(Vlad And) The Impalers
This Bloods For You!
GC Records

First of all, a band with a name like this deserves some serious metal merit. (Vlad And) The Impalers blast sweltering skate rock for vulcanized vampires and their brood. For being a traditional three-piece band, The Impalers have a pretty heavy sound that seems dialed-in thanks to some adroit mastering work. If you’ve ever painted your nails black (particularly if you’re a dude), you’ll appreciate this album. On the other hand, if you’re a whimp, you’ll want to pass over the wrath of Vlad. My favorite tracks? “Assrot” and the hyperspeed “Bolts, Screws, Nuts and Cigarette Butts” is sure to leave your head rattling. As expected from such an album, there is also a killer hidden track. – Kelly D. Williams, Mannerist Zine

Sah
06/06
Phratry Records

Sah deals in hyperfast instrumentals with aggressive guitar hooks and strong drumming that somehow manages to be imaginatively offbeat, yet helps the sound keeps focus across all the tracks. Despite the first few songs being instrumental, the delivery has a level of whit that is strange for such an insipid ear-thudding. Like an updated version of Snapcase and reminiscent of Explosions in The Sky, there is plenty of distortion and energy that both peace makers and head bangers will appreciate. The last 2 songs have vocals, which don’t seem too out of place. I’ll be keeping this record handy – it fits a certain mood that many artists overlook. - Kelly D. Williams, Mannerist Zine

Rob Sonic
Sabotage Gigante
Definitive Jux

Slightly more intellectual in its lyrics than Sonic’s previous LP Telicatessen, Sabotage Gigante provides a healthy dose of Rob Sonic beats that come ruff enough to make your kit tilt. Definitive Jux successfully impresses me time after time with the power of the artists they sanction, and for Rob Sonic fans, this album will certainly gratify. Track 7 is a brilliant Aesop Rock collaboration, but the entire album is listenable and highly recommended to enhance your hip-hop repertoire. – Kelly D. Williams, Mannerist Zine

Radiohead
In Rainbows
Self-Released

This particular album has garnered more attention than almost any other Radiohead album. The digitally released In Rainbows is listenable, yet nearly forgettable unless you devote several listen-throughs. It sounds like Radiohead – and sincerely is Radiohead, despite many fans who wondered what the band could possibly create after Thom Yorke released his solo record (although this album has been in the works since the Spring of 2005.) This audio cluster of forward-thinking electronic rock shares some similarities with OK Computer and Hail to The Thief, yet stands alone in its sparkle. The best part? You can download an advance copy of the album from their official website, and you decide how much to pay for it: A delivery method as experimental as their sound. – Kelly D. Williams, Mannerist Zine

Cass McCombs
Dropping The Writ
Domino Records

McCombs fourth album starts off with a zinger-of-a-first track titled “Lion Killer”, which has a very Boz Boorer (guitar brandisher for Morrissey) guitar hook to introduce us to his newer, darker, fuller sound. Cass McCombs isn’t a native New Yorker, but he has taken quite nicely to the gritty open-mic institution of the East Coast music scene. I love this new album like I love an apartment with a garbage disposal in the kitchen sink. Thanks to the modern crooner, the world now has the perfect LP for Saturday mornings. “Wheel of Fortune” (Track 11) has plenty of crooning for those who appreciate McCombs’ evident Moz influence. Get it, and don’t quit it. – Kelly D. Williams, Mannerist Zine

Ghostface Killah
Fishscale
Def Jam Recordings

While it ain’t a spanking new release, Ghostface Killah’s tour de force album Fishscale deserves some recognition as one of the greatest hip-hop albums to come from the Wu-Tang camp. As we patiently await the release of the MF Doom x Ghostface album (supposedly happening this year), Fishscale provides good beats & samples laced with characteristic Ghostface bawls. Although this record is littered with a few cheesy catered-for-radio hits, it pounds hard thanks to some of the tracks being produced by soundroom legend J Dilla and even MF Doom himself. Even with the always-present and sometimes unbearable skits, the entire record is listenable and worth the purchase. – Kelly D. Williams, Mannerist Zine