Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Mix the vocal range of Mariah Carey, with the pop-genius of Timbaland, then throw in Dave Longstreth’s classical training and off-beat, rock-conscious originality, and you have my new summer anthem; the track Stillness Is The Move, my favorite on Longstreth’s most recent release, “Bitte Orca.” I wish I could sing along with Amber Coffman, but seriously I can’t hit those notes.

What I love about Bitte Orca is that it’s so damn listenable, even if I’m mostly speaking in comparison to Dirty Projectors’ previous releases. While releases like “The Glad Fact” (2005 - Western Vinyl) and “Rise Above” (2007 – Dead Oceans) leaned towards the overly experimental and technical, “Bitte Orca” is the perfect blend of the two characteristics that overpower his previous work, with roots in mainstream pop and R&B. About a month ago, I listened to a leak of this album all the way through, and got very excited about it. What first struck me and stayed with me for that month was the guitar work. Longstreth doesn’t just play the guitar well; he creates landscapes with it, as most evident on the tracks No Intention and Temecula Sunrise (my second favorite on the album). I think about what Vampire Weekend did last year with Africa-influenced pop rock. Then, I listen to Remade Horizon, the 8th track on “Bitte Orca,” and I think, “Wow, Dirty Projectors just did with one song what Vampire Weekend took an entire album to try to accomplish (and still didn’t quite get there).” Then there’s Two Doves, a ballad highlighted by classical arrangements and carried by Angel Deradoorian’s haunting vocals. Longstreth, in comparison, has a strange, but refreshing and sometimes even irritating voice that continues to surprise and impress me.

I’m giving this album a high rating because I feel like it’s more deserving than anything else I’ve heard this year…or last year, for that matter. As a whole, the album is only about 40 minutes long. It’s interesting, beat-driven pop, making it extremely easy to listen to. I haven’t taken it off repeat since I bought it, and I don’t think that will change within the next few days. I would have given it a 20 for originality if it weren’t for the nagging feeling in the back of my head that nothing should ever get full points for originality. So, I gave it 19, because honestly, it’s not quite like anything I’ve ever heard before. The only reason it gets 18 points for advancement instead of 20, is that although this album firmly secures Longstreth’s position among the most exciting and innovative musicians of the decade, I think that we still haven’t seen the best of him.


1. Listen start to finish - 20
2. Listen again within a week - 20
3. Originality - 19
4. Advancement - 18
5. Remorse - 20


Total - 97

Mos Def - The Ecstatic

Something I always seem to enjoy in music is a surprise. I love coming across a good album that I wasn’t anticipating. Mos Def has accomplished such a feat in his latest release, The Ecstatic. The Ecstatic is leaps and bounds better than Def’s 2006 release, True Magic (his worst album to date), and may be his best album since leaving Black Star.

On The Ecstatic, Mos Def takes his first giant leap forward by collaborating with Madlib on a number of songs. Madlib’s bongo drum/pipe organ beats give Def the ability to seem effortlessly talented, yet progressively accessible (a very hard combination to pull off). Def almost accomplishes this blend, but can’t seem to flee the mix-tape/unfinished feeling on several jams (i.e. "Pistola"," Pretty Dancer" and "Revelations").

Albeit flawed, The Ecstatic still brandishes several gems. Keep your ears open on “Auditorium”, for it’s 70’s kung-fu music intro and smooth fade in and out of a beautiful Madlib beat that gives you the impression it could have appeared on MF Doom’s Born Like This. “Wahid” has a thick bass line that emphasizes Def’s smooth flow and intense rhyming pattern. The most accessible track, “Life in Mysterious Times”, has a dirty south crunk style beat that stands out as the obvious choice for a first single. However, my favorite song is “Quite Dog Bite Hard”. This fast paced track is framed with a deep mallet drumbeat and a quick rhyming scheme that hardly leaves Def room to breathe (did I just spit hot fire? Seriously, rap that last sentence, I think I just became an MC).

Flaws aside, Mos Def’s The Ecstatic, is a great album for the current state of mainstream hip-hop. This album has just enough experimentation peppered with an adequate amount of hooks to allow accessibility. The Ecstatic might just be the transitional album many mainstream fans need to discover those lesser-known hip-hop gems that have been over looked for years. The Ecstatic is far from perfect, but if you take it for what it’s worth; a fun step into an offbeat MC’s sundry world, you are sure to have a good time.

1. Listen start to finish - 10
   
2. Listen again within a week - 13
   
3. Originality - 17
   
4. Advancement - 17
   
5. Remorse - 15

Total - 72

The Felice Brothers - Yonder is the Clock

The age of artificial product (from flavor all the way to intelligence) has deeply impacted the music industry. Almost every genre of music has seen the infiltration of drum machines, synthesizers, auto voice tuners and sound mixers. It seems to be more and more infrequent that a band produces flawed and even spontaneous music anymore. The Felice Brothers, on the other hand, have embraced and even come close to perfecting, imperfection.

