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This Seattle band follows up their promising 2006 debut Hello Zero with another excellent set of mostly low-key roots rock blending folk, country, blues, rock and more. The band uses a wide variety of instrumentation including acoustic and electric guitars, violin, banjo, accordion, harmonica, steel guitar, sax and a variety of percussion, along with tape loops and other kinds of sonic experimentation to flesh out an impressive batch of memorable songs. 10/22/2009 -Don Yates

Neon Indian is the latest project from Austin’s Alan Palomo, former frontman for Ghosthustler and also the guy behind the electronic project VEGA. Palomo follows up his Neon Indian EP from earlier this year (also titled Psychic Chasms) with this charming full-length of trippy, bedroom electro-pop that filters icy ‘80s keyboards, tinny electric guitars, retro drum machines, video game effects, occasional samples and soft vocals through hazy, warped production. 10/20/2009 -Don Yates

The raunchy soul singer was dropped from Island Records after the release of her excellent 1975 album Nasty Gal. This was the projected 1976 follow-up, and it’s never been released until now. Like Nasty Gal, it was produced by Davis herself, though it might be even better than that landmark album. Betty’s band Funk House was in prime form here, laying down some of the fieriest hardcore funk around while Davis continued to stretch herself vocally and lyrically, singing, shouting, purring and growling with total confidence on some of her most powerful songs. 10/8/2009 -Don Yates

Originally released in 1975, the 3rd album from this raunchy soul singer features some of the heaviest, most bad-ass funk-rock of that era (or any era, for that matter). Davis was given full creative control for this album, with Davis herself producing. Betty and her band were firing on all cylinders here as Davis rasped, screamed and growled on top of wicked electric guitars and heated funk rhythms. 10/8/2009 -Don Yates

This British band’s 2nd album is a hard-hitting, eclectic blend of funk, soul, garage-rock and more, improving on the band’s fine debut album with more confident musicianship and a much-higher percentage of killer songs. 10/7/2009 -Don Yates

This Seattle band’s 3rd album is their best work yet, thanks to more streamlined production and a generous batch of winning songs. The band’s messy, occasionally raucous indie-pop is similar to Pavement’s slacker aesthetic, and like Pavement, their clever smartass songs can come off a little smug at times, but they’re also filled with quite a bit of heart, not to mention irresistibly catchy pop hooks. 10/7/2009 -Don Yates

This Seattle guitarist/vocalist debuts with a promising album of gritty, stripped-down blues-rock reminiscent of the Black Keys, though she also stretches out with some haunting, atmospheric ballads and a couple of straight-up rockers. While she just performs live as a two-piece with Sera Cahoone on drums, she fleshes out her sound a bit more here with bass and keyboards. Still, the focus is on Olson’s primal guitar riffs and Cahoone’s equally ferocious drumming. 10/7/2009 -Don Yates

The Seattle-based co-founder of legendary indie band Pavement (aka Scott Kannberg) follows up his latter-day Preston School of Industry albums with the first record under his own pseudonym, and it’s the best thing he’s done since his Pavement days. Mixed by the Posies’ Jon Auer and featuring contributions from Ian Moore, Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and the Australian band Gersey along with other members of the Posies and Preston School of Industry, The Real Feel combines expansive, psych-tinged indie-rock ranging from rollicking garage-rockers to pretty, country-tinged ballads with break-up lyrics ranging from bitter to resigned. 10/1/2009 -Don Yates

While this veteran Northwest rock band’s 7th studio album is a fairly relaxed and mellow affair for the band, it’s also their most pop-oriented release in quite awhile, with a number of relatively concise, melodic tunes that stick. And even though it’s not as jam-oriented as their last album (2006’s You In Reverse), There Is No Enemy still features plenty of brilliant, expansive guitar solos from Doug Martsch. 10/1/2009 -Don Yates

The 3rd solo album in 2 years from the guitarist with Philadelphia’s War on Drugs is another delightfully trippy, adventurous blend of psych-rock, garage, folk, German prog-rock, bluesy classic rock and more filtered through reverb-laden, lo-fi production. 9/30/2009 -Don Yates

