The new set casts a spell with Stuart Price's signature preternatural touches, Minogue's breathy chirp and the hooky melodies of a varied crew of dance pop-focused songwriters and producers.

Buoyed by a favorable divorce settlement, a baby boy and a newly released high-energy dance album, Flesh Tone, the recently single Kelis is ready to bring the boys back to the yard.

The fresh material isn't likely to expand your idea of who Bret Michaels is.

Big Boi delivers an inventive, high-spirited set full of synth-funk signifiers, talk-box flair and snares.

The Scissor Sisters' third nightlife-themed album, Night Work, is a return to the glittery, flamboyant pop of the group's 2004 self-titled debut

Following the release of its much buzzed-about 2008 breakout album, electro-rap duo 3OH!3 returns with more fast-paced, catchy digital-pop beats on its latest set, Streets of Gold.

Delphic is at its best on the pop-leaning cut "Doubt" and the captivating "Halcyon," which features a cold vocal delivery and scattershot synths.

An exhilarating, life-affirming blast of no-bullshit rock'n'roll, Street Songs of Love features Escovedo reteaming with famed David Bowie/T. Rex producer Tony Visconti, who also manned the boards for his arresting 2008 album, "Real Animal."

How I Got Over finds the Roots acting as elder statesmen in hip-hop, but its mix of nifty experiments and straightforward rap eliminates any sense of predictability.

Known for her past collaborations with English electronica band Zero 7 and more recently with Christina Aguilera, Australian artist Sia Furler shines bright on her own on her newest release.

It's his understanding of the niche he's carved for himself--a love affair with darkness and sludgy rock braced with stripper-worthy blues rhythms--that makes his continued output worthwhile.

The uplifting set includes takes on lost gospel and blues numbers as well as reworkings of Bob Dylan's "Shot of Love," John Lennon's "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama" (featuring guitarist Doyle Bramhall II) and Prince's "Walk Don't Walk."

Throughout Can't Be Tamed Cyrus seems checked out of her vocal performances, singing with neither the tween-queen enthusiasm of her Hannah Montana material nor the confrontational energy of 2008's Breakout.

While not every track is a slam-dunk, Gray definitely recaptures her earlier promise.

Leave it to Em to continue confounding expectations this late in the game.

There's nothing here that even the Chems themselves haven't done before, but that doesn't make the sensory thrills any less giddy.

The shimmery guitars and thundering rhythms of album closer "What Remains" show that the group does best when sticking to its own math rock genre

On her fifth album, Body Talk Pt. 1, Swedish electro-pop singer Robyn proves she's ready for the dancefloor.

The group spit-shines its soundtrack for working-class America.

It's not news that these guys rock, but on their first new album in eight years the Heartbreakers have their Mojo working like they never have before-which is a fine thing indeed.

Toronto MC Drake has said that he wants fans to feel the different layers of his debut, Thank Me Later. From the sounds of it, he's held little back, sharing with listeners his deepest thoughts on family, women, and fame.

Rock act We Are Scientists typically has a good sense of what hits, but on its latest album, Barbara, the band begins to figure out what misses.

Cuts like the mournful "Forgiveness" and the mello "U Want Me 2" (the latter previously featured on MCLachlan's 2008 hits collection) cook at a decidely lower temperature that long time fans will find plenty hot. However, their quieter pace might leave others a little cold.

While's new band Punch Brothers is building a case for bigger fame with the release of its second album, Antifogmatic.

With its Motown feel, the title track finds singer Elizabeth "Z" Berg crooning about love gone wrong ("I wish you knew I'm not the one for you/You're not the one I need/And I can't stand you") over a harmonized chorus of "ooh's" from her female bandmates, but the vocals don't go down as smoothly as the Supremes. Meanwhile, it's on the standout cut "I Can See It in Your Eyes" where Berg settles into her most comfortable range and the group does its most believable impression of the Animals.

