Politician - A Blog for Rock Music Articles, Reviews, and Revelations

Hello Lovelies...

2009-04-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything, but I plan on coming back! The past few months of school have been challenging. But a good challenge. Now that the summer is coming and I won't be so busy, I'll be able to catch up on 2009 music. I admit, the only album I've listened to thus far is Lily Allen's It's Not Me, It's You. Sad, isn't it? But fear not, I plan on reviewing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Strange Boys, the Decemberists, Death, Silversun Pickups, Pearl Jam, Dan Auerbach, Kanye West, Cat Power, Bruce Springsteen, Franz Ferdinand, Andrew Bird, Diplo, Umphrey McGee, Heartless Bastards, Ben Kweller, Fall Out Boy, Animal Collective, Glasvegas, Titus Andronicus, Deerhunter, and anything else you would like. Make requests!

See you soon,
Stephen

Keane - Perfect Symmetry

2008-10-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

Perfect Symmetry (2008, Island) Keane's third studio album. ***

Radical departures are usually a curse. But when you're a band that doesn't have much to lose (beyond your fanbase), there isn't much harm in trying. Train hasn't learned this lesson, and the Killers did the hard way; they sacrificed undeserved critical praise to get more airtime on MTV with Sam's Town. Keane, however, couldn't make another pseudo-meaningful album without everyone going "You're gayer than Coldplay." So what did they do? Take a trip back to the 80's.

The band comes bursting in with the opener "Spiralling," a whirlwind of energy wrapped neatly into a potential radio-friendly single. It's a fog of synths, interlooping and loud, with Tom Chaplin's vocals soaring above it all. It's this kind of energy that is hard to attain in earnest, and even harder to maintain. That's where Keane fails. Perfect Symmetry certainly has fine moments, but its relentlessness in trying to keep an eleven-track album bursting and bubbling with new wave excitement is too tiring, even for the band themselves. The middle of the album sags when mediocre songs like "Playing Along" come up. An "A" for the effort, but the transformation didn't completely pay off. But as I always say, I salute Keane for trying something new.

The Streets - Everything is Borrowed

2008-10-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

Everything is Borrowed (2008, 679) The Streets' fourth studio album. **1/2

Mike Skinner, better known as his alias the Streets, tries to hit hard with Everything is Borrowed. He brings up plenty of issues; religion, global warming, danger of right-wing politics, just to name a few. His delivery is less than spectacular. Not only is his heavy British accent annoying, he even fails to come up with interesting background music, which is supposed to help distinguish hip-hop from rap. On top of all this, Skinner's style is lazy, more like an average slam poetry convention but without the passion. Sure, there's an interesting synth progression on the opening track, but beyond that he fails to do anything that interesting. His 'messages' are less than interesting and have been said far better. So what's left? A meaningless entry by a near-meaningless artist.

Inside Music Album Guide - 10/23/08

2008-10-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

Inside Music Album Guide
Jenny Lewis’s tongue is sharp, Anberlin are emo… still
By Stephen Mason

Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue (Warner Bros.) 4.5 out of 5
Taking a break from her main group, Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis has decided to take a rootsier route with Acid Tongue, an album full of folk, southern rock, and even alternative country. It’s a strange transition for sure, but Lewis’s second studio album may be better than anything she’s done with Rilo Kiley. After the epic nine-minute “New Messiah,” a series of amazing moments happen. The rollicking “See Fernando” and “Jack Killed Mom,” the piano ballad “Godspeed” topped with upper-register vocals, and the album’s title track, a simple acoustic song that someone like Neil Young will have wished he wrote. Acid Tongue is an amazing statement by one of rock’s more underrated female stars.

The Streets – Everything is Borrowed (679) 2.5 out of 5
Apart from the interesting synthesizer progression on the opening number, Everything is Borrowed finds the Streets – an alternative hip-hop artist named Mike Skinner from Britain – saying things that have been said better. It’s obvious he doesn’t care too much for right-wing politics or religion, but even his bigger statements (“The Way of the Dodo”) only create cringes. Skinner’s heavy accent distracts from his messages, especially when he decides to sing. It’s not a travesty, but it’s certainly nothing bold as he might want us to think.

Keane – Perfect Symmetry (Island) 3 out of 5
Groups like the Killers brought new wave “back,” and groups like OK Go made dorkiness cool. Keane is somewhere in between, as they’ve fully adopted the cheesy sounds of the 80’s and are trying to embrace being quirky, but still take themselves too seriously. It was passable with songs like “Somewhere Only We Know,” but when you create an album driven by synths, trying to appear noteworthy is difficult. The energy that Keane has works for a short while, as “Spiralling” and “The Lovers are Losing” start things off in style. But that level of energy is hard to obtain and hard to keep going without seeming drab, and Keane can’t quite pull it off. If they aren’t onto anything altogether groundbreaking, they’re at least entertaining… for a few moments, at least.

Anberlin – New Surrender (Universal) 2 out of 5
Emo is a fad. I wish I could have written “was”. Even bands like Fall Out Boy have begun to back into more pop and punk influences (as heard on Infinity On High). Anberlin, however, stand strong – in the sense that they haven’t changed their sound. If they could get any louder, they did. If they could get any faster, they did. If they could get more annoying… well, they did that, too. New Surrender is a by-the-numbers emo album chockfull of three-to-four minute tunes that never amount to anything more than they’ve already done. Experimentation into the unknown isn’t necessary to progress as a band, it can be done in subtle ways. Cranking the amps to “11” isn’t one of them.

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue

2008-10-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

Acid Tongue (2008, Warner Bros.) Jenny Lewis's second studio album. ****1/2

Somewhere down the Rilo Kiley road Jenny Lewis realized she wanted - and was able - to do more than just indie rock. And so for her second solo album, Acid Tongue, she dabbles with alternative country and southern rock, garnering from all the spirits of the late 60's and early 70's, as there are bits of Janis Joplin, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, and Delaney & Bonnie (among countless others) scattered all over this album. Lewis isn't without her own voice, though, as she masterfully crafts stories into every song.

Things start off with the relatively peaceful "Black Sand," and this peace is only interrupted by the eight-minute "Next Messiah," a sprawling, evolving number backed by three distinct sections that, while not seamless, are nonetheless engaging. Things truly become interesting with the title track, performed with an acoustic guitar and with backup harmonies as lovely as CSNY. Lewis's brilliant decision to leave the song as bare as it is gives it all the personality it needs; a story of a troubled woman trying to get out, alone and cold. The far more energetic "See Fernando" follows perfectly, and comes back down again for "Godspeed," where Lewis tells the age-old story of trying to help someone who doesn't want it. Naturally, after a somber moment it jumps into country ridiculousness with "Carpetbaggers," about hookers and soldiers.

Lewis didn't try anything fancy on Acid Tongue, as it is essentially a collection of great songs performed without overly shiny production. In fact, the only way to give the album a more intimate feeling than it already has would be to have it in the vein of Delaney & Bonnie's Hotel Shot. Regardless, the shining moments of Acid Tongue are breathtaking in their simplicity, a strong suggestion that there is always a new song to be heard, and it doesn't take production room tricks. (Black Sand, Acid Tongue, Godspeed)

The Nightwatchman - The Fabled City

2008-10-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

The Fabled City (Red Ink) The Nightwatchman's second studio album. ****

Tom Morello returns from his solo debut, One Man Revolution, with another batch of political folk ditties. Unlike his debut, The Fabled City incorporates far more than just his acoustic guitar. It’s still there, as is his signature growling baritone, but the embrace of the harmonica, lively drums, and electric guitar and bass enhance the experience. The sound being louder may not make his message louder, but it still holds all the sincerity that One Man Revolution did. “I will always stand beside you/Defend you and mend you,” is a promise Morello wants to keep, as he always seems genuine about his care for people.

Ben Folds - Way to Normal

2008-10-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

Way to Normal (Epic) Ben Folds' third studio album. ***1/2

After several years, the piano rocking god has returned with a new slew of tunes and a new persona. Rockin’ the Suburbs (his first solo album) saw him as the spunky nerd poking fun at the MTV-watching high school kids, and Songs for Silverman had a calmer, father-like tone. On Way to Normal, Ben Folds has steeped into the more absurd, sometimes irrationally angry at the world. The most marked difference, though, is the use of electronics. No track better emphasizes that than “Free Coffee,” which is a fine track, but being surrounded by piano-heavy songs makes it feel out of place. The peak of the album is its center, the string-oriented “Cologne,” which harks back to the days of songs like “Army” from Ben Folds Five. This may be a transitional period for Folds, who, even with a less-than-enthusiastic entry here, is always sure to deliver a few wonderful moments.

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul

2008-10-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

Dig Out Your Soul (Reprise) Oasis's seventh studio album. ****

Dig Out Your Soul never ventures into waters that haven't already been treaded. There's no problem with that. Many artists try the same things twice (or more) and many fail to make it any more interesting than the first time. Oasis is able to, as the tracks on Dig Out Your Soul are fairly monotonous, but in a good way. They end the same way they start, usually with progressive drones. Rarely do the songs build to gargantuan force, rarely do they shift radically halfway through. Instead, they start and end the same way with an almost drone feel. “Falling Down” may be one of the best songs they’ve done in years, with an underlying organ piece overlapped by Chris Sharrock’s rollicking drum performance. Same goes for “The Turning,” with its sonic background wails and gritty guitar. A job well done by experienced veterans.

Inside Music Album Guide - 10/16/08

2008-10-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Inside Music Album Guide
Oasis, Tom Morello return with excellent entries
By Stephen Mason

Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul (Reprise) 4 out of 5
Recent years have been kind to Oasis. They’ve never deviated too far from what they became famous for; guitar-heavy alternative rock. Dig Out Your Soul is no different, as it follows the same format with remarkable effect. From start to finish, each song operates as its own little world. Rarely do the songs build to gargantuan force, rarely do they shift radically halfway through. Instead, they start and end the same way with an almost drone feel. “Falling Down” may be one of the best songs they’ve done in years, with an underlying organ piece overlapped by Chris Sharrock’s rollicking drum performance. Same goes for “The Turning,” with its sonic background wails and gritty guitar. A job well done by experienced veterans.

Ben Folds – Way to Normal (Epic) 3.5 out of 5
After several years, the piano rocking god has returned with a new slew of tunes and a new persona. Rockin’ the Suburbs (his first solo album) saw him as the spunky nerd poking fun at the MTV-watching high school kids, and Songs for Silverman had a calmer, father-like tone. On Way to Normal, Ben Folds has steeped into the more absurd, sometimes irrationally angry at the world. The most marked difference, though, is the use of electronics. No track better emphasizes that than “Free Coffee,” which is a fine track, but being surrounded by piano-heavy songs makes it feel out of place. The peak of the album is its center, the string-oriented “Cologne,” which harks back to the days of songs like “Army” from Ben Folds Five. This may be a transitional period for Folds, who, even with a less-than-enthusiastic entry here, is always sure to deliver a few wonderful moments.

Blitzen Trapper – Furr (Sub Pop) 3.5 out of 5
Imitating an artist isn't always smiled upon, and emulating them even less so. Blitzen Trapper, though, seem to break the mold. Their brand of psychedelic folk-rock is obviously heavily influenced by the four boys, but the elements of Americana and roots that they bring don't always necessitate Magical Mystery Tour references (though its not above CSN and Neil Young references). The title track is the band's strongest moment, which boasts of stability in their Americana roots. It's the story of a life with friends told in a more unorthodox way, but there are not many metaphors that work better; the singer compares his adopted family to a pack of wolves. Strange, yes, but certainly fitting and clever. What holds Furr back is its monotony, which starts to sag towards the middle and rarely picks up again. It's an interesting if not promising entry for a band that needs to shed all its detracting critics - who honestly aren't all in the wrong.

The Nightwatchman – The Fabled City (Red Ink) 4 out of 5
Tom Morello returns from his solo debut, One Man Revolution, with another batch of political folk ditties. Unlike his debut, The Fabled City incorporates far more than just his acoustic guitar. It’s still there, as is his signature growling baritone, but the embrace of the harmonica, lively drums, and electric guitar and bass enhance the experience. The sound being louder may not make his message louder, but it still holds all the sincerity that One Man Revolution did. “I will always stand beside you/Defend you and mend you,” is a promise Morello wants to keep, as he always seems genuine about his care for people.

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

2008-10-12T16:08:00.001-07:00

Furr (2008, Sub Pop) Blitzen Trapper's fourth studio album. ***1/2

Imitating an artist isn't always smiled upon, and emulating them even less so. Blitzen Trapper, though, seem to break the mold. Their brand of psychedelic folk-rock is obviously heavily influenced by the four boys, but the elements of Americana and roots that they bring don't always necessitate Magical Mystery Tour references. The evenly placed beats of the opening "Sleepytime in the Western World," with its syncopated organ, piano, drums, and guitar, create a feel that is obviously Beatles-inspired, but not wholly unoriginal. The title track is the band's strongest moment, which boasts of stability in their Americana roots. It's the story of a life with friends told in a more unorthodox way, but there are not many metaphors that work better; the singer compares his adopted family to a pack of wolves. Strange, yes, but certainly fitting and clever. What holds Furr back is its monotony, which starts to sag towards the middle and rarely picks up again. It's an interesting if not promising entry for a band that needs to shed all its detracting critics - who honestly aren't all in the wrong.

Inside Music Album Guide - 10/09/08

2008-10-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Inside Music Album Guide
TV on the Radio score perfect, Plain White T’s struggle
By Stephen Mason

TV on the Radio – Dear Science (Interscope) 5 out of 5
With the swirling ambient synths, 80’s drumbeats, and falsetto funk grooves worthy of the almighty Prince, TV on the Radio’s Dear Science is a magnificent album. It works on a track-by-track basis, reeling in an eclectic mix of influences yet never faltering to sound uniquely like the band. These are indie rockers who aren’t afraid to stand on a stage in front of 20,000 people, not self-conscious or self-deprecating enough to stay latched to an indie label. Whether it’s the neo soul of “Dancing Choose,” the minimalist “Crying” (that sounds like a distant cousin of “Kiss”), or the pulsing “Halfway Home,” TV on the Radio always sound focus, which is hard to do with a collection of songs that are simply that – a collection of songs that sound amazing.

Cold War Kids – Loyalty to Loyalty (Downtown) 4 out of 5
Loyalty to Loyalty will polarize critics and fans of Cold War Kids, as it isn’t as ambitious as their debut. But Cold War Kids are a band that’s confused, not exactly sure of where to go from where they were. So what’s the solution? Write what they know – confusion. Loyalty to Loyalty is a slow album, rarely jumping into pounding beats. The most “exciting” moments are the yell-fest of “Something is Not Right With Me” and the waltzing “I’ve Seen Enough,” though really its numbers like the jazzy “Against Privacy,” the deep, growling guitar riffs of “Mexican Dogs,” and the Barrett Strong-esque “Every Valley is Not a Lake” that make Loyalty to Loyalty the interesting album it is.

Plain White T’s – Big Bad World (Hollywood) 3 out of 5
For those who remember, Plain White T’s performed at 2007’s Barefoot on the Mall. Back then, they were just on the verge of breaking into the mainstream, and their single “Hey There Delilah” launched the band into new territories. It’s not strange, then, that Big Bad World is not so much an album as it is a quest for another hit. They’ve still got bland emo lyrics like “When you’re all alone/Stuck in the dark,” blah, blah, blah, and it renders them almost hopeless. Big Bad World isn’t a bad album, but it’s not good enough to be recognized by critics and not profound enough to win over any new fans. People who weren’t thrilled by their debut won’t hear anything to change their mind, as the album is more restrained than others.

Kings of Leon – Only By the Night (RCA) 3 out of 5
The band crowned as “the Southern Strokes” fights back with a new album, and yet again, an almost new sound. KOL are desperate to make it big in the US, as they’ve somehow already won over the UK. They can’t figure out why this has happened, but it’s not all that hard to imagine. Songs like “Crawl” feature interesting Who or Zeppelin-like riffs, but for a band that wants to try out that sound, they’ve got to get with the blues. How else do you think bands like the Black Keys, the White Stripes, and the Raconteurs became successful? Simple. Dan Auerbach and Jack White get the blues. KOL haven’t traced it back that far, and as a result they wind up being an alternative to those who are dismayed by the breakup of Wolfmother.

Kings of Leon - Only by the Night

2008-10-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

Only by the Night (2008, RCA) Kings of Leon's fourth studio album. ***

Dubbed the "Southern Strokes" for some reason that no one really seems the know, Kings of Leon have struck back with an album that, once again, doesn't sound much like what they've done before. It seems that KOL is really into re-inventing themselves like Radiohead or My Morning Jacket, but they do it with less effect. Instead of learning to either adopt one sound that can transcend genres or focus on one style for a particular album, they're all over the place, and it leaves Only by the Night to be a confused - if not contrived - work.

For every great moment Only by the Night has, there's one that's that much more under the bar of satisfactory. None of the material is bad, but it's certainly boring. After moving beyond the strange 80's-esque "Sex on Fire," Kings of Leon slip into territory of the mind-tinglingly boring. They try to imitate bands like Journey and U2 but for no apparent reason, as they are trying to get the edge of hard rock wedged into their name. Caleb Followill's monotonous whining vocals grow tired quickly, as they meet every track with the same intensity and range.

When KOL are on, they're hot as hell. The guitar riffs of the Who bounce off the walls on the churning "Crawl," and straightforward rock of "Notion" gives Followill a chance to do his best Prince imitation (with his pronunciation). It ends nicely, too, with the insightful ballad "Cold Desert." They exert surprisingly good lyrics; "Jesus don't love me, no one ever carried my load/I'm too young to feel this old." Only by the Night will certainly please fans, but anything beyond the potential single of "Crawl" is doubtful to win many new ones. The band can't seem to figure out why they aren't big in the states, but it seems fairly obvious; they're unpredictable, and they don't have a single album under their belt that they can really boast about. Until next time, KOL are SOL on striking it rich in the USA. (Crawl, Notion, Cold Desert)

Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty

2008-09-30T19:58:00.001-07:00

Loyalty to Loyalty (2008, Downtown) Cold War Kids' second studio album. ****

Loyalty to Loyalty could be an album that will polarize fans and critics alike over the years. It doesn't seem to be bold enough to be considered classic, and since not all of the material is not as such, it's destined to be ripped apart. While Cold War Kids sound fairly confused on their sophomore album, they don't let that drag them down. Instead of trying to force a sound of progression or stick with what they already know, they make in album in the vein of how their minds have been working - in confusion. Loyalty to Loyalty sounds disjointed and even hesitant, but it doesn't seem intentional.

Nathan Willett's vocals are a cleaner version of Jack White's, and even on the romping "Something is Not Right With Me," his best emulation isn't always amusing. That's the thing about Loyalty to Loyalty, though. Even when not every band member has gotten something right, there's nothing really bad about anything they've done. And there are plenty of fantastic moments, like the opening jazziness of "Against Privacy," the deep guitar growls of "Mexican Dogs," or the soulfulness of the organ and piano-driven "Every Valley is Not a Lake." The album tends to slow down around the middle, and that's when a lot of people will probably lose interest in Willett's high tenor, but the non-sexy blues-swaying "Golden Gate Jumpers" and the unorthodox minimalism of "Every Man I Fall For" are fascinating bits when taken time to consider. I won't lie, most people will probably view Loyalty to Loyalty as a sophomore slump, but it's clearly a transitional album that should be given a few more looks.

TV on the Radio - Dear Science,

2008-09-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Science, (2008, Interscope) TV on the Radio's third studio album. *****

TV on the Radio are not afraid to make radical shifts in their sound nor are they too independent-label minded to step up to the big stage. Dear Science, is a sprawling, adventurous album, eclectically mixed together to form a daring piece of indie and experimental rock. That genre is always a very difficult one to find any success in - let alone even make anything truly interesting. Most experimental rock bands never find a sound either A) worth listening to or B) controlled and rational. TV on the Radio have done so.

They don't waste time getting started, as the pulsing "Halfway Home" opens things up with a nonsensical "Ba ba baa ba bop" and a swirling drumbeat. As they approach the chorus, Tunde Adebimpe kicks in his falsetto as a wall of ambiance takes over the background. And what about "Crying"? This is the distant cousin of "Kiss" that Prince forgot to write. It's funky guitar and cymbal arrangement make it fun, and Adebimpe's soothing falsetto makes it another winner.

