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The Irish-raised, Bristol-based sister duo of Colette and Hannah Thurlow offer up an entrancing debut album of dark, brooding indie-rock reminiscent of LA’s Warpaint, with a bleak, atmospheric sound featuring churning, effects-laden guitars, ominous rhythms and haunting vocals. 5/24/2012 -Don Yates

This Brooklyn-via-San Francisco trio’s second full-length is an impressive set of ‘80s-influenced electro-pop incorporating elements of Balearic house, trance, ‘90s R&B and more on impeccably crafted songs with warm, bright-sounding synths, tropical percussion, a variety of funky dance beats, smooth, yearning vocals and blissed-out, summery melodies. 5/24/2012 -Don Yates

The veteran underground Brooklyn producer/rapper is having a busy year – not only producing the acclaimed new album from Outkast associate Killer Mike, but also releasing his first proper studio album since 2007’s I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead. It’s a fierce, blistering set of adventurous, densely produced hip hop with cold, robotic synths, treated guitars, industrial noise and booming, layered 808 beats accompanying his rapid-fire delivery and dark, dread-filled lyrics of creeping totalitarianism and technology run amok. 5/24/2012 -Don Yates

The first album in 11 years from the Georgia-raised, Chicago-based vocalist is an emotionally powerful, beautifully crafted blend of soul, torch-pop, country and roots-rock, with accompaniment by an impressive supporting cast (legendary keyboardist Booker T. Jones, veteran soul drummer James Gadson, Dap-Kings bassist/engineer/songwriter Gabriel Roth and Chicago multi-instrumentalist Scott Ligon). While the album closes with a searing Charlie Rich cover and Hogan herself contributed album standout “Golden,” the rest of the songs were written for this album by some of Hogan’s many talented friends and associates, including Andrew Bird, Robyn Hitchcock, Jon Langford, M. Ward, the late Vic Chesnutt, Stephin Merritt, Robbie Fulks and other musical luminaries. The songs are a uniformly stellar bunch and Hogan sings them like the great, artfully subtle and deeply soulful interpreter that she is. 5/24/2012 -Don Yates

The legendary British band led by John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten of Sex Pistols fame) is back with their first album in 20 years. It’s a surprisingly strong set of the band’s dark and dubby post-punk, with shards of electric guitar, deep, throbbing bass lines and propulsive, disco-influenced drums accompanying Lydon’s quavering vocals and acidic lyrics. 5/24/2012 -Don Yates

The Icelandic band’s sixth studio album (and first in four years) finds them returning to the glacially slow, mostly instrumental ambient-rock epics of their earlier records, but with a much less dynamic and more subdued overall sound. With the exception of “Varuo,” the powerful crescendos of those earlier records are mostly absent here. That said, a few songs here are as moving as their best work, combining stately piano, celestial synths, sweeping orchestration, angelic wordless harmonies and Jonsi’s soaring falsetto into tranquil hymns of pure beauty. 5/24/2012 -Don Yates

While this acclaimed singer-songwriter has lived in Portland for the past couple years, he recently moved away and is now living as a troubadour on the road with his band. His latest album is another spirited set of rootsy indie-pop with a raw, energetic sound combining elements of folk, soul, country, ‘50s pop ballads and other vintage styles with often-raucous roots-rock. 5/24/2012 -Don Yates

Since recording his 2008 debut album Was Dead, this LA-via-Vermont rocker has played with Happy Birthday, Witch and Feathers. He’s now back with his second solo album, and it’s a fun set of catchy garage-pop blending elements of ‘70s glam-rock, ‘60s beach-pop, ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll and other vintage styles into fuzzy, hook-filled pop gems with buzzing guitar riffs, nasal vocals and summery melodies. 5/17/2012 -Don Yates

The second album from this Georgia-raised, New York-based singer is another masterful set of old-school soul steeped in classic '60s sounds, from pop-friendly Motown to gritty Stax/Volt, with punchy horns, greasy organ, chunky guitars, tight rhythms and Shaw's fiery, gospel-influenced vocals reminiscent of Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye. 5/17/2012 -Don Yates

Emerging over the past couple years as a hot remixer and blossoming producer, UK's James Jacob (aka Jakwob) is offering us this mixtape to whet appetites for his forthcoming debut album and it's a nice introduction into his vibrant, bass-heavy, post-dubstep/2-step-leaning style. Reminiscent at times of SBTRKT's recent breakthrough debut album, The Prize finds Jakwob collaborating with diverse vocalists for some stellar, cutting-edge, crossover-ready electronic/pop singles. Free download via http://www.jakwob.com. 5/17/2012 -Alex

