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Titus Andronicus is a new Jersey band that got a lot of buzz around their second album 2010's The Monitor.

I only recently discovered them via Iowa Public Radio, which plays a lot of good (read: college and public access) music in the evenings.

A band named after a Shakespeare play and that released a concept album around the Civil war is sort of a scary proposition.

TA are ambitious and that ambition shows in all aspects of their music.

I find it hard to categorize. Rolling Stone compared them to Thin Lizzy and The Replacements.

I probably wouldn't have went with those particular bands, but the genres are pretty spot on.

My favorite TA moments are when they sound like The Clash circa 1978. (Lead vocalist Patrick Stickles has a bit of a Strummer vibe). They also do carry a bit of that Recent Generation Springsteen Influenced Sound of The Gaslight Anthem or The Hold Steady. At other times, it's just a bit of classic stadium rock (which i suppose is where the Thin Lizzy comparison comes in).




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picked up on this Cleveland band from Sirius XU (Sirius XM's version of a college radio station). undfortunately, I found out Pitchfork loved them, too.

Oh , well.

They are good, and they appeal to that lo-fi noise with screaming vocals (with a good feel for pop) that grabs me the way The Thermals do.

That said, they are probably closer to the 90s indie sound than they do the Thermals or The Pixies (In 2012, any band that screams automatically gets compared to the Pixies), and those bands (the DC/Dischord scene, the emo scene as defined by bands like Braid and Sunny Day Real Estate.

Indeed, the band falls at that intersection of commercial alt rock that is my thing and the rhythm/style of the emocore bands that my friend love; so that they resemble a bit that other band that did fell in similar territory in the 90s- Jawbreaker.





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I always told you that I would bring you the best new music. I never promised that you would be able to "google search" for those bands at work.

My Maximum Rock N Roll-phase was short-lived, if I ever had one at all. However, I do appreciate that mag's championing of unheard bands around the country.

This is one of those bands, and they've just released a self-titled album on Deranged Records. They also are on Bandcamp.

The Bay Area band gets most compared to the Wipers, which I suppose is fairly accurate. I can't quite categorize them myself, but I would put them in the TSOL/Long Beach hardcore category.

Pure punk energy.



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One more new band to throw your way, and we'll make it a little quieter than those last three.

My Autumn Empire is Ben Holton and Rob Glover from Epic45 (Yeah, i will have to look them up,too). In 2012, they released The Village Compass and this summer they release II.

It has a sleepy lo-fi feel that on occasion will reach out to the Beatles's most prog moments and at other times approaches Elliott Smith territory. For those who like acoustic indie and chillout.



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I have one more band to throw your way.

The Golden Boys share a name with a song by the Germs/Pat Smear, and covered by No FX. I am not sure if the band took their name from any of those reference points, but it would not be surprising. They have a love for punk.

That said, this band from Austin, Texas probably gets their biggest influence from their Texas-based garage rock forefathers. They are as good as any punk band, but they have a love for the 13th Floor Elevators and Sir Douglas Quintent that informs their music. They also bring a certain folk rock vibe (the kind that seem to be perfected usually by Australian bands), and on top of all of that, they are championed by Thurston Moore.

That means they are right down my alley, and possibly yours.

Here's a song that is on the shortlist for 2012's best. "Dirty Finggernails".





Lead singer John Wesley Coleman III was actually on my radar a couple of years ago with his solo effort Steal My MInd. If you find the Golden Boys too polished (which is barely), maybe you will like his solo output.



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I am going to throw out another new band for you- Holograms.

This Swedish band taps from the same kind of Joy Division influence so many bands draw from.

For better or worse, they play it straight. An American band might crank up the drama or the irony (and that's how you end up with a band like Interpol or She wants revenge). Holograms aren't big on lead singer personality, and it makes for a sound that is timeless.

This album could have come out in 2012, or it could have come out on Factory Records in 1977. It is also a record that could have sat aside the early-2000s heyday of Scandinavian counterparts The Hives and The International Noise Conspiracy.

In any case, if your tastes run fall anywhere on that punk continuum, you will probably find something to like. The single "ABC City" recalls early Wire, and is a three minute blast of energy.

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Some of you have lamented that there's no new music out there. I am here to help solve that issue. Look for a handful of bands to be posted here soon.

If you are one of those looking for new music, I need only point you to Sacred Bones Records- an incredible record label that seems to have their hand on the pulse of the best new music.

While the idea of buying the artists of a certain record label seem like an idea that went away with Netscape and Friends, you will have to trust me on this one.

Sacred Bones gave us Crystal Stilts (on their way to become one of this decade's best bands) and two artists that made my "Best of 2011" list - Slug guts (the last in a great lineage of Aussie sleaze-core bands) and The Men (a band who embraces No wave as well as noise's Goo/Green Mind/ Doolittle's heyday). On this year's Open Your Heart, the Men are making a lot of best-of lists already, by marrying their love for NYC noise with their inner Westerberg.

One of Sacred Bones's newest artist is Wymond Miles.

Miles plays the kind of psychedelic rock that I can't get enough of (and oddly, I don't spend that much time around pharmaceuticals.)

Spin lets you stream the album here.

I sense a lot of Bowie-style prog, but you can also find a bit of the Cure's gothier moments and a bit of Nikki Sudden's heroin chic.

This song is pretty amazing as his most of the album.




