Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Swedish bands are becoming as ubiquitous as IKEA. This Stockholm group debuted in 2005 with its oddly titled album Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, a collection of songs that ran from lovesick to lovelorn. Singer-guitarist Adam Olenius remains the central problem: whenever the band sends a number soaring skyward, his annoying whine always manages to deflate the euphoria. The group is better served by keyboardist Bebban Stenborg, whose beguiling vocal on “Blue Headlights” provides one of the album’s few highlights. Sept. 11

With singer-keyboardist Steve Bays’ yelping vocals and cascading curls, Canada’s Hot Hot Heat has stood out from the synth-pop pack. Bays’ inventive wordplay and the band’s retro sound haven’t hurt its profile either. Taking more chances musically, including tribal drums on “Harmonicas and Tambourines” and orchestral strings on “Outta Heart,” the group’s latest CD is a welcome stretch. But HHH”s pogo-ing fans needn’t worry: “Let Me In” and “My Best Fiend” are tailor-made for the dancefloor. Sept. 11

If an artist can be judged by the company he keeps, Joe Henry gets top marks. He has produced artists as diverse and accomplished as Ani DiFranco, Aimee Mann, Solomon Burke, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint. Along the way, Henry’s own albums have grown increasingly dark and sophisticated. His latest is no exception. Numbers like “Civil War,” featuring the nostalgic piano of Van Dyke Parks, and “Our Song,” about meeting a disenchanted Willie Mays in Home Depot, are haunting elegies to America. Sept. 11