Thanks to Tony Garnier on electric bass and Tony Scherr on upright, Sam Beam’s lo-fi indie-folk writing style has evolved to include a broader reach of genres.

On their sixth album, the Wood Brothers move well beyond their folk–country roots and break into Americana/indie-rock territory.

With their seventh album, Portland’s Decemberists shift away from folk to focus on indie rock.

Beck’s laid-back and melodic 12th studio album features warm bass tones and mellow grooves provided by longtime collaborator Justin Meldal-Johnsen, the great Stanley Clarke (upright and electric), Bram Inscore, and Beck himself.

L.A. indie-folk quartet Dawes goes in for gentle, singer-songwriter anthems on its latest album, but that doesn’t stop Wylie Gelber from putting rolling lines and superbly round tones underneath uptempo numbers like “Don’t Send Me Away” and “I Can’t Think About It Now.”

You might think that after 11 albums, Tom Araya and the men of Slayer might finally take a breather and settle for some slower tempos or easier riff work, but on Repentless, they’re still just as relentless as ever.

After taking a brief moment away from the band, original bassist Josh Paul returns to supply the bass on Daughtry’s most Southern/ folk-influenced album yet.

The quartet of Columbia alumni continues to mature, trading Afrobeat flavors for indie ballads and introspective ’70s-style songwriting.