The sixth solo album from the Old 97’s frontman is his most rootsy solo release and also one of his best. With Miller producing his own record for the first time and using his solo road band The Serial Lady Killers, the album has a warm, intimate sound with acoustic and electric guitars, pedal steel, occasional piano and female harmony vocals from Rachel Yamagata, Heather Robb or Rosanne Cash fleshing out Miller’s smartly crafted songs. 5/17/2012 -Don Yates

Formerly the solo project of Seattle's Adriano, Blooper has now evolved into a trio for their second EP. It's an impressive set of buzzing, hook-filled power-pop with well-crafted songs featuring a hazy, lo-fi sound comprised of fuzzy guitars, energetic rhythms, occasional handclaps, strong vocals and sparkling pop melodies. 5/17/2012 -Don Yates

This Nigerian group’s music was a fiery, hard-hitting blend of Afro-Beat and rock, with a raw, gritty sound combining funky rhythms, searing electric guitars and organ, traditional African percussion and strong lead vocals and harmonies. This excellent compilation of 18 songs from 1973-77 collects their early Nigerian singles along with selections from the two albums they recorded after relocating to London. 5/17/2012 -Don Yates

This Seattle-based singer-songwriter (and former band-mate of Sufjan Stevens) toughens up her sound and lyrical perspective on her third solo album with help from a stellar supporting cast of mostly Northwest musicians. Seattle guitarist Jeff Fielder plays a particularly prominent role, and his gritty, bluesy guitar work along with the muscular rhythms provided by Jason Gray and James McAlister help bring a welcome earthiness and directness to some of her most emotionally hard-hitting (and occasionally politically charged) songs to date. 5/17/2012 -Don Yates

The second album from the Seattle duo of Rik Rude and P Smoov (who’s also in Mad Rad) is another smooth and smartly crafted set of hip hop incorporating elements of electro, jazz, R&B and other styles. Both Michigan natives, the duo split the recording of the album between Seattle and P Smoov’s old hometown of Niles, Michigan, and both their current and former homes play a prominent role in the album’s songs of hard times, temptation and triumphs. It’s a fun yet substantial set with synth-driven tracks featuring a variety of funky beats and occasional horns and other instrumentation accompanying the duo’s colorful and sometimes poignant rhymes. 5/17/2012 -Don Yates

This Brooklyn-based duo’s second album is an impressive set of dark, goth-tinged dream-pop featuring bleak, but emotionally powerful songs with densely layered arrangements comprised of rumbling, atmospheric guitar noise, stately piano, martial rhythms, brooding, lovelorn lyrics and Aleksa Palladino’s haunting vocals. 5/17/2012 -Don Yates

While this Atlanta rapper (and longtime Outkast associate) has released a string of stellar albums blending gritty street smarts and class-conscious politics, his sixth album sounds like his strongest to date. Produced by Brooklyn's El-P, the album's booming, aggressive sound hearkens back to the classic '80s hip hop productions of Rick Rubin and Public Enemy's Bomb Squad, with crunchy, buzzing synths, monster bass and banging beats accompanying Killer Mike's ferocious, acrobatic flow and clear-eyed rhymes. 5/17/2012 -Don Yates

This New York band continues to mature beautifully on their sixth album, an impeccably crafted set of widescreen indie-rock combining the anthemic power of classic U2 with occasional echoes of '50s doo wop, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers and other vintage signifiers of early rock & roll at its most warm-hearted. Produced in Seattle by Phil Ek, the album has a lush, warm and muscular sound featuring ringing electric guitars and strummed acoustics, glimmering organ and Hamilton Leithauser's now-gentler Dylanesque croon on big, open-hearted songs with gorgeous melodies and lyrics brimming with optimism, though occasionally undercut with some darkness. Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold contributes backing vocals to a few songs. 5/17/2012 -Don Yates

The debut album from London-via-Ontario singer-songwriter Al Spx is a powerful, emotionally moving set of gospel-steeped folk-pop with a dark, hushed sound featuring muted guitars and solemn piano along with occasional strings, horns and choral backing singers accompanying her velvety, deeply soulful vocals and spiritually brooding lyrics. 5/11/2012 -Don Yates

This Sydney, Australia band debuts with a remarkable album of catchy, lo-fi garage-rock with a trebly, ‘60s-steeped sound blending elements of power pop, girl groups, early Beatles, surf and other classic styles with jangly/fuzzy guitars and energetic rhythms, highlighted by rock-solid songwriting, and most of all, the powerhouse soulful singing of the band’s vocalist Shogun, whose grainy vocals recall greats like Sam Cooke, Faces-era Rod Stewart and early Stevie Winwood. 5/11/2012 -Don Yates