It’s time to dip into the mailbag and see what goodies have arrived lately:

Baton Rouge septet Secret Annexe’s sophomore release is titled Seven Headed Monster (2007), yet the record contains little of the title’s grotesque hydra-like implications. Formed by the husband-and-wife duo of Rob and Tammy Mulhearn, the group plays a well-balanced blend of psychedelic folk, noisy guitar rock, and quirky ’90s indie-pop; think Pinetop Seven and Pavement having coffee in a diner while Camper Van Beethoven is eavesdropping in on the conversation. Seven Headed Monster was committed to tape over the course of six months in the comfort of Rob’s suburban Louisiana home, and the lack of studio professionalism and time constraints is apparent – I mean this in a good way, of course. It took a few listens to warm up to, but once I had accustomed myself to the band’s unique sound-world, I began to eagerly await the appearance of Kelly Stone’s tasteful viola countermelodies, the subtle organ and piano lines, and some of the most glorious backing harmonies in recent memory. “I Think It’s Safe” fuses these elements together wonderfully, and the jumble of chatter at 2:30 is a nice touch. Rob’s vocals occasionally seem like an afterthought and are frustratingly dry in the mix, and Tammy’s drums are a little too ‘loose’ for my taste, but overall, this is a fine outing from a band clearly at ease with doing their own thing.

“I Think It’s Safe” – Secret Annexe 3:20 (Seven Headed Monster, Ocelot 2007)

It’s rare that I’ll come across a mixtape these days that doesn’t leave me bored and uninspired, which is why Living in Harmony (2007) from native Philidelphians Clean Guns is such a breath of fresh air. At 70 minutes it’s almost begging for overkill, yet when listened to in its entirety it feels like half of that. Emcees Knowledge Don and frequent site commenter Zilla Rocca have only one previous full-length in the Clean Guns arsenal, yet this mixtape is so well-constructed one gets the impression that these dudes have been hustling these things for decades. The beat selection is impeccable (with selections ranging from MF Doom to The Neptunes), the pacing is steady, and the pair are careful not to overload the disc with cryptic in-jokes and dull guest spots. Knowledge Don and Zilla spit a seemingly endless stream of sharp metaphors, street slang, and matter-of-fact observations, and each holds his own confidently over some of the more intimidating productions here. I’ll admit that I was tensely anticipating a fumbled punchline or cringeworthy lyric during the course of the mixtape, yet none came; these guys have the craft mastered. Undoubtedly one of the strongest new releases I’ve heard so far this year, Living in Harmony has me thirsty for the duo’s next release, an EP scheduled to drop sometime this fall. (The disc can be purchased for only $6 from the group’s CD Baby site, which is a steal for the amount of quality music contained within. Also, my man Fresh recently conducted a very thorough interview with Zilla over at 33 Jones.)

“The Score” – Clean Guns feat. So S@y 2:40 (Living in Harmony, Beat Garden 2007)

It’s nearly impossible nowadays to get an original sound out of two guitars, a bass, and drums, but damned if San Francisco four-piece Sir Salvatore aren’t trying their hardest to carve their own niche out of the monotony. Their debut EP, Those Men Are Not Astronauts (2007), has a charming lo-fi sloppiness to the playing and some exciting duel-guitar interplay, but ultimately there’s nothing too inventive here. And in a way, it’s the lack of originality that makes it so listenable. The songs are well-written, if a tad callow, but the vibe of the record is reminiscent of those weekend afternoons when you could venture down the street and listen to your high school friends practice in their garage while drinking warm beer on an old mattress. My chief complaint here lies with the vocals, which sound like they were recorded through a ten-dollar Radio Shack microphone – whether this was intentional or not, after two tracks it’s incredibly irritating. Throw these guys in a decent studio with some engineering guidance and a better grasp of song structure, and chances are likely that something very good will happen; in fact, highlights “Hooray This Projector” and closer “Public Key” are already there. The six tracks here show potential, but would have been better left for a more developed and focused full-length. Either way, I’ll be keeping an eye on this band.

“Public Key” – Sir Salvatore 4:54 (Those Men Are Not Astronauts, Tiger Balm Warpaint 2007)