slice of modern life rolled into two very different records, both bursting with all the heartfelt poetry for which Bright Eyes' records have earned their acclaim. Of course, the rough edges haven't gone away - the palpitation of a splintering note, the crack of a voice as it overextends, the clumsy thump of a misplaced thumb. It's all still there. But there's a glorious new level of depth, a maturation of texture, writing and delivery. His best work yet.  (less)

making his own brand of expressive soul music. The Way I See It has the kind of smooth musical flow associated with great records made by pioneering producers at famous R&B companies like Motown, Invictus and Brunswick. From the foot-tapping opening track, "Sure Hope You Mean It" to the head-shaking reflective closer "Sometimes," Raphael delivers a present day potent ode to a bygone era. Loyal Tony! Toni! Toné! fans will particularly appreciate "100 Yard Dash," which Raphael describes as "a juke joint, Booker T.-type groove. I reflected back to my first T!T!T! albums when I was singing in a high tenor voice." Raphael grins when talking about the hypnotic "Love That Girl": "Man, that's all about the swing...the way girls swing their hips! It's the type of song that w...  (less)

Armchair Apocrypha. Now he stands poised with this new record, which he spent most of 2008 working on. 14 tracks.  (less)

five Grammy Awards.  (less)

princess...next big thing" - Spin. "Santi White is Santogold...the collaborators and players may change, the sounds may shift, but at the center is one woman's indelible vision" - The Fader. SXSW / Coachella shows, 2007 tours with Bjork, M.I.A., songs featured in Entourage, Grey's Anatomy, Grand Theft Auto.  (less)

Drakoulias (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Black Crowes, Jayhawks) it also features performances by Derek Trucks (who also produced 1 track), Gary Louris and Doyle Bramhall II. Tedeschi's Verve Forecast debut, Hope and Desire, focused on her amazing vocal talents as an interpreter of other's songs. This time out she turns her pen, guitar and powerful voice to her own work having written or co-written all but one song.  (less)

accomplished indie film and TV actor, and (mostly) wait for the pop music tides to turn in your favor again. But JBJ and guitarist/collaborator Richie Sambora didn’t let their band’s lukewarm ‘90s fortunes dampen their knack for hook-savvy songcraft, as this muscular anthem-fest argues at virtually every turn. BJ’s songs here may be as infectious as ever, yet they’re seldom mere confections, often infused with alternating doses of bracing cynicism (the title track’s sarcastic riposte to the ’04 election) and reflective, often bittersweet takes on histories both personal and otherwise. If it sometimes stoops to formula--the droning, metallic ethos of the obligatory big ballad "I Am" can’t overcome some equally pe...  (less)

spectacular success on O Brother, Where Art Thou? ), the septuagenarian legend and his unlikely contemporary foil affectionately court a dozen songs from the Louis Armstrong repertoire with the warmth and natural grace that have been a deceptively effortless Bennett trademark for 50-plus years. The pair kick proceedings off with a playful, irony-free "Exactly Like You," then perform a tender vocal waltz across both the ages and the masterful, sympathetic orchestrations of the late Peter Matz, one of Bennett's longtime collaborators. But it's on the more melancholy performances, like "If We Never Meet Again," "I'm Confessin'," and the Armstrong perennials "Wonderful World" and "Lucky Old Sun," that the pair tap into something akin to...  (less)

release of the Four Songs EP, which led to appearances in Garden State and on the The O.C. . Even arranger Van Dyke Parks (Tim Buckley, Harry Nilsson) became a fan, praising his "imaginative chords." Fortunately, Murdoch's self-produced full-length lives up to that early promise. The Nick Drake-inspired "Breathe" and "Orange Sky" are likely to be familiar to most listeners. Another standout is "Home," which shakes up his folky formula with feedback and trip-hop beats. If Time Without Consequence has a fault, it's simply that Murdoch sounds remarkably like fellow Drake devotee José González (right down to his spare finger-picking style). One singer-songwriter is from Scotland (by way of England and Greece), the other from Sweden (by way of Argentina), so it seems un...  (less)

their own made-up "Hopelandic" (not that this listener could tell the difference) is relentlessly joyous, unaffectedly rad and inventive but never just for its own sake. Strings hold an ever more prominent place in the music, and this is a good thing. Songs unfold slowly as usual, but they take unexpected turns as often as not. The brilliant "Glósóli" burbles with as much melodic invention and anything by their fellow Icelanders Mum. Takk is a delight from start to finish, managing to be both their most accessible and experimental album yet. --Mike McGonigal  (less)

at the Orange Lounge ('Everything Back But You', 'Girlfriend', 'Hot' and ' When You're Gone') plus three music videos ('Girlfriend', 'When You're Gone' and 'Hot'. Sony/BMG. 2007.  (less)