Seems like Scotland is just pumping out the hit makers lately, doesn’t it? And if you’re looking for something catchy, quirky and amusing, look no further than Please Describe Yourself. Sounding very much like XTC meets Joe Boxer, Dogs Die In Hot Cars have attracted a lot of attention since charging out of Glasgow, Scotland. But I have to wonder, of the recent exports, which of these super-hot Scots will end up as flashes in the pan, and who will fade into random kitschy status? Terminally catchy and ska-infused, “I Love You ‘Cause I Have To” starts out the album on a super-high note. This is followed by “Modern Woman,” which is more of a straight rock song, but lacks a lot of the pizzazz of the more quirky songs. It sounds like they just try to pack too many lyrics into such a tight beat, and the result is more awkward than artistic. Everyone seems to be in love with “Celebrity Sanctum.” Well, everyone but me. Maybe it’s just that lead singer Craig Macintosh’s vocals are bordering on being too nasally on this track. Maybe it’s because as a female, a song that does little more than hail the attributes of various modern screen actresses kind of bores me. Either way, it’s not really my cup of tea. There are some slower moments on Please Describe Yourself as well. “Somewhat Off the Way” slows it down a lot, but is, again, kind of dull musically, and no amount of digital manipulation and added effects is going to help it I’m afraid. Listen, the fact is that where this band really shines is in their hyper, up-tempo quick cuts. Case in point, “Lounger” is my favorite song on the record. It’s just more fun to bounce along with Dogs Die In Hot Cars than it is to contemplate heavy things, so my advice would be for them to stick to that. Go with your ska influences; lean a little less on trying to sound like XTC (“Apples and Oranges” is just too much) and ride the wave of success you are currently enjoying. It’s all good for you right now. Take it as far as it will go. [www.dogsdieinhotcars.com]

Admittedly, I’m not an Ocean Blue aficionado. I went to my friends who are for help on some questions that I had, namely, what is the difference between the music on the EP Waterworks released in November of this year and The Ocean Blue I remember Dave Kendall hailing on 120 Minutes? It turns out that one major difference is the direction the band has been taking in recent years toward a more pop sound. Not silly, vapid pop, but catchy, nicely crafted and thoughtful pop. Sounds like an odd thing to say, but trust me on this one. Minor education aside, I feel, in a way, lucky to not have an extensive background in the band because it means that I can take this release on its own and experience it as its own entity instead of part of a tradition or history. Some of you may balk, and that’s your right. The EP opens up with a beautiful instrumental by founder and singer David Schelzel entitled “Fast Forward Reverse.” It has a poignant feel to it that alludes to the deeply sentimental tone of the rest of the songs. This flows effortlessly into “Pedestrian,” another Schelzel masterpiece. The chorus, “If you don’t come quickly/If you don’t come too/I’ll be gone,” again follows Waterworks’s melancholic and thoughtful theme. I’m not as fond of “Golden Gate” or “The Northern Jetstream.” “Golden Gate” is just a bit too hippy for my current tastes. I do like the occasional strong bass drum in the background though. “The Northern Jetstream,” an instrumental from Oed Ronne, who joined officially in 1994, is nice, but the “doo-doo-doo-doos” just drag on a little long. By far, the highlights on Waterworks for me are “Ticket to Wyoming” and “Sunshower,” both by Ronne. I first heard the former on a comp that one of my friends put up. I was captured immediately by Oed’s deep, silky voice and the perfectly arranged melodies and changes. The man’s voice is clear as a bell. “Sunshower” is my favorite song though. It’s a deceptively up-tempo song that weaves lyrics together in a seamless and breathtaking undulating pattern. “Roof top and I can’t stop/the rhythm of the raindrops/that mingle with my tears./Orange glow, the radio reminds me/you’re not here.” For a band to still be producing impressive music after nearly two decades is a testament to the talent that started The Ocean Blue and to the talent that has joined along the way. I am impressed by the musicianship and the lyrics. And I am more than a little ashamed that I haven’t been a fan all along. [www.theoceanblue.com]

