Adam Green & Binki Shapiro – Adam Green & Binki Shapiro : very interesting he-she vocal interplay (natch); lovely 60’s influence
Beach Fossils – Clash The Truth : throwaway lo-fi dream pop; #noedge
Christopher Owens – Lysandre : interesting, emotive rock/folk; #awfulytwee
Eels – Wonderful, Glorious : decent E output; muddles between meh and hmmm
Foxygen – We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic : smart, cheeky, drugged-out psych!!
Frightened Rabbit – Pedestrian Verse : cleaner, tighter, slicker; not necessarily better
I Am Kloot – Let It All In : elegant adult pop
Joy Formidable, the – Wolf’s Law : pulsing arena dynamics, good songs; #solidnotgreat
Low – The Invisible Way : such melancholy; #deepsigh
Mountains – Centralia : lovely post-rock/drone/ambient, love the hum; #stonerdelight
Omar Rodriguez Lopez – Unicorn Skeleton Mask : electro wonk; #needsmoreguitar
Pantha Du Prince & The Bell Laboratory – Elements Of Light : ambient > techno; #lessismore
Pissed Jeans – Honeys : semi-crazed noise-terror
Ra Ra Riot – Beta Love : god-awful synth pop
Yo La Tengo – Fade : adventure within great pop frameworks; #bestYLTinyears
And So I Watch You from Afar – All Hail Bright Futures : wildly adventurous instrumental rock/eclectro; #swingandamiss
Apparat – Krieg und Frieden (Music For Theatre) : absolutely gorgeous modern classical
Biffy Clyro – Opposites : fucking god-awful
Boogie Belgique – Time For A Boogie : very fun throwback trip-hop; #cleverfunbeats
Camper Van Beethoven – La Costa Perdida : easy-listenin’, kooky, CVB roots rock
Ducktails – The Flower Lane : very hit-and-miss pop, most of the lo-fi buzz removed; #bandsearchingforasound
Esben And The Witch – Wash The Sins Not Only The Face : occasionally interesting dream pop; #gothy
Ex Cops – True Hallucinations : fun, diverse modern indie-pop; #varietyandedgekeepsitfun
Foals – Holy Fire : very tepid indie/dance-rock
Last Royals, the – Twistification : plain-jane indie-pop/rock; #notbadnotgood
Matt Pond – The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hand : some nice tunes, but sooooooooo sappy
My Bloody Valentine – MBV : excellent follow-up to THE classic; #needtohearthevinyl
New Order – Lost Sirens : better than some, still not good
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – Push The Sky Away : gorgeously creepily
Petra Haden – Petra Goes To The Movies : very interesting (but would I listen to it twice?)
Radar Bros – Eight : largely tepid mid-tempo indie rock
Retribution Gospel Choir – 3 : epic
Sin Fang – Flowers : buoyant and lush freak-folk via Iceland
Sonny Smith – 100 Records vol 3 : very enjoyable weirdo pop; #greatconcept
Spinto Band, the – Cool Cocoon : fun little power-pop outing; #jaunty!
Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob : transition to mediocre radio-pop band complete; #butterflytocaterpillar
Tomahawk – Oddfellows : weird and noisy, #pattonstillafreak
Tosca – Odeon : love it
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – II : mildly-psychedelic lo-fi rockers; #hitandmiss
Widowspeak – Almanac : nicely hazy “Sunday Hangover” tunes; #thin
Woodpigeon – Thumbtacks And Glue : lovely “orchestral indie folk-pop”; #needssomemeat
Atlas Genius – When It Was Now : very safe and uneventful indie pop; #betterthancoldplay #faintpraise
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Specter At The Feast : tepid blues-rock; needs more fire, less languid-ness
Blackout Beach – Blues Trip : interestingly sombre; #nothingsticks
Cave Singers, the – Naomi : the album plays, then it’s over, nothing there; #excellentproduction
Chelsea Light Moving – Chelsea Light Moving : fun, noisy indie-rock adventuring
Cloud Cult – Love : lovely, lush orch-pop; #lovelovelove
Dead Sons – The Hollers and the Hymns : fun Brit-flavored Desert Rock
Flaming Lips, the – The Terror : super weird
Girls Names – The New Life : tight, dance-y, melancholy rock; #wannabecure
Go, the – Fiesta : fun, swinging, 60s-style psych-pop
Guards – In Guards We Trust : fun, formulaic, indie-pop; #bythenumbers
Johnny Marr – The Messenger : lush, ringing guitars over middling, drab songs; #itsabore
Matt Valentine and Erika Elder – Fuzzweed : bizarre psychedelic folk/rock; subdued and chaotic together
Mazes – Ores & Minerals : a little Kraut choogle mixed with angular guitar interplay, all to good effect; #almostjustright
Men, the – New Moon : very fun mix of garage-rock and country-folk, shambling and loose
Phoenix – Bankrupt! : pop music, that is all; #nothingtoseehere
Phosphorescent – Muchacho : low-key electro-acoustic americana-pop; #mostlydull
Psychic Ills – One Track Mind : shambling psychedelic rock; #sooooooohigh
Shout Out Louds – Optica : widescreen indie-pop opus; #hotwhenitswings
Son Volt – Honky Tonk : Jay in the classic outlaw-country style; #needssongs
They Might Be Giants – Nanobots : super catchy, fun, pop-songs; #winning
Black Angels, the – Indigo Meadow : great psych-rock, perhaps a bit same-old
Bonobo – The North Borders : fun-enough downtempo electro-chill-hop
David Bowie – The Next Day : don’t call it a comeback…
Depeche Mode – Delta Machine : classic DM; electro-pop with a rock edge
Giant Drag – Waking Up Is Hard To Do : nice indie rock; #notgettingthehype
Guadalupe Plata – Guadalupe Plata : very fun style, a bit slim on compelling tracks; #onestringbass4eva
Josh Rouse – The Happiness Waltz : nice, easy, Sunday morning tunes; #whatsnottolike
Kate Nash – Girl Talk : 90% ho-hum, a couple winning tunes; #hawt
Mary Onettes, the – Hit The Waves : sensationally boring 80s-indebted synth-pop
Mudhoney – Vanishing Point : righteous OG grunge!; #garagepunkforever
Stereophonics – Graffiti on the Train : the soundtrack to drunken festival idiots?
