Earlier this year, Tom Morello's Nightwatchman released Union Town, an EP inspired by last winter's protests against Scott Walker, Wisconsin's right-wing governor. Walker is now polling lower than genital warts, but Morello's still swinging: "Save the hammer for the Man," he advises on his newest, which includes Rage-style agit-metal and a folk rocker where Iraq soldiers take out their commanders. But Guthrie-esque romanticism bumps up against uncertainty: On "God Help Us All," he sings, "We're wanderin' with no future and no hope," well aware there are harder winters to come.

Listen to "Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine":

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“Time to Pretend”

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”