Do you like Sub Pop artists? Great. Do you listen to Wilco because all your hipster friends do? Fantastic. Did you totally start loving the Shins after seeing the movie Garden State three times? Excellent. If this describes you, Rogue Wave is a band that has been genetically designed for your enjoyment. The harmonized vocals, careful acoustic guitars (especially on “Seasick on Land”) make it hard for Rogue Wave not to be cast off as a poor man’s version of their more mainstream labelmates, the Shins. Of course, sounding like the Shins is not a put down. Really, the most striking thing about Out of the Shadow is its blatant unremarkableness. Sure, these days it is hard to find honest music with pleasant chord changes, thoughtful lyrics and a pleasant hook, but I think we will sooner find this album in triplicate in a used cd store than on a year-end best-of list. [www.roguewavemusic.com]

I am not even sure there are enough people who call themselves hardcore Sahara Hotnights fans that I could count on both hands. Luckily, I am proud to call myself one, so I waited in great anticipation for Kiss & Tell to come out. I fell in love with the Swedish, all-female band after their second album Jennie Bomb was released in the US. It had great hooks and solid rock songs with immense energy I had not heard in a long time. I then picked up their first album C’mon Let’s Pretend to see a pop-influenced tour de force of great choruses that were both sing-along, simplistic, but not insulting to the seasoned rock-enthusiast. One of the things I immediately loved about Sahara Hotnights was that they were all female, and although it certainly added to the appeal, they didn’t use it as their “gimmick” to mask other musical unsophistication [cough]The Donnas[cough]. On Kiss & Tell, however, they begin to fall dangerously close to the line separating a great band and great kitsch. They sound more This-is-the-girl-rock-band-playing-at-my-sweet-sixteen than an established band with strong musical skill. Even the titles (the opener “Who Do You Dance For?”) suggest a sort of easy way out. If it is possible, the women seem to have lost the spirit and angst behind the other albums; the tracks sound dangerously similar and half assed. Perhaps they are going for a wider appeal or are jumping on the bandwagon of eighties-redux (i.e., The Killers, Stelllastarr*). As a self-declared hardcore fan, I feel it is my duty to proselytize and convert others to fans. I encourage grabbing a copy of Jennie Bomb first and then sprinkling the tracks of Kiss & Tell randomly into a playlist to ease into it. And then hope that they are on their way to making another, more worthwhile album. [www.saharahotnights.com]

Now that hardcore and hardcore derivatives have gained a level of popularity approaching “mass appeal,” it’s time to start getting critical of bands involved. Isn’t that how it works? You get slapped with a shiny new tag that places you easily within a nutshell of a three word hyphenated term, making you all that much easier to flick off the knee of grandpa metal, soon to be crushed on the hardwood bar floor. It’s easier to hit a target when you can contain it. Fear Before the March of Flames’ Odd How People Shake, without being anything entirely original, somehow manages to escape the aforementioned trap. How does a screamo (oops, there - I did it) band who wears its influences all over its face get away with this? Follow along, I’ll tell you how. • They manage to pull off multiple vocal styles. The vocals will often make or break an album like this, and this time around it gets made. At any given point you may hear a scream, a shout or a wail; sometimes you’ll hear all three at once (throughout “The 20th Century was Entirely Mine”, for instance). Fear Before flip this from a negative to a positive by not falling back on any of the styles as a crutch. And it helps when they all sound good on their own merits. You’ll no doubt be reminded of Converge’s Jake Bannon and The Mars Volta’s Cedric Bixler Zavala along the way. This is a good thing. • They manage to pull off eight-minutes of un-adorned piano. Too much piano, especially in this context, can have a disastrous effect. Eight straight minutes of it has been known to kill. But here, because it is used only in the short outro to “Given to Dreams,” at the tail end of the 12-minute finale “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas,” it harms no one. In fact, the end of “What Happens…” stands on its own as a very well executed musical piece. The stark contrast it creates gives the album sonic texture, something all to rare within this genre. • It managed to turn me around. The first few times I played it through, I didn’t much care for it. By about the 5th spin, it was a completely different album. Any album worth its weight in anything seems to take this path to my favor. By revealing itself slowly, it has become a much more compelling piece of work. The good ones do this. Odd How People Shake isn’t without its down spots (the first four minutes of “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas” and the over-repetitive “Sarah Goldfarb, Where are Your Manners”) and all of its working parts have been done by someone else before, but the album’s non-stop motion and shifty nature save it from the post-hardcore scrap heap. It hits on some pretty touchy areas, so chances are if you don’t like it you’ll hate it, but if you’re a gambler, I’d recommend rolling the dice on these guys. [www.marchofflames.com]

