I loved the Rosebuds' 2005 album Birds Make Good Neighbors, so I had high hopes for their third album, Night of Furies. The new album was supposed to be more synthpop-oriented, and after they made "Get Up, Get Out" available for download I was a little worried they had strayed too much from the folky guitar pop of the previous album. Not to worry though, because they actually pull off the new sound remarkably well. Some are saying the new album has a distinct New Order influence, but to me it also sounds a little like Garbage's Version 2.0(which is still an all-time fave of mine), minus the big electric guitars.

The Rosebuds / "My Punishment for Fighting" (left-click)
The Rosebuds / "I Better Run" (left-click)
The Rosebuds / "Get Up, Get Out"
The Rosebuds / "Leaves Do Fall" (left-click, from Birds Make Good Neighbors)



Dear and the Headlights are an alt/pop 5-piece from Arizona. Their debut album Small Steps, Heavy Hooves came out last month and is full of radio-friendly, late'90s style guitar rock. A few of their songs actually sound kind of like a less-embarrassing Third Eye Blind, and have more than one song I could picture being in a Grey's Anatomy season finale. Normally I'd use those comparisons on a band I hate, but DatH actually pull it off. I imagine they're probably a little too derivative to get much respect among the indie crowd, but they're good.

Dear and the Headlights / "It's Getting Easy"
Dear and the Headlights / "Run in the Front"
Dear and the Headlights / "Paper Bag"

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