Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

As Neko Case did recently, Portland’s Colin Meloy has turned to an ancient folk tale for inspiration—with wondrous results. The Decemberists’ leader has made the story of a Japanese peasant and his magical bird into the epic title track of his band’s latest album. With other songs exploring themes of murder (the grisly “Shankhill Butchers”) and romance (the gorgeous “Yankee Bayonet,” which the hyper-literate Meloy calls a “Civil War-era ghost love story”) the collection amounts to a modest prog-folk masterpiece.

Tom Waits calls him “one of the architects of American music.” While Burke’s best known for soul and r&b, his love of hurtin’ music is genuine. That fondness shines through on duets with Gillian Welch (“Valley of Tears”) and Dolly Parton (“Tomorrow is Forever”). Other pairings include the gospel-country magic with Patty Griffin on “Up on the Mountain” and some sweet harmony with Emmylou Harris on “We’re Gonna Hold On.” Not since Ray Charles first embraced the music has country sounded so soulful.

It’s not easy being the son of the deified Beatle—just ask Julian who, despite (or because of) his eerie resemblance to his father, rode a ticket to obscurity. Sean, who actually sounds more like Paul, has fared better, largely due to his alt-rock connections. His long-awaited followup to 1998’s Into the Sun is a promising collection of piano and falsetto-filled songs about failed romance. But the most moving number is the stark hidden track that recalls the day John was murdered, leaving five-year-old Sean tragically fatherless. Sept. 26

The All-Stars became the subject of a moving, award-winning documentary championed by Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and others. Formed in the war-torn refugee camps of West Africa, with equipment donated by Canadian relief agency CECI, the band plays a charming mix of roots reggae and highlife music on buoyant, life-affirming tracks such as the Peter Tosh-like “Bull to the Weak” and the effervescent “Soda Soap.” Having witnessed unspeakable horrors, the group is living proof of music’s healing powers. Sept. 26

Following Stars’ Amy Millan, Haines is the latest Canadian indie diva to fly solo. Where Millan opted for a boozy country album, the Metric singer has gone for a potent, late-night lounge record. Dreamy piano ballads like “Doctor Blind,” “Reading in Bed” and “The Last Page” have a deliciously narcotic effect, while “Our Hell,” “The Lottery’ and the Neil Young response “The Maid Needs a Maid” offer dark and humorous messages. Wildly original, this hypnotic debut seems destined to make Haines an even bigger star. Sept. 26

Pitched somewhere between Lady Sovereign and The Streets’ Mike Skinner, Allen is the latest raunchy ragamuffin from England to reach these shores. Although her ska-inflected music has all the longevity of a summer Popsicle, songs like the sunny “Smile” and the carnival-like “LDN” (text-speak for London) are undeniably cool and sweet diversions. Meanwhile, tougher numbers like “Knock ’Em Out” and “Not Big” prove that boorish, undersized lads are best advised to steer clear of this whip-smart, 21-year-old firecracker. Sept. 19

Its record label cites Arcade Fire and The Flaming Lips as reference points, but this fey English pop band lacks both passion and theatricality. Clearly, the group has epic-pop pretensions, having enlisted producer Trevor Horn (Frankie Goes to Hollywood). But, despite sweeping melodies and the boy-girl harmonies of Rik Flynn and Clare Szembek, songs like “Frontline,” “Glorious” and “East, West, North, South” amount to empty dramatic gestures. Ultimately, with its ship well adrift, this Captain deserves a mutiny.   Sept. 19

Some found the duet with her dead father creepy, while cynics saw it as crass nostalgia. But Nat “King” Cole’s daughter has long proven herself a gifted singer in her own right. Although best known as a jazz-pop vocalist, this album is a return to her r&b roots, with Cole covering Aretha Franklin’s “Day Dreaming” and The Isley Brothers’ “Don’t Say Goodbye.” The standout track is her deep-soul rendition of Etta James’ “Lovin’ Arms,” but she also bravely tackles pop hits by Fiona Apple, Kate Bush and Shelby Lynne. Sept. 19

Early on, Molly seemed unsinkable: a child star in musicals, then a successful new waver and art rocker in Toronto’s Queen Street scene. As a jazz chanteuse, however, she missed the wave that took Diana Krall and Cassandra Wilson to the top. Things changed with her last album, the classy Another Day, which became a huge hit in France. Johnson’s star will likely go supernova with her latest, a mix of funky, campy originals like “Northern Star” and “If You Know Love” and cool covers of Gershwin, Springsteen and Prince. Sept. 19

None of them are Brazilian and only one is a girl, but this NYC quartet almost defies description. Led by vocalist Sabina Sciubba, the Girls mix electro, dub, pop, punk and dance music into a global stew like no other. The group’s second album is the perfect soundtrack for an airport lounge, featuring noir-ish tales of tourists, territories, tanks and sweatshops sung in various languages. In fact, Sciubba sings in English, German, French and Spanish, no less, on the title track and the opening “Jique.” A jet-setter’s wet dream. Sept. 12