Well, I hate this album less that I did originally. In fact, now I can say that I kind of even like it. It's just such a drastic change from their last album, The Hazards of Love, it took me a minute to get used to.
The King is Dead, The Decemberists' sixth studio album is a completely different world compared to their previous efforts. Long gone are the days of whimsy as found on Castaways and Cutouts, Her Majesty, and Picaresque, as well as the narratives heard on The Crane Wife and the Hazards of Love. This one's something completely new.
What's crazy is the fact that now that this album's been released, all of those critics who praised it last year are now tearing it apart. The King is Dead does not make Hazards of Love any less of a fantastic album, people. They're completely, utterly unrelated.
This album was a slap in the face, but the stinging's subsided. It's "country" in the way that the Old 97's are country (read: not terrible). It absolutely wasn't what I was expecting from the band. However, it really is just the same old Decemberists. You'll still find a plethora of unconventional instrumentation including 12-string guitars and accordions, but you'll also find a whole new set of sounds including heavy harmonica, fiddle, and saloon piano. While I miss Meloy's vivid storytelling, I must applaud them for trying something so incredibly different from their usual tastes. The roots rocks is more inspired by Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and Tom Petty than modern country.
I'm hearing a lot of REM and The Smith's references being thrown around in reference to that album, but that's nothing new. Meloy has always openly admitted to being heavily inspired by both. I guess part of that has to do with the fact that Peter Buck and his guitar actually make guest appearances on this album.
This album is no less musically or lyrically impressive, just in a different format. There's still lush instrumentation and Meloy's patented wordplay, but rather than antique subject matter, they've traded it in for a dose of Americana. Rustic and cozy, The King is Dead is slowly but surely growing on me. There's something about that twang of country that saddens me, but just when you're getting down, there's a track to lift you back up, like "Rox in the Box" ominous tone following the weepy acoustic, "Rise to Me". So, "Down By the Water" is supposed to be the first hit off of this album, which doesn't necessarily make it the best song. "Don't Carry It All", "Calamity Song", and "This is Why We Fight" are right up there with it, and have far less of that twang, which I approve of. There's only so much harmonica and banjo that one girl can handle.
I've been listening to this album for two days and I'm still pretty undecided. I know how much it's grown on me since that first listen and can only imagine where it will go from here. For now, it gets a B, but that is subject to change. It's really a great album, musically. Perhaps it's just my hesitance to enjoy anything even remotely related to country. Who knows? Check it out for yourself, streaming for free on their Myspace.
"Calamity Song"
"Don't Carry It All"
"This is Why We Fight"
Showing posts with label new album. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new album. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Cake - Showroom of Compassion
Well, after nearly seven years, the boys of Cake have done it again. Their sixth studio album, Showroom of Compassion hit stores last week and man, I'm diggin' it. I didn't realize that it had been so long since Pressure Chief! Crazy!
This album is awesome. It's Cake, so I find it hard to believe that it could have been anything else. It's nice to see that they haven't lost their affinity for unconventional percussion, horns, esoteric lyrics, and funky ass guitar. In additional to all those Cake classics, you also have the introduction of piano on "The Winter" and "Teenage Pregnancy", which sounds incredibly like a funeral march. Appropriate. It's also the sole instrumental out of the 11 tracks a la "Arco Arena".
While Cake has always been a little spacey, this album is by far the most psychedelic. There's also a drastic lack of "oh no"s and "all right"s, in favor of extended notes, which is pretty rare from singer John McCrea. While I enjoy his typical half sung/half spoken vocals, this is a nice departure from the norm. It something different, yet refreshingly familiar. It's also delightfully lo-fi without being pretentious. Recorded in their own, solar-powered studio, it appears this album was nurtured to it's full potential. This album could have come out in between any of their other albums and fit right it.
While Cake usually employs the same methods of making music, it never becomes boring. It's not six albums of the same song, just songs with a distant cousin. Songs that see each other once a year at the family reunion, but still get along. Hence that familiarity.
Yes, I'm a general Cake fan all around, but I always appreciate a good, upbeat track and there's plenty to go around on this album including the devastatingly catchy "Sick of You" and the incredibly funky "Mustache Man".
Long story short: I love Cake. I love this album. You should, too. They even get an A. Check it out, streaming for free on their Myspace now. You can also find the over on Facebook or over at their site. Also, happy Tuesday...have some videos.
"Sick of You"
"Mustache Man"
"Federal Funding"
This album is awesome. It's Cake, so I find it hard to believe that it could have been anything else. It's nice to see that they haven't lost their affinity for unconventional percussion, horns, esoteric lyrics, and funky ass guitar. In additional to all those Cake classics, you also have the introduction of piano on "The Winter" and "Teenage Pregnancy", which sounds incredibly like a funeral march. Appropriate. It's also the sole instrumental out of the 11 tracks a la "Arco Arena".
While Cake has always been a little spacey, this album is by far the most psychedelic. There's also a drastic lack of "oh no"s and "all right"s, in favor of extended notes, which is pretty rare from singer John McCrea. While I enjoy his typical half sung/half spoken vocals, this is a nice departure from the norm. It something different, yet refreshingly familiar. It's also delightfully lo-fi without being pretentious. Recorded in their own, solar-powered studio, it appears this album was nurtured to it's full potential. This album could have come out in between any of their other albums and fit right it.
While Cake usually employs the same methods of making music, it never becomes boring. It's not six albums of the same song, just songs with a distant cousin. Songs that see each other once a year at the family reunion, but still get along. Hence that familiarity.
Yes, I'm a general Cake fan all around, but I always appreciate a good, upbeat track and there's plenty to go around on this album including the devastatingly catchy "Sick of You" and the incredibly funky "Mustache Man".
Long story short: I love Cake. I love this album. You should, too. They even get an A. Check it out, streaming for free on their Myspace now. You can also find the over on Facebook or over at their site. Also, happy Tuesday...have some videos.
"Sick of You"
"Mustache Man"
"Federal Funding"
Monday, January 17, 2011
Mark Ronson and the Business Int'l - Record Collection
There's something to be said about a man who has only released three full-length albums in the last seven years, but has managed four top ten hits. That man would be Mark Ronson and the fourth hit would be the delightfully French "Bang Bang Bang" from his new album with The Business Int'l, Record Collection.
2009's Most Stylish Man of the Year amassed a bunch of other incredibly talented people and had, what appears to be, a whole lot of fun while making this album. There's a whole lot of hands in this pot, including those of Q-Tip, Boy George, Alex Greenwald (of Phantom Planet, Jason Schwartzma's old band), Ghostface Killah, Andrew Wyatt (former bandmate of Greg Kurstin of The Bird and the Bee in a short lived project called Funkraphiliacs), D'Angelo, Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran fame, and my new favorite person, Rose Elinor Dougall of the Pipettes.
While Version was the "big" album for Ronson, this one is a more mature chapter in his history. You got the distinct, pretentious vibe of "everyone who is anyone is on this album" on Version, while Record Collection employs a more low-key, indie cast. And hell, this album just sounds fun, more so Ronson making an album for himself than the fans. I'm sure he's not upset by the two (and a half) hits on this album. "Somebody to Love Me" would be that half and that's only because it hasn't been out for that long.
The album title couldn't have been chosen more wisely. With all of these people, you end up with a decidedly eclectic sound, which keeps your ear entertained all the way through this album. It kind of amazes me how often this album is lumped into the "hip hop" category...it's so much more than that. A lot of it is very Basement Jaxx goes Motown, and it's pretty awesome. The amount of music on this album that could honestly be defined as solely hip-hop is virtually non-existent.
All in all, this album is soulful, funky, and entertaining. From novelty pop songs like "Bang Bang Bang" and "The Bike Song" to the depths of Boy George's vocals on "Somebody to Love Me", this album encapsulates exactly what it aims to be...a collection. This isn't surprising in the least, with such a prolific musician, but it's nice to see his name attached to something of his own. He's done so much work with various artists in the last few years (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Ghostface Killah, Macy Gray, Jimmy Fallon, Old Dirty Bastard, Christina Aguilera, Robbie Williams, Q-Tip, Duran Duran, and a whole host of others) it's cool to see him doing what he wants to do.
For all of those guest vocalists, Record Collection also includes three solely instrumental tracks including "The Color of Crumar", "Circuit Breaker" (a tribute to Zelda!), and the incredibly sultry "Selector". What's amazing is that, within this all-star cast, these songs still hold their own. Way to kick ass, Mark Ronson. You get a B.
Check it out for yourself, I'm sure you'll find something on here that you'll enjoy. You can listen to the whole album, streaming now on Ronson's Myspace. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and at his site.
"Bang Bang Bang"
"The Bike Song"
2009's Most Stylish Man of the Year amassed a bunch of other incredibly talented people and had, what appears to be, a whole lot of fun while making this album. There's a whole lot of hands in this pot, including those of Q-Tip, Boy George, Alex Greenwald (of Phantom Planet, Jason Schwartzma's old band), Ghostface Killah, Andrew Wyatt (former bandmate of Greg Kurstin of The Bird and the Bee in a short lived project called Funkraphiliacs), D'Angelo, Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran fame, and my new favorite person, Rose Elinor Dougall of the Pipettes.
