Posted by Music Intern Chris Govella

Eric Grandy likes Mirah's first solo full-length since 2004, (a)spera, but wonders why he doesn't like it more:

Eight years is a long time, and (a)spera (the name is a Latin pun, meaning both "adversity" and "hope") is unmistakably more mature than Mirah's earliest albums, or even 2004's C'mon Miracle. From years of collaboration, she has assembled an impressive ensemble of players and producers, including longtime collaborators Lori Goldston and Elverum as well as Tucker Martine and kora harpist Kane Mathis. The album's multi-instrumental arrangements, though perhaps less distinctive than her earlier, lower-fi recordings, remain gorgeous, fuller than on previous "solo" records but never crowding out Mirah's voice—and that voice, stunning from the start, is as sure and supple as ever.
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I want to love (a)spera the way I love those older albums, but it just doesn't hold up—against either those albums or my nostalgia.

Dave Segal praises veteran country-blues guitarman J.J. Cale's 50 years of recording:

Like very few musicians in history, Cale has become a genre unto himself. Some artists strive to reinvent themselves with every new work. Cale is totally comfortable doing his own thing, with minor variations, year after year.

Fucking in the Streets tries to not be won over by U.S.E. and fails:

By three songs in, I was bouncing on my heels a bit (the rest of the ebullient crowd was way ahead of me, hands up in the air, bodies twisting and pogoing, singing along); by the time they played "It Is On!" halfway through the set, I was (once again) hooked.

Data Breaker covers Greg Broussard a.k.a. Egyptian Lover's electro sound, which is due to warm up Seattle's cold snap this week:

Kraftwerk's beat programming, alternately sumptuous and plinky synth textures, and grandiose symphonic arrangements exerted a huge influence on American electro, and Egyptian Lover's work is no exception. But EL injected a slick sensuality into electro's cold-wired chassis with husky-voiced and understatedly over-the-top come-ons. And he wasn't above deploying that archetypal Egyptian melody (you know the one) into a track (see "Egypt Egypt").

My Philosophy. reviews new albums from two young talents of the Puget Sound, Logics and Avatar Young Blaze:

Logics reminds me of Jim Jones when he first popped up—less in style or voice than in positioning and image; like the swag-splashing DipSet capo, when Els gets it right and conjures some real charisma on record beyond a material swag, he'll make some undeniable shit.

It's a Hit reviews new singles from K'naan and Kelly Clarkson:

It gets no better than its lead track, "T.I.A.," which stands for "This Is Africa," something its booming drum track evokes precisely, even though the central sample is from "Simmer Down," Bob Marley's first hit with the Wailers, and the track itself sounds like it could have come from any number of (American) producers' labs.

Underage reviews indie rock rebels Mecca Normal on their 25th anniversary:

Though not as brash as some of their peers in that DIY music community, the group combined personal politics, the vibrating grind of Smith's throaty vocals, and the incredible prowess of Lester's guitar playing to develop a deeply intimate yet hard-hitting sound that ultimately made them one of the more memorable bands of the time.

The Score highlights Steve Coleman, one of the founders of the M-Base movement:

I'm enchanted by Steve Coleman and Five Elements: Coleman transforms Dixieland "hot jazz" polyphony into clear strands that simultaneously accommodate solos, pocket soliloquies, and elegantly composed long-limbed melodies. Central to this group's compelling sound is vocalist Jen Shyu, who has a militantly equal—not dominant—place in the sound.

Plus: Album Reviews of Black Dice's Repo, Gui Boratto's Take My Breath Away, and Peter Bjorn and John's Living Thing:

[Black Dice are] grotesque yet utterly compelling. They sound like the goddamned 21st century. It took a while, but someone is finally making My Bloody Valentine sound like pre—Rubber Soul Beatles.

Also: Party Crasher, Poster of the Week, a New Column! that will test your lyrical trivia, and a look at this week's noteworthy Up and Coming shows and parties.