Prodigy came bursting onto the mainstream electronica scene with the 1997 release of Fat of the Land. Hyping the fusion of rock and techno, Madonna's Maverick label and marketing geniuses lined up, getting ready to cash in on the next big thing of the late-1990’s. Prodigy wasn't a stranger to the genre as the rave-masters had been breaking the sweat of youngsters on many dance floors since the early 90’s. However, Liam Howlett, the driving force behind Prodigy, changed gears with his mates and took on a more commercial appeal. Over six years have passed since Fat tore up the charts. The marketing niche has faded but the Prodigy sound hasn't. With the 2004 release Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, Howlett has changed the band lineup and dropped frontman Keith Flint (the Firestarter himself) for a number of guest appearances with the likes of Princess Superstar, Kool Keith, Juliette Lewis and more. The bombastic beats and searing chants return right from the start as the intro track “Spitfire” screams more flame-shooting techno crunch. ”Girls” is an electro roller coaster that proves the production wizardry of Howlett can change his bitch-slapping pitch up. “The Way Up” samples the "Thriller" beat of Michael Jackson and transplants it into the scare category that the original probably intended. I don't see any reason why, however, Always Outnumbered took more than half of a decade to pump out, as most of the testosterone charged tracks act as a tight follow-up to Fat of the Land. The formula still works; it just would be nice to see the skills of a very talented producer progress with the new technology and evolved sounds. But that's probably not what the label wanted, unfortunately. [www.theprodigy.com]

G. Love has lost his Special Sauce in the last couple of years. With his sixth release, he returns to the roots of astro-glide funk that made this cat a well-known commodity that the ladies lusted after in the mid-nineties. G Love brings back some of the key Sauce players for The Hustle. The addition of Money Mark and the surf fun lovin’ of Jack Johnson round out a solid supporting cast for Mr. Love. Hustle arguably has the best flow of any album G. has dropped. The infectious grooves drop from the get go on “Astronaut,” a gritty ass shaker, into the shameless “Booty Call,” which G doesn’t have any issue with. The ragga infested “Give it to You” takes a different direction but is a fine add to the smooth ride. The title track, “The Hustle,” is a molasses slow bass funk rap that is trademark of G Love. “Back of the Bus” takes a step back into the slippery slap raps of yore. With The Hustle, G. Love has re-discovered what made the Special Sauce work, and released what, to date, could be his most complete album. [www.philadelphonic.com]

DJ Shadow’s live CD/DVD release is basically a Greatest Hits from the resident electro mixmaster. The third domestic release chronicles not only some of the tracks released by Shadow himself, but by Shadow projects and connections including Quanumm and UNKLE. The premise of this release was the 2002 live concert tour that Shadow performed. The DVD follows the visual stylings that graced the big screen behind the mix table, hence the name In Tune and On Time. Most of the tracks on this release don’t stray from the usual versions save for the optional scratching and mashing into the next. That is not to say that the release isn’t solid; it is. In Tune is a collection for the hardcore fan to kick back and chill with, a recollection of the smoke-filled club that this mixmaster kicked it at mad real, to his own shit. [www.djshadow.com]

Charlie Mars kicks out his self-titled debut on V2 Records with the pop sensibilities that could score major points with the adult alternative fans that just want to keep it safe, man. Mars offers folk-pop that is reminiscent of the radio-friendly offerings of bands like Train, Matchbox 20, and Dave Matthews. “Gather The Horses” taps the toes and is a good introduction to the orchestral landscapes that this album can produce. The easy listening jives like “Horses” and “Try So Hard” focus on the chops of Mars and tight production of Beano. I envision jams like “One Horse Town” rocking out the kids at the local private institution, and that scares the bejesus out of me because that is where I see this album making a mockery of itself. Charlie Mars is more talented than the slickness of the production and is best suited with an acoustic guitar and less faux performance. [www.charliemars.com]