While Version was the "big" album for Ronson, this one is a more mature chapter in his history. You got the distinct, pretentious vibe of "everyone who is anyone is on this album" on Version, while Record Collection employs a more low-key, indie cast. And hell, this album just sounds fun, more so Ronson making an album for himself than the fans. I'm sure he's not upset by the two (and a half) hits on this album. "Somebody to Love Me" would be that half and that's only because it hasn't been out for that long.
The album title couldn't have been chosen more wisely. With all of these people, you end up with a decidedly eclectic sound, which keeps your ear entertained all the way through this album. It kind of amazes me how often this album is lumped into the "hip hop" category...it's so much more than that. A lot of it is very Basement Jaxx goes Motown, and it's pretty awesome. The amount of music on this album that could honestly be defined as solely hip-hop is virtually non-existent.
All in all, this album is soulful, funky, and entertaining. From novelty pop songs like "Bang Bang Bang" and "The Bike Song" to the depths of Boy George's vocals on "Somebody to Love Me", this album encapsulates exactly what it aims to be...a collection. This isn't surprising in the least, with such a prolific musician, but it's nice to see his name attached to something of his own. He's done so much work with various artists in the last few years (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Ghostface Killah, Macy Gray, Jimmy Fallon, Old Dirty Bastard, Christina Aguilera, Robbie Williams, Q-Tip, Duran Duran, and a whole host of others) it's cool to see him doing what he wants to do.
For all of those guest vocalists, Record Collection also includes three solely instrumental tracks including "The Color of Crumar", "Circuit Breaker" (a tribute to Zelda!), and the incredibly sultry "Selector". What's amazing is that, within this all-star cast, these songs still hold their own. Way to kick ass, Mark Ronson. You get a B.
Check it out for yourself, I'm sure you'll find something on here that you'll enjoy. You can listen to the whole album, streaming now on Ronson's Myspace. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and at his site.
"Bang Bang Bang"
"The Bike Song"
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Faceoff (Soundtrack Edition): Tron Legacy vs. The Social Network
So, it's been a while since we've had a faceoff on That Girl With A Blog, but the time has come, my friends.This time, we'll be focusing on soundracks. While the similarities are there (the electronic inspiration, the prolific artists, the facet that they're both scores), the differences are abounding. Well, let's see where they stand. It seems like the winner always comes first. Let's start with the loser.
Now, I'm not trying to say that Trent Reznor is a loser, per se, I'm just saying that Daft Punk used their giant, stompy, space-aged boots to kick him in the face. Repeatedly. Also, I should probably mention that I am a little biased on this front. I am a huge fan of Reznor's...pre-1999 Reznor, that is. 1989 Trent Reznor was my favorite, though. I want Reznor at his finest. Young, dreaded, preferably covered in baby powder and screaming. This is the Reznor I have come to know and love. Now, man, where to begin. This whole "Henry Rollins Look-a-Like" contest thing has gotten out of hand and well, he got married? What's up with that? My inner 13-year-old just died a little bit. At least she's hot. Like, really hot. Good job, Trent. Anyway, onto the soundtrack.
While this is Reznor's first score, it's certainly not his first rodeo when it comes to working on soundtracks (See: Natural Born Killers or Lost Highway). That being said, The Social Network Soundtrack is soooooooo boring. So. Very. Boring. It's dark, it's brooding (who could have imagined!? Trent Reznor!? Dark and brooding? No effin' way!) and it's entirely predictable. It's everything that I imagined it would be, and that's not a good thing. Also, I don't even really understand why he would agree to do this (perhaps he should have kept his original answer?). While, yes, he's a pioneer of technology when it comes to releasing music, he's notoriously anti-social networking. This album does have a few stand out tracks including "In Motion" and "Carbon Prevails". Upon multiple listenings, these two are the only tracks to really demand my attention, even when I'm doing something else. But for every decent song, you end up with a song like "In the Hall of the Mountain King". Yup, it's the orchestral piece composed by Edvard Grieg for Peer Gynt, and it ends up sounding like a badly-recorded ring tone. In general, this album sounds just like everything that Reznor's released since 1999 and is almost a dead ringer for 2008's Ghosts. Do something else, already. As for it's relation to the movie, okay, I get it. It's darkly appropriate for the greed and betrayal, but as a stand alone album, it fails miserably.
As for Daft Punk, they take the Tron Legacy Soundtrack and make it their bitch. Seriously. And what's so amazing about this OST is the complete lack of a danceable beat. Who are you, you helmeted DJ duo, and what have you done with my Daft Punk!? Two of my favorite Frenchman were just absolutely perfect for this soundtrack. It's so understated for them and so incredibly beautiful. You get this layering of ambient, organic noise with the swelling of an 85 piece orchestra and it's enough to give me goosebumps EVERY listen through. Doing some general research for this review, I came across this on the G4 site:
"Anyone thinking that Daft Punk would record this as Discovery, Part 2 or Human After All: The Sequel will be greatly disappointed. If this causes you to make angry faces under your homemade Daft Punk mask..." First of all, thank you, Rick Damigella, for making me laugh harder that I have in a long time, and second of all, he is 100% correct. There is no sampling. There is no disco. There is nothing to make your heart want to explode while rolling. It's so not the Daft Punk we all know and love, but it's just SO GOOD. Grand does not even begin to describe this album. Epic? Maybe. Legendary? Almost. While the Tron Legacy Soundtrack has the capabilites that all soundtracks need (IE: the ability to blend into the background when necessary), as a stand alone album, it's still absolutely fucking phenomenal. This time around, this album is everything I thought it would be, only better. I don't think that there's anyone out there who fit the bill as well as the Daft Punk boys. I mean, they've been playing robot for almost my entire lifetime, why the hell not!? At this point, I don't even care if the movie's good or not because the soundtrack is more than enough to make up for it. It's just a bonus that the soundtrack matches the movie perfectly.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson - Break Up
I am shocked and amazed at how much the collaborative album between Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson, Break Up, doesn't suck. If I would have known that it is as good as it is, I would have listened to it quite some time ago. You know, like in 2009 when it came out. Sorry for the late arrival, guys.
First of all, I didn't even know Johansson had an album (if you can really call it that). She apparently put out a debut album in 2008, Anywhere I Lay My Head, comprised of one original song and 10 Tom Waits covers, which is pretty freakin' weird. What's even weirder is that she's really not half bad. I can kind of see why Yorn picked her for the Serge Gainsbourg and Bridget Bardot-esque album. I mean, she's no Bardot, that's a given, but she's got an old school, gravelly voice in the best sense of the term. Sort of Karen Bergquist from Over the Rhine, but less mature. The duo hits the mark somewhere between Gainsbourg/Bardot and Ward/Deschanel.
The beginning of this album is utterly fantastic. Really. I'm not even being sarcastic here, so take it while you can get it. It opens with the "hit" of the album, "Relator", which is one of the few songs on here that seems to have a good balance of Johansson and Yorn. They're both quiet, and they play off of each other so well over an old-school guitar line and minimalistic, well, everything else. It's nothing fancy, it's good, old-fashioned rock music. Followed by the slightly 60's, somewhat island like, Jack Johnson sounding "Wear and Tear", the album really just sucks you in with awe. Perhaps that's just me, though, because I really expected this album to be terrible. "I Don't Know What to Do" blends ScarJo's smokey voice and Yorn's whisper-y vocals into a classic alt-country ballad, while "Search Your Heart" has Johansson perfecting those "whoa-ohs".
While I'm generally a lukewarm Pete Yorn fan (read: a musicforthemorningafter fan) I find myself anxiously awaiting Johansson's parts and wondering when she's going to get a song of her own on the album, and then it comes...
The ridiculous, pointless cover of Big Star Bell's "I Am the Cosmos". It's weak and bland, and generally just no good. After that, this album becomes a trainwreck. Thank god that song is 2/3 of the way into the album. After that, it's just three, uninspired songs that feel like they were just stuck at the end of the album to fill some space. Man, I hate that. At least if you know that some of those songs suck, mix it up a little bit, dammit.
As for Yorn, anything after musicforthemorningafter has been pretty, lame. Just your standard, run of the mill pop music that tends to get lost in the sea of mediocre pop albums produced every day, so I really wasn't expecting much from him. He sounds pretty much like he does on every album, but at least this time, he has someone else to shake things up a little bit.
It's amazing how quickly this album turns around. With such a promising beginning, the rest of the album is such a sore let down. I can tell you one thing, though. The thing that I took away from this, is that I will definitely be watching out for the new Johansson album! It gets a B, minus, only because the beginning is so damn good. Such a shame about the end.
You can actually check out the whole album streaming on their Myspace, as well as a few tracks from both of them, separately. Check 'em out!
