Strange Cube Listens To Music

New Project — Anthology of Interest

2009-11-20T19:40:00.001-05:00

Hello Ladies and Gents,

More and more these days, the only way to get anything done is to do it yourself. And so I announce my latest project: a literary anthology website and podcast.

So here’s where you come in:

I am looking for a handful of fantastic stories. And by “fantastic” I mean both definitions; really good and of a fantastical nature. They could be science-fiction or fantasy, yes, but I am looking at all milieus—even poetry and non-fiction—so long as it has an element of the strange, mysterious, or speculative. (Comic, dramatic, it's all good.)

The plan is this:

First, I would like to take a look at the story to provide some editorial input (and to make sure it’s right for this). You would then release the story under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike. This would allow you to retain rights to the work while allowing me to post the text on the website and to create an audio version for the podcast.

I can’t offer payment, but this would be a great way to distribute our works and to market future products (such as printed anthologies and merchandise) that would offer money-making opportunities.

If you or any people you know would be interested in submitting something, let me know. I would like to receive complete drafts of stories by December 20th. As I said, they can be in any genre and style, but I do have a few requirements:

1) No erotica. Some sexual content is okay, but I don’t want this to be an adults-only podcast.

2) No fanfic. If you don’t have the rights to what you’re writing about, don’t bother.

There are some great venues out there for both fanfic and erotica. I do not aim to become another one of either (or both!).

3) No previously published works unless you retain all rights to the material.

4) Complete works only. No Chapter Ones or excerpts. If this becomes stable and continues, I would like to lift this stricture and start doing serialized stuff, but let’s save that for later.

5) I have no length restrictions, but I’d rather see shorter things (up to 3000 words or so). So hang onto your 50-page novella for now; we can serialize that later.

Multiple submissions are fine, particularly for shorter works.

As I have intimated, if this initial batch looks promising, I would like to continue this indefinitely, but we’ll worry about that later.

I would like to record audio versions of these stories while I’m in Boston after Christmas. As such, I am also looking for voice talent. If you or anyone you know might be interested in reading, let me know. I’ll be putting out a more formal call for readers when I have a better picture of how many stories I might get. Readers will be compensated for their time.

If you have any questions, please ask!

2009-05-08T23:56:00.001-04:00

I haven't totally forgotten about this blog. I've just been inordinately busy lately. I hope to bring it back in a few weeks in a slightly revamped form.

2009-04-04T23:58:00.002-04:00

Ladies and gents,

A thousand apologies on the lack of blog updates lately. I have been pretty swamped lately. I hope to return to the blog in the near future, and I hope you will too.

No news or predictions as to when I'll be back on the blogging on a regular basis, but hopefully within a couple weeks.

—John

REVIEW: "Has Been"

2009-03-25T15:40:00.001-04:00

William Shatner
Has Been
© 2004 Shout! Factory

William Shatner’s musical career has often been the subject of mockery, rather than praise. Though a multitalented performer, singing is not among the man’s skill-set. Syle, however, is and, if it showed anything, his 1968 debut album The Transformed Man showed a very distinctive style of spoken word outsider music. While that album may be considered one of the worst albums ever made, Shatner has proceeded to hone and adapt his musical style over the years, from his classic performance of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” to his commercials for Priceline.

For the most part, his deliberately campy style has been used purely for comic effect. But, in 1999, Ben Folds saw a greater potential in Shatner’s voice and used him in his project, Fear of Pop. This began a creative relationship that ultimately led to 2004’s Has Been, an album featuring spoken word poems (mostly) written by Shatner, arrangements and production by Ben Folds, and numerous celebrity guests. The result? Nothing short of amazing.

Let me add a condition to that praise: This is an album that needs multiple listens. In my experience, at least, the first time I listened to it, I was overwhelmed; I didn’t know if I should laugh or shake my head. Was this some sort of ironic statement? A joke? A serious musical effort? The more I listened to it, the more I realized that it was all three.

The album starts off with one of it’s strongest tracks, a cover of Pulp’s “Common People” that far exceeds the cheesy eurodisco of the original. Though the vocal delivery is surprisingly similar, Shatner’s version manages to inject far more actual emotion into the song’s sentiment. He does what all good covers should: pay homage to the original while making the song his own. The backing vocals from Joe Jackson seem to be there to cover for Shatner’s limited range, but nonetheless work well enough.

“Common People (feat Joe Jackson)” (no video)

As good as it is, however, “Common People” fits oddly with the rest of the album; it is the only cover (with the rest of them written by Shatner and his collaborators) and thus lacks one of the key features that binds the rest of the album, for all of its musical variation: the strong and deeply personal authorial voice of Shatner. Ben Folds’ influence on the music is clear and the various talent on individual songs (such as Henry Rollins on “I Can’t Get Behind That”) clearly show their participation, but this is always Shatner’s show.

Shatner is a complicated man, and each track on this album clearly shows a different layers of his personality.

Some of the songs are reactions to his celebrity status. Whether it be his challenge and satirical retaliation to those who call him a “Has Been” (in the album’s title track)…

“Has Been” (no video)

…to the much more personal message of “Real” where he apologizes for not being able to live up to the standard set by his never-fail screen personas like Captain Kirk.

“Real (feat Brad Paisley)” (fan video)

(Though, the more I listen to “Real” the more it sounds like Clark Kent denying that he is Superman.)

Other topics are taken on with a similar dichotomy, such as morality. “You’ll Have Time” has a clear message “Live life like you’re gonna die/Because you’re gonna.” While it is expressed with no small amount of tongue-in-cheek humor, it is still a genuine sentiment, with it’s disquieting list of people who had died within the past few years.

“You’ll Have Time” (fan video)

On the other side of the coin is the shattering “What Have You Done,” a frank, poetic description of his discovery of the body of his wife, Nerine Kidd-Shatner, who had drowned in their pool. The simplicity of the track and Shatner’s whispering voice, drive home the tragedy of this event.

“What Have You Done” (fan video)

The album isn’t flawless; some songs try too hard or not hard enough, such as “It Hasn’t Happened Yet.” While its sentiment is genuine and moving, the song itself is a little too simple, too subdued, for its own good.

“It Hasn’t Happened Yet”

The problem is in part exacerbated by the superiority of this live version, which manages to capture the message just as clearly with more energy:

“It Hasn’t Happened Yet” (live)

As a whole, however, this album never fails to deliver, provided the audience is willing to listen closely. There is a lot of emotion and subtext here that may surprise those whose first thought of Shatner’s musical talents is “Rocket Man.”

RECCOMENDED IF… you have the patience to give outsider music a fair try. On a casual listen, the album may seem silly; Has Been demands a lot more effort from it’s listeners than the typical album.

MP3: CD:

REVIEW: "Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret"

2009-03-16T23:49:00.001-04:00

Rhapsody
Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret
© 2004 SPV GmbH

Note: Rhapsody changed their name to Rhapsody of Fire in 2006, between the release of this album and 2006’s Triumph or Agony.

With their 2002 album Power of the Dragonflame, Italian Symphonic Power Metal band ended their first multi-album fantasy epic, “The Emerald Sword Saga.” The band took this opportunity to not only launch a new epic, “The Dark Secret Saga,” but to upgrade their sound. Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret features backing by a live orchestra, full chorus, various string solos, and narration by Christopher Lee.

While Rhapsody has always incorporated symphonic elements in their music, with Symphony of Enchanted Lands II they have taken it to a new level. But is that a good thing?

The album’s basic improvements in production quality are the easiest to pass judgment upon. The comparison between the synth orchestration of their previous albums and the vibrant, live instrumentation featured here is no contest. Similarly, Christopher Lee’s rich, sonorous voice is infinitely better than the awkward, slightly lispy narration of the previous albums. Even the quality of the audio is smoother and cleaner than previously.

It is the creative changes that will prove more divisive.

Power of the Dragonflame was, as befit its role as the climax to the grand, military fantasy of “The Emerald Sword Saga,” a raucous, high energy ride. Symphony of Enchanted Lands II, on the other hand, serves as the opening to “The Dark Secret Saga” and the album reflects this. The violent energy of Dragonflame is just not there. Instead Symphony contains many symphonic interludes and slower ballads.

The album opener, “The Dark Secret – Ira Dvinia,” is a purely atmospheric/orchestral song and heavily features Lee’s narration. Its purpose in the story is clear—acting as a prologue and hinting at the conflicts that lie ahead. Musically its purpose is similar—even at over four minutes in length, it is entirely introduction, spotlighting the orchestral and choral elements that will be featured in varying capacities throughout the album. It is a competent arrangement—with the chorus being used to particularly strong effect—but wholly lacking in Metal.

“The Dark Secret – Ira Divina” (no video)

It isn’t until the second track “Unholy Warcry” that the album really starts. And what a start! “Unholy Warcry” is hands-down one of the best songs on Symphony. It has everything—from rollicking percussion, to blazing guitars, to a breakdown featuring more narration—that one could hope for. And the various elements are well integrated into what guitarist and song-writer Luca Turilli refers to as his “neoclassical” style.

“Unholy Warcry” (no video)

Other tracks, such as the epic "Sacred Power of Raging Winds" come close to emulating the balance between effective use of symphonic, narrative, and Metal elements that “Unholy Warcry” achieves, but that song is, unfortunately, never surpassed.

“Sacred Power of Raging Winds” (no video)

In large part, this is due to the unfortunately large amount of time spent on pastoral pieces or ballads. Though these may serve a purpose in the sonic tapestry of “The Dark Secret Saga” there is, nonetheless, too much time spent on the beauty of dragons in flight, and not enough on them burning shit. Simply, Rhapsody is best when they are playing fast, energetic songs; their slower songs are almost universally maudlin and bland.

One of the worst offenders is “The Magic of the Wizard’s Dream.” While not irredeemable, it is almost painfully boring. Its biggest impediment is the simple, redundant percussion that makes the song feel even slower than it is.

“The Magic of the Wizard’s Dream” (no video)

There is a single version of “The Magic of the Wizard’s Dream” that is a duet between signer Fabio Lione and Christopher Lee. While generally the same song, it actually works much better as a duet. Additionally, the percussion has been significantly scaled back and the piano strengthened. It is truly a shame that version did not make it onto the album. link (NOTE: This version was made after the release of the album. It is nice to imagine that this could have been the result of Rhapsody addressing the complaints over this original version.)

Fortunately, after “The Magic of the Wizard’s Dream” (which is track five) the album generally picks up its pace, with some genuinely enjoyable songs such as “Last Angel’s Call,” which strongly resembles sound of the Rhapsody of old, and the climax “Nightfall on the Grey Mountains” which revisits many of the musical themes that came before like any good finale.

