Best and Worst of 2011 (Part I)

With the end of the year upon us it is time to review the music that came out over the past 52-weeks.  Here are my choices for the best and worst from 2011.  We start off with the more eclectic categories this week and work our way up to the Best Albums of the Year next week.

Best Cover of a Hip-Hop Song:

Holmes - "It Was A Good Day"

For the longest time I was going to give this award to Karmin for their wacky and very creative cover of Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now" because any white girl in a cocktail dress that can bust out Busta Rhymes lyrics like Amy Heidemann does deserves an award. But ever since Karmin performed their version of the song on "Ellen" they've been getting a bit too much exposure so I am instead going with a song off of Holmes' awesome album of cover songs from November of this year.

While Holmes' disc has a ton of great tracks, it's his version of the classic Ice Cube song "It Was A Good Day" that is one of the best songs and best fits into this category.  Holmes twists the melody of the song into one of a piano-driven indie pop song in the same vein as what Dynamite Hack did to the NWA song "Boyz In The Hood" about a decade ago but rather than leaning on irony to make the song relevant, Holmes seems genuine as he sings the lyrics and it is the earnestness that really brings the song home.  It is an absolute joy that will have you examining the lyrics of the original song in a whole different light.  Listen to the Holmes version of the song lain over the original Ice Cube video below.

Best Cover of a Pop or Rock Song:

Revolver - "Monk" 

One of the best rock albums from last year was the self-titled disc from Mini Mansions (I gave it a 9.5/10) which featured brilliant songs from Michael Shurman, better known as the bassist from Queens of the Stone Age.   This year's best cover of a pop or rock song is by the French band Revolver (not to be confused with the British band Revolver from the early 90's) who cover a song from that Mini Mansions album, "Monk."  

They turn the song which originally had a spookier melody and a heavier overtone and give it an acoustic overhaul which, interestingly, adds to the emotion of the song and turns it into a song of regret and loss.  While the song isn't as haunting as the original, this version affects you to a greater extent such that you feel the pain that was brought about by his "two-timing whore."  Watch the original version and then compare it to the cover version below.  

Worst Cover Song

Mitch Winehouse - "April in Paris"

When you first listen to this track, your first thoughts are likely to echo my own--why is Mitch Winehouse (Amy's severely-limited-in-musical-talent dad) doing a spoken word version "April in Paris"?  Then, as you continue to listen, you start to realize that it's not a spoken word version but that's actually him trying to sing.  And then you just cringe and hope the bad crooning from the track doesn't haunt you until the day you die.  I don't really want to post the video below but I'm afraid you'd think I was exaggerating how horrible it really is.  I'm not.  Just give it a listen yourself and watch the crap video below.

Best Album Covers

We begin with the simple black and white image from the Cults self-titled album.  While the image itself is very simple, it conveys some strong feelings.  The flying hair from the dancing girl and the guitar player tell you that what you are going to hear will rock you.  I also like the fact that they obscure both faces which adds a layer of anonymity that allows the viewer to project their own personalities onto the two characters which allows us to personalize them.  The image then remains open to interpretation by letting the viewer fill in the blanks on two characters who are already rocking out.  A simple image that conveys a lot of meaning by letting the viewer to fill in the blanks.

Up next is this year's release from The Cool Kids', the "When Fish Ride Bicycles" album.  It's a relatively simple concept that plays with that old axiom of when-fish-ride-bicycles but brings it to life in a most humorous way.  The bright and colorful color scheme brightens the picture and lightens the image plus it's a really kooky fish costume that I find hilarious.  They also get bonus points as well for cross promoting both Mountain Dew and the band Cake--two of my favorite things!

Our final selection for best album cover goes to Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues for its trippy modern art style that borders on psychedelia.  I like how the image seems to be spiraling into (or out of) the circle in the middle like lots of little images being trapped in (or vomited from) a whirlpool.  The muted color palette heavy on earth tones makes you take a closer look at the image to try to make sense of it all while what it is really doing is making you take notice of the little details on the image. 

Worst Album Cover

This year's worst album cover goes to a band I've loved since I was in junior high--The Beastie Boys.  While the album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two had some very good tracks on it, the cover to the album is an absolute mess.  This modern art, multicolored spewing of squares has no relevance to the band, the music, nor the album and it's an art style that was already played out by the early 90's.  I know the boys aren't as young as they once were but this drivel is embarrassing especially when compared to the realistic and artistic covers of albums like Check Your Head or Paul's Boutique.  When I first saw this artwork I thought someone was playing a joke on me because I thought a Beastie Boys album cover would never be this dull or unimaginative.  How wrong I was...

New Music Reviews - 12/20/2011 - Common and Kevin Hearn

Common The Dreamer, The Believer - Prolific hip-hop artist Lonnie Lynn Junior, AKA Common, finds time away from his acting career (Date Night and Happy Feet Two) to release his ninth studio album.  Nas and John Legend provide guest vocals on individual tracks and Mya Angelou has a spoken word part at the end of one of the tracks.

There are a handful of very enjoyable tracks on The Dreamer with songs like "Ghetto Dreams" (ft. Nas) having extremely clever lyrics and a big hook to draw you in but the album as a whole is very hit-or-miss.  For every creative track like "Blue Sky," which creatively samples the 70's great Electric Lights Orchestra song "Mr. Blue Sky" and transforms it into something new, you get a track like "Lovin' I Lost" which, despite its throwback R&B melody, lacks the imagination and flow that we expect from great tracks by Common.

It's an above average album from Common who can still create crafty tunes although that skill is a bit inconsistent on this release.

Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Blue Sky" [sample it below] and "Lovin' I Lost"

Kevin Hearn Cloud Maintenance - Kevin Hearn is a Canadian musician best known for being the keyboardist in the band Barenaked Ladies although he also is the frontman for Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle.  This is Hearn's second solo studio album.

The music presented on this album is mainly downtempo electropop with minimalistic instrumentation.  It took me a while to get into the morose feeling album but once I was in the proper mindset I found a lot of subtle beauty on a number of the tracks.  "She Waved" uses  slow tempo synthesizer work layered over a simple but catchy piano refrain which adds depth to the haunting lyrics.

Fortunately, the album doesn't just give us downtrodden songs with pop-heavier tunes like "Don't Shuffle Me Back" helping to bring life into what would be an otherwise depressing disc.  It's a decent album for when you're feeling down but the heavy feel of the disc makes it a difficult one to have on constant rotation on your favorite listening device.

Score: 7/10
Song(s) to Sample: "She Waved" and "Don't Shuffle Me Back"

Merry Christmas--Joyeux Noel--Glaedelig Jul--Feliz Navidad to everyone out there!

New Music Reviews - 12/13/2011 - Dia Frampton and Kaskade

As we get closer to Christmas and New Years, the number of new album releases starts to slowdown dramatically so for this week I will be reviewing some albums released in the past month that I didn't get the chance to review on the weeks they originally came out.  For those interested in this week's releases, the big ones are all movie scores (Twilight: Breaking Dawn, The Adventures of Tintin, and for the Sherlock Holmes sequel). Thanks for visiting!