There's neo-soul and funk ("Dancing Choose" and "Red Dress"), heart-straining marching pop (Stork & Owl), and even a slow, melodic, piano piece ("Family Tree"). This isn't a concept album, and it's clear that this Dear Science, is to be taken one song at a time. What makes Dear Science, so amazing is not its attempt to be overly intelligent or overly catchy; these are well-crafted songs that came from the basics, morphed into complicated arrangements that can only be appreciated after several listens. TV on the Radio hit the ground running for sure, succeeding in flying colors to take the sounds that are all over the boards and shape them into one that is all without ever having sounded pretentious. Is Dear Science, the best album of the year? That's always a difficult one to answer. I'll say this - in a year where nothing has blown me away, this is probably the one that will knock me out in about two months. Right now, I know it's all there, I'm sure of it, I'm still waiting for it to sink in. (Halfway Home, Crying, Stork & Owl, Family Tree, Lover's Day)

Plain White T's - Big Bad World

2008-09-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

Big Bag World (2008, Hollywood) Plain White T's fourth studio album. ***

Fans of Plain White T's will be pleased with a collection of moderately catchy songs with such 'deep' insights; the band knows how they feel, what it's like to have 'been there.' Problem is, the band's connection is only through generic renderings that only people without souls have never experienced. Take "Sunlight," a melodically pleasing song with a less-than-stellar message: "When you're all alone/Stuck in the dark/When you've lost your way in life/I won't be far." Wow.

Here's the kicker; Big Bad World isn't good enough to win any decent amount of critical praise, so snobby music buffs will continue to write them off. The band only has one hit, "Hey There Delilah," and there doesn't seem to be any material here that's nearly as memorable (or annoying) as that, though tracks like the bouncy pop of "Big Bad World," the indie-leaning "Natural Disaster," or the explosive guitar-and-harmonica play of "I Really Want You" might find airtime. That said, their fan base is already small, and the weaknesses of Big Bad World can't - logically, anyway - propel them any further. It's full of the cliches you'd expect from an emo band still trying to sound original, but it isn't garbage. If there's anything good about it, it doesn't have any painstakingly-irksome moments.

Inside Music Album Guide - 9/25/08

2008-09-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

Inside Music Album Guide
The Walkmen stand tall, Buckcherry are Buckterrible
By Stephen Mason

The Walkmen – You & Me (Gigantic) 4.5 out of 5
The Walkmen have managed to create an album that’s nearly organic. From beginning to end, the aptly named You & Me talks about just that, the singer and the one important person in his life. Although never too descriptive as to how the relationship worked, we are never left in the dark. The Walkmen are never cryptic, they say what they mean to beautiful, honest effect. Martin’s signature Bob Dylan/Stevie Marriott vocals soar higher and higher, especially on the album’s strongest moment, “In the New Year,” and the rest of the band is in full swing. Maroon’s distorted guitar shuffle, Barrick’s pummeling drum rhythms, and Martin’s own churning church organ sounds make You & Me a piece of art that bares passion nakedly and proudly.

Jem – Down to Earth (ATO) 2.5 out of 5
Down to Earth is so in between audiences that it'll be lucky to ever find one. While with one foot Jem has stepped into electronica and hip-hop as heard on tracks like "Crazy" and "Aciiid!" she simultaneously has piano ballads appealing to teen-drama watching high schoolers like "You Will Make It." So guideless is this album that it's almost transparently clear that Jem is not concerned about making music she likes; she wants to make music that's cool. Cool to who? Wannabe art chicks who think this is more exciting than Feist? I can't say. What I can say is that Down to Earth is anything but, as it's aimlessly floating in outer space.

Noah and the Whale – Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down (Mercury) 3.5 out of 5
People looking for Arcade Fire imitators need look no further. On their debut, Noah and the Whale exercise the catchy, alternative rock sounds that Arcade Fire garnered from Bruce Springsteen while managing to throw in a decent amount of chamber pop. It’s an eclectic mix of strings over folky guitar, fueled by Charlie Fink’s unique lyrics of science and faith. On its surface, Peaceful is a batch of catchy songs that would lose their fire due to Fink’s less-than-convincing vocal performances, but on a deeper level it exercises themes of uncertainty – do you believe in God? Love? Don’t they go hand in hand? All probing questions that Fink asks and only sometimes chooses to answer.

Buckcherry – Black Butterfly (Atlantic) 1 out of 5
Either Buckcherry have no idea who their audience is or they’re embracing the batch of disgusting perverts who would enjoy this garbage. Black Butterfly is overflowing with generic riffs, gutter lyrics, and pure production sloppiness. The band’s singer, Joshua Todd, still has his Bon Scott/Chris Cornell vocals, but they sound flat over lyrics like “I hear talk about a non-stop flight to heaven/Can’t you just say you’re addicted to medicine?” What? It’s even worse on “Too Drunk” where Todd admits to being unable to perform in bed because of his intoxication. This is the anti-party album; it’s the overzealous guy at the party who no one likes. And in the world of Buckcherry, what happens when the party’s over? Morning comes to cheap white trash.

Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down

2008-09-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down (2008, Mercury) Noah and the Whale's first studio album. ***1/2

On their debut, Noah and the Whale aren't trying to be revolutionary. And that's fine, it's rare that bands who attempt to be actually succeed, as most tend to try to be deeper than they really are. The band doesn't take a hands-off approach to themes, though, as Charlie Fink sings about the mysteries of love, science, and religion. He especially likes to connect the idea of God and love, contemplating on the idea that they are hand in hand. Fink asks, "If you don't believe in God/How can you believe in love?"

Peaceful... is a collection of undeniably catchy songs that are advanced by Fink's interesting lyrics. They're not pointless yet not nearly as cryptic as The Da Vinci Code. The opener "2 Atoms in a Molecule" asks the first set of question that the band isn't exactly ready to answer, such as "If love is just game, how come it's no fun?/If love is just a game, how come I've never won?" The answer may seem obvious, but since Noah and the Whale have decided to let the listener answer, they're never didactic. They're not afraid to get close to quoting Paul McCartney, either, as on "Give a Little Love" contains the words "If you give a little love you can get a little love of your own."

It's an extremely balanced album, mixing sullen moments like the simple acoustic periods on the title track, or bouncy pop/rock anthems like "Shape of My Heart." The elements of indie, folk, and chamber pop are very apparent, as their influences from Arcade Fire to Belle and Sebastien are not unpronounced. This is a band that history can remember fondly if they keep this up. (2 Atoms in a Molecule, Shape of My Heart, 5 Years Time)

Duds of 2008: Part Seven

2008-09-25T17:48:00.001-07:00

Here are a handful of albums that hardly deserve a full-length review. Duds consist of albums that have received a rating of two stars or less.

Black Butterfly (2008, Atlantic) Buckcherry's fourth studio album. *

The anti-party album, full of disgusting music and lyrics fit for the white trash that embraces comedy of the likes of Larry the Cable Guy.

Ten Kens (2008, Fatcat) Ten Kens' first studio album. **

Starts off with a bang, but gets muffled by its own confusion. Art-rock is supposed to be arty, this is just contrived.

Child Bearing Man (2008, Absolute Kosh) Little Teeth's first studio album. **

Music only hippies can enjoy, and I know that they will. Little Teeth can tap into a select portion of the Avett Brothers' audience. Beyond that, this is nonsense.

The Walkmen - You & Me

2008-09-22T14:28:00.001-07:00

You & Me (2008, Gigantic) The Walkmen's fourth studio album. ****1/2

Sincerity is never easy to convey, even when the effort on all fronts completely is. If there's any problem that the Walkmen don't have, it's struggling to communicate their sincerity. You & Me - as it could not possibly be more aptly named - is the Walkmen's most striking album, an arrow that pierces and is impossibly lodged. Walter Martin's signature voice, a mix of Bob Dylan and Stevie Marriott, completes this album in a way nothing else possibly could. Its themes are excellently rendered by easily decipherable lyrics, and that's not a knock; the relatively straightforward matter that Martin delivers with only increases the force with which the music already hits. You & Me is one of the most upfront albums of its kind, showcasing a relationship we never get the details of but can strangely identify with. On top of that, the themes of holidays and travel are equally recognizable.

"Red Moon" is one of the album's more somber moments, with a stagnant horn arrangement and moments of silence followed by a vocal wrap-up echoes the styles of songs like "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers. The no-tempo "New Country" serves as what could have been the perfect ending for such a near-perfect album, with its growing intensity of only guitar tracks. But the actual ending is possibly more satisfying, as the Walkmen drop lines like "My head is full of dreams, it's nothing new/But maybe dreaming is all a man can do." Not to mention Paul Maroon's subtle yet brilliant guitar solo.

Easily the finest moment is "In the New Year," with a gut-wrenching organ piece, whose climbing riff struggles so hard to keep up with the tempo, is only topped when Martin's seemingly unstoppable tenor vocal range continually soars higher, laying down hurricane lyrics like "I'll tell you I love you/And my heart's in the strangest place/That's how it started/And that's how it ends." Barrick's pummeling yet dreamy percussion arrangement only help the song to sway carefully like the open path Martin sings of.

On You & Me, the Walkmen have opened up another plane on emotion, as their transparency never feels contrived, instead it shows their vulnerability as human beings. Truly one of the better albums of 2008, You & Me is not an album that can be appreciated after one listen; it's the kind of diamond in the rough that teases you, taunts you, and intrigues you just enough to go on to a successive listen, and with each one it reveals itself until all the skeletons are out of the closet. (In the New Year, Canadian Girl, New Country, If Only It Were True)

Jem - Down to Earth

2008-09-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Down to Earth (2008, ATO) Jem's second studio album. **1/2

Down to Earth is so in between audiences that it'll be lucky to ever find one. While with one foot Jem has stepped into electronica and hip-hop as heard on tracks like "Crazy" and "Aciiid!" she simultaneously has piano ballads appealing to teen-drama watching high schoolers like "You Will Make It." So guideless is this album that it's almost transparently clear that Jem is not concerned about making music she likes; she wants to make music that's cool. Cool to who? Wannabe art chicks who think this is more exciting than Feist? I can't say. What I can say is that Down to Earth is anything but, as it's aimlessly floating in outer space.

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

2008-09-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

Vampire Weekend (2008, XL) Vampire Weekend's first studio album. ****

The Strokes, Lily Allen, Black Kids... all artists who built up a certain amount of hype before unveiling their debut. Vampire Weekend are no different. They'd been knocking around New York City since 2006, maintained a following and were finally signed to XL - probably the leading independent label in the world - for their first album. How does a band accomplish this? Either they cheat the system like Metro Station or Panic at the Disco or actually work for it and earn it by a certain amount of luck. Vampire Weekend has done the latter.

Eleven bouncy walls performed by guys who know what they're doing in the bounds of what they actually are doing; i.e., they don't try to sound smarter than they actually are. They don't try to write songs that are too complex for their own good. Sure, they've studied Paul Simon well enough, that's heard right from the beginning with "Mansard Roof." But their best moment is their bouncy and sly falsetto-linked "Oxford Comma." With its beautiful harmonies and irresistible verses, the band has already made a classic pop song.

Then there's the charming "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," which manages to maintain catchiness and reference an influence - Peter Gabriel. One of their best moments is the exponentially growing "Campus," which perfectly displays their subject material; college kids doing college thinks. Vampire Weekend is a delicate balance of indie pop/rock with just the right amount of chamber pop; not too much, but the classical moments shine through when they need to. But the band isn't off the hook yet. Hype and praise have been thrown at them, and it's very clear when listening to the album that these are some boys who have no idea what they're getting themselves into. (Mansard Roof, Oxford Comma, Campus)

The Subways - All Or Nothing

2008-09-19T13:10:00.001-07:00

All Or Nothing (2008, WEA) The Subways' second studio album. ***

All Or Nothing is actually quite a pleasant surprise, as I'd only heard the Subways once before during their performance on David Letterman (or was it Leno?). Either way, their performance was terrible, as was the song. Needless to say I went into All Or Nothing with low expectations. I still don't believe they're good, but their latest album almost proves me wrong.

"Girls and Boys" suffers from being the perfect opener; it features a killer riff that has energy that couldn't possibly be fabricated. On the downside, it's the best song on the album, and nothing after it comes close to matching its brilliance. Why the Subways didn't follow the punk and metal instincts that the riff suggests is unfathomable. Instead they lay down vocal tracks and emotion that sound like post-grunge. It could be worse - namely, it could be pure grunge. Doesn't anyone get that Seattle's grunge scene was just a fad? There's none of it left and it doesn't seem to be anywhere near coming back.

Ensuing tracks like "Kalifornia" aren't half-bad, but they do sound like Nirvana B-material. All fairly loud with boring, predictable time signatures and riffs. After the above-mediocre sprint of "Shake! Shake!" the album winds up fishing for interesting moments, but only reels in variations of already-established grunge motifs. Really, there isn't anything on All Or Nothing that can be identified as the pinnacle of their mistakes. Instead, it's a collection of work that could have, should have been better.

Inside Music Album Guide - 9/18/08

2008-09-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

Inside Music Album Guide
Newman strikes it rich, The Quilt has too many holes
By Stephen Mason

Okkervil River – The Stand Ins (Jagjaguwar) 3.5 out of 5
Forever the band-next-door, Okkervil River have always come so close to creating a classic album, and with last year’s The Stage Names, they nearly got there. The Stand Ins isn’t quite as good as its predecessor, though it does expand on similar themes such as love, loneliness, and the like. It’s propelled by engaging moments, most notably the album’s opener, “Lost Coastlines.” A soft, folk-rock number that expounds into a sonic tour-de-force of electric power, topped with Sheff’s heartfelt vocal performance. It succeeds and fails in relaying the message track to track, but The Stand Ins is still a worth entry in their entertaining catalogue.

Gym Class Heroes – The Quilt (Fueled By Ramen) 2.5 out of 5
Gym Class Heroes haven’t quite figured out who they are or what they want to do. The Quilt is made up of tunes seemingly made in the spirit of creating fun club music, but McCoy’s lyrics don’t match. There’s a fine line between being clever and annoying, and McCoy always finds his way to the latter. Take the monster single “Cookie Jar.” Musically compelling with lamenting synths and a notable appearance by the Dream, but bogged down by lines that mix races with treats. “Oatmeal raisin Asians” and “Macadamia Caucasians” may be the most laughable. And while the top half is loaded with potential singles like “Like Father, Like Son,” or “Catch Me If You Can,” the second act is loaded with boring filler. A decent effort by artists who take themselves too seriously for their own good.

The Subways – All Or Nothing (WEA) 3 out of 5
The head-banging riff that dominates “Girls and Boys” acts as a promising start by a group desperate to be respected, but never has an album lost so much steam so quickly. That’s not to say All Or Nothing immediately drops into a collection of ballads, but there is no moment that matches the tone the band sets at the start. The Subways would have been better off following their more metal and punk instincts, but they quickly find comfort in post-grunge, a genre that, like its forefather, is dying quickly in all spectrums. There’s not a song on here that you can point to as a truly weak moment. Rather, it’s a large collection of them that make up a sound that’s repetitive.

Randy Newman – Harps and Angels (Nonesuch) 4 out of 5
One of the more unorthodox singer-songwriters of the past few decades, Newman has always found himself stuck between two dimensions. One, his voice isn’t as pretty as Elton John’s. Two, his messages aren’t as genius as Bob Dylan’s. But Newman never tries to be either, and his cartoony, mush-mouthed vocals mixed with his “Aw, shucks,” lyrics make Harps and Angels a near-masterpiece. He never ventures too far outside of simple blues and ragtime melodies, using all the generic tricks along the way. And while he’s sure to make his acerbic political views known on tracks like “A Few Words in Defense of Our Country,” he also makes room for sincere, though comical, anecdotes as on the closing track. And to think, most people know him as the guy who wrote “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”

Gym Class Heroes - The Quilt

2008-09-17T20:00:00.002-07:00

The Quilt (2008, Fueled By Ramen) Gym Class Heroes' second studio album. **1/2

Either Gym Class Heroes are idiots who think they're way cooler and way better than they actually are, or they're pulling one of the greatest pranks in music history. McCoy talks a big game throughout the album without ever treading upon lyrics that make any of what he's saying sound true or even interesting. Even on The Quilt's first track, his first words are "Ladies and gentlemen," a cliche used so much in rap that scoffing is almost a natural reaction. It's a fictional court case that's impossible to follow, and that's a trend that unfortunately plagues almost all of The Quilt.

He pulls a Limp Bizkit-like approach to rapping when he repeats the same words for the chorus, "Papa was a rolling stone/But I want to be the cover of a Rolling Stone." I doubt that McCoy or any of the band members took a music class - and I don't require it of musicians - but one of the most obvious things is to never rhyme a phrase with the exact same phrase. And "Cookie Jar" is even cheesier when he gets to likening women of different ethnicities to treats; "Butter pecan Puerto Ricans/Or them oatmeal raisin Asians/Hazelnut Brazilians/Macadamia Caucasians." Oh, the line between being clever and ridiculously stupid is so fine!

Despite McCoy's total failure to write a decent line, the music is actually quite good. It's such a shame that it all fell into his hands. The trumpet flourish of "Guilty as Charged," the innocent guitar and piano of "Like Father, Like Son," the Latin influence of "Blinded by the Sun," or the whining synths of "Cookie Jar," (not to mention the Dream's excellent cameo appearance and untouched falsetto vocal performance) are all musically competent. Hell, they're downright brilliant. The best moment is stuttering keyboards that guide the honestly catchy chorus of "Catch Me If You Can."

It's a strange album, because while the band should be commended for making a relatively clean album (usually devoid of unneeded profanity) and is made in the spirit of fun, the second half of the album immediately following "Cookie Jar" falls into uninteresting filler. The first half, while fascinating musically, is dragged down by McCoy's beyond idiotic rhymes. Think of it this way, if Kanye had written the lyrics for the first half of the album, it'd probably be terrific. It can definitely be enjoyed, just make sure to never, ever think about anything McCoy says throughout its duration.

The Kills - Midnight Boom

2008-09-17T20:00:00.001-07:00

Midnight Boom (2008, Domino) The Kills' third studio album. ****

On their latest album, the duo known for being another minimalist blend of punk and blues sounds anything but. Minimalist, yes, they're still that, but if anything, this is garage pop. It works for them, too, as Midnight Boom may be their best album. VV has never sounded sexier, and together her and Hotel's performances and songwriting have never been tighter. The droning, monotone delivery of the opening "U.R.A. Fever" is nothing but foreshadowing; the Kills have mastered the craft of the memorable chorus. On "Cheap and Cheerful," VV sings "I want you to be crazy/Cuz you're boring, baby, when you're straight," mixing in dance elements. "Last Day of Magic" has one of the most compelling guitar lines in recent history.

Midnight Boom is a perfect example of what so many artists fail to do. VV and Hotel are able to take so many genres of music (the Devo-esque "Getting Down," the hard-rocking "Sour Cherry" with its descending bass riff) and make it their own without anything ever sounding displaced. And everything, and I mean everything, sounds effortless. That's a compliment in the highest form, because it doesn't suggest they were being lazy. Instead, it's showing that the Kills have reached a level where they are able to craft killer tunes and never have to throw in filler. If this album doesn't launch them to the recognition that they deserve, then it's our fault. (U.R.A. Fever, Cheap and Cheerful, Last Day of Magic)

Fall Out Boy - Live in Phoenix

2008-09-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

Live in Phoenix (2008, Island) Fall Out Boy's first live album. **1/2

Fall Out Boy are the heroes of emo, and its sole respectable artist. Panic, Plain White T's, whoever, Fall Out Boy are the only ones left standing who give the genre any credence (though one could certainly make an argument for Jimmy Eat World). And while Live in Phoenix will without a doubt entertain fans, it's still a compilation of uneven performances.

It opens with "Thriller," one of FOB's better and more underrated songs, but when it comes to the chorus, Stump sounds like he has a sock in his mouth. Worse yet, you can hear the media whore of a bassist Pete Wentz shouting in the background. Wentz occasionally butts in and shouts to the audience between songs, revealing a truth among fans; if you're an artist who has sold out a good sized venue, you can say anything - anything - and have the crowd go nuts.

There are decent numbers in here, especially towards the beginning. But none of them exceed what was done in the studio, and that hurts, especially when somewhat weaker songs show up and sag the middle. Even the cover of "Beat It" is less than spectacular; no one expects it to be better than Michael Jackson's, but what FOB have done with Mayer is the same approach that Alien Ant Farm took with "Smooth Criminal." None of this is to say that Fall Out Boy are poor in concert; I doubt that, it's far more likely that this was an unfortunately sub-par performance with a bit more than mediocre recording. (Stump's vocals are sometimes lost in the barrage of guitar tour-de-forces.) Live in Phoenix is not evidence for or against the band's credibility, and for fans it's a decent listen and enough to hold them over until November.

Vinyl Vs. CD

2008-09-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Music purists and audiophiles claim that vinyl sounds far better than CD. Others claim that CDs are far cleaner than vinyl and avoid the annoyance of pops and unavoidable skips. Recently, Rolling Stone had an article that discussed the return of vinyl as well as asking master engineers which sounds better. It is interesting to note that Neilsen Soundscan have reported that in 2007 nearly one million new vinyl records were purchased, and that by the end of 2008, it could be around 1.6 million, nearly doubling the amount of vinyl sold in 2006. CD sales continue to drop as online downloading (both legal and illegal) progressively and almost aggressively becomes more popular.

