Happy birthday to me! It has been just a hair under two years since I first started writing the Rockin’ Out column. I’ve been fortunate enough to write about a different topic every single week, and have not even come close to running out of things to write about. That’s approximately 100 different bands, most of which are from Maine, all of which have performed locally. Who says the music scene in Maine is lacking? Certainly not me!

In honor of this occasion, I’d like to devote this column to playing catch-up with some of the bands I’ve written about in the past, who have accomplished some cool things since we last heard from them – whether it’s releasing a new album, touring the country, or just holding it down right here in the Pine Tree State.

. In the spring of 2005, the Killing Moon (www.myspace.com/thekillingmoonrock) were still known as Animal Suit Driveby, and they hadn’t yet signed to emo powerhouse Fearless Records. Now the Hampden five-piece has put out a nationally released EP, “A Message Through Your Teeth,” and have toured the country. On March 16 they’ll set off on another tour of the East Coast and Midwest.

. Also a bunch of busy boys, Sparks the Rescue (www.myspace.com/sparkstherescue), as always are touring, touring, touring and recording, recording, recording. In August 2006 they were still looking around for a label, and now the band is signed to New York-based Double Blind Records, and have just released “The Secrets We Can’t Keep,” which is available for download on iTunes. Thanks to the band’s legions of fans, it debuted on Feb. 19 as the top new album on www.emusic.com, which is one of my favorite sources for music on the Web.

. Those wild and crazy islanders, the Toughcats (www.myspace.com/toughcats), are ready to take off for the West Coast for much of the month of March, to play songs from their new album, “Pinata.” The North Haven trio was just getting started playing shows in October 2006, when I wrote about them, and have since played shows all over the state, including one very well-received performance at the Alamo Theatre in Bucksport last week.

. The legendary beast that is 1800s Sea Monster continues to terrorize Greater Bangor, and Jakob Battick and company have been holed up in the studio with local musicians Tony Bitetti and Jason Unterreiner recording a full-length album of fuzzy, high-energy indie rock, titled “PS: Do You Ever Wish You Could Breathe Underwater?” If you visit www.myspace.com/kingwiththeironlung you can hear tracks from it, which, in my humble opinion, are totally freaking awesome.

. The Gilpin Railroad Incident (www.myspace.com/gilpinrailroadincident) keeps chugging along with its tasty brand of roots rock. They’ve managed to open up for country artist Rodney Atkins and, more recently, Cajun legend Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. The Orland five-piece finished its first album over this winter, which is still being mixed, with a release date tentatively set for the summer.

. The Blue Hill-based electro-pop band X-Ray Actress (www.xrayactress.com) continues to play all over the state, and has been featured on the newest “Greetings From Area Code 207” compilation, coming out in the spring in your finest local record stores. The band also has struck up a partnership with Maine Roller Derby, and will perform at the March 31 bout at Topsham Roller World. It also still plays the third Saturday of each month at Bubba’s Sulky Lounge in Portland.

. Not everyone has stuck around, sadly: longtime Bangor-area punk band Dugen broke up, as did the Bangor collective the Echo Theory. Nigel Hall, the smoothest soul singer Bangor ever saw, picked up and moved to Portland. The Blues Caf? and Ushuaia in Orono closed. But the Blues is set to reopen this weekend as the Sports Caf?, and Ushuaia will return at the end of March as the 103 Ultra Lounge. So despair not! Things come back around; they always do.

Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net. Check out her blog at www.community.bangordailynews.com.