OK Go Oh No Capitol Records www.Okgo.net What do you expect as a follow up to a band’s debut album that had loveable lyrics and heart-winning hooks? Something exactly like this. If their first record didn’t convince you that they had what it takes to swoon indie kids to enjoy poppy music, then Oh No, sure will. Thirteen explosive tracks…

Maggie, Pierce and E.J. The Silver Album Philadelphia, PA www.mpeband.com This band fooled me! I thought I was reviewing a record for MPE Band… not Maggie Pierce and EJ!! I didn’t even know they had such a compilation out. I remember buying their first record when they played at my day camp, and I’m really not that old. Anyway, it’s…

What thrills me about this album is the versatility and the mixing of all cultures. Where else do you hear the twangs of electric violin, reminiscent of a country hoedown accompanying the one, two, cha cha cha of the drums and guitar?  Look no further than Stone Gato, an eclectic foursome taking full range of percussion and strings to bring…

www.lizphair.com AN OPEN LETTER FROM IRIS: As one of indie rock’s most celebrated icons, Liz Phair has created a standard for herself that I’m sure she is struggling to live up to with her second pop album release.  But I don’t want this to be like every other review.  I know her fans, both old and new, are going to…

http://www.myspace.com/lindimusic Proving that Canada has yet to produce an artist that isn’t solid, Lindi Ortega emerges without disappointment.  This is flat out chick music, so if you’re not a fan in general, it might be kind of difficult to get into the groove.  Having been around for a while, Lindi recently had 2002 works released on a CD entitled The…

www.lexingtondown.com New Jersey rock outfit Lexington Down have this going for them: they write and sing that coveted stereotypical Mid-Atlantic rock that is usually found in the far-off land of Baltimore but instead in Jersey, so it makes them unique, right?   They have a self-released EP with a full length in the works and hopefully the tracks that are blueprinted…

Last Week Thoughts to Keep You Company Lawrence, NY www.lastweekrock.com One of the more “softer” rock bands that you might have caught at the Warped Tour, Last Week has written their songs, not to quote “Bubble Tape”: for you, not them. Alternative radio friendly, Thoughts to Keep You Company is a record that you might find in the Dickies’ messenger…

Kisha Griffin San Francisco, CA Chit Chat’N www.kisshermusic.com I’m not going to peg Kisha Griffin in the straight R&B/Soul category. After listening to her album, I have decided there is so much of everything thrown in that it’s above and beyond the simple slot of R&B. Kisha Griffin uses her wide vocal range and use of the mixing board to…

JSD Rezmade http://www.geocities.com/rezmade2004 With the likes of Everlast, JSD (or Joe San Diego) puts it down without the sugar coating in his album titled “Rezmade.” No frills, no grand sampling; just the words and the experience behind it. Hailing from Ukiah, California, JSD comes out talking about everything he knows. With a little fun and a little filth talking about…

Johnny Ford Self-Titled EP Rock Out Records www.johnnyford.com Hello gritty southern rock and roll! If you love that raw, acoustic, soulful sound, then look no further. Johnny Ford is all of that kissed with southern roots. His 5-song self-titled EP, out on Rock Out Records, leans more towards the acoustic side and doesn’t really express the rock that is heard…