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MaelStröM: Let’s dance to … forget

In the mood for a little dance-athon in your own apartment? MaelStröM's Let's Dance to... could work as your soundtrack. Filled with techno, industrial rock sounding tracks, it's enough to induce some rhythmic body spasms voluntarily or involuntarily. Let's dance to... features 12 eclectic, industrial rock songs with a touch of pop that's enough to probably make Trent Reznor even listen twice.

The Sway: Going Blind EP

An almost guaranteed Top 10 indie pop rock band. Thirteen years after they parted ways, The Sway, reunites to give this whole music thing one last swig. And from the looks of things, they have succeeded. They went on hiatus again for two years after this mini reunion and as of April 2010, they were back in the studio penning tracks for a new album. For the meantime, the band definitely left something great behind for their fans to enjoy, Going Blind. This is actually a 3 song EP that would make even current so-called "indie pop rock bands " a run for their money. Their indie rock sound is definitely worthy of praise, not to mention a slot in the iPod.

Mel’s: Hey Girl

Young French pop artist that makes you think "pop" is okay again. Even though she might not be the next pop princess, Mel's Hey Girl is a pretty charming album. Coming from such a young singer, the tracks on this mini-album is catchy and fun to listen to. For a first release, Hey Girl is a solid compilation of 5 beautiful melodic pop rock tracks that you can play in your Ipod on a laid-back day. Mel's albums, including her latest, Take Advantage, are released under a creative commons license.

Mudskills: Mudskills

Rock alternative indie rock that comes in fast and hard. Apart from a short bio and the name of its band members, information about this band is a bit elusive. Essentially, Mudskills is made of Eleonora Rocca on vocals and guitar; Mirko Deiana on guitar; Marcello Pabiri on drums and Allessio on bass. On certain instances, they are joined together by Andrea Puddu on drums and Emanuele Orru on bass. Mudskills is a hard rock act that showcases plenty of grunge influence. Although it's not entirely a gem, the album does hold some noteworthy tracks that any grunge lover would enjoy. It's worth checking out if you have a taste for loud rocking tracks.

Part Rocket: Sparks and Beams

The closest to an instrumental "summer pop" record you will ever get. Part Rocket makes you wish it was summer all the time. Sparks and Beams is a four track EP that creates the perfect compliment to beautiful summer days at the beach and those interesting summer nights. Comprised of a lot of band members, Part Rocket has had rave reviews for their work, including being described by Quench Magazine as "impressively diverse... combines industrial, emo and prog influences to great effect, creating something entirely of their own."

Leslie Hunt: Your Hair is on Fire

Season 6 Top 24 American Idol finds music off Idol stage. For Leslie Hunt, American Idol was certainly quite an experience. Reaching the top 24 was definitely was a dream come true for this new mother. Despite being voted off, Leslie continues on after stepping off the Idol stage. Your Hair is on Fire is Leslie's first album and from the way it sounds, it seems that she's definitely grown as an artist and musician. The album is filled with jazzy, alternative pop tracks that boasts of Leslie's powerful and slightly raspy vocals.

Inertia Blooms: Cours, Camarade, Le Vieux Monde Est Derriere Toi EP

Self-described "heavy mellow" rockers impresses with three song EP. Inertia Blooms is a quartet made up of Mitch Travis on vocals, Tim Hartin on guitars, Adam Betts on drums and Chris Traverse on bass guitar and laptop. Cours, Camarade, Le Vieux Monde Est Derriere Toi (which translates to"Run, comrade, the old world is behind you") is the band's first EP. As cheesy as "heavy mellow" might sound, the description is appropriate and it clearly impresses. These three tracks are definitely worth listening to, over and over again.

Kemuzik: Kemuzik One

Kemuzik One is a beautiful collection filled with tracks that are perfect for any type of listener out there. All of the songs are being offered for free by their respective artists and compiled into this 13- song collection by Przemek Bobins. The album is filled with quiet, folk indie tracks that seem to serve as a perfect background album for your moody Saturday afternoon. Bobins promises that this won't be the first and the last compilation, so while waiting for the upcoming good stuff; sink your teeth into this one for now.

Andrew Lawrence Jackson: The Last Romantic

Andrew Lawrence Jackson’s "The Last Romantic" conveys quiet but subtly strong provocative emotions through the words and melody of each track. Not that Jackson has become predictable, but this album has all his usual overarching themes of life, love, and dreams. And then Jackson uses his own good vocals as a bonus element. The influence of the 80's electro beats is apparent in the album, as much as Jackson’s distinctive way of neatly expressing an otherwise messy pile up of thoughts and emotions in one’s over-analytical romantic head. Standouts in this album are “Your Dreams,” “Return To Love,” and “The Last Romantic” for its haunting melodies that linger in the air long after the song is over. That Jackson can put up a one-man show as singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist brings out the best in each track as he knows which instruments best highlight the subtle points of each song.