The King Of Limbs by Radiohead

Released:  March 29, 2011
Rating:  72.50

This is so different than their last album.  I would characterize it something of a return to the Kid A era, but definitely more sophisticated.

A little background:  The English four piece was formed in 1988 while they were all students at Oxford University.  They released several singles and EPs and finally released their first full length in '93.  They have three albums on Rollingstone Magazine's 500 Greatest Albums list (the Bends, OK Computer and Kid A.)

Early reviewers compared their sound to U2 and on a couple songs Thom Yorke sounds so much like Bono it's eerie, especially Morning Mr Magpie. 

My favorite Song on the album is Little By Little.  there's more great than merely good here; but there isn't' anything that absolutely blows me away.

James Blake by James Blake

Released:  March 22, 2011
Rating:  72.33

This is the debut full length for James Blake; a London-based, dubstep, producer.  The reviews are outstanding (25 out of 38 were 80 - out of 100 - or higher.)  I'm probably not quite as enthusiastic, but that's mostly because I don't love dubstep, but this could lead me there.

The music is sparse, with a hint of R&B (he claims D'Angelo and Stevie Wonder as influences) and his voice, which is a little haunting.

If you looking for something different and maybe a little low key, check this out.  Click on the links to listen to Limit To Your Love (my favorite) or  The Wilhelm Scream.

Angels by The Strokes

Released:  March 22
Rating:   78.00

This album hits number 3 on my 2011 Top 10 so far.  I love Julian Casablancas' voice.

The critics are mixed: out of 41 reviews on metacritic, it got 25 positive, 15 moderate and 1 reviewer dumped on it.  My opinion matches up with Rolling Stone Magazine where David Fricke gave it 4 stars out of 5.

If you know Indie and Alt Rock, you probably already know the Strokes.  They hit it huge with their debut, Is This It in 2001.  Most of the members of the New York quintet have also done side projects and solo albums.  In fact, it wasn't clear for awhile that they would reunite.  Thank the music gods they did!

My favorite song is the opener Machu Picchu.  Also give a listen to Taken For a Fool. (click on the song names to hear them on YouTube.com.)

Cornershop & The Double 'O' Groove Of by Cornershop

Released:  March 15, 2011
Rating:  74.00

Cornershop put out their first full length 16 years ago.  This is my second; I first discovered them with 2009's Judy Sucks A Lemon For Breakfast.  That was pure Brit-Pop gold with huge influences from '60s bubblegum.  It was also their first album after a 7 hear hiatus.

This is different. getting (apparently) back to what they do: a hybrid of traditional Indian music, Indie Rock and Dance music.  They're a British band with members of English and Indian descent, founded by singer/songwriter, guitarist and dholki (double headed hand drum) player Tjinder Singh and tamboura (kind of like a Sitar, but not really) player Ben Ayers.  For this album they have a Punjabi singer named Bubbley Kaur.

Their name comes from the British (and American) stereotype that all Indians own a "cornershop".

This is a fascinating album and I really love a lot of it.  There's no filler.  For a more traditional Indian sound, listen to United Provinces Of India; for more of a crossover sound try Supercomputed.

Update

In the interest of full disclosure, I need to acknowledge that I did a little reevaluation of some past ratings and found there are a couple songs that have grown on me, resulting in an increased rating for a couple albums.  Check out:

Shake Me Down by Cage The Elephant

The Glorious Land by PJ Harvey

Don't Say We Didn't Warn You by Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Released:  March 15, 2011
Rating: 70.00

From London and Reading, this is the hard rockin' version of alternative, with a fair amount of electronica thrown in for good measure. The opener We Are The Dead, blew me away.  There are three more songs I love and the rest is good.

I hear a lot of post-punk/new wave revival in here, mixed in with some pretty cool experimental stuff.

It is definitely worth checking out.  Try We Are The Dead or the more anthemic Pull Out My Insides.  For something a bit more out there, listen to The Monkeys Are Coming.

Smoke Ring For My Halo by Kurt Vile

Released: March 8
Score:  72.00

Kurt vile is a low-fi indie rocker from Philidelphia.  He released his first album 3 years ago and this is already his fourth major label studio album.

The music is guitar centered and mellow; sorta sleepy sounding.  Of all the comparisons I've read (everything from the Grateful Dead to Tom Petty) the one that comes closest in my opinion is Lou Reed.

Give a listen to the title track Smoke Ring For My Halo or Puppet To The Man.

Pedals by Rival Schools

Released: March 8, 2011
Rating: 72.00

Rival schools released their debut album, which was praised by the critics, 10 years ago. Then they broke up.  They reunited in 2008 and this is their sophmore release.

All of the band members had pretty extensive resumes prior to forming Rival Schools, which may be why they split up only one year after their first release.

There's a lot to love here, and I like this whole album a lot (though not as much as the critics.)

Their musical style is described as post-hardcore.  I don’t know what that means.  They remind me of some of the more melodic, 1980’s metal bands (e.g, Extreme, Def Leppard, Mr. Big, Queensryche) though not exactly like any of them.

Check out Shot After Shot or The Ghost Is Out There.

Departing, by The Rural Alberta Advantage

Released: March 1, 2011
Rating: 70.00

This album, the sophomore release for the band from Toronto, Canada (which, incidentally, is about 2,000 miles from Alberta) has some great songs.  I personally like the first half of the album much better than the second half, but as with most art, it's all in the eye (or ear) of the beholder.

The lead singer (Nils Edenloff) reminds me so much of Van Morrison, circa Astral Weeks, it's scary.  Check out North Star or The Break Up.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Anna Calvi by Anna Calvi

Released: March 1, 2011
Rating: 72.00

This is the debut album for the Singer/Songwriter from London.  She plays a killer guitar (demonstrated on the opener - Rider To The Sea)  She sites a pretty eclectric group as her influences:  Captain Beefheart (best known for his experimental rock in the ‘60s), the jazz and soul singer Nina Simone and David Lynch (the movie producer – see Blue Velvet).  Another Song I love off this album is Suzanne & I.  It has a very James Bond feel.

I've read comparisons to Patti Smith and P.J. Harvey, but personally, I don't hear it.

Wounded Rhymes by Lykke Li

Released:  March 1, 2010
Rating:  74.00

How to describe Lykke Li...?  First, Her full name is Lykke Li Zachrisson.  She's 25 years old; Swedish, though lived in Portugal, Lisbon, Morocco, Nepal and India for parts of her youth; and she comes from an artistic family (Mom's a photographer and Dad's a musician).  I believe she now lives in New York.

This, her second full length album, is the follow up to 2008's Youth Novels. 

On this album, she has a sound founded in '60s girl groups, updated for the 21st century.  You can definitely hear hints of Peter, Bjorn and John, which makes some sense, since their producer helped her with several of the cuts.

Overall, I really like the album, though not as much as the critics.    Check out her Get Some video on YouTube by clicking here (but not while the kids are around.)  For something a little more tame, try Rich Kid Blues.

Underneath The Pine by Toro Y Moi

Released:  February 22, 2011
Rating:  76.67

Toro Y Moi is really Chaz Bundick, an experimental, indie rocker from Columbia, South Carolina. 

This album ties for my second favorite release so far this year.

I'd call this album slightly spacey, funk/dance with hints of trip hop a la Stereolab.  Click on this link to hear my favorite cut Go With You, then check out some of the other tracks (New Beat, a full on disco track, is definitely worth a listen.)