Benjamin Gibbards Bandwagonesque concept holds water.
Benjamin Gibbard's Bandwagonesque concept holds water. Rachel Demy

Benjamin Gibbard, “The Concept” (Canvasback Music/Turntable Kitchen). Do we need a cover of Teenage Fanclub’s Bandwagonesque album (voted the best of 1991 by some major publications, beating Nevermind, Loveless, and Monster Magnet’s Tab, among others)? Not really. But Death Cab for Cutie mastermind Ben Gibbard couldn’t refuse the offer made by Turntable Kitchen to participate in its Sounds Delicious vinyl subscription club, which offers exclusive cover albums on ltd.-ed. wax. So, we what we have here is the lead track from that endeavor, “The Concept,” which is rock at its most gorgeous and wistful, including a loooong, swaying coda to tingle your nostalgia neurons. Gibbard’s mostly reverent toward the original, frosting things with subtle delay on his vocals and tempering the Status Quo-esque guitar crunch with faint orchestral touches. You may swoon.

Avey Tare, "Ms. Secret" (Domino). Animal Collective represent a rare 21st-century case of underground weirdos ascending to indie-rock royalty. One of their key songwriters, Avey Tare, has had his share of interesting, strange side projects (see Terrestrial Tones' Dead Drunk with Black Dice's Eric Copeland and Pullhair Rubeye with Kría Brekkan), and solo sojourns, but his new album, Eucalyptus, skews slightly more accessible than those works. "Ms. Secret"—featuring Stranger Genius Eyvind Kang on flute—might be the most conventional track on an album that deliquesces folk-rock into murky, forest-green dispersion. Like most of Eucalyptus, it's a slow-grower that will likely take about five listens to come into focus.

Taiwan Housing Project, “Eat or Be Eat.” (Kill Rock Stars). How many new bands get Ian Svenonius to write their press bio? Not many, Jim. So attention must be paid to Taiwan Housing Project, the rabid neo-No Wave squawkers led by ex-Little Claw vocalist Kilynn Lunsford and former Harry Pussy guitarist Mark Feehan. "Eat or Be Eat." is a chaotic skirmish of back-alley rock that reminds me of vengefully tuneful, late-'80s NYC trio Ut. It's a standout from their new LP, Veblen Death Mask, and its caustic churn leaves most current indie rock in ashes. (Taiwan Housing Project play Chop Suey July 27.)

Schneider Kacirek, “Back” (Bureau B). Radius Walk by Kreidler/To Rococo Rot badass Stefan Schneider and Sven Kacirek is a contender for album of the year. The record burrows into your subconsciousness and triggers interior journeys to the center of your quiet delirium. It's an archetypal headphone trip, with dozens of fascinating micro details wriggling in the mix. Even the three tracks with Swedish vocalist Sofia Jernberg sound like subterranean gnomic rituals—alluring but unknowable. "Back" plunges deepest into Schneider Kacirek's compellingly hermetic soundworld. It may be the most subliminal dance music you'll ever hear... oh, look, your atoms are doing the Watusi.

Ephrata, “Odds” (Dessert). With "Odds," the lead single off their self-titled debut full-length, Seattle quartet Ephrata tap into a shamelessly pretty pop sound that has roots in mid-'80s UK indie charts (think the McCarthy, Shop Assistants, Miaow, Close Lobsters, et al.). Skadi von Reis's prim, sweet vocals pirouette around her and Brady Hall's chiming guitars, as the band finesses an ascendant, feathery melody, all of which coheres into a graceful earworm. One can imagine "Odds" casting charming spells on KEXP's daytime programs.

Noteworthy July 21 album releases: Lana Del Rey, Lust for Life (Interscope); Cornelius, Mellow Waves (Rostrum); Meek Mill, Wins & Losses (Maybach Music Group); Tyler, the Creator, Flower Boy (Odd Future/Columbia); Avey Tare, Eucalyptus (Domino); Foster the People, Sacred Hearts Club (Columbia); Holy Fuck, Bird Brains (Innovative Leisure).