A
HI-FI SERIOUS (MAMMOTH)

For all the noise that the bastard children of Green Day have spawned in the last few years, there are a few bright spots, the new release from A being chief among them. The sound and fury of their songs is backed up with solid songwriting and some particularly nice harmonies. Sadly, the lead single and opening track "Nothing" is a little light on these touches, which may turn many off from the disc. Still, there are some gems waiting. "Pacific Ocean Blue" takes two colliding riffs, twists them into a jackhammer assault, and whips into a chorus that borrows as much from the Beach Boys as it does the latest flavor of the month. The introspective "Going Down," a narrative regrets one might consider moments before a plane crash, is somber and employs a building rhythm to heighten the tension. As with any second album there is a shot at the frustrations at their career path, but "Starbucks" is an affirmation of their choices rather than a poorly written whine. The band does show a willingness to write more than the standard power-chord and spittle-laced tirades that litter playlists today and it's a welcome change. (Boon Sheridan)

A Gun Called Tension
S/T (Cold Crush)

A Gun Called Tension is a collaboration between Dan Gallucci (Modest Mouse, Murder City Devils) and Sean Reveron (Free Association, Exodus 77, The Beta Band). Much of the record is fairly straightforward hip-hop, but when the pair summons an interesting mélange of hip-hop and indie rock sounds, it works brilliantly. The first single and second track "Gold Fronts" has underground hit potential written all over it, while the subdued "Electric Chair" effectively pairs Leveron's vocals with an almost Gary Numan-ish keyboard part. Inventive and terribly groovy. (Andy Smith)

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE COSMIC INFERNO
Starless & Bible Black Sabbath
Alien 8 Recordings
Sometimes the conception of an idea is just far greater than its ultimate realization. When I read that Japanese noise gods Acid Mothers Temple had done a 34-minute song in tribute to mid-‘70s King Crimson and Black Sabbath (whose first album cover is masterfully parodied on this mini-LP style album cover), I knew I had to have it. The fusion of Crimson’s Fripp/Bruford/Wetton “thinking man’s metal” with the dirge of Sabbath’s first album was/is a promising idea. I’m not sure that’s effectively carried out here, but I so love the thought. You can certainly hear the dirge Sabbath part, and there is plenty of manic riffing from Kawabata Makato over the top. The cut has three sections, playing itself out 15 minutes in, then transitioning into a slower, even heavier section. This is more reminiscent of a vocal-less "Jerusalem" by Sleep or the Melvins' epic "Lysol" piece. Tabata Mitsuru’s vocals are very minimal, wordless chants and wailings. The third section of the main piece is at the end, morphing into a haunting little multi-tracked acoustic guitar part with ghostly vocals over it, a lovely little bit of sound that crosses Amon Duul 2 with the Butthole Surfers' vocal delay experiments. The second song, “Woman from a Hell,” while a nice piece of speed metalwork, seems neither here nor there on the conceptual whole.    --d.n.l

ACTION ACTION
An Army of Shapes Between Wars (VICTORY)
It's really weird that the term "New Wave" is actually being used by record labels to describe their acts. Back when it was first used during the late 70s and early 80s, "New Wave" described just about anything that wasn't mainstream rock and wasn't as hard as punk and hardcore, so this encompassed everything from Spandau Ballet to Haircut 100 to REM to the Police. In its new incarnation, it seems to refer to bands that digitized, synthesizer-laden rock, and that's about it; so by that newer, more stringent definition, Action Action is a called new wave band by its label and honestly sounds as though it would not have been out of place in 1985 and would be well-equipped with swoopy asymmetrical hairdos, eyeliner, and keytars. Some of An Army of Shapes Between Wars is OK (like the chorus during "A Tornado; An Owl") but overall, it's pretty leaden, and it also seems to be a real gamble to commit the necessary time to decide if the obtuse lyrics justify the delusions of digital music grandeur. --Andy Smith

RYAN ADAMS
29 (LOST HIGHWAY)
There was a time that hyper-prolific Ryan Adams could do no wrong. However sporadic their live shows were, his former band Whiskeytown arguably defined the 1990s alt-country movement as well as Uncle Tupelo. Unfortunately, very little in his solo career has lived up to Adams’ immense potential. His later material very simply lacks the focus and drive of the Whiskeytown days. Adams’ third release of 2005, after the mediocre jamfest Cold Roses and the more satisfying, countrified Jacksonville City Nights, 29 is a hollow reminder of his high water mark, the excellent solo debut Heartbreaker. The fiery title track tumbles ahead like a runaway freight and “Blue Sky Blues” is Adams at his most convincingly tender, but much of the material is uneven. If he doesn’t consider the quality-versus-quantity argument more seriously, Adams is in danger of tarnishing one of the most promising modern day legacies. Let’s hope he takes a more deliberate approach next time out. –Brian T. Atkinson

