CONNER - HELLO GRAPHIC MISSILE (Sonic Boom Records)
Bands that sound British but are not usually bug the crap out of me. However, this Lawrence, Kansas-based band passed the radar. I was already enjoying the record before I discovered where they were from. You are very sneaky, Conner, with your catchy guitar riffs and bouncy bass lines. Don\'t even get me started on the sexy, raspy vocals that remind me of the Eighties. In a good way, of course.
ERASE ERRATA - NIGHTLIFE (Kill Rock Stars)
Songs written about war and poverty are usually too preachy for me to actually enjoy. However, the music on this record is instantly appealing. It made me dance around my kitchen. Then I had a sudden urge to bring the homeless guy in my alley a sandwich. Thank you, Erase Errata! Thank you for making me a better human.
FATBOY SLIM - THE GREATEST HITS: WHY TRY HARDER? (Astralwerks)
Fatboy Slim has made some of the best songs to get your party started right during the last ten years. Now you can get them on one convenient record. So go and fill up the liquor cabinet and invite all your friends over for a night of Jell-O shots and dirty dancing. Right about now....
FRENCH KICKS - TWO THOUSAND (Vagrant Records)
It\'s a beautiful sunny day. I walk out into a field of tall grass and lay down. The fluffy clouds morph into different circus animals as they float by. This new record from French Kicks is the soundtrack to my afternoon. It is full of dreamy pop songs that swirl around in my head. Good stuff!
PONY UP - MAKE LOVE TO THE JUDGES WITH YOUR EYES (Dim Mak Records)
Catchy pop songs from four adorable Montreal ladies. This is their first full-length release, and it\'s filled with bittersweet lyrics about past relationships. Rumor has it they were discovered singing in a pizza parlor. Cool!
PUFFY AMIYUMI - SPLURGE (Tofu Records)
You can find Puffy AmiYumi on various soundtracks from movies and television. Heck, they even have their own cartoon. I would like to make this-- their fifth record-- the soundtrack to my summer. Their songs range from bubblegum pop, to rockabilly, to punk-ska. Plus, liking Japanese shit is cool, right?
THE FIERY FURNACES - THE RAVE, MILWAUKEE
I will suck it up and go see a band play at The Rave if I really like them. The sound is stinky, and I can get a vodka and tonic for a mere nine dollars. But when The Fiery Furnaces came to town it was a no-brainer. The crowd was small, but that didn\'t stop the band from rocking the house! I was surprised to see them playing without the piano that is featured on so many of their songs, but once they started playing, the songs took on a different feel. It was more of a rock show, and it sounded great. That is, until Eleanor\'s amp for her Stratocaster blew. I wanted to give her a hug. Her hands subconsciously played invisible chords for the rest of the show. The encore was the band only playing songs that were requested from the audience. Go and see them if you get the chance.
THE RAKES - CAPTURE/RELEASE (V2 Records)
Dear, Queenie: I can never get enough of skinny white Londoners who know how to write infectious songs. Thank you for sending me The Rakes\' debut CD, Capture/Release. They are as if Bloc Party, LCD Soundsystem, and the Buzzcocks made a beautiful, beautiful baby. And now that baby wants me to dance, so I have to go.
VARIOUS ARTISTS - PREMIUM BANANAS: A DIM MAK CD SAMPLER (Dim Mak Records)
There is only one band on this record I cannot get behind. The rest of it is filled with lovely pop-rock songs that make you wanna sing and dance along. You know, the kind that have a little of that Eighties throwback thing going on. Quite a few bands feature female vocals, which is always a bonus. And the Bloc Party remix of \"Helicopter\" featuring Peaches is reason enough to check out this compilation.