Aaron Bennett / Live at Luggage / ADB Sound Since jazz has graced our presence for several more decades than rock, it's an even heftier burden to break new ground in a scene that has already seen the likes of Coleman, Kirk, Rollins and Borbetomagus. On this live recording, Bennett, sax in hand, blasts away at the Luggage Store Gallery, with newfangled results. Bennett's bold jazz gestures apply strong improvisation along with commanding control over an instrument that has seen few true masters in the course of its history...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Garageland / Do What You Want / Food Chain Garageland don't sound anything at all like a band that just emerged from the cluttered, oil-stained floors of their namesake. In fact, they come from the past, combining a blast of synth-pop urgency from the early days of the new wave eighties with the uplifting guitar-twirl of the sixties. The interesting thing about Do What You Want, recorded in Neil Finn's home studio, is how the sound of a thousand songs from the past, stretching all the way back to the earnest ballads of the fifties, is glossily updated for the present moment...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Underwater / This is Not a Film / Submarine Despite the band's protestations, This is not a Film is a richly cinematic album brimming with lush trip-hop wrapped in a dark gothic overcoat. The natural entry point into the band's sound is Melissa Mileski's voice. Mileski sings with a throaty alto. Her sound often contains a dispirited sense of collapse which invokes a languid torch singer in a post-modern cabaret. With her lyrics barely enunciated, the words themselves take a backseat to her enthralling series of moans and sustained cries...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Air Formation / Self-Titled / Drive-In At their best, on "All is Fine," Air Formation sound like the kid siblings of The Jesus and Mary Chain. There's none of Psychocandy's sarcastic bite, but the band's cacophony is quite attractive nonetheless. Suggesting a less dreamy, less concise Kitchens Of Distinction, "All is Fine" soars along at a steady, fine pace. It's quite easy to let your mind float along with the music and forget about the stresses of modern life; the song's aggressive underpinnings simply add substance and texture...more»
		Biowire / Disparation / Kindercore/EWB "Antibiosys" creates certain expectations for the rest of the album: you anticipate attitude, edginess, alienation and general skeeviness. It's a grab for your throat and your attention that (mercifully) slows down later in the album as the artist, Jason Crosse, relents in his assault on your ears and examines other styles. A laid back, more ethereal and dark urban feel overtakes Disparation by the third track, and a listener would be more inclined to recline than dance for most of the tracks that follow...more»
		The Black Halos / The Violent Years / Sub Pop You won’t find any lame ballads or pseudo-rap posturing on The Violent Years. Instead, you'll find an album that positively breathes fire from start to finish. While the ubiquitous Marilyn Manson has recently been quoted as saying, none too originally, that Rock is Dead, his words were apparently lost on these boys. Instead of buying into the idea that the indestructible rock star is dead, The Black Halos have chosen to revel in all the glory and excess that their given profession has to offer...more»
		Brando / The Headless Horseman is a Preacher / Smokeylung Derek Richey's vocals are a perfect match for Brando's version of darker indie-pop. Some songs ("Theories of Division") have a dreamy Galaxie 500 feel; in fact, Richey's vocals sometimes sound like Dean Wareham in his pre-Luna days. Other tracks have a Davie Bowie-influenced tinge -- particularly the Morrissey penned "Death of a Disco Dancer". However, Brando should in no way be confused with a group of musicians so overwhelmed by their influences that they never develop their own sound...more»
		The California Oranges / Self-Titled / Darla For indiepop fans, this is definitely music done right -- the lyrics are smart, the instruments well-played and not a single note resorts to gimmickry. The album opens and closes with nostalgia-laden numbers about John Hughes and Olivia Newton-John, but don't worry. This band does not look back with that kind of amused grin which inspires short-lived appreciation. Instead, the subjects are tackled in a gorgeously realistic manner, whereby these nostalgic leanings are approached with the tenderness of a Truffaut...more»
		Steve Fisk / 999 Levels of Undo / Sub Pop Fisk's early "solo" sonic explorations were rooted in the cut-and-paste aesthetic, and digital production methods allow him, as the title implies, an almost infinite amount of control over his raw materials. Here, he takes archaic keyboard atmospheres and samples, adds the performances of a handful of guest musicians and vocalists, dices the whole mess down -- sometimes to an almost molecular level -- and begins to reassemble...more»
		The Kiss Offs / Rock Bottom / Peek-A-Boo Rock Bottom wisely doesn't dick with the band's trademark sound. The guitars are still sharp and blustery, their rough-edged, feedback-laden riffs melding well with the Hammond-style drone of the keyboards. More importantly, the dual vocals are as disaffected as ever; Katey Jones' flatly dispassionate, half-spoken delivery teeters on the edge of no-wave, suggesting a slightly friendlier Romeo Void, while Phillip Niemeyer smarms through his lyrics like a salacious rent boy...more»
		The Shut-Ups / Self-Titled / Lookit Mee I think that the music here is quite clever, witty and inspired -- but to be honest, I also find it to be more than mildly annoying! The opening "Go Daddy Go (Get Real Old)" is a great example of what you'll find. With vocals stylings that could, in an alternate universe, imply a pubescent version of The Chipmunks, the song mixes super guitar pop sensibilities with quirky lyrics like "Take the wrinkles from your soul and apply them to your face (age Mommy age!)". The song clocks in at a concise 55 seconds...more»
		Stars / Nightsongs / Le Grand Magistery Before I get too starry-eyed, I should say that Stars aren't exactly musical trailblazers; this sort of gentle, low-key electronica with pretty voices on top has been around for a while now, and Stars haven't really added anything new to the genre. That said, they are really good at putting together skittery beats, atmospheric synths and breathy boy/girl vocals. Not only that, but they've also managed to crank out an entire disc's worth of instantly memorable choruses, which is pretty impressive...more»