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…
“Telescope” was a tremendous effort by Steve Dawson, and is an album that still finds its way into my CD player every month or so. I was surprised to learn that ey came out with a new album, “Nightshade”, that looks to top even the lofty example of the aforementioned title. The album begins with “Torn and Frayed”, which creates over the course of four minutes a Cliff’s Notes to…
I believe that Ralph Peterson is one of the world’s most slept-on drummers. Sure, there were a few years that ey attempted to break it big (with the Harrison-Blanchard Group and OTB), but I feel that eir path to the top has to have Peterson’s unique style in front and center. “Outer Reaches”, the latest album by Peterson and eir Unity Project, is a title that looks to do just…
2011 has been a pretty dead year for music. We’ve went through the releases of countless artists in a variety of genres, from Christian to punk to metal and even classical, and very few acts really seem to shine. I contend that Jake Allen’s Etherica is one of a small number of titles that ultimately deserve repeated listens. Allen’s work, beginning with the disc’s first track “Ascension”, is of the…
Eyedea (the late Michael Larsen) was one of the first celebrities that I met. Back in the early 2000s, he (along with Brother Ali and Musab) freestyled for a crowd that was not informed that they were too young to attend their concert next year. He absolutely laid down some sick freestyles over RJD2 instrumentals, and we gave him some NeuFutur love. However, we were able to get a hold…
All Time Low is a band that has paid their dues. They have been touring endlessly since their formation in 2003, and I believe that they have evolved considerably since the last time we covered them (2006’s Put Up or Shut Up). The deluxe edition of Dirty Work contains three extra tracks, adding further context to what may just be their best album yet. “Do You Want Me (Dead?)” is…