Peter Wolf Crier - Inter-Be

Bon Iver’s success hasn’t exactly inspired a run on the Eau Claire scene, but people are definitely paying more attention to it – and to bands like Peter Wolf crier. Peter Pisano and Brian Moen started their basement folk duo in Wisconsin and now, based in Minneapolis, they have released Inter-Be, a fuzzed-out take on roots-rock.

Qua – Q&A

Hamilton isn’t exactly known for his electronic scene, yet we’ve spawned Caribou, the Junior Boys and many others. So if you wanted an easy reference, you might call Qua (aka Cornel Wilczek) the Caribou of Melbourne, Australia – a town with a scene outsiders are only starting to hear about.

Blk Jks – Zol!

Whoever put together the World Cup’s entertainment probably thought putting “Africa’s Best New Band” behind Alicia Keys sounded sensible. One wonders if that person had actually heard the band, though – given the progressive, edgy nature of South Africa’s Blk Jks. Their recent EP, Zol!

Fol Chen – Part II: The New December

Annoying “mysteriousness” aside (really, the whole “we’re mysterious and no one knows who we really are” thing is tired), Fol Chen seem like they’re on to a good thing. Their dense, arty weirdo-pop has a lot going for it if you’re interesting in deconstructing alt pop and rebuilding it with slightly different blueprints. Unfortunately, they do a few things wrong in the reconstruction.

Frog Eyes – Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph

Frog Eyes could be a quirky, squiggly-sounding indie rock band but for the vocals of Carey Mercer, whose ranting evokes an insane and mildly demonic David Bowie and lends a quality to the music that can only be described as “creepy.” Yet Frog Eyes’ creepiness has always been one of their strong points; while you’d never call a Frog Eyes album “catchy” you can almost always call it “compelling.”

Eluvium – Similes

For the first few moments, everything seems as it always was. Eluvium’s aural swooshes gently lapping against your eardrums, ambient synth sounds carrying you…what? Is that…singing? Yes, for fans of Matthew Cooper’s work, it’s odd to hear the musician open his mouth to sing.

Mono – Holy Ground: NYC Live with the Wordless Music Orchestra

Rock musicians and orchestras together at last – to some it sounds like a fine idea. Others cringe. Metallica botched it; critics are split on Peter Gabriel’s attempt at it. Mono, on the other hand, couldn’t screw it up if they tried.

jj - no 3

If a sleepy Ryuichi Sakamoto teamed up with a mellow Natasha Khan, the results might vaguely resemble “My Life,” the lead-in track on Swedish duo jj’s newest. The album is relentlessly languid and soft without being brittle or fey. With the exception of the voice of Elin – a voice that sounds blessed out on equal parts Quaaludes and Ecstasy - everything about no 3. sounds intentionally muted.

Yeasayer - Odd Blood

The intersecting percussion lines, swishy keys, staccato piano rhythms, the dense production through which arrangements poke out at the listener unexpectedly – it’s not what you might expect from Yeasayer. It’s more what you might expect from Animal Collective, whose music Odd Blood conjures at times – but what’s ultimately arresting about Odd Blood, however, is that it also conjures Erasure.

Young Rival - ST

Garage rock needs no revival; bands like The Cynics and the Gruesomes have always carried its torch, so it never truly disappeared in the first place. Then again, outside of a select few, no one knows who The Cynics or The Gruesomes are. Will Hamilton's Young Rival, the latest signing to Sonic Unyon, fare any better? There's a chance.

The Slew - 100%

It’s not often that the DJ and rock worlds collide in an explosive way; But 100% is the outcome of such an impact. The Slew is the creative brainchild of celebrated Canadian turntablist Kid Koala, who later recruited guitarist Dynomite D and the former rhythm section of the Australian band Wolfmother for help.

Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be

Devendra Banhart has a peculiar name; His style is no different. Described as everything from freak folk to New Weird America (as coined by music magazine The Wire), Banhart has been making waves in the underground indie scene. His strength relies on his ability to craft interesting folksy songs while blending just the right amount of pop weirdness—as demonstrated on his newest release.

