Featuring basically the same lineup as the defunct Chicago band Red Red Meat, Califone makes their Thrill Jockey debut with this mix of country, blues, folk, and electronic elements.

The New York-based indie-pop band, led by Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood, returns with a long-awaited third LP.

The Tucson, Arizona-based duo of Joey Burns and John Convertino return with their fourth full-length album.

This five-song album is the second release from the Austin, Texas instrumental quartet known for their fierce live shows.

The experimental collage artists combine samples, vocals (courtesy of Anne Doerner) and acoustic instrumentation on this second release.

Diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2002, veteran singer-songwriter Warren Zevon decided to record one final album. This 11-track effort includes contributions from numerous Zevon friends, including Ry Cooder, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Tom Petty, and Dwight Yoakam.

On his latest release, Bill Frisell takes an international approach to American folk music, assembling a cosmopolitan group of musicians that includes Malian vocalist/percussionist Sidiki Camara, Brazilian guitarist Vinicius Cantuaria, and Greece's Christos Govetas.

This Gainesville, Fla.-based five-piece band, which mixes indie rock and alt-country with a bit of electronica, features John Orth, who also appeared on the 2002 release by the Modest Mouse side project Ugly Casanova. Brian Deck produces.

Not quite the return to the "rock" side of Radiohead as originally believed (although pretty close), the band's sixth album (produced again by Nigel Godrich) retains some of the experimental electronica elements of its predecessors Kid A and Amnesiac. Note that each of the tracks on the album has an alternate title, as does the album itself (aka 'The Gloaming').

Jason Molina rocks out a bit more on this latest offering, which finds the singer-songwriter backed by the same musicians on the 'Mi Sei Apparaso Come Un Fantasma' live album. Steve Albini produces, and to quote the official press release, "This is the first Songs: Ohia record with more than one song that could be played at a strip joint or monster truck show."

The former Clash leader was nearing completion of this fourth and final solo album when he died of a heart attack in 2002. It includes covers of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" (recorded without his backing band the Mescaleros) and Bobby Charles' "Before I Grow Too Old," as well as eight Strummer originals veering from reggae to rock.

Don't let the title fool you; the Glaswegian instrumental post-rockers are just as dour as ever on this fourth studio LP.

Recorded by Steve Albini, 'Run To Ruin' is the New York singer-songwriter's third LP. The Dirty Three's Jim White chips in on drums.

The indie rockers took four years to record this third album.

The third album for the house duo of Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton features contributions from Dizzee Rascal, Me'Shell NdegeOcello, JC Chasez and Siouxsie Sioux.

The husband and wife duo of Brett and Rennie Sparks return with their sixth CD of dark, country-tinged folk-rock.

This is the highly-anticipated debut LP for the New York art-punk trio, who have developed a fanbase and generated a great deal of publicity (not to mention a major-label deal) through a series of EPs and live performances.

A bit of a concept album (set as a play about sex and relationships), 'The Ugly Organ' is the Nebraska band's fourth LP, following 2000's acclaimed 'Domestica.'

Ted Leo, formerly of Chisel, returns with his fourth album of punk-influenced singer-songwriter indie-folk rock.

'Evening' represents Jones' first album of self-penned material in six years. The roster of guests includes Nels Cline, David Hidalgo, Grant Lee Phillips and Bill Frisell.

The fifth release from the Chicago-based outfit continue their foray into "modern classical" composition using acoustic instruments.

The Bay Area punk band returns with its first album in three years.

The unique singer-songwriter's 11th LP was produced by Mark Howard (Lucinda Williams).

'2' is the aptly-named second album for the Portland-based indie-pop quartet.

The hugely successful Brooklyn rapper worked with an A-list of producers (including Just Blaze, Kanye West, Aqua, Eminem, Rick Rubin and The Neptunes) on what he has stated will be the final release of his career. (Sure it will.)

The soundtrack to Sofia Coppola's second feature film includes the first new music in over ten years from My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields (who scored much of the film), new music from Air, and older tracks from Squarepusher, Jesus And Mary Chain, and Death In Vegas.

'Ghosts' marks the debut of the latest band from Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters). Filling out the lineup are RHP drummer Anthony Koutsos, American Music Club drummer Tim Mooney, and bassist Geoff Sanfield (Black Lab).

The Toronto, Canada-based quartet returns with a fourth LP of psychedelic post-rock instrumentals, divided, as the title suggests, into three movements.

The San Francisco group's fourth album is its darkest in mood so far, perhaps a result of several changes in band membership since 2001's 'The Coast Is Never Clear.'

This is the fourth album for the Washington-based indie group led by Ben Gibbard (also of the Postal Service) and Chris Walla.

If you can picture an explicitly gay version of the Polyphonic Spree recording church music, then you have a general idea of this unconventional debut album from Toronto, Canada's Hidden Cameras.

