Kate Havnevik – Melankton / 2007 Universal / 12 Tracks / http://www.katehavnevik.com / http://www.universal.com / Individuals from Europe may not know why we are running a “Melankton†review now; the disc was first released there in April of 2006. However, the disc just made it to American shores this year. Havnevik’s “Melankton†is a debut album, but from the beginning of the disc, it does not feel to be. The…
Coby Brown – Time Is Now / 2007 Self / 4 Tracks / http://www.cobybrown.com / Coby Brown and the 11:11s play a brand of pop rock that is comparable to the work of a Coldplay, Keane, or Artic Monkeys. That means that the music that is on “Time Is Now†is inoffensive, does not experiment in the slightest, and relies on the paths that previous individuals have traveled. The tracks…
Our Lady Peace – A Decade / 2006 Columbia / 18 Tracks / http://www.ourladypeace.com / http://www.columbiarecords.com / Our Lady Peace is yet another Canadian act that was big in America for a song or two, but reached massive levels of success for years (almost a decade) in their own home country. I still remember when I first was introduced to Our Lady Peace. It was a year or so before…
The Spares – Beautiful and Treacherous Thing / 2007 Tweed / 12 Tracks / http://www.thespares.net / http://www.tweedrecords.com/ The Spares blend together alternative music with a brand of bluegrass-influenced country music that is first heard on “Waiting For The Smoke To Clearâ€. The vocals will remind listeners of a young Allison Krauss, while the guitars present during the track vary between the to styles. Regardless, what is being sang is something…
The Horrors – Strange House / 2007 Stolen Transmission / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/thehorrors / http://www.stolentransmission.com / The Horrors have been making some waves in the indie music scene in the last few months. The first track on “Strange House†is “Jack The Ripperâ€, and it shows that The Horrors are trying to recall an earlier period in rock music. A great deal of their music comes from the loud…
Pos-Neg – I’m A Problem / 2007 Self / 3 Tracks / http://www.pos-neg.com / http://www.southbronx.com / Pos-Neg is a rap act, and the flow that is present on the single “I’m A Problem†is similar to the earlier DMX flows. The backing beat to the track is a little bit on the tinny side, which does not necessarily mesh well with the higher registers of the individuals on the track.…
Chimaira – Resurrection / 2007 Ferret / 11 Tracks / http://www.chimaira.com / http://www.ferretstyle.com Chimaira has been rocking the faces off of their fans for quite a few years, first on Roadrunner and now on Ferret Music. It seems as if Ferret really has made their average band much more hard and heavy than they have been in years past, and this is a good sign for the label. Chimaira start…
Lacona – 35/half of 70 / 2007 Self / 2 Tracks / http://www.laconamusic.com /  The style of indie rock that Lacona plays is very influenced by the goth style that was largest in the earliest days of the nineties. An emotive set of vocals goes in and other key as the instrumentation creates a very dark and dingy backdrop for the aforementioned vocals. The vocals move in and out…
Sick Puppies – Dressed Up As Life / 2007 EMI / 12 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/sickpuppies / http://wwv.virginrecords.com “World†is the first track on “Dressed Up As Lifeâ€, and it shows Sick Puppies as a new rock band in the same vein as an Evans Blue or a Papa Roach. This means that the band has a post-grunge feel that unites the earlier style with hints of pop-punk and Goo Goo…
The Eclectic Collective – The Flux / 2007 Self / 7 Tracks / http://www.ecbeats.com / The Eclectic Collective started out around 2003 to take the world over with their own brand of rock. This marks their second album, released a year after their debut album “Time Fliesâ€. The first track on “The Flux†is “Ocean of Tearsâ€, and it shows that The Eclectic Collective love blending an older, Eagles type…
Slide Show Baby – S/T / 2007 Moraiath / 11 Tracks / http://www.slideshowbaby.com / “Long Long Road†is a track that starts with splashy drums. That’s a good thing. However, it sounds like the violin that is present during points of this track is created in Cakewalk and pandered as real. While I have no problem with how they have created the lines (real or through a program), it just…
The Morning Pages – The Company You Keep / 2007 Zealous / 6 Tracks / http://www.themorningpages.com / For some reason, the first band I think of when I listen to The Morning Pages has to be Led Zeppelin. The music that is present on “The Company You Keep†is couched in an earlier style of rock. The vocals are the focal point of a track like “It Makes Me Cryâ€,…
Moneybrother  – They’re Building Walls Around Us / 2006 Sabot / 6 Tracks / http://www.moneybrother.net / http://www.sabotproductions.net / I never had the chance to hear anything from Moneybrother’s last outfit, Monster. This Swedish rocker starts off “They’re Building Walls Around Us†with a track that is heavily influenced by the disco rock of the seventies. However, “They’re Building Walls Around Us†is a track that has a vitality that shines…
V/A – Gypsy Groove / 2007 Putomayo Grooves / 11 Tracks / http://www.putumayo.com / I must admit, before sticking in “Gypsy Groove†to my CD player, I had not hear anything from the dance scenes present in Eastern Europe, beyond what was played during earlier Eurovision song contests. Even then, these tracks were ones that I did not pay much in the way of attention to. However, with !DelaDap’s “Zsa…
Paul McCartney – Memory’s Almost Full / 2007 MPI / 13 Tracks / http://www.paulmccartney.com / Obviously, this is the new album by Paul McCartney of the Beatles. Individuals should know eir as a former member of the Beatles and Wings, and for being a prolific solo artist in eir own right. However, this is the first time as a music reviewer that I have had a chance to hear McCartney’s…
The Beach Boys – The Warmth of the Sun / 2007 EMP / 28 Tracks / http://www.emicap.com / The Beach Boys are one of the best known pop-rock bands, one of the earliest boy bands (as opposed to earlier teen idols). This disc features twenty-eight different tracks by The Beach Boys, and can be described as a definitive greatest hits collection. This is because the sequence and substance of the…
Matteah Baim – Death of the Sun / 2007 Dicristina / 9 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/matteahbaim / http://dicristinarecords.blogspot.com / Matteah Baim is holding back tons during eir first track of “Death of the Sunâ€, “Riverâ€. The set of vocals that ey contributes finally takes a focal point at near the two minute mark. What seems to be the focal point before that is the constraints given the disc by the recording.…
Rasputina – Oh Perilous World / 2007 Filthy Bonnet Co / 12 Tracks / http://www.rasputina.com The last time I heard of Rasputina, ey was pandering an album because it had a collaboration with Marilyn Manson on it. That was quite a few years ago, but I remembered that when I got a copy of eir latest album, “Oh Perilous Worldâ€, for review in the magazine. The compositions on this album…
Bitter Bitter Weeks – Peace is Burning / 2007 High Two / 10 Tracks /http://www.minerstreet.com/bbw / http://www.hightwo.com / The Bitter Bitter Weeks sound a lot like The La’s during the first track to their “Peace Is Burningâ€, “Once and for allâ€. This means that the vocals are the dreamiest part of the band even as the instrumentation provide a little more tangible thing for these vocals to latch onto. The…
Ben Jelen – Ex Sensitive / 2007 Custard / 13 Tracks / http://www.benjelen.com / http://www.custardrecords.com / Ben Jelen starts off “Ex Sensitive†with a very hopeful brand of pop-rock music that is more influenced by eir vocals at the onset than even with the shifting, shambling beat that backs ey up during “Pulseâ€. Taken in toto, Jelen opens up this disc in a very solid way. There may be hints…