A lot of bands loitering at the borders of Pop-land and Noise-bury seem so sheepish about what they’re doing. Why would you be like that? There’s no coy nerdery here. A Place To Bury Strangers are as upfront and as lurid as they always are when they’re simultaneously torpedoing one’s notions of the melodic and the blaring. “So Far Away” arrives as part of brand new EP Onwards To The Wall, out February 6 through Dead Oceans.

After the success of Burst Apart earlier this year, The Antlers are taking an odd-and-ends victory lap that includes a few choice covers. Our favorite is their take on The xx’s austere “VCR.” Everyone (well, Drake and Rihanna, at least) has been flirting with and on top of The xx lately, and this is another interesting flip on their work that keeps the ice intact while adding galloping drums and wigged-out soundscapes. Find more on (together), which is out November 22 on Frenchkiss.

San Francisco’s Thee Oh Sees has had numerous incarnations over the years after initially being formed as a solo project by musician John Dwyer. The now five-piece’s latest, Carrion Crawler/The Dream, is an exuberant collection of groove-driven indie barnstormers. “The Dream,” a jubilant track, spans nearly seven minutes, combining gleeful guitar riffs with dance-laden rhythms. There’s a wide-eyed mania to the music that’s as terrifying as it is compelling.