New Adult Music CDs

Joy Kills Sorrow has always had a knack for writing and performing intimate songs. Now the Boston-based string band is emphasizing their epic side, too, on Wide Awake. The seven-song collection serves as a milepost in the blossoming career of a group the Los Angeles Daily News praised as virtuoso art folkies who understand the value of being just folks.

In nearly three decades, Skinny Puppy has established itself as a groundbreaking, innovative voice in the world of electronic music. The band is always fearless in both its musical experimentation and voicing a stance on the issues of our times, and this CD is no exception. This new album stands as a commentary on that which it is named after, or more specifically, to the concurrent glorification of the gun culture and simultaneous horror at the devastation the gun can cause.

The official party purveyor of New Orleans is at it again with this new CD. An intriguing collection of jazz standards put through the good times grinder by the King of Treme himself, this is a rare glimpse into the influences that inspired Ruffins while a youthful New Orleans street busker working toward international celebrity. Pulling classics from the 20th Century, Ruffins' playful nature breathes new life into versions of Exactly Like You and Jeepers Creepers.

From the desk of King Tuff: The album changed his life in so many ways, as it slowly trickled out into the world. He never expected anyone to hear it, let alone connect with it. He never would have left Vermont, never met the folks at Burger Records or any of the other insane, beautiful, cartoonish characters that now populate his life in the best way. It's an expression of his infinitely teenage heart and soul, and he's very proud of it.

In May, Boston-based quintet Della Mae will release their debut for Rounder, This World Oft Can Be. Produced by Bryan Sutton and mixed by Paul Q. Kolderie shows that like the Avett Brothers, Lumineers, and Punch Brothers, these five multitalented young women are respectful of American musical tradition. Features twelve songs such as Empire; Paper Prince; and Maybeline.

City and Colour is the moniker of singer-songwriter Dallas Green, and is undeniably one of the biggest groundswell stories in Canadian music. This CD marks his fourth release, the previous three all certified platinum in Canada.

Inspired by actual events, The Bling Ring shows how a group of fame-obsessed teenagers used the Internet to track celebrities' whereabouts in order to rob their homes. The film's soundtrack features songs from a wide range of artists, including Kanye West, Phoenix, Deadmau5, and Sleigh Bells.