The IR dynamics of effective holographic theories capturing the interplay between charge density and the leading relevant scalar operator at strong coupling are analyzed. Such theories are parameterized by two real exponents $(gamma,delta)$ that control the IR dynamics. By studying the thermodynamics, spectra and conductivities of several classes of charged dilatonic black hole solutions that include the charge density back reaction fully, the landscape of such theories in view of condensed matter applications is characterized. Several regions of the $(gamma,delta)$ plane can be excluded as the extremal solutions have unacceptable singularities. The classical solutions have generically zero entropy at zero temperature, except when $gamma=delta$ where the entropy at extremality is finite. The general scaling of DC resistivity with temperature at low temperature, and AC conductivity at low frequency and temperature across the whole $(gamma,delta)$ plane, is found. There is a codimension-one region where the DC resistivity is linear in the temperature. For massive carriers, it is shown that when the scalar operator is not the dilaton, the DC resistivity scales as the heat capacity (and entropy) for planar (3d) systems. Regions are identified where the theory at finite density is a Mott-like insulator at T=0. We also find that at low enough temperatures the entropy due to the charge carriers is generically larger than at zero charge density.
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