Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Rock ’n’ roll doesn’t have a better working-class hero than Bruce Springsteen, who has been singing about the hopes and dreams of working people for 35 years. Lately, his songs have turned darker and angrier, as he dealt with 9/11, the Iraq war and economic hardships. Not surprisingly, Bruce has been one of Barack Obama’s most ardent supporters. At a rally for the Illinois senator’s presidential candidacy, he gave an impassioned speech and debuted a new song, “Working On a Dream.” That song is now the title track of the Boss’ latest album. Less bleak than his recent recordings, Working On a Dream draws on the same sense of hope that Bruce expressed in his rally speech. The title track and “M...

Singer Antony Hegarty has earned high praise for his ethereal, otherworldly vocals. “When I first heard him, I knew I was in the presence of an angel,” Lou Reed said, while Portishead’s Beth Gibbons added, “He has expressed how I feel about being a woman better than I have myself.” The sexually ambiguous Antony, who sings about love, longing and transgendered life, is an undeniably gifted artist. His new songs, including “Aeon” and “Another World,” are moving testaments to hope and human frailty. January 2009  

These Glasgow art-school rockers’ stated mission was “to make records girls can dance to.” They certainly fulfilled that promise, producing some of the decade’s most infectious dance tracks, including “Take Me Out” and “Do You Want To.” The group’s third album is equally robust, kicking off with the edgy “Ulysses,” on which singer Alex Kapranos delivers a devilish “C’mon, let’s get high” over sinister synthesizers and a throbbing bass. Other songs of lust like “Send Him Away” and “Turn It On” boast even wilder rhythms. January 2009  

They’ve been called America’s answer to Coldplay—with good reason. Like Chris Martin’s band, the Fray is a quartet, led by a piano-playing singer, which produces soaring, feel-good pop. The Denver band’s debut album, How to Save a Life, featured two hits: the title song, about frontman Isaac Slade’s work mentoring a crack-addicted teen, and “Cable Car (Over My Head),” about Isaac’s rift with his brother, former bandmate Caleb Slade. The album sold more than three million copies and Isaac was embraced by female fans as a sensitive heartthrob. “Isaac represents the emotional side of our band,” says the Fray’s drummer, Ben Wysocki. “He’s a softie at the core.”    The Fray benefited hugely from ...

Kylie’s always been a disco queen. Many of the Aussie pop star’s early hits, dating back to “The Loco-Motion,” were remixed for the dancefloor. This album gives the celebrity remix treatment to tracks released since 2000. Fischerspooner turns Kylie’s “Come Into My World” into a throbbing club classic, while electro godfathers the Chemical Brothers deliver a stark, hypnotic version of “Slow.” But best is the mashup of New Order’s “Blue Monday” with “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” an irresistible booty-shaker. January 2009

One of Canada’s most celebrated musical families, the Rankins split in 1999—only to have John Morris die in a tragic car accident the following year. Two years ago, with the pain behind them, the group reunited with John Morris’ daughter Molly completing the lineup. Now, Jimmy, Heather, Cookie and Raylene are back with their mellifluous harmonies and a mix of updated classics like “Rise Again” and “Fare Thee Well Love” and stirring new songs of hope such as “Never Alone” and “Breathe Dream Pray Love.” February 2009

Renee Olstead may not be a household name yet—but she’s fast becoming one. Just 19, Renee is a singer-actress with an already impressive list of credits. Born an only child in Houston, she has appeared in movies like The Insider with Russell Crowe and 13 Going on 30 with Jennifer Garner. Her TV appearances have included a co-starring role as middle sister Lauren Miller in the sitcom Still Standing, now in its third season. Renee’s music career is equally promising. After recording several independent CDs, the teenage singer was discovered by Canadian award-winning producer David Foster, who had previously groomed such stars as Céline Dion, Josh Groban and Michael Bublé. Renee’s talent, toget...

Matt Ward, known by his stage name M. Ward, has a deep love affair with 1960s music. He shared that passion last year with actress Zooey Deschanel in indie-rock duo She & Him and their acclaimed debut, Volume One. On his new solo CD, the talented American troubadour continues his retro explorations, covering songs popularized by Buddy Holly (“Rave On”) and Neil Young (“Oh Lonesome Me” in a duet with Lucinda Williams) and teaming up with Zooey on the swinging, harmony-laden “Never Had Nobody Like You.” February 2009

His latest album is called Mr. Lucky, and Chris Isaak has certainly had his share of good fortune. Born to working-class parents in California, Chris was a surfer and amateur boxer before turning to a career in music. His rugged good looks were an obvious asset, but Chris’ sexy croon and his rockabilly style also attracted filmmakers like David Lynch and Herb Ritts. The former featured Chris’ song “Wicked Game” in his movie Wild at Heart, while the latter directed a steamy video for the song, in which the singer rolled on a beach with topless Danish supermodel Helena Christensen. The song went Top 10. Chris’ luck continued when Nicole Kidman suggested his bluesy rocker “Baby Did a Bad, Bad T...

With her self-help messages, India became a favorite of Oprah Winfrey, who thanked her for the lyric “I may not be built like a supermodel, but I’ve learned to love myself unconditionally.” The Grammy-winning singer’s acoustic soul sound was also popular during Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. With her fourth album, India serves up more feel-good r&b on songs like “Therapy” and her Latin-tinged cover of Sade’s “Pearls” and even gets a bit funky with bluesman Keb Mo on the edgier “Better Way.” February 2009