Albums

The Grails
Deep Politics
(Temporary Residence)

SOUNDS LIKE: Fairly standard issue post rock.

Dyer
Out Like a Light
(Indie)

SOUNDS LIKE: A promising collection of dreamy pop tunes from this Toronto duo.

Black Lips
Arabia Mountain
(Vice Records)

SOUNDS LIKE: The Atlanta "flower punks" came through working with superstar producer Mark Ronson with their sound intact.

Of Montreal
False Priest
(Polyvinyl)

SOUNDS LIKE:This album is out of this world – and man is it fun out there.

David Picco
S/T
(Indie)

SOUNDS LIKE:Subdued folk and country from ex-Newfoundlander and member of Jetset Motel.

Janelle Monae
The Archandroid
(Warner Music)

SOUNDS LIKE: High-octane production value fuelling a fantastic concept driven by a soul-inspired songstress.

The Sheepdogs
The Sheepdogs' Big Stand
(Indie)

SOUNDS LIKE: Classic Rock makes a comeback.

Braids
Native Speaker
(Flemish Eye)

SOUNDS LIKE: An ethereal haze with musical interjections - Native Speaker exists in a fever dream state, surrounded by a haze of reverb and punctuated with tribal drumming, clean, bright guitar tracks and pixie-sweet vocals.

Hello Bella
Echoes of The Atmosphere
(Indie)

SOUNDS LIKE: It may be radio-friendly pop rock but it's very well played radio-friendly pop-rock

The Two Koreas
Science Island
(Unfamiliar Records/Last Gang)

SOUNDS LIKE: A collection of songs that straddle the line between raw garage rock and art punk.

Mother Mother
Eureka
(Last Gang Records)

SOUNDS LIKE: Exactly what Wikipedia labels them: Indie Rock, but with emphasis on the rock.

Tanya Davis
Clocks and Hearts Keep Going
(Indie)

SOUNDS LIKE: In a word: Sparse. In more words: Melancholy, understated grace.

Hauschka
Foreign Landscapes
(FatCat Records)

SOUNDS LIKE: Place, space and deeply personal meaning are all expressed in Foreign Landscapes via an orchestral nod to minimalism and the mid-century avant garde.

Bilan
Ar/Agua
(Independent)

SOUNDS LIKE: A wide mixture of influences that adds up to a deeply personal and original debut.

No Joy
Ghost Blonde
(Mexican Summer)

SOUNDS LIKE: Another lo-fi girl-fronted band that's saved by a shoegaze vibe.

DVAS
Society
(Upper Class Recordings/EMI)

SOUNDS LIKE: A few good tracks do not a good album make.

Jake and the Leprechauns
At Midnight, The Birdsong
(Landlocked Records)

SOUNDS LIKE: A well-crafted collection of tunes from a talented group of multi-instrumentalists.

The Mercy Now
Self Control
(Indie)

SOUNDS LIKE: Balls out rock and roll.

The Telepathic Butterflies
Wow and Flutter
(Rainbow Quartz)

SOUNDS LIKE: The record isn’t broken but it’s been playing the same song for a while now…

Daniel Romano
Workin' For the Music Man
(You've Changed)

SOUNDS LIKE: A whiskey-soaked country mixtape of cool.