I missed his recent show here at the TLA, but have read that he’s been performing songs he wrote in The Smiths on this tour and thus I kind of regret it (plus his new album The Messenger, while not great, is an enjoyable listen and what 2003’s Boomslang, credited to Johnny Marr and The Healers, should have been or at least what us long-time fans wanted). Anyhow, it’s weird to hear him sing Morrissey‘s lyrics, especially on such a familiar and often-covered tune (Brooklyn Vegan referred to it as the indie “Stairway to Heaven” and I think that’s accurate), but this version from Jimmy Fallon‘s show the other night (an internet exclusive) sounds great! You can listen to it (and a performance of the title track from The Messenger) here.

Along with Bleeding Rainbow, The Joy Formidable, Veronica Falls and perhaps others, this is one of my favorite records of 2013 thus far. I just can’t stop listening to this fuzzy, mid-fi, power-pop rush.

The first album by The House of Love since 2005’s Days Run Away (and only the second with guitarist Terry Bickers since 1990) finds The House of Love in a much mellower place than on their classic late ’80s and early ’90s material. This stellar release shows that they’ve matured just as ably as The Trashcan Sinatras have. In other words, this is music for adults that doesn’t suck, but instead has beauty, emotional resonance and lots of playback value.

A behemoth of a release, this 3 CD (and 6 Lp!) set contains mostly studio recordings that up to when this came out last year had been left on the shelf for about 40 years. The person who unearthed it is to be praised heavily because unlike many rarities collection, this one is as essential as their classic 1968-1974 (the time period this documents) studio Lps. If you want to go on a deep,dark, strange, but ultimately thoroughly satisfying trip, this is a must. Oh, and the roots of bands as diverse as early ’00s Radiohead and The Boredoms can be heard here.

Their first release since 2011’s Rocket Surgery and their fourth overall since Mollie Israel joined in 2008 is their best album yet. Not only that, but between this and their recent appearance on Rabid Sessions at Pancake Factory Studios, they are on a roll and making the best music of their career. This is remarkable for a band on their 11th (!) album. If you don’t know them and a mix of shoegaze and spaghetti-western styles (sometimes sounding like early ’90s Wipers or what Giant Sand would’ve sounded like with distortion pedals) with a great female singer sounds good to you, you can listen and buy it here.

The first Stooges release since 2007’s absymal The Weirdness is thankfully much, much better. Given that it’s also the first collaboration between Iggy Pop and guitarist James Williamson since Iggy’s 1979 solo album New Values, it’s not surprising that much of this sounds quite similar. Still, there are a few moments that sound like 1973’s landmark Raw Power, but very clearly this is a 2013 Stooges album. There are some really stupid lyrics here (see “DDs”), but also ones that have a social consciousness like “Dirty Deal”. This album is all over the place, but ultimately Iggy’s vocals and Williamson’s guitar work (the great rhythm section is unfortunately barely audible here) make this an enjoyable album. Furthermore, it’s nice to hear Iggy sounding his age and (mostly) not trying to force himself to act stupid for stupid’s sake here.

This is an absolutely amazing vinyl reissue of their 1982 debut for Polydor. Domino has also generously and lovingly restored their other two Lps (Rip It Up and The Orange Juice along with the Texas Fever EP) and while I like those and hope to pick them up, I think this Lp is their best of their officially-released studio versions (I still think the Postcard version of this Lp is a bit better). Anyway, these reissues are expensive, but if you’re a fan, the sound of this thing will thrill you to no end!

This Record Store Day 7” is an exact replica of a 1980 UK single and is a precursor for the incredible Light in the Attic label’s upcoming reissue of 3 albums from his back catalog (including 1980’s The Evil One, released in the U.S. as the mis-titled I Think of Demons and which contained both this song and its B-side “Bloody Hammer”). I love the 13th Floor Elevators, but I think this is the best music Roky Erickson has ever made.

Another Record Store Day purchase, this double 7” tacks on two songs never officially released before (the amazing “Let’s Go Die” and “Writers Cramp”) in addition to the previously heard A-side and “Amusement,” both originally released on a 1980 Reflex Records 7” and later tacked on to Rykodisc’s early ’90s reissue of Everything Falls Apart.

Simply put, this is the best record that The Men have made to date. I especially like the first half, where they indulge their alt-country side. For a band that just a few years ago was a raucous, noisy, punk-ish band, this is quite a change (and a welcome one as I actually think they’re better now). Sure, SST’s ’80s heyday is still an influence here, but think of the first Dinosaur Jr album or Meat Puppets‘ II and Up on the Sun instead of say, Husker Du. Though this is a very enjoyable release on its own, I’m also quite curious where they’ll head next.