Iron and Wine, 'The Shepherd's Dog' (Sub Pop)

Florida folk rocker's songs, beard grow fuller.

If, as he sings on "Lovesong of the Buzzard," "No one is the savior they would like to be," then Sam Beam has found peace in his trespasses.

Modeselektor, 'Happy Birthday!' (Bpitch Control)

Knob-twiddlers get by with some help from their friends.

Taking their name from a knob on the vintage Roland RE-201 tape-echo machine, the Berlin DJ/production duo of Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary line up a series of ace cameos on their wildly eclectic second album of original material.

Shout Out Louds, 'Our Ill Wills' (Merge)

Swedish pop rockers publish a lyrical tour de force.

"I do remember waking up with a headache in your parents' living room." The soundtrack of your life?

Qui, 'Love's Miracle' (Ipecac)

Noise-rock god returns to earth older, no wiser, a better singer.

Fifteen years ago, the Jesus Lizard were the most explosive live band in underground rock, and David Yow was their manic, often inebriated, and frequently naked frontman. So hearing him come out of retirement with Qui, a noise-prog duo that's been kicking around L.A. since 2000, is a bit like watching Michael Jordan play horse.

Oakley Hall, 'I'll Follow You' (Merge)

Asphalt hillbillies tamper with their inner Carter family.

The close boy-girl harmonies and vintage instruments (banjo, steel, fiddle) shout alt-country purism, but Brooklyn's Oakley Hall don't care about following the party line.

The Weakerthans, 'Reunion Tour' (Anti-)

Canadian smart guys make poetry out of awkwardness.

Every Weakerthans album has moments that provoke cries of "Why aren't these guys huge?" But those are inevitably followed by moments that make it abundantly clear why they're not.

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