Unleashing a persona that's part barroom romantic, part serial killer, Greg Dulli's Twilight Singers  project has now eclipsed his Nineties soul-grunge outfit Afghan Whigs. On the group's fifth record,  arrangements vary — dissonant strings, thrift-store drum machines, wah-wah guitar — but never the sense of menace, even when girl voices (Ani DiFranco, Petra Haden) hover like lost spirits. "Gunshots, baby/let's cut through the crowd," Dulli croons at one point over sniping guitar, like Satan taking a date to an assassination. Whatever the scenario, you know everyone will regret it in the morning. And yet no  one can resist. Even at this late date, that's pretty much what rock is all about.

Listen to "On the Corner"

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“Ambling Alp”

The "Ambling Alp" was the nickname of the six-and-a-half-foot-tall Primo Carnera. Though the song is named after the Italian-born 1930s heavyweight champion, Yeasayer are actually paying tribute to boxing legend Joe Louis with this first-person psychedelic dance-rock tune. “I was always interested in writing a song that had boxing mythology in it,” Yeasayer’s Chris Keating said. “It’s pretty fascinating: There were so many amazing characters, and it was so closely entwined with 20th century history.” Yeaseyer also invokes German champ Max Schmeling and hints at the historical significance placed on the historic bouts between the Nazi-era boxer and the African-American Louis.