Who: Five twitchy post-punk (pink) flag-bearers from sleepy Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

Sounds Like: The Shackeltons provide a stout combination of clean, straight-lined production and cacophonous bursts of sound on their self-titled debut. Their blasts of angst, which are equal parts danceable bliss and seering noise, are held together by the jittery, literate lyrical musings of frontman Mark Redding.

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Who: Garage-rock trio White Denim, an Austin outfit whose frontman, James Petralli, nearly followed his family into a career in professional baseball, but turned to rock when he got busted for too much partying.

Sounds Like: On their loud and raw EP Let's Talk About It, which was written and recorded in a 1940s Spartan trailer, the band combines the Stooges' raw power, Hendrix's psychedelic flourishes and the White Stripes' stripped-down blues rock.

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Who: British singer-songwriter Kate Walsh, whose homemade album Tim's House rocketed to the top of the U.K. iTunes chart thanks to the success of her single "Talk of the Town." Now, she's conquering America the old fashioned way: by infiltrating the soundtrack of a Grey's Anatomy spin-off.

Sounds Like: The acoustic Tim's House finds Walsh strumming ideal-for-late-night-listening classics in the style of Joni Mitchell and the calmer side of Fleetwood Mac. The home-recorded, do-it-yourself feel of the album is being praised as quite charming.

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Who: Vancouver quintet Black Mountain, a band of psychedelic hard rockers who have already garnered buzz on the strength of their 2005 eponymous debut and high-profile gigs like their stint opening for Coldplay.

Sounds Like: A high-voltage mix of Black Sabbath riffs, Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett-era psychedelic sensiblity and the Flaming Lips' eccentricity. On their sophomore album In the Future, the band embraces their lava lamp-worshipping side, balancing stoner-rock opuses with ambient harmonies. "It's heaviness mixed with fragility," says frontman Stephen McBean. Case in point: the eight-minute epic "Tyrants," which bounces from the softer moments of Black Sabbath's Masters of Reality to the crunching guitars of Black Flag's Damaged.

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Many of our past Breaking artists are suddenly heading out on tour. To see if French dance duo Justice, Chicago rappers the Cool Kids, Portland folkers Blitzen Trapper or Baltimore raver Dan Deacon is coming to a small club near you, keep reading:

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Who: Bodies of Water, a Los Angeles quartet comprised of two men and two women who, after successful tours with The Go! Team and Breaking alum Holy Fuck, are looking to recruit you into their choir.

Sounds Like: The Arcade Fire as composed by Ennio Morricone. The band funnels roots rock, soaring gospel, the Mamas & the Papas-style harmonies and Spaghetti Western themes into an uplifting, California-baked package. Despite their foursome status, the band pack a Polyphonic Spree-sized wallop on their debut album Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink, as singer-songwriter David Metcalf (along with his wife, Meredith) lead a battalion of blaring horns and strings.

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