band, album: Amish Electric Chair, Straight No Chaser
label: GC records
for fans of: DIY punk rock, Rancid

cd review: Amish Electric Chair is exactly the kind of band I like to promote. They do everything themselves and they do it with pride. Their new CD, Straight No Chaser came with a press sheet that says it sounds like the stuff found on the No Idea and AF records roster, but more than that I think they have a lot of Rancid influence - you know, thick melody, pronounced bass lines, and tough vocals. Read more ....

band, album: Anti-Flag, The People or the Gun
label: SideOneDummy
for fans of: political punk, the Casualties, the Unseen

cd review: Whether you approved or vehemently disapproved of last year's Bright Lights of America, one thing can be said about Anti-Flag's latest release, it's a politically charged punk rock kick in the nads. Read more ....

band, album: Beatnik, This Machine Kills Fascists
label: Ecovox
for fans of: anti-Bush, anti-neoconservativism, anti-war

cd review: It never happens that I find a disc that honestly knows where I'm coming from philosophically. However, Beatnik's This Machine Kills Fascists speaks to me. Granted, it literally speaks - not shouts, but sometimes pens are mightier than swords. Read more ....

band, album: Bolth, If You Want Peace Prepare For Class War
label: Useless World
for fans of: Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, Converge

cd review: On this album you get eleven short clusters of sound that function as highly aggressive hardcore/punk songs. It seems like everything falls under the hardcore moniker these days, but the hardcore/punk influence is obvious as the band lashes out at breakneck speed. Read more ....

band, album: the Bomb, Speed Is Everything
label: No Idea
for fans of: Misson of Burma, Naked Raygun, Fugazi, Joy Division

cd review: I’ve been listening to Mission of Burma lately so I could be way off on this, but to me the Bomb’s Speed Is Everything sounds a lot like M.O.B.’s last proper release, The Sound, The Speed, The Light. When I found out the Bomb features members of Naked Raygun and Big Black I was sold. And with such lineage you can bet these guys have the early 80’s post-punk sound down to a tee. Read more ....

band, album: PJ Bond, You Didn't Know I Was Alphabetical
label: Black Numbers
for fans of: Wilco, Ninja Gun, Bright Eyes

cd review: Genius is a hard thing to measure. I'm pretty sure I'm no genius and if the old saying, "it takes one to know one" is true I'd say PJ Bond aint a genius either. Instead, Bond is just a guy who has done the punk thing, then the indie thing, and has now moved onto the neo-folk/alt country thing. Read more ....

band, album: Boozed, One Mile
label: Chorus of One
for fans of: rock 'n roll, the Dictators, the Ramones, Motorhead

cd review: Back in the day kids in Trans-Ams and customized vans cruised the local strip blaring Deep Purple and Ted Nugent. Read more....

band, album: Balance and Composure, Only Boundaries
label: No Sleep
for fans of: powerful indie rock, La Dispute, DeSoto Jones

cd review: This might be the most mature album I've heard all year; and to think the median age of this band's members is only 19, well it's mind-boggling. Balance and Composure's Only Boundaries proves that volume does not always equate power and force. Read more ....

band, album: Broadway Calls, Good Views Bad News
label: SideOneDummy
for fans of: melodic punk, Green Day, Screeching Weasel

cd review: As of late Green Day has usurped the pop punk spotlight with their latest stunt telling the capitalist world super power Wal-Mart to F-off. However, there are other pop punk bands putting out albums worth mentioning. Read more ....

band, album: Ryan Cain and the Chaotics, Cell Block Blues
label: Wild Hare
for fans of: Ronnie Dawson, Ray Campi, Carl Perkins

cd review: You could have told me this was an obscure roots/country swing band from the 50's whose catalog was just remastered and put onto CD and I'd have believed it. Ryan Cain and the Chaotics take the tried and true hollow body, upright bass, and jazz drums to a new level of sock-hop perfection. Read more ....

