Tracey Thorn - Out of the Woods

A quarter of a century is a long time to take to release a second album, but that's how long it took Everything But the Girl's Tracy Thorn to issue her sophomore solo outing, 2007's Out of the Woods. Though not a radical departure from EBTG, the record distinguishes itself as a more dynamic showcase for the British singer's gently emotive voice, with tracks ranging from the giddy synth-pop of "It's All True" to the beautifully sullen "By Piccadilly Station I Sat Down and Wept." (Everything but the boYZ)

Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future

Klaxons are at the forefront of the "new rave" movement in the UK (along with the group S**tdisco) and have been widely trumpted in the music press for their stew of cosmic imagery, avant-garde awareness, dizzy melodies and raging energy. The word "klaxon" is derived from the Greek word meaning "to shriek". "Light the bridges with the lantern,� says Simon, ever wide-eyed and passionate, quoting from their song "Forgotten Works", �You know something�s going to happen�. Their best known tracks are included, the majority of which are re-records of the originals with "Atlantis To Interzone" boasting additional production and a better mix. The re-recordings all add something special to the original demos presenting a wonderful truly classic debut.(Do you like the band?)

Tangerine Dream - Madcap's Flaming Duty

Kate Bush - Aerial

Since the 1980s Kate Bush has shouldered the unhappy burden of having to live up to her own brilliance: albums like The Dreaming and Hounds Of Love set a high watermark for shimmering, adventurous, off-kilter pop. In the 12 years that transpired between the releases of 1993's The Red Shoes and 2005's Aerial, expectations ran high that Bush had something monumental in store. Aerial does not necessarily meet those expectations, but that is not to imply that it's a lackluster release either. A double-disc set that encompasses a collection of songs about domesticity (the first disc, A Sea Of Honey) and a conceptual suite that details the passing of a day (the second disc, A Sea Of Honey), Aerial is ambitious, lovely, intensely personal, and marked by Bush's unique approach to music-making. The fierce edginess of The Dreaming-era Bush is replaced by deep meditations on family life ("Bertie"), familiar chores ("Mrs. Bartolozzi"), and the cycles of time ("Sunset"). Bush's gentle singer/songwriter mode is combined with jazz, rock, classical, electronica, and other elements for a musical experience that sustains her reputation as one our most adventurous and distinctive artists.( you love rindie1, yes you do2)

Bjork - Drawing Restraint 9

An unconventional and somewhat challenging soundtrack to the work of a singularly strange filmmaker, Bjork's score for her partner Matthew Barney's Drawing Restraint 9 takes the Icelandic performer's already adventurous aesthetic to new extremes. While a few tracks featuring Bjork (or, in the case of "Gratitude," Will Oldham) on vocals vaguely resemble her more pop-friendly outings, much of this album is steeped in avant-garde atmospherics that include lilting harp passages (the aforementioned "Gratitude"), ominous brass interludes ("Hunter Vessel"), and even haunting Japanese Noh singing ("Holographic Entrypoint"). Although Drawing Restraint 9 may perplex some listeners, those patient enough to follow Bjork down almost any path will find plenty to appreciate here. (Hong kong Garden)

Siouxsie & The Banshees - Tinderbox

With their 1984 release, Hyaena, Siouxse & the Banshees dropped more than just a few hints that they were entering very melodic territory (their cover of the Beatles' "Dear Prudence," etc.). And they delivered on their promise with their follow up two years later, 1986's Tinderbox . The Banshees also took a detour from the challenging and unpredictable arrangements that they had been indulging in on their past few releases to a more back to basics approach, where the song structures were more straightforward. But make no mistake about it, this wasn't easily digestible pop 'product,' the lyrical themes of certain songs (namely the modern dance pop of "Cities in Dust" and "92 Degrees") contain all sorts of disturbing imagery. Other highlights include such eerie compositions as "The Sweetest Chill" and "Lands End," as well as "This Unrest" and "Party's Fall." When Tinderbox was issued on CD, the tracklisting was expanded to include four bonus tracks, including an 'extended version' of the aforementioned "Cities in Dust."( Face to Face)

The Shins - Oh, Inverted World

The Shins appeared out of the middle of New Mexico as if by magic, though they had been around for a while under several other names on several different labels. In a landscape of boy bands, pre-teen chanteuses, and nu metal, the literate, '60s-influenced jangle of the Shins' debut seems a bizarre anomaly. This is indie rock that channels Love and Creation rather than the Ramones and Sex Pistols. Standouts include "One by One All Day," with its Space Invader intro, rattling drums, and retro keyboard solo, the gentle "Weird Divide," which highlights James Mercer's Brian Wilson-esque voice, and "Your Algebra," with its echoing vocals and guitar arpeggios. Arguably, the album's best track is "New Slang," which begins with the lines "Gold teeth and a curse for this town are all in my mouth/Only I don't know how they got out." For listeners with a computer, the disc also contains a charming if very low-fi video for "New Slang." (This band sucks, but the album is good)