Will Hermes

Will Oldham is an enigmatic folk-rock musician — and actor — who performs under various monikers, including Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Music, and Bonnie Prince Billy. In addition to playing a part in a new film, Oldham has a new CD out: The Letting Go.

Thom Yorke, lead singer of the band Radiohead, has just released his first solo record, The Eraser. Music critic Will Hermes says while the music may seem depressing, Yorke has actually written a soul-record for the 21st century.

Tilly and the Wall is an Omaha, Neb., indie-rock band named after the well-known children's book. According to critic Will Hermes, their music has a childlike wonder and breathlessness — perhaps most evident in their percussion, which comes mainly from tap-dancing.

Tom Verlaine's rock band Television came of age alongside peers like the Talking Heads and Patti Smith. But for years, Verlaine has been an elusive presence on the music scene — his recent release of two CDs is his first public work in 14 years.

Dennis Coles is a Staten Island rapper whose moniker is Ghostface Killah. A member of the veteran hip-hop supergroup the Wu Tang Clan, Ghostface has gone from performing exclusively in a white ski mask to become one of the most recognized and respected rappers in hip hop. His new album is Fishscale.

Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon is a singer-songwriter with a lilting, folk-rock style. His band's new releasw, Tiny Cities, covers the songs of another, very different singer-songwriter: Isaac Brock, of the alternative rock band Modest Mouse.

In the 1970's and early 1980's, musician Arthur Russell composed music with danceable rock and avant-garde classical music influences. Much of his music was made into 12" discs for DJs to play in dance clubs. It featured many instruments drifting in and out of hearing range. Russell has since died of AIDS — but his many tapes are finally being put together in a number of compilations, the first being a CD called The World of Arthur Russell.