The legendary English band, now re-formed, reunited and reinvigorated, return with their first LP in over a dozen years, with a sound that recalls the punk energy of their 1970s albums while sounding completely modern. Note that 7 of the 11 tracks here are also found in some form on 2002's twin "Read & Burn" EPs.

The London-based band follow their singles collection ('Suburban Light') with this, their first true studio LP, which continues their hazy, 60s-influenced sound developed in those earlier songs.

Frontman of New York-based glam-rockers D Generation throughtout the 1990s, singer-songwriter Jesse Malin enlisted pal Ryan Adams to produce and play on this solo debut, which quickly garnered plaudits from the UK music press upon its fall 2002 release.

This is the second album for the Portland, Ore.-based indie five-piece led by Colin Meloy.

The first solo outing for Portishead's Beth Gibbons finds her teaming up with former Talk Talk bassist Paul "Rustin' Man" Webb on a largely acoustic, melodic collection of 10 tracks.

A former member of Billy Childish's band Thee Headcoatees, Holly Golightly has gained a wider following in recent months due to her guest appearance on The White Stripes' 'Elephant.' New devotees will have a lot to discover: this is her ninth solo album since 1995.

The third album for the Scottish rockers is already a big hit with UK music fans, helped by the success of lead single "You Held the World in Your Arms."

This 3-disc attractively-packaged retrospective on the groundbreaking New York band includes completely remastered tracks from each of their studio LPs as well as the same previously-unreleased-on-CD demos and new tracks included on the earlier 2-disc Sand In the Vaseline complilation. Also included are never-before-released alternate versions of five songs. The set also contains a DVD with an updated version of the Talking Heads music video compilation Storytelling Giant, with three additional videos not found on the original VHS release.

The duo of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn return with a follow-up to 2001's 'Steers and Stripes.'

Search engines hate them, but !!! (pronounced "Chik Chik Chik," of course) are popular with live audiences for their funkier, dancier (yes, that's a word--trust us) approach to indie music. The Sacramento band shares three members with Out Hud, and this is their 2-song debut for Touch And Go (with a full album to follow in 2004).

Don't be fooled by the title: While 'Identity Crisis' would have perfectly suited her poorly-received predecessor, 2001's Glen Ballard-produced 'Love, Shelby,' that's not the case here, as these 12 self-produced tracks are more likely to connect with fans of her breakthrough disc 'I Am Shelby Lynne.'

The Ontario, Canada band makes its Sub Pop (and U.S.) debut with this, their second LP, which mixes alternative rock with punk and soul.

The veteran Britpop outfit's first new album in four years is the result of tumultuous recording sessions in Morocco with producer Fatboy Slim, which saw a growing dispute between co-founders Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon culminate in Coxon's departure from the band. Fatboy Slim only wound up producing two tracks, with William Orbit handling some of the others.

Don't know Bonnie "Prince" Billy? You may know him better by his given name, Will Oldham, who recorded under his name as well as Palace Music throughout the 1990s. This is his third album under the Billy moniker, and features contributions from members of Lambchop.

The Southern rockers make their major-label debut with this 12-track effort.

Linebacker large, white, and very country, Bubba Sparxxx nevertheless became an overnight success with his 2001 hip-hop debut 'Dark Days, Bright Nights,' which was co-produced by Timbaland. This follow-up LP was also helmed by Timbaland and Organized Noize.

Recording under his own name for the first time rather than his usual Third Eye Foundation (definitely not to be confused with Third Eye Blind), Bristol, England's Matt Elliott returns with a dark, moody collection of lo-fi, sample-based electronica.

After taking 12 years off prior to 2000's 'The Friends of Rachel Worth,' the legendary Australian indie-pop band is suddenly undergoing a bout of creativity as evidenced by yet another release this very same decade.

Crooked Fingers is a side project for Archers of Loaf frontman Eric Bachmann. This third album follows in the dark, drunken-blues/Americana tradition of the first two, which drew Bachmann comparisons to Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen, among others.

This is the full-length debut for the Ohio-based duo of acclaimed hip-hop producer RJD2 and emcee Blueprint.

This is the third studio album for the Denver-based indie pop band led by Tammy Ealom.

Known for their loud, angry, and extreme take on metal (well, even more so than your average metal band), The Blood Brothers return with their third album in as many years.

Chan Marshall's first album of new material since 1998 was recorded in Los Angeles with Adam Kasper (Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam), who in turn brought in friends such as Dave Grohl and Eddie Vedder.

The quirky, Portland, Ore.-based indie rock trio recorded this highly-regarded genre-twisting debut album with the aid of a homemade software program.

Yet another experimental indie band to arise out of the Chicago scene, the Fruit Bats are the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Eric Johnson, who has played with Ugly Casanova, I Rowboat, and Califone. On this second Fruit Bats LP, he is joined by Gillian Lisee and producer Brian Deck.