Strokes, the – Comedown Machine : tepidly annoying; #irrelevant
Thee Oh Sees – Floating Coffin : awesomely chaotic AND cohesive, at the same time; #makingitlookeasy
VietNam – An A.merican D.ream : situated exactly between WTF, OMG, and “who are you kidding”; #overseriousandboring
Wavves – Afraid of Heights : “hooky power-chord punk songs”, staying lo-fi, keeping the melody, adding pacing
Waxahatchee – Cerulean Salt : heartfelt songs, with some fun buzzy guitars; #hugepromise
Woodkid – The Golden Age : darkly haunting, emotionally deep, orchestral soudscapes; #whoa
Wire – Change Becomes Us : thoroughly enjoyable angular rock; #aginggracefully
Bombino – Nomad : fantastic desert-blues with some nice modern touches; #bestinclass
Charles Bradley – Victim of Love : very enjoyable retro-70’s R&B/funk; #realdeal
Dawes – Stories Don’t End : super-boring adult-rock
Futurebirds – Baby Yaga : extremely unchallenging southern/roots rock
Hiss Golden Messenger – Haw : delightful 70′ AM + spirituals + country-funk; #sundaymorning
Johnossi – Transitions : wide range of guitar-driven indie rock; #arenarockvibe
Knife, the – Shaking The Habitual : percussion-heavy electro-pop; #idontgetit
Kurt Vile – Wakin On A Pretty Daze : sleepy/lazy cerebral folk-rock; #isitpossibletobetoostoned
Leisure Society, the – Alone Aboard The Ark : interesting pop songs, some genius here; #doihearjohndenver
Mark Lanegan And Duke Garwood – Black Pudding : continuing adventures of dark mark
Milk Music – Cruise Your Illusion : thoroughly enjoyable rockers
Murder By Death – As You Wish: Kickstarter Covers : #forthefans
Palma Violets – 180 : interesting, derivative, modern-garage rock; #occasionallyexcellent
Poni Hoax – A State Of War : interesting electro-dance-rock; #superpromising
Steve Earle & The Dukes (& Duchesses) – The Low Highway : the master takes the low highway through america(na)
Thermals, the – Desperate Ground : snotty punk rock
Wax Idols – Discipline & Desire : dark, gothic, 80s-style New Age
White Fence – Cyclops Reap : buzzy, lo-fi psychedelic 60s pastiche; #agrower
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Mosquito : manic in assembly, a fun listen
Za! – Wanananai : crazily avante-garde experimentalism; #jazzrockhiphopinsanity
!!! – Thr!!!er : occasionally brilliant original dance-punk; some tunez drag (or are too short…)
Airborne Toxic Event, the – Such Hot Blood : astonishingly dull
Annuals – Time Stamp : very well done synth-pop, just enough meat to interest
Baths – Obsidian : excellently done, but the world does not need electro-emo…
Belle Starr – Belle Starr : ho-hum; trying to check all the boxes; #blonderedheadbrunette #cuties #fiddle #lotsofcovers
Big Harp – Chain Letters : gritty blues/rock/folk; #suckerforbaritone
Dead Confederate – In The Marrow : good, grungy southern-rock; #couldusesomesongs
Deadstring Brothers – Cannery Row : classic-sounding alt-country/rock
Deerhunter – Monomania : deliciously busted indie-rock-pop-folk craziness; #geniusatwork
Depedro – La Increible Historia De Un Hombre Bueno : muy bueno
Division Of Laura Lee – Tree : interesting SWE indie; #betterwitheachlisten
Features, the – The Features : lots of promise, still thin; #soclose
Fourth Of July – Empty Moon : sad-sack folk/rock with a lot of slacker
Hanni El Khatib – Head in the Dirt : very enjoyable rockers, melody+grit+guitar, not earthshaking but damn fun
Har Mar Superstar – Bye Bye 17 : stupid r&b; #stillsortafun
Howe Gelb – Dust Bowl : lovely HG; #dessertfolkforever
Iggy And The Stooges – Ready To Die : cute, old-man-version of punked-up rock; #tame
JJ Grey & Mofro – This River : marshmallow-soft R&B/soul/blues
Jonny Fritz – Dad Country : corndawg!
Laura Stevenson – Wheel : sweet folk-rock sounds over dark lyrics;
Meat Puppets – Rat Farm : that classic MP ‘roach on the porch’ sound; #interestingnotgripping
No Joy – Wait To Pleasure : woozy shoegaze-pop; #fallsapart
Os Mutantes – Fool Metal Jack : very strange; mostly crummy; some awesome gems
Seasick Steve – Hubcap Music : pointedly “rural” blues meandering; #somefunboogiemoments
She & Him – Volume 3 : well-executed “swinging country-pop with a girl-group backbone”
Shooter Jennings – The Other Life : not his father’s outlaw country
Wampire – Curiosity : curious synth-pop; #comicbooksinister
Wheeler Brothers – Gold Boots Glitter : solidly fun roots rockers; #magicinthepop
Young Galaxy – Ultramarine : good synth-pop, perhaps too subdued; #overthunk
Alex Bleeker And The Freaks – How Far Away : fun, jangly country-tinged indie-pop
Alice in Chains – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here : boring; #rock
Bass Drum of Death – Bass Drum of Death : gritty garage-rock
Beady Eye – BE : dodgy encoding
Ben Lee – Ayahuasca: Welcome to the Work : meditative, psychedelic, indie-pop
Big Deal – June Gloom : arena-size indie-rock hooks; #nobigdeal
Boxer Rebellion, the – Promises : soaring, open, pop-rock; #coldplayish
Brand New Heavies, the – Forward : decent party r&b/jazz/hip-hop
Brazos – Saltwater : playful indie-rock/pop
Camera Obscura – Desire Lines : thoroughly enjoyable indie-pop; always sweet-sounding, never treacle
Club 8 – Above The City : Euro indie/electro-pop
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories : dazzlingly funky; #toetappingbootymovinglove
Dodos, the – Carrier : more folk + a lot less rock; #needsmorerock
Editors – The Weight Of Your Love : the tracks that aren’t horrible Coldplay tunez are decent
Eleanor Friedberger – Personal Record : less weird than FF, still fantastic; #weirdopop
Fall, the – Re-Mit : weird and abrasive, which is a good thing (if pretty tame)
Future Bible Heroes – Partygoing : awesomely arch synth-pop; #suchagreatbent
Ghostpoet – Some Say I So I Say Light : I’ve no real idea what this is, but i likes it; #experimentalhiphop?