Yonder is the Clock, the second studio release from the 4 brothers and close friend (Christmas) hailing from Palenville, NY, may seem to be quite amateur at first glance because of its less than polished qualities. For example, Ian Felice’s smokey voice often seems scratchy and occasionally off key. At times, the quintet even seems to miss notes and the arrangements can come off as under organized. I’m not sure how accidental these flaws really are, but they are brilliant.

The raw nature of Yonder is the Clock is worth the price of admission alone, but you get much more than miss-ques and spontaneity in this ambitious sophomore release. The Felice Brothers may have put their washboards and jugs aside since their self-titled debut, but the variety of instrumentation on Yonder is the Clock does not lack. Accordions and stand up pianos lace “Buried in Ice” and “Ambulance Man” with an eerie Cajun sound. “Memphis Flu” and “Penn Station” epitomize the spontaneous jam band feeling. “Katie Dear” and “Cooperstown” ground Yonder is the Clock with a slow earthy vibe reminiscent of Tom Waits.

Yonder is the Clock is a very unique listening experience. The album, as a whole, is a very raw and real endeavor. If you are part of the new indie/folk fan base you may be feeling like me, tired of the same old used sounds that have become the new mainstream. The Felice Brothers have taken this stereotype and shoved it in the garbage. Yonder is the Clock takes you on a ride that few will be willing to experience, but those who do will not be disappointed.

1. Listen start to finish - 17
   
2. Listen again within a week - 18
   
3. Originality - 17
   
4. Advancement - 13
   
5. Remorse - 18

Total - 83

Taking Back Sunday - New Again

New Again, I take this to mean, "Hey, we're Taking Back Sunday. No not that band that you have been listening to for six or seven years. We're a totally different group of dudes that have kept the same name despite numerous lineup changes." The fourth studio album and second on Warner Brothers has yet again a different lineup. The constants, somewhat, are singer Adam Lazzara, guitarist Eddie Reyes and drummer Mark O'Connell. Who cares about those other guys anyway?

Fred Mascherino left the band in 2007 stating, "The band was more about cooking food than making music." Harsh words from somebody who played with the core trio for two albums and nearly four years. New Again certainly misses Fred who seemed to almost bring competition with Adam as the dueling vocals that were present in the previous albums are non-existent on this one. Instead we get the rest of the guys echoing what we've just heard Adam sing, not what I would call original, or for that matter appealing.

Musically the album is typical Taking Back Sunday full of standard drum beats, picked guitar chords and mostly up-tempo-tap-your-foot-to-the-beat tracks. There does seem to be something missing, perhaps any advancement from previous work may be what I am looking for. The lead single "Sink Into Me" would be radio friendly, in 2003. Fall Out Boy seems to play the "catchy sing-along pop, but still kind of punk rock" much better, quite the reverse from where Taking Back Sunday was after album number two.

The vocals are less "emo" and more "blah" than the previous albums. For instance on "Summer, Man" a tribute to teenage angst or perhaps geared towards those summer salesman, "The summer is over and I doubt, I doubt/ I'll be seeing you around, I'll be seeing you around." Perhaps Lazarra knows he's not at the top of his game as "Where My Mouth Is" states, "Now I'm staring at the floor/ where my second life just ended/ I lost not one but two friends/ yeah I had it all/ sitting on top of the world/ but I threw it away/ just to prove I could/ I put my money where my mouth is/ see I recall quite perfectly/ who I was both before and after the drugs." Maybe Fred was telling the truth about music not being the focus of this band. Let's hope they turn it around after touring on this album and put out something worth listening to.

1. Listen start to finish - 8
   
2. Listen again within a week - 6
   
3. Originality - 3
   
4. Advancement - 1
   
5. Remorse - 5
   

Total rating - 23

Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years

The ninth album from the eccentric Super Furry Animals, Dark Days/Light Years is an up beat synth movement that will surely get you taping your toes and shaking your wagon. This album is heavy on riffs and repetitive lyrics, how ever it never gets monotonous and it leaves you wanting to play the album over to see if you caught everything the first time. Most of the album was created through improvisation which only points out how talented the Super Furry Animals are.

The first track Crazy Naked Girls hits hard on the rythimic beats and then never lets up throughout. The next couple of tracks keeps on moving and lets you wiggle and dance. The single Inaugural Trams is completely at the for front of all music now a days by psychedelic rock bands. It even features rap in German. Flaming Lips eat your heart out, I'm listing to the SFA. While Inagural Trams is my favorite track on this egdy album the next track Inconvenience holds its own and needs to be listened to. Cardiff in the Sun slows it down a little bit but never leaves you uninterested. While the song Very Best of Neil Diamond leaves you feeling like you just came out of a rock concert from india.

