Treva Blomquist – As It Should Be

Nashville’s own Treva Blomquist writes rich harmonies encased in a folk-pop bubble with strong musicianship and tight songwriting that’s sure to crowd coffeehouses across the nation.

Rosematter – Rosematter

Rosematter is a female-fronted sugary pop-punk six-piece designed to challenge Paramore for this year’s three-chords-and-throw-em-out anthem-writing crown. Peep this video of them playing live for the real thing.

Incommunicado – Losing Daylight

Twisted and crunchy guitar angst that is pockmarked with urgent anarchistic vocals ala DC-area hardcore of years past, Incommunicado’s “Losing Daylight” scores high points on rediscovering an almost forgotten sound.

Lemuria – Get Better

Take a sprinkle of Superchunk, add a dash of Jawbreaker and you’ve got yourself a hipster’s darling called Lemuria with pretty girl vocals dangled alongside pop-influenced punk guitars and good old fashioned rock songwriting.

Eric Avery – Help Wanted

Avery’s (co-founder and bassist of renowned alternative rockers Jane’s Addiction) adventurous indie rock ballads recall Morrissey in scope but “Help Wanted” is tantamount to fresh electronic-fused indie pop-rock the likes of which haven’t been heard much of this exciting year in rock music; featuring the likes of Shirley Manson (Garbage), Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and the Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins, Eric Avery needs none of our help to conduct his solid rock solo debut audition.

Robert Scott Thompson – Poesis Athesis

Highly acclaimed composer Robert Scott Thompson debuts on Lens Records and lets the world in on his serene homage to film music, soundscapes, and subtle electronic compositions.

The Playing Favorites – I Remember When I Was Pretty

Moving past the vapid album title, the Playing Favorites write songs that you’d expect from a band that features members hailing from such bands as Lagwagon, Sugarcult, Bad Astronaut, and Summercamp – catchy pop numbers that lean a bit towards the punker side of alternative rock.

Bloodsworn – All Hyllest Til Satan

Originally recorded in ’99, “All Hyllest Til Satan” was remixed in Oslo last year producing one brutal headblast of low-budget black metal gut-churning insanity.

Necroblaspheme – Destination: Nulle Part

French death metal? Yes it does exist and Necroblaspheme is here to rip out the eardrums of the first moron who utters ‘surrender monkey’ or ‘freedom fries’ with their gashing guitar assaults, deep bass grooves, thunderous percussion, and filthy growls.

Decades – Numbered

Texan melodic hardcore with edgy dissonance and bitter melodies so earnest it’s enough to make you grab your best friend…in a half-nelson. In the vein of Modern Life is War and Crime in Stereo.

Listing Ship – A Hull Full of Oil and Bone

Intriguing and introspective folk ballads, alt-country, ‘70s era 3-part harmonies, and emotional pop that beckons followers of Belle and Sebastian as well as Conor Oberst diehards, “A Hull Full of Oil and Bone” shows that Listing Ship’s wondrous creation “Time to Dream” was no one-hit wonder.

One Word Song – I Can’t Be Trusted

New Jersey’s rock outfit One Word Song dive deep into the alternative rock catalog from the ‘90s finding choice bits from Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, and Incubus to emulate along with a firm nod to more modern acts like Taking Back Sunday and Brand New to copulate with forging a pregnancy that is sure to bear birth to an amalgam of honest cruising pop melodies defined by scrumptious guitars and liquid sweet vocals.

The Steal – The Steal

The United Kingdom’s The Steal sounds not very far removed from their American brethren Kid Dynamite, Gorilla Biscuits, and Lifetime with a firm nod towards youth crew hardcore and melodic punk with pogo-tastic breakdowns.

Monstrum Sepsis – Artifacts

Monstrum Sepsis’ tribal grooves, razor-thin melodies, and Kraftwerk-friendly synths form an intoxicating brew of melodic electronica that pushes the envelope with politically charged samples.

Avenpitch – Cast Off

Avenpitch shoots me another album that showcases this Minneapolis based electro-punk’s utter knack for writing fun, catchy, and most importantly danceable hits that truly bleed Pop Will Eat Itself, which they so graciously reminded me enough about that I busted out “Wise Up Suckers” and “Now For a Feast”. Thanks duders.

Mike Pursley – Eight Boxes

Serene lo-fi ambience written in the foothills of Appalachia while listening to an iPod filled to the brim with yesteryear’s psych-pop, “Eight Boxes” by enigmatic folkster Mike Pursley is an eclectic album to the very extreme and is just as rewarding.

Unwritten Law – Live and Lawless

Other than the beautiful butt cleavage featured on the cover art, “Live and Lawless” is a CD/DVD of live music from one of pop-punk’s more washed up units. Yawn.

Artridge – Butterfly Wing Theory – Part 1 (Think Tank)

Hands down one of most disappointing albums of the year especially noting the finer points of the subtly poignant concept piece “Finished Soundtracks for Unshot Films”, Artridge shrugs off past drum & bass, lo-fi industrial, dark ambient, and dub successes for a mistakenly porous ambient musical misadventure that is boldly boring.

Sinner – Crash & Burn

German metalheads Sinner have been riddling the scene with their version of heavy metal since ’83 and haven’t looked back one iota. Credit their tenacious attitude, penchant for hair metal anthems, and an ability to tour with the big names ala Mr. Big, Savatage, and Deep Purple with their continued success.

Adrenaline – Broken Clocks

Guitar-driven rock-n-roll with horrifically draining vocals that are just as annoying as that fat redneck who used to flick your ears in middle school – yeah you know the one, the guy working at the local gas station that’s got as much going for him as Adrenaline does.

Daggermouth – Turf Wars

Daggermouth contributes to the pile with their brand of melodic pop-punk cum hardcore that recalls Lifetime and Saves the Day and while it may not be the newest form of rock music on the planet, it does most definitely rock it out.