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (BLUE NOTE RECORDS)

You might think it odd that someone can take Fiddler on the Roof and turn it into jazz. But that's the thing about great jazz artists: they can transform any music into jazz. Cannonball Adderley could've transformed Wayne Newton's "Danke Schon" into a masterpiece. Newton's pre-Vegas hit holds a dear place in the popular imagination, as Adderley had a knack for taking the well-known and turning into a jazz classic. Which is what he did with Fiddler. Or it should be. Right now most seem to regard it as more a curiosity than anything else. Capitol Records recently reissued Fiddler. The album was originally released a month after the Broadway musical's debut in 1964. In light of history, it illustrates the intersection between Jewish composers and black entertainers of the 60s. But Fiddler is more than simply a historical document, it's a wonderful album. Select arrangements belong up there with John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" and Miles Davis' "My Funny Valentine" as Broadway numbers permanently installed in the jazz lexicon. The title track riffs on the unmistakable "Tradition" chorus. "To Life" features the unsung talents of Nat Adderley. Something about his preference for the cornet has left an indelible blemish on Nat's reputation. His soloing on this track ought to inspire historians to reexamine his place in jazz, so steady does he swing and so tastefully does he solo over the changes on "To Life." "Sabbath Prayer" is the first dark moment on the record, as it is in the musical. Here's where the happy life of the Jews is overcast with persecution, poverty, and turmoil. Such complexities are rendered with tact by Adderley's sextet. Strange how unlike things can resemble each other: After listening to the harmonic depth of this Hebraic hymnal, I'm reminded of a mournful New Orleans dirge. "Do You Love Me" is refashioned to sound more like a dinner-by-candlelight song of romance than an affirmation-of-love song. It's a nice twist from the original, showing some of the biggest, fattest, bluest sounds Adderley had to offer. "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" rounds out the "Fiddler" selection, with graceful flute work of Charles Lloyd and poignant dissonances between Lloyd and the Adderleys. Additional material includes four cuts recorded a month prior to the making of Fiddler. These add-ons are rock-solid bebop numbers (especially "Sweet Georgia Bright") in and of themselves, but they are an odd posthumous addendum to Adderley's important contribution. (John Stoehr)

The Adored
The Adored EP (V2)

The five-song debut EP from the LA-based Adored is a wonderful blast of gleeful power pop. The easy touchstone becomes evident immediately with opener "TV Riot" featuring guest vocals by the Buzzcocks' Pete Shelley (the closer "Sex Is In Fashion" does too), although The Adored are less power chord punky (though no less energetic) than their Mancunian forefathers. The second track, "Chemistry," is a wonderfully composed song built around some great spindly guitar playing and a chord structure where the verse begins on a minor chord before it bursts into the bright chorus (a little songwriting trick which the Jam built their legendary career around). The rest of the EP follows suit with catchy sub-three minute blasts all infused with great gang sing-along backing vocals and just enough snotty attitude. The next test will be to see if the Adored can put a whole record together that fulfills the promise of this splendid EP. (Andy Smith)

THE AGENDA
START THE PANIC (KINDERCORE)

Much more primal than the garage rock that has broken through the gates so far--Hives, Vines, Strokes, Stripes--The Agenda are the self-appointed "arrogant hoodlums of chaos." Front man Justin Suicide howls like a banshee, and band members sport names like Switchblade Steve and Ian The Face, so you know they think they're hip. Just because a record boasts both the Kindercore label and a blizzard of 11 songs in 26 minutes doesn' t mean it's skate-punk. With titles like "Burn It Again!" and "Crash Crash!" (yes, every song has an exclamation point!) The Agenda aims squarely for those who think The Hives are far too commercial. Fair enough. But strip away the lead howler, and what you really have is a hyperactive, danceable rock 'n' roll band that takes you from zero to sweaty in two minutes per song--even if they are songs about hot pants and teenage sluts. (Bill Holmes)

AHVAK
AHVAK (CUNEIFORM RECORDS)

The dark, mysterious progressive rock of Ahvak is one of the most sophisticated and fascinating rock sounds to reach Western ears from Israel. Apparently the prog music scene in Israel is rich; so let's hear more of it! This instrumental debut album from a group with extensive recording credits and some conservatory training is a rich trove of intricate arrangements touching on the terrain inhabited by Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Univers Zero, and late period King Crimson. As Crimson became defined by its unique guitar voice in Robert Fripp, so Ahvak has a singular guitarist in self-taught Yehuda Kotton, with his unexpected tunings and tonal surprises. It should also be noted that high-profile prog drummer Dave Kerman (5uu's, U-Totem, Present) is in the group as well, having been lured to Israel by the impressive studio work of its numerous forward-thinking rock groups. (Tom "Tearaway" Schulte)

