Unsung: Reviews Shorter Than A Song

This is the fifth LP by blues-leaning indie rock duo Two Gallants. For well over a decade, these guys have been putting out intricate and interesting rock. It’s true that I like some of their albums more than others - I was especially fond of The Throes and What The Toll Tells- but they know how to put together a diverse and enticing record each time. This go around the duo presents a range of infectious tracks that focus around breaking points of human discovery. These are songs about discovering truths both personal and universal. Two Gallants/We Are Undone/ATO/2015 Choice Cut: "We Are Undone" Next of Kin: Delta Spirit, Blitzen Trapper, early Black Keys Rating: Green Light

This is a check-in after my first month or so of Unsung reviews. Let me know your thoughts on how the podcast is going, and what you'd like to hear reviewed in the future! (Remember: No artist is too big or too small, but I'm looking mostly for full-lengths.) THANKS! http://unsung-podcast.com/2015/01/27/check-in/

This is the newest release and Epitaph debut of Columbus, Ohio based indie-rock group The Sidekicks. This band plays a kind of emo-leaning indie-rock that will remind you of 90s acts like Built to Spill. Frontman Steve Ciolek is recognizable as a contributing and touring member of Saintseneca, and elements that make him a fantastic supporting player for one band make him an excellent lead for the other. The Sidekicks/Runners in the Nerved World/Epitaph/2015 Choice Cut: "Jesus Christ Supermalls" Next of Kin: Built to Spill, The Shins, Band of Horses Rating: Green Light

This is the debut studio effort by Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$. For the most part, my only big complaint of anything I’ve heard by him so far is that he’s sometimes overly focused on the sounds of hip-hop’s past. But on this one, Joey turns that same element around to his advantage. This is an instant classic! Joey Bada$$/B4.Da.$$/Cinematic; Pro Era/2015 Choice Cut: "CUrry Chicken" Next of Kin: Ab-Soul, A$AP Rocky, Earl Sweatshirt Rating: Green Light + GOLD STAR!

This is the self-titled debut by Nashville singer-songwriter Natalie Prass, whose most noted work prior to this release has been as a band member for ex-Rilo Kiley front-person Jenny Lewis. This album dwells on heart-on-its-sleeve songwriting that owes a lot to the aforementioned Lewis, but I’m not always sold on Prass as a storyteller or narrator. That being said, I do really enjoy the orchestral arrangements on these songs - pop music needs more songwriters with this kind of knack for musical development within the genre. Natalie Prass/Natalie Prass/Spacebomb Records/2015 Choice Cut: "Why Don't You Believe In Me" Next of Kin: Jenny Lewis, Fiona Apple, early St. Vincent Rating: Yellow Light

This is the fifth studio LP by Chicago-based emcee Lupe Fiasco. I was a big fan of Fiasco’s Food and Liquor in 2006 and The Cool in ‘07. But then he took a break from releasing records for a little while, and by the time he returned with 2011’s Lasers, he’d lost me a little bit. Tetsuo & Youth is a return to more subtle social commentary in the form of elaborate, well planned story telling and world building. It's my favorite Fiasco album since The Cool. Lupe Fiasco/Tetsuo & Youth/Atlantic; 1st & 15th/2015 Choice Cut: "Prisoner 1 & 2" Next of Kin: T.I., Common, Kanye West Rating: Green Light

This is the sophomore LP by singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt. Her debut showcased her eccentric-yet-sincere style of minimalist folk songwriting, and this effort follows suit while adding the occasional instrumental overdub to add extra character here and there. I’ve really been enjoying this record: While Pratt’s style is definitely a throwback to late 1960s folk- as well as freak-folk- she adds her own unique charm to every track. Jessica Pratt/On Your Own Love Again/Drag City/2015 Choice Cut: "Back Baby" Next of Kin: Angel Olsen, Julia Holter, Joanna Newsom Rating: Green Light

This is the latest record from Indiana singer-songwriter Joseph O’Connell, AKA Elephant Micah. O’Connell is an experienced song-writer with an impressive, prolific history over the past decade or so. Despite his already expansive repertoire, I’m really impressed by this set of songs- especially by his approach to stringing them together as a record. The outside help here is limited to percussion by O’Connell’s brother and the occasional instrumental or vocal assist by Will Oldham of Bonnie Prince Billy fame. The songs here are emotive, complex and expansive. It’s easy to get lost in the spaces created within these tracks, a quality that reminds me of Jason Molina’s powerful-yet-dissonant expression on 2002’s Didn’t It Rain. Elephant Micah/Where In Our Woods/Western Vinyl/2015 Choice Cut: "By The Canal" Next of Kin: Songs : Ohia, Bonnie Prince Billy, A.A. Bondy Rating: Green Light

This is the debut LP from Until The Ribbon Breaks, the electronica three-piece fronted by British producer Pete Lawrie Winfield. But UTRB aren’t newcomers: They’ve been pushing singles and remixes for years, crafting a style that fits comfortably in the realm of trip-hop, but with a wide range of differing influences, including American hip-hop, alternative R&B and post-dubstep. For me, this album has been a sleeper agent; it grows on me more with each additional listen. Until The Ribbon Breaks/A Lesson Unlearnt/KLS/2015 Choice Cut: "Revolution Indifference" Next of Kin: James Blake, Gorillaz, How To Dress Well Rating: Green Light

