Raleigh's Lollipops and Richmond's White Laces use fuzz toward different ends. For the former, a comfy, lo-fi buzz is the connective tissue uniting diverse offerings. The fresh-faced poppers have mastered new wave stunners, garage rock with a slapback edge and battered piano balladry. It all occupies the same comfortably disheveled mood. There's nothing lo-fi about White Laces, whose more mellow offerings bloom with colorful distortion backed by strong hooks and bass lines that grip through gooey reverb. Many bands are getting by with similar formulas, but few fuse the elements with such polished precision. The Dave Fell Band and Djingis open. —Jordan Lawrence

Price: $6