1. Rufus Wainwright - Out Of The Game
I've loved Rufus Wainwright's debut album since it came out in 1998, but I have not been any kind of diehard fan since then; last year he released a career-spanning 19-disc box set, and I am familiar with about 3 discs of it. This is quite good, though, very much in line with his previous stuff. Which is why it surprised me to find out after listening to it a couple times that the album was produced by Mark Ronson and is being hyped as his 'danceable' record. What really intrigues me, though, is that Nels Cline plays on it, although I have no idea which tracks, and haven't been able to easily pick him out on any in particular.

2. Travis Porter - From Day 1
I loved the weird hyped up sound of Travis Porter's three big radio singles ("Make It Rain," "Bring It Back" and "Ayy Ladies") so much that it genuinely bummed me out to learn that they weren't produced by a member of the group and that the producer, FKi, didn't do anything on their major label debut besides those three joints. This is still a pretty solid album that more or less lives up to the expectations set by those singles, though, at least until "Party Time" and the fucking Mike Posner feature pull down the album's batting average. Travis Porter are not exactly feminists and there's some gross lyrics on here, but I have to admit there's something refreshing about hearing some exuberant hedonism that reminds me of Mannie Fresh-era Cash Money these days, surrounded on the radio by Drake-era Young Money where barely any rappers actually sound happy to be getting laid.

3. Meek Mill - Dreamchasers 2
The original Dreamchasers was my favorite mixtape of 2011, but at this point I'm more interested in seeing whether Meek can maintain that same vibe on a major label album than whether a follow-up mixtape is consistent, which this isn't. But it's still got some jams, especially back half tracks like "The Ride" and "Real" that he gets to hold down without any big name guests.

4. Chants - Night After EP
Jordan from Chants is a cool guy who I've long enjoyed talking about drummer nerd stuff with, and a few years ago I saw him play with a New Orleans-style brass band that was pretty fun. Chants is his new moody downtempo dance music project, and that kind of thing is generally not my scene but I'm glad I checked out the record on the strength of him being a good dude, it's got a very richly textured, unique sound.

5. Gary B & The Notions - How Do We Explode
I already reviewed this album a while back, but the songs are still slowly growing on me, don't know if I like it as much as their previous full-length but it's definitely a great-sounding record, big step forward for these dudes as a recording unit.

6. Sara Bareilles - Once Upon Another Time EP
I've always had a soft spot for gooey sentimental piano pop (see also: Rufus Wainwright at the top of this post), and Sara Bareilles has exploited that soft spot big time with her adult contempo hits in the past couple years. She even recorded a new stopgap EP produced by one of my old favorites, Ben Folds, who she was on that canceled singing reality show with. This is really nice, very plainly and beautifully recorded compared to her slicker album stuff, starts with a gorgeous a cappella piece that shows off her voice. The goofy pottymouth song "Sweet As Whole" seems influenced by Folds's sometimes regrettable sense of humor, but it's kind of a nice palette cleanser in the context of this fairly downtempo record. Apparently this is just her little personal indulgence as she gets in the studio with hacks like Ryan Tedder to make sure the label greenlights her third album, but it had a top 10 debut on Billboard, so maybe she actually does have a fanbase beyond random people like me who have a weakness for VH1 singer-songwriter stuff?

7. Lower Dens - Nootropics
As someone who listens to and loves a ton of Baltimore artists who are virtually unknown outside (and sometimes in) the city, I always feel very awkward when someone from around here becomes very successful that I'm not that into, like I don't wanna feel like a hater for not being excited for them or understanding what other people see in them. That has always and continues to be the case with Beach House, who released yet another album I'm not at all into this month, but it's less true than it used to be of Lower Dens, who've actually switched up their sound a fair amount for their second album and brought in some synths and krautrock grooves and created something a little surprising and refreshing.

8. Rye Rye - Go! Pop! Bang!
Similarly to what I was just saying re: Lower Dens, I've always had a little trouble embracing Rye Rye's music like a lot of people outside Baltimore have, partly because I hold her mentor, Blaqstarr, in such high regard. But I interviewed Rye Rye recently and she was really sharp and nice, and that piece hasn't come out yet, but I will say that this album surpassed my expectations, particularly since Blaqstarr doesn't produce anything on here (besides a couple of previously released bonus tracks on the deluxe edition). The whole patchwork global dance approach here works better than it has a right to because Rye Rye raps very fast and with total commitment whether it's a Bangladesh track or a RedOne pop tune. My favorite track is the Chicago juke track, "Dance," since it's pretty close to the Baltimore club sound she's most at home on anyway.

9. Rickie Jacobs - Live Epic
Another Baltimore rapper that I recently interviewed for a forthcoming article, really a cool smart, dude. Sometimes this album is a little too chill and brooding for my taste, but I think he's got an interesting perspective, starting to get a unique sound.

10. Travis Morrison Hellfighters - Cruisin' (All Night Long) EP
I saw Morrison's short-lived post-Dismemberment Plan solo band several times during their brief lifespan, and was happy to hear that an EP of three unreleased songs recorded by Devin Ocampo (Smart Went Crazy, Faraquet, Beauty Pill) a few years ago before the band broke up had been released. This won't change the minds of anyone who wrote Morrison off circa Travistan, but it's a nice little record.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 11, 2012 at 3:29 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.