Last year while everybody was busy going wild over the Pipettes and their warmed-over take on the girl group sound of the ’60s, another band in England was effortlessly knocking their weak efforts into a cocked hat. Lucky Soul are influenced by a similar musical era but instead of slavish imitations, they pump their Northern Soul meets G-Group sound with a thrilling blast of energy and, thanks to Ali Howard’s sweet and soulful vocals, a warm emotion that’s missing from the Pipettes’ clinical approach. Lucky Soul also easily trump Duffy’s studied, over-blown and over-sung songs, give Candie Payne a run for her money and provide an indie pop alternative for anyone who’s tired of Amy Winehouse’s antics but still has an affinity for her backwards-looking, soulful style. (And though this might scare off older folks and mystify everyone else, if you close your eyes you can almost hear a Bite-era Altered Images influence, especially in Howard’s voice but also in the lushness of the arrangements.) The group’s 2007 debut album The Great Unwanted was pretty much slept on but it’s possibly the most joyful, pure-est pop album of the year.

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The weather in Chicago today is chilly and cloudy, but you’d never know it based on the sunny sounds of the Windy City’s Allá (pronounced “ayê-ya”). The trio’s globally savvy pop embraces not just their Mexican heritage, but immaculate Swedish pop, Brazilian Tropicalia, Krautrock, and Chicago’s post-rock scene. Singer Lupe Martinez sounds alluring no matter what backdrop brothers Jorge and Angel Ledezma put behind her, whether it’s the languid guitars on “Golpes del Sol” or “Un Dia Otra Noche”’s giddy strings and handclaps. Allá spent four years recording self-financed sessions all over the globe, stopping at musical ports of call including Chicago’s Soma Electronic Studios and Sweden’s Tambourine Studios, where Jorge worked with arranger Patrick Bartosch to get the string and horn sounds that have graced the Cardigans’ and Eggstone’s music.

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At the intersection of alt-country and film noir stands Kira Lynn Cain, whose lavish, shadowy music conjures up all kinds of fanciful comparisons (Mazzy Star meets Ennio Morricone! Julee Cruise meets Calexico!) that describe the outlines of her sound, but not the essence of it. She intended to become a painter before pursuing music, and her vivid imagery gives songs like “White as a Dove” a surreal intensity — which makes sense, since the works of filmmakers such as Luis Buñuel and Maya Deren and writers like Andre Breton made a strong impact on her as a student at the San Francisco Art Institute. Cain learned to write songs by singing her own words over Hank Williams’ chords, giving her music a dreamy déjà vu that remains in “All the Mirrors of the World.” There’s also an innocence and elegance to Cain’s music that feels channeled from the vocal pop of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s that was the soundtrack to her childhood.

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What do you do when your front man leaves the band? If you’re Dan Hawkins, Ed Graham and Richie Edwards, you rearrange your lineup, recruit a friend to fill the gap, change your approach and soldier on. After the departure of Justin Hawkins, the remaining members of The Darkness regrouped to form Stone Gods — former bassist Edwards took over lead vocal and guitar duties, while band friend Toby Macfarlaine stepped in on bass.

The results? A band that’s harder, heavier, and a heck of a lot rowdier. Like fellow hard rockers Wolfmother, Airbourne and Jet, the members of Stone Gods aren’t afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves (AC/DC, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy and Def Leppard, to name a few). The emphasis is on tight rhythms and harmonies, as well as some understated guitar work that nonetheless produces some juicy riffs. Edwards makes a surprisingly capable frontman — his raspy voice and energetic delivery cuts through even the most thunderous tunes and still manages to be suitable for the occasional acoustic interlude. Both can be sampled at the group’s MySpace page, while U.K. residents can get their hands on the band’s first EP starting February 25. A full-length debut album should follow some time this summer.

Sweden’s thriving indie-pop scene has been getting a lot of press for some time now (and for good reason), but bands like Wildbirds & Peacedrums are proof that the country has other amazing sounds to offer. The duo describes itself as “Other/Blues/Pop” on their MySpace page, and they’re not kidding — especially about the “other” part. Singer Mariam Wallentin and her drummer husband Andreas Werliin make music that is purposefully, wonderfully hard to pin down, and a pretty far cry from the delicate indie-folk that their band name suggests.

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Named after an 18th century diplomatic situation that sparked the 1798 Quasi-War between France and the United States, Brooklyn’s XYZ Affair also have a pretty good grasp on musical history. On their self-released debut album A Few More Published Studies, their sound nods to Big Star’s classic power-pop, but on the rowdy-yet-vulnerable “All My Friends,” the band sounds uncannily like a more falsetto-happy version of Pinkerton-era Weezer — if Rivers Cuomo threw out his charts and graphs of the perfect pop song, that is. XYZ Affair’s video finesse is also a bit Weezer-esque; while the clip for “All My Friends” isn’t quite in the league of “Buddy Holly,” it also plays on TV nostalgia. The band got cast members from favorite Nickelodeon shows, including Salute Your Shorts‘ Danny Cooksey, The Adventures of Pete & Pete’s Michael Marona, Clarissa Explains it All’s Jason Zimbler and most prominently, Double Dare host Marc Summers, to appear in the video. Childhood memories, soaring choruses, and slime — it doesn’t get much better.

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Rising from the ashes of previous bands, the members of London quintet Sister came together two years ago and set up rehearsal space in an abandoned industrial warehouse. The band is known for both their distinctive sense of style and their mellow, dreamy sound (which has earned them frequent comparisons to the Velvet Underground), but what sets them apart is frontwoman Gemma Banks. As lead vocalist, Banks’ delivery is understated but never delicate;  she exudes a cool confidence rather than base sex appeal. The rest of the band - Alan (guitar), Steve (bass), Jamie (keyboards) and Matt (drums) - does a fine job of showcasing her talents without fading into the background. Sister’s music may be atmospheric, but it commands attention.

Glasgow’s The Royal We were another in the long line of brilliant Scottish pop groups (Hmm … top 5: Orange Juice, the Pastels, Belle & Sebastian, the Vaselines, Wet Wet Wet.). In their short existence, they didn’t do much really. Played some shows, made a couple videos, released a short album. Oh, wait … that should read one hilarious video (for All the Rage) and an amazingly good record. Their self-titled eight-song album doesn’t do anything innovative or groundbreaking, but it does feature some thrillingly energetic performances, instantly memorable songs and the perfect indie pop vocals of transplanted American Jihae Simmons. Check these two songs and see if they get your blood pumping:

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