On their third studio album, Crossing The Rubicon, the Sounds have, at last, evolved theirs, building upon and honing—at times even discarding—their lip-glossy punk-pop, flirting with beat-driven synth-dance.

The Lemonheads’ covers album—sampling from acts as diverse as Gram Parsons and Christina Aguilera—will finally see the light of day just in time for the seasonal pucker-stand rush.

Recognizing that la vie Parisienne might jeopardize his reign as the gray, existential conscience of modern Blighty, our beloved Jarvis Cocker has negotiated his new geography by journeying into Anglo-Teutonic territory.

What do you get when you pair a Philly-based DJ with a penchant for dinosaurs and a British producer whose pseudonym was once changed from Solid Groove to Switch?

Had it been mere narrative, It’s Frightening might be little more than Poe manqué—each song a tale steeped in mystery, suspense and somber reflection. Instead, the sophomore record from Brooklyn’s indie half-dozen delivers a polished cinematic sound, probing the depths of melodrama that made their debut effort a striking success.

Maybe it’s because their songs owe a great debt to the Stone Roses and Frank Zappa, or perhaps it’s because all five of them have long, messy hair, but Amazing Baby, the Brooklyn-based heirs apparent to MGMT, have been pigeonholed as “drugged-out nudist hippies”—even before the release of their debut album.

The debut album from Oregon’s Hockey delivers a hat trick of electro-infused dance, pop and disco.

Amanda Blank’s dirty, sex-charged solo debut is predictable electro-rap brilliance. Tracks from the Spank Rock protégé range from the album’s rapid-fire opener “Make It Take It” (a sonic lovechild of Santigold and Toni Basil) to the bass-heavy “Make-Up,” which dips into trance territory.

Tiny Vipers’ second album begins with a question: “Do you recall when the world was still young?” When absorbing the gossamer innocence of Seattle-based singer-songwriter Jesy Fortino, the answer is yes, yes we do.

Releasing his grip on Sweden’s soulless fascination with electro-pop monotony, multi-instrumentalist Andreas Kleerup leans instead on house beats, heavy string accompaniment and a gaggle of female Scandinavian compatriots (Robyn and Lykke Li, among others).