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 Beau Jennings and the Holy Tulsa Thunder (Murkville Music)
Alt-country is all kinds of popular these days and as such there are a plethora of fancy-pants New Yorkers jumping on the bandwagon making music these days that isn't quite country music and as such can be enjoyed by a gaggle of indie rockers. At first sight, Beau Jennings is one more of those fellas - a fancy lad Brooklynite who is so down-home that he still rocks a beard and has pictures taken with his dog and while canoeing. A deeper look reveals a much more impressive picture of an Oklahoma native with a penchant for J Mascis like vocals over pleasant harmonies with just the right amount of piano. On his first solo album without his regular band Cheyenne, Jennings starts off very strongly both musically and lyrically with 'Holy Tulsa Thunder' and the pace only picks up ambling along quite nicely for the next few songs, peaking with the fourth track, 'The Opolis'. Jennings songs tell stories at times and are poetic musings at other times. The highlight of the album, 'San Juan Capistrano' is probably the best example of the latter with lyrics like "And now my richest gain can only count for loss/I can't stop shaking through the Stations of the Cross/I tip the bottle up I watch the spirits flow/They flow through San Juan Capistrano". The album is terrifically pleasant with hints of all sorts of other alt-country and singer songwriter type bands and although there are a handful of weaker songs (musically more than lyrically) it really is a terrific rookie solo release. -Andrew Fersch
 Porter Block - Off Our Shoulders (Engine Room recordings)
Somehow the duo of Porter Block has finagled a whole bunch of positive press from the Washington Post ("catchy melodies and buoyant harmonies") to Performing Songwriter ("[their music] is what rock 'n roll is all about") and places in between. They also have somehow managed to make an album which, while catchy at times, is pretty darn unimpressive. Average lyrics sung by a guy whose picture should be in the dictionary under 'self-absorbed douche bag.' I get it, you meet ladies and then love and broken hearts and such, etc. Hand-crafted for folks who don't listen to lyrics, like their 'rock' stars sensitive. and are completely comfortable listening to music which will neither inspire them nor make any lasting impression on them. This is the poor man's version of rock and roll. - Andrew Fersch
 Tit Patrol - Shut Up Juice (Madison Underground Records)
There is little expected when opening up an album called "Shut up Juice" by a band called Tit Patrol. Of course, this only helps their cause because without any lofty expectations, it can hopefully only be better than expected. Queers-like lyrics that you can actually understand (clearly with songs like "Butt Foot", "Daily Lobotomy", and "Surfin' Suzey"), chanted choruses, and a little bit of speed. It'd be easy to discard this band as another novelty - a group of ridiculous teenagers who have nothing to offer. While it's true that they aren't doing anything particularly new, they are doing it better than many other bands who they are emulating. "Candy Not Cops" is the sort of song that could win over any teenager with a sense of humor, and "One Of My Moods" shows that they can write some pretty clever lyrics with some pretty innovative songwriting too. It's also absolutely embarrassing and adorable that they spelled 'you're' and 'rhythm' incorrectly. It reminds me of high school and falling in love with punk rock music. Not too shabby for a band named Tit Patrol. - Andrew Fersch
 The Headies - It's a super-man's world (Madison Underground Records)
Straight forward rock and roll leaning towards punk rock vocally featuring Tit Patrol's guitarist and bassist. They're trying for humor, I think, although they don't do too well on the terrifically un-funny "That's All I Need" about smoking weed. It's unfortunate because the music on songs like "Not a Heartbreaker No Mo" and "High on Drugs" is catchy, but the lyrics are a little too true on the latter when he says:"I'm just a loser in this big life game". Stick to Tit Patrol, fellas. - Andrew Fersch
Let Me Run - Demo (Self-released)
Usually a burned CD with a paper homemade case denotes beginners musically, or at the very least a really poor group of punk rockers. Let Me Run has officially shattered this stereotype of mine. This three song EP is more professionally recorded than many albums I've purchased recently and the songwriting and lyrics are pretty excellent. It may not be remarkably original, it's definitely got traces of all sorts of other bands (most impressively the occasional Ian MacKaye/ Fugazi years vocals and CIV like guitars at times). The lyrics read more like poetry and yet not in the "look at how smart" we are kind of way, very emotional and thoughtful, but certainly not emo music. If in three years these characters aren't all over the place, some record label is making a mistake. - Andrew Fersch
 New Found Glory / International Superheroes of Hardcore - "Takin' it Ova'" Split CD (Bridge Nine)
Wow. Who would have thought that a band could imitate another genre and actually be better than they were when they took themselves seriously? Sure, New Found Glory is one of the more successful pop punk bands; but they are still a pop punk band, and that can't be forgiven. But I'll be damned if they didn't just kick my ass with their other incarnation, The International Superheroes of Hardcore. Sure, they are mocking hardcore but it's done in the same loving way that Hard Skin mocked Oi! Music. And damnit a song about how you need to wear your seat belt with a chorus of "Seat Belt, Never Forget, Never Forget your Seat Belt!" is pure comic genius - I can just see some meathead hardcore kid pumping his fists with his local high school football team shirt on to that not even understanding the joke. "There's not a wardrobe for hardcore, I mean look at us, we wear capes". That is fucking genius. - Andrew Fersch
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