band, album: Celan, Halo
label: Exile On Mainstream
for fans of: Tool, Pailhead, Integrity

cd review: The dead flowers and simple font on the sleeve almost landed this album a spot in my “don’t bother” pile, as I usually can’t tolerate most bands with this sort of image. However, one glance at the press sheet told me that would have been a mistake. Read more ....

band, album: Christmas Island, Blackout Summer
label: In the Red
for fans of: garage rock, the Dead Milkmen, Man or Astroman

cd review: The critics have really gone to town comparing this disc to various unnamed 60’s surf bands. However, the loose, jangly guitars, echoed production and rampant lyrical pessimism are a vibrant call back to the Dead Milkmen’s beach-y yet overtly derogatory 1986 release Big Lizard In My Backyard. Read more ....

band, album: the Cold Beat, Dumbwaiter
label: self-released
for fans of: Quagmire punk, the Queers, Samiam, Radon

cd review: Though it's a pretty cool debut release in a Replacements meets Samiam sorta way, what makes Dumbwaiter so appealing (to me at least) is that vocalist Chris Amaral sounds a heck of a lot like Glen Quagmire from Family Guy - giggidy. Read more....

band, album: Combat Crisis, Face the Crowd
label: Concrete Umbrella
for fans of: punk rock, Casualties, Unseen, Anti-Flag

cd review: If the album cover art doesn’t give it away the title and band’s name should. Combat Crisis’ Face the Crowd is undoubtedly a crust punk album, and a decent one at that. Many purists may say that we don’t need another Casualties, Unseen, or Anti-Flag, but when you think about all the goofy, poppy kid-crap that’s spoon-fed to the hungry masses under the moniker “punk rock”, the angry, crusty guys need all the help they can get. Read more ....

band, album: CoCoComa, Things Are Not All Right
label: Goner
for fans of: the Trashmen, the Marked Men, Les Sexareenos

cd review: Originally composed in 1966 by members of the Remains and the Animals in a joint venture called CoCoComa, Things Are Not All Right is the sign of the time for teen angst and the culture it created throughout the decade. Read more ....

band, album: Cooper Black, Drum Head
label: self-released
for fans of: Beck, LeTigre, Gore Gore Girls, White Stripes

cd review: When I heard Walk Out That Door, the first song on this album, it was like a religious experience. That single song filled a long standing void in my life. Read more....

band, album: Damn the Empire, With Trends Like These....
label: Pee
for fans of: Down By Law, H2O, Down To Nothing

cd review: Heart and humor can really make an album stand out. I'm totally sick of the generic metalcore rat race. I remember a time when bands like Suicidal Tendencies and Black Flag could be hardcore, angry about how bad things suck and still have fun. I miss those days. Read more ....

band, album: Daylight, Sinking
label: Get This Right
for fans of: Off With Their Heads, How Dare You, Jawbreaker

cd review: I'm surprised there's not a No Idea or Suburban Home logo on this one. Daylight's Sinking is a five song get in, get out, go home release that is good for a few spins, but might not have enough staying power to make it onto any top ten lists. Read more ....

band, album: Dear Landlord, Dream Homes
label: No Idea
for fans of: punk, Screeching Weasel, Off With Their Heads

cd review: Harmony is when a bunch of stuff sounds good together, and melody is when things sound good lined up in succession. Dear Landlord is a band that knows how to be harmonious and melodious. Read more....

band, album: December Peals, People Have Demons
label: Chorus of One
for fans of: Krum Bums, the Casualties, Black Flag

cd review: It's important to broaden your perspective and experience music from other scenes. I especially like hearing music from other parts of the world. December Peals is a German hard rock band. People Have Demons is the new album and it's an intense ride. Read more ....

