The new REM record has not impressed me as much as the first single did, but I think it will grow on further listens.
I am totally blown away on first listen by the Vampire Weekend CD:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p...jfoxz9hldje~T1
culture collision of indie-, chamber-, and Afro-pop they call "Upper West Side Soweto"
Fully realized debut albums like Vampire Weekend come along once in a great while, and these songs show that this band is smart, but not too smart for their own good.