Thursday, September 28, 2006

Galactic -- Ruckus


This is the fourth album from the New Orleans based Jazz/Jam Band Galactic. This band is actually my favorite band to see live, and will try and make sure to hit every concert they have in Utah. My number one favorite concert of all time was a free one they did in Salt Lake City. Never have I seen both a band and an audience feed so well off of each other. The energy was amazing. That was my third time I went to see them and they each signed autographs after the show, but the second time I went to see them, just having been home from my mission for five days, I won an autographed copy of this particular album. So that's how I ended up getting this album. The other big thing about this album is it marks the last time that Theryl DeClouet is with the band. Theryl was brought on near the beginning as a singer for about half of their songs, the other half being instrumental. They have since parted ways with Theryl and have decided to go entirely instrumental. The third concert I saw of theirs was this way, with no singer. The first two times I saw them they had a singer, the first time it was Theryl, the second time it was backup vocalist Theresa Anderson. One other interesting tidbit is that Stanton Moore, the drummer is regularly regarded as the leader of the band, instead of the lead guitarist as most bands are now a days. Galactic is well known for their innovation in Jazz, finding new ways to use instruments, the saxophonist Ben Ellman is often found using equipment to make his saxophone sound like an electric saxophone. This album has a lot of really innovative tracks, such as Bongo Joe which uses a Japanese kid's voice saying some crazy things reverbed. Another song called "The Moil" uses a lot of darker electrical elements to make a really cool song.

This is a good cd, and it holds a special place in my heart, unfortuantly, even then I can't quite give it four stars. It's just not memorable enough and good enough to be that high. So I'm going to give it 3.5 stars out of 4. As with most jam bands their live stuff is just so much better then their albums, because of this, if you want to check them out, try "We Love 'Em Tonight: Live at Tipitina's".

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy -- This Beautiful Life


You remember the explosion of swing artists in the late 90s for about 6 months? There was zoot suit riot, bottle makes three tonight, well, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was one of those bands. They were the more successful out of the bands because they ended up getting a second album out. This is that second album. I bought the first album and liked it enough to buy this one as well. This is a good sophomore album, and though as an album it isn't as good as their first one, I think it has some better songs on it. Which also means it has some of their worst stuff as well. They have a really inventive song called 2000 volts which has some really good lyrics behind it. But on the flip side, it has a drab version of "I Wanna Be Like You" from the Jungle Book. When this band sticks to swing and dance songs they do well, but when they try and hit other types of genres it doesn't really work too well.

This is an okay cd, if you want a good swing cd, check out their first album before this one. 2.5 out of 4 stars.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Led Zeppelin -- II


This is the second album from Led Zeppeli, and is in my top three favorites by the band, but still not my number one. The thing I like most about this cd, is the song Whole Lotta Love, it has some amazing solos and also the usage of a violin bow to the guitar strings. This is a very innovative album as it did a lot of things never before found on any album.

Not much to say besides, if you haven't listened to Led Zeppelin, you need to. This album is a definate must for any rock fan. 4 out of 4 stars.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Fatboy Slim -- Better Living Through Chemistry


This is the second review I've done for this British DJ, but this is his first cd he ever put out. Due to that, this cd is a lot different from his newest cd Palookaville which I reviewed earlier. This album is a lot more rooted in techno then his other stuff. That being said, there are a lot of really good songs on this album, such as "Everybody Needs a 303" and "The Sounds of Milwaukee". This is one of the better purely techno albums around.

If you like techno you'll like this one, I liked it but as it is, early techno isn't the best. But this is a good cd, so it's getting 3 out of 4 stars.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Linkin Park -- Meteora


I always hate saying this, but I actually do like this cd. My natural instincts tell me to hate this band, yet I find I actually do like this cd. For those that don't know, Linkin Park is one of the first bands to make the genre nu metal/rapcore. Basically it's hard rock with rap elements and a DJ. They have two singers, one whom raps most of the time, and one who has the perfect scream voice. I am actually impressed at his scream voice because for him to be able to keep that up is actually quite impressive. Note that I don't like all the songs on the cd and I am not a fan of the cd only being about half an hour. The part of the cd I actually like the most is the middle from Hit the Floor until Breaking the Habit. My favorite song though is called "Session" which is the first instrumental the band has done.