CARRIE AKRE
INVITATION (MY WAY RECORDS)

Carrie Akre wields a strong, confident, soulful voice, and she does a good job of letting it shine on her second full-length recording, Invitation. Some of the better tracks evoke Tori Amos, something not many performers are able to do, while also hinting at country, blues, and gospel vocal influences. Akre, long a mainstay of the Seattle music scene that included stints in Hammerbox and Goodness, is smart enough to employ top notch musicians on Invitation, notably Dave Crusen (Pearl Jam, Candlebox) and Pat Dinizio of Smithereens fame, who co-wrote the catchy "House at the End of the World" included here. Of particular note is the triumphantly hopeful "Not Yet" and the excellent "Play" and "Heaven." Akre's vocals defy easy description or categorization, but they will not fail to impress. Though Invitation is not without a few minor missteps, a foray into Akre's musical world is well worth the price of admission. (Richard E. Glover, Jr.)

THE ALBUM LEAF
IN A SAFE PLACE (SUB POP)

Prior to this release, Jimmy LaValle's instrumental work as The Album Leaf seemed tentative and secondary, especially in the shadow of his role in the Black Heart Procession. With a deal with Sub Pop and an invite from Sigur Ros to record this album at their studio in Mosfellsbaer, Iceland, the project finally finds the legitimacy his earlier releases hinted at. Instead of being merely instrumental, this work benefits from vocals by LaValle, Black Heart's Pall Jenkins, and Sigur Ros' Jon Thor Birgisson. The fullness of the instrumental sound only adds to the beauty, and the use of spare vocals has a mysterious effect. Obviously inspired by environs both strange and beautiful, LaValle extrapolates upon his impressions as the album as a whole takes on the grandeur of the work of Sigur Ros and Mum, finally achieving something that resembles a band more than a solo work. If just anyone could go to Iceland and achieve these kinds of results then the world would be a better place. The Album Leaf already had what it takes to make music this dream, LaValle just needed to find the right inspiration and setting. (d.n.l)

THE ALBUM LEAF / ON! AIR! LIBRARY!
A LIFETIME OR MORE (ARENA ROCK)

In the continuing Arena Rock series of split CDs, these two NYC outfits are well matched to share this aurally compelling sound decoration. The Album Leaf is Jimmy LaValle, a composer of sometimes delicate (sometimes not) semi-ambient music. At first rather slight, his second track, "Essex," is pleasantly melodic electronica similar to that heard on Germany's Milleplateaux label, or to Eno's work with Cluster. His three tracks here are enough of a teaser to make this listener want to investigate further (which, I'm guessing, is the purpose here). On! Air! Library! is a three piece group featuring vocals aspiring to David Sylvian and Cocteau Twins territory, over music that falls into a sort of Dead Can Dance lite. There's nothing wrong with their vocals, but the instrumental passages are more compelling. It's a really nice effort, far from compelling, though, that doesn't really rise to the level of life-changing importance (a tough yardstick, to be sure). (d.n.l)/(Luke Torn)

ALEXEI AND THE JUSTINS
INSIDE THE ELEPHANT (CONSOLATION PRIZE RECORDINGS)

Formed around the insurmountable talents of guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Alexei Plotnicov, this group was named for him and his bandmates, two guys named Justin. After their excellent, self-released debut, We Are Going Out Tonight, bassist Justin Brow left the band. Evan Knauer, guitarist with A.T.S.,offered to take his place and has helped foster the growth of the band's sound as well. Plotnicov's unique guitar style, which seems to be both rhythm and/or lead whenever needed, is an interesting amalgamation of other unique styles, from Red-era Robert Fripp, Lee and Thurston of Sonic Youth circa Sister, and perhaps Casper Brotzmann Massaker as well. The new development in their sound is that they manage a number of semi-acoustic numbers, and do so well. There is a healthy sense of humor at work as well, as is evident in their lyrics (see "Pie," an ode to Alexei's liquid desert of choice, gin, and "Deadbeat," a semi-country ode to deadbeat dads, for example), and a sort of self-effacing charm that all of the best Pittsburgh bands seem to have. Find them at www.alexeiandthejustins.com. (d.n.l)

ÄLGARNAS TRÄDGÄRD (GARDEN OF THE ELKS)
DELAYED (SILENCE RECORDS)

