The appeal of Hollywood’s second Queen box is hearing the band’s familiar singles lifted from the homogenized presentation of greatest-hits packages. Taken together, these albums present a formidable band with rare songwriting and performing depth, and one which was both willing to take risks and able to get away with them.

Veteran Denton, Texas-based Sundress comes on strong with a six-song EP of atmospheric psychedelic rock influenced heavily by 90s era Britpop.

This is really the recording debut of a new incarnation of the band.

Streetwise New York songstress Lani Ford has lain her hard rock band Stark to rest and reemerged with a new sound, a new look and new songs that focus on her quiet side while retaining the intense personality that always shone through her music.

Former members of Shiv created a band that is simultaneously art rock and arena rock, two styles of music shouldn’t work well together, but somehow do.

It’s been so long since the uncompromising, indefatigable Mekons have released a record that many had suspected a quiet retirement.

The once-prolific Swedish popster Jens Lekman returns with his first record of new material since 2007, and it’s a keeper!

Fortunately, Kill Everyone was well worth the wait, showing the band evolving even further in their expanded four-piece lineup.

Hopefully, a television producer will hear this and use a song and Korb can make tens of thousands of dollars from it.

Alice Bag writes her memoirs of the early L.A. Punk scene and her involvement in the bands of the time.

Vincent’s Keep It That Way EP is another jewel from one of our country’s best songwriters and a must-have for fans of ballsy Canadian lit-rock.

With this combination book/CD, Instagon delivers a self-described “noise opera” about the seedy dark underbelly of urbanity.

The New Rochelles first album “It’s New” pays tribute to the Ramones

Though he doesn’t get the attention of his Oblivians bandmate Greg Cartwright, Jack Yarber, AKA Jack Oblivian, has a growing catalog of strong recordings as well, of which Rat City is the latest.

When the world’s greatest young band vends a hot, merch table-only live EP, wallets come out, and trifles like a playing order out of synch with the track listing matter not.

This noisy jangle pop hits like some demented lo-fi garage band attempting to break into the paisley underground.

After departing the best lineup of Deep Purple, guitar hero Ritchie Blackmore launched the heavy-hitting and mystical Rainbow with vocalist Ronnie James Dio. The band’s most potent lineup would create only one studio album, but is featured on this live set. The centerpiece is the self-contained hard rock opera “Stargazer,” which must have blown stoned minds in 1976.

The Blue Obscurities may contain work that the band considers ephemera, but it makes as strong a case for Trance To the Sun’s existence as any best-of ever could.

California modern psychedelic rock legends Brian Jonestown Massacre have compiled the band’s uber-rare vinyl sides, and this collection of rare gems wonderfully highlights the songwriting talent of Anton Newcombe.

What, no “I Die, You Die?” No “Crowd of Drifters” (Dr. Death version)? No “If I Were a Rich Man?”

Germany’s Dawn Band is one of those groups who love so many iterations of music that the members couldn’t decide on a single direction, and thus head off in several at once.

If this was an EP of the first five songs, it would be magic. However…

The power of Holy Joy in the form of two singles…

There are so many shoegazey bands at this point that I don’t feel like I have any room for more in my life. Well, let me squeeze I Break Horses in somewhere because Hearts is wonderful.

Screaming Trees’ final recordings have been unearthed and given a proper release, highlighting the final statements of a once-fine band.

One could easily, and justifiably, make the argument that it’s impossible to condense Patti Smith‘s visionary 35+ year career onto one disk.

The Spanish Donkey are a prime example of everything that can be wrong with improvisational music.

The "summer fun" record gets a distinctly 21st century treatment on this Chicago husband/wife team's debut EP.

It’s strangely refreshing to hear the apocalypse transmitted with such haunting beauty.

Love hurts. Love scars. Love wounds and marks any heart not tough or strong enough to take a lot of pain.

Whether, as I was, you’re wary of the dubstep thing, or you’re completely new to the genre and need a good place to start, this compilation is for you.

These songs are downright sleazy blasts of orgiastic frenzy packed with B-movie samples, grinding rhythms and blasphemous lyrics.

Chicago trio Ornery Little Darlings’ full-length debut is definitely an interesting listen. Nearly every song evokes a different influence. The album is so diverse that it borders on identity crisis.

Singer Toke Nisted makes the most of his resemblance to Rod the Mod, as the rest of the band channels the 60s European obsession with Motown and Stax through its rock & roll wringer.

Their music could almost be called no wave, as it consists of improvised punk rock explosions and noise, but instead of looking to the past, Ultrabunny are about the present tense, here and now.

Cymbals Eat Guitars’ sophomore album is an even more challenging, rewarding, and enjoyable listen than their debut.

Simply put, this is noise at its absolute best and a perfect starting point for anybody who’s been curious about the genre but too afraid to ask.

The same words are often used, but they’ve never been more true. The title track to Marvin Gaye’s masterful protest album is as relevant today as it was when it was written. This set treats the landmark album with the respect it warrants.

This album has a beautiful cover and beautiful contents, in these uncertain times I can’t recommend it enough…

If you’re out record-hunting and you come across this little ditty, pick it up. It’s well worth a few of the bucks in your pocket.

It’s hard to believe that Icky Mettle, the debut LP from indie rock heroes Archers of Loaf, is nearly 20 years old.

Well, the cover art is pretty cool. If only the music matched…

This collection of twelve songs, culled from a theatrical folk concert first staged in 2009, is all interiority and bed-ridden body-pondering, rarely suggesting a dramatic component and cohering beautifully without it.

As an EP, this 12” would have been better off as a 7” split of the NASA tracks.

For his first digital-only release, head Barbarellatone Robbie Quine presents what is quite possibly his best album to date.

This is powerful music that is as much Damaged-era Black Flag, early Doom and Gauze as it is Gang Green and Jerry’s Kids.

One piece. Forty-seven minutes. The latest album by young minimalist composer Nicholas Szczepanik isn’t as monotonous as it might seem.

While they lacked the garage punk punch of the Reatards and some of Jay Reatard’s quirky catchiness, Jay’s next best band had some gems too.

This album may be more a collection of tracks from the past five years than a cohesive unit, but it maintains a consistency that proves CB have no plans to call it quits anytime soon.