Brian: Because this will now be Nada Surf's second album for Barsuk since being dropped by Elektra some time after 1998's The Proximity Effect, you shouldn't have to ask or crack stale jokes, but since the following comments section is bound to contain some of both: Yes, this band is responsible for "Popular," and yes, up to that point you could say they were a one-hit wonder. While I'm probably coming off as some over-defensive fanboy of the band, their forthcoming Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie, the Thermals)-produced effort The Weight Is A Gift is the first full release I've heard from them, and it's actually rather smooth, mellow indie pop that's pretty enjoyable and should hopefully garner some attention for reasons other than the gimmicky label they've been handed (hopefully not permanently) by anyone with a passing knowledge of mid-90's alterna-rock. Here's the second song on the record, out September 13th:

Nada Surf - Do It Again Aubin: Tonight, as I struggled to find the motivation to study for yet another midterm and watch another saturday night disappear into the ether, my copy of Versus God was about the only thing that made it tolerable. So while Dillinger Four hasn't released a full length since 2002's Situationist Comedy, here are some tracks to tide us over until the next one.

Dillinger Four - "Noble Stabbings!!!" Dillinger Four - "Q: How Many Punks Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?" Dillinger Four - "Doublewhiskeycokenoice" Adam: Modern Thieves, the newly released full length from Portland's Straitjacket, has spent quite a bit of time in my rotation these past few months. The band treads a lot of the same Buzzcocks / Undertones / Stiff Little Fingers-inspired territory as the Briefs, so if you're at all a fan that energetic Pacific Northwest sound there's a lot to love here. The record arrived with little fanfare this May from TKO (CD) and Jonny Cat (LP). Here's a few tunes:

Straitjacket - Tunnel Vision Straitjacket - Forty-Eight Scott: I don't know about you, but I spent this past Thursday getting sunburned and ogling underage girls -- yes, it was Warped Tour time again in Cleveland. While I had to work for much of the day, I did make time in my schedule to watch a band who are quickly climbing up my personal charts at an alarming rate: A Wilhelm Scream. They brought it so hard that my skin actually peeled. Or maybe that was just the sun blazing down on me. Anyway, they were the best band of the day that I saw, so here's two of the many spicy jams off their upcoming record, Ruiner, out August 16 on Nitro:

A Wilhelm Scream - Killing It A Wilhelm Scream - Me Vs. Morrissey In The Pretentiousness Contest (The Ladder Match)