Frank Ciampi
Big Top Woman

Recorded and Produced by Frank Ciampi, Matt Beaudoin and Matt Tahaney at Q Division, Somerville, MA

Mastered by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance East, Cambridge, MA

Undeniable ear candy is the only way to describe Frank Ciampi’s debut, Big Top Woman. From the layered 1960s pop arrangements with harpsichords and various other tinkling keyboards all over, Ciampi’s Sgt.Pepper’s and Pet Sounds fixation is obvious and formidable because the songs are also damn good.

Tunes like “The Miss Jenny” combine a ploddingly staccato piano and bass-filled verse eventually heading into the chunky chorded Weezer-esque chorus, while “Oh Gloria” could be a lost Byrds or Zombies outtake.

Ciampi plays a share of instruments on the album. The bass lines are amazingly thick and fluid with a melodic turn rarely heard on bass, which thankfully strays away from the typical root notes. The layered arrangements on tunes like “Anyway” and “The Same” add another layer to the already complex hooks and unexpected twists and turns Ciampi writes.

Big Top Woman is a relentlessly surprising pop hit with great tunes and well-crafted kitchen sink production that will make anybody who appreciates a melody jealous. (Q Division)

-Brian E. King

Ani DiFranco
Red Letter Year
Produced by Mike Napolitano and Ani Difranco | Mastered by Brent Lambert

Ani DiFranco is a sparklingly gifted guitarist and vocalist, as well as a complex and fascinating musical narrator. Her canon contains a multitude of songs that flutter and fly with profound messages, though sometimes too many. As a result, they can ring hollow without a memorable melody or chorus to drive home the true import of her thoughts.
With that said, however, Red Letter Year shows DiFranco at her most melodically memorable, without sacrificing any of her determined, mission-driven lyrical potency. In “Present Infant” and “Star Matter,” the listener relishes two endearingly optimistic statements about the finding of love, conjoined with apropos melodies. In “Present Infant,” DiFranco sings that “Love is all over the place / There is nothing wrong with your face.” And in one of the last tracks on the album, DiFranco coos “love ain’t far behind” repeatedly in a dulcet, meditative manner reminiscent of latter-day Liz Phair.
Playing with a new band on Red Letter Year, DiFranco takes advantage of the talented musicians around her and generates eclectic arrangements that have a larger sound than many of her previous works. Combine this with her dexterous guitar parts, and a sonic propulsion throughout serves as a fitting backdrop to her upfront style of songwriting.
On Red Letter Year, Difranco finds a blissful balance of mission and melody, thus creating an album that breathes and moves with grace, vigor and leaves the listener humming its sweet melodies upon conclusion. (Righteous Babe Records)

-Michael Oliveri
www.anidifranco.com

Pinsky
Two for the Road
Produced, recorded, mastered, and mixed by Pinsky

Two for the Road, the debut album from Pinsky, a quartet from Portland, Maine has no shortage of catchy songs. Comprised of Peter Vachon, Jeffrey Roberts, Adam Croteau and Andre Tranchemontagne, Pinsky released their first single, “Beverly,” which describes them perfectly in three minutes and 45 seconds. Their raw guitars and upbeat tempo makes for a predictable but surprisingly good introduction to the album. Within each song, they carefully place backing vocals and harmonizing to reiterate their style. Since their verses and choruses are short and often repeated, this is how they captivate their listeners. They are not trying to write intricate prose but instead get their message across in as few words as possible. In most cases, the few words they choose to sing are the right ones. The lyrics in “Still Drinking,” which read, “Can you believe I’m still chasing, chasing the thought of you?” cleverly use a double entendre of love and taking shots to showcase a point. “Sailor Song,” which is undoubtedly the climax of the record, canons the line “We’ll wait for rescue tomorrow; today let’s just take in the view; I’ll be there for you” on top of a backdrop of acoustic guitar, piano and light percussion. In a way, Two for the Road is a narrative of a relationship. Pinsky chronicles what happens when one falls in love, when one can’t let go and when it’s time to start to move on. Though some of their songs are reminiscent of Brand New when it comes to subject matter and genre, Pinsky shows promise with this seven-song LP. It may be their first body of work, but it demonstrates that with each song, they have the potential to grow as artists and prove that they have much more to come. (Self-released)

