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(04/30/09 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>From the classroom to the Bluebird, IU professor Andy Hollinden brings his knowledge of rock history to his students. Back for his third show in two years after a 13-year hiatus, Hollinden will be playing Friday at the Bluebird Nightclub.“I teach about 1,000 students a year at the School of Music, so there are a lot of people walking around this town who’ve had me as their professor,” Hollinden said. “By the end of a semester, my students have a pretty good idea of who I am, and I hope they think of me as a friend. These Bluebird shows give me a chance to reconnect with people I’ve influenced in some way, and frankly, it’s an honor.”Hollinden has been performing since 1978 with the band Maxwell around Tell City, Ind., his hometown.He has been a Bloomington performer since 1984, when he would play Mondays and Tuesdays at the Bluebird with his punk/new wave band Skwee-Bee-Dee, losing money on most nights before packing up and working at 6 a.m. at Rax Restaurant with the band’s drummer.Hollinden expressed his enthusiasm for playing at the Bluebird.“I have a history with that place, both as a performer and as a music fan,” he said. “That stage exudes history. It’s palpable. You can smell it.”The Woomblies will be kicking off the night at 10 p.m., followed by two Hollinden sets starting around 11 p.m.. The first set will consist of all original material with the set primarily drawn from his three albums, “Grieve For The Living,” “Trust Yourself” and “Heat To Fragrance.”Five songs off Hollinden’s newest CD, “Grieve For The Living,” will make their world premiere Friday.After the first set, Hollinden and his band will play a set of classic rock songs by the bands and artists that are taught in his rock history class. This includes the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Neil Young and The Who.The show is titled “IU Rock History Professor Night” and will also feature fellow IU professor and Beatles enthusiast Glenn Gass for a good portion of the second set.Additionally joining Hollinden will be David England (guitar and vocals), Rich Morpurgo (lead guitar), Mark Galup (guitar and vocals), Matt Brookshire (bass) and Jamey Reid (drums).In the past few semesters, Andy Hollinden’s shows have left crowds happy and satisfied.“His shows have so much energy the crowd can’t sit still,” senior Alex Thompson said. Thompson added he is excited to see Hollinden rock the Bluebird before he graduates.Hollinden expressed how dear this opportunity is to him.“When I think back over my life, certain memories serve as bookmarks,” he said. “Many of them are music-related – concerts I attended or music I listened to with my friends ... I like to think that today’s students will fondly recall their rock history classes, the music they learned to love and, perhaps, that night their professor rocked the Bluebird.”
(04/17/09 7:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“You’ve Got To Choose.”
Outside of his work at the Jacob’s School of Music, Professor Andy
Hollinden challenges his listeners, like his students, to rethink and
evaluate their views and beliefs.
Hollinden’s seventh album, “Grieve For The Living,” sounds like a repellent reaction to his 2006 effort, “Trust Yourself.”
While “Trust Yourself” was a straightforward rock album reminiscent of
the Replacements, his latest effort finds Andy singing in a dark room
at his keyboard, weathered by life, challenging the status quo.
The album as a whole finds much influence in Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” as well as Beck’s “Sea Change.”
“Grieve For The Living” opens and closes with “Six Of You Identical,” setting the overcast mood.
Like David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Hollinden often sings with the
naivete of a child from the perspective of being taught things
countrary to what he has experienced to be true in his life,
challenging his listeners to question everything.
“My Teacher Told Me Once” has a memorable and bouncy hook that nicely counters the biting sarcasm of the lyrics.
She’s Exploring Scary Things” opens with some wonderful dark imagery
before hitting the bombastic yet gloomy sound of the chorus. “Sell The
Songs To Paul” serves as an nice ode to the Beatles with its “Hey Jude”
“nah nah nahs” sung by Hollinden’s own family, but also sends a message
to Michael Jackson and others who own the rights to artwork that should
not be rightfully theirs.
However, not everything on “Grieve For The Living” works as intended.
“Never Talk To Strangers” attempts to have a brooding and majestic
chorus, but the message falls flat, and “How Old Am I?” is overly
simple and repetitive.
But on the whole, “Grieve For The Living” works as a cohesive mood
piece that accomplishes what Hollinden sets out to do: challenge and
empower the listener.
(04/09/09 4:07am)
“Living Thing” features little to no guitars but almost solely
percussion, simplifying the music and bringing forth the band’s vocals.
This style proves very hit-or-miss throughout the album, as some of the
lyrics and songs are simply too simple.
