Imagine Echoes

Record Store Day: The Bad

2011-04-20T20:22:00.002-04:00

78 rpm? Seriously, pressing a record that spins at 78 rpm? I don’t fancy myself as a "record collector", I don’t buy records to preserve them, I don’t buy records as an investment, I buy records to listen to them. I suspect that most people who listen to vinyl fall into the same boat as myself, and I am fairly certain, very few have a turntable who can play a 78.

Capitol/EMI released a double single 10" featuring two stellar Beach Boys tracks, "Good Vibrations" and the mythical song from SmiLe, "Heroes and Villans". Not only would you be getting these two songs, but the vinyl also included alternate takes of the two tracks. Unfortunately, there was a catch, and a major catch at that. It was pressed at 78 RPM. What would have been at the top of my list for Record Store Day turned into a debate as to whether or not I should buy a record I will probably never play.

Aesthetically, the packaging was gorgeous; pictures couldn’t do it justice. It may even be a good conversation piece - although nobody comes over my place who has even the slightest interest in vinyl. Maybe Capitol/EMI was going for a real vintage feel, maybe even something so artsy that only the biggest hipsters could understand, because the logic behind pressing a 78 clearly goes over my head.

78's for the most part, were a World War II era staple, following the war, 45's and 33 1/3 RPM became the norm. Most tables don’t even support the speed, begging the question, why would a format that was primarily used pre-1950s, a format that is now essentially extinct, be pressed in the year 2011? It’s not as if the sound is superior, it’s not like it has some major niche market it's gravitating to, it has no advantages that I could conceive.

For a day that encourages music consumption, pressing a 78 rpm vinyl seems to achieve the opposite. It instead is promoting a useless purchase of a record for nothing more than to be a conversation piece, or to be "pretty." It’s truly a shame considering how fine the packaging was, and more importantly, how spectacular the musical material is.

Record Store Day: The Ugly

2011-04-19T19:42:00.000-04:00

Record Store Day is a great display of greed at its finest. I was never disillusioned to the point where I believed all the bands, record labels, stores and collectors were in it for good intentions, but as each year passes, the more I realize how ugly it’s becoming.

The RSD organizers, I believe, are in it for the right reasons -to keep independent record stores alive, promote music and to push physical products. In the days leading up to RSD, numerous stores were releasing their shipments on Ebay in attempts of raking in the big bucks. The RSD organizers have limited power at best, but ensured that these stores would not be able to partake in future RSD’s. In order for a store to receive the exclusive RSD records, they need to sign a pledge ensuring that they will not sell their records before-hand and they will not place their items for sale online the day of -they can however sell the remaining stock online after RSD. From what I could tell, the majority of stores upheld the pledge and were doing the right thing. It was unfortunate however to see certain stores attempting to sell their eight dollar records for a much larger return on Ebay in the days preceding RSD.

Just like ticket scalpers, RSD has its fair share of people who are just looking to flip their purchases for insane amounts. This is one of my biggest gripes when it comes to RSD. Far too often, the psycho who wakes up at 3:00AM and waits in line is the same one who plans on grabbing every limited release and selling them for ten times the amount the next day. I saw a White Stripes 7" which cost no more than eight dollars selling on Ebay for nearly one-hundred. The respect between fans of music is far too often taking a back-seat to flashing money signs. After waiting in line for two hours, one of the store clerks relayed the message that many people were essentially saying I want one of every release -regardless of whether or not they had any interest in the music. It’s sad but true, the actual fan who has respect for the community is losing out to the prick who can’t wait to sell his loot to the die-hard fan who missed out on a number of the releases.

I may be naive, but I feel like the core intentions of RSD are genuine. I also believe that a good chunk of the people who buy these records have good intentions and are looking out for each other. However, there’s just too many who just view it as an opportunity to make some easy cash. I still love RSD, and I’m counting down the days until next years, but it has some flaws, and sadly, those flaws are inherent. We live in a greedy society, and the pigs will continue to do whatever they can to make an extra buck

Record Store Day 2011

2011-04-17T10:30:00.001-04:00

And they say the physical music product is dying... Yesterday I went out for the fourth annual Record Store Day (RSD), and more importantly, the first time I could enjoy it to its fullest. My wallet was open and my schedule was clear. Yes, RSD was priority number one. For weeks I had it all planned out. I would run up to Vintage Vinyl in northern New Jersey at 7:30 to be there an hour before opening, after that I would drive down to my local record store which opened at 10:00 - aptly named The Record Store, and if I was still eagerly searching for records, I would head over to Hold Fast Records which opened at 11:00. Well, as they say, when you make plans, God laughs, and since I am pretty convinced Jack White is God, it was Jack White who was laughing at my plans.

As the day began, everything was going according to plan. I had arrived at Vintage Vinyl at around 7:30 - an hour before opening. However, the crowd was not as expected. Even arriving around an hour early, I was at least one-hundred people deep in the line. Definitely not a good thing considering the records I wanted most were two White Stripes singles that I figured would be tough to pick up even if I had been the fifth person in line. My RSD high was quickly becoming grounded, and frustration was setting in. Would anything be left by the time I entered the store? However, what was even crazier than being one-hundred people deep in the line, by the time the store opened, there was probably another two-hundred people behind me. Unbelievable!

The weather was cold, the line was long, and even worse, the line moved slower than the DMV. Ironically, as the crowd in the line became increasingly impatient, the friendliness also increased. Everyone in the line began to relate their musical interests and their RSD desires, complaints and thoughts. One of the greatest aspects of the record store was being brought out by this supposed gloomy situation, the sense of musical community was blooming. What could have been a miserable experience ended up being quite enjoyable. In fact, the two and a half hour wait to reach the check out felt more like an hour.

By the time I walked up to the counter to recite my list, Vintage Vinyl had quite a dent in their stock, but not quite as bad as I had expected. They were obviously out of The White Stripes singles, the live Pink Floyd album was long gone and the Nirvana EP Hormoaning was devoured by the crowds and The Bad Brain "Pay to Cum" 7" was nowhere to be seen. On the bright side, I was able to pick up The Velvet Underground "Foggy Notion" 7", The Red Hot Chili Pepers/Ramones "Havana Affair" split 7", Regina Spektor Four From Far 7", Off! "Compared to What" Tour Edition 7", An Introduction to Syd Barret 2LP 12" and the massive Omar Rodriguez Lopez Telesterion 4LP 12" with a beautiful color photo book. Not a bad group of vinyls for waiting in such a long line.

By 10:00 I knew my chances of picking up the Stripes vinyls were slim-to-none, but I still was holding out hope for the remainder of vinyls on my list. So I headed over to my local record store an hour after it opened and luckily, they still had a bit in stock. From them I nabbed the Pink Floyd live London 66/67 12" pressed on a nice white 180 gram slab of vinyl, Bob Dylan Live at Brandise and The Bad Brains "Pay to Cum". So in the end, I had only missed out on The White Stripes and Nirvana vinyls.

In the end, RSD was quite enjoyable to say the least. Even after being stranded in the cold weather for two hours, I spent it with some cool people, and ended up pulling in most of the albums I had been searching for. Throughout the week I plan on giving some more thoughts on RSD, the good, the bad and the ugly.

2011 Grammys Recap

2011-02-14T20:50:00.005-05:00

Should I be embarrassed to say I was excited for this years Grammys? Last years Grammy’s ceremony was mildly entertaining, which is to say, by award show standards, it falls somewhere in-between great and incredible. This year, there were definitely some things to be excited for - Muse, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry (*drooling*) and the Arcade Fire would all be performing, and the award for best album actually contained an album that I believed was truly the album of the year, the Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs. Lets be honest though, what are the odds of a legitimately phenomenal album beating out the likes of Eminem, Katy Perry and Lady Antebellum? So, on with the recap.

Last years recap started off with the good, and then got into the bad, and I’m going to stick with the tried-and-true formula. After a three hour tribute to Aretha Franklin, Train won an award for best Pop performance by a duo or group and gave an awesome speech, thanking Justin Bieber for "not being a duo or a group" and even giving Howard Stern a shout-out. Before, and apparently until her performance, Lady Gaga was carried in a giant egg, or as Chris Harrison of the Bachelore/tte made extremely clear - a womb. Her outlandish theatrics are starting to straddle the line of clever and annoying, but if you’re going to look like a fool, you may as well go the extra mile and encase yourself in an egg. Her performance of "Born This Way" was entertaining, and dare I say, socially empowering. Muse’s performance of "Uprising" was strong as expected, and keeping with the theme of the song, featured violent protesters destroying the stage - I’m currently on the fence of whether that was corny or cool, so I’ll give Muse the benefit of the doubt. After their performance, Muse pulled in the award for best rock album. Then came a performance featuring Bruno Mars, B.o.B. and Janelle Monae, the latter of the three I had never heard of, but was pleasantly surprised by the performance of her song "Cold War." Apparently she’s signed to Puff Daddy’s, err I mean Sean Puffy Combs’, err I mean P. Diddy’s, err I mean Diddy’s label. Eventually, Bob Dylan, Mumford and Son and the Avett Brothers performed together. The latter two would perform one of their originals and then all came together to perform "Maggie’s Farm" with the legendary Dylan, whose voice was drowned out by the music, and sadly, that’s not such a bad thing, he’s showing his age.

The main reason for watching the show was to see the Arcade Fire, so the Grammys successfully sucked me in to watching all two and a half hours of the ceremony by leaving the Arcade Fire for the very end. They would perform a great rendition of "Month of May" with pulsating strobe lights and Matt Hoffman pedaling around on his bicycle with a camera attached to his helmet - yeah, the bicycles were definitely out of place. The bands soulful and energetic performance more than made up for that random BMX expo which seemed to be a case of, "Hey guys look, Matt Hoffman is here. Matt, did you bring your bike? Oh you did, well all these other performers have all these bells and whistles on stage, and all we have are strobe lights. Are you interested in riding your bike around while we perform?" To close down the show, the coveted award of album of the year was delivered. Before the award was handed out, I could have told you who wasn’t winning, and that would be the outlier, the Arcade Fire. Then in a stunning twist of events - stunning for all the wrong reasons - the Arcade Fire took home the award. It was a touching moment to see the band legitimately shocked and honored. For their speech, Win Butler walked up to the microphone and thanked a few people and then said, "We’re going to play another song... Because we like music" and then performed "Ready to Start", the smiles on their faces were infectious

Now for the bad, and judging by the length of the previous paragraphs, you can safely assume that the good outweighed the bad - shockingly. The twenty minute Aretha Franklin tribute featuring the now infamous traitor to American patriotism, Christina Aguilera, and some random other divas was so incredibly drawn out and boring that I’m sure viewership was cut in half by the fifteen minute mark. Smack in the middle of the show was Justin Bieber’s performance with Usher and Jaden Smith – yes, the Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith. Will Smith is treating his kids like an investment; they’re working their asses off. Is their some kind of child labor law that Smith could be imprisoned for? The intro to their performance over-viewed Usher’s discovery of the Bieb’s, and thank God that was cleared up, because I don’t know if I would have understood the complexity of the performance if it wasn’t... It was a fine display of ninja’s jumping around on stage and lip-synching. Katy Perry’s performance was actually pretty awesome, she was propped up in the air on a swing and had an enormous cloth attached to the back of her dress which doubled as a screen for projections of her wedding videos. So why would this performance be in the bad category? Well simply because I’m a shallow guy who wanted to see more skin... I’m shameless. Moving on, how can the overall album of the year not win album of the year in its own genre? The Arcade Fire lost to The Black Keys for alternative album of the year. This isn’t so bad considering The Black Keys’ Brothers was an outstanding album, so at least both bands took home some hardware, but there is some very flawed logic to these awards. Lastly, the Grammys did a fine job of killing the moment by plugging in all their advertisements in a moment of haste during the celebratory Arcade Fire performance. You got to please the sponsors!

All in all, I was very happy with this years Grammys. The performances were entertaining, and the most important award went to the most deserving band.

The White Stripes Split

2011-02-03T08:15:00.001-05:00

So as you may or may not know, The White Stripes have officially broken up. I’m pretty confident in saying this is the most devastating music related news I’ve ever heard (keep in mind I’m 24.) Figuring out how to put The Stripes’ impact on me into words is quite difficult, because Jack White is such an enormous force in music that if we were to diagram the musical landscape of rock in terms of the solar system, Jack White would be the sun. He’s constantly lending his talents to different acts and music related entities, but as a devout member of the church of Jack White, I know it all comes back to The White Stripes.

I love everything that Jack touches, whether it be The Racounteurs, The Dead Weather, everything he is doing to revive vinyl and even his assistance on Electric Six’s “Fire in the Disco” to name a few. But what I am always patiently waiting for, is his returns to The White Stripes; it just feels like home and gives Jack the freedom to fully explore his creativity without any other members holding him back. I don’t want to diminish Meg’s role in The White Stripes, because she is certainly a key contributor to their success, but in terms of songwriting and creativity, Jack White is the man.

For me, The White Stripes were a glimmer of hope in my view of modern music. By the time The White Stripes were becoming household names with their innovative video for “Fell in Love With a Girl” I had essentially given up all hope on modern music. By that time I had made classic rock my exclusive source for music, and being so young at the time, I had a lot of catching up to do. There was certainly no time for any of this modern nonsense. However, all the hoopla surrounding The Stripes made me take notice. I listened to a copy of White Blood Cells and was impressed. I then went out and purchased Elephant and became even more enamored with the talent this duo possessed. With each release they showed growth and innovation, while never straying too far form their blues/garage rock roots. During their run they reignited my interest in modern rock, and that cannot go understated.

The White Stripes will always hold a special place in my music collection. They never disappointed with each release - always pushing the boundaries of music and creativity - and they reinvigorated modern rock. In what seemed like an impossible task a decade ago, over the past few years David Gilmour has been de-throned as my favorite musician, that spot now goes to Jack White, and while I deeply appreciate everything Jack does, The White Stripes will always be his defining achievement.

Top 15 Albums of 2010

2011-01-01T09:12:00.002-05:00

15. Grinderman - Grinderman 2
Grinderman 2 is an adventure into mayhem. It's reckless in oh, so many ways. Grinderman 2 is at its best when it's at its most uncontrollable. Cave seemingly spews whatever drops into his sick mind and as a result, we're all left to debate its merits.

14. Weezer - Hurley
Message to all you so-called hardcore Weezer fans: Stop waiting for Weezer to record the next Pinkerton or Blue. It’s not going to happen. Once fans move past their obnoxious critiquing of Weezer for never matching their previous successes, the sooner we can get to appreciating what Weezer has left in the tank. No, Hurley is not as good as Blue, Pinkerton, Maladroit or Green, but it’s a fine album none-the-less.

13. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
The combination of pop aficionado James Mercer (The Shins) and studio master Danger Mouse is nothing short of a match made in heaven. Broken Bells’ debut has the fingerprints of Mercer and Danger all over these recordings. The songs on this album at their very core carry Mercer’s pop sensibilities, but Danger Mouse doctors them up with detailed and intricate atmospheric landscapes adding to the aura.

12. Peter Case - Wig!
Kind of like the Deftones, Peter Case encountered his own set of personal tragedy. In 2009, Case underwent heart surgery. Following the surgery, Case would go on to write Wig! a dirty blues album that features an authentic tenacity.

11. Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos - Buzzard
Buzzard received little to no critical acclaim, and little to no attention from the masses. I suppose the latter is to be expected, but the former is somewhat of a mystery to me. Buzzard is a superb album from top to bottom. Electric guitars take hold while Richard Edward’s lyrics are completely unpredictable and imaginative in a way that seems to mirror a blunt teen. Between the great musical back-drops and the reckless lyrics, Buzzard may be Margot’s best effort to date.

10. Wolf Parade - Expo 86
What amazes me about Wolf Parade’s Expo 86 is the energy it exudes. Spencer Krug’s raving vocals jump around in an anarchic manner while the keyboards, drums and guitars sound meticulously crafted. It’s finely layered post-punk machine that never stops running.

9. Fitz & the Tantrums - Pickin’ Up the Pieces
Revivalism is a relative term. There are revivalists like Wolfmother who draw heavy inspiration from Classic Rock and sprinkle in their own modern twists. Then there are revivalists like Fitz & the Tantrums who make it sound like the past 40 years didn’t exist. Fitz & and the Tantrums are authentic Motown, and while listening to Pickin’ Up the Pieces, you’ll never forget it.

8. The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards
Alison Mosshart - that’s pretty much all I have to say, but who am I to keep it brief. In the words of former Mets coach Jerry Manuel, her vocals are “absolutely filthy.” She was on fire for The Dead Weather’s debut, but on Sea of Cowards, she is blazing. There is a tenacity in her vocals that almost make you forget this is another Jack White side project. This is blues at its raunchiest.

7. Fen - Trails Out of Gloom
Fen is an alternative/heavy metal band that often veers into progressive rock territories likening them to the sounds of Porcupine Tree and Opeth. Unlike countless other bands in the same genre, Fen manages to always stay centered, never losing themselves to moments of self-indulgence or falling victim to being overly obscure.

6. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
Bruce Springsteen, move on over. This quartet hailing from the great state of New Jersey has been taking notes and has taken Bruce’s signature heartland rock and added a dab of punk to the equation. The Springsteen influences are overt, but The Gaslight Anthem don’t seem to have any intentions of hiding the fact. The bands punk tendencies are light at best, but American Slang shows that the bands strongest suit may be heartland rock. Hopefully this is a sign of their future direction.

5. Deftones - Diamond Eyes
It’s funny how tragedy can turn in to something wonderful. In 2008 Deftones bassist Chi Cheng was involved in a catastrophic auto incident that forced the band to bring in a replacement. Prior to the accident the band recorded a new album, but would later scrap it entirely due to their bassists mental state. With a new bassist in hand, the band recorded a brand new album. The result of the journey was Diamond Eyes. A heavy and emotionally fueled roller coaster which has a powerful sense of optimism behind the violent riffs.

4. MGMT - Congratulations
MGMT prematurely apologized to fans for the sound of Congratulations. Why you may ask? I suppose because it wasn’t as commercially viable as their debut album, Oracular Spectacular. Instead, Congratulations sounds like a modern day Pet Sounds, and while it may not be as revolutionary, it’s definitely as good.

3. Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow
Coheed has struggled to find a true identity since their inception. On Year of the Black Rainbow, they hone in on one sound and deliver in ways they have never done before. It’s a dark, cerebral, sludgy masterpiece that abolishes all those hints of emo that were holding them back.

2. The Black Keys - Brothers
The songwriting of The Black Keys is truly phenomenal, and Brothers is the epitome of that. Brothers is a bit more mellow than their previous albums, but it’s also their strongest. The melodies from the first track to the last are unbelievable and bleeding through every second is an uncanny amount of blues drenched soul.

1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
I had freakishly high expectations for this album, and the scary thing is, not only did they meet those expectations, they surpassed them. I envision The Suburbs as being an album I will cite in twenty years and say, “Now that is a band who hit full stride.” Every time I listen to it I feel like I’m listening to something special.

If you're interested in checking out lists from some great bloggers, below is a list of other sites who also took part in counting down the greatest albums of the year.

All Metal Resource — http://allmetalresource.com/

Bring Back Glam — http://bringbackglam.squarespace.com/

Hair Metal Mansion — http://hairbangersradio.ning.com/

Hard Rock Hideout — http://hardrockhideout.com/

Heavy Metal Time Machine — http://metalmark.blogspot.com/

Metal Excess — http://metalexcess.com/

Metal Odyssey — http://metalodyssey.wordpress.com/

The Ripple Effect — http://www.ripplemusic.blogspot.com/

Hard Rock Nights — http://hardrocknights.wordpress.com/

Layla’s Classic Rock — http://laylasclassicrock.blogspot.com/

The Metal Minute — http://rayvanhornjr.blogspot.com/

Heavy Metal Addiction - http://heavymetaladdiction.com

Today is a Day You Will Definitely Forget

2010-11-16T13:52:00.000-05:00

So today is a day Apple claimed “You’ll never forget.” Running through my head are endless possibilities - maybe aliens will descend to earth, maybe we’ll find the cure for cancer, or maybe Howard Stern will finally sign a new contract. Nope, none of those. Instead, we get The Beatles catalog on iTunes... A day we’ll never forget! Maybe this would have been groundbreaking news back when iTunes and iPods were in their infant stages, but at this point in time, anyone who wants The Beatles collection digitally, has The Beatles collection digitally. As far as I can tell, there haven’t been any restrictions from buying The Beatles music practically anywhere else. I can’t wait to tell my children ten years from now about the monumental day The Beatles went to iTunes. Along with that gripping tale, I could tell them about the time “Like a G6" by the Far East Movement Featuring Cataracs & Dev dropped to the number two spot on the Billboard charts - the nation was in mourning.

Roger Waters: The Wall Tour 11/4/10 Izod Center Review

2010-11-05T13:24:00.004-04:00

Pink Floyd’s 1979 over-the-top rock opera The Wall was both an enormous financial success and a cry for help. For one, it continued to signal the tensions between the group - with Waters becoming the defacto leader. Secondly, it was a display of the bands struggle with being among the worlds largest rock stars. While the band had traded in their use of lush sonic landscapes for a more rough around the edges rock album on Animals, The Wall was a fit of manic paranoia that was much more introspective and alarming than ever before. For many fans The Wall was a masterpiece, to many others such as myself, it was an overrated disappointment that showed Waters wasn’t able to carry the load himself.

Last night at the way-past-it’s-prime Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ, Roger Waters would perform The Wall with a kind of majesty and bombast that made the music secondary to the grandiose stage show.

Before the start of the show the on stage wall was only partially erected stretching from one side of the arena to the other. When the lights dimmed and Waters walked out on the stage for “In the Flesh”, the arena exploded, and in unison rose to their feet. It was immediately evident the stage show was going to be to spectacular. The wall was illuminated in graffiti, Nazi-esque soldiers were propelled in the air on a bridge holding their cross-hammered flags and fireworks spat out from the stage with relentless fury. At the finale of“In the Flesh”, a plane came crashing down from the rafters and knocked down a portion of the wall creating an explosion of fire from the debris. Already, only five minutes into the show, both my eyes and ears were overwhelmed. I was hardly able to grasp the reality that the show could hold this kind of momentum from beginning to end.

Throughout the first half of the show the wall was slowly erected. A team of stage hands pieced together the enormous structure with what seemed to be a scientific approach. During songs like “Mother” and “Another Brick in the Wall”, enormous puppets -reaching heights of what must have been at least 40 feet - danced around on and behind the stage. By the time intermission rolled around, the wall was fully intact and the band was completely barricaded from the audience.

