To simply say that EL-P is serious about his music would be an understatement. It’s apparent that I’LL SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE DEAD – a magnum opus 4 years in the making - represents a culmination of profound musical, personal, and political experiences reaching their tumultuous climax. This record is about the struggle faced by those living in a rapidly changing society, El himself calling this his post-traumatic stress ...

French duo AIR return with POCKET SYMPHONY, their fourth studio album proper and the follow up to 2004’s Talkie Walkie. Pocket Symphony is, despite being a distinct step away from orthodox pop modes, a return to some of pastoral atmospherics of their now seminal debut album Moon Safari. Nicolas puts it thus: “This album is different. We decided to go back to the soundtrack music-style, with more instrumentals ...

ALBERT HAMMOND, JR is taking a little break from his day job as the guitarist for The Strokes and stretching out on his solo debut, YOURS TO KEEP (out 3/6). The CD features a little help from Sean Lennon and Ben Kweller, and includes two bonus tracks not previously available, plus a video for the first single, “101”, Buy it at Criminal.

Our friends at Criminal.com like: JOHN WATERS offers up a heartfelt and touchingly bizarre compilation of love songs on A DATE WITH JOHN WATERS. With classics like “Johnny are You Queer” by Josie Cotton and “Ain’t Got a Home” by Clarence “Frogman” Henry, the legendary director knows how to set just the right mood in this collection of tracks that includes everyone from Ray Charles, Ike & Tina, Mink ...

Criminal Records *Pick of The Week* PATTY GRIFFIN’s new album CHILDREN RUNNING THROUGH (out February 6) continues the remarkable creative evolution of Patty’s emotive power as both a songwriter and in her fluid, soulful singing. The disc’s 12 tracks cover a variety of styles from the r&b and gospel that inspired her as a child to the spare arrangements of acoustic tracks. Check it out at criminal.com

From our Friends at Criminal.com: Their third album is the sound of a band growing up and out. James Mercer's infectious, indelible melodic style is still at the core, but on various songs he also channels a Morrissey vibe, pairs a hip-hop beat with lush melodic lines and searing guitars, toys with tweaked-out piano steeped in psychedelic strings, utilizes fractured synth samples, adds gauzy, arpeggiated keyboards that cloak thunderous ...