, ancient to the future.
Inspired grooves and instrumental firepower and inspiration are amply displayed on Marcus Miller's Renaissance.
Leading the Boston Baroque, Martin Pearlman puts his stamp of authenticity on this period performance of Haydn's Die Schöpfung.
Matthew Dear's fifth album sounds as if it was recorded with cutting-edge means in a squalid bunker beneath scuzzy streets.
Nelson Freire serves up a generous program of colorful and evocative piano works by his compatriots on Brasileiro.
The Swedish duo's debut shows their masterful grasp of synth-pop that spans Kate Bush-like wonder to the Knife's dancefloor moves.
Nude Beach's undeniably fun II blends classic rock, power pop, and punk for the perfect BBQ, road trip, or bar night soundtrack.
With Sundowning, Nü Sensae throw punk, grunge, and riot grrrl into the pit, whipping up a fist-pumping fury you won't soon want to forget.
Ex-Mint Chicks frontman returns with a pleasantly weird slice of tuneful and imaginative psych-pop, with vocal assistance from New Zealand legend Bic Runga.
Roxy Music's complete studio recordings -- eight albums and two discs of rarities -- are given an elegant reissue in this handsome box set.
Paul Meyer delivers graceful performances of Louis Spohr's complete clarinet concertos and draws much needed attention to this overlooked master.
Redd Kross' first album after a 15-year break crackles with energy and delivers nothing but supremely hooky power pop nuggets.
Enlisting the help of his Comets on Fire bandmates, Ben Chasney takes a turn toward high-powered, face-melting jams infused with his own spacy psychedelic visions.
Stagnant Pools' debut album is basement-crafted gloomy (but catchy) shoegaze-y noise pop equally in debt to Joy Division and the Strokes.
Tracer shows Teengirl Fantasy can do nearly as much with restraint and clarity as they did with hazy sensuality.
For every blues-rock, crotch-thrusting groove on Hot Cakes, there are just as many sparkling, sugar-coated melodies that light up the happy place in your brain.
On the last of four classic '70s albums, these Afro-beat singers' unique approach to pop music makes for a magical collection of solid grooves.
Between the Ditches represents a sort of refinement for the Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band in the studio, but only sort of....
The chamber choir Tonus Peregrinus delivers exceptionally fine performances of English Renaissance polyphonic music and plainchant.
On his fifth album, Trey Songz balances parody-proof club hedonism with the most convincing balladry of his career.
This collection of "lost gems" swings from teenage melodrama to Bacharach-modeled lounginess, all obscure enough to satisfy the most studied girl group fan.
Wild Nothing's second album is much slicker and layered, but the sophistication of the sound matches that of the songs and performances.