-Haley Navarro

www.pinskymusic.com

Midatlantic
The Longest Silence

The phrase “starts off with a bang” implies some sort of initial explosion followed by a letdown. There’s not much of a letdown here. Formerly known as The Bleedin’ Bleedins, Midatlantic doesn’t come up for air until the third track “Love (Will Rule Your Heart Again),” which pulses with a different, quieter and more radio-friendly sound. The group shows a more human side, dispensing with the panache of first track “We Won’t Stand Alone,” and second track “You Just Don’t Understand,” for a more personal, string-laden message.

This track is kind of an off-speed pitch, like seeing one of your best friends engaged in a tender moment with a sweetheart.

Carrying on with the idea of the album as the linear progression of something, the subsequent tracks sound a little more mature than the previous ones, as if the band is growing through the course of the record. Ever-present is Midatlantic’s penchant for sounding rhythmically together. The arrangement and production on The Longest Silence are top-notch, as in it’s almost difficult to imagine the band being local independent artists and not larger-than-life MTV personalities, 20 years away from being VH1 personalities.

The band’s musical poise is unyielding, but there are still moments where you can see behind the curtain every so often, such as in the guitar intro of “Never Said Forever” or the structurally-sound acoustic chords in “Damaged Goods.” The result is a band that seems preternaturally good at expressing itself. (Planetary)

-C.D DiGuardia

www.midatlantictheband.com

All These Kings
All These Kings

Produced by Dion “Chipz” Warren and Ryan “Blue” Posen.

Mastered by Eamon Loftus at Brickhouse Recording in Virginia.

Recorded at The Milkhouse and Ise Studios.

All These Kings may not stray too far from paths already paved for them by bands such as the Arctic Monkeys or The Kooks, but they’ve seemingly mastered the art of making music that begs for a live show.

Their eight-track release shows immense potential for the band to mature and develop their own unique sound and also offers prospects for extraordinarily popular singles. “Stains,” which immediately calls to mind early Queens of the Stone Age, shines. From its perfectly timed progression to its rich second verse and bridge, “Stains” is the perfect recipe for a burly yet catchy single.

The only downfall to the album is the lack of cohesiveness. The first half of the album has the tendency to run together, enough so that if you stop paying attention you may think that iTunes is stuck on repeat. The band relies on effects as a crutch in order to cover up their own creative shortcomings.

By mid-album, the tune “Requiem” is reward for the first half of the album, offering some surprising characteristics to their sound such as a female vocalist and the rich sound of a piano.

All These Kings’ effort is a great use of the current indie-pop-rock standards while not choosing to only supply the bare minimum of a sure fire hit - they unexpectedly throw in odds and ends of unexpected tunes that hint what the band may have to offer in the future. (self-released)

-Kelley Allenspach

www.myspace.com/allthesekings

Chromeo
Fancy Footwork

Produced by Chromeo

Mixed by Pilippe Kdar

Though the introduction to this CD sounds like a David Bowie and Queen marriage from an infomercial, the Canadian duo starts off the record right with the first single, “Tenderoni.” Like Peter Frampton and T-Pain have done successfully in the past, Chromeo shows their listeners that a vocoder can be a positive factor in a song. Fancy Footwork is the follow-up to 2004’s She’s in Control, and it doesn’t fail to deliver 11 more party songs. Comprised of Patrick Gemayel and David Macklovitch, Chromeo creates clever lyrics to offset the dance beats that they make. Lyrics such as, “I’ll give you bonafide loving: the type that makes me feel old” and “If I show you how I do my dance, maybe then you’ll let me get in those pants,” complement the synthesizers and drum machines in the background quite nicely. The title track, “Fancy Footwork” sounds like an indie version of something Prince would’ve done for his Purple Rain album, complete with appropriate “ahs” on cue. “Momma’s Boy,” the third single from the album, is a satirical look at the Oedipal complex, with a chorus that canons, “You got it so wrong, when you look into her eyes and all you really see is your mom.” But all complexes aside, the cowbells and guitar solos make this song one of the more memorable ones. Some synthpop records can get monotonous, but Fancy Footwork serves up something different for every song and still stays cohesive. Fancy Footwork could easily be the single soundtrack for your dance party. (Turbo/Vice/V2)