Rarely does an album come along where you are dancing in your chair, car, apartment or where ever you maybe until the last track has ended. Where afterwords you want to hit the repeat button again cause you know you found something special. It seems to me that last years album Neon Neon had an overlasting effect on Gruff Rhys, which is outstanding and great news for anyone who enjoys music.

1. Listen start to finish - 17
   
2. Listen again within a week - 17
   
3. Originality - 15
   
4. Advancement - 17
   
5. Remorse - 17

Total Rating: 83

Bike For Three! - More Heart Than Brains

If you were to first hear of Bike For Three! as a MySpace collaboration between a Canadian rapper and a Belgian electronica artist who have never met, chances are most people wouldn't give this album the time of day, let alone the two listens I have given to write this review. The only reason I can think that anybody would give this a reason is that Canadian rapper happens to be Buck 65. Never heard of him? Good, now is the time to acquaint yourself!

This album is full of excellent storytelling and unpredictable rhymes. Take for example "MC Space" a moniker Buck undertakes to slay all Earth MCs "Sometimes my rhymes do inflict pain/ sends electric impulses through your brain...to take Earth MCs out is what I wish to achieve/ once this is accomplished I'll be destined to leave/when I leave they'll call me an Ace/ the cool MC from outer space...although my color just might be green/ I'm the flyest space MC that you ever seen...on my planet you must take a test/ I'm at the top of my class because I'm the best/ I use my rhymin' skills for what it is worth/ that's why I'm here to battle all MCs of Earth...If you ever wanna battle then get in touch/ so I can come back and dis your face/ pick up the telephone and dial MC Space." His delivery is hauntingly perfect and each inflection and hit of his voice is coupled with pristine production.

One aspect that has yet to be discussed is the production of Greetings from Tuskan. I was a little leary of this collaboration, not because of Buck, but a female producer that I was not familiar with. This could absolutely be released as an instrumental album and be an amazing listen! It is reminiscent of Blue Sky Black Death, Jel and Boom Bip all while forming a style of her own. What I anticipated to be the downfall of the album, actually provides an unexpected layer that moves this album into the great category. While the album title is clever, I would not think there is a lack of brains between these two. Luckily what I thought would be a one-off project is apparently going to be an on going process between the two musicians. Let's hope the next album can touch this one!

Here is a video of Buck performing this track in April of this year.

1. Listen start to finish - 18
   
2. Listen again within a week - 18
   
3. Originality - 19
   
4. Advancement - 17
   
5. Remorse - 18
   

Total rating - 90

Middle Cyclone - Neko Case

“I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes” may be Rorschachian proof that Neko Case has a dark side (maybe that’s why I like her so much). With a touch of Patsy Cline and a dash of Nancy Sinatra, Case has branded herself as an Alt. Country-Nior, Indie Superstar. Case has been involved with various musical projects (New Pornographers, The Corn Sisters, Moaw) since the 90’s, but it isn’t until her 2nd solo project, Middle Cyclone, that Miss Case hits her stride.

With a voice as beautiful as I may have ever heard, it would be hard to make a bad album (although it is possible, i.e. The Cranberries). The melodic peaks are high and echoing valleys are low on Middle Cyclone. However, don’t be fooled, Case is not a pushover. Neko definitely has a message and she will yell, “I’m a man eater!!” to get her point across (and she does).

Several songs on Middle Cyclone are note worthy. This Tornado Loves You, leads you in with an unusually cheery vibe that almost sinks itself, but is thankfully saved by Neko’s beautiful crescendos. Magpie to the Morning is a tender example of Case’s maturing penmanship. Neko’s powerful voice belting, “Come on sorrow, take your own advice, hide under the bed, turn out the lights” seems to produce courage and strength (as do many of her songs). Neko is her darkest and most haunting on Prison Girls, the album's gem (worth every penny of a 99 cent download).

Middle Cyclone is a great listen with potential to grow. With some collaboration from M. Ward, Case gets a push in the right direction. Although Middle cyclone is not perfect (People Got a Lotta Nerve) and has poorly executed ideas (Marias La Nuit, a 32 minute recording of insects at night), you will find yourself singing and dancing along the way.

