Summer Albums to Listen To

It has been entirely too long since I've updated this thing.  For that, I apologize.

Here are a handful of albums that I've been listening to lately...all of which will make for terrific summer listening.

Sleigh Bells - Treats

Take a healthy mixture of rock, pop, and hip-hop.  Crank the levels up until everything is in the red.  Then take a female vocalist who is half cheerleader and half girl-group popstar, and you have Sleigh Bells.  I listened to it a couple of times, and didn't think much of it.  Eventually I brought it with me in the car on a nice day, rolled down the windows, and cranked it.  All of a sudden, it clicked.  What I'm saying is this: give it a couple of listens before you decide whether you like it or not.  If it's still not clicking, take it out with you and give it a spin on a nice day.  It's perfect.

Rating: 4.5/5

Favorite Track: "Crown on the Ground"

Josh Ritter - So Runs the World Away

Josh Ritter is one of the best songwriters alive.  I began to agree with this statement after hearing "Girl in the War" (from The Animal Years).  "The Temptation of Adam" (from The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter) convinced me even further that this was true.  "The Curse" (from this album) leaves no doubt in my mind.  In "The Curse", Ritter has created a beautiful love story between a mummy, and the archeologist who resurrected him.  In anyone else's hands, a concept like this could come off as a bit cheesy or gimmicky.  But Ritter makes it a wholly believable - and extremely heartbreaking - tale of love and loss.   

But Ritter is not just a great songwriter.  With each album, the musicianship of his songs has improved.  Pounding drums, slide guitars, and a swirling piano bring "Change of Time" to a close.  Clacking drumsticks drive "Rattling Locks".  Finger picked guitars, eerie pianos, and a myriad of atmospheric noises bubble under the surface of "Another New World".

This album is a strong contender for album of the year.  If you haven't listened to Josh Ritter before, now is the time to start.  (If you have a chance to see him live, go do it.  He puts on a killer live show.)

Rating: 5/5

Favorite Track: "Change of Time"

Broken Bells - Broken Bells

My love for Danger Mouse has been widely chronicled here.  I have also loved the last couple of Shins albums.  When it was announced that James Mercer (The Shins' lead singer) and Danger Mouse were working on an album, I was extremely excited.

This album exceeded my expectations.  Danger Mouse proves why he is such a sought-after producer.  Throughout this album, he creates a sound that is somehow unique and familiar.  It's a pop album...but there's something different about it.  It's extremely addictive, and it's a great album for the summer.

Rating: 4.5/5

Favorite Track: "October"

Sally Seltmann - Heart That's Pounding

I had no idea who Sally Seltmann was when I listened to this album for the first time, so I had no idea what to expect.  Upon first listen, I thought it was a good - but not great - album.  After a couple of listens, that view changed.  I fell in love with this album.  From the album cover to the production to her voice...this sounds like a classic album; like an unreleased Dusty Springfield album that was found sitting on a shelf somewhere.  It's a mood that is set early, and one that continues throughout the album.  That's not to say that all the songs sound the same.  Each song has its own personality.  But, through it all, her voice is the constant.  And it works perfectly within the songs.  It's a fantastic pop-soul album that sounds much older than it is.

Rating: 5/5

Favorite Track: "Dream About Changing"

Yeasayer - Odd Blood

Of all the albums here, this one took me the longest to "get".  It's an odd combination of pop, space-funk, soul, rock, world music and electronica.  It is, to put it quite bluntly, a strange album.  It doesn't help that the first track ("The Children") is a seemingly formless blob of distorted voices and clanging noises.  It's still my least favorite track on the album...but I hate it less now than I used to.  Still, it seems a poor choice to introduce the rest of the album.  But, if you don't get past it (or, at the very least, just skip it), you'll never find the true greatness contained on this album.  This album is definitely a "grower".  It took me at least 6 listens to really start to love it.  But, once I did, I'm glad I gave it the time I did.  It's a terrific album.  Put some time into it, and you'll be glad you did.

Rating: 4/5

Favorite Track: "Mondegreen"

The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

It's hard for me to put into words why I love The Tallest Man on Earth.  It's because words can't really describe his uniqueness.  He is a solo artist.  His songs (save for the closer, "Kids on the Run") contain a guitar and gravelly vocals...and sometimes a banjo.  All of his songs sound like they were recorded in a small room with a single microphone.  Nothing about that description makes him sound very special...but he is.  He operates within the "a man and his guitar" musical framework, but he doesn't really sound like anyone else.  Like I said, words can't really describe The Tallest Man on Earth.  So make sure you give this album a listen. You'll be glad you did.

Rating: 4/5

Favorite Track: "King of Spain"

She & Him - Volume Two

Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward return for another album containing more of the same music they created on Volume One.  This is an album that borrows liberally from the girl group pop of the 50s and 60s.  There's nothing wrong with that.  They're so good at this, that it's hard to find any fault with them.  It's not daring in any way...but that's fine.  When you can create a sound so perfectly, it would almost be a disservice to do anything else.  It's a pleasant album.  If you liked Volume One, you'll like Volume Two.  I love them both.

Rating: 4/5

Favorite Track: "Thieves"

I'll return in the not-too-distant future with part 2, featuring The National, Dr. Dog, The Black Keys, and more.

Top 20 Albums of 2009

Here are my top 20 albums of 2009.  In the not-too-distant future, I'll try to post those that fell just outside of the top 20...but I make no promises.

20. Sufjan Stevens - The BQE

Sufjan's modern-classical album.  Lots of strings, horns, and electronic experimentation.  Exactly what I expected...and it's glorious.

Favorite track: "Movement IV: Traffic Shock"

19. Solander - Since We Are Pigeons

Dark, acoustic-based Swedish music.  A bit spotty at times, but, overall, I really like it.  It kind of reminded me of Sufjan's Seven Swans era for a while...but that may have just been the banjo.

Favorite track: "Berlin"

18. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl, and Josh Homme got together and made a terrific hard rock album.  There are shades of Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age, to be sure...but it's still a great hard-rock blues album, that, at times, doesn't really sound like anyone.

Favorite track: "New Fang"

17. Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson - Break Up

 I've never been a big Pete Yorn fan, but I liked this album.  He found a good singing partner in Scarlett Johansson.  This is just a good pop album, which revolves around a couple breaking up (in case you couldn't tell from the title).  Drop your cynicism and give this album a shot...it's better than you think.

Favorite track: "I Am the Cosmos"

16. Susan Enan - Plainsong

This album is, at its heart, a folk album.  But all the songs are filled out with great instrumentation, making for a very enjoyable listen.  Her voice really makes the album, though.  Even on songs where the instrumentation is sparse (as it is on "The Grave"), her voice never allows the song to become boring.

Favorite Track: "Moonlight"

15. David Bazan - Curse Your Branches

I'll turn this one over to Matthew, who wrote about this album on his blog:
"Here we have possibly the most well-known man in Christian indie rock (Pedro the Lion) openly questioning his faith, sometimes in the most blunt manner: 'Wait just a minute, you expect me to believe that all this misbehaving grew from one enchanted tree?' This is an important record, simply because it shows how one man can struggle so deeply within himself. Alcoholism, wavering faith, depression, this is as personal as it gets. 'When all this lethal drinking is to hopefully forget about you. I might as well admit it, like I even have a choice. The crew have killed the captain, but they still can hear his voice.' This s*** is heartbreaking."
Couldn't have said it better if I wanted to.

Favorite track: "Please, Baby, Please"

14. Blakroc - Blakroc

The Black Keys decided to do a hip-hop record.  So they laid-down some tracks, and invited some friends over (Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Ludacris, NOE, RZA, Raekwon, Jim Jones, and others), and cranked out an album.  It's an album filled with a blues-rock backbeat, and some great emcees in the forefront...just don't call it a rap-rock album.

Favorite track: "Done Did It (feat. NOE)"

13. The Dead Weather - Horehound

Jack White on drums.  Allison Mosshart (The Kills) on vocals.  Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes/The Raconteurs) on bass.  Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age) on guitar.  It's a loud, crunchy blues/rock mix that sounds terrific.