In fact, while scanning through the rest of the album for another negative example, I had trouble finding one. Even other slower songs, such as ”Guardiani del Destino” are not without positives. (“Guardiani del Destino” is perhaps a minute longer than it has to be, but actually does build to a rather satisfying finish.) Unfortunately, while these might be at least okay when taken one by one, when played through as a whole, they utterly fail to distinguish themselves.

That is, perhaps, the greatest disappointment of Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret. While individual tracks may be truly impressive and the increased production values serve their intended effect, the total result is one that falls short of it’s potential.

The band’s following album Triumph or Agony generally had greater success in balancing the symphonic and Metal elements than Symphony but was beset by it’s own problems (which I’ll save for a later review). Currently, production on the third album in “The Dark Secret Saga” is on hold due to legal complications. Hopefully, if this project ever sees completion, Rhapsody will be able to take what they have learned with these two albums and do something truly impressive.

RECCOMENDED IF… you enjoy or are interested in Symphonic Power Metal. For all its shortcomings, excesses, and other failings, it remains an extremely enjoyable album.

MP3: CD:

Week of Monday, March 16th

2009-03-15T23:06:00.002-04:00

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

It is time for yet another schedule readjustment.

I will now be posting during the day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

That will be two reviews and one "other."

I am moving in less than six weeks, and there are things I want to get in order before I do: projects to finish, projects to start, etc. I need to apply the maximum amount of time to these things that is possible.

I hate to downgrade my schedule on this again, but the simple fact is that this blog cannot be my highest priority in the coming weeks.

As I said, posts will be entered "during the day." I am going to continue to shoot for midnight, but sometimes, such as tonight, that just won't be possible. Please follow me on Twitter or through an RSS reader (see widget on the side of the page below the archive) if you want to stay up to the minute.

Thanks for sticking around.

—John

Week of Monday, March 9th

2009-03-09T18:12:00.002-04:00

Afternoon lads and lasses,

I have some less than great news.

I'm going to be taking this week off.

I have a bunch of stuff on my queue that I really want to get moving, and I just won't have time to work on this blog much for a few days.

It's nothing bad, it's just time-consuming.

In the mean time, feel free to follow me on Twitter for bite sized music reviews and so on.

Thank you for your patience.

REVIEW: "X"

2009-03-06T00:14:00.002-05:00

Kylie Minogue
X
© 2007 EMI

In most on the world, Australian performer Kylie Minogue is one of the biggest names in pop music. She has never really caught on in the US, but that hasn’t stopped her from trying. Her US biggest success so far has been her 2001 album, Fever, which toped at #3 on The Billboard 200. Performance of her 2003 album Body Language was decent (#43). A battle with breast cancer led a lengthy gap before her next album, X, and, unfortunately, she seems to have lost any momentum she may have gained (#139).

In general, I have never found chart success any kind of gauge of quality. Nonetheless, it is interesting to note how poorly the album performed in the states compared to the rest of the world. Why is this? Is it indicative of anything in the music, or is it simply that Kylie did not enough presence in American to surmount the five-year gap?

In this critic’s opinion, it is both. Kylie is a Pop musician and image has been a major part of the industry since its birth. In the UK and Australia—where her sales are their best—she is a constant presence in the tabloids. Here, her album dropped with minimal fanfare because, frankly, most Americans don’t care. We have plenty of our own stars to fuel our voyeurism, idolatry, and schadenfreude.

But even without sensationalism, some artists have risen up the charts to success if they manage to catch that elusive “It.” And, quite simply, this album does not have enough It. While it does contain some excellent pop songs, its quality is inconsistent, and some of the weaker songs, unfortunately, having been selected as singles. Even Minogue herself has expressed disappointment in the final product.

Lack of sufficient publicity + singles that fail to catch on = a deadly combination for a pop album.

So with the mystery of the weak performance sales solved, where does that leave the album? While X is hardly Kylie’s strongest work (I would pick Fever for that honor), there are still several excellent tracks. It might not be Album of the Year, but fans of Dance-Pop should give this album a second chance.

Fortunately, in this day and age, mixing and matching songs is easy and affordable and, as there isn’t really any sort of theme or connective elements to the album, X is a prime hunting ground. I’ll make it easy for you. Here are the best songs on the album:

“2 Hearts”

The best track on the album, pulling together classic pop-music elements from across the past 50 years into a practically perfect Pop track.

“In My Armss”

Pure Euro-dance. Those who enjoyed Fever will find a lot of the same appeal here.

“Speakerphone” (no video)

Quirky, silly, and almost annoyingly catchy. This is one that really grows on you.

“Wow”

A Disco-styled dance song with a killer hook.

Put any of the above four songs on a play-list if you want to get people out on the dance floor. They’ll work quite nicely.

The rest of the album is fairly unexceptional. While the album is consistently danceable—Kylie’s specialty—most of the tracks fail to have anything special about them. She displays a good range of influences, from disco to rock, house to new wave, but doesn’t take them anywhere exciting. These songs often are repetitive and somewhat flat.

RECCOMENDED IF… you really love dance-pop. There are a few gems and the rest are decent if unremarkable; I would recommend using the album a quick preview to see if there is enough here to justify the purchase. (Try the “Preview All” function for the MP3 album linked below.) If you are looking for some fun music to get your friends dancing, the four songs I have mentioned above will do the job quite nicely. (I have included links to the individual MP3s on Amazon.) It’s just a shame the rest of the album doesn’t live up to the standard they set.

MP3: CD:

GEAR: Sennheiser PX 100 Collapsible Headphones

2009-03-05T00:34:00.004-05:00

Just a quick one today. Think of this as Friday’s post a day earlier (with Thursday’s review to post for Friday)

Today was a sad day, for I had to bid farewell to my Sennheiser PX 100 Collapsible Headphones. The highest praise I can offer them is that, once I realized the problem was insurmountable, I promptly bought another pair of the same model.

The PX 100 is, in basic design, a fairly standard set of open, headband-style, mini-headphones which collapse easily. They are light and fairly low-profile, allowing them to wear comfortably, even under a hood or wool cap, and they look nice, if unremarkable. And their price, ($59.95 msrp / around $40 at most reasonable discounts) is good for quality headphones of this type.

Physically, the construction is solid. The frame is a mix of metal and dense plastics, including durable metal hinges for the collapsing action. The pads are resilient and comfortable, though one of mine developed an annoying habit of coming loose and falling off. The cord is sturdy, with little problems over normal use.

The trouble was that I didn’t give them the most “normal” use; my treatment of them was nowhere near as gentle as it should have been. In part this was due to the uncanny ability for the cord to get caught on every possible cabinet knob, chair arm, corners, etc. yanking them off of my head and, frequently, out of my iPod. Of course, this is entirely a user-problem derived from the confluence of my height, the length of the cord, and the construction of my apartment. In fact, that the headphones withstood the kind of abuse that I gave them for so long without a problem is a testament to their toughness. If you pay half a mind to your surroundings, these things should last you forever.

Of course, eventually that abuse was too much for my poor headphones and a connection somewhere came loose and the right earphone stopped working properly.

But until that moment, the sound quality on these headphones was amazing. They yielded a very wide range of sound, with excellent balance. I never experienced any disappointment in any style of music, from classical to rock, house to noise and spoken word materials were clear and warm. The only problems I ever encountered were those endemic to this style of headphone, such as minimal isolation, some distortion at high volume levels, and a drop-off in the lower base (though that last was far better than most).

Simply, if you are looking for a good set of portable, multi-use headphones for your iPod or to take to work, the PX 100 is an excellent choice in terms of both sound quality and cost. I have not experienced better in this class of system.

Also, they come with a well-constructed and easy-to-use carrying case that I really shouldn’t have lost …

REVIEW: "Incredibad"

2009-03-03T00:05:00.000-05:00

The Lonely Island
Incredibad
© 2009 Universal Republic Records

Comedy in music—whether it be a parody band, novelty song, or a “serious” artist using wit—is a challenging technique. The difficulty of balancing humor and listenable music often results in one element losing out. Comedy troop and Saturday Night Live writer/performers The Lonely Planet—Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg—have thrown their hats into the ring with their first album Incredibad.

Though the troupe had produced numerous sketches and music parodies independently, it was their SNL Digital Short and viral smash “Lazy Sunday,” that garnered them major attention. Since then, many of their Digital Shorts have featured music videos written and produced by the trio—often with a celebrity guest—such as “Dick in a Box (feat Justin Timberlake).”

Many of the songs included on Incredibad have also been featured on Saturday Night Live. While it is a little disappointing that more original content was not included, these songs are nonetheless enjoyable, with most of them surviving quite well without the aid of their video.

One of the group’s most recent shorts, “I’m On A Boat (feat. T-Pain),” has arguably handled the transition to audio-only the best. The song’s hardcore swagger, energy, and backing vocals by T-Pain would not be out of place on a serious rapper’s album; most of the songs humor comes from the contrast between the earnestness of the music and the inanity of the content of the lyrics, rather than quality.

“I’m On A Boat (feat. T-Pain)”

The other SNL tracks have generally remained both funny and listenable, but often lack a little something compared to their videos. “Jizz In My Pants,” for example, is an extremely funny song with well-produced music, but the physical humor of the video was certainly part of the appeal.

“Jizz In My Pants”

Few things can kill the listenability of a song quite like it being deliberately bad and, fortunately, one of the strengths of Incredibad is that they usually do not use the song itself as the joke. There are some exceptions to this, however.

One, “Sax Man (feat. Jack Black)” starts off pretty kickin’ in that distinctive Jack Black way. The song’s humor derives from the hyped Sax Man utterly failing to meet expectations.

“Sax Man (feat. Jack Black)” (no video)

Another, “Ras Trent,” makes fun of its vocalist/character, a white college student who claims to have become Rastafarian, but clearly neither gets it nor has any skill.

“Ras Trent” (no video)

By treating the music as a joke they come across more as sketches than funny rap songs. While they may be good for a laugh now and then, by becoming essentially a joke-song instead of a song of jokes, they lack in staying power. This is particularly damning for “Ras Trent.” Where much of the humor of “Sax Man” comes in repetition and continued refusal of the Sax Man to play—and thus making use of it’s entire two minute play time—“Ras Trent” quickly overextends it’s basic joke—the ignorance and lack of talent of Trent—which is clearly made in the first few seconds of the song.

The non-SNL material is a mixed bag, with the best of it touching on some of the attitude and wit of the Beastie Boys (albeit with a consistently self-deprecating edge) and the lesser just being a little boring. One of the greatest stumbling blocks these songs face is inconsistent production values; many of them are older tracks from the groups pre-SNL days. The album finishes with one of the funnier of these tracks “Incredibad” where the group gives the obscene and hilarious origin of the album title and cover art.

“Incredibad” (no video)

Incredibad is largely parody, but, even in the pure joke-songs, the humor is directed inwards. The Lonely Planet are not mocking the genre or riffing on specific songs, instead targeting their own failings (“Jizz In My Pants”), nerdy over-enthusiasm (“We Like Sportz”), or the extremes of their imagination ("Space Olympics"). This has worked heavily in their favor as, not only does it give their songs more staying power, they are easily able to bring celebrity guests and SNL cast-members in on the joke; even when only guests voices heard (as in “Natalie’s Rap”), the humor and sound is consistent with the rest of the album

RECCOMENDED IF… you have enjoyed their Digital Shorts. The humor presented in them is representative of the album, for better and worse. This is a consistently funny comedy album, though as a rap album it tends overly towards a generic sound.

MP3: CD:

REVIEW: Working on a Dream

2009-03-02T00:05:00.000-05:00

Bruce Springsteen
Working On A Dream
© 2009 Columbia Records

Bruce Springsteen is one of those rare artists who truly, deeply connects with people. Ask almost any fan and they will tell you how his music seems to speak to them directly, how it helped them through hard times, and how it inspires them in the good. The flipside to these people, however, are all those who never formed a connection with “The Boss” and his music. These people may respect him as a musician but, generally, have never seen what is the big deal. (There is a third camp as well; those who can’t stand the man, frequently for political reasons.)

I fall into this second camp, so please take this into account while reading this review of Working On A Dream. If you already are a Springsteen fan, I have it on good authority that this album will not disappoint. Of course, judging by its incredible first-week sales, you probably already have it.

This album is “Classic Springsteen;” he hits all of his signature elements frequently and effectively. Lyrics with a heavy emphasis on stories of the common man’s plight? Check. Emotionally charged choruses? Check. Guitar-driven rock backed by layers of multi-instrumental sound? Ballads? Anthems? Check.

In other words, Springsteen has, in many ways, gone back to basics with this album. This makes for a very accessible album; if you are a fan, this is an excellent album to give someone to get into The Boss. For those who did not care for the darker tone of his previous albums will enjoy the return to classic form.

And those who dislike Springsteen will find nothing new to change their minds.

The album starts with its best foot forward. “Outlaw Pete” is an eight-minute epic (the only one on the album; the other songs max out under five minutes), a story of crime, regret, revenge, and penance that spans the life of its title character. The storytelling of the song is top-notch, the music varied but consistently powerful, and, despite it’s length, engages consistently.

“Outlaw Pete” (no video)

The rest of the album never climbs to the same heights, but still maintains a decent level of quality. One of the weakest songs is the title track “Working On A Dream.” Quite simply, it is boring. The lyrics, instead of being anthemic, are redundant and reductive. The music is unremarkable. The one thing it does have going for it is the sense of hope and perseverance that works through the whole album.

“Working On A Dream” (no video)

Most other songs are a mixed bag. While perfection is always just out of reach, they are not without commendable elements.

For example, the ballad “Queen of the Supermarket”—the tale of a man falling in love with a supermarket employee from afar—manages to maintain a level of sweetness that prevents it from becoming overly melodramatic, silly, or creepy. The end of the song, with its stirring, hopeful crescendo, is one of the highlights of the album—making it all the more a shame that beginning was not stronger.

“Queen of the Supermarket” (no video)

Another strong song is “Tomorrow Never Knows.” The upbeat, acoustic guitar, reflective, yet hopeful lyrics, and the rising strings blend together to form a short, sweet, and encouraging song.

“Tomorrow Never Knows”

“What Love Can Do,” one of the first songs written for this album, was conceived of as a meditation on “"love in the time of Bush." But the overt politics of some of Springsteen’s previous songs is not present. Instead it is a thematic element: though things are tough now, love will see us through. While not a guarantee of safety and improvement, but it is a message of the possibility of hope and change—clearly drawing on contemporary political attitudes as inspiration.

“What Love Can Do” (Fan video)

With its classic sound, inspiring message, and solid songwriting, Working On A Dream is a strong entry in Springsteen’s catalogue. Unfortunately, it is not quite an instant classic; more songs fall just short of their potential than those that meet or exceed it. That said, it is an enjoyable and effective album that is worthy of notice—even if that notice should be given with the same tempered optimism Springsteen encourages.

RECCOMENDED IF… you are looking for something with a bit of grounded optimism. Springsteen’s back-to-basics approach makes this very accessible album and a good starting place in the artist’s decades-long career.

MP3: CD:

Emilie Simon Live À L'Olympia

2009-02-27T00:05:00.001-05:00

Just a short post tonight friends.

Emilie Simon is an absolutely amazing French singer/electronic musician. Unlike many electronic artists, she is as good, if not better, live than on her fantastic albums. Some YouTube saint has posted her entire 2006 concert at the Paris Olympia in several parts. I have posted them after the jump for convenient viewing.

If you love Bjørk, don't miss Emilie Simon, they have a lot of similar characteristics both vocally and in their layered, multi-insturmental music. In this show, Simon has enlisted a huge range of musicians to create the range of sounds seen on her albums. Watching them perform on everything from cellos to theramin to power tools is fascinating.

Plus she's cute as a button.

And thank you "snakewall."

"Dame de lotus"
"Fleur de saison"

"Rose hybride de thé"
"In the lake"

"Sweet blossom"
"Annie"

"Swimming"

"Opium"
"Le vieil amant"

"Ice girl"
"All is white"

"I wanna be your dog"

"Never fall in love"
"Désert"

"Alicia"
"En cendres"

"My old friend"

"Graines d’étoiles"
"Flowers"

"Come as you are"

MP3: DVD:

REVIEW: "This Was"

2009-02-26T00:05:00.001-05:00

Jethro Tull
This Was
© 1968 Island

Jethro Tull’s music is known primarily for their incorporation of folk and traditional elements and the use of the flute by lead singer Ian Anderson. Their two most renowned albums, Aqualung and particularly Thick as a Brick are grand, prog affairs packed with concepts and musical experimentation. However, their beginning—seen here on their debut, This Was—was as a very different band.

This Was, for all it’s little flourishes, is ultimately a fairly straight-forward blues-rock affair. The folk elements and progressive concepts of later works are non-existent. In large part, this is due to the influence of Mick Abrahams, the band’s original guitarist who, wrote many of the album’s songs along with Anderson. After this album, he left the band due to creative differences and Anderson would never share songwriting credit again.

“Beggar’s Farm” (no video)

While the album is largely by-the-numbers, there is, nonetheless, a fair amount of promise shown. The vocals possess a dirty, ragged quality that works well, Abrahams’ aggressive guitar work is highly competent, and the heavy incorporation of the flute—though Anderson’s skills were somewhat more primitive at the time—is as unique an element in the blues-rock field as it would be in the prog-rock world.

“Serenade to a Cookoo” (no video)

The real question, however, is not whether this was a successful debut. Like Bowie’s David Bowie, it was—regardless of quality—enough to get the band a second album—Stand Up—which more accurately forecasted the sound of the band. The question is if the album still has relevance today. Unlike Bowie’s debut, which—for all its flaws—presented some of the chimerical quality and wit Bowie fans love, there is nearly nothing of the Jethro Tull of Aqualung on This Was.

“Dharma for One” (no video)

This makes it difficult to recommend the album in relation to Tull’s other works. It is almost better to think of this as an album by a different band altogether; the departure of Abrahams makes this interpretation quite accurate. No, an appreciation for Tull is not the accurate meter for this album, but rather an appreciation for blues-rock.

“A Song For Jeffrey” (fan video)

RECCOMENEDED IF… you enjoy bands such as Cream, The Yardbirds, and even early Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones. Fans and haters alike of Tull’s later work may appreciate this album on it’s own merits, or they may not; This Was is not the Tull they would have pre-conceived opinions of.

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REVIEW: Third

2009-02-24T00:05:00.000-05:00

Portishead
Third
© 2008 Island Records

I don’t know about you, but Portishead’s Dummy and Portishead were two of my top high-school albums. So I was disappointed when, apart from the release of their phenomenial live album Roseland NYC Live, the band’s hiatus stretched on and on. I had long since given up hope when I caught wind of the release of the band’s follow up album Third. I wasted no time in getting my hands on it, but tried to not have any illusions; few bands have ever returned after so many years of silence without major change. I am glad that I had prepared myself.

Their first two albums were marked by a blend of smoky, torch-singer vocals, turntablism, and warm, shadowy trip-hop that drew heavily on jazz and R&B. Singer Beth Gibbons’ distinctive voice was the centerpiece to their sound, giving life to tragic lyrics that often bordered on the surreal.

“Only You” off of Portishead

Third is a very different album. Evidently unconstrained by their past releases, the band forged into new avenues, allowing for something new rather than simply a thing for patient fans. The biggest change is the loss of most of the jazz stylings. Instead, Third makes heavy use of a blend of harsh mechanical noise and indie-folk elements. The role of Gibbons’ voice—which has acquired a quieter, more delicate character over the years—has been shifted to more a part of the music. The result is less trip-hop and more of an experimental indie-electonic feel like múm’s Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy or Bjørk’s Volta.

The album contains a wide range of sound, from the harsh to the mellow and is well represented by its three singles, “Machine Gun,” “The Rip,” and “Magic Doors”

“The Rip” is one of the harshest songs on the album, with simple, shatteringly distorted percussion and fragile vocals that weave through the noise. The sound may be new, but the bleak, yet provocative darkness of the song is pure Portishead,

“Machine Gun”

“The Rip” will be more familiar to Portishead fans as it gives considerable focus to the vocals and, while the music uses a folk—rather than jazz—base, it displays many of the elements of the classic Portishead sound.

“The Rip”

“Magic Doors” is, in some ways, a midpoint between “The Rip” and “Machine Gun.” While featuring the heavy percussion of “Machine Gun,” it tempers it with a softer sound and a rising presence of atmospherics, piano, and horns.

“Magic Doors” (no video)

With Third, Portishead have managed to do something very few bands are able to do: reinvent themselves without loosing their identity. While the differences between the Portishead of 1998 and that of 2008 may be jarring at first, further listening reveals more and more connective threads, more familiar themes. We can only hope that this is a true return for the band. I would love to see where they go next.

STRONGLY RECCOMENDED IF… you enjoy contemporary electronica. Those nostalgic for 90s Trip-Hop may be initially disappointed, but are encouraged to give Third a second listen; this is one of those albums that really grows on you. (Similarly, those who are i unfamiliar with the band’s earlier work may find going back through the catalog odd as well.)

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REVIEW: "Even In Darkness"

2009-02-23T00:05:00.000-05:00

The Dungeon Family
Even In Darkness
© 2001 Arista Records

Atlanta-based Hip-Hop collective The Dungeon Family includes some of the city’s heaviest hitters, such as Outkast and Goodie Mob (extending to Cee-Lo as a solo artist), and are noted for blending strong elements of soul, funk, and R&B into their music. In 2001—possibly spurred by the success of Outkast’s Stankonia—The Dungeon Family came together for their first and only collaborative album Even In Darkness. The result not only contains some hot tracks, but provides an interesting snapshot of the Atlanta Hip-Hop scene at the time.

