This Week's Winners:
-Better Than Ezra Deluxe - A sensational debut by the New Orleans trio. Homestyle and no-frills songwriting; down-to-earth, Gin Blossoms styled folk alternarock. Tracks to catch: "In the Blood", "Cry In the Sun", "Rosalia". Tres bien.
-Deep Forest Boheme - Soothing lyrics, same power of the old Forest with a twist. This time, the innovators head east to develop the magical sounds of India and the tablas. No pygmy, jungle like feel to "Boheme", but tracks like "Anathasia" and "Marta's Song" prove Deep Forest's world beat/ambient expansion is authentic.
-The Nixons Foma- Named for a term coined by Kurt Vonnegut meaning "unintentionally harmful lies", Foma is an album with intelligent songwriting and hard-edged guitar licks. The quality of the music is much better than the band's namesake's presidential regime (ahem, Tricky Dick). The Oklahoma outfit has a pinch of Collective Soul mixed with the articulate passion of Live. Tracks include: "Head" and "Sister", among others.