There's an immediate emotional impact from the dozen tunes here, an intimacy, an affinity, a mix of both new and familiar, and before I start blathering on with metaphors and analogies, let's keep it simple: the disc is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Each song is easily accessible, yet sounds like no other artist in particular. The music gets into your system with all the force of a calm breeze in spring. By, say, the third track, "Cubicle Love Song," you're gushing tears of joy and sadness at the purity of it all. Instruments are layered yet balanced, dynamics are so good it's scary, the lyrics tell stories, plainly and directly, and the feeling from the first spin of the disc is that of a classic in the making. If you want to experience the emotive power of music, Bisbee has appeared as your savior – heed his words and music, and ye shall be saved. Really. www.sambisbee.com

His voice has a metallic twinge to it, a kind of Peter Gabriel/Adam Durvitz nasal whang, and his music is acoustic rock, kind of petulant, forlorn, without sounding like a dirge. More like when you're shit out of luck, and you feel that first glimpse that things are going to get better. Sure, you're still mopey, but the corners of your mouth turn up slightly, and you wink to yourself, yeah, it'll be okay. McFarland hails from Austin, where apparently, bad music never makes itself heard past the town limits. And though the nine tunes here won't have you kicking your heels and smiling like a loon, there's enough integrity to make you sit, listen, and reflect on what you've done in your life so far, where it's going, etc. and that's pretty cool. www.chrismcfarland.com

The cover shot has her looking a bit like Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club, slightly tired, hung over, pale, red lipstick. And her music could be described equally as brooding, again befitting Sheedy's character (well, before the makeover at the end). No matter, her voice is strong, but not overpowering in an operatic Viking way. Her songs are hooky, yet possess enough of a dark tinge that you know there's a good story to be found in the lyrics. Her musical pals, Rich Gaglia and John DiGiulio, complement what McCallion doesn't play, and the result is just plain good music. Plus, it's hard to fit her into the "it sounds like…" equation, and that's refreshing. A solid effort from start to finish, and let's hope she keeps at it. www.bernadettemccallion.com

Picture this: you're standing on a rainy sidewalk in Vienna at night, looking in the window of a pastry shop as you light your unfiltered cigarette. Or maybe this: you're sitting on a velvety ottoman in some high falutin' restaurant bar, celebrities all around, martinis cost a fortune, and you feel like you're all doped up. Either way, music from Waldeck could be playing in the background. Call it trip hop or whatever, it positively floats without being obtrusive, and though it ain't my cup of tea, I could picture myself sliding past velvet ropes or knocking back an espresso and crème filled delights. Waldeck even samples Chet Baker's voice on one cut, and takes you back in time with "Cat People Dub," though Bowie called it something else. Again, not my kind of stuff, but good to clean the palate with. www.emaginemusic.com

Rapp's bio says that he's been singing professionally since the age of nine, and recently, he was in the rock musical "Rent," from off-Broadway through shows in London. And the songs have that same rock-opera feel, as if the music and the voice don't quite mesh. Oh, it's not that the songs aren't poppy. More that the music sounds overproduced, and the vocals, well, too enunciated if that makes any sense, and it sounds as if they're distanced from the music. And it's not that Rapp's got a bad set of pipes, though at times he gets buried by a barrage of guitars and keys, it's just, well, everything sounds too busy. Even a minimalist cut like Marshall Crenshaw's "Lesson #1" finds Rapp struggling to be heard over the chorused guitars et al. I just hope his Broadway connections are still good. www.anthonyrapp.com

From this southern belle comes tales of love and loss, via her voice and piano. The tracks are simple, sometimes just piano and guitar, sometimes no piano, sometimes no guitar. The lack of percussion gives a folksy feel, and makes you concentrate on the songs, while the piano gives it that smoky cabaret thing. The songs are bluesy and folky, and while some numbers work well, like "Come and Dance With Me" and "Long Gone Now," the former almost Appalachian, the latter sounding like coffeehouse Indigo Girls without the embittered dyke attitude, others don't quite make the grade. "Crossing the Land" is a blues/rockabilly number that seems to miss beats on the five chord (but maybe I'm just nitpicking). One of the better cuts is "Honey, Please Forgive," which features Karlus Trapp playing a nice slide guitar. Overall, a nice effort. www.cyndiehasty.com

Sad to say, whatever "it" is, as in, "Say, that band has really got 'it' together," After One doesn't have it. Listening to the disc, you feel an off beat here or there, or pick up on something that just doesn't gel. And it's not because they don't try. Singer Patty Maniace sounds like a young Grace Slick, guitarist Paul Maniace can play well, and Capri Djatiasmoro is a decent drummer. Yet for whatever reason, maybe it's feng shui, things don't come together well. A song like "Baseball" is a hookless tune that goes nowhere, and the lyrics are just plain goofy. At times, as on "Dark Ages," there's a cool garage-band vibe that sounds like a '60s acid den in Berkeley, and you sense hope. Maybe they should strive for that vintage Jefferson Airplane sound more. www.afterone.net