-Haley Navarro

www.chromeo.net

Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles

Mastered by Nils at the Exchange

It might not be easy for listeners less-than-in-love with the experimental sounds and frequent melodic repetition of electronica to enjoy the eponymous album by Crystal Castles, but, at first listen, it doesn’t seem like the band cares. The vocals on almost every track have been blurred just to the edge of linguistic perception, as if it doesn’t matter whether anyone except the duo understands them. But as the band ricochets from hypnotizing, candy-tinted synths to clawing vocals over razor-sharp beats, this starkly contrasting album belies the band’s apathy in favor of determined, gleeful manipulation.

Almost as soon as it begins, the chaos of “Alice Practice” is replaced by “Magic Spells,” during which Crystal Castles experiment with diverse effects — Super Mario clips, clips of people talking and clapping hands populate the backing track, combined to create steady musical footsteps. The spoken words are almost immersed in static, imbuing them with a semi-phantasmal quality that doesn’t rule out the possibility that they are spells. Similarly, “Air War” presents a jumble of voices whose words have been removed from linguistic context and turned into music, in line with a sweet plink of radar tones, buzzing bass, and wailing sirens that make the song so chaotic and rich.

The record’s meaty center is comprised of several tracks which circle and dive around a single thematic baseline. “Courtship Dating” starts with a beat that suggests a hundred scantily clad teenagers grinding inside the speakers, while appropriately-named “1991” sounds like nothing so much as a very long Deee-Lite introduction. “Through the Hosiery” and “Reckless” are cut from the same cloth of heavy harmonies, steady beat and spidery synth, but on “Love and Caring” the broken-glass shrieks and desperation are back, just as abrupt and disturbing as they were the first time around.

The album comes to a surprising ending with the provocatively-named “Tell Me What to Swallow.” Featuring a strumming guitar and a gentle female voice the listener has yet to hear, the song has a haunting quality, as if it were recorded underwater, and exudes a surprisingly lingering aura. (Lies Records, Toronto Records)

-Alissa Greenberg

www.crystalcastles.cc

The Lights Out
Heist

Produced by Jason Dunn at Mad Science in Allston, MA

The Lights Out are at it again and aren’t taking any hostages with Heist.

Thematically, the band takes a lighter approach to match their 1990s alt-rock sound. The follow-up to last year’s EP kicks off with the opening track “Money or Time,” in which lead singer Rishava Green declares that “you can never get them both.”

Compared to the last EP, Green’s vocals are sultrier and more refined, especially on “Liquid” and “New Gets Old,” where his voice is complimented by just enough whirlwind guitar and fast paced rhythms to make any doubter a listener.

The Lights Out revel in their status as consistent proponents of feel-good rock ‘n’ roll, and Heist is a testament to that stance.

The only problem with the record is its stagnancy. The melodies and delivery of lyrics are catchy but predictable. The same niche, The Lights Out revel in starts to work against them. Unless this foursome kicks it up a notch with a more diverse sound, they might become pigeonholed. At least they manage to have fun while doing so. (self-released)

-Candice McDuffie

www.thelightsout.com

Jeffery Simmons
Best of Luck

(No Production Info)

Boston native Jeffrey Simmons has gained a reputation amongst local music critics for his unique vocals and signature peachy lyrics. On his third full-length album, Best of Luck, Simmons has not fallen short to any standards but seems to have lost what his audience treasures most - his individuality. The ten-track album features medium tempo acoustic tunes reminiscent of a lethargic Elvis Costello with a classic, light rock tinge while featuring songs, like “Better to Lose,” which stray from predictable melodies and arrangements by adding electronic swells, and “Friend,” which features a strong violin part. Even “Making a Move” has an unexpected break mid-song followed by a haunting string quartet.

And though Best of Luck has its shining moments, it drags instead of being a pleasant trip through pop. Simmons’ lyrics seem to be lost within a sea of unfocused, unoriginal phrases such as, “Wake every morning waiting for bad news/ but I just wanna be a friend to you/ Some say that luck is when you know how to lose/but all your days are a different shades of blue.”

