Pick six: Half a dozen cool things to do in music

Last update: May 16, 2008 - 1:43 PM

A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:

Gary Louris, "Vagabonds." The solo debut of the Jayhawks' main man has my vote for CD of the year thus far. Great lyrics, sung soulfully, have a "Rainy Day Music" meets the early '70s vibe. The hard-to-find "Acoustic Vagabonds," a six-song acoustic set, raises the bar another notch.

Fleet Foxes, "Sun Giant." This Seattle group's debut EP features baroque, melodic pop/folk with great harmonies. "Mykonos" is the stand-out.

Wilco, Rochester, Minn. The first stop of the spring tour started with a bang as Wilco was hitting on all cylinders and really engaged with the fierce audience. All CDs were represented, with high energy and just enough spontaneous jamming to keep you on your toes.

JERRY VOLCHECK, ROCHESTER, MINN.

TO CONTRIBUTE: POPMUSIC@STARTRIBUNE.COM

Atmosphere, "Guarantees" video. In a one-camera shoot vaguely reminiscent of the Replacements' "Bastards of Young" video, Slug raps about no guarantees in life, backed by the strum of an electric guitar. The stark minimalism of the beat-free music and the black-and-white visuals magnifies the drama. This powerful video could be Slug's springboard to serious stardom.

Ne-Yo, "Closer" video. The song and the video evoke mid-'80s Michael Jackson, with fancy-dancing Ne-Yo performing, often in silhouette, in front of a wall of lights designed like Venetian blinds. Smooth and sexy.

Dr. John, "City That Care Forgot." The terrific title track to his forthcoming album is a haunting voodoo lament about Katrina-ravaged New Orleans, seasoned with Eric Clapton's spooky guitar and Ani DiFranco's soulfully spacey background vocals. The CD is out June 3.

JON BREAM, STAR TRIBUNE