"It's intriguing that so many of the best metal albums this year were the ones with no metal in them, by which I mean no guitars." I wrote that eight years ago, at the end of 2003, apparently impressed by certain gothic and/or ambient and/or keyboard-obsessed bands (whom I can no longer identify offhand) who'd taken their heaviness in a rather unexpected direction, to say the least. What I wrote then is certainly not true of metal albums now: my three favorite albums below are absolutely committed to overweight guitar riffs, as metal has been since the very dawn of time. Further down the list, though, there's still plenty of evidence of bands moving their music way beyond the genre's high-volume constrictions and into a territory that — on entire albums in some cases and just a few tracks in others — might make sense as relaxing background music on certain underworld elevators. So: a new age or an old one? Your choice.Listen now:
Metal Roundup, November 2011
1. The Gates of SlumberThe Wretch
This is the sort of Brobdingnagian power-plod you never imagined could come from Indianapolis: super-sized melodies set to wobbling walrus-blubber doom riffs straight out of Saint Vitus, with downcast vocal howls sometimes stumbling into La Brea Tar Pits of reverb or making way for strange Moog-y electronic breaks. Gates of Slumber have no problem going the hard-charging NWOBHM route ("Coven of Cain"), but more often prefer to keep things depressive and nocturnal, as in the 10-ton suicide note "Day of Farewell" and "Iron & Fire," an even heftier album closer that lasts almost 13 minutes. [Chuck Eddy]
We all love our holiday traditions, including our favorite seasonal songs, whether you're a classicist or a "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"-ist. This year, why not add a global dimension to your holiday listening traditions by embracing some international music customs? We've assembled an extensive guide to the best international and Latin holiday albums, including Christmas-, Hanukkah- and solstice-friendly music from Ireland, Cuba, Jamaica, Eastern Europe and more. So start listening and find some new ways to (musically) say Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Nollaig Shona Dhaoibh! Ah Freilichen Chanukah! Happy holidays!
Christian artists were born (or should we say born again?) to create Christmas music. After all, "Christ" is right there in the name of the holiday! It's not surprising that a genre that delivers spiritually themed music all year long goes into overdrive around the holidays. From the outside looking in, it could seem like overkill (the sheer volume practically guarantees at least a few lukewarm covers), but when it comes to marking the birth of a baby they see as a savior, the faithful take this stuff seriously. Here's our take on a half-dozen of the most high-profile new Christmas collections, with details on everything from guest stars to don't-miss tracks. 
Well, pop fans, it looks like Christmas came early for us this year. Or, to put it another (more accurate) way, your favorite pop stars hustled to get their big albums out in time for the holidays — but before the end-of-the-year dead zone in which no album survives. Many beloved boldface names here: Rihanna! Kelly Clarkson! Drake! Bieber! The Muppets! In fact, so many great albums came out in the last month, we couldn't find a way to limit it to just 10. So here are pop's Top 11 albums of the last month — plus honorable mentions!
It's nearing the end of the year, and there's no shortage of rappers trying to squeeze in an album for holiday shoppers. The big releases this month come from Drake, Wale, Gym Class Heroes and, surprisingly, Mac Miller. December brings The Roots, Common, and Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa. However, there are plenty of lower-profile albums worth a listen, too; so many, in fact, that I couldn't squeeze them in. I compiled a list of them at the end of this roundup.
This Classical Roundup has a decidedly American bent: Leonard Bernstein and Hilary Hahn bring life to Ives, Mikhail Simonyan plays Barber, and Leonard Pennario rolls though Gottschalk. To round things out, and for a touch of international diversity, Matt Haimovitz takes on 
As 2011 starts to wind down, we're highlighting some of the last remaining releases of the year. It's a mix of luscious dream pop from the likes of M83, Atlas Sound and newcomers Blouse, alongside creepy electro-pop from none other than the filmmaker weirdo David Lynch, symphonic rock from former Oasis man Noel Gallagher, bold romantic pop from Florence + the Machine and My Brightest Diamond, and even a new Twilight soundtrack for the tween in us all. There are also some tasty singles and EPs from Mazzy Star (!), Kurt Vile, moody post-punkers The Soft Moon and downtempo Grecians Keep Shelly in Athens.
