Here's a list of a FEW of the major events in music (from my point of view) that happened during my hiatus:
(1) Fall Out Boy got back together and recorded an album... without telling anyone!
(2) Flyleaf's lead singer, Lacey Sturm, unexpectedly quit the band to tour with evangelist group The Whosoevers (featuring Brian "Head" Welch from Korn). The band kept their name and replaced Lacey with Kristen May. They've gone from playing HOB and Hard Rock to playing dive bars. If you don't believe me, just look up their recent shows on YouTube.
(3) David Bowie came out of hiding! The industry's most reclusive rock star released his first album in... well... far too long!
(4) Amanda Bynes announced that she's recording a rap album. No, you're not getting punked. That really happened.
(5) Stone Temple Pilots dumped Scott Weiland for Chester Bennington. Yes, the dude from Linkin Park. STP and Weiland are suing each other. STP wants Weiland to stop singing their songs. Weiland wants... well... enough money to buy drugs. He'll lose.
(6) The Grammys were boring, despite being dominated by a band called Fun. If you want your band to be "fun," shouldn't your name have more exciting punctuation than a period?
(7) Billie Joe Armstrong went to rehab. Yes, the man who was virtually married to Mary Jane. I don't think we've seen a sober Green Day song yet. IF rehab is successful, I really don't know what to expect with the next album. Wishing him all the best!
(8) Justin Bieber bought an illegal monkey. (You really can't make this stuff up.)
(9) Taylor Swift broke up with another boy. And wrote an album about it. And that crap sold more copies than it should have.
(10) Snoop Dogg changed his name to Snoop Lion, started recording reggae music, and did a duet with Miley Cyrus. Now we can plan for the end of the world.
Think I missed something important? Let me know in the comments!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
It's Been Awhile
So, it has been a LONG time since I wrote a post. In fact, it's been 10 months. Since then, I've changed careers, zip codes, family status, and the music industry has continued to churn out music. Not gonna lie, most of it was CRAP.
This summer, I plan on trying to play "catch up" with this blog. I'll be reviewing some of the new summer stuff, and hitting the major highs and lows from the past 10 months.
It's good to be back. :)
This summer, I plan on trying to play "catch up" with this blog. I'll be reviewing some of the new summer stuff, and hitting the major highs and lows from the past 10 months.
It's good to be back. :)
Friday, August 3, 2012
Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel...
Release Date:
Genre: Indie, Jazz, Experimental
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.
That is the 23-word title to Fiona Apple's latest album. Apple has been silent since Extraordinary Machine came out back in 2005. She's spent the past few years agonizing over the tracks, title, and every creative component for her latest album, and, as usual, it shows. One thing that we have come to expect from Fiona Apple is that she will not disappoint us. Seven years was worth the wait, and we now have yet another soulful, inventive, ecclectic masterpiece in The Idler Wheel.
I will always give Apple credit for being inventive in her music. She has found a way to create a distinct sound, all her own, while still bringing something new to music each time she writes. Her lyrics (even her titles) are soulful, deep, full of meaning, longing, heartache, heartbreak, and every other span of human emotion. What you won't find on her albums are autotune, a catchy hook, or dubstep tracks. THANK GOODNESS! Her music is refreshing in an industry overflowing with Justin Biebers and Deadmau5.
Every track on The Idler Wheel feels more like artwork than mainstream music. If Apple's songs were paintings, her songs would be the oil paintings of Monet or Van Gogh or Picasso of the music industry, while Taylor Swift and Chris Brown churn out sidewalk chalk drawings on street corners 10 minutes before a thunderstorm. The first single, "Every Single Night," is something that I think a lot of people can relate to - that fight that many of us go through every night to shut out brain off. Most of Apple's lyrics seem to do a great job of being thoroughly relatable. The stripped down style of her songs, mainly piano and bell tones and a slight hint of percussion, highlight her poignant lyrics throughout the album.
