March 15 Album Releases

Welcome back to ACRN’s Drop It Like It’s Hot. I’ll be your captain this evening (or afternoon, or whenever you’re reading this). It’s my first time at the helm, so have your barf bag ready and expect some turbulence as I attempt to guide you through this week’s album releases.

Our first stop is in sunny San Francisco, where we can do some exotic bird-watching. Bay area natives The Dodos are release their fourth album, titled No Color.

I am personally a huge fan of the duo’s second album, Visiter. The band’s sound is so tight and concentrated, and drummer Logan Kroeber’s playing style gives the record a great pace. It’s like the two members are competing for the spotlight. Who can play louder? Who can play faster? These songs probably made for an energetic and sweaty live show.

With that said, I couldn’t have been more disappointed by their next album, 2009’s Time to Die. It seems like the two musicians are just taking turns showing off instead of working together to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

So I’m very intrigued by what No Color has to offer. The album is streaming in its entirety over at NPR first listen and after some time with it, I am pleased. The album has a cameo by Neko Case and takes another subtle step in a different direction as the band moves away slightly from its organic sound. Kroeber keeps his mallets on the skins and mostly away from the rims of his drum-kit. Guitarist Meric Long goes more electric than ever before, and overall it sounds like a deviation away from their folk sound and more towards general indie-rock. Bob Dylan went electric once, it seemed to work out for him alright.

Next stop is to one of my favorite cities, Chicago. Chicago is the home to popular punk band Rise Against. I think I’ve had these guys pinned as someone else for like two years. I was sure this was a pop-punk outfit, real whiny and disagreeable to anyone removed from the teenage angst phase of their life. Their first single off their new album, Endgame, is available on their website. To my surprise, there are plenty of power chords, screaming vocals and there’s nothing poppy about it at all. They’re described as a hardcore-punk band, but I’d take that term ‘hardcore’ pretty lightly.

But you, reader, you seem pretty hardcore to me, and I don’t want to disappoint you. That’s why were taking a detour to Salem, New Hampshire for our third stop to look at the new release from Trap Them.

Salem is, of course, famous for its witch trials that occurred in the 17th century, and Trap Them’s music is about as frightening as living in that time sounds. They're described as hardcore-grindcore-metal duo. I didn’t have a clue what grindcore meant, so I looked it up. Apparently, “Grindcore is a fast, extreme style of music that fuses crust punk with extreme metal. Songs are high-tempo, short, with low-tuned guitars and blastbeats. The guitar style tends to have punkier scuzzy chord riffing than the cleaner, more technical and precise death metal-grindcore/deathgrind fusion that came later” at least according to Wikipedia. Now, I just need to look up what "crust punk" is. Have I lost all my hardcore cred yet?

What we can expect from the duo’s third album, Darker Handcraft, is fast, heavy and intricate guitar work, along with equally fast, powerful drumming, and somebody screaming the lyrics with the growl of a beast from Tartarus. Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse has gotten me to soften up to some "brutal" bands that I wouldn’t otherwise listen to, and sonically these guys have the goods if you can get over the singer screaming bloody murder.

The only suitable place to go after Salem, New Hampshire is back out west, this time to Los Angeles. Here, we find Travis Barker, former member of Blink-182 and one of the most famous drummers (and canvases) of the last 10 years. He is releasing his first solo record, but there is nothing solo about it. Barker’s never been a singer, and he won’t have to on his debut Give The Drummer Some, as some of the biggest rappers and hip-hop artists around have joined him.

I had no idea this was going to be a hip-hop record, and I’m actually pretty excited to hear some of these songs. Opener “Give the Drummer Some” features Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, and Game (haven’t heard his name in a while), and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The third track “Carry It” has two of my favorite Wu-Tang members; RZA and Raekwon, and features Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello as well. I could go on and on, but I won’t, so if you want to see the whole list of acts of the album, click here.

These all-star lineups on each song can make for good hype, but the problem becomes living up to the hype you’ve generated, and for Barker, it could be a daunting task. The album is also being released in a deluxe format. I really dislike the idea behind a deluxe version of an album because it shows a lack of artistry on the musician’s part. Think about Dark Side of the Moon having a deluxe version, ridiculous right? So to me, this isn’t an album, just a collection of singles.

Last but not least, our tour takes us not only back across the country, but also back in time to 1970’s New York. As long as we don’t see the Son of Sam, we should be fine, but I couldn’t miss out on a new album from the New York Dolls .

