The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy”:  The duo creates a BIG rock sound here that hearkens back to the olden’ days of rock n’ roll, and its darn near impossible to listen to this without a bit of head bobbing (or more).  The blues influence is mostly gone, and it sounds like they have somewhat ditched the raw two-person band sound but gosh, this is fun to listen to.

Ruth – “Life is Just a Dream”:  The Battle Ground, Washington band is soon releasing their 3rd LP Payola independently after being dropped from Tooth and Nail Records.  The lead single, which has been picked up by RadioU, is straightforward indie pop-rock, which ponders existential themes amidst a simple, happy tune.  This is pretty typical for the “Ruth” sound.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTe2D3Gg86M]

Attack Attack! – “The Motivation”: Like most AA! songs, this is a fun metalcore track without a lot of musical depth.  Caleb Shomo’s vocals are much better and this single does a good job showcasing his range.  While the generic breakdowns permeating the intro, outro, and pretty much every instrumental portion of the song are to its detriment, AA! isn’t likely to lose very many fans over this one.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuekWmy7Ifo&ob=av2e]

Fireflight – “Stay Close”:  This lead single off the oddly titled Now (to be released in March 2012) is a definite improvement over the lackluster songs on For Those Who Wait.   The band regains some of its punch (but not as much as in say, “Waiting” off their debut) and lead singer Dawn adds dramatic flair to the chorus.

Mutemath – “Blood Pressure”:  Mutemath takes the blues rock road a bit on this one, with the groovy bass lines amidst angst-ridden lyrics and power chords.  This is sure to be a fan favorite in concerts, and will be a nice contrast to older, more ambient hits such as “Chaos” and “Spotlight.”