Beta Love – Ra Ra Riot – A girl I knew was very friendly with Ra Ra Riot and though we are not friends any more, she fed me a steady enough diet of the indie plus strings quintet that I feel a lot of affection for them. But not enough enough for me to recommend this electronic mish mosh about living forever and becoming machines or something – Grade: C-
Wolf's Law – The Joy Formidable – It isn't that all Welsh bands sound alike, it is that they all sound like John Cale of the mind, a sort of eccentric concentric playfulness. This is a pretty and viable little rocker, with lots of chewy tunes and cool sounds. "I had a reason but the reason got away" Ritzy Bryan claims on the stunning "Bat". Quite – Grade: B+
The Voice Project – Home Recordings Vol 1 – Various Artists – A very worthy cause, so go donate some money and save your ears from this mostly crappy album though "Dwog Poco" by Acello Miriam is a fascinating African folk song that – Grade: C-
Anything In Return – Toro Y Moi – From Brooklyn via Cali, it is soft samba of sound with keyboards chilling and a singer who never raises his voice.Think of Antonio Carlos Jobin being remixed by Noah Lennox… now you got it – Grade: B-
How Country Feels – Randy Houser – OK, this joke isn't funny any more. All these fucking country boys are the exact same people – Grade: C
True North – Bad Religion – Nothing new but everything old is pretty good. If it hit a little harder it would be major but as is it is lacking in punch – Grade: B-
Reasons To Live – Hilly Eye – If you have heard Amy Klein's folk songs you will see where are expectations of Hilly Eye's growth, they could have easily ended as noise merchants, got derailed. But does that make em better? Equal but different though the best songs, "January" and "American Rail" to name but two, are melodic soundscapes entering and leaving the background through the front door before summoning the ghost of Led Zeppelin – Grade: A