Dia Frampton Red - One of the finalists from the NBC breakout hit "The Voice" releases her first post-show solo album (she and her sister were previously recording under the band name Meg & Dia).  For those who didn't watch the show, Ms. Frampton stood out for her sweet looks which beguiled her big voice with a very cool rasp to it.  Unfortunately for Dia, whose voice seems ideal for various pop genres, she was sidled with Country music star Blake Shelton as her coach.  However, she made it to the finals so more power to her.

The music on the album is a primarily pop/country blend although Frampton does go beyond that on a couple of other tracks. The disc opens with "Don't Kick The Chair" with Kid Cudi which is a decent song although I thought the refrain was actually catchier than the hook and the rap by the usually very reliable Kid Cudi could have been left out completely.  "Billy The Kid" is a real stand out on the album because it not only features an electropop melody which breaks up the monotony of the Blake Shelton song that precedes it but is shows Frampton's vocals can still shine despite the engineers going a little overboard in the post-production work.  That's followed by the more heartfelt, acoustic guitar driven "Daniel" which is a sweet song about regret and bad decisions that really showcases Frampton's vocals and her ability to write deep but catchy tunes.  "Walk Away" is an indie pop/folk pop song that is the type of music I would expect Frampton to create and its beauty shows her voice is probably a better match for that genre.

Overall, it's an above average release from a singer with an awesome and unique voice but who could use some assistance on the engineering and post-production side of things.  Frampton also shows the ability to create songs that exhibit both depth and catchy melodies on about half of the tracks of the disc although more of this magic spread over the entire disc would have been a welcome addition.  It's also a welcome note that she doesn't repeat any of the songs performed on "The Voice" so we get a truer sense of her musical sensibilities.  Her voice and her song writing potential shine through on this disc, I just wish the production work were equal to the task. 

Score: 6.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Billy The Kid" and "Walk Away"

Kaskade Fire & Ice - Kascade is a DJ who was voted "America's Best DJ 2011" by the monthly publication "DJ Times."  This is a two disc album with one disc representing "Fire" and the other representing "Ice," which is really just a remix disc featuring the same songs in the same order as the first disc, although all the songs could fit under the House music electronica genre.  In a welcome addition, most of the songs feature vocals by lesser known electronica and indie acts like Neon Trees, Dan Black, and Rebecca & Fiona.  Overall, Fire & Ice is an enjoyable and competently put together disc with many highlights scattered over the entire album.  The second disc is also another pleasant surprise with most of the remixed songs actually featuring more simplified beats and sampling rather than going with bigger techno beats and a heavier thumping sound like you would find on most remixed discs.  The album ends up being extremely enchanting with a sound that will pull you in and take you on an engrossing journey whether you put on just the first disc, just the second disc, or both discs together.

Score: 8.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "I Love (ft. Haley)", "Ice (ft. Dada Life and Dan Black)" Kaskade ICE Mix, and "Lessons in Love (ft. Neon Trees)" [sample it below]

New Music Reviews - 12/6/2011 - The Roots, The Black Keys, T-Pain, and Mwahaha

The Roots Undun - The prolific and constantly working ?uestlove, Black Thought plus the rest of the Legendary Roots Crew find time to record their tenth studio album.  Unlike their album from last year with John Legend which featured new covers of soul and funk songs from the 60's and 70's, the band returns to its roots (no pun intended) with hard biting raps and modern R&B jams.  Unlike any of their previous albums, Undun is a concept album about the fictional life of a character named Redford Stephens, a kid from Philadelphia who becomes a part of the drug trade until his untimely death. 

The album opens with the short instrumental "Dun" (which, I don't think, is named in honor of me) before ceding way to "Sleep,"a well named track with a drowsy feel that makes for a slow but beguiling beginning to the album. The album starts to really take off at the third track, "One Time,"and continues with a constant stream of relevant and creative tracks until the end of the album where the band seems to lose its direction to a small degree on the last two tracks.  However, the album is crafted to such a precise degree that you are totally engrossed with every sound that proceeds that point that the weak ending is totally forgivable.  The biggest highlights  in that uninterrupted stream of goodness are the tracks "The Other Side" and "Lighthouse."

For a band that has already created some top notch albums over their career (Phrenology and Things Fall Apart coming to mind immediately), The Roots may have topped them all with Undun.  It is a beautifully imagined story being told by true masters of the hip-hop genre that prove, if their prolific releases hadn't already done so in the past, the band does more than just make music--they create works of art on a grand scale.

?uestlove again acts as the primary producer for the album and his vision is wonderfully portrayed in both the album layout and track choices in a disc that flows so smoothly from song to song.  Easily a late candidate for best album release of the year, Undun is an album that is not be missed.  Do yourself a favor and pick it up ASAP and pick one up for hip-hop loving relatives as well as it will be the only present from Santa this year that people will still be appreciating years later.

Score: 10/10
Song(s) to Sample: "One Time", "The Other Side" [sample it below] and "Lighthouse"

Mwahaha Mwhaha - Mwahaha is a four person electronic rock band from Oakland, CA and this self-titled release is their debut full-length album.  The band incorporates mellow, downtempo melodies buoyed by real drums and bass to create a sound that is on the more raw side of bands like LCD Soundsystem or TV On The Radio.  They are able to blend discordant sounds and instruments on tracks like "Rainbow Diamond" and somehow make coherent harmonies out of them.  It's a real testament to their experimental nature and how beauty can be created out of seemingly nothing.  Unfortunately, not every track showcases this ability as well as the first couple of songs as the album goes off the rails a bit in the second half.  While the release as a whole can definitely use some some additional polish, as a debut album, their ability to blend sounds to create credible songs is what I am most impressed with.

Score: 6/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Rainbow Diamond" and "Love"

T-Pain rEVOLVEr - Faheem Najm, better known by his stage name T-Pain, releases his fourth studio album.  Given the number of songs he's provided vocals for on other artist's records over the past couple of years, it's not surprising this album lists a great number of hip-hop artists lending a hand.  Most prominent are Lil' Wayne, Chris Brown, Lily Allen, Pitbull and Ne-Yo who each provide backup vocals or guest raps on individual tracks.  While I was definitely expecting the club-ready jams that can be found on this disc, the real eye openers were the slower songs like the melodic "Default Picture" and the simple but catchy "Mix'd Girl" which create added depth on the album as a whole.  As far as the club-ready songs, "It's Not You, It's Me (ft. Pitbull)" and "Turn All The Lights On (ft. Ne-Yo)" will not disappoint.  Not every track is a winner but the quality stays relatively consistent over the entire disc.  T-Pain won't win over any new fans with this release but his existing fans will find a lot to to fall in love with on rEVOLVEr.

Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "It's Not You, It's Me" [sample it below] and "Default Picture"

The Black Keys El Camino - The Grammy-winning, blues-rock duo from Akron, Ohio fresh off their performance on SNL this past weekend release their seventh studio album.  Once again the two main members (Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney) are able to create a lush album whose songs traverse from guitar licks reminiscent of the best from the classic era of Rock n' Roll to a more modern, blues-rock amalgamation with apparent ease.  Although the blues aspect of their music is slightly toned down in comparison to their 2010 release, Brothers, and their albums that preceded it; its influences are still present on many of the band's tracks and that sound is only enhanced by the fast tempo guitar riffs that are prevalent on this album. In terms of pure enjoyment and in terms of keeping their feet to the pedal, El Camino ranks up there with their all time best, 2004's Rubber Factory.  A great followup disc for a band that only last year won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. 

Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Lonely Boy" [sample it below], "Little Black Submarines" and "Run Right Back"

New Music Reviews - 2011 Christmas albums - Michael Bublé, Justin Bieber, and She & Him

Happy holidays!  Even though my travel plans are not as hectic this year as they were last year, I decided to keep the tradition of posting my Christmas album reviews this week.  Have a holly-jolly holiday season!

 Michael Bublé Christmas - The multiple Grammy and Juno award winning crooner from British Columbia releases his second holiday album, his first being the five track EP Let it Snow from 2003.  This album checks in with 15 tracks total and lasts over 50 minutes so it is much lengthier than his previous EP.  There are a also couple of special guests lending their talents on the album; Shania Twain provides help on "White Christmas," Latin star Thalia teams up on "Feliz Navidad," and The Puppini Sisters do backup vocals on "Jingle Bells."

Christmas features one original song with the other 14 tracks being Christmas standards done in, primarily, a classic jazz or contemporary lounge style.  Most of the songs are like the two that open that album, "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," which are done in the adult contemporary style one would expect with Buble's music in that it has instantly recognizable melodies but with more modern effects and instrumentation.

The real highlights are the whimsical adaptions like "Jingle Bells," a song I typically despise, but the quirky backup vocals by The Puppini Sisters (sounding even more like The Andrew Sisters than they normally do) make the song a real delight.  The same can be said of Shania Twain's work on "White Christmas."  Bublé's new, original song is fun and grows on you with repeated listens although it's not instantly catchy like the best Christmas songs are.

Christmas is the best holiday album released this year.   Bublé's natural crooning style is a perfect fit for the Christmas music genre evoking memories of classic holiday albums from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Mel Tormé.  Yet Bublé is able to make the album his own not only through his unique vocal style but also with a jazzy accompaniment that is both retro and modern at the same time and with smartly used guest vocalists.  Definitely the album you'll want playing when trimming your tree this holiday season.

Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Jingle Bells" [sample it below], "White Christmas" and "All I Want For Christmas Is You"

Justin Bieber Under the Mistletoe - Teen pop sensation Justin Bieber's second studio album is this Christmas release that features a ton of collaborators.  The likes of Usher, Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes, and Boys II Men all lend guest vocals on individual tracks while people like Sean Kingston, Taylor Swift, Randy Jackson and Chris Brown worked on the composition and production side of things.  All of those guests make it a competently done album although there is a feeling of too-many-cooks-ruining-the-soup with the album struggling to find its balance between wanting to be a more classic Christmas album or being something Bieber's teen fans would adore. About half of the songs are original although the best of the new songs is the already heavily played "Mistletoe" which has a jaunty hook and a fun holiday feel.  It's a step up from, say, the Disney Channel Christmas Album but it unfortunately lacks the childlike fun and whimsy of The Jackson Five's classic Christmas album that a teen heartthrob's holiday album should have. 

Score: 5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Mistletoe" [sample it below] and "The Christmas Song (ft. Usher)"

She & Him A Very She & Him Christmas - The indie folk/pop part-time collaboration between M. Ward (Monsters of Folk) and Zooey Deschanel (actress from Elf and "New Girl") release an album of Christmas standards.  The disc has a dozen songs done in an intimate, slow tempo style featuring dual acoustic guitars providing most of the instrumentation on the album.  As usual, Deschanel is the primary vocalist and she warbles in her limited but sultry way.  Ward does sing both lead and backup on a couple of tracks and tracks like his "Christmas Wish" offer a nice respite as Deschanel's voice does come off as somewhat monotonous when sampled in large doses.  Interestingly, the duo do duet on "Baby It's Cold Outside," a song she famously sang in a more memorable manner in the movie Elf.  Overall, this Christmas album is very laid back, almost to the point of excess where it waivers between being treacly sweet and overly droll.  But the brevity of the disc works in their favor here as by the point you start to feel yourself about to yawn it has already neared its end.  Not an album you can listen to repeatedly while wrapping your holiday presents but if you intersperse it with your other Christmas favorites, A Very She & Him Christmas won't let you down.

Score: 6.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Christmas Wish" [sample it below] and "Sleigh Ride"

New Music Reviews - 11/22/2011 - Michael Jackson, Calexico, and Kate Bush

Calexico Selections from Road Atlas 1998-2011 - The indie rock/alternative country band from Tuscon, Arizona releases a selection of songs previously only available from albums sold at their live concerts.  The songs from this disc are culled from a set of twelve vinyl albums titled Road Atlas that collects the tour-only CDs you could only previously get when the band performed live. Most of the tracks are from studio recordings although there are a couple of songs recorded live as well. 

I'm not the biggest expert on Calexico's past albums, but from what I can determine there's only one track ("Crystal Frontier") that was previously included on a past album and the version on this release is the so-called 'original version.'  Most of the tracks are tinged with a country music slant which shouldn't be a surprise to people that have listened to the band before although there are a handful of tracks that feature a funkier side of the band than I've heard previously, at least on this consistent a basis over a single album.

Overall, there are sixteen tracks in total on the disc with about a half dozen of the tracks being purely instrumental.  It's a well diverse selection of songs from the band that covers the different moods they typically display on an album with folk pop vocals commonly mixing with country music influenced melodies.  This disc makes for a worthy introduction to the band to the uninitiated and is solid pickup for longer term fans that probably didn't purchase all twelve discs that were only available at the live shows. 

Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "All the Pretty Horses" [sample it below], "Lost in Space" and "Crystal Frontier (Original version)"

Michael Jackson Immortal - This is the second release to posthumously bear the King of Pop's name since his untimely death.  How is it he's become more prolific at releasing albums since he passed away than he was in the last decade of his life?  Ah, good ol' corporate greed.  This is actually an album of remixed and recombined songs to accompany the new Cirque de Soleil show about the beloved gloved one.  The songs were redesigned by producer Kevin Antunes (Justin Timberlake, Rihanna) although there seems to be less remixing on this album than you can find on Cirque de Soleil's previous albums' of tribute shows on the Beatles and on Elvis.  Most of the remixes/reworkings are above average although there are a few like the "Beat It/State of Shock" reworking that fails on multiple levels.  Overall, Immortal makes for a decent remixed Best of album for the King of Pop although there's not enough in terms of new sounds or new songs to entice longtime fans to purchase this release unless they want a memento to accompany seeing the show. 

