Brooklyn's The Antlers are led by Peter Silberman, an exceptional singer/songwriter who seems more than a little broken hearted. Now we haven't sat at the fireside desk in our study and thoroughly pored over his lyrics just yet, but it seems the man has lost a few loves along the way. But his sadness is, sorry Mr. Silberman, our gain because his soaring and heartrending croons are pretty much perfect to listen to no matter what mood you're in.

You see, this band (Silberman, Michael Lerner, and Darby Cicci) rocks out often too, so that definitely cheers up the mellow mood. Anyway, Silberman is one of those artists that just sort of sound smart when he sings.

We like mostly smart songs, but not really SUPER smart songs. We call bands who partake in super smart songs "PhD Pop" (probably the most famous current example of a PhD Pop band is The Decemberists -- maybe Vampire Weekend -- basically if The New Yorker likes you, you're PhD Pop and you've most likely lost us along the way).

Our favorite song by The Antlers is called "Two." Please listen to it. Is it the best song you've heard this summer? It might be ours.

Seattle's Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band (there is no way we are writing that out again in this profile) have a SICK drummer. We love bands with sick drummers. The extra hook with this band is that the drummer, Marshall Verdoes, is 14-years-old. 14! When we were 14, we were pining for the days when we were 13.

Verdoes is the younger adopted brother of singer Bejamin Verdoes. And oh yeah, that Verdoes is the husband of keyboardist/percussionist (and more) Traci Eggleston-Verdoes. Whew! It's got to be tough being the other two dudes in this band sometimes.

Anyway, we saw MSHVB play not too long ago and they kind of killed it. Led by the aforementioned monster drumming of Marshall, this band brought slightly spazzy rock with a touch of math, a dash of rootsy Americana, and a few extended "jam-outs."

They actually sounded a little like early Modest Mouse (when Modest Mouse was more crazy and less glossy) to us. We would definitely go see them again.

Matthew Mondanil is Ducktails (live, they are a trio). Matthew Mondanil is also in Real Estate. Both bands are from Ridgewood, New Jersey. Ducktails sound a little like Real Estate in that both are "beachy." Ducktails do not sound like Real Estate in that it goes way more into psych sprawl far off otherworldly land.

We'll be honest with you (hey, it's what we like to do), the first couple times we listened to Ducktails we really didn't "get it." We'd just never really heard anything like it before. It was all kind of hazy and had all these slow swirls and mellow loops and no real clear melodic pattern that we could hear. And above all, it sounded like the soundtrack to someone surfing on the moon.

You know, we still don't "get it," now that we think about it. But we have grown to like it a lot. We wouldn't even know where to begin with other band comparisons (the Real Estate comparison was a gift due to the shared member). Maybe, like, Animal Col----nope, forget it. Ducktails don't sound like any band or dude we know. This is an enigma wrapped in a riddle wrapped in Tang wrapped in a Pina Colada.

Remember when Greg Brady decided he wanted to have his own "pad?" So Mike gives him access to the attic(what a dad!) and then Greg tricks it all out with lava lamps and funky red lights and shag throws and stuff? Brooklyn's The Phenomenal Handclap Band should have been the first record Greg spun in his new crash "pad."

This big band of seven play groovy rock disco that the kids will really dig. Even Jan can get down to this jive. Plenty of slinky synths, retro organs and popping percussion are going on here. The band's first full-length is out on Friendly Fire, so be sure to pick it up if you're going to start a "pad" of your own.

Although, didn't it suck when all the Bradys decided to go on vacation or to the ice cream store or something while Greg felt he needed to stay in his "pad," but after they all left, he realized that he missed his family and his "pad" really wasn't all it was cracked up to be? Ah, the struggles of a boy becoming a man. It's not always groovy.

Oh well, just another good lo-fi band. We're getting kind of addicted to this genre. Alas, if noisy lo-fi infatuation is the worst of our problems (besides a compulsive urge to watch late night Lassie re-runs while eating Cherry Blasters), then we guess we're doing alright.

So Brooklyn's Sisters have this one song "Highway Scratch" that we just can't stop listening to. Addiction, we tell you. It's such a great little noisy pop ditty. Listen and see what we mean.

