Boyracer / Que Possum - "split" 7"  (555)
One of the last Boyracer releases (that is, if you actually believe Stewart this time, which I don't...), and it fits perfectly with the last batch of records Stew & Jen have done lately. Three songs ranging in length from 1½-2 minutes (added to Que Possum's pair of songs and you still don't reach nine minutes!) with that ultra-trebly tone we all know and love. For their cover, we get a punky version of Young Marble Giants' "Final Day" sung by Jen (and featuring Ara on farfisa and Chuck on his usual feedback guitar). On the flip, we've got Que Possum; not related to Jen's Possum Moods project with Mia Schoen, but rather a new band from Florida. Their muddy production is a bit of an interesting contrast to Boyracer's side, but the songs are both good and peppy tunes that sound something like Unrest-era Mark Robinson (hey, the song title "Unrested" was a bit of an obvious giveaway, wasn't it?) playing for a pre-electronica Slumber Party. Stew would probably want me to say something like "out with the old, in with the new" here, but I'm not letting him get away that easily...  MTQ=5/5

The Explorers Club - "Freedom Wind" cd  (Dead Oceans)
Like a lot of people, I'm sure, I first heard this band on their cross-country tour with the Apples In Stereo last year, and since then they seem to have gotten quite a lot of attention from the US and UK press. Now that the record is finally out, I expect we'll hear much more from/about them! When I first heard the band, I couldn't get past the Beach Boys similarities - they seemed a little too close to be considered an homage, and I'd bet that between the six members of the band, they've dropped at least a grand on Beach Boys box sets, Brian Wilson biographies, original vinyl pressings of "Sunflower" and assorted "Smile" bootlegs. However, on repeated listens on the record, I can also hear distinct bits of the Zombies in the chorus of "Hold Me Tight", the playfulness of the Beatles in "Honey, I Don't Know Why", and I had check the liner notes to make sure that "If You Go" was not actually a Burt Bacharach composition. But none of that should be surprising, as everything about this record, from the mock-faded lp sleeve of the cover to the design of the cd face itself, is practically a tribute to '60s pop. Regardless of the decade this album was recorded/released in, it's still a fine collection of beautiful pop songs!  MTQ=10/12

Love Is Chemicals - "Song Of The Summer Youth Brigade" cd  (Near Earth Objects)
The first album from this band a few years back showed some promise, but also room for improvement. Well, for their second album, they filled that room quite nicely (and then some!), much like a dozen marshmallows in a cup of hot chocolate. I can basically hear many of the same influences and sounds from the first record carried over here, including Death Cab and Spent-ish pop songs, though the band opens up a little more in songs like "Love Machines", "Larger On The Screen". You'll also find more overtly catchy tunes, such as "Over Land, Over Sea" and "The Blossom & The Butterfly", with the latter sounding quite a bit like the New Pornographers. Even some of their denser moments in "Roads Lead Underground" and "The Drift" manage to maintain some pop elements to them, reminding me of the Melody Unit. I did find a couple dull spots (namely "Travis The Cop" and "Light From Distant Shores"), but they weren't necessarily bad songs - just uninteresting. Definitely an album worth checking out!  MTQ=11/13

Transport Assembly - "Improbable Songs" cd  (Broken Twilight)
On paper (and by that, I'm referring to the press kit), this album didn't look all that interesting; though I grew up on the abstract indie/art rock of bands like Sonic Youth, Polvo, et al in the '90s, I haven't really found a band in that style that I've liked in a long time (actually, that Zoppo record from a few years ago was pretty awesome). And if you ever start describing something as "post-rock", that's a good way to get me to quickly tune out. But, of course, there are exceptions to every rule, as I liked this record within minutes of putting it on. Despite starting with a song called "Tra La La", don't expect any happy-go-lucky tunes here - though you can still find some surprisingly melodic moments in songs like "Vanity Forcefield", "Space Age Polymers" and "Lexicon Industries" (with the latter two nicely juxtaposing melodic choruses with atonal verses). A three-piece, many of the songs have a somewhat sparse sound, reminding me a lot of New Radiant Storm King, with the band using noise as an occasional element rather than a constant backdrop. Not all of their experiments work, like the two brief interlude pieces and the dull "Chancellor Bandicoot", but it's still an interesting record.  MTQ=8/12

