Jessica Parker

By all accounts Björk's albums should be commercial disasters. Her lyrics make little sense to the outside world, and she's known to invite listeners into the depths of her mind. (She also doesn't care one bit about the repercussions of dressing like a swan, but that's beside the point.) On...

Ladytron 604 (Emperor Norton Records) The Japanese seem to have a better understanding of American culture than Americans do -- or at least a realization that they're better at assimilating and restyling our culture. What else could explain the ultra-American, sensational pop music of Japan's Fantastic Plastic Machine? This act...

Laika is the black-clad goth girl you sat next to in high school geometry. She scribbles poetry on the soles of her concert-worn combat boots. Black nail polish is never absent from her unkempt, nibbled nails. She wears a nose ring on the weekends. She's slightly pretentious, almost sincere in...