"Relator"
"Wear and Tear"
"I Don't Know What to Do"
First of all, I didn't even know Johansson had an album (if you can really call it that). She apparently put out a debut album in 2008, Anywhere I Lay My Head, comprised of one original song and 10 Tom Waits covers, which is pretty freakin' weird. What's even weirder is that she's really not half bad. I can kind of see why Yorn picked her for the Serge Gainsbourg and Bridget Bardot-esque album. I mean, she's no Bardot, that's a given, but she's got an old school, gravelly voice in the best sense of the term. Sort of Karen Bergquist from Over the Rhine, but less mature. The duo hits the mark somewhere between Gainsbourg/Bardot and Ward/Deschanel.
The beginning of this album is utterly fantastic. Really. I'm not even being sarcastic here, so take it while you can get it. It opens with the "hit" of the album, "Relator", which is one of the few songs on here that seems to have a good balance of Johansson and Yorn. They're both quiet, and they play off of each other so well over an old-school guitar line and minimalistic, well, everything else. It's nothing fancy, it's good, old-fashioned rock music. Followed by the slightly 60's, somewhat island like, Jack Johnson sounding "Wear and Tear", the album really just sucks you in with awe. Perhaps that's just me, though, because I really expected this album to be terrible. "I Don't Know What to Do" blends ScarJo's smokey voice and Yorn's whisper-y vocals into a classic alt-country ballad, while "Search Your Heart" has Johansson perfecting those "whoa-ohs".
While I'm generally a lukewarm Pete Yorn fan (read: a musicforthemorningafter fan) I find myself anxiously awaiting Johansson's parts and wondering when she's going to get a song of her own on the album, and then it comes...
The ridiculous, pointless cover of Big Star Bell's "I Am the Cosmos". It's weak and bland, and generally just no good. After that, this album becomes a trainwreck. Thank god that song is 2/3 of the way into the album. After that, it's just three, uninspired songs that feel like they were just stuck at the end of the album to fill some space. Man, I hate that. At least if you know that some of those songs suck, mix it up a little bit, dammit.
As for Yorn, anything after musicforthemorningafter has been pretty, lame. Just your standard, run of the mill pop music that tends to get lost in the sea of mediocre pop albums produced every day, so I really wasn't expecting much from him. He sounds pretty much like he does on every album, but at least this time, he has someone else to shake things up a little bit.
It's amazing how quickly this album turns around. With such a promising beginning, the rest of the album is such a sore let down. I can tell you one thing, though. The thing that I took away from this, is that I will definitely be watching out for the new Johansson album! It gets a B, minus, only because the beginning is so damn good. Such a shame about the end.
You can actually check out the whole album streaming on their Myspace, as well as a few tracks from both of them, separately. Check 'em out!
"Relator"
"Wear and Tear"
"I Don't Know What to Do"
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Ke$ha - Cannibal
In a posthumous movie about John Travolta's life, who would play him? Ke$ha.
Anyway, onto the music!
I never really listened to Ke$ha (or at least not that I was entirely aware of) until yesterday. I saw the episode of The Simpsons where they made fun of "Tik Tok" and apparently they play that "Take It Off" song at the bar that I frequent, but I never realized that it was her.
I have a soft spot for shitty pop music...I really do. I find it quite hard to believe that she has any real talent, but this album is downright entertaining. Autotune? Bring it on. Vocorder? There's enough of it on here to fill 50 million Brittany Spears albums. Ke$ha is the poor man's Lady Gaga. While Gaga's singing about "the Jag, the jet, and the mansion", Ke$ha is singing about how her and her friends are those girls who take your drink off the table at a bar when you leave. Okay, well...that part's kinda gross, but you get what I mean.
Cannibal is your standard, terrible pop album and I love it in that way that dogs love rolling in garbage. Yeah, it smells bad, but by god, it's fun. It's got such heartfelt lyrics as, "You should know that I love you a lot, but I just can't date a dude with a vaj" in the horrendously misspelled "Grow A Pear" and "Yup, I'll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer" in the eponymous single, "Cannibal". She's like a drunker (if you can even imagine that) Lily Allen.
Also, in "Cannibal", she tries to do this sexy, Christina Aguilera scale thing and fails so miserably you can't help but get a kick out of it. Every time I hear it I can imaging little Ke$ha on the short bus and it makes me smile inside. Imagine a mentally challenged kid just saying "Oh" over and over into a vocorder. That's what you get.
Even for all the humor of this album, there's not nearly as much funny shit as on her first album. I mean, Animal had such classics as "Blah Blah Blah" with the line "Cut to the chase kid, 'cause I know you don't care what my middle name is. I wanna get naked and you're wasted", and "Party at A Rich Dude's House", which is pretty self explainatory. She does include the mandatory pop-ballad per album with "The Harold Song", "They say that true love hurts, well this could almost kill me. Young love murder, that is what this must be." Ohhhhh, poor KeSha. Try not talking about boning half the population. That might help your whole "relationship issue" situation.
Long story short, this is not the album of the year. It's not even really that good, but I get a kick out of people talking about drinking, because I like drinking. This is a great album to put on while you're getting ready to go out, or you're drunk. Or you just wish you were drunk. It gets a solid C from me.
Check out the entire album, streaming on her Myspace, now.
Ke$ha - We R Who We R (Someone get this girl to a spelling class, STAT!)
Anyway, onto the music!
I never really listened to Ke$ha (or at least not that I was entirely aware of) until yesterday. I saw the episode of The Simpsons where they made fun of "Tik Tok" and apparently they play that "Take It Off" song at the bar that I frequent, but I never realized that it was her.
I have a soft spot for shitty pop music...I really do. I find it quite hard to believe that she has any real talent, but this album is downright entertaining. Autotune? Bring it on. Vocorder? There's enough of it on here to fill 50 million Brittany Spears albums. Ke$ha is the poor man's Lady Gaga. While Gaga's singing about "the Jag, the jet, and the mansion", Ke$ha is singing about how her and her friends are those girls who take your drink off the table at a bar when you leave. Okay, well...that part's kinda gross, but you get what I mean.
Cannibal is your standard, terrible pop album and I love it in that way that dogs love rolling in garbage. Yeah, it smells bad, but by god, it's fun. It's got such heartfelt lyrics as, "You should know that I love you a lot, but I just can't date a dude with a vaj" in the horrendously misspelled "Grow A Pear" and "Yup, I'll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer" in the eponymous single, "Cannibal". She's like a drunker (if you can even imagine that) Lily Allen.
Also, in "Cannibal", she tries to do this sexy, Christina Aguilera scale thing and fails so miserably you can't help but get a kick out of it. Every time I hear it I can imaging little Ke$ha on the short bus and it makes me smile inside. Imagine a mentally challenged kid just saying "Oh" over and over into a vocorder. That's what you get.
Even for all the humor of this album, there's not nearly as much funny shit as on her first album. I mean, Animal had such classics as "Blah Blah Blah" with the line "Cut to the chase kid, 'cause I know you don't care what my middle name is. I wanna get naked and you're wasted", and "Party at A Rich Dude's House", which is pretty self explainatory. She does include the mandatory pop-ballad per album with "The Harold Song", "They say that true love hurts, well this could almost kill me. Young love murder, that is what this must be." Ohhhhh, poor KeSha. Try not talking about boning half the population. That might help your whole "relationship issue" situation.
Long story short, this is not the album of the year. It's not even really that good, but I get a kick out of people talking about drinking, because I like drinking. This is a great album to put on while you're getting ready to go out, or you're drunk. Or you just wish you were drunk. It gets a solid C from me.
Check out the entire album, streaming on her Myspace, now.
Ke$ha - We R Who We R (Someone get this girl to a spelling class, STAT!)
Friday, December 10, 2010
Girl Talk - All Day
It's amazing to see how far he's come since 2002's Secret Diary. This album is fitter, happier, and more productive. It's cleaner and so well produced. What's awesome about Girl Talk in general, is that no matter what, there's some part of a track that you're bound to like. Classic rock with hardcore rap with happy hardcore with 80's pop. And somehow...it just makes sense. Also, it makes it okay for me to rock out to songs that I would otherwise feel a little embarrassed to enjoy. Case in point: Beyonce's "Single Ladies" or Rhianna's "Rude Boy" (Note: this statement does not apply if I am in a three block vicinity of a gay bar. Then it simply can't be helped).
Also, Girl Talk has changed the way I feel about rap, in general. I always thoroughly enjoyed the beats in rap songs...if only the people singing in them would just shut the fuck UP, already. Girl Talk remedies this quite nicely. You get only the best parts of three hundred and seventy-some songs. It is the ultimately party playlist. The mashups on this album are the best of the best, though. One of my personal favorites has got to be the call and answer of The Beastie Boys' "Hey Ladies" to Lady Gaga's "Lovegame". Okay, OR Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" vs. Ludacris' "Move Bitch" ("I'm doin' a hundred on the highway so if you do the speed limit, get the fuck outta my way. I'm D.U.I., hardly ever caught sober, and you about to get ran the fuck over.") Classy. Okay, OR any one of the other 1000 incredible mashups on this album. The whole thing is simply fucking phenomenal.
