Brothers Peter and Tarquin Katis have been making experimental pop music under The Philistines Jr. moniker since 1990. Hailing from Connecticut, the band has received some critical buzz, but has never broken out of cult status. Such non-success resulted in the Katis brothers putting the band on hold and going on to other projects. Some might recall Peter's name--he has produced efforts by Interpol, The National and Jonsi. And those successful production stints have allowed The Philistines Jr. to come out of hiding and release a brand new effort, the fairly remarkable If a Band Plays in the Woods...? Sounding more confident in the recording studio, the Katis Brothers have created a record that is much more accomplished than anything they've done in the past. Echoes of Yo La Tengo, Sparklehorse and Brian Eno appear in songs like "The Bus Stop Song" and the spooky, Halloween-themed "Twenty Miles to NH". No word on a tour, but if there is one and if it comes close, I will be there. --Darryl Smyers

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Late last month, London's Mark Ronson, brother of Lindsay Lohan lover Samantha and producer of booze-lover Amy Winehouse, released his third studio full-length, this one coming under the name of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. And international business it indeed is, featuring contributions from everyone from Ghostface Killah to Duran Duran's Simon LeBon. Lead-off track and lead single "Bang Bang Bang" is a mostly American affair, though, featuring legendary New York-based MC Q-Tip and New York electronic duo MNDR. All together, it's a slice of electro-pop goodness, with Q-Tip, quite predictably, dropping knowledge all over the place. Retro soul's not all Ronson's great at. Consider this your proof. --Pete Freedman
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There's something undeniably charming about the above, intentionally low-quality music video for Sweet Apple's "Do You Remember?" (not to mention its very, very beginning, which may or may not include a joke about Dallas' own Polyphonic Spree). A supergroup of sorts featuring Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis, Cobra Verde's John Petkovic and Tim Parnin, and Witch's Dave Sweetapple (whose surname is the inspiration behind this new band's moniker), the band's riff-heavy onslaught fits nicely right alongside most of Mascis' catalog. Funny thing, though: In addition to playing guitar in this band, Mascis is also it's drummer. Still, his presence is unmistakable in the sound of this band, which released its debut full-length, Love & Desperation, earlier this year. The album's full of more classic rock 'n' roll-sounding efforts like the above one, bolstered by Mascis' always-welcome guitar work and Petkovic's gruff vocals. Great drinking music, for sure. --Pete Freedman

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Welcome to Staff Trax, the weekly feature here on DC9 where we shed some light on the music we've been enjoying of late, regardless of the touring or album release schedules that tend to bear the focus of most of our coverage. Consider it a chance for you readers to get some more insight into our own personal tastes. Maybe you'll find something good.



Originally known as Zeroes, Montreal's Suuns play a dark version of electro that also features elements of shoegaze and dub. The band's debut EP, Zeroes QC, pokes fun at the legal snafu that forced the band to change its name. But that's about the only moment of levity that one may find in the music of the Suuns. Check out one of the EP's best cuts, the tense and terse "Up Past the Nursery" in the above clip, and see if you can find a happy core we're missing. Also: Check out Suuns when the band plays The Nightmare on October 16, opening for another fine Canadian band, Land of Talk. --Darryl Smyers

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Welcome to Staff Trax, the weekly feature here on DC9 where we shed some light on the music we've been enjoying of late, regardless of the touring or album release schedules that tend to bear the focus of most of our coverage. Consider it a chance for you readers to get some more insight into our own personal tastes. Maybe you'll find something good.

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I would not be surprised to see Janelle Monáe's The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) on many best-of lists at the end of this year. Even I, somebody who doesn't regularly listen to hip-hop or anything hip-hop-influenced, can't deny how tuneful, multi-colored, and dense this record is. Sure, there are comparisons to Outkast's last few albums, but I also hear stuff that sounds like Stevie Wonder and Stereolab and whole bunch of other things. Definitely worth your time if you still haven't heard it yet. --Eric Grubbs
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Lots of great stuff was released this week: new albums by Superchunk, The Black Angels, Grinderman and the Walkmen have each occupied quality time in my home or car players. But another new album that I've listened to a little bit more? Black Mountain's Wilderness Heart. Sounding less like Animals and more like Led Zeppelin III and Physical Graffiti, I admire the band for sounding like a great modern take on '70s rock instead of a bad retread. Maybe the key ingredient is Amber Webber's vocals, which sometimes take the lead here. Maybe it's thick drumming or the melodic quality of the songs that shine through. I don't know, but it's quite a stunner of an album. And this song, "Old Fangs," is a great example of what the album has to offer. --Eric Grubbs

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Over the years, The two guys in Röyksopp have put out some really fine material that fits into my personal music realm of choice, minimalist electronica. They've also released some really snappy songs, occasionally featuring guest vocalists like Erland Oye or Karin Dreijer Andersson. They're releasing a new full-length instrumental called Senior on September 13, and started streaming it from their website on on the 6th. This is the video for the first single, which definitely falls on the minimalist electronica side of things, called "The Drug." I thought it was shot on some post-apocalyptic movie set. Turns out it's just Detroit. --Doug Davis

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It's been a great summer for independent hip-hop, and Mississippi-based Big K.R.I.T.'s free-to-download K.R.I.T. Wuz Here mixtape is as fine an example of that surge as you're likely to find. The above "Hometown Hero," which revels in indisputable street cred despite being offered over a melodic, piano-heavy beat, stands as the tape's crowning achievement, with K.R.I.T. shrewdly announcing his arrival on the scene. But, unlike so many other rappers, he does so tepidly, comparing himself to Friday Night Lights' tragic hero Boobie Miles, a prodigious high school football talent in Odessa whose world is turned upside down when he suffers a knee injury during his senior season. (That's actor Derek Luke you hear at the song's start, in the form of dialog samples from his portrayal of Miles in FNL's film adaptation.) Unlike Miles, who was too proud to see any potential problems in his life goal, K.R.I.T. appears all too aware of the pitfalls that can come with pursuing rap stardom. Like Miles, his talent is great (K.R.I.T. produced this track as well). But unlike Miles, he's watching potential roadblocks too carefully to allow himself to fall victim down the line. Consider this an impressive debut from a rapper we're going to be hearing about for some time. --Pete Freedman

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