Someone has to lift cynical kids' spirits and shake their asses, and it may as well be The Gossip. Beth Ditto's soul shoutin' has always been fiercely potent, but blues swagger and esteem-boosting cliches go only so far, and for all her lusty bragging, her trio's frenzied musical monotony's been better suited to sweaty live shows than bedroom listening. Where they used to make crowds move through unrelieved pummeling, Standing in the Way of Control (Kill Rock Stars), their third album, mixes things up. New drummer Hannah Blilie brings disco beats to the title track and "Yr Mangled Heart," while Ditto turns up the torch and tones down the sass for "Coal to Diamonds" and "Dark Lines." And given their taut cover of Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?" — you can find it on the GSSP RMX EP or just cherrypick it from their MySpace page — they could ditch the samey lyrics and make a second career out of queering R&B hits, confusing the hell out of aging riot grrrls and pop freaks alike. Labelmates Erase Errata (pictured), on the other hand, aren't here to raise anyone's spirits. After a pair of spazzy full-lengths, Nightlife burns with the unease of disarmed citizens. With guitarist Sara Jaffe's departure, the rejiggered trio is streamlined in every way: The mix is clearer, the percussion sharper, guitarist Jenny Hoysten's voice louder and her lyrics more straightforward. No amount of crazy cowbell can blunt the political jab of "Tax Dollar." Like the sages say: Shake the asses, and the minds will follow.