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

May 17 Album Releases

I’ve always felt that May is a good month for album releases. Maybe it’s the feeling of listening to new music right as school is winding down, or maybe it’s because music tends to be more exciting as the weather gets warmer. Whatever the case, May 17 does not disappoint.

First, we have the hotly anticipated Rome album from super-producer Danger Mouse and composer Daniele Luppi, which will be released via Capitol. Those two brought together a handful of retired Italian musicians that worked on some of the most influential westerns from the '50s and '60s. After that they added Jack White and Norah Jones’s vocals to the mix, creating an all-new kind of spaghetti-western soundtrack. Personally, I think anything Danger Mouse touches is gold, so I definitely trust this to be a fantastic album.

Next we have Scottish group Glasvegas releasing its sophomore effort, EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\ on Columbia. I adore the band’s self-titled debut, and I’m hoping for more of the same colossal-sounding rock from the group. European reviews have been pretty favorable and Pitchfork hates it. Both of those are to be expected. If the album is as good as the first, I suppose I can forgive Glasvegas’s caps lock obsession.

Kidz Bop Sings Monster Ballads. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by a bunch of pre-adolescents? Yes please!

Moby will release his tenth album, Destroyed, on Mute. I’ve never really listened to Moby, but know his material. From what I can tell from reviews, this wouldn’t be one to start with, as it’s probably going to be more of an album for the obsessive Moby followers of the world.

Either way, ten albums is an impressive feat. There aren’t too many musicians out there who have made it that far, but now we can say that Moby is one of them. Gotta give props to one of the most successful names in electronic rock.

One of the albums I’m most excited for is Let’s Wrestle’s second record, Nursing Home, which will be released on Merge. I first heard of this British group when Cage The Elephant covered the spectacularly-titled “My Arms Don’t Bend That Way, Damn It!” in an acoustic performance for Rolling Stone. While Nursing Home doesn’t have any song with quite the same instantly incredible title, I’m sure it will offer some of the same raw power as the first. Plus, there is a song called “There’s A Rockstar In My Room,” which reminds me of the title of a children’s picture book or something.

There are, of course, plenty of other releases to sink your teeth into this week, including Mercury Rev, Miracle Fortress, and Ben Harper (who was last seen working with Dhani Harrison and Joseph Arthur in Fistful of Mercy).

So get out there and pick up some new music. It’s springtime, which in my mind means that your brain is yearning for something fresh.

--Chris Dobstaff, News Editor

April 26 Album Releases

And now it's time once again to run down the list of albums dropping this week across the world. Get excited!

We'll begin with Dancer Equired!, the new disc from Columbus lo-fi trio Times New Viking. The band has played in Athens numerous times, most recently at 2011's Blackoutfest at The Union. The record's out on Merge Records, the band's first with the label. Merge is cool, right? Well, they've certainly had a good year-or-so. So I'd say TNV is in rather good hands. The new album is said to have a cleaner production style in comparison to past releases. Is this true or false? Get your hands on Dancer Equired! and find out for yourself!

Steve Earle's T-Bone Burnett-produced fourteenth album, I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive, comes out on New West Records. The album, which gets its title from a classic Hank Williams tune, has already been reviewed on ACRN.com by our own Jacob Betzner.

Personally, I can't say I've ever listened to Earle, but two things are leading me to figure that this shall change soon. First of all, the aforementioned review was not only positive, but the album described seemed to contain a flurry of characteristics that generally equal success in my eyes -- notably country and bluegrass. In addition, I saw Earle's son, Justin Townes Earle, open for the Decemberists last Saturday in Columbus, and he was superb. Therefore, I can only imagine that his father is just as great, if not better.

Bowling for Soup release Fishin' for Woos, the band's eleventh record. lol.

The guys and gal of Airborne Toxic Event are hoping to repeat the success of their 2008 self-titled debut with All At Once, released through Island Records. Will Mikel Jossett's story-songs of love and loss resonate again this time around? Lead single "Changing" has already climbed to No. 10 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart, so they're doing something right. Frankly, if they can match the epic-ness of "Sometime Around Midnight," I'll be satisfied.

Post-rock instrumentalists Explosions in the Sky return to the world stage with Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, their first effort since 2007's All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone. At first, admittedly brief glance, the album might look like an E.P., what with its only containing six tracks. However, don't be fooled -- only one song, "Trembling Hands," dips below seven minutes long. So be prepared for some 45-minute-long instrumental weirdness. I'm sure, as with the band's last record, things will be dazzling.

Also releasing new music this week include British house duo Dirty Vegas, Liverpool's The Wombats, and folk-country royalty Emmylou Harris. It's a good week, so get out there and buy some music this week. Your record stores thank you.

--Kevin Rutherford, Editorial Director

April 19 Album Releases

You’re okay in my book, Tuesday April 19. You’ve got a solid four bands releasing albums that I’m familiar with. So thank you. Thank you for not making me feel too ignorant.

Seriously though, who are all these people?

Anyway, w h o K i l l from tUnE-yArDs has been handed on over to the public. Merrill Garbus, the mastermind behind it all, has tweaked her genius so that this definitely sounds different from Bird Brains (2009) though it’s just as odd. Clearly, sistergirl is kind of weird, lyrically and vocally. I remember, after having listening the song a decent amount of times, the moment I actually heard the words to the song “Lion” off of Bird Brains. "Something, something, not important, something…. while my brother and all his friends whip out their tiny teenage cocks.”

