Lil' Indie Round-Up 1

Album: The Big Bang EP by Radars To The Sky
What Does The Cover Make Me Expect??: I couldn't find an image of the cover anywhere online, but this live picture is just as good. The actual cover is all murky and orange with the band's name and EP title in the bottom center. In short, I expect something vaguely post-rockish. Mainly because the band's name makes me think of Explosions In The Sky.
What Does It Actually Sound Like??: Actually, quite good. It's nothing like post-rock, but it is within the post-punk/indie rock sound that borrows heavily from acts like Modest Mouse. That the band has female and male lead vocals--an indie rock staple--is all the better. Given a full album and a sympathetic producer, this band could produce something truly great.

Album: Ride The Boogie by Ride The Boogie
What Does The Cover Make Me Expect??: Given the title and look, I pretty much expect one of those fun time, funky "we love the 70s" bands that are always a hit in the jam band scene.
What Does It Actually Sound Like??: This album is pretty ass. It reminds me of what Man Man might sound like if they grew up watching classic rock cover bands in dive bars. Instead of writing songs about mustaches, they would write a song called 'Mustache Riders.' Instead of borrowing Frank Zappa's skewed approach to songwriting and instrumentation, they'd focus on his juvenile humor.
Album: Thunderbeast by Skamper
What Does The Cover Make Me Expect??: Cave In. I dunno, it reminds of a long lost EP from Cave In's Antenna era. So, basically, post-metal/post-hardcore with a desire to sound like Radiohead and My Bloody Valentine but a result of sounding like The Foo Fighters in heavy rock mode with a bit more effects pedals.
What Does It Actually Sound Like??: What if the dude from Stone Temple Pilots joined Placebo, and the resulting band really wanted to fit into the No Wave-ish revival as led by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs circa 2003/2004. You know, that "noisy guitars and loud keyboards mixed with clattering drums and some electronics" aesthetic, only instead of an ass kicking female singer, Skamper have an irritating, overly affected dude.
Album: YoungBored&Broke by The Heys
What Does The Cover Make Me Expect??: I couldn't find an image of the cover online, but it's basically this picture with the band's name and album title above it. In my book, if you put your band on the cover of an album, it better not be a stupid publicity shot like this, which nobody thinks is cool. Musically, if they're American, I expect something like The Strokes only 7 years too late. If they're British, I expect something like The Hives only British instead of Swedish.
What Does It Actually Sound Like??: You know those amazingly boring and generic British rock bands that at least once a year you see the British music journalists pushing on the rest of the world?? Well, The Heys are like that. Sometimes the dude sounds so much like Damon Albarn from Blur that I wonder if it might be him, playing a joke on everyone. It's not that this kind of middling, 60s worship is bad. It's just that it has absolutely no imagination and makes me want to go listen to Oasis's Be Here Now because even though it's an overblown indulgent piece of crap it's something interesting and worth getting your dander up over.