After a manic flood of solo releases, L.A. compulsive Ariel Pink now has the band to make sense of it all. New LP Before Today (4AD) is still heavy on the 1970s soft-rock wah-wah, while the hard edges of his previous work have been softened, making for his most accessible album yet. Memphis’ Magic Kids and L.A.’s Puro Instinct open. – Audra Schroeder