Hercules & Love Affair: Blue Songs (Moshi Moshi)
Hercules & Love Affair shifts focus from 70s disco to 80s house music.
Discodeine: Discodeine (Dirty)
French duo of Pilooski and Pentile gets buzz-worthy love from the hipsters.
Cinnamon Chasers: Science (Modus)
Cinnamon Chasers aren’t a bunch of condiment crazies making music, just one Londoner, Russell Davies, making electronic music that’s 2 teaspoons short of cloying.
Bright Eyes: The People’s Key (Saddle Creek)
Dylan comparisons and rootsy folk music be damned: Conor Oberst aka Bright Eyes just wants to do his own thing.
Nicolas Jaar: Space Is Only Noise (Circus Company)
Nicolas Jaar is one of the newest and brightest of the moment’s feted lot of younglings in the dance and electronic music scene.
Adele: 21 (XL)
None other has the voice, soul, talent and heart to bring cheating bastards to their knees, begging and crying, than Adele.
Reza Salleh: Realize (Moonshine)
The only problem with Reza Salleh’s debut album is that it employs love as the central theme, resulting in a sometimes annoying, lingering neediness throughout. He also sounds like the frontman of Creed at times.
The Rollin’ Sixers
If you like your rock n roll loud, sweaty and hard, then look no further than local blues rock quintet The Rollin’ Sixers. Originally known as Triple 6 Poser, the band started off with covers of Weezer and AC/DC before dropping the emo and going full on cojones.
Lykke Li: Wounded Rymes (LL Recordings)
“I’m your prostitute, you gonna get some” sings tiny Swedish songstress, Lykke Li on her sophomore effort, Wounded Rhymes. And if it’s quality tunes she’s talking about, then yes, you are going to get some indeed.