"Hey, Vinny Bag of Donuts! The Pop Mafia is here!" Actually, they've been on the scene for a few years, and their latest release is a scattered collection of pop tunes, some hits, some misses. At best, the sound is reminiscent of Paul Westerberg. At worst, you'll encounter middle-of-the-road, hookless rock, like "Mid-life Crisis," a two-chord dirge that's flat and uninspiring. Other songs are more successful, like "The Sunshine of Your Vanity," which bears a faint resemblance to a similarly titled Cream song, or "Just Go Away," a livelier pop number, which shows that the band has the potential to write energetic tunes with a mid-'80s punk feel. Though the distorted guitars have a bit of an antiseptic feel, the vocals are way out front. Production is almost too slick, with nary a glitch.

When the punk movement hit in the late '70s, a lot of kids who couldn't play instruments formed bands, which made for myriad interesting shows. I say this not because Sea Monster are a punk outfit. They're not. Rather, they possess that simple approach to the songs, like they only learned enough to play what they play. The result is a hoot, a cross between the Doors, Iggy Pop, and Psychobilly roots rock. "Gimme a Beer," for example, may as well have been sung by Jim Morrison from the other side, and will have you smiling and tapping your foot as the chorus blares. The overall sound is lo-fi, as if it were recorded in somebody's basement or live in a small club in front of about three people. Again, not a detraction; it only serves to heighten the fun. Scuse me while I play this one again. www.seamonstermusic.com

By the fourth cut, I'm floored – the first three have been gems, with outstanding production by James Mastro, sounds coming and going, surprises left and right, beautiful chords and melody, and I wonder, can they keep it up for all 13 cuts? Heck yes. Though the styles may change slightly – "Billy on Guitar" is a heavier, fat-amp sounding rocker while "Ain't Enough Hours in the Day" is a Byrds-like ballad – you feel the hooks oozing out. Even a cut like "Hopin' I Might Die Instead," a rootsy lo-fi number, sounds a bit out of place at first, but eventually cleans up. By the last song, "Vibe," a Brit power-pop influenced number, I'm wondering where these guys have been all along. Fun Machine lives up to its title and then some. www.bastardsofmelody.com

Energetic West Coast punk-pop sound. Guy sings vocals. Girl sings vocals. Shades of X? The comparison is inevitable, given the scarcity of bands that employ this approach. So is Betty Already the X of the new millennium? Sure, why not. The title cut takes a stab at the excesses of American lifestyle, while other tunes tackle themes such as rich girls ("Must Be," "H-Bomb"), disparity in wealth ("Feed Me Cake"), and just goofy, alliterative fun ("Squirrelly Girly"). It's not all gassed-up punk, as there are enough breaks in tempo to keep things interesting. And the band slows down enough to allow you to catch your breath. Listeners may also be familiar with singer Kitty's voice, heard on zthing.com's Britney Spears parody ("Oops, I Farted Again"), and that website will soon be animating the band's cut "Vampires in the Sun." Fun stuff.

Who would have thought a huge sounding, glam-rock disc would have come out of Texas? Show of hands? Well, it's not really glam rock, more like Gary Numan and Lou Reed hook up and bang out a bunch of tunes. And if that combination sounds weird to you, well, try describing the Onlys yourself. It's moody stuff, no doubt about it, and I'm sure they read Radiohead's pamphlet on how to be obscure in a pop sense. And like that band's last effort, the Onlys' Tune the Blue Screen is likeable for reasons you can't immediately put your finger on. No tippy-tappy dance tunes here, but something pulls you so deep into the disc while you're listening you just can't turn it off. Maybe that Radiohead pamphlet is more than just a rumor. Hmmm. www.theonlys.com

