PETER GABRIEL
Hit (GEFFEN)

Despite being a great album, Gabriel's long awaited album Up mostly went down when it finally came out in 2002. Reissuing his back catalog, too, was a relative non-event, thanks mostly to his refusal to add bonus tracks. So, Hit finds a photo of Gabriel on the inner-sleeve with his hands on his face almost as if to say, "what WAS I thinking?" The last decade was, indeed, his roughest, and that Gabriel has only two proper studio albums (and one soundtrack album) and two live records to show for the time since his last such compendium, Shaking the Tree, might make one question the need for this one, except that they've done it right this time. Duplicating every track from the earlier collection (except for the title cut), this collection benefits from the presence of newer material, from several previously unreleased gems, and a second disc of "Miss" tracks. For someone who never bothered to replace all of their Gabriel vinyl with CDs (such as myself), it's nice to have all the important stuff in one package. It also helps put some perspective into work I'd previously shunned for being too commercial (i.e., So and Us), putting the best of those records alongside tracks such as "Games Without Frontiers" and "Here Comes the Flood." Hit fills in the holes nicely, and leaves me hoping that this decade will be much kinder to dear Mr. Gabriel. (d.n.l)

BRENDAN GAMBLE
HEARTLESS MOON (MUD/PARASOL)

If great pain makes great art, Brendan Gamble's solo debut, Heartless Moon, should be played in the Louvre while museum patrons view morose paintings mirroring the anguish that inspired his songs. The former Poster Children/Moon Seven Times drummer/multi-instrumentalist has created a stripped down and gorgeous acoustic album that bleeds with a quiet intensity as it documents the turmoil of his divorce from M7X vocalist Lynn Canfield. On Heartless Moon, Gamble has combined the contemporized English folk legacy of Nick Drake's slim catalog and the American singer/songwriter ethic of James Taylor and Jackson Browne at its most innocent and affecting, throwing in touches of Andy Bown and Freedy Johnston, with stunning results. The bare soundscape that Gamble establishes for his songs, with only the briefest outside instrumental help from Steve Lamos and Brian Wilke, perfectly complements the naked emotions that inspired the songs in the first place. The most important quality that Gamble invests in Heartless Moon is subtlety, because without a light touch these 13 tracks are little more than mewling about lost love and, when done poorly, there is little that is less appealing. Thankfully, Gamble never overplays the emotionalism of his heartbreak, preferring to examine and translate it rather than wallowing in its aftermath. That is the trickiest wirewalk facing any singer/songwriter and Gamble has successfully created one of the rarest entities in music: an album that is joyous and endlessly listenable in its melancholy and despair. (Brian Baker)

MARVIN GAYE
I Want You
Universal/Motown

Marvin Gaye’s 1976 classic of silky elegance and vibrant soul is now reissued on a Universal Deluxe Edition double-CD that features unreleased material and alternate versions of the album’s top ten single. Produced and co-written by Leon Ware, “I Want You” is less famous than “Let’s Get It On,” but significant for Gaye’s embrace of the light and funky sound of disco that sparked a new direction in R&B. (John Stoehr)

LISA GERMANO
In the Maybe World
Young God Records
For thirteen years I have been dreaming of being the one to make you want to wear dresses. Your delicate bitterness coupled with lush yet subtle arrangements has always represented a certain tranquil and innocent beauty to me. Your lyrics are heartfelt confessionals only a personal diary should hear; your fragile voice restraining anger, barely withholding your tears. We have all fallen in and out of love; the honesty and reality with which you express these emotions is as painful as watching a car wreck. Geek, the Girl and Happiness were simple masterpieces and Into the Maybe World is no different. It is as if no time has passed; sitting in the very same bedroom window you are still watching the rain, playing your guitar and weeping ever so poignant lyrics. I would say, keep it up, but I hate to hear you in such anguish. --Don Simpson

Inara George
All Rise Everloving

Remarkably strong debut from former member of Merrick and Lode, daughter of the late great Lowell George of Little Feat fame. With its watery, mellifluous melodies, and George's gorgeously expressive voice, All Rise is a deceptively powerful album, a singer/songwriter effort with consistently engaging sonic flashes and wide-eyed lyrical grace. Anchored in melancholic pop and shades of jazz, George hews closer to Joni Mitchell or Ani DFranco territory (a dirge-like cover of Joe Jackson's "Fools In Love" is a highlight), though the insistently rockin' "Turn On/Off" shows flashes of rock 'n' roll. All Rise is the kind of magnetic record that just finds a home in your CD changer, and stays there. --Charlie Sands

