YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Zero (single)

New single from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, off of their third album, It's Blitz!, which is slated for release on April 13. The single showcases a dancier side of the band, complete with synths. Karen O is still one of the best frontwomen, and best lead singers regardless of gender, and she helps to keep the band's sound from evolving too far from traditional YYY's territory.

www.myspace.com/yeahyeahyeahs
www.yeahyeahyeahs.com

FAKE PROBLEMS - It's Great To Be Alive

This is the band's third full-length album and first for the SideOneDummy label. They're from Naples, Florida, so the comparisons to Against Me!, who are also from Naples, are inevitable. Fake Problems plays poppier punk rock than the aformentioned Against Me!. Some of their stuff has an acoustic, folk-punk influence. All in all, it's a good album and should appeal to anyone who has an interest in this style of music.

www.myspace.com/fakeproblems
www.fakeproblems.com

N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo

N.A.S.A. is the acronym for North America/South America, and is a collaborative effort of artists from both the hip-hop and indie music realms. Brought together by the duo of Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon, who met in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the result is a hip-hop/funk album that is real cool. I'm certainly no aficionado in regards to this genre of music, but I enjoyed this and especially the collision of artists that you would never expect to be appear on the same tracks together (But David Byrne and Chuck D do go together like peas in a pod!).

www.myspace.com/nasa
www.squeakecleanblog.com/

BLACK GOLD - Rush

The duo releases their full-length debut. The two members are Eric Ronick (Panic at the Disco, Ambulance Ltd.) and Than Luu (Rachel Yamagata, shushshush, M. Ward). They play electropop/rock/dance with male vocals. At times, they do sound like a 2009 version of the Bee Gees, which is a huge compliment coming from someone who grew up in a household that had several Bee Gees records that were no strangers to the living room stereo. The catchy songs are really good; there are a few filler songs, but overall, good stuff.

www.myspace.com/blackgoldrush
www.blackgoldmusic.com

SAM ROBERTS - Love At The End Of The World

This is the Canadian's third studio album. He won Juno Awards in 2004 for Album Of The Year and Rock Album Of The Year, thanks to his debut album, We Were Born In A Flame (He also won for Artist of the Year that year). It's not a surprise that he has received such accolades, as his sound is accessible rock/pop, with 1970s guitar rock influences as well as slight touches of alt-country. Roberts has a smooth voice; on several songs, he sounds like a more rockandroll Elliott Smith. The overall sound is similar to that of fellow Canadian Luke Doucet, albeit more poppy. This album is an excellent listen.

www.myspace.com/samrobertsband
www.samrobertsband.com

SPARKS - Exotic Creatures Of The Deep

Ever dreamed of Devo having sex with Scissor Sisters? Me neither, but Sparks is what their elderly love child would sound like (Of course, since Sparks was formed in 1970, this could not be possible unless both Devo AND Scissor Sisters were sent back in time through the use of a DeLorean powered by plutonium and equipped with a flux capacitor, and were then forced to reproduce, and the child that they created was raised in the alternate 1970s that would have been a result of this rift in the time continuum, to be exactly like the Sparks that exists is on the record). Sparks is the brotherly duo of Ron and Russell Mael; they formed in Los Angeles and released their self-titled debut a year later in 1971. All these years later, they are still making awesome music. Synthpop/rock with glampop influences. Hilarious lyrics. Catchy songs. Really fun.

www.myspace.com/allsparks
www.allsparks.com

THE VON BONDIES - Love Hate And Then There's You

The Detroit four-piece returns with their third studio album and first release since 2004's Pawn Shoppe Heart. They play rock music with a punk attitude and swagger, though their sound is definitely more rooted in rock than punk. They are pretty cool, and hopefully they will be known more for their music than for the fight that their frontman, Jason Stollsteimer, got into with Jack White a few years ago.

www.myspace.com/vonbondies
www.vonbondies.com [Currently redirects to their myspace]

THE KINETIKS - Aye Aye Aye Aye [EP]

They're a quartet of young lads from Dublin, Ireland. This is their second EP. They have an indie/garage rock sound similar to bands like the View, the Libertines, the Kooks, and the Rakes. There are some really great songs on this ("Lightbulb" is especially good), but in order to capitalize on this promise, they'll need to be more consistent throughout all of their material.

http://www.myspace.com/kinetiks1
www.thekinetiks.com

THE KILLS - Live At Electric Ladyland [EP]

This is an EP that can be downloaded from iTunes. It features new recordings of songs from two of the three albums the duo has released: "Sour Cherry" and "Getting Down" from 2008's Midnight Boom, and "Pull A U" and "Kissy Kissy" from their 2003 debut, "Keep On Your Mean Side". They have also included a recording of a song that Willie Nelson wrote, which Patsy Cline made famous: "Crazy". Female/male vocals over garagey rock/indie that has very subtle blues influences.

www.myspace.com/thekills
www.thekills.tv

BON IVER - Blood Bank [EP]

The project of Justin Vernon (he does get a tiny bit of help from others on here, as well as during his live shows, this is Bon Iver's first EP and second overall release after 2008's For Emma, Forever Ago album. The tracks on this EP were recorded at varying points in time so each has a slightly different feel to it, but Bon Iver's outdoorsy, folk/indie sound still remains throughout. The first track is amazing, and I highly recommend it. All the other tracks pale in comparison to it, though.

www.myspace.com/boniver
http://www.boniver.org

Faunts - Feel.Love.Thinking.Of.

