iTunes finds
 
Believe it -- new country music at least as worthy as, say, the the new Three Doors Down.
 
Ashton Shepherd,"Takin' Off This Pain"

Hard as nails and twangy as hell, Shepherd gets drunk and chucks her wedding ring 'cause her shiftless husband won't turn away from the tube even when she's lookin' sexy (in her mouth, a juicy five-syllable word). What was he thinking?
 
Jypsy, "I Don't Love You Like That"

This band looks like it could have been cast by a committee charged with replacing the wayward, but best-selling, Dixie Chicks. Three purty gals are joined by a long-haired fella who could have been beamed in from a free-loving '70s country-rock band. But they sound great. Their breakup song, sweetened by strings and harmonies, is as kind-hearted as Shepherd's is vengeful, and just as listenable.

Jim Kiest | 210SA Contributor
 

Ashlee Simpson, "Bittersweet World" (Geffen Records)

There's no reason to believe that Ashlee Simpson is living in a "Bittersweet World." Jess' fun-loving little sis is newly engaged, with a giant sparkler from Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, and has been blissfully showing it off to the cameras.

As it happens, the songs on Simpson's third studio album sound more sweet than bitter. Though the effervescent pop-punkster is growing up, with a maybe baby on the way, the disc retains the girly-tomboy vibe and sleek production of her previous albums.

This time around, Simpson enlisted the sonic skills of megaproducer Timbaland and The Neptunes' Chad Hugo, and it shows in beat-heavy songs like "Murder," featuring rapper Izza Kizza, and "Boys," the album's best song, in which Simpson coyly croons: "Some say I make the guys/Hyptonized/When I bat my eyes/And walk past/They say I'm such a tease/But that's just me."

The cheeky fun extends to tracks like "Rule Breaker," ''Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" and "Hot Stuff," a flirty dance number; other songs take a serious tone when exploring the heavier subject of failed relationships. In "What I've Become," the tabloid fixture comments on her celebrity: "It'd be nice to make/Some mistakes without observations. ... Let me live as who I am."

Tell that to Perez Hilton. Now Ashlee, come clean: Are you pregnant or what?

Erin Carlson | Associated Press Writer

Story of the Year, "The Black Swan" (Epitaph Records)

The biggest problem with the screamo scene is how similar everyone sounds. Story of the Year set themselves apart from the pack with only moderate success on their third full-length, "The Black Swan."

SOTY hovers somewhere between emotive radio rock and muscular metal -- and one wishes they would stick with their heavier inclinations because that's where they sound best.

Disc opener "Choose Your Fate," ''Tell Me (P.A.C.)" and "Welcome to Our New War" kick hard enough to grab your attention with driving riffs, and catchy lead single "Wake Up" will probably be a hit with the MTV crowd. But most of the other tracks sink under the weight of bland repetition.

For all the well-intentioned anti-war and let-love-rule sentiment in the lyrics, there's just no getting around the recycled riffs and bland radio choruses that give most of the disc a redundant feel _ nothing truly stands out.

While this is a well-produced and listenable record from a tight band, if someone tells you it's another group --  let's just say Hoobastank for argument's sake -- you might not know the difference.

John Kosik | Associated Press Writer

M83: "Saturdays=Youth" (Mute)

"Saturdays=Youth" is Anthony Gonzalez' postcard to his teenage years. The fifth studio album from M83 has been built up for its more solid song structures and its production team, which includes Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros, Cocteau Twins) and Ewan Pearson (the Rapture, Ladytron). Well, M83 will never get quite to straightforward radio rock, though they come close a few times here. "Saturdays=Youth" is full of the nostalgia of the memory of the kind of big, bent-out-of-shape nights that you can have when 18, once in a while at 24, and almost never at 30. M83's shoegazey drones and layered synths are well suited to this kind of sepia-tinged memorializing. But these memories seem to be dulled somehow. The layered guitars and keyboards are significantly toned down vis-a-vis earlier M83 work, and there's none of the bite of "Before the Dawn Heals Us" or the upbeat drive of "Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts." Instead, there's a stronger `80s vibe through much of the new album, heard in the echoing drums, the New Order synths, and the whisper-over-crash shoegaze aesthetic.

Dan Raper | PopMatters.com

Black Francis: "Svn Fngrs" (Cooking Vinyl)

Pity poor Black Francis: all resurrected and nowhere to go. After spending over a decade repressed in the murky depths of Charles Thompson's psyche, having to watch his less manic alter-alter ego Frank Black explore things like traditional song forms and roots rock, the darkly creative persona was once again loosed on the world for the 2004 Pixies reunion. "Svn Fngrs" is more than just a battle with personal mythology. It's a fine album, with some of the most compelling music Charles Thompson has made under his many names. The meaningful, well-crafted lyrics and simple yet layered arrangements make each song a treasure trove of little pleasures, each begging to be dissected and interpreted. That it's only a seven song mini-album isn't a cause for disappointment. In fact it's somewhat refreshing after years of seemingly unceasing, unedited output from Frank Black. Here's hoping that Black Francis has found his place in a Pixie-less world, and that he's able to continue adding to his already heavy legend.

Michael Patrick Brady  | PopMatters.com

Ike Reilly: "Poison the Hit Parade" (Rock Ridge Music)

Ike Reilly has been compared to Jack Kerouac, Philip Marlowe and Bob Dylan. Such comparisons are not only hyperbole; they're flat-out inaccurate, for Reilly is wholly original, occasionally to a fault. His songs are populated with drunks, lowlifes and screw-ups. And like the drifters and indigents he embodies, said songs are full of unexpected left turns, curveballs and offbeat asides, both musical and lyrical. "Poison the Hit Parade" is not about to convert the unconverted. A collection of demos, EP tracks and alternate versions, it's an odds-and-ends holdover for Reilly devotees eagerly awaiting his next official move. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of rhyme or reason behind the song selection. There're too many omissions for this to be a makeshift best-of, and too few rarities to be a useful catch-up disc. The non-chronological running order minimizes Reilly's evolution as both a songwriter and vocalist.

Charles A. Hohman | PopMatters.com

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey: "Lil Tae Rides Again" (Hyena)

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey create a carefully arranged blend of electronic and acoustic elements that stretches the idea of the jazz combo. The JFJO (as they are commonly known) are no strangers to experimentation, as they've sounded like anyone from Ornette Coleman to King Crimson on past albums and incarnations. On "Lil Tae Rides Again," keyboardist Brian Haas, bassist Reed Mathis and drummer Josh Raymer worked closely with electronic producer Tae Meyulks to create a new sound for the group, one that threatens to wean them from the jam-band scene with which they are associated. Mathis has stated that this album is highly influenced by Boards of Canada, Brian Eno and even indie-rock all-star Panda Bear. It's not difficult to hear elements of these artists permeating the album from the very first note, or drone, as it were. JFJO keep their foot in the jazz world by maintaining an improvisatory feel, as the compositions are created by Meyulks in part using chopped up performances. The melodies tend to be minimal elements of the songs, rather relying on soundscapes with multiple earworms occurring at once.

Erik Gundel | PopMatters.com