The Get-Outs
Get the Message (Avebury)

This Bristol, England-based trio plays a hard-hitting, punchy style of stripped-down rock that straddles the fence between punk energy and pop songwriting. If this record had come out ten years ago, I would have guessed that they were from California and had toured with Pennywise or NOFX. On Get the Message, their debut, they deliver thirteen songs that vary only slightly from the basic barre-chord rock template. Only the veritable epic "Brand New Start" clocks in at over three minutes and shows more attention to arrangement and dynamics than the others. This isn't bad by any means, but it also shows that the Get-Outs have quite a bit of room for improvement, especially in terms of crafting effective hooks. They also haven't done enough to distinguish themselves from the multitude of bands using the same approach. (Andy Smith)

GET SET GO
Ordinary World
TSR Records)
Get Set Go is the vehicle for songwriter/bandleader Mike TV, who is the lone remaining member form the Get Set Go's 2003 debut, So You've Ruined Your Life. Also, during the interim between the two records, TV has battled a heavy drug addiction, which he sings about without mincing words. In fact, Ordinary World is often wincingly stark and direct in its lyrics as TV pretty much lays it all on the table in songs like "Crying Shame," "Get Thru the Day," "I Hate Everyone," and "Lift Me Up" with its uplifting lyric "Every time I think that everything is gonna work out/Someone comes and kicks me in the balls/And every time it happens, I get a bit desensitized and now my balls don't work at all." But these songs are written with fairly breezy, melodic tunes, which gives a wry humor to the songs and also avoids having it sound like a wallowing mass of self-pity. It's a delicate trick but Get Set Go pulls it off. With 21 tracks, it gets too long, but you can't fault these guys for holding anything back. --Andy Smith

BETH GIBBONS & RUSTIN MAN
OUT OF SEASON (SANCTUARY)

We all have those albums occasionally…you know, the ones where no matter how much other great new stuff you get you always seem to go back to the same one nearly every day, and it only sounds better every time you hear it. For me Out of Season has been that album for the lately. Never mind that it contains just the right combination of sounds, feelings, and words to see me through the seasonal transformation of fall into winter, it just seems to be something that gives and gives in a world that takes and takes! I was never the biggest Portishead fan, but, being a Talk Talk and O-Rang enthusiast, I came to this album curious about what Paul Webb (Talk Talk alum) brought into this project. Gibbons has a very unique voice, a sort of female version of Nick Drake at times, a touch of Nina Simone here and Nico there. The duo brings in musicians from their previous outfits, including Portishead's Adrian Utley and ex-O-Rang/Talk Talk drummer Lee Harris. The songs work a quietly organic je ne sais quoi that borrows from everything they've done before but sounds like nothing they've done before (if you get my drift). From the opening track, "Mysteries," onward the listener is warmly welcomed into this carbon-based grouping of songs. The mind tingles when "Spider Monkey" does that beautiful (fragile) melodic rise and fall. With a kind of lingering sense of melancholia that pulls you in instead of down, it's a wonderful album to visit and revisit. Often. (d.n.l)

TONY GILKYSON
Goodbye Guitar
Rolling Sea
A rootsy downhome, vaguely French Quarter feel (mournful horns sneak into the mix when least expected) permeates the second solo collection from a man known for playing guitar with latter-day X and other El Lay luminaries. The faux cabaret of “Man About Town” (written by his late father Terry Gilkyson in 1948) suits Tony Gilkyson’s simple, plaintive voice just fine, though Goodbye Guitar is buoyed by standard rock ‘n’ roll numbers with a steady beat and twangy Western guitar tempting a shimmy or shake. Keepers also include the country fiddle blues of “Worthless,” with some of Gilkyson’s most impassioned singing and steel guitar that sparkles (it was written by L.A. cosmic cowboy Mike Stinson, who also vocalizes on the title track), and the aforementioned “Goodbye Guitar,” which might or might not reference the funny ‘fish guitar’ on the album cover. Homage is even paid to the great American troubadour Woody Guthrie on “Old Cracked Looking Glass,” in a nicely updated rock version.  – David Pyndus

Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Come On Back (Rounder)