Including at least twenty-one individual artists, from Bubba Sparxxx to Andre 3000, the album packs a lot into its fifty-eight minutes. Most songs feature several MCs—up to nine on “Six Minutes (Dungeon Family It's On)”—with most of them getting at least a verse in. It is a true testament to the skill of producers Organized Noise and Earthtone III that the album not only avoids becoming a complete mess, but provides some genuinely entertaining tracks.

Doubtless, the showpiece of the album is the “Trans DF Express.” Featuring some of the Family’s biggest talents, as well as some of the biggest beats, what the album lacks in originality it makes up for in sexy hooks and lyrics that are far cleverer than the typical party-type song.

“Trans DF Express” (feat Cee-Lo, Andre 3000, Big Gipp, Backbone, Big Boi)

Musically, one of the most notable tracks is “Crooked Booty” a dance-song a lá Digital Underground’s "The Humpty Dance." The song uses a bouncing, syncopated beat and sci-fi FX that illicit dancing as silly as that described in the song.

“Crooked Booty” (no video) (feat. Cee-Lo, Andre 3000, Sleepy Brown, Khujo Goodie)

Which brings me to a good point: In general, this album is strongest where it is clear that the artists are enjoying themselves. The album contains a lot of the wit tongue-in-cheek humor associated with many of the component artists and it serves the album well.

Not every song demonstrates this and these tracks often falter under the lack of a clear voice. For example, “They Comin’…” is fairly straightforward, both musically and lyrically, with a fairly general anti-authority message. It is nothing we haven’t heard before and comes across as redundant and derivative.

“They Comin’…” (no video) (feat. T-Mo, Khujo Goodie)

That is not to say that every serious song fails. The notable exception is the dirge-like “Excalibur.” Where “They comin’…” faltered under somewhat derivative message, “Excalibur” bypasses this through the use of stream-of-consciousness style rhymes, allowing each of the four featured MCs to flex their muscles and show their strenghts.

“Excalibur” (no lyrics) (feat. Big Gipp, Big Rube, Khujo Goodie, Cee-Lo)

Albums by super-groups and collectives are always a crapshoot. For every Cream or Wu-Tang Clan, whose whole is greater than its parts, there are several who fail to cohere into anything meaningful. While the talent of the artists may be evident, the result fails to use that in any notable way. As the only unified album from The Dungeon Family Even in Darkness falls closer to the later, though it is well produced and frequently entertaining, nothing new is brought into play by any of the component members and the album as a whole comes across more as a sampler. But it is a very good sampler; the talent is strong and a few excellent songs make this album worth a look for any Hip-Hop fan.

RECCOMENDED IF… you are interested in Southern Hip-Hop. The strong presence of the widely appreciated Cee-Lo and Outkast help make this a very accessible album; it is an excellent place to start learning more about the scene. Those who already have a strong representation of Dungeon Family members in their collection should give the album a preview listen, while they may not find much new, it is a surprisingly tight, fun album..

CD:

Kid Metropolis: The Synchronicity of Radiohead's Kid A and Fritz Lang's Metropolis

2009-02-20T19:33:00.002-05:00

I’m sure I’m not the only person to have discovered this but, back in 2001, in a fit of boredom, I made an exciting discovery: Radiohead’s “Kid A” makes a phenomenal soundtrack to Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent Science Fiction masterpiece Metropolis.

While at times, particularly later in the album, the mood of the song does not always match the scene exactly, there is an incredible amount of synchronicity. To share this, I have uploaded it to youtube to share with all of you. The following footage/audio is unaltered (though I have started the audio a few seconds after the movie) and cut at the ends of the tracks, so any periods of silence are as represented on the album. Also, this is the unrestored version of the film.

Part 1: “Everything In Its Right Place”

The opening track coincides with the opening credits, expressionistic imagery, and the changing of the shifts of workers and trails to silence as we see the worker’s city.
I love the way the lyrics synch with the expositional text:
Far away from them.
Everything…
High in the heavens.
In its right place
The sun. Life……
In its right place

Part 2: “Kid A”

The quiet, dreamlike air of the first part of song laid over both the workers returning home and the wealthy frolicking only emphasizes the disparity in class, particularly when the drums kick in. And the way the song cuts to almost nothing at the moment Maria and Freder make eye contact is perfect.

Part 3: “The National Anthem”

Freder takes action at the moment the song, the first truly intense sounding piece on the album, kicks in. As he watches the horrors of the workers city, the distorted horns and increasingly frantic noise intensify as he hallucinates his nightmare vision of the devil swallowing the laborers. Even as the vision fades, the music falls into greater chaos; Freder’s world has been shattered.

Part 4: “How to Disappear Completely”

Quiet, music transitions from the last song to this as we are given a montage of the marvelous future city. The lyrics (“This isn’t happening/ I’m not here,”) adds a particular resonance to this scene, as Freder reaches out to his father, Joh Fredersen, only to be ignored.

Part 5: “Treefingers”

An slow, sad instrumental as Fredersen surveys his city and contemplates his sons words and tells him the harsh “truth” of his world. Towards the middle of the track, it falls out of the mood of the scene, but the timing of it’s increasingly dissonant end leads flawlessly into…

Part 6: “Optimistic”

With a casual gesture, Fredersen destroys the life of his assistant, Joseph as the music jumps to action. A quiet rage starts to build in Freder’s mind as he watches his father through his new eyes, realizing that, as the lyrics say “The big fish eat the little ones” even “If you try the best you can.” The music kicks up a notch as he as Freder, with Joseph’s help, leaves for the undercity. The song comes to a climax and its extended outro as Freder takes on a laborer’s post.

Part 7: “In Limbo”

The change in scene to Rotwang’s laboratory coincides with the beginning of the song. Then, back in the undercity, Freder assures the laborer “I’m on your side.” Is it he or Rotwang who is “Living in a fantasy?” Either way, it is clear that Fredersen has “lost [his] way.” The dissolve into dissonant noise comes as the robot stands from her chair, stepping forward in ominous quiet.

Part 8: “Idioteque”

The music, all glitchy electronics and mechanical percussion underscores Rotwang demonstrating the robot’s versatility, the madness of the lyrics fitting not only Rotwang’s dangerous intellect, but the insanity of Freder’s workday and Fredersen’s cold, evil decision to replace the workers with robots and “Take the money [and] run.” But a change in the song forecasts something new, a worker tells Freder about a secret event to occur that evening. As the monotony of the work day bears down on Freder, the song falls into a simple, repeating patter, ending as he cries out in agony to either his mortal father or god.

Part 9: “Morning Bell”

The beginning of the song marks the end of Freder’s day. Again, the middle of the song falls out of key with the sentiment of the film, but catches up to it at the end of the track, where increasing discord and waves of distortion coincide with the laborers entering the “chapel,” drawing to a quiet close as Freder, clutching his heart, finally looks up to see Maria, standing in holy grace in front of her crosses.

Part 10: “Motion Picture Soundtrack”

Organ music drives home the impact of the sight to Freder as a look of hope and ecstasy falls over him. The lyrics become a cynical counterpoint, causing the beauty of the scene to stand even sharper in contrast before the song falls to silence while Maria describes the plight of the laborers in her parable. But the silence doesn’t last; the music rise up as the workers do, only to fade out again, allowing Maria’s moral a silence to sink in.

And that’s the end of the album. If you haven’t seen the rest of the movie, you should. It’s an amazing piece.

Also, I’ve already checked; Amnesiac does not cover the rest of the movie.

Also, sorry for the delay on this post. It was going to be a simple thing, but quickly got big. Future Friday posts will generally not be this extensive, though every now and then, I may go all out again. Thanks for reading!

Kid A
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Metropolis
Restored:

REVIEW: "The Black Parade"

2009-02-19T00:05:00.000-05:00

My Chemical Romance
The Black Parade
© 2006 Reprise

With their first two albums, Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love and Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, My Chemical Romance quickly carved out a place for themselves in the pop-punk world. The critics were generally favorable, sales were strong, and they wound up with a legion of teenage fans, but nothing about them seemed unique. With their 2006 album The Black Parade, they sought to change that through a massive expansion of their sound.

Their raw, bouncy, post-punk style is still present, though it is augmented by big, multi-layered arrangements and a hard rock edge that is highly reminiscent of late 70s rock, partiuclarly Queen. Accompanying this musical expansion is a strong thematic current to the album, that theme being the fairly broad one of death. Lyricist Gerard Way does his best to wrangle such a general concept with attitude, frequently playing the part of parade marshal to “the Black Parade,” an, at times, bitterly sarcastic, at others, wholly empathetic, psychopomp to a legion of tragic souls.

This approach and attitude is demonstrated to a varying degree through the album, with the excellence of the song often depending on how well these aspects are incorporated.

The track “Welcome to the Black Parade” is a particularly strong example of the “big” sound of the album. It starts quietly, setting the story of the song, and rapidly grows in intensity and scale. Eventually, about two minutes in, it explodes into a full-on post-punk sound, before smoothly blends back in the epic, showy elements from earlier. The video is well suited to the song, paralleling the story and attitude without stating it outright.

“Welcome to the Black Parade”

Other tracks do not diverge quite so far from the previously established My Chemical Romance formula. “Dead,” for example, is mostly done in a straight, staccato punk style. But even here, we see signs of their harkening back to 70s style rock which, interestingly, results in a purer punk sound than we have previously seen from the band.

“Dead”

The album is not all big songs though, and includes some of the mellow, emotional songs that have previously resulted in people branding the band “Emo.” Whether or not you take that appellation as a slight, it certainly fits for a few of the tracks, particularly “I Don’t Love You” and “Cancer.” In the context of the album, these songs, with their trend towards sentimentality, seem slightly out of place. Your opinion of them will depend heavily on taste. I find them maudlin and bland, but some love this sort of stuff.

“Cancer”

Another awkward fit is “Teenagers.” While musically it fits smoothly into the album—with a very effective use of hard rock elements—the overt statement behind the song does not. Independently, it is not a bad song and has, arguably, a good message (regarding teen violence), but it stands out like a sore thumb in the rest of the album, which is otherwise devoid of such proselytizing.

“Teenagers”

To wax personally for a moment: Until recently, I never cared much for what I had heard of My Chemical Romance. I found their music to be competent, if generic, pop-punk and their fans to be whiny emo-kids. However, I enjoyed The Umbrella Academy—Way’s Dark Horse Comics debut—so I decided to give them another chance. Though I remain unenthused by their earlier albums, The Black Parade is an excellent work, not only of pop-punk, but of contemporary rock. It shows a band who is testing the boundaries of their style and identity and succeeding. If you are like me and had written off My Chemical Romance based on their earlier output, give the The Black Parade a chance. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you hear.

