Saves The Day
In Reverie — September 16

Saves The Day, the New Jersey Emo kings, announces the arrival of their muchanticipated fifth album In Reverie, to be released on September 16. After two years of waiting, the album promises to be worth its painful delay, with a series of energetic pop-punk jams interspersed with slow, Emo(tional) ballads. If you love fun, catchy tunes, this album is for you. However, if you donʼt like whining or being able to anticipate lyrics without reading them first, steer clear; these Emo tunes have become a bit too predictable, even for Emo standards.

Belle and Sebastian
Dear Catastrophe Waitress — October 7

Bouncy, acoustic-rock group Belle and Sebastian are set to release their new album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress, on October 7. This will be the veteran pop-rock bandʼs sixth full-length CD, featuring twelve tracks with promising, clever lyrics. However, the band is mostly recommended to those in a perpetual state of happiness, as their repetitive, bouncy tunes are only interesting for so long to the rest of us. Perhaps a new sort of originality will be revealed that we have not yet seen from the band. It is worth a gander.

The Shins
Chutes Too Narrow (single) — September 23

The Shins, local Sub-Pop Records Quartet, is releasing its new single, Chutes Too Narrow, on September 23. The band, described by the Bumbershoot Concert Guide two summers ago as “Dreamy Indie Pop”, is releasing the single as a preview to their upcoming album with the same title, due on October 21, which is sure to be a bestseller. Recorded in lead-vocalist James Mercerʼs Seattle basement, the album is bound to push The Shins from local-underground-hero status to a driving force in the ever-growing worldwide Indie Music Scene.

Death Cab For Cutie
Transatlanticism — October 7

Death Cab For Cutie has grown from a tentative Bellingham experiment to one of the most influential and famous rock bands that the Seattle area has to offer. On October 7, the band will release Transatlanticism, a mix of melodic tunes blended with life experience and catchy vocals. The quartet has not released an album since 2001 because lead singer/guitar player Ben Gibbard has been busy with his side-project band, The Postal Service. Because of the bandʼs versatility, Transatlanticism will be a must-hear for any rock fan.

Azure Ray
Hold On Love – October 7

Saddle Creek Records acoustic group Azure Ray is set to release their new CD, Hold On Love, on October 7. This underground band from Athens, Georgia sounds like a cross between Radiohead and Bjork. Hold on Love promises more upbeat, energetic music than their previous works, without sacrificing the intimacy that they have come to be known for.