Simplistic lyrics can be refreshing when used sparingly, but when combined with average and unsurprising musicality, they lose their novelty as well.

Best of Luck seems to fall short of the unique reputation Simmons has earned over the years from reviewers across Boston, who’ve dubbed Simmons as “refreshing.” Although highlights like “Better to Lose” and “Awkward” certainly deserve attention, the rest of the album’s bland quality detracts. For those who appreciate non-descript pop, Best of Luck is for you. (self-released)

-Kelley Allenspach

www.jeffreysimmonsmusic.com

CSS
Donkey

(No Production Info)

With a band name that translates to “tired of being sexy” in Portuguese, one can immediately tell that this band likes to have fun. While their sophomore album, Donkey, is a little bit more serious than their previous release, they still manage to bring playfulness to the table. They lyrically tackle issues such as spousal abuse and falling in love, as opposed to songs about alcohol and Paris Hilton from their last record. In “Believe Achieve,” Lovefoxxx, the lead singer, quietly sings, “I believe that love was created just for me and you,” which lets listeners know that this band likes more than just drinking. But on the band’s first single, “Rat is Dead (Rage),” the bridge is so catchy that one could almost forget it is about abuse. This single stretches away from signature dance-pop CSS by lending a little more guitars and a little less Moog to represent the seriousness of the song. But don’t let their single fool you; they still know how to have fun. On “Jager Yoga” and “Let’s Reggae All Night,” they bring more of the element they are most known for: their signature dance songs. The English in some of these songs isn’t always grammatically correct, but it makes one wonder whether or not it is on purpose or because it just sounds better in the grand scheme of things. Overall, their songs range from alternative rock to complete synthpop, but they still keep a theme that translates throughout the album -- not taking themselves too seriously. But after being in an iTunes commercial for their first single, “Music is My Hot Hot Sex,” how can they? (Sub Pop)

-Haley Navarro

www.csshurts.com

The Alchemystics
The Alchemystics EP

Produced by Garrett and Demse for Northfire Crew Productions

Recorded and mixed by Garrett Sawyer, Northfire Recording

Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering

Reggae fans who are tired of listening to one pale Bob Marley imitation after another will have reason to celebrate when picking up a copy of The Alchemystics new self-titled EP. While reggae sensibilities form the core of the album’s sound, The Alchemystics are not content to rely on standard rhythms and trite chord progressions. Reggae beats are infused with hip-hop lyricism and techno innovations to create a sound that is polished and refreshingly unpredictable.

The album opens with “Shine Eye Girl,” an energetic love song that relies heavily on dance beats and hip-hop-style rhymes. Just as the beat threatens to become a little too comfortable and the lyrics a little too predictable, the bridge steps in to introduce a new key, mellower rhythms and more melodic vocals. As the bridge moves seamlessly back to the song’s original style, everything seems to speed up, giving the music an increasingly urgent feel.

“Bangers N Mash” continues in the hip-hop vein with more aggressive vocals and a minor key that gives the track a darker sound. Piano is featured heavily and techno tendencies become more apparent. “Peace of Mind” marks a return to traditional reggae rhythm and vocal styles with lyrics that impart messages of both hope and despair over the state of the modern world. “Piece of DUB” is an instrumental track with prominently featured hand drums, woodwinds and melodica.

The final track, “Ghetto Red Hot DUB” takes on both reggae and Latin rhythms with mandolin, Spanish-style guitar and trumpet interludes. The minor key and techno effects give the track a downright sinister feel. This track, perhaps more than any other, highlights the band’s versatility by demonstrating a mix of styles and instrumentation.

In a world where musicians seem increasingly content to follow established formulas, it’s encouraging to find a band that can defy boundaries with skill and grace. The Alchemystics is a worthy addition to any collection, reggae fan or not. (self-released)

-Leslie McIntyre

www.myspace.com/thealchemystics

The Campaign for Real-Time
The Campaign for Real-Time

Produced by Murdock

The Campaign for Real-Time is always up to something. First, they claim to be time travelers. Then, they gain some people, lose some people and change all their names. Now they release this three-song “single” to the world, and it is an electro-symphony, a rare song in a major key and finally a callback to earlier CFRT days. Which path is the Campaign going to take next? Knowing them, the answer is probably “all of them.”

