Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
(Video from YouTube)

Tame Impala - Lonerism
Rating: 90%

One of my favorites in a long time.  Trippy rock.  Sounds a lot like Revolver-era Beatles, without sounding like they are purposely biting retro style.  Some songs to check out: "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" .... "Mind Mischief" .... "Keep On Lying"  .... This is all I've been listening to in my car (other than Mike & Mike) for the last 2 weeks, which is saying a lot, given my bad case of musical ADD.

The Top Ten Albums of 2012 (According to Ryan O'Brien)

1. Japandroids - Celebration Rock

2. Grizzly Bear - Shields

3. Tame Impala - Lonerism

4. Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits

5. Large Professor - Professor @ Large

6. Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse

7. Royal Headache - Royal Headache

8. Vinnie Paz - God of the Serengeti

9. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls

10. The Sword - Apocryphon

Top Ten Beastie Boys Albums (according to Ryan O'Brien)
1.  Paul's Boutique - A record that could never be made again.  The amount of samples on this would be impossible to pay for today.  Back when beat-jacking was the norm, this was the pinnacle of what would later become the "mash-up."  They sampled James Brown, Pink Floyd, the Beatles and a million other obscure records.  What makes this so special is the low-brow beats on some of the songs... Car Thief, Egg Man, High Plains Drifter, What Comes Around.. it's about as chill as rap could ever get.
2.  Check Your Head - Cemented them as real musicians.  Loud punk rock, chill lounge jams and of course the b-boy rap they were known for.  There is no 1-2-3 like this on any other record by anyone... Pass the Mic (b-boy), Gratitude (punk), Lighten up (chill)... and it has So What You Want, their best song.
3.  License to Ill - Fight for Your Right... No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn.. Paul Revere...  They were crazy beer drinkers and they were immature, which is what made this so fun.  They'd never be this stupid again.
4.  Hello Nasty - The Move... a return to the b-boy style, yet this time, more mature.. I think this one has aged well..
5.  Ill Communication - A sequel of sorts to Check Your Head.  They pulled the b-boy-punk-chill combo to diminished returns, though it was more popular than anything that had put out post-License.
6.  The Mix-Up - A lost gem, though they don't rap or sing on it.  Fresh instrumentals throughout.
7.  To The 5 Burroughs - Uninspired
8.  Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 -  Should not have been made.  MCA was not well.  This sounds mailed in.

Compilation wise, Solid Gold Hits is solid, but I think the 2 disc The Sounds of Science is a better move, it's more versatile and more listenable.

Top Ten Albums by The Beatles (according to Ryan O'Brien)
1.  Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Of all them, this is the one that you can still listen to all the way through every time.  Rolling Stone calls it the best album ever made and it's hard to argue.  What still gets my attention though is A Day In The Life... I read the news today... he hadn't noticed that the lights had changed... the lyrics to that song are one of the reasons the Lennon-McCartney team is touted as the best ever.
2.  White Album - A hodgepodge of ideas from all 4 members.  It's all over the place but that is what still makes it fresh.  Back in the USSR, Ob-La-Di, Guitar Gently Weeps... classics. .... And my favorite Beatles song of all time .... Blackbird.  The Best.
3.  Magical Mystery Tour - Fully loaded.  This is almost a greatest hits on it's own, which it sort of was when it came out as a soundtrack back in the day.  Purists don't count it as a "Beatles Album" because it contained mostly singles that had already been released at the time.  Either way, this may be their best album.  The only reason it isn't #1 is because Sgt. Pepper's and the White Album are more interesting over the long term... Make sense?
4.  Revolver - Eleanor Rigby .... and Tomorrow Never Knows was 30 years ahead of its time.
5.  Rubber Soul - Revolver's twin .... here is where they started getting weird... and good
6.  Abbey Road - Their real last album, it was made after Let It Be.  The song suite at the end with the leftover 1 minute songs that they taped together is awesome.  The Beasties copied their idea at the end of Paul's Boutique and it worked there too.
7.  Please, Please Me - Their first and my favorite of the early pop albums.  And it ends with Twist and Shout.... Bueller..... Bueller
8.  Let it Be - Good, but to me it's cursed by a "break-up" vibe.  The last release.
9.  A Hard Days Night - I don't listen to it a lot, but it's a fun one.
10.  Help - same as #9
11.  With the Beatles - meh
12.  Beatles for Sale - ... meh

Still looking for a place to start?  There are lots of compilations.  My advice, skip #1's and get the "Blue Album" double cd.  That is the one to own if you are only getting one.  If you are downloading, focus on the Blue Album tracks + Blackbird + Tomorrow Never Knows + Twist and Shout + Happiness is a Warm Gun + Birthday ... you can make a solid party mix for people of all ages.