More than a quarter century after its inception, this is the world debut of the second album from the Scandinavian progressive rock ensemble known in English as "Garden Of The Elks." Delayed shows a heavier, angrier side to the group. Perhaps the sublimated violence is a musical portrait of the tensions that caused the original group to split after these 1973-4 recordings. The tapes remained unmixed until the stars were aligned, making possible this 2001 release. Because of the state of the music this is previously unheard even in a bootleg format. Never even bootlegged before, the Delayed recordings feature the same lineup that gave the world the cloud-like extended improvisations of Framtiden är ett svävande skepp, förankrat I forntiden (The future is a hovering ship anchored in the past). The psychedelic jams vary from the 12-minute extraterrestrial odyssey "Interstellar Cruise" to the Indian freakout "Almond Raga." (TTS)

All Hours
In Flagrante Delicto (Hybrid Recordings)

All Hours bills itself as a sort of 70's retro outfit. There are elements of glam, and early new wave liberally sprinkled across In Flagrante Delicto, although the arena rock of Queen and David Bowie seems to be a prime aspiration even if All Hours hits closer to Mott the Hoople or the Boomtown Rats. Singer/frontman Gilly Leads is a capable songwriter and obviously works very hard on both the songs and his almost theatrical delivery, but no track really rises above the crowd. Ironically, the best songs might be the ballad "Hurricane," which manages to seem less forced than the rest. (Andy Smith)

ALL INDIA RADIO
Echo Other
Minty Fresh
There is a very, very fine line between compelling and flat-out dull when considering ambient music. On Echo Other, All India Radio succeeds in creating soundscapes that flow seamlessly from one track to the next without ever descending into bad massage therapist background music territory. In my estimation, the best ambient music provides a non-invasive, but stimulating soundtrack with occasional moments of transcendence. On Echo Other, that transcendence comes on the gorgeous "The Quiet Ambient." What a more pleasant place the world would be if records like this replaced Muzak or even worse, hackneyed modern rock compilations, as the soundtrack for grocery shopping, elevator rides, and trips to the dentist's office. --Andy Smith

ALOHA
Some Echoes
Polyvinyl
As more rock bands develop their craft under the mainstream radar, we are able to discern subtle shifts and incremental growth with greater cross-pollination between musical choices. Even as pop-punk has fossilized into an unimaginative & boring genre, indie-pop has began to witness exciting hybrids of progressive rock, post-rock, classic 70s rock together with the alternative musical styling of the last decade. Add Aloha to this burgeoning list, the new Some Echoes representing the band’s fifth venture into fresh sonic territories. Unlike say, Coheed & Cambria or the Mars Volta, Aloha keep its foot well off the virtuosity pedal and instead utilizes progressive rock atmospherics & backgrounds to colour its well-crafted emotional pop-rock material: For instance, the prog organ on “Summer Lawn,” the persistent vibes on “Brace Your Face” and “Your Eyes,” the sweet church organ on “If I Lie Down.” Elsewhere, Aloha delivers pop-underground friendly numbers like “Ice Storming” and “Between the Walls” and modern indie magic with “Come Home” and “Weekend.” Bottom line with Aloha is that style is but a vehicle to produce a great song and Aloha never sacrifices substance for form. Thus, serious listeners of pop-rock music (in whatever form the artist may choose) will do well to give their attention to Aloha.    --Kevin Mathews

DAVID ALVARADO SOUNDSCAPES
LIVE FROM LONDON (PHATT PHUNK)

David Alvarado, a Los Angeles DJ and producer who is the man behind Bomb Records indie presents a light, accessible form of ambient electronica that in its subtle and shimmering beauty allows for such ornamentation as chimes. Since it takes no real chances, it could be boring if over-indulged but is an apt analgesic for occasionally washing away stress. Soulful and melodic, his mixes work well with breathy female voices that appear on some of these tracks. (TTS)

AMBULANCE LTD
New English EP
tvt
In the three years since Ambulance LTD’s transcended the New York City underground that spawned them, the quartet has released their surprising and acclaimed debut album, parlayed their musical diversity into opening gigs for R.E.M., the Killers, and Guided by Voices, made the rounds of late night TV, and wowed audiences at Lollapalooza and Coachella. Unless Ambulance LTD takes some time off to cure a major disease, the band is poised to continue their momentum into the end of this year with the imminent release of their as yet untitled sophomore album. In the meantime, the band offers the New English EP as a stopgap release to sate their fans until the full-length drops. The EP features a pair of new songs, the title track and the soulful “Arbuckle’s Swan Song,” both of which emphasize Ambulance’s smooth pop sound, like a meaty blend of Simply Red and Spandau Ballet. After that sneak preview, the EP contains a cracking live version of Pink Floyd‘s “Fearless,” a couple of demo versions of “Heavy Lifting” and “Sugar Pill,” the song “Country Gentleman” from the Super Cuts compilation and “Straight A’s,” the hidden track from their debut album. It’s all terrific stuff, not particularly essential but a great advance until new Ambulance album finally comes along.  --Brian Baker

