One wonders if it ever rankles Angelo Badalamenti that so many of his sonic signatures are hung with the sobriquet “Lynchian.” I guess Badalamentian doesn’t roll off the tongue quite the same?

Björk is Björk is Björk: that is to say, even as far back as her salad days fronting avant-punk aliens KUKL, there’s been no mistaking her for anybody else, and no possible way of burying her magnetism and charisma in the mix.

The recent resurgence of interest in the work of electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani is nothing but a good thing, and the Finders Keepers label has played no small role in getting that work back into circulation.

A few years before some provincial Pacific Northwest punks decided that Aerosmith rocked and ruled roughly as much as Black Flag, deigned to commit the scurrilous act of combining those two inputs, and eventually went on to worldwide stardom for said efforts, Seattle had U-Men.

Morrissey sure hasn’t made things easy on us. As he stumbles, gracelessly, deeper into the 21st Century, the Pope of Mope has given his fans more than enough reason to wince each time they click on a news item about the one-time indie king: chances are he’s made an incendiary, ill-thought-out political statement, or has canceled tour dates.

Eight years is a long time to wait between albums, but in the case of Karin Dreijer’s solo project, Fever Ray, it was worth the wait. Half of successful duo The Knife, with brother Olof, and rooted in the same experimental electro pop, Ms. Dreijer’s Fever Ray branches out and explores the darker side of glossy and rhythmic electronic music. Those who liked 2009’s self-titled debut will love Plunge.

Charlotte Gainsbourg sings in both French and English on Rest, her first album in seven years. While the actress and singer previously wrote only in English, intimidated by the superstardom of her late father, French musician Serge Gainsbourg, this linguistic duality brings out haunting layers of mystery on her fifth album.

Cults, the duo of Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin, have made a winning combination of retro synth rock and hazy dream pop since their self-titled debut in 2011. Although releasing only two previous albums, their sound is both familiar and comfortable while only occasionally seeking the adventurous.

“Baby, let the games begin,” chants Taylor Swift on “...Ready For It?” a track of pummelling synths and undoubted ferocity.