LCD Soundsystem – Shut Up And Play The Hits
Shut Up And Play The Hits will most likely bring fans of LCD Soundsystem to tears at least once. The band’s music has always been equal parts hilarious, depressing and affecting, and with such a highly-charged subject matter, anyone who likes the band enough will find it an intensely emotional experience.

But even those who’ve only dabbled in the band’s back catalogue (You might know Daft Punk Is Playing In My House, All My Friends, or Losing My Edge) will appreciate Murphy’s deadpan humour, his vitality and dedication, and most of all his honesty. Every word that comes out of his mouth during the film — just as in his lyrics — has been thought through at length, and is delivered just as carefully. Read the full review on The Wired UK

Tame Impala – Lonerism
If their debut was any indication, Tame Impala’s second full-length, Lonerism, will once again be compared to albums from the late 1960s and early 70s. But if their intent was to make a record that sounds like it came from that era, they’ve failed and ended up with something more fascinating. Sure, there’s merit to the countless groups and scenes that seek out the right tube amps and compressors and microphones in order to create flawless period pieces. They’re often called “revivalists,” even though the actual term is wasted on them. Are they really breathing new life into this form by keeping it cryogenically frozen in ideas nearly a half-century old? Tame Impala prove far more exciting because, by maximizing the use of the available technology, they tap into the progressive and experimental spirit of psychedelic rock, and not just the sound. Read the full review on Pitchfork

Ty Segall – Twins
In the tradition of Lemons and Melted, which each had ballads alongside searing garage punk, the new album doesn’t have a unified focus. With the exception of frenzied, shredding highlight “You’re the Doctor”, there’s nothing especially aggressive. “Gold on the Shore” is his acoustic-driven, folky, sentimental love song. Then there’s “The Hill”, the bleary psych track where Segall’s voice recalls John Lennon’s on “Tomorrow Never Knows”. (The track also features some beautiful vocals from Thee Oh Sees’ Brigid Dawson.) There are familiar elements from Segall’s backlog in play, like that specific fuzz guitar tone, which is something like his trademark at this point, and some two-minute songs– a number that’s especially apparent on his recent Singles collection. Those bite-sized singles pop next to lengthier tracks like “Ghost”, the slower stoned jam, or the romantic and apocalyptic closer “There Is No Tomorrow”. With each new song, hook, idea, and tone, it’s increasingly clear that Twins doesn’t fit in any one box. Read the full review on Pitchfork

Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes

In the last five years, Flying Lotus has become a standard-bearer for 21st-century beat construction by looking forward and backward simultaneously and making music that feels like an exploration. So what happens when such an artist reaches a cul-de-sac? After Flying Lotus’ 2010 landmark Cosmogramma, further density was not an option. That album was packed so tightly with rhythms, instruments, and textures that adding more to the mix would have meant risking identity; just a few more samples could have turned the music into an indistinct mush that contains every color at once. Cosmogramma felt like an end game, and the new Flying Lotus album, Until the Quiet Comes, finds Ellison lighting out in a new direction. He’s thinking in terms of air, mood, and simplicity. In an interview with the UK magazine The Wire, Ellison described Quiet as his attempt at “a children’s record, a record for kids to dream to.” While there’s nothing cute or naive on the album, you get a sense of what Ellison might mean when it comes to dreaming. Read the full review on Pitchfork

The Tragically Hip – Now for Plan A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tYTgzwybNQ
Radio’s not likely to get the word out, however, so it will likely fall to Gord Downie et al. getting behind the material on Now For Plan A onstage during the months ahead to worm this fine collection of tunes into the popular consciousness.

These tunes deserve to find a place in there, too. Now For Plan A — captured mostly live off the floor by producer Gavin Brown (Metric, Billy Talent, Sarah Harmer) — doesn’t carry quite the same thrill of the new that We Are the Same did, but it’s fiercely played, more nuanced than it will be given credit for being and well stocked with songs that establish themselves as familiar friends with disarming quickness. Read the full review on The Toronto Star

Witchcraft – Legend

The band was originally started as a tribute to Pentagram, and they certainly wear their influence on their sleeve. Vocalist Magnus Pelander sounds almost like a dead ringer for the mighty Bobby Liebling, and the band still displays a flawless mix of doom and oldschool psychedelia. But the first thing you’ll notice upon pressing [PLAY] on Legend is that it’s way heavier than anything they’ve ever done before. The classic cuts from their old LPs certainly rocked with a uniquely tube-driven sound, but Legend just has this incredible punch to it in the production that really brings out the heaviness inherent in every riff. Read the full review on Metal Blast

