(New albums are typically released on Tuesdays, i.e., today. What
can you spend your hard-earned pennies on this week? Find out below.)
*Beans, End It All Spin gave End It All a 7 out of 10 review: "Beans always poses as an abstractionist, freaking motormouth cadences with a self-professed 'mind that's literary.' But on his fifth solo album, the former Anti-Pop Consortium rapper is actually more of a traditionalist, with songs grounded in elaborate boasts (save the post-recession critique 'Air Is Free,' where he rues oil spills and government bailouts as the 'new hard times')."
*Bright Eyes, The People's Key The Rolling Stone review gave Oberst's latest effort 3.5 stars: "Giving a chunk of your record over to some random old-timer's bullshit is a classic Oberst move, a way of undercutting the aura of importance people have foisted on his music since he was in high school. It's especially shrewd because The People's Key contains some of his most weighty songwriting -- the head-clearing clamor of 'Haile Selassie' or the somber 'Approximate Sunlight,' where Oberst ruefully sings, 'It's been said we're post-everything.'"
*Brown Recluse, Evening Tapestry Prefix reviewed Tapestry, saying "The chamber pop ensemble Brown Recluse began as a duo (Timothy Meskers and Mark Saddlemire) in 2006, but soon after expanded to a more appropriate line-up of six. The group released two EPs (Black Sunday and Soft Skin) of shimmering, breezy pop before developing a full-length release. That album became known as Evening Tapestry and followed in the long line of ornate pop music. 30-second sound samples were made available on Midheaven prior to the album's release."
*Cowboy Junkies, Demons Download a free mp3 from Demons via Paste.
*The Dears, Degeneration Street Spin gave Degeneration Street a 7 out of 10 review: "A corrective after 2008's overreaching downer Missiles, this Canadian band's fifth album heads back to the big, Brit-inspired sounds of 2003's No Cities Left. Singer-guitarist Murray Lightburn still shoots for Smiths-like profundity and emotional resonance -- there's talk of God and bearing crosses -- but this time he's got the hooks to back it up: 'Thrones' brims with passion, as Lightburn alternates between a bold vocal melody and an angry shout. He also luxuriates in a slow jam ('Lamentation') and fondly looks back even further than the '80s ('Yesteryear')."
*The Dears performing "Blood" live
