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Valient Thorr – Legend of the World (rock): This, my friends, is what I have been looking for: something with enough driving intensity to trick me into playing air guitar in places that are a little too public for air guitar. This 2006 release from Valient Thorr is similar to the straight rock of the Hellacopters in some respects, but with a more driving, and purely American sound. Thanks to old school rock breakdowns that drag you down like a giant squid and then body slam you onto the shore when you resurface, the dynamic power of this album has made it one that I continually return to. If the energy of this album doesn’t get your blood pumping, then corporate America has dried your bones and left you for dead. This is denim jacket with no sleeves and a patch on the back rock n’ fucking roll. I’m not even going to mention that the band supports the National Kidney Foundation or that they have a collection of the baddest ass beards that I’ve ever seen in one band. Whoops. Well, they do. ROCK. A-

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – 100 Days, 100 Nights (soul): Even though this album was released at the end of 2007, it has the feel of an album that should’ve been released 40 years prior. This is the third release from the queen of New York neo-soul, and it’s a living museum that even a hardcore Motown fan would have a hard time believing was made so recently. I can’t help feeling like I should be listening to this on a transistor radio while laying on a beach blanket on a warm summer day when gas was low and hemlines were high. It has that easy, grooving feel of the summer beach day when all of what you’re feeling is expressed in your smile. For a kid raised on Motown, it doesn’t get much better. This is just that good. A-

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Naturally (soul): From the funky walking bass lines through the whine of horn section to the wet reverb “kwaack” of the guitars, this album is an excellent stylistic reproduction of the 60’s soul/Motown sound. This was the second release from the Dap Kings, and as kid who grew up on that classic Motown sound, I was in awe when I first stumbled across it. Unfortunately, once you get past the novelty that this record was made in 2005, it loses a little of its shine. There are a few ridiculously good songs on there like “How Long Do I Have To Wait For You” (available on myspace), but there are also a fair number of tracks that keep my finger and the skip button from missing each other. Is this worth buying? The band made a lot of progress after this album was released, so I would be inclined to recommend picking up 100 Days, 100 Nights, first. If you already have that one and are still looking for more, there are a few awesome tracks on here to keep your Sharon Jones addiction in full swing. B-

Various Artists – Josie and the Pussycats Soundtrack (pop): A long, long time ago, Tankboy recommended this album as being a wad of bubble gum rock fun. And he was sort of right. It’s like a Kelly Clarkson album: If you get past the contrived, big-production nature of it, the songs are well-constructed upbeat pop. It is completely uncool to admit, but I can make it through the first seven tracks before the album takes a hard wrong turn and makes that uncomfortable feeling in my stomach into a full blown need to hurl. It’s at that point that the listener is subject to three covers which jam the contrived nature of the disc right down your throat on a big Disney spoon. When you’re wincing and trying to clean the barf off of your shirt, some band boy band sneaks in and forces a track called “Back Door Lover” on you. If I was having a worse day, everything after track seven had the power to get me to run my car into a tree to save the world from this disc. C-

Missy Elliot – This is Not a Test (rap): Missy Elliot might sing better than she raps, but I like her because she creates a sense of nostalgia by habitually biting lines and dropping the names of icons from the early days of rap. To me, that’s like a little wink for fans of classic rap to pick up on, and I like being winked at. Whether or not you’re a fan of Missy’s more classic style, you’ll have a hard time arguing with this album’s production values. Sometimes a snare will sound like a plastic ruler being flicked, and at other times it sounds like a broomstick hitting the floor of a concrete room. It’s definitely not standard. Even though I might find myself rolling my eyes at her lyrics at times, the combination of singing, rapping, and production values make this a pleasure to listen to. B

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