Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

This Julien Temple DVD of a recent Pistols’ performance at the Brixton Academy features fat, middle-aged punk fans screaming and brandishing their gnarled middle fingers at the camera. Ace bonus material includes John Lydon leading a tour of London from an open-air, double-decker bus and ranting about the modern architecture. “History is important,” he proclaims, “warts and all.” Despite his irreverent, maniacal reputation, the former Johnny Rotten turns out to be a sentimental traditionalist. Who knew? Oct. 14

Expect more pandemonium from the lads from Leeds, who accurately predicted a riot with their debut album, which spawned four hit singles of sunny dread rock. The band’s third album, produced by Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse) features more incongruously cheery songs about Britain’s social ills, including “Never Miss a Beat” and “Addicted to Drugs.” U.K grime artist Sway joins the Chiefs on one cautionary tale, while pop darling Lily Allen contributes vocals to the bouncy, existentialist “Always Happens Like That.” Oct. 14

Named after Manuel from Fawlty Towers, this quirky Swedish band has grown in popularity since last year’s Let Me Introduce My Friends. Which is a good thing because its 29 members can now fit on larger stages like Lollapalooza, where they played last year. Its latest album was inspired by the famous Hungarian escapologist and bandleader Emmanuel Lungren’s own failed career as an illusionist. Gorgeous sleights of hand like the dream-pop of “Paper Planes” and the string-laced “Headphones” are pure magic. Oct. 14

Like Julio Iglesias, Pablo Diaz-Reixa was a promising Spanish soccer player before music knocked him off the ball. Now, as El Guincho, the Canary Islands-born, Barcelona-based Diaz-Reixa makes a funky tropical sound that is (happily) worlds away from Iglesias’ romantic mush. His debut album, mixing elements of island harmonies, Afrobeat rhythms, psych tropicália and futuristic samples, has the dizzying effect of excessive amounts of sangriá on a hot summer night. Intoxicating space-age exotica.

With her sometimes husky, sometimes whispery alto and evocative piano style, Yamagata made an impressive debut with 2004’s Happenstance. For her sophomore effort, the sultry singer has delivered an ambitious followup: a song cycle about a love affair and its aftermath in two parts. The first part, vulnerable and laid back, sounds much like her first album. But Yamagata kicks out the jams on the surprising second part, wailing on guitar and vocals in fast, angry rock songs with hints of the White Stripes.

She calls herself a “smoky folkie.” But Barber’s latest CD increases the smoky quotient while jettisoning the folk sound of her previous albums. Co-writing with Ron Sexsmith on three songs, including the swoon-inducing title track, Barber has morphed into a torch singer with a timeless edge. Sultry clarinets, lush strings and exquisite harmonies with Sexsmith on “Old Flame” lovingly evoke the sounds of a bygone era. And Barber brilliantly channels Nina Simone on the call-and-response blues swing of “Oh My My.” Oct. 14    

Once tagged as Coldplay’s little brothers, Keane have grown into masters of their own emotive-pop sound. Pianist Tim Rice-Oxley’s songs have evolved from sunny, uplifting anthems on Hopes and Fears to darker, edgier fare on Under the Iron Sea and he remains one of Britain’s hookiest composers. And singer Tom Chaplin’s soaring tenor is still a thing of undeniable beauty. Keane’s third album maintains that high standard on 11 tracks of exquisitely melancholic pop, including the irresistible “The Lovers are Losing.” Oct. 14

LaMontagne has been a mostly word-of-mouth phenomenon, due to the low-key nature of his music and his own notorious shyness. That may change with the raspy-voiced New England troubadour’s fine third album. Although most of its songs are typically stark, introspective and autumnal in theme, there are a few of rowdy exceptions—including a chugging, train-like blues number—that may boost LaMontagne’s profile higher. Best of all is “Meg White,” a suitably thumping, loving tribute to the White Stripes drummer. Oct. 14

The Lake Charles, Louisiana native is a major force in alt-country, with two formidable assets in her arsenal: an aching drawl of a voice that oozes sexuality and a writer’s way with words that gives her songs a strong observational and conversational edge. The daughter of American poet Miller Williams, Lucinda outdoes herself on her seventh album, painting a stroke-perfect portrait of Brit-rocker and habitual train wreck Pete Doherty and performing a wild duet with Elvis Costello about two boozy loser lovers. Oct. 14

With song titles like “Rock & Roll Train,” “She Likes Rock & Roll,” “Rock & Roll Dream” and “Rocking All the Way,” there’s no mistaking AC/DC for a lounge act. The Aussie blokes, led by knickers-wearing guitarist Angus Young, stick to their trademark head banging and riff rock on the band’s 16th studio album. Squealing singer Brian Johnson’s still sound like he’s being castrated, but he and Angus can’t stop preaching to the choir with their sex-obsessed schoolboy hymns about heartbreakers and ballbreakers. Oct. 21