Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, is an accomplished singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who's no longer in the shadows of The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens, with whom she toured as a guitarist and vocalist. They did open her ears, though, shaping her jazzy approach to songwriting.  

It's perplexing to figure out what angle Slick Idiot is going for. With CDs bearing appellations like 'DickNity,' 'Screwtinized' and 'xSCREWciating,' what does the German Industrial outfit expect the crude puns to represent? Does the band traffic in some kind of satire or social commentary, or is it sexualized synth Rock that's unashamedly silly?   

It's been five years since bassist Paul Siler and guitarist Cheetie Kumar broke ranks from Garage Rock titans Cherry Valence, got married after nearly a decade of dating and assembled their new band project, Birds of Avalon. Steered by a love of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and John Coltrane and galvanized by a contemporary vibe, the band puts all of its energy into touring as much as possible.   

For the past five years, L.A.'s Tomorrows Bad Seeds have been honing their hard rocking version of Reggae, Metal, Punk and Hip Hop to increasingly loyal and exponentially larger audiences at home and around the country. Spicing Rock with island rhythms is certainly no new development, as they're the latest in a long line of Rock bands with an affinity for Jamaica's second favorite export (and working knowledge of the export in the No. 1 slot as well).  

With music such a commodity these days, it's no surprise that former bands, once popular, are now reuniting in waves. Why not sharpen your chops, comb over the gray hair and hit the lucrative tour circuit again? That's why it's unique to see a band like Social Distortion, who, after 25 years plus in the club trenches, is still taking no prisoners in concert.   

Sonny Landreth has been plying his trade as "the king of Slydeco" for the better part of three decades, and his singular guitar sound has graced recordings and performances by Bonnie Raitt, John Hiatt, Jimmy Buffett, Little Feat, John Mayall, Gov't Mule, Buddy Guy and a good many others, including a certain British string strangler (who has been variously identified as Slowhand and God), who once referred to Landreth as "the most underestimated musician on the planet and also probably one of the most advanced."  

Alex Brown Church Church is Sea Wolf, but recently he welcomed drummer Joey Ficken, bassist Ted Liscinski (onetime member of Cincy band Moth during that band's major label tenure) and keyboardist Lisa Fendelander to the permanent fold. Touring newbie Joyce Lee takes up the cello, while Nathan Anderson helms electric guitar, something he also handles for Indie Folk luminary M. Ward. I leave it at that, because I don’t want to   

Since picking up the guitar at age 12, Brian Patrick Carroll has been voted one of the 20 greatest and/or weirdest guitarists by various Rock magazines. If you don't recognize the name, it's because he doesn't use it. And you wouldn't recognize his face because he doesn't show it. That is the mystique of the blistering guitarist known as Buckethead.  

Like fine wine, local legends Over the Rhine have gotten better with age. From their first show at Sudsy Malone's (about 20 folks showed up to see it) to their various record deals (I.R.S. and Virgin/Backporch) and back to their DIY roots (which has given them some of their biggest successes yet), OtR is marking two decades of gorgeous, soulful music-making. A live recording of their reunion with original members Ric Hordinski and Brian Kelley last December at the Taft Theatre is out now on two CDs.  

The Silversun Pickups have had an exciting 2009, and their CD 'Swoon' might be the year's pinnacle, showcasing the band's pulse-pounding combination of visceral Indie Rock finesse and Shoegaze thunder. The year has also included opening for Metallica at South By Southwest, playing Coachella and lighting up London, but there's just one thing enquiring minds want to know: Have they attempted to play their own songs on 'Guitar Hero?'