Golden Gunn – Golden Gunn RSD LP : very interesting somnolent instrumentals
Halasan Bazar – Space Junk : dull lo-fi indie-psych-rock
Handsome Family, the – Wilderness : expressive, storyteller-style Americana; #southerngothic #baritone
Hooded Fang – Gravez : interesting low-fo/garage rock; #nicepopelements
Hospital Ships – Destruction In Yr Soul : loud/soft dynamics powered by folk/fuzz/pop; #tryingtoohard
Human Eye – 4: Into Unknown : a garage-punk shot to the balls; “skuzzed-out space-punk”
Imaginary Cities – Fall Of Romance : light indie-pop; #daydreams
Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds – Haunted Head : Very weird psychedelic-swamp-punk craziness
Mikal Cronin – MCII : Awesomely executed POP, valid prefixes include: power-, bubblegum-, garage-, and of course fuzz-
MS MR – Secondhand Rapture : strong rhythmic pop tendencies, weighed down by monotony and over-seriousness
Olms, the – The Olms : delightful 60s-am-radio infused folk-rock; #thin
Orange Peels, the – Sun Moon : melange of power-pop subtopics; #anonthrowback
Pokey LaFarge – Pokey LaFarge : fun, unique Riverboat-roots; #jazzswingpopsoul + #twang
Portugal. The Man – Evil Friends : sounds great and has fun; #maybetoomuch
Postelles, the – …And It Shook Me : decent Strokes-ish indie-rock; #nicetry
Pretty & Nice – Golden Rules for Golden People : shotgun-style peppy indie-rock
Primal Scream – More Light : interesting throwback vibes
Queens Of The Stone Age – …Like Clockwork : it’s definitely good, but it’s all sensitive and shit; #needsmoremenace
Rogue Wave – Nightingale Floors : supremely bland indie-pop
Scout Niblett – It’s Up To Emma : jilted-lover, fuck-you electric blues; #emotebabyemote
Shannon and the Clams – Dreams in the Rat House : extremely fun garage-rock/pop/doo-wop/r&b
Shinyribs – Gulf Coast Museum : decent Gulf-oriented blues/r&b
Sonny and the Sunsets – Antenna to the Afterworld : synth-loaded indie-pop from outer space; #goodweirdorbadweird
Sons Of Rico – In Rico Glaciers : big, bold, classic-rock/glam/power-pop; #elo, #newpornos
Splashh – Comfort : fuzzed out, passionate and lo-fi rock tunez
These New Puritans – Field Of Reeds : extremely adventurous art project; #neoclassical? #avantpop?
Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of The City : leaving all the creativity to an Eagles reunion
Yellowbirds – Songs From The Vanished Frontier : mostly-excellent folk/pop/rock with a psych bent
Young Man – Beyond Was All Around Me : yet still more nondescript indie-pop
A Grave With No Name – Whirlpool : well-constructed cinematic indie-rock; #justenoughlofibuzz
Andrew Stockdale – Keep Moving : big dumb rock!!
Black Sabbath – 13 : very, very solid BS outing; can’t tell they’re antiques
Blank Tapes, the – Vacation : solid garage-pop songs; #familiarsounds
Builders and The Butchers, the – Western Medicine : brimstone-charred indie folk/rock; #onetrickpony #thetain
Clem Snide – Songs for Mary : s./s. Eef-style
CSS – Planta : boring electro-pop
Date Palms – The Dusted Sessions : desert ambient?
David Lynch – The Big Dream : hazy-oddball-blues/interpretations
Disappears – Era : noisy, moody, throwback post-punk; #disappearsdisappoints
Dog Party – Lost Control : extremely fun punk-pop; #youngdumbandfulloffun
Duckworth Lewis Method, the – Sticky Wickets : indie-pop; #cricket?
Ebony Bones – Behold, a Pale Horse : wacky, fun, arty party-rock; #tiring
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros : clap-clap stomp-stomp; #goofy
Electric Soft Parade, the – Idiots : enjoyable Beatles-esque simple pop songs; #thin
Everywheres, the – Slow Friends : simple, hazy psych-pop
Frankie & The Heartstrings – The Days Run Away : shiny, glossy brit-pop; #hohum
Fuck Buttons – Slow Focus : complex, innovative noise-rock
Gauntlet Hair – Stills : dark, noisy and heavily-reverbed ambient-rock(?)
