Artist: Holy Land (Previously known as Spirit Animal)
Album: Real
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: I'm cheating a little today and purposely went and sought out something that was short, due to getting home a little later today. I also realize I am still a day behind. This is a demo EP by Holy Land, who was previously known as Spirit Animal, although there were already at least two bands with this name. It can be found on Spotify under Spirit Animal, the second one, and then down in the Singles section of that band. The bio for this band says fans of Trapped Under Ice, Expire, and Only Living Witness will enjoy this. Therefore, I will give this a whirl.
Initial Reaction: Starts off strong. Musically, this fits in to the bands listed above, I'm fine with that. Unlike the above bands, the vocalist's voice is boring, though. But, the breakdowny parts are just fine. The recording is pretty not great, though
Random Thoughts: It's got that modern, groove bounce sound going on that is all the rage these days. Again, I have no problem with this normally, but this isn't doing anything for me. If I had to guess, these dudes are probably either still in high school or just fresh out. They may get better down the line. There's swearing, mosh parts, and a vocalist that is not quite screaming, but also not quite singing. Also, there are guest vocalists. Justice from TUI and what I can only assume is the vocalist of Break Away. I only say that, because I haven't heard that band.
Final Reaction: It's not awful and maybe with some time, they'll get better and I'll like a future release even more down the road. It falls in line with some of the more popular modern hardcore bands coming out. But, I am not a huge fan of the vocalist. If this is their first demo, I'll give them a shot again the next time they put something out.
Final Grade: 5.0/10
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Day 56: Schoolboy Q - Oxymoron
Artist: Schoolboy Q
Album: Oxymoron
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: After getting duped by iTunes on the Pharrell "stream" (it's only 90 seconds of each song, of which isn't even half a song, and in at least one case not even a quarter), I've decided to review something that I can listen to the full thing. So, I'll do the new Schoolboy Q album. He is a rapper from South Central LA, he's been getting some hype based on his very positively reviewed first two albums. This one seems to be right in line with that, so here goes.
Initial Reaction: Looks like each song is produced by someone different. Alright, I dig the flow, the beats on this song are pretty great too. The song fits in nicely with a lot of the hip hop I've been listening to lately. As with all hip hop, I am going to need to relisten to determine how I feel about the lyrics, because there is so much packed into a song that I miss a lot of it the first time around. This first song was pretty cool, I'm buying in so far.
Random Thoughts: This song is produced by Pharrell, which normally means I'll like it, and really this doesn't disappoint. There seems to be a lot of good rappers, around their mid 20's, coming out of California these days. The guest on this song, Jay Rock is another one. Here's another one, Kendrick Lamar, on this song. Who I surprisingly liked on his track on Pusha T's new album. This song is great, I might have to check out Kendrick's stuff. I get a little weird feeling any time I see 2 Chainz listed on a song. I usually can't hang. And that really didn't do much to change my mind. I probably never thought that I'd be singing along with a song with lyrics "I just stopped selling crack today", but I sure enough was about 30 seconds go. Some of the stronger songs were towards the end of the album.
Final Reaction: Overall, this was a pretty damn good album. I am going to be revisiting this for sure. This was a quality hip hop album and this kid is still young and we might be looking at one of the next rappers that sticks around for a long time putting out quality album after quality album. I love going into things with no real expectations and walking away with something I plan on going back to in the near future for repeated listens.
Final Grade: 8.0/10
Album: Oxymoron
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: After getting duped by iTunes on the Pharrell "stream" (it's only 90 seconds of each song, of which isn't even half a song, and in at least one case not even a quarter), I've decided to review something that I can listen to the full thing. So, I'll do the new Schoolboy Q album. He is a rapper from South Central LA, he's been getting some hype based on his very positively reviewed first two albums. This one seems to be right in line with that, so here goes.
Initial Reaction: Looks like each song is produced by someone different. Alright, I dig the flow, the beats on this song are pretty great too. The song fits in nicely with a lot of the hip hop I've been listening to lately. As with all hip hop, I am going to need to relisten to determine how I feel about the lyrics, because there is so much packed into a song that I miss a lot of it the first time around. This first song was pretty cool, I'm buying in so far.
Random Thoughts: This song is produced by Pharrell, which normally means I'll like it, and really this doesn't disappoint. There seems to be a lot of good rappers, around their mid 20's, coming out of California these days. The guest on this song, Jay Rock is another one. Here's another one, Kendrick Lamar, on this song. Who I surprisingly liked on his track on Pusha T's new album. This song is great, I might have to check out Kendrick's stuff. I get a little weird feeling any time I see 2 Chainz listed on a song. I usually can't hang. And that really didn't do much to change my mind. I probably never thought that I'd be singing along with a song with lyrics "I just stopped selling crack today", but I sure enough was about 30 seconds go. Some of the stronger songs were towards the end of the album.
Final Reaction: Overall, this was a pretty damn good album. I am going to be revisiting this for sure. This was a quality hip hop album and this kid is still young and we might be looking at one of the next rappers that sticks around for a long time putting out quality album after quality album. I love going into things with no real expectations and walking away with something I plan on going back to in the near future for repeated listens.
Final Grade: 8.0/10
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Day 55: Drive-By Truckers - English Oceans
Artist: Drive-By Truckers
Album: English Oceans
Source: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2014/02/album-stream-drive-by-truckers---english-oceans.html
Pre-listening Notes: There are some people who are really, really into this band. I was given a free copy of Decoration Day back in the mid 2000's, and I enjoyed it. I downloaded and listened to Southern Rock Opera and The Dirty South, the albums preceding and succeeding that one and I enjoyed those less. I haven't listened to the other six albums they've put out both before and after the three I have listened to. The band is somewhere in between a indie rock band, a country band, and a southern rock band musically. Lyrically, they seem to focus on down home, southern themes. And that's about that.
Initial Reaction: This doesn't seem too drastically different than earlier stuff. It's got that southern rock feel, along with some country. This seems to be a little more upbeat and rocking than the stuff I remember, though. There were some lyrics about whores, happy meals, and meat being "just meat". There are some horns towards the end of the song.
Random Thoughts: They like to switch up the singers on these songs. I'm not sure which one is Patterson Hood and which is Mike Cooley, though. I know on two of the albums I had previously listened to, there was a third, Jason Isbell, who has since gone out on his own and left this group. I know that his songs on those two albums are my favorites. The next couple songs haven't been as rocking as the first one. This song just seems to be pretty country sounding to me. There isn't much new going on here, just some more of what I described above in the pre notes. My guess is if you liked the band before this, you'll like them with this release.
Final Reaction: Overall, this wasn't much different than I remember them being, but I also wasn't a huge, rabid fan like they seem to attract. It wasn't anything I'd ask someone to turn off, but it is also not something I'd buy a physical copy of. If you dig this band or southern rock, alt-country, or indie rock with country influences, then by all means check this out because I think you might enjoy this.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Album: English Oceans
Source: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2014/02/album-stream-drive-by-truckers---english-oceans.html
Pre-listening Notes: There are some people who are really, really into this band. I was given a free copy of Decoration Day back in the mid 2000's, and I enjoyed it. I downloaded and listened to Southern Rock Opera and The Dirty South, the albums preceding and succeeding that one and I enjoyed those less. I haven't listened to the other six albums they've put out both before and after the three I have listened to. The band is somewhere in between a indie rock band, a country band, and a southern rock band musically. Lyrically, they seem to focus on down home, southern themes. And that's about that.
Initial Reaction: This doesn't seem too drastically different than earlier stuff. It's got that southern rock feel, along with some country. This seems to be a little more upbeat and rocking than the stuff I remember, though. There were some lyrics about whores, happy meals, and meat being "just meat". There are some horns towards the end of the song.
Random Thoughts: They like to switch up the singers on these songs. I'm not sure which one is Patterson Hood and which is Mike Cooley, though. I know on two of the albums I had previously listened to, there was a third, Jason Isbell, who has since gone out on his own and left this group. I know that his songs on those two albums are my favorites. The next couple songs haven't been as rocking as the first one. This song just seems to be pretty country sounding to me. There isn't much new going on here, just some more of what I described above in the pre notes. My guess is if you liked the band before this, you'll like them with this release.
Final Reaction: Overall, this wasn't much different than I remember them being, but I also wasn't a huge, rabid fan like they seem to attract. It wasn't anything I'd ask someone to turn off, but it is also not something I'd buy a physical copy of. If you dig this band or southern rock, alt-country, or indie rock with country influences, then by all means check this out because I think you might enjoy this.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Monday, February 24, 2014
Day 54: Nothing - Guilty of Everything
Artist: Nothing
Album: Guilty of Everything
Source: http://www.npr.org/2014/02/23/279147672/first-listen-nothing-guilty-of-everything#playlist
Pre-listening Notes: There is a bio at the link above. I honestly don't know anything else about the band other than that my boy Dave loves Horror Show. So yeah, let's get back to being a hipster.
Initial Reaction: Opens up incredibly mellow, vocals are present, but kind low to fit into the music. Then it kicks in and I dig this part. I don't dislike the mellow parts, the vocal pattern for some reason reminded me of a part in Rocket Man. I just like it a lot more when the song kicks in and gets noisy.
Random Thoughts: The second song opens up a little noisier to start. The vocals have an effect on them that kind of makes them seem more distant. Alright, the song Bent Nail is a little more upbeat of a song. I like this one best, so far. This is good to just kind of sit back and relax to. I am kind of digging some of this. Outside of that one song, so far, there isn't a ton of variety here. It's still pretty good music that I don't have to give my complete, undivided attention to, but when I'm trying to listen to review it, I would like to be a little more engaging. The song Get Well mixes it up a little again. The vocals tend to get a little too stale to handle as the album goes on.
Final Reaction: Overall, this is alright. I could see myself listening to this again. I'm not going to go crazy over it and I couldn't see myself wanting to see them live, but as music to listen to while on the computer looking around at things or even playing video games, this was pretty solid.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Album: Guilty of Everything
Source: http://www.npr.org/2014/02/23/279147672/first-listen-nothing-guilty-of-everything#playlist
Pre-listening Notes: There is a bio at the link above. I honestly don't know anything else about the band other than that my boy Dave loves Horror Show. So yeah, let's get back to being a hipster.