Five years after One Endless Night, Gilmore has recorded his most personal album, a tribute to the American songs his father loved (and played on his own blue Fender) back in West Texas. It’s also the closest in sound to Jimmie's early solo records, though the guitar picking is more subdued, as if the album was made in his backyard under a melon moon. In that regard, Come On Back could also be regarded as the least ambitious album the Zen troubadour has released. But as an aural reunion with Dad Brian Gilmore, who died five years ago of Lou Gehrig’s disease, it’s hard to fault Gilmore (and producer Joe Ely) for covering these 13 mostly-classic songs. Featuring selections made famous by Johnny Cash (“Train of Love”), Lefty Frizzell (“Saginaw, Michigan”), Marty Robbins (“Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me”), and Hank Williams (“I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive”) among others, Gilmore’s seventh album loosely resembles Willie Nelson’s Stardust except more country-oriented. That is, at least until the stunning closer, “Peace In The Valley,” the traditional gospel tune. Gilmore paused before laying this one down, if only because he felt his warm tenor might not be suited to the sacred song popularized by Elvis Presley. But one listen to the song–revealed as his father’s favorite shortly before his passing -- shows that the calm beauty of Gilmore’s voice is more than well suited for the heavenly ode. Dad smiles. – David Pyndus

GINGERSOL
EASTERN (RUBRIC)

There is a flying saucer in the background of track 2 on Gingersol’s Eastern.  Is it a flying saucer? No matter, it sounds pretty cool. Seth Rothschild guides the music on this record with some of the coolest guitaring heard in a while. The alt/pop sound is at times fused with experimental surfer riffs and escort the record through highs ("I Tried") and lows ("Please Let Me Go"). Gingersol’s melodies distinguish themselves on tracks like "You and Your Clouds." This is the type of record you could listen to over and over again while driving and never notice. Not that it’s plain, or forgettable, but because the songs are so smooth they seem to blend into one another. (Lance Looper)

Githead
Profile (Swim)

Featuring Malka Spigel and Max Franken (both ex-Minimal Compact), globetrotting multimedia artist Robin Rimbaud (aka Scanner) and Colin Newman (Wire), Githead proves that supergroups in 2005 have options other than being rockist bores of the Velvet Revolver variety. Profile (the band's debut album) echoes earlier Spigel and Newman projects and in places resonates with the likes of Neu!, Harmonia, Eno, Joy Division and PiL, but its sound is distinctively Githead's. Among the band's identifying marks are its mesmerizing rhythmic patterns, Spigel's omnipresent Jah Wobble-sized bass and Newman's largely expressionless delivery of lyrics that often incorporate found texts like spam e-mail subject lines and advertising jargon. Although these elements thread through most of this material, Githead's signature resides just as much in the diversity of its music, which embraces electro-pop beats ("Wallpaper"), pared-down funk ("Cosmology for Beginners"), dub grooves ("Antiphon"), austere shoegazing guitars ("Alpha") and lush melodicism ("My LCA [Little Box of Magic]"). When recently asked about the relationship between Githead's debut EP and Profile, bassist Spigel ventured a Zen-like aphorism: "The EP is a question and the album is an answer." If the EP's question was "Can Githead take this blueprint and develop it into a sound that shows breadth, depth and a unique, assured identity?" then Profile's response is a resounding "Yes." --Wilson Neate

GNARLS BARKLEY
St. Elsewhere
downtown/atlantic
The first certifiably genius hip-hop album I’ve heard in ages, St. Elsewhere, the product of the duo of Dangermouse (Gorillaz) and Cee-Lo Green, may seem like a one-off, but it’s already spawned a hit single in “Crazy.” The weirdest thing about that song is that, in many ways, it’s the sanest song here, or at least the most normal. I didn’t even notice it the first few listens, but when I heard it on the crap-assed top 40 station it all made sense. The rest of the album is a wonderful cornucopia of sounds, influences, parodies and, inexplicably, an excellent cover of the Violent Femmes' “Gone Baby Gone.” Elsewhere there’s the lovely Motown-ish “Smiley Faces,” and the weird dream “the Boogie Monster,” where Screamin’ Jay Hawkins joins early Funkadelic. The oddness thickens with the totally whacked “Transformer” (“I know how to transform/I can transform/ I’ll transform/I’m a transformer!”), the dryly hysterical “Who Care?” (“I could go on and on and on...but who care?”), even necrophilia comes up in “Necromancer” (“She was cool when I met her but I think I like her better dead”). With all this madness, I'd love it even if it weren’t musically brilliant--a masterful collection of beats and a broad selection of instruments and sounds. Even as varied as it is thematically, it has this wonderful sense of cohesion that makes it hip-hop's best concept album since the days of De La Soul and a Tribe Called Quest. Along with MIA, this is the odd hip-hop album that is also incredibly incredible. --d.n.l

