Despite the Handsome Furs thing...

...I'm not shutting down the blog! What else would I do with my 5 minutes of free time each day?

New Spoon mp3

Check this guy out for a new Spoon song called The Ghost of You Lingers, among other things.

Handsome Furs - Plague Park *

If this doesn't qualify as Best New Music, well I should just shut this bitch down and start a new blog about taxidermy or summat. The band is from Montreal (the guy is in Wolf Parade) and it's good enough for Sub Pop. It's a guarantee motherfuckers! I'm predicting an 8.4. Actual rating: 7.2. Point differential: 1.2.

The Bravery - The Sun and the Moon *

What a shitty name. What a shitty band. How bad does PF hate them? 4.8 sounds good to me. Actual rating: 1.8. Point differential: 3.0.

Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars *

I missed Sky Blue Sky (probably for the best since I would have been off by a wide margin) so I'll throw this one up here now. PF hasn't been too crazy about Rufus since 2001. I'm certainly not too crazy about him myself. I just don't understand his fascination with jock rock. I find it all a bit too violent and offensive. Nevertheless, I'll predict a 7.1 for his latest collection of booze-fueled stadium-rocking anthems. Actual rating: 6.7. Point differential: 0.4.

Travis - The Boy With No Name *

In a way, albums by bands like this are the hardest to predict. You know they will get hammered, but you don't know how badly. PF ratings for Travis albums have been on the decline since The Man Who, and to be honest I don't even think this one will get reviewed.

In a review of Travis' last album, the reviewer said "nothing here has any edge," but gave the album a 5.1. I'm going to assume nothing on this new one has any edge either, and predict a 4.5. Actual rating: 5.6. Point differential: 1.1.

Bjork - Volta *

I just realized this album hasn't been reviewed yet by PF, so let me get on it. In fact, it doesn't look like PF has reviewed any of Bjork's albums. Strange, no? For this, 7.9. Actual rating: 5.8. Point differential: 2.1.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81 *

I haven't listened to this band since a friend made me a copy of its first album. It was pleasant enough; I never really gave it a good listen apart from the first few songs.

PF gave it an 8.2, followed by a 6.9 and 7.0 for subsequent albums. I'll predict a 6.8 for this new one! Actual rating: 4.5. Point differential: 2.3.