Initial Reaction: Opens up incredibly mellow, vocals are present, but kind low to fit into the music. Then it kicks in and I dig this part. I don't dislike the mellow parts, the vocal pattern for some reason reminded me of a part in Rocket Man. I just like it a lot more when the song kicks in and gets noisy.
Random Thoughts: The second song opens up a little noisier to start. The vocals have an effect on them that kind of makes them seem more distant. Alright, the song Bent Nail is a little more upbeat of a song. I like this one best, so far. This is good to just kind of sit back and relax to. I am kind of digging some of this. Outside of that one song, so far, there isn't a ton of variety here. It's still pretty good music that I don't have to give my complete, undivided attention to, but when I'm trying to listen to review it, I would like to be a little more engaging. The song Get Well mixes it up a little again. The vocals tend to get a little too stale to handle as the album goes on.
Final Reaction: Overall, this is alright. I could see myself listening to this again. I'm not going to go crazy over it and I couldn't see myself wanting to see them live, but as music to listen to while on the computer looking around at things or even playing video games, this was pretty solid.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Day 53: New Lows - Abhorrent Endings EP
Artist: New Lows
Album: Abhorrent Endings EP
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Here is another Boston band, this one hasn't been around as long as Converge, like maybe a little over six years at this point. I am not sure how many releases they have out, but I do remember a buddy playing me a track off their last LP and I remember liking it and it being heavy. The bio on the Deathwish site references Ringworm and early Bolt Thrower. If that is the case, I am going to love this.
Initial Reaction: Starts off with some bells and then kicks in real gritty. I definitely feel these influences, this is pretty heavy. Vocally, this guy seems to have a similar style to the Human Furnace, but maybe a little more subdued. That could just be the mix, though. The guitars have an old school metal feel to them, love the ending.
Random Thoughts: There isn't much screwing around in the songs, all five tunes clock in between two and three minutes. Nice slow, plodding riffs breaking into fast parts with barking vocals. That song, There's No Roses in the Rubble, was awesome. I really love the contrast between the slower parts and the fast parts. They flow together in a pretty natural way. The last minute of Carving Crosses is so freaking heavy. Oh man, the riff in the beginning of this last song, so good.
Final Reaction: Holy crap, how did I sleep on this band? This is so good, it's fast, it's heavy, it makes me bang my head, this is quality stuff. My only complaint is it's length, give me double this and this would have been a point higher.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Album: Abhorrent Endings EP
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Here is another Boston band, this one hasn't been around as long as Converge, like maybe a little over six years at this point. I am not sure how many releases they have out, but I do remember a buddy playing me a track off their last LP and I remember liking it and it being heavy. The bio on the Deathwish site references Ringworm and early Bolt Thrower. If that is the case, I am going to love this.
Initial Reaction: Starts off with some bells and then kicks in real gritty. I definitely feel these influences, this is pretty heavy. Vocally, this guy seems to have a similar style to the Human Furnace, but maybe a little more subdued. That could just be the mix, though. The guitars have an old school metal feel to them, love the ending.
Random Thoughts: There isn't much screwing around in the songs, all five tunes clock in between two and three minutes. Nice slow, plodding riffs breaking into fast parts with barking vocals. That song, There's No Roses in the Rubble, was awesome. I really love the contrast between the slower parts and the fast parts. They flow together in a pretty natural way. The last minute of Carving Crosses is so freaking heavy. Oh man, the riff in the beginning of this last song, so good.
Final Reaction: Holy crap, how did I sleep on this band? This is so good, it's fast, it's heavy, it makes me bang my head, this is quality stuff. My only complaint is it's length, give me double this and this would have been a point higher.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Day 52: Converge - Live at the BBC EP
Artist: Converge
Album: Live at the BBC EP
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: I love Converge. They have been one of my favorite heavy bands for going on 20 years now. I think I first heard them the year after I graduated high school when I got hold of the Caring and Killing Lost and Found cd. They have progressed a lot since then and have perfected a sound that is equally metal and hardcore, with some punk urgency thrown in on the fast songs. After putting a huge leap forward with Jane Doe, I feel like they have just gotten even stronger over the last four albums with their last full length being quite possibly their best album. This EP has three songs off of Axe to Fall and the closer from You Fail Me, redone at the BBC studios back from 2010, however this is just being released now.
Initial Reaction: This starts out with the super noodly Dark Horse, the opener from Axe to Fall. So far this is not drastically different than the original version. As it is a live, though the mix is pretty different, and the vocals sound much cleaner than on the record. This song is so awesome though. Axe to Fall was such a great album too, the songs got a little more blast in the punk urgency with that record.
Random Thoughts: The second song is the awesome and brutal title track from Axe to Fall. It's a quick hitter starting off fast and all yells, before hitting a pretty heavy breakdown for the last half minute, or so. The recorded version of that song has George from BLACKLISTED on it. It still sounds pretty heavy on this version. Then Damages, also from Axe to Fall slows it down a little with a minute and a half minute intro, before the vocals kick in. Finally, the album closes with a more electric version of the You Fail Me closer, Hanging Moon, which only has acoustic guitars on the album version, even though the song still sounds electric on that album.
Final Reaction: Overall, this was good. They chose four good songs, although I honestly don't know which four they could choose to get me to not like it. They don't sound too drastically different for there to have been too many negative remarks about this.
Final Grade: 9.0/10
Album: Live at the BBC EP
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: I love Converge. They have been one of my favorite heavy bands for going on 20 years now. I think I first heard them the year after I graduated high school when I got hold of the Caring and Killing Lost and Found cd. They have progressed a lot since then and have perfected a sound that is equally metal and hardcore, with some punk urgency thrown in on the fast songs. After putting a huge leap forward with Jane Doe, I feel like they have just gotten even stronger over the last four albums with their last full length being quite possibly their best album. This EP has three songs off of Axe to Fall and the closer from You Fail Me, redone at the BBC studios back from 2010, however this is just being released now.
Initial Reaction: This starts out with the super noodly Dark Horse, the opener from Axe to Fall. So far this is not drastically different than the original version. As it is a live, though the mix is pretty different, and the vocals sound much cleaner than on the record. This song is so awesome though. Axe to Fall was such a great album too, the songs got a little more blast in the punk urgency with that record.
Random Thoughts: The second song is the awesome and brutal title track from Axe to Fall. It's a quick hitter starting off fast and all yells, before hitting a pretty heavy breakdown for the last half minute, or so. The recorded version of that song has George from BLACKLISTED on it. It still sounds pretty heavy on this version. Then Damages, also from Axe to Fall slows it down a little with a minute and a half minute intro, before the vocals kick in. Finally, the album closes with a more electric version of the You Fail Me closer, Hanging Moon, which only has acoustic guitars on the album version, even though the song still sounds electric on that album.
Final Reaction: Overall, this was good. They chose four good songs, although I honestly don't know which four they could choose to get me to not like it. They don't sound too drastically different for there to have been too many negative remarks about this.
Final Grade: 9.0/10
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Day 51: Rust Belt Lights - Religion & My Ex
Artist: Rust Belt Lights
Album: Religion & My Ex
Source: http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/album_premiere_rust_belt_lights_religion_my_ex
Pre-listening Notes: I have been stoked to listen to this since the first song was put out to preview. I will try to remain as unbiased as possible, as they are local dudes. They are a super catchy pop punk, melodic punk, whatever punk we want to call it these days band. This is album number 2, they are on a better label and hopefully will get some push behind them because I like what these dudes do. I've heard about 4 of the songs already, so I am going in with some high expectations already, but I don't expect these guys to let me down.
Initial Reaction: First song opens with a song I haven't heard yet. Starts off catchy, the music sounds crisp, which I love. Vocals are not in that that typical whiny vibe a lot of bands in this genre try to pull off, and very few can. These guys have some background in the hardcore scene and the backing vocals show that at times. Great slow down break a little before the three minute mark. This song is coming close to the four minute mark, but did not get stale or boring. Awesome opener.
Random Thoughts: Ah yes! Old Ghosts, this song was one of the preview songs, and probably my favorite one that I have heard so far. That could also be due to the fact that I've listened to it the most. This song is another example of being able to write a longer song that is still interesting throughout. The tempo switches and catchy vocal patterns on this song make me want the song to not end when it gets there. The next song is another previously previewed song, Dead Letters. After an intro, the tempo picks up and the drumming on this upbeat song is awesome. There is a nice quick, little chug break in the middle. I'll never tire of Woah-oh's. They "gang" vocals on these songs are perfect! More chuggy parts on the next song. Zach's vocals are strong throughout so far in the first third of the album. I'm running out of positive things to say, but only because I like everything. Parkside was the last song that popped up for preview, so I've spent the least amount of time with it, but it's a faster, upbeat song, which was my second favorite of the early released songs. It's really catchy and has that more Lifetime/Movie Life faster upbeat vibe going on. Such a catchy end to this song, too. While the songs I haven't heard yet are awesome, and maybe familiarity plays a part, but Old Ghosts and Parkside are my favorites, halfway through. The second half of the album opens up with a four and a half minute song that has more of the gang vocals, and is a little more on the slower tempo side, but not too slow. Stay Young or Try Dying (great title!), ups the speed again, "East Coast is better" already solidifies the awesomeness of this. There is An Ocean brings me back to noticing the drumming, which is really great on this. Okay, so Haunted Streets starts off real slow and showcases Zach as a singer, the song kicks up the speed a little towards the end, after a drum buildup, but as far as slower songs go, this wasn't bad. The last of the preview songs is the penultimate song, and it's another really catchy song, that fits right in with the themes of the album as I have already addressed. I just figured I've basically mentioned every song at this point, might as well say something about all of them. The closer is a five minute song that starts off actually more upbeat then I expected when I saw the song length. It ends with a nice, driving, slowdown part. I kind of want to hit play again.
Final Reaction: Alright, I think I was able to do this unbiased, but really this is just awesome. This is the type of album, of this genre, that I could see myself listening to repeatedly even though it's not a style I go for on a regular basis. It has variety in the songs, the vocals are strong aren't just a whiny dude. There was a lot of things I liked about this. The music is great and the production really shows that. The vocals that I already described and lyrically it never feels that Zach's just complaining about girls and life, which is a trap a lot of bands like this fall into. I can only imagine that this is going to sound awesome live, too. This is a great record, from local dudes, who hopefully are going to get some serious recognition from this.
