Denver’s own Mike Marchant just released the third volume in his Indulgent Space-Folk series titled Binary Beach. The six-track mini album features some great song writing and structure from one of the Mile High City’s most interesting musicians.

Sonically speaking, Binary Beach fits right into Marchant’s invented genre of space-folk. Relying mainly on acoustic guitar and vocals, backed by electronic loops, beats and other samples, the album takes the best from both electro and folk music to create something unique and extremely listenable.

The opener, “Animal Instincts,” is one of the strongest tracks on the album and grabs the listener’s attention right away. It features some great lyrics and vocals from Marchant, as well as just the right amount of electronics to drive the beat. It’s followed up by the ambient title track, and it is clear Binary Beach is going to be an interesting experience.

“Brief Encounters After Hours” is another standout track. It’s a slow reflective track that starts with just an acoustic guitar before a surprisingly deep backbeat comes in and the song builds to a crescendo behind a memorable chorus.

Binary Beach was released through Marchant’s bandcamp page where fans can pay what they want for the album. According to the page, all proceeds from the record will be donated to artistic organizations around the Denver area. So support Denver, and pick this one up for a buck or two.

Legendary Outkast member Big Boi dropped his latest album, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The son of Chico Dusty, which is a combination of easy listening and hardcore club bangers. Overall, Big Boi understands how to display the old school feel with a new school swag, attracting a balance to the hip-hop arena. The state of hip-hop is evolving, and Big Boi knows the right recipe for success.

Collaborating with the top artists in the industry and moving to new label, this is the rebirth of Big Boi’s raw talent.  Jive Records didn’t meet requirements for Big Boi’s taste, so he moved to Def Jam, which is known as a temple of hip-hop pioneers. The song “Shine Blockas” featuring Gucci Mane is a reflection on Big Boi’s power struggles with Jive Records. His last album, Speakerboxxx, was great, and regardless of labels Big Boi will always rise above to express through his lyrics. If you want to hear some Big Boi tracks from his latest album, tune into the Causeaphekz Mixshow on K-Met, live from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday.

After a year of label negotiations and the tragic loss of Mike Linkous (aka Sparklehorse), the collaborative effort between he and Danger Mouse, Dark Night of the Soul, finally officially sees the light of day. The album, which features a star-studded cast of characters, is, for the most part, worth the wait.

The opening track, “Revenge,” featuring The Flaming Lips kicks off the album in stunning fashion. It’s clear that the collaborative process between Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse and The Lips is in perfect harmony. Everything is smooth with just the right touches of electro and folk. The same can be said for the next two tracks, “Just War” and “Jaykob.” This trio of tracks puts the listener in a distinct mood, which would serve the entire album well. But then it takes a distinct right turn into punk rock with appearances by legends Iggy Pop and Black Francis of The Pixies back to back. On these tracks the two producers feel out of their depth and the album loses steam.

The album gets back on track, however, with James Mercer’s appearance on “Insane Lullaby.” Anyone into Broken Bells will dig this track for obvious reasons.

The last proper song on the album is the amazing “Grim Augury” featuring the now-deceased Vic Chesnutt. It’s a powerful track, even in its brevity.

Dark Night can get gloomy at times, but for Linkous and Chesnutt, it is a strong way to cap their all-too-short careers.

After five years away from the Swedish Melodic Death Metal band Soilwork, the band’s beloved guitarist, Peter “Vicious” Wichers, is back. It became clear in the first song of The Panic Broadcast, which was released this month, that they’ve missed him.

Wichers delivers excellent guitar work in “Late For The Kill, Early For The Slaughter,” and it carries through the entire album. Once you play this album, you will be hooked immediately by Wichers’ song-by-song performance.

Bjorn “Speed” Strid, the band’s vocalist, is better than ever, as he continues to satisfy fans of the genre by singing with passion throughout the album. Strid, who provided the guest vocals for the latest Demon Hunter single, “Collapsing,” on The World is a Thorn, continues to grow as a singer at the age of 31.

Another improvement over their 2007 album, Sworn to a Great Divide, is the drumming. The drumming was rather generic in Sworn to a Great Divide, whereas this album provides a significant change of tempo and all-around quality.