GOLDEN BEAR
Golden Bear
C-Side Records
The self-titled debut from Austin's Golden Bear is a buoyant collection of scruffy pop songs. With keyboard swells, drum flourishes, and murky production, it fits in with the newer wave of college radio bands that all seem to have discovered the Beach Boys, Magical Mystery Tour, and Grandaddy at exactly the same time. Golden Bear does some things very well on this record. The opener "A Reason To Be Proud" is a solid rocker that gets the record off on an energetic foot. "The Saddest Songs" sounds like it could have come off a Gram Parsons record (that's a compliment) and helps to break up the cycle of dense, mid-tempo material. All in all, the songwriting and arrangements are creative and interesting, even if they are not uniformly compelling. On the downside, singer Chris Gregory has a limited vocal range, which becomes quite evident after a few songs, and begins to wear over the course of eleven numbers. Also, the production wraps the whole thing in a wall of fuzz when a warmer sound would have suited the music better. Maybe next time. But despite these bits of critical nitpicking, Golden Bear is a promising debut.    --Andy Smith

GOLEM
LOVE HURTS (GOLEM)

Golem is an East New York ensemble made up of musicians from various underground rock and jazz bands. But where their music lives isn't as important as where it's from, which is somewhere in the heart of Gypsy country in the Balkans. Fusing strains of klezmer, Balkan folk, and Gypsy music to a rock 'n' roll heart, the six musicians in Golem draw the material from Yiddish, Russian, and Balkan sources, performing these old songs with all the contemporary relevancy they deserve. Violist Karen Waltuch and accordionist Annette Ezekiel carry most of the lively music, with trombonist Curtis Hasselbring adding appropriate punctuation; bassist Taylor Bergren-Chrisman and drummer Laura Cromwell keep the rhythms roiling. Ezekiel and her fellow vocalist Aaron Diskin keep the stories quick and (occasionally) dirty, but always enthusiastic. That the musicians play strictly acoustic instruments doesn't prevent them from filling the air with electricity. The steamrolling, goofy "Black Cat, White Cat" and the intriguing "The Dead Cossack"--which concerns a young couple who are so in love they don't notice the titular corpse during a birch tree rendezvous--are the immediate attention getters, but anything here will tickle the fancy of those looking for an alternative to the Klezmatics. (Michael Toland)

Alex Gomez
Always Never (Deltaelectric)

Somewhere, the person who taught Alex Gomez to play the guitar is kicking themselves. Gomez is clearly a skillful player but should stick with playing. The first thing you hear on Always Never is Gomez’ coaxing some serious noise from his instrument. Taken by itself, the playing on this disc is textbook Chicago blues, dirty and soulful. Gomez can play like a madman, that much is certain. Gomez even hosted an instructional show on PBS called Blues Slide Guitar Workshop, but the problem with Always Never is Gomez’ attempt to turn the sound into songs. "Cocaine Girl" casts a white hot light on Gomez shortcomings. His voice simply doesn’t rise to the occasion of his playing. Left to Gomez’ guitar playing alone, Always Never would be an amazing album. The blues is about expressing emotion through playing, and the man can make that guitar come alive. If one feels the need to vocalize something, then it needs to be done with everything they’ve got, and Gomez criss-crosses vocal styles and never settles into his own voice. As a result, the engine never gets warm, and the disc sort of comes apart. The words become a distraction and take away from slide guitar playing that deserves a more effective platform. On "Southern Belle," Gomez really turns his talent loose with some searing playing, but it’s reduced to background noise behind the vocals. (Lance Looper)

GOOD FOR YOU
NEUROTIC SHOWERING HABITS (GOOD FORKS RECORDS)

Good For You is an Oakland band with its heart in the right place. Clean crisp guitars chop away on the opener "5 bucks" and the song continues to build steam with the entrance of organ and fuzz guitars, all the while the singer casually intones in a voice that brings to mind the Feelies and Pavement without being overly imitative of either. It's a great start to a solid sophomore album filled with guitar-oriented rock that, despite pulling from all over the map, rarely looses its hold on the essentials of pop songwriting. The band does a good job of alternating for maximum effect the use of clean and distorted sounds. All told this album is a welcome reminder of much of what was good in early to mid 90's indie-rock. (William Crain)

