Record Review: Passion Pit and More

Passion Pit, Conor Oberst, Charles Ramsey, De La Soul, The Ghost Is Dancing, Wolff, Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard, Elvis Costello

Passion Pit
Manners
Sounds like: A lumpy puree of Hot Chip, Phoenix, the Notwist, Junior Boys and Four Tet that needs salt.
Free Association: Dance, hipster, dance!
For Fans Of: Any ole hot high-pitched vocal buzz band.

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Outer South
Sounds like: Conor really loves Texas and let his clone bandmates write.
Free Association: 16 songs of extra organ.
For Fans Of: Indulgence.

Charles Ramsey
Good Morning and Good Night
Sounds like: Sophomore effort from State College, Pa., kid whose emulation of Brian Wilson turned left at indie pop and got lost.
Free Association: Nearly empty bar, strumming on a stool.
For Fans Of: Morrissey after the Smiths.

Elvis Costello
Secret, Profane & Sugarcane
Sounds like: Elvis takes his toned-down whine to an acoustic bluegrass place that is surprisingly beautiful.
Free Association: Emmylou Harris at a picnic surrounded by tall grass.
For Fans Of: Dolly Parton.

Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard
‘Em Are I
Sounds like: Eerie at times, Strokes-y at others, a clever record from a comic artist with guest banjos and mandolins.
Free Association: Smirks, bus naps, notebooks and doodles.
For Fans Of: Neutral Milk Hotel without drugs/whining.

Wolff
The Brass Ceiling
Sounds like: Mm hmm, tuba rock, done slowly with ominous guitar distortions and patient drums—tubas rock!
Free Association: Hold the suspenders/laderhosen, add a dirty rat tail.
For Fans Of: They Might Be Giants with ‘tude!

De La Soul
Are You In? (Nike Sportmusic)
Sounds like: De La’s classic delivery meshed with that Nike exercise series thing.
Free Association: Sweaty headphones in my lawn.
For Fans Of: 3 Feet High and Rising.

The Ghost Is Dancing
Battles On
Sounds like: Toronto’s redheaded stepchild in the shadows of their more talented older brothers Metric and Broken Social Scene.
Free Association: Cute girl singer only gets you so far.
For Fans Of: Chairlift/loud Death Cab.