Reflective and bittersweet - this is Neil Halstead’s songwriting. The frontman of Mojave 3, Halstead illuminates perfection in every song with his long-awaited debut solo effort. Halstead plays these songs in an intimate manner, inviting the listener along on his personal journey. The beat is always minimal, but strong enough to keep things steady and calm.
Clarence Greenwood (aka Citizen Cope) shows promise with this record. Singing about everything from political conflict to love themes to emotional ballads, he crafts an amazing album that will earn him national acclaim. “If There’s Love” skids into Lenny Kravitz or Nelly Furtado territory, while “200,000 (in counterfeit 50 dollar bills)” fits the repetitive criteria of the rest of the record, but is saved by the relaxing lyrics and a sleepy breakdown. It’s incredible how Greenwood can use sometimes cheesy lyrics and make them sound amazing, such as with this verse from “If There’s Love”: “You give me strength to beat the odds and overcome my fears/You make me feel like I belong under the sun/You never grow old because you’re forever young.” Original?
The buzz around campus is warranted. If you were wondering whether the new album from Fortune 500 is worth adding to your collection - wonder no more. The three solo artists - Crimson, Agony and Dux - hook up to put out an impressive debut album from the upstart label TrailBlaze Records. So many times underground rappers put out albums just to stake claim to having a record to brag about around their neighborhoods.
Hip-hop or garbage - which do you prefer? Personally, I prefer hip-hop and artists with originality.
Improvisation is key to a band’s aura. If it can occasionally jump off its routine and veer off on some random tangent, that’s when the true spirit of the artist is showcased. Ekoostik hookah’s seventh disc is a laid-back record infused with random jaunts of improvisation at its best. It fuses a Stevie Ray Vaughn vocal influence with an old-school bluegrass tinge. It has plenty of breakdowns and the album’s motivation is built in its overall simplicity.
Here we go again. It’s nice to see artists out there still playing rock ’n’ roll writing their own music and attempting something other than the mainstream - but being able to differentiate between a band’s songs is key as well.
Valentin Narvaez broke all the rules when he recorded his solo record. By writing and performing every instrument on this album, he did something that other artists attempting the same feat have failed to do - he made a fine sounding recording. “The Stars are Bombs Luring Overhead” segues to a combination of what would happen if rock band The Cars got funky, but progresses into an easy-going tune with a solid beat. “Red Skies” is held together by a familiar indie-rock drum pattern, and Narvaez’s vocals are soothing and melancholy at the same time.
Everyone makes mistakes, and that includes bands. Hefner’s previous record, “We Love The City,” was a lackluster performance of easygoing tunes.
Bad Religion has finished its dismal ride with Atlantic Records and is back on punk friendly grounds with Epitaph.
Synthesizers are great. And when they are applied to relaxing groove-based music, only good things can result. The new record by Himawari is electronica that is impossible to dislike. Mixing computer-generated effects with easy going Depeche Mode-influenced rhythms, this album flows like a calm river with the occasional rapid to toss and turn its direction. “The word” is a mesmerizing song that features the passionate and sexy voice of Lena repeating a phrase that, after a couple of listens, becomes perfect. “Chu chu” is a bit hesitant, tossing and turning from mellow confidence to obscure paranoia, all while building toward a powerful conclusion that never comes. Lena’s vocals are strikingly similar to Bj?rk, while the background noise hints at solid dance music at times.
From the introduction of “Bug (Electric Last Minute)” to the solemn goodbye of “Nowhere,” Cornelius manages to place the right note with each mood of the song and matches themes accordingly on this album. Using the sounds of nature isn’t uncommon, as the flowing of water, the chirping of birds and beetles, the sound of pouring rain and blowing wind are used effectively.
On this soundtrack, it rains when it pours. The good songs are amazing and perfect for a mix tape, whereas the weaker songs are terrible. With great numbers by the Foo Fighters, 12 Rods, Pete Yorn and Creeper Lagoon,this record is one of the early forerunners of “best soundtrack of 2002.” The only downfall is that it is more directed toward the pop-ridden theme of the MTV generation than connoisseurs of quality music. It features “Butterfly” by Crazy Town, the most annoying song of 2001, along with a weak tune by Bad Ronald and an Offspring song, “Defy You,”which sounds more like Limp Bizkit than decent alternative rock. “Everything’s Cool” by Lit is nothing out of the ordinary for the band, while Cake’s piece of the pie tastes very good. Perhaps the best part of the disc are the two great songs by Brian Wilson, “Lay Down Burden” and “Love and Mercy,” which both hum with the easy going sweetness of Wilson’s intrigue. Phantom Planet also contributes “California,” a great song accompanied by a tickling of the ivories. Despite some of the songs shooting it in the foot, this record shines more than it dulls and is saved by contributions from some of the best names in rock.
Honesty is extremely important in music, and Tony Melonakos handles the task well on his second release and debut full-length album “Beginning the Victory.” The album, written and performed by the general business administration and pre-law freshman, focuses on the tragic and sometimes comedic value of a young adult’s reality. Most of it is Melonakos and his acoustic guitar, and among the topics he sings about are idolization of John Cusack, through the eyes of a lonely bench-warmer on a basketball team and obsession with the female form. None of it is distasteful, but sometimes the lyrics are too obvious or too predictable. “Night And Day Mares” is a powerful ballad, molding heart-wrenching verses with whimpering strings, while the opening track, “Brad Pitt,” features Melonakos singing about wanting to be the acclaimed actor, while a woman counterpart sings about “wanting to get a piece” of the star.
Power chords and uneducated guitar solos galore - meet the Deadlines. On this record, the band incorporates the fun, somewhat grown-up aspect of rock ’n’ roll while grasping its straight-up punk rock roots. The sexy, swaggering vocals of Shaun Sundholm is obvious on “I Want a Stalker,” somewhat familiar of the late Joey Ramone, but not as good. Most of the chords are easily accessible in nearly every punk rock bands’ Palm Pilots, but it doesn’t seem to matter.
Move over Britney. Nevermind, just let this little lady chill just outside of your spotlight, because she’s trying. Lindsay Pagano molds the country-tinged style of Leanne Rimes with the harmonization effects of Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. This album is basic teeny-bopper sing along happy music.
Based on the album cover, it’s possible to stereotype these crazy cats as Slipknot wannabes. That pretty much sums it up. Both bands make generous use of its respective artilleries - loud guitars, pinpoint drumming and nightmarish vocals. And the masks?
Let me start off by saying, for the record, I love Belle & Sebastian. Everything, up to this point, that it has done has been incredible and holds up to any and every band England has produced in the last five years or so.
As Detroit witnesses a revival in great rock acts, the industry is finally realizing what Michiganians have been telling the world all along - Detroit rocks. “Right now I’m listening to the latest White Stripes album,” said Walter Schreifels, frontman of the rock band Rival Schools.
With the aid of new band member John Parish, the band known simply as eels has successfully reinvented itself and put out a disc surpassing anything the band has done before. “Souljacker” is a rock album that returns to the band’s roots and a sound witnessed on its first two albums. But don’t classify “Souljacker” as just another eels album. This one is more complex, heavier, mature, personal and insightful than anything the band has done before.
There have been many additions to Chris Vrenna’s résumé since he quit Nine Inch Nails in 1996.