Now three albums into their career, the Long Beach, CA foursome Cold War Kids finally have a chance to call music their job. With that, they've been able to write their latest album "Mine Is Yours" over three months in the studio with Jacquire King, who has also worked with musicians like Tom Waits.

Being a host at The Current, we often have to tackle many tasks at once. Listen to all the new music, scope out the local music scene, check out the facebooks and twitter world, edit and produce. But the Theft of the Dial with Chris Funk and John Moen of The Decemberists allowed me to add something else to my resume, barista.

Telekinesis, the one-man-band alterego of Seattle musician and songwriter Michael Benjamin Lerner, makes classic 21st-century Pacific Northwest indie-rock in the tradition of Death Cab for Cutie and others.

"Collapse Into Now" isn't perfect, or groundbreaking, or even a complete return to form, but it proves that R.E.M. -- in their thirty-first year -- is still capable of making satisfying songs.

In a city mostly known for hip-hop duos like Bight Club and the now-defunct MC/VL, Koo Koo Kanga Roo stands out as the only team of family-friendly rappers. With songs like "Rollin' In the Minivan" and "Don't Wanna Do My Chores," Koo Koo manages to make their music and live shows appealing to both kids and adults.