I'm With You by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Released:  August 30, 2011
Rating:  74.29

Two major league rock 'n' pop acts in a row.  I must be slipping, but heck, I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers!  The critics' knock on this album was that it sounded too much like the Red Hot Chili Peppers!  Isn't that like knocking chocolate cake for tasting like chocolate cake?

Although coming up just shy of the 2011 Top 10, this is still a great album, especially for a band that's been around for 28 years and is performing without guitarist John Frusciante for the first time in over a decade.  Of course, the heart and soul of the Peppers are vocalist Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea, respectively, both of whom are just shy of 50 years old.

I can recommend the entire album; there is no filler; so let's keep it simple:  Here's a link to the official video for The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie.

Black & White America by Lenny Kravitz

Released:  August 29, 2011
Rating:  67.50

I seem to be way off from a lot of the reviewers,  who gave this album a meta-score of 77.  AMG gave it a 90!  On the other hand, Rolling Stone gave it a 70.  In any event, it is a great album (with a few points,in my opinion, but I have no intention of dwelling on those.)

What I love about Lenny Kravitz is that he wears his influences on his sleeve.  I hear a lot of my favorites, including The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix, Wild Cherry, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, '60s and '70s R&B, '70s funk, '80s hair metal, '90s alt rock and modern R&B. You can hear about three-fourths of those in Come On Get It (please forgive the NBA plug).  The Other quarter can be heard in Liquid Jesus.

(The song titles are hyper links to full length versions of the songs courtesy of YouTube.com)

Still Living by Ganglians

Released:  August 23, 2011
Rating:  71.67

Okay, their a hometown (Sacramento) band that's getting national attention, so I jumped on their bandwagon.  Turned out to be a pretty cool ride.  All jangly guitars, Beach Boy harmonies and lo-fi production (with traces of Pink Floyd riffs hidden throughout.)

The foursome has been together since about 2007 and released their first full length in 2009.  This, their second release, is my introduction to the band.  There are several excellent cuts.  Give a listen to Bradley (the official video), or my favorite, That's What I Want.  I couldn't find a studio copy of it, but what I did find was an awesome, live, acoustic version.  There's about a minute and a half of interview, followed by the song at 1:28.

(The song names are hyperlinks to the songs in full length on youtube.)

Obscurities by Stephin Merritt

Released:  August 23, 2011
Rating:  68.00

First, the "i" in Stephin is not a typo.  However, it is indicative of the eccentricities of the artist.

This album is a sort of B-sides collection from the 4 bands he's formed (The Magnetic Fields, the Gothic Archies, Buffalo Rome and the 6ths) along with several solo releases.

Stephin Merritt is someone you either get, or you don't.  He can't be categorized.  He's big into pop and electronica, but he also writes opera and musicals.  His bands range from very experimental to fairly basic pop.  His voice is described as an un-trained baritone (you can hear that) and he's been an editor for two different magazines.

Give him a try and see if he catches your imagination.  If not, you're not alone, if so, it's a fascinating experience.

For the moment, at least, you can stream the whole album at Merge Records
I suggest trying The Sun And The Sea And The Sky (a 2011 solo release), Yet Another Girl (a 1995 release from The 6ths), or Plant White Roses (2011 from the Gothic Archies.)

Shangri - La by YACHT

Released:  July 5, 2011

Rating:  76.00

This album was actually released in Europe in January, and digitally in June.  I first heard it streaming in January and have been waiting to pick it up ever since.  (I was too cheap to pick up the import.)

 

It's leapt into the top 10, in a 5 way tie for the 10th spot.

 

This is electronic music. Not just beats.I hear a strong influence from The Cars in the music.  The lyrics are decidedly darker.  The second song on the album is Dystopia (my favorite song on the album)  A post apocalyptic chant (with lyrics not appropriate for young ears.)  The opener is the flip side in every way, aptly named Utopia.  My second favorite song is I Walked Alone.

 

This is a great album from the Portland Oregon duo lead by Jonah Bechtolt.  Bechtolt is a classic workaholic and I'm not going to repeat his resume hear.  If you're curious, you can click the link here to AMG to read about him.  It's worth a few minutes...

 

This wraps up July.  It turned out to be a much better moonth than I expected.  August has a few real stellar moments, so keep coming back.

Pressure & Time by Rival Sons

Released:  July 26, 2011
Rating:  72.00

This is Rock 'n' Roll!

Nominated by Classic Rock Magazine as the best New Band and for Best Album.

This is the first major label release for the Southern California quartet - vocalist, guitar, bass and drums.  (They've also self-released an EP and a digital-only album.)  Most call it Blues rock, and I definitely hear the connection (ZZ Top, Aerosmith and Bad Company), but I think it's oversimplified.  I also hear a lot psychedelia.  (One song reminds me of Three Dog Night.)  And even some gospel.

