Staff Picks for April 2012
April 30, 2012
These post-post-punkers go a capella, trading spiky riffs for four-part harmonies and a set of songs that spans the Black-Eyed Peas to traditional British folk tunes. It could be a mess, but instead the Futureheads make it a surprising success.
April 29, 2012
Buried beneath the neon debauchery of the burgeoning Britpop scene, this blue collar, punk-infused, razor-filled bullet of a record has attitude to spare and riffs that leap from the stylus to the face like a Lennox Lewis upper cut.
April 28, 2012
Slingshot is a mature statement from a confident songwriter who has come into her own. This slate of mostly love songs deal with all sides of the issue with honesty and vulnerability. “Disintegration Man,” a left-field (not leftist) and ambiguous political anthem, is also a real gem.
April 27, 2012
Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Monica Lionheart's Indian Summer is an ambient and languid piece of trip-hop and chillwave influenced pop that makes room for some stylish Spanish-language cuts. Tracks like "Sombras" and the slow-burning and cinematic "Relampago" are sophisticated, moody productions that create a dream-pop Sade vibe.
April 26, 2012
The drummer's debut for CTI subsidiary Kudu leads with a robust version of Jimi Hendrix's "Power of Soul" and includes some exceptional, easy-rolling grooves -- one of which was sampled by the Beastie Boys and Fatboy Slim. Joe Beck, Grover Washington Jr., and Bob James assist.
April 25, 2012
One in a series of themed dub records from this King Tubby protégé, Scientist's minimal dubs clash with ghoulishly campy horror movie sound effects. This weird-sounding concept actually results in one of the strongest records in Scientist's catalog, and one of the more fun dub records out there.
April 24, 2012
Erase Jack White's stillborn cover of "I'm Shakin'" from your mind by diving into this collection of Little Willie John singles, where the original "I'm Shakin'" is only one of the many highlights.
April 23, 2012
Original Tv Soundtrack
Treme's second season soundtrack offers listeners a small, yet representative, portrait of the mindblowing diversity of music on display every night in New Orleans. The inclusion of Dr. John, Henry Butler, Donald Harrison, Jon Cleary, Galactic with Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and John Boute, reflect an exquisitely chosen sampling.
April 22, 2012
The husband-and-wife country duo Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore deliver an interesting blend of alt-country love songs on their debut album.
April 21, 2012
Various Artists
This collection of mostly sunny '60s pop has some subpar period pieces, but also two nuggets of effervescent goodness: Triste Janero's "Rene de Marie" and "You'll Be Needing Me Baby" by Nino Tempo & April Stevens.
April 20, 2012
During the 2000s, Goldfrapp spanned luxe orchestral pop, dominatrix dancefloor moves, summery British folk and more. This collection reaffirms just how effortlessly -- and stylishly -- they moved from the drama of "Lovely Head" to the glam of "Ooh La La."
April 19, 2012
Various Artists
The roots of Kingston ska and rocksteady are opened with an explosion like a bottle of Red Stripe beer on Mango's collection Intensified: Original Ska 1962-1966. We are rolling on!
April 18, 2012
Everyone knows the hits ("Faith," " I Want Your Sex," etc.) but the deep cuts are pretty nice too. "Hard Day" and "Monkey" are straight-up jams, son!
April 17, 2012
Seeds From The Underground is a very sophisticated meditation on the jazz tradition in postbop language minus any nostalgic ruminations. It weaves together harmonic sophistication, rhythmic invention and kinetic group interplay, to create an original weave of flashpoints that point toward the shape of jazz to come.
April 16, 2012
Powerful, majestic and uncompromising, this song cycle about the suicide of bandleader Ari Picker's mother is as inspirational as it is miserable.
April 15, 2012
Live from Austin TX 1975 features Doug Sahm and his band, which included his faithful compadre Augie Meyers on organ, tackle fan favorites "At the Crossroads," "Nuevo Laredo," "Dynamite Woman," "Mendocino" and "She's About a Mover" along with a few country and blues tunes that had been in Sahm's repertoire since the late '50s.