Sure, somebody should probably tell this Swedish outfit that they probably meant "lose" instead of "loose" for the title, but you try learning English as a second language and get that close without a copy editor. Ah well, the band pumps out '70s metal along the lines of Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Robin Trower, and you know what? It ain't bad. The more I listen, the more I like it. And, yeah, they did it all on a four-track, and it doesn't sound too bad either. It'd be nice to hear them in a big studio, but then again, the simplicity keeps it real. After a slew of aggro bands and other junk, Mouth of Clay's sound takes me back, to B3 bands, big guitars, and arena rock and roll. "Hear the Coming" is spot on if you're looking to visit musical styles of the past. Kudos to these krazy Swedes. Rock on boys. www.mouthofclay.com

The first cut, "Karma Thunderbolt," sounds like a Jamaican Van Morrison doing a trippy number while in the Big Easy. What? Yeah, you heard me. It's a whacky mix to be sure, but one that strangely seems to work. Loose, yet tight at the same time, it sounds as if the band is goofing off while being deadly serious. The title cut features a nice assault of kazoos, while Spookie sounds more like Dr. John. And though record-store employees will be scratching their heads trying to figure out what label to file this under, "Pure Fun" should do the trick. Eclectic and zany like Zappa, crafty and danceable like a Cajun fest, off the wall like Screaming Jay Hawkins, and hell, I'd write more but I'm too busy dancing. www.thepride.com

A quartet from Beantown, three of them female, merge electronica with rock and roll. Though it's been done before (Garbage is one of my faves in this area), ATQM still gets a big thumbs up from me. Well, mostly – the last three cuts are remixes of one track and seem pointless. But "We're the Same," for example, features sultry, sexy vocals from Christine Zufferey, and the way her voice moans, well, heck, I'd pretty much do anything she asked me. But don't overlook the killer guitar work by Catherine Capozzi, on that track and throughout. Part Adrian Belew, part studio whiz, and part screaming banshee, Capozzi keeps you on your toes, listening for that next funky riff or ripping solo. Again, it's a shame the remixes essentially make this a stretched-out five-song EP – there's talent here, and they could put it to better use. More songs is my guess as to what the queen would ask for. www.atqm.com

Well, seems even our pals up north aren't immune to the glut of angry rock that's fast becoming the norm. Though nonstop screaming vocals are absent, the rap is there, shouted, the music is busy (though on average, much better than most), and you'll hear traces of Faith No More, Rage Against the Machine, and others. Often the vocal harmonies are in fifths, giving it that Alice-in-Chains sound, a Seattle grunginess. And as much as their music sounds fresh and invigorating at times, it also sounds like every other band out there. Production is snappy, musicianship is top notch, but when they break into heavy chords and rapping, you just roll your eyes and say, boy, here's another one. I'll give them this though, they're more versatile and engaging than most.

AHHHHH! Another trio of smoking hot babes (Sara Marie, Halie, and Minia) singing overproduced bubblegum rock for the masses. And, sure, they all thank God first and foremost in the liner notes (individually and as a band) as today's performers are wont to do (maybe it's in their contract). And the songs, well, the girls have good voices, and they like to do the Whitney Houston/Star Spangled Banner thing, where they stuff as many notes as they can into each verse, like packing bread cubes into a Thanksgiving turkey. And there are several different mix engineers for the tracks though, overall, there's a generic feel. And as much as I'd like to nail Halie like a 4x8 sheet of drywall for a good review, I'm just not a fan of blatant packaging like this, like the television show "Popstars," like kiddie bands, like you know. But can I at least get some more photos Halie? Puh-lease? www.3rdfaze.com

Isn't this Blink 182? New Found Glory? Sum 41? Nah, it's Mest, another speed-pop outfit hailing from Chicago's south side (and you thought only blues acts came out of there). And, sure, they play fast and loud; they use hooks and melody to their advantage, and the songs are toe-tapping fun. So what? Well, with so many other bands mining the same shafts, it's easy to get overlooked. Is there anything that sets them apart from, say, Blink 182 or New Found Glory? Not really. Yeah, the tunes are easy to get into, but lack the staying power to hold up over time. It's not their fault – what they do they do well; it's just the airwaves are crowded, and uh, I need a beer.

Hey, the disc starts with two little kids saying "motherfucker" and "fuck you" and banging on a piano. Cute, huh? Yeah, like a ghetto version of Sesame Street maybe. As things get underway, though, there's a real industrial feel to Marz's music, as he raps his way through the disc. The former Ministry guitarist knocks off 17 tunes that are forceful, almost violent. The raw, pulsating, throbbing sound that made Ministry famous comes through here as well. And, hey, he got a fucking parental advisory for the fucking language. Fuck it, you get the point. The industrial feel combined with the anger in the lyrics make for interesting listening. Though I'm not particularly enamored, I would sooner listen to this than similar bands of late. Check out the fucking website: www.emaginemusic.com

You know what these guys sound like? Of course not, not yet. But I'll tell you. Back in the early '80s, new wave bands took elements of punk, like speed, and mixed them with pop hooks, layered vocals like pizza toppings, and soon one-hit wonders flooded the airwaves like nobody's business (the Hooters' "And We Danced" springs to mind). And there's nothing wrong with River City High's tunes. There are more hooks than a Montauk shark charter; the production is crisp and clear, but the songs, well, they do tend to blend into each other after a while. It's good fun listening though, the kind of music you'd hear shooting pool in a bar on a Saturday afternoon. Now, if the boys can only write that big hit and get into the record books..... www.bigwheelrec.com