Throughout the years since they formed (around 9, if people were checking), Black Lips have continued to refine the sound that was first heard on their 2003 self-titled debut. “200 Million Thousand†is their follow-up release to their 2007 Vice debut, “Good Bad Not Evilâ€, and immediately gives listeners a fresh slate which to appreciate the band’s music. “Take My Heart†is a bit of retro, taking together the psychedelic,…
The Number Twelve Looks Like You is one of the few bands that have continually evolved and added to their sound over the course of their career. “Worse Than Alone†marks their fourth album and first since 2007’s “Mongrelâ€. The disc itself starts out with “Glory Kingdomâ€, and immediately hits listeners with a more fluid dynamic, manifested through increasingly intense and intricate time signatures. The fury in which they craft…
While I would normally write two distinct reviews for the new Leonard Cohen release, I find that the full experience of Cohen’s performance is essential to understand the context behind each and every inclusion on each of these two releases. Each song performed by Cohen during this 2008 concert at the O2 Arena should further solidify eir place among the pantheon of the best performers of all time: the recording…
I had no idea that Black Label Society had been rocking for a decade, but “Skullageâ€, their greatest hits DVD/CD collection (to be released on Tuesday) is evidence providing that point specifically. The CD itself is a blend of the band’s best known hits and rarities, while the DVD is a collage of different material from all periods of the band’s length history. The CD ends with a qyuartet of…
Remember when everyone said the screamo genre was dead? That ridiculous throat shredding bellow volleying back and forth with the second front man providing more traditional vocals? Yeah, well someone forgot to send a note to the guys in Silberstein. Like Limp Bizkit trying to milk the nu-metal cow when it was clearly out of milk, Silverstein’s latest effort sounds dated and very much like a retread, which is kind…
If Billy Bragg, God forbid, decided to finally put his guitar back in his case and call it a day, rest assured Damion Suomi would be ready to pick up the slack. Playing the role of folksy, rock-tinged singer songwriter, Florida-based Suomi has turned in a fantastic debut. Comprised of just 10 songs, there is little filler on the self-titled record and plenty to leave the listener wanting more. Songs…
It makes sense that Sony would re-release what Beth Orton feels is eir “true†solo album. The disc itself includes a great deal above and beyond what has been present on previous releases of the album, with a second disc adding most of the additional material. Of course, the liner notes are an added expansion to the original, but the second CD is where the gold truly is. This means…
When Pearl Jam came out with Ten, their debut in 1992, it was obvious from the first couple of songs that the record was much more than just a musical footnote for the band and the grunge movement, but a classic album destined to be passed on to the next generation. Rolled out just as the media was starting to pick up on the Seattle sound and exploit it to…
With “Tough Loveâ€, Gala is poised to make her presence felt in 2009. Despite having a number of hits on the world stage in the past, the tracks on “Tough Love†may just be the most memorable of her career. “Tough Love†begins strongly, a track in “Tough Love†that immediately re-establishes Gala as the queen of her own domain. The title effort from “Tough Love†shows a blending of…
Maybe some year I will get caught up with the Steve Lieberman discography, but as of this review I’m still a disc behind. The best thing that is present on the CD from a cursory glance would have to be the description of Lieberman’s moods during the different part of the CDs; with this mentioned, I can start to tune in a little more specifically about what specifically I like…
“Can’t Help But Shine†is the first single for Foster McGinty off his new album “Peach Redâ€, and it is a hell of a single. For those that have not had the chance to listen to McGinty in the past, the style of “Peach Red†blends together seventies rock, funk, and soul into something that draws on an earlier tradition but is decidedly rooted in the present. “Can’t Help But…
The majesty in which La Forza begins their “Dance Music For Your Mind†is simply staggering. The disc’s first track, “Vision Questâ€, mixes ambient forms of electronic music with classical and even tribal to create something that will stick with listeners long after the track ends. “Renewal†is very laid back, allowing listeners to properly take in all La Forza has for them; hints of eighties electronic comes forth even…
“Everybody Doin’ It†is a perfect introduction to The Echelons. The female vocals present on the track are very distinctive, and play on a rich tradition that goes all the way from Pat Benetar to the X-Ray Specs, with a few detours (Stevie Nicks) thrown in along the way. The instrumentation that plays behind the vocals works perfectly, adding a funk meets punk groove that is unique as all get…
“Weight†is a bit of country music that plays on a number of different movements in that genre. What results is a track that has a little bit of Reba McEntire, pieces of Shania Twain, and even a little Stevie Nicks at the periphery. “Bonny Call†removes some of the country that was present in this introduction and brings Matson’s unique style to a wider array of listeners. Throwing in…
The tight arrangement of Schleusolz comes out the moment that listeners put in “Running Out of Timeâ€. “They are here!†is a track that blends together rock, ska, and new wave into something that will have everyone out on the dance floor. The slower approach of “Who are you?†draws heavily on the blues tradition, but has a contemporary sound that will resonate in the minds and hearts of anyone…
“Lie Awake†is a distinctive track, one that will indelibly imprint the Straw Dogs on the minds of anyone fortunate enough to listen in. The natural progression that is present throughout “Lie Awake†allows listeners to gradually get their feet wet with the band, as well as establish the band as operating within the alternative and college rock genres. Unlike other bands in this genre, there is a richness of…
“He Who Has Ears Let Him Hear†is an intensely emotional track that has the same gravitas of a Muse or Queens of the Stone Age, but has a diversity of layers that would make bands as storied as U2 proud. Sipo’s first effort on “Year Of The White Rose†will keep listeners focused in on the rest of his compositions on the album, regardless of what genres that they…
Jazz as a genre seems to have fallen into a rut over the last twenty years; where the genre was really popping with the more experimental work of a Chick Corea or a Weather Report, it gradually cooled down during the eighties and nineties. SamPa’s unique blend of musical styles, which includes jazz, blues, salsa, and even rock at the periphery, is the thing that jazz needs to really let…
There is so little in the way of feel good music out today, and it really takes someone like Frank Jurgens to inject a little bit of sunshine to what is a pretty bleak era of music. “Date Night, the Game†is a track that ties together a wide swath of music, playing on the works of individuals like Jimmy Buffett, Tom Petty, and even Warren Zevon. The chorus hits…
Six records into his career, Eric Elbogen (aka Say Hi) has just turned in his best album in an already respectably solid cannon. Oohs & Aahs is insanely catchy, from start to finish. Up until a couple of years ago, the band once known as Say Hi to Your Mom, used a home PC to record their lo-fi, indie pop albums.