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…
They Shoot Horses Don’t They – Pick Up Sticks / 2007 Kill Rock Stars / 10 Tracks / http://www.theyshoothorses.org / http://www.killrockstars.com They Shoot Horses Don’t They is a fucked up band. “One Last Final Push†mixes together so many different styles that it is really like a schizophrenic trying to go and craft a song. Ultimately, “One Last Final Push†is a track is primarily influenced by the swing-dancing style…
The Shake – Kick It / 2006 Self / 9 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/theshakeband / The band comes forth to us with a sound that blends together equal parts FOo Fighters and Bad Religion. The first track on “Kick It†is “Frequencyâ€, and it shows the band’s ability to create a wall of sound. The only thing that could be construed as a negative on this opening track is the high…
V/A – Chakras: From Brazil To Berlin / 2007 Azul / 25 Tracks / http://www.chakras.com.br / This double disc has a very interesting purpose in mind. There is a unification of the more tribal styles of Brazilian spirit music with the functionalist and inorganic sounds of Germany. What would normally sputter out and fail to succeed is whipped into a solid two-disc mix by Miguel Reis, DJ Chris Wood and…
Black Diamond Heavies – Every Damn Time / 2007 Alive / 10 Tracks / http://www.blackdiamondheavies.com / http://www.alivenergy.com / “Fever In My Blood†is the first track on “Every Damn Timeâ€, and it starts out with a schizophrenic drum beat that finally gets reined in about a minute into the track. The guitars and other elements of the band gradually insert themselves into the mix, until a very sixties influenced type…
Villebillies – S/T / 2006 Universal / 12 Tracks / http://www.villebillies.com / http://www.universal.com / However punk or ska-influenced that this cover may be, what the Villebillies do on this self-titled album is rap. “Whiskey†is the first track on the disc, and it seems like the Villebillies are trying to blend together Bone Thugs N Harmony with Gnarls Barkley. “Whiskey†has a level of newness to it; despite listening to…
Tim Barry – Rivanna Junction / 2006 Suburban Home / 10 Tracks / http://www.timberryrva.com / http://www.suburbanhomerecords.com / Tim Barry is one of the member of Avail. Avail was an integral part of the melodic punk scene in the late nineties. “Rivanna Junction†starts out with “Trash Inspirationsâ€, a track that goes the alt-country route taken by Lucero. At some point, Barry is still a practitioner of punk music, and this…
The Buddhist Monks – My Spirit Flies To You / 2006 Decca / 14 Tracks / http://www.thebuddhistmonks.net / http://www.iclassics.com / The Buddhist Monks are to 2006 what the Gregorian Monks were to the early nineties. There is some sort of acceptance by the pop and adult contemporary stations to what normally would be a style of music reserved only for the most devout of followers. The music that is present…