A pair of new albums from both sides of the Atlantic have found their way into my rotation this week.  From the good ol' U.S. of A comes Backyard Tire Fire's The Places We Lived (Hyena Records), the followup to last year's excellent Vagabonds and Hooligans.  Stylistically, this album shares many traits with its predecessor but is definitely not a rehash. Checking in at just over the half-hour mark, frontman and guitarist Ed Anderson and company (brother Matt on bass, Tim Kramp on ... Read on, Daddy-O

From two completely different ends of the musical spectrum comes a pair of albums - one new and one upcoming - that both get the coveted GFS stamp of approval. First up is the self-titled debut EP from Build (New Amsterdam Records, 2008), a Brooklyn-based indie classical quintet formed in 2006.  Now I know what you're thinking: "Classical music?  Boring!"  Stop thinking that, you're wrong.  This are modern, tuneful compositions that bears precious little resemblance to your father's classical music. For those familiar with ... Read on, Daddy-O

OK, so we've reviewed what I believe to be the standout albums from the year that was. The second part of my year-end review reviews some of the best songs of the year. You likely wouldn't have heard any of these songs on radio (at least not terrestrial radio). In fact, I couldn't pick out any of this year's most popular radio songs if my life depended on it. Note - I tried to find official videos for these songs, ... Read on, Daddy-O