Final Grade: 9.0/10
Album: Religion & My Ex
Source: http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/album_premiere_rust_belt_lights_religion_my_ex
Pre-listening Notes: I have been stoked to listen to this since the first song was put out to preview. I will try to remain as unbiased as possible, as they are local dudes. They are a super catchy pop punk, melodic punk, whatever punk we want to call it these days band. This is album number 2, they are on a better label and hopefully will get some push behind them because I like what these dudes do. I've heard about 4 of the songs already, so I am going in with some high expectations already, but I don't expect these guys to let me down.
Initial Reaction: First song opens with a song I haven't heard yet. Starts off catchy, the music sounds crisp, which I love. Vocals are not in that that typical whiny vibe a lot of bands in this genre try to pull off, and very few can. These guys have some background in the hardcore scene and the backing vocals show that at times. Great slow down break a little before the three minute mark. This song is coming close to the four minute mark, but did not get stale or boring. Awesome opener.
Random Thoughts: Ah yes! Old Ghosts, this song was one of the preview songs, and probably my favorite one that I have heard so far. That could also be due to the fact that I've listened to it the most. This song is another example of being able to write a longer song that is still interesting throughout. The tempo switches and catchy vocal patterns on this song make me want the song to not end when it gets there. The next song is another previously previewed song, Dead Letters. After an intro, the tempo picks up and the drumming on this upbeat song is awesome. There is a nice quick, little chug break in the middle. I'll never tire of Woah-oh's. They "gang" vocals on these songs are perfect! More chuggy parts on the next song. Zach's vocals are strong throughout so far in the first third of the album. I'm running out of positive things to say, but only because I like everything. Parkside was the last song that popped up for preview, so I've spent the least amount of time with it, but it's a faster, upbeat song, which was my second favorite of the early released songs. It's really catchy and has that more Lifetime/Movie Life faster upbeat vibe going on. Such a catchy end to this song, too. While the songs I haven't heard yet are awesome, and maybe familiarity plays a part, but Old Ghosts and Parkside are my favorites, halfway through. The second half of the album opens up with a four and a half minute song that has more of the gang vocals, and is a little more on the slower tempo side, but not too slow. Stay Young or Try Dying (great title!), ups the speed again, "East Coast is better" already solidifies the awesomeness of this. There is An Ocean brings me back to noticing the drumming, which is really great on this. Okay, so Haunted Streets starts off real slow and showcases Zach as a singer, the song kicks up the speed a little towards the end, after a drum buildup, but as far as slower songs go, this wasn't bad. The last of the preview songs is the penultimate song, and it's another really catchy song, that fits right in with the themes of the album as I have already addressed. I just figured I've basically mentioned every song at this point, might as well say something about all of them. The closer is a five minute song that starts off actually more upbeat then I expected when I saw the song length. It ends with a nice, driving, slowdown part. I kind of want to hit play again.
Final Reaction: Alright, I think I was able to do this unbiased, but really this is just awesome. This is the type of album, of this genre, that I could see myself listening to repeatedly even though it's not a style I go for on a regular basis. It has variety in the songs, the vocals are strong aren't just a whiny dude. There was a lot of things I liked about this. The music is great and the production really shows that. The vocals that I already described and lyrically it never feels that Zach's just complaining about girls and life, which is a trap a lot of bands like this fall into. I can only imagine that this is going to sound awesome live, too. This is a great record, from local dudes, who hopefully are going to get some serious recognition from this.
Final Grade: 9.0/10
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Day 50: Morning Glory - War Psalms
Artist: Morning Glory
Album: War Psalms
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: This band has a member from Choking Victim in it. They are a punk band. It has other people who are involved in New York punk bands. I'm going in with some serious reservations, as I am not typically down with these types of punk bands.
Initial Reaction: Okay this is a lot more melodic than I had expected. I think the first song was just an intro. I lost track while working on something.
Random Thoughts: The third song is a little more like I expected them all to be. It's still way more produced than I thought. The songs are punk. It's fast, but not real fast. So far I haven't been able to pick out any themes lyrically. Oh, and then there are horns. The vocals are what they are, nothing unique about it. The song I am a Machine Gun is kind of long and boring. There isn't anything terribly wrong with this, but it's another case of there also being nothing terribly right with it either. I'd rather listen to something dull in this genre, than something that might be just above average in another one that interests me less. That is my backhanded compliment about this. Some of it is catchy, don't get me wrong.
Final Reaction: I gave it a shot and while I am not going to go out shouting to the masses to listen to this album. If you are into punk and don't mind it to be a little corny at times, then this might be up your alley. I will most likely never listen to this again, but it's not from a complete lack of entertainment, just due to the need to listen to this ever again.
Final Grade: 5.0/10
Album: War Psalms
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: This band has a member from Choking Victim in it. They are a punk band. It has other people who are involved in New York punk bands. I'm going in with some serious reservations, as I am not typically down with these types of punk bands.
Initial Reaction: Okay this is a lot more melodic than I had expected. I think the first song was just an intro. I lost track while working on something.
Random Thoughts: The third song is a little more like I expected them all to be. It's still way more produced than I thought. The songs are punk. It's fast, but not real fast. So far I haven't been able to pick out any themes lyrically. Oh, and then there are horns. The vocals are what they are, nothing unique about it. The song I am a Machine Gun is kind of long and boring. There isn't anything terribly wrong with this, but it's another case of there also being nothing terribly right with it either. I'd rather listen to something dull in this genre, than something that might be just above average in another one that interests me less. That is my backhanded compliment about this. Some of it is catchy, don't get me wrong.
Final Reaction: I gave it a shot and while I am not going to go out shouting to the masses to listen to this album. If you are into punk and don't mind it to be a little corny at times, then this might be up your alley. I will most likely never listen to this again, but it's not from a complete lack of entertainment, just due to the need to listen to this ever again.
Final Grade: 5.0/10
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Day 49: Wolves Like Us - Black Soul Choir
Artist: Wolves Like Us
Album: Black Soul Choir
Source: http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/exclusive-stream-new-wolves-like-us-album-black-soul-choir/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=exclusive-stream-new-wolves-like-us-album-black-soul-choir
Pre-listening Notes: Another band I have never heard prior. They are from Norway, their promo pics have a guy in a Death and a guy in Black Flag shirt, so if those are actual influences and not just cool, hip bands to rep, then I'm going to be okay with this. However, in the same pictures, they have some pretty hipsterish facial hair, which I am hoping is less hipsterish in Norway.
Initial Reaction: Okay, a short opener, and it's nothing like I was expecting. The vocals are more sung than I would have expected, I was thinking more shout or growl. Musically, it's also not as heavy as I expected, it's more hard rock based.
Random Thoughts: I am getting a cKy vibe here. I kind of dig the music, but the vocals are losing me. Hoping this ends up being another one that grows on me after awhile. As the songs move on, the vocals grab me a little more, but they are still a little weaker than I expected. I guess when i read "metallic, punked out" I was thinking something with a little more kick!
Final Reaction: Overall, I didn't hate this. I also had a hard time believing in the vocals and feeling a sort of passion from this. It was kind of one step away from being something I would hear on the radio on my ride into work in the morning. It lacked something to really push it into that want to listen again territory.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Album: Black Soul Choir
Source: http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/exclusive-stream-new-wolves-like-us-album-black-soul-choir/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=exclusive-stream-new-wolves-like-us-album-black-soul-choir
Pre-listening Notes: Another band I have never heard prior. They are from Norway, their promo pics have a guy in a Death and a guy in Black Flag shirt, so if those are actual influences and not just cool, hip bands to rep, then I'm going to be okay with this. However, in the same pictures, they have some pretty hipsterish facial hair, which I am hoping is less hipsterish in Norway.
Initial Reaction: Okay, a short opener, and it's nothing like I was expecting. The vocals are more sung than I would have expected, I was thinking more shout or growl. Musically, it's also not as heavy as I expected, it's more hard rock based.
Random Thoughts: I am getting a cKy vibe here. I kind of dig the music, but the vocals are losing me. Hoping this ends up being another one that grows on me after awhile. As the songs move on, the vocals grab me a little more, but they are still a little weaker than I expected. I guess when i read "metallic, punked out" I was thinking something with a little more kick!
Final Reaction: Overall, I didn't hate this. I also had a hard time believing in the vocals and feeling a sort of passion from this. It was kind of one step away from being something I would hear on the radio on my ride into work in the morning. It lacked something to really push it into that want to listen again territory.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Day 48: Guided By Voices - Motivational Jumpsuit
Artist: Guided By Voices
Album: Motivational Jumpsuit
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/arts/music/pressplay.html?state=-1&_r=0
Pre-listening Notes: Guided By Voices are a band that puts out like a billion songs in their career and while the songs range from genius to meh, they have been a pretty consistent indie rock band. This is their 20th album in 27 years. However, they took an 8 year hiatus and there is also the solo albums (Robert Pollard has 20 of his own) and Tobin Sprout between solo and other bands has another 10, or so. It's insane how much music these guys have put out. So, I poured myself a drink and I'm ready to go on this.
Initial Reaction: The band excels at writing short, simple, catchy as all hell songs. The opening track is a quick hitter (a minute, eighteen seconds long), called Littlest League Possible. It's got cool guitars, a catchy hook, and is a decent opener.
Random Thoughts: The second song slows it down a little, but it's still a quick catchy tune. Then a song humorously called Writer's Bloc. There is no way these guys have ever had writer's block. This is the first song that I didn't really dig on the hook. Also, it's one of the longest songs on the record. The next song is another down tempo song that is lacking on the catchiness. And I start reading an article while listening and four songs fly by. That's what you can expect from a GBV album. I really like Save the Company, it has a feel to it that reminds me of some '60's rock. I also like I am Columbus for a similar reason, there are some great tracks on this. Difficult Outburst and Breakthrough had a more modern sound to it, but was catchy and pretty great too. Vote For Me Dummy is another super catchy, awesome track. The album seems to grab my attention either every other or occasionally every third song.