You'll like this cd if you like harder rock with some industrial elements. It's a good cd, but not the best, it had a lot of potential to be better. I'm going to give this one 3 out of 4 stars.

Less Than Jake -- Hello Rockview


Less Than Jake is a ska/punk band. This is their 5th album. I got this cd from a friend and don't have much ska so it's a bit of weird cd for me to have. You know, there's something about ska that just doesn't appeal to me at all. They're alwasy very similar, very fast repeating chords of a guitar with horns playing back up notes. Its a genre that feels so limited. I haven't yet found a band that has been able to take the genre and do something that other bands haven't done before. Though most of the songs on this album were all toe tapping songs, none of them were really memorable. the other thing that bugs me is the fact that it's all under three minutes. There are 14 tracks on this cd, the longest of which is 3:31. Only four of the tracks surpass the 3 minute mark. For the genre though, this is one of the better cds I've heard.

I'm not really going to give this one as a recommendation, unless you really like ska. 1.5 out of 4 stars.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Primus -- Sailing the Seas of Cheese


This is Primus' second studio album. Their first album which I already reviewed is found here. There you'll find a more comprehensive overlook on Primus' overall style. This is their second album and also the most commercially successful album. It has two songs of which has recieved a huge amount of radio play, "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver" and "Tommy The Cat". This album embraces their more heavier elements as well as pushing somewhat of a politcal agenda. I like this cd quite a bit, but for Primus' albums it's probably my third favorite. It has some pretty good songs, but also some pretty lame songs. The song I didn't really know before that I really like now is Fish On, that's a good song.

Once again, Primus is a very hard band to get into, but if you do, this is another good one to pick up, it's not quite four star material though, it's almost there, but it could be better. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Steely Dan -- Pretzel Logic


This is the third album from the highly jazz influenced band Steely Dan. This album has two songs in which you may have already heard from radio play, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and "Barrytown". I ended up pikcing up this cd because of my good friend Pat's incredible love for this band. I can definatly see the love that this band has to give. This is a very jazzy and also rockin cd. They also have a really good cover of a Duke Ellington song called "East St Louis Toodle-oo". Probably the best song i'd say is the incredbly funky "Parker's Band". There isn't a single song on this cd I don't like, this is a really well made cd.

If you like jazzy rock, or are trying to get into some 70s rock, this would be a good cd to pick up. Very good. 4 out of 4 stars.

Parliment -- Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome


Led by the Funk master himself George Clinton, this is Parliment's 7th album which produced their biggest hit in the song Flashlight. The thing that surpirsed me about this cd is that there are only 6 songs, but besides two songs they're all about 9 minutes long. It's a pretty good cd when funk is concerned, but besides Flashlight it's not the best for singles, it's not really danceable either. It feels like they think they're the bomb so they can do whatever they want. For instance, one of the songs is basically a robot talking with a groovy beat behind it. So it's just sorta weird.

If you like Funk you could check this one out, but I'd try a different cd by the same group. This cd is just weirdness with some funkyness behind it. I'm going to give this cd 2 out of 4 stars because of its on amazing song and for a couple of good moments in the long songs.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Metallica -- Reload


This is the 7th album from the Metal band Metallica, originally intended to be a double disc with the album Load it ended up being it's own album. This album starts off well with the two hits "Fuel" and "Memory Remains". It also does well with "Unforgiven 2". But the past that there's not a whole lot. This album has three good songs which became hits and everything else is just fluff. Just a sampling of some of the lyrics from "Attitude" should show you how lame they've gotten on this album, "Just let me kill you for a while, Just let me kill you for a smile."