Gogol Bordello – Pura Vida Conspiracy : kooky “gypsy-punk”; #notforme
GRMLN – Empire : fun, simple indie/guitar rockers
Grumbling Fur – Glynnaestra : strangely psychedelic ambient? avant-pop?; #movingon
Hans-Joachim Roedelius & Stefan Schneider – Tiden : experimental electronic ambient; #headphones
Honey Island Swamp Band – Cane Sugar : fairly standard “roots” album; #nicefunk
Houndmouth – From the Hills Beneath the City : 100% pedestrian modern radio “folk rock”; #thanksalotmumford
Hunx and His Punx – Street Punk : rough and tumble pop-punk
It Hugs Back – Recommended Record : multiple styles of indie-pop/rock, all well executed; #drivingmusic
James Skelly And The Intenders – Love Undercover : lukewarm soul/r&b/pop
Joseph Arthur – The Ballad Of Boogie Christ : broad strokes across diverse sounds; well-executed; #flat
Kowalski – For The Love Of Letting Go : tepid indie-pop
Lamp of the Universe – Transcendence : very psychedelic drone; #sitar
Lloyd Cole – Standards : good ol’ trustworthy LC, simple and pleasant dad-rock/pop
Love Language, the – Ruby Red : occasionally interesting, dynamic indie, leaning pop; #heaviermomentsrock
Lumerians – The High Frontier : freaky psychedelic “interstellar post-punk”; #dudewheresmybrain
Mantles, the – Long Enough To Leave : solidly decent retro-ish rockers, great high spots
Maps – Vicissitude : ho-hum chill synth-pop
Matthew Herbert – The End Of Silence : “freeze history, press pause, wander around inside the sound.”; #intriguing #onebombsound
Meeks – Beatless: Shoegazer Covers Of The Beatles : more than a little muzak
Miles Kane – Don’t Forget Who You Are : good, if entirely predicatable, 70s glam+90s britpop
Molly Ringwald – Except Sometimes : actress, not singer
No Age – An Object : lo-fi, DIY, art-punk; #noiserawkdeluxe
Oblivians – Desperation : fun, gritty/greasy garage rockers; #zydeco?
Pond – Hobo Rocket : wacky, loose psych fun
Robert Pollard – Honey Locust Honky Tonk : solid Pollard. excellence mode. #sameasiteverwas
Rose Windows – The Sun Dogs : rockin’ hippies!!; #channelinggraceslick
Savages – Silence Yourself : crushing, highly emotive, “razorwire postpunk anthems”
Sigur Rós – Kveikur : more accessible time-signatures and rhythms, but retains it’s post-punk complexity; #verygood!
Silver Seas, the – Alaska : very, very soft rock
Smith Westerns – Soft Will : aiming for the dullest middle; #bullseye
Standstill – Dentro De La Luz : very nice Spanish pop
Surfer Blood – Pythons : everything interesting about the music has been removed; #boringguitarpop
Tijuana Panthers – Semi-Sweet : real-deal surf rock, garage style
Triangulo De Amor Bizarro – Victoria Mística : awesome Spanish shoegaze-pop
Unseen Strangers, the – Follow the Sound : straight bluegrass
Washed Out – Paracosm : widescreen, lo-fi, psych-pop; #chillwave #inthemoment
Wave Pictures, the – The Songs Of Jason Molina
Woolen Men, the – The Woolen Men : propulsive, bass-heavy indie rock; #raw #veryraw #tooraw
Work Drugs – Mavericks : cutesie electro-indie-pop
Califone – Stitches : excellently done experimental folk/alt.country/ambient; #SWflair
Civil Wars, the – The Civil Wars : uber-serious adult pop-country; #nofun #notonebitoffun #seriouslynotfun
Crocodiles – Crimes of Passion : very, very derivative, but the highs are awesome; #jamc
Crystal Stilts – Nature Noir : well-done post-punk/mumble-gaze/indie rock ;bauhausvox ;whenithitsitstheshit
Dead Meadow – Warble Womb : a mystic, prog-influenced journey through classic/stoner/heavy-psych/…;#doublelp #dub? #raga?
Deer Tick – Negativity : openly emotional, heart-felt songs; #notthedeertickiwaslookingfor
Franz Ferdinand – Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions : classic FF “disco-rock” sound; #uneven
Glasvegas – Later…When the TV Turns to Static : uninteresting overblown indie-rock; #swingandamiss
Grooms – Infinity Caller : indie rockers, dance-pop subgengre; #bombast #fun
Islands – Ski Mask : something about this broken-pop just drags me in…
Jacuzzi Boys – Jacuzzi Boys : well-executed, buzzing, lo-fi psychedelic indie-rock
Kakkmaddafakka – Six Months Is A Long Time : quirky, light indie-pop
Kanye West – Yeezus : well, everyone loves it right?
King Khan & The Shrines – Idle No More : cleaned up sonics and more introspection, but still an awesome garage-punk party
Moderat – II : unsettling digital introspection
Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You : a bit off her lofty heights, but still a gorgeous, thought-provoking album
Norm – Norm : kooky little blast of bedroom psych-pop
Part Time – PDA : silly throw-away bedroom “smooch-pop”; #ArielPinkLite
Polyphonic Spree, the – Yes, It’s True : A for effort, B for execution, C for material; #needsannie
Slut – Alienation : widescreen indie-rock, euro-flav; #wannabekida #someseriouscheesehere
Speedy Ortiz – Major Arcana : very solid, interesting 90s-style indie-rock; angular/loud-soft/phair/pavement
Steve Arrington and Dam Funk – Higher : groovy retro fun
Superchunk – I Hate Music : classic Superchunk power-pop; #introspection #guitars
Travis – Where You Stand : safest-of-safe indie-brit-pop; #epicbeige
Ty Segall – Sleeper : reduced chaos, increased introspection, awesome remains
White Hills – So You Are. So You’ll Be : “fuzzed out motorik space rock”; driving, hypnotic, intense
