The RPM Jukebox is home to more than 16,000 songs from independent musicians all around the world. The music spans every genre and style imaginable, and anyone can log on, browse, and listen at www.rpmchallenge.com/jukebox. To give you a head start in your exploration of this new world of music, here’s a sample album that caught our ear!

‘Louder, Longer, Lobster’
by Trumpet Marine, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Ryan Sutter, the creative force behind Trumpet Marine, uses “Louder, Longer, Lobster” as a chance to showcase his versatile musical ability and broad range of styles. No one song on the album clearly defines Trumpet Marine, but they’re all catchy and well-orchestrated, from the tiny beginning banjo piece, “Stretchita Beckons,” to the last track, “Patterns Imprinted on Stars,” a sweet theological lullaby. Sutter’s lyrics and vocal stylings are reminiscent of Harry Chapin, and you sense that The Beatles lie deep in Sutter’s roots. “Errands” is a jangly alt-country number that makes it hard not to slap your knee. “Controls” begins as a stripped-down love song and turns into a multi-layered power ballad, complete with strings. “Slackjawed” repeats the chant, “Slackjawed and brokenhearted / Make sure someone believes in you,” over and over again before breaking off into drums and a series of strange zips and clicks. “Warm In Side” starts as a synth piece and then picks up the pace and evolves into beautiful, jazzy weirdness. “Louder, Longer, Lobster” is good, clean, toe-tapping fun.