Hype for the Strokes is well deserved--it's hard to imagine a more vital American rock band.

This is a record that will certainly find its way into the clubs and on to "best of" lists as the year goes on.

The most introspective and slow-tempo collection in Björk's catalog, "Vespertine" proves to be a rousing showcase of her captivating vocal talent.

As unhurried and sonically majestic a slab as Low has ever produced.

Some of the best music he's created since his release from prison on drug charges nearly six years ago.

By delivering pert '60s-esue pop numbers with a twangy drawl, and by playing rockabilly riffs on torchy blues odes, Jack and Meg balance their divergent influences well.

Spoon is the best British band to come out of Austin, Texas.

Much of the Painters’ power stems from Kozelek’s arresting voice, which meets its deep, moody match in the band’s exquisite renderings of rootsy gothic grace.

Part torch song, part Broadway, part cabaret, "Poses" is as theatrical as its animated creator is in performance.

The music that Bragg and Wilco have wrapped around the exquisite 15 sets of Guthrie lyrics is much more mature, cohesive and layered than its predecessor.

An accessible, if far from revolutionary, work.

His loving treatment of these 16 tunes (counting one hidden track) is testament to both the rich legacy of American music and Alvin's own reverence for things past.

A 12-song collection of ear candy so sweet as to give many listeners a toothache.

Smith's talent lays in his ability, like Tom Waits, to create a surreal landscape populated by crafty guitar and piano work and a haunting, layered voice that climbs cheek to cheek with his instruments to create something unheard of today.

Teetering between darkness and light, Hersh's somersaults have never been more compelling.

Carpenter delivers a batch of reassuring songs -- about confidence in yourself and the world -- making you wish she'd check in a bit more often.

Ultimately, the record is kept from wonderfulness by too much drowsy material--it lacks [Neil] Young's screwball conviction or the hallucinogenic intensity of the VU.

Not only does Marshall make each of the album's dozen songs her own, but she leaves you straining to recognize the original in what she's marvelously reconfigured.

Sexsmith's gorgeous vocals and refined songwriting shine through.

The real standouts here, though, are the ballads. With "I Deserve It" and "Gone," the legacy of the corporeal and spiritual Madonna lays down amid the simplicity of basic percussive beats and acoustic guitar.

Slayer remains an elemental metal band, continuing to surge on something high-grade and uncut.

Songwriter Doug Martsch again succeeds in striking an impressive balance between guitar-saturated bombast and impeccable melodic taste.

The results on "Solitary Man" are mixed, leaning at times to inadvertent novelty.

The band nearly succeeds in messing with your head. However, front man Courtney Taylor's hamming like Jagger on "Bohemian Like You" and the country schlock of "Country Leaver" are definite buzzkills.

The band neither succeeds wildly nor fails. There are only a few reminders of the lackluster dance sounds in its recent work... Otherwise, what dominates are the straight-ahead rhythms that drove the early days.

Track after solid track, "Motherland" is a collection of pure, soulful offerings.

Suggests Kraftwerk crashing a party at the Playboy Mansion.

"Gold" proves that Ryan Adams is capable of blending a myriad of styles and influences.