Album Review: Common Blah by Weakened Friends

Your friends from Portland, Maine don’t take their mid-20s malaise lying down. They take it screaming and rocking. Our favorite song: Blue Again. (Reviewed on our #24 podcast, Waves of Beautiful Gorgeousness.)

Album Review: Panique Au Biblos by X-Ray Vision

If you’re having a party, and you’re inviting cool people to the party, and you want to give them the impression that you are also cool, this is the album to play. Please serve interesting or difficult mixed drinks. Our favorite song: Beat Girl. (Reviewed on our #23 podcast, the Race to Sell Out.)

Album Review: Self-Titled by Jenny Don’t and the Spurs

“Classic Country” in this case means classic storytelling, classic instrumentation, classic beat, classic everything. The “country” part is maybe in reference to their hats. Go Jenny Don’t. Our favorite song: Rattlesnakes and Dogs.(Reviewed on our #23 podcast, the Race to Sell Out.)

Album Review: Romantic Superstore by Milk Dick

The scuz-folk genre, as represented here, features low-end production and very good, very simple songwriting with expressive vocals. It’s hard to capture exactly what’s going on here in words. Our favorite song: Renaissance Faire. (Reviewed on our #23 podcast, the Race to Sell Out.)

Album Review: Performance by White Denim

Big giant songs from a big giant band that is packing out a small club near you. Some of their songs suggest a certain kind of dancing, but Magazin, our favorite, is one you can dance to however you want. (Reviewed on our #23 podcast, the Race to Sell Out.)

Album Review: Hard Rocket by Hard Rocket

A band of super-skilled musicians who have been around the block so many times that they are no longer intimidated by the block. This is what it sounds like when a band is having a good time. Five stars. (Reviewed on our #22 podcast, a Bag of Dix.)

Album Review: Sorry I Threw Up by Sleepy Poetry

Mazzy Starr is back, only much funnier this time. Sleepy Poetry proves that you can put people in a trance and still stay earthy and amusing. Our favorite song: Sorry I Threw Up. (Reviewed on our #22 podcast, a Bag of Dix.)

Album Review: Wet Willy by Gym Shorts

THEY REALLY LIKE WRITING IN ALL CAPS AND TAKING GIANT BONG RIPS!!!!!! We love this band. They inspire us to stick close to our truth. Our favorite song: BURRITO. (Reviewed on our #22 podcast, a Bag of Dix.)

Album Review: Chime by Sandy’s

Beautiful, only-somewhat-strange California music that takes some Beach Boys kinds of ideas and moves them in very interesting directions. Our favorite song: I and I. (Reviewed on our #22 podcast, a Bag of Dix.)