If you want to get into Metallica go with one of the other albums because this one is just long and lame. It has three good songs, but the past that it goes no where. 1.5 out of 4 stars.

Smashing Pumpkins -- Siamese Dream


If you haven't heard of the Smashing Pumpkins then you didn't listen to music in the 90s. This album is their second album and as Corgan the lead singer puts it, if this album hadn't been a success then The Pumpkins would have broken up. I never picked up an album by the Pumpkins until just only recently. In fact in a funny story my MTC companion once told me that he had his first kiss at a Smashing Pumpkins concert because the girl with him knew that they were his favorite band. Listening through this album, I actually recognize a good three or four songs from radio play. You know, I always told all through out middle school and high school that this album was amazing, but I just brushed it off and didn't think anything of it. But now that I've actually listened to it, I can see what they were talking about. If you want a good 90s album this is an awesome one. My favorite song is probably the last one, "Luna, which was a very nice ending to the cd. This cd flows really well and was really well done overall.

If you like 90s alternative you should pick up this album. I hadn't listened to it all the way through until today but I really like it. 4 out of 4 stars.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Trapt -- Trapt


This is the self titled debut of the alternative metal rock band Trapt, whom have one of the worst stories of how they got their name, basically they called themselves Trapt because they felt trapped in their privileged up bringing. As to the music, when this band does alternative metal, they hit it spot on, when they try and pull a "Staind" and go for a slow song they do it awfully. As long as they're sticking to hard alternative they can be a good band. The album starts with the chart topper "Headstrong which really is the best song on the album, after that they pump out a bunch more no name hard songs that give you a good rush. But then there are those songs such as "Echo" that try to be a feel good alternative song and it just feels out of place. Well as it turns out, Echo sort of marks the start of the slower ballad songs that Trapt just doesn't score well with, this album is about half Trapt and half trying to be Staind. Luckily though they are able to finish strong with the song "New Beginning".

If you like alternative hard rock then you might want to check this group out. If you like Staind (and I don't) then you might also want to check out this group. Overall it's about half and half, There is some good stuff on the album but there's also just some rubbish, which means I'm giving this album right in half, 2 out of 4 stars.

Phoenix -- Alphabetical


Alphabetical is the second album from this French Electronic Rock Band. You may know these guys from having a song in the movie Lost in Translation, or also as being buddies with the group Air. The hit song of this album is the second track "Run Run Run" which is actually ow I had heard about the band, I liked the song off of a promotional cd I got, and then a friend had the album on his harddrive and let me snag it. Besides Run Run Run, the first half of the cd just sounds like any newer cd now a days, until "(You Can Blame It On) Anybody", which isn't all that great but it does sound a little bit like ABBA which is sort of interesting. "If It's Not With You" is a catchy song near the end of the cd which feels like they're trying to add an element of R&B to their song. The final track "Alphabetical" about halfway into the song, started doing something different that shocked me, but then after about 3 seconds the song went back to normal. This album really feels like a band trying too hard to be a band that incorporates ABBA influences and really comes up short. The other big problem with this cd is it comes in at a measly 30 minutes, and that includes a hidden track after 4 minutes of nothing, and what is the hidden track? A one minute interlude type song with a couple notes going back and forth. Basically "Run Run Run" is the only decent song on the whole cd, and it isn't even a really great song, just good.

Don't waste your time on this one. If you want something like this that actually sounds good go with Air. Most of the songs even annoyed me at how dull and bland they were. I can't believe it but I'm giving this cd my lowest score yet. .5 out of 4 stars. .5 for one decent song. Hopefully their other album is better then this one. Blimey.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Moxy Fruvous -- Bargainville


Moxy Fruvous is a folk pop band from Canada. This being their first album which hit wide release, is a very good debut for a band I hadn't heard of until recently but really do enjoy. They have very melodic lyrics and good poppy type songs. If you haven't checked them out this is a good one to start with.