Mayhem by Imelda May

Released:  July 19, 2011
Rating:  76.00

This is the best thing to happen in the US market this summer. 

Imelda May, from Dublin, Ireland, draws inspiration from Billy Holiday and American swing.  The album includes rockabilly, jazz, a little country and even a waltz. (I could have lived without the waltz).  The rockabilly and some of the jazz reminds me a lot of Gwen Stefani with No Doubt, but a lot of it is completely original.

There is so much here to check out.  My favorite is Psycho and this is the official video release.  She also does a fun cover of Soft Cell's Tainted Love and Let Me Out sounds sounds so much like No Doubt that I could picture Gwen Stefani doing it.  For a great example of her jazz arrangements, try Bury My Troubles.

This album joins a 4-way tie for my number 10 album of the year.

Last Summer By Eleanor Friedberger

Released: July 12.2011
Rating:  72.00

June is over.  It wasn't a great month in music for me.  I managed to pick up 5 releases and one of them was a compilation.  July looks even bleaker, musically (although it was a great month personally; I spent a week in Monterey with my wife and daughter.)  In any event, there were a few nice surprises, starting with this.

Eleanor Friedberger is better known as half of the brother/sister duo, The Fiery Furnaces from Oak Park, IL.  This is her first solo release and it's a real joy.  It's less frenetic than Fiery Furnaces, but just as much fun.  (Side note:  I got to see her perform live on August 19 at the Fox Theater in Oakland, where she opened for The Kills.)  I was absolutely blown away by Inn Of The Seventh Ray.  I also really like Heaven.  In fact, there's not a bad cut on the album.

I can't really compare her to anything (other than her own band with her brother.)  If you hear something else, let me know.

Taking Back Sunday by Taking Back Sunday

Released:  June 28, 2011
Rating:  72.00

This is a terrific album.  Although it's their seventh album, it's only the second with the original line-up;  which makes it sort of the sophomore album for the quintet from Amityville New York.  These guys fall under the Alt Rock category, but the sound (if not the band members) reminds me of the better '80s hair metal bands.  Not a lot of a back story here. Just some great music.

My favorite two songs can be heard by clicking on the titles:  Who Are You Anyway? or Money (Let It Go).  I could only find a 93 second streaming example of the latter.

Sound Kapital by Handsome Furs

Released June 28, 2011
Rating 71.11

I'm not sure what it is about this husband-and-wife duo from Montreal.  (He's the front man from Wolf Parade.) This is my second album by them (their third) and there isn't much that blows me away, but I really love the stuff as a package.  The previous album (Face Control) was based on Russian influences fro their tours in Eastern Europe.  This album is influenced by their two-year tour of Asia.  Given that this album (different than the two previous, is devoid of guitars and the percussion comes from a machine, only things I can compare them to is a lot of the cooler '80s stuff (Depeche Mode or the Thompson Twins). 

Try Damage or What About Us?  (FYI, the actual album cover, for reasons not completely clear, is a photo of a nude woman - full frontal.  It's not what I chose to put here, but it what's on the youtube version.)

Rave On, Buddy Holly by Various Artists

Released:  June 28, 2011
Rating:  72.63

19 songs by Buddy Holly, one of the greatest song writers of all time, covered by 19 very different bands.  Think about it:  His entire career lasted from May of 1957 (when That'll Be The Day was released) until he died in an airplane crash with Richie Valens and The Big Bopper on February 3, 1959 - "The Day The Music Died".  In less than two years he wrote and released 40 songs and had 8 top 40 hits.

My only challenge with the album is that so many kept the arrangements so close to the originals.  I mean, when The Black Keys play Dearest, I want to hear The Black Keys, not a Buddy Holly sound-alike.  Notable exceptions include Patti Smith's take on Words of Love (my favorite song on the album), Paul McCartney doing It's So Easy and Lou Reed's rendition of Peggy Sue.  You can stream every song (or the entire album) by clicking soundcloud.

David Comes to Life by "Messed" Up

Released:  June 7, 2011
Rating:  68.75

Okay, so that's not their name, but I just wasn't comfortable posting that.  It was a difficult-enough dilemma for this 51 year old father of a six year old girl to have an album with that on the cover.  It's not that I haven't used the term more than I should have, it's just, well, you know...

Anyway, the music won me over.  FU presents a fascinating mix of \music that reminds me of the driving mid-70s Springsteen stuff (think Rosalita or Born to Run), overlaid with really angry, ranting vocals.  I cannot unequivocally recommend this, but it is definitely worth a listen, especially of you're feeling a need to get your angst on.

The entire album is available for streaming at myspace.  Just click here if you have a myspace account.  If you don't, get one.  The access to music, new and old, is unparalleled.

