Montréal-based DJ and electronic wizard Michael Silver (stage name CFCF) was once primarily associated with his remix work on tracks by the likes of Sally Shapiro, Crystal Castles, Azari & III, and tons of others. Of late, though, he’s been slowly building on his own catalogue of gorgeous, synth-based atmospheric mood music, the best installment of which remains his 2009 full-length debut, Continent

If the cover image on Silversun Pickups’ new album seems alluringly Hitchcockian, leave the lights on when you give the record a spin. The L.A. band has never been a Prozac popper, but the 11 tracks on Neck of the Woodstakes moody to a whole other psychological level—one that moves beyond science to a technological outsmarting.

At first listen, a Violens tune can be hard to grab onto. Bat away layers and layers of silky atmosphere, burrow down to some primordial pop nugget, and it spirals off in an unexpected direction, not taking the frictionless path. It’s heady, with dense production and disparate reference points/intentions that coexist somewhat precariously; they form a house of cards blueprinted by explosive and atmospheric ‘90s shoegaze, chorus-soaked ‘80s pop, and reverbed-out ‘60s psych.

Remember that friend who decided they’d just take a few years off to relax and “enjoy life”? They were fun to be around: they threw some rad parties and knew the number to call to get the dankest weed. The years go by and people moved on, but that old friend is still up to the same shenanigans. Except now it’s getting worrisome.

Beach House isn’t really an “ain’t” kind of band, but the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” piece of folk wisdom runs strongly on Bloom. Despite the album title, the duo picks right up where it left off on 2010’s Teen Dream.

Brian Jonestown Massacre, led by eccentric frontman Anton Newcombe, has gone through a particularly schizophrenic 2000s. Its recorded output has been uneven at best, with decent recordings sitting side-by-side with unlistenable dreck, and with each album it was not sure exactly which Brian Jonestown Massacre would show up.

Kids, let this be a lesson to you: play a great set, and you could end up with friend-of-Radiohead Nigel Godrich producing your third album. Thus was the fate of Here We Go Magic, who landed help from the unofficial sixth member of Radiohead after playing Glastonbury in 2010 and impressing Godrich.

Sean Bonniwell will be best remembered for his stint as the frontman of L.A. garage-rockers the Music Machine, but this 1969 solo album is a folksy singer/songwriter affair, with his soft, lilting croon accompanied by poppy, orchestral flourishes.

Is anyone making babies to Prince’s music these days? With artist-turned-symbol-turned man’s copulation catalogue faded to a kitshy memory (“Hey, remember that time we made out to ‘Little Red Corvette’?” it seems to shout), British producer Adam Bainbridge has thrown his hat into the ring to become the next in R&B royalty.