Magik Markers

From the clatter of the White Stripes to the dream-pop of Beach House, there have been plenty of duos to please divergent tastes. Perhaps the appeal of the twofer is that it requires a minimalism that mothers interesting combinations, and the Magik Markers are no different. “Axis Mundi” tears Boss open with a tea kettle-hiss of feedback, affirming the group’s noise pedigree. The shifting rhythm of drummer Pete Nolan and Elisa Ambrogio’s barbed guitar reveal a newfound ease with free-flowing grooves. Thus, Magik Markers stand out from the crowd of Sonic Youth conscripts by delivering an album that marbles its clang with sweet spots. They synthesize an astral storm (“Pat Garrett”), burn down a bush of ghosts (“Circle”) and jingle modestly (“Empty Bottles”) with piano and glockenspiel. Perhaps the band’s name is less about Sharpies and more about mapping paranormal activity—because Boss is a small atlas of wonderful weirdness.