Music

“Pocketknife,” the debut full-length from Norwegian synthpop singer-songwriter Monica Birkenes (aka Mr Little Jeans), is easily one of the top releases of the year so far. Her versatility as an artist is highly apparent as the songs move from whimsical to moody without disturbing the overall flow of the album.

These Stags don’t dread Mondays. When night falls and the lower level BCC is quiet, a dim glass cube in the WVOF studio buzzes with Jess Mendes ‘14, Taylor Webb ’14 and David “Duzzo” Velasquez ‘14’s pursuit of a different kind of radio program.

After the breakthrough success of their 2010 single, “Pumped Up Kicks,” the Los Angeles-based band was put on the map as a frontrunner in pop music. They have returned with their sophomore album “Supermodel,” which lives up to this standard.

With the infectious single “Happy” already stuck in everyone’s heads, Pharrell’s latest release is nothing but feel-good vibes and funkiness. The album features many guests, including Miley Cyrus, Daft Punk, Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys.

If you’re a longtime fan of Real Estate or you’re just hearing about them now, be sure to listen to their newest album released this week. With the New Jersey band’s third and best record to date, they have found a way to make full use of their familiar sound without being redundant.

Los Angeles artist Lo Fang’s debut is a promising attempt at a first album. The fusion of classical and R&B with electronica undertones is fantastically minimalistic. Some might criticize it as too low-energy to be seen as anything but tame, but what it lacks in boldness it makes up for in composition.

The Brooklyn-based group's second album is overflowing with fast, rhythmic hooks and blaring beats. Pieced together over a three-year period, the album's lyrics touch on a wide range of subjects from agoraphobia to failed relationships.

Speedy Ortiz - "Real Hair" - The band is back with a four-song EP not long after last year's release of their debut album, "Major Arcana." Frontwoman Sadie Dupuis' precise vocals are carried by super satisfying guitar riffs throughout.

Band of Horses - “Acoustic at the Ryman” On Feb. 11, Band of Horses is releasing a completely stripped acoustic 10-song set played at the famous Nashville venue. The album features the band’s most memorable hits accompanied only by acoustic guitar and piano. As always, the vocal harmonies are spectacular, and the live energy just adds a level of expressive electricity.

The charts show the top 30 most played albums at WVOF this week. These charts, submitted by college radio stations from all over the country, are used to compile the College Music Journal Top 200 weekly chart.