"Let's Get Out Of This Country". It's no wonder Camera Obscura are often mentioned in the same sentences as fellow Scots Belle & Sebastian, indie rock faves The Lucksmiths, and music legends The Smiths  (less)

s recordings. The Best of Joshua Bell: The Decca Years is a conceptual release, with each disc having a theme to its repertoire: The Concertos, Sonatas & Chamber Music, and Favorites! The perfect collection for any time! Featuring Masterpieces by Brahms, Mozart, Massenet, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Wieniawski, Fauré, Kreisler, and more! Joshua Bell is a living legend, having created more than 30 albums during the course of his career. Since making his concerto debut at the tender age of fourteen with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Bell has established himself as one of the few great classical stars of the modern age.  (less)

stadium-filling appeal. But their recorded output wasn't quite so rosy. As all post- Dark Side of the Moon albums must have a Big Important Theme, The Division Bell is vaguely about levels of separation (did you say, duh!?), with more than one not-so-opaque lyrical jab at the estranged Waters. But there's a sense that the band may have put more thought into its trademark audio gimmickry (well represented here by the actual sound of the earth's crust cracking--you don't get that on Rage Against the Machine albums!--and a "spoken" intro by Dr. Stephen Hawking, or rather his voice synthesizer) than it did into its songs this time around. The opening "Cluster One" has a hypnotic minimalist lure that dissolves all too quickly into the bluesy waffle of "Wha...  (less)

of Los Angeles, MoZella is on the cusp of releasing her sophomore album on Universal/Motown Records. Armed with nothing but her guitar, the blonde troubadour set out for the West Coast immediately after graduating from high school to pursue her music career. When things didn't develop as quickly as she had hoped, MoZella found herself decorating cakes by day and performing in coffee shops at night. All her hard work eventually paid off, as she was signed to Madonna's Maverick Records in 2004. Following her Warner/Maverick debut in 2006, MoZella toured the U.S. with the Dave Matthews Band, Lifehouse, Five For Fighting, Daniel Powter, Michelle Branch, and Colbie Caillat. About this time, MoZella's single "Amnesia" ch...  (less)

"Let's Get Out Of This Country". It's no wonder Camera Obscura are often mentioned in the same sentences as fellow Scots Belle & Sebastian, indie rock faves The Lucksmiths, and music legends The Smiths.  (less)

genre of music. Featuring some of America's primary female vocalists, from pop to jazz, this rich, 14-track sampler seldom disappoints. There's Ella Fitzgerald's lovably upbeat "Sleigh Ride," and Judy Garland's romantically melancholy "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," seemingly written just for her. There is so much enjoyable singing on Christmas Belles , in fact, that by the time you reach Sarah Vaughan's lushly orchestrated "Snowbound," you're left wanting to hear more and more from these timeless beauties. --Martin Keller  (less)

downs in his career. When he gets his work down on record, though, the results are more than worth hearing. Bell has a sure, deft touch on the guitar; ripples of notes seem to fall effortlessly from his fingers, whether he's tackling the upbeat and attitudinal ("Wicked Hearted Woman," "Don't Ask Me Why") or the slow and sensual ("Blues and Black Coffee," "After Hours"). And he's a more-than-capable songwriter, as well. With Bell, what will happen next is always an open question, but one can only hope he'll turn out more work like this. -- Genevieve Williams  (less)

little folk and a bit rock, a little country, some blues and jazz. Bell's life is also the stuff of legend: Driving home after a recording session a drunk driver broadsided his car and he suffered broken bones, a mangled right arm and a severe traumatic brain injury. His death notice appeared in the paper. Awaking from a coma a month later, Bell embarked on a courageous, decade-long journey to re-claim his identity, his music and his career. Recado is a meaningful reflection on life from Bell's unique perspective, with hope and human dignity in its core. He knows a thing or two about both.  (less)

stadium-filling appeal. But their recorded output wasn't quite so rosy. As all post- Dark Side of the Moon albums must have a Big Important Theme, The Division Bell is vaguely about levels of separation (did you say, duh!?), with more than one not-so-opaque lyrical jab at the estranged Waters. But there's a sense that the band may have put more thought into its trademark audio gimmickry (well represented here by the actual sound of the earth's crust cracking--you don't get that on Rage Against the Machine albums!--and a "spoken" intro by Dr. Stephen Hawking, or rather his voice synthesizer) than it did into its songs this time around. The opening "Cluster One" has a hypnotic minimalist lure that dissolves all too quickly into the bluesy waffle of "Wha...  (less)

Cake Sale and two special tracks including a Chicken Lips remix of 'Flame'. With hooks galore amid a tapestry of moody, introspective nuances, Bell X1 are at the forefront of the thriving Irish music frenzy. The quintet of rockers has seen four songs simultaneously chart in the Irish Top 20 and the album, Flock, has since gone 5-times platinum. Bell X1 was formed when original band Juniper split upon the exit of Damien Rice for a successful solo career. The remaining members continued on to release their first album Neither Am I to rave reviews in the UK press. 11 tracks. Yep Roc Records.  (less)

Williams, and Nate "Danja" Hills. Hard Candy punctuates the first 25 years of the album career of the most successful female artist in history with a musical exclamation point. 12 tracks..  (less)

awarded and one that helped make him the best-selling gospel artist of all time. But Franklin has once again shifted his musical landscape. Hero is a lengthy and revealing masterpiece unparalleled in Christian music. The Dallas native has crafted his own musical tapestry masterfully combining elements of 70s era soul, classic Gospel, and contemporary urban hip-hop. Hero is full of admissions of struggle and challenges but Franklin always weaves a message of hope and encouragement to take the focus off the negative. You want in-your-face confession? Try not to be moved while listening to Franklin laying sins down on the table like cards in "Let It Go" or Franklin teaming with Marvin Winans in the soul-shaking, roof-raising "Brokenhearted." The title t...  (less)