Listening to Agent Ribbons’ newest release Chateau Crone (out October 12th on Antenna Farm Records) I was reminded of their final show in Sacramento back in March. I was impressed by the sophistication of the production and sound; by their wit and intelligence, energy and sass. In fact, it was the Agent Ribbons I remembered from that show but more. On top of their signature cabaret style, a selling point of their first album On Time Travel and Romance (2006), they sounded as if The Breeders (circa Last Splash ) and Amanda F. Palmer (of Dresden Dolls fame) teamed up to create a super chick band. Their lead off track “I’m Alright,” for example, is a smooth summery anthem harkening back to T

Two years after winning a Sammie award, fans of The New Humans were wondering when they’d get to hear a full record. After various production hurdles, on August 21st The New Humans will release what fans have been asking for: a surprising and entertaining EP entitled Avalanche. Much of the eight track record is filled with the same heart-pounding synthesizer-driven electro pop that we have come to expect out of The New Humans. Tracks like “All the Kids” and “Tremors” seem like parts of the same explosive song and together they open the EP with a bang.   “Fever,” their first single (now available on iTunes), is still their signature track. This big band-inspired and well-composed dance hit