Stone Rolling by Raphael Saadiq

Released:  May 10, 2011Rating:  76.00

I beg your forgiveness for getting so far behind.  I'll try to get back to current.  Which for me, is about 1 month post release date.  This gives me enough of a chance to listen and develop a fair opinion.

If you have any affinity for old fashioned R&B, Stone Rolling is a must.  By any measure, it's a great album from the 45 year old Oakland, CA native.  It makes an easy leap onto my top 10 for 2011 (so far).

Saadiq plays most of the guitars, drums and keyboards here.  My favorite song on the album is the '70s style Good Man. But don't miss the '50s inspired Radio.

Saadiq, who was touring with Prince and Sheila E. almost right out of high school, went on to found Tony! Toni! Tone! in 1988 and this is his 5th solo release.

Smother by Wild Beasts

Released:  May 10, 2011
Rating:  72.00

The critics are absolutely raving about the third studio release from the English quartet.  Formed in 2002, the band was originally called Fauve.  (This reference was enough to convince me to buy the album:  Fauvism - les Fauves is French for "the wild beasts" - was a movement in the art world in the early 20th century; whose best known leader was Henri Matisse.)

I really like this album for its trippy, theatrical ambiance.

You can hear the entire album at Myspace Music - click here - by simply signing up for an account.  (I highly recommend  anyone interested in listening to new music , or old music, legally and easily sign up with Myspace.  Their music section is amazing.)  For a single, I'd recommend the dark and moody 5th cut, Plaything.  You can hear a brief interview (about 2 minutes) followed by an in studio version of the song here.

Past Life Martyred Saints by EMA

I picked up eight CDs in April and it was a smokin' month, with four of my top ten so far this year.  The Kills look like a favorite to finish the year in front.  There were also great releases from the Foo Fighters, Joan As Police Woman and TV On The Radio.  Elbow is back with a solid album and the Gorillaz showed what can be done on an iPad.  So let's get May rollin':

Released:  May 10, 2011
Rating:  73.33

Past Life Martyred Saints is the debut album for singer, songwriter and guitarist Erika M. Anderson (a.k.a. EMA).  The South Dakota native moved to Los Angeles in the '90s and has played in a variety of bands.  Allmusic.com compares her to Patti Smith and Cat Power; I'll buy that.  The sound is lo-fi and the emotions seem to be intense.

There's a lot of good stuff here and only one song that left me flat.  Give a listen to Milkman (it's a pretty cool video too) or the low key. lo-fi Grey Ship.

The Fall by Gorillaz

Released:  April 19, 2011
Rating:  71.43

Ever since Gorillaz' second lbum, Demon Days (Produced by Danger Mouse), I've been huge fan of Jason Albarn.  With the last Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach, ex-Clash members Paul Simonon and Mick Jones have been part of the band.  And although Gorillaz was originally conceived as a virtual (animated) band, they toured extensively in support of Plastic Beach.  During that tour The Fall was recorded entirely on an iPad.

While not my favorite Gorillaz album, I liked it more than the critics.  Check out a couple of the standout tracks: My personal favorite is Revolving Doors with an amazing voal by Albarn; or the very spacey Shy Town. 

Here We Rest by Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit

Released: April 12, 2011
Score: 70.91

Jason Isbell was a guitarist with the Drive By Truckers from 2001 to '07.  He's been a solo ever since, putting out a style of country-influenced rock, reminiscent of Jackson Brown and the early Eagles.  This isn't my usual diet, but it's got a laid back, homey kinda feel. The second song on the album Go It Alone is absolutely smokin'.  And Codeine is a country classic (fiddle, lost love, etc.)

I don't seem to be as high on this as the critics, who generally loved the album.  But I do really like it.

Full disclosure:  I went to see these guys a couple weeks ago in San Francisco (at the Great American Music Hall, with my good friend Bill White) and had a great time.  It probably favorably influenced my opinion.

Nine Types Of Light by TV On The Radio

Released: April 12, 2011
Rating:  77.14

This is my third album by the art-rock quintet from Brooklyn.  It's their fourth full length, and although they don't get too much mainstream attention, the critics are all over them: Metacritic.com recorded 39 separate major reviews and they scored an average 82 out of 100*.  That's incredible.  This is one of the cases where the reviewers and I pretty much agree. 

The thing is that sum of the parts does not do justice to the whole, so my usual scale does not reflect the albums brilliance.  It's a totally engaging mix of rock, electronica, punk, trip-hop, funk, soul and I don't know what all else.  Once I start listening, it's struggle to stop.

I don't care where your musical tastes lay, you really should check this out.  Here's a couple suggestions available on Youtube (just click the title for the link):  No Future Shock, which has hints of The Talking Heads; Will Do, which is a really beautiful love song with some awesome guitar work; or New Cannonball Blues.

Tragically TVOTR bassist, Gerrard Smith died of Lung Cancer about a week after the album was released.  Rest In Peace.  Smith was busking in a New York subway station in 2003 when he was recruited by TV On The Radio lead-singer Tunde Adebimpe.