So, is vinyl on its way back in? Among two small crowds, yes, it will maintain its power, and probably among the masses it may become a fad amongst "cool" kids. As for making a full-fledged comeback, it's not likely. Vinyl can cost nearly twice as much (or more) as a new CD. It's more expensive to make and is more expensive to ship, not to mention the labor is more difficult, resulting in hiked prices. Now, CDs don't need to be nearly as expensive as they are, as the production and shipping are far, far less than that of vinyl (and relatively cheap anyway, as a CD is estimated to cost about $2 US). In that sense, the music industry is screwing itself when it asks for $14 to $16 for a new album. The two pockets that are genuinely interested in vinyl are the older crowd, generally baby boomers who hold vinyl with nostalgia. The other are younger, mainly high school through college who listen to a good deal of music and enjoy sharing it with their friends. Album art and detailed liner notes interest them and add to the experience.

In hindsight, it's almost pointless to discuss whether CD sales will ever pick back up or if vinyl will ever surpass CDs as the second most popular medium (over downloads). What is worth discussing is the quality of each medium, and if one is truly better than the other.

Rolling Stone asked Bob Ludwig about three recent albums, concerned about which format was superior. The albums were Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket, Beggars Banquet (reissue) by the Rolling Stones, and Magic by Bruce Springsteen. Ludwig recommended vinyl for Evil Urges and Beggars Banquet, but went with CD for Magic. But only one one did he comment about the quality of the sound system, and that was for Magic. He said of it, "... On a really good sound system, it sounds a little bit warmer on vinyl."

I think that is the main thing that should be considered on the debate of vinyl vs. CD. How good is your sound system? I personally have a fairly mediocre system. My father picked up the equipment at a garage sale for $25, it included all Kenwood products; tuner, amp, pre-amp, and CD player. Before I moved into my apartment I snatched some of his old equipment, a Kenwood cassette player and surround sound setup. I have a turntable as well, an old Dual 1229. My speakers are two old KLH speakers, I do not know what model they are. In that respect, my system - depending on medium and quality of the release - can only sometimes audibly display one version as superior to the other.

I own somewhere between 150 and 200 albums, of which over 100 are CDs, the remaining being vinyl. This is another thing to take into account; the quality of the originals. Think about it this way, in 1967 the album Vanilla Fudge was released by Atco Records. I own both vinyl and CD. The original pressing from 1967 (or subsequent years, it is definitely very old) is in remarkably good condition considering its age. However, it seems to be slightly muffled and doesn't sound quite as good as the CD. One of the band's following albums, Near the Beginning, sounds even worse on vinyl. Yet, my Led Zeppelin records sound just as good as any CD of theirs that I have. My point being that the quality of the recording may vary from band to band based on the popularity of the band and quality of producers and engineers. Likewise, early CDs suffer the same problem. Take Slowhand by Eric Clapton. I own a CD from pressed in 1994, and compared to vinyl it sounds like a tinny FM rendition.

Finally, how much money do you have to spend and what do you want out of it? For those who want a complete musical experience, both audibly and visually, vinyl takes it, hands down. The sound of new 180 gram vinyl is just as good or better than a CD, and the gatefold albums with blown-up album art and liner note inserts make the experience all the more enjoyable. Plus, many modern artists include free online downloads so you can have the music on your iPod. For those who want a tangible copy for home entertainment or for the car, CD is the way to go. It is fairly cheaper than vinyl and can be burned to computers and therefore to iPods. Tracks can be mixed to make playlists, etc. For those who just want an album on their iPod or only a few tracks off an album, downloading from the iTunes store is the road to take. It's even cheaper than a CD and you get exactly the tracks you want.

It basically comes down to a few factors. 1) The quality of your sound system. The better it is, the better you'll be able to differentiate superior formats. 2) The quality of the format (vinyl or CD). Early CDs tend to sound very bad compared to remasters in the late 1990's to the present. Equally, old vinyl - especially those that have been passed down or bought in record stores - aren't always quality, as they can be over forty years old with unknown amounts of plays. 3) What do you want to get out of it? For an experience that can be shared with friends, vinyl is it. For the sake of having it, CD. Only need a few tracks? Download off of iTunes.

Not everyone is an audiophile, so the eternal debate is useless for most of us. What people need to think about is what they want, as that greatly dominates what they should purchase. Downloading music illegally is, well, illegal. While artists do make money off of tours, many need to prove to their labels (either major or independent) that they're worth keeping. Unfortunately, the artist doesn't see much money from a CD sale. I won't condone or condemn illegal downloading, but think about it this way; using torrents for getting albums and then putting them on your iPod is the equivalent to walking into a Best Buy and grabbing Highway 61 Revisited and then strolling out.

Is there a verdict in all this? What format is better? For me, I have begun to get back into vinyl. I prefer the experience, and since most new vinyl includes a free and legal download, I don't mind shelling out a few extra bucks. Does it sound better? Depends on my state of mind if you catch my drift, but that's not always what it's about. I enjoy listening to music with friends much more than walking around with headphone in my ears.

References: Rolling Stone - Vinyl Returns in the Age of MP3

The Duhks - Fast Paced World

2008-09-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

Fast Paced World (2008, Wel) The Duhks' fourth studio album. ***

I'm not sure how the Duhks attained the label of "progressive bluegrass," but I think that is hardly what I would call it. In fact, to even attempt to define their genre is difficult, and in their case it's not necessarily a compliment. Fast Paced World often finds the band trying to do too much, ranging from their original bluegrass roots to world, blues, and straightforward jam. To add on top of that, lead singer Sarah Dugas hardly fits the band's approach. Dugas is a jazz singer, plain and simple, and her husky Feist/Winehouse sounding vocals don't suit what the band should be attempting. Now, her voice is very rich and is excellent, and it works great on African pieces like "Magalenha" or the thunderous opener, "Mighty Storm." The problem? A cover of something like "Magalenha" doesn't belong here.

None of the material is bad or poorly performed, but because none of it adds together in any logical sense, you're left wondering what the band was thinking when they went into the studio. It's not unreasonable to entertain the thought that a computer came up with the track sequencing, as random order would work nearly as well as the arrangement they have here. While Fast Paced World may sound good, it's ultimately an aimlessly meandering album, attempting to bring an established sound (which isn't established) to a wide array of genres.

Charlie Hunter - Baboon Strength

2008-09-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

Baboon Strength (2008, Reap and Sow) Charlie Hunter's nineteenth studio album. ***

A guitar "god" of a different genre, Charlie Hunter has been playing seven and eight-stringed guitars for some time, immersing himself primarily in jazz music. Baboon Strength, his latest and self-released album, doesn't see him taking any new turns. It'll be pleasing to the jazz fan, but beyond honestly interesting moments like the funky opener "Athens," the album sulks into easy though intricate instrumentals. It's not a bad thing at all, and Hunter's guitar technique is impressive, but not enthralling enough to say that Baboon Strength has anything to offer that others or even Hunter himself have said better.

Fujiya & Miyagi - Lightbulbs

2008-09-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

Lightbulbs (2008, Deaf, Dumb & Blind) Fujiya & Miyagi's first studio album. ***1/2

Easy, dark, minimalist electronica. That sums up Lightbulbs. That's no criticism, it's fun to listen to. Not exactly a blast of energy or an album that cools you down after a long night, it's somewhere in between. Along with that, it veers between the possibly observant and outright ridiculous. I've no idea if there's any actual meaning behind lyrics like "Vanilla, strawberry, knickerbocker glory," but the tune itself is carefully constructed, with a very tight beat, even bassline, and chirping keyboards. The same goes for "Uh," which relies more heavily on the funky bass riff. The sounds of the album emulate 80's synth numbers but also works in more modern influences like Air and Hot Chip, though the tone is definitely darker, especially with Best's whispering vocal delivery. A well-rounded electronica debut, though topheavy, as the tunes mellow into near-filler after "Rook to Queen's Pawn." (Pickpocket, Goosebumps, Rook to Queen's Pawn)

Inside Music Album Guide - 9/11/08

2008-09-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

Inside Music Album Guide
De la Rocha returns triumphantly, DiFranco sounds tired
By Stephen Mason

Ani DiFranco – Red Letter Year (Righteous Babe) 2 out of 5
DiFranco’s appeal has always been more associated with her words more than the actual music; in the 90’s she was a young woman braving the world of men while lending her unapologetic political insights. But now the world has changed and so has DiFranco, and the changes ripple through Red Letter Year, not in the best ways. Her political shtick is downsized and uninspired; her love songs are empty and insincere. The problem is that DiFranco can never say a lot with a little. Instead, her lyrics are long and extended, and while they may get the point across, they’ve absolutely no fervor. She sings, “You’d think at my age I’d have thought of/Something better to do.” Agreed, Ani. Agreed.

Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line (Barsuk) 4 out of 5
Comparisons to Vampire Weekend are unfair, and it’s certainly a lazy reference, as Ra Ra Riot has their own brand of indie rock. They have colorful string arrangements and driving beats, headlined by frontman Wes Miles’s soft tenor voice. It starts off with a bang on “Ghost Under Rocks,” and the blast of energy is never lost, not even on the practically classical piece “Winter ’05.” To top it off, they may be the only band in recent history to turn an E.E. Cummings poem into coherent lyrics. The Rhumb Line may sound to some like Neon Bible’s lesser cousin, and to some extent it is, but Ra Ra Riot have already cemented themselves as one of the most exciting debuts of 2008.

One Day As a Lion – One Day As a Lion EP (Anti) 4 out of 5
Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine paired with ex-Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore may be one of the best pairings in recent music history, maybe more so than Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse (who together make up Gnarls Barkley). The concept is simple and stupendous; a stripped-down, drum-and-keyboard alternative hip-hop approach filled to the brim with spiteful political rhetoric. Theodore’s drumming is outstanding, not only developing an effective and unique beat for each track, but for taking a central stance in filling in a lot of sound. Likewise, de la Rocha’s keyboards blast like sirens, and his message hasn’t changed. One Day As a Lion is an explosive, start-and-stop album, and de la Rocha has shown in his lyrics that he has matured over time – but still has all the fire he did back in 1994.

Apollo Sunshine – Shall Noise Upon (Headless Heroes) 4 out of 5
Shall Noise Upon doesn’t try to act like something new; from the beginning the band and the listener acknowledge that the idea is to emulate late 60’s psychedelic rock. From the Beatles to Cream, from Hendrix to the Byrds, there isn’t any style that they’ve missed. It’s not exactly copying; none of the music sounds like its been directly lifted from anything else, but songs like “Singing to the Earth” are easily identified as George Harrison-esque pop tunes while “The Funky Chamberlain” is a fantastic blend of Pink Floyd prog and Galactic funk. This isn’t a statement of anything new, it’s only for entertainment, and since there’s no one who is unaware of this, Shall Noise Upon works wonderfully.

Okkervil River - The Stand Ins

2008-09-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

The Stand Ins (2008, Jagjaguwar) Okkervil River's fifth studio album. ***1/2

Wherever you think Okkervil River derives their influence from, they've proven to be one of the most peculiar bands in recent history. Over the course of their career they've never had a clean solid hit; I don't mean a radio-friendly jingle that makes their name, I mean a completely solid album from start to finish. That's not to suggest the idea that Okkervil River's albums aren't entertaining, but they've never been able to achieve the power that they want to.

The Stand Ins is another example of that. Yet again, the band has crafted an album I'm sure I'll add to my record collection at some point this year, but they've succeeded in maneuvering away from crafting a true masterpiece. They could have done it, particularly on their last two releases, but Okkervil River gets too hokey for their own good. Musically, many moments are breathtaking, and Sheff's emotional vocal delivery never gets old. Lyrically, however, they never match the sincerity or force that the music does. An example is the pounding "Lost Coastlines," whose alternative folk sound rocks hard. It starts off simply with an acoustic guitar, but it accelerates into a sonic whirlwind. And while the words may sound pretty, the ideas don't always shine through clearly.

Even one of the albums prettiest moments, "Blue Tulip," can't escape the stereotype. Sheff's finest vocal performance on The Stand Ins by far, yet bland lines like "I'll feel your feelings crackling" render it emotionally gutless. What's so strange about this failure of individual lines is that the themes are radiantly clear without being didactic; lost love, loneliness, and the like. Overall, The Stand Ins is not a weak entry in a fairly impressive catalogue; rather, it seems to fit right in with the good job that they've done since they've been playing. Okkervil River continues the band that is rarely breathtaking, often genius, mostly good, and never unlistenable. (Lost Coastlines, Blue Tulip, Bruce Wayne)

Duds of 2008: Part Six

2008-09-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a handful of albums that hardly deserve a full-length review. Duds consist of albums that have received a rating of two stars or less.

Recovery (2008, Yep Roc) Loudon Wainwright's nineteenth studio album. **

Loudon isn't bad, he's just cheesy. It's not the music that screws him, it's his own clumsy lyrics that rarely prove to be insightful or funny and instead come off simply bland.

Red Letter Year (2008, Righteous Babe) Ani DiFranco's seventeenth studio album. **

DiFranco has banked on her lyrics over her music time and time again. While fans may soak it up, the routine is quickly a tired one. Her political sights are few and far between and her love songs aren't believable.

Clouded Staircase (2008, Bar/None) Starling Electric's first studio album. **

Clouded Staircase plays more like an extensive demo tape than an album; eighteen songs who average at about two to two and a half minutes. These guys have talent, but this finds them scrambling to be an updated and less enthusiastic version of the Beatles.

Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea

2008-09-08T19:34:00.001-07:00

Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (2008, Drag City) Silver Jews' sixth studio album. ***1/2

Silver Jews is not an immediate sound you latch onto. In fact, it's nearly required that you be a fan of Johnny Cash and the Pixies to get into it. All their albums, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea included, are ones that grows with each listen. The opening "What Is Not But Could Be If" sounds like a lecture with lyrics like "What could appear in morning mist/With all associated risk/What is not but could be if." Alternatively, it can be completely idiotic, such as "Party Barge," which ends with Cassie Berman repeating "Send us your coordinates, I'll send a Saint Bernard."

Two moments are truly musically awe-inspiring; the vocally downing "Suffering Jukebox" and the folk sounds of "Strange Victory, Strange Defeat." The former is remarkable for its extended chorus, which again sees Cassie Berman letting loose with pleading lines. While it isn't as introspective as other Silver Jews releases, that's by no means a good or bad thing; if anything, it offers a balance to some of their more melodramatic work and lets David Berman's sense of humor shine through more. This isn't music that you'd hear at a party, but its sound is timeless. Namely, music like this ages very well. (Suffering Jukebox)

Bird Show - Untitled

2008-09-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

Untitled (2008, Kranky) Bird Show's third studio album. ***

Experimental artists tend to polarize critics; half feel almost obligated to praise them because they don't understand them and feel like the music could unknowingly be influential in some obscure way. The other half despise them simply because they don't understand them, and the buck stops there. Untitled is an experimental album, no doubt, of world music with a focus on percussion. And as a result, it sounds like an experiment. Take that as you will, but while Untitled is very clean and together, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of thought going into the extended numbers like "Percussion and Voice." Bird Show has created an album that's not necessarily difficult to listen to, but will certainly only have an acquired and limited audience. A decent effort.

Apollo Sunshine - Shall Noise Upon

2008-09-05T15:56:00.000-07:00

Shall Noise Upon (2008, Headless Heroes) Apollo Sunshine's third studio album. ****

I would recommend that everyone listen to this album at least once, especially if you enjoy late 60's psychedelia. No doubt you'll find at least one song you like, because every song sounds like a different band; early Pink Floyd, Cream, the Beatles, the Byrds, etcetera. And while most of the album is fairly captivating, Shall Noise Upon fails to act as a coherent piece. Nothing is really put together, it's like having a puzzle where all the pieces are the same color, making it impossible to figure out how to shape it into one thing.

"Singing to the Earth" moves like George Harrison's work, bouncy and full of sunshine. "666" mixes Aorta with Floyd, reeking of fairly impressive guitar distortion imitation. The beginning of "Happiness" is almost identical to "I Talk to the Wind" by King Crimson. All of this isn't necessarily bad, the music sounds great; but there really isn't a voice to be found anywhere. Shall Noise Upon, then, acts less as art (though it seems Apollo Sunshine meant it that way) and more as pure entertainment for stoners who miss or would have wanted to be a part of Woodstock. I don't scold that. Because even though they do sound like other bands from the era, they're not ripping off anyone's work. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a friend of the hookah. (Singing to the Earth, The Funky Chamberlain, Money)

Inside Music Album Guide - 9/04/08

2008-09-04T16:02:00.001-07:00

I've started writing for the university newspaper as a music critic... sort of, I guess. I get to review albums. It's a bit frustrating; I've a feeling there will be a lot of misprints (as today was my first article and already there were a plethora of them). Below is how the article was supposed to appear.

Inside Music
The Stills do it right, Jonas Brothers are still learning
By Stephen Mason

The Stills – Oceans Will Rise (Arts & Crafts) ****
There are three things that make Oceans Will Rise work, and none are by accident. First, the Stills know how to be radio-friendly while layering their message into the hooks of their indie-rock driven style (“Being Here,” for example). Second, they’ve mastered the dynamics. There are no points where Oceans Will Rise is too loud for too long like a Muse album, nor does it whisper until you fall asleep. Third, the message they convey – while obvious – isn’t as boisterous as someone like Marilyn Manson. All in all it’s thoroughly enjoyable, and let’s face it; they make global warming sound fun.

The Verve – Forth (RED) ***
Unfortunately for Ashcroft and company, the Verve is ten years too late to reunite and answer the age-old question of “What would the Verve have done next had they not broken up?” Certainly Forth is only partly an answer; the band is older – though not necessarily wiser – and has used any great material elsewhere. There’s no “Bittersweet Symphony” here, only imitators; “Valium Skies” is the only track that features reminiscent string arrangement and truly impassioned vocals by Ashcroft. While other notable tracks like “Love is Noise” (which, not ironically, features a sample of a truly strange barking sound) may be remembered by the few remaining fans or the dedicated music connoisseur, the rest is forgettable. All listenable, but not engaging.

B.B. King – One Kind Favor (Geffen) ***1/2
The hailed “King of Blues” is back again with an array of blues covers, ranging from the legendary Big Bill Broonzy to the equally great John Lee Hooker. There’s no big production values that water One Kind Favor down, it’s still as basic as blues gets (King going so far as to have an upright bass in the recording sessions). It’s lop-sided as well; “Blues Before Sunrise” is the mark where King gets into it. After that, every track is golden, especially his cover of Chatmon’s “Sitting On Top of the World.” He may be old, but he sounds just as fresh as he did in 1957.

The Jonas Brothers – A Little Bit Longer (Disney) **1/2
Teen pop has always been the prostitute of the music industry; it’s easy and it makes a lot of money. You can’t blame the Jonas Brothers for that, their intentions are better. They know their target market and are responsible enough to keep a distance from drug and sex references (something Katy Perry cannot). For that, I tolerate them. As far as the music is concerned, it’s overly-produced, slick, trite nonsense. Strained vocals and excessive hooks. Lyrics about relationships they pretend to have had and understood. Drivel for the most part. I’ll admit, though, the kids can play guitar.

YouTube Update

2008-09-03T19:06:00.001-07:00

The latest reviews on my YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/user/politicianrock

Entry #18: Has Rolling Stone Lost Its Touch?
Entry #17: The Jonas Brothers - A Little Bit Longer
Entry #16: The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath
Entry #15: Randy Newman - Harps and Angels
Entry #14: Cat Power - Jukebox
Entry #13: Music You Should Be Listening To

"When once you had believe it,
Now you see it's sucking you in."
- LCD Soundsystem

-Stephen

B.B. King - One Kind Favor

2008-09-03T18:49:00.001-07:00

One Kind Favor (2008, Atlantic) B.B. King's twenty-fourth studio album. ***1/2

Long hailed as the "King of the Blues," B.B. King is back with an array of blues covers. There's nothing out of the ordinary and his style hasn't changed much, and what's surprising is that even at eighty-two years old, his signature voice doesn't sound weathered at all. It's a bit of a slow-starter, as One Kind Favor eases in with the jazz-flavored "See That My Grave is Kept Clean." The most invigorating and soulful moments don't come until the second act, really opening up with "The World is Going Wrong" and "Blues Before Sunrise." The ensuing songs are equally rattling and rollicking, especially "Backwater Blues" which features King's best and most convincing vocal performance on the entire album. If you love the blues, you love the King, and although it's not his greatest work, it's still enthralling to hear a master make a tried genre sound as good as ever. (Blues Before Sunrise, Backwater Blues, Sitting On Top of the World)

Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line

2008-09-02T17:43:00.001-07:00

The Rhumb Line (2008, Barsuk) Ra Ra Riot's first studio album. ****

The tragic death of drummer John Pike in 2007 didn't detract Ra Ra Riot at all. If anything, it pushed them on, almost forcing them to stay on course with a goal they all agreed on; to make beautiful music. The Rhumb Line is mixed with tributes to Pike, but instead of sounding depressive and mournful, they sound inspired. It is clear that the band feels things will never be the same, but they don't make the audience pay for something they can't understand. It starts off with "Ghost Under Rocks," a galloping introduction. The Rhumb Line is full of string arrangements (actually played by band members, imagine that!) and energy, bordering on the cusp of something I can only describe as proto-classical rock. Make sense? Didn't think so. Let me explain:

The Rhumb Line and Neon Bible used strings extensively, and since they could so easily be transposed into classical arrangements - especially "Winter 05," which is almost a classical piece on its own - that they push the boundaries of alternative rock and chamber pop, possibly further into something completely new. Maybe?

