"In the Ever" by Mason Jennings (Brushfire Records) - Out now

First things first: Mason Jennings is not Jack Johnson. It's easy to get confused, since they do sound kind of similar. And they both fit nicely into the mellow folk rock category. This has to be something Jennings considered before signing to Johnson's label, Brushfire Records. But as his stock grows, the moves seems to be paying off.

"My Grandfather, the Cubist" by Joy Electric (Tooth and Nail Records) - Out now

"Body Language" by Monotonix (Drag City) Out Now

As with many underground indie bands trying to break through, their fan base grows from Internet buzz, MySpace entries, and many times, what their gigs are like. When it comes to Monotonix, their shows are incendiary. Literally.

 "Old Home Movies" by The Botticellis (Antenna Farm Records) -Out Now

If born in the ’70s or early ’80s, you did it, too. You riffled through your parents’ old albums, trying to make sense of strange names and creased images—Petula Clark in a pink raincoat, the Beatles crossing a street, a woman covered with whipped cream.  You held a heavy record in your small hands. With help from your father you put it on the turntable, lowered the needle and triggered a storm of scratchy static, a prelude to the first notes of a not-so-far off past.

In 2008, with CDs becoming quaint, the days of album covers and vinyl seem positively antediluvian. But, oh, those memories are there, warm, gauzed, dreamy.

If you’re feeling pangs of nostalgia, you might dig The Botticellis’ “Old Home Movies.”

"Evil Urges" by My Morning Jacket (ATO) - Out now
Weird. Less than five years ago, My Morning Jacket seemed like a full-throttle Southern rock band with a penchant for blow-out live performances.