THE BLACKBURNS Alternative Rock (Sell the Heart / Discount Cemetery) — The Philadelphia-based band the Blackburns are determined to bring back the killer power-pop hook. That’s the unavoidable conclusion to draw after a few spins of their new album, Alternative Rock. They would have been clamlike in their happiness had it been Sugar’s Copper Blue rather than Nirvana’s Nevermind that set the alternative agenda for the couple of decades that follow. The nostalgia for the near misses of days gone by surfaces a fair amount on the record. It’s in the tally of tape-renting personnel in the song “Video Den (VHS Version)” and also there in the affectionately amusing “A Reunion Show” (“We got the OG lineup, all the guys and the lady/ The one who had to quit when she had a baby/ But now the kid’s nineteen so they’re good to go/ They can all commit to the reunion show.”) There’s a joyfulness to the whole affair. When the Blackburns evoke their forebears —”ASM KoP” sounds like if Fountains of Wayne took a crack at sounding like R.E.M., and “Two People Running in the Rain” would make a fine addition to the Long Ryders catalog — there’s a sense of eager camaraderie. The Blackburns make it seem like banging out music is the best dang thing in the whole wide world. In addition to the tracks already mentioned, explore these sound alternatives: “Chances on Love,” “Hate the Weekend,” and “Thousands of Doves.”

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER I’m People (Chrysalis) — There’s a true troubadour spirit to Hiss Golden Messenger. Now that M.C. Taylor has reached a tidy dozen album with the release of I’m People, there’s no reason to doubt his earnestness as he croons songs about living his way through this mighty, messy existence. He makes his observations, trusting that his trusty guitar and amp will send the message echoing. There’s a reason the cover to the new album is a simple portrait of him and the tools of his trade. It’s hard not to think of his kinship to likeminded predecessors. “In the Middle of It” calls to mind Bruce Cockburn, and “Mercy Ave” is like Bob Dylan circa Empire Burlesque. The material is crisply produced without ever sounded too slick. He might opt for some tidy rock churn (“Last Orders”) or a languid ballad (“Alright and Then Some”) or anything in between. Regardless of the path traveled, Hiss Golden Messenger is ambling with his shoulders squared and his chin held high. Populate the playlist with the following: “Shaky Eyes,” “Gabriel,” and “Depends on the River.”