Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Mini-review Tuesday.

Acid-Acid. This Jersey band may be tough to Google, but their hard-driving Cheap Trick-meets-The Replacements melodic rock is easy to enjoy. There's also a touch of glam here as well as Strokes-like vocals, and their frontman goes by the name "Special K". What's not to like? Top tracks: "Dead", "Sheila", "Born to Stay".

CD Baby | iTunes

Dale Murray-Dream Mountain Dream. Murray is the former guitarist for the Canadian folk-rock-Americana band Cuff the Duke, and his return to solo recording is an excellent "Popicana" record chock full of Wilburyesque jangle. Those who enjoyed recent releases from the likes of Mike Barnett and Marco Joachim will want to have a listen. Top tracks: "Dream Mountain Dream", "Assess the Mess", "Now You've Been Warned".

CD Baby | iTunes

Brad Brooks-Harmony of Passing Light. Quirky popster Brad Brooks is back with his followup to 2007's Spill Collateral Love, and it's another effort that doesn't quite exactly sound like anything else in your collection. Brooks mixes various pop styles and puts his own spin on them, making each song a surprise from what came previously. Top tracks: the piano & sitar R&B-based "Calling Everyone", the George Harrisonesque "Steal My Disarray" and the Rufus Wainwright-style balladry of "Farewell to Folderol".

CD Baby | iTunes

The 88-Actors. "Actors" is an appropriate name for an EP by a band whose songs have found their way into numerous films & TV shows (including the wonderful "At Least it Was Here", the theme for NBC's "Community"). Their latest is a bit more subdued than normal but still highly melodic, and a must-have if you count their earlier releases among your collection. Top tracks: "Blue Skies are Black Again", "Do You Love Me", "My Friend John".

CD Baby | iTunes

The Squires of the Subterrain-Sandbox. The Squires are back with more of the XTC/Dukes of Stratosphear-meet-the-Beach Boys sunshine-y psych-pop we've known and loved from them in the past, and Sandbox fits right into their canon, with a bit more of a lean to the Beach Boy sound this time around (hence the title, I suppose). Top tracks: "Idling in the Sun", "Surfin' Indiana", "Woodrow Wilson".

CD Baby | iTunes

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