If Ra Ra Riot has any shortcomings, it's that their energy isn't always engaging. It doesn't tire, but sometimes a slower moment would be welcome. I unfairly compare The Rhumb Line with Neon Bible (because I do so unfavorably) in pointing out the balance that Neon Bible had. The title track was perfect after the sonic blast of "Keep the Car Running." And while the first three cuts of The Rhumb Line are then thankfully mellowed by the sleigh bells of "Winter 05," the tempo speeds up again for "Dying is Fine" and never again backs down. It doesn't hinder the album horribly. They're so damn good at writing genuinely good hooks that if they ever learned the value of pace, they'd already catapult themselves among today's best artists. But don't fear, Ra Ra Riot have already placed themselves as one of the most exciting and most promising breakthrough bands of the year. (Ghost Under Rocks, Dying is Fine, Oh, La)

Lykke Li - Youth Novels

2008-09-01T15:09:00.001-07:00

Youth Novels (2008, LL Recordings) Lykke Li's first studio album. ***1/2

In 2007 I became very tired of minimalism. It had been around since the late 1990s, and only few bands were able to do it successfully, namely blues-based bands such as the White Stripes and the Black Keys. There were others of course, but they seemed to be the only ones who had it down pat. And even then I wasn't crazy about it; Icky Thump, while still an exceptional album, ranked as one of the Stripes' weakest outputs. At the same time, wonderfully flourished albums like Neon Bible were sonically epic in every sense, and that was the direction that I had been waiting for.

And now in 2008, we've been seeing less minimalism in favor of bigger sounds. That doesn't always make things better, but it was a nice change from the norm. Li, however, seems to have missed the memo, and has actually put out one of the few truly great minimalist indie electronic albums (assuming there's more than this one). It's dance music for the kids who are too cool to dance. Youth Novels is disjointed, and it tends to sputter more than it stands solid. Things don't kick in until "Let It Fall," a very simple Prince-esque groove with lapping vocals. Even after this moment, it doesn't always work. The next great moment doesn't come until the robotic "Complaint Department," and appropriately it meanders until the end. There is no bad material here, what's here is just uneven, and Li is merely inconvienced to have a debut that's not quite as proper as it should be. We'll see where she can go from here, because while it's a promising start, the genre she's adopted as well as her sound don't lend to a whole lot of growth. (Let It Fall, Complaint Department, Breaking It Up)

The Verve - Forth

2008-08-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Forth (2008, RED) The Verve's fourth studio album. ***

When the single "Bittersweet Symphony" was released, the Verve were launched to superstardom. It came with a price, as they would have to release 100% of the royalties of their hit single because of unwarranted sampling. The band became involved heavily with drugs. Finally, the tension between Ashcroft and McCabe broke, and the Verve dissolved before they could release a follow up to Urban Hymns.

Forth then (almost) answers one of the long-debated questions in recent music history; what would have happened to the Verve had they stayed together? They would have been unquestionably the biggest band in the world, and even back home they were considered the leaders of the British alternative scene. The answer is that it's monotonous, but that's not because they have run out of good ideas. It's been nearly ten years since they were writing music together, and Ashcroft used a lot of material - albeit mostly bland - for his solo work, so we find them struggling to come up with anything fresh. Forth is not hard to listen to, but it's not engaging, either. Only two songs, "Love is Noise" and "Valium Skies" are standouts, but more so for wrong reasons. "Love is Noise" features a strange, well, noise that sounds like barking throughout its duration, and "Valium Skies" is the poorer cousin of "Bittersweet Symphony."

It's not that the Verve aren't good songwriters or performers, but the album is ten years too late. It is true that Forth is not as heavily steeped in shoegaze as other releases, but without the biting lyrics, without Ashcroft's emotional vocals (he sounds weathered now), and without impact of their earlier work, the Verve's "comeback" is more saddening than anything else. They are a band who should have come back in flying colors, but it seems like they're the only ones marching in the parade with no one to watch. Pleasant material, none of it memorable. And thus is the tragedy of the Verve in the US. (Love is Noise, Rather Be, Valium Skies)

The Stills - Oceans Will Rise

2008-08-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Oceans Will Rise (2008, Arts & Crafts) The Stills' third studio album. ****

The best part of Oceans Will Rise is its culmination of three great bands; Radiohead, Coldplay, and Muse. The Stills borrow from each appropriately while keeping good aesthetic distance, and the end result is an accessible album with a darker picture painted in the lyrics. They manage to do several important things the right way. First, they're able to keep the material radio-friendly and memorable. "Being Here" is the obvious highlight with Fletcher's soaring vocals and Hamelin's Edge-like guitar riff. Second, they know how to work dynamics; there's never a point where the album gets too loud for too long, nor does it start off rocking and then slip into snoozing acoustic tranquility. Third, they get their message across without ramming it down everyone's throat, and they recognize that being louder doesn't make the message more so. With that, they succeeded where Black Holes and Revelations failed, which started with three masterful songs but then didn't know when to tune it down a bit.

Whether it's the percussion rally on "Snakecharming the Masses," the soft electronic whirl of "Snow in California," the melancholy "Everything I Build," or the indie-inspired "Panic," the Stills demonstrate that they've learned a lot from their last record. For this "post-rock" group (an idiotic label in itself), Oceans Will Rise is a triumph. (Snow In California, Being Here, Eastern Europe)

Xavier Rudd - Dark Shades of Blue

2008-08-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

Dark Shades of Blue (2008, Anti) Xavier Rudd's fifth studio album. ***1/2

Xavier Rudd has more of a sound than a specific genre that he fits into. It's not necessarily complex, as it allows him to transcend from musical realm to musical realm. Take the first ten seconds, even; the fade-in of the guitar distortion is nearly identical to "Foxey Lady" before it dives into an instrumental in the vein of something from Jeff. He relies on several unorthodox instruments to complete his sound; harshly distorted and reverbed guitar accompanied by didgeridoos? Impressive. The underlying Hammond organ plays an integral role in the gloomy reggae-inspired "Secrets." He doesn't just rely on blues and prog rock, he also pulls influences from Middle Eastern and African music as well (particularly with the percussion). Dark Shades of Blue is a record that is more easily experienced than described, as its fairly low-volume instrumentation makes a stronger statement with its subtleties than it would full-speed. And since I'm not a real music critic and am honestly having trouble to describe the album, this review is not very good. (Dark Shades of Blue, Guku, This World as We Know It)

Hotel Lights - Firecracker People

2008-08-25T14:36:00.000-07:00

Firecracker People (2008, Bar/None) Hotel Lights' second studio album. ****

Few fans of Ben Folds have ever really wondered what happened to Goodman and Jessee after Ben Folds Five split, and even fewer probably cared. And why should they? The frontman had already proved he was a great songwriter, and his emerging solo career was further proof of his skills. But if a Ben Folds fan ever does happen to cross Hotel Lights, they may go back and listen to Whatever and Ever Amen more closely. Sure, Folds dominated the trio throughout their tenure, but Jessee was involved in writing some of the group's better material, including songs like "Kate" and "Brick" (the latter of which Goodman shares credit as well).

Finally, Jessee has broken out and released Firecracker People, an eclectic mix of wonderfully gripping songs that are very memorable. The formula is great; Jessee takes songwriting duties and sings as well - and he's remarkably good. His voice is soft most of the time and doesn't venture to suggest that he has any sort of range. It's all above-baritone delivery, yet it's not high tenor. But it works, as Hotel Lights isn't as explosive as Ben Folds Five was, rather, it's more subdued like Broken Social Scene. And although many of the tunes do have that Folds-tinged sound, it still writhes with originality, especially the album's finest cuts like the rolling title track or the elevating "Chemical Clouds," which pulls the trick of never seemingly reaching the peak you expect it to. The opening isn't electric, but it's engaging, as "Blue Always Finds Me" and "Dream State Flying" are melodic enough to bring anyone in.

The album's finest moment, though, is the neo-psychedelic "Norina." Jessee sings, "Norina, your man is a ghost," and in the chorus simply sings a beautifully reverbed "Ahhh" that is a better statement than most everything else on the album. Jessee has a knack for writing unpredictably catchy songs, and Weatherhead's production is astounding. This is another alternative rock singer-songwriter who everyone should keep their eyes on. Not many drummers write music as gorgeous as this. (Firecracker People, Norina, Chemical Clouds)

Death Vessel - Nothing is Precious Enough For Us

2008-08-24T15:01:00.001-07:00

Nothing is Precious Enough For Us (2008, Sub Pop) Death Vessel's second studio album. ***1/2

Probably the most shocking thing I discovered about Death Vessel was that the singer, Joel Thibodeau, is, well... a guy. Upon my first listen to Nothing is Precious Enough For Us, I didn't for any moment doubt that the singer was a woman with a decent voice. It wasn't until I did a little research that I found that Thibodeau had quite a... unique falsetto.

The style is a very laid-back folk approach, as refreshing as Iron & Wine was when he first came about. But unlike Iron & Wine or Bon Iver, Death Vessel has a much more uppity feel to it. While there are slow moments, Nothing is Precious Enough For Us can be bouncy on numbers like the bluegrass "Obadiah in Oblivion." And Thibodeau proves to be a great composer on some of the album's earlier moments, most notably the dreamy "Block My Eye," or the innocent child-like tune "Jitterakadie." It's all relatively simple stuff, never diving into the strange studio sounds that The Shepherd's Dog has. It's about as raw as raw can get, and that's a mixed blessing, because while Death Vessel has the sincerity of his folk peers, the production values aren't as clear as an album like Fleet Foxes, which manages to both be organic and ear-friendly. Sadly, a collection of exceptional tunes is brought down a tad by hiss-tape-like production.

Oxford Collapse - Bits

2008-08-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Bits (2008, Sub Pop) Oxford Collapse's fourth studio album. ***

While portraying themselves as an indie rock band, Oxford Collapse seems to be far more rooted in post-punk. Yes, all the late-nineties influences are plentiful in Bits, but it's impossible to deny that there are also hints of Against Me! hidden sporadically. Bits isn't a brilliant album and through its course it accomplishes very little, and while there are not many moments that are as brilliant as "The Birthday Wars," there are even fewer that are as painstakingly awful as "Young Love Delivers," riddled with obnoxious and bratty "Whoa"s that are intentionally delivered that way (a subconscious attempt to drive people away). Oxford Collapse have done much better, but they need to mature a little bit, as their shtick is getting tired fast. A little bit of a new direction may be in order.

EP Update: Midnight Juggernauts and Nick Cave

2008-08-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

Into the Galaxy (2008, Siberia) Midnight Juggernauts' third studio EP. **1/2

Last year we were lucky enough to experience Dystopia, the debut album of this very talented Australian trio. Of all of their material, "Into the Galaxy" was one of the top songs, featuring a dreamy, almost video-game-like synth lead-in, and wonderfully strange falsetto during the chorus. The EP of the same name features the radio cut of the title track as well as three remixes. It's not fair to blame Midnight Juggernauts for some rather low-quality material resulting from their work. And it's even strange, as Grandmaster Flash doesn't create an adequate remix. Perhaps the band should take the crummy remakes as a compliment; "Into the Galaxy" is a great song, and nothing here really can hold a candle to the original.

Midnight Man (2008, Mute) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' seventh studio EP. ***

Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! has been one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year. And All Music Guide has been kind to nearly their entire catalogue, which is racked with four-to-five star albums. Midnight Man is interesting only, not actually something completely worthwhile. Bascially, the early versions of "More News From Nowhere" and "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" are the most engaging to listen to, but purely for the fact of wondering how they took form to their completed counterparts on the main album. In the end, though, it's only truly notable for die-hard fans.

Duds of 2008: Part Five

2008-08-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Here are a handful of albums that hardly deserve a full-length review. Duds consist of albums that have received a rating of two stars or less.

12 Steps (2008, Defend) Tittsworth's first studio album. **

Tired beats interspersed with bits of untalented rappers being unbelievably cliche and stereotypical. Dance/rap that only nerds will identify with once the cool kids get tired of it.

Waiting for the Sun (2008, Secretly Canadian) David Vendervelde's second studio album. **

Unfortunately for Vandervelde, he can't sing worth shit. Some will find his voice intriguiging, but it's almost as annoying as Geddy Lee's. His songwriting isn't bad, but there's certainly nothing memorable about it, either.

The Old Days Feeling (2008, Modern Radio) Mirah's ninth studio album. **

Mirah's brand of anti-folk isn't nearly as clever or interesting as Regina Spektor's, and her unorthodox song structure and length aren't original in the way she thinks they are; she's different for the sake of it, not because she actually is.

The Ettes - Look at Life Again Soon

2008-08-17T10:27:00.001-07:00

Look at Life Again Soon (2008, Take Root) The Ettes' third studio album. ***

The Ettes instantly conjure up images of their obvious influences - the White Stripes, the Black Keys, the Kills, and early the Go (from their first LP, Whatcha' Doin'). They're far more than knee-deep in the garage and punk rock sound, though they've almost completely abandoned the blues. And that's okay, they don't want to be a cheap imitation. At the same time, though, the Ettes aren't nearly as explosive as any of their predecessors, and it's not like the lost energy is made up in sex appeal, as Lindsay Hames' voice is high pitched and tinny, only appearing less so because of the thin layer of distortion that haunts her performance throughout the album. Look at Life Again Soon is truly hit-and-miss, as tunes like "Crown of Age" don't hold a candle to undeniably catchy ones like "I Heard Tell."

The Return of Disco

2008-08-15T16:59:00.000-07:00

After a long period of people completely disowning disco - not just the music, but everything that it touched - it seems as if it has finally managed to creep back into modern music. Disco isn't necessarily something that will see a revival; perhaps Saturday Night Fever will get more playtime on cable TV, but things like males wearing platform shoes are most definitely gone. Although disco may not have the power that it had in the late 70's, modern spins on it now offer people an alternative to cruddy rap that you can hear at any nightclub. So how did this even happen? How can something that has been readily mocked for twenty years suddenly be cool again? The evolution isn't all that surprising.

When disco seemingly died in the 80's, it actually just split itself into two factions; house and hip-hop. The hip-hop side of it was still danceable, and its own evolution into various incarnations of rap music is another story in itself. Although a branch of rap itself, hip-hop has always been more music-oriented than rap-oriented, and its danceability eventually turned a certain genre of rap to appeal to clubs the way house did; deep, heavy beats, loud bass, and a catchy - albeit in most cases mindless - chorus. House was far less popular in the mainstream than hip-hop, as it was purely made for dancing, not the radio. It was characterized by its constant beat and random placement of other instruments, sometimes accompanied by vocals (which, in most cases, was not only rare, but when it did happen, was completely repetitive). It, too, branched off into various genres, and it was artists in the late 90's who varied its sound that made it popular to wider audiences.

Among those artists were the French duo Daft Punk, whose revelatory 1997 album Homework redefined techno. By breaking into the mainstream, their influence was direct on countless artists and spun incalculable experimental techno and electronica artists, and in many cases even rock artists who were interested in incorporating electronic elements in their music. And then, in the early 2000's, plenty of artists began to pay attention to what was driving the electronica movement, and blending of moods came together. For instance, Daft Punk and Moby were moreso on the techno side, known for thick beats and, in the case of DP, harsh, robotic vocals. On the other side of the coin was ambient electronica, and arguably the most influential among modern artists is Boards of Canada. The only thing that their music held to electronica was that it was made with computers, as it was completely and utterly removed from dance elements. Their classic 1998 album Music Has the Right to Children helped to seal what would come.

A great (unknown) example of mixing ambience and harsh techno was Royksopp's 2001 debut Melody A.M., categorized as downbeat electronica. No, it wasn't the first of its kind, but it was an exceptional album that, while not energetic enough to be dance music, kept the warm nature of ambience while adding toe-tapping beats. Soon after, James Murphy created the identity of LCD Soundsystem, a force that would majorly influential in the return of disco. He - unknowingly or not - upped what bands like Royksopp were doing; he made the beats a little louder, the music more intense and intricate, yet shyed away from the easy and overused tempoes that characterized house. His 2007 masterpiece Sound of Silver introduced songs like "Get Innocuous!" that were heavily influenced by disco. And even before then, random bits were found sporadically. Even Feist covered a Bee Gees' song on her 2004 debut Let It Die.

2008, however, has proven a powerhouse for true disco to stage a comeback. While some artists only dabble in it (MGMT's "Electric Feel," for example), other artists are engulfing themselves. Hot Chip's release earlier this year, Made in the Dark, is characterized by its lead single "Ready for the Floor," a heavily disco-inspired groove. And while other artists last year like Midnight Juggernauts flaunted with it on tracks like "Into the Galaxy," bands like Hercules and Love Affair are blatantly calling their music disco. And it's not like this stuff is being disowned, critics are eating it up. Why? It may have been labeled as stupid shortly after it went out of style, but the truth of the matter is that while its lyrics may be coded to mean dirty things, it is in no way as outwardly trashy as club rap today. Disco is good dance music, infectious and entertaining, and it will up the experimentation for electronica in the twenty-first century.

Disco songs of the twenty-first century:
MGMT - Electric Feel
Feist - Inside and Out
Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor
Midnight Juggernauts - Into the Galaxy
Brazilian Girls - Losing Myself
LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous!
Hercules and Love Affair - Blind
Sebastien Tellier - Divine
Cut Copy - Far Away

SIDE ARTICLE: Blondie's "Heart of Glass" Vs. Feist's "Inside and Out"

Although it's possible that it is completely unintentional, Feist's video of the disco song "Inside and Out" by the Bee Gees contains many similarities to the video for Blondie's 1979 hit "Heart of Glass." Yes, they may seem arbitrary, but it is noteworthy.

Blondie - Heart of Glass

Feist - Inside and Out

Blondie's video is characterized by simplicity; it's almost completely focused on her, and she keeps her attention solely focused on the camera. Also, her movement is slight but important; although I wouldn't call it dancing, you can see that she is moving to the music, bouncing up and down. Feist's video isn't all that different. No, she's not with her band performing the song, but she is the target of the video. Most of the shots are of Feist up close, and she, too, is only looking at the camera. This is interesting because unlike in the late 70's, many videos today feature idiotic side stories and/or intersperse shots with the artist. Feist's video, whenever focused on her, always shows her lip syncing, just like Blondie does in her video. And Feist's movement, simple walking, gives her the same slight bounce that Blondie has.

Feist's other music videos also tend to focus on her, but if you look at her two most popular, "1234" and "Mushaboom," they contain hordes of extras, but "Inside and Out" does not. However, it should be noted that "Inside and Out" was not directed by Patrick Daughters, the director who Feist usually works with and who directed "1234" and "Mushaboom" among others.

The Upsidedown - Human Destination

2008-08-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Human Destination (2008, Beat the World Records) The Upsidedown's second studio album. **1/2

The Upsidedown should be commended for writing decent songs, and some might even think to congradulate them on their 'sound.' Thing is, the Upsidedown don't really have one. They dabble in Velvet Underground neo-psychedelia, Stooges garage rock, and early 2000's post-punk. And from song to song they're wildly unpredictable, completely morphing their assumed persona from the preceding track. Human Destination can only truly be described as mind-boggling, as even the band doesn't seem completely sure in what they're doing to the point that they recycle different formats throughout the album; psychedlia, garage, post-punk, in that order, again and again. It's not that the material is bad, it's just that Jsun Atoms' Lou Reed impression works only sometimes, and Human Destination is so disjointed that it functions more as a collection of songs by a band struggling with direction rather than a comprehensive album. If at any point they figure out how to focus, they could be formidable.

