15 Mini Reviews List for March 2011

I'm giving myself both a hefty challenge and an opportunity to listen to some new music that I otherwise would've missed out on here. The Mini Review idea combines both a list of albums to check out each month (although I'm compensating for the last three) and a chance for me to give my honest opinion on them in just a few words, something which I haven't really done yet. From the list of 15 albums below (none of which I have properly given a listen to) I will choose 9 at random, literally out of a hat, and somehow get the obligatory retro review in as well to total 10; the other five may roll over to the next month, but we'll see. Starting Wednesday I will do my best to review one a day for ten days, and maybe choose an overall recommendation at the end based on my opinions. The random element also means I'll have to do a lot of background reading and listening in advance for some with relatively short notice. But I've gone on enough now. The 15 albums up for Mini Review are as follows:

Akron/Family - Akron/Family II (The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT)

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Tao of the Dead

Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi

Lupe Fiasco - Lasers

The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts

Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972

Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

(Retro Review) Madness - Wonderful

Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now

Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol.2: Judges

Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring for My Halo

Yuck - Yuck

So come back on Wednesday when I'll hopefully have the first Mini Review. Any reccomendations for next month's Mini Reviews are also appreciated, just leave them in the comments. But not the retro review - I have to have some creative freedom after all!

BTW I've been listening to both bigger and lesser-known albums this year, it's just these are ones I haven't managed to spend any time with. Shameful for a few of these I know, but at least now I'll be able to put things a little better. Also I'd like to be doing song, EP and album reviews in full in the near future, this isn't as far as it goes for me. And obviously I'll be coming up with more list ideas also.