Overall, every aspect of The Panic Broadcast is a drastic improvement over Sworn to a Great Divide. Now that Wichers is back, fans have every reason to show a greater appreciation for the band. This album will satisfy anyone and everyone. Soilwork delivers and will not disappoint metal fans. This is one of the top metal albums of 2010 so far!

By blending ’80s metal with today’s hardcore style, War of Ages continues to use strength through spirit in their music.  Eternal, however, is personal because it elaborates on Leroy and Alex Hamp’s childhood obstacles and how they have managed overcome that pain.

Leroy, the lead vocalist, and Alex, the drummer, dealt with an abundance of physical and emotional pain, growing up with an abusive father. They have since decided to live by the word of Christ. In the band’s eyes, the new album is a type of therapy.

Outside of the message presented in the album, Eternal is an entertaining album that Christians and non-Christians alike would enjoy.  Even though it does not quite measure up to As I Lay Dying’s The Powerless Rise, this Christian metalcore album is still worth listening to.

One advantage this album has over other Christian albums is that its message is something many people can relate to because not everybody always wants to hear Christian musicians preach about their faith.  This album doesn’t seem to preach about the band’s faith much, but it tells a captivating, heart-wrenching story about overcoming adversity.

Scissor Sisters have found a way to keep the disco genre fresh by mixing it with modern beats and about five helpings of true camp. Known for their raunchy lyrics and disco beats, they manage to say it all tongue-in-cheek, or do they?

Jake Shears’ falsetto resonates throughout, yet still manages to channel some Elton John moments, while Baby Daddy keeps the beats rolling with the bass-heavy tracks.  On one of the best tracks, “Any Which Way,” Ana Matronic tells us about finding “that man who’s the right shade of bottled tan. A man that smells like cocoa butter and cash.” The first single “Fire With Fire” serves as a strong radio-friendly anthem amongst their otherwise raunchy lyrics and retro beats.

They released the last track of the album “Invisible Light” on their website for their fans’ first taste of the album. Sir Ian McKellen surprises as a guest in the middle of the track acting as almost a gay version of Vincent Price’s role on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” telling the dark tales of Babylon. It is a club track waiting to be remixed and ends the album on a high note screaming to start it all over again.

Any fan of dance music will love this from start to finish considering there is no lull; there is no ballad. Though they do have their signature sound and style, they still manage to reinvent themselves with each subsequent album. This is the best Scissor Sisters album yet, so douse yourself in cocoa butter and join the party.

The opening track to their self-titled debut, “Best Friends” was the first song the two wrote together as the Drums. Their dreams took them from Florida to New York City, where they immediately recruited Jonathan’s former band-mate from Elkland, Adam Kessler, to play additional guitars.

They do have a similar sound to their previous band, but the Drums seem to be the next step up. They’ve managed to invade the New York club scene and have become one of the biggest NYC party bands. Their first single, “Let’s Go Surfing,” begins with an addictive whistle that is perfect for driving down the highway with the wind in your hair. It is the quintessential summer album that has all the fun and bounce with no drama. It’s a simple sound that is so light and crisp, and honest, it just screams summer. If there is just one pop album you pick up for summer, let this be the one.

After releasing 2008’s awesome Scream Aim Fire, Welsh metal band Bullet For My Valentine apparently decided they were too metal, so they went back to emo rock with their most recent release, Fever.

This album sounds as if it was written for the radio, as opposed to the much heavier and much better tunes from Scream Aim Fire.

Album opener “Your Betrayal,” offers some nice crunchy guitar work, but other than that, the album doesn’t offer squat.

It seems they’re starting to shift away from their thrashy leanings and back to emo mediocrity. This album lacks the intensity of Scream Aim Fire, as well as the intensity of a true metal album in general. It’ll satisfy their scenester fans, but fans of Scream Aim Fire will have a hard time listening to the whole thing without getting bored.

If Bullet For My Valentine were to only perform songs from Fever during a tour, they would have little success in the grand scheme of things.

