Ted Leo- Since U Been Gone / Maps

Kelly Clarkson’s dirtied up her sound a little, and somehow that makes it perfect for Ted Leo to do a solo acoustic version of her new single. He sticks some of “Maps” (by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) in the middle, adding a smooth musical and interesting narrative bridge to the track. Leo’s pretty much infallible with Chisel, the Pharmacists, or on his own, and this performance demonstrates why: even with a bit of his tongue in his cheek, he’s still an affecting vocalist, and a talented musician.

[buy stuff here]

Russian Futurists- Paul Simon

The first track on the Russian Futurists’ new album, “Paul Simon” will, without a doubt, improve your mood for the day (even if it apparently has nothing to do with the singer it’s named for. Matthew Adam Hart uses the kitchen-sink bedroom orchestration (meaning a multi-tracked keyboard) to great effect, creating catchy hooks and fun lyrics that bounce and tumble oh so fluidly.

[buy stuff here]

Tiger Bear Wolf- Input, Output

Their self-titled debut could be one of the best hard rock albums of the year. This track demands that you “turn it all the way up,” and usually lyrics-about-music tend to turn me off, but this is a band that’s out to save rock ‘n’ roll, and (leaving aside the question of whether or not it needs saving), TBW could do it. The guitar lingers and the drums vie for attention like a middle child off her medication. It’s Ted Leo on a roid rage; It’s the pack that eats Russian Futurists (maybe literally).

[buy stuff here]