Wax Fantastic: Panda Bear's Person PitchWarm psychedelic repetition floating in beds of reverb-soaked Brian Wilson-esqe vocals are exactly what diamond-tipped record needles were made for.
›Discover more vinyl
Subscribe to The Amazon MP3 Download newsletter to find out about free song downloads, new releases and hot digital music deals first. Give the Gift of MusicAmazon Gift Cards are a great way to give Amazon MP3 music downloads or CDs to anyone--even those without credit cards. Gift cards can be mailed or sent electronically in any amount from $5 to $5000. ›Shop Amazon Gift Cards now |
Music Editor FavoritesOur editors plumb the depths of music and showcase the best of it here every month. Take a gander at the albums that move them, the songs they can't get out of their heads and the vinyl they're wearing out, then get in on the conversation over at their music blog, Chordstrike.com. Be sure to follow the "read more" links for each album's full Best of the Month review, some of which include videos, photos and other cool content. Droppin' Science Fiction by the Mighty UnderdogsWhy it's significant: The album is a virtual “who’s who” of independent hip-hop featuring Lateef the Truth Speaker (Latryx), The Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), and producer Headnodic, with special appearances by other heavy-hitters like DJ Shadow, Mr. Lif, Damian "JR Gong" Marley, and MF Doom.
• Read more about Droppin' Science Fiction
• Buy the CD
• Buy the MP3 Album
Who Killed Amanda PalmerWhy it's significant: The first solo album from uncompromising Dresden Dolls mouthpiece Amanda Palmer removes the instrumental limitations of a duo format, allowing her to explode her black and white palette into millions of colors. Palmer’s debut delivers a dynamic and stunning record barely able to contain its own creativity—one that is manic, funny, devastating, deeply felt, and utterly successful.
• Read more about Who Killed Amanda Palmer
• Buy the CD
• Buy the MP3 Album
Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams by SolangeWhy it's significant: Though you might expect the worst from an album by a celebrity sibling, Solange acquits herself here as, if not the most vocally gifted, at least the more interesting and fun of the Knowles sisters. This, like Estelle's Shine, is an excellent album-length pop/R&B affair that won't get the attention that it deserves for reasons that don't have much to do with the quality of the music.
• Read more about Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams
• Buy the CD
• Buy the MP3 Album
Paper Trail by T.I.Why it's significant: Paper Trail is a unexpected return to form for T.I., featuring well-crafted songs complete with thoughtful, nuanced lyrics--two things that are often barely evident in popular hip-hop.
• Read more about Paper Trail
• Buy the CD
• Buy the MP3 Album
Receivers by Parts and LaborWhy it's significant: Once in a while, a band releases an album so gravid and beautiful that it unlocks the feeling that you always knew they always had it in them. In this twisted reconfiguring of popularly recognizable musical elements, Brooklyn foursome Parts & Labor let shine the rock populism that distinguishes this masterpiece from its merely suggestive predecessors.
• Read more about Receivers
• Buy the CD |
 Enjoy an extra seven theme-based favorites from our editors.
|
Best Album to Listen to on an Autumn Walk
| 
Can't you just see yourself in your best tweed blazer, your leather satchel slung casually over your shoulder, headphones in place, breezing through fallen leaves on a too-crisp sun-dappled day, walking to the beat of "Dying Is Fine?" What about "Each Year?"
The Rhumb Line by Ra Ra Riot: CD | MP3
|
Best Album for Unleashing Your Inner Brat
|  Bratty, deliciously fun dance-pop. The perfect backdrop for applying your mascara and drinking a cocktail before a night on the town, or alternatively, dancing around in your fuzzy slippers.
We Started Nothing by the Ting Tings: CD | MP3
|
Most Succinct Skewering of Music Critics
|  There's plenty more to recommend this former Pedro the Lion frontman's dense little EP, but the apex is "Selling Advertising," a rapier penetration to the bitter pith of music journalism.
Fewer Moving Parts by David Bazan: CD
|
Best Lyrics Obsessively Focused on Love
| 
Where many artists write about love, Tegan and Sara dwell on it, dissecting every moment from first meeting to last goodbyes, delivering lyrics so real, you’ll swear they've been reading your diary.
The Con by Tegan and Sara: CD | MP3
|
Best Quirky, Upbeat 2008 Rock Album (Non-Vampire Weekend Division)
| 
If you like the sound of Vampire Weekend, but not so much their pinkies-up, Ivy League, upper crust posturing, this latest release from Philadelphia rockers the Spinto Band should be in your rotation.
Moonwink by the Spinto Band: CD | MP3
|
Best New Artist Named After an Angie Dickinson Show
|  Joan Wasser's sultry piano balladry, which incorporates shades of Billie Holiday and Jeff Buckley, works smashingly well in spite of her odd stage name.
To Survive by Joan as Police Woman: CD | MP3
|
Best Way to Spend a Major Label's Money
| 
On Murs' major label debut, he takes advantage of a bigger budget to let his producer pal 9th Wonder go after some famous (and likely expensive-to-clear) samples from artists like Michael Jackson and the Isley Brothers, giving his smart, accessible rhymes the added advantage of seeming instantly familiar.
Murs for President by Murs: CD | MP3
|
|
|
Find amazing bargains in our 