band, album: Eddy Current Suppression Ring, self-titled
label: Goner
for fans of: the Stooges, New York Dolls, the Sonics, the Wailers, the Henchmen, the Trashmen, the Early Doors, the 13th Floor Elevators

cd review: Sign in to Pandora and create an MC5, the Sonics, or the Mummies station and you’d be blessed to find anything as garage-tastic as ECSR. If you happen to be a fan of any of the aforementioned bands this murky, sweaty, how low can you go-fi album will make your hands shake and your ears ring in jubilation as the mics crackle and the guitarist hits those open strings. Read more ....

band, album: Exeter, Grey Noise/White Lies
label: Engineer
for fans of: Elliott, Failure, Weezer, Sunny Day Real Estate

cd review: Everyone else calls them space rock so I will too. Truth be told Exeter isn't as much space rock as it is a mellower Elliott or a grittier Weezer for people who are too cool to watch MTV2. Read more ....

band, album: Failures' Union, In What Way
label: Paper + Plastic
for fans of: Lemonheads, Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls

cd review: A few years ago I was at a Dark Romantics / Look Mexico show in Tallahassee. The venue was a tiny hole-in-the-wall that, on a good day, might hold 200 skinny people. However, on this particular night, it was dead: just me, a few friends, and a few strangers. Read more ....

band, album: Flogging Molly, Live At The Greek Theatre CD/DVD
label: SideOneDummy
for fans of: Irish fiddle punk, Dropkick Murphys, The Pogues

cd review: All generic and cliche praise aside, Live At The Greek Theatre showcases this legendary band at their best as they play songs from all of their albums spanning a 90 minute set. The sound quality is good. The performance is probably among their best, featuring warm crowd interaction and astute musicianship. And the videography is great. Read more ....

band, album: Friends of Friends, Deep Search
label: self-released
for fans of: Polar Bear Club, Off With Their Heads

cd review: This disc came highly praised by someone whose opinion I really respect, so my expectations were very high, and I was not disappointed. Friends of Friends is from Tallahassee, but I can tell they are more than familiar with the No Idea catalog and are connoisseurs of the Gainesville sound. Read more ....

band, album: the Gears/ the D.I.s, Rockin’ At Ground Zero and Rare Cuts! – reissue Deluxe Edition
label: Hep Cat
for fans of: punk, the Cramps, the Ramones, the Germs

cd review: Who would have guessed that early L.A. punk paraphernalia would ever become so collectible? Hep Cat Records has reissued two seminal punk albums in one package. Both discs contain piles of bonus material. The Gears Rockin’ At Ground Zero gives you twenty-three ’77 style L.A. punk tunes, including unreleased tracks and demos. Read more ....

band, album: the Hard Luck Heroes, Broken Hearts & Shattered Dreams
label: Deep Eddy
for fans of: street punk, the Briggs, Rancid, Bombshell Rocks

cd review: One of the few genres that is safe from the 'it all sounds the same' complaint is street punk. It's a scene built on high energy and good times, and how could anyone complain about that? Read more ....

band, album: Heavy Hometown, Action Figures
label: Self-Released
for fans of: X, the Velvet Underground, Joy Division

cd review: Some may say it’s scattered or lacks focus, but if you ask me, Heavy Hometown’s debut release, Action Figures isn’t scattered, it’s diverse, and it definitely doesn’t lack focus, it’s based on a dark, gritty low-fi sound similar to Joy Division, the Velvet Underground or X. Read more ....

band, album: Hunters, Run!, EP2
label: Battle Standard
for fans of: Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Gary Numan

cd review: I hope it's not too late for you to get this two-song EP. These little gems are printed in short supply and are intended for collectors. The music is arty and sophisticated, but not pompous. Fans of disco punk or the Talking Heads will probably really like Hunters, Run!'s clean cut sound. Read more ....

band, album: King Khan & BBQ Show, Invisible Girl
label: In The Red
for fans of: No Bunny, Jay Reatard, Black Lips, Les Sexareenos

cd review: My never ending quest for awesome crappy garage rock puts me in touch with some pretty nutty stuff. Recently I got obsessed with Les Sexareenos, thanks to Pandora. This brought me to Mark Sultan's current project, King Khan & BBQ Show. Read more ...

