Best Albums: Doomriders, Cults, Red Fang, Pelican, Marijuana Deathsquads

Doomriders: Grand Blood
Cults: Static
Red Fang: Whales and Leeches
Pelican: Forever Becoming
Marijuana Deathsquads: Oh My Sexy Lord
Mikael Jørgensen & Greg O'Keeffe: s/t

This week’s best albums

– On its latest, hardcore outfit Doomriders keeps things short but powerful, giving the album a more straightforward punk feel.

– With its anticipated second LP, Cults showcases a remarkable skill set for crafting dark and demented pop gems.

Red Fang returns to blast listeners in the face with 11 feel-good stoner-metal stompers.

Pelican takes a heavier, more aggressive direction on Forever Becoming, taking a bit of the “post” out of the band’s “post-metal.”

Marijuana Deathsquads presents a more refined direction on a new batch of boundary-blurring, heavily collaborative experimental rock-tronica.

– On his third collaborative album with Greg O’Keeffe, Wilco keyboardist Mikael Jørgensen has his songwriting chops shine through with clarity and power.

Honorable mentions

Anacondas: Sub Contra Blues (Prosthetic)

Black Milk: No Poison, No Paradise (Fat Beats)

The Books: Music for a French Elevator and Other Oddities (Temporary Residence)

Brian Haas & Matt Chamberlain: Frames (The Royal Potato Family)

Cave: Threace (Drag City)

The Dismemberment Plan: Uncanney Valley (Partisan)

Four Tet: Beautiful Rewind (Temporary Residence)

Tim Hecker: Virgins (Kranky)

Kwes: Ilp (Warp)

Dana Lyn: Aqualude (Ropeadope)

Mamiffer & Circle: Enharmonic Intervals (for Paschen Organ) (Ektro / SIGE)