The Sheepdogs/Quaker City Night Hawks/Sleepykid

Riding a pretty smooth 10-year ascent to relative acclaim in the U.S. and Canada, the Sheepdogs drifted into their latest album -- last year’s Future Nostalgia -- with confidence and finely honed songwriting chops. You’ve got examples of upbeat riff heaven, like “I Really Wanna Be Your Man” and “Back Down,” slathered across the album. It’s fun as hell, and this is how rock ‘n’ roll should sound: full-bodied and red-blooded. Pat Carney of the Black Keys produced the Sheepdogs’ prior album, and that’ll give you a pretty good sense of where this band is coming from. (Eric Sandy)