John Wesley Harding, 7 at Red Devil Lounge. $18.
“Harding also has learned how to utilize the studio to his best advantage. Incorporating influences from the '60s through the '90s, he has created a sound that he has labeled "gangsta-folk," and he fully explores this format, while pushing it as far as he can. The infectious groove of the songs combines a definitive blend of pop and folk, mixing drum loops with Beatle-esque harmonies. There are plenty of tender moments as well — like his superb duet with singer Kelly Hogan on It's All My Fault." -- The Music Box
“Australia's You Am I have been at the music game for about a decade, but it seems like much longer. That impression is hardly due to the band overstaying its welcome; on the contrary, You Am I offer a welcome addition to the CD collection with each and every release. Their assumed longevity is mainly due to the group's firm grasp on the British Invasion's guitar pop legacy. Albums such as 1997's Hourly, Daily could often make you swear you were hearing the Kinks under a different name, and whatever the group's leanings from one album to another, singer/guitarist Tim Rogers's smart sense of pop has maintained a consistent core of really strong, unassuming rock." -- PopMatters
Oh No! Oh My!, 8 at the Independent. $14.
“Songwriting duo Greg Barkley and Daniel Hoxmeler pull off the half-serious, half-goofball indie shtick just about as well as you'd expect from two proud home-schoolers. Obviously the guys have girl troubles, though they're just as likely to deal with them earnestly ("Goodbye to my sweetheart/ You fill my day up like a spark") as they are in tongue-in-cheek, Violent Femmes fashion ("Jane Is Fat", "Women Are Born in Love"). This pull-no-punches, anything goes strategy creates a more relaxed, effortless feel than so many starchy indie up-and-comers vexed by the desire to immaculately emulate their favorite influences. Using twee as a jumping off point, the band utilizes an orchestra's worth of instruments that takes their sound through alt-country, electro-pop, and back." -- Pitchfork
