The half-year in music (with videos!)

(Ahem. As you can see there are few actual videos, it's mostly only youtube songs with static images)

Best Albums

Surfer Blood "Astro Coast" A-


Titus Andronicus "The Monitor" A-

Beach House "Teen Dream" A-

LCD Soundsystem "This is Happening" B

Black Keys "Brothers" B+

Spoon "Transference" B

 

Good
The Hold Steady "Heaven is Whenever" B-

Tame Impala "Innerspeaker" B+
Yeasayer "Ambling Alp" (the first half, at least) B-

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings "I Learned the Hard Way" B-
Sleigh Bells "Treats" B
Jaill -"This is How We Burn" B
Male Bonding "Nothing Hurts" B
Dr. Dog "Shame Shame" B-

Meh

She & Him "Vol. 2" C-
Everything M. Ward does deserves a listen. At a certain point, though, even if I recognize something as quality work (mostly the production and instrumentation) doesn't mean I have to like it, or force myself to listen to it on the reg. I just don't see the point of She & Him. Zooey doesn't write quite good enough songs, they are pleasant enough, but I'd rather just go dig up some old records.


The Morning Benders "Big Echo" B-

The Brooklyn via San Fran group led off its second album with perhaps the song of the year, "Excuses," a glorious amalgamation of glee-club harmonies, bluesy strings and soaring melodies, but then let Chris Taylor's (Grizzly Bear) production drag the following nine tracks through the tasteful, reverbed sludge that makes Taylor's outfit so damn boring. Only the occasionally fuzzed-out guitar struts through the languid, hung-over drapery, heard on the second track on the top-loaded record.

Foals - Total Life Forever C

Overrated

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti "Before Today"

Robyn "Body Talk Pt. 1"

Robyn is terrible and I'm tired of all these hipsters saying otherwise.

Janelle Monae "The ArchAndroid"

Disappointments

Vampire Weekend "Contra" C
I think yr a contra. NO! yr a contra ...

Wolf Parade "Expo 86" C
Broken Bells "Broken Bells" C-

Haven't had time for more than one listen

Gorillaz "Plastic Beach"
Dum Dum Girls "I Will Be"
Broken Social Scene "Forgiveness Rock Record"
Harlem "Hippies"
The National "High Violet"

Did not hear

New Pornographers "Together"
Band of Horses "Infinite Arms"
MGMT "Congratulations"
Joanna Newsom "Have One on Me"
... and thousands more

Shitlist:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/music/ref=pd_ts_nav

SPRING MUSIC

Several of the most anticipated May music releases are streaming for free in their entirety:

I'm not allowing myself to listen to th new Hold Steady or LCD Soundsystem until I have the physical copies in hand, but I probably will preview the other two. What do you guys think of the new albums?

The Hold Steady - Heaven is Whenever
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126023882

Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125236515

LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
http://www.lcdsoundsystem.com/thisishappening/

The National - High Violet
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/magazine/25national-t.html