SPIN THIS

AESOP ROCK:

NONE SHALL PASS

(DEFINITIVE JUX) ***

There's something in Aesop Rock's voice that suggests he's just about to call you a jerk or worse. The Long Island rapper's tone and cadence is a natural for long, taut rhymes full of withering put-downs.

In fact, if that's all he did he'd probably overcome his underground status, assuming he would want to. His rhymes are thick with metaphor and clever wordplay, even if the storyline - if there is one - may be known only to Rock.

If it's all just a peak into Rock's psyche, then his mind is one scary, dark place. Good thing he's able to translate it into some of the most compelling hip hop around, with the help of producer Blockhead and Def Jux main man El-P.

Download this: "None Shall Pass"

Curtis Ross

KEVIN MICHAEL:

KEVIN MICHAEL (DOWNTOWN/

ATLANTIC) ***

If Robin Thicke and Justin Timberlake had a 20-something mixed kid, it would be Kevin Michael. This east coast newcomer has a head full of curly ringlets and one sick falsetto.

His debut album has some funk, acoustics and soul. He's openly grown up about his ethnicity and losing love, and immature about a girl and her lingerie. Ahh, to be 22.

But the thing about Kevin is that he's not a fad - this ain't no Soulja Boy. Once he gets past the studio-backed album fillers and comes of age, he will have a real musical presence.

Still, his first album comes packing heat with guest appearances by hip hop big-boys Wyclef Jean and Q-Tip and newbies Lupe Fiasco and Akil Dasan.

Oh yeah, the boy can sing.

Download this: "We All Want the Same Thing"

Sarah Hoye

CAFE TACUBA

SINO (UNIVERSAL LATINO) ***

"Sino" starts off quietly, but Cafe Tacuba doesn't stick with the slow stuff for long.

Through 15 tracks, the Mexican rock band famous for its energy and wordplay delivers what fans have come to expect - thoughtful lyrics and songs that stick in your head.

"Sino" (translation: "but, rather") at times seems to pay homage to music by Bruce Springsteen, the Who and the Beatles. The result is quintessential Tacuba, who since the early 1990s have been the chameleons of Spanish rock.

The songs are smooth and catchy. While many of the lyrics reveal a sense of alienation, the music conveys no regrets or malice. Just good, solid rock music - which, in English or Spanish, there's simply not enough of anymore.

Download this: "El Outsider"

Anthony McCartney