Audible Tuesdays:

So it's been a little while. Midterms, Cincinnati Reds, Crying, Bargaining, Depression, Dusty Baker, etc. Anyways, welcome to Audible Tuesdays and today I'll be reviewing four rock albums by some veteran performers. All are available on Spotify, or, you know, you could just find a way to own them without listening to commercials or paying...but I'd have no idea how to do that..

New Albums/Tracks Worth a Listen: 

--of Montreal, lousy With Sylvianbriar (8/10)
Kevin Barnes' 12th album with the of Montreal collective is one of the best listens of the fall. In recent years, Barnes has recorded and mixed most of his tracks alone, adding heavy vocal layering and trippy instrumentation. Instead, lousy features a number of prominent 60's rock influences, most notably Bob Dylan, to create a much more melodically organized album than previous released like Skeletal Lamping (although, I loved that album too).

Top Tracks: Fugitive Air ; Triumph of Disintegration ; Belle Glade Missionaries

--Albert Hammond Jr., AHJ (6/10)
The best named Stroke (no bias or anything) kicked a nasty heroin habit and put out a 4-song EP with Julian Casablancas' record label. If you've been waiting for something closer to This is It from the Strokes, this is likely the closest you are going to get.

Top Tracks: St. Justice (I swore it was Vampire Weekend on the first listen); Rude Customer

--Cage the Elephant, Melophobia (5.5/10)
I've been on this Kentucky-bred bandwagon for a long time and I'll be the first to admit this isn't their best work, but I think Cage is heading down the right path. Melophobia means "fear of music", no not the fear of Carmelo Anthony shooting 35-times a game (sorry, I'm just really excited for the NBA to start). With slight influences from Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock, lead singer Matthew Schultz creates a darker album and expands the horizons of what just started as a hard-drinking rock band.

Top Tracks: Come a Little Closer ; Cigarette Daydreams ;
It's Just Forever (ft. Allison Mosshart of the Kills) ; Halo

--Kings of Leon, Mechanical Bull (6.5/10)
After the miserably arduous affair that was Come Around Sundown, numerous show cancellations, and on-and-off rumors of rehab from these southern rockers, there finally may be some hope for the Kings to put out albums in their older age. The angst, sex, and raw instrumentation of their early recordings isn't coming back, but that doesn't mean they cannot find a new groove in a semi-Tom Petty way. The lyrics don't make too much sense as usual (actually, as usual its mostly about sex), but that's not why you came to the party in the first place. Enjoy.

Top Tracks: Supersoaker ; Rock City ; Family Tree

Old Track You Should Know Already: 

Queen

All Dead, All Dead

News of the World (1977)

Let's see how often I can keep these going,

Peace

Albert