Oh, and have you heard about this "Gregg Gillis Day" situation? Alright, let's get on a personal Girl Talk for a minute hear. As stated before, we attended the same high school and her grew up like, two towns over from me. I didn't know him, but it still give me a warm, fuzzy feeling that something awesome happened in my neck of the woods. Anyway, Pittsburgh has declared December 7th (also the day of the attacks on Pearl Harbor) Gregg Gillis Day. How 'bout that. Is there a Michael Jackson Day? No. Is there a Beatles Day? No. Is there a Lady Gaga Day? No. Suck it, other cities. We have Gregg Gillis and you don't. We like him so much, we made him his very own special day. I really want to make the most of this. Gregg Gillis Day party next year? Yes, please.We'll mash up some various alcoholic drinks? MOJITOS!!! I declare the official drink of Gregg Gillis Day mojitos.
I did miss his live show here recently, which was a bummer. It's incredible that it sold out as quickly as it did and hell, I'm happy for him. I hope the half-naked, hairy, maniac that he becomes live entertained a whole lot of people at Pittsburgh's new Stage AE. Perhaps one of these days, I'll have to catch him.
Okay, back to the album:
It's one of those albums that you can just put on repeat and walk away. You never hear the same song twice. There's always that new layer of that other track that you didn't hear last time and somehow, it's always a welcome addition. It's ridiculously awesome and like most of Girl Talk's work, absolutely free. Head on over to Illegal Art and download your copy now. It's well worth your time. You can also stream it from his Myspace. A!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Jupiter One - Sunshower
Woo hoo! Two great bands in two days! This is awesome.
The founding members of Jupiter One, K. Ishibashi and Zac Colwell, actually met as traveling, orchestral musicians with Barnum and Bailey. Freakin' weird right? But, also awesome. Add in Ishibashi's wife, Mocha, drummer David Heilman, and bass player Pat "Panda" Dougherty and you have Jupiter One. And yes, they ARE named after the spaceship in Lost In Space.
I can tell you one thing for sure about their sophomore album, Sunshower: I purchased it. I used real, American, dollars to buy music. That's a pretty rare occurrence in my life, but these guys are awesome.
It's been a long time since I've actually enjoyed every song on an album and this one really hits the mark. There's such a diverse array of music that it doesn't get boring. From the funky "Find Me A Place" to the indie rock "Lights Go Out" to the 80's new-wave "Anna" to the reggae inspired "Simple Stones" to the pop hit "Volcano", this album's got something for everyone.
They're also popping up everywhere, from video games (Madden NFL '08, NHL '08, Burnout Paradise, FIFA '08, and FIFA '09) to commercials (Payless and Mazda) to television (MLB Network, Heroes, and Kyle XY). They've also toured with Regina Spektor on her last two circuits, which is pretty sweet. That sounds like a lethal combo of AWESOME!
You can check out the new album, Sunshower, streaming on their Myspace now and read more about the band over at their site. Check 'em out! This album gets a resounding A from me!
"Volcano"
"Anna"
"Lights Go Out"
The founding members of Jupiter One, K. Ishibashi and Zac Colwell, actually met as traveling, orchestral musicians with Barnum and Bailey. Freakin' weird right? But, also awesome. Add in Ishibashi's wife, Mocha, drummer David Heilman, and bass player Pat "Panda" Dougherty and you have Jupiter One. And yes, they ARE named after the spaceship in Lost In Space.
I can tell you one thing for sure about their sophomore album, Sunshower: I purchased it. I used real, American, dollars to buy music. That's a pretty rare occurrence in my life, but these guys are awesome.
It's been a long time since I've actually enjoyed every song on an album and this one really hits the mark. There's such a diverse array of music that it doesn't get boring. From the funky "Find Me A Place" to the indie rock "Lights Go Out" to the 80's new-wave "Anna" to the reggae inspired "Simple Stones" to the pop hit "Volcano", this album's got something for everyone.
They're also popping up everywhere, from video games (Madden NFL '08, NHL '08, Burnout Paradise, FIFA '08, and FIFA '09) to commercials (Payless and Mazda) to television (MLB Network, Heroes, and Kyle XY). They've also toured with Regina Spektor on her last two circuits, which is pretty sweet. That sounds like a lethal combo of AWESOME!
You can check out the new album, Sunshower, streaming on their Myspace now and read more about the band over at their site. Check 'em out! This album gets a resounding A from me!
"Volcano"
"Anna"
"Lights Go Out"
Friday, October 15, 2010
Sara Bareilles - Kaleidoscope Heart
Sometimes, I really love when an album gets mixed reviews. Okay, I like it all the time. I hate when an album comes out and everyone's all, "OMG BEST ALBUM OF ALL TIMEZ!!!11!!11one!11". Sometimes it's true, but more often that not, it's not. Not everyone likes the same type of music, and that's the way it's supposed to be.
Despite what appears to be a rather lukewarm reception, I like this album. I also like Sara Bareilles as a whole (um, piano? That's where it's at). Be forewarned, there is no "Love Song" on this album. There is no forcibly radio-friendly pop song, so if that's what you're looking for out of Sara, well...you're not gonna get it. On her junior effort, Kaleidoscope Heart, Bareilles uses complex vocal melodies, classically constructed arrangements, and good, old-fashioned talent to keep this album afloat. It's more of a return to her beginnings, as heard on 2004's Careful Confessions (or the other 12 tracks on Little Voice, for that matter). Bluesy, soulful, and while hindered in sound, it's just as emotionally compelling.
Once again, the "hit single" on this album, "King of Anything", is not even remotely the best song. That would be "Gonna Get Over You". It's the one that catches my ear on every play-through. It's got that same up-tempo beat /slash/ angry girl rock, kick-him-to-the-curb attitude as so many of her other tracks. And while she does do it on a regular basis, it never really gets old. This could be due to the fact that I do, indeed, have ovaries, but there's something that I really just love about angry, independent girls.
While she does recycle some of the same mentalities, she also veers off-course with two pure, acoustic, guitar tracks, "Basket Case" and "Let the Rain". More in a singer-songwritery-vein, they really bring her voice to light. It's really kind of amazing how it sounds without the clamor of her piano. Don't get me wrong, I love that piano, it's just nice to get a little variation every now and again. While I absolutely don't wish the curse of being a one-hit-wonder on her, I really enjoy where Bareilles is going with this album. It's a little more personal and a little less about the record company (aka: the people who pretty much commissioned her to sing "Love Song").
In a sea of auto-tuned female pop stars, it's refreshing to see someone with genuine talent making music. If you're looking for another easily-digestible, radio-ready pop album, this one's not for you. If you're looking for some actual female talent and compelling songs, it is. While I want to give this album an A, I've also heard Careful Confessions, which was just so filled with raw emotion and musically inspiring tracks, I just can't. So, it gets a B.
You can actually here it streaming now on her Myspace and you can check out more news'n'stuff over on her website.
"Gonna Get Over You"
Despite what appears to be a rather lukewarm reception, I like this album. I also like Sara Bareilles as a whole (um, piano? That's where it's at). Be forewarned, there is no "Love Song" on this album. There is no forcibly radio-friendly pop song, so if that's what you're looking for out of Sara, well...you're not gonna get it. On her junior effort, Kaleidoscope Heart, Bareilles uses complex vocal melodies, classically constructed arrangements, and good, old-fashioned talent to keep this album afloat. It's more of a return to her beginnings, as heard on 2004's Careful Confessions (or the other 12 tracks on Little Voice, for that matter). Bluesy, soulful, and while hindered in sound, it's just as emotionally compelling.
Once again, the "hit single" on this album, "King of Anything", is not even remotely the best song. That would be "Gonna Get Over You". It's the one that catches my ear on every play-through. It's got that same up-tempo beat /slash/ angry girl rock, kick-him-to-the-curb attitude as so many of her other tracks. And while she does do it on a regular basis, it never really gets old. This could be due to the fact that I do, indeed, have ovaries, but there's something that I really just love about angry, independent girls.
While she does recycle some of the same mentalities, she also veers off-course with two pure, acoustic, guitar tracks, "Basket Case" and "Let the Rain". More in a singer-songwritery-vein, they really bring her voice to light. It's really kind of amazing how it sounds without the clamor of her piano. Don't get me wrong, I love that piano, it's just nice to get a little variation every now and again. While I absolutely don't wish the curse of being a one-hit-wonder on her, I really enjoy where Bareilles is going with this album. It's a little more personal and a little less about the record company (aka: the people who pretty much commissioned her to sing "Love Song").
In a sea of auto-tuned female pop stars, it's refreshing to see someone with genuine talent making music. If you're looking for another easily-digestible, radio-ready pop album, this one's not for you. If you're looking for some actual female talent and compelling songs, it is. While I want to give this album an A, I've also heard Careful Confessions, which was just so filled with raw emotion and musically inspiring tracks, I just can't. So, it gets a B.
