About halfway through this disc you’ll probably find yourself declaring that Showbread is one of your new favorite bands.  Despite their deeply religious roots, Showbread is one of those groups who don’t give a crap.  These good ole boys from the heart of Georgia play what they want and they sing about whatever the heck is on their mind (for instance “Naked Lunch”).  The lyrics are metaphorical, so if they are preaching you wouldn’t know it.  Revolver Magazine declared Showbread the best screamo band of 2004.  Since then the group has expanded its sound to incorporate more elements of post-punk, raw rock, electro fuzz, throbbing synths, and whatever else suits their mood at the moment.  Heck, they even sport a Keytar player.  Produced by Sylvia Massey, Age of Reptiles offers a number of fun, bouncy tunes that are as contagious as poison oak.   “Centipede Sisters” has a crazy beat and a memorable chorus.  The erratic energy of “Your Owls are Hooting” calls to mind Nine Inch Nails.  The melodic “Sing Me to Sleep” doesn’t quite fit in the context of the record, but the dance-friendly “Oh! Emetophobia” sure does.  -NIN

Just when we thought she was ready to return to No Doubt, Gwen surprised us with another solo effort - The Sweet Escape, which is the follow up to her wildly successful debut.  Whereas ‘L.A.M.B.’ was an 80’s inspired dance record, The Sweet Escape cross pollinates musical genres with contemporary beats and finds Mrs. Stefani wearing many hats -  teen queen, pop diva, club vixen…. Unfortunately, the album’s shortcoming lies in its over abundance of kitsch.   The album opens with Gwen yodeling to ‘The Lonely Goatherd’ (The Sound of Music) in the hip-hop laced “Wind It Up”.  This is followed up with a “Woo-hoo, Yee-hoo!” accompaniment to the title track.  “Yummy” is an infectious offering, but the electronics are reminiscent of a sample from ‘Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory’.  “Orange County Girl” and “4 in the Morning” offer a bit of R&B flava and the melancholy “Early Winter” is reminiscent of No Doubt’s ‘Simple Kind of Life’.  The techno tinged ‘Don’t Get it Twisted” is the meatiest tune of the bunch thanks to its use of off-kilter electronics.  While this one may take awhile to adjust to you have to give Gwen credit for not regurgitating her debut.  -NIN  

Suffrajett – Black Glitter (Cobra Music / Fontana)

As far as rock bands go Suffrajett is pretty darn good.  Personally, I’m not a big fan of female rock vocalists, but there are plenty of people out there who are and they’ll just dig Ms. Simi’s style.   On Black Glitter, Suffrajett cranks out fuzzy distorted rock with plenty of melodies to keep the listener hooked.  The band’s sound combines a raw mixture of punk, garage, glam, and metal and tops it off with a heaping dose of attitude and edge reminiscent of groups like Motley Crüe and The Runaways.  Don’t let Suffrajett pass you by.  -NIN

Not many bands classify as true heavy metal these days, but Teeth Of The Hydra are one of the heaviest.  With its mammoth riffs, Greenland is a concept album that pays homage to the Viking way of life.  Funny thing is these boys are not from Scandinavia – they’re from Ohio.  What da hell?   The band’s stoner sludge doom metal has somewhat of a retro feel to thanks to the addition of psychedelia and 70’s southern rock.  You have to give them credit for adding their own twist, and for singing lyrics that are actually decipherable.  -NIN

Theo And The Skyscrapers (Wax Lips/Ozit/Morpheus Records)

Major label record execs have likely written off Theo And The Skyscrapers from their consideration pile.  The track record of lead singer Theo Kogan has made her an underground hero that never popped above ground.  Her previous band The Lunachicks stormed thru the last decade making a lot of noise without a lot of hits.  This is actually a big shame as Theo’s new outfit, The Skyscrapers, offers more pop fun than nearly every other band in the last few years.  The group embodies nearly every female-fronted cool pop outfit in the last 30 years (from Blondie thru Pat Benatar up to No Doubt) into a magical blender that works quite well.  Being on an indie label the production doesn’t have that commercial sheen, and the songwriting offers glimmers of what could be without being terribly memorable.  But, one listen and you can hear all the elements that major labels excel at tightening.  The right producer plus the right marketing could easily make Theo a late 00’s pop star.  Who woulda thunk?  -Repojay

Multi-instrumentalist John Bigham is the driving force behind The Soul of John Black, which also features bassist Chris Thomas.  Both artists have impressive resumes.  Chris has played with Harry Connick, Jr., Macy Grey, and Ellis Marsalis and John has penned tunes for Miles Davis and also played guitar and keyboards for Fishbone.  As its moniker suggests The Good Girl Blues has its foundation in blues but also incorporates a fine blend of old school funk, rock, and R&B for a more modern edge.  It’s a great album to listen to while hanging out, cleaning house, or just reading a book.  There are no frills or fillers on this unpretentious release - the beauty lies in the bareness of the music.  The lyrics are often amusing and the music is entertaining.  The expertly composed “The Hole” is an instant show stopper.  The best thing about this album is that it isn’t competing for a spot on Top 40 radio.  It’s just good music written and played for anyone who wants to listen.  The Good Girl Blues is one of those albums you never grow tired of listening to. -NIN

The Spins

This five song EP gives you a taste of what The Spins have to offer.  This eclectic four piece is well versed in jazz, funk, and classical music and they bring these elements together to create an epic form of pop rock.  The band is technically well balanced and they approach their compositions with a mature vision.  Songs are catchy, bright, and sunny.  Highlights: “Jaime It’s Over” and “Bye Baby Bye”.  -NIN

It took Terry Sullivan three decades to pen his first solo effort, TheEarthMovesAroundTheSun, so I guess it is no surprise that the record sounds as if were culled from the Ziggy Stardust sessions.  The album pairs glam tinged power pop punk with rave tinged rootsy rock.  Grunge meets vintage analog in “Lamplight”.  A propulsive sing along chorus is the driving force behind “Blue Star”.  The glam comes out in “Mr. Completely,” and a bit of the Rolling Stones can be heard in “What Do Wino”.  It may not be current but a bit of nostalgia can be fun.  -NIN

I’ve never seen the show, but I’m guessing that it is about as dumb as this title.  If you are a fan of Top 40 radio you’ll be all over this teen targeted disc, which features tracks from on Hilary Duff, New Found Glory, Dashboard Confessional, Angeles and Airwaves, +44, and Lifehouse among others.  My other clue that this show is cheese was the dialog clips that were scattered between tracks.  Why immortalize something that contributes to the decline of society.  I am happy to see Ginger Sling on here - just wish it was under better circumstances.  Oh well, exposure is exposure.  -NIN

Who woulda thought that J. Masics, he of Dinosaur Jr. lore, would twenty years in head back behind the drums for a new stoner rock project?  It certainly wasn't what I anticipated, but the results are more than admirable – they are actually good.  This new foursome of long hairs seemed to have gotten really baked for 7 long songs of perfectly executed seventies hard rock.  The issue is that it's a little too perfect.  Maybe they actually didn't get baked, but have so much musical acumen under their belts that they can nail it so perfectly.  However, throughout the project, some little something is missing.  I mean you have to have a good reason to get this excited over old Sabbath records or even Monster Magnet records from the last decade.  Mascis fans will be very happy, but unless you are part of the crowd you may feel like it's not worth the investment.  -Repojay