Since Bloc Party burst upon the U.K. scene in 2005 with Silent Alarm, singer/guitarist Kele Okereke’s lyrics have resonated with a generation of punters. Though his shy, introspective demeanor has purposefully put him in a protective cacoon, he’s one of the few writers to be able to meld elements of dance music into angst-ridden indie music. So far 2010 has been a momentaneous year for Okereke—he more or less came out, appeared on Tiësto’s Kaleidoscope, and after seven years with Bloc Party, embarked on his ambitious dance-focused solo debut, The Boxer, as the band went on hiatus. Is it going to be a knockout?

Also inside: Empire of the Sun preview their upcoming U.S. dates, Holy Ghost! keep live dance music alive, Tracey Thorn muses about life in your ’40s (it’s not as depressing as it sounds), The Glitch Mob discuss their flawless debut album, Orbital reunite and affirm that they aren’t fond of record labels, and Junior Vasquez tells how he kicked his addiction to meth. Plus, lots more!

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