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	Artists: Stars Title: Five Ghosts Genres: Alternative Label: Vagrant Price: HKD128
	2010 release, the fifth album from the Canadian Alt-Rock outfit. Ten years after singer-lyricist Torquil Campbell and keyboardist Chris Seligman conceived of Stars in a decrepit New York apartment, one can listen back through the band's discography and hear dozens of songs that find new ways to contemplate the ancient, ageless subjects of love and death. To that end, The Five Ghosts, would seem to be business as usual. Indeed, a scan of its song titles ('Dead Hearts,' 'I Died So I Could Haunt You', 'The Last Song Ever Written') would suggest as much. And yes, the band whose previous album, 2007's In Our Bedroom After the War, imagined romance in the shadow of the threat of apocalypse, are as fascinated as ever by the potential of the ruinous love song. But The Five Ghosts is different from previous Stars albums. Simpler, sparer, and more confident (in its own quiet way), it also trades some of the band's previous dramatic flourish for the sort of direct, heart-bearing communication that comes from hard-won experience.

	Artists: Math And Physics Club Title: I Shouldn\'t Look As Good As I Do Genres: Pop Label: Matinee Price: HKD128
	Long-awaited second album from Seattle pop darlings Math and Physics Club! The band first captured our hearts in 2005 with the charming ‘Weekends Away’ EP, which quickly sold out of its initial pressing. The band’s brand of literate acoustic-based guitar pop has garnered frequent comparisons to The Smiths, Belle and Sebastian, and labelmates The Lucksmiths, and their self-titled debut full length was named best indiepop album of 2006 by PopMatters. Picking up where their excellent 2007 ‘Baby I’m Yours’ EP left off, Math and Physics Club return with their first long player in nearly four years. ‘I Shouldn’t Look As Good As I Do’ is a smashing collection of ten new pop gems, chock full of the chiming guitars and sweet melodies we’ve come to expect, but it also packs a punch their earlier work shied away from. Seattle producer Martin Feveyear (Presidents of the USA, Mark Lanegan) helped the band dial in rich, clean tones reminiscent of their 80’s influences like The Housemartins, but with a decidedly modern luster. The ten tracks clock in at less than 25 minutes, showcasing the band’s knack for crisp arrangements and good sense to know when a song just doesn’t need that extra chorus. Lyrically the album continues the themes of love and heartbreak that are signatures of the band’s earlier recordings, but songs like ‘Everybody Loves a Showtune,’ ‘The Internationale’ and ‘We’re So DIY!’ also catch them poking fun at theater culture, faux celebrities, and even at themselves. First single ‘Jimmy Had a Polaroid’ starts out in familiar MAPC fashion, but as soon as the drums and bass rumble into the picture you realize this is no twee affair. As chiming guitars whirl through the choruses, the rhythm section keeps things driving at a fast clip that will surely get the kids dancing. Among the other highlights, ‘Everybody Loves a Showtune’ is an unexpected slice of folk pop full of banjo, accordion, trombone, tuba, and timpani. The story follows a clueless chorus boy who brings a musical production to its knees when he breaks ranks. ‘Love or Loneliness’ is one of the album’s most surprising tracks as the band stretches into new musical territory with a straight ahead rock beat and sweeping mellotron reminiscent of ‘Out of Time’ era REM. Meanwhile, ‘Will You Still Love Me’ is a fast-paced homage to bands like The Housemartins and Heavenly, with Charles’ vocals melding with guest vocalist Jen Garrett of Seattle band Stuporhero to deliver a sweet tale about insecure lovers. ‘We’re So DIY!’ closes the album with a tongue-in-cheek tribute that condenses the indiepop handbook into a tidy two minutes, complete with handclaps and Beach Boys-drenched harmonies. Oh yeah! ‘I Shouldn’t Look As Good As I Do’ is Math and Physics Club’s most confident and sharply written work to date. What sophomore jinx? We’re happy to have them back!

