Ken Tucker

Texas Sheiks offers new versions of old blues, Western swing and ragtime music. The Sheiks are led by singer-songwriter Geoff Muldaur and the album features the guitar work of the late Steve Bruton.

You may not recognize the name James Hand, but that's just because you've never heard anything like him. The 57-year-old Texan has been hidden away in the country music scene for years, and if this third album Shadow of the Ground shows his age, critic Ken Tucker says it's just that Hand doesn't care what you think.

La Roux is a British pop duo -- 21-year-old singer Elly Jackson and synth player--producer Ben Langmaid -- with a style that blends passionate vocals with strict mechanical beats. The pair's self-titled album went No. 1 in England and Europe this year, and now it's out stateside. Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews.