The Red Hot Valentines – Calling Off Today – This is the third release that I got from The Red Hot Valentines, and this is by far their most polished of the three. Also, this shows exactly how much of a phenomenon the band has become, as this is the equivalent to a single for these guys. After hearing some rumours that they would reduce the amount of synthesizer in their songs, I started to worry, but that rumor was just all hot air. As usual, the blazing synth lines of Tyson cut through the guitars and drums to add a whole new dimension to college rock. From the diamond-in-the-rough quality of their demo “There is No Plan B” to this, there has been so much work placed into each successive release that it really is no surprise that The Red Hot Valentines are one of the highest reaching bands to come on the scene in recent memory. Though they have not much in common with Green Day or Jimmy Eat World, the career path looks to be similar to both. Pick this album up at any of your local indy record stores, or directly from Polyvinyl Record Compony (PO Box 7140, Champaign, IL 61826-7140). Make sure you watch the extra video on the disc, RHV’s first jump into music video superstar-dom. http://www.theredhotvalentines.com .