Montreal’s Tiga is one of those wonderful producer-musicians who is not afraid to prominently feature each of his influences on his work. His latest album, Sexor, is a dirty mashup of Eighties pop-electro along the lines of Yaz and Gary Numan (the infectious “You Gonna Want Me”) and modern-day dance-floor…

Massive Attack’s coolness expiration date is as yet unknown. The Bristol, England-based cooperative came to prominence with shivering bass, unpredictably syncopated beats, reggae-flecked rhythms, Middle Eastern rattles, and vocals as seductive as they are threatening. Over the years the core members have been joined by a revolving door of collaborators…

Having the gonzo electro warriors in the Crystal Method put together the soundtrack for London, a film with drug-fueled plot lines, seems like a natural choice. Based on the perfunctory idea of London’s substance-induced stories, the Crystal Method’s changeable beat structures, such as those in “Fire to Me” (a collaboration…

Whether providing guest spots for UK indie darlings such as Zero 7, Jamiroquai, and Massive Attack, or scoring the denouement for the HBO series Six Feet Under, Sia’s vocals are sad and slinky, as if she has her arms around your neck and is pulling you close to whisper dismal…

Contrary to many fairer-sex DJs who misguidedly decide they are singers, Colette has had years of vocal training, which pays off with her debut, Hypnotized. It boasts distinct shadings of Shannon’s “Let the Music Play” on “What Will She Do for Love,” a unique cover of Cherrelle’s “I Didn’t Mean…

Embrace hasn’t had a successful album since its 1998 debut, The Good Will Out — until now. On the British quartet’s fourth album, Out of Nothing, a song penned by Coldplay’s Chris Martin (the crescendo-filled “Gravity”) and the surge of emotionally pulling, feelings-showing-from-the-inside-out type of music that Embrace has always…

Why does a song sound better when someone is pining for love than when someone is singing about being in love? Is it because the listener is envious of the artist’s romance? Or does the listener simply find it cloying? It has been said that in order to make genuinely…

The eight-man Newport, Wales collective known as Goldie Lookin’ Chain is providing what was missing from music: Welsh rappers. Often likened to the Beastie Boys, its debut long-player, Straight Outta Newport, is chock full of humorous tales told in the distinct voices of its individual members. Catapulting into the public’s…

Written during his late teens, Trouble Is Real, the debut full-length from Johnathan Rice (no relation to Damien), is far more aware than any kid’s album has a right to be. The 21-year-old’s weapon is his breathy, rough voice. Whether whispering hoarsely over a plucked guitar on “Break So Easy”…

The worst thing for musicians seems to be success. Once they attain any, everyone — from their fans to critics and from music business people to the artists themselves — begins having unrealistic expectations. In the case of Moby, America’s most prominent electronic artist but a once unlikely candidate to…

On Some Cities, Doves’s self-produced soundscapes have evolved into more defined sound bites. Produced by Ben Hiller (Blur, Elbow), it is far less experimental and imaginative than previous works, which touched the senses with the band’s melancholic yet positive combination of swirling guitars and moody vocals, and much more conventional…

On Kasabian’s eponymous debut, there is a line that declares, “Music is my world.” This echoes throughout “I.D.,” in which singer Tom Meighan’s voice emulates Primal Scream’s vocalist Bobby Gillespie circa Screamadelica. With Kasabian’s handle on rhythm, you can believe that statement wholeheartedly. Filled with positive anger, the revolutionary chants…

Using its dubby, bass-heavy template as a backdrop, Thievery Corporation’s fourth album, The Cosmic Game, introduces toasting in its gentlest incarnation through guests such as Sleepy Wonder (“Warning Shots”), Notch (“Amerimacka”), and others. These vocalists are set off by Thievery’s signature blueprint of Caribbean inspired beats and bass, which sit…

Politics and music have always been uneasy bedfellows. On one hand, there is something to be said for musicians who only provide entertainment and, in the process, an escape from the anxiety of politics. On the other hand, it is admirable when musicians use their platform as popular artists to…

Nashville’s Blue Merle should suffice nicely while you wait for the next Coldplay album. It is eerie how much singer Lucas Reynolds’s tenor sounds just like Coldplay leader Chris Martin’s voice. Named after a Led Zeppelin lyric (not the Australian sheepdog), this foursome somewhat distinguishes itself by using a mandolin…

Never has a commercial catapulted a band’s career the way that Mitsubishi ad did for Dirty Vegas. Accompanied by the body-poppings of an eye-catching model, their infectious soundtrack for the car company, “Days Go By,” changed them from unknowns into Grammy Award winners. On their second album, One, Dirty Vegas…

UNKLE is Mo’ Wax tastemaker James Lavelle’s all-star project. He and songwriter Richard File gather a noteworthy group of musicians for Never, Never, Land, and although the grocery list of guests is overwhelming, the duo elicit interesting performances from each participant. Where Psyence Fiction, Lavelle’s inaugural UNKLE collaboration with DJ…

The “clown” prince of the big beat, Fatboy Slim uses a gentler approach on his fourth, self-deprecatingly titled album, Palookaville. Although there are moments of goofball head-banging/fist-pumping madness (“Jingo,” “Slash Dot Dash”), the presence of guests such as Lateef, Blur’s Damon Albarn, Bootsy Collins, and fellow DJ-turned-crooner Justin Robertson make…

Hope of the States’s new album, The Lost Riots, is part of a larger trend in rock towards social consciousness. With a name derived from an essay written by Albert Deutsch on schizophrenics, the British band’s debut reads like a love/hate letter to the United States. Songs with titles such…

On Chicago Forever, legendary producer Roy Davis, Jr. infuses various styles into a classic bumping house backdrop. Intensely soulful and full of gospel vibes, with vocals by Terry Dexter, Jeremy “Ayro” Ellis, and Davis himself, it drips syrupy sweet on tracks such as “Heavenly Father” and “My Soul Is Electric.”…

Martina Topley-Bird is the female vocalist who was the focal point of Tricky’s groundbreaking first three albums. Back then, the two switched traditional roles, with Topley-Bird playing the male to Tricky’s female side with sexy naughtiness. Five years after the duo’s split and four years in the making, Topley-Bird released…

The French group Phoenix’s second full-length, Alphabetical, is the followup to its 2000 debut, United. That album cemented its place as one of the cooler bands, the kind whose music is used in thoughtful, arty films and for trendy designers’ fashion shows. But with Alphabetical, Phoenix has arrived at an…