Long Over Due Reviews

ONE-SENTENCE REVIEWS:

The Black Keys - Brothers

Rating: 83/100

Enjoyable from start to finish, Brothers is the Black Keys doing work.

High Point Tracks: "Next Girl", "Tighten Up", "Sinister Kid"

Drake - Thank Me Later

Rating: 71/100

After the incredible So Far Gone mixtape and a handful of promising singles, Drake delivers a somewhat disappointing major label debut that reveals the young rappers fatal flaw: he just doesn't have much to say.

High Point Tracks: "Over", "Up All Night ft. Nicki Minaj"

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (II)

Rating: 80/100

While somewhat repetitive and noisy, a healthy number of strange and satisfying tracks redeem Crystal Castles' self titled sophomore album.

High Point Tracks: "Baptism", "Suffocation", "Not In Love"

Sleigh Bells - Treats

Rating: 94/100

Treats is unabashedly loud, inventive, fun and easily one of the best albums of the year.

High Point Tracks: "Kids", Infinity Guitars", "Rill Rill", "Crown On The Ground"

Eminem - Recovery

Rating: 84/100

Relapse was only ok; Recovery is much better.

High Point Tracks: "Won't Back Down ft. P!nk", "No Love ft. Lil Wayne", "Almost Famous" "Havoc"

Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

Rating: 89/100

Big Boi's hip-hop epic is fresh and flawlessly executed.

High Point Tracks: "Daddy Fat Sax", "Shutterbug", "Fo Yo Sorrows", "Shine Blockas"

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Rating: 98/100

The Suburbs is another remarkable release from one of the best bands of the past decade; I believe there is no stopping them now.

High Point Tracks: "Half Light II (No Celebration)", "We Used To Wait", "Month of May", "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"

Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP

Rating: 83/100

The title track which is more than 11 minutes long makes two appearances on the EP and they're both different, and uniquely enjoyable in a way only Sufjan Stevens can deliver; as is everything else in between.

High Point Tracks: "All Delighted People (Original Version)", "Enchanting Ghost", "Djohariah"

M.I.A. - Maya

Rating: 73/100

The chaotic splashes of noise and sound effects over deeply effected pop melodies sometimes seem more like a schtick than an artistic choice here, however they still seem work for her most of the time.

High Point Tracks: "Steppin Up", "XXO", "Meds and Feds"

I have a few more to do. Stay tuned.

Some Crazy-Ass Stuff for a Wednesday

M.I.A. - "Born Free"

New super-super-NSFW and extremely violent music video

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Also, this is cool and weird:

EMINEM - DESPICABLE (FREESTYLE)

REGINA SPEKTOR - "NO SURPRISES (RADIOHEAD COVER)"

SOUNDS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Have you ever wondered what the solar system sounds like? Some dude made a scale-music box thingy that lets you hear the music of the planets. Its crazy. Check it out here.

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM - DRUNK GIRLS MUSIC VIDEO

BRAND NEW STARS SINGLE - "FIXED"

Download the MP3 for free right here.

MGMT vs SNL

(SPOILER ALERT: MGMT wins)

"Flash Delerium"

"Brian Eno"

New M.I.A. Video?!?!

M.I.A posted this video on her Twitter yesterday and it seems like it might just be a new song from her forthcoming album that she has been talking about a lot lately. Specifically she mentioned that the album will be "gimmick free". I didn't realize Arular and Kala were so gimmick ridden that she needed to make a point of assuring me that her 3rd album would be gimmick free. Either way this song might not be on the album, hell, it might not even be M.I.A. All I know for sure is that she posted it on here Twitter. Enjoy!

The Grammy's

Last night's Grammy performances were impressive, to say the least.  If you didn't have a chance to catch it, here is what you missed:

KANYE WEST, JAY-Z, LIL WAYNE, TI, and MIA - SWAGGER LIKE US

Swagger Like Us indeed.  It's just Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I. and a super pregnant M.I.A.  I'm still in shock.  For the most part, I just can't believe all of five(!!!) of them were on the same stage at the same time.  I suppose it makes sense.  I mean they are all there, right?  Why not get five of the biggest musicians in the world to perform one of the biggest songs of the year?  The plan was so simple, I didn't even expect it.  Once that curtain roles up and The Rap pack appear, one fact becomes incredibly clear: this is going to be good.  And good it was.  

RADIOHEAD - 15 STEP

Radiohead (ya know, the best band in the world) also showed up and with the help the USC marching band to play the In Rainbows lead off track "15 Step".  Although the absence of Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood, Phil Selway is curious, the marching band gives this already brilliant track a very cool feel.  I could write pages about the injustices of In Rainbows not winning album of the year, but I don't have the time and I assume you don't have the patience. Instead, use your time effectively and watch this.

There was other stuff, but these two were my favorite.  For more performances check out Pitchfork's video recap.