While the music you would expect me to obsess over wouldn’t usually include a pop ballad, I will state this with pride. I have been following David Archuleta from the moment he sang his first note on American Idol: Season 7. His humble nature, and amazing story about how he goes from the possibility of never singing again to his incredible talent absolutely won me over. His first single with…
Rise Against opens their new single, “Re-Education (Through Labor)†with a hard-hitting intro we have come to expect from the group. It features some exceptionally clean pauses that add depth. The first chorus breaks in with gritty, raw vocals that are not over-powered by the powerful guitars that squeal on in the backdrop. The time change in the chorus adds a dimension to the song that will appear to a…
If Janis Joplin and Regina Spektor were combined and made to sing over eerie folk tunes, we would have ourselves Ane Brun. Being that I love both aforementioned acts, I definitely appreciate “The Treehouse Songâ€. While the lyrics are young and fun at times, the minor chords bring a darkness to the table that leave a ton of room to think to. It is good to see that folk music…
As someone who has kept up with the band since the days of “Swing Swingâ€, the intro to this song leaves me shocked that I am hearing The All-American Rejects. The opening and bouncy beat definitely channel Smash Mouth, when upon further research I discovered this song was produced by Eric Valentine, who also produced some Smash Mouth singles.
With simple rhymes, an ever thickening melody, and the occasional whoa, Snow Patrol is at first unrecognizable until past the first verse of their Geffen released single “Take Back The Cityâ€. The chorus explodes into subtle harmonies and a calming vocal display backed by a thick but not overbearing up-tempo beat. The second time through the track, I felt like I was appreciating the vocals in the verses and the…
While the original engagement of Little Fish only ran for a little over three weeks (February 15th to March 9th, 2003), the impact that Michael John LaChiusa’s music had on all lucky enough to familiarize themselves with it cannot be understated. This was first seen in the musical’s second life, where it enjoyed over a month of performances in 2007 at The Blank Theatre (Los Angeles). The musical’s cast recording,…
“Father Time†is Ketchum’s tenth studio album, and it represents a perfect example as to where Ketchum currently is in eir musical development, and what really is left for eir to conquer with the next ten or so albums. The first track on “Father Timeâ€, “Invisible†is a perfect introduction to 2008’s Ketchum, no matter if the individual listening in is familiar with Ketchum’s previous recording. “Invisible†skillfully blends trends…
Fourplay just released their “Energyâ€, their 11th album overall. While some individuals may not be familiar with their work after 1991’s “Fourplayâ€, which sold over a million copies and charted on the contemporary jazz charts for about two-thirds of a year, the energy that Fourplay brings to “Energy†should draw a wide array of fans, both new and old. The disc itself begins with “Fortune Tellerâ€, a track that really…
Mamma Mia! was one of the biggest hits of the summer movie season, and as of right now, the box it brought in far surpassed any other musical released. It is not surprising that Decca chose to release a soundtrack of the film, then. All of listeners’ favorite ABBA tracks are here, be they “The Winner Takes It Allâ€, “The Name of the Gameâ€, “Super Trouperâ€, or even “Dancing Queenâ€.…
Kenny Lattimore is an individual that, while not gaining the same commercial success of some of eir colleagues, has cultivated a rapid fan base over the last twenty years. “Timeless†is the disc that is poised to bring Lattimore’s soul-filled stylings into the mainstream, something that is first provided to listeners during the disc’s introductory track, “Somethingâ€. Of course, tracks like “And I Love Her†(The Beatles), “Ain’t No Way 
Oxford Collapse has been around for 6 years, and each subsequent release has built well their mystique, leading forth from their self-titled demo up through their debut (2004’s “Some Wildernessâ€), to their Sub Pop debut (2006’s â€Remember The Night Partiesâ€). “Electric Arcâ€, the disc’s first track, immediately shows fans familiar with the band this evolution, leading forth strongly into “The Birthday Warsâ€. “The Birthday Wars†has a very complex sounds…
Pretty much, the only familiarity that listeners on this side of the Atlantic would have had with Alabama 3 up to this point would have been through the use of “Woke Up This Morning†as the theme from The Sopranos. Luckily, One Little Indian has released a “greatest hits†for Alabama 3 in “Hits & Exit Woundsâ€. This disc gives listeners a quick rundown of those tracks deemed best by…
Billy Joel’s 1977 album, “The Strangerâ€, has a number of hits that fans of Joel’s would declare as some of Joel’s defining tracks. This means that “Just The Way You Areâ€, “She’s Always A Womanâ€, and “Movin’ Out†all reached the top 20, while “Only The Good Die Young†hit #24. A slight bit over thirty years have passed, and Sony Legacy have recreated some of the original magic that…
B.B. King just celebrated eir 83rd birthday on September 16th, and did it in a way that showcases that ey still has it, playing at both Bonnaroo and the South Shore Music Circus in the months leading up to the release of this album. The twelve tracks on the album show a number of King’s favorite tracks, be they Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “See That My Grave Is Kept Cleanâ€, John…
After what can only be called an homage to Bright Eyes’ “Liftedâ€, The End of the World come forth with a rounded out bit of indie rock that has all the swirling guitars and earthy sounds that a Sunny Day Real Estate or a Sebadoh were known. The emotive vocals skew more towards early nineties Goo Goo Dolls than Omaha, but the act thrives on this style. The emotional intensity…
Bigelf has broken big to the point that Linda Perry (formerly of 4 Non Blondes) has allowed them to be a focal point of eir Custard Records. Bigelf has been a major force in the United States prog-rock genre for well over a decade, and the added notoriety given “Cheat The Gallows†by this bump up in labels will undoubtedly bring many more fans to Bigelf’s side. The disc itself…
The opening track on “The First Fiveâ€, “Hey Love†is a muted track that still is pretty intense when one actually sits down and listens to it. Something that really delineates Abraham’s vocals from the rest of pop-singers is eir attention to the arrangements present in the track. What really holds back a number of singers is the fact that they just lay their vocal track like a dead body…
Abandoned Pools start out their “Armed To The Teeth†with Tommy’s vocals acquiring a Placebo-like sound, a style which is only intensified when the instrumentation washes over listeners like a wave. The first track is euphonic, but does not have the same radio-friendly style that really allowed the band to sell over 100,000 copies of their last album. Perhaps what really endears listeners to Abandoned Pools are the tremendous shifts…
While the opening to “gAame†starts off in a fairly dissonant way (with the opening track “Deathmaskâ€), some tinny sounding percussion (maybe a triangle) provides the first real harmony for the disc. The band gets more into a cohesive mood with “Best of Sevenâ€, using this same sound to fuel the fires of this track. There are vocals that figure in in a way eighties-gothic type of way (45 Grave,…
Overall Rosematter is a young and fun pop punk band that shows promise once they get some more recording under their belt. The quality of their work is pretty high caliber. Very good recording, nice little techniques are used throughout that can be expected of bands on their fifth album. Though it seems obvious at the surface to compare them to Paramore due to youth and the rarely used complete…