The Band: I Was a King
The Buzz: Norwegian power-poppers paint tie-dye melodies over cacophonous guitars.
Listen If: You like Sloan and Teenage Fanclub, but wish they were a bit rougher around the edges.
Key Track: The psych-pop masterpiece "Weighing Anchor," full of weird, heat-warped vocals.
The Band: Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship
The Buzz: The aggro sound of late-'90s indie rock makes a welcome return: primal rhythms, shouted vocals and tense, taut guitar lines.
Listen If: You mourned the passing of Touch & Go not two weeks ago, but when the Jesus Lizard broke up.
Key Track: "Constructing Deconstruction," a three-minute fever dream where guitars claw and drums bludgeon mercilessly.
The Band: Shout Out Out Out
The Buzz: Canadian techno band keeps it old-school and minimal, writing Kraftwerky songs full of cascading keyboards and morose vocals.
Listen If: You ever composed music on your Commodore 64, or you wish you had.
Key Track: "Bad Choices," with its blinking LED synths and occasional odd shrieks and hollers, is the sound of outer space brought down to Earth.
