Dead In The Boot by Elbow

Released:  19 Novemeber, 2012
Rating:  73.85
Genre:  Atmospheric-Alt-Rock

Finally, wrapping it up for 2012 is the phenomenal Elbow with a collection of "B" sides.  These caught my attention in 2008 with The Seldom Seen Kid.  Grounds for Divorce (not sure J.C. Penney paid much attention to the name when they bought the rights for a TV commercial) and Audience With the Pope are still two of my favorite songs since the turn of the millennium.

This album has a couple near comparable tune. The pounding McGreggor is my favorite and the yearning The Long War Shuffle is totally absorbing . Most of the rest of the album is more soulful, exemplified by Lucky With Disease

Into the Future by Bad Brains

Released:  19 November 2013
Rating:  70.77
Genre:  Hardcore-Punk-Reggae

They've been around since the late 1970's and were one of the first true punk bands.  This is there 9th studio release and the first in five years.  More than anything, I can else say, it's really interesting.  I realize that sort of sounds like "damned with feint praise", but I really mean it in the best possible way.  This is an all-black, Rastafarian band, from Washington, DC, playing angry white-boy punk with great reggae beats behind it and outstanding musicality.

Bad Brains – Youth of Today bounces from punk to arena rock to reggae and back again.  Jane,s Addiction would be proud of Earnest Love.  Maybe a Joyful Noise is a sweet reggae number and Mca Dub could come from a trip hop era (of which DC has their fair share.)

All in all, I'm higher on the disc the the average critic, especially as a background sound to a long drive.

Busting Visions by Zeus

Released:  March 27, 2012
Rating:  71.43
Genre:  Indie

Out of Toronto, the quartet calling themselves Zeus (caution if you're Googling them, there are more than one Heavy Metal band of the same name) were recommended to me by one of my musical mentors (thanks Michael) which explains there late entry onto list.  AMG compares them to ELO, T-Rex and George Harrison.  I can see that, and a number of others from the late '60s and early '70s.

Are You Gonna Waste My Time? reminds me of late-Beatles
Love / Pain could be John Lennon in a pop frame of mind.
My favorite son on the album is With Eyes Closed, which could have come from the Guess Who.
Stop The Train reminds me of something between Three Dog Night and the Grateful Dead.

Cobra Juicy by Black Moth Super Rainbow

Released:  22 October 2012
Rating:  70.91
Genre:  Psychedelic Electro-Pop

On the Indie circuit since 2002, the self-released Cobra Juicy is the seventh release for the quintet from Pennsylvania.  This album is described by AMG as "subterranean lo-fi weirdness with upped production values and a  [clear] view of their psychedelic electro-pop."  I'll buy that.  Outside of San Francisco's Deerhoof, I'm not familiar with any of Spotify's related artists, so I'm not sure who to compare them to.

Like a Sundae is a sort of sunny, almost dream-pop tune that seems it would be more at home in CA than PA.
Hairspray Heart is electronic funk (and the lyrics are not for children)
I Think I'm Evil has a cool, 80's kinda vibe.

Sorry to Bother You by The Coup

Released:  October 30, 2012
Rating:  69.23
Genre:  Underground Rap

20 Years and six albums in, the Coup are considered "one of the most overtly political bands in rap history." That being a lean to the extreme left.  (Lead rapper/producer, Boots, was deeply involved in the occupy Oakland movement.  However, that's not what attracted me.  The music is great and the songs are catchy as hell.

The Magic Clap is just a lot of fun.
The Gods of Science has a terrific funk beat.
This Year is a little slice off Motown
The Guillotine is just smokin' hot.