It's about four in the afternoon when the disc goes on, and I notice on the back of the liner notes, the following warning: "This music was intended to be listened to at night." (Man, I'm a rebel, I think.) Why at night? Does the music put you to sleep, I wonder? It's definitely not head-banging stuff, that's for sure. Nate Ashley's voice is at the higher end of the register, and he sings in a blend of whispers and breaths, all the while accompanying himself, since he is the band. The music is pop, with the occasional bluesy guitar weaving in, a Mid-eastern riff here and there, while the keyboards are clearly the dominant beast. And though his vocals get on my nerves a bit (take a throat lozenge, I keep thinking), there's a trance-like quality to the music that somehow keeps my attention. I'll listen again tonight and get back to you. www.lefthandedlabel.com

Start with the gravelly abandon of Janis Joplin, add the brashness of an angry Melissa Etheridge, toss in the nasally blare of Alanis Morrisette, add a dash of a wistful Belinda Carlisle, fold in ten well-written songs, and you'd have the debut of one of New York's finest singers. You may not recognize her from smoky downtown bars, but you might be familiar with the voice that's graced countless commercials and jingles, backed up big name acts, and even sang the theme song for the "Sally Jessy Raphael Show." Ferro is an award-winning songwriter, and she puts her talents to good use on this debut, from honky-tonk blues numbers like "Copycat," to blistering, yet moody, cuts like "Religion." And there's a sultry, seductive tone to her voice in "Happy," when the chorus starts, "What can I do to make you happy?" that'll make you a fan for sure. www.lorraineferro.com

The trio of Noah Chase, C. Lanzbom, and Mark Ambrosino are Soulfarm. Along with a few friends, they've put out a big-sounding disc, complete with vocal harmonies, open, airy guitars, solid drums, and a sound that nods often to the Grateful Dead. Though the Dead influence is apparent, it's not terribly pervasive; sounds move more across worlds than stagnating on the Left Coast. "The Ride," for example, will give the Gypsy Kings a run for their money, while "I Don't Mind" has a swampy, down-in-the-bayou kind of groove. If you're a fan of the Dead's music, you'll find enough here to get you doing that trancy, dope-addled, wavy-armed dance. Just don't lose sight of the fact that these guys are accomplished musicians and can play (listen for those Mid-eastern riffs). And listen for that ground buzz on "Something Special." That drove me nuts. www.soulfarm.net

Imagine it's time to finally put out that CD you've wanted to. It's going to be live, and you're using Nashville session cats for a pick-up band. Nervous? Apparently Michaels wasn't, and his songwriting abilities are well served by the band. As for the live aspect, well, there's a bit too much yakking for my tastes, but that's a minor quibble, as the overall sound is clean and clear. Michaels must be a sentimental romantic, as the bulk of the tunes are the mid-tempo pining-away type. They're a good match for his voice. He can also be clever, as he sings, "If I could rewrite the alphabet, 'I' would be next to 'U,'" It's a clever turn of a phrase on one of the more up-tempo numbers. The flavor is a '70s kind of country, as on "I Will," a ballad that'll take you back 30 years, to the days when a good ole time at the local honky tonk cost you a couple of sawbucks at most. www.jonmichaelsmusic.com

A quick glance at the liner notes (always take a quick glance) finds the note, "There's one tune in here for everyone's tastes..." and, of course, if I'm in a real bad mood, I say, "Well, why bother with the other eight songs then?" And though I'm in a forgiving mood today (it's sunny out), I'm tempted to condemn this offering, the third for the band. John Sullivan's vocals either sound strained, as on "New York Day," or have an affected snarl ("Rather Be"), and, overall, the disc has a sloppy, slapped-together feel. It's not so much that it's a bad disc, but more that it's not a good disc; none of the songs really grab you, and you'll find yourself drifting off rather than paying attention to the music. It's just, dare I say, mediocre? www.gingermoon.net