Throughout the entire show the wall doubled as a tool of isolation and a gigantic screen. The images displayed on the wall took on a 21st century theme with mocks of Apples “i” marketing and during “Goodbye Blue Sky”, planes dropped religious symbols, dollar signs, and Mercedes and Shell Oil logos on helpless lands. The structure would also take on scenes from the film adaptation of the album, in particular the beautiful rose scene during “Empty Spaces” as well as the crazy cartoon episodes of “The Trial”.

The second half of the show would open up with the band behind the wall performing “Hey You.” As the second half progressed Waters was making himself seen by taking out a few bricks here and there - because lord knows we don’t want to stares at a wall for an hour. The band would eventually all come to the front of the stage dressed in their militaristic garb for the second disc version of “In the Flesh”. During the songs performance, there was a terrific chemistry between the spotlights on the crowd and Roger’s biting insults. The show would finally conclude with the wall crumbling to the ground and the band emerging from the rubble.

The performance was something magical, something which had me consistently reminding myself that I’m seeing something special - something to the likes of which I will almost certainly never see again. It was a mixture of 21st century technology, mechanical ingenuity and fine musicianship. The Wall musically is good at best, it was half the aural achievements of Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon, but as a live performance, no Pink Floyd album - nor any album for that matter - could hold a light to this production. Epic, breath-taking, spectacular, magical - all fitting descriptions, but nothing can describe a performance with this kind of bombast.

Weezer: Hurley Review

2010-10-06T06:38:00.001-04:00

Over the past two years Weezer has quickly gone from delivering the worlds strongest brand of power pop to a cringe-worthy parody with the Red Album and Raditude. What’s even more perplexing than their fall from grace is the critics reception to these painfully poor albums. Critics have lauded Raditude and the Red Album in what has to be an act of penance for declaring the culture shifting gem Pinkerton a dud in the 90s. On Weezer’s newest release they abandon their recent soiree into hip hop and attempt to reclaim what is remaining of their golden years. The outcome is a surprisingly well written album and reminds us why Weezer were - and still may be - the greatest nerds in rock.

Hurley opens up with the heavy and nostalgic single “Memories”. The band reminisces back to the olden days when “Audioslave was still Rage”, so yeah, not that long ago. The song fiddles in an area slightly above mediocrity with a synth driven chorus, heavy guitar riffs and Rivers’ aggressive vocals. If it weren’t for the unbelievably horrific track, “Where’s My Sex”, “Memories” would be the albums weakest song, which is saying a lot for a band who has been missing more than hitting as of late.

The remainder of the album with the exception of the two previously mentioned songs displays Weezer at their best since Make Believe. “Ruling Me” delivers the classic Weezer sound and signature Cuomo lyrics all tied together with a stellar hook. The following track “Trainwrecks” marches on with a slower tempo but hits with as much force as any great song from the Weez. “Unspoken” opens up as a slow acoustic ballad, but then blossoms with a big finale. Songs like “Hang On”, “Run Away”, “Smart Girls” and “Brave New World” all carry the attributes of any great nerdy power pop track.

What’s great about Hurley is it’s Weezer doing what Weezer does best. It may be borderline unoriginal, but Rivers has an incredible ability to craft pop-rock songs. Weezer’s dabbling into hip hop felt as odd as Dee Dee Ramone’s attempt, and their decision to put that behind them was arguably the greatest decision of their career. Hurley may not have the kind of sustainability as their Blue through Maladroit days, but it’s far more endearing and enjoyable than Red and Raditude. Weezer needed a comeback and Hurley is their saving grace.

Grade: B

Another Week Another Vinyl: Weezer: Hurley

2010-10-01T07:13:00.001-04:00

I’m going to keep this brief, because I typed up a review of the album which I will post within the next few days. Weezer’s last release Raditude was both a joke musically and physically. Without delving into the porous music, Raditude’s vinyl release was extremely lackluster. In a day and age where a physical music product is swiftly meeting its impending doom, Weezer goes and releases a pitiful vinyl package which included nothing but a cover, a sleeve and one black vinyl record. No artwork inside, just a plain white sleeve, no free MP3 download, nothing! With Hurley, the vinyl sleeve at least has a photo and liner notes. Also included, is a CD of the album - well done guys! The cover is not gatefold, but the inclusion of a CD makes up for aesthetical shortcomings. I can’t stand when I buy a vinyl and the portability factor is neglected, so this was a pleasant surprise. I pre-ordered the album from Interpunk for $16 and included was a free poster. The poster is small, but it’s not like I’m going to be hanging it up anywhere anyhow. All in all, it was a pretty good deal from a major act such as Weezer.

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Mars Volta: Frances the Mute

2010-09-16T06:19:00.000-04:00

The Mars Volta’s Frances the Mute easily stands as my favorite album of the past decade, and one of my favorite albums of all time. Frances the Mute was on such a heavy rotation during my freshman year of college I’m shocked I don’t hate it by now. Even after hundreds of listens I always feel like I’m finding something new to appreciate. It’s such a rich and well crafted album that transcends so many genres it might as well be a genre unto itself.

A website called Vinyl Collective has been auctioning off their vinyl inventory on a weekly basis for nearly two months now. There are some nice finds for cheap, but Frances the Mute seems to be the vinyl fetching the highest bids. They’ve listed copies of Frances the Mute consistently since the second week of auctions. Each week I’ve been hoping to snag it for a reasonable price, but it’s always soaring out of my range. Then recently came a point where I decided I would just have to fork over a little bit more than I was initially willing to give up, and subsequently, I won the auction.

The package is incredible, and is probably the nicest package I own. It’s an original pressing - brand new - on three 180g black vinyls. Out of the six sides, five have music and on the rear of the third disc is some awesome etched artwork. As the norm with all Mars Volta records, the artwork on the jacket is incredible. Each vinyl is stored in durable black sleeves with some artsy photos and lyrics. In typical Volta fashion, each side of the first two discs is a locked groove. A locked groove is essentially a constant loop of the end of the final track - or whatever bar of music the band wishes to implement. The only side which institutes the normal run-off is the fifth and final side. I’m not sure if I love it or hate it, but I give them credit for being unique.

This set is incredible and considering how important this album is to me musically, it was worth the price of entry. It sounds great, it looks great and really I don’t have a single gripe - I guess I could complain about the lack of a free download but I had already owned the album and I bought the vinyl version around seven years after it was released, so the free download would probably have been well expired by now. The Mars Volta know how to make a great vinyl package, and Frances the Mute is a testament to that.

(If I ever get a chance, I'll post some pictures of the entire set)

MGMT: Live at the Borgata, Atlantic City, NJ 8/21/10 Review

2010-08-25T07:25:00.002-04:00

Going in to this show I had no idea what to expect, I wasn’t quite sure how MGMT's music would translate live. I also didn’t know how they would treat their debut album - one that they seemed to put in their rear-view mirror when creating their magnum-opus Congratulations. MGMT surprised me, their show was superb, treating their older and arguably better live material well and also translating their newly and superior recorded material well on the stage.

The band opened up with the fan-favorite “Electric Feel”, a song that immediately got the crowd in the mood with its danceable rhythms. The band continued to traverse through a healthy dosing of older and newer material, even digging deep, pulling out a song from their Time to Pretend EP “Destrokk” where they closed down the song with a stellar psychedelic jam session.

The bands stage presence was modest, nothing too showy other than a small illuminated MGMT sign which was sparsely lit and a psychedelic back drop. Lead vocalist and guitarist Andrew VanWyngarden regulated himself to his mic, never venturing far away giving a performance which was strictly focused on the music.

MGMT pulled out the big guns for their encore. In a gesture which may sign that the band is ready to put their hit single “Kids” to rest, they performed a karaoke version of the tune where everyone on stage dropped their instruments and sang along to a recording. The fans didn’t seem to mind all jumping in sync with the infectious beat. They followed that up with quite possibly the strongest track from Congratulations, “I Found a Whistle”, a quaint acoustic number with a stellar melody. The song played well live, but it appeared that the majority of fans present were not their for their newer material - kind of sad when considering how much better it is than their more immediately accessible debut. They closed the show with the up-tempo ode to “Brian Eno”. Despite the crowds somewhat negative response to material from Congratulations, even the Oracular Spectacular fans were unable to deny the greatness of the track.

MGMT proved their talent goes beyond their intricately recorded material. The duo put on a show which was all about the music, and even if a good portion of the fan base was there strictly for the hit singles, they weren’t able to kill the good-vibes flowing throughout the event center.

The Arcade Fire: The Suburbs Review

2010-08-18T12:50:00.002-04:00

In our society every generation strives to find something which will equal or excel the great things of the past. In music we far too often label bands as “the next”, whether it be “The next Beatles” or “The next Led Zeppelin”, we’re never content with a band standing alone on its own merit. We build so much hype around a bands debut release just to watch them whither away after the dreaded sophomore slump. We watched Oasis and The Arctic Monkeys, the so-called second coming of The Beatles fade away, we watched The Strokes who were supposed to be saviors of rock never living up to their fabled debut, we watched Coldplay win over the hearts of millions just to watch the world turn their backs on them as fast as the world realized how lame Fred Durst was, we watched The Vines, the so-called second coming of grunge disappear completely, etc, etc, etc. We continue to throw bands on a pedestal far too early in their careers, and at what point will we learn?

Then comes The Arcade Fire. The uber-hip website Pitchfork, which has made and broken bands placed The Arcade Fire on top of that pedestal when they lauded their debut, “It's taken perhaps too long for us to reach this point where an album is at last capable of completely and successfully restoring the tainted phrase "emotional" to its true origin. Dissecting how we got here now seems unimportant. It's simply comforting to know that we have arrived.” They praised The Arcade Fire on practically every conceivable level. Recently, the BBC made perhaps one of the boldest statements in regards to their latest album, The Suburbs, “You could call it their OK Computer. But it’s arguably better than that.” Suffice it to say, The Arcade Fire certainly hasn’t been lacking critical acclaim. However, is all this hype warranted? Are we once again building up a band just to watch their quick and ultimate demise?

I suppose there is no definitive answer to this question, but if any band of the past decade has lived up to the hype machine, it is The Arcade Fire. Their debut album Funeral was astonishing, their sophomore effort Neon Bible was nothing short of great and here we have their third release The Suburbs which is an absolute masterpiece.

The Suburbs as you would expect, is Win Butlers accounts of his life growing up in the suburbs. His stories carry a mood of despair while airing a flair of optimism and a youthful naivety. On “Rococo” Butler goes on the attack and slams hipsters, “They will eat right out of your hand / Using great big words that they don’t understand” and “They seem wild but they are so tame / They’re moving towards you with their colors all the same.” The criticism may turn many off - because certainly hipsters are an easy target, but surely somebody has to put them in their place. Despite the seemingly negative accounts of his life in the suburbs, he has no regrets, the closing track “The Suburbs (Continued)” relays the message, “If I could have it back / All the time that we wasted / I’d only waste it again.”

Clocking in at over sixty minutes, unlike the shorter and more accessible albums Funeral and Neon Bible, The Suburbs blossoms with every listen. The album lacks the overt intensity previously seen by the Arcade Fire, but the intensity is replaced by a subdued passion that rings just as loud as when Butler is shouting his rallying cries to children on "Wake Up", and at no point are we left longing for that kind of forcefulness. The title track and first single on the album may be the only viable single. Nothing stands out on the album as a radio friendly tune, while at the same time, The Suburbs as a whole is simply unforgettable. The majority of the album drifts along with a low-key orchestral majesty that only The Arcade Fire can deliver. It’s grandiose while remaining unpretentious and beautiful while remaining melancholy. The Arcade Fire toy with emotions with a kind of prowess that is simply uncanny. Each and every song resonates on both lyrical and musical levels.

The Arcade Fire were caught up in the hype as much as any band of the past decade, and while we’ve watched countless bands fall victim to it, The Arcade Fire continued going on their own path with confidence and vigor. The Suburbs is a culmination of their journey and one that clearly shows their growth. You won’t hear a “Power Out” on The Suburbs and you most certainly won’t hear a “Wake Up”, and without a track that carries as much weight as the aforementioned classics on Funeral, The Suburbs is an understated masterpiece. The album gives me chills every time I put it on the turntable and I find it hard to believe that it will every quit doing just that.

Grade: A

Million Dollar Mouth: The PanicKing Review

2010-08-17T20:58:00.001-04:00

Million Dollar Mouth’s The panicKing is a whole lot of grunge a la Stone Temple Pilots and Alice in Chains with a hint of the garage rock post-punkiness of The Strokes. The album has its fair share of strong melodies delivered by sludgy guitars and vocal qualities that mirror Scot Weiland’s - both in tone and swagger. Million Dollar Mouth resembles the Stone Temple Pilots in a myriad of ways, many of which are positive, but for those who remember the lashing the band received by critics, it also can be quite negative.

The band puts everything up-front with the stellar opening track “Big Kiss”, a song which could no doubt be an alternative radio staple. The opening track has more of the post-punk and rawness of The Strokes than the grunge elements which are a little more predominant in the rest of the album.

One of the biggest problems in regards to The Stone Temple Pilots were their unoriginality and inability to fill an album with hit after hit. Of course, no band is expected to write an album where every song is a classic, however, when recording the kind of music STP created, things can become dull quickly. Million Dollar Mouth follows suit where the songs quickly begin to mesh together and lose their potency. After the fifth track “Don’t Disappear” things start to become a bit of a blur. This is not to say that the following songs aren’t good stand alone tracks, the issue is the songs start to become stale due to redundancy.

Million Dollar Mouth has talent, and I see them as a band with a lot of room to grow. With a little more writing outside of the box, this band could really go places. Each track on the album is quite good when standing on its own, the problem is getting through them all in one listen.

Grade: C+

Another Week Another Vinyl: Cat Power: Dear Sir

2010-08-10T20:10:00.001-04:00

It’s always fascinating to see the trajectory of an artists career. I hadn’t gotten in to Cat Power until her 2004 release The Covers Album. After hearing that I dug a little deeper into her catalog and found the unbelievable album You are Free along with several others. A few weeks ago I won an auction for her debut LP Dear Sir - a brand new vinyl for $7 - an album that I had never listened to.

Dear Sir isn’t necessarily a great stand alone album, its value comes in reference to her later work. What’s interesting about Dear Sir is Cat Power’s vocal approach. It doesn’t take a music theorist to tell you that Chan Marshall has a stunning voice that harks back to the days of the great female blues and jazz singers, yet on her debut Dear Sir she opts to go for a severely atonal sound. There’s no doubt that she has the chops to sing beautifully on key- as seen later in her career - but on her debut she wails with dissonance. Her approach works on the album, but it’s a mystery given her amazing talent.

In case you’re interested in the vinyl, it’s a single record pressed on 180 gram black vinyl. It comes in a gatefold jacket - there’s really not much to look at on the inside of the jacket, it’s pretty plain and does not include lyrics. For $7 this wasn’t a bad pick-up for a new record, it’s probably a B album musically, and the packaging is good at best.

In the Cinema: For the Struggle Review

2010-07-29T10:40:00.004-04:00

On their sophomore album, In the Cinema pounds out beat-driven music with intricate textures interwoven with elements of folk. It’s a unique blend of genres that at first glance wouldn’t seem to be a match, but In the Cinema blends the electronic effects, driving beats and mellow acoustics seamlessly.

One of In the Cinema’s strongest qualities is their ability to draw the listener in to their lyrics. The lyrics are down to earth and easily relatable. The practical lyrics play into the duo's hand, because the music isn’t necessarily memorable for its hooks, but instead it’s memorable for the stories they purvey.

Their sound is almost a hybrid of the alternative electronica nature of Beck and the indie singer/songwriter attributes of Bright Eyes. The rich electronic textures add depth to the beat-centric rhythms while the lyrics and vocals keep the songs grounded.

In the Cinema’s For the Struggle is a creative album that is as interesting musically as it is lyrically. The sensible and down to earth lyrics provide a relatable experience while the elaborate electronic textures and driving beats provide complexity. The combination of the two creates something that is both endearing while at the same time remaining unpredictable and unique.

Grade: B

Fen: Trails Out of Gloom Review

2010-07-27T13:51:00.005-04:00

Trails Out of Gloom is a brooding record that meshes the lush with the heavy, the serene with the chilling and the light with the dark. Somehow Fen manages to traverse through the seemingly opposite terrains with incredible success. Fen is an alternative/heavy metal band that often veers into progressive rock territories likening them to the sounds of Porcupine Tree and Opeth. Unlike countless other bands in the same genre, Fen manages to always stay centered, never losing themselves to moments of self-indulgence or falling victim to being overly obscure.

Fen’s musical direction is consistently focused and powerful, crafting songs like a story with beginnings, middles and ends, and as one would expect with any great story, the ending is always a dramatic climax. Fantastic melodies pour out of each and every song, it won’t take long until the choruses on tracks like “Find That One” and “Queen of the Mountain” will be replaying in your head.

The musicianship is top notch whether it be the electric guitar solos, finger picked acoustic guitar passages, battering drums or vocals that crossover into so many ranges that one has to wonder whether it’s the same singer throughout the album. Vocalist/Guitarist Doug Harrison’s voice is something special, he hits high falsetto notes similar to that of Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother with relative ease and soothes with deep lower ranges and nails every note in-between, all the while never sounding the least bit pretentious.

Trails Out of Gloom is absolutely phenomenal, even with around seven albums in my queue to review, I still don’t want to take this album out of my stereo.

Grade: A

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Gaslight Anthem: American Slang

2010-07-22T20:21:00.000-04:00

Maybe I should begin entitling these posts, “Another Month Another Vinyl” because I’m certainly not posting on a weekly basis, although I am still purchasing vinyls weekly. Between owning a home for the first time, summer, and work, blogging hasn’t been priority number one.

If you don’t already know, I’m from New Jersey, and if there is a number one rule for all New Jerseyites - I still don’t know how we refer to ourselves - it’s you must love Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi. I’m more or less the anomaly of the state, because I’m not a major fan of either. Born to Run and Born in the USA are fine albums for sure, but they’re not in heavy rotation on my stereo. For that matter, The Gaslight Anthem has been working their way up the ranks as another top band of New Jersey, and following my feelings towards other major Jersey acts, I’m a little indifferent to The Gaslight Anthem.

Then came American Slang, an album that has overt influences from Bruce Springsteen, and ironically, I love it! Finally an album from a New Jersey band that I really appreciate. I purchased the vinyl version online from Interpunk for around fifteen dollars - not a bad price. It’s a single black record in a gatefold jacket. Inside the gatefold is the lyrics to each song. I almost feel proud having it in my collection, I’m finally representing my hometown, despite its reputation spiraling down each and every day no thanks to the MTV tool-athon Jersey Shore.

While I’m on my New Jersey musicians kick, I have to mention that on Monday I actually surfed with Bruce Springsteen at Manasquan. Well maybe I didn’t necessarily surf with him, I did notice him on a stand up paddle board paddling out a mile - for what reason I do not know. His son was also with him and having no idea what his son looked like at the time, I was actually surfing right next to him for a bit. After hearing all the hoopla about Bruce’s presence on the shore, I decided to head right over. He was looking away from the crowd of five people surrounding him, so I walked right in front of his line of vision staring intensely, and when we finally made eye contact, all I could muster was, “Hey man, how’s it going.” He just smiled and nodded. It was a true Jersey moment.

First Half of 2010

2010-07-14T20:19:00.000-04:00

I’ve been listening to Peter Case’s new album Wig! quite a bit this week. It’s a fine bluesy tinged album, and it got me thinking about how great 2010 has been musically. Having bypassed the halfway mark of the year recently, I’m beginning to debate which albums top my list. In my opinion, the first half of 2010 has been better than almost any full-year in quite a while. I’m not ready to start my "Best Of" list at this moment, but here are some of my favorite albums of the year - all of which I would recommend you check out:

The Black Keys - Brothers
Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow
MGMT - Congratulations
Peter Case - Wig!
Deftones - Diamond Eyes
The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards
Wolf Parade - Expo 86
Broken Bells - Broken Bells

What’s even more exciting than the great albums already released, is the possibility of what’s in store for the remainder of the year. Some of my most anticipated albums are still yet to be released , for example, The Arcade Fire, Cat Power, U2, Interpol and R.E.M.

So, does anyone else have any other albums that I should check out?

Full Day of Double Albums

2010-06-30T07:30:00.000-04:00

I really dislike double albums, unless they are absolutely necessary in which case I support them under protest. I like my songs long and my albums short. Perhaps growing up in a generation of instant gratification has left me a little jaded, but double albums have always come off as a waste of space. In my opinion, bands should adhere to the idea of giving us the best product and dispose of the garbage.

However, yesterday I started my day off by listening to The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - one of my favorite double albums. When trying to figure out what album to listen to next, I decided I would make a day devoted to double albums. I promptly began listening to Pink Floyd The Wall, The Who Quadrophenia, The Clash London Calling, The Rolling Stones Exile on Mainstreet, The Who Tommy, The Beatles White Album, Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde. Oddly enough, I immensely enjoyed my listening experience. Maybe because it was a little out of my element, but the time flew by despite the length of the albums.

Being the list-addict I am, I attempted to list the aforementioned albums by quality, and this was my final verdict:

1. The Who Tommy - I used to think this album was more filler than quality, but this album has really taken on a life of its own in my collection. I love the story, I love the songs which I used to categorize as filler, and from top to bottom I find myself always being incredibly engaged with the deaf, dumb and blind boy.

2. The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness - This is truly one of the gems of the 90s. The Pumpkins have a pretty impressive discography, but Mellon Collie tops it all. Even with the enormous scope, it never becomes repetitive. It has an interesting and almost odd track arrangement which quickly goes from dark, heavy grunge to soft endearing love songs. The Jekyll and Hyde nature of the album always keeps things refreshing.

3. The Who Quadrophenia - As I stated earlier, and many times previously, I’m usually against double albums, but The Who work the rock opera angle which gives them a little more credibility - or less considering your preference. Quadrophenia doesn’t come off as tied down to its plot as Tommy which may make for better stand-alone tracks, but the story still comes across well enough to get the overall gist. Another quality double album from The Who, and should you expect anything less?

4. The Beatles The White Album - This is the pivotal album that turned me away from double albums. If there is any album that could use a cleaning of tracks, it’s The White Album. Too many songs come off as mere filler and fluff, but the great songs are incredible. If the White Album was condensed to one disc, it could be one of, if not the greatest albums in rock, but instead, it’s weighed down by its weaker moments.

5. Pink Floyd The Wall - I find this album to be pretty overrated, but even though I smack it with that title, I still realize it’s a very strong album. I’m pretty hard on the Roger Waters dominated era of Floyd, but both Animals and The Wall are great albums. The Wall may have the strongest story of any rock opera, and the songs don’t lose much of their punch despite the need to progress the story. There are some moments which take its toll, but it’s a pretty strong album from top to bottom.

