Their latest (and first official) release, Barton Hollow, exemplifies their “musical synergy”, a term first coined earlier in the first paragraph of this post by me. The album is a tribute to folk music with each track generating the kind of traditional, simple acoustic sound you’d expect from artists like Ray LaMontagne or Amos Lee.  Singers John Paul White and Joy Williams first met at a camp for aspiring songwriters and immediately recognized their potential as a duet. Lucky for us, that partnership led to the creation of an EP and, now, their first full-length album.

Barton Hallow includes a recording of “Poison & Wine” along with other powerful tracks including “C’est la Mort” and the title track “Barton Hallow”.  You’ll find a great mix of blue-sy, soulful folk songs that exhibit both singers vocal talent and smooth harmonies.  Oddly enough, co-lead singer John Paul White also has an odd resemblance to Johnny Depp. Maybe it’s the goatee.

Check out Barton Hallow on:

Amazon Music

His latest release, Mission Bell, is no exception. It pulls in inspiration from all of these different styles and is absolutely Amos Lee. Admittedly I’ve always been a fan of the Philadelphian singer-songwriter, but something about the consistency in which he creates memorable albums is an accomplishment most artists can only aspire to. Many times when trying to explain his music to someone that has never heard it, I call him the male Norah Jones. He has a perfectly tuned voice that exemplifies the melody without overpowering the simple background accompaniment (which is most often just an acoustic guitar.)

If you haven’t heard of Amos Lee or simply haven’t gotten around to checking out his music, make this your New Year’s resolution.  His self-titled album as well as his sophomore release Supply and Demand got me hooked and are guaranteed to get you hooked too.

Check out Mission Bell on:

Amazon Music

Their latest release The King Is Dead is a soulful delivery of impeccable harmonies and relaxing instrumentation.  Like Enya except not.  Or possibly like Kenny G, except also not.  I’ve always appreciated their incredible combination of traditional folk instruments and styling to create a completely unique sound that’s instantly recognizable as The Decemberists.  And with six albums currently out, they are obviously doing something right.  If you stood their fan base shoulder to shoulder, the line would wrap around the world six times.  That is a completely amazing fact I may or may not have just made up, but I’m sure it’s pretty close.  I mean, they have a lot of fans.

Honestly, if you like The Decemberists or even just great relaxing music, you should definitely check out their latest release The King Is Dead.  We promise you’ll be satisfied.  And it has nothing to do with Enya.  We also promise that.

Check out the King Is Dead on:

Amazon Music

It’s hard to explain how this record works stylistically other than the fact that it really is a perfect hybrid between hardcore ‘80s metal and modern-day alternative pop. Everything rocks, but everything is also commercially viable. It’s a legitimately odd sound that works on a level I’m not sure you can even begin to understand.

Scott Ian and Joe Trohman, the guitarists for the supergroup, said they were going for a sort of Led Zeppelinish classic rock vibe driven by hardcore riffs like what Anthrax and Every Time I Die traditionally use, as well as the catchy melody-driven hooks that made Fall Out Boy so popular. There’s a ton of instrumental improvisation during breakdowns, and songs like “We’ve Got A Situation Here” and “A Great Reckoning” show the versatility of the group.

Usually when we review a new album, we say something like, “Almost every song on the album is a winner,” but in this case we’re throwing out the “almost.” There’s no need for it. For fans of straight up rock, or pop-alt, or metal, there’s something for you on this album. It’s crazy good, folks. I mean, The Damned Things go wild on this project. What else would one expect them to do?

But in “Reggie,” his seventh studio album, Redman takes a new approach to his music in an attempt to branch out a bit as an artist. Think Jim Carrey in “The Truman Show;” everybody expected comedy, but what they got was something completely different, yet still surprisingly watchable.

The new record is, as Redman puts it, written in the voice of Reggie Noble, the rapper’s real name. Oddly, he calls Reggie a pseudonym, even though, ya know, it’s not, but either way the gimmick breathes life into a Redman album that’s quite a bit different from his predecessors. I don’t want to call it more serious, necessarily, just less ridiculous.

Musically, it’s about 300% more pop-friendly than anything you’ve ever heard from Mr. Raunchy in a while. EPMD’s Erick Sermon didn’t produce a single track on this album—the first time that’s ever happened—and what’s left is a gaggle of tracks that could easily find their way to Top 40 radio. “Def Jammable,” “Lift It Up,” and “Lemme Get 2” are just a few of the songs with potential to hit, but the entire album has rife with tracks that give it a level of replayability I haven’t seen in many hip-hop albums this year.

And my favorite thing about the album—no skits—something I know a handful of hip-hop purists love but I loathe because it breaks up the flow of the music. It’s just one more indication that “Reggie” is a different kind of Redman album, one that closes out the 2010 music season with a vigor only Redman could manage.

