Django Django

Finally released in the US after months as an increasingly buzzed-over UK release, the debut album by East London-via-Edinburgh quartet Django Django is the musical equivalent of a new puppy. The songs are vibrantly energetic and often downright adorable in how unself-consciously they pile on the various influences (African rock! Whiteboy post-punk funk! Ambient space rock! School-disco '80s pop! Indie electronics!) into a shambling whole. If you're not in the mood to play, all that energy can quickly grow tiresome (you will either love or hate the intentionally repetitive, almost infernally perky "Zumm Zumm," and you will not have the same reaction each time), but the restless charm of these 13 songs is pretty tough to resist. Much has been said of the band's familial connection to late '90s neo-psychedelicists The Beta Band -- lead singer/drummer/producer/general mastermind Dave McLean is the younger brother of the Betas' keyboardist John McLean -- but while the groups share similarly wide-ranging record collections (and, one suspects, the cellphone number of the same weed dealer), it's easier to draw direct sonic connections to the likes of Vampire Weekend, Hot Chip, or even Franz Ferdinand. But between these guys, Tame Impala and Alt-J, 2012 is turning into a prime year for new psychedelic pop.