White Lies – Big TV : uninteresting 80’s-style “new-wave”; #sodumb
14KT – Nickel & Dimed : cool instrumental hip-hop; #dope
1975, the – The 1975 : horribly horrible indie-pop
Arctic Monkeys – AM : goddamn good example of modern indie rock
Babyshambles – Sequel to the Prequel : limp half-attempt at coherency
Black Joe Lewis – Electric Slave : raw, gritty garage rock-r&b
CHVRCHES – The Bones Of What You Believe : modern synth-pop; maybe it’s good, maybe it isn’t – I don’t care; #sucksass
Danny and the Champions of the World – Stay True : milquetoast americana/blue-eyed-soul; #oneoneverycorner
Emiliana Torrini – Tookah : subtle, sensual Icelandic pop; gorgeous vox
Herman Düne – Mariage à Mendoza : thrillingly subtle OST w/ great southwest dynamic
Holy Ghost! – Dynamics : 90% lame 80s synth garbage, 10% dumb disco
Janelle Monáe – The Electric Lady : unusual, emotional and (sometimes) thrilling sci-fi R&B
Jay Arner – Jay Arner : swell lo-fi/psych/pop ditties
Jonathan Rado – Law and Order : wildly eclectic/uneven, mostly tepid with some hot spots
Julie Ruin, the – Run Fast : very smart arty punk rock, abrasive and bratty; #thatvoice
Jungle Giants, the – Learn To Exist : decent, peppy, guitar-driven indie-pop
London Grammar – If You Wait : symphonic(-lite) synth-pop; oh-so-serious; #zzzzzz
Ludovico Einaudi – In a Time Lapse : exquisite modern classical/ambient
Man Man – On Oni Pond : orderly, clear-sounding, extremely-broken pop songs; #nochaos #isthismanman
Mark Lanegan – Imitations : “crooner”-ish cover; that voice…; #baritone
Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers – Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers : sweetly-rambling, jangly fem-vox americana
Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks : less brutally caustic, but a compelling electro-rock-industrial batch; #vgood
No Ceremony/// – No Ceremony : sweeping, mildly-gloomy, electro-synth pop, all hush, wispers, and air; #lotsofproduction
North Mississippi All-Stars – World Boogie Is Coming : awesomely crunchy new-old blues workouts
PINS – Girls Like Us : passionate indie-garage; #blues #chicks
Richard Buckner – Surrounded : elegantly constructed s/s, dense and subtle
Suburbs, the – Si Sauvage : (mostly) very-well-done rockers, tasting of Roxy Music; #rebootnotretread
Terry Malts – Nobody Realizes This Is Nowhere : lo-fi, fuzzed-out garage-punk+60’s pop
UB40 – Getting Over the Storm : tepid, country-tinged reggae, covers+originals
Willis Earl Beal – Nobody Knows : s/s dark-blues; #promising!
Band of Heathens, the – Sunday Morning Record : super-duper easy-listening alt-country/blues/pop; as exciting as a freshly pressed pair of khaki Dockers
Belle Game, the – Ritual Tradition Habit : technically efficient indie-pop/rock; familiar
Bill Callahan – Dream River : highly engaging, unique s/s; #baritone #americanaflair #dusty
Body/Head – Coming Apart : tense, abstract noise/art-rock; engaging, troubling, and weird
Bosq of Whiskey Barons – Bosq y Orquesta De Madera : a funky global partay; afro-latin disco
Brent Amaker & The Rodeo – Year of the Dragon : gimicky post-punk neo-space-cowboy; dryly direct lyrics; #baritone
Darcys, the – Warring : lame-o modern goofy-rock; #dropthebassoffatallbuilding
Devil Makes Three, the – I’m a Stranger Here : dark acoustic roots/Americana/blues
Dr. Dog – B-Room : hooky indie-rock; #movealong #nothingtosee
Elvis Costello & The Roots – Wise Up Ghost : thoroughly enjoyable melange of sounds and styles
Frankie Rose – Herein Wild : fairly dull indie/dream-pop
Fratellis, the – We Need Medicine : mildly interesting dipshit-britpop
Fuzz – Fuzz : bombastic Ty-metal
Golden Animals – Hear Eye Go : dusty, warm, mid-tempo psychedelic rock
Greencards, the – Sweetheart of the Sun : quiet bluegrass/americana; #sundaymorning
Grouplove – Spreading Rumours : over-the-top spazzy indie-pop
Ha Ha Tonka – Lessons : reaching for, and almost grabbing, the golden ring of perfection; ambitious Americana mixed with Fleetwood Mac, Wilco, and Jackson Browne
Jack Johnson – From Here To Now To You
Jesse Woods – Get Your Burdens Lifted : coutry-slack psych/indie-folk
Joan Jett and The Blackhearts – Unvarnished : VERY solid rockers!
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Float Along – Fill Your Lungs : hazy 60’s psychedelia with a boogie backbone
Kings Of Leon – Mechanical Bull : somewhat dialed-back arena/indie-rock; very ho-hum
Left Lane Cruiser – Rock Them Back to Hell : raucously gritty blues howlers; #scaresthehipsters
Luke Haines – Rock and Roll Animals : bizarra psych-folk “concept”
Manic Street Preachers – Rewind the Film : do aging punkers get kudos or dishonor for going MOR?
Mazzy Star – Seasons of Your Day : gorgeous sound and fantastically relevant
MGMT – MGMT : weird-for-sake-of-weird
Mindy Gledhill – Pocketful of Poetry : enthusiastically bubbly indie folk/pop
Moby – Innocents : tepid at best. #collabsforfun
Morcheeba – Head Up High : nice little trip-hop album; #nothingshocking
New Lines, the – Fall in Line : interesting indie electro-rock-pop; #tiredears
Nightmares on Wax – Feelin Good : decent ’08-ish trip-hop; nothing new or urgent
of Montreal – Lousy with Sylvianbriar : a glistening 60s-70s folk-rock update; #E6!