For those who are unfamiliar, the New York Dolls are one of, if the not the original glam band. Forming in 1971, these guys were monumental in their influence. Musically, they influenced everyone from the Ramones to the Talking Heads, but where they really made their mark was with the band’s aesthetic. The band’s style was the lynch pin for the androgynous style that lived on in every '80s stadium-rock band from Bon Jovi to White Snake. The comedic value of that alone makes their upcoming album, Dancing Backwards in High Heels, their third since reuniting in 2004, worth checking out.

The rest of what’s coming out this week includes J Mascis’ (of Dinosaur Jr.) Several Shades of Why, The Joy Formidable’s The Big Roar, The Death Set with Michel Poiccard, Hediecker & Wood with Starting From Nowhere, and Eleventh Dream Day with Riot Now!

Keep your eyes glued to ACRN.com for extensive and eloquent reviews of these albums and more. Happy Listening and thanks for riding Drop It Like It’s Hot. I had fun and I hope you did too.

--Scott Smith, Album Reviews Editor

March 8 Album Releases

Hey all!I am new to the "Drop It Like It’s Hot tradition at ACRN," but I will do my best to give you the scoop on the new releases for the second week of March, 2011.

First up, Chicago MC Lupe Fiasco releases Lasers, his much-anticipated, third studio album that was severely delayed due to a battle with Atlantic Records and the incarceration of his manager. Now, Lupe can finally relax and enjoy promoting the project—this week, he will be on BET’s “106 & Park” and “Lopez Tonight.” The album has already yielded singles “The Show Must Go On” and “Words I Never Said.” Fans may find a bit of a dichotomy in the album, as Lupe told the Chicago Sun-Times that he had to appease the record label by delivering a commercial product, while trying not to compromise his artistic expression.

Now, let’s move on to Starfucker’s new album, Reptilians.I am not familiar with the electronica, Portland, Oregon band, but its dreamy, danceable sound has piqued my curiosity. The group members are promoting their third record with a string of performances in California, but they will make their way to Columbus, OH’s Skully’s Music Diner with Champagne on April 11.

Veteran rock group R.E.M. is also dropping an album. Collapse into Now is the band’s 15th record, and frontman Michael Stipe gave Rolling Stone some insight into its making: “The three of us were communicating in a really great way," he said. The new project seems significant, if only in a visual sense—the group recruited a variety of directors to film a video for each track. Let’s hope the album’s sound lives up to that ambition.

While Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-ers R.E.M. arguably have nothing left to prove, singer-songwriter Alexi Murdoch is still fairly new in terms of releasing L.P.s—this week’s Towards the Sun is the artist’s second full-length album.Apparently, Murdoch wrote the basic tracks for the album during a single night on a tour stop in 2009. Fans can expect a primarily-acoustic record from the singer, whose music has been featured in countless television shows and films.

Last but not least, experimental/noise rock group Parts and Labor has a few more albums under its belt. The band’s new release, Constant Future, seems like a fun, electronic journey into an alternate universe. I am making this judgment solely from the title track, which caught my attention, though the group had me with what I think is one of the best band names ever. The Village Voice commended Parts and Labor for its ability to “create unlikely hooks from a chaos.” From the little that I heard, that seems about right

Other noteworthy new albums include Wye Oak’s Civilian, Kurt Vile’s Smoke Ring for my Halo, A Hawk and a Hacksaw’s Cervantine, Carol Bui’s Red Ship, Dinosaur Bone’s My Divider, Grails’ Deep Politics and Western Hymn’s Out of the Way.

Happy listening!

--Erica Thompson, News and Live Reviews Editor

March 1 Album Releases

With a new month come new releases. Here are the buzz-worthy albums dropping this week:

Indie band Papercuts releases Fading Parade, and while I’ve never previously listened to Papercuts, their dreamy, beachy, lo-fi sound was immediately catchy to me on the album’s opening track “Do You Really Wanna Know.” Another track that stood out to me was "The Messenger"--vocalist Jason Quever’s vocals are heartbreaking, especially at the build-up of the chorus. Fading Parade is being released on Sub Pop and is a follow-up to their 2009 album You Can Have What You Want. The album is streaming in its entirety on NPR.

Next, we move on to country legend Lucinda Williams. Williams is releasing her 11^th album, Blessed, this week. Her first album was released over 30 years ago, but she’s still going strong. Her gravely voice is infused with the blues, such as on track “Sweet Love,” and judging by sad songs like “I Don’t Know How You’re Livin’,” she’s no stranger to heartbreak. Still, though she’s a veteran to the country scene, she proves she’s still got a lively and youthful spirit on tracks like “Buttercup.” Blessed is also streaming for free on NPR.