(03/05/09 2:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a breakout fourth album in “Post-War” and a successful collaboration album with actress Zooey Deschanel as She & Him, singer/songwriter Matt Ward (aka M. Ward), a Portland, Ore., native, finds himself treading new territory of recognition. With his fifth album, “Hold Time,” M. Ward delivers yet another great alt-country folk record with help from other great musicians.“Hold Time,” like much of his previous work, sounds like it could have been released in any of the last six decades. Steeped both lyrically and sonically in American music tradition and produced with a shimmering production style like that of Brian Wilson, “Hold Time” sounds both timeless and nostalgic.The song “To Save Me” sounds like the exhilarating sequel to the “Post-War” hit “To Go Home” and includes some support from Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle and a wall of sound with guitars, keyboards and percussion. Zooey Deschanel also lends her vocals to the rocking “Never Had Nobody Like You,” as well as a wonderfully laid-back version of Sonny West’s “Rave On.” M. Ward provides some beautiful and interesting spiritual imagery in “Fisher of Men” and “Epistemology.”“Hold Time” does, however, have a few shortcomings. M. Ward’s take on Don Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me” finds him awkwardly sharing lines with Lucinda Williams in an imbalanced version of the country standard. The album also has forgettable moments in “One Hundred Million Years” and “Blake’s View.” While “Hold Time” isn’t perfect, it is just more proof of why M. Ward is one of the most brilliant and underappreciated American singer/songwriters of our time.
(02/11/09 11:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Targeting fans of hipster romantic comedies such as “Garden State” and “Juno,” “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” attempts to match the charm and wit of others in the genre only to come up with something much less sincere and authentic.“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” is based on two high school students, played by Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, who cruise New York City one crazy night with their friends in search of a secret show by their favorite indie band. During the quest, the pair falls for each other.The movie forces indie music at every turn, whether it’s songs from Vampire Weekend or Band of Horses, and makes several other music references to make the film seem that much hipper. However, its biggest problem lies in the incredibly contrived feeling of the adventures and the dialogue, as if written and made by someone with no knowledge of high school, the indie music scene or even New York City.The likability and connection between Nick (Cera) and Norah (Dennings) saves the movie. Cera plays the harmless, awkward teenager with a deadpan delivery, and Dennings does a great job of playing a down-to-earth New York girl equipped with a wry sense of humor. The film is also highlighted by cameos from “Saturday Night Live” cast members Seth Myers and Andy Samberg, but as a whole, the supporting cast really drags the film down.The special features are pretty standard, with commentary, deleted scenes and outtakes. The movie’s finest extra is a funny interview with Cera and Dennings by Eddie Kaye Thomas, but that’s about the only one worth watching.Unless you want to see Michael Cera being his usual amusing self, I would stay away from this one.
(12/03/08 8:35pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>We’ve dropped out of college, re-registered and graduated with Kanye West. Now comes the post-graduation identity crisis. After three groundbreaking rap albums, the rapper makes his boldest move yet by baring his soul without rapping and instead singing with an Auto-Tune effect and with heavy use of Roland-TR 808 drum machines. But these bold moves have evoked extreme reactions, with some saying Kanye is committing career suicide and others saying these changes makes him the greatest artist in music. However, 808s & Heartbreak fits neither extreme. Though it is his worst release to date, the album displays Kanye’s incredible musicianship through this creative new direction.Kanye sets the tone for the album with the barren “Say You Will,” a desperate cry to the woman who broke his heart. “Welcome To Heartbreak” exhibits Kanye’s excellent wordplay, demonstrating through a fictional discussion on an airplane with a man in first class how materialism can’t fill the hole of loneliness. However, Kanye’s new formula is hit or miss, with the next couple of songs not living up to the strong opening. “Heartless” finds the Auto-Tune effect used to an obnoxious degree, and “Amazing” is forgettable even with the help of Young Jeezy.Kanye hits his stride with the album’s three finest tracks: “Love Lockdown,” “Paranoid” and “RoboCop.” “Love Lockdown” has a great hypnotic quality that leads into a memorable chorus with a great piano melody to match. “Paranoid” is a peppy track that sounds straight from the 1980s and which will likely be the record’s next big hit. “RoboCop” hits hard with the strong beat and counters with uplifting strings that make up for the clunky lyrics.The continued use of 808s, piano, strings and Auto-Tune leads to the album becoming monotonous near the end. Heartbreak succeeds in matching the music to its message and demonstrates Kanye’s incredible ability as a musician and a producer. If nothing else, 808s & Heartbreak shows an artist in mainstream music less worried about public opinion than artistic expression, and that in itself is a rare quality.
