This Baltimore duo began as a guitar-only ambient project, but for their third LP, they've folded even more diddles into the drone by way of "electronics" player Kieran Gillen, and the band's spastic curlicues (obviously inspired by experimental New York guitar maestro Glenn Branca) are all the more dizzying.

Frontman Andy Cabic's affinity for wheezing British folk -- see the Incredible String Band, Bert Jansch, Vashti Bunyan -- is long established, but on Vetiver's third LP, Cabic tackles 1960s Americana, covering tracks by Guthrie disciples Michael Hurley, Derroll Adams, Townes Van Zandt, and others.

On her second solo album, Dawn Landes scurries out from behind the boards (she's worked as an engineer for Philip Glass, Ryan Adams, and Joseph Arthur) and uses an arsenal of thrift-store noisemakers (glockenspiel, accordion, cheap guitar) to convey her quirky songs.

Pensacola -- a panhandle Gulf town best known for hosting hurricanes, evangelicals, and post-hardcore bands -- is a tough home base for a surreally gothic alt-country crooner with a Gram Parsons bent.

p>Back in 2005, Blood on the Wall were elected best local band by drooling New York critics, who championed their adept riff on alternative-rock noise.

T.H. White -- who writes, plays, and arranges virtually all the tracks here -- shows a gift for titillating, slinky melodies ("Private People," with willowy vocals by Law & Order's Meghan Wolf, could soundtrack a salacious New York club crawl).