It wouldn't be a Fiona Apple album without at least one killer breakup track, and this time around it's "Werewolf." Any song that likens a guy to a werewolf (and a shark and volcano and a lightning bolt) is probably about a breakup. This isn't the Twilight, fuzzy, puppy dog looking werewolf. This guy really broke her heart. The imagery in this one is vivid, and paints the picture of Apple wishing someone was dead, either her or him. This masochistic theme is common in her music, and really strikes a cord with fans. At the same time, I can also understand how it might intimidate some people. Then again, she's been intimidating the music industry at large since 1996.
If you're willing to venture outside of the box of convential pop music, Apple's The Idler Wheel... is a great place to start. There's artistry and invention to be appreciated in every second recorded. However, this review comes with a warning: the content is not for the faint of heart.
Genre: Indie, Jazz, Experimental
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.
That is the 23-word title to Fiona Apple's latest album. Apple has been silent since Extraordinary Machine came out back in 2005. She's spent the past few years agonizing over the tracks, title, and every creative component for her latest album, and, as usual, it shows. One thing that we have come to expect from Fiona Apple is that she will not disappoint us. Seven years was worth the wait, and we now have yet another soulful, inventive, ecclectic masterpiece in The Idler Wheel.
I will always give Apple credit for being inventive in her music. She has found a way to create a distinct sound, all her own, while still bringing something new to music each time she writes. Her lyrics (even her titles) are soulful, deep, full of meaning, longing, heartache, heartbreak, and every other span of human emotion. What you won't find on her albums are autotune, a catchy hook, or dubstep tracks. THANK GOODNESS! Her music is refreshing in an industry overflowing with Justin Biebers and Deadmau5.
Every track on The Idler Wheel feels more like artwork than mainstream music. If Apple's songs were paintings, her songs would be the oil paintings of Monet or Van Gogh or Picasso of the music industry, while Taylor Swift and Chris Brown churn out sidewalk chalk drawings on street corners 10 minutes before a thunderstorm. The first single, "Every Single Night," is something that I think a lot of people can relate to - that fight that many of us go through every night to shut out brain off. Most of Apple's lyrics seem to do a great job of being thoroughly relatable. The stripped down style of her songs, mainly piano and bell tones and a slight hint of percussion, highlight her poignant lyrics throughout the album.
It wouldn't be a Fiona Apple album without at least one killer breakup track, and this time around it's "Werewolf." Any song that likens a guy to a werewolf (and a shark and volcano and a lightning bolt) is probably about a breakup. This isn't the Twilight, fuzzy, puppy dog looking werewolf. This guy really broke her heart. The imagery in this one is vivid, and paints the picture of Apple wishing someone was dead, either her or him. This masochistic theme is common in her music, and really strikes a cord with fans. At the same time, I can also understand how it might intimidate some people. Then again, she's been intimidating the music industry at large since 1996.
If you're willing to venture outside of the box of convential pop music, Apple's The Idler Wheel... is a great place to start. There's artistry and invention to be appreciated in every second recorded. However, this review comes with a warning: the content is not for the faint of heart.
Monday, July 23, 2012
No Doubt: Settle Down
It isn't often that I will take to reviewing a single or music video. I personally believe that music videos should be just about obselete. Just download the song and use your imagination - the song should tell it's own story.
That being said, No Doubt has waited a decade to share a song with us. As a lifelong fan, I felt the need to share my thoughts on "Settle Down."
"It's My Life" was what No Doubt left the fans with back in 2002, the "bonus track" on a greatest hits album. They didn't even leave their fans with something original - they chose a cover! So, we're going to ignore that for right now and say that Rock Steady back in 2001 was the last thing we've really seen from No Doubt. A solid album, starting to dive more into a reggae vibe than the Orange County ska sound that originally catapulted them to fame. Well...
"Settle Down" picks up right where Rock Steady left off. There's a strong reggae influence, and the band is as tight as ever. You can tell this project was a labor of love, b/c Stefani's vocals were much cleaner cut and on target than any of the solo stuff she's put out. Maybe that's because her voice was clearly made for this type of music. But her voice isn't the only thing that shines - the quality of every layer of this track is off the chain. The song itself is over 6 minutes long - a gutsy move for a single. After ten years of waiting, at least the fans get more than 3 minutes of a teaser.
