Minnesota Beatle Project Vol. 5 is no different from the past four installments in that it includes inspiring musicians from the '60s to today. The project brings together some of the most timeless songs in rock history with local musicians. Beatles fans and local show-goers alike should find it hard to resist.

Songs for Slim works on so many levels: It helps out Slim Dunlap while at the same time making the case for the beauty and quality of his work. Respect and love permeates the album.

With winter setting in and those colder temperatures upon us, light the fireplace and give The Avett Brothers' Magpie and the Dandelion a spin. It'll warm your heart and soul.

On their important sophomore release, Shulamith, Poliça double down on all that is good about their distinctive sound. Sometimes tribal, tinged with a meditative delicacy, they produce a universally attractive organic texture, explaining the positive reaction they've garnered all over the world.

Arcade Fire's new album Reflektor is a 75-minute, two-disc hot mess. And it's a whole lot of fun.

One of Pearl Jam's defining characteristics is that they have wedged themselves into their own corner of American rock music. They can rest assured that their spot in the canon will remain unaltered.

The Head and the Heart accomplish more on Let's Be Still than presenting their ability to write and arrange melodies; they deliver a more mature set of songs that tell stories. The album is as relatable as it is listenable.

2013 appears to be the year of the break-out debut single. The story goes like this: if your single is strong enough, you get significant press, praise and enough hype and money to fund a debut album well beyond the means of most fledgling artists. Such is the case with Lorde's Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O'Connor.

You can keep Janelle Monae's cerebral, abstract inspiration for her art in the back of your head while enjoying The Electric Lady, but don't let the songs get lost in it.

In the last 10 years, few British rock bands have managed to translate their success into American sales. But this week, Arctic Monkeys' latest, AM, sits at the top in the Alternative Billboard charts and at #28 in the Top 200. Arctic Monkeys have definitely earned their place in the rock 'n' roll canon — on both sides of the Atlantic..