They are from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and this is their second studio full-length album. They play excellent pop/indie rock with a heavy electronic influence to make music that feels like you could float away on the sound waves. Perfect for late nights, early mornings, or any time in between. Very pleasant on the ears, nothing abrasive at all. Worth checking out, for sure.

http://www.myspace.com/faunts
www.faunts.com/

Nickel Eye - The Time Of The Assassins

Debut for the solo project of The Strokes' bass player, Nikolai Fraiture. It's much less rocking in comparison to The Strokes; this has more of a singer-songwriter/folk vibe to it. Fairly decent, though no track stands out too much. I prefer fellow Strokes member Albert Hammond, Jr.'s solo output.

www.myspace.com/officialnickeleye

THE LOVE LANGUAGE - The Love Language

From Raleigh, North Carolina; this is their debut. It's good! They play indie pop that has a garagey, lo-fi feel to it. Catchy and instantly likeable. They sound like they could play a club and get everyone in the place singing along and doing handclaps and it wouldn't feel hokey at all. They seem like they would be your best friends for the night. A very nice debut.

http://www.myspace.com/thelovelanguage

The Blizzard of '78 - Book Of Lies

They are from the Boston area and this is their second LP. It's good stuff! Indie rock that combines a variety of influences, sometimes alt-country, sometimes using horns, sometimes sounding like U2 circa their Boy album, or even sometimes reminding me of Elvis Costello and the Attractions. I like these guys.

www.myspace.com/theblizzardof78
http://www.tbo78.com

Cut Off Your Hands - You and I

They are from Auckland, New Zealand, and this is their debut album. They are pretty good, they play post-punk/rock in the same vein as a band like Franz Ferdinand. If Hot Hot Heat had followed up Make Up The Breakdown, their album with the song "Bandages" where they sounded like they wanted to bring back the sound of early Cure, with another good album and not the pop/rock crap they play now, it would have sounded like Cut Off Your Hands.

www.myspace.com/cutoffyourhands
cutoffyourhandsblog.blogspot.com

Nous Non Plus - Menagerie

The second album for the band that formed following the dissolution of Les Sans Culottes. Though they were formed in New York City, the songs are primarily sung in French (the lead singer, Celine Dijon, did grow up in Paris). They play delightful pop music that should get your toes tappin'. They're awesome. They cover The Unicorns' "Tuff Ghost" in French (retitled as "Fantome Dur") and it is lots of fun, just like the rest of the album.

www.myspace.com/nousnonplus
www.nousnonplus.com

Dent May & His Magnificient Ukulele - The Good Feeling Music Of...

The debut LP for Mississippian Dent May, his bandmates, and his ukulele. They will all be on tour with A.C. Newman through March, and like Mr. Newman, Dent May makes pop music. The lyrics are often humorous and probably shouldn't be taken too seriously. Lots of different influences can be heard, from 50's/60's pop music to country. Overall, though, I'm thinking that if Vampire Weekend had been heavily influenced by Buddy Holly and had a ukulele, Dent May is what the sound would be.

www.myspace.com/dentmay
www.dentmay.com

Frank Turner - Love Ire & Song

He used to be in the English hardcore band Million Dead, but now he plays acoustic punk rock. Love Ire & Song is his second solo full-length though he has released some other EPs, a DVD, and a compilation as well. Imagine a more punk, angrier Billy Bragg and you'd have this guy's music.

www.myspace.com/frankturner
www.frank-turner.com

Her Space Holiday - XOXO, Panda and the New Kid Revival

Cutesy 'indie'/twee pop. Male vocals that remind me of Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes' voice. Likeable stuff, and the lyrics tend to be pretty clever and interesting. Recommended if you like twee pop, indie bands like The Shins, and things of that nature.

www.myspace.com/herspaceholiday
www.herspaceholiday.com

Keane - Perfect Symmetry

The third album from the English trio. Though still a piano-rock band, their sound is a lot more muscular than on their good, albeit very wimpy, debut. Very slickly produced, the album reminds me of the U2 song 'City Of Blinding Lights,' one of the songs I still take the time to listen to off of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. Very poppy, heavy on the piano, a sprinkling of rock, and an end result of a HUGE sound that will fill up an arena (but, does Keane have enough fans to fill up an arena?!).

www.myspace.com/keane
www.keanemusic.com