Bloc Party – Four
They are back! After years apart and rumors of a break-up,
solo records, side projects and many other bands later, England’s jubilant
favorites return with a record that hears the full history of this band in one
disc. Bloc Party’s brilliant and near perfect 2005 debut, Silent Alarm, was a
post-punk revival that had everyone around the world rejoicing that guitar
music is back on the radio. For their 2007 release, A Weekend in the City heard
them experiment with more electronics and turned some fans off, by the time of
their 2009 EDM ready, Intimacy, the love of Bloc Party, for some, was all but
lost. Now, Four is a return to form that mixes all three stages of the British
band onto one record. Bloc Party fans of new and old will have something to
love about this. Here is to the next chapter.
FINAL GRADE: A-
Blu & Exile – Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them
The untouchable underground emcee / production duo Blu and
Exile return with their second collaboration together and prove why these two
together is a match made in hip-hop heaven. Give Me My Flowers While I Can
Smell Them is a record that flex’s more of Blu’s lyrical muscle and Exile’s
production. It is a record that was recorded in 2009, released in 2011 as a
bootleg and now a high quality version has been released to please everyone
that has anticipated this album. Bringing back old school hooks and 90’s
lyrical charm, this record is one for all fans of good rap.
FINAL GRADE: A-
Cooly G – Playin’ Me
Hyperdub’s starlet releases her new LP and displays raw
talent, raw emotion and heavy beats. On the production end of things, Cooly G
has everything going for her, synths that will make the mind explore deep
territories, static beats and massive sub bass, while all of this is happening
around her songs, the vocals are a bit low but that is the whole point, it is
mysterious music brought directly from England’s underground.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Plan B – Ill Manners
Plan B returns with his sophomore release and the soundtrack
to his critically acclaimed film of the same name. Ill Manners is a exploration
in British street culture and while the rapper / crooner now shows himself off
as a Renaissance Man, Plan B shows off why he is one of the biggest stars back
home.
FINAL GRADE: B+
The Darkness – Hot Cakes
You cannot take The Darkness seriously and when you don’t
that is when they impress the most. Hot Cakes is the return of Britain’s
beloved cock-rock throwback band that simply want to have fun and really, at
the end of the day, what is wrong with that?!
FINAL GRADE: B+
Passion Pit – Gossamer
Passion Pit return with better quality and better production
for their latest effort. Gossamer hears the band bringing more fun-in-the-sun
dance parties to your beaches and surfside clubs and will have you moving and
shaking for the duration of the album.
FINAL GRADE: B+
JEFF the Brotherhood - Hypnotic Nights
The garage rock duo from Be Your Own Pet bring another garage rock duo on board to produce their latest. With production from Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys, Nashville's thrashing Brotherhood shine in all the dirty ways on their latest.
FINAL GRADE: B+
The Future of Left – The Plot Against Common Sense
The Welsh band return and bring forth with then an
apocalyptic sound that mixes Muse and Pendulum but also has their own brilliant
twist on modern electro-rock.
FINAL GRADE: B
The Alchemist – Russian Roulette
The trippy producer and DJ returns with an eclectic group of
friends that range from Danny Brown to Action Bronson to Guilty Simpson and
more for his latest record. Russian Roulette hears the producer dabble into new
musical territory, this record will not appeal to the masses but those with an
open mind and curious ears should give it a listen.
FINAL GRADE: B
The Orb Featuring Lee “Scratch” Perry – The Observer in the
Star House
Electronic music mixed with reggae and roots rock, how come
no one has thought of this before? Leave it up to two pioneers and legends in
their own respective genres to come together to create one of the most
fascinating, smart and different records of the years.
FINAL GRADE: B
The Antlers – Undersea E.P.
The Brooklyn indie band return with an E.P filled with dark,
stark and moody harmonies and melodies and enough imagery that will make you
feel like you are drowning.
FINAL GRADE: B
Julia Price – Stories Between The Avenues E.P.
The debut E.P. from one of discoveries, when we found her
she was Julia Ilowiecki, arrives and brings forth passionate lyrics, romantic
fun and enough catchy tunes that you will be stuck in your head all day.
FINAL GRADE: B
Aesop Rock – Skelethon
The latest release and sixth album from the indie emcee
hears him delivering much of the same passion and anger that has fueled his
career. What makes Skelethon stand out more than Rock’s previous work is his
ability to blur genre’s with the help of Moldy Peaches' Kimya Dawson, Allyson
Baker of Dirty Ghosts, and Rob Sonic.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Rick Ross – God Forgives, I Don’t
Big Meach returns with his latest studio album and a handful
of guests from Andre 3000, Jay-Z, Nas and members of his Maybach Music Group
but while it’s an album mainly of collaborations, Ross does not do much, nor
does he have to in order to do it alone.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Yeasayer – Fragrant World
The Brooklyn electro-bounce pop rockers return with a brand
new record and while it is still fun to listen to and bob your head along to,
it does not stray from the bands typical formula. Three albums in, Yeasayer
know what works and maybe after spending most of 2011 touring with Weezer, a
band that seriously does not deviate from what works for them, they may have
adopted that.
FINAL GRADE: C+
Milo Greene
The debut album from L.A.’s buzz folk band hears them serve
up similar sounds of their colleagues Grouplove, Givers, Mumford and Sons, The
Lumineers and The Temper Trap. While the band are on the rise, they need to
separate themselves musically from so many right now making the same style.
FINAL GRADE: C+
Aerial Pinks Haunted Graffiti House – Mature Themes
Aerial Pink returns with his Haunted Graffiti House and like
their debut, all we can say is “What the fuck?”
FINAL GRADE: D