Spoon, stripped to their very best.

Ryan Adams and Jeff Tweedy grow up, calm down, and go toe to toe with recovery albums.

Techno compilation pushes boundaries.

Fabolous stages a return to form.

Hip-hop-loving country boys Big & Rich get tender.

The late Elliott Smith makes an inspired comeback (of sorts).

CocoRosie’s new CD is more than just the freak-folk album of the year. It’s the album that will make you care about freak folk in the first place.

The late-nineties Brooklyn scene is a fading memory, but Robert Glasper can still summon its powerful spirit.

Paul Weller was as punk as Sid Vicious—and more radical. He’s always dressed a lot better, too.

Like the thugs in The Wire, the latest crop of rappers turns to hard drugs to fuel their gruesome, operatic narratives.