Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

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