50 Cent, Fucked Up and Parquet Courts Lead Our New Release Roundup

BY Rebecca M. WilliamsPublished Jun 3, 2014

We know our readers are hungry for only the best new music, but it can be tough to slog through the chaff in search of that sweet, sweet wheat. With that in mind, we're back again with our weekly New Release Roundup to help satisfy those insatiable cravings by opining about this week's most popular, need-to-know albums to help you find something good. Dig in below.

First off, get animalistic with our review of hip-hop vet 50 Cent's latest release, Animal Ambition. This several-year effort comes out on the heels of Fiddy's less-than-impressive Before I Self Destruct, and it's clearly 50 Cent's effort to prove that he's still relevant in the game. Is 50 still on top, or has gangsta rap's golden boy past his prime? Read our review and find out.

Next, we've got a review of longtime Toronto punk act Fucked Up's highly anticipated release, Glass Boys. Our reviewer details drummer Jonah Falco's frantic double-tracked drums, which serves to carry the record and unify the band's sound. Follow the link to find out more about Fucked Up's most introspective, mature release yet.

Parquet Courts' Sunbathing Animal is a pounding release full of layers and details — you'll want to see what our reviewer has to say about it. Then, read about Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of..., the latest from classically trained violinist Andrew Bird. It's a full album of Handsome Family covers, and our reviewer calls Bird's unique arrangements of the alt-country songs "ornate and thoughtful."

Finally, Sage Francis comes in hot with his new album, Copper Gone. Read our shining review of Francis' clean-cut hip-hop release at the link above.

Find some tracks of the albums reviewed above and lots more on our updated Rdio Genre Playlists, below:

Pop & Rock
Hip-Hop

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