It niggles a bit. Here it is, 13 years into a new century, and Sigur Rós, one of the most revolutionary forces of the aural cause are, well, releasing an…album. OK, perhaps it was too much to hope that they would transcend all banal notions of the music-go-round by, say, founding their own religion or nation state. That said, the curious dichotomy of Sigur Rós has been that their life-altering live performances often seemed more akin to the ZOSO mysticism of Led Zeppelin than the enveloping enigma of their own recorded output. So that Kveikur opener “Brennisteinn” sounds for everything like Jimmy Page’s fantasy of My Bloody Valentine, and is then followed by the Eastern, Physical Graffiti...

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There are essentially two components enmeshed to form Evil Friends—the melodies that Portugal. The Man wrote and performed, and the ambience that Danger Mouse cultivated through his production. Clear overlap exists between the two, and though each party’s mannerisms are distinct, DM’s influence is readily apparent. Friends finds P.TM exploring territory both familiar and foreign, with DM mostly borrowing from his regular stable of production techniques, reliable though they are. Garage-punk sneer, colossal balladic crescendos and unabashed pop appear side-by-side amidst a prevailing sense of optimistic confidence. Each track sounds crisp and full, but some appear a bit stiff in their...

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Surfer Blood frontman John Paul Pitts made headlines last year when he was arrested on domestic battery charges following a confrontation with his then-girlfriend. The conflicting emotions surrounding that fateful night seem to have settled like a heavy cloud over the lyrics on Surfer Blood’s second album—and major label debut—Pythons. Despite this dark lyrical shift, the group is still aping sunny surf-rock and collegiate-pop tropes. The best examples of that bittersweet mood are the screamo-tinged firebrands “Demon Dance” and “Weird Shapes.” Both highlight a youthful group trying to kick against the restrictive genre box they’ve found themselves encased within. These instances also give...

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Rogue Wave move onwards and upwards. The Oakland band have experienced more than their fair share of life’s adversities through health issues and death. In spite of trials that would throw anyone off course, the band, including original members Zach Rogue and Pat Spurgeon, have gotten right back on track for album number five. Enlisting the expertise of producer John Congleton (David Byrne & St. Vincent, Explosions in the Sky), the group headed into Cotati’s Prairie Sun Recording Studios just north of Rogue Wave’s Bay Area home base and crafted Nightingale Floors. Encapsulating the steadfast nature of these songs in the very first seconds, “No Magnatone” begins the album with a strong...

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It’s hard not to think of Eleanor Friedberger as a friend. The most approachable member of Fiery Furnaces, her sophomore solo release Personal Record follows in her 2011 debut’s footsteps; songs sprinkled with intimate fragments of the singer’s life. However, Friedberger has managed to pull a neat trick: even when decorated with specific details (“She was wearing a pair of overalls/So I sang ‘Come On Eileen’”), songs cut straight to the universal emotion behind the action. Has the term “zeitgeistwave” been invented yet? A poster child for all things 1970s, Friedberger’s obsession with the decade colors the album with a breezy charm. “Stare at the Sun” benefits from the aesthetic, a tune...

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Four whole years have passed since Camera Obscura graced listeners with My Maudlin Career. After working with Grammy-nominated producer Tucker Martine, the Glaswegian quintet have readied Desire Lines, the fifth full-length in their maudlin catalog. If the title wasn’t a clue, it only takes seconds to hear that this record doesn’t stray from the ebb and flow of romance, a storyline and soundtrack that the group has mastered over the years. But it isn’t business as usual, either; these songs sound grander without losing their quaintness and some tread unfamiliar ground—“Do It Again” is driven by frenetic guitars and “Every Weekday” gets tropical. Those listening closely might pick up...

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Multi-instrumentalist and producer Robin Hannibal first garnered attention with his pop-leaning Quadron project with vocalist Coco Maja Hastrup Karshøj. But earlier this year, his sensual R & B side project Rhye expanded his culture cache even more. Quadron’s Avalanche is hard to disregard for different reasons. Whereas Rhye’s lush debut Woman was slightly discreet, Quadron’s sophomore record is an intoxicating cocktail of electro-dance, funk and R & B, tailor-made to be imbibed again and again. Karshøj’s singing is dynamic and fragile in equal fashion. She commands a horn-led melody on “Favorite Star” and tiptoes alongside a strutting electronic bass on “It’s Gonna Get You.” The record’s...

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Snowden’s 2010 Slow Soft Syrup EP offered consistent evidence of sole composer Jordan Jeffares’ intuitive talent at crafting delicate and steadily progressing build-ups that manage to retain an intimate personality through vocals and effective minimalism. No One In Control includes that EP’s five songs, but introduces six additional with a heavy load of synth-infused instrumentation and backnoise. While a common and probably inevitable occurrence, some fans may find the stark and solid sincerity of Snowden’s bedroom origins sadly absent.

Long Beach’s Tijuana Panthers have a knack for making the up-and-coming generation feel nostalgic for a time they’ve only experienced through film, photos and stories told by their grandparents—a romanticized time where the Venice boardwalk was the ideal image of Southern California. And the fact that kids now are growing up tweeting and texting, the idea of nostalgia may seem foreign, especially if one has never visited the Golden State. So, Tijuana Panthers instilling such a feeling with their music is no easy feat. The group’s latest release, Semi-Sweet, is a continuation of their love of California and their affinity for surf-punk. Garage burners like “Tony’s Song” and “Push Over”...

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There is a drop in the pond, the ripples rolling out ceaselessly. Was it the wind or the pluck of a guitar? These are the kinds of obtuse images that decorate Silver Wilkinson, the elusive and ambient record from experimental British producer Bibio (real name: Stephen Wilkinson). Rather than his electro roots, the record is bubbling brooks and acoustic guitars. The first half of Silver Wilkinson runs like a pretty, multi-tracked Bon Iver record but then it turns very odd very fast. “You” is a jerky cut-up of heavy samples, “Mirror All” is all bleeps and synths; somehow they’re butted up against the sweet guitars of “You Won’t Remember.” Early songs like “The First of Daffodils” hit some...

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