The Tossers are a less aggressive version of Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys – infusing more of the traditional aspects of Celtic folk music with a more gypsy-esque Pogues and Dubliners aesthetic. Agony is a good straight forward album chock full of drink swilling goodness and pub anthems. Think Irish flutes, banjos, mandolins, and violins. Up-tempo tunes like "The Nut House" could get most good punkers a-punking, but those looking for real punk are advised to keep moving. This album is for those who don’t mind a good pint, a shot o’whiskey and an Irish brogue. [www.thetossers.com]

Laibach’s new album Volk is, well, what it is; a collection of reworked national anthems that depict the band's views and opinions of the US, Russia, Italy, the Vatican, and fictional country NSK, among others. While some of these tracks are beautifully rendered orchestrations, including children’s choirs and theremins, others include samples of Evangelical ministers and a more Industrial aesthetic, making for an album that is often clumsy and not tremendously striking on the whole. The cover really captures it all. With its Impressionistic sheep dominating the scene, it's pretty darn obvious that Laibach don't expect their listeners to connect the dots between perfervid patriotism and blind obedience. Pity, that; for an album that purports to be thought provoking, it's already done all the thinking for you. [www.laibach.nsk.si]

Not to be confused with electronic act Molassis, or avant garde act Molassis, Malassis – with an “a” – is the work of Itai Asseo who recorded his debut album Birds Like Bricks in his Brooklyn apartment. The album has a gyspy-rock feel, including tambourines, resonating drums, and hypnotic guitars that back Asseo’s Perry Ferrell/Wayne Coyne vocals. String up the Christmas lights, smoke some Clove cigarettes and read some French philosophy and you’ll have the perfect soundtrack. That is to say, the slow syrupy flavor of this album is in its overwrought heartbreak and isolation. [www.malassis.com]

Todd Lewis continues with the sound established with his classic 90's band, The Toadies, but with less personality. The songs and themes are nearly the same, exploring the darker aspects of relationships and love, but with less character. The style seems more refined, but lacks the punch and the raw punk noise found in his old group. The first 9 songs or so basically go by with little fanfare, until "Daughter of Science" picks up the slack a bit, but after sitting through nine songs before things start to click, it's too little, too late. [www.theburdenbrothers.com]

British piano man Matt Hales, better known as Aqualung, returns with his third studio album in the form of the impressive Memory Man. The release of the album follows his piano-driven hit "Brighter Than Sunshine" from 2005's Strange And Beautiful, and while Memory Man is not a complete departure from its predecessor, it is certainly a different album altogether. Kicking off with the Muse-inspired "Cinderella," a track that shows the heavier side of Aqualung, the album successfully weaves through the heavy ("Black Hole"), the ambient ("Vapour Trails" and lead single "Pressure Suit") and the intensely beautiful ("The Lake"). Overall, Memory Man is a charmingly solid release and if ambient British rock is your speed, be sure to check this one out. [www.aqualung.net]

Washington songwriter Eric Woodruff, once of the band Delay, is the principal player behind Prosser, a promising new entity willing to explore the bounds of Americana. By combining aspects of the more cerebral, solemn side of heartland rock bands like Wilco with the ability to exhibit a buoyancy and melodic charm similar to that present in rock of the late '60s and '70s, Woodruff and his slate of supporting musicians have created a record that can vary in disposition without a difference in quality. There is a duality of experiences on the album. In its moments of greatest latitude ("I Met a Girl", "The Time Has Come") the music bops just as well as it broods when at its most superbly serious ("State I'm In", "Someday Soon"). No matter the tone, Woodruff displays definite songwriting talent and a knack for utilizing organic sounds and textures as well as dynamic contrast. Other highlights include the gradual crescendo of "The Path to a Field with a View of the City" and the country-tinged "Get Gone." With the first record in the Prosser catalog complete, Woodruff has laid the groundwork for an exciting future driven by a fresh musical direction. [www.prossermusic.com]

