If It's Too Loud...

A slowish week with some real gems. Album of the Week Artist : Rainer Maria Album : S/T Quick Description : Comeback album from the indie rock darlings. Why You Should Listen : Because Rainer Maria rules, that's why. Overall Thoughts : I got into Rainer Maria VERY late. They had already broken up by the time I discovered them, most likely in a post-Reputation haze, and they've played a few comeback shows but the new album was a long time coming. It's here now, though, and it's basically exactly what I wanted. No, there's no "Ears Ring" here, but this sounds like a band that's known for an out-of-style genre that's back together for another run. It's just simply a must-listen, and the best of the week. A very welcome return. Recommendation : This is so good, guys. Artist : The Two Tens Album : On Repeat Quick Description : Garage-style power pop. Why You Should Listen : You always wondered what the love child of The Hives and...

This might be the biggest new release list for us since the blog started, so I'm going to break these highlights up into two chunks for us this time. The rest of the new releases will be covered tomorrow. The Pine Hill Project - Tomorrow You're Going : This is an album of covers by a folky supergroup that, unfortunately, didn't work for me at all. The album felt a little more meandering than I was looking for, and some of the choices (most notably "The Sweetest Thing") felt a little weird. People really into folk music (which I don't qualify for) might find more to enjoy from this, but I wouldn't recommend it for the more casual listener overall. Houndmouth - Little Neon Limelight : Houndmouth is a band we've talked about here before, and while they're really not quite my taste, this album is absolutely a step forward for them as an overall sound. The songwriting feels sharper, the instrumentation solid, and if I have a complaint from a te...