AMERICAN ANALOG SET
UPDATES EP (TIGERSTYLE)

The title of the latest from the Set can be taken two ways. It can refer to this EP being an update of what the band is up to, in between albums, or to the band's new, electronic sound. Either way works for me, as both are valid. While I have always found their music to have a certain purity of vision, with its mix of warm, wooden guitars and dryly sweet vocals, I'm also amenable to their predilection for wiring it with the latest technology. I can think of instances where similar groups have used the treatment (the Low and Mogwai remix albums come to mind), with wildly mixed results. This collection is different. First of all, the remix work fell into the hands of fewer people, and those folks (from her space holiday and Morr Music's Styrofoam) respected the need for maintaining the original balance of the group's intentions. In 'h-s-h' they share much common ground, and those few songs work the best, simply accentuating what's already there with additional electronics and atmosphere. Styrofoam's two tracks are a little more obtuse, akin, perhaps, to Autechre remixing the Go-Betweens, but the sweetness rules supreme in the end, and nothing is ruined so much as just taken somewhere else. As for the next Analog Set album, we will keep you updated. (d.n.l)

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
THOUGHT WE COULD (PLETHORAZINE)

Perfectly fine power pop rock 'n' roll from Austin that doesn't deserve to fall through the cracks. With plenty of merry-go-round keyboard and jangly distorto guitar, the American People delve straight into blue-collar American blues. The band is missing a strong lead singer, and is prone to knock-off novelties ("The Coldest House in Texas"), but when they're firing on all cylinders, as on the vicious, wall-of-guitars plea on "Working Man's Prayer," or on the Chuck Berry-fueled pseudo-protest "Crisis," they're capable of giving all those legendary Texas garage bands of the 60s a run for their money. Features the Wannabes' Hunter Darby on bass and vocals. (Luke Torn)

AM/FM
THE SKY IS THE NEW GROUND (POLYVINYL)

Following up their first two indie-press-hailed discs, Brian Sokel and Michael Parsell deliver this four-song update on their exploration into Brian Wilson/Flaming Lips-styled shimmering avant-pop. Unfortunately, it sounds like their research has lead them only backward into well-tread blissed-out territory. It's back to 1995 with Mercury Rev's See You on the Other Side, evident from the spelling of "yr" on the lyric sheet, to the burbling "Gone in Three," which owes an awful debt to Rev's "Life in the Empire State." The final track, "All to Remember" is a lean take on Spiritualized's brand of synth chorus and harmonica, which, predictably, slowly climaxes to some fuzzed-out guitar. Melodies are pleasantly buouyant throughout, though practically undone by threadbare vocals. And with this brief EP led off by a rather pointless acoustic-centered instrumental, the disc seems altogether like a regressive toss-off. (Jason Benjamin)

KYLE ANDREWS
Amos In Ohio
badman
I am beginning to feel a little more buoyant about the future of pop-rock music. I'm not necessarily talking about the business side of things. I mean, the mainstream still very much sucks with the manure continuing to be thrown at the proverbial wall at alarming speeds and intensity. No, inevitably, I am referring to the underground – I hesitant to use the term ‘indie’ as that has been co-opted by the majors – and the artists/bands who continue to craft their art on their own terms and the labels whom value this very independence with nurture and support. Amos in Ohio is Kyle Andrews’ debut full-length and first saw light of day in 2005 under the Fictitious Records label. San Francisco label Badman picked up on Andrews’ vibe and has re-released the album for an international audience. Andrews has gone back into the studio (his bedroom) to re-record new versions of a couple of tracks and has also included a brand new song--“Self Help Tapes.” Amos in Ohio is a brilliant mix of heartfelt singer-songwriter folk songs underpinned by electronic dance beats and Andrews’ quirky lyrical sensibility. A little incongruous perhaps, but the sound is fresh whilst the substance is always interesting. A fine blend of thoughtful words added to intelligent tunes & arrangements will always beat slavish imitation anytime! Thus, my personal favourites are the hypnotic “Connecting the Dots” with the wondrous couplet – “I’ve got a way with girls/They get away with my heart,” the hyperactive hymn-like “Please Respond” with its reality check – “Maybe I could wish upon every single falling bomb/Like a shooting star/They’ll do no harm,” and the rustic look at death that is “Penguin Suit” – “They have painted the clouds black/Stain on a hearse/You’re just a penguin in a business suit.” 2006 has been a good year for idiosyncratic, unique, and novel pop music, just add Kyle Andrews to the list.    --Kevin Mathews

