ALL CAMPUS RADIO NETWORK

By Tanner Bidish, Contributor [Epic; 2016] Rating: 5/10 Key Tracks: “The Duke,” “Culling” Following last year’s VII: Sturm und Drang is The Duke, the new Lamb of God EP is a dedication to the band’s late friend, Wayne Ford. Vocalist Randy Blythe comments on the subject matter on their website saying, “A little while ago I became friends with a fan named Wayne Ford – he was terminal – leukemia. He was very calm about his impending death, and we discussed it very openly. I lear

By Maria Lubanovic, Contributor [Atlantic; 2016] Rating: 4.5/10 Key Tracks: “24K Magic,” “Too Good To Say Goodbye” Yes, there are only two key tracks on this album. For Bruno Mars’ third album, 24K Magic disappointingly leaves much to be desired. The album is only 33 minutes long, which is honestly enough. With past pop hits like “Uptown Funk,” “Locked Out of Heaven,” “Just the Way You Are” and “Marry You,” 24K Magic came with very high expectations and failed to meet them. “

By Jonathan Fuchs, Music Director [PC Music; 2016] Rating: 6.5/10 Key Tracks: “Super Natural,” “Hi,” “Broken Flowers” PC Music is a label like no other. Founded in 2013 by producer A.G. Cook, PC Music’s roster is filled with sugary, experimental pop music that bends the aesthetic of mainstream pop through squeaky synths and glitchy, repetitive and high-pitched vocals. Even though they’re as serious as any other label, PC Music has never felt like one. Instead they feel almost

By Daniel Marco, Blogs Editor [Epic; 2016] Rating: 9/10 Key Tracks: “We the People....,” “Solid Wall of Sound,” “Lost Somebody” In 1998, critically acclaimed and innovative hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest released their last album, The Love Movement. Then, amid tensions between the group members as well as ongoing frustrations with their record label, they split up, announcing the album would be their last. Over the ensuing 18 years, rumors swirled about the possibility of

By Marvin Dotiyal, Contributor [Sumerian; 2016] Rating: 7.5/10 Key Tracks: “Inner Assassins,” “The Brain Dance,” "Apeirophobia" Animals as Leaders is back with another mind-blowing release, The Madness of Many. In their fourth album, the progressive-metal trio manages to capture a diverse sound; some songs have an energetic drive while others are rather relaxing and mellow. Animals as Leaders has proved that metal doesn’t always have to be heavy, loud and fast in order for it

By Alex Sherry, Contributor [Carpark; 2016] Rating: 8/10 Key Tracks: “<2,” “Get a Yes, “Devil In U” Sad13, the solo project of Speedy Ortiz's Sadie Dupuis, looks to change pop-music culture with her debut album Slugger. This project was created to fight against the representation of women in pop music today. As a whole, Sad13 was able to deliver something special with Slugger, producing catchy songs to back up her message. Listeners should be warned that every track on this r

By Chuck Greenlee, Copy Editor [Torn Clean; 2016] Rating: 5/10 Key Tracks: "It's Just Us Now," "Crucible" The noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells is back again with their fourth album, Jessica Rabbit, which is arguably the cleanest album they have written. That being said, it takes away from the traditional mess of noise that listeners have come to love whilst listening to Sleigh Bells. Despite the cleanliness, Jessica Rabbit’s 14-tracks will leave the listener satisfied and probably

By Eli Schoop, Copy Editor [We Are The Men; 2016] Rating: 5/10 Key Tracks: “Dreamer,” “Violate” There is a weird gulf between modern avant-garde music and the average indie-rock band. The memories of great rock bands are conjured because they provoked that avant sensibility and pushed the boundaries of guitar music. It seems ludicrously hard to make rock now that hits the spot of being revolutionary, and other genres have taken the lead on crafting the next waves of culture t

By Tanner Bidish, Contributor [Polyvinyl; 2016] Rating: 6.5/10 Key Tracks: “Something Ain’t Right,” “interspace,” “Being No One, Going Nowhere” On their latest, STRFKR persist the bouncing electronic jams that they’ve come to be known for. Being No One, Going Nowhere asserts a mission statement with its title, claiming anonymity while putting down the weight of self and destination. It feels far reaching and pretentious, but the music to find here is still fun nonetheless. Al

By Sam Tornow, Editorial Director [Capitol; 2016] Rating: 7/10 Key Tracks: “Hide in Plain Sight,” “We Ain’t Getting Any Younger Pt. 2,” “Eternally Even” Subtly placed amongst the storm of the election, Jim James’ second solo album, Eternally Even, turns the volume down and takes aim at the muddled world around. A harmonious blend of pseudo-psychedelic and R&B give James’ latest release just the right amount of dust. The subject matter will be no surprise to long-time fans of