Lemuria – Get Better / 2008 Asian Man / 12 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/lemuria / http://www.asianmanrecords.com / Lemuria excites me. I had little expectations for the band coming out of just looking at the CD, but it really took me sticking the disc into my player and hearing “Pants†to really get behind the act. There is not really a referent to any of the band’s unique style. Two vocalists –…
OST: Bonneville / 2008 Lakeshore / 15 Tracks / http://www.lakeshore-records.com / The style of “Bonneville’s†soundtrack is interesting. The first half of the disc consists of tracks by a number of individuals both famous (Donovan, Amos Lee) and either forgotten or less popular (Chelo, Nick Kershaw). The second half of the disc consists of tracks by Jeff Cardoni, an up and coming composer that has scored things as diverse as…
Nik Freitas – Sun Down / 2008 Team Love / 10 Tracks / http://www.nikfreitas.com / http://www.team-love.com / Freitas has been around for a few years before signing on to Team Love. That means that there are three other albums that individuals can pick up if they like what is happening on “Sun Downâ€: Here’s Laughing At You, Heavy Mellow, and Voicing The Hammers. The first, titular track is an example…
The Wombats – S/T / 2008 Kids in America / 6 Tracks / http://www.thewombats.co.uk /  http://www.thekidsinamerica.net / Man, if there was a band that sounded like the prototypal act that has rocketed up the Popworld charts in the last two years, it would be The Wombats. This is not a bad thing, and the band’s brand of pop-cum-indie rock is really catchy. “Backfire At The Disco†sounds as if it…
Flogging Molly – Float / 2008 SideOneDummy / 11 Tracks / http://www.floggingmolly.com / http://www.sideonedummy.com / “Requiem For A Dying Song†is the first track on “Floatâ€, and it shows that Flogging Molly have taken the years in between 2004’s “Within A Mile of Home†and this album to create songs that are very intricate but still have the same blend of catchy Irish and punk genres. The three and a…
Holy Rolemodel – The Sum of Our Parts / 2006 Self / 11 Tracks / http://www.holyrolemodel.com / “Bleed America†is the first track on “The Sum of Our Partsâ€, and it shows that Holy Rolemodel is a punk act that links together a number of punk sub-genres. There is not a specific set of acts that the band tries to ape, but there is a heavier influence on the band…
Intodown – Brave New World / 2007 Self / 11 Tracks / http://www.intodown.com / Intodown is an act that loves their long tracks. This means that the shortest composition on “Brave new World†is 5 minutes, while the next (the eponymous track) is 7 minutes long. In the middle of the album, there is a 21 minute track. Now, whether the band will succeed or fail is really dependent on…
Great Northern – Sleepy Eepee / 2008 Eenie Meenie / 5 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/greatnorthern / http://www.eeniemeenie.com / Eenie Meenie has tagged this as “The Prequel For Trading Twilight For Daylightâ€, and these five tracks do a damn good job in giving individuals a good idea what Great Northern sounded like from 2003 to 2004. The dreamy brand of indie music that they play is given a rough form here. The…
Quiet Life – Act Natural / 2008 Safety Meeting / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/quietlife / The bluesy rock style that Quiet Life starts off their “Act Natural†with is something that could easily break the band big as soon as the right individuals find the album. It is not only the catchiness of the act that will sell listeners on this album, but their ability to create order in chaos…
Miwa Gemini – This Is How I Found You / 2008 Rock Park / 9 Tracks / http://www.miwagemini.com / “Picnic†is the first track on “This Is How I Found Youâ€, and it shows Miwa Gemini as an individual that really wants to take eir path in light. There is little present on this introductory track that will establish eir as following in a specific musical tradition. If anything, the…
The Lady Tigra – Please Mr. Boom Box / 2007 High Score / 12 Tracks / http://www.theladytigra.com / I really didn’t know what to expect from “Please Mr. Boom Boxâ€, but after hearing it, I would have to say that The Lady Tigra will be the next big rap thing. This means that “I’m Back†plays on the styles of rappers like Lil’ Mama, Gravy Train, and even Fergie. The…
Rose of Jericho – These City Lights / 2008 Self / 9 Tracks / http://www.roseofjericho.com / The Rose of Jericho is a plant that is found in the Middle East; imagine a tumbleweed that can come back to life a number of times. The band Rose of Jericho is a band that has been around since 2002; 2003 saw their debut album, “Applause of Wingsâ€, released. “These City Lights†originally…
Victims of Circumstance – Do It Yourself / 2007 Financial / 13 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/victimsofcircumstance / Victims of Circumstance play a blend of ska/punk that has not really been heard much since the late years of the nineties. This means that the act blends together equal parts The Vandals and Less Than Jake. Despite the fact that the band plays a style of music that is not that common anymore,…
Crisis in Hollywood – Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea / 2008 Financial / 13 Tracks / http://www.crisisinhollywood.com / Crisis in Hollywood consists of a number of members from acts that have all gained some sort of notoriety in their respective region’s music scenes. This means that there are members that spent time in From Adam to Atom, Timebomb, Ask Me Later, and The Staredown. While each of…
Redcast – S/T EP / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/redcast / This Oregon band teases fans with only five tracks on their self-titled EP. The disc’s opening salvo is “Besides Myselfâ€, a track which links together the style of early sixties pop with a contemporary brand of alternative rock. The linkage of these two styles seems odd at first, but Redcast are able to make this union work.…
Russ Glenn – A Brand New Earth / 2007 Self / 12 Tracks / http://www.russglenn.com / If my math is right, this is Glenn’s fifth recording. Glenn started out with “Starshell†and “Evergoldâ€, took the next step up for 2003’s “Unlessâ€, and continued to refine and innovate on 2006’s “Little Birdâ€. In much the same way, Glenn has continued to evolve his unique brand of funk soul, and rock. The…
John Amen – Ridiculous Empire / 2007 Self / 10 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/johnamen / After seeing the front of the cover of “Ridiculous Empireâ€, I was expecting something related to punk, something angry, and something that looked to change things. I was right, but on the last count. The style of music that John Amen plays on his “Ridiculous Empire†plays on the protest music of the sixties. “Harbingers and…
Audiocrash – Time Sensitive Material / 2008 Dirty Garage / 10 Tracks / http://www.audiocrashmusic.com / “My Fault†begins with little more than a guitar softly strumming. The vocals come in soon after, with a sound that blends equal parts current Bon Jovi and Geddy Lee. The style of music that Audiocrash plays is a very time-tested brand of rock music, ultimately current but playing heavily on the classic rock genre.…
Kassin+2 – Furismo / 2008 Luaka Bop / 17 Tracks / http://www.luakabop.com / This is the third album by the +2s (each member of this trio has had an album named after them), and it becomes obvious that the act is hitting on all cylinders. Where we live in a period of song titles that have little to do with the song themselves, the opening salvo (“Tranquiloâ€) perfectly matches the…
The Dodos – Visiter / 2008 Frenchkiss / 14 Tracks / http://www.dodosmusic.net / http://www.frenchkissrecords.com / The Dodos were formally known as Dodo Bird, and signed to Frenchkiss Records a few months ago. “Visiter†is their first album for Frenchkiss, and the disc starts off with “Walkingâ€. “Walking†has a folk backdrop to the instrumentation, while the vocals take a slightly different tack in their alternative grounding. The linking of the…