Editors' Choice for February 2009

Conrad Keely and co. unleash an arsenal of searing melodies, dense and doomy riffs, theatrical synths, and masterful production

— Kenneth Herzog

Wilkinson's flair for hazy atmospheres remains strong on Vignetting the Compost, which presents some of his folk-meets-electronica project's most varied and immediate work.

— Rovi Staff

Maintains the perfect balance between greatest-hits anthology and collectors' set.

— Jim Allen

Debut solo album by one half of the Akron, Ohio blues-rock duo the Black Keys.

— Charity Stafford

Death were unique for their undeniable musical virtuosity and uncompromisingly radical political stance.

— James Steiner

The San Antonio, Texas-based producer whips up an astonishing Latin-flavored synthesis of disparate elements with his sample-based instrumental hip-hop vignettes.

— Rovi Staff

DECENT WORK FOR DECENT PAY collects the artist’s remix work for acts such as Daft Punk, Bloc Party, Kano, and M.I.A.

— Anthony Tognazzini

Shining a spotlight on a period in the country icon's career that may not get as much attention as it should.

— Jim Allen

It's wild-and-woolly jazz with the emphasis on spontaneous group interaction and improvisation.

— Mark Keresman

Equally conversant with Detroit garage-punk, deep soul, and American roots music.

— Jim Allen

Oklahoma blues rock legend releases his first solo album in nearly five years.

— Charity Stafford

Second album by former Drive-By Truckers guitarist is as good as modern southern rock gets

— Charity Stafford

Lewis' prime piano-pounding cuts are at the epicenter of rock history.

— Jim Allen

Two-disc retrospective of Memphis one man band R&B figure Joe Hill Louis.

— Nate Knaebel

Featuring Sun Records hits from 1955-1958, this 24-track collection proves the Man in Black always played music his way, even early in his career.

— Rovi Staff

LAST NIGHT THE MOON… is nothing startlingly different from his other discs yet it's a beautiful refinement and expansion of his approach.

— Mark Keresman

IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU is the highly anticipated sophomore outing by British pop star Lily Allen.

— Eric Schneider

HOLD TIME recycles blues, folk, and country with a forward-thinking sensibility, then filters it through a vintage, dreamy shimmer.

— Anthony Tognazzini

Originally released as two vinyl-only albums, Madlib’s 42-track tribute to his fallen friend J. Dilla appears on CD.

— Matt Rinaldi

TELL IT TO THE VOLCANO is the first studio album by the indie-pop band Miniature Tigers.

— Eric Schneider

Like the preceding RINGLEADER OF THE TORMENTORS, 2009's YEARS OF REFUSAL finds the ex-Smiths singer in fine form.

— Eric Schneider

Rodriquez’s soundtrack to the same-titled film THE FIRST BASKET, a documentary film about the ethnic origins of the NBA.

— Mark Keresman

A combination of left-field but gorgeous hooks, full-blooded vocal perfomances, and shiny production conspire to dazzle and intrigue.

— Paula Carino

Studio wiz Ronnie McNeir's one and only album for RCA

— Andy Kellman

This 2009 album is the long-awaited full-length debut by R&B performer Ryan Leslie.

— Eric Schneider

Immaculately produced glitchtronica that shoehorns snippets of modern R&B and ambient electronica into a skeleton of complex, IDM-styled drum programming.

— Dave Shim

A set comprised completely of covers and featuring the rock vocals of singer Wendy Lewis.

— Anthony Tognazzini

For a double-disc, audio/video comedy collection, there are shockingly few moments without laughter.

— Kenneth Herzog

With its top-notch mastering, few compilations covering the Sir Douglas Quintet's early years sound as good or as complete as this.

— Rovi Staff