As with his Mars Volta releases, there is so much happening during Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s new solo record Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo, it’s almost mind numbing. Songs to Rodriguez-Lopez seem like excuses to jam and create weird atmospherics in the sense Miles Davis did on Bitches Brew, or when Mahavishnu was playing with Santana. The album ranges between mini sound-suites (the “Maggot Brain”-esque “Luxury of Infancy”) and massive multi-part compositions and improvisations (“Please Heat This Eventually”) that feature side helpings of interstellar sound loops, Latin grooves, acid space-rock and start-stops. Other than guest spots from Cedric Bixler-Zavala and John Frisucante, the highlight is undoubtedly the title track, with its gentle piano foundation that erupts into a “Great Gig in the Sky” explosion before settling down to a John Coltrane-like riff. Se Dice Bisonte isn’t as rigid or complex as his work with the Volta, but Rodriguez-Lopez’s creativity remains unquestionable, as do his guitar chops. Its appeal, however, is somewhat limited; unless you're a stoner staring at the ceiling, the album probably isn't for you. [www.goldstandardlabs.com]

Most of the time I spent with Razorlight’s self-titled second release was devoted to convincing myself I wasn’t listening to a Crowded House record. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. Everything from the vocals and melodies of frontman Johnny Borrell to the endless supply of tight and polished pop songs brought the legendary U.K. band to mind. Razorlight’s sound is obviously more modern, but it’s just as clean and they share the House’s ability to communicate through the bright, honest eyes of youth. Songs such as the bouncy New Wave of “In the Morning,” the piano pop of “Who Needs Love?” and the observational “America” (“All my life watching America/All my life there’s panic in America”) are all lively as could be and aren’t ever taken too seriously. With Razorlight, as it was with Crowded House, it’s more about songs than image (although there still is a little of that), and that’s where they’re steps ahead of many of their Brit-pop peers. [www.razorlight.co.uk]

Further Seems Forever was a band whose career was defined by line-up changes, reformations and being one of the few bands who recorded three albums with three different vocalists. For many, their most notable claim to fame is that they brought Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional to the world (Carrabba was FSF's singer on their debut, The Moon Is Down), but the band has been solid from the start, with their mathy rhythms and signature guitar tones setting the stage for a few current acts. After second singer Jason Gleason left in 2004 (he sang on their best album, How To Start A Fire), the band went to former Sense Field vocalist Jon Bunch to take over, and finally hung up their instruments this past year when they recorded their final show. The Final Curtain includes this last performance in both CD and DVD format, and bundles in a few previously unreleased and rare tracks for good measure. Bunch isn't the most capable live singer, even on his own songs, and he reaches and fails on songs written by Carrabba and Gleason, often letting the audience cover up for him. Those shortcomings aside, this collection is still one that fans of FSF may want to grab simply for nostalgia's sake. [www.myspace.com]

Brendon Matthew Thomas, better known as Forever In Motion, creates smooth soft rock on his 111 Records debut The Beautiful Unknown. Not only does Thomas play multiple instruments on the record, he also produced the album himself, which focuses mostly on the acoustic driven rock that Thomas showcased on his 2004 self-released debut. There are a few tracks that bring the full band element more to the forefront ("The Rain," for instance), but mostly this is a band who will appeal to folks with a soft side with tracks like "Magic," "Hot Air Balloon," and the lovely harmonies of "Talu." Fear not, though, this isn't a repeat of Dashboard Confessional or similar albums, as Thomas adds his own unique touch to each track. [www.foreverinmotion.net]

Melancholic and haunting at times, Dntel (aka Jimmy Tamborello) combines indie rock with electronica to make some truly terrific music with some truly terrific musicians. Dntel’s 2007 Sub Pop release, Dumb Luck, features Jenny Lewis and Conor Oberst, among others. Each track is distinctive and mesmerizing with a laying on of vocals and instrumentation, electronic wizardry and eclectic lyricism. It’s been six years since Tamborello’s Dntel debut, Life is Full of Possibilities. Hopefully it won’t be another six until we hear from him again. [myspace.com]

