Sasha & Shawna – Siren / 2007 Blue Note / 12 Tracks / http://www.sashaandshawna.com / http://www.manhattanrecords.com / I feel so un-educated when I get an album like “Sirenâ€. For example, I was not familiar with Sasha Lazard, Shawna Stone, or Grammy-award winning producer Peter Asher. This album is a blend of classic opera tracks along with the duo’s reinterpretation of popular songs. These songs include Radiohead’s “Fade Outâ€, which opens…
Rachel Margaret – Buena Vista Park / 2007 Self / 4 Tracks http://www.myspace.com/rachelmargaretmusic / “Landfill” is one of the focal points on “Buena Vista Park”, and while the instrumentation is softly-stated and meanders around the vocals, Margaret here comes correct and creates a brand of modern pop-rock that is just as honest and impressive as anything released by Fiona Apple or others of her ilk. “Someday Soon” is a slightly…
The Christine Spero Group – My Spanish Dream / 2007 Self / 9 Tracks / http://cdbaby.com/cd/christinespero2 / One of the first things that is heard at the beginning of “My Spanish Dream” has to be the entirety of The Christine Spero Group weaving their instruments together to come up with a coherent and cohesive sound. Hints of Latin arrangements and jazz spontaneity immediately confront listeners during the disc’s first track,…
Paris Luna – City Lights / 2007 Self / 11 Tracks / http://www.parisluna.com / Paris Luna start out their “City Lights†in a way that reminds me of Sixpence None the Richer. The first track on “City Lights†is “Having a Hard Timeâ€. “Having a Hard Time†is a rock track in the same vein as a Kelly Clarkson; the bass and drums make for an easy listening track, one…
Street Dogs – Fading American Dream / 2006 Brass Tacks / 13 Tracks / http://www.street-dogs.com / http://www.drt-entertainment.com / Street Dogs’ first album was fucking amazing. Simple as that. Their second album was still decent, but it had less of the fury and fun style that “Savin Hill†had. Street Dogs are back with their third album, “Fading American Dreamâ€, and it might just be the best of the three. The…
Albert Hammond, Jr – Yours To Keep / 2007 New Lie / 10 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/alberthammonjr / http://www.newlinerecords.com / Albert Hammond does not sound like much of a rocker. However, for those individuals that do not know, ey was one of the integral parts to the seminal band The Strokes. The opening track on “Yours To Keep†is “Cartoon Music For Superheroesâ€, and it does not sound like the hard,…
Bad Religion – New Maps of Hell / 2007 Epitaph / 16 Tracks / http://www.badreligion.com / http://www.epitaph.com / Anyone that actually knows me knows that Bad Religion is one of my favorite bands of all time. I thought that they had a trying time in the Atlantic days, but that they came back to true form with “The Process of Belief†and “The Empire Strikes Firstâ€. With Joe Barresi at…
Cashis – The County Hound EP / 2007 Shady / 8 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/cashisoc / http://www.shadyrecords.com / Cashis is the latest project put forth by Eminem and eir Shady Records. Eminem’s touch has not been the strongest with the last few releases on the label, with Obie Trice being the most notable failure up to that point. “That Nigga A Gangster†is the first full track on the disc, and…
OST: 300 / 2007 WB / 25 Tracks / http://www.300themovie.warnerbros.com / Pretty much everyone has seen 300 at this point. It is the story of the valiant Spartan army against the evil Persians; what individuals may not be immediately familiar with is the work of Tyler Bates. Bates, who composed the score to this movie, is best known for creating the soundtrack to movies like Dawn of the Dead and…
Videohippos – Unbeast The Leash / 2007 Monitor / 12 Tracks / http://www.videohippos.com / http://www.monitorrecords.com / The electro-indie rock of Videohippos reminds me of a coked-out reinterpretation of Neil Young’s Trans album. There is an earthy, natural progression to the track even as the synthesizer and electronic fuzz seem to paint a picture opposed to that. “Tooth Sub†is the first track on the disc, and the band’s only fault…
