Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

“Call Me Maybe” is a phenomenon. The song has sold over nine million singles worldwide and videos of the infectious hit, sung by Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster and even former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, went viral. Bieber was so enamored of the song that he signed the young woman behind it to his label. Now Jepsen, a 26-year-old native of Mission, B.C. and a former Canadian Idol contestant, is poised to capitalize on its success. Featuring the ubiquitous song itself and 11 other numbers, Jepsen’s Kiss is full of supercharged dance pop. The album’s first single, “This Kiss,” produced by LMFAO’s Redfoo, has the same clubby appeal as her mega-hit. And “Good...

She’s forever remembered as Tom Waits’ beatnik lover and for her hit “Chuck E.’s in Love.” But Jones is also a Grammy-winning interpreter of jazz and pop standards. Here, she delivers stark renditions of rock classics like the Band’s “The Weight” and the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” that are chillingly intimate.

England’s divo made his mark with Freddie Mercury-style operatics, most noticeably with his falsetto-drenched hit “Grace Kelly.” On his third album, the 29-year-old Mika traveled to Montreal to record a collection of lush electropop songs like the crazy-in-love title track and “Celebrate,” a joyous dance number featuring Pharrell Williams.

Anyone doubting that Gwen Stefani would reunite with the ska-pop band she formed in high school, after taking time off to launch a solo career and start a family, should take note: the group behind the Grammy-winning hits “Hey Baby” and “Underneath it All” have returned. There was good reason to be doubtful. The “Hella Good” singer had transformed herself into one of pop’s most visually arresting artists, with her own fashion line, L.A.M.B., and given birth to two sons with rocker Gavin Rossdale. But Stefani’s bond with her bandmates obviously runs deep. No Doubt’s sixth studio release picks up where its last album, 2001’s Jamaican-influenced Rock Steady, left off. “Settle Down” boasts infec...

Led by siren Martina Sorbara, Dragonette conquered the world with its 2010 single “Hello” (a title we really like!), collaborating with French DJ Martin Solveig. On the Canadian synth-poppers’ third album, the band ramps up the beats and electro thrills, especially on “Giddy Up” and “My Legs,” about Sorbara’s late-night dance addiction.

Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson were among the first to show the world that women can rock, with 1970s hits like “Barracuda” and “Crazy on You.” The sisters are still going strong on their 14th studio album, a largely hard-rocking affair. The exceptions are “Pennsylvania” and “Walkin’ Good,” an acoustic ballad with Sarah McLachlan.

Renowned for her honest songs about romance, Etheridge has never shied away from tough choices. The Kansas-born rocker came out as a lesbian in 1993, the same year she won a pair of Grammy Awards. Married twice, to film director Julie Cypher and actress Tammy Lynn Michaels, she became a devoted parent to four children. Now 51, Etheridge has learned from her experiences, including overcoming breast cancer. The latter, she says, “taught me to cherish my health and life, and to take joy in every day.” That wisdom runs through 4th Street Feeling, Etheridge’s new album, most prominently on the twanging “Falling Up.” “So here’s to me, let’s raise a cup,” she sings. “I’m fancy free and I’ve fallen ...

The legendary singer-songwriter continues to make magic on his latest, conjuring up an evocative train song (“Duquesne Whistle”) and a heartfelt tribute to John Lennon (“Roll on John”). But his most masterful sleight of hand is the epic title track about the Titanic, which cleverly mixes history and Hollywood, even referencing Leonardo DiCaprio.

The second of his Nashville recordings, after last year’s The Blackbird Diaries, the ex-Eurythmic’s new one again features Joss Stone and plenty of country-tinged rock material as well as duets with Jessie Baylin and Diane Birch. Stewart is at his best on “Drowning in the Blues,” an exquisite fiddle-flecked duet with Alison Krauss.

Six years ago Nelly unleashed Loose, a bold album that sold more than 10 million copies on the strength of the monster hit singles “Maneater” and “Promiscuous.” Since then, Canada’s red-hot mama released a Spanish CD and married Cuban-born Demacio Castellon. She also spent time with her daughter, Nevis, now eight. This month, Furtado releases her most mature statement to date, an album she calls “an ode to the spirit which resides in all of us and triumphs over anything.” Some songs, including the title track, arose from trips Furtado made to Kenya as ambassador of Free the Children. On the introspective “Thoughts,” the Kenyan Boys Choir joins her, while “The Most Beautiful Thing” is a movin...