With overlong, filler-stuffed CDs hitting the market regularly by all manner of artists, the fact that Janelle Monáe presents a double-length disc that’s engaging and memorable from start to finish is creditable in itself. Considering how, on this debut long-player, Monáe audaciously skates freely across genres and sounds great wearing every hat she tries on, she’s practically in a class of her own at only age 24.

Sonny Smith has been kicking around the Bay Area music scene for over a decade, playing blues piano here, touring with Neko Case there, and releasing a string of solo records during the early ‘00s. In 2007, The Sunsets fell together and included a rotating group of friends, currently Kelley Stoltz, Tahlia Harbour (Citay, The Dry Spells), and Ryan Browne.

Blue-eyed soul band Fitz & the Tantrums haven’t just dipped a toe in the retro-funk pool-they’ve dove in head first, dapper suits and all. Judging by debut full-length Pickin’ Up the Pieces, they’ll be happily swimming along for some time to come.

For the casual music lover, a-ha equates the groundbreaking animated video for “Take On Me” and is quickly filed under VH1’s dreaded “one hit wonder” slot. The release of The Singles 1984-2004 proves a-ha is nowhere near that slot. Besides the obvious “Take On Me,” which opens this collection, familiar song after familiar song follow each other on The Singles-at least in the beginning.

Lissie’s debut showcases a diverse range of vocal centered music, from folk and bubblegum, to blues and country-esque, but things don’t always cohere, and unfortunately the common denominator is nondescript pop-rock.

Egalitarian songwriting and the lack of a front person may presume the lack of a focal point. Grass Widow, a San Francisco post-punk trio that favors structure and form over grating guitar and speed, use this approach to their benefit, collaboratively writing songs and sharing vocal duties.

In a collaboration that began with the echoes of old Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood records, Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan have completed their third shared album, this one delving deeper into the Americana that Campbell has been exploring since her 2006 solo album, Milk White Sheets.

The debut full-length from this Parisian chamber pop trio picks up where 2008’s highly touted Pop de Chambre EP left off. The band is named for The Beatles album of the same name, and the Fab Four comparisons are apt to a degree.

With Boston Spaceships, Robert Pollard has found his best band since Guided By Voices. Consisting of Pollard, Chris Slusarenko (Guided By Voices), and John Moen (The Decemberists), Boston Spaceships is releasing its fourth album in just a little over two years, and the band seems to be hitting its stride.