"Crying Lightning" - Arctic Monkeys

When the movie Casino Royale was released a few years back, basically reviving the James Bond franchise, many critics lauded the film describing it as 'not your father's James Bond.' By that they meant that this new Bond was a little darker, a little troubled, a little rough around the edges. The same analogy comes to mind in describing this track, the first single off of the Arctic Monkeys soon to be released third album 'Humbug'. Whether this more brooding sound is a sign of the band heading in a new direction, or rather simply the influence of producer Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), I believe it's always refreshing when a band brings something unique to each release. Plus, not since T-Pain has anyone rocked this hard on a boat.

"Rats" - U.S. Royalty

Last week a friend of mine was watching this band perform at the Black Cat, and was so impressed by their performance texted during their set just to alert me of their awesomeness. As this endorsement came from a very reliable source I felt I owed it to her to check them out as soon as it was humanly possible. The band at the center of all this acclaim? None other than Washington D.C.'s very own 'U.S. Royalty.' I'll confess that despite considering myself a pretty big music fan, I can't say I'm all that in touch with the local music scene. However, U.S. Royalty certainly rocks in the vein of Cold War Kids, and if this track is any indication, could be poised for bigger things. Not sure when their album is dropping, so in the meantime keep your eyes peeled for their next performance at one of our local venues.