Foxy Shazam, The Roots and more

Foxy Shazam

(Sire)

Occasionally, I get a CD to review that causes me to stop whatever I'm doing and simply marvel at the music being made. The self-titled sophomore album by Cincinnati's Foxy Shazam is one such CD. From the opening barks (yes, dog barks) of "Intro/Bombs Away" to over-the-top compositions such as "Wanna-Be Angel" and "Oh Lord," the band seems to be channeling several different classic rock acts at once, including Queen, Aerosmith and Elton John. Singer Eric Nally obviously has an obsession with late Queen front man Freddie Mercury, and on every track seems to find the band playing to the point of exhaustion. It is possible that some listeners might find the consistently upbeat feel of every song a bit much, but for the rest of us, Foxy Shazam is the musical equivalent of a vitamin B-12 shot.

Key Tracks: "Wanna-Be Angel." "Unstoppable," "Connect"

How I Got Over

(Def Jam)

For years, The Roots were one of hip-hop's most underrated and underground major-label rap groups. Despite masterful albums such as "Illadelph Halflife" and "Things Fall Apart," you really couldn't call The Roots a mainstream act, and yet that has always seemed to work for ?uestlove and his cronies. Fast forward to a little over a year ago, when Jimmy Fallon replaced Conan O'Brien as host of "Late Night." Fallon chose The Roots to be his house band. It is still the coolest thing that show has done so far. Apparently, having a steady day job hasn't changed The Roots' desire to record good music. On "How I Got Over," the band deploys an impressive list of guest artists on an album that is solid from beginning to end. The Roots' "Dear God 2.0" is really a reworking of Monsters of Folk's song, "Dear God," complete with a generous sample from the original. John Legend shows up twice, sampled on "Doin' It Again" and sitting in with the band on "The Fire." Other guests include Joanna Newsom, Phonte Coleman, Mercedes Martinez and Patty Crash. Hopefully, with the band's visibility on late-night TV, this excellent collection of music will find widespread appeal.

Key Tracks: "Walk Alone," "Dear God 2.0," "The Fire"

Soul Revival

(Shout!Factory/NPR)

For anyone out there who thinks that the golden years of R&B music have long since passed, a new compilation from Shout!Factory and NPR would beg to differ. "Soul Revival," the latest release in NPR's "Discover Songs" series, presents 13 tracks by bands that might exist in today's reality but whose musical hearts are stuck firmly in the days of classic '60s Motown. Some names, such as Chaka Khan, Ann Peebles and Bettye LaVette, will be familiar to old-school R&B fans. But nonhipsters who have not yet experienced Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Raphael Saadiq, and Ryan Shaw might have a tough time believing these tracks were recorded in just the past few years. Shaw's "Do the 45" is an update to Junior Walker's "Shotgun," while Saadiq's "100 Yard Dash" sounds as if he is backed by The Funk Brothers. Whoever compiled this collection obviously has an ear for good contemporary R&B with a throwback sound. R&B fans can use "Soul Revival" as a doorway to all kinds of great new music.

Key Tracks: "Do The 45," "100 Yard Dash," "100 Days, 100 Nights"

Don't Say No: 30th Anniversary Edition

(Shout!Factory/Capitol)

Back in 1981, Billy Squier could basically do no wrong musically. The release of his second album, "Don't Say No," gave rock radio the hits "In The Dark," "The Stroke," "My Kinda Lover" and "Lonely is the Night" and elevated Squier to superstar status. In observance of the upcoming 30th anniversary of the release of "Don't Say No," this reissue features the complete album, as well as extras that include live recordings from last year of "My Kinda Lover" and "The Stroke," as well as liner notes by rock journalist Ben Edmonds. Listening to this album, one might wonder why Squier didn't sustain his stardom longer than the '80s. One answer might be found by dialing up the music video for his 1984 hit "Rock Me Tonight" on YouTube. Seriously, you need to drop what you're doing and go watch it. I'll wait. Pretty disturbing, wasn't it? Despite setbacks like that though, for a brief time three decades ago, Squier was a superstar.

Key Tracks: "The Stroke," "My Kinda Lover," "Lonely is the Night"