Future Clouds & Radar describe themselves, in part, as “Pavarotti with a mouthful of grits meets The Buzzcocks.” That's all well and good, but Pavarotti has been around for about 68 years, and The Buzzcocks for roughly half that. Future Clouds and Radar have been around since fall ’06. Signed to The Star Apple Kingdom, their debut album is a 2-cd set of ramshackle rock ‘n’ roll that, though entertaining, is nowhere near the towering heights of Pavarotti's tenor or the biting Buzzcocks. Can't blame a band for trying, though. While they have yet to make good on their own comparison, Future Clouds and Radar have a good musical foundation, even they are still finding their way. [www.futurecloudsandradar.com]

Slaraffenland are a Danish quintet who've studied hard at the avant-garde school of Sonic Youth and mix elements of rock, free jazz, electronica, classical, and punk into some pretty eclectic chaos on their latest release, Private Cinema. Eruptions of noise follow melodic passages that eventually drift into beautiful jams that unquestionably recall the freeness of the Sonics, while added brass and woodwind instrumentation evokes the dramatic flair of Sufjan Stevens. There are even some ambient overtones reminiscent of Tortoise. Private Cinema is the first album the band has recorded with vocals, and they demonstrate a quirky Modest Mouse-like style that serves its purpose and doesn’t enhance or detract from the record. More than likely they're just for fans of post-rock, but if you’re into the styles of Nels Cline, Thurston Moore, or even Deerhoof, Slaraffenland won’t disappoint. [www.slaraffenland.net]

Striking and elegant is the voice of London resident/native Norwegian Kate Havnevik. On Melankton (translated "black rose", the album is named for a character in a Norwegian book), Havnevik and a host of producers surround her lovely instrument with swelling, flowing strings and a subtle sense of rhythmic momentum often achieved through electronics and programming. Havnevik's music is just nonconformist enough in sound and arrangement to engage followers of daring artists like Bjork, yet she possesses enough accessibility to reel in those with a fondness for the hooks of electro-pop songstresses like Dido. When all the pieces fall into place, Havnevik and her collaborators create a strange, appealing blend; moments of clear beauty exist, though such moments seem not to have been created through nuance or use of space, but through an intentional effort to make the music beautiful. Tracks like "Travel in Time" and "New Day", which make the best of the orchestral/electronic blend present throughout the album, enjoy a truly special quality. By album's end, consistently moderate tempos and a definite reliance on stringed instrumentation weigh things down a bit but the record's overall effect still shines through. Havnevik seems poised to make a significant splash, having just completed a tour with ambient act Air and having landed several songs on the ever-present Grey's Anatomy; the tracks on Melankton give evidence that should Havnevik's star rise, she has the talent and wherewithal to back up the hype. [www.katehavnevik.com]

The appeal of Everyman rocker Jesse Malin is wrapped up in his ability to execute three tasks exceedingly well: create big choruses, infuse said choruses with earnest vocals, and support each song with guitars that alternate between those with the power to cause hands to rise and fists to pump and those which tenderly usher in a ballad. Malin's third solo project (and first for Billie Joe Armstrong's Adeline Records) continues in this vein and delivers a collection of straight ahead rock gems. The album begins well enough with a trio of agreeable rockers but its true heart begins to beat on track four, "Broken Radio", featuring a staggeringly beautiful duet between Malin and longtime influence Bruce Springsteen. "Broken Radio" initiates a string of six excellent tracks which are among the best of the album's material. Among those include the active, anthemic rock of "Prisoners of Paradise" and "Lucinda," an alt-country ode to alt-country sweetheart Lucinda Williams. The lineup of supporting players on the album evidence that Malin's continued development and amiable nature have garnered him wide-ranging respect. Besides the appearance from the Boss, Malin receives assistance from longtime pal Ryan Adams as well as Jakob Dylan, Josh Homme and Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. Well-produced and well-written, Glitter in the Gutter has the potential to truly take Malin's populist charm to a greater segment of the populace. [www.jessemalin.com]

