Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, 'Xenophanes' (Rodriguez-Lopez Productions)

Mars Volta mad scientist edits his experiments.

At this point, a new Omar Rodríguez-López album sounds about as thrilling as a Law & Order rerun: Excluding Mars Volta recordings, Xenophanes is his 11th release since 2007. But there's reason to take notice this time, as the album relegates the guitarist's often-tedious sonic experiments to mere interludes.

Dashboard Confessional, 'Alter the Ending' (Vagrant/Interscope)

King of emo-folk pain embraces two-state solution.

All Chris Carrabba’s albums as heartthrob-in-chief of Dashboard Confessional have been about tension, primarily romantic: He can't help comparing his current love to the idealized version in his pretty little head. But an aesthetic battle also rages within Carrabba, one pitting Dashboard's solo-acoustic roots against the frontman's desire to move arenas with the intensity of his emotion.

Julian Casablancas, 'Phrazes for the Young' (RCA)

New York's grooviest rocker spiffs up his sound.

In the eight years since the Strokes instigated savior-speak with the gutter-glam classic Is This It, Manhattan has been nanny-stated into bland fashionability, the quintet's hipster status has gradually declined, and its rhythm guitarist, drummer, and bassist have all beaten singer Julian Casablancas to recording solo albums. "Last Nite" was a long time ago.

Weezer, 'Raditude' (Geffen)

Rock's most maddeningly hummable practical joke continues.

After listening to Weezer's seventh release, you may want to describe frontman Rivers Cuomo with one word: demented.

Shakira, 'She Wolf' (Epic)

Latin pop mami down for whatever, wherever.

"I want us thinking outside the box," Shakira tells a lover on her third English-language studio disc.