Old Crow Medicine Show - OCMS. Even without Wagon Wheel, which is a dang fun song, this is solidly enjoyable bluegrass actions from the hollows of Carolina.
Kid Cudi - Satellite Flight. The album title is actually quite a bit longer, but I just can't be bothered with all of that nonsense. I have never gotten into Kid Cudi. His other albums have never been all that interesting to me and this one doesn't change that perception. The beats are boring and the whispery delivery just doesn't hold my attention.
Warpaint - Warpaint. In general, not my cup of tea. Brooding, soft, dark, pretty, kind of meandering ladies. That being said, some of these songs are kind of tight - Love is to Die is actually pretty catchy. I'll keep this one around for the next time someone really cool comes to visit me from Brooklyn or something.
Coldplay - Ghost Stories. I was fully prepared to dislike this album, because the radio songs sound like they just took a page out of the EDM playbook (see Sky Full of Stars) to make a popular new album for the club kids. I loved Coldplay for their first two or three albums - Yellow, Clocks, Spiders, Trouble, those are money songs. I worried that leaving behind their rock roots to go all electronic would suck. While I still think those original albums are better, this one is actually pretty good. Chris Martin's voice and lyrics are still fine, and the music still takes you from relatively funky bounces to tender balladry. I'll keep this one.
Old 97's - Most Messed Up. Heck yeah. I like the Old 97's a lot, but had been a little underwhelmed by the last album or two. This one is great, loose, swagger-filled alt-country/rock fun.
Conor Oberst - Upside Down Mountain. Pretty nice. Makes me think of some of those Ryan Adams albums he made when he was doing like 9 a year, where it is eminently pleasant while the album is playing, but then when you try to remember a single thing that happened while the album played, you've got no idea. Amnesia rock, baby! Zigzagging Toward the Light may be the best one on here.
Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots. Lead singer from Blur and Gorillaz, both of which I like. Definitely more Gorillaz on this album than Blur - glitchy, synthy beats with Albarn floating around over the top. Good but not great, I kind of doubt I would go out of my way to find it and listen again.
Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger - Midnight Sun. Trippy psych rock from Sean Lennon, you can tell the kid has listened to some late Beatles in his day. Actually a pretty good album. Animals is my favorite tune on the album. Another one that was fine through a few listens, but I doubt I'll seek it out to hear again.
Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal. Garage band Strokes-y bashing. I know this album had critics salivating openly (Pitchfork says "Sunbathing Animal's considered, whip-smart rock revivalism is a work of substantial growth from a band that already did "simple" quite well, placing Parquet Courts in their own distinct weight class."; Rolling Stone gives it four stars, and like Pitchfork, invokes Pavement as the closest comparison, in saying it has deadpan vocals and fantastic guitar rambles.). I've tried to like Pavement, but I just haven't gotten into it. Same thing goes here, I'd like to really enjoy this, but it feels like an early, raw album from a band who got a lot better as they aged.
More to come...
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