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 | Released on Secretly Canadian, 9/9/08 Damien Jurado is a veteran of the indie rock scene and it shows on his ninth studio release, [b]Caught in the Trees[/b]. Unfortunately, he appears [i]too[/i] comfortable and the album passes by with only mere glimpses of Jurado's innovativeness and capability as a singer/songwriter.More |  | These Germs Are Not Contagious Shane West ([b]ER[/b], [b]A Walk to Remember[/b]) sheds his pretty boy image and stars as Darby Crash, the lead singer of late 70's L.A. punk legends The Germs. However, unless you’re already a fan of the era’s music, you probably haven't heard of the group or their leader. Most likely the only member you may know is Pat Smear who later joined Nirvana (six months before Kurt Cobain's suicide) and subsequently became a member of the Foo Fighters. Smear served as a consultant for [b]What We Do Is Secret[/b], which centers more on Crash than the band itselfMore |  | Released on RCA Records, 7/8/08 Strokes fans already know they can find solace in Albert Hammond, Jr.'s solo output during his band's absence. On [b]¿Como Te Llama?[/b] he proves, once again, that he’s able to properly satiate. The album opener "Bargain of a Century" kicks off in good Strokes fashion with a chugging bass line exploding into staccato guitars. One of the more memorable tracks on the album, Hammond properly showcases his ability as a guitar player beyond the how-fast-he-can-strum style with a grandiose solo.More |  | What Has Red Eyes and a Machine Gun? Who knew the players involved in "Freaks and Geeks" (both in front of and behind the camera) would one day rule Hollywood and become box office gold? For those of us who fumed and fussed when the show was abruptly cancelled, we are finally getting our retribution. [b]Pineapple Express[/b] is the second film penned by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, following 2007’s hit [b]Superbad[/b], and already the third film from Judd Apatow this year ([b]Forgetting Sarah Marshall[/b], [b]Don’t Mess with the Zohan[/b]). As with anything these guys touch, they have once again struck gold.More |  | Released on Matador Records, 8/19/2008 Following the breakup of their former band, The Blood Brothers, Johnny Witney (vocals/keyboards) and Cody Votolato (guitar/bass) decided to rise from the ashes and form a new band. Joined by ex-Pretty Girls Makes Graves’ guitarist J Clark, now finding himself behind the drum kit, as well as adding additional keyboards and bass, Jaguar Love was born.More |  | Released on IHEARTCOMIX, 7/24/2008 [b]NME[/b] recently said of this New York City based indie-electro-indie pop group, “One day all bands will be like this.” I hope not [i]all[/i] bands. But if you’re ready to dance, then you’ve found the right group. With barely any releases under their belt, this boy/girl combo is the brainchild of “Ben” and “Lo” (real names Ben Pollock and Leyla Safai). When not touring in HeartsChallenger, their ice cream truck, you can find them laying down the beats on tracks like “Switchblade” and “Wolves + Libertines” while still finding the time to inject enough keen pop sensibility that makes you want to head down to your local hipster dive.More |  | Released on Black & Greene Records on 9/2/08 Apollo Sunshine has garnered a cult following for their neo-psychedelic-jazz-rock. Perhaps the reason they have such a devoted fanbase is due to the fact that it’s almost impossible to neatly label them with any one genre. Once you think you have them figured out, they’re already well into new territory.More |
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