Division Day Beartrap Island (Eenie Meanie)

Formed in Santa Cruz in 2001, Division Day honed their craft in a small sound-proofed bedroom. They put together an EP, The Mean Way In, in 2005, and have earned a bit of blogosphere recognition since then thanks to their catchy indie pop hooks and knack for a good cover song. Beartrap Island, their first full-length, is full of toe-tapping, old fashioned sing-a-long start and stop rock'n'roll that bends the rules a bit by inserting some pretty dark lyrics into a pulsating, tireless rhythm section. The premise here, for the record, is vaguely new wave bass and key-play, tinged with traditional (and borderline boring) indie pop. The band shows signs of inspiration, but it almost feels as if they're holding back. It's not bad, but it's not remarkable. While anyone willing to attempt a Sunny Day Real Estate cover piques our interest, Division Day's version of "Every Shining Time You Arrive" kind of just made us miss 1999. That being said, it is what it is, and for what it is, it's good. Beartrap is undeniably catchy, danceable and mixtape-ready, but as an album it tends to tire.

Division Day [MySpace] [Official] [Division Day Every Shining Time You Arrive" (mp3)]

Japancakes Giving Machines (Darla)

Japancakes might be the only band formed when a guitarist, in this case Eric Berg, decided to have a rehearsal that involved a bunch of folks playing a D chord for 45 minutes. (See Terry Riley's In C for hints.) What ended up coming out of that rehearsal was Japancakes, an Athens-based instrumental drone orchestra that has balls. We don't typically use such language, but dear Lord, their next release (coming in November) is a full cover of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. Imagine sending that one to print. Giving Machines, however, does include a cover of "Heaven or Las Vegas", originally recorded by Cocteau Twins, featuring a pedal steel in place of Liz Frazer's vocals. Noticing a theme here? Just to add a bit more intrigue, it's reported that while the band practices together, they do not record that way. Each member goes in alone, listens to what's been left by the previous musician, then records their part given that framework. We wonder who comes in last.

Japancakes [MySpace] [@ Darla]

Most Serene Republic Population (Arts & Crafts)

Toronto's The Most Serene Republic earned a place in our hearts for being the band on this side of the pond that sounds the most like Mew, and for that we're thankful. MSR combine horns, strings and piano, challenging time signatures, and jazz-influenced percussion in a truly engrossing manner. Each song finds a way to be intricate while oozing pure rock: the band has nailed the art of curious and listenable jazz pop. It's not alienating, it's instantly gratifying, and on top of all of that, it's really good. After going back to some early Sunny Day Real Estate earlier, we find a startling relationship between Enigk's compositions and MSR's: gentle piano, strings and emotive, giving vocals driven by pounding bass and wall-of-sound style guitar production liken the groups quite a bit. Also, give them props for being the first collective-like band featuring male-female vocals, horns and Canadian coins not related to Broken Social Scene. This record is highly recommended to anyone into Do Make Say Think, BSS, and yes, Mew.

The Most Serene Republic [MySpace] [Official]

1900s: Cold & Kind
Annie Lennox: Songs of Mass Destruction
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Scared Famous
Blanche: Little Amber Bottles
Bob Dylan: Dylan (3-disc box set)
Boddicker: Big Lionhearted and The Gallant Man
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Magic
Cake: B-Sides and Rarities
Carol Bui: Everyone Wore White
Chuck Prophet: Soap and Water
Christian Kiefer and Jefferson Pitcher: To All Dead Sailors
The Cult: Born Into This
Darlene Love: It's Christmas, Of Course
Dashboard Confessional: The Shade of Poison Trees
David Bowie: The Buddha of Suburbia (reissue)
David Byrne: Live from Austin, Texas
Depeche Mode: Exciter (remastered with bonus DVD)
Depeche Mode: Ultra (remastered with bonus DVD)
Division Day: Beartrap Island
Doug Sahm: Live from Austin TX
Eliza Gilkyson: Live from Austin TX
Erasure & Cyndi Lauper: Storm Chaser EP
Faith Hill: The Hits
Flying: Faces of the Night
Frightened Rabbits: Sing the Greys
Future Rock: Gears
Greg Summerlin: All Done in Good Time
Ike & Tina Turner: The Ike & Tina Turner Story (3-CD box set)
iLIKETRAiNS: Elegies to Lessons Learnt
J.J. Cale: Rewind: The Unreleased Recordings
Japancakes: Giving Machines
John Fogerty: Revival
John Ralston: Sorry Vampire
Kevin Michael: Kevin Michael
Matchbox Twenty: Exile on Mainstream
Merle Haggard: The Bluegrass Sessions
Mick Jagger: Very Best of Mick Jagger
Mobius Band: Heaven
Most Serene Republic: Population
Over the Rhine: Snow Angels
Peabo Bryson: Missing You
Peanut Butter Wolf: Peanut Butter Wolf Presents 2K8: B-Ball Zombie War
Pete Seeger: Broadsides: Songs and Ballads
Pieta Brown: Remember the Sun
Pipettes: We Are the Pipettes
PJ Harvey: White Chalk
Richard Hawley: Lady's Bridge
Ryan Bingham: Mescalito
The Sadies: New Seasons
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: 100 Days, 100 Nights
Siouxie: Mantaray
Sondre Lerche: Dan in Real Life (soundtrack)
The Spill Canvas: No Really, I'm Fine
Stereophonics: Pull the Pin (import)
Tim Williams: When Work Is Done
Various Artists: Heavy Metal (box set)
Various Artists: Oh Santa! New & Used Christmas Classics
Various Artists: Randy and the Mob
Yellow Swans: At All Ends
We Are Wolves: Total Magique
YoYo Kids: Yo It's Christmas