Camera Obscura

Glasgow twee-pop band Camera Obscura is not all sunshine and cupcakes; their bright, wall-of-sound music tends to conceal deep loneliness and heartbreak, and they've named Leonard Cohen as one of the biggest influences for My Maudlin Career. Still, these breakup songs are truly lovely, and fans benefit greatly from Camera Obscura's ability to look on the bright side.

For fans of: Belle and Sebastian + The Ronettes + The Boy Least Likely To

Phoenix

French pop band Phoenix has a new album coming out this summer, and to hold us all over until May 25, they've curated this fantastic compilation for Kitsuné's new Tabloid series. The tracklist really speaks for itself: songs from Kiss, Elvis Costello, Dusty Springfield, Dirty Projectors, The Impressions, Lou Reed and D'Angelo all show up here to make any flavor of music lover swoon.

For fans of: Phoenix + Dirty Projectors + Lou Reed

Metric

The fourth album from Toronto new wave quartet Metric is their biggest bid for pop success yet. "We got stadium love," Emily Haines sings, and almost every song on Fantasies sounds like it's fit for a crowd of 30,000, brandishing nonstop hooks and soaring neon synths. "This isn't the breakthrough album that nobody expected," says the magazine No Ripcord, "this is precisely the album everyone was waiting for from Metric."

For fans of: Yeah Yeah Yeahs + Garbage + stellastarr*

The Horrors

After the brief success of their dark, brooding debut, many were quick to write off NME-hyped post-punkers The Horrors, and almost nobody expected a follow-up like this. Produced by director Chris Cunningham and Portishead's Geoff Barrow, Primary Colours is a stunningly focused wave of gothic drone and driving krautrock intensity; Drowned In Sound says it's "a reminder that young British bands can actually progress to brilliant new heights."

For fans of: The Cure + Joy Division + The Hives

Floating Action

Chapel Hill musician Seth Kauffman, a labelmate of Dr. Dog and collaborator with Band of Horses' Tyler Ramsey, is a one-man powerhouse of soul, blues, funk and folk who now goes by Floating Action. Kauffman plays every instrument on this album, infusing the songs with North Carolina spirit and what Daytrotter calls "classic, soul staples of deep and penetrating bass lines, simple but ideal and perfect lyrics about the troubles of love and jingling guitars."

For fans of: Dr. Dog + Delta Spirit + Department of Eagles

Kush Arora

San Francisco deejay Kush Arora combines Punjabi music and futuristic dancehall for what he calls "Dread Bass." He's recently played shows with dub heavyweights like Thievery Corporation, The Bug, Flying Lotus and Bassnectar, and has a VIP list of guest emcees on The Dread Bass Chronicles including Warrior Queen and MC Zulu. Witness the fitness of the dub revolution.

For fans of: Ghislain Poirier + The Bug + Roots Manuva

Jason Shannon

Minneapolis musician Jason Shannon sings his heart out on his debut release, backed by violin, saxophone, and soulful guitars. Songs on this album tell stories about wandering men, greed gone wild, and devils dressed as preachers, with "ample amounts of trouble and heartache, powerful vocals and spirituality dressed with a Southern gothic flair" (Performing Songwriter). Grab a complimentary download of the first track!

For fans of: Ray Lamontagne + Eddie Vedder + Train

The High Strung

Recently featured on NPR's upcoming-artist podcast Second Stage, The High Strung make rough, eager pop rock. Ode to the Inverse of the Dude was produced by David Newfeld (Broken Social Scene, Los Campesinos!, Super Furry Animals), and gives off the loose, feel-good spirit that must be necessary for a band that plays 300 shows a year.

For fans of: Los Campesinos! + Destroyer + Sam Champion

The Silent Years

To commemorate their signing to SideCho Records, Detroit's The Silent Years have released the Let Go EP, on the heels of an album that Metromix New York called "expansive pop existentialism." Look out for them in 2009, as they embark on tour dates with Jukebox the Ghost and plan to release their next full-length by the end of the year.

For fans of: Rogue Wave + Jukebox the Ghost + Clap Your Hands Say Yeah