Adem
Takes
By Eric Hill

Cover albums are generally divisive little creatures. Folks have a tendency to feel very possessive of their favourite songs and are very seldom tickled when some upstart mucks about with them. On his third solo album, following last year’s surprise reconvening of Fridge for a new group effort, Adem Ilhan disguises the “upstart” yoke by wrapping it under his own colourful scarf of fandom. There is no hiding that “Oh My Lover” is a P.J. Harvey song, or that “Loro” is by Pinback or “Starla” from Smashing Pumpkins. Adem preserves the itchy energy of the former, the rich skipping melody of the second and psychedelic bombast of the last. What brings them all together is his choice to keep a simple acoustic core arranged with enough extra pixie dust to assure things don’t devolve into open mic night blandness. Along with these somewhat disparate choices, he also tackles even less obvious works like Aphex Twin’s “To Cure A Weakling Child” and even a spare folk adaptation of Tortoise’s “Gamera” that shines. Takes should convince fans everything is okay, since one of their own is at the controls. (Domino)
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Though their Sun Giant EP held the possibility that the full-length would never match its brilliance, that’s luckily not a concern anymore. Easily one of the best releases this year, this is complex music that sounds deceptively simple. Take masterwork “Blue Ridge Mountains,” where the plaint ...Read More
Neil Halstead - Oh! Mighty Engine
Though he’s not often recognised for it, Neil Halstead is one of the most reliable songwriters of the last 20 years. Be it with shoegazing legends Slowdive, alt-country pop refiners Mojave 3 or his modest solo work, he’s never hit a bum note. Having recorded for illustrious indie labels like Creatio ...Read More
Pop Levi - Never Never Love
Ninja Tune undoubtedly has high expectations for Liverpool-born, L.A.-based Pop Levi on his sophomore album. After all, they were so impressed by him that they opened up a new label, Counter Records, solely to release his debut, Return to Form Black Magick Party. In just a year since that rel ...Read More
Zach Hill - Astrological Straits
Known best for his work in avant-metal experimenters Hella, Sacramento-based mega-drummer Zach Hill has always been known for his many projects and collaborations. (Hill estimates that he is currently involved in eight musical projects.) As such, it’s only fitting that Astrological Straits, h ...Read More
Abe Vigoda - Skeleton
Adam & the Amethysts - Amethyst Amulet
Albert Hammond Jr. - ¿Cómo Te Llama?
Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
The Anniversary - Devil on Our Side: B-Sides & Rarities
Apse - Spirit
The Baseball Project - Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
Beck - Modern Guilt
Black Francis - Svn Fngers
The Chap - Mega Breakfast
Children of the Sixth Root Race - Songs from the Source
Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death and All His Friends
Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue: Legacy Edition
Dirty Pretty Things - Romance at Short Notice
E.S.L. - Eye Contact
Electric President - Sleep Well
Facts About Funerals - Love Songs & Funeral Homes
Friendly Rich and the Lollipop People - Dinosaur Power
Heloise & The Savoir Faire - Trash, Rats & Microphones
Hey Rosetta! - Into Your Lungs (And Around To Your Heart And On Through Your Blood)
Icy Demons - Miami Ice
Idle Tigers - The Spirit Salon
Jay Reatard - Singles 06-07
John Matthias - Stories from the Watercooler
Jon Sonnenberg - Acoustic Selections
King Khan & The Shrines - The Supreme Genius of King Khan & The Shrines
Koenjihyakkei - Hundred Lights of Koeji
Lackthereof - Your Anchor
Matt Mays & El Torpedo - Terminal Romance
Mogwai - Young Team - Deluxe Edition
Mötley Crüe - Saints Of Los Angeles
The M's - Real Close Ones
Music Tapes - Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes
Muskox - Gallantries
My Brightest Diamond - A Thousand Shark's Teeth
Nisennenmondai - Neji/Tori
The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me
Patti Smith and Kevin Sheilds - The Coral Sea
Ponies in the Surf - See You Happy
Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
Pumice - Quo
Rodriguez - Cold Fact
Ron Sexsmith - Exit Strategy of the Soul
Santogold - Santogold
Sebadoh - Bubble & Scrape
Sennen - Where The Light Gets In
Sian Alice Group - The Dusk Line
Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Son, Ambulance - Someone Else’s Déjà vu
Subways - All or Nothing
Various - Life Beyond Mars — Bowie Covered
War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues
We Versus the Shark - Dirty Versions
Windmill - Puddle City Racing Lights
Thin Lizzy - Are You Ready
Shot in 1981 for German TV series Rockpalast, Are You Ready doesn't showcase the late Phil Lynott and company at their peak, but this DVD still rocks. The popular notion about Ireland's Thin Lizzy is that the band declined after the 1978 landmark double album, Live and Dangerous... Full Review
Toro y Moi - Causers of This
Last year's most exhilarating subgenre alternated between the ridiculous names of "chillwave" and "glo-fi." Chaz Bundick, or Toro y Moi, may be the last of the bunch to have his say, but he has two reasons to be excited: Causers of This is the first of two albums he's prepared for 2010 and he... Full Review
Dallas and Travis Good
The centre of Blue Rodeo's universe is a non-descript building on the Danforth in Toronto, housing their management company Starfish Entertainment and their renowned Woodshed Recording Studio. If the band have any roommates at the Woodshed, then it's the Sadies.... Read More
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