Cherub Records, out of Richmond, VA, has released its second volume of their self titled compilation. This 18 track comp boasts a diverse amount of tunes from area bands including JMU alumni, The Carlsonics, Blacksburg's Input Lust, Richmond's A New Dawn Fades, Forget Cassettes, The Cougars, The ID, and several others. This is probably the best area comp I've gotten my hands on in a while. The bands included cover a good bit of Virginia. Cherub Records has done a fine job of including several genres. The comp leans towards a more garage indie rock vibe, but I'm not complaining! This comp will definitely stay in my stereo for a good while. Some personal favorites: The Cougars, The Carlsonics, The ID, Brian Hall, (Schwa) Ray, and Bravo Maxi. Visit www.cherubrecords.com or email cherub_records@hotmail.com for more information. God bless compilations!

Comps can be a tough combo when it comes to reviews. You may absolutely despise some artists on the disc, while at the same time coming off with a few new favorites or already loved artists. Blending some of the most unique independent bands the Virginia / DC scene has to offer (the Id, Kids Techno) , and a few others from discovered scenes like Chicago's "Cougars" and Florida's "(schwa)ray", the second installment in the Cherub Comp series satisfies. With an overly-impressive unreleased track from "Brian Hall" ( Walker's D ) & an excellent new-to-me introduction to the DC trio "Gena Rowlands Band" ( Last Words of Lesley Gore ), this comp is well worth the $8 it takes to get it in your hands. 17 tracks total - full tracklisting here . Nice, nice.