When we first met Ahren Buchheister, he was a 16 year old prodigy that impressed Ruben Dobbs so much as a guitar student that Ruben asked him to join his band Swampcandy. By the summer of 2005, he had formed Pompeii Graffiti with several classmates and they enjoyed the success associated with winning several categories in the Anne Arundel County HS Battle of the Bands. But as life often does, it got in the way as several band members headed off to college, leaving an unfinished demo in their wake. Fortunately, for them and us, local producer and engineer Ryan Cullen was so impressed by the early recordings that he urged Buchheister to reform the band early this year.

Despite the continuing academic careers of two of the original band members, Pompeii Graffiti did reunite by adding bassist Tyler Grimsley and badass local drummer Robin Eckman (Burn the Fields, Elder Statesmen, Cookie Head Jenkins) to the mainstays of Buchheister, vocalist Stephanie Leger and keyboardist Cara Santin. The band also performs with a rotating lineup of other musicians, including violinists, cellists, trumpet players, and rappers and the resulting sound is as varied as it is mature.

Don’t be thrown by the Judas Priest-esque album title “Five Minutes To Midnight.” Or the sea of feedback that accompanies opening track “Pickadilly 3rd.” This is a record that smartly makes it way around the rock landscape with songs that often unfold in movements, veering seamlessly from orchestral pop to gentle folk to rock that brushes up against both metal and punk. And for a record with fairly large aspirations, there’s also a humorous vain that keeps pretense to a minimum.

There’s the lovely and trumpet-augmented “Whale Song (Apology)” that owes a sonic debt to local songwriter extraordinaire Jimi Davies and his band Jarflys. The absolutely fabulous “Blankets” features slightly distorted call-and response backing vocals from Leger tucked into a tremendous pop arrangement. The jagged “Bad Social Habit” calls to mind the art punk of modern purveyors like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Los Campesinos!

And what can we say about “Emo Dance Song.” First off, it’s called “Emo Dance Song.” Secondly, it’s opening lines are “Another goddamn emo song/crying in the basement with the lights off” before setting off on a driving chorus that sounds like Franz Ferdinand and Interpol at the same time. That’s a song, my friends. The faux-hip hop of “I Got Style” with it’s over-the-top posturing and ironic musings about finance and romance (Where’s the G’s at?/Where the money? Where all my gangsta homies/With the honeys) begins almost as pure comedy but something even funnier happens along the way – it actually becomes a good song. By coupling rapper Jesse “Casheer” Smith and the violin, they manage to poke fun at the genre and make Kanye jealous at the same time.

But they save the best for last with the album closer “Settle For Less.” From its opening strings to its Rhodes-driven hook, it’s a song that unfolds over nearly seven minutes and showcases the male and female vocal interplay between Buchheister and Leger that defines the band’s sound.

For a bunch of kids, Pompeii Graffiti sounds like an old band and we mean that in the nicest possible way. In an era where indie has turned toward folk but all too often in the direction of the disingenuous energy of bands like Mumford &Sons, the multi-instrumentalists in Pompeii Graffiti have delivered a self-assured debut that demonstrates a wisdom beyond their years.

Pompeii Graffiti – Blankets

Buy the record in its entirety or track by track.

Just for the fun of it, here’s their take on Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” at an acoustic practice:

Underground Wednesday described their debut as “straight-up rock and roll done right by four kids with all the right influences on their sleeves,” and while that certainly remains the case, they’ve shifted their allegiance from Nuggets-era early Stones to their Exile On Main Street heyday of the early seventies. And what glorious fingerprints they are. Recorded live at Mill Creek studio over the course of just one day, Rock And Roll Mind Control feels both stripped down and fleshed out at the same time.

In a year where the Black Eyed Peas performed at halftime at the Super Bowl, what the world needs is a return to rock and roll with verve and grit and the Dirty Names deliver both in spades. “Rock and Roll Mind Control” is the lone holdover from the album and gets the live-in-studio treatment that the original deserved. “Don’t Try Making A Move” is the bastard child of Little Richard’s “Lucille” and Exile’s “Rip This Joint.” “I Don’t Dare” is a Jagger homage right down to Harrison Cofer’s impression of Mick’s pseudo-Southern accent. “Swimming” flat-out rings and even with the presence of high harmonies that are positively Keith-esque, it owes every bit as much to Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds as the Glimmer Twins.

