Andrew Bird Armchair Apocrypha (Fat Possum)

In a strange small way, Bird's violin and trademark whistle takes a backseat (driver) position on Armchair Apocrypha, allowing more emphatic drumming and leading guitars to rise to the occasion. The album is undoubtedly Bird, showcasing songs about mountains of handkerchiefs and Scythian empires, violin picking and soaring harmonies supporting his soothing croon as expected. "Imitosis" finds his songwriting taking a slight turn in a darker direction, while "Heretics" brings everything that was great about The Mysterious Production of Eggs to full blooming fruition. Long-time fans will find plenty to cut their teeth on, while younger listeners without the benefit of his entire catalog might miss some of what makes his subtle shift in directions so exciting.

Andrew Bird Official
Andrew Bird MySpace
Andrew Bird "Heretics" (mp3)
Andrew Bird w/ Martin Dosh "I / Fake Palindromes" (YouTube)

Panda Bear Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)

Animal Collective's Noah Lennox has created an album that will undoubtedly appeal to those casual AC fans that find albums like Feels and Sung Tongs too, well, animal. With songs like "Loch Raven" and "Mouth Wooed Her", Animal Collective records gave listeners a hint of what to expect from more solo Panda Bear work, but on Person Pitch, Lennox combines the organic rawness and meandering charm of AC with a potentially devastating injection of studio manipulation and found harmonies. The results are phenomenal: Person Pitch is at once a tribute to Smile and a completely unique collection of pop tunes orchestrated like Books tunes.

Panda Bear @ Paw Tracks
Panda Bear MySpace
Panda Bear "Bros (Edit" (YouTube)

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists Living With the Living (Touch & Go)

One of rock music's most unfortunate flaws is the common misunderstanding between politics and pop: there's really no reason thoughtful, topical commentaries on the state of the world can't be presented in super-tight pop anthems running about three minutes long. Ted Leo has really mastered the art of writing rock music with no unnecessary parts, and as each bubbling bottlerocket of song buzzes by, it becomes clear that having your say and being a catchy pop tune songwriter aren't mutually exclusive. Take note people, you don't need to cry or screech to make music about issues.

Ted Leo Official
Ted Leo MySpace
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists "Bomb.Repeat.Bomb" (mp3)

50 Cent/DJ Whoo Kid: Return of the Mixtape Millionaire: G Unit Radio 13 (BCD Music Group)

A Northern Chorus: Millions Too Many (Sonic Unyon)

Adult.: Why Bother? (Thrill Jockey)

Alan Lomax: Spanish Recordings: Mallorca - The Balearic Island (Rounder)

Aleksi Perala: Project V (Rephlex)

Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha (Fat Possum (Ryko))

Arve Henriksen: Strjon (Rune Grammaphon NW)

Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound: Ekranoplan (Tee Pee)

Baby Boy da Prince: Across the Water (Republic)

Barbara Blue and the Phantom Blues Band: By Popular Demand (Shout)

The Chinese Stars: Listen to Your Left Brain (Three-One-G)

Cibo Matto: Pom Pom: The Essential Cibo Matto (Rhino)

Crime Mob: Hated on Mostly (Reprise / Wea)

Cyann & Ben: Sweet Beliefs (Ever)

Daath: Hinderers (Roadrunner)

Daniel Cirera: Honestly; I Love You *Cough* (Tommy Boy)

David Guetta: Guetta Blaster (Ultra)

Devin the Dude: Waiting to Inhale (Rap-A-Lot)

Dion: Abraham, Martin & John (Ace UK)

Donald Byrd: Cat Walk (Blue Note)

Drawing Voices: Drawing Voices (Hydrahead)

Earth: Hibernaculum [CD/DVD] (Southern Lord)

Ellen Allien: Other Side: Berlin [CD/DVD] (DeAf Dumb & Blind)

Elliott Yamin: Elliott Yamin (Hickory)

El-P: I'll Sleep When You're Dead (Definitive Jux)

Evidence: Weatherman (ABB)

Foreign Islands: Restart Now! (DeAf Dumb & Blind)

Germans: Cape Fear (Arena Rock Recording)

Good Shoes: Photos on My Wall (Brille)

Hail Social: Modern Love & Death (Polyvinyl)

Hanson: Walk (JVC Japan)

Hieroglyphics: Over Time (Hieroglyphics)

Horrors: Strange House (Umvd Import)

Jay Dee: Ruff Draft (Stones Throw)

The Jerky Boys: Sol's Rusty Trombone (Laugh.Com)

Jesse Malin: Glitter in the Gutter (Adeline)

John Cale: Circus Live (EMI)

Joss Stone: Introducing Joss Stone (Virgin)

Joy Electric: Otherly Opus (Tooth & Nail)

Justine Electra: Soft Rock (Wichita)

Kenny Rogers: 20 Great Years (Reprise / Wea)

Kevin Drumm: Sheer Hellish Miasma (Editions Mego)

Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid: Tongues (Domino)

King Britt: Deep and Sexy 4 (Wave)

King Kong: Buncha Beans (Drag City)

Land of Talk: Applause Cheer Boo Hiss (Rebel Group)

LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver (Capitol)

Lee "Scratch" Perry: Upsetter Selection: A Lee Perry Jukebox (Trojan)

Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke: Duality (4AD)

Lisa Gerrard: Mirror Pool (4AD)

The Locust: New Erections (Anti)

Low: Drums and Guns (Sub Pop)

Lusine: Podgelism (Ghostly International)

Mac Dre: Don't Hate tha Playa, Vol. 3 (Thizz)

Mac Dre: Mac Dre Presents Thizz Nation, Vol. 12: Money Gang (Thizz)

Marques Houston: Veteran (Universal)

Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (Sony)

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Abattoir Blues Tour [2CD/2DVD] (Mute U.S.)

Nico: All Tomorrow's Parties: Nico Live (Anagram Gothic)

Palomar: All Things, Forests (Misra)

Panda Bear: Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)

The Poison Arrows: Straight into the Drift (File 13)

The Ponys: Turn the Lights Out (Matador)

QN5 Music: Asterix: Four (HBD Label Group)

Radical Face: Ghost (Morr Music / M.M.)

The Red Krayola: Soldier Talk (Drag City)

The Snake the Cross the Crown: Cotton Teeth (Equal Vision)

Stephen Marley: Mind Control (Republic)

Tayo: Fabriclive 32 (Fabric)

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists: Living with the Living (Touch & Go)

Tila Tequila: Sex (The Saturday Team)

Tim "Love" Lee: Coming Home (Stereo Deluxe)

Tommie Sunshine: Ultra Rock Remixed (Ultra)

Tracey Thorn: Out of the Woods (Astralwerks)

Welcome: Sirs (Fat Cat)

Willie Nelson/Ray Price/Merle Haggard: Last of the Breed (Lost Highway)

The Willowz: Chautauqua (Dim Mak)

Willy Mason: If the Ocean Gets Rough (Astralwerks)

Z-Ro: King of da Ghetto (Den Den)

The Zincs: Black Pompadour (Thrill Jockey)