Music: What to Listen to Now

Alice Smith
For Lovers, Dreamers & Me

(Epic) For most of this R&B album, Smith effortlessly slides her graceful vocals around winkingly sentimental lyrics. But when the songs build into big, soulful crescendos, her four-octave wail will slay you.

Download Now: "Dream"

White WilliamsSmoke (Tigerbeat6)

Most bands copping the New Wave sound are about as alluring as last year's asymmetrical haircut. But from 23-year-old Cleveland club kid Joe Williams, it somehow sounds fresh. With his giddy use of the disaffected vocals and the synths of '80s art pop, his best tracks sound like a basement version of early Bowie.

Download Now: "New Violence"

Daft Punk Alive 2007

(Virgin)

It doesn't sound promising-a live album from a pair of Frenchmen best known for their house music. But Daft Punk actually rocks. The album is such a frenzied mix of techno and electro rhythms, funky beats, and cheeky vocal samples, you might find yourself raising a rock-and-roll fist right in your own home.

Download Now: "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"