![Parade [Music From the Motion Picture Under the Cherry Moon]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0001342091/front/400/rMM54M3mvu38By3p3wLprYAf7E_1E-2MlBBPmPAXRBU=.jpg)
April 14, 2012
Prince's 1986 release closes with "Sometimes It Snows in April," and round here, it just did. Good enough reason to remember this skeletalfunkypsychedelica album, but forget the awful movie these songs come from, unless you're syncing Under the Cherry Moon with Boris' Amplifier Worship. The synchronicity is amazeballs.
April 13, 2012
Yellow Ostrich's 2012 Strange Land is a muscular and tightly wound follow-up to 2011's Mistress. Tracks like "Daughter" and "Marathon Runner" are biting, and self-critical electric guitar mini-epics that burn with a forward momentum merely hinted at in lead singer/songwriter Alex Schaaf's previous endeavours.
April 12, 2012
Gerry Love of Teenage Fanclub's first solo album is a near perfect soundtrack for an afternoon of peaceful daydreaming with Love’s lovely vocals floating gracefully over intertwined guitar and flute lines bathed in tremelo and delay.
April 11, 2012
A conceptual piece from producer the Alchemist and rapper Oh No, the '70s-influenced Vodka & Ayahuasca is the sound of freedom rock meeting hip-hop, or "what if the kids from Good Times carried tablets and did their dozens on Facebook". That's #dy-no-mite!
April 10, 2012
Scott Spillane steps out from behind the horn section of Neutral Milk Hotel to offer a slice of indie pop perfect for spring, using his childlike vocals and lo-fi production as a vehicle for lyrics that are surprisingly emotionally resonant.
April 9, 2012
One of the most realized of Jonathan's many solo albums, I, Jonathan is a non-stop trove of some of his strongest songs and sweetest reflections. Simple-hearted songs championing fun, parties, reminiscence of a long-gone times in a rented room on the beach and even an ode to The Velvet Underground make this arguably his best solo work, and easily the strongest of the 1990's.
April 8, 2012
This collection encompasses the first incarnation of Gary Usher's multiple studio projects recorded between 1962 and 1966 focusing on surf, sun and hot rods. Among the 38 tracks are previously unreleased demos and alternate takes issued under the monikers the Four Speeds, the Sunsets and the Competitors.
April 7, 2012
This double-disc collection combines Traffic drummer and mult-instrumentalist Jim Capaldi's 1975 and 1978 solo albums. These are engaging rock, soft rock, disco, and jazz-rock fusion albums that showcase Capaldi's soulful voice and features the would-be-classic, boxer-themed anthem "The Contender," as well as some compelling bonus material.
April 6, 2012
Black Tambourine are playing their first shows in over 20 years this weekend. Listen to the breathtaking fuzz and heartstopping melodies of their brilliant collected works and you will know why I drove 8 hours each way to be there!
April 5, 2012
In a career filled with flashes of brilliance, 16 Lovers Lane is a sustained volley of heartbreak, healing, wisdom, and determination that stands as their finest moment and in my view, the best album of the 1980's.
April 4, 2012
The Penguins' one big hit, "Earth Angel," is the archetypal street corner doo wop hit, and while the West Coast group never really seriously broke into the charts again before disbanding in 1959, they left behind a pretty solid legacy in just under six years. This multi-label two-disc set tells the whole story.
April 3, 2012
Eleven years after its release, Rooty still feels incredibly fresh, and above all, danceable -- tracks like "Romeo," "Jus 1 Kiss" and "Get Me Off" are just as capable of igniting dance floors as they were over a decade ago.
April 2, 2012
Clint Black's album debut is a masterpiece of straightahead modern country, populated by rich, poignant songs written by Black with Hayden Nicholas.
April 1, 2012
This mix tape from indie hip hop provocateurs Odd Future finds the collective becoming both a more mature and more cohesive team. Also, longtime fans will want to check out the album to hear the return of the one and only Earl Sweatshirt.