6. The Clash London Calling - I’m not as high on London Calling as most rock aficionados. I understand its importance in rock/punk history, but I don’t find it to be much better than say Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. However, practically every time I listen to it, I appreciate it a bit more. Maybe in five or ten years I'll fully realize why people rate it as one of the tops albums of all time.

7. Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - I feel Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is far and away Elton’s best album. The amount of stellar songs is pretty impressive. Like The White Album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road could be one of the finest albums in rock with some skimming of a number of tracks. Instead it gets a little bogged down with some mediocre tunes. It’s unfortunate, because when Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is good, it’s amazing.

8. Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde - Another fine album that I feel gets a little more attention than it deserves. I love Blonde on Blonde, it’s a Grade A album, but I feel more often than not it’s regarded as Dylan’s best. I would be hard pressed to put it in his top five. There are some excellent moments on Blonde on Blonde, but it’s far from being Dylan’s best.

9. The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street - In my opinion, this is a decent album, which barely meets the “good” threshold. It may even be my favorite Stones album, but that’s not saying much about The Stones.

Participate in Bob Vinyl's Post!

2010-06-22T21:45:00.003-04:00

Bob Vinyl over at Rock n Roll and Meandering Nonsense has a great post which really requires participation from readers. He is essentially asking which band/artists defined each decade. The more participation the better. “Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts…”

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Almighty Norma Jean Box Set

2010-06-09T23:35:00.000-04:00

Wow, these past few weeks have been crazy. I just bought a home, and have been internet-less for the past few weeks due in part to the incompetence over at Comcast. Up until a few weeks ago my vinyl collection was hovering at 199 records - not including doubles. Then came the Almighty Norma Jean box set. I ordered this set nearly two months ago, and after a few shipping errors, I finally received this truly almighty box set. Between the shipping errors and closing on a home I’ve been teetering on the edge of insanity. Norma Jean’s massive metalcore attack was a great way to unravel - in an angry kind of way.

The box set includes Norma Jean’s first three LP’s: Bless the Martyr Kiss the Child, O God, The Aftermath and Redeemer. Honestly, when purchasing this, I only had an interest in Bless the Martyr. After their debut album, vocalist Josh Scogin left the band to pursue other projects. Scogin’s vocals really drew me in, so his absence left me feeling a little weary about their following albums. After giving some more attention to their other albums, I can say that I really enjoy O God, The Aftermath but Redeemer isn’t necessarily my cup of tea - there’s a bit too much screamo-esque singing.

Now for the good part. The set includes four records. Bless the Martyr was pressed on two vinyls due to its length. As you can see from the picture above, the vinyls look awesome. Redeemer stands out as being the only picture disc in the set, but the image is pretty striking, so even though it’s kind of the misfit of the set, I don’t mind straying from the others. The four records are held their respective album jackets which in turn comes in a nice little box. There seems to have been a little glitch with the Bless the Martyr covers, because both jackets contain the same lyrics which ultimately means I’m missing the lyrics to the second record.

I bought this set at a clearance price, so even though I went in only loving their debut album, I still think for what I got it was a steal. It even turned me on to O God, The Aftermath. So essentially, I received an awesome four disc set and two thirds of it I really like musically. Not too shabby.

Another Week Another Vinyl: Frank Zappa: Apostrophe

2010-05-18T13:40:00.001-04:00

Early on when I was discovering classic rock and digging through bands to hear, I stumbled upon Frank Zappa. I gave a quick listen and wasn’t all that interested. I heard one song and wasn’t immediately impressed, and at that time, that’s all the attention I would give to a band/artist. Who has the time to focus on one band when I have hundreds of others to search through?

Anyhow, while listening to Pandora, a song by Mr. Zappa himself had come on. I don’t recall exactly which song it was, but I do recall that it was off of Make a Jazz Noise Here. I enjoyed the song enough to include Zappa in my weekly searches of vinyls.

My local record store has a pretty decent Zappa selection (not too dificult when considering his scope of work) but most of the vinyls range from twenty dollars and over - a bit too high for someone who just wants to sample his collection. Sitting amongst the high priced albums was a copy of Apostrophe. I figured I would give it a chance, how wrong could I possibly go for four bucks?

Knowing Zappa’s reputation for being an intelligent musician with childlike humor, I went in expecting anything. I placed the needle down with my fiancee in the same room, and she was immediately bored asking for me to put on my 90s playlist which I immediately obliged without much argument.

I gave a second shot at listening to the album by myself, and I must say, I was pretty impressed. The music was fairly accessible, at least given Zappa’s reputation. It didn’t take long for the humor to kick in - the opening track is entitled “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow.” Overall I really enjoyed the album, and I don’t plan on this being the last Zappa album I buy. I’m happy I finally made the plunge. It certainly took me long enough...

You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks DVD Review

2010-05-10T13:08:00.004-04:00

If there is any band deserving of a good documentary, it’s The Kinks. Their following in the States has always been lackluster at best, especially in comparison to their talent. They had several hits which made them household names in the 60s, but nothing that was able to transcend pop culture in the same fashion as The Beatles or the Rolling Stones.

You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks is hardly "the story of The Kinks." This film reminds me of awful high school reports I would create last minute; I would use a minimal amount of facts, and in order to meet the page count requirements I would toss in large graphs or pictures. The narration in this film is very thin. What this film really is, is a montage of various live performances, music videos and snippets of songs that appear to be lumped together without much thought. It jumps from performance to performance with the occasional fact mentioned so there is some semblance of a transition.

If you’re a Kinks fan - which I would presume is the only reason you would have any interest in this documentary - you will probably come away learning nothing new about the band. As a documentary, You Really Got Me is abysmal, but as a hodgepodge of live performances and music videos, it’s passable. It's a shame because as a band, I would take The Kinks over the Stones any day.

Grade: D

I Need That Record! The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store: Review

2010-04-30T13:25:00.000-04:00

Every since buying a turntable it has been a tradition of mine to head out to the record store every weekend. I drag my fiancee along - God bless her - and peruse through the endless racks of vinyl lining the store. While she’s flipping through the pages of the latest Cosmo magazine I’m debating whether I should throw down $10 for a used copy of Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma. There’s something about the record store which makes it incredibly endearing. In an age where you can find literally any album in any condition for dirt cheap prices, many still choose to make the trek to the record store in hopes of finding exactly what they’re looking for. For me, I love the idea of never knowing what I might find. It forces me to open up my horizons and take chances on albums I may not normally listen to. Sure, I could hop on Ebay and buy a lot of Bob Dylan albums for a low price, but where’s the fun in that impersonal and incredibly boring experience?

I Need that Record! presents the plight of the record store . It connects on deep emotional levels to those who own record stores and to those who simply love music. While the emotional connections run rampant, it covers a wide base of horizons with well researched factual information. The documentary focuses on the music industry as a whole while encompassing all the major events that have led us to where we are now including the major labels greed, payola, big box stores and the internet. I Need that Record! is a documentary which will leave you unnerved and longing to make a trip out to your local record store.

The documentary showcases a handful of small record stores who have been forced to close down for a myriad of reasons. The film maker gets us up-close and personal with the owners of these stores and the emotional connections they have attached to them. The overriding theme which all of these owners touch on is the sense of community. Customers aren’t merely dollar signs to the record stores, instead they’re humans who may become friends. One owner asks the question of what employee of Best Buy or Wal Mart is going to recommend a Hawkwind Space Ritual live? It’s this kind of personal touch which makes the record stores so important. World renowned linguist and super-genius Noam Chomsky even chimes in on the importance of the mom and pop shops which lend themselves to a community. The big box stores simply can’t offer this. One customer eloquently gives his point-of-view on his favorite record store closing, “It’s like your best friend moving away to a far away land, and you just can’t buy a plane ticket to go find him.”

Even though the personal connections are the heart and soul of this film, the film maker realizes there have been countless events which have culminated to the current crisis we are facing. Without going into too much detail of his actual argument, the greed of major labels is one of the most prominent. Straight Edge king Ian MacKaye even makes a handful of appearances and arguably gives the most informative and insightful views on why things are so wrong. As an owner of the indie label Dischord Records, MacKaye has a fine understanding of the costs of producing an album. He mentions that a CD costs around eighty cents to make including the packaging, minus the costs of recording which may cost around $3,000. He barks at the absurdity of major labels promotional costs which is often times more expensive than the actual recording of the physical product. This is one of the many reasons why the industry is in shambles today.

One of the finer moments of the documentary is a 1999 debate between master rapper Chuck-D and Lars Ulrich of Metallica. Chuck-D enforces the opinion that the power is shifting away from the account/lawyer driven labels and is moving towards the people. He notes that many people will continue to buy music after downloading it on Napster. Lars doesn’t refute the point that people may still buy the album after downloading it for free, but he doesn’t agree with the power shift. Lars ultimately believes that if the file sharing public has all the power they too will have the same greedy intentions as the labels. Moving forward eleven years, it’s fairly evident to see who was sitting on the right side of the fence with that debate.

I Need that Record! is a finely produced documentary that covers a wide base of topics which ultimately bring us to the current plight of the record store. The factual arguments are well thought out and informative, but this film will win you over with the conversations with the record store owners themselves. It’s impossible not to feel a deep connection with these quirky owners, but even being a group of odd-balls, their stories ring loud and true.

Grade: A+

Iggy and the Stooges: Raw Power Legacy Edition Review

2010-04-23T13:49:00.000-04:00

Has there ever been an album title that described what you were about to hear as aptly as Raw Power? If there has, I certainly can’t think of one. Raw Power is one of the most definitive albums in history, an album that goes overlooked by many, but those who acknowledge it, realize its importance in the punk. I could simply summarize this review in two words - RAW POWER.

Legacy has re-released Raw Power in two editions. The standard edition contains two CD’s and a twenty-four page booklet. The first CD is the original David Bowie mix of the album and the second CD is a recording from a 1973 show in Georgia as well as two bonus tracks, “Doojiman” and “Head On”. The deluxe edition includes all the aforementioned material as well as a “Making of Raw Power” documentary and a recreation of the 1973 Japanese 7”, 5 5x7 prints, 48 page softcover book with never before seen photos and sleeve notes. Having been a 90s child I had only heard the Iggy mix which I thought was great, but after hearing the Bowie mix my appreciation grows a bit more. The documentary is pretty informative, and really shines when Iggy is front and center. Unlike so many egomaniac rockers, Iggy is down to earth and he really understands his craft.

As for the music, Raw Power is a full length slop-fest that sounds like it was created with dirty and bruised instruments without any semblance of cleanliness and zero care for what anyone thinks; it’s this rawness that makes Raw Power one of the most influential and revered albums. Just look at the opening line of the album, “I’m a street walking cheetah with a heart full of napalm.” I wouldn’t be surprised if Iggy was pissing on all that is holy while downing a bottle of whisky and smashing it over his head while recording this album. Yet, even with all of its grittiness, the melodies scream through the crude framework. The Stooges had a fine sense of what went into making a song with intensity without undercutting the quality.

Raw Power is unquestionably remembered for its speedy and reckless tracks, but even the two so-called ballads on the album are stellar. Take for instance “Gimme Danger”, a slow and plodding track sandwiched in-between the brazen “Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell” and the monumental “Search and Destroy”. Somehow while being caught in the middle of such carnage “Gimme Danger” shines through with its own form of subdued authority.

Raw Power is just that - raw power. When looking at the most seminal albums in punk, Raw Power should be the first album you pick up. It was punk before there was punk, and even the most storied punk artists who followed in The Stooges footsteps were unable to create the kind of brashness and intensity that The Stooges were able to deliver.

Grade: A

Coheed and Cambria: Year of the Black Rainbow Review

2010-04-22T20:24:00.005-04:00

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with Coheed and Cambria. In one sense, I find the very concept which the band has grounded itself in is unbelievable and on the other hand I find the execution to be very hit or miss; when it does hit it’s phenomenal, when they miss, they're far off the mark.

One element that makes Coheed so unique is their bombast. Bombast certainly isn’t that difficult to locate, but bombast on the level of Coheed is practically non-existent. Coheed’s entire existence revolves around The Armory Wars story created by front man Claudio Sanchez. Each album is a volume of the story which they have decided to release in a non-linear stream; scattering the releases of each volume. This five volume concept makes Pink Floyd’s The Wall and The Who’s Tommy look like short stories. Year of the Black Rainbow is the prequel to the saga.

Coheed’s music is a dual guitar attack with intricate complexities that become unwound with closer listens. Some songs in the bands history have bordered on a kind of epic majesty, i.e. “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth” and “The Final Cut” and then others have more emo screeches like "A Favor House Atlantic". This is where my issue lies with Coheed, I love the prog “pretentiousness”, but the emo leanings leave me wishing the band would stick to one identity.

Year of the Black Rainbow is the quintessential album where Coheed finds the happy medium which doesn’t alienate those looking for the hooks and keeps enough complexities to keep the prog fans happy. What is truly incredible about Year of the Black Rainbow is how well is holds up from beginning to end. The album is completely void of any kind of lulls and skippable tracks.

The album opens up in the typical Coheed manner with an obscure intro which leads into three rockers that chug along with anthemic sensibilities. These three songs (“The Broken”, “Guns of Summer” and “Here We Are Juggernaut”) show the band at their peak. The remainder of the album is a fun ride careening through ballads and elaborate heavier passages all coming to a close with the ambient seven minute melodramatic title track. One noticeable difference between Year of the Black Rainbow and their previous efforts is the albums mood. Coheed ditches the brighter sounding emo guitars for sludgy and deeper tones; the choice could not have been a better one.

It may have taken five albums, but Coheed and Cambria finally found the near-perfect formula. Year of the Black Rainbow is an absolute gem. The songs rock with huge melodies and enough complexity to make it original and worth coming back for multiple listens. The song writing is top notch, and the musicianship, as you would come to expect from such accomplished performers, is stellar. Pick this one up without any hesitation.

Grade: A

Another Week Another Vinyl: Coheed and Cambria "Guns of Summer" 7"

2010-04-20T13:51:00.000-04:00

I should probably rename the title of these posts given how rare it is for me to actually make a vinyl purchase lately. However, this is the Record Store Day edition! Last years Record Store Day (RSD) was a total bust for me. I only made out with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs It’s Blitz! LP which wasn’t necessarily a Record Store Day exclusive; instead it was just a rushed release on Record Store Day in reaction to an early album leak. However, I did purchase Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s album on Ebay when I got home for a very fair price.

This year I was on a tight budget and schedule. I had some matters to take care of early in the morning so I didn’t arrive at the store until mid-day. When I got there it was slim pickings, not too many RSD exclusives hanging around. The only thing that appealed to me was Coheed and Cambria’s 7" picture disc that included “Guns of Summer” on the first side and a demo of “Pearl of the Stars” on the flip side. The front side of the picture disc is an image of a distraught women clutching a dead man in an apocalyptic looking environment, and on the rear is the Coheed logo.

Both songs are great, I sort of wish “The Broken” could have been included, but regardless, it’s still a nice little pick-up with some awesome songs. If I had the money I would have purchased Coheed’s new vinyl LP, but instead I’m going to have to stick to streaming the music on Mog. I should have a review up of the full length album in the next few days.

Also, if you want another take on RSD there is a great article written up by my favorite vinyl collector Bob Vinyl: Record Store Day 2010.

I Need That Record! The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store

2010-04-16T08:44:00.001-04:00

With Record Store Day tomorrow, here is a great looking documentary about the current plight of the record store.

Coming To Indie Retailers on DVD April 17

Featuring Thurston Moore, Ian MacKaye, Noam Chomksy, Mike Watt, Lenny Kaye and more

MVD Visual is pleased to announce the release of "I Need That Record! The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store" for North American distribution on April 17 (Record Store Day). It will be offered exclusively to independent record stores for a period of 90 days. Afterwards, it will be available everywhere on July 27.

Guerilla filmmaker Brendan Toller presents a documentary feature examining why over 3000 independent record stores have closed across the U.S. in the past decade.

Greedy record labels, media consolidation, homogenized radio, big box stores, Ecommerce, shoddy "stars" pushed by big money, and the digital revolution all pose threats on the very well being of our favorite record stores and the music industry at large. Will these stores die? Will they survive?

Featuring discussion and commentary by THURSTON MOORE of Sonic Youth, IAN MACKAYE of Dischord Records Fugazi/Minor Threat, activist/author NOAM CHOMSKY, MIKE WATT of the Minutemen, LENNY KAYEguitarist of the Patti Smith Group, CHRIS FRANTZ of the Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club, guitar composer GLENN BRANCA, PATTERSON HOOD of Drive-By Truckers, PAT CARNEY of the Black Keys, punk author LEGS MCNEIL, rock photographer BOB GRUEN, BP HELIUM guitarist from Of Montreal, and many indie record stores across the United States.

"This film has been a four year labor of love playing at over 25 film festivals worldwide (and continuing)," said Toller. "So when it came time to craft the DVD we packed it with 2+ hours of candid interview extras with: Thurston Moore, Mike Watt, Ian MacKaye, Lenny Kaye, Patterson Hood, Glenn Branca, Pat Carney, and Legs McNeil."

The film also features amazing animation by MATT NEWMAN. Currently Toller is working with Justin Skrakowski on a collagic film portrait of rock legend Danny Fields.

"An elegy for a vanishing subculture...a lively, bittersweet film that examines - with caustic humor, brutal candor, and, ultimately, great affection - why roughly 3,000 indie record stores have closed across the nation over the past decade..." - Johnathan Perry, Boston Globe

Vinyls

2010-04-02T19:49:00.001-04:00

These past few weeks have felt a lot like a perfect storm of stress. Between buying a house and some odd stuff going down at the office, I feel like I’m bordering on a brain aneurysm. Sadly with the purchasing of a home, I’m in financial dire straits trying to do whatever I can to pull together a 20% down payment, which means no record buying for me for quite some time - and of course Record Store Day is right around the corner. So while the world is picking up limited edition vinyls on arguably the greatest day of the year, I will be relegated to staring at my same old collection. However, there’s no use in sobbing, so I figured I go through some of my favorite vinyls and a few that I really wish to pick up.

Current Favorites

The Kinks - Are the Village Green Preservation Society - Why I was so excited about picking up this album is beyond me. I think The Kinks are great, but when thinking of the greatest albums and bands, The Kinks never come up. However, when I saw this album sitting in the record store for $8 and in VG+ condition I nearly fell to the floor in excitement. I suppose I see this as one of those historic albums which goes overlooked and maybe I am overvaluing the worth of it, but given the condition it’s in, I feel like it’s worth a lot more than $8. So whenever I’m asked which vinyl I’m most proud of, I continuously point to The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society.

King Crimson – Red – I know I harp on this a lot, but my ultimate goal of record collecting is owning every King Crimson album from In the Court of the Crimson King through Red. Red was my first King Crimson purchase, and I found it while traveling for work in South Carolina. The record store, Papa Jazz (I believe that’s correct), was unbelievable and had the best selection of any record store I’ve ever been to. Between my love for the album and the ways of obtaining it, I hold it in very high regard in my collection.

Emerson Lake and Palmer – Tarkus – I actually bought this together with aforementioned Kinks album. So that day was like striking gold. Tarkus is one of those albums that I always felt would be much better suited for vinyl. Probably because side two is a joke in comparison to side one.

The Kinks – Misfits – What is with my Kinks love when it comes to vinyl? This album makes me particularly happy because I had never listened to Misfits before I purchased the vinyl version. I absolutely loved the cover which prompted a purchase from me, and what I would come to find is it’s an absolute masterpiece. Who says you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover?

Nektar – Remember the Future – This was my first vinyl purchase - in hindsight an odd selection, but a great one none-the-less. Nektar doesn’t get the kind of credit they deserve, and being a prog aficionado, this was a fun first purchase.

Albums on My Wish List

King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King – Do I need to elaborate anymore? They’re the kings of my favorite genre.

Pink Floyd – Obscured by Clouds – I already own all of the Floyd classics with the exception of Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and Obscured by Clouds is one of my favorite Floyd albums. "Wots…Uh the Deal?" is beyond amazing.

Regina Spektor – Soviet Kitsch/Far/Begin to Hope – Yeah, I’ll pretty much take any Regina Spektor vinyl at this point. I’ve become engulfed by her music for the past year. I think she would fit quite well on my turntable.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell/S/T – To say that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have become an obsession of mine for the past four years or five years would be an understatement. They’re the most listened to band on my iPod and even after wearing Fever to Tell thin with repeated listens, I still feel the music is as intense and ferocious as the first time I heard it. Karen O is a Goddess. I’d marry her in a heartbeat…

Nirvana – In Utero – I know what you’re going to say. This is the most overrated album and band ever! Say what you will, but In Utero essentially shaped my musical childhood. I was approximately eight years old when I bought In Utero and I recall even being blown away at that age. In my humblest of humble opinions, In Utero is the most underrated overrated album in rock.

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper/Rubber Soul – No explanation is necessary. It’s The Beatles!

The Bad Brains – S/T – The Bad Brains are my favorite punk band and The Brains’ S/T album is golden. It proudly stands at the top of my punk rock pedestal – sorry London Calling, I have a tendency to like hardcore more. Even the cover art is incredible.

Tangerine Dream – Rubycon – This is one of those albums that I just feel is perfect for vinyl – a lot like Tarkus. I’m not necessarily a big Tangerine Dream fan, but this would be a nice vinyl to throw on while relaxing.

The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute - In my opinion, this is the best album released in the past decade. It's a bit pricey purchase on vinyl, but this is a prog masterpiece that needs to be in my collection. There hasn't been many albums I've fawned over quite like Frances the Mute.

The Case for Rubber Soul

2010-03-19T19:27:00.001-04:00

Way back in the early days of my blog, I had created a list of the top ten albums of all time. Much of that list would probably be tweaked today, but the top two albums I still stand by. At the number one spot I had Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and at number two I had The Beatles Rubber Soul. I recall someone having an issue with me excluding Sgt. Pepper from my list and including Rubber Soul. In my opinion there is no question that Rubber Soul is far more important than Sgt. Pepper. That’s not to say Rubber Soul is technically better musically, because that is probably a wash, but in terms of importance, Rubber Soul is one if not the most important album in rock.

Rubber Soul was the first album that radically changed what rock could and eventually would be. The Beatles brought unconvential instruments into play such as the sitar (“Norwegian Wood”) and a piano that sounded like a harpsichord (“In My Life) amongst others. They added different effects to their music which would subsequently break so many barriers in music. The use of the sitar may have predated Rubber Soul, but The Beatles brought it to the masses, and sometimes that’s more important. Rubber Soul was also such a great leap forward in the way we perceived lyrics. The Beatles stepped away from the sappy and mushy lyrics to themes that were a little more thought provoking. Once again, The Beatles may not have been the first to do this, but they were the first to truly bring it to the masses.