Favorite track: "60 Feet Tall"

12. Wale - Attention Deficit

He has a smooth style, reminiscent of Lupe Fiasco (with shades of Kanye's better moments), but without sounding like he's ripping either of them off.  The production is terrific as well (including one song produced by TV On the Radio's Dave Sitek).  There are some moments when the lyrics are a bit cheesy ("I remain a Giant and you Jeremy Shockey" comes to mind), but, for the most part, he keeps it interesting and funny, with moments of seriousness (most notably "90210" and "Shades").  The great moments on this album far outweigh the lesser ones.

Favorite track: "Chillin' (feat. Lady Gaga)"

11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

A synth-laden album that starts out with the dance-club feel of "Zero" and ends with "Little Shadow", a slow song with minimal instrumentation.  Karen O has really found out how to use her voice.  Gone is the howling of Fever to Tell, replaced with a more polished (but still a hint of wildness under the surface) vocal style.  It's their best album to date.

Favorite Track: "Skeletons"

10. The Raveonettes - In and Out of Control

The Raveonettes do fuzzed-out-and-distorted 50s inspired pop music better than anyone (with the possible exception of Glasvegas...but, with only one record under their belt, it's tough to tell).  This album is no different.  The album gets off to a perfect start with "Bang!", and it doesn't let up from there.  While their lyrics have never been their strong point (there's a song called "Boys Who Rape Should All Be Destroyed"...and, while I agree with the sentiment, it makes for a pretty clunky set of lyrics), they're good enough to not be a distraction in most cases.  There's not much to differentiate this album from some of their previous albums...but there's nothing wrong with that.  They know what they're good at, and they're sticking with it.  As long as they continue to be this good with it, I don't care if they ever change.

Favorite track: "Last Dance"

9. Elvis Perkins - Elvis Perkins in Dearland

Elvis hooked me with his first album (Ash Wednesday).  It was a ridiculously sad album, and the music reflected that.  This album has an entirely different feel to it, and it took me a couple of listens to get into it because of that.  The lyrics haven't gotten much more hopeful on this album (although "I don't let Doomsday bother me/Do you let it bother you?" may be the closest he'll ever get to writing a happy song), but the music is much peppier.  There are elements of New Orleans jazz (the aforementioned "Doomsday" sounds like it was recorded on a New Orleans street), blues, pop and folk sprinkled throughout.  The songs are filled out with a full band and some terrific horn arrangements.  It's an album with a lot going on, and it takes a couple of listens to take it all in.  But once you do, you'll want to turn it up loud and never stop listening.

Favorite track: "1 2 3 Goodbye"

8. Handsome Furs - Face Control

Made up of the husband and wife team of Dan Boeckner (from Wolf Parade) and Alexei Perry, this album comes off as a dark, scuzzy rock album with a hint of dancehall.  It's upbeat and catchy, but it also feels a little creepy.  It's one of those albums that I loved right away, and the more I listened to it, the more I loved it (for the record, that's extremely rare for me).

Favorite track: "All We Want, Baby, Is Everything"

7. Fun - Aim & Ignite

An upbeat album from a band that seems to love Queen and ELO.  Nate Ruess' (from The Format) voice has a Freddy Mercury feel to it, but not quite as dramatic (it sometimes comes off a little more as Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance).  For the most part, the songs are very well orchestrated, filled out with lots of voices and strings.  "The Gambler" is the exception.  It's a piano-driven love song that brings to mind Ben Folds' "The Luckiest".  It's a beautiful song, and it fits well on this album, even though it's a slightly different style.
(Extra note: Andrew Dost, a former member of Anathallo, is also a member of this band.)

Favorite track: "All the Pretty Girls"

6. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

I originally had this album ranked much higher.  Then, as I went back and listened to it again, I realized there were a handful of songs that I didn't really care for ("Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" and "Fever" being the major culprits).  I didn't hate them: I just didn't really like them too much.  But, aside from those couple of tracks, all the others are amazing.  I've been a Neko Case fan since 2000's Furnace Room Lullaby, and I think this is her best album.  "This Tornado Loves You", "Magpie to the Morning", and "Don't Forget Me" rank right up there with the best songs she's ever done.  The music sounds terrific (the "piano choir" on "Don't Forget Me" is absolutely gorgeous) and her voice is in top form.  If you haven't listened to Neko Case before, this is a good place to start.