You can actually here it streaming now on her Myspace and you can check out more news'n'stuff over on her website.
"Gonna Get Over You"
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Less Than Jake - TV/EP
So...Less Than Jake made an entire album out of TV show theme songs, aptly named TV/EP. I'm not sure what to think about this. I mean, this is really what they're doing with their time?
I don't mean to sound critical, but LTJ is definitely on my list of favorite bands of all time. So, what are they doing? Yes, it's fun, it's campy, and they love them some cover songs, but I would have much rather had one or two of these per album on subsequent albums, rather than 16 songs that I've already heard all lumped into one. They have come out with an album of original material since 2008's GNV FLA, and it's sad, dammit.
What I love about Less Then Jake is their absolute dedication to making the best album possible (also, live shows. They're fucking incredible live) and this just seems like a half-assed effort to keep their name on the lips of fans. Well, we're already fans and we'd like some actual music, thanks.
From the standpoint that this is a real album, well, I'm not interested. From the standpoint that this is just something fun that they did to fill the time until a real album comes out, like I said, it's fun and silly and campy. I mean, they do that pirate credit report commercial song, which is rad. And the Malcolm in the Middle song. And the That 70's Show theme song. On the other hand, they do the Scooby Doo and Spongebob Squarepants themes. Like those haven't been done 2384502938502935 times already.
I am disappointed in Less Than Jake for the first time in my life. This is not okay, you guys. They should have made an original album and made this a free download when you bought in online or something. Or just make a new album, soon, and I'll forgive them. I don't think I could stay mad at them for long. It's like when your adorable new puppy eats a shoe. Yeah, you're pissed, but you know they'll grow out of it. I want to rub Less Than Jake's nose in this album.
So, long story short, beg, borrow, or steal this album. It's not worth your $5.99 (MP3 Download) or $7.99 (album). Actually, you can listen to the whole thing over on their Myspace. For long time fans, it's another notch in the collection and something you can show your friends (the cover art is pretty fun), but not something you'll be listening to repeatedly.
I'm sorry, Less Than Jake. :( I still love you. I hope we can still be friends. C
Still, make sure to check out their site for all the good news.
I don't mean to sound critical, but LTJ is definitely on my list of favorite bands of all time. So, what are they doing? Yes, it's fun, it's campy, and they love them some cover songs, but I would have much rather had one or two of these per album on subsequent albums, rather than 16 songs that I've already heard all lumped into one. They have come out with an album of original material since 2008's GNV FLA, and it's sad, dammit.
What I love about Less Then Jake is their absolute dedication to making the best album possible (also, live shows. They're fucking incredible live) and this just seems like a half-assed effort to keep their name on the lips of fans. Well, we're already fans and we'd like some actual music, thanks.
From the standpoint that this is a real album, well, I'm not interested. From the standpoint that this is just something fun that they did to fill the time until a real album comes out, like I said, it's fun and silly and campy. I mean, they do that pirate credit report commercial song, which is rad. And the Malcolm in the Middle song. And the That 70's Show theme song. On the other hand, they do the Scooby Doo and Spongebob Squarepants themes. Like those haven't been done 2384502938502935 times already.
I am disappointed in Less Than Jake for the first time in my life. This is not okay, you guys. They should have made an original album and made this a free download when you bought in online or something. Or just make a new album, soon, and I'll forgive them. I don't think I could stay mad at them for long. It's like when your adorable new puppy eats a shoe. Yeah, you're pissed, but you know they'll grow out of it. I want to rub Less Than Jake's nose in this album.
So, long story short, beg, borrow, or steal this album. It's not worth your $5.99 (MP3 Download) or $7.99 (album). Actually, you can listen to the whole thing over on their Myspace. For long time fans, it's another notch in the collection and something you can show your friends (the cover art is pretty fun), but not something you'll be listening to repeatedly.
I'm sorry, Less Than Jake. :( I still love you. I hope we can still be friends. C
Still, make sure to check out their site for all the good news.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Go Periscope - Mixtape
And know what's super awesome about it? It's free and you can go download it here right now!
It opens with the anthem "She Gets Around The World", a party time mashup of the popular Daft Punk track, with the guys adding their own vocals, which sets the tone for the rest of the album. There's quite a few mashups actually, including a kick ass track featuring their hit "Crush Me" and Bass Kleph's "Spend My Money" as well as the sexy mashup of "Yesterday's Chemistry" vs. The Glitch Mob's "Drive It Like You Stole It". There's also quite a few remixes including "Binary Love" from Blake Lewis, "Fourth of July" by Kelis and "When She Turns 18" from Christian TV.
Definitely check it out. What have you got to lose? It's FREE! Make sure to check out the guys' website for all the latest news, tracks, and general fun. B!
"Spend My Money"
Friday, August 27, 2010
Morcheeba - Blood Like Lemonade
Finally, finally, FINALLY...the boys of Morcheeba have brought back Skye Edwards. While I'm also a Daisy Martey fan, there's just something about Skye Edwards and Morcheeba that can't be changed. It's like her voice was meant for the music and the other way around.
Not since bits of pieces of Charango, have I heard such soul out of Morcheeba. Fragments of Freedom rocked my world for the most part, but it just wasn't what I expected and it certainly didn't sound like the Morcheeba that I've come to know and love. And shit, Dive Deep was just a catastrophe. Who let them release that? It was incoherent at best and downright bad at the worst.
While listening to this album, it's hard to believe that it's new. I prefer to think of it as a lost album that should have been released after Big Calm. It's has the maturity of a progressive flow of music, it's just a bit (well, five years) past it's time. They say that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to be able to find your way up...well, Dive Deep was the bottom of that well and their new release, Blood Like Lemonade is the very first handhold for the climb back up. I hope we can only continue climbing from here on out.
This album's got some seriously eerie undertones, but they blend so, so well with Edwards' languid vocals. Everything from vikings to vampires to middle class murders oozes it's way into this album, making it the perfect addition to welcoming fall, in my book.
Oh god, oh god, OH GOD! "Mandala". There's not even Skye's vocals on this one, but it's like her seduction has worked it's way into the Godfrey brothers' souls. They've returned to the irresistible formula of jazzy, trip hop beats, lush vocals, a major lounge factor, and just enough funk to keep you coming back for more (as seen in another semi-instrumental, "Cut to the Chase"). The vocal tracks, well, they involve Skye Edwards, so I'm down. The only song that falls a little flat is "I Am the Spring", and for a 13 track album, that's a pretty good number. As a whole, the album does lack the faster-paced tracks of it's predecessors, but it's got it's own thing going on. It's cohesive, well rounded, and smooth. Oh, so very smooth. For long time listeners, you'll feel like you're right back in 1998. For the new listeners, this is just the album that will prompt you to dive head-long in the wonderment that is Morcheeba. It's really a win-win for everyone involved, so definitely check it out! B
You can actually check it out now, streaming for free on Myspace. Be sure to check the website for all the latest news, as well.
Not since bits of pieces of Charango, have I heard such soul out of Morcheeba. Fragments of Freedom rocked my world for the most part, but it just wasn't what I expected and it certainly didn't sound like the Morcheeba that I've come to know and love. And shit, Dive Deep was just a catastrophe. Who let them release that? It was incoherent at best and downright bad at the worst.
While listening to this album, it's hard to believe that it's new. I prefer to think of it as a lost album that should have been released after Big Calm. It's has the maturity of a progressive flow of music, it's just a bit (well, five years) past it's time. They say that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to be able to find your way up...well, Dive Deep was the bottom of that well and their new release, Blood Like Lemonade is the very first handhold for the climb back up. I hope we can only continue climbing from here on out.
This album's got some seriously eerie undertones, but they blend so, so well with Edwards' languid vocals. Everything from vikings to vampires to middle class murders oozes it's way into this album, making it the perfect addition to welcoming fall, in my book.
Oh god, oh god, OH GOD! "Mandala". There's not even Skye's vocals on this one, but it's like her seduction has worked it's way into the Godfrey brothers' souls. They've returned to the irresistible formula of jazzy, trip hop beats, lush vocals, a major lounge factor, and just enough funk to keep you coming back for more (as seen in another semi-instrumental, "Cut to the Chase"). The vocal tracks, well, they involve Skye Edwards, so I'm down. The only song that falls a little flat is "I Am the Spring", and for a 13 track album, that's a pretty good number. As a whole, the album does lack the faster-paced tracks of it's predecessors, but it's got it's own thing going on. It's cohesive, well rounded, and smooth. Oh, so very smooth. For long time listeners, you'll feel like you're right back in 1998. For the new listeners, this is just the album that will prompt you to dive head-long in the wonderment that is Morcheeba. It's really a win-win for everyone involved, so definitely check it out! B
You can actually check it out now, streaming for free on Myspace. Be sure to check the website for all the latest news, as well.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Angus and Julia Stone - Down the Way
Aussies Angus and Julia Stone actually released their sophomore, self-produced album, Down the Way back in March, but hey, I'm running a little behind. A brother/sister band, a la The White Stripes, they've spend the previous three years touring the world, promoting their debut album, A Book Like This, and finally made it back into the studio (and old sawmill on the river banks of Cornwall, and water tank in Coolangatta, and their second home in London, and Queens, New York, for that matter) to release this gem of an album.
