The Backsliders - "You're Welcome" cd  (no label)
I have to admit, there are very few female-led power pop bands that I like (Toothpaste 2000 and Fastbacks are the only ones the quickly come to mind), simply because I usually don't care for female "rock" vocals. The singer of this band sometimes uses that exact vocal style that I don't like, but I was too impressed with the quality songs and melodies themselves that I could easily overlook the vocals when I didn't like them (which wasn't really that often). The first half of this record is incredibly solid, with six excellent power pop songs right in a row, each of them as catchy and memorable as the last. Unfortunately, the record loses its steam with the slow "Pass On All Your Fears", and the second half includes a few missteps, such as the soulful "Cry" and their attempt at whimsical pop in "Love Field", but there are still a pair of worthy songs ("In Disguise" and "Serves You Right") to merit wading through lesser songs. Not a perfect album, but those first six songs would've made an incredible EP!  MTQ=8/13

Oppenhemier - "Take The Whole Midrange And Boost It" cd  (Bar/None)
Yeah, these guys have quite a bit of buzz around them, but I still find their music irresistibly charming, so I figure why try to fight it? The band's electropop sound fits in with bands like Baxendale and Tahiti 80, but many of their songs are more in tune with Fountains Of Wayne: catchy and playful melodies with complementing sunny and fun lyrics. Despite a number of instant favorites, including "Major Television Events", "Look Up" and "Stephen McCauley For President", this record is a bit more of a grower than their self-titled debut (a record that I must admit took me a little by surprise when I first heard it a couple years ago), thanks to slower slongs, like "Only Goal & Winner". Additionally, the title track and "The Never Never" show off the duo's louder and more intense side. But even though it took a little while to get into, this is still a rather enjoyable listen. Oh, and like the first record, you'll find a number of guest musicians helping out on various songs - keep your ear out for David (& The Citizens) Fridlund on "Before And After The Quake"!  MTQ=10/12

Pocketbooks - "Waking Up EP" cdep  (Make Do And Mend)
Wow, this band has really improved since becoming a band! This is the first thing I've heard from the Pocketbooks since the early days of Andy recording alone in his bedroom, and the full band really suits these songs well. The band's sound fits perfectly in line with something on Heaven or Sunday Records in the '90s (think Po!, Mrs. Kipling or a calmer Fat Tulips), with a mix of boy/girl vocals and a breezy, quintessentially British indiepop sound (the only American band I can think of with the same sound is the Snow Fairies). Their sound is rather polite and fey, but they manage to pull it off without sounding too precious (an all-too-easy trap for bands of this sort to fall into). A pleasant little EP!  MTQ=4/4

Whatfor - "Sooner Late Than Never" cd  (Science Of Sound)
While the Sleeping In The Aviary record was filled with fast and manic pop songs, this album from their drummer's solo project is considerably calmer, but no less poppy! The general sound in a few of the songs (particularly the scrappy title track) is a bit similar to his other band, but this record has a lot more variety, from the country-ish stomp of "I Can Barely Breathe Here" to the lamenting waltz of "I'm A Disgrace" to the baroque strings and harpsichord of "Fast Asleep". You'll certainly find an abundance of catchy and upbeat songs, as well, with favorites including "I Want A Girl", "Home" and "Call That Girl", as well as the afore-mentioned title track. Many of the songs remind me quite a bit of the Kinks, from the style of songwriting and production in some places to Michael's vocals and guitar playing in others. I also have to mention the attractive artwork in the booklet, which though it doesn't exactly fit with the '60s style of the music, does visually annotate the songs well.  MTQ=10/12

Apple Orchard - "Half-Steps Toward Bright Skies" cd  (Haymarket)
I've been a fan of the Marquez brothers' work for a few years now (in Apple Orchard, Sodajerk, Carnival Park and other fine Filipino pop bands), and this new full length album from them is their most ambitious release yet! They still play bedroom pop, but thanks to improved technology and computer programs, the recording quality here is way better than anything else they've done in the past, with real synths and programming replacing the old casiotone and cassette 4-track. Additionally, it seems as if they paid a bit more attention to detail, as this record lacks any hint of amateurism found on any of their early works (where missed notes or out of tune guitars/vocals were usually left intact). The band's style hasn't changed all that much, so those two points elevate their sound from wistful bedroom pop to something far more elegant and refined, coming even closer to the works of Trembling Blue Stars, Brighter and Sweet William, rather than simply sounding somewhat reminiscent of them. The result is a collection of twelve gentle and somber songs that actually sound as good as they really are...  MTQ=12/12