Synthesizer freaks will be stoked this month, whether it's for the cosmic frequencies that Emeralds' Steve Hauschildt harnesses on his new album for Kranky, or the Day-Glo arpeggios and cartoon trance of Rustie's audacious debut album for Warp. Oneohtrix Point Never's Daniel Lopatin actually moves away from the supersaturated synths of his previous work, but his new record's cryptic vignettes are still a treat for fans of well-tempered analog sound. And the dark drones of Sandwell District's glowering Feed Forward, finally given a digital release, insert coldwave keyboards into techno at its most austere.
There are all sorts of milestones in this month's Jazz Roundup. The biggest deal comes from Wynton Marsalis, whose 50th birthday was celebrated with a pair of records that show the trumpeter's paramount cultural clout. How many other musicians' labels issue a birthday retrospective? How many people get to jam with Clapton to celebrate half a century? There's also the final take from iconic vocalist Etta James and the realization of Christian McBride's long dream to lead a big band. Those three are joined by James Carter's organ trio and some torch-y vocals from L.A. pretty boy Michael Feinstein.
Determining the No. 1 album for this month's installment of Rhapsody's Rock Roundup was a no-brainer: The Beach Boys' Smile Sessions box set. The five-disc package compiles the recordings for the band's lost masterpiece, which was supposed to have come out in 1967 and turn the band into the high princes of psychedelic art-pop. As for other archival releases that charted, there's an expanded edition of Achtung Baby, U2's 1992 foray into electronic-tinged club rock, and Sting's 25 Years collection, a meticulous overview of his post-
Ahhh … welcome to November, country music fans! There has been a cornucopia of exciting new releases of late, and we're going to make it easy as pumpkin pie for you to discover them. 
As we head into the holiday season, the new releases will slow to a trickle, so enjoy this fresh batch of standouts while they're still plentiful. There's a new disc from the band behind Freddie Mercury impersonator Marc Martel, as well as a worshipful disc filled with watery Bible references from Casting Crowns. Singer-songwriters like Sara Groves bring a dose of reality, while Jason Crabb represents the Southern gospel side of things with a new live project. Read on to discover our entire octet of top picks.
Not to toot our own horn or anything, but we think Rhapsody's World Roundups are pretty exciting. It's just so rewarding and exhilarating to take this kind of whirlwind trip around the world of global music, digging into all the fantastic and often under-the-radar new albums that have come out in the last couple months. Our Top Ten this time out, for instance, spans critically acclaimed African desert blues, almost-lost Afro-funk nuggets from Benin, shiver-inducing flamenco, neo-folkloric Mexican alt-rock and Brazilian-zydeco/Western swing/New Orleans jazz mashups. And that's just the first half! Get soundtrekking!
A few notable trends in this latest Metal Roundup: (1) More loud rock you might actually hear on the radio than usual, including a couple albums with songs you might even be able to dance to, other than moshing and banging your noggin even, if you were so inclined. (2) A few bands dead-set on reviving the speed-thrash of the '80s — and they all come from the U.S.A., of all places. (3) A few instances of screamo masquerading as anything but. (4) Two albums (by Saviours and Danava) that end with songs about walking into death's tunnel of light. And finally, and perhaps most intriguingly: (5) Releases from three-count-'em-three bands with the word "Earth" in their names. Talk about your global movements! Are heavy metal bands ecologically minded or what? Or maybe they just like that "Earth" was Black Sabbath's original name.
It's been a few months since we've done a roundup of new R&B albums. The summer was quiet, save for urban pop efforts from Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Lloyd and others. But the end of the year is usually prime time for soul artists, so the genre's output has increased. Perhaps the approaching winter months are to thank, inviting us to cuddle with our loved ones; more cynically, the perception that soul listeners skew older and stick to the classics may result in fewer new releases than most other genres enjoy. No matter the reason for the delay, I'm glad to finally hear some new soul music.
This year's major-label rap seems to lack ambition. From potentially groundbreaking Internet stars forced into awkward compromises (J Cole and Big Sean) and classic mixtapes gutted and truncated for retail release (Big K.R.I.T.'s R4 the Prequel) to imitations of past glories (see Jay-Z and Kanye West), the 2011 slate has been underwhelming so far. Perhaps that's why I've spent more time listening to indie rap records — or at least what's nominally considered "indie" — and mixtapes. They may not necessarily be better, but at least they don't have the burden of living up to marketing hype.
