Sound: Overall, the production (Kanye West contributed nearly half the tracks, plus heavyweights Timbaland and Pharrell Williams delivered a few tracks, too) is decidedly synth-heavy with either bouncy gangsta strings, bangin’ digital beats or hypnotic cosmic atmosphere. But the first three singles (”D.O.A.,” “Run This Town,” and “Empire State of Mind”) are made up of somewhat more organic elements including guitar riffs, clarinet runs, militant percussion and an elegant piano melody.
Lyrics: The legendary rapper spends most of the album reminding listeners how great he is as he trashes artists who rely on Auto-Tune production, represents for NYC, and flaunts his sexual prowess.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)” (Top 20 Songs of 2009 Candidate); “Reminder”
Medium Rotation tracks: “On to the Next One” featuring Swizz Beatz; “Venus vs. Mars”; “Hate” featuring Kanye West; “Off That” featuring Drake; “Run This Town” featuring Rihanna and Kanye West
Recommended: Jay-Z’s original Blueprint album (my #3 album of 2001) remains one of the best albums of the decade—it was Kanye West’s coming out party as a producer and the rhymes were handled largely by Jigga himself, so it had a consistent sound and lyrical focus. Conversely, Blueprint 2 was a bloated and scattered double-album mess that attempted to cross-pollinate too many genres and yielded extremely few worthwhile tracks. Blueprint 3 has elements of both of its predecessors. It tries to appeal too many different mainstream audiences, and Jay-Z yields the mic to guest rappers and singers more often than he should. But it does have several quality tracks, even though don’t necessarily feel like they belong on the same album. Blueprint 3 is a substantial improvement from the previous release in the trilogy, and it has more to offer than Jay-Z’s last two releases, (2007’s American Gangster and 2006’s Kingdom Come).
Grade: B+

Listen to Tracks/Buy Music:
On iTunes
On amazon.com

Sound: Over the last few years, Thrice – and their frontman Dustin Kensrue as a solo artist – have been fearlessly expanding their capabilities. Progressive, melodic aggression, reflective, atmospheric rock and folky, country-flavored folk have been major components of their releases this decade and demonstrated possibilities far beyond their punk/hardcore roots. On Beggars they effectively shift back and forth between all of these recent developments in their sound.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “The Great Exchange”; “Doublespeak”; “Beggars”
Medium Rotation tracks: “All the World Is Mad”; “In Exile”; “The Weight”
Recommended: Though the stylistic shifts on Beggars can be a little jarring, this is their most accomplished, engaging and consistent album to date.
Grade: A- (Top 20 Albums of 2009 Candidate)

Listen to Tracks/Buy Music:
On iTunes
On amazon.com

Note: The latest release from The Black Crowes is essentially a double album of new material (and a Stephen Stills cover) that was recorded live in the studio in front of an intimate audience. Before the Frost is the official album release and Until the Freeze is a free bonus disc that purchasers of the physical CD can download using a code. However, if you buy the album on iTunes, you get all 20 tracks at once—the first 11 are Frost and the last nine are Freeze.
Sound (Before the Frost…): As usual, the Crowes’ music pays a heavy debt to the past, particularly the late ‘60s and ’70s output from artists like The Rolling Stones, Faces, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. They bounce between loose barroom boogies, thick blues jams, country/folky reflections and—the curveball—a disco rocker.
Sound (…Until the Freeze): Far more acoustic, country-tinged (lots of fiddle and pedal steel) and mellow, but it starts with a psychedelic hoedown jam. With this disc, there’s really no hint of modern music. This is a true time warp to the eras of old timey hillbillies and idealist hippies.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Houston Don’t Dream About Me”; “And the Band Played On”; “Good Morning Captain”; “Garden Gate”; “Shine Along”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Appaloosa”; “What Is Home”; “I Ain’t Hiding”; “Shady Grove”; “So Many Times”; “Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)”
Recommended: Before the Frost borrows vintage sounds and styles more than any other Crowes official release—so you can’t commend them on their originality here—but the songwriting and performances are stellar. The band sounds inspired and invigorated, and recording the album live in the studio definitely helps gives these songs a contemporary freshness and energy. Until the Freeze digs even deeper into the past and serves as an enjoyable celebration of 20th Century American music styles.
Grade: Before the Frost…A- ; …Until the Freeze B+

Listen to Tracks/Buy Music:
On iTunes
On amazon.com

Sound: On their third album, the snappy Brit punkers tone down the in-your-face riffs and basslines considerably. Humbug is a woozy, dark and mysterious journey that favors mood and tone over memorable songs. The two exceptions to this rule—“Cornerstone,” a classic, peppy poppy ballad, and “Pretty Visitors,” a heavy, spooky rocker—are two of the stronger and most accessible tracks.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Cornerstone”; “My Propeller”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Pretty Visitors”; “Crying Lightning”
Recommended: It’s commendable that Arctic Monkeys challenged themselves—and certainly their audience—on Humbug. After two exceptional, energized albums—Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (my #20 Album of 2006) and Favourite Worst Nightmare (my #16 Album of 2007)—it makes sense for them to mellow out and explore their weirder tendencies. This isn’t their most exciting collection of tunes, but it’s strong and strange enough to make you quite curious about what they’ll do next.
Grade: B

