Hard to believe that not too long ago, some people were writing off the Walkmen. After some recent misfires, many wondered if the Walkmen could recapture the brilliance of 2004’s Bows & Arrows. Well, with You & Me, they have done just that. This is a spectacular return to form for this great New York City band, the driving guitars, the churning organ sounds, the energetic but understated drumming once again delivered to spectacular effect. Hamilton Leithauser gruff delivery continues to draw from Dylan, but he’s a compelling lead singer. With its spacious, driving and urgent songwriting, You & Me is a must-have record in a year that needs more of them. (Joe)

Finally, the long-awaited full-length debut from local faves Ra Ra Riot. The Rhumb Line is a sheer triumph, with wonderful hooks and melodies spanning 10 tight songs in a little over 35 minutes. The band’s travails are well-known by now; its drummer, John Ryan Pike, drowned last year, and that loss is a major theme of the album. But The Rhumb Line is no maudlin affair; the somber words are matched with bouncy tracks, such as the fiery opener, “Ghost Under Rocks.” The song deals candidly with Pike’s death but the music soars with a guitar-and-strings arrangement interlocking with some ferocious drumming. “Dying Is Fine” continues in this vein, but humor is thrown into the mix. Lead singer Wesley Miles has a bit of Morrissey in his delivery, and the band rocks in a style that will remind some of Vampire Weekend, but make no mistake: this is a startlingly bold and original pop record, its candid depictions of death and loss balanced with some affirmations of life that inspire as well as entertain.

After spending the summer playing in Europe and the U.K., Lykke Li, a lithe 22-year-old Swede with a voice that falls somewhere in between Bjork and Feist, is coming to the U.S. this fall, and the buzz, which has been building steadily, is that she’s going to take us by storm. After listening to her debut album, Youth Novels, you’ll understand why – it’s hard not fall in love with songs like “I’m Good I’m Gone” and “Dance Dance Dance,” whose delicate beginnings build into undeniably catchy choruses that will have you humming for days. “Trumpet in My Head” is a short, surprisingly soulful number, and “My Love” is lush and full of melodic twists of turns. Produced by fellow Stockholm native Björn Yttling (of Peter, Björn and John), who also cowrote the songs, Youth Novels is clever fun from a distinctive new talent and will no doubt be topping numerous Best of 2008 lists, but do yourself a favor and don’t wait until then to check it out. (Wendy)

Stereolab has been releasing some of the most forward-thinking records for the last 20 years, and Chemical Chords is no exception. Instead of moving further into the lounge-jazz territory they’ve perfected into an art form over the past few records, Chemical Chords finds the group going back to basics, delivering a catchy record of baroque pop. Teaming up once again with producer Sean O’Hagan, the band brings an energetic playfulness to Chemical Chords we haven’t heard from them since Dots & Loops. Highlights include the organ-drenched “Valley Hi!” and the blistering “Pop Molecule,” which finds them the loudest they’ve been since the fuzz-filled days of Peng, “Neon Beanbag” and “Self-Portrait with Electric Bag.” The short pop tunes found here also bring to mind the early Switched On singles compilations. It’s a rare treat when a record can sound so nostalgic and experimental at the same time. Highly recommended for longtime Stereolab fans and anyone interested in the construction/deconstruction of pop music. (Christopher)

A clever and delightful record, Moody Motorcycle is the debut from Human Highway, featuring singer-songwriter Jim Guthrie and Nick Thornburn (Islands, Unicorns). The two have remarkable chemistry, their voices meshing beautifully in wonderful doo-wop harmonies reminiscent of the Everly Brothers, but they add some nice psychedelic touches, giving the album an edgier feel. People might be drawn to the album because of Thornburn’s connection, but there’s none of the zaniness of Islands (or Unicorns) here; it’s a more subtle affair, with little instrumentation and the focus on their majestic harmonies. And the fact that these two Canadians named their band after a Neil Young movie only makes them more endearing. And dig that cover! (James)