There are two exuberant dudes in Sisters. Aaron Pfannebecker plays a messy, angular guitar and sings rather nicely. Matt Conboy does the drums and bangs the synths. We don't think we need to remind you that drummer/keyboardists rule.

Sisters are also part of the Death by Audio music collective. We wish we were part of a collective, but then again, we'd never belong to any club that would have us as a member (ba-dum-dum-crash).

Anyway, unlike most noise-pop stars of tomorrow, Sisters actually sound like they're having fun when they play. You don't have to be broody just because your "fi" is set to "lo." Be happy! They have that same kind of joyousness that Japandroids have, but theirs is a happiness that's more stripped down.

Yes. We like Sisters. Especially "Highway Scratch." Addiction.

Philadelphia's Pattern is Movement is a vibrant duo that creates completely original pop sounds based on looping musical, well, patterns. The result is something other-worldly and entirely engaging. Singer (and bass/Rhodes/mellotron player) Andrew Thiboldeaux has a beautifully floating voice that eases these strange structures into accessibility, and Chris Ward's complex drum dances utilize his classical training.

When I first heard these two, I thought they sounded a little like a less abrasive Oneida, maybe because these rhythms can sometimes seem psych/drone. But the band says they are influenced by much more melodic folks like Beirut and Bjork. And listening more, you can really hear how they effectively combine complexity with catchiness. It's not easy.

Pattern is Movement has toured with St. Vincent, The Forms and David Bazan, and they recently released their debut full-length record All Together

.

There is no easy categorization for a band like this. (That's a writer's trick so you can't fault them for their corresponding categorization). The Big Pink is a London duo comprised of Milo Cordell and Robbie Furze. Together, they make straight-up anthems that just sound BIG. These excitingly eclectic sounds could fill arenas, but thankfully these two are still playing small clubs... for now.

When we listen to The Big Pink we hear something that vaguely resembles shoegaze, but their music has way more emphasis on electro beats than guitar swirls to just leave it at that. Sometimes the vocals and some of the hazy sonic textures sound a little like Animal Collective, too. So maybe we can call The Big Pink rock-anthem-shoegaze-dream-electro-pop? But if we called it that, we'd be dumb.

Gang Gang Dance recently remixed the band's exceptional song "Velvet" and made it sound like a crazy (as in deranged) club hit. It's pretty much awesome.

Our friend in Norway (that's kind of like having a girlfriend in Canada) hyped The Big Pink up to us a few months back, so they've already seemed to seep into the consciousness of the indie music geeks in Europe. The hype train is undoubtedly headed its way here too.

The band just signed to 4AD, they're recording a full-length in NYC, and they're set to play a bunch of big festivals (including Oya Fest, which is one of the best outdoor festivals we have ever been to) this summer.

Just listen to them or, even better, go see them. If you come away thinking rock-anthem-shoegaze-dream-electro-pop, well, our job here is done. If not, sorry!

Philadelphia's Drink Up Buttercup is an interesting band. Perhaps you can call this sprawling psych-pop (lots of keys and things), but psych tends to infer a degree of seriousness. These guys make music that is definitely more playful than that genre suggests.

We wonder if these five members listened to a lot of The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper" before writing these songs? Then again, who hasn't listened to that album a million times (and if you haven't, what's your deal, dude?).

There's a sense of bewildering whimsy with Drink Up Buttercup. Their music can be likened to the popular roadside carnival ride, The Gravitron. It's fun, but it's also kind of crazy ("I paid $4.00 to be spun around super fast? Uh-oh, there goes the sauerkraut.").

Of course, Drink Up Buttercup will not make you puke. And you can quote us on that. It's always refreshing to listen to a new band that makes you scratch your head at first. We didn't get it, but now we think we got it. Drink Up Buttercup is just fun. Plus, the singer sometimes sounds like David Bowie. So that's cool.

We're about to write about one of our very favorite new bands. Ready? Here it comes! Pre-tty... pre-tty... pre-tty... catchy. That's our attempt at a Larry David impression. But it's also a fine way to begin a profile for The Drums.