This is, without a doubt, the most disappointing metal album of 2010 so far.  This is what happens when four talented musicians go for radio play instead of focusing on the quality of their album content.

Ohio duo Bad Veins’ follow-up EP to their debut finds the band taking a more electronic, less orchestral, turn. The four songs on Outliers feature cyborg-like backing vocals and a lot more synths than their debut. Outliers shows the band refining their already unique sound.

The opener, “Fake Baby,” is probably the best love song about robots since Say Hi To Your Mom’s “Yeah, I’m In Love With An Android.” The song is really catchy and one of the strongest songs of the four. The chorus has the potential to get stuck in your head for days.

The rest of the EP is much slower. The beat on “Devil Hides” might get mistaken for a Postal Service outtake if it weren’t for Ben Davis’ distinct baritone vocals — vocals that are stretched into falsetto range on “Blanket.”

The change in vocals, paired with slide and acoustic guitar, gives the song a truly delicate feel that makes the song another definite standout.

“Good People” closes the EP out in solid fashion. The track builds from a simple piano line and explodes with a heavy guitars and a great chorus.

Overall, even though there are only four songs, it is a great preview of what may be to come on the band’s sophomore full-length. Outliers should give fans something to enjoy while they wait and might snag a few new fans on its own.

Enlighten Listening features unique arrangements of sounds, which reflect positive energy toward artists from all walks of life. Dealz Makes Beats, with the collaboration of DJ Dozen. blend layers and samples which symbolically represent enlightenment.

Title track “Dealz vs. DJ Dozen” displays the unorthodox style, which takes its originality from the local hip-hop scene. Dealz Makes Beats is a Colorado native who thinks outside the box. Enlighten Listening is a food for thought album, giving underground artists a foundation to represent him or herself positively.

Artists such as emcees, bombers, b-boys or b-girls — whoever wants to express self-identity, Enlighten Listening is for you.

Overall, Dealz’s main focus is to convey his positive energy to others in a simplistic form: sound. The track names give an idea of what types of sounds and effects you may experience. The harmonic blends of the most influential tracks that Dealz has hand-picked reflect pure talent and genius. Much like the great J Dilla or Madlib, who put hundreds of samples together to compose masterpieces. If you want to check out this instrumental album then check out www.DJDozen.com. Be sure to catch Dealz live June 30 at The Walnut Room.

Also tune into the Met Radio’s CAUSEAPHEKZ Mix show, live every Saturday 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

On Zol!, the group’s first official release since their critically acclaimed debut After Robots, BLK JKS continue in the same vein. The opener “Iietys” is six minutes of a heavy beat with vocals that jump all over the place, from spoken word to falsetto and back at the drop of a hat. Anyone familiar with their previous work shouldn’t be surprised by this track.

“Bogobe” is a slowed-down, spacey track with echoed lyrics that sounds a little bit like filler, but is redeemed by the altogether funkified bass line through out. It’s slow, but it’s building up to the climax of the five tracks.

“Zol!” is the perfect theme for a soccer game. It sounds big, with call and response lyrics and simple beat that lends itself to handclaps. It’s just an all around good time, and it will make you want to sing along with it, even though you don’t speak the language. “Zol!” is the title track and the centerpiece of the EP for a reason.

The closer “Mzabalazo” is another high-energy track with a great chorus, screams and pretty killer guitar part that will put a smile on your face — and probably make you want to crank it up and jump around.

Overall this is an entertaining sampling from one of South Africa’s most interesting rock bands. Check it out.

Perhaps this best sums up the third and possibly final offering from LCD Soundsystem.

This is Happening is a densely layered dance party. Of its nine tracks only one, the party anthem “Drunk Girls,” is a radio-friendly length. The rest are sprawling electro masterpieces that in several cases clock in around the nine-minute mark.

The lead track, “Dance Yrself Clean,” is the perfect example of what This is Happening is all about. It starts off quietly and slowly builds up until exploding into a teeth-rattling beat, while James Murphy mixes clever lyrics with just the right amount of humor.

“All I Want” uses fuzzy guitars and a killer chorus to hook listeners. It features some of Murphy’s best singing and is a standout track from first listen.