This is the ninth album from Glasgow indie pop heroes Belle & Sebastian. It’s a tough one for me, because I am a long time fan of the band’s expansive discography. That being said, I only really like or love a little over half of the songs on this one. While much of the album is a return-to-form for the band, there are five or six tracks here that push too hard on aesthetic (often channeling the recent disco-revival craze) without really championing a vivid tale. And, ultimately, what I look to this band for is superb storytelling. Belle and Sebastian/Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance/Matador/2015 Choice Cut: "Allie" Next of Kin: The Smiths, Eels, The Magnetic Fields Rating: Yellow Light

This is the debut full length from Calgary, Alberta’s Viet Cong, half of whose members used to be half of indie/art-rock act Women. This new quartet boasts a decidedly grittier sound, but still doesn’t lack for catchy or beautiful moments. In many ways, even down to the production, they resemble the more avant-garde side of UK post-punk in the late 1970s, but with hooks. Viet Cong/Viet Cong/Jagjaguwar; Flemish Eye/2015 Choice Cut: "Bunker Buster" Next of Kin: This Heat, Protomartyr, Ought Rating: Green Light + GOLD STAR!

This is the MASSIVELY anticipated 8th studio album by legendary indie rock trio Sleater-Kinney, their first in just about a decade. I was already excited about this record when these folks announced their reunion, but I was falling in love by the time I heard single “Bury Our Friends.” It’s not uncommon for a band’s reunion to be over-hyped or phoned in, but in the case of No Cities To Love, this album is the real deal. Sleater-Kinney made this album for no reason other than a chance to play and write as a unit again. Sleater-Kinney/No Cities to Love/Sub Pop/2015 Choice Cut: "Surface Envy" Next of Kin: Ex Hex, The Evens, The Both Rating: Green Light + GOLD STAR!

This is the debut full length from Brooklyn synth-pop band Future of What (not to be confused with the album by post-hardcore legends Unwound.) These folks have an easy-going pop aesthetic that I enjoy, and clearly know their way around a studio, but I admit that I’m not that impressed with most of the songs on this record. Future Of What/Pro Dreams/Feat. Drake Records/2015 Choice Cut: "The Rainbowed Air" Next of Kin: Stars, Chvrches, Future Islands (sans Sam Herring) Rating: Yellow Light

This is the fourth full-length from Vancouver singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dan Mangan, but his first one credited as a collaboration with backing band Blacksmith. Mangan’s previous releases featured melancholy-leaning, Americana-influenced songwriting, and while some of those elements remain intact, Club Meds is an entirely different story. This LP draws heavily from experimental elements and finds Mangan utilizing space in a way that truly adds gravitas to his storytelling. Dan Mangan + Blacksmith/Club Meds/Arts & Crafts/2015 Choice Cut: "Vessel" Next of Kin: Midlake, Volcano Choir, Peter Gabriel Rating: Green Light

This is the sophomore LP from Massachusetts rockers California X. This quartet is often billed as a punk band, but they boast obvious influences that dig way back into the history of classic rock, 90s alternative and metal. The result is a clean, aggressive sound, but one that doesn’t lack for heartfelt choruses or artful breakdowns. As much as I loved their self-title, their sound is much more pristine and further developed this time around, and all the better for it. California X/Nights in the Dark/Don Giovanni Records/2015 Choice Cut: "Nights in the Dark" Next of Kin: Dinosaur Jr., early Weezer, Jeff the Brotherhood, Baroness Rating: Green Light + GOLD STAR

This is the fifth solo outing from Animal Collective affiliate Panda Bear, aka Noah Lennox. For the most part, Panda Bear’s experimental pop takes a more dance-oriented approach this time around, which makes sense as a follow up to his recent, high-profile collaboration with Daft Punk. In more ways than one, this record is a good companion to Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavillion. Panda Bear/Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper/Domino Records/2015 Choice Cut: "Boys Latin" Next of Kin: Caribou, Super Moth Black Rainbow, Animal Collective Rating: Green Light

This is the debut record from songwriter and vocalist Kat Dahlia, but she was joined in the studio by an impressive team including Timbaland and Missy Elliott-- and damn if that influence doesn't show here. Overall, the record has an alternative R&B feel with heavy hip hop influence, but there are plenty of other shades here as well, reaching as far as salsa, electronica and classic rock. Kat Dahlia/My Garden/Epic; Vested In Culture/2015 Choice Cut: "Mirror" Next of Kin: Jessie Ware, Lauryn Hill, Drake Rating: Green Light

This is the third LP by soulful R&B singer/songwriter D’Angelo’s and his long awaited follow up to the highly-loved Voodoo, which came out way back in January 2000. He’s yet to release an unsatisfying album, but this is probably his best yet. It incorporates rock, soul, r&b and funk into a modern sound that is sensual, sexual, personal and political - all at once. As my buddy Jeff Terich put it, this is the best Prince album in 15 years, and the last one was by D’Angelo too. Sorry Prince -- We still love you. STREAM HERE D'Angelo & The Vanguard/Black Messiah/RCA/2014 Choice Cut: "The Charade" Next of Kin: Prince, Frank Ocean, Janelle Monae Rating: Green Light (& A GOLD STAR!)

This is the 3rd studio album from rapper and producer J. Cole, dropped at the end of December 2014 with very little traditional promotion or hype. It's definitely a step forward for him as an artist, but I do have some small hesitations in regards to its length and ambition. J.Cole/2014 Forest Hills Drive/Dreamville; Roc Nation; Columbia/2014 Choice Cut: "Fire Squad" Next of Kin: Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Frank Ocean Rating: Yellow Light