The Band: Celeste
The Buzz: Grim, grinding French metal band releases latest album for free, giving unlimited darkness and doom to all.
Listen If: You consider Dillinger Escape Plan “soft rock.”
Key Track: “Que Des Yeux Vides et Seches,” a knot of razor-wire guitars and seared-larynx vocals, the sound of an elevator ride to the underworld.

The Band: Jean on Jean
The Buzz: The inverse of Celeste: sweet, soft, female-fronted pop that blend shoegaze vocals with starry-eyed strumming.
Listen If: You’re excited about the return of lo-fi, but wish some of the melodies were a bit stronger and a lot warmer.
Key Track: “Cold Horse,” which sounds like it was rescued from the dusty archives of forgotten dreampoppers Lush.

The Band: La Roux
The Buzz: Dance dance revolution! Big beats and bright synths make for perky, catchy electropop.
Listen If: You’re DJing a dance night in Berlin and you’ve run out of MGMT remixes
Key Track: “In for the Kill,” where breathy female vocals float over morse code synths like cotton balls over a bed of nails.