(11/19/08 5:34pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>We are a week away from Thanksgiving, and there are many things to be thankful for. I have been blessed with wonderful friends and family, but also to have spent four memorable years at this special university.On another note, I am grateful for some of the great pieces of entertainment that have been given to us this year. Here are five things that are close to my heart.The resurgence of superhero moviesOne cannot think of 2008 without thinking of “The Dark Knight.” The shroud of mystery surrounding Heath Ledger’s death and the online buzz made this the most-hyped movie in quite some time, and it lived up to all of it and more. I am thankful to Christopher Nolan for making a superhero movie that transcended the genre to make a truly powerful film, and for Heath Ledger for providing us with the performance of a lifetime. But that wasn’t the only great superhero movie. Following a few years of bad sequels (“Spider-Man 3,” “X-Men: The Last Stand”) and even dumber comic book heroes (“Ghost Rider”), 2008 provided us with “Iron Man,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” and “The Incredible Hulk.” I am thankful for Robert Downey Jr. for making Iron Man the most amusing movie of the year and thankful for Edward Norton for staying true to the comic books and for making up for that abysmal Ang Lee “Hulk” film from a few years back. Internet televisionEven though Internet television was invented a few years back, 2008 saw streaming television shows on the Internet explode into a major phenomenon. Since I am TiVo-less, it is great to be able to watch almost any TV show at any time with full seasons archived so I can catch up if I haven’t consistently been watching. Whether it’s watching “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” episodes from seasons past or watching the episode of “The Office” I missed from the night before, TV online is a great convenience for everyone, and I am thankful for it.Bands hitting the roadAlthough bands are finding it difficult to thrive in a changing music industry, in many ways fans have reaped the benefits of these hectic and confusing times. With the value of hard copies of music falling because of digitization and the ease of sharing, bands have been touring more than ever to make up for lacking album sales.In turn, there are more concerts to attend than ever before. Music festivals are sprouting up all over the world, and venues are filling up dates rapidly. For all the unforgettable shows I have been to this year, from the Roskilde Festival in Denmark to the TV On The Radio show in Indy, I am thankful.Political satire at its finestAlthough I am certainly thankful for being a part of this important and historical time in American history, I am also thankful for the political satire that has sprouted from it. “Saturday Night Live” always seems to be at its best during a presidential election season, and this year was no exception. Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin impression was so hilariously spot-on, and the political debate skits were as funny as ever. “The Daily Show” delivered as always and took full advantage of the race aspect of the election. “The Colbert Report” found its footing again after a marginal slump by commiserating with the GOP. The arrival of the Big Ten NetworkThe huge Comcast/Big Ten Network debacle finally came to an end this summer, and I can finally get all the Hoosiers coverage I could ever want in the comfort of my own home. No more going to overcrowded sports bars to watch IU basketball away games, and I can even watch our Hoosiers play sports that don’t usually get covered. I am thankful that if I need a break from all of the ACC and Big 12 football shenanigans on ESPN, I can go to the Big Ten Network and here about just our conference. Those are only five of the things I have been grateful for this year in entertainment. While these things are nowhere near the importance of the several other blessings I have received, these slices of entertainment have added a little joy in my day-to-day life.
(11/19/08 5:32pm)
Three WEEKEND reviewers tackle the latest in music.
(11/05/08 8:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ryan Adams is as well-known for his reckless behavior as he is for his immense talent. But with his second album after finding sobriety, Adams appears as clear and confident as ever. His last album Easy Tiger was an great collection of songs that exhibited the new, brighter Ryan Adams but was little more than an unconnected collection of songs. With his new album Cardinology, Ryan Adams has taken the formula he established through four albums with his extraordinary country-rock band the Cardinals and created a set of songs that recalls the Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson and even U2 in his most focused and fluid release to date. Although it does not provide as memorable of songs as some of his earlier work, Cardinology comes together to make for one of his most solid overall efforts.The album opens boldly with the anthemic yet graceful “Born Into A Light,” which resonates with elegant vocal harmonies, gentle guitar picking and the wringing of distant pedal steel guitar. “Crossed Out Name” is a simple and insular piece that sees Adams’ voice as transcendent as Bono’s. “Let Us Down Easy” is a gentle and spiritual serenade with a calming gospel call-and-response chorus. Cardinology has few clear standout tracks and few clear low points, but it chugs along in a graceful fashion, allowing it to come together to make one great whole.However, the record is also just more of what you heard on Adams’ last three efforts with the Cardinals: Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights and Easy Tiger. Although the similarities are there, Adams’ knack for songwriting in this alt-country format is uncanny and fantastic. You won’t hear anything new with Cardinology, but the album is another signature effort for Ryan Adams. While those older fans won’t be amazed, the album would be a great starting point for those who are unfamiliar with Adams’ 12-year event-filled music career.
