Submission by Greg Pokarney, first-time music contributor

Come Back to Us, Release the Songbird

I’ve always been a fan of Zach Rogue’s nominal band Rogue Wave, so I was excited to hear what on earth a solo-project move from an all-but-solo project might entail.

What we get, I’m glad to report, is something charmingly comfortable – something to hug. With melodies that are like leaves folded in an old book, forgotten, then returned to, much later:  familiar and yet something new.

This is a wonderfully open record, one that fits nicely on a summer’s day. A song like “Why Can’t You Look At Yourself” or “A New You” is bound to bring to mind a few instances of Simon & Garfunkel, but that’s part of the bliss of it. We haven’t had a good Simon & Garfunkel in a long time, and that Zach thought kindly enough of his audience to provide such a thing is a testament to his generosity of approach.

Rogue Wave has gone through a number of shifts in tonal operandi through the years, and I’m grateful Zach chose to single this one out as something special.

It is.

Suego Faults, Wolf Gang

The kind of dance music I’d be willing to throw down for. That’s probably because it’s not even dance music. But even as I listen to this album while trying to write this, I find myself getting up and putting a slight move on, if only on the way to the bathroom and back. (Dancing while pissing always proves to be a significant and repeatedly learned mistake, at least for the sake of the bathroom floor.)

Tracks like “Lions In Cages” and “Something Unusual” (the one-two punch of the opening tracks) have a glorious full-heartedness that a little bit defies description, if only that it has too many disparate parts from the past to incorporate into any one sentence. And yet the whole thing still feels wholly new in this day and age.

From the pitter-patter synth beats that warble behind the steady piano riff on “Stay and Defend” to the unerring grandeur of the title track, this music reminds me of The Ark when they were at the top of their game. Only this guy isn’t as interested in cutesy song titles and strumpet-and-trumpet pomp & circumstance. He’s interested in something subtler, though still forging ahead in cinematic bombast: these songs straddle the hump of look-at-me and let’s-just-sit-here-and-talk in a way that I find utterly refreshing in pop songs of this size.

Satan I Gatan, Veronica Maggio

I don’t know Swedish to save my life in Sweden, and so haven’t a clue what this girl is singing about – but I assume, by the sound of it, it has something to do with love or the lack thereof. That’s the beauty of Pop Music (proper nouned for a reason) to me:  that the tropes are by now so well-worn and, basically, a part of our being, we can hear a song, forget the lyrics, not pay attention at all really, and still feel the thing. Of course, music being such an abstract thing to begin with, has always had this ability. But, shit, not knowing a single word aside from Baby in “Jag Kommer” makes that baby sound even better – those two syllables carry more longing, in that teenager dancing in their room sort of way, than anything else I’ve heard this year. This thing wouldn’t stop playing if I had heard it when I was 16. My parents would only up their suspicions about their son, tenfold.

The other tracks all have a similar feel – from the trickling balladry of “Mitt Hjärta Blöder”, with it’s simplistic yet movingly growing chorus, to galloping-triumphant “Alla Mina Låtar” to the soft resigned coo of the delicate piano track “Alla Mina Låtar” which could almost pass for a Regina Spektor outtake.

I think it’s a little bit sad that foreign music not translated into English ever gets much play over on these shores. That’s our loss, for sure, but I would urge everyone to look less at what a song says and more at how it says it. Pop Music has said everything it’s ever going to say. The thing that we love about Pop Music is how it moves us, with the same sorry-ass chord progressions that got the regents moving in Mozart’s time.

Rust and Golden Dust, Lars Eriksson

It’s no surprise to me that the Swedish do American Idol better. But also, it comes as no surprise that Lars Eriksson publicly came out criticizing the unequivocally rampant consumerism of the essence of the show. Nothing about this guy screams Idol, even if we’re talking about one held in Sweden.

Instead, what he provides is some smack-kickingly charming 60s-ish Pop Music with an English feel (I’d be hard pressed to actually ever tell he was Swedish – aside from the rampant hooks he delivers). Tracks like “Reasons For Love”, with its uplifting near-reaching the sky moments at the chorus, or the hold-steady-it’ll-be-okay soothe of “Rejected Love”, with that standard chord movement in Pop Music that absolutely screams unrequited (Be My Baby, anyone?)

The opening track, “The Lonely Journey Called Life” all but begs to be heard somewhere on the water. I don’t have a strong reason for this, just a feeling. That – for instance – riding the free ferry from the Southport to a Mets game would be an ideal place to hear this song, especially on repeat, as the words stay the same and the scenery changes, though (in most cases) whatever your situation is stays with the music, the same.

The dude uses strings to great effect. I’ll be honest and say I’m a sucker for anytime a stringed instrument that isn’t a guitar makes a scene in a song, most often the songs most dramatic moment, and this album has those moments in spades. But they never overtake their respective songs with inordinate bombast. They simply add to the tone of the tune, making them stronger, feeling all the more classic for someone basically trying to recreate the things he’s loved from the past.

And the guy does it with some fine-ass class.

Hurray For The Riff Raff, Hurray For The Riff Raff

With Hurray For The Riff Raff, I can’t help but think of Chan Marshall recording some faux-country thing out of an outhouse in West Virginia. This is meant to be a total compliment.

There’s so much banjo here you’d think it was Deliverance, delivered right to your ear, without the request to squeal like a pig, even though you just might. But there’s also that voice! Any song as simple and structurally splendid as “Daniella” deserves a place on any playlist. That whistling will haunt you more than anything even Andrew Bird could ever do.

It’s interesting to me how the band has been featured on the HBO series Treme, given that, on record, they seem far removed from their hometown of New Orleans. Yet on that show, they fit right in, indiscernible from almost any typical funeral procession styled street stuff you might find down there. I would suggest that this marks a high grade for the music itself:  its ability to traverse multiple landscapes of sound and space and still sound like themselves.

The Brooklyn band Hem does something similar, in a far more drawn out fashion. But what Hem does in pitch-perfect orchestration, Hurray For the Riff Raff make up for in pitch-perfect trans-American hope.

“Young Blood Blues” may smack you right-dab in the center of Appalachia, musically, but its heart, really, reeks of the South. Yet its mind is on America as a whole:  its history, its nuance, its heartbrokenness and creaky recovery.

And I’m listening to it right now as a Yankee, and couldn’t be happier.

Suck It and See the cheekily titled fourth record from the Arctic Monkeys may seem dirty to those on our shores but the title is actually a phrase meaning “give it a try.” Ditching the heavy chugging Josh Homme added to the band last time around and going back to Simian Mobile Disco dude James Ford, the band took the sound of one of their best songs “Cornerstone” and rolled with it. Matt Helders still holds down the kit unlike any drummer in indie rock and Alex Turner’s croon has gotten even sweeter. So why not give this record a try?

Arctic Monkeys- Reckless Serenade by nothing_nat

9. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

What is the point to add more digital ink about how great this record is. No longer writing from a cabin, Justin Vernon has moved on to smoking pot with Kanye and getting love from everyone. This record even reached number two on the Billboard charts. Bon Iver is a gorgeous exclamation mark on a discography already full of hits. Bon Iver will be around for a long time. Mark my words.

Bon Iver – Wash. by Fluid Radio

8. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Make A Scene

Sophie Ellis-Bextor took so long to release this record that by the time it was released in Russia (WTF?) this April it already had five singles three of which were released on other people’s records. What was originally a “greatest hits” album, Make a Scene morphed into her fourth full-length. The record is not only her best work but the best pop album released this year.

7. Fucked Up - David Comes to Life

Fucked Up have been writing songs about David for a while but this time they have created an almost 80 minute epic about David. Not only did they make the record but also a LP of other songs by made up bands that work as a companion piece for the record. The Toronto hardcore band have come a long way from their beginnings, as the epic pinning of the Polaris Music Prize winning The Chemistry of Common Life was just the beginning. David Comes To Life is surely not to be matched in it’s scope. Broken up into four acts, David sees the band move away from just pit shakers to orchestral pieces with sweet female vocals (some from Madeline Follin of Cults). Like Titus Andronicus did lat year, Fucked Up have made a successful concept record- something that is very hard to achieve.

Fucked Up – The Other Shoe by Nialler9

6. tUnE-yArDs- w h o k i l l

Merril Garbus, or tUnE-yArDs if you’re nasty, makes music like no other artist this side of the Dirty Projectors. Hooking up with bassist Nate Brenner, Garbus perfected her sound and delivered a knockout of a record. The early highlight “Gangsta” is a great introduction to how the tUnE-yArDs can switch their sound to be so many different styles but still sound focused. You will be sure to see w h o k i l l on many top lists at the end of the year.

Tune-Yards – Gangsta by The Vinyl District

5. Shabazz Palaces – Black Up

Former Digible Planets member Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler self-released two EPs in 2009 before being picked up by his local label Sub Pop. The label reissued those two brilliant EPs and the rest is history. His first full-length and probably the first rap record Sub Pop has ever released, Black Up is full of twists and turns that seem pretentious as fuck (I mean look at this sample song title “Swerve… The reeping of all that is worthwhile (Noir not withstanding)”), but it all makes sense. Just let this record ride and you’ll get the full value of it.

Shabazz Palaces – Swerve… by subpop

4. Cults - Cults

Cults, the male female duo, made a splash with their three song EP last year. Like other blog hyped bands they ended up signing to a major label to release their debut album Cults and the backlash began. Would they clean up their homespun sound? Would they turn their back on their audience? The answers are thankfully no. Bringing back two of their three tracks and their Adult Swim single,Cults is a record by a band that despite the major label money stuck to what they know. Sure the fidelity is higher, but the songs don’t suffer. “You Know What I Mean” is a perfect girl-group stomper that sounds like it was written years ago. The record is joyous, infectious, and instantly repeatable.

Cults – You Know What I Mean by cultscultscults

3. The Weeknd – House of Balloons

This free mixtape came out of nowhere. At first The Weeknd were big-upped by Drake and only released Youtube videos of their shit. Then they dropped a free record of all of their songs, and yet still no one could get a good idea of who was involved in the project. We now know that the band is fronted by Abel Tesfaye and he’s got even more new music cooking for this year. House of Balloons follows in Drake’s Thank Me Later approach to R&B. Focusing on tracks about partying, girls, drugs and a heavy dose of self-loathing the mix has it all. If that doesn’t make it cool enough, there is not only a Siouxsie and the Banshees sample but two Beach House samples.

The Weeknd – The Morning by The_Weeknd

2. Tennis – Cape Dory

Tennis’s back story is one for blog fodder, but if you haven’t been paying attention to the many posts about them on the site or how I’ve already lost my load on this record, Tennis are a husband and wife duo who went sailing and made a record about it. Ten simple love songs in less than thirty minutes, Cape Dory is streamlined, catchy, and perfect.

Tennis – Marathon by Vicente P

1. Destroyer – Kaputt

Very few artists pull switcharoos like Dan Bejar. For his ninth record Bejar added female vocals and went all yacht rock on our ass. Employing flutes, trumpets and sax, Kaputt is a masterpiece. Kaputt tops my list right now and I’m sure it won’t budge by the end of the year, because I just keep coming back.

Destroyer – Chinatown by mouxlaloulouda

Artist

Jerome by LykkeLi

Artist: Mr. Dream
Album: Trash Hit
What the hell is it? First record from NYC trio featuring two ex-Pitchfork writers
Sounds like a combination of: Pixies, Big Black, mclusky, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, early Nineties indie rock, things you NEED to be listening to
Recommended? If my totally gushing about this band with this week’s song-of-the-day didn’t state it I’ll say it again: THIS RECORD RULES. The 90s are coming back, and in a perfect world Mr. Dream and Yuck will tour together and show the kids how to do it. Trash Hit may wear its influences on its sleeve, but these aren’t homages. It’s more of a continuation. Each track has expert-level skill and a fierce humor that most bands don’t get right. But why hear me talk about them? Just fucking listen.

Mr. Dream-Knick Knack by Chaufie

Artist: Radiohead
Album: The King of Limbs
What the hell is it? 8^th Radiohead record—duh
Sounds like a combination of: Radiohead exploring Kid A territory again and not giving a fuck who they leave behind
Recommended? Who really cares what I think about this record? You have all heard this, tweeted about it, made snap judgments, but I haven’t reviewed it because I wanted it to live a little. After a bit of listening, it isn’t as boring as I originally pegged it. It isn’t necessarily thrilling, either. While the band sounds tight (other than Johnny, where are you? what are you playing here?) it just seems so cookie-cutter. But do we really need Radiohead to surprise us? Since Kid A they haven’t been inventive, but rather consistent.

This actually might be better than this album:

Artist: Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX
Album: We’re New Here
What the hell is it? A full Jamie XX remix of the last Scott-Heron record, I’m New Here
Sounds like a combination of: A remixed version of I’m New Here
Recommended? Remix records usually don’t work, but Jamie XX is at the top of his game. His DJ sets are quite fantastic and his solo tracks are damn near gorgeous. What seems like an unlikely combination actually works. Scott-Heron’s poetry is heightened by the ever-switching beats ranging from club to dub-step to electronic washes. Jamie pulls out almost every trick in his bag. He is proving himself to be one of the best producers around, and I really hope the shit he worked on with Drake gets released.

Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx – My Cloud by Camilo Mazo

Artist

Someone Like You-Adele by Ameritz

Artist: Chapel Club
Album: Palace
What the hell is it? Debut from this overhyped Brit Band
Sounds like a combination of: Reaching to the back of the stadium with a bit of the Twilight Sad’s emotion and fury, but lyrics reminiscent of teenage poetry plus Paul Epworth’s gloss
Recommended? I wanted to hate this record. Hype does bad things to me. If a band is overhyped by NME it is intrinsically bad. But I can’t hate this band. The main reason isn’t that the songs are really great, it is Paul Epworth’s flawless touch. Name doesn’t ring a bell? He produced the first/best records from The Rakes, The Futureheads, Bloc Party, and Maximo Park. He singlehandedly created the sound of 2005 Britain. Chapel Club is faceless. Like White Lies, they can be anyone. But something about a few of these songs stick, unlike anything on that White Lies record (I won’t even bother to review it). “Surfacing” is catchy as hell and as good a first single as the band is gonna get. “Oh Maybe I” is another fun ditty that is removed of the overwrought emotion of lots on here. If I sound torn, I am still on the fence but I am coming around to liking this.

Chapel Club – All The Eastern Girls by ICON RADIO

Artist: Cloud Nothings
Album: Cloud Nothings
What the hell is it? Debut from the Cleveland band
Sounds like a combination of: Youth in revolt, power punk
Recommended? Dylan Baldi has made a record out of pure energy. At 29 short minutes the Cloud Nothings amp up the fidelity (they never wanted to be lo-fi in the first place) making their power-punk intentions known. “Understand It All” is an immense jam, “Rock” does what the song’s title suggests, and “Been Through” is a fist-pumper all the way through. If you want to feel happy about your life, just throw this on.

Cloud Nothings – Cloud Nothings by The Drift Record Shop

Artist: Cut Copy
Album: Zonoscope
What the hell is it? Third record from the Melbourne Dance/Psych Rockers
Sounds like a combination of: Tame Impala, ghosts of Cut Copy’s past
Recommended? With Tim Goldsworthy, Cut Copy had it all. They made tight dance tunes and an album that flowed. It seems like, from listening to this record and interviews, they weren’t fully pleased with In Ghost Colours. Past the first three songs (all singles) this record is hard to take. I’m actually glad I didn’t review this the week it came out, because I would’ve slapped it with a terrible review and called it a day. But while I think their previous records are better, Zonoscope deserves a listen. “Pharaohs & Pyramids” starts really corny, but then becomes an expansive song worthy of the Cut Copy discography. “Blink and You’ll Miss a Revolution” is a slinky dance number before it launches one of the biggest choruses on the record. “Alisa” works as this record’s “Far Away.” It is a straight pop hit with less synth and more guitars. “Sun God” is a track everyone is raving about, but I don’t buy it. At 15 minutes it is a waste of space. I know that after the beginning the track expands on the loop but it is pretty generic. Overall, I wasn’t blown away at first but I am coming around.

Need You Now by cutcopymusic

Artist: Destroyer
Album: Kaputt
What the hell is it? The ninth Detroyer record
Sounds like a combination of: Destroyer gone Yacht Rock, portraits of dreams, smooth jazz sax
Recommended? Truth be told, I’ve lived with this record for a long time. When I put it on for the first time it was the biggest shock I’ve heard in a while. Bejar has been known to switch up his shit from 70s Bowie inspirations, to straightforward indie rock, to folk leanings, or an all-midi orchestra, but smooth jazz and yacht rock—WTF, dude?! Well, everything pays off. Kaputt is easily one of my favorite Destroyer records. By adding vocalist Sibel Thrasher, Bejar expands his sonic palate, getting closer to RNB. The inflected “oooh baby” that leads in “Blue Eyes” is a perfect example. It can sound corny, but it fits perfectly. “Chinatown,” “Downtown” and “Kaputt” are three of the best songs Bejar has written, period. All still have his obtuse lyrics that sound like free association, but they are some of the most warm and inviting tracks he’s ever written. Kaputt is easily my favorite record so far this year (Sorry Tennis, I bumped you to number two).

Destroyer – Chinatown by tranzmission

Artist: Dream Diary
Album: You Are the Beat
What the hell is it? Debut from the Philadelphia fuzz-rockers
Sounds like a combination of: Pains of Being Pure at Heart with a nasally voice
Recommended? Though it doesn’t live up to anything Pains have done, if you miss POBPAH take a listen. It is brief and inoffensive.

Dream Diary – Something Tells Her by Vicente Ps.

Artist: Dum Dum Girls
Album: He Gets Me High EP
What the hell is it? A new EP from the Dum Dum Girls
Sounds like a combination of: Upping the “fi” on the Dum Dum Girls
Recommended? What you have here are three great songs and an awesome cover by a band that is getting better every record. Dee Dee knows her shit and it shows. “He Gets Me High” is a classic track, as is the sad “Take Care of My Baby.” While this won’t win over any new fans, it will show followers that the band is getting better. Their cover of The Smith’s “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” while not holding a candle to the original, is the work of craftsmen that honor the source material and build on it.

Dum Dum Girls – He Gets Me High by flogase

Artist: Esben and the Witch
Album: Violet Cries
What the hell is it? Moody debut from the latest Matador signing
Sounds like a combination of: Pitch black goth and brooding
Recommended? With all of the lo-fi beach vibes and witch house around it makes it hard for a band like Esben and the Witch to fit in. They have the darkness of the xx, but none of the sex appeal. Instead you have bleakness and noise and a hell of a well-constructed record that will surely be overlooked by most listeners. Rachel Davies’s disarming voice propels the tracks while her band mates create foreboding soundscapes underneath. Take one listen to “Marching Song,” and you know what this band is about. “Marine Fields Glow” sounds like a higher-fi Grouper might sound like, quiet in its assault. Other tracks aren’t so quiet but they are equally disarming.

Esben and The Witch – Violet Cries by The Drift Record Shop

Artist: The Go! Team
Album: Rolling Blackouts
What the hell is it? The third Go! Team record
Sounds like a combination of: Rappers vs. Cheerleaders vs. 70s television themes vs.—this is the fucking Go! Team we are talking about—you know, Thunder, Lightning, Strike?
Recommended? I really disliked Proof of Youth and I don’t know what really bothered me about it. The tracks were all trying to be Thunder, Lightning, Strike, but never really measured up. I know lots of people liked that record, but it could just be high expectations. Rolling Blackouts is the record I wish they made instead of Proof of Youth. It does not feel overstuffed with guests (though they are present), it doesn’t feel overthought and best of all it doesn’t feel overworked. Ian Parton will never be able to capture lighting in a bottle again, but he comes close. Ninja is in high form from the minute the roaring horns start blaring on the call to arms, “T.O.R.N.A.D.O.” Satomi from Deefhoof sounds great on the bouncy “Secretary Song,” and Dominique Young Unique balances out Ninja on “Voice Yr Choice” and “Apollo Throwdown.” The real gem here is something that Parton probably could’ve predicted but didn’t—Bethany of Best Coast sings on “Buy Nothing Day,” a track recorded before Bethany became the indie star she is now (and if you are keeping score, we were on her shit during that time too).

The Go! Team – Buy Nothing Day by thegoteam

Artist: Hercules & Love Affair
Album: Blue Songs
What the hell is it? Second record from Andy Butler’s dance crew
Sounds like a combination of: House music, not disco
Recommended? What is missing here? Antony and any DFA support. What isn’t missing? Andy Butler’s immense talent. Unfortunately this record isn’t up to snuff. None of the vocalists hit highs, and like the title of the album I’ll make the bad pun, everything leaves you feeling a little blue. The record starts well and dandy, and for an album to be an homage to house music it does a good job, but then there are two songs that derail the record. “Blue Boy” and “Blue Song” are the worst songs I’ve heard this year, and I’ve listened to a lot of records. “I Can’t Wait” saves the second half of the record, but all of the joy from that track fades when you get to the really fucking dumb political statement, “It’s Alright.” Message to Andy Butler, if you can’t get Antony, just wait. Put out DJ mixes and stuff, and then when he is ready, do an entire record with just him and no one else.

Hercules and Love Affair – My House by The Drift Record Shop

Artist: Iron and Wine
Album: Kiss Each Other Clean
What the hell is it? The progression of Sam Beam continues
Sounds like a combination of: The Shepard’s Dog gone electronic
Recommended? Sure, why not?

Walking Far From Home-Iron and Wine-Kiss Each other Clean by HSUGreen

Artist: James Blake
Album: James Blake
What the hell is it? Hot shit dub-step producer pulls a Jamie Lidell and sings like soul artist
Sounds like a combination of: Dubstep to a point, Thom Yorke’s The Eraser, D’Angelo, the voice you will not stop hearing about all this year
Recommended? 2010 was the warning. After three everchanging EPs, Blake released the first single from his record, a soulful and restrained take on Feist’s “Limit To Your Love,” which, after hearing his electronic productions and vocal sample mash-ups, was a curveball. Blake had become comfortable with his voice and though he uses manipulation his naked voice backed by piano at the start of the song was a revelation. Blake has some pipes on him. I am in love with this record, but I am not going to cum all over it—because shit, everyone else has. For fans of the xx, take that worn disc out and get into some “Wilhelms Scream” when you are fucking. Though the “O Superman”-aping “Lindesfarne I” might mess up your groove, Blake picks it back up with part II. At a scant 39 minutes Blake has made a praiseworthy record that, though released in February, will sure to be at the top of lots of best-of-2011 lists.

James Blake, “Wilhelm Scream” by blatanti

Artist: Jonny
Album: Jonny
What the hell is it? The duo of Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub and Euros Childs of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci
Sounds like a combination of: Children’s music from the 60s.
Recommended? I like both of the member’s other bands but I find this record unlistenable. Maybe it is a little too precious; maybe it is because it is cloying. From the song titles you know what the songs are about. They repeat the titles over and over. Ugh. “Which Witch,” the opener is just an example. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but this slop is coming from two of the most brilliant minds in music? Please go back to your other bands.

Jonny – Candyfloss by The Drift Record Shop

Artist: Julianna Barwick
Album: The Magic Place
What the hell is it? Vocalist (also my pal Paul Haney’s old roommate) Julianna Barwick’s second full-length and first for Asthmatic Kitty.
Sounds like a combination of: The Ethereal Woman, New Age
Recommended? After listening to The Magic Place there are many words to describe it, stunning, pretty, dreamy. Using her voice and minimal instrumentation, Barwick has created something truly magical. You know those clocks that have ocean sounds and things that put you to sleep? Barwick’s record should be added to those. Though it could relax you and lull you to sleep, it can also entertain. A close listen reveals the amount of talent and work it takes to manipulate the voice to sound like a keyboard line. While most of the vocals seem wordless, there are some there. An artist akin to Barwick is Grouper. Tracks like “Keep Up The Good Work” and “The Magic Place” resemble tracks from Grouper’s Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill. Don’t miss out on this.

Julianna Barwick – The Magic Place by The Wounded Jukebox

Artist: La Sera
Album: La Sera
What the hell is it? Debut from Kickball Katy of Vivian Girls fame
Sounds like a combination of: A more restrained Vivian Girls
Recommended? There are some awesome songs on here, and then there are tracks that just don’t work out so well. Side projects are always tricky, but in the case of the Vivian Girls, you know what you are getting. La Sera blends the same garage/girl-group influences but it only has one voice. “Never Come Around” is the centerpiece of the record. It is in many ways a perfect single. But stopping there would be a crime. “Left This World” is a fun, jangly stomper, and “Been Here Before” reaches the heights of some of the best Vivian Girls songs. While you wait for the new VG record, Share the Joy, give this a spin.

Devils Hearts Grow Gold by La Sera by goincase

Artist: MEN
Album: Talk About Body
What the hell is it? Debut record from ex-Le Tigre JD Samson
Sounds like a combination of: 2003–2004 dance punk, club beats
Recommended? In all honesty this record is not very good, and MEN have never been good. Just because I’m gay and this is made for me does not mean I am going to like it. I know lots of people LOVE JD and all the shit she does, but this record is just one big snore. I mean, the Moving Units made a better dance-punk record and they were totally shite. The lyrics are so painfully dumb or trying too hard that this really doesn’t work. Worse, JD can’t hold her own like Kathleen Hannah. Let’s not forget, Le Tigre have one really fucking good record and, oh yeah, JD was not on it.

MEN – Off Our Backs by The Recommender

Artist: Mogwai
Album: Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will
What the hell is it? The innovators of post-rock return to business as usual
Sounds like a combination of: The last few Mogwai records, but that isn’t a bad thing
Recommended? Will we ever get another Young Team? No—but who cares? Mogwai records are pretty predictable, a few tracks with vocals but mostly tracks that are loud screaming epics. Opener “White Noise” is restrained for a Mogwai record, but it also feels loose and not as restricting as tracks on The Hawk Is Howling. Mogwai have reteamed with Young Team’s producer but get different results. The tracks have muscle, like the riff on “Rano Pano” or the end of “How to Be a Werewolf.” The closer, “You’re Lionel Richer,” is a devastating assult in its second half, and a perfect way to close the record.

Mogwai – Rano Pano by subpop

Artist: PJ Harvey
Album: Let England Shake
What the hell is it? A New PJ Harvey record—DUH
Sounds like a combination of: English Folk, Songs about WWI
Recommended? This record will make you feel bad for not getting into Polly Jean until now. She has never made the same record twice and this is her best record in a decade. Where White Chalk was all doom and gloom and auto-harp, this is a more diverse listen. Harvey sings in many voices but mostly her upper register which is just as sweet as her darker, earlier records. Her imagery is perfect and she proves there really isn’t another artist like her.

PJ Harvey – The Words That Maketh Murder by VagrantRecords

Artist: Robert Pollard
Album: Space City Kicks
What the hell is it? Latest juggernaut from the rock & roll monolith
Sounds like a combination of: Robert E. Pollard, Jr., and all his varied side-projects
Recommended? From the opening blast of “Mr. Fantastic Must Die!”, Pollard’s latest excursion into the prairies, flood regions, and flying fields of his fertile imagination will have you doing your most shambolic bwanadance. Sounds like all those side-projects that got kicked out of the Snakepit to make a go of it on their own are home for Thanksgiving Break, so expect to hear spooky strains of cereballistic whafuck from the Circus Devils in the guest room, driving power pop from the Boston Spaceships touching down in the attic, and heartbreakingly beautiful, guitar-and-boombox acoustic ballads that’ll have you pining in your boudoir for a new Psycho & the Birds release. With Space City Kicks, Pollard achieves a synthesis recent releases only hinted at, and he brings it all back home while pushing it in new directions. Get your kicks in Space City, kids—it’s a trip! [GBV Matt]

Artist: Puro Instinct
Album: Headbangers in Ecstasy
What the hell is it? The sisters formerly of Pearl Harbor make their debut record
Sounds like a combination of: Dreamgaze, lo-fi, Fleetwood Mac, Ariel Pink
Recommended? I don’t do drugs anymore, but this is the perfect drug record. The melodies just wrap around you. It is funny because they reference headbanging in the title but there isn’t anything to headbang to on this album. Instead, the tracks just make you want to cuddle up. Highlight “Stilyagi” is the perfect place to start. The chorus is catchy and Ariel Pink’s brief appearance makes it all sweeter.

Puro Instinct – Stilyagi by neumagazine

Artist: Patrick Stump
Album: Truant Wave
What the hell is it? First EP from the post-Fall-Out-Boy singer
Sounds like a combination of: Soul, Electro, Awesomeness
Recommended? I fucking LOVE Fall Out Boy. Not going to lie, I’m indie rock as shit, but something about Patrick Stump’s voice turns me on. This first EP is tracks that supposedly do not fit on Stump’s full-length due this summer. Aside from rapping by some unknown rappers, this is an amazing EP. The tracks have so much soul and are really danceable, something that FOB never had. Stump even has a (maybe) FOB hate song in “As Long As I Know I’m Getting Paid” which riffs on the fact that he didn’t really enjoy singing Pete Wentz’s lyrics. Stump has the talent to rise above his old band and I hope that the public enjoys his shit as much as I do.

Patrick Stump- Cute Girls by tygbistheyeahhh

Artist: Sic Alps
Album: Napa Asylum
What the hell is it? Lo-fi as fuck San Fran band follow-up their 2008 record with a double record
Sounds like a combination of: Lo-fi awesomeness
Recommended? If Sic Alps gave a fuck, they aren’t letting it show. Their songs are short, almost sketches that are angular and rough but still so pleasing. This record is not for everyone, but it is certainly for me.

Sic Alps Do You Want To Give by warszawarecords

Artist: Telekinesis
Album: 12 Desperate Straight Lines
What the hell is it? Michael Benjamin Lerner’s second record
Sounds like a combination of: Power-pop / pure pleasure
Recommended? The first Telekinesis record (Telekinesis!) was pretty good, but this one blows it out of the park. From start to finish, it is perfect. While influences haven’t changed there are some differences, like the Cure-inspired “Please Ask For Help” and the glammy “Gotta Get It Right Now,” and Lerner is expanding his palate and perfecting his craft. I listen to this record on repeat because it is so swell.

Telekinesis – Please Ask for Help by telekinesismusic

Artist: Tennis
Album: Cape Dory
What the hell is it? Husband and wife go sailing and make a record.
Sounds like a combination of: 60’s pop, lo-fi, Best Coast
Recommended? What you would expect from a husband and wife duo who went sailing and wrote a record about it- but it is so fucking good!

Tennis – Take Me Somewhere by forcefieldpr

Artist: The Decemberists
Album: The King is Dead
What the hell is it? A non-concept back to basics Decemberists record
Sounds like a combination of: Dad rock, Alt-Country
Recommended? It is sad the Decemberists sound like a Decemberists and REM coverband- wait Peter Buck is playing on here? Boooooriiing.

The Decemberists – Rox In The Box by Vicente P.S.

Artist: Ducktails
Album: Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics
What the hell is it? The solo side project of Matthew Mondanile from Real Estate
Sounds like a combination of: Beach vibes, good vibes, chill vibes
Recommended? Really chill batch of songs that sometimes sound like Real Estate sketches.

Ducktails – Killing The Vibe (feat. Dent May) by Forte Distro

Artist: Smith Westerns
Album: Dye it Blonde
What the hell is it? Barley if even legal kids grow up on their sophomore record
Sounds like a combination of: T-Rex, Parting like it is Prom
Recommended? Since you can’t have Marc Bolan as your prom host please extend the invite to SW, they are superb

Smith Westerns – Weekend by Vicente P

Artist: Braids
Album: Native Speaker
What the hell is it? Canadians who make music vast spacey music
Sounds like a combination of: AnCo
Recommended? If you ever wanted a female foul-mouthed version of AnCo’s Feels, here it is.

Braids – Lemonade by Drewtewksbury

Artist: Fergus and Geronimo
Album: Unlearn
What the hell is it? Texas duo who love the 60’s
Sounds like a combination of: Zappa, Rockabilly
Recommended? A ramshackle debut from a promising band with a Zappa obsession, totally worth your time

Fergus & Geronimo – Girls With English Accents by hardlyartrecords

Artist: Tapes ‘n Tapes
Album: Outside
What the hell is it? The return to form albeit pointless third record
Sounds like a combination of: A Tapes ‘n Tapes cover band
Recommended? Has Pitchfork apologized yet?

Tapes ´n Tapes – Badaboom by Vicente P

Artist: Kid Sister
Album: Kiss Kiss Kiss
What the hell is it? Free Kid Sister mixtape
Sounds like a combination of: Kid Sister doing her usual
Recommended? Stop-gap but still fun, guess we have to wait another 4 years for a second record?

Kid Sister – ‘Kiss Kiss Kiss’ by YINMAGAZINE

Artist: jj
Album: Kills
What the hell is it? Free jj mixtape
Sounds like a combination of: jj takes on your favorite song
Recommended? JJ FUCKING KILLS (that was actually a real tweet of mine- follow me @Rorawks)

jj – new work by k3nken

Artist: M.I.A.
Album: Vicki Leekx Mixtape
What the hell is it? Free M.I.A. mixtape
Sounds like a combination of: M.I.A. making sense of that last record
Recommended? For thirty minutes, I cared about M.I.A. again, then it ended and put something else on.

Blaqstarr ft. M.I.A-Lemme Hump You by blaqstarrish

Artist: Jazmine Sullivan
Album: Love Me Back
What the hell is it? Second record from one of the most talented R&B singers out there
Sounds like a combination of: Grown and sexy R&B with some delightful and not grasping pop moves
Recommended? I love you Jazmine, why can’t your label? Please take notice that this record exists, and maybe she will come back to music

Jazmine Sullivan – “10 Seconds” by Shooter

Album of the Year Material:

Artist: Kanye West
Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
What the hell is it? Kanye West’s masterpiece
Sounds like a combination of: The mixture of the last four Ye records with more maximalist production
Recommended? I don’t give a fuck what performers do in their spare time. I don’t care when rappers get arrested, and I certainly don’t give a shit that Kanye stole an award from Taylor Swift, or called Bush a fucking racist. I care about the music, and this “Chi-town nigga with a Nas flow” KILLS IT! After taking time off and retreating to Europe, Kanye holed himself up in Hawaii with 40 or so of his closest friends being flown in and out to record what will become his best record yet. Kanye has always had the talent and has gotten close to creating brilliance, but here he is focused and a better rapper: “Do the rap and the track tripled up and no assist.” The maximalist epics start with “Dark Fantasy,” a choir-aided track with a quickie from Nicki Minaj in a (bad) British accent, and background vocals from Justin Vernon (Bon Iver). Other than the chorus, this is one of the few all-Kanye raps on the record, but the epic beat and luscious chorus makes it truly noteworthy. Kid Cudi steps in to take the chorus on the RZA-assisted “Gorgeous,” which finds Kanye rapping into some filter that makes his vocals sound lo-fi—don’t worry, it isn’t your speakers. The track is filled with guitars and even has a guitar solo at the end. “POWER” is where shit gets real. Kanye’s bigger-than-life persona gets his “theme music” over a beat with a King Crimson sample. Kanye takes on SNL and almost every hater he has in a song that is all bravado.

“POWER” leads into the cut everyone will talk about. “All of the Lights” has already turned heads for its massive (Rihanna, KiD CuDi, Tony Williams, The-Dream, Charlie Wilson, John Legend, Elly Jackson [La Roux], Alicia Keys, Elton John, Fergie, Ryan Leslie, Drake, Alvin Fields and Ken Lewis) guest list, but the marching-band beat with dueling horns and pounding drums is what takes the cake. While Kanye is an expert beatmaker, he does really bring it in his flow. Kanye references Michael Jackson, a man who Kanye is kind of like. For all the trouble Michael went through, he was first known for his music. Both characters are controversial figures, but let’s face it—Kanye will never be Michael, and I doubt he wants it that way. Another posse cut, “Monster” (Ft. Bon Iver, Charlie Wilson, Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj), follows “All of the Lights” and it contains the best verse on the record, as well as one of the only low points. Yeezy’s verse is pure hilarity (“I put the pussy in a sarcophagus”) but Jay-Z’s listing of monsters and “Loooove” kill the song for me. Thank god Nicki comes in and drops 16 bars of pure pleasure/the best verse of 2010. Anyone who can come up with “Pink wig thick ass give ’em whiplash/ I think big get cash make ’em blink fast” is amazing in my book. “Devil in a New Dress” once again employs Rick Ross after an extended instrumental jam. The track has Kanye’s pitched-up soul samples that made him famous back in the day, but halfway through the track the beat morphs into something you might’ve found on a later Ye record. First single, “Runaway,” was redone with samples he used at the VMAs, as well as three minutes of autotuned masturbation at the end. Kanye’s ode to the “assholes and jerk-offs” can be seen as an apology to Taylor Swift, as well as a celebratory ego-boost. Only Kanye can make a song to perform both duties without losing his edge.

“Hell of a Life” is where things get dark. The track is all about being in love with a porn star where Ye sings “pussy and religion” is all he needs. The track could be considered a throwaway, but the beat is brilliant, and then when his voice starts shifting in verse three it is just another facet of Ye’s brilliance. The darkest moment here is the John Legend-assisted “Blame Game,” built off of Aphex Twin (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)’s “Avirl 14^th”. Kanye sounds pretty run down, in the same mood he was on 808 & Hearbreak. The track ends with a Chris Rock skit that many will pass off, but for a track that clocks in at seven minutes (like most of the songs on here) and is straight darkness, it really adds some relief. The last track is a soon-to-be-setlist-closer, “Lost in the World.” Kanye takes Bon Iver’s “The Woods” and distorts it to make one of the most brilliant tracks of 2010. The track feels like the end credits of a movie, providing the last bit of rush out of an album of so many highs. Vernon helps Ye out on autotune, and when the epic tribal beat kicks in, Elly Jackson makes another appearance on background vocals. The track is all in its beat creation, as Ye’s raps are forgettable, but few producers can control that much going on at once and pull it off. Everything ends with a Gil Scot-Heron’s “Comment No. 1” which sums up the record in a nutshell. No matter what you think of Kanye the person, Kanye the producer/rapper is a genius—hands down.

Artist: Robyn
Album: Body Talk
What the hell is it? Final release from Ro0by’s ambitious Body Talk projects
Sounds like a combination of: Intelligent pop/the antithesis to mainstream stuff
Recommended? I have already reviewed 10 of the 15 tracks here, so let’s just do the new material, and let me say there isn’t a duff song. Like previous Eps, “Indestructible” is here in a fully fleshed-out electronic form, and it is fantastic. Though it is not as immediate as “Hang With Me” or “Dancing on my Own,” it is an excellent single. “Time Machine” pairs Robyn with collaborator and pop wunderkind Max Martin. The track explodes in the chorus, and just seems so fit for Robyn. “Call Your Girlfriend” is both sad and uplifting at the same time. Robyn commands a guy to break up with his girlfriend so he can fully be with her and while we hope it ends well it could just end in failure. “Get Myself Together” and “Stars 4-Ever” are two perfect pop songs. In overall quality this batch of new tracks is better than Part 2 and reaches the height of the brilliant Part 1. Robyn includes ever great track (including the better radio version of “Dancing on my Own”) from the first two volumes making this the disc you need. If you have the other two records already just download the five remaining songs, you won’t be sorry.

Really Good:

Artist: Muscles
Album: Younger & Immature
What the hell is it? New EP from the formally retired dance producer
Sounds like a combination of: Happiness encapsulated into dance jams
Recommended? Australian producer Muscles was supposedly retired and got into a fight with his label and decided to quit everything after his debut Guns, Babes and Lemonade dropped in 2007. Now a full three years later he is back with more happy techno that, while the title states he is Younger and Immature, this is anything but. The sugar rush of his debut is still intact, but there aren’t any tracks that reach the levels of “Sweaty” here. Opener “Forever” works as a reintroduction to the brilliance of Muscles. The track is the most buoyant song on here, as lead single “Girls Go Crazy” is a darker track that has a slight Captain Ahab influence, just not as vulgar. The five-song EP ends with “Northern Beaches,” an all-around party track. If you’ve never heard of him buy his debut record, but for those who missed Muscles, just be known he’s back.

Artist: Girl Talk
Album: All Day
What the hell is it? A new record from Girl Talk, released for free
Sounds like a combination of: You know the drill by now
Recommended? This record has no surprises. It is way better than Feed the Animals, not as good as Nightripper, but instantly enjoyable. You’d think his schtick would’ve been played out a long time ago, but he delivered a record that we didn’t know we needed till you listened to it. I mean, Fugazi and Rihanna? Brilliance. We’ve all had this for a week so there has been some unpacking, but a full digestion will take longer.

Artist: Girls
Album: Broken Dreams Club
What the hell is it? Brand new EP from the Californian rockers
Sounds like a combination of: Soul Asylum at the beach with horns and shit, Elvis Costello
Recommended? People love Girls. They have painfully bad lyrics, but they make the kids go crazy. Their debut had moments of brilliance, but not enough for it to be an album of year. This new stopgap EP is actually a move forward for the band. “Oh So Protective One” unleashes a new trick for the band, horns. Christopher Owens sings in his lower register and gets a tiny bit Elvis Costello. “Heartbreaker” is traditional Girls territory, though it seems as if they have polished off their lyrics and added more oomph to their jangely rock. “Broken Dreams Club” is a waltz of a rocker with pedal steel guitars. It is an ultimate indie-rock slow-dance song. The highlight here is “Carolina.” The track starts with a psychedelic vibe and takes a full three minutes before the vocals start. When the song reaches the chorus at minute four it resembles a Girls track, though the backing music is still much different than anything they have ever done, though the verses have the progression of “Hellhole Ratrace” but it takes the track further.

Artist: Russian Futurists
Album: The Weight’s On The Wheels
What the hell is it? A Brand new Russian Futurists record. First in 5 years!
Sounds like a combination of: Electronic Indie Pop
Recommended? Matthew Adam Hart knows how to make jams, and this record has its share of them. It just seems that after five years of silence more could be asked for. Unlike previous records, Hart employed an outside producer pushing the project into further hi-fi zones. Bouncy opener, “Hoeing Weeds, Sowing Seeds,” is an excellent start to the album. After five years it shows why we missed the RFs. The track is punchy and danceable. The only other full-on dance euphoria is “Tripping Horses” which is just as good. Hart goes for hip-hop in the semi-spoken rap of “100 Shopping Days Till Christmas” which is a standout. “Plates” has a beat that is part hiphop and part chillwave that is equally passable. The true highlight is the duets “One Night, One Kiss.” For all the catchy choruses on the record, this takes the cake. If you are in need of a pleasant indie-pop record look no further. Hart is a perfectionist.

Artist: Yelawolf
Album: Trunk Muzik 0-60
What the hell is it? Debut from the Alabama rapper
Sounds like a combination of: Eminem if he was a meth dealer
Recommended? I’ve mentioned Yelawolf on the site before. The first time I heard him, he was performing at the Fader Fort at SXSW in March. Months later we get his official debut following his free mixtape Trunk Muzik. This record takes classics from that mixtape and amps them up, putting them around newer tracks. Of the new material, “Get The Fuck Up” brings heavy bass and gunshots to an all-out party jam. “Daddy’s Lambo” has one of Yela’s signature choruses, and the Gucci Mane-featuring “I Just Wanna Party” cements Yelawolf’s pop crossover. Yelawolf knows the southern streets as well as he knows meth. His drug-induced tales aren’t that high-quality shit, but redneck basements and tales of killing motherfuckers who want to step. He isn’t as sadistic as Eminem, but it is a starting point, not only because they are both white and have been around drugs, but the cleaner production on this record makes Yelawolf sound even more like classic Em than ever before. The older hits like “Pop The Trunk” and “Good To Go” have been remastered, adding deeper bass and a more oppressive beat, which makes this a real thrilling listen.

Artist: My Chemical Romance
Album: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
What the hell is it? The fourth album from the alternative, formerly emo, epic Queen rockers
Sounds like a combination of: Less pomp and circumstance and more party in the destroyed world
Recommended? If there was ever a record that would mark being over a previous period, this is it. No longer a dark moody band making a Queen-sized epic based on cancer, the band have brought in the synthesizers and bright colors for a different concept. Really I don’t get the concept, and the story is hard to follow. If you want to know what is going on, use your search engine and Wikipedia it. Otherwise Gerard Way and his motley gang are back and are ready to just have fun and nothing says that more than opener “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)” with it’s really odd/funny lyrics (“Fuck like a Kennedy,” “Hit the party with a gas can”). It is a gleeful singalong that is miles beyond the band’s previous material. There are the slower, more moody songs, like “Bulletproof Heart” and “Sing,” but those morph into upbeat rockers, the former sounding like a slower version of “Party Hard” (same chord progression, at least). The first concept for the record was to make a Stooges record, and while they abandoned that there are traces of garage rock in tracks like “S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W,” “DESTROYA” and closer “Vampire Money.” MCR have been a guilty pleasure for me, and really this record proves them as a great band. They know what they are doing, and it is probably the most intelligently created thing on modern alternative radio right now.

Artist: Ke$ha
Album: Cannibal
What the hell is it? Cash in EP from the trash queen
Sounds like a combination of: Brushing your teeth with a bottle of jack, partying all night
Recommended? Ke$ha is a punching bag around these parts. Her lyrics are dumb, but she has her subgenre on lockdown. She writes songs about partying, accompanied by the magic that is Dr. Luke and Max Martin. She dresses like a whore, and in general is slut-core. But honestly we need her. With other pop songstresses like Lady Gaga trying to take themselves too seriously it is fun to have someone willing to take the piss. Cannibal is what Ke$ha does best, and compared to the scattershot Animal it is the most focused release in her meager discography. I enjoy most of the tracks on here, but let’s start with the duds. “Cannibal” is pretty horrible. It is one of the few times her lyrics just grate on you, plus she makes a pretty unforgiveable grammatical error. But it is almost all aces from there. “We R Who We R” is a fun dumb song, just what she does best. “Sleazy” is just that, a dirty tune made even better by the Bangladesh beat. The beat is really what makes the song work, especially in chorus two when the tinkling piano rolls in. “Blow” and “Crazy Beautiful Life” are more club songs, while “The Harold Song” is the only moment of weakness. It actually is a passable enough ballad to not skip. “Grow A Pear” is where things get a little sketchy. It is akin to Katy Perry’s (offensive to some, but not me) “Ur So Gay.” In the track Ke$ha whines that she can’t “date a dude with a vag.” Most readers here will find this offensive, but I don’t think it is enough to condemn her. This isn’t for everyone, but I don’t care how indie-rock-scenester-bullshit-punk-rock-asshole you think you are, at least one song on here will make you nod your head. Don’t fight it.

Not So Hot:

Artist: Rihanna
Album: Loud
What the hell is it? The fifth record from the RNB popstar
Sounds like a combination of: A return to form for Rihanna who tried to go dark after being abused
Recommended? Pop stars like to reinvent themselves all the time. Rihanna has worn many hats over 5 albums. From the Barbados flavor of Music of the Sun to the 80s-sampling but still reaction leaning of A Girl Like Me, to the big pop moment of Good Girl Gone Bad, Rihanna’s progression as a pop force was cemented in tons of singles and releasing albums at head snapping speed. Last year’s misstep Rated R was so dour it was no fun. After the album of her career RiRi was too bad feeling sorry for herself that she created this dark persona that no one could believe. The one standout, “Rude Boy,” served as a place to come up for air, but the rest was too murky for crossover. A year later RiRi has red hair and is softer than ever before, but she has taken all of her personas and put them into one hodgepodgey record with a few brilliant songs and too many damn acoustic guitars. Lead single “Only Girl In The World” is big and lives up to the album’s title. It is a pure pop rush that when around shit tracks like “California King” and the unforgivable “Cheers (Drink to That)” it sticks out like a sore thumb. Opener “S&M” has a beat like “Only Girl,” but I can’t see Rihanna really into “whips and chains” and the thought of “sex in the air, I don’t care I like the smell of it” disturbs me. Drake’s cameo in “Rude Boy,” akin to “What My Name,” is pleasant, but RiRi steals the show. Along with Nicki Minaj’s “Raining Men,” the three highlights of the record are easy to spot. The inclusion of “Love the Way You Lie (Pt 2)” was a mistake, as that song sucks as much as the original. Overall this is a record perfect for iTunes. Buy the hits, fuck the rest.

Artist: Nicki Minaj
Album: Pink Friday
What the hell is it? Nicki’s debut
Sounds like a combination of: Something that could’ve been incredible, gone incredibly wrong
Recommended? Nicki Minaj has proven herself one of the most adept rappers in the world. Since her scene-stealing moment on the “Five Star Bitch” remix, to her brilliant mixtapes and DVDs, and her appearance on the Young Money record, Minaj is your go-to if you need a verse. And everyone has hit Minaj up, from Mariah Carey trying to make a last single grab, to Usher trying to revive his lothario ways after a divorce. But where does this leave Nicki? This is her moment, the first time she can put all of her different sides together, because for the biggest cartoonish rapper in the game, there has to be a way to keep the crazy in check. Pink Friday is overworked and while it has brilliant moments, whoever told Minaj to go pop should be fired. This is the bitch who dropped the best verse of 2010 (Yeezy’s “Monster”) and who is known for her quick wordplay and going batshit crazy. This Nicki is tame and where her Barbie World mixtape was able to showcase all of her sides this just fails. “I’m The Best” would be great if the beat was a little harder and Minaj sounded harder or even hungrier. The only time she gets hungry is on the brilliant “Roman’s Revenge,” where she takes on her haters (see: Lil’ Kim), cutting them down in just eight bars. Then you have Eminem on some evil shit that is probably the best thing he’s done in a while. Nicki claims to be a “bad bitch” and a “cunt,” but after this face-melting track everything feels like cotton candy. “Did it On ’Em” doesn’t try to go pop, which is a relief, but her “shit” jokes just feel a tad stale. Sure, Nicki’s verses “If I had a dick I would pull it out and piss on them” are great, but the chorus is lacking.

“Right Thru Me” is one of the worst records of 2010. Sure it is soft Nicki, but it is pretty awful. “Fly” featuring RiRi would’ve sounded better on Rihanna’s record, and while the drum & bass beat of “Save Me” is pretty awesome, it is utterly wasted on Minaj. The trio of cameos, “Moment 4 Life” w/ Drake, “Check It Out” w/ will.i.am, and “Blazin” with Kanye West, fill out the middle second and all three are passable songs. “Check it Out” should fail, but Minaj’s verses are awesome, but of course will.i.am just brings things down. “Blazin” is a high point, sampling “Don’t You Forget About Me,” and is the last great track off the record. There are no words for “Dear Old Nicki” and “Last Chance” with Natasha Bedingfield (?!?). Nicki is a great guest character, much like another go-to-rapper-for-12-bars-with-a-comic-personality Ludacris, except this isn’t Nicki’s Back for the First Time, more like her Release Therapy.

Essential:

Artist: Elliot Smith
Album: An Introduction to Elliot Smith
What the hell is it? Greatest hits of sort (’cause he really didn’t have any “hits,” did he?) for the dearly departed indie singer
Sounds like a combination of: A heart breaking
Recommended? Who was this made for? I mean, you all should already own the first three Kill Rock Stars records because they are classic. Sure, Roman Candle and Elliot Smith are spotty, but Either/Or is perfect. This collection only collects from the KRS material, adding in some stuff off the essential New Moon (not the Twilight movie with Taylor Hotner in it) compilation. It is the best E.S. mixtape I’ve ever heard. The song selection is perfect, and other than “Say Yes” not being on here there isn’t anything I would criticize the comp for lacking. If you have never heard Smith, start with this—I mean, being late is fine.

Great:

Artist: The Radio Dept.
Album: Never Follow Suit EP
What the hell is it? EP of B-sides and remixes from one of the best Swedish bands
Sounds like a combination of: “Never Follow Suit” three times, plus some instrumentals and a new track which actually includes the lyric, “Never follow suit”
Recommended? If The Radio Dept. are involved, I’m there. This EP has two segue tracks, “The One” and “Stay Off Route,” plus a brand-new track, “On Your Side” (not on this year’s still-amazing Clinging to a Scheme). All are in the same Balearic style as the record. I guess this release is for the diehard completists, but as a 15-minute listen it is bright and airy, employing all the things The Radio Dept. do best.

Artist: Sharon Van Etten
Album: Epic
What the hell is it? Second record from the Brooklyn folkie
Sounds like a combination of: Grrrl rock
Recommended? Van Etten kicks asses and takes names—then she writes songs about it. She’s the kind of girl who’ll be kind to you and you can take to your parents’, but if you cross her she’ll throw your shit out and then cuss you out on record. Epic builds off her debut by employing a backup band. This record has much akin with Cat Power’s You Are Free, which is to say I’m feeling really lazy so any female singer who gets confessional and plays an acoustic guitar is Chan Marshall. “Don’t Do It” is a spectacular highlight and former song of the day, and it serves as the album’s centerpiece. Opener “A Crime” segues from the last record, as “Peace Sign” is when Van Etten’s backup band kicks into high gear. If you need to fill a void because Cat Power hasn’t released a record (of original material) since 2006, pick this up.

Artist: Warpaint
Album: The Fool
What the hell is it? Female four-piece’s first record
Sounds like a combination of: Dark pop music, 90s indie rock with girls singing
Recommended? Warpaint are four females who make music like it is 1990. Their music has a post-rock quality, as well as folk, and a good study of Sonic Youth dynamics. The vocals, however, are angelic and their multi-part harmonies—like on standout “Undertow”—are what makes the group distinct from most bands in the indie ghetto. Like Jim O’Rourke said, “Women of the world, take over, if you don’t the world will come to an end, it won’t take long.” Thank god these girls are here.

Trash:

Artist: Matt and Kim
Album: Sidewalks
What the hell is it? Reverse party-ready Mates of State release their third record
Sounds like a combination of: Matt and Kim plus horns, all mellowed out
Recommended? Have you ever been to a party where everyone wore neon and looked like the sorority sluts from your college? I guess you haven’t seen Matt and Kim live, then. Seriously, this band isn’t that good. Now that they are trying new things like adding horns and samples (I swear “AM/FM Sound” sounds like “Just Can’t Get Enough” re-recorded to be “more hip-hop,” or whatever the fuck. And does Matt have a speech impediment? He sounds like he has a lisp, and I work for speech-language pathologists—I could get him a good one. Matt and Kim are supposed to be hyper, but this mellows them out and it sounds pretty lame.

Artist: N.E.R.D.
Album: Nothing
What the hell is it? Pharrell’s band makes a snooze-worthy record! Too bad, ’cause Daft Punk is on it!
Sounds like a combination of: Really bad hip-hop
Recommended? The Neptunes used to be on their game. Pharrell and Chad Hugo made beats for everyone and they were the shit. Then a funny thing happened. They started a rock band and wow they’ve been sucking for years. Sure, there are bright spots—“Hypnotize U” is this record’s jam, and it was produced by Daft Punk so I can’t criticize it—but there are some low-ass points too. Why this record was made is beyond me. “Hot-N-Fun” is neither of the things it advertises, and the Nelly Furtado guest vocal is wasted—how much would you love for her to release a proper follow-up to Loose? Really, this record deserves to be in bargain bins or trash cans.

Today in alphabetical order:

Artist: Avey Tare
Album: Down There
What the hell is it? First solo-record from the Animal Collective yelper
Sounds like a combination of: Merriweather Swamp Pavilion
Recommended? While Panda Bear exists in the sunlight, Avey Tare loves the night. Down There is a song cycle about divorce and dying that, on its face, is pretty depressing and some of the murkiest music coming out of the AC camp. It really harkens back to the pre MPP days of Here Comes the Indian, but with more electronic noise and feedback. There really aren’t very many “happy” moments, but when “Oliver Twist” locks in it is pretty awesome. Most of the tracks are ripe with emotional material, like “Heather in the Hospital,” a song about Avey’s sister who was dying. There are standout tracks here, like the single “Lucky 1,” but you do yourself a disservice listening to it track by track. It begs to be digested as a whole.

Artist: Darkstar
Album: North
What the hell is it? UK Post-Dubstep Trio’s debut record on Hyperdub
Sounds like a combination of: 80s darkwave and post-dubstep
Recommended? Knowing that this was released on Hyperdub, the label that brought us Burial and cemented the dubstep scene as noteworthy, is pretty weird but it also makes a lot of sense. In the last year dubstep has evolved and now a bunch of (super cute) British twenty-somethings like James Blake, Mount Kimbie, Joy Orbison, etc., are creating things that can be dubstep but are more in the vein of straight-up electronic music. Darkstar first hit the scene with “Aidy Girl is a Computer,” a track featured on this record. It is shocking to hear the rest of the record, while it maintains the dark/glitch tendencies of “Aidy’s,” rely more on vocals and pop hooks. “Gold,” a pretty faithful cover of Human League’s “You Remind Me of Gold,” is the first indicator of the groups love for 80s darkwave. “Two Chords” features clipped vocals, but the faithfulness to the genre still stands. James Blake, the go-to guy in the dubstep scene, is moving toward this territory, as his debut full length (due next year) is supposed to rely heavily on his voice. If this is what dubstep is going to evolve into, I’m down with it.

Artist: Diamond Rings
Album: Special Affections
What the hell is it? Debut full-length from one of the coolest people I’ve ever met
Sounds like a combination of: Synth Pop
Recommended? In my SXSW write up I don’t think I spoke about two of my favorite things in detail. One being Diamond Ring’s DJ set using only YouTube videos, and second his awesome performance at the abortion known as Gay Bi Gay Gay. Diamond Rings is queer (there, I admitted the orientation of a performer) so you automatically have to like him, right? Diamond Rings makes awesome pop songs, like last year’s “All Yr Songs” (included here), but now peppers them with material that has weight to it. These aren’t just dancefloor fillers but songs with heart and emotion. “Play By Heart” starts the record on a sparse note, but things kick into full swing with “Wait and See,” a synth and guitar jam that is super fun. This is a party record, but tracks like “Something Else” have deeper meaning. Zack likes to think Hot Chip and LCD are the only groups capable of making dance music with heart. Well, Zack, add another to the list. Oh, P.S.—Due to DC9’s closure Diamond Rings will not be coming to DC, but we need to bring him here. I guess I should call him up.

Artist: Hurts
Album: Happiness
What the hell is it? Androgynous looking British Duo trying to take pop back to the 80s
Sounds like a combination of: Someone who studied darker new wave way too long
Recommended? Imagine La Roux’s debut made by men (who aren’t gay—go figure), just less poppy and more dour. There you have this Hurts record. It has some epic moments, like when all the music fills in on “Silver Lining,” or the two best songs, “Wonderful Life” and “Better Than Love,” but man this record is dark. “Better Than Love” is the perfect pop moment here, reaching a BPM faster than the entire record, and it’s “upbeat,” but seriously dudes CHEER THE FUCK UP! I mean, this record isn’t completely bad—Kylie Minogue phones in a guest appearance, but unlike the album’s title this record just isn’t happy. Hello, false advertising!

Artist: PS I Love You
Album: Meet Me At The Muster Station
What the hell is it? Debut record from Canadian shit-kickers
Sounds like a combination of: A less epic Japandroids with a tad of Wolf Parade
Recommended? What is it with Canada? Man, these indie rock groups love to kick shit up! PS I Love You are a duo like Japandroids, but less intent on breaking down walls with epic guitar solos. Instead they make awesome punk rock tracks like “Breadends,” “2012,” and “Facelove.” A lot of this record sounds lo-fi, and dude’s voice sounds a lot like Spencer Krug, and there is some serious Dinosaur Jr. love going on. But there is nothing wrong with that. Indie rock needs more rock; there is too much chill shit.

Artist: Skream
Album: Outside the Box
What the hell is it? Second record from the dubstep producer who hit it big with that La Roux remix—you know the one I’m taking about
Sounds like a combination of: Dubstep pop
Recommended? Can you blame Skream for going in a more accessible pop direction? Ever since his “In for The Kills” remix he’s been on some other shit. The record’s title says it all, he’s now Outside the Box. Skream goes into the category of (super cute) British twenty-somethings making dubstep, but this record is a charts grab. Elly Jackson shows up here, as well as Murs and some singer named Freckles, but it is still Skream’s show and his skill is unlike most of his peers. Nothing feels overworked, and it is to Skream’s credit that the record flows so magically.

Artist: Small Black
Album: New Chain
What the hell is it? Chillwaver’s first full length
Sounds like a combination of: You know the drill by now
Recommended? Has this whole thing gone too far? New Chain might be the last of chillwave, but if it is, it is a good endpoint. New Chain has some standouts, but mostly it just glides through thirty-five minutes of bedroom pop. There really isn’t anything I can say against this record. “Photojournalist” holds a sweet chorus, and the synth line on “New Chain” is sweet. If you have a half hour to spare, put this on.

Original Illustration by Ryan Blomberg

REALLY GOOD!

Artist: SALEM
Album: King Night
What the hell is it? Debut record from the original drag/witch-house/whatever-the-fuck-you-want-to-call-it trio
Sounds like a combination of: Mixing syrup in your lemonade
Recommended? I talked a lot of shit about this band when I saw them at SXSW, but they were terrible live. On record, however, they have created one of the best albums of the year. Starting with the ultrawarped “King Night,” the band who really couldn’t give a fuck actually sound like they care. “Asia” is foreboding, and early stand-out “Redlights” (which has been re-recorded for the third time) shines, mixing 80s shoegaze within the chopped-’n-screwed lens. Then you have the three rap tracks. “Trapdoor” features vocals about things being “blurred out” with vocals so compressed and fucked with that, yeah, they sound African American. But is it a problem like many bloggers have pointed out? Fuck no. Salem aren’t trying to be gangsta or hood—they actually aren’t trying to be anything at all (or at least that is what they say). Most people are gonna hate this record and hope this witch-house bullshit ends, but seriously, take a listen to this record. It is worth every second of your time—I swear.

Artist: Deerhunter
Album: Halcyon Digest
What the hell is it? Fourth full-length from the Atlanta band
Sounds like a combination of: DREAMWAVE
Recommended? Bradford Cox has evolved from the guy who would blog about everything and accidentally leak his entire record, to one of the most consistent songwriters in indie rock. This is Deerhunter’s most consistent and best record. Gone are the freak-outs, but in their place there’s something more dreamy. Sure, the band knows how to rock out—“Fountain Stars” and “Revival” are barnstormers—but “Helicopter” finds the band in their most pensive and beautiful moment. I could go on and on about how good this record is, but really every critic has lost their load on it—just go listen to the damn thing already.

Artist: Glasser
Album: Ring
What the hell is it? Debut from the one-woman project
Sounds like a combination of: Ugh—Joni Mitchell, Bjork, Florence and the Machine, Fever Ray, I hate writing these things cause it is bullshit
Recommended? Cameron Mesirow is a professional. Moving away from her early home recording style and hooking up with a producer she has created one of the best tricks on a record this year. Each song starts with a piece of the last, with the last track echoing the first track, making the record a true “ring.” From the opener “Apply,” to the tropical “Tremel,” Glasser moves through styles invoking all sorts of female solo-artists, but it is unfair to compare her to others.

Artist: DJ Nate
Album: Da Trak Genious
What the hell is it? Compilation/debut from Chicago Footwork producer
Sounds like a combination of: Footwork
Recommended? What a fucking great record. DJ Nate builds his track around a central vocal sample that he chops to death and then repeats over and over. This 25-track compilation serves as the first widely released record from this 20-year-old Chicago producer central to the Footwork scene. Footwork is a style of music made for dancing. As an offshoot of Juke—another variety of Chicago club music—DJ Nate’s tracks have the thug appeal and some of the violent/sexual edge. But like Burial, DJ Nate is smart with his vocal samples. “Call Me When You’re Sober” works around an Evanescence sample, while “You’re Gonna Love Me” is taken straight out of Dreamgirls. Early single, “Hatas Our Motivation” makes the cut, but unfortunately one of DJ Nate’s best tracks, “Make ’Em Run,” didn’t.

Artist: No Age
Album: Everything in Between
What the hell is it? No Age’s triumphant return
Sounds like a combination of: Two buddies rocking the fuck out
Recommended? People talk about records of the year, and this is one of them. No Age have smoothed out the edges to make a record of pure perfection. There are choruses here and the vocals are more decipherable, but the wall of sound that Dean and Randy create is still intact. Single “Glitter” is an evolution of their noise style while Dean’s drumming keeps time, Randy’s guitar freak-outs and sampling tear the track apart. Elsewhere, “Fever Dreaming” is an upbeat punk rocker, and “Dusted” is a dreamy shoegaze number on par with My Bloody Valentine. Play this loud.

Artist: Andrew Cedermark
Album: Moon Deluxe
What the hell is it? Debut record from ex-Titus Andronics axe shredder
Sounds like a combination of: Heavy shit
Recommended? Cedermark is known for epic guitar lines, and they are here, the only difference being this is a personal document of a time and thus less rocking, and more pensive. Cedermark buries his vocals, but on tracks like “Hard Living” and “Moon Deluxe” his talent creeps through the fuzz. This record feels as if it was recorded in a huge room, so there is a lot of empty space, but everything is done masterfully. A+.

Artist: How To Dress Well
Album: Love Remains
What the hell is it? Compilation of HTDW’s tracks from his EPs he released for free
Sounds like a combination of: A great primer of HTDW
Recommended? I’ve talked about how much I love HTDW enough here, so this is just a stand in for BUY THIS FUCKING ALBUM.

PRETTY GOOD!

Artist: Abe Vigoda
Album: Crush
What the hell is it? Surf Punks go Darkwave
Sounds like a combination of: The Cure, New Order, Goth
Recommended? Where have the guitars gone? No longer is Abe Vigoda the African-Guitar band, but a gothy synthy yelping darkwave outfit. Sure, the sings to their progression were there, but few bands have made a switch like this. “Throwing Shade” has some of the guitar interplay of their past record, but then turns into a track suited for goth night at Nation. At first I was turned off by the change, but after a few listens, this record is really much better than their breakthrough Skeleton.

Artist: Bag Raiders
Album: Bag Raiders
What the hell is it? Full length debut from the Aussie DJ Crew
Sounds like a combination of: If Cut Copy didn’t want to be a band
Recommended? If early singles said anything, it said this record was going to kill, and it does, just softly. There are the standout jams, “Sunlight,” “Shooting Stars,” “Not Over,” and “Way Back Home,” but the other tracks take a little bit to stick. At only 11 songs and just about 42 minutes, this is a compact dance record, as there are no long freak-outs (which is a plus). If you need more jams for your dance party, look no further.

Artist: Maximum Balloon
Album: Maximum Balloon
What the hell is it? Dave Sitek and a whole lot of other people
Sounds like a combination of: Electropop with a cast of characters
Recommended? Dave is known as being the white dude from TV on the Radio, and also as an expert producer. This collection of tracks is filled with TV on the Radio dudes, as well as collaborators like Karen O and Katrina Ford from Celebration. The tracks have the bounce of the funkiest TVOTR tracks but they are more in the electro-pop vein. “Groove Me” featuring rap-singing from rising star Theophilus London bounces hard. David Byrne kicks up shit on “Apartment Wrestling,” making it clear who should produce a Talking Heads reunion record, if it were to ever happen. Usually these records fall under the weight of their guests, but this one doesn’t.

Artist: Mark Ronson & The Business Int’l
Album: Record Collection
What the hell is it? Mark Ronson and a whole lot of other people
Sounds like a combination of: Electropop with a cast of characters
Recommended? This record on paper shouldn’t work. There are so many guests, from Ghostface to Q-Tip to MNDR, the dude from Phantom Planet, the dude from Miike Snow, a chick from the Pipettes, D’Angelo (!!!!), Boy George and fuckin’ Simon LeBon. Suprisingly everyone works out. No longer using the Dap Tones and soul as his inspiration, Rons has gone all electropop. Boy Geoge’s “Somebody to Love Me” is pretty heartbreaking when taken into the drama that surrounds George’s life. D’Angelo’s return doesn’t really work, mostly because the autotune fucks his voice to make him sound like Cee-lo (ugh!), but Simon LeBon’s bullshit verses (sample lyrics: “I drive ’round cities in my chariot/I get preferential treatment at the Marriott”—I mean, who writes this shit?) in “Record Collection” don’t mar the song, because the chorus and the Wiley verse are unfuckwithable. Rose Dougall, formerly of the Pipettes, is a star here, singing on multiple tracks and becoming a highlight—too bad her solo record is kinda shit. The true banger here is “Bang Bang Bang,” featuring a solid Q-Tip verse along with a English/French chorus from MNDR—a name you should start knowing.

Artist: Marnie Stern
Album: Marnie Stern
What the hell is it? Third record from the guitar goddess
Sounds like a combination of: Rock music
Recommended? Marnie Stern is one of the best guitar players out there, and though her frantic shredding and Zack Hill’s just as kinetic drumming can get cloying this is the perfect Stern record. Not so much as a departure from her last two records, Marnie Stern showcases Stern’s talent, while toning down some of the freak-out moments. The cheekily titled “Female Guitar Players Are the New Black” is just as propulsive as her previous material, but tracks like “Transparency is the New Mystery” find Marnie comfortable in her yelpy voice and at her most emotional.

Artist: Cinema Red and Blue
Album: Cinema Red and Blue
What the hell is it? Side project collecting Crystal Stilts and Comet Gain
Sounds like a combination of: Twee as fuck
Recommended? What a combination. Comet Gain are the leaders of jangly, twee indie-pop and the Crystal Stilts are purveyors of the genre, so hooking them up you get a tight record full of classics that sound like they were recorded years ago. This is real indie-pop made by professionals. With so many releases this year, this record is sure to be glossed over, but if you like indie rock, take a listen.

Artist: Gold Panda
Album: Lucky Shiner
What the hell is it? Debut record
Sounds like a combination of: Four Tet, minimal techno, impressive
Recommended? When Gold Panda is on (“You,” “Snow & Taxis”) dude is on. This record moves through styles of sampling, like “You” cutting vocals to say both “you” and “me,” but he also cuts beats, layering them like early Four Tet and Aphex Twin records. This record sounds warm. Like The Field, Gold Panda can be described as minimal, though it is a compression of The Field’s long tracks, as there is more going on in these songs, they almost feel as if they are built on the verse-chorus structure, but they aren’t.

Artist: Gucci Mane
Album: The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted
What the hell is it? First record from Gucci after his last jail sentence
Sounds like a combination of: IT’S GUCCI TIME
Recommended? GUCCI. Gucci Mane has some of the best rhymes, like the chorus of “Little Friend” where he talks about all the things he could’ve been: “Should’ve been a lawyer/I go to court so much I could’ve been my own employer.” This record, like his last, is a mix of the hard hood-bangers like “Trap Talk” and the radio-friendly joints like the Justice-sampling “Gucci Time.” There is also the playful “Dollar Sign,” where he ludicrously boasts that he is “so fucking paid he just bought the dollar sign.” Nicki Minaj shows up to guest on the all right, but not great, “Haterade,” but it could be because Pharell stinks up the track. For every great song there is one grenade in the mix. “ODog” features the abortion-of-a-human Wyclef, and it is one of Gucci’s worst tracks, but skip it over and you’ll find the quality that Gucci is known for.

Artist: Waka Flocka Flame
Album: Flocakveli
What the hell is it? Debut from ex-Gucci Mane protégé
Sounds like a combination of: Hood shit
Recommended? People who are mad about Gucci going all glossy hip-hop have a savior in the funnily named Waka Flocka Flame. Though he shares a name with a stupid Shakira song (he had the name first!), Waka means business. Dude goes “Hard in Da Paint” and all of his dudes are “TTG (Trained to Go).” How a major label backed this is beyond me. I mean this is some real thug music. Sure the Roscoe Dash-assisted “No Hands” is kind of a pop joint but it’s fierce beat seems so un-mainstream. Like most hip-hop records though, 70 minutes is too long, but if you have a car, bang this around your hood.

Artist: Grinderman
Album: Grinderman 2
What the hell is it? Second record from Nick Cave’s demented side-project
Sounds like a combination of: Old dudes rocking the fuck out
Recommended? This record has two rules: no songs about love, and no piano. Cave doesn’t break them either. With his snakecharmer swagger intact, Cave brews up a batch of songs that are pure evil. Cave’s 13-year-old son supposedly taught him how to play guitar for the record, though with Warren Ellis’s howling guitar lines, it’ll cover any amateur up. The music is full of the bluesy, rock-and-roll-fused elements Cave has perfected over the years. The almost-funk “Heathen Child” is a rocker that is intense as fuck. Its counterpoint is “Evil,” a song that lives up to its name, but the hopeful moment “Palaces of Montezuma” hits a surprising high note.

Artist: Women
Album: Public Strain
What the hell is it? Canadian noise rocker’s second record
Sounds like a combination of: Atmosphere and noise rock
Recommended? The first Women record fell on deaf ears, but as those who caught on to their greatness know, this is a band with talent and skill that can fill a track with endless noise, but switch shit up and go all classic indie rock at any moment. Like their peers No Age, tracks are fuzzy but then explode. “Can’t You See” is a traditional rock song on the surface, but all the atmospheric noise around it makes it special. Guitars interlock to form melodies but then everything bottoms out into shrieks of noise before you know it, kind of like math rock. Public Strain is a record that is not for background listening.

ALMOST GOOD!

Artist: Belle and Sebastian
Album: Write About Love
What the hell is it? A brand new B&S record—hooray!
Sounds like a combination of: B&S gone soft/adult contemporary/their lowest point since Fold Your Hands/Storytellers though not really as bad as those records (and bad is in comparison to their earliest and best material, as well as their recent two-album sting).
Recommended? It isn’t a horrid record. It is just disappointing, mostly because The Life Pursuit was so goddamn good. I mean, yeah, I was shocked to hear fucking Norah “Snooze” Jones on this album. There are plaenty of great songs in the first half of the record (N.J. aside) like the bouncy “Come Over Sister,” and the Carrie Mulligan-assisted “Write About Love,” but the end of the record doesn’t hold a candle to B&S’s best. I will always be a cuckoo for Belle and Sebastian, but I know they can make a better record than this one.

Artist: Corin Tucker Band
Album: 1000 Years
What the hell is it? S-K front woman gone solo
Sounds like a combination of: S-K gone soft
Recommended? Corin Tucker is pretty brilliant, but these songs are pretty blah. If there was any reason to get the girls back and rock through All Hands on the Bad One it would be this. If you are a fan, give it a spin.

UGH!

Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Album: The Age of Adz
What the hell is it? Sufjan “not fucking around”
Sounds like a combination of: Electro-folk, everything
Recommended? Disclaimer: I dislike Sufjan. There are some fun moments on this record, but it’s so exhausting, and my attention span can’t really give it a “proper” listen. Then there’s that autotune. It worked for Bon Iver, but Sufjan—if you are going through a crisis, buy a car, don’t record some bullshit. Seriously, no one is gonna go against this record, so I might as well start the backlash.

Artist: Blue Water White Death
Album: Blue Water White Death
What the hell is it? Side project from Shearwater and Xiu Xiu
Sounds like a combination of: See above
Recommended? This is a painful record to get through. It is pretty avant, but I think it is trying too hard to be weird. Maybe I don’t get it because all the voices sound like Muppets and the music sounds like it is trying too hard to be spooky, but this is a pretty awful record—just saying.

Artist: Superchunk
Album: Majesty Shredding
What the hell is it? Don’t call it a comeback, they’ve been here for years. The first Superchunk record in nine (!) years
Recommended? Talk about Majesty Shredding, Superchunk is one of the few bands fit for an album title like that. While Mac and Laura spent their nine-year hiatus running one of the best record labels in the game, Merge, they saw their bands do things that their own band will never do, and it is a shame. See, people who love Superchunk, LOVE Superchunk, like me. It is hard for me to write this review because I’ve been obsessed with this record for quite some time. Opener “Digging for Something” propels the band back into the forefront of indie rock, it makes me feel like the last nine years never happened. Then there is the highlight, “My Gap Feels Weird,” which recalls the Superchunk of the nineties while still sounding fresh and 2010. Early singles “Crossed Wires” and a re-recorded “Leaning to Surf” appear here along with the “fresh” tunes, and while it has been some time since their release they still sound welcome. Hopefully this isn’t the end but something grander.

Artist: The Walkmen
Album: Lisbon
What the hell is it? Fifth record from the NYC band
Sounds like a combination of: The Walkmen
Recommended? Talk about aging gracefully, The Walkmen have managed to be just like The National, a band who can live on slow-burning rock songs, only tweaking their sound here and there, but releasing records that are generally fun to listen to at a steady pace. 2008’s You & Me was super slow, but it seems as if the band is past those days and are ready to “rock” again. “Angela Surf City” is the best song they have written since “The Rat,” and probably the loosest the band has ever sounded as well.

Artist: Boston Spaceships
Album: Our Cubehouse Still Rocks
What the hell is it? Latest rocker from the Robert Pollard side-project, featuring Chris Slusarenko (Guided by Voices) and John Moen (Decemberists)
Recommended? Surprise!—Cubehouse earns our grooviest rating: ten fist-pumps. Any longtime reader of the Weekly Round-Up knows just about every Pollard release is unabashedly recommended. The longtime reader might now be saying to himself, “Why should I run out and buy this one?” Three reasons: the equation of Pollardian inscrutability to sheer exuberance is near perfectly balanced in both lyrics and music, the sequencing is flawless, and album centerpiece “Come On Baby Grace” is the finest slice of power-pop Pollard has laid on the platter in years. Play the track for a skeptical longtime reader, and see if he goes to get Cubehouse. I’ll bet he runs.

Download “Come On Baby Grace”

Artist: Chromeo
Album: Business Casual
What the hell is it? Chromeo’s major label debut
Sounds like a combination of: The 80s, Hall and Oates’ Greatest Hits with more camp
Recommended? Chromeo’s albums thus far have been spotty affairs. They always have great tracks, but they never seem to flow properly. Well, the boys have really outdone themselves with this one. From start to finish, Business Casual pleases with tracks that sound like P-Thugg said—a more refined Fancy Footwork. “Hot Mess” is the only downer on the record, and too bad it starts the set off (personally. I would’ve put the Ezra Koenig track on the album). “I’m Contagious” makes up for the dud of “Hot Mess,” and knocks around with plenty to love. Elsewhere Solange does her best R&B posing on the sweet, “When the Night Falls.” The ending tracks, “The Right Type” and “Grown Ups,” are two of the best songs Chromeo has ever written. If you like 80s music rife with sax solos, talk boxes, and cheesey guitar solos—this is your record.