Wow, this one was wicked short, whoops. Oh well. If you like melodic tunes with cool lyrics then you'll like this cd, 4 out of 4 stars.

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Smash Mouth -- Astro Lounge


This is Smash Mouth's second album and most critically and commercially successful album. Mainly for such hits as "All Star", "Then The Morning Comes" and "Can't Get Enough Of You Baby". This album has some catchy tunes, but besides that once you've listened to it once or twice, you're pretty much done. Some of the songs are pretty good and catchy, and it's a little nostalgic listening to them again, but other then that there's not too much substance to this album. If you want poppy catchy tunes, then by all means, get this one. But it doesn't do too much for me. Even when i first bought it I didn't really care for it much.

If you like poppy music, this one is for you, if not don't bother, unless you find it for free or something. Because of it still having a catchy tune here and there it gets bumped up to 1 out of 4 stars.

Chemical Brothers -- Dig Your Own Hole


This electronic duo from England's second album Dig Your Own Hole is my favorite of all their albums. It's also recieved a lot of critical acclaim as well. This is one of the first electronic albums I ever got and it's still in my heavy rotation. I don't have much in ways of electronic music, so when I do, I tend to like it a lot. When it comes to this album I especially like the beginning more then any other part, the first two songs especially are what's good in electronic music, "Block Rockin' Beats" and the title track "Dig Your Own Hole". Overall this i one of the best electronic albums available.

If you like electronica, techno, big beat or any of those other classifications, this is a must own for you. If you don't like those genres then steer clear of this album. But I do like it quite a bit, and thus give it 4 out of 4 stars.

Phish -- Rift


Phish is my favorite band of all time, that being said it's very hard for me to give bad ratings to my favorite band, though there are a couple of albums I will end up giving bad ratings because they just aren't all that great, since this band does have a gigantic discography there are bound to be some mishaps. However, this is one of their better albums. This is their 6th album and their second concept album. This album has a lot of their really good stapes such as the title track Rift, Wedge and Maze. For those unfamiliar to Phish, imagine taking a rock band that relies heavily on their power of improvisation and also relies heavily on crowd involvement, meaning if the fans are enjoying themselves they play better. Going to a show you are gauranteed to hear something you haven't heard before. It's that newness that first drew me to Phish and has kept me with them through the years.

This is one of their best albums, and if you're getting into Phish, I'd say this would be a good third or fourth disc to pick up. Phish is tough to get into, you have to like long lengthy jams, but if you find you do, Phish is your band. 4 out of 4 stars.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Dave Matthews Band -- Under The Table And Dreaming


I dread coming to albums like these because I already know what I'm going to give it. So it becomes hard to review it. So I'm going to say this, I really like DMB's early stuff, and as this is their first album, this is by far my favorite. It has hits that still give me goose bumps. This is a perfect blend of bluesy rock with jazzy rock that just makes my head spin that such a good album could come out. Though this is a really good cd, it sorta ends for me after Warehouse, as I'm not a big fan of the last two songs. However even with those two songs, the cd is spectacular.

If you haven't given this one a listen, I'd recommend trying it out, it really is good. Basically it's a recommendation to everyone. 4 out of 4 stars.

Incubus -- Make Yourself


The third album from these rockin' fellas is a pretty good one. I first found out about it when their first single came out called "Pardon Me" I wanted to get it after hearing that song, but waited for a while luckily for me the song "Drive" became huge and since it's the only song on the album that sounds like that there were a lot of used copies and I was able to pick it up cheap. I actually really like this cd, it's right in between alternative and hard rock, and is also able to use a DJ to produce some cool sounds as well. My favorite part of the cd is actually the first five tracks, very hard and still good, a very rockin' beginning. This is one of the better bands when it comes to semi hard rock. Though this cd really hits well for me, i haven't really heard any of their other stuff. The only song I'm not a big fan of is Drive mainly because it doesn't really fit well on the album, just sort of a weird entrant. It's a decent song on it's own, but not all that good with the album.