Favorite track: "Magpie to the Morning"

5. Bat for Lashes - Two Suns

Bat for Lashes' first album (Fur and Gold) was a great debut album, but it was a little uneven.  I liked it a lot, but there were a number of songs that never really hit me.  This album is a different matter.  It's a much more cohesive album, and the songs are a much stronger group.  There's nothing that quite approaches the beauty of "Sad Eyes" from Fur and Gold, but, as a whole, this album is much better.  The album is laden with synths, percussion, and lots of lyrics featuring crystals.  It's a haunting album that sounds something like Kate Bush in her prime.  Don't miss this album.

Favorite track: "Sleep Alone"

4. Regina Spektor - Far

Regina Spektor has been making quirky, piano-driven pop music for a number of years now.  This is the best she has ever sounded.  I can't explain it, but the piano just sounds better on this album.  Perhaps it's a little cleaner...but it definitely sounds like there's an extra measure of beauty in those keys this time around.  I can't explain why...I just know how it feels.  There's not a weak song on the album.  It's a great quirky pop album.  Like you could expect anything less from her at this point.

Favorite track: "One More Time With Feeling"

3. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Summer of Fear

His first, self-titled album was decent.  It started off strong, but, overall, there wasn't much to it.  It was originally recorded to be a demo, and it sounded like it.  It was mainly Miles and his guitar.  Pretty stripped down.  This album was produced by Kyp Malone (of TV On the Radio), and it shows.  The songs are more realized, and they're filled out with layers upon layers of guitars, vocals, percussion, horns, and strings.  When everything is working, it sounds terrific; a glorious sound that only improves the louder it gets.  At times it sounds a little ramshackle, and at times his voice doesn't quite sound on-key, but it all seems to work.  It's not the most accessible album (it took me 6 or 7 times to really start liking it), but, once it "clicks", you'll be glad you gave it a chance.  There are moments when this album is absolutely breathtaking.

Favorite track: "Summer of Fear, Pt. 2"

2. Florence + The Machine - Lungs

I had head that Florence Welch had a great voice.  That's all I knew going into this album.  But there's so much more to it.  Her voice is incredible...but it's the percussion that really made me love this album.  It's not often you hear deep, booming percussion as far up in the mix as you do on this album (it is most evident on "Howl" and "Drumming Song").  Yet, even with the percussion sitting up far in the mix (and the rest of the instrumentation swirling around it), her voice is able to be prominent without the need for screaming.  She has a commanding voice that demands to be heard, no matter what else is going on.  Her voice is also diverse enough to switch from dance pop ("Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up") to punk rock ("Kiss With a Fist") to slow-building, explosive pop/soul/blues ("Girl With One Eye") without skipping a beat.  Florence Welch is a tremendous talent...and she should be making terrific music for a number of years.

Favorite track: "Girl With One Eye"

1. St. Vincent - Actor

From the moment this album came out, I knew it would end up here.  It had to.  Annie Clark is a unique talent; she is able to make creative, abrasive rock music without sounding forced or "arty for the sake of arty". She's sincere in her music, and you can tell.  This album is a perfect blend of pop, rock, and violent outbursts of sound.  Sure, there are some quieter moments (like "The Bed"), but even those songs have enough creative instrumentation going on to keep it interesting.  But it's the harder moments (the crunchy guitar of "Actor Out of Work", the woodwind and kick-drum driven groove of "Marrow") that demand your attention.  When everything kicks in, you can't help but listen with your mouth hanging open.  And, of course, throughout the entire album is Annie's voice, doing whatever it needs to do to fit with the music.  She's a chameleon...in a good way.  She's a master of vocal delivery (the moment that starts around the 2 minute mark of "Neighbors" may be my favorite moment of the entire album...her voice kicks in and just steals the show), standing strong in the midst of the musical chaos that surrounds her.
Marry Me was incredible.  This album is darn near perfect.  I can't wait to see what she does next.

Favorite track: "Marrow"

Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comment section.

