You know something's amiss when a quartet has more than four members – but then again "urban hillbilly" is something of an anomaly anyway. Naming conventions and numbers aside, what you get is a group with a wide range of sounds – from straight-ahead bluegrass to FM-rock space jams of yesteryear, and then some. I'd hate to use the word "eclectic," since that word gets tossed around more than a drunk midget in a sports bar, but let's just say you'd be surprised by the variety. Need more? When's the last time you heard an electric guitar going through a wah-wah pedal in a bluegrass outfit? It works, too. As Mr. Burns on "The Simpsons" would say, "Excellent." www.urbanhillbillyquartet.com

The immediate references that pop to mind are Tom Waits, early Springsteen, early Billy Joel, Dylan, and the like. What does this tell you? It means you're getting more than just rootsy, earthy, folk rock. It means the lyrics have meaning as well, tell stories, more so than your standard boy-loses-girl pop content. This, then, is the kind of music that you really listen to and really pay attention to. The reward is intelligently written, insightful songs. "Junkie Girl," a bittersweet love song, begins, "Eyes as black as Kentucky coal, lookin' like a vulture for the rest of her soul." And though five songs are remixes from a previous album, the sonic difference is subtle. From the first cut to the last, this is a powerful collection. Let's hope he keeps it going for a long time. www.michael-mcdermott.com

Pascale Jean-Louis has a deep voice, sounding at times like Patti Smith with a handful of Valium in her gut. And like Smith, she's no opera singer, so the vocals tend to aim at notes rather than hit them head on. At times, her voice can get lost in the mix, but again, maybe that's done on purpose. Anyhoo, on top of lightly chorused, relatively clean guitar work, she cuts her way through four tunes (well, five actually, since one cut appears twice, most likely the result of an engineering mistake of sorts). They're not poppy, toe-tapping tunes, rather dark numbers, a cross between minimalist Hole and minimalist Siouxsie. It's kind of bleak and urban, but interesting enough to listen to. See for yourself. www.mp3.com/eyelash

This three-song EP harkens back to the glory days when bands like BTO and Bad Company ruled the world. Did you catch me winking? Ahh, never mind. If you're a fan of music of that sort though, and odds are many of you haven't even heard a Bad Company tune in God knows how long, or Ian Hunter, or Grand Funk Railroad, or Bread, well, the EMS is setting out to recapture that magic. Bassist Billy May looks and sounds like a young Paul Stanley, and seems to take to that rock-star image pose more so than his bandmates, at least in the pics on the liner. Maybe the other guys didn't like having their picture taken. Back to the music though, the three tunes are safe rockers, nothing threatening, nothing to make you draw skulls on your schoolbooks or anything, kind of like BTO or Bad Company. Did I say that already? www.sideshow.cc.st

A while ago, Street Beat reviewed a band called Cosma Suma. A keyboard player named Mike Yionoulis read the review, went to see the band, and saw or heard something he liked. And although Cosma Suma tanked, like a phoenix they have risen again, and hey, Mike got the job playing keys with them. That story may not be a tearjerker like a Spielberg movie, but it does show you the world is connected. And Swami connects with the listener, via a delightful array of '80s synth/guitar pop. The disc opens with a way cool cover of the Go-Go's "Our Lips Are Sealed," slowed down to 16 rpm (and points if you know that speed). Other songs move a bit quicker, and will motivate you to dress in black, white, and red, wear a narrow tie, and pogo to your heart's content. www.swamimusic.com

If you're looking for something to really blow your mind, this is by far the most interesting disc of the year. Matt Mahaffey used only toy instruments in the making of this disc, but unless you were told that, you'd have no idea. Most people I played it for had a "no way, that's so cool" reaction to it, and every time I listen to it, I get that same giddy feeling. Overall, it's got a techno, hip-hop feel to it, but you'll giggle yourself silly to the cover of the Doobie Brothers' "What a Fool Believes." As Mahaffey says, "Hey, you try playing those fat-ass Michael McDonald chords on a keyboard no bigger than a football." Yet he does, and does it well. My favorite cut is "Trunk Fulla Amps," a mix of Scary Monsters David Bowie and any angry white rapping hip-hop outfit. You owe it to yourself to track this one down and give it a listen. www.spongebathrec.com

