Mike Katzif
-
Since the mid-'90s, Imperial Teen has been known for its blend of garage-rock, new-wave and shimmering pop-punk. "Do It Better" follows that formula to perfection.
-
Harris' croon sounds restrained, yet the soul-baring mood fits with the straightforward atmosphere. Though it's built around little more than a stripped-down guitar, the song seems fully realized.
-
After stints as a member of The Dambuilders and Those Bastard Souls, Joan Wasser is finally attracting attention with her own spellbinding voice front and center.
-
The band's tripped-out music is as mysterious as its members' bizarre personas. Recording under strange monikers, they use old keyboards to craft a psychedelic electronic mixture.
-
Youthful angst, romantic insecurity and naive innocence pervade the music of Bay Area singer-songwriter Jason Quever, who disguises the weighty themes of songs like "Unavailable" in lush delicacy.
-
The Woody Guthrie-esque lament "Cardboard Avenue" pushes the influences together to create a new style that's distinctively Cooder.
-
With a sound that's part '70s art-rock and part '60s California chamber-pop, The Montreal collective members draw from the Brian Wilson school of arranging.
-
Collaborators Dan Bejar, Spencer Krug and Carey Mercer are each seasoned and inventive songwriters who inspire eager anticipation.
-
Adam Baker's hushed voice and muted acoustic guitar both help to maintain a back-to-nature vibe, but soon enough, the North Carolina band's pastoral mood turns to surreal instrumentation.
-
Best known as a member of the Stars and Broken Social Scene, Millan draws on themes of love and loneliness, and gives in to her country whims with her own take on the whiskey-drenched confessional.