Wherever I go on campus these days it seems I hear the same two things. “Rob, when’s that next rock and roll round up coming?” and “Hey man, you’re really tall!” Well, the next rock ‘n’ roll round up is here, and yes -I am really tall, enjoy.

The Witch Hazel Sound - This World…. Then the Fireworks (Hidden Agenda Records)

Psychedelic pop always seems to come from unlikely areas; Mercury Rev resides in upstate New York and the Flaming Lips are from Oklahoma of all places. The Witch Hazel Sound (hailing from Kent, Ohio) keep the tradition of quality headphone rock bred in odd terrain alive on their latest release.

The synthetic orchestral flourishes found on tracks like “Two or Three Things I Know About Her” boast Phil Spector-esque grandeur and the layers of horns and vocal harmonies in songs like “Fireworks” beg the obvious (and completely overdone) Pet Sounds comparison. That being said, however, The Witch Hazel sound’s brand of retro-prog-pop is far from a boring retread of what’s come before it. It’s clear that this is a band who have mastered their influences rather than been mastered by them.

The songs here are all pretty stream-lined, usually clocking in around the four minute mark, so there’s not a lot of room for mind expanding jamming, the songs still manage to capture a sweeping majestic vibe, however, thanks to deft production and layered guitar work. Fans of Grandaddy and latterday Mercury Rev would do well to check out the Witch Hazel Sound; a group providing a more organic take on psych-pop that sets itself apart from any of their more heralded contemporaries.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Go Back Snowball - Calling Zero (Fading Captain Series)

In what amounts to the ultimate dream pairing of rock musicians for long time indie-rock fans Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices) and Mac McCaughan (Superchunk) have joined forces to create the new indie-rock deity Go Back Snowball and released their first record, Calling Zero. McCaughan laid down all of the instrumental backing tracks in North Carolina and then sent the tapes to Pollard who wrote the lyrics and recorded the vocals in Ohio. Despite this rather unorthodox working method (the two never set foot together in the studio throughout the entirety of the project) the resulting album doesn’t feel as disjointed as one might expect.

McCaughan lays down a solid foundation for Pollard with most of the songs recalling the kind of woozy pop he favors in his Portastatic recording project. Pollard is in classically incoherent GBV lyrical mode throughout (“The good earth rules/ Like a Utopian spoof/ Zip code hallelujah”) and sounds like he’s having a good time.

The strongest moments are when McCaughan crafts GBV styled classic rock riffs for Pollard to belt over. The stellar “Never Forget Where You Get Them” ranks up there as a classic in either of the artists estimable catalogs thanks to its stinging electric guitar lines and unshakable chorus. Occasional dabbles in lo-fi freak out territory (“Again the Waterloo,” “Lifetime for the Mavericks”) are pretty worthless but will no doubt please those GBV die-hards who are still pissed that Pollard has discovered recording fidelity over the last couple of years.

Most of the record operates in pleasant mid-tempo terrain employing acoustic guitars, tasteful touches of piano or synth, and occasional brass. Calling Zero isn’t a major revelation for either artist, and it isn’t meant to be. It is, however, a fun record that will surely whet listener appetites for a hopefully more full-fledged collaboration in the future.

Rating: 7 out of 10

The Court & Spark - Bless You (Absolutely Kosher Records)

Good records never fit snugly into one genre, and the Court & Spark provide a frequently stunning example of this throughout their sophomore full-length. Granted, singer/guitarist Mike Taylor’s voice is seasoned with a good deal of twang, and the band’s arrangements lean heavily on traditional country instruments, but Bless You is not just another easily pigeonholed alt. country record.

The six-piece San Francisco band play a brand of ethereal country that manages to sound authentic without being derivative or overly reliant on a retro-vibe, the downfall of many other roots oriented musical acts. The best comparison point probably lies across the pond in the form of Mojave 3. Like that outfit, the Court and Spark dabble in lengthy hazy ballads (“Fade Out to Little Arrow”) as well as buoyant pop (“Pearly Gates”).

Every member of the Court and Spark plays an integral musical role, but harmony vocalist Wendy Allen’s importance to the group in particular can’t be overstated. Her near angelic presence colors every chorus providing the occasional requisite tug on listener’s heartstrings that makes for great musical moments. The interplay of her and Taylor recalls the sublime pairing of original alt. country sweethearts Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris in its perfect chemistry.

Most of Bless You’s songs are awash in warm organ and subdued pedal steel, in an apparent effort to craft perfect California sunset music-consider their mission accomplished. With Bless You, the Court & Spark have crafted a strong set of organic roots-influenced indie-country whose musical relevance is undeniable. It’s no wonder that Gene Parsons (formerly of seminal alt. country pioneers the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers) saw fit to contribute various stringed instruments to the record, the Court & Spark are not would-be country revivalists, they’re the genuine article.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Neil Halstead - Sleeping on Roads (Beggars Banquet)

Neil Halstead’s solo debut doesn’t stray too far away from the vibe of his regular gig as singer/guitarist in Mojave 3, but that’s certainly not a bad thing. Mojave 3’s last long player, 2000’s Excuses for Travelers, was arguably my favorite record of the year. There are a lot of young musicians out there aspiring to be Neil Young in stoner folkie mode, but Excuses proved that no one does it better than Neil Halstead. Excuses for Travelers was a gorgeously crafted alt. country downer that somehow held a firmer grasp on Americana than any of its contemporaries, despite being the product of a bunch of Brits.

Sleeping on Roads presents more of the same, but with a slightly poppier uptempo sensibility at work. If Neil Young’s Harvest provided the template for Excuses then Sleeping on Roads seems more akin to Nick Drake’s Bryter Later. Tracks like “Seasons” and “Driving with Bert” feature smooth synth layers, cheesy horns and percussion that sounds suspiciously like a triangle at work. The pep is never overbearing, however, thanks to Halstead’s voice, which is still predominantly stuck in downtrodden soft-spoken mode.

Mojave 3 staples such as pedal steel and banjo are also markedly absent for most of Sleeping but are hardly missed. Halstead’s stabs at seventies styled pop on the album are admirable in attempting to work outside of Mojave 3 territory, but they aren’t the best material here. The sublimely melancholic folk of “Low and Inbetween” and “High Hopes” provide the highlights, and prove that Halstead remains at his best when slowing things down and stripping away the layers to reveal the wounded soul of a highly talented folk troubadour.

Rating: 9 out of 10