Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

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    

Sly and the Family Stone was all about diversity. Racially integrated, the group preached peace and love over a groove-a-licous fusion of soul, funk, rock and r&b. This tribute album mirrors that inclusive philosophy with some ingenious reinterpretations. Maroon 5 covers “Everyday People” and Black Eyed Peas’ Wil.i.am tackles “Dance to the Music.” But best is the blissed-out rendition of “Family Affair” by John Legend and Joss Stone, who is no relation to the legendary Sly Stone but sings so soulfully that she could be. Jan. 24

Post-modern popsters Saint Etienne have always been an anomaly. Formed by English music critic Bob Stanley and named after a French soccer team, the trio forged a new genre by mixing the pop of swinging ’60s London with the sounds of the city’s club scene of the ’90s. The group’s seventh CD is an ambitious concept album, a pop opera about a fictional London apartment block. With tales of its residents and their day-to-day lives, it could easily serve as a dreamy soundtrack to the next Sims computer game. Jan. 24