Background Ramblings:
The members of this band (John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard) dated for a while. Before recording their first album (Declare a New State), they broke up, so they recorded the album in shifts…never in the studio at the same time. After recording the album (filled with songs about their relationship and break-up), they realized they still loved each other. So they got back together and got married (awwwwwww!), then recorded their second album.
Discography:
2006 Declare a New State!
2008 Honeysuckle Weeks
Sharon’s Rating:
3.5/5
Dusty’s Rating:
4/5
Consensus Thoughts:
Fantastic, summery pop music. The instrumentation is fun and inventive. We like their first album better. We love how their voices sound together, and there’s not too much of that on the second album. The second album is good, but it's just not as good as the first one.
Favorites:
“Peace and Hate”, “Hope”, “Darkest Things”, “Maybe”, “Xavia”
Our band for next week is: The Daysleepers.
Discography:
2008 Drowned in a Sea of Sound
Friday, August 01, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Band of the Week: Monomen
Background Ramblings: Synth-pop band from
Discography: 2007 Monomen LP
However, it's also pretty repetitive. It has some great moments on it, but there are also some songs that I just want to skip every time they come on. Most of these songs fall towards the end of the album, so at least they're fairly easy to avoid. One of these songs is a nine-minute instrumental track that doesn’t really go anywhere. Who thought that was a good idea?
The songs that are good are extremely good...but the songs that are bad are pretty bad. It's not a bad album...just terribly uneven.
Favorites: “Neon”, “Drum of Glass”, "Stand Still Jane Fonda"
Least Favorites: "Stand Still Jane Fonda Part II"
The band for this week is The Submarines. Some info...
Background Ramblings: The members of this band (John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard) dated for a while. Before recording their first album (Declare a New State), they broke up, so they recorded the album in shifts…never in the studio at the same time. After recording the album (filled with songs about their relationship and break-up), they realized they still loved each other. So they got back together and got married (awwwwwww!), then recorded their second album.
Discography:
2006 Declare a New State!
2008 Honeysuckle Weeks
Feel free to join in.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Band of the Week: She & Him
Sorry for the lack of writing. I have no excuses. However, Sharon and I came up with a new idea that we thought we'd share with you.
Every week, we will decide on a band to listen to. We'll listen to their albums, talk about what we like/don't like, and post our thoughts on this blog.
We would like for you to join us. We will post which band we'll be listening to. You are invited to listen to them for that week as well, and post your thoughts in the comments. It's like a book club...with less reading.
We did the first week ourselves, but we'll post the next band at the end.
Our first Band of the Week was She & Him. We're going to see them in Nashville at the end of the month, so we thought it would be a good place to start.
Background Ramblings:
Members - Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward
Discography:
2008 - Volume One
Sharon's Rating:
3/5
Sharon's Thoughts:
I like her voice - it has a good, oldies sound. I also like when M. Ward sings...I wish he sang a little more on the album. The music has a good oldies sound, which I like, but it also sounds a bit unoriginal (even though I know they wrote the majority of the songs).
Favorites:
"Sweet Darlin'"
Dusty's Rating:
4/5
Dusty's Thoughts:
Musically, this album covers a lot of genres: jazz, county, girl group pop, and just "regular" pop. Zooey's unique voice fits all these styles perfectly. This sounds like a classic album, only recently unearthed.
Dusty's Favorites:
"Sentimental Heart", "Change is Hard", "Sweet Darlin'"
There you have it. If you have thoughts on She & Him, post them in the comments.
Next Week:
The Band of the Week for next week is:
Monomen.
Here are some notes to get you started.
Background Ramblings:
Synth-pop group from Norway (not to be confused with the Mono Men: a garage rock group from Seattle in the 80s and 90s).
Discography:
2007 - Monomen LP
Happy listening!
Every week, we will decide on a band to listen to. We'll listen to their albums, talk about what we like/don't like, and post our thoughts on this blog.
We would like for you to join us. We will post which band we'll be listening to. You are invited to listen to them for that week as well, and post your thoughts in the comments. It's like a book club...with less reading.
We did the first week ourselves, but we'll post the next band at the end.