1. Ability to listen to album as a whole - 14
2. Probability you will listen to it again within 7 days - 14
3. Originality - 13
4. Advancement - 17
5. Buyer's remorse – 15

total - 73

Iron & Wine - Around the Well

Sam Beam’s Iron & Wine is chuck full of original songs penned by his own hand. The irony here is that Iron & Wine’s (arguably) most recognized achievement is a cover of Postal Service’s Such Great Heights. The problem here is that new comers may step into Around the Well expecting an album built around their favorite tune. Around the Well is no such let down. Rest assured, Beam has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Around the Well is a collection of B-sides, covers, and forgotten projects. As is true with most “collection” albums, Around the Well lacks the tight unity characterized by Iron & Wine’s previous efforts. However, the bulk of Around the Well does have some glue with Beam’s haunting vocal and campfire arrangements. These pretty arrangements include Joy Division’s Love Vigilantes, the apex of Around the Well. The aforementioned Such Great Heights makes it’s way back to daylight after previously only being released on Zach Braff’s Garden State soundtrack and a Postal Service EP. Beam also shows his talent off by covering The Flaming Lips (Waitin’ for a Superman) and Stereolab (Peng! 33).

The first album and a half of this 2-disc collection are mostly Beam with his guitars. The result is Beautiful, but at times mundane (I found myself drifting away from the message a few times). However, the last 5 songs of Disc 2 show a little more experimentation. The unexpected synth of Carried Home starts breathing life into this album. The 2nd disc ends with a smattering of interesting arrangements and new sounds leaving enough of a grin on your face to make the 90-minute listen worthwhile.

Around the Well could have been a really good 12-song collection. Instead, we get a bit too much information and a few too many redundancies. Around the Well is worth a few listens as a whole, but I’m sure I will be selecting my favorites for playlists in a few days. If you like Beam’s previous work you are sure to like Around the Well. If you are a new comer, don’t be discouraged, for the entrée pick out your favorite songs, and then for the main course go buy any other Iron & Wine album.

1. Ability to listen to album as a whole - 13
2. Probability you will listen to it again within 7 days - 15
3. Originality - 16
4. Advancement - 13
5. Buyer's remorse – 15

Total- 72

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Best album of the year? Maybe not, but it tries really, really hard. It’s been three years since we last had a full-length album (Yellow House) from Grizzly Bear. However, Grizzly Bear have kept very busy. Whether it was releasing an EP, playing with Paul Simon, performing unreleased songs on Letterman for the hell of it, or doing ironic covers of teen-pop songs for each other’s birthday, this quartet has stayed in the spotlight.

Leading up to the release of Veckatimest (also the name of an uninhibited island off the coast of Massachusetts) founding member, Ed Droste, gave a myriad of press junkets promising at least four things; more collaboration on songwriting, more attention to the drums, a rawer more “live-sounding” approach, and a guest vocal from Beach House’s Victoria Legrand. Grizzly Bear make good to all their promises on Veckatimest. The avant-garde product of Droste’s "new approach" is the closest Grizzly Bear have come to crossing the Rubicon of user-friendliness. Veckatimest is Grizzly Bear’s first attempt as a four piece and subsequently the band sounds much more full and “pop” sensible.

Veckatimest opens with “Southern Point”, an earthy, C,S,N & Y-like , attempt at Riders On The Storm (sounds cool, doesn’t it?). The very next track, “Two Weeks”, is the fulfilled promise to hear Victoria Legrand’s (Beach House) vocals. “Two Weeks” is the closest Grizzly Bear have ever come to having a traditional single under their belts. In “All We Ask”, Ed’s vocal and high reverb can be compared to Hamilton Leithauser of The Walkmen (also from New York). “Ready, Able” is the synth and reverb love child between “Being for the Bennifit of Mr. Kite” and an opium high. However, the highlight of Veckatimest for me is “Fine For Now”. This beautiful sound-scape is driven by an eerie Jeff Buckley vocal arrangement.

At it’s very least, Veckatimest, is a set of very solid songs. At it’s very best, Grizzly Bear have made 2009’s best album. In a day and age where everyone is trying to sound too futuristic, too loud or too much like U2, Grizzly Bear throw away the blue prints and create an exciting array of audible images. Veckatimest is good enough to deserve multiple plays because you are sure to miss Dorste’s extreme attention to detail on the first or even fifth go.

1. Ability to listen to album as a whole - 18

2. Probability you will listen to it again within 7 days – 19

3. Originality - 16

4. Advancement - 16

5. Buyer's remorse – 18

Total - 87

Method man and Redman - Blackout! 2

When did the rap game become nothing more than a product to sell? How did the old school get trampled upon by the feet of the new school? Is the rap game even a game anymore? To quote Guru "we had the right idea in the beginning. We just need to maintain our focus. What we do is update our formula's with the times. " Method Man and Redman try valiantly to keep their focus and because of that this album is worthy of a listen. With that said this album doesn't touch the first Blackout but yet has quick glimpses of the classic album.