Starting from a musical family including another older sister (who I guess didn't make the cut for the band?), Angus and Julia have been collaborating since the early days, including in their father's school band. They didn't really do it professionally until about 2006. Before then, they were both performing, but mostly solo acts at open mic nights. Actually, they still kind of do their own solo things. Angus released a solo album, Smoking Gun, under the name Lady of the Sunshine in 2009, and Julia's working on her own, The Memory Machine.
As for them together...well, it's awesome. It still has the minimal element of A Book Like This, though just ever so slightly fuller. With a new variety of instruments including banjos and harmonicas, more complex arrangements, and a boost of confidence, they fill over an hour with thirteen beautifully composed songs. Juxtaposed, yet complimentary, the siblings alternate vocals. From Julia's fragile, delicate vocals reminiscent of Emiliana Torrini or Karin Bergquist (Over the Rhine) to Angus' slightly tougher vocals. There's a sense of...roots, folk, whatever you want to call it to this album that I haven't really heard since The Decemberist's Hazards of Love, and it's just remarkable. It's quiet and introspective and really just quite beautiful. Definitely check it out. B
PS: Make sure to check out their website, because it's super awesome.
Starting from a musical family including another older sister (who I guess didn't make the cut for the band?), Angus and Julia have been collaborating since the early days, including in their father's school band. They didn't really do it professionally until about 2006. Before then, they were both performing, but mostly solo acts at open mic nights. Actually, they still kind of do their own solo things. Angus released a solo album, Smoking Gun, under the name Lady of the Sunshine in 2009, and Julia's working on her own, The Memory Machine.
As for them together...well, it's awesome. It still has the minimal element of A Book Like This, though just ever so slightly fuller. With a new variety of instruments including banjos and harmonicas, more complex arrangements, and a boost of confidence, they fill over an hour with thirteen beautifully composed songs. Juxtaposed, yet complimentary, the siblings alternate vocals. From Julia's fragile, delicate vocals reminiscent of Emiliana Torrini or Karin Bergquist (Over the Rhine) to Angus' slightly tougher vocals. There's a sense of...roots, folk, whatever you want to call it to this album that I haven't really heard since The Decemberist's Hazards of Love, and it's just remarkable. It's quiet and introspective and really just quite beautiful. Definitely check it out. B
PS: Make sure to check out their website, because it's super awesome.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Chemical Brothers - Further
Oh, hey there, 1996, what's goin' on? It's been a while. Nice to see you're making a come back.
So, the Chemical Brothers have released their new album, Further, and well...it's pretty awesome, actually. It seems like 2007's We Are the Night was a hiccup in a pretty linear growth in music. Not that it was a bad album, it just wasn't nearly as cohesive as previous efforts from the British electronic duo.
(Wait, side note, can I just say how awesome it is to actually be blogging again?! And here, I was worried. Shit, it's like riding a bike...)
Further starts off a little abstract with "Snow". A glitchy, feedback ridden track, it's definitely in their more psychedelic niche. The album quickly dives into what made the Chemical Brothers a household name in electronic music, a recognizable formula of synth and beats. Just enough to keep you moving, but not enough to make your heart explode, a la Happy Hardcore. While this album does get the blood thumping, it is missing the usual slamming, driving track like the infamous "Block Rockin' Beats" or "Star Guitar". Also missing from this album are predominant vocals and big name collaborations. Not that I'm really, missing them, though.
After We Are the Night and Push the Button, I think it was just better for them to tear down and rebuild, rather than trying to add on. A lot of this album is back to basics, experimental electronic music, which is never a bad thing. Not back to basics as in break beats, but back to basics as in this is pure, electronic music. Simple, not boring. As for the vocals, they feature American singer-songwriter Stephanie Dosen in a few, spacey tracks, which she's perfect for. There is not a chorus to be found on this album, only chants and whispers.
Among the best tracks on the album are "Escape Velocity", a twelve minute expanse of...build. That's what this track is all about, and it's flawless. Jesus, after making music for twenty years, they better get that shit right. It's perfect. It's one of those tracks and before you know it, you're groovin' right along. And then there's "Wonders of the Deep", which is very reminiscent of the David Guetta/David Bowie situation on "Just For One Day (Heroes) [Extended Version]". Not in the vocal sense, but the musical sense.
If you've ever, and I mean EVER, enjoyed the Chemical Brothers, check out this album. It's a throw back to the golden days of early EDM, which makes me just the tiniest bit nostalgic. It would fit right in on that old school electronic play list. You can check out all eight tracks for free over on their Myspace. B
You can also check out their site for more info.
"Escape Velocity"
(Another side note: God, it's nice to have working videos. I don't think Blogspot could have made it more annoying to import videos/music. That's why I just gave up on them!)
So, the Chemical Brothers have released their new album, Further, and well...it's pretty awesome, actually. It seems like 2007's We Are the Night was a hiccup in a pretty linear growth in music. Not that it was a bad album, it just wasn't nearly as cohesive as previous efforts from the British electronic duo.
(Wait, side note, can I just say how awesome it is to actually be blogging again?! And here, I was worried. Shit, it's like riding a bike...)
Further starts off a little abstract with "Snow". A glitchy, feedback ridden track, it's definitely in their more psychedelic niche. The album quickly dives into what made the Chemical Brothers a household name in electronic music, a recognizable formula of synth and beats. Just enough to keep you moving, but not enough to make your heart explode, a la Happy Hardcore. While this album does get the blood thumping, it is missing the usual slamming, driving track like the infamous "Block Rockin' Beats" or "Star Guitar". Also missing from this album are predominant vocals and big name collaborations. Not that I'm really, missing them, though.
After We Are the Night and Push the Button, I think it was just better for them to tear down and rebuild, rather than trying to add on. A lot of this album is back to basics, experimental electronic music, which is never a bad thing. Not back to basics as in break beats, but back to basics as in this is pure, electronic music. Simple, not boring. As for the vocals, they feature American singer-songwriter Stephanie Dosen in a few, spacey tracks, which she's perfect for. There is not a chorus to be found on this album, only chants and whispers.
Among the best tracks on the album are "Escape Velocity", a twelve minute expanse of...build. That's what this track is all about, and it's flawless. Jesus, after making music for twenty years, they better get that shit right. It's perfect. It's one of those tracks and before you know it, you're groovin' right along. And then there's "Wonders of the Deep", which is very reminiscent of the David Guetta/David Bowie situation on "Just For One Day (Heroes) [Extended Version]". Not in the vocal sense, but the musical sense.
If you've ever, and I mean EVER, enjoyed the Chemical Brothers, check out this album. It's a throw back to the golden days of early EDM, which makes me just the tiniest bit nostalgic. It would fit right in on that old school electronic play list. You can check out all eight tracks for free over on their Myspace. B
You can also check out their site for more info.
"Escape Velocity"
(Another side note: God, it's nice to have working videos. I don't think Blogspot could have made it more annoying to import videos/music. That's why I just gave up on them!)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Ozomatli – Fire Away
Ozomatli is starting off summer right with their fifth studio album, Fire Away (conveniently released on 4/20 *snicker snicker*). This is the album you should be listening to while drinking beer on your porch and getting a little rowdy. Fifteen years of making music and they can still kick ass as much as they do. Pretty impressive. I’m not even what is affectionately referred to as an “Ozohead”, but I can certainly appreciate a good time.
Ozomatli are one of those bands where there’s just so much going on, it’s bound to break down into a cacophony of funk sometimes, which can be a little overwhelming, but for this time of year, it’s juuuuuuust right. The categorically eclectic jam-band infuses their flavors of salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rock and more into a upbeat, raucous album full of incredible horns, beats, and vocals.
From the beer swigging “45″ to the laid back 50′s inspired “Gay Vatos In Love” to the ska driven “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” to their collaboration with Jack Johnson “It’s Only Paper”, this album is just spectacular. Of course, when you have seven to ten members at any given time, you might as well have a full, delicious sound. This album is certainly an “I Have To Be In the Mood” album, but when I’m in that mood, this certainly hits the spot. It’s driving around with all the windows down music. It’s happy, summer, friend-filled good times. This album seems to drop some of the tones of activism featured on previous albums, but I really don’t mind. That’s not everything that they are. We still hear a little bit of that history in “Malagasy Shock” and “Caballito”, though.
Additionally, there’s very few down-tempo tracks on this album, which you may want to skip for that raging block party. Only “Love Comes Down” and “It’s Only Time”, really. On the plus side, they’ll be great to listen to in the morning when your head feels like it’s going to explode and you’re praying to the porcelain gods.