Birdmonster - From the Mountain to the Sea

2008-08-15T15:22:00.001-07:00

From the Mountain to the Sea (2008, Faded Label) Birdmonster's second studio album. ***1/2

Birdmonster make simple, straight-ahead, good and honest alternative folk rock. They don't try to be overly complex and they aren't trying to channel any one specific sound. That might come off as Birdmonster not having a unique voice, because in all honesty, the instrumentation of the album isn't what defines the band in the slightest. It's vocalist Peter Arcuni that makes Birdmonster, and in particular From the Mountain to the Sea, magical. Arcuni sounds like a young Stephen Stills, specifically from his time with Buffalo Springfield (and a cover of "For What It's Worth" wouldn't have been out of line).

"My Love For You" opens things softly and introduces Arcuni near naked, as there's not much instrumentation behind him. "Lost at Sea" comes next, and sets the general attitude of most of the songs, as they tend to be in the vein of up-tempo folk numbers, and "Lost at Sea" is the best of those. But when they mood is more mellow, there are jewels like "Concrete Lights," an acoustic ballad that evolves with an electric guitar. But it is Arcuni's vocals that make the song, which is fairly monotone and only ever seems to go up, never descending as the listener so deperately predicts. It happens again on "The Only One," which features the entire band coming into full swing over time, but its message is simple if not beautiful: "I was young/and you were the only one." And later, "But there was the only truth/Could have been anyone/Just so happened that it was you."

Ear-pleasing to say the least, most of From the Mountain to the Sea is filled with catchy numbers. Arcuni and company would have no trouble going unplugged with these; really, an acoustic guitar and piano might suit most of these tracks better than the full-electric approach they've given it. A never-pretentious, always enjoyable and smooth effort. (My Love For You, Born to Be Your Man, Concrete Lights, The Only One)

Port O'Brien - All We Could Do Was Sing

2008-08-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

All We Could Do Was Sing (2008) Port O'Brien's second studio album. ***

The California residents Port O'Brien have churned out an interesting sophomore effort. It's an indie-folk blast reminiscent of the Avett Brothers, Bon Iver, Broken Social Scene, and even Arcade Fire. And although it starts off with intensity and harsh focus, it slowly loses its way (intentionally or not) and crawls towards an end. The anthemic title track sets a great mood of freedom, and the following two cuts establish the album's theme of a yearning soul being trapped by illusionary obligations. But things slip up a bit starting with "Pigeonhold," which seemingly criticizes today's young quasi-hippie crowd, accusing them of stealing the past phenomenon of the 60's and not being as original and free-thinking as they claim to be. An interesting concept, but the band itself sounds like hippies, and thus lines up the hypocritical "I do that, but anyone else who does it is stupid." It may not be true, the members of Port O'Brien might be straight edge, but it's a message not suiting them. After that brief head-turner All We Could Do Was Sing quickly heads downhill into a cycle of pointless jams and boring guitar progressions, and scurries in the last two to three songs to re-vamp the album's themes. While it isn't close to being perfect, Port O'Brien are capable of expressing their ideas eloquently when they aren't thinking too hard.

Author's Note: Information on distribution label was not found.

The Jonas Brothers - A Little Bit Longer

2008-08-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

A Little Bit Longer (2008, Disney) The Jonas Brothers' third studio album. **1/2

I was extremely disappointed in Rolling Stone's award of "excellence" to this album. It's not that the Jonas Brothers are awful or that they will never become anything, but Rolling Stone's reasoning is beyond ridiculous. Jody Rosen's first line in her review of four Disney-released albums is "History teaches us not to dismiss kiddie pop." I would actually say the exact opposite. Why? Rosen claims that we have to thank teen pop for results such as Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and all associated wannabes. But let's look at this fact; of the teen pop sensations Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, N*Sync, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake (solo), and a combined twenty-two albums between them all, only two have not been met with middling or poor critical reaction (Back to Basics by Aguilera and Blackout by Spears, the latter of which did receive a few mixed and poor reviews). And don't get me started on Katy Perry.

So if that's the logic you want to use, Jody, then we need to be wary of Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers. But that's actually the opposite, because like Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers aren't bad. Is there album great? Not by any stretch of the veritably screwed-up imagination. Teen pop is useless, but they use it the correct way. They aren't going out of their way to try and be cool; basically, there's no mention of partying, sex, or the like. These guys are responsible to their fan base, and that's great. As far as the music is concerned, it's fairly bleak. Yeah, Nick and Kevin can play the guitar pretty damn well for their age. But Joe's vocals are so horribly predictable - complete with lines of "Tonight!" and forced voice straining - that they help fulfill all the cliches one can expect. There are two moments where the brothers get it right; the first is "Shelf," a genuinely straightforward rocker that loses the excess of traditional generic pop. Switch the vocalist and you could believe it was any trapped-in-the-late-90's band. Another is the gentle ballad "Lovebug," a simple acoustic number that turns radically electric as it progresses. Beyond that, the boys fail to be as adventurous or clever as their female counterpart. But that's okay, if they ever adopt a respectable genre they could transpose their skills. It's easy-going and honestly harmless music, because their full commital to Christianity doesn't seep in anywhere for an unwarranted and unwanted moral lecture. For fans it's their best yet. For anyone else, that last sentence doesn't mean a whole lot.

Oneida - Preteen Weaponry

2008-08-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

Preteen Weaponry (2008, Jagjaguwar) Oneida's ninth studio album. ***

The unfortunate part of Oneida's latest album is that it makes the following statement even more true; you need to experience them live to be able to enjoy the album. Not only that, but you'd have to be a fan. And since more than 95% of Preteen Weaponry is instrumental, it's a bit difficult to sit through. Is it boring? Not quite. Oneida are able to keep you interested for a certain period, but once you get past the fact that the first part of this three track album is basically a fourteen-minute buildup which leads into another long sequence of a buildup that ultimately goes nowhere, you wonder what Oneida are trying to get at. I can't recommend it, but at the same time I'm wary of saying that they're not onto anything. For fans and the ultra-curious.

The Faint - Fasciinatiion

2008-08-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Fasciinatiion (2008, Blank. Wave) The Faint's sixth studio album. **1/2

Glitch electronica is so often one of those rare and criminally underrated things; that is, of course, when it's done correctly. The Faint have opened up a barrage of problems on their latest LP, Fasciinatiion. One is that they don't really know what they want to do; all the songs are very glitch-heavy, with blips and bleeps like you wouldn't believe, but at the same time they introduce an electric guitar and hip-hop elements. Experimentation is great, but it doesn't go with anything they've put out here. Not only that, but the electronica beats they do have are far too harsh; the beeps are loud and obnoxious, trying to act as a facade of intricacy. It's too muddled and in the middle, for Fasciinatiion isn't soft like The Eraser or fluent like Sound of Silver, yet at the same time it holds itself back from being as violent as You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into. And at that point the album is drab, with Todd Fink's vocals being a poor version of Phil Collins. In fact, Fink is a major problem for the album, as his growling baritone and virtual nonexistant range make him boring to listen to. Had they a vocalist like Alexis Taylor, the album's strong points like "Get Seduced" and "Forever Growing Centipedes" would be a qualifying apology for the rest of it. But alas, even the better moments - "Forever Growing Centipedes especially, as grooves don't get much crunchier than that - are only slightly above mediocre. Not to mention that their lyrics are beyond ridiculous, and even though they develop an interesting dystopian theme, it's laughable when you listen closely to tracks like "A Battle Hymn For Children."

Brazilian Girls - New York City

2008-08-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

New York City (2008, Verve) Brazilian Girls' third studio album. ****1/2

The band famous for only having one girl and not being Brazilian in the slightest have released their third album, a masterpiece entitled New York City. Sabina Sciubba, the lead singer and only female of the group, is essential to this album. Her vocals can hit any emotion she wants with only the slightest change, and the fact that she sings in (at least) English, Spanish, and French only heightens the aura of mystery about the band. I cannot find lyrics for this album yet, so I am in the dark for quite a bit of the album. Sciubba can be super sexy as on "Internacional" or plead with whimpers like she does on "Nouveau Americain." And it's not just about sounding sexy, she can honestly sing. Her Sigur Ros-esque vocals on the opener "St. Petersburg" or her soft, sensual performance on "L'Interprete" are stunning.

But we can't leave the rest of the band out on the street; Gutman, Murphy, and Johnston contribute just as much musically as Sciubba. Gutman in particular plays a strong role in the sound of many of these songs; as they jump from genre to genre he always adds a bit of his own in the keyboard or electronic work. "Losing Myself" features a one chord Manzarek-channeled keyboard piece, as does "Ricardo." Murphy's bass line on dance numbers like "Internacional" are unforgettable, and Johnston's drumbeats make some of the otherwise un-danceable cuts danceable. New York City is a flurry of musical inspirations and even steps up to the plate to imitate Kid A at points like the spongey computer backing on "L'Interprete." The carnival-romp of "Berlin" or near-mechanically charged "I Want Out" make for strange - albeit grand - changes of pace. The band's incorporation of jazz, pop, rock, and most importantly electronica are so well fused that they truly stand out against the backdrop of mediocre indie-electronica acts. They know their music and have done their homework, and that's what makes New York City work. (St. Petersburg, Losing Myself, Berlin, L'Interprete)

Show Review: Coheed and Cambria @ Myrtle Beach 8/09/08

2008-08-11T12:03:00.001-07:00

On Saturday I went to see Coheed and Cambria at the House of Blues with my friends Erin and Maggie (Stephen - whom I saw Dave Matthews with - was supposed to go but shit came up). The three of us will be seeing the Black Keys later in October, possibly with my friend Matt whom I saw Radiohead with earlier in May. As with Dave Matthews, I've never really listened to Coheed, but even less so Coheed. I had the intention of listening to their catalogue before we went to the show, but I was too lazy to do it. Thankfully, Maggie hadn't listened to them much, either. Coheed is Erin's favorite band, so we went.

The band Russian Circles opened at 8:00. They were alright, I've never heard an instrumental metal band before, so it was interesting. The crowd ate it up, so goody for them. If you're a fan of the Sword you should check them out. The sound is similar, but of course, no words.

The House of Blues is fairly small, so we obviously had a great view. With Radiohead and Dave Matthews, I could see them, but they were tiny. Claudio Sanchez was maybe a hundred feet away from me. Probably would have hit me harder if I was a huge fan, but I'm sure Erin was ecstatic. The show was actually pretty good, and it went by very quickly, even though they played for nearly two hours. I'm not a heavy metal fan, but they had some progressive and pop sensibilities to them, so I was thoroughly entertained. Some will criticize Sanchez on the way he plays guitar, because he plays fast, a trait of metal guitar players. Still, it was fairly impressive.

8/09/08 House of Blues at Myrtle Beach, SC

First set: No World For Tomorrow, Gravemakers, Ten Speed, AFHA, The Suffering, Everything Evil>The Trooper>Devil in Jersey City, Feathers, Blood Red Summer, The Running Free, In Keeping Secrets

Encore: Welcome Home, The Final Cut

The setlist was impressive, and the best song was "Welcome Home," where Sanchez pulled out a double-neck Gibson and went nuts. "The Final Cut" was also interesting, featuring a very space-rock type feel. It was good up until the ten minute drum solo. I'd have to listen to Coheed's catalogue before I'd go see them again, but apparently our show was the last one before their epic sets in New York and LA where they'll be playing everything they've done thus far. Unfortunately the House of Blues doesn't allow cameras, so again we don't have any pictures. If you were there or have been to any of Coheed's concerts this year, let me know how you liked it!

Coheed and Cambria Myrtle Beach 8/09/08 - Road Blog

2008-08-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

12:20 We stop at a Sheetz to put gas in the car, Erin nearly fills up using diesel. We order some nasty food from inside, my order takes about three years to make.

12:45 Pit stop at the Kinko's down the street so I can print out my ticket. I'm an idiot and forgot to do it in the office the day before. Have to pay a few bucks to use the internet and such. Erin and Maggie want to check their Facebook accounts.

1:14 Discussion of pet peeves arises. I tell the story of people I went to high school with, most notably the girl who always laughed at inside jokes that she did not understand, and another chick who "absorbed" things when she grabbed them. I demonstrate with a pack of cheese nips.

1:30 I ask Maggie what kind of music she listens to. Besides Phil Collins and Genesis, turns out she listens to a lot of modern British stuff. She likes the Arctic Monkeys, and I inform her about the Last Shadow Puppets and the Rascals.

1:40 "No Diggity" by Blackstreet comes on the radio. Erin and Maggie rock out accordingly. Somehow Prince and David Bowie enter the conversation, and I ask them why women are fascinated by them, especially Prince. Apparently being a huge rock god and standing at about five feet tall is hot.

1:45 Creed comes on the radio and we all laugh hysterically. I do my Scott Stapp impersonation.

1:56 I have to break the news to Maggie that Forrest Gump had AIDS, as did little Forrest. Erin says "Walker told me I have AIDS."

2:03 Erin and Maggie decide to take photos of themselves. They hold the camera out the window and the moonroof. "They're our MySpace pics!" they say. I doubt either of them even have a MySpace. We put on Consolers of the Lonely by the Raconteurs

2:07 We mock M. Night Shyamalan's movies.

2:20 I find a pair of Homer Simpson slippers in the back. Erin tells me that when you put them on, it looks like Homer is giving head to your leg.

2:27 We pass two billboards, one reads, "Don't read billboards? YOU JUST DID!" and the other is an advertisement for the U.S.S. North Carolina. Apparently seniors get a discount of one dollar. "But I served on this ship!" "Whatever, it's still only a dollar off, old man."

2:48 Erin and Maggie talk about their hatred of children and friends that have children.

2:54 We put in a mix CD. First song is "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies.

Mix CD Playlist:
1. Barenaked Ladies - One Week
2. My Morning Jacket - Highly Suspicious
3. Death Cab For Cutie - No Sunlight
4. Feist - I Feel It All
5. The Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations
6. Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor
7. M.I.A. - Paper Planes
8. The Raconteurs - Intimate Secretary
9. MGMT - Time to Pretend
10. Death Cab For Cutie - Cath...
11. Beck - Loser
12. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
13. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
14. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away
15. MGMT - The Youth

3:11 "Anal bum cover," "The rapist," "Condom thing," "Jap anus relations," and other celebrity Jeopardy references. Erin then talks about Journey and the album cover that shows their bulges.

3:20 Stop at a gas station/Subway to get drinks and pee. Yes, we peed and then drank more.

3:39 We leave and start heading down the highway. Erin realizes that she's in first gear.

4:13 We pass by a colossal amount of mini golf courses. Erin is outraged at some of the themes the courses use, most notably one that makes light of plane wrecks. I mock her by being offended by a dinosaur-themed course. Why? The dinosaurs are all dead.

4:29 We find the House of Blues. Erin takes a photograph.

4:43 Stop at Logan's for dinner. We prepare for Coheed by ordering the Porterhouse 20oz raw and a bucket of blood.

6:00 We get in line and the doors open at 7:00. There is a weird guy in front of us who keeps staring and is trying to be part of our oh-so-funny conversations.

7:00 Doors open.

7:12 We finally get inside. We struggle to find a place to stand. Weird guy follows us up the stairs. We stand on the main floor on the stairs and have a really good view. Weird guy is off to the far side so we can keep an eye on his movements.

8:00 The opener, Russian Circles, comes out (on the stage, not of the closet).

9:00 Coheed starts to play and everyone goes nuts. There's a small Asian chick in front of us with her boyfriend and they never stop making out. There is a large sweaty chick next to me who can't sing.

Set List:
No World For Tomorrow (Epic intro with lights)
Gravemakers
Ten Speed
AFHA
The Suffering
Everything Evil>The Trooper>Devil in Jersey City
Feathers
Blood Red Summer
The Running Free
In Keeping Secrets

Encore:
Welcome Home (Claudio comes out with a white Gibson EDS-1275)
The Final Cut (Lasts nearly half an hour, fairly awesome)

10:44 Show ends and we head out. Looks like people enjoyed it but might be drained due to a ten minute drum solo on the last song.

11:01 Heading out of the parking lot. We see a car that has the words "Show Tits" duct taped on the door. Maggie takes a photograph and one of the guys talks to her through a megaphone.

11:16 On the road. We eventually stop at a gas station to fill up. The rest of the night is spent in deep conversation interspersed with dick jokes. Narrow Stairs plays the entire ride back.

Randy Newman - Harps and Angels

2008-08-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

Harps and Angels (2008, Nonesuch) Randy Newman's eighteenth studio album. ****

For a long time, Randy Newman has been quite the unorthodox singer-songwriter. While unique, his voice isn't as pretty as Elton John. While stimulating, his messages aren't as strong as Bob Dylan. During the 70's and 80's, Newman made a name for himself, with such tunes as "Short People" and "It's Money That Matters," among many others. And during these runs he was able to maintain a fair amount of critical acclaim. In the mid-90's, however, Newman transitioned and found strength in writing children's music, as he would write soundtracks for the renowned Pixar films. After all this, Newman has gone back to more of his roots in making Harps and Angels.

Everything here is very simple and presented in Newman's pre-electric blues and ragtime stylings. And his trademark vocals are still as enthralling (and at the same time, goofy) as they've ever been. But here Newman has gone back to making political observations. The difference being that instead of semi-firey blasts of songs like some of his work in the 80's, Newman has the "aw, shucks" approach; mainly, he presents himself as a simple guy who is telling it like he sees it. And it works. "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" finds Newman sarcastically comparing our government leaders to others of times past, saying how even though they're terrible, they're not nearly as bad as others in history. On comparing Bush and company to the Caesars, remarks "And one of 'em appointed his own horse Consul of the Empire/That's like Vice President or something/That's not a very good example, is it?"

He likens that to solve our education problems we should hire Korean parents for all students, who are "Strict but fair," that the rich are getting richer, and that we should all just smile in the faces of our leaders, as they wouldn't know how to respond. Newman is truly a master of songcraft, and all the tunes here are very delicate, and not all politically charged. "Potholes" is an amusing tale of wanting to forget embarrassing encounters, and "Feels Like Home" is the album's emotionally sweeping closer. While the dynamics are only lighthearted, it's still an album that's for sharing among friends, and Newman excellently portrays himself as the simple old-timer telling stories by the fire. A very welcome entry from an underrated performer. (Laugh and Be Happy, A Few Words in Defense of Our Country, Potholes)

Matt Pryor - Confidence Man

2008-08-08T11:58:00.001-07:00

Confidence Man (2008, Vagrant) Matt Pryor's first studio album. ***

After the Get Up Kids disbanded in 2005, Pryor hasn't just been mulling around and twiddling his thumbs. He's been working on a delicate set of acoustic songs, all nicely tucked away into his solo debut Confidence Man. It's nothing groundbreaking and it doesn't fully recognize Pryor as any songwriting genius; all of these are still two-to-three minute numbers that aren't necessarily skillfully played. But what Pryor is going for is feeling, and occassionally he makes it work. Among the dribble of unintentional filler is "Loralai," an innocent piece with a beautiful harmony. "Confidence Man" is the best out of the bunch, with a swaying, easy summer afternoon felt harmonica, inspired by a mix of Bob Dylan and Ben Folds. And while the rest comes straight from Pryor's own mediocre sound, it's still something he put his heart into, and for that it's respectable.

Darker My Love - 2

2008-08-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

2 (2008, Dangerbird) Darker My Love's second studio album. ****

Doing modern psychedelic music is a pretty tough act; drugs like LSD aren't nearly as commonly used as they were back in the late 60's, and most of the bands that did psychedelic music were self-indulgent. But modern bands such as MGMT and the Black Angels have tried to bring it back, and now another band, Darker My Love, has stepped up to the plate.

2 offers an eclectic mix of influences in its bag, with phases of the album exerting different sounds. The beginning is riff-heavy and recalls bands such as the Guess Who, especially on "Blue Day," which features a Steppenwolf-like sputtering organ. The Beatles and Cream show through on "White Composition," which has a jazzy drumbeat and a soft, rolling guitar melody. And an obvious tribute is paid to the Beatles on "Talking Words," which drops its excesses and features a deliberate imitation of Paul McCartney thirty seconds before it's out. 2 almost suffers from conjuring the sounds of too many influences (from the Velvet Underground to Radiohead), but the songs are so well crafted that it's hard to knock them. In fact, there are several moments that mark the music as primal; the airy psychedelic pop of "Even in Your Lightest Day" features a very chunky bass line, and "Northern Soul" has releases in its "Yeah yeah yeah's" that make the feeling organic. While there are no super-overdrawn "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vidas," some jams still take too much time, such as the Verve-inspired "All the Hurry and Wait," who's string arrangement is somewhat similar "Bittersweet Symphony," though it is still compelling. Surely they've some work to do, but 2 is still worth the listen, for several moments are magnificent. (Blue Day, Even In Your Lightest Day, All the Hurry and Wait)

YouTube Update

2008-08-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

The latest reviews on my YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/user/politicianrock

Entry #12: One Day as a Lion - One Day as a Lion
Entry #11: Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
Entry #10: Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Entry #9: Radiohead - In Rainbows Part 2
Entry #8: Radiohead - In Rainbows Part 1
Entry #7: The Black Keys - Attack & Release

What it is,
Stephen

Miley Cyrus - Breakout

2008-08-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

Breakout (2008, Disney) Miley Cyrus' first studio album. ***

It's a little bit of a surprise that Miley Cyrus' first album outside of the "Hannah Montana" persona isn't awful. In fact, it's pretty good. And that's saying a lot, as teen pop has proven to be one of the worst factions of the pop and rock world, second only to Christian rock. The genre only received another blow with Katy Perry's horrific One of the Boys, a confused and contrived ordeal that was exactly what the intended audience didn't need to hear; getting wasted, sleeping with guys, and kissing chicks and liking it. Hey, experimentation is great, I understand, but the target market is middle-school girls, and there are enough poor role models for them as it is (Paris, Britney, and Lindsay, to name a few). Thankfully, Miley's album is nothing more than harmless, albeit mindless, pop sensibilities.

