Made In Iceland - (Various Artists)

Thanks mostly to Bjork, music from Iceland has gotten the reputation as being eccentric if not downright loopy. But as this 15-song sampler demonstrates, you can't throw all the chickens into the same pot. There are some quirky cuts here, like Borko's Teutonic electro "Shoo Ba Ba" and the spy-influenced psychedelia of Reykjavik!'s "Aeji, Plis." And a couple of other numbers have exotic sounds for drastically different reasons; Mum singer Olof Arnalds' "Klara" because it is sung in lilting Icelandic over spare instrumentation and "12223" by Benny Crespo's Gang because it glam-rocks out through various twists in tempo and mood. But really most everyone here is aiming for the pop charts; Steed Lord with synth pop featuring Britney-style vocals, Bang Gang and Seabear with fluffy singer/songwriter stuff, FM Belfast with Human League-style vocals and beats and Sigur Ros with sparkle-pop sung in their own made up language. Hjaltalin is touted as the next big thing out of Iceland and if the sweeping melodrama of "Traffic Music" is any indication they do indeed have a good future in the U.S. starting with college radio. Also of note are Olafur Arnalds' "3055," an ambient number overlaid with Classical string swells and the bluesy boogie of Mugison's "Mugiboogie."

Juana Molina - Un Dia

Argentinean singer Molina says that some people in the past had complained that her music lacked rhythm. Not this time out; Molina has made a conscious effort to bring rhythm to the forefront and the opener "Un Dia" will knock any "where's the rhythm?" critics to their knees. The cut begins with a rhythmic a cappella lilt and is quickly joined by a swinging metronome counter-vocal; then come the drums, bass and etc., everything piling on as Molina's vocals get less and less subtle. World music fans would probably consider the cut extravagant but hipsters will love it; at any rate Molina makes her point. Elsewhere the rhythm is more subtle, as on the quiet "Vive Solo" and the dreamy "Lo Dejamos." Un Dia is ultimately a showcase for Molina's sensuous vocal work but the jazz and experimental components that permeate the record show her to be a very talented composer as well.

David Newman - Love, Peace, Chant

Newman, also known as Durga Das, is one of America's premiere artists performing Kirtan, or Indian devotional chanting. The word "Kirtan" is Sanskrit for "repeat" and these chants are directed at God so certain listeners can (phonetically) sing along and affirm their spiritual love at the same time. Others may just be taken to a very relaxing place by the rhythm of the chants and the sublime musical arrangements, which on the three part "Radhe Suite" encompass elements of jazz, hip-hop, California-cool guitar work and of course Indian accents from sarod and tabla players. Singer and multi-instrumentalist Mira adds a feminine touch throughout.- Buy it here