RECCOMENDED IF… you are looking for some good mainstream rock. Though the album occasionally delves too far towards melancholy, it is largely a resounding success.

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REVIEW: Before the Robots

2009-02-17T00:05:00.000-05:00

Better Than Ezra
Before the Robots
© 2005 Artemis Records

Many people are familiar with Better Than Ezra (or BTE) only for their 1995 hit “Good.” This is a tragedy, really, because these people have been missing out on the career of a skilled, consistently entertaining band, a career that nearly ended in 2001. The band’s fourth major album Closer was released shortly before the bankruptcy of their label, Beyond Records. The album fell out of print (though is still available as a reasonably priced import; see the previous link) and the band was beset with legal difficulties. Extensive touring and the release of a live album helped maintain interest, ultimately resulting in signing with Artemis Records and the release of 2005’s Before the Robots. All this backstory, however, quickly slips away when listening to the album. For better and worse, with Before the Robots, BTE picked up right where they had left off with Closer.

Before the Robots shows a band that has matured over the years and those who haven’t heard a BTE song since “Good” may be surprised by what they hear. Gone is the grungy, 90s guitar sound; instead the band has developed a broad vocabulary, mixing funk, soul, and some light electronic/synthesizer elements into a much more robust, full-bodied sound.

The opening track, “Burned” is a good introduction to the Better Then Ezra sound. It has a little bit of everything: guitar-driven rock, background layers of violins and atmospherics, lyrics that tell a story, a catchy chorus that begs to be sung along with, and a fun, nostalgic pop edge.

“Burned” (No video, includes links to the rest of the album)

As well as energetic songs like “Burned,” BTE also takes it down a notch now and then for a nostalgic ballad. This includes a reworked version of “A Lifetime,” which was featured in a simpler, slower form on Closer. Initially this may be a little disappointing to fans, but fortunately, “A Lifetime” is one of their best ballads and this new version is even stronger than the last.

“A Lifetime”

BTE’s fun side is represented as well, particularly by “Juicy.” This is a peculiar little song, on it’s Funky surface bearing little in common with the rest of their repertoire. But the undercurrents of New Orleans rock and sheer fun of this song help forgive it’s oddity.

“Juicy” (Fan video)

Before The Robots is a smooth, enjoyable CD. But, unfortunately, it isn’t much of a step forward for the band. Their first three albums marked evolutions in the bands style, which came together neatly in Closer. Here, however, they have advanced little past that mark. It is disappointing that the band has chosen to tread familiar ground here as, in the past, their experimentation has tended to yield good results.

RECCOMENDED IF… you are feeling a little nostalgic for the heyday of alternative rock. While the band has evolved considerably since their earlier days, they have retained a core of pop-infused rock that should warm the heart of any child of the 90s. Word of warning: if you did not enjoy Closer, this album will not change your mind.

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REVIEW: Ultra Beatdown

2009-02-16T00:05:00.001-05:00

Dragonforce
Ultra Beatdown
© 2008 Roadrunner

Most bands have a gimmick, a hook to pique listeners’ interest from album to album. If successful, this often becomes band’s biggest draw, such as intensity, recurrent themes, or showmanship. If unsuccessful, it is often the thing that damns the album. With the power metal band Dragonforce, their gimmick is clear from the seconds of their fourth album Ultra Beatdown: blistering, high-speed virtuosity. But, this time, have they taken it too far?

What Dragonforce lack in subtly, depth, and innovation, they have compensated for by plaing faster power metal than pretty much anyone out there. Their songs are epic affairs, packed with fantasy-themed lyrics, soaring synths, and frantic drum-work invariably serving as foreplay to the inevitable, extended, dueling solos. Of course, fans of Dragonforce will already know what to expect from Ultra Beatdown. Dragonforce is not a band who reinvents the wheel with every album, instead pushing forward on the same path to yet another plateau of epic shred.

The album starts off on the right foot. The opener “Heroes of Our Time” wastes no time before launching headlong into furious metal. The song is Dragonforce at their best, with heroic lyrics, jaw-dropping solos, inspiring breakdowns, and a video that really doesn’t make much sense.

“Heroes of Our Time”
(Unfortunately, this is the radio version, which is a shorter than the album version. Watch for the solo(s) starting at 2:00.)

Another fine example of Dragonforce’s style is “The Last Journey Home,” whose video is a nod to their large, gamer fanbase. (Guitar Hero III featured their song “Through the Fire and Flames” as a special track, widely acknowledged as the hardest in the game.)

“The Last Journey Home” (radio version)

As well as these epic, shredding tracks, Ultra Beatdown features another Dragonforce staple: the power ballad.

“A Flame for Freedom” (no video)

While even these power ballads include the high-octane solos Dragonforce fans crave, they often come across as overwrought or even false. Ultra Beatdown’s “A Flame for Freedom” is one of their better ballads, but until the guitars really kick in at 2:50, your patience will be tested. If you like power ballads, you’ll do fine. I could live without them.

The album also sees the continuing rise of Dragonforce’s “other” gimmick: retro-videogame style electronic noises. First notably experimented with in their previous album, Inhuman Rapage, they have returned in Ultra Beatdown with even greater force. While newcomers might not notice, those who did not like them then will hate them now, where nearly every break is filled with a MIDI squawk.

“Reasons to Live” (no video)

These effects are particularly strong in the Special Edition bonus tracks so, if they aren’t your thing, don’t bother with the it. If you do like that sort of thing (And I do.), you shouldn’t miss out on “Scars of Yesterday,” which sounds like a Final Boss fight on amphetamines.

“Scars of Yesterday” (no video)

Ultra Beatdown’s biggest flaw—whatever your thoughts on the synth—is that this is nothing we have not heard before. There is some growth seen on this album, but, as I have mentioned, no reinvention. Aside from their speed and skill, nothing new is presented; in other words, if you already own a Dragonforce album, you might be better off saving your money.

RECCOMENDED IF… you like power metal; every metal fan should have one Dragonforce album. Their music is like a rollercoaster: a fast, exhilarating experience that is a lot of fun despite it’s inherit shallowness. If you like electronic/synth elements thrown in with your shredding, Ultra Beatdown is the album for you. If that’s not your cup of tea, check out Sonic Firestorm.

MP3: CD:
SE MP3: SE CD w/DVD:

Week 4

2009-02-15T22:53:00.000-05:00

Welcome back!

From this point on, I will be following the following schedule:

Monday — Review
Tuesday — Review
Wednesday — Nothing
Thursday — Review
Friday — I will be posting post something short and sweet, such as a collection of music videos, a funny story, or a discussion of something else music related, such as book or article.

So that’s three reviews a week, plus one extra article. It’s a step down from my previous attempt, but a much more sustainable level of activity for me at the moment.

Thanks for reading!

Week 3

2009-02-10T20:39:00.004-05:00

So far, week 3 of blogging is not going so well. I'm not going to burden you with excuses, I'll cut to the point.

I'm going to take tonight and the rest of the week off. Monday 2/16 I will return in full form, including some buffer built up so we can avoid some slipped posts.

In the meantime, feel free to follow my twitter for plenty of tweets about music.

Thanks for sticking around so far, and I hope to see you all again next week! In the meantime, enjoy some fun music videos after the jump.

Snoop Dogg's "awesome" live cover of Metallica's "Sad But True"

Dare we pray that we will see this on Rock Band?

Bjork "All if Full of Love"

Sexy Bjork robots bein' sexy. Don't blame me if you need new pants.

Royksopp "Poor Leno"

Both cute, heartwarming and sad. Not to be missed.

UNKLE "Rabbit In Your Headlights"
Embedding is disabled for this video. Follow the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3ClCwcCvdQ
One of the best music videos I have ever seen.

REVIEW: Bunkka

2009-02-10T00:27:00.001-05:00

Paul Oakenfold
Bunkka
© 2002 Maverick

Love ‘im or hate ‘im, Paul Oakenfold is one of the most successful DJs in the world and at no time has his star been higher than at the turn of the millennium. And so he evidently decided that the only way to grow was to become more than a DJ; to become a musician in his own right. The result of this experiment was Bunkka his debut as just “Oakenfold.”

Instead of taking the easy route of producing an album of original music in the style he had become so known for, he stretched in a more populist direction. The album features a wide range of vocalists, with each track suiting that vocalist’s style, such as the hip-hop styled “Get ‘Em Up” featuring Ice Cube or the electro-rock “Time of Your Life” featuring rock vocalists Perry Farrell and Grant-Lee Phillips.

This, of course, leads to the question: how does a DJ—an artist not known for his voice or skill with an instrument—make an album where he deviates from his typical style and retain a musical identity? The answer is, he doesn’t. Long time listeners will find very little Oakenfold-ness to this album. But perhaps that was Oakenfold’s intent; to use his name as little more than a hook in the establishment of a new musical identity. In this, he is slightly more successful.

If, then, we take as the album’s mandate to create a sort of exciting, dance-pop party mix rather than full on dance album, perhaps the greatest success of the album is “Starry Eyed Surprise” which features rock-rapper Shifty Shellshock of Crazy-Town. The vibe of this song, as clearly reflected in the video, is one of a summer party. Upbeat lyrics play over melodic sounds, turntablism, and an eminently danceable hip-hop back-beat. Is it the best song ever made? No. But it is a fun song no iPod-DJ should be without.

“Starry Eyed Surprise (feat. Shifty Shellshock)”

Sandwiched between the almost-trance “Hypnotised” and “Starry Eyed Surprise” lie a trio of down-tempo tracks. Even compared to some of the pure dance songs on the album, these may seem the most familiar to Oakenfold fans; none would be wholly out of place as a build-up or come-down track on one of his trance mixes. This set also gives us one of the strongest and one of the weakest songs of the album.

Good news first: The last of the three, “Hold Your Hand” (featuring Icelandic artist Emiliana Torrini), while taking a different route, meets the album’s directive as well, if not better, than “Starry Eyed Surprise,” blending rock, pop, and down-tempo house stylings into a sultry, mysterious sound that perfectly compliments Torrini’s distinctive voice.

“Hold Your Hand (feat. Emiliana Torrini)” (Fan video)

The bad news? Before “Hold Your Hand,” comes “Nixon’s Spirit,” an awkward attempt at relevancy. The song features gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson reading a section of his obituary to Richard Nixon. Seen on it’s own, the track isn’t actually that bad; the tense music compliments Thompson’s withering appraisal Nixon’s post-mortem impact on American culture.

