Editors' Choice for June 2009

Combines some of Ada's original productions, remixes for other artists, and remixes of her own tracks.

— Dave Shim

A cross-cultural melange that imagines itself somewhere back in the medieval times of Andalusia.

— Richard Mortifoglio

Mix of breezy pop and creatively layered instrumental hip-hop that sits comfortably between a couple of other Warp residents, Grizzly Bear and Flying Lotus.

— Dave Shim

Available in multiple editions, this deluxe package of live recordings, remixes, videos, and more highlights the power and precision of Björk's Volta tour.

— Rovi Staff

An album that highlights Paisley's uncanny knack for capturing the casual contemporary details of American life.

— Pemberton Roach

Sets aside the lovably boxy pop of 2006's WOW TWIST and channels their 8-bit charm into a harder-edged, more percussive sound.

— Dave Shim

A muscular, melodic monster that stands among the best albums the band has made

With infectious melodies and an expanded vocabulary, the Brit indie popper's sophomore album pushes second-wave Brit-pop sensibilities into a whole new sonic realm.

— Rovi Staff

Daubed in washes of reverb and delay, the reinterpretations intensify the bass and inject a sense of space into the arrangements.

— Dave Shim

Adventurous Welsh punk band with gallows humor and tight rhythms

The first-ever disc to gather songs from George's stints at both Apple and Dark Horse.

A fully-formed collection encompassing everything from his late-‘90s instrumentals for the Ummah collective to works put together during his final days in a hospital bed.

— Dave Shim

Favoring his humorous side, this 28-track compilation serves up more prime Jerry Reed than any other CD, offering all the classics in chronological order.

— Rovi Staff

Band legend's second solo masterpiece of the '00s--a rustic sampler featuring all-stars from his weekly Midnight Rambles.

— Patrick Sullivan

Debut full-length from catchy Swedish indie pop post-punkers.

— Nate Knaebel

Maino speaks to the soul-crushing joylessness of prison and what an important role pride plays in his life.

— David Jeffries

Debut slab from 2009 by Diplo & Switch dancehall side project featuring nifty origin myth and guest stars-a-plenty.

— Jason Thurston

Mos Def returns on a smooth 2009 record, a return to the effortless form of his 1999 debut.

— Jason Thurston

MURDERING OSCAR shows him stepping into an equally impressive solo career.

— Mark Deming

Folk-rock perfection from the dBs/MAVERICKS duo.

— Paula Carino

R.E.M.'s second album and a wonderful example of what made them a classic American band.

Stewart exchanging the folk and blues of some of his past work for some brash saxophones and jumpy R&B-tinged rhythms.

— Pemberton Roach

The album provides 70 minutes of 2009's most challenging, sonically adventurous music.

— Andy Kellman

Revitalized and limbered by the move back to an indie, the album is a welcome return to a familiar, back-to-basics approach.

— Dave Shim

State-of-the-art California trash-pop buffed to such a high shine that it almost feels subversive.

— Dave Shim

Completes the circle on all of her past influences, from southern soul and jazz to classic funk and hip-hop.

— Dave Shim

Propulsive drums, twangling basslines, crisply strummed rhythm guitar, and the plangent lead guitar form the backdrop for Robert Scott's autumnal songs.

— Dave Shim

Sounding British but hailing from Chicago, the Horse's Ha deliver purposefully literary lyrics with tense and sultry vocal harmonies over languid yet urgent rhythms.

— Rovi Staff

This strange covers album is one of the Lemonheads' best, perched between weathered country-rock and ragged formlessness with a thick layer of psychedelic haze.

— Rovi Staff

Excellent collection of warmly atmospheric roots and folk songs from the Providence trio.

— Nate Knaebel

Charts a different direction for the group, and proves they don't need to shuttle between dynamic extremes in order to succeed on an artistic level.

— Dave Shim

This triple-disc set has everything from the Marvelettes' prime 1961-1965 period, when they rivaled the Supremes as Motown's greatest girl group.

— Rovi Staff

Sparks never, ever compromises the sophistication or humor Brandwein put into his compositions.

— Dave Shim

Reveals a band that is just as fascinated with sound--and just as intrigued by its myriad possibilities--as they were when they debuted in 1993.

— Dave Shim

Energetic, retro-sounding album that builds and expands upon the tight, focused, song-based approach of SKY BLUE SKY.

— Pemberton Roach