Our first Band of the Week was She & Him. We're going to see them in Nashville at the end of the month, so we thought it would be a good place to start.
Background Ramblings:
Members - Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward
Discography:
2008 - Volume One
Sharon's Rating:
3/5
Sharon's Thoughts:
I like her voice - it has a good, oldies sound. I also like when M. Ward sings...I wish he sang a little more on the album. The music has a good oldies sound, which I like, but it also sounds a bit unoriginal (even though I know they wrote the majority of the songs).
Favorites:
"Sweet Darlin'"
Dusty's Rating:
4/5
Dusty's Thoughts:
Musically, this album covers a lot of genres: jazz, county, girl group pop, and just "regular" pop. Zooey's unique voice fits all these styles perfectly. This sounds like a classic album, only recently unearthed.
Dusty's Favorites:
"Sentimental Heart", "Change is Hard", "Sweet Darlin'"
There you have it. If you have thoughts on She & Him, post them in the comments.
Next Week:
The Band of the Week for next week is:
Monomen.
Here are some notes to get you started.
Background Ramblings:
Synth-pop group from Norway (not to be confused with the Mono Men: a garage rock group from Seattle in the 80s and 90s).
Discography:
2007 - Monomen LP
Happy listening!
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
iPod Roulette
Remember when I said I'd be doing a hip-hop battle, then disappeared for 3 weeks? Sorry. I'll get to it eventually, I promise. For now, I'll do another one of these and hope this small gesture will help you to put down the pitchforks.
1. Here Comes Your Man - Pixies (from Doolittle)
A great pop song with a perfect surfish guitar line from the great Joey Santiago. I don't know that the Pixies will ever quite catch on with the masses, and that's a shame. They're one of the greatest (and most influential) bands of all-time, and this song comes from my favorite album of theirs.
2. Melatonin - Radiohead (from Airbag)
A bed of laid-back 80s keyboards saturate this song. By the time Thom starts singing, you can't imagine anyone else singing this song. Short and light and perfect for nighttime listening.
3. Keep Your Head - The Ting Tings (from We Started Nothing)
This song seems pretty much par for the course for The Ting Tings. They can sound pretty obnoxious and childish and borderline unlistenable at times, but that doesn't stop them from being extremely catchy. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I haven't been able to answer that question yet.
4. Watching the Wheels - John Lennon (from Double Fantasy)
The majority of Lennon's solo stuff is pretty hit-or-miss. That is definitely the case for this album...and this song fits squarely into the "hit" category. A good song with a great chorus.
5. The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago - Johnny Cash (from Live at San Quentin)
I love when Cash can take an old gospel song and make it his own. He definitely does that here.
6. It's Not So Bad At All - Matt Pond PA (from Last Light)
This song pretty much sums up my feelings on Matt Pond PA. It's nice, but there's nothing really memorable about it. Yeah, it sounds pretty good, but I never really think to myself, "I really need to hear some Matt Pond PA." It's good to have on in the background, though.
7. The Beast in Me - Johnny Cash (from American Recordings)
A dark song made darker by Cash. There's a hint of sadness and contemplation in this song that comes across by his voice alone. I am amazed how much emotion Cash is able to convey solely through his voice.
8. Don't Go Say That - Grand Theft Bus (from Made Upwards)
This is the first time I've listened to this band. First impression? I'm not really too impressed. It sounds like an emo band that is desperately trying to change its sound, but it's not really taking. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I need to give them a couple more listens. Perhaps I will...but it's not doing anything for me at the moment.
9. Can't Truss It - Public Enemy (from Power to the People and the Beats)
I have a hard time believing that this song came out in 1991. The beat is fantastic, and there's really nothing like hearing Chuck D in his prime. By listening to this song, it's easy to hear how big an influence Public Enemy continues to have in the world of hip-hop.
10. Deep Dark Well - M. Ward (from Transistor Radio)
I know that M. Ward is a relatively young guy. Still, every time I hear one of his songs, I can't shake the thought that he has been around since the 50s, honing his sound of blues/folk. I don't always love his stuff, but this song is great.
Your turn.