But the real jewel here is the exuberant “Salt Water Jackie.” Reminiscent of “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,” it features Cofer’s best vocal performance to date, fortified by tasty piano accents courtesy of new member John Countryman, and a taut hook that just keeps gaining momentum. It’s further evidence that these local kids are about to make good.

The Dirty Names – Salt Water Jackie

BUY THIS RECORD HERE!

Check out more live video from Swampcandy live at the Ram’s Head.

Harris says that White has helped flesh out his sound. “I’m a believer in songs standing on their own with just me and a guitar, but then it’s great to blow them up,” he says. “Working with Noel and the guys he’s brought in has been great for that. And when they come, I just get out of the way. Let good musicians do their thing and you usually get the best results.”

Those good musicians include White on drums, Annapolis stalwart Larry Melton on bass, and Harris’ brother Chris on guitar. “When I write songs, they are more or less pretty simple folk type songs,” Harris says. “I love that kind of music, but getting them in the studio with some great musicians has pulled them into some other realms that I love.”

Those realms include the anthemic grunge of “Golden Age” and the quirky melancholy of “Contact Buzz.” Enjoy both while Harris continues work on an album due in 2011 but you can hear now – only on Underground Wednesday.

MP3:  Happy Little Robots – Contact Buzz

Happy Little Robots – Golden Age

This is an elegant record that, while owing much to the traditional pop of Tin Pan Alley, establishes Elijah’s authenticity. His vocals have been described as “intimate” and considering his classic pop phrasing, that’s as good a description as any. Self-assured and plaintive, these songs take their own time in revealing themselves and owe much to Elijah’s old-style recording approach where he performs live in the studio with little or no overdubs. Mickey Basil’s beautiful piano accompaniment adds another layer of warmth to a record that sounds as much crafted as performed.

Check out  “This Is My Home For Now,” a traveling song vaguely reminiscent of Belle & Sebastian.

MP3: This Is My Home For Now

For a limited time, you can download the entire record for FREE.

Check out his live performance at Mill Creek Studio.

All other things Ace Elijah at his website and MySpace.

Tastefully accentuated and beautifully expressed, it’s evocative music from an artist whose talent has always tantalized but is now marked with the maturity of a fully-formed artist.

Please join us at a combination CD release and art show this Thursday, September 16th at 9:00 pm at Tsunami, 51 West Street,  in Annapolis. Joe’s art will be on display and DJ Dan will be spinning selections from Annapolis musicians from 10:00 into the wee hours.

This hand stamped, limited edition EP features:

1.       Castle

Previously featured on Underground Wednesday, it positively shimmers.

2.       What Comes Naturally

Tasty electronic touches add an element of light to this affecting, slightly dark song.

3.       Rush Concert T-Shirt

“She can skate backwards in a straight line” is our favorite lyric of the year.

4.       For The Best

Written on the first day of the year, it makes you want to lie on your car and watch the stars with your best girl. Just beautiful.

5.       Doublemint

Candy apple red pop.

Physical copies will be available at this show only with a full digital release in October. For all things, Joe Karr, visit his website.

A prolific songwriter, he had a multitude of songs to choose from for his debut but he told Underground Wednesday that he found common lyrical ground in the songs that worked their way onto the record – regardless of whether he was singing or rapping. It’s hip hop that’s refreshingly free of misogyny and braggadocio. It’s rock with an ear for hooks and a way with words. And it’s folk that’s introspective without being self-absorbed.

Not hurting matters is the stellar production, subtle guitar work and backing vocals by Annapolis musician Casey Hean (of local bands Ethics Committee, newstravelsfast, and the forthcoming Diving Horses.) From the ebullient pop of first single “I Woke Up” to the soul-inflected hip hop of “This Ain’t Music” (featuring former Jepetto and Victory Party MC Dave Richardson), it’s a promising debut that’s only accentuated by his passionate live performances.  He might not use profanity in his music, but we’re going to go ahead and call Tobias Russell a badass anyway.

Tobias Russell – I Woke Up (now available on iTunes)

Tobias Russell – This Ain’t Music

Lead single now available on iTunes. Full album available in October 2010.

Check out his live performance at Mill Creek Studio featuring a couple of songs not found on the record.

All things Tobias Russell at his website and MySpace.