+/- KOTJ on Various Hypes of the Last Few Months

The Field: talk some shit on this haircut

+ The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

I am way too busy/lazy/illiterate to write long-ass record reviews anymore. Christgau suprisingly gave his first true review of a 2007 album an A+. I had already noted it as the best album of 2007 so far, without attempting to explain what that meant exactly, because its competition is unbelievably crappy. A dozen listens later, it's not perfect. But I'm pretty sure it will continue to hold water in the company of eventual good new records. And I got to a dozen listens.

- Devin The Dude - Waitin' To Exhale

I don't really get why this dude's so popular, but sales are down in general so his Billboard chart position probably means as much as Isaac Brock's. There's a couple decent funky tracks toward the beginning and a lot of shit that's too vile to be funny as it slogs on. And he officially takes back his cameo on De la Soul's "Baby Phat." Asshole.

+ LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

Sure beats the first one, but he's still too piecemeal on record (if catchier) and his name still sucks. That said, James Murphy seems like an awesome guy who gets by with less ideas than he (or Pitchfork) thinks.

- Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future

The Xan Valleys EP was charmingly faceless rave-rock with just a couple songs so there needn't be signifiers. The album's longer, less charming, still faceless.

+ Young Buck - "Get Buck"

Choirs, horns, g-funk, awesome. I give a fuck about G-Unit.

+ Prodigy - Return of the Mac

Basic above-average gangsta, with lots of blaxploitation sounds and thuggy atmospheres that RZA would respect. And I think I heard a chopped-and-screwed "Safety Dance" sample.

+ Bright Eyes - Cassadaga

Why all the hate? His intros always suck, people. Yeah, there's piano schmaltz. But he's a fucking singer-songwriter, you were expecting "Girl O'Clock?" Also, and trust me on this, album art of the year.

+ Beyonce feat. Shakira - "Beautiful Liar"

"Naughty Girl" exotica. Two hip-swingin femme fatales. Belly dancing lessons. A little too perfect.

- Timbaland Presents Shock Value

For my money, the only shocking thing is that he wasted an excellent Elton John track cuz he's a perverse bastard. It's also perverse that the best track here is the one without any guests. It's also perverse that he ruins a solid streak of potential club hits with awful Hives, She Wants Revenge and Fall Out Boy collabs just to "shock" us. Run-DMC and Aerosmith was years ago, franksneck. Not a shock: still better than Infinity on High.

+ The Field - From Here We Go To Sublime

Shockingly decent flavor of the month techno for geeks. Start on track five and watch your background hum and buzz.

+ Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block

Turns out the overrated but still pleasant "Young Folks" barely conveys the genius. Immerse.

+ Fountains of Wayne - Traffic And Weather

Three-song stretch opening of the year so far. Haters do hate their name-dropping, even though they jerked off to The Documentary. Decent alt-country middle, too!

+ Son Volt - The Search

And speaking of decent alt-country, guess what totally harmless and unoriginal band still beats the living shit out of

- Wilco - Sky Blue Sky?

The track called "Walken" has some boogie.

- Deerhunter - Cryptograms

Don't believe the bullshit. Spacemen 3 could jam. These sleeping-pill addicts barely lull.

+ Avril Lavigne - "Girlfriend"

Why does everyone hate this song? Go listen to Joss Stone, bitches.

+ Dinosaur Jr - Beyond

And lastly, these guys upstage the fuck out of the Stooges' reunion with their (yes) Best Ever Album. But the Dolls they ain't.