Said The Whale – Hawaiii : staid indie-rockers, full of harmony and boredom
Sebadoh – Defend Yourself : nothing new, sounds exactly like 90s Sebadoh
Shore, the – Second Sight : very dull indie rock; #silverlake #sux
Strypes, the – Snapshot : fairly idiotic high-energy retro-pub-rock
Sleigh Bells – Bitter Rivals : guitar bombast and ultra-compression met in an alley…
Teen Daze – Glacier : immersive synth ambience; #darngood
Teenage Guitar – Force Fields at Home : very broken, very lo-fi Pollart pop/rock art
Turin Brakes – We Were Here : fairly complex melodies, harmonies and instrumentation; #lacksfire
Two Cow Garage – The Death of the Self Preservation Society : fun multi-influence punk/rock; #country #rnb #indie
White Denim – Corsicana Lemonade : excellently executed; jammy/jazzy prog/dub(?)/indie outing
Wussy – Wussy Duo : Wussy… Apparently great, although I’m mostly missing it
Yuck – Glow & Behold : mmmmehh; no superchunk, lots of (lame attempt at) travis
American Babies – Knives And Teeth : emotional Rust Belt Americana, with a couple out-of-place “radio” songs
Arcade Fire – Reflektor : solid mainstream disco-rock-pop; 80% mainstream, 20% interesting
Avril Lavigne – Avril Lavigne : mostly crap pop
Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe : silky-smooth indie-pop/R&B; #slojamz
Boardwalk – Boardwalk : ho-hum Beach House clone
Cage The Elephant – Melophobia : fun diverse party rockers; don’t listen too close…
Cass McCombs – Big Wheel And Others : really damn good, but WAY too long
Cults – Static : equal parts bummer and soothe
Cut Copy – Free Your Mind : the parts that aren’t dumb-disco are interesting; #notenoughnotdumb
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – The Speed Of Things : nutty little dose of electro-pop; #thin #notnascar
Dismemberment Plan, the – Uncanney Valley : kooky & wacky little pop throwaways
Dosh – Milk Money : very interesting electro-ambience
Dump – The Silent Treatment : glitchy lo-fi bedroom indie; YLT-related
Electric Six – Mustang : comic book rock
Elf Power – Sunlight On the Moon : lovely paisely-flecked psychedelic pop; #E6!
Ezra Furman – Day Of The Dog : excellent, rollicking, raw punk; #raspy
Forest Fire – Screens : intriguing; uber-modern motorik synth-rock
Haim – Days Are Gone : dastardly over-production, but a heart of gold (records)
Hank Williams III – A Fiendish Threat : a punk-rock car-crash of an album
Head And The Heart, the – Let’s Be Still : sleepytime indie folk
Hebronix – Unreal : promising, but so unfocused and ‘noodle-y’
Howe Gelb – The Coincidentalist : superb! laid-back southwest aura flavored by the famous spoken drawl
Jagwar Ma – Howlin : Aussie flavored Madchester; #woooo!
Joanna Gruesome – Weird Sister : fuzzed-out raging guitar-rock/pop
Joseph Arthur – The Ballad Of Boogie Christ Act 2 : professional
Kevin Devine And The Goddamn Band – Bubblegum : high-energy pop-punk with a diverse gaze; #doesnotstick
Ki:Theory – Kitty Hawk : interesting indie-noise-electro mash-up
La Luz – It’s Alive : fun surf+beach sound; a grower
Lee Ranaldo And The Dust – Last Night On Earth : decent little indie/classic-rock outing; some fun high spots
Loon Lake – Gloamer : almost; some good pop/power-pop/indie in there
Los Campesinos! – No Blues : mmmeh indie pop
Lucius – Wildewoman : excitedly-diverse girl-group pop; #themusicismorethantheshow
M.I.A. – Matangi : no doubt it speaks to someone, not me
Marijuana Deathsquads – Oh My Sexy Lord : hectic and frantic beats and textures; #thrillride
Miraculous Mule – Deep Fried : primitive roots/blues; #whiteboyblues
Moonface – Julia With Blue Jeans On : did I just listen to a dude cry for an hour?
Mother Hips, the – Behind Beyond : classic Cali soul/rock; #boring
Mount Eerie – Pre-Human Ideas : Auto Tune is the fucking worst thing evar
Native Cats, the – Dallas : motorik post-punk rockers, somewhat reminiscent of The Fall
Nobunny – Secret Songs : plenty of chaos, plenty of lo-fi, plenty of fun; enough killer songs?
NYPC – NYPC : decently slick electro-dance-pop
Omar Souleyman – Wenu Wenu : hypester defined
Papa – Tender Madness : tepid tales of ‘murica
Pearl Jam – Lightning Bolt : it’s exactly what you thought a PJ album would be like
Prefab Sprout – Crimson-Red : lovely, intricate & delicate indie/adult pop
Royal Bangs – Brass : halfway toned-down pastiche of rock styles; shoulda’ left the mess…
Russian Circles – Memorial : righteous post-metal
Scott Amendola and Charlie Hunter – Pucker : smoothly jazzy
Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time : very straight-forward, very-engaging indie-pop/rock
Sounds, the – Weekend : taut, energetic pop, SWE style
Sun Angle – Diamond Junk : ‘they’ say “punk/world-music”, I say “chaos”
Swearin’ – Surfing Strange : fun, highly derivative, ’90’s college rock’
Sébastien Tellier – Confection : “well that was something”; well-done little pop poofs from FRA
Those Darlins – Blur the Line : interesting indie-rock; #themagicisgone
Throwing Muses – Purgatory Paradise : outstanding album of mini-bits; #righteous
Tim Hecker – Virgins : gorgeously complex ambient noise
Tindersticks – Across Six Leap Years : exceptionally executed
United Ghosts – United Ghosts : occasionally compelling indie/shoegaze
Upset – She’s Gone : pretty standard/tame fem-fox lo-fi indie-pop/rock
Wild Child – The Runaround : the least exciting roots/pop album, maybe ever?
Wooden Shjips – Back to Land : densely distilled swirling psych/drone/blues; #headspace
Yodelice – Square Eyes : tepid (at best) Euro-flavored s-s/rock/pop
Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones – Foreverly : honest and sincere; #norahjonesisterrible
Brendan Benson – You Were Right : decent s/s pop; #needspower
Capsula – Solar Secrets : hard charging, acid drenched, glam inflected RAWK!
