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If you thought that her first solo album collaboration with the Watson Twins showed her knack for crafting soulful tunes, singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis shines even brighter on her sophomore release, Acid Tongue.

With their recent release, Tennessee Pusher, Old Crow Medicine Show once again wade in the sound of American folk music, all the while pushing its boundaries with a rough-and-tumble tenacity.

Exit embodies much of the positivity and airiness associated with a sector of Japanese music that includes artists like Takagi Masakatsu, Kazumasa Hashimoto and Tatsuhiko Asano.

With a catalytic album cover featuring the iconic Subcomandante Marcos, the expectations of an incendiary album contained within the packaging abound.

On Murs for President, the rapper traverses familiar territories by rapping about poverty, hubris, personal drama, et al.

Playing out Part Two of the story that started with their 2007 album, The Stage Names, Okkervil River comes back stronger and better than ever on their recent release, The Stand Ins.

Leaving behind the chunky, fast-paced music of his former, now-defunct band, Death From Above 1979, Sebastian Grainger displays a side of melodic depth and a newfound creativity on his debut solo EP, American Names.

With a penchant for placid folk-pop and a dash of Midwest charm, the Cleveland duo of Craig Ramsey and Charlie McArthur, their studio and live collective going under the moniker Bears, surrenders its heart-achingly sweet sophomore release, Simple Machinery.

Weezer is back in 2008 with a decidedly strong identity crisis. On the “Red” album, Rivers Cuomo blends the classic Weezer form of chugging, quirky pop songs with new, more ambitious compositions.

Around for over a decade now, the veterans of Liverpool’s very own Clinic have been around long enough to establish a sound that is distinctly theirs.