It’s best to bring a towel when you go to a Faint show. Because by the end of the night, the dance-punk boys from Omaha will have you dripping with your sweat, plus the sweat of everyone in your vicinity, which, while kind of gross, also indicates a super-fun time. Check it out yourself as the guys released their fifth album (but the first on their on own label blank.wav) Fasciinatiion last year, and are currently on tour with Ladytron. The Faint recently played Webster Hall with Ladytron and Brooklyn newbies Telepathe, and beforehand, lead singer Todd Fink (formerly Todd Baechle) told us about exposing himself with Gwen Stefani and his love for a certain Austrian pop star in our shake-it-‘til-we-break-it Pop Quiz.

Conor Oberst, Conor Oberst (Merge Records). A phone left dangling off the hook. The singe of tequila as it’s washed down with salt. The smell of bonfire smoke as it’s carried away into the night sky. These are the everyday snapshots Conor Oberst conjures on his self-titled fourth solo album, a return to one-man showmanship after 13 years. As he trembles and wavers through drifting laments, his voice defying tone, the Bright Eyes frontman reveals a heart in shards, sparring with Ryan Adams to become the Bob Dylan of our generation. -- Nick Haramis