The Besties - "Bone Valley Deposit" 7"  (Hugpatch)
Another terrific 7" release on the Hugpatch label, and further proof that the Besties are only improving with age! These two songs find the band sounding more "mature" - I've always hated that word in the context of music, but really, there's no other way to describe the direction of their sound (ie. moving further and further away from their earlier twee sound)... The title track is a rousing rocker from Rikky (and usually one of the highlights of their live sets), while on the flip is a softer keyboard-led number from Kelly. And it's on thick white vinyl, to boot!  MTQ=2/2

Cocoanut Groove - "The End Of The Summer On Bookbinder Road" 7"  (Phonic Kidnapping)
I featured this band (and both songs from this single) as a Demo of the Week not long ago, so you already know this one's a winner! The A-side is a sunny pop tune with a slight psych-pop bent, while on the flip, you'll find "Shadow", a haunting acoustic song. Both songs sound a bit like a cross between Love and the Clientele, with hints of Donovan, as well. The vinyl and sleeve are just as attractive as the music they contain, making this a fine release all around!  MTQ=2/2

Lousy Robot - "Smile Like You Are Somewhere Else" cd  (Socyermom)
This record apparently got lost on the way home from the pressing plant; it says it was recorded in 2005 and has a copyright of 2006 on it, but its "official" release date was just a month ago! Regardless of when this actually came out, though, I'm just glad that I got to hear it in the first place. Their sound is pretty subdued, reminding me of a cross between Beulah and Saturnine (especially due to the singer's voice), but with a slight new wave-ish influence in songs like "Perfectly Confused" and "Mr. Falls Apart". The record was produced by John of the Deathray Davies, who seems like a perfect fit for the band - though Lousy Robot may not be as hyperactive as the Deathray Davies, they do share some of the same basic qualities (as they kind of do with Salim Nourallah, who also helped with the recording). The songs on this record may appear to be soft-spoken (even the more rocking ones, like "Welcome All To My Weird Awakening" and "The Man Who Has Everything"), but many of them still find their own energy, making for an enjoyable and exciting listen!  MTQ=10/11

Neo Nouveau - "Courtyard" cd  (no label)
This Providence band's debut album a couple years back was decent enough, but this one shows a marked improvement in the band's songwriting, as well as the overall recording quality. This record contains a certain sense of cohesion that the first one lacked (though it certainly did have its share of hits), though the band's sound hasn't changed all that much. Their songwriting still displays a variety of influences, from the Superdrag-ish powerpop of the opener "Don't Say I'm Drinking Wine" and "Collapse" to the manic, almost new wave-ish "Pipeline" and "Haitians" to the gentler sounds in "My Dad's Best Friend's Daughter" and "Bracelets", which both remind me quite a bit of Spoon. There were still a couple minor missteps along the way (for example, I liked the jazzy sound of "Regretful Advances" until it got to the more generic alt-poppy chorus), but this is a stronger effort and fine record from the band.  MTQ=8/10

Pia Fraus - "After Summer" cd  (Clair)
This is the band's first release on Clairecords since starting their own label in Estonia a few years back (Seksound, who co-released this disc), and this label is the perfect home for Pia Fraus, as they both understand the balance between a beautiful, blissful sound and immaculate pop songs. This time around, that balance is refined even further, thanks to spotless production from Norman Blake, making for the band's best effort yet! Like their previous releases, their style is strongly reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, with the standard layers of effected guitars, dreamy vocals and the occasional ambient synths. Even when the song strips away some of thoe outer layers, like on "Yenissey", there is still some evidence of a shoegaze-y sound. Despite a lull in the middle of the record with two consecutive instrumentals, the album is fairly consistent, with highlights including "Late Again", "Springsister, "Far Fade Whisper" and "Sailing Yes" (though that last one does go on a wee bit too long). An all-around gorgeous release!  MTQ=9/10

The Poison Control Center - "A Collage Of Impressions" cd  (Afternoon)
Although I'd been awaiting this album for quite some time, it seemed to have slipped into existence without me knowing it! I'm glad I finally got a chance to hear it, though, as it's easily the band's finest effort to date. The preceding "Kennedy" EP managed to portray an accurate representation of the band's sound (something the earlier releases, though entertaining, never came close), and this record takes that and adds layers of depth to the songs and sound, thanks to the fine production from Pat Stolley. The songs offer a wider variety of styles here, from the easy-going '60s west-coast sound of "Make Love A Star" and "Losing To Living" to their crazy take on electropop in the verses of "Glory Us", though most of the songs fall in the same manic pop style displayed on the "Kennedy" EP (which makes sense, as some of these songs have been live favorites for years). And although the PCC have certainly had their share of darker songs in the past, they're markedly intensified on songs like "The Thinker", the string-laden "Park Slope" and the 8-minute epic "Ride The Thunder". Heck, even the poppier songs seem considerably darker on this record! As time goes on, these guys just keep getting more and more interesting...  MTQ=14/16

