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Her fans range from Nick Cave and The Pet Shop Boys to Scissor Sisters, so it may only be a matter of time before Minogue finally becomes a major star in North America. Her first post-cancer album will certainly boost her profile. A joyously hedonistic affair, with plenty of disco and electropop highlights, it features such sensuous numbers as the throbbing “Like a Drug” and the pulsating, Kraftwerk-like “Speakerphone.” Minogue even dabbles in a bit of rap on “Heart Beat Rock” and the playfully erotic “Nu-di-ty.” Nov. 27

Lock up your daughters—the lecherous pretty boys of synth pop are back. The Durannies, still best known for provocative ’80s hits like “Girls on Film” and “Hungry Like a Wolf,” hope some of Justin Timberlake’s SexyBack powers rub off on them. JT joins Simon LeBon and crew on the disco noir of “Falling Down,” which features an X-rated video with topless models. Timbaland and JT muscle in on the edgy thump of “Nite Runner,” while Timba himself lends his authoritative rap to the ominous “Skin Divers.” Nov. 13

It’s hard to hate Seal. Sure, the British soul-pop singer’s a one-hit wonder (1995’s “Kiss From a Rose”). And he married German supermodel Heidi Klum and now spends most of his time skiing at Whistler resorts. But Joni Mitchell loves him, which should count for something. And the poor guy has to live with those facial scars, due to a childhood disease. Still, this hopelessly dated sounding album—complete with a self-indulgent Klum duet, the cringe-inducing “Wedding Day”—makes hating him just a little easier. Nov. 13

Still not your favorite band? Have you checked your pulse lately? From Veni Vidi Vicious and Tyrannosaurus Hives to this thrilling piece of modern garage rock, Sweden’s worst kept secret has been delivering the best adrenaline rush around. Here, singer Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist and his nattily attired cohorts team up with The Neptunes’ Pharrell Williams, taking wacky new turns and shifting time signatures on cuts like “Well All Right!” and the funky “T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.” It’s a wild roller-coaster ride, full of surprises. Nov. 13

Canada’s Snowbird gets the high-class treatment with this impeccable collection, featuring pairings with some of her favorite singers from home and abroad. Produced by duet mastermind Phil Ramone (Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles), it features our Annie singing with divas ranging from Céline Dion, Shania Twain and Sarah Brightman to Shelby Lynn, Nelly Furtado and k.d. lang. Among the highlights is “I Just Fall in Love Again,” which magically stitches Murray together with the late, great Dusty Springfield. Nov. 13

Not many singers get name-checked in a Bob Dylan song, but Keys is the real deal, a gifted artist unspoiled by the Grammy wins and multimillion sales. Keys’ third studio album continues to showcase her classically-influenced style with shades of Chopin (the title track’s piano intro) and Aretha Franklin (the anthemic “Superwoman”). There are also hints of Stevie Wonder’s quirky keyboard on the infectious “No One” and Prince’s anguished falsetto on the tender “Like You’ll Never See Me Again.” Superbly soulful. Nov. 13

No longer the “hick from Mount Uniacke” in Nova Scotia, Buck 65 is now Canada’s avant-garde maestro. The rapper-MC-turntablist shifted away from his down-home rap with 2005’s Secret House Against the World, which incorporated jazz, trip-hop and French into his abstract mix. Here, drawing on the cultural ephemera of the Frisbee, the Beat Generation, China’s Great Leap Forward, Elvis Presley and Situationist International, he delivers an inspired hip-hop concept album dedicated to the year 1957. Oct. 30

They make a supremely odd couple: the grizzled old rock god and the impossibly sweet bluegrass diva. Despite their differences—or because of them—Plant and Krauss forge a real chemistry on this collection of modal blues and country soul. The Zeppelin vocalist has never sounded so restrained, perhaps to allow Krauss’ exquisite harmonies to shine through on songs by Little Milton Campbell, The Everly Brothers, Townes Van Zandt and Tom Waits. Credit producer T-Bone Burnett for masterminding the magic. Oct. 23

The album title is a play on Neil Young’s song “Are You Ready for the Country,” which is appropriate given that The Diableros’ music seems at least partly inspired by the spirit of Crazy Horse, with plenty of raging solos on songs like “Turning Backwards” and “Kicking Rocks.” Singer Pete Carmichael even affects the Flannel Shirted One’s signature falsetto whine on “Left from the Movies.” And when his Toronto band pays tribute to its hometown on “Nothing Down in Hogtown,” it’s yet another nod to Neil. Oct. 16

Like another new East Coaster, Jenn Grant, Higgs crafts warm, willowy sounds over dreamy, confessional lyrics. But what sets Higgs apart is her predilection for mixing acoustic balladry with synthesized flourishes—call it folktronica. The fiddle-fueled opener “Parables” features cascading vocal loops, while the buzzing “Apples” may owe something to Higgs’ role in the trip-hop project Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees. Compelling lyrics + experimental arrangements = another adventurous Canadian artist. Oct. 16