band, album: Krum Bums, Same Old Story EP
label: TKO
for fans of: angry punk, Lower Class Brats, Rancid

cd review: For me Austin is a music hot bed. Krum Bums are an intelligent punk band from Austin whose harsh, realistic and sometimes grim lyrics are offset by the band's overall up-to-the minute and savvy sense of humor. You know all of those things you see on CNN that make you want to scream? Read more ....

band, album: Lipona, Pigeonholed
label: self-released
for fans of: skate punk, JFA, the Faction, Bad Religion

cd review: There was a time when skateboard videos were (out of utter necessity) low budget productions; and the music on those videos was played by low key, usually DIY, punk and hardcore bands who were happy to get their music out to like-minded people, and not just worried about royalties. Read more....

band, album: the Love Kills Theory, Happy Suicide Jim
label: Xemu
for fans of: the Velvet Underground, Beck

cd review: People called the Velvet Underground cynics and the Dead Milkmen pessimists. They called Beck a satirist. All the good labels have been used up, so what do you call the Love Kills Theory? I call it a band that totally reminds me of the Velvet Underground's cynicism, the Dead Milkmen's pessimism, and Beck's satire. If you're the kind of person who goes to parties just to watch the masses make asses of themselves you'll like Happy Suicide Jim. Read more ....

band, album: Mister Neutron, Nor'easter
label: Deep Eddy
for fans of: surf instrumentals, Dick Dale, the Ventures

cd review: This is the album that really makes you appreciate instrumental surf. The musicianship really is out of this world. The guitar picking is so crisp and clean you'd think it was built on a CAD machine. I often look for a hint of rawness in surf music as it emulates the whole 60's experience of tube amps and antiquated equipment. Read more ....

band, album: David Moore, the Hillbilly Stroll
label: Wild Hare
for fans of: Traditional Rockabilly, Ray Campi, Carl Perkins

cd review: Those of you in the roots music loop will know what I mean when I say David Moore has that Sun Records sound. If you're new to rockabilly look no further because David Moore's the Hillbilly Stroll is the perfect starting point to ignite a life long passion for clean, traditional rockabilly music. Read more ....

band, album: Nakatomi Plaza, Ghosts
label: self-released
for fans of: Elliott, At the Drive-In, Pretty Girls Make Graves

cd review: Here's the band and album that makes it all NOT worth it. By 'it' I mean the whole experience of being a music nerd. If only I had been content with the norm, the mainstream, I'd have never gotten to know Nakatomi Plaza and wouldn't feel such a hole in the pit of my stomach now that they have left the scene. Read more ....

band, album: The Nematoads, Five Guns West
label: Deep Eddy
for fans of: surf guitar, The Ventures, Dick Dale

cd review: I have a long standing love affair with surf guitar. I grew up in a house full of flamenco and Latin guitarists and all three styles are built on similar attributes. I recently found Deep Eddy records - the warm, uncrowded beach with the perfect wave breaks of the record industry - and they were kind enough to send me some tunes. Read more ....

band, album: The Neptones, Planet Of Surf
label: Deep Eddy
for fans of: surf instrumentals, Dick Dale, Route 66 Killers

cd review: Planet Of Surf is the quintessential fun surf CD. It conjures up images of everything from beach parties to car commercials to 60's surf-sploitation films. The heavy tremolo and pronounced reverb give the album that traditional surf sound and the steady flowing tempos add that bop and groove that everyone loves. The band also adds some well-placed keyboards and synthesizer effects which helps distinguish spookier the songs, particularly the title track. Read more ....

band, album: Nine Eleven, City of Quartz
label: Chorus of One
for fans of: French hardcore, the Hope Conspiracy, Comeback Kid

cd review: I'm always interested to hear music made in other countries. People tend to be very geo /ethnocentric, and we forget that all cultures have a story to tell. France's Nine Eleven scream their story. Their latest release, City of Quartz is highly melodic and hovers around the artistic hardcore genre more than punk or metal. Read more ....

