What a crazy mix we have here: the Church, Nada Surf, the Doors and Mama Cass renditions all on one disc—er, in one digital collection, courtesy of Nicole Atkins and the Sea. Yes, Atkins hopes the four songs will make it to a 10’’ vinyl fans can buy at shows, but her label, Columbia Records, remains reluctant (at least as of mid-September) because it must press a minimum of 100,000 copies. High risk? Pretty much anything “pressed” isn’t a great investment these days.

Anyhow, on to the substance. Besides the stunning tongue-in-cheek artwork, we find surprisingly faithful representations of songs we’ve previously heard. Songs like a slightly more climatic version the Doors’ “Crystal Ship” (also appearing on the Choke motion picture soundtrack) or indie-band Nada Surf’s “Inside Of Love” (with slide guitar) demonstrate the singer’s understanding of her influences. (Fun fact: Atkins played “Crystal Ship” in Cleveland last October declaring she used to hate the Doors before realizing she was just trying to be cool.)

It’s quite amazing: Besides a few minor changes in instrumentation, these covers don’t stray too far from the originals. But after taking out the original singers and plugging in Atkins’ beautiful, longing croon, these numbers become hers. Listening to her less-’80s take on “Under the Milky Way” is a perfect example, the gentle undercurrent of her prying vocals sliding under your skin and popping up all the hairs. Think of it as reverse bubble-wrap snapping.

In what could be the brightest star not in Orion’s belt (Rigel, according to Wikipedia), Atkins shines especially bright on the Mama Cass classic “Dream a Little Dream.” Accompanied by a lone acoustic guitar—you’re probably getting the wrong idea about this Mastodon-loving Jersey dame—in one of the purest examples of a hauntingly pure voice, she carries you through a lullaby that feels like it’s being delivered in-person.

At times, you might wish differences from the originals and the updates were more distinct. But really, this woman could probably sing Britney Spears or Nickelback and inject respectability into something that, quite frankly, doesn’t deserve her. Oh, but what a troubling thought. Let’s hope Atkins never has to dig that deep.

This EP is available for download at most online retailers.

When the Raveonettes first hit the scene in 2002—remember? The White Stripes, the Hives and the Strokes were tearing it up at the time—it was easy for some critics to slap the “retro” sticker on the duo. Well, no more. That idea is becoming as passé as, well, now that we’ve mentioned it, the garage-rock revival.

In February, the surfy noir twosome hinted toward more modern sounds within the fuzzy, echoey Jazzmaster whirlwinds with songs like “Aly Walk With Me” and “Lust” off its third LP, Lust Lust Lust. Then, a surprise for fans: The group announced it would release three EPs this fall, soon becoming four with a so-so three-song remix offering in early September (a freebie available at vicerecords.com).

Now, we have the first of the original three EPs: Sometimes They Drop By. This is one of those ventures really walking the walk singer/songwriter Sune Rose Wagner spoke to me about last year: The Raveonettes wants to be a modern band. Minimalist, cool, electronic, and yes, still noisy, this little four-track effort realizes Wagner’s vision, summed up by the last track, an instrumental called “Vintage Future,” a warm sort of electronic, reverb mix achieving an atmospheric buildup.

The other highlight is the title track, so beautiful and dreamlike, Kevin Shields will be proud if he ever hears it. There’s a Loveless quality present, yet it never compromises the emotional simplicity the Raves pull off so seamlessly.

“Way Out There” and “Blood Red Leis” comprise the edgier half of the track listing, the first, a treble-blaster of keyboards and guitar noise and the latter, a reminder of the Whip It On era of the band. Though not as strong as the heartstrings songs, the dark psychedelic waves begin to overcome you with each listen.

If CDs become the new vinyl, this may be the answer: digital batches of songs allowing artists to flex their creative muscle. Not as much will be on the line; if the fans don’t like it, simply drop by the next month.

Speaking of next month, the third EP, Beauty Dies, will be available Oct. 21. The last, a collection of Christmas songs, is scheduled to release Nov. 25.

You can find Sometimes They Drop By, Raveonettes: Remixed and the two forthcoming EPs at www.vicerecords.com.

