Sound Advice

Memphis Blues

(Downtown)

When one thinks of Cyndi Lauper, inevitably the melody from her first, and still biggest, '80s hit, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," comes to mind. While Lauper has undeniably cemented her image in the world of pop music, the singer has also recorded music in other genres. Her 2003 release, "At Last," featured covers of songs by artists as diverse as Edith Piaf, Etta James and Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs." On her latest effort, "Memphis Blues," Lauper tackles the titular style admirably with an album that couples her distinctive voice with the included blues classics much better than one would expect. It certainly doesn't hurt that she employs the talents of B.B. King, Charlie Musslewhite, and Johnny Lang on the album. Rather than becoming simply a blues album sung by a pop star, though, Lauper manages to rise to the challenge, producing vocals that are earthy and organic, while still leaving no doubt as to who is doing the singing. Nearly 30 years after the release of her debut, "She's So Unusual," Lauper continues to explore her musical surroundings, with the rewards going to the listener.

Key Tracks: "Early in the Mornin'," "Rollin' and Tumblin'," "Crossroads"

Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert

(Columbia)

While anyone who knows me is aware that I am far from a fan of Celine Dion, it's also known that I will admit that the singer has made quite a career for herself. Even as schmaltzy as her music might be, her wealth and influence have allowed her to pay for the best of everything, including musicians and stage designers for her tours. On the CD/DVD combo package that documents her most recent world tour, the artist, who apparently now insists on being called simply Celine, belts out her hits on a spectacularly designed stage that features conveyor belts, moving video screens, and elevated platforms. Her band and dancers are top-notch, and in all honesty, anyone who might be a Celine fan will probably enjoy this CD. The biggest problem with the program is Celine's choice of covers. Whether it is a tribute to the rock band Queen, a medley of classic R&B hits, or a cover of Tina Turner's "River Deep Mountain High," the renditions by Celine drain the songs of any of the life injected by the tune's originators. Still, while she's murdering those songs, she looks great doing so.

Key Moment: The embarrassingly awful "tribute" to Queen

Electric Toys

(Independent)

Take a band whose members hail from both Canada and California, stick them in Brooklyn and hook them up with producer Bryce Goggin (Sean Lennon, Pavement, The Ramones), and the result is "Electric Toys," the new album by The Dig. Featuring a sound that has tinges of the classic rock sound without sounding retro on purpose, The Dig has crafted an album on which just about every song is undeniably catchy. "Carry Me Home," which kicks off the CD, is a beautiful but bittersweet slice of California rock that includes a taste of latter-day Cars keyboards, while "Two Sisters in Love" sounds like The Beatles decided to record with The Posies. The whole album has a darker, dreamlike vibe, and the band should be commended for maintaining that feeling through the entire collection of songs. This is definitely an album that will have you paying attention.

Key Tracks: "Carry Me Home," "Two Sisters in Love," "Look Inside"

Bravado

(Sly Dog)

Back when he was newly signed to Mercury Records, singer-songwriter John Brannen was sent out to tour with a couple of other up-and-coming acts on the Mercury roster. The tour went well, and at its end, the three artists went their separate ways. Oh, I guess I should mention that the other two artists were Shania Twain and Toby Keith. While Brannen's career trajectory has certainly not followed the same path as those two country superstars, in a way that's a good thing. Brannen has always insisted on doing things his own way. Brannen's done just fine for himself over the years, releasing several albums of distinctly Americana music. "Bravado," Brannen's latest, is one of his best collections of songs yet. Engineered by David Z, who also recorded Brannen last year when he performed at the Footlight Players Theatre downtown, the album features Brannen tunes co-written by the likes of Jack Tempchin, Gary Nicholson and Danny Tate. There is also a great cover of The Byrds' "Hickory Wind." With songwriting of this quality, perhaps Brannen still might rise to the same career heights as his old tourmates, although truthfully, I doubt Brannen really cares about that.

Key Tracks: "Raised a Rebel," "Hickory Wind," "Hoodoo Highway"