It’s clear throughout the album that Murphy is having a good time, and nowhere is this more evident than on “Pow Pow.” The talk-singing and all-around goofiness of this song is reminiscent of Sound of Silver’s “North American Scum” and is just an entertaining listen. The sweet bongos and funky bass give this tack an undeniable groove.

Overall, this album is a bit long-winded and may take some patience to appreciate fully, but once you let it sink in it’s definitely worth the 65-minute runtime.

Word on the street is this is the last album Murphy will release as LCD Soundsystem, and if this is true, This is Happening is a strong conclusion to what has been a great musical trilogy.

Another established producer on this project was Madlib, whose style is similar to the great J Dilla.  If you’re aware of these two producers, then you have been caught slipping on this album.

If you haven’t heard of Guilty Simpson before, then you can hear a few tracks on www.hiphopdx.com. If you have heard other albums by Guilty Simpson in the past, then you won’t regret going out and copping this one. Some hip-hop fans say hip-hop is not the same or it’s dead; check out Stones Throw Records and Guilty Simpson and decide for yourself.

After nearly 10 years as a band, it’s become easy to trace The Black Keys’ influences as a band on their sixth album, Brothers. After working with hip-hoppers from all over the map on last year’s collaborative effort Blakroc and producer-turned-Gnarls Barkley member, Danger Mouse, on Attack and Release, it should come as no surprise The Keys have embraced a fuller, bass-heavy sound.

Recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama, where the likes of Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin have cut records, it should also come as no surprise that Brothers has a much more distinct soulfulness than previous efforts.

From the opener “Everlasting Light,” which features great falsetto vocals from Dan Auerbach and a touch of throwback backing vocals from the lovely Nicole Wray, it’s clear the band has set out to make a different kind of record than the dirty blues rock of old, and they succeed at every turn.

Whether it’s the radio-ready riff of “Tighten Up,” the instrumental “Black Mud” or the slow burner “The Go Getter” there is not a weak track here. The strongest offerings though are the murder ballad “Ten Cent Pistol” and the near-perfect “Sinister Kid.”

If you’ve followed The Black Keys at all, Brothers should feel like a logical next step in their catalog, and even if you haven’t, it should still stand up as one of the best of the year.

The Powerless Rise, As I Lay Dying’s latest album, took the Christian metal band’s fame to new heights when it was released this April.

They’ve always stood out for their contemporary blend of Swedish melodic death metal and East Coast hardcore, but this album is heavier and more musically mature.

The Powerless Rise is, by far, their best album ever, blowing Shadows are Security and An Ocean Between Us out of the water. This album is excellent from start to finish, with the same heaviness fans would expect, but with more emphasis on melody. Virtually all the tracks are strong. This album fits into more of the melodic death metal genre, as opposed to the metalcore genre.

One song that stands out the most, while exemplifying the whole album, is “Anodyne Sea,” which depicts Tim Lambesis, the band’s lead vocalist, standing up for his faith and sending a message, saying it is still important to speak about God to those who believe in Him and that nonbelievers will “walk alone.”

Overall, this album is incredible beyond almost any metal album that has been released. It could arguably be the best metal album of 2010, unless bands such as All That Remains and Disturbed pull off better content when their albums come out later this year. For now, there is nothing but great things about The Powerless Rise, and As I Lay Dying is on the rise because of it.

For nearly 10 years everything changed for the group — from its sound, to the flow of the individual rappers and the feel of the album. They released Thug World Order in 2002 with four of the five original members, and the CD saw some success with the hits “Home” and “Bone Bone Bone.” Bizzy Bone then dropped out of the group again (he had previously taken a leave of absence about two years earlier) and the trio was forced to perform live shows and develop a new sound shorthanded.

I saw Bone live several times as a trio and bought each album they produced. I must say it was very disappointing to hear only three of the five voices I had grown to love, and while they were able to team with stars such as Mariah Carey and The Game, the sound just wasn’t there. Something was missing.