I often feel like the importance of Sgt. Pepper is a bit overstated. It may have been a landmark album because it was a “concept album”, however the term is applied so loosely. It was a genius idea, but that’s the problem, it was more of an idea and wasn’t truly executed. Sgt. Pepper is only a concept album in its bookends, the rest of the songs could easily be placed on any other album and would have retained the same value. In terms of breaking boundaries musically, Rubber Soul had already done that, Sgt. Pepper was merely a progression of the enormous leap Rubber Soul had made.

I absolutely love Sgt. Pepper, and in my opinion it is just as great of an album as Rubber Soul musically. However, I feel that Rubber Soul often takes a backseat to the somewhat over-hyped Sgt. Pepper. Rubber Soul was the real catalyst for the subsequent revolution in rock, Sgt. Pepper was simply riding the wave. What prompted me to write this was listening to The Beach Boys today. Without Rubber Soul there would be no Pet Sounds, and without Pet Sounds, we would be missing out on one of the greatest albums and stories in rock. Here’s to you Rubber Soul...

Train Concert Review: Count Bassie Theater Red Bank, NJ 3/16/10

2010-03-17T13:57:00.000-04:00

Last night I took my fiancee to see Train. A band who has broad appeal for their catchy hooks and simplistic classic formula that doesn’t alienate older listeners. Because of this reason, Train has had incredible success with women in their 30s and 40s, and that was blatantly evident by the crowd that was present at Count Bassie Theater last night in Red Bank, NJ. Despite never truly giving Train much attention, I found myself really engulfed by their performance and especially by Patrick Monahan’s vocal abilities.

In the small intimate theater Train frontman Patrick Monahan took advantage of his settings. He played to the crowd with the utmost confidence bringing kids and women onto the stage to sing and dance as well as signing without a mic on their popular single “When I Look to the Sky.” If there is anything to take away from the show it’s Patrick Monahan is a true vocal virtuoso, even without the mic his voice carried throughout the entire theater without missing a note. The energy from the entire band was electric as they went through their catalog of songs performing single after single as well as some deeper tracks, and arguably most importantly, some classic rock staples. Monahan, who started his career off in a Led Zeppelin cover band covered the Zeppelin classic, “Ramble On.” His voice doesn’t carry the same falsetto qualities of Plant’s, but he made the song his own with an all acoustic intro that featured Lou Reed’s “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” during the bridge and would ultimately lead to strapping on the electric for the finale. During the encore, the band whipped out the 80s spandex hit “Dance the Night Away.” If there is anyone who dislikes Van Halen more than I do, I am yet to find them, but to Train’s credit, they did do a solid rendition sounding very similar to the egomaniac, David Lee Roth.

A lot is to be said of a band who can really make each individual in the crowd feel like they’re a part of the show, and Train was capable of doing just that in the intimate setting. The band had announced that they would be opening up the new Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ with Bon Jovi this summer - which he shamelessly referred to as “The new Giants Stadium”, and as a Jets fan I took great offense - it would certainly be interesting to see if they are capable of pulling off the same kind of crowd interaction, but none-the-less, if you have an opportunity to catch them on this tour I would certainly encourage you to go.

(Just as an aside, I had such a difficult time getting “Meet Virginia” out of my head this morning that I reverted to listening to the Bad Brains (possibly the polar opposite of Train) all day. It wasn’t until around the end of their self titled album that I finally cured myself. Uh oh... I think it might be coming back. Back to the Bad Brains.)

Bush: Razorblad Suitcase Review

2010-03-16T13:55:00.000-04:00

When I wrote my review of Nirvana’s In Utero around a year back, I was lambasted by practically any living and breathing creature who read my blog. Well in somewhat of the same vein as In Utero, I’m here to review Bush’s Razorblade Suitcase. Bush aka the British Nirvana, took their Nirvana similarities one step further on Sixteen Stone’s follow up, Razordblade Suitcase. On their sophomore effort they hired the man behind - you got it - In Utero, Steve Albini. Maybe I’m a sucker for Albini’s work, but like In Utero, I find Razorblade to be one of the gems of the 90s with Albini’s signature raw sound that was a stripped down, straightforward grunge powerhouse- a lot like In Utero.

So maybe my last sentence won’t win anyone over due to the seemingly universal hate of In Utero, but to my advantage in this review, I don’t think Bush carries the same kind of love/hate mentality amongst fans of rock. Razorblade Suitcase may lack the hooks of Sixteen Stone, but what it lacks in mainstream appeal and in the catch department it makes up for in emotion and grit. Gavin Rossdale’s vocals soar throughout the album, and to heights which were previously unseen in his music.

“Personal Holloway” opens up the album with a definitive edge and heaviness which is no doubt, a precursor for what’s to come. “Cold Contagious” plods with passion in a verging on melodramatic sensibility. “Mouth” and “Swallowed” are two songs which don’t appear to have the unforgettable hooks on the surface, but will sink their teeth in your mind and leave a lasting impression.

Razorblade Suitcase was more often than not, trashed by critics. The critical lashing would appear to be more of a damnation on its lack of originality as opposed to its music quality. It shares many, and according to critics, too many similarities to the critically acclaimed and publicly destroyed In Utero. It’s an album that leans on grit and passion and still resonates with solid hooks, albeit not quite as remarkable hooks as their debut. I’m willing to put originality to the side if the music is good enough, and in the case of Razorblade Suitcase, I would say it easily meets the benchmark.

Grade: A-

Pink Floyd: Ummagumma Review

2010-03-03T13:50:00.004-05:00

Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma had been sitting in my local record store for some time. I always take a glance at it, but never pull the trigger. The fourteen dollar price tag pushed me away, but the lack of selection this week gave me no choice but to go ahead and purchase this double disc set.

The heart and soul of Ummagumma is the first disc - a live recording featuring “Astronomy Domine”, “Careful With that Axe Eugene”, “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” and “A Saucerful of Secrets”. These live takes - all record without Syd Barrett - are absolutely unreal. The studio versions of these songs sound empty when compared to their live counterparts. The live versions of these already great songs are spacier and more intense. The live disc alone is worth the price of admission, and quite frankly, Ummagumma may be held in higher regard if the second disc was left out.

The second disc is some of Floyd’s most experimental works which spends a lot more time missing the mark than hitting it. Each band member gets a crack at a song and three waffle around in obscurity while one produces a song that retains some sense of a melody. Wright’s opening song “Syphus” is nothing more than mindless noodling that fails to shows any semblance of a redeeming quality. Waters chooses to take the acoustic path on “Grantchester Meadows”, a song that waddles around in a place that is just below mediocrity, while the following track “Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict” is absolutely, positively, ridiculous in the worst sense of the word. Gilmour’s track “The Narrow Way” is the only studio song that holds any water. It truly starts to hit stride in the third part of the song where Gilmour’s soothing vocals lead a spacey melody. Mason ends the album by showing off his drumming ability but seemingly forgets that “showing off” doesn’t necessarily equate to good music.

Ummagumma reminds me a lot of ELP’s Tarkus, in that you really only buy it for one reason. In the case of Ummagumma it’s the first record, for Tarkus it is side one. The live work is phenomenal, and that might be an understatement, the studio material on the other hand is poor at best. My recommendation - buy the album, and use the second disc as wall art or a coaster, or better yet, give it to Daniel Edlen and let him paint a picture of David Gilmour on it. You will not be disappointed!

Grade: A

(Just make sure you do something useful with the second disc)

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Beatles: Revolver

2010-02-17T13:04:00.002-05:00

Owning all King Crimson vinyls ranging from In the Court of the Crimson King to Red has been my ultimate goal in record collecting - an extremely modest goal by record collector standards. I would love to have the same expectations for Beatles records, however the high prices have pushed me away. This past Christmas my brother was kind enough to bestow upon me a $25 gift certificate to my local record store. That money would be dedicated for the sole purpose of purchasing a Beatles album.

After numerous trips to the store, they finally had a stock of affordable Beatles albums, most of which were obscure early releases that weren’t proper studio albums. Lucky for me, there was a VG+ version of Revolver for $20. To say that it’s my favorite Beatles album would probably only be half-true because any album released from Rubber Soul on could earn that very title.

Since going over the merits of Revolver would be like reciting old news, I’ll just focus on the vinyl itself. The cover is in fantastic condition with very minimal wear and tear. The vinyl itself plays nearly flawlessly with the one minor hiccup on "I Want to Tell You" where there is a very small skip in the beginning of the song. Hissing and any abnormalities are practically non-existent. Unfortunately this is the US version which means songs like "Doctor Robert", "And Your Bird Can Sing" as well as "I’m Only Sleeping" are absent. I guess I’ll just have to purchase Yesterday and Today for those, but all in due time. Otherwise there are no complaints coming from me.

If anyone is interested in where the remainder of my $25 gift certificate went, I ended up purchasing Yes’ Tales from Topographic Oceans for $2 and Procol Harum’s Whiter Shade of Pale for $4.

The Who Super Bowl Halftime Review

2010-02-08T13:07:00.003-05:00

As halftime drew nearer I became increasingly nervous for The Who for multiple reasons. Probably most importantly was because I put money down on Townshend doing over 5 ½ full windmills and not breaking his guitar, but I was also nervous to see if The Who would embarrass themselves. Luckily I won both of my bets, Pete, according to Bodog.com, did twelve full windmills. Well done old man! Now whether or not they embarrassed themselves depends on who you ask. In my opinion I feel like they held their own quite well considering how bad it could have been, but these are obviously not the young punks that break guitars and hope they die before they get old.

The song selection was great, essentially a well fleshed out medley of classics that intertwined incredibly well with stellar sections of escalating drama. The producers paid particularly close attention to the light show - maybe in fear of Pete and Roger making fools of themselves, or maybe just because the light show was quite entertaining. As old men who are far past their prime, they sounded pretty decent. Cringe worthy moments were far and few with Pete sounding like he was sucking air during “Who Are You” and the harmonies often being way out of time. Other than that however I was fairly impressed with Roger’s vocals. Although this raises another question of whether or not this performance was pre-recorded. As a big fan I hate to think this was even a possibility, however there were some large gaps between Roger’s vocals and his lip movements. It is possible that he was singing along with a pre-recorded track, which is still a little unnerving. The one point driving me away from the lip-synching worries is that there were some notable flaws that were glaringly obvious, so the optimist in me can say maybe there was just a delay. One thing is for certain though, that primal scream on “Won’t Get Fooled Again” was not entirely natural.

The boys held their own with a very entertaining stage show. Pete flung that windmill around hard enough to practically hover off the ground, and jumped around the stage like an AARP member who gets his fair share of exercise. At times his jacket would hang over the guitar showing his protruding gut, but it was good to see the man still has energy. Roger wasn’t as exciting as Pete with pretty minimal on stage activity - the mic didn’t swing to the heavens for this performance.

All in all I was impressed with their performance, my wallet left a little larger and my ego as a fan of the band was left intact. Hopefully I won’t have to explain to anyone at work why The Who are one of the best.

Betting on the Windmill

2010-02-05T13:37:00.004-05:00

The Super Bowl - a day where antacids and food fly off the shelves of supermarkets, major corporations spend more money on 30 second ads than a third world countries GDP, and gamblers go nuts on bets that range from betting the over/under on the final score to whether or not Reggie Bush will have more yards than Kim Kardashians measurements (she is plump down there.) God Bless America!

Following nipple-gate the Super Bowl has carted out much safer halftime performances, mainly catering to the classic rock fan. This year is no different with The Who taking center stage. I’ve been preparing for the performance by listening to the limited-time The Who channel on Sirius Deep Track 016 during my travel and work days as well as picking up Odd & Sods from my local record store. I’ve studied live performances paying close attention to Townshend’s signature windmill and its frequency. Why you might ask? Because I want some money!

There are plenty of exotic bets out there, but one that I may be paying particularly close attention to is “How many times will Pete Townshend do his legendary windmill move. (Must be full 360-degrees rotation and shown on TV.)” The over under is 5.5. Having seen them a few years back, I recall Pete swinging that arm around like he was actually drawing some kind of energy from it. This is a tough one for me, because Pete often throws around that half-windmill which technically would not apply. Also, importantly is how often will the camera be focused on good old Pete.

Personally, I think I will be taking the over on this one. On “Baba O’Riley” alone I would expect to see around five full windmills at the very least. When the guitar kicks in the camera should be focused solely on Townshend. Not to mention, this is the Super Bowl, and Pete needs to bring his "A" game. Song selection is also key for this event, and I expect them to go hard and heavy; if they deliver “Behind Blue Eyes” I might get screwed out of a few potential windmills, but I would expect “Baba O’Riley” for certain, and quite possibly “Won’t Get Fooled Again” which is a bit questionable due to its length.

Now barring any arm injuries in the pre-game warm ups, I feel pretty comfortable taking the over on this one. Any opinions?

Grammys Recap

2010-02-02T14:08:00.001-05:00

Ahhh The Grammys... A TV event so special I even watched it over the Pro Bowl. For those of you who aren’t football fans, that previous sentence was drenched in sarcasm. Anyhow, this was the first Grammys event that I actually had intentions of watching in a really long time. Not because Neil Young was up for best Box Set Packaging, and not because Karen O & The Kids were up for “Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media”, instead I watched because Lady Gaga is the best thing in pop since... I’m having a tough time coming up with someone. So how convenient it was that Lady Gaga opened up the show, I could have turned it off immediately after and said, “Wow, this was possibly the best Grammy’s in history!” Now if you follow this blog at all, it’s pretty evident I like to gush over Lady Gaga, and the Grammy’s are just another reason for me to do just that. How could you not love Lady Gaga? She’s a genius who knows how to work an audience, she can write as good of a melody as anyone out there, her performances are unforgettable, and her name is derived from the Queen song “Radio Gaga”. With that said, I’m going to give a quick recap of how I saw the Grammys.

Starting off with the positives - Lady Gaga and Elton John were by far the best part of the show. Rumors were floating around that the fabulous duo were going to take the stage together, and their dueling pianos/outfits didn’t disappoint. Both Gaga and Elton played incredibly off each other and really brought out the best in each others attitude and vocals. Jeff Beck’s performance was a nice change of pace, and did Les Paul justice. Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocellie were phenomenal with their performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”. While I want to slam Beyonce for taking on that classic Alanis tune, I simply can’t, she was good.

Since this is a Grammy’s roundup I could write a few pages on the negatives, but I’ll try to keep it simple. Pink has turned into a Cirque de Soleil act and forgot that the performances were supposed to be musical. Leave the acrobatics to the acrobats and show us your vocal prowess. If the audience is supposed to vote throughout the show for the Bon Jovi song of choice, shouldn’t they play the entire song and not some abbreviated version? Bad job producers! It’s no surprise that the little rap group featuring Eminem was saved for the end, because hopefully by that point people were too tired to actually notice that there was more silence than music. Oh yeah, honestly, who likes the Dave Matthews Band? I’m also sick of people whining about Green Day selling out - so did The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, and practically every other band that anyone holds in such high regards. Who cares, it’s a part of the business and as long as the original music doesn’t suffer as a result then should we really be bothered? Yeah, their performance was corny, but lets not use the term sell out. This years Grammy’s was a great display of how many people truly are unable to sing - examples 1) Taylor Swift’s total inability to hold her own with Stevie Nicks (sure she’s cute but don’t demean Stevie like that) 2) The hideous overuse of auto-tune, Jamie Foxx I’m looking at you. Oh yeah, and who is a bigger joke, Axl Rose or Slash? Lastly, did the Grammy’s give AC/DC an award for releasing the same album for the fifteenth time? Nothing is more embarrassing than handing out sympathy awards.

So were the Grammys a disappointment? Not at all! How could you say something is a disappointment when the expectations were so low that I was even questioned watching the Pro Bowl over it? Gaga was great, Elton was awesome, and I even got to see Spinal Tap for approximately two seconds.

Another Week Another Vinyl: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez: Xenophanes

2010-02-01T19:28:00.000-05:00

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - unquestionably the hardest working man in music released a total of six albums in 2009 - seven if you want to include a live album. Xenophanes was the second to last album to close out the decade with Solar Gambling being the final. Until just around a week ago, I had assumed that Xenophanes was the final release from Omar this past year, but everytime I check his online store I see a new album. Even as a pretty big Omar fan I can't keep up, and for that matter, either can my wallet!

Xenophanes is what you would expect from the dexterous guitarist best known from The Mars Volta. It's loud and in your face, but what separates this from the majority of his work is he takes center stage on vocals and Cedric Bixler Zavala is completely absent. The lyrics are Spanish from beginning to end, stepping away from the usual Spanish/English hybrid which may be a turn off for some, but Omar's music is all about the instrumental play and the lyrics are just an odd desert. Cedric's vocals are missed, but musically Xenophanes holds up very well even without his uncharacteristic falsetto vocals.

Focusing on the vinyl. The artwork on the cover is bright, bizzare and interstingly cluttered. Inside comes two stickers, a vinyl casing including the lyrics, a free MP3 download, and last but certainly not lease a wickedly awesome pink record. I'm not one of those guys that adheres to the school of thought that "Real men where pink" but it definitely looks pretty awesome on my turntable.

Paul McCartney: Good Evening New York City DVD/CD Review

2010-01-11T18:16:00.000-05:00

The Beatles Shea Stadium performance is one of the most storied concerts in history. It was bedlam in New York, with pure pandemonium from teenage girls who absolutely lost control. It was a moment that displayed the intensity of Beatlemania over the quality of their music; Macca’s Citi Field performance was an opportunity to play music that would actually be heard in the now defunct Shea Stadium.

In some odd choice of narration, Alec Baldwin is the bookends for the DVD. He opens and closes the concert with a little historical background giving way to the omnipotent Paul McCartney to showcase his tunes from The Beatles and his solo excursions. There’s not all that much that makes this different from his last live release Back in the USA, but there are some changes in the setlist. It’s a give or take kind of thing that will be a preference of personal feelings rather than what songs are better, because honestly, are any of the songs bad? With Good Evening New York City you get songs like "A Day in the Life", "Dance Tonight", "Helter Skelter" and "Day Tripper" which are not featured on Back in the USA. Although your losing out on songs like "The Fool On the Hill", "Carry that Weight", "Maybe I’m Amazed" and "All My Loving" which were featured in Back in the USA as opposed to Good Evening NYC. So there is a little variety in comparison to his last release, but not a ton.

Good Evening NYC really shines in multiple aspects. Macca is at his best when performing his newest material from Memory Almost Full. "Dance Tonight", one of this concerts finest moments is a fun little ditty that allows Paul’s cheerful spirit to shine through. It’s a good reminder that Paul hasn’t lost the craft of fine tuning a great song. Along with the great solo material is Paul’s interaction with the audience that at times comes off as cloying, but love it or hate it, that’s Mr. McCartney. He gives background information on how the guitar sequence for "Blackbird" was born and describes the background of "Here Today" written as a tribute to John Lennon.

McCartney’s importance transcends just rock, he’s one of the most important icons of the past century. The songs he performs justify his importance, and a live McCartney album is as reliable as peanut butter mixing well with jelly. You can’t go wrong, even if it was his worst song selections it would still be great. The Citi Field performance was a fine mixture of unforgettable Beatles classics, mixed with solo classics, and interestingly enough the most redeeming quality is his newer solo material. You can pick up this DVD/CD with confidence.

Grade: A

2009 Imagine Echoes Awards

2010-01-06T08:28:00.000-05:00

Worst Band of the Year: New Found Glory
Is there really a need to elaborate anymore?

Song of the Year: Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Heads Will Roll"
"Dance dance dance ‘til your dead" is what Karen O proclaims during "Heads Will Roll". That pretty much sums up the direction of the YYY’s 2009 release; synths trump the guitar, but the moments of intensity are still very audible, and "Head Will Roll" is the epitome of that. The chorus is infectious and the intensity is unyielding. This takes the cake as the best song of the year.

Comeback Band of the Year: Third Eye Blind
This speaks more to the lack of comeback bands than Third Eye Blind’s comeback - the novelty act that is Kiss still doesn't even come close. 2003 was the date of 3EB’s last release which wasn’t necessarily impressive and 2009's effort Ursa Major more or less follows in its tracks. It’s an album that was more suited to be an EP because one half is solid while the other half is seriously lacking. However, it was an album that received heavy anticipation from devout 3EB fan. It’s a shame Ursa Major couldn’t live up to their debut album, but it was nice to hear new material.

Moment of the Year: Lady Gaga’s VMA Performance
Lady Gaga’s eccentric nature wasn’t anything new in the pop culture world, but it was her bloody theatrical VMA performance which solidified the notion. 2009 didn’t have too many moments that truly stood out, and Lady Gaga was in a different league than the rest of the music world in terms of excitement and positive drama. The pop sensation rocked it like Alice Cooper and left little teenie boppers disturbed while earning major kudos from rock fans.

Album Cover of the Year: The Dead Weather: Horehound
The photo is dark and eerie and is a great starting point for the music that is encased in that fine jacket. It won’t turn heads but will certainly leave an impression.

Debut Album of the Year: The Dead Weather Horehound
At what point will I stop acknowledging a new Jack White album as a debut album? Well I suppose whenever he decides to stay put, but I certainly can’t knock the guy for bringing the world a different sound with each band he touches. Sometimes complacency doesn’t sit well with people, and Jack White certainly fits that category. The album carries a bluesy sound that drives hard with Alison Mosshard’s vocals leading the way. White pounds away on the drums while occasionally lending a helping hand on vocals. We’ll see where the road will take Jack White, but if he decides to continue with The Dead Weather, I certainly won’t be complaining.

Album of the Year: Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Nobody was ready for what Phoenix had in store for us in 2009, but for those who actually heard it, were pleasantly surprised. It’s a fun filled ride packed with jaunty rhythms and killer choruses. After the opening two songs which are unbelievably great, one would expect for the rest of the album to go downhill, but Phoenix was able to deliver a full albums worth of insanely good tunes.

Band/Artist of the Year: Lady Gaga
Nobody in rock really took the throne this year. U2 hit hard and heavy with a fantastic album and bombastic tour, and even offset their carbon footprint for their over-the-top tour which essentially was like transporting a small country to and from each major city around the world. With that said, it wasn’t quite enough to capture the world like Lady Gaga. Some were enraptured by her style, some were engulfed by her on stage performances, but ultimately all were taken back by her music. The Fame may have been released in 2008, but Lady Gaga became a household name in 2009 by breaking records, deeply ingraining herself in the fabrics of pop culture and by weaving her unbelievably catchy songs into our heads. People can bark foul at pop all they want, but when someone like Lady Gaga comes around, we can all breathe a sigh of relief and hope that maybe pop isn’t so bad after all.