“Nixon’s Spirit (feat. Hunter S. Thompson)” fan video

However, in the context of an album that otherwise fosters a positive atmosphere, this harsh negativity is drastically out of place, its strengths corrupting into a glaring weakness right in the middle of the album. The inclusion at the opening of the song of an answering message from Thompson’s agent (presumably) indicating his interest in contributing to this album gives the impression that Oakenfold was aware of this problem, but decided to ignore it in favor of the thought “Hey look! Hunter S. Thompson’s on my CD? Pretty cool, eh? I know, right? I never thought he’d do it.”

(The third of this down-tempo trio is “Zoo York,” which features Pakistani musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and a sample of Clint Mansell's Winter: Lux Aeterna. It is a mostly atmospheric song that provides a nice come-down after the first third of the album, but doesn’t particularly stand out.)

“Hold Your Hand,” “Starry Eyed Surprise,” and “Nixon’s Spirit” aside, most of the songs on the album fail to leave a strong impression on the listener. None of them are particularly bad, but in general they are all things that have been done better. Oakenfold does prove he is capable of producing music that is not trance, but fails to convince us that this is a worth while endeavor.

“Ready Steady Go (Feat Asher D)” (fan video)

Oakenfold tries to sound like The Crystal Method. A strong start, but doesn’t go anywhere new.

“Get Em Up (feat Ice Cube)” (fan video)

Ice Cube is good as always, but as a fusion of rap and techno it is fairly middle-of-the-road.

“Time of Your Life (feat Perry Farrell and Grant-Lee Phillips)

A competent blend of house and rock but, again, there are better options (such as Fatboy Slim).

RECCOMENDED IF… you are looking for a good party mix. While other artists may do most of these styles better than Oakenfold, this is still a fun, danceable album. It simply is not one that holds up to close scrutiny.

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REVIEW: The Mouse and the Mask

2009-02-07T00:05:00.001-05:00

Dangerdoom
The Mouse and the Mask
© 2005 Epitaph

MF Doom is known for his dense, witty raps and clever use of samples from classic cartoons. Danger Mouse is known for his unique production style, skillfully shaping music with a directorial vision full of humor and deft experimentation. A collaboration between the two would seem to be natural fit. However, rather than through an independent effort, such as Doom’s Madvillain or Mouse’s Gnarls Barkley, the union that is Danger Doom’s album, The Mouse and the Mask, is centered around the Adult Swim line-up, raising the concern, “Does the album rise to the level of talent we would expect from its principle artists, or does it falter beneath its license?”

The Mouse and the Mask largely succeeds. In fact, this may be the best original album/advertisement for current television that I have heard. Not the most distinguished competition, to be sure, but a success is a success. Adult Swim fans who enjoy hip-hop would be remise if they did not purchase this album. In addition to clips and sketches featuring the Adult swim characters interspersed throughout the album, many songs are specifically about the Adult Swim shows. For example, check out “A.T.H.F,” Danger Doom’s track dedicated to everyone’s favorite mildly sociopathic fast food, the Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

“A.T.H.F.”

But what of those who do not care for the misadventures of the Sealab crew or the quest for perfect hair? Is there enough here to entertain non-fans? Unfortunatly for them, the album—beyond the sketches—is often overt in its Adult Swim references, though this is not a consistent trait. The Mouse and the Mask tends to swing between the heavy referentiality (with “A.T.H.F.” standing as the extreme) to none at all (as in “The Mask”).

“The Mask (feat. Ghostface Killah)” (Fan video)

Those familiar with Doom’s work, particularly Mm… Food and its effective use of samples that worked within a metaphor or joke, rather than defining the song, may be disappointed by these extremes. There are moments where Danger Doom is able to balance these traits effectively—such as “Basket Case” which, while using clips from Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, is not about the show—but they are in the minority.

“Basket Case” (Fan video)

It is worth noting that The Mouse and the Mask includes guest vocals—an often abused gimmick—from Ghostface Killah, Cee-Lo, and Talib Kweli. Fortunately, both Doom and Mouse are no strangers to working with guest artists. Ghostface’s appearance can be seen above in “The Mask” and his voice and style meshes smoothly with Doom’s. I would have liked to Cee-Lo as more than a backing voice on “Benzie Box,” but it is nonetheless an effective use of Green’s distinct voice. Talib Kweli’s appearance is a little less cleanly integrated, but the song, “Old School” provides a commentary on the importance of cartoons that resonates well with the album’s theme.

Beyond the lyrics, the music of the album flows nicely. Interestingly, Danger Doom has avoided sampling music from the cartoons themselves, instead relying heavily on a mixture of complex, layered beats and samples from 70s Funk and Jazz. This is for the best, as these are the sounds both MF Doom and Danger Mouse typically work with. In fact, the music is Hip-Hop of the highest caliber and easily the album’s strongest point. It forms a connective tissue that never lets down, even in songs with weaker vocal tracks.

Ultimately, The Mouse and the Mask is a solid album. The combined skill of MF Doom and Danger Mouse prevent this album from being shameless fan-service, but the inconsistent use of Adult Swim properties result in a sound that is not enough for Adult Swim fans, but still too much for the uninitiated.

RECCOMENDED IF… you are at least familiar with the Adult Swim lineup. Though not all songs lean on the them heavily, there are so many Adult Swim references and jokes that it is difficult to recommend The Mouse and the Mask to those who could care less about Brak’s antics.

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REVIEW: The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo

2009-02-06T00:05:00.002-05:00

Steve Martin
The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo
© 2009 40 Productions

Steve Martin has incorporated the banjo into his sets since his career’s early days. One thing that many people may have overlooked amongst all this comedy is the simple fact that Steve Martin is a very talented banjo player. But no more! Martin’s latest album The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo is not a comedy album, but a collection of original folk and bluegrass songs written by Martin and heavily featuring himself on the banjo.

In the hands of a lesser musician, this album could have been a pure vanity project. But Martin has long since proved himself a capable musician and has frequently performed (and held his own) alongside bluegrass greats, such as Earl Scruggs and Tony Trischka—many of whom have joined Martin on this album. In fact, the title track of the album, “The Crow,” was originally written for Trischka’s Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular.

“The Crow” (performed with Bela Fleck and Tony Trischka on Letterman 4/26/07)

While Folk and Bluegrass aficionados may enjoy this album, fans of Martin’s comedy will be disappointed. Though many of the songs feature clever lyrics, which play with traditional Bluegrass themes, the album’s only attempts at overt humor (and one of the few instances of Martin himself providing vocals) is the poorest song on the album. “Late For School” features the wacky adventure of a child trying to get to school on time, material that would have been well suited to talents of Shel Silverstein, but which Martin fails to deliver with any genuine humor. The song stands out awkwardly in the otherwise straight-faced album, further exacerbating the problem.

“Late For School”

Apart from “Late For School,” The Crow is a solid effort. Unfortunately, Martin has perhaps played it too safe in his songwriting. Many of the songs are derived from Bluegrass standards; there is little musical innovation here. The result may seem overly familiar to Bluegrass fans. On the other hand, newcomers may find this album “just right.” The star-studded arrangements and smooth production of this album render it an excellent introduction to the genre.

Oh, and it is possible to play a sad song on a banjo.

RECCOMENDED IF… you enjoy Bluegrass. Serious Bluegrass fans may not be overly wowed by the songwriting, but the skill behind this album is undeniable. Additionally, as I said, this album makes a good starter Bluegrass album; if you are interested in finding out more about this style, check it out!

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REVIEW: Datarock Datarock

2009-02-05T19:06:00.003-05:00

Datarock
Datarock Datarock
© 2005 Young Aspiring Professionals

Datrock Datarock, the debut album form the Norwegian group Datarock hit the states in 2007 (though it was released in Europe in 2005) like a tidal wave. It came on fast, went everywhere, and then was gone. Unlike the kind of disaster that destroys houses, however, we can only hope that we haven’t seen the last of Datarock.

Tracksuited kings of the dance-punk/nu-disco scene, Datarock have blended their raw, indie aesthetic, classic disco backbeats, and clever lyrics to perfection. Even the weaker tracks on the album still shine with fun and dancability. Just try not grooving to the jangling beats of “Fa fa fa.”

“Fa Fa Fa”

For my money, the best showcase for the band’s style and wit is “Computer Camp Love,” a take-off of “Summer Nights” set to a driving beat. And the video is fantastic:

“Computer Camp Love”

As I said, though, the album is not all shining perfection. Some tracks, such as “I Used to Dance With My Daddy” and “Princess” fail to achieve a smooth identity and, instead, come across as bland or awkward. Fortunately, these moments are few and, at least, manage to remain danceable.

Interestingly, the US version of Datarock Datarock features several songs that are not on the earlier release and is missing two of the original tracks. Completionists may be interested in what their version is missing.

US listeners miss out on:
“Nightflight to Uranus” — The joke may be all in the pronunciation of Uranus, but that doesn’t make it less funny…
“Maybelline” — There’s an entertaingly creepy edge to the earnestness of this song, which quotes the “Maybe it’s Maybelline” ads.

...but they gain:
“Ganguro Girl” — A Shibuya love song about the Japanese alt-fashion.
“See What I Care” — Less a dance song than a solid bit of heavily distorted electro-rock.
“The New Song” — A rockin’ anthem.
“I Will Always Remember You” — A lounge-y duet with Norwegian pop artist Annie.

“The New Song” and “I Will Always Remember You” are somewhat weak, but “Guanguro Girl” and “See What I Care” are at least on par with the two absent tracks. All in all, a slight net gain for the US release.

STRONGLY RECCOMENDED IF… you like to shake your groove thing. This is a very strong album whose weaker tracks still manage to fall in as “better than average.” If you don’t like to dance, well, this album may not change your mind, but it may also have enough wit and rock-edge for you to enjoy it all the same.

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REVIEW: David Bowie

2009-02-04T00:05:00.000-05:00

David Bowie
David Bowie
© 1967 Deram

David Bowie is, without a doubt, one of the most prolific and influential figures in the world of popular music. Over the course of his lengthy career, he has constantly revised his image and sound, his talent and successful brand often helping to shape the landscape of popular music. Today, he is such a musical landmark, it is almost difficult to imagine that, at one time, “Davie Jones” was a unknown musician, playing in a variety of mod acts such as The Manish Boys.

In theory, Bowie’s relative anonymity should have changed with his debut album, David Bowie. This was not to be, however. Though critically well received, sales of the album and its singles were poor and, instead, it would be 1969’s Space Oddity that would bring Bowie into the realm of stardom. Since then, David Bowie has fallen into a void, often overlooked by fans and dismissed by historians. But is this obscurity earned, or is the album a hidden treasure?

Unfortunately, the truth is more the former. David Bowie is a clunky mishmash of mid-60s pop, psychedlia, and vaudeville, a collection of novelty songs that bears little resemblance to the more confidently experimental Space Oddity. Unlike Bowie’s later genre-bending efforts, this album fails to ever find a cohesive voice, with most of the songs coming across as a sort of generic 60s mush.

