Ian Hunter once said, "Cleveland Rocks," and these boys seem to keep that torch burning. There's something about rockabilly meshed with horror or gothic overtones that is like, well, peanut butter and chocolate. It just goes together so well. And though at times the effect borders on novelty, the four boys do a bang up job. "Dead Bride" is a coffin-surfing delight, a driving number that has some great lyrics – "dead bride, room temperature thighs" – that'd have Norman Bates doing a Texas two step. Lead singer Reverend Doom and company may remind you a bit of the Cramps, but then again, all good Gothabilly will, and this stuff is good. If you hurry, you can buy a copy in time for your Halloween party. Boo! www.ravenworldwide.com

If you remember the movie Fame, or the television series, or hey, even just the song, you picture wacky, out of control teens singing and dancing their hearts out through the streets of NYC. Singer Denise Sosa (LaGuardia School of the Performing Arts graduate) and Steve Scheffron make up Burgundy. Their music sounds vaguely reminiscent of the aforementioned movie/series. Is it life imitating art, or vice-versa? While the songs here won't make you go charging out to kick your heels whilst atop cabs, there is an innocent, clean sound to the tracks. As it plays, it sounds like big, Broadway-type rock, or a modern day Carpenters, all destined for soft rock stations. Let's just hope Denise doesn't develop bad eating habits like Karen did. www.burgundyband.com

This group of lads from across the pond could well be the next big thing in a year or two. Though they're just in their teens, both the songs and performance are surprisingly good, and with a bit of experience under their belts, they could be as angry and/or famous as Brit bands such as Oasis or Radiohead. This six-song EP showcases their versatility, from the grunge rock thumper "Adrenaline" to the wistful and somewhat haunting "Homesick." And though at times you'll hear them straining on vocals, or sounding a bit rough around the edges, try to remember what you were doing in your senior year of high school. Nothing this good, most likely. Attribute the rawness to youth, rejoice in a somewhat fresh sound, and if you pick up the disc, you can tell your friends in a couple years you knew them when they just started. nuclearfish.cjb.net

He was in bands in the late '80s, early '90s, went to Fordham to get a law degree (with honors, no less, and edited the law review), and now returns to music. Should he practice more? Let's just hold that thought. With a definite early Bowie influence cast on the songs, comparison is inevitable, and compared with Bowie, he falls short (well, who wouldn't). It's hard to put a finger on what misses, but it just doesn't feel all there. On "More and More," the verses are off, but the chorus, with Tyler emotionally straining his voice coupled by heavy reverb, sounds like good glam rock. This unevenness is pervasive across all 12 tunes, where songs can go from uninspired to interesting and back again in a heartbeat. Like dad always said, it's important to have a college education to fall back on. broadbandtalent.com/kevintyler

Maybe it's some sort of cosmic karma, but when I put this disc on, a squirrel came up to the window, and Stinky (the cat) went nuts. Personally, I wasn't banging my head against the CD player, but I wasn't all doped up on catnip either. The sound here is sparse, in the way any early punk band sounds sparse. The only difference is the Squirrels have been at it for 20 years or so. "Plague Baby" sounds like a cross between a Warren Zevon number and X's "Fourth of July." A chaotic "Falling Diamonds" brings to mind X again in the chorus, while the rest of the song bounces enough to get you doing the punk pogo in your own private space. It's refreshing to hear, fun, and though they may not sell a ton of these, you might want to consider grabbing one. The cover alone is worth it. www.hellsville.com

Poor Scott Phillips. In the mid-eighties, he's touring with his band, and they decide to make a CD. Fast forward 15 years or so, and the disc is done. He's pissed at the fans, his friends, the critics, but can you blame him? It's a kind of Rumplestiltskin effect, and he bemoans the fact his work is bound to be overlooked. Well, for the fortunate few that do go the distance, the disc, while not a masterpiece, is an interesting mix of eighties rock, but with all the right influences, and enough quirkiness to pull your ear closer to the speakers. "Plus One," for example, is almost a minor key blues until the chorus, when it launches into a Bowie-like (Diamond Dogs era) feel, followed by a sax solo. Strange, eh? The ten songs here are retro enough to warrant airplay, and Phillips is justified in being a bit cranky. Help him out, and have fun listening in the process. www.bitchinwheels.com

It's Midwestern rock, easy on the ears, edgy when it has to be, and as threatening as Homer in the hammock with a beer. Not the stuff to influence rebellious teens or the kind of stuff to rivet you while you listen. Kind of like B sides of John Cougar Mellencamp or Graham Parker. "One More Night" begins sounding an awful lot like the Beatles' "Let It Be," but if I were McCartney I wouldn't waste time calling the attorneys. Frontman Brian Leighton has been working at his craft for years, and the musicianship is beyond question. It's the songs, though, that are missing the big hook, the one big enough to pull in tuna. "Red Dress" comes close, but like the others, is missing that je ne sais quois. www.gbleighton.com

I had just finished eating a burrito, and fortunately had room enough to stuff down this southwestern surf rock like a flattened chihuahua at a Taco Bell drive through. When you hear music like this, one crunchy guitar, one clean one, all hell breaking loose, it just makes you want to smile. Aside from two covers ("All I Can Do is Cry" and "Sixteen Tons"), you're getting pure Tombstone rock here, even if that line is a bit blurry (suffice it to say that some band members play in other bands). No need to worry though, as the guitars blaze their way through rockabilly, psychobilly, and points elsewhere. The songs sound familiar yet fresh, and a number like "Lazy No Good Hillbilly" will have you dancing as hard as you are laughing. Here's hoping they motor on up this way. www.thetombstones.com