Every song shows one of two sides of Miley; her spunky side displayed on tunes such as the parent-defying title track or the Avril Lavigne-esque "7 Things I Hate About You," and her solemn side on cuts like "The Driveway," "Bottom of the Ocean," and "Goodbye." And while almost every track is predictable, the quality of the music itself is sometimes surprising. "The Driveway," for instance, portrays a doomed couple riding in a silent car, the awkward ride home we all know. And it's tracks like that, along with "Bottom of the Ocean," (reminiscent of Michelle Branch) that really wouldn't be half-bad if the excess was all shed in favor of an acoustic guitar or piano. It's arguably quality stuff, but since this isn't an attempt to make art, it didn't come out the way it should have. But beyond the decent material, there's plenty that's cheesy. Her cover of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" may not be great, but it certainly fits the mood and in no way separates itself from the rest of the tracks. The worst moment is "Wake Up America," a call to arms against global warming, something Miley admits to not having any knowledge about. Considering the material on the album (breakups and girls nights out) it's completely out of place. "Simple Song" features an eye-rolling "La la la la laa" part preceded by "Sing along, now!" So while Breakout is a step forward for Miley, it's still only the second step in a line of many. It's impressive that she helped pen most of these, and when she comes of age, she could be a very respected singer-songwriter. That is, of course, if she stops writing hilariously bad lines like "My parents say that I'm lazy/Gettin' up at 8AM's crazy."

Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal

2008-08-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

Real Animal (2008, Black Porch/Manhattan) Alejandro Escovedo's ninth studio album. ****

Alejandro Escovedo has a family tree rooted (no pun intended) in music, and while there are plenty of sons and daughters, nieces and nephews who have musical background but have no talent themselves, Escovedo isn't one of them. The album is simple, really; it's merely adult alternative pop/rock, and even though most albums in this genre are beyond mediocre and go fairly unnoticed by anyone under age thirty, Real Animal is wonderfully different. The accessibility of easy-rockers such as the opening "Always a Friend" or the slightly darker "Chelsea Hotel '78" open themselves up to people of all ages. The earnest "Sister Lost Soul" or the closer "Slow Down" reveal Escovedo's ability to be sincere. And it has its rocking moments as well, as the rolling riff of "Smoke" demonstrates in its start-and-stop guitar and bass work. There's nothing complex here, it's just a great package of songs with decent production put out to entertain. Fans of jam bands, chill music, party music, and good music in general will find pleasure in Escovedo's simple elegance. Highly recommended. (Always a Friend, Chelsea Hotel '78, Sister Lost Soul, Smoke)

Has Rolling Stone Lost Its Touch?

2008-08-05T23:04:00.000-07:00

People have been making the claim that Rolling Stone has been losing its touch essentially since their inception. At first it was easy for them to praise bands that were already established as greats since their slate was clean. But time has shown that they are capable at making horrific miscalculations as to the direction of music. The most infamous blunder was the scathing reviews that Led Zeppelin received. However, it should be noted that Jeff Beck's first album Truth was met with a certain amount of praise. Perhaps they believed that Led Zeppelin was nothing more than a ripoff of Beck's work. Is that the case? Well, kinda. Read for yourself. They are definitely deserving of some criticism to fail to see the differences between Truth and Led Zeppelin I, because even though they seemed minor, they were colossal.

The 90's then showed disdain for Nirvana, another band that would become a worldwide sensation and change the face of music. Again, Rolling Stone was called upon to answer for their mistake. Honestly, I personally don't blame them for dismissing Nirvana, as they were nothing more than a glorified version of the Pixies. Besides, grunge went on to inspire some really terrible music, and that's basically why there isn't any grunge left. Regardless, I'm not a professional critic, so my points are moot. In the end, Rolling Stone decided to recognize the "mistake" and include Nirvana's catalog in their list of the greatest 500 albums.

They also gave a lukewarm response to Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, refused to put Rush on a cover for years because they weren't "cool" enough, bashed Wheels of Fire, and attempted to adopt hip-hop (which they previously dismissed) and criticized Jay-Z. But all of that was a while ago, surely Rolling Stone has gotten better in the past few years, right? Well, not exactly. The purpose of this article to to examine Rolling Stone reviews in the twenty-first century to see what they're getting right and, perhaps even more importantly, wrong. Considering the editors oversee the final rating of all albums, I won't hold the actual reviewer as solely responsible.

What they've been getting right:

Beck - Rolling Stone review of Modern Guilt

Since Beck's inception RS have been hitting the mark right. They give Beck his due credit without flattering him. Yes, Beck is a very good artist of our day, but it would be rather risky to call any album besides Odelay a classic.

Cat Power - Rolling Stone review of You Are Free

Chan Marshall has the ability to stray critics. Many see her as a cheap female imiation of Bob Dylan, but she's not. She's her own singer-songwriter, and a unique one at that. Her ability to compose and interpret music is impressive, and Rolling Stone have shown that they fully recognize that.

Death Cab For Cutie - Rolling Stone review of Narrow Stairs

A quirky group who has a catalog of hit-and-miss entries. Accordingly, Rolling Stone have either praised or scolded them, and they get it right.

M.I.A. - Rolling Stone review of Kala

On his own site, Robert Christgau gave Kala a perfect rating. Why RS didn't is odd, but either way, they gave it four-and-a-half and called it the best album of 2007. I'm not sure if I would say the same; I would have said it's a five-star album, but I also think it has fierce competition for album of the year from Neon Bible and In Rainbows. Still, they figured out M.I.A. is brilliant.

Other notable right calls:

Against Me! - New Wave

Band of Horses - Cease to Begin

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

The White Stripes - Elephant

Questionable ratings:

Arcade Fire - Rolling Stone review of Neon Bible

I understand that three-and-a-half stars is a good rating, but Neon Bible is beyond excellent. It's perfect; a classic album easily. However, they believe that not all the tunes work, and that maybe Funeral was better. Do the Springsteen influences shine through too hard? No, I think it's exaggerated.

My rating of Neon Bible - *****

Feist - Rolling Stone review of Let It Die and The Reminder

These are iffy. RS has nothing against Feist, but then again, each review seems to be a little low for what they should actually be rated. Let It Die is more acceptable than The Reminder, which is tough to break at first, but reveals itself after several listens, all of which are well deserved.

My rating of Let It Die - ****1/2

My rating of The Reminder - ***1/2

Gnarls Barkley - Rolling Stone review of St. Elsewhere

I wouldn't have picked on RS for this one had they given it even just a slightly higher rating. It's obvious to everyone that St. Elsewhere was better than The Odd Couple, even though the latter was still a close second.

My rating of St. Elsewhere - ****

Other notable questionable calls:

Lily Allen - Alright, Still

The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely

Thom Yorke - The Eraser

The White Stripes - De Stijl

What they got wrong:

Amy Winehouse - Rolling Stone review of Back to Black

Christian Hoard, in an otherwise positive review, ends by saying "the tunes don't always hold up." Certainly he listened to it more than once, as Back to Black is an absolutely gorgeous album. There are few albums now - or in history, for that matter - that are as genuine in emotion as this one. And considering she's the only artist who is mixing 60's Motown with neo-soul and R&B - actual R&B - is incredible. Know why? Because she understands soul and jazz, she was brought up on it. If she doesn't die, she'll be a legend. A three-star review pitiful on their part.

My rating of Back to Black - ****1/2

Ben Folds - Rolling Stone review of Rockin' the Suburbs

Another three-star review of a near-classic album. Ben Folds used to be someone I almost couldn't listen to, but thankfully I got over myself and realized how brilliant he really is. He's the next step in piano rock, as John and Joel are practically retired. This release is Folds' magnum opus (as of now) and is far better than anything he did in Ben Folds Five.

My rating of Rockin' the Suburbs - ****1/2

The Black Keys - Rolling Stone review of Thickfreakness and Rubber Factory

Once again, three-star reviews all around. In all actuality, the first review isn't that bad, but Hoard's review of Rubber Factory again has completely missed the mark. It's missing tunes? I think you're missing ears, Mr. Hoard. Along with the White Stripes, the Black Keys are the only band that are true masters of the blues, music that is the foundation for everything we have today.

My rating of Thickfreakness - ****1/2

My rating of Rubber Factory - ****

Daft Punk - Rolling Stone review of Discovery

While they have no problem giving accolades to Moby, Rolling Stone have repeatedly given the middle finger to this French duo. We may have Robert Christgau to thank for that, who gave Homework a rather scalding review as well. Still, Christgau has come around to liking them, being very positive in response to Alive 2007. So why is Rolling Stone lagging?

My rating of Discovery - ****

The Mars Volta - Rolling Stone review of De-Loused in the Comatorium

Even I was scared of the Mars Volta after my first listen. I had never really heard anything like it before. But instead of putting it out of my mind I set a goal to understand it. I haven't done that yet, there are still several elements within the music of the Mars Volta that I don't grasp, but I can tell that they are geniuses at work. Who else but Mr. Hoard gave De-Loused a crap review.

My rating of De-Loused in the Comatorium - ****1/2

Other notable wrong calls:

Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene

Clinic - Internal Wrangler

The Kooks - Inside In/Inside Out

The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement

These are only a handful of ratings that Rolling Stone has made in the twenty-first century, and there are loads of grades that are correct, off by only a half-star, or completely wrong, far too many for me to post here. Either way, it's clear that for every correct thing that RS says, they have another that's way off. That wouldn't be so bad if they were able to justify themselves, but they don't. When asked to defend reviews after years gone by, they either admit the mistake and suddenly embrace the artist or keep completely silent. I'd rather they follow what one of their own writers, Robert Christgau, does. If he doesn't like something, he says why, even if the reason isn't that good. Christgau, while frustrating, at least sticks with what he believes. The same cannot be said about Rolling Stone. Writers for that magazine must ask themselves, do they really want their reviews read back to them fifteen years from now?

Duds of 2008: Part Four

2008-08-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

Here are a handful of albums that hardly deserve a full-length review. Duds consist of albums that have received a rating of two stars or less. Didn't expect to have to do it again so soon, but man, there's a lot of bad music out there.

Scars On Broadway (2008, Interscope) Scars On Broadway's first studio album. *1/2

Scars On Broadway don't know if anyone takes them seriously, if they want to be taken seriously, or even if the band takes itself seriously. In fact, they don't seem to know much, including how to write music or that there's more than one chord you can play on a guitar, or, in their own words, how they're going to live forever if they're going to kill each other. They said it, not me.

We Have Cause to Be Uneasy (2008, Canvas Black) Wild Sweet Orange's first studio album. **

You know the people from Wild Sweet Orange, you've seen (but hopefully have not heard) them a million times; young pseudo-hippies who "get" music and "connect" with it more than other people, who boast of quasi-intellectual ideas and made-up memories, but it's okay, because it's all in the spirit of music. The problem? They suck.

@#%&*! Smilers (2008, Superego) Aimee Mann's seventh studio album. **

Nothing against Aimee Mann. Honestly. But this album is boring beyond belief. Look, in a world that is plagued with mediocre and stereotypical female singer-songwriters, you need to stand out. Insinuating a potty-mouth word in the title of your album isn't what I had in mind.

Rose Hill Drive - Moon is the New Earth

2008-07-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

Moon is the New Earth (2008, Megaforce) Rose Hill Drive's second studio album. **1/2

Many critics have already given Rose Hill Drive the flattering comment that they are like Cream; a power trio of sorts who do hard rock. Problem is, that's about all they have in common. Let's get this straight; Rose Hill Drive are not Cream. Cream were innovators, men who fully understood the blues, mixing it with the sounds of psychedelia and setting the stage for hard rock and heavy metal. Cream were masters of their craft in every sense of the word. I cannot say the same for Rose Hill Drive. Yes, all three are very talented with their instruments, particularly Daniel Sproul, who time and again exerts sheer force over the guitar, but in no way are Rose Hill Drive being innovative. What they understand is how to copy songs from the 70's hard rock and heavy metal acts - that's the music they understand. But like Wolfmother, not only do they never show their blues side, they almost tell us that they've no understanding of it. And that is why this music isn't very good, because to play hard rock you must understand the blues, the very foundation of that music itself. And to mix it in with some of the powerpop trends of today is not only lazy but idiotic, as it's been done a thousand times before. Better go back to basics, fellas, because this brand of rock is nothing more than a cheap imitation of the Darkness.

James Jackson Toth - Waiting in Vain

2008-07-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

Waiting in Vain (2008, Rykodisc) James Jackson Toth's first studio album. ***

As with so many other albums, it would have been so much better had some of the excess been cut off. It starts off wonderfully, with the easy-listening of "Nothing Hides" and "Doreen," moving straight into the album's pinnacle, the slow and comforting "Look in on Me." Surely the accents he adds occassionally are unwarranted, but Toth's wide array of veritable influences (Mick Jagger, what?!) are interesting to listen to. But the sheer length of the album mixed with some lazy production pull Waiting in Vain down from the heighth it should have achieved.

¡Forward, Russia! - Life Processes

2008-07-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

Life Processes (2008, Cooking Vinyl) ¡Forward, Russia!'s second studio album. **1/2

An otherwise interesting album - sonically epic in music and lyrics - is nearly ruined by absolutley ghastly vocal performances. The unrelenting energy of the music is, while engaging, fairly exhausting, but the added layer of a terrible 80's-esque goth-metal impersonation of Win Butler is far too much. So little is working against this album, but it brings it down so much, making it nearly impossible to listen to.

EP Update: The Avett Brothers and One Day As a Lion

2008-07-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

The Second Gleam (2008, Ramseur) The Avett Brothers' fourth studio EP. **1/2

The Avett Brothers are a definitive college-esque band. Hippie circles love 'em and they've got enough spunk to attact even offended ears, but on The Second Gleam, the energy is lost. That in itself is not the problem. In fact, if anything, it shows maturity. However, the material is just downright dull from start to finish. In fact, only on "The Greatest Sum" do soulful vocals actually appear, as the rest of the EP is dominated with cliche remembrances of love, family, and death. To say it is bad is one thing; awful, certainly not. But what makes it bad is its own laziness, which is a cumulative would-be effort of simple rhythms and lyrics.

One Day As a Lion (2008, Anti) One Day As a Lion's first studio EP. ****

For a long time there was talk of Zack de la Rocha releasing solo material (apparently material he had been working on even before Rage Against the Machine split), and even more talk when he worked with Trent Reznor. But now we get some sort of taste of what de la Rocha is like on his own, but he equally shares the stage with Jon Theodore, former Mars Volta drummer. As expected, One Day As a Lion is explosive, with de la Rocha spitting hateful messages at the powers-that-be while taking a minimalist effect. The idea is fantastic; Theodore's drumming is superb, playing a central role in not only developing an effective beat, but also being fairly responsible for filling the sound, as de la Rocha's vocals and keyboards are either sparse or start-and-stop. Sure, it sounds like lost Rage material, but it's fairly intimate for what it is, and what it is is fantastic. A full-length LP would be outstanding. On it, boys! (Wild International)

Review on YouTube: One Day as a Lion - One Day as a Lion

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

2008-07-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

The Slip (2008, Null) Nine Inch Nails' seventh studio album. ***1/2

Trent Reznor is even more of a perfectionist than Billy Corgan, lead singer and basically commander of Smashing Pumpkins, a similar role that Reznor plays for Nine Inch Nails; he writes all the music and sings all of it, and the "band" that is Nine Inch Nails has always had a constant rotating group of members, so much so that either NIN is Reznor's alter ego or his back-up band. And that's what shocked everyone when only a few months after the release of Ghosts I-IV, a sprawling four-disc set of instrumentals, he would follow it with The Slip. Normally, Reznor spends years - upwards of five - crafting an album. But now he is free of a major label above his head, and apparently that has inspired him to make more music.

The Slip is a mixed bag, with probably the strangest progression an album has ever taken. The opener is a signature soundscape that leads into the foot-stomping, fist-pumping anthemic "1,000,000," which features a killer riff and hollow but excellently minimalist drum backing. It then drops off for a few songs, which keep the momentum but lose the feeling and inspiration. Easily listenable, sure, and especially so for the fan - who, by the way, should be creaming their pants due to Reznor's sudden awakening - but the slag doesn't wear off until "Head Down," a perfect blend of a factory-like drum rotation with electronic ambience floating and building in the background, topped with Reznor's full delve into an emotional vocal performance. From there the piano ballad of "Lights in the Sky" drones by, echoing classical tastes of Bach, which leads into "Corona Radatia," another model Reznor soundscape. All in all the album has some very strong moments, and while some seem almost half-assed, it still is great listening. Recommended, indeed. (1,000,000, Echoplex, Head Down)

Review on YouTube: Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

Brendan Canning - Something For All of Us...

2008-07-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Something For All of Us... (2008, Arts & Crafts) Brendan Canning's first studio album. ***

When Canning and Drew started Broken Social Scene in 1999, it seemed like a great idea; some of the greatest musicians from Canada getting together and forming a huge supergroup. And it wasn't until 2001 that their first album, Feel Good Lost, appeared. It was frustrating, a collection of nearly all instrumentals from a group that was certainly more capable than that. Eventually the band let loose, and on their second two releases ran wild, especially on the self-titled third album.

Now, Brendan Canning is a talented musician, and his debut is a bit of a head-scratcher. It's all very easy to listen to, and there are moments where a few concurrent songs form together and form an atmosphere. And that's when it's working the way he wants it, but when Something For All of Us... isn't on, well, it's just bleak. The start isn't bad, but it isn't captivating. There's enough energy in the title track, but it all disappears for the dreamy "Chameleon," which, while being a decent tune, isn't the musical landscape Canning believes it is. And it's like this the whole way through; depending on the listener, there are tracks that work and tracks that don't, and it will differ for every set of ears. What Something For All of Us... proves, though, is that Canning can be a decent songwriter without Drew or the rest of the band. And while it isn't stunning in any sense, he joins the list of artists from Broken Social Scene to put out entertaining solo material.

CSS - Donkey

2008-07-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

Donkey (2008, Sub Pop) CSS's second studio album. ***

Another addition in the long line of indie-electronica bands, CSS has potential, more potential, than several of their contemporaries. Lovefoxx (the alter ego the lead singer goes by) has a very sexy voice, and she flexes it from time to time. It rings well on "Reggae All Night," an unorthodox dance number as well as on "Move," which sounds like a lost 80's track in the vein of Animotion. That being said, it's clear that CSS functions best when emulating the synthesizer usage and dance tricks of the 80's. Anything else renders Lovefoxx's vocals emotionally inert. It's when CSS forces you onto the dance floor when everything moves together, and beyond that, it's a truly hit-and-miss engagement. (Reggae All Night, Move)

Duds of 2008: Part Three

2008-07-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Here are a handful of albums that hardly deserve a full-length review. Duds consist of albums that have received a rating of two stars or less.

O (2008, Team Love) Tilly and the Wall's fourth studio album. **

Ultimately dry, a very disappointing album from a band that has potential to be a decent underground band. Sure, they're respected there, no doubt. But they could be good.

Partie Traumatic (2008, Columbia) Black Kids' first studio album. **

For anyone who ever entertained the thought of a B-52's and Roger Waters collaboration... and enjoyed it.

Can't Stop Won't Stop (2008, Fearless) The Maine's first studio album. *

Remarkably uncatchy and predictable. The unhookiest hooks since Lit. What more can you say about a band who tries to make an anthem statement with "She makes me feel like shit"?