A former member of the San Luis Obispo, Calif. trio Rodriguez, singer-songwriter M. Ward gained a bit of a following while supporting Bright Eyes on tour in 2002, and has drawn comparisons to Giant Sand, Tom Waits, and Grandaddy. This is his third solo release.

'De-Loused' is the heavily anticipated debut LP from the group formed by former At The Drive-In members Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez.

The Vancouver, Canada indie supergroup attempts to duplicate the success of 2000's 'Mass Romantic' with this sophomore release. Neko Case returns to handle vocal duties.

Named after a suburb of his native Sheffield, England, 'Lowedges' is the third solo release for the Pulp guitarist.

This is just the second full-length recording for the Birmingham, England experimental pop outfit founded in 1995. Included here is the track "Pendulum" from the recent EP of the same name.

This is the sophomore disc for the Norwich, England rock band (led by excitable vocalist Nikki Colk) who at times recall a harder-rocking Electrelane or a UK version of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

No, it's not *that* kind of drum'n'bass album. Instead, Rhode Island's Lightning Bolt literally consists of just two instrumentalists on drum and bass, and together the pair generate an experimental sonic fury on this, their second full-length.

This is the second full-length for the Olympia, Wash-based indie-punk trio led by powerful singer Beth Ditto.

The Brooklyn-based Elephant 6-style band (which shares some members with Ladybug Transistor) returns with a second LP.

The fifth LP for the chamber-pop trio is a collaboration with the New York-based progressive theater collective SITI Company.

This is the major-label debut for the Bay Area punk rockers (whose initials stand for "A Fire Inside"), who got their start in Ukiah, Calif. in 1991. Garbage's Butch Vig produces.

This is not your ordinary jazz trio. For their major-label debut, The Bad Plus work with alt-rock producer Tchad Blake, and include covers of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Blondie's "Heart of Glass," and Aphex Twin's "Flim" among their seven original tracks.

The fifth album from the Nebraska-born singer-songwriter is indeed influenced by the music of 1972 (the year Rouse was born).

Portastatic is a side project for Superchunk's Mac McCaughan (who also is part owner of Merge Records). On this, his first Portastatic LP since 1997, he is joined by Sleater-Kinney's Janet Weiss as well as members of Sparklehorse and Lambchop.

On an indie label for the first time in almost two decades, the veteran British folk-rocker returns with a stripped-down sound, courtesy of producer John Chelew.

This debut effort from Liverpool's The Coral is an inventive mix of numerous musical styles.

This is the second LP for the Montreal-based indie-pop quartet featuring actor Torquil Campbell, Evan Cranley (also a member of Broken Social Scene), Amy Millan and Chris Seligman.

One-hit wonders, you say? Well, the New York trio did score an MTV hit with "Popular," from their 1996 debut album, but it is a more mature and less commercial Nada Surf that returns now with a third LP, their first for indie label Barsuk.

This sophomore LP (and U.S. debut) for the English band was produced by the Cocteau Twins' Simon Raymonde.

Kelis' third LP (second in the States) features production from the Neptunes, Dallas Austin and Andre 3000.

This 16-track compilation offers an impressive sampling of the New York underground scene from the late 1970s and early 80s, including cuts from "no-wave," post-punk, experimental and hip-hop artists such as ESG, Material, DNA, Defunkt, and Liquid Liquid.

A former member of UK hip-hop outfit So Solid Crew, Ms. Dynamite (aka Niomi McLean-Daley) earned Britain's Mercury Music Prize for this debut effort.

This is the third full-length for the Detroit garage rockers led by guitarist Mick Collins (ex of the Gories) and featuring a supersized rhythm section of two bass players and two drummers. Included in early versions are bonus covers of Brian Eno's "King's Lead Hat" and Robyn Hitchcock's "Executioner of Love."

This is the second album for the quriky Scottish indie-pop duo of Colin MacIntyre and Alan Malloy.

The second solo release for the former Pavement leader (although it is credited to "Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks"), 'Pig Lib' features 11 new tracks.

The Glasgow, Scotland-based band follow 2000's stunning 'The Great Eastern' with this, their fourth (and almost equally stunning) LP. Dave Fridmann (Mercury Rev) returns as producer.

Exactly what the title says it is, this 16-track disc features songs from the Hedwig soundtrack (as well as new compositions inspired by the musical) interpreted by your favorite indie artists, including Yo La Tengo (with Yoko Ono!), Spoon, Robyn Hitchcock, The Polyphonic Spree, Frank Black, The Breeders, Bob Mould, and more.

This full-length debut for the Irish singer/songwriter has moved beyond his home country (where it was a massive hit) to attract critical praise and strong sales worldwide. Mostly self-produced and recorded, the disc also comes in specially-designed packaging including text, artwork and photographs.

The dour Glasgow-based duo of Aidan Moffat and Malcom Middleton return for their fifth studio album, with guest contributions from members of Bright Eyes and Mogwai.