There isn't another dynamic duo that treats rap as a game more then Red and Meth. Like Batman and Robin, Meth and Red have different abilities but come together strong with how well they flow together and play off each others rhymes. There is obviously a better superhero here though. Method man (batman) has the skill, the flow, the voice, and the hard core nature that reminds us of that 94 east cost rap. However like batman needs robin, Meth needs Red to keep him level headed and to help him keep it real and fun. Red has his corky rhymes that make us laugh like in the song Dangerous Mcees "even Herbie Hancock knows where to rock it." But its Method Man's raps that make the album for example on the song Neva herd Dis B 4 "These niggas want to be biggie, niggas want to be tupac the only problem is you not."

In the song Four Minutes to Lock Down we defiently hit the high point of the album. we here the closest thing to the old Wu-tang Clan as we will ever get. Ghostface Killah and Raekwon join the two and add great versus to the track. Rea rips up the track starting off with "Before all the cussing and the gunfights Don't wanna run Nikes, yeah, scramble when it sunlight" classic wu if you ask me. However the album does have some filler (Mrs. International, I Know Sumptin) and seems to me that Method Man and Redman will never return to what they once were. But if that's the truth its great to hear them still trying to do what they do best, playing the game.

1. Listen start to finish - 13
   
2. Listen again within a week - 13
   
3. Originality - 11
   
4. Advancement - 11
   
5. Remorse - 12
   

Total Album Rating: 60

p.s. lets hope Crownsdown saves us all!

Odd Nosdam - T.I.M.E. Soundtrack

One-third of hip-hop revolutionary group cLOUDDEAD, Nosdam made this album as a companion piece to an Element skate video entitled T.I.M.E. : This Is My Element. Each track was made to fit an individual skate performance. While the video was released in 2007, the music wasn't made available as a separate purchase until 2009.

Nosdam is constantly creating music. A few weeks back XLR8R.com challenged both Nosdam and fellow MPC-master Jeffrey "Jel" Logan to create a track from some vintage vinyl they purchased at a record store. I will spare you the details, but the result is amazing and you can check it out here.

As with this album, each track follows a solid, but often unexpected progression. The use of sampling and loops is evident, but not in a way that you don't have to pay attention to fully appreciated what is going on. This skill has been honed as Nosdam seems to get better with every subsequent release. The high points on this album are "Trunk Bomb", "Ethereal Slap" and "Wig Smasher." That being said each track is a journey and you shouldn't be picking up this album if you are looking for standouts. This is an artist at work and will be appreciated by those looking for both a deep listening experience as well as for casual ambient sound.

Watch the action as Nosdam creates "We Bad Apples" (track 4) for Bucky Lasek's portion.

1. Listen start to finish - 19
   
2. Listen again within a week - 17
   
3. Originality - 19
   
4. Advancement - 15
   
5. Remorse - 16
   

Total rating - 86

Dane Cook - ISolated INcident

ISolated INcident is Dane's fourth CD/DVD combo. After becoming the largest thing Comedy has probably ever seen Dane not only "starred" in some awful films, but he also went through some tragic life experiences as he lost both of his parents to cancer.

Rough Around the Edges was the last combo to appear and after listening to it a couple of times I had sworn off Cook as a comedian. That album was recorded at Madison Square Garden in front of a packed house. ISolated Incident was recorded in one take at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles in front of an audience of a couple of hundred lucky fans. Dane often interacts with the crowd and uses his improv abilities to add a layer that wasn't apparent on Edges.

There are some amazing moments, none of which will be quoted here as anticipating a line takes away the value of listening to a comedy album. I will say the subject matter is much more like Harmful if Swallowed and Retalliation when Cook was an up-and-comer with phenomenal story telling abilities and a knack for introducing a topic and coming back to that at an unexpected moment. His delivery seems a bit slow, but I hope this is the direction he is heading.

1. Listen start to finish - 16
2. Listen again within a week - 12
3. Originality - 10
4. Advancement - 14
5. Remorse - 10

Total rating - 62

White Rabbits - It's Frightening

It's Frightening is laughing with ripe rhythm and is breaking out a new talent to look forward to in the future. The White Rabbits bring a new somber tone to the album that was wasn't there from their last, and with only 35 minutes of music there is little room for any filler. Every song is thought out with an underlining devotion to keep the albums concept. Wither or not they succeed is another story.

With two percussionist and four other band members they know how to make a lot of noise. However its the piano that gives the songs their life and when the other instruments come together it allows you to be taken to another place. The first track Percussion Guns starts off with laughter as if we were being pulled into a inside joke by the group. Then quickly rushes into the rhythm of the drums and into the album. The album is fairly entertaining and some highlights are definitely hearing the two sets of drums on Lioness and Percussion Guns. As well as the songs They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong and Company I Keep helps define the band as a force that will make some noise in the industry to come.