Along the way researching Miles, I figured I ahd to check out the band he used to play in , the San Fran-based The Fresh and Onlys.

They have a new album on the horizon, and although I am not sure if they are now Miles-less (I don't think so, but I could be wrong), it gives some good psychedelia as well (with indie pop appeal, think Dandy Warhols) .



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Foe is a British buzz artist (21 year old Hannah Clark) that has been championed by Garbage.

It makes sense, though as she/they are garbage for 2012. A snotty self-assured, punkpop starlet (not unlike Shirley Manson) backed by the same type of electronic-synth-grunge-rock Garbage made famous.

I keep going back to the Garbage reference, but your take on Foe likely will mirror what tyou think of that band (either Foe is a sexy unique voice a la PJ Harvey or she's an overhyped pop starlet with better beats).

Personally, I am buying into some of the hype. I like her. Bad dream Hotline isn't as good as garbage at their best, but it's better than Garbage at their worst.

If Foe takes off for the big time (and it would seem likely), she could get some big time media overload, but for now, it's a sound I am really enjoying.





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Burning Hearts are a Finnish duo that has been on the scene for at least three years now, but I am just getting round to discovering them.

They have a new album out called Extinctions.

They remind me of a band that would have been an 80s pop hit. However, the critic reviews I have read don't say that. Instead, they say they sound like 21st century bands that listen to a lot of 80s pop hits.

Fans of twee pop and yes, 80s radio should check them out

RIYL: Magnetic Fields; Camera Obscura; Peter, Bjorn & John



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My first find of 2012 is Tribes. They grew up listening to the Pixies and Nirvana (I am old. They grew up listening to their dad's Pixies CDs; or perhaps more accurately, they grew up buying Pixies songs on iTunes).

As one of the Next Big Britpop Things, the media has been savaging them. Still for Pixies disciples, they have Black Francis's blessing (they opened for the Pixies), so there's something there.

It's hard to say(like so many newcomers) if they are a flavor of the Month or not. The media has them pegged as that (and though I give the band more credit- the songs are generally good- I doubt anyone will be waiting for the Tribes' third album).

Even still, I am digging them, and there's no doubt (even in January) that "Sappho" is one of the best songs of 2012. Critics do dismiss the Tribes as Libertine ripoffs, but Barat and Doherty haven't had a song this good in quite some time now.

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I missed the boat on the Coral. In fact, I still kind of never went back and spent the time with the band, even though i have liked what i have heard.

Bill Ryder Jones was the guitarist for the band, and has left for a solo career where he makes soundtracks and soundtrack-sounding music.

That's not always my thing, but I like Ryder-Jones's work a lot. It recalls a bit of the Durutti Column -orchestral rock. 

RIYL: Durutti Column, Nick Drake,  Jonny Greenwood's solo soundtrack work.




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The Men is a terrible name (and Leave Home is a ripoff name for an album, of course), but they are a pretty good band.

Not that I normally go for the buzz band of the moment, but I am okay with this.

Attempts to categorize this Brooklyn band have included No Wave Noo Yawk noise (Suicide, Sonic Youth), psychedelic/space/krautrock (My Bloody Valentine, Neu!, Spacemen 3) and late 80s alt rock (Dinosaur Jr., Mudhoney, Husker Du, uhhh....Sonic Youth again).

Still, there's an element of Stooges punk too.

Good stuff, regardless.





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Gaslight Anthem lead singer Brian Fallon is working on a solo album. Despite all appearances, this is not it.

Despite the presence of producer Ted Hutt and a cover that would win a Design Yr Own Gaslight Anthem Album contest. The name even sounds like a solo project.

For those wondering what the Anthem would sound like if they stopped writing songs about wanting to grow up to be Joe Strummer, Hearts and Arrows is pretty close; but they are not Fallon or his gang. Instead they are a British band and this is album #3 after trafficking in Americana and Mumford-style folk rock.

Springsteen-influenced rock is hip, as The Arcade Fire and the Hold Steady can attest, and D&CoW definitely are influenced by the Boss.

Still, one does not simply just wish to be an earnest rock star and it happens, but D&CoW do generally gall closer to Petty & Bruuuuce than they do to Seger or Bongiovi.

Hearts isn't quite Nebraska, but it is pretty good and I have already seen it on some Best-of-the-Year lists. Undoubtedly, a couple of songs on the album are as good as anything in recorded music for 2011.

Still, like the last GA album, Hearts suffers a bit from Coldplay syndrome (Enjoyable enough songs that you can't for the life of you, recall 20 minutes later).

That said, I have mostly good things to say about these guys, and you will probably like them too.



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Who would win a wrestling match between Lemmy and God?

Lemmy is God.

Lemmy Kilmeister as you might know grew up on Chuck Berry, the Beatles, and Eddie Cochran.

The Head Cat is him paying homage to those early songs, backed by Slim Jim Phantom from the Stray Cats and Danny B Harvey (from 13 Cats) on guitar.

It's Lemmy playing rockabilly (or something resembling that). It should appeal to Motorhead fans (I think), but also those who like fast 50's infused hardcore rock n roll.

My adoration for the Stray Cats just goes up as Brian Setzer has had an interesting solo career, Lee Rocker has made some excellent albums, and now Phantom (among other detours) in The Head Cat. Awesome, to see them all doing well.

Walk the Walk...Talk the Talk is album #2 and is available through Niji Entertainment.

RIYL: Real Rock n' Roll



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