Glasvegas

After being cut from Columbia Records after the underrated and unfairly trounced Euphoric Heartbreak , Glasvegas ditched L.A. studios and big-name producers and retreated to the comforts of home in Scotland. Now, singer James Allen is back in black, launching his soaring, aching brogue over caterwauls of guitar and simple, heart-pounding drum beats on third album Later...When the TV Turns to Static. The band may be struggling for relevence in the cruel churn of the music press, but the underdog role suits it well. Allen approaches pop like a bare-knuckle boxer. "Youngblood" and "I'd Rather Be Dead (Than Be With You)" still display his knack for sending tingles up the nape of your neck, and they're more Scottish than the JAMChain covering the Proclaimers in golf cleats.