At least until that new Coldplay record drops, the Kaiser Chiefs have positioned themselves to hold the title of Baddest Musicians in the World With a British Return Address.

Seven years after breaking out of Sweden's eternal garage-revival scene, this color-coordinated quintet has somehow created its liveliest, most playable album.

Returns to hip-hop basics.

A dreamy gem steeped in the tradition of '90s shoegazer rock.

Indeed, "Awake" is Lee's strongest album in years; so good that you can even forgive the Har Mar Superstar cameo.

While the batch he's cooked up on his the latest LP... stays true to the songwriting formula that has gained him over a decade of accolades, "Bright Ideas" does, in fact, find McCaughan at his most sonically expansive to date.

Revels in dirty guitars and fuzzy distortion while maintaining Depeche Mode's familiar electronic sound. [22 Oct 2005]

Vast in scope, rich in trope and full of hope. [25 Nov 2006]

The latest from this genre-bending Welsh band is largely a smoothed-out pop record, reining in some of Super Furry Animals' more left-field tendencies and tenderly nurturing the catchy, chart-friendly hooks of Gruff Rhys and company.

Kasey Chambers has created a series of stirring, passionate songs that capture raw emotion and a simultaneous toughness amidst a blend of country, blues, and folk musical influences.

A fantastically colorful and original effort. [5 May 2007]

Vedder effectively conjures the endless possibilities of the open road with sparse, never morose, tracks.

Joni Mitchell's first album of new material in nearly 10 years is a return to the form that made her a star.

A 62-page book and new vinyl pressing complete the package for the audiophiles and superfans, but the real value is in the album itself, an important piece of the history of a seminal '90s band.

With its cuteness and shimmying pace, the opener 'Oh No' gets your seat in the chair, while the other tracks keep you there.

Electronic music duo the Crystal Method hasn't lost its flair for funk and style as found on the act's debut release, "Vegas."

Tropical Storm should be the album that blows away fans and critics alike.

While her first effort overall carried a darker, somber tone, "It's Me Again" finds a more self-satisfied and confident Tweet embarking on a new chapter in her life, one where her brightened outlook overrides the bad and moves forward.

Malakian and SOAD drummer John Dolmayan have indeed brought something new for their fans to love--and perhaps even for non-fans as well, given the more direct and accessible nature of Scars' music.

Whether it is described as danceable rock, rock-infused dance or sinister Britpop, Kasabian has made an excellent debut album.

The strong stories that Keys spins are complemented by deft musical arrangements that integrate more rock and pop into her enriched old-school vibe.

On "The Mirror Conspiracy," the duo fine-tunes its deft merging of all things dub, electronica, and bossa nova, creating sweet and savory tracks...

RJ's solo work transcends hip-hop boundaries, and at its peak moments, is better described as much closer to soul.

Far and away the group's most determined work of its 15-year career.

Easily the most likable and listenable jazz album of 2007. [12 May 2007]

The best part of Sparro is that he's not just multiplying old styles by new sounds. Dressed like a raver B-boy, switching between Rufus Wainwright and D'Angelo, the boy's not faking it.

The upgraded melodic sense makes CSS stand out from all the other electropop bands that sound like Liquid Liquid and can turn a smutty lyric.

All for You overflows with Parliament-etched funky beats, orchestral disco flourishes, and rich bursts of sensuality.

It's prototypical Warped tour rock - but, to be fair, at the top level of that particular realm, with thoughtful lyrics and tightly crafted guitar arrangements.

Overall, the material feels more human, more honest, more assured.

Pitbull's signature combination of clever, in-your-face Spanglish lyrics and frenetic dance beats is at its best on this album, where he plays to his less excessively crude sensibilities.

By tossing some horns and a variety of dark basslines into the mix, the U.K. quintet creates intense, unique songs that are more than a sum of their influences.

Yearwood can pack more feeling into one line of a song than most artists can on an entire album, and the material on "Jasper County" gives her plenty of opportunity to work her magic. [17 Sep 2005]

Hatfield does her moody, catchy indie-pop to near-perfection after so much practice (nine solo albums during the past 16 years), and entertaining examples abound here.

