Pat and Tex LaMountain
Sweet Chabango
(Garden Gate)

I haven’t the foggiest idea what “chabango” means, but if local heroes Pat and Tex LaMountain want to use it to describe their homespun mix of cowboy jazz, swing, Americana, country, and pop that’s fine by me. The LaMountains invite comparisons to Robin and Linda Williams, though they don’t quite have the same flair, and the miles are starting to show on Tex’s voice. But in an age in which pop music is processed like American cheese, the LaMountains offer a good-time antidote, complete with hummable melodies and their own ironic twist on things. It begins with two Tex confessionals; the first influenced by Roy Orbison, and the second an admission that he’s always been a “Record Shop Cowboy.” It ends with three tunes inspired by their travels. There’s good stuff in between. What’s not to like? —Rob Weir

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Grand Duchy
Let The People Speak
(Sonic Unyon/Cooking Vinyl)

The latest effort by recently local married couple Violet Clark and Charles Thompson (aka Black Francis, aka Frank Black) is more polished than I expected. The tracks that feature Clark’s impressive, energetic vocals are propelled by disco beats and electronic loops that keep an irresistible groove going, blending dance-y B-52s-flavored pogos with catchy melodic lines that recall The Cars. There are some cool pop/rock songs and strange, dark Mexi-punk-sounding stuff here, too (“Shady”; “Esther”), but it seems not quite as palpably anguished as Pixies- or even Teenager of the Year-era material. Thompson’s instrumental and songwriting talents are well-known, and The Pixies have spawned more stylistic imitators than probably any other band formed after 1985, but the variety of gifts that Clark displays (on both bass and vocals) are really the coolest, most surprising thing here. —Tom Sturm

*

Joker
The Vision
(4AD)

Though barely out of his teens, U.K. dubstep star Joker seems on the verge of leaving his old ways behind on his debut full-length. Distancing himself from his past credentials, the eclectic musician throws R&B, soul, and funk into his sound this time around. And the results are mixed. First single and title track “The Vision” features the vocals of English singer Jessie Ware, but plays like a confused tug-of-war with lines about “slowing down” at odds with the upbeat and jittery electronic sounds. Elsewhere, “My Trance Girl” revisits the icy synths and heavy bass from Joker’s glory days but still fails to completely ignite. The best hope for the future is probably “Slaughter House,” with crooning courtesy of Danish rocker Silas. “Let me take you out,” he sings. And though it’s unclear if he means to the club or the bedroom, listeners will have a hard time saying no. —Michael Cimaomo