As usual, the first six months of 2011 have brought a rush of noteworthy releases. Here are the best, in alphabetical order:

Book of Right On, "All These Songs About Music." If any rock singer deserves to have two drummers behind him, it's David Joe Holiday. His pellet-gun-like vocal stammering finds the perfect rhythmic target in this bombastic noise-punk band, with dueling drum kits and angular, wiry guitar work.

Carnage, "Worth the Wait." By the end of its 13 adrenaline-flooded songs on the veteran rapper's long-overdue debut (think: Public Enemy on gallons of black coffee), you'll believe just about anything he says. The so-called Executioner comes off as superhuman, with his rapid-fire flow, clever but rarely cutesy wordplay, and sheer tirelessness.

Davina & the Vagabonds, "Black Cloud." Piano-plunking Davina Sowers and her horn-blazing quintet finally have a record that captures the versatility and charm of their live sets, and does justice to Sowers' uncanny singing talent (think: Adele singing 50 years ago in a Southern brothel). Part barrelhouse boogie-woogie and funky New Orleans R&B with a little jazzy balladry, the sound is at once rowdy and classy.

The 4onthefloor, "4 x 4." This fast-rising foursome's trademark live show -- in which each has a kick drum -- doesn't mean a thing on record. All that counts are the deep, muddy-water grooves, the snaky guitar licks and the howling rawwwk-god vocals of farmboy frontman Gabriel Douglas, like a whiskey-chased mix of the Doors, AC/DC and Black Keys. It's brawny stuff but brainy, too.

G-Hop, "Pennsyltucky." Painter and art instructor Gregory Rose started singing and slow-rapping random vocal bits for the So-TM label head Chris Heidman and bandmate Jeff Lorentzen. Through ample looping and added instrumentation, they wound up with the Twin Cities' most spirited, smile-inducing dance-pop project since Iffy. The songs are a collage of urban styles, from electronic-heavy hip-hop to Barry White-sexy R&B to -- yes -- a whole lot of synthesized Prince funk.

Low, "C'Mon." After the worldly, war-ravaged predecessor "Drums and Guns," the Duluth couple/band turns more inward and personal on their ninth album, a half-step back to their slow, somber sound of old but with several interesting sidesteps.

Rogue Valley, "False Floors." The "winter album" of Chris Koza's seasonally themed four-album suite is the best and most inspired of the bunch. You can feel the snow crunching beneath the feet in "Icebox," but you can also hear frontman Chris Koza's heart bursting beneath the wool sweater in the disc's other escapist orchestral-pop anthems.

Sims, "Bad Time Zoo." For the sophomore effort of Doomtree's "angry white male rapper," beatmaker/producer Lazerbeak provided a dense playbook of basic tracks, and Dessa and P.O.S. showed up as backup vocalists. Sims does the team proud while confidently honing his own complex identity, lambasting liberal consumerism and Internet-era impersonality as readily as he writes a straight-up love song.

Tapes 'n Tapes, "Outside." More raw and playful like "The Loon," but with some of the weight and wallop of "Walk It Off," the wily indie-rockers' third album is their most cohesive yet. Frontman Josh Grier masters his own unique nervous energy and nerd-howling vocals with the jagged, Pixies-like rockers and vaguely worldly, Talking Heads-style interludes.

When Jason Mraz inaugurates Mystic Lake Casino's new 8,357-seat amphitheater Sunday, he'll return to a part of the Twin Cities he knows pretty well. Back in 1996 or '97, college friends persuaded him to hang out one summer in Chaska and Shakopee and perform at the Renaissance Festival. He even worked there as a pickle boy.

"One of my friends is a veteran pickle boy; he'd probably done it a dozen years," said Mraz, who grew up on the East Coast and now lives in San Diego. "He walked me right in, got me the gig and I learned from the best. 'I'll trade you my dill for a bill.' It was a blast."

It's not uncommon for families to relocate to support their kids' goals. Skiers move to Colorado. Tennis players go to Florida. And Daniel Curry persuaded his mom to move from the Twin Cities to New York City so he could attend the "Fame" high school and break into show business. Now, at 24, he's in "Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark," the most expensive show in Broadway history.

"I had these big dreams," said Curry, a dancer, actor and singer who is a "swing" player in the ensemble and an understudy for the title character. "I've always wanted to dance, to be on Broadway, and I'm just thankful for my mom for making that happen."

Born in Duluth, he was raised near Minneapolis and acted at Children's Theatre. He was initially inspired by tap master Savion Glover: "When I started dancing in Minnesota, it tasted so good," he said. "It gave me such an energy and a feeling of love, a speaking without words. I realized that this was the thing for me. Savion showed me that dance can tell a strong, vivid story."

Before this, his biggest break was a Michael Jackson tribute tour, "Man in the Mirror." His current job keeps Curry on his dance toes. "One minute you're playing a bully, the next you're doing black arts or using a puppet to illustrate Peter Parker in high school," he said. "You can never get bored."

Look who's coming home to party on the July 4th weekend. NBA star Kris Humphries -- aka Kim Kardashian's man -- is hosting a "Skybar takeover" Saturday on Seven's rooftop. The ultralounge's owner, David Koch, said Humphries simply wants to get reacquainted with his hometown friends (and new friends). But here's the big question: Will Kardashian be in attendance, too? Seven brass wouldn't say. But given that Humphries just bought her a 20.5-carat diamond engagement ring, you'd think he wouldn't want to let the reality-TV starlet out of his sight. Kim or no Kim, it should be a good night, with music by nationally known party rocker DJ Cheapshot and DJ Splyce. (9 p.m. Sat 7/2. Free. 21-plus.)

Their Porcupine Sliders -- mini turkey burgers made with spinach, dried cranberries and brown rice and served on toasted multigrain rolls -- have made it all the way to a national cookoff event against two remaining competitors in Dallas on July 25. The winner will cook for the First Lady at the White House.

You can taste for yourself at both Good Earth outlets (in Edina's Galleria and in Roseville), where a pair of Porcupine Sliders and a small salad is $8.

Restaurant Alma and Brasa chef/owner Alex Roberts is the featured guest chef July 7 at Walker Art Center's new restaurant, Gather. He'll chat with diners and offer free samples of two new dishes he's creating for the restaurant's small-plates menu (5 to 9 p.m.). Drop in for a cocktail -- sadly, they're not complimentary -- and a nosh and then take a spin through the museum's new "Absentee Landlord" exhibit. Gallery admission is also free that night.

The Internet's most watched rap battle league, Grind Time Now, comes to Minneapolis Saturday for a preliminary bout at the Nomad World Pub. The 16-person freestyle competition is one of many that Grind Time is hosting in various cities. The winner from each stop will go on to Miami for a chance to win $1,000. There will also be performances by Mad Illz, MyVerse, Longshot and more (6 p.m. Sat., $5).