Machine Head – The Blackening / 2007 Roadrunner / 8 Tracks / http://www.machinehead1.com / http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com / Machine Head is a band that has been around for about as long as I have listened to metal. Their first album came out in 1994, and the band was around for a few years before that. So, “The Blackeningâ€, their sixth album, should be a pinnacle with which they can achieve new levels…
With Passion – What We See When We Shut Our Eyes / 2006 Earache / 10 Tracks / http://www.withpassionmetal.com / http://www.earache.com / This California band does not take more than ten seconds to start rocking the faces off of their listeners. The music that they play is a brand of progressive cum speed metal that is shrill, melodic, and orchestral all at the same time. The band can bring the…
Snatches of Pink – Love is Dead / 2007 Self / 15 Tracks / http://www.snatchesofpink.com / Snatches of Pink on their “Love is Dead†play a brand of sleaze rock that brings individuals back to the days of Spinal Tap and the New York Dolls. The lead vocals during “Rocks†(and extended to the whole of the disc) have more than a passing resemblance to those provided by Mike Ness…
OST: Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof / 2007 Warner Bros / 16 Tracks / http://www.warnerbros.com / http://www.deathproof.net / Everyone knows that this soundtrack is for the movie that was Quentin Tarantino’s part of Grindhouse, “Death Proofâ€. The tracks here feel like they are taken from an earlier period. The first track on this score is Jack Nitzche’s “The Last Raceâ€. This track has the seventies orchestral heaviness present in droves, with…
Protest Hill – The City Echoes Our Hearts / 2007 Latest Flame / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/protesthill / http://www.latestflame.com / Protest Hill plays a brand of indie-heavy pop-rock that is similar to the work of a Fray, Ben Folds, or Jack Johnson. “All That You Need†is the first track on “The City Echoes Our Heartsâ€, and it blends Tori Amos ‘s style of piano playing with bassy instrumentation and…
Hotel Alexis – Goliath, I’m On Your Side / 2006 Broken Sparrow / 14 Tracks / http://www.hotelalexis.com / http://www.brokensparrow.com / There is little more to say about Hotel Alexis besides the fact that they play a brand of indie rock that has no time referent; tracks like “Soft Soft War†and “San Diego Backslide†paint a quiet yet nuanced picture of the band. “I Will Arrange for You to Fall…
Gallows – Orchestra of Wolves / 2007 Epitaph / 15 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/gallows / http://www.epitaph.com / Gallows play a brand of hardcore metal that goes into the style of acts like Men’s Recovery Project and Agoraphobic Nosebleed at times. However, during tracks like “Kill The Rhythm†and “Come Firendly Bombsâ€, the band create a much more approachable sound than any of those two acts. This means that during a “Come…
The Electric Soft Parade – No Need To Be Down-Hearted / 2007 Better Looking / 12 Tracks /http://www.electricsoftparade.com / The Electric Soft Parade plays a very soft, looking-back style of rock during their “No Need To Be Down-Heartedâ€. This is moderated by the inclusion of a nineties alternative sensibility and a current electronic fuzz that makes a song like “Life in the Backseat†approachable by all. The band moves from…
Yoko – Open Your Box / 2007 Astralwerks / 14 Tracks / http://www.astralwerks.com/ono / Pretty much anyone that is into music will remember who Yoko Ono is. But, like me, I had no clue what music ey was currently making for an album like “Open Your Boxâ€. The tracks on here are all remixes of Ono’s work, from dance stars as storied as Basement Jaxx, Felix Da Housecat, Pet Shop…
The Pipettes – Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me / 2007 Memphis / 4 Tracks / http://www.thepipettes.co.uk / http://www.islandrecords.com / This British act is definitely copping style off of the sixties girl group acts, as well as those artists that followed in the same general style. This EP starts out with the really fifties-sounding title track, with a little bit of Donnas and Sounds thrown into the mix. The track…