MARTIN GORDON
How Am I Doing So Far?
Radient Future
Now that Martin Gordon has completed his so-called Mammal Trilogy (3 CDs released 2003-2005), here's a one-disc distillation of highlights. If as I suspect you've missed out on these three albums, you really should do yourself a favor and pick this up. Mojo just picked one of the early tracks as a pick of the month, "Daddy Was A Dalek and Mummy Was A Non-Stick Frying Pan." It's one of the many classics contained herein. Smarter than most pop music around, and amazingly witty as well, this is pop of the highest order -- think Queen's "Killer Queen," Sparks' "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" (a song featuring and arranged by Gordon), Bowie's "Drive-In Saturday," and musically you're on the same page. Included is a killer cover of The Beatles' "Every Little Thing" in an arrangement owing a lot to Yes' 1970 cover version, and his tribute to Cheap Trick (probably the single band Gordon's band sonically most resembles). There's also four excellent bonus tracks not included in the Mammal Trilogy. Don't miss his hilarious website, with a detailed history of this overlooked but brilliant artist whose resume includes backing the Stones & Bowie, and appearing on Marc Bolan's final TV shows. www.martingordon.de      --Kent H. Benjamin

Robert Gordon
Satisfied Mind (Koch)

It’s never a good sign when a veteran artist names his comeback album after a well-known song associated with another songwriter, but Robert Gordon tries his best to smash those associations on Satisfied Mind. Though never a household name, despite the fact he touched off the late 70s rockabilly revival with his debut recording with Link Wray, Gordon has largely faded into the annals of rock history, eschewing the oldies circuit and issuing no studio albums since 1981. A legendarily spirited live performer, he still possesses a strong, commanding voice that is equally well suited for throwback rockers (the Elvis homage “Dear One”) or country covers (the countrypolitan of “Your Angel Steps Out of Heaven”). As with his last release, 1981’s Are You Gonna Be the One?, Gordon tempers his early rock energy with ballads and country fare that allow him to stretch out vocally but also sap the strength of his once powerful sneer. The problem is, while the album is well produced and the arrangements are tailored perfectly to his strengths as an artist, he would have done better to omit standard fare such as “These Boots Are Made for Walking” and “Sea of Heartbreak,” both of which are so faithful to the originals that they amount to little more than filler. His cover of the Hollies’ “Long Cool Woman” sounds like what it is – a 55-year-old rockabilly vet covering an English band that was aping Creedence Clearwater Revival. Still, when paired with the right material, such as the straight-up rockabilly rave of “Ain’t Gonna Take It No More,” he sounds positively invigorated, as if time has done little to dull the intensity of an artist who hasn’t recorded an album in 24 years. All in all, it’s nice to have him back, but let’s hope that next time he shakes some dust off of his pompadour and gets some of his swagger back. – Matt Fink

GREG GRAFFIN
Cold As Clay
anti-
Punk rock’s origins can be traced straight back to old-time folk music. It’s not as much of a stretch as it might seem. Lawless, toothy and chalk-full of death and terror, in their hearts the two genres both plow forward with furious fists well before introspective thoughts. That said, it makes perfect sense for Greg Graffin, former leader of the seminal punk band Bad Religion, to delve into this world of haunted strings and minor-key melodies. “Went out last night to take a little round, I met a little Sadie and I blowed her down/Bummed a ride home, got into bed, 44 smokeless under my head,” Graffin sings on “Little Sadie.” Bad Religion devotees might have a hard time wrapping their anarchist rage around a banjo, but it’d be a shame to write this off for a distaste of twang. It might just be Graffin’s best effort – of any genre – to date.   – Brian T. Atkinson

GRAIN USA
OVER THE COUNTER CULTURE (DISPOSABLE POP REVOLUTION)

Classic indie pop, jangle division. This brief four-song EP finds San Fran popsters Grain USA riding the cusp of early 80s style power pop, mixing chiming, REM-ish guitar figures with sing-songy hooks. The title track is best, and most representative--jarring four/four beat, off-kilter vocals, exuberant melody, a toe-tapper all the way. The rest follows suit nicely, and makes me want to check out their debut, Billboard, which somehow eluded PCP central. (Luke Torn)

THE GRASSY KNOLL
HAPPILY EVER AFTER (ÉMIGRÉ)

It isn't easy to assess the music here on its own merits, since this CD is to be considered as just one part of a larger graphic arts package. Included with a letter-pressed, over-sized cover, a colorful magazine full of photos and artwork, as well as a font catalog, the music of the Grassy Knoll might seem almost like an afterthought. This is especially so since the all-instrumental work fits neatly into the burgeoning "soundtrack without a movie" movement and thus might settle a bit too easily into the background of your busy lifestyle. Blending live instruments with electronic ones, Happily Ever After is the Grassy Knoll's fourth (I think) album and is almost solely the work of one Bob Green. Mixing in patches of bass-heavy funk and jazz at crucial moments, tunes like "One Hundred Years" and "Sabbath's Theater" remind me more than anything else of the Lolo Schifrin soundtracks for early 70s cop flicks like Dirty Harry or Bullitt. Listening to this record, I feel like I should be bottoming out a big old Chevy on the concrete hills of San Fran while in hot pursuit of some crooked punk. Since I am not, it's tough to predict how much use I'm going to find in the future for Happily Ever After. But hey, it is one hell of a good-looking package. (Matt Murphy)

