Charlotte Sometimes

 Charlotte Sometimes actually copped her name from a British kids' book about time travel, not the Cure song. But the Cure is a telling reference: The NYC songwriter and her band possess a vintage, pre-alternative sensibility, but with a thoroughly contemporary indie vibe. Charlotte sings in a breathy warble with a perky delivery that offsets her dark lyrics. "How I Could Kill a Man" — not to be confused with the Cypress Hill song, though it does make passing reference to the rap classic — finds her vulnerable, pissed and clever. Imagine the Cardigans, but with dance beats and more keyboards.