John Hiatt has now released over one third of his career recordings since the year 2000, and seems likely to continue to make good music for some time to come.

Whitmore may not have the same potential to fill the nation's arenas, but his rugged determination finds him undeterred regardless.

With a solid collection of songs and some enormously creative and varied approaches to playing them, Stranger Me is the best work yet of an artist likely to continue growing further.

How sharply Holland expresses his rage, how clearly his disappointment reveals betrayed idealism....Strong stuff.

GOB is heavyweight hip-hop from one of urban England's brightest new talents of microphone mastery.

The album in a nut shell? The Grand Theatre, Volume Two is the soundtrack to a chaotic night at the tavern followed by clarity the morning after--melodiously rowdy, then harmoniously depressed.

The members of Gardens & Villa may spend a lot of time outdoors, but they're probably listening to Human League on headphones as they tiptoe through the thorns.

The change-up [writing exclusively on the keyboard] proved to be the best thing to happen for the duo, especially for Boeckner, a guitarist by trade whose embrace of the analog synth helped open a whole new world of expression for him as a songwriter.

The see-sawing dynamic runs a bit ragged, ultimately.

Taken as a whole, the two-CD incarnation of Life's Rich Pageant makes a case for the album taking its rightful place alongside such obvious classics as Murmur and Out of Time.

Any adventurous soul with both Drake and Sun Ra back to back on his or her iPod will most certainly be able to get down with this truly unique hip-hop experience.

As Yes is now in its sixth decade, the prog rock band shows on Fly From Here that it can still make music that is fresh and lively.

The heart- wrenching emotion is credible and convincing, even though the uneasy undercurrents find Green's brand of the blues seem somewhat tenuous at times. Nevertheless, at this point in the trajectory, City & Colour manages to provide a pleasing musical melange.

As always, the pair wrap their strings and larynxes 'round each other like the intimate companions they are, aided by production so warm and inviting it's like sitting in the room with them.

Akin to For Emma, Bon Iver breaks the listener's heart. And to experience an album (an oft-dreaded sophomore album, no less) that evokes such deep emotion is a welcomed pain.

The most conspicuous element of Last Summer is the simplicity of the music.

As its title suggests, Use Me offers a lesson in how to stay true to one's muse.

Nothing is Wrong is a terrific follow-up for a band that delivers beautiful, powerful music straight from their own hearts and right to yours. Believe.

It's about evenly balanced between original material and covers that show Willner's and Faithfull's deep-catalog knowledge of pop music.

It's not often that an album has this much to offer, intellectually, physically and spiritually. This is not just another sterile bedroom disco experiment, far from it.

Some listeners might run screaming but the band's tenacity is admirable, which keeps it exciting.

The weakest element here is Hawks' voice. It's not distractingly bad, but at times it sounds like he's attempting to sing better than he may actually be capable of. But overall the effect is a good one.

The final product can both unnerve and captivate, though not at the same time. As far as consistency, well that's another story.

You have an album that on balance is worth the effort it took to produce. But it's a precarious balance.

Simply said, this Little Bird soars.