YouTube Update

2008-07-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

The latest reviews on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/politicianrock

Entry #6: Coldplay - Viva la Vida
Entry #5: The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Entry #4: Albert Hammond, Jr. - Como Te Llama?
Entry #3: The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Entry #2: Beck - Modern Guilt
Entry #1: PoliticianRock Introduction

Thanks all,
Stephen

Radiohead - In Rainbows

2008-07-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

In Rainbows (2008, XL Recordings) Radiohead's seventh studio album. *****

There are several artists - Madonna and Bowie come to mind - who are chameleons when it comes to changing times. They are able to adapt to the what is up-and-coming, what the next big sound will be. Radiohead adapts as well, but not to be popular, not to fit in with the times. If anything, Radiohead creates the times, already handsomely showcasing heavy influence on many of today's artists. OK Computer was an album renowned for its ability to blend a three guitar attack with electronic sounds flawlessly. Kid A, while polarizing fans and critics at the time of its release, managed to yet again break new barriers, as it became among the first of the indie-electronica albums, and at that point the most successful. What Kid A also did was show Radiohead's outright refusal of the title of "The Biggest Band in the World."

Over their next two studio albums, they struggled to put out true quality recordings. Surely neither Amnesiac nor Hail to the Thief is bad, but they weren't as visionary as their earlier works, and in the case of Hail to the Thief, seemed like a combination of desperation to not only please the fans, but to squeak out an album to finish their contract with EMI. After that, the speculation as to what Radiohead would do next was tremendous. It wasn't until 2006 that anyone had a real clue as to what their fate might be. After performing at Bonnaroo, Thom Yorke's unexpected solo album The Eraser came out that fall. A flurry started, people claiming that The Eraser was a sign Radiohead was through. Yorke denied this, and finally word of a new album began to leak.

In October of 2007, the monumental In Rainbows was put out, the first of its kind not only in sound, but in its style of release. Fans were able to download the album online or pay for an $80 "discbox" which included two CD's (the album and a second CD of B-sides), two heavyweight 45-speed vinyl, lyrics booklet, and art booklet, all neatly wrapped in a fold-out case. For those who decided just to download, the option of paying whatever you pleased was offered. In the end, Radiohead made more money off of this one release than they had from royalties of all their other releases combined. The reaction from critics was phenomenal; not only was the music brilliant but the release scheme had worked in flying colors.

But In Rainbows isn't about the money, and it isn't about the way it was released. It is, in short, about how Radiohead crafted their best album to date. For a while I wrestled with the idea that In Rainbows was superior to OK Computer, and even after listening to both relentlessly it was hard to decide. What makes Radiohead the best band on the planet today is their ability to do whatever they want; OK Computer and In Rainbows sound nothing alike, yet it is impossible to mistake either for anyone else.

In Rainbows is the most personal Radiohead has ever been, most notably through the lyrics. The change in Thom Yorke's approach was apparent from The Eraser, which with its political message also mixed in songs concerning him and another significant person. The album is also a distinct difference because of the lower amounts of reverb put on Yorke's vocals. Though it is not without it, compared to Kid A, it is remarkably less.

Starting with "15 Step," a song with a blistering beat, Yorke spits out lyrics suggesting that In Rainbows is about a relationship; "You used to be alright/What happened?/Did the cat get your tongue?" And even when the songs are fast-paced and fist-pumping, like "Bodysnatchers," there is still a romantic feel to all of it. It comes through because of the lyrics yet again; "I've no idea what I am talking about/I'm trapped in this body and can't get out." The wistful, sighful "Nude," laments with one of the first entry of a string arrangement, something that becomes more prominent as the album progresses.

"Reckoner" marks one of album's best points, with a beautiful falsetto delivery by Yorke and a superb drum arrangement by Selway. And even when the album closes with the simple though haunting "Videotape," the listener must re-start the journey again. Like any Radiohead release, it is impossible to crack within one outing. In fact, one may miss the subtle details of "All I Need," because it's what marks the differences between it and its similar cousin, "Climbing Up the Walls."

The entire album sounds like a cleaned-up jam session, and while some may say that is a drawback, it isn't, if it is anything at all, it's an element that makes it better. These aren't simple arrangements. There's nothing that isn't compelling about the guitar part kicking into full gear and out of its muddiness on "Bodysnatchers" once the quasi-chorus starts up. There's nothing that isn't short of genius about the meandering in "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi." The jam element also tells us - and it's easy to hear - that the band is enjoying themselves. And anyone who has seen them perform this new material can attest to that. Quite simply, In Rainbows is a spinning blast of sound and color, a journey about the doomed relationship and all the emotions that come with it, a testament to the powers of the classical guitar and the wonders of electronic music, and an unforgettable entry in 21st century art. (15 Step, Bodysnatchers, Nude, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, All I Need, Faust Arp, Reckoner, House of Cards, Videotape)

Author's Note: Although released as a free download or discbox in 2007, the actual physical release was available on January 1st, 2008. However, due to its prominence last year in "Best-of" lists, it will not be included in any lists on this blog this year.

Review on YouTube: Radiohead - In Rainbows, Part I, Part II

The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me

2008-07-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Devil, You + Me (2008, Domino) The Notwist's sixth studio album. ***1/2

Electronica is a beautiful thing, because it doesn't necessarily exclude itself to just computers. Look at Hot Chip, for example, they play drums and guitar and all that good stuff. And no album better represents the successful crossover of rock and electronica than Radiohead's 1997 masterpiece OK Computer. But the Notwist have taken an interesting turn with their album, which seems like a more detailed version of Thom Yorke's The Eraser.

What separates this indie electronic album from others is its level of sophistication. All the details are carefully placed, and none of it is for dancing. This is listening music, mood music, and thankfully good music. The Devil, You + Me is full of slow, scratchy beats, sounding like distortions in the final recording, like faults in the master tapes. It's glitchy and trippy, and that becomes apparent early on with "Where in the World," which moderates itself between the bare minimums and the ultimate limitations, being scarce and overflowing with sound at different points. At times it feels like the album is too detailed for its own good, as added layers become unneccessary or irksome. Acher doesn't have the best vocals, either, and his accent, although slight, does seep through too often to be ignored. They've done better, but The Devil, You + Me is still an interesting entry in intelligent electronica. (Where in the World, Your Alphabet, Gravity)

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

2008-07-20T15:41:00.001-07:00

Stay Positive (2008, Vagrant) The Hold Steady's fourth studio album. ***1/2

The glorified bar band is back with their fourth entry, the energetic Stay Positive, an ode to the summers wasted away on beer and narcotics. It's supercharged and ready to explode, as the obnoxiously loud "Constructive Summer" opens the package. This is a new direction for the Hold Steady, whose message is overwhelmingly, well, positive. In addition, it's brimming with sloppy punk rock riffs, and Craig Finn isn't afraid to spit out the lyrics with his distinctive pipes.

To be honest, the hooks aren't necessarily up to par with what the Hold Steady has put out before, most notably on their last album Boys and Girls in America, which started with the wonderfully powerful "Stuck Between Stations." And even though there's nothing that's as instantly pleasing, there are still a handful of moments that take you back to the good times spent with friends getting drunk. "Sequestered in Memphis" is a great anthem for the thirty-somethings that the Hold Steady are. "Navy Sheets" features an interesting 90's rock break, and the hard-rocking title track is the band at its most primal.

All the while I don't understand why Stay Positive is receiving an incredible amount of critical support; certainly it's a good album, but I do believe that they have done better in the past. Either way, it's easy enough to listen to, as the Hold Steady (God, what a terrible name) have proved themselves to be a band that anyone can enjoy.

Review on YouTube: The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

Barenaked Ladies - Snacktime!

2008-07-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

Snacktime! (2008, Desperation) Barenaked Ladies' tenth studio album. ***1/2

At first, it seems like a transtition to children's music is odd for Barenaked Ladies. They've always been more concerned with wit, something children of a young age don't catch onto. Not only that, but their image as the geek band that everyone loves doesn't necessarily lend itself to being childish. However, when you really think about it, it makes perfect sense. The college crowd that embraced them upon their 1998 smash hit "One Week" is now ten years older. They're in their late twenties to mid-thirties, and, like the band members, probably have children of their own. Snacktime! appeals to both the avid BNL fan as well as children, and is the equivalent of a Pixar film to music, though not as good.

BNL adopt They Might Be Giants' sound fairly regularly throughout Snacktime!, but they still have their signature wit hidden sporadically every few tracks. "Raisins" marks the first one to have it, with its opening lines of "Raisins come from grapes/People come from apes/I come from Canada." The banter between Page and Robertson on "I Don't Like" and especially "Crazy ABC's" is genuinely funny, though surely the youngsters won't think twice about it.

The major theme, as would be expected, is food. The best representation of this is "The Canadian Snacktime Trilogy," which opens by mocking classical radio station hosts and then delving into a soft and touching song, filled with bandmembers and their kids naming their favorite snacks under aliases (I assume, anyway) and a nice - albeit strange - message of world peace through snacks. Another heartwarming moment is Robertson's song, short and sweet, to his children, entitled simply "Things," with lyrics such as "There are things that make me Dad/You seem to be all of them." While some may argue that Snacktime! is not as refreshing as They Might Be Giants' No! or Here Come the ABC's, it's still a pleasure to listen to for the family. It's good music with silly lyrics that anyone who's not an elitist can enjoy. It's full of imagination and warmth, something the Barenaked Ladies have always been capable of deploying. And on a side note, Kevin Hearn's cover art is simply stunning, a beautiful piece indeed. (Pollywog in a Bog, Louis Loon, The Canadian Snacktime Trilogy, Crazy ABC's)

YouTube Channel

2008-07-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all (basically the five crazy motherfuckers who have accidentally come to this blog), I now have a YouTube channel where I'll review albums. I'll continue to post articles here, this is mostly just for fun. I won't exactly be doing music articles on it, but I'll do an occassional list and such, as well as rant about shitty music. Drop by and let me know what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/user/politicianrock

Much love,
Stephen

The Black Angels - Directions to See a Ghost

2008-07-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Directions to See a Ghost (2008, Light in the Attic) The Black Angels' second studio album. ***

Back in fall of 2006 I stumbled across what was then a very little-known band called the Black Angels. I had found them on MySpace through a music search of the top psychedelic artists (that's another story in itself) according to the number of fans. On the third or fourth page back in the independent label column, I found this band. I clicked the link simply because I liked the artwork that was their logo. Back then they were featuring songs from their debut album, Passover, that had been released earlier that year. Upon my first listen to "Black Grease," I instantly classified them as a mix between Zeppelin, the Doors, and the Velvet Underground.

That album - Passover, I mean - was a decent affair. For every song that was interesting to listen to, there was one that was boring. But here, on Directions to See a Ghost, the Black Angels have changed things up a bit. Maas is no longer trying to sound like anyone else. Passover found him switching between a pissed-off Lou Reed and a stoned Jim Morrison, but here Maas has accepted his own style, and that's good, because he has a very distinctive voice. As far as the music goes, it's not as gloomy as Passover, rather, it's more psychedelic. They dig even deeper into that sound, emulating the Doors, for example, on "Never/Ever," a song too similar to "The End." They emulate a heavy version of the Velvet Underground on their brilliant second track and first single, "Doves." The drones are just as strong, the slow, riff-tastical numbers are still prevalent, but with less aggravation. It's not the angry record that Passover was, and it's not as difficult to sit through.

The standout, as was with the first album, is drummer Stephanie Bailey. Never since Bonham has a drummer shown so much love for the bass drum, and her constant, churning rhythms are such a breath of fresh air in a world filled with bouncy loops. The whole band has stepped up a bit, expanding their experiments with guitar reverbs and vocal distortion. It's a trippy affair for sure, and interesting at first, but like Passover, the formula for Directions to See a Ghost is too tiring to hold up. (Doves, Mission District)

O.A.R. - All Sides

2008-07-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

All Sides (2008, Atlantic) O.A.R.'s fifth studio album (eighth overall album). ***1/2

You have to admire O.A.R. Not many jam bands are capable of making quality studio albums, and even fewer have been able to do it once. Like all jam bands, the studio stuff isn't always a great as their live albums, and neither compares to the actual experience (even if you don't like the style) of actually being at a concert. Still, for those who don't have the means to make it to a concert or don't want to listen to the mindless whirlings of live albums, All Sides is a suitable companion.

O.A.R. isn't an original band in any sense of the word. All jam bands have to have the same certain elements, and O.A.R. borrows from Dave Matthews generously, but unlike their contemporaries - or influences, for that matter - they're able to make songs that are begging to be fleshed out into concise four minute bursts. All Sides is overflowing with anthemic rock, from the blast of the opener "This Town," or the stuttering "Living in the End." And, of course, there are the random but expected reggae-inspired bits such as "What is Mine." But there are more heartfelt moments, such as DMB-heavy (and even U2, who would have thought?) "Whatever Happened," and while it serves fantastically as a radio-friendly single, it could easily be torn wide open into a stomping fifteen-minute opus. That's what's great about All Sides, the songs sound fine the way they are, but for fans, when they hit the stage with them, it'll be a grand affair. In the end, All Sides is a tad too much, with several songs blending together in the middle of the album. Certainly all of it is fun, but few cuts are very memorable. The ones that are, though, should be cherished. (Whatever Happened, On My Way)

Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust

2008-07-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (2008, XL) Sigur Ros's fifth studio album. ****

As any fan of Sigur Ros knows, they're fantastically strange. And anyone who does not like them would say the same, only changing that they're too strange, and that they're being different for the sake of being different. It's easy enough to say that the lyrical approach is pretentious; Sigur Ros sing in a Norwegian jibberish, encouraging their fans to make up their own words. No album better expresses their artsy tactfulness (or lack thereof, as some may say) than 2002's ( ), which had no titles, no lyrics, no acknowledgements, no nothing. The cover simply had the parenthesis and the band's name, and beyond that it was a mystery.

Now Sigur Ros have taken a new direction, and even the most devoted fan would have to say it is fairly different from anything they've done before. The opener, "Gobbledigook," is probably the most upbeat song the band has ever performed, and the whole album feels this way. While with Takk... and ( ) Sigur Ros explored the depths of moodiness, subtlety, and spaciness, Med Sud I Eyrum takes a turn for the spiritual, presenting itself in different fashions. The genres range from folk-stomp to church hymn to tribal beats, but no where does the album not feel as if it was made in the spirit of hope and the unknown. Sure, we've no idea what they might be saying (as the lyrics are again in a foreign mix of nonsense), but Sigur Ros have successfully demonstrated that they are only about music, and that their voices are merely tools for creating beautiful sounds and that the words are unimportant. Without saying anything, they have communicated a message purely through music, and that is a feat in and of itself. (Godan Daginn, Festival, Med Sud I Eyrum)

Albert Hammond, Jr. - ¿Como Te Llama?

2008-07-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

¿Como Te Llama? (2008, Red Ink) Albert Hammond, Jr's second studio album. ***

I suppose ¿Como Te Llama? can't be too much of a surprise, Hammond hasn't the artistic integrity or genius to stray too far from what the Strokes do without completely changing genres. To his benefit, he did add some electronic sounds, which, somehow, don't sound too out of place. Like anything the Strokes do, Hammond's solo album starts off great but wears down after awhile, for there's nothing we really haven't heard before, and it becomes nothing more than another generic garage-rock revival piece. Granted, the first two tracks are exhilerating, and the long instrumental "Spooky Couch" is, while seemingly from nowhere, a pleasure to listen to. That being said, the rest of the album is mostly a bore. A decent bore, but still a bore. And by the way, are fans of Hammond going to willingly accept the fact that he blatanlty lifted the vocals for "Lisa" from Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars"? It was a pretty popular song, buddy, I think people might notice.

Review on YouTube: Albert Hammond, Jr. - ¿Como Te Llama?

Beck - Modern Guilt

2008-07-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Modern Guilt (2008, Interscope) Beck's eighth studio album. ****

Produced by the very much acclaimed "Danger Mouse" Burton, Beck's eighth studio album is a step in a new direction; back into the past. While Beck's other outings tend to sound very fresh, fusing several different genres - sometimes even in one song - such as hip-hop and jazz, Modern Guilt sounds distinctly vintage. The opener "Orphans" could pass for a lost Byrds track, and "Gamma Ray" goes on as a very mellow 60's pop tune by the Yardbirds. The odd thing about all this, though, is that the overriding message throughout is focused on global warming, a very real and very now issue. The last thing to add to that is the album's run time, which with ten songs clocks in at a little under thiry-five minutes. It's very lean, very tight, and very monotonous.

While there are some really astounding songs (the experimental "Chemtrails" comes to mind), the few things that hold the album back ultimately are only slightly frustrating. The message is too vague to have any real meaning; it's in no way difficult to tell what Beck is talking about, but nothing is insightful, nothing is frightening, it's merely "We should deal with this shit." The album's pace is also very constant as there are no sudden movements anywhere. It's all very hum-drum and "Gee, shucks"-worthy, but none of the material is bad. In fact, Modern Guilt is a step up from The Information, which found Beck scrambling around without any real clue as to what he should be doing. It's well worth the listen even if you're not a fan; Burton's production is top-notch and the two work much better together than DM with the Black Keys. Modern Guilt doesn't start or end with a bang, but perhaps Beck wanted to imply what Eliot stated, that the world - and this album - ends with a whimper. But what a wonderful whimper it is. (Orphans, Chemtrails)

Review on YouTube: Beck - Modern Guilt

Love As Laughter - Holy

2008-07-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

Holy (2008, Epic) Love As Laughter's sixth studio album. ***

Holy can be a magical album when it works well, and when it doesn't, it can put you to sleep. What's more, some of the songs take several listens to expose themselves as the gems that they are, which can be frustrating for an album that doesn't necessarily earn all the listens it takes to soak up everything. When it's on, though, you'd think they were geniuses. The title track is pure John Lennon, a track that would have fit perfectly in any of the Beatles' last albums. "Konny and Jim," has their trademark sound with a little bit of Band of Horses mixed in. The album's grand point is "Cleaning Man," a story-told song that grows with intensity and somewhat sparse (and ridiculous) lyrics, a perfect model for what Van Morrison should return to, albeit it is no masterpiece. But there are bumps as well, such as the painfully loud "Paul Revere." Holy may not be the best thing around, but it is well worth a listen.

Show Review - Dave Matthews Band @ Walnut Creek 7/02/08

2008-07-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

Last night I was fortunate enough to get to see the Dave Matthews Band live in Raleigh at Walnut Creek. My friend (also named Stephen) is a big fan, and since I've been bugging him and a few other friends to see the Black Keys, we all decided to go to shows that the others wanted to see. We'll be seeing Coheed and Cambria at Myrtle Beach in August, the Black Keys in October, and possibly Matisyahu as well. While searching Ticketmaster for all sorts of shows we might be interested in, I came across the Dave Matthews Band. I told Stephen, and he was all for it. Our plan originally was to sneak in wearing uniforms like the folks who worked there (Stephen worked for them for seven years), but we found out once we got there that they had been bought by Livenation, and thus the uniforms had changed. We walked around, debating about what to do, and eventually snagged two reflector vest thingies out of a truck and planned to wear those. But, Stephen ran into one of the dudes he worked with, and he told him that the concert actually hadn't sold out and that there were still plenty of lawn tickets available. However, I had told Stephen from the beginning that I was too poor to buy a ticket, so he was nice enough to pick it up for me (honestly, I wouldn't have been able to pay rent had I bought a $45 ticket). I'd never been to a DMB concert before, nor I had I listened to his music much. I've heard plenty of it, but I've never sat down with an album and spent time with it. Needless to say, the show was absolutely amazing.

7/02/08 Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek, Raleigh, NC
First Set: Seek Up, So Damn Lucky, Corn Bread, Granny, Crush, Sledgehammer, #41, Pantala Naga Pampa>Rapunzel, The Space Between, Dancing Nancies, The Idea of You, Smooth Rider, Everyday, Louisiana Bayou
Encore: Gravedigger, Tripping Billies

Unfortunately, I didn't bring a camera. I kinda sorta kick myself for not doing it now, but all is well, the show was two-and-a-half hours long, in which time I probably wouldn't have taken more than five pics. They all came out with a bang, and the intensity didn't for once die down. All the members impressed me, for all are true masters of their craft.

Tim Reynolds was one of the highlights of the show. He has played with DMB on and off for many years. Tim was able to make his guitar plead for mercy, especially when he played slide. He took it beyond the frets, practically to where he was picking the notes. Tinsley also put on a great show, beating the hell out of that fiddle on every song he could. He shined, along with Stefan Lessard, on “Louisiana Bayou,” one of the last songs of the night.

Jeff Coffin from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones was also an amazing spectacle. Coffin was filling in for LeRoi Moore, who was in an ATV accident earlier this year. In fact, before Dave decided to start the encore, he had the entire audience chant “We want LeRoi!” Even though Moore was absent, Coffin was a superb replacement. Matthews, Lessard, and Coffin all jammed together on the fantastic “#41,” where Coffin went into an amazing solo with Lessard and Matthews right next to him, all of them bouncing up and down and having a genuinely good time.

