Bell X1 + Gabriel Kahane

Damien Rice's former bandmates in Juniper soldiered on without him as Bell X1, fronted by charismatic drummer turned frontman Paul Noonan. Huge in its native Ireland, the quartet delivers its lush yet wry indie pop in support of last year's Chop Chop. Also on board is artful pop savant and boundary-flouting composer Gabriel Kahane.