
Welcome to the third installment of my reviews of CDs currently sitting in the studio. I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon of “naming” these entries with something cool and witty. So now enjoy the first official edition of TOTALLY AWESOME!

Counting Crows - Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings - The Counting Crows are back with a new studio album, and very few people were excited. I wasn’t expecting much, either, but the first couple tracks of this new disc take them back to the days when they were rock-pop instead of sad-, sappy-pop. Unfortunately, that sound doesn’t stick around and the “Sunday mornings” portion take them back to their old, almost emo, ways. Still, not terrible.
Rating: Two and half weaves out of Four.




Jack Peñate - Matineé (with bonus tracks)- Hopping across the pond, we see what pop sounds like over there. Like their currency, the British equivalent is much stronger overall. This is Jack Peñate’s first full album, after a string of successful singles and EPs, and it’s easy to see why the Brits love him. He’s basically a male version of Kate Nash, so expect a lot of cockney in all of his songs. The bonus tracks are just acoustic versions of songs, which make some sound better (see: “Learning Lines”) and some sound worse (see: “Second, Minute, or Hour”).
Rating: Three cuppas out of Four.




Dirty Pretty Things - Waterloo to Anywhere- While not a new album in stores, it’s new for the booth. Rising from the ashes of The Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things bring some really good, really catchy British alt-rock. With a touch of punk and a splash of pop, this disc has something for everyone. Also check out the “Bang Bang, You’re Dead” EP we have to hear some acoustic and “tavern” versions of songs on this disc for extra awesome-ness.
Rating: Four tiny Parliaments out of Four.





Adam Green - Sixes and Sevens- Since this is the first edition with a title, I’ll treat you all to a fifth album review. Don’t get too excited, or you won’t be able to sleep tonight. Adam Green is one half of The Moldy Peaches, which have come back into the spotlight since Juno came out. But Adam Green deserves at least as much attention for this fantastic, poppy, well-written, and overall solid CD. It takes a little getting used to, but once you fall into his groove, you’ll fall in love with every one of the 20 songs on this disc. Especially check out “Morning After Midnight” and “Twee Twee Dee”.
Rating: Three and a half fresh peaches out of Four.




That’s all for now, keep an eye out for #4 in a week or so and keep playing your station spins!
Your friendly neighborhood Head Music Director,
John von Gunten