1 BLACK KEYS El Camino Nonesuch
2 M83 Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming Mute
3 GOTYE Making Mirrors Universal Republic
4 CLAPS Wreck Guilt Ridden Pop
5 LANA DEL REY Born To Die Stranger
6 PHANTOGRAM Nightlife Barsuk
7 HOWLER America Give Up Rough Trade
8 BON IVER Bon Iver Jagjaguwar
9 BEN KWELLER Go Fly A Kite Noise Company
10 BEIRUT The Rip Tide Pompeii
11 SHINS “Simple Song” [Single] Columbia
12 JEREMY MESSERSMITH The Reluctant Graveyard Self-Released
13 FIRST AID KIT The Lion’s Roar Wichita
14 KATHLEEN EDWARDS Voyageur Rounder
15 FUN “We Are Young” [Single] Fueled By Ramen
16 OF MONTREAL Paralytic Stalks Polyvinyl
17 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB A Different Kind Of Fix A&M-Octone
18 SHEARWATER Animal Joy Sub Pop
19 SHARON VAN ETTEN Tramp Jagjaguwar
20 NADA SURF The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy Barsuk
21 CHAIRLIFT Something Columbia
22 BALKAN BEAT BOX Give Nat Geo
23 POLICA Give You The Ghost Totally Gross National Product
24 WASHED OUT Within And Without Sub Pop
25 JACK WHITE “Love Interrupted” [Single] Third Man-Columbia
26 CULTS Cults Columbia-In The Name Of
27 KOOKS Junk Of The Heart Astralwerks
28 BEAR CROSSING Our Friend, Hope Self-Released
29 PALOMAR Sense And Antisense Self-Released
30 DOOMTREE No Kings Doomtree

1 M83 Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming Mute
2 CLAPS Wreck Guilt Ridden Pop
3 PHANTOGRAM Nightlife Barsuk
4 GOTYE Making Mirrors Universal Republic
5 BLACK KEYS El Camino Nonesuch
6 LANA DEL REY Born To Die Stranger
7 BON IVER Bon Iver Jagjaguwar
8 HOWLER America Give Up Rough Trade
9 BEIRUT The Rip Tide Pompeii
10 BEAR CROSSING Our Friend, Hope Self-Released
11 JEREMY MESSERSMITH The Reluctant Graveyard Self-Released
12 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB A Different Kind Of Fix A&M-Octone
13 KATHLEEN EDWARDS Voyageur Rounder
14 FIRST AID KIT The Lion’s Roar Wichita
15 BEN KWELLER Go Fly A Kite Noise Company
16 SHINS “Simple Song” [Single] Columbia
17 POLICA Give You The Ghost Totally Gross National Product
18 COLDPLAY Mylo Xyloto Capitol
19 KOOKS Junk Of The Heart Astralwerks
20 CULTS Cults Columbia-In The Name Of
21 FUN “We Are Young” [Single] Fueled By Ramen
22 DOOMTREE No Kings Doomtree
23 WASHED OUT Within And Without Sub Pop
24 BALKAN BEAT BOX Give Nat Geo
25 CHAIRLIFT Something Columbia
26 NADA SURF The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy Barsuk
27 PALOMAR Sense And Antisense Self-Released
28 OF MONTREAL Paralytic Stalks Polyvinyl
29 SHARON VAN ETTEN Tramp Jagjaguwar
30 JACK WHITE “Love Interrupted” [Single] Third Man-Columbia

I have heard a lot of talk about Lana Del Rey. People have said things about her past, her growing up in a rich family, changing her name, her being too pouty, her Saturday Night Live performance being terrible… None of those things matter to me in the least. I don’t have the foggiest idea if any of them are true and don’t care. What matters is what is on the album and that is what I am here to talk about. And I am going to start with my general judgment right up front: Born to Die is a fine album to listen to. The 12 songs lasting 50 minutes roll by quite easily on the casual ear. That being said, if you like to dwell on lyrics or (like me) like to over-think things, you might want to pass on this album.

Much to its credit, the album is very well produced. Swelling sounds, good beats, mix of pop/ballad/indie sensibilities and a smoky soulful delivery are its core sound. If that isn’t descriptive enough, try this: Katy Perry meets Melody Gardot. The vocals are pleasant and the sexuality is near the surface. Though it is a massively obscure reference, this album reminds me, to a spooky degree, of Stella Soliel’s 2001 release Dirty Little Secret.

