Album Releases: 2.14.2012

Danny! – Payback
Prolific rapper and producer Danny! pulls out all the stops to justify that ! beside his name. Talib Kweli, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beats and Janelle Monae count among the impressive guests who appear on the artist’s latest self-released record.

Islands – A Sleep & A Forgetting
Ballads, angst and a lot of minor keys dominate the fourth studio venture into art pop by the L.A.-based Islands. Originally from Montreal, the boys apparently started writing this album on Valentine’s Day and are now releasing it on one. We smell break-up mixtape material.

Ski Beatz – 24-Hour Karate School Presents: Twilight
Best known for his work on Jay-Z’s seminal debut, Reasonable Doubt, producer Ski Beatz showcases his low-key style and gift for highlighting under-the-radar MCs on his second solo album.

Tennis – Young & Old
Fans of Tennis’ sunshine-y indie pop can expect a little more oomph in their sophomore effort, produced by Patrick Carney, drummer for live show-legends The Black Keys. Note: Pick up Street this Thursday for our full review.

Young Magic – Melt
Somewhere in California, the psychedelic experimentation produced by the likes of Yeasayer had a love child with the layered quality of shoegaze rock and called it Young Magic. Their debut LP drops just in time to narrate the rest of these cold and dreamy winter months.