The Go! Team- Rolling Blackouts

·         Rolling Blackouts has such an interesting sound ranging from girl pop in the ‘60s to modern day hip hop. When I was listening to “Bust-out Brigade” all I could imagine was an opening cop show sequence showing the main guy smiling and giving thumbs up. The only bad thing with having such a variety in the sound is that listening to this full album can be tiresome. I will definitely say that their songs are built well for what they are trying to do but their knowledge of album sequencing seems almost nonexistent. There are some incredible gems on Rolling Blackouts, but I would not suggest it as a whole to anyone.  



Final Review- 70

January 2011 Playlist

Wanna check out some of my favorite songs from January?? Well then today is your lucky day! I have complied a playlist of the best of the best from January. Just click the link below and DL the file titled "January 2011" and begin enjoying some of my favorite jams!

Track Listing for January 2011 Playlist

1. The Get Up Kids- Automatic
2. Cage The Elephant- Aberdeen
3. White Lies- Strangers
4. British Sea Power- Georgie boy
5. Wire- Bad Worn Thing
6. Cold War Kids- Louder Than Ever
7. Destroyer- Poor In Love
8. Iron & Wine- Me and Lazarus
9. Deerhoof- I Did Crimes for You
10. Cake- Long Time
11. Gang of Four- I Party All The Time
12. Social Distortion- California (Hustle and Flow)
13. Roger Miret & The Disasters- Stand Up and Fight
14. Tapes 'n Tapes- Badaboom
15. Emma's Imagination- Falling Slowly
16. Seefeel- Airless

Roger Miret and the Disasters - Gotta Get Up Now

I am a big fan of a fun and fresh punk sound and Roger Miret and the Disasters is exactly that. The music is well done with obviously talented and confident musicians. All of the songs overflow energy and a positive feeling that makes every song feel like it could be an anthem. Vocalist Roger Miret has a crisp and clean vocal style that is absent in most punk bands. Roger Miret and the Disasters seem to know what they do best. Where other songs can sound over done, their music always seems just right. Songs mostly fluctuate around two minutes in length, never stretching much over four minutes. Gotta Get Up Now is a must for anyone who loves light-hearted fun punk music.




Final Review- 80

Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

Kiss Each Other Clean was a nice surprise. Iron & Wine has always had really good instrumental and vocal mixes but Kiss Each Other Clean really raises the bar. Songs on this album sound more upbeat and soulful than previous works. Combined as an album they paint an even bigger picture. Each song enticed me to keep listening, to be excited about what is to come. Kiss Each Other Clean is well produced, getting its hooks in with poppy vocals and beats. Even if you have never been a fan of Iron & Wine, Kiss Each Other Clean has a decent chance of winning you over. Fans might be skeptical because of the drastic new sound, but fearing change is no reason to ignore the talent and brilliance that Iron & Wine employed in making this, their fourth album.




Final Review- 95

Gang of Four - Content

Gang of Four has a unique, gritty, unfinished glam sound. The musicians are obviously talented, from the really fun bass lines to the great drum beats to an almost Iggy Pop-sounding lead vocal. The down side of Content is that it loses its punch immediately due to a weak opening track. It has a couple redeeming songs but altogether Gang of Four is sloppy and weak. I love the musicians but the songs themselves seem to be lacking real inspiration. This band has been around for a while and has been an inspiration to other groups like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana. I'm left with a curiosity about Gang of Four's back catalogue wondering what their earlier works must have been like to inspire such unique sounds in these later bands.




Final Review- 65

The Get up Kids- There Are Rules

There Are Rules is not an album that introduces a lot of new or unique sounds, but what sets The Get Up Kids apart from the rest is that they simply stick to their favorite music and do it well. The punk/rock genre has just about been done to death. The difference between There Are Rules and its predecessors are subtle but they make a big difference. The vocals are interesting, resisting the urge to go on and on. The beats and hooks are done in an interesting way with a synth usually accompanied by good guitar work. These are the small things that set The Get Up Kids apart from others in this genre. I love the confidence in this album and I look forward to the progression of their sound and future albums. There Are Rules is definitely worth a listen.