As of this writing, this band has played exactly two shows. Two shows! But seeing these guys play, it's as if they've been rocking this blissful pop forever. We just saw them at that second show of theirs, and we can definitely say it was one of the most enjoyable experiences we've had at a "rock concert" in quite some time.

Singer Jon Pierce is a showman through and through, and he's a big reason why this band was so fun to see. He bleeds confidence and oozes congeniality. Plus, there is plenty of power in his pipes.

Along with Pierce (who was in Elkland), The Drums other principal player is Pierce's longtime BFF, Jacob Graham (also in Horse Shoes). But on stage, the songwriting buds come with a crew of four (not counting a couple of female backing singers) to make their pop sound more like POP.

This band just knows how to write a song that shimmers and sparkles and jingles and jangles. It sounded like every song they played was a potential summer hit. The Drums are definitely '80s Britpop inspired, but also are into some strange activity called "surfing," so they rock a sound inspired by that obscure marine activity too.

The band lists some of their influences as being The Wake, The Smiths and Joy Division. But why not throw in some New Order too? But whatever and wherever they cull their influences, our motto has always been "breezy guitars + easy beats + dynamic vocals = bro-ham party time." The Drums' music all adds up to something that's nice and lovely and happy. And catchy; pre-tty... pre-tty... pre-tty... catchy.

Join us Tuesday, June 23rd at The Bell House in Brooklyn!

Oh My Rockness presents:

The Legends

The Drums

Care Bears On Fire

Tickets & more info

You wouldn't think a band that plays such shimmering sunshine pop would be from a place like Glasgow. But perhaps such tweeful music is their escape fantasy from the grey days of Scotland. These four guys and two girls formed back in 1996 and counted John Peel among their fans, but it has only been in recent years that their catchy choruses finally caught hold of the States.

A lot of this had to do a lack of proper stateside distribution for their earlier releases, but the mighty Merge records solved that problem, releasing their last few records (including Let's Get Out of This Country) to great critical acclaim.

Now they're back with My Maudlin Career on 4AD.

The group's bright optimism is powered by their guitar hooks, carefully crafted keys, and the sweet-singing vocals of Tracyanne Campbell. Belle & Sebastian meets Saturday Looks Good to Me meets The Boy Least Likely To

.

Philadelphia's Free Energy (featuring a bunch of ex-Hockey Night members) are a perfectly hooky band. Their catchy songs are meant for hand-clap accompaniment and "nah nah nah-nah" choruses. This is straight-up pop that almost touches on twee (thankfully though, the members don't all wear white Oshkoshbegosh overalls or play on stage in big wheels or anything like that -- phew!).

The band just signed to DFA, which is kind of an interesting pairing. You're not going to find many of those yelps, cowbells (does DFA still rock the cowbells?) or crazy dance synth tricks in Free Energy's arsenal. But you will find songs you can listen to with the car windows rolled down.

Warning: Don't try to listen to Free Energy with the subway windows rolled down though. Screeches and drones won't mix well with this sunny stuff.

I've never been a rockabilly guy, but Jack Penate might be my gateway drug to the genre (but don't count on it). His songs are just so damn entertaining to listen to that I'm seriously considering purchasing some pomade.

Apparently the secret has long been out about Penate in his native England. I gather he and his band are huge in the U.K. since he's signed to the mighty XL Recordings there. And he has played the Reading Festival. Everyone who plays Reading is big like Radiohead, right? And they all roll around in the mud?

Ok sure, sometimes Penate reminds me a lot of that band, Dexys Midnight Runners. But whatever, I liked "Come On, Eileen" and don't say you didn't, too. If you want to tap into a strange emotion called happiness, check out Jack Penate. This rocks... abilly.

Brooklyn's Suckers are a bright new pop band that makes music that reflects the pleasant, easy-going side of life. We can't decide if these guys make me want to go surf, pitch a tent in the dirt of my pretend backyard, or create some sick slow motion home videos of rabbits wrestling. Maybe we'll do all three. The options for merriment are endless with Suckers.

And seriously, how can you not give off seriously happy vibes when you have a horn player in your Brooklyn rock band? (Actually, oops, horns can be deeply depressing as hell - but not here).