band, album: No Friends, No Friends
label: No Idea
for fans of: 80's hardcore, Minor Threat, Black Flag, Descendents

cd review: Winner of my coveted, though non-existent, authenticity award, No Friends have pressed the best 80's hardcore inspired album I've heard in years. You can expect two things to happen when you play this disc. Read more ....

band album: North Lincoln, Midwestern Blood
label: No Idea
for fans of: Hot Water Music, Leatherface, Jawbreaker

cd review: When I say North Lincoln is another one of those Hot Water Music bands I really wish you could here the jubilation in my voice. Floridians are proud beyond words of HWM and the Gainesville sound they helped culminate in the working class swamps. Read more....

band, album: Overnight Lows, City Of Rotten Eyes
label: Goner
for fans of: The Queers, The Germs, Circle Jerks

cd review: They've turned sucking into an art form. Overnight Lows makes the kind of music most people don't get. Your mom wont get it, neither will your 'cool' uncle - don't be fooled by that pony tail. But if your friends don't get it you need new friends. The concepts of clean chord changes, singing on key, and writing meaningful lyrics are completely foreign to this band, and they rock because of it. Read more ....

band, album: Paper The Operator, Goodbye God
label: Viper Bite
for fans of: Death Cab For Cutie, Child Bite, Prizzy Prizzy Please

cd review: It sounds like Paper The Operator is pushing for a spot on the Joyful Noise roster. On Goodbye God the band takes a crack at the arbitrary and moody sound exemplified by many Indiana bands - I love that sound. It's not that they miss the mark; actually they come quite close to a bull's eye, but they could be more angular and aggressive. Read more ....

band, album: the Plurals, Whatever's Forever
label: Bermuda Mohawk/Good Time Gang
for fans of: Sonic Youth meets the Pixies, meets Mudhoney

cd review: Kudos to this trio for getting a disc in the mail to me. Postage aint free and neither are discs. This is exactly the kind of band you should be supporting when their van pulls into your town. 90's guy/girl alternative vocal rock is an endangered species. Which makes the Plurals a dying breed. No doubt influenced by the Pixies, the Breeders, Sonic Youth, and probably Nirvana, the Plurals experiment with all types of punk, grunge and rock 'n roll on this ten song CD. Read more ....

band, album: Chuck Ragan, Gold Country
label: SideOneDummy
for fans of: folk punk, Hot Water Music, Bob Dylan

cd review: It was once the “Hot Water Music” sound. Then it became the “Gainesville” sound. Shortly after that the progenitors of that sound went their separate ways. Former HWM front man Chuck Ragan has now established the “Chuck Ragan” sound, and it is captured in its purest form on Gold Country, Ragan’s second proper release on SideOneDummy. Read more ....

band, album: Reaching Hands, Threshold
label: Chorus of One
for fans of: Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Minor Threat

cd review: Reaching Hands is a traditional hardcore band from Portugal. Their loud and fast repertoire can be likened to Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, and Minor Threat. Similar to their predecessors, Reaching Hands' music is heavily influenced by early punk styling. Read more....

band, album: Red Collar, Pilgrim
label: self-released
for fans of: post-hardcore, Fugazi, the Casting Out, the Walkmen

cd review: Nearly every review on the web likens this band to Bruce Springsteen and Fugazi, and there's a reason for this. The high energy, working class anthems contained within the shouted lyrics have Springsteen written all over them. Read more....

band, album: Reigning Sound, Love and Curses
label: In the Red
for fans of: garage revival, the Oblivians, the Sonics

cd review: It's hard to talk about Reigning Sound without a complete history lesson. But, you didn't click on my site for a history lesson, so get ready for the here and now of Reigning Sound's Love and Curses. Raunchy garage rock may not be your cup of tea. And while Love and Curses is definitely of the garage breed, it features minimum raunch. Read more ....