Original Santana percussionist Michael Carabello and Checkmates singer Sonny Charles (now a member of the Steve Miller Band) fortify the performances, while longtime Miller fans will also soak in some of the last recordings by the late harmonica ace Norton Buffalo.

Two years and an overabundance of hype later, producer Ethan Kath and singer Alice Glass return with another self-titled set that corrects all of their debut's miscues and remains eye-popping from beginning to end.

While its recent recordings have reflected a more subdued approach in the studio, band members Norman Blake, Gerard Love and Raymond McGinley never lose their knack for composing concise pop gems.

The group's poppy guitars and thick, layered vocal harmonies occasionally improve upon some selections of the vastly diverse material.

Because she's bold enough to do it her way, Aguilera maintains her reign.

Mostly known for delivering folk-punk anthems, Against Me! delivers a no-fuss rock collection with its latest release.

Blitzen Trapper again channels a variety of sounds from the '60s through the '80s to meld its own genre on its latest release.

The Black Dirt Sessions delivers even more grit and lyrical heaviness than its predecessors, revealing a desperate, wayworn side to McCauley's songwriting.

While expanding on what it's done well, the group doesn't cease to be adventurous on LP4.

Grace Potter & the Nocturnals' new self-titled release finds frontwoman Potter and her band in full bloom, hammering out hook-heavy rock tracks with a confident, natural sound.

Brooklyn duo Sleigh Bells is loud, raucous and unapologetic. Members Alexis Krauss (vocals) and Derek Miller (guitarist/programmer) prove it on debut album Treats.

With lyrical themes of global economic distress and romantic bliss, British pop-punk band the Futureheads bring a more refined sound to its fourth album.

On his second album, Rokstarr, British pop-soul artist Taio Cruz croons about the highs and lows of love over a wide variety of electronic-influenced beats.

Hawthorne Heights' rediscovery of its heavier roots may be what longtime fans have been yearning for, and also what the band needs to recover from past personal struggles.

While the inclusion of faint funk ("Sole Brother") and hints of country twang ("Retard Canard") expands Born Ruffians' repertoire, the track "Blood, the Sun & Water" brings the most energy to the set.

A natural progression from 2008 release "Sleep Through the Static," the new set features more electric guitars and a brighter, full-band sound while still bringing plenty of singalong acoustic romanticism and breezy melodies.

On her debut album, The Family Jewels, Diamandis backs up her bark with a promising bite.

Displaying impressive vocal polish from outspoken frontman Scott Weiland; blazing guitar solos over tight, crunch-laden instrumentation; and grungy takes on Lennon/McCartney melodicism, STP asserts its place among seminal hard-rock chameleons.

Its new album, "Dirty Side Down," plays to all of Widespread Panic's strengths, from the intricate weaving of John Bell's and Jimmy Herring's guitars with John Hermann's keyboards to a stylistic sweep that spans from the epic, prog-like opening suite "Saint Ex" to breezier fare like the title track and the spritely gallop of "Clinic Cynic."

LCD Soundsystem principal James Murphy is at his cynical best on the act's third album, This Is Happening.

Frontman Ben Bridwell's airy vocals and cozy lyrics have stayed consistent, but the impressive production work by the band and Phil Ek places the gorgeous melodies front and center without sacrificing Band of Horses' rustic power.

Entirely produced by the Black Keys (except for the Danger Mouse-helmed song "Tighten Up"), the pair's latest album, Brothers, lures with its spooky throwback sound, preternatural grooves and dark bluesy jams.

Children's gospel choirs and Joss Stone make somewhat unnecessary appearances, but musically the project impressively meets its goal of cultural connection.

Even as his piecework band stretches the sound in unexpected directions, Lidell--like a peculiar cross of Prince and Otis Redding--remains confidently true to his soul vision, creating a tense musical discourse that wrings raw emotion from each eclectic track.

Manipulating her voice as much as she does her sound, Monáe widens the cast of characters and pushes along the self-explorative narrative. The ArchAndroid could be the stuff of stage or screen, 3-D without the annoying glasses.

