THE DANMAN CAN

1.    Chromatics   Closer To Grey  **** ( Review ) 2.    Karen O  & Danger Mouse   Lux Prima  **** ( Review ) 3.    DJ Shadow   Our Pathetic Age   **** 4.    Ex Hex   It's Real  **** 5.    The Chemical Brothers   No Geography  **** ( Review ) 6.    Fujiya & Miyagi   Flashback   **** ( Review ) 7.    Angel Olsen   All Mirrors   **** 8.    Steve Moore   Beloved Exile  **** ( Review ) 9.    Path Of Metaphor   The Path Of Metaphor   **** ( Review ) 10. UNKLE   The Road: Part II / Lost Highway   **** 11. Susumu Yokota   Cloud Hidden  **** ( Review ) 12. Redd Kross   Beyond The Door   ***1/2 ( Review ) 13.  Oh Sees   Face Stabber  ***1/2 14.  And The Kids   When This Life Is Over  ***1/2 15. John Vanderslice   The Cedars ...

Karen O and Danger Mouse 's collaborative LP Lux Prima  is the first great album of 2019 (that this listener has heard at least). Every track is catchy and tightly produced. I've given this album a number of spins already and it's holding strong. Simple and sexy. For fans of Zero 7 , Air, Serge and Charlotte Gainsbourg and Daniele Luppi .

I'm new to the Parquet Courts court, having been introduced to them via their collaborative album with Daniele Luppi , last year's excellent   Milano  (my review here ). Wide Awake!  (2018), their sixth LP, was produced by pop workhorse  Danger Mouse (who back in 2011, when Courts were releasing their first LP, himself collaborated with Luppi on the album Rome ). Wide Awake!  is equal parts dancefest and political rant, calling to mind Gang Of Four ,  The Clash , Wire and The Stranglers in varying degrees. Standout tracks are the raw and sadly truthful "Violence," the catchy AF sing-a-long title song and jaunty closer "Tenderness."

I don't really care that this band has strayed from their original, raw, blues-heavy sound. I've heard and have all the previous albums and I like them all, particularly Magic Potion .  But I would have gotten bored, sticking with that style, after 4 albums too.  Unlike a band such as, say, Kings Of Leon , whose sound became bland, unoriginal and, in particular, unexciting, The Black Keys have incorporated elements into their sound, which I feel have strengthened it on all counts. TBK's musical evolution reminds me of that of My Morning Jacket or Rilo Kiley (I think I'm one of the minority of fans of RK's original sound that loved their final LP). Brothers was a fantastic album, critically and commercially successful and musically fun and interesting.   El Camino is a continuation of the "new" style and while not as strong as the last album, it's very very good. A lot of standout tracks. Actually there's not really a bad track on the ...