The White Rabbits sophomore release produced by Brit Daniels (Spoon) will leave you in a dark but not depressed state of mind. Something I believe Brit definitely had an effect on. Infact there are severel songs that scream out a Daniels influence on the album. However it is fun to see a band striving to make a name for themselves and a footprint into today's music scene.

1. Album as a whole- 15
2. Listen in 7 days- 14
3. Originality- 9
4. Advancement- 15
5. Buyer's remorse- 15

Total Album Rating: 68

Fever Ray - Fever Ray

If you follow Electronic music you have undoubtedly heard of the Swedish Brother/Sister duo, “The Knife”. Siblings Olof and Karin Andersson have been pushing dance music to the corners of accessibility for the better part of a decade. In October, sister Karin announced a solo project that would come to be known as Fever Ray.

The self-titled debut from Fever Ray is an ambitious attempt to capture the modern atmosphere of a world moving into uncharted disarray. The opening track “If I had a heart” (aptly named, I might add) sets the album’s mood with a robotic heartbeat, steady but human-less. The first words from Karin’s very altered voice, “This will never end because I want more” repeats several times. The theme of greed as a destructive force is very prevalent through out the entire album.

The entire sonic landscape of the album is grey, bleak and at times even monotonous. It is not a stretch to imagine the entire album being recorded during a long Scandinavian winter. However, Fever Ray does have a few uplifting moments. After all, Miss Andersson’s voice is, at times, very beautiful. “Seven” breaks through the foggy tedium like a Cocteau Twins anthem. The light rarely shines through the clouds on Fever Ray, but when it does it is pretty special.

Andersson’s surprising attention to detail and interesting instrumental arrangements (Bamboo flutes, wind chimes, and keyboards) make for quite a journey. The songs all seem to demonstrate power in the face of adversity and that power is very attractive. The album ends as it begins, with a steady, artificial heartbeat. Andersson may even be suggesting that we will pick ourselves up again and survive. Not all doom and gloom, right?

The bulk of Fever Ray is unified with a hazy buzz. This dreariness may, at first, be off putting. Although Fever Ray is not perfect, don’t let her implications of fear and uncertainty suck the life out of this album for you. What might seem like a darkly themed album turns out to be quite beautiful and even inspirational. With some one-on-one attention and a little patience Fever Ray blossoms into a great listen.


1. Album as a whole- 17
2. Listen in 7 days- 16
3. Originality- 15
4. Advancement- 16
5. Buyer's remorse- 16

Total Album Rating- 80

Ben Kweller - Changing Horses

At first Ben Kweller striked me as a person who would be considered a John Mayer wanna be. Someone who got a lucky break when Evan Dando of the band "The Lemonheads" asked him to go tour with him. I've listened to a couple of his singles off of his latter albums Like "Sundress," and was wondering when I would hear them on the next major chick flick movie. Not bad, but missing something. Someone who girls would coo and drool over. Basically not my type of music and then I stumbled upon his new release "Changing Horses."

At the time I don't know what convinced me to put the album in and give it a good listen too. However I am more then happy that I did. The album starts off with "Gypsy Rose" a down right country/folk song that pulled me into the music like an old Hank William song. The next song "Old Hat" is my favorite on the album. The slide guitar is perfectly used to set the mood and pull the heart strings it had me searching for my cell phone calling girls from the past. The album sets a tone through out of love and past loves but does it in a way that is fun, catchy, and soulful. The Ballad of Wendy Baker helps you get on a little more personal side with Ben as he touches on a lost love while "Things I like to Do," will help you put your cowboy boots on and do the two step.

I cant help but relate the album to Ryan Adam's "Heartbreaker," and to Bright Eyes's "I'm wide Awake, It's Morning" with a little more falling in love then out of love. It might be to early for me to say this but this album could quit possibly be the best folk-country album out this year. And Ben and Ben fans I apologize for thinking that you were just a wanna be John Mayer.

1. Listen start to finish - 18
2. Listen again within a week - 18
3. Originality - 10
4. Advancement - 16
5. Remorse - 19

Total Rating: 81

Passion Pit - Manners

Manners is the first full-length from Passion Pit released on Frenchkiss Records. After being turned on to the Chunk of Change EP a couple of months ago, I have been awaiting new material from the, now what we know as a, group. The original EP was a smattering of songs written by singer Michael Angelakos and were only meant for his girlfriend. As the story goes, somehow the tracks wound up being heard by somebody important and an ensuing record deal followed. Angelakos quickly formed a band and played some shows before hitting the studio to record the full length.

