Solid if unspectacular bar room rock. The characters of these songs and their escapades are entertaining enough, and when the songs rock, they really rock. If bars were conventionally open, songs like "Heavy Covenant" and "Family Farm" would get the place moving. Some songs get swallowed in their unnecessarily complex structures, mainly the first three songs. Still, this kinds of music makes me yearn for a world where I can slam some beers and sing along with my ... read more

The rollout for Random Access Memories was truly unforgettable. The snippets of music on SNL, the release of the track list on Vine (giving the infant platform some notoriety), the videos with the album's collaborators, the leaks, and the launch of the album in the Australian desert town of Wee Waa. Wee Waa I tell you! It was enough press for a summer blockbuster, unlike any other record I can think of during my 26+ years of life. And seemingly against all odds, the album lived up the hype and ... read more

What other band could define an entire genre of music and every subgenre of the main genre for an entire decade on one album? Every track on Discovery is a unique party, effortlessly swapping between different elements of dance music. It's a marvelous feat even 20 years later. Here's to hoping they reunite some day...

Standouts: One More Time, Aerodynamic, Digital Love, Harder Faster Better Stronger, Crescendolls, Nightvision, Superheroes, High Life, Something About Us, Voyager, Veridis Quo, ... read more

At a cross section between Destroyer and Weyes Blood, Tamara Lindeman's 5th album as The Weather Station is sublime on the ears and lyrically intricate. It's not as layered as the best Destroyer efforts but it's suitably detailed with beautiful melodies throughout. It's an easy entrance into the world of sophisti-pop.

Standouts: Robber, Atlantic, Tried To Tell You, Parking Lot, Loss, Separated, Heart

Well produced and quite catchy, OK Human is one of Weezer's better career efforts, even if it's held back by Rivers' painfully straightforward lyrics.

Standouts: All My Favorite Songs, Aloo Gobi, Playing My Piano, Screens, Bird With A Broken Wing, Here Comes The Rain

Kirin stays winning

Just let me finish my year end lists, Taylor...

Come for the sweet album art, stay for the doomy synth punk.

Standouts: Message to the Past, Tales to Tell, Boogie, Hollow Face, Outersphere

What other band could be on their 16th album and self-title it? KG is another winner for King Gizzard, nothing particularly new but yet again a testament to their technical precision and talent. Elements like psychedelia, country, indie, metal and more all coalesce into catchy tracks that flow smoothly into one another, which at this point feels like a Gizz staple. Highlights include the roving "Automation", the twangy "Minimum Brain Size", the bizarre left turn and ... read more

Kali makes a fine transition into a mainly Spanish language release. Sadly it's not as musically diverse as her excellent debut Isolation, but there's a lot to like about Sin Miedo. She still jumps from genre to genre, mainly posh dream pop and Latin trap. Her rapping vocals are up to the task, though I still prefer the lusher pop sounds. "vaya con dios" sounds like it could the theme song for a Spanish James Bond film. If you're wary of the Spanish vocals, look no further than ... read more

Power down.

Standouts: Shot in the Dark, Demon's Fire

Crushing noise has never been this infectious and fun.

Standouts: Tell 'Em, Kids, Riot Rhythm, Infinity Guitars, Run The Heart, Rill Rill, Crown On the Ground, Straight A's, Treats

If disco-inspired pop music could have a "standards" album a la jazz music, DISCO by Kylie Minogue would be a fine choice. Very fun from top to bottom.

Standouts: Magic, Miss A Thing, Monday Blues, Say Something, Last Chance, I Love It, Where Does The DJ Go?, Dancefloor Darling

Oneohtrix Point Never albums are great because any sound you hear around you while listening to one could very well be part of the record. For instance, I couldn't tell if "Imago" included garbage truck noises or if that garbage truck driving by me was making the sound. The radio concept of Magic Oneohtrix Point Never is pretty swell, and the different "shows" between the cross talks are engaging and surprisingly nostalgic. For a medium that still exists today, radio seems ... read more

Positions has some real highlights, but the brevity and predictability of many tracks keeps Ari's new record from being at its best.

Standouts: motive, off the table, my hair, love language, positions, pov

Like a fine wine, late era Springsteen is meant to be enjoyed by people whose age is close to that of the aged wine. It's a nostalgic reminder of when this kind of music was king, a special time in the past for many of those people. As someone who didn't grow up in the age of Springsteen, his work comes across as merely decent heartland rock. It's music that's past its prime but fully aware, and The Boss' knack for emotionally potent songwriting is as strong as ever. If lacking in personality, ... read more

While these songs might work better as singular releases than together as a cohesive record, there's no denying these songs are the best from Gorillaz in a decade. Each track is distinct, from the frenzied "Strange Timez" to the synth bliss of "Aries", the slick hip-hop of "Pac-Man" to the bizarro pop of "The Valley Of The Pagans", the suave chillness of "The Lost Chord" to the beautiful bossa nova of "Desole". It's a lot to take in, ... read more

Big fan of this recent trend of Kenny G revivalism

Producers couldn't find a way to shoehorn "DDU-DU DDU-DU" onto another BLACKPINK release, so they went with a series of clunky pop misses instead. If the beat isn't flaccid and boring (Ice Cream, Crazy Over You), it fumbles pop cliches that were hot 5 years ago (How You Like That, Bet You Wanna). The features from Selena Gomez and Cardi B are absolutely anonymous on their tracks. What works only sounds good because it isn't as bad as what's around it. The most disappointing thing is ... read more

I really thought Mouth Moods would be impossible to follow up, but the madman did it. Mouth Dreams is just as hilarious, creative, technically impressive as it's predecessor, and in many parts, it's an improvement. What other artist could take preexisting songs that have nothing to do with one another and create tracks that flow in and out of one another better than most major label records? The whole experience is like a fever dream, a feeling I've had listening to Neil's music before and now ... read more