Category: Music Reviews

Posted on: November 13, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Paul Oakenfold – Greatest Hits & Remixes

Paul Oakenfold – Greatest Hits & Remixes / 2007 Ultra / 20 Tracks / http://www.pauloakenfold.com / http://www.ultrarecords.com / When it comes to electronic and dance music, Paul Oakenfold is right up there (if not exceeding) individuals like the Pet Shop Boys and The Chemical Brothers. This album marks an interesting premise for a “greatest hits” compilation. Rather than just having the songs originally penned by Oakenfold (“Starry Eyed Surprise”, “Ready…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 13, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Innerpartysystem – The Download EP

Innerpartysystem – The Download EP/ 2007 Stolen Transmission / 6 Tracks / http://www.innerpartysystem.com / http://www.stolentramsission.com / Innerpartysystem starts out this EP with a blend of electronic sounds and styles that blend together techno with more ambient bands. Cobine this blend of styles with an angular approach to rock a la Franz Ferdinand or even the Offspring and individuals have the general sound of Innerpartysystem during “Don’t Stop”. This first track…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 12, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Boy/girl – Secret Secret Secret Singles

Boy/girl – Secret Secret Secret Singles / 2007 307 Knox / 5 Tracks / http://www.307knoxrecords.com / The disc starts off with “Alcohol and certain medications”, a track that blends together more tribal, middle eastern style of music with different untraceable quotations (besides the fact that they are political in some sense). This intro works well with the rest of the EP, which turns “Secret Secret Secret Singles” into an eleven…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 11, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Sona – Man In The Mirror

Sona – Man In The Mirror / 2007 Imperial / 4 Tracks / http://www.imperial-recordz.com / I had no idea who Sona was before “Man In The Mirror”, but a very nineties sound starts off “Dreams”, the first of a double single captured on this CD. “Dream” shows that Sona has a Tupac like style, while the instrumentation captured as the backing beat for this track really continues this comparison. The…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 10, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

The Narrows – Benjamin

The Narrows – Benjamin / 2007 Wantage / 4 Tracks / http://www.wantageusa.com / The Narrows start off their “Benjamin” with a heavy bit of drudge and sludge, in “The Sasquatch”. “The Sasquatch” has much more of a pop style to it than would be present on a The End Records or Hydra Head Records band, and at points, I can hear a little bit of Audioslave present in the band’s…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 10, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Landon – Defying The Stereotype

Landon – Defying The Stereotype / 2006 Self / 8 Tracks / http://www.landonband.com / “Only 20” is a track that is interesting to me. The Spartan, heavily electronic style of the instrumental segment of the track is good enough, but the vocals only reach their stride when Landon moves from the spoken style of vocals to something much more singing-heavy. “Only 20” has catchy bits, but is not solid enough…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 9, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Girl In A Coma – Both Before I’m Gone

Girl In A Coma – Both Before I’m Gone / 2007 Blackheart / 13 Tracks / http://www.girlinacoma.com / http://www.blackinacoma.com / I’m not sure if Girl in a Coma has changed the title of the Smiths classic for their own profit, but “Both Before I’m Gone” shows a band that is trying their hardest to create their own sound. Obviously, they have some pretty powerful supporters – no less than Joan…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 8, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Blake Lewis – Break Anotha

Blake Lewis – Break Anotha / 2007 Sony / 1 Track / http://www.myspace.com/blakelewis / Anyone that knows me knows that I pretty much loathe American Idol. Sure, there have been one or two idol stars I could stand after the show (Clarkson and Aiken, primarily), but the vast majority of post-Idol albums have been drek. Blake Lewis, with eir single “Break Anotha”, is trying to change that. What Lewis trying…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 8, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Athlete – Beyond The Neighbourhood

Athlete – Beyond The Neighbourhood / 2007 Astralwerks / 11 Tracks / http://www.athlete.mu / Athlete is perhaps the biggest band that no one has heard of in the United States. Their last album, “Tourist”, went double platinum, and “Beyond The Neighbourhood” is poised to do the same thing. From the opening strains of “In Between 2 State”, Athlete shows that they understand how to get individuals involved with their music.