Well, it's been an interesting month or so, pop fans. If the albums we've selected as October's Top 10 are any indication, it's been a time of risk-taking, new endeavors and career revitalizations. We've got artists from high-profile groups branching out on their own for the first time (hi, Patrick Stump of 
This, the October installment of our Rock Roundup series, is packed with so much music it's really quite obnoxious. But how does one not err on the side of unchecked inclusivity when Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Nirvana, Lindsey Buckingham, Wilco, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead and Pearl Jam all release what amounts to a tidal wave of new joints, anthologies, remastered classics, archival releases and albums never before available on Rhapsody?
Electronic dance music has been enjoying an unusual amount of exposure lately, reflecting the music's rising stateside popularity. The bulk of the spotlight, though, tends to fall on the crossover sensations — your 
For this month's Indie Roundup, we highlight a couple dozen new releases. We include big names like Björk, Feist, Ryan Adams and Wilco, but we also put the spotlight on several underground greats like '90s revivalists Big Troubles, minimalist dream-poppers Gem Club, manic garage-rocker Mikal Cronin, bedroom-pop lamenter Youth Lagoon, and Swedish electro-shoegazers I Break Horses. Discover some great new music here!
Ahhhh. Fall has arrived, and with it comes some blessed relief from the heat. But don't worry — there are plenty of hot country releases to keep you warm and cozy. In the month or so since we last checked in, there have been a number of excellent releases, many of which could end up on those pesky "best of" lists come year's end. From multiplatinum stars like Lady Antebellum to alt country mainstays like The Jayhawks to heritage artists like Glen Campbell, we've put the spotlight on all sorts of new country releases. Hit play to get caught up!
With Halloween fast approaching, it's hugely appropriate that Rocktober opens with a veritable harvest of scary new metal releases — by big names (Opeth, Mastodon, Alice Cooper, Anthrax) alongside bands you've probably never heard of; by veterans like Anvil taking stock of their hard-luck careers and coagulated upstarts like Elks trying to chart heavy new directions; by proggers and doom goths and boogie dogs and death worshippers and Satanic sailors and ironic cutters-and-pasters; by Swedes and Norwegians and Greeks and Italians and Poles and Canadians and Americans and even some old dudes from Ohio who were their own kind of alt-metal way back in the mid-'70s, when punk was still glam. If you can't find an album to pump your fist to among this high-decibel 15, you might just need a new fist.
This fall, major-label and indie artists alike have plenty of great new music to offer. Switchfoot, Leeland, Gungor and Needtobreathe are all behind exciting rock releases, while such singer/songwriters as Ginny Owens, Matt Maher, Jason Gray and newcomer Jessa Anderson are getting real with their new projects. Listen to your heart's content here on Rhapsody, because you can't go wrong with anything highlighted here.
Classical artists don't typically rocket to the stardom in the manner of Aleksandra Kurzak, a Polish soprano whose startling talent made jaws drop when she debuted in London as Rosina in Rossini's Barber of Seville. Her sparkling solo debut leads off our early-fall Classical Roundup, in which she's joined by several other remarkable women, from a retrospective honoring violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter to Lara Downes' modern update on Bach's Goldberg Variations. Early September's other notable releases include a heart-wrenching Steve Reich/Kronos Quartet collaboration inspired by the September 11 tragedy and James Ehnes' expertly performed collection of three Bartok string concertos.
In this edition of the Latin Roundup, we get to touch on several corners of the vast and varied world of Latin music, thanks to the stellar collection of stylistically wide-ranging albums out in the last couple months. Norteño's "narco" kingpin Gerardo Ortiz dropped his first album since last winter's attacks on his entourage. Indie-pop darling Ximena Sariñana made good on the hype surrounding her debut with an even richer, more mature, more fun sophomore collection. And rock queen Alejandra Guzman recaps her illustrious career with a killer greatest-hits collection. So let's dig in.