Two Albums from 2009 I Don't Understand

Before I get to my Best of 2009 list (coming in a couple of days), I thought I'd talk about a couple of albums that have received terrific reviews, but that I never really "got".  It's not that I hate these albums...I just don't understand why everyone else seems to love them.
I'm not saying these things to bring your hatred crashing down upon me.  These are just things I feel that I need to get off my chest.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

There are some extremely catchy songs on this album...that cannot be denied.  "1901", while making its way to commercials, is still a great song.  The synths make you want to move, while the vocals beg you to sing along.  "Lisztomania" is a little obnoxious (the name bothers me quite a bit), but it's still a catchy little song.
And so the album goes.  It's only 9 songs, but, by the end, I feel like I've heard the same song at least 5 times.  The songs are catchy, synth-driven tracks with processed guitars and a nice voice.  It could have been released in 1986 and no one would've batted an eye.  I kind of like the album, but it's rarely something that I ever think about.  I haven't ever found myself in a position where I think, "You know, I'd really like to listen to that Phoenix album."  It's not bad...but it seems pretty forgettable.
And something else has been bugging me since this album came out; didn't The Black Kids roll with this same sound only a year ago?  They released Partie Traumatic in 2008, and, while it carried some early buzz, it never really took off (Sharon and I wrote about it last year).  They're a five-piece, synth-based band that was stuck in the 80s.  Sure, the vocals didn't sound as good (they were a bit whiny at times), but it was the same sound.  The songs were upbeat, catchy, and, ultimately, pretty forgettable.  Just like Phoenix.  I know it's not really "cool" to like The Black Kids...so I'm not really sure why it's suddenly "cool" to like Phoenix.  If someone could explain this to me, I would very much appreciate it.

Favorite Track: "1901"
Rating: 3/5

The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You

I already caught some heat for my thoughts on this one, especially considering some of the albums that will end up in my top 20.  Still, it bears repeating.
The first song on this album is incredible.  "I And Love And You" is a beautiful song, filled with great instrumentation, great lyrics, and an earnest voice.  I had heard bits-and-pieces of The Avett Brothers before this...but I was not prepared for this song.  It's a beautiful song.
However, the album goes downhill from there.  There are a handful of songs on the album that I like quite a bit ("Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise", "Ill With Want", and "Imcomplete and Insecure").  But, overall, this album just feels pretty "blah".  There's really not much to it.  The pain that filled "I And Love And You" was gone, replaced with a sort of indifference.  And that's how I feel about the album...indifferent.  I love one song, like a few, hate one ("Kick Drum Heart"), and don't really care about the others.  I have listened to this album around 10 times, and I can't tell you what half the songs sound like.  Oh, I know they're slowish and are based around acoustic guitars with some drums, piano, and cello filling out the songs (and I know that the upbeat songs all sound almost exactly the same), but I don't remember specifics.  It all gets rolled up into one big ball of indifference in my head.
Since I like the first song on the album, I have listened to this album more often than the Phoenix album, but my overall feeling is the same: I don't hate it...in fact, I even kind of like it.  But it's rare that I want to listen to the whole thing.

Favorite Song: "I And Love And You"
Rating: 3/5

Please leave comments and let me know your thoughts.  Tell me how wrong I am.  Tell me why I'm wrong.  But, for the life of me, I can't understand the major appeal of these albums.

Album of the Month: David Bazan

Artist: David Bazan
Album: Curse Your Branches
Year Released: 2009

Random history: David Bazan was formerly Pedro the Lion.  This is his debut full-length album under his name.

Sharon's Rating: 3/5

Sharon's Thoughts: Enjoyable for what it is.  Interesting exploration into country music stylings, but for the serious nature and the rhythm of his lyrics.  I like the sounds of his early career better.

Dusty's Rating: 4/5

Dusty's Thoughts: Considering the lack of quality of his past couple of projects (his "debut" EP Fewer Moving Parts, and his Headphones project), I wasn't expecting this to be very good.  Thankfully, this album proved me wrong.  The music on this album is denser with instrumentation than many of his Pedro the Lion albums, and, for the most part, it works really well.  His lyrics seem to settle on two topics: God and drinking.  It's not the first time he has explored these topics in tandem, and it definitely won't be his last.
This album marks a (slightly) new musical direction for David.  So far, it's working.

