Entertainment

In terms of gallons of ink spilled, this year's most notable musicians were a bunch of former teen pop stars, overwrought American Idols and some model turned "singer" named Paris Hilton. But quietly, outside the headlines, plenty of real musicians were releasing terrific CDs. Here are the best shows and discs of the year.

1. Oct. 6, Gypsy Tea Room

Instead of trying to play it cool, Karen O. made a total spaz of herself and won over the young crowd.

2. Feb. 27, Bass Performance Hall

Rock shows usually don't work at stately venues such as Bass Hall. But the operatic Icelandic band fit perfectly.

3. April 1, North Texas Jazz Festival

A stellar homecoming from one of jazz's boldest trumpeters.

4. Jan. 21, Poor David's Pub

Jason Janik / Special to DMN

Karen O. and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs performed Oct. 6 at Gyspy Tea Room.

The greatest Detroit soul singer you've never heard of pumped new blood into old tunes by Fiona Apple, Lucinda Williams and Sinead O'Connor.

5. March 29, Dallas Museum of Art

On hiatus from the indie-pop band Rilo Kiley, Ms. Lewis wowed a sold-out Horchow Auditorium with gospel-fired country songs.

6. June 21, Nokia Theatre

Leave it to a bunch of puppets to help Beck rediscover his sardonic humor.

7. Sept. 13, Lakewood Theater

Ricky Moon / Special to DMN

Fans filled the Bass Performance Hall at Sigur Ros' concert Feb. 27.

The folk-rock singer and his 13 bandmates wore fake wings onstage – perfect for their orchestral flights of fancy.

8. June 6, Granada Theatre

The primates didn't live up to the British hype ("our generation's most important band"), but they did crank out some primal rock 'n' roll.

9. Oct. 27, McFarlin Auditorium

The TITAS show was called "Acoustic Africa," but the music was electrifying.

10. March 6, Nokia Theatre

Twenty-eight years since his last North Texas show – and well worth the wait.

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions

(Columbia)

1. What could have been a dour tribute CD turned into a rowdy campfire jam as the Boss and his band recast Pete Seeger's tunes into punky roots-rock. Their live debut in New Orleans was the high point of Jazzfest: Cross your fingers for a Dallas show in '07.

St. Elsewhere

(Atlantic)

2. Freak funk meets squirrelly hip-hop in this collection of twisted (and sometimes poignant) soul gems.

The River in Reverse

(Verve/Forecast)

3. Everyone knows what happened to New Orleans after Katrina, but no one's captured the rage and sadness as well as this odd pairing of a Brit rocker and a Louisiana R&B legend.

Broken Boy Soldiers

(V2)

4. Temporarily free of his ex-wife (and their goofy white-and-red wardrobe), Jack White teams up with three buddies for a crazy trip through bubble grunge and psychedelic prog-rock.

Sound Grammar

(Phrase Text)

5. On his first album in a decade, the Fort Worth-born jazz pioneer is as dazzling as ever. He's 76, but he refuses to mellow with age.

Nashville

(Shout Factory)

6. The "King of Rock and Soul" goes country with stunning results on a disc produced by guitar ace Buddy Miller.

Savane

(World Circuit)

7. A stirring farewell from the late Malian singer-guitarist, who died of bone cancer in March. His prickly guitar riffs never sounded more hypnotic.

The True False Identity

(Columbia)

8. The Fort Worth-born producer (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) emerges from behind the mixing board for his first solo disc in 14 years: It's creepy and cryptic – but guaranteed to get your foot thumping.

Once Again

(Sony Urban)

9. No sophomore slump from the Grammy champ. At his best, the suave soul singer recalls a young Stevie Wonder.

Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

(Anti-)

10. Her side job with the New Pornographers is more fun, but this brooding disc of country noir is her best CD yet.

Forget about emo and screamo and neo-new wave synth-punk. The first rock trend of '07 may be the return of old-fashioned guitar pop.

The year kicks off with long-overdue CDs by the Shins and Apples in Stereo. If you saw Garden State, you'll recall Natalie Portman's declaration "the Shins will change your life!" You can judge for yourself on Jan. 23, when the Albuquerque quartet puts out Wincing the Night Away.

Two weeks later, the Beatlesesque Apples in Stereo release their first disc in nearly five years, New Magnetic Wonder. The Denver-based Apples recently hired Dallas' John Dufilho (Deathray Davies) as their drummer.

Arguably the year's most-awaited guitar pop album is Fountains of Wayne's Traffic and Weather, due in March.

Factor in releases by Ted Leo, Neil Finn, the Magic Numbers, the New Pornographers and Rilo Kiley, and your head may be swimming with 24-karat melodies and guitar hooks next year.

T.C.