• Artist: Plastilina Mosh
• Title: Tasty + b sides
• Year: 2006
• Format: CD
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 2007 – Amazon.com

Happy Cinco de Mayo eve! The only thing better than a Plastilina Mosh album is a Plastilina Mosh double album. And that’s what we have with Tasty + b sides. It’s considered a “best of” of sorts, but a slight majority of the songs on the two discs weren’t on any of the first three albums. On the Tasty disc there are four brand new songs and those alone make it worth the price. I love all of them, but my favorite of that batch is “Nalguita.” You can check that one out at the PMosh MySpace page. It’s too good for words. And what’s with that song at MySpace called “Babasonicos remix”? That’s not on any album I have! Curses!

The b sides disc curiously has a number of songs from previous albums, but it also has some really heavy stuff. “Quiero Mi Pastilla” is a hyper-speed punk piece, and “Purrum Pum Pum” is a metallic dirge. Who would think a chorus of “Purrum Pum Pum” could sound so heavy? I don’t think it means anything, but it sounds cool. I’m surprised most of these weren’t on the other releases. The All Music Guide has a good review of this collection, and short clips of all the songs, if you want to know more. Tasty + b sides is a great place to start if you’re looking to get some of their music.

As usual, the album artwork and packaging are excellent. The jewel case comes in a cover with sketches of the fellas. The booklet has a bunch of great photos, and the front cover pic of a couple kissing in the park is fantastic. It evokes the same emotions as their music. The inside of the back of the jewel case contains the words “Happy Listening.” That’s as much a description of the music as instruction for using it.

• Artist: The Decemberists
• Title: The Crane Wife
• Year: 2006
• Format: CD
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 2006 – Christmas gift!
• Keeper: Yes

What? What is this? Sometimes The Decemberists remind me of The Zutons, The Shins, and maybe even Cake. Then there’s that second song “The Island: – Come and See – The Landlord’s Daughter – You’ll Not Feel the Drowning.” Yes, that is the title, and it’s befitting since this ditty is over twelve minutes and moves from sounding like a sea shanty to classic progrock a la Yes. What? The Crane Wife opens with a title track, “The Crane Wife, Part 3.” Later in the album there is “The Crane Wife, Parts 1 & 2″ which is also Freedbird-esque in its length. In between there are a number of more accessible, normal format songs, and they are all interesting.

I haven’t figured out the album concept entirely. All the not-of-this-time artwork (much more than shown here) and lyrics make it seem mysterious, and that keeps it interesting. Of course, there’s plenty of mystery in the music itself.

Help me figure it out:
Decemeberists.com
The Decemberists at Wikipedia

• Artist: The Roots
• Title: Game Theory
• Year: 2006
• Format: CD
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 2006 – Christmas present to myself, Amazon.
• Keeper: Yes

This is one very heavy and dark, but very good album. And an album it is, not just a collection of songs. The Roots’ Game Theory plays like a 47 minute hip-hopera with few pauses and nary a cheerful lyric to be heard. Those lyrics keep me from blasting it in the house when the kids are around, but I’ve managed to hear it enough now to know it’s a great record. My favorites are the high speed, slamming “Here I Come” followed closely by “Don’t Feel Right.”

• Artist: Kinky
• Title: Reina
• Year: 2006
• Format: CD
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 2006 – Got it for Christmas!
• Keeper: Yes

Don’t read this yet. First go to the Kinky site, click on “music”, then treat yourself to “I Say Hey” from their new album Reina.

OK, glad you’re back. Just let the whole album play. Kinky has been one of my favorite bands for the last few years, and getting their albums as Christmas presents is becoming a tradition that I hope never ends. The first couple times I played Reina I didn’t like it as much as their other stuff. But now I’m feeling it! I won’t bother to explain their sound, since you’re listening for yourself, but I will say that all of their records make perfect party mixes by themselves. Skip all the work of picking out other music. Mary pointed out that they sound like they’re channeling Devo on “Again And So On.” Bonus!

When I say hey, hey, hey… haaa
When I say hey, hey, hey… haaa
When I say hey, hey,
You better look this way!

• Artist: Beck
• Title: The Information
• Year: 2006
• Format: CD
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 2006 – Christmas gift!
• Keeper: Yes

I haven’t read anything about Beck’s new record, The Information. I’m sure there are tons of intelligent and thoughtful reviews out there, but you won’t find that here. This is an excellent Beck record, with a little bit of everything and a whole lotta awesomeness. The moods and styles are typically eclectic, but there’s a certain laid back darkness to it. I like it.

Even the total package is interesting. The “Beck” label is a sticker on the case. The insert is a blank fold of graph paper. Inside, and pictured below, is a large sheet of stickers. And maybe best of all there is another disk: a DVD with a video for every song on the album! I’d say it looks like most of them were made the same day with about 30 friends, a couple hundred costumes, a rented mansion or palace, and some nutty video mixing.

You can download the album of course, and maybe even the videos, but where are you gonna get those cool stickers if you don’t buy the disk?

My favorite songs are “Cellphone’s Dead” and “We Dance Alone.” How can I not give this one a “10″?

Visit Beck.com.