The sophomore album by the Radiohead via Coldplay Public School boys and is better than the first because it has a few more songs where they let go and a few more where their better living by science hits you deeper, show me an album with a song as great as “every Other Freckle” and I won’t sure you “Magic” – ALBUM OF THE WEEK -A-
If you thought “No Flame” was an anomaly, you were wrong, If you thought he couldn’t use Kendrick Lamar as well as Flying Lotus you are wrong, if you don’t think he can sing quite as well as Trey Songz, Usher and R. Kelly wait to be wowed – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
Single Mothers – Justin Towne Earles – Consider slight because it holds its depth close to its vest, this is a perfect album on every single level, in less than half an hour and no more than 10 songs, JTE nails every single song with flawless every single thing – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
Forget I Brought It Up – Grey Gordon – If your thing is pop-punk I may well have the album of the year for you. This Fort Wayne, Indiana native has pulled off a melodic hard rocking fuzz from time to time, on the money always. The first song, “Barstools And Haricuts”sets the tone, nice back beat for a song you are whistling before it’s over -ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
They missed it by this much when indie rock hit it big at the turn of the decade, but they are really pretty smart and pretty sound indie rockers who like, actually, rock hard enough. Early on “XR” sounds like Dropkick Murphys, impressive at any time, more so when you realize how deadly earnest John D’Agostino’s story songs are – ALBUM OF THE WEEK- – B+
Look Again To The Wind: Johhny Cash’s Bitter Tears revisited – Various Artists – His 1965 concept album in support of the Native Americans (again, in 1965 -before “Bury My Heart At Wounded Hill”) is giving some fine performances by the Milk carton Kids along with folks like Emmylou, Earle, Kristoffersson and I for one didn’t know the original but love this folk album very much – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
Ten songs of modern ascending trip hop which sounds like Tricky only a different Tricky, a different voice and temperament, or maybe Portishead, FKA Twig lives up to the hype and beyond. In many ways a typical first album, it sounds like a warehouse of great songs she has built up over years, it isn’t weighed down by a single bad move. “Lights Out” is terrific – ALBUM OF THE WEEK- A
It has been five years since the jazz singer has released an album, including a stint in hospital just to keep us mortal, and to keep us more mortal, this is a tribute to his first mentor George Duke, who died last year. Guest stars join in on this lovely and loving tribute to the late pianist. ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
Eric Clapton And Friends – The Breeze (An Appreciation Of JJ Cale) After the dire Old Socks, this coulda have been a disaster, but it isn’t, what it does is place Cale out of the “Cocaine” one hit wonder category and into the basic blues canon with some of Clapton’s greatest acoustic warm glow performances since Ocean boulevard rising to the occasion – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
Go Down In History – Four Year Strong – This emocore masterpiece is the bands greatest achievement, with only a handful of tracks they maintain a heavy standard throughout the 16 minutes, and the more you listen the more there is to hear – ALBUM (EP) OF THE WEEK – A-
Jungle – Jungle – There is a market for this UK dance duos hard rhythm disco moves and rather this than Disclosure for sure, nothing misses the beat and non of this is beats for beats sake as song after song makes itself known. The remix album is gonna blow you away – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
Moanin’ At Midnight: The Howlin’ Wolf Project – Tomas Doncker band – If you have last year’s This Is The Tomas Doncker’s Band Howlin’ Wolf EP, what do you need this for? Four more songs. If you don’t have the EP, this breakthrough album for the band is the best collection of Wolf covers you will ever hear – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
These Days – Ab-Soul – An incredible 90 minutes by the last man to break out of Black Hippy, this is a stupendous album, brainy, beautiful, tons of guest stars, all of his former band, deep grooves, smart rhymes; miles away from Gangsta. This is the best rap album of the year and to sustain it for 90 minutes is mind binding – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
Fuego – Phish – here’s a switch up, their New years Eve run at MSG in December was a disappointment but this is as good as Phish has ever gotten on record, “Devotion To A Dream” is better than “Backwards Down the Number Line”. It’s like the Grateful Dead with jazz replacing country – A-
Mutineers – David Gray – Joined by the bloke from Lamb (a great band in their own right) , this is a beautiful, slightly muted collection of singer songwriter songs like Elbow without the quirk and also without the anthem. Another great album by Gray that should buy him a larger than cult audience but probably won’t – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
Gypsy Heart Side A EP – Colbie Caillat – A long time fan of the pop singer, this five song 18 minute EP has nary a clunker in the lot: a sweet sound giving Taylor Swift a run for her money. “Blaze” is fabulous – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
Miranda’s 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 a sublime collection of songs – ALBUM OF THE WEEK –
At over an hour, this is too long, and it pays the price by wearing out its welcome long before you reach the finishing end. But that not withstanding, what works, and most of it does, is world class Mariah Carey from the stunning “Cry.” -a full own ballad, that opens the set, through Nas, Wale, Miguel, Mary J Blige, and R. Kelly duets, it is a tour de force of Mariah type songs
Former blues boy wonder still forging a career with this home town set on a new label. The Stevie ray Vaughn “House Is A Rockin'” is superb and nothing here doesn’t work: Albert Kind, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, BB King -these are very powerful blues that aims at nothing else and hits its mark unerringly. A great set of songs – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
White Women – Chromeo – I’ve never been much of a fan of this disco duo, never hit me as inventive as Holy Ghost for one, but they get it right here. High energy, melodic, if a little old fashioned. The Solange song is terrific the Ezra Koenig song uses his falsetto to great effect and the opening track masterful – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
I can’t predict Tuesday’s concert, the only one I have seen on this tour was the Itunes film and it was terrible, but maybe this will come theretofore, maybe this will work. I definitely plan to find out Tuesday. I’ve seen her three times, freat once, lousy once, okay once… let’s see what we get at Madison Square Garden.