1. Here Comes Your Man - Pixies (from Doolittle)
A great pop song with a perfect surfish guitar line from the great Joey Santiago. I don't know that the Pixies will ever quite catch on with the masses, and that's a shame. They're one of the greatest (and most influential) bands of all-time, and this song comes from my favorite album of theirs.
2. Melatonin - Radiohead (from Airbag)
A bed of laid-back 80s keyboards saturate this song. By the time Thom starts singing, you can't imagine anyone else singing this song. Short and light and perfect for nighttime listening.
3. Keep Your Head - The Ting Tings (from We Started Nothing)
This song seems pretty much par for the course for The Ting Tings. They can sound pretty obnoxious and childish and borderline unlistenable at times, but that doesn't stop them from being extremely catchy. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I haven't been able to answer that question yet.
4. Watching the Wheels - John Lennon (from Double Fantasy)
The majority of Lennon's solo stuff is pretty hit-or-miss. That is definitely the case for this album...and this song fits squarely into the "hit" category. A good song with a great chorus.
5. The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago - Johnny Cash (from Live at San Quentin)
I love when Cash can take an old gospel song and make it his own. He definitely does that here.
6. It's Not So Bad At All - Matt Pond PA (from Last Light)
This song pretty much sums up my feelings on Matt Pond PA. It's nice, but there's nothing really memorable about it. Yeah, it sounds pretty good, but I never really think to myself, "I really need to hear some Matt Pond PA." It's good to have on in the background, though.
7. The Beast in Me - Johnny Cash (from American Recordings)
A dark song made darker by Cash. There's a hint of sadness and contemplation in this song that comes across by his voice alone. I am amazed how much emotion Cash is able to convey solely through his voice.
8. Don't Go Say That - Grand Theft Bus (from Made Upwards)
This is the first time I've listened to this band. First impression? I'm not really too impressed. It sounds like an emo band that is desperately trying to change its sound, but it's not really taking. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I need to give them a couple more listens. Perhaps I will...but it's not doing anything for me at the moment.
9. Can't Truss It - Public Enemy (from Power to the People and the Beats)
I have a hard time believing that this song came out in 1991. The beat is fantastic, and there's really nothing like hearing Chuck D in his prime. By listening to this song, it's easy to hear how big an influence Public Enemy continues to have in the world of hip-hop.
10. Deep Dark Well - M. Ward (from Transistor Radio)
I know that M. Ward is a relatively young guy. Still, every time I hear one of his songs, I can't shake the thought that he has been around since the 50s, honing his sound of blues/folk. I don't always love his stuff, but this song is great.
Your turn.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Death Cab for Cutie, Scarlett Johansson, The Black Keys
In a desperate attempt to catch up on my backlog of reviews, I'll throw a few reviews at you this week, even though they don't really have anything to do with each other.
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
What was I to expect of the new Death Cab album? Transatlanticism was the best album of their career (slightly edging out We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes). Then they got signed to a major label, released Plans, and got boring. It isn't necessarily a bad album...in fact, there are some fantastic songs on it. But, all in all, it's just sort of - for lack of a better word - blah. So where would this album land: in the land of creativity or the land of complacency?
As it turns out, it lands somewhere in the middle. It's a good, but not great, pop album. I like pretty much every song on the album, which is a good start. I'm not crazy about "I Will Possess Your Heart": who thought it was a good idea to make an eight-minute track, the first five minutes of which consists of an instrumental section that goes pretty much nowhere? Oh, they add some instruments here and there, and they try to bring a sense of building to the music, but it just doesn't seem to fit. They nailed the instrumental section perfectly on "Transatlanticism", so I know they're capable of good things...they just weren't able to pull it off here.
Another knock is that, on first listen, there aren't a whole lot of songs that stand out from each other. Multiple listens definitely bring out the intricacies of the songs, though, so keep listening.
The production is top-notch...it's a pretty slick sounding pop album (but not in a bad way). I think this is what they were going for when they made Plans, but weren't (for whatever reason) quite able to pull off. It has a great pop feel to it, but they are still able to show off the creativity that made so many people fall in love with them in the first place.