The Baskervilles - "Twilight" cd  (Secret Crush)
For the last couple years, the Baskervilles have been periodically releasing 1-song mp3 singles on their website, complete with artwork designed by themselves and about a dozen friends. The project was called "Twilight 14", and this disc collects all 14 of those songs, as well as a poster-type inner sleeve displaying a collage of their sleeves. Despite being recorded in bits over that time, and with a number of different guest musicians, this record manages to work quite well on the whole; and as you might expect from a collection of singles, there is quite a high concentration of catchy songs here! The band's influences are a little more scattered than they have been in the past - their TVPs fascination and new wave tendencies are still quite apparent, but you can also hear them dipping further into a '60s mod feel and even a somewhat baroque sound, thanks to the frequent use of a string section. Whether they were trying to or not, the Baskervilles have inadvertently created a masterpiece!  MTQ=14/14

Boy Genius - "Anchorage" cd  (no label)
It took me quite a while to really get into this record - in fact, though I found it basically enjoyable on first listen, I just couldn't really get too interested in it. What cinched it was seeing (and meeting) the band last week in Athens; they put on such a stellar set that when I listened to this record again afterwards, it clicked with me pretty quickly. Funny enough, the bands they remind me of the most are bands that also took me a few tries to fully enjoy (despite their legendary status): the Feelies, Galaxie 500 and the Go-Betweens (but with Lou Reed singing in place of Robert Forester). Many of the songs are jangly and fairly poppy, but only a few of them (such as "Talk About Love" and "Radio Silence", an earlier form of which was also the star of their debut EP last year) are actually catchy enough to pick up on the first time. Instead, it takes a little while for them to sink in - and when they finally do, the reward is great!  MTQ=11/11

The Brigadier - "The Rise And Fall Of Responsibility" cd  (no label)
I wasn't quite sure what to make of this record, to be honest. Sure, there were some rather catchy songs (like "Growing Up Is Hard To Do (Part 1)", "The Box In The Back Of My Mind" and the peppy "This, Is Why...") that I liked from the get-go, but it took a few listens for me to get into some of the other songs, due to Matt's style and voice. His musical influences appear to be fairly diverse, but pretty well rooted in the British psych-pop scene of the late '60s/early '70s, with similarities to early David Bowie and Mark Bolan, mixed with a little Donovan and a baroque Syd Barrett, with a hushed, affected voice that kinda reminds me of Eric Matthews. You can find lots of strings and synths throughout a bunch of these songs, as well as a mini-choir of backing vocals, which may or may not actually be Matt himself (the album sleeve contains no credits saying otherwise). Definitely an interesting record, and unlike a lot of what I've heard lately...  MTQ=9/13

Hari And Aino - "s/t" cd  (Plastilina) 
I remember being rather fond of this band's Cloudberry EP earlier this year, but I wasn't prepared for how good their debut full-length would be! This Swedish band plays bouncy pop in the vein of the Snow Fairies and Would-Be-Goods (with similar female vocals, as well), with some bursts of Positions/Charming-ish disco-influenced pop in songs like "Rubble And Ruin" and "Hannah And I". With pretty much every song being catchy and summery, it's really hard to pick favorites, but I was especially fond of the opening "Gold (Or Something Just As Nice)", the incongruously jaunty "Lousy Day", and their ode to the land across the sea, "Finland". Plastilina has released a number of great records in the last couple years, but this might just be the brightest gem in their catalog!  MTQ=10/10

Kuryakin - "Still Here" 7"/cd  (Shelflife)
In case you haven't been paying attention, Shelflife Records have reinvented themselves as a bit of a speciality label, limiting their releases to short-run cds/7"s (each containing different songs) packaged together in a gatefold sleeve. I'll admit they're a bit pricey, but they're aesthetically worth it (perhaps the only detail missed is lavishly-colored vinyl). The music on this record is as gorgeous as the packaging, and sounds somewhat like the Radio Dept. covering the lesser-known works of Burt Bacharach and the Pet Shop Boys. Acoustic and electric guitars blend in with the drum machine and warm synthesizers, all serving as the backdrop for the soft male vocals - though the band does lose points for using that cursed digital voice effect in places...  MTQ=6/7

Merchandise - "Sometimes" 7"  (Cityscape)
I've heard this band before, but I didn't really think much of the previous release I heard. The A-side of this single, however, proved impossible to ignore, with its bouncy (but still subdued) rhythm, charming Rhodes-led melody and cheery lyrics. The b-side, "Glitterati", shares a similarly hushed style, but feels a little more intimate thanks in part to its drum programming. Musically, they remind me of the Prom and Nada Surf's recent output (with the latter especially noticeable on the flip) - mature and maybe a little glossy, yet not overly-so. Oh, and the single comes on white vinyl, which looks great alongside the attractive brown sleeve...  MTQ=2/2