Indie artists have been cranking out some quality albums lately, with some possible year-end-list contenders emerging from such disparate acts as lovelorn indie rockers Girls, weirdo princess St. Vincent and grrrl-punk supergroup Wild Flag. Then there's smooth disco-punk from The Rapture, groovy throwback rock from Blitzen Trapper, merry indie pop from Grouplove, gauzy stadium rock from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, a new project from 
If players on the progressive edge of contemporary jazz often push boundaries and end up pushing away all but the smallest, most esoteric audiences, there's a lesson to be learned from avant-garde veteran Steve Coleman. Late in his career on the edge, Coleman is delivering his most beguiling and listenable records, deeply rooted in cyclical patterns and inspired by West African spiritual traditions. "Tea for Two" it is not, but Coleman's challenging Mancy of Sound has been in constant rotation for me, and every listen seems to uncover another layer. 
This month's Hip-Hop Roundup brings a mixed bag of goodies, from the underground satires of Das Racist and Serengeti to the well-chronicled stadium rap of Lil Wayne and Jay-Z & Kanye West. There's not much common ground between Ace Hood and Theophilus London — one's a star on the mixtape circuit, while the other gets more name-drops on fashion blogs than rap forums. Hip-hop in 2011 encompasses so many contrasting and conflicting styles that it takes a wide palette to enjoy it all.
It's not official, but Labor Day pretty much sealed the deal: summer is over. And so we turn from the fading season's gregarious hits and focus our attention on slightly more esoteric fare. There are plenty of sunny grooves to be found in records from the Swiss house producer Agnes, Germany's Permanent Vacation label and the rising London talent Maya Jane Coles. But this is music for the back rooms rather than the festival tents — especially when introverts like Lukid and Legowelt get involved. 
The last month has been a bit slow for straight-up pop releases: albums by those artists who can only be classified under "pop." That said, the last month has also bestowed upon us a clutch of new albums that may come to us from other primary genres, but are also perfectly comfortable under pop's roof: hip-hop fueled by serious star power, rock and pop-punk that's not afraid of a hook or a dance beat, and indie music from around the world that's aesthetically as pop as 
It's been one hell of a summer — tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, nonstop rain or nonstop drought, temperatures at or above the global warming range. Plus riots on several continents, wars that won't quit, and governments and media succumbing to scandal and ineptness and inertia. Really does feel like end times, sometimes. 
What's new in indie? Oh, just your usual hodgepodge of eclectic sounds from eclectic artists. Veteran indie dudes (Stephin M. and Stephen M.), Brazilian booty-shakers, Philly rockers, Canadian all-stars, Swedish popsters and more take over our August edition of the Indie Roundup, featuring notable new releases and singles. 
This month's Rock Roundup — a top 10, mind you — mixes current hits with a few classic reissues. The No. 1 slot belongs to an expanded edition of one of my all-time faves, The London Suede's Dog Man Star. When this art-rock epic came out in 1994, it instantly blew away my teenage mind. I had never heard anything quite like it. Over a decadent bed of strings and twisted guitars put together by guitarist Bernard Butler, singer Brett Anderson (who sounds like the perfect mix of 
Since our last roundup, a handful of articles have ruminated on the country music pendulum's swing away from a pop sound and toward a more traditional one. Certainly, brisk first-week sales from such blue-collar, down-home boys as Eric Church, Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins could indicate a trend, but what's more impressive (in my humble opinion, of course) is the 40-plus weeks on the sales charts racked up by 
Although notable new classical releases include a collection from American wunderkind composer Nico Muhly and a lovely early opera from Elizabeth Kenny, the 200th birthday of a 19th-century piano virtuoso, composer and alleged lady-killer has been dominating recent classical programming. Franz Liszt's dabbling in the dark side is the focal point of a grandstanding recording from Georgian prodigy Khatia Buniatishvili, but it's Nelson Freire's passionate program that frames the composer most eloquently. A lesser anniversary is also celebrated with Murray Perahia's presentation of Bach concerti (Perahia caused quite a flutter by recording these on a modern grand piano — not the harpsichord — a decade ago). Other notable releases include the Beethoven debut of Argentine pianist Ingrid Fliter and a set of Baroque works for cello by Lynn Harrell. Too stuffy for you? Cue up the accessible classical crossover upstarts 2Cello as they dabble with Guns N' Roses.
This edition of the World Roundup underscores just how vast and wide-ranging the music under the ambiguous umbrella term "world" can be, and at the same time, what beautiful common ground exists there. Afropop, Balkan brass, Brazilian tropicália, Haitian-Cuban choral folk music, East African dub, globe-trotting electro-funk ... you'll find all that and more below. But even this disparate range shares an investment in and undying dedication to the groove, whether it inspires a meditative trance or rocking-out jam-band exuberance. So sit back and let it all sink in.