The band has taken on a decidedly more electronic angle with new keyboardist Michael Potvin. The loops are more intricate and more pervasive throughout the catalog, as demonstrated in first track “The Game,” one of those “more machine than man” tracks. While it retains its human elements (mostly through the howling vocals of front man Ed McNamara), the song is carried by a bright, herky-jerky arpeggio. The electronics can be a bit heavy in this track, but the thrusted chorus makes up for any nasty electric shocks provided by the verses.

Closing out the trio is “Brooklyn (Never Going Back),” which has more in common musically with The Campaign for Real-Time’s first record, Yes...I Mean No. Fuzzy bass, roundabout choruses and the strong drumming of Nick Zampiello punctuate this track, making it a place you’ll want to visit again and again.

The Campaign for Real-Time refuses to be pinned down, and worse, demonstrates aptitude in multiple genres as a rock-synth-pop-we-just-kidnapped-Justin Timberlake-and-boy-is-he-pissed band and they show no signs of letting up. (self-released)

-C.D DiGuardia

www.c4rt.com

Jessica Prouty
Saving My Sanity

Produced, engineered, and mixed by Brian Maes

The entire group is really, really young. The oldest band member is fifteen. The youngest band member is thirteen. Ms. Prouty is fourteen, herself. So when one considers the average age of the group, then yeah, they sound amazing. They would sound good for a band twice their age.

Very few indie rock musicians were lyrical geniuses at age fourteen, but very few indie rock musicians also had a well-produced record at age fourteen. An example, in the song “My Life” are lyrics that cause a migraine: “Every day I only think of one thing/ to become a big rock star/ every night I dream of being in the spotlight/ I wanna drive a big rock star car.”

Ouch.

Another criticism is Prouty’s lack of excitement throughout the album. With a sound very similar to a more pop HIM, and vocals very similar to Evanescence, the lead singer needs to put some passion in her voice. Prouty sleepwalks through her role as frontwoman, lacking the kick that would drive an alt-rock band and instead focusing on how pretty her voice sounds.

Although in her defense, she does sound great. She has the quality of a classically-trained singer in a borderline gothic rock band. All the musicians play amazingly well, with the experience of rockers a few decades older. Ms. Prouty is a very competent bassist, herself. Saving My Sanity is masterfully produced with Brian Maes’ taking credit.

For hard rockin’ musicians who qualify as jailbait, turn to Jessica Prouty’s band. (self-released)

-Sean Mahan

www.jessicaprouty.com

The Biltmores
Never Go Home

Recorded, mixed, and produced by Mike Lust

Mastered by Carl Saff of Saff Mastering, Chicago, IL

The Biltmores create a wonderfully conceived and powerful full-length album on their sophomore effort, Never Go Home, that is unique but also balanced. The album achieves its goal through clever songwriting that implements unique arrangements of traditional song forms which are, in turn, elevated by the wrenched, Shannon Hoon-like vocals offered by Danny Baxter.

The first three songs of Never Go Home demonstrate this ideal. “Diagnostic Criteria” delivers an up-beat and catchy prog/rock vibe that kicks off the record with force. Directly following is a slow, swanky, slide guitar blues (“Radioplay”) that declares the diverse and impressive level of musicianship within The Biltmores. And then in stark contrast to these songs comes “Rode to Miriam,” which shows the band’s ability to achieve smoky, red-eyed transcendence in a major-key rocker replete with lush, vocal harmonies and an impressive roller coaster arrangement.

The articulation of this impressive and diverse beginning to Never Go Home might seem to foreshadow some up-coming fraying of sound on the part of The Biltmores. Rather, these songs serve as a template or palette, of which the components are beautifully interchanged within the rest of the songs on the album. They blend slide guitar and lush vocal melodies among the jagged prog-rock landscape of “Caves.” And they offer extended, synth-infused bridges to the simple, AC/DC-influenced rock groove in “Sadgrass.” The Biltmores thrive most at injecting unexpected musical elements in to seemingly expectant song forms in a refreshingly unpretentious manner.

