The Pierces–Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge. I first encountered The Pierces when they performed on a season 1 episode of Gossip Girl, and then later in web ads for the TV show Dexter. Comprised of sisters Catherine and Allison, The Pierces are a New York-based IndyPop duo, and this CD is solid. It has a sense of cohesion, without all of the songs sounding the same. They do feisty (the track Boring) and pretty (The Power of…) equally well. And I love the haunting use of calliope on the song Secret.

Regina Spektor–Begin to Hope. I had never heard of Regina Spektor until her song Fidelity started popping up everywhere. I heard it on TV, I heard it in Singapore…and it’s great. It’s so bubbly and happy that I had to check out the rest of the CD. I’ve only had it about a week, but so far I really like it. I also like that her website highlights the cool part of her name: ReSpekt.

SohoDolls–Ribbed Music for the Numb Generation. I got hooked on the song Stripper (which, interestingly enough, was also featured on Gossip Girl, in Season 1’s Victor/Victrola, which was the best episode of the season). I love the dirty, electronic Brit sound, which kinda reminds me of Elastica. I’m still getting into it, and hoping the rest of the CD has the same gritty vibe.

Britney Spears–Circus. Although not as good as last year’s Blackout, Circus has a couple of good songs. Womanizer, Circus, and Kill the Lights are all good dance tracks and have made their way to my exercise playlist. Ironically, despite her supposedly improved mental health, this album seems less cohesive and more schizophrenic than Blackout.

Wah!–Love Holding Love. I’ve been feeling really disconnected from the Spiritual lately, and I needed a fun, upbeat, New Age-y CD. I like the pop twist on traditional mantras. This one is good for yoga, taking a bath, journaling, or just hanging out.