Two for Thursday, 5/24/12

Drobinko-Drobinko. This band with a Ukranian-sounding name is actually the New York band formerly known as Joe Lies, who had a nice 2005 debut. They gave up the name to avoid confusion with other bands with the "Joe Lies" name and are back as Drobinko. Whatever you want to call them, they've released a fine album of Green Day/Weezer-styled power pop that's a little less bratty and a little more mature than you might expect from this subgenre. Girls are the usual subject here, and the top tracks are "Karina" and "Kelsey Grammer's Daughter" (which may or may not be based on a true story). And the largely acoustic "My Own Way" works as well.

CD Baby | iTunes


Bryan Dunn-Sweetheart of the Music Hall. Austin's Bryan Dunn fancies himself somewhere between George Jones and George Harrison, and on his third disc he hits that mark with a pleasing blend of roots rock, power pop and country. "New Mercedes" opens things with some hard-driving pop/rock in the vein of Tom Petty, while the languid title track has a Wilco feel (except for the melancholy trumpet). Elsewhere, "Marlene" is a playful number replete with accordion and clarinet, "Audio/Stereo/Radio" is pure power pop with its stacatto guitars and sing-along chorus and "Six Black Horses" recalls Gram Parsons. If you're looking for an album where each song doesn't sound like the one that just came before it yet is consistently enjoyable, this is the one.

CD Baby | iTunes