Poland - "Schoolboy Crush On Che Guevara" cd  (Class M)
Seattle has never been known as a hotbed of indiepop (with a few notable exceptions, of course), but the last few years have given us a number of fine softer pop bands, such as Math And Physics Club, Central Services, Andy Werth and now Poland. Apparently this is the band's second album, but it's the first I've heard from them. Their sound fits somewhere between the sunny, easy-going sound of Simple Carnival and the High Llamas and the sophisticated, almost disco-ish pop of bands like Charming and the Positions. Some of the songs, like the mini-epic "Factorytown" which opens the disc, even successfully combines the two sounds, complete with a string quartet (and the fact that the band's two main members are both multi-instrumentalists helps keep things interesting, as well). I wasn't too into the soundtrack-y instrumentals on the album, but the catchier songs like "Small Talk And Miracles", "Goodbye Blue Monday" and the afore-mentioned "Factorytown" are quite enjoyable and especially welcome on this warm summer morning!  MTQ=7/10

Pomegranates - "Everything Is Alive" cd  (Lujo)
I like albums with personable liner notes, and the brief story about the making of this record on the inside sleeve made a good first impression on me (as, of course, did the music when I put this on). It was basically the story of a young band recording in a new and foreign place for the first time, and quickly finding their footing, as well as the basic good in everything around them at the time. The music on this record reflects the anecdote well, with its mixture of amiability and tentative experimentation surrounding these pop songs that sound like they already had a good base to begin with. The band's sound fits in with the '60s-influenced sound of modern-day bands like Beulah, Bikeride and Ladybug Transistor, with hints of the poppier indie rock of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin or AM/FM. A couple of the tracks didn't quite click with me (like the kinda boring "Desert Hymn" and "Thunder Island", with its annoying falsetto vocal, though it did feature a pretty cool percussion break at the end), but there were plenty of high points on this record, including "In The Kitchen", "The Bellhop" and "Honey Moon Pie", and I'd love to hear more from this band again soon!  MTQ=8/11

Stars In Coma - "You're Still Frozen In Time" cd  (Plastilina)
André has been recording as Stars In Coma for a few years now, with a scattering of releases on fine indiepop labels like Music Is My Girlfriend, Popkonst, Actionpop! and Cloudberry, but it's easy for me to say that this is his best release yet! While a number of the songs on this disc have appeared on his previous records, they have all been re-recorded (and in some cases, slightly re-worked) with a uniformly positive effect. Some of them even seem to be a bit livelier than the original versions, which is always better, as well... But despite the presence of poppier songs, there's still plenty of his usual somber lyrics and song titles like "I Wish Someone Would Dance With Me", "Moonport Sickness" and "I Saw My Heart Passing By". Plus, as André seems to have cherry-picked his favorite songs for this release, it's a lot stronger than his other records; while some of them seemed to have boring sections, this one is fairly solid all the way through.  MTQ=12/13

Tony Bear - "Flight Of The Tiger Queen" cd  (no label)
We got this self-released disc in the mail not long ago, and as far as I can tell, it's the first release from this young Boston-area band. The band plays a kind of skewed indie rock that reminds me a bit of the Multiple Cat or Chisel in places, only the songs are mostly acoustic guitar-based (and a 12-string acoustic, at that!), with auxiliary electric guitar melodies. Tony takes care of most of the lead vocals (with his sister, Gina, helping out in places), and though his voice takes a little getting used to, it fits the music well. There are a couple rough spots on the disc ("Silver Rain" wasn't very interesting and "Sneakers" was kind of annoying) and the sound quality could really be a lot better, but overall this is a pretty good start for the band.  MTQ=5/7

The Wedding Present - "El Rey" cd  (Manifesto)
There was a day when a new Wedding Present record would send me into an excited frenzy (heck, even the generally unpopular "Saturnalia" was welcomed with open arms), but that kind of waned after I was thoroughly underwhelmed by their 'comeback' album, "Take Fountain". I went into this record a bit apprehensively (ugh, why does the artwork look like an Eagles record?), but I do admit that it finds David Gedge and his current lineup in fine form. Like the previous record, there are barely any catchy songs on here, but his slower/darker songs seem to be reined in a bit better than before, with less of the aimless meandering found on "Take Fountain". On that same note, Steve Albini's production does suit David's darker songs well, but the overall sound is much closer to "Torino" (the last Cinerama record, which he produced) than "Seamonsters". Though I still have a hard time calling this a Wedding Present record, there are definitely some moments of brilliance and classic Gedge-isms in songs like "Don't Take Me Home Until I'm Drunk", "Spider-Man On Hollywood" and "The Thing I Like Best About Him Is His Girlfriend" (once you take off the useless two minute intro, that is).  MTQ=9/11