Clockwise from top left: Babymetal, Frankie Cosmos, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Brittany Howard, The Chemical Brothers, Holy Ghost!, Sharon Van Etten and Kurt Vile. Staff photos. Every year I make a “resolution” to see fewer shows. And each year by September, I am reminding myself of this resolution. Unlike most…

In 1968, American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry recorded her sophomore album, The Delta Sweete. It dropped a year after her no. 1 single, “Ode to Billy Joe,” but never took off. The album became a hard-to-find talisman for the few lucky musicians and music lovers who happened upon it in obscure…