Mumford & Sons – Babel
If you don’t own enough cable-knit sweaters to appreciate lyrics this earnest, the music may change your cynic’s mind. Producer Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire) works hard to capture the feverish uplift of the Sons’ live shows, giving each piano note and mandolin string the echoing-to-the-log-cabin-rafters treatment. And the band has mastered the emotional gut-punch of quiet/loud dynamics, exploding from low-murmured harmonies into full Appalachian freak-outs. All the while, Marcus howls about grace and love over a frenzy of strumming. Read the full review on EW

Efterklang – Pyramida
Topping each of their previous records – in particular the more melodious and orchestral-pop styled Magic Chairs – might not have necessarily have been at the top of their ‘to do’ list when setting out, but upon deciding to travel to the Norwegian Arctic to gather field recordings and create some of their own, it became a rather grander and more ambitious beginning than anything before it. They ended up with over 1000 field recordings and samples following their nine-day stay in Pyramiden and many of those recordings are scattered throughout the album, whether providing a skeleton to a track or embellishing on a large or small scale. That percussive introduction to album opener ‘Hollow Mountain’ is comprised of strikes of a fuel tank. There are many other instances of those ‘found sounds’ in each track, some being more integral than others – some skirting the edges, others more bold and prominent in their location. Read the full review on drowned in sound

Soft Pack – Strapped
The group’s new album is meant to be jammed loud and often. Singer/guitarist Matt Lamkin’s tunes are mush-mouthed, but melodic enough to emote even from the echo chamber he sings in. The guitars range from new wave to surf to straight ahead rock. On “Second Look” the band is polished with studio perfection and for that the song is the weak link for a band better suited for guitar skankin’. For me the down and dirty rock of “Saratoga” and “Ray’s Mistake” are where the band is at its best here. Read the full review on The Space Lab

Grizzly Bear – Shields
Delicate beauty and refined presentation still rule on the Brooklyn mainstay’s fourth album, Shields, but the balance is subtly shifting. On 2009’s Veckatimest, and especially on signature single “Two Weeks,” the band made an important transition: from sketches to songs, from impressionism to realism, from ghosts to creatures. On Shields, the creatures are back, this time with teeth.

Read the full Review on AV Club

Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet on Sky
With 2007′s Beyond, Dinosaur Jr. delivered a fresh-sounding record of original material that not only avoided re-covering past accomplishments but was also considered by many to be a logical follow-up to Bug, Dinosaur Jr.’s final album with Barlow. 2009′s Farm laid to rest any doubts that Beyond was a fluke and further cemented the idea that perhaps it is possible for a band to have more than one life. With I Bet on Sky, the group has nothing more to prove to themselves or their audience, which allows them to avoid worrying about whether or not the songs could be played live (as on Beyond and Farm) and instead lets Mascis do “what [he] felt would sound good.”

Read the full review on Consequence of Sound

Band of Horses – Mirage Rock
Mirage Rock is a little rougher around the edges, a little less pristine than the band’s recent stuff, cutting out the piles of overdubs and miles of reverb that kept the still-beautiful Infinite Arms from having an immediate, visceral impact. You can feel that primal, first-take energy in Bridwell’s strained harmonies on “Everything’s Gonna Be Undone” or in the pummeling, bled-together drive of the anthemic rocker “Feud.”

Read the full review on Paste

Bob Dylan – Tempest
“Tempest” is more concerned with the scraps of the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s, as Dylan continues to explore the various strands of early American roots music that he internalized as he matured, sticking to basic instrumentation: guitar, drums, bass, violin, banjo and the occasional accordion. You can hear a touch of Charlie Christian guitar in the opening bars of “Duquesne Whistle,” suggesting an old 78-rpm record; Hank Williams’ sorrow sneaks in, as does Dylan’s long fascination with string bands of the 1920s, such as the Mississippi Sheiks. Read the full review on Pop & Hiss

Avett Brothers – The Carpenter
The Avett Brothers are obsessed with death. As easy as it is to forget the looming scythe of the Grim Reaper amid the band’s frequent talk of romance, conflicting morals, and endless barrage of “Pretty Girl” songs (here, we get the infectious doo-wop of “Pretty Girl From Michigan”), it’s always there, hanging in plain sight. And on The Carpenter, their seventh studio album, they speak about the topic more plainly than ever, as if inviting that curved blade to come slicing down through the air at any moment. Read the full review on Consequence of Sound

Amanda Palmer + Grand Theft Orchestra – Theatre is Evil
Thematically, Theatre is Evil treads the fairly well known ground of personal isolation and failings in relationships of all kinds. Where this album triumphs is the power of the hooks and choruses, thanks to the new pop aesthetic. Tracks like “The Killing Type” build on a fairly simple melody until the chorus comes in with highly distorted bass and a hollering call and response. It’s the kind of urgent pleading that used to be carried solely by Palmer’s voice but is now given full form with additional instrumentation and backup vocals. Punk News

