Without further ado, let’s get to the tunes:

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

Four years since the last Foo Fighters record, Dave Grohl and company are back with one of their best albums yet. Wasting Light reunites Grohl with Butch Vig, who also produced a little known album called Nevermind from Grohl’s obscure pre-Foo Fighters band, Nirvana. But this is now, and Foo Fighters keep pushing forward. Wasting Light has all the hooks and catchy melodies you’d expect from Grohl, and rocks as hard as any other Foo Fighters album. You can also hear a little influence drawn from the margins of modern music, some jaunty guitar lines and syncopated rhythms. The album remains accessible, but those eccentric moments keep Wasting Light from slipping into the predictable patterns of radio rock.

Red Fang - Murder the Mountains

Badassery is in full effect on the second album from Red Fang. Murder the Mountains finds the Oregon band back at it, blasting out classic rock-influenced heavy metal with an emphasis on the heavy. The album, produced by The Decemberists’ Chris Funk, is about as stripped down and dirty as it gets. No frills here, just straight up rock without any of the standard music biz posturing or fashion.

Oh No Oh My - People Problems

These Austin, Texas indie rockers have a sweet touch, and a knack for building their songs into memorable gems. The vocal melodies are supported by lush instrumentation, usually with the acoustic guitar at the forefront and keys providing an extra layer over the support of bass and drums. On People Problems, Oh No Oh My move from alt-folk to emotive rock that hints at lo-fi roots, delivering can’t miss tracks all the while.

Dolorean - The Unfazed

The new album from these country-rockers is perfect for a rainy day. The songs on The Unfazed are wistful and melancholic, but soothing in their softness for all that. Dolorean’s warbling organ, jangling guitar, and unforgettable vocal melodies stick, whether moving through the record’s more energetic moments or digging into something downbeat. Highly recommended.

The Warriors - See How You Are

California hardcore outfit The Warriors are back with a crushing album of scream-along anthems. The riffs on See How You Are are punishing, even when they borrow some rock influence. In fact, that slight commercial element serves The Warriors well here, implanting their super pissed-off tracks directly into listener’s heads without compromising an inch of their heavy, pummeling style.

Horseback – The Gorgon Tongue

We’ve left this one for last because it’s definitely not for everyone. Horseback’s The Gorgon Tongue is a collection of experimental missives from the musical outlands. Atmospheric, brooding, and harsh at times, there’s not much here you could call “song,” but for those ready to dig in, The Gorgon Tongue is a rewarding journey. Fair warning - Horseback doesn’t make sunny day music. That said, when those strange moods strike you, The Gorgon Tongue will make the ideal soundtrack for your bewildering despair. Yippee!

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