Outside the Heard

	Dropkick Murphy's 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory Dropkick Murphy's

11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory is a soundtrack to tragedy and triumph alike. On this album, the stalwart Boston punkers carry on tradition with rough and tumble storytelling – the kind of writing that never leaves fans wondering whether the band have lived what they’re singing about. A look back at childhood, a snapshot of a clueless jerk, a stop-you-in-your tracks reflection on a terrorist tragedy... There are moments of ass-kicking Celtic punk attitude, ball-busting wisecracks, tear-jerking confessions, and the kind of upbeat words of wisdom that can be chanted loud and proud across arenas and stadiums worldwide.

	Colony House Only The Lonely RCA

Colony House is a band from Franklin, Tn. It’s also the name of an apartment complex in said city (which is about 30 minutes outside of Nashville), where the all four members of the band used to live. A band of brothers (that contains two actual brothers — the sons of CCM icon Steven Curtis Chapman), Colony House’s latest album, Only The Lonely, is a catchy yet really weird record: It does that stompy-yodel thing that all these clotheshorse bands can’t seem to quit only to hurl itself towards gonzo arrangements, squealing guitars, space-time distortion, and choruses that don’t quit. There’s some beautiful, soulful ballads, too. Think Grizzly Bear meets Kings of Leon meets Surfer Blood… Which takes a lot of imagination, sure, but a lot of imagination went into this rather surprising collection of songs.

	Louden Swain No Time Like The Present 3 Car Wreckords / Omnivore

Over the course of nearly two decades, the D.I.Y. rock quartet known as Louden Swain has quietly built a powerful body of recordings, earning a fervent grass-roots fan base and an impressive backlog of critical acclaim. The Los Angeles combo has released a series of impressive albums, toured successfully throughout North America and Europe, and emerged as a popular YouTube sensation—all without the support of a mainstream record label. The upbeat energy and irresistible melodic sensibility that have already endeared Louden Swain to their loyal fans are all over the band's seventh album, No Time Like The Present. The sterling set offers 12 powerful examples of the band's dynamic and infectious songcraft.

The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) is a group of some of the best independent music stores in America. CIMS was founded in 1995; its current membership is made up of 29 accounts that handle 47 stores in 21 states. Many of the accounts have been recognized by the music industry and their local communities for their outstanding dedication to customer service and developing artist support.

Each member is bound by its shared love of music, a reputation for great selection and customer service in its community, yet each CIMS account is as unique as the market it represents. Most importantly, CIMS member stores continually seek to challenge the jaded, color-by-numbers advertising and marketing of other retailers.