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With a voice that hints at Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday, Madeleine, a former Paris street busker, is now a successful jazz-blues diva herself. Her last two albums sold more than two million copies. Madeleine’s latest is also her most personal to date, with songs of survival like “River of Tears” and the title track, about her alcoholic father, and her time spent as a child in a domestic violence shelter. But the beguiling vocalist also sings songs of hope, including “I Must Be Saved” and the Obama-inspired “Somethin’ Grand.” March 2009

Like the Welsh star Duffy, this precocious Aussie sings with a voice that’s soulful well beyond her tender years. Just 17, Gabriella sounds a lot like Duffy, sounding like Dusty Springfield, on the sultry “Sanctuary” and the harmonica-filled “Round and Round.” Elsewhere on her debut album, there are shades of girl-group pop (the Go-Gos-like “Got No Place to Go”) and Kylie Minogue (the poppy disco of “Save the Lies”). Gabriella is best when striking a sassy pose, as she does on the infectious single “Sweet About Me.” March 2009

Like folk icons like Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot, Tony Dekker draws inspiration from Canada’s physical beauty—particularly its bodies of fresh water. Ongiara, the last album by his Great Lake Swimmers, was partly recorded on the Toronto Islands. This time, the band traveled to the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence River and recorded in regional landmarks like Dark Islands’ stately Singer Castle. Tony’s lake-themed songs, especially the harmony-drenched “Pulling on a Line,” are ghostly sweet. March 2009

The Tragically Hip holds a special place in Canadian culture. Like hockey or the Group of Seven, the band has earned an enviable mythic status. Maybe it has to do with the group’s famously raucous performances or its proud embrace of the Great White North in songs like “Bobcaygeon” or “Fifty Mission Cap.” Whatever the reason, the Hip stands as Canada’s quintessential rock band.  Two of it members are actually named Gord—which is about as Canadian as you can get. Since forming in Kingston, Ontario in 1986, the Hip has built a rabid fan base by mixing inspired poetry with compelling rock grooves. Along the way, the band has earned 14 Juno Awards, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award...

When it comes to music, the working-class city of Hamilton, Ontario often produces a rugged brand of rock ’n’ roll. But thanks to Jeremy Greenspan and Matthew Didemus, Steeltown might also become known for stylish electro-pop. Signed to England’s Domino Records, the duo has already garnered rave reviews in the British and American music press. Their third album by Junior Boys, featuring Jeremy’s falsetto vocals and a cool array of suave beats and dreamy textures, offers some of classiest dance music around. April 2009

Bat for Lashes, aka England’s Natasha Khan, counts Radiohead and M.I.A. among her fans. A former nursery school teacher, Natasha won acclaim with her first Bat for Lashes album, Fur and Gold, which earned Mercury Prize and Brit Award nominations. Her second album should attract a wider audience with bold tracks like the Kate Bush-style opener “Glass,” the Fleetwood Mac-like “Daniel” and the ethereal closer “The Big Sleep.” Wildly exotic, Bat for Lashes’ Natasha is a refreshingly brave new pop princess. April 2009

No wonder the Aussie country star is having trouble keeping his feet on the ground—he quit drinking and now shares a beautiful daughter with Nicole Kidman. Unbridled joy is the pervasive sound of Keith’s fifth studio CD, from the pop-flavored “Kiss a Girl” and the country-rocking “Sweet Thing.” Gone are the ballads of remorse and regret that dominated his last album. In their place are sincere, heartfelt expressions of gratitude to Nicole like “Thank You” and “Only You Can Love Me This Way.” Upbeat and hopeful. Aprill 2009

The godfather of grunge has his hobbies (model trains) and pet peeves (George W. Bush). Neil’s latest obsession is the Lincvolt, his converted 1959 Lincoln Continental that now runs on alternative fuels. The project serves as the inspiration for his latest album, a collection of raw blues-rockers that deal mostly with the eco-car theme. One exception is the rugged title track, which cites the economic meltdown in acidic lines like “there’s a bailout coming but it’s not for me/it’s for all those creeps watching tickers on TV.” April 2009

“Fleetwood Mac has a convoluted and emotional history,” guitarist Lindsey Buckingham jokingly understated during the band’s recent Canadian concerts. Indeed, Fleetwood Mac’s past is rife with tales of drug abuse, adulterous affairs and marriage breakups. The group’s 1977 album, Rumours, documented the group’s internal turmoil in now-classic songs like “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way.” Although John and Christine McVie divorced and Lindsey and Stevie Nicks split after various flings, including one between Stevie and Mick Fleetwood, the band stayed together and went on to sell more than 100 million albums—including 25 million for Rumours alone—and became one of the most popular bands in history....

She’s the girl next door with an edge: tender and sweet one moment, tough and sassy the next. Melissa’s third CD has both qualities in abundance, from the gentle parlor song “Segovia” and “Seasoned Lovers,” a gorgeous, folky duet with Ron Sexsmith, to the gritty twang of “Glenrio” and “When the Lights Went Out in Hogtown,” a bluesy ode to Toronto’s 2003 blackout. Produced by her musician-husband Luke Doucet, the album establishes Melissa as a rising Canadian diva with a taste for darker, quirkier material. April 2009