Favorite Songs: "Please, Baby, Please", "Curse Your Branches"

The next album we'll be reviewing will be The Ravonette's In and Out of Control.  Feel free to join us.

iPod Roulette

You know how we play this.  Hit shuffle on your iPod, and list the first ten songs that come up.  Post your results in the comments.

1. "I Know What It's Like" - Yonlu (from A Society in Which No Tear is Shed is Inconceivably Mediocre)
Not bad...but it just sounds like a poor man's Elliott Smith.  It's not a bad thing, but his love of Elliott Smith is painfully obvious.  Also, this guy killed himself when he was 16, before this album saw any kind of release.

2. "Ready for the Rain" - Dime Store Prophets (from Love is Against the Grain)
Just a good rock song, with a little country influence thrown in for good measure.  It's a shame these guys weren't bigger than they were.

3. "Good Man" - Josh Ritter (from The Animal Years)
My favorite song from this album.  An upbeat pop song, with shades of Billy Joel.  Love it.

4. "Grylliade (Live)" - The Prayer Chain (from Antarctica)
A fantastic song; dark and building with some great percussion...though I prefer the album version.

5. "Rumpus Reprise" - Karen O and the Kids (from Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack)
There's not much to this song, but I like it.  I'm really looking forward to hearing how these songs work within the context of the movie.  Should be great.

6. "Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)" - DJ Shadow (from Preemptive Strike)
I love this song.  A great organ line over a fantastic beat.  Listening to this track, I'm reminded of how amazing DJ Shadow was.  I hope he returns to greatness once again.

7. "I'll Come Running Back to You" - Sam Cooke (from Portrait of a Legend)
There's not a better soul singer than Sam Cooke...and that's a fact.  While this song isn't my favorite of his, it's still amazing.  He had a very distinct style, and it's in full swing here.

8. "A Summer Chill" - This is Ivy League (from This is Ivy League)
A great summer pop song (that's the only kind of songs this band does).  Great harmonies and guitars.  When I hear this song, I wish I was in a car, driving with the windows open.  Instead, I'm sitting here watching baseball.  I suppose that's okay, too.

9.  "The Rolling People" - The Verve (from Urban Hymns)
I used to hate this song.  As I've listened to it more, I've come to love it.  The swirling guitars are just perfect.

10. "Sing Little Bird Sing" - The Left Banke (from There's Gonna Be a Storm)
A nice, well orchestrated pop song from this relatively overlooked 60s pop band.  It's not easy to track down this album (a best of), but, if you can find it, it's worth your time to check out.

Things I've Been Listening To

Here is a list of some of the albums I've been listening to recently.

Volcano Choir - Unmap

This is a project featuring Justin Vernon (from Bon Iver). Seeing as how I love Bon Iver, I was pretty excited about this album.

Aside from the vocals (which are not a huge part of this album), the music sounds nothing like Bon Iver. This album is full of glitchy electronics, bursts of sound, and long periods where the tracks seem to be building to nothing.

Still...I like it. I don't love it, but I like it...although it took me a couple of listens to get there. Right now is the perfect time of year to start listening to this album, too.

Favorite song: "Husks and Shells"

Rating: 3.5/5

Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

Although I love Wilco, there were a number of barriers I had to get past to enjoy this album.

Barrier #1: While I loved Sky Blue Sky, the constant barrage of hearing those songs in commercials kind of killed the album for me, which is a real shame. I thought it had a shot to rank among my favorite Wilco albums...but now that will never happen. In addition to that, I now have to get past that feeling and try to listen to this album without thinking, "I wonder how long it will take for all of these songs to make it to TV."

Barrier #2: The album is called Wilco (The Album). That is a terrible name for an album. Self-title the album if you must...but Wilco (The Album) is terrible, and nothing will be able to change my mind.

Barrier #3: The first song is called "Wilco (The Song)". Come on. Are you trying to make me hate you? On top of that, the song sounds like Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London". I enjoy "Werewolves of London". I am much less enthusiastic about people trying to copy it.

