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Limnus – “The Forbidden”

• Album Reviews

Record Label: Nothing But A Nightmare/Revelation Records
Genre: Metal
Band Link: www.nothingbutanightmare.com
Buy on Amazon.com

The first actual song (after a throwaway intro) is pretty awesome –metal, hardcore, punk, goth, and industrial combined in a way that is oddly pleasing and coherent. The tinny industrial sound gives the feel of being thrown in an angry hornet’s nest, the vocals are gothy, and the ensuing dark wave of noise is nothing short of brilliant.
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Fonda – “Better Days EP”

• Album Reviews

Record Label: S/R
Genre: Indie
Band Link: www.fondamusic.com
Buy on Amazon.com

* COOZER PICK *

Fonda reminds me of Chicklet: male-female duo, indie-pop that is both jangly and dreamy, with slightly detached vocals filtered through a 60s psychedelic kaleidoscope.
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Space March – “Monumental”

• Album Reviews

Record Label: S/R
Genre: New Wave
Band Link: www.spacemarch.com
Buy on Amazon.com

* COOZER PICK *
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Seizure Crypt – “You’ve Been Had!”

• Album Reviews

Record Label: 316 Productions
Genre: Hardcore
Band Link: www.seizurecrypt.com
Buy on Amazon.com

Seizure Crypt channels old-school NYHC but replaces the tough guy posturing with some balls-out party madness. Maybe a little too mad – they’re downright wacky and spastic in a lot of places, but in a goofy, unlistenable way.
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Maribelle – ‘Only An Impulse”

• Album Reviews

Record Label: Drugged Conscience Records
Genre: Alternative
Band Link: www.ohmaribelle.com
Buy on Bandcamp

Jangly alternative rock with a bar rock, feel-good vibe, and dips into shoegazy folk. Unfortunately, the vocals kill it.
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Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion

• Book Reviews

Edited by: Mary Alice Money
Publisher: PopMatters & Titan Books
Pages: 490
Buy on Amazon.com

This hefty tome weaves together 60 essays, mostly academic, from over 40 authors on all things Whedon. Nicely organized chronologically by canon, the essays delve deeply into Whedon’s work. For the uninitiated, it may seem breathlessly geeky to have so many intellectual treatises written about a bunch of tv shows, but as any fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Firefly could tell you, those shows have real depth.
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Radio Fallout – “Vox E Tenebris”

• Album Reviews

Record Label: S/R
Genre: Alternative
Band Link: radiofallout.com

Although they cite gloomy grunge and indie bands as influences, Radio Fallout feels more like a big-hearted rock band with an Americana feel. They have a dark edge, but musically, they’re more Tom Petty and Alternative Routes than Pixies.
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Rooftop Runners – “We Are Here EP”

• Album Reviews

Record Label: S/R
Genre: Indie
Band Link: rooftoprunners.com
Buy on Amazon.com

Hypnotic, a little arty, Rooftop Runners play sparse, soft indie rock with a menacing, bass-heavy undercurrent.
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Mighty Fine – “In Revival”

• Album Reviews

Record Label: Solidarity Recordings
Genre: Melodic Punk
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Melodic punk in vein of Hot Water Music with some dips into post-hardcore and emo. This band sounds very strange, as if they’re lacking in confidence. The vocals are particularly unformed – I’m not sure if the voice is cracking or naturally fluttery, but he sounds nervous.
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7 Months Later – “Time To Decide”

• Album Reviews

Record Label: S/R
Genre: Emo
Band Link: 7monthslater.com
Buy on Amazon.com

Wussy emo rock from Orlando.
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DanseWolf – “Smoke N Mirrors EP”

• Album Reviews

Record Label: S/R
Genre: Synth Pop
Band Link: dansewolfmusic.com
Buy on Amazon.com

Very much an LA band, DanseWolf cultivates a glam rock image and plays pandering pop rock anthems and ballads.
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Ladybirds – “Shimmy Shimmy Dang!”

• Album Reviews

Record Label: Departure Records
Genre: Rockabilly/Garage
Band Link: http://www.myspace.com/theladybirds
Buy on Amazon.com

* COOZER PICK *

Excellent, pitch-perfect retro rock n’ roll from Louisville, KY. Like a one-stop shop for antique rock, Ladybirds perfectly emulate rollicking, rockabilly-ish 50s rock (most of the tracks), 60s girl-group bubblegum (“Hum De Dum”), psychedelic rock (“Jack in the Box”), and space-age surf (“Shallow Orbit”).
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