Rating: 6/10
The album is the second half of The Stage Names, a planned double album. Song by song review: I was really excited on first two Okkervil River songs, following song "Singer Songwriter" destroyed my dreams and made this record similar with any American indie rock run. I'm weak in front of emotional songs, "Starry Stairs" promises, combining depressed voice and orchestral pop sound! However, i can't stop thinking of The Killers comparison, these two bands are almost same. There is also Bright Eyes which stays more succesful than Okkervil in my opinion. The singer groans without letup, and that makes all lo-fi thing irresistible. Ironic and booster song "Pop Lie" makes their music a bit endurable, mixing varied instruments. The last three songs are acceptable. The closing ballad is almost one of best songs in this year, reminding folk master Leonard Cohen.

Something is uncompleted here, The Stand-Ins generally offers ordinary music for ordinary people. A guy from the movie High Fidelity (2000), where he was listening to Belle & Sebastian extremely, was bone-lazy. If he could read my review, he would love this record.

Highlights: Starry Stairs, Pop Lie, "Stand Ins, Three", Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed On The Roof Of The Chelsea Hotel, 1979

Okkervil River - Pop Lie

Rating: 5.5/10
Eleventh studio records by Matthew Sweet is first record since Under the Covers, Vol. 1 (2006), coming up thirteen new songs via label Shout! Factory. The most boring side of rock music is plenty of follower records. Think of some Neil Young records, they're not completely perfect. Artists such as R.E.M., Nick Lowe, Neil Young release many records, only few of them good. (i run away if i see such artists with more than ten records:) Matthew Sweet does some nice works with his sweet and soft voice, also his guitars surround the voice. I loved the middle of Sunshine Lies despite weak beginning. Pleasure Is Mine coppies the whole Todd Rundgren catalog of recordings, then with Daisychain it changes to any ordinary R.E.M., Big Star and Bob Mould songs. Then, what makes Sunshine Lies so special, if it recalls many names in one record.

Sunshine Lies unfortunately disappears in front of those big rock artists. Jangle pop guitarist
seems to entertain himself by releasing another goody Matthew Sweet record. No enormous mention. By the way it's a great artwork.

Highlights: Feel Free, Sunshine Eyes, Pleasure Is Mine

Matthew Sweet - Flying

Rating: 5/10
The Little Ones' first impression has clear similarities with Death Cab For Cutie and Mercury Rev , because of the lazy vocals. Debut record Morning Tide brings some good pop songs at times such as Tangerine Visions but boring mournings. It continuously eats your ears, the voice on back and front singing "oh ah oh ah oh ah" on "Gregory's Chant", this is irritating and hard to have fun with these voices.

"Everybody's Up To Something" intelligently gives opinion about some common things in life, it musically lets yourself go and say fuck this life and all these artificialities. The other song by The Little Ones, "Waltz" calls many songs of George Harrison. and near closing "Like A Spoke On A Wheel" hypnotizes you.

Sound of both Beach Boys and Harry Nilsson lives here on Morning Tide, but referances do not interest me much. Because this is avarage indie pop music despite some good tracks like most indie rock records. I still prefer listening to any records by Animal Collective, The Sleepy Jackson, Fleet Foxes and Allen Clapp instead of Morning Tide.

Highlights: Tangerine Visions, Everybody's Up To Something, Like A Spoke On A Wheel

The Little Ones - Boracay

Rating:7/10
New The Cure thing on its way before these single releases. The next record will be the band's first album of new music since 2004's self-titled The Cure. This lyrically follows self-titled The Cure record- songs like "End of the World", "Lost" were one of the most complex The Cure songs. Sleep When I'm Dead is both musically and lyrically gothic, dark and waiting for some cure to waken up again. Original!

The Cure - Sleep When I'm Dead

1. Martha Wainwright - You Cheated Me
Have you ever been cheated by someone? If the answer is yes, you should check out Martha's new album (not Stewart one, because that woman always tries to advertise some equipment from Martha Stewart collection and that makes me angry.)
Martha Wainwright - I know You're Married

2. The Cure – Sleep When I’m Dead
Despite my dislike, new Cure song got the second place of the weekly singles list.

3. The Vines - He’s A Rocker
Melodia review.

4. Beck - Gamma Ray
Beck Modern Guilt Review

5. Echo & The Bunnymen - Think I Need It Too
Watch the live perform of the new Bunnymen single .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1daoFIbmok0

6. CSS - Left Behind
CSS - Donkey Review

7. Primal Scream – Can’t Go Back

8. Annie – Songs Remind Me Of You
Another italo disco-like song, back to 80s?

9. The Verve - Love Is Noise
Video of the Verve's newest single Love Is Noise:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=38035520

10. Madonna – Give It 2 Me
Both my reviews and Madonna suck!

Flashback Video
Tim Booth and The Bad angel - Dance of the Bad Angel Live Performance
An underrated gem from James' lead singer and talented musician Angelo Badalamenti, it's one of the most depressing pop song i've ever listened.