John Palumbo, once and we hope future lead singer of Crack The Sky is one of the most literate writers of rock songs ever. On "Hey, Mr. President," he tells Jesus' best friend: "Jesus and Mary are watching you./ From their window in the big sky, wondering what you're gonna do..." Tracks like "Dancing Mit Der Fuhrer," and "Dancing At The White House," could be background music as Shrub attempts to dance in South America as his sidekick and enabler, Condolezza Rice, busts some actual moves. There's more much needed politics here on "All Fly Away" and "Immigration" wherein the protagonist says: "Senorita, bend over or I will send you back to TJ./ Spread that body out; it's fiesta time, Welcome to the USA." Welcome to Palumbo's Citizen X where you can be living with the lights on, until the lights go out. [www.palumbocitizenX.com]

If you have never heard Crack The Sky or even of them, it's worth noting that some think there are only two kinds of people in this world: those who have never heard CTS, and hardcore fanatics of the band. Culled from two live performances at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia and The Agora in Cleveland, Alive and Kickin’ Ass features such CTS classics such as "Surf City," "She's A Dancer," "Ice," and "Nuclear Apathy,” and ends with a little piece called "I am The Walrus." Funny thing, that, since John Palumbo, CTS’s lead singer and principal songwriter, always reminded me of McCartney at his best. Maybe the remaining Beatles should regroup with CTS - two great songwriters again and two drummers. Man, I could see them really “kicking Edgar Allan Poe.” [www.crackthesky.com]

“Louis will change your life.” Natalie Portman could easily have uttered that line instead of name-dropping The Shins during 2004’s Garden State, as Louis’ latest release, Freak Show Revenge, features tracks that wouldn’t have been the slightest bit out of place on the film’s soundtrack. Louis is Louis Schefano, a New Yorker who plays every instrument on his wonderfully focused and well-crafted new record of quintessential indie pop. His distant voice chirps bizarrely intriguing lyrics with verses like, “I feel confident that a straightjacket’s not in my future” (which is the first line on the album) and “Get to know your wife if your wife’s around.” He’s an imaginative songwriter who might not change your life, but at the very least he’ll enhance it. [www.myspace.com]

The buzz surrounding WinterKids, yet another British band set to be “the next big thing,” has been insatiable. Other than selling three hundred advance copies of their debut diary Memoirs to pay for their trip to South By Southwest, I’m not entirely sure why. An aspect of their sound has been compared to the pop-punk of Blink-182, but while their lyrics approach the juvenile blather of Blink (“Tape It,” the track garnering most of the buzz, is about recording a favorite TV show) the new wave-y Angels and Airwaves would be the more appropriate pairing. More arty and mature, their sound rates comparison to Bloc Party on a lesser scale. An understanding of melody, well-placed layers of keyboard textures, and singer James Snider’s snarling accent are all that separates them from American emo acts like Panic! At the Disco and Fall Out Boy, but fans of that rapidly decaying genre might get a kick out of WinterKids just the same. [www.myspace.com]

Influences show aplenty on this self-titled release from Milwaukee quintet Skull Time. They employ razor-sharp, blues-based riffs in the style of AC/DC and Black Sabbath, while spewing the punk energy of early Social Distortion and the swagger of Iggy Pop. Sprinkles of progressive guitar are even mixed in, most notably during “Black Gold.” The record’s highlight is unquestionably “Song #1,” a pure punk anthem with an unforgettable rollicking intro riff that is so unabashedly cliché it’s irresistible. No one will ever say Skull Time is original; in fact, they’re actually quite formulaic. In the grand scheme of things, however, there are far worse things than rock'n'roll that is as unapologetic as it is fun. [www.latestflame.com]