There's definitely a bit of magic, and a bit of wonder, going on in this richly harmonious instrumentation, but Suckers music is a little too in-your-face melodic to casually lump them in with those other "dream-pop" bands like Animal Collective and their followers. But since we just referenced Animal Collective by not referencing them, maybe it is us who are the careless ones.

You will be hearing about these guys a lot in the next few months. Oh, and we almost forgot the line - they don't SUCK.

Eight people in this band. Eight! This jolly collective from San Francisco plays sprawling (better be sprawling with a crew of 8) indie chamber-pop that sounds like a more rocking version of I'm From Barcelona (side note: where did that band run off to?). Dang (we'd say the other harder word for "dang," but Photons doesn't seem to be a band you curse around) there are a lot of instruments played here: glockenspiels, keys, bassoon, clarinet, lots of percussion, and of course bass, guitars and drums.

Now to us, big rock bands like this often just end up sounding like carnival music. And that's fine, but we're not particularly partial to the music played at carnivals (we guess the Tilt 'a Whirl theme is kinda cool). Thankfully, Photons doesn't sound like a carnival - you heard it here first.

Nope, Photons just sound like THE ROCK, but with some secret weapons in their arsenal (though glockenspiels aren't too secret anymore, are they?). Lead singer James Parrish has a pretty great voice, too. So that always helps. Anyway check these four dudes and four ladies out. Whew!

We admit that deep down we're really pop at heart. You know, sometimes we just don't feel like the all-over-the-place angularity, and the shattering walls of sound, and the crazy layered techno tricks, and the vocal shreds. Sure we like that stuff... a lot. But c'mon, not ALL the time. It's bad for the blood pressure and bad for our wallet (too many Aleves).

Sometimes, we just want to sing to something nice in the shower; you know, like verses and choruses and things. It's early, but Brooklyn's Finding Fiction could be the new band that does that for us. Longwave was that band. So was Idlewild. We got mighty clean listening to those two back in the day.

Finding Fiction's songs are pretty damn catchy. Catchy enough that they make us want to get really dirty, just so we have an excuse to get back in that bath again.

So, we'll take Finding Fiction's music as a sign that it's finally time to start digging out back and see if we can find the buried door that unlocks the secret world of fairies, leprechauns and talking bears. We've been dreaming about that since we were six. Thanks for giving us the inspiration to follow our fantasies, Finding Fiction.

No, not the new abbreviated incarnation of Sunny Day Real Estate. Real Estate is a different band. But they're just as sunny, all the same.

A breezy, easy-feeling group out of New Jersey, this band plays pretty carefree sunshine-y pop with a little hint of psych-ness (and maybe a little surf). Their music will set you adrift on memory bliss (where, oh where, have you gone, P.M. Dawn?).

With songs about beaches and pools and lakes (not to mention one about "suburban beverages") this is a band that's fully aware that laid-back is the best bet. And really, you're not going to expect much in-your-face angst from a band that lists the Doobie Brothers as an influence ("woah-oh-oh, listen to the music!").

Real Estate makes music meant for summertime floating; an inner tube hugging your butt and a coozy nestled calmly between your thighs (wait, I think I just described Prince by accident). Did anyone out there ever listen to that band, The Kingsbury Manx? Real Estate have a similar vibe to them. They're just kind of, you know, easy.

We just saw Dinowalrus play in Brooklyn and it totally felt like we were transported back in time to the Mudd Club circa 1981. With all the crazy horns and noise and things, Jean-Michel just totally should have been there rocking out too. Sigh.

Anyway, back to 2009: here's a band you need to spend some time with if you want that light bulb moment of "ah-ha!," and even then you probably will still be mostly in the dark about why exactly this makes you really want to rock out.

Brooklyn's Dinowalrus is a noisy electrically experimental trio that throws a whole lot of percussion, distortion, knob-twiddles, keys, distortion, guitars, vocal yelps, and even some crazy clarinet solos at you. Pop it's not. It sounds like these three guys have been dedicated students of The Game (because isn't rock 'n roll just a game, after all?) and listened to a lot of old Rhys Chatman and Glen Branca records for clamorous improvisational inspiration (or, maybe they are slightly more modern men and just sought out Sonic Youth at their loudest and strangest).

