Attention – Everything Takes Forever (2009)
A few years back a band called Gratitude featuring Far’s Jonah Matranga burst onto the rock scene with minimal success. Jonah left (as he usually does) and did his own thing while the rest of the members went on to start Attention. Attention is basically Gratitude’s 4-minute rock song formula with guitarist Jeremy Tappero belting out the vocals this time around. The album is nothing new whatsoever. I do give respect to any band that self records, produces, and finances their own effort, which is what these guys did, and it’s pretty impressive considering. It actually fits rather well with the Jimmy Eat Worlds and Switchfoots. Does this make it a bad record? Not really. It’s fun for those of you planning to buy the new Foo Fighters Greatest Hits and it’s pretty catchy. However catchy is easy and so is this record.
C+
Attention – 
Whatever Gets You Through The Night from Everything Takes Forever (2009)
Atlas Sound – Logos (Kranky, 2009)
This is the second solo album from Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox following his debut Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel from early 2008, and what an amazing piece of work it is. While Walkabout, featuring Panda Bear of Animal Collective, is the star indie-pop jem on this record, the whole album is a genuine walk-through the mind of a brilliant songwriter. With the dream-like folk aspects of The Light That Failed, the endless sound-scape that is Shelia, and hypnotic West African guitar of Criminals can cause detachment from one’s physical surroundings. Logos is a tender and honest piece of work that will be appreciated for years to come.
A-
Atlas Sound – Walkabout (w/ Noah Lennox) from Logos (2009)
Birdmonster – Blood Memory EP (Fader, 2009)
San Francisco quartet Birdmonster have been known as a cross between Ted Leo, a mellowed out Fugazi, and a youthful Springsteen. On Blood Memory, that seems to ring true. Singer/songwriter and guitarist Peter Arcuni’s clear vocals are quite heartfelt and end up sounding like Stars vocalist Torquil Campbell at times. Aside from their keen melodic sense, the musicians alternate between acoustic strumming and electric thrumming; fast songs and leisurely ones, like the Simon and Garfunkel-ish I Won’t Be Long / True Romance and the Morrisey influenced Day To Day. But this EP’s polished brand of folk-rock may come off too Americana for the mainstream and too mainstream for the Americana. There seems to be no happy-medium, just medium.
B-
Birdmonster – Mine To Say from Blood Memory EP (2009)
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