APPLESEED CAST
Peregrine
militia group
Four albums into a nearly 10-year career, Lawrence, Kansas’ Appleseed Cast found themselves without a label and drummer. A few years later they’ve emerged on the Militia Group label with Nathan Richardson on drums, and a renewed sense of urgency. Peregrine is, in essence, a concept album based on a family haunted by their daughter/sister’s ghost (Peregrine), an avenging angel. The album begins with the instrumental “Ceremony,” which swirls out of the quiet and lays the instrumental groundwork for most of the rest of the album. The vocals first appear on “Woodland Hunter” as far away, with strumming guitars, but Chris Crisci sounds fine throughout, though they do seem to rely upon heavily treating his voice. At times the band resembles the Cure and Joy Division (certain tracks are very Cure-ish, but none more than “Sunlit Ascending”), but, though buoyed by its cut-up-shards-of-sound production style, which is great when the loud guitars bleed through otherwise semi-acoustic tracks. ‘Silas’ Knife’ is an almost Lips-ish merging of beats and vocals before exploding into a loud riff, only to transform into a sweet cosmic waltz. Don’t expect to be fully able to follow the narrative, but it does stand as a linear story cycle, at least from a musical standpoint. In the long run, perhaps the story doesn’t matter that much anyhow.     --d.n.l

Aqueduct
Pistols At Dawn (Barsuk)

Come one, come all! See yet another ‘band’ produce laptop pop with a touch of indie noise to captivate and annoy! See someone with an ear for a pop hook play coy and wrap it around a skronky keyboard riff and wink while doing it! Listen with bemusement and wonder when it will all end! Truth be told, there are some interesting touches that make this album stand out but they get wiped out in a second. The string fills and piano of “Dinner Mints” lend a nice touch until a screechy vocal cuts in. Then again, most won’t get past the chorus of “I’ll share my dinner mints with you” in the first place. The emotional start of “Tension (Piano Verite)” doesn’t last long when the warbling vocal kicks the doors in and sticks around like an old college friend who talks too loudly and gets in your personal space. “Who Wanna Rock?” is funny for a few minutes, and the shift from crappy drumbeat to acoustic guitars might have worked if the song had anything else going for it. Pistols At Dawn is nothing groundbreaking; I’m sure there are folks who will find it a fun listen but in the end it shoots itself in the foot more often than not. (Boon Sheridan)

The Arm
s/t (Last Gasp)

The self-titled debut record by The Arm is loud and frantic, exemplified by the exclamation points at the end of every song title on the CD's back cover. Hyped-up and clattering just about all of the time and mildly abrasive here and there, The Arm seems to be immersed in the post-punk style that hasbeen all the rage in the UK but makes no attempt to make it danceable or even melodic. The result is reminiscent of Wire and the more cacophonic parts of Mission of Burma with some At the Drive-In emotional urgency tossed in. Not for people with frayed nerves. (Andy Smith)

Arowana
s/t (Distorted Sky)

The first offering from this Austin-based trio is a big ol' slab of heavy prog-rock. It consists of one unnamed instrumental track that throbs and wobbles and pounds and screeches through nearly twenty minutes. Fans of Sabbath and Acid Mother's Temple and weird, heavy guitar music should give this band a listen: http://www.arowana.org. (Andy Smith)

At the Spine
First Day of Spring (Global Seepej Records)

At the Spine is primarily the project of Mike Toschi, who guides the project both musically and politically. An unabashed anti-Bush activist, Toschi and the rest of this Seattle-based power trio blast through 13 rough-edged songs full of conviction and energy, which sometimes has to compensate for clunky production. The sound is mainly your basic standard-issue barre chord rock, which is a bit too slow to be punk and to sludgy to be particularly poppy. It's all very sincere and earnest but would benefit from some hooks and better melodies. (Andy Smith)

AN AUTOMOTIVE
AN AUTOMOTIVE (SIXGUN LOVER)

An Automotive travels down a lonely stretch of post-rock territory not too far from the border of indie rock. This means that while the majority of the songs are fairly short (aside from the lovely closer, "The Anchor") and melodic, they are also craftily filled with instrumental riches that push it all beyond pure pop. A more melodic cousin of Joan of Arc, and a more restrained distant cousin of Trans Am, An Automotive is actually a direct descendent of Chicago's highly regarded Sidekick Kato. As a debut, this maps out that territory rather well, but never really pushes past it. It's nice to hear songs of such high quality, and nicer still that the band is comfortable with tunefulness (an inhibition Joan of Arc never quite loses), but it would be even better to hear them flex muscles several songs (especially "Communal Lobe") only hint at. They take on Lynch/Badalamenti soundtrack music in the aptly titled "Ballad of Julee Cruise" and get away with it rather well, but it is their shorter, poppier tracks, such as "Pop Wasteland," that truly shine brightest. Like many debut albums, An Automotive makes a great blueprint, but I get the feeling that it will be even more interesting to see where they go next. (d.n.l)

