This CD cover image released by Instant Records shows ‘New York is My Home,’ by Dion. (AP)

LOS ANGELES, Feb 19, (Agencies): Dion, “New York Is My Home” (Instant Records)

Dion extends his stay in the blues neighborhood on “New York Is My Home,” a style that comes naturally to the doo-wop legend.

Paul Simon guests on the title track, insistent percussion driving the folksy tune in which the NYC natives share their love for the city, its bustle providing companionship and allowing them to “touch the world as it sails in from everywhere.” A splendid American tune.

On “The Apollo King,” Dion pays tribute to Big Al Sears, a tenor saxophonist in Duke Ellington’s orchestra. “Visionary Heart” imagines a letter to Dion from Buddy Holly — they were touring together when Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens were killed in a 1959 plane crash, “the day the music died.”

Dion returns to the source with Lightning Hopkins’ “Katie Mae” and Tampa Red’s “I Ain’t For It” and though his first two blues albums from around a decade ago were mostly covers, originals like the terrific opener “Aces Up Your Sleeve” and “I’m Your Gangster of Love” are no less authentic.

Producer Jimmy Vivino and members of the Basic Cable Band — Conan O’Brien’s house band — provide gritty backing, Vivino’s guitar especially hot.

New York may not be the foremost blues city, but Dion — whose pliable vocals even at age 76 give each song its own tone and flair — bears witness that Beale Street has a kindred spirit on the Bronx’s Fordham Road.

Rick Springfield, “Rocket Science” (Frontiers Records)

Rick Springfield sprinkles the sounds of country music across his 18th album, with banjos, steel guitars and mandolins underpinning electric guitars and his energetic vocals on “Rocket Science.”

Even at age 66, Springfield has been working hard, building up his resume like a Boy Scout trying to earn an elusive merit badge.

A stint on the second season of HBO’s “True Detective,” a role opposite Meryl Streep on “Ricki and the Flash,” a novel and a well-received autobiography have still left him time to release a new album every couple of years.

The Australian native also performs some 100 concerts a year and it’s that propelling drive which stands out on “Rocket Science,” the thumping opener “Light this Party Up” and over-driven banjo showcase “Miss Mayhem.”

More subdued though hardly laid-back are mostly acoustic “Found” and “Let Me In,” lifted by its chorus. “Crowded Solitude” and “That One” are among those tracks reflecting the countrified sound.

“Rocket Science” is familiar from the start, maybe a bit too familiar, with songs containing elements from across the pop landscape, flavored with those bits of country twang. It sounds great but it’s definitely not rocket science.

LNZNDRF, “LNZNDRF” (4AD)

Ben Lanz from the band Beirut and Scott and Bryan Devendorf from The National have combined to form LNZNDRF, a vowel-challenged side project with an eponymous first release.

The four instrumentals and four tracks with vocals on “LNZNDRF” were edited down from much longer jams recorded over two days in a Cincinnati church and the album gets off to a captivating start with “Future You.” After some meandering, the instrumental finally gets going after two minutes, Lanz putting layers of short guitar phrases over insistent drums and buzzing bass from the Devendorf siblings.

A similar style follows on “Beneath The Black Sea,” the best of the vocal tracks, which would have earned a place on those highly anticipated 4AD compilations from the 1980s, a handy opportunity to discover bands on the British label (Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, etc.) in the pre-Internet days.

The rest of the album is not nearly as strong. The other songs with lyrics don’t feel fully developed, though “Monument” could improve live if its chugging train-like rhythm managed to get rolling.

The end comes with “Samarra,” a repetitive instrumental which fades out noisily, tension building up without any release.

If LNZNDRF becomes more than just a one-off, they’re going to need more judicious editing and better tunes. Or to stick to singles.

Carrie Rodriguez and the Sacred Hearts, “Lola “ (Thirty Tigers/Luz)

On “Lola,” singer Carrie Rodriguez alternates between English and Spanish, sometimes switching in midsentence as she creates a distinctive musical language.

The melding of cultures can be a beautiful thing, especially when orchestrated by such a talented cast. The Sacred Hearts includes bassist Viktor Krauss and the ubiquitous guitarist Bill Frisell putting their special stamp on the material.

And then there’s Rodriguez, a versatile singer who does her best work yet here. The Austin, Texas native cites her great aunt, 1940s Chicana singer Eva Garza, as an inspiration for the album, and it’s clearly a labor of love.

Rodriguez mixes ranchera-style songs she co-wrote and familiar tunes by Mexican composers. She sings with the passion of a telenovela actress on “Si No Te Vas,” and applies feminist roadhouse sass to the autobiographical “Z.” There are fine duets with Raul Malo and Luke Jacobs, and on “The West Side,” Rodriguez slyly addresses the topic of bigotry by using a childlike melody.

While the word immigration is never uttered, in English or Spanish, “Lola” makes a case both forceful and tuneful for diversity.

Pop superstar Adele said she cried for a day after her botched performance at the Grammys but acknowledged she often had trouble with pitch.

Adele, who has shattered sales records with her latest album, veered out of tune during her performance at the music industry’s leading award ceremony Monday after a microphone fell on the strings of the piano that accompanied her.

“I cried pretty much all day yesterday,” the English singer told US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres in an interview taped Wednesday.

Adele, who is known for her tear-jerker ballads, said she likely “would have cried if it went really well as well,” but conceded the performance went badly.

“I was embarrassed. I woke up the next morning to people in England being like, ‘We still love you, don’t worry.’

“And I said, ‘I didn’t ask if you still loved me, but thanks.’”

“I’m always a bit pitchy anyways,” she said to laughter. “It’s emotion. When I’m flat and I’m sharp, I’m just emotional.”

Adele previously made light of the incident on Twitter, saying she had taken solace by having a burger.

She also had a beer, she volunteered in the interview broadcast Thursday.

Rapper Kanye West has raised eyebrows by complaining of his personal debt but his business sense has paid dividends for one key partner — the Tidal streaming service.

The company, which struggled after a flashy relaunch last year led by rap mogul Jay Z, has witnessed a surge of interest since West on Sunday released his latest album, “The Life of Pablo,” exclusively on Tidal.

On the first day Tidal soared 20 places to become the most downloaded music app in the United States, according to App Annie, which tracks the data.

It remained in top place in the music category on Thursday and was number five among all apps, topping Facebook.

Tidal — in which West, Madonna and other stars are partners — said in September that it had reached one million subscribers, a fraction of the base of rivals, and has not given further updates.

Tidal has sought to challenge the dominance of Spotify in the fast-growing sector by offering higher-end audio, video content and exclusives from artists.

But at $19.99 a month, it is twice as expensive as Spotify — which also offers a free tier — and fellow upstart Apple Music.

Rihanna on Thursday delayed the start of a world tour days after the R&B star missed the Grammys, citing an illness that affected her voice.

The first scheduled show on Rihanna’s “Anti” tour is now March 12 in Jacksonville, Florida, according to her website and notices from venues.

Rihanna had previously been due to open the tour on February 26 in San Diego, but has postponed eight shows.

The singer abruptly canceled a performance on Monday at the Grammys, the music industry’s top awards.

Her representative said at the time that the Barbados-born singer had fallen ill and was under doctor’s orders to rest her vocal cords to avoid permanent damage.

A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Rihanna is scheduled to end the tour on August 12 in Zurich.

The Barbados-born singer toured extensively in 2013 and then briefly the following year with Eminem, but had since kept a lower profile.

She returned to the scene last month with “Anti,” her first full-length album since 2012.