Bettie After Midnight- Exploits of a Girl Gang “Back to second best, that’s what happens when you rest,” sings vocalist/guitarist Michele of Bettie After Midnight on the opening track of their debut album, Exploits of a Girl Gang. Michele, bassist Odette and drummer Lauren more than exemplify that hard work and restless ambition pay off generously. Working nonstop since their trial rehearsal as a band, they managed to write and record an album and play their first gig at CBGB’s in the impressive period of a little over a month. The fruit of their labor, fittingly titled Exploits of a Girl Gang, sounds like the sonic chronicles of the deeds and misdeeds of a real-live ‘gang’ of gutsy, take-charge girls with instruments for weapons. The album’s confident, unmerciful tone is seasoned with Bettie After Midnight’s interesting blend of influences, which range from industrial to punk to ‘60’s surf. If the Ronettes were actually a spunky rock group raised on riot grrrl and fed a strict diet of metal and rockabilly, they would sound something like Bettie After Midnight. Taking control is a well-worn topic, so the fact that a few songs on Exploits sound a bit repetitive don’t take away from the overall freshness of the album. The gems of the Exploits are very easily “Step Aside”, “Graceful and Hateful”, and “Secrets.” Laden with heavy riffs and stinging vocals, the songs are the perfect mixture of catchiness and grit. ”Step Aside,” which was created during the Bettie After Midnight’s trial rehearsal as a band, does not cease to astonish. Its simple-yet-powerful riff is incredibly addictive, even after it’s been played enough times to get you in trouble with your neighbors. A very metal-sounding riff coils around “Graceful and Hateful,” while “Secrets” has an industrial vibe to it and displays drummer Lauren’s talent on the skins. Honorable mentions include the cute “Lorax”, the tale of a lover’s deranged jealous cat that’s sung impressively by bassist Odette, and “The Last Time”, also featuring vocals by Odette, whose high pitched singing is reminiscent of Kathleen Hanna. Overall, Exploits of a Girl Gang is a kickass debut that intimates what looks like an even more promising future for the band. Ambitious and fiercely talented, Bettie After Midnight are in no danger of ending up “second best.” Feel the raw power on Bettie After Midnight's myspace or official site. Ladymilk- Step Away From The Teat Hailing mainly from Ontario, Canada, Ladymilk have brought to your ears what is possibly one of the strangest and most interesting albums you will hear in a while. Step Away From The Teet is an eclectic mishmash of electronica, rock, hip hop, and a host of other influences and inspirations which include but are not limited to: Lite Bright, hobo clowns, smoking monkeys, and a variety of bands from the Lunachicks to the Beastie Boys. Experimentalism is really prevalent on this album, where the generic guitar-bass-and-drums-only formula is abandoned for an oddly coordinated mess of blips, loops, and chimes that are crafted into eccentric, fun songs. The track "Kerplunk" makes plunking noises danceworthy, while "Chunky Spider" is composed mainly of human voices and the chiming of a fork against a glass of water, and the intro to “Chainsaw” is the sound of …a chainsaw. The album even opens with yodeling, on “Yodilay Dee Milk.” Perhaps owing to their off-beat, diverse range of influences, the titles and topics of their songs are delightfully random. Among other things, there’s a declaration that singer Twinkie’s “favorite character from the Goonies was Chunk,” a song about a child’s letter to Robocop, and even a hilarious ode to Tom Selleck. If you're tired of hearing the same old-same old, have an affinity for Tom Selleck and are interested in programmed beats and good fun, Ladymilk is the band for you. Ladymilk are all about sharing the milky love. You can download Step Away From The Teat , plus other songs, for FREE from their official site, or listen to their tunes on their myspace.

Duffle Band- Playing With Myself On listening to Playing With Myself, it's hard to believe that this is only Duffin Vinyl's first full-length release. There is a remarkable sense of confidence in the album's sound that most bands lack in their earliest albums. Recorded and released by Vinyl himself, Playing With Myself is a musical grab bag, with songs on it to satisfy all of your rock impulses, be they indie, folk, grunge, emo, alternative, low-fi, or experimental. While he uses classic styles, Vinyl is also not afraid to plunge into the progressive pool, and while there are echoes of the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and Alice in Chains in the songs, the ending results have a sound that is completely Vinyl's own. "See What I See," the opening track, is your first glimpse into the psyche of Duffin Vinyl. Every note, from its almost taunting melodic intro that breaks into chords, to the chorus which sounds like a conversation between the voices in Vinyl's head, has an aura of duality. Soft, insistent chords weave in and out of "There's Gotta Be" as Vinyl's voice drifts over the music with an almost hymn-like quality. A malevolent buzz of distortion trails the mocking "Rhymes With You," which itself fizzles with spiteful acidity. Vocals are not perfect but delivered with deepness and authenticity, and lyrics at once thought-provoking and tongue-in-cheek, heavily peppered with Vinyl's sarcastic wit. On "Am G, Am G," Vinyl sings, "Protest against the government then complain you can't park/Piss and moan about the sunshine then sulk when it's dark," while on "Deep Cyst," he sings, "Sure it may leave a mark, but do you really in this thing called life?" While the first half of Playing With Myself leans more towards conventional rock, the album grows more experimental at "Innertwine", branching out into lavish improvs and lush, seemingly bottomless atmospheres where echoes come at you from all sides and you may just find yourself on the dark side of the moon. The lovechild of pop perceptiveness and cynical grit, Playing With Myself is both serious and hilarious, structured and abstract, filled with enough surprises to keep you intrigued, and packed with enough wit and relevant song subject matter to leave you deep in thought. Now joined by Cryssy Larsen of indie-riot grrl band Pretty Vacant, Duffle Band is in the process of recording their second full-length album, titled Stay Clear of Rockers. You can get copies of the album from the Duffle Band myspace, learn about them on their official site or biography.