To be quite honest, I'm still working out the lyrics on this one. Usually Stefani's lyrics are pointed and straightforward. Her lyrics read like an open book under most cases. I don't know if she wrote these, or if it was a group effort. It's quite a catchy hook, "Get in line and settle down." But who on earth is supposed to settle down? Stefani? The band? The fans? The label? I've got nothing here. And the lyrics mention trying to "get a hold on this." And the band said that they chose this song specifically as the first single - what's the message?
Who cares?!?! It's a catchy number, and after just a few viewing of the video, it's looping in my head. It proves that No Doubt can still write a hit. But the real question is whether or not they can produce a complete, coherent album with a message. Tragic Kingdom struck a cord with so many fans back in the 90's because it had a message. Return of Saturn is, in my opinion, one of the greatest breakup albums every composed. Rock Steady was even a successful gamble. Let's hope Push and Shove was worth waiting 11 years for.
That being said, No Doubt has waited a decade to share a song with us. As a lifelong fan, I felt the need to share my thoughts on "Settle Down."
"It's My Life" was what No Doubt left the fans with back in 2002, the "bonus track" on a greatest hits album. They didn't even leave their fans with something original - they chose a cover! So, we're going to ignore that for right now and say that Rock Steady back in 2001 was the last thing we've really seen from No Doubt. A solid album, starting to dive more into a reggae vibe than the Orange County ska sound that originally catapulted them to fame. Well...
"Settle Down" picks up right where Rock Steady left off. There's a strong reggae influence, and the band is as tight as ever. You can tell this project was a labor of love, b/c Stefani's vocals were much cleaner cut and on target than any of the solo stuff she's put out. Maybe that's because her voice was clearly made for this type of music. But her voice isn't the only thing that shines - the quality of every layer of this track is off the chain. The song itself is over 6 minutes long - a gutsy move for a single. After ten years of waiting, at least the fans get more than 3 minutes of a teaser.
To be quite honest, I'm still working out the lyrics on this one. Usually Stefani's lyrics are pointed and straightforward. Her lyrics read like an open book under most cases. I don't know if she wrote these, or if it was a group effort. It's quite a catchy hook, "Get in line and settle down." But who on earth is supposed to settle down? Stefani? The band? The fans? The label? I've got nothing here. And the lyrics mention trying to "get a hold on this." And the band said that they chose this song specifically as the first single - what's the message?
Who cares?!?! It's a catchy number, and after just a few viewing of the video, it's looping in my head. It proves that No Doubt can still write a hit. But the real question is whether or not they can produce a complete, coherent album with a message. Tragic Kingdom struck a cord with so many fans back in the 90's because it had a message. Return of Saturn is, in my opinion, one of the greatest breakup albums every composed. Rock Steady was even a successful gamble. Let's hope Push and Shove was worth waiting 11 years for.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
John Mayer: Born and Raised
Genre(s): Country, Folk, Rock
Release Date: May 22, 2012
I have to admit, it took me a while to brave this latest release from John Mayer. After Continuum and Where the Light Is, I thought I was looking at the next Stevie Ray Vaughn. In previous work, John Mayer has come up as a young man with more soul and guts than we've seen from any artists in 20-30 years. His next attempt, Battles Studies, was hit or miss. The song with Taylor Swift was definitely a miss, that's for sure. When I saw the promo picks for Born and Raised with Mayer in a cowboy hat, I have to admit, I was scared. I did not wait 2 years for one of my favorite artists to for sake the blues and turn country on me.