band, album: Remain Opposed, Time Waits For No One
label: Pee
for fans of: Ignite, Strung Out, Comeback Kid

cd review: This Australian quartet has a lot of punk rock virtue that could be mistaken for lots of novice mistakes. By that I mean, in true punk fashion, they throw care to the wind and lay their music out with rapid fire aggression giving little thought to staying on key or keeping perfect time. It's not an insult, an entire genre and several generations are built on this foundation. Read more ....

band, album: the Reveling, 3D Radio
label: self released
for fans of: Working class melodic hardcore, the Gaslight Anthem

cd review: The middle class is dwindling away, however, music made for this dying species is on the rise. Maybe we're all just slumming it, or maybe we've realized that the middle class really knows how to rock. Read more ....

band, album: Reverned Deadeye, Turn Or Burn
label: self released
for fans of: Scott H. Biram, Hasil Adkins, Reverend Beat Man

cd review: I think most people will be instantly repulsed by this disc, but for me it's hard to resist an album that comes with a hand written label, no press sheet, and crusty sepia cover art. All superficiality aside (it's what's inside that counts, right?) Reverend Deadeye might end up being a long term favorite of mine. Read more ....

band, album: the Riverwinds, self-titled
label: self released
for fans of: rock, Bryan Adams, Tom Petty, the Replacements,

cd review: The earthy tones and Americana imagery of the cover are a good indicator of what's inside. The Riverwinds get out there and just flat out ask it: does anyone still listen to regular rock 'n roll? And rather than wait for an answer they show you what rock 'n roll is all about. Read more ....

band, album: Rooms, Self-Titled
label: self-released
for fans of: Sounds Like Violence, Television, At The Drive In

cd review: So good it's almost hard to write a review for it, Rooms' s/t reminds me of a less aggressive Sounds Like Violence or early History Invades. These nine songs are intricate, moody, dark, and poppy, showing the band is aware of new wave, but, thanks to their suave modernity, don't exactly fit into the genre. Read more ....

band, album: Shark Speed, Sea Sick Music
label: self-released
for fans of: Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Moving Units

cd review: There was a time when my iPod was at least 50% dance punk, disco punk, and electro-clash; and Sea Sick Music would have definitely made it into the mix. The jumpy, tight pseudo Brit pop vocals, rapid hi-hats, and dance-able rhythms are all spot on. Read more....

band, album: Snack Truck, Spacial Findings 1-7
label: Rorschach
for fans of: Stationary Odyssey, Irepress, Scale The Summit

cd review: Birthed in Richmond, VA right around the time I was living there, I'm sorry I never got to see Snack Truck on their home turf. From what I hear (both from witnesses and from the CD) these fellas put on a must see show. Using two drummers, a guitar, keyboard, and some random sounds (but no vocals) Snack Truck is a noisy creature and Spacial Findings 1-7 does a great job of showing it. Read more ....

band, album: the Sorely Trying Days, Survival Mode
label: Useless World
for fans of: punk/metal, Andrew WK, Black Flag, Crass

cd review: Like going "all-in" with nothing more than a pair of 2's, the Sorely Trying Days is a risky bet. They blend happy hardcore energy with crusty Black Flag punk and some basic heavy metal elements to create a sound that is really hard to describe, but pretty easy to get into. Read more....

band, album: the Spits, IV
label: Recess
for fans of: the Ramones, the Mummies, the Misfits

cd review: Shove an extension cord up Joey Ramone's corpse's butt, dump a vile of radioactive nuclear waste down his throat, hook him up to an old boom box, program it to sing along to the Sha Na Na soundtrack and there you have it, the Spits, IV. Read more ....

band, album: Stationary Odyssey, Sons of Boy
label: Joyful Noise
for fans of: art rock instrumentals, Irepress, Scale the Summit

cd review: If genius rednecks built a trailer park on the moon, Stationary Odyssey's Sons of Boy would be to moon buggies what Skynyrd's self-titled is to Camaros here on Earth. In 2006 Stationary Odyssey changed the way I think about bands without singers. Read more ....

