I’ve never liked Rise Against as much as many of my friends, but these five cuts off of “Siren Song of the Counter-Culture” has fast become some of the most-played tracks on my radio show. “Paper Wings” has the perfect mix of scratchy vocals and smoothed-out yet break-neck guitar lines. The tightness of the band is also a key factor into the massive enjoyment I’ve taken from this disc, whether…
The type of music that has been present on the Fast and Furious franchise’s soundtracks has been the perfect blend of genres, tempos, and sounds. The blazing speed of each of the films is presented quite well with their soundtracks, and the Fast Five Soundtrack does not disappoint. The disc’s first track, “How We Roll” by Busta Rhymes, will immediately kick listeners in the ass and keep them focused in…
I must admit, I was not too terribly familiar with New Zealand recording artist Annabel Alpers before receiving eir Bachelorette disc a few weeks back. From the disc’s opening salvo “Grow Old With Me”, Alpers makes me want to search out the rest of eir music. There just seems to be an unique flair to this disc that distinguishes it from other similar sorts of releases. The tracks themselves have…
I have little doubt in my mind that Cars 2 is going to be the biggest childrens’ movie of the summer. Regardless of what is present in the movie and what tracks are used, the flick is going to go gangbusters. However, Disney has created a soundtrack that further revs up the film, and will be some part of the reason why the film will do so well. The score…
Chicago’s Material Issue is one of the best power pop bands to come out of the 90’s and there were a slew of decent bands from that genre in the 90s. International Pop Overthrow, the band’s first major label (and finest )release is finally getting the anniversary treatment, complete with a slew (eight to be exact) of bonus tracks including a live version of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” and…
I always thought that the CDs that were put out by Starbucks’ Hear Music were just normal retail versions of CDs, and in the odd case that they created an album, that it would be a greatest hits album that was reordered. However, they have done a tremendous service to fans with the release of two two-CD sets in their re-release of Paul McCartney’s 1970 and 1980 solo albums. The…
City Center has just released their first full-length album on K Records in “Redeemer”, and there seems to be a certain spring in the band’s step that is noticeable on the disc’s introductory track, “Puppers”. The band works towards the creation of an album rather than the furtherance of a few key singles. This means that there are considerable nods towards other efforts on the same album during cuts like…
When a band member goes solo, there is typically some semblance of their original act present in the solo album. Brian Olive just spent a few years in The Greenhornes and Soledad Brothers, and the music that issues forth on “Two of Everything” is considerably different from either of those acts. In fact, there is a marked departure from any of Olive’s previous bands in the opening strains of “Left…
If Queen were to make their debut now, instead of 1973 when they released their eponymous debut, it’s very likely they’d be considered a novelty band, and I’m not even talking about Freddy Mercury’s skin tight cat suits or Brian May’s getting closer to God afro as reasons why. The songs alone, which have proven not only to be fantastic examples of what can be accomplished with hard driving drums…
Iron Maiden has been one of my favorite metal bands for a long time now. The first concert that I ever attended was an Iron Maiden show, and a great number of the tracks contained on “From Fear to Eternity” are their strongest cuts. This 23 track greatest hits compilation could easy have another two or three discs added without any decrease in quality, but Universal has done a tremendous…
“Lucky You” is an interesting pop track that ties together a current and contemporary sound with the synth-pop of the eighties along with the female singers of the mid-sixties. By bringing back these disparate styles and bundling them up with a bold new approach, what results in the Theory of Tides EP is nothing less than revolutionary. “Stay Away” is my favorite track on this album, as it provides an…
“Connected” is the introduction that many listeners will have to Richard Anthony; the catchy pop that opens up the disc provides a perfect backdrop that Anthony can then build off of. “Even If” continues many of the trends that are initially present during “Connected”, placing Anthony’s vocals at the forefront of the track. The guitar work and drums present during this track provide additional levels of complexity; “Even If” is…
The type of rock that Revel 9 immediately hit their listeners with has the immediate catchiness to be present on rock radio, while the overall sound of Revel 9 touches upon a number of different rock styles. Particularly noticeable during “San Jose” has to be the guitar work, which lifts the track to an entirely new plateau. The band marries together a much grittier feel with a punk style that…
If By Yes breaks conventions. The music that is contained on “Salt on Sea Glass” bounces around considerably, from indie rock to twee to jazz, avant-garde, and a whole host of other different approaches. This is not too surprising, giving the pedigree that the quartet possess. With stints in That Dog and Cibo Matto, If By Yes are mature and have the energy to create an album that is wholly…
Fans of Broadway may know O’Hara’s work in the oughts, with stints taken in Jekyll & Hyde, Dracula The Musical, and South Pacific. “Always” is only O’Hara’s second album, the first after eir 2008 debut, “Wonder in the World”. “Always” starts off with “What More Do I Need?”, a track that showcases the warmth and love that O’Hara brings to each of the disc’s compositions. After this “how do you…
The Live At Birdland release captures two days worth of performances by a group consisting of Konitz (alto saxophone), Mehldau (piano), Haden (double-bass) and Motian (drums). It is an important album as it shows the ease in which a talented group can move between a studio and a live setting, with each of the tracks here easily working in either context.
Few bands are able to come up with a coherent and mature sound with their second album. King’s Highway has been able to do just that with their “The Line”. While the style of music that they create here is rich in tradition and draws deeply on Southern rock tradition, there is a very unique sound that is furthered with each of the album’s tracks.
It has been a few years since the last time that we covered a Dustin O’Halloran title, but ey does a great job in reminding listeners where ey has been at the beginning of “Lumiere”. The disc’s first track, “A Great Divide”, corresponds to the distance that ey has placed between efforts like “Piano Solos Vol. 2”, as well as providing listeners with hints to what will follow over the…
It has been a few years since the last time we have covered a Goldenboy record. We were big fans of the band for their “Underneath the Radio”, but the sheer amount of time that has passed between the releases of this title and today means that what issues forth on “Different Moon” is considerably different from anything that we have covered in the past. In fact, the only thing…
There are few bands currently creating music that are able to imbue their own unique sound with the atmospheric feel of where they live. Other Lives do that with “Tamer Animals”, their latest release on TBD records. “As I Lay My Head Down” creates tremendous soundscapes full of open spaces and lonely feelings. The title speaks not only to sleep but to tremendous emotion, a thread that is continued throughout…