The main single from this album is “Video Games” and that is a master stroke. Whoever was responsible for picking that song, ordering the songs on the album*, and mastering the production has some real acumen. All of those moves play to the commercial strengths of the album. Other good cuts are “Off to the Races” and the title track.

What isn’t strong on this album is the lyrical content. What a listener can pick up on from even a quick listen is that a) Lana is a big fan of rich, good looking, broken men, b) likes trite turns of phrase (at least one per song but usually more), c) and likes red dresses (they show up in a third of the songs). The vapid watching-Jersey-Shore-high-school-diary lyrics can even skate by for a while. Really, when you think about it all pop songs are grouped pretty close together in terms of lyrical content and plagiaristic terms they express themselves in and Lana is not by any stretch of the imagination a capable poet or source of good advice.

The two songs that make me shake my head are the absolutely terrible on many levels “This Is Why We Are Girls” (thankfully buried as the final cut on the album) and a cut that I really enjoy the music to but melts my brain when I listened to the lyrics: “Diet Mountain Dew”. As far as I can tell, this product placement is a simple love story about two entities living in New York who doubt how long their love will last and if they are good for each other, one being an attractive girl, the other being Diet Mountain Dew. Seriously. Go look up the lyrics and shake your head in confusion with me.

Now, all of this being said, I want to again make a case for this album. If you want something sort of pop-y and soulful to listen to in the background then Born To Die is the right pick. If you are looking for a few good songs for a mix, then go to town. I have a feeling that Lana Del Rey is in that strange pop culture place that claimed Vanilla Ice and drove those of my generation to not admit publically that we know all the words to “Ice, Ice Baby”. I say if you enjoy this album on whatever level, cool. Buy it and enjoy it. Don’t let anyone give you guff about it, but after the dozen listens I gave it to write this, I will pass.

*As a gamer, both table top and video, I find no end of amusement in the fact that the songs “Video Games” and “Diet Mountain Dew” appear in that order exactly on this album.

Cory Funk

New Albums Released This Week:

• Ben Kweller – “Go Fly A Kite”
• Sharon Van Etten – “Tramp”
• Dr. Dog – “Be the Void”
• Of Montreal – “Paralytic Stalks”

Show You Should Put On Your Calendar: Electric Six

Bands definitely know what cities are the best.. Which is why Electric Six has chosen First Avenue as one of two venues to record their newest LIVE album. One disc will contain the entirety of the band’s debut album, Fire, performed live and the second disc will include live versions of our favorite tracks from all the other albums, meaning the band will play TWO sets each night. Not sure if you’ve heard Electric Six’s music before, but it’s bound to be a good time.

More info can be seen on First Ave’s website: http://first-avenue.com/event/2012/05/electricsix

ANOTHER Show You Shouldn’t Miss: MADONNA

Didn’t get enough of Madonna during this year’s AMAZING Super Bowl halftime show? I know I didn’t. BUT NO WORRIES, Madge will be coming back to MN for the first time in 25 years to the Xcel Energy Center on November 3rd at 8pm. Tickets go on sale February 27 at 10am so make sure to grab them quick because this show is bound to sold out.

News You Might Care About: Lana Del Rey Cancels SXSW

In case you were living under a rock during J-Term (or out of the country..) you have probably heard about Lana Del Rey’s appearance on Saturday Night Live. The performances were to promote her new album, “Born to Die,” released last month. Needless to say, her performance went absolutely awful (to most), and she was immediately scrutinized on every social media and news site imaginable. Because of the backlash from the performance, it was rumored that her spring tour was cancelled so she could work on her “stage prescense” but those rumors are untrue, according to Lana Del Rey’s camp. Apparently she had no finalized plans for touring in the U.S., but her South by Southwest date has been cancelled, along with her Australian tour dates. Let us all hope that this allows for Lana to improve on her “pouty” performance.

A Cypher Worth Listening To: The Best Love Is Free

In case you aren’t familiar with a cypher, it’s essentially a “hip-hop jam session,” full of freestyle rap from various individuals. I came across this cypher with some local artists, promoting “The Best Love Is Free” show at Fine Line Feb. 11 featuring Culture Cry Wolf, Toki Wright and many other artists.

This particular cypher brings together some of MN’s finest hip hop talent like MaLLy and Sean Anonymous, along with many others. Enjoy!

