Fronted by Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen, NYC’s The Pretty Reckless combines killer lyrics with seriously spirited guitar riffs on the debut album, "Light Me Up." Momsen’s voice is a perfect accompaniment to the band’s solid alt-rock sound – adding a feminine and yet dangerous edge to the music. Momsen, who is just 18, wrote all the songs on the album, with the band’s lead guitarist, Ben Phillips. Their breakout hit, "Make Me Wanna Die" caught the attention of hard-rock loyalists everywhere, while the ballad "You" (see its rather sensual official video here) took care of the layer of fans more interested in sentimental values. Their second EP, "Hit Me Like a Man," is set to be released on March 6th and will feature three new songs and two live songs from their "Light Me Up" tour. – Jen Mergott

“Second Year In Swine” may not roll of the tongue very easily, but mid-fi rockers Rotary Club nonetheless dubbed their sophomore album with the odd phrasing after seeing it on a flyer years ago. Headed by multi-nstrumentalist Tom Devaney, the New York-via-Boston ensemble mixes a little art with a lot of melody, offering a sound that mixes psychedelic layers with rock attitude and feels like a Meat Puppets/Love collaboration. The band will celebrate the album’s release with East Coast shows this Spring, starting March 3rd at Red Hook Bait and Tackle in Brooklyn. – Devon Antonetti

Mrs. Magician might be only a couple small steps away from Spacemen 3 in sound, but in personality, they hail from an entirely different sounding garage. Channeling dissatisfaction with everything from God to nightlife to the ’80s, singer Jacob Turnbloom and guitarist Tommy Garcia are able to make the blues come out sounding about as sweet as you’ve ever heard it, like something went wrong on their way to being pissed off, and before they knew it, their catchy hooks got the better of them. Perhaps some of the band’s strange fascination with the supernatural will be satisfied when their sophomore record ‘Strange Heaven’ drops April 17th on Turnbloom’s own label, Thrill Me! Records. The album includes crowd favorites, like the unexpectedly catchy ‘There is no God,’ and the jangly drug anthem of the year: ‘I’m Gonna Hangout With The Lesbians Next Door & Drop Acid.’ This is an album that delivers its medicine with plenty of sugar the whole way through. Preview their new record here and see them at The Troubadour on March 29. – Mike Levine