Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

A preening poseur, Rod the (former) Mod has sacrificed an admittedly brilliant rock voice too often for fame and fortune. Most recently, Stewart cashed in with the four-volume Great American Songbook series, which sold a staggering 15 million copies worldwide. Here, the model-chasing Scot tries to salvage some credibility by lending his famous sandpaper vocals to such rock hits as Badfinger’s “Day After Day” and The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand by You.” A good career move, but a case of too little, too late.

Cochrane is not celebrated like fellow Canadian singer-songwriters Joni, Leonard or Neil. But his body of work has attracted a large and loyal fan base, from Red Rider days to his solo recordings. This studio album, Cochrane’s first in eight years, proves that the creator of “Life is a Highway” and other hits is still on a meaningful musical journey. The best songs include the chiming ballad “Glide” and the anthemic rocker “White Horse.” Clearly, as Cochrane sings on the album’s passionate opener, the party’s not yet over.

It’s a big jump from a Pentecostal church in New Jersey to collaborating with Eric Clapton. But that’s how far the pedal steel guitar has taken Randolph, who plays his instrument with Clapton-like virtuosity. Hugely popular on the jam-band circuit, Randolph will do well with his second studio album, which features Dave Matthews and Clapton himself, on a raucous rendition of The Byrds’ “Jesus is Just Alright.” There’s also Sly Stone-style funk on “Diane” and joyful gospel-rock on “Deliver Me.”

The New Pornographers’ family tree leads directly to Shane Nelken, a talented odd-bod who works as an actor, film score composer and cremationist, of all things. Nelken, who’s recorded with the Pornos’ AC Newman, performs quirky, adventurous songs of his own like the dreamy “Sad Girl Radio” and the choral “T-Rexia Nervosa” with his band The Awkward Stage. There’s nothing awkward about the group’s debut, which is produced by Porno drummer Kurt Dahle. In fact, this is highly poised and polished pop.

Are you ready to be saved? Jon-Rae Fletcher and his country-soul-gospel group have their sights set on your miserable, god-forsaken soul. Singing spirited songs about sex, booze, apparitions and hitting the road, the Toronto band takes a distinctly non-Christian approach to their missionary work. With honky-tonk pianos, Stax-style horns and Fletcher’s ecstatic vocals with his girlfriend, Anne Rust D’eye, it’s like an old-fashioned revival from the boisterous opening “Roll” to the hymn closing “Fire.” Amen. 

Monica (born with the unglamorous surname, Arnold) tries on a tougher, more mature sound on her fourth album. The Atlanta homegirl tackles an ex-boyfriend’s cheating on the plain-talking “Sideline Ho” and teams up with local heroes Dem Franchize Boyz on the finger-snapping “Everytime Tha Beat Drop.” She even braves a lightning-fast rap with Twista on “Hell No.” But the album suffers from too many boring ballads like the breathy “Get Away” and the highly irritating, designer-name-dropping “A Dozen Roses.”

Lee’s been busy perfecting his pleasing soul-folk sound, sharing stages with the likes of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. But rather than Dylan, Simon or even Norah Jones, who discovered him, the Philadelphia native resembles a bluesier James Taylor on his strong sophomore album. Whether singing about lost love on songs like “Careless” and the organ-drenched “Skipping Stone” or delving into jazz and country-tinged r&b on “Sweet Pea” and the catchy title track, Lee injects some Philly soul into that laidback JT sound.

Like French programming duo Deep Forest, Vancouver’s Delerium (Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber) mixes ambient and electronic sounds to create ethno-dance music. Best known for its 1997 club hit “Silence,” featuring Sarah McLachlan, Delerium branches out on its latest album to include Armenian-Canadian opera star Isabel Bayrakdarian, Punjabi-Canadian vocalist Kiran Ahluwalia and English classical group Mediaeval Baebes. Despite the blend of adventurous beats and ethereal voices, it reeks of new-age babble.

With last year’s Latin-flavored Guero and its remix cousin Guerolito, Beck paid tribute to his east Los Angeles roots. The Information is a return to his trademark mash-up style. Songs like the funky “1000 BPM,” are cautionary tales (hip-hop rants, really) about societal dysfunction, while “Think I’m in Love” and “Strange Apparition” are confessional and oddly uplifting pop gems. When he strikes a bemused pose, as he does on the observational “No Complaints,” Beck sounds like a younger, hipper David Byrne.

They’ve shared stages and producers with Oasis, so it’s not surprising that Jet’s Nic and Chris Cester have a few things in common with the Gallagher brothers—like booze-soaked nights and fookin’ big rock anthems. “Stand Up” is the Aussie band’s latest stadium-sized monster destined to get cell phones a-flashing. But Jet’s sophomore album also has unexpected delights, including the harmony-filled gem “Eleanor,” the string-laden “Bring It On Back” and the stirring title track, a tribute to the Cesters’ late father.