SOUND BITES

After a seven year gap between albums punctuated only by a slight, forgettable three song offering in 2016, it was kind of anyone's guess what The Strokes would sound like in 2020. More to the point, who even cared? The popular consensus among fans has been that, even though occasional thrills are there on each of their records, The Strokes haven't really come close to the greatness of their first two records since, well, their first two records. I certainly won't argue; from First Impressions of Earth on, The Strokes' albums have been more notable for what they do wrong than what they do right. For me, this came to a head with Comedown Machine in 2013, an album that dressed up as a comeback but bore the stench of lethargy that no amount of glossy production or synth stings could cover up. So, after being dormant for so long, At the Door was chosen as the harbinger for The Strokes' sixth album; a slight offering full of synth and warped vocal effects (and, no...

Just like last year, allow me to qualify this by saying that this isn't designed to be the "worst" of 2013. No, this space is reserved for bands I actually like and respect who underwhelmed and/or disappointed and/or outraged with their activities this year, whether through uncontrollable circumstances or their own volition. Let's get this over with!

A couple of weeks back, I mentioned ten awesome and/or important albums that have the distinct privilege of being released during the months of July and August, a virtual musical dead zone where labels keep the good stuff locked in their cupboards for the fall shopping season and have stopped adequately promoting the marquee releases that came out in spring. We covered a good chunk of the 90's during Part 1. Today, let's have a look at 1997-2012, and ten more albums that beat the odds and captured that elusive Summer Greatness.