Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, mAAd City: I hope this is the beginning of a new golden age of hip-hop.

JJ DOOM - Key To The Kuffs: Always weird when the final track is the standout.

Jonsi - Go: No idea what he is saying, but I found it incredibly uplifting.

Imagine Dragons - Continued Silence: Monster singles.

The Hives - Lex Hives: Not as culturally relevant as they once were, they continue to be compelling.

Gogol Bordello - Trans-Continental Hustle: And by the third album in a row, the novelty has worn off. Immigraniada is the star of the show.

Green Day - Dos!: This is the Green Day you know and love before American Idiot. Simple, straightforward, and catchy.

Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory: Awesome.

Childish Gambino - Royalty: Continues to impress.

Bloc Party- Four: First single lulled me into a false sense of enthusiasm. I should have known better.

Andrew Bird - Hands Of Glory: Not his strongest, but good enough to justify my interest in everything he does.

Big Boi - Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors: Colossal disappointment coming off his last album.

Between The Buried And Me - Parallax II: Found myself unable to invest in the extremely varied musical landscape.

Ben Folds Five - Sound Of Life Of Mind: More somber than I was hoping for, but great to have them back.

Band Of Horses - Mirage Rock:: Demonstrating that their debut was a mirage of excellence, this one is merely good enough.

Fiona Apple - Idler Wheel: Sounds like a modern Fiona Apple.

Animal Collective - Centipede Hz: I would not be disappointed if they never made another album.