New Releases This Week

Great week:

American Princes -- Little Spaces (Yep Roc) 3/5
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club -- Howl (RCA) 3/5
Boris with Merzbow -- Sun Baked Snow Cave (Hydra Head)
David Allan Coe -- Penitentiary Blues (Shout Factory) 4/5
Criteria -- When We Break (Saddle Creek) 2.5/5
Friends of Dean Martinez -- Live at Club 2 (Aero)
Gabin -- Mr. Freedom 3.5/5
I Am Kloot -- Gods and Monsters (Echo) 3/5
John Wilkes Booze -- Telescopic Eyes Glance the Future Sick (Kill Rock Stars) 3.5/5
Khanate -- Capture & Release (Hydra Head) 3.5/5
New Pornographers -- Twin Cinema (Matador) 4/5
Portastatic -- Bright Ideas (Merge) 3.5/5
Rogue Wave -- 10:1 EP (Sub Pop)
Syd Matters -- Someday We Will Foresee Obstacles / A Whisper and a Sigh (V2) 3.5/5 for both albums
Otis Taylor -- Below the Fold (Telarc)
Tenement Halls -- Knitting Needles & Bicycle Bells (Merge)
John Vanderslice -- Pixel Revolt (Barsuk) 3.5/5
Various Artists -- Total 6 (Kompakt)
Zox -- The Wait (Armo) 3/5


Notes: The New Pornographers have made the best album Carl Newman's done. John Vanderslice's isn't as good as his last one, but any time one of my favorites has a releae it's exciting. Zox has made the biggest improvement between albums I've ever seen. I hated their debut, but this one's actually decent, and I understand they're extremely hard-working. Best of the lot: David Allan Coe.