“Sell Me A Coat”

It reminds me of the scene in Spinal Tap where they flashback to their 60’s hit “(Listen to the) Flower People.” While that scene is hilarious, the comedy comes from parody of the Flower Power ethos. David Bowie, unfortunately, is no parody.

This is not to say that the album is all bad, or even entirely serious. Indeed, its greatest strength is the album’s demonstration of Bowie’s quirky wit, with a few songs overcoming their blandness to be genuinely funny or, at least, intriguingly weird.

“Rubber Band”

“Please, Mr. Gravedigger”

Ultimately, the album’s highlights are not enough to render this genuinely worthwhile, particularly compared to some of Bowie’s other albums. Additionally, while it is interesting to listen to the album as the humble beginning to a titanic career, even the historical context fails to render the album worth much attention to any but fans.

RECOMMENDED IF… you are a Bowie fan; Amazon has the MP3 album for sale for a reasonable price that may help offset the album’s weak listenability.

REVIEW: Dona Got A Ramblin' Mind

2009-02-03T00:10:00.002-05:00

Carolina Chocolate Drops
Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind
© 2006 Music Maker
www.carolinachocolatedrops.com

The Carolina Chocolate Drops stand out in the world of old-time string bands for many reasons, with two of the most prominent being age and race; in a field widely associated with older, Caucasian performers, this trio of young, African-American musicians bring not only a much-needed vitality, but a deliberate reminder of the importance of black musicians to American folk music.

The Chocolate Drops’ retinue is composed mostly of traditional African American string band music; the music of a tradition that has nearly died out. Indeed, many of their songs were learned directly from one of the only surviving masters, Joe Thompson. It is this sound—which relies predominantly on fiddle, guitar, and banjo—that is most represented on Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind. While the album lacks some of their more recent original tunes and their concert-favorite cover of Blu Cantrell’s ”Hit ‘Em Up Style”, it is nonetheless a good sampling, ranging from energetic dances, to Piedmont-style blues, to folk ballads.

A band renowned primarily for their live shows, The Carolina Chocolate Drop’s greatest strength is not simply that they play these classic songs well, but that they play them with a passion and energy rarely heard from old-time musicians. Most of these songs are dance songs, and they do not let you forget that. Give at least the first song of the below video (which contains an entire live concert) a listen. Don’t be surprised if you have trouble sitting still...

They have attempted to bottle lightning with Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind. The simple problem is that this style of music—like all forms of dance music—is intended to be enjoyed live. Compared to their live performances, this studio-recorded album is shorn of much of The Chocolate Drops’ spontaneity, energy, and sheer passion. It is a testament to both the band’s skill and the quality of the source material that, even with these handicaps, Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind remains a well-crafted and highly enjoyable album.

STRONGLY RECCOMENED IF… you enjoy folk music in general, and particularly old-time. As well as being competent, enthusiastic musicians, The Carolina Chocolate Drops serve as folk historians, preserving a nearly lost style of American folk. See them live if you can. Buy the album if you can’t.

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REVIEW: Songs From The Big Chair

2009-02-02T00:01:00.002-05:00

Tears for Fears
Songs From The Big Chair — Remastered
© 1985 Mercury Records

Tears For Fears’ second album, Songs From The Big Chair, is not only their best selling album, but is widely regarded as an 80s classic. But how has the album held up? Is it truly the type of album that no collection can be without? Or has it, like much of the pop music of yore, become irrelevant? (Popularity of the hilarious literal video aside.)

The general answer is that, yes, this album is deserving of much of its status. Though not every track is a gem, this nonetheless contains some of Tears For Fears’ best songs and is a well-crafted piece of pop-rock.

The album opens with one of its strongest tracks, the anthemic “Shout.” As well as being an impressive single, its layered, guitar-backed sound creates the expectation that the listener is not in store for just another synth-pop album.

This expectation is largely met, though there are some stumbling blocks, often in the form of the album’s mellower songs, such as the jazzy “The Working Hour” or the minimalistic “I Believe.” While not unpleasant, they seem unfortunately ordinary compared to high points such as "Everybody Wants to Rule The World" and "Head Over Heels." Their saving grace comes from serving a role within the larger tapestry of the album; even if they aren’t the best songs, they fit.

In 1999, a remastered version of Songs From The Big Chair was issued featuring a selection of b-sides, many of which are instrumentals. While some of these are enjoyable tracks on their own, they do not fit well with the album as a whole. Several are hold-overs from the period surrounding their previous album The Hurting and reflect the more somber and simplistic sound featured then. Also included include are some missable remixes. These bonus tracks do not devalue the preceding album, but in terms of value-adds, they leave some to be desired.

There was also a 2-disc deluxe edition issued in 2006. This version includes a different set of b-sides on the first disc (following the album proper) and a collection of remixes on the second disc. While some of these mixes are decent, they fail to justify the additional cost of this edition.

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED IF… you enjoy the pop music of the 80s; no 80s fan should be without this album. If your familiarity or interest in the music of this period is low, check out the videos linked in this review. You may hear something you like.

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One Week

2009-02-01T02:19:00.002-05:00

'evening Ladies and Gents,

Thanks for checking out my blog. It's been a week so far, and I have enjoyed posting here. I hope you have enjoyed reading! I welcome constructive criticism, so please let me know if there is anything that would help make this blog part more readable. Stick around, because I have a lot more fun albums reviews—and some more personal-essay type things—in the pipeline.

REVIEW: Journey to the Center of the Earth

2009-01-30T00:10:00.002-05:00

Rick Wakeman
Journey to the Center of the Earth
© 1974 A&M

If you like Progressive Rock, don’t waste time; click on the Amazon widget below and get yourself a copy of Rick Wakeman’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. While by no means the greatest Prog album ever made, nor, possibly, even Wakeman’s best, it nonetheless is the perfect showpiece for the audacity, scale, pretension, and sense of adventure that characterized the movement’s heyday.

Journey to the Center of the Earth is, as the title suggests, based on the eponymous Jules Verne novel. The story is told with narration, song, rock instrumentation, The English Chamber Choir, The London Symphony Orchestra, and, of course, Wakeman’s signature synthesizer style. Because of the size and expense of the operation, the whole thing was recorded live and only slightly edited afterwards (Wakeman could not afford to re-record certain orchestral portions). The result is a diverse, sprawling arrangement that shifts freely between every possible configuration of its parts in the telling of its story. And, for the most part, it thrives.

As is usually the case with genre-blending experiments like this, success and failure depend entirely on how effectively the different aspects are mixed. When the parts are working in concert, as in scenes like the sea-monster battle in “The Battle,” the album successfully evokes its grand story. When they fail, however, the result is dull and awkward, such as the encounter with a giant, primordial man in “The Forest.” It is a testament to Wakeman’s vision that, in the face of all the obstacles he had to overcome—a restricted budget and reluctant labels in addition to technical challenges—that there are more moments of success than failure.

No clip of this mountain of music can do the whole work justice, but here are two all the same. The quality is, unfortunately, not the best. Be assured that the sound on the album itself is (taking into account that this is a live performance) clearer.

Near the beginning:

The climactic, Grieg-esque finale:

Any long-term influence of this album is dubious as, by the end of 1974, Progressive Rock as a movement was on a sharp decline; some of the biggest groups had disbanded and Punk Rock was on the way to becoming the next big thing. Because of this, Journey to the Center of the Earth has become something of an artifact, a symbol recalling the energy, virtuosity, and overreaching pomp of a musical era come and gone.

MUST HAVE IF… you are a fan of 70s Progressive Rock or if you consider yourself something of a rock historian.
RECCOMENDED IF… you enjoy symphonic rock past or present or if you like concept albums which tell a story.

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REVIEW: Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy

2009-01-29T00:09:00.002-05:00

múm
Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy
© 2007 Fat Cat
www.mum.is

The fourth album from Icelandic artists múm, Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy, is a bit of a removal from their previous releases, in part due to the departure of bandmember Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir. Featuring live instrumentation, new vocal talent, and a livelier sound, the album may be, at first, disconcerting to those familiar with múm’s previous efforts while also becoming more accessible to new listeners.

The most important question to ask when a band experiments with their style is if that experiment succeeds; is the change an improvement? Or, at least, an even exchange. Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy is not a failure, but I would be hard pressed to call it an improvement. The glacial beauty, cascading rhythms, and wispy vocals that were the greatest strength of their previous albums have been downplayed to make room for the new sounds. For those looking for another Summer Make Good, you’re looking in the wrong place.

Don’t get me wrong; this is a very good album, just different. The greatest strength of Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy exercise in new sounds is the experimentation itself. The album is wonderfully varied, whimsical and eccentric in all the right places, while still being able to achieve moments of arctic beauty. Kristín Anna’s voice is missed, but the new vocalists are well suited, particularly for the increased role of vocals on this album.

Of course, florid adjectives are all well and good, múm's music needs to speak for itself. So I will conclude this with the wonderfully surreal videos for "They Made Frogs Smoke Til They Exploded" and "Rhubarbidoo", which are excellent samples of an album that nonetheless evades accurate representation.

"They Made Frogs Smoke Til They Exploded"

"Rhubarbidoo"

(For comparative purposes check here for the video to ”Green Grass of Tunnel” off the album Finally We Are No One)

STRONGLY RECCOMENDED IF… looking for a beautiful, surreal, and intriguingly experimental experience. If you have tried múm and found them too minimalistic for your tastes, give them another chance. Existing múm fans, you have been warned: expect something different, but don’t let it scare you away; you’ll be missing out.

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REVIEW: Day & Age

2009-01-28T00:06:00.005-05:00

The Killers
Day & Age
© 2008 Island
www.thekillersmusic.com

As is their wont, Day & Age marks yet another new musical direction for The Killers. Where Hot Fuss relied on big, bright-lights sounds that evoked their hometown of Las Vegas and Sam’s Town paid homage to quintessentially American artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, Day & Age evokes David Bowie and disco. As before, The Killers have taken these borrowed elements and combined them with their showy, post-punk revival style, creating an experience that is at once unique and a continuation of their previous efforts.

A representative highlight of this album is “Spaceman,” which combines a wall of sound well that evokes the best of Glam Rock, Brandon Flowers’ desperation-tinged vocals, and a triumphant crescendo.

Other highlights include the disco-beat “Human” and “The World We Live In,” which could easily be a cover to an 80s Bowie song.

All is not perfect though, and the problems that affect Day & Age are the same that have affected previous Killers albums. The first may be the most forgivable; as a band who constantly are trying to reach new ground, they tend to stumble hard. With so much New, there is very little Old for them to fall back on. Throughout the album, there are instances where the various sonic themes fail to mesh properly, with “Neon Tiger” standing out as particularly off.

