Devonwho, D33J, Kel, Al Nightlong, Diogenes, Absolute Madman

(Vermillion) See Data Breaker.

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Lorn, Dolour, Omega Clash, Ill Cosby

(Chop Suey) See Data Breaker.

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Chairlift, Nite Jewel, Bell

(Crocodile) Brooklyn's Chairlift—vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly—are another one of those girl/boy duos that make restrained, moody electronic-tinged pop that pours out of studios itching to grace youth-oriented movie soundtracks and/or TV shows. Their latest album, Something, is slightly more energetic and texturally detailed than 2008's Does You Inspire You, but it still sounds like a major-label exec's idea of "what the kids want"—more slick than siiick. Nite Jewel (LA's Ramona Gonzalez) works in similar territory, but her songs, while not gritty, sound less polished and written-by-committee than Chairlift's. Albums like Good Evening and Am I Real? could be, bluntly speaking, Kate Bush goes chillwave, but the new One Second of Love is the not-unexpected stab at accessibility, as Gonzalez asserts more trad pop-diva mannerisms and classy lunges at love balladry, like a female analogue of late-period Bryan Ferry. DAVE SEGAL

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fIREHOSE, Tera Melos, Daniel G. Harmann & the Trouble Starts

(Neumos) These days, one shouldn't be surprised by any band reunion. But did anyone anticipate the return of fIREHOSE? Doubtful. But here we are in 2012, feeling faint flutters of contentment over the chance to lock ears once again to Mike Watt and George Hurley's post-Minutemen rebound band, formed with rabid Ohio fanboy, singer/guitarist Ed Crawford. Of course, fIREHOSE never lived up to Minutemen's innovative political/personal poetry and jagged post-punk funk and jazz maneuvers, but they did issue a couple of solid, scrappy college-rock platters: Ragin', Full On (1986) and If'n (1987). Watt and Hurley are such riveting performers, they're a damn pleasure to witness in any configuration, even—especially?—when they're "Relatin' Dudes to Jazz." DAVE SEGAL

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Cults, Spectrals, Mrs. Magician

(Neptune) There's nothing supremely "cult-y" about Cults—nothing religiously motivated, they don't wear Heaven's Gate–style Nike tennis shoes or seem to exhibit any obvious abnormal behavior. What's remarkable about the young, gorgeously raven-haired twosome is how fast people drank their Kool-Aid. They'd been together less than a year when they posted a handful of songs, including the wildly popular, sweet-as-candy pop song "Go Outside" on Bandcamp, and suddenly Columbia Records was knocking on their door. Cults' self-titled debut is pure sugar, and beautifully so, due to singer Madeline Follin's preteen sounding voice. There's an attempt to salt it with a few recorded samples of vintage rants by Charlie Manson, Jim Jones, and Patty Hearst—but it's still just a nonthreatening and dreamy girl-group-sounding affair. KELLY O

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Reignwolf, Antique Scream, Bad Love Sessions

(Comet) There's been a lot of buzz about new Seattle transplant and former Canuck Jordan Cook, aka Reignwolf. He usually performs one-man-band style, with much sweating and energetic antics, using just his guitar and a kick drum. At first, when trying to visualize someone who's no stranger to guitar solos, my own brain conjures up goofy images of Yngwie Malmsteen and/or Randy Rhoads. But after watching performances online, including a recent video of him at SXSW, Cook's real-deal guitar abilities overshadow the inherent goofiness of watching someone perform a seemingly endless noodling solo. More Jimi Hendrix than Stevie Ray Vaughan, Cook is fascinating to watch. He'll release a new Reignwolf single at a KEXP Audioasis in-studio, before he tries to blow the socks off the Comet. KELLY O

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