The Cool Kids
1/5Conor Oberst
For his first solo effort in more than a decade, Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst spent the winter recording in a mountaintop villa in Mexico. His sound matches that romantic isolation, as the singer emotes on everything from death to Joan of Arc haircuts.
For fans of: Bright Eyes (duh).
2/5The Cool Kids
As the self-anointed "new, black version of the Beastie Boys," Chicago emcee duo Mikey Rocks (above, left) and Chuck Inglish don't disappoint. The guys spin clever rhymes over lazy beats on (Chocolate Industries) and weave in unexpected shout-outs, such as lyrics from eighties hit "Safety Dance" and nursery rhyme "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe."
For fans of: Pharell, Lil Wayne.
3/5Vanessa Hudgens
Faster than you can say "Gabriella hearts Troy," Vanessa Hudgens drops an album to tide us over until —full of eighties beats and girl-power dance anthems—it's the perfect summer sound track.
For fans of: Brit, Ashlee, and Hilary.
4/5Lykke Li
Remember how the simplistic beauty of Feist's "1 2 3 4" stuck in your head after infinite viewings of that Apple commercial? On her debut, Swedish songstress Lykke Li is just as sparing with her sounds, underscoring her sweetly confident vocals, which recall those of Bjrk.
For fans of: Peter Bjorn and John.
5/5The Wombats
They come from the Beatles' hometown, but these gents have made a name for themselves with their catchy ode to Manhattan, "Moving to New York." And they have quite a sense of humor, with their goofy odes to goats and Joy Division.
For fans of: Kaiser Chiefs.