Finally, I sat down and gave the album a chance. I mean, REALLY gave the album a chance. I listened to the melodies, read through the lyrics, and really took the album in. Just listening at face value, it sounds like a country album. A slightly low-key Nashville hopeful. However, if you dig a little deeper, and look at the lyrics, you'll find that Mayer really bares his soul in these lyrics. After his antics with interviews in Rolling Stone and Playboy, followed by 2 years of dead silence to the media, Mayer has finally found an "appropriate" outlet. He addresses his insecurities, fears, and mistakes, without calling out anyone else. (This isn't a quality that Taylor Swift could boast. Maybe she'll take a page out of Mayer's book and stop writing songs with her ex's names in them.)
I think that Mayer's hit single, "Shadow Days," was brilliantly titled, packaged, videoed, recorded, and marketed. For the past 2 years, Mayer has lived in the shadows, and prefers it that way. In his most recent interview with Rolling Stone, he shows that he doesn't expect to return to the limelight, dating the photog's favorite starlets. Mayer has packed his bags and moved to Montana, and will likely spend quite a while in the Big Sky Country, recording , but not playing the media's games. Lyrics like, "I'm a good man with a good heart/Had a tough time, got a rough start/But I finally learned to let it go" are really turning him into an open book. Not in the way that Twitter or media frenzy did while he dated one hot blonde after another, but in the way that he better understands himself, and where he went wrong.
Born and Raised reads like an apology to the masses. An apology to the fans for only putting half of his heart into Battles Studies. An apology to the great musicians he's been compared to, for not living up to their good names. An apology to the media for his absence. And an apology to anyone else who doesn't like it.
Instead of ruining the album with "spoilers," instead I invite you to track down the jacket notes (digital or the actual CD) and read it for yourself. Maybe then you'll see this as more than just another country album. Like many of the great before him, Mayer has undergone his first major resurrection. And it is a success.
Release Date: May 22, 2012
I have to admit, it took me a while to brave this latest release from John Mayer. After Continuum and Where the Light Is, I thought I was looking at the next Stevie Ray Vaughn. In previous work, John Mayer has come up as a young man with more soul and guts than we've seen from any artists in 20-30 years. His next attempt, Battles Studies, was hit or miss. The song with Taylor Swift was definitely a miss, that's for sure. When I saw the promo picks for Born and Raised with Mayer in a cowboy hat, I have to admit, I was scared. I did not wait 2 years for one of my favorite artists to for sake the blues and turn country on me.
Finally, I sat down and gave the album a chance. I mean, REALLY gave the album a chance. I listened to the melodies, read through the lyrics, and really took the album in. Just listening at face value, it sounds like a country album. A slightly low-key Nashville hopeful. However, if you dig a little deeper, and look at the lyrics, you'll find that Mayer really bares his soul in these lyrics. After his antics with interviews in Rolling Stone and Playboy, followed by 2 years of dead silence to the media, Mayer has finally found an "appropriate" outlet. He addresses his insecurities, fears, and mistakes, without calling out anyone else. (This isn't a quality that Taylor Swift could boast. Maybe she'll take a page out of Mayer's book and stop writing songs with her ex's names in them.)
I think that Mayer's hit single, "Shadow Days," was brilliantly titled, packaged, videoed, recorded, and marketed. For the past 2 years, Mayer has lived in the shadows, and prefers it that way. In his most recent interview with Rolling Stone, he shows that he doesn't expect to return to the limelight, dating the photog's favorite starlets. Mayer has packed his bags and moved to Montana, and will likely spend quite a while in the Big Sky Country, recording , but not playing the media's games. Lyrics like, "I'm a good man with a good heart/Had a tough time, got a rough start/But I finally learned to let it go" are really turning him into an open book. Not in the way that Twitter or media frenzy did while he dated one hot blonde after another, but in the way that he better understands himself, and where he went wrong.
Born and Raised reads like an apology to the masses. An apology to the fans for only putting half of his heart into Battles Studies. An apology to the great musicians he's been compared to, for not living up to their good names. An apology to the media for his absence. And an apology to anyone else who doesn't like it.
