HONKY-TONK: Wayne Hancock, “Tulsa” (Bloodshot) 
The title track of Hancock's new album is a swinging salute to the onetime home base of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, with Hancock calling out numerous solo showcases for his ace accompanists on guitar, pedal steel and horns. With his barbed-wire nasal twang, however, Hancock still brings to mind Hank Williams more than Wills. But this Texan continues to convey it all with defiantly retro honky-tonk and hillbilly jazz that still packs quite a kick.
– Nick Cristiano
EMO: Sparta, “Threes” (Hollywood Records)
Sometime between Sparta's “Porcelain” and its latest platter, the band found itself. That isn't to say it found its own sound – on the contrary, “Threes” sounds derivative of dozens of other bands, from classic rock to indie to Top 40. Uniformly excellent production and performances bolster already compelling songs like “Atlas” and “Crawl.”
– John Wenzel
JAZZ: Branford Marsalis “Braggtown” (Marsalis Music)
One of the joys of Marsalis' long-running quartet is the thrill of hearing the level of shared virtuosity that has evolved between the saxophonist and his band. There's a remarkable focus and intensity to the group's interaction here on both the post-Coltrane modal burns and the impressionistic ballads.
– Mark Stryker
ALT-ROCK: The Be Good Tanyas, “Hello Love” (Nettwerk) ½
Although the Be Good Tanyas cover Neil Young, Prince and Mississippi John Hurt, the Canadian trio makes them all sound like Be Good Tanyas songs: redolent with spooky atmosphere and rich with harmony vocals. It's an impressive feat. The three women build their understated but colorful arrangements and blend their voices with a casual precision.
– Steve Klinge
POP: Yo La Tengo, “I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass” (Matador)
This trio swings for the fences on this ambitious, diverse studio outing, exploring all forms of punk, pop and indie-rock. The best cut is “Black Flowers,” which bears an unmistakable Ray Davies influence.
– Martin Bandyke