This Brooklyn-based band follows up their initial EP with this excellent debut full-length of bluesy, old-school soul combining a raw, muscular sound, a killer horn section, blues guitar licks and lead singer Williams’ powerful, slightly gravelly vocals. The songs are also first-rate, often exploring decidedly adult themes like infidelity with the conflicted passion of Al Green, Latimore (who’s covered here) and other masters of ‘70s soul. 9/29/2009 -Don Yates

This Seattle duo stretches out a bit on their 2nd album with help from Gris Gris frontman Greg Ashley, who produced the album. Sunset/Sunrise features a fuller, more produced sound than their acclaimed debut, adding occasional strings, piano and other instrumentation. The songs are also a bit more diverse and thoughtfully crafted – while the debut was rooted in Aftermath-era Rolling Stones folk-rock, Sunset/Sunrise also contains echoes of Ennio Morricone, Phil Spector, the Shangri-Las and more. 9/23/2009 -Don Yates

This LA band led by producer/multi-instrumentalist Miles Tackett offers up another first-rate album of gritty, old-school funk ranging from raw, breakbeat party rockers to more sophisticated pieces incorporating elements of jazz, psych-rock and more. 9/23/2009 -Don Yates

This Memphis band continues to evolve on their latest album, mostly leaving behind the country influences of their earlier work for a fuller, classic rock-influenced sound that takes in Springsteen, the Replacements, the Stones and more. With production from Ted Hutt (who produced the last Gaslight Anthem album) and legendary Memphis session man Jim Spake (who worked with Al Green back in the day) providing some great horn arrangements, 1372 Overton Park is ultimately a celebration of rock ‘n’ roll. Lucero’s good friends The Hold Steady would no doubt approve. 9/23/2009 -Don Yates

The 4th album from this Minneapolis rapper is his most fully realized work to date, exploring personal and political issues with smart, confident rhymes accompanied by a mix of sampled and live instrumentation along with some hard, funky beats courtesy of longtime producer Ant. 9/23/2009 -Don Yates

After many years of touring and independent releases culminating with 2007’s excellent album Emotionalism, this North Carolina trio makes their major label debut with this stunner of a record. With legendary producer Rick Rubin behind the boards, the sound is more polished than before, which might disappoint some longtime fans. But while the Avetts’ reputation as a ragged, punkish acoustic band with an incendiary live show is well-deserved, their records have improved as the band has steadily grown as musicians and songwriters, and this is their strongest batch of songs yet. The rootsy side of their music is still there, with occasional banjo, mandolin, fiddle and those rough-hewn harmonies, but most of this is unapologetic, piano-based, big-hearted pop, with gorgeous arrangements often featuring cello and a full rhythm section fleshing out these powerfully emotional, often dark songs of love and identity. 9/22/2009 -Don Yates

The Seattle hip hop duo hooked up with Chicago producer Maker for their latest album, and it’s one of their strongest yet, with Maker’s gritty, sample-heavy production giving some extra bounce to the dark, heady rhymes of JFK and Onry Ozzborn. 9/17/2009 -Don Yates

The 2nd album from this Nashville band led by former Be Your Own Pet guitarist Jonas Stein improves upon their ferocious, ultra-raw debut thanks to more fully fleshed-out songs with stronger melodic hooks that echo a variety of early rock ‘n’ roll sources. 9/16/2009 -Don Yates

Visqueen frontwoman Rachel Flotard pays loving tribute to her father (who passed away from cancer last year) with a magnificent album of big-hearted power pop that’s packed with catchy hooks and sing-a-long choruses. With Neko Case providing some heavenly harmonies and additional cameos from John Roderick of the Long Winters and steel guitarist Jon Rauhouse among other notables, the album brings plenty of star power, but it’s Flotard’s powerful vocals and sharp song craft that shine brightest. Power pop is rarely this poignant, or done as well as it is here. A lot of fine albums have come from the Northwest this year, but Message to Garcia is one of the very best. 9/16/2009 -Don Yates

This British band debuts with an accomplished album of epic, shoegazerish pop with a huge sound combining distortion-laden guitars, droning harmonies, a fair amount of electronics and some massive song hooks, along with lyrics ranging from the cynical to the heartbroken. The usual shoegazer/post-punk touchstones are here (My Bloody Valentine, the Jesus & Mary Chain, the Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen), but they do this stuff exceedingly well. 9/15/2009 -Don Yates