The Minneapolis-based Hang Ups have been producing dreamy folk pop since the early 90’s. Their fifth album, self-titled and released on Pete Yorn’s Trampoline Records, follows the lush melodies that have made the Hang Ups a local pop staple in the music rich heartland of the Midwest. Returning after a four-year hiatus, the Hang Ups don’t disappoint by opening with “It’s All True,” a driving pop masterpiece that blends right into the skip-happy joy of “One of These Days.” That’s not to say the album is all sunshine and roses. Tracks like “You’ve Come Home” and “Like It Used to Be” are a bit on the gloomy side but are crafted with an elegance that hooks the mind into a sonic recollection. The Hang Ups are a guilty pleasure. So guilty that one might not be able to understand the happy-go-lucky lyrics and tightly crafted chords in this rather mundane society - because we are supposed to be pissed off all of the time, right? [www.hangupsmusic.com]

Gatsby’s American Dream is no longer a reference for a remarkable F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Since 2001, it’s also been the name of an amazing young alt-emo band from Seattle, Washington. Their 2003 release, Ribbons and Sugar (a concept album on Animal House on Rocket Star Recording) showed us that they were serious about leading the pack instead of merely following. With their latest release, In the Land of Lost Monsters (Fearless Records), they prove yet again that they have staying ability and are incredibly driven. What a difference a year makes! The songs of Lost Monsters indicate a maturing from their previous release as far as the band’s musical capabilities, lyrical composition, and their performance in general. In The Land of Lost Monsters is totally sharp tunes and lively harmonies à la mode. From the minute “Yes, This Is About You” begins, I knew this wouldn’t be just another romp through Emo City. Producer Casey Bates has done an excellent job in capturing Gatsby’s unique potential to not just play their instruments and throw a few words in the mix. It also shows that they work to create songs that convince the listener that “this” song will become their favorite. However, there was a place in which I had a problem with the lyrics. Concerning “You Stole My Story,” I wasn’t too impressed with the lyrical quality, which was just plain weak and the singer’s voice sounds stretched thin when trying to reach high pitches. It was quite offsetting. What wasn’t offsetting was the disc in its entirety. Surely, I was shocked and impressed because…well, I wasn’t expecting too much quality from “just another emo band,” which Gatsby’s American Dream, clearly, is not. They are the alternative. The band took a stand against giving in to the demands of how some labels wanted them to sell their music, and they arranged their success the only way they knew how—with loads of originality and confidence. And isn’t that every band’s dream? [www.gatsbysamericandream.com]

Ladies and Gentlemen: I present to you, The Great Shakes! Deep from the belly of inspiration derived from bands like the Clash and mixed-up with edgy and angry yet appealing guitar notes slung about, the Great Shakes give you something tasty and cool to suck down. Hailing from the greatest city in the world, the band surely knows how to liven things up—New York style. Take, for instance, the singer’s swaggering vocals; fused with those wonderful trashy-but-classy vibes, and you’ve got a bold statement, a seething creation that only the Big Apple could birth. The devilish lads will be in the studio with Joe Blaney working on In the Ballroom, their upcoming full-length due in early January 2005 off Rich & Sexy, Inc. They’ll also be re-recording the three tracks that come on this EP. Ballroom embodies the movement, the sound of the new art-punk generation. It tears free from the scene (because scenes are so high school) and focuses on generating a good, sound performance with a great heaping amount of energy. The disc starts with the title track, and immediately the feet move, the body sways, arms flay, and the lyrics become you. Silence lends a backdrop for vocals that design playgrounds for the imagination, and you are taken to that ballroom where the vocalist and you meet to watch the others play. “Riot” steps in, somewhat taking rank over the first, with vocal harmonies, nonchalant rhythm, and though the lyrics could afford to be beefed-up with stronger rhymes, there is an undoubtedly memorable chorus with all the elements working together: “Let’s start a riot/Let’s start a war/So we can even the score/So we can get some more.” Could the motive be political-charged? “Residence” equals amazing and closes the three-song EP. The opening drumbeat and geared-up screams poured over glam-rock guitar riffs couldn’t keep your feet in more motion. Just in case you’re wondering, yes, I did dance a very good bit around my living room. This music is to be taken in pleasure. The line-up has changed slightly, but one thing has not. The Great Shakes said it best: “We do not have a past, we only have a presence.” From the looks of it, they have a future, too. [www.thegreatshakes.com]

