March 12, 2009

Shiny Toy Guns Season Of Poison [3/5] If synth-rock unit Shiny Toy Guns sound like a slightly different band on their sophomore effort, there’s a good reason for it: Vocalist Carah Faye Charnow-an integral part of the band’s 2006 debut, We Are Pilots-left the group this summer. New vocalist Sisely Treasure isn’t a stranger to...

Joey Cape Bridge [4/5] We’re surprised it took nearly two decades for Lagwagon’s diminutive frontman Joey Cape to finally scratch that solo songwriter’s itch and put out a proper acoustic record, especially after the primo rejiggering of his main band’s tunes on Acoustic, his pared down 2004 split with No Use For A Name czar...

Butch Walker Sycamore Meadows [4/5] Misfortune has inspired musicians since the first jilted caveman started banging out beats on a woolly mammoth skull. So, it’s only logical that power-pop whiz Butch Walker would somehow find a hook-laden silver lining after losing nearly all of his earthly possessions in November 2007 during a California wildfire. Walker’s...

The Killers Day & Age [2.5/5] After the mainstream success of their debut, Hot Fuss, in 2004, Las Vegas dance-pop quartet the Killers threw fans and critics a curveball with their 2006 follow-up, Sam’s Town, an album that distanced the group from their formative ’80s post-punk sound and paid blatant homage to the Americana rock...