Dead Men’s Hollow
Two-Timin’
Acoustic Americana, 2006

Dead Men’s Hollow writes songs that feel as though they have been around for decades. On Two-Timin’, the Virginia based sextet’s second album, they excel at writing traditional American tunes, emulating country legends like the Carter Family. Where most perceptions of bluegrass are dominated by instrumental prowess, Dead Men’s Hollow is led by female vocal harmonies that are almost choral in nature. Without any percussion, Two-Timin’ has a decidedly country-folk feel, one that feels like the product of years out exploring the American West, simultaneously weathered and hopeful. Fans of old-time music will love Two-Timin’, as it sounds more 1956 than 2006. But for those looking for more modern bluegrass or country tunes, it’d be best to look elsewhere. ~CC

Hallelujah Boy
Noise and Silence
Transaction Records, 2006

Hallelujah Boy is a DC based three-piece rock band, having recently lost their drummer, led by multi-instrumentalist and primary songwriter J.B. Whittenburg. In August, he undertook the ambitious project of writing 100 songs in the next calendar year, and indeed, his instrumental prowess and vocals sit on primary display throughout Noise and Silence. But while Whittenburg’s songwriting is strong, his vocal variety and arrangement skills leave a bit to be desired, finding many of these indie rock songs on the same sonic level throughout. But the sentiment throughout is real, with strong lyrical content reflecting some very mature growing pains. All in all, Noise and Silence is a promising record, but it ends up sounding more like a fleshed out demo than a fully realized record. ~CC

The Hard Tomorrows
Lights Out
Self-released, 2006

Though the Hard Tomorrows proudly call Washington DC home, we may soon be forced to share them with the rest of the world. This DC quintet has made one of the best local records of the year with Lights Out, and undoubtedly, it deserves audiences far beyond our fair District. From relentless guitar driven rock (“Take Down,” “Glossy Eyed Sweetheart”) to moody atmospherics (“Stop and Shoot”) to pop gems (“Patterns,” “Counterfeit”), Lights Out is diverse, captivating and damn good album with some fantastic melodies. Criminally, they’re still unsigned, so somebody please take the hint: give ‘em a contract and get these guys out on the road.  They’re too good not to be out representing DC fulltime. ~CC

Persephone’s Bees
Notes from the Underwold
Columbia Records, 2006

The first thing most folks will notice about Persephone’s Bees is singer Angelina Moysov. Not only does she appear on the album’s cover, Moysov’s European diction and sultry tone is also on display throughout.  As the group’s songwriter Moysov plays around with bizarre and charming subject matter, utilizing a range of musical influences. But Notes from the Underworld truly belongs to guitarist Tom Ayres, whose wild array of guitar tones and styles remain as tasteful as they are varied. Be sure to check out his range on album standout “Muzika Dlya Fil’ma,” where Ayres layers bizarre atmospheric effects over a surf rock tune. His tastes alongside Moysov’s wordplay makes this a fearless, upbeat and genre-bending pop record that’s enormously fun for the listener. ~CC

The Rigbees
Treading Water in an Angry Ocean
Self-released, 2006


Barring a drastic change in sound or a really lucky break, the Rigbees will never be music’s next big thing. The Rigbees write straightforward acoustic based pop songs similar to multitudes of other bands doing the same thing around the country. That being said, they do it quite well. Treading Water in an Angry Ocean is a nice collection of tunes; well executed and featuring a nice balance of acoustic and electric guitars, vocalist Steve Brown is charming and on point. Unfortunately, as they don’t particularly stand out from the vast herd of musicians with similar talents, the only way the Rigbees are likely to reach a wider fan base is by touring relentlessly. I imagine many crowds would leave with Treading Water in hand, however, as the songs are solid. ~CC

Soft Complex
Barcelona
Silverthree Sound Recordings, 2006

Washington’s Soft Complex’s  EP “Barcelona” isn’t half bad—for a debut. The reason for the qualification is because the eight-track offering whets the appetite, but only gives a hint of what the Smiths-sounding band could be capable of. There are only three actual original tracks on “Barcelona”: the title track, “Sad Note” and “Beat the Chill.” The rest of the EP is remix material, interesting if you like that sort of thing, filler if you don’t. All three are obvious in their Johnny Marr-and-Morrissey-inspired guitar and lyrics. There is potential here —if Soft Complex finds its own voice to go with its obvious talent. ~RF

Storm the Un-predictable
A2: What Should Have Been
Domination Recordings, 2006

One thing is now clear: Storm the Unpredictable is an extremely gifted lyricist, blending an enormous rhyming vocabulary into socially relevant commentary. In resurrecting a style that reached its peak in the late ‘80s, A2: What Should Have Been is ripe with choruses and head bobbing hooks. Storm’s quick staccato is effortless, relentless and powerful–a unique voice in today’s hip-hop world. Most importantly, he has something to say. With subject matters ranging from race to religion to politics, A2 represents the true poetic art of hip-hop. Storm even tackles the demands of his chosen industry in “Please Forgive Me,” defiant against the hip-hop culture that often seems to overshadow its own art. Top to bottom, this is a great album: sophisticated, engaging and catchy.  ~CC

Summer Rain
Ghost Town, VA
Self-released, 2006

Modern rock radio has long been rather innocuous, with a seemingly endless parade of vocalists taking their cues from Eddie Vedder. Summer Rain is a local rock outfit in that vein, putting together alt-rock songs with a bit of a country flair on Ghost Town, VA. Unfortunately, there just isn’t much here that grabs the listener. The songs lack dynamics or instrumental hooks, while vocalist Justin Grim comes across as well-trained but disconnected–the vocals don’t ever mix quite right with the instrumentation, and the emotion in his songs falls flat. I’m sure that Ghost Town, VA means quite a bit to the band, their friends and family, but with this effort, Summer Rain isn’t likely to expand much beyond that fan base. ~CC

Aberdeen City
The Freezing Atlantic
Dovecote Records, 2006

The Freezing Atlantic falls into a broad category of “albums I am indifferent toward.” There is nothing overtly wrong with Aberdeen City’s take on ‘80s tinged, moody alternative rock. It is well executed and superbly produced by Nic Hard and Steve Lillywhite. But it is just that. Fans of the Killers will probably dig that Brad Parker sounds a lot like Brandon Flowers, but sadly for Aberdeen City, Parker doesn’t have Flowers’ pop sensibility. Again, nothing here is bad, but there also isn’t anything that’s particularly great, minus some interesting string arrangements that were surely added during production. For anybody who is curious, check out “God Is Going to Get Sick of Me” or “In Combat,” but I can’t say the rest is all that exciting. ~CC