The first track, "Presto Chango" is on, and I'm thinking here comes another hip-hop/rap/metal mix screaming out of the speakers. Like the world needs another one. But hang on a second, because there's more to it than that, something intangible that keeps you listening. Maybe it's the balance of the music with the scratching and the rapping, it's not heavy guitars blaring out, it's not vocals screaming bloody murder – it's different. "Crazy American Cheese Sandwiches" has a chorus that sounds like it came off a Frank Zappa album. And "Out My Window" starts off like a ballad, with just piano and voice, then builds with horns, Beatles-like. There's a ton of variety here, and with production by Dante Ross and John Gamble (Everlast and Santana), you hear everything nicely. It's a curious combination of songs that fit well quite together, and improve vastly with repeated listening. www.hesherworld.com

This seven-song disc from the NY-based foursome has an alt-grunge sound to it. The songs, however, have a somewhat sluggish cadence, the guitars are kind of muddy, and singer/guitarist/keyboardist Rich Smith's vocals are a bit too out front. Overall, the recording sounds out of balance, as if it were made at odd hours, or when band members were lacking sleep. Is this bad? Well, yes and no. "ESP," for example, is a good pop tune along the lines of XTC or Icehouse, but could have been a bit faster, used more backing vocals and cleaner guitars. "Pain for Pleasure" has some nice guitar work, but the vocals seem strained, and detract from the song. The rest of the numbers follow suit, and lead to that previously mentioned out-of-balance feel.

This quartet out of Ohio has a sound that's a cross between '80s melodic rock and late '70s dinosaur bands along the lines of Kansas and Rush. The guitar work by Alex West is clean or crunchy where needed, and he can rip a big solo when he has to. The keyboards, by Matt Ebright, are big and swoopy, which tend to amplify that Kansas sound. The rhythm section of bassist Dan Morris and drummer Danny Little keep the groove, and all are fine musicians, having each trained for years. That said, what doesn't click? At times, West's vocals seem too strained or angry against the music, and like old dino rock, there aren't many hooks to be found. For their sophomore release though, there are glimmers of a promising future. They're set to tour, and some roadwork should season them nicely. www.seasonsend.net

Say out loud, "Unbridled psychobilly mayhem." Think, for a second, what a band that fits that description would sound like. Good. Now here's NYC's Psycho Charger with a new disc that takes those words and runs with them. The guitar twangs, covered in reverb and distortion, the vocals rant and bellow, the bass pounds, and the drums thunder like nobody's business. Though some cuts begin with movie sound bites (a nasty habit usually reserved for metal thrash bands), the music is raw, powerful, and a hell of a lot of fun. And while at times the songs blend a bit too much, the effect is almost trance-like. On "Unforgiven," one of the better cuts, Jimmy Psycho rips guitar leads like Leatherface wields a chainsaw hunting for teens. "Grave Robbers from Outer Space," which has also appeared on a previously reviewed compilation album, is another riot. If you want some rock and roll to kick you in the teeth and get you out of the doldrums, it's right here, baby, right here. www.psychocharger.com

Singer Nocera, who's had previous chart success prior to this venture, is as at home rapping as she is singing. With Gregg Fine and John Roggie, the music here is a loose, trippy blend of hip hop, acid jazz, and points in-between and elsewhere. "Don't You Worry" has a cool sensibility about it, a laid back groove that just wafts out of the speakers. "When You Say Goodbye" has a world beat, island dreaminess to it, almost lounge like. This is the kind of music that makes you want to put colored lights all over your apartment, and make yourself a trendy cocktail with a flavored vodka. Production is excellent, and some of the low bass notes will have you thinking that your downstairs neighbor is pounding on the ceiling. www.mp3.com/vos

This duo of James Raftery on vocals, guitar, keys, and "sounds," and Jeral Benjamin on viola may not rock per se, given at times an almost baroque sound. But the purity and simplicity of the instrumentation, the sense of sadness culled from the lyrics, and the pop folk feel together all sounds so refreshing it's hard to get the disc out of the player. There's even a sense of humor evident from "Breather," a 90-second cut of crowd noise, general milling about, and some brief viola notes. And while the disc at once may be a bit too depressing, small doses are a good way to cleanse the mind. It'd be nice to see what Raftery writes when he's a little more cheered up. www.ratwakesred.com