As it stands now, this is my third favorite Death Cab album. Looking at the strength of their catalog, that's not a terrible place to be.
Final Thought: If you're already a fan, you'll be extremely happy with it. If you're not yet into them, this isn't a bad place to start. It's a good album that gets better with every listen.
Favorite Songs: "Cath...", "Talking Bird", "Pity and Fear"
Scarlett Johansson - Anywhere I Lay My Head
I have been intrigued by this album from the first time I heard of its planned release. A covers record is usually a pretty tough sell. A covers record of an artist like Tom Waits would be an even tougher sell. Trying to sell a Tom Waits cover album to his fanbase with a Hollywood starlet singing the songs? You're sure to raise curiosity, but I doubt there were a lot of people looking at this album and saying, "You know, I bet that will be good and not in the least bit gimmicky."
Then trickles of information started coming out. It's being produced by Dave Sitek (from TV On the Radio). David Bowie signed on as a guest vocalist. Nick Zinner (from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) was on board.
I started getting excited. I started to talk myself into it. "She has a deep voice...maybe she can pull this off."
But nothing really prepared me for what I heard. It was...good. Perhaps even slightly better than good. They went an extremely smart route with this album. Instead of trying to recreate the songs as they were originally recorded, Johansson and company completely reimagined the songs. The starkness in these songs has been replaced by lush arrangements; the gritty vocals replaced with Johansson's striking baritone.
Scarlett Johansson's name may be on the front of the album (and will likely draw the majority of the sales), but this show belongs to the production of Dave Sitek. He does an absolutely fabulous job with the arrangements, keeping the imaginative spirit of Tom Waits in the songs, while adding a touch of creativity himself. At times, the songs are backed with a massive wall of sound ("Falling Down"), while other times, the instrumentation is fairly minimal, but still drenched in enough reverb to give it a lot of depth ("I Wish I Was in New Orleans"). A bit of '80s dance/synth-pop even finds its way on to the album ("I Don't Want to Grow Up"). Sitek's talents are on full display, and he doesn't let us down.
And, of course, hearing Bowie's voice on a couple of the songs ("Falling Down" and "Fannin" Street") is fantastic.
In fact, if there's one knock on this album, it's the lack of emotion in Johansson's voice. Waits conveys emotion through his voice in a way few artists know how to do. Listening to Johansson finding her way through these songs in a voice that is darn close to monotone at times is a little rough. At times, Sitek's production threatens to make Johansson's voice nothing more than a background instrument, which wouldn't always be a bad thing. If she decides to follow a singing career, she will definitely grow as a vocalist. This is a great starting point for her. I can't wait to see what she does next.
Final Thought: It's better than you think it is. Strip away the fact that Scarlett Johansson is a well-known actress, and you still have a pretty good album on your hands. Don't overlook it just because an actress is involved.
Favorite Songs: "Falling Down", "Anywhere I Lay My Head", "Who Are You"
The Black Keys - Attack & Release
The Black Keys have always been kind of a one-trick pony. These two guys from Ohio play some of the dirtiest, nastiest stomping blues that you have ever heard in your entire life. Through a number of albums and tours, they never really evolved; they opted instead for perfecting their dirty brand of blues.
All that changed sometime last year.
There had been word for quite some time that Danger Mouse was going to be producing a new Ike Turner album. Then a rumor started that The Black Keys would be Ike Turner's backing band. To get ready for the album, the Keys wrote an entire album's worth of material, and, with the help of Danger Mouse, recorded it. They even laid down some scratch vocals to give Ike an idea of what to do. Sadly, Ike Turner died before he was able to start on the project...but the Keys had an album that was pretty close to finished. So they went back into the studio, re-recorded the vocals, and released the album.
I'm not sure how much of that is true, but, seeing as how I've heard it from a couple different sources, I'll believe it.
It all amounts to the best album The Black Keys have ever released. They're still a blues band; no doubt about that. But it's easy to hear their evolution. Where once they released nothing but straight blues songs, with a man on guitar and one on drums, now they have a bit more depth. Banjos. Flutes. Organ. Atmospheric guitars. It's nothing too drastic, and it's not overblown, but it's a definite change in their sound. After years of releasing straight blues albums, it's great to hear a slightly tweaked sound coming from them.
