Wavves frontman Nathan Williams has only been making lo-fi bedroom punk for two years, but he's already generated a career's worth of hype and backlash, especially after his erratic meltdown on stage at the 2009 Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona. Fortunately, the clanging title track proves he's pulled his act together: "King of the Beach" features a big, bratty melody, booming drums and a catchy, lo-fi guitar hook that scrapes like sandpaper. Williams has also retained a true punk-rock sense of defiance: "You're never gonna stop me!" he howls over and over in the chorus. Just try and prove him wrong.

“Youth Knows No Pain”

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”