(10/22/08 10:02pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ray LaMontagne’s music revitalizes the sound of the singer-songwriter movement of the early ’70s, a time when earthy, earnest and literate folk music ruled the day. LaMontagne’s music is most often compared to that of Van Morrison’s, with a voice that is both poignant and uplifting. Partnered once again with producer and multi-instrumentalist Ethan Johns, LaMontagne’s third effort Gossip in the Grain showcases LaMontagne as a well-versed singer and musician, displaying his ability to write great songs in several different styles, not just folk.Gossip in the Grain finds LaMontagne bringing new life to the sounds of music’s legends. On the opening track “You Are the Best Thing,” he channels Otis Redding and the sounds of Memphis’ famous Stax Records, with a soulful voice, a host of horns and strings and a classic chorus to boot. “Winter Birds” is the most poetic track here as Ray wistfully sings the lyrics in a way reminiscent of Joni Mitchell. “Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s A Shame)” is the sort of rambling railroad blues that John Lee Hooker once played.Gossip in the Grain revitalizes these spirits of old with incredible success through LaMontagne’s uncanny vocal ability to adapt to the given style and some amazing production done by Johns. Johns uses a multitude of instruments to create arrangements perfectly. The production allows the music to sound incredibly lush and wonderfully down-to-earth at the same time. The production on “Sarah” is wonderfully reminiscent of the sensitive and thoughtful spirit of Van Morrison’s finest work.A song that must be noted is “Meg White,” LaMontagne’s confession of his adoration for The White Stripes’ drummer. The song features a spaghetti-western theme, simple White-esque drumming and even psychedelic undertones, making for a strange yet charming listen.LaMontagne, with his third consistently good effort, has propelled himself to the top of the singer-songwriter world over the likes of Damien Rice and Amos Lee. Although LaMontagne brings nothing new to the table, his ability to create music equal parts thoughtful and earnest is something to be admired.
(10/15/08 10:07pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Few artists are as endearingly honest as British rapper Mike Skinner, a.k.a., the Streets. Skinner has made a career with his simple and catchy beats to complement his conversational sing-song delivery style, rapping about his relationships, life on the streets and dealing with life as a celebrity. Everything is Borrowed, the fourth of the five albums Skinner plans on releasing under the Streets moniker, is his most positive and enlightening, which is a pleasant surprise after the uneven The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living.The title track sets the tone for the album with a chorus that sums up album’s main thought: “I came to this world with nothing / I leave with nothing but love / Everything else is just borrowed.” The album takes on bigger issues like mortality (“On the Edge of a Cliff”), morality (“Heaven for the Weather”), and the environment (“The Way of the Dodo”), with mixed results. “Heaven for the Weather” is a bouncy sing-along where Skinner displays his clever thoughts on morality. On the other side, though, “Alleged Legends” finds Skinner taking on Western religion with the sitar and some truly awkward lyrics.On Everything is Borrowed, Skinner has traded in his heavier club beats for a more classic and organic musical backdrop. This record features lots of piano, guitar, brass and strings. Skinner’s trade pays off when he takes a page from classic ’70s soul in “On the Edge of a Cliff,” as well in the wonderful closer “The Escapist.” Everything is Borrowed is Skinner’s first release on his own label, 679, resulting in a production style that sounds unfinished and under-produced at times. But at the same time, it makes gives the album an endearing charm. This isn’t music from some untouchable rock legend, but from an ordinary guy who is doing his best to showcase his thoughts and emotions. All the raw production, off-key singing and sometimes awkward rhymes simply exemplify that persona. And for once, it’s nice to hear that ordinary guy at peace.
