Think of it as the Chairman of the Board’s version of those 1 albums that Elvis Presley and the Beatles released a few years ago. Granted, the songs collected on Nothing but the Best are not all Number One singles – in fact, it’s startling to see how many of these well-known songs didn’t even crack the Top 40 – but this is as bulletproof as Reprise-era Sinatra compilations get. “Strangers in the Night,” “Somethin’ Stupid,” “A Very Good Year,” “My Kind of Town,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Luck Be a Lady,” “Theme from New York, New York,” they’re all here. Of course, this album has no reason whatsoever to exist – Sinatra’s catalog has gone through the “reissue, repackage, repackage” machine more than anyone outside of, well, Elvis and the Beatles – but if you are one of the ten people left that do not own any of Sinatra’s music, you have officially run out of excuses. (Label: Reprise)

Like a less prickish Ryan Adams, Joseph Arthur has a skyscraper’s worth of ambition – and the assload of songs to back it up. The eight-song Crazy Rain is his second EP of 2008, with two more to follow, and a full-length LP to cap it all off. If you’re reading all that and feeling a little lazy, don’t feel too bad; although Crazy Rain is heavy on the rock star swagger (check out those retro shades on the cover!), it’s light on…you know…songs. Arthur doles a ladleful of swampy electronics over these tracks, shoves his vocals way down in the mix, and plays host to his pal and fellow indie rock god Greg Dulli on a track; it’s got plenty of attitude and a not-insignificant amount of DIY fizz, but the whole thing just kind of staggers past in a blur. Saying it’s strictly for fans would sort of be beside the point – and even if you hate it, you don’t need to worry, because Arthur’s next EP, titled Vagabond Skies, is due out in less than a month. Throw enough stuff at the walls, and something is bound to stick eventually. (Lonely Astronaut 2008)

Joseph Arthur MySpace page

SHIM is a four-piece guitar-driven rock band from Seattle, but you shouldn’t immediately draw comparisons to birth-of-grunge bands like Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots. No, SHIM is more of a throwback to the days of pure rock. Think maybe a cross between AC/DC, Aerosmith and Deep Purple – with more modern influences like the Black Crowes thrown in. However, that’s all for reference, because SHIM really does have its own sound. Feel Like a King pretty much picks up where the band’s debut, In the Veins, left off. Singer Ragan Crowe has a powerful instrument, a rock tenor that may remind you of Billy Squier. And of course, the bombastic guitar-bass-drum attack is never a bad formula for any rock band, especially when they are delivering songs named “Animal” or “We Got Guns.” But on here, the riff-driven “Highway” is the album’s best track. Still, even though SHIM gives us hope that the Rock is alive and well, Feel Like a King is more of a continuation of In The Veins, rather than an upgrade. (LABEL: self-released)

SHIM MySpace Page

You can tell that Guy Strzepeck and Craig Maseratti, the duo who form Audiocrash, are really trying here on their album Time Sensitive Material. But perhaps they’re trying too hard. Honestly, it’s hard to think of the last time I’ve heard a CD where the lead singer sounds as corny as he does on this disc. Guy is straining far too hard for the cool rock dude sound in his voice, going for one of those raw, throaty deliveries that sounds like the kind of thing Trey Parker hilariously parodies on any given episode of “South Park” or in the “Team America” flick. Songs like “Captain America” and “I Can’t Feel You Anymore” is the stuff bad rock nightmares are made of. Then there’s the production, which is just too damn sterile for its own good. This undoubtedly has to do with Maseratti handling all the instrumental and production duties himself. The songs sound like they’ve been suffocated in some sort of plastic coating with no room to breathe. Still, I suppose you can’t fault them for trying, and the music overall isn’t as bad as the worst I’ve heard. Perhaps their live show is better, but as far as what these guys have to work with on this CD, they’re honestly not going to get very far. Another DIY demo gussied up to look like a finished work. Pass. (Label: Dirty Garage Records, 2008)

