The word is so out, that it almost doesn’t need to be uttered yet again. The new album is good – a masterpiece some say. And I can’t argue. Every track is a winner (with the exception of the dopey Drunk Girls.) James Murphy lays down chunky synth-beats, krautrock grooves, gurgles, chirps, and pays homage to his heros with wit, originality, and a touch of earnestness. We may not hear a finer album this year.
Recommended Tracks (sorry links were pulled):
Dance Yrself Clean
One Touch
All I Want
Man, this is a good album. Glad the more straight-ahead blues-rock sound is up front and the Danger Mouse influence has taken a backseat. It’s why I really went for band to begin with. Here, their sound continues to evolve – and Dan Auerbach's vocals have never been more varied, reaching for the upper registers and even capturing a 60’s girl group vibe at times. Needless to say, I am completely down with my Brothers.
Sinister Kid
Never Give You Up
Austin, Texas based Harlem have put out a garage-pop gem of an album. It’s stripped down sound and catchy-as-hell songwriting is an effortless pleasure that will have you singing along in two minutes flat.
Recommended Tracks (sorry links were pulled):
Be Your Baby
Gay Human Bones
Torture Me
Faces
I don’t know why it took me so long to dig into the new Tindersticks album. I’ve adored the band since their first release in 1993—although they did lose me for a brief time near the tumultuous end of their first incarnation. After a five-year absence, the band reformed with a more stripped down lineup and recorded The Hungry Saw, which I did indeed like very much. So maybe it’s just an over-familiarity with what they do that found me procrastinating with Falling Down a Mountain. In any event, I was missing out on a terrific album that features the strongest first three album tracks of any they’ve put out. The sound is looser and more confident—and I’m back 100%. 
Though Dev Hynes has been busy cranking out scrappy music over the past couple years, he’s back with a proper full-length album. And although its appeal may not be quite as immediate as 2008's Falling Off A Lavender Bridge, it is remarkably good, and will no doubt, work its magic on you after a few extended listens. It’s really the first album out this year that I’m truly excited by.Recommended Tracks (Sorry, links were pulled)
Marlene
I Don't Want To Wake Up Alone
Sweetheart
BJM have not yet collapsed under the weight of their own strangeness. They return to semi-coherent form with their new release Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? The good news is that it’s actually got a lot going for it—driving spacey grooves (at times), more consistency as an album, a touch of Eastern instrumentation, and even a nod to Joy Division. The vocals are still a bit garbled, but overall, it’s a big step in the evolution of the “new” BJM sound.
Tempo 116.7 (Reaching for Dangerous Levels of Sobriety)
This Is the One Thing We Did Not Want to Have Happen