Animal Collective – Centipede Hz

Centipede Hz’s lead single “Today’s Supernatural” brings this further into focus. Powered along by a ’70s organ sound (the first indication of what I am certain are direct prog-rock influences on all things), the song’s breakdown actually takes place in its first chorus, reversing the expectations of the structure. Like the opener, it is disorienting and layered with a near-absurd amount of detail, but repeated listens reveal a strong melody at the song’s core. As overstuffed with ideas as the album is, its best moments seem deceptively simple once the penny drops. Read the full review on LA Music Blog

Cat Power – Sun

As George Harrison might have said, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter for Cat Power’s Chan Marshall. The tumultuous musician has dealt with more than her fair share bad press, bad habits, and bad relationships over the past decade. But when she sings, “here comes the sun,” on the title track of her ninth album, Marshall emerges from a long hibernation, casting off the unadulterated guitar parts of her earlier catalogue for a rejuvenating new sound. Beat-friendly (thanks to Beastie Boys’ mixer, Philippe Zdar) and production-heavy (thanks to herself), Sun is Marshall’s most evolved work. With a little light and a new perspective, Chan Marshall reveals yet another beautiful way she maneuvers in the dark. Read the full review on Consequence of Sound

Two Door Cinema Club – Beacon

Where Tourist History’s every song was overflowing with hyper energy, Beacon takes the time to slow down. Tracks like the opener, “New Year,” still sport the band’s cheery tone, but have a new element of sweetness. “If you think of me, I will think of you,” sings Alex Trimble shyly. On “Sun,” he is suddenly soft and uncertain. “Ocean blue, what have I done to you?” he begins, leading into the album’s slowest track. The tone of each song is often steady, but not always the same in its approach; Trimble isn’t afraid to play with his words. In “Wake Up,” he stretches his words until each syllable collapses into the next. Every breath feels confident and controlled. Read the full review on Paste Magazine

Redd Kross – Researching the Blues


Redd Kross have returned. A short history lesson: in ’81 they were snotty punks (Born Innocent), by ‘87 they were flower punks (Neurotica), and they became glam-rock power-poppers when the ‘90s hit (Third Eye/Phaseshifter). Brothers Jeff and Steven McDonald have been the band’s only permanent members, but the Neurotica lineup has reunited for Researching the Blues, the quartet’s first album in 15 years.

If there’s a consistent thread that runs through Redd Kross’ many phases, it’s their propensity for bubblegum hooks and harmonized “oohs” and “ahhs.” This pop sensibility is bolstered by hard rock glitz, as Redd Kross crank their amps and stomp on pedals. The band evokes a louder version of the Beatles (not to mention Jeff McDonald’s voice sounds exactly like John Lennon’s). Read the full review on Consequence of Sound

Shovels & Rope – O’ Be Joyful


The chemistry of Shovels & Rope is what makes them shine. The sincerity of the music, and their ability to seamlessly blend vocals allows them to ascend beyond their otherwise humble setup and skill sets. Cary Ann even says it in the opening track “Birmingham” which also acts as their de facto introduction and theme song: “Played Springwater, Station Inn. Couldn’t play fast, couldn’t fit in.” What she can do though is sing in high register with that Loretta coal-grit in the back of her throat and awaken something deep and familiar in the music, especially when Michael Trent joins in on harmony. Read the full review on Saving Country Music

Purity Ring – Shrines
Since those early singles all mined such similar sounds, it was an open question how Purity Ring might mix things up over the course of an 11-song, 38-minute full-length. But Shrines is not about range, instead offering subtly different versions of a single, near-perfect idea. You might think of the album as a sculpture, and each track offers a different vantage point. “Ungirthed” is how you see it head on; “Fineshrine” is what it looks like from a low angle, with a bit of shadow from the overhang providing an extra touch of darkness; “Crawlersout”, with its sharper percussive edges and extra portion of ghosted vocals, is the view from 90 degrees to the left; and then “Grandloves”, with unwelcome guest vocals from Isaac Emmanuel of Young Magic, is like having a guy standing between you and the work, and he won’t stop talking on his cell. Read the full review on Pitchfork

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxDASw6Ry9c
Mumford and Sons – Big Easy Express DVD
In the opening scene of Big Easy Express, Jade Castrinos, singer for folk troubadours Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, is seen frolicking between train cars. The setting is last spring’s Railroad Revival Tour, a multi-day jaunt that found Castrinos’ band, Mumford & Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show traveling by a 14-car train from Oakland to New Orleans, playing six concerts along the way. Read the full review on Rolling Stone

