Artist: All Girl Summer Fun Band Album: Looking Into It Label: AGSFB Music Rating: Buy it >> All Girl Summer Fun Band’s last album, 2, was full of sunshine and fancy-free road trips. Their recent release, Looking Into It, is more of a keep-your-chin-up type of album, trying to turn the bad into the not-so-terrible. [...] Continue Reading

Artist: The Ting Tings Album: We Started Nothing Label: Columbia Records Rating: Buy it >> The Ting Tings have been churning up attention in England since they formed in 2006. They garnered respect for their private shows in Islington Mill (Salford) but have only recently made a splash in the U.S. “Great DJ,” the opening [...] Continue Reading

Artist: Team Genius Album: Hooray EP Rating: Buy it >> Team Genius is an eight-piece band from Brooklyn who has pasted itself together, adding on members and instruments here and there over time. They seem much like a band that is searching for their own new sound, but in the end, wind up coming across [...] Continue Reading

In January 2007, actress and musician Leisha Hailey realized she had let herself stray too far from what she loved: playing music. She teamed up with producer and fellow musician Camila Grey and formed the Los Angeles electro-pop band, Uh Huh Her. Soon afterwards, they released their EP, I See Red. Fans of Grey and [...] Continue Reading

Artist: Love Psychedelico Album: This is Love Psychedelico Label: HackTone Records Rating: Buy it >> Despite Love Psychedelico’s huge success in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan, their music may have a hard time introducing itself to the U.S. Their American debut, This is Love Psychedelico, is a confusing combination of The Partridge Family and The [...] Continue Reading

Artist: Dream Bitches Album: Coke-and-Spiriters Label: Recommended If You Like Records Rating: Buy it >> New York City-based band Dream Bitches revisit their childhood on their second album, Coke-and-Spiriters. Their playground rhymes and beach-y ’60s sound take listeners back to the days of recess, complete with jump rope, hand games, and tag. Dream Bitches frolic [...] Continue Reading

Artist: The Heated Album: Self-titled Label: Pistolina Records Rating: Buy it >> The Heated consists solely of one woman—Cristina Espinosa, along with her guitar and some homemade instruments. At first listen, Cristina’s voice is firm and reassuring, like that of an old friend who plays sparse guitar and writes honest lyrics (think of early ’90s [...] Continue Reading

Great Northern’s Sleepy Eepee is a neatly packaged set of previously unreleased songs recorded prior to their first CD, Trading Twilight for Daylight. Continue Reading

Artist: The Action Design Album: Into a Sound Label: Pop Smear Records Rating: Buy it >> The Action Design has created a CD with the perfect mix of playful pop and catchy lyrics. Their fun sound is infectious, their EP, a collection full of earworms. Emily Whitehurst’s voice is crisp and teasing, a non-irritating mixture [...] Continue Reading

Artist: The Shondes Album: The Red Sea Genre: Modern Rock/Alternative, Rock/Pop Rating: Buy it >> The Shondes are a welcome addition to the current musical sphere. Their darkly dramatic songs resurrect ghosts from the past with honest lyrics and seductive violin. The opening track “Don’t Look Down,” showcases a struggle between oneself and society, while [...] Continue Reading

Artist: The Whitsundays Album: Self-Titled Label: Friendly Fire Recordings Rating: Buy it >> Canadian band The Whitsundays are named after a group of islands off the coast of Queensland, Australia with quaint-sounding names like Plum Pudding Island and Dumbell Island. Their music has a sleepy quality, and sounds as if it has been funneled through [...] Continue Reading

Artist: Various Artists Album: Live From SFxSXSW Label: Talking House Genre: Compilation, Rock/Pop Rating: Buy it >> While the 2007 album Live From SFxSXSW showcases the eclecticism of the San Francisco music scene, it ends up sounding like a bad mix tape. The album spans many different genres, from radio-friendly rock and pop-Ska to hard [...] Continue Reading

Artist: Junior Senior Album: Hey Hey My My Yo Yo Label: Rykodisc Genre: Dance, Electronic/Electronica Rating: Buy it >> Junior Senior remain as fresh, happy and shiny as a Saturday morning kid’s special. Their second album, Hey Hey My My Yo Yo lacks some of their previous album’s hyperactive charm, but it is still filled [...] Continue Reading