May 31 Album Releases

Here we go again, kiddos! May has been an excellent month for album releases so far. From Okkervil River to Lady Gaga to Fleet Foxes, this fifth month has been nothing short of spectacular. And, once again, we have a lovely and interesting week for new music.

The biggest release this week, at least in my humble opinion, is Death Cab For Cutie's seventh studio album, Codes and Keys. Like any other stereotypical indie chick, I've had a serious musical crush on these guys since I was 14, so I'm obviously pretty stoked for this. Since their last release, Narrow Stairs, lead singer/lyricist Ben Gibbard has found sobriety and married the adorable Zooey Deschanel, so it'll certainly be interesting to see how this reflects on his music, if at all. I know I'm excited!

My Morning Jacket also releases Circuital this week. I'm not too terribly familiar with My Morning Jacket, but their latest album has gotten high marks so far from several music publications, including SPIN. While a lot of bands just start to phone it in after a few albums, these high marks seem to show that these guys are still working hard. Also, Jim James, the lead singer of MMJ, keeps company with Conor Oberst and M.Ward as a part of the supergroup Monsters of Folk, so if his music is good enough for these guys, it's good enough for me.

The next few releases just scream moody middle-schooler to me. First up in this category is Eddie Vedder's Ukulele Songs. I was way too into grunge back when I was 13, so that part of me is always pretty stoked for something new from Vedder, no matter how disappointing new Pearl Jam albums may be. His last solo venture, the Into The Wild soundtrack was a huge success, so this ukulele thing may end up being less weird than it sounds. I also YouTube'd one of the tracks, "Longing to Belong," and the whole thing has an essence of sadness and beauty to it, and of course, Vedder's stellar and standout voice is in the mix, so that's worth the price of admission on its own.

Second up in this moody middle school category is The Melvins 11th live album, Sugar Daddy. Now, I'm not going to pretend to know more about these guys than I do, but I do know that Kurt Cobain was a huge fan and knew these guys pretty well, which impressed me about when I was 12. I also know that they've been around for nearly 30 years, which is nuts. And if they're still touring after being together that long, kudos! They must be doing something right.

Flogging Molly's Speed of Darkness also comes out this Tuesday, which probably has that jerky punk kid I knew in the 7th grade pretty excited. (I still hate you for making fun of my Ataris shirt, by the way.)

And every middle school girl from the '80s has to be excited for Jordan Knight's Unfinished.

So, with a few little indie jams and a lot of things that remind me of those miserably awkward years from 11 to 14, I bid you adieu. Happy listening!

--Carolyn Menyes, Interviews/Live Reviews Editor

Is My Heart In Ohio, You Ask?

You! You silly Dayton-natives, Hawthorne Heights, have become the very bane of my existence.

Every time I travel out-of-state for a show, it is because of YOU that I am, without fail, always asked if my "heart is in Ohio." Blast you! When I saw a member of your band at a gas station not terribly long ago, I wanted to growl that sentiment at him, but that wouldn't have been very nice, would it? No. See, I don't harass you; so, leave me alone, will ya?

Okay, so HH doesn't exactly harass me; we simply happen to share an area code and references to the band's lyrics happen to follow me, but still...

Among some of the albums dropping this week is Hawthorne Heights' Skeletons, which I simply could not appreciate at the level my 15-year-old self appreciated The Silence In Black And White. Regardless, I gave the album 5 listens and concluded that it warranted a 6.5/10 rating in my album review for ACRN.

Also among this week's releases is Clay Aiken's Tried And True. Yes, I'm talking about the guy who didn't win "American Idol" circa 2003.

Was there a time in my life when I got choked up while listening to Aiken's first full-length album, Measure of a Man, on repeat? Yes. I will follow Editorial Director Courtney Baldasare's lead by shamelessly and publicly professing my love for a pop star. In fact, I am listening to the album right now in the last hours I have to treasure Lala before Apple steals it from me.

Aiken's Tried And True pays a jazzy (elevator music) ode to the classics, and is oh-so-lovely throughout, especially the cover of "Unchained Melody." Oh, how I swooned. I suppose the fact that I grinned and squeaked happily upon listening to the first song proves that one who is once a Claymate is always a Claymate.

So many people who care about cred just decided that I have none. Deal with it, cred-lovers; for, I am about to talk about an artist that you probably care about a bit more: Good Old War.

Good Old War's self-titled album showcases a sweet simplicity that made me feel I was sitting on a porch swing at a cabin in a hollow as I listened to it, or -- maybe -- balancing on a log to cross some sort of creek. You folksy types will love it. I can feel it.

Giving June 1 a bit more ass-kickery is The Bride Screamed Murder by Melvins, a hard rock album with laughable titles like "Pig House" and "I'll Finish you Off."

Brutal, dudes.

Fans of classic Heavy Metal will probably find something to like in The Melvins' release.

As you can see, you have a nice selection of albums dropping on this wretchedly hot June day. Check out those that fit your tastes.

Oh! For future reference, out-of-state friends: No, my heart is not quite in Ohio. I believe its listed location on its Twitter page is "somewhere within Cassie's ribs."

--Cassie Whitt, Blogs Editor