1. THE BIGGER LIGHTS – S/T (Doghouse): Signing crafy pop-rock bands hasn’t been much of a problem for Doghouse since the success of the ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS. The latest troupe to get ‘the big push’ is this five-piece from my area of Fairfax, Virginia. Breezy, hooky, and polished to a fine gleam, there’s no doubt what this record is all about. I don’t know if I’d be able to pick out the band’s sound without some assistance, but hey, that’s why the radio tries to pound songs into the ground with limited playlists. Good luck chasing those bigger lights…

2. NO REGIME – S/T EP (Self-Released): In contrast of the above, NO REGIME is three piece punk rock band from Los Angeles that sounds like it needs to spend some more time honing their craft in the garage. Influenced by bands like BAD RELIGION and FACE TO FACE, the band’s engine is tuned for fast, melodic music played with the galloping steam of a charging rhino. The youth of the band comes out in the simplicity of the songwriting and the uneven vocals of Jake Yoshizaki. The EP is a free download on their MySpace page.

3. THE PACK a.d. – We Kill Computers (Mint): Razor sharp post-punk from this female duo. No bass? No problem. This full-length is all about mood – the press quotes all toss around the terms bluesy, soulful, raw, and I get all of that. I’ll add in ‘artfully restrained’ music with oddly tuneful, hard-to-ignore lead vocals. Is a WHITE STRIPES comparison too easy to make? A bit, but I’ve had a hard time getting this band out of my head.

4. THE PLAGUE – You’ll Forget The Other EP (I For Us / Don’t Trust The Hype): With a band name like THE PLAGUE, one might expect some crusty streetpunk, but this French outfit is closer to furious metallic hardcore in the nature of GIVE UP THE GHOST or their countrymen in (the very underrated band) NINE ELEVEN. Creative songwriting and great vocal/rhythm section dynamics will keep your attention, but it can be a chore with most songs running for nearly four minutes. Very promising debut.