Titus
Andronicus – Local Business
New
Jersey’s blue-collar punks return for their third album and brand new line-up
and a beardless front man. After channeling The Ramones, Fugazi, The
Replacements, and Jersey hardcore, Titus Andronicus comeback for a cleaner and
much more introspective album. Singer Patrick Stickles, who has referenced pop
culture and The Civil War on the bands prior records, now digs deep within
himself to pull out his most intimate and personal lyrics. While looking in,
the band also go and look up to fellow Jersey native, Bruce Springsteen now
than ever before and even hints of The Clash peak through on Local Business.
FINAL
GRADE: A-
The
Chevin – Boarderland
From the
ashes of Your Vegas come a band whose sound, style and bravado will knock you
to your knees. Boarderland is the impressive debut from English band, The
Chevin, who feature members of Your Vegas and bring stadium style anthems and
prove they are already to headline festivals and massive venues. The Chevin are
a band whose sound is as ambitious as U2, as driving as Oasis and as heartfelt
as a Springsteen ballad.
FINAL
GRADE: A-
Metz
Very few
bands these days would make anyone stop and say, “Kurt Cobain would have loved
this band,” Canada’s Metz are one of those bands that would have made the son
of Grunge fall in love with one of today’s rising stars. Metz are fuzzy and
aggressive garage rock mixed with a post-hardcore attitude.
FINAL
GRADE: A-
Converge
– All We Love We Leave Behind
The
eighth album from Salem, Massachusetts, mathcore heroes is just as brutal,
intense and volatile as anything they have ever released, however, unlike their
prior efforts, Converge demonstrate you can still have a lot of heart making
some of the most brutal and bone crushing music around.
FINAL
GRADE: A-
Swedish
House Mafia – Until Now
It is
sad to think that this is allegedly the final Swedish House Mafia record, with
two albums under their belt, the superstar DJ’s changed the face of EDM forever
and give a fantastic swan song.
FINAL
GRADE: B+
Coheed
& Cambria – The Aftermath: Ascension
The New
York prog outfit return for more stories and more technical brilliant on The
Aftermath: Ascension, the first part of a two-part album series that continues
singer Claudio Sanchez’s complex and ever-evolving story of fictional
characters.
FINAL
GRADE: B+
The
D.O.T. – And That
The
debut collaboration from The Streets Mike Skinner and former Music singer, Rob
Harvey’s hears fantastic production and solid beats over Harvey’s one-of-a-kind
vocal skills. While this union has happened in the past, thanks to prior
Streets records, now, a full album will please and feed the void of fans from
both of these bands.
FINAL
GRADE: B-
Ben
Gibbard – Former Lives
The
debut solo record from indie rocks favorite poster boy would have fans expect
him to sing about his ex-wife, Zoey Deschanel, however, none of the song seem
to be that way. Gibbard takes his personal pain and hides it in pop songs and
not very creative tunes. We know what Gibbard can do thanks to Death Cab For
Cutie, The Postal Service and The American Analogue Set, but Former Lives is
catchy yet is lacking his passion.
FINAL
GRADE: B
Bad
Books – Bad Books II
Members
of Manchester Orchestra and Kevin Devine return for another folk/rock album of
intricate lyrics, solid playing and rousing entertainment.
FINAL
GRADE: B
Ultraista
Iconic
producer Nigel Goodrich (Radiohead, Beck), steps away from the production booth
and into the limelight for his first time fronting a band. Featuring members of
some of the bands he was produced over the years, Goodrich’s Ultraista is a
sonic pleasure of electronic and ambient surprises and slick style.
FINAL
GRADE: B
Ringo
Deathstarr – Mauve
Ringo
Deathstarr stole our attention last year with their fantastic album, Colour Trip,
which had us jumping for joy with their punk infused British Cold Wave
influence. On their second record,
Mauve, Ringo Deathstarr serve up more of the same but it seems less
inspired than their debut, however worth at least one listen.
FINAL
GRADE: B-
Deadmaus
- >Album Title Goes Here<
The Maus
is back in the house. EDM’s posterboy returns with his new album that features
a hefty line of collaborations from Gerard Way, Cypress Hill, Imogean Heap, but unlike his prior efforts,
this record does not do much to hold our attention. It could possibly be do to
his lack of concentration making the record thanks to his relentless touring
schedule, but at least a new album gives him an excuse to tour.
FINAL
GRADE: B-
Pet Shop
Boys – Elysium
The New
Wave pioneers are back for their 11th studio record and while their
return is very welcome, they do their best to stay current but have an issue of
sticking to the foundation of what sustained their popularity over the years.
FINAL
GRADE: B-
Skunk
Anansie – Black Traffic
The
industrial inspired Britrock band return but their arrival hears a band whose
best days are far behind them and out of sight. Nearly a majority of Black
Traffic is a generic rock album with some electronic hooks thrown in and wash,
rise, repeat.
FINAL
GRADE: C
No Doubt
– Push and Shove
No Doubt
return with their first new album in over a decade and if this is their best
result, maybe it was best that they were retired from the scene. Push and Shove
hears a band trying their absolute hardest to stay current and play catch-up on
all the years gone by. Unfortunately for No Doubt, it no doubt would have been
a brilliant thing to just be themselves and not try and push and shove their
way into 2012’s mainstream
FINAL
GRADE: C
Nelly
Furtado – The Spirit Indestructible
The
Portuguese Canadian hit-maker of the early Naughties returns with a new record
of decent beats but terrible lyrical flow and style. Much like No Doubt, what
would have made Furtado’s comeback special was if she did not sound like every
contemporary artist these days and focuses on being herself. Furtado is not a
rapper, so why is she trying to rap? She is not a rave singer, so why is she
focusing a lot of attention on EDM. What made her 2006 release, Loose, so
amazing was that she took things that inspired her and channeled that into a
brilliant record, not trying to copy everyone popular these days. What is next,
she forms a girl group to rival One Direction?
FINAL
GRADE: C-
YokoKimThurston
The
debut album from Yoko Ono and Sonic Youth members Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore
is a disjointed, quagmire of a mess. It basically plays out as three brilliant
minds trying to out do each other as to who can be stranger.
FINAL
GRADE: D
Lupe
Fiasco – Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Part 1
Lupe Fiasco was one of hip-hops promising young talents when
he emerged nearly a six years ago. Yet, after releasing his much anticipated
Lasers album last year to deaf ears, Chicago’s favorite son decided to return
to the record that put him on the map and create a sequel to his brilliant 2006
debut – Food & Liquor. Yet, our advice to him is “Do not touch a classic,”
the follow-up to Food & Liquor II is one of hip-hops most generic,
redundant, uninspired, albums of the year. In fact, for a record to be called
“The Great American Rap Album” he directly steals bites and flows from British
rappers The Streets and Dizze Rascal – did he not think anyone would pay
attention?! What makes an already awful album worse, if it could get like that,
is the fact that this is the first of two installments.
FINAL GRADE: F
