Zigmat – S/T / 2007 Self / 10 Tracks / http://www.zigmat.com / Zigmat plays a brand of electronic-infused indie rock that will get individuals up and on the dance floor as soon as the first bars of “Light of the Moon†start up. The band blends together the rigid structure of the synthesizer perfectly with the much more airy, indefinite sounds of the vocals. What results is a track that…
Megadeth – That One Night: Live In Buenos Aires / 2007 Image / 22 Tracks / http://www.megadeth.com / http://www.image-entertainment.com / Megadeth has been releasing a lot of different material in the last year. There was their “Warchestâ€, and there is also this 2-CD or 1-DVD release called “That One Nightâ€, which covers the band’s trip down to Buenos Aires, Argentina in May of 2005. Apparently, Megadeth plays long shows as…
Necro – Death Rap / 2007 Psycho+Logical / 14 Tracks / http://www.necrohiphop.com / Individuals that are into horrorcore rap will undoubtedly know who Necro is. However, for those that don’t (but may know other rap), Necro is the brother of Ill Bill. Furthermore, ey has worked hand in hand with a number of metal artists, in particular Obituary, Voivod, Hatebreed, and Slipknot. “Death Rap†is the title of this album…
Soulja Boy – Soulja Girl (Feat. I15) / 2007 TVT / 2 Tracks / “Soulja Girl†is the latest track by (you guessed it) Soulja Boy. In an attempt to further get the name of I-15 out to the masses, they are featured on the track. This track is a slower, more grind-worthy track. Hints of Jodeci and K-Ci and Jojo are present during this track, even as the more…
Megadeth – Warchest / 2007 Capitol / 66 Tracks / http://www.megadeth.com / http://www.capitolrecords.com / Megadeth is one of the bands that I first learned about when I got into metal. In fact, one of the CDs that has stuck with me for over a decade (the only other one is Marilyn Manson’s “Antichrist Superstarâ€) is Megadeth’s “Rust in Peaceâ€. It makes sense that Megadeth should get a box set since…
Junk Science – Gran’dad’s Nerve Tonic / 2007 Embedded / 13 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/junksciencerap / http://www.nukfam.com / “Slojo†is the first track on Junk Science’s latest album, and the blend of seventies instrumentation with a current type of flow makes for a strong foot forward. The rap styles that are showcased during this CD are points and strong, and are only moderated by a second set of vocals which end…
I15 – Lost in Love / 2007 Interscope / 4 Tracks / http://www.i15music.com / I15 is another type of R&B / boy band that is done much in the vein of a B2K. “Lost in Love†is typical radio fare, but the act is really able to hook fans with a catchy chorus and multiple-vocal harmonies. This single features the “Radioâ€, “Albumâ€, “Instrumentalâ€, and “A cappella†version of the track.…
Seth Lakeman – Introducing…Seth Lakeman Vol.1 + Vol. 2 / 2007 Manhattan / 6 Tracks / http://www.sethlakeman.co.uk / http://www.manhattanrecords.com / For those individuals that are not immediately familiar with the name Seth Lakeman, ey was a member of Equation during the band’s three-disc run. “Introducing†is not the first solo Lakeman album (even if it does sound that way): “The Punch Bowlâ€, “Kitty Jayâ€, and “Freedom Fields†all were full…
Floratone – S/T / 2007 Blue Note / 11 Tracks / http://www.floratone.com / http://www.bluenote.com / Floratone is as close of an “all star†act that one can get in jazz and free-form experimental music. The two main components of Floratone are Bill Frisell and Matt Chamberlain. For those not in the know, those two individuals together have combined to work with this list of stars: Tori Amos, Morrissey, Stevie Nicks,…
Elliott Carlson Botero – Parasite: A Love Story / 2007 Self / 15 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/ecbmusic / Elliott Carlson Botero has been around a long time. With a couple of discs under his belt, “Parasite: A Love Story†marks his musical magnum opus. “Plastic Bag Tree†is a track that subjugates a number of different styles and approaches into a coherent style. The heavy bass line, the Goo Goo Dolls-like…
