With her new, self-titled record, St. Vincent erects new barriers of aloofness while also managing to make her most accessible and exciting record yet.

Foster the People have made an admirable effort to inject an even more adventurous spirit into their second album, resulting in a mixed bag of new sounds that range from catchy to unfortunate.

Music journalist Holly George-Warren's new book traces the troubled life and backwards career arc of Big Star's Alex Chilton. Reviewer Jason Heller says the book is a poignant and forthright portrait.

For Johnny Cash fans like Bill DeVille, today's release of Johnny's lost album, 'Out Among the Stars', is huge news. Bill DeVille shares some of the album's backstory and gives his review.

The Hold Steady's sixth studio album exemplifies what Craig Finn and friends have done better than their contemporaries: They play guitar-driven rock music with smart lyrics.

Drive-By Truckers are back with the tenth album of their nearly 20-year career, and this might be one their finest. The Truckers sing about what they know: real people with real-life problems in small-town America. They deliver their music with conviction, simplicity and grit.

Phantogram's new release 'Voices' is such a series of knockouts, it can give the record the feel of a singles collection, or even a greatest hits album.

Temples, a four-piece band from England, did not set out to make a modern-sounding record; their album 'Sun Structures' is filled with reverb-soaked vocals and fuzzy guitars that whirl around you like a 1960s or '70s blizzard of sound.

Billed as a sequel to his 2002 release, 'Sea Change', Beck's new album, 'Morning Phase' has a heavier gravity to it, writes Steve Seel. Beck's pensiveness is more reflective, his sadness somehow more informed. And the result is an extremely rewarding experience.

With their second full offering, Broken Bells (Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse, and James Mercer) are at the top of their game, letting go of any former walls and perfectly blending their musical worlds together.