Sia's new album is a treat for those who loved her song "Breathe Me" when it played on the Six Feet Under finale. She seems to be heading into pop crossover territory with a release on Starbucks' label, titled Some People Have Real Problems. Esquire music columnist Andy Langer calls it "really inoffensive."
Marah is out with its sixth album: Angels of Destruction! Originally from Philadelphia, Marah has slowly reinvented itself as a more folksy, rootsy bar band that deals with fairly weighty themes. The album should make for a great live show.
Rhonda Vincent has been playing bluegrass since she was a little girl. Her latest album, Good Thing Going, sounds the best when she's singing straight-ahead bluegrass. She's the real deal, but she's in a tight spot between appealing to bluegrass purists and appealing to country fans. As she tries to do new things, she's a little too bluegrass for country and a little too country for bluegrass.
Less impressive is the Juno soundtrack. Singer Kimya Dawson and her sometimes band The Moldy Peaches dominate the CD, and tend not to vary from the indie-film soundtrack formula. Langer calls it "a little forced."
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