My Dear Disco is addicted to dance-ahol. It can’t just take a shot of ethereal disco hooks and shoot some pool with friends. No, it grabs a bottle of Dance Punk-brand whiskey and gulps it down before anyone can tell the Ann Arbor septet to slow down. Creative flourishes like funk guitar and time signature free-for-alls keep the album from becoming too superficial. But at the end of the day, the synth jams aren’t especially cerebral. Dancethink LP belongs in a club, not a living room. If you’re going to listen to it sans-party, crank the volume and enjoy a cocktail with this collection of hyperactive tracks. (SM)
Kevin Rudolf In The City (Cash Money Records)
Bling-bling Cash Money Records finally picked up an artist that shines without all the jewelry. Kevin Rudolf creates something edgy and completely different from traditional rap-rock pop artists. Maybe it’s because he never raps. Rudolf has big-city vocals backed by A-list guitar skills–regrettably, Rudolf’s six-string is smothered by the album’s electronic pop vibe. Like an artist who knows his medium, he sticks to what he’s good at–producing, singing and playing guitar–and lets rappers like Lil Wayne and Nas fill the bars. (JH)
Ladyfinger (ne) Dusk (Saddle Creek)
Tough, testosterone-fraught rock naturally lends itself to the favor of a more masculine audience, which could be why this album doesn’t fully do it for me. However, if you like high-strung drumming, abounding guitar solos and stoner metal, or if you’re just the kind of dude that likes wicked-awesome stuff like Shellac, then this album might be for you. Also, in case you were wondering, the (ne) stands for Ladyfinger‘s home state of Nebraska. (JCC)
