Mid-June roundup.

The Lunar Laugh-Goodnight Noises Everywhere. Jared Lekites and Connor Anderson team up once again as The Lunar Laugh with their third full-length (and first on the Kool Kat label), and Goodnight Noises Everywhere finds them emphasizing the pop side of their previous power pop/folk-rock mix. Lekites' "Welcome to the World" welcomes us to the album with its bouncy, Brit-poppy sheen while Anderson's "Old New Kid in Town" nods to their earlier folk/rock sound but also ups the BPMs; in fact, tracks like "Another Casualty" and "Waiting for a Sign" find them in borderline 1980s synth-pop territory. But there are plenty of less-modern sounding tracks that are a delight here as well, especially the warm, front-porch vibe of "Tell Me a Story" and the power pop of lead single "By the Light of the Living Room". Something for everyone.

Kool Kat



The Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club-End Over End. This Chicago band has been making records for the past decade but they've finally perfected their Sloan/Matthew Sweet-style power pop this time around as End Over End might have been more accurately titled Hit After Hit if this were the 1970s. "Get Up Get Up" is the quintessential power pop album opener, with its big guitars, big melodies and exhortations to get up, while "Starpower" channels Cheap Trick and The Cars. "The Henry Norman Hotel" has a touch of Guided by Voices in it (although it's twice the length of a typical GbV track), "Lifeguard" brings the Sloan comparisons, "Burndown at Sundown" rocks hard, and "Christine You're Mean" will have you reaching to hold up your lighter (or more realistically today, your cellphone light) in the dark. Primo power pop, in the classic sense.

iTunes



Dinky-Open Letters. Dinky hails from Birmingham, England and their second album (I'll have to go back and listen to the first) is first-rate Britpop, most similar to Oasis when they were rocking a bit more and not openly aping The Beatles. Standout tracks include the gritty yet melodic opener "The Romance in Murder", the poptastic "Jennifer Against the World" and the 90s power pop of "Lights Go Out". They also show a great facility for the slower numbers too - the piano-and-strings ballad "Magnetic Fields" and the lush-sounding "More Than I Was Before" are tuneful treats as well.

iTunes

Friday Roundup.

The Roseline-Vast as Sky. Colin Halliburton resurrected his alt-country band which released two quality albums in the mid-00s and it's great to have them back. They offer tuneful Americana, somewhere between the Pernice Brothers and Whiskeytown, and the new disc has plenty to offer. Opener "Back of My Mind" has a nice Jayhawks feel to it, and "You'll Be Fine" makes use of female harmony vocals in the tradition of Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris through Ryan Adams/Caitlin Cary. Elsewhere, the title track is as majestic as its title, "Flowers on the Cheap" rocks a bit, and "Young Things" - my favorite track on the disc - boasts a Wilco/Autumn Defense-like melody with a memorable chorus. This is Grade-A "popicana", so if your interests lie in this genre this one's a must.

iTunes



Jared Lekites-Star Maps. Lekites' 2010 debut EP caught my year with its Brian Wilson-meets-John Lennon sound, and his first full-length builds on that promise while leaning a bit more on the Brian Wilson side of the equation. "Too Far Gone", with some nice harmonies from K.C. Clifford, is a pop delight with that California sound, while "Star Map" wouldn't sound out of place on Wilson's "Smile". "Along the Lines of Love" is a gorgeous piano-based ballad, "For Lack of a Better Heart" reminds me of an old Joe South tune, and "Girl Don't Tell Me" makes nice use of Laurie Biagini on vocals to sound like a lost 60s classic. With the new Explorer's Club album not living up to the promise of their debut, this is the album to get this year for fans of this sound.

CD Baby | iTunes

EP Tuesday.

A pair of EPs that caught my ear:

The Jealous Kind-The Jealous Kind. The Jealous Kind are Colorado’s Josh Queen and Tennessee’s Dave Wright, a pair of singer/songwriters who have come up with a radio-friendly sound reminiscent of bands like Tonic, The Wallflowers and Counting Crows on their debut EP. "Come Down" is the kind of track you might have heard on the radio in the late 90s or early 00s, "Imitation Honesty" brings a bit of Del Amitri to the mix, and "Beautiful Regrets" leaps right out of the speakers.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Jared Lekites-Looking for Diamonds. Oklahoma's Jared Lekites has a self-professed love for the sounds of the 60s, and draws on Brian Wilson and John Lennon as influences on his debut EP. "Love That Lasts" recalls Wilson's solo work, as it's both anthemic and melodic, while "Looking for a Diamond" sports a quirky melody and a glorious harmonica solo in the middle. "The Electric Car Ballet" is a fun number extolling the demise of the combustion engine, and "Let Your Hair Down Once in a While" is a bit more brooding than its title might indicate, but is a wonderful track nonetheless.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes