Here are some CDs I recently acquired.

The Hold Steady: “Almost Killed Me” I’ve become a fan of The Hold Steady during the past year, but the only album I’ve heard in its entirety is the band’s most recent album, “Stay Positive.” “Almost Killed Me” is the band’s first album, and it was recorded live. As a result, it’s rawer and more immediate than “Stay Positive,” but it features the sharp songwriting and storytelling that’s become a Hold Steady trademark. Overall, the band’s sound is pretty consistent — Minneapolis-style indie rock (think The Replacements, or Husker Du) meets classic rock (think Bruce Springsteen). And the more I listen to The Hold Steady, the more I really like lead singer Craig Finn’s voice, which is deep and growl-y and very distinctive. Listening to “Almost Killed Me” makes me even more disappointed that I missed The Hold Steady’s recent show at Valentine’s. They’re opening for Dave Matthews at SPAC this summer, but I’ve already had the Dave Matthews at SPAC experience, and I see no reason to have it again, even to see The Hold Steady. But judging from “Almost Killed Me,” they’re a really, really good live act.

Franz Nicolay: “Major General” Speaking of The Hold Steady, this is the debut album from their keyboardist. I heard an interview with Nicolay several days before he played a solo show at Valentine’s, where he talked about growing up in Center Sandwich, N.H., not far from where my old summer camp was based. Anyway, I caught Nicolay at Valentine’s and picked up this album. It's much different from his work with The Hold Steady — more punk-Gypsy-cabaret. The opener, “Jeff Penalty” is a raucous anthem about watching The Dead Kennedys perform sans Jello Biafra, and it’s the best song on the album — ragged, catchy, poignant yet funny. There are a number of ballads on the album, sentimental, heartfelt love songs, and although they’re not quite as fun as the punk songs, they’re still enjoyable. Nicolay also specializes in unusual instrumentation, so there’s plenty of banjo and accordion on this album.

More proof that New Hampshire is a small state: My friend Adam is from Center Sandwich, and so recently I asked him whether he knew Franz Nicolay. “That name sounds so familiar,” he said. “Who is he?” “He’s a musician,” I said. “Oh, right!” Adam said. “He plays the keys! I remember him! How do you know him?” I explained that I don’t know him, but that he plays in a moderately successful band that I happen to like.

The Gogol Bordello: “Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike” Continuing in the gypsy punk vein, I caught this wild band a few years ago at Revolution Hall, on the basis of a recommendation from my friend Heather. “I just saw this amazing band,” she wrote. “It was one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen in my life. They’re called the Gogol Bordello, and they’re playing in Troy. You have to go see them.”

That’s the sort of recommendation money can’t buy, so off I went. But I wasn’t quite as enthralled as Heather. The Gogol Bordello put on a loud, manic show, and it was impossible to look away, but I wasn’t quite sold on their overall sound, and their lead singer, the extremely energetic Eugene Hutz, frightened me. Anyway, someone loaned me “Gypsy Punks” a few weeks ago, and I’m really becoming a fan. The music is bouncy and dance-able, but the lyrics are good, too, and on the catchier songs, such as “Immigrant Punk,” you feel like singing along.

Shugo Tokumaru: “Exit” This Japanese multi-instrumentalist creates layered, dense, complex chamber pop and electronic music that reminds me of “Pet Sounds” by The Beach Boys. Tokumaru plays about 50 instruments on the album, and uses everyday items such as a fork, ashtray, doorbell and wind-up toys. It sounds gimmicky, but the music is so good it transcends the gimmicks. Sometimes it’s all a little bit much — a friend of mine said that sometimes it feels like you’re in a cartoon — but from the opening song, “Parachute,” the album draws the listener into a unique and adventurous soundscape that's unlike anything else I’ve ever heard. If you’re in the mood for experimental Japanese pop, you should check it out.

Got a comment? Listen to any new music? Add your thoughts below, or e-mail me at sfoss@dailygazette.net.