Audioholic Media

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 05.25.10
by Joshua Krage

Lackluster list last week, so skim over these and skip down to the meat of this week’s releases.

Cam’ron
Common – best of
David Cross
Crystal Castles
The Cure – Disintegration 20th anniv
Fyfe Dangerfield
Karen Elson
Far
Fennesz
Leela James
Keith Jarrett / Charlie Haden
Damien Jurado
Krokus
Bettye Lavette
Marina / Diamonds
OST – Prince of Persia
OST – Sex and the City 2
OST – True Blood vol 2
Peter Wolf Crier
Piebald
John Prine
Rihanna – Rated R remixed
Slum Village
Smashing Pumpkins
Soulfly
Stone Temple Pilots (new, self-titled album)
Tobacco
VA – Rock & Roll Hall of Fame DVD
White Lion
Widespread Panic
Hank Williams III
Keller Williams & the Keels

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»Album Reviews For Release Date: 06.01.10
by Joshua Krage

Lots of great non-clubbin’ summertime music out this week with harmonies in the most interesting of places (see: Melvins) and some unexpected covers. Plenty of tunes to start your sunny season off right. Happy hunting:

Clay Aiken
Born Ruffians

Cherryholmes, Cherryholmes IV: Common Threads – the seventh overall and fourth self-titled LP from this amazing and storied family bluegrass band, and the first in which they write every track. Don’t know how I never heard of these talented kinfolk up ’til now. They have the bluegrass chops and quite decent vocals, and their originals here hold up to the best of any country crossover band from Alison Krauss to the Dixie Chicks. If you’re a country or bluegrass fan, this album will be a real treat.

Chase Coy
Taio Cruz
Dmitri From Paris/Joey Negro
Funki Porcini, On – stylish and tastefully danceable lounge-tronica from one of the Ninja Tune label’s most inventive and synth-infused acts.

The Futureheads, The Chaos – angular Sunderland post-punks return with heavily-accented muscle on fourth proper LP. Much less math rock and many more hooky choruses are the main accents, but their mainstay multi-part harmonies and bouncy guitars remain in top form.

Good Old War, Good Old War – second album from laidback, acoustically-proficient indie rockers with one of the most inventive backstories for a band name I’ve heard. Great attention to songcraft and well-constructed harmonies pepper these tracks and some particularly ingenious interludes elevate the overall work into something rather above the usual acoustic fare.

Hawthorne Heights

Infant Sorrow, Get Him to the Greek OST – full proper “album” from Russell Brand’s fictional band which sprang brilliantly from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and continues with hilarious aplomb in this new film. Tongue is planted firmly in cheek (among, erm, other things) and Brand’s Aldous Snow delivers one-liner after one-liner in a decent tour-de-farce.

Jack Johnson, To the Sea – the monarch of mellow doesn’t have much left to prove after a full decade of helping the music world relax in assorted colors and tones, and by this point you either like him or you don’t and probably need a massage. Plenty of relaxing to be had on this LP, and Johnson continues to play around with his electric alongside his signature acoustic sound, but he lets keyboardist Zach Gill and his rhythm section do a bit of the driving this time around, ending up pretty much where most of his other albums end up, soundtracking the sunset after a killer day shooting the curl, bruh.

Lamb of God

The Melvins, The Bride Screamed Murder – if you saw the name Melvins and started reading this, chances are you’re already one of the converted; if not, the fact they’re on Ipecac Records might tell you you’re in store for something… interesting. These guys have been making sludge-tastic riff collages for over two decades now, and with this release they add some unexpected harmony breaks and even a sprawling, lava-flow trudge through The Who’s “My Generation” which might be the most unique interpretation of the classic I’ve heard. They even close the album out with a left turn take on a Canadian folk song, I’m guessing just for ironic shock value, but it fully works, and if you’re a fan you’ll count this LP among your favorite in the Melvins œuvre.

Sergio Mendes

Tift Merritt, See You On the Moon – this soothing alt.country siren is on a roll, releasing her third full album in less than three years and honing her songwriting and arranging skills to a fine point. Most of the songs on this album are pared down beautifully to either spare rhythm section behind her acoustic, or light piano and light accoutrement filling in the corners, which leaves much more room for her soft, beautiful vocals to float on in and get comfortable. And her words hit home for any lost soul looking for a light–vulnerable tales of seeking and reflection, plus some decent covers including a simple, touching take on Kenny Loggins’ “Danny’s Song” which captures the vagabond smile of the song perfectly. A great record for an afternoon on the porch with the sky.

moe. – hits
Pastor Troy
Iggy Pop
George Strait – live DVD
U2 – live at the Rose Bowl DVD (out on 6/3)
VA – Motown for Kids
Paul Weller

That’s a much better list than last week, eh? Well next week is even better, with new tuneage dropping in from Against Me!, Delta Spirit, Hanson, Here We Go Magic, Tokyo Police Club and the Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack, among others. I’ll see you then, and see you there.

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