Violinist Anthony Marwood leads us into the world of Smetana on the Florestan Trio's new disc of Czech Trios.

Rebuilding the Temple.

The title of this fifth album by the Brooklyn five-piece is a loose tribute to the late US guitar outfit Husker Du

Tingling your hairs, then tickling your feet, Monae's energetic combination of musical genres urges you to clap your hands.

The hand-drawn imagery is on Woods' fifth album is spot on.

If ever there was proof dubstep has come in from the cold and skulked its way to the surface from its dingy underground roots, it's this compilation.

Anais Mitchell's gamine country-girl vocals could get on your wick after 20 songs, but when they are interspersed with the patter of bongos, tremble of double bass and smooth blend of baritone chorus they are addictive.

Now this is more like it from fitful British soul singer, beat boxer, and rogue music-maker Jamie Lidell.

Soul singer and Muscle Shoals veteran LaVette has enjoyed a revival recently: her 2005 album I've Got My Own Hell to Raise.

The Dead Weather do what they do best on Sea of Cowards.

Having stepped out of the shadow of the Wallflowers, Jakob Dylan increasingly occupies an almost MOR singer-songwriter world in terms of melody.

Sometimes people play down their talent so their peers think they are cooler.

It was Auckland's Arch Hill Recordings that became the flagbearer for much of indie rock in New Zealand through the 2000s.

On Diamond Eyes Chino is back to his shrieking, yowling, and soaring best with a unique voice that sounds like he's singing through a loud hailer.

It starts very distinctively Kate Nash: all pretty piano, stirring strings, claps, and her voice - sweet as pain au chocolate.

Recent Sub Pop recruits Dum Dum Girls reference the Iggy Pop's track in their name and, it's a good starting point to their sound.

There's a toughness to Lewis McCallum's music that makes it resonate and shine.

Not since Shihad's Killjoy has a New Zealand album - or many other albums for that matter - lurched with the power, brutality and beauty that Arc Of Ascent's Circle of the Sun does.

After the mediocre solo outing of 2004's American Sweetheart, Courtney Love is back with her band Hole for their fourth album.

On Everything P-Money takes off into an oonst-driven dance direction.

Of course it would feature screechy stage voices, young girls punching the air and gyrating in ridiculous pointy bustier and fishnet costumes.

Even something as mediocre as the most recent Hot Chip album would be interesting.

Mark E. Smith of Britain's marathon-running post-punk agit-prop outfit The Fall, is nothing if not consistent.