Final Reaction: Overall, this is pretty decent. Giving a Guided By Voices album a listen is pretty much knowing going in that you are going to love some songs and not love others. It's just a question of the ratio. In this case of the 20 songs, I would estimate I liked 14 of them, therefor giving this album a 7 out of 10 ratio.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Album: Motivational Jumpsuit
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/arts/music/pressplay.html?state=-1&_r=0
Pre-listening Notes: Guided By Voices are a band that puts out like a billion songs in their career and while the songs range from genius to meh, they have been a pretty consistent indie rock band. This is their 20th album in 27 years. However, they took an 8 year hiatus and there is also the solo albums (Robert Pollard has 20 of his own) and Tobin Sprout between solo and other bands has another 10, or so. It's insane how much music these guys have put out. So, I poured myself a drink and I'm ready to go on this.
Initial Reaction: The band excels at writing short, simple, catchy as all hell songs. The opening track is a quick hitter (a minute, eighteen seconds long), called Littlest League Possible. It's got cool guitars, a catchy hook, and is a decent opener.
Random Thoughts: The second song slows it down a little, but it's still a quick catchy tune. Then a song humorously called Writer's Bloc. There is no way these guys have ever had writer's block. This is the first song that I didn't really dig on the hook. Also, it's one of the longest songs on the record. The next song is another down tempo song that is lacking on the catchiness. And I start reading an article while listening and four songs fly by. That's what you can expect from a GBV album. I really like Save the Company, it has a feel to it that reminds me of some '60's rock. I also like I am Columbus for a similar reason, there are some great tracks on this. Difficult Outburst and Breakthrough had a more modern sound to it, but was catchy and pretty great too. Vote For Me Dummy is another super catchy, awesome track. The album seems to grab my attention either every other or occasionally every third song.
Final Reaction: Overall, this is pretty decent. Giving a Guided By Voices album a listen is pretty much knowing going in that you are going to love some songs and not love others. It's just a question of the ratio. In this case of the 20 songs, I would estimate I liked 14 of them, therefor giving this album a 7 out of 10 ratio.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Monday, February 17, 2014
Day 47: Beck - Morning Phase
Artist: Beck
Album: Morning Phase
Source: http://www.npr.org/2014/02/16/274773496/first-listen-beck-morning-phase
Pre-listening Notes: Today I have something that I've been kind of excited to hear since the first single was released. Beck's new album! Beck has been making music for a long time. He had two albums out before he got more mainstream recognition with the song Loser. Then he put out an album, which flew sort of under the radar, before really exploding with Odelay. Since that album, though, he has never really reached that level again, however he has been a critical darling and has put out some outstanding albums, with Midnight Vultures being my favorite, but pretty much every one has it's merits. This is his twelfth record and the early word is that it is outstanding. So yeah, Beck.
Initial Reaction: After a quick intro, acoustic guitar starts it off, nice mellow tune with vocals kicking in and fitting in very nicely. Nice choruses, it picks up the mood a little during these parts, but this first song has a real melancholy vibe to it.
Random Thoughts: Definitely a more mellow vibe going on here. This song has a little more a peppier feel to it, though, than the first song. Some nice piano mixed into this too. I get the impression that this whole thing is going to be acoustic. This next song, Say Goodbye, is shaping up to be one of the stronger tracks so far. There is a simplicity to this that I am really loving. So far, this record is really impressing me. It's pretty mellow, but the songs remain pretty interesting. I've lost track of what song I am on, but it's okay, because I am really enjoying this all. Nevermind, the NPR write up just told me the last song was Wave, which was just was an ambient song with Beck singing "Isolation" over and over. And the song, Blackbird Chain, is another really strong, standout song. The album goes out on another great song, Waking Light. This is the song I have been listening to over and over.
Final Reaction: This is a fantastic record. You have to probably be in the mood for something this mellow, or does something this mellow put you in the mood? I like something about every single song on this record. The songs Say Goodbye, Wave, and Waking Light are the three best ones in my opinion, but I don't think any of those are being released as singles, at least not yet. The word is that Beck wanted this to be a sequel to Sea Change, which some people think is not only Beck's best album, but put it on all kinds of lists. Personally, I think this might be better. I would recommend this to Beck fans and non-Beck fans alike.
Final Grade: 9.5/10
Album: Morning Phase
Source: http://www.npr.org/2014/02/16/274773496/first-listen-beck-morning-phase
Pre-listening Notes: Today I have something that I've been kind of excited to hear since the first single was released. Beck's new album! Beck has been making music for a long time. He had two albums out before he got more mainstream recognition with the song Loser. Then he put out an album, which flew sort of under the radar, before really exploding with Odelay. Since that album, though, he has never really reached that level again, however he has been a critical darling and has put out some outstanding albums, with Midnight Vultures being my favorite, but pretty much every one has it's merits. This is his twelfth record and the early word is that it is outstanding. So yeah, Beck.
Initial Reaction: After a quick intro, acoustic guitar starts it off, nice mellow tune with vocals kicking in and fitting in very nicely. Nice choruses, it picks up the mood a little during these parts, but this first song has a real melancholy vibe to it.
Random Thoughts: Definitely a more mellow vibe going on here. This song has a little more a peppier feel to it, though, than the first song. Some nice piano mixed into this too. I get the impression that this whole thing is going to be acoustic. This next song, Say Goodbye, is shaping up to be one of the stronger tracks so far. There is a simplicity to this that I am really loving. So far, this record is really impressing me. It's pretty mellow, but the songs remain pretty interesting. I've lost track of what song I am on, but it's okay, because I am really enjoying this all. Nevermind, the NPR write up just told me the last song was Wave, which was just was an ambient song with Beck singing "Isolation" over and over. And the song, Blackbird Chain, is another really strong, standout song. The album goes out on another great song, Waking Light. This is the song I have been listening to over and over.
Final Reaction: This is a fantastic record. You have to probably be in the mood for something this mellow, or does something this mellow put you in the mood? I like something about every single song on this record. The songs Say Goodbye, Wave, and Waking Light are the three best ones in my opinion, but I don't think any of those are being released as singles, at least not yet. The word is that Beck wanted this to be a sequel to Sea Change, which some people think is not only Beck's best album, but put it on all kinds of lists. Personally, I think this might be better. I would recommend this to Beck fans and non-Beck fans alike.
Final Grade: 9.5/10
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Day 46: We Are The In Crowd - Weird Kids
Artist: We Are The In Crowd
Album: Weird Kids
Source: http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/we_are_the_in_crowd_stream_new_album_weird_kids
Pre-listening Notes: Another day, another pop punk album. This one from a much younger band, both in length of the band being together and also the members of the band's physical ages. Female vocals this time around, which is something I am perfectly alright with. After yesterday, I am really not expecting anything terribly exciting here.
Initial Reaction: Okay, the first song opens with piano and just female vocals, I have no problem with this. Her voice is just fine. Then the full band kicks in and now I am just wondering if this is a band who bought into the whole Paramore hype. Do they even sound like Paramore? I have only heard like 2 Paramore songs. It's pretty standard, safe, early 2000's pop punk stuff here. I could see this band touring with A New Found Glory.
Random Thoughts: I think they honestly are doing the right thing allowing the singer to get some quiet parts to sing over. Her voice is the best part of this. Musically, this is they type of stuff I am very much not into. Ooh, how edgy, she says something like "I'm gonna break your fucking jaw." The part where it's just vocals over the drum beat are lame. The songs are pretty much all sounding the same, which is the downfall of a lot of the bands of this genre. There is a slower song on the album, but it's probably the worst song so far. I would be lying if I were to say I haven't tapped my fingers at parts.
Final Reaction: This is better than yesterday's debacle, but this still falls in the realm of things I just don't care about. They are competent, but nothing set them apart. As a casual listener, I wouldn't have been able to tell you this wasn't Paramore if I hadn't put this on myself. People will probably eat this up and they will probably blow up, though. I'll give it an extra point or two, because I like female vocalists.
Final Grade: 4.0/10
Album: Weird Kids
Source: http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/we_are_the_in_crowd_stream_new_album_weird_kids
Pre-listening Notes: Another day, another pop punk album. This one from a much younger band, both in length of the band being together and also the members of the band's physical ages. Female vocals this time around, which is something I am perfectly alright with. After yesterday, I am really not expecting anything terribly exciting here.
Initial Reaction: Okay, the first song opens with piano and just female vocals, I have no problem with this. Her voice is just fine. Then the full band kicks in and now I am just wondering if this is a band who bought into the whole Paramore hype. Do they even sound like Paramore? I have only heard like 2 Paramore songs. It's pretty standard, safe, early 2000's pop punk stuff here. I could see this band touring with A New Found Glory.
Random Thoughts: I think they honestly are doing the right thing allowing the singer to get some quiet parts to sing over. Her voice is the best part of this. Musically, this is they type of stuff I am very much not into. Ooh, how edgy, she says something like "I'm gonna break your fucking jaw." The part where it's just vocals over the drum beat are lame. The songs are pretty much all sounding the same, which is the downfall of a lot of the bands of this genre. There is a slower song on the album, but it's probably the worst song so far. I would be lying if I were to say I haven't tapped my fingers at parts.
Final Reaction: This is better than yesterday's debacle, but this still falls in the realm of things I just don't care about. They are competent, but nothing set them apart. As a casual listener, I wouldn't have been able to tell you this wasn't Paramore if I hadn't put this on myself. People will probably eat this up and they will probably blow up, though. I'll give it an extra point or two, because I like female vocalists.
Final Grade: 4.0/10
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Day 45: Bayside - Cult
Artist: Bayside
Album: Cult
Source: http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/bayside_stream_full_album_cult
Pre-listening Notes: Bayside is a pop punk band from Queens. Truth is, I have never enjoyed anything they have done previously. But, like I said, I'm days behind and I can't just keep waiting on things to show up that I am going to fawn all over. I have to give other things a shot. I was pleasantly surprised with Slough Feg, so I'll give this a whirl. About the only thing I really know about this band is they played a show I went to once, in like 2004, but I think I vaguely remember walking back into the vestibule area during the first song, because I was very much not into it. Since, I have heard snippets of about two other songs, so let's see if they have made any changes to their sound since.
Initial Reaction: So far, it sounds a little more alt-rock than I remember them sounding like. The vocals are on the whinier side of the pop punk spectrum. The music isn't terrible, but I hate when bands like this are all on the "oh, listen to us solo or have like a weird ironic metal break, we are so rock and roll" and the first song has one of those parts. If you were rock and roll, your whole song would reflect it, not just a 30 second snippet.
