Now this is what I am talking about. From the first Drum beat of the “Boy and Chief” on this 4 song EP I was ready to rock to Tempe Arizona's Reindeer Tiger Team. The first drum beat hammers down on you and perks up your ears eventually realizing that throughout this album Eddy Crichton is doing some serious shit on the drums. Intricate drum beats that roll nicely with Steven Reker’s diverse vocal range and slick guitar movements. All of this from just a two piece and the sound is so thick that you might not even know unless I told you so. (Well I guess I did tell you and Darth Vader is Luke’s father….you want me to ruin anymore pleasant surprises?) Vocal harmonies on “The Captain says” add to their depth while an emotion filled “City” takes you on a nice hilly road of up’s and downs. The EP winds down with “Get it out” which reminds me the of the good old days of Modest Mouse. Expect good things from these cats in the future and keep your eyes peeled for their up and coming full length to be released this Summer.

Recommended if you like: 764-Hero, (older) Modest Mouse, (lighter) Sunny Day Real Estate, Seam, or Mates of State.

Its true what they say “sometimes you have to listen to an album a few times to enjoy it” but that’s not to say that I didn’t immediately appreciate these cats musicianship. Tempe Arizona's Batter the Drag are talented both individually and collectively. In that ,“Unfathomable Depths EP” takes you on a whirlwind ride of Hard Rock. Guitar interactions between Ryan Richardson and Jeff Ruoss are masterful while both the thunderous Chad Miller (Drums) and Wes Volkmann (Bass) anchor down this Quartets dynamic sound. With each track offering an element of surprise to where the song will lead you, eventualy you will become intertwined in their sound even if its not exactly the style you are accustomed to. In my case its not exactly what I listen to but I do understand their potential and I look forward to where they are heading with their new full length release due out in Mid April 2005.

I hate to be the one to give a bad review but perhaps my words will inspire one to commit themselves to expecting better of themselves. With that said, Mesa, Arizona’s The No Un’s have a lot of work ahead of them to progress as artists. Recording quality is never something that I take to heart but it can make the mistakes disappear with a good recording or they can be highlighted with a bad recording. In this case the mistakes shined through. This album has a tendency to fall off in the middle of songs whereas some instruments just seem to stop while others wander aimlessly with no rhythm or reason. The singing follows no melody or timing as it seems as if he is speaking words over a song that is playing in the background. I hope these guys can look more toward some structure to the songs and have some kind of idea of where the song will go and that might make for something a bit more easier to listen to.

Birmingham Alabama represents here with Red Sky Morning who lay down a young but solid Indie rock sound. From clever and tantalizing guitar licks on lead coupled with a refreshing lyricist’s. These cats are slowly moving toward maturity, first by dropping the original name of the band (Sausage Fest) and getting their new name out in the Alabama area. A part of that maturity is the chances that they take with their music and utilizing their talents. I expect a good future for Red Sky Morning as they expand their refined melodies and hone that calming vocal range.

Recommended if you like: The Verve, The Strokes, Love as Laughter, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and The Dismemberment Plan.

California’s Art Damaged comes at you like a high fastball on the ears. Explosions of energy hit you when the crew kicks off this album with “Sofia Coppola”. Great use of the Vox throughout takes you to extreme high’s after interestingly sweet lows. The Adventurous Bust-outs are tight and timely and come down way better than any high that I have had. “Jenny and Edic” is a tight number with a strong rhythm. “Hidden in Lies” offers the vocals of who I am to understand is Laura. She hammers this one down and I hope that future tracks offer more of her voice either as backup or lead. She also shines brightly on “Hollywood Sidewalk” that almost takes you back to an ill-lit and smoke filled back alley beatnik bar of the 60’s, yet they do it with a modern day twist. “Missing Teeth” has a chorus of stimulating moans in the background almost protected by the wall of sound that the team sets up. All members of this band are quite talented and they seem to take their turn in showing off those talents individually throughout the albums and then back to the collective product that is Art Damaged.

Recommended if you like Sianspheric, Red Stars Theory, Voyager One, Sonic Youth, Dianogah.