If you were into the Cardigans in the '90s and have a soft spot for Italo-leaning dance-pop, chances are good that you'll appreciate Sally Shapiro. The exaggerated, childlike innocence in her treated vocal (like Freezepop, Annie, etc.) is fused through spacey disco beats, and while it comes off as pretty campy, it's undeniably pleasant.
You know Peter's name via the two that usually accompany it: Bjorn and John. The same terrific mix of melancholy and whimsy that catapulted the Swedish trio's "Writer's Block" fuels Moren's lovely solo outing, "The Last Tycoon." Wounded, self-conscious vocals swoon over pristine folk-pop sketches.
Instrumental hip-hop's other 5--the Jurassic one--makes a helpful reference point for this supergroup. Not only is Chali 2na in on both, but also Dino's bouncy beats and wisecracking rhymes are squarely J5. They're also ideal for the project's goal: rap that's suitable for children but credible for adults.
Nonviolent vibes were a thing you could hold in your hand--and more important, put on your turntable--with this seminal Chicago soul group, now getting a rerelease on Quannum. Pieces offer both the warm vocals of the guy groups and a billowing early funk that prefaces EWF.
Though she resides in New York, Laura Cantrell has genuine Nashville roots and a classic country heritage, which comes across clearly through her warm, rootsy recordings. On her travel-themed '08 covers collection "Trains and Boats and Planes," she blends her penchant for purebred honky-tonk with new takes on pop, folk, and country forget-me-nots, including New Order's "Love Vigilantes."
The notion of the actress-turned-singer has been rightly skewered, but leave your skepticism at the door with Zooey Deschanel. In this new collab with scene prince M. Ward, she channels classic torch and jazz chanteuses in an indie pop framework. The results are sweet and affecting.
The white-hot DJ is as democratic about genre as he'd have you believe (the same guy who tears up clubs helped nudge Bloc Party to stardom). What really links his stuff is the immensity of its scale. As though by sheer force of beats, Aoki slays indie kids and hip-hop heads in the same strokes.
Short for Andre the Giant, South Bronx rapper A.G. called on producers Oh No and Dabrye to bring out his characteristically New York flow. If you can imagine an updated version of EPMD merging with Preast from Qualo and produced by Fat Joe, you've got some idea what the big guy's about.
On CD, indie rock's style skews deprecation over veneration, which, of course, is nothing like going to the show. The lead Decemberist's newest is a welcome change of tone. "Colin Meloy Sings Live!" adds to the short canon of indie live LPs with a set that's at once fiery, folkish, and whimsical.
Britain's second generation of post-punk is no longer a new and thrilling thing; the trade-off may come as it gets smarter and more refined. These Oxford lads make sinewy vocals stick with rhythmic punctuations as fine as their town's native comma--a good thing, no matter what Vampire Weekend says.
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