Top Ten Albums of 2009

2009-12-31T08:03:00.002-05:00

If I had to sum up 2009, I would say there were two overriding themes. One, women fared extremely well in the music scene, and second, this year also saw numerous bands not quite living up to their expectations. Overall, 2009 was rather sub-par in my opinion, which is sort of depressing when considering it closed out the decade, but there are certainly some decent albums to be heard.

1. Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Sometimes even the hipsters get it right. This album is a fun and fresh ride that has equally enjoyable moments from start to finish.

2. U2: No Line on the Horizon
U2 has seemed to really come into their own this decade with three fantastic albums, but it's the bookends that are their strongest. It's no All That You Can't Leave Behind, but No Line on the Horizon is pretty damn stellar.

3. El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez Lopez: Cryptomnesia
Create a circle of three 200 watt amps - all turned up to eleven, a drum set, and sit in the middle. Plug in all the instruments and put in place a manic drummer, and let them go wild. That will prepare you for Cryptomnesia.

4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It's Blitz!
It's arguably the Yeah Yeah Yeahs weakest album to date, but that by no means is a knock on It's Blitz! The trio traded the guitar for synths and while it sounds radically different, the philosophy is still the same. Karen O just does her thing.

5. The Dead Weather: Horehound
The most important rock icon of the decade does it again. Nobody out there is nearly as versatile and talented as Jack White. Everything he touches automatically turns to gold. Put him on drums, guitar, vocals, whatever, in the end you will always get some amazing music.

6. Wolfmother: Cosmic Egg
Cosmic Egg features a band that should be more aptly titled Andrew Stockdale and crew. This is not the trio that made the epic debut, and with an added guitarist the focus isn't quite as honed in as the debut, but for Sabbath esque rockers minus Ozzy's annoying voice, Cosmic Egg is exactly the place to look.

7. St. Vincent: Actor
An incredibly original album that's insanely whimsical and odd. I keep asking myself why do I run back to this album so often? And I still haven't reached a satisfying answer.

8. Regina Spektor: Far
Regina Spektor brought in the big guns to produce Far, and with all those big egos producing her album, it doesn't sound as true as her previous releases. However, her signature touches flood the album. I mean, who else would sing like a dolphin (See "Folding Chair")?

9. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion
Almost like a psychedelic freak out that's so spacey that it sounds like it was birthed in a different galaxy.

10. Metric: Fantasies
This album comes across extremely polished and safe, but sometimes a nice little pop album doesn't hurt and Metric hasn't forgotten how to write memorable hooks. "Gimme Sympathy" is possibly the best song of their career.

Runner Up:
Lady Gaga: The Fame Monster
Yeah, you read it right. I haven't even listened to this album, but I will tell you what, there is nobody in pop who is as talented as Lady Gaga. She writes her own music, she's wild, theatrical, and has performed the catchiest songs of the decade. You would be very hard pressed to find songs on the radio that are as good as "Bad Romance" or "Poker Face". While most pop sensations are total fakes whose looks take precedent over their music - which they don't even write - Lady Gaga is true to herself and has an amazing talent. This is for getting cheated out of the Grammy nominations this year.

For other best of lists for 2009, check out these sites:
All Metal Resource — http://allmetalresource.com/
Bring Back Glam — http://bringbackglam.squarespace.com/
Hair Metal Mansion — http://hairbangersradio.ning.com/
Hard Rock Hideout — http://hardrockhideout.com/
Hard Rock Nights – http://hardrocknights.wordpress.com
Heavy Metal Addiction — http://heavymetaladdiction.com/
Imagine Echoes — http://www.imagineechoes.com/
Layla’s Classic Rock — http://laylasclassicrock.blogspot.com/
Metal Excess- http://metalexcess.com/
The Metal Minute — http://rayvanhornjr.blogspot.com/
Metal Odyssey — http://metalodyssey.wordpress.com/
Rock Of Ages — http://rockofages.wordpress.com/
The Ripple Effect — http://www.ripplemusic.blogspot.com/

Revolution in the Head: Rage Against the Machine and the Art of Protest DVD Review

2009-12-30T18:28:00.000-05:00

Growing up, Rage Against the Machine may have had more of an impact on me than any band with the exception of Pink Floyd. Their music inspired me to take an interest in politics, and subsequently helped shape my beliefs, and while this may sound like a stretch, helped me decide my major in college. Revolution in the Head: Rage Against the Machine and the Art of Protest, is a pretty impressive DVD that is able to clearly bridge the topics of Rage Against the Machine as a band, and protest music, for a rather intriguing documentary.

One of the most notable characteristics of this DVD, is while it seems to lean towards the lower budget side of the fence, it’s able to bring in some mildly notable people for interviews as well as include original music and videos that range from the obvious, Rage Against the Machine, to protest classics from Dylan, Gutherie, and Segar. There are no interviews from any of the band members, but when watching this documentary, their absence never puts into question the validity of the product.

The beginning of the film focuses on protest as an artistic form, most importantly music, and the background of Rage. As the film progresses the two become infused and the bridging of the two topics is coherent and smooth. There’s really not much of a leap the director had to make when combining the two considering the overt political beliefs that ooze out of their music. The film gives some interesting insight into the history of political music, as well as the influences of the band. It charts the bands growth both musically and ideologically with regards to their lyrics that would evolve from more direct topics to more abstract and broader ideas. Each of their three albums are given a run down which predominantly focuses on the singles and overall themes. Even roaring its head in the DVD is the most common criticism of how can such an anti-corporate band be signed to one of the biggest multi-national corporations - Sony.

For a documentary that wasn’t given an overarching budget and wasn’t able to bring in the big guns for interviews, Revolution in the Head does a fantastic job of coming away with a clear and coherent film that never runs away from the topic at focus, which in my experience, has been a rather typical tendency of other smaller films. The interviewees are well informed and give their own unique perspective on a range of topics that gel extremely well. There is no smoking gun to be found in this documentary, and there isn’t any kind of information that will have viewers rattling themselves in amazement, but however, the documentary does exactly what it set out to do, and that was to show Rage Against the Machine as a band who was at the forefront of protest music.

Grade: B

The Twenty Albums You Must Hear of the Decade (5-1)

2009-12-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

5. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002) - The Flaming Lips had a mighty hill to climb after Yoshimi’s predecessor, The Soft Bulletin. How can a band, especially one such as the Lips who haven’t had a career of necessarily dazzling the public, live up to their previous masterpiece? Well, they followed it up with a grander and more bombastic album that dethroned The Soft Bulletin as their greatest work. Yoshimi is a bittersweet melancholy psychedelic free-for-all that is as crazy as it is good.

4. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells (2001) - The Stripes were nothing more than an underground band before their 2001 release which blew up into a powerhouse. Once that Lego themed “Fell in Love With a Girl” video hit MTV - wait, was MTV actually relevant then? - The White Stripes became one of the biggest acts in rock. The sound is simple, as one would expect from a two piece band, but even with its simplicity it packs an incredibly full sound. Meg White holds down the fort with a basic beat giving room for Jack White to maximize his signature style. White Blood Cells catapulted Jack White as the most important man in rock.

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Fever to Tell (2003) - Oh Karen O, I can’t even put into words how much I love you. Karen O is as important to the Yeah Yeah Yeah as Cat Stevens was to Cat Stevens. She controls the mic with reckless abandon and her manic vocal ravings make their debut album all the more spastic and unpredictable - all of which are positives. With a ton of stellar melodies on tracks like “Pin” and “No No No”, and the uncontrollable ferocity on songs like “Date With the Night” and “Rich”, Fever to Tell is a garage rock classic.

2. Tool: Lateralus (2001) - Tool’s 2001 effort was released with tension growing in the band. Band members were unhappy with vocalist Maynard James Keenan’s commitment to A Perfect Circle, but that didn’t put a damper on the quality of music. Tool has been one of the most consistent bands of the past two decades, but with good reason as a band who releases an album once every five years. Lateralus was a continued growth in their dark and heavy prog rock sound that is uncomparable to the rest of the musical landscape. This talented cast featuring Danny Carey one of the most impressive drummers of this generation, the underrated Adam Jones on guitar and Paul D’Amour on bass, and the vocal phenomenon Maynard James Keenan shockingly lived up to their previous release Aenima. The songs are complex journeys that become more appreciated with each additional listen.

1. The Mars Volta: Frances the Mute (2005) - The Mars Volta’s previous release De-Loused in the Comatorium was one of the biggest shocks of the decade. Prior to becoming prog rock juggernauts, Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala were fronting one of the more accomplished modern hardcore acts - At the Drive In. They took their frenetic energy to more complex and outrageous levels with the Volta. Frances the Mute, their sophmore release was an explosion of genre mashing, cryptic lyrics, ear shattering falsetto vocals and the highest amount of musical virtuosity seen in music. It was the culmination of free jazz, Latin music, progressive rock, hard rock and psychedelic influences mixed into one chaotic massively layered masterpiece. At times it becomes overly self indulgent with soundscapes stretching on for absorbent amounts of time, as best seen in “Miranda That Ghost Just Isn’t Holy Anymore”, but even with the overuse of meaningless soundscapes, Frances the Mute holds together unlike any other album of the decade. Closing the album out is the thirty-two minute epic “Cassandra Gemini”, a song which crosses so many horizons, it alone deserves its own full page review. The Mars Volta have since made some very impressive albums, but none living up to the greatness of Frances the Mute, but then again, no band this decade has made an album that lives up to those standards.

(Disclaimer: There is a one album limit per band.)

The Twenty Albums You Must Hear of the Decade (10-6)

2009-12-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

10. Queens of the Stone Age: Songs for the Deaf (2002) - Josh Homme is the king of stoner rock, and Songs for the Deaf is his magnum opus. The heavy Sabbath-esque guitars explode and Nick Oliveri’s screaming vocals pierce throughout the album. Great hooks are scattered throughout on a songs like "No One Knows" and "First it Giveth" and even when the hooks are at their greatest, the music never stops rocking.

9. System of a Down: Toxicity (2001) - Never in history has an Armenian style of music meshed so well with metal - well maybe it did on System’s debut, but lucky for us, that wasn’t released this decade. SOAD is one of those bands, that despite its oddity, strikes a chord with the public. Both Serj’s voice and vocal deliveries are unusual to say the least, but it is those characteristics that make them memorable and have fans begging for more. Their politically charged rock is unwavering, heavy, and all together delicious.

8. Wolfmother: Wolfmother (2005) - When I heard "White Unicorn" on the radio for the first time, I nearly drove off the road in excitement. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a song that I immediately loved as much as Wolfmother’s "White Unicorn". That immediate love at first listen is an accurate description of the entire album. Wolfmother channels their inner classic rocker with a sound that is most easily described as being similar to Led Zeppelin. It’s a riff heavy rocker that brings the 60s and 70s into the 2000s.

7. U2: All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000) - U2's techno dance phase left a lot to be desired in the 90s. All That You Can’t Leave Behind made Pop and Zoopra a distant memory brining back glimpses of their most cherished work from the 80s. With hit after hit piling up on this unforgettable album, U2 hit the mark as well as ever. It’s so rare for bands dating back twenty years to continue releasing quality material, and while it may have seemed like U2 was far gone, they eventually found their home once again.

6. Radiohead: In Rainbows (2007) - Radiohead’s 2007 release garnered more press due to its unorthodox distribution methods than music, but what many were missing was this was more than a pay-what-you-like album, this is one of the top albums of the decade. With some off-kilter time signatures and spacey textures, Radiohead’s In Rainbows was welcomed with open arms for people who were looking for a little more from their music than a simple 4/4 pop tune. It’s a sin to think that people paid nothing for an album this good.

(Disclaimer: There is a one album limit per band.)

Another Week Another Vinyl: Marillion: Misplaced Childhood

2009-12-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

Marillion is the kind of band that should be terrible, but somehow defied the obstacles placed in front of them. 80s prog rock is about as good as the 90s boy band sensation. It was the genres lowest period with even established prog powerhouses losing their grip on music. Marillion was one of the very few who were able to create progressive music that didn't fall into all the traps that made 80s prog so appalling.

Misplaced Childhood is the bands magnum opus - a truly incredible concept album that is as poetic as it is musically impressive. Lead singer Fish - yes I said Fish - is nearly a clone of Peter Gabriel - if you're going to imitate, you might as well imitate the best. Both his voice and delivery echo Gabriel's to the highest degree. On that note, musically Marillion is quite similar to the style of Genesis - the Hackett/Gabriel era of course.

I was lucky enough to pick up an excellent vinyl copy of this album that borders on NM condition. Hisses and cracks are essentially non-existent and the cover looks like it was printed within the past year. Although I must say, the cover art for this album is pretty lame. For three dollars, an album this good is an absolute steal.

The Twenty Albums You Must Hear of the Decade (15-11)

2009-12-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

15. Cat Power: You are Free (2003)- Chan Marshall has the vocals of an old time blues singer. She’s most recognized for her covers, most notably, the Velvet Underground’s "I Found a Reason" featured in V for Vendetta and "Sea of Love" featured in Juno; lets not forget her recent inclusion in a car commercial with a cover of David Bowie’s "Space Oddity". Her original material often takes a back seat to her stunning covers, but You Are Free is a painful introspective gem. Marshall’s voice is mind numbingly beautiful, and delivers sorrow filled lyrics dominated by minor keys with the greatest power. If there is one song that will strike with the greatest chord of emotion it is "Names", a diary like presentation of the harrowing events Chan viewed as a child - never in my life have I heard a song so depressing.

14. A Perfect Circle: Mer de Noms (2000)- Maynard James Keenan, like Jack White, has also seen his fair share of bands this decade. Also like Jack White, he brought something new to each project he touched. Keenan nailed it on two of his three major projects, the supergroup A Perfect Circle being one of them. A Perfect Circle is in the same vain as Tool - they’re dark and heavy, but unlike Tool they offer a more straightforward version of rock. The music is by no means simple, but that is speaking more to Tool’s complexities than A Perfect Circle's simplicity. On Mer de Noms, this supergroup takes on a barrage of biblical themes, and delivers on all but biblical measures. Mer de Noms was one of the best introductions to the new decade.

13. Muse: Origins of Symmetry (2001)- Picking a favorite Muse album ranging from Origins of Symmetry to Black Holes and Revelations is like picking a name out of a hat. It’s useless, they’re all so good. The reason I chose Origins was, 1. Because it was the first in a string of stellar albums and 2. Because of the songs "New Born" and "Feeling Good". Muse ranks as one of the top alternative bands this decade with their forward thinking mentality, innovation, and Matt Bellamy’s stunningly soulful falsetto vocals. Origins of Symmetry was the first album to truly show off their skill and vision; not to take anything away from their debut Shobiz, but this is the album when it became blatantly apparent that Muse was going to be a powerhouse in modern rock. Origins is a fine mixture of power, energy, heart, and advancement.

12. Days Between Stations: Days Between Stations (2007) - Talk about an album coming out of left field. Days Between Stations dishes out some of the best symphonic prog heard in a long time. Very much along the same lines as Pink Floyd, Days Between Stations have a classic kind of symphonic prog sound that will at times put into question the date of its release. The lush and haunting sonic landscapes on this self titled debut equate to a modern prog jewel.

11. The Killers: Day & Age (2008) - The way I had said Anti-folk is a polarizing genre, The Killers are a polarizing band. Love them or hate them, they’ve carved out their own large piece of territory in this decades musical landscape. Their final release of the decade marks their best effort. The Killers sound is ever evolving and while all of their progressions have been solid, Day & Age sits at the top. Pop rock isn’t always shallow, and the Killers drive the point home.

(Disclaimer: There is a one album limit per band.)

The Twenty Albums You Must Hear of the Decade (20-16)

2009-12-08T13:05:00.004-05:00

20. REM: Accelerate (2008) - REM has done some incredible work in their time, but viewing their entire catalog as a whole, it’s nothing to get excited about. They haven’t been relevant since 1992's Automatic for the People, making Accelerate one of the biggest surprises of 2008. Practically every track has a nasty bite that comes on strong and doesn’t ease up. Heavy guitars, speedy tempos, and Stipe’s rough vocals have once again accelerated (pun intended) REM into a band that deserves notoriety.

19. Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope (2006) - Anti-folk is a polarizing genre. It’s a genre that can be viewed as genius or idiotic - in all honesty, it’s probably the latter. However, Regina Spektor takes all the nonsensical aspects of anti-folk and manages to create something which is endearingly quirky, not to mention, fantastic. Embrace your inner dork and let this oddball sink her teeth into your ears.

18. Weezer: Maladroid (2002)- Sure, Weezer often gets a bad rap for anything released after Pinkerton, but for those who immediately write off post-Pinkerton material, you are making a major mistake. I consider Maladroid to be Weezer’s forgotten album. The incredible thing to note about Maladroid is it holds up nearly, if not as well as Blue and Pinkerton. Think the Blue album with more of an edge. These are songs that will replay in your head for days on end.

17. Arcade Fire: Funeral (2004) - It certainly took me long enough to listen to this album. In fact the first time I listened to it was last year. The Arcade Fire had enough internet hype to get them elected for political office, and that was enough of a turn off for me. However, after reading a book about how the internet revolutionized music by Greg Kot, I finally decided to give them a listen. After listening to "Wake Up" I was shocked at the sheer intensity and heart of the band. More often than not, the hype never meets the expectations, but for the Arcade Fire, the internet community was right on target.

16. The Raconteurs: Broken Boy Soldier (2006) - It certainly seems as if Jack White can do no wrong. When he announced his venture into a new band, Stripes fans shed an incredible sigh, with the fear that this was the beginning of the end of the dynamic duo from Detroit. What ended up happening was Jack White became the hardest working man in rock, and brought forth his unique talents into everything he touched. Broken Boy Soldier was a simplistic and fun effort with some of the best hooks of the decade.

(Disclaimer: There is a one album limit per band.)

The Twenty Albums You Must Hear of the Decade

2009-12-03T18:02:00.002-05:00

Starting next week I am going to post the twenty albums you must hear of the decade - with a catch however. The catch is there will be a one album limit per band. This way there is more diversity. I will post five albums at a time with a brief reasoning behind my choices. Expect 20-16 to be posted on Tuesday, 12/8.

Another Week Another Vinyl: Weezer: Raditude

2009-11-20T17:58:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love Weezer. Sure their brand of geek rock may be shallow, but not many bands can put out song after song which has a hook as strong as the last. This is what Weezer has done their entire career - until recently that is. My local record store carried the vinyl copy of their newest album Raditude a few days before release, which prompted a purchase from myself. Originally I was on the fence on whether or not to pick up the vinyl version, but ultimately, the early release date pushed me over the edge. Damn you Record Store!

The package felt a little light, but for $19 I figured there would have to be something in there. Who makes vinyl package now and days with nothing more than just a vinyl inside? Well apparently Weezer does. What a waste of money this was. I rip off the wrapper to find just a fine piece of black wax, nothing else. No gatefold artwork, no lyrics, no free download. Nothing. Not to mention, reading that Little Wayne was featured on the album made me a little weary - rightfully so too.

In an age where pushing a physical product is becoming increasingly difficult due to illegal downloading, Weezer displays why the music industry is collapsing under its own weight. You can say that it’s all about the music, and it’s impossible to refute that point, but if the record industry wants to continue urging us to spend our hard earned money for overpriced music, then they better get their act together. Give me lyrics, a free download when I buy a vinyl, some kind of artwork - SOMETHING!

If you’re interested, Raditude has its moments, but misses on the Weezer spirit. At some point after they recorded their hit single "Beverly Hills", Weezer became some party hard group that practically abandoned that insecure geek. I wish I could burn the wax and melt it for fuel for my car. $19 would have lasted me the week in gas...

Creedence Clearwater Revival: The Singles Collection Review

2009-11-17T13:32:00.003-05:00

Having gone to High School through the beginning of this decade gives me a different look at classic rock than many. Bands who were huge in the 60s and 70s may be relegated to certain obscurity by the younger generation, and bands who may not have been staples of their time have risen to prominence. This ultimately leads me to Creedence Clearwater Revival, a band who absolutely dominated the charts with their rugged and dirty swamp rock. Often Bilboard chart domination is a sign of shallowness, but CCR was a group that could dish out deeper and powerful tracks that struck a chord with the public. Yet, my generation of classic rock fans seems to push CCR aside, viewing them as nothing more than a mere footnote in rock history. Bands like Zep, The Doors, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles stand at the top of the thrown as kings, and CCR are more like the court jesters. This is where the younger generation has it all wrong.

CCR’s The Single Collection is a reminder to all, that this was a band to be reckoned with. A band that recorded countless classics that had as much heart as any band could even think of mustering. Fogerty’s gritty voice cuts like a serrated knife through the muddy riffs and pounding rhythms. A song such as "Fortunate Son" was so incredibly poignant focusing on a specific time in history, yet manages to transcend into a day and age where military drafts are so far from a tangible reality. It is the protest song of all protest songs. It’s a blue collar kind of rock that doesn’t sound like a broken bar band whose cover songs are soulless replications of their counterparts. When Fogerty and company cover a song, it’s practically an original piece. "I Put a Spell on You" is top notch, marked by a guitar solo that oozes soul.

I have a very deep appreciation for CCR, because they are undoubtedly one of the greatest bands in rock. Not only were they able to release a myriad of strong singles, but their LP’s hold up just as well. The Singles Collection is two discs of CCR magic, and if there is any band who deserves more than one disc for a greatest hits collection, it’s Creedence. Not only do you receive the top 40 hits, but B sides are sprinkled in the mix along with a nice little DVD and poster adding some more appeal. I may be gushing over CCR, but it’s with good reason. For any newcomers, there is no better introduction to CCR than The Singles Collection.

Grade: A

Jethro Tull: Live at Madison Square Garden 1978 Review

2009-11-13T13:43:00.000-05:00

A Jethro Tull concert is as much of a visual experience as it is an aural one. Ian Anderson demands a viewers undivided attention with his over-the-top theatrics and captivating musical ability - all the more reason to warrant a DVD release. This DVD/CD package was filmed and recorded live in New York City on October 14, 1978 during the Heavy Horses tour with the purpose of being broadcasted on British television.

As a band, Jethro Tull put forth efforts of great bombast that were both complex yet at the same time accessible to any casual rock fan. They accomplished the seemingly impossible task of mending folk with hard rock and blues for a sound that still to this day, is unparalleled to any band.

Focusing on the DVD - because it’s undoubtedly the heart and soul of this package - visually it is quite impressive despite its age, capturing the raw and frenetic intensity of the wild frontman who wields his flute like a knight ready for war. Lets be honest however, there are no words or reviews that could possibly prepare a person for the insanity and intensity of a Tull concert. It’s just one of those things that you must witness yourself, hence this DVD. The sound is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, and like the visuals, is also impeccable. Absent however are video from a few songs, but Virgin/EMI were courteous enough to include this material on the disc.

