Kinky is a five-member band from Monterrey, Mexico, formed in 1998 and consisting of Gilberto Cerezo, Ulises Lozano, Carlos Chairez, Omar Góngora, and Cesar Pliego. Legendary DustBrother John King, who has worked with Beck, the Rolling Stones and the Beastie Boys, produced their latest album, Sueño De La Maquina (Dream Machine) which was released on September 4.

With his self-titled album entering the Top 5 of iTunes’ R&B/Soul charts last year, soul singer/songwriter Allan Stone has come a long way from not being allowed to listen to secular music as a child. Instead, Stone was exposed to religious music at a young age growing up in Washington because his father was a pastor.

The Wallflowers have reconnected, or 'rebooted' so to speak, to release their first studio album since 2005's Rebel, Sweetheart and with a slightly tweaked line-up they pick up right where they left off.

No one channels the spirit of '80s New Wave as infectiously as George Lewis Jr., better known under his stage name Twin Shadow. Lewis wears his ‘80s pop influences on his sleeve throughout his sophomore album Confess, released on 4AD Records this July. The sleek synth-pop vibe of “Five Seconds” recalls Duran Duran and “Run My Heart” is not unlike many Springsteen power ballads.

Soul legend Bobby Womack was considered a survivor before starting work on his latest album (his first since 1994) The Bravest Man in the Universe, released in June. But after overcoming hospitalization with pneumonia and successful treatment of colon cancer while in the midst of recording the album, Womack has delivered his greatest comeback yet. Womack's first studio record in 12 years is a stunning mix of regretful introspection and hopeful romance, running the gamut from elecro-disco to stripped-down storytelling along the way.

As the favorite to win the Mercury Music Prize in November and a Top 20 phenomenon in the UK, Alt-J is perhaps the most successful British Band of 2012. Alt-J has made its splash with their debut album An Awesome Wave

Three years removed from their celebrated record Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear has once again earned critical acclaim with Shields, the band's fourth studio album. Shields builds upon the group's innovative indie rock of the past, mixing melodic pop with lush orchestrations and emotional honesty.

Detroit singer-songwriter Rodriguez's resurrection finally seems complete. Rodriguez had achieved cult status in South Africa, while here at home, he was a relatively unknown artist living in Detroit.

The legendary country singer-songwriter and actor continues to fuse multiple genres in his music with 3 Pears, his first album in five years. Released last month, the record is full of surprises, jumping from Motown and soul to light pop and no-frills rock and roll.

The Divine Fits are an indie rock group comprised of Spoon’s Britt Daniel, Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs, and New Bomb Turks’ Sam Brown. A few years ago, Daniel attended a Handsome Furs concert; he and Boeckner have remained friends ever since.