Lastly, Celtic-punkers Dropkick Murphys are releasing their seventh full-length Going out in Style. The album features guest vocals from other punk staples, such as Fat Mike from NoFX, Chris Cheny from The Living End and Lenny Clarke from Rescue Me, on the title track “Going out in Style.” The Dropkick Murphys also got the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen, to lend his voice on “Peg O’ My Heart.” Dropkick Murphys are currently on-tour with my personal favorites, Against Me!, to promote the album.

Other releases not mentioned here include Lykke Li with Wounded Rhymes, Beady Eye with Different Gear, Still Speeding, Alex Ebert (of Edward Sharpe) with Alexander. Keep an eye on ACRN.com for full-reviews of these albums and more.

--Melissa Burant, Copy Chief

February 22 Album Releases

Ladies, Gents, this is my first edition of our beloved Drop it Like It’s Hot blog, so bear with me if it gets weird! I haven’t heard the music of many of the artists releasing albums this week, but I’ll give it a good ol’ college try and give you readers a decent look into the albums that are stoke-worthy, or, in layman’s terms, albums that you should be stoked about. So without further adieu, I present to you the latest installment of Drop it Like It’s Hot.

Alternative rock lynchpins Radiohead released their latest album The King of Limbs digitally Friday and this, dear readers, is big news. Thom Yorke and his buds have been re-imagining the musical landscape with their brand of slightly-weird, aural bliss. Radiohead has transcended all genres during the band’s long career, achieving critical and popular acclaim. The King of Limbs shouldn’t disappoint. Admittedly, I am not a big Radiohead guy. I appreciate their abilities as artists, and their influence is far-reaching, but it’s just not my cup of tea. Maybe (Probably), you’ll disagree with their latest release. Get it!

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Adele releases her latest album this week with 21. She’s not an artist who’s music I am familiar with, but two Grammy’s and a slew of Critic’s Choice awards can’t lie, no? 21 promises to present Adele’s blues and soul hybrid to more critical acclaim. Check out “My Same” and “Hometown Glory” for some vintage Adele.

Onto more uncharted territory! Another singer-songwriter called Darwin Deez is releasing a self-title album. Google tells me that he is of the indie-rock persuasion and that he is based in New York City. He released the same album last year in the UK, and now it is seeing the light of day in the states. I don’t know anything about this guy, but with an album cover like this, how can you go wrong?!

That’s just about all I’ve got. Tahiti 80 releases The Past, The Present & The Possible, Toro y Moi is releasing Underneath the Pine, and The Low Anthem presents Smart Flesh. Funk it up with G. Love on Fixin’ to Die and pick your poison on Banjo or Freakout’s self-titled debut, Banjo or Freakout.

I wish I knew more music. I’ve heard of a lot of these artists, but I haven’t gotten around to hearing their tunes. They are all good, I’m sure. If I missed any key albums, you can find a complete list here, care of metacritic.

Til next time, Lobsters.

--Paolo Balboa, Video Director

February 15 Album Releases

Here I am with my, I believe, third installment of "Drop it Like it's Hot" and alas, I'm in the same boat as always--floating in a sea of albums released by artists I don't know well, or have only heard of a little bit, or who, if I'm lucky, may come up on my iTunes shuffle every once a while. It's time to take a listen and begin my endeavors through the unknown. Put on on your headgear and get out your flash light. Things are going to get suspenseful, eerie and maybe even dangerous.

Oh wait. Except with Bright Eyes. We're safe here.

I know Bright Eyes pretty well, just like every other person under the age of 25 who's at all familiar with Indie music. Conor Oberst opened my eyes to a world outside of Mario and Nelly featuring Tim McGraw (those were the days). He made it so my 8th grade dances were no longer cool, 'cause my yellow Chuck Taylors (signed by Gerard Way--that's for you, Cassie) belonged on no hardwood cafeteria floor, but rather stomping the neighborhood streets with my preteen angst, or in the back of movie theaters making out with my boyfriend who liked AC/DC.

Since my young heart was first swept up by those big brown eyes and that hypnotizing music, I've never looked back. And nor will I ever. Album after album and project after project, Conor Oberst has proved to be nothing less wonderful than The NeverEnding Story. From the depressing "Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh" (Artex drowning in the sadness swamp) to "Bowl of Oranges" (Atreyu's riding Falkor around town, 'cause Falkor's got Atreyu's back, and if ever he feels like crying, he's going to try to make him laugh--too far? Sorry), Conor Oberst's endearing and passionate music never ends. And there's so many others works too. Hundreds. Thousands. Maybe even millions. One begins to wonder when a brother is going to run out of ideas. One wonders, but of course never hopes.