Everything but the Girl fans might miss the duo's dancey leanings, but Thorn proves that her voice is enough to transcend genre preferences.

There are some moments when the mood lightens, usually for romantic fare like the funky Estelle-assisted song "Midnight Hour." But these tracks display neither Kweli's lyrical precision nor Hi-Tek's adventurous sounds. The set also falls short of its opening promise to engineer a "shift in the paradigm of hip-hop."

Sea of Cowards is even wilder, with grungier guitars ("I'm Mad," "No Horse"), greasier synths ("The Difference Between Us," "Gasoline") and funkier neo-John Bonham beats from White himself ("Jawbreaker," "Old Mary").

High Violet synthesizes the best parts of the National's past into a fantastic present

The Toronto-based collective goes all out on its third album, Latin, which features lead members Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh's spacey keyboards and effects supplemented by the powerful live drums and bass of their touring personnel.

While old-school rap nods and blunt lyricism add to the set's allure, its fluidity suffers.

Full of contradictions, the album is primitive and ultra-modern, dark and enchanting, tranquil and energetic.

Although Francis has described himself as a "low-confidence engine" since early in his career, the rapper has produced a strong and instantly relatable album with Li(f)e.

Stuck on Nothing works well as a no-nonsense party album, but Free Energy shows tremendous promise on this debut.

The departure earlier this year of keyboardist Franz Nicolay means less Springsteen-like keyboard embellishments, but the group's Everyman quality remains intact thanks to vocalist/guitarist Craig Finn's straightforward lyricism and lead guitarist Tad Kubler's signature swells.

The track "Water in Hell" is an anthemic rocker with a catchy, shout-along chorus ("From what I can tell/There's water in hell!"), and "Forced to Love" combines the band's usual grit and a hook that unexpectedly sticks, similar to "Cause = Time" from its 2002 breakthrough release, "You Forgot It in People." Strangely enough, the new album's less pop-driven songs are hit or miss.

Cosmogramma may evade complete comprehension, but Flying Lotus' foreign and colorful arrangements entice even the most casual listener.

The fresher feel on the Vancouver group's new set could partially be attributed to frontman Carl Newman's openness to collaborating with his peers.

The set is full of the Deftones' usual energy and showcases singer Chino Moreno's knack for alternating between screams and sweet vocal delivery over heavy, complex guitar work.

With erotic themes, smooth production and the use of a Japanese Omnichord synthesizer, the band's fourth album, OMNI, proves that there's still plenty to explore.

Robison and Maguire prove capable of crafting galloping, catchy choruses for such songs as "The Coast," "Ain't No Son," "It Didn't Make a Sound" and "I Miss You."

When Braxton isn't sulking about heartbreak, she's enjoying being a woman.

While "The Oracle" is certainly familiar, it still sounds fresh enough and well worth the wait for fans who prefer their Godsmack served up straight.

Nobody's Daughter recalls the highlights of the band's critically acclaimed 1994 album, "Live Through This," and shows that, as a band, Hole is not one bit damaged.

Although his group has made its mark on the metalcore underground, Tuck spends most of the Welsh quartet's new album spewing venomous tirades at a variety of villains who have done him wrong. But he does it in a polished fashion that makes "Fever" the band's most commercial outing yet.

Her 10th studio album, "The Age of Miracles" (and second on Rounder following a run with Columbia that yielded five Grammy Awards), adds a familiar yet essential new chapter to her rich catalog.

With the help of heavyweight producer Rick Rubin, Gogol Bordello's major-label debut, "Trans-Continental Hustle," maintains the band's ethno-clash dance party reputation, but with less punk attitude and a more mainstream songwriting approach.

The opening track, "Don't Let Me Fall," showcases the rapper's smoothed-voice singing talent and vulnerability ("They say what goes up must come down/But don't let me fall") over a booming guitar, while "Magic" (featuring Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo) takes a more pop-driven direction.