 

KUST is here to hook you up. We’ll be bringing you various lists throughout the end of the year to recap what went down this year, starting with the Best Hip-Hop songs of 2011 from “honorary” DJ Dan Frye (he is, in no way, affiliated with KUST, but he is my boyfriend and one of the most knowledgable people I know when it comes to hip-hop, so this post from him was necessary).






5. Make It Happen – Casey Veggies & Juicy J

Even though this is technically a Juicy J song, young Veggies steals the show and destroys the Lex Luger produced monster, crushing the first 1:30. Plus the amount of “cooking” in the video is something to see. Swag rap may be criticized but Casey and Juicy show how great it can be.



4. R4 Theme Song – Big K.R.I.T.

Difficult to pick one Big K.R.I.T. song for this list but the theme song to his Return of 4Eva mixtape/album showcases his phenomenal production chops and his flow. The bouncy sample driven beat lets KRIT showcase his smooth down south flow the proves he’s the best up and comer this year.



3. Ronald Reagen Era – Kendrick Lamar

Hip-hop’s posterboy for 2011, Kendrick is the biggest star coming from the left coast. With a cosign from Dr. Dre, Kendrick’s Section 80 took off and this is one of many stand out tracks. Kendrick doesn’t shy away from addressing the problems his generation has grown up with and easily switches from criticizing gang culture to politics.



2. Pe$o – A$AP Rocky

No explanation needed. If you haven’t heard to this yet you’re missing out on the biggest banger of the year.



1. Ni**as in Paris – Kanye West & Jay-Z

Possibly one of the most ridiculous songs you’ll hear all year, Kanye and Jay might have outdone themselves, while creating tons of internet memes in the process. That s**t cray, What she order, fish filet?, a snippet from “Blades of Glory”? Classic, which makes it our #1 hip hop song of 2011.



(Editors Note: Dan originally had Pe$o as number 1, and “Gotta Have It” by Kanye West & Jay Z at number 4, but I vetoed it. I had to.)



Disagree with some songs on this list? Let us know your opinions in the comments section below!



-Dan Frye, Twitter: @Logan_Weapon_X

New Album Releases this week:

• James Blake – Love What Happened Here EP
• Kathleen Edwards – Voyageur
• Jónsi – We Bought a Zoo Soundtrack

Concert to (Definitely) Put On Your Calendar: “Welcome to MN” Tour

Rhymesayers does it again! Local favorite Atmosphere will be joined by Kill the Vultures, Big Quarters, maLLy and BK-One for the 2nd annual “Welcome to Minnesota” tour. All of the dates are HERE; they’ll be hitting up First Avenue on February 22, 2011. I would recommend getting tickets early, because it sold out pretty quickly last year. If you love local music or hip hop, definitely check this out.

Concert to (Maybe) Put On Your Calendar: Gotye

Gotye has been a questionable artist within the KUST E-Board: Some of us love him, some of us hate him, and some just don’t get it. Go ahead and judge for yourself, tickets for his show at the Varsity on April 4, 2012 are on sale here: http://first-avenue.com/event/2012/04/gotye

 

News You Probably Won’t Care About: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1675500/beastie-boys-rock-hall-of-fame.jhtml

The newest Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees were announced, and it left some scratching their heads. Guns N Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys  along with others have been chosen as some of rock’s elite to enter the “hall.” Just in case you wanted to know what it takes to become legendary: the artist must have released a record at least 25 years prior to the year of induction; and have demonstrated unquestionable musical excellence. Um… Cool? Whatever, let me know when Ke$ha gets inducted.

 
Music Video I’m Obsessed With: Howler – “Back of Your Neck”
I love MN. I love MN music. So obviously I am in love with local band Howler’s new video, which premiered yesterday on the ROLLING STONE website. Amazing, Right? Check it out, its a great song.

 
Anything I missed this week? Tell us in the comments below!
 
-Bianca Jones, Chaotic Tendencies:Tuesdays 6-8pm

You’re tired. Your fingers hurt from typing nonstop. Your eyes are ready to fall out. Your wallet is nearing “E” because of all of the coffee you’ve been consuming. And your head hurts.

But don’t look so sad, fellow UST-ers, I’m here to help. No, I’m not going to write that paper you procrastinated on for 2 months, but I’ll do something better instead – provide you with some tunes that will make that all-nighter all-better.

