Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Early on, Molly seemed unsinkable: a child star in musicals, then a successful new waver and art rocker in Toronto’s Queen Street scene. As a jazz chanteuse, however, she missed the wave that took Diana Krall and Cassandra Wilson to the top. Things changed with her last album, the classy Another Day, which became a huge hit in France. Johnson’s star will likely go supernova with her latest, a mix of funky, campy originals like “Northern Star” and “If You Know Love” and cool covers of Gershwin, Springsteen and Prince. Sept. 19

None of them are Brazilian and only one is a girl, but this NYC quartet almost defies description. Led by vocalist Sabina Sciubba, the Girls mix electro, dub, pop, punk and dance music into a global stew like no other. The group’s second album is the perfect soundtrack for an airport lounge, featuring noir-ish tales of tourists, territories, tanks and sweatshops sung in various languages. In fact, Sciubba sings in English, German, French and Spanish, no less, on the title track and the opening “Jique.” A jet-setter’s wet dream. Sept. 12

BARK is to roots music what the New Pornographers are to power pop: a superb Canadian indie supergroup. Stephen Fearing, Colin Linden and Tom Wilson clearly have way too much fun singing together, as evidenced by bluesy original “Life is Golden,” new country nugget “Crown of Thorns” and joyful pub rocker “That’s What I Like,” to do just the solo thing. Despite a guest appearance by country star Pam Tillis, the album highlight is the group’s moving treatment of Daniel Lanois’ exquisite “House of Soul.” Sept. 12