Thurston Moore, 'Trees Outside the Academy' (Ecstatic Peace!)
On the singer/guitarist's second, song-oriented solo album, he doesn't stray far from his main band's template -- the chord shapes are familiar (albeit acoustic), Lee Ranaldo's wonky leads are filled in by a violin (however mellow), and Trees Outside the Academy slots in beautifully with Sonic Youth's strikingly consistent 21st-century work.
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Jamie T, 'Panic Prevention' (Caroline)
More than a decade later, a lot of people still have a hard time getting over Beck's Mellow Gold. The latest mix of marble-mouthed rapping, bedroom Casio beats, and postmodern rail-riding folk comes care of Englishman Jamie T.
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The Fiery Furnaces, 'Widow City' (Thrill Jockey)
The Fiery Furnaces have already made so many records -- and packed each one so full of ideas -- that you might worry they'd have nothing new left for Widow City, the Brooklyn-based group's follow-up to last year's Bitter Tea.
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Shocking Pinks, 'Shocking Pinks' (DFA/ Astralwerks)
The Shocking Pinks' self-titled debut could be the result of a supergroup featuring members of bands on the fabled New Zealand label Flying Nun -- the Clean, the Chills, the Verlaines, the Bats. This is no accident, as Pinks leader Chris Harte grew up immersed in the influential jangle of his homeland, where there were hooks to burn.




