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Think of the new Leahy as a cross between those other sibling acts, the Rankins and Ireland’s the Corrs. While still steeped in Celtic fiddle music, the nine Leahy brothers and sisters from rural Ontario have clearly benefited from touring with country-pop diva Shania Twain. The group’s second album, produced by Nigel Green (the engineer of projects by Shania’s hubby, Mutt Lange), has a polished pop edge. And the once strictly instrumental and stepdancing group now features vocals from the five Leahy girls.

Manufactured pop for boob-tube viewers. The international TV series PopStars has so far spawned groups from England, Australia and the United States. Sugar Jones, the product of the show’s Canadian franchise, has already launched its first single, a forgettable piece of fluff called “Days Like That.” The album, assembled by songwriters and producers whose clients include Nelly Furtado, Jacksoul and McMaster & James, is due out any day. If this is pop’s future, be afraid, or at least very depressed.

The Canadian-born native icon made her mark in the hippie era with protest anthems and love songs. Now 66, Sainte-Marie shows no signs of letting up. Her first album of new material in 15 years features some of her angriest songs, including the pow-wow rock of “No No Keshagesh,” which decries corporate greed, and the wild tribal thump of “Workin’ for the Government.” But, this being Buffy, there’s also sweet romance, from the smoky jazz of “When I Had You” to the Fats Domino-like “Bet My Heart on You.” Oct. 28

He’s got a concert hall and an arena named after him. There’s even a hockey team whose jerseys bear his famous mug. The former Guess Who frontman also owns one of rock’s biggest voices, although his solo work has given way to California dreaming and polishing the Bachman-Cummings legacy. In his first solo album since 1990’s Plus Signs, the once prolific artist is back with 19 new songs. There’s plenty of diversity, but the album is a mostly mellow affair. What ever happened to the Moustache that Roared? Nov. 4 

Like Keane, Snow Patrol has endured Coldplay comparisons due to the Irish rockers’ shamelessly emotive style. But singer Gary Lightbody and his bandmates can afford to ignore the copycat comments: their last CD, 2006’s Eyes Open, sold a whopping seven million copies worldwide. The group’s fifth album will undoubtedly please Snow Patrol army loyalists, with Lightbody’s sensitive-boy tenor soaring above pretty, melodic pop peaks. But it’s too musically twee and lyrically obtuse to win over new potential recruits. Oct. 28

With the focus on gods in songs like “Ares,” “Mercury” and “Zephyrus,” you’d think that Bloc Party’s latest was steeped in Greek mythology. Actually, singer Kele Okereke sticks to the usual subject matter: his painful love life. “You used to take your watch off before we made love,” he sings on the searing “Trojan Horse,” “You didn’t want to share our time with anyone.” London’s danceable art-punk band delves into electronic horns and Chemical Brothers-style beats, but, as the album title suggests, Okereke keeps it personal. Oct. 28

This Julien Temple DVD of a recent Pistols’ performance at the Brixton Academy features fat, middle-aged punk fans screaming and brandishing their gnarled middle fingers at the camera. Ace bonus material includes John Lydon leading a tour of London from an open-air, double-decker bus and ranting about the modern architecture. “History is important,” he proclaims, “warts and all.” Despite his irreverent, maniacal reputation, the former Johnny Rotten turns out to be a sentimental traditionalist. Who knew? Oct. 14

Expect more pandemonium from the lads from Leeds, who accurately predicted a riot with their debut album, which spawned four hit singles of sunny dread rock. The band’s third album, produced by Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse) features more incongruously cheery songs about Britain’s social ills, including “Never Miss a Beat” and “Addicted to Drugs.” U.K grime artist Sway joins the Chiefs on one cautionary tale, while pop darling Lily Allen contributes vocals to the bouncy, existentialist “Always Happens Like That.” Oct. 14

Named after Manuel from Fawlty Towers, this quirky Swedish band has grown in popularity since last year’s Let Me Introduce My Friends. Which is a good thing because its 29 members can now fit on larger stages like Lollapalooza, where they played last year. Its latest album was inspired by the famous Hungarian escapologist and bandleader Emmanuel Lungren’s own failed career as an illusionist. Gorgeous sleights of hand like the dream-pop of “Paper Planes” and the string-laced “Headphones” are pure magic. Oct. 14

Like Julio Iglesias, Pablo Diaz-Reixa was a promising Spanish soccer player before music knocked him off the ball. Now, as El Guincho, the Canary Islands-born, Barcelona-based Diaz-Reixa makes a funky tropical sound that is (happily) worlds away from Iglesias’ romantic mush. His debut album, mixing elements of island harmonies, Afrobeat rhythms, psych tropicália and futuristic samples, has the dizzying effect of excessive amounts of sangriá on a hot summer night. Intoxicating space-age exotica.