Audiocrash MySpace page

In today’s age of needing a “spin” or a “hook” in order to make a product appealing, Leeds quintet Your Vegas is refreshingly gimmick-free. Their Editors-meets-Keane form of epic pop rock doesn’t try to change the world or reinvent the wheel; indeed, they seem perfectly content to take turns rocking out (“Aurora”) or inciting a lighter/cell phone-waving moment (“How the War Was Won”). And while these songs show an impressive level of songcraft in their arrangements and sky-high choruses, many of the songs are missing that extra umph to push them to the next level. It’s all extremely pleasant while it’s playing, but much of it will be forgotten once it’s finished. Still, there is talent here, so here’s hoping they step up on album number two. (Label: Universal/Republic)

Your Vegas MySpace page

If it seems like there’s been an overabundance of both male and female singer/songwriters the past five years, that’s because, well, there has been. Maybe it’s because recording technology has allowed more and more artists to make albums, but too many of them think they can and really can’t. Those who know how to write solid songs are the ones who stand out, and the ones who have strong vocal ability on top of that stand out even further. New Zealand native Brooke Fraser has all that and more, and her sophomore album, Albertine, is very likely to put her on the map here in the States. Fraser has a breathy, sexy voice, and a pop sensibility brought out by acclaimed producer Marshall Altman (Marc Broussard, Matt Nathanson). You might hear hints of Chantal Kreviazuk or another Down Under artist, Natalie Imbruglia. But Fraser has the kind of songs, some of them inspired by a trip to Rwanda in 2005, that should have her surpassing both of those names in global popularity—if not now, then definitely soon. (Columbia/Wood & Bone)

Brooke Fraser MySpace page

The NME has said that Shy Child “are to Kraftwerk what the White Stripes are to Led Zeppelin,” but it might be more accurate to compare drummer Nate Smith and keyboardist/vocalist Pete Cafarella to Brendan Fraser in “Encino Man” – like his miraculously preserved caveman, this keytar-rockin’ duo comes straight out of a bygone era. Not that that’s a bad thing, mind you – especially if you’ve ever wondered what it might sound like if your favorite early ‘80s New Wave band had survived the last quarter century intact. (Duran Duran doesn’t count.) As the album’s title promises, Smith and Cafarella make an incredible racket here, spinning an impressively dense web of sound out of their drums ‘n’ keys setup. And oh, those keys – you haven’t heard synth tones like this since the closing credits of “Revenge of the Nerds.” Repeated listening to the keyboard solo in “What’s It Feel Like?” may cause spontaneous hair-feathering. It’s all a lot of fun, honestly, even if the endlessly uptempo beats do start to get a little ear-numbing after awhile; Cafarella’s gulping vocals are perfect for the material, and it’s a blast hearing actual drums on a dance record. You probably won’t find yourself humming any of these songs after they’re over, but after 40 solid minutes of ass-shaking, who feels like humming anyway? (Kill Rock Stars 2008)

Shy Child MySpace page

Glen Phillips was the main voice of ‘90’s pop band Toad The Wet Sprocket, a band that had a pretty nice run of success. But since the band split, there has been a noticeable lack of magic coming from Phillips’ music. His solo efforts, including 2006’ Mr. Lemons, have been good, but not coming close to some of the great Toad material. Now, with a short detour into unique subject matter, Phillips has returned with a six-song EP called Secrets of the New Explorers. Phillips’ buddy John Askew collaborated on this effort, and though Phillips came from scientist parents, the subject matter idea was sparked by a conversation the two had when they began writing the songs. The result? An extremely interesting diversion for Phillips, with song titles like “Solar Flare” and “Space Elevator.” Most of the tracks are decent, but there are flashes of brilliances, such as on “They’ll Find Me” and “The Spirit of Shackleton.” On those, if you change the lyrical content, they could have come straight from Toad’s stunning Dulcinea album. (LABEL: Umami Music)

