Does a band have to sacrifice its intellect for an infectious pop melody? Cayucas attempt to answer that question on this, their debut effort. The brainchild of Zach Yudin, the LA-based outfit show their range on an eight-song collection that features “Cayucos” and “High School Lover,” both tracks that have garnered some radio attention and with good reason: they’re catchy tunes blending electronica seamlessly with breezy pop and perhaps serve as the best reflections of the band’s MO. The non-electronic tracks have a retro, ’60s-era California pop vibe, like the groovy “Will ‘The Thrill’” and the pleasant “A Summer Thing,” both of which would soundtrack an evening beachside campfire...

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The double album Drifters/Love Is the Devil is Alex Zhang Hungtai’s cathartic response to 2011’s cinematic Badlands. The somber man behind the Dirty Beaches moniker, Hungtai has mastered the shadowed soundscape. You can almost see the cigarette smoke hanging in the air with the leather jacket bravado of “I Dream In Neon.” His growl is the centerpiece of the records, traveling to the very baritone depths paved by Jim Morrison with a gasping immediacy accentuated on tracks including “Casino Lisboa” and “Aurevoir mon visage” (translation: “Farewell, my face”). Both sides of the album act as mirror images of torment. Drifters rattles with verbalized unsettlement of transience, punctuated by...

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The opening and title track of the debut by LA-based DJ and production team Classixx is an elegant, spaced-out disco romp that swims and swirls around a melodic refrain lifted from the Sandy Stewart–penned 1987 Fleetwood Mac single “Seven Wonders.” It’s a perfect liftoff for Hanging Gardens because just like the Mac’s seminal Tango in the Night, the album is slated for release just in time for summer and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more shimmering or sunnier pool party soundtrack. Lead single “Holding On” is an irresistible keyboard-driven dance floor igniter that’ll most certainly be oozing out of iPods on beaches east to west. Featuring vocal cameos from Nancy Whang of LCD...

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In essence, core songwriting can rightly elevate a record, with an equal power to decimate. Pale Green Ghosts, the second solo album by John Grant (formerly of The Czars) is an interesting case study in that it’s the type of hit-or-miss record experiencing gentrification, with prime architecture neighboring decrepit lots-by-default. Ultimately, the filet of the block facilitates the ’hood’s population, but it’s a shame that Grant wasn’t more meticulous in his tracklist editing. The star here is clearly the creator’s voice, suitably palatable to represent a name like John Grant, but possessed of a healthy ego. The supporting cast pits synth-fueled backdrops against piano ballads. All is...

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