Like much of the dark electronic pop that's come before WhoMadeWho's latest, the drive behind the music is the key to success.

The insanity in Tyler's ever-more-popular rap character feels real because he too recognizes it. He's crazy and it's crazy that we're listening, but maybe that makes the actual world slightly more sane. Oh, the horror.

Following a seven year gap between studio albums, Sacramento's CAKE is back with the compelling, yet inconsistent Showroom of Compassion.

He merges genres and styles, and it's impossible to resist his bass heavy and chest bursting productions.

Space Is Only Noise is not a perfect album, he could have done without the fillers, but it's a perfect listening experience.

21 is just a logical, major label extension of her girl-ish, diary-dream optimism.

Sure, the album title is about as random as their name and the way they originated, and yes, their sound is a crazy jumble of gritty, primal punk rebellion, but not for one moment does it not work. Openly stated, they have their shit together--no pun intended.

Discerning heads will notice that the stellar rhyme schemes and heartfelt storytelling resonates much louder than the accent.

Reminiscent of our favorite moments from groups like Radiohead, ColdPlay, and Kings of Leon, Everyone I Ever Met is sure to garner the vintage Schwinn- riding guys from Oregon some well deserved props from music lovers world-wide. Do not miss this stellar release.

it is pretty much the same thing we all loved from Hercules and Love Affair. Does that mean this album is bad? No, it's fabulous. There was just no risk, no movement.

The young studio maverick has given us something entirely new, but it's not perfect. It's not an inconsistent album, but it has a few unnecessary fillers. His unrestricted, deconstructed, sparse and minimal productions are unique and he deserves all the hype surrounding him.

The refreshing thing about bands like Cut Copy is that they're consistent. Far too often do artists change direction throughout their careers and sometimes lose touch with that thing that made us all fall in love with them in the first place, but this isn't the case with Zonoscope.

Talib seems to be coasting just a bit on this cut-and-paste session. As in, from a pure musical standpoint, outside of a few of repeat-worthy tracks, Gutter Rainbows, is no cure for your current cabin fever.

The sounds here aren't quite what people are going out of their way to find these days, but these songs stick around for more than just a casual listen.

Red Barked Tree captures the sharp and fiery hallmark defined by Colin Newman, Graham Lewis and Robert Grey some thirty-odd years ago to strike a pressure point relevant to younger generations.

Sonically, the joy comes from the triumphant, painstaking arrangement that undoubtedly went into the production of tracks like "Power," the aforementioned "All Of The Lights," and the album closing "Lost In The World."

It's creative, enlightening, and altogether fun.

What I realized listening to this studio masterpiece is that Phonte, Dwele, and Aloe Blacc are all former MC's with new grown and sexy albums out this year worth purchasing.

His throaty, gnarled vocals--best showcased on the meandering, Dilla-esque Cloudlight--lend his music a gothic mood. [Nov 2010, p.109]

Filtered drum patterns, neo-gospel arrangements and plaintive piano jams, along with curious and catchy enough melodies, obscure Cudi's guttural talk-raps for a bit.

All platitudes aside, I have to say that there is some filler - mostly packed into the album's second quarter where most artists tend to hide their more mediocre material.

If Pilot Talk was the daylight that showcased Curren$y's talent to the world, part 2 is that evening's afterparty.

The signature post-rock and cleverly monotonous Stereolab aesthetic is still present, and continues to be refreshingly innovative.

The Books have found their way out of convention, and they've been kind enough to invite us all along with them.

Experienced as a whole, Condors is a multi-course meal that features some familiar dishes and some foreign with ingredients that require a bit of acclimation-but they're all delicious.

We Can't Fly is over the top, trying to embrace everything Vito De luca ever loved about radio, or all the music he ever loved, period. It's a cosmic mess of styles and guests. People who are fans of his DJ sets will not feel at home in this setting, with no crowd pleasers except for the title track.

What Sufjan did in The Age of Adz is so beautiful and rich and complicated; he ended up telling the story of what life is for so many people who just end up turning the gears of the larger machine.

Metallic Spheres, a collaboration with electronica legends the Orb, represents his boldest and most satisfying footnote to date.