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Thursday, 08 December 2005 10:34

Icing on the cake.

Adam’s Off Ox (4-song demo)
Their sound is a blend of groove, sparse beats, world rhythms, hip-hop, reggae, Latin, and rock. Though the songs here are somewhat disparate, they suggest a range that would be worth seeing live. www.adamsoffox.com

Bagheera: Distance Divided by Rate (3-song demo)
Like fellow indie rockers Rainer Maria, this male-female duo creates smart, quirky songs. Though the production’s a little flat, a nice variety of texture and sounds accompany the sassily sung vocals. www.bagheeramusic.com

Bibowats: Breakup No. 2
The new Bibowats CD is a catchy, guitar-driven gem with strong vocal harmonies. The boys mix things up with their time changes and multitrack effects. Equally satisfying on headphones or blaring from the speakers of your car stereo. www.bibowats.com

Firecracker Blonde: Friction
Firecracker Blonde’s debut is a highly professional and well-produced alt-rock offering. It’s a little formulaic, a little too much of the vein of Point music—but there’s no denying their talent. www.firecrackerblonde.com

Kooks: Tunes for You (3-song demo)
Despite the deceptive name, this four-piece plays jazzy, world-influenced songs with lots of bright piano. Toss Ben Folds, Sting, and Phish into a blender and Kooks comes out.

Lord Baltimore: Lord Baltimore (5-song EP)
Lord Baltimore is Dave AlanS’ “rock” band, with Trey Guzman on bass and Wesley Nile on drums. The EP is a solid, straightforward rock effort, and manages the capture the energy of the band’s live set. The musicianship is skilled and tight; AlanS’ tongue-in-cheek lyrics are icing on the cake. www.lordbaltimore.net

John Henry Parr: John Henry Parr
This album of quick-tempoed pop songs obviously takes its cue from punk-influenced modern rock. The instrumentation, though solid, sometimes seems a bit rushed. A worthy debut. www.johnhenryparr.com

Shinma: Mechanical Dreams Sampler (4-song demo)
These four tracks do, indeed, sample lines from DJs and spoken word. The music is heavy industrial dance; the only vocals are the sampled lines incorporated into the dark techno sound. www.shinmamusic.com

Tom Wehrle: Something You Can’t Find
Tom Wehrle has a high, gentle voice with which he sings earnest, sunshiny pop; you can’t help but like the guy and his music. Behind his words are soaring pianos, guitars, drums, and even kazoos. Highlights include the understated “Finding Ourselves” and the searching “Just a Boy.” www.tomwehrle.com