Though it may sometimes seem that Dinowalrus is making this stuff up as they go along, there is a melodic thread tying all of these crazy drone crashes, synth strikes, and beat explosions together. So yeah, this band kind of lets it all out there. I'm into it and you might be into it too.

Dinowalrus play all the time and have shared the stage with tons of bands. A few recent examples: Blank Dogs, Titus Andronicus, Crystal Stilts and HEALTH. Those bands can get loud too. Be sure to catch Dinowalrus when they next play Max's Kansas City.

L.A.'s almost-all-female five piece, Mika Miko, play aggressive new wave pre-punk rock that is influenced by Bad Brains, Red Cross and Black Flag, and obviously inspired by the riot grrrl movement. Their debut album, C.Y.S.L.A.B.F. on Kill Rock Stars is raw, snotty, and entirely in-your face. It also sounds like it was recorded in a basement bathroom stall. But the D.I.Y. ethos is a large part of Mika Miko's charm.

Mika Miko's latest album, We Be Xuxa, is out now.

Their bombastic live shows are also serving to further their cult following in California and beyond; their concerts have been described as "pony thrash." Not sure what that means, but it sure sounds cool. If you like it rough, check out Mika Miko.

Sunset Rubdown features Spencer Krug, co-vocalist/lyricist of Montreal's mighty Wolf Parade. In fact, Wolf Parade's best song ("I'll Believe in Anything") is actually a reworking of a Sunset Rubdown song. Once a true solo project, Krug now has a full-fledged band (including members of Pony Up!) to more fully experiment with those sublime synth sounds heard intermittently on Wolf Parade's Apologies to the Queen Mary.

These are pop melodies featuring mostly distorted vocals wrapped around psychedelic sounds, and buried under layers of dense orchestration. Without an instantly accessible sound, Sunset Rubdown might not be right for Sub Pop, but they sure sound right by me. Just don't go in expecting verse/chorus/verse.

You're really going to like I Was A King if you really liked radio alterna-pop of 1995. Ok, that sounds like a back-handed compliment. Sorry. But this band of five from Norway, featuring harmonious male/female vocal interplay, definitely sounds like something that was played on Q101 (the "alternative" radio station that played such cutting edge bands as Stone Temple Pilots and Collective Soul and, oh, even that Nada Surf "Popular" song!) when I was just a high school kid with a dream (to graduate).

This band sounds like Veruca Salt and Lucious Jackson and Garbage (who all undoubtedly listened to "Siamese Dream" two years before) and all those other crunchy and fuzzy guitar bands that sort of swirled back then. Then again, I don't like any of those bands, but I do like I Was A King, so never you mind about that whole alterna-pop thing.

The band's self-titled debut album features guest appearances from Sufjan Stevens, Danielson and a guy from Serena Maneesh. And those dudes are modern. The album also features that band who sang that "how bizarre, how bizarre" song (Ok, kidding on that last one).

I liked this band the minute I heard the first beat. Philly's Cold Cave is an exceptional new foursome led by an ex-hardcore guy named Wesley Eisold (formerly of the beloved punk bands, Some Girls and Give Up the Ghost). But Eisold's past resume aside, punk this is definitely not.

Cold Cave is slightly dark and sort of dancey synth pop that, fine, sounds a little like Joy Division maybe (mostly due to Eisold's baritone), but Cold Cave is probably more melodic and definitely less morose that JD. These are just really catchy electronic songs that are, at times, even bouncy.

Don't misunderstand. We're not talking Simian Mobile Disco here. There are too many layers and music manipulations going on to file this with all of the other good electro-dance bands in your collection. There's something deeper at work, and I'll keep digging 'til I figure out what exactly works so well.

Look for a 12" from Cold Cave out on the always-on-target What's Your Rupture? label (Tyvek, Love is All, Nodzzz).

The Brown Book are an explosive instrumental band out of Brooklyn (and Massachusetts, too) that used to be called Banana Hands. I'd never heard of either Banana Hands or The Brown Book until a few weeks ago. And man, did I miss the boat on these dudes. These guys took me by complete surprise.