Artist: Restless People
Album: Restless People
What the hell is it? Ex-Professor Murder dudes hook up with Tanlines to take Vampire Weekend’s aesthetic to Ibiza
Sounds like a combination of: Taking ecstasy with the Harlem Shakes
Recommended? NPR had a story about how drug use was on the rise, especially ecstasy. Most would blame Delorean for this, but with the release of Restless People I don’t think people are going to stop raving and start behaving (Thanks Annie Mac). This record is high on the synths and airhorns and low on the duds. At only eight tracks, the band nails pretty much every one with the summer soundtrack we always wanted, but too bad it is being released right before fall. I already had two tracks as the song of the day last week, but the rest of the songs that fill out this record follow in the tropical/synthy vibe. “Little Sky” owes as much to Vampire Weekend as it does to Phil Collins’s solo 80s work. “Practical Magic” adds a bit of dub into the mix before turning into a booty-shaking head nodder. This new rave trend seems to be the next incarnation of the long dead dance-punk. I hope the Rapture are taking notice.

Artist: Super Wild Horses
Album: Fifteen
What the hell is it? Australian female duo garage rocking debut
Sounds like a combination of: A little Vivian Girls, a little Dum Dum Girls and a whole lots of ass kicking rock
Recommended? Sometimes I get a record by a band with little to no hype and just fall in love. This is one of those records. Super Wild Horses are infectious. Every song on here is an earworm and when the short record finishes, the repeat button is sure to be hit. Highlights “Fifteen” and “Golden Town” are perfect indie-pop songs, performed expertly. Just try not to get these songs stuck in your head.

Artist: Twin Shadow
Album: Forget
What the hell is it? Debut record from electro-pop band
Sounds like a combination of: The Cure, Depeche Mode, 80s darkwave pop
Recommended? “You’ll never let another black boy break your heart,” sings George Lewis, Jr. (Twin Shadow) on the opening cut Tyrant Destroyer but listening to Forget he might just break your heart. While Twin Shadow’s throwback style might be off-putting to some, Lewis is a master at keeping things sounding contemporary. The tracks here move from pensive to all-out dance numbers like “At My Heels,” but the true highlight is the Cure-like “Slow.” I really can see this dude blowing up, so get on the bandwagon while you can.

Artist: Lower Dens
Album: Twin-Hand Movement
What the hell is it? Jana Hunter’s new band
Sounds like a combination of: Indie rock done right
Recommended? Fuck yeah. Jana Hunter started as a freak-folk weirdo, so her new band Lower Dens is a pleasant surprise. Hunter’s deep voice is buried here, as the guitars are tuned up. “Tea Lights” is a slower number, but a knockout. The instrumental “Holy Water” shows off the band’s guitar chops, and highlight “Hospice Gates” has the band rocking out. ”Plastic and Powder” has a bit of Joy Division in it and is painfully slow—at six minutes it is their only misstep.

Artist: Summer Camp
Album: Young
What the hell is it? Debut EP from new real-life couple band
Sounds like a combination of: The high water mark for both Jenny and Johnny
Recommended? Talk about fun, Young is everything good about summer and younger days in six songs. “Round the Moon” is bedroom pop at its best. The woozy synth lines and guitars fit the dueling vocals, where “Was It Worth It” has the charm of an old Casio keyboard. Awash in 60s pop melodies, the band weave through expert choruses that make you fall in love every time. Summer Camp is the prom band that everyone wanted but no one had.

Artist: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Album: Let It Sway
What the hell is it? Third record from the always-consistent Missouri band
Sounds like a combination of: SSLYBY with polish
Recommended? No longer doing it themselves, the always consistent SSLYBY hired indie-pop master Chris Walla to aid in the production of this record. Where Perishing felt overworked—the band members were at each other’s throats—this feels loose. Opening duo “Back in the Saddle” and “Sink/Let it Sway” sounds like the band is having fun. When SSLYBY get a hit they hit it out of the park, but this record does have some filler. “In Pairs,” “All Hail Dracula” and “Animalkind” come off as filler when compared to “Evelyn” and the fuck you to critics, “Critical Drain.” The band are almost at the point where they could deliver perfect power pop, and hopefully the next time out they’ll do it all right.

Artist: Klaxons
Album: Surfing the Void
What the hell is it? Three years later, the inventors of nu-rave return and kick ass once again
Sounds like a combination of: Space rock
Recommended? Not only does Surfing the Void have the best album cover this year, but it marks a comeback for the troubled Klaxons. Who knows how many scrapped albums it took to make this, but it really isn’t different from the band’s previous work—just take the airhorns and alarms off. The Klaxons sound like a band now, and this feels like an album, something that many records released this year will attempt but fail to do. “Echoes” is a catchy-as-hell single, but things get good with the slam-dance ready “Surfing the Void,” and aggro-as-fuck “Flashover.” The Klaxons have seem to be eyeing the mosh pit more than the dance floor, and hell, I don’t blame them.

Artist: Magic Kids
Album: Memphis
What the hell is it? Sugary throwback record/debut of the Magic Kids
Sounds like a combination of: Pet Sounds, 60s pop, Van Dyke Parks
Recommended? This record is from 2010—whaaa? I feel like I should be listening to it on a Fisher-Price record player, not my iPhone. The Magic Kids make shiny, intricately orchestrated and assembled pop music. It almost feels overworked and fussy, but it is so damn fluffy you don’t have to listen too closely. “Superball,” “Hey Boy” and “”Candy” could’ve been hits back in the day, and should be hits now. Many people might find the Magic Kids overly precious, but fuck, it sure is better than most of the crap that has been released this year.

Artist: Teengirl Fantasy
Album: 7 AM
What the hell is it? Debut from electronic duo
Sounds like a combination of: Chillwave/ravewave
Recommended? After hearing preview track “Cheaters” I didn’t expect this record to be far less dancey than it is. The beats are more downtempo and after party, while I expected a dance floor smash. Some tracks like “In An Arena” are almost chillwave. “Cheaters” is the high point, but everyone needs cool-off music, and this might be the perfect cool-off record.

PLEASANT/ EH

Artist: Robyn
Album: Body Talk Pt 2
What the hell is it? Second record in the series of three from the Swedish songstress
Sounds like a combination of: Intelligent pop music and a fuck-ton of filler
Recommended? The opening three tracks on this new EP from Robyn are swell enough. “In My Eyes” is a jam—aside from that “little star” bullshit—and “Include Me Out” is a perfectly fine song. Things really get kicking with the way better cover “Hang With Me,” here in its electronic form. While it is no “Dancing on My Own,” it is still a mega-jam. Then you can pretty much dismiss the rest of the album. “Love Kills” is a fucking stupid song. Just saying, and don’t get me started on the abortion that is “We Dance to the Beat.” Robyn, you can do better. The real highlight here is the Snoop-Dogg-assisted “U Should Know Better” (despite Robyn’s somewhat awful/mind-boggling lyrics). All that said, Robyn is one of the best pop stars out there and yeah, she should be bigger here in the States but we know it is never going to happen, so we should cherish her because she is ours.

Artist: The Thermals
Album: Personal Life
What the hell is it? Fifth record from Portland threesome
Sounds like a combination of: The Thermals growing up
Recommended? Oh, Maturity—up yours. Let it be known The Thermals ruled my college years. Their “fuck you” anthems resonated with me, but after 2006’s The Body, The Blood, The Machine it seemed like the band was smoothing out the rough edges. Remaining the duo of Hutch and Kathy plus whoever they got to drum for them, the band painted by the numbers on Now We Can See, though it still had some great tunes. This all brings us to Personal Life, which doesn’t have any terrible cuts but isn’t the band I fell in love with, only a shell of their younger days. “I Don’t Believe You” is one of the catchiest tracks they’ve written in quite some time, but beyond that the tracks aren’t making waves. The songwriting is strong, but only “I Don’t Believe You” has energy, as mid-tempo seems to be the rage nowadays.

Artist: Jenny and Johnny
Album: I’m Having Fun Now
What the hell is it? Real life couple Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice team up She & Him style to create a fun to listen to surf/fol-rock record
Sounds like a combination of: The high water mark for both Jenny and Johnny
Recommended? Truth be told, I am not a huge Jenny Lewis fan. I never quite got why people loved her so much. Her songs are pretty meh, and it wasn’t super pleasant to listen to Under The Blacklight. This collaboration is actually fun, for the most part. The first four songs are so much fun, but there the album goes a little off the rails. By “Just Like Zeus,” you know they are out of material, as “Slavedriver” is a pretty blah song. But for every blah song it still trumps some of their past lows.

Artist: Blonde Redhead
Album: Penny Sparkle
What the hell is it? Blonde Redhead gone downtempo
Sounds like a combination of: Background music
Recommended? Blonde Redhead have been kicking in the scene for a long time now, tweaking their sound from Sonic-Youth-alikes to shoegazers to some weird hybrid. 2007’s 23 proved the band were a fierce act, but this record takes away the guitars from Blonde Redhead’s yesteryears and turns up the electronics. Opener “Here Sometimes” is a jam, but elsewhere the band veers off in directions only fit for background music. “My Plants Are Dead” skirts too closely to 90s downtempo electronica, “Love or Prision” is a snoozer, and “Penny Sparkle” becomes a track to just skip. The only time the band amps up, the results turn out all right. “Not Getting There” has the most guitars, and is a great song, but two jams don’t make a great record.

Artist: Les Savy Fav
Album: Root To Ruin
What the hell is it? A new Les Savy Fav record—what else would it be?
Sounds like a combination of: A continuation of Let’s Stay Friends
Recommended? Talk about opening tracks, “Appetites” starts out banging and even by the end quotes the Silver Jews. The band keeps rocking but the perils of old age seem to overtake this record. Like the Thermals, Les Savy Fav are no longer young dudes making spazzy music. They are adults with real problems. Some of them have families. This record has lots of slower numbers—like “Sleepless in Silverlake”—that Les Savy Fav aren’t super good at, but this time they seem to be pleasant enough. The highlights, like “Let’s Get Out Of Here,” make this record good, but everyone knows the best part of having a new LES record is that they’ll tour and destroy the shit out of a venue.

Yuck:

Artist: Interpol
Album: Interpol
What the hell is it? Fourth record and “return to form/label” for the moody NYC band
Sounds like a combination of: SNOOZE and FEST
Recommended? What a fucking boring album. Paul Banks sounds bored. Carlos D was so bored he left the group when the record was done. Sure, “Barricade” is a fine song, but this record is all mood, with no attitude or bite. Just like last year’s ill-advised Julian Plenti record, this record just feels stale. It is weird to know that next year marks the 10-year anniversary of the brilliant Turn on the Bright Lights, especially since Interpol have just lost it.

Artist: Weezer
Album: Hurley
What the hell is it? Another Weezer record—why?
Sounds like a combination of: “At least it isn’t as bad as…” and “What did you expect?”
Recommended? No. Sorry Rivers, I won’t be fooled again.

Highly Anticipated:

Artist: Arcade Fire
Album: The Suburbs
Sounds like a combination of: …
Recommended? “I need the darkness, someone please cut the lights,” Regine sings on the album’s stand-out track, “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains).” But before we can get to track 15 of this hour-long, dense-as-hell record, we have to start at the beginning. Three years after the highly underrated Neon Bible, the Arcade Fire have come back to quench fanboys’ thirsts for anthemic, epic rock. Let’s be honest, though. Arcade Fire will never make another Funeral, just like Interpol will never make another Turn on the Bright Lights, so let’s not compare this to the back catalog and just move forward. Let’s compare it to other records from this year and indie rock in general.

Gone are the “we’re all gonna die” elements of Neon Bible—instead the record is about suburbs. Actually, almost every track here references the suburbs or suburban living. Opener “The Suburbs” starts the record at a bouncy pace. It is a ballsy opener, as it feels almost like a middle track on a record. “The Suburbs” bookends the record, and the opener feels like something a suburban dad would put on in his minivan for his kids. The record really gets going with “Ready To Start,” a smirking look at both suburban life and pretentious, art-school hipsters. That is the general dichotomy of the record. Win claims on “Modern Man,” “I want a daughter while I’m still young,” but he is torn between being “passed out in the suburbs” and the “pretentious things” that rule his life. If LCD Soundsytem’s Sound of Silver was a frank tale about growing up, this is the theatrical version of it.

The record is dense and their longest, but it is not without its standouts. Early interviews had the Fire claim the record was like both Neil Young and Depeche Mode, and while the former is all over this record, the latter does come in a bit, but I’ll get to that later. “Rococo” is a crowd-pleasing track about the pretentious “kids” that is sure to be a highlight in the Arcade Fire’s live arsenal. “City With No Children” is built on claps and a Bruce-Springsteen-like stomp. Unlike previous records where Arcade Fire were at some points imitating the Boss, the Arcade Fire have just become the Boss. “Half Light I” showcases the brilliant string arrangements the band is known for, while its second part’s pounding beat almost reaches a new height for the band, but instead fizzles out. “Month Of May” was released before the record, and it sure seemed weird compared to “The Suburbs” (and it still feels a little weird on the record) but it adds a jolt of energy in the perfect place. While it may seem like a tossed-off, faux-punk, lo-fi rocker, the lyrics really hit hard on the record’s themes, making it essential to the album.

The slow tracks set in before the fantastic “We Used To Wait” kicks in. The record is almost over by now, but the climax is coming. I mentioned “Sprawl II” at the beginning of this review, and while the sub headline is “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” it really could be replaced with “Heart of Glass” and you wouldn’t blink an eye. Yes, Arcade Fire has made a disco track, and while that sounds cheesy, it is the most brilliant track on the record. The synths glimmer and twinkle in the back and Regine gently floats on top with lines summing up the record’s grow-up/grow-old themes like, “They heard me singing and told me to stop/Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock.” If there ever was a track begging for a remix it would be this, as it is just a tad too slow for a dance night, but, say, if Lindstrom got a hold of this, magic could happen. The Suburbs is an immediate record. First listen you’ll fall in love, but repeated listens make you fall in love harder. Then, spend hour upon hour dissecting the lyrics and themes and relating it to your own life. This record really could’ve been a failure, but instead it is the album we all wanted from one of the most talented bands performing today.

And the Rest:

Artist: Best Coast
Album: Crazy for You
What the hell is it? Debut record from CA’s surf/garage/indie rock band
Sounds like a combination of: Doo-wop, surf, garage, sunshine
Recommended? Best Coast has had my heart for a long time. Last summer I heard their debut track, “Sun Was High (And So Was I),” and I just melted. At the height of the chillwave/glo-fi/lo-fi scene came this song that just made you want to smoke up on a beach. I’ve interviewed BC front woman Bethany here, and they have had more songs of the day on this site than any other band. The reason is they write brilliant songs.

Crazy for You is aptly named. The record seems like it is all about one person, who at some point they get together but then he breaks her heart. The biggest complaint with Best Coast is the lack of lyrical imagination. The rhymes have all been done before, but that isn’t the point. Bethany uses plain language, and almost every song says “love,” “hate,” or “I miss you.” The rhyme schemes border on childish; by that I mean Bethany makes a line like “I wish my cat could talk” or “nothing makes me happy/not even TV or a bunch of weed” sound fantastic. Follow the Best Coast Twitter feed and you’ll know how big of a stoner Bethany is. It really shows, as this record would sound great with weed.

“Boyfriend” is a super confessional track, and I’m sure many have felt the way Bethany feels on the song. Other tracks like “Goodbye” and “When The Sun Doesn’t Shine” have simple emotions attached to them, but they are universal, and that is the trick to the record. Sure, some of the upbeat songs are actually depressing at their core, but that’s life. Both this record and her current boyfriend’s record (Wavves, King of the Beach) have pretty much put a lock on albums of the summer.

Artist: Menomena
Album: Mines
What the hell is it? Third “real” studio full length from the Portland trio
Sounds like a combination of: Everything put into a blender, but the top pops off spilling the combination everywhere.
Recommended? Menomena’s first record I Am The Fun Blame Monster was a marvel for the music, and because of the packaging—a flip book that reassigns the letters in the album title to read “Menomena’s First Album.” 2007’s Friend or Foe had really cool packaging too, so cool it was nominated for a Grammy. With so much talk about their packaging, the talk about their music can get lost. Luckily I do not have a physical copy of this album, otherwise I might spend the rest of this review gushing about the packaging.

Mines is the loosest Menomena have sounded since their experimental instrumental Under an Hour. Opener “Queen Black Acid” is gentle and leads in with hits of strings, but on “TAOS” with it’s hard guitars lines, strings, horn section, and random sound arrangement, the band hits a high and takes a few songs to come down. “TAOS” is like three songs surgically stitched together, and while this would be death for most bands, Menomena are indie rock’s expert surgeons. The pounding drums of Friend Or Foe return on tracks like “BOTE” and “Lunchmeat,” one of the highlights. The horns also strike, especially with the darker-sounding “Five Little Rooms.” Mines can get a tad exhausting, but those in it for the long haul will find much to enjoy.

Artist: Curren$y
Album: Pilot Talk
What the hell is it? Debut record from Southern backpack rapper
Sounds like a combination of: Gripping hip-hop record about planes and, well, weed
Recommended? Curren$y’s career has had lots of false starts. He was originally linked to Master P and No Limit before moving to Lil Wayne’s Young Money. He released an excellent single (and still a favorite of mine) “Where Da Cash At?” and then disappeared into the mixtape scene. He released two records on an independent while still releasing a barrage of mixtapes and hooking up with other rappers like Wiz Kalefa and Big K.R.I.T. Pilot Talk is Curren$y’s major label debut for Def Jam, and while radios still won’t play his shit, it really doesn’t matter. The record will gain most of its press for the production handled almost exclusively by Ski Beatz—you know, the guy who produced four tracks on (one of) Jay-Z’s masterpiece(s), Reasonable Doubt. Ski also did most of the production for Cam Low, and this collaboration with Curren$y is brilliant. Curren$y’s flow is pretty mid-tempo, and lots of times he just glides on top of the beats dropping lines about weed and video games. Lots of the tracks are subtle head-knockers like “Audio Dope II” and the 8-bit sounding “King Kong,” but while the songs could work as cruising music Curren$y drops slick rhymes that are just as quotable as the next rapper. Curren$y doesn’t get eaten up by his guests either. The Mos Def and Jay Electronica-assisted “The Day” has production values of the last (and pretty incredible) Mos Def record The Estatic. The stunner here is the last track, “Life Under The Scope” not only for the beat but also the repeatability. Why this isn’t blowing up radio, I dunno.

Artist: Autolux
Album: Transit Transit
What the hell is it? Second record and first in six years from the shoegazing, hard-rocking noisemakers
Sounds like a combination of: A continuation of Autolux’s last record, just done with more confidence
Recommended? Most people don’t remember Autolux or their 2004 record Future Perfect, but you should. Give that record a quick spin before jumping into this one, because you’ll appreciate Transit Transit much more. Unlike their previous record, Transit Transit starts in a very dreamy subdued state, comfortable for the band. “Census” is the first rocker on here but the crunch is more restrained, letting melody glow through. “Highchair” and “Spots” find the band in 90s Radiohead territory, but there are still upbeat tracks like single “Supertoys” or “Audience No 2.” “The Bouncing Wall” features drummer Carla Azar’s beautiful vocal, a nice companion to bassist Eugene Goreshter’s voice. “Kissproof” might be the loosest track on here, as the band just let it all go and swirl the guitars around. Sure this band does not exude the kind of “cool” that other post-shoegaze bands have, but when Autolux lock in, they are a force to be reckoned with.

Artist: diskJokke
Album: En Fid Tid
What the hell is it? Second record from Norwegian Disco master
Sounds like a combination of: Prinz Thomas, Lindstrom, Relaxing
Recommended? “A Happy Time” is diskJokke’s second record, but really his first, as his previous record was made up of singles over an extended period of time. Discovered by Prinz Thomas, his music takes elements like disco, Balearic beats, and classic sounds to make engaging music perfect for long drives or sometimes the club. En Fid Tid stars with the nine-minute opener “Reset and Begin” which is a dubby track, that at nine minutes in length, takes a while to get going, but it leads perfectly into the record’s title track. “En Fid Tid” keeps a disco pulse before smoothing out its edges and gliding along into space. Album highlight “1987” breaks out of the haze, but is still firmly planted in the record’s sound. You really can get lost in En Fid Tid but you’ll do it with a smile.

WTF?:

Artist: Die Antwoord
Album: 5 EP
What the hell is it? South African “rappers”/internet-rabble-rousers and should-be hipster punching bags but in the age of irony they are the HOT SHIT
Sounds like a combination of: Really bad rapping with accents, video game beats, weird shit talking, and maybe some ninjas or something like that…
Recommended? Is this a joke? I have asked myself that since the first time I heard this band, when they put a video up on Pitchfork. The band then put their entire debut on their web site, before the got signed to Interscope (the full length is being re-worked a bit and Diplo is doing a few new tracks for them), and I listened and thought I must had been missing something. On this debut EP (the first thing they have released on our shores), the Dance Dance Revolution-sampling “Enter the Ninja” has a spoken line, “Fuck, this is the coolest song I’ve ever heard in my life/Look at me now all up on the interweb.” If that isn’t humility, I don’t know what is. I’m not gonna lie, the beat to “Enter the Ninja” is kinda cool, and the song they sample from DDR is a favorite, but this shit has to be a big joke. I mean, they can’t rap and they have stupid names like Ninja and VI$$ER. Then there is the language barrier. If I hear people start using their slang, that is when I just end my life. THIS RECORD IS BAD! I really wish someone could explain to me why people are going crazy for this? Am I missing something, or is the joke on me?

Rap:
Artist: Big Boi
Album: Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty
What the hell is it? The very delayed solo record from one-half of Outkast finally gets released with absolutely no Andre 3000 (he actually isn’t very missed)
Sounds like a combination of: One of the most compelling rap records to be released this year/one of the best albums of the year. Oh yeah… Outkast….
Recommended? Hip-hop has been doing well this year. First there was the Drake record, then The-Dream’s masterpiece, plus Eminem is setting sales records (though that record is crap—don’t believe the hype), but finally we have the long-awaited solo record from Big Boi. This album has been in the works for three years now, with the first single (missing here) “Royal Flush” debuting on the net in March 2008. For a long time the record only existed as pure rumor. The final coup came last year with the release of the classic “Shine Blockas.” At that point Big Boi had cut ties with his previous label and taken on a contract with Def Jam. These label woes are what cost his partner Andre 3000 from being on the record, but like I said before—you hardly miss him.

There are so many classic songs here, like the raise-up anthem “Daddy Fat Sax” to the dark and hypnotic “Tangerine.” One thing that stands out is the massive amount of guests. Everyone from Janelle Monae to T.I., Gucci Mane, B.o.B., appear, leaving Big Boi to do only a few tracks by himself. But while most acts get weighed down by their roster of guests, Big Boi’s selection works, aside from the emo-rock singer Vonnegutt who handles the chorus of “Follow Us.” The star guest turn is by up-and-coming southern rapper Yelawolf, whose verse on “You Ain’t No DJ” steals the scene. At almost an hour without the bonus tracks, it is a long record, but you’ll be quickly reaching for the repeat button—it is that good. Only complaint, whose idea was it to have those stupid interludes (attached to the songs)?

Artist: Rick Ross
Album: Teflon Don
What the hell is it? Fourth record from the former correctional officer who is obsessed with gangsters.
Sounds like a combination of: Southern Rap done right
Recommended? Add Mr. Ross to the list above, ’cause this record is the shit. Last year’s Deeper Than Rap was slept on by many, so what is the quickest way for Ross to prove he’s still here? Release another album in less than a year, of course. Ross’s delivery is what makes him a beast. He can rhyme almost anything together and it seems plausible. Ross is all about the high life, and he lives it in cinematic grandeur—no thanks to his producers J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, No I.D.*, Kanye, and Lex Luger. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League outdo themselves on the Seventies-soul-ripping third “Maybach Music” (featuring T.I., Jadakiss, and Erykah Badu) that like its predecessors has Ross’s guest rappers go first, before Ross comes in and destroys the track. Unlike part two that features Ross at his hungriest, part three is more laid back, with Badu’s chorus fitting in perfectly.

Again, like other rap records this one is full of guests, but this is a short rap album. At only 11 tracks with no interludes, Ross has incredible editing skills. Sure some may flinch at seeing P. Diddy’s name on “No. 1,” but seriously, his verse is sick. The highlight duo of Lex Luger tracks “M.C. Hammer” (feat. Gucci Mane) and “B.M.F. (Blowing Money Fast)” (featuring Styles P) showcase Ross at his finest. The former could be the best metaphor Ross uses on the entire record, using Hammer as a jumping-off point to his life of luxury. While the “Maybach Trilogy” seems like it has ended, Ross drops “Aston Martin Music” which is so good it deserves a part two. Featuring a sweet vocal hook from Chrisette Michele and a bridge from Drake, the track has all of “Maybach’s” sweeping epicness, just toned down ever so slightly. (If you are going to get this record I suggest you replace the version on the record for the extended version, which actually has Drake’s verse on it—search the internet, it is out there.)

Pop:

Artist: Kylie Minogue
Album: Aphrodite
What the hell is it? Eleventh studio album from the Australian Goddess
Sounds like a combination of: Happy club music and her finest record since Fever
Recommended? This record took 40 songwriters and a heap of producers, but it all sounds like Kylie. For an artist to pull off a record like this so far in her career is spectacular on its own. Kylie had the right idea to team up with superstar producer Stuart Price, who helmed the ship and added extra gloss to all of the tracks. The record was originally planned to be continuously mixed like Prince’s production on Madonna’s Confessions… but instead it is 12 singles with only one song resembling a “ballad.” That track, “Everything is Beautiful,” written by Tim Oxley from the god-awful Keane is the only bummer on the record. From the fantastic kiss-off, “Love at First Sight” pt 2, “Get Out Of My Way,” to the bouncy rave-up “Better Than Today,” Kylie delivers. Kylie doesn’t have a great voice, and she knows it. She keeps her noodling to a minimum only letting out a (auto-tuned?) shriek in the Calvin Harris/Jake Shears-penned “Too Much.” While Kylie has always been “for the gays,” this is truly her love letter “to the gays.”

Artist: Kelis
Album: Flesh Tone
What the hell is it? Kelis’s fifth record and first since her divorce from Nas and the birth of her Son/or the best House record that was never released in the 90s
Sounds like a combination of: House, gay bars, nothing like anything from her last four records
Recommended? History has not been kind to Kelis. Sure, she has had some hits, but she also had a second record that didn’t even come out in the U.S., and her fourth record, aside from “Bossy,” was more-or-less overlooked (go back to it, it has some decent tracks on there). So what’s a girl supposed to do? Well, hook up with Will.I.Am is a first. Then get his hot-shot producer David Guetta to go in and give you a full-on “I Gotta Feeling” but darker makeover. Smash hits should ensue right? Unless you are hitting up the gay club, this record is going to fall upon deaf ears too, and it is a damn shame. Flesh Tone is a continuously mixed dance record with everything from big, bombastic dance numbers to more restrained tracks with house-piano and lots of electronic effects. The record ditches her R&B/Rap of the past, and also gone is her overt sexuality—“Milkshake” this isn’t. The two stand-outs are (surprisingly) Guetta’s two numbers, “Accapella” and “Scream.” “Accapella”’s lyrics about divorce and raising a baby alone may be the most personal thing Kelis has ever written. While it might not be for the mainstream crowd, Flesh Tone is a perfect dance record.

Indie Rock/Pop/Electronic:

Artist: The Love Language
Album: Libraries
What the hell is it? Second record from Stuart McLamb’s impressive pop group
Sounds like a combination of: Heart breaking rock tracks
Recommended? The Love Language is a force to be reckoned with. Their impressive debut had promise but sometimes would sink under the lo-fi recording. This record ups the ante quite significantly by going a little more hi-fi. Compare it to the first two Thermals records, where they still aren’t out of the weeds but are getting close. Now the group has created more focused pop-epics like opener “Pedals.” It starts quiet but then keyboard and guitars surge in with “Be My Baby Drums” before smoothing out into a track with McLamb’s soaring voice leading the band to a sweet spot. Most of the tracks here have more “sway” than rock-out, but the shout-along “Britney’s Back” and rollicking “Heart to Tell” will feed the appetite of anyone looking for another “Lalita.”

Artist: The Books
Album: The Way Out
What the hell is it? Fourth record and first in 5 years from sound collage band
Sounds like a combination of: The Books, old tapes
Recommended? Thank god the Books are back. The Lemon of Pink is one of my favorite records of all time. This record is much like The Lemon of Pink, though it has the refined style of 2005’s Lost and Safe. The duo’s tape collection starts with an instructional voice leading listeners into the world of The Books. “I Didn’t Know That” is a stunner, mixing all kinds of sound samples of people saying “I didn’t know that” to a real funky 70s R&B bass. Strings swoop in and out, while general tape manipulation is par for the course. “A Cold Freezing Night” is a standout, featuring tapes of all kids throwing out taunts, with one going as far as threatening to “blow brains out” and “rip balls off.” Unlike their previous records, The Way Out lags a bit towards the end, but overall it is a unique and rewarding listening experience.

Artist: Robert Pollard
Album: Moses on a Snail
What the hell is it? Bob Pollard’s latest magnum opus
Sounds like a combination of: Joy, pain, and melodic Pollardian genius
Recommended? I think you know the answer to that. Rumor has it Uncle Bob brewed up a pot of coffee one morning, sat down, and started composing songs. Six hours later the rough versions of Moses on a Snail’s 12 tracks were finished. After a month in Todd Tobias’ capable hands, the finished tracks came back to Pollard—he laid down the vocals in a day. And then he rested. From the stately grace of “The Weekly Crow,” to the turbulent domesticity of “A Constant Strangle” and “Lie Like a Dog,” to the angular pop of “It’s News” and “Big Time Wrestling,” Moses gels into a mature, coherent listening experience that does not disappoint. Drink a shot of whiskey before the last tune, “Moses on a Snail,” whose refrain of “You lead the way, we follow/Very slowly” could very well be issuing from the thirsty mouths of Pollard fans everywhere. His troops are (still) loyal.

Artist: Mates of State
Album: The Crushes Mixtape
What the hell is it? A cover record
Sounds like a combination of: Mates of State doing songs you might like
Recommended? I have never understood why someone would want to put out a cover record. This new record from beloved husband/wife duo Mates of State screams stopgap, and would be completely worthless if it didn’t have two decent covers. Their straightforward Belle and Sebastian cover (“Sleep Around the Clock”) and earnest Death Cab cover (“Technicolor Girls”) save this from being a vanity project gone wrong. The curious headscratcher, however, is their cover of Mars Volta’s “Son Et Lumiere.” The original is merely an opener to the only good track Mars Volta has ever written. However, Mates of State reform the track and it is genuinely funny to hear the crazy lyrics a probably heroin-soaked Cedric Bixler wrote.

Artist: School Of Seven Bells
Album: Disconnect from Desire
What the hell is it? Second record from ex-On!Air!Library! twins and ex-Secret Machine
Sounds like a combination of: My Bloody Valentine/90s shoegaze in a mystic forest
Recommended? If anything, Disconnect from Desire sounds pretty. The Deheza twins have beautiful voices and they are pretty up-front in the mix, unlike most shoegaze groups. The backing music is hypnotic and perfect for looking down at the ground. Opener “Windstorm” is epic in a MBV kind of way, a trick they pull off again with “Bye Bye Bye” (unfortunately not a epic shoegaze cover of N’Sync—which if anyone wants to do their greatest hits as shoegaze songs, shoot me an e-mail). Some may find a record like this boring, but for those who appreciate shoegaze, this semi-modern update is sure to please.

Artist: Mystery Jets
Album: Serotonin
What the hell is it? Fourth record from a band trying to find their way
Sounds like a combination of: New Wave, lots of ideas with some bright spots
Recommended? First things first, the Mystery Jets are talented. They have yet to really break America, so if you have no clue who they are that’s fine. They stated as a father/son band, but Blaine Harrion’s father went non-permanent with 2008’s semi-breakthrough Twenty One. The previous record was their most XTC and new wave. It also had their now calling card and most brilliant pop moment “Two Doors Down.” Serotonin takes a couple of songs to get going, but when it does, it has some bright moments. “Flash a Hungry Smile” is a charming number, along with their peppy earworm “Dreaming of Another World.”

Artist: ceo
Album: White Magic
What the hell is it? Solo record from Eric of the Tough Alliance
Sounds like a combination of: Tough Alliance, brilliant pop
Recommended? There are only eight tracks on this record, but they are all fine pop tracks. Single “Come With Me” is the centerpiece, but tracks like “Illuminata” and “White Magic” are up there as brilliant pop moments as well. Using layered beats and samples, much like Tough Alliance, ceo has cut the junk that weighed down on his group. Clocking in at under 30 minutes the record is so short, that repeat plays are recommended and deserved.

Artist: Ellen Allien
Album: Dust
What the hell is it? Sixth record from Female German electronic producer/DJ
Sounds like a combination of: Electronic experiments and “pop” tracks
Recommended? This is real club music. Aficionados know and respect Ellen Allien’s work, as she is a force in the scene. Her sixth record has her working with different elements from pulsing techno tracks like “Flashy Flashy” to tripped-out, almost electro-clash tracks like “My Tree.” Allien’s voice is present throughout, but her thin vocal just stays flat. Dust is a fun listen, but her work with Apparat is much more refined.

Artist: Mountain Men
Album: Made the Harbor
What the hell is it? Debut from the female Fleet Foxes
Sounds like a combination of: A Prairie Home Companion gone indie
Recommended? This is traditional mountain music sung by three angelic voices. Sure records are pretty, but this takes pretty to another level. The music is kept to a minimum to let the vocal shine, as they are the centerpiece. If you ever needed a record that both you and your parents could get down to, this would be it.\

Unclassifiable:

Artist: M.I.A.
Album: /\/\ /\ y /\ (Maya)
What the hell is it? The difficult “third” record
Sounds like a combination of: Government Paranoia, Nap Time, Dancehall, Instruments provided by Home Depot, the annoying noise from Beck’s Odelay, autotune
Recommended? So much has been written about this record and the backlash it has received for being difficult. M.I.A.’s biggest downfall was getting popular. I have this weird feeling that if she never had a hit, the indie kids would be all over this shit saying it is the most brilliant record ever, or she wouldn’t have had to release what has to be a “fuck you.” The only tracks that could even be suggested as singles are the limp “XXXO” which takes a beat close to Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams” and finds Maya at her most sleepy. M.I.A., I guess you are trying to be sexy, but sounding half-asleep is not sexy. I think everyone can agree that the Diplo-produced “Tell Me Why” could be huge, but like most of the tracks there is this weird production sheen that would keep it from ever being on the radio.

But let’s get to the meat and potatoes of this record. “Stepping Up” is the biggest middle finger to ever be on a follow-up to a breakthrough. It may just be the most controversial and polarizing track on here. Using Home Depot as a jumping-off point, dub-step hotshot Rusko creates a schizophrenic paranoia for Maya to drop her weird “I’m a star” bullshit over. When it gets to the guitar-laden chorus the aggressiveness kicks to eleven. Then we have the abortion that is “Teqkilla.” Sure I just called it an abortion but I actually like this track, because it has gotten to “so bad it is good” status. The way she rolls off the chorus is hilarious. Plus, that oppressive siren—it is the perfect way to destroy a party and terrorize your friends. Maya may rap/sing about terrorists all the time, but she has finally become one. Words can’t describe “Lovalot”—I mean, the vocals are all gibberish. Diplo’s other dancehall track, “It Takes a Muscle,” is a pretty decent song, but it sounds like the vocals were recorded on a tape, or are from a recording from the 60s. “It Iz What It Iz” contains both the worst lyrics and singing on the record. Again, it finds M.I.A. asleep.

Then there is the controversial video-toting “Born Free.” The song is basically “Ghost Rider,” with the dude from Sepultura drumming on it. When it first arrived with the ginger-genocide it turned heads, but it actually is an all right song, mostly because “Ghost Rider” is a great song. And really, who listens to what M.I.A. has to say? The best version of this track is her Letterman performance, as Martin Rev’s keyboard bloops and the Maya clones make it an amazing viewing. There was lots of talk about how Sleigh Bells were working on the record, and yeah Alex is here, but “Meds and Feds” is just the guitar line from “Treats” worked over, with M.I.A. reassuring that she “gives a damn.” The most shocking turn is “Space,” which again contains a phoned-in sleepy vocal, but finally the beat calls for it.

Most of you have already heard this record, so none of this matters but for the five of you who read this and haven’t given it a spin. Do it and form your own opinion.

*This has been edited for factual errors. Rick Ross still doesn’t suck.

Hey guys, I’ve really been slacking! I didn’t fall off the face of the earth, I was just too busy listening to witch house and sippin’ on some sizzurp (only one of those things is true—I’ll let you decide). I reviewed a lot of records this week and I doubt many of you will finish reading the whole thing, as I have some longer reviews, but take it in bits and pieces—you might find your new favorite band.

All Hail The-Dream:

Artist: The-Dream
Album: Love King
What the hell is it? The third record in a trilogy.
Sounds like a combination of: Infectious R&B from the master of R&B songwriting. Though he may outright ape his influences—Micheal, Prince and R. Kelly, he’s also one-upping them.
Recommended? Love King isn’t just any R&B record, and The-Dream isn’t just any artist. The-Dream is primarily a songwriter, and if you take a scan through big records from past years you’ll see his name everywhere. Rihanna’s “Umbrella”—yeah, he wrote it. Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It”—yeah, he wrote it. Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”—yeah, he wrote it. How about Justin Bieber’s infectious-and-I-don’t-fucking-care-what-happens-to-my-cred-if-I-come-out-and-say-I-love-the-song “Baby”?—yeah, he has a credit on it.

Which brings us to Love King, the third part in the trilogy of records following 2007’s Love Hate, and last year’s Love vs. Money. As some of the older readers might remember, Love vs. Money was my favorite record of last year, and Love King is just as stellar as Love vs. Money, but it does have a couple of drags… but let’s start with the best stuff.

“Love King” starts the record triumphantly, as The-Dream has girls everywhere and would just like to remind everyone that. The album, like his previous records, is continuously mixed and devoid of interludes, so the record gently mixes into “Make Up Bag” which happens to be the only song with a guest appearance by the fresh-out-of-jail T.I. “Make Up Bag” is pretty fantastic, as The-Dream just repeats “make up bag” so many times, creating a hook with sheer repetition. Though it seems like a lazy way to write a chorus, The-Dream makes it work. “F.I.L.A.” or fall in love again, is one of the few bangers here with quick horn hits in the background. One thing missing from the record is The-Dream’s co-collaborator Tricky Stewart, who only shows up on six of the record’s twelve tracks.

The centerpiece of the record brings the emotional material to a head. Lasting thirteen minutes, “Yamaha,” “Nikki Pt. 2,” and “Abyss” trump almost any three-song section on any record this year. “Yamaha” is a remake of Love Hate’s “Fast Car.” The track is a Prince homage, all about a girl who The-Dream dubs “Yamaha” because he can’t remember her name. “Yamaha” is the most joyous track on the record, and probably the closest thing The-Dream could have to a club smash. The track segues into “Nikki Pt. 2,” picking up a year after the original “Nikki” off Love Hate. Nikki is a character The-Dream sings about frequently who he fucked with but then she did him wrong. “Nikki Pt. 2” starts off by stating, “It’s been one whole year, two albums later,” setting the stage for Nikki’s reemergence in The-Dream’s life. Everything that has happened in The-Dream’s life is supposed to be because of Nikki, but the record takes a dark turn into “Abyss,” which could be the coldest kiss-off The-Dream has ever written. Tricky Stewart’s head-warping synth beats are top notch as The-Dream drops lines like, “Cry till you drown your face” and “I’m here to put your heart in its place/Chained up in the bottom of the lake.”

You’d think after all of that emotion the record would run itself dry, but The-Dream put a double up of tracks, one tossed-off the other perfect: “Panties to the Side” and “Turnt Out.” “Panties to the Side” isn’t a bad song, however The-Dream never really excels at this type of “club jam.” “Turnt Out” sung entirely in a falsetto, is fucking brilliant. I qualify a The-Dream record by how fun they’d be to fuck to, and “Turnt Out” doesn’t disappoint.

Love King is not without its faults. The “Sex Intelligent (Remix)” is somewhat unnecessary, though it does contain super-quotable lyrics. For a dude who barely puts any filler on his records, it seems like lapse in judgment, especially because the deluxe edition of Love King contains five extra tracks, including “Veteran,” which could’ve easily been included in the remix’s place.

Really Recommended and Really Good:

Artist: Robyn
Album: Body Talk Vol. 1
What the hell is it? I’ve got some news for you: Robyn has three records coming out this year. But you already knew that.
Sounds like a combination of: Pop music from Sweden
Recommended? Robyn spends the majority of this record dancing alone. “Dancing On My Own” (you know the track which Zack thinks she is saying “I’m not the guy”—he’s fucking wrong) and “Dancehall Queen” both have Robyn dancing by herself. Though in “Dancehall Queen” she doesn’t seem to mind. The mini-LP begins with a grand statement of all the things that are “killing” Robyn. “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do” is an appropriate opener, as it has been five years (shorter for the late adopters) since Robyn has released anything close to a new record, and she just turned 30. Most of the tracks on the record have their heart on their sleeve, and though the beat may be happy, the lyrics represent a different story. “Fembot” is an exception, as it is pure fluff, but it is one of the catchiest songs she’s ever written. It is hard to judge the record since it’s only one piece of three, and the last two tracks seem like b-sides. “Hang With Me (Acoustic)” is a fine song, though the original version of the track is supposedly the first single for Body Talk Pt 2. “Ja Vet En Dejlig Rosa” is a traditional Swedish track, but again it borders on b-side territory. I assume after all three records are released you could make a perfect album out of select tracks. (BTW, if you feel like the “Dancing On My Own” on the record is a little “cold,” seek out the radio edit, as it is punchier).

Artist: Wavves
Album: King of the Beach
What the hell is it? Third record that really should’ve been titled Wavvvves
Sounds like a combination of: Grage rock, surfer shit
Recommended? Meltdown schmeltdown—muthafucking Wavves is the truth. Nate Williams had a hell of a last year. His former collaborator left him, he fucked up at Primavera Sound Festival, and it seemed like all the hype surrounding him was gonna crush the poor skater. Well, after a brief stint with Zach Hill (Hella), Williams has returned with an album that might just be his high point. After two similarly titled records of lo-fi garage tracks mixed with noise much like No Age, this new Wavves, backed by Jay Reatard’s old band, shows that a.) they can write catchy songs, and b.) they don’t need to distort the fuck out of the vocals to mask something. Wavves really know how to make stompy tracks. “Post Acid,” “Super Soaker” and “King of the Beach” are fun bouncy tunes, but Wavves has evolved into ballad territory with the “Be My Baby”-aping “When Will You Come.” Williams has said he wanted this record to be his Nevermind and while it might not be as seminal, listening to a track like the awesome “Green Eyes” you can really tell dude has been listening to Cobain a lot.

Artist: Drake
Album: Thank Me Later
What the hell is it? Maybe the most anticipated hip-hop release of 2010 other than Good Ass Job
Sounds like a combination of: The So Far Gone mixtape done with better production and more skill
Recommended? Drake’s “fifteen minutes started an hour ago,” and he knows it. There are few rappers as self-conscious as Drake (again this side of Kanye West). Many can complain this record is emo-rap, but Drake isn’t just a rapper. He’s also a singer. One of the most brilliant moves he made was releasing “Find Your Love” as a single, as Drake sings the entire thing over a beat produced by Mr. West (wow, that’s the third time I’ve mentioned Kanye…). “Find Your Love” is only an all right song, as the 12 tracks that precede it are classic. Some are growers, but once they set in you’ll be hitting the repeat button as fast as you can. The record starts off slow with the Alicia-Keys-assisted “Fireworks,” then the WTF? Francis and the Lights collaboration (who opened for Drake on his last tour) “Karaoke” and “The Resistance.” Drake gets mad emo lamenting about a girl who was a wedding planner who moved to Atlanta, a chick who he fucked with who got pregnant and aborted the baby who also texted him as he was in bed with another woman who saw the text, as well as a slew of other past mistakes which may or may not include Rihanna. Nicely enough, “The Resistance” ends with the line, “Ain’t no turning back for me/I’m in it till it’s over,” which gently segues into the record’s first single, “Over.”

“Over” has a beat that just assaults with strings, as Drake raps about his hard partying life. He knows he “should be throwing ones” but he ends up “throwing hundreds,” but he’s gonna do it till everything is “Over.” Following “Over” are three more party tracks. This is where the record gets touchy. Drake loaded the album up with guest appearances—Nicki Minaj, T.I., The-Dream, Young Jeezy, Jay-Z (sounding even more tired then ever—yo Hova your ass ain’t relevant anymore go take a nap), and of course his beneficiary Lil’ Wayne. Sure there a lot of guests, but damn, Drake, you didn’t have to sequence all the guest records together—and even worse the tracks with guests follow the same pattern of Drake, chorus, guest, chorus, fin. “Light Up,” featuring Jeezy, is one of the best tracks on the record. Built around an Aaliyah sample, Drake’s woe-is-me goes great alongside Jeezy’s “I run shit” attitude. Jeezy handles the chorus, making the record more of a Jeezy track than anything else. Another downside to having so many guests, when Drake isn’t handling the chorus, the tracks sound like Drake is the guest.

All in all, for all the emotional material there are plenty of party tracks here—especially the should-be single smash “Fancy.”

Artist: Wolf Parade
Album: Expo 86
What the hell is it? Third record from the Canadian supergroup
Sounds like a combination of: The best pieces from Dragonslayer and Face Control put through a full band lens
Recommended? This record wastes no time starting. As soon as you hit play Spencer Krug’s vocal shoots in with a backing drum beat. The band said they put each song to the dance test and you can feel it. Fans worried they took acid again and returned to Mt. Zoomer, take relief. Though it is not as tight as Apologies to the Queen Mary, tracks like “Little Golden Age,” “Oh You, Old Thing,” “Yulia,” and “Cave-o-Sapien” are instant-classic Wolf Parade tracks.

Artist: Perfume Genius
Album: Learning
What the hell is it? Debut record from queer lo-fi piano man
Sounds like a combination of: The sound of your heart breaking
Recommended? Learning is an unsettling listen. I’ve featured Perfume Genius here before, with a track about a sexual relationship between a student and a teacher, ending with the death of the teacher and Mike Hadreas hoping there is room for him “up above or down below.” The tracks are sequenced in the order they were written and recorded, and get less sparse as the short record progresses. Hadreas has seen a lot of shit in his life, and listening to his tracks you feel it. While this may not be the most repeatable record of the year, it will probably be the most earnest and heartfelt listen.

Quckies:

Artist: Chemical Brothers
Album: Further
What the hell is it? The return of the masters
Sounds like a combination of: The Chemical Brothers ditching their pop formula and reliving the glory days
Recommended? I can’t recommend single tracks from this record, as it works best as a 52-minute listen. Tracks rise and fall, though “Snow” into “Escape Velocity” is absolutely perfect. Oh yeah—there are no pesky guest vocalists!

Artist: Tokyo Police Club
Album: Champ
What the hell is it? Second record from the Ontario four-piece
Sounds like a combination of: Tokyo Police Club taking a rest and maturity
Recommended? Those disappointed by the sugar rush that was Elephant Shell will be relieved to see the band has matured and created a damn fine second record.
Key Tracks: “Favourite Colour,” “Breakneck Speed,” “Wait Up (Boots of Danger),” “Bambi.”

Artist: Scissor Sisters
Album: Night Work
What the hell is it? Third record from the campiest band on a major label
Sounds like a combination of: The gay revolution if AIDS never happened
Recommended? This is their best record since their debut, as it is focused. Stuart Price puts his sheen on a couple of tracks, but other are super throwback to the disco period. The Ana-Mantronic-fronted “Skin This Cat” and the “robot chimp” referencing “Something Like This” can be a tad grating. There are some duds, but with time you get over it.
Key Tracks: “Fire with Fire,” “Invisible Light,” “Night Work,” “Skin Tight.”

Artist: HEALTH
Album: DISCO2
What the hell is it? Second remix record from the L.A. noise rockers
Sounds like a combination of: Their last record was heavy on the blog house, this is heavy on the chillwave and a touch of dubstep—keeping up with the times .
Recommended? Remix records usually suck. The last DISCO was great, but this one is just all right.
Key Tracks: “U.S.A. Boys,” “Before Tigers (Gold Panda Rmx),” “In Violet (SALEM Rmx),” “Die Slow (Pictureplane Rmx).”

Artist: Foals
Album: Total Life Forever
What the hell is it? Second record from the former math/dance punkers
Sounds like a combination of: Their debut, just less overworked and slowed the fuck down
Recommended? While not a perfect collection of songs, there is enough to please.
Key Tracks: “Total Life Forever,” “Spanish Sahara,” “After Glow.”

Artist: The Samps
Album: The Samps EP
What the hell is it? Sample-based project from Cole M. Greif-Neill, the sometime-guitarist in the Haunted Grafitti
Sounds like a combination of: Hip-hop beats! A tad Avalanches-influenced.
Recommended? Short, sweet and to the point. This shit is real.
Key Tracks: “F.X.N.C.,” “06 Peppergood,” “Hyperbolic.”

Artist: Baths
Album: Cerulean
What the hell is it? Debut from L.A. beatmaker
Sounds like a combination of: Though Baths is on a hip-hop label his beats are more electronic.
Recommended? His voice is pitchy and sometimes sounds like Passion Pit, but his electronics are fucking rad.
Key Tracks: “Maximalist,” “Animals,” “You’re My Excuse to Travel.”

Artist: Gun Outfit
Album: Possession Sound LP
What the hell is it? Second record from a true indie rock band
Sounds like a combination of: Silver Jews, Sonic Youth
Recommended? If you love the ’90s—like you should—you’ll love this. Why can’t more new bands attempt music like this?
Key Tracks: “Dead Broke,” “Last Chants,” “Southern Chill.”

Artist: Fol Chen
Album: Part II: The New December
What the hell is it? Second record from this quirky L.A. band
Sounds like a combination of: Sgt. Pepper’s Mutant Warriors Club Band
Recommended? This record should be listened to as a full album, as it is part of some weird concept that follows the last record. The songs are tight, and some are even danceable.
Key Tracks: “In Ruins” (!!!!!), “This is Where the Road Belongs,” “C/U.”

Artist: Hot Hot Heat
Album: Future Breeds
What the hell is it? Fourth (actually fifth) record from the still-around Canadians
Sounds like a combination of: The band finally living up to some sort of promise.
Recommended? Best record since Make Up the Breakdown? You are damn right. Steve Bays has got his wild back.
Key Tracks: “21@12,” “Times a Thousand,” “JFK’s LSD,” “Goddess on the Prairie.”

Someone Should Take Out The Trash:

Artist: Sia
Album: We Are Born
What the hell is it? Fourth record from the lesbian Australian songstress
Sounds like a combination of: Pop music
Recommended? Sia never did it for me, but then I heard the lead single, “You’ve Changed,” and I kinda enjoyed it. Unfortunately the album doesn’t hold up. Instead it is all drippy B.S. that even Greg Kurstin couldn’t save. Sorry Sia.

Artist: Kele
Album: The Boxer
What the hell is it? Solo debut from the Bloc Party singer. Produced by Spank Rock’s DJ XXXChange.
Sounds like a combination of: Great beats—terrible lyrics and whining from a dude who has truly run out of gas.
Recommended? Can we take a moment and remember where we were when we first heard “Banquet”? I know that for most of you slow-on-the-uptake people it was probably 2006 and Bloc Party were well past it, but receiving the Bloc Party EP in 2004, I thought, “whoa this band is gonna rule” (yeah I’m a pretentious twat—so fucking what). 2005 marked Bloc Party’s hyper-focused and straight-to-the-point debut and that’s where the band should’ve just stopped. 2007’s Weekend in the City got super-emo, and while I first championed 2008’s Intimacy mostly because I thought Bloc Party had gotten their edge back, I realized it was a snap judgment. Where other lyricists like Paul Banks (Interpol) can (sometimes) get away with nonsensical lyrics, a band like Bloc Party relies on them, so nonsense should be out the window—right?

Kele has decided to step away from his band, while they are on a much-needed hiatus, and while he has released the best of all the side projects (don’t even get me started on that Pin Me Down shit), much like Intimacy, The Boxer has two good tracks surrounded by songs that move from boring to forgettable. XXXChange drops a huge beat on opener, “Walk Tall,” and I don’t think I’ve ever heard Kele sound so menacing. The single “Tenderoni” (no it isn’t a Chromeo cover, but it might’ve been cool to hear him attempt that) is also a passable song, but after that it is no man’s land. The record would’ve been great without the mid-tempo tracks and ballads but Kele is a sucker for that shit. Hey Kele: you’ve only done slow tracks right once—and dude, that was five years ago.

Artist: Stars
Album: Five Ghosts
What the hell is it? The fifth Stars record
Sounds like a combination of: Slow indie rock tracks
Recommended? Where did the jams go? Are Stars really tired? The last two records were pretty awesome, though many critics were split over In Our Bedroom, After The War. What happened? Why do you rhyme “ecstasy” with “sex with me”? That’s weird! I mean, “We Don’t Want Your Body” might be the only track on here I can listen to on repeat (not in a row) but ya’ll need to get the bombast back. We need bigger, brighter hooks.

Artist: Suckers
Album: Wild Smile
What the hell is it? Debut from these tribal Afro-new-wave ripping dudes
Sounds like a combination of: Slow-building crowd pleasers
Recommended? Dear Suckers: We already have Yeasayer, and they’ve shown they are more than O.N.E. note. We have Chairlift, who have proven they can write one good track, but Chairlift has Caroline who sounds awesome on chillwave, and on electronic tracks, plus she’s adorable. We don’t need you guys. This is music to put you asleep in a club. Sure you have vocal assault, but get to the point. The slow build works on one track, and that is your defining track, “It Gets Your Body Moving.” Damn, I guess I’m the Sucker for listening to this.

Album Of The Year Material!:

Artist: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
Album: Before Today
What the hell is it? I daresay, Ariel Pink’s first “real” record, or his “major label debut” if 4AD can be considered a major label.
Sounds like a combination of: A 70s AM-radio-trapped indie of a haunted house Recommended? “Round and Round” is an amazing song. It just may end up being the single of the year. It is the most joyous thing Pink has ever written, as it is inviting and warm, whereas most of Pink’s other material is bound to give some nightmares. This record removes some of the fuzz that surrounded his old tapes and LPs, but still holds some of Pink’s trademark charms. By basically being a filter of 50s, 60s and 70s AM radio pop/television theme songs, Pink creates a versatile palate of songs that actually work together.

Really recommended and Really Good:

Artist: Tobacco
Album: Maniac Meat

What the hell is it? Second record from the leader of Black Moth Super Rainbow featuring two guest appearances by Beck
Sounds like a combination of: Analogue equipment, Beck’s Midnite Vultures turned on its head, Atari, Fucking awesomeness
Recommended? The best way to describe this record is to a look at the cover. Then read the track list:

1. Constellation Dirtbike Head
2. Fresh Hex (feat. Beck)
3. Mexican Ice Cream
4. Lick the Witch
5. Sweatmother
6. Motorlicker
7. Unholy Demon Rhythms
8. Heavy Makeup
9. Grape Aerosmith (feat. Beck)
10. New Juices from the Hot Tub Freaks
11. Six Royal Vipers
12. Overheater
13. Creepy Phone Calls
14. TV All Greasy
15. Stretch Your Face
16. Nuclear Waste Aerobics

Then think to yourself—what the fuck does it mean to have your “TV All Greasy?” Well, after listening to this album about a dozen time I still don’t know, but what I do know is if you want a really good time, bump this at your next party.

Artist: Teenage Fanclub
Album: Shadows
What the hell is it? A New Teenage Fanclub record! What else could it be?
Sounds like a combination of: The amazing sounds of Norman Blake, Gerald Love, and Raymond McGinley
Recommended? Teenage Fanclub can do no wrong. This record comes twenty years after their “grungy” debut and, yeah, the band has grown up. No longer are the guitars turned to 11. Over the years TF shed the distortion to revel their perfect pop song writing, and with Shadows they add another classic into their already unfuckwithable discography. This record is less “showy” than 2007’s Man Made but it is every bit as skillfully crafted and catchy. Mostly this album is exciting because, gasp!, Teenage Fanclub is going to tour and come to North America. Teenage Fanclub are even better live.

Artist: Active Child
Album: Curtis Lane EP
What the hell is it? Hot shit harpist with a falsetto that melts hearts first EP
Sounds like a combination of: Hip-hop, new wave, nothing like Joanna Newsom
Recommended? I’ve featured Active Child on the site before, mostly because I feel as if he can do no wrong. His debut EP is almost perfect. Nothing goes on too long, and tracks like “When Your Love is Safe” or “Wilderness” display so much skill, as Active Child is not just a skilled harpist, but a great beat maker. Then there is that falsetto!

There Two Debuts are really fucking good—Trust Me!:

Artist: Wild Nothing
Album: Gemini
What the hell is it? Solo project turned band’s debut
Sounds like a combination of: C-86/Shoegaze/MBV/Cocteau Twins all mistaken for chillwave
Recommended? This record is a moody in a good way. If you enjoy shoegaze, or riding on the chillwave, pick this up.

Artist: Beach Fossils
Album: Beach Fossils
What the hell is it? Solo project turned band’s debut
Sounds like a combination of: Real Estate, Woodsist stuff
Recommended? Beach Time Rhythms! This record is perfect for just wasting time during the day, but when you listen close, the pop hooks and craftsmanship really shine.

You Can’t Really Go Wrong With These!:

Artist: The Drums
Album: The Drums
What the hell is it? Debut from the ex-Elkland dudes
Sounds like a combination of: The Smiths, C-86, Mope Rock
Recommended? It is funny to think The Drums, featuring two members of the ex-Franz Ferdinand aping band Elkland, are once again treading the same path their former band did. New Wave and C-86 just got popular, along with beachwave (“Let’s Go Surfing” is represented here) so once again the band linked with a major and are cashing in on the trend. This would all be well-timed bullshit if the songs weren’t good, and dammit some of them are fantastic. “Me and the Moon” and “Book of Stories” blend the happiness and sadness in singer Jonathan Pierce’s voice with music that could be considered uplifting. Another plus, which is sure to cause speculation is the lack of any gender pronouns, so for all we know these are “queer” songs—but if you know me I don’t give a shit about that kind of stuff. The only gripe I can find with the record is it has “end-song syndrome.” Get past the first four songs and almost every song sounds as if it is the last track to an album.

Artist: Woods
Album: At Echo Lake
What the hell is it? Fifth record in four years from the flagship Woodsist band
Sounds like a combination of: The only Lo-fi jam band in the game
Recommended? Remember when Animal Collective got all Grateful Dead on our ass? Woods are sure to take the mantle of the Dead sometime soon. Their record are full of lo-fi folk/rock/pop ditties but they really like to jam. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing either, as they aren’t trying to be like String Cheese Incident, but if they hone their skills and continue on their path, they might just be sharing bills with SCI sometime soon.

Artist: Here We Go Magic
Album: Pigeons
What the hell is it? Luke Hall’s solo project gets a real full band feel on their second record.
Sounds like a combination of: Folk, Rock
Recommended? This record is not perfect, but it has some incredible moments. “The Collector” is the most loose and rocking the band has ever been, but compared to such a strong highlight the rest is a little bit autopilot. The songs are swell, but nothing hits super hard. It is better than their debut, though.

Could’ve Made a Great EP:

Artist: Christina Aguilera
Album: Bionic
What the hell is it? Can you believe this is only her fourth English-speaking album?
Sounds like a combination of: Santigold, M.I.A., Linda Perry ballads
Recommended? Rule #1 for making a pop album: DON’T STICK ALL THE SLOW SONGS/BALLADS TOGETHER! This record is top-heavy with jams, or pseudo-jams (I’m not sold completely on “WooHoo” and “Not Myself Tonight”) and then a long string of interludes and slow songs that just suck, then you get to “I Hate Boys” and the girl loving “My Girls” featuring Sia, Le Tigre, and the ever-useless Peaches (there, I said it—fags stop trying to tell me she makes serious music which is good… she had one all right album, then she kept putting out the same “ohhh touch my vag” shit. Get over it and move along: electroclash is OVER). It really isn’t that bad of a song but you know I could cut this album into an EP and it probably would’ve been better. The one highlight is the best thing M.I.A. will do all year, cause the office supply referencing “Elastic Love” is great.

UGHHH:

Artist: Uffie
Album: Sex, Dreams and Denim Jeans
What the hell is it? Three-years-too-late record from the actually-not-French rapper/singer
Sounds like a combination of: Trash, Ke$ha
Recommended? You know who does Uffie better than Uffie? Ke$ha, cause even though she’s a ho, her songs are way better. “Pop That Glock” is soooooooo old. Uffie, Amanda Blank and Kid Sister should form a club of underwhelming albums that came out after their prime. You may have forever to drop your debut, but if you don’t capitalize your shit will sound dated. While Kid Sister tried to make her songs up-to-date, and Amanda Blank was just too tired to, um (well, she put in a teensy bit of effort), Uffie just rap-sings or whack-sings stupid shit about how fly she is or something. This record is trash.

Album Of The Year Material!

Artist: LCD Soundsystem
Album: This Is Happening
What the hell is it? This is the third LCD Soundsystem album
Sounds like a combination of: Eno, Bowie, Byrne—and above anything else, James Murphy
Recommended? James Murphy stated eight years ago that he was “Losing (His) Edge,” but we know that that was all bullshit. Over a percolating beat, Murphy listed band after band, complaining how the kids were coming up from behind, trading their guitars for keyboards, then their keyboards for guitars. Did he have a crystal ball? That is exactly what happened over eight years: the kids went from guitar bands to synth pop right back to guitar bands. All the while Murphy moved beyond his early singles to release a record that fused dance with rock, simultaneously shutting the door on “dance-punk” while opening a new door to “disco-infused rock.” Two years later Murphy returned with Sound of Silver—one of the best records of the decade. Though I bet most people knew “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House,” many jumped on board during Sound of Silver, mostly because the hype surrounding it was so enormous only one album could beat it in year-end lists (Panda Bear’s Person Pitch).

How does one follow-up such a critically lauded album? Murphy took three years to deliver the follow-up, but it is another masterpiece, minus a couple “eh” songs. “Dance Yrself Clean” opens the record brilliantly, making the listener wait three minutes till the Knife-biting synths kick in, balancing Murphy’s yelpy half-sung half-spoken delivery, urging you to “throw your little hands up.” Though the excitement doesn’t last, as the enormous shit-pile of “Drunk Girls” follows “Dance Yrself Clean.” After two minutes of utter shit, “One Touch” brings back the mood and kicks off a three-song high, with the Bowie guitar track, “All I Want,” and then this album’s “All My Friends”: “I Can Change.” The rest of the tracks are gems, though “Somebody’s Calling Me” is a clunker. The album’s high note, “Home,” is loads of dancefloor fun.

Release Date: May 18

Artist: Janelle Monae
Album: The ArchAndroid

What the hell is it? Debut full-length including the second and third movements of Janelle Monae’s sci-fi story.
Sounds like a combination of: Hip-hop, funk, a touch of rap, a touch of indie rock
Recommended? First off, girl can sing—she can wail, she can croon, she is a superstar. Second, Monae is one of the smartest artists in the game. She has a contract with Bad Boy, but P Diddy is nowhere near this record. She owns her own masters, and pretty much can do whatever the fuck she wants. If that means getting her besties in (Of Montreal pretty much do a track for her, “Make The Bus”) or for that matter releasing a 70-minute record—about an android, for crissakes!—she can do it. It is funny though, as most reviews of the record talk about how ambitious Monae is, and it seems as if she is getting high marks for being out there rather than the music. Let’s get something straight—this album kills.

The interludes are disruptive, but necessary to split the movements up. The record also moves like a breeze, because it is expertly sequenced and edited. Two standouts, “Tightrope” (featuring a guest verse from Big Boi) and “Cold War,” are both earworms with song-of-the-year potential. When Monae gets funky she can command attention. Though the recording is super polished, these songs were meant to be performed live. In the age of the downloadable single, this record is a true album. Don’t just get a few tracks, get the whole thing.
Release Date: May 18

This Is Not As Bad As People Think It Is:

Artist: Band Of Horses
Album: Infinite Arms
What the hell is it? Third record and major label debut of Band of Horses
Sounds like a combination of: Southern rock, alterna-rock
Recommended? They survived a “sophomore slump” but most think that this record, their third, is heavily overloaded and their first misstep. To those people I say, yes, there are no songs like “The Funeral” or “Is There a Ghost,” but dammit if this record isn’t enjoyable. Sweeping orchestral opener “Factory” is an immediate reflection of the new Band of Horses asthetic and can be seen as a response to their newfound stadium goals—they are opening for Pearl Jam this summer, as well as playing bigger and bigger venues. The two standouts “Compliments” and “Laredo” are up there with some of BoH’s best tracks. But yes, the album starts to lag a bit after the opening three, but not that badly. This record is definitely a grower.
Release Date: May 18

Listen to the record here

You Can’t Really Go Wrong With These!:

Artist: Jamie Lidell
Album: Compass
What the hell is it? Third record of soulful music from the British Crooner
Sounds like a combination of: Odelay, Funk
Recommended? “Completely Exposed” is such a monster, I played it nine times in a row. It opens Lidell’s windy manic album so perfectly. Lidell’s previous record Jim was a straight up funk/soul record, while his debut Multiply hinted at his soul directions, it still had traces of his electronic past. Compass is the middle ground between those two records, with the addition of Beck working as an “extra producer.” Lidell even touches on some Beck like sounds- the stomper “Your Sweet Boom” and the  fuzzy opening of “The Ring.” “Coma Chameleon,” actually co-written by Beck is one of the more rocking moments on the record, but Lidell is better as a crooner, especially on the slow-fuck-jam “She Needs Me.” If you can’t seduce someone to this record, you just aren’t trying hard enough.
Release Date: May 18

Artist: Club 8
Album: The People’s Record
What the hell is it? Eighth record of perfect pop from the long-running Swedish duo
Sounds like a combination of: West African guitar, Brazilian dance music, indie pop
Recommended? Find me a song released this year catchier than “Western Hospitality.” You just get lost in the “ohhhs,” the African guitars, and shuffling beat. The long running Club 8 is comprised of singer Karolina Komstedt and multi-instrumentalist (also one of my heroes) Johan Angergård. Johan is also in Acid House Kings, The Legends and Pallers, so he knows how to make a pop song perfect. On top of that he runs Sweden’s Labrador Records, a label I’m sure people are tired of me blab about. This being Club 8’s eight record, the band has subtly switched things up from their last, The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Dreaming. While that record was made up of more “adult-contemporary” type tracks, The People’s Record is definitely party music, in that it is higher in energy and sounds as if the band had a great time making it.

This is also the first record made with a producer. Jari Haapalainen (The Concretes, Camera Obscura) took on production duties, and put a sheen on the record not unlike his treatment of Camera Obscura’s last record My Maudlin Career. Though the sounds are bright, there is a haziness to the record that makes the songs sound as they came from another time and place. Though the songs are super-peppy, they are pretty dark. Only a band like Club 8 could turn a song like “We’re All Going To Die” into a dance number. Then there are the shout-along tracks like “Shape Up” and “Be Mad, Get Ill, Be Still” which will have you doing fistpumps.
Release Date: May 18

Artist: Black Keys
Album: Brothers
What the hell is it? Sixth record and semi-return-to-form from the Akron blues-rock band
Sounds like a combination of: Blues, rock, Led Zep, wailing guitars
Recommended? Black Keys don’t have shit to prove. They’ve been putting out garage-blues-rock for over 10 years now. They were first part of the garage revival with The White Stripes, but they’ve moved from that into a category of their own. Brothers finds the duo still working with Danger Mouse, but moving away from the psychedelic side Mouse put on their last record. This one is more rollicking and up there with their best work.
Release Date: May 18

Artist: Holy Ghost
Album: Static In The Wire
What the hell is it? First EP from the long-running DFA band
Sounds like a combination of: Dance rock, disco
Recommended? Holy Ghost have existed in the fringes of the DFA catalogue for a long time now. They have been releasing singles and remixes since 2007, but this is their first proper EP. Holy Ghost will make your feet move with their disco-referencing electro-pop.
Release Date: May 18

New Shit:

Artist: The Drums
Video: “Forever & Ever Amen”
What the hell is it? Latest video from the Florida indie poppers.

Artist: Goldfrapp
Video: “Alive”
What the hell is it? Metalheads, pentagrams, aerobics, and motherfucking vampires—just watch.

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Artist: The-Dream
Song: “One in A Million” (Aaliyah Cover)
What the hell is it? SEX JAM! Holy Shit! I didn’t think anyone could cover Aaliyah, let alone my favorite Aaliyah song (true story—One In A Million was the first CD I bought when I got my very first Sony Discman in 1996). But The-Dream delivers, mostly because he is the fucking (Love) King. This is taken from a mixtape that has yet to drop #LoveSessions but it won’t the be the last we’ll get out of The-Dream, as he just twittered that on June 29^th Love King will drop.

Artist: Mynabirds
Video: “Numbers Don’t Lie”
What the hell is it? A video for the best track off the Mynabirds record. Dude is just trying to get through his daily routine but girls won’t stop throwing confetti and sticking balloons and streamers on him.

Album Of The Year (Right Now)!

Artist: Sleigh Bells

Album: Treats

What the hell is it? Debut record from the super-hyped duo

Sounds like a combination of: Metal (Infinity) guitars, lo-fi booms, girl-pop vocals, hip-hopesque beats, teen angst

Recommended? Sleigh Bells were primed from the start. Their 2009 CMJ shows blew the bloggarati away, posing them as a “Next Big Thing.” With the release of “Crown on the Ground,” those not at those mind-blowing shows were finally able to understand why this band mattered. A short stream of leaks resulted, and listeners took to message boards to keep their love alive. Sleigh Bells just got bigger and bigger, landing an opening slot on the Yeasayer tour as well as signing to M.I.A.’s record label and being offered a production slot on her upcoming record. None of this would matter if their debut wasn’t any good, and with early tracks like the ass-kicking “Infinity Guitars” and “A/B Machines” how could it not? Well, the Bells have brought it, and people no longer have to doubt them.

The noticeable difference between the demo tracks and the short LP, other than some song titles, (a scant 32 minutes—this is my only complaint, aside from the fact that my favorite of the demos, “Holly,” didn’t make the cut—but whatever) is the “lo-fi” fidelity, while still mostly in the high “trebly” end of the spectrum, is a little more amped and there is some bass seeping through, it isn’t all treble. The most reworked track was the demo “Beach Girls,” now “Kids,” with the lyrics about the same, but the backing track made more muscular. Speaking of muscles, try not to let all your shits go to the turning point in “Infinity Guitars,” because with their extra boost it becomes a goddamn monster. The new tracks “Tell ’Em,” “Riot Rhythm,” and the quick “Straight As” fit in with Sleigh Bell’s beefy tracks, but the surprise comes from the three-song middle section where the band comes up for air. Kicking off with the synth fantasy “Run the Heart” and then into “Rachel,” the true talent Alexis Kraus shines. Kraus has a pop past, and listening to the tracks where she coos, rather than howls, it shows. The “Can You Get to That” (Funkadelic) sampling “Rill Rill” (formerly “Ring Ring”) closes out the middle section. The band added bells and echo making the fan-favorite even more lovable. “Crown On The Ground” is one of the few demos not really messed with, as “A/B Machines,” much like “Infinity Guitars,” gets a heavier and redesigned breakdown that adds extra head-banging potential. The album ends with the mid-tempo heavy metal title track “Treats,” which works as both a work-out and cool-off from one of the most exciting albums you’ll hear all year.

Release Date: May 11 (digitally)

And Don’t The Kids Just Love It:

Artist: The National
Album: High Violet
What the hell is it? Fifth Album from the sad bastards of indie rock
Sounds like a combination of: A less bouncy version of Boxer with more orchestral flourishes
Recommended? You can’t hate this record. You can be disappointed, but if you are disappointed you’ll probably piss everyone else off around you. High Violet is overworked, but since Alligator that has been the band’s M.O. Matt Berninger no longer screams as he once did, instead he bitterly laments growing up and paints portraits of characters in mundane situations. There is a lot to like here. The sweeping opener “Terrible Love” nails it, while the fastest track “Bloodbuzz Ohio” has Top-20-Singles-of-the-Year potential. While some say this is their most accessible record, I’d beg to differ and recommend Boxer or Alligator before getting to this, but don’t discount the National. By listen five you’ll be hooked.
Release Date: May 11

Do You Want Your Face Melted Off????:

Artist: Male Bonding
Album: Nothing Hurts
What the hell is it? Debut from the UK lo-fi rockers
Sounds like a combination of: Seattle 1989, new lo-fi
Recommended? Male Bonding is on the perfect label, Sub Pop. They are kind of a bait-and-switch; if you didn’t know they were from the UK you probably would’ve sworn they were some leftovers of the Seattle scene. The band have way more in common with early Nirvana and the Wipers than, say, Los Campesinos!. I can’t praise this band enough, as they bang out punky two-minute jams like no one else. From the stomping opener “Year’s Not Long” to the rollicking “Franklin,” Male Bonding is all about pleasure.
Release Date: May 11

You Can’t Really Go Wrong With These!:

Artist: Holy Fuck
Album: Latin
What the hell is it? Third record from the dance-punk-electro-post-rock-post-everything-party-starters
Sounds like a combination of: I said all I needed to say above this.
Recommended? I mentioned in my SXSW report that the new Holy Fuck tracks I heard live reached album-of-the-year potential. I might’ve been a little drunk, but dammit if my feet didn’t move. Listening to this record, I didn’t have the same feeling as I did at SXSW, and much of that could be because this isn’t a party record but a record to showcase all of the talents of Holy Fuck. Live, the band go for the grooves, but on record the tracks build and come together, then blend into one another. Holy Fuck have always had a fetish for post-rock but the opening two tracks reach levels they haven’t really explored yet. This is evolution for the band, but still they can churn out awesome catchy tracks like “SHT MNT.”
Release Date: May 11

Artist: Thee Oh Sees
Album: Warm Slime
What the hell is it? Another John Dwyer release
Sounds like a combination of: Garage rock, and John Dwyer
Recommended? The 13-minute opener “Warm Slime” never feels overlong. It is much like everything in Thee Oh See’s wheelhouse but its length is unlike anything they’ve done before—they have put out seven-song EPs at this length. After the opener, the tracks are less immediate, quick garage tracks resembling the style the band took on last year’s Help. If you like grimy garage rock, get this record and peep John Dwyer, you won’t be sorry.
Release Date: May 11

Artist: Phosphorescent
Album: Hee’s to Taking It Easy
What the hell is it? Fifth record from classic rocking Matthew Houck
Sounds like a combination of: The Band. Classic rock. Country-tinged rock
Recommended? This is the first Phosphorescent record with a band, and it shows. The arrangements are brighter, and Houck’s songwriting is more assured and mature. While his earlier record was full of folk rockers, with a band Houck sounds more like early Eagles than anything else.
Release Date: May 11

Artist: Gayngs
Album: Relayted
What the hell is it? Ryan Olson’s Minneapolis 10cc-loving supergroup featuring members of The Rosebuds, Bon Iver, Megafun, Solid Gold and more.
Sounds like a combination of: RnB lite, Skinemax, 69 BPM
Recommended? A record made for fauxhemian fucking? Yes, this is what bearded fauxhemians fuck to. Mostly because it sometimes is soooooooo cheesy (the sax solo on “The Gaudy Side of Town”) that it is ironic. Screw the politeness of The xx—if you want to bed that greasy fauxhemian just take them back to your place and put this record on.
Release Date: May 11

You Tell Me:

Artist: CocoRosie
Album: Grey Oceans
What the hell is it? Fourth record from the sister duo
Sounds like a combination of: Fractured electro-pop
Recommended? Holy shit the cover art is amazing. And really, who says you can’t judge a book by its cover? So instead of giving a straight answer to this, just gawk below and make up your mind. (Click the cover for a surpirse)
Release Date: May 11

New Shit:

Artist: Kylie Minogue
Song: “All The Lovers”
What the hell is it? FUCKING BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that’s all.

Artist: Shakira
Song: “Explore” (xx cover)
What the hell is it? A snippet of a worlds colliding. Hey fauxhemians, The xx are no longer yours, move on to something more indie!

Artist: M.I.A.
Song: “XXXO”
What the hell is it? UHHHHHH. Hey M.I.A., why do you sound asleep? I’ve been “tweeting you like Tweety Bird on my iPhone.” Wake up!

Artist: Chemical Brothers
Video: “Swoon”
What the hell is it? New Chemical Brothers jam that sounds like they might be on the right track—as making good songs like those from the 90s. I guess I need to get the E out again—who wants to rave with me?

Album Of The Year Contenders!

Artist: Broken Social Scene
Album: Forgiveness Rock Record
What the hell is it? Fourth album and first in five years from the best Canadian supergroup
Sounds like a combination of: There are many sounds on the record—there is a track that sounds like a thriller movie soundtrack, some songs that sound a little like Pavement, Dinosaur Jr, The Sea and Cake, and oh yeah, Broken Social Scene
Recommended? BSS have done it again! On first listen some tracks like opener “World Sick” and “Texico Bitches” stand out, but this is an album that deserves at least three listens. This is a record that has to surprise you. Most of the gang is here; Feist, however, is just a backup singer, so sorry, no new material from her yet. Emily Haines has a word-bending “Sentimental Xs,” Apostle of Hustle’s Andrew Whiteman takes on his own track in “Art House Director,” while the crazy-haired (how does she keep it all standing?) Lisa Lobsinger, who has been accompanying the band on tours for five years now, gets her own track in the sexy electronic stomper “All to All.” The band’s two main members, Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, are here with a newfound energy. Lead single “Forced to Love” is an intense track with a guitar breakdown that is perfect to ’air to. Canning’s “Water in Hell” is a Dinosaur Jr. number if I ever did hear one, and Drew duets with The Sea and Cake’s Sam Prekop on “Romance to the Grave,” which sounds exactly like a Sea and Cake record. The instrumentals here are also a plus, as “Meet Me in the Basement” packs more energy than either of the frontman’s solo records had.
Release Date: May 4

Artist: Flying Lotus
Album: Cosmogramma
What the hell is it? Third album from the LA producer/beat maker/dub-stepper
Sounds like a combination of: Jazz, Dub-Step, Squarepusher
Recommended? Flying Lotus will blow your mind. Fans of his break-out record L.A. might be confused when “Clock Catcher” begins with all of its computer garbage and blips and boops—it sounds as if Flylo listened to all of the records that made his label Warp the shit—but don’t fret as the first half of the record is very electronic and very distorted. The tracks flow in a sequence that is unlike records these days. Tracks cut out to reveal new tracks and miss-it-if-you-blink guests (Thom Yorke’s digitally manipulated vocal on “…And The World Laughs With You”). The J-Dilla tag is sure to be shed, but for those who don’t know, Flylo is Alice Coletrain’s nephew, and he finally taps into a jazz side that reminiscent of Squarepusher’s mid-period. The highlight of the record, though, is the turning point from electronic squiggles to jazzier tracks with “Do The Astral Plane,” as it is danceable and has a string hook that just stays with you. The end of the record is very much a cool-off period, as both “Table Tennis” (with—yes—the sounds of ping-pong in the background) and “Galaxy in Janaki” leading the listener out of the incredible world Flylo has created. There is not a misplaced track or sound on the record, as everything works. This is the future!
Release Date: May 4

You Can’t Really Go Wrong With These!:

Artist: Rusko
Album: O.M.G
What the hell is it? Debut from the M.I.A. producer and “future” of dub-step
Sounds like a combination of: Dub step, trance anthems, Major Lazer, amazing!
Recommended? Rusko is breaking out! Not only is his record pushing the limits of the genre, but it contains one of the most essential tracks of 2010 in a collaboration with Amber Coffman from the Dirty Projectors (you know, the chick on “Stillness if the Move”). Other guests include Gucci Mane (love him!) and a bunch of UK dudes. This record is pretty much the shit!
Release Date: May 4

Rusko – Hold On by san4

Artist: The Fall
Album: Your Future Our Clutter
What the hell is it? 28^th (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) record from the band that will not and should not die
Sounds like a combination of: C’mon—The Fall, of course
Recommended? Every two years the headline “Mark E. Smith Preps New Fall Record” will grace the internet, and every two years his legion of fans will go out and say, well this is a great record, or this is a meh record, because really, a Fall fan can make the case for almost everything Smith does. As a fan of the Fall but not as hardcore as some people I know, this is a really good record. The seven-minute opener gives a good introduction to the Fall’s style, as it is disjointed and features the trademarked Mark E. Smith speak/sing snarl, and ends with some weird tape recording of what is maybe a Live Fall show. “Cowboy George” samples Daft Punk, which is completely weird, but the track holds up its five-minute length. If you have never heard the Fall, go back and start with their earlier records (Hex Enduction Hour is the JAM).
Release Date: May 4

Artist: The New Pornographers
Album: Together
What the hell is it? Fifth album from another Canadian supergroup
Sounds like a combination of: Mass Romantic if it was made by older dudes with familes and kids—the New Pornographers with some steam, but instead of going for the rush they are trying to go for the heart.
Recommended? It is sure better than Challengers, but when you have a three-record streak as sweet as Mass Romantic, Electric Version, and Twin Cinema what else are you to do? In the time between Challengers Bejar released another Destroyer record while still repping with Swan Lake and reissuing his older material, Case released her own solo record, and AC Newman released a tepid follow-up to his brilliant The Slow Wonder. Like the last AC Newman record, the tracks here are more orchestrated—see the strings on the opener “Moves”—and less of a sugary rush. Though the first single, “Your Hands Together,” sounds as if the band can rock out from time to time, it just isn’t enough. The three Bejar cuts, “Silver Dollar Jenny,” “If You Can’t See My Mirrors,” and “Daughters of Sorrow,” are the best cuts on the record (as always) with Neko’s tracks coming in second. Bejar is finally using the band for more than just a “back me up, but let me do my thing” situation, and Case knows exactly how to make a track her own, as she steals the spotlight even when she is the backing vocalist. This record proves the band needs a break to recollect and regain their youth, but it is far better than lots of music coming out these days.
Release Date: May 4

Artist: Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt
Album: I Love You. I Love You. I Love You and I’m in Love with You. Have an Awesome Day! Have
What the hell is it? Debut from the multi-member party band
Sounds like a combination of: Ninja High School, sweaty nights, shouting at your friends
Recommended? Do you like to party? Give this a spin and let me know what you think. This record is either a love/hate thing, as the band like to shout their lyrics, and they are super positive, so it might be off-putting, but they are supposedly an amazing live band that encourages audience interaction, so go ahead and give this a quick spin.
Release Date: May 4

FLASHBACK!

Artist: Free Energy
Album: Stuck on Nothing
What the hell is it? Beloved by TNG, this is the band’s long awaited debut record, produced by the one and only James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem)
Sounds like a combination of: Cheap Trick, Thin Lizzy, Summertime, Babes + BBQs
Recommended? If Free Energy was around in the 70s they would’ve been kings. This record is way better than I expected. It is so much fun, I just wish for summer.
Release Date: May 4 (it was originally released March 9^th digitally, but now you can actually buy a physical copy)

Artist: Baby Dee
Album: A Book of Songs for Anne Marie
What the hell is it? Second record from the other harpist on Drag City
Sounds like a combination of: Yes, it has some Joanna Newsom to it, but it also has lots of folk leanings and songs that will break your heart.
Recommended? Baby Dee is something of an obscurity whose backstory overshadows her music. She is a 587-year-old transgendered woman with a wild voice who worked in the original incarnation of Antony’s Johnsons and is a close friend of Andrew WK (she has his piano). This record has instrumentation that is quiet and spare, but the songs are beautiful. I am happy labels like Drag City exist, because in all honesty Baby Dee should just remain in obscurity, but with the right push she can break through.
Release Date: Apr. 20

Listen to Clips here

Artist: Jim O’Rourke
Album: All Kinds of People ~ Love Burt Bacharach
What the hell is it? Head-scratcher of a record by avant/poster Jim O’Rourke and a bunch of his friends.
Sounds like a combination of: These are straightforward, orchestrated covers of the Bacharach song book sung by the likes of O’Rourke, and a handful of his Japanese and American buddies (Yeah, that’s Wilco’s Glenn Kotch on drums!)
Recommended? Have you ever wanted to hear Thurston Moore do a straight-faced cover of “Always Something There to Remind Me”? How about Yoshimi from the Boredoms do an almost Karaoke-like version of “Say A Little Prayer for Me”? Well, you are in luck because as the title of this record states, all kinds of people love Bacharach, even Japanese noisemakers. But one thing to note: this is unfortunately a Japan-only release, so if you love it you gotta pay lots of cash for it!
Release Date: Apr. 7

Blah:

Artist: Minus The Bear
Album: Omni
What the hell is it? Indie band with some prog leanings go more electronic and write a really bad record about sex
Sounds like a combination of: Some of the worst songs about sex you’ll ever hear
Recommended? NO
Release Date: May 4

Hot Videos/Slay Tracks:

Artist: Liars
Video: “Overachievers”
What the hell is it? Awesome video that has lots of American Psycho references.

All in all this is the worst thing that could happen, as in the age of so much choice fans need something like Lala to determine if they like something. Lala let you listen to a full record and then determine if you wanted to buy it… something 30-second sound clips could never do.

Best Bets!:

Artist: Frog Eyes
Album: Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph
What the hell is it? Fifth album from Carey Mercer’s band of outsiders—and get this: it doesn’t sound like bad carnival music!
Sounds like a combination of: Imagine if Mercer’s took his buddy, Spencer Krug ‘s(who also moonlights in Frog Eyes sometimes, but they both play together in Swan Lake, with Mr. Daniel Bejar) last two Sunset Rubdown records, and Mercer got his band together—with added female voice Megan Boddy—and said, “Let’s recreate these records here and now LIVE.” Some of that story is true.
Recommended? I’ve never been hot on Frog Eyes. It was always too manic for me and Mercer’s voice is a little grating, but wow this record kicks. If you want a fist-pumping, hyperliterate album about god-knows-what-really, Paul, or someone, get this.
Release Date: Apr. 27

Artist: Crystal Castles
Album: Crystal Castles
What the hell is it? Second record from the most volatile blog-house band
Sounds like a combination of: Shoegaze gone Ed Banger, Chip-tuned out Health records
Recommended? With all of their drama it is easy to forget about their music. Their first record was some designer shit. It was for scenesters late to the Ed Banger game or the people you would/still see on Hipster Runoff who are mostly from LA displaying how alt they are because they go to their shows and dance and mosh and shit wearing neon and taking drugs because that is the cool thing to do. They used to be all style no substance, but somewhere—out of nowhere—they have made a record that refines their wacked out bullshit and as much as I went into it wanting to hate it, I can’t. “Doe Deer,” for all of its utter fuck-all/classic CC noise, is pretty charming. Tracks like “Celestica” and “Suffocation” are all head nodders and make you feel as if you are drifting in space.
Release Date: Apr. 27 (digital only—CD drops in May)

Artist: Delorean
Album: Subuiza
What the hell is it? True Panther Sounds debut/third album from Spanish dream-ravers
Sounds like a combination of: Panda Bear’s Person Pitch in Ibiza on ecstasy
Recommended? Do people rave anymore? Do they wear stupid outfits and pop E all the time? Well this could bring raving back, though it is a more chill record. Delorean used to be indie-rockers, but they have thrown their past behind for post-Panda Bear pop. Taking whooshing samples and sun-tinged vocals, the band have created the soundtrack to summer days and nights. Tracks like “Stay Close” and “Infinite Dessert” are sure party starters, but something the band has done expertly was create an album versus a collection of singles. Every track fits, and while some can be listened to alone, getting the full experience is pretty damn rewarding.
Release Date: Apr. 27

Artist: Two Door Cinema Club
Album: Tourist History
What the hell is it? Debut from Irish lads reaches our shores
Sounds like a combination of: Ben Gibbard (only in vocals), dance/punk, good times
Recommended? Tourist History can be summed up as 10 almost perfect songs that will get stuck in your head for days. The band is expert at creating melodies that are hummable and danceable. They are pegged to be the next big thing, and if their opening slot on the Phoenix tour has anything to do with it (Author’s note: The bands are friends and labelmates, so it’s no surprise they are touring together) they are sure to break through in this country, and not just their home.
Release Date: Apr. 27

Artist: Medications
Album: Completely Removed
What the hell is it? Second record and first in five years from the former Hope of the DC scene
Sounds like a combination of: Math rock and total pop forever
Recommended? Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If someone would’ve told me that Medications would leave their post-hardcore bullshit behind and make a pop record five years ago I would’ve said, “Yeah, pfft.” Well, this is the hope of DC now. People have to hear this record. The tracks are less meandering, and verge on higher pop ambitions, that anything you would have expected of the band five years ago. There are so many records that get released every week that it is hard to keep track of everything, so this one could easily get lost in the shuffle, but it is pretty special. Let’s hope it elevates the band to new heights.
Release Date: Apr. 20

Listen to samples here

Artist: Juan Maclean
Album: DJ-Kicks
What the hell is it? A mix record from Juan for the unfuckwithable DJ Kicks series
Sounds like a combination of: The best disco party you’ve ever been to
Recommended? The thing about mixes is that they usually suck. I mean there are so many series that are put out for either a band to use a stop-gap release or to try to be a tastemaker. DJ Kicks is special because it takes people who are actually DJs and lets them go free. Many people love the series because artists put unreleased cuts on there—Hot Chip’s “My Piano,” Annie’s “The Wedding”—but what makes this mix so special is how classic and immediate it is. Juan is a DJ at heart and his mix makes contemporary songs feel like classics. If you tried to make bets on what year any of these songs came out, you’d lose all your money. If you can’t DJ, and you need something to play at your party, put this on—sweaty dancing will ensue.
Release Date: Apr. 27

Listen to “Feel So Good” here

Artist: Dom
Album: Sun Bronzed Greek Gods
What the hell is it? The debut EP from the MA trio that’s blowing up the internet.
Sounds like a combination of: Lo-Fi dance, Lo-Fi upbeat rockers, an RSS feed of current trends
Recommended? Dom’s record is charming as hell and has choruses that make you wanna sing out (sample: “It’s so sexy/to be living in America”). Just to be clear, though, the frontman is a dude—not a female like many people think. The first two tracks are super classic, as “Burn Bridges” and “Living in America” are also blog staples, but the swinging teenage anthem “Jesus,” with its 80s-swiping bass line, is an instant classic. “Bochicha,” if it had louder, stronger production could’ve been an 80s arena rock anthem, while on the flip, “Rude as Jude” is a garage rocker like no other, as it is part Nuggets jam and part keyboard dance floor jam. Many genres are played with, and mixed, but nothing feels forced or out of place.
Release Date: Apr. 5

Artist: Mynabirds
Album: What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood
What the hell is it? A collaboration between ex-Georgie James frontwoman and DC native Laura Burhenn and her producer/muti-instrumentalist Richard Swift.
Sounds like a combination of: 60s soul, Dusty Springfield, Cat Power (post-nervous breakdown). Classic without sounding dated.
Recommended? Richard Swift is an underused asset. His music is like an AM radio picking up signals from times lost, and his pop craftsmanship and nuanced production are just perfect for any artist who wants to make a genre record. Pairing him with Laura Burhenn seems like an odd combo, but the duo have created an album that should shut the door on the 60s soul/folk/wannabe old records trend. Unlike contemporaries like She & Him and Jenny Lewis, the record isn’t forced. The ballads have more heart, and fast tracks like “Let the Record Go” are more danceable. This is a record you could buy for your mother on Mother’s Day and feel proud because you are turning her onto “cool” music. As an aside, please check out Swift’s solo records, notably Dressed Up For The Let Down and last year’s Atlantic Ocean.
Release Date: Apr. 27

Artist: Avi Buffalo
Album: Avi Buffalo
What the hell is it? Debut record from once solo project of Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg.
Sounds like a combination of: Indie rock, The Shins, Twee Pop
Recommended? Avi Buffalo’s debut isn’t a perfect record. It isn’t harsh to call it pleasant indie rock that’s fun and quirky, but when it needs to be, super-serious. “What’s In It For,” the song that got the band where they are, is great, but tracks like “Summer Cum” come off as a little cloying, but it isn’t anything they can’t suss out on another record. The members are all under/or on the verge of 21, and for “kids” this is a pretty accomplished work. It never feels as if they are aping their idols, but just a half step below them. The most amazing thing about this record is the fact that most of these songs could’ve passed as something you would’ve heard on college radio in the 90s.
Release Date: Apr. 27

DESTROYER BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:

Merge recently released remastered versions of albums two through four of Destroyer, making it the first time some of these record have been readably available in a while. While a remastering sounds stupid, Thief benefits the most as the original mix was mono, and the new mix adds depth. Dan Bejar is one of my favorite song writers and artists, and the only reason I listen to The New Pornographers records anymore. So to celebrate the reissues mind the Destroyer Break. And if you feel so inclined, take a out a six-pack and play the drinking game with me. Listen to the record by clicking the links on the titles.

Album: City Of Daughters
What the hell is it? The second record and first non-solo LP from Bejar
Quality Scale? This is my third favorite Bejar record. He totally stepped up his game, as tracks like “No Cease Fires” and “The Space Race” are classics. No song is out of place, and even the “Emax” interludes make sense. Bejar is a little like Syd Barrett here, and it is a good look for him. Being the first non-solo record, Bejar is still balancing the band sounds versus his own work, but because he is an expert and a genius (I’m biased) he pulls it off.

Album: Thief
What the hell is it? Bejar’s third record, where he is more comfortable in his skin
Quality Scale? Bejar’s Bowie-isms start on this album. The tracks are more assured. “Destroyer’s the Temple” is a flat out classic Destroyer song. There is a full band on every track here, unlike City of Daughters and as far as the remastering goes, the Merge edition is far superior to the original, as the original was a mono edition. Bejar’s songwriting adds more emotional punch—though lord knows what he is singing about sometimes. The other fun fact about this album is it starts his weird trend of putting a song with the name of the title of the previous album.

Album: Streethawk: A Seduction
What the hell is it? The classic and most assured Destoryer record (and also my all-time favorite)
Quality Scale? The division between fans is This Night versus Streethawk and frankly I am on Team Streethawk. My reasoning comes from the fact that my favorite songs come off this album. You cannot fuck with “The Bad Arts,” “The Sublimation Hour,” “A Very Modern Dance,” “Helena,” or “English Music.” Bejar is in full-on Bowie mode, employing glam-rock posturing and while he is the star, his band is at its best, complimenting his winding passages with the appropriate sounds. Take, for instance, the breakdown in “The Bad Arts” before he starts referencing Joy Division. This is also a perfect album for the Destroyer Drinking Game (though Rubies could get you drunk faster).

Blah:

Artist: Golden Filter
Album: Voluspa
What the hell is it? Debut from the NY/Australia band with disco tendencies
Sounds like a combination of: Disco, Shoegazey washes
Recommended? This band had all the potential in the world to make a stunning record. Much like Delorean, Golden Filter got its start doing singles and remixes, but those early singles, which are included here, seem to be the end of their fantastic material. The record has some decent tracks and could’ve made a fantastic EP, but too many times the record comes off as boring. Which is the total opposite of what the band intended—they want you to dance. With a bevy of post-disco releases to tempt your feet, choose another, but do find the “Solid Gold” single, as that is a pretty awesome song.
Release Date: Apr. 26 (UK, June 15^th on our shores)

Wait, Someone Really Released This:

Artist: Hole
Album: Nobody’s Daughter
What the hell is it? Once a Courtney Love solo record, but no one wanted to release it (because it is shitty, and Love’s stock is down) so she pulls a Billy Corgan (who is on this record! Gasp!) and adopts the name of her old band without any of the original members just to try to push her terrible product on the now-grown-up jilted generation who believed so much in Live Through This.
Sounds like a combination of: Desperation and definitely not the five years it took to make
Recommended? Most of Love’s original fanbase has grown up, and moved on to mellower shores, like taking jobs in big law firms or having kids. But still, somehow, appearing in the press once every three months for doing things like being broke, losing rights to her child, or just general shit-talking makes Love relevant. People still listen to Nirvana, but Hole have generally been forgotten, mostly because Love is a fuck-up. To talk about the music: to hear a haggard old woman sing cringeworthy lines like, “You staggered here on broken glass/So I could kick your scrawny ass” is pretty off-putting. The backing music isn’t all that either. Having “Skinny Little Bitch” as the lead single is a smart trick, as the record isn’t full of fierce rockers but some weird, hybrid, ballad-folk-rock that is just so unpleasant. Sure she gets a little confessional, but it isn’t like we haven’t heard it before. Teenagers still have problems, and need music as an outlet for them, but the kids have moved on—and their kids just aren’t buying it.
Release Date: Apr. 27

Hot Videos/Slay Tracks:

Artist: Interpol
Song: “Lights”
What the hell is it? Moody-as-fuck new Interpol song.

Artist: Operator Please
Video: “Back and Forth”
What the hell is it? Dancey indie-popsters form Australia deliver with a song that is instantly catchy and really fucking awesome. They are all super young, but make music like they are old, and they are sure to become your new favorite band!

Artist: Kele
Song: “Tenderoni”
What the hell is it? Kele from Bloc Party is getting into electropop on this solo outing produced by XXXChange from Spank Rock. The track is not a Chromeo cover, but it is a banger. This is way better than the last two Bloc Party records—trust.

Kele – Tenderoni by sheenabeaston

Amazing!:

Artist: The Radio Dept.
Album: Clinging to a Scheme
What the hell is it? Finally released third record from Swedish popsters
Sounds like a combination of: jj—even though they are pre-jj and they don’t have quite the affinity for hip-hop—though the record does have a rap sample. Rainy Days. Electronic down-tempo stuff.
Recommended? They never broke in America, which is some stupid shit. I’ve been waiting forever for this record, as it was teased for two years with singles but kept being delayed. All I can say is when it finally came to me I was pleased. This record isn’t that different from their last, nor does it sound like years have passed, but it is still the jam.
Release Date: Apr. 20

Artist: MGMT
Album: Congratulations
What the hell is it? Second “real (fuck you commenter trying to pass off their demo as their debut)” record from a band with Flaming Lips ambitions
Sounds like a combination of: MGMT taking a shit on your face, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, complicated second record
Recommended? Sorry fake fans, this is some real shit. The album is actually good. It has no singles. But who needs those anyway? It is funny: MGMT deserve their album title because I can’t believe a major label endorsed  this—fuck, MGMT were nominated for a Grammy!
Release Date: Apr. 13

Artist: The Tallest Man On Earth
Album: Wild Hunt
What the hell is it? The second record from the Swedish Dylan
Sounds like a combination of: Dylan, lower-fi folk
Recommended? Please read my new buddy Joe’s review of this:  http://thenewgay.net/2010/04/tallest-man-on-earth-the-wild-hunt.html. He’s a much better writer than I am.
Release Date: Apr. 12

Artist: Caribou
Album: Swim
What the hell is it? Fifth  record from Canadian genre-bender
Sounds like a combination of: House music, amazingness
Recommended? Yes. Dan Snaith is the man. This is his best record since Up in Flames, because let’s be honest—Andorra isn’t as good as people want it to be.
Release Date: Apr. 20

Artist: Apples in Stereo
Album: Travellers in Space and Time
What the hell is it? A new Apples in Stereo record—duh!
Sounds like a combination of: Perfect Pop Forever
Recommended? This is a band with nothing to prove to anyone. Their records have been spotty, but fuck it—this one is great! If you like indie pop and were not born in the 90s you probably know this band, but you might not know that they are still active. If you don’t know this band, go buy their singles collection then keep going—you’ll love it, I promise.
Release Date: Apr. 20

Artist: Trans Am
Album: Thing
What the hell is it? ex-DC (now back in DC) trio
Sounds like a combination of: Kraut, electro, funk, sci-fi novels, everything all the time
Recommended? Trans Am was big in my life, but after college I put them out of my mind. Thing, however, brought them back to me. If you like vocoders and synths you will love this record!
Release Date: Apr. 20

Alright But Kinda Boring:

Artist: Kate Nash
Album: My Best Friend is You
What the hell is it? Foul-mouthed Lily Allen Wannabe’s second record
Sounds like a combination of: Girl groups, Lilith Fair shit, Lily Allen, a touch of Suede
Recommended? Okay, I’m being a bit harsh. This isn’t terrible but it isn’t super awesome either. Nash has gotten edgier and smarter, but something bugs me about her. There are some jams on here, but when she does this bullshit poetry thing, it’ll make you cringe.
Release Date: Apr. 20

Hot Videos/Slay Tracks:

Artist: LCD Soundsystem
Video: “Drunk Girls”
What the hell is it? How do you make a terrible song better? Put out a great video and have Spike Jonez direct it! The video is great, but the song is still a pockmark on a fantastic record.

Artist: The xx
Video: “Islands”
What the hell is it? This video is insanely annoying but pretty great. The band looks so fucking bored it hurts. Just watch the dancers, and while it seems like the same thing—gasp!—it isn’t.

Artist: M.I.A
Song: “Born Free”
What the hell is it? Cray-Cray new M.I.A. jam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just listen, it is pretty surprising how post-punk this shit sounds—that and lo-fi. Also peep the crazy animated picture below!

Artist: DOM
Video: “Living in America”
What the hell is it? Hot shit new act blowing up your blogs.

Albums you need!

Artist: Javelin
Album: No Mas
What the hell is it? Much blogged about cousin’s first full-length.
Sounds like a combination of: Avalanches, Go! Team, Classic Hip-Hop, Summertime, “Totes Presh Mems!”.
Recommended? I listen to No Mas almost every day. I know that that doesn’t mean shit to the people who read this, but this record is fantastic. Though fans of their mix-tape, Jams n Jems might hate on the record because some of the songs are “worked over” or whatnot, the newer versions are still fresh. Lead-off track and still standout, “Vibrations” sets the tone for the record, and new songs like “On it, On it” with a breakdown that just makes you want to move your feet, is a track that will last forever. The record does end on a down point, but later tracks like the playful “Moscow 1980” and straight hip-hop jam “Susie Cues” are highlights.
Release Date: Apr. 6

Artist: Harlem
Album: Hippies
What the hell is it? Second full-length, but first on Matador from the best band in Austin
Sounds like a combination of: The sounds of your garage, Nuggets, not giving a fuck
Recommended? Harlem have come a long way since their last LP, Free Drugs. Their jangly garage songs are perfect for the season, and will never go out of style. The record is a bit long, at 16 songs, but once you put it on you won’t turn it off.
Release Date: Apr. 6

Artist: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Album: I Learned the Hard Way
What the hell is it? Another classic record from the best soul singer from this generation
Sounds like a combination of: Again, Stuff-White-People-Like-When-They-Say-They-Like-Hip-Hop (see: music journalists), Motown
Recommended? Sharon Jones not only has a voice of a goddess, but the best backup band in modern soul right now. This time around she mixes things up by going Motown, and the results are beautiful. Catch her live, because she is not to be missed.
Release Date: Apr. 6

Artist: Jónsi
Album: Go
What the hell is it? Sigur Rós frontman goes solo
Sounds like a combination of: See above
Recommended? Both Jónsi and his collaborator Nico Muhly are queer, and even better, they are at the top of their game. Those unsatisfied with the last Sigur Rós record will be relived; as Jónsi’s solo record is a step ahead. Some of the English lyrics are garish, but the music behind is so magical, you can just get lost in it.
Release Date: Apr. 6

Artist: Growing
Album: PUMPS
What the hell is it? Brooklyn Trio’s VICE records debut
Sounds like a combination of: New York noise, Black Dice
Recommended? Tune in, tune out. This is noisy in the best way possible, but probably not everyone’s cup of tea. For Growing fans, the band has taken another step in the electronic direction, much like Black Dice. PUMPS is actually pretty accessible for a noise-rock record, and who knows? In another few years the band could be as big as, say, Animal Collective.
Release Date: Apr. 6

Artist: Wye Oak
Album: My Neighbor, My Creator EP
What the hell is it? EP from Baltimore’s other fantastic female/male duo
Sounds like a combination of: Awesome and more awesome!
Recommended? On the heels of their slept-on but awesome album, The Knot, this EP is the perfect primer to Wye Oak’s dreamy melodies. “I Hope You Die,” a standout from the EP, has been featured as a song of the day here, so you already know this is quality.
Release Date: Available now from the Merge store, April 20^th from other digital outlets and June 8^th in physical form

Listen to “I Hope You Die”

Artist: Mi Ami
Album: Steal Your Face
What the hell is it? Second record from post-Black Eyes Trio
Sounds like a combination of: Afro-punk, dub, jams
Recommended? Just put this record on and your body will move. It is rough in all the right spots and will leave you in pure ecstasy.
Release Date: Apr. 6

Right click to download “Latin Lover.”