Sarandon - "Kill Twee Pop!" cd  (Slumberland) 
Like the "Joe's Record" single before it (the A-side of which appears here), this record shows the band breaking their self-imposed mold of keeping songs short and even branching out their sound a bit - and doing a damn fine job with both. The songs are a touch longer (though mostly remaining in the two minute range, with only one barely passing the three minute mark), but the Minutemen, Big Flame and Gang Of Four influences are still readily apparent. In fact, like the Minutemen's later work, there's a fair amount of melody visible amongst the dissonance, skronky jangle and spastic rhythms. There are even moments of poignancy in the lyrics that I didn't notice before. I was a bit wary of the band's leap from EP to LP and how it would affect their songs, but they made the transition perfectly with this most impressive debut album!  MTQ=11/12

Scary Monster - "Makeout Party At Werewolf Club" cd  (Modern Soul)
I've been friends with Neal Ramirez for ages, and have loved all of his bands from the Skywriters to the Snow Fairies, but I have to say that this is my favorite project of his yet! The sound of this band is a bit rawer than the Snow Fairies, but in an early Pastels/Comet Gain/Vaselines way - all shambling and playful - while the softer songs remind me a lot of Small Factory. Heck, I can go even further with the Small Factory comparison when I say that the drummer, Carly, takes the lead for a few of the songs. The only bad thing I can say about this brilliant debut album is that it's all we're ever gonna get from the band, as that jerky Neal had to go and move across the country - damn you, Ramirez!  MTQ=10/10

The School - "Let It Slip EP" cdep  (Elefant)
Yet another excellent new find for Elefant Records, this Welsh band plays lush and pleasant indiepop in the vein of Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura, but also with a touch more energy, reminding me a little of Spearmint or a female-led Aerospace at times. All four songs on this EP are purely delightful and guaranteed to please any fan of the afore-mentioned bands. I definitely look forward to hearing more from this band soon!  MTQ=4/4

The Sneaks - "In An Instant" cd  (no label)
This new Boston-based band rises from the ashes of Anushka Pop, who released an excellent (and similarly brief) album a couple years ago. Like that band, this one shares some of the same power pop roots, but their songs are a little more playful and fun, bringing bands like the New Pornographers, the Salteens and Sarah Sarah to mind, though I'm especially reminded of the first Parkas record. And where Anushka Pop was a lean three-piece, the Sneaks add an extra guitar player and keyboardist, as well as male & female backing vocals, all of which add to the fun feel of these songs. Of course, the band still likes to show off their more rockin' side in tunes like "Monuments" and "All In Good Time". Clocking in at only twenty minutes (including the minute-long unlisted track which is mostly silence and then a few seconds of incidental noise), this record may be short, but there's still plenty to enjoy!  MTQ=6/7

The Very Most - "Congratulations Forever" cd  (Coming In Second)
I've been a fan of Jeremy's work since first hearing his earlier bands, Pajama Party In A Haunted Hive and Yukon And You, nearly a decade ago, but this newer project is his best work to date. And as much as I loved his first record, this second one is substantially better - the good songs are great and the great songs are amazing! Like the previous album, this one took a few years to make, and has Jeremy joined by a couple dozen friends and relatives to create a beautiful pop record with a diverse array of sounds and voices. You'll find a number of catchy tunes (with "Good Fight Fighting", "Polygraph", "Dodged Ev'ry Bullet, Pt. 1" and "Spilt, Spilt Milk" being my favorites), as well as some fine, subtler songs, like "Neuron", "Love At Home" and their soft, acoustic cover of Built To Spill's "When Not Being Stupid Is Not Enough". I even kinda liked the short, instrumental "Dodged Ev'ry Bullet, Pt. 2"! The title track at the end of the record went on a couple minutes too long, but was otherwise pleasant. I quite like this record, and can't wait to hear from Jeremy again in another five years!  MTQ=12/14

Adrian Whitehead - "One Small Stepping Man" cd  (Popboomerang)
Popboomerang included a couple of these songs on a label sampler over a year ago (which shone brightly, believe me!), but the whole record took longer than expected to finally see the light of day, having just been released this summer. Despite the delay, I think its timing is a bit off, as this is less a summer record (or winter in Australia, from where Adrian & Popboomerang hail), and more a spring/autumn one. The upbeat and peppier tunes have a tinge of melancholy to them, while on the other hand, the sadder ones have a ray of sunshine holding them up, making for an album full of songs that simultaneously bring joy and tug at the heartstrings. The music and production on this record are deeply rooted in the '60s, with echoes of the Zombies (especially with the piano melodies and vocal harmonies), the Beatles (particularly John Lennon's tunes) and Brian Wilson throughout. There's even an ode to Phil Spector ("Spector's Dead"), to show you where he's coming from. A delightfully lush orchestral pop record!  MTQ=9/10