Some of the album’s failings also owe themselves to Brandon Flowers’ voice which, at times, clearly shows its lack of range. The sound that fit “Spaceman” so aptly comes across as overly whiny or small in other times.

The final chief difficulty rests with the music itself. Underlying their genre-mixing themes is a rugged, if simplistic, alt-rock base. While this is a vital anchor for the music, it is also limiting. Had they allowed themselves a little more slack, perhaps they would not have tripped up quite so often.

STRONGLY RECCOMENDED IF… you enjoy other “big sound” artists, such as U2, David Bowie, and the Rolling Stones. Those who were disappointed by the grittier sound of Sam’s Town compared to Hot Fuss may be glad to see The Killers’ flashier side returning, albeit in a somewhat different form.

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REVIEW: Free Me

2009-01-27T00:20:00.002-05:00

Emma Bunton
Free Me
© 2004 Polydor.
www.emmabuntonofficial.com/

The problems with some albums are painfully obvious on first listen. See the previous review (Warriors of the World) for an example. With other albums, the trouble is more general. Such is the case with Free Me, Emma “Baby Spice” Bunton’s second solo album.

On Free Me, the former Spice Girl has attempted to set herself apart from the crowded UK Pop scene by harkening back to an earlier Pop heyday. Her recipe borrows heavily from the Motown cookbook, throws in a few exotic spices, and mixes that into a stable base of contemporary pop. An intriguing combination except that—to extend the metaphor—instead of allowing the ingredients to slowly simmer and blend into each other, she pressure-cooks. The result is a bland paste, not satisfying enough for seconds, but not so displeasing that you need to slip it to the dog when nobody is looking.

Having taken that metaphor farther than I should’ve, on to specifics.

In an almost absurd display of radio-friendly album structure, the first three tracks of the album are the album’s first three singles, in the same order they hit the airwaves. And it is these three songs that demonstrate the album’s problems most clearly. “Free Me,” the title track and lead single, in particular stands as a microcosm for all that is good and bad in this album. On the good we have a clear showing of the neoMotown sound, a concise chorus, and a beat equally suited for dancing or listening. On the bad, we have a sound that is so polished and cleaned that it has lost all texture. This is particularly a problem for Emma’s voice, which has had any sort of emotion (if there was any to begin with) thoroughly edited and digitized into oblivion.

The album livens up at times, such as her catchy and pleasantly silly take on the Latin Jazz staple “Crickets Sing for Anamaria.” But these moments, where Emma’s voice and the music show a hint of natural roughness, are short-lived, leaving even the better songs as “almosts” rather than successes.

All told, while not an abject failure, Free Me leaves itself with very little to recommend it. It is almost sad as, if it wasn’t overproduced, the concept could have been a success. Assuming, of course, that its star would have been able to do the material justice without aid.

RECCOMENDED IF… you are looking for something inoffensive to play over your grocery store’s PA system.

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Up and Running

2009-01-26T20:25:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to “Strange Cube Listens to Music.” I am Strange Cube, also known to the world as John. The posts you will read here are devoted entirely to music; not to say that I will never mention other things, but I will always try to bring it back around to the music.

Below you will see three posts, which I consider to be a good representation of the kind of thing you should expect to see here: two album REVIEWS, and one personal-essay style post about one of my key musical INFLUENCES. See what I did there with the all-caps? That’s how you’ll know what sort of article you’re in for. Other tags will be invented as necessary, such as CONCERT reviews or music-related RANTS.

I intend to post one article per weekday from here on, with this Tuesday’s posting in the early AM.

Additionally feel free to follow my Twitter, where I regularly tweet about music.

Third, if there is anything you would like to see me review, whether it be mainstream or independent, let me know, and I’ll see what I can do. I’ll listen to pretty much every style under the sun.

And finally, if you like the sound of an album, please consider buying it through the Amazon link attached to each post.

With that out of the way, please read on. I hope you enjoy.

REVIEW: Warriors of the World

2009-01-26T19:53:00.004-05:00

Manowar
Warriors of the World
© 2002 Nuclear Blast.
http://www.manowar.com/

Warriors of the World is, in many ways a quintessential Manowar albums. It’s strengths and weakness are the same ones that have plagued the loudest band in the world, for decades. Largely this is due to the fact that, over those decades, Manowar has deliberately clung to a formula that, while dated for the mainstream, has ensured a rabid, worldwide fanbase.

While huge in Europe, in their home-country, the American metal act’s fanbase is particularly niche, so here’s a little primer on what to expect from Manowar:
1987:

2007:

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but Manowar begs for it. The band is known for their bombastic, unabashed, 80s-throwback style of Heavy Metal, loud and lengthy shows, and “lyrics with an emphasis on the heavy metal genre itself, fantasy, themselves and mythological topics.”^[source].

And, in the start, Warriors of the World delivers precisely the sound one would expect, with the majestic “Call to Arms.” And then things go a bit off, like they do on many Manowar albums. Instead of hitting us with more grandiloquent, triumphant metal, we are given a succession of five power ballads. There is nothing inherently wrong with power ballads, but they do not play to Manowar’s strengths. The glorious cheese of their heavier works becomes here utterly forgettable shmaltz. The particularly odious “Nessun Dorma” (sung in Italian) is enough to send listeners reaching for the Stop button. Eventually, we reach “The March,” and instrumental that starts off pastoral, but builds in intensity, heralding the return of the good stuff.

The album returns to form, appropriately, with the title track, “Warriors of the World,” which sounds like a war-march for rotoscoped legions of Einherjar, whose glittering swords transform into laser-spitting Gibson Flying Vs, laying waste to their foes through the sheer power of METAL. This is followed by three blistering tracks of the purest Heavy Metal. They are almost enough to cause one to completely forget what came before.

Almost.

The unfortunate truth is that nearly half of this album is not devoted to worthwhile content. Even considering the excellence of some of the songs, there is not enough here to make this album a good value. Even more unfortunately, this problem is hardly unique to Warriors of the World; though some albums may be better all-around, Manowar often falls prey to excessive dabbling in mediocre power ballads and bland instrumentals.

RECCOMENDED IF… you are a Manowar fan. To general Heavy Metal fans, I would recommend grabbing the best tracks (1, 8, 9, 11) individually and seeing Manowar live, which is where they truly excel.

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INFLUENCES: Spawn: The Album

2009-01-26T19:51:00.003-05:00

Various Artists
Spawn: The Album
© 1997 Sony

The 1997 live-action Spawn was not a good movie. Whether or not you were a fan of McFarlane’s comics, the weak plot, flat characters, and—if you were a fan—the departures from the source material, was enough to render the movie a thorough disappointment. There were two areas, however, in which the movie excelled in two areas: the excellent visual effects and this soundtrack album.

I had already seen the movie by the time I stumbled across Spawn: The Album in a store; I vaguely remembered it having good music, but the weakness of the film itself was the stronger memory. I probably would have put the disc back on the shelf after first glace if it weren’t for the fact that it was the Australian limited edition, with cover art of Spawn¬—not the movie version—dressed as Santa. The chuckle I got out of that was enough to keep the disc in my hand long enough to give the track listing a look.

Whoever devised the concept for this soundtrack deserves a prize. Each track was a collaboration—whether a remix or original work—between a rock group and an electronic artist. At the time I had heard of a third, maybe half of these artists and counted some of them as favorites. I was intrigued and had a gift certificate, so I gave the album a chance and took it home.

Like most compilation-style soundtracks, not every song on this album was great. But almost every artist featured was. Over the following months, CDs from almost all of these artists found their way into my collection. In this way, Spawn: The Album defined a great deal of my musical tastes throughout tenth grade, with a few of the artists, such as Orbital, sticking around even longer as some of my all-time favorites.

Perhaps most importantly though, this album showed me a way of finding new music that was not dependant on word of mouth or the radio. I started buying compilations and soundtracks that grabbed my attention, sifting through them for gems and finding a wide range of new (at least, new to me) artists. I have long sense ceased to use this method; the internet makes finding parallel and related artists as easy as a clicks on Wikipedia and visits to bands’ MySpace pages. But back then, this process allowed me to establish a musical identity of my own, earning Spawn: The Album a permanent position as one of my major influences.

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REVIEW: The Shadow Out of Tim

2009-01-26T19:49:00.004-05:00

The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets
The Shadow Out of Tim
© 2007 Divine Industries Inc.
http://www.thickets.net

The Shadow Out of Tim is the Lovecraft-inspired story of a man who witnesses something of sanity-devastating awfulness then, later, embarks on a journey to restore his shattered life, only to discover a web of secrets, lies, and primordial evil. The story includes numerous references to Lovecraft’s mythos, particularly to “The Shadow Out of Time,” which serves as the direct inspiration for the album’s story. As a Lovecraft fan, the concept alone was enough for me to give the latest album from The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets—a group I was not familiar with—a chance. I was pleased to discover that The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets deliver, not only a solid concept album—which tells its story effectively and compellingly through music—but a Geek-Rock opus of the highest caliber.

Structure weighs heavily in the success of a concept album. Some, like Yes’s Tales From Topographic Oceans, focus on philosophical themes, with each part focusing on one aspect of the concept. Others, like Nine Inch Nail’s The Downward Spiral, follow a story, with each song focusing on a specific incident or emotional state. The Shadow Out of Tim falls squarely in the later camp, with most songs being a direct continuation of the album’s plot. There are some exceptions, particularly at the end of the album, which act as footnotes, but even these still prove relevant to the story. Musically, each song is tailored to its role in the story, from the assured “Chapter 1: A Marine Biologist” to the disconcerting madness of “Chapter IX: Ride the Flying Polyp.”

Oh, and did I mention that it was funny? While not a straight comedy, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets tell a story that could easily be suited to an overbearing Cradle of Filth album in a manner that, instead, remains energetic and fun, full of witty lines and playful barbs at the horror clichés that Lovecraft himself helped create. It is this energy and humor that truly sets The Shadow Out of Tim from other Horror-Rock, just as its adherence to its particular story sets it apart from other Geek-Rock. The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets have crafted an album that takes the best of these milieus and combines them effectively into their best album thus far.

MUST OWN if… you are a fan of Lovecraft and good rock.
STRONGLY RECOMNEDED if… you like horror or geek rock or are interested in getting to know these genres.

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Welcome

2009-01-22T02:23:00.000-05:00

Hi. This is the site of my new blog. I haven't really started it properly yet, but in a few days we should be up an running.

I have one mission for this blog: to start writing about music more. I used to write album reviews/essays fairly often and have since fallen out of the habit. Coupled with my Twitter, I'm trying to get back in. What I plan to do is post one album review or at an least extended discussion of a band/album/song whatever every week day. So be sure to check back here in a few days when everything is up and running!