This is why I hate to move.

See, I moved cross-country this winter, from Indiana to the WeirdZone of Austin, Texas. I'm just now starting to get out from under random boxes, and my music reviewing has been non-existent. This means that y'all have missed out on some great CDs that I've listened to but haven't had time to write about. Time to rectify that, now that my life has normalized to some extent, and I'm starting with a favorite.

The Muckrakers' Front Of The Parade is the best new rock CD I've heard in a year and a half. In a truly just world, the Louisville-based quintet would rule the charts. Think BNL's harmonies layered over impeccably styled roots rock (it's not listed on the CD's credits, but I swear there's Hammond organ in there), clever intelligent lyrics, and a melodic sound that's catchier than ebola in a crowded subway. There are very few CDs where I like the entire album with no reservation; Front Of The Parade is one of them.

The production and engineering is flawless, clean and well-executed; I'm a sucker for being able to hear a musician's hands on the strings themselves, and I get my jones quite satisfied here. The lyrics are funny and full of neat twists; any band that can mention the Barrymores, Hamlet, and hydrogen sulfide in the same song, much less the same album, is cool in my book.

Really, there isn't a bad song on Front Of The Parade, but special props go to "When The Morning Comes" with its great rap (yes, I said rap) break, the infectiously cheery "Wake Up" and the rich, soaring climax to "Working My Way." And yes, there's a hidden track, but at least they admit it. (you'll have to hear the CD to get that one.)

Front Of The Parade proves intelligent rock is alive, well, and residing in Kentucky. Check it out today.