If you like alternative rock you should pick this cd up, because it is very good, if not I wouldn't recommend it. But I do like alternative rock thus I really like this cd. one of the best for it's genre. 4 of 4 stars.

Of Montreal -- The Bedside Drama A Petite Tragedy


Of Montreal, another one of those crazy bands from Athens Gerogia. This is one of the only two albums done by the original two members of the band. Through out the years it's mostly been the lead singer David Barnes. This is the band's second album. They're called Of Montreal because of David's ex girlfriend being from Montreal. Overall this seems to be an interesting album, very melodic and yet childish in nature. There are some really catchy songs, but also some songs that just don't seem to fit well. It's a very uneven album, lots of good and lots of bad. For instance, "Cutie Pie" seems like it should be a really good song, but it just feels off, never really hooking you. Where as "One Of A Very Few Kind" gets you right at the beginning and doesn't let go until it ends. The album is very lyric heavy, however they keep accompanying it with minor chords and weird tunes that just distract from the words. But sometimes the cd does shine, like the song, "Just recently Lost Something Of Improtance". Also the ending is very good, which is called "It's Easy To Sleep When You're Dead".

Overall, just not an album that works with me, it's got a couple of good singles but it just doesnt mesh well for me. I'd say only get this one if you're really bg into Of Montreal, even then I really like their newest cd, but didn't like this one as much. This one gets 2 out of 4 stars.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Ween -- Quebec


There's a big reason why Ween is in my top 3 favorite albums of all time. They are able to constantly entertain me, and keep me happy with their every changing songs. Just starting off this album you have the incredibly rockin' "It's Gonna Be A Long Night" followed by the incredibly mellow "Zoloft" and then coming in with the lyricly awesome "Transdermal Celebration", this group just makes me happy every time I listen to them. If you want a group that will always keep you guessing, this is them. I especially like the song "Happy Colored Marbles". Very intense and happy song at the same time. This cd has some really good segways, the blend between Happy Colored Marbles into the great song "Hey There Fancy Pants" is eclectic. Only "Captain" and "Alcan Road" I wouldn't put it heavy rotation, but still they're pretty decent songs. The cd ends with two amazing ballads of "The Argus" and "If You Could Save Yourself".

So far I'd say this is the most user friendly Ween album with the most purely good songs on it, that I think most people could get into it. I'd recommend this album to just about everyone as it is really quite good. Definate 4 out of 4 stars.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Electric Light Orchestra -- Out of the Blue


Electric Light Orchestra or ELO for short, is a band from the 70s that formed out of another band when the members wanted to have rock with more strings in it, so they created ELO to facilitate that. This album Out of the Blue is their 7th album and it has the most singles of any of their albums. Those singles are "Turn To Stone", "Sweet Talkin' Woman", "Its Over, "Mr. Blue Sky" and "Wild West Hero". ELO is one of those bands I heard a lot of as a teenager but didn't pick up any of their stuff until just recently, especially when I found out the strings thing, and I think strings should be in more rock music now a days. One of the funny things about this album is even the songs that aren't singles feel like singles.

I liked this album quite a bit, it was a good album all around, however it was very hard for me to make it through the entire album, plus I don't think I'll listen to it as much now, it doesn't really have much replayability. I'll recommend this album to those that really like classic rock. I think it may just be my growing dissatisfaction with classic rock as a whole, it just doesn't really have anything new for me. Now mind you this was a really good cd and I'm going to give it 3.5 stars out of 4, I'd move it up half a point if it was more replayable.

No Use For A Name -- More Betterness!