Score: 6/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Man in the Mirror (Immortal version)" and "Can You Feel It/Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (Immortal Megamix)" [sample it below]

Kate Bush 50 Words For Snow - The prolific British chanteuse of "Running Up That Hill" releases her second album this year and tenth studio album overall.  This is also her second album to be released on her self-created label, Fish People.  There are only seven tracks total on this album lasting over 60-minutes so the tracks run on the lengthy side.  It's an extremely somber and mellow disc from Bush with the tracks exhibiting lengthy, morose piano refrains and somber vocal tracks.  Not that one would expect up tempo songs on a concept album about walking in the snow but there's about as much life to be found on this album as can be found during a blizzard on the Alaskan plains in the middle of January.  Even normally buoyant guests vocalists like Elton John and Stephen Fry fail to bring any to life the album.  It's an extremely somnambulistic disc that I couldn't get into at all that had me wanting to take a nap about two or three tracks in.  One of the most disappointing releases of the year to date.

Score: 2/10
Song(s) to Sample: none

New Music Reviews - 11/15/2011 - John Lennon Tribute album, Betty Wright & The Roots, and The Color Bars

Various Artists  The 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute - This tribute to one of the Beatles was recorded live at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.  The songs given to us mostly cover Lennon's solo career but there are a few ditties from his Beatles years as well.  Some of the wide array of artists lending their talents to this album include The Kennedys, Keb' Mo', Joan Osborne, Patti Smith, and Aimee Mann.  There are fifteen tracks in total with no song and no artist being represented more than once.

The album opens well with strong and mostly faithful versions of "Power to the People" and "And Your Bird Can Sing" by Rich Pagano and The Kennedys, respectively.  Unfortunately what follows is a forgettable version of "God" by Meshell Ngedeocello and a slow and stripped down version of "Help!" by Alejandro Escovedo that loses both the fun and desperation of the original.  The tracks that really stood apart in a positive way are the slightly blues-y "Watching The Wheels" by Taj Mahal & Vusi Mahlaseli, Keb' Mo's synthesizer heavy and deeply sentimental "In My Life", Bettye LaVette's gospel interpretation of "The Word", and Aimee Mann's faithful cover of "Jealous Guy". 

Overall, it's an above average tribute album especially given that all the tracks were recorded from live performances.  There are a couple of covers that don't work well because of the funky arrangements by the covering artists but there's more good than bad to be found on the disc as a whole.  In fact, after an inconsistent start to the album, it really finds its legs by the middle of the album offering one delectable cover after another by the middle of the disc beginning with Joan Osborne's Hey Bulldog through Jackson Browne's You've Got To Hide Your Love Away before losing its way again, although to a lesser degree, towards the end of the album.  Those seven tracks in the middle are worth the price of admission, are a real treat to fans of John Lennon, and make a fine tribute to the man himself. 

Score: 8/10
Song(s) to Sample: Aimee Mann's "Jealous Guy" [sample a short recording from the concert below] and Bettye LaVette's "The Word"

Betty Wright and The Roots Betty Wright: The Movie - Betty Wright is the Grammy winning Soul/R&B singer and songwriter best known for her hits from the 70's, "Clean Up Woman" and "Tonight Is The Night", so don't confuse her with former Golden Girl Betty White like a friend of mine did!  ("Betty White is singing on an album with The Roots???  How cool!"  Uh, no.)  On this release the classic Soul diva teams up with modern hip-hop legends The Roots to give us a disc of new songs with funky throwback melodies behind Wright's soulful warbling.  The Roots once again does its job wringing out as much as they can from the simplified throwback melodies and Wright's vocals still sound good.  Wright also gets a handful of great guest vocalists to assist on individual tracks like Snoop Dogg, Lil' Wayne, and Joss Stone.  The thing that prevents this album from being a classic is the songwriting in general is nothing special with many credible jams on the album but no standout singles to attract casual listeners to the release.  Fans of Wright and of soul music in general won't regret picking up this album but it won't be a crossover hit for Wright, unfortunately.  Still, for an artist that hasn't released a solo album in about a decade, it's a decent album that will mainly appeal to her fans from times past.

Score: 7/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Real Woman (ft. Snoop Dogg)" and "Baby Come Back (ft. Lenny Williams)"

The Color Bars Prosopopoeia - The Color Bars is a quirky indie pop band from Brooklyn, NY.  How quirky are they?  Well, according to their bio on MySpace, the band began "as three mildly autistic doorknobs with nothing but a swimming pool full of pureed television sets and a petri dish full of bone cells from the spine of Joseph Stalin."  Okie-dokey then.  Their music features primarily guitar and synthesizer driven melodies with a male lead singer although some of the songs feature both male and female leads/vocal harmonies.  Prosopopoeia is a smart and sweet album in the vein of Matt & Kim and Apples in Stereo that I enjoyed a great deal from beginning to end.  The first single off the album, "Mustached Messiah", is a keyboard heavy song with a clever hook and cleverly worded lyrics that should find radio airplay hopefully in the near future.  While songs like "TripleSSS" show a funkier side with jive-heavy synthesizer work and disco era vocals.  It's a high quality album in a fun, jaunty indie pop style wherein the band smartly incorporates various indie genres to create an album that never seems tired or overly derivative of another band.  

Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Mustached Messiah", "TripleSSS", and "Mendax Cries Fowl"

New Music Reviews - 11/1/2011 - Florence + the Machine, Pyyramids, and Little Jackie

Florence + the Machine Ceremonials - After their debut album went on to sell more than four million copies and made Florence Welch a staple on top-40 radio stations, she and "the Machine" are back for their sophomore album.

To capitalize on the band's meteoric rise, this disc is available in both a standard edition and a deluxe edition for a few bucks more. Although I'm only reviewing the standard edition, the deluxe has a second disc that contains some demo songs as well as acoustic versions of three songs from this album.   The standard disc has 12 tracks total while the bonus disc from the deluxe version includes eight additional tracks. 

Overall, Ceremonials is a solid and respectable followup to their smash debut album, Lungs.  Florence uses her sultry and impassioned voice to maximum effect once again able to wring out heavy emotion from even the lightest lyrics.  Although there are less radio friendly jams on this disc, the quality of the music never waivers from their first album and fans of that disc will find plenty to love on this release with the band seemingly pouring everything they have into the individual tracks.

The soaring piano melodies compliment and make a nice counterpoint the vocal harmonies and rhythmic guitar work. However, the real standout on this album, just like on the last album, is the emotion-filled vocal work by Florence Welch who seems to hold nothing back as she takes us on a melodic journey with even greater zeal and grandeur.

