Ephemereviews: Aquabats, Plimsouls & New Pornographers

We understand. You want to hear some cool new music, but the choices can be overwhelming. What's good? What's crap? Well belay that consternation, Timmy, The mighty J.E.I. is here to help with our latest and greatest column, Ephemereviews.

OK, the pun is a bit of a stretch, but the love is there. Click the covers to see what Amazon has to say, or visit the record label sites listed at the end of each review.

Charge!! The Aquabats! Closing in fast on half a dozen albums in their oeuvre, this time out The Aquabats! decide to play it lean and mean. The ska horn section may be gone, but the guitar-driven music is still fun, catchy, and true to their superhero/sci-fi/Mexican wrestler/nerd rock style. Every song title ends in an exclamation point; that should tell you all you need to know. Nitro Records.
One Night In America: Live! The Plimsouls If you were a complex multi-celled being in the early '80s (i.e., more than just a sperm and egg), you probably recall "A Million Miles Away," the most ubiquitous radio and movie soundtrack (Valley Girl, The Last American Virgin) hit from The Plimsouls. But like The Knack, Cheap Trick and other guitar rock bands lost in the sea of synthy '80s new wave, The Plimsouls were best heard live. So here's your chance until the boys down in the lab get the flux capacitor into the Delorean to send you back to 1981. Oglio Records.
Twin Cinema The New Pornographers The third album by Canada's alt/indy/eclectic pop rock darlings, "Twin Cinema" picks right up from where the brilliant "Mass Romantic" and "Electric Version" left off. A.C. Newman writes amazingly intelligent and beautifully crafted songs that rival XTC, Elvis Costello, and Brian Wilson before the meltdown. You'll wonder how something so dense and complex can sound so simple and right. Matador Records.

There, we've done your thinking for you; doesn't that feel better? We'll be back from time to time with more J.E.I.-approved music, movies and such, so have those wallets at the ready.