Music journalism, books and more

Her Pips have peaked, but the veteran Knight soldiers on with songs associated with her musical heroines. Produced by Tommy LiPuma (Diana Krall) and Phil Ramone (Ray Charles), this classy collection features the former Motown vocalist applying her elegant pipes to Lena Horne’s “Stormy Weather,” Dinah Washington’s “This Bitter Earth” and Mahalia Jackson’s “Come Sunday.” Although Knight never met Billie Holiday, her soulful takes on “The Man I Love” and “God Bless the Child” do even Lady Day proud. June 6          

She’s one of Canada’s most diverse artists, a singer, poet, actress and erstwhile circus performer (Cirque du Soleil’s 2003 erotic cabaret Zumanity). So it’s no surprise that Starr’s fourth release, her most commercial to date, should run the gamut from blues and rock to her “hippie hop” brand of provocative urban music. The edgy “Step Back” and the flowing “Rock the Boat” are stirring missives from the racial and sexual battlefields, while “La Le Lala” is breezy pop and the title track a sexy rocker worthy of Liz Phair.  

It’s a long way from the dream-pop of her band Stars and its signature song “Your Ex-Lover is Dead.” But Millan, leaning more to twang than the torch of labelmate Feist, has clearly been aching to croon some lonesome country tunes. Her long-awaited solo debut, featuring bluegrass musicians Dan and Jenny Whiteley and members of Broken Social Scene, is full of plaintive songs like “Come Home Loaded Roadie,” “Pour Me Up Another” and “He Brings Out the Whiskey in Me” about love, loss and, yup, the bottle.

Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti are capitalizing on their failed and renewed romance. The Boston couple broke up but made a pact to stay together musically. Heading to Los Angeles, they got married anyway and landed a record deal as The Submarines. Their debut details their whole bittersweet tale, from the opening “Peace and Hate” and the mixed emotions of “Brighter Discontent” to the hopeful “Darkest Things.” Best is the driving “Modern Inventions,” but the entire album will appeal to fans of lush indie-pop.

Best known in South America as a comedic TV actress, Argentinean-born Molina is also a singer who’s been compared to Björk and “Lisa Germano fronting a muted Stereolab.” The latter description isn’t far off, since Molina mixes delicate folk with percolating electronica to create infectious, dream-like music. Although the songs on her fourth album, including “Río Seco,” “Yo No” and “La Verdad,” are all sung in Spanish, they’re highly hypnotic, with animal noises and other wondrous sounds, and need no translation.

She’s the latest thrush to join Sarah Harmer and Kathleen Edwards in the ranks of top Canadian songbirds. Although McClelland gets helps from Sarah McLachlan, Greg Keelor and Justin Rutledge on her second label album, it’s her rich, colorful vocals and quirky music—dubbed “pop noire”—that really steal the show. Standout tracks like the funky “Passenger 24,” the swampy gospel “Go Down Matthew” and the country-tinged “Come Home Suzi” are off-kilter story songs, full of eccentric, memorable characters. 

The electronic glam-pop duo of Will Gregory and Alison Goldfrapp are shamelessly retro: he plays cheesy, ’80s-style synthesizers that sound one step up from Casios, while she favors Marlene Dietrich curls, skintight catsuits and mile-high platform shoes. Musically, they channel everyone from T.Rex and Roxy Music to Gary Numan and Donna Summer. But, somehow, Goldfrapp manages to sound thoroughly modern, particularly on the decadent disco of “Ooh La La” and “Ride a White Horse.” Feb. 21

The guests on his album read like an incestuous rock-family tree, from his parents, Richard and Linda Thompson, and sibling friends Rufus and Martha Wainwright to Jenni Muldaur, daughter of Maria Muldaur. Musically, he gets compared to Jackson Browne. But the talented Thompson Jr. sounds most like Crowded House’s Neil Finn, especially on “I Should Get Up” and the break-up themed title track. On “Shine So Bright,” he sings: “I want to be a huge star who hangs out in hotel bars.” With such impeccable lineage and friends, no doubt he will be. Feb. 14

The chief Kink planned to release his first solo album in 2004—until he was shot in the leg while chasing purse-snatchers in New Orleans. That grim incident is colorfully recounted on “After the Fall.” Other songs, including “The Tourist” and “The Getaway,” also deal with wry observations on American life. While none match the wit of his English-themed classics, such as “Shangri-La,” “Sunny Afternoon” and “Waterloo Sunset,” it’s good to have Davies, one of pop’s most gifted tunesmiths, back in the game. Feb. 7

Cat Power’s Chan Marshall is already an indie-rock goddess, a Nico-esque figure with a cult following. But Marshall, known as the Queen of Sadcore, now seems destined for greater fame. Her latest album, recorded with all-star Memphis sidemen, is the beguiling artist’s strongest work to date. “Could We” is a buoyant love song, while the title track is a piano ballad about a boy who dreams of becoming a boxer, And the soulful, organ-drenched “Living Proof” could well turn out to be Marshall’s big, breakthrough hit. Jan. 24