Dirtbombs, the – Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-Blooey! : awesome! the long-awaited “bubblegum” album
Dog Day – Fade Out : nicely done lo-fi indie rockers; #history #leaveamark
Far-Out Fangtooth – Borrowed Time : intriguing, if flat, goth-doom-psych-gaze-rock
Flaming Lips and Friends – The Time Has Come to Shoot You Down
J Roddy Walston and the Business – Essential Tremors : great boogie party tunes
Kevin Morby – Harlem River : shimmering, laid-back mix of s/s+psych
Limiñanas, the – Costa Blanca : cool psych-pop via FRA
Love Inks – Generation Club : sultry electro-pop; #atx
Luscious Jackson – Baby DJ : cutesie kiddie tunesies
Magik Markers – Surrender to the Fantasy : noisy as hell, but some great tunez in there
Nines, the – The Nines : expert-level power-pop; #tiring
Robert Pollard – Blazing Gentlemen : nothing terribly special
Sebastien Grainger – Yours to Discover : whatevs
King Krule – 6 Feet Beneath the Moon : well made, but boring as shit
Possessed By Paul James – There Will Be Nights When I’m Lonely : straightforward, heart-felt folk/americana
-live-
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – BBC Music 6 studio 02-04
My Bloody Valentine – Shinkiba Studio Coast, Tokyo, JAP 02-10
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – Her Majesty’s Theatre, London UK 02-10
Stone Foxes, the – Futureappletree Studio 02-12
Kris Kristofferson – Big Light Studio 02-28
Allah-Las – Mellow Johnny’s, Austin TX (Live On KEXP – SXSW) 03-13
Joy Formidable, the – Waterloo Records, Austin TX (SXSW) 03-14
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – Daytrotter Studio 03-26
Langhorne Slim – Daytrotter Studio 04-22
Disappears – Knitting Factory, Brooklyn NY 04-25
Guy Clark – Big Light Studio 04-26
Rolling Stones – Oakland Arena, Oakland CA 05-05
Rolling Stones – HP Pavillion, San Jose CA 05-08
Rolling Stones – Shark Tank, San Jose CA 05-08
Mac DeMarco – Good Danny’s 06-07
Alex Bleeker & The Freaks – Bowery Ballroom, NYC 07-23
Hiss Golden Messenger – Glasslands, Brooklyn NY 08-17
Replacements, the – Garrison Common, Toronto CA (Riot Fest) 08-25
Mac DeMarco – The Well, Brooklyn NY (Captured Tracks Fest) 08-31
Mikal Cronin – Pour House, Raleigh NC (Hopscotch Music Fest) 09-06
Deervana – Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn NY 09-13
Guster – Live Acoustic
Foxygen – Epitonic saki Session EP
Gary Clark Jr. – iTunes Session EP
Imagine Dragons – Live At Independent Records EP : if I never hear ID again it’ll be too soon
Mumford And Sons – Live From Bull Moose EP
R.E.M. – Live In Greensboro EP
Codeine – What About The Lonely
Jane’s Addiction – Live In NYC
Mac DeMarco – Live at Russian Recording
Elvis Presley – Hot August Night : the king (International Hotel Las Vegas, Midnight show, August 25 1969)
Black Angels, the – Live In San Francisco EP
Mac Demarco – Acoustic Fader Live Set
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – Live From KCRW
Shins, the – Live at Third Man Records
-re-release/comps/mixes-
Broadcast – Berberian Sound Studio OST
va – Mojo Presents: Echoes
va – Mojo Presents: Marr and Friends
va – Reason To Believe The Songs Of Tim Hardin
Flaming Lips, the – Chocolate Human Heart
Wonder Years, the – Sleeping On Trash
Mojo Presents: Action! 15 Cult Movie Classics
Clinic – Free Reign II
Jimi Hendrix – People, Hell and Angels
Go, the – Singles, Jingles, and EPs
M83, Anthony Gonzalez & Joseph Trapanese – Oblivion OST
va – Gutterth Records Compilation Four
Christopher Owens – Lysandre Acoustic Album : #evenmoretwee
Clem Snide – Fan Chosen Covers 2
David Bowie – Aladdin Sane [40th Anniv. Ed.]
Dirty Beaches – Drifters / Love Is The Devil
Moon Duo – Circles Remixed
Thermals, the – Desperate Ground Demos
Olivier Libaux – Uncovered Queens Of The Stone Age : some really great gems in here
Bill Brewster – Late Night Tales present After Dark
Breeders, the – Last Splash (20th Anniversary Ed.)
