The Sounds, 'Crossing the Rubicon' (Original Signal)
Slick, sassy pop vets shoot for cheap seats.
By Nadine O'Regan 07.04.09 6:03 AM
Front-loaded with buzzy riffs and cutting vocals, the third studio album from this Swedish band is bracingly ambitious, clearly designed to be heard in arenas and stadiums.
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Starf--ker, 'Jupiter' (Badman)
New York, London, Portland, Munich.
By Shannon Zimmerman 07.02.09 7:14 PM
This spazzy quartet's second album belies their unfit-to-fully-print name: It's an amiable, compact collection of synth-pop fizz that lands between Gary Numan's "Cars" and the Cars on the neo-new-wave spectrum.
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Broken Records, 'Until the Earth Begins to Part' (4AD)
Moderation is for suckers, say passionate haggis fans.
By Jon Young 07.02.09 4:17 PM
This Scottish seven-piece pump out audaciously grandiose anthems and bleeding-heart ballads with a fervor that makes U2 seem shy. Such an over-the-top approach could end in solemn self-parody.
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Regina Spektor, 'Far' (Sire)
Off-kilter diva composes entrancing beach soundtrack.
By David Bevan 07.01.09 7:49 PM
Three years after her major-label splash Begin to Hope, New York pianist Regina Spektor went back into the studio with four (!) multiplatinum producers of varying pop backgrounds, including Dr. Dre/Eminem/Fiona Apple enabler Mike Elizondo and former McCartney/Harrison/Wilbury collaborator and ELO founder Jeff Lynne.
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Wilco, 'Wilco (the album)' (Nonesuch)
Jeff Tweedy's reassuring songbook helps us accept life's never-ending flaws.
By David Marchese 06.29.09 8:57 AM
As far as rock'n'roll is concerned, status quo is for suckers. New boss same as the old boss?