Another, in what seems to be a growing stream of discs where the artist writes the songs and plays all the instruments. Was Prince that influential? Eh, who knows. "Left Alone" is a mellow, spacey rock number, along the lines of the Cars' "Since You're Gone," that has a cool vibe to it. And while some songs have a simplistic, two-chord vamp, like "America" and "King," they also have that snapping-finger, Beat-poet groove about them that you'll either love or hate. Quinton's voice is that of a tired, bleary-eyed kid who's been rustled from his sleep, though he keeps pace with the tunes quite well. It's a quirky disc that'll grow on you if you let it. www.hooverrecords.com

From the distant shores of New Jersey comes a power trio knock knock knocking on your door. Do you look through the peephole first, or just let them in? I say let 'em in, and give 'em a Fresca too. Bordering on that delicate fringe between power pop and heavy metal, their songs mix crunchy guitar chords with melodic vocal harmonies, searing leads with a solid rhythm, ending up with a respectable effort. Trios have a tendency to go overboard on the production side ("Just look at all these toys in the studio! Just think what we can do!"), but in this instance, Phil Nicolo (Urge Overkill, G. Love & Special Sauce) keeps it sounding like a trio. "Got Shot Down" has a nice minor-key reggae thing to it that might remind one of Elvis Costello (sans keyboard). Nice work boys. www.shadesaparthq.com

Whew. These lads from Cleveland have been tearing it up in their environs since 1993. Mixing hardcore metal with techno beats, keyboards, and a vocalist you can understand (don't worry, there's still the gruff-throated satanic guttural thing happening), Mushroomhead manage to avert sounding like numerous other one-dimensional groups by layering sounds and using dynamics. In addition, their press kit mentions their outlandish stage show. And listening to a song like "These Filthy Hands," which employs a piano upfront, you can tell there's a certain theatrical nature to the band, albeit it off-Broadway. Another tune, "Chancre Sore," has a similar bent, a kind of Tool-influenced rock-opera feel. Not for the meek. www.mushroomhead-music.com

In a similar vein, we have Tampa's Crossbreed, a hardcore, industrial-beat, screeching-vocal, DJ-breaks kind of band. The single "Underlined" is a fairly straightforward number, along the lines of Marilyn Manson or NIN, with a popping synth sound dotting the verses, before the guitars come crashing in on the chorus with the screaming angst-ridden vocals. Production is adequate, though the disc sounds a bit flat, and not as lively as the energy of the band would seem to indicate. Crossbreed seem to make more use of keyboards, which has the effect of taming the guitars somewhat, and is a nice relief from some of the unrelenting hardcore stuff that frequently comes this way.

If Radiohead were the first big name to break the standard conceptual disc mold with Kid A, then Headrush might gain recognition for taking things a few steps further. Whereas Radiohead did away with the familiar construction of the song as we know it, Headrush does that as well as doing the same for members of the band. More a collection of contributors than a band per se, the "band" is referred to as "The Headrush Cru," with over 20 members/contributors listed. Furthermore, the tracks are sequenced in a theatrical style, arranged in 4 acts and 15 scenes. What's it like musically? Way cool, actually, like listening to a movie soundtrack before seeing the movie and trying to figure out what's going on. Hard to describe, but well worth the listen if you can find it.

Along the lines of Cracker, the Band, and at times Dylan, comes Alan Charing's latest band. It's got that sweaty, guitar-heavy, smoke-filled bar feel, the kind of band you happen across and which reaffirms your belief in the purity and goodness of music. To use a twisted Wizard of Oz analogy: Imagine poor Dorothy swept away by the tornado to munchkin land, which is peppered with dog-awful FM rock. Then she gets back to Kansas where everything is safe and secure. The latter is the kind of music A.C. Cotton plays, because there's no place like home. It's honest and heartfelt stuff (don't ask me how the witch or Toto plays into this analogy). Whether it's the funky cool "Rusty Chain," the jangly happy title cut, the back-country fun of "Lucky Thirteen," or any of the other 11 cuts, A.C. Cotton delivers the goods. www.accotton.com