Weekend Roundup.

Scott Warren-Dyed in the Wool. The former frontman of Signal Hill Transmission is back with his second solo album after 2009's fine Quick Fix Bandage. As I mentioned in that review, Warren never likes to make the same album twice, and here he veers from Bandage's popicana to a more indie pop sound not unlike a psychedelic Shins or Jo Dee Purkeypile's The Alice Rose. "Divisible/Indivisible" opens with a spry melody buoyed by Janelle Williams' trumpet and some well-placed whistling while "When She Comes Around" sounds like Paul McCartney if he were a 21st century indie popper. Elsewhere, the pretty melody of "When in Rome" and the "la-la-la" chorus of "Sinking Feeling" (which also features the "shooby-do-wa" refrain from "Revolution 1") help these two tracks stand out from the rest. And closer "Tongue-Tied" might be the best of the lot with its halting melody and bells and whistles that make it sound like a lost track from Wilco's Summerteeth. Another winner for Warren.

CD Baby | iTunes

The Lazy Suns-The Lazy Suns EP. This is the latest from Mark Clayton & Co., who were known as "Mark Clayton and The Lazy Suns" a couple of years back when I gave them I a brief shout-out on this site. The new EP is a enjoyable melange of power pop meets Americana, somewhere in the general direction of Tom Petty and The Wilburys. Opener "Bundled" is straight-up country rock, "Last Train Home" is top-shelf jangle pop and "Start All Over" closes with the guitar solo from Badfinger's "No Matter What". And the final track "Troubled Sea" is a sing-along sea shanty that was featured on the TV Show "The Deadliest Catch" and sports The Hooters' Eric Bazillian on hurdy-gurdy. So there's quite a bit to enjoy here if your tastes run into this sub-genre.

CD Baby | iTunes

Some quick hits.

Here are a handful of discs that warrant a mention and a listen:

Marc Clayton & The Lazy Suns-S/T. Some fine Wilburyish popicana that splits the difference between George Harrison and Tom Petty. Top tracks: "Remember", "Only You", "Birthday Smile", "High Above the Rain".

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

Neil Nathan-The Distance Calls. This NYC rocker's debut has certainly caught my attention. His opener is certainly attention-grabbing: an acoustic cover of ELO's (and The Move's) "Do Ya", and from there he continues with a song cycle that should have been on Elektra/Asylum in the 70s. "California Run" has an Eagles thing going, "When the Rain Falls" will appeal to fans of The Meadows, and "Get On" is an infectious R&B-influenced number. The whole album is streaming on his MySpace page.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

Eric Leitzinger-The Obsolete Man. What if Robert Pollard teamed up with Ryan Adams? Aside from having 300 releases a year, you'd get the sound of Ontario's Eric Leitzinger, who manages a quirky rock-and-roots based sound on his debut. The opening 1-2 punch of "End of the Line" and "Synchronize" give you the yin-yang of the two standbys I've compared him to, and other tracks to check out include the folky "In Two" and the haunting "Bed of Nails". Music this good is never obsolete.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic