Anywhere
Progressive power trio super-group releases their debut and
given the bands roster, it is just as freakisly bizaare and brilliant as you
would think. Mars Volta / At the Drive-In’s Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Mike Watt of
The Minutemen / Stooges / fIREHORE and Christian Eric Beaulieu of Triclops,
link up for a record that goes into very twisted territory and a new
exploration in sound and style. Fans of Mars Volta will eat it up but will also
bask in the idea that Cedric is now in a band stranger than Volta.
FINAL GRADE: A-
Yawn – Happy Tears EP
Chicago’s new buzz band arrive with a debut that is just as
colorful as their live sets. Yawn combine electronic beats and mix it with pop
hooks which make them one of the most catchy new bands to emerge in a very long
time.
FINAL GRADE: A-
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – The Lion The Beast The
Beat
New England’s Grace Potter returns with her biggest sounding
record to date. Taking stadium size rock and roll riffs and bringing in her
signature storytelling, The Lion The Beast The Beat is a record that hears
Potter showcasing more testicular fortitude than most men in rock these days.
FINAL GRADE: B+
The Tallest Man on Earth – There’s No Leaving Now
The Swedish singer/songwriter Kristian Matsson aka The
Tallest Man on Earth returns with a record that hears him straying away from
the lo-fi, natural sounds that launched his career and bringing in a bit more
edge and sound for someone who was getting comparisons to a Swedish Bon Iver.
There’s No Leaving Now might just be Matsson’s finest work to date.
FINAL GRADE: B+
FINAL GRADE: B+
Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Americana
Neil Young and Crazy Horse reunite for the first time since
2004 and bring an edge to their already massive and impressive rock and roll
career together. Americana, much like Bruce Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball and
Patti Smith’s Banga, it hears the elder statesmen of rock and roll taking on
the state of the global union and showing the kids how to do it.
FINAL GRADE: B
Big K.R.I.T. – Live from the Underground
The Roots favorite rapper brings forth his new record and
puts a microphone up to the problems in the projects, society and why the youth
of today needs more hope than what they have been given.
FINAL GRADE: B
Glen Hansard – Rhythm and Repose
The Frames / Swell Season front man and Oscar® winner goes
solo for the first time and produced by the brilliant Doveman aka Thomas
Bartlett, Hansard brings his brilliant songwriting to an independent level.
Musically, it is the sensitive folk that Hansard has impressed the world with
in The Swell Season, but as anyone knows, this Irishman has a lot to say, it is
the lyrics that make Rhythm and Repose a worthwhile listen.
FINAL GRADE: B
Langehorn Slim and the Law – The Way We Move
The Brooklyn folk singer is back, but with a new band that
makes his sound electric. The Way We Move is Slim dabbling into the territory
Bob Dylan did when he dropped the acoustic and picked up his electric and
shocked the folk world.
FINAL GRADE: B
Motion City Soundtrack – Go
Who knew that Motion City Soundtrack still had good songs
left in them? Go hears the band maturing and progressing in all the right ways,
while it took them years to get to this level, if they manage to sustain it,
Motion City’s career will last longer than most of the bands that came up with
them in the emo-pop movement.
FINAL GRADE: B
Guided by Voices – Class Clown Spots a UFO
The “classic” GBV line-up is back with a record that hears
the indie legends bringing it back to their roots. The second of three albums
to be released this year from the Ohio band is a better effort than the
enjoyable Lets go Eat the Factory, which arrived earlier this year.
FINAL GRADE: B
The Melvins – Freak Puke
The Washington indie rock legends return with their 18th
album and stick to the signature sound that has made them last so long.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Erin McCarley – Elevator EP
The Nashville via Texas singer/songwriter returns after
2009’s breakthrough debut, Love, Save the Empty, with a handful of songs that
will get fans excited about a new record and those who have not heard her
before something to check out.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Tanlines – Mixed Emotions
The Brooklyn ambient, electronic duo who have been much
hyped since the release of their 2008 EP, finally serve up their debut and it
is decent, but falls short of the buzz.
FINAL GRADE: B-
The Beach Boys – That’s Why God Made the Radio
The California legends return with Brian Wilson, it
celebrates the bands 29th release and 50th anniversary,
as well as the band’s first album of new material in 20 years. While nostalgia
is a great thing and gets fans excited for something new from these icons, age
has taken its toll and the Boys have not aged gracefully – from health problems
to basic course of nature, That’s Why God Made the Radio is the Beach Boys
signature sound but will fail to appeal to a new generation.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Alejandro Escovedo – Big Station
Springsteen’s favorite guitarist returns with a new album
and hears the Tex-Mex singer / guitarist serve up his typical dish of Latin fury
and flair on Big Station.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Metric – Synthetica
The Candian electronic act take a massive queue from their
2010 tourmates, Muse, and mimic the English band’s swelling stadium sound for
their latest. The only difference between previous Muse records and this
current Metric album is the singer’s gender.
FINAL GRADE: B-
SpaceGhostPurrp – Mysterious Phonk
The latest buzz emcee delivers his debut album and while the
beats are mysterious, dark and full of grime, the delivery and lyrical aspects
of this blogger favorite is as generic and as unoriginal as it comes.
FINAL GRADE: C