It's unclear how much of this shift came from their own evolution and how much of it came from Danger Mouse's influence. Frankly, I don't care who is responsible for it. I just hope to see more from this bluesy, creative and soulful Black Keys in the not-too-distant future.
Final Thoughts: A blues album for people who think that all blues albums sound the same. There's a freshness and creativity to this album that I haven't heard from a blues band since The White Stripes broke away from the genre. Highly recommended.
Favorite Songs: "I Got Mine", "Strange Times", "Psychotic Girl", "So He Won't Break"
Check back next week for an old-school rap battle.
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
What was I to expect of the new Death Cab album? Transatlanticism was the best album of their career (slightly edging out We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes). Then they got signed to a major label, released Plans, and got boring. It isn't necessarily a bad album...in fact, there are some fantastic songs on it. But, all in all, it's just sort of - for lack of a better word - blah. So where would this album land: in the land of creativity or the land of complacency?As it turns out, it lands somewhere in the middle. It's a good, but not great, pop album. I like pretty much every song on the album, which is a good start. I'm not crazy about "I Will Possess Your Heart": who thought it was a good idea to make an eight-minute track, the first five minutes of which consists of an instrumental section that goes pretty much nowhere? Oh, they add some instruments here and there, and they try to bring a sense of building to the music, but it just doesn't seem to fit. They nailed the instrumental section perfectly on "Transatlanticism", so I know they're capable of good things...they just weren't able to pull it off here.
Another knock is that, on first listen, there aren't a whole lot of songs that stand out from each other. Multiple listens definitely bring out the intricacies of the songs, though, so keep listening.
The production is top-notch...it's a pretty slick sounding pop album (but not in a bad way). I think this is what they were going for when they made Plans, but weren't (for whatever reason) quite able to pull off. It has a great pop feel to it, but they are still able to show off the creativity that made so many people fall in love with them in the first place.
As it stands now, this is my third favorite Death Cab album. Looking at the strength of their catalog, that's not a terrible place to be.
Final Thought: If you're already a fan, you'll be extremely happy with it. If you're not yet into them, this isn't a bad place to start. It's a good album that gets better with every listen.
Favorite Songs: "Cath...", "Talking Bird", "Pity and Fear"
Scarlett Johansson - Anywhere I Lay My Head
I have been intrigued by this album from the first time I heard of its planned release. A covers record is usually a pretty tough sell. A covers record of an artist like Tom Waits would be an even tougher sell. Trying to sell a Tom Waits cover album to his fanbase with a Hollywood starlet singing the songs? You're sure to raise curiosity, but I doubt there were a lot of people looking at this album and saying, "You know, I bet that will be good and not in the least bit gimmicky."
Then trickles of information started coming out. It's being produced by Dave Sitek (from TV On the Radio). David Bowie signed on as a guest vocalist. Nick Zinner (from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) was on board.
I started getting excited. I started to talk myself into it. "She has a deep voice...maybe she can pull this off."
But nothing really prepared me for what I heard. It was...good. Perhaps even slightly better than good. They went an extremely smart route with this album. Instead of trying to recreate the songs as they were originally recorded, Johansson and company completely reimagined the songs. The starkness in these songs has been replaced by lush arrangements; the gritty vocals replaced with Johansson's striking baritone.
Scarlett Johansson's name may be on the front of the album (and will likely draw the majority of the sales), but this show belongs to the production of Dave Sitek. He does an absolutely fabulous job with the arrangements, keeping the imaginative spirit of Tom Waits in the songs, while adding a touch of creativity himself. At times, the songs are backed with a massive wall of sound ("Falling Down"), while other times, the instrumentation is fairly minimal, but still drenched in enough reverb to give it a lot of depth ("I Wish I Was in New Orleans"). A bit of '80s dance/synth-pop even finds its way on to the album ("I Don't Want to Grow Up"). Sitek's talents are on full display, and he doesn't let us down.
And, of course, hearing Bowie's voice on a couple of the songs ("Falling Down" and "Fannin" Street") is fantastic.
