This has been a resurgent year for New Orleans indie rock, which is as strong as it has been in a long time. Park the Van Records moved back to town, the New Orleans Indie Rock Collective has been active promoting the bands and organizing festivals to help get the Generationals, MyNameIsJohnMichael, Caddywhompus, Big Rock Candy Mountain and host of other deserving bands in front of larger audiences.

With that in mind, it’s a pleasant surprise to find that, as we surveyed the releases of 20...