Amber Pacific – Truth In Sincerity / 2007 Hopeless / 12 Tracks / http://www.amberpacific.com / http://www.hopelessrecords.com / For a few years back when I first started the magazine, The Red Hot Valentines were the band that could do no wrong. Through four or five releases, everything they did was golden. They broke p a few years back, but it did not take me too terribly long to find another band…
Baby Boy Da Prince – Across The Water / 2007 Republic / 18 Tracks / http://www.babyboydaprince.com / http://www.universalrepublic.com Baby Boy Da Prince is one of the few artists that I actually knew about before I received the disc. “The Way I Live†(featuring the up and coming Lil Boosie) has been played on all the local radio stations on high rotation, and “Naw Meen†is another track that has been…
The Toasters – One More Bullet / 2007 Stomp / 12 Tracks / http://www.toasters.org / http://www.stomprecords.com/ The Toasters have been around for a quarter-century. They were one of the most influential acts in the creation of the third wave of ska music which peaked around 1996. Surprisingly enough, The Toasters are still around while the rest of the acts latter era have broken up or have decreased in importance. Feeling…
OST: Ocean’s Thirteen / 2007 Warner Bros / 20 Tracks / http://oceans13.warnerbros.com / http://www.warnerbros.com / I have not had a chance to see any of the newer “Ocean’s†movies, but I can generally guess what the movies are able. A group of people (however many are determined by the title of the movie, typically) are trying to rip off a casino. One can guess that the music for a movie…
Plan B – Who Needs Actions When You Got Words / 2007 Warner / 14 Tracks / http://www.time4planb.co.uk / The United Kingdom comes up with the most interesting rappers. Since Goldie Looking Chain and The Streets, the country has been creating notable changes to the style that still maintain a very catchy and radio-friendly song. “Who Needs Actions When You Got Words†starts out with “Kidzâ€, and while the backing…
Strength Behind Tears – Bridges Between Us / 2007 Basement / 10 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/sbt / Strength Behind Tears is a band that I have never heard before conducting this review, but apparently they have went on a national tour and have played with acts like Scars of Tomorrow, Undying, If Hope Dies, and As Hope Dies. “November Tenth†is the opening track on the disc, and it shows Strength…
LKN – Postulate II / 2007 Greyday / 13 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/lkn / http://www.greydayproductions.com / About a year and a third ago, I reviewed the predecessor to “Postulate IIâ€, which as some people could guess, was called “Postulate Iâ€. I ultimately loved the album, and likened LKN’s sound to a Patti Smith or other similar artists. This is LKNs new album, and the disc starts out with the same instrumentally…
ALO – Roses and Clover / 2007 Brushfire / 10 Tracks / http://www.brushfirerecords.com / This is the fourth album by ALO. I was not familiar with the act before reviewing this album. The disc starts off with “Mariaâ€, and the song feels as if the Counting Crows and Rusted Root united with the seventies pop stars. This is to say, there is a high amount of focus on the instrumentation…
My American Heart – Hiding Inside The Horrible Weather / 2007 Warcon / 11 Tracks / http://www.myamericanheartrock.com / http://www.warconent.com / My American Heart I’ve heard of before, but I’ve never had the chance to hear until now. “Hiding Inside The Horrible Weather†shows that the band is definitely capable enough to craft a rock sound that has more than its’ fair share of emo influence to it. The tracks on…
Monstrance – S/T / 2007 Ape / 12 Tracks / http://www.apehouse.prevuz.com / Reviewed 24 June 2007 Two former members of XTC are in this act. Obviously, the band is linked to Andy Partridge, but former XTC keyboardist Barry Andrews is an integral part of this act. Andrews was in the band Shriekback with the third member of Monstrance, Martyn Baker. This is a two-CD set, and shows the love for…
