Satellite Lot’s newest album is a blast from the past, full of idiosyncrasies from 80’s New Wave with influences from bands like Talking Heads, The Smiths, and Depeche Mode. This band goes back to my favorite era of music with layered synthesizers, expansive use of drum kit, and reverb vocals.

Sleepwalk in a Burning Building starts off very strongly with the first four tracks. “Up Against the Far Right Wall” immerses the listener right into the 80’s new wave vibe with synth-bass, bouncy popcorn synth, and Police-esque vocalizations by female vocalist Sydney Bourke. “Never Again” has a very Shins-meet-80’s feel to it, and that’s supposed to be a very flattering analogy. “Liberation Front” makes great use of laser-synth, and it has a pretty trumpet part that adds a lot to the mood of the song. “Disappointed” dives into a Smiths feel with sullen but outspoken vocals about a hurt relationship. In these songs, the lead singer’s voice is consistent but has enough range to make for a solid vocalist.

Marissa Nadler's Songs III: Bird on Water has been a very pleasant surprise to my ears. Every song on the album is comprised of dreamy folk that maintains a very unique sound. Marissa's guitar twiddling and strumming drives each song as she sings with a spooky, yet calming reverb. She is backed by very subtle instrumentation ranging from echoing falsetto guitar to tranquil cello to moaning percussion. There is no doubt that Marissa's beautiful, eerie voice makes the music complete, making this album a great listen.

Welcome to the world of Goliatron and the Dazzlers, a "moon folk" band based in Delaware. All of the work revolves around the creative talent of Doug Cannon, a friend I met on a video game message board years ago. I was so pleased to learn how musically talented he is. Goliatron and the Dazzlers is releasing it's sophomore album

Quite a few years ago, I met a certain chap on a video game forum by the name of Blankmage. We shared a lot of similar interests, so we befriended each other through the curious way of the internet. Over time, I began to learn of his great creative talents through ambitious video game projects and musical explorations. It has been a year since I was introduced to his wonderful band called Goliatron and the Dazzlers.

Goliatron and the Dazzlers is a "moon folk" band, combining elements of folk rock and spacey music, and they are releasing their sophomore album, Glass Headphones, this month. This release is going to be free for the public very much like their first album, Constructive Therapy for the Destructive Mind. It will be available on P2P networks such as Bit Torrent.

The day finally came two weeks ago, and The Polyphonic Spree's new album, The Fragile Army, was finally released. I have been greatly anticipating the album's release since last Fall when the Spree released their Wait EP with new songs "Mental Cabaret" and "I'm Calling", and a cover of Nirvana's "Lithium". The CD comes with very flashy artwork and a making-of DVD. Tim Delaughter of The Polyphonic Spree intended The Fragile Army to be a very political album. He said in an interview with Paste Magazine, "For me, after being so barraged by the current political climate, it became undeniable; this had to be the subject matter for these new songs." The political messages in the album become prevalent when their new, darker side begins to show.

The Fragile Army is very simply a rock and roll album with a great Polyphonic Spree spin put on it. The songs are shorter, and they are structured more like...well...rock songs. Quite a big difference from their previous albums with songs that lasted 8 minutes or so and had separate movements. Is this change of direction a good thing or bad thing? I've got news; it's a good thing! The Spree seems to really pull it together with their new rock style without tarnishing what makes them unique. All of the songs are still greatly layered with a multitude of instruments and choirs, and it still has that feel-good tone to it. Some of the songs do get dark and gloomy because of their political topics, but they always seem to glisten some beam of hope.

First up for review is the upcoming They Might Be Giants album, The Else. The album has already been released on iTunes, but the physical copy will be out on July 10th by Zoe Records. If you purchase the album early enough, you will receive a bonus disc with 23 new rarities including songs from the They Might Be Giants podcast.

The Else is very different from most of the other They Might Be Giants albums. It's their "legendary rock album" as John Flansburgh of TMBG put it, and it certainly shows with their more produced, arena rock sound. Don't take this as a red flag, though. They didn't turn into Kiss or anything like that. They are still They Might Be Giants, and while this album is definitely a new direction for the band, it's a good one for the most part.