Anyway, he's done it again with The People's Key. It's been roughly four years since we've last heard Oberst under the name Bright Eyes. We've missed it, but there were other things to keep us full, like Monsters Of Folk, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, etc.

The People's Key is a masterpiece of sorts--a trophy to be hung in a display case. But so are all of Oberst's albums. So what if its beauty was expected, it's still a different kind of beauty. And so there's still that sense of having never heard something like it before.



As if his lyrics couldn't be more compelling and full of wisdom, Oberst one-ups himself yet again with a sureness not to be confused with charade. Heck, the guy's been trying to figure things out for years now. The time for a realization album has come, and The People's Key is that realization album. It's a great grandpa album and I want to sit on its fragile yet powerful lap and have it tell me stories of war and life and explain to me everything in the world.

Anyway, I loved it. I'm probably going to actually buy it, because Oberst, for sure, has not already sold enough copies of his albums over the last, what, 13 years?

Okay NOW we're heading into that dark cave full of music I don't know that well.

Beans with End it All: I like to eat beans, and that's all I know of the subject. Beans as in music--that I don't know. Turns out, what is a legume is also a rapper/hip-hop artist from Brooklyn, NY. He's 40 and has a family, and produces hip-hop music that's clever and not annoying to me. Nice.

The Dears with Degeneration Street: Definitely heard of them. Ah, they're from Montreal. Of course they are. Oh, Canada. When listening to this song, "Blood" from the new album, I think it's okay. It sounds like it's on the brink of System of a Down, though, without all the chaos, if you know what I mean. And I hate System of a Down soo.....moving on.

Drive-By Truckers with Go-Go Boots: Is it bad this is the first time I've ever truly listened to Drive-By Truckers? Sorry. Don't quite feel like listening to their whole discography for a comparative source, but I think this album is charming, in a hillbilly makin' his 'ma proud kind of way. What a quintessential Southern accent, too, my goodness! It's like a bottle of Southern Comfort wrapped in a paper bag, used to fill my ears and mind only with sweet, sweet contentment.

PJ Harvey with Let England Shake--Sister's Uh Huh Her is on my iTunes playlist, but only comes on every once in a blue moon. Thus, I don't know much about her, except that she's a bit of a weirdo. Grungy, eerie guitar riffs support her shaky falsetto and so I come to the conclusion that I like it only in small servings. Let England Shake seems different, though--less like it's coming from the depths of an unsafe alley-way scattered with trash and robbery and more like it's coming from an old-time fairground. Still strange, but less frightening, maybe even jovial at times.

I feel I've overdone it and so here's just a list of a few other albums released this week, with an embarrassingly frequent question mark next to each band I've never heard of:

Brown Recluse: Evening Tapestry (?)
Cowboy Junkies: Demons (Somewhere in my mind have I heard of them).
Ginuwine: Elgin (?)
La Sera: La Sera (?)
Mogwai: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (jeez.)
Nelson: Lightening Strikes Twice (?)
Rev Theory: Justice (?)
Saigon: Greatest Story Never Told (?)
Sonic Youth: Simon Werner a Disparu (oh, cool).
Stryper: The Covering (?)
Ten: Stormwarning (?)
Twilight Singers: Dynamite Steps (?)
Yuck: Yuck (?) (Ha).

And there you have it, brothers and sisters. If you'd like to see any more detailed reviews of said albums, check out the reviews on our site.

--Hannah Cook, Managing Editor

February 8 Album Releases

Is it February already? No, really? Must I admit that I am still living in 2010, even though best-of-the-year lists have been filed away, far away, in our hard drives? I suppose I must, but thankfully there are a few albums coming out this week that may yank me out of my rut and bring me up to speed in this newest year.

How better to get acquainted with new music—and edge on some high-strung hype—than with a cover version of a song from the catalogue of a high-profile indie artist. In London producer James Blake’s case, he chose Feist’s “Limit to Your Love.” He casts the quiet song with an equally stark cover version, directed with quiet clarifications. An impactful piano and Blake’s soulful, vibrato voice heat up with dub effects and electronic ticks and snaps. His ability to craft poignant pauses in his music is staggering—spine-tingling even. Indie admirers are ready to snack on what seems to be a meticulously plotted self-titled, full-length debut, and I am right there with them.

I never know what to expect from an Akron/Family album. Akron/Family is a band that choreographs psychedelic, love-soaked, raucous songs, but each album has a distinct personality. However, the band’s newest seems to have multiple rainbow-anchored personalities, as the title, The Cosmic Birth of Shinju TNT, suggests. The album starts with “Silly Bears,” a childish fable-telling song depicted with bursting electric guitars and sing-along vocals, all ending with cricket chirps—not a first for Akron/Family (See the insect-themed track on their album Love Is Simple for obvious evidence). It might seem silly, but this opening song does not lack fun. I haven’t dared to listen to the rest of this idiosyncratic concept record yet, but I would only expect more gaudy confusion and more outright amusement.

