Low-fi brat Nathan Williams' new EP hinges on the chipper single "I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl," a typically concise blast of thick surf-pop guitars, laconically distorted vocals and singsong refrain. The idolatry makes sense: The San Diego native shares Grohl's knack for blending volatile punk and pop hooks. Williams keeps impressive company on this follow-up to last year's sensational King of the Beach: Beth Cosentino of Best Coast sings Pixies-style harmonies on "Nodding Off," and he howls along with Fucked Up on "Destroy," which is full of hardcore screams and little else. Dave Grohl's going to love it.

Listen to "I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl":

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“IRM”

Fashioned to mimic the sound of a magnetic resonance imaging or MRI, "IRM" (the French designation for the brain scan) grew out of Gainsbourg’s love of the sound of the clickety-clack of medical machinery. The IRM album project also marked the fulfillment of two goals for the singer: to document a traumatic experience, and to record an album with Beck. Though her co-creator and producer didn’t necessarily know the details of her water-skiing accident and resulting cerebral hemorrhage (which lead to the IRM of the song's title), he somehow knew how to handle the material. "Beck had a way of guessing what I was thinking and feeling without me telling him," said Gainsbourg. "We never discussed these things explicitly."