Random Thoughts: I may be way off base here, because I haven't heard them since the early 2000's, but this band reminds me of Sum 41, or something equally as awful. I am going to work my way through this, because I haven't given up on anything yet, but this is one of my least favorite things that I've listened to since I started this. And yes, I brought it on myself. Four tracks in and nothing has really jumped out to be interesting on this.
Final Reaction: I know this band has a lot of fans, but I just don't see it. I had a hard time differentiating between songs, if it wasn't for the occasional commercial that Youtube threw in. They can play their instruments and I'm going to give them credit for apparently being good for this style of music, because like I said, I know they have a lot of fans. I just don't like it.
Final Grade: 2.5/10
Album: Cult
Source: http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/bayside_stream_full_album_cult
Pre-listening Notes: Bayside is a pop punk band from Queens. Truth is, I have never enjoyed anything they have done previously. But, like I said, I'm days behind and I can't just keep waiting on things to show up that I am going to fawn all over. I have to give other things a shot. I was pleasantly surprised with Slough Feg, so I'll give this a whirl. About the only thing I really know about this band is they played a show I went to once, in like 2004, but I think I vaguely remember walking back into the vestibule area during the first song, because I was very much not into it. Since, I have heard snippets of about two other songs, so let's see if they have made any changes to their sound since.
Initial Reaction: So far, it sounds a little more alt-rock than I remember them sounding like. The vocals are on the whinier side of the pop punk spectrum. The music isn't terrible, but I hate when bands like this are all on the "oh, listen to us solo or have like a weird ironic metal break, we are so rock and roll" and the first song has one of those parts. If you were rock and roll, your whole song would reflect it, not just a 30 second snippet.
Random Thoughts: I may be way off base here, because I haven't heard them since the early 2000's, but this band reminds me of Sum 41, or something equally as awful. I am going to work my way through this, because I haven't given up on anything yet, but this is one of my least favorite things that I've listened to since I started this. And yes, I brought it on myself. Four tracks in and nothing has really jumped out to be interesting on this.
Final Reaction: I know this band has a lot of fans, but I just don't see it. I had a hard time differentiating between songs, if it wasn't for the occasional commercial that Youtube threw in. They can play their instruments and I'm going to give them credit for apparently being good for this style of music, because like I said, I know they have a lot of fans. I just don't like it.
Final Grade: 2.5/10
Day 44: Slough Feg - Digital Resistance
Artist: Slough Feg
Album: Digital Resistance
Source: http://pitchfork.com/advance/347-digital-resistance/
Pre-listening Notes: So, I am a few days behind and there is a mass of stuff coming out in the next month or so. I thought there was going to be a huge rush on new streaming to catch me up, but really none of that stuff is doing full album stuff yet. So, I will look into this release. They are a metal band, folk-metal?, who has been around for over 20 years, this being their ninth album. However, I've never heard of them, so I'm going based on stuff written on the internet here, but it seems like they take a lot of their influence from the Euro metal scene.
Initial Reaction: Woah, have I been transported to a renaissance fair? I really would never say this is metal, but maybe more of a weird folk hard rock combination. This is weird, not necessarily bad, but I am not 100% sure what is going on here. Do they take themselves seriously? Is this all a joke? Musically, everything is interesting enough. This is just a whole lot of strange.
Random Thoughts: Okay, song two starts off a little more normal. It still has a weird vibe to it, but it sounds more like what I expected based on the influences I read. Lyrically, I think there is some mentions of computer related items. I thought I heard something about a "corrupted firewall", which I guess based on the title of the record isn't that weird. This song is a lot more interesting and almost catchy and enjoyable. The next song falls more into line with the second track, so maybe the first song was just slightly more weird sounding than the rest of the album. Alright, the song Magic Hooligan kicks in after an intro with a little bit of pep to the song. This song I can get behind. This settled into a more British sounding rock record after that first song. It still has a unique sound to it, but this isn't bad at all.
Final Reaction: I was a little unsure when I went in to this, and then even more so early on, but once this got going, this ended up being better than I expected. Some cool stuff going on and something I'd probably throw on again while playing some video games or doing some computer work.
Final Grade: 6.5/10
Album: Digital Resistance
Source: http://pitchfork.com/advance/347-digital-resistance/
Pre-listening Notes: So, I am a few days behind and there is a mass of stuff coming out in the next month or so. I thought there was going to be a huge rush on new streaming to catch me up, but really none of that stuff is doing full album stuff yet. So, I will look into this release. They are a metal band, folk-metal?, who has been around for over 20 years, this being their ninth album. However, I've never heard of them, so I'm going based on stuff written on the internet here, but it seems like they take a lot of their influence from the Euro metal scene.
Initial Reaction: Woah, have I been transported to a renaissance fair? I really would never say this is metal, but maybe more of a weird folk hard rock combination. This is weird, not necessarily bad, but I am not 100% sure what is going on here. Do they take themselves seriously? Is this all a joke? Musically, everything is interesting enough. This is just a whole lot of strange.
Random Thoughts: Okay, song two starts off a little more normal. It still has a weird vibe to it, but it sounds more like what I expected based on the influences I read. Lyrically, I think there is some mentions of computer related items. I thought I heard something about a "corrupted firewall", which I guess based on the title of the record isn't that weird. This song is a lot more interesting and almost catchy and enjoyable. The next song falls more into line with the second track, so maybe the first song was just slightly more weird sounding than the rest of the album. Alright, the song Magic Hooligan kicks in after an intro with a little bit of pep to the song. This song I can get behind. This settled into a more British sounding rock record after that first song. It still has a unique sound to it, but this isn't bad at all.
Final Reaction: I was a little unsure when I went in to this, and then even more so early on, but once this got going, this ended up being better than I expected. Some cool stuff going on and something I'd probably throw on again while playing some video games or doing some computer work.
Final Grade: 6.5/10
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Day 43: William Fitzsimmons - Lions
Artist: William Fitzsimmons
Album: Lions
Source: http://exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/william_fitzsimmons-lions_album_stream
Pre-listening Notes: The selling point for this seems to be that it was "produced by Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla". This doesn't bode well when your promotional effort highlights your producer's work. I mean, it got my attention, so maybe that was the intent. But, I'll give it a shot, the pickings aren't as bountiful as they were the last few weeks. The internet tells me this folk rock, he is from Pittsburgh, and he is often compared to Elliott Smith.
Initial Reaction: Super mellow. This stuff either tends to be super sappy stuff or some really genius stuff, depending on the songwriter. But, it's really hard to hide your shortcomings when it's just guitar and a voice. This first song isn't particularly interesting. This reminds me more of Iron and Wine than Elliott Smith, or even David Bazan, who I was sort of hoping it would sound like.
Random Thoughts: He doesn't have a bad voice, it just doesn't have a kick to it. The stuff is pretty sappy so far. The subject material seems to be focused on either love lost or love never obtained. There is some piano going on in this stuff too. There isn't much variety going on here. I don't think I was really expecting there to be, but that is one thing this album could use. I think this also kind of reminds me of Gary Jules. I'm really having a hard time figuring out where one song ends and another begins. I'm starting to struggle to get through this, there is really no difference between songs.
Final Reaction: Dude has a good voice, can write a song, but it's only one song. The album just fell victim to the one trick pony problem. I can't see myself ever wanting to listen to this again.
Final Grade: 4.5/10
Album: Lions
Source: http://exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/william_fitzsimmons-lions_album_stream
Pre-listening Notes: The selling point for this seems to be that it was "produced by Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla". This doesn't bode well when your promotional effort highlights your producer's work. I mean, it got my attention, so maybe that was the intent. But, I'll give it a shot, the pickings aren't as bountiful as they were the last few weeks. The internet tells me this folk rock, he is from Pittsburgh, and he is often compared to Elliott Smith.
Initial Reaction: Super mellow. This stuff either tends to be super sappy stuff or some really genius stuff, depending on the songwriter. But, it's really hard to hide your shortcomings when it's just guitar and a voice. This first song isn't particularly interesting. This reminds me more of Iron and Wine than Elliott Smith, or even David Bazan, who I was sort of hoping it would sound like.
Random Thoughts: He doesn't have a bad voice, it just doesn't have a kick to it. The stuff is pretty sappy so far. The subject material seems to be focused on either love lost or love never obtained. There is some piano going on in this stuff too. There isn't much variety going on here. I don't think I was really expecting there to be, but that is one thing this album could use. I think this also kind of reminds me of Gary Jules. I'm really having a hard time figuring out where one song ends and another begins. I'm starting to struggle to get through this, there is really no difference between songs.
Final Reaction: Dude has a good voice, can write a song, but it's only one song. The album just fell victim to the one trick pony problem. I can't see myself ever wanting to listen to this again.
Final Grade: 4.5/10
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Day 42: Behemoth - The Satanist
Artist: Behemoth
Album: The Satanist
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Behemoth is a Polish death/black metal band. They have been doing it for a very long time, this is their 10th album. I saw them once. I have only briefly touched upon some of their earlier work, so this is almost like I am a new fan. Here goes!
Initial Reaction: It starts out pretty slowly with some guitars and drums, then the vocals come in and add a nice layer to the epic intro. Then about halfway through the song, some blasts of speed come in. This rips! Nice mix of slower parts into fast parts.
Random Thoughts: Then song two, Furor Divinus, starts off with some speed. This is awesome, there is something about each of these songs that keep things interesting. The tempo changes work just fine. There is some heaviness to this and some cool guitar parts, as well. This just keeps pummeling song after song. I really like the vocals, his voice fits the music very well, but is just clean enough that I can understand what he is saying. The song In the Absence ov Light was ripping along, then broke down to a spoken word part about 2 minutes in. Even with the break in the middle, this is my favorite track so far, it's extremely brutal! The last song is a little longer, but keeps the same theme of the whole album in tact.
Final Reaction: This ruled! It was heavy, it was fast, it was brutal, it was everything I expect out of a metal record. Will listen again, will check out earlier records, will pay more attention the next time I get to see them play.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Album: The Satanist
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Behemoth is a Polish death/black metal band. They have been doing it for a very long time, this is their 10th album. I saw them once. I have only briefly touched upon some of their earlier work, so this is almost like I am a new fan. Here goes!