As the next revolution in hard music takes hold, Atreyu has been thrust into the forefront of a movement that now seems destined to antiquate nu metal. The runaway success of Atreyu’s debut album “Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses” has labeled them both innovators and leaders of a movement that fuses the driving rage of hardcore, the emotional breakdowns of emo, and retro guitar-hero style shredding. This new formula has taken hold with an emerging generation of metalheads, openly rejecting not only lighter musings of emo rock, but also their older brother’s rap-rock schlock and nu metal pop. So reads a bit of horn tooting that accompanies the promo copy of Atreyu’s The Curse. Atreyu do fuse hardcore, emo and 80’s metal, but that is the extent of truth in the above paragraph. The Curse is no more revolutionary than the new line of Chevys. Following a repeating trend, they are simply mixing a handful of already popular musical styles while circumventing the point of each. The shouted verses, cleanly sung choruses, and driving guitars do little to elevate Atreyu’s music above anything out there right now. When sung, Alex Varkatzas’ vocals do sound good, but when shouted they far too often sound like the second letter of every word is a “w” (try it aloud, you’ll see what I mean). This wears thin rather quickly, and the backing music and songwriting are too run-of-the-mill to save the day. “Bleeding Mascara” features some impressive finger tapped guitar runs, which are curiously absent from the rest of the album. “Right Side of the Bed” only differs from hair metal in its vocal approach, and “The Crimson” makes an early attempt at melody that inevitably falls back onto the same old shout/sing/break-down/build-up formula. Atreyu admittedly takes from others but gives back nothing of real value. You can’t ask every band to be completely revolutionary, but when borrowing from others, a little imagination goes a long way. The only way their “movement” will antiquate nu metal is by replacing it as the current bad idea. [www.atreyurock.com]

This Bike is a Pipe Bomb is another Plan-It-X Records band that I've come to adore over the past couple of years, sharing a label with similar acts, such as Ghost Mice, Against Me!, the Carrie Nations, etc. Three Way Tie for a Fifth, the band's third record, doesn't abandon the group's niche of catchy, sloppy, folk-tinged punk rock, but the album certainly doesn't expand on that sound, either. As mentioned before, the trio sticks to a combination of bouncy folk and punk rock, incorporating harmonicas and even a cowbell on occasion. All three members sing, not well, but they manage. Three Way Tie for a Fifth is a short-lived, but lively album comprised of 11 tracks, with no real concept (other than the album's boxing beginning and end, "Jack Johnson" and "The Ballad of Sonny Liston," respectively) and the band (thankfully) hasn't ventured beyond their race issues/growing up/corrupt system/social troubles-oriented song content, making the album another notch in This Bike is a Pipe Bomb's musical wall... For most bands, the expansion of their art is integral to success. This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, though, has and will continue to simply be themselves, playing for enjoyment in sweat-drenched basements and sun-soaked backyards all over the country, never worried about the demons of the music business. Fun, loveable, huggable, danceable, and charming, Three Way Tie for a Fifth is worth checking out, and while Pennywise can't effectively put out the same record year after year, I don't think anyone will have qualms with This Bike is a Pipe Bomb doing so. [www.plan-it-x.com]