Less polish and more attitude are welcome changes that fire up the rock numbers and give them more snap. [8 Oct 2005]

An impressively creative hip-hop album that will hopefully inspire West's peers to try new sonic avenues.

The result is a flawless blend of sunny pop, Motown, blues and jazz with the cleanest production in Camera Obscura's catalog.

The propulsive 11-track Horehound finds the White Stripes and Raconteurs frontman every bit as able on the drums as he is on guitar.

One of the most shiny and potent--albeit melancholy--synth-pop albums of the year.

The 37-year-old singer/songwriter is a new mom in love with her daughter's dad, and the experience has saturated every element of her work, from the warmed-up sound of her voice and guitar, to the lessons learned at the end of her familiar narratives.

Kuti studied piano and revisited the trumpet, his original instrument, resulting in a more textured and jazz-influenced approach this time out.

While her introspection and understated approach bog things down at times, songs like "The Dreaming Road" and "King of Love" are finely crafted and often hauntingly beautiful.

A fascinating listen, a psychedelic journey through time and space, where vintage keyboards create a musical dream.

From the cheeky hip-hop of 'Konichiwa Bitches' and the warped bass underpinning her cover of Teddybears' 'Cobra Style' to the Kylie Minogue-esque 'With Every Heartbeat' and sweeping strings carrying 'Be Mine,' the album holds 14 sassy and sweet dance pop gems.

The group's rocket ride appears to have preserved its more appealingly eccentric tendencies: frontman Reggie Youngblood's ridiculous yelp of a singing voice, for instance, or Dawn Watley's ultra-cheesy synth lines, which quote pretty much every new wave hit of the '80s.

Though still short of career-defining, "Ms. Kelly" finds its author opening up more while welcoming the possibility that destiny may just find another star.

The musical doesn't begin production until 2010. The time lapse is confusing for listeners of the narrative, which focuses on a young woman named Eve. But Murdoch, who lends his vocals to two of the album's 14 tracks, plays his strengths as the man behind the music.

Longtime fans will find plenty to cherish on this very atmospheric and tuneful sortie.

Adventurous listeners are in for a treat.

Lucky is full of jangly little gems that could put a skip in the step of even the saddest of sacks.

Expertly tows the line between old-school hip-hop homage and forward-looking experimentation.

The backing tracks, brimming over with strings, guitars, vaguely Middle Eastern elements, and soundtrack snippets, are more musical than much hip-hop, proffering the perfect gateway to Aesop Rock's verbose world. Dig the dark sounds as you try to decipher the deep thoughts.

Emo kids will flock to German class when they hear the original version of 'Monsoon,' the band's biggest hit, which closes this strangely fascinating Euro-glam effort.

English songbird Polly Scattergood entrances, disturbs and impresses with her debut self-titled album.

I Created Disco feels renegade, and that's what makes it more than irresistibly fun synth-pop.

After taking care of some unfinished business in recent years, Brian Wilson shows he still has the stuff of conceptual brilliance on his eighth solo album.

On his third solo outing (and first for Columbia), songwriter/producer Raphael Saadiq takes the listener on a smooth carpet ride that seamlessly weaves the feel-good essence of soul music's storied roots.

Call Me Crazy, the follow-up to her highly lauded "There's More Where That Came From," is Womack's best album yet.

Frontman/lyricist Lillian Berlin urges his listeners to "take to the streets," if necessary, to enforce the will of the people. It's a heady manifesto, but Habeas Corpus never gets bogged down in rhetoric.

Highly cerebral, the visceral kick hits on the third or fourth play.

One would think the standard tension/release moments would get tiresome, but most of the album has an energy that makes you forget about anything that might seem redundant.

Randy Newman's shock-and-aw-shucks wit is so joyfully scathing at times on "Harps and Angels" that it's hard to believe it's been nine years since his last album of new material.

