Not your Father's Slightly Older Sibling's Roundup

When I've done these roundups in the past, it's often been to mention discs I've enjoyed, but haven't recommended as highly as those I've featured as CD of the Day. To translate that on the Brodeen scale, it's like the difference between "extremely highly recommended" and "big time extremely highly recommended" (We kid, Bruce, because we care).

Anyway, this roundup is going to be different, because all of these discs are worthy of a "CD of the Day" feature, but at the rate I'm cranking those out, it's quite possible one or more of these artists will be getting ready to release a follow-up before they all got done. So here they are, in one convenient blog post:

Neall Alcott-Rittenhouse Square. Just when I thought there were only two ways to spell the name that's a homonym of "kneel" (Neil and Neal), here comes Mr. Alcott and his two "l"s. In the end, he can spell his name any way he wants if he's going to churn out quality discs like this one, a fine combination of Beatle-pop and Britpop that recalls artists well known (XTC, Michael Penn) and others featured on this site (Steve Robinson, Gary Henson). If this isn't one of the better unheralded discs you'll hear lately, then my name isn't Steeve, er Steave. CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Frisbie-New Debut. Some bands are appropriately named. Case in point: Chicago's Frisbie, who released the great 2000 disc The Subversive Sounds of Love and then seemed to get stuck on the roof and couldn't come down. Well, seven years later they're back with New Debut (appropriately titled as well) and they've gone for a more "rawk" sound, kind of like when Sloan transitioned from One Chord to Another to Navy Blues. From the opening title track (more cowbell!) to the Tommy Shaw-esque "Half Breed" to the Cheap Trick of "S.F.B." (mentioned by name), it's like putting on an old K-Tel album from the 70s. CD Baby | MySpace

Backbeat-Eye-Dentity. Speaking of appropriately named bands, these Cincinnatians share their name with a classic Beatle biopic (even if Stephen Dorff was in it), and share their sound with classic early Beatles. They used to be known as Story, and they put out a fine disc under that moniker last year (available on eMu), and Eye-Dentity is more of the same. If your favorite Beatle albums were the first 3 or 4, then you'll love this disc (including the cover of "Not a Second Time"). I love the shamelessly retro "Soviet Secrets", which sounds like what the Beatles would have done had McCartney gotten the idea for "Back In The USSR" in 1963 instead of 1968. CD Baby | MySpace

Warm In The Wake-American Prehistoric. A couple of weeks back when I reviewed the new Ari Shine disc, I laid down my rules for artists going from debut EP to debut LP, and Warm In The Wake's American Prehistoric follows those rules with a fine disc of all-new tunes. We loved the Wilco/Autumn Defense meets Teenage Fanclub sound of Gold Dust Trail, and here are 15 more tracks to enjoy (mastered at Abbey Road Studios, no less). "Airport Girl" and "Antique Knives" are my favorites. eMusic | MySpace