Initial Reaction: It starts out pretty slowly with some guitars and drums, then the vocals come in and add a nice layer to the epic intro. Then about halfway through the song, some blasts of speed come in. This rips! Nice mix of slower parts into fast parts.
Random Thoughts: Then song two, Furor Divinus, starts off with some speed. This is awesome, there is something about each of these songs that keep things interesting. The tempo changes work just fine. There is some heaviness to this and some cool guitar parts, as well. This just keeps pummeling song after song. I really like the vocals, his voice fits the music very well, but is just clean enough that I can understand what he is saying. The song In the Absence ov Light was ripping along, then broke down to a spoken word part about 2 minutes in. Even with the break in the middle, this is my favorite track so far, it's extremely brutal! The last song is a little longer, but keeps the same theme of the whole album in tact.
Final Reaction: This ruled! It was heavy, it was fast, it was brutal, it was everything I expect out of a metal record. Will listen again, will check out earlier records, will pay more attention the next time I get to see them play.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Day 41: Modern Baseball - You're Gonna Miss It All
Artist: Modern Baseball
Album: You're Gonna Miss It All
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Much like Diamond Youth, I know almost nothing about Modern Baseball. I will probably regret this, since the band name is awful and I think it's pop punk, but hey, I gotta try new stuff, right?
Initial Reaction: Oh boy, acoustic guitar and a slightly whiny voice. What did I just get myself into? It's pretty poppy so far. Ugh, an Instagram reference. I know that this style of music is always making references to things that years from now will seem dated, but come on. The more "rocking" parts aren't nearly as bad as the mellower parts.
Random Thoughts: This song is much better than the first song, so far. It's more upbeat and catchy. Okay, it's definitely something that if I was 17 again, I'd probably be eating up. But, the fact is, I'm more than double that and I have a hard time relating to this type of stuff. It's catchy stuff, but I'm not sure exactly what they are going for. Some of it is immature, high school pop punk. Some is a Weakerthans style more nostalgic style. Some of it is a more modern almost beard punk style. This went by pretty quick and the more I listened to it, the more I kind of want to liken it to the Weakerthans.
Final Reaction: I didn't entirely hate this, not as much as I thought I was going to with a terrible band name like this. But, this was a more mellow style pop punk album. As the record played on the more it reminded me more and more of the Weakerthans, but it just couldn't quite live up to the level of them. There was also a part that reminded me of Walking Concert, but that might have just been my imagination. Overall, this wasn't bad.
Final Grade: 6.5/10
Album: You're Gonna Miss It All
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Much like Diamond Youth, I know almost nothing about Modern Baseball. I will probably regret this, since the band name is awful and I think it's pop punk, but hey, I gotta try new stuff, right?
Initial Reaction: Oh boy, acoustic guitar and a slightly whiny voice. What did I just get myself into? It's pretty poppy so far. Ugh, an Instagram reference. I know that this style of music is always making references to things that years from now will seem dated, but come on. The more "rocking" parts aren't nearly as bad as the mellower parts.
Random Thoughts: This song is much better than the first song, so far. It's more upbeat and catchy. Okay, it's definitely something that if I was 17 again, I'd probably be eating up. But, the fact is, I'm more than double that and I have a hard time relating to this type of stuff. It's catchy stuff, but I'm not sure exactly what they are going for. Some of it is immature, high school pop punk. Some is a Weakerthans style more nostalgic style. Some of it is a more modern almost beard punk style. This went by pretty quick and the more I listened to it, the more I kind of want to liken it to the Weakerthans.
Final Reaction: I didn't entirely hate this, not as much as I thought I was going to with a terrible band name like this. But, this was a more mellow style pop punk album. As the record played on the more it reminded me more and more of the Weakerthans, but it just couldn't quite live up to the level of them. There was also a part that reminded me of Walking Concert, but that might have just been my imagination. Overall, this wasn't bad.
Final Grade: 6.5/10
Day 40: Diamond Youth - Shake EP
Artist: Diamond Youth
Album: Shake EP
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Diamond Youth is members of Trapped Under Ice and Down to Nothing, but apparently sound nothing like those bands. They are described as similar to Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Samiam, and and Nada Surf. So, this should be interesting.
Initial Reaction: Almost a surfy feel to the intro, then it ramps up a little, and it is definitely somewhere near the mid to late 90's pop punk realm. Vocals are alright, a little more drawn out and not as upbeat and catchy as I was expecting.
Random Thoughts: The songs have a more modern feel to them, I feel like I can almost hear a little Queens of the Stone Age influence in this second song, Can't Shake the Feeling. Not much going on in the way of variety here. The only real variety is in the one song was a little bit longer than the others. There is one song that comes in under a minute, it's a slightly more upbeat and aggressive.
Final Reaction: This wasn't terrible, very much on the QOTSA worship. The description I read didn't really describe them that well. It just never really had that sound that hit me in the gut and said take notice of this band. I'm curious where they will go when they grow a little more as a band, but until then I was pretty just meh on this.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Album: Shake EP
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Diamond Youth is members of Trapped Under Ice and Down to Nothing, but apparently sound nothing like those bands. They are described as similar to Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Samiam, and and Nada Surf. So, this should be interesting.
Initial Reaction: Almost a surfy feel to the intro, then it ramps up a little, and it is definitely somewhere near the mid to late 90's pop punk realm. Vocals are alright, a little more drawn out and not as upbeat and catchy as I was expecting.
Random Thoughts: The songs have a more modern feel to them, I feel like I can almost hear a little Queens of the Stone Age influence in this second song, Can't Shake the Feeling. Not much going on in the way of variety here. The only real variety is in the one song was a little bit longer than the others. There is one song that comes in under a minute, it's a slightly more upbeat and aggressive.
Final Reaction: This wasn't terrible, very much on the QOTSA worship. The description I read didn't really describe them that well. It just never really had that sound that hit me in the gut and said take notice of this band. I'm curious where they will go when they grow a little more as a band, but until then I was pretty just meh on this.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Day 39: Sam Roberts Band - Lo-Fantasy
Artist: Sam Roberts Band
Album: Lo-Fantasy
Source: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2014/02/album-stream-sam-roberts-band---lo-fantasy.html
Pre-listening Notes: Canadian rock, how typical Buffalo of me. Sam Roberts has been around for a while, but I've never listened to him. This is his sixth album, so I'm behind the curve. But, he's a Juno award winning guy, so at least Canadians love him. That's about all I know before hitting play.
Initial Reaction: Well, it's another one of those modern indie rock band sounds, that I could picture being on the radio. He has a pretty good voice and the music is upbeat and somewhat dancey.
Random Thoughts: This is pretty standard indie rock, which isn't a terrible thing, it just doesn't seem to have much to set it apart from all the other bands doing the same thing. There isn't a ton of range to the songs. I'm not entirely disliking this, but so far it is doing nothing to make me think I'll be back for repeated listening.
Final Reaction: There wasn't anything particularly great or bad about this, I enjoyed it more as I opened up a video game and played along with the music. It was competent Canadian indie rock that I could easily see played on the radio. This isn't a bad thing, it just isn't my thing.
Final Grade: 5.0/10
Album: Lo-Fantasy
Source: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2014/02/album-stream-sam-roberts-band---lo-fantasy.html
Pre-listening Notes: Canadian rock, how typical Buffalo of me. Sam Roberts has been around for a while, but I've never listened to him. This is his sixth album, so I'm behind the curve. But, he's a Juno award winning guy, so at least Canadians love him. That's about all I know before hitting play.
Initial Reaction: Well, it's another one of those modern indie rock band sounds, that I could picture being on the radio. He has a pretty good voice and the music is upbeat and somewhat dancey.
Random Thoughts: This is pretty standard indie rock, which isn't a terrible thing, it just doesn't seem to have much to set it apart from all the other bands doing the same thing. There isn't a ton of range to the songs. I'm not entirely disliking this, but so far it is doing nothing to make me think I'll be back for repeated listening.
Final Reaction: There wasn't anything particularly great or bad about this, I enjoyed it more as I opened up a video game and played along with the music. It was competent Canadian indie rock that I could easily see played on the radio. This isn't a bad thing, it just isn't my thing.
Final Grade: 5.0/10
Day 38: Crosses - Crosses
Artist: Crosses
Album: Crosses
Source: http://pitchfork.com/advance/342-stream/
Pre-listening Notes: I am not going to go out of my way to find the symbols that this band uses to actually stylize their name, but this is the side project of Chino from the Deftones and Shaun Lopez, formerly of Far, who is also a producer. It's electronic based rock. I am a pretty big fan of the Deftones and sort of enjoyed the first EP this band put out. I lost track of them along the way, because I haven't heard the second EP they put out the following year. Here goes.
Initial Reaction: They have a "thing" where all the t's in their song titles are replaced by the cross symbol. The music is very much electronic based, but still has almost a heavier feel to it. The drums have a fake feel to them, so I'm assuming a drum machine. Chino's vocals are pretty standard stuff for him, not a bad opener. Not nearly as heavy as the Deftones, but not bad.
Random Thoughts: This second song, Telepathy, is sort of dancey. Then the song Bitches Brew slows it down a little. I like the way Chino sings on these songs, I am not a huge electronic music fan, but it sort of works. That ended with some Chino yelling. The Holy Ghost has a very White Pony or Self Titled Deftones feel to it, and seems to have a real drummer going on. This is the best song, so far. The real mellow ones, like Trophy, seem to fall a little flat. Somewhere after the first couple songs, I found myself drumming along to a lot of these songs on my computer desk. The tempo changes from song to song keep them fresh, as a lot of this could start to sound real similar otherwise. This is getting a little long, however. I think I started losing focus about 9 songs in, and I think there might be 15 or 16 total.
Final Reaction: I like it. It's never going to replace my desire to listen to the Deftones, but it may just be better than Team Sleep. I lost sight of the fact that it was electronic based somewhere in the middle of the album and just kind of enjoyed it for what it was. Chino's voice is still great and it's different enough that I like that I can separate them from their member's other bands. Overall, I'll probably give this another listen down the road.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Album: Crosses
Source: http://pitchfork.com/advance/342-stream/
Pre-listening Notes: I am not going to go out of my way to find the symbols that this band uses to actually stylize their name, but this is the side project of Chino from the Deftones and Shaun Lopez, formerly of Far, who is also a producer. It's electronic based rock. I am a pretty big fan of the Deftones and sort of enjoyed the first EP this band put out. I lost track of them along the way, because I haven't heard the second EP they put out the following year. Here goes.