Punk is a musical genre that I've never really been able to get behind. It's never really caught my attention like many others, however, even in genres I'm not particularly a fan of, there are often two or three exceptions inside the genre, this album is one of those exceptions. I could listen to this entire album over and over, and I do. Most people call this particular band a melodic punk band which is probably why I like it so much, they have good melodies that I can get behind. Add to that some words that are singable as well. This is one of those cds that make me remember that each genre has hope even if it isn't all that good. if it's any indication of my play count on iTunes, this album has an average of 10 plays per song. Which is quite good for an entire album.

If you don't like Punk music but have always sort of wanted to, try this cd out. When it comes to Punk I really don't know how to make recommendations because it's a genre that just has alluded me, I can't pick people out of a lineup and say whether they like punk or not. This isn't my favorite punk album, but I would put it in my top 5. Give it a try. 4 out of 4 stars.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

TV On The Radio -- Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes


In Honor of this brilliant band's new cd coming out in a couple of days, I'm going to debut the band's first album. TV on the Radio is a very very interesting group. They're desciribed as a steady blend of Free Jazz, Psychedelia, Trip-Hop and Electronic mixed into one ball. Or to make it one small catergorization, an avant-garde indie rock vocal band. This is one reason why I find the band to be so interesting, that they're so different that people can't find one way to classify them. I have completely fallen in love with this cd and find every song on the track to be just as good as the one before it. They're able to hit you with catchy beats to really good words that make you think, it's an interesting blend that is all it's own. With the new cd coming out, apparently David Bowie who became a big fan of the band, is guest vocalizing on one of the tracks for the new cd entitiled "Return To Cookie Mountain".

If you like things experemental give this guys a listen, it won't be anything you've heard before I can gaurantee it. 4 out of 4 stars.

As a side note, they have a completely free song HERE. It's a pretty good song, and it's gives you a small taste of what TV on the Radio sound like.

Monday, September 04, 2006

The Reverend Horton Heat -- It's Martini Time


This rockabilly band has been together since 1985 and is still going strong, I first picked up this cd back when I had heard them do a cover of the Johnny Quest theme, I picked up a couple of songs off the internet back in napster days and liked their stuff so I snagged this album, however as is the same as today, I'm just not really impressed with this album. It's got a couple of good stand out songs such as "Slingshot" and "Rock The Joint" but other then that nothing really catches my fancy. I do want to give these guys another try with a different cd because I think I just got a bad roll, but then, maybe I'm just not a big fan of rockabilly. We'll have to wait and see. I like Rock The Joint because it's so completely Rockabilly, and I like Sligshot because it's a really enjoyable instrumental, but everything else really doesn't do anything for me. It's almost sad for me to say, but I just feel very indifferent to this album, nothing excites me at all.

I'll only recommend this to those that are in love with rockabilly. 1 star out of 4.

Panic! At The Disco -- A Fever You Can't Sweat Out


I tend to really like debut albums, one because it's a new type of music and two because it's when the band seems to be trying as hard as they can to make really good music. Both of these are the case for this band. Though this band seems to take things from other bands they definatly have their own sound, I didn't really get into them until I had gotten the song "I Constantly Thank God For Esteban" on random, which continues to be my favorite song on the album. The thing that impresses me about this album is it has an air for being about the singles yet surprisingly the album melds well together, especially due to the fact that they have an intermission that actually does it's job. The first 7 tracks feature futuristic instruments such as accordians and drum machines and then tracks 9 through 13 use more traditional instruments such as accordians, pianos and strings. With track 8 being the intermission. Though they are able to impress me with their usage of instrumentation, they're also able to hook me with the lyrics which many bands fail at when it comes to me. I do like the second half a little more then the first half but overall I think this is a very good debut album, and I'm interested to see what else this band has in them.

If you don't like newer music, I wouldn't recommend this band to you. If you are enjoying how music is currently evolving, then try this band out, it won't dissappoint. I'm gonna give this one 4 out of 4 stars, very good debut.

