Axis of Evol

The Pink Mountaintops are the solo brainchild of Vancouver musician Stephen McBean, who is also a member of ramshackle rockers Black Mountain. The Mountaintops' second album expands on the lo-fi promise of its predecessor, with nods to sonic explorers like the Velvet Underground on "Cold Criminals," post-punk outfits like Sonic Youth on "New Drug Queens," and anyone who's ever had too much acid on "Plastic Man, You're the Devil." Though McBean's songs occasionally seem like casually tossed-off rock & roll vignettes, their unabashed hedonism is addictive.