Broken Social Scene, the indifference you inspire in us is bounded only by our inability to keep track of the crew of aging rock bands releasing material at the same time as you. It's with that same genuine lack of enthusiasm that we fail to get through a full Hold Steady track, and it's why we can only stare on in utter fascination as The National's new album is streamed on The New York Times, and Pitchfork spends five paragraphs explaining why the absolute boredom they induce is the key to the magic notes they play.
It was because all these albums scooped up accolades in one month, along with other old dudes staring down the barrel of 40 (James Murphy), that we decided it was about time to revive an old trick from our print magazine to list those releases that are neither the best nor the worst of the month, but rather are the bodies of work that inspired shrugs in slow motion, what-do-you-want-from-me raised eyebrows, and our favorite one-syllable, high-pitched utterance of indifference.
May in Eh…
Damian Marley / Nas, Distant Relatives (Def Jam / Universal Republic)
Band of Horses, Infinite Arms (Fat Possum / Columbia / Brown)
Woven Bones, In and Out and Back Again (Hozac)
LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening Virgin (Parlophone / DFA)
Stone Temple Pilots, Stone Temple Pilots (Atlantic)
Sleigh Bells, Treats (N.E.E.T. / Mom & Pop)
Japandroids, No Singles (Polyvinyl)
A-Trak, Dirty South Dance 2 (Self-released)
UNKLE, Where Did the Night Fall (Surrender All)
Melvins, The Bride Screamed Murder (Ipecac)
David Cross, Bigger and Blackerer (Sub Pop)
Wild Nothing, Gemini (Captured Tracks)
Holy Fuck, Latin (Young Turks/XL)
The Depreciation Guild, Spirit Youth (Kanine)
Dead Meadow, Three Kings (Xemu)
The Black Keys, Brothers (Nonesuch)
T.I., Fuck A Mixtape
Club 8, The People's Record (Labrador)
Phosphorescent, Here's to Taking It Easy (Dead Oceans)
B.o.B, The Adventures of Bobby Ray (Atlantic / Grand Hustle / Rebel Rock)
CocoRosie, Grey Oceans (Sub Pop)
The National, High Violet (4AD)
Broken Social Scene, Forgiveness Rock Record (Arts & Crafts)
The Hold Steady, Heaven Is Whenever (Rough Trade / Vagrant)
