Animal Ambition: An Untamed Desire To Win -50 Cents – Fitty starts off with his weakest song but steadies himself on this state of the art new r&b meets old hip hop. And yes, that is Mr. Probz, top Dutch DJ who seems to be in the process of owning 2014, on one of he albums best tracks – B
Beauty And Ruin – Bob Mould – If your complaint here is that this is no more than can be expect from the long term rocker, you’re right. But it is extremely consistent, I can’t find a dog on it, and it is sure no less than you can expect. Nothing stands out but everything is stand up on this meditation on imminent mortality – B+
Auto Music – Brian Reitzell – Incidental music soundtrack maven doesn’t come close to mainstream on these compsoitions that aren’t fragments but aren’t quite songs either – B-
El Camino Real – Camper Van Beethoven – Remember how in the 90s you were guessing which rock bands were gonna break big? Nobody bet these guys. But here they are and still nobody is betting on these rock folkie weirdos and for good reason – C
Metal Knight – Christopher Lee – Dracula Lives! I was expecting a Pat Boone like metal album but this is more reworkings of songs connected to Don Quixote with Lee’s operatic vocals added in and some metal guitar breaks here and there. Not bad for a 91 year old. For anyone else however it, ahem, sucks – C-
Only Run – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Are these guys hippies without the rock and roll? Beats and synths for a committed fan base that never ever included me – C+
New Eyes – Clean Bandit – Bad news folks, one of my top picks for 2014, the classical strings plus beats band, may only have “Rather Be” in em as this sincerely fails to gel – C+
Common Ground: Dave And Phil Alvin Sing The Songs Of Big Bill Broonzy – How good dya think the Blaster Brothers are gonna be on this album of blues covers? Guess what, you’re right – B+
Donker Mag – Die Antwoord – More f words, more helium, more synth, more hooks – B-
Meteorites – Echo And The Bunnymen – Remember the Liverpool psychedelic movement of the early 80s? I picked these guys because Ian sounded like Jim Morrison. But two albums does not a career make. Still, this is better heaviness classic rock than you could possible expect at this stage of the game. Youth produced – B
Glass Boys – Fucked Up – The definition of more of the same and if it doesn’t have the conceptual clean lines of rock opera David Comes Alive, and the Who plus hardcore songs aren’t quite as strong, Damian Abraham has never sung better – B+
Glass Boys Slow Version – Fucked Up – With the drums at half speed, this is still excellent and “The Great Divide” might be the best of all – B+
Black Hours – Hamilton Leithauser – Very tasteful modern rock with a nod to Frank Sinatra’s in the wee small, though even with two songs called after times of the day (“5 AM” and “11 O’Clock Friday Night”) I wouldn’t know it if I hadn’t read it somewhere – B-
Invisible Hour – Joe Henry – Talented and disquieting folkie, who bores after around three songs – C+
Moving On – Kan Wakan – A little overwhelmed and doesn’t sustain an album, but I see what Alyson liked about it here – B-
This Machine Kills ARt – King Buzzo – Melvins leader goes unplugged – C+
Road Between – Lucy Hale – Pretty Little Liars actress mixes modern pop and modern country, it works on “Kiss You” and a coupla other songs – B-
Comet, Come To Me – Meshelle Ndegeoocello – Remember when she was exotic back in the 1990s, nowadays she is just a sweet soulful singer – B
Platinum – Miranda Lambert – Her best album since Crazy Ex-Girlfriend isn’t EVEN that much better than any of her others or her work with Pistol Annies or God knows her husband Blake’s “Good Ol’ Boys”. This is as good as country gets in 2014, the only dog the Carrie Underwood duet on this otherwise sublime collection of songs – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
Sunbathing Animal – Parquet Court – Indie rock with a lead singer who sounds like the bloke from the Nails and at least one, “Black And White”, cracker song – B
I’m Okay – The Shoe – Yeah, I’m shocked as well but Jena Malone -a real actress, no really, she was in “The Hunger Games” and everything, is a real musician to boot and with the Shoe, and along with pianist/producer Lem Jam Ignacio, she has just released this beautiful and compact high melody quotient album – B+