The newly released album Uni5: The World’s Enemy reminded me why I am such a huge Bone fan and what was lacking in the previously released singles and albums. The second single released for the album, “Rebirth,” is one of the best Bone songs I have ever heard and despite running more than seven minutes long, it keeps the listener entertained and amazed. Each member of the group is featured for a fairly long time throughout the track, and the voice of Thin C helps tie everything together.

The album featured three other singles — “See Me Shine,” “Meet Me in the Sky” and “Gone” — which also featured each member of the group and a guest performer that sings the hook. Bone doesn’t normally use a guest performer in their songs because the dichotomy of the original members voices and rapping techniques, but it works well for several of the singles. DJ U-Neek returned to produce a majority of the songs on the album, most notably “Universe” and “Facts Don’t Lie.”

Krayzie also produced some tracks on the album, including the single “Meet Me in the Sky,” which was co-produced with L.T. Hutton. Although they are back together and playing with the original members, the sound has evolved since 1990s hits such as “Tha Crossroads” and “Thuggish Ruggish Bone.”

Flesh-N-Bone had a stint in prison, which is why he was absent from the group for nearly 10 years, and the time allowed him the opportunity to advance as a person and artist. A track near the end of the album artistically explains Flesh’s trial and tribulations in prison and before his arrest. Bone fans should be excited for the newest album and the long wait for the original members to join together again was well worth it.

The singles that feature new artists from the Mo Thug family are a great surprise for those who may not have expected the different sounds. With all Bones together again, the Grammy winners are back in action and better than ever.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have been at the forefront of the funk and soul revival since their 2002 debut album. The group has created some classic soul jams reminiscent of the golden age of soul in the 1960s and ’70s, and their new release I Learned The Hard Way is no exception.

The horns and back-up singers on the album instantly transport the listener back in time — to a time of needles on vinyl records rather than a collection of digital singles on laptops. But what makes Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings more than just a tribute to the days of old is Jones herself. Her amazing, strong vocals are in a league of their own.

On songs like “Better Things To Do,” Jones really lets loose and gives the song a great feel. On “Money,” Jones’ spoken-word intro really makes the track stand out, and its shouted backing vocals and straight-up funk-soaked bass line make the track one of the strongest on the album.

Even though they may be drawing from the sounds of past, they still manage to make their brand of soul sound fresh. I Learned The Hard Way proves once again that Jones and the Dap-King are a force to be reckoned with in pop music.

There are two things you need to know right away about Wu-Massacre, the new album by three of Wu Tang Clan’s biggest emcees. First, it’s only 30 minutes long. Second, RZA only handles production on one track. If you’re still on board, read on.

Wu-Massacre brings together the trio of Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon — a threesome that is surely dangerous behind a mic. Lyrically, the album has some pretty classic cuts, and it starts off strong with “Criminology 2.5” and “Meth Vs. Chef 2,” where all three lyricists shine.

Where Wu-Massacre falters is with needless guest appearances and skits that come off as filler. When an album only has 11 tracks, the two skits included just get in the way.

The true standout track on Wu-Massacre comes from Ghostface. “Pimpin’ Chipp” has some of the best storytelling on the album, with a hot beat to match. It all comes together perfectly to create a classic track.

Overall, though, the album falls short of what some fans may have expected and comes off sounding more like a mixtape than a legitimate album. Wu-Massacre should please die-hard Clan fans, but otherwise just stick to 36 Chambers.

Do you remember the awful synthesizer theme songs from cheesy summer camp teen films from the ’80s? No? Well, have no fear, Head First, the latest release from Goldfrapp, is here to show you what you missed.

Where bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Killers have channeled some of the best aspects of the decade, Goldfrapp seems to have finally found some of the worst. The album is difficult to listen to as a whole and even on shuffle I found myself running to change it. The opening song, “Rocket,” gives you the unfortunate taste of what you are in for through the rest of the album, and it rarely seems to let up.

However, the one real saving grace the album holds is “Dreaming.” An amazing dance track that flows as a clean river through the muck. It leads into the mediocre title track and the halfway decent “Hunt,” but beyond that, they have nothing else to offer. Their last album Seventh Tree, was subtle brilliance with their down-tempo electronica in a formerly fast-paced album history. Alison Goldfrapp has always defined sexy with her voice and lyrics pulling in that naughty and nice bit perfectly.

