Herzog
Paul Blart and the Death of Art (Transparent)
Take that title at face value: the delightfully named Herzog (who we dearly hope will go on tour with Kinski) singles out Paul Blart: Mall Cop as the nadir of modern cinema, setting its screed to a Pavement-esque slacker squall.

Fuck Buttons
Olympians (ATP)
Last week, we featured a song by Holy Fuck in this column, and if you think we’re trying to curry favour with pubescent boys by repeatedly dropping the F-bomb, you’re right. Also, this is a nice bit of sweeping instrumental synth-pomp.

Dum Dum Girls
Bhang Bhang, I’m a Burnout (Sub Pop)
Remember 1984, when the mulleted teens who congregated at the Stardust roller rink in Surrey were known colloquially as the Whalley Burnouts? They would hate this garage-pop charmer as much as they loved Mí¶tley Crí¼e.

Civil Twilight
What You Want (Wind-Up)
Nashville-based trio of South Africans takes a third-hand, U2-via-Coldplay approach to epic rock, but an off-the-rails wah-wah guitar solo and a seriously in-the-pocket rhythm section make the Bono-isms more than tolerable.

The Bird and the Bee
Rich Girl (EMI)
Just when you thought Hall & Oates was the uncoolest band this side of Huey Lewis & the News, the Bird and the Bee actually make them sound hip. Not to mention sexy, in a meek and mild kind of way.

The Tallest Man on Earth
King of Spain (Dead Oceans)
On paper, it’s a mess only the United Nations could love: a Swede (Kristian Matsson) who sounds like a crazy American (Bob Dylan), singing about the King of Spain (umm, Julio Iglesias?). But trust us, it works.

Dr. Dog
Shadow People (Epitaph)
Like a high-school freshman, this tune starts off quiet and unsure of itself but blossoms into something that knows how to have fun. Along with cream cheese, it’s a good reason to be thankful for the City of Brotherly Love.

Apollo Ghosts
Coka-Cola Admen (Geographing)
Apollo Ghosts must have been drinking a lot of Coca-Cola when they wrote this funky, upbeat ode to the drink that got its start at the Eagle Drug and Chemical Company. How else do you explain its caffeinated, bubbly sound?

Bonobo
Kong (Ninja Tune)
Waiting for the next DJ Shadow album is getting tedious. Luckily, Britain’s Bonobo picks up the slack with Kong, which blends heavy bass, horns, and samples with an effortless ease. Prepare to trip.

The Whigs
Kill Me Carolyne (ATO)
Some folks are still making straight-up indie rock like the ’90s never ended, and the Whigs, who hail from Athens, Georgia (you were expecting Chapel Hill?), do it particularly well, complete with off-kilter guitars and don’t-give-a-damn vocals.

Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning
Dead End Justice (Atlantic)
Bella Swan and Jane go over to the dark side—more popularly known in the ’70s as juvie—in a Runaways remake that more than matches the spirit of the original from rock ’n’ roll’s first Queens of Noise.