(10/01/08 10:04pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Kings of Leon have lost their edge. The Kings, comprised of the Followill brothers and their cousin Matthew, once revived what was great about rock ’n’ roll by playing a raw, rebellious sound reminiscent of The Rolling Stones. After the Kings went on a world tour with U2, they came back with their epic third album Because of the Times, which took the rawness of the band’s first two albums and put it in an arena rock setting, escalating the band to a new level. However, on their fourth record Only By The Night, the Followills leave their defining sound behind for a more uplifting and radio-friendly sound, ultimately producing an extremely boring album.In a lot of ways, Only By The Night follows the same pattern as their last effort, but just not as well. The album opens up with a heady piece and one of the album’s best tracks, “Closer,” and then heads into their catchiest tunes before diving into an exploration of musical landscapes and atmospherics. However, the closer “Cold Desert” sounds like a cheap attempt to recreate Times’ closer “Arizona.” “Crawl” is the album’s heaviest, featuring some nice distorted bass and a Zeppelin-esque guitar riffs before coming forth with an extremely bland chorus. The first single “Sex On Fire” is quite catchy, but lead singer Caleb Followill’s vocals border on cheesy late-’70s rock stylings. In the past, Caleb’s lyrical ineptness and hard-to-understand vocal style has been covered up by great riffs. But here, on tracks like “Be Somebody” and “I Want You,” Caleb’s vocals are the center of attention, and that’s not good for the band. Either Kings of Leon have hit a creative wall, or they are just trying to sell out in a big way. Even the best tracks (“Manhattan,” “Use Somebody”) sound at best like uninspired, watered-down B-sides off Because of the Times.
(09/24/08 10:26pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Brain freeze: that’s the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the Wachowski Brothers’ remake of 60’s Japanese anime “Speed Racer.” While the visuals are spectacularly sweet, they’re taken in too fast and in excessive amounts lead to one giant headache. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch), the World Racing League’s newest superstar, has dreamed of being a racer his entire life. Speed has a tight-knit family that is his racing team, consisting of Mom (Susan Sarandon), Pops (John Goodman), mischievous little brother Spritle (Paulie Litt), childhood girlfriend Trixie (Chrisitina Ricci), and the family chimpanzee Chim Chim. When corporate sponsor Arnold Royalton (Roger Allam) comes knocking, Speed quickly finds out that racing isn’t the perfect little world he always pictured.Although the colors and style of the film are vibrant and original, the visual tricks are relentless and get in the way of any sort of plot. Even the racing scenes aren’t able to build any suspense because for the most part you can not even tell what is going on. “Speed Racer” has a stable of great actors, but they take a backseat to the visuals and style of the movie. Another problem is the excruciatingly long runtime, because film this frenetic shouldn’t have ever gone over the 90 minute mark. By the time Speed joins the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) to compete in the dangerous rally racing, the plot goes a bit awry. At this point, you are sick of color for the first time in your life and can’t stand the hyper-activity of the movie.The DVD provides really only two special features, of which only one is actually decent. “Spritle in the Big Leagues” is a petty behind the scenes look of the film through the eyes of the obnoxious Paulie Litt. On the other hand, “Speed Racer ‘Super-Charged’” is an in-depth look at the tracks, drivers, and cars in “Speed Racer,” providing some information that would perhaps been good for context in the movie itself. Unless you are a fanatic of the original Japanese anime, I recommend you stay away from this eye raping of a film..
