SONGS FOR THE DAILY PLANET
Todd Snider (MCA/Margaritaville 11067)
If you paid more attention to his message than to his medium, it would be tempting to tag Todd Snider as an alterna-rocker. After all, the views expressed in such songs as "You Think You Know Somebody" and "Alright Guy" aren't that far removed from those of Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam. But the music Snider offers on his debut album, "Songs for the Daily Planet," has far more in common with Nashville than Chicago or Seattle. Yet no matter how traditional Snider's sound may be, he generally manages to put a contemporary twist on his material, from the slacker wit within the rockabilly kick of "My Generation (Part 2)" to the grunge-rock in-jokes sprinkled through the Woody Guthrie-ish patter of "Joe's Blues." It's super, man.
HI-BOP SKA
The Skatalites (Shanachie 45019)
Everyone knows that ska laid the foundation for reggae music, but most people aren't aware that the movement originally owed as much to jazz as it did to R&B.; In fact, most of the Skatalites -- the Jamaican combo credited with sparking the ska revolution -- were jazz musicians by background and inclination. The band's leaders, saxophonists Roland Alphonso and Tommy McCook, may not play with the same modernist fire as Sonny Rollins or Joe Henderson, but that hardly gets in the way of the improvising on "Hi-Bop Ska." Not only do Alphonso and McCook hold their own with guest soloists David Murray, Lester Bowie, Steve Turre and Monty Alexander, but they also frequently set the pace, pushing the boundaries on "Burru Style" and "Ska Reggae Hi-Bop," and bringing impressive fluidity to "Nelson's Song" and "Flowers for Albert." As a result, "Hi-Bop Ska" is as likely to impress jazz fans as it is to please ska fanatics.
BAKESALE
Sebadoh (Sub Pop 260)
Although Sebadoh has long been celebrated for its integrity and intelligence, the band's fondness for sloppy playing and misshapen melodies generally made its music easier to admire than enjoy. With "Bakesale," though, Sebadoh takes a more tuneful turn. It isn't just that songs such as "Careful" and "Not Too Amused" are as tart and catchy as middle-period R.E.M.; by emphasizing melody over mood and paying extra attention to structure and dynamics, even songs as edgy and angular as "Got It" or "Not a Friend" turn out to have their share of hooks. That may not be enough to make Sebadoh MTV material, but it should help this clever, uncompromising band get the audience it deserves.
JDJ: JOURNEYS BY STADIUM DJ
Paul Oakenfold (Moonshine 80008)
One of the most astonishing moments on the "Ready to Wear" soundtrack is the "Perfecto Remix" of U2's "Lemon." Although it sounded nothing like the original version of the song, Paul Oakenfold's techno-intense rethink nonetheless maintained the character of U2's song -- a classic case of a DJ putting a new spin on an old favorite. There isn't anything quite as revelatory as "Lemon" on Oakenfold's new remix collection, "JDJ: Journeys by Stadium DJ," but that's only because few of the songs remixed here are as well-known as U2's hit. Still, Oakenfold's mastery of rhythm and texture is astonishing, and the album's "continuous dance mix" moves seamlessly from the dub-tinged pulse of Petra's "Just Let It Go" to the throbbing electro-percussion of Yothu Yindi's "Timeless Land," and from the shimmering beats of the Shamen's "Possible Worlds" to the soothing thrum of "LSD" by Hallucinogen. Who says techno doesn't work at album-length?