The commercial success of these records would have been all but unimaginable a year and a half ago; their synthy, burbling tones and unconventional female vocalists would have made radio–and consumers–run for cover. But bolstered by the novelty-minded KROQ in Los Angeles, these discs are at the forefront of the new-music assault. And if this is the revolution, give me Pat Benatar.

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Missing Persons is a band of highly skilled musicians who clearly like to jam more than they like to write hooks. They also like to recreate the sounds of harried, pressure-filled modern life, which they do really well. Rhyme and Reason, the group's second album, is full of odd sounds: a piercing noise that resembles a smoke alarm, lush washes of foghornlike notes, nerve-racking jazz rhythms. But...