Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Having successfully tackled pop standards with his best-selling Great American Songbook series, it was a natural step for Rod to turn to r&b classics. On Soulbook, the flamboyant Scot covers 13 favorites from the ’60s and ’70s and duets with such stellar guests as Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Hudson. Working with all-star musicians, Rod transforms well-worn numbers like the Motown nugget “It’s the Same Old Song” into something new, fresh and uniquely his own. October 2009  

Most people are aware of the musical gifts of Jamie Foxx, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the movie Ray. Fewer will know that actor Terrence Howard is also a talented musician in his own right. Throughout his career, he has played musicians on the screen. His star turn came in 2004, playing the rapper DJay in Hustle & Flow, for which he received an Oscar nomination. Now, Terrence has produced an intriguing showcase for his own music, with the 11 songs he wrote, arranged and produced on Shine Through It, one of 2008’s most undeservedly overlooked CDs. Like Jamie, Terrence was encouraged to pursue music by his grandmother, a musically trained stage actress. Where J...

Chicago’s kings of emo rock boast an odd dynamic. Patrick Stump is Fall Out Boy’s lead singer and chief music composer, but its driving force is Pete Wentz, the limelight-loving bassist who writes all of the band’s lyrics. Married to pop-rock singer Ashlee Simpson, Wentz puts his sardonic stamp all over Fall Out Boy’s excellent fifth album. Among a surplus of witty, boisterous rock numbers, the piano ballad “What a Catch, Donnie” stands out with such droll lines as “I’ve got troubled thoughts and self-esteem to match.” January 2009

Her life hasn’t been easy. Born to a drug-addicted mother and adopted by a family friend at two, Keyshia Cole had to fight to make a name for herself. Her first two albums were filled with tear-filled and angst-ridden songs. The r&b singer’s latest is a real departure, showcasing a more carefree personality. Upbeat numbers like “Make Me Over” and “Erotic” bristle with sexiness, while ballads such as the confessional “Trust,” a duet with Monica, and the vulnerable “You Complete Me” express a new and refreshing sweetness. January 2009

Think of the new Leahy as a cross between those other sibling acts, the Rankins and Ireland’s the Corrs. While still steeped in Celtic fiddle music, the nine Leahy brothers and sisters from rural Ontario have clearly benefited from touring with country-pop diva Shania Twain. The group’s second album, produced by Nigel Green (the engineer of projects by Shania’s hubby, Mutt Lange), has a polished pop edge. And the once strictly instrumental and stepdancing group now features vocals from the five Leahy girls.

Manufactured pop for boob-tube viewers. The international TV series PopStars has so far spawned groups from England, Australia and the United States. Sugar Jones, the product of the show’s Canadian franchise, has already launched its first single, a forgettable piece of fluff called “Days Like That.” The album, assembled by songwriters and producers whose clients include Nelly Furtado, Jacksoul and McMaster & James, is due out any day. If this is pop’s future, be afraid, or at least very depressed.

The Canadian-born native icon made her mark in the hippie era with protest anthems and love songs. Now 66, Sainte-Marie shows no signs of letting up. Her first album of new material in 15 years features some of her angriest songs, including the pow-wow rock of “No No Keshagesh,” which decries corporate greed, and the wild tribal thump of “Workin’ for the Government.” But, this being Buffy, there’s also sweet romance, from the smoky jazz of “When I Had You” to the Fats Domino-like “Bet My Heart on You.” Oct. 28

He’s got a concert hall and an arena named after him. There’s even a hockey team whose jerseys bear his famous mug. The former Guess Who frontman also owns one of rock’s biggest voices, although his solo work has given way to California dreaming and polishing the Bachman-Cummings legacy. In his first solo album since 1990’s Plus Signs, the once prolific artist is back with 19 new songs. There’s plenty of diversity, but the album is a mostly mellow affair. What ever happened to the Moustache that Roared? Nov. 4 

Like Keane, Snow Patrol has endured Coldplay comparisons due to the Irish rockers’ shamelessly emotive style. But singer Gary Lightbody and his bandmates can afford to ignore the copycat comments: their last CD, 2006’s Eyes Open, sold a whopping seven million copies worldwide. The group’s fifth album will undoubtedly please Snow Patrol army loyalists, with Lightbody’s sensitive-boy tenor soaring above pretty, melodic pop peaks. But it’s too musically twee and lyrically obtuse to win over new potential recruits. Oct. 28

With the focus on gods in songs like “Ares,” “Mercury” and “Zephyrus,” you’d think that Bloc Party’s latest was steeped in Greek mythology. Actually, singer Kele Okereke sticks to the usual subject matter: his painful love life. “You used to take your watch off before we made love,” he sings on the searing “Trojan Horse,” “You didn’t want to share our time with anyone.” London’s danceable art-punk band delves into electronic horns and Chemical Brothers-style beats, but, as the album title suggests, Okereke keeps it personal. Oct. 28