The transition from black & white to color in the film version of The Wizard of Oz comes to mind when taking in singer/songwriter Josh Ritter’s sumptuous Change of Time. Starting with a simple trickling of acoustic guitar and the Idaho’s native’s own pathos-rich singing voice, a warm and serene mood is set before the introduction of dignified piano chords and military snare increases the dramatic tension. A host of electric guitars, co-ed background vocals and muscular drumming then boldly swoop in, like winged monkeys descending from the sky.

Video of the Week

Artist: Greg Laswell
Track: Take Everything

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Canción de la Semana

Dubbed the “Princess of Rock” by the Chilean press, Francisca Valenzuela basked in critical and commercial success for her 2007 debut, a collection of alt-rock songs set to artsy — often, puzzling — music videos. Muérdete la Lengua, the title track, recalls Sioxie and the Banshees’ seminal hit Passenger, with its gut-thumping downbeats and jangly guitar strums. But unlike Siouxsie, Valenzuela uses her raspy, howling pipes to castigate men, who she compares to canines.