Where Head First returns to their more upbeat electronica side, it’s shot into the past goes way too far even for the avid Goldfrapp fan. As sad as it may be, the best thing to do would be to pretend it never happened and just listen to past glory that Seventh Tree presented.

Coheed and Cambria’s fifth studio album, Year of The Black Rainbow is the precursor to the Coheed catalog. Said to be the prequel to the band’s previous four albums, YOTBR delves deep inside the origins of the Coheed story and singer Claudio Sanchez’s “The Armory Wars” comic.

This is everything die-hard fans could hope for. The deluxe CD comes with a behind-the-scenes DVD, previously unreleased tracks and a 352-page novel.

Casual fans shouldn’t worry; this album is still enjoyable without previous knowledge of the Coheed chronicles. You can still find those catchy songs and sing along choruses much like In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth’s “A Favor House Atlantic.”

YOTBR plays out like the soundtrack to the epic story that it is. Standout tracks include “Guns of Summer,” which showcases the new percussion skills and influence of Chris Pennie, formerly of Dillinger Escape Plan on his first album with the band.

The fifth track, “Far,” shows a different side of Coheed. The ballad uses changing tones to avoid being too cliché, and gives a good dose of that voice the band is so well known for.

Coheed and Cambria have done a great job bringing together all the different sounds of their other albums on this latest release. The album offers something for every fan.

By bringing on Leah Shapiro, formerly of the Ravonettes, they had a new vision for their future and a fresh start to the album. Pulling together an interesting mix of garage, southern folk and blues and adding a fuzzy wall of sound reminiscent of the Jesus and Mary Chain, they are unique.

The phrase that inspired the album is used whenever anyone anxiously drums their fingers on a table or taps their foot on the ground incessantly. They are “beating the devil’s tattoo.”

Feeling refreshed, they embarked on a new album that flows like a story from start to finish. The title track seems to open a curtain on a private show that adds more players as the song builds and sets you up for the rest of the album. Devil’s Tattoo borrows influence from their back catalog with the acoustic “Long Way Down” touching their more mellow side and “War Machine” bringing forward more of the grinding strings reminiscent of their fair beginnings in San Francisco. The album is solid from start to finish and you will find yourself beating the devil’s tattoo.

Each track has its own feeling, but every “oldies” cliché is featured. From lagoon-like, calypso rhythms to girl-pop harmonies, the listener may feel like they turned on the AM radio while taking a Sunday drive in the 1950s.

However, none of these qualities are necessarily novel. They simply state that She & Him love the music of yore, but will always coat every song with a contemporary gloss.

The opener, “Thieves,” sounds as though it was pulled from the Roy Orbison songbook, with its trickling guitar chords, generous sway and final crescendo. “Home” paces itself nicely, with a rolling piano riff and a very interesting breakdown that gives a subtle nod to the Beach Boys’ latter work. “If You Can’t Sleep” caps off the album as a beautiful a cappella arrangement that exemplifies Deschanel’s true vocal range.

This, in fact, is where the second volume shines; Deschanel’s voice is at its best. Ward’s guitar work reaches perfection through minimalism.

Exceptional work like this solidifies the fact that She & Him have always known what they were doing. Wait for volume three and do so patiently. With all of this knowledge, there are bound to be some involved musical thoughts taking place.

In his first solo effort, Jónsi pulls away from the very dreamy foreign sound of his group and trades it in for a new eclectic electronica.

Another change is that many of the lyrics are in English on this album so it is a little easier to understand or at least sing along. The opening track “Go Do” has a familiar sound that could have come straight from Sigur Rós’ last release. It pulls in current fans and slowly takes them for a new ride. Many new listeners may be taken aback by his fascinating falsetto, which for some, is an acquired taste, but you would be a fool not to give it a shot.

Sigur Rós is one of the most captivating bands of our time and his contribution alone is quite apparent on this album. “Grow Till Tall” takes the tempo down and gives you the taste of the past and “Animal Arithmetic” shows you what he can do on his own.

