Vinylworthy

  One of the most comforting things about Alt-J is that they'll always be content playing in their toybox. Every song is filled with weird noises, slapped-together lyrics, and genre mashups that play like children do with a toybox of random dolls and army men. This does mean that Alt-J have been going back to the same musical stylings they have visited for three albums now, but there is a lot of life left in these toys. They found what they like about music and have yet to find a reason to change how they make it. Not everything on Ralaxer is to my liking, and even that is par for the course. When you're as broad-toned as this trio is, you're bound to piss people off with at least one song, after all. I've never been a fan of Matilda from their debut album, but I've heard some people call it their best song by far. Both opinions don't seem to matter much to the group, as it's even difficult to tell whether they're getting better, getting worse, or just...

  When I think of Cage The Elephant, I think the same thing most people do: one hit wonder, money don't grow on trees. It's somewhat of a shame, because they're not half bad. I've always preferred them to Artic Monkeys, as their lyrics are far less demeaning. In recent years, I've come to appreciate their talents have outlasted Franz Ferdinand for a reason, too. Maybe they don't reach the heights of some of their colleagues, but they've a) never seemed to care enough to follow trends and b) seemed to enjoy the ride. I don't know if either of these things are actually true, but that's the vibe I've received from them and I'm sticking with it because I like it.  Tell Me I'm Pretty , then, catches me off guard. A White Stripes style "the challenge is part of the process" record, making quintessential early-days rock, with blunt themes and direct melodies. For some groups, this is a rut they're trying to get out of. Wanting to ...

  I may always have a painful thorn in my side about the slow slide into ambivalence I've had about Gorillaz. It's not a sentiment I burden alone I'm sure. Everyone knows that signature evil laugh from Feel Good , and the moldy music backing it up until the mist breaks for a second during the chorus. Damon Albarn shouldn't be criticized for not continuing to make that song over and over, though. Demon Days was full of ideas, because that's what Albarn always wanted. This group is proof of that. And so I in all fairness recognize that I just have to wait for the pendulum to swing back my way. It works for Beck, after all. I've never been a fan of when Albarn gets introspective. Gorillaz as a project is built on guest appearances taking the mic and creating a happier-but-darker version of the land of Oz. When Albarn doesn't allow others to be the center of attention, presenting as characters in the land, the illusion fades. That's extremely the case on t...

Vekatimest was a huge breakthrough for a band that already was catching the attention of the indie crowd. If anyone could take the indie crown from Vampire Weekend, it was, and to this day should be, Grizzly Bear. Following that with Shields further cemented their status as the best band currently active for this reviewer. More sprawling grandiose landscapes as songs to sink your teeth into. And now? I'll be upfront: this is yet another jaw-dropping, mind wrinkling, perfect album--and it's only grown on me since I originally came to that conclusion years ago. There are some new tricks employed here that haven't seen a lot of daylight since their first album Horn of Plenty and the Department of Eagles side project The Cold Nose , both of which showed a lot of ineptitude in the musicians. By no means has the group been averse to using electronic equipment after these (in my opinion) flops, but they've since used them in the way a bemused grandchild would admire their gr...

By the time 2010 rolled around, Switchfoot had released a whopping 7 albums over the course of just 13 years. The Strokes had been together since '98, Killers '01, Even Only By the Night from Kings of Leon was 2 years old. And who can forget OKGO storming onto the scene? Rock may have been very different from what your dad liked, but there's no denying that rock in the aughts was extremely ready to be noisy, dirty, and improper. Rock wanted to rock . Being this late to the party might have been risky, but Young The Giant knew what they wanted to be: a quintessential arena rock band. For a long time, this led me to call this band a "guilty pleasure" of mine, as they aren't innovative, aren't deep, and aren't studied. That doesn't leave a lot to make you memorable, and in all fairness that's probably still going to happen to the band. But levity itself can be a challenge. When everyone can make a grill cheese, how do you become known for it? T...

Four years is quite a victory lap to take for any band. It's not unheard of by any stretch of the imagination (when, oh when will we get more Tame Impala?), but it's the kind of gap that always worries me. What is taking so long? I get that tours, introspection, etc can slow the process down from the more common 2 year cycle (although that is maybe being a little stingy I'll admit), but it's enough time to let the worst case ideas take root. Maybe that's the end of the band? Maybe they lost a member? Or maybe, in the case of Phoenix, they're doing a tone shift. Yes, the band with a single mode has finally seen what putting some dang joy into your music can do, and they've gone full tilt for it. What was once a stodgy but well crafted music machine is now throwing bips and boops into their new, spacious arena rock album. The leather jackets of strummy trad-rock are still here, but the laser show....well that's new . So maybe the victory lap wasn't a l...