Listen Up: 7-18-12
1. Bulletproof Pride – K'Naan – It is really a wonder that since U2 refused to perform those big beautiful ballads that made them famous, nobody has really stepped up to fill the gap. Coldplay from time to time but otherwise, not unlike Bruce Springsteen, any pretenders have been sort of useless. But this year, we've had "Magic" from muse and now this Somalian bore nails the door shut with Bono taking lead vocals. Makes you miss the old Irish bastard – Grade: A
2. Still Life With Hot Deuce On Silver Plate – Titus Andronicus – I woulda have loved to be around when these guys were kids getting potty trained – Grade: A
3.Sweet Virginia – The Rolling Stones – In the newbie, you can hear the ghost of the lyricist who told us here to kick that shit right off our shoes – Grade: A+
4. Proserphia – Martha Wainwright – I am all for generations of mothers but… maybe not on this one – Grade: B
5.The Last time – The Grateful Dead – Absolute proof that it was the Stones RHYTHM section that made the original indelible – Grade: C
6. Abet Gurage – Tomas Doncker – Once the Mahmoud Ahmad album is released, we will be able to gouge if this is a bright new tomorrow or a one off act of shamanism – Grade: A
7. Sleep When we Die – K'Naan – With Keef and the Bono track wasn't a fluke – Grade: B+
8. State Of Grace – Taylor Swift – I am used to Swift's melodies being stickier than this – Grade: B+
9. The New Breed – Donald Fagen – In which Fagen gets dumped for an I.T. – Grade: B+
10. Origin Of Love – MIKA – On first listen, the rest of the album aint doing it like this – Grade: B+