Not many bands playing this style of music have managed to stick around since 1992, so J Church deserves props for that. With a sound very typical of the early-mid 90's San Francisco punk scene, the band is comparable to a watered down mix of Jawbreaker/Samiam/etc. While not being excessively original or exciting, Society is a Carnivorous Flower shouldn't let anyone down--it's got the straight-forward pop-punk style the band is known for. But I don't think this record will be effective in helping the band acquire new fans. This is the kind of record you'd expect from a band that hasn't been around too long. Some of the lyrics are very mediocre (though some are above average), the songs aren't awful, but they're not interesting. With nearly twelve years under their belts, you'd think J Church would have either progressed immensely or given up by now. I guess my biggest problem with the album is the inconsistency, musically and lyrically. Not to mention the line "They haven't noticed that Wilco is totally played out," from "Austin's Shitty Limits." Take a note from yourselves, guys. [www.noidearecords.com]

Comprised of Heather Dallape and MU330's Ted Moll, St. Louis' Bagheera play fairly standard indie-pop/rock/whatever you want to call it. Their press release parallels them to Mates of State, the Flaming Lips, Rainer Maria, Built to Spill, Yo La Tengo, and Grandaddy--all decent comparisons. Asian Man Records has been expanding their roster immensely as of late, adding numerous styles that clash with the label's early "punk & ska" image, but Bagheera is a perfect addition. While Twelves is nowhere close to being breath-taking or spectacular, it's still a worthwhile record. The rich vocal harmonies between Dallape and Moll, the frolicking keyboard play, and the bouncing melodies make the record accesible, charming, and quaint, without catering to any particular group of music fans. As with many Asian Man Records releases Twelves will most likely be overlooked and underrated, destined to have single tracks on the label's compilations in the future. [www.bagheeramusic.com]

Good music has a purpose. It delivers a message. It makes you dance. It makes you dream. It makes you sad. It does something. But can an album’s purpose be nothing more than to be just something to listen to and still be good? It would appear the answer is yes and no, depending on how you define “good.” If you define “good” as being enjoyable music, and being worthy enough to maintain a sustained interest, then yes. If you define “good” as an artistic effort, taking chances and adventuring to do more than just make a set of songs, then no. Edgewater is another Wind-up Records product that sticks with the label's mantra of radio-friendly rock. Their debut album South Of Sideways is straight ahead rock filled with pop undertones and power chords but not filled with too much beyond par. The only purpose this album has is to rock. It’s not trying to sway you in any election, or deliver agendas on a war, or anything beyond love loss and pain and rock; unfortunately, lacking in substance causes the album to take a bit of a hit. While lacking in artistic purpose, however, this album does succeed a bit in the “mindless rock to fill the earphones” category. Listening to it off and on for a few weeks while working, I noticed that I never skipped over any tracks, even when the playlist was loaded with other, more substantial artists, and that the melodies slowly were sticking in my head more and more. The album is a pretty level field, with a few tracks sticking their heads up above the rest, most notably “The Story Of…,” “One Perfect Something,” and “Lifter.” Most all the tracks follow the same general sound and dynamic, making the feel of the album a bit tiresome at points. Foregoing much adventure for generic rock, the disc provides nice background music to a day’s work, but not much else. This isn’t a disc you would recommend to friends or suggest to family. It’s nice for what it is, a simple rock album, but in the end falls short of anything spectacular. Just a bit below average. [www.edgewaterband.com]

I’ve always thought it was a bit cruel to compare a musician’s solo work to the work that he/she did with their most famous affiliation, but come on folks, it would be irresponsible journalism for me to review Tommy Stinson’s solo album Village Gorilla Head without thinking of his time with The Replacements. And whether or not it’s cruel, it’s inevitable. Unfortunately, despite tight musicianship and some really intelligent lyrics, Stinson’s solo effort ends up tasting a bit like vanilla. It’s not bad at all, and in fact has a few really nice moments (good harmonies on “Without a View;” edgy enthusiasm on “Couldn’t Wait;”), but most of the record just doesn’t give me that feeling in the pit of my gut that I have come to expect from him. One exception to this might be the title track, which is an anomaly in terms of style on the record. Evoking an almost Portishead-like ambiance (“Wandering Star” to be precise), “Village Gorilla Head” is not the kind of song I would have expected one-time bassist of one of the most important rock bands of my youth to produce. But there it is in all its dark and sultry glory. On this record, it seems like Stinson tries on every musical style he can think of, from driving rock songs reminiscent of his old band to Dylanesque ballads to pseudo-ambient pop, in an attempt to find something that fits. It leaves me remembering the phrase “Jack of all trades; master of none.” There’s not much to really sink your teeth into on this record, which is a real shame because I was totally pulling for Stinson to pull it off. It’s listenable, but not inspiring in the way I had hoped it would be. Seems like despite some really thoughtful songwriting and talented musicianship on Village Gorilla Head, Stinson will ever be able to top what he did with The Replacements. And I guess that’s just the way it is. [www.tommystinson.com]

