Boratto’s focus remains on approaching the line of excess without tipping over. And once again he stays on the wire.

Very simplistic in melody and progression, each track on 200 Million Thousand is a tube-driven, distorted mess, complete with classic Brit-punk vocals. Twangy and overdriven guitars are matched with screams and pissed-off vocals full of attitude, creating a highly energetic punch, reminiscent of a Black Lips live performance.

Whether it’s Mark’s influence, or Kinky’s own growth over the years (or maybe both), this album has universal appeal and its party-ready, rich sound is one that would be a shame to pass up.

If The Bran Flakes managed to cleverly juxtapose their weird samples against each other in order to make a satirical point, maybe they'd get a pass. However, most of the tracks come off like two kids selfishly goofing off in the studio with long lost gems of nostalgia from their childhood.

Dissolver is a serviceable pop-rock record that would have benefited from being subject to more of the band’s experimental tendencies, a missed opportunity for the trio to release a cutting-edge yet accessible set of music.

The two mini-albums are both successes in vastly different ways, but they are especially effective as testaments to the versatility and adventurousness of Zach Condon.

The Spirit of Apollo is what happens when the imagination is let out of its cage. Good things happen.

I'm inclined to say that they've reached a midpoint in experimentation where they can claim to be boundary-pushers and trendsetters, yet have done little in untried methodology, an undeserved sense of achievement.

Die-hard fans may not like the style change, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.

Watersports sets itself up nicely for some critical acclaim, and its multi-genre versatility will make it easy for people of all musical tastes to find something to enjoy.

Love, Hate, and Then There’s You may not be a sign of the band’s growth, but it succeeds in capturing what the Von Bondies are and have been best at.

Immolate Yourself picks up exactly where they left off, with a sound much more mature and textured--coming complete with its owned imagined world--fully equipped with freeform dynamism of a celestial and delicate styling.

The shimmering dream pop of the band’s debut is surprisingly accomplished and self-assured, a rare shoegaze-styled album that isn’t hellbent on aping the genre’s luminaries.

A group this weird and quirky should be able to produce dozens of albums that never loose their delicious twee taste. Perhaps what FF should try next is trying nothing at all.

Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future is a pop gem for the young at heart and proof that the duo possesses the serious musical talent needed bring their whimsical musical visions to life.

Dalek is like a fine beer...it is an acquired taste, but once you get past that part, it is delicious. This is demonstrated well on Gutter Tactics, his newest release.

Oizo’s latest effort easily becomes the pitch-perfect soundtrack to an epic night out, reminding us that these cats across the pond know exactly how to make electronic music seem both strange and familiar, music that practically anyone can enjoy.

This album is truly an odyssey where if a picture paints only a thousand words, these songs can paint an entire film.

With Merriweather Post Pavilion, Animal Collective have proven themselves to be at the forefront of progressive pop, as deadly with their textures as they are with their melodies.

Their efforts are ambitious and commendable, but it seems like it will end up as one of those albums that may captivate you for a couple weeks--but will eventually be ousted from your recently played.

The color palette Fatboy has assembled for this project—Justin Robertson, Martha Wainwright, Dizzee Rascal, Iggy Pop, and David Byrne, to name but a few--doesn’t trump the fact that musically, the BPA is mired in beats that smack of early 2000, if not the late ‘90s.

Live, this animal bears really bears it's fangs while at the same time increasing the thoughtful and clever sonics and compositional savvy that puts them in a class above most of their peers.

Emeritus concludes Scarface’s tenure as one of the genre’s favorite artists actively recording. It’s a depressing thought, yet this is an album that stands proudly among an already hugely influential back catalogue.

As for the songs themselves, putting aside tragic and Autotuned context, some work and some don’t.

What Max has created as a result is nothing short of amazing.

The music is supposed to feel representative of the big apple, but, aside from the song titles, this is a feeling I failed to really grasp onto. Thankfully this is probably the least important part, because after listening to this record a few minutes I realized how special it really was.

With every track clocking in at about seven minutes, Convivial may fulfill not only the needs of the insatiable dancefloor, but the wants of those looking for relief of daily life's mundanities.

Unfortunately, after six mightily exciting originals, the disc wanders into remix territory.