Simon Reynolds would probably have a field day with this month's roundup of new releases in electronic music. His new book, Retromania, examines the grip that the past has on the contemporary imagination, and most of my picks this month have a firm purchase on one bygone style or another. Portland's Soft Metals give New Wave its umpteenth iteration; Morning Factory and Two Armadillos both turn their hands to deeply classicist deep house. And Brooklyn's Laurel Halo makes lush, psychedelic electronica reminiscent of the '90s output of the Rephlex and R&S labels.
Summer's only half over, but the season has already yielded a great crop of new music, with praise and worship from one of the genre's most prolific writers (Matt Redman) and prolific groups (Hillsong). Then there are several old friends we're happy to welcome back: Mediterranean-flavored folk-rockers Burlap to Cashmere return after a decade, piano virtuoso Fernando Ortega is back after a five-year break from recording and Southern Gospel sibling group The Martins are making beautiful music together once again. Then there's new hard rock from Blindside, traditional Gospel from Richard Smallwood and the debut of newcomer Dara Maclean. Listen to it all below.
Independent hip-hop is no longer split between "backpack" and "street." In 2011, the underground defies categorization, and artists like Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar (both from the Black Hippy crew) or Mellowhype (from Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All) balance an unapologetic street ethos with a taste for complex sounds and themes. Even Sole, who helped create the modern indie-rap landscape with early '00s albums like 
This edition of our monthly Pop Roundup serves two purposes. First, as always, it's your exclusive guide to the hottest new pop albums — the big ones you know, but also the up-and-comers you just haven't fallen in love with yet. But this particular dispatch is also a great showcase of the breadth encompassed under that ambiguous umbrella (that's right: ambiguous umbrella) we call "pop." We've got everything from Joss Stone's increasingly blues-soaked soul-pop to The Summer Set's Bieber-meets-emo pop-rock, from Vanessa Carlton's new '70s-spun opus to dance-pop princesses like Kelly Rowland, Selena Gomez and, well, Pitbull. And, of course, there's Queen Bey.
Old heavy metal doesn't go away; it just bubbles back to the surface several years later. Well, OK, actually, some chemistry PhDs out there might well argue otherwise. But the recent releases below could certainly be used as supporting evidence for the hypothesis. All of these albums came out (or came out again) in 2011, but were almost entirely recorded anywhere from a few years to a few decades ago — onstage in about half the cases, in the studio in the other half. In the cases of both Ozzy Osbourne albums, all three Queen ones, and the Death one, original versions have been augmented with all sorts of bonus tracks and alternate renditions sure to induce further cranium-banging.
This summer's new jazz releases seem to be on an equatorial vacation, with Cuban rhythms, breezy bossa nova and a sunny Malian compilation defining the season. The most thrilling trip comes from David Sanchez, 
If you're keeping tabs, then you'll surely notice that July's Rock Roundup is radically different from its June predecessor. Such veterans as 
Blake Shelton, the self-styled Most Interesting Man in Country Music, may be the marquee name amid the last six weeks or so of new releases, but his Red River Blue has plenty of competition, both on the charts and in our hearts. Spare some time also for sassy Ashton Shepherd, mushy Chris Young, the gritty Dirt Drivers, the rebellious Justin Moore and the goddesslike Gillian Welch. Also, don't miss the archival Neil Young live jam A Treasure, revisiting his country-rock prime with some of the loudest, nastiest guitar solos imaginable. Some great stuff here, from traditionalists to wanton experimentalists, so dive in.
The Latin music world is so wide-ranging that we couldn't possibly contain all of its riches in one little roundup. So last time around, we focused on Mexican regional music. This time, we're rounding up the latest and greatest in Latin pop, but even that list is incredibly diverse. Our top Latin pop albums of the last couple months range from bachata to country pop, dance pop to Pitbull. Dig in and catch up with nutshell reviews and can't-miss tracks!
Discover fresh sounds from a diverse lineup of indie artists. In our latest roundup of new releases, we cover chillwave champions, dreamy folkies, quirky sirens and even a mysterious masked man. Read all about them and play away.