ERIC ANDERSEN
BEAT AVENUE (APPLESEED RECORDINGS)

Beat Avenue is a shocking jolt from the talented but perennially overlooked Eric Andersen. Where Andersen, an original '60 Greenwich folk-rocker, has generally been known to travel quieter highways and byways, Beat Avenue is a raging rock 'n' roll epic closer in feel and theme to Bob Dylan's Time Out of Mind or some of Patti Smith's latter-day missives. In fact, Andersen is positively kaleidoscopic in his lyrical breadth and depth here, spitting out caustic poetry, touching on the ethereal nature of virtually everything. The lead track, the manic, twitchy "Ain't No Time to Bleed" (a duet with Phoebe Snow) is a bit reminiscent of Dylan's "High Water (For Charley Patton)" in its spring-coiled tension and bluesy wail. Though it's great to hear Andersen muster some dirty rock 'n' roll, a cut like the regretful "Under the Shadows," a glistening, shadows-and-light ballad, finds his weathered voice cutting through life's miseries with soul and heart--perhaps his best singing ever. Set-closer "Feel Like Comin' Home" is a grand autumnal ballad, replete with roller-rink organ fills: "I've been chained to the things of what I don't know/Now it's time to let the river just flow," Andersen sings with all the authority of his illustrious 40-plus-year career. (Luke Torn)

ARCO FLUTE FOUNDATION
EVERYTHING AFTER THE BOMB IS SCI-FI (CENOTAPH)

Arco Flute Foundation are a quartet from Pennsylvania who create a pleasing instrumental racket that is not easy to encapsulate. Their sound covers a pretty broad expanse, oftentimes rubbing shamelessly against post-rock cliché. They typically mix electronic instruments with "actual" ones, a fact that is unlikely to startle anyone. The opener "The Myth That Became Jimmy Palm" eventually arrives at a nifty fusionist lope somewhat reminiscent of Tortoise's "Djed." Elsewhere, as on the galloping "Lizard Christ," the Foundation sound like the younger siblings of Godspeed You Black Emperor! More interesting to me are three more abstract tracks in the middle of the album that focus more intently on various shades of drone. "Captain World's Apprentice" starts as a series of heavenly chimes of unknown origin before slowly dissolving into an electronic mudbath. "It's a Symbol Like the Word And" sounds like a wobbly woodwind quartet being eventually shoved offstage by a rude guitarist and percussionist. Then "The Bastard Son of the Earthquake Choir" comes in, mixing noisy guitar improv and glitchy static in a manner that may remind you that you always meant to start a Dead C cover band. Might there be actual flutes involved? There just might be. But they're not telling and I'm not asking. (Matt Murphy)

ASH
INTERGALACTIC SONIC 7S (HOMEGROWN RECORDS)

Ash rank as one of the three finest Irish groups of all-time (the other two being Van Morrison's first group Them and The Undertones). [Hey, what about the positively savage Stiff Little Fingers?--ed.] But only the last album, Free All Angels (recently released in the States a year after its UK release) contained no bad songs. This collection of all their singles clearly establishes Ash's status in the rock heirarchy. It could be argued that there's been no better a collection of singles released since the Buzzcocks' Singles Going Steady--this is a CD so strong it simply belongs in everyone's record collection. Tim Wheeler has always had a knack for timeless pop melodies backed by an instrumental prowess derived from one of their main influences, Nirvana. The thing is (and Americans are just starting to catch on), they're one of the few bands influenced by Nirvana that live up to the billing, albeit they're thankfully lacking all the (by now) oh-so-trendy angst and self-pity. Ash'll never achieve the almost unprecedented influence of their main inspiration, but the music can stand side-by-side with Nirvana's best--"Burn Baby Burn," "Shine A Light," "Girl From Mars," "Goldfinger," "Oh Yeah," "Kung Fu," "Jesus Says," "Candy," and "There's A Star" are as good as anything anyone's done in the last 10 years. This CD contains no weak tracks (plus a delightful new song, "Envy"). Add to that a limited bonus CD of b-sides, and you've got an essential purchase. Play this side by side with the Strokes debut CD, and it's instantly apparent how much the hype can't touch the reality of a band this good. Ash makes the Strokes sound like cartoon cutouts; they're the real deal. (Kent H. Benjamin)

THE ASSEMBLERS
THE OTHER RIGHT PLACE (HEP-TONE)

