Crocodiles

The duo of Charles Rowell and Brandon Welchez may have infinite street cred for cutting their teeth in fractured art-punk act the Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower, but the duo's latest project, Crocodiles, has more in common with the Beatles than anything on Revelation Records. Despite the title Summer of Hate, Crocodiles' debut is an ethereal nine-song collection of synth-driven pop songs that are avant-garde without being inaccessible. That said, the album does have its fair share of aggression — it's just recontextualized into the pop paradigm so seamlessly that you'll get swept away in the band's sound without even noticing. Oh, and if the raging dance number "Refuse Angels" doesn't get you out on the dance floor, you may not be human.