By: Liz Levine
Rating: 6/11

Jer Coons is a 20-year-old singer/songwriter who pens straightforward, satisfying pop of the teen-crush inducing variety. His songs speak of lessons and heartbreak and girls, his voice smooth and inoffensive with a very mild tang that helps to deliver the lovesick, sweetheart persona. The compositions won’t be breaking any boundaries or blowing any minds, but they do achieve that pleasing catchiness that makes it easy to nod the head and wait for the enjoyable payoffs. Coons’ vocals and strums are accompanied by guitar, bass, and drums that create a young rock vibe, bringing rhythms and solos that lift the tunes from pure bedroom sap.

Coons also brings a playful feel to his work through ever-grinning photos and a generally silly tone on his website and press materials. He’s admitting his youth, but this behooves him with its insistence on casual enjoyment and relaxed abandonment to pop. His cover of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” nicely sets the tone, in that the song itself is inarguably pleasing; listeners are then ready for the presentation of his singing style and general boy-and-his-guitar-ness. Tracks like “Legs” and “Boxing the Cold” bring guitar pop if that genre ever existed, and it’s soon clear that Coons can write himself a melody. In the end, he comes off as a good pop guarantee — he does soft but not too sappy, rockin’ but not too loud. He’ll make your head bop shamelessly unless the cheese factor makes you puke first.

By: Joseph VanBuren
Rating: 8/11 

Have you ever been so completely enraged with anger that you just wanted to dance your ass off until the break of dawn? If so, then Team Robespierre has the perfect music for you. This Brooklyn band brings the most upbeat form of angst ever delivered through music. Their unique style of electro-punk is just as fitting for the dance floor as it is for the mosh pit; a strangely perfect blend of shouting vocals, 16-bit synthesizer riffs, and pounding rhythms. “Solid Gold” is a stand-out track. It’s like a Sega Genesis soundtrack that college kids can vent through. Team Robespierre’s hooks are often reminiscent of 80’s new wave, such as the frighteningly catchy “This Feels Perfect.” “88^th Precinct” contains a breakdown that would make the heaviest hardcore band envious, and there isn’t even a guitar to be heard at that particular moment. It’s refreshingly odd how naturally Team Robespierre blends their different influences. They have a sense of pop music as well as underground, both of which somehow shine through as completely genuine. Already touring the country and getting positive reviews from numerous publications, Team Robespierre will probably be the next musical act from Brooklyn to go huge.

By Nora E. Lindner
Rating: 9/11

“We are guys that love to play music that we like,” say Chris Stanfield and the Naturals. A bold statement from a little band based in Greensboro, NC, but judging by what they’ve produced so far, the music these guys like is good.

Thoroughly modern and enticingly retro — that’s the best way to describe Chris Stanfield and the Naturals. A local favorite, the band’s current lineup includes Chris Stanfield (Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar), Grant Prewette (Bass Guitar/Vocals) and John Michael Harris (Rhythm Guitar). Their music is eclectic and rich. “1 More Minute” could be a Tom Petty cover, while “59” could have been The Wallflowers long-awaited second hit single. It seems that Stanfield (credited with writing most of the band’s repertoire) can induce nothing less than that often strived for, rarely achieved, feel-good rock for the gaggle of dedicated regulars that tag along with the guys on the Greensboro’s bars and clubs circuit.

The band’s greatest feat thus far is the song, “Cry Cry Cry.” By all accounts this should sound like a modern cover of a Carl Perkins song, but there’s a spark to it that makes it more — and instead of reminiscing about a time when treading on a pair of blue suede shoes was the ultimate party foul, you’re there, hearing that spark-ignited Rock ‘n’ Roll America — whether you were there the first time or not.

But don’t try to label these boys just yet. They’ve also got a quiet ballad that is strikingly contemporary. The lyrics alone sting with vulnerability and the emotion is as raw as the mix. It’s hard not to let Stanfield’s honest intonations under your skin as he sings, “Oh, Bill Murray, why are you so sad?” That’s right — this song is about Bill Murray. If that doesn’t bring a few tears of compassion, try listening to it after re-watching Groundhog’s Day.

The Naturals currently have no music available for download, but can be seen playing pretty regularly in and around Greensboro. At this time they are still unsigned, but it’s hard to imagine they’ll stay so for long.

By: Liz Levine
Rating: 8/11 

Brooklyn’s Brit & the Cavalry take the classic formula of singer/songwriter + backing band and add in a whole lot of quirk and flair, distinguishing themselves easily with these refreshing bits of originality. Brit Boras’ strong musical background is apparent as she brings jazz guitar and violin training to pop tunes, along with her willful, fiery singing. Backed by drummer Alex Beckmann (of Mem) and bassist Dan Krysa, Boras takes the lead with her seductive and empowered voice in a mix that might be called mildly psychedelic folk rock. “Melt Into Flames” introduces pretty guitar strums and squeaky computer zips before breaking into a swirling forest dance, accordion notes driving a hint of a Renn fest feel. “Hey There” brings it in full with fluttering panpipe, though the tribal chanting and spastic trumpet do much to establish their own mood. It’s a surprise, then, when the song reaches its chorus that delivers layered girl-group vocals that seem to warn “don’t mess with me.” Brooklyn’s Brit & the Cavalry have a lot of ideas going on in their heads, and they succeed at folding them into engaging and sometimes eccentric pop.

By Nora E. Lindner 
Rating: 6 /11 

According to their Myspace, Beach Fossils is a band of the Tropical/Pop/Jungle genre, which might in fact be the most apt description of their sound, and the sound of a lot of bands coming out of Brooklyn lately. It’s that lazy, mumbled singing, with relaxed accompaniment in the form of soft drums and gentle guitar wanderings that has become a staple for Sunday afternoons and mellow vacation mixes. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing here to tap your foot to. For instance, the song “Vacation” has some interesting discords in it — just intriguing enough to keep your attention.  

Unfortunately, the lyrics spend a great deal of time on the far side of unintelligible, making it hard to judge the topics of discourse. This also leads to several of the songs being hard to distinguish from one another. Of course, this certainly isn’t helped by the fact that on several tracks the guitar solos are just as indistinguishable. The song “Youth” stands out as the most memorable with its upbeat pace, but the vocal track has more reverb then one could get in a naturally aquatic studio.  

What Beach Fossils do they seem to do well, but time can only judge whether they can do anything else. The band, made up of Dustin Payseur, John Pena and Christopher Burke, are currently on tour.