If you're in the mood for a few laughs and some well-directed anger from a guy with something to say and a knack for saying it well, Todd Snider is just the man you've been looking for.

They're in an increasingly crowded field but hover well above all of their contemporaries.

The sonic growth and confidence White Rabbits display here prove they're moving in the right direction.

Every melody is blanketed in psychedelic sounds, giving a unified feel to the record, even if the music isn't always easily containable.

Come Back as Rain may be the perfect summer soundtrack for listeners looking for a less cerebral Band of Horses, a more ecumenical Fleet Foxes, or just a damn fine group of musicians with a knack for kicking out youthful, country-tinged pop songs without an agenda.

Normally, a live album without a ton of rarities would be a hard sell to fans of the band, but We All Raise Our Voices to the Air is such a strong set of performances that even Decemberists diehards might have a hard time passing up on this one.

Between the Times and the Tides cements Ranaldo's role as a dreamer and poet who can remain true to himself and reveal new things at the same time.

Between the exquisite wordplay and dusky melodies, there's plenty to return to in these tunes.

While their detachment makes the Chap a unique group and perhaps something of an acquired taste, We Are Nobody delivers some of their finest songs yet.

The album is a blissful, laser-toned experience where Poxleitner's sweet voice is expertly wrapped in stylish, multicolored hues of fluorescent keyboard squelch and bass guitar shimmer.

Spoek makes the "hard truths" sound like "real talk" while putting some of the world's most innovative rebel music underneath.

Thanks to Zdar's sure-handed co-production, Bainbridge's skills at synthesizing the past and present, and a batch of songs that really stick to you after a couple listens, World, You Need a Change of Mind ends up being a very pleasing, very interesting record.

Accelerando is a triumph in creativity and expert musicianship, and further underscores Iyer's status as a genuine jazz innovator.

While the album title suggests that Winston's talents may be less than genuine, King Con is never anything less than truly inspired.

Brain Pulse Music is the most traditional album Batoh has recorded, as well as the most radical and fascinating.

This combination of fluidity and structure makes Frying On This Rock an absorbing, headphone-centric listen that only demands that the listener turn up the volume and hand over control.

Ultimately, Mia Pharaoh is so full of catchy, disco-on-the-cheap numbers that it sometimes sounds a bit like a vintage Eurovision Contest compilation--and that should be taken as a huge compliment.

While the title may reflect a a certain ponderousness, these 11 tunes are anything but.

Women & Work is the sound of a mature, confident band, fully embracing their hometown's musical legacy, and wrapping it inside their own sound, making each both larger and deeper.

It's obvious he's grown and matured as both a songwriter and a producer, and this is the finest moment in his catalog thus far.

Despite the title, Self-Taught Learner was anything but the work of an amateur, and here Trullie is clearly the queen of her post-punk castle.

Ultimately The Promise doesn't point toward the future, but it does deliver fulfillment abundantly, from the place things really are, showcasing a confident, relevant, singer and songwriter.

[Goatwhore delivers] another album of relentless and refined blackened death metal that speaks volumes about the band's level of craftsmanship.

By reining in the freedom that made Clovis People, Vol. 3 such a puzzling wonder, Taylor manages to up the ante musically and lyrically on Contraband.

It all adds up to a beautifully redemptive album, one of Bibb's best.

Recruiting a variety of guests and fellow travelers, including Eyvind Kang and Crys Cole, Oren Ambarchi continues in his vein of excellent solo releases on Touch with 2012's An Audience of One.

The more beneficial mix of songwriting and production collaborators, including Jack Splash, No ID, Rico Love, and Salaam Remi, helps make The MF Life superior to the debut in every way.

The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond would be an impressive collection even if it weren't associated with one of 2012's most anticipated films, but the care put into the soundtrack makes it an experience that much richer for fans of the books, the movie, and any of the artists here.