Roll for Damage Take Initiative

This eighth album from Roll for Damage takes on a dark, even moody, edge. The band takes an introspective turn in this album, with tracks like Hit Point, discussing the difficulty of staying at the top of the charts while dealing with an ever-more demanding audience. Take Initiative explores the paralysis we all feel when a situation calls for action and we can't quite carry through.

Viard The Silver City

This controversial album was released only on Earth after the Perplex City Council banned it for sale in the city. Viard's always mysterious sound partners here with a groundbreaking technology: The album incorporates subtle sonic cognition therapies into its compelling tracks for a product that actually makes you sharper while you listen to it.

Groove Society Dance in the Dark

Groove Society's fast-paced beats make it impossible to keep still. In this, their first commercial attempt, the girls from the Old Town lay down tracks like the self-titled Dance in the Dark, a manifesto about feeling free to express yourself, and the wistful Wishing, about lost love and burned-out passion.

Maya Holingbroke Tears Like Rain

Maya Holingbroke works themes from traditional folk songs into her music in this, her second album. As always, her resonant voice brings an extra emotional hook to every note, and such tracks as Paradise Tomorrow are infused with endless hope, while Tears Like Rain is guaranteed to leave any listener also in tears.

Jam One Until Morning

Jam One's latest effort showcases the band's growing skill as musicians. Each song on this album is layered with complexity, leaving the dedicated listener in ever deeper mazes of sound. The award-winning Mimasan, an instrumental, is perhaps the most ambitious musical work of the decade -- an audio representation of the famed Mimasan Maze.