(09/10/08 11:31pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the past two decades, few musical groups have reached the elite status among their peers and fans as Daft Punk. The group is as equally entrancing for their mystery as for their music. Daft Punk is known by many as just two French guys in robot suits who make great dance music, but they’ve been so much more than that. What’s in a name? In 1992, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter formed an indie rock group called Darlin’, named after the Beach Boys song of the same name, along with Laurent Brancowitz. The three got an opening gig for Stereolab, where they received their first negative review. But that review helped them discover their band name. Melody Maker magazine said the band’s music was nothing more than a “bunch of daft punk,” which the members of the band found amusing enough to name themselves after. In 1994 and 1995, the band released the singles “New Wave” (Later known as “Alive”) and “Da Funk,” which stirred the music scene, and Virgin Records came calling.A stellar debutFinally, in 1997, Daft Punk released their revolutionary debut Homework, which mixed elements of house, funk, hip-hop, electro, techno and rock to make an incredibly groundbreaking release in the dance music world. “Around the World” became a huge rave-scene hit, stemming from its undeniably catchy repeated hook. “Teachers” intrigued many, as the song saw the act giving a rundown of their influences, including Brian Wilson, Dr. Dre and Chicago house DJ Romanthony. Homework began fans’ fixation on the increasing mystery surrounding the group. At shows, the band wore masks to disguise themselves or replaced themselves with animation on stage and, surprisingly, people loved it. In an era where people are obsessed with finding out every little detail about acts, Daft Punk have been embraced for keeping themselves in the dark.Better. Faster. Stronger. In 2001 those masks changed to robot suits with the release of their second and most successful album, Discovery. It took the formula used on Homework and added a more synth-pop sound, drawing from pop music of the ’70s and ’80s. “One More Time” became perhaps the most popular house music hit of all time, and “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” “Face to Face” and “Digital Love” were also hits. By then, almost everyone enjoyed at least one Daft Punk song, even if they didn’t know it.Then the duo added spiced up their already interesting live show. On April 29, 2006, they debuted “The Pyramid” at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. A spectacular display of light and sound, Daft Punk’s Pyramid is a mothership full of moogs, synthesizers, drum machines and supercomputers. It’s easily one of the coolest live environments ever concocted. A legacy definedAlthough it’s arguable that several other groups blur the lines between rock and techno, for our generation, no one has provided a better gateway drug to techno than Daft Punk. Daft Punk has truly done a lot to put house music on the map while they’ve escalated to new levels of popularity and pop culture superiority. After their mainstream break, there were several other house acts that emerged in France, such as Air and Cassius. The duo has been a huge influence on a lot of rising names in the dance world such as Justice, Digitalism and dance-punk rock act LCD Soundsystem (who have name dropped them in two of their songs – “Losing My Edge” and “Daft Punk is Playing at My House”). They have also been discovered by the hip-hop world after being sampled in two mega hits, Busta Rhymes’ “Touch It” and Kanye West’s “Stronger.” Their surprise Grammy performance with West extended their mainstream love even more.Moreover, Daft Punk’s music has led to a fair share of internet sensations. Popular videos like “Daft Hands” and “Daft Bodies” featuring people using various body parts to spell out the words to “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” have millions of hits on YouTube and have spawned all types of knock-offs.Their combination of mystery, music and influence is what makes Daft Punk one of a kind.
(09/10/08 10:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Historically, musicians have used their music as the platform to speak their mind on our country’s condition in times of economic struggle. An unlikely candidate for this is Atlanta’s Young Jeezy, whose raps have been more about his drug dealings than his political sentiments. Although Jeezy may not be the man for the job, his words on his third album The Recession do a sufficient job of commenting on our current situation. However, Jeezy’s diatribes do wear thin over the 18 tracks of southern rap.As The Recession opens with a sampling of news reports speaking on our current economic problems it’s clear that Jeezy makes the political theme the center of the album. He raps about everything from gasoline (“Circulate”) to the justice system (“Crazy World”). Jeezy also makes it apparent who he supports in the upcoming election on the closing track “My President.” Here he rhymes “Obama for mankind / We ready for damn change so ya’ll let the man shine.” Although everyone has the right to speak their mind on political issues, Jeezy’s motivational speaker act proves ineffective when mixed with his usual thug lifestyle.The Recession is produced by a variety of relatively no-name producers, but most of the tracks sound like those of long-time producer Shawty Redd, whose signature heavy-hitting cinematic style was mastered on Jeezy’s first two records. The beats fit Jeezy’s rough, nonstop delivery, but when the production doesn’t begin to vary until the end of the album, the songs start to sound similar. However, you do have to respect any rapper who can go the first 12 tracks without a single special guest, which allows Jeezy to shine throughout. But once the guests come, they offer up some of the record's highlights. The album’s first single “Put On” is a great ode to Atlanta, but features Kanye West rapping with an Auto Tune effect that makes him sound like Akon. Although Jeezy brings the heat on a couple great hits like “Amazin’” and “Put On,” at 18 tracks, The Recession is mostly filler and places Jeezy into a recession of his own.
