A pretty small music month, for some reason. I think I spent a lot of time going over old favorites. Regardless, there are some gems here.

1. Fredrik – “Black Fur” (Na Na Ni)
2. P.O.S. – “Purexed” (Never Better)
3. M83 – “You Appearing” (Saturdays=Youth)
4. Caroline – “Winter” (Murmurs)
5. Soul-Junk – “Ill-m-i” (1956)
6. Ingrid Michaelson – “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (Be OK)
7. Adele – “First Love” (19)
8. Jens Lekman – “The Opposite of Hallelujah” (Night Falls Over Kortedala)
9. Lily Allen – “Everyone’s At It” (It’s Not Me, It’s You)
10. Laura Gibson – “Shadows on Parade” (Beasts of Seasons)
11. Joe Bonamassa – “Feelin’ Good” (The Ballad of John Henry)
12. Duffy – “Live and Let Die” (War Child: Heroes)
13. Lily Allen – “Fuck You” (It’s Not Me, It’s You)

Fredrik’s “Black Fur” is a warm piece of freak folk. When I don’t know what to listen to I just let it loop over and over.

All of Laura Gibson’s new album is phenomenal, but “Shadows on Parade” — the opening track — is a personal highlight.

Lily Allen and P.O.S.’s new ones are catchy start to finish and the War Child compilation is a winner.

And Jens Lekman? I was listening to the new Morrissey record and recalled a song I thought was his, but it turned out to be Lekman’s. Go figure.

June was an interesting month. Friends graduating college and moving away, a road trip to Colorado, Adele exploding on the scene and doing anything I could to take a chill pill due to a lot of stress. Little did I know what July would bring… dun dun DUNNNNN!

1. Black Sabbath – “Black Sabbath” (Black Sabbath)
2. Devin the Dude – “She Want That Money” (Waitin’ to Inhale)
3. Jakob – “Everything All of the Time” (Solace)
4. Adele – “Crazy For You” (19)
5. N.E.R.D. – “Spaz” (Seeing Sounds)
6. Coldplay – “Violet Hill” (Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends)
7. Sigur Rós – “Gobbledigook” (Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust)
8. Of Montreal – “Gronlandic Edit” (Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?)
9. Bob Marley – “No Woman No Cry (Live)” (Legend)
10. The Wombats – “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” (Let’s Dance to Joy Division)
11. Adele – “Daydreamer” (19)
12. Bob Marley – “Stir It Up” (Legend)
13. Dub Trio – “Awakening Dub (Live)” (Exploring the Dangers of)
14. The Snake the Cross the Crown – “Electronic Dream Plant” (Cotton Teeth)
15. Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds – “Bartender” (Live at Radio City)
16. The Mountain Goats – “Love Love Love” (The Sunset Tree)