Speaking of amusement, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals is set to greet the world with his third solo release, Hotel Shampoo—an album so-titled due to his unstoppable accumulation of free hotel loot, which he recently used to craft a doghouse-like art installation also entitled Hotel Shampoo. Led by the single “Shark Ridden Waters,” the album continues his string of sugared '60s melodies and friendly, out-of-the-ordinary lyrics.

Also coming out this week are Cut Copy’s Zonoscope (led by the soothing electronic appeal of the single “Need You Now”); Vivian Girls/Woods/Bossy side project The Babies’ debut self-titled album; and Silk Flowers’ sophomore album, Ltd. Form, which is so obviously affected by Joy Division in every trance-like musical sense.

Of course there is more to be heard and methodically discussed and reviewed, but it will take me careful steps to reacquaint myself with the process of suffering through many upon many new albums, seeking what is new and good. One album at a time, please. I’ll start with these few.


-Jessi Finn, Album Reviews Editor

January 25 Album Releases

I'm sorry to begin this post with such an outburst of disbelief, but...

What witchery on this cursed planet made me, a lover of the Dresden Dolls, overlook the fact that Amanda Palmer has a new album out?! I mean, I saw the hilarious plea-for-pubes that is the "Map of Tasmania" video, but failed to notice there's actually an album that goes with it, and also the fact that it's available for download for as little as $0.69 right now, at that!

Apparently, Amanda Palmer's Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under came out Friday, but it's streaming on Spinner beside this week's releases; so, I'd say it's fair game for our latest installment of Drop It Like It's Hot.

Palmer's partially-live, primarily-down-under-themed album tells a series of highly-colorful comedic (see: "Vegemite," yes-- it's actually about vegemite and being unable to tolerate a lover's eating it) and heartbreakingly emotional story-songs accompanied by ukulele or piano. I have always thought her an absolute genius as a storyteller and a painter of scenery with notes and words. Down Under doesn't change my mind about that one bit. Love you, AFP.

Shock aside and Palmer downloaded. Moving on...

This week seems to be the week of the Kids. There are Get Up ones and Cold War ones, and they both came out to play today.

There Are Rules is the first album The Get Up Kids have released in damn-near 7 years, and as stoked as old-school fans may be for it, they could be in for a surprise. I'm not implying that the heavy electronics and less guitar-driven sound of Rules are at all a bad thing. I'm just warning you not to expect Guilt Show Part II.

A stand-out track on the album for me is "Rally 'Round The Fool." Stripped-down and ominous, the song progresses with the texture of changing drum beats until it climaxes eerily in vocalist Matt Pryor's distantly wailing "It's all over." As I described in my ACRN review, the beat is suited "for dancing at a strobe-lit séance."
If for nothing more than nostalgia, curiosity and "Rally 'Round The Fool," I would highly suggest checking out TGUK's latest effort. Also, I may be a little biased because I love Reggie & The Full Effect and James Dewees is the touring keyboardist for my favorite band, but he completely kills with skills on Rules.

Cold War Kids, the second Kid-named band in my post (phew, thank God the "Rock" one isn't around this week), released Mine Is Yours today. Cold War Kids triumph, as usual, in the pureness of the vocals of their music. I could listen to Nathan Willett's voice forever. Mine Is Yours brings more of their signature piano-and-voice-focused funk sound. Fans of the band will be pleased, but probably not too surprised.

Last night, as I watched CONAN, knowing I would have to write this post, I tried to pay attention to the performance by musical guest Iron And Wine. I really did, but it just made me more sleepy, and I had homework to complete; so, I had to tune it out. The performance may have been dull, but Iron And Wine's latest, Kiss Each Other Clean, provides a beautiful and moving listening experience.

I wouldn't suggest listening to it early in the morning; as, it may be the lullaby that puts you straight back to sleep, but if you want to chill and contemplate life matters, Kiss Each Other Clean makes a perfect soundtrack. Staff Writer Amanda Norris, who is more versed in this musical style than I, must have liked it based on the 8/10 she gave it in her review. The storytelling lyrics showcased on Kiss demand attention, and the folk soundings surround and blanket those words with such pillow-y sweetness that it becomes easy to fall into the songs.

Do I sound sleepy? Perhaps that's my cue to end this post.

--Cassie Whitt, Blogs Editor