Wounded Lion/IVXLCDM

The second full length by Los Angeles's Wounded Lion not only dodges the "sophomore slump", it pummels its older sibling into the ground. While the Lion's debut was no slouch by anyone's (except for someone so utterly clueless they take their musical cues from Pitchfork) gauge, IVXLCDM is leaner, harder and tougher than its predecessor without sacrificing any of the smarts and nuance of their debut. Recorded/produced by Chris Woodhouse, a name you'll be seeing around this website a lot if we have our say.