Titus Andronicus can never be accused of lacking ambition. They’ve got a name lifted from a Shakespearean tragedy, wrote a concept album about the Civil War, and interviews with frontman Patrick Stickles regularly include book title references that send rock writers skittering to Wikipedia.

Maribou State occupies the no man’s/everyman’s land between electronic and acoustic sounds. Like its compatriots, Metronomy, the duo springs from the English countryside with a similar pastoral feel on its debut album, Portraits.

The Madonna comps were familiar for Little Boots straight out of the gate. On Working Girl, the third LP from the dance-pop songstress, she’s leaning into the comparison more than ever.

While Liars may have declared Drum’s Not Dead way back in 2006, Fox Millions Duo are proving that today it’s alive and kicking.

Rich with endlessly ringing guitars and gleaming hooks, this lithe debut is indebted to the gentler side of ‘70s power pop and ‘80s underground jangle.

Ezra Furman‘s third solo album is about youth, discontentment, and longing. A little scattered and with occasionally mediocre lyrics, it congeals into a fun, extremely varied, and repeatedly listenable album.

Matt Mondanile’s fifth album as Ducktails, St. Catherine, was recorded over an extended period of time around tour dates for Mondanile’s day job as guitarist for Real Estate.

This electronic musician’s debut is best at its extremes—“Don’t Make” is as gentle as “Margarita” and “Seraph” are dramatic and pummeling, respectively.

Zach Burba leads a team of Seattle indie stars (plus an assortment of horn players and backup singers) through a sunny mash-up of pop’s last five decades.