Vinehouse – Young Regret / 2008 Self / 12 Tracks / http://www.vinehousemusic.com / This three-piece starts out their “Young Regret” with “Killer on the Road”, a track that skillfully blends together a doo-wop sound with a contemporary approach to rock. The vocals are the pinnacle on what is already a solid step forward; where the vocals provide listeners with a hooky set of melodies, they also are more intricate than…
The Game had a hell of a 2007, dropping virtually off of the face of the earth after “Doctor’s Advocate†dropped. While “It’s Okay†and “Let’s Ride†both made it into the top 20 of the Billboard rap charts, neither track got far into the top 50 of the U.S. Hot 100. It took a track – “Wouldn’t Get Far†– with Kanye West – for The Game’s fortunes to…
“Don’t Sleep†is the first track on this self-titled EP, and it immediately assaults individuals with a funky set of instrumentation that flows smoothly into rap. Perhaps the most interesting part of this EP is that there are no samples of any kind, a fact that is made all the more amazing considering the amount of acts and bands that build their success off of singles. Where the hook no…
Zen Green Tea Liqueur (20%, Imported by Suntory International, Distributed by Skyy) Zen Green Tea Liqueur is an even better of the concoction that I made back in my fraternity days, when I mixed Iced Tea with cheap whiskey. However, there are some key differences between Zen Green Tea Liqueur and that Frankenstein’s creation, in that it literally tastes like Green Tea, while still having a decent enough alcoholic content…
Toby Keith – 35 Biggest Hits / 2008 Universal / 35 Tracks / http://www.tobykeith.com / http://www.ilovethatsong.com / As one may be able to glean from the title of this collection, “35 Biggest Hits†marks country’s own Toby Keith’s biggest contributions to the field of country music, be it past, present, or current. This means that there is 1993’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboyâ€, 2002’s “Courtesty of the Red, White, and…
Good Riddance – Remain in Memory – The Final Show / 2008 Fat Wreck / 31 Tracks / http://www.fatwreck.com / I had no idea that Good Riddance had been around since 1990. Of course, their stint on Fat Wreck began with 1994’s “Decoy†and “Remain in Memory†marks their last album (2006’s “My Republic†was their last studio album). “Remain in Memory†is a live recording of Good Riddance’s…
OST: The Strangers / 2008 Lakeshore / 19 Tracks / http://www.thestrangers.net / http://www.lakeshore-records.com / There have been commercials for The Strangers practically on every station, at every time, of the day. The film itself is about events that occurred in 1981, where a couple were attacked and psychologically tortured by three individuals in their home. It is thus important to find a composer for the movie’s score that will accurately…
Taylor Eigsti – Let It Come To You / 2008 Concord / 11 Tracks / http://www.tayjazz.com / http://www.concordmusicgroup.com / “Let It Come To You†is the second release for Concord that Taylor Eigsti has created. For those individuals that are not too terribly familiar with Eigsti, ey is an American jazz pianist who has been linked to the post-bop style, including a very eclectic set of influences that touch about…
Midnight Oil – Diesel and Dust Deluxe Edition / 2008 Sony / 25 Tracks / http://www.midnightoil.com / http://www.sonybmg.com / I remember back in the mid to late nineties, when I heard “Beds are Burning†for the first time. It was not a good time for a kid to like Midnight Oil, as virtually none of the people I went to school with had any clue who the hell the band…
Make A Rising – Infinite Ellipse and Head with Open Fontanel  / 2008 High Two / 10 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/makearising / Make A Rising is an odd band. A track like “All One or None†is a track that has little more to it than a plinking piano and a falsetto vocal that imbues the track with a decidedly fifties flair. While the instrumentation does not have any easy referent,…
Festival – Come, Arrow, Come! / 2008 Language of Stone / 10 Tracks / http://www.funwithfestival.com / “Come, Arrow, Come†could easily be an album from the late fifties or early sixties. This is because the opening track, “Fair and Trueâ€, has a cultish/religious sound to it that will remind individuals of a mix of the New Christy Minstrels and the folk music that would come a few short years after…
Gigantour 2 / 2008 Image Entertainment / 14 Tracks / http://www.image-entertainment.com / The second iteration of Gigantour took place in the summer of 2006, and featured 8 intense metal bands. These bands were further split into a main stage (Arch Enemy, Lamb of God, Megadeth, and Opeth) and a second stage (Into Eternity, Overkill, Sanctity, and The SmashUp). Imasge has gotten the rights to a number of the tracks that…
Duffy – Rockferry / 2008 Mercury / 10 Tracks / http://www.iamduffy.com / http://www.mercuryrecords.com / Individuals may know who Duffy is through eir support of The Magic Numbers, or through eir performances on Jools Holland’s Later. This is the debut album by Duffy, and it showcases a very timeless type of psychedelic-based female singing in the vein of a Dusty Springfield or a Grace Slick. The title track starts off “Rockferryâ€,…
OST: Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay / 2008 Lakeshore / 16 Tracks / http://www.haroldandkumar.com / George S. Clinton is the mastermind behind the score for “Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bayâ€, and individuals may be familiar with eir work from films such as Cheech and Chong’s Still Smokin’, the Austin Powers series, and the first two Mortal Kombat movies. Despite the fact that Harold & Kumar 2…
Joshua James – The Sun Is Always Brighter / 2008 Music Allies / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/joshuajamesmusic / Joshua James is an interesting case. This is due to the fact that “The Sun Is Always Brighter†was intended to be a digital only release. However, the resulting amount of sales on iTunes ensured that there needed to be a physical copy of the album released, and that is why Music…
SiX – Between the Warning and the War / 2007 1605 / 13 Tracks / http://www.sixmusic.com / SiX has been around for quite a few years. In fact, they have been around since 2001. The band has not released an album since 2004, so one can guess that they have a few tracks to stick on this, their latest album. “The Day I Died†is the first track on the…
Crash Romeo – Gave Me The Clap / 2008 Trustkill / 11 Tracks / http://www.crashromeo.com / “Victim Liar†is a damn good song. The band is able to draw elements of Yellowcard, Blink 182, and even throw in a little bit of The Dangerous Summer and Amber Pacific to make a full sound. The pop-punk / rock./ emo blend that Crash Romeo put out on “Gave Me The Clap†has…
The Old Haunts – Poisonous Times / 2008 Kill Rock Stars / 12 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/theoldhaunts / It has been a few years since The Old Haunts came out with their last album, “Fallow Fieldâ€, and only a year less since they came out with “Fuel on Fireâ€. “Volatile†is one of the stand out track s on the disc, as it is able to really capture an contemporary indie…
Dream Theater – Greatest Hit / 2008 Rhino / 22 Tracks / http://www.dreamtheater.net / http://wwwrhino.com / Through the last twenty three years, Dream Theater has been around, creating their own distinctive brand of progressive rock / metal. While individuals in that scene have been able to see what they are doing pretty clearly, large scale success has eluded them. Sure, the band has broken onto the higher reaches of the…
Ex Reverie – The Door Into Summer / 2008 Language of Stone / 9 Tracks / http://www.exreverie.com / Gillian Chadwick is one of the key forces behind Ex Reverie. Chadwick was originally in Woodwose, and makes strides here to craft a fully unique sound. This means that tracks like “Clouds or Smoke†have a dissonant sound present, even as the different elements of the band create a harmony that weaves…