First Aid Kit
"The Lion's Roar"
Wichita

To single out one song for praise on the new First Aid Kit album "The Lion's Roar" would be akin to extolling the beauty of a single stone in a mosaic.

The first songs were probably love songs -- unless they were hunting and gathering songs. Regardless, romance is one gift that keeps on giving to songwriters.

Craig Finn
"Clear Heart Full Eyes"
Vagrant

Craig Finn left Brooklyn to record "Clear Heart Full Eyes" in Austin during a four-month break for the Hold Steady. While he arrived in Texas with songs in hand, the actual recording process -- including meeting up with producer Mike McCarthy and introductions to musicians Josh Block, Jesse Ebaugh, Ricky Ray Jackson and Billy White -- took only three weeks.

With the not quite over-night success of tUnE-yArDs, it appears that the immediate forecast calls for more chopped and drizzled rhythms, the clink and clatter and whirring whiz bang of more-is-always-never-enough lo-fi sample upon sample.

Guided by Voices
"Let's Go Eat the Factory"
Matador

There's a fair amount of context to the new Guided by Voices record, "Let's Go Eat the Factory," so let's recap.

Woody Guthrie's guitar was emblazoned with the words "This machine kills fascists." Bhi Bhiman's guitar should read "This machine kills the humorless."

Somewhere in St. Louis, there's a candle-lit lounge where the rhythms flow, the singer croons and the soul never dies. Ransom Note is playing all night.

Stoner rock gets dark and doomed in the sound of Damned Holy Rollers. The band is on a mission to take St. Louis on a heavy trip, late into the rock 'n' roll night.

I consider myself an album guy, but this year it just didn't work out that way. Actually, it didn't work out that way last year either. My god, does the MP3 generation have its hooks in me, too?

Fresh Heir doesn't play the groove too retro. With nods to John Legend and Maroon 5, the band's sound is truly fresh and contemporary.

An all-star band of musicians from the G.E.D. Soul label, the Magic in Threes lays out an exclusively instrumental groove -- smooth, moody and a little mysterious.

Trampled by Turtles is a young string band with a surreal name and an unreal approach to bluegrass, folk and rock 'n' roll.

Deck the halls with boughs of great music this season. 88.1 KDHX presents KDHXmas 2011: A Holiday Sampler -- 12 festive tracks, recorded live at KDHX.

Known for their unpredictable, high-energy, country-fueled live performances, Kansas City band the Wilders more than lives up to its name.

The shimmering and lilting folk rock of Spectator is perfect for a stroll in the moonlight or just slipping into a day dream.

Best known as a guitar slinger for the band Mofro, Daryl Hance has recently lit out for solo territory, with blues and groove tightly in tow.

Greg Ward draws on various musical styles with his individual approach to the saxophone, offering an innovative take on modern jazz with "Phonic Juggernaut."

Remember cassette tapes? St. Louis electronic artist Mikey Wehling does, and he puts them to funky, lo-tech but hi-fi use.

Rachael Yamagata's songs trace a winding path from love's beginning to love's end, while celebrating all the complications that come along for the ride.

The ghost of Hank Williams haunts many a country singer and songwriter. In Wayne "the Train" Hancock's case, the ghost has a found a true, kindred spirit.

Cedar Hill presents themselves as a traditional bluegrass band, and they are, but perhaps not in the way that you might think.

Veteran St. Louis musician Brian Curran is well-known for his finger-style guitar chops, and in this live session, he shows just how to make an electric guitar sing and swing.

Perhaps the most politic duo in acoustic music, Trout Fishing in America knows how to get kids and adults alike singing and bouncing along.

On "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming," M83 combines its usual ambient, shoegaze-inspired sound with catchier, pop melodies to create a diverse double album.

Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers aren't interested in becoming the next big buzzed-up thing. They've got too much straight-ahead rock music to play.