Giant Giant Sand – Return to Tucson RSD LP
of Montreal – Young Froth/Taypiss LP : delightfully E6
Melvins – Everybody Loves Sausages
Rilo Kiley – RKives
Shuggie Otis – Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love
Shuggie Otis – Introducing Shuggie Otis RSD LP
Sloan – Hardcore covers
Traditional Fools, the – The Traditional Fools (reissue)
Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star – Lullaby Versions of The Black Keys
Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin – Reverse Shark Attack (reissue)
Vaccines, the – Home Is Where The Start Is: Home Demos 2009-2012
va – Arts & Crafts 2003-2013
va – David Bash’s Top 125 of 2012 Vol 1 (1-25)
va – Garage Swim : fucking awesome. All of it. Damn
va – Ghost Brothers of Darkland County OST
va – MOJO Presents: Heavy Nuggest v2
va – Songs To Remember (An Ode To Their Heroes)
va – The Great Gatsby OST
va – The Music Is You A Tribute To John Denver
DJ Cam – Remixed
djBC – The Beastles : Ill Submarine
Emily Wells – Mama: Acoustic Recordings
Irma Thomas – In Between Tears (remaster)
Röyksopp – LateNightTales Mixed
va – Astralwerks Music in 20/20
va – Red Bull Records RSD 2013 Sampler
va – The Rough Guide to Latin Psychedelia
va – Way To Blue The Songs Of Nick Drake
Giorgio Moroder – Schlagermoroder Volume 1, 1966-1975
Elvis Presley – Elvis at Stax
va – 14 Tracks: Summer Psych Meltdown
va – Swampbilly Shindig
Belle And Sebastian – The Third Eye Centre
Clem Snide – We Leave Only Ashes
Johnny Cash – Life Unheard
King Tuff – Was Dead (reissue)
va – CT5 Sampler Five Years of Captured Tracks
va – MOJO Presents: Johnny Cash … and Friends
va – MOJO Presents: Sub Pop Jubilee
va – MOJO Presents: Uncovered
va – MOJO Presents: We’re With the Beatles
va – Uncut: So Real
va – Uncut: Strange Brew
Ludovico Einaudi – In A Time Lapse, The Remixes
Nirvana – In Utero [Deluxe reissue]
Seeds, the – A Web of Sound
Sly & the Family Stone – Higher! [Box]
va – Mojo Presents Songs in the Key of Paul
va – Peter Gabriel Tribute Album And I’ll Scratch Yours
va – Tributes Or Not Tributes Vol 8
Joe Castro – Groove Funk Soul (reissue)
John Talabot – DJ Kicks
va – George Harrison’s Jukebox
va – Mojo Presents 20 from 20
va – Uncut New Mornings
va – Cosmic Machine A Voyage Across French Cosmic & Electronic Avantgarde
va – Mojo Presents 2013_ Best of…
va – Noise to the World: Converse Rubber Tracks Holiday Music
va – Tic Tac Mistletoe
-singles/EPs-
Great White Buffalo – Great White Buffalo EP : fun indie rock
Men, the – Electric b/w Water Babies single
Menomena – Toomer single
San Cisco – Awkward EP : cute Aussie indie-pop
Sleep ∞ Over – Rooftop single
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Let The Day Begin EP
Bitchin Bajas – Krausened single : the power of “the zone”; #motorik4eva
CHVRCHES – Recover EP
Replacements, the – Songs For Slim
Soap&Skin – Sugarbread EP
Tame Impala – Mind Mischief EP
Tricky – Matter Of Time EP
Why – Waterlines single
Woodkid – I Love You EP
Sigur Rós – Brennisteinn single : hypnotically mesmerizing
A Place To Bury Strangers – Strange Moon EP : noise-rock Dead Moon covers
Best Coast – Fear My Own Identity 7″
Bob Dylan – Wigwam b/w Thirsty Boots 7″
Brian Eno & Grizzly Bear – Lux bw Sleeping Ute (Nicolas Jaar Remixes) 12″
Dark Dark Dark – What I Needed EP
Elliott Smith – Alternate Versions From Either-Or 7″
Foals – My Number 7″
Gonjasufi / Ras G – 777 7″
Guided By Voices – Flunky Minnows b/w Jellypop Smiles 7″
Guided By Voices – Noble Insect 7″
Guided By Voices – Trash Can Full of Nails 7″
Lucero – Texas and Tennessee EP
Misfits and Lemonheads – Skull (Side By Side) 7″
Moby And Mark Lanegan – The Lonely Night single
MGMT – Alien Days single
Old 97’s & Waylon Jennings – Iron Road EP
Shearwater And Sharon Van Etten – Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around 7″
Stephen Malkmus – Can’s Ege Bamyasi Played by Stephen Malkmus and Friends EP
Superchunk – Void b/w Faith single
Teen Daze – The House On The Mountain EP
Thee Oh Sees – Moon Sick EP
Titus Andronicus – Record Store Day 12″
Ty Segall – Ty Rex 2 single
Animal Collective – Monkey Been to Burn Town EP
Black Keys & The Stooges – Side by Side No Fun single
Boozoo Bajou – Jan Mayen EP : groovy as hell
David Byrne & St. Vincent – Brass Tactics EP
dB’s, the – Revolution of the Mind RSD EP
Duke Garwood & Mark Lanegan – Cold Molly RSD 10”
Fleetwood Mac – Extended Play EP
Foxygen – No Destruction Where’s The Money single
Husker Du – Amusement RSD EP
Sloan – Hardcore 7”
Velvet Truckstop – Southbound and Down EP
Veronica Falls – Six Covers Vol. 2 EP
Wild Nothing – Empty Estate EP
Beach Fossils – Clash The Truth Demos EP
Black Lips and Icky Blossoms – Cowboy Knights single
Black Sabbath – God Is Dead single
Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ – Songs from the Psychedelic Time Clock EP
Frightened Rabbit – Backyard Skulls EP
Future of the Left – Love Songs for Our Husbands EP
Gibby Haynes & Jack White – Paul’s Not Home EP
Mac DeMarco – The 2 Demos
Oscar And The Wolf – EP Collection
Superchunk – Me and You and Jackie Mittoo b/w Sunset Arcade single
Woodkid – I Love You single
Hot Chip – Dark & Stormy EP
Bloc Party – The Nextwave Sessions EP
Tanya Donelly – Swan Song Series Vol. 1
Vaccines, the – Melody Calling EP
Arctic Monkeys – Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High single
Frightened Rabbit – The Woodpile EP
Pixies – EP1 : wow #longwaydown #isthisajoke
Sunshine Underground, the – It Is Only You single
Zero 7 – On My Own 12”
Why? – Golden Tickets EP
Cold War Kids – Tuxedos EP
Fresh And Onlys, the – Soothsayer EP
Girls Against Boys – The Ghost List EP
Moby And Wayne Coyne – The Perfect Life EP
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Blue Record EP
Albert Hammond Jr. – AHJ EP
Best Coast – Fade Away EP
Destroyer – Five Spanish Songs EP
Flaming Lips – Peace Sword EP
Flaming Lips And Tame Impala – Peace And Paranoia Tour 2013
Kurt Vile And The Violators – It’s A Big World Out There (And I Am Scared) EP
Phantogram – Phantogram EP
Tennis – Small Sound EP
Desert Heat – Cat Mask at Huggie Temple 12”
Tanya Donelly – Swan Song Series EP Vol. 2
Tanya Donelly – Swan Song Series EP Vol. 3
Tanya Donelly – Swan Song Series EP Vol. 4
Brian Jonestown Massacre – Revolution Number Zero EP
Growlers, the – Not. Psych! EP