Mac McCaughan is probably best known as the leader of Superchunk. Portastatic began as his solo side project but, with Superchunk bassist Laura Balance on maternity leave, has evolved into a full-fledged touring band with Superchunk guitarist Jim Wilbur on bass and McCaughan’s brother Matt on drums. As Superchunk has mellowed on later recordings and both of McCaughan’s bands have expanded their sonic palettes, the line dividing them has become less and less distinct. On Bright Ideas, Portastatic’s new album, the differences between the two is nearly nonexistent. Riffs that could have easily been on Superchunk’s 1995 record Here’s Where The Strings Come In propel songs like “White Wave” and “The Soft Rewind," and both prove that McCaughan has lost none of his intensity or skill when it comes to writing infectious power-pop with ragged punk edges. The tunes “Through With People” and “I Wanna Know Girls” are clean, ringing-pop gems akin to The Connells, while “Little Fern” chugs along amiably with a touch of country. Elsewhere, “Truckstop Cassettes” bears the influence of the same Brazilian music for which McCaughan revealed his love on his EP release from 2000, de mel, de melao. The subtle, pulsing percussion and smoldering guitar of the title track illustrate that McCaughan knows something about conveying atmosphere. Bright Ideas further proves that the consistency of Mac McCaughan’s sound should never be mistaken for lack of talent or inspiration.

It’s been half a decade since Rocky Votolato’s Burning My Travels Clean landed him in the “next Elliott Smith” discussion group (alongside Conor Oberst and Denison Witmer). In the interim, Votolato has emerged as an artist comfortable with his roots and influences. Perhaps best known as the vocalist for Waxwing—the Seattle-based rock band featuring his brother Cody Votolato of The Blood Brothers—Rocky Votolato deserves accolades for a solo catalog that whispers Neil Young, Paul Westerberg and Ryan Adams without beating you over the head with it. Votolato’s latest recording is Makers, a sly nod towards both whiskey and spiritualism. While it isn’t a huge departure from Burning My Travels Clean, this Barsuk release shows a continued maturity in both song development and hooks. Makers’ best songs are its anchors: opener “White Daisy Passing” and the album-ending title track both show Votolato’s lyrical gift for meandering through life and death with heart in throat. With its quick, twinkling guitar line supporting Votolato’s half-gravel, half-angelic voice, the song “Uppers Aren’t Necessary” is fit for a Wes Anderson film. “She Was Only In It For The Rain” successfully utilizes both dark, backwoods acoustics and church organ. Traditionally words like “understated” and “honest” can be veiled kicks at a singer/songwriter, but Votolato’s music embraces those words as they are—without much fanfare. At his best, Votolato can be considered Pink Moon-era Nick Drake with guts and three fifths of Yukon Jack. At his worst, he’s just another songwriter trying to balance out his fetishes for Elliott Smith and Bob Dylan. For the most part, thankfully, you can find him nursing the former.

Lady Sovereign is a name you’ll likely be hearing a lot of in 2006. The Missy Elliott of the UK, Lady Sov had the standout track, “Cha–Ching,” on last year’s already legendary Run the Road compilation. Now Lady Sovereign stands ready to conquer the American charts like her peers Dizzee Rascal and The Streets. Sly and sarcastic, Lady Sov has a playful style and a penchant for pop hooks that eludes many of her dour contemporaries. While waiting for the full-length album she is bound to drop this year, don’t miss the Vertically Challenged EP. Featuring the big single, “Random,” the disc features club-ready bangers and fierce lyrical work. On a radically different tip is His Name Is Alive’s new album, Detrola. A pleasant collection of lounge-pop numbers, Detrola features little more than a bass, some wind instruments and hushed, cheery, Isobel Campbell-like vocals. Yet there is a surprising range to the songs. While nothing gets too heavy, a song like “In My Dream” sounds like something Ladytron would put out, the disc’s stand-out track, “Get Your Curse,” is a jaunty slice of pop gold. A lo-fi breath of fresh air amidst a sea of stale rock (Bloc Party), His Name Is Alive offers sunny skies and sweet hooks.