311 - Music


This is the first time on this site that I've done a band twice, as I've already done 311's self titled album. Music is 311's first album that was done to a wide release, it didn't garner the same attention that their other albums did, mostly due to it being their first album. Though I didn't give a very good review of the self titled album, I am a big fan of 311 and here is one of the reasons why. This album is actually my second favorite album by the band and it has a raw energy to it that a good opening album should. It has a lot of variety to it, and excels in each of the styles they try out. It also has one single that recieved generous air play called "Do You Right". When i first got the album I never really listened to it, but after listening to the live album and getting to know the songs on there, finding a bunch of them on this one and enjoying them I ended up really getting into this one. It has catchy hooks in actual good songs and good lyrics taboot.

Overall I'm a big fan of this album, but would only recommend it to those that already like 311, it's not a good starting album. Actually, 311 is the kind of band where you either like them or don't. I don't often give people 311 as I assume they've already heard them and would be or not be a fan already. But if you haven't heard of them, give them a try, I can give some good recommendations to see if you would. Now if you do know the band, see if you can guess which album is my favorite as this one is my second favorite. Though it's my second favorite it's still a good 4 out of 4 stars. Very good album.

Blur -- Think Tank


Blur is one of the leading groups in the Brit Pop movement, they had many hit songs in Britain and a couple in America. Their possible final album entitled Think Tank is in my opinion their most interesting album. This album was when the guitarist Graham Coxon decided to leave the band. Graham and Damon Albarn (lead singer) were both instumental in the writing of many of Blur's songs. Damon Albarn, the mastermind behind The Gorillaz decided to take it full force, but because of not having Coxon they had to rely on not using the electric guitar, which led to a lot of really cool things happening. This album has the feel of being the connecting link between Blur and The Gorillaz. It has a very interesting air of experimentation as well as being able to produce hit songs. One thing that may have also led to this being such a good album is "Fatboy Slim" was the supervising producer of the album and appears in two tracks as well. This is a very good album and is in my opinion Blur's best album. Unfortuantly it doesn't look like they will be able to create another one that would add onto the success this one recieved.

If you like British music, get this album. If you like Blur and/or the Gorillaz then you'll like this album. It's a very good album and I give it a lot of praise, check it out. 4 out of 4 stars.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Jamiroquai -- Synkronized


A lot of people know this album because of the movie Napolean Dynamite as the first song "Canned Heat" was featured in it as the song the lead character Napolean dances to. The album itself actually came out in 1999 which is when I bought it where as the movie came out in 2004. I had become a fan of them after their third album and so when their fourth one, this one, came out I decided to pick it up. As well as having the good song of Canned Heat, the other ones that are particularly good are "Black Capricorn Day", "Supersonic" and "Soul Education". Overall this a very funky album, if you've heard Canned Heat, expect more songs like that, very danceable, very funky. There's even slow funky, such as the song "Falling". Though it's a very funky album, it doesn't have the holding power to keep your through the entire album, after one or two songs you feel like you're done and ready to move onto something else. There isn't really much variety, just a lot of funky singles. This is a very good cd to take songs from for this or that. Though if you do make it near the end King for a Day is funky as well, but it's a slight variation on the rest of the stuff, also a good single.

So if you're looking for funky danceable songs, this is your album to turn to. If you want that, do pick up this album. Now though it is mostly the same thing, it does start well, it also ends well. Plus, you don't find this type of music often so it is a nice change. I'm going to give this album 3 out of 4 stars.

Friday, September 01, 2006

Jane's Addiction -- Ritual De Lo Habitual


Jane's Addiction is a band that I heard most of their songs on the radio through out the 90s but never got their cd until only recently. According to most lists, this is on most magazines and critics top 50 most influential albums of the 90s. Many will recognize two of the members of Janes Addiction as Perry Farrell whom started Lollapalooza and Dave Navarro who recently dated and married Carmen Electra. These two have very differing personailties, so it's easy to see how this band only survived two albums in the beginning then made one 10 years after they broke up. However, when these guys did agree they made some pretty kickin' music. You may recognize a lot of radio hits such as "Been Caught Stealin" and "Stop". One song in particular that I like is called "Three Days" a lengthy ballad, done really well, very good song on the album. As I reaching the end of the album, also the song "Classic Girl" really impressed me.

