Champaign, IL's Hum has this wonderful penchant for combining the most heartfelt of lyrics with the angriest of accompaniment. Four albums in and vocalist/guitarist Matt Talbot finds that there's still a lot out there to love, hate, feel frustrated with, and downright enjoy. He's got a lot of issues surely and luckily for us, he's in a band--voyeurs we are indeed.

And Downward Is Heavenward may very well be the album to make these lovable Midwestern boys superstars. They'll never become jaded by fame, nor will they sacrifice their music to achieve success. And that is precisely why Hum are one of the best bands out there. But the band's strength doesn't lie solely with Talbot. Guitarist Tim Lash may be considerably younger than the rest of the band, yet you'd never know it by listening to him play-he's better than most guitarists out there-trust me. And the rhythm section of Bryan St. Pere (drums) and Jeff Dimpsey (bass) provide the depth that make each track sound so powerful.

With Hum, you can tell the music means a lot to them-every song is honest and genuine. And when a band put that much effort into their releases, you know it's got to be worth it.(DW)

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June of 44-Four Great Points (Quarterstick)

Four Great Points is June of 44's third masterful album (fourth release overall) and it successfully continues on in meshing an artistic aesthetic with a not-so-typical yet quite typical, punk rock formula. And this comes as no surprise, for mainman Jeff Mueller was a member of Louisville underground heroes Rodan. But unlike the band's other various offshoots (most specifically Jason Noble's Rachels), this sounds the most like Rodan. Yet to assume that Mueller has not evolved, it to assume wrongly. Not only do June of 44 (w/Sean Meadows of Sonora Pine, Fred Erskine ex-Hoover, and Doug Scharin of Rex) fuse classical with rock styling (Of Information and Belief), they also incorporate a little bit of dub into their work (Lifted Bells) and experiment with a typewriter for instrumentation (Air #22). The band also continue to top themselves with each release, for Four Great Points is, by far, their greatest effort to date. Let's just face it, Jeff Mueller is a musical genius-let's all revel in his accomplishments.(DW)

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Libido-S/T (Velvel)

The finest in English pop. That's the easiest way to describe the debut lp from this promising trio. Only Libido aren't from England, they're from Norway. But they live in London, which probably has a lot to do with their sound. They're brightly melodic, not mundane, not Oasis-ed out, and highly addictive. They don't sound as if they're trying to hard, they're so far away from pretentious (not that pretense is a fault), and they could really be this year's superstars if the right people get a hold of this album. So all you anglophiles out there and even you adorers of fine pop, seek out this record now. You'll be happy you did once everyone starts talking about it.(DW)

Lo-Fidelity Allstars-How To Operate With A Blown Mind (Skint)

Lo-Fidelity Allstars is one of Britain’s greatest assets right now. The Brighton combo incorporates a techno ethic with an indie attitude and the effect is one of sheer brilliance. Essentially they’re dance music, but it’s a sort that appeals to the masses—even the most jaded trainspotters. Their 11 track debut long player combines hints of hip-hop, soul and funk with basic guitar stylings. Name a genre and they’ve got a bit of it in there. They’re simply amazing. And US A&R folks…sign this band already.(DW)

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