Instead of ruining the album with "spoilers," instead I invite you to track down the jacket notes (digital or the actual CD) and read it for yourself. Maybe then you'll see this as more than just another country album. Like many of the great before him, Mayer has undergone his first major resurrection. And it is a success.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Rocket Summer: Life Will Write the Words
Genre(s): Pop, Indie, Rock
Release Date: June 5, 2012
The Rocket Summer, a.k.a. Bryce Avary, has branched out with his own label, Aviate Records. Life Will Write the Words arguably has a higher recording and production quality than anything he released on S/R/E Records or Island Def Jam. This isn't surprising, as Avary has been writing and composing every song he's recorded, and played every instrument to boot. Adding successful producer and record label owner to his resume is the logical next step, and this album clearly shows that.
For a few weeks now, we've had our hands on the first single, "Run and Don't Stop." The only bad thing I can say about this song is that it sounds like it could easily fit on Do You Feel, which means it sounds like something we've already heard. Still, you can't deny the quality of every song he puts out. Also, it's refreshing to hear love songs with a clean mindset; instead of listening to pop/punk/indie bands lusting after the girls they can't get, we get to hear Avary sing about how wonderful it is to be married to the best girl. In my opinion, that is much more swoon-worthy than anything Fall Out Boy could put together.
One song really stuck out as different from the normal, but I couldn't tell if this was a "good" normal or a "bad" normal. "Just For a Moment Forget Who You Are" sounds like it was written for someone else. The chord progression and arrangement sound more like something off of Daughtry's albums, or maybe a cast aside track from Goo Goo Dolls. It's almost like Avary forgot who he was for a moment, which is a shame, because he's one of the most original acts out there on the indie scene.
I have to admit that I always look forward to the slow songs on Avary's albums. So, naturally, I was disappointed to wait 9 tracks to hear it. "Soldiers" did not disappoint. Avary delivers the passion, emotion, and quality I've come to expect from him in this track. If everything else on the album sounds like something I've heard before, this track makes up for it. The slow songs that Avary chooses for each album are the moments when he lets his heart bleed. For those who remember, "Christmas Present" off of Hello Good Friend could guilt a mass murderer into surrendering, or a billionaire into building a homeless shelter. "Soldier" blurs the lines between spiritual warfare and wars of flesh and blood, and the losses in both, with lyrics like "And in heaven, maybe he's/Smiling down on me/But behind those doors of my heart, I am crying/If I said it was easy always, I'd be lying." Heaven help you if you can't relate to that.
Overall, this is an album worth picking up. The upbeat tracks make a perfect summer soundtrack, and the depth of the lyrics will tug at your heart and your conscience better than most of the junk that the indie pop/punk genre has been throwing at us for the past 10 years. Life Will Write the Words is a sweet treat that you won't have to feel guilty about, and is sure to keep you in a good mood. But you'll be hard pressed to find an album from Avary that isn't. With a new label, I'm excited to see what else he puts out.
Release Date: June 5, 2012
The Rocket Summer, a.k.a. Bryce Avary, has branched out with his own label, Aviate Records. Life Will Write the Words arguably has a higher recording and production quality than anything he released on S/R/E Records or Island Def Jam. This isn't surprising, as Avary has been writing and composing every song he's recorded, and played every instrument to boot. Adding successful producer and record label owner to his resume is the logical next step, and this album clearly shows that.
For a few weeks now, we've had our hands on the first single, "Run and Don't Stop." The only bad thing I can say about this song is that it sounds like it could easily fit on Do You Feel, which means it sounds like something we've already heard. Still, you can't deny the quality of every song he puts out. Also, it's refreshing to hear love songs with a clean mindset; instead of listening to pop/punk/indie bands lusting after the girls they can't get, we get to hear Avary sing about how wonderful it is to be married to the best girl. In my opinion, that is much more swoon-worthy than anything Fall Out Boy could put together.
One song really stuck out as different from the normal, but I couldn't tell if this was a "good" normal or a "bad" normal. "Just For a Moment Forget Who You Are" sounds like it was written for someone else. The chord progression and arrangement sound more like something off of Daughtry's albums, or maybe a cast aside track from Goo Goo Dolls. It's almost like Avary forgot who he was for a moment, which is a shame, because he's one of the most original acts out there on the indie scene.
