Arctic Monkeys – Suck It and See – Nothing terribly innovative here and if you were looking for a “return to form” you will surely be disappointed. If instead you liked their last outing then this is right up your alley. A pretty solid record but by no means the band’s finest hour. Produced by James Ford. Josh Homme guests on the track“All My Own Stunts”. Check out the first single “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair” below. (Available on vinyl)
Battles – Gloss Drop – Falling somewhere between Animal Collective and Tomahawk this record has it all. Innovative, highly original; a breath of fresh air that truly pushes the envelope when it comes to fusing musical styles. Prepare to have sensory overload, in a good way. (Available on vinyl)
Black Lips – Arabia Mountain – The self-proclaimed “flower-punks” return with a new record produced by Mark Ronson. Not sure what a slick producer of Ronson’s caliber can offer them, but you can judge that for yourself from the first single below. See them this weekend at the Great American Music Hall. (available on vinyl)
Cults – Cults – How this band is not hailing from Southern California is truly beyond me. This is going to be the soundtrack to your summer and the start of a new trend in music called “New Oldies”. Imagine a cross between The Raveonettes and Best Coast. If you only buy one record today, make sure it is this one. (Available on vinyl)
Peter Murphy – Ninth – The former Bauhaus vocalist releases his first album in 4 years and it’s fantastic. Don’t mis a special appearance at Amoeba San Francisco where he will be signing copies of his new record. (Available on vinyl)
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On 40th Anniversary – A landmark recording in pop music history and one of the greatest albums ever made celebrates 40 years. The Super Deluxe Edition contains 2 CDs + Vinyl LP + Gatefold Booklet with Rare Photos, Lyrics and New Essays.(Available on vinyl)
Hey Champ – Anything At All – New EP from a terribly underrated electro-pop trio often described as the best thing to come out of Rockford, Illinois since Cheap Trick. They release an amazing record last year called Star and one of my favorite tracks from 2010 that everyone needs to hear called “Cold Dust Girl”. Really fantastic music that falls somewhere between New Order, The Pet Shop Boys, and a touch of The Killers.
