Monkey music round up

This sampler/compilation CD was another in the string of CD's I got my my local public radio station when I answered phones during pledge week.  I wanted to listen to it several times before I passed judgement on the many different songs on here and now that I've done it, here's what I liked and what I didn't:

1. The Fawns Snow Day- This song is pure girl pop, and that's a good thing.  It's a cute catchy song and it makes one want to discover more about these gals.  I liked this song very much.
2. Mark Roebuck and Noonday Ruin Chrysanthemum-An excellent song.  It's jangly and very reminiscent of Roger McGuinn and the Byrds.  It's a shiny bright pop rock tune that really is well made and executed well.
3. Inga Foretold Stranger- Wow.  I can't believe how much I love this dreamy confection of a song.  Inga's voice is very cool and the dreamy techno sound she achieves is really stunning.  I really dig her sound.  
4. The Willys Supertramp-Very cool and hip sounding song.  These guys have a very good retro sound.  They remind me of what the Tom Robinson Band might have been like if Tom and his band had been Americans.  This a very catchy hook laden song. (WARNING: the link to their myspace page may not work, so don't hold it against me.)
5. Handclaps and Harmonies She's Not Around-Speaking of songs that sound retro and that are hook laden, this song fills that bill as well but in a different way.  It's a good little song and if the rest of their stuff is this good then these cats may be worth buying.  
6. Jessica Defino Oh, Tori Keep Your Hands to Yourself-This song is what Avril Whatshername would sound like if she was any good.  This song is about one chick telling another to keep her mitts off her boyfriend, it doesn't sound like much on it's face but boy howdy does Ms. Defino pack a bunch of emotion and a big ass sound into this little gem.  When she tells Tori to keep her young hands to herself in this song you really know she means it and that she'll kick young Tori's ass if she doesn't listen.  

The songs I didn't care for on this CD were Adam Bernstein's Don't Let Me Turn From Love (too syrupy and predictable), David Brazeel's So Beautiful (yet another insipid love song by a mediocre singer), and Anthony Robustelli's Queen of the Screen (who knew rhyming the words 'scream' and 'screen' would provoke such a violent dislike in me for anything else Mr. Robustelli might inflict on the world).

There's a bunch more songs on this CD but not all of them were worth writing about.  All in all though, I'm glad I picked this one up and that I got exposed to the different bands and sounds on this CD.