LoveLikeFire - Tear Ourselves Away (2009)

1. William
2. From A Tower
3. Crows Feet
4. Signs
5. Ive Pissed Off My Friends
6. Good Judgement
7. Boredom
8. My Left Eye
9. Far From Home
10. Stand In Your Shoes
11. Everything Must Settle

The Rakes - Klang (2009)

1. You’re In It
2. That’s The Reason 
3. The Loneliness Of The Outdoor Smoker 
4. Bitchin’ In The Kitchen  
5. The Woes Of The Working Woman  
6. 1989  

7. Shackleton  
8. The Light From Your Mac 
9. Muller’s Ratchet
10. The Final Hill

Bajinda Behind The Enemy Lines - Money to Burn (2009)

Volcano Suns - The Bright Orange Years [Reissue] (2009)

I'm one of those rare specimens who, thanks to the vagaries of time and fate, got into Volcano Suns before Mission of Burma. And so I've long had a fondness for drummer Peter Prescott's second band that matches — and sometimes exceeds! — that for his first.

If Burma were (and are) avant theorists, damaging eardrums via Dadaist sound experiments and squalls of knotty noise, the Suns were simply interested in bringing the rock. The bonus-track covers on Merge's reissue of the Suns' All-Night Lotus Party — Beatles basher "Polythene Pam," the Amboy Dukes' "Journey to the Center of the Mind," Leonard Nimoy's awesomely awful "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" — give an idea of the happily sophomoric rockism indulged in on this 1986 sophomore disc by Prescott, guitarist Jon Williams, and bassist Jeff Weigand. On their own songs, Prescott gives voice to the primal urge to pound loud and hard.

"Jak," the muscular (jacked?) opener on their '85 debut, The Bright Orange Years, rumbles melodically along, spazzing out in a middle-section maelstrom of roiling drum pummels and vulcanized-rubber bass lines. "Promise Me" sticks a red-hot cattle prod into cowpunk's rump roast. "Tree Stomp" could lead to serious neck injury. On Lotus Party's "Blown Stack," a short salvo of feral hardcore, Prescott seems to damage vocal cords and drum heads in equal measure. And that album's "Magic Sky" is pure, simple, surging, relentlessly catchy rock and roll. Max Ernst is great, after all, but so is Ted Nugent. -Thephoenix.com

01. Jak
02. Descent into Hell
03. Truth Is Stranger Than Fishing
04. Balancing Act
05. Promise Me
06. (I'm Gonna) Make You Mine
07. Cover
08. The Mouth That Roared
09. Cornfield

10. Animals
11. It's Stewtime
12. Silvertone
13. Sea Cruise
14. Greasy Spine
15. Tree Stomp
16. Nature and Me
17. Old Paint
18. The Central
19. Local Wise Man
20. Testify [live]
21. 1999 [live]

Cut The Blue Wire - Revert, Restart, Reset (EP - 2008)

Every time I hear a new BSM/Alcopop band I proclaim them my new favourite on the label. It's usually lazy journalism, but I'm serious - Kev and co seem to outdo themselves with every release. CTBW are probably my new all-time favourite - 'Everest' is easily the best song the label has put out anyway. A joyous slab of indie-rock, these south-coast lads know how to write a good catchy pop song. All of the tunes on this EP are less than three minutes which means there's no fat to trim; it's all just good time party music.
'Everest' is, as I said, quite brilliant. And that's how I could also describe 'Rockets Ready To Fire' or 'No Song of Mine'. Choppy guitar riffs, fast drumming and inventive basslines are in abundance with some high-pitched vocals topping things off. CTBW are like trifle; so many layers every one of them is seven shades of awesome. You should buy this EP just for 'Everest'. Listen to that song over, over and over again and then play the others on repeat too. Then they'll maybe become your new favourite BSM band too.-Punktastic.com

1. Everest
2. Get Out Of The Road 
3. All Of This Was Buildings 
4. Rockets Ready To Fire 
5. Race To The King 
6. No Song Of Mine 

Vetiver - Tight Knit (2009)

1. Rolling Sea
2. Sister
3. Everyday
4. Through the Front Door
5. Down from Above
6. On the Other Side
7. More of This
8. Another Reason to Go
9. Strictly Rule
10. At Forest Edge

Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

Epic post-rock tinged emotional indie stalwarts Elbow release their fourth album 'The Seldom Seen Kid', another staunch and anthemic collection of songs. The tense and emotional sound of previous records remains, but with a distinctly more commercial riff-based template, particularly on lead single 'Grounds For Divorce'. The band produced the record themselves, as with previous records, lending it a homespun quality that would be out of synch with any external influence. Revered by their peers as a reliably independent act, Elbow have created a subtly innovative extension of their sound and scope with 'The Seldom Seen Kid'. -Play

1. Starlings 
2. Bones Of You 
3. Mirrorball 
4. Grounds For Divorce 
5. Audience With The Pope 
6. Weather To Fly 
7. Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver 
8. Fix 
9. Some Riot 
10. One Day Like This 
11. Friend Of Ours 
12. Were Awa