The Lacking Details

Noisy blunt riff punk from Bordeaux, France, via Oh Sees label Castleface Records. Live, raw, and nearly unintelligible, this album showcases a rare moment in time for this two-piece.

Female-fronted alt-rock with sparkly pop sensibilities that sounds straight out of the ‘90s

Is it possible to overuse the word “swirly” when describing modern psychedelia? Not at all! This paisley-hued collection of dream and drama will transport you to a kaleidoscopic land of… where was I going with this?

Kate Stables is a one-woman tour-de-force, and this John Parrish production brings her talents to the front. Weird time signatures, off-kilter melodies, and quite inventive arrangements.

Alabama native Lee Bains III and three other guys recorded these 17 anthems of southern-fried disillusion live to two-track, and the energy is pegging the needle. It’s not a new sound, but it’s very well done.

Meticulously-crafted arrangements highlighted by male-female harmonies, occasional orchestral instruments, and a wide use of dynamics.

A nice set of New Orleans-style blue funk from this Colombian band on a German label

Bratty bedroom fuzz from an out there Swedish woman, this rocks in a raw way, like someone who wanted to build on the sounds of the Flat Duo Jets, the White Stripes, and the Raveonettes, but didn’t actually need a second person to make it happen.

Whip-smart hooks, electronic frosting, and a sassy female vocalist make for a good combination.

About the only thing I could argue about here is the song selection, and that would be pedantic. If you can fit a flurry of impossible notes into whatever other music you are playing, go for it, you can’t lose with any track.