GREEN
Elaine MacKenzie (NO CIGAR)

Four hours of this all-but-forgotten Chicago pop band may be a bit much for all but the most anglophile power poppers, but guitarist Jeff Lescher's group was the kind of all-embracing pop band that burbled around in the late-80s, pre-grunge underground. Far ranging enough to embrace everything from Merseybeat balladry to neo-soul falsetto workouts to off-the-wall experimental pop, Green was a critics' darling back in the day for its ability to turn all manner of styles into gleaming, melodic jangle pop. The 1986 debut is a bit thin on the ground--bare production values drag it down--but has its share of rough-cut gems. By Elaine MacKenzie, though, Lescher had found his voice, and it remains a mystery why Material Issue and the Posies are fixed in the collective memory as the era's prime bands when Green was offering up such frothy guitar pop as "She's An Addiction" and the riff-happy "Up All Night," the latter of which could've been a nice mod-rocker in the hands of a singer like Steve Marriott. That Lescher could also write something as sublime as "Don't Ever Fall in Love With Someone When You're In Love With Someone Else," a strange mélange of Association-style pop and Elvis Costello at his Bacharach best, proves he's an unfairly lost talent. Also available: The Flowers in the Grass, a nicely chosen, career-spanning anthology. (Luke Torn)

THE GREEN PAJAMAS
THIS IS WHERE WE DISAPPEAR (WORONZOW)

One of the ironies of pop music--that is, popular music -- is that some of its most gifted exponents are unknown to the general record-buying populace. One classic example is Londoner Nick Saloman, the brains behind the Bevis Frond, who's had brilliant songs coming out of his ears for the last 15 years or so and who, despite a gazillion albums, enjoys only a cult following. Jeff Kelly, the main creative force behind the Green Pajamas, has much in common with Saloman in addition to being signed to his Woronzow label. Although Kelly's not prone to the same sort of Frond guitar freakouts, he's certainly as adept as Saloman at writing timeless psychedelic pop and rock. And he's almost as prolific--eight solo albums and about a dozen with the Green Pajamas since 1984.

On the heels of 2001's solo effort Indiscretion (his highly personal meditation on Catholicism), This Is Where We Disappear underscores Kelly's under-recognized talent for literate, thoughtful compositions that, despite their often introspective quality, consistently sink their hooks into listeners. This material is instantly memorable: from simple, jangly tunes ("Sweet 16"; "The Moorland Ghost") to more melodramatic folk-rock that recalls Green on Red and the Triffids ("Secret Circle"), to driving melodic rock such as "Matilda" and the hypnotic, fuzz-pedal laden title track. The contributions of fellow band members Laura Weller and Eric Lichter add further dimensions to the band's repertoire here. Penned by Lichter, "French to Japanese" has a whimsical, buoyant Beatlesque feel while, by contrast, his "Would You Even Say Hello?" is a resigned, mournful song that evokes Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." Darker still is "Downslide," the powerful folk-rock number written and emotively sung by Weller.

This Is Where We Disappear again finds Jeff Kelly drawing on a wide range of cultural sources as the inspiration for his songs. But although paintings, novels, folk tales, and so forth might often be his muse, it's not necessary to know those sources to enjoy the Green Pajamas. It doesn't matter if you haven't read Matthew Lewis' 18th-century gothic novel The Monk or if you're not familiar with the circumstances surrounding the death of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's wife, Elizabeth Siddal--this material stands tall on its own merits. Now, if only more people could hear it. (Wilson Neate)

Grenadier
Hand Offensive (Ubique)

De Kalb, Illinois-based Grenadier recorded Hand Offensive in member Matt Mattson's basement, and the record both succeeds and suffers from that place of origin. There is a buoyant, lo-fi indie bounce to a lot of the tracks, which is engaging even if most of the songs aren't particularly catchy or memorable. There are also a numerous pimples and warts in the production, which listeners will likely either find charming or irritating, as well as a couple of experimental adventures ("Turdler") that could have been left off. The band seems to work best on the more rocking tracks, such as on the excellent "Gods of Gravity" and the equally strong "Smile Away Pt. 2" where they tap into a great energetic groove and explore territory that sounds like a blend of Guided By Voices and the early Feelies. Perhaps more focus on a particular style will help them on future recordings. (Andy Smith)