A rollicking piano line that, in its simple and joyful abandon recalls Biff Rose, underscores falsetto vocals and a Devo-like guitar-keyboard connection. While experimental at heart, this is an accessible album with a jazz-rock direction similar to Steely Dan. Bruce Golden (drums, bells, toys, vocals) of the Assemblers duo is also in Curlew and several other groups, among them Ars Supernova and the Barbers. He included Curlew guitarist Davey Williams as a guest on several tracks here. The other member of this eclectic band is Steve Smith on guitar, keyboard, and vocals. As a solo artist Smith has toured about the South and began collaborating with Golden, a neighbor, in 1995. There is a lot of variety--even unevenness--on this album. "Virgin Canyon" suggests solo material by both David Byrne and Stan Ridgway. While that is a solid track, "One Call" presents an opportunity to realize the full potential of Smith's Ensoniq KT keyboard, but sadly only gives us electric piano with lukewarm vocals. (TTS)

ASTEROID #4
Honeyspot
TURQUOISE MOUNTAIN

When Asteroid #4 debuted almost six years ago, the Philadelphia band was inevitably measured against Pink Floyd and the Verve, and the comparisons weren't at all out of line. A#4 oozed and throbbed and hallucinated with a vibe that suggested a love and understanding of garage rawness, psychedelic wonder, and space rock dimensionality. In the intervening years, A#4 has undergone a few personnel changes, though, which may explain the band's shift away from overtly trippy textures and toward their gentle take on psychedelic cowboy ambiance. With their latest album, Honeyspot, A#4 seems to be drifting in the sonic territory between Roger Waters and Gram Parsons, and it turns out to be quite a blend. From the opening electric lull of "The Preacher & the Setting Son" with its shuffling homage to the Flying Burrito Brothers, Mike Nesmith, and Rank and File to the gentle pop simplicity of "Runnin' Away" to the Dylan-via-the-Long-Ryders chug of "Big City Blues," A#4 shows they are considerably deeper and more broadly grounded than the standard Americana flavor of the month. Rather than aimlessly adding pedal steel to their repertoire as an authentic veneer, A#4 wisely and deftly incorporates the sound into their existing vision in order to create an overall feeling of country-tinged proggy psych pop. Any band with a good record collection can mimic their influences, but it takes keen musical minds to use that information as a blueprint to create something new and equally compelling. With Honeyspot, Asteroid #4 does just that, with gas to burn. (Brian Baker)

ASTROGIN
DYNAMIC TRASH (LAST BEAT)

Astrogin has a high-gloss sound and a nimble-voiced singer in Deborah Vial, but this Dallas, Texas band is too firmly stuck in the middle-of-the-road to get beyond an indifferent response from this reviewer. In her best moments, Vial has a sort of Joan Armatrading soulfulness, but much of the time, she sounds like any another female rock singer on Top 40 radio. Astrogin may have what a major label is looking for in a radio-ready band, but they need better songs to make a lasting impact. (Andy Smith)

ATREYU
THE CURSE (VICTORY)

A fast-rising band of what the liner notes call the “new retro-metal-emo-core” movement, and now playing to large crowds via Ozzfest, Atreyu makes excellent use of scare tactics like moody effects, vampires, demonic vocals, and pit-ready pacing on this, their second album. Atreyu puts just enough melody into their dark metal to separate it from the hordes of nu-metal screamers--that, plus the attempt to create interesting songs may earn them a “retro” tag, even as a band that’s only two years old. Their dual guitar work is great, showing off blistering classical technique influenced by the work of forebears like Randy Rhoades and Dave Mustaine. The scowling-drainpipe vocals don’t get overly monotonous due to interspersed refrains that show some melodic post-punk sensitivity. But it’s the melodies themselves that become a bit monotonous, revealing them to be equally influenced by the sing-song, emocore world they live in. Still, their formula makes good use of variety and isn’t completely dominated by the endless whining that makes most of their peers so intolerable. (Miss Bonnie)

AVEO
BATTERY (BARSUK)

"Oh no! It's not that bad." So goes the refrain in the sickeningly melodramatic "Hypochondria Is Spreading," one of the sillier songs on this Seattle band's sophomore release. Especially considering the relative beauty of "Fistfights with Mr. G," which alludes to a death in the family as a grandfather takes his last breath. While there's a healthy dose of solid songs on Battery, and Aveo is smart enough to know something about sequencing because the opener "Newton And Galileo" is stellar enough to make you think you've hit upon something in the league of a 21st century Simon & Garfunkel, the trio cannot sustain such intensity over 10 songs. While the group revolves around the soft vocals of guitarist William Wilson, there's enough general whining to make you think you're listening to The Smiths-lite. Maybe that's just a by-product of Seattle weather, but it's not enough of an excuse. Produced by Phil Ek (Built to Spill, Modest Mouse), Battery is musically tight, as bassist Mike Hudson and drummer Jeff MacIsaac are augmented by guest cello and keyboards, but the whole drowns in too much overwrought melancholy. (David Pyndus)

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