Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

The Chicago rock legends have released some inspired albums, from 1996’s classic Being There to 2004’s Grammy winning A Ghost is Born. Fueled by leader Jeff Tweedy’s fertile imagination, the group’s latest features the folky opening gem “Either Way,” the funky “Walken” and the Band-like “You Are My Face.” “Impossible Germany,” with its clever rejoinder “unlikely Japan,” is a clever observational road song, while the moving “Hate it Here” is Tweedy’s spirited tale of heartache and housework. May 15

Muldaur has made it her mission of late to celebrate the music created by classic blues women from the 1920s to the 1940s. Here, the onetime Kweskin Jugband member and “Midnight at the Oasis” singer turns Red Hot Mama tackles the work of Ma Rainey, Alberta Hunter and others. Muldaur’s sensuous voice is perfectly suited to suggestive blues and jazz numbers like “Handy Man” and Bessie Smith’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” Bonnie Raitt joins her for a sassy duet on Sippie Wallace’s “Separation Blues.” May 15

Wainwright has a fondness for ornate arrangements. But producing his fifth album in Berlin, where he took to wearing lederhosen and visiting old-world palaces, really brought out the baroque in him. Working with Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant, Wainwright brings a breathtaking grandeur to the lavish, symphonic opener “Do I Disappoint You” and a brassy, Gene Pitney-esque drama to the closing title track. But he also delivers some of his most tender songs ever, including the heartbreaking “Leaving for Paris.” May 15

Country music’s redneck woman got all jacked up on her last album, drinkin’ way too much and drivin’ her truck off into the night anyway. On her third release, Wilson balances butt-kickin’ anthems like the title track and the trailer-trashy “There Goes the Neighborhood” with such well-behaved numbers as “Come to Bed,” “Heaven Help Me” and “To Tell the Truth.” Does that make rowdy Gretchen a sensitive redneck now? May 15   

Aside from Kasabian, the View is the only current band to win Liam Gallagher’s thumbs up. Given the Oasis frontman’s reputation as a yobbo, that endorsement might prove a curse. But the young quartet, led by singer Kyle Falconer, deserves a listen, thanks to tuneful Britpop numbers like “Same Jeans, “Wasted Little DJs,” “Superstar Tradesman” and the giddy “Skag Trendy,” featuring Falconer’s full Scottish brogue. With a bit more piss ’n’ vinegar, the View might even come to rival the U.K.’s fabulous Arctic Monkeys. May 8

Since settling in the Big Apple, the Parisian chanteuse seems to have traded her François Hardy mannerisms for Nico-like Velvet Underground influences. While her previous album, Nolita, featured whispery vocals and sensuous, late-night tones, Keren Ann’s latest boasts a generally tougher sound, from bluesy holler of “It Ain’t No Crime” to the drugged-out experiments of “Caspia.” The new album’s most appealing track is “Lay Your Head Down,” a dreamy rock number featuring cello, handclaps and harmonica. May 8

Björk’s last album, Medulla, was a stunning soundscape of voices. Here, Iceland’s idiosyncratic pop queen delves deep into drumbeats, working with über-producer Timbaland, African collective Konono No. 1 and her own percussionist Chris Corsano on tracks like “Hope,” “Innocence” and the insanely catchy “Earth Intruders.” “Let’s stop all this religious bullshit,” explained Björk recently. “We’re all fucking animals, so let’s just make some universal tribal beat. We’re pagan. Let’s just march.” Who can argue?May 8

Huge in Britain, Travis seemed destined to break big in North America—until Coldplay arrived to steal its swoon-pop thunder. The Scottish quartet, led by singer Fran Healy, may do better with its fifth studio album. Produced by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead), with help from Brian Eno, Travis’ latest features such dreamy, melodic numbers as “Closer,” “Colder” and “My Eyes,” about Healy’s now-named son, that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Coldplay album. Even Chris Martin admits that Travis “invented” Coldplay. May 8

There was a time when Oh Susanna, a.k.a. Suzie Ungerleider, sang mostly murder ballads. Her songs still have an old-world luster, like intriguing sepia-toned photos, but now they embrace broader themes. Despite a couple of gunfight ditties, including a Bob Dylan cover, her fourth album is largely a collection of memorable songs about love and lust. And when she sings “Holy Roller,” with its parlor-like piano accompaniment, Ungerleider evokes Stephen Foster, from whose classic ballad she took her stage name.

Fans of Funkadelic, Captain Beefheart and the Residents all point to Zappa as the godfather of eccentric rock. This DVD, the latest in the Classic Albums series, focuses on Zappa’s two breakthrough recordings of the 1970s, featuring hits like “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” and contributions from Tina Turner and ex-Cream bassist Jack Bruce. Son Dweezil acts as tour guide, while artists from Alice Cooper and Steve Vai to Billy Bob Thornton all pay tribute to the genius who claimed that “absurdity is the only reality.”