* A word about music reviews: I find that when an album is trashed by most reviewers, I generally agree. However, when an album is universally praised, my experience is mixed.  By the way, I also tend to find the general population an unreliable source and so I never follow the charts.  However, in a quick check of Billboard, this album made a number 3 on the Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums, a 5 on the Top Rock Albums and a 12 on the Billboard Top 200.

The Deep Field by Joan As Policewoman

Released:  April 12
Rating: 78.18

Joan As Policewoman is New Englander Joan Wasser's vehicle for putting a sound to her two biggest influences: classic soul (Stevie Wonder, Al Green and Marvin Gaye) and experimental rock (Sonic Youth).  This is her fourth full length in 5 years.  She describes her music as Punk Rock R&B or American Soul.  Who am I to argue? 

This album has jumped comfortably into my Top 5 so far this year, tied with the Foo Fighters (although a totally different sound).  In almost every song you can find very cool, subtle sounds drifting through the background. Maybe a vocal, a guitar or even a  clarinet.

I was absolutely blown away by the song The Magic.  (Do yourself a favor, once you click the link and the video starts to play, listen, don't watch.)  I also loved the trippy Flash.

I highly recommend you give this a listen.

Wasting Light by Foo Fighters

Released:  April 12, 2011
Rating:  78.18

I really like this.  I need a little guitar driven, hard rock to keep me honest.  And after 16 years and 8 studio albums, few can deliver like the Foos.  For those who might not be aware, The band's founder, lead guitarist and vocalist, Dave Grohl first achieved notoriety as a drummer, playing with Krist Novoselic and Curt Cobain as Nirvana.

My favorite song on this Album is the anthemic Dear Rosemary,  which includes an assist from Husker Du's Bob Mould.  (This live version from Letterman is very cool.)  I also love the way Arlandria moves from Ballad to Metal to Arena.

If you want to get really close to Metal, check out White Limo (from the same letterman performance.)

And!  I just got tickets to see them with Cage The Elephant!

Build A Rocket Boys! by Elbow

Released:  April 12, 2011
Rating 74.00

This is currently on my top 10 for the year, but that won't last much longer.  Don't get me wrong, it's a really good album and I highly recommend checking it out.  If I hesitate, it's only because it doesn't quite meet my expectations based on their last album, 2008's Seldom Seen Kid, which won the 2008 Mercury Prize (for the best album released in the UK and Ireland).

Background:  The 5-piece from Britain got together in the '90s and is based in Manchester.  This is their 7th Studio release.  Their sound is sort of experimental-prog-pop (I made that one up on my own.)

Check out Neat Little Rows, or Lippy Kids.  For a real treat, go back to 2008 and hear Audience With The Pope; about an obsession with a woman, for which even the pope will have to get in line..

Raven In The Grave by The Raveonettes

Released:  April 5, 2011
Score:  68.89

I'm beoming disappointed by the Raveonettes.  This is my third album by the lo-fi, fuzz-rock band from Copenhagen.  I loved 2008's Lust Lust Lust and I really liked In And Out Of Control from 2009 (although it had a couple songs I could have done without.)

Thiere are a couple highlights here, like Forget That You Were Young.  Click the hyperlink, give it a listen and let me know if you disagree.

I haven't completely given up and look forward to seeing if they can do something on their next album to get me back!

Blood Pressures by The Kills

Released:  April 5, 2010
Rating:  81.82

The March list is complete and what a month it was.  I picked up 12 CDs.  But wait, April's editions are pretty amazing too, starting with this album, my favorite so far for 2011.

The Kills are a two piece band consisting of VV (a.k.a. Allison Mosshart, from Floida) and Hotel (a.k.a. Jamie Hince, from London).

Although the official Genre is Indie, I would call it blues infused punk, but you could also consider it punk infused blues.  I first heard them in 2008 on the outstanding Midnight Boom album.  Then, while touring with the White Stripes, Jack White and Mosshart found common ground and established a separate band, The Dead Weather, that put out 2 great albums in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

I highly recommend this album to any rocker.  Check out a couple of my favorite tune,  Satellite or, if you have a Myspace account (and I recommend you get one, listen to the whole album by clicking here.

Meyrin Fields by Broken Bells

Released:  Mar 29, 2011
Rating:  80

Broken Bells, a project consisting of Danger Mouse (the greatest producer in the business today - my humble opinion) and James Mercer (lead singer for The Shins) had my absolutely favorite album of 2010.  Since this is only a 4-song EP, I wouldn't feel right to rank it among the top 10 albums, but I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.  Give a listen to the opener and title song:  Meyrin Fields.

Incidentally, I have no idea what the title refers to, since the only reference I can find to Meyrin is a small town outside Geneva Switzerland, which may be it since the lyrics refer to a small, sad town.

By the way, if you never heard any of last year's eponymous debut, check out: The Ghost Inside.  (Play it loud.)

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.