In fact, if there's one knock on this album, it's the lack of emotion in Johansson's voice. Waits conveys emotion through his voice in a way few artists know how to do. Listening to Johansson finding her way through these songs in a voice that is darn close to monotone at times is a little rough. At times, Sitek's production threatens to make Johansson's voice nothing more than a background instrument, which wouldn't always be a bad thing. If she decides to follow a singing career, she will definitely grow as a vocalist. This is a great starting point for her. I can't wait to see what she does next.
Final Thought: It's better than you think it is. Strip away the fact that Scarlett Johansson is a well-known actress, and you still have a pretty good album on your hands. Don't overlook it just because an actress is involved.
Favorite Songs: "Falling Down", "Anywhere I Lay My Head", "Who Are You"
The Black Keys - Attack & Release
The Black Keys have always been kind of a one-trick pony. These two guys from Ohio play some of the dirtiest, nastiest stomping blues that you have ever heard in your entire life. Through a number of albums and tours, they never really evolved; they opted instead for perfecting their dirty brand of blues.
All that changed sometime last year.
There had been word for quite some time that Danger Mouse was going to be producing a new Ike Turner album. Then a rumor started that The Black Keys would be Ike Turner's backing band. To get ready for the album, the Keys wrote an entire album's worth of material, and, with the help of Danger Mouse, recorded it. They even laid down some scratch vocals to give Ike an idea of what to do. Sadly, Ike Turner died before he was able to start on the project...but the Keys had an album that was pretty close to finished. So they went back into the studio, re-recorded the vocals, and released the album.
I'm not sure how much of that is true, but, seeing as how I've heard it from a couple different sources, I'll believe it.
It all amounts to the best album The Black Keys have ever released. They're still a blues band; no doubt about that. But it's easy to hear their evolution. Where once they released nothing but straight blues songs, with a man on guitar and one on drums, now they have a bit more depth. Banjos. Flutes. Organ. Atmospheric guitars. It's nothing too drastic, and it's not overblown, but it's a definite change in their sound. After years of releasing straight blues albums, it's great to hear a slightly tweaked sound coming from them.
It's unclear how much of this shift came from their own evolution and how much of it came from Danger Mouse's influence. Frankly, I don't care who is responsible for it. I just hope to see more from this bluesy, creative and soulful Black Keys in the not-too-distant future.
Final Thoughts: A blues album for people who think that all blues albums sound the same. There's a freshness and creativity to this album that I haven't heard from a blues band since The White Stripes broke away from the genre. Highly recommended.
Favorite Songs: "I Got Mine", "Strange Times", "Psychotic Girl", "So He Won't Break"
Check back next week for an old-school rap battle.
Friday, April 25, 2008
British Sea Power, The Raveonettes
I've been slacking hard.
Sorry.
With that in mind...let's play two!
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
I had briefly heard one British Sea Power album in the past, and I wasn't overly impressed. However, I listen to pretty much everything, so I thought I'd give this album a shot. Also, the cover looks awesome.
Much to my surprise, I loved it. From the very first track, I knew I would enjoy it at least a little bit. By the time "Lights Out for Darker Skies" hit, I was in full-blown awe. They have a way of creating a great atmosphere to their music. The songs are all great, and they're backed by a wall of guitars and thundering drums. This album feels huge, which I am a fan of.
There are moments where it sounds a bit like an Arcade Fire album. "No Lucifer" definitely fits this description, right down to a chorus of people singing/screaming lines in unison. It kind of reminded me of "No Cars Go". It doesn't sound like they were copying Arcade Fire, but there are some similarities.
"A Trip Out", meanwhile, feels kind of like an outtake from Sonic Youth circa Daydream Nation, which is never a bad thing.
There are a couple of instrumental tracks that I kind of zone out during, but they're not really bad, just kind of forgettable. The last track, "We Close Our Eyes", is a longer reprise of the first track, "All in It", full of static and organs and voices. It's not bad as a closer, but it's not necessarily that great of a song.
Final judgment: Great album. Big songs. Check it out, especially if you like Arcade Fire.
