Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

When it comes to grime, this pint-sized white London teenager has eclipsed even Dizzee Rascal, its biggest star. With ska and dancehall beats, expletive-spitting rhymes and a warp-speed flow to rival Eminem, Lady Sovereign’s spunky debut on Jay-Z’s label is a distinctly Brit affair, from the tongue-twisting title track to the comic confessional “Made in England” (“we ain’t all posh like the Queen”). She knows full well that her brazen style will offend some, but doesn’t care: “I’m English,” she says, “try and deport me.”

Released as part of the Classic Album series, this excellent DVD tells the story of reggae’s breakthrough into the mainstream. Featuring interviews with Bunny Wailer, Island Records’ Chris Blackwell and others, plus rare footage of Marley and the band in the studio and on stage performing “Stir it Up” and “Concrete Jungle,” the documentary explains how Catch a Fire crossed over to a rock audience. Bonus footage includes a previously unseen, incendiary b&w performance of “Get Up Stand Up.” Crucial stuff

Slean is Canada’s most theatrical diva—witness her stellar role in the film-noir musical Black Widow. She’s also a visual artist with a taste for the macabre, calling her paintings “tenderly psychotic.” Her songs (or “little urchins”) get a full workout on these live and stripped-down studio recordings. Standout tracks include string-laden versions of her popular hit “Lucky Me,” the tortured “Eliot,” and her spooky cabaret classic “Pilgrim,” with its visceral line about “blood and vomit on the car seat.” Beautifully twisted.