Initial Reaction: They have a "thing" where all the t's in their song titles are replaced by the cross symbol. The music is very much electronic based, but still has almost a heavier feel to it. The drums have a fake feel to them, so I'm assuming a drum machine. Chino's vocals are pretty standard stuff for him, not a bad opener. Not nearly as heavy as the Deftones, but not bad.
Random Thoughts: This second song, Telepathy, is sort of dancey. Then the song Bitches Brew slows it down a little. I like the way Chino sings on these songs, I am not a huge electronic music fan, but it sort of works. That ended with some Chino yelling. The Holy Ghost has a very White Pony or Self Titled Deftones feel to it, and seems to have a real drummer going on. This is the best song, so far. The real mellow ones, like Trophy, seem to fall a little flat. Somewhere after the first couple songs, I found myself drumming along to a lot of these songs on my computer desk. The tempo changes from song to song keep them fresh, as a lot of this could start to sound real similar otherwise. This is getting a little long, however. I think I started losing focus about 9 songs in, and I think there might be 15 or 16 total.
Final Reaction: I like it. It's never going to replace my desire to listen to the Deftones, but it may just be better than Team Sleep. I lost sight of the fact that it was electronic based somewhere in the middle of the album and just kind of enjoyed it for what it was. Chino's voice is still great and it's different enough that I like that I can separate them from their member's other bands. Overall, I'll probably give this another listen down the road.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Day 37: Frank Turner - Polaroid Picture
Artist: Frank Turner
Album: Polaroid Picture
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: So, I decided to finally give Frank Turner a shot, since he's been around for awhile now and a bunch of my friends seem to be pretty into him. I know that he came out of the hardcore punk scene, I know that he went the folk punk route that so many are doing these days, and I know that he's put out 5 full lengths already and has gotten huge, at least in Europe. This EP is a song off his new LP and 3, or 4, covers.
Initial Reaction: Alright, the song starts out showcasing his voice before kicking in. I kind of dig it, I think his voice reminds of Billy Bragg a little in spots. So, this isn't the straight up acoustic folky stuff that I was expecting. That song was pretty catchy.
Random Thoughts: The Modern Leper is apparently a cover of a Frightened Rabbit's song, a band I have never heard of. So this is more in line with what I was initially expecting, as it's acoustic, but it's still more of an upbeat sound than the bearded folk punk scene. Then a live version of a Weakerthan's cover of Plea From a Cat Named Virtute. His voice seems a little low pitched for this, but it's still a pretty good cover. I have no idea who Biffy Clyro is but this is just okay, the song is very minimal, sounds like just Frank and a guitar. I like the more full band stuff. Apparently this last song is a new song that isn't on his last LP. It was pretty good.
Final Reaction: I guess I can see why everyone seems to be into this guy. I enjoyed this, enough so that I will most likely go back and listen to the whole new album for a better reference point. I give him credit for covering The Weakerthans, too. Pretty okay stuff.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Album: Polaroid Picture
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: So, I decided to finally give Frank Turner a shot, since he's been around for awhile now and a bunch of my friends seem to be pretty into him. I know that he came out of the hardcore punk scene, I know that he went the folk punk route that so many are doing these days, and I know that he's put out 5 full lengths already and has gotten huge, at least in Europe. This EP is a song off his new LP and 3, or 4, covers.
Initial Reaction: Alright, the song starts out showcasing his voice before kicking in. I kind of dig it, I think his voice reminds of Billy Bragg a little in spots. So, this isn't the straight up acoustic folky stuff that I was expecting. That song was pretty catchy.
Random Thoughts: The Modern Leper is apparently a cover of a Frightened Rabbit's song, a band I have never heard of. So this is more in line with what I was initially expecting, as it's acoustic, but it's still more of an upbeat sound than the bearded folk punk scene. Then a live version of a Weakerthan's cover of Plea From a Cat Named Virtute. His voice seems a little low pitched for this, but it's still a pretty good cover. I have no idea who Biffy Clyro is but this is just okay, the song is very minimal, sounds like just Frank and a guitar. I like the more full band stuff. Apparently this last song is a new song that isn't on his last LP. It was pretty good.
Final Reaction: I guess I can see why everyone seems to be into this guy. I enjoyed this, enough so that I will most likely go back and listen to the whole new album for a better reference point. I give him credit for covering The Weakerthans, too. Pretty okay stuff.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Day 36: Sunn O))) & Ulver - Terrestrials
Artist: Sunn O))) & Ulver
Album: Terrestrials
Source: http://pitchfork.com/advance/344-terrestrials/
Pre-listening Notes: Sunn O))), hereby referred to only as Sunn, are the type of band I am never sure what to expect from release to release. Some of them are just impossible for me to get into, some are not. Ulver is a band that the only real thing I know about is that they used to be black metal or may still be. Sunn is more of the droney and experimental variety, so who knows what this will bring. Here goes.
Initial Reaction: Simple noise coming in to start. The whole album is only 3 approximately 10 minute long songs long, so the initial reaction may be a third of the release. Okay, I hear faint horns now. Not a whole lot going on in this first song, waiting for something heavy, but doesn't quite seem like something heavy is going to kick in. So that first song really went nowhere.
Random Thoughts: The second song starts off with a deep heavy droney noise. I'm starting to get the impression that this release isn't going to be all that exciting. Yeah, so unless this one song is a complete change, I can't see this being anything I will ever listen to again. Well, there is slightly more instrumentation in this song, but it's still pretty minimal. And with about 6 minutes left in the album, vocals kick in.
Final Reaction: Not one to go back to, that's for sure. I'm sure this will get all the accolades from the Pitchfork and similar communities, but I honestly feel like it's based on name recognition alone. So, yeah, take that for what it's worth.
Final Grade: 3.5/10
Album: Terrestrials
Source: http://pitchfork.com/advance/344-terrestrials/
Pre-listening Notes: Sunn O))), hereby referred to only as Sunn, are the type of band I am never sure what to expect from release to release. Some of them are just impossible for me to get into, some are not. Ulver is a band that the only real thing I know about is that they used to be black metal or may still be. Sunn is more of the droney and experimental variety, so who knows what this will bring. Here goes.
Initial Reaction: Simple noise coming in to start. The whole album is only 3 approximately 10 minute long songs long, so the initial reaction may be a third of the release. Okay, I hear faint horns now. Not a whole lot going on in this first song, waiting for something heavy, but doesn't quite seem like something heavy is going to kick in. So that first song really went nowhere.
Random Thoughts: The second song starts off with a deep heavy droney noise. I'm starting to get the impression that this release isn't going to be all that exciting. Yeah, so unless this one song is a complete change, I can't see this being anything I will ever listen to again. Well, there is slightly more instrumentation in this song, but it's still pretty minimal. And with about 6 minutes left in the album, vocals kick in.
Final Reaction: Not one to go back to, that's for sure. I'm sure this will get all the accolades from the Pitchfork and similar communities, but I honestly feel like it's based on name recognition alone. So, yeah, take that for what it's worth.
Final Grade: 3.5/10
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Day 35: Helms Alee - Sleepwalking Sailors
Artist: Helms Alee
Album: Sleepwalking Sailors
Source: http://pitchfork.com/advance/334-sleepwalking-sailors/
Pre-listening Notes: This is ex-Harkonen and if I remember correctly they did a tour with Torche. That's basically what I know about this band. Their wiki page says sludge metal, noise rock, and post-hardcore, which I'm not totally sure how those genres will mesh. We shall see!
Initial Reaction: My initial thought is this is not sludgy, but very post-hardcoreish. It's got some cool change ups in it. I'm not super sold on the vocals yet, they're a little weak. It got a little spacy and fuzzy towards the end.
Random Thoughts: Maybe the older stuff is a little more sludgy, I can hear some hints of it. But, this is more upbeat than I was expecting. Musically, it's interesting. Still having trouble with the vocalist. The drums are pretty rad. The vocals are starting to grow on me a little. It's not as heavy as I was expecting, which is I guess slightly disappointing. Some of the songs are really, really good. I keep coming back to the drumming. Okay, the song Fetus. Carcass. the vocals finally caught on for me. I think I need to give this a couple more listens now that at the almost end of the album things start clicking.
Final Reaction: It took me a while for this to get me, but once it did I was really enjoying it. I will need to give this another listen to really grasp it, but I can see myself getting more into this band.
Final Grade: 6.5/10
Album: Sleepwalking Sailors
Source: http://pitchfork.com/advance/334-sleepwalking-sailors/
Pre-listening Notes: This is ex-Harkonen and if I remember correctly they did a tour with Torche. That's basically what I know about this band. Their wiki page says sludge metal, noise rock, and post-hardcore, which I'm not totally sure how those genres will mesh. We shall see!
Initial Reaction: My initial thought is this is not sludgy, but very post-hardcoreish. It's got some cool change ups in it. I'm not super sold on the vocals yet, they're a little weak. It got a little spacy and fuzzy towards the end.
Random Thoughts: Maybe the older stuff is a little more sludgy, I can hear some hints of it. But, this is more upbeat than I was expecting. Musically, it's interesting. Still having trouble with the vocalist. The drums are pretty rad. The vocals are starting to grow on me a little. It's not as heavy as I was expecting, which is I guess slightly disappointing. Some of the songs are really, really good. I keep coming back to the drumming. Okay, the song Fetus. Carcass. the vocals finally caught on for me. I think I need to give this a couple more listens now that at the almost end of the album things start clicking.
Final Reaction: It took me a while for this to get me, but once it did I was really enjoying it. I will need to give this another listen to really grasp it, but I can see myself getting more into this band.
Final Grade: 6.5/10
Monday, February 3, 2014
Day 34: Nina Persson (The Cardigans) - Animal Heart
Artist: Nina Persson
Album: Animal Heart
Source: https://music.yahoo.com/blogs/music-news/hear-it-first--cardigans-a-camp-frontwoman-nina-persson-s-first-solo-album-141247963.html
Pre-listening Notes: The Cardigans are one of my favorite bands. In terms of female voices, for my money, there is nobody better than this Swedish beauty. Between The Cardigans discography and her two albums with her other soloish project, A Camp, I listen to her at least every few weeks, or so. This has been going on now for a few years shy of two decades. I've been very excited to hear this album.
