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Once goofy geeks, the Ladies are now erudite artists with families, cottages and RRSPs. Their wisecracks have given way to a thoughtful global perspective and a group dynamic that allows other group members to step forward more frequently. Although frontman Steven Page’s gypsy-like “Everything Had Changed” is an album highlight, Jim Creeggan’s pastoral “Peterborough and the Kawarthas,” and keyboardist Kevin Hearn’s tender “Vanishing” and Queen-like “Sound of Your Voice” offer refreshing new sounds. Sept. 12

Raw, dirty, fiery and visceral, The Black Keys sound just like what you might expect from two grown-up kids from Akron, Ohio whose basement experiments mix classic rock with Mississippi blues. Here, singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney lean more to fuzzed-out Led Zeppelin influences than the gutbucket strains of bluesmen like Junior Kimbrough that characterized 2004’s Rubber Factory. It’s still a thrilling, minimalist and sometimes scary sound, heavy on hypnotic riffs and thunderous beats. Sept. 5

They’ve rapped with Nelly Furtado and been the subject of Shania Twain’s risqué joke at the Juno Awards. But Vancouver’s Swollen Members really don’t need attention from Canadian songbirds: the hip-hop crew has attracted a formidable following on its own. The fifth album from Prevail and Mad Child is a return to the talented duo’s patented dark, aggressive style. Tracks like “Blackout,” “Deadly” and the piano-laced “Prisoner of Doom” are full of dread, foreboding and enough wicked beats to please diehard fans. Sept. 5   

Hailing from Brisbane, this Aussie power-pop trio (singer Patience Hodgson, guitarist John Patterson and drummer Alana Skyring) boasts a childlike charm. From the cartoon giraffe on the album cover to the bubblegum romp of “19-20-20” and the bouncy frivolity of “Trampoline,” it’s clear the band doesn’t take itself too seriously. Even more serious numbers, like the banjo-driven “Sukkafish” and the angst-ridden “Feels Like Pain,” sound like moonshine-fuelled mountain music or wicked Nirvana send ups. Giddy stuff. Aug. 29

Another husband-and-wife pairing, Ghost Stories is Kreviazuk’s fourth CD and her first produced entirely by hubby and Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida. Recorded in the couple’s Malibu home studio, the album provides an intimate showcase for Kreviazuk’s emotional brand of piano pop. Although the addition of lush strings on the title track and “Waiting for the Sun” seems like an unnecessary burden, songs like the rhythmic “Spoke in Tongues” and the gospel-like “So Cold” are stark reminders of her confessional talent. Aug. 22   

Led by husband and wife Dave Azzolini and Jessica Grassia, Toronto’s Golden Dogs has been winning an enviable buzz as a frenetic live act in clubs and festivals. The band’s second album, with a myriad of pop influences, should solidify that reputation. “Runouttaluck” has a driving, new-wave-style urgency, while “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five” is a rollicking rendition of the Paul McCartney & Wings classic. And “Construction Worker” would not sound out of place on a New Pornographers album. Aug. 15

Recorded at Lee’s Palace in Toronto, this double CD proves Neko Case right when she calls The Sadies “the best live band in North America.” The songs, a mix of covers and originals from the psychobilly band’s albums, are mostly played at breakneck speed, with Dallas and Travis Good pushing each other to frenzied heights. Guests include family bluegrass greats The Good Brothers, Blue Rodeo, Band organist Garth Hudson and Case herself, who graces seven tracks with her breathtaking vocals. A thrilling two-hour ride. Aug. 8

Teng is a Stanford grad and former computer geek who worked for software giant Cisco Systems in California’s Silicon Valley. But you’d never know it listening to this album, which is neither soulless nor calculating. Rather, the 27-year-old singer-pianist, working with producer Larry Klein (Madeleine Peyroux), crafts emotionally rich songs like the celebratory “City Hall” and the exquisite “Whatever You Want.” Add string-laden numbers like “Now Three” and her music sounds like a kind of luxurious chamber folk. July 25

San Francisco musician-activist Franti has never pulled his political punches (one of his songs, “Bomb the World,” even drew the ire of the FBI). Franti’s latest, inspired by travels to Baghdad, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, is radical stuff, with the singer-rapper calling for revolution on the incendiary title track. But Franti sweetens his message with bubbly reggae rhythms from Sly and Robbie and guest vocals from Pink on the joyous pop gem “One Step Closer to You.” Like Bob Marley crossed with UB40. July 25   

Jerry Garcia’s band had their Deadheads, while Jimmy Buffett has his Parrotheads. The fans of Tex-Mex rockers Los Lonely Boys are known as “Loopies,” who’ll undoubtedly be pleased with this followup to the group’s 2004 multiplatinum-selling debut. The Garza brothers, guitarist Henry, bassist Jojo and drummer Ringo (really), recruit Willie Nelson and their father, Tejano musician Enrique Garza Sr., on the country-rocking “Outlaws,” while tracks like “Oye Mamacita” bear an uncanny resemblance to (what else?) Santana. July 18