The great thing about this record is there are countless albums and artists that it can be compared with. Postal Service, Animal Collective, Caribou and perhaps Radiohead all have a somewhat similar feel. This albums encapsulates aspects from what has been done previous and takes it to the next level. Each track is uniquely composed and I can't help but find myself nodding along. "Sleepyhead" the only track that makes its way onto Manners from Chunk of Change is certainly the high point. But don't be fooled, every song from start to finish takes you through a journey that some of the aforementioned artists have a difficult time providing.

Angleakos' high-pitched vocals may not be easy on the ears the first time through, but there is so much more to grasp on to. "Let Your Love Grow Tall" has a near rock breakdown with a snazzy drum beat that even wallflowers will find themselves wanting to bust onto the dancefloor. This is the record The Killers would love to make!

This album needs to be heard! Don't let this one pass you by! Overall the ratings are as follows:

1. Listen start to finish - 19
2. Listen again within a week - 20
3. Originality - 14
4. Advancement - 16
5. Remorse - 18

That gives the album a total rating of 87.

Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones

Aceyalone & the Lonely Ones
[Decon; 2009]
Acey's Myspace
Buy It!

After Aceyalone's failed attempt at meshing dancehall and reggae with hip-hop on 2007's Lightning Strikes, it would be hard for long-time fans to not be skeptical. While Acey has had a long-storied career of trading verses with groups like Freestyle Fellowship and dropping rapidfire, multi-syllabic rhymes, his recent body of work has been somewhat inconsistent. Magnificent City, the album he did with RJD2 was a good collaboration, but neither artist was at the top of his game, making for a rather forgettable effort, and Lightning Strikes was just plain bad. Now, with the help of a live band, Acey attempts to mesh doo-wop with hip-hop. And the result is surprisingly good and undeniably fun.

Acey's ode to doo-wop is carefree and upbeat; full of finger-snapping and oohs and ahhs. In short, everything you remember about doo-wop is here. The only difference is that Acey adds his own unique blend of vocals to the mix. Though you can hear Acey deliver some sing-songy lyrics throughout the album, he also doesn't shy away from showing off his signature rapidfire flow. He also covers a lot of topics in a short amount of time. Tracks like "Lonely Ones" and "Step Up" see Acey admiring the opposite sex. "Lonely Ones," the album's opening track grabs your attention with its uptempo tone and sets a nice pace for the rest of the album. Even the unoriginal ideas, like "Working Man's Blues" and "To the Top," are done with such grace and style you won't find yourself hitting the skip button. Acey even tackles more serious issues with "Power to the People," a Civil Rights-era anthem that provides a nice change of pace to the buttery '50s vibe of the rest of the album. For the majority of the album Bionik's production is on-point. The horns, finger-snaps, and cooing rarely distract from Aceyalone's mellow delivery, but all of those elements give the album an upbeat and carefree vibe. In all, Lonely Ones is a refreshing and creative album that easily could have failed. While some will find the doo-wop stylings a little cheesy, others will appreciate Acey's attempt at pushing hip-hop's boundaries yet again. If anything, this proves that when Aceyalone takes on a project, he goes all the way in.

1. Listen Start to Finish - 15
2. Listen Again Within a Week - 13
3. Originality - 17
4. Advancement - 12
5. Remorse - 13

Album Total Rating - 70

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown

Green Day's 8th studio album, that's right folks they have 8 total now not just 2. Its almost been 5 years since we had a new c.d. from the punk gang from Cali who taught us how it was cool to wear olive green sweatshirts with horizontal strips back in 94. That is at least under the name Green Day. I did hear something about the gang getting into a hot tub somewhere near Foxboro but thats another article.

21st Century Breakdown starts off with a little bit less of a bang then American Idiot did. However they keep the c.d. close to the their seventh c.d.'s roots. But lets all do ourselves a favor and skip the first three songs. Viva La Gloria is not exactly a Cold Play track (thank god!) however I'm sure they appreciate the piano at the start. Thankfully Billy Joe adds his signature punk riffs in the middle of the song giving it a little umph! "Before the Lobotomy" is one of my favorite tracks off the new album. Its fun! just like most of the album is from here on out.
Like American Idiot the album has several long tracks that consist of about three to four punk songs meshed into one which keeps us all on our toes and wondering whats going to come next and of course what they will have us singing along to for the next few months. The song "Peacemaker," sounds like it could be apart of their Nimrod album but with a little twist of Idiot involved. When we hit the song "Restless Heart Syndrome" I started realizing that Green Day is making their mark on Rock n' Roll and speaking for the 21st century again.