MySpace link

David Fagin, former front man of the controversial group the Rosenbergs, has arrived with his debut solo effort, For Promotional Use Only. Fagin has been outspoken in his my-way-or-the-highway approach to the music industry, and was one of the first artists to realize that you can make money on your own without the help of a record label, and that in doing so you can retain creative control. Through it all, Fagin has remained true to himself and his fans, and has created a set of blissful, harmony-drenched pop that is a bit more personal and introspective than the straight-ahead fare of his former band. And while most of the 11 tracks are nicely arranged, and at times oddly happy sounding breakup tunes (“Mess of Love” and “Cry”), there are a few numbers here that are a cut above the rest. “Dust” is a driving, haunting rocker, and the dreamy “Neverland” is not only the best song on this album, it’s one of the best on anyone’s album this year. (Noshpit)

David Fagin MySpace Page

What Made Milwaukee Famous hails from Austin, Texas. (Insert geographical joke here.) But seriously, like fellow Austinites Spoon, WMMF’s wheelhouse is perfectly hooky indie rock. The album’s signature song, “The Right Place,” is two minutes of bliss accentuated by the steep changes in frontman Michael Kingcaid’s vocals. The band pulls off an update of Billy Joel’s “My Life” on the infectious “Sultan,” which combines that classic acoustic guitar with a horn section, some keyboard play and a few drum flourishes. Some might find “Middle of the Night” repetitive, but the chorus (or is it the verse?) – “somewhere in the middle of the night / everything’s gonna be all right” – followed by the verse (or is it the chorus?) – “what you need is love / sweet love” – is so damned basic and pretty that it’s the perfect pick-me-up after a bad day. (If this sounds good, go back and listen to “Bldg. a Boat from the Boards in Your Eye” from Trying Never to Catch Up, the band’s debut.) What Doesn’t Kill Us isn’t going to win any Grammys, but it’s a strong sophomore effort full of good, if not great, songs. (Barsuk 2008)

What Made Milwaukee Famous MySpace Link

After a teaser of a four-song EP in 2007, Chicago rock band Absentstar is back with their debut full-length on Columbia Records, Sea Trials. This quintet has a Brit-pop feel, resembling a cross between the Killers, Keane, and a more melodic version of Blue October. Produced by Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, Absentstar delivers a 12-song set of blazing pop tunes with interesting arrangements and soaring choruses. Lead singer Derek Ingersoll tends to overdo it with that fake British vocal thing, but there’s no denying that this is a talented band with some solid songs. “Half Life” and “For God’s Sakes” are no-brainers as some of the best work here, and were also on the EP. But there is beauty in some of the newly released tracks, such as the haunting “Life Support,” which is driven by raunchy guitar riffs; and “All is Forgotten,” a really pretty piano anthem. Absentstar is not going to set the world on fire, but Sea Trials is certainly a promising debut. (Columbia)

Absentstar MySpace page

Seth Timbs and his mates in Fluid Ounces better check their playbooks, because Washington D.C. trio Jukebox the Ghost lifted entire chapters of it for their debut Let Live and Let Ghosts. “Where Are All the Scientists Now?” in particular feels like Fluid Ounces’ In the New Old Fashioned Way album rolled into one song which, for the uninitiated, is a very, very good thing. Granted, the explosive piano work by singer Ben Thornewill is sure to draw more comparisons to Ben Folds than Timbs, but the sad truth is that Folds hasn’t made a record this effervescent in over a decade. Jukebox the Ghost takes the three-man approach of Ben Folds Five, replaces the bass with a guitar, and creates music that merges Queen’s bombastic spirit with the minimalist approach of the White Stripes. Prog rock for sissies, if you will. It’s quirky and undeniably fun, but a few more hooks would take this material a long way. Love the attitude and approach, though. (The Rebel Group 2008)