Once I got past those barriers, I found that I liked the album quite a bit. It doesn't compare with their best work, but it's a good, solid pop/rock album. It's looking like their best days are behind them. But, as long as they keep releasing good, solid albums, I think I can come to terms with the fact that they are not great. I don't know if that makes any sense to you all, but it makes perfect sense to me.

Favorite song: "One Wing"

Rating: 3.5/5

Sufjan Stevens - The B.Q.E.

When I heard this was coming out, this was how it sounded in my mind: "A modern classical album, filled with all of the orchestration that Sufjan is known for. Also, a couple of tracks of noise." Add in some scant amounts of electronic experimentation, and I pretty much hit the nail on the head.

It is almost exactly what I expected...and I love it.

Favorite song: "Movement IV: Traffic Shock"

Rating: 4.5/5

Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson - Break Up

I never have been a huge Pete Yorn fan, but I enjoyed Scarlett Johansson's previous album, so I decided to give this album a shot.

The album works its way through the break up of a relationship, as seen through the eyes of both parties involved.

It works extremely well. I never cared much for Yorn's voice, but, when mixed with Johansson's, it just sounds like it fits.

The album kicks off with "Relator", which sets the stage for the entire album. It also happens to be the catchiest track on the album.

They also work in a cover of Chris Bell's "I Am the Cosmos", which is my favorite moment of the album. Scarlett's voice works so well with that song.

This is a pop album. Plain and simple. But they do it extremely well.

Favorite song: "I Am the Cosmos"

Rating: 4.5/5

Margo Guryan - Take a Picture

This album was released in 1968, but it never really garnered much attention. I've been listening to it for a little while, and it's high time I said something about it.

Margo Guryan was a classically trained musician, who majored in composition at Boston University. She loved jazz music, and spent most of her time writing jazz compositions. While she was attending the Lenox School of Jazz, someone introduced her to Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys. She became obsessed with pop music, and began writing pop music of her own. In 1968, she released this album (it was the only album she officially released).

It's full of fantastic pop songs with a classical influence. The standout track is "Someone I Know", a piano driven song that uses "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" as a theme.

Her voice can take a little to get used to, and there are a couple of "down" moments on the album. But, for the most part, it's a great album that should be heard by more people.

Favorite song: "Someone I Know"

Rating: 4.5/5

Maps - Turning the Mind

Maps first album, We Can Create, was an album filled with electronics and synths, creating a wonderfully lush sound. It was one of those albums that I thought was amazing the first time I heard it, but it lost some of its luster the more I listened to it. Still, it was a solid album, and I was excited for this one.

Apparently James Chapman (the only member of Maps) decided that disco was not dead, and so made an album of disco-infused electronic music. It's not even as good as it sounds. All of the songs bleed together into one giant mistake.

Rating: .5/5
Tyondai Braxton - Central Market

This album sounds like Mickey Mouse started listening to some Stravinsky, then hired the Seven Dwarves to be his backing band...but in a good way. I'm sorry, but that's the only way I can think to describe it.

It's a bit uneven, but, overall, it's an enjoyable and interesting listen.

Favorite song: "Uffe's Woodshop"

Rating: 3.5/5

Album of the Month: Viva Voce - Rose City

Artist: Viva Voce
Album: Rose City
Year Released: 2009

Sharon's Rating: 4/5

Sharon's Thoughts: With a couple of songs for pretty much every mood - summery fun, rainy day broodiness - this seems to be a pretty versatile album. Vocals are soothing and fun at the same time - lovely blend of voices and harmony. Love the use of the piano, excellent percussion rhythms, and heart-wrenching guitar effects.

Sharon's Favorites: "Midnight Sun"

Dusty's Rating: 4/5

Dusty's Thoughts: Far and away my favorite album of theirs. I love the way their voices sound together, and the instrumentation is amazing. I absolutely love the piano on "Midnight Sun"; it just sounds so spacious and beautiful. While I'm not a huge fan of every song, the album (as a whole) has a great vibe.

Dusty's Favorites: "Devotion", "Midnight Sun"

Our next album will be David Bazan's Curse Your Branches. Feel free to join us.