We’ve been waiting for something to get excited about this week and here it is: Emili Sande’s producer with a handful of excellent soul dance UK syle. The Ella Eyre song is terrific, the (six) Emili tracks all fine, Ed Sheeran over emotes but what can you expect? Hey, there’s Professor Green! And altogether this feels like a state of the art superstar UK soul album – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
Jason Molina, the late singer songwriter, completely passed me by at the time, but he was something special if this sprawling somewhat epic album. A benefit covers album by alt and indie bands headed by Jim James, whose two tracks are outstanding. The title track and the other, with Bro. Stephen, the breathtaking “Almost Was Good Enough”. But there is a lot more as well, not least the other members of his band, Memorial Electric Co. ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
Built On Glass – Chet Faker – Aussie trip hop mood guy and very very good as well. This album works as sonic sound ambient deep beats thing and works as song, song after song. I bet it sounds awesome with beats: it’s like the percussion reverberates in the back of your head while the songs settle in the front – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
The Wonder Years are true representatives of a certain strata of their generation. They for them and to them. But they sound like emo and they have the same problem with melodies that inflicts all “emo” bands with the exception of My Chemical Romance. They are playing Best Buy on Thursday and if you wanna catch up with the Greatest Generation, that is the place to be.
Carter Girl – Carlene Carter – Mining her Carter Family history for material, she finds it and sounds better than she ever has on this excellent collection of Carter Family songs plus a coupla ringers. Also, while we knew Vince Gill would be up to the task, so is Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson vocal additions – Album Of The Week – A-
If this is the best rock album of 2014 so far, that is as much an indictment of rock as a celebration of Dylan Baldi who began life as a one band bedsit guy recording with Bridgetown before growing outward with an Albani jolt. This is pure rock and roll energy and a constant mind bending loud rules head strung screamer of an album – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
They’ve been touring on and off since the excellent 13 was released last year and this is about as big a concert as they are gonna get. I missed out on years of Ozzyfest because I couldn’t be bothered hitching to the swamps of New Jersey. But the swamps of Brooklyn , Monday at Barclay Center? That I can do.
A later generations Sly Stone releases a full set from circa Brown Sugar, twenty years after its expiration date and it is still better than just about anything else you might consider funk. There is no way to overstate the case for this album and if we are never getting another album and if he can’t release the Radio City Music Hall gig from 2000, this will do very nicely. ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
About Last Night – Sleeper Agent – Everything you wanted Paramore to be, everything Cage The Elephant claim to be, Sleeper Agent. This sophomore effort is astoundingly catchy power pop; one sure shot after another. Imagine Gwen Stefani leading Paramore, with a remarkable hit to misses count, if this doesn’t smash em through I’d demand a recount – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
As a long time Elbow sneerer please allow me to eat my words as this superbly melancholic and astune album of love’s labors losts will undoubtedly repay close listening with a crying jag. Imagine the National meets Radiohead, now subtract the whimsy – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
GIRL – Pharrell Williams – A blast of pure pop for now people from the former Neptune producer who provides one slice of adult bubble gum after another topped not by “Happy” but the Justin Timberlake featured “Brand New”. Williams grabs his moment and doesn’t let go – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
Country boy Dierk is good where nearly everybody else isn’t because he has a great voice for this but also because he plays country rock with backbone and intricate clicked in arrangement, maybe because he isn’t a boy any more If he was better lyrically he’d be blowing Brad Paisley away, just the way he did when he opened for Brad at MSG – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