Go is an amazing first solo album for Jónsi and done so well that he can please his current listeners as well as treat the new ones. He will definitely have people following him back to Sigur Rós.

Battle of the Sexes features the same unique delivery that fans expect, but the beats produced by T-Minus, Swizz Beatz, Bangladesh and several others fails to attract listeners. Most songs feature a male and female rapper or singer, and the album lives up to its name. It is a nice change of pace to have so many different rappers and producers on the album, but the CD didn’t flow.

Songs such as “Sex Room” and “Can’t Live Without You” feature slower beats. While they play to the battle of the sexes theme, they don’t seem to fit well with some of the other tracks. “My Chick Bad” features female rappers Trina and Eve as well as a great dance beat. The tracks are primarily dance beats, and the difference from Ludacris’ older work such as “Roll Out” is apparent.

Tracks such as “I Know You Got A Man” and the album’s first single “How Low” are great dance beats and feature some catchy lyrics from Ludacris, but the entire album may not be what some fans expected.

Broken Bells, the collaborative project between James Mercer of The Shins and mash-up guru Danger Mouse, takes a listener several places. The best place is when it simply sounds like the Shins with a DJ and at its worst sounds like a boring new wave album with a DJ.

This is the soundtrack to your drive to the dispensary, and consequently, (or incidentally), in a year, you’ll forget this album existed.

Self-titled, Bells seems divided. There’s the traditional Shins-sounding songs and elements — clever, subdued guitar (“Trap Doors”); catchy rhythms (“Your Head is on Fire,” “Citizen”); and that plodding underwater feeling Mercer evokes (“The High Road”).

These work. And the aforementioned songs are the standouts on the album that can be your target downloads. There seems to be a more calculated and orchestrated collaboration, with the Mouse man Brian Burton complementing Mercer’s sound with his sense of beats, keyboards and hip-hop.

Where it breaks off from the formula, it doesn’t exactly get bad — it just gets boring. “The Mall and the Misery” and “Mongrel Heart” sound like your average electronic/rock/house/mash-up background music for a club where people aren’t having a good time. The sounds are confused and muddy.

Those two adjectives are great to sum up the album, but every now and then when the mud and confusion clears, it makes for a good album.

With Pulperia, The Knew’s debut full-length, the band proves they deserve to be mentioned among the greats in local music. The Knew’s two previous EPs put them on the cusp of the mainstream, but Pulperia has enough power to be their breakout recording.

The opener, “United,” features a foot-stomping beat and a catchy chorus that perfectly showcases their punk rock leanings and kicks off the album with a pulsing energy that’s present throughout the remainder of the album.

Another great rock song on the album is “Picnic.” The song packs a punch with handclaps and a big group chorus that really makes the song stand out.

But the group can do more than just rock out. Check out “Just Enough,” a slower acoustic piece that showcases Jacob Hansen’s vocals and the rest of the band’s country and blues influences.

Pulperia is an exciting set of songs by one of Denver’s most promising bands. Hopefully the quartet will get some much-deserved attention with this electrifying debut. The Knew is on the verge of stardom, and Pulperia just might be the push they need.

You Me At Six will release their sophomore album Hold Me Down March 16. The five-guy band, from the United Kingdom, comes together to create an upbeat, power-pop album.

Their first single, “Underdog,” has a pop-punk sound and great vocals in the second half of the song.

“Fireworks” is the closing track and the album’s slowest song. The song has an alternative rock vibe and a nice guitar solo for the intro, which makes for a good “chill song.”

The electric guitar and drums overpower the song “Take Your Breath Away,” making the lyrics hard to hear.

“There’s No Such Thing As Accidental Infidelity” is a catchy and very relatable song with the lyrics “Go back home now/ And go back to sleep/ and we say, go back with someone else who/ Who wants you more than me.” The song, again, consists of mainly drums and electric guitar, but the emotion felt within the song should make for a hit.

Overall, the album doesn’t offer much variety and many of the songs sound like something you would hear from Yellowcard.

