When you're thinking heavy duty rock and roll, I'd bet a healthy bar tab that the last thing that comes to your mind is Spain. And then here comes this disc from Sex Museum, who, unbeknownst to the majority of Americans, have been rocking in some fashion across the pond since 1986. Who knew? Anyway, if you're a fan of big, Deep Purple style rock, say Hola to Sex Museum. Name issues aside, you'll hear a fat guitar sound, big Hammond organ behind everything, raspy vocals, pounding bass and drums, it's all there. The disc gets going with "PVC," not an ode to plastics, but a heavy rocker that sounds familiar and fresh at the same time. I suppose that's the European aspect at work – being influenced by American heavy metal but not overly saturated. It's a credible effort, and if you like it big and heavy, Sex Museum is worth the effort. www.locomotivemusic.com

This five song EP, wait, four song, since one cut appears twice, is a blend of funky, rootsy rock and artie coffee-house storytelling type psychedelic songs. The good news is that the former works; the bad news is it's the one song that's repeated. "Lot to Learn" focuses on a two-chord change chorus, reminiscent of early solo stuff by Stephen Stills. Lead singer and keyboardist Vito Barbiera has a good voice, although his lyrics tend to be somewhat unintelligible. Check this snippet and you tell me: "Prescribe my pain Mr. Patience, throw away those futile lessons, tear into a blissful view of Monday on the other side." There's enough chemistry here that these guys probably put on a wicked fun live show – if they write more songs like "Lot to Learn," it'd be even better. www.thegovernors.net

Take a deep breath, hold it a few seconds, and then let it out slowly. That calm feeling you get exhaling is what this five-song EP does to you. I was stressed out when I tossed on this disc, and there was something about Yahz (not that Yaz) singing, Chris Swope playing guitar, bassist Nicholas D'Amato and drummer Mat Deveau playing that just takes all your troubles away. Yahz has a clean, solid voice, for comparison, say, similar to Edie Brickell, and it's put to good use in songs that are well crafted and make good use of dynamics. "Swim" has a Byrds-like ring to it, thanks in part to Swope's 12-string guitar musing, while on "Say Goodbye," a beautiful ballad, it's her emotional vocals that get the nod. Overall, a well-balanced disc; hopefully they'll save up money and do another soon, and with more songs please. www.redbetty.com

From cut one, this is an unrelenting attack of harder-edged power pop. The Drowners can play it light or heavy, although more time is spent in the latter. The songs are all good, and the production is great, with everything clear as can be. What more can I say? Listening to this disc, you'll hear shades of the db's, the Smithereens, or XTC, but only as a reference, and not a rip-off. The boys hail from Skellefetea in Sweden where they've released two CDs, and where it can get real real cold (-30 F). If the cold kept them inside and they practiced more, so much the better. Taking a stab at the rest of the world, for this disc, Matt Hyde (Porno for Pyros) handled the production, and the result is a clean, balanced disc. The title cut is a song worthy of a movie soundtrack, the kind of ditty that'll get you teary eyed and wishing you were walking through Central Park in the fall with your sweetie. This is power pop, plain and simple. www.drowners.com

The music is sparse, lilting, the tone bleak, depressing. Is this bad? Nah, as long as it's a rainy day and you're running through the classifieds looking for a new job. Ambrose Liu is essentially the band, since this is more of a solo effort with guests. Considering the lo-fi four-track approach to this project, the result is commendable. The songs are good though dark, and it seems Liu's time in coffeehouses has been well spent in preparation for this venture. If there's any drawback to the performance, it's his voice. He's neither a pure vocal talent, or, on the flip side, a strict emoter like Tom Waits or Dylan, although he tends to waver more toward the latter. But there's talent here, and it's worth a listen. www.houseofjoss.com

This four-piece Manhattan outfit offers up a five-song EP – which I'll say right off the bat is more like a three-song EP. Why? Two songs, "E," and "Dominoes," are instrumentals, lacking inspiration or direction, and are the kind of stuff that bands play to warm up in soundchecks or when they're fucking around in practice. That said, the other three cuts are quite nice. The guitar work is light and airy, with nice fill work here and there, and the rhythm section is solid. Matthew Wadley's vocals compliment the band's sound quite well. "Something," the opener, has an almost Cure feel to it and stands as the best cut. "It's a Sign" has a funky feel to it, while "Remembered Her Name," a big ballad, rings along the lines of those Irish bands. A good start here, but ditching the instrumentals is advised. www.luxurytheband.com

As the title implies, this is a raucous punk free for all, complete with thrashing guitars, thrashing bass, thrashing drums, and thrashing vocals. While some tunes are hell bent on raising sonic mayhem, and complete that task quite well, others, such as "Horse Mountain," are musically interesting. Though the vocals are screamed (hey, it's a punk rule of etiquette), the guitars and bass work a rising riff, with a wicked guitar solo thrown in, and the tune leans more toward heavy metal than punk. "Rise of the New South" is a wild instrumental ride featuring some cool slide work, and sounds like Ted Nugent and friends jamming at a beer blast. You won't be humming any of these tunes to yourself, but if you're in the mood to trash your apartment, or looking for an insane workout at the gym, this is the disc to play.

This is a strange disc, and I'll tell you why. All of the tunes are instrumentals, and sound like they belong on an Austin Powers soundtrack album, since they have that psychedelic, late '60s - early '70s big goofy sound to them. That, or any retro Gap or beer commercial. The musicianship is high caliber, the song arrangements tight, the production crisp, but without any vocals, I kept waiting for the tag line, you know, "tastes great, less filling," or "shagadelic, baby," something like that. So it's a tough call. This would be great background music for a party, a bar, heck, even a film soundtrack. The lads hail from Norway, so maybe this is what's in now over there. Who can say. Can you give something a thumb's sideways? http://home.sol.no/~imef/E-boys

This trio from the Beantown area pumps out an energetic acoustic rock, powered by a strong and tight rhythm section. The six-song EP certainly shows the boys know how to play their instruments. The third song, "Fistful of Euphoria," sounds like it was assisted by a twelve pack of Mountain Dew – the hyper-caffeinated funky folk rocker takes off, drums and bass blazing, liquid guitar oozing in and out, till the buzz cools off a bit and gives way to an airy chorus. The overall funky folk feel takes you back to the late '70s, since the songs have more of an open jamming feel – and fish would feel safe listening since there are few hooks to be found. That's a bit of a downer, but the boys can play great – time to kick the songwriting up a notch. www.typhoonferri.com

If you're looking for good funk, and that's something that's hard to come by right now, you're in luck, and it's Liquid Soul to the rescue. This 12-song disc will have you thanking the gods of funk again and again, and with good reason. "Sure Fire One" kicks it off laying down a thick groove, with rapper MCB dishing out the vocals. "Stop by Monie's" features Simone (daughter of Nina Simone), and if your foot ain't jiggling by now, call 911 while you're still conscious. The funky sound of Liquid Soul may remind some of Tower of Power. Their horn section is tighter than spandex on a runway model, there are machine-gun drum riffs, bass lines that pop and walk, and guitar solos from clean and compressed to dirty and distorted. And as proof that this isn't just studio hijiinks, several live cuts pepper the album, making it clear that seeing the band up close and personal would be worth twice the price. Here's hoping they come this way soon.