Looking for new tunes to make that daily commute bearable? Here’s what’s new out there that deserves some hard-disc space on that shiny new iPod.

The Cribs  

MEN'S NEEDS, WOMEN'S NEEDS, WHATEVER

British rockers The Cribs are three brothers from the tough streets of Yorkshire, England. Influenced by the Sex Pistols and The Smiths this family unit chunks out guitar hooks that sear their image onto your brain and, like Thai food, you find yourself craving another fix. Order up a sampler of “Man’s Needs” or “Girls Like Mystery” and get pummeled repeatedly by brother Ryan’s axe.

Vampire Weekend

VAMPIRE WEEKEND

 Brooklyn, New York’s newest musical offering is Vampire Weekend, who’s sound has been compared to an effortless blend of an early Clash or Elvis Costello Brit sound welded to the rhythms of Africa to produce a Paul Simon, Graceland hybrid. Lots of ska influenced trap drumming, swirling steel drums and guitars played on the upstroke. Songs about college love, punctuation and intellectual name-dropping abound. Columbia University should be proud.

Alicia Keys

AS I AM

R&B can be a wasteland sometimes with the vocal acrobatics of shrieking harpies bustin’ out rhymes to predictable beats. Alicia Keys has always been a refreshingly different case. Intelligent, talented and musical, Keys delivers passion and emotion without having to rely on her incredible range to punctuate each vocal. This release features powerful ballads like “Lesson Learned” and “Sure Looks Good to Me” that simmer and slowly come to a satisfying boil.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

RAISING SAND

A grown-up record brimming with rockabilly rev-ups like “Gone, Gone, Gone” and sweet roots-flavoured and country-tinged tunes like “Killing the Blues”. From different worlds, it is astonishing how well these two voices blend, soar and swoop around these well-worn, yet timeless tunes. If you are looking for Led Zeppelin buy Mothership, but if you want to hear a brave new direction from a familiar voice try this.

Band of Horses

CEASE TO BEGIN

Acoustic guitars begin many tunes, but Band of Horses run wild on occasion running free and fast across their rocky and rolling landscape. Sometimes dreamy and sometimes a bit Crazy Horse these Seattle lads let twangy solos drift off into a dark starry sky as they sing about ghosts, troubled love and taking it all back. Singer Ben Bidwell’s voice evokes joy even when the subject is dire or depressing and hey, that makes
it fun.