Get Fucking Happy.

Heartbreak sucks. That's why I'm all about mixtapes. You don't have to be miserable to enjoy this one.

Get Fucking Happy.

Brendan Benson - What Kind of World

Questioning his taste in women, how happy he is, and What Kind of World we live in, Brendan Benson reveals some of the demons that keep him up at night. Lyrically inquisitive as his fifth full-length may be, unrehearsed it is not. By this time, Benson knows how to plan each power pop gem meticulously, with rhymed couplets and verse-chorus-verses that fall into one another magnetically like sticky fingers and cotton candy. Singing about the green-eyed beauty of his dreams, he melds phrases like “taste of blood upon my lips/the heaven’s sway of your teenage hips” together, making his poetry feel like a passing whimsy.

But what makes What Kind of World Benson’s best album since 2002’s Lapalco is the varied nature of the songs. Stepping out of the cookie-cutter orchestrated pop mold of his last two albums, he tries new wave and Broadway ballad on for size. The title track is an example of the former, which might turn the head of The Cars’ Ric Ocasek, while his balls-out crooning in “Bad for Me” is an over-the-top drama worthy of Elton John fans. Ashley Monroe adds adorable country twang on the folky duet, “On the Fence.” Album highlight, “Happy Most of the Time,” is an infectious earworm of bass growl and jumpy guitar jangle. All in all, it’s Benson’s finest yet—no question in that.

Craig Finn - Honolulu Blues

If you're into the Hold Steady, maybe you'll here more of a difference between Craig Finn's solo work and that of the band. But as far as I can tell, many of their great elements are still alive here. Finn's distinctive tone, his storybook lyrics, and a solid rock and roll groove fuel "Honolulu Blues" with a rough and tumble feel. His full-length, Clear Heart Full Eyes, comes out at the end of the month on Vagrant.

Craig Finn - Honolulu Blues

La Sera - Please Be My Third Eye

Quick, snappy, and infectious, "Please Be My Third Eye" feels like a tune for blasting in your car with the windows down. Or possibly the first track on your workout playlist. Simple but catchy riffs and a sing-a-long anthemic chorus that you'll enjoy upon first listen.

La Sera is the solo effort of Katy Goodman of Vivian Girls. I've never taken the time to listen to them, but now I will!

La Sera - Please Be My Third Eye

The Babies - Trouble

Laying in bed, surrounded by pictures of The Beatles and daisies, under a mess of blankets, all snuggled up. It's home, troubles are for yesterday, and today's about leisure.

That's what I wish for when I hear "Trouble" by The Babies. It's a twee, spare little number, full of squiggly guitars and faraway vocals. Nothing is trying too hard. Nothing is stretched beyond its limits. It's quaint and it's tiny. It's not fully developed, nor does it wish to be. It's perfectly enjoyable for a short while. And then it's done.

The Babies - Trouble

The Babies are playing with Real Estate at the Beachland Ballroom on January 21st. I wish I was home!

Dirty Three - Rising Below

Three dirty dudes. Mick Turner. Jim White. Warren Ellis. No vocals, just the kind of slow, building atmospherics that make your heart swell and your head explode at the possibilities. These three have released albums together, but this is the first in seven years. And in the meantime, they've been working with awesome people like Bill Callahan and Cat Power.

Sit back, close your eyes, and don't do a thing. Just listen.

Dirty Three - Rising Below

The Black Keys - El Camino

Barely stopping to catch a breath, The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach bum rush through El Camino like cats in heat. The high-octane guitar, organ, drums and even bells and chimes all seem to move together, surging forward in adrenaline-riddled spurts. While the duo has always attributed their rhythmic focus to their mutual love for old hip-hop and R&B, these songs were dipped in pure rock and roll. “Money Maker” is hearkens to the bluesy side, while “Little Black Submarines” slowly builds from an acoustic ballad a la Blitzen Trapper to fuzzy metal riffage. Album opener, “Lonely Boy,” is the best of the bunch, a rollicking good time with raw edges. It’s as danceable as anything they’ve ever done.

Lamenting love gone wrong on nearly every song, the subject matter is nothing new. But it’s what these two do best, and when Auerbach howls “she's bound to break ya" on "Money Maker," you want to shake the hand of the gold digger who inspired such fiery feelings. "All this love of mine/And all my precious time/You'll waste it 'cause you/Don't know what you want," goes "Nova Baby," one of the few songs where Auerbach takes his guitar for a high-flying solo. Sometimes the lyrics swing and miss, like the gag moment on "Run Right Back," where Auerbach cries "She doesn't read too much/But there's no doubt/She's been written about/Finest exterior/She's so superior."

With the stinging attitude and upbeat grooves, though, El Camino surpasses all of its sad-sack tendencies. Each song is it's own piece of soulful groove. Throttling forward at full-force, this is The Black Keys’ most direct and consistent album yet. With the new audience the two have garnered from 2010’s Brothers, expect to hear these songs on everything from car commercials to the nearly extinct rock radio. There isn’t a bad song in the bunch, nor a moment to relax until you’ve ingested El Camino in full.