Pearl Jam Backspacer (Island)
Pearl Jam made peace with their hard rock past on their eponymous eighth album, but its sequel, Backspacer, is where the group really gets back to basics, meaty riffs channeled into a brighter, cheerier package.

Amy Millan Masters of The Burial (Arts & Crafts)
Masters of The Burial includes interpretations of Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” and Sarah Harmer’s “Old Perfume.” Produced by Martin Davis Kinack (Broken Social Scene), the album features guest performances from Evan Cranley (Stars), Feist and more.

Anti-Pop Consortium Fluorescent Black
Six years after they parted ways to pursue separate projects, Anti-Pop Consortium have reunited and recorded their fourth album, a seventeen track opus that moves through moods, concepts, beats and rhymes.

Basement Jaxx Scars
Grammy-award winners Basement Jaxx are also multiple Brit Award winners who have remixed Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliot, N.E.R.D and Daft Punk.

Deadmau5 For Lack of a Better Name
This Juno award-winning electronic artist releases the follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2008 debut Random Album Title. Here Deadmau5 incorporates various styles of music into multi-blocks of songs.

Girls Album (True Panther)
Built on the powerful songwriting of Christopher Owens and the ethereal production of Chet “JR” White, Girls recorded Album in a variety of bedrooms and rehearsal studios in their adopted hometown, San Francisco.

Islands Vapours (Anti)
Nick Diamond’s polymorphous pop band, Islands, is back with their third studio album: a collection of fun, highly listenable tunes that effortlessly intertwine Motown grooves, electro-Krautrock analog synths and even some slinky horn chants.

Monsters of Folk Monsters of Folk
This collaboration between Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward, and producer Mike Mogis, four of this generation’s most critically acclaimed artists.

Múm Sing Along to Songs You Don’t Know (Hostess)
Two years after their previous release, Iceland’s eccentric pop maestros mum have returned with their fifth studio album.

Noisettes Wild Young Hearts [Bonus Track] (Mercury UK)
The Noisettes are a London based, three piece band fronted by the soulful and captivating Shingai Shoniwa. One of 2009’s most adventurous albums.

Vic Chesnutt At the Cut (Constellation)
Cowardice, courage, mortality, tenacity, defiance, mourning and memory are its themes.
Billy Talent Billy Talent III (Atlantic UK)
Punk-Pop, Punk Revival, Emo
(Performing Oct. 2 at Pop’s)
Brand New Daisy (DGC/Interscope/Procrastinate!)
Indie Rock, Emo
(Performing Oct. 6 with Manchester Orchestra at the Pageant)
Guy Clark Somedays the Song Writes You (Dualtone)
Alternative Country
Early Day Miners The Treatment (Secretly Canadian)
Indie Rock, Sadcore, Space Rock
They Might Be Giants Here Comes Science (Walt Disney)
Children’s Rock, Educational, Alternative Pop/Rock
(performing Oct. 9 at the Pageant)
Times New Viking Born Again Revisited (Matador)
Lo-Fi, Indie Rock
Rufus Wainwright Milwaukee at Last!!! (Decca)
Alternative Singer/Songwriter

Sources: AMG, inSound