New music

We've just put another stack of CDs out on our music racks, so I'm offering a little sampling of what there is to choose from:

Vampire Weekend. The four members of Vampire Weekend formed their band while students at Columbia, but rather than being drenched with angst and obtuse allusions, their music is nothing but fun. One song - "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" - has been receiving a lot of play on the radio lately, and with good reason. This is a great summer album.

Kinsmen is a fascinating jazz album from saxophonists Rudresh Mahanthappa and Kadri Gopalnath. Mahanthappa provides the modern jazz feel, while Gopalnath brings in the flavors of India. The collaboration works beautifully, conjuring up images of both smoky clubs and snake charmers. Whether you are a fan of jazz or Indian music, this album will open up new sounds for you.

Fingal is the self-titled album from an American-based trio with deep Irish roots. James Keane (accordion), Randal Bays (fiddle) and Dáithí Sproule (guitar and vocals) play a selection of traditional jigs, reels, hornpipes and set dances, as well as some beautiful songs sung in Sproule's Irish tenor. A must for anyone who likes Irish music.

I Think We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat is the latest project from Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook). The Brighton Port Authority is a fictional '70s alternative band, and this album is supposedly gleaned from a set of recently discovered tapes. What you'll really get is a mixture of new songs and covers with guest artists such as Iggy Pop, David Byrne, Martha Wainwright and Cagedbaby. Some great dance music here.