One of the keys to a good album is balance. You can’t have too many songs that sound alike, but you can’t have songs so varied that they don’t gel. Too many slow songs can make an album boring, but too many fast ones can make it annoying. A good mix of songs gives an album character and depth. Pleasure Club’s latest effort, The Fugitive Kind, executes balance well but lacks the certain intangibles that would take it to the highest level. The first really noteworthy song is the Mick Jagger-eaque “High Five Hit Me,” a catchy funk rock track that will definitely get the toes tapping. The guitars of “Streetwalkers Anthem” verge on Nine Inch Nails territory at times, leading into the heart of the album. The mid-section is filled with tunes flowing into a groove that is pleasurable but not spectacular. “This Is Living” opens with a riff sounding a little familiar to a Pearl Jam fan, and the style does feel like homage to the band. “Seduction” sounds like a hit from The Hives, with its attitude and guitar, building up to the slowed down and introspective “You Want Love” (musically sounding inspired by the classic “Something I Can Never Have”). Lastly, “Revolution In Red” ends the album very admirably and is a nice continuance of its lead-in, mellowing the album out at its end. Overall, this album is diverse enough to make it keep your interest but ultimately not unique enough to grab big attention. Drawing from many different inspirations has made this an album that defines pigeonholing. It is a fun rock record that works well in the confines of itself, and the breadth of the styles the tracks touch give it at least a few marks for guts and skill. What’s missing is the intangible quality that just makes you fall in love with some albums, while you simply admire others. And that is the ultimate fate of the disc. It’s good, and worth a spin, but just lacks that special quality to make it great. [www.pleasureclubmusic.com]

Seattle-based indie label Tooth & Nail Records’ compilation disc, The Nail V.2 features a few of today’s best bands, such as Mae, Further Seems Forever, and mewithoutYou. There are titles on the disc that carry the record to great heights, and then again, there are minor disturbances that turned my listening sessions into a strange game of track dodging. For instance, there is Hawk Nelson’s tune “California.” Exactly how many times will bands write about spontaneous moves to California to live happily ever after? The lyrics are very weak and overall it just felt like a lame theme song to another show about rich beach kids trying to make their lives meaningful. On we move to Further Seems Forever, with a little tune they call “Someone You Know.” I’ve never been able to put my finger on the exact reason I love this band, but I believe it’s something to do with their ability to let their music tell a story without those wonderfully, well-thought lyrics in-sight. Good for you; this tune brings a fantastic lyrical experience. You can sense that they put a tremendous amount of energy and emotion into their talent. The whole quality of the record dips and weaves like a musical roller coaster, and the cars climb higher with decent tunes like Dead Poetic’s “New Medicines,” Aaron Sprinkle’s “Really Something,” a peculiar and fairly dark “Gentlemen,” introduced to us by mewithoutYou, and an incredibly interesting Joy Electric tune titled “Song For All Time” that brings to mind all sorts of bubbly robotic characters floating on digital notes through space and time—at least to my mind. Nevertheless, we have Thousand Foot Krutch and their “Rawkfist.” Now, I’m not one to complain about a band that brings the rock, but was this false advertisement? They really rock-rapped their way through this one, folks, and it was about as convincing as a How-To Rock manual written by a polka singer. Ahem. Yes, I found it to be just that mind-numbing. Nevertheless, Fighting Jacks completes the disc and brings this ride to a close-most-suitably with “Fairwell Senator.” The Nail V.2 starts a bit hesitant and lags in some areas. At least the whole time wasn’t spent wondering was I there yet. [www.toothandnail.com]