Infectious and illustrious imports

Each month, a ton of new music hits the shelves overseas, not registering even a blip in the collective consciousness of we Yanks. In Weekend's ever-constant commitment to keep you, the music-loving Hoosier, in the know, Weekend staffers have traveled far and wide, circling the globe (via Internet, of course) for new sights and sounds. This column seeks to profile the best of the best and, in doing so, increase our record collections exponentially.\nFirst we head just across the pond, to London and Infectious Records, with the third full-length by Irish pop-punkers Ash. Free All Angels displays Ash's UK-chart-topping energy with more melody than MTV's lineup combined and enough stylish integrity to maul right over the weenie-obsessed Blink 182 or the Michael Jackson-loving Sum 41. Sticking with the Infectious, Seafood's When Do We Start Fighting… presents a different taste with its skillful mix of emo-core and pure pop. It's a beauty equaling that of fellow Brits, Travis, combined with the pent-up energy of classic Radiohead and the occasional reminder of the late, great Jeff Buckley. (www.infectiousuk.com) \nNow, switching styles (and continents), we head to Australia and the independent pop of Half A Cow Records. Its latest release, She Loves You Vol. 1: La Femme, No Homme?, is an 18-track compilation of all-girl indie rock -- 18 mostly Australian, female-led bands blasting their ways through the glass ceiling with stylistic similarities ranging from the likes of Juliana Hatfield to Sleater-Kinney. Crank it up and watch out. Also is the debut release from Illustrious Artists and its inaugural band, The Pictures. The You'll See/Don't You Want to Know 7" makes you forget the '90s ever happened (and for that matter even the '80s or '70s), with a stunning amalgam of everything that was cool about The Kinks and The Who. (www.halfacow.com.au)\nBack on the plane, we return to the land of The Queen and London label Fierce Panda. Two quality compilations are a perfect place to start. The Dead Cheap Fierce Panda Sampler spans the label's history with 15 tracks, highlighted by the debut singles of gentle exports, Coldplay, and lesser-known secrets, the Llama Farmers. And for the more recklessly rawkish, there is Mosh and Go, 16 tracks of raging against the corporate machine, from melodic punk (Caffeine) to Bush-on-hardcore (Hundred Reasons). (www.fiercepanda.co.uk)\nSaving perhaps the best for last, our jet-lagged travels take us to Spain and Houston Party Records. Ze Malibu Kids features Steve and Jeff McDonald of Redd Kross along with Anna Waronker, formerly of That Dog. Their debut CD-single, I Won't Forget You (with its amusing cover image of McDonald dressed in pink feather neck-ware and crown wrenching The Who's Tommy from the hands of a small child), features the melancholic, French-pop of the title cut along with an absolutely danceable cover of Cub's "Your Bed." And possibly the best of the bunch, Splitsville's The Complete Pet Soul pays homage to the original kings of pop -- Lennon and McCartney, Brian Wilson and Bacharach and David -- with 10 perfect pop originals and a cover of Bacharach and David's "I'll Never Fall in Love Again." It's pure magic. (www.houstonpartyrecords.com.)\nSo back we come to the States, a melody in our heads and a delicious hum in our souls. For ours isn't the only land where wondrous sounds are abundant. The trip has been fun and enlightening, so go forth and experiment on musics from across the globe.