A year after forming in 2007, Brooklyn's Talk Normal self-released Secret Cog, an EP filled with rigorous beats, post-punk dissonance, and the darkly evocative vocals of guitarist Sarah Register and drummer Andrya Ambro. Echoes of No Wave-era noisemakers-- particularly the dogmatic rants of Lydia Lunch's Teenage Jesus and the Jerks and the urgent abstractions of Ut-- were unmistakable. But the duo also has firm roots in the present New York underground, specifically the noise-rock of veteran trio Sightings, whose Richard Hoffman guested on Secret Cog's best track, "33".

Not long after that debut, Talk Normal signed to Rare Book Room Records, enabling them to record their first LP, Sugarland, with producer and label-owner Nicolas Vernhes. This has naturally brought an increase in clarity and detail, but the band's propensity for thick noise and rhythmic tension hasn't waned. In fact, the essential grit and guts of their music have deepened. Songs and lyrics remain simple-- most tracks feature a repetitive beat and blunt statements like "You had it coming," "Don't shut me down," and, aptly enough, "I believe in structure." But the way the pair rides these patterns to bracing climaxes is deft and relentless. And their eerie horror-movie tone has grown, approaching the cavernous territory first dug out by the early dirges of Sonic Youth and Swans.

Edie Sedgwick formed in 1999 when El Guapo bassist Justin Moyer and ex-Panoply Academy Glee Club drummer Ryan Hicks wrote a number of songs about celebrities. After releasing one eponymous record on Mud Memory Records and recording another, Edie was forced to stop performing in 2001 when Justin was diagnosed with epilepsy and could no longer drive on tour. (Ryan had no driver's license.)

In 2004, Justin began performing in drag as Edie Sedgwick, the transgendered reincarnation of a vacuous Andy Warhol Superstar who died of a barbiturate overdose in 1971. Armed with a video projector, precious iMovies, and the occasional backing band, Edie traveled through many dark nights presenting auditory and visual art that honors the likes of Angelina Jolie, Robert Downey, Jr., Paris Hilton, Martin Sheen, and other celebrity co-conspirators. After two more records -- 2005's "Her Love is Real, But She is Not" on Desoto Records and 2008's "Things are Getting Sinister and Sinisterer" on Dischord -- and playing everywhere from Baltimore to Bulgaria, Edie got pretty sick of celebs and now just writes songs about whoever and whatever and reserves the right not to wear a dress in the future.

In April 2011, Edie and songwriting partner A.K. released "Songs for Isadora," ten songs for children on D.C.'s own Sockets Records. Her next full length, "Love Gets Lovelier Every Day," will be released by Dischord sometime in 2011.

A snarky, ballsy collision of frenetic noise punk riffs, odd rhythms, abrupt changes and performance art provocateuring, BODYPARTS is a three-piece blitz. Free associative lyrics are belted out in Spanish and in English, and the songs are concise enough to refuse any attempt by the listener to overcome the confusion, at least upon first listen. With some room for spontaneity, BODYPARTS execute an incredibly well orchestrated cacophony.

Genre-splicing can be surprisingly dull, considering that they are often half-hearted splicings of some well-worn styles. Las Palabras don't have this problem. Their concise, intimate compositions involve Spanish lyrics and guitars stylings that reflect a clever outlook with some indie rock whimsy.