When we heard Dave Barnes was releasing a Christmas album, we got excited.  Not because we love Dave Barnes.  Even though we do.  A lot.  No, we got excited because it’s been a long time coming.  Dave Barnes is full of Christmas spirit and has been due for an album like this for quite some time.  Of course, it’s hard to do a Christmas album without tossing in some old favorites like “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”, but Barnes has a unique, soulful delivery that’s lighthearted and upbeat.  He’ll guarantee to brighten your mood in the first few songs.  Seriously.  If you’re not 100% satisfied with the results, you can return the music to your iPod for a full refund.  Just say out loud to your iPod, “not 100% satisfied” and it will spit money out.  It’s a new feature.

Of course, you won’t have to return anything because this album is certain to make the rounds at your Christmas festivities.  Barnes has a knack for delivering performances with grace and comedic timing.  Check out his Christmas “special” video from last year.  You can probably expect another one this year.  One can only hope.

Buy Very Merry Christmas:

Amazon Music

Her style is 100% unique and 100% in your face.  She is a very aggressive rapper and her flow makes you feel like you’re getting yelled at (in a good way.)  Her debut release Pink Friday is full of hot beats and cameos from other rap icons including Eminem, Kanye West and will.i.am.  With so much support, the album builds a strong repertoire of singles that are sure to get some radio play.  Although I don’t completely agree with adding pop icons such as Rihanna and Drake to the mix, the added exposure for Nicki Minaj will help her gain exposure in this day and age of lost talent.

Hopefully in the future we’ll see some independent releases from Nicki Minaj as I think she would do better to showcase her unique style under her own terms.  I imagine we’d end up with an album that shows the raw lyrical talent of Nicki Minaj without all of the production. Check out her video for Massive Attack featuring Sean Garrett. The music video is a little bit “Jay-Z”, but I suppose that’s what makes it so gangster.

Buy the album:

Amazon Music

But duets featuring Jones and another performer most certainly have happened over the course of the last decade, which leads us to “…Featuring Norah Jones,” a compilation of songs that the sweet, contemporary jazz singer shares with other artists.

The list of musicians on this record is staggering—Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Outkast, Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Herbie Hancock, and the Foo Fighters, among many others. Stylistically the tracks cover the full gamut of musical styles, from soul to hip-hop and rock to, of course, jazz, and each and every one of them is as smooth and cool as we’ve all come to expect from Miss Jones. It’s a finely-tuned mix in the truest sense of the word, with plenty of creative and inventive stuff to fill the disc.

Sure, Norah Jones isn’t exactly a new and undiscovered artist, but this collection of tracks is classy stuff that casual fans of Jones aren’t likely to have heard before. Maybe, ten years from now, when “…Featuring Norah Jones 2” comes out, Ari Hest will find a way to be among the track listing.

There’s no question that Budden is, in fact, a heavy hitter, especially lyrically. His new full-length solo mixtape, “Mood Muzik 4,” is rife with emotional prose with multi-syllabic rhymes and a flow that punches like a wiry welterweight.

We’ve come a long way from the “Pump It Up” days, way back Budden really was putting out tracks that could be rocked in clubs. He’s a more mature rapper now, focused more on the rhyme and the message more than anything. But that doesn’t mean the music suffers. On this latest mixtape offering from JB, the lead track is a sweet sample of Bon Jovi’s “Right Now,” and other songs like “1000 Faces” and “If All Else Fails” have hot instrumentals as well.

While this particular offering from Joe Budden isn’t all that heavy on tracks you’d shoot Jaeger bombs to, it’s definitely one a record with something to say, and in my world, that’s really all hip-hop has to do in order to be successful. We’re lucky, though, that Budden’s music does so much more.

Sidewalks is the latest release from this Brooklyn duo, and it definitely lives up to their names:  Matt & Kim.  Synthesizers, hip-hop beats, high energy, dancing, toy pianos, killer drums and horns.  All of the things you’ll find at Burning Man.  Oh, and also all of things you’ll find on Sidewalks.  They are practically interchangeable.

If you’re not fully familiar with Matt & Kim, perhaps this will jog your memory:

It’s not easy playing piano in bed. Or in the bathroom. Or in the car. Trust me. I’ve tried.  All I got was six stitches and a moving violation.  They got a record deal.  How fair is that?

Their latest album is even more up-beat than this single, so if you are looking to push your Matt & Kim love a little further, make sure you pick it up.  And don’t delay because it’s going to sell out everywhere.  I’m not even sure if that’s true, but I like to create a sense of urgency.

Here’s a commercial-type thing for the first song off of Sidewalks:

Buy the album:

Amazon Music