Overall there are some really rockin' rock songs on this album, The thing that really surprises me though, is how much this feels like a mid 90s album, after Nirvana, yet, in fact it's from 1990, which is before the big explosion of Nirvana. Not to say that this album is anything like Nirvana. I can see how it's quite influential for how early it came. Once again, through doing this review site, I've discovered another album that is really good that I hadn't ever really listened to before. There are many albums that I've just picked up here and there whether for free or a little bit of money and have never listened to them, and will sometimes just assume they're not as good as they turn out to be, that's the case with this album. Very good cd, I'll recommend it to anyone that likes 90s rock. Definate 4 out of 4 album, I can now see why it's so highly regarded.

Beastie Boys -- Check Your Head


Beastie Boys are a 3 person rap group which were the first white rappers to become famous. Interestingly enough they actually started as a punk band. Which does actually flow over into this album, Check Your Head, their third album. I really like this album due to the fact that there is a lot of different styles wrapped into one cd, lots of sampling, a bunch of rap, and a bit of rock as well. Very good blend. Many of my favorite songs aren't the rap ones. In fact one of my favorite songs is the very funky "Live at P.J.s"

I'd recommend this to anyone that has only heard the Beastie Boys rap. This is an overall good album, and very highly recommended by me. Even the rap on this cd is at the height of the Beastie's. Really good overall. 4 out of 4 stars.

Rusted Root -- When I Woke



Rusted Root is often lumped in the jam band catergory but that's not really who they are, they're more like Guster with their use of acoustics and african style percussion. They really embrace african styled music into their music. When this band goes for more upbeat songs they excel, where as their slower songs aren't as good. Their use of woodwinds in a rock band is also very good. This cd is their most commercial album as it has their most famouse song and very good song Ecstasy. One of the best moments of this cd is the 3 minute drum intro track that goes into the song Ecstasy, very good stuff. I forgot how much I liked this album until listening to it again.

If you like upbeat songs with african influences and lots of percussion then you'll like Rusted Root, I am highly recommending this album to anyone as I think most people would like it. Especially if you like Guster, then you'll like Rusted Root, as they're very similar in styles. Though their slower songs aren't as good as their more upbeat ones they're still decent and few and far in between. This is a very good cd, very upbeat and even danceable. 4 out of 4 stars.

Rage Against The Machine -- Evil Empire



Rage Against The Machine is a very hard rock and politaclly charged band that made most of their stuff in the 90s. This is their second album which had the most monetary success. Rage was one of the most influential hard bands of the 90s as they had very interesting uses of their instruments in very innovative ways and using lots of politcal leftist views. My favorite thing about the band is their guitarist Tom Morello as he finds very interesting ways to use his guitar to make many different types of sounds that fit well into their songs. Now this album has a lot of very good singles on it such as Bulls on Parade, People of The Sun and Revolver. The thing that might keep me with the band more then others is I often have a hard time comprehending words in songs, I can sing along with a song without realizing what it's talking about. Thereare very few Rage Songs that I actually know what they're talking about, if I actually did, I might not like the album as much or I might like it better, I'm not sure. So mostly it's about the hard pumping music that gets me excited that I like.

Some of the songs I don't like as well, and overall it doesn't flow well for me as an album as much as their first cd. I won't recommend this group unless you've shown signs of liking hard rock in some way. This time I listened to it was the first time I had listened to the album all the way through and I found that I like a good majority of the songs, many more then I expected to like. I'm gonna give this one 3.5 stars, it's so very close to being at 4, but it doesn't quite make it. Very good album if you like the type of music, as I do.