Posts by Susan Frances

Eliot Morris’ debut album on Universal Records What’s Mine Is Yours, produced by Tony Berg, is one of the most underrated pop/rock albums of 2006. The Birmingham, Alabama native hit a major homerun with this album, but it is one which most people have missed out on through the year.

The self-titled debut release from the New York City based quartet Pagoda, embraces indie-folk dimensions and merges it with alternative rock gales.

Love Arcade’s self-titled release puts a new face on power pop fun. Incorporating the tenets of ‘80s pop icons like Kajagoogoo, Dead Or Alive, and Animotion, the outfit's music is light-hearted fun with an infectious party bounce reflective of Kill Hannah, Valencia, and The Flaming Lips.

Every film has a season and February 2007 is the season for films that document the life of a band, with narrative pictures like Half-Cocked and Radiation made by filmmakers Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley being released on their Brooklyn based Rumur imprint.

Not many bands allow their bass lines to be prominent, but This Day And Age have bass segments equally as bold as the guitar vibrations with atmospheric sweeps like “More Of A Climb Less Of A Walk.”

The Lordz have appeared on the last three Warped Tours and continue to bring their brand of punk rock/hip hop to the public by means of collaborations with other artists or on their own. They believe in their skate punk/rap sound and have found a niche that welcomes their synthesis of two often-polarized genres.

As Tall As Lions self-titled release, the second one in their discography with Triple Crown Records, shows that Long Island, New York’s music scene has something different to offer then the club rock/emo driven Taking Back Sunday and Head Automatica.

On Long Island Shores, Smith pervades her distinctly gentle voicing amidst soft modern country ballads and light gales of folk-pop textures.

The album is filled with intricacies and complex instrument expressions that are there for the sake of the story. It’s art with a purpose, like Pete’s Townshend’s Tommy.

Pepper’s fourth studio album No Shame (Lava/Atlantic Records), produced by Nick Hexum of 311, Tony Kanal of No Doubt, and Paul Leary of The Butthole Surfers, set the Hawaiian trio into weaving island moods with So Cal surf rock ringlets complemented by reggae beats, alternative rock fuses, and ska accents.

emonade might be an acquired taste for most because G. Love takes music that has been marginalized and meshes them together, but once you get used to the unique combinations you appreciate his method for integrating them.

A Static Lullaby have returned with their self-titled album that makes hardcore and screamo holdings friendlier to a wider audience. Produced by Steve Evetts (The Cure, Senses Fail, Dillinger Escape Plan), the album follows last year’s Faso Latido and their debut disc from 2003 entitled And Don’t Forget To Breathe.

Cheery, melancholic, bluesy, and rocking are all levels that The Kooks reach on their debut album. The songs move from introspective to out right party tunes and done with an abundance of youthful optimism.