The album is presented as a Rock Opera:  David has a humdrum life working at a light bulb factory, and finds an escape by falling in love with a communist rebel rouser, only to find out later that she has died in a terrorist bombing and that he has a lot of emotional turmoil to face.

Adding to the theatricality, the Toronto group's members all use pseudonyms, including Pink Eyes (aka Father Damien) on lead vocals, 10,000 Marbles on lead guitar, Concentration Camp on rhythm guitar, Mustard Gas on bass, and Mr. Jo (aka Guinea Beat) on drums, plus two guitarists who joined the band in 2006 and 200 respectively; Young Governor and Gulag.

Suck It And See by The Arctic Monkeys

Released:  June 7, 2011
Rating:  71.67

June was not a great month for new releases. However, there were a few bright spots, and this is one of them.  The Arctic Monkey's fourth full length album in 6 years takes a little work, but it's worth it.  This is my second album by the British quartet and it reminds me of Oasis, or maybe some of the late '50s rock acts trying to cross over from traditional pop to rock (try Black Treacle), but there's also a couple of serious rockers here too (click Brick By Brick for the official video.)

Codes & Keys by Death Cab For Cutie

Released:  May 31, 2011
Rating:  70.91

This is the 6th full length album for the band from Bellingham, WA.  I became a fan of theirs in 2005 with the release of Transatlantacism, and I have to admit that as they've continued to polish their sound, I've become less enamored of each subsequent releases.  Don't get me wrong, this is still a terrific album and well worth a listen.  It just seems there's less guitar and more precision here.  The songs are also more upbeat than I'm used to (which may be the result of singer/songwriter/guitarist Ben Gibbard's recent marriage to Zooey Deschanel.)  Check out the very pretty You Are A Tourist.

Circuital by My Morning Jacket

Released:  May 31, 2011
Rating:  76.00

This is the 7th studio album for the 5-piece from Louiseville, KY.  Although the band's leader, Jim James, also perfroms with the super-group Monsters of Folk, MMJ defies attempts at categorization.  They experiment with blues, folk, reggae, classic rock, piano ballads and even a Motown/metal mash up.

Their 2008 release Evil Urges, which was the first time I'd heard them, blew me away.  This is even better.  My favorite songs are the opener Victory Dance and Holdin' On To Black Metal.

Side note:   I've never thought of Kentucky as a hot bed of Rock 'n' Roll, but two of my favorite albums this year (this and Cage The Elephant) both come from the Bluegrass State.

The Secret by Vieux Farka Toure

Released:  May 24, 2011
Rating:  71.67

I don't know that my opinion of each song does justice the amazing guitar work here.  The rating is probably indicative of my lack of understanding of the languages of Northern Africa and my predilection toward vocals.  In any event, it's a great album, worthy of every music fan's time.  My favorite song on the album is number 3, All The Same, which includes a vocal by Dave Matthews (somebody I really like live, but not so much in the studio.)  Another amazing example of the "Hendrix of the Sahara's" guitar work is Lakkal (Watch Out) with support from Eric Krasno of Soulive.

This is my first World Music album this year. Guitarist, Vieux Farka Toure (pronounced Vyooh - the "ooh" having the same vowel sound as "should" - Farka Too-ray) comes from Mali and is the second son of the late, great Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure (winner of two Grammys for World Music).

Demolished Thoughts by Thurston Moore`

Released:  May 24, 2011
Rating:  73.33

Not that it is in any way a preview of what this delivers, but the 53-year old Thurston Moore is a founding member and guitarist for the legendary art/punk band, Sonic Youth.  (He's also married to Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon.)

Produced by Beck, AMG describes it as "psychedelic chamber folk." I don't have anything better, so we can work with that.  This album is a much needed respite from a really confused world. Based primarily on Moore's acoustic guitar and voice, and supported by a variety of strings (and a few other things here and there) this is very mellow.

A couple of my favorite cuts include the beautiful Illumine and folkier Benediction.

While it's not in my top 10 for the year, it's still a wonderful album and I look forward to hearing it every time I see it pop up in my rotation.

Rome by Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi

Released:  May 17, 2011
Rating:  76.33
Includes 3 bonus points (it's my prerogative) due to the overall brilliance of the album.

For those who've known me over the years, you know I have only a couple rules about music, and one of them is:  If Danger Mouse is involved, buy it! He's a writer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and performer.  Like some of my other favorites, he's always out to try something new and different.

Rome is a tribute the Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960's (Fist Full of Dollars, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, etc) and it succeeds brilliantly.  Of the 15 songs, there are 3 "interludes of a minute or less and of the remaining 12 songs, Nora Jones and Jack White provide the vocals on three each.

My favorite song on the album is Two Against One featuring Jack White.  But don't miss Nora Jones on Season's Trees and it's worth listening to the instrumental  The Gambling Priest.

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.