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Naked Giants &bull; <i>The Shadow</i>

Naked Giants • The Shadow

Sometimes you just need a pounding beat and a shout-along chorus, and this is something Naked Giants truly excel at, throwing in plenty of inventive twists and turns to keep the whole thing from collapsing into a steaming pile of riffs.

Pokey Lafarge &bull; <i>In the Blossom of their Shade</i>

Pokey Lafarge • In the Blossom of their Shade

If the name didn’t give it away, this is suitable for slow-dancing cowboys, at least as they exist in our imagination. The crooning voice floats lithely over western swing and doo-wop influences to make you either start or stop howling at the moon.

Los Lobos &bull; <i>Native Sons</i>

Los Lobos • Native Sons

The cover album is trite and cliché by now, but when the kings of Los Angeles release a tribute to the music scene that made them who they are, it’s definitely worth a listen, as both a rock show and a history lesson on what made LA sound that way.

Round Eye &bull; <i>Culture Shock Treatment</i>

Round Eye • Culture Shock Treatment

Imagine a heavy punk-core assault, one with a bad attitude, weird experimental asides, an unhinged vocalist, and a rhythm section suitable for pulverizing concrete. How do you take it to the next level? Add a saxophone.