Bronze – Calypso Shakedown / 2006 Self / http://www.myspace.com/bronzechicago / “On The Clock†literally sounds as if Bronze is coming out of the late seventies or early eighties. Whether it is through the heavy use of synthesizers, or through the emotive vocals, the band loves their musical predecessors. Like current retro-looking acts like The Darkness or the Scissor Sisters, Bronze are able to be deeply involved in earlier musical styles…
Silveth – The Elemental / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.silveth.com / “Storm†shows that Silveth is an act that has no desire to finesse their fans. The metal that the band puts forth is full of shredding guitars, splashing drums, and growled-out vocals that never bend or break. The band can scale back their intensity but never budges on the intricacy present in their music. “Storm†shows that…
Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter / 2007 Sony / 14 Tracks / http://www.joshritter.com / http://www.sony.com / The first track on “The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter†is “To The Dogs or Whoeverâ€, and it shows Ritter as someone that blends together Bob Dylan with Conor Oberst. The style approached during this inaugural track is a jangly bit of indie rock that will allow individuals to sing…
Shock Cinema – Our Way Is Revenge / 2007 Kanine / 8 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/shockshockcinema / http://www.kkaninerecords.com / What Shock Cinema does on their “Our Way Is Revengeâ€, and particularly during the opening track “Breathe Againâ€, is recall the goth rock of bands like Siouxie and the Banshees and the Sisters of Mercy. The punk-like tempo is the only derivation from that formula, and it is this blending together of…
Sah – 06/06 / 2007 Phiatry / 5 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/sah / http://www.phratryrecords.com / It is always a risky gambit for a band to go forth and start off their EP with an instrumental song. Sah is a band that does just that with the opening to their 06/06, “Inside You There’s A Part of Me Scared Shitlessâ€. Luckily for the listeners, Sah is an act that can create a…
The Challenger Deep – S/T / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/thechallengerdeep The Challenger Deep introduce themselves with “Historianâ€, a track that has a very tempestuous and chaotic flow. In a way, the instrumentation that takes place before the vocals kick in seem like a more jacked up version of At The Drive-In. The style of The Challenger Deep is not easy to categorize. There are hints of hardcore,…
Okay Paddy – Where You Went? / 2007 Prison Jazz / 5 Tracks / http://www.okaypaddy.com / Okay Paddy play a brand of rock music during their “Dumbwater†that blends together acts like Weezer with Matthew Sweet to create a sound that is very well located in the mid to late nineties alternative rock genres. Unlike Weezer, there seems to be a little more energy in the arrangements during tracks like…
Jesea Hoop – Kismet / 2007 Sony / 3 Tracks / http://www.jescahoop.com / http://www.columbiarecords.com / This “EP†version starts out with “Seed of Wonderâ€, a track that blows away any conception that I might have had about Hoop before playing this disc. There are so many instrumental and vocal layers in this track that individuals can be satisfied one of twelve different ways. In much the same way, Hoop et…
Oreskaband – S/T / 2006 Sony / 6 Tracks / http://www.oreskaband.com / http://www.sony.com / As one can likely game from the band’s name, what Oreskaband play is a brand of ska that is in the same vein as a Mighty Mighty Bosstones or a Reel Big Fish. The first track on the disc is “Pantimeâ€, and it is a quick, barely-minute long track that gives individuals some sort of context…
Mello Mello – An Abstract Love Story / 2007 Mello-Soul / 16 Tracks / http://www.mello-soul.com / Mello Mello have a pretty good description of their general sound in their act’s name. What results from tracks like their eponymous opening track is something that resembles Jodeci, Tony Toni Tone, or even Boyz II Men. “Tha Best Thing 4 U Iz Me†has a much more current type of sound, and this…