EXPATRIATE - In The Midst Of This

This album was first released in 2007 but is just now seeing its full US release. Expatriate are from Sydney, Australia, but they now live in Berlin. Remember a few years ago when there was a big explosion of bands influenced by Joy Division and the darker sounds of post-punk? Surely you remember Interpol, Editors, and their less-famous counterparts. Well, Expatriate's album falls into the same genre as those bands. So if you like that kind of music, this will suit you quite nicely. If you don't like that kind of music, I can't help you here. "Crazy" is a pretty catchy song. The album cover reminds me of Wire's Pink Flag.

www.myspace.com/expatriateband
www.expatriateband.com

EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING - Rush To Relax

The Australian band's third full-length record. Their post-punk/garage-punk sound reminds me of Gang of Four or Wire. If I remember correctly, this one is more subdued than their last release (Primary Colours). Even so, these guys have their sound down and they know what they are doing. Good stuff.

www.myspace.com/eddycurrentsuppressionring
www.ecsr.com.au

PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY - The Good News EP

To start things off, they have a misleading name (apparently it's from a Fiery Furnaces song) since they are actually from Sydney, New South Wales. The band's lineup currently consists of Berkfinger, MC Bad Genius, and Calvin. I'm not making these names up. The sound mixes together pop, rock, punk, soul, indie, garage, and whatever other genres you can think of. These four songs are totally kickass.

Here are some reviews of the individual songs on the EP:
1. "The Good News": Kickass.
2. "Ready To Roll": Kickass.
3. "Going To The Casino (Tomorrow Night)": Kickass.
4. "Wet Winter Holiday (Mike FWD Remix)": Kickass.

"The Good News," the title track, is my favorite. Don't take my word for it though, listen to these guys. They are awesome.

www.myspace.com/philadelphiagrandjury
www.philadelphiagrandjury.com

THE LOVETONES - Dimensions

Dimensions is the Australian band's fourth album. Frontman Matthew Tow was previously in the band Drop City, recorded several solo albums under the name Colorsound, and also played guitar for the Brian Jonestown Massacre on one of their tours and wrote two songs for the BJM's album This Is Our Music. The Lovetones play psychedelic rock/pop that has a very distinct 60's influence. They're alright.

www.myspace.com/thelovetones
www.thelovetones.com

AN HORSE - Rearrange Beds

They're from Brisbane, Australia, and this is their first full-length album. They are a duo, comprised of Kate Cooper and Damon Cox. They play fairly standard indie pop/rock, with female vocals. It is pretty good. They remind me of Tegan and Sara quite a bit.

www.myspace.com/anhorse
www.anhorse.com

Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Primary Colours

They are from Australia and the band members have awesome names like "Rob Solid" and "Danny Current." It's always great when members take on names related to their band name - and even better when their musical chops are just as cool as their chosen names. And cool this band is. They play a mixture of post-punk and garage-inspired punk. Perhaps if Wire was fronted by a sneering, snot-nosed, shirtless protopunk brat, you could have this band. Excellent stuff. The cover is also interchangeable so you can select your favourite primary colour to be the front, which is fun.

www.myspace.com/eddycurrentsuppressionring
www.ecsr.com.au