Jethro Tull’s performance, like Ian Anderson, is gritty, powerful and unequivocally rocking. With a slew of fan favorites performed, this package delivers on every front. Without question this is the kind of DVD that any fan of the arts should own - theater or music.

Grade: A

DVD
1. Sweet Dream
2. One Brown Mouse
3. Heavy Horses
4. Opening
5. Thick As A Brick
6. No Lullaby (including flute solo from God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)
7. Songs From The Wood
8. Band Intro
9. Quatrain
10. Aqualung
11. Locomotive Breath (including Dambusters March)
12. Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young To Die
13. My God/Cross Eyed Mary
14. Locomotive Breath (Encore) (including Dambusters March)

CD
1. Sweet Dream
2. One Brown Mouse
3. Heavy Horses
4. Thick As A Brick
5. No Lullaby (including flute solo from God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)
6. Songs From The Wood
7. Quatrain
8. Aqualung
9. Locomotive Breath (including Dambusters March)
10. Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young To Die
11. My God/Cross Eyed Mary

Them Crooked Vultures New Album Streaming Online

2009-11-10T13:08:00.001-05:00

Them Crooked Vultures - arguably the most anticipated supergroup of the decade consisting of Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), Alain Johannes (QOTSA) and none other than John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin - is streaming their new debut album for free online http://bit.ly/stream_tcv. After a quick listen, I'm pretty positive anyone who has the slightest of interest in the band won't be disappointed. If you had you calendars marked for November 17th (Release Date), this will be like Christmas in November. Enjoy!

Vinyl Art Interview

2009-10-23T13:31:00.002-04:00

I'm sure many of you already know Daniel Edlen and his unbelievable Vinyl Art - unbelievable being an understatment - but for those of you who many not know, or are interested to find out more, he recently had a video interview that's really impressive. Not too long ago I received one of his paintings on a sticker, and it's breathtaking, so much so that I find it hard to believe that it was painted. He has a passion for what he does, and it shows in his work. I urge everyone to check it out!

Favorite Genesis Album?

2009-10-18T12:01:00.003-04:00

This past week I've been on a Genesis kick. I've been shuffling around albums like Foxtrot, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Selling England by the Pound and Nursey Cryme with reckless abandon. All of which are obviously stellar. Prior to this week I've always felt fairly certain that Foxtrot was my favorite Genesis album, however, after listening to Selling England by the Pound over and over again these past few days, I'm starting to question my opinion. Selling England by the Pound seems to be growing on me more each day, which has me wondering, why didn't I view it this way before? Has it become my clear favorite? Not quite yet, but right now it's tied with Foxtrot, and its stock is rising. Anyhow, I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I'm curious to see what's your favorite Genesis album.

Another Week Another Vinyl: Emerson Lake & Palmer S/T

2009-10-06T13:13:00.002-04:00

While patiently waiting to receive my DVD-A copy of King Crimson's Red in the mail, I decided I would hold myself over with some vinyl purchases. This week I picked up U2 Rattle & Hum and Emerson Lake & Palmer's self titled debut. The focus of this post will be on ELP.

The record itself is in VG+ condition with minimal surface noise, and it marks the ninth ELP vinyl in my collection. Interestingly enough, this album puts them over Yes as the most prevalent band in my collection. Kind of funny when realizing I still don't have one Zep vinyl, but for some odd reason I like it that way.

Musically, this is a great starting point for an introspective look at the band. It displays the individual talents and ideas of each member. Essentially, it's a group of individual efforts thrown together onto one album, but with that in mind, it still manages to sound coherent and have a smooth flow. Only the opening track "The Barbarian" credits the entire band.

One of my personal favorite aspects of this album, is the sheer magnitude of Carl Palmer's drumming magic. I am a firm believer that he is the greatest drummer in rock history, and his moments on "Tank" and "Three Fates" - along with the rest of the album - finely showcase that.

Closing out the album is the unforgettable track "Lucky Man" written by Greg Lake. Deservingly so, "Lucky Man" was a successful radio hit, and it separated itself with much of the singles dominating the charts with it's unique 6/8 time signature - the typical 4/4 being an anomaly in progressive rock.

ELP's debut album is one that I'm proud to have in my collection.

Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope Review

2009-09-30T13:16:00.002-04:00

As musical genius David St. Hubbins once brilliantly and articulately noted, "It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever." In no genre is that statement more appropriate than the anti-folk scene. The genre was brought to the masses through the quirky underground film Juno, which has left many people on the fence deciding whether anti-folk is a shallow and ridiculous pit filled with amateur musicians or something that's honest and brilliant. While there are probably more bands that fit into the shallow and ridiculous category, Regina Spektor's Begin to Hope manages to deliver quirky and incredibly literal lyrics belted out with the oddest of vocal inflections with sincere honesty and passion, ultimately translating into stellar music.

Spektor avoids being the overly cliche anti-folk artist and mends the genre with mainstream sensibilities. While anti-folk enthusiasts may bark foul, it is undoubtedly a move in the right direction. Songs like "Better" and "Samson" are achingly candid as Regina's voice sears with devotion and will leave you wanting to reach out to comfort this red headed oddball. To contrast the aforementioned songs, Begin to Hope scatters comical upbeat tracks like "On the Radio" and "That Time", both of which maintain their very own off-the-wall identity.

The difference between Begin to Hope and the rest of the anti-folk field is Begin to Hope's quirkiness comes off as endearing as opposed to being foolish. The unconventional vocal phrasings and literal lyrics practically devoid of any metaphors sound incredibly unique without bordering on stupidity. Spektor struck gold on this record.

Grade: A-

Another Week Another Vinyl: King Crimson: A Young Persons Guide to King Crimson

2009-09-04T13:31:00.003-04:00

It’s been nearly a month since I’ve last purchased a vinyl, and severe depression has started to kick in. The only way to cure that depression is by heading down the record store and going crazy. Having not been there for a pretty substantial amount of time meant I would be seeing a pretty new selection to choose from.

Ever since I decided to collect vinyls, I had one ultimate goal, which was to own every King Crimson album from In the Court of the Crimson King to Red. For some reason it’s been extremely difficult to come across any Crimson material at my local record stores, but that would change this week.

On Tuesday I picked up King Crimson’s unbelievable album Larks’ Tongues in Aspic along with The Young Persons Guide to King Crimson. I decided to focus on the latter for this post because it’s a sensational package with awesome artwork and a rather robust and informative black and white booklet. The booklet features a wealth of information regarding the band, including, album reviews (permitting both the good and the bad), a history of the band, photos, and a detailed gigography.

Overall the song selection is pretty solid with some questionable omissions - most notably “21st Century Schizoid Man” and anything from Lizard - but one inclusion that I was very excited to see was their single “Groon”, a song that was never released on a proper full length studio album. Another important fact worth mentioning is the alternate version of “I Talk to the Wind”. Instead of pulling the song directly from In the Court of the Crimson King, Fripp decided to give fans a sped up version sung by Judy Dyble opposed to Greg Lake. That alone isn’t exactly an album seller for established KC fans, but it’s certainly a welcomed addition.

Without babbling on for too long, I was able to pick this album up for around $14. The jacket is probably VG+ with very little wear. On the other hand, the records themselves suffer from some heavy warping issues. Shockingly, it doesn’t effect the playback too much, but it is noticeable on the opening track of each side - which would only be right considering my all time favorite song, “Epitaph” opens up the album. Otherwise, I’m absolutely thrilled to get a hold of this vinyl; I’ll be flipping through the juicy booklet for years to come.

Track Listing
1. Epitaph (8:52)
2. Cadence and Cascade (3:36)
3. Ladies of the Road (5:27)
4. I Talk to the Wind (3:15)
5. Red (6:18)
6. Starless (12:17)
7. The Night Watch (4:38)
8. Book of Saturday (2:52)
9. Peace - A Theme (1:14)
10. Cat Food (2:43)
11. Groon (3:30)
12. Coda from Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part One (2:09)
13. Moonchild (2:24)
14. Trio (5:38)
15. In the Court of the Crimson King (9:21)

Mammut: Karkari Review

2009-08-27T23:09:00.000-04:00

Mammut, a five piece band consisting of three females and two males hails from the obscure musical nation of Iceland which has brought us the unique and notable talents of Sigur Ros and Bjork. Take a punk rock attitude with bravado, sprinkle that with a little pop, along with a heavy dose of vocals with heart and bombast and Icelandic lyrics, and you have a recipe which would ultimately lead you to Mammut. The language barrier in America will undoubtedly pit them against a brick wall, but with their talent and passion they can certainly come on strong amongst the fringes of musical listeners.

Vocalist Kata (female) is the focal point of the band. The instruments lay down the groundwork for her intense vocal musings which could ultimately be compared to Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for her reckless abandoned approach at the mic. Mammut is at their best when they’re pounding away with fast riffs and a screaming tempo which consistently leads to solid melodies as can be seen on"Endir" and "Svefnyskt". At their slower moments the music doesn’t hold up quite as well, but with that said, arguably the strongest piece on Karkari is the more subdued track "Rauoilaekur" - a song which sounds like an invite into the most personal and deepest emotions that are purveyed stunningly through Kata’s pained and soulful voice (I must admit however, I have no idea what the song is about due to the language barrier.)

One trait that I admire more than any in a band is a group with heart, and this five piece band have more than enough to go around. The passion is pure and it shines through on nearly every track.

Grade: B

Industry Problems: Exhibit A

2009-08-20T22:39:00.003-04:00

I've been having a very difficult time getting myself back into blogging. Reviews are becoming increasingly difficult to write, because honestly, there are only so many adjectives in the English language to describe music. In order to ease myself back into the groove of things, I figured I would just write what comes to mind - the misconception that today's musicians lack talent.

Several months ago I argued that Rock was alive, and going strong. I haven't veered from that original opinion, but just because I think there is a litany of quality music out there, doesn't necessarily mean that music industry is healthy, nor is the society that digests it.

The biggest issue plaguing the music industry today is the fact that consumers have turned to this childish mentality of instant gratification and labels are catering to Wall Street before fans. Bands are signed to short term deals, and if things don't pan out after their first record, or if lucky their second, they are dropped and required to pick up the tab for all debts accrued from recording costs - signing a deal is an extremely risky venture. Bands don't have the ability to grow and find themselves through years of touring and recording like once before. If today's industry standards applied twenty or thirty years ago, would bands who didn't charge out of the gates with enormous success be dropped before they were ever able to shine? Bruce Springsteen, who is one of the most iconic figures in rock history, may be roaming the streets of Asbury Park, NJ with a tin can in his hands if it weren't for his opportunity to grow as an artist.

It's not the artists who are flawed, but instead, the industry, the critics, and even the listeners. Musicians are kept on a short leash now and days, and the five or so labels which dominate the industry are looking for immediate success and anything short of a Billboard landing album is as good as dirt. Growth and experience have become archaic ideas, and its all about cashing in immediately. Certainly there are more problems than just this in the industry - don't even get me started on Clear Channel - but this is one of the most high ranking issues in my mind. Today's musicians aren't untalented or uncreative, their abilities are parallel to those who we hold in such high esteem, the problem is these talents aren't cultivated. Given a little time, the results are endless.

It Might Get Loud Autographed Poster Giveaway

2009-08-12T13:44:00.004-04:00

It's been awhile since I've last posted due to being on vacation and my laptop biting the dust. However, I'm coming back with a bang and have an absolutely awesome giveaway.

The special prize is an autographed poster (signed by director Davis Guggenheim) from the upcoming movie It Might Get Loud which opens on Friday, August 14th in New York and LA. The movie brings together the timeless Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White for a guitar trio of the ages. Above is a picture of the poster set to be given away.

To enter please leave either a comment or send an e-mail to skonieje@imagineechoes.com. A winner will be chosen at approximately 1:00 EST tomorrow August 12th. Best of luck to all!

Yes and Asia Concert Review: July 26, 2009 Jackson, NJ

2009-07-27T19:16:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I ventured out to Six Flags Great Adventure to see Yes and Asia. While the idea of seeing a once great band (not plural) at an amusement park is rather depressing, I was thoroughly excited to see Yes for just the second time in my life. The weather was calling for sever thunderstorms all day, but the sever weather hadn’t come to fruition - at least not until Yes hit the stage...

Asia, the preeminent display of incredible talents coming together to form a sub-par supergroup came out to an excited audience and performed Asia originals as well as pulling songs from each individuals prior bands. To get the junk out of the way for the sake of this review, Asia featured The Buggles (Geoff Downes) groundbreaking hit "Video Killed the Radio Star" after Wetton brought back memories of the glory days of MTV. They would also go on to play a solid rendition of King Crimon’s (John Wetton) "In the Court of the Crimson King" which came off as a little odd being that Wetton wasn’t a part of Crimson during that stage of the bands life. For the mind blowing Carl Palmer - mind blowing being an understatement - Asia performed ELP’s "Fanfare for the Common Man" which closed down with a blistering drum solo bringing the crowd to its feet. Just a reminder of why he is more than deserving of being considered the greatest drummer in history. They closed their set down with "Heat of the Moment" which brought on some of the worst displays of dancing from a crowd in years. Their set was a fine display of why these superb talents should have passed on the opportunity of joining this AOR supergroup and instead should have held on to the unbelievable music they created before this mess of a stint.

After Asia left the stage the skies turned black and the lightning show in the sky seemed to engulf more attention than the concert. Yes took the stage a little late - probably due to the weather - and opened up their set with "Siberian Khatru". The soundboard mix was awful and Jon Anderson’s substitute vocals (David Benoit) were hardly audible. During their first two songs the band was out of sync, and the lightning was becoming increasingly worse. The band was told they needed to leave the stage for their safety which led to a massive reaction of disappointment from the audience. Chris Squire was sincerely apologetic for having to leave the stage and Steve Howe was seemingly terrified of the weather, pointing to the lightning and declaring, "That is death." The band assured the audience that the cancellation of the show wasn’t final and they would come back to give an official announcement. The band would take the stage fifteen minutes later and performed "Tempus Fugit" and "Astral Traveler" with a much better mix of volumes. After "Astral Traveler" park management took the stage and told the crowd the show would be cancelled due to a severe storm approaching in thirty minutes, and Yes could only perform one more song. The band members came together to discuss the final song while I was screaming at the top of my lungs "Starship Trooper"! As to be expected the band performed a fantastic rendition of "Roundabout" where they finally appeared to hit full stride, unfortunately it was a little too late.

The show had a healthy mix of ups and downs but overall was a bit of a disappointment. It figures that Asia was able to perform a full set while Yes could only perform five songs, and hadn’t even pulled the best of their material. I guess I’ll just have to relive my thought from the last time I saw them six years ago.

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Dead Weather: Horehound

2009-07-17T13:50:00.000-04:00

Jack White III just may be the hardest working man in rock. Churning out quality music year after year regardless of what band he’s in, Mr. White doesn’t know how to stop. In his third band however, he decides to drop the guitar and go back to his drumming roots with the Dead Weather. They deliver a thick and bluesy sound featuring Alison Mosshard from The Kills on vocals, Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age) on guitar and Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs) on bass. Their debut album, as you would come to expect with Jack White, is nothing short of stellar, and that includes both the music and the vinyl packaging.

The package includes two 180 gram discs held in a gate-fold jacket. Only three out of the four sides contain music, and the fourth side features the photo from the cover etched in black on black. Along with the two discs is a nice looking pull out featuring various dreary images, as well as the lyrics to the album. Sadly there is no free MP3 download to coincide with the LP which I think should be mandatory in this day and age, but it’s well known that Jack White has some major issues when it comes to the Internet and music. Aside from that, this twenty five dollar LP package is certainly a nice addition to the collection.

It Might Get Loud: In Theaters August 14th

2009-07-15T19:07:00.002-04:00

Below is a trailer and description of the documentary. Simply put, I can't wait to see this movie! Jack White and The Edge together - that's just silly good.

Rarely can a film penetrate the glamorous surface of rock legends. It Might Get Loud tells the personal stories, in their own words, of three generations of electric guitar virtuosos – The Edge (U2), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), and Jack White (The White Stripes). It reveals how each developed his unique sound and style of playing favorite instruments, guitars both found and invented. Concentrating on the artist’s musical rebellion, traveling with him to influential locations, provoking rare discussion as to how and why he writes and plays, this film lets you witness intimate moments and hear new music from each artist. The movie revolves around a day when Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge first met and sat down together to share their stories, teach and play.

George Harrison: Let it Roll: Songs by George Harrison Review

2009-07-13T19:28:00.003-04:00

George Harrison is one Beatle that is universally beloved. His fellow counterparts all had their flaws. Paul comes across as being a little egotistical and pompous. John had some major family issues which really puts into question his true desire for world peace. Ringo... Well I think we can all agree he wasn’t the most talented member. George was the quiet, talented and charming member of the fab four and as his career continued on, his comfort zone and song writing abilities continued to grow - as can be seen on Abbey Road where the bulk of quality material comes from Mr. Harrison himself. His solo career took off without a hitch and yet to this day, there hasn’t been a truly career spanning Greatest Hits release which chronicles his entire solo career. While the wait was long overdue, Let It Roll captures George’s entire career pulling from his solo career and even dabbling into his Beatles career. The great thing about this disc is it doesn’t pull the studio versions of his greatest Beatles hits, instead it pulls live versions, which is very welcomed because it lends itself more to the solo theme. Of course there will be questions of what should and should not have been included on the album, but all in all, Let it Roll does an excellent job of pulling the best of his work, and for anyone who is looking for a quick, yet all encompassing peek into his career, there is no better place to start than Let it Roll.

Got My Mind Set On You (from Cloud Nine, 1987)
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (from Living In The Material World, 1972)
The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) (from All Things Must Pass, 1970)
My Sweet Lord (from All Things Must Pass, 1970)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (from Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack, 1971)
All Things Must Pass (from All Things Must Pass, 1970)
Any Road (from Brainwashed, 2002)
This Is Love (from Cloud Nine, 1987)
All Those Years Ago (from Somewhere In England, 1981)
Marwa Blues (from Brainwashed, 2002)
What Is Life (from All Things Must Pass, 1970)
Rising Sun (from Brainwashed, 2002)
When We Was Fab (from Cloud Nine, 1987)
Something (from Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack, 1971)
Blow Away (from George Harrison, 1979)
Cheer Down (from Lethal Weapon 2)
Here Comes The Sun (from Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack, 1971)
I Don't Want To Do It (from Porkys Revenge soundtrack, 1984)
Isn't It A Pity (from All Things Must Pass, 1970)

Grade: A

McCartney Never Expected to Get The Beatles Catalog Back

2009-07-10T09:19:00.001-04:00

This Message comes from PaulMccartney.com:

Some time ago, the media came up with the idea that Michael Jackson was going to leave his share in the Beatles songs to me in his will which was completely made up and something I didn’t believe for a second.

Now the report is that I am devastated to find that he didn’t leave the songs to me. This is completely untrue. I had not thought for one minute that the original report was true and therefore, the report that I’m devastated is also totally false, so don’t believe everything you read folks!

In fact, though Michael and I drifted apart over the years, we never really fell out, and I have fond memories of our time together.

At times like this, the press do tend to make things up, so occasionally, I feel the need to put the record straight.

Paul

John Mellencamp: Life, Death, Live and Freedom Review

2009-07-07T22:27:00.005-04:00

Mellencamp’s 2008 release, Life, Death, Love and Freedom was a monumental album in his career. It was an album that wasn’t directed to the masses - instead it was an introspective, rootsy, folk album filled with cynicism and despair. Not necessarily the Mellencamp the world is accustomed to. It very well may have been his strongest album of his career, and while it was phenomenal, it wasn’t exactly groundbreaking which has me posing the question of, was this album which pulls eight songs exclusively from his last release really necessary? The answer is no, this wasn’t a necessary release at all. Instead, this is the kind of album that should be freely distributed to fan club members, and not sold to the general public. Even at it’s relatively low price of $7.99 (CD) and $5.99 (Digital), I would find it extremely difficult for anyone, other than a deeply devoted Mellencamp fan, to justify a purchase of this album.

Life, Death, Love and Freedom was a superb album that channeled an abject Mellencamp who had the end of the line clearly in his sights. He delivered old-school bluesy folk arrangements with a dark edge. This live versions of these songs add even more grittiness and power, and sound like an improvement over the already stellar studio recordings.

Despite the quality of this album, and the low price point, it’s hard to warrant a purchase. Essentially, the target audience is the most die hard of Mellencamp fans who thoroughly enjoyed his last effort. The live version don’t add that much more to their studio counterparts, but overall do pack a little more punch. This album will get more play from me in the future than his studio album, but for someone who doesn’t need to own everything in John’s discography, then the studio album will suffice.

Grade: A

(Based solely on the quality of material)

No Go Know: Time Has Nothing to Do With It Review

2009-07-02T20:45:00.003-04:00

"Pretentious" is a term that cynical rock critics love to use, and it was a term that plagued Progressive Rock. Bands that were tagged as being "pretentious" were more often than not just releasing music that was bigger and more complex than what the typical rock audience was accustomed to hearing, and quite often, simply better. However, releasing double albums is also an excuse for critics to call a band pretentious, and while I won’t go as far as to say that double albums themselves are pretentious, it is a little too much material for a listener to digest. It has always been a mystery to me as to why a band would release a double album - take the best songs from each disc and make one masterful album instead of creating some bloated album that has listeners falling asleep by the second disc. If it’s a rock opera, release it as two separate entities - System of a Down’s approach to releasing what was technically a double album, although not a rock opera, and turning it into two separate releases was fantastic because it allowed listeners to absorb all of the material. No Go Know decided to take the bombastic route, and released a double album that is mixed with subherb highs, and the occasional lows.

No Go Know puts together an album that predominantly purveys indie sensibilities but are never afraid to go outside the boundaries and mix in a myriad of hard rock jam sessions doused in fuzzed out psychedelia. It’s during these rocking climaxes where No Go Know truly shines. On "End of a Stay"- a rather violent and sadistic tale, No Go Know closes the song down with primal wailing vocals, drama educing guitars, and pounding drums, all of which arrives after a rather mellow, yet emotionally powerful introduction. As the album moves along into the second disc, it feels a little bogged down and all of the music starts to feel more and more like a blur, and much of this is due to the excessive amount of material on the album.

Periphrasis is a tell tale sign of poor writing (for more signs of poor writing just read my blog) which seeks to achieve greater volume at the expense of quality. If you can release a single disc with the strongest material rather than two discs which cover both highs and lows, then the obvious choice is to go for the single disc. There's nothing wrong with brevity. No Go Know’s best moments shine brightly; condense this album and you would have one of the better albums of 2009.

