Willie Nelson: ‘Country Music’ (Rounder)
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For his Rounder Records debut, Willie Nelson didn’t just go country; he came down from the mountain. And settled on the porch. With producer T-Bone Burnett, the man behind “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and the Robert Plant/Alison Krauss CD, “Raising Sand,” Nelson delivers a set of Appalachian-influenced, banjo- and fiddle-laden bluegrass songs like “Dark as a Dungeon,” “Gotta Walk Alone” and “I Am A Pilgrim.” Because he’s “One-take Willie” and seems to toss off an album about every 10 minutes, this does sound, well, tossed off (and slightly monotonous) after awhile. But Willie’s voice is still rich, warm and inviting, with no hint whatsoever of wearing out (amazing when one considers how much smoke has traveled down that throat). And his fingers on “Trigger’s” strings are as nimble as ever. With help from such great go-to guys as Jim Lauderdale, Buddy Miller and Ronnie McCoury, Willie confidently airs sentiments like “I’ll leave this world/with a satisfied mind.” We hope so; he’s certainly earned it.
— Lynne Margolis
Buy if you like: Kris Kristofferson, Punch Brothers

MGMT: ‘Congratulations’ (Columbia)
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“Congratulations,” the much anticipated follow-up to MGMT’s 2008 smash “Oracular Spectacular,” doesn’t contain any dance pop, and there sure isn’t a catchy single a la “Kids”  to start the party. Instead Andrew VanWyngarden, Ben Goldwasser and their band have gone psychedelic, creating nine, heavily layered tracks that swirl and dive with the help of producer Sonic Boom of Spaceman 3. Highlighted by the 12-minute, multi-part “Siberian Breaks,” “Congratulations” ventures into Syd Barrett territory, with the electronic fuzz and buzz combining with ear-catching hooks, while recoiling from fame on “Lady Dada’s Nightmare,” shape shifting to be like “Brian Eno” and paying tribute to the Television Personalities singer on “Song for Dan Tracey.” None of this is instantly accessible. But after three or four listens, it all connects.
— L. Kent Wolgamott
Buy if you like: Spaceman 3, early Pink Floyd

The Apples In Stereo: ‘Travellers In Space And Time’ (Yep Roc)
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Apples frontman Robert Schneider says he wanted “Travellers” to be a futuristic/retro pop album. That’s exactly what the group has created, but it might not be what some Apples fans would have wanted. Going futuristic meant reshaping the sound of the band to put synthesizers and an array of electronic effects front and center, especially on songs like “Dance Floor” (which has almost a disco feel), “Dream About The Future” (with its treated vocals) and “Hey Elevator” (whose synth-pop sound is verges on cheesy). On past Apples CDs, there’s always been a good deal of guitar to give songs some needed grit to balance the sugar-sweet pop melodies. That edginess is missing on the synth-oriented songs. Two things redeem the album. One is that Schneider’s pop talents are very much intact. Even a song like “Hey Elevator” is still very catchy. Also, Schneider and the band didn’t go full out in the synthesizer/techno direction. The second half of “Travellers,” in particular, sounds more like vintage Apples. There are a couple of rockers (“Dignified Dignitary” and “Next Year at About the Same Time”) that will feel far more familiar to fans of earlier Apples albums. And on songs like “ Told You Once” and “No Vacation,” the sound comes closer to prime Ben Folds piano pop.
— Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Dressy Bessy, Fountains Of Wayne

Dr. Dog: ‘Shame, Shame’ (Anti-)
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Toby Leaman, bassist and one of Dr. Dog’s songwriters, says the band always has the same goal for each album — to make the best, most rocking pop it can muster.  The band may not have made its ultimate pop album yet, but with its sixth CD, “Shame, Shame,” takes Dr. Dog another solid step in that direction. The group summons some truly blissful pop moments with songs like “Stranger,” with its rising and falling signature melody, and “Later,” with its buoyant, playful melody. But there is also a quirkier side to the music that is a big part of Dr. Dog’s appeal. The band shows an offbeat sense of melody on “Unbearable Why” and the title song. And while the folkier elements of “Station” and “Shadow People’s” evoke the rootsy sound of the Band, Dr. Dog adds a shambling pop quality that makes the songs richer and more interesting. Such idiosyncratic twists may mean that Dr. Dog never makes a rocking pop album in a classic sense, but as “Shame, Shame” demonstrates, they bring an originality that makes Dr. Dog a fresh-sounding presence on today’s indy rock scene.
— Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: The Flaming Lips, Pavement

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings: ‘I Learned the Hard Way’ (Daptones Records)
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As delightful as the current soul revival is, there’s something to be said for moving forward — or at least, originality. The title tune of “I Learned The Hard Way,” and many others here, sound like reproductions of decades-old songs, not the work of a dynamic band with its own sound. It gives the album the feel of a reissue. Two exceptions are “If You Call” and “Money” (which bears no resemblance to the Barrett Strong classic) in which Jones lets loose with some serious screams and hollers that lift them way beyond the girl-group prettiness some of these tunes carry. “She Ain’t a Child No More” has intriguing lyrics and Jones’ usually great vocals, but a very standard call-and-response soul arrangement. “I’ll Still be True,” is a refreshing departure, possibly because it was written not by producer/bassist Bosco Mann, but guitarist Thomas Brenneck. Still, soul fans who aren’t seeking something new will love it.
— Lynne Margolis
Buy if you like: Mary Wells, Otis Redding

Reissues

Iggy and the Stooges: ‘Raw Power’
(Columbia/Legacy)
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You could find “Raw Power,” the 1973 audio assault from Iggy and the Stooges in the cutout bin within a year of its release, That’s hardly the way to treat a rock ‘n’ roll classic, a disc that set the standard for punk rock, influenced generations of music and musicians and still feels fresh and contemporary. “Raw Power” is being reissued in two forms, a 2-disc Legacy Edition that’s now available and a 3-CD plus DVD Deluxe Edition at the end of the month. The most notable element of the Legacy reissue is the restoration of the controversial “David Bowie mix” of the original album. Bowie was brought in to mix the Stooges’ sludgy guitar-bass-drums, and dialed down much of the rhythm section. Years later, Pop remixed the album for re-release and that mix has been the standard until now. Revisiting the Bowie mix, it is not all that different than the Iggy mix, other than the drums being quieter. Disc number two features an hour-long concert recording, titled “Georgia Peaches.” It has some flaws in sound quality, but it’s the best live Iggy and the Stooges record I’ve heard. The Deluxe Edition adds a disc of rarities, outtakes and alternates from the 1972 recording sessions, including a couple surprising acoustic versions. The 35-minute DVD finds Pop, guitarist James Williamson and drummer Ron Asheton looking back at “Raw Power” and the demise of the Stooges.
— L. Kent Wolgamott
Buy if you like: the Sex Pistols