Artist: Neon Neon

Album: “Stainless Style”

Release date: March 18

Label: Lex

Neon Neon is the name of the newest producer/singer team to hit the airwaves with its album “Stainless Style.” DJ Boom Bip and Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys have poured an album cocktail that’s two parts New Wave and one part hip-hop with an electro-pop garnish.

Boom Bip effortlessly glides the music from genre to genre, and Rhys’ distinct voice sits on top perfectly.

Rhys’ tracks are instantly addictive and, predictably, the best. “Dream Cars” coyly captures the mood of the ’80s as Rhys confesses his lust for “dream girls in cold cars” and “cold girls in dream cars.” Princess Leia’s past love life is revealed in “I Told Her on Alderaan.” The dark, moody “Belfast” recalls early Depeche Mode. And finally, there’s a track titled “Michael Douglas” – that’s all you really need to know about that one.

The pair also invited artists Spank Rock, Yo Majesty and Fat Lip for three tongue-in-cheek tracks filled with dirty synths and dirty lyrics.

The album closes strongly with the wistful title track, which calls to mind Gorillaz’ title-track closer on “Demon Days.”

“How many are my foes?” Rhys asks. “How many rise against me?”

– Thomas Grundmeier

Artist: Gnarls Barkley

Album: “The Odd Couple”

Release date: March 21

Label: Atlantic

You remember when? You remember (you remember) when these guys were on top?

Some called Gnarls Barkley a one-hit wonder when the duo released 2006’s pervasive single “Crazy.” Possibly, but there’s no denying Danger Mouse’s production skills or Cee-lo’s powerful voice.

And though nothing quite matches the bombast of that first single, “The Odd Couple” is a solid, mostly cohesive sophomore effort.

This second LP opens with a film projector sample that reveals the album’s aesthetic – almost every track is layered with elements of classic soul, R&B and funk. Vinyl cracks and pops during the album’s quieter moments, and Danger Mouse’s brilliance shines brighter during the psychedelic guitar intro to “Going On” and the Zombies-inspired background vocals of “Surprise.”

Cee-lo also emerges as an emotive singer and lyricist in the poignant “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul” and closer “A Little Better.”

But “The Odd Couple” only really works when it’s in full-blown ’70s retro mode – which is all but two or three tracks. Songs like “Open Book” and “No Time Soon” are essentially trip-hop numbers that just don’t sound right in the context of the rest of the album.

– Thomas Grundmeier

Artist: Counting Crows

Album: “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings”

Release date: March 25

Label: Geffen

The newest Counting Crows album, “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings,” reveals almost an entirely different sound from the band. It is undeniably a rock album with clear country leanings, so fans of the previously melancholy-sounding band may be disappointed by the pop-rock twist it’s taken.

The first half of the album starts with a bang with “1492,” which features aggressive electric guitar riffs that almost overpower the distinctive lead vocals of Adam Duritz. This, in fact, characterizes the first half of the album. There are piano breaks in “Hanging Tree” that soften the sound of the “Saturday Nights” section, while “Sundays” could very easily be a twin of the band’s previous hit “Rain King.”

“Sunday Mornings,” the second half of the album, has a definite country feel. The electric guitar is traded for a softer acoustic set which highlights the poetic lyrics that made the band famous. In “On Almost Any Sunday Morning,” the harmonica resurfaces as Duritz goes back to his folk roots.

The album, as a whole, seems a little schizophrenic but may draw a whole new crowd of fans while appeasing older fans with the softer second half.

– Rashah McChesney

Artist: Snoop Dogg

Album: “Ego Trippin”

Release date: March 11

Label: Geffen

Girls, drugs and gangsters. It’s rapper Snoop Dogg’s comfort zone, and he doesn’t stray far from it in his ninth album, “Ego Trippin’.”

The 25-track, 87-minute-long album features artists such as Too $hort, Everlast and “Drop It Like It’s Hot’s” Pharrell. And the single “Sensual Seduction” is titled “Sexual Eruption” on the LP. The album feels stretched out on some songs, such as “Ridin’ In My Chevy,” “Staxx In My Jeans” and “Been Around the World” – which is dedicated to his wife. The generic hip-hop jamz kick in during the last half and seem to wear thin material already covered in past albums.

However, Snoop does perform a few songs outside of his comfort zone. He even sings credibly on “Cool,” a cover song originally performed by ’80s R&B group The Time. The track “My Medicine,” a tribute to the “real American gangsta,” Johnny Cash, is brought to life by a bizarre country-style beat.

A majority of the album is a mix of 1980s pop undertones with styles of present day hip-hop – “Can’t Say Goodbye” with Charlie Wilson and The Gap Band is a notable exception.

– Anthony Capps

Artist: The Bravery

Album: “The Sun and the Moon Complete”

Release date: March 18

Label: Island

Following the 2007 release of “The Sun and the Moon,” The Bravery releases its remade version, “The Sun and the Moon Complete.” The new release contains the original 2007 release as one disc and expands on the album with a new “Moon” disc, which consists of the remade versions of the original twelve songs.

“The Moon” songs offer a more electronic feel and a different variety of sound accomplished through the addition of several new instruments – a revamp that complements many of the songs on the album. The overall effect of the change is a more driven album that lessens the presence of the music’s rock elements and explores a different side of The Bravery’s sound. The few songs that suffer, like “Time Won’t Let Me Go,” utilize slower rhythms that stray too far from the original material. The new album isn’t a replacement for the original, but “The Sun and the Moon Complete” is a must-listen for fans of The Bravery. Some listeners might even discover a better version of an old favorite.

– Trevor Patch

Artist: PlayRadioPlay

Album: “Texas”

Release date: March 18

Label: Island

The first full-length album by PlayRadioPlay is a follow-up to the band’s “The Frequency” EP released last April. Daniel Hunter, an 18-year-old from Dallas, plays almost every instrument on the album. The album is self-produced, but hunter did collaborate with Jackknife Lee, a producer who worked with bands like U2, Snow Patrol and Kasabian.

Hunter’s sweet, melodic vocals blend perfectly with the muted instrumentals, which stay in major keys throughout the majority of the album. Fans of bands like Copeland will definitely enjoy the track “Loco Commotion/Suddenly, I’ve become a perfectionist.”

The album will also appeal to fans of the electronic sounds of Portishead, with emotion reminiscent of Death Cab for Cutie. “My attendance is Bad But My Intentions are Good,” the ninth track, is featured on Hunter’s MySpace page and is pretty catchy, compelling the listener to sing along.

PlayRadioPlay will be touring with Fall Out Boy, Anberlin, Meg & Dia, and the Spill Canvas this summer, when he will also play on the Vans Warped Tour.

– Rashah McChesney

Artist: The Wars of 1812

Album: “Status Quo Ante Bellum”

Release date: March 18 (MP3 only)

Label: Amble Down

Few freshman albums are as strong as “Status Quo Ante Bellum” – “as things were before the war” by The Wars of 1812.

Mellow enough for a moonlight dinner, emotional enough for a rough night alone and simple enough for any 15-year-old to enjoy, there aren’t many indie bases this album doesn’t cover. While the lyrics could easily be described as trite, they work well within the framework of an album that relies on Peter Pisano’s vocals; his voice draws together what would otherwise have been too many different distracting musical elements.

Listen for funk guitar riffs, Meg White-esque drumming, minor chords between the vocals and piano as well as the bass stylings of Mei-Ling Anderson.

Track 8, “Beggin You,” is easily the best song on the album, with it’s slow major-third psuedo-scat ending – it’s sure to have you humming for days on end.

– Rashah McChesney