Masters Of Luxury look to follow up its debut full length release, Welcome To Opulence, with its new EP, Robot Love Songs. The Dayton / Columbus / Akron hard rockers might have a difficult time overcoming geographical challenges, but have no trouble assembling four songs that make for a unique rock experience. Robot Love Songs finds the band expanding the limits of progressive metal, laying down one grooving lick after another.  Take a listen as J-Man and Double C try to deiced if they want to gush over the latest release from the band or not.

Straight Line Stitch offer up its third full length release, When Skies Wash Ashore, which is the bands first on Koch Records. The Knoxville Tennessee natives have assembled an album that is heavily rooted in mainstream metal and centered around Alexis Brown’s explosive vocal duality. When Skies Wash Ashore can appear on the surface as another metalcore album attempting to fuse the juxtaposition of melody and mayhem, which has recently littered the genre. However the album harbors potential to nudge past the rest with superior instrumentation and varied influences. Take a listen to see which camp J-Man and Double C fall in after listening to their first taste of Straight Line Stitch.

David Ullman’s debut full length Dog Days was created around somber sounds and an open memory box of hard times. This Cleveland folk rock singer/guitarist has put together a moody blend of textures that might sound best on a brisk fall afternoon. Dog Days is at its best with concise song arrangements and well executed self awareness, faltering only in the polar opposite of its strengths. Take a listen to see where Dog Days came out in its battle of better and worse as J-Man and Double C give their opinions.

Metallica return after a four year absence to deliver its tenth studio album, Death Magnetic. What has been one of the most anticipated albums in years and heralded as a return to form for the pioneers of thrash metal. Death Magnetic is faster, louder, and more aggressive then anything the band has put on wax in a decade and a half. Even with a notion as tasty as that, the question remains if the middle age Metallica were able to translate that into another classic and epic metal masterpiece. At the very least something that sounded like the inceptive speed metal that once catapulted the band to its god-like status. Take a listen as J-Man and Doboule C try to put this album in perspective amidst the overwhelming hoopla that is Death Magnetic.

Slipknot return after a four year hiatus with its fourth studio album All Hope Is Gone. The band have departed slightly from the evolution featured on its last release, 2004’s Vol. 3 (Subliminal Verses), and put together a mishmash of influences and styles, to create an album sure to divide the maggots even further. The dissension  doesn’t stop here as All Hope Is Gone has created the largest ratting gap in Saw*Kick history. Take a listen as J-Man and Double C battle it out and present two completely different interpretations of the latest work from the nine Iowans.

Winslow’s debut full length release, Crazy Kind of Love, is neatly packed with exquisite explosions of funky goodness. The neo-soul sextet display a musical intelligence rarely seen today, leveraging its cerebral attack to craft one mind-blowing arrangement after another. Drawing from the smooth sounds of a generation past, Crazy Kind of Love, could incite a rash of block parties if the wind blew just right. Take a listen as J-Man and Double C check to see if the band had enough in the tank to keep its edgy soul-rock flowing for an entire album.

Red Wanting Blue is a five piece indie rock band, hailing from Columbus, Ohio, who truly embrace the indie in indie rock. The bands eighth release, These Magnificent Miles, captures raw emotion that breads an instant familiarity to a handful of well-crafted, introspective songs. Red Wanting Blue’s hard work and dedication have remained free from corporate corruption, operating completly independent outside the industry, who have outlasted many fads in its ten year career. Take a listen as J-Man flies solo for his first sampling of Red Wanting Blue’s sound with These Magnificent Miles.

Soulfly return after a three year drought with its sixth studio album, Conquer. Since 2005’s Dark Ages failed to capture the imagination of J-Man and Double C, they were perplexed with what to expect from this new release. Were they going to get the metal thrashing, Latin acoustic guitar smattering, found on 2004’s Prophecy or would it be more of the same ready whip metal on Dark Ages? Max Cavalera and company appear to be on the road to redemption as they assault listeners with viscous riffs and a splash of Soulfly experimentation. Take a listen as J-Man and Double C enjoy Soulfly’s return to metal glory.