	Artists: Judith Godrèche Title: Toutes Les Filles Pleurent Genres: Pop Label: Because Music Price: HKD148
	- Produced by Benjamin Biolay. - Features original songs written and composed by Benjamin Biolay, Pete Yorn, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Syd Matters, and more. This is the debut album by French actress/director Judith Godrèche featuring original songs written and composed for the film Toutes Les Filles Pleurent. "Obviously, the musical story created in this movie could not finish there. The idea was to compose a complete album inspired by the movie. As an alive continuity, a musical twin, a memory that turned into a project." This album was an opportunity to realize sophisticated and sensible collaborations. As they come, the songs sung by Judith are all original works from Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Benjamin Biolay, Syd Matters, Pete Yorn, Piers Faccini, Mary Gauthier, Julien Doré and Wallis Bird. As the artist herself explains, "All the songs are intimately connected to the movie but create an independent album that took its freedom away. I thought about Benjamin for the title song 'Toutes Les Filles Pleurent.' I felt that with his romantic seriousness, his precise and powerful writing, he knew. I saw the film, we talked about it and he listened to the songs written for the album: for me, it was obvious that he will produce the album. With his own virtuosity, he managed to 'dream' the project and I'm very happy with it."

	Artists: Espen Eriksen Trio Title: You Had Me at Goodbye Genres: Dance/Electronic Label: Rune Grammofon Price: HKD138
	This is the debut full-length release by the piano-led Espen Eriksen Trio. Espen Eriksen is a debutant on Rune Grammofon and as a recording artist in his own name. His musical background is varied, ranging from pop music to jazz and the church organ. He has played with top Norwegian jazz musicians such as Bendik Hofseth, Mats Eilertsen and Thomas Strønen and was for three years a pianist, arranger and composer for singer Christina Bjordal. Bassist Lars Tormod Jenset lived and worked as a musician in Copenhagen for seven years before relocating to Norway in 2007. He is also a member of Hot N Spicy, Bendik Giske Kvintett and Rodent. Andreas Bye is one of Norway´s most requested drummers in jazz and pop. He was a member of Bugge Wesseltoft's New Conception Of Jazz and has played with John Scofield, Joshua Redman, John Taylor, Dhafer Yousef, Nils Petter Molvær, Håkon Kornstad, and many others. The music of Espen Eriksen is lyrical and highly melodic, and in some ways, typically Scandinavian with its folk elements -- shades of the deep woods and touches of melancholia. In that respect, it's fair to say that he belongs to the same tradition as Tord Gustavsen and the late Esbjörn Svensson, but without really sounding like any of them. But it's also fair to say that the trio's less-is-more approach is in stark contrast to many of their contemporary piano trios, with structures almost like pop songs while focused on melodic content and short solos.

	Artists: My Education Title: Sunrise Genres: Post Rock Label: Strange Attractors Price: HKD128
	"Comprised of pieces from the band's original score for F.W. Murnau's 1927 silent masterpiece Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, My Education has discovered the perfect forum for which to flex their compositional muscles, achieving ever-transcendent musical heights in the process. This original score was perfected over the last two years through live scoring to the film, performed at sold out shows from coast-to-coast throughout the USA. Just as the music provides new context to the film as a live accompaniment, Sunrise flashes brightly from the speakers, sparking vivid and lush imagery for the listener. Finding parallels to the timeless soundtracks-as-albums Popol Vuh composed for a number of Werner Herzog's films -- music with such visual distinction that it went on to become both synonymous with the screen and the band's legacy -- Sunrise leaps onto celluloid with confident grace, distinguishing itself as My Education's most diverse and mature release yet."

	Artists: Exit Calm Title: S/T Genres: Alternative Label: Club AC30 Price: HKD128
	2010 debut album from British Indie group. What the press have said 'with ragged vocals and swathes of widescreen guitar effects reminiscent of early Verve, Exit Calm have a penchant for all things epic' (Q Magazine), 'You will witness something that leaves you speechless and transfixed.' (Gigwise.com), 'Unashamedly epic, their effects-laden sound adds a wide-eyed romantic edge that is alluringly easy to lose yourself in.' (The Metro), 'Bruised Indie-Rock that builds and builds before spilling over into beauty one minute, and raw aggression the next.' (Rock Sound), 'A four-piece whose wall of sound defies classification.' (Sandman Magazine), 'Immensley focused, delivered with ferocious intensity.' (DrownedInSound), 'File under the greatest Rock bands of all time.' (Clint Boon, XFM). Club AC30.

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