Well, it’s that time again (a little late, but nevermind), and I’ll just be honest here: I didn’t get many new albums in August and the ones I got didn’t exactly knock my socks off. I’ll start with the only ‘big’ release I’ve got to talk about: Julian Plenti (otherwise known as Paul Banks) is … Skyscraper. There are two totally unfair things against this album right from the start: 1.) It’s always going to be compared to Interpol, though it really shouldn’t because, in theory at least, they’re two separate things. But there’s no stopping it. 2.) Paul Banks’ voice is incredibly distinctive and everything he sings is going to sound like him – which, to most listeners, means like Interpol. Which takes us back to point #1. I don’t know if it’s because of one or both of those problems, but to me, … Skyscraper pretty much sounds like a less powerful Interpol. If more songs had at least something a little different going for them, like “Unwind” (below), which I like very much, this album might have been a lot more interesting. As it is, I’ll probably just stick with Interpol.

As if August was the month for unexplained pseudonyms, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James has called himself Yim Yames on his “Tribute To [George Harrison]” EP. James hasn’t done anything drastic or unexpected with these songs, but that’s exactly what makes them so effective. He’s basically just let them speak for themselves, in his gentle, haunting voice. “My Sweet Lord” and “Love You To” are almost spooky, in the loveliest way possible.

There are a handful of albums I’ve only just sampled or listened to once, The Antlers’ Hospice among them. I went into it having no idea what to expect, and the truth is that it was so very mellow, I kind of forgot I had it on. It started to catch my attention a bit more in the second half, but Hospice is definitely an album I’m going to have to keep around for a while before I can really decide what I think of it. I only just this minute downloaded Cast Spells’ “Bright Works and Baton” EP from emusic – it sounds promising so far. And I was really looking forward to checking out The Drums‘ EP, “Summertime!”, when my emusic downloads refresh in a few days, but it is suddenly not available in my country although it was two days ago. Wha’ happen, emusic? It sounds like a lot of fun though – post-punk surf music – from the available samples, so I’ll keep my eye out for it to reappear.

And now it’s time to round up the singles! There were some exciting releases this month, but some songs that came highly recommended made me so impatient I started fast-forwarding to try to find “a point” to it all. Which is when I decided that the definition of a good song should be that it doesn’t need a point, it just is, and it is good. More and more, I find myself puzzled by songs that are supposed to be by an exciting new band. I’m scared that in a few years, all the ultra hip new music will make me quote my crazy uncle when he first heard Yeah Yeah Yeahs: “Oh awful, that’s just noise and screaming, nooooise and screeeaming!” In spite of me prematurely turning into a Grumpy Old Woman, we have a good list of exquisite songs this month:

A fun, upbeat single, reminiscent of Hot Chip and early Police. But honestly, all I’m thinking is: how do you pronounce Miike, is it anything like Hawaii??

You can’t get around this band, not unless you’re not connected to the intertubes and have no head. In this case, I fully embrace the hype, I love this hype, henceforth I will be part of the hype. This song is amazing. Sensually slow, it’ll creep right under your skin until you’re not only jumping on the bandwagon of accolades, but driving the damn wagon, whipping the horses up into a frenzy. (I always imagine the bandwagon’s drawn by horses and looks a lot like a Victorian coach…)

Big, rowdy MAN-rawk, yet surprisingly hard to sing along to. I think it celebrates us girls … or it’s about strippers? Meh, either way, what’s not to like.

A sweet, layered song that I love more the more I listen to it. If you wait long enough it might just become my favorite. Check out an acoustic version, which I think works even better than the original:

The lyrics in this particular song are a little too literal for my taste. Nonetheless, yet another great pop song by Lilly Allen.

This one is so Rock ‘n Roll, it’s almost a parody of itself. That’s not a bad thing! This band just plays great, old skool, garage rock with updated lyrics. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.

I still love Chaka Demus & Pliers and as far as we’re concerned, Jamie T can do no wrong. So there is no way this tune could be anything but superb and it is, yet again, a thing of beauty. It’s a bit more catchy, which is NOT code for “he sold out”. It just means that there are woohoos to sing along with even if you can’t follow the lyrics yet. The lyrics are more serious than the easy-breezy music might lead you to believe, but even at his most political, his straight-forward but sweetly melodic eloquence will still charm and disarm anyone.

Sigh. Apparently, this song was written “on the spot” because Davis Guggenheim, the director of a new guitar documentary, asked him to. The whole backstory makes it all the more obnoxious how freaking good this song is. I’m always blown away by how little time The White Stripes need to finish an album, and this is just a small demonstration why that is. If anyone went to that crossroads to sell his soul, surely it has to have been Jack White, right?

Speaking of Jack White, he also produced these songs by the wonderful Dan Sartain (put your hands together…). This is one of those magical collaborations that I thought could only happen in a more perfect world. Needless to say, they’re amazing. Oh, and if you’re looking for a spooky but swinging song for upcoming Halloween celebrations, look no further than “Atheist Funeral”. It creeps me out while I’m doing a little chair dance. Sadly, there’s no video (yet?) so if you want to hear it, you’re gonna have to go to Third Man Records and get it yourself.