After listening to a few of The Brown Book's songs, each one better than the song before, the adjectives just started spewing out of me: hard! loud! dirty! relentless! angry! sludgy! tight! Then two verbs came out like a full-on four man blitz: rock! roll! I'll let the band handle the nouns.

They list Big Black, Iron Maiden, The Fucking Champs and Unwound as some of their influences. But really, they should be compared to Napoleon, Alexander the Great, Obama and Queen Latifa. Because this band RULES. I highly suggest you go see them. Getting your ear drums destroyed will never feel so satisfyingly painful.

JUST ANNOUNCED: Sonic Youth playing United Palace Theater in NYC July 3rd!

Pre-order Sonic Youth's new album, The Eternal!

It's hard to believe that after all these years, Sonic Youth are still shredding. This band hasn't taken a break (much less broken-up) in over twenty-five years. Formed in NYC in 1981 and rising from the ashes of the "Please Kill Me" days, it can be said that Sonic Youth was truly the first post-punk band. And they just keep getting better. How's that even possible?

In the beginning, when they were truly youths, Thurston, Kim and Lee were a little lo-fi band that wanted to draw on the free-form noise of The Velvet Underground and The Stooges. In 1983 they released their debut, Confusion is Sex, which became the start of a new genre.

With each subsequent album the cult of Sonic Youth grew. Their sound, continually amended and tinkered with over the years, became completely their own. Be sure to check out seminal albums Sister, Daydream Nation and Dirty.

Longevity for longevity's sake is nothing noble. Yet Sonic Youth have maintained their artistic integrity for over 20 years. 2006's Rather Ripped is one of their strongest albums yet. Sonic Youth may now be as legendary as the bands that influenced them.

Speaking of Daydream Nation, the band just released a crazy 4xLP vinyl box set of that legendary album. It comes loaded with extra tracks. You should check it out.

The Wave Pictures, led by singer/guitarist David Tattersall, remind me a lot of Jens Lekman. Not necessarily because Tattersall's voice sounds a whole lot like Lekman, but because he (and his two fellow East Londoners) and that Swede both seem intent on channeling the charming with their preciously clever pop songs. (Tattersall has received Morrissey comparisons too, but comparisons to Morrissey don't really mean anything anymore.)

With love song titles like "We Dress Up Like Snowmen" and "Now You Are Pregnant" and deeply romantic love lyrics like "I'll Buy You Bras Instead Of Pickled Eggs," often accompanied by a pleasant horn section and sometimes a nice piano ditty, you sort of need to be in a gentle mood to "rock out" to The Wave Pictures, just like you need to be in the gentle mood to listen to Jens singing about his own tender adventures.

Maybe you can classify this band as falling in the burgeoning (not really) post-twee movement. "Twee" because it's fairly whimsical, and "post" because The Wave Pictures have no use for a glockenspiel.

There are only four dudes in this Cymbals Eat Guitars? It sure sounds like 40. This young band from Staten Island makes a big sound, and not in the Broken Social Scene oh-everything-is-so-precious-and-chamber-and-orchestral sort of way. This is big sound in the indie ROCK, sort of way.

Cymbals Eat Guitars are primarily a -- wait for it -- guitar-driven band. Singer/guitarist Joseph "Ferocious" D'Agostino lets it all out. His urgent, slightly off-kilter vocals remind me a bit of Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse meets Tim Kinsella. It's pretty much exactly what you want from your frontman. Well, what I want anyway. And he and his mates sure know how to make a simple opening guitar riff (and a little bit of keys) build into something more majestically optimistic. This music swirls and soars and distorts and dips. And it works. 4 members, my butt. I'm sticking with my 40 member theory.

Vancouver's Japandroids are a rowdy duo with good intentions - to rock you out. Consisting of Brian King and David Prowse, they do it all dirty in the garage. And sometimes, they'll throw in some pretty melodies just to remind you there is still songwriting at work here.

If all you really need to make the whole underground sing are riffs buried in crunch and a couple of broken microphones, then these two will be the next anointed Kings of the illegal loft-dwelling generation. With only a guitar and one drum set (they both sing... somewhat), they make the music pop with loudness.

So who to compare them to? Well, these guys like McLusky enough to cover them (they're loud, too), and they recently played a show with A Place to Bury Strangers (hey now, they're loud, too!). So think of their sound as somewhere in the middle of those two? Who knows?

My favorite Japandroids song is "Sexual Aerosol," just in case you were wondering. But besides Kevin Arnold, does anyone ever really wonder anymore?

I love brooding, angst-filled music that gnaws at my consciousness and shreds the recesses of my soul. But I also love music that I can listen to and exclaim "How fun! How catchy!" Portland's The Thermals fall in the latter category.

And you won't find many bands that are more fun to see live. At a Thermals gig, expect the following: play two and half minute song, one second pause, play three minute song, tune, play two minute song, one second pause, repeat cycle for thirty to thirty-three minutes. And it's damn hard to resist their charm.

Hutch Harris' highly infectious lyrics master the teetering line of simple yet clever wordplay sans the superficiality. And The Thermals know that a smile and, dare I say, a little joy absolutely have a place in rock right alongside loneliness and utter despair. They make the kids feel alright.

L.A.'s (and sometimes Paris') Jeremy Jay is a singer-synther-guitarist-songwriter whose music is supposedly influenced by both Andy Warhol and John Hughes. Talk about two giants of the art world! One did Campbell soup cans, the other did Sixteen Candles. I'm not sure which mattered more.

There's definitely that '80s laid-back pop-wave vibe going on with Jay's music, but his vocals remind me a little of a more modern reference point: Spencer Krug (of Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown). But yeah, this is very synth heavy but not, say, in an '80s New Order sort of way. These synths are just the warm duvet that cozily covers Jay's breezy pop melodies.

For some reason when I listen to this dude, I picture a young Robert Downey Jr. sitting by the pool in sunglasses contemplating his future. (I wonder if he thought, "One day I shall be Iron Man.") Don't ask me why. Anyway, I can go out and get a groove to this. I've been meaning to dust off my old Members Only jacket anyway. Jeremy Jay's debut is out on K Records and Mr. K himself, Calvin Johnson, makes an appearance on drum duty.

Gosh darn it, I just love this band. Perhaps I'm biased because I think Scottish rock is pretty much the best rock there is. But whatever, when I first played these guys I was smitten from the get-go. And how often does instant-smitten happen to you, dear reader? We Were Promised Jetpacks are like inspirational instrumental emo but WITH vocals! Sure, that doesn't make sense, but it also doesn't make sense how insanely melodic this young band is (they look to be about 12 years old).

And oh about those vocals, singer Adam Thompson can just straight out belt like the indie rock superstar he is soon to be. Some dude (brother) said his voice sounds like Zach Condon of Beirut. I say it sounds like a little bit of heaven. You won't find any of those gross American Idol vibratos here. It's kind of perfect.

Now if this review is overly gushing, forgive me. I haven't liked a new band as much as We Were Promised Jetpacks in quite some time. They aren't "angsty" and they're certainly not "hardcore" or even particularly "revolutionary." They're just straight-up pop good.

I walked 800 miles (The Proclaimers were also playing the show... yoinks!) to see these guys play a far out venue in Austin and the two songs I saw before my back gave out (too much BBQ in tummy) left me nothing short of emo-erotic. Their debut record is out in June on FatCat (home to Animal Collective) and it's going to be huge... in my house, anyway. Gosh darn it, I love this band.

Mi Ami's beautiful art-noise-experimental-heavy-punk (whatever that means... just made it up) was the talk of SXSW 2009. Well, the people we talk to, but we only know like 2 dudes. But they're good dudes.

Anyway, this fiery trio from San Francisco features two members of the late, great D.C. Dischord band, Black Eyes (Daniel Martin-McCormick on vocals/guitar, Jacob Long on bass). Did you ever like Black Eyes? I liked them, but kind of always wondered why they were always screaming at me. I didn't do anything but buy your record, dudes! I really shouldn't take things so personally perhaps.

Mi Ami makes the most of its three members with a noise blitz of awesome disco drum beats (they're all about percussion, actually), crazy guitar distortions (they squeal and slide and go towards far off tribal territories) and plenty of vocal spazz (think lots of high loud yelps). This is for fans of Black Eyes (obviously), perhaps Ponytail, maybe HEALTH, and well... you get it.