READ MORE
Posted on: November 7, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Countime – Broken Blinded Betrayed

Countime – Broken Blinded Betrayed / 2006 No Joke / 7 Tracks / http://www.nojokereordsla / “From The Heavens Above” is the first track on “Broken Blinded Betrayed” and it shows Countime as an act that loves their classic, “tough guy” hardcore. The band produces fast, heavy, and intense hardcore music that has more than its fair share of metal influence. Note that during “From the Heavens Above” that Countime do…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 7, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

The Good Night Fight – Serpentine

The Good Night Fight – Serpentine / 2007 Brave New Records / 5 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/thegoodnightfight / http://www.bravenewworldrecords.com / The Good Night Fight start off their “Serpentine” EPO with a track in “Conqueror Worm” that is nothing out of the ordinary. What the band does during this track is throw in screaming, metal-like vocals with a set of instruments that would work well in a Fu Manchu or a CKY…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 5, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

First To Leave – Forging A Future

First To Leave – Forging A Future / 2007 Wednesday Records / 12 Tracks / http://www.firsttoleave.org / http://www.wednesdayrecords.com / Man, I had no idea that First To Leave was going to sound like how they end up sounding at the beginning of “Forging A Future”. The cover of this album is very nondescript when it comes to giving clues about the band, so needless I was shocked when I heard…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 5, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Silence Is Safety – S/T

Silence Is Safety – S/T / 2007 Teeno / 7 Tracks / http://www.teenorecords.com / Silence Is Safety plays a style of rock that has not been heard on the radio for about ten years. There are hints of the Goo Goo Dolls as well as with the Spin Doctors, but the energy present during this track is high enough that individuals can get behind this female-lead band. “He Doesn’t Know”…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 4, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Middle Distance Runner – S/T

Middle Distance Runner – S/T / 2007 Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.middledistancerunner.com/ “The Sun and Earth” is the first track on this EP, and it starts out in a sedate way. However, the tempo is something that slowly builds up to give individuals something to get amped up with. The neat composition allow the vocals to take a focal part of the band’s sound, and while the act is…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 4, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Chris Botti – Italia

Chris Botti – Italia / 2007 Sony / 12 Tracks / http://www.chrisbotti.com / http://www.sony.com / Ah , Chris Botti. Before I received a copy of “Italia”, I had no clue who you were. For those individuals that want a short backdrop, Botti is a trumpeter that has released nine solo albums over the course of twelve years. Much of Botti’s work can be broadly categorized as “smooth jazz”, but there…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 3, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

OST: Heartbreak Kid

OST: Heartbreak Kid / 2007 Plan R / 14 Tracks / http://www.heartbreakkidmovie.com / For those that do not know, The Heartbreak Kid is the latest movie from the Farrelly Brothers (who are known for such “classics” as There’s Something About Mary, Me, Myself and Irene, and Dumb and Dumber). Despite the fact that these aren’t even their “bad” movies (that honor goes to Shallow Hal and Fever Pitch), the brothers…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 3, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

John Fogerty – Revival

John Fogerty – Revival / 2007 Fantasy / 12 Tracks / http://www.johnfogerty.com / I was never that big of a fan of Credence Clearwater Revival, but both my mother and my significant other are huge fans.  What Fogerty did back in the seventies was simply not my thing, but the revival of the style, infused with a few other elements, is something much more near and dear to me. Fogerty…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 2, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Otep – The Ascension

Otep – The Ascension / 2007 Koch / 12 Tracks / http://www.otep.com / “Eet The Children” is the first track on “The Ascension”, and while the band comes forth with some hard music and tight arrangements, all I hear from Otep here is a revision of the Coal Chamber, Clutch, and other “hard rock” band sound made famous in the mid nineties. “Eet The Children” may have a lot of…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 2, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Rahim – The Same

Rahim – The Same / 2007 Dimension Arts / 2 Tracks / http://www.rahimrahim.org / I thought that Rahim would be a rap artist that used samples from Do The Right Thing. I was wrong. The first track on this single is “The Same”, and it shows Rahim as an act that is well versed in the instrumental style of the trippy, psychedelic (and Persian-influenced rock ) style of the late…

READ MORE
Posted on: November 1, 2007 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Elizabeth: The Golden Age / 2007 Decca / 20 Tracks / http://www.elizabeththegoldenage.net / Elizabeth: The Golden Age uses an interesting back and forth style between two very established composers (Craig Armstrong and A.R. Rahman) that works despite the two different styles and experiences invoked by each composer. For those individuals that do not know, Armstrong was behind the scores for Romeo + Juliet, The Bone Collector, Cruel Intentions, Moulin! Rouge,…

READ MORE