Score: 8/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Only If For A Night" [sample it below] and "Spectrum"

Pyyramids Human Beings (LP) - This must be sultry female vocalist week!  Pop band OK Go recently left Capitol Records to form their own record label, Paracadute, and the first release off the label is this LP by Pyyramids.  This two person collaboration features vocals by former Lupe Fiasco backup vocalist Drea Smith and OK Go's bassist Tim Nordwind doing the majority of the instrumentation.  Smith's vocals offer a light version of what Florence Welch brings with equal steaminess albeit with a much lesser range.  The generally subdued melodies offer a downtempo pop feel to the songs that have a subtle but chic aura to them.   The LP has a very interesting a beguiling sound to it but the duo doesn't give us much range over the entire disc which works quite well over these five tracks (plus one remix) but I could see it being repetitive over a normal length album release.  As a debut disc, there's a lot to like on a couple of tracks but there's not enough variety for you to fall in love with the band at this point in their career. 

Score: 6.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Perfect Picture" and "Human Beings"

Little Jackie Made4TV - To continue our there from this week, Little Jackie is a two person R&B group from the U.S. featuring the silky vocals by frontwoman Imani Coppola.  The band made a minor splash in the UK a few years back with their single "The World Should Revolve Around Me".  On their sophomore release, the duo mixes retro R&B jams with fun, and sometimes funny, lyrics.  Their sound is energetic and very danceable but the highlight for me were the cleverly written lyrics and how they seamlessly blended with the smooth and distinct  melodic jams they consistently produce over the length of the entire album.  I went into this album with zero expectations and it completely blew me out of the water.  I definitely enjoyed the faster tempo songs more than the slower tempo ones but, on the same token, there aren't any tracks that I outright hated or skipped over on my repeat listens.  And while Coppola's vocals aren't quite as sultry as the first two artists reviewed this week this was the album I found the most enjoyable.

Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Take Back the World" [sample it below], "31 Flavors" and "Cock Block"




Dunner's going on vacation...  I will be attending a family reunion next week in (hopefully) sunny and fun Orlando, Florida.  So I will be taking the week off from reviewing any new albums but they will be returning the following week for your reading and listening pleasure.  Thanks for your patronage!

New Music Reviews - 10/25/2011 - Coldplay, Good Natured, and Skinny Puppy

Coldplay Mylo Xyloto - The Chris Martin fronted four person pop band from London, England return for their fifth studio album.  Just like on their last album, Viva la Vida, the godfather of ambient music, Brian Eno, returns as a co-producer and sometimes co-song writer on Coldplay's new release.  Originally set for release in December 2010, the disc was pushed back nearly a year as the band couldn't find time to put the finishing touches on the album while they were still touring for Viva la Vida. 

After a quick 43-second opener, the album opens with the quick tempo and catchy "Hurts Like Heaven" where Martin's vocals are allowed to shine in a song about lost love ("You use your heart as a weapon/and it hurts like heaven").  "Paradise" opens with a beautiful violin melody before Eno-influenced electronica is layered on along side Martin's expected piano playing to create one well crafted and sweeping song that is reminiscent of their past glories.

"Princess of China" is a electronica heavy track with a catchy hook that features guest vocals by Rihanna on another song about a romance gone sour ("I could've been a
princess, you'd be a king/Could have had a castle and wore a ring").  Unfortunately, there are a handful of songs like "U.F.O." and "Up in Flames" that are overly melancholy which make them difficult to listen to and lessen the message the band tries to convey in its lyrics. 

Overall, Mylo Xyloto is an album that soars very high the majority of the time although there are a couple of tracks that meander aimlessly preventing the album from being mentioned among the bands all-time bests.  Martin's typical falsetto voice meshes well especially on the more up tempo tracks with soaring harmonies and he still manages to wring out every ounce of emotion when the individual tracks call for him to do so.  Eno's influence is instantly recognizable and a once again important addition that helps bring some welcome energy to a handful of the tracks.  Coldplay once again releases an album that plays to its strengths although the album as a whole isn't the band's strongest release by any means.

Score: 8/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Paradise" [sample it below], "Charlie Brown", and "Princess of China" 

The Good Natured Skeleton - Skeleton is an EP by the three person British electropop band The Good Natured that features real life sister and brother Sarah (vocals and keyboards) and Hamish (bass) McIntosh along with college mate George Hinton (drums).  The disc features seven songs in total including one remix of the title track.  If this is your first introduction to the band, they have a sound that reminds me of Ladytron mixed with the song writing sensibilities of a Siouxie & the Banshees. The eponymous "Skeleton," which is also being released as a single, is the real breakout from the disc with eerie, Siouxie-esque vocals and a catchy and fast tempo eletropop melody heavy on the synthesizers.  While this is not a disc I would recommend to everyone, there is enough potential shining through to inform people this is a band to keep an ear out for in the future. 

Score: 6.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Skeleton" [sample it below] and "Be My Animal"

Skinny Puppy hanDover - The industrial/dark ambient electronica quartet from Vancouver, B.C. release their first album since 2007's Mythmaker.  This album trumpets a return to the weird, gothic sounding elctronica ways of their earlier works with its dark melodies and chilling vocal work.  One thing, however, that is different from their earlier works is the integration of more analog instruments which tones down some of the tracks towards a greater ambient feeling.  For example, the piano solo at the end of "Wavy" is beautiful and haunting and makes a wonderful counterpoint to the industrial beat that dominates the chorus and bridge of the song.  Overall, the band has toned down its style for a portion of the album but the lighter touches help create a more well balanced disc.

Score: 7/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Wavy" and "Gambatte"

New Music Reviews - 10/18/2011 - Brian Wilson, Jane's Addiction, and Nappy Roots

Brian Wilson In The Key of Disney - The legendary surf rocker and frontman of the Beach Boys releases a solo album with re-imaginings of classic Disney movie anthems.  The Disney songs covered on this disc range from the very old; a medley from Snow White, Disney's first feature film; to the more recent; a couple of songs from the Toy Story movies; with Wilson making intermittent choices from the various decades of music in between.  There are 11-tracks total on the disc with a bonus track of "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella if you order the album from Amazon. 

Wilson's "re-imagining" of these songs basically means he is performing them in the Beach Boys-esque style he's been known for over the past four decades with tropical, surfer-influenced guitar-driven melodies and angelic-sounding 60's backup vocal harmonies.  The album opens with the uninspired cover of "You've Got A Friend" from the original Toy Story movie which adds a slightly more Country music style to the song that, unfortunately, doesn't bring anything new worth exploring.  In fact, the Spanish language version by the Gipsy Kings from the third sequel is a far more interesting and rollicking version.

Things pick up on the next track with "Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book which has a kooky xylophone intro and background accordion playing that add a lightness to the ditty that will appeal to both the young and old.  "Heigh Ho/Whistle While You Work" astutely creates a medley of multiple Disney songs beyond to two songs from Snow White listed in the title by working in lines like the "Yo Ho" chorus from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride song, among other Disney classics. 

Overall, In The Key of Disney is a so-so album better suited for family listening in the car when you're sick of hearing to the same Yo Gabba Gabba album for the umpteenth time in a row than it is for reminiscing about the classics you watched as a kid.  It gives you songs that both old and young will be familiar with in a more adult contemporary style.  Generally, this style works well with the older, Sherman brothers era and earlier songs (like "Stay Awake" from Mary Poppins) while the newer songs from the Alan Menken era and later (like "Kiss The Girl" from The Little Mermaid) don't translate as well.  One notable exception is "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas which sounds better and more contemporary without the orchestral backing from the original.