Will these songs help you concentrate? Probably not. But will they motivate you to push through and succeed? YES.

So here are a few of my favorites, but leave your suggestions for your favorite motivational finals weeks songs in the comments below!

Arcade Fire – “Ready to Start”

Grab a large cup of coffee on Study Thursday, a good spot in the lib, and turn on this song. Hell. Yes.

Dessa – “Kites”

Use this tune to ease into your studying ways, it’s epic and soothing at the same time.. Like magic.

Solid Gold – “Calm Down”

Stop worrying! Just chill….

Jimmy Eat World – “The Middle”

-insert any motivational phrase promising everything WILL be alright-

Simple Minds – “Don’t You Forget About Me”

Fear you’ll fall of the face of the Earth once finals occurs? Post this on your Facebook and make you friends PROMISE they’ll still remember you after the 21st. Plus, an 80s classic never hurts any list, right? Except Starship. “We Built This City” has hurt everyone who has ever heard it.

-Bianca Jones, Chaotic Tendencies – Tuesdays 6-8pm

The Black #&$%ing Keys!

That was the first thing I posted on Facebook after seeing/listening to “Lonely Boy,” the first video/single from the Black Keys’ seventh album, “El Camino.” That was Oct. 26. I had to wait six weeks for the full album, but my, oh, my, was it worth the wait.

If you’re not familiar with The Black Keys, you will be. Or you are and just don’t know it. The duo, consisting of drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist Dan Auerbach, released the near-perfect, “Brothers,” in 2010. They went out, toured the country, moved more than 870,000 copies of the disc and sold a number of the singles to be used in EVERYWHERE – “Tighten’ Up” (FIFA 11) and “Howlin’ for You” (NHL 11), to mention a few. And in between tour stops they would head home to record the bones of what would become “El Camino.”

Unlike the soulful, dirty blues of “Brothers,” “El Camino” comes at you hard and fast, from the “Lonely Boy” opener through the ‘70s-infused closer “Mind Blower.” In between is an unapologetic nod to Zeppelin-era “Stairway to Heaven” (“Little Black Submarines”), tasty hooks, more than a little surf guitar, and some of the best lines you’ll hear beyond your Christmas dinner with Aunt Gert.

You can either get this album right now and start rockin’, or have to listen to every one of your cool, hipster friends tell you why “You just have to hear the new Black Keys, man! It’s freaking awesome!” Your choice.

Recommended: “Lonely Boy,” “Stop Stop,” “Money Maker,” and “Little Black Submarines”

If you like: The Black Keys, good music and a good time

BCB – Great River Radio

Here at KUST Radio, we want you to be “in the know” aka we want you to be THAT KID who knows about all of the coolest music and latest news before any of your friends do.. Because you’re just that cool.

That’s where your friends at KUST come into play. Every week, we’ll bring you new artists to check out, along with info on new releases, a video or two, and anything else we might find interesting.

Albums to Pick Up: 12/6/2011

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-darkness-to-return-to-u-s-in-2012-20111205

Thats right, British glam rock fans: The Darkness will make their long awaited return with a U.S. tour – and they’re stopping at First Avenue along the way on February 12, 2011. Tickets go onsale Friday 12/9/11 here: http://first-avenue.com/event/2012/02/thedarkness

 
 
News You Probably Won’t Care About: Superbowl 2012 Halftime Show
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/madonna-to-perform-at-super-bowl-halftime-20111205


 
Sorry football fans, The Who will not be returning for another halftime show next year.. MADONNA will be entertaining millions around the country when she’s performing on the 2012 Halftime Show this year. We can feel the excitement radiating from you already. Which leads us to ask…
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
 
 
Band to Know: “Polica”

Seriously, you’ll want to give them a listen and love them before the rest of the country does. Local band Polica, lead by Channy Moon Casselle of the recently split Roma di Luna, has been creating lots of chatter within the Twin Cities music scene. In October 2011 they were named #2 on the “Picked to Click” list from City Pages, and recently opened for pop-swooners Foster the People at First Avenue.

If you’re lucky (aka over-21) then I suggest you catch them at the Turf Club this Friday (12/9/11) with another local favorite, Solid Gold. If you’re unlucky (like me) you will have to wait until February 14, 2011 for their record release show at First Avenue. But, I guarantee it will be well worth the wait.

 
Have something else you’d like to share? Leave a comment below!