I have to admit that I always look forward to the slow songs on Avary's albums. So, naturally, I was disappointed to wait 9 tracks to hear it. "Soldiers" did not disappoint. Avary delivers the passion, emotion, and quality I've come to expect from him in this track. If everything else on the album sounds like something I've heard before, this track makes up for it. The slow songs that Avary chooses for each album are the moments when he lets his heart bleed. For those who remember, "Christmas Present" off of Hello Good Friend could guilt a mass murderer into surrendering, or a billionaire into building a homeless shelter. "Soldier" blurs the lines between spiritual warfare and wars of flesh and blood, and the losses in both, with lyrics like "And in heaven, maybe he's/Smiling down on me/But behind those doors of my heart, I am crying/If I said it was easy always, I'd be lying." Heaven help you if you can't relate to that.
Overall, this is an album worth picking up. The upbeat tracks make a perfect summer soundtrack, and the depth of the lyrics will tug at your heart and your conscience better than most of the junk that the indie pop/punk genre has been throwing at us for the past 10 years. Life Will Write the Words is a sweet treat that you won't have to feel guilty about, and is sure to keep you in a good mood. But you'll be hard pressed to find an album from Avary that isn't. With a new label, I'm excited to see what else he puts out.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Jason Mraz: Love is a Four Letter Word
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Genre: Pop
Leave it to Jason Mraz to give us an upbeat breakup album. Fresh off of a broken engagement with Tristan Prettyman, Mraz poured his heart and soul into the 12 tracks that make up LOVE is a Four Letter Word. From the melodies, you'd think it was just another happy, upbeat set from Mraz. However, both the title of the album and the lyrics in the songs reveal a very different story.
The first single, our first taste of the album, is "I Won't Give Up," and shows Mraz being willing to do whatever it takes to make his relationship work. There's more where this optimism is displayed (see "The Freedom Song"). But, there's also the reverse side, the broken heart peeking through. "I wish I was a fixer, I would fix you up inside [...] I wish I was that guy," these are lyrics that show the regret that we all know comes with heartbreak.
For those familiar with Mraz from his previous efforts, such as Waiting for my Rocket to Come and We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things, we know that Mraz can put a positive spin on just about anything. "The Remedy" puts that optimism on cancer, "Curbside Prophet" puts a positive spin on the rough lifestyle of touring as an indie artist, and this list could go on for a long time. LOVE is a Four Letter Word is no exception to this. Mraz has given us a break up album that can lift our spirits and help us start that healthy process of moving on. with such upbeat melodies, you can't help but smile and sing along to track like "Everything is Sound." Sing it with him, "La la la la."
Genre: Pop
Leave it to Jason Mraz to give us an upbeat breakup album. Fresh off of a broken engagement with Tristan Prettyman, Mraz poured his heart and soul into the 12 tracks that make up LOVE is a Four Letter Word. From the melodies, you'd think it was just another happy, upbeat set from Mraz. However, both the title of the album and the lyrics in the songs reveal a very different story.
The first single, our first taste of the album, is "I Won't Give Up," and shows Mraz being willing to do whatever it takes to make his relationship work. There's more where this optimism is displayed (see "The Freedom Song"). But, there's also the reverse side, the broken heart peeking through. "I wish I was a fixer, I would fix you up inside [...] I wish I was that guy," these are lyrics that show the regret that we all know comes with heartbreak.
For those familiar with Mraz from his previous efforts, such as Waiting for my Rocket to Come and We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things, we know that Mraz can put a positive spin on just about anything. "The Remedy" puts that optimism on cancer, "Curbside Prophet" puts a positive spin on the rough lifestyle of touring as an indie artist, and this list could go on for a long time. LOVE is a Four Letter Word is no exception to this. Mraz has given us a break up album that can lift our spirits and help us start that healthy process of moving on. with such upbeat melodies, you can't help but smile and sing along to track like "Everything is Sound." Sing it with him, "La la la la."
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