After moving to Seattle in December 2003, I started frequenting Easy Street and Sonic Boom Records. I’d spend hours looking through old records, listening to bands I’d never heard of, and carrying around large stacks of soon-to-be-purchased (or put back) merchandise. On occasion I would pick up something cold, having never listened to the album, just because the cover looked intriguing or the price was pleasing. Chromatics‘ Plaster Hounds was one of these grabs and came on purple swirl vinyl for a mere $6.49. I immediately fell in love with …

I’ve had a copy of The Pristines‘ State Of Mine release on Series II for some time, but with the amount of promos I get, I just hadn’t had a chance to fully appreciate it’s indie pop awesomeness. That is, until I received a cute little 3″ CD-R from Peru’s lovable new pop label Susy Records.

So, I know this feature is about two years late, but two years late is better than three years late. Right? Jordan is a band from France and someone sent me one of their EPs one hell of a long time ago. So long ago, that there should be a fine, thick layer of dust atop the jewel case. And there very well may have been when I pulled it from its hiding place behind my promo rack. The EP is called Back To …

Ever since Up Against The Legends by The Legends came to dominate my playlist, I’ve been obsessed with super distorted pop music, and I’ve spent countless hours attempting in vain to find an adequate compliment to that album. There have been several close calls, but none have had the power The Legends packed into the jewel case until now. Introducing: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. What a lovely name for a band!

Super XX Man, pronounced “Super Double X Man,” is bringing the Portland folk scene to it’s knees. His less than ambient yet less than standard folky vibes bring a surprisingly different view to the expected one man, one guitar (with the occasional tambourine or ukulele) that has become so common in the underworld of the overtly acoustic, and financially challenged City of Roses.

Blind Pilot (MySpace) creates infectious folk music, or maybe indie pop music, depending on how you want to take it. That’s all I need say about 3 Rounds and a Sound; it spreads through people like a winter cold everyone wants to get. I first heard this Portland band on the University of Oregon campus radio station KWVA, where my friends at the Sunday Night Sleepover spin music. Blind Pilot immediately struck me as a band that knows how to write good songs.

“Berkeley”, the opening track off Until The Autumn by The Story Of (MySpace) compiles male vocals, includes plays on volume, and has an emphasis on melody. Hearing the tune for the first time, I was immediately reminded of Denmark’s epic group Mew. But here, the song is not quite as heavy, not quite as forceful; the listener is allowed to relax.

So I guess Camera Obscura will be releasing their new album, My Maudlin Career, on 4AD. A few very long years after Let’s Get Out Of This Country, I was just thinking about how the Scottish love pop collective should be nearing their next album release. And now I hear they are!

It is typical of the infamous “band video” to include customary shots of band performing said song, which gets real old real fast. Luckily that’s a travesty primarily held to major bands on major labels. The Steps (MySpace), with their new single “Dagger” and its subsequent video, follow suit… slightly. But they make it interesting with various clever camera placements and a constant fingering of the focus button.

There are many aspects about Paul Turner’s bluesy folk that have been heard before. But, many of these characteristics are truly from his own inspiration. And with a deep throated vocal capacity and a nature-inspired collection of guitar melodies, this Australian born singer/songwriter has created a superb collection of artistically inclined tracks with his debut album Clear Blue.