Cold War Kids - Mine Is Yours (2011)

Cold War Kids has returned on their third album as a band that sounds closer to Train than the raw passion of their former selves exemplified on Robbers & Cowards. Now on Interscope, Cold War Kids suffer from over-production and under-enthusiasm, tell-tale signs of what is now the all-too-familiar Big Label Curse. Robbers & Cowards was a unique, fearless album that took a mish-mash of intriguing influences and churned them together to create something previously undiscovered. I won't lament. Mine Is Yours, in stark contrast, does the best it can to sound so... regular. Nathan Willett can still let loose with his impressive, identifiable voice, and does so on occasion, but when it is used to sing the rather insipid and empty choruses of "Finally Begin" and "Louder Than Ever," it is wasted. Instead of doing something interesting, five minutes of album space is stolen from the listener in the form of the Keane tribute track "Bulldozer." The attitude and artistry is gone, as I wrote here a few years back, which is too bad because from what I can tell and have heard, they are cool dudes who put on a great live show. Unfortunately, the music off of Mine Is Yours is obviously geared for ears other than mine.

Atomic Tom - "Take Me Out"

I made a resolution this year to get back into researching NYC-based bands, so I'm happy to say I'm kinda staying true to it. Of course it helps that some of the best music to come out this year just so happens to hail from the greater NYC area. Enter one of the coolest things I have ever seen happen on a NYC subway train, let alone one on the way to the BK. So apparently, Atomic Tom had their instruments stolen recently. In the spirit of impromptu shit, they decided to hop on the B train en route to Brooklyn and film "Take Me Out" (album version) in one take using nothing but their iPhones as instruments much to the surprise of random commuters. I'm not an iPhoner, so I'm not entirely sure if what you're about to see is mind-boggling to the point of WTF, but I think the whole thing is pretty sick. "Take Me Out" is definitely one of my favorite "Top 'Getting Ready' Songs of 2010" already, so this video just makes this 100% live clip 100% more awesome. The only thing that's missing is the obligatory crazy homeless guy rocking out in the corner... or an Apple representative handing them a big fat check post-performance for the shameless iPhone plug and a half. (Oh, and to the band member on the farthest right... have you ever worked at Endless Summer Tacos in Williamsburg? I think you or your doppelganger gave me extra salsa verde once.)

Amazing Baby - Rewild (2009)

Amazing Baby's Rewild has all the elements that I love in an indie psych album: space rock guitars, chugga-chugga drums, abstract chants, dance beats, and layered vocals. The songs perfectly balance the shimmering experimental jams of the Secrete Machines with the all-but-the-kitchen-sink glam pop of MGMT. Best of all, the songs remain tight and catchy. Of course, my immediate favorites were the ones I loved off their free Infinite Fucking Cross EP — "Headdress", "The Narwhal" and "Pump Your Breaks" — but the new additions are just as good. I especially like the astral and glittery "Bayonets", the tambourine bashing and echo laden "Kankra", and the propulsive and slinking guitar riddled "Deerripper". "Roverfrenz" even features clattering beats that recall recent Animal Collective. Somehow they pull it all together and live up the high expectations set by the EP.

Top 5 Artists That Got You Into a New Genre of Music

1. Aqua Velvets, Surf Rock– Never knew how intense a $5 poker game could be while listening to “Mysterious Mambo”.

2. Too $hort, Gangster Rap– Had “Blowjob Betty” memorized by the 7th grade.

3. Chuck Berry, Rock N' Roll – So this is where it all comes from.

4. Merle Haggard, Country – Found out that tough guys could love their Mamma and like to hold hands.

5. Cannonball Adderley, Jazz – Opened my mind as to what genius sounds like.

British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music? (2008)

It's an impressive album, full of epic songs that build slowly until the pounding drums kick in and then soar through ringing guitars and passionate vocals. How you feel about rock anthems will probably determine how much you enjoy this album. There are less of the playful oddities of the first two albums, but the move away from indie-aesthetic serves the songs well. "A Trip Out", "Waving Flags" and "Atom" stand out.