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Two of Tina Dico's first gigs were talent contests — she won both, leading her to major popularity in Denmark. Now, she has released her first full length solo disc, In the Red.

The title of Thelonious Monk's "Ugly Beauty" provides the best means of describing Dudley Perkins' artistry. But Perkins possesses one of the most emotionally potent voices in R&B. When he unravels a narrative about spiritual wars or urban blight, his voice can be frighteningly bewitching.

On "Soft & Warm," Voxtrot demonstrates an especially keen sense of melody and dynamics. The Texas indie-pop band begins plainly enough, building tension before transforming into a pop treasure at the entrance of a single trumpet.

Jose Gonzalez was born in Sweden to Argentine parents and raised on bossa nova and Joy Division. Haunting and ominous yet seductively heartening, "Heartbeats" finds him reworking a song originally performed by the Swedish electro-pop band The Knife.

El Perro Del Mar could pass for an alternate-universe Motown sensation. Its minimalist sound incorporates touches of jazz and a heavy blend of orchestral strings in a way that finds room for both darkness and uplift.

Today is the 85th birthday of jazz drummer and legendary bandleader Chico Hamilton. He has spent seventy years behind the drum kit, performing in a wide variety of styles and jazz flavors: from big band and R&B, to funky and experimental.

On his new album, Modern Times, Bob Dylan seems to have borrowed some lyrics from a little known Civil War-era poet named Henry Timrod. Albuquerque, N.M.-based disc jockey Scott Warmuth has found a number of Timrod lyrics in Dylan's recent catalogue. Robert Siegel talks with Warmuth about the findings.

By combining intelligent lyrics and haunting melodies, Midlake continues to develop its vision of beautiful neo-Americana music. The band's new sophomore album, The Trials of Van Occupanther, finds Midlake polishing its acoustic, increasingly piano-driven '70s folk-rock sound.

For Till The Sun Turns Black, Ray LaMontagne opted to tread new stylistic ground, unveiling a unique song-cycle loosely based on the importance of self-expression, interpersonal communication and other qualities he finds lacking in modern culture.

Gomez's infectious blend of bluesy wails and pop-rock harmonies has won the band critical acclaim and commercial success, making it one of the biggest and best U.K. bands to emerge in recent years. Winner of the 1998 Mercury Music Prize for Best Album, the group has gone on to get tighter and more confident.