Grade: B

Another Week Another Vinyl: Iron Maiden: Flight 666

2009-06-29T13:25:00.000-04:00

Iron Maiden is the preeminent metal band hailing from England (Other than Black Sabbath.) Their live shows are a testament to why their following is so devoted and The Flight 666 vinyl release only furthers the reasons for their prominence as one of the greatest metal bands in history. This set comes with two beautiful looking picture discs decorated with excellent photos from the tour. The sound quality is crisp and as you would come to expect, the performances are epic. It’s a live album that makes you feel like you were there for each song, with great feedback from the crowd and an honest and powerful performance. They pull almost all of the songs from a different location on their tour giving a sample of each performance. One thing detracting from the live feel is the fadeouts at the end of each track, but considering the uniqueness of this collection, I can live with this little blemish. The set list will be sure to please both casual and hardcore fans with a healthy mix of major hits and deeper cuts. With all the live Maiden releases out there, one would expect this to be just like the rest, but with a great song selection and an intense performance, Flight 666 ranks up with the very best of their material.

(Disc 1)

1. Churchill's Speech
Bandra Kurla Complex/Mumbai, India
February 1, 2008

2. Aces High (Steve Harris)
Bandra Kurla Complex/Mumbai, India
February 1, 2008

3. 2 Minutes To Midnight (Bruce Dickinson/Adrian Smith)
Rod Laver Arena/Melbourne, Australia
February 7, 2008

4. Revelations (Dickinson)
Acer Arena/Sydney, Australia
February 9, 2008

5. The Trooper (Harris)
Makuhari Messe/Tokyo, Japan
February 16, 2008

6. Wasted Years (Smith)
Arena Monterrey/Monterrey, Mexico
February 22, 2008

7. The Number Of The Beast (Harris)
The Forum/Los Angeles, USA
February 19, 2008

8. Can I Play With Madness (Dickinson/Harris/Smith)
Foro Sol/Mexico City, Mexico
February 24, 2008

9. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (Harris)
Izod Center/East Rutherford, USA
March 14, 2008

(Disc 2)

1. Powerslave (Dickinson)
Saprissa Stadium/San Jose, Costa Rica
February 26, 2008

2. Heaven Can Wait (Harris)
Palmeiras Stadium/Sao Paulo, Brazil
March 2, 2008

3. Run To The Hills (Harris)
Simon Bolivar Park/Bogota, Colombia
February 28, 2008

4. Fear Of The Dark (Harris)
Ferrocarril Oeste Stadium/Buenos Aires, Argentina
March 7, 2008

5. Iron Maiden (Harris)
Pista Atletica/Santiago, Chile
March 9, 2008

6. Moonchild (Dickinson/Smith)
Coliseo de Puerto Rico/San Juan, Puerto Rico
March 12, 2008

7. The Clairvoyant (Harris)
Pedreira Paulo Leminski/Curitiba, Brazil
March 4, 2008

8. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Harris)
Air Canada Centre/Toronto, Canada
March 16, 2008

The Mars Volta: Octahedron Review

2009-06-24T11:45:00.003-04:00

Wait a minute, didn’t I just get a copy of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s solo album around two months ago? God forbid Omar went longer than six months without releasing music, but the consistent onslaught of recordings doesn’t seem to put a damper on the quality, if anything, it could be argued for the better. Also, wasn’t the Volta’s previous release, The Bedlam in Goliath, an overwhelming attack of heavy guitars, pounding beats, and layers upon layers of sounds which when approaching the eardrum sounds eerily similar to getting hit in the face with a brick? Yeah, it definitely was. Here on Octahedron, The Mars Volta go soft. So what happened on Octahedron to make it so mellow - for the Volta at least - and so calm and relaxed?

If the Mars Volta’s releases were to be graphed on a line chart, you would see a steady rise in intensity and boldness with each succeeding record. Octahedron breaks the constant rise and brings them back to a place that if going by the line chart, would be the very bottom - at least in terms of intensity and boldness. It finds them at their most reserved and tame. Acoustic guitars take center stage, and riffs of electric intensity take a back seat, rarely rearing their head other than on the furious, “Cotopaxi”. With a softer album, melodies become more and more crucial; the Volta capitalize on this with the majority of songs having memorable qualities, especially on the albums highlight “Halo of Nembutals” with its stellar chorus.

Despite being rather tame for the Volta, the music is still complex with numerous intricacies which won’t leave prog fans in the dust, which inevitably means, the Volta still haven’t recorded an album that will cross over into the pop mainstream.

The Bedlam in Goliath was a bit overboard in terms of its sheer intensity and it’s inability to ever let the listener breathe. Octahedron was certainly a move in the right direction, but the leap may have been a little too large. The album sounds terrific, but Omar and Cedric are at their best when the electric guitars are searing by at an unstoppable rate and the chaos is all but uncontrollable. But to end this review on a high note - because ultimately this is a great album - Octahedron finds the Volta in a different place, and while it may sound a tad bit off kilter for the band, they make the softer melodies their own and never veer too far away from the complexities which make their music so fantastic.

Grade: A-

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Kinks: Are the Village Green Preservation Society

2009-06-22T15:38:00.003-04:00

This past week at the record store, I was like a kid in a candy shop. There was a tremendous amount of amazing albums to choose from, and the only thing holding me back from my insatiable desire to purchase every album in the store was the lack of cash in my pocket. Despite that minuscule problem holding me back I still managed to pick up three stellar albums: The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, ELP Tarkus and Neil Young Harvest. It’s hard to do better than that on one trip!

When I saw the The Kinks record I was nearly floored in excitement - I’m not sure quite sure why, but for some reason I was really hungering for that album. As I picked it up I immediately assumed the price tag would be out of my range, but it turned out to only be $8. I examined the record and it look pristine. The jacket was a little worn, but the vinyl itself looked like it could have been printed yesterday. With such a cheap price I felt like a kid who stuffed twenty gumballs in his mouth when approaching the counter at a candy store - trying to conceal the wrongdoings but at the same time simply exploiting the flaws of the store. Was the price wrong? I doubt it, considering the title of the album was right on the tag, but it just seemed too good to be true.

Soon after exiting the store I was blasting this vintage Kinks record that played without a hiss or crack. I don’t know the true value of this record, especially considering the amazing condition, but I would be astonished if it was anywhere under twenty dollars. Quite honestly I would think it’s worth more like forty, but I am far from being a vinyl collecting expert.

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Who: Who's Next

2009-06-10T17:19:00.004-04:00

My life has been pretty crazy this past week. I went on vacation and was met with terrible weather every day leaving a bit of a damper on my experience. I came home only to lose my phone on a roller coaster which was subsequently picked up by someone who decided it would be a good idea to make international calls to Jamaica. The following day my girlfriend and I in our haste to find my missing phone met London from the embarrassingly great Daisy of Love on VH1. On Monday I was told by work that I would have to do some traveling which inevitably meant scrambling to make hotel reservations. A few days later I was told that I will have to cancel the reservations because I may no longer have to go, but in the case that I do still go I'm going to have to find a hotel that will accept reservations the day of. But all is well, because I have one of the greatest albums of all time - on vinyl.

The Who’s Who’s Next is practically a who’s who of the most memorable songs in rock. It’s an album that sounds like a greatest hits compilation with hit after hit from this classic rock powerhouse. Opening up with arguably the most anthemic song in rock, “Baba O’Riley” and closing with the in your face "Won't Get Fooled Again" featuring the primal screams of the one and only Roger Daltrey. The album never ceases to blow minds with its consistency and its influence on all music proceeding it. Even the more subdued songs like “I’m in Tune” rock in their own melancholy kind of way. If you were to say Who's Next is the greatest album of all time, there wouldn't be any argument from me.

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Velvet Underground: Loaded

2009-05-28T13:53:00.002-04:00

It’s amazing to think that The Velvet Underground were/are considered a band with a cult following. They have attained such status that they will forever be remembered as one of the most important bands in rock. Critics swoon over the Underground as if they were the second coming of Jesus, and rock enthusiasts will go as far as saying they were the most influential band of the genre. The Velvet Underground were far and away the most forward thinking band of their time, and bands today are still trying to catch up to their innovation. Their consistency is nearly unmatched, and picking their greatest album is as useless as asking chocolate or vanilla?

So in the very front of my record store was a rack of new records and on the bottom shelf was every VU album. Jackpot! But which one to choose? Should I go with the iconic Velvet Underground & Nico? How about the more subdued Self Titled effort? Or should I go with the more accessible Loaded?

My decision was essentially void of decisiveness as I opted to purchase Loaded. Maybe it’s because the album has always reminded me of a High School friend, or maybe it was the unforgettable sounds of “Sweet Jane” and “Rock & Roll” swimming through my head, but in the end, regardless of what album I chose, I was going to be ecstatic. Now I’m just hoping that at least some of those records will still be waiting for me when I go back this weekend.

Marsupial: Genus Thylacinus Review

2009-05-26T13:57:00.005-04:00

When it comes to music, simplicity is often confused for a lack of ability. The confusion often leads to a backlash against pop music due to its simplistic nature. What many fail to realize is that simplicity is often the greatest asset an artist can use. Take for instance John Lennon’s unforgettable “Imagine” which is a milestone for showcasing the power of simplicity. Sticking with Lennon, take Phil Spector’s wall of sound on Let it Be versus the remastered Let it Be...Naked which stripped the over-the-top production from the music - the latter easily trumps the prior, and gives yet another reason for why Spector deserves to be imprisoned. Then there are Jam Bands who are known to lose site of the core melody and song structure by going into ten minutes of aimless noodling which ultimately leads to a seemingly endless bore-fest. Marsupial’s Genus Thylacinus is a solid album with an array of eclectic genres and at its core, incredible songs, but it's held together by the hollow shell that is the Jam Band genre.

Genus Thylacinus is comprised of a wide range of song types that can quickly go from country twang to hard rock riffs. Each variation sounds impeccable, and Marsupial never loses a step regardless of what ground they cover. However, the songs are great at their core. The melodies are fantastic, the acoustic moments are soothing, the heavy riffs are rocking, but far too often we find the band delving into the long jam sessions which ultimately bog down these wonderful songs. For a good portion of the album the jam session are tolerable, but in the end, Marsupial would have been best served cutting them out.

This album will quickly have you putting on your cowboy boots, then trading them in for your metal mullet, and pulling out your weed soaked Grateful Dead tie-dye shirt. Deep down this is a stellar album, but the long strings of mindless meandering noodling drag the songs through the mud, which is quite sad considering how fantastic these songs are minus the long winded solos.

Grade: B

Rock is Alive

2009-05-21T13:57:00.005-04:00

Rock is not dead! And if you think otherwise you're either: A. Delusional B. Refuse to accept change C. Living under a rock. I’m as big a proponent of classic rock that you will find, but just because the 60s and 70s were my favorite era of rock doesn’t mean that I have to write off everything that succeeds that era. The 80s sucked, but rock bounced back strong in the 90s and even in this current decade. I was once one of those people who searched for reasons to criticize current music, but with time, I’ve realized that I have to stop placing classic rock on a pedestal.

Steve Van Zandt wrote a speech that has been floating around the blogosphere essentially explaining what’s wrong with rock now and days, and what we can do to bring it back to what it once was. While many of his points make sense, the argument is completely unwarranted; rock is perfectly fine and it would only do a disservice to go back to what it was! There’s no reason to attack the current system, bands are churning out stellar albums with consistency and although people claim you need to really dig for music of quality, it’s right beneath our noses. Bands like The White Stripes, Muse, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, and Tool are on rock radio constantly. While I may receive heat for this, I believe each of those bands are far more consistent and have released better material than the highly regarded Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton.

Rock fans need to stop viewing classic rock as the be all and end all of music. God forbid we were to ever say an album released in the past ten years is as good as something Led Zeppelin released! Critics and fans alike would stone you for speaking such blasphemy. I often have to remind myself that Led Zeppelin is not a religion based on how intensely people worship them.

Bands today are in a practical lose-lose situation when it comes to producing new music. They can only be as good as the time period it was released. We nail bands for not being enough like the golden days of rock, yet when they are, we claim they’re unoriginal.

The landscape of music is changing, and while many want to argue whether it is for better or worse, it’s a necessary change, and thank God it’s occurring. If bands today were as invariant as AC/DC I would have quit listening to music a long time ago.

So take off your blinding classic rock shades, stop listening to the single minded cynical critics, and just listen to the current rock scene! It can easily be heard on any rock station, no matter how mediocre it may be. And don’t forget that the 60s and 70s had their fair share of terrible music too - we just tend to pick and choose what we remember as time passes...

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Who: Tales from The Who

2009-05-19T13:56:00.005-04:00

This post has been long overdue. I purchased this album around a month ago when browsing through my local record store. The cover immediately drew me in, and upon closer look I noticed the artwork was by the infamous William Stout, who’s artwork can be seen on an array of bootlegs from the most important bootlegging manufacturer in history, Trademark of Quality. I’ve seen a lot of his work before in books and on the Internet, but this was the first time seeing it in person, and I was thoroughly impressed. Without much hesitation I knew this was going to be my purchase for the week.

For a little history on this bootleg in particular, Trademark of Quality (TMQ) was the definitive maker of bootlegs in late 60s and early 70s. They were ahead of their time and did their business intelligently. They remained out of the spotlight to avoid heat from law enforcement, and had successfully averted any issues for quite some time. However, federal authorities were beginning to take action against TMQ. The FBI would eventually track down the head of the manufacturer, a man known simply as Dub. With the bootleg industry becoming a far less profitable scene than what it had originally started out to be, Dub decided it would be best to avoid any legal altercations and get out of the business entirely. The last bootleg TMQ produced was the album shown here, Tales From the Who. According to cover artist, William Stout, TMQ had destroyed all of their albums, and only 120 copies of Tales from The Who made it to store shelves.

Aside from the interesting history of this album in particular, it captures a great performance from The Who. The sound is less than stellar, but is still pretty strong given the date. The recording was taken from a radio broadcast on the Quadrophenia tour. Fitting with the “Quad” theme, TMQ coded the broadcast to a quadrophonic format making it the most technologically impressive bootlegs on the market. As TMQ had been doing during this time period, Tales from The Who was pressed on some real eye catching multi-colored vinyls. Even if the albums were unplayable, I would still be thrilled with this purchase. Definitely one of the best gems I’ve found during my short period of record collecting.

El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez Lopez: Cryptomnesia Review

2009-05-15T13:49:00.002-04:00

The Mars Volta is great for making music so dense it can take a year to sift through and digest. After a year I’m still trying to wrap my head around The Bedlam in Goliath. Omar's (Guitarist of The Mars Volta) new album isn’t much different, and there’s not much separating it from a Volta album since Cedric Bixler-Zivala (The Mars Volta) is present on vocals. I suppose titling this as different band frees them up to be a little more experimental, and as you would expect - the music is dense, maniacal, and absurd, and while most reviews containing those three adjectives would meet absolute doom, Omar’s album comes away looking genius.

The album is slightly more manic and adventurous than Volta material, but not by all that much. Imagine King Crimson and The Bad Brains had a child, and this child took speed, well that child would be Cryptomnesia. Guitars sear through the pounding drums in every which direction and layers of sounds fight their way through the explosion to be heard. The incredible guitar work of Omar is blatantly obvious with notes flying at warp speed and riffs that make wannabe guitarists such as myself look at my fingers and ask why.

Then there are the powerful and unique falsetto vocals of Cedric Bixler-Zivala. Not many voices could demand your attention through the berserk controlled chaos, but Cedric’s voice delivers the outrageous lyrics with intensity.

If Brick Tamland from Anchorman was to hear this album, he would scream “LOUD NOISES!” It’s in your face, brash, and isn’t afraid to layer as many sounds on top of each other to make an atomic bomb of noise that somehow manages to come together and make solid melodies and great music. So go stick your head in a bass drum and let your buddy pound away, and maybe then you will be prepared to listen to Cryptomnesia.

Grade: A-

Bob Dylan: Together Through Life Review

2009-05-14T13:17:00.000-04:00

Old school Bobby D delivers his 33rd studio album, and while that number is baffling itself, more impressively, he continues to keep his music sounding fresh. Dylan’s latest release sounds different than the rest of his rather diverse discography, and surprisingly, has a very natural sound that seems to come easy, and maybe it’s because Together Through Life essentially spawned out of a recording session for just one song ("Life is Hard.") Musically, this album is seemingly effortless, and this relaxed atmosphere plays perfectly into Dylan's hands.

Together Through Life has a very vintage sound that harks back to an era that precedes even Dylan’s years. The songs are predominately centered around romance - both heart-warming and heart-breaking, and all the while, Dylan’s ravaged voice brings life to the sentimental lyrics. One of the more prominent instruments utilized here is the accordion - mentally bringing listeners to an old Italian restaurant back in the 40s sitting next to an obese man stuffing his face with lasagna and sausage (too much imagery?) Much of the album also carries heavy influence from 1950s blues.

The true gem of this album is not surprisingly the song which gave birth to the remainder of Together Through Life, "Life is Hard". This melancholy track finds Dylan with his guard down and at his most vulnerable, declaring that "Life is hard / Without you near me."

The rather impromptu recording session turned out to benefit Dylan - the album carries a carefree attitude without suffering from overproduction, and one of the keys to Dylan's success was simplicity. He let his words take center stage, and while musically there is more going on than the Freewheelin' days, it still sounds simple and honest.

Grade: B+

Absentstar: Where We Begin Review

2009-05-07T21:36:00.002-04:00

Oh Absentstar, you’ve done it again. You’ve created the finest form of pop/rock and ingrained the most superb melodies and hooks in my head. The only thing crazier than your ability for writing a catchy tune is the fact that you haven’t dominated top forty radio, but all in due time I suppose. Where We Begin is Absentstar’s sophomore album following their debut Sea Trials. Since that time the band has abandoned their label, and went out on their own, and like many bands who have done the same, the crew believes that it has been a rewarding experience, and according to the albums title, is a new beginning.

On their debut they compiled a healthy mix of rockers and ballads, and for their follow up they continus to follow the same formula. However, this time around it’s clear that the band is improving, and the improvement is completely audible in the music. The musicianship is tight, and all the pieces fit together to make a slew of strong tracks. They’re not venturing over any new ground, but they clearly have a strong knowledge of what makes pop/rock rewarding. Songs like “(Don’t You Think) We Owe it to Ourselves” and “Education” deliver big powerful choruses begging to be sung. Then there are the more subtle ballads which may not be as strong as the rockers, but still hold their own. As a whole, the songwriting is stellar.

Where We Begin sounds like a touch up of their debut Sea Trials. Musically it’s not all that different, but sometimes much of the art out there just needs a little touching up to display its vibrant colors, and Where We Begin is glowing. It catches your attention upon first listen, and doesn’t let go. Hell, I’m trying to review other albums and I’m still singing these songs in my head...

Grade: A-

Another Week Another Vinyl: Weather Report: Heavy Weather & Herbie Hancock Thrust

2009-05-04T13:52:00.000-04:00

Right here we have two jazztastic albums from two of the most legendary fusion artists. On one hand we have the upbeat futuristic jazz/funk master Herbie Hancock. On the other hand we have the fusion virtuosos of the Weather Report. Both albums are legendary in their respected genre, and have recently been re-released on 180 gram vinyl. Both albums feature that wonderful warm and crisp sound you would come to expect from vinyl.

With the Weather Report’s Heavy Weather, we get a relaxed and cool album headlined by the popular track "Birdland". "A Remark You Made" is another great song marked by its soft and sentimental sound. While all of the individuals in the line-up are incredibly talented, the most unbelievable work comes from bassist Jaco Pastorius, who lays down some meaty bass lines.

Then there is Hancock’s Thrust, and man is this a delicious album! I was very skeptical of this album before I had heard it. I’ve heard Hancock’s famous single "Rock It" many times, but I always found it annoying. So getting myself to listen to this album was almost a chore. When I spun the record for the very first time I was amazed by how good it was. All the apprehension flew out the door so quickly after hearing the opening track "Palm Grease", and from there until the very end I was marveling at the quality of music.

These are two masterful jazz fusion albums which are certainly worthy of being re-released on 180 gram vinyl.

New Found Glory: Sticks and Stones Review

2009-05-01T22:57:00.001-04:00

Shit and Stones

Grade: F

Pearl Jam: Ten Review

2009-04-24T12:53:00.000-04:00

Not too many genres have a unanimously definitive album. Grunge on the other hand, is immediately defined by Nirvana’s Nevermind. You would be hard pressed to find an argument from anyone. People will banter about how it may not be the strongest, but it certainly is the most recognizable of the genre. Right behind Nevermind is Pearl Jam’s Ten, it’s the Dr. Phil to Oprah, the Robin to Batman, and the Scottie Pippin to Michael Jordan - they’ll always be second. Being second to Nevermind certainly isn’t a knock against Ten - in fact it’s about as big of a compliment that you could give any grunge record. Ten is a phenomenal album released by a band that would go on to lead a not so phenomenal future which was marked by being a few notches over mediocre.

The main difference between Nirvana and Pearl Jam was Nirvana was more indebted to the punk scene while Pearl Jam lent themselves more to the hard rock scene. The hard rock elements are incredibly clear throughout. The music claws away with heavy distorted instruments, thunderous vocals, and stellar guitar work. And while I’ll always have a grudge against Eddie Vedder for all the imitators that have spawned from his liking, (I’m looking at your Chad Kroeger) very few have the same kind of passion he delivers. Take "Black" for instance, when he sings:

I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life
I know you’ll be a sun
In somebody elses sky
But why, why, why can’t it be
Can’t it be mine?

Have you ever heard someone sing with as much emotion as he does right there? Damn it’s remarkable! This guy can even outperform Roger Daltrey on Daltrey’s own song!

And what would a grunge album be without angst soaked lyrics. There so much angst in fact, that when people tried to construe "Alive" to be an inspirational and uplifting song, they were quickly shot down after realizing that it’s truly about a mother who is sexually attracted to her son because he resembles his father. How’s that for a shocker? And the themes that run throughout follow the same pattern of despair as "Alive".

Ten is the highlight of Pearl Jam’s career, and not only of Pearl Jam’s career, but the grunge scene as a whole - and rightfully so. From beginning to end Ten is packed with memorable tracks that breathe fire and energy. The guitar work is some of the best of the genre, and Vedder’s voice delivers a multitude of angst with passion and bravado. Ten is a must own album for anyone who lived through the 90s.

(On a side note, this is technically a review of the re-release of Ten which not only features the original recording, but a remix of the album. To keep it brief, because I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise, it sounds very similar to the original - some of the instruments have a little more bite to their sound, but it would be very difficult to notice without listening to the original and remix back to back. Essentially it is a minor upgrade in sound quality.)

