White Magic, 'Dark Stars' (Drag City)

Enchanting mystics still have a spell or two to master.

This New York indie-folk group, built around keyboardist Mira Billotte's keening, haunting voice, have never quite reached their full potential, issuing but one album, 2006's mixed-bag Dat Rosa Mel Apibus. With Dirty Three drummer Jim White again sitting in, White Magic opt for a second EP, featuring more of their well-worn but still spectral songcraft.

Xasthur, 'Defective Epitaph' (Hydra Head)

Metal visionary crawls back up his own dark crevasse.

California black-metal loner Xasthur, a.k.a. Scott Conner, emerged from relative obscurity with 2006's Subliminal Genocide, releasing an opus whose weird, shoegazey atmospheres impressed hipsters while its intensity earned the United States cred in a scene dominated by Europeans.

Biffy Clyro, 'Puzzle' (Roadrunner)

Scottish angst rockers learn to fly a more profitable path.

Though they formed in the late '90s, this Glaswegian postgrunge band finally became Britain's next big thing when Puzzle, their fourth LP, debuted at No. 2 on the U.K. album charts in June. It's easy to see why: The trio has an effortless, if colorless, knack for penning solid, accessible guitar anthems à la Foo Fighters.

Soulsavers, 'It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land'

Nobody does down-home melodrama like Euro hipsters.

"There's gonna be a revival tonight," intones Mark Lanegan, accompanied by members of the London Community Gospel Choir, to open the second Soulsavers album from British producers Rich Machin and Ian Glover. Enveloped by a lush organ and dusty, looped beat, Lanegan sounds, if not reborn, then hopeful, which is a fresh look for the grunge-scarred meth-blues crooner.

Charalambides, 'Likeness' (Kranky)

Mesmerizing guitar drones that may dissolve your brain.

This Texas duo have churned out spectral, psych-infused folk since 1991, when Tom and Christina Carter first trolled through the Anthology of American Folk Music and began perverting and reinventing classic American memes. Likeness features lyrics plucked from the public domain, layered over heavily manipulated guitars.

Sightings, 'Through the Panama' (Load)

New York art-noise vets suit up for another mission down below.

A decade into a career spent deconstructing the rock-power-trio format, Sightings continue to excavate the same noisome hole. On their sixth album, the band drill even deeper, abetted this time by pomp-rock motivational speaker Andrew W.K. at the boards.

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