It seems like Green Day has found their touch on how to make back to back good albums. It worries me however to see what they do next in their career. Will they go the route of making another so called "Rock Opera" or will they try something else, something new? Time will only tell and I can only hope that we don't have a three-peat next album. Nevertheless we all know Green Day will keep having fun with their music and that is something we can all look forward to. One last thing If you have an opportunity to hear their new cover of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" please do its FUN!

1 - Listen Start to finish - 17
2 - Listen Again within a week - 18
3 - Originality - 6
4 - Advancement - 11
5 - Remorse - 17

Album total rating: 69

Eminem - Relapse

The first release from Eminem since 2004's Encore brings us Relapse the fifth studio album on Shady/Aftermath. The process for this album is highly documented so this review will not discuss anything that pertains to the recording process or the reasoning as to why it has been five years between albums.

The album starts off in a manner that made me lose interest. That was until track 4 "Insane," an incestuous play on words that makes "Kim" from Marshall Mathers LP seem almost reasonable. "Bagpipes from Baghdad" contains one of my favorite lines from the album "...prepare your vernacular for Dracula acupuncture." had me paying attention again. Eventually the single "We Made You" hits, well at least it plays as I feel it is far from a hit. Here, Eminem explores pop culture and it appears he is trying to include people he knows little about only in hopes of making somebody offended.

The one thing that I found consistently great was the production. The previous four albums had a killer MC that was laying waste to the beats. I feel the bulk of this album is the opposite: the beats far outshine the vocals. Dr. Dre produced all but one track, "Beautiful" which Eminem produced himself, and is on top of his game. I mostly found myself nodding along until "Deja Vu" where the rapper admits "...I already told you my whole life story." Next comes "Crack a Bottle" which I would prefer to skip to the next track after Dre finishes as 50 Cent really takes away from the song with his boring flow. As has been customary a skit track entitled "Steve Berman" really hits home for me. Berman wants to know why Eminem has been away for so long to the point that he admits he doesn't care about the new material. Harsh, but true! Finally "Underground" had me hooked! The only thing I could think of while listening to this track is "Em's back!"

Something that must be noted is the lack of guest artists. As most rap albums are full of other people contributing a verse here or there, Eminem stayed true and limited the guests to Dre and unfortunately 50 Cent. Overall a jumbled mess of tracks and I would recommend listening to the album in reverse order. The best tracks are definitely at the end. Overall the ratings are as follows:

1. Listen start to finish - 17 (only cause I want to hear the last tracks!)
2. Listen again within a week - 18
3. Originality - 12
4. Advancement - 10
5. Remorse - 14

That gives the album a total rating of 71.

CKY - Carver City

Four years after the release of An Answer Can Be Found CKY returns with Carver City, the first effort from the group on Roadrunner Records. This is a quasi-concept album about a fictional, vacation-esque destination city probably located somewhere in New Jersey. The album comes in two editions with the "deluxe" including expanded artwork and four extra tracks. The artwork was done by Travis Smith based on concepts from band members Deron Miller and Chad I Ginsburg- and I must say I am quite impressed! Definitely fun to examine and it added directly to the concept.

The album starts off with a bang with the first single "Hellions on Parade." This is a strong start to an album and in typical CKY fashion: strong riffs, a catchy hook and great references to previous songs. The third track "Rats in the Infirmary" has Deron exploring a scream that I had previously only heard live (and I liked it!). There are some good breakdowns and guitar work throughout the album, most noteably in "Plaged by Images." Two of the four bonus tracks are instrumental offerings of which I wouldn't mind a few more of.

The band has been through quite a bit over the past couple of years and I think it shows as I don't feel this is the best work they have done. There are some great songs on this album "Karmaworks" and "The Era of an End" I'm looking your way. Overall the ratings are as follows:

1. Listen start to finish - 13
   
2. Listen again within a week - 14
3. Originality - 10
4. Advancement - 5
5. Remorse - 12

That gives the album a total rating of 54.

Album review rating system

Initially we will be running with the following point based format.

100 point scale with up to 20 points awarded for the following criteria

1. Ability to listen to album as a whole
2. Probability you will listen to it again within 7 days
3. Originality
   
4. Advancement (either the "scene" as a whole, or compared the last work from the artist)
5. Buyer's remorse (high score = total satisfaction and low score = total disappointment

All albums will be purchased versions as we are here to inform those interested in making purchases on what we would recommend.

First post--First review to come soon

So I've decided to start this blog to get the word out about new music. This blog will most certainly contain reviews about the popular and top albums; however, the goal is to create a network of individuals with broad tastes so we will be able to give opinions on an array of albums that are released every week. If you feel you may be interested in contributing to this blog, shoot me an e-mail at stu_35@yahoo.com or visit the group on Facebook.

I am excited to share my opinions about my passion with all who will listen, and I hope all who visit will be introduced to something they might not have heard of before!