(09/03/08 10:16pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following in the footsteps of Radiohead, Bloc Party surprised its fans by digitally releasing their third record Intimacy only three days after announcing its completion. The band chose the online route in an attempt to combat the ever-present issue of the leak, which hampered the sales of the second album, A Weekend in the City. And the release format isn’t the only positive change for the band. Following the disappointingly hit-or-miss A Weekend in the City, Bloc Party’s third album is surprisingly consistent. Intimacy succeeds by mixing the electronic-influenced style from Weekend with the more basic, indie-rock vibe from their hotly loved debut album Silent Alarm.The album opens with guns blazing, starting with the two most experimental electronic tracks, “Ares” and lead single “Mercury.” “Mercury” is Bloc Party’s deepest descent into the electronica abyss, featuring a full-blown techno club beat, vocalist Kele Okereke’s one-line vocal on repeat, squelching horns and various unidentified sounds squalling throughout. Yet, to counter the electronic extremes, Bloc Party brings us tracks like “Halo” that recall a much more classic post-punk sound. From that point on, the album presents a sufficient mixture of these two sonic components to create a well-rounded effort. And although some tracks overuse the drum machine a bit too much, “One Month Off” masterfully mixes it with some zany techno tricks, a jagged guitar and a memorable chorus to make it the record’s biggest highlight.The title Intimacy may not be fitting for Bloc Party’s electronic exploration, but it sure is for Okereke’s lyrics. Besides the opening track, Intimacy veers away from the social issues that A Weekend in the City touched on and focuses on love and heartbreak. The album is seemingly written all about a breakup, until the closer “Ion Square” reveals some true moments of happiness.While Intimacy is consistently good, it rarely reaches the level of their fantastic debut Silent Alarm. However, it is a step back on track for a young band that hopefully have tons of great music left in them.
(04/23/08 1:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On his third album, Saturday = Youth, M83, a.k.a., French keyboardist Anthony Gonzalez, makes a musical shift from progressive to reflective. M83’s debut album Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts was highly acclaimed for its progressive, adrenalized electronic music. Now, on Saturday = Youth, Gonzalez reflects on his teenage years, delving into ’80s synth-pop for music that sounds straight out of “Sixteen Candles.” The result is mixed, with the nostalgic emotional ambience being triumphant at times, but oversaturated at others. Saturday shines and shimmers with tracks like “Kim and Jessie” and “Couleurs”: “Kim and Jessie” rings of young love, with a great melody over a lush backdrop, while “Couleurs” builds several layers of sound on top of a heavy beat from a drum machine, making for a lovable funky instrumental track reminiscent of New Order.M83 completes his desired sound with the help of producers Ken Thomas and Ewan Pearson as well as vocalist Morgan Kibby. Thomas and Pearson help M83 make everything ’80s, from the whispery vocals to the synthesized sound of the drums. The use of Kibby’s vocals makes a nice boy-girl dynamic, adding to Saturday’s emotional core. On “Up!” and “Skin of the Night,” Kibby’s ethereal vocals are soothing to the ears, especially over the layers of keyboards and synthesizers.Ultimately, this reflection on adolescent love proves to be a bit overdone. “Graveyard Girl” – a song about a young misfit – is bold enough to use a Molly Ringwald reference, including a sound bite that seems to be straight out of one of her movies. “Too Late” is slow and lingering, relying too heavily on the ambience of the music and not enough on the melody. The album’s closer, “Midnight Souls Still Remain” – 11 minutes of only ambient synth – plays like the closing credits to an ’80s chick flick. The verdict on Saturday comes down to your opinion of the reflective and emotional music of the ’80s. Love it or hate it, M83 has made a masterful rendition.
(04/16/08 4:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the music world, there are two words that are every new band’s worst nightmare: sophomore slump. Two years after Tapes ’n Tapes’ sensational debut The Loon, the Minneapolis foursome’s honeymoon is over. Like fellow indie darlings Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Tapes ’n Tapes signed on Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann to assist them with their debut follow-up. But unfortunately for Tapes ’n Tapes, the result, Walk It Off, is the same as CYHSY’s Some Loud Thunder– the seemingly inevitable sophomore slump.One thing that made The Loon so exceptional was that it was scrappy and brash, both in structure and musically, which really complemented the band’s personality and the album’s rough production. But on Walk It Off, Tapes takes a more focused and straightforward approach, brushing off the eccentricities of its debut for a more standard sound.That’s not to say the album is awful, since Walk still has an all-around likeable sound. Fat bass-lines, catchy guitar riffs, playful drums and psychedelia are used to make this album enjoyable, but these only serve to cover up what are otherwise mediocre songs. “Time of Songs” has a slow dragging bass and shimmering guitar that will get into your head, but the song in itself will not. “George Michael,” named after the song’s guitar riff which sounds like “Faith,” is entirely forgettable for having such a memorable name. “Blunt” sounds like its name but with a wall of sound that is hard to penetrate. The album seems to have a wall dividing you from the band, preventing you from ever feeling connected to the music.There are still a few songs that may penetrate. “Demon Apple” is drunk and rambunctious, with its walking bass and guitar and the album’s biggest rock out. “Say Back Something” makes for a lovely stroll in the park, with its bouncy rhythm and Josh Grier’s earnest vocals. In “Hang Them All,” Grier barks through the chorus channeling Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, as they rip through one of the more energetic songs on Walk. But even with its highlights, this album will probably walk away from your consciousness in a week.
