Well, it's been a busy month for some of the smaller bands who are near and dear to our hearts, so we thought we'd go over some happenings with some of the veterans of our two compilations, Flirt! and Intertwined. Click on READ MORE to check out the news!

First off, we at Excellent would like to send a hearty congrats out to Dean and Jodi Perrine of Chicago's TURNERJOY, who are expecting. That's the GOOD news. The BAD news is that they've both left the band to spend more time with family. Where this leaves Turnerjoy is kinda unknown at the current time - we'll keep you up-to-date, but the current rumor is that the band are planning to soldier on (we're keeping our fingers crossed.) In the meantime, you can still order their breathtaking album "Transplant" by visiting the band's website, www.turnerjoy.com. (Fans of bands like Radiohead and The Doves should take note.)

Meanwhile, Boston songstress PAULA KELLEY is about to drop her second solo album, "The Trouble With Success OR How You Fit Into the World," on September 16 via Kimchee Records. We've heard an early copy, and it's the stuff dreams are made of. Watch out for Paula in person, as she's planning a quick trek through the States in support. Check out paulakelley.com for the latest.

Things couldn't be going better for the newly-launched Future Appletree Records, home of Flirt! and Intertwined veterans like DRIVER OF THE YEAR, THE MARLBORO CHORUS, SETH KNAPPEN, TENKI, and CHRASH. Distribution for the fledgling start-up has been secured through Parasol Records, and already the first few releases of the label have gotten some great national acclaim. Driver of the Year's debut, "Some Girls Would Say" is a blistering rock gem, The Marlboro Chorus' "Good Luck" might be seen in some 2003 Best Of's, and Seth's debut is full of the overwhelming atmospherics that have made him a cult favorite in the Midwest. If you want a cheap way of hearing more from the FAT camp, the label's first compilation, "Soundtracks for Kisses, Fits, and Hits," hits Parasol in September.

Power pop favorites and vets of BOTH our comps, EINSTEIN'S SISTER, are back in the saddle again as well, with a Japanese only greatest hits album, "Made Easy for Everyone," released this month (with a couple new tracks!) Though it's a Japan-ONLY release, the band have copies for sale via their website, www.einsteinssister.com. We can't recommend the release enough.

THE SNOW FAIRIES lent us one of their first tracks on Flirt!, and now have put out their debut record as well this summer, a slice of pop heaven called "Feel You Up." It's being released through Red Square Records, and it's another recommendation from us, especially if you're a fan of bands like Saint Etienne, Birdie, etc.

And lastly, we havent mentioned this name in some time, but FIEL GARVIE, who featured on our Intertwined compilation, are back with their second album, "Leave Me Out Of This," and a shiny new American record deal thanks to Words on Music Records. The new record pushes their eerie dreampop envelope to the next level, bringing to mind bands like The Cranes, Siouxsie & the Banshees, This Mortal Coil, and more.

We REALLY encourage you guys to check these artists out. By following some of the links we've given you above, it's easy to find some sample mp3's for almost every band, and of course, you can still check out our free downloadable mp3 compilations, Flirt! and Intertwined, by clicking on their album covers along the right side of this page. Our music scene isn't just all about Radiohead and Pavement, folks. There's a lot of small, fantastic start-up bands out there in desperate need of press, acclaim, and most importantly, YOUR EARS.