band, album: Balance and Composure, Only Boundaries
label: No Sleep
for fans of: powerful indie rock, La Dispute, DeSoto Jones

cd review: This might be the most mature album I've heard all year; and to think the median age of this band's members is only 19, well it's mind-boggling. Balance and Composure's Only Boundaries proves that volume does not always equate power and force. Read more ....

band, album: CoCoComa, Things Are Not All Right
label: Goner
for fans of: the Trashmen, the Marked Men, Les Sexareenos

cd review: Originally composed in 1966 by members of the Remains and the Animals in a joint venture called CoCoComa, Things Are Not All Right is the sign of the time for teen angst and the culture it created throughout the decade. Read more ....

band, album: Exeter, Grey Noise/White Lies
label: Engineer
for fans of: Elliott, Failure, Weezer, Sunny Day Real Estate

cd review: Everyone else calls them space rock so I will too. Truth be told Exeter isn't as much space rock as it is a mellower Elliott or a grittier Weezer for people who are too cool to watch MTV2. Read more ....

band, album: Friends of Friends, Deep Search
label: self-released
for fans of: Polar Bear Club, Off With Their Heads

cd review: This disc came highly praised by someone whose opinion I really respect, so my expectations were very high, and I was not disappointed. Friends of Friends is from Tallahassee, but I can tell they are more than familiar with the No Idea catalog and are connoisseurs of the Gainesville sound. Read more ....

band, album: Hunters, Run!, EP2
label: Battle Standard
for fans of: Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Gary Numan

cd review: I hope it's not too late for you to get this two-song EP. These little gems are printed in short supply and are intended for collectors. The music is arty and sophisticated, but not pompous. Fans of disco punk or the Talking Heads will probably really like Hunters, Run!'s clean cut sound. Read more ....

band, album: Krum Bums, Same Old Story EP
label: TKO
for fans of: angry punk, Lower Class Brats, Rancid

cd review: For me Austin is a music hot bed. Krum Bums are an intelligent punk band from Austin whose harsh, realistic and sometimes grim lyrics are offset by the band's overall up-to-the minute and savvy sense of humor. You know all of those things you see on CNN that make you want to scream? Read more ....

band, album: David Moore, the Hillbilly Stroll
label: Wild Hare
for fans of: Traditional Rockabilly, Ray Campi, Carl Perkins

cd review: Those of you in the roots music loop will know what I mean when I say David Moore has that Sun Records sound. If you're new to rockabilly look no further because David Moore's the Hillbilly Stroll is the perfect starting point to ignite a life long passion for clean, traditional rockabilly music. Read more ....

band, album: Nine Eleven, City of Quartz
label: Chorus of One
for fans of: French hardcore, the Hope Conspiracy, Comeback Kid

cd review: I'm always interested to hear music made in other countries. People tend to be very geo /ethnocentric, and we forget that all cultures have a story to tell. France's Nine Eleven scream their story. Their latest release, City of Quartz is highly melodic and hovers around the artistic hardcore genre more than punk or metal. Read more ....

band, album: Dan Webb and the Spiders, self-titled
label: self-released
for fans of: the Cold Beat, Dinosaur Jr, the Modern Lovers

cd review: These guys are a little off key, but I think it's intentional. The Lo-fi production, overlapped vocals, and simple constructions should appeal to fans of 80's underground punk like Richard Hell, the New York Dolls, Lou Reed, and early Dinosaur Jr - with the exception of the mediocre guitar work. Read more ....