LIARS
Drum’s Not Dead
(Mute/Toshiba EMI)

After missing the hype of the Liars’ first album and the dissing of their second, I innocently popped on their third and was floored. With atavistic drumming and the blood-curdling falsetto of Angus Andrew, Drum’s Not Dead is unforgettable. Unconcerned with the lashing they received for ditching their dance-punk roots, the Liars here tell a story of two characters: the self-assured Drum and the cowardly Mt. Heart Attack. The contrast is made concrete through songs like “Hold You, Drum,” which begins like a funeral dirge but ends in uplifting affirmation. DG

CALEXICO
Garden Ruin
(Dig/P-Vine)

As suggested by their name, Calexico occupy a musical geography somewhere between the American Southwest and Mexico, where alt-country bumps up against mariachi. But with their latest album, the group seem to have set LA as the pole of their compass, with a distinctly poppier approach. In the hands of producer JD Foster, laconic singer Joey Burns’ voice is out front in a way it’s never been, making for rousing sing-a-longs such as the country rock opener “Cruel.” The palette of musical colors ranges from expansive psychedelia to folk-rock nostalgia. Verdict: just the right thing for your inner urban cowboy. DG

A-MEI
I Want Happiness?
(Warner)

Thanks to the political turmoil over Taiwan’s sovereignty, A-Mei has had a hard time maintaining her status as the island’s most popular singer. Controversy has followed her since she sang at the president Chen Shui-bian’s 2000 inauguration, and she was banned from performing on the mainland. But A-Mei has just shone brighter in the limelight. Her latest gives a nod to rock but mostly delivers what she does best: sultry ballads and delicate pop. A-Mei says she doesn’t care about lyrics, just the colors of the mood. Filled with an optimistic sense of hope, this album elicits the warm orange of a distant, slow-burning sunrise. Robert Poole

COPPE
9+10= 10th. Anniversary!
(Mango & Sweet Rice)

Electronic musician and vocalist Coppe is one of the jewels of the Japanese electro scene. The globetrotting imp returned to Tokyo about two years ago, and the present release celebrates the tenth anniversary of her label, Mango & Sweet Rice. Represented are artists she has worked with for years (Bernard “Thrash” Dharma, aka Kris Weston, ex-The Orb; Back Ted ’n Ted, aka Ryan Breen) and other big names (Nobukazu Takemura, Q Bert). This double-CD set is a wonderful mixture of styles, melodies, atmospheres and beats. Special tracks include Tipsy’s slinky “Guardians of Wetness,” Legofriendly’s complex and bubbling “Blue Tooth,” and the driving beats and squeals of the tracks by Mickey the Cat. Rob Schwartz

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