This week brings us one of the year's most anticipated albums: London's masked producer SBTRKT has finally arrived with his debut full-length. Featuring a diverse and wildly talented bunch of singers (including Little Dragon's Yukimi Nagano), it's a stunning realignment of pop along bass music's principles — or perhaps vice versa. Recent Ghostly signing Com Truise and the Oneohtrix Point Never-related Ford & Lopatin, meanwhile, prove that there's still plenty of future left in '80s electro pop, while Sarcastic Disco hero DJ Harvey brings us bleary-eyed Balearica with his Locussolus project, and Berlin's Trickski puts a slow-motion spin on house music.
"Delayed gratification" is the theme of June's rap slate. Big Sean's Finally Famous has arrived long after the Detroit rapper signed to G.O.O.D. Music in 2007. Bad Meets Evil's Hell: The Sequel is a "follow-up" to an abandoned album once planned for the end of the '90s, back when 
Metal, as always, is detonating in several directions at once. But one encouraging trend seems to be a return to a certain songfulness — as if, after two decades-plus of metal mainly aiming to be "extreme" at the expense of musicality, the most forward-looking headbangers are suddenly beginning to realize that incomprehensibly thrown-up vocals (for instance) became a cliché eons ago, and having memorable songs doesn't automatically make you less heavy. 
The latest installment of my Rock Roundup column is dominated by legends and icons. Who can argue when Neil Young drops A Treasure, a rootsy live set from the mid-1980s that's heavy on Nashville flavor? And who can resist when Macca releases expanded editions of McCartney and McCartney II? The latter is a stone-cold masterpiece: homemade synth-pop that morphs from quirky to bizarre. There's this one bonus track called "Check My Machine" that sounds like proto-hypnagogic pop! (James Ferraro, you listening?) Also, don't sleep on The Hollies box set that gets an "honorable mentions" shout-out: those dudes were pop badasses. I never tire of "
Been living under a rock lately? Or perhaps just listening to too much rock? Catch up on the latest and greatest in new pop fare with our June Pop Roundup. Complete with nutshell reviews and don't-miss tracks, we break down the Top 10 releases of the last few months, from New Boyz to NKOTBSB, from newcomer Tinie Tempah to a certain Lady you may have heard a thing or two about. 
It's time for another look into the past month of new indie releases. We've got the vets (Death Cab, My Morning Jacket, Thurston Moore, Arctic Monkeys), along with some buzz-y newcomers (Cults, Givers, Foster the People) and exclusive live sets from indie mainstays Deerhunter and Kurt Vile. For more info on each release, read on and play away.
Whether you're a fan of country pop, traditional fare or something a bit more alt-leaning, we've got something for you in our spring roundup of new country releases. This time around, we're highlighting new albums from superstars (Brad Paisley), legends (Levon Helm) and newcomers (Craig Campbell) alike, along with a bevy of fresh singles from both well-known artists (including Kenny Chesney and Neil Young) and up-and-comers like Hunter Hayes. It's all just a click away.
Regional Mexican music is a wide and varied world with hotly contested borders — its vast yet insular nature can be completely overwhelming to neophytes. From brass-tastic banda to romantic ranchera, from grisly narcocorridos to jubilant polkas (all sometimes in the same song!), this diverse swath of music pulses with the richness of Mexican cultures on either side of the border. The terrain encompasses the sounds of accordions and synthesizers, sticky-sweet pop and centuries-old folk traditions. It's a pretty exciting journey to take, and that's especially been the case in the first half of 2011, which has seen big-name release after big-name release (plus plenty of noise from hot new up-and-comers). We've rounded up this spring's hottest new releases in Norteño, banda, Tex-Mex/Tejano, duranguense, ranchera and more. So get ready to explore, and if you start to feel lost, just remember: almost all roads lead to Los Tigres del Norte.
For weeks now, hip-hop has been dominated by 
You think "alternative" is a confusing, ambiguous, meaningless term? Try "Latin alternative." Does it mean a Latin band that plays, um, mainstream alt-rock? Or an artist that offers an alternative to Latin pop? And isn't every Latin band an alternative to the American rock mainstream? Yes? No? Maybe? Forget the semantics and just take a listen to the crème de la crème of albums that have come out under that heading in the last couple months. We've rounded up a Top 10 that includes American electro-poppers who sing in Spanish, Mexican garage rockers who sing in English, Argentinean psychedelica, Venezuelan dance punks and post-grunge rockers who pack soccer stadiums across the Latin American world. There's an alternative for everyone.
