Most of the time, however, the band makes a righteous racket that straddles the worlds of prog rock, funk, fusion jazz and world music, with Eastern motifs spicing 'Aberinkula' and a bit of cosmic blues making its way into 'Conjugal Burns.'

Listeners are only too lucky to get a hot breath of summer fun in these cold winter months.

On his first release since reuniting the original Joe Jackson Band in 2004, Jackson is at the top of his game as a writer, singer and player.

This confident piece of work is like mannah from the heavens for college rock fans, freshening up loose, rhythmic song structures with a charming lo-fi aesthetic.

Instead of paying tribute as concept, Lynne owns these songs, taking inspiration from the renowned blue-eyed soul singer to create her own sober renditions of indelible melodies from the '60s and '70s.

The latest from this genre-bending Welsh band is largely a smoothed-out pop record, reining in some of Super Furry Animals' more left-field tendencies and tenderly nurturing the catchy, chart-friendly hooks of Gruff Rhys and company.

The album has an undeniable flip-flop feel throughout; like the unplugged soul-chick hoedown Beyoncé tried to conjure at the end of the "Irreplaceable" video.

It's this mix of the loud and the trippy that Black Mountain specializes in, and In the Future sees the band striving for epic proportions.

Marshall's reinterpretations reveal a welcome intimacy.

Brighter Than Creation's Dark is one of the meanest, leanest 19-track albums you'll ever spin.

Taking pages out of some very strong playbooks (think Superchunk, Guided by Voices, early Wilco), the Whigs find a way to revive honest-to-goodness pop rock for a new generation.

Joining fellow hotly tipped Brooklyn bands Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer, MGMT (pronounced "management") merits just as much attention for its psychedelic experimentation as it does for its melodies and hooks.

I'll Be Lightning is a low-key charmer.

The epitome of a melancholy winter record.

While his talent as a lyricist may leave something to be desired, you can't fault the guy for his dedication to putting a smile on the listener's face.

On his sophomore album, the Washington, D.C., native offers a flawless blend of serene, soulful music with emotion-filled lyrics about his love, respect and appreciation for women.

Sia still brings enough weird on Some People to satisfy old-school fans.

Marah manages to convey the manic energy that makes it such a great performer, and the result is its best album yet.

Alone is quirky, but also an intriguing glimpse into one artist's creative process.

Ghostface Killah is as wickedly esoteric as ever, Method Man sounds reinvigorated and snapped out of his recent slump, and Raekwon, who's been on record decrying 8 Diagrams, is ice-pick sharp.

A couple of tracks sound derivative, but for the most part fans of the duo will embrace this album as well as the twosome's maturing sound.

Depressing but arresting.

Nothing can quite match the in-person thrills of the current Daft Punk live experience, what with the robot costumes, onstage pyramid and body-rattling beats radiating out into the blissed-out faithful. But Alive 2007 comes pretty darn close.

Carnival II sounds louder when it's quieter.

For the fan of fictional party rhymes, there's 'White Linen Affair (Toney Awards),' where Ghost lines up the current roster of hip-hop royalty and takes his place strong in the middle of it.

"American Idol" season six runner-up Blake Lewis' debut, "ADD: Audio Day Dream," is indeed a little all over the map, but, surprisingly, it works.

This song-by-song re-creation of Judy Garland's iconic 1961 Carnegie Hall performance, staged there by Rufus Wainwright in 2006, seems better-suited to a cabaret act.

Pitbull's signature combination of clever, in-your-face Spanglish lyrics and frenetic dance beats is at its best on this album, where he plays to his less excessively crude sensibilities.