Produced with plenty of rock-radio muscle by her original guitarist, John Shanks, the 12-song set comes packed with the kind of room-rousing choruses Etheridge specialized in during her early-'90s commercial heyday

The British vocalist was pegged as a Beyoncé-style pop/ R&B diva during an abortive mid-decade Los Angeles stint. But escaping that environment allowed her to develop the genre-straddling, retro-modern mélange of Travelling Like the Light, which was released overseas last July.

Caribou's newest set, "Swim," which contains more electronic elements than its pop-traced predecessor, is a major step forward for Snaith.

Some fans may miss Wainwright's more complicated orchestral numbers, but a single piano is all that's needed to show off his immense vocal talent.

Helmed by producer T Bone Burnett, this is front-porch, rural and rustic country music. Nelson is perfect in this setting, however, as he brings his weathered but expressive pipes to percussion-less arrangements of such gems as Ernest Tubb's "Seaman's Blues," Merle Travis' miner's lament "Dark As a Dungeon" and the smooth stride of Bob Wills' "Gotta Walk Alone."

Although a love for hydro is Cypress Hill's claim to fame, it's the more substantial tracks on "Rise Up" that smoke the competition.

On its fifth studio album, "Fire Away," Ozomatli shows a remarkable ability to innovate with its most expansive and energetic set in years.

It's not so much that Merle Haggard has established himself as an American gem on his ambitious releases in the past decade; it's that we finally took notice.

Kurupt's distinct slurred-barking cadence lends itself well to the anthems on "Streetlights," an impressive albeit uneven release.

Despite its retro influences, MGMT isn't out of touch: "Lady Dada's Nightmare" is an eerie, instrumental nod to a certain pop star. So to answer Vanwyngarden's question: Yes, it's working.

It's the balance between delicate guitar, lush cello and the singer's rich vocals on "Brooklyn Fawn" that proves Matt Pond PA is ready to stretch out, not compromise.

Unfortunately, "Year" lacks the grandiose thematic concepts of previous outings as well as an immediate single, like past songs "A Favor House Atlantic" or "The Suffering."

The broad spectrum of genres Merchant explores also prevents the set from feeling overlong. She has returned with a painstakingly constructed record that feels light and nimble, a credit to her still-impressive talent as a songwriter.

The 10-track set, which contains multiple sounds and styles, gives a brief glimpse into both artists' scattered versatility.

Bundy's obvious affection for feisty predecessors like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton adds an appealing jolt to the music's already clever hooks and personal narrative. But what Bundy still needs to develop are the durable melodies and lyrical nuance that turned those artists' compositions into classics.

Bowie is back, and thanks to better technology, these special editions of "Raw Power" sound right on the money. But the story here is the extras.

Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Ros may be on an indefinite hiatus, but the group's enigmatic singer Jon Thor Birgisson, better-known as Jonsi, is filling the void with his first solo album, "Go."

At times, Here Lies Love wobbles as a concept album, and listeners unfamiliar with Marcos' story may not initially understand the lyrical conceits. But it contains enough solid material to justify repeated listens.

"I Learned the Hard Way" finds an eminent R&B band playing within its comfort zone and Jones continuing to distinguish herself as a multilayered frontwoman.

Balancing these cheery influences with the melancholy prose is the name of the game. The lively accordion and clanky piano on the song "Shadow People" recall Bob Dylan's 1974 country-folk single "Forever Young," but the cheerfulness seems to contradict Dr. Dog guitarist/vocalist Scott McMicken's strained lyric: "It's the right time for the wrong company."

Dylan's newest album, Women and Country, explores fuller arrangements that better complement his simple but significant lyrics.

Slash shoots a little too wide for its own good, but the album showcases him as the guitar hero we've always known and as the songwriter we probably haven't appreciated enough.

On their second release No Mas, cousins George Langford and Tom Van Buskirk stake their claim in the world of electronica with an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach, yielding infectious but often mind-boggling results.

Full of blues and roots tracks, the new 13-song set lives up to its title.