Last month, we highlighted tracks in our roundup of the top 10 electronic releases of the month (or thereabouts); this time, we're mixing it up between LPs, EPs and double-A-side singles. Why not?
Here we count down the top indie albums from the past month; it's a smorgasbord, to say the least. Dig into folk rock, experimental rock, chamber rock, dance rock, post-rock and even New Zealand rock. Yum.
The world of soul music may not generate as much product as rock or hip-hop, but it tends to have an outsized impact. Two of this year's best-selling records thus far came from Adele and Marsha Ambrosius, while Chris Brown's comeback album may be the most controversial. Beyond the headliners, there were troubadours like Noel Gourdin, Anthony David and Ginuwine, men who exemplified vintage R&B, and a lineage that stretches back to the late Teddy Pendergrass. Whether it's the Afropean neo-soul of Les Nubians or the dance pop gospel of Jennifer Hudson, when you hear soul music, you know it.
Rock is such an expansive and nebulous genre that it's rather difficult to rank its albums in terms of quality. But hey, I'm game to try anything. Below you'll find what I think are the top 15 rock albums dropped over the last month (give or take a few weeks, of course).
So many great new releases have come through the various channels of world and Latin in the short time 2011's been alive. So many, in fact, that we've pared them down to a Top 10 of the Year — so far. (And we didn't even quite manage to keep it to 10.) Now, that should tell you something about how this year's shaping up in the world of world and Latin. Saving the Latin pop for another time (or see our recent Latin-only 
Here on Rhapsody's The Mix, we have the habit of emphasizing albums over singles. But when it comes to electronic music, that strategy kind of misses the boat, given that dance music, in particular, is a singles genre. 
Catch up on the latest and greatest in alternative and indie music, with our Top 15 must-hear albums from the past month (or so). We've got indie all-stars like 
The last couple months have been a fantastic time for jazz, both in a general sense and here in the Rhapsody cosmos.
It's once again time to round up the latest releases in the world of the rawk. In recent weeks, we here at Rhapsody have been singing the praises of new albums by Rise Against, R.E.M. and G. Love. In addition to these high-profile titles, Jeff Beck, new-breed Southern rockers Drive-By Truckers and sludge-metal lords Crowbar have all released records. Then there's the vintage stuff. These include quality retrospectives of wall-of-sound guru Phil Spector and his Ronettes, as well as a nice reissue of Thin Lizzy's debut album from 1971. Plus, we can't overlook Oh Me, Oh My: Aretha Live in Philly 1972, which is just sublime.
The rap season has begun to heat up with this week's arrival of Raekwon and Lupe Fiasco's new albums. But the previous two months brought a handful of solid fare, too, from Saigon, Joell Ortiz and Slaughterhouse. Check out our Roundup for a sampler of the latest hip-hop discs.
The world of rap music can be expansive and reductive at once. We tend to talk about the same handful of artists and albums, swapping out names according to their buzz at the moment. But the fact is that hundreds of rap albums get released during a calendar year. Some deserve to get ignored, but many undeservedly fall through the cracks.
With 2010 defined by the emcee and his crossover ambitions, from 
The end of summer and beginning of fall could be described as "waiting for 
L.A.'s sprawling community of musicians and producers — at least the ones who tend to fuse electronic and hip-hop into a new sound often classified as "beat" or "bass" (as well as less-respected and kitschy terms like "lazer bass" and "wonky") — have flooded the market this year. Few national scenes have garnered as much attention, whether it's 
Editor's Note: Listen to a selection of the songs mentioned here on a playlist at the end of this post, or click through to listen to all of the artists listed here on Rhapsody. If you're not a member, 
Just when we thought the summer months were going to chug on by with just a few new country releases, things picked up this week and some surprises were delivered. Rhapsody's got a windfall of tunes, including a sizzling single from Darius Rucker, that are guaranteed to heat up your summer, so let's check 'em out.
The first quarter of the year is almost over, and the country music catalog of Rhapsody has been blessed with an abundance of great new music. Along with a number of top-notch releases came some stream-it-before-you-can-buy-it premieres (we call them leaks). Just in case some of these releases got lost in the shuffle for all our country fans, here's a new release round-up for the first quarter of the year.
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