Xiu Xiu must be the only band on the planet to have successfully released nine full-length albums, a compilation of early materials, and a handful of singles and EPs while simultaneously never finding happiness or fulfillment. Jamie Stewart’s career has moved forward only in that the means by which he attempts suicide have varied. Pills have been replaced by razors; razors have been replaced by nooses. Also replaced is his longtime partner, the lovely, ghostly Caralee McElroy, whose slot has been filled by Angela Seo. The new Xiu Xiu still fits the sharp, eardrum-bursting mold it settled on 10 years ago, but this time a greater sigh of relief, presumably brought on by a greater willingness to be a part of this world, accompanies the full-length.

The LP commences with the gothic post-punk-infused “Gray Death” that will literally scare your pants off. But an unusually wide variety of styles and aesthetics is quickly brought into the fold with “Chocolate Makes You Happy,” a song that treads dangerously close to the sort of industrial dance music bands like Cabaret Voltaire popularized. Several cuts sound like their string arrangements were written in Bizarro World: “House Sparrow” is all pitchy screeches and wails accompanied by an ominous timpani; “Hyunhye’s Theme” is the aural equivalent of a quartet of contortionists; and “Falkland Rd.” is what might be played as we greet the apocalypse. Then, out of nowhere, “Cumberland Gap” appears and we’re spooked again with the world’s creepiest folk ditty, guitars courtesy of Deerhoof’s John Dietrich. Jamie Stewart knows the world will always be contradiction, contention, and contrition, and once again he gracefully (yet hauntingly) provides us with sonic evidence of this.

-Nik Mercer

Partially in an effort to avoid a future trademark lawsuit with Square Enix (the creators of the Final Fantasy video games), but mostly as a gesture of maturation and professionalism, Owen Pallett dropped the name he shared with the Japanese RPG franchise and opted for the one he was born with. Symbolism aside, Heartland is an impressive example of today’s “composed” music, which only looks like classical music due to its assortment of shared instruments. With Heartland, Pallett markedly positions himself to be much more than “the guy who does Arcade Fire’s string arrangements” or “the violinist with the loop pedal.” He is now a composer, a message that is clear from the first song, “Midnight Detectives,” which plays off a swirling staccato violin riff accompanied by courageous and luscious string and horn arrangements.

These bold orchestrations carry through the whole record, augmenting Pallett’s unusually forceful singing wherever he goes, from melancholic ballads like “Red Sun No. 5″ to spine-chilling odysseys like “E Is For Estranged,” a track the man uses to show off his unparalleled compositional muscle. Longtime fans can rest easy knowing that Pallett’s cheekiness is still intact: songs like “Oh Heartland, Up Yours!” remind us of the He Poos Clouds days and storytelling tunes like “Lewis Take Off His Shirt” make us laugh once again. “The Great Elsewhere” and “Flare Gun,” two particularly up-tempo and enthusiastic tracks, prove that composed music doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. Owen Pallett is both one of this decade’s most exciting indie rock names, and quite possibly the savior of classical ensembles. He’s proof that orchestras don’t have to be antiquated, stodgy, and formal.

-Nik Mercer

Hailing from the humid hotbed of Austin, Texas, electro-psych outfit Neon Indian has tapped into a whole new sub-genre of music with their smashing, critically acclaimed debut Psychic Chasms. The brainchild of Mexico-born 21-year-old wunderkind Alan Palomo, Neon Indian explores uncharted sonic realms with jumpy beats, swaying synths, and distorted vocals, resulting in a sound that’s equal parts ’80s videogame background music and psychedelic futurism.  As brainy as it is addictively effervescent, Psychic Chasms is seamless from start to finish. Whether it’s the quirky “Deadbeat Summer” with its lazy, nostalgic harmonies and pouncing beat, the pleasant dissonance of “Should Have Taken Acid With You,” or the mellow, keyboard-heavy title track, Neon Indian is a sonic sure thing.

—Hayley Elisabeth Kaufman

It’s incredibly rare that a reclusive and mysterious musical phenomenon like Memory Tapes should garner so much acclaimed attention at such an accelerated rate. But upon listening to Seek Magic, the sublime debut from New Jersey-based Memory Tapes, it’s pretty easy to see what all the hype is about. At the helm of this much buzzed-about sound is Dayve Hawk, a hermit-like musician/dad, who has mastered the art of trippy electro-pop that is achingly beautiful and sonically visceral. With its loopy beats, ethereal synth tones, and muffled vocals, Memory Tapes could possibly be every other dance hybrid effort, but there’s a certain darkness and depth that keeps Seek Magic from being repetitive—and it only gets better with each consecutive listen.

—Hayley Elisabeth Kaufman