If I were a grumpy old man, I might be tempted to tell you that music these days isn't what it used to be. But listening a batch of new CDs, I can't really make that argument.

There's always good music to be had. You just have to look. Here are some new discs that are spinning in my world these days.

Luciano -- United States of Africa (VP) -- I've long thought Luciano (aka Jepther McClymont) is one of the best hopes for reggae music in the new millennium -- and I've never been alone in that. Although he started out like many do -- as a Dennis Brown soundalike -- he quickly forged his own style. While like many reggae musicians, Luciano's best work often arrives on 45s, he does release some LPs that are more than just collections of singles. This one, produced by Frenchie's Maximum Sound, has a great selection of rootsy material. The title track kicks off the CD, but it's at track two, "Footstool," with its heavy rhythm, where things really heat up. Whenever I hear a record like this I'm reminded that folks who say there's no good reggae anymore just don't know what they're talking about.

Idlewild -- Post Electric Blues (Nice Music) -- The sixth full-length from Scotland's finest doesn't break any new ground, but it's another set of melodic pop fueled by gritty guitars and singer Roddy Woomble's distinctive voice. "Post Electric Blues" -- which is neither blues nor "post electric," whatever that might mean -- has a unique story, though. Finding itself without a label, Idlewild turned to its fans and basically said, "you want a record? Pay us to make one." And, it worked. Fans eagerly coughed up the dough and I can't imagine any of them are disappointed. Starting out as a raucous punk outfit, Idlewild now doses its rock and roll with Celtic folk influences (like Woomble's solo material). "Post Electric Blues" was released last year in the U.K. but was only recently issued in the U.S.

Paleo -- A View of the Sky (Partisan Records) -- Paleo's latest record is a sort of ramshackle troubadouran effort that draws on folk, country and rock, with unexpected elements like an almost Mexican-sounding brass figure on the title track. The performances feel casual -- not lazy, though -- and the recordings intimate. Lazy is definitely not an adjective for Paleo, who recorded a song a day for 365 days and plays about 150 days a year. I find "A View of the Sky" wildly and unexpectedly infectious.

Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants (RCA) -- I popped this in as background music when it arrived and was wowed by the heartland rock with great melodies and sizzling energy. Only later did I find out later that Shiflett is a Foo Fighter. Think Springsteen a la "Jackson Cage" and early Wilco and you'll get an idea of what to expect from this 35-minute, eight-song disc. Certainly to the annoyance of my office mates, I sometimes let this just play over and over.

Sharon Van Etten -- Epic (Ba Da Bing) -- Seven songs and 32 minutes of Van Etten's most confident recordings to date. But what hasn't changed is her introspective, mostly-solo approach to her stark songs. Improved fidelity means we can better hear her ingenuous voice and sincere performances. "A Crime" matches that voice to strummed acoustic guitar to great effect. "Peace Sign" adds drums and bass. "Save Yourself" has steel guitar and a country feel. "Don't Do It" and "One Day" are the most accessible recordings she's made. This is Sharon Van Etten even your mainstream friends can like and you'll love her as much as ever, too.

Lissie -- Catching a Tiger (Fat Possum) -- While Lissie had to cancel some dates last month on doctor's orders, you can still enjoy her diverse and varied music on her full-length debut. I love the sinister sound of "Record Collector" -- in which she occasionally belts out like a 1960s Nashville diva -- and the retro-radio thump of the bass and drums on the Fleetwood Mac-esque "When I'm Alone." "In Sleep" conjures '80s pop, "Bully" is a tender ballad and "Worried About" mixes acoustic guitar and buzzy keyboard. Some have suggested her wide-ranging, encompassing style is a negative, but I think Lissie brings it all together and to these ears, her diversity is a boon.

Yann Tiersen -- Dust Lane (Anti-) -- I've long been a fan of Yann Tiersen's everything including the toy piano approach and I enjoyed the fact that his records seemed to folllow an arc. They didn't all sound the same, but you could always tell they were his. So, you'd think the fact that "Dust Lane" sounds quite a bit different would upset me. Not at all. "Dust Lane" is the result of serendipity and experimentation, I hear, and listening to it is exciting and rewarding. "Palestine" and the title track have some glimmers of the Tiersen we've come to know. But "Amy," "Chapter 19" and "Dark Stuff" are pure cinema: dramatic and impressionistic. "Ashes" sounds a bit like is was recorded one day when Tiersen lost his way in the Ozarks. The best artists are the ones that throw you for a loop just when you start to think you know them. Like Yann Tiersen.