If you're a parent with kids, this is probably an album worth picking up as it gives more adult versions of classic Disney children songs that you can listen to with your kids.  Otherwise the re-imaginings of these songs aren't that imaginative and will leave you pining for the originals.

Score:  6/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Bare Necessities" and "Heigh-Ho/Whistle While You Work" [sample it below]

Jane's Addiction The Great Escape Artist - The alternative hard rockers from Los Angeles with Perry Ferrel (vocals) and Dave Navarro (guitar) reunite to release a fourth studio album.  They are joined on this disc by Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio on bass although the band has announced that he is not a permanent addition to the band.  In fairness, I admit that I haven't really listened to the band's releases since their 1990 classic Ritual de lo Habitual album skipping their ditties when they first reunited about a decade ago.  That being said, I found this album to be a fun reintroduction to the band with some enjoyable tracks in the hard rocking style we expect from the boys with more modern musical sensibilities you might find on a Muse or Radiohead album with the further integration of electronic instruments into their music.  Some of the tracks seem overly heavy in the message they are trying to get across which makes the album too morose at times but the overall experience is one still worth checking out. 

Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Curiosity Kills" and "I'll Hit You Back" [sample it below]

Nappy Roots Nappy.Org - The rapping quintet from the South release their fifth studio album.  This album was produced with help from legendary hip-hop producers Organized Noize (Ludacris and Outkast).  Nappy.Org is another first-class album from Skinny DeVille, B. Stille and the rest of group with silky smooth jams and well constructed raps.  In fact, there's excellent balance to the album as a whole with songs like the uplifting "Good and Evil" ("gotta keep my head high above the clouds/‘cuz when it’s slow it brings me down") acting as a nice counterpoint to the song that follows it, "Karma," which is a darker anthem talking about the payback that will eventually catch up with you one day.  The only problem with this album, and with any album the band releases in the future, is that they will never be able to top the awesome pun name of their last disc, The Pursuit of Nappyness!

Score: 8.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Easy Money", "Good and Evil" [sample it below] and "Karma"

New Music Reviews - 10/11/2011 - Icebird, Erasure, and Peter Gabriel

Icebird The Abandoned Lullaby - Icebird is a three person indie/post-punk rock band that was formed in Los Angeles although none of its members are originally from the area.  This album was produced by singer/producer RJD2 (Massive Attack and Mos Def) who helps add a level of psychedelia to the disc.  The name of the band comes from a coffee shop's name in the Koreatown area of L.A. that the band members used to live in.  That's one funky name for a coffee shop!

The eerie and funky "Charmed Life" begins the album and sets the mood for the rest of the disc with its Black Keys-esque bluesy bass line and nifty synthetic horns use that prevents the song from being a downer.  "Just Love Me" is a more classic pop song with some really smooth guitar refrains that helps conceal the emotion behind a song about yearning for love.  And then you get songs like "Spirit Ache" which has carnival-esque organ chords and xylophone mashing over a narrative about pain of the soul that they manage to make work well in a Eels/Queens of the Stone Age kind of way. 

Overall, The Abandoned Lullaby is a interesting and entertaining release that takes you on a worthy journey over the duration of the disc.  The album also has a good change of pace from track to track preventing the album from being stuck in one gear for sixty minutes.  One song will bring you a sweet melody with a catchy pop/soft-rock hook ("Wanderer") while the next will have discordant vocal harmonies that add a creepiness to the album ("King Tut") such that it becomes a fun game trying to figure out where the album is going to go from song to song.  Not every track is a success but the overall feeling you get from listening to the album is worth the price of admission. 

Score: 8/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Going and Going.  And Going." [sample it below] and "Charmed Life"

Erasure Tomorrow's World - The synthpop duo of Vince Clark and Andy Bell return with their 14th studio album.  A deluxe edition of the album comes with an extra disc with remixes and demo tracks.  Unfortunately this album, like their last two studio albums, show the band has not aged well giving us music that isn't much different from what they gave us over twenty years ago except in the late 80's and early 90's the music sounded new and fresh while the tunes they produce now seem outdated and stale in may ways.  This is surprising given that the disc was mixed by Rob Orton who has done synth heavy recent albums by Lady Gaga and, more relevantly, fellow former 80's band Pet Shop Boys.  Even the first single from the disc, "When I Start to (Break It All Down)", is a repetitive and uninteresting song with a horrible hook that on most levels fails to impress.  Only the most diehard Erasure fans should pickup this album as it does give extremely brief glimpses as to what made them great in their prime.  Everyone else would be wise to avoid it like the plague.

Score: 3/10
Song(s) to Sample: "What Will I Say When You're Gone" [sample it below]

Peter Gabriel New Blood - Alrighty then, another big name from the 80's with a new album release this week!  This time it's the flautist and original vocalist from Genesis coming out with a disc of re-imagined, orchestral versions of songs from his previous solo albums.  So, while its a disc full of songs that have already been released, you've never heard them like this before with a full orchestra accompaniment.  The special edition version comes with a second disc of just new musical arrangements sans any vocals (which is way cooler than the lame demos disc that comes with the Erasure deluxe edition).  However it's a bold choice to go back and redo your old, published works that fans have been loving for decades and produce new versions that are radically different from what the fans know.  It's a blast to hear classics like "In Your Eyes" again in a familiar but completely new way but the album as a whole is hampered by too many unfamiliar songs which made the pairing of pop vocals with orchestral melodies odd at times.  New Blood is an interesting experiment that, unfortunately, doesn't have enough life over the entire disc for me to recommend it wholeheartedly.

Score: 5.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "In Your Eyes"

New Music Reviews - 10/3/2011 - Feist, Mutemath, Paul McCartney, and Beats Antique

 Mutemath Odd Soul - The Grammy nominated alternative rockers from New Orleans release their first album since 2009's Armistice.  The band locked themselves away in frontman Paul Meany's home recording studio and didn't emerge until the songs on the album were ready to be heard by others.  Armistice reached as high as the #4 ranking on the U.S. Rock charts and #18 overall so let's see if the band can recreate the success their last album brought.

The 13-track album opens with the eponymous "Odd Soul," which was also the first single released from the disc back in July. It has blues-y electric guitar and bass work that fits the narrative about being different extremely well ("I'm an odd soul/just trying to find/a place to call home"). Next up is the best track from the album, "Prytania," with its infectious beat, killer bridge and catchy hook that will have you tapping your foot and humming along for hours. "Blood Pressure" has a jauntier melody that really lets alto vocals to really take center stage. "Sun Ray" is a slower, jam band-esque tune with heavier keyboard and synthesizer work that helps add atmosphere to the disc.