The only question that remains with this band regards the blending of vocals between Danny Baxter and Brendan Leonard. They have completely different voices and too oft sound strange and abrasive when sharing the stage together. Baxter is the soaring vocal force that presides over this talented group, and needs to be up front. (self-released)

-Michael Oliveri

www.thebiltmores.com

Avi & Celia
Let It Rise

Produced by Avi Salloway and Celia Woodsmith

Mixed by Owen Curtin and Rob Kissner

Recorded at WERS Studios, Boston, MA

Who are Avi and Celia? They are, well, Avi & Celia. Or at least they become simply “Avi & Celia” after a few turns through their second release Let It Rise.

The duo seems comfortable in their musical skins. Celia Woods is a multi-dimensional vocalist who is able to go from a breathy coo to a full-on growl in what seem like seconds. Woods’ voice is like a force of nature; it breaks over some words like waves over rocks at sometimes, and barely seems to whisper through colorful Vermont leaves at others. Avi Salloway takes his turn at the microphone on occasion, and his smooth delivery is similarly just what the country doctor ordered.

The story says that the duo, in their early twenties, has been together since their days at the University of Vermont. And they perform like people who spend a lot of time (possibly all of it) together. This is never more evident than in “Gnome Time & Place” Parts I and II, in which the dynamic duo quickly jaunt through various melodies; Woods scatting her vocals and Salloway furiously plucking away at the guitar strings. The two seem in perfect synch, even when rattling off high-speed phrases; sometimes in unison, sometimes in a call-and-response fashion.

Let It Rise is like a Rorschach test of a record – different things will leap out upon each listen. One time, perhaps it’s the musical wonder of “Gnome Time & Place.” Then, maybe it’s Salloway’s set piece “Tecumseh Valley,” a brilliant understatement of a song that immediately sets into the ear. Still later, it might be the vocal dramatics and musical dynamics of lead-off track “Piper.” Let It Rise is sure to cause spirits to rise as it journeys through some dark places and turns on lights in others. (self-released)

-C.D DiGuardia

www.aviandcelia.com

Tom Thumb
The Taxidermist

Produced, Mixed, and Mastered by Andy Arch

The Taxidermist is Andy Arch’s exploration of mistakes, blame, and salvation. Arch, also known as Tom Thumb, wrote, preformed, and produced his record, an accomplishment not uncommon in the world of folk. The Taxidermist, however, is not a common folk album. While Arch’s excellent song writing is foundation and frame around which this record is built, one never feels like they are simply listening to collection of reflective and rootsy folk songs.

There are countless modern touches on the production, oddly- panned vocals and percussion, trippy drum-loops and xylophone and mellotron. These show Arch’s talent at turning folk ditties into sonic experiences, manipulating and distancing the songs from their base form in ways akin to Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

“Lifeboat” is a naked and vulnerable love song, while “Every Bodega” is joyous and galloping acknowledgment of the “true flaws” the narrator sees from a rooftop. One gets the sense that the flaws Arch sees on the bodega-lined streets are not as chilling as the flaws the narrator of “Ex-Hive” sees in himself. “Long Time Coming” and “Sing, Rummy,” depart from the folk sensibilities that Arch maintains throughout the earlier tracks and call to mind Spoon’s Brit Daniels and Broken Social Scene. While the thoughtful production makes each song unique, the breath and life of this record comes from Andy Arch’s secure voice and delicate guitar playing.

Andy Arch puts the songs first and lets the strength of his performance and thoughtful production sensibilities carry the audience through a satisfying and meditative experience. On The Taxidermist, Arch preserves the intimacy of his compositions while carefully crafting his sound. (self-released)

-Andrew Sgro

www.tomthumbmusic.com

Art Decade

Innocence/Experience

Recorded at Haunted Hollow Studios

Engineered and Mixed by Rob Evans

Art Decade’s debut EP Innocence/Experience is like an appetizer, a small bite of something delicious that creates anticipation about what will come next. Their sound is consistent with constantly changing elements threaded through each song -- mystical, intricate, smooth and heavy all at the same time, with hints of Incubus, Muse, and The Mars Volta.