band, album: the Takers, Taker Easy
label: Suburban Home
for fans of: 70's country Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard

cd review: It was Waylon Jennings who first gave the snare drum a prominent role in country music. Fast-forward a couple generations and outlaw/traditional country music has a completely distinct sound thanks to a slew of prominent instruments. Read more ....

band, album: Title Fight,The Last Thing You Forget
label: Run For Cover
for fans of: pop punk-ish hardcore, Transit, Jumpercable

cd review: Variety is nice. You can get this one as a full length CD or a condensed, three-song 7-inch. The small record is packed with melodic hardcore ala throaty vocals, shredding guitars, and fast drumming. The CD contains the same three songs plus one new one AND eight of the band's previously released tracks. Read more ....

band, album: George Tomsco of the Fireballs, Harlee Guitar
label: Deep Eddy
for fans of: real surf, The Eliminators, The Ventures

cd review: Surf guitar, in my opinion, is the most all around enjoyable style of music out there. It doesn't matter if you're playing or listening, the tremolo and reverb coupled with those cool D to G string jumps are simultaneously relaxing and exhilarating. Read more ....

band, album: Transit, Stay Home EP
label: Run For Cover
for fans of: Lifetime, How Dare You, Polar Bear Club

cd review: You'll probably hear the words "emotional hardcore" tossed around in reference to Transit, and that's okay, don't be scared. While they exhibit some of the attributes of the genre they don't suck like Taking Back Sunday and I'm pretty sure they don't wear eyeliner or girls' pants. Read more....

band, album: Tubers, Anachronous
label: No Idea
for fans of: Fugazi, Rite of Spring, History Invades

cd review: An album that is stripped to the bone and full of noise, it's like 13 Songs all over again. Sometimes I feel like I compare everything to Fugazi, but they're an awesome band whose impact on modern music is immeasurable. I think Tubers could be equally awesome if they keep it up - Read more ....

band, album: V/A, Better than the Average Weekend
label: Deep Eddy
for fans of: surf guitar, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet

cd review: This one isn't new, but it's gotten better with age so I'm doing my part to keep the vibe alive. Best known for their Kids in the Hall TV series theme song, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet have made some of the most fun music ever. Read more ....

band, album: Water & Bodies, Self-Titled
label: Rain City
for fans of: Death Cab for Cutie, Gracer, Unicorns Desoto Jones

cd review: Recorded live in 100% real time with real voices and real instruments, Water & Bodies has released an atmospheric, indie masterpiece. These six songs are grandiose in nature with the power of a thousand suns. Read more....

band, album: Dan Webb and the Spiders, self-titled
label: self-released
for fans of: the Cold Beat, Dinosaur Jr, the Modern Lovers

cd review: These guys are a little off key, but I think it's intentional. The Lo-fi production, overlapped vocals, and simple constructions should appeal to fans of 80's underground punk like Richard Hell, the New York Dolls, Lou Reed, and early Dinosaur Jr - with the exception of the mediocre guitar work. Read more ....

band, album: Doug and Telisha Williams, Ghost of the Knoxville Girl
label: No Evil
for fans of: American roots music, Patsy Cline, Justin Townes Earle

cd review: This CD has got my 2010 off to a great start. Doug and Telisha Williams play American roots music that relies on tradition without ignoring modernity. Accompaniments such as slide guitar and upright bass combine nicely with the timbre of Telisha's warm voice. Read more ....

band, album: Worn In Red, In The Offing
label: No Idea
for fans of: The Esoteric, Planes Mistaken For Stars

cd review: Yet another VA band makes the list. Worn In Red hails from my old haunt, Charlottesville. The press sheet and various blogs pin them down with a comparison to Planes Mistaken For Stars, but I'm totally hearing the Esoteric's With The Sureness Of Sleepwalking all over this album. Read more ....