Amoeba Music

Guitar wondergirl Orianthi can tear off a Hendrix-y electric riff, pen a catchy blues-rock tune, and sing it pretty sweetly too. For years her star has been rising, as she performs and tours with everyone from Santana to Prince to Alice Cooper to Carrie Underwood (she was even slated for the This Is It tour with Michael Jackson). Her cute looks don't hurt, but her bold, quicksilver axework is the main attraction. For her third studio album, she and producer Dave Stewart spent time in Nashville, and several of the songs have a young-country radio twang. Lead single "Frozen," though, is a fiery slice of Heart / Zeppelin style strut, with burnin' riffs and a big chorus. Take a heartfelt roots-rock trip with this sultry siren!

If Jeff Magnum (Neutral Milk Hotel) had been born 10 years later and became obsessed with tape loops, this is sort of what it would sound like. Stellar effort, even better than their first LP. Get on it, people.