Final Review- 80

Cold War Kids - Mine Is Yours

The vocals on every track of Mine Is Yours are incredibly soulful and well controlled. I feel that this is a mediocre album for Cold War Kids but I have a lot of hope for what will come from them in the future. The blues rock mix is really good, and the Cold War Kids are overflowing talent. Cold War Kids is only going to get better and better as the band gains confidence and falls upon a more rounded sound, but as far as Mine is Yours is concerned I would have to say that it is not a must-listen album.




Final Review- 60

Destroyer- Kaputt

Destroyer brings some really interesting music to the table. Daniel Bejar’s vocals are really light and airy and almost a little weak, but the backup vocals he does provide some real depth. The music itself is really synthpop jazzy with a good use of sax and other horns throughout most of the tracks. There is also a really interesting use of rock guitar in most of the songs. When listening to the final track, titled "Bay of Pigs," I pictured in my head a tamed version of Bill Pullman playing saxophone at the bar in David Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway.  The album flows well. It would be a bummer for someone to miss out on Destroyer’s Kaputt. The album has a strong and complete sound, a breath of fresh air.




Final Review- 90

Deerhoof - Deerhoof vs. Evil

(I could not find a great version of this on youtube but this is the best live one)

Deerhoof caught my attention right away. Unlike your usual vocal driven bands, Deerhoof pushes their vocals to the back on Deerhoof vs. Evil, using them as more of a garnish than a driving force. Every song is really strong with complex beats and synth work that makes you want to move around while you listen. With Deerhoof, you can hear confidence in every note. They know exactly what type of sound they are going for and they deliver. The problem such strong, independent songs like these, however, is that Deerhoof vs. Evil is not so much of a strong flowing album as it is a loose string of really great songs. Wholistically speaking, Deerhoof vs. Evil isn't mind-blowing as an album, but as a collection of songs it is certainly a must hear for 2011.




Final Review- 80

Social Distortion- Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes

I am a huge fan of both Social Distortion and creator Mike Ness's solo work, so I was really excited about listening to the new album Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes. Mike Ness still delivers the same strong, gritty, soulful vocals that Social Distortion fans have come to love. Every song is well produced and the opening track is made awesome by fun guitar work. Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes has one of the best '90s sounds I've heard this decade. There are a few really great tracks on this album but as a whole it gets a little repetitive and boring. I would say that if you are a Social D fan this is still a must listen too, but for the rest of the world this is an album that falls easily to the back of the line.




Final Review- 75

White Lies- Ritual

  

From the moment I hit play to the very last track of Ritual, I wanted to sing along with all the songs. This is surprising considering I didn’t know any of the words. All of the tracks are really well produced with catchy hooks and beats that make you want to keep listening. One of my favorite things about White Lies is that they seem to really know their roles. Each member utilizes his talents and interests for a flawless team effort. I would compare the sound of Ritual to an evolved Tears For Fears mixed with the occasional Nick Cave vocal sound. Ritual is most definitely a must listen for 2011.




Final Rating- 95

Seefeel- Seefeel

I realized almost immediately that I wouldn't be able to give Seefeel a good review. I don't have the required expertise to know what to listen for in ambient techno music. The beats and melodies are really nice to listen to, and the vocals seem well placed. I would suggest this album if you are into chill ambient music that is interesting enough to get pushed to the foreground. I don't feel qualified to say anything beyond that

Wire- Red Barked Tree

Red Barked Tree has a strong start but dwindles in strength as it creeps toward the end. The sound is reminiscent of fun '80s pop punk with vocals full of attitude. I even detected a couple hints of Bowie here and there. Where this album starts falling short is in its over-long songs full of with repetitive guitar riffs and lacking significant breaks. I would love to see this band tighten up their music by shortening songs lengths and deploying a guitar solo (or any solo, really) here and there to break up the songs more. Quite frankly, Red Barked Tree burned me out almost immediately after it began. I love Wire's punk sound, but I am a firm believer that to do punk well you need to keep your tracks under three and a half minutes in length. Red Barked Tree is weak, but I have hope that Wire will really find their sound and make some great music in the future.