The Gorillaz are known for the ability to create a unique sound that mixes hip-hop and electronic beats with rap lyrics. For the group’s third studio album, Plastic Beach, they collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, De La Soul and Paul Simon.

The range of artists featured on the album creates a variety of sounds. Tracks such as “Up on Melancholy Hill” and “Rhinestone Eyes” are similar to the traditional Gorillaz sound that listeners will recognize immediately, but the remainder of the CD will surprise some.

Most songs feature a different rapper and new electronic or hip-hop beat. “Superfast Jellyfish” (featuring Gruff Ryhs and De La Soul), is one track that will be considered more of a rap song than a dance beat. The song does break into a dance beat near the end, but it features strong rap lyrics throughout.

The rap sound heard in some songs is unheard in other tracks, such as “Some Kind of Nature” (featuring Lou Reed). Reed brought his rock influence and created a feel-good sound that is very different than most Gorillaz songs.

The music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZU9C6d5BE4

The group teamed with the Lebanese Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music to create an amazing song, “White Flag.” The track features rappers Kano and Bashy to mix Arabic music with synth beats. The sound is something that will draw listeners in and may prove to be the most popular song on the album.

“White Flag’s” greatness is almost matched in the song “Sweepstakes,” which features Mos Def and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. The song has a similar orchestra sound mixed with rap lyrics and a hip-hop synth.

The CD mixes several genres of music and offers a song for fans of any type of music, though it may be surprising to longtime fans.

Before Alkaline Trio releases a new CD, they always say this album will be a return to their original, raw, more punk form. But once you’ve seen the mountains of heavy production, it’s hard to go back to the hills. It’s like asking 30 Seconds to Mars to be less shitty or your electrician to be more Amish.

OK, so while This Addiction isn’t the streamlined, polished album the previous Agony and Irony was, we’re not exactly working with Goddammit here either. No, file Addiction between Good Mourning and Crimson.

Walking the line between dark and darker kitsch, the trio keeps with their images of cemeteries, blood, demons, vampires, etc., but sometimes crosses into the ridiculous with titles like “Draculina,” “American Scream” and, ahem, “Dine, Dine, My Darling.” Really, the sound is there and it’s just Trio being Trio and having fun.

Go ahead and pass by the single and title track “This Addiction.” Instead, give “Dead on the Floor” a spin, a song that actually keeps the promise of returning to the trio’s roots with standout guitars, soaring verses and the relationship cynicism that made you like Alk3 in the first place. “When you asked me if I’d stay forever/I guess you meant just for the week”.

Moving forward in different directions, the band finds their ska roots with horn sections in “Lead Poisoning,” and a new-wave influence with a synth intro on “Eating Me Alive.”

All in all, Addiction isn’t going to make you sit down to write your mom a letter to tell her about it, but if you like(d) this band or are looking for some pop-punk ala +44 that does it right, you probably won’t be disappointed.

Beach House’s third studio album shows the band’s shift to a more pop sound while staying true to their ethereal style.

Teen Dream is the first album released after the band changed labels, moving to Sub Pop. The indie rock influence is evident in the new album by a band that’s usually described as “dream pop” because of their slow, steady songs filled with experimental sounds.

Victoria Legrand’s ghostly voice and organ lines along with Alex Scully’s subtle guitar and keyboards are still the main focus of the music, maintaining its trademark style. But Legrand and Scully experiment with new sounds on Teen Dream, drawing influences from ‘70s and ‘80s pop – synthesizers included.

Legrand’s lyrics are mainly cryptic and unclear, but the main theme of the album seems to be lost love and heartache. “Zebra” begins the album with an atmospheric guitar and a barely-noticeable hi-hat, later joined by Legrand’s breathy voice in steady melody, giving us a general idea of how the album will sound.

In contrast to the slow songs that feel almost absentminded, “Walk In The Park” is as close as Beach House can get to an up-beat tune, sounding like a slow dance song in an ‘80s movie.

Previous Beach House albums have been praised mostly by alternative and indie music magazines and fans. Teen Dream has the potential to satisfy the eager underground audience as well as making mainstream critics recognize them as one of the best current indie bands.