Initial Reaction: Opens up with a song that's been floating around the internet for a while. Nice, slightly upbeat song which fits in nicely with pretty much anything she has recorded before. Her voice still puts a spell on me. I really can't stress how much I enjoy listening to her sing.
Random Thoughts: Piano and vocals start out song 2 with a super pretty melody. The whole song is a little more subdued than the first song, but still has that big pop feel to it. Each song, as soon as the vocals pop in, just sounds warming and like I've heard it a million times before. Some of the drums on this track, Clip Your Wings, sound drum machiney, but it could just be my imagination. The song Food For The Beast has also been out for a couple weeks. But, this is another awesome song that is just classic sounding Nina. There is a mostly Synth short segue song, before another mellower song, but with catchy vocals.
Final Reaction: It's not The Cardigans album, which if we get another one, I'll be super happy. But, this is absolutely something I will be listening to again and again. If you like good, mellow, female fronted pop-rock music, you'll probably dig this.
Final Grade: 9.0/10
Album: Animal Heart
Source: https://music.yahoo.com/blogs/music-news/hear-it-first--cardigans-a-camp-frontwoman-nina-persson-s-first-solo-album-141247963.html
Pre-listening Notes: The Cardigans are one of my favorite bands. In terms of female voices, for my money, there is nobody better than this Swedish beauty. Between The Cardigans discography and her two albums with her other soloish project, A Camp, I listen to her at least every few weeks, or so. This has been going on now for a few years shy of two decades. I've been very excited to hear this album.
Initial Reaction: Opens up with a song that's been floating around the internet for a while. Nice, slightly upbeat song which fits in nicely with pretty much anything she has recorded before. Her voice still puts a spell on me. I really can't stress how much I enjoy listening to her sing.
Random Thoughts: Piano and vocals start out song 2 with a super pretty melody. The whole song is a little more subdued than the first song, but still has that big pop feel to it. Each song, as soon as the vocals pop in, just sounds warming and like I've heard it a million times before. Some of the drums on this track, Clip Your Wings, sound drum machiney, but it could just be my imagination. The song Food For The Beast has also been out for a couple weeks. But, this is another awesome song that is just classic sounding Nina. There is a mostly Synth short segue song, before another mellower song, but with catchy vocals.
Final Reaction: It's not The Cardigans album, which if we get another one, I'll be super happy. But, this is absolutely something I will be listening to again and again. If you like good, mellow, female fronted pop-rock music, you'll probably dig this.
Final Grade: 9.0/10
Day 33: Temples - Sun Structures
Artist: Temples
Album: Sun Structures
Source: http://www.npr.org/2014/02/02/267026216/first-listen-temples-sun-structures
Pre-listening Notes: Here is another band that the classification they get of psychedelic rock has grabbed my interest here. Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher have both apparently sang their praises and they have played with Suede. So, I'll give it a whirl.
Initial Reaction: Okay, so far exactly what I was thinking it was going to sound like. It has a very 90's era Brit-pop feel to it. The vocals are good, have a bit of a dreamy feel to it.
Random Thoughts: While they have a 90's sound to them, they are also very much based in some 60's and 70's sounding things here. There is a definite classic sound to this. The only downside to the NPR stream is I can't tell which song this is, but if I had to guess it's the third track. I like this song, a lot. So far, this is pretty solid. I don't have a ton of things to say individually about each song, but I can tell you that I have enjoyed all of them.
Final Reaction: I enjoyed this, it was a good Brit-pop record that should be interesting to anyone who likes British music from pretty much any time in the last 40 to 50 years, since it has elements of each time period.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Album: Sun Structures
Source: http://www.npr.org/2014/02/02/267026216/first-listen-temples-sun-structures
Pre-listening Notes: Here is another band that the classification they get of psychedelic rock has grabbed my interest here. Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher have both apparently sang their praises and they have played with Suede. So, I'll give it a whirl.
Initial Reaction: Okay, so far exactly what I was thinking it was going to sound like. It has a very 90's era Brit-pop feel to it. The vocals are good, have a bit of a dreamy feel to it.
Random Thoughts: While they have a 90's sound to them, they are also very much based in some 60's and 70's sounding things here. There is a definite classic sound to this. The only downside to the NPR stream is I can't tell which song this is, but if I had to guess it's the third track. I like this song, a lot. So far, this is pretty solid. I don't have a ton of things to say individually about each song, but I can tell you that I have enjoyed all of them.
Final Reaction: I enjoyed this, it was a good Brit-pop record that should be interesting to anyone who likes British music from pretty much any time in the last 40 to 50 years, since it has elements of each time period.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Day 32: Pixies - EP 2
Artist: Pixies
Album: EP 2
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Somehow I missed this one. I thought it came out in December, but apparently the official release date was January 3. So, the Pixies are one of the most recognizable alternative rock/indie rock/college rock, whatever kind of rock we are calling non mainstream rock these days. Punks love them, hipsters love them, normal folk love them, every type does. And every type also hates them for various reasons too. Either way, they arguably put out some of the better records that weren't huge radio success stories of the late 80's, early 90's. I've heard mostly negative things about the stuff they've been doing since this wave of more recent activity. I never bothered listening to EP 1, but since I'm doing this I'll give this one a whirl as the end of January, early February has me in a little bit of a rut of things I was really looking to listen to. So, here we go on a very, very low expectation listen to this EP.
Initial Reaction: First song opens up with some fuzzy guitars, then some late 70's radio rock drums kick in. The vocals creep in and I immediately regret deciding to listen to this. I've never had any beef with Black Francis's vocals, but this just sounds like 80's era AC/DC.
Random Thoughts: Magdalena sounds like it could have been written in the early 90's, but was a throwaway song that didn't make the cut for an album. Greens and Blues is super poppy and probably the only one of the three I could ever see myself listening to again. Not to say that I will, but if it came on somewhere where someone accidentally added it to a mix, I wouldn't make fun of it. I forgot at first that this was a four song EP, and Snakes doesn't do much more to move this out of the bad category for me, although it doesn't necessarily sink it even further into the horrible one.
Final Reaction: I'm not one of those people who refuse to give new albums a listen by well established bands. Even ones that don't put out new music for decades. Hell, Carcass put out an incredible record after a 17 year gap in releases. But, this just wasn't really any good.
Final Grade: 3.0/10
Album: EP 2
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Somehow I missed this one. I thought it came out in December, but apparently the official release date was January 3. So, the Pixies are one of the most recognizable alternative rock/indie rock/college rock, whatever kind of rock we are calling non mainstream rock these days. Punks love them, hipsters love them, normal folk love them, every type does. And every type also hates them for various reasons too. Either way, they arguably put out some of the better records that weren't huge radio success stories of the late 80's, early 90's. I've heard mostly negative things about the stuff they've been doing since this wave of more recent activity. I never bothered listening to EP 1, but since I'm doing this I'll give this one a whirl as the end of January, early February has me in a little bit of a rut of things I was really looking to listen to. So, here we go on a very, very low expectation listen to this EP.
Initial Reaction: First song opens up with some fuzzy guitars, then some late 70's radio rock drums kick in. The vocals creep in and I immediately regret deciding to listen to this. I've never had any beef with Black Francis's vocals, but this just sounds like 80's era AC/DC.
Random Thoughts: Magdalena sounds like it could have been written in the early 90's, but was a throwaway song that didn't make the cut for an album. Greens and Blues is super poppy and probably the only one of the three I could ever see myself listening to again. Not to say that I will, but if it came on somewhere where someone accidentally added it to a mix, I wouldn't make fun of it. I forgot at first that this was a four song EP, and Snakes doesn't do much more to move this out of the bad category for me, although it doesn't necessarily sink it even further into the horrible one.
Final Reaction: I'm not one of those people who refuse to give new albums a listen by well established bands. Even ones that don't put out new music for decades. Hell, Carcass put out an incredible record after a 17 year gap in releases. But, this just wasn't really any good.
Final Grade: 3.0/10
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Day 31: Vinyl Thief - Stop Motion
Artist: Vinyl Thief
Album: Stop Motion
Source: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2014/01/album-stream-vinyl-thief---stop-motion-ep.html
Pre-listening Notes: I realize I am a day behind here, but I will catch up in the next day or two. Today, I decided to pull something that was categorized as pop and this EP was the first thing I stumbled across. Internet searching doesn't yield much in the way of information about them, so I'm going in mostly blind.
Initial Reaction: Starts off with some dreamy, mellow guitar. The vocals then kick in and this might be where they lose me a little. I am not opposed to pop music and the songs are pretty good for what they are. I could definitely picture hearing this song on the radio.
Random Thoughts: The second song is more on the upbeat side and I dig it a little more. The guys voice is just fine, it kind of just took a few minutes for it to really sound right to my ears/brain. This song reminds me a little bit of The Killers. The third song starts off and it appears to be another ballad. It picks up the pace a little. The last song is a little more of the same.
Final Reaction: This isn't necessarily the type of thing I'd reach to listen to on the regular, but it was a nice change of pace. The songs were interesting enough and the vocals were decent. If you are into pop-rock bands, this will probably be right up your alley.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Album: Stop Motion
Source: http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2014/01/album-stream-vinyl-thief---stop-motion-ep.html
Pre-listening Notes: I realize I am a day behind here, but I will catch up in the next day or two. Today, I decided to pull something that was categorized as pop and this EP was the first thing I stumbled across. Internet searching doesn't yield much in the way of information about them, so I'm going in mostly blind.
Initial Reaction: Starts off with some dreamy, mellow guitar. The vocals then kick in and this might be where they lose me a little. I am not opposed to pop music and the songs are pretty good for what they are. I could definitely picture hearing this song on the radio.
Random Thoughts: The second song is more on the upbeat side and I dig it a little more. The guys voice is just fine, it kind of just took a few minutes for it to really sound right to my ears/brain. This song reminds me a little bit of The Killers. The third song starts off and it appears to be another ballad. It picks up the pace a little. The last song is a little more of the same.
Final Reaction: This isn't necessarily the type of thing I'd reach to listen to on the regular, but it was a nice change of pace. The songs were interesting enough and the vocals were decent. If you are into pop-rock bands, this will probably be right up your alley.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
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