All in all, it’s a pretty good album and they couldn’t have picked a better time to release it. Start your summer off right…get a case, a few friends, and this album. Enjoy. B
Check it out over on their Myspace.
Ozomatli are one of those bands where there’s just so much going on, it’s bound to break down into a cacophony of funk sometimes, which can be a little overwhelming, but for this time of year, it’s juuuuuuust right. The categorically eclectic jam-band infuses their flavors of salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rock and more into a upbeat, raucous album full of incredible horns, beats, and vocals.
From the beer swigging “45″ to the laid back 50′s inspired “Gay Vatos In Love” to the ska driven “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” to their collaboration with Jack Johnson “It’s Only Paper”, this album is just spectacular. Of course, when you have seven to ten members at any given time, you might as well have a full, delicious sound. This album is certainly an “I Have To Be In the Mood” album, but when I’m in that mood, this certainly hits the spot. It’s driving around with all the windows down music. It’s happy, summer, friend-filled good times. This album seems to drop some of the tones of activism featured on previous albums, but I really don’t mind. That’s not everything that they are. We still hear a little bit of that history in “Malagasy Shock” and “Caballito”, though.
Additionally, there’s very few down-tempo tracks on this album, which you may want to skip for that raging block party. Only “Love Comes Down” and “It’s Only Time”, really. On the plus side, they’ll be great to listen to in the morning when your head feels like it’s going to explode and you’re praying to the porcelain gods.
All in all, it’s a pretty good album and they couldn’t have picked a better time to release it. Start your summer off right…get a case, a few friends, and this album. Enjoy. B
Check it out over on their Myspace.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
She & Him – Volume Two
If nothing else, I have learned something from She & Him’s new album, Volume Two (so original, eh? Who’da thunk up that one after a debut album named Volume One?). I have learned that I really, really, really detest Zooey Deschanel. Really.
Her adorable “quirkiness” is such a fucking marketing ploy. Honestly…what has she ever actually excelled in? Her acting is mediocre at best. She’s as monotonous as Ben Stein but without the humor. And her singing…oh, the singing. Does she fill her mouth with marbles before recording? Does she eat a lot of crackers? What the hell can you even do to make a person sound like that!?
On the other hand, I’m a huge fan of M. Ward’s music, even if he is a pretentious asshole. He won’t even let fans snap pictures at shows anymore. Seriously? Maybe rock star was a poor choice of career for you, buddy. Go hang out with Vampire Weekend.
Well, onto the album. Honestly, I listened to the first minute of every track because that’s all that I could stand. It’s a no good, terrible, very bad album. I can’t give you an honest review because I couldn’t bring myself to listen to it all the way through. Not even once. Not even a little bit.
If Zooey Deschanel doesn’t make you want to blow your brains out, then you might be okay with this album. Hell, if you’re a tasteless hipster, you might even enjoy this album.
I vote for more Him, less She. And to Zooey Deschanel: stop ruining music. Between you, Butch Walker, and Johnny Depp, I won’t have anything left to enjoy! D
Her adorable “quirkiness” is such a fucking marketing ploy. Honestly…what has she ever actually excelled in? Her acting is mediocre at best. She’s as monotonous as Ben Stein but without the humor. And her singing…oh, the singing. Does she fill her mouth with marbles before recording? Does she eat a lot of crackers? What the hell can you even do to make a person sound like that!?
On the other hand, I’m a huge fan of M. Ward’s music, even if he is a pretentious asshole. He won’t even let fans snap pictures at shows anymore. Seriously? Maybe rock star was a poor choice of career for you, buddy. Go hang out with Vampire Weekend.
Well, onto the album. Honestly, I listened to the first minute of every track because that’s all that I could stand. It’s a no good, terrible, very bad album. I can’t give you an honest review because I couldn’t bring myself to listen to it all the way through. Not even once. Not even a little bit.
If Zooey Deschanel doesn’t make you want to blow your brains out, then you might be okay with this album. Hell, if you’re a tasteless hipster, you might even enjoy this album.
I vote for more Him, less She. And to Zooey Deschanel: stop ruining music. Between you, Butch Walker, and Johnny Depp, I won’t have anything left to enjoy! D
HI! I'm Zooey Deschanel and I fail at LIFE!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
What started out as yet another one of Damon Albarn’s side projects has become Gorillaz’ third studio album, Plastic Beach.
Far from tracks like “Feel Good, Inc.”, “DARE”, and “19-2000″, this album is much more low key and quite frankly, doesn’t sound a damn bit like Gorillaz. There is absolutely no discernible, in your face dance track on this album, but it’s full of funky, hip-hop beats and orchestral undertones. You actually hear Albarn very little on this album, only on a few tracks including “Rhinestone Eyes”, “Broken”, and “On Melancholy Hill”. For the rest of the album, he passes the microphone to any number of collaborators including Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, De La Soul, Little Dragon, Lou Reed, and Bobby Womack.
Gorillaz has always been a whirlwind of artistic motions… collaborative efforts of musicians, filmmakers, cartoonists, and more lend hand to making these albums. Though it may have been primarily produced by Albern, there’s a lot of hands in that pot.
This album is full of cultural references, mostly to do with ecology and consumerism.
From Paul Morley:
“The first time Albarn went to Mali, he was taken to a landfill where he saw people “taking every little bit, a little bit of fabric to the fabric regenerators, or the metal and the cans to the ironsmiths and the aluminum recyclers, and it goes on and by the time you get to the road, they’re selling stuff.” When Albarn went to a landfill outside of London to record the sound of seagulls for the album, he noticed a juxtaposition between the way the two countries dealt with rubbish. “They’ve got more snakes… like adders, grass snakes, slow worms, toads, frogs, newts, all kinds of rodents, all kinds of squirrels, a massive amount of squirrels, a massive amount of foxes, and obviously, seagulls. [...] This is part of the new ecology. And for the first time I saw the world in a new way. I’ve always felt, I’m trying to get across on this new record, the idea that plastic, we see it as being against nature but it’s come out of nature. We didn’t create plastic, nature created plastic. And just seeing the snakes like living in the warmth of decomposing plastic bags. They like it. It was a strange kind of optimism that I felt… but trying to get that into pop music is a challenge, anyway. But important.”
So not only has Albarn created yet another amazing Gorillaz album, he’s again filled it with actual meaning and story. There’s always a story. In a world where so much meaningless pop drivel is pumped out, it’s refreshing to see something a little more driven.
Once you get over the fact that this album sounds nothing actually like Gorillaz, it’s a really good album. You can check it out, streaming on their Myspace now. B
Far from tracks like “Feel Good, Inc.”, “DARE”, and “19-2000″, this album is much more low key and quite frankly, doesn’t sound a damn bit like Gorillaz. There is absolutely no discernible, in your face dance track on this album, but it’s full of funky, hip-hop beats and orchestral undertones. You actually hear Albarn very little on this album, only on a few tracks including “Rhinestone Eyes”, “Broken”, and “On Melancholy Hill”. For the rest of the album, he passes the microphone to any number of collaborators including Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, De La Soul, Little Dragon, Lou Reed, and Bobby Womack.
Gorillaz has always been a whirlwind of artistic motions… collaborative efforts of musicians, filmmakers, cartoonists, and more lend hand to making these albums. Though it may have been primarily produced by Albern, there’s a lot of hands in that pot.
This album is full of cultural references, mostly to do with ecology and consumerism.
From Paul Morley:
“The first time Albarn went to Mali, he was taken to a landfill where he saw people “taking every little bit, a little bit of fabric to the fabric regenerators, or the metal and the cans to the ironsmiths and the aluminum recyclers, and it goes on and by the time you get to the road, they’re selling stuff.” When Albarn went to a landfill outside of London to record the sound of seagulls for the album, he noticed a juxtaposition between the way the two countries dealt with rubbish. “They’ve got more snakes… like adders, grass snakes, slow worms, toads, frogs, newts, all kinds of rodents, all kinds of squirrels, a massive amount of squirrels, a massive amount of foxes, and obviously, seagulls. [...] This is part of the new ecology. And for the first time I saw the world in a new way. I’ve always felt, I’m trying to get across on this new record, the idea that plastic, we see it as being against nature but it’s come out of nature. We didn’t create plastic, nature created plastic. And just seeing the snakes like living in the warmth of decomposing plastic bags. They like it. It was a strange kind of optimism that I felt… but trying to get that into pop music is a challenge, anyway. But important.”
So not only has Albarn created yet another amazing Gorillaz album, he’s again filled it with actual meaning and story. There’s always a story. In a world where so much meaningless pop drivel is pumped out, it’s refreshing to see something a little more driven.