Final Review- 60

Tapes n' Tapes- Outside

Tapes n' Tapes has a really interesting sound, mixing polka beats with a hint of blues and a dash of rock. Among similar bands, Tapes n' Tapes stands out for their vocal talent. The lyrics seem authentically sincere, a nice change of pace compared to many Indie rock bands. The percussion on this album is versatile and well done. After a while the songs begin to drag leaving me with little to pique my interests. Although their sound is unique, their songs really lose steam after going on and on with little variation. I was surprised by how much I liked Outside, but I certainly wouldn’t say that I'm their number one fan. I hope to hear more from Tapes n' Tapes in the future when they work into a more refined sound and really begin focusing on complete, solid songs. That said, Outside is definitely worth a listen, even if only for the great percussion and strong vocals.




Final Review- 75

Cake- Showroom of Compassion

I enjoyed hearing Cake's lead singer John McCrea actually sing most of the tracks on Showroom of Compassion rather than use the low talking vocal style that saturates Cake's earlier works. Cake's sixth album starts out really interestingly. Right away I felt certain that Showroom of Compassion would finally leave me with a Cake album I could get 100% behind. This is where I got let down. I love the beats and the instruments - in fact, amazing instrumentals are one of the things Cake always delivers - but after three tracks the album had already lost its novelty. Lyrically, Showroom of Compassion is boring. It is as if the singer just simply finds catchy phrases and repeats it for four minutes and calls it a track. I know Cake lovers are going to rip into me for being so critical of the new album, but honestly it just feels like it lacks real substance. If you are a huge Cake fan I can see you absolutely loving this album; if you’re not you'll find the same old thing with slightly better production and a pinch more soul.




Final Review- 65

Cage the Elephant- Thank You, Happy Birthday

I have been interested in listing to Cage the Elephant for a while but unfortunately I never really got the chance until the release of their latest album Thank You, Happy Birthday this year. The album is incredibly satisfying, sprinkled with outstanding guitar and drum work. The bands greatest strength, however, is in songwriting and melody. Matthew Shultz has an interesting vocal style and harmonizes really well with himself. While strong, the lyrics often feel shallow compared to the stand-out instrument work. I think this album has some really great gems that are definitely worth a listen or two, but as an album I find it lacking.




Final Review- 75

Emma's Imagination- Stand Still

As I searched Emma's Imagination's 2011 album Stand Still in to try to find a song that really well represented the album, all I could come up with was her cover of the 2007 Academy Award winning song “Falling Slowly” (written by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) from the film Once. Stand Still as a whole has very little flow and none of the album's original songs really stand out. On the bright side, singer Emma Gillespie's voice is incredible. I really hope that she gets the opportunity to work with a creative team that can put her to good use in the future. I will keep an ear out for Emma’s Imagination, but this album is a pass for anyone looking for real substance in their January listening choices.




Final Review- 50

British Sea Power- Valhalla Danehall

Valhalla Dancehall has an incredible flow. While stronger in sequencing than most other January albums, the individual songs do not have the same punch as other, less put together albums. I really love the guitar work and drum beats. There are some really cool guitar and synth solos sprinkled throughout which give the album a lot of depth. Sometimes the vocals can be a bit of an ear-sore, but whenever this happens the instrumental aspect is strong enough to prevent you from not enjoying listening to this album. Valhalla Dancehall is a must listen for 2011, a well written album with great flowing songs. You can’t go wrong.




Final Review- 95

Cut Copy- Zonoscope

·         Cut Copy is a great example of a band taking the '80s new wave sound and mixing it with modern electro pop successfully. Zonoscope has a pretty great feel from beginning to end. I have to show some major respect for how everything mixes so seamlessly. Cut Copy know what kind of sound they want and how to execute it well on an album. Even with some songs reaching fifteen minutes in length there is so much happening that time seems to fly by. It was really hard to pick any one song off of this album just because they don’t work as well on their own. Zonoscope is definitely meant to be an experience, not just an album you listen to for one or two songs. I appreciate Zonoscope and think it is a must on everyone’s 2011 list.

Final Review- 90