Passion Pit – Gossamer
Gossamer, Passion Pit’s second full-length release, comes nearly three years after the band’s debut album, Manners, which itself dropped almost a year after Angelakos’ Valentine’s Day demos caught the attention of music blogs and major labels in 2008. The gestation period, long by today’s publish-or-perish standards, belies a record that wasn’t easy for Angelakos to make. It’s not the easiest to listen to, either. Dark topics and production difficulties slam against Passion Pit’s glittery sound to create an album that, while peppered with catchy melodies, is overstuffed and under-edited. Gossamer is a tortured beast, disguised in a crunchy candy shell. Read the full review on Pretty Much Amazing

Jeff The Brotherhood – Hypnotic Nights
Just over a year after dropping We Are the Champions, Nashville duo JEFF the Brotherhood try out their new deal with corporate behemoth Warner, delivering Hypnotic Nights (not to be confused with last month’s Hypnotic Knights EP, all four songs of which appear here). Despite the heavy-hitting financial backing, the brothers don’t really bother to switch anything up ― any of these tracks could have appeared on either of their last two albums. But while the basic premise is the same ― singer/guitarist Jake Orrall’s lackadaisical vocals are featured overtop some of the best punk, garage and psychedelic rock tracks going. Read the full review on Exclaim

Old Crow Medicine Show – Carry Me Back
However, in contrast to previous album, 2008’s Tennessee Pusher, a thrilling, rabble-rousing record about drug users, hustlers and the disaffected, Carry Me Back has a more down-home feel to it.

It moves from a gentle, toe-tapping porch song mood on tracks like the pleading and twangy Ain’t It Enough and Genevieve, which has an emotional bite to it with lines like “your love like fire and your heart like a guillotine”, to a thigh-slapping jaunt on the lovely fiddle-driven ditty Levi. Read the full review on NZ Herald

Baroness – Yellow & Green
Rather than settle into a specific signature, Baroness, and in particular frontman and guitarist John Baizley, has chosen to expand the palette through, in many cases, simplification. This is a more direct record than “Red” or “Blue”. Baizley has added more melody, more hooks, without surrendering the foundation he started the band with.

“Take My Bones Away” helps the listener transform from the fractal edginess of “Blue” to the warmer tones of “Yellow & Green”. Call it a hinge song, if you will. The fuzziness and grunge root remains, but the metallic weight is tempered by maturation. This sets us up for the anthemic feel of “March to the Sea” which flows into “Little Things”. Read the full review on Examiner

Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan
Culled from a batch of roughly 40 demos, these tunes explore vulnerability and vexation, sweetness and cynicism with more manageable musical complications than ever before. For instance, the gorgeous “Impregnable Question” finds the seam between Heart of Gold-era Neil Young and late-1960s Serge Gainsbourg; it’s a love song between Coffman and Longstreth, her coos helping him to soften his voice above a warm acoustic shuffle. Over handclaps and a ragged, wrapping riff on “Dance for You”, Longstreth offers one of his most intuitive and immediate hooks. There’s gusto and playfulness here, too, from the way Longstreth clears his very-warped throat before launching into the first verse of opener “Offspring Are Blank” to the brilliant decision to record Coffman and Dekle mocking some of Longstreth’s most impenetrable lyrics toward the end of the irrepressible “Unto Caesar”. When he sings “Down the line/ Dead, the martyrs’ morbid poetry,” Coffman teasingly answers, “Uhh, that doesn’t make any sense, what you just said.” You want to be in the room with this band. Read the full review on Pitchfork

Aesop Rock – Skelethon
Once Rock opens his mouth on Skelethon there’s nary a respite until the wrinkled-nose voice of anti-folkie Kimya Dawson breaks the album in half, over the tersely beautiful intro to “Crows 1.” It’s as if Rock had been hemorrhaging rhymes, having stored words for so long. The gracious beats also deserve credit for balancing the forbidding noise familiar from his Def Jux years. On “Racing Stripes,” an acid-jazz intro gives way to hallway-echoing drumrolls, while the gamelan-tinted vibraphone that cradles “Fryerstarter” is almost sexy. There’s never been blown-speaker boom-bap like “Tetra” on an Aesop Rock album before; and the occasional finished thought, like “This is why we can’t have nice things” or “When I see your picture I draw dicks on it,” helps keep him earthbound. Read the full review on AV Club

Gojira – L’Enfant Sauvage
“L’Enfant Sauvage” begins quite plainly as a celebration of the traits that the band have worked hard to single out as their own over the last decade – exaggerated harmonics, dynamic pick scrapes, nuanced drumming behind sledgehammer riffs. The guitars are crisp but swing low when required, often distinguished more by their pick attack or palm muting than melody or rhythm. It can make for repetitive listening, but once in the right frame of mind the small changes from song to song, from one kind of groovy riff to another, are easier to appreciate. The bouncing title track and aptly-titled “Explosia” may be similar in some regards but will take on different character when they inevitably take their place on Gojira’s live setlist. Read the full review on Ultimate Guitar