Professor Murder: Professor Murder Rides the Subway EP (Kanine)
release: July 25, 2006
style: funkie anti-post punk
similar: LCD Soundsystem, !!!, The Rapture
rating: ***1/2

Other reviews can mention the cowbells. The real highlight is that there's no guitars. Professor Murder of NYC (of course!) is so fantastic with the multitudes of percussion, funk bassy bass and a little synth that the guitars aren't missed. Dance, dance dance. -Kenyon
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Planes Mistaken for Stars: Mercy (Abacus)
release: October 3, 2006
styles: loud rock
rating: **1/2

PMFS was smart moving to Denver. Aside from never having to drive across the country to tour, they got out of their frustrating suburban town. The angst from that town stays with them. A pounding of hardcore, post-hardcore, metal and emo, Mercy was at first an engima, in part due to the scruffy, unintelligible vocals. By track number six, something pulled me in. The music still doesn't make any sense to me--the vocals, the riff-roaring guitars, and the unidentified song structure all have something off-kilter about them. But there is something here, if you search. -Kenyon
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Tim Williams: Merchant Heart EP (Dovecote)
release: September 22, 2006
styles: Soft Indie Rock
rating: ***

"Out There," the last song on this quiet EP, is a demo recording that most everyone can identify with. "We run to wait in line and drink to pass the time...we sit in cubicles and wait for dust to fall we try to make our lives worthwhile" and so on. The spacious guitars and keyboard and Tim Williams' softy vocals provide shelter from the storm. -Kenyon
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Katamine: Lag (Tinstar Creative Pool)
release: ???
styles: acoustic singer-songy
rating: *1/2

The sparse instrumentation (mostly acoustic guitar, which starts to feel repetitive) carries this record, while the vocals feel sleepy and held back. What is this? We need more passion here. Or something. -Kenyon