That was the feeling that the entire night had; a genuine sense of fun. All the members were smiling at each other, and Dave was caught several times dancing around the stage and just enjoying life. As for everyone on the lawn, they were all drunk and smoking cigs, shouting out the lyrics as they fell over each other. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be sure to go to another one soon.

If you were there or have been to any of Dave’s concerts this year, please drop a line and leave your story! I’d love to read it, as well as see any pictures/watch any videos you might have of it.

The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing

2008-07-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

We Started Nothing (2008, Columbia) The Ting Tings' first studio album. ***1/2

Much like Does It Offend You, Yeah?, the Ting Tings are a half electronica-rock band/half alternative pop band with only a few differences. One, the Ting Tings lead singer is a chick. Two, the Ting Tings are not as intense as Does It Offend You, Yeah? Three, the Ting Tings name is, while still stupid, not as stupid as Does It Offend You, Yeah? Four, the Ting Tings are better.

The album opens with the wonderful "Great DJ," where Katie White mimics a DJ scratching his vinyl with her stuttered delivery during the chorus. The duo is able to make successful hooks that never get annoying - perhaps they aren't too catchy, but they do stay fresh. The mood shifts occassionally, most notably on "Traffic Light," a simple off-kilter song, almost like a children's melody, with White's simple yet elegant voice lifting the deceptive lyrics. The album's title track marks another shift, as the dance aspect is abandoned for a more soulful pace. White's vocals are anything but, however, the riff and bass line are too good to keep you from tapping your foot. The album's greatest moment, though, is "That's Not My Name." Layers find their way into the song as it progresses, and the bratty vocal delivery is remarkable, especially during the chorus where White adds a drawl. It's a great hip-shaking beat, minimalist at first but eventually fleshing itself with De Martino's backing vocals and a horn arrangement.

This first album from the English pair is a great place to start, as We Started Nothing earns the Ting Tings instant respect. (That's Not My Name, Traffic Light, We Started Nothing)

Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

2008-07-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

At Mount Zoomer (2008, Sub Pop) Wolf Parade's second studio album. ****

Certainly Arcade Fire's church studio didn't work the wonders for Wolf Parade's sophomore album as it did for them, but that doesn't mean the duo don't know how to make good music. At Mount Zoomer is strangely dense; in a way, it avoids the overly-layered approach that come to plague indie rock and alternative rock bands that want to veer further away than what is considered the all-too-obvious quirkiness. At the same time, they don't come off as too bouncy or weird. It's a delicate balance of a wide array of influences, but in the end, Wolf Parade are easily a staple band of the indie rock community. "Language City" has a whirlwind of synths, marking its independence from a run-of-the-mill studio single. "California Dreamer" sounds like a lost Doors take, featuring heavy electric keyboards and brooding vocals, mixing in some very progressive sounds. One waits to hear Morrison chime in on the chorus, "I thought I might have heard you on the radio/But the radio waves were like snow." The only snag may be "The Grey Estates," which sounds all too much like an Arcade Fire song. And while that in itself may not be bad, the idea that Arcade Fire could have done it so much better makes you wince. "Fine Young Cannibals" features a very orderly procession, with sparse bass, keyboards, and guitar. It sometimes meanders, but never does it stray too far, and Boeckner and Krug's vocals always bring it back. The album finishes with "An Animal In Your Care," a Simon and Garfunkel would-be complete with "La-la-lies" just like "The Boxer." At the end of the day, artists will be forced to look at At Mount Zoomer as a new twist with the same ingredients, because while there is no message or theme like there was on Neon Bible, the music itself is far more complex than it appears, revealing more intricacies with each listen. A very decent sophomore effort. (Soldier's Grin, Fine Young Cannibals)

Duds of 2008: Part Two

2008-06-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Here are a handful of albums that hardly deserve a full-length review. Duds consist of albums that have received a rating of two stars or less.

Here We Stand (2008, Island) The Fratellis' second studio album. **

The crunch of an electric guitar hardly matches the light pop of 60's groups such as the Animals, so the attempt that the Fratellis make is painstaking. The girl can't help it, and I doubt she can stand it, either.

One of the Boys (2008, Capitol) Katy Perry's first studio album. *1/2

See The Problem of the Katy Perrys

Simple Plan (2008, Lava) Simple Plan's third studio album. **

The same old shit from a band in a bad genre. I give them some respect because they haven't gotten ambitious.

The Problem of the Katy Perrys

2008-06-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Out of nowhere a singer named Katy Perry has grabbed much attention in the music community. Most of it, thankfully, is negative, as her debut album One of the Boys has proved to be another generic teen pop entry that will soon be forgotten. The feedback has been, for the most part, pretty terrible, as most critics are in agreement to say that she has trapped herself in the corporate studio, surrounded by highbrow producers who are focused on what sounds good now, and not what is important later. However, the Katy Perrys of today aren't annoying merely because they're terrible; rather, it's because they're absolutely useless. Soulja Boy Tell Em is in the music industry to make money. That is his only goal; to sell ringtones of his ridiculously terrible "Crank That," to be featured on VH1 so people buy his album, to perform that one song for people to buy it off iTunes. Capitol Records hopes the same as well with Katy Perry, to make a great fortune off her back while she spits out awful tunes. The reason that Katy Perry is worse, though, is because of the audience that she attracts.

While Soulja Boy can easily target a mass of college and high school students to learn his stupid dance, Katy Perry is not as blessed. Sure, there will be people of that age who are so oblivious to what they listen to that they might download "I Kissed A Girl," but chances are the audience is younger - much younger - than that. Her music is so blatantly terrible that even the high school crowd - of which the subject matter is obviously disguised as - would reject it as completely idiotic. Instead, the middle school girl can relate to the lyrics. This is unfortunate, because she's not a role model like Miley Cyrus, whose lyrics consist of mindless yet harmless scenarios; "If We Were a Movie," for example, or the duet with her father, "I Learned From You." Instead, Katy Perry sings about bicurious behavior, underage drinking, mindless sex with undesireable partners, about it being necessary to fit into some kind of clique, to discourage individuality or to have relationshipswith those different than you. It is an album for the easily suckered, simple-minded members of the One Tree Hill generation.

Even when she talks about these things, it's not even done cleverly, as her lyrics are beyond awful. "One of the Boys" is about a tomboy wanting to be looked at as a girl... should we then assume from Miss Perry that the narrator wanted to change or actually has? It's simplistic high school mentality and overly stereotypical. The lines "It felt so wrong/It felt so right" appear in the chorus of "I Kissed a Girl," and it gets worse; "I kissed a girl just to try it/I hope my boyfriend don't mind it." These are unbelievably easy lines, and it is an easy single because of the annoying and catchy chorus. Keep in mind that "catchy" can mean horrific.

The lyrics even become too obvious as on "Thinking of You;" "When I'm with him, I'm thinking of you" is so literal that it's maddening. There is absolutely no imagination, no original thoughts whatsoever as to how to go about addressing a very overdone situation. And the beat goes on; "You're like an Indian summer in the middle of winter..." what the fuck does that even mean? The whole song is so ridiculously idealistic that it can only appeal to those incapable of thinking in the realms of reality, those who are so stupid that they could use this song as a sort of escapism.

It continues; the lines "You're just a toy/Could you ever be a real boy?" appears on "Mannequin," a song about a guy who - as you may have already guessed - has a cold heart, completey rejecting the love of the singer. God forbid he doesn't want to be with her, but can we really blame him? "If You Can Afford Me" offers little in the way of improvement with lines such as "Don't make the bet if you can't write the check," and "Hot N Cold" offers a long-winded chorus of magnificently overused cliches; "You're hot then you're cold/You're yes then you're no/You're in then you're out/You're up then you're down" and so on and so on and so on.

The worst moment, though, is on the first single which was released in 2007, a taste of the terrors that would arise in mid-2008, a song entitled "Ur So Gay." This song is bad because of the way that it fails to be funny, and not simply just because it isn't funny at all. It fails on so many levels because it's not nearly as radical as it wants to be, it's not nearly as shocking as it presents itself. It turns out to be a very strange and embarrassing number, with lyrics like "You're so sad you should buy a happy meal." The problem is, it's so bad that it's not even funny, it's just bad. And the reasons she thinks the male is gay are beyond idiotic, as I don't know how listening to indie rock or reading Hemingway qualifies one as "gay."

Complete with the random "tonight!" and "oh-ohs," she's always looking for something "real," yet it's clear that she determines what is real: real is without problems, where the male is completely submissive, ultra-romantic, yet not a pussy. One of the Boys is a collection of everything that seventh-grade girls dreams of, all wrapped into one fantastically terrible album now available at Wal-Mart. What's saddening is that Perry sounds as if she's sincere about what she's singing. Her voice is certainly in it, but she's twenty-three years old, and she wrote most of these songs. She is the type that fits into the plague of talentless artists who stumble into the music industry, as record labels turn to teen pop when album sales are down. It happened in the late 90's with Spears and Aguilera, with N*Sync and the Backstreet Boys, and now as Katy Perry comes up on the scene, it is a sign that perhaps again, with album sales plummeting as online sharing increases, that another wave of no-talent hacks will be signed for multi-million dollar contracts, sold-out tour dates, and albums that don't deserve to be spit on were they on fire filling up the shelves at Best Buy. She and the rest of ultra-horrible teen pop are the ideal matches for chicks who still watch their OC DVD's religiously, for those who appear on My Super Sweet Sixteen, or who generally like unnecessarily bad music.

Katy Perry - coming to a One Tree Hill episode soon.

The Virgins - The Virgins

2008-06-23T20:52:00.001-07:00

The Virgins (2008, Atlantic) The Virgins' first studio album. ***

Drawing equally from the Police, 70's and 80's dance pop, and a little of their own creativeness, the Virgins have managed to create a decent yet slightly generic album. It's the sort of thing that anyone can enjoy as background music, but when the question is what the Virgins are contributing that others haven't, the silence falls. I don't scold them, honestly, I enjoyed it well enough, but when you draw so much from an influence that your song can almost be confused for the influence (on Rich Girls, namely), it gets you down knowing they could have done it better. Entertaining enough, but a bit too much and not enough spunk.

Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

2008-06-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008, Capitol) Coldplay's fourth studio album. ****

Unfortunately for all the haters out there (and there are a lot), Coldplay's fourth album is not as terrible as they would like to claim. Even to claim that it is bad is a lie, it's actually quite good. That's not to say that the completely mainstream and utter sell-outs have fixed all their problems; they're far from that. What they have done, though, is made some very wise decisions. The best of those was to hire producer Brian Eno, a man who was obviously tough on them, pointing out the flaws in their first three releases, but then giving them the motivation they needed. Coldplay isn't a bad band. They're not like Nickelback, a band whose popularity is as puzzling as the fascination of Paris Hilton. Regardless, Eno was able to point out the band's moments of brilliance in a shroud of overly-pretentious, overly-corporate, and overly-simplistic releases.

Viva la Vida is an excellent album, as that must be put on the table first. It is also an extremely frustrating album, as the mistakes that they make become more and more apparent with each successive listen. One of the album's best moments is "Lost!" which features Martin's soaring vocals over a beautiful church organ arrangement. The lyrics, though, are difficult to interpret, as they - along with all the others on Viva la Vida - are overly vague and even contradicting. "42" marks another bold move, as it brilliantly transitions from dark to light and allowing for their Radiohead influences to creep back in. The lyrics here are a bit clearer, obviously about a man's struggle to determine the truth of the afterlife. But halfway through, it suddenly switches into progressive rock. It sounds amazing, but it falls into the trap of the too-structured chorus.

"Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" again is far too vague for its own good, and while both parts feature an absolutely gorgeous piano arrangement (not to mention Martin's applaud-worthy vocal performance), it is a wasted moment. The words that Coldplay decides to use are so insincere and so half-assed that one wishes they had hired Yorke or Butler to do it for them. Another wasted moment is "Yes," with its obvious prog-rock attack, but with a message only horny Christian virgins will relate to. The pinnacle of the album hinges upon the title track, which is the best song on the album. But like everything else, the message is so muddled that it can't be understood what is literal and what is metaphorical; is it about the demise of God, or truly about a king?

In hindsight, the reader will ask himself "How can you give the album four stars when you just bashed it?" I'd like to think that I didn't. My words can't express my gratitude for the beautiful music that Coldplay has created. However, they have not been successful in shedding cheesy lyrics for ones that can clearly communicate the themes that the album screams: life, death, love, religion, politics. All that said, though, the band is one step closer to being what they want to be; respectable. Will Chris Martin and company become the rock gods they aspire to be? Probably not. They're far too mainstream and subdued in their own shortcomings to breakthrough. At least now. Viva la Vida is a very important transition for them, and they now need to ask themselves if Eno is capable of pushing them farther than he has already, because he pushed them the right way. (42, Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love, Viva la Vida)

Review on YouTube: Coldplay - Viva la Vida

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

2008-06-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

Oracular Spectacular (2008, Red Ink) MGMT's first studio album. ****

The neo-psychedelia duo MGMT (made up of Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden) could have released a classic album. They could have. In fact, for a while, it seemed like they had done it; the first half of Oracular Spectacular, their debut album, it seems like MGMT have crafted something perfect.

The reality is, the Oracular Spectacular is lopsided, with all the beautiful gems showing themselves in the first half, and literally only the first half. With ten songs, "Time to Pretend" through "Kids" is a whirlwind of influences and originality, cleverly warped into one body and garnished with some very impressive and astute lyrics. "Time to Pretend" sounds like a lost anthem of a generation, a mix between the rebellion against the status quo of suburban life, yet yields the tragic consequences of the "live fast, die young" rock mentality. It's an eclectic blend of alternative pop as well as 60's pop. The true anthem, though, is "The Youth," with its beautiful and minimalist approach, the gorgeous falsetto as MGMT ask an important question; "The Youth are starting to change/Are you starting to change?" It is a testament to John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" or "Imagine." The Beatles landscapes of "Weekend Wars," the disco beat and BeeJees stylings of "Electric Feel," and the alternative dance of "Kids" are all outstanding pieces. And it is on "Time to Pretend" and "Kids" where MGMT sounds at their most original, regardless of how well their influences play on others.

Despite all that, the second half of the album slips, starting immediately with "4th Dimensional Transition," steeped heavily in Middle Eastern and even rolling wild west approaches. "Pieces of What" fails to establish the hook it is looking for, and while none of the remaining songs are bad, they're certainly not what was promised in the album's opening act. Still, MGMT have proved that they are masters of neo-psychedlia, and perhaps a bit of time on the road will allow them to pen a few more ridiculously good tunes. (Time to Pretend, The Youth, Electric Feel)

Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

2008-06-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

Narrow Stairs (2008, Atlantic) Death Cab For Cutie's sixth studio album. ****1/2

I'm not sure that it really matters if Narrow Stairs is of the same caliber as Transatlanticism. What matters is that on its own, Narrow Stairs is a fantastic album, certainly one of the best of 2008 thus far. The tone is very clear, and never does its message of loneliness and wanting, the darkness of unrequited love, get lost in even the upbeat and inspiring music.

"I Will Possess Your Heart" is easily a strong point in the album, but by no means is it the only memorable tune. It's almost too long, for the four-minute instrumental introduction is not necessary at all. But once Ben Gibbard's vocals come in, the undeniable beat of his voice is imposible to ignore. The indie rock and alternative pop/rock quirkiness is fluent throughout the next several tracks; "No Sunlight" is very upbeat, having a quicker tempo and seemingly sunny lyrics. But like everything else, it is almost drenched in lyrics of the attitude that love is not what it seems. "Cath" is a truly frightening song, about the dangers of settling when there appears to be nothing else, and its address to a named person makes it act like a Ben Folds song.

The album's shortest song "You Can Do Better Than Me" is just under two minutes, again about two lovers who stay together due to its comfort. And yet in tragic fashion, Gibbard laments how his lover is superior to himself. With the laid-back "Your New Twin Sized Bed," Death Cab is able to make a very light groove to sit the defeated tone of lines like "What's the point of holding on/To something that never gets used?"

Narrow Stairs is a tightly themed, paced, and sounding album, with no weak points and no lagging. There's no filler, just the best that Death Cab for Cutie could come up with, and they've done a fantastic job. While Narrow Stairs isn't the new Layla, it's about as close as we may come. The powerful beginning of "Bixby Canyon Bridge," with rolling riffs and commanding vocals, all the way to the pitiful ending of "The Ice is Getting Thinner," the end of a tale of two people. With the end, it begs the question of whether the time spent together - even though it was doomed from the beginning - was well worth it for the connection they had, for the fond memories, or if it was merely a waste of time in the journey for the right person. I can't answer the question, but I imagine the Death Cab crew did at some point during the making this record. Outstanding, brilliant, heartfelt. (I Will Possess Your Heart, No Sunlight, Cath, The Ice is Getting Thinner)

Review on YouTube: Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into

2008-06-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into (2008, Virgin) Does It Offend You, Yeah?'s first studio album. ***1/2

Despite having one of the worst band names ever, Does It Offend You, Yeah? aren't half bad. They're not masters of electronica or alternative rock. In fact, they're pretty juvenile, but at least they know. You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into is a blend of techno and hard rock, something rarely tried, but most notable on Jeff Beck's 2003 release Jeff. Who Else! and You Had It Coming also had these leanings, but Jeff cemented the experiment. Now a group of youths have picked up the torch and attempted to make something out of it. Their work isn't nearly as impressive, but beautiful moments aren't that hard to find.

The main thing that keeps You Have No Idea from being fantastic is its sloppiness; the arrangements feel as if they've only been messing with computers for a bit, like they haven't learned everything in a program such as Photoshop. As a result, there is a sweeping amount of video-game sounds that hark back to ColecoVision. That's not a bad thing, though it does make it difficult to be taken seriously when they want us to. But on "With a Heavy Heart," Does It Offend You, Yeah? hits the exact target they were looking for; heart-pounding, sexy and wailing electronica. Play it the next time you're about to fuck and tell me how it works out.

"Dawn of the Dead" is another pristine song with its early 80's pop stylings, but the rough guitar crunch underneath keeps it grounded. It's the strange times like "Attack of the 60 FT Lesbian Octopus" that makes you do a double-take, as the entire album tends to be over-arranged (typical of a debut). But You Have No Idea is a very fun album, simply made for being cool and not for artistic integrity. (With a Heavy Heart, Dawn of the Dead, Let's Make Out)

Hot Chip - Made in the Dark

2008-06-19T14:46:00.001-07:00

Made in the Dark (2008, EMI) Hot Chip's third studio album. ****

The electro-pop quintet have crafted a master album on their third outing entitled Made in the Dark. The wide range of influences makes it very diverse, and while not all of them are magic, many are. Most notable is the lead single "Ready For the Floor," a disco-inspired dance piece. Alex Taylor's soft falsetto paired with signature 70's-style synths make it sound like something Blondie would have tried. Another key moment is the track right beforehand, the club-beating "Shake a Fist." For a while, the track is fairly minimal, with a solid drumbeat backed by occasional keyboards. It is again Taylor's vocals that give the song life, especially during the chorus of "Out and out and out/Out and out and out/Shake a fist/And let's breathe it in without," in which the beat is impeccable. The only dry moment is on the album's title track, a strange piano ballad. Although the mood that Hot Chip attempted comes through, it can't fit in an album laden with bouncing and crunching electronica. Overall, Made in the Dark is something to be cherished, a sincere moment in electro-pop. (Out at the Pictures, Shake a Fist, Ready For the Floor)

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

2008-06-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

Fleet Foxes (2008, Sub Pop) Fleet Foxes' first studio album. ****

The last thing that the Fleet Foxes want to hear is that they sound like someone else, namely Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, but that it's okay, because CSNY was awesome. Of course the influence - assuredly among many others - is there, but the true sound of the Fleet Foxes is one that is incredible; Pecknold, the band's sole songwriter, has managed to make several of the cuts sound like standards. Even stranger, it sounds as if some of these 'standards' are now being covered by Fleet Foxes. Strange, isn't it?

One spectacular track is "White Winter Hymnal," which is pretty self-explanitory. The church-vibed vocal delivery compliments the Americana feel that the rest of the song carries, with only one set of lyrics that is repeated twice. Despite almost every song being incredible, probably the standout among the crowd is "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song," a simple acoustic tune that would have fit in perfectly to the catalogue of any folk or folk-rock artist of the 60's and 70's. Its sound is eternal - while it is reminiscent of any age where folk and acoustic guitar were present, it is remarkably fresh, not sounding like Dylan, CSNY, or any other genius.

The overwhelming spirituality that is put into each song staggering, and ironically doesn't appear in the lyrics. The feeling is what makes this album spectacular, for without the sincerity it so desperately needs, the songs would be hollow versions of themselves; it therefore challenges any cover of these new 'standards' to be better than the rich original. (White Winter Hymnal, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, He Doesn't Know Why)