Whoahahahoooo!

Kidding, though. Every word Garbus is saying is important, even though it’s difficult to comprehend at times…er….all…the time.

On W h o K i l l, lots of words and sayings we’ve heard before are used, and so things sound familiar, but seem queer nonetheless.

She sings like she’s talking, then sings like she’s singing, then sings like she’s a dude, the sings like she’s a baby, the sings like she’s angry, and sings like she’s an animal, and it is these dynamics that make tUnE-yArDs so special.

At this point, I prefer Bird Brains to W h o K i l l, though, and maybe that’s because Bird Brains is easier to type.

Besides being so mysterious that I’m mad about it, Gorillaz has always been a…band (?) I appreciate. The Fall, their latest 15 songs release, is work of electronica art. Not a whole lot of singing is going on, but the beats speak for themselves. I’d like to dance to these songs, if I may, by myself or with other people.

Hip-hop and rap is becoming a genre that a lot of people deem Indie like these days. Typically it’s with the hipster-like rappers, Odd Future Wolf Gang, Kanye West and Common, that people in this category (shame on me for putting people in categories) take a liking to.

I feel like Dr. Dre is probably not one of those rappers. He is a guilty pleasure. And he’s getting old, too.

Apparently his Detox is “The most anticipated Hip Hop album ever.” That’s a bold statement that is probably…not very true. It just sounds like any other rap album, honestly.

There are so many people in I’m From Barcelona. It seems like too many for a band, and just enough for an orchestral ensemble. But it doesn’t sound like too many people, so either they’re doing it right, or not using their human tools to the fullest.

Lyrically, I’m From Barcelona’s Forever Today is not too commendable. They’re kinda cheesy, and simple in a sort of juvenile way. I think these songs would be good inspiration for children.

Musically, it’s definitely happy tunes for happy times. And that’s just fine. I’m not sure if I would seek Forever Today out and listen to it, and I definitely wouldn’t pay for it. But I think a lot of other people would, so that’s good.

Don’t take all this from me, though. Check out ACRN.com to see some more legitimate and detailed reviews.

--Hannah Cook, Managing Editor

April 5 Album Releases

April 5 is a fairly decent day for music releases, in theory. It depends on what you're into. If you're into big releases with humongous top 40 potential and singles born to preside over every Billboard chart imaginable... stay tuned for next week, because the Foo Fighters have something for you. But if that ain't your bag, baby (and if you're reading this blog or even on this site, I'm guessing that's the case), then this week will be quite ok. Let's dive in, shall we?

One of the major releases this week is Robbie Robertson's How to Become Clairvoyant. For those of you who are like, "Deeeerp, who is he?" -- GTFO PLZ. Robertson, who in his earlier days was the guitarist and main songwriter of The Band, marks this releases as his fifth solo album overall since 1987. It features a slew of guest stars, including Trent Reznor, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Robert Randolph and many more. It even includes Taylor Goldsmith, whose band Dawes is performing as Robertson's backing band on the singer/guitarist's live performances supporting the record. If these names aren't enough to at least have a listen, check your pulse.

Speaking of old men from old bands, Ray Davies releases See My Friends today in the U.S. The record came out last year in the U.K., and I listened to it then. Let's just say that the songs you expect to be done well --"Better Things" with Bruce Springsteen, "Days/This Time Tomorrow" with Mumford & Sons, "A Long Way From Home" with Lucinda Williams and the 88 -- are quite good. And, conversely, the tunes you'd expect to be not-so-great don't disappoint. Or they do disappoint. Ah, you know what I mean. What I'm saying is: listen to Davies and Metallica's cover of "You Really Got Me" if you need a good laugh. It was okay when they performed it at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concert, but this is just sad.

The Kills also have a new record out, the follow-up to 2008's Midnight Boom. Blood Pressures is more than a worthy successor; as I said in my review of the album on ACRN.com, the new album "not only dominates its predecessor, but kicks it in the ass quite a few times for good measure." If you were turned off by the more poppy Midnight Boom (I sure was, and I love pop music/want to marry Taio Cruz more than one man should), do consider Midnight Boom's delectable return to the garage-blues rock that gave the duo its fame. Sure, both Allison Mosshart has The Dead Weather now too, but I'd wager that this album even blows both of that band's records out of the water. Truly, this album will not disappoint.

Plenty of other releases abound here and there. The Raveonettes, a Velvet Underground-influenced Danish rock group, release fifth album Raven in the Grave, while Jefferson Airplane spinoff Hot Tuna release their first new album in over 20 years -- Steady As She Goes. New York synthpop act Cold Cave also puts out Cherish the Light Years today on Matador Records. As they're a band ACRN does tend to play, you should certainly check them out.

Beyond these laudable releases, Jim "We Fly High" Jones -- yeah, remember him? -- puts out Capo, his first record since 2009's Pray IV Reign. Hollywood Undead also (unfortunately) returns with American Tragedy, which is quite the telling album title, if you ask me. Of course, if first single "Hear Me Now" is any indication, the L.A. rap-rock crew are going in a more mainstream rock direction (think pre-Minutes to Midnight Linkin Park), which given debut Swan Songs, might not be a bad thing altogether. Will I listen? Most likely. Because I dig pain.

Be sure to check out ACRN.com this week for a plethora of reviews of new music, including some reviews of albums I've mentioned!

--Kevin Rutherford, Managing Editor

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