The Apples in Stereo / The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone / spinART As he flew onward, the butterfly reminisced about the first time he had heard The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone. He remembered its Beatles-esque melodies, free-flowing harmonies and fuzzy guitar blasts. He thought about how different its crunchy chords were from the Apples’ previous two full lengths, which for the most part contained slice after slice of clean, yet insanely catchy and melodic Beach Boys-inspired pop...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Cash Audio / Green Bullet / Touch and Go Green Bullet is one ferocious howler of an album -- one of those rare discs that sounds loud at any volume. Humphrey dishes out the riffs while alternating between strangulated madman howls and twisted Elvis crooning. Giampino batters the skins into whimpering submission and Passow rips out the sort of down-and-dirty harp runs that'll send you off in search of whiskey...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Chicago Underground Duo / Synesthesia / Thrill Jockey I swear this is not a normal Thrill Jockey release. There are no sections -- not even in the lengthy "Blue Sparks From Her..." -- where the music is appreciated more for its craftsmanship or intellectual rigor than for the emotions the music evokes. There are emotions swirling through pieces like "Red Gradations" that would make any artist, from Sonny Rollins to Dot Allison, jealous...more»
		Christine Fellows / 2 Little Birds / Endearing Fellows sings in a rough alto reminiscent of Edie Brickell, but instead of surrounding herself with bohemian philosophy she dresses herself in dark folk. Scattered minor-key piano lines and quietly-plucked guitar add to the majestic space of the songs, while sparingly-used drumming serves to underscore the emotions rather than propel the songs...more»
		Seven Storey Mountain / Based on a True Story / Deep Elm What's immediately apparent and remarkably impressive about Based On a True Story is its crafty application of various tempo changes. The opening track, "So Soon," throttles a steady stream of punk energy into the guitar, bass and drums, then discharges it as a hook ridden, masterful display of fear inducing, controlled mayhem...more»
		Some of the Quiet / The Metamorphosis / IvyStone The tracks range from pure mood ("Shining in the Wet") to still-subdued-but-almost-pop songs like "Quarter Age", the latter of which could pass for an Erasure tune played at half-speed if not for its deadly earnest angst. It's actually my favorite song here, specifically because of this pop/angst duality...more»
		Starmarket / Four Hours Light / Deep Elm The most powerful weapon in Starmarket's arsenal is vocalist Frederik Brandstrom's tendency to sound like a nasally-impaired Bob Mould. This might not sound like much, but by invoking Sugar (as opposed to Hüsker Dü), Brandstrom seems like more than just another skinny kid with a guitar...more»
		Trembling Blue Stars / Broken By Whispers / Sub Pop On each of the three full-length TBS records, a song deals with the broken heart Annemari has given Bobby. That Annemari continues to work with Bobby seems a bit weird, but I think it means the songs are less autobiographical than fans often assume: his lyrics should not be seen as ongoing diaries, but as tales of an area he has mulled over for the sake of his songs...more»
		Two Ton Boa / Self-Titled / Kill Rock Stars Trashier than Garbage, Sherry Fraser, the singer/songwriter/bassist behind Two Ton Boa's freakshow grunge act, sports a bleach job with lots of roots, a ton of black eyeliner and a sultry pout. She has a lighthearted and playful lyrical gift. On top of that she has a killer voice -- scary, sweet and mysterious, all at the same time...more»
		Esther Valentine / Can't Watch Yourself Dance / MadamRex, Ink The disc's most intriguing songs are its bookends. The title track hints at folk-classical structure, with a sprightly flute melody front and center. Fans of Loreena McKennitt will most likely be drawn to Valentine on the strength of "Can't Watch Yourself Dance," and the traditional multi-part ayre "If My Complaints Your Passions Move" will close the deal...more»