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This week's top picks:

magnet school cover Magnet School    Catalog ID: AR22    Tonight We Drink...Tomorrow We Battle The Evil CD

Magnet School conducts a brilliant experiment by capturing and amplifying the electrifying presence of U2 from their song Bullet the Blue Sky and building an entire album around its sounds and ideas. You'll hear the blues, rock, psychedelia, angst, and commitment that are hallmarks of this U2 classic carried to entertaining and thought-provoking extremes.

Phonograph Phonograph cover Phonograph    Catalog ID: AR17    Phonograph

Those who hear Phonograph must first clear their ears of inevitable echoes of others; Tom Pett references inevitably attach to Matthew Welsh's voice and songwriting, while Wilco reminders speak to how well Phonograph plays against standard acoustic American rock cliches. Beyond that, Phonograph manages to question every rock song premise while remaining solidly at home within the genre. Acoustic and electronic sources blend in a soundscape that is beautiful and absorbing.

Hognose Longhandle cover Hognose    Catalog ID: AR04    Longhandle

Hognose is a heavy metal band whose driving, straightforward rhythm and lyrics heark back to Black Sabbath, Motorhead, or Metallica. Call it "stoner rock," or call it "thrash metal," those who care for such music can't help but like what they'll hear. Several standout tunes include "Sneech" whose cymbal/guitar intro really gets things moving, where "Black Angus" is a two-minute paean to totally engaging power rock. Those who listen while driving had better keep an eye on the speedo, or find themselves pulled over trying to keep up with the beat.