UndergroundSound: November 4, 2009

"Recordings of The Middle East" is the latest EP by Australian band The Middle East, and what it lacks in length it makes up for in content.

The album has a spooky sound, and the first few songs have a slower tempo.

Then comes "Blood," which is the album’s most energetic and exciting track, complete with a bubbly sounding xylophone.

The song has a bittersweet sound, and the lyrics are like a poem that’s sad but hopeful.

"Blood" might have a good chance to catch on because of the catchy sound and melody.

The other highlight of the album is "Beleriand," which starts out with a driving tempo and calms into a beautifully arranged piece that is a graceful finish to the album.

The percussion is done in such a way that it never overpowers the other sounds but still dictates the mood of each song, and the harmonious voices keep listeners from focusing too much on any certain aspect of any song. If the goal of this album was to carefully blend a lot of softer sounds into one greater sum, then it was accomplished.

"Recordings of the Middle East" is for anybody who’s looking for slower, acoustic sounds with choral voices and deep harmonies, not electric power and heavy tempos.

"La Roux" is the self-titled album from British electro-pop duo Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid.

La Roux has topped the U.K. Singles Chart with its song "Bulletproof" in June 2008 and is now starting to make sound in the U.S. after being released as the free single of the week in U.S. iTunes stores mid-September.

The duo’s obsession with ’80s style in their clothing and music is evident to anyone who has heard one of its songs or watched one of its videos.

The album is reminiscent of ’80s electro-pop, full of techno sounds with modern music lyrics. Jackson has some of the best vocals heard in the electro-pop genre in a long time.

The hit single "Bulletproof" is a track full of brightness and techno bites that make a listener want to dance, and the chorus can get stuck in your head for days.

The band has opened for Lily Allen and has released a video for "Bulletproof."

While "Bulletproof" is the duo’s most played song in the U.S. and the U.K., hit single "Quicksand" will be re-released Nov. 23.

While La Roux certainly makes a name for itself, its music can be heard as a mix of Lady GaGa and Prince.

Emo/rock band Taking Back Sunday’s fourth album is proving to live up to anxious fans’ high standards.

Taking Back Sunday has managed to accommodate both sets of its fans: those who have been there since 2005 with the release of "Tell All Your Friends" and those who hopped on the wagon in 2006 with the mainstream radio hit "Make Damn Sure."

Taking Back Sunday’s sound has evolved since it first began, but "New Again" proves that the band has the ability to grow without sounding unrecognizable in comparison to its past albums.

With "New Again," the band leans more toward its rock side, sounding similar to bands like the Foo Fighters and less like its older emo/pop sound.

However, hints of the band’s softer side are dispersed throughout the album, particularly in "Where My Mouth Is," a song which starts off as an acoustic serenade.

"Sink Into Me" shows off the band’s high intensity with an upbeat and energetic chant-like song, while "Cut Me Up Jenny" proves the band still has it’s signature sound.

Listeners can expect the same racy lyrics that Taking Back Sunday always brings to the table because "New Again" is not deprived of the band’s sharp-tongued wit.