This is an album of chiaroscuro, of bright moments of joy intertwined with deep shadows cast by past losses. We hear the solo format in which she always used to work on “Valley Road ‘86.” Her old Liz Phair influence pops up on one track, “Xmas Party.” But mostly we hear an entirely individual voice, both sonically and lyrically, as accompanied by a band that, especially on the harrowing “Landmine,” enhances her musical vision. Jennifer O’Connor’s all-enveloping, richly textured music and profoundly moving lyrics make her one of the best singer-songwriters of our time. (Steve)

Following the instrumental beauty of 2006’s Snowing Windy Peaches, Dykeritz returns with what may be the best symphonic pop record of the year. Dykeritz is the flagship of Jordan Blum, a Portland-born songwriter who has been putting out beautifully twisted pop music since the turn of the decade. Rearrangerologyistics mixes off center symphonic pop a la Flaming Lips with a bit of Big Star thrown in for good measure. An eclectic mix to be sure but Rearrangerolyistics more than makes it work. Dykeritz also draws influence from the famed Elephant 6 collective, and had it come out 10 years ago this album would fit right alongside Olivia Tremor Control’s Black Foliage. That’s not to say Dykeritz hasn’t created a truly original album; one listen to the majestic “George Washington” or the superb closer “Big Drapes” will attest to that. Certainly one of the most pleasant surprises of the year, Rearrangerologyists also makes one quite excited for what is to come next. (Christopher)

Very impressive – the debut from Apse, originally released in 2006 and now out on ATP, is a smoldering, brooding record, nominally in the post-rock vein with its long, mostly instrumental tracks, but there’s a refreshing diversity to the sounds here, with some scorching polyrhythms and nice touches of psych, prog and neo-classical. The sound is heavy but never overwhelmingly so, and the album is infused with a haunting loveliness throughout, whether it’s the guitar work on “From the North,” the melodic choruses in “Legions” or the tribal percussion work of “The Crowned” and “Ark,” conjuring a dark, mysterious world that envelops with repeated listenings. Fans of Bardo Pond, Mogwai, Liars and Tortoise will eat this one up. Recommended! (James)

One of the many pleasures of the recent Gas compilation is that it’s bringing new fans to Kompakt, the Cologne-based electronic label that has been churning out great music for 15 years now. Every summer the label bestows upon us its glorious Total series, and this year’s two-CD, three-LP set is its best offering in years. Why the improvement? A little more diversity. The ninth installment gives the usual fare of minimal techno and ambient, but repetition never sets in. Take DJ Koze’s brilliant “Zouzou.” It’s electronica all right, but with steel drums, tinkling keys and hypnotic rhythms, it’s like nothing the genre serves up these days. Then there’s Matias Aguayo’s “Minimal,” a misleading title if there ever was one, with its feral beats and pop choruses. Totally fresh and new stuff for Kompakt. Dance, disco, new wave, techno, ambience, it’s all here in one beautiful package, featuring an all-star lineup of Kompakt artists: Supermayer, Thomas Fehlmann, Jörg Burger, Jürgen Paape, Justus Köhncke and much more. (James)

Three pieces total are contained on this album from New York-based composer Jason Cady: “Plastic Flowers,” the oldest, dates back to the time of his ensemble Jason Cady and the Artificials, while “Odi et Amo,” the longest of the three, brings together interweaving piano and vibraphone along with swirling electronics. The piece that gives the album its title is a one-act opera in which one vocalist, with the aid of a vocoder, alternates a pair of roles. It’s occasionally jarring to hear conversational sections translated into a much more formal structure. The conceptual underpinnings behind these pieces are interesting, and one can find both intellectual and melodic stimulation throughout—sometimes in tandem, sometimes not. (Toby)

(Jason Cady brings his Quiet Noise series to Sound Fix this Sunday, Aug. 24, at 7pm.)

These local musos serve up some fine fuzzed-out, lo-fi DIY pop with a little warped Americana thrown in the mix – think Modest Mouse teaming up with Califone in someone’s basement in … 1994. To their credit the band’s sound cannot be pinned down. They trade in hazy psychedelia on some tracks, add some R&B punch an another and then plop down some good old-timey slide guitars. Most important, the band isn’t afraid to give us hooks. Keep an eye out for these guys.