The moniker Manchester Orchestra (MySpace) uses is a bit deceiving. It hints at something one part British and one part orchestrated. Yet Manchester Orchestra is neither. Instead, the group features one of the catchier, however, more mainstream-ish sounds in independent full-fledged rock.

There are moments on Tentacles where Crystal Anters lose their chaotic experimental flare so rampant on their debut, self-titled EP from last year. It was a trait that earned them much awareness in tunes like “A Thousand Eyes” and, my personal favorite, “Parting Song For The Torn Sky”. The good news is that Tentacles succeeds in achieving a similarly high status. Songs like “Andrew” are instantly recognizable as cutting edge and, as opposed to the EP, even dabble in psychedelia.

This time, The Thermals come to us via another label, Olympia’s famed Kill Rock Stars. However, having shed the Sub Pop label for that of KRS has not necessarily thrown them back to the minimally produced days of the beloved No Culture Icons. If anything, Now We Can See has more production than their last release!

I’ve never been one to regret. Anything. To me, it’s pointless; after all, the compounding experiences of my past have all led me to become the person I am today. And I like me. Before I start sounding like a cheesy self-help novel, it should be noted that SOLDOUT, from Brussels, Belgium, often uses regret as inspiration, whether being a forsaken action or a future opportunity soon to be lost.

I have no problem making making the solid statement that The Black Lips are the only band that can play music like The Black Lips. And while you’re probably having a “Duh!” moment right now…hear me out.

How surprising is it that the name of The Whitsundays’ keyboardist is Doug Organ? Then again, the jokes that could be made are put to rest when Organ steps up to his vintage instrument—his ability to channel the 60s greats like Rod Argent [The Zombies] and Ray Manzarek [The Doors] is stunning, stemming beyond the mere sound to mimic their ability to whip out sections of quick, catchy improvisation. There is no question of whether or not Organ lives up to his name.

The vocal powers behind Double Dan may sound familiar; if they do, massive props are in store. Double Dan’s Malmö origins and Swedish back-story include an impressive incestuous history of great Scandinavian pop groups. Their history trails through The Ambassadeurs, Sambassadeur. Consisting of Dan Eriksson (also of Starlet, September, and occassionally of Club 8), Dan Lindgren (from Alexis and September), and Joakim Ödlund (of Poprace, Starlet, and Acid House Kings fame), Double Dan’s music finds most similarity to Ödlund’s Poprace.

So many lights of the past years are beginning to shine brighter than ever once thought. Children from the 80′s are sure to either shun the music of their birth years, or hold onto as fond as their memories of times with their Teddy Ruxpins. Or they could be more like White Lies and take the positives of the past three decades, and completely erase the negatives. This would create more sounds like their highly acclaimed album To Lose My Life. Which is a truly ingenious …

At first, I wasn’t sure what to think of Slim Twig. First, there’s the name; it evokes imagery of a ghastly, gangly fellow, which Slim certainly is. Then there’s the music. It’s bizarre and it’s strange. But after two minutes, it starts becoming… really, really good.

Seattle is known for some pretty strong folk rock acts that pull influence from bands of similar genres but from four and five decades back. See Me River is merely the latest to join this list and their recent video for “Don’t Pray For Blood”, filmed in 16mm on the beautiful Vashon Island, demonstrates this well.