Panya Kroun’s Review: “Enter the Slasher House” by Avey Tare and the Slasher flicks
Grade: B+
If Animal Collective made strangely upbeat music to accompany a ’60s B-movie horror film, it would be similar to “Enter the Slasher House,” Avey Tare’s first project with the Slasher Flicks. Bizarre high-pitched noises sprinkled generously throughout the album’s many lo-fi, low-tech beach jams lend themselves well to the retro aesthetic Tare brings to the album with his iconic smooth and mellow voice. The album is definitely a little weird, as is typical of most of Tare’s projects, but it doesn’t push any boundaries the same way Tare’s other works do, making it a relatively tame, if occasionally mundane, musical affair. If the Beatles ever did a crossover album with the Misfits, it probably sound a lot like this.

Joshua Jackson’s Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Grade: A+
Three years after the first movie “Captain America: The First Avenger,” actor Chris Evans dons the red, white and blue costume for its sequel “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” The movie is the ninth motion picture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is the most entertaining film of the group. Evans delivers another stellar performance as the titular superhero. An entertaining representation of Falcon by newcomer Anthony Mackie brings much needed comedy to the film. Sebastian Stan’s role as Winter Soldier puts him in the running for Marvel’s best villain against fan favorite Loki. The Winter Soldier is a cold killer mixed with a dash of personal conflict, which Stan fully embodies. The film is well done as a standalone project and ties perfectly into the Marvel Universe building the excitement for Captain America’s next appearance in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

Will Kallenborn’s Review: Kingdom by Heathers
Grade: B-
Heathers, a band composed of Irish twins, has certainly grown a lot from its super indie roots. Its early albums had a very acoustic sound, and “Kingdom” is a huge deviation from that. Its sound has its roots in female pop vocals but surpasses that with its lyrics and its dual singing. The sisters have different voices that compliment each other in a perfect way. The first single, “Forget Me Knots” is clearly the standout from the album, but “Circular Road” and “Waiter” are interesting follow-ups to fill out the album. The only major problem with the record is that many songs are forgettable. It’s pretty hit or miss, but when it hits, it hits hard and provides songs with a great deal of replay value.

Gerald Ducote’s Review: “It’s Album Time” by Todd Terje
Grade: A-
Imagine if Daft Punk had been making disco since the start. Now imagine if Daft Punk was Norwegian. Add an extra splash of funk and you have Todd Terje. Terje’s debut, “It’s Album Time,” whose jokingly self-aware title alone is enough to prove the DJ’s intentions right off the bat, is an ode to funk in the most-endearing manner possible. Borrowing from his earlier EPs, the dance numbers — there are quite a few — get the blood pumping. Conversely, the ballad “John and Mary” acts like a spacey “Jack & Diane” wherein Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry serenades the listener back to reality. “It’s Album Time” serves as Terje’s first act of homage toward electronic music, disco and even bossa nova.

Meg Ryan’s Review: Ora Rita by Ora
Grade: C
Rita Ora has created a typical summertime pop song with her single “I Will Never Let You Down.” The song creates the typical bubblegum pop that works well for the carefree time in a summer of barbecues and pool parties. Ora’s single is supposed to represent being there for the one you love and never letting go. However, the super pop instrumentals make it harder to capture the meaning and easier to just dance to meaninglessly. The music video also follows with the bubblegum pop mentality, with Ora dressed like a Rihanna wannabe and dancing around with her back-up dancers. While Ora has created a song with good lyrics, this goes unnoticed with all the flash of upbeat music, autotune and flashy outfits.