Jukebox the Ghost MySpace page

Give OMD credit for knowing the limits of their marketplace potential, and serving up a live record that is right in the wheelhouse of the very people (only people?) who would still consider buying an OMD album at this point in time. Live: Architecture & Morality & More, on paper, is a die-hard’s dream come true, a track-by-track performance of the band’s most highly regarded album, fleshed out with various hit singles from the rest of the band’s catalog. The execution, however, is another matter. The mostly down-tempo album doesn’t exactly leap out of the speakers, Paul Humphreys’ keyboard tracks lack the punch of their studio equivalents, and on the two songs where Humphreys sings lead (“Souvenir” and “(Forever) Live and Die),” his voice wavers all over the place. Such a tantalizing idea – how sweet would it be to see ABC do The Lexicon of Love, or the Human League do Dare, in a similar environment – but two more weeks of rehearsal would have done wonders. (Eagle Records)

OMD MySpace page

Division Day sure is divided. They can’t decide if they want to be a punk rock band that occasionally branches out into electronic soundscapes, or an experimental electronic band that occasionally takes things up a notch with a tune you can actually dance to. Let’s hope they eventually settle on the former. When they kick up the speed, give their guitar player a real riff to play and let their singer yelp and scream for a bit, they stand out as something worth paying attention to. The energetic “Tigers” highlights the band’s ability to really sound unique when they aren’t afraid to plug their instruments in and let loose. Even better is “Ricky,” an amazing, sinister track with a great squealing guitar riff. Too bad the band seems to avoid doing anything like it for most of the album. It’s almost like Division Day don’t know their own strengths, shying away from explosive songs like “Ricky” and instead moping about in shoegaze purgatory. Of course there’s an audience for that (those My Bloody Valentine fans have to buy something) but it’s not nearly as fun. Oh, and their MySpace page has an awesome cover of Roxy Music’s “More Than This,” which is nowhere to be found on the album. Tease. (Eenie Meenie 2007)

Division Day MySpace page

After heading to Cuba to record its last album, Australia’s the Cat Empire returns to Melbourne for So Many Nights. It’s a sensible homecoming, given that the band has dedicated its fourth full-length to its country of origin, but thankfully, the familiar scenery hasn’t dulled the group’s wanderlust – these 15 tracks are fueled by the same dizzying blend of influences that fans have come to expect from Cat Empire albums, including traces of everything from rap to merengue. It’s like a mix CD soundtrack for the coolest party you’ll never throw, only all the songs are performed by the same band. They embrace eclecticism more fervently than pretty much any modern pop band you could think of, which is probably why their wild Australian success hasn’t carried over to American shores – it isn’t hard to imagine your average program director shitting a literal brick after listening to So Many Nights. Longtime fans might quibble with the disappearance of the Cuban overtones that popped up on last year’s Two Shoes, but only momentarily; after that, they’ll be too busy dancing to care. If you crave variety in your music – or are just looking for proof that Gloria Estefan was right, and yes, the rhythm is gonna get you – So Many Nights is one of the safer purchases you’ll come across all year. (Velour 2008)

Cat Empire MySpace page

It’s about time someone got the old formula of fast, loud metal right. Sure, bands like Mastadon and the Sword are great, but all that stuff about whales and mythical beasts can get old after a while. Sometimes you just want to listen to songs about screwing, fighting, and drinking – and that’s when you should listen to American Speedway. Offering nonstop, balls-out thrash with some punk thrown in for good measure, this Philly band delivers the goods on their debut album, Ship of Fools. This is music to listen to while you downing a bottle of whiskey and punching a hippie in the face. Song about sex? Check. Songs about fast cars? Check. Songs about illicit drugs and alcohol? Double check, via the one-two punch of “Drinkin’ and Drivin’” and “Cocaine.” This is not a record you let your kids listen to if you’re trying to instill in them a sense of responsible drinking and a “Just Say No” drug policy. However, if you’re a drunken mess who sees hardcore drugs as a perfect cure to a hangover, then congratulations – you just found the soundtrack to your life. Ten songs, 30 minutes, no bullshit. Someone call Lemmy, we just found the opening act for Motorhead’s next tour. (LABEL: Prophase Music 2008)