In truth, despite their Grammy nomination (2008 - Best Short Form Music Vid for "Typical"), I was only familiar with this band by name before listening to Odd Soul but this disc ends up being an impressive and raucous introduction to the band's music for new listeners like myself. Fans of their previous albums will probably enjoy it even more. The band's sound on this disc is hard rocking and electric guitar driven with snappy alt-tinged lyrics that is reminiscent of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club mixed with a song writing style similar to Wolfmother. The music is well layered and Meany's vocals have an airy, eerie quality to them that works well on the hard rocking tracks as well as on the slower tempo ones. A very impressive album from start to finish that will have me purchasing their older releases to see if the quality on those can match what is given to us on Odd Soul.

Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample: Prytania" [sample it below], "Odd Soul" and "Walking Paranoia"

Feist Metals - The Broken Social Scene member whose "1234" song is permanently ingrained into our memories thanks to its ubiquitous use in movies, TV shows, and commercials releases her first studio album since that song made it big. This is Leslie Feist's fourth album overall and she will be touring both Europe and North American to help promote the release. On Metals, her vocals are as crisp and haunting as you remember, although the melodies on this album are less radio friendly instead going for airy folkpop ditties full of pent up emotion. However, there are some haunting songs given to us on this disc starting with the first single from the album, "How Come You Never Go There?", which sounds like a mix between a Rilo Kiley and a Amy Mann song, but the casual fan won't find as much to like on this album with its somber, folk-heavy tone.

Score:  6/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "How Come You Never Go There?" [sample it below] and "Comfort Me"

Paul McCartney Ocean's Kingdom - The former Beatle makes his debut foray into the world of ballet with help from The London Classical Orchestra.  However, this is not McCartney's first work in the classical music genre having won a Brit Award for one of his past classical releases, Ecce Cor Meum (Behold My Heart), in 2006.  The music itself is presented in four movements and has a grand, orchestral feel with the song composition sounding mostly like part Igor Stravinski and part Ottorino Respighi with some jazzy, wannabe Gershwin refrains thrown in for excitement and variety at times.  The music takes you on a fun and emotional ride that would only be enhanced by the accompanying performance of the New York City Ballet company. 

Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Movement 2: Hall of Dance"

Beats Antique Elektrafone - Beats Antique is a world electronica trio from the Oakland, CA that was originally signed in 2007 by Miles Copeland, brother of The Police's Stewart Copeland.  The interesting thing about the band's music is that in addition to the samples and electronic beats they use; they also incorporate a wide range of live instruments from all over the world like sitars, African drumming, and more to produce a truly world sound.  Elekrafone is no different with the electronic music taking cues heavily from Goa trance with lots of non-standard string and horn instruments thrown in to add an extra layer to the music.  It's a highly palatable release that takes you on a entertaining journey although there are no breakout hits on the disc.

Score:  7/10
Song(s) to Sample: "The Porch" and "Siren Song"

New Music Reviews - 9/27/2011 - Kasabian, VHS or Beta, and Mocean Worker

Kasabian Velociraptor! - The Brit space rockers from Leicestershire release their fourth studio album this time with acclaimed producer Dan the Automator (Gorillaz and Handsome Boy Modeling School) at the helm.  This album came out last week in the UK and Europe and drops this week in the U.S.  A copy of the album was leaked a couple of weeks ago so some of my naughtier readers may already have a copy.  For those of you who haven't heard it yet, let's find out how this disc sounds.

"Let's Roll Just Like We Used To" leads off the album after a slow intro with a sweeping melody that has a rocking orchestral feel by smartly integrating piano, violin and horn instruments on a song that cleverly revels in past glories.  The next song, and the first official single off the album, is another song that reminisces about the past but in a much darker manner, "Days Are Forgotten," which is a less catchy song with more simplistic lyrics that I had a hard time getting in to.  "Man of Simple Pleasures" is the real standout from the second half of the album with its eerily syncopated early drumming before a bewitching melody and backing vocals are employed.

Velociraptor! is very good release and in many ways is the band's most accessible disc to date with less eletro-heavy rhythns and more indie rock-sounding songs.  Frontman Tom Meighan's vocals are slightly off kilter sounding like Ricky Wilson from the Kaiser Chiefs but it matches the energy and tempo of the tracks well.  Beatles-esque backing vocal harmonies pepper the best tracks although some of the excitement the band's music previously brought about is lessened in favor of the more accessible style. 

Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Let's Just Roll Like We Used To" and "Man of Simple Pleasures" [sample it below]

VHS or Beta Diamonds and Death - The alt/post-punk rockers from Brooklyn by way of Louisville, Kentucky release their third studio album.  For some reason they left the awesome Astralwerks label and are releasing this disc off of the much less cool Varese Fontana record label.  Unlike Kasabian who left their electronica roots behind on their latest release, VHS or Beta is still heavily influenced by and tries to incorporate many techniques from the disco-heavy acid house genre.  However overly lengthy tracks litter the album and bring down the enjoyment to be had from the release.  By far this is the least entertaining and most monotonous album from the band to date.  Whether this is due from changing labels or just the third-album-jinx many bands experience can't be determined from this disc alone but let's hope their future releases returns them to the fun and clever music they created in the past.

Score: 5.5/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "All Summer in a Day"

Mocean Worker Candygram For MoWo! - Alright, our second album with an exclamation mark in its name this week.  Woo-hoo!  Mocean Worker (pronounced "Motion Worker") is the stage name/recording alias of Adam Dorn.  If you're familiar with Mocean Worker, you probably know that his albums are usually skewed towards either a heavy drum & bass sound or a fast tempo, remixed acid jazz sound.   Candygram definitely skews toward the remixed jazz sound offering smooth rhythms behind raucous horns and ebullient piano work.  However, it is in no way a traditional jazz album with most songs featuring a quick electronic beat and a few of the songs even feature well constructed raps or hip-hop styled vocal samples.  Think St. Germain crossed with Zero 7.  Candygram is a superb album from beginning to end with well crafted grooves that have an acid jazz slant.  He manages to blend the more traditional style of jazz with funky electronica beats without ruining the fun to be had from either genre of music.  It's a true marriage of the two styles where everyone ends up a winner.  Do yourself a favor and have this Candygram delivered to your home. 

Score: 10/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Shooby Shooby Do Yah!" [sample it below], "My Own Little World" and "Sho Nuff"

New Music Reviews - 9/20/2011 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Lotus, and Gavin DeGraw

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Hysterical - The indie rock quintet from Brooklyn, NY release their third studio album.  After rumors persisted earlier this year that the band had broken up, I'm happy to report that they are still together and are producing new albums.  This album actually came out last week in Europe, the UK, and Japan but it drops this week in the U.S.

The album opens with the long-ago released first single, "Same Mistake," which features the killer hook and fun, indie style we've come to expect from the band in a song that instantly sweeps you along.  Next up is "Hysterical" which sounds like the band trying to cover a The Killers song but without the energy or vocal power that Brandon Flowers brings to that band's music.  "Maniac" is very entertaining song with the strong lyrical wordplay that was more prevalent on their past releases.  "In a Motel" is calming ballad with a haunting melody that is a joy to listen to. 