Jackie Greene
Sweet Somewhere Bound (Verve)

It's tempting to talk about how precocious young Jackie Greene is, but the way he repeatedly bewails women trouble (“some believe me and some deceive me, and some I wish I’d never seen at all,” he moans in the title track), reveals he might be hardened beyond his 23 years. Maybe that’s why he opens up his second release with the misstep of a light-hearted murder ballad, but he gains surer footing when addressing girlfriends who aren’t cheating. Like many gifted musicians, he plays all the instruments in many songs, though his accompanists really make a lament like “Miss Madeline (3 Ways to Love Her)” resonate in muted colors, especially as the tale reaches its mini Moog crescendo. Cool also that he uses old microphones and mono recording techniques from the 50s and 60s, but having come of age in a digital era, Greene has not yet learned the art of conciseness. Most songs on the record would surely benefit from gentle pruning, though Green’s folk rock is certainly promising for a guitar-and-piano playing songwriter learning to explore newly dense forests. His voice is pleasant in a Peter Case kind of way, and there’s more than a few bullseyes on here, from the buoyant blues of ”Sad to Say Goodbye” to the languid rock of “Honey I Been Thinking About You”. - David Pyndus

GRIDDLE
Klimty Favela
Your Permanent Records
Griddle's Klimty Favela is an irreverent and skewed record that owes an obvious debt to the likes of Zappa, Flaming Lips, Super Furry Animals, and other purveyors of this type of creative mish-mash. Griddle's efforts aren't quite as musically cohesive as these influences, which results in Klimty Favela never becoming especially compelling even if individual songs like "No Red Pianos" are strong. Some of the more exploratory (and self-indulgent) efforts could be jettisoned without much damage, and a strong injection of melody would help as well. Still, Klimty Favela never fails to be interesting, and its creativity is truly admirable. It's also not hard to imagine that these guys have plenty more of this wonderfully strange music percolating in their heads. Bonus points for the most excellent Monkees' cover. --Andy Smith

Grimble Grumble
Leaves Leader (Self-released)

The advent of the 90s brought to light yet another sub-genre of guitar rock; one where atmospherics and mood (not to mention phased effects pedals) were elevated far above such trivialities as music or lyrics. In British music press speak, we are talking about the “shoegazers.” Fifteen years later, the influence of the shoegazers continues to impact modern rock sonic choices. Studious observers would be familiar with the drill, hushed and almost anonymous vocals, frenetic and passionate drumming, psychedelic bass, and of course walls and walls of ethereal guitar sound. Apparently, Grimble Grumble knows the score as well (and apparently their collection of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Swervedriver, Chapterhouse and Ride albums), which lends Leaves Leader a derivative air. Frankly, apart from the gorgeous “Rail Road” not much here to recommend. (Kevin Mathews)

GUAPO & CERBERUS SHOAL
THE DUCKS AND DRAKES OF GUAPO AND CERBERUS SHOAL (NORTH EAST INDIE)

More a triumph in concept and execution than in coherent or entirely captivating music, this split release between English noise sculptors Guapo and exploratory post-rockers Cerberus Shoal is an interesting, if not overwhelming foray into avant-garde experimentation. The third in a series of such-conceived releases, the idea is fairly simple: both bands record tracks that are featured in their entirety, with a third created from the combination of selected pieces of those two recordings. The first, Guapo's "Idios Kosmos," is a nightmarish jumble of drones and abstract rumblings, with electronics gurgling and spinning over densely atonal organ hums that are entirely successful in creating an uncomfortably disturbed mood. Similarly impressionistic is "A Man Who Loved Holes," Cerberus Shoal's ominously devolving juxtaposition of an evilly manipulated Darth Vader-esque voice engaging in an unsettling call-and-response with a white bread choir. With heavy tape manipulation and confoundingly obscure, pseudo-King James verse, the track becomes almost laughably spooky, and it's hard to tell if it's even to be taken seriously. The third piece (comically attributed to Guaperus Shoalo) is a monolith of white noise and sound manipulation, the two tracks proving fairly complementary. The result is largely incomprehensible yet strangely affecting, leaving little doubt that such an outcome was entirely intentional. (Matt Fink)

Guided By Voices
Half Smiles of the Decomposed (Matador)