Once you get over the fact that this album sounds nothing actually like Gorillaz, it’s a really good album. You can check it out, streaming on their Myspace now. B
Monday, February 15, 2010
The Soft Pack – Self Titled
Oooooooh, I know what I’ll be singing into my hairbrush and dancing like Molly Ringwald to later…The Soft Pack’s new, self-titled album released earlier this month. Formerly “The Muslims”, looks like the boys of The Soft Pack finally grew up enough to know that controversy isn’t all that grand. Thankfully, their music hasn’t changed. It’s still that gritty “I don’t give a fuck” punk with a little bit of SoCo surfer and just a sprinkling of garage rock.
Formerly of San Diego, the Los Angeles residents seem to finally be making it to the main scene and I think the new name really helps. Post 9/11, you get a lot of ignorant assholes out there. According to the band, when they formed, the name meant “nothing to them”. Well, it certainly means something to everyone else now.
Anyway, this album’s awesome. This album reeks of cassette tapes and cigarettes and hair glue. It’s delicious. It’s got it’s poppier numbers such as the opener, “C’mon”, vaguely reminiscent of The Strokes. What ever happened to those guys, anyway? On the other side, it’s got grittier, garage rock tracks like “Answer to Yourself”.
It’s excellently…simple. It takes rock and roll to a stripped down level of just the very best parts. With basic guitars and too-cool-to-care vocals, you really don’t need much else to make a good punk album.
The quartet is currently touring over in Europe, but I’d love to catch them live. This albums seems like it would translate into a great, energetic show. The kind that makes life-long fans, even if you’ve never heard of The Muslims. Check ‘em out! B
The Soft Pack’s Site
Formerly of San Diego, the Los Angeles residents seem to finally be making it to the main scene and I think the new name really helps. Post 9/11, you get a lot of ignorant assholes out there. According to the band, when they formed, the name meant “nothing to them”. Well, it certainly means something to everyone else now.
Anyway, this album’s awesome. This album reeks of cassette tapes and cigarettes and hair glue. It’s delicious. It’s got it’s poppier numbers such as the opener, “C’mon”, vaguely reminiscent of The Strokes. What ever happened to those guys, anyway? On the other side, it’s got grittier, garage rock tracks like “Answer to Yourself”.
It’s excellently…simple. It takes rock and roll to a stripped down level of just the very best parts. With basic guitars and too-cool-to-care vocals, you really don’t need much else to make a good punk album.
The quartet is currently touring over in Europe, but I’d love to catch them live. This albums seems like it would translate into a great, energetic show. The kind that makes life-long fans, even if you’ve never heard of The Muslims. Check ‘em out! B
The Soft Pack’s Site
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sade – Soldier of Love
Yesterday marked the release of Sade’s first album in ten years, Soldiers of Love. This album is…terrible. It’s just SO BORING. It’s painful. This album is good for two things: 1.) Sappy love scenes in really bad movies and 2.) Elevators. I can see this being played in a lot of elevators. Slinky saxophone, simple beats, and Sade’s smooth vocals take me right back to 1984, and that’s never a good thing. “Smooth Operator”. The entire album sounds like “Smooth Operator”.
And seriously, there is a track on here called “Babyfather”. No joke there, folks. Is this a more classy way of saying “Babydaddy”? Is that a bad rap song yet? You think for only releasing six albums in almost thirty years…it would be better. It would be different. It should have evolved by now.
On the plus side, they’re still making music after thirty years. None of them have been in the news for sex addiction or a heroin problem. And, it’s remarkably well produced. Well, by all means, they should’ve gotten their practice by now. Also, I think this album has…mix-ability. I could see some sort of trip-hop collab goin’ on there. Someone, please remix this album. It could be nothing but an improvement.
If you like Sade, you might like this album. Probably because it sounds like EVERY OTHER ALBUM she’s ever done. Six albums of the same songs. Ugh. D
Sade’s Site
And seriously, there is a track on here called “Babyfather”. No joke there, folks. Is this a more classy way of saying “Babydaddy”? Is that a bad rap song yet? You think for only releasing six albums in almost thirty years…it would be better. It would be different. It should have evolved by now.
On the plus side, they’re still making music after thirty years. None of them have been in the news for sex addiction or a heroin problem. And, it’s remarkably well produced. Well, by all means, they should’ve gotten their practice by now. Also, I think this album has…mix-ability. I could see some sort of trip-hop collab goin’ on there. Someone, please remix this album. It could be nothing but an improvement.
If you like Sade, you might like this album. Probably because it sounds like EVERY OTHER ALBUM she’s ever done. Six albums of the same songs. Ugh. D
Sade’s Site
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Massive Attack – Heligoland
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Massive Attack’s new album, Heligoland came out today!!! In case you couldn’t tell, I’m just a wee bit excited. It’s gonna be a great week (or couple of weeks), folks! There’s so much new stuff coming out and people coming out of the woodwork. Ooooh, it’s gonna be good, so stay tuned.
Anyway, on to today’s album at hand, Massive Attack’s Heligoland. After seven long years, the Bristol collaboration has released their fifth studio album, named after the German archipelago and it is pretty damn sweet.
After 100th Window, I have to admit that I was a little concerned for the once threesome that was Massive Attack. They were disappearing literally and figuratively. Down to just Robert “3D” del Naja, this album was barely a whisper after the bang that was the guitar laden Mezzanine.
This album is liquid trip hop, fluid yet synthetic in only ways that Massive Attack can manage. They were on the forefront of trip-hop, paving the way with artists like Portishead (Adrian Utley stops by for a collab on Heligoland, BTW) and Tricky. This album is beautiful. Utterly, amazingly beautiful.
Once again, it’s got the all star cast that Massive Attack has no trouble rousting about, including long time collaborator Horace Andy, Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio, Damon Albarn of Gorillaz, Hope Sandoval, Guy Garvey of Elbow and Martina Topley-Bird. And that’s just the vocalists. In the way of musicians, they have Portishead collaborator John Baggott, Neil Davidge, and Billy Fuller of Beak.
It’s shaping up to have all of the elements that make me love Massive Attack…breathy vocals, distorted guitar, lavish string arrangements, flourishes of grand piano, and shifting basslines. The combination of reggae and trip hop beats is always just…perfect. It’s deliciously experimental. While electronic, it’s certainly not a dance album. This album is something else entirely. It’s velvet for the ears.
I’m so glad that after seven years, this album didn’t suck. I was really afraid of a Trent Reznor situation (aka: long break then everything seriously sucking for…well, ever, after that).
And you know what…after all of that, the deluxe second disc of this album is EVEN BETTER. The six track remix album features mixes by Gui Borrato, Tim Goldsworthy, Ryuichi Sakamoto & Yukihiro Takahashi, She Is Danger, and Breakage. Gui Borrato’s mix of “Paradise Circus” is just…sick. It’s sick. It’s awesome.
Slamming, sexy beats. Mmmm. Definitely check out this album AND the remix disc. I don’t think one would be nearly as good without the other. It’s the peanut butter and jelly of Massive Attack’s career. B
Massive Attack's Site
Anyway, on to today’s album at hand, Massive Attack’s Heligoland. After seven long years, the Bristol collaboration has released their fifth studio album, named after the German archipelago and it is pretty damn sweet.
After 100th Window, I have to admit that I was a little concerned for the once threesome that was Massive Attack. They were disappearing literally and figuratively. Down to just Robert “3D” del Naja, this album was barely a whisper after the bang that was the guitar laden Mezzanine.
This album is liquid trip hop, fluid yet synthetic in only ways that Massive Attack can manage. They were on the forefront of trip-hop, paving the way with artists like Portishead (Adrian Utley stops by for a collab on Heligoland, BTW) and Tricky. This album is beautiful. Utterly, amazingly beautiful.
Once again, it’s got the all star cast that Massive Attack has no trouble rousting about, including long time collaborator Horace Andy, Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio, Damon Albarn of Gorillaz, Hope Sandoval, Guy Garvey of Elbow and Martina Topley-Bird. And that’s just the vocalists. In the way of musicians, they have Portishead collaborator John Baggott, Neil Davidge, and Billy Fuller of Beak.
It’s shaping up to have all of the elements that make me love Massive Attack…breathy vocals, distorted guitar, lavish string arrangements, flourishes of grand piano, and shifting basslines. The combination of reggae and trip hop beats is always just…perfect. It’s deliciously experimental. While electronic, it’s certainly not a dance album. This album is something else entirely. It’s velvet for the ears.
I’m so glad that after seven years, this album didn’t suck. I was really afraid of a Trent Reznor situation (aka: long break then everything seriously sucking for…well, ever, after that).
And you know what…after all of that, the deluxe second disc of this album is EVEN BETTER. The six track remix album features mixes by Gui Borrato, Tim Goldsworthy, Ryuichi Sakamoto & Yukihiro Takahashi, She Is Danger, and Breakage. Gui Borrato’s mix of “Paradise Circus” is just…sick. It’s sick. It’s awesome.
Slamming, sexy beats. Mmmm. Definitely check out this album AND the remix disc. I don’t think one would be nearly as good without the other. It’s the peanut butter and jelly of Massive Attack’s career. B
Massive Attack's Site
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