Grade: A+

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It's Blitz Review

2009-04-23T13:19:00.001-04:00

I had initially written a review for this album a few days after it's digital release around a month ago. The review was written on a notebook and was never transcribed to my blog because I never felt completely comfortable with what I wrote. The review wasn't necessarily scathing, but instead focused on the fact that the wild lion, Karen O, had been tamed. Then while relaxing with the vinyl version of the album blaring in the background I realized that my initial assessment was far off base. It was seen through the eyes of a Yeah Yeah Yeahs fan who was listening for the intensity of Fever to Tell and Show Your Bones. It was sheer disappointment when I realized that the manic vocal ravings of Karen O were instead replaced with a woman who seemingly was just playing the part. With that said, I took a step back from the eyes of a fan looking for more of the same, and instead I viewed the album as if it were from someone I never heard before. What I realized was that It's Blitz! is a beautifully, heart-felt and diverse album that displays a band with a soft side.

The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s concentrate all their fire and energy into the first two tracks "Zero" and "Heads Will Roll". They merge techno beats with rock sensibilities and opt for strong synths over heavy guitars, and it’s the synths that take control for the remainder of the album. The result is a sound far different than what we would come to expect from the trio, but yet at the same time feels incredibly familiar. The intensity slowly dissipates as the album rolls forward, but the lack of tenacity doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of quality. Songs like "Runaway" and "Skeletons" have an ability to flaunt bombast and drama while keeping the mood light. "Hysetric" and "Little Shadow" close out the album slowly with their romantic overtones - "Hysteric" is a surreal and melodic number which inevitably leads into the grandiose "Little Shadow", where Karen O asks in the albums most compassionate moment, "Little shadow, to the night will you follow me?" If I were that little shadow, I would follow Karen O wherever she wants me to go...

It’s Blitz! is starkly different from the rest of their efforts, but its clear that complacency is something that doesn’t sit necessarily well with the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s. The album may take some warming up to for many YYY fans, but it’s important to view the album for what it is, and not what you want it to be - because the moment I dropped my expectations was the moment I realized that this was a superb album.

Grade: A-

Billy Corgan Interview on Record Store Day

2009-04-22T22:25:00.001-04:00

This video was taken by a store clerk at Vintage Vinyl in the Chicago area.

Another Week Another Vinyl: Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It's Blitz!

2009-04-20T13:13:00.005-04:00

This is my Record Store Day edition of another week another vinyl. The sad aspect of it, is that the vinyl I'm posting, wasn't a record store day exclusive.

A few days prior to the event my girlfriend (A dental hygiene student) told me she was in dire need of a patient for Saturday (Record Store Day.) Being the great boyfriend I am (I need to do something to compensate for my lack of looks) I told her if she wasn't able to find a patient by Saturday I would reluctantly go. As my luck would have it, she never found a patient which meant I was going to be out of the house from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

After the excruciating hours of sitting in a dental chair, I ran over to the closest record store who was actually carrying record store day exclusives. While briskly walking over to the new vinyl section, I noticed there were only around five 7" records laying there and no Omar Rodriguez-Lopez album in sight. I half-heartily searched through the 7" records and found absolutely nothing of any kind of value. Instead I was met with the whiny band Taking Back Sunday and the incomprehensible Leonard Cohen.

On a bright note, they did have one copy of the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz! album, which as I stated earlier, wasn't a record store day exclusive. All the record store day hype I built up led to disapointment.

Now focusing on It's Blitz! The artwork is fantastic in its larger form, but there really wasn't that much going for the vinyl version. Inside is artwork of a pizza with outlandish toppings, but nothing else. Not even liner notes! Come on guys! At least tell me who the hell is performing on the record. Lyrics would be nice too. One positive thing to take away however, is the album does come with a free digital download, and the importance of that, cannot be understated.

So my record store day was a bust, but I was able to snag one of only 3,000 copies of the new Omar Rodriguez-Lopez album off of Ebay for a very respectable price. You can also expect to see a review of It's Blitz! within the next few days.

Vinyl Column on Glide Magazine

2009-04-16T13:23:00.002-04:00

Bob, over at Rock and Roll and Meandering Nonsense has just started writing a column for Glide Magazine. The column is devoted to the fantastic subject of vinyl. His first article was posted yesterday and is entitled: An Introduction To The Obsession Of Record Collecting. The article is great and I encourage everyone to stop by and check it out, because if there is one person who knows about vinyl, it's Bob.

Another Week Another Vinyl: Yes: Close to the Edge

2009-04-11T23:19:00.006-04:00

For this week I finally visited the other local record store in my area. It's about a ten to fifteen minute drive where as my usual record store, Atomic CDs is just around five minutes away. The other store, known simply as, The Record Store, was quite impressive. It's a pretty large place filled with a ton of comics, random junk and of course, vinyls! The vinyl selection isn't exactly robust, but what it lacks in quantity, it certainly makes up in quality. There were a ton of great albums to choose from ranging from The Beatles Sgt. Pepper to Yes Close to the Edge. Sgt. Pepper came with a much larger price tag than what I'm accustomed to (thirty dollars) so I decided to pick up U2's The Joshua Tree which is in excellent condition as well as the previously mentioned Close to the Edge by Yes.

The Close to the Edge cover is a bit warn, but the record itself is in fairly good condition, and it plays without any issues. I'm not sure where Close to the Edge stands in terms of my favorite Yes album, but it's certainly in the top three along with The Yes Album and Fragile. What makes Close to the Edge so spectacular can be pinned down to just one song - "And You and I". From the beautiful opening harmonic guitar section to the great mellotron climax, it's one of the greatest moments in prog.

Sleepy Sun: Embrace Review

2009-04-09T20:58:00.003-04:00

Psychedelic music has a tendency to be overly sluggish and stagnant these days. They revolve in their constant haze and never elevate listeners to a higher level of emotion other than the constant meandering drab. Sleepy Sun averts this plague and takes their listeners on a journey through the foggy fuzz which consistently manages to reach a heightened climax - unlike many of their fellow counterparts.

Embrace as a whole is a stellar album, but there is one moment which sums up exactly what this album is all about. “White Dove” is an epic song eclipsing the nine minute mark. It ravages your ears with heavy sections mellowed off with lush atmospheric vocals and guitar riffs which are then capped off by some deliciously trippy solos, and then dazes back into its mellow subdued state making for one incredible ride. The opening song “New Age” is similar to “White Dove” in its ability to be a lengthy track which plateaus into a heavy energetic crunch after the initial lull.

Sleepy Sun, despite their name, manage to be more than just a boring psychedelic band. They reach for something greater, rather than being held tightly in a mundane circle. They’ve created a collection of songs that have bite and they’ll pull at your ears adding a true sense of tension. Embrace is a psychedelic album which succesfuly transitions from soft to hard on nearly every track, and that's something that is painfully absent in this genre.

Grade: A-

Kurt Cobain Announced Dead Fifteen Years Ago From Today

2009-04-08T13:05:00.002-04:00

Fifteen years ago, the death of Kurt Cobain was announced to the world. Kurt’s entire life was a total contradiction - his hate of fame, yet at the same time, constantly complaining his videos weren’t aired enough. His paranoia for the safety of his daughter, while at the same time not being there for her because of his own issues. Regardless of the kind of man he was, Kurt was one of, if not the most influential artists of the 90s as well as my generation.

I was only eight years old at the time of his death, and my memories of the news are a bit blurry. However, I do recall my first encounter with Nirvana which was through the Unplugged album. An album far different from the rest of their work, but none the less, opened the flood gates to the rest of their material. Nirvana holds an important place in my musical background, because they were one of the first true bands I loved.

Nirvana may be one of the most polarizing bands in rock, but no matter which side of the fence you stand on, nobody can deny their impact on bands to come.

Shut Out of Seeing U2...Again!

2009-04-06T13:05:00.002-04:00

Today has been kind of day where you wake up and you automatically realize that your entire day is going to suck, and thus far it seems to be true. The primary reason today sucks is because I once again missed out on tickets to see U2 at Giants Stadium. Tickets went on sale at 10:00 AM which meant I was all prepared by 9:50. My fingers were stretched and my mouse was hovering over the reload button waiting for the clock to strike 10:00.

At the time I was feeling both confident and insecure. It’s extremely rare for me to get totally shut out of getting tickets, in fact I can only think of one instance, and that was Radiohead at MSG Theater. The insecure side of me was saying that Ticketmaster has been screwing a lot of people over lately, and I’m feeling like today I’m going to be one of those receiving the shaft.

Promptly at 10:00 I went through all the nonsense to buy tickets (i.e. Picking out the amount of tickets and typing in the security words which aren’t even English words half the time.) Once I completed those initial steps it told me I had a one minute wait. At that moment I felt pretty good, everything was going swimmingly and I correctly guessed the security words on my first try - which isn’t always easy. Then, my one minute wait turned into a fifteen minute wait! At that point I knew I better start looking for some cheap scalpers. Then my fifteen minute wait turned into four minutes, and then jumped to thirteen, and then to five. What the hell is going on here! Around ten minutes later, I get the message of death declaring that there are no more tickets available.

How could this be? How could they be sold out this quick? This is the second show at Giants Stadium which holds over 80,000 people and I can’t even get tickets after submitting my request thirty seconds after they went on sale. Something can’t be right here, and I’m going to have to jump on the Ticketmaster sucks bandwagon and proclaim that Ticketmaster screwed me of tickets!

Has anyone else tried to purchase U2 tickets for their current tour?

Don't Neglect the Record Stores

2009-04-02T13:47:00.004-04:00

Around a week ago I had a nightmare that I walked into my local record store only to see the owner tearing down everything from the walls. I quickly asked him, “Why are you taking everything down?” And with a sadness in his eyes he told me, “We’re going out of business.”

It’s a brutal reality that record stores are quickly becoming obsolete in the eyes of many. In an age of the almighty Internet and major retail chains that spread as far as the eye can see, the local record store is hanging on for dear life. Vinyls were replaced by CD’s and CD’s were replaced with MP3's, and with that sudden change, iTunes and Napster became kings and the record stores became the peasants.

Now and days, the record store is being seen as a “niche” market where as not too long ago it was the sole haven for all music purchases. What needs to be understood is a record store is not reaching out to a niche market, it is connecting to all of those who have a love for music, and that market is certainly greater than just a niche.

Younger generations may not realize it yet, but being able to hold your albums and talk about them with others gives much greater meaning to music - one that is intended to be there. Music is more than just harmonies and notes, it offers aspects which connect so many, and while every vinyl is sitting on a shelf collecting dust, and every CD is sitting in shrinkwrap, one of the most important characteristics of music is dying.

Where else can you go where you can have a deep and intelligent conversation with a store owner about the history of rock? Certainly not at your Best Buy. Record stores offer a sense of community, the people walking in and out are a unique group who all share a passion for music. Every used vinyl that sits on the shelf has a story - it has changed lives, given hours of enjoyment, and just may have been a defining moment in ones life - the moment they realized the magic of music, and practically every person who shops there knows this.

So if it’s only for one day, make it out to your local record store and try to connect with those who work there and actually hold the music you listen to. Read the liner notes on the vinyls and admire the artwork, because it may soon be the last time. April 18th is Record Store Day, so don’t neglect the community behind the music you listen to. For a little information about Record Store Day, here is a snippet from the official website:

The original idea for Record Store Day was conceived by Chris Brown, and was founded in 2007 by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Don Van Cleave and Brian Poehner as a celebration of the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA, and hundreds of similar stores internationally.

This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on. Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day at Rasputin Music in San Franscisco on April 19, 2008 and Record Store Day is now celebrated the third Saturday every April.

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Nice: Greatest Hits

2009-04-01T13:52:00.000-04:00

It was slim-pickens at my local record store this week. There were some decent albums but nothing spectacular, and in the end I purchased The Nice’s Greatest Hits released under their Immediate label. What’s brought forth in this album is a pretty good grouping of songs from a pretty good band. The Nice isn’t a band to marvel at, but instead they are a good history lesson for prog enthusiasts. If you are looking for the early origins of prog, look no further than The Nice, but if you’re caught debating between The Nice or ELP - take the latter, unless it’s Love Beach of course.

New Mars Volta Album Plus a Rant

2009-03-31T18:37:00.000-04:00

According to The Comatorium, The Mars Volta will be releasing their fifth LP on June 16th. An official statement from the band is expected in the near future.

What amazes me most about The Mars Volta is not just the incredible music they continuously put out, but at the rate they do it. The art of releasing material at a quick and steady rate seems to be more than just a dying breed, but instead completely extinct. The argument that taking more time between releasing albums makes for better material is not only wrong, but seems to be opposite from the truth.

Look at the golden era of rock. The Beatles released, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, The Beatles (The White Album), and Abbey Road all within a year of each other. Granted they did that without touring, but has any band in the past twenty years done something which even comes close to The Beatles? Pink Floyd released, Atom Heart Mother, Meddle, Obscured by Clouds, and Dark Side of the Moon all within a year, and followed that up with Wish You Were Here just two years after the epic Dark Side of the Moon. Dylan released both Bringing it all Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited in the same year! In 1964 he released both, The-Times-Are-A-Changin’ and Another Side of Bob Dylan. I could go on forever listing bands from the 60s and 70s who were capable of pulling this off with ease, but it would quickly become redundant.

Now there is The Mars Volta who released four albums in five years, and all of which can easily be considered as highlights of this past decade. Within just around a year of each other, they released two of the best experimental/prog albums to date with Frances the Mute and Amputechture.

Musicians are simply lazy now and days. You can bore me to death with arguments about endless touring and demanding lifestyles, but if countless bands were able to release new music year after year in the 60s and 70s then there is no reason that todays bands are not capable of doing the same thing. This isone more r just eason why I respect hard working bands like The Mars Volta and artists such as Jack White - who always has his hand in something. Not only do they provide me with some of the greatest music I’ve ever heard, but they constantly keep my listening experience fresh.

New Bob Dylan Track Available For Free Download

2009-03-31T13:45:00.002-04:00

The first track from Bob Dylan’s forthcoming release, Together Through Life, has been posted as a free download on BobDylan.com. Titled “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”, the song will be available for free from midnight, March 30th through midnight, March 31st. Together Through Life will be released on Columbia Records on April 28th.

Together Through Life, produced by Jack Frost, was recorded late last year, prompted by the composition of a new song, “Life Is Hard,” which was written for a forthcoming film by French director Oliver Dahan (La Vie En Rose).

The new album will be the 46th release from Bob Dylan, and follows 2006’s Platinum album Modern Times, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and reached the top of the charts in seven additional countries and the Top 5 in 22 countries around the world.

Guilty Pleasures?

2009-03-26T20:22:00.007-04:00

Ever listen to music which you love, but something deep inside of you tells you that maybe you shouldn't? Those great guilty pleasures that are buried in the depths of your iPod, or are hidden eight folders deep into you Desktop? Sort of like Taylor Swift... Oops, did I say that?

Well there are those obvious guilty pleasure such as the one previously mentioned, but then there are those others that have you debating whether or not they are indeed a guilty pleasure.

The other day while driving home from work I felt compelled to throw on some Tragic Kingdom from No Doubt. An album that was on a constant rotation back while I was in fifth grade. Back then I never had second thoughts of it being a guilty pleasure, but then again, I was also rocking out to Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill too. So with No Doubt cranked at full volume, I found myself singing

Cause I'm just a girl, little 'ol me
Don't let me out of your sight
I'm just a girl, all pretty and petite
So don't let me have any rights

Wait a minute! I can't be singing that! Or should I? I still regard No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom as one of the finer moments of the 90s regardless of what people want to say about Gwen Stefani (I'm not sure how you could criticize one of the most beautiful women ever!)

Now I just wanted other peoples opinion on whether or not listneing to these artists is considered a "guilty pleasure."

-No Doubt specifically Tragic Kingdom
-Alanis Morissette specifically Jagged Little Pill
- Jewel (She is a great lyricist...)
-Goo Goo Dolls (They have a few songs I really like)
-The Monkees (Personally I'm not a fan, but they do have a few catchy songs, I'm interested in your opinion though)

Another Week Another Vinyl: Bob Dylan: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

2009-03-25T13:40:00.000-04:00

My first introduction to Dylan, was through one of his greatest hits albums. My initial listen was filled with hesitation due to the persecution he receives for his vocal imperfections. After continued listens I didn’t quite understand all the heat he receives about his vocals, in fact, I thought they were decent, especially in comparison to most in the folk music rounds. Surely his voice isn’t something anyone can classify as beautiful, but in reality, it’s not all that bad. The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan was the first proper album I ever listened to by this legendary artist who would eventually land a spot as one of my all time favorites.

The record was conveniently located right in the front of the “D” section. Being that I have such a personal connection with this album - not to mention its greatness, I had to buy it. Although, I was a little weary based on the ragged condition of both the cover and vinyl. Surprisingly however, the album played quite well. There is a constant hissing in the background, but it almost adds to the personal feel of just Dylan’s voice and guitar.

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan was just his second release, and the first of original material, which could arguably be the starting point for classic rock. This album contains two of Dylan’s most timeless protest songs, “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Masters of War” as well as the beautifully romantic “Girl from the North Country” and the unforgettable “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”. This album is the birth of the greatest songwriter in rock history.

Another Great Venue Down the Drain: PNC Bank Arts Center

2009-03-23T22:18:00.002-04:00

This Saturday I went on to Live Nation to purchase tickets to see Jane’s Addiction at the PNC Bank Arts Center. I opted to go for lawn seats which are located in the back of the venue, and were what I felt was a pretty reasonable price of twenty dollars. So, I went through the process of ordering them, and when it came time to see the prices I noticed it was outrageously higher than what it should have been. I noticed one twenty dollar ticket had $18.50 of bogus charges which obviously included the oh so convenient, convenience charges of around ten dollars, and then another "parking fee" of six dollars! The parking fee wasn’t tacked on to the entire purchase, instead it was added to each individual ticket purchased. So much for promoting a clean environment by encouraging car pooling or public transportation. Regardless of how you get to the venue, you pay a mandatory six dollars. So essentially, I would have ended up paying double the amount of the listed price for the tickets. I love Jane’s Addiction, but there is no way I am paying forty dollars in absurd sur-charges, especially for twenty dollar tickets!

What is most upsetting, is the PNC Bank Arts Center was once a venue which I had very high respect for. Sure the prices for drinks and food were outrageous, but the atmosphere was always great, and the best part, they never charged for parking. The Arts Center has seen a quick, but steady decline over the past few years - and is one that I refuse to put up with.

Recently there was a death at Ozzfest which was related to underage drinking as well as drugs. If I recall correctly, it just seemed to be a bad mix of both. This inevitably led to a ban on all tailgating in the parking lot. While I thought this was insane, it was something I was willing to cope with considering I’m not much of a drinker anyhow. While it may be seen as encouraging safety, in my opinion, it’s more of a ploy to create more sales of alcohol within the venue.

Now, this six dollar parking fee is the last straw. If they would have instilled a parking charge at the gates, I would have understood, but to tack on this charge to every ticket purchased, regardless of ones mode of transportation is just sleazy and greedy. I for one am boycotting this venue unless there is a show I’m dying to see. I was pretty excited to see Jane’s but this has gone too far. If I’m going to end up paying forty dollars for a ticket, when they are listed as twenty, then just say that! Don’t try to bait me into buying tickets with this seemingly low price only to be raped during the checkout. If my cell phone company can tell me how much I’m going to be paying after taxes and everything else, then my ticket broker should be able to as well.

So long PNC, you were once a great venue, that quickly headed south.

The Brilliant Sun: S/T Review

2009-03-19T14:35:00.009-04:00

We all know that lead man, Ray Davies of the Kinks has a brother, Dave Davies - also a member of the Kinks. Yet, what nobody knows is, Ray Davies also had a twin brother separated at birth, and his name is, Steven Lee Phelps of the Brilliant Sun. He’s just like Ray - well, in terms of musical attributes. They both create the same style of 60s off-kilter pop rock.

Unfortunately that story isn’t necessarily true, although I wouldn’t doubt it if it were. The Brilliant Sun bear an incredible resemblance to the 60s powerhouse band, The Kinks. And like The Kinks, The Brilliant Sun will sadly be looked over for their rather quirky way of approaching music. The quirkiness resonated predominately in the odd vocal approach of singer, Steven Lee Phelps. It has it’s flaws, but yet all those flaws sound so right.

The Brilliant Sun are a four piece band hailing from Seattle, with Steven Lee Phelps (guitar/ lead vocals) Dino Matelli (bass guitar/vocals) Jeff Reiner (lead guitar/vocals) and Paul Kollman (drums/vocals). They exercise their form of 60s light and effervescent pop-rock with a bright mood and an honest demeanor. The music is well grounded and allows for immediate connection with listeners. The music veers away from heavy complexities, yet never sounds shallow and has plenty of depth.

The Brilliant Sun’s sound is very relatable to The Kinks, and just like the Kinks, they have a very identifiable sound that is both quirky and catchy. Steven Lee Phelps won’t be heralded as a vocal virtuoso, but his vocal defects end up being quite endearing, just like the complete package from the band.

Grade: B

Another Week Another Vinyl: The Police: Synchronicity

2009-03-16T16:38:00.003-04:00

Waiting in my mailbox the other day was a stack of vinyls from Bob, and just like the last time he sent me a bunch of his doubles, I decided to post the album which received the most listens. In this case, it was probably a tie between U2's The Unforgettable Fire and The Polices’ Synchronicity. For the sake of not being overly repetitious with U2, I decided to post The Police. The Police are one of the many bands in history that fit in the category of what if? Their rather short but incredibly accomplished career as a band has been re-energized in the past few years thanks to a reunion, but the band quickly came to a halt after Synchronicity which was released in 1983. With great critical acclaim, and a massive following, The Police left at the top of their game leaving the world wondering, what could have been in the future.

Synchronicity is arguably the bands greatest achievement, and stands as their most commercially successful album, mainly due in part to the unforgettable, "Every Breath You Take". Both side one and side two of the album are incredible, with the second side featuring the more accessible and popular songs, and side one featuring its fair share of fantastic tunes.

With that said, what side would you rather listen to, side one or two?

Side One
Synchronicity I (3:23)
Walking In Your Footsteps (3:35)
O My God (4:00)
Mother (3:03)
Miss Gradenko (2:00)
Synchronicity II (5:04)

Side Two
Every Breath You Take (4:13)
King Of Pain (4:59)
Wrapped Around Your Finger (5:12)
Tea In The Sahara (4:11)

New Bob Dylan Album To Be Released on April 28th

2009-03-16T07:37:00.000-04:00

Columbia Records announced today that Bob Dylan’s new studio album will be released on April 28. Together Though Life, produced by Jack Frost, was recorded late last year, prompted by the composition of a new song, “Life Is Hard,” which was written for a forthcoming film by French director Oliver Dahan (La Vie En Rose)

The new album will be the 46th release from Bob Dylan, and follows 2006’s Platinum album Modern Times, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and reached the top of the charts in seven additional countries and the Top 5 in 22 countries around the world.