Along with their recently completed farewell tour, Half Smiles of the Decomposed represents part of Guided By Voices victory lap. When Robert Pollard announced that the band would cease to exist at the end of 2004, a collective mournful sigh ran through the underground music community that had lovingly embraced the former elementary teacher and his rotating cast of drinking buddies. GBV was never young and pretty enough for the top of the commercial heap, but their following has been devoted and passionate; if you've been lectured by a GBV fan-dork about not taking the band seriously enough at one of their shows (even as the band try valiantly to stay upright), you know what I mean. Pollard gave every pot-bellied, middle aged suburban rock n' roll dad reason to dream that he could still be a rock star even as he listened to his wife hectoring him about cutting the lawn or getting his smelly feet off the coffee table, and in the process authored some of the most exhilarating pure rock music of our time. Still, even at their best, GBV's albums could be maddeningly varied affairs with stellar songs mixed with true clunkers. Opinions vary about the turn Pollard took in the late 90's when he parted ways with longtime GBV members and hired Cleveland's Cobra Verde as his backing band, but to these ears it was always the right move. This seemed to become especially clear on their last couple of records which realized some of the consistent greatness Pollard hinted at but didn't always seem to focus on amidst his songwriting explorations. So what about Half Smiles of the Decomposed, the apparent end of Guided By Voices' new recorded output? Fans looking for the culmination of all of that potential and a triumph of fist-pumping, air-guitar swinging indie rock glory might be disappointed, because there really isn't a single song here that stands out as among the best in the band's catalog. However, it is a terrific record top to bottom with more focus and consistency than the bulk of the band's recorded output. So instead of moments of scattered glory, we get a record without a single weak track. The opener "Everyone Thinks I'm a Raincloud (When I'm Not Looking)" aside from its fabulous title is a trademark top shelf GBV rocker with biting, soaring guitars and great vocal hooks. Acoustic guitars take center stage for several songs including the shimmering "Girls of Wild Strawberries" and the driving "Gonna Never Have to Die." Other highlights include "Closets of Henry" which steadily builds its tension to a roar that showcases the tightness and power of the band. As the last notes of the excellent closer "Huffman Prairie Flying Field" (another classic GBV power-pop tune) ring out, there is a sense of closure and satisfaction and GBV sounds like a band that has reached a fitting and logical end to an improbable and often astonishing career. (Andy Smith)


Guitar Wolf
LoveRock (Narnack)

Conventional wisdom recommends that you keep the wolf from your door. That certainly holds true for Guitar Wolf. Well-schooled in rock posturing and rituals, these Japanese garage punks would trash the place and blow out the windows (all the better to throw out your TV and kitchen appliances). It's probably safer, and significantly cheaper, just to get their latest album. LoveRock is business as usual for the Tokyo power trio fixated on the likes of Link Wray, the MC5, Johnny Thunders and the Ramones. Despite a tongue-in-cheek, cartoonish exterior (the shades, the attitude, the leather trousers), the band's amphetamine-paced, all-needles-in-the-red thrash has Godzilla-sized balls and easily blows away the crop of fey garage rock revivalists of the past few years. Lyrically, Guitar Wolf might seem inaccessible to those unable to understand Japanese -- assuming that they are actually singing in Japanese -- but it doesn't matter. Despite off-kilter titles that sound as if they've been run through translation software, songs like "Time Machine of Tears," "Universe Youth," "Midnite Blood Pump," "Ultra Might Nite" and "Moonlight Boy" speak the universal language of visceral rock 'n' roll. (Wilson Neate)

The Gunshy
No Man’s Blues (Latest Flame)

Matt Arbogast’s honest voice is so full of rasp that he sounds like he should’ve given up smoking back in the 20th century. Then again, he is dealing with so much unresolved tension about life’s disappointments that hopefully he is finding it therapeutic to write “Reason To Retreat,” “I Will Die Alone” and “Dead Ends.” Usually recording with a basic rock band (along with the occasional violin, cello and other odd instrument), Arbogast presents depressive songs about failed relationships, drinking to forget them, and confessional comments about how he might be wasting his life with rock ‘n’ roll. No Man’s Blues is music for when you’re pissed at the world, or realize the world doesn’t want to put up with your despair. – David Pyndus

THE GURUS
The Swing of Things
Rainbow Quartz
Spanish combo The Gurus return with another fine, solid album of tuneful psychedelic pop. Things start off with "Nate and Jobs," an excellent melodic tune based on a Syd Barrett riff (timely, that). "Tears in the Wardrobe" is a melodic rocker with Revolver guitar parts. Tasteful synths, English-lyrics from a singer for whom English isn't a first language, backwards guitars, and some outright late '60s hard-rock touches (including a tough cover of the Kinks' "I Need You") help make this another memorable outing. All elements combine to make an album well worth checking out.  --Kent H. Benjamin

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