MySpace Link

As much as you might think you miss Elliott Smith, Peasant’s Damien DeRose misses him more, and made a record to prove it. On the Ground, DeRose’s second album under the Peasant name, so faithfully captures Smith’s acoustic melancholy – DeRose also does a mean impression of Smith’s butterfly tenor – that it borders on necrophilia. Thankfully, DeRose is nowhere near as depressed as Smith was, so while his songs may seem sad, they’re not bleak. Indeed, there is a dash of Shins-style whimsy sprinkled throughout the proceedings that keep the album from venturing into downer territory. The end result is an album that’s pretty, but slight. If it contained more songs like “Stop for Her,” which could easily pass for a bonus track from Smith’s Figure 8, we’d be talking about something truly special. (LABEL: Paper Garden 2008)

MySpace Link

When married actors work together on a project, the end result is often unwatchable (“Shanghai Surprise,” “Eyes Wide Shut”). This might explain why Christian progressive and pop classicist Derek Webb and his wife Sandra McCracken released 13 albums between them before daring to record something together; they’re too smart to fall into that trap. However, one listen to their first joint venture, an EP simply titled Ampersand, will make one want to slap them silly for not working together sooner. Webb may have the higher profile, but McCracken is this EP’s star. Her song “When the Summer’s Gone” is the best song Sheryl Crow never wrote, “Watch Your Mouth” is as good as – or better than – the material on Webb’s superb 2007 album The Ringing Bell, and the two do a sublime cover of BobDylan’s “If Not for You.” The couple’s status as best kept secret is officially on notice. (LABEL: Derek Webb & Sandra McCracken 2008)

MySpace Link

Just when you thought you’d finally gotten their songs out of your head, New Zealand’s “fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy-folk duo” Flight of the Conchords strikes back with a full-length album to hold fans over until the return of their eponymous hit HBO series. Though this is actually their third album to date – a live CD (Folk the World Tour) was released in 2002 and a six-song EP (The Distant Future) sneaked into stores last year – the self-titled disc is the duo’s first official studio album. Most of the songs that appear in the 15-track collection have been available in some format before, and though several (like the 80s rap-inspired “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros”) actually lose some of their comedic bite without visuals to go along with the lyrics, others are just as effective without them. “The Prince of Parties” (a Bollywood meets the Beatles pop-rock tune) is the perfect example of a song that, while hilarious when viewed in the context of a drug-induced fantasy, is still something you wouldn’t mind listening to while driving around town. The same goes for many others, including the pop ballad “Leggy Blonde,” the synthesizer-heavy “Robots,” and a glam rock homage to David Bowie. It’s too bad, then, that there are still a few stinkers on the disc; especially when personal favorites like “I’m Not Crying,” “If You’re Into It” and “Frodo (Don’t Wear the Ring)” didn’t make the final cut. Still, the Conchords remain one of the freshest acts in the entertainment industry (whether it’s as comedians or musicians), and as long as they continue to crank out quality material, we’ll be around to spread the good word. (LABEL: SubPop 2008)

MySpace Link

nelo (rhymes with “hello,” spelled all lowercase, says the one-sheet) is a young band from Athens, Georgia by way of Austin, Texas. And while these kids were in high school a decade ago, they managed to endear themselves to that Dave Matthews-meets-Sister Hazel brand of Southeastern jam rock, a sound they still bring to the table in 2008. But while many bands have tried to emulate that sound, it’s not always this easy to find one that does it well. nelo does that with decent songs and outstanding musicianship. Plus, lead singer Reid Umstattd can positively belt this stuff out. In all, nelo has put together a really nice debut that is tailor made for AAA radio. Most of it is jangly pop/rock, but some of the best tracks are the slower ones, such as “On Top of Love,” “Alright,” and “Please.” This band might blend in with a lot of other artists, but if they keep writing material this solid, they could wind up on tour for the next twenty years. (LABEL: Justice Records 2008)

MySpace Link