The combination of old-school melody and post-mod dissonance is risky, bold, and one of the most exciting releases of the year so far.

Taking pages out of some very strong playbooks (think Superchunk, Guided by Voices, early Wilco), the Whigs find a way to revive honest-to-goodness pop rock for a new generation.

The group may still rely on catchy vocal refrains, but the growth of Lazzara's songwriting has made its fourth effort a brisk, enjoyable outing.

Warpaint mines the same Allmans-to-Zappa synthesis of influences that's been the Crowes' stock in trade but finds the group fortified by sharp songwriting and lace-tight, live-sounding performances.

An aurally hypnotizing collection that is comparable to, if not better than, Endtroducing.

This is signature Erasure, and fans will find it pure delight. [26 May 2007]

It doesn't take anything away from his historical weirdness to say that None Shall Pass has some of his most understandable hip-hop to date, as long as you don't worry much about what he's trying to impart.

Buck keeps things relatively stripped down, embroidering vintage-sounding boom-bap beats with just enough detail to keep your ear engaged between his wordy verses, which he values far more than catchy choruses.

A must-hear recording rich with pleasantly surprising depth.

His fifth album puts the Dutchman in the company of the Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx and Paul Oakenfold: those rare dance producers who have the artistic fortitude to create a fully realized, addictive long-player.

Kweller shines apart from his identically named buddies [Ben Folds and Ben Lee] and proves his songwriting chops.

A revelatory, emotional listen from start to finish, "With the Lights Out" crystallizes Cobain's tortured genius.

Pretty much all John Darnielle's songs sound the same, but that sameness affords a remarkable consistency.

While it would have been interesting to hear a further evolution of the band's sound, the album offers plenty of adrenaline, pheromones and stealthy sophistication, thanks to Bob Hardy's driving bass, Alex Kapranos' expressive crooning and the band's unusual ability to make every song sound like a single.

This second solo album is so strong that a listening moves from why to why-not territory rather quickly.

Made to be played loud on a grand automobile sound system, "Origin Vol. I" is big fun.

Her first mainstream country album in years is an important reminder of the breadth of her singing and songwriting talents.

The dozen tracks on Hush" offer more in the way of tone and texture than they do melody and groove.

Those in the know can attest DF is merely coming into its own after years on the touring circuit.

The veteran artiste holds his ground on a collection that is sure to earn him the respect of not only his old fans but a new generation of listeners raised on sonic provocateurs like Beck, Nine Inch Nails, and Moby.

Saadiq's production is brimming with horns and seriously in-the-pocket rhythm sections, but there are also enough hip-hop touches and contemporary arrangements to keep the tracks in the now. [24 Mar 2007]

A collection of nourishing soundscapes, all of which are just as jagged and defiant as El-P's hip-hop work.

The 16-track set showcases Dilated's combination of intelligent lyrics and mind-blowing production.

Dedicated fans will be pleased with the results.

With a less confessional and more confrontational attitude, this long-gestating album has lost the tenderness found on "Tidal" and some of "When the Pawn . . .," but her execution still commands attention. [8 Oct 2005]

The epitome of a melancholy winter record.

The Oklahoma singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist raises eyebrows from the get-go on his 16th solo outing, dipping into jazz for the gently swinging 'Who Knew' and the self-effacing 'Former Me.'

Stringfellow is one of the most underrated songwriters of our generation, and while "Touched" may still remain his all-timer, "Soft Commands" could most definitely be considered his textbook.

Quick, breezy and fun.

The album is diverse and slows up where it should.

The result is an album of tremendous fullness: The sound is dense, the lyrics are complex, and the production is top-drawer.

Overall, it's a solid, unashamedly honest portrait.

The label's tendency toward bottom-heavy, fog-thick beats sounds awful nice under Del's syrupy brainiac flow, which goes back to his battle-rap basics here.

A wonderful disc. [3 Dec 2005]

Imagine the B-52's playing a wedding in Siberia and you'll have a loose idea of what's in store on these 14 tracks.

The latest batch of tunes definitely includes some keepers.