St. Lucia             
St. Lucia EP
Neon Gold/Columbia
Street: 03.06
St. Lucia = New Order + Chicane
Virtual one-man band and Johannesburg native Jean-Philip Grobler’s joyous self-titled EP is something of a small marvel. Following a relatively simple formula of classic beats, infectious melody and a positive vibe presently missing on most radio these days, he has crafted a group of six tracks that are both pleasant and refreshingly memorable. There isn’t a bad song here, including “The Old House Is Gone,” with its nice disco-y vibe and “Before The Dive,” where he sounds like he’s channeling happier-era New Order. Even his ballads “All Eyes On You” and “Paper Heart” stick to the formula, which just goes to show what a big difference it is having an element of positivity to one’s sound; it can make it pleasant, listenable and perhaps most important, lasting and memorable. The ’80s-sounding “Closer Than This” hints at the promise of a storming full-length, presently rumored for fall. –Dean O Hillis

Standard Fare
Out of Sight, Out of Town
Bar/None Records
Street: 12.12.11
Standard Fare = Vivian Girls + Los Campesinos
Alas, I tend to find Brit indie pop highly saturated and rarely unique enough to hold my attention, Standard Fare being a prime example of this. While there is nothing bad about their catchy hooks and rambunctious sound, there is nothing especially captivating about it, either. These cats made it to SXSW in 2010 and have managed to stand out amongst a sea of similar artists; however, I can’t seem to figure out what makes them so deserving. Perhaps it’s the vocals by Emma Kupa, which are a tiny bit Nico-esque and yeah, pretty fucking cute, but nothing I haven’t heard a billion times before. The best tracks of the album have a jamboree feel and have violin, such as ''05 11 07.'' Out of Sight, Out of Town is objectively solid, but not my cup of tea as far as originality goes. –Kia McGinnis

Terry Malts
Killing Time
Slumberland
Street: 02.21
Terry Malts = Ramones + Blank Dogs + (Devo - synthesizers)
A definite crush on Joey Ramone shines through with this release’s vocals, but Killing Time definitely has its charm. “Something About You” is a cute little ditty of an opener that recounts that little itch at the back of your mind when you get a little crush. Killing Time bounces along with straightforward rock beats up through “Waiting Room,” which exhibits drawn-out singing over staccato chords with lilting sets of lyrics that follow. The real downfall of this album, though, is that the songs don’t stand out from each other. Three-chord punk rock is all well and good, but the reverbed-out choruses with only one vocalist who employs the same types of stresses over indiscernible power chords makes the release bleed together. Terry Malts would benefit from having a high-voiced female share the vocals to enhance the sense of “chainsaw pop” that Terry Malts is going for—but, for what it is, Killing Time is solid. –Alexander Ortega

T.Q.D.
Taketh Away
Background Noise
Street: 01.27
T.Q.D. = Blueprint + Roch + Pigeon John + Eyedea
The Quiet Dude lives up to his name on his third solo release. The beats are often contemplative and dusty—string and drum affairs made to be played under rain and bad weather. The mood of the lyrics is the same: a frank examination of personal vulnerability and tough decisions. Over it all, this emcee maintains an almost shy delivery, astute in his rhyme and rhythm, but without some of the vamping, hollering and ego-padding of many others. This works both for and against him. On depressing, quiet songs, he’s reminiscent of Atmosphere, with a certain gritty emotional quality, but on more upbeat jams, I wish he had some of Slug’s battle-ready, “fuck you” mentality. High notes include the amazing beats on “Belonging” and “Grown Man,” which each feature excellent verses as well. This is good stuff, but I think T.Q.D. needs a little more to really set himself apart. –Rio Connelly

Various Artists
We are the Works in Progress
Asa Wa Kuru
Street: 02.07
We Are The Works In Progress = hipper than the hippest of all hip Fabric series
We Are the Works in Progress is a collection of artists from disparate disciplines whose contributions to this Blonde Redhead-curated benefit compilation for Japanese tsunami relief sounds incredibly cohesive. This is quite possibly the hippest album that will come out this year. We Are the Works in Progress contains unreleased material from Four Tet, Pantha Du Prince, Nosaj Thing, Deerhunter and a posthumous Broadcast song. It also contains tracks by revered minimalist giants Terry Riley and John Roberts. 2011 breakout artist John Maus’ contribution, “Castles in the Grave,” is particularly stunning. While all the artists find common ground in minimalism, it is the collaborations, however, that steal the show. While a Liars/Blonde Redhead and Ryuichi Sakamoto/David Sylvain (Japan) combo sound anachronistic on paper, they work surprisingly well. Cop this, support a worthy cause and be treated to an hour and a half of unrelenting bliss. –Ryan Hall