Harlem may have named their second album Hippies not only because they like to go against the grain, or because they sound like 60s rock, but because they appear to be having the time of their lives with not a care in the world.

Sydney's young psychedelic foursome Cassette Kids have been picked to tour with Lily Allen, the Tings Tings and New Young Pony Club, so it's no surprise they follow the same formula of very catchy, danceable pop.

This is the follow-up to the Oxford hip-shakers and knee-jerkers' accomplished but sometimes hard-going debut, Antidotes, from 2008.

By Jack Johnson's standards his fifth album begins wildly. The catchy intro to opening song and first single You And Your Heart is a slightly dissonant, almost raw, guitar strum.

How do you craft a chart-topping pop album these days? The short, and easiest answer is, don't bother.

Violinist Anthony Marwood leads us into the world of Smetana on the Florestan Trio's new disc of Czech Trios.

Rebuilding the Temple.

The title of this fifth album by the Brooklyn five-piece is a loose tribute to the late US guitar outfit Husker Du

The hand-drawn imagery is on Woods' fifth album is spot on.

Tingling your hairs, then tickling your feet, Monae's energetic combination of musical genres urges you to clap your hands.

Now this is more like it from fitful British soul singer, beat boxer, and rogue music-maker Jamie Lidell.

Known for producing blues-rock as thick as drummer Patrick Carney's glasses, Ohio-based duo The Black Keys has over the years tossed its tunes in everything from garage-rock to hip-hop.

As he proved on his two previous albums, this immensely quiffed sharp-suited Bostonian risks getting beaten by his own schtick.

Soul singer and Muscle Shoals veteran LaVette has enjoyed a revival recently: her 2005 album I've Got My Own Hell to Raise.

The Dead Weather do what they do best on Sea of Cowards.

Having stepped out of the shadow of the Wallflowers, Jakob Dylan increasingly occupies an almost MOR singer-songwriter world in terms of melody.

Sometimes people play down their talent so their peers think they are cooler.

It was Auckland's Arch Hill Recordings that became the flagbearer for much of indie rock in New Zealand through the 2000s.