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Miss Peaches has been singing not-so-coy come-ons ever since 1955’s “Roll with Me Henry.” But the stage is where her sexually suggestive act really shines. And on this live recording, the elderly artist proves she could still teach even Carole Pope how to get down and dirty. Apart from an unwise cover of “Born to Be Wild,” the legendary singer (born Jamesetta Hawkins) sticks to r&b favourites like “Come to Mama” and “Rock Me Baby.” And the album-closing ballad, “Sugar on the Floor,” is stunning.

Len endeared themselves to millions with “Steal This Sunshine” and their sense of humour. Here, Toronto’s poppy hip-hoppers, led by Marc Costanzo and his sister Sharon, continue the trend. “Don’t f--- with us,” they declare, “because we drink too much”—a theme that also runs through songs like “Funnel” and “Boozehounds.” But the most imaginative offerings are the summer-themed “Bobby,” featuring reggae DJ Whitey Don, and “Kookoo Ducks,” a piece of lunacy possibly inspired by Lewis Carroll.

Her marriage to country singer Tim McGraw, with whom she has three daughters, is the stuff of People magazine. Less well known is the fact that the superstar’s first husband, from whom she took her name, was Canada’s sentimental crooner Dan Hill, who she met at a Nashville publishing company while answering phones. Musically, there’s not much to say about Faith—she’s Shania without the sass. Judging from its title track, a frothy, toe-tapping weeper, her new album continues in the pop-juggernaut direction of 1999’s mega-selling Breathe.

Forget The Osbournes—why not The Ardens? Canada’s musical stand-up comedienne has been cracking up concert audiences for years with imitations of her mother and her father. Listening to her routines between songs here, you can almost visualize a reality-based TV sitcom. Like her forthcoming book, which deals with everything from “cat food to death, bra size to spirituality, family to goose poop,” an Arden concert runs the gamut. But do hits like “Good Mother” and “Waiting in Canada” really need the symphonic treatment?

The Red Hot Organization, the international group dedicated to fighting AIDS through popular culture, is responsible for compiling some fine tribute albums in recent years, including portraits of Ellington, Gershwin and Cole Porter. The latest pays homage to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer who died from AIDS-related causes in 1997. And artists covering Fela classics like “Lady,” “Colonial Mentality” and “Sorrow, Tears and Blood” range from his son Femi, Baaba Maal and Cheikh Lo to Sade, D’Angelo and Macy Gray. Inspired.

Niagara Falls pop duo Wave has a confession: its last album used “a lot of loops.” That must explain why “California” sounded so synthetic. Paul Gigliotti and partner Dave Thomson claim they wanted “a more organic sound” with their second album, including “live drums and a real piano.” Imagine! Although they fancy themselves the next Hall & Oates, Wave won’t get any street cred with songs as drippy as “Moon Under Water” and “Don’t Say Sarah.” But their pretty-boy looks are sure to guarantee them more heavy rotation on MuchMusic.

After getting dumped by his long-time label, Atlantic Records, Stewart was rescued by music mogul Clive Davis’ J Records. Davis rightly understood that the Scottish singer possesses one of pop’s most distinctive voices and suggested he tackle classics from the 1920s and ’30s. The result is a tasteful collection of chestnuts like Cole Porter’s “Everytime We Say Goodbye” and Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.” And Rod the Mod, sounding like Austin Powers, recommends the album for the cocktail hour, or “when you’re shagging.”

The news that Dave Grohl and Courtney Love have buried their hatchets (and not in each other’s backs) will please fans awaiting gems from the Nirvana vaults. Meanwhile Grohl, Kurt Cobain’s former bandmate, continues issuing fine Foo Fighters records that borrow from Nirvana’s bracing mix heavy guitars and pretty melodies. On the fourth Foo album, corrosive rockers like “All My Life” sit comfortably alongside sweet, harmony-drenched numbers like “Lonely As You.” And the anthemic “Times Like These” could prove to be Grohl’s next hit.

He first came to prominence on Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” back in 1985. Since then, the Senegalese tenor has risen to the forefront of African music and scored a trilingual (French, English, Wolof) global pop hit with“7 Seconds,” a stirring duet with Neneh Cherry. But N’Dour values his roots too much to sell out for elusive crossover success. His second album for New York’s respected Nonesuch label adheres to a warm blend of cascading koras, thundering percussion and N’Dour’s exquisite vocals. Full of surprising depth and rich beauty.

Desman’s a song-and-dance man from Toronto’s Portuguese community. Story goes that when he was a pre-schooler, his mum sat little Shawn in front of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video, which he watched repeatedly for years, soaking up much of that showmanship. While Desman clearly has some moves (check out the video for “Get Ready,” his first single), his overall sound owes more to the slickness of the Backstreet Boys than any of Wacko Jacko’s early work. Ultimately, there’s too much sugar-sweet pop and not enough hip-hop influence.