(04/09/08 4:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Black Keys have always been seen as the musical and color counterpart of The White Stripes. The Akron, Ohio, duo comprised of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney has always played the raw “in your face” blues to the Stripes’ artistic blues. Although their music was still rousing, it seemed that the band had hit a wall musically, with four albums of nothing but drums and electric guitar. But with Attack and Release, the Black Keys have expanded their sound with the help of producer Danger Mouse to reinvent themselves as true artists.Attack and Release was originally a project for the Keys to work on some songs with Danger Mouse for rock n’ roll pioneer Ike Turner, but these plans were thwarted when Turner died this past December. So the Keys reworked the material to make an album that sounds straight out of Turner’s period of the ’50s and early ’60s, but the production mixes the album with instrumentation and production that could only be had today. Auerbach and Carney display their great knowledge of classic rock with Attack’s mastery of blues, country, gospel and rock n’ roll.Attack opens with “All You Ever Wanted,” a gentle breeze of a song that floats into your ears with rare acoustic guitar, as opposed to past opening tracks like Magic Potion’s “Just Got To Be,” which kick you right in the eardrum. Danger Mouse’s presence becomes very apparent with single “Strange Times” and “Psychotic Girl.” Both incorporate Danger Mouse’s spooky and sinister production, including fuzzed backup vocals, minor key piano and a wall of sound. On “Strange Times,” Auerbach sounds like an enraged ghost as he snarls over a nasty guitar riff and an eerie atmosphere. “Psychotic Girl” has Auerbach singing from the crossroads with southern blues from below the Mason-Dixon Line.The Keys also get help in Tom Waits’ guitarist Mark Ribot, who lends a hand on the sorrowful “Lies” and 18-year-old bluegrass singer Jessica Lea Mayfield, who provides some support on the country-tinged closer “Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be.” There is also plenty of additional instrumentation including organ, vibraphone, bass and flute, which is a clear distinction between Attack and past Black Keys albums. Attack and Release is a surefire hit for any fan of classic rock as well as any one with an appreciation for what can be done with the studio.
(04/03/08 3:40pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Gypsy music has really surfaced on the indie scene over the past few years. Musicians from our own backyard like New Mexico folk singer Beirut and New York punk band Gogol Bordello have been reaching out to exotic and romantic Eastern Europe for their influence. The same story goes for misfit Denver quartet DeVotchKa, whose mix of Eastern and Western world music has made for a musical melting pot. On their fourth album A Mad and Faithful Telling, their first since their Grammy-nominated work on the “Little Miss Sunshine” soundtrack, DeVotchKa provides a few standout moments amidst music too similar to what has already been made on their previous albums.A Mad and Faithful Telling opens with the melodrama of “Basso Profundo,” an up-tempo bask in Spanish guitar, accordion, tuba and singer Nick Urata’s frantic vocals, ultimately leading into a bizarre opera slowdown before the song picks up the pace again. The song, while thrilling, sounds fit for a festival setting and out of place on this otherwise romantic album. The album has two instrumental pieces (“Comrade Z” and “Strizzalo”) that indulge in gypsy music and polka, respectively. However, they run too long, becoming monotonous. Pieces like this keep the album feeling bogged down, making it too antique to excite the listener’s ears.Nonetheless, the overindulgences of this album only prove to make the ballads more vibrant. “Along the Way” has Urata singing a soaring mariachi serenade over mariachi horns and beautifully descending violin. “Undone” has an achingly beautiful chorus over gently plucked guitar. “Transliterator” has a striking pizzicato violin line fused with flourishing violin and even some sustaining distorted guitar to make a wonderful and refreshing mix of musical styles. But when it comes down to it, there are not enough moments like these to take DeVotchKa to the next level, where artists like Yeasayer and Beirut have been more successful at blending world music with contemporary styles to make something fresh. So although A Mad and Faithful Telling is surely eloquent and undeniably beautiful at times, the album is more of the same, more appropriate for fans of traditional world music than your average indie rocker.