By: Keir Bristol
Rating: 4/11

Remember when everyone tried to do that dance-punk thing, thanks to the success of such bands as Panic! At The Disco and Fallout Boy? Electronica-new-wave band Blip Blip Bleep took a cue from Patrick Stump and Brendan Urie, except they replaced most of the guitars with synths and shortened their song titles. The result? 

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By: Eliza Coolidge
Rating: 6/11 

In New York, one can travel the world without leaving its limits. In a city where you can have your pick from falafel, sushi or pierogi within the confines of one square block, it's no wonder the local music scene is as diversely enriched. Jeremy Noller's newest album release, "Music Notes" (expected to officially drop this September), fuses jazz with the alluring, polyrhythmic textures of West African drumming. Noller, a trained jazz kit drummer and world percussionist, frames an intricate multicultural cross-pollination with ease and comfortableness.

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By: Joseph VanBuren
Rating: 7/11

Drawing from a variety of influences such as old school reggae and modern soul, Queens-native Leeia has described her diverse sound as “urban alternative.” A fitting title, in the sense that alternative eventually became the mainstream. For, despite her being an unsigned indie artist, Leeia’s music is undeniably pop.

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By: Shannon J. Effinger
Rating: 7/11

The jazz group GSP looks to the past and draws inspiration from an array of classic songs. The pace of “Anthropology (2009),” a cover of the great Charlie Parker tune, starts off slow and a little disjointed at first. But gradually, it captures the listener's attention. Nick Lyon’s improvising on alto sax is very intriguing, but he cuts it off rather abruptly and jumps back to the melody way too soon. However, it leaves plenty of room for Galen Pittman’s Fender Rhodes piano, which permeates the sound of the track from then on.

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By: Carlyn Worthy
Rating: 8.5/11

Many artists make their start by joining a group to gain recognition. Once they’ve garnered enough exposure, these artists attempt to shy away from their polished image provided by big record companies and pursue their creative ambitions. British guitarist Jody Porter (formerly of Fountains of Wayne) proves it’s more than possible to shed the pop-rock skin with his debut solo album Close To The Sun (Engine Room Recordings, Released May11, 2010).

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