Like newsrooms across the country, the Gazette’s arts, entertainment and features corner gets all sorts of CDs sent our way from labels small and large.

Taking a look at the stack of music, we decided it was time to tackle some of the more interesting ones and give them a critical listen. Some nice surprises and certifiable duds were surely found, just as you’d find in any online music outlet or “record store,” as we used to call them back in the day.

Here’s a look at some of what’s out there on CD beyond those albums that are tops on the recent charts:



The Roots, “Rising Down”

The best album to worm its way into my ears in quite some time. Poetry of the street and political anger, that’s what these seminal, Philly-based hip hop musicians have delivered.

“Everything’s for sale, even souls,” sings the inimitable band on a classic title track. A world out of control is pictured here (“Mother Nature doing backflips”), but The Roots’ genius is wrapping it all up in a gritty, sweet groove that hits you down low and satisfies.

Lyrically they’re smart, connecting the street to larger issues of a hypocritical society that wages a drug war while feeding us “medicine” for a “little stuffy nose.” Singer Black Thought gets us to see a “bad moon rising” wherever it’s found, but this band is dealing in reality, not fake bravado mentality.

Mos Def and Malik B. are among the contributors to these songs. It’s fantastic stuff, worlds better than most of what passes for popular hip hop—or just popular music in general—these days.

It’s tight and right.



Micky & the Motorcars, Naive”

Led by frontman Micky Braun, Micky and the Motorcars have “Naive” out in four days. Their third album, “Naive” has plenty of Texas country with a barroom rock edge. (Micky’s got family—brothers, namely—in Reckless Kelly, a band who came to Texarkana late last year.)

“I’m just looking for an angel who understands who I am,” sings Micky in “Misunderstood.”

And that line’s pretty emblematic of these songs, as good while driving down the road with the windows open as it is for swaying back and forth in the living room. By turns quiet and loud, it nails both those energies square.

Even when they’re rocking, the band’s got an occasional knack for some introspective, heavy thoughts. Micky croons over the steady beats in “Twilight”: “Here it comes from the ruin of my mouth, I’m sorry.” Later: “Do you believe we were conceived in sin? Well, I do. It’s as close as your left hand. It’s as far as the promised hand.”

That headstrong sense of lyrical twists and genuine emotion is what separates Micky and the Motorcars from similar-sounding peers. And on songs like “Split,” they rock right on with some crowd-pleasing, guitar-whipped words: “Come on, girl, let’s get out of here.” Funny thing is, that line would probably work.

Here on “Naive,” the sound of that sure is welcome.



Echo Jet, “Echo Jet”

Poppy! Perky! Pleasant! And did I mention: Poppy!

That about sums up this sweet slice of happy-go-lucky pop rock from L.A.-based Echo Jet, which formed out of the ashes of Swirl 360, a late-90s band. With brothers Denny and Kenny Scott at the helm of this five-piece band, apparently they’re on the 2008 “Campified” tour, hitting up summer camps to play rock with artists from Radio Disney and MTV.

Given the sugary nature of their songs, that sounds about the right market. Still, this band could be one to keep an eye on. What they do sounds professional and feels almost timeless on this self-titled album.

“As for me I’ll be okay,” sings Denny on the appropriately named cut “Okay.” Sometimes, that’s quite enough. Harmless and endearing tunes here, but not a lot to hold onto tightly. Like bubblegum, it’s not much nourishment but gives you a taste nonetheless.



Kimmie Rhodes,

“Walls Fall Down”

Intimate, innocent and beautiful, the voice of Texan Kimmie Rhodes can deliver a song right on target, sounding as pure as the touch of a West Texas morning all the while.

Here, the singer-songwriter presents nine original songs and covers of Townes Van Zandt’s “If You Needed Me,” Rodney Crowell’s “Sex and Gasoline,” and the Beatles’ “Fool on the Hill.”

“Shining Like A Sun” is a standout on the album. Her music, while it may not suit all tastes, is real and graceful. Quiet and relaxed, it’s also stripped off all the pretentious over-manipulation and instrumentation that mars so much contemporary country.



Kerli, “Love is Dead”

The young Estonian Kerli (real name Kerli Koiv) has a gorgeous, unique voice, and her singing recalls the loopy, vocal stylings of Bjork.

So it’s a shame this first effort, out on Island/Def Jam, is so uneven. The 12-song CD is her first album, Kerli having come a long way from the Estonian forest she called home just a few years ago.

But she has a long way to go to create some accomplished music. She has the talent to make it.

There’s considerable promise on “Love is Dead” and given some stronger lyrics she’ll carry the music with more conviction. Kerli can glide her way through a moody, ethereal song, casting a mesmerizing spell. But the foundation of so many of these tunes on “Love is Dead” is just ice thin.

What’s unfortunate is that, like Bjork, she’s actually got some soul and sexiness to her goth-touched voice. On future albums, maybe she’ll be able to show it rather than get caught in the cage of shallow American pop.



Duffy, “Rockferry”

Silky smooth but with a seemingly effortless and polished pop style, the Welsh singer Duffy is making waves as a soulful singer worthy of notice.

Only 24, Duffy’s actually paid some dues along the way, having worked since her teens to round up attention for her music.

She does have a rich voice for the role of soul songstress, and her album “Rockferry” is a warm reminder that soul can be rough and sweet. It’s also something younger generations of musicians, thankfully, have been serving and shaping with their own sensibility.

Strong, intriguing instrumentation here backs up her vocals just fine. And the album’s been successful here in the States while a big hit in the U.K.

“I’ll never be your stepping stone,” Duffy sings, fully aware of the painful and enticing complexity in relationships.

Here’s hoping that’s true for her career because she has a voice ripe for great music and a great future.