Favorite Songs: "Lights Out for Darker Skies", "Waving Flags", "No Need to Cry"
Sorry.
With that in mind...let's play two!
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music? I had briefly heard one British Sea Power album in the past, and I wasn't overly impressed. However, I listen to pretty much everything, so I thought I'd give this album a shot. Also, the cover looks awesome.
Much to my surprise, I loved it. From the very first track, I knew I would enjoy it at least a little bit. By the time "Lights Out for Darker Skies" hit, I was in full-blown awe. They have a way of creating a great atmosphere to their music. The songs are all great, and they're backed by a wall of guitars and thundering drums. This album feels huge, which I am a fan of.
There are moments where it sounds a bit like an Arcade Fire album. "No Lucifer" definitely fits this description, right down to a chorus of people singing/screaming lines in unison. It kind of reminded me of "No Cars Go". It doesn't sound like they were copying Arcade Fire, but there are some similarities.
"A Trip Out", meanwhile, feels kind of like an outtake from Sonic Youth circa Daydream Nation, which is never a bad thing.
There are a couple of instrumental tracks that I kind of zone out during, but they're not really bad, just kind of forgettable. The last track, "We Close Our Eyes", is a longer reprise of the first track, "All in It", full of static and organs and voices. It's not bad as a closer, but it's not necessarily that great of a song.
Final judgment: Great album. Big songs. Check it out, especially if you like Arcade Fire.
Favorite Songs: "Lights Out for Darker Skies", "Waving Flags", "No Need to Cry"
The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
I liked Pretty in Black, the last album from The Raveonettes. Apparently, I was in the minority. Either they heard the mass criticism loud and clear, or they decided to try something different just because. Whatever the reason, they recorded the best album of their career.
This album is chock full of distortion, reverb, and hip-hop(ish) beats. If you're not sure how that would sound, just give the first track, "Aly, Walk with Me" a listen. It took me all of two-and-a-half minutes to love this album. The track kicks off with a hip-hop beat, followed by a mass of distorted guitars and the reverb-drenched voices of Sun Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo (who sound great together, by the way). A little after the two-minute mark, the singing stops, and the guitars whip themselves into a massive, distortion-soaked frenzy, like some unholy mix of Sonic Youth and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Eventually, the mayhem subsides and the singing continues...but it isn't long before they break into another round of noise, this one lasting to the end of the song. It's wicked and crazy and utterly perfect.
The rest of the album follows along this path of distorted guitars and reverb-soaked vocals, but it's not nearly as crazy as the first song. They still wave their 50's and 60's rock influences around, but they are now covered by a layer of fuzz and awesome. Wagner absolutely nails the guitar lines on this album (as he does on every album). There are times when he sounds like Scotty Moore playing through a massive amount of fuzz (that's a good thing, by the way).
Final judgment: Do you like lots of distortion? Do you like the sound of a man and woman's voice blending together beneath a layer of reverb? If yes, check it out. I love it.
Favorite songs: "Aly, Walk with Me", "Dead Sound", "With My Eyes Closed"
Monday, March 31, 2008
Gnarls Barkley, The Raconteurs, and Counting Crows
Last Tuesday (March 25), three albums came out that I was pretty excited about. So, instead of stringing them out over the course of a month (and missing other albums well-deserving of some time), I’ll give them all some time here. So...here we go. 
The first track, “Charity Case” kicks off the album in grand fashion; a wicked bass line laced over a 60’s surfish-pop groove. When Cee-Lo starts singing, you’ve already forgotten what decade you’re currently living in. “Run (I’m a Natural Disaster)” also fits pretty nicely into this description; upbeat, complete with handclaps and a pretty cool organ hanging out in the back.
There are enough songs in this upbeat vein to make the soccer moms flock to buy this CD in the same way they bought St. Elsewhere in droves after hearing “Crazy” (“Run” is the first single), there are a number of songs that don’t fit that mold.
“Would Be Killer” sees Gnarls Barkley as dark as they have ever been (yes, even more so than on “Necrophilia”), both musically and lyrically. By the end of the song, I was looking over my shoulder, making sure this killer wasn’t lurking somewhere behind me (this could also be due to the large number of Dexter episodes I’ve watching lately).
