Lunatic

Kongos' backstory is as eclectic as their music. The Arizona band—comprising the four sons of '70s South African singer/songwriter John Kongos—play an uproarious, densely rhythmic brand of alt-rock accented by accordions, drum circle freakouts, and group vocals. Released to acclaim in South Africa in 2011, their sophomore album, Lunatic, drew the attention of American audiences two years later on the strength of "Come with Me," a raucous tune that sounds like Chumbawamba having a dance-off with The Killers. The rest of the album is similarly adventurous. "Sex on the Radio" has an African highlife groove that morphs into an epic chorus befitting The Strokes; "As We Are" is an uplifting slow jam that evokes Coldplay; "I Want to Know" is reggae, and "It's a Good Life" is a swaggering rock tune that sounds inspired by Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do." Somehow the brothers boil this array of influences into a sound all their own—a boisterous pan-global rock explosion.