Colour Revolt - The Cradle (New Fear/Dualtone)
Confessional bluesy/boozy blurts, sonically somewhere between the indie/alt-rock status quo and a more angular post-hardcore sound. Storytelling lyrical rambles resemble Cursive without the melodrama, Dismemberment Plan without the silliness, and Hold Steady without the Springsteen. Awesome at points, but bland at others. Worth further evaluation.
Crucified - Coldest Winter; Darkest Reaches Of The Mind (Double Or Nothing)
Standard hardcore riffs and song structures that seem at first like they should get boring are given a new lease on life by the unhinged delivery of vocalist Nick Rockwell. He sounds like he's frothing at the mouth, and it takes this album from stale to invigorating. Get into it.
Shinobi Ninja - The Baby G EP (Sound Machine Media)
A bizarre, unpredictable combination of sounds. Musically, think Rage Against The Machine, plus Velvet Revolver's awkward mix of glam and nu-metal. Vocally, Ke$ha's bratty faux-rapping is the primary reference. All of these songs sound different enough that liking one is no guarantee of liking the others. WTF is this?