The Raveonettes - Original Album Classics (2014)

Combining the noisy swells of the Jesus and Mary Chain with melodic elements of '50s rock & roll, Danish duo the Raveonettes are a band tied to the past, sonically and visually, but they're never afraid to give their trademark retro sound a slightly more modern update with new wave synths and hip-hop drum breaks while always staying true to their darkly dangerous vision.

Guitarist Sune Rose Wagner had tried assembling a band for several years, traveling between New York City, Las Vegas, Hollywood, and an island outside of Seattle in his search for like-minded musicians. A longtime fan of Bob Dylan, he also prized the songwriting of Buddy Holly and the harmonies of the Everly Brothers, although it was the lovely dissonance of Sonic Youth and the Jesus and Mary Chain that ultimately motivated Wagner to pursue music professionally. His stay in America didn't exactly pan out, and Wagner returned to Denmark, where he connected with bassist/vocalist Sharin Foo. A fan of the Beatles and the Velvet Underground, Foo had studied qawwali and Hindustani classical music during a six-month stay abroad.