Is it 2009 or is it 1979? It could be either. In 1979 Cheap Trick ruled the airwaves with one of their finest albums, Dream Police (and its eponymous single), and tracks like the burning epic “Gonna Raise Hell” and the brilliant “Voices” pouring out of 8-track players in Camaros and custom vans. So what’s 2009 all about? Cheap Trick is still one of the greatest rock and roll bands in the world and has now issued The Latest which is probably their finest set since Dream Police. It’s even available on 8-track. I’m not kidding.

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the Manchester boys from Doves, which is a shame since as a part of the Radiohead fallout that hit Britpop in the early 2000s—with bands such as Travis, Starsailor, Elbow, and Coldplay—they were always one of the more interesting ones. Being former DJ’s, the band always had fun ways of playing with sound, adding a nice kaleidoscopic view to the grandiose, sweeping pop that was going around. And while their colors somewhat faded on their previous, more somber album Some Cities, their new LP Kingdom of Rust offers a balance of styles, with songs that are full of bright texture while remaining grounded.