Only four songs on here but it's a good four songs.

Lovingly named after Rod Serling's cult post-Twilight Zone program and, in all intents and purposes, is just as thrilling.

A tripped-out masterpiece of transcendental space fuzz that pays tribute to the ruins of Italy that goes beyond the headiest moments of Pink Floyd's legendary performance inside of that coliseum in Pompeii.

Blue Songs has impressive diversity and variety.

The rock instruments--drums, keyboards and guitar--set the framework, but it's the chamber music instrument that blows the doors down.

There are times when Wilson's meandering style emphasis on ambiance turns on a twilight sound.

This may be as good as it gets for Dreamers of the Ghetto, and it's really just fair.

The operatics of her voice make it the most intriguing instrument on the album but the new exploration of violins and cellos that feminize the massive drum fills make Conatus even more astounding.

Some of his best work, however, comes under the guise of his own name, as is the case with Crow's new album, He Thinks He's People.

At times, Wand does become something of a scavenger hunt for dedicated fans.

Isaak has somehow managed to make the homage almost as enjoyable as the originals. Almost.

An entertaining album that follows no musical rules, a record interconnected by one common denominator--that there happily isn't one.

Clearly not one to mess with, this confident, compelling outing suggests she can hold her own even within the top tier of alt-country's rowdier women.

Not one single note on this record fails to contribute something to the overall mood.

This is an elegant product of hard work and musicianship that shouldn't be dismissed because it is not entirely new material.

The Devil's Walks minimal electronic landscape is mesmerizing and perfect for a quiet, rainy day of contemplation.

"Det Hester!" and "Dresinen" vary the formula a bit with, respectively, squelchy synth-bass and fuzzy electric guitar, while the album-closing "Aldri Ska Me Ha Det Goy" is a oozing slo-mo ballad that layers Endresen's vocals to suggest The Four Seasons Sing Pet Sounds.

This is a case wherein open minds--and some patience--are likely to be rewarded.

The songs on Deeper Into Dream don't manage to connect with listeners like some of Lee's previous work.

Dreams Come True will certainly appeal to anyone who enjoys their new wave artful and avant-garde, both of which are delivered in spades across this exceptional LP that will surely be lost on many Grizzly Bear fans looking for an extension of their sonic safety net.

Mostly it's hard to say what puts Veronica Falls over the top in a genre where so many fall flat. Enthusiasm? Personality? Songs? Probably all of that, as well as the indefinable quality that makes old genres come alive again.

As always, Russell's articulate arrangements embolden the material and give them the grit it deserves.

At any rate, Behind the Parade lobs another handful of Keene klassiks into the katalogue.

Robert Earl Keen is a master storyteller who blends acoustic, nylon and steel guitar with solid percussion and his pure, distinct voice into the finest Americana has to offer.

Phillips' agile vocals sweep over these mostly ragtag arrangements and provide the emphasis and impact that each of these songs demand.

Yet aside from that one cut, Megafaun's self-titled album seamlessly integrates an easy-going tuneful-ness with a nearly mystical devotion to tone and texture.

The last song, a sparse electric guitar ballad, identifies another dualism: it's called "Get It Wrong, Get It Right," and like most of the rest of this unsettled album, it gets it right.

Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down (Nonesuch/Perro Verde) ranks not only among his very best releases, but among the best socio-political albums ever made.