Vinnie Paz - "The Oracle" (video)

Led Zeppelin - Celebration Day (2 CD/2 DVD)

I'm still not sure how I feel about this....  On one hand, it's great to see and hear Led Zeppelin back together again (even though this was shot in 2007), but on the other hand, it's a reminder about how great of a band they were and how badly they are missed.  For fans that already own everything, this is a must have.  For people just getting into Zeppelin, this is not where you should start (that would be Led Zeppelin I, II or IV).

Top Ten Led Zeppelin Albums (According to Ryan O'Brien):

1.  Led Zeppelin II - This is a greatest hits of it's own.  You've heard Whole Lotta Love a billion times, but what about Bring it on Home--- to this day my favorite cut by them

2.  Led Zeppelin I - Good Times, Bad Times is still the greatest.  Lots of blues on this one, but it's all good. ... You're Time is Gonna Come.. great, great song

3.  Houses of the Holy - The Ocean, No Quarter, Dyer Maker .... diverse. .. awesome.

4.  Led Zeppelin IV - So played out ... but so classic

5.  Physical Graffiti - This would be rated much higher, as I think it has some of their very best ... Kashmir... Custard Pie... Down by the Seaside .... it's got some filler though ... which is forgivable since it's imperfections kind of give it more character than any of their other cds

6.  Led Zeppelin III - Classic acoustic stuff.... it's just not what I think of when I think of them.  There are people that love this one though...

7.  Presence - Underated... For Your Life is a good bar drinking jam

8.  In Through The Out Door - In the Evening, Fool in the Rain and All of My Love are all great songs... the other 4 are not.  Last record before Bonham died.  This was the end.

9.  Coda - Unreleased songs after the band was already gone.  For the true fan only.

Grizzly Bear - Shields

I predict that Spin, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone will name this as their album of the year for 1 reason.  It’s amazing.  It is NOT a loud rocking, hook-filled good time.  Fans of OK Computer will love this and that is not to say that these guys are biting Radiohead, because they aren’t.  Check out “Yet Again” “The Hunt” and “Gun Shy.”  Then buy this if you like what you hear.  It will grow on you like a tumor.

Rating: 91%

Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits

This band is a side project by the singer from Spoon.  Favorites are "Would That Not Be Nice" "Salton Sea" & "Baby Get Worse."  This has an 80's vibe to it, but not a calculated one.  If this was hyped by a major label, it could be huge, but it will likely fly under the radar, like much of the great music Spoon has been putting out for the last 15+ years.  

Rating: 86%

Nas - Life is Good

“Daughters” (about his daughter) and “Bye Baby” (about his ex-wife) are the strongest cuts.  It’s a much-needed change of pace lyric-wise and the beats are nice overall.  You can skip the Rick Ross song and the Swizz Beats song.  Other than that, this is Nas best album since God’s Son and Illmatic before that.

Rating: 82%

The Westies: Inside New York's Irish Mob - by T.J. English

I was always curious about the Irish Mob in Hell's Kitchen.  This book lays it out in full detail.  It's sick and it's twisted, but I couldn't put it down.  I needed to say a prayer and take a shower after reading this book.

Rating: 85%

Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse

Ty Segall Band is awesome.  Their cd Slaughterhouse is classic garage rock.  It is sure to annoy your neighbors and make them exponentially cooler at the same time.....  I imagine that this is what Dave Grohl listens to when he is getting in touch with his inner Dave Grohl..... That is all.

Rating: 89%

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Discovered this group by accident while wandering around the lawn at Pitchfork a few years back with my friend Nate.  Their frantic energy connected immediately.  This band proves that you don't need to be the most technically skilled musician to make a classic album that has heart and feeling.  This is meant to be listened to loud with your best friend while you drink beer and talk about how kick ass it is, while you give non stop high fives and pace back and forth like a caged animal.

Rating: 90%

Large Professor - Professor @ Large

Large Professor has had a hand in many of the all time greatest records in the history of hip hop, most notably Nas's Illmatic and Eric B. and Rakim's Let the Rhythm Hit Em.  People have been sleeping on him forever though.  Name a legend and they will all give props to Large Pro.  This album is full of great beats and rhymes.  It's by far the best hip hop cd of the year, so far.

Rating: 90%

Royal Headache - Royal Headache

I really enjoy this album (or cd rather).  It's a unique mix of garage rock and punk with soul-sounding singing on top of it all.  It's very original without feeling forced, nor does it sound like the normal refried rock sound.  Royal Headache take a lot of the good elements from the different styles above and make it all sound fresh.  Check it out on Spotify.  Royal Headache is my favorite new band since Japandroids (their new one, Celebration Rock is my #2 favorite this Summer).

Rating: 83%