Active Child                 
You Are All I See
Vagrant Records
Street: 08.23.11
Active Child = (Jimmy Somerville + Yanni) use Enya as a surrogate
2011 has already produced a big novelty sound (I’m speaking to you, Adele!) and so reading about the raves LA-based musician Patrick James Grossi is garnishing with this, his full-length debut under his Active Child moniker, was worth checking out. Turns out, just like Adele, someone else has done it before and—I’m sorry to say—done it better. I’m referencing the Scottish Jimmy Somerville, of course, whose falsetto fronted a legendary band called Bronski Beat before joining classically trained Richard Coles to create The Communards. This brought a missing (and sumptuous) angle to what was already an idiosyncratic sound. Try as he might, Grossi’s New Age-y music—his novelty instrument of choice is the harp!—sounds like Yanni getting it on with Enya. There are a few standouts here, like lead single “Playing House,” which features How To Dress Well, and the title track, but mainly this is a pale imitation being touted as “unique.” –Dean O Hillis

Alert New London
Youth
Self-Released
Street: 11.16.11
Alert New London = a premature Bloc Party + mewithoutYou
It’s not easy to show off within the confines of traditionally structured rock songs, but the five-piece Ohioan ambient rock band Alert New London pulls it off very well, with a wide array of guitar effects and harmonic hooks in Youth. However, what they put forth in guitar pedals and production effects, they lack in lyrical variation. If I received this album from a lover, I would take it as a drunkenly melodramatic breakup gesture. Mostly, all of the songs’ lyrics are composed in a cynical second-person narrative (mainly directed to a lover) and are far from heartwarming, especially when all of the songs are laid out with a moderately slow tempo. Alert New London embedded a lot of care into the instrumentals on this album, but that’s not enough to cure the mild depression produced by the lyrics. –Gregory Gerulat

Banner Pilot
Heart Beats Pacific
Fat Wreck Chords
Street: 10.25.11
Banner Pilot = The Menzingers + Spanish Gamble
Nothing makes me more excited these days than good pop-punk. My theory is that if you’re going to make shitty music, you may as well do it the best you fucking can. That, and I’m not really ashamed of liking pop-punk anymore. I mean, this isn’t Good Charlotte, it’s solid rock n’ roll, with pop overtones. Banner Pilot is a perfect balance between the two. They sound a little bit like Red City Radio, but with a singer that is a lot nastier. The album starts out with a super catchy song, “Alchemy,” that begs me to listen to more. “Red Line” is so hooky and fun, and still manages to kick a significant amount of ass. These guys are great musicians, and the singer grew on me after a few listens. He’s not bad, I just generally prefer heavier vocals. The entire album doesn’t have one flaw on it, though. It’s everything I want in a pop-punk band. They were just on tour with a bunch of cool bands, so they must be doing something right, right? –Kyla G.

Black Hole of Calcutta
Self-Titled
Sacred Plague
Street: 09.20.11
BHOC = Stormcrow + Tragedy + Bloody Phoenix
This is NorCal ’core that’s fast, black and political, and manages to sit safely outside the MotÓ§/Discharge Krusts-with-iPhone-and-Rickenbackers kontingent. They have a pretty dense sound that skips between crusty hardcore, thrash and back to grind over and over again. They’re competent musically, so the longhairs can feel good and evil about spinning it, too. The album has crusty breakdowns and giant riffs (“Hey War”) and a beefy production that’s present enough to give the music some power without sanitizing it … and as abrasively ugly as this album is sonically, visually, the packaging is beautiful, silk-screened artwork on a grainy cardboard sleeve. The album looks great and sounds real nasty. Ooomph. A.C.A.B. Up the punx and bang the head that does not bang. Soundin’ like His Hero is Gone certainly ain’t a crime in my leather-bound book. –Dylan Chadwick

Blitzen Trapper
American Goldwing
Sub Pop
Street: 09.13.11
Blitzen Trapper = Eagles + Bob Dylan + Lynyrd Skynyrd
American Goldwing is Blitzen Trapper’s most intimate release to date, as lead singer-guitarist Eric Earley puts his heart on his sleeve musically and thematically in this beacon of pure American rock n’ roll. Earley often uses the word “nostalgia” when talking about the album, referring to his childhood and the gritty country rock sound of that era. Parallels throughout the album tie together a physical and emotional journey of a protagonist, possibly even Earley himself. The album hits the ground running with “Might Find It Cheap,” featuring heavy-hitting guitar riffs, traditional rock-style drumming and an epic chorus. The title track has a catchy melody, sweet harmonies and lyrics about riding a 1980 Honda Goldwing over long stretches of empty American highway. The album closes with slow and somber “Stranger In a Strange Land,” signifying the end of the protagonist’s journey: “When I’m gone, you’ll know me by the friends I leave behind.” –Chris Proctor