Javelin, comprised of New York City crate-rats George Langford and Tom Van Buskirk, certainly do their share of jumping around, never letting their listener get too close to an idea or a groove for very long. Jamz n Jemz, a CD-R they've been distributing at gigs, is flecked with brilliant little vignettes-- almost every one a gem, many of them certifiable jams-- that argue for the notion of a million little pieces coming together to make something much larger. David Byrne certainly gets it. His Luaka Bop imprint recently signed Javelin, immediately giving the guys control of the label's podcast to debut their Andean Ocean Tape, a curiously sly concoction of found sounds and nautically dizzying loops and breaks that reference everything from beach-psych to diet-dub, all outfitted with delightfully strange ticks, grumbles, and seagull squawks. Jamz n Jemz has the good sense to dig deeper, exploring sounds even more elemental and dance-ready.

Combining the dense, shadowy mood of some early Cure with the sonic drift of Mazzy Star and Cat Power's more hazy vocal work, Warpaint occupies a challenging space where the mood can vary from deep woods come-down to fierce primal ritual. It hits an especially sweet spot live, where the ladies sometimes swap instruments or hone in on those spine-tingling harmonies.

Having made their rounds on every notable blog in the sphere, the foursome self-released a debut EP titled 'Exquisite Corpse,' which was mixed by former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante. The record not only caught the attention of Manimal Vinyl, which gave it a proper release in 2009, but also seminal indie label Rough Trade after their CMJ showcase. It looks as though 2010 will be an even bigger year for the band, as they prep their debut full-length for wide release on Rough Trade and embark on tours the world over, Los Angeles

f you've followed indie's trade winds over the past year and a half, you can probably predict what a Brooklyn band called Beach Fossils sounds like to a staggeringly accurate degree. In this case, please set aside the prejudices: Beach Fossils aren't merely trying to evoke the feeling of sand between your toes, and even if you think you've mentally checked out of anything summery and lo-fi, this is a wonderful record. Dustin Payseur's Captured Tracks band claims influence from improvisational jazz, classical music, and Stereolab, and his songwriting owes more to loop-based composition than garage-bound woodshedding. From the functionality of the song titles on down, Beach Fossils has purpose and economy. It's built on cleanly picked single notes stacked over complementary bass patterns and unobtrusive drums.