Few artists leave a lasting impression, especially on their major label debut, but Kerli's coming is seven years in the making. Like its artist, Love is Dead is daring, edgy and beautifully creepy, and with an uncanny sense of confidence, Kerli boldly shares the struggles and triumphs of a complicated life. Even when embracing the dark, Kerli shines bright—giving hope that love, in due course, can resurrect from an unfortunate death. Original release date: June 10, 2008

Tracks to check out: "Walking on Air" (YouTube), "Love is Dead" (YouTube), "Bulletproof"

 
Lalah Hathaway - Self Portrait

When your last name is Hathaway, there is a certain degree of attention that inevitably follows you, especially in the world of music.

As the daughter of Donny Hathaway, one of soul music's eternal legends, the expectations placed upon Lalah's career have been extraordinarily high. In spite of such pressure, she has blazed her own trails and become a staple on jazz and R&B radio—spending half of her life in the musical spotlight.

Self Portrait, her Stax Records debut, is an introspective account of a twenty-year career. Original release date: June 3, 2008

Tracks to check out: "Let Go" (YouTube), "What Goes Around", "Breathe"

 
Tye Tribbett & G.A. - Stand Out

Gospel music is one of the few genres in which experimentation is viewed with a "discerning eye." Traditionalists, in particular, tend to view the incorporation of rock, jazz and pop as "secular" deviations. With the passing of time, however, such "controversial" offerings eventually become "conventional" components of praise and worship.

Tye Tribbett follows in the footsteps of several gospel greats, who have blessed the name of the Lord outside of the stifling boundaries of "traditional" gospel. Like Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond and Hezekiah Walker, Tye Tribbett knows that if the Spirit is in it, then the message is definitely in the music. Original release date: May 6, 2008