“GBV MATT” RECOMMENDS:

Artist: Circus Devils
Album: Mother Skinny
What the hell is it? Eighth album from Robert Pollard/Tobias Bros. side-project
Sounds like a combination of: Fuzz-rock, scuzz-rock, Sneercore, The Residents, Primus, Cronenbergian body horror, bad acid trips
Recommended? Oh, yes—if your mind is ready for it. This record is meaner and more intense than recent Circus Devils outings, sounding at times like the feverdream soundtrack to your bout with the Swine Flu. Runs the gamut from chugging rock to prog soundscapes, and yet “All the Good Ones Are Gone” might be Pollard’s most delicate, beautiful composition of the past year. This record is like a puzzle box that never stops unfolding. What the hell am I talking about? Watch the videos—Sgt. Disco is waiting for your eyeballs.
Release Date: Available now from The Factory of Raw Essentials.

EHHHH:

Artist: New Young Pony Club
Album: The Optimist
What the hell is it? Second record from the Bristish electro-pop group
Sounds like a combination of: Trying too hard
Recommended? I wanted to like this, trust me. There aren’t jams like “Ice Cream” or “The Bomb”—instead it is a record full of non-offending duds. Though that might seem like an oxymoron, the record just isn’t as good as it should be, it is just blah… and I’ve heard worse.
Release Date: Apr. 6

Hot Videos/Slay Tracks:

Artist: How to Dress Well
Video: “Decisions”
What the hell is it? I’ve featured this dude here before, because his tracks kill. This is a new jam off his Eternal Love 2 EP and it is dreamy goodness.

HOW TO DRESS WELL – “Decisions” (feat. Yüksel Arslan) from Jamie Harley on Vimeo.

Artist: Beck, St Vincent, The Liars, Os Mutantes
Video: “New Sensation (INXS Cover)”
What the hell is it? Beck is amazing, hands down. Who else could assemble a team like St Vincent, The Liars, and Os Mutantes to cover INXS’s Kick in it’s entirety? Here is the second track from the record, “New Sensation,” a song you should know, unless you were born in the late 90s.

Record Club: INXS “New Sensation” from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Hot Shit!:

Artist: Black Tambourine
Album: Black Tambourine
What the hell is it? The reissue of the reissued Complete Recordings comes with two demos and four live tracks, so this is actually more complete.
Sounds like a combination of: Indie-pop, all that reverb-drenched C86-influenced lo-fi stuff you hear now—well they ripped Black Tambourine.
Recommended? If you didn’t have it before, the ten singles Black Tambourine released while they operated are essential. You need this now, especially if you listen to bands like Vivian Girls, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and anything on Slumberland now. This reissue is pretty awesome, as the demo of “Throw Aggi Off The Bridge” really is the definition of an unearthed gem.
Release Date: Mar. 30

Artist: Dum Dum Girls
Album: I Will Be
What the hell is it? First full-length from the stylish, sexy, girl-group-loving all-girl band
Sounds like a combination of: Classic girl-groups with a punky edge
Recommended? This will work as both a review of this fantastic release, as well as a review of their live show, as it is easy to kill a bird with two stones. First off, I Will Be is awesome. Mostly for its brevity, because you can constantly repeat it and you’ll never be disappointed. I’ve written about this band a lot, so it is no wonder that I’d geek out on them so much.

If you get a chance to see the band perform, go immediately. Their shows are fantastic, albeit short. I just saw them last week with the face-melting Male Bonding (side note: check this band out now!). Their style is impeccable, but their skill is unbelievable. While the early Dum Dum recordings were lo-fi as hell, the new ones are pretty polished, and live the band adds an extra level, as the tracks sound just as if the record was playing with a little more oomph. The backing vocals were just perfect—in short, it was heavenly. Buy this record, and then see them live.
Release Date: Mar. 30

Artist: Erykah Badu
Album: New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh
What the hell is it? The second part in Badu’s wild and crazy New Amerykah project and surprisingly only her fourth “proper” record
Sounds like a combination of: Freak-Soul, Neo-Soul, Stuff White People Like when they say they like hip-hop (see: music journalists)
Recommended? Yes, yes and yes. This record is chock full of jams, both soothing and booty moving. Unlike her last record, this one is a tad more personal, but is is every bit as good.
Release Date: Mar. 30

Artist: Boston Spaceships
Album: Camera Found the Raygun EP
What the hell is it? Ten minutes of ROCK! From Mr. Bob Pollard and his best project
Sounds like a combination of: It is Bob Pollard—dude was in Guided by Voices, and I write about him all the time
Recommended? Oh god yes. While it is only four songs and it isn’t as amazing as their records from last year, it is Boston Spaceships, so you know it is quality.
Release Date: Mar. 23

Artist: High Places
Album: High Places Vs Mankind
What the hell is it? Second record from the Brooklyn/LA duo
Sounds like a combination of: Smoking lots of pot then floating on clouds. Buzz words from “Music Review Cliché Bingo”
Recommended? Their single “On Giving Up” was a song of the day because it ruled. High Places Vs Mankind has one of the best album covers and titles of 2010 so far. Compare to their previous release the band has taken their sound further. This is more of a nighttime record, as their previous was more daytime. It is perfect for making out, as well as dirty dancing. Hell yes this is recommended.
Release Date: Mar. 23

Artist: Slow Club
Album: Yeah So (US Edition)
What the hell is it? British duo’s debut get released in the states as a deluxe editon
Sounds like a combination of: Folk rock
Recommended? These track aren’t all super folky in the sense of rolling through green pastures and strummed guitars. There are upbeat rockers like “I‘m Giving Up On Love,” but the band never loses its charm when they strip everything back. Both members sing in a sweet male-female harmony. I’m sure you guys will like this record too.
Release Date: Mar. 30

Artist: Zola Jesus
Album: Stridulum EP
What the hell is it? Lo-fi reverb-drenched almost-darkwave music
Sounds like a combination of: Dark, dark stuff, just see the cover of this record.
Recommended? This EP takes the band further, and man is it some heavy stuff. Nika Danilova is a perfect as ever, so if you are feeling in the mood for some dark electronic-ish stuff check this out.
Release Date: Mar. 9

Artist: Fang Island
Album: Fang Island
What the hell is it? Fang Island’s life-affirming fist-pumping second record
Sounds like a combination of: Hard rock, Party music, Rifftastic
Recommended? I think I made my point very clear in my song of the day post! Get a beer, put your fist up, and rock your face off.
Release Date: Feb. 23

Artist: Happy Birthday
Album: Happy Birthday
What the hell is it? New project from VT native, Kyle Thomas. Oh yeah, they are signed to Sub Pop too (side note #2: Sub Pop are on a fucking roll this year)
Sounds like a combination of: Brash punky power-pop about girls, and having fun hanging out
Recommended? Just like the spectacular Free Energy record, this a chill-bro record just ready for the party.
Release Date: Mar. 23

Right click to download “Girls FM.”

Artist: The Bird and the Bee
Album: Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates
What the hell is it? All Hall and Oates cover record from LA pop group
Sounds like a combination of: Electro-pop Hall and Oates covers, yes the classics are all here
Recommended? Okay, I am super-suspicious of covers records, especially Hall and Oates covers, but if any band can pull it off (other than Chromeo) it would be The Bird and the Bee. The band doesn’t take too many chances with the tracks, so that is a relief, and Inara George’s vocals are pretty well suited for the tracks. Though I will always cling to my Hall and Oates box set, this is a pretty fun release.
Release Date: Mar. 30

Y’all Can Do Better:

Artist: Serena-Maneesh
Album: S-M 2: Abyss in B Minor
What the hell is it? Norwegian Shoegazers return five years later with a second record
Sounds like a combination of: Hard rock, shoegaze, experimental shit, obviously opening for Nine Inch Nails have rubbed off on them….
Recommended? Five years for this? It isn’t a bad record, it is just forgettable and waaaay to dense for its own good.
Release Date: Mar. 23

Lets rate the Usher album differently:

Artist: Usher
Album: Raymond Vs Raymond
What the hell is it? Newly divorced Usher is ready to FUCK, and c’mon you know just saying Usher makes them panties just drop.
Guests: Piles (remember him?), Ludacris, Niki Minaj, Will.I.Am, T.I.
Recommended? This is hard for me, as I love Confessions and I guess after the huge stinker that was Here I Stand this record is a relief, but though Usher can get any girl in the club, he seems a little bored with that and himself. I mean, this is coming from the dude with the most bat-shit RNB song I’ve ever heard (“Papers”), mostly because of the refrain of “All my fellas up in here, if u had enough and you’re ready to sign, say ready ready ready ready (I’m ready, yes I am)”—I mean if that came on in a club I could imagine someone reaching into his pocket to get his divorce papers to make his girl sign it on the spot.

The real highlight here, though, is “Lil Freak,” an ode to a three-way with a sick-as-always verse from Nicki Minaj, but on the album version, one of the dirtiest tracks of 2010, is CENSORED! Usher, slap an advisory on your record and just say, “If you’re fucking with me, really fucking with me,” instead of “coming” with me.
Release Date: Mar. 30

I Listened to this on PURPOSE:

Artist: Justin Bieber
Album: My World 2.0
What the hell is it? The lesbian queen’s first real record, because the last was just an EP…
Sounds like a combination of: How to give a twelve-year-old girl her very first orgasm
Me listening to the album, A Reenactment:

Friend: Hey Rohan, whatchu doing?

Me: Oh, hey man, just listening to this Justin Bieber album. You know he topped the Billboard chart?

Friend: Are you high?

Me: Yeah, like SALEM, I just smoked crack…

Friend: Oh good, you must’ve been high if you are listening to Justin Bieber.

Me: I’m not high… I just wanted to know what the fuss was about.

Friend: We are no longer friends. (Former friend leaves.)

Me: Shit, I just listened to all of this…I want my life back.
Release Date: Mar. 30

Hot Videos:

Artist: Band of Horses
Video: “Compliments”
What the hell is it? First taste from the new Band Of Horses record. The video has morphing nature and showcases the band’s new harder rocking sound…. This record may be amazing.

Artist: LCD Soundsystem
Video: “Drunk Girls”
What the hell is it? Do you like this song? I am so unsure of where this new record is going to go, but I must say at listen five it kinda gets better, but it is still a low for me. If you disagree please put it in a comment.

Artist: Hunx and his Punx
Video: “You Don’t Like Rock ‘n’ Roll”
What the hell is it? This is a “Gay Single” from the best gay punk rocker out there. This video is pretty crazy, and you know if I met a guy who didn’t like Rock ‘n’ Roll I’d dump his ass too. I agree Hunx, “You like Morrissey, you like U2, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

Artist: MGMT
Video: “Flash Delirium”
What the hell is it? All I can say is WTF.

Hot Shit!:

Artist: The Strange Boys
Album: Be Brave
What the hell is it? Second record from lo-fi garage punks
Sounds like a combination of: Nuggets Box Set, shit that your parents used to listen to if they were cool.
Recommended? This is under “Hot Shit” right? Though it is slower than their previous release, it is a rousing good time.
Release Date: Mar. 16

Artist: Goldfrapp
Album: Head First
What the hell is it? I’m not answering this
Sounds like a combination of: The 80s, Ladyhawke
Recommended? Not only is “Rocket” the gayest song of 2010 thus far, but this might be the gayest album. It is chock full of fun pop sing-alongs and enough keyboards to make you get off your ass.
Release Date: Mar. 23

Artist: Love Is All
Album: Two Thousand and Ten Injuries
What the hell is it? The best post-punk band still active
Sounds like a combination of: Delta 5, Kleenex, The Slits, Post Punk
Recommended? Although it is less immediate then their previous records, Two Thousand and Ten Injuries is a hell of a good time the 4^th time around. Give it some time and let this record take you over.
Release Date: Mar. 23

Artist: She and Him
Album: Volume 2
What the hell is it? Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward – duh!
Sounds like a combination of: Girl groups and such.
Recommended? She is fucking cute. Him looks like Robert Downey Jr. now (hey M. Ward—shave). This record is pleasant and lord knows someone is going to put this on a mix CD for you because it is that damn cute. Though it gets a little boring, it is less boring than half the shit out there now.
Release Date: Mar. 23

Release Date: Mar. 23

Artist: Let’s Wrestle
Album: In the Court of Wrestling Let’s
What the hell is it? American release of a damn fine record
Sounds like a combination of: A better version of the Wombats
Recommended? I’ve been pumping this jam for over a year – it came out in the UK last year, but now Americans can get it for real from Merge, so I recommend you do so, because it is charming as fuck.
Release Date: Mar. 23

Y’all Can Do Better:

Artist: Ludacris
Album: Battle of the Sexes
What the hell is it? LUDA!
Sounds like a combination of: LUDA!
Recommended? Other than the infectious and truly great “How Low” nothing on this record is super-noteworthy. “My Chick Bad” is pretty great, but Luda is better at the guest verse nowadays.
Release Date: Mar. 9

Hot Videos/Slay Tracks:

Artist: Drake
Video: “Over”
What the hell is it? This is pretty much my life.

Artist: Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Video: “Bittersweet”
What the hell is it? Second gayest song of 2010. This track makes me wish for a video room in a gay bar. Guess I gotta go to Apex on college night—hey boys!

3/9—Never forget

Buy this, own this, love this:

Artist: Pavement
Album: Quarantine the Past
What the hell is it? Uh, duh, their greatest hits album!
Sounds like a combination of: We cannot be friends if you don’t know what Pavement sounds like. YOU ARE A BACKWARDS MORON! I’m only half-kidding. Most “know of” Pavement but have never listened to them. So this is a great way to get them into the best indie band from the 90s this side of Guided By Voices.
Recommended? Fans don’t need this record, but non-fans do. However the tracklisting and the sequencing of this makes it worth its while. Use it as a refresher before you trek to god-knows-where to see Pavement on their reunion tour. If you see me in the crowd, buy me a beer.
Release Date: Mar. 9

Pardon the interruption but here is a Pavement Tangent. Pavement just released their five records as budget priced LPs. If you love vinyl or just love Pavement, please report to your local record store or internet emporium immediately.

Artist: TITUS ANDRONICUS
Album: THE MONITOR
What the hell is it? N.J. BAND’S MASTERPIECE ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR AND N.J.
Sounds like a combination of: LOSER ROCK! THE BOSS! HOLD STEADY! DRINKIN’ MUSIC! WHERE THE FUCK DID MY BEER GO?
Recommended? I JUST GOT ALL KANYE WITH THE CAPS-LOCK WITH THIS, SO YES, IT IS RECOMMENDED! THIS RECORD IS EXPERTLY CRAFTED AND DEPRESSING AS ALL GET-OUT BUT IF YOU FEEL LIKE A LOSER LIKE ME, YOU’LL LOVE IT. PLUS IT HAS SOME OF THE BEST LYRICS OF 2010. KEY LYRIC: “YOU’VE NEVER BEEN A VIRGIN KID/YOU WERE FUCKED FROM THE START.”
Release Date: Mar. 9

Artist: LIARS
Album: SISTERWORLD
What the hell is it? (I’M STILL YELLING!) FIFTH RECORD FROM THE WEIRDEST BAND IN INDIE ROCK
Sounds like a combination of: TAKING ACID WITH CHARLES MANSON, BURNING DOWN L.A., INTIMATE MOMENTS WITH A SHRINK, A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE IS YOUR SISTER
Recommended? Opener “Scissor” starts pretty, but then SHIT GETS REAL! THIS RECORD IS THEIR BEST IN YEARS (AND I’M NOT COUNTING DRUM’S NOT DEAD I’M AN O.G. HO, WE’RE TALKING THEY WERE WRONG…) I’M STILL IN ALL CAPS, SO THAT SHOULD MEAN SOMETHING RIGHT???? LET THIS RECORD TAKE YOU IN AND SPIT YOU OUT, BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU ONLY WANT MORE! (Oh, and if you are a reader who follows this column weekly and remembers shit, if you ever wanted to know, GBV Matt—my personal editor—is a spitting image of Angus from the Liars.)
Release Date: Mar. 9

(whoo, all that yelling really took a toll on me)

Artist: Free Energy
Album: Stuck on Nothing
What the hell is it? Beloved by TNG, this is the band’s long awaited debut record, produced by the one and only James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem)
Sounds like a combination of: Cheap Trick, Thin Lizzy, Summertime, Babes + BBQs
Recommended? If Free Energy was around in the 70s they would’ve been kings. This record is way better than I expected. It is so much fun, I just wish for summer.
Release Date: Mar. 9

Artist: Miles Kurosky
Album: The Desert of Shallow Effects
What the hell is it? Ex-Beulah singer’s solo record
Sounds like a combination of: Beulah, overblown indie rock
Recommended? Say the word Beulah and I’m there. There are singles on this record, but it is supposed to be more of an album, so sit back and listen to the whole thing.
Release Date: Mar. 9

Good not great:

Artist: Frightened Rabbit
Album: The Winter of Mixed Drinks
What the hell is it? Third record from beloved Scottish emo dudes
Sounds like a combination of: Arab Strap, A less aggressive/whiny Twilight Sad, that band that was promised some jetpacks and shit (btw, where the fuck is my jetpack?).
Recommended? Frightened Rabbit’s last record was amazing. This one is less so, however, mostly due to their sound being cleaned up. Instead of going for the small rock clubs, this record aims for the stadiums, and all of this leads to a fault. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great tracks here. It just doesn’t hold up quite as well. But dammit if that album title isn’t great…
Release Date: Mar. 9

Artist: Morning Benders
Album: Big Echo
What the hell is it? California band’s ticket to the highlife—their second record, which happens to be co-produced by Chris Taylor (Grizzly Bear). Welcome to the “Wheel! Of! Hyppppeeeeee!” (Note: I will refer to hype bands from now on using that phrase, just say it like Wheel of Fortune, and add your own clapping, please.)
Sounds like a combination of: Pleasant Indie Rock. Music for the “casual fan”—everyone knows one. Bears who happen to be Grizzly and just as lazy as us East Coasters think people from the West Coast are (no offense y’all).
Recommended: Am I being hard on this band? A little. Opener “Excuses” is the band’s “Two Weeks” or “Norway.” It is just one of those tracks that reaches higher than the band could ever reach, like jumping on a trampoline, but like the trampoline, you still hit the ground. Actually the trampoline is the best way to describe the record. The first track is the highest jump and there are others that try to reach it, but just get lost in the big picture.
Release Date: Mar. 9

Artist: Gorillaz
Album: Plastic Beach
What the hell is it? Cartoon band’s third record
Sounds like a combination of: The kitchen sink
Recommended? Make up your own mind. I’m not thoroughly convinced that this is the shit, but my friends all love it.
Release Date: Mar. 9

Artist: Broken Bells
Album: Broken Bells
What the hell is it? James Mercer (The Shins) and Danger Mouse make a record together
Sounds like a combination of: See “What the hell is it?”
Recommended? I love James Mercer’s voice, and I can get down with DM’s production, but for some reason this record is just a little middle-of-the-road. If you have been waiting for more Shins material you’ll enjoy this.
Release Date: Mar. 9

Shut it down:

Artist: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Album: Beat The Devil’s Tattoo
What the hell is it? A lame attempt to reclaim some sort of relevance
Sounds like a combination of: Stompy folk-garage-rock bullshit
Recommended: When did this band become so shitty? (I hear a chorus of people saying, “Always!” but I will stand by their first two Jesus-and-Mary-Chain-rip-off records.) What the hell does “Beat The Devil’s Tattoo” even mean? This record begs lots of questions, but the most relevant of them all being, “Whatever happened to my rock ’n roll?”
Release Date: Mar. 9

Hot Videos:

Artist: Lady Gaga
Video: “Telephone”
What the hell is it? JUST WATCH! HOLY SHIT!

Artist: Yeasayer
Video: “ONE”
What the hell is it? Ya’ll love you some Yeasayer right? Well this is the best track off their record (which I think I’ve said four times here) and their best video yet. Especially because this one is S.F.W.

Artist: Myles Cooper
Video: “Gonna Find Some Boyfriends”
What the hell is it? This is a cute song (and my friend’s future ringtone) about finding some boyfriends. The video is insane! In Myles’ words, he “hope(s) his new video makes you feel happy and optimistic!” You should definitely check it out, and keep tabs on this dude, because he might become your new favorite artist.

This video isn’t music but it is funny as fuck! This is a clip from Judge Judy (yes, it is old), but if you haven’t seen it please watch it now. These dudes play in Baltimore bands (some even with Dan Deacon) and there is some gayness in it too.

Fuck Yeah!

Artist: These New Puritans
Album: Hidden
What the hell is it? Second record from the most post-punk of all of the post-punk revival bands
Sounds like a combination of: The Fall if the Fall had a full woodwind section and Japanese drums. One of the most awesome records to be released in a while….
Recommended? I’ve been waiting for TNP to drop this record since I found out early last year they were back in the studio. I am a huge TNP fan, 2008’s Beat Pyramid is one of the most underrated records ever. Not only is the band full of cuties (one of them was a Dior model), but these numerology and astrology obsessed pranksters are the only band of the recent post-punk revival to try to take on The Fall. This record, however, is a huge stylistic change, the biggest changes being the addition of woodwinds and six-foot Japanese Taiko drums. Opener “We Want War” is a meandering but rewarding seven-minute monster that sets the tone of the record: doom and gloom.
Release Date: Mar. 2

Artist: jj
Album: nº 3
What the hell is it? Third release from somewhat secretive Swedish group
Sounds like a combination of: Balearic, Hip-Hop posturing, who cares you should be listening to this
Recommended? There are records I like, and then there are records I love. Last year’s jj nº 2 is a record I love. It is pure pleasure. So I was a little shaken when I started this record and “my life” came on. Unlike their previous mixture of Balearic/African-however-you-describe-it sound, “my life” is like an adult contemporary song, just voice and piano. It really catches you off guard, but listening to the lyrics, jj is still there. “my life” contains countless hip-hop references, and it doesn’t stop there. jj’s sound comes back with wonderful “and now” and continues throughout the record. First single “let go” is beautiful with all of its drug references and Boss homages. Then you get to the Biggie rip “vol parlate, lo gioco,” and if you aren’t smiling you should be. I’m still trying to decide if nº 3 is up to snuff with nº 2, but one thing I know is nº 3 is going to end up on my Best of 2010 list no matter what.
Release Date: Mar. 9

Artist: Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
Album: The Brutalist Bricks
What the hell is it? Ted Leo’s 6^th record
Sounds like a combination of: Power-pop, taking down the government
Recommended? I prayed Living with the Living was a misstep, and it was, because this record is awesome. “The Mighty Sparrow” bolts out the gates with all the excitement of other Leo openers “Me and Mia” and “Biomusicology,” but the excitement doesn’t let down. “Even Heroes Have To Die” is a pretty awesome single, and my favorite track on the record, “Bottled in Cork,” ends with the great line, “Tell the bartender, I think I’m falling in love,” which for a booze hound like me is the story of my life. The Brutalist Bricks may be one of Leo’s best records period.
Release Date: Mar. 9

Right click to download “The Mighty Sparrow.”

Artist: Little Boots
Album: Hands
What the hell is it? US release of the debut from the UK electro-pop diva
Sounds like a combination of: Most of you have heard this, but it sounds like the fucking 80s
Recommended? This came out last June in the UK. If you are gay and actually go out to cool dance parties, and even some uncool ones, you know songs like “Stuck on Repeat” or “Remedy,” so I don’t know why I am wasting any more words on this. If Little Boots is “new” to you, then enjoy the embed below.
Release Date: Mar. 2

It’s Alright, It’s Ok:

Artist: Xiu Xiu
Album: Dear God, I Hate Myself
What the hell is it? The best Xiu Xiu record since Fabulous Muscles
Sounds like a combination of: Pop music thrown in a dumpster and left to rot
Recommended: I am not a huge Xiu Xiu fan—to which Zack would say, “that’s because you don’t like queer music”—but it is mostly because I was so turned off by Fag Patrol back in the day, that I never gave them another chance. In my college radio days I did feel fondly for Fabulous Muscles, and I listened to the subsequent albums, but nothing caught me. This record, however, did catch me. There might be actual pop songs on this, but like any good Xiu Xiu record, the songs are filled with distorted farts like the Negative Nancy at the party just fucking up your good time (Note: That used to be me). This is the most consistent and strongest song writing Jamie Stewart has done in a while, and it really shows. So now the reason why I claim this off as just OK is because I doubt I am going to be going back to this record much.
Release Date: Feb. 23

Artist: Ruby Suns
Album: Fight Softly
What the hell is it? Aptly titled new record from New Zealand popsters
Sounds like a combination of: Glo-fi, Meriwether Post Pavilion, African guitars
Recommended: Okay, this review might be unfair. I really liked their last record, but since then the band have been probably listening to Meriwether Post Pavilion on repeat, because some of the tricks come back here. The record has some big pop hooks, but the experimentation on top fucks everything up. Where an artist like Toro y Moi has control over a track, even though his tracks could fall apart at any moment, the Ruby Suns seem to give up control. It is a pleasant listen, but nothing really stands out on the record.
Release Date: Mar. 2

Let It go:

Artist: Rogue Wave
Album: Permalight
What the hell is it? Fourth record from CA indie band
Sounds like a combination of: They used to sound like the Shins, now they sound like Grey’s Anatomy indie rock
Recommended: SHUT IT DOWN. I wish people had a quit-while-you’re-ahead button, because those first two Sub Pop records were GREAT. I’ll give them high recommendations, mostly because they were beating the Shins at their own game. But somewhere along the road, Rogue Wave started to be a band for everyone, and their music started to suffer. Zach Rogue deserves some credit for even getting the record out, as he was going through some dark times, but I wish I didn’t hear this record as it tarnishes their early work. I know I am being the bitchy music critic who wishes bands would just play their old shit, and I know every band can’t be Spoon, but the drop in quality is pretty significant. The choruses aren’t as hooky, the music isn’t as inventive. It is just bland.
Release Date: Mar. 2