At first, Innocence/Experience sounds like it is going to be a CD in which each song flows into the next because of the long ringing notes and smooth flowing sound; however, while maintaining the same sound, each song remains distinct and has something different that makes it interesting and unique.

“The Great Stampede” starts off slow and soft, only to burst into vocal and instrumental energy and melody, as well as “Fine and Fear.” Ben Talmi’s voice sounds best in these songs when he is belting or harmonizing catchy tunes. In the song “2012,” where his notes are soft and staccato, he starts to sound nasally do not fit with the ghostly and thumping beats of this style.

The last song, “Hope You Feel the Same” takes a different direction. The song is primarily acoustic, with lyrics that are also very charming and upbeat, although a little typical. It is about a night two young lovers fell for one another, and a song that every girl wants written about her – the only thing missing is something that rhymes with “star crossed lovers.” But as drippy as it might be, who wouldn’t smile when hearing the lyric “I like Fruit Roll Ups / I hope you feel the same.” The EP is intriguing and well crafted, and if it’s any indication as to where the band is going musically, Art Decade is definitely a band to keep an eye on. (Self-released)

-Terri Ciccone

www.myspace.com/artdecadeband

Murkádee

Eppology

Production information unavailable

Murkádee’s third album Eppology follows Chain Jing Mines and From A Spectral View. With an experimental sound that falls somewhere between indie pop and folk rock, Joseph K. Murphy and DeLaine Bennett croon their way through 14 ballads and duets. Band members Steve Dunleavy (saxophone), Jon Briggs (bass) and The Attic Bat (drums) round the New Hampshire quintet.

“14 Steps,” the opening track of the album, has a beautiful piano introduction beforecrashing into a guitar heavy duet. It’s a catchy and promising start, which leads to “Different Shifts,” with its intricate beat and melancholy lyrics.

Murkádee excels in music composition and arrangement. The melodies are amorphous but still familiar and nostalgic, with the warm glow of a hazy cafe or a sunlit meadow. Their quirky sound and whimsical lyrics sometimes echo twee-pop band Belle and Sebastian, but with a definite New England slant, especially on the track “Love Me So.”

The sometimes off-key vocals (which seem to be a deliberate stylistic choice rather than a mistake) mostly work, with Bennett strengthening Murphy’s wavering tenor, but at other times, grate on the ears. Though pleasant to listen to, the mid-section of the album doesn’t leave an imprint that will make you want to listen closely. It doesn’t pick up again until Bennett sings “New Years.” “You Fade” revives the album completely, with a fast pace, a catchy tune, beautiful clarinet and both vocalists in top form. “Canoe” pushes things along with complex guitar riffs and “Piles” ends the album on a memorable note.

A shorter, tighter album would be much stronger, but as it stands, Eppology showcases the possibilities of Murkádee’s quirky and bright future. (Self-released)

-Priyanka Boghani

www.murkadee.com

Muck and the Mires

Doreen

Produced by Kim Fowley and Maria Bablien

Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, UK

Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, NY

Having conquered both sides of the pond with their all-American garage rock, Muck and the Mires appear set to go back in time to the days when such great music was the main stream. In that effort, they have recently reduced a 10” vinyl EP, the plastic version is being reviewed here. Recorded in Los Angeles and London (at Abbey Road, no less), this fortunately frill-less and fun four-track declares the Boston-based band’s independence from the shlock rock and over-produced personality cults that have taken over the recording industry. In so doing, it will hopefully continue to spur the uprising that has been championed by the legendary likes of Steven Van Zandt and his garage rock groupies.

Kicking off this new revolution is the pound-and-crank devotional “Doreen” which is followed, appropriately enough, by the last-to-know goodbye song “Poor Little Girl.” Before the second song’s subject has time to cry, however, the album flips into the cleverly punctuated “Hypnotic” and then closes with the “bug off before your real man gets home” warning, “Hang All Over Me.” Though the entire album clocks in at just over 10 minutes, by the time you are done shimmying and shaking and having a ball, it will be the perfect time to grab a beverage and turn the record over again and again.

(Dirty Water Records)

-Matthew Robinson