Ultimately, the album starts off with a bang but it fails to keep up that momentum for the duration of the release.  The disc isn't horrible by any means but the band has lost some of the quirkiness that helped set it apart from the other numerous indie acts and instead give us a more melancholy, Keane-like release.  There's little doubt that this is the band least original release sounding very much at times like the two bands referenced above, The Killers and Keane.  While that may not be a bad thing for a new band, for CYHSY it seems like a step backwards given the amount of originality and caprice they expressed on their first two albums. 

Score:  6.5/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Same Mistake" and "In a Motel"

 Lotus Lotus - Lotus is a four-person electronic jam band that formed over a decade ago at Goshen College in Indiana.  Although I'm only familiar with one of their previous four albums, I do know the band is known for using extensive and complex lighting arrangements to enhance their live performances.  The music is lush, synthesizer and dub heavy, with the occasional horn or string getting the spotlight over their more basic guitar/bass/drum instrumentation.  Vocals are kept to a minimum, mainly consisting of spoken word samples or simple raps, with only one song actually featuring singing.  The buoyant electronic melodies are very infectious and you don't miss the lack of singing at all.  The tracks that integrate their horn section have a funkier feel and remind me of Marden Hill at their best with a little bit of Zero 7 thrown in.   Lotus' self-titled release is a pleasant surprise and a great album to trumpet in the start of the fall music season.

Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Golden Ghost" [sample it below], "Bush Pilot", and "Harps"

Gavin DeGraw Sweeter - The pop singer/songwriter from the Catskills resort area of New York releases his fourth studio album.  The first thing you notice about this release is that it has a more lively feel than his last album, 2009's Free.  However his range is still not as great as some of his contemporaries in this genre which means many tracks come off sounding like a poor man's John Mayer or Andy Stochansky.  The one exception is the fun and well structured "Radiation" where DeGraw's vocals really come to life in a more soulful manner although the hook of the song could have been catchier.  Overall, it's a melancholy and below-average release that, although it generally features a livelier tempo than his last album, never really comes to life.

Score: 5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Radiation" [sample it below]

New Music Reviews - 9/13/2011 - The Kooks, Robbers on High Street, Primus, Neon Indian, and Ladytron

The Kooks  Junk of the Heart - The indie rockers/Britpoppers from Brighton, England release their studio third album.  Drummer Paul Garred is back with the band after a two year absence when he left due to a nerve injury in his arm.  Another band I definitely recommend checking out live if you have the opportunity.  Not only do they put on a great show, but you might see something really cool like one of the band members kicking The Arctic Monkey's lead singer Alex Turner in the face during the middle of the band's performance!  (This supposedly happened in 2008 when Turner was trying to disrupt The Kooks set at a festival in the UK.)  Now let's find out if their new album kicks some ass or falls flat on its face. 

"Junk of the Heart (Happy)" leads off the album and the first thing you notice is the unique crooning style of lead singer Luke Pritchard that, along with their soaring harmonies, is a staple of the band over a simple indie melody with a decent hook that borders between being extremely catchy and being annoyingly catchy such that it'll get stuck in your head for a week.  "Time Above the Earth" is an interesting ditty with a purely violin driven melody that succeeds in creating something completely different from what the band has made in the past although it's not a song you'll be playing over and over.  "Runaway" The album ends with the fantastic "Mr. Nice Guy" which has the edge to music that they first exhibited in their first album but has been mostly absent since then.

Junk of the Heart is about at the same level of quality as Konk which means there are lots of good songs but the total impact of the album pales in comparison to their first disc, Inside In, Inside Out.  Overall, the album is on the mellower side in comparison to their more raucous past releases but the style, especially the vocals from frontman Pritchard, are still instantly recognizable.  At least on this album they experiment with their sound and produce a few tracks unlike anything they had produced before.  While the results of these more experimental songs end up being a mixed bag, they also give us a number of songs in the laid-back indie style we anticipate they will produce.  It's nice to hear the band come out of their shell but their best songs still echo their past hits. 

Score: 8/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Junk of the Heart (Happy)" [sample it below] and "Mr. Nice Guy"

Robbers on High Street Hey There Golden Hair - Robbers is a five person indie rock band from New York.  This is the band's third studio album which became available in MP3 album format this week although I couldn't find a street date for the actual CD release.  But if you love this band as much as I do, you can find the whole album on iTunes, Amazon, and other online MP3 music retailers.  One of the band's strengths that is on full display on this release is their ability to weave a fun story and integrate it well with the accompanying melodies and Beatles-esque harmonies.  "Electric Eye" really showcases the former attribute while "Second Chance" shines with the latter.  Hey There Golden Hair is another fantastic album from Robbers on High Street with soaring harmonies and cleverly written lyrics.  Longtime fans must pick this album up and new fans will probably find at least a couple songs to their liking.

Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Electric Eye", "Second Chance" and "Monkey"

Primus Green Naugahyde - The hard rocking Bay Area trio fronted by bass god Les Claypool release their sixth studio album and first in over a decade.  It's not like they were on vacay that entire time; the boys were either working on solo projects or performing with other bands.  And speaking of the boys, longtime drummer Jon Lane makes his glorious return on this release .  Green shows a return to form of to the bass-heavy rock ditties with a skewing towards the more twisted, carnival-esque melodies.  The entire album is solid from beginning to end which is sure to please fans of the band and be a good introduction for the young'uns.  Only one thing prevents the album from scoring higher: a lack of a true breakout hit along the lines of "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" or "My Name Is Mud".  Other than that, it's great to see the band hasn't lost a step since the 90's.  If only I could say that about more bands...

Score: 8.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Hennepin Crawler", "Tragedy's a'Comin'" and "Lee Van Cleef" [sample it below]

Neon Indian Era Extrana - After a somewhat disappointing LP release last year, chillwave/synthpop electronica act Neon Indian releases a full-length studio album.  Unfortunately, it's more of the same from the band.  The potential of the band, once again, is present but what they give us is substandard with hooks that fail to capture your attention, melodies that start off promising but end up deteriorating quickly, and lyrics that don't make an impact emotionally nor in terms of cohesiveness.  There are some interesting OMD-lite refrains and melodies on the album that prevent it from being a total let down but for all the potential the band has shown over the past few years, they still haven't figured out how to put it all together. 

Score: 5.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Polish Girl" [sample it below]

Ladytron Gravity the Seducer - The synthpop band from Liverpool release their fifth studio album.  Their first single, "White Elephant," was released all the way back in May and it leads off the album while another song, "Ace of Hz," was previously included in the band's compilation album, Best of 00-10.  The good news if you're a fan of the band is that they haven't changed their formula over the years and are still able to concoct smooth and doleful chillwave melodies that aptly fit a Fall album release.  However, the level of seduction on Seducer doesn't completely draw you in instead leaving you with an overall sense of melancholy.  It's an album that will tide fans over until their next release but there won't be many songs from this disc on their next Best of album.

Score: 6.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "White Gold" [sample it below] and "Ambulances"