The tracks are truly hidden gems, kept from mass appraisal via DIY distribution methods in the '80s, home-recorded cassettes and vinyl. Vasicka and Peanut Butter Wolf's efforts here revive and catalog some truly infectious would-be synth classics.

Hot Chip has written an album that touches the many feelings on the spectrum of love, while staying true to the humorous and entertaining musical idiosyncrasies that the band has enlisted for the better part of a decade.

This is a fun, ambitious collection of songs that offers just as many snazzy aesthetic pleasures as it does dorm-room philosophy sessions.

Those looking for simple, safe rock probably won't like The Plot Against Common Sense. But if you want to think while you thrash, give this one a spin.

So this is the real Temper Trap: less fuzz, more grit.

This isn't a joyful album, but it's inviting and almost welcoming in ways that might surprise people who primarily associate the band with the alienating onstage antics of giant frontman Angus Andrew.

In the end, Oh No brings life back to Moore and his Dolemite legacy.

Working again with her loyal producer Richard Swift, they master what many think is impossible and maybe even contradictory; they create a serious and intellectual pop album.

If you're not paying attention, it becomes tough to tell if you've been listening to one really long song or three separate ones.

The result is a smoother, more mature sound that varies with each song evoking hints of soul, funk, old-school hip-hop and some dance music for fun.

The overall feeling of the record is dark, but tracks like "Hector" and "Blank Maps" offer a bit of light.

With this second solid Ladyhawke winner, she proves you can make them sing.

Kimbra's voice is strong, her beats are catchy, and after listening to the full 55-minute album, you're not quite sure what just happened, but you know you kind of liked it.

Despite the brainy, composer-like attention to detail and El-P's complicated lyrics, this is still music imbued with a bracing sense of physicality. It's great stomping music.

Despite its party-hard attitude, Natural History has a thoughtful, searching soul.

Palladino and Church may drown their sorrows in a pool of gloomy effects, but they still make even the most heartbreaking sentiments sound sweet.

It may have taken three years for Go! Pop! Bang! to see the light, but fortunately, in Rye Rye's case, she has only gotten better with age.

The unpredictable mix incites some strange transitions, occasionally cutting off promising grooves to the album's detriment ("Groundskeeper Rag," especially, peaks prematurely). But what Family Perfume lacks in momentum it makes up for in brevity.

A very pleasurable, punk-inspired listen. This is no-nonsense, fast-flying garage rock.

An unequivocally excellent record that never bores. If you've yet to explore this strangely intoxicating genre of music, I would suggest Sidi Toure's latest album as a perfect starting point: accessible enough for immediate appreciation, yet complex enough for repeat listens.

OFF! is like a perfectly executed kickflip: over before you know it, but immensely satisfying.

If the Big Sleep intended a record of 10 tracks designed explicitly to get listeners pumped, then the band can call these experiments a roaring success.

An album that, musically, strikes a gorgeous balance between restraint and cosmic expansion, but vocally suffers from just too much control.

Some might listen to Fear Fun and hear a man feeling sorry for himself, but with melodies so sweet and sentiments so comically self-loathing, this album won't suffocate you with sadness.

Despite the lack of direct emotional content in the shrouded lyrics, the music has an ache to it, a yearning that suggests a desire to connect but an inability to make a connection.

The energy levels provided by the quick guitar riffs vary per song, but Cheap Time manages to provide a heavy dose of pure punk dirtiness.

Many of the songs on Aloha Moon hint at '80s soft rock, with their delicate guitar and drumming, while still providing a contemporary dream-like quality.

Harmonicraft isn't just the best Torche release: It's a contender for one of the best loud rock releases of the year.