Bright Eyes "The People's Key"

"Took the fireworks and the vanity the circuit boards and the city streets, shooting star, swaying palm tree, layed something at its feet." If you know Bright Eyes, you know that this is referencing each of their albums throughout the years. This is also confirming the rumors that this is the last album from Bright Eyes as we know them.
"The People's Key" is Bright Eyes 7th studio album, and it's unlike anything they have ever done. Instead of going forward with the country-folk sound that they have become known for, they go back to their early desire to eagerly discover what might come next. This time though, there's a bit of a twist. This time, the album is an exploration of the meaning of humanity and time and frankly, it's a bit spooky. It's a science fiction adventure with narrating done by "Denny" of the band "Refried Ice Cream".
There aren't any banjos, mandolins, or harmonicas in this chapter. The boys (Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, Nathaniel Walcott) invite some special guests for this one. We get memebers from The Faint, Mynabirds, Autolux and Cursive.
This album might be one of the happiest Bright Eyes album with the strongest theme. If you're ready for an adventure, take a listen to "The People's Key".

Talib Kweli "Gutter Rainbows"

I am a huge fan of  (pardon my scenester terrminolgy) the "underground hip hop movement." Therefore I love Living Legends, Definitive Jux, Rhymesayers etc. The main reason why I love this genre is because it generally has more concern than sex, money and drugs. It's oftentimes just average Joe's who want to talk about their lives, hardships and even triumphs. It's also focused on politcs sometimes. However, there is some "mainstrem" if you dare, hip hop that I also love. I think that the Wu-Tang Clan is fantastic. As a fan of the whole genre, I am also a huge believer that the West Coast hip-hop movement is one of the most exciting things that ever happened to the states. I love Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and other "OG's". All this being said, I love the knew Talib Kweli album "Gutter Rainbows", because I think that it does a great job bridging the gap between what's considered mainstrem and what's considered underground. I'm not saying that Talib is an OG by any means. I'm just saying that I think he does an incredible job at appealing to more of a mass audience than most hip-hop artists. "Gutter Rainbows" features guest appearances from Jean Grae, Blaq Toven, and Sean Price among others. Production on the album is done by many different producers including 88 Keys, Blaq Toven, and Ski Beatz. One of the highlight tracks off the album is "Uh Oh" which features Jean Grae. The album maintains an upbeat soulful hip-hop feel all the way through. My least favorite track off the album is easily "How You Love Me", because it sounds like something off a T-Pain album which is a little too mainstrem for my liking. For people who are most interested in the "mainstream" side of things though, I'm sure it'll be a hit. Through and through this has got to be one of my favorite releases so far of 2011. I know it's early to say that, but I do sift through a lot of releases. If you're looking to put a little hop in your step check this out. Also, my first link mentioned in this post goes to UGHH.dot which is the best website for anything underground hip-hop related. Check it out.

Iron and Wine "Kiss Each Other Clean"

When the title for the new Iron and Wine was announced, I was already extremely exciting. There is something about "Kiss Each Other Clean" that I find to be irresistable. When the album was finally released on January 25th, it was more then I could have asked for. When a band can totally evolve and build musically while still maintaining the sound that made us fall in love with them in the first place, they have gained my full respect. That is exaclty what this album does. The vocals are still feathery and hush hush, but the tempo has been turned up. Listening to the album makes me feel like I want to go on a springtime adventure. I don't know exactly how to describe the experience besides that it is colorful and joyful. It's almost like falling in love for the first time and feeling that light airy carlessness. The music is still folky and soft, but with a new element of indie pop instead of just folk. It's almost like Iron and Wine were just injected with a burst of smiling energy. If you liked "The Shepherds Dog", give this a spin. I think that you'll love it! Walking far from home is the "Single"

Decemberists "The King is Dead"

The new album "The King is Dead" was released on January 17th by Capitol Records. The opening track, with it's soothing harmonica, transports you to a southern porch on a hot summer night. The Decemberists have once again managed to capture the moment in an album that leaves you feeling blissful and free. Unlike "The Hazards of Love" (their previous release) "The King is Dead" is strictly a country-folk album. As the group troops on, you can hear an almost gravitational pull towards the country style. Colin Meloy is beautifully complimented by organs, pianos, accoridans and most importantly John Moen's voice. As you travel into the middle of the album, "Rox in the Box" starts to give you a build up that promises not to let you down. "Down by the Water" is melancholy, but in my opinion, the peak of the album. As you travel towards the end of the album in "This is Why We Fight" you'll find yourself feeling like you have suddenly discovered why you fight with the ones you love. A beautiful piece of music makes you feel like something is different after you have heard it. The Decemberists have without a doubt, accomlished this with "The King is Dead". For a limited time the album is available at Graywhale for only $9.60. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this album.