Here's a review of the CDs I bought for June, and have subsequently dominated my iTunes listening.

Franz Ferdinand - [self titled]

Continuing my penchant for quirky sounding rock bands is Franz Ferdinand's self-titled effort. It's probably the drumming that makes me like this band so much -- like the tempo changes in Take Me Out. What's interesting for North American listeners, is that the band said they wanted to make "music girls could dance to", and it doesn't sound that dancable at first. Just shows how far apart we really are, eh? Fans of Montreal's The Stills and New York's Interpol will like this album too.

Favourite tracks: 40', Take Me Out, Auf Achse, Come On Home, The Dark of the Matinée.

Thornley - Come Again

Big Wreck fans will be right at home with this album, which I bought early so I could get famliar with it before the Thornley concert I went to. The album is very solid -- after at least 14 listens I'm still going strong. Chris expected a bit more from Thornley, but I was pacified with the mainstream hard rock sound. Much to Chris' dismay, Thornley thanks Chad Kroeger of Nickelback in his liner notes. I never liked Nickelback's sound enough to buy one of their albums (they are on the radio enough anyway) but Thornley's album turned out to be thankfully less/subtly Kroeger/Nickelback influenced and more Chris Cornell/Soundgarden influenced.

Favourite tracks: Bright Side, The Going Rate (My Fix), Keep a Good Man Down, Easy Comes, Come Again, Falling to Pieces, So Far So Good

Morrissey, you are the Quarry

I feel guilty for not listening to enough Morrissey this month, but I just wasn't in the mood I guess -- and I'm the kind of person that listens to music based on my mood. So I'll save this review for next month.

Muse - Absolution

I like surprises, and Muse came out of nowhere in the middle of June from my friend Chris, who liked the harder songs Hysteria and Stockholme Syndrome and recommended them. The mostly hard album is counterbalanced by some really nice ballads, even a piano solo -- territory that can only be pulled off successfully by a brave UK band. The lead singer's voice is definitely Thom Yorke-like, but the Radiohead comparisons should stop there -- the rest of the band is much different. Apparently the band is quite popular in the UK but just hasn't caught on in North America yet. Expect that to change very soon; Muse's hard sound will be enjoyed by fans of brit bands Radiohead and Coldplay alike. I look forward to hearing earlier (and apparently harder) Muse albums.

Favourite tracks: Falling Away with You, Interlude, Endlessly, Hysteria, Stockholm Syndrome, Butterflies and Hurricanes