Hole: ‘Nobody’s Daughter’ (Mercury)

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It may be true that if Hole frontwoman Courtney Love had never married Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain her band, Hole, may have labored on in obscurity — if it ever got off the ground in the first place. But once one sets aside that notion, not to mention the tabloid-type fodder of Love’s drug-using past, tales of her mercurial personality and rumors that Hole’s breakthrough CD, “Live Through This,” was actually largely written by Billy Corgan of the “Smashing Pumpkins,” the question that matters is whether Hole actually makes music worth hearing. The answer with Hole’s comeback CD, “Nobody’s Daughter,” is a fairly emphatic yes. With Love back in acerbic, self-purging form, Hole rocks convincingly on songs like “Skinny Little Bitch,” “Loser Dust” and the title song — and even delivers a compelling confessional ballad in “Letter To God.” “Nobody’s Daughter” also suggests that Corgan may have overstated his impact on “Live Through This.” Corgan wasn’t involved this time, yet the new CD sounds very much like the band that made “Live Through This.” Hole’s forceful guitar rock sound, which manages to be both abrasive and catchy, and is topped off by Love’s sandpapered vocals, re-emerges intact, while the band sounds focused and inspired. So does Love, which makes her a strong candidate for rock comeback of the year. — Alan Sculley 
Buy if you like: Nirvana, the Breeders

The Hold Steady: ‘Heaven is Whenever’ (Vagrant)
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“Heaven is Whenever” is another slab of majestic barroom rock from The Hold Steady, the Minneapolis transplants to Brooklyn, which, with their sincerity and passion are the ultimate anti-hipster band. Once again, “Heaven is Whenever” is packed full of stories of boys and girls (especially girls) in America on the scene, banging around in restaurants and bars, hanging out at sketchy parties and winding up lost, disillusioned and, once in a while, happy. With the departure of mustachioed keyboardist Franz Nicolay, “Heaven is Whenever” is a guitar-oriented affair, bringing Tad Kubler’s riffs front and center. He reaches back to the ‘70s for the glam swagger of “Smidge,” hits Springsteen-like chugging anthemic power on “Soft in the Center,” and slips into slide-guitar blues on “Sweet Part of the City.” “Hurricane J,” one of many cautionary tales rolls around with the waitress at its center. But the song that connects most strongly is a ballad, “We Can Get Together,” that name drops Meat Loaf’s “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” and shuts out the party to sit in a girl’s bedroom and listen to her records. It is that love for rock ‘n’ roll, the experience-earned advice from Finn and flat-out power in the music that makes “Heaven is Whenever” another superb record from one of America’s best bands. — L. Kent Wolgamott
Buy if you like: The Replacements, Bruce Springsteen

Merle Haggard: ‘I Am What I Am’ (Vanguard)
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Yes, Merle Haggard is what he is: a living legend, the Sinatra of country music. But he’s far from an old shadow of former greatness resting on his reputation. With a voice still mellifluous, an ability to write new classics-in-waiting and a sterling set of backing musicians, he’s the guy anyone who doesn’t “get” country needs to hear. His duet with his wife, Theresa, on “Live and Love Always” jumps with energy, and “We’re Falling in Love Again” is just sweet. “The Road to My Heart” is a western swing/jazz delight (and his shoutout to Louis Armstrong is great). In “Bad Actor,” he plumbs the opposite end of love’s spectrum; Haggard’s clearly not afraid to face the depths of his life, as well as the triumphs. Both cynic and optimist, he lays it all out here. Even if he does think “a pig is just ham,” he’s still able to charm. —Lynne Margolis 
Buy if you like: Bob Wills, Willie Nelson

AC/DC: ‘Iron Man 2 Soundtrack’ (Columbia)
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The soundtrack for the “Iron Man” sequel is an AC/DC album drawn entirely from previously released tracks. Thankfully, it’s not a greatest hits package. To be sure there are some are warhorses here, most notably “Back in Black” and “Highway to Hell.” But most of the songs are deep catalog numbers, selected, we can hope, because they fit the movie. If these tunes — “Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation,” “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It),” “Evil Walks” and “Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be” — are any indication, it’s going to be a hard-charging, dark film. In any case, “Iron Man 2” seriously rocks with plenty of AC/DC’s patented boogie, stomp and scream. Crank it up.
— L. Kent Wolgamott
Buy if you like: Aerosmith, Kiss

Roky Erickson with Okkervil River: ‘True Love Cast Out All Evil’ (Matador)
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Roky Erickson’s first album in 15 years is likely to surprise fans and confound newcomers wondering why all the attention is being a 63-year-old psychedelic. That’s because producer Will Sheff of Okkervil River, an Austin roots rock band, concentrates on Erickson’s ballads, most of which were written years ago and some recorded while he was in a psychiatric hospital. Hearing Erickson, who spent years in a mental hospital, then lived in poverty while battling mental illness, pleading “Please Judge,” searching for redemption on religiously oriented songs and looking for some kind of peace is moving. The instrumental backing by Okkervil River is sympathetic and Erickson sings with a quavering honesty. But, “True Love Casts Out All Evil” rarely rocks and Roky connects best when it’s buzzing and loud. — L. Kent Wolgamott
Buy if you like: The Flaming Lips, Johnny Dowd

Reissue: Big Audio Dynamite: ‘This Is Big Audio Dynamite: Legacy Edition’ (Columbia/Legacy)
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When guitarist/singer Mick Jones emerged with his new band, Big Audio Dynamite, a year after his departure from the Clash, it was clear he was on a far different musical path than his great former band. As much as it stung to see the Clash’s demise, this CD made Jones’ split with Joe Strummer understandable. “This Is Big Audio Dynamite” picked up where grooving Clash tracks like “The Magnificent Seven” and “This Is Radio Clash” left off and took things considerably deeper into a dance/rock realm. Songs like “E=MC2,” “Medicine Show” and “Sudden Impact” were all about big beats, processed instrumentation and huge hooks. It was an innovative sound that anticipated a sonic world that’s now common in hip-hop (think Black Eyed Peas and Kanye West). As it turned out, Big Audio Dynamite couldn’t sustain the quality of this debut and the band faded from the scene. But this deluxe reissue, with a second disc of remixes and rarities (a few of which — the laid back take on “Medicine Show,” the more rap-inflected version of “The Bottom Line” —  are very much worth hearing), still shines more than 25 years after its initial release. — Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West