Even with “Would Be Killer” on the album, “Open Book” is, far and away, the least accessible song on the album. It’s a song that, upon the first couple of listens, seems to have no formation whatsoever, save for a spot in the middle. It consists of a skittering beat, which wouldn’t be out of place on a Radiohead remix album.
“Whatever” is definitely the worst song on the album. It is sung from the perspective of a teenage outsider, whining about his life and yelling at his mom. It wouldn’t be so bad if Cee-Lo didn’t insist on singing in a whiny, teenage voice. It’s not terrible, just a little obnoxious.
The rest of the album stays pretty true to the soul singer singing 60’s pop side of things; some songs (“Surprise”, “No Time Soon”) stick to this a little closer than others (“Neighbors”, “A Little Better”).
While Cee-Lo has an amazing voice (he fits this style perfectly), this show belongs to the production talents of Danger Mouse. Without his creativeness, Gnarls Barkley wouldn’t be half the band that they are.
Rating: With more listens, this album could be better than the first one. A fantastic album if you’re looking for a creative, genre-bending album in the soul-pop vein.
Favorite Songs: “Charity Case”, “Going On”, “Surprise”, “Neighbors”
The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely
I liked Broken Boy Soldiers (The Raconteur’s first album) at first. Even now, there are some songs I love on it. But, unfortunately, it didn’t really hold up all that well. I don’t know what it is, but I haven’t been able to listen to it straight through for a while now. So it was with excitement and trepidation that I listened to this, their new album (announced only a week before its release date).
And...I love it. Granted, it’s only been a little less than a week, but this album seems a lot more creative than the last album. On Broken Boy Soldiers, they were just putting feelers out there; seeing what they could do. On this album, they have really gone all out. They’re mixing Brendan Benson’s pop songwriting with the overall-creativeness of Jack White, and throwing in the blues of their Greenhorne rhythm section. I can hardly believe the massive strides they have made over the course of just one album.
The title track shows off Jack’s talent and influence, with the stop-and-start blues hitting overdrive rock for the verse, then kicking back into a blues breakdown for the chorus. “You Don’t Understand Me” and “Old Enough” show off the pop songwriting of Brendan Benson, who sounds a bit like McCartney at times.
Along with the obvious blues and pop influences, they also show off some bluegrass roots on “Top Yourself” and the beginning of “These Stones Will Shout”.
There are, of course, some pretty obvious Zepplin influences (“Rich Kid Blues”) to go along with some Stones (“Many Shades of Black”).
The stand-out track (to me, anyway) is the last track, “Carolina Drama”. It’s a story-song, which starts out sounding a bit like “Take Take Take”, but it eventually makes its way from a smoldering, slow-rock tale of a dysfunctional family to an explosive, violent climax. Words can’t explain how fantastic this song is; just listen to it a couple of times, and you’ll understand.
This album goes to show that rock music can still be creative and inventive; you just have to know what you’re doing.
Rating: Fantastic, creative, and epically relistenable. If you’re depressed about the state of rock music, this album is for you.
Counting Crows – Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
Counting Crows have been known for writing great pop-rock songs, as well as some gorgeous piano ballads. So what could be better than splitting an album down the middle? One half would consist of their upbeat side (Saturday Nights), while the other half would consist of their piano ballads (Sunday Mornings).
Well, as it turns out, a lot could be better than that.
It’s not that there aren’t good songs on here; there are. “Cowboys” is the best song on the album, and it brings to mind their rockers like “Angels of the Silences” (which is never a bad thing). “1492” also fits into this vein, as does “Insignificant”.
Then there’s the rest of the album. It’s not that the rest of the album is bad, there’s just nothing spectacular about any of the songs. “You Can’t Count on Me” is nice enough, but it’s just kind of there; nothing to love or hate about it.
“
I always enjoyed the slower songs and piano ballads on their previous albums, but none of these songs really stand out. Again, they’re nice enough, but none of them really stood out to me on this album.
And that’s the story of this album. It’s fine...but not there aren’t many songs that stand out and demand to be heard again.
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