Listen to Tracks/Buy Music:
On iTunes
On amazon.com

Sound: Romantic, anthemic, danceable Brit pop that incorporates Afro-beat and Caribbean rhythms and soulful vocals. The music can feel grand, proper and sophisticated, while simultaneously capturing a raw, visceral energy.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Pull My Heart Away”; “Be The One”; “So Near”
Medium Rotation tracks: The rest
Recommended: Fans of The Cure’s bubbly, worldly, radio-friendly work will find plenty to like on the latest from Jack Peñate. At times, his moans and wails are almost too reminiscent of Robert Smith. But Jack stands head and shoulders above nearly all of the Cure imitators that have emerged this decade thanks to the bold eclecticism of his music, his exceptional vocal skills and his stellar pop songcraft. Everything is New showcases his latest, previously unreleased work, but it practically feels like a greatest hits.
Grade: A- (Top 20 Albums of 2009 Candidate)

Listen to Tracks/Buy Music:
On iTunes
On amazon.com

Note: Ramona Falls is a solo project from Menonema’s Brent Knopf. His more well-known band’s last release was the excellent Friend and Foe (my #2 Album of 2007).
Sound: At their root, most of the songs on here feature Brent’s forlorn and fluid vocals over a pretty combination of acoustic guitar chords and piano melodies. But—if you know anything about Menomena—there’s no way he could just stop there. Nearly every track has several more layers that build up and dissipate – including dramatic strings and horns, shimmering mandolin, cascading piano, fuzzy bass, ferocious electric guitar, floating synths, echo-laden harmonies…and more.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “I Say Fever”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Melectric”; “Bellyfulla”; “Diamond Shovel”; “Salt Sack”
Recommended: Intuit isn’t nearly as stunning and memorable as the last Menomena album, but it’s almost as creative and ambitious. Menomena members are strongest as a unit, but pretty darn good on their own (Brent’s bandmate Danny Seim released a decent album last year under the moniker Lackthereof).
Grade: B+

Listen to Tracks/Buy Music:
On iTunes
On amazon.com

Note: Julian Plenti is the alter ego of Interpol frontman Paul Banks, and this is his debut release under this moniker.
Sound: The dissonant riffs, driving rhythms and somber atmosphere on Skyscraper differ very little from Banks’ work with Interpol. But the music on this side project is a little more stripped down and mellow, and Banks’ vocals are more intimate and clear.
Heavy Rotation track: “Games for Days”
Medium Rotation tracks: “No Chance Survival”; “Only If You Run”; “Fun That We Have”; “Unwind”
Recommended: If you like Interpol, you’ll like Julian Plenti - they’re simply not that different. Though Skyscraper lacks any great tracks, it’s consistently satisfying. It’s a stronger album than Interpol’s last release 2007’s Our Love To Admire, but it’s a couple of notches below their first two albums – Turn on the Bright Lights (my #5 album of 2002) and Antics (my #11 album of 2004).
Grade: B+

Listen to Tracks/Buy Music:
On iTunes
On amazon.com

Sound: Snappy, melodic indie pop/rock with a slight Southern accent. Driving saxophones, twinkling piano, percolating synths and woozy organs are some of the sounds that meet up with frontman Matt Pelham’s quivery but confident croon.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Lions”; “The Drawing Board”; “Concrete”; “Foundation’s Cracked”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Wooden Heart”; “Baby’s Hammer”; “The Gates of Hell”
Recommended: Some Kind of Salvation is a hit parade of one hook-filled tune after another, making it an easily digestible and memorable listen. All of the songs have a heard-it-somewhere-before feel but that doesn’t prevent you from enjoying their interpretations of these classic styles, especially since they show off such solid musical chops.
Grade: A- (Top 20 Albums of 2009 Candidate)

Listen to Tracks/Buy Music:
On iTunes
On amazon.com

Note: The Lincoln, Nebraska band’s name is pronounced “Double U, Double V, Double W, Z.” This is their debut album.
Sound: A spastic, arty hybrid of hypnotic, floating indie rock, jittery, choppy punk, chunky, hard-driving metal and lounge-like, seedy jazz. Frontwoman Teal Gardner leads the way with a mix of frenetic yelps, convulsions and howls, plus atmospheric chants and sultry croons.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Jap Dad”; “Shark Suit”; “Green Starred Sleeve”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Neolaño”; “Berry Can”; “Hum Jam”
Recommended: At times UUVVWWZ show they’re a viable new force that should be mentioned in the same breath as highly respected, female-fronted bands like X-Ray Spex, Sleater-Kinney and Deerhoof. But their sound is also occasionally reminiscent of one of the most innovative male-fronted bands of the last decade, System of a Down. UUVVWWZ is an invigorating debut album.
Grade: A- (Top 20 Albums of 2009 Candidate)

Listen to Tracks/Buy Music:
On iTunes
On amazon.com

Sound: Instead of continuing to see how far they can push the boundaries of music, The Fiery Furnaces actually rein in their music to a relative simplicity on par with their debut Gallowsbird’s Bark (my #17 Album of 2003). The multi-sectioned, ADD-friendly, tangential epics are replaced by a collection of streamlined songs. Their playful indie rock is as whimsical and scrappy as ever as they bounce between frenetic pop, lounge-like ruminations, swingin’ boogies and sinister grooves.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Staring at the Steeple”; “I’m Going Away”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Take Me Round Again”; “Keep Me In the Dark”; “Charmaine Champaign”; “Even in the Rain”
Recommended: I’m Going Away isn’t quite as accomplished as their stellar debut, but it’s certainly their most focused and listenable release since then.
Grade: B+

Listen to Tracks/Buy Music:
On iTunes
On amazon.com