Diablo Swing Orchestra - No. 2

From the opening, something’s off about the Diablo Swing Orchestra. Oh, they swing all right…but they’re using metal riffs to do it. Metal riffs, alongside horns, operatic vocals, elements of tango and other music that does not usually include distortion pedals…all can be found on this sometimes-gimmicky, always-unusual sophomore release.

Lake - Let’s Build a Roof

Anything stamped with a K is likely to be a/ something related to Calvin Johnson b/ oddly child-like and cute or c / the reason critics overuse words like “twee” and “fey.” That’s not to say there isn’t some fantastic stuff on Cal’s little label. Witness Lake. Let’s Build A Roof is only slightly guilty of b/, though some might argue c/.

Blk Jcks - After Robots

Why are people referring to Blk Jcks as the African TV on the Radio? Clearly, they’re the African Mars Volta…okayl, to be honest and fair, neither are true. Both, however, are properly evocative of the South African group’s sound. They the former’s alternative-flavoured genre-bending, and plenty of the latter’s progressive rock freak-outs.

Maserati - Passages

Fans of Georgia psyche-rockers Maserati may be the only ones who want to pony up the pennies for this latest release. That’s not because Passages is bad album, but because this rarities collection is not even truly all that rare. Collected here are tracks from the band’s split EP with Zombi, as well as some remixes and one new number.

Kings of Convenience's Declaration of Dependence

“What we build is bigger than the sum of two,” sings the Norwegian duo, Kings of Convenience, on their newest release. This lyric rings true as the music, though sparse at times, feels lush with emotional minimalism. By invoking the harmonies reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel with sounds of the surf à la Jason Mraz, Declaration of Dependence is a volume of subdued yet alluring pop music.

Noah And The Whale

We fall in love. Break up. Then move on. Or in the case of Charlie Fink, lead singer of Noah and the Whale, you write an album eulogizing the entire affair. The First Days of Spring envelops the listener into songs of heartbreak, hopelessness, relapse and finally renewal.

Monsters of Folk

Super groups have always been cause for excitement, and this one is no exception. Monsters of Folk (members of Bright Eyes, and My Morning Jacket) debut self-titled album is a mix of Americana and folk rock. Dabbling in Dylan-esque outlaw imagery and alluding to the music of Paul Simon and Wilco, Monsters of Folk manage to convey some real heart.

Electroluminescent - Measures

If you've seen Electroluminescent live, you know what kind of fascination it can hold. Ryan Ferguson moves from instrument to instrument, looping layering guitars, drums, keys and noise, shaping

Swan Lake - Enemy Mine

The opener on Swan Lake's debut, "Spanish Gold, 2044," sounds as though David Bowie and Hawksley Workman got drunk listening to Purple Rain.

Akron/Family – Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free

If you were led to the Akron/Family by one song, you might be perplexed. One spin of the album opener “Everyone is Guilty” would lead you to expect a crazily percussive modern indie-psyche band who’d spent an awful lot of time rifling through ‘70s LPs. A spin of “The Alps & Their Orange Evergreen,” however, might lead you to expect the next Fleet Foxes.

The Ghost Is Dancing - Battles On

The Ghost is Dancing once overran stages with ten-odd members and twenty-odd ideas per song. For all the enthusiasm, however, the songs always seemed to come up short; the sound was good, but the songs were unmemorable. Not so now. Battles On is the Toronto group's latest, markedly superior release on Sonic Unyon.

Dinosaur Jr. – Farm

The reunion of J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph – collectively known as Dinosaur Jr. – could have been a horrible mistake. Their first attempt, “Beyond,” allayed most fears. “Farm” not only allays the rest, but takes it up several notches. It’s almost astounding to hear songwriting this good at this stage in the band’s career.

Bishop Allen – Grrr...

Bishop Allen released an EP every month for a year, which is the kind of gimmick which – along with a tweeish indie rock sound – will undoubtedly cause blood to curdle like bad milk in the veins of some jaded interweb critics. No, Grrr…breaks no new ground and yes, occasionally they are reminiscent of a thousand other indie rock bands with a shabby but polite pop sound. So what?

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