A short list of mine:

• American Steel – Dear Friends & Gentle Hearts
• Mos Def – Mos Dub
• Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves – self-titled
• Jimmy Buffett – A1A
• Cheap Girls – My Roaring 20′s
• Harvey Danger – Little By Little
• Latterman – No Matter Where We Go!

That’s what I can think of off the top of my head. What about you?

Cheap Girls - My Roaring 20's

Wow. Where has this band been all my life? I’m so behind on this one; I’d been hearing about Cheap Girls for a while, be it on Punknews.org comments or various message boards, but utterly failed to check them out. And now I’m regretting it, because I could have listened to this album so much more in the last few months. Had I but known! Thankfully, I rectified that mistake, and have come here to help you all do the same.

If you’re not aware of the band, here’s the breakdown: Cheap Girls is a 3-piece from Lansing, MI. They’re currently signed to Paper + Plastick, who released My Roaring 20′s. This album is the follow-up to their 2008 debut, Find Me a Drink Home.

These guys are clearly disciples of ’90s indie/alternative rock. Their sound reminds me of some of R.E.M.’s earlier material, as well as bands like the Lemonheads, but with a slight twang to the music. Not really country-ish, but Southern rock.

The album opens with the quiet, unassuming “Sunnyside,” a pleasant opener. It will be a good introduction to Ian Graham’s vocal style. It’s not for everyone, but I think it fits the music perfectly; his slightly nasal, almost yelp really completing the sound. And it manages to convey the excitement and melancholy found in the lyrics. As the album title says, this is about youth, and the ups and downs found therein. If you come across this album in your own roaring 20′s, or at least with memories of that time, I suspect these songs will appeal to you.

The album is a mere 10 songs long, and it passes by quickly, with songs like “Ft. Lauderdale” clocking in just under two minutes. But it’s consistently excellent throughout. This album is a definite contender for top 10 albums of the year, so be sure to heed my warning, and get hip to these guys early.

You can stream their other album, Find Me a Drink Home, on Punknews.org.