Music reviews

[Reply #40 on:]

I've discovered just how much I don't not like Aerosmith and U2.  I've found myself downloading songs from both of these bands.  If I get one more from either, I may have to buy a CD.

[Reply #41 on:]

Is this earlier Aerosmith and U2 stuff, or more recent? Because I will admit that older songs from those two bands are indeed quite listenable. For me, however, Aerosmith completely lost it after the album "Pump." I'm not a huge U2 fan, but the same thing happened to them...they're not as good as they used to be in the early 90s/all of the 80s.

[Reply #42 on:]

Do you ppl really think metallica filmed that video in a Max security prison?

[Reply #43 on:]

They did but they forgot to mention the intense security they where under. I like the whole no hostage policy, espcially with that tard lars ulman involved. Im sure hes a great drummer but c'mon guys, hes a common day tard.

[Reply #44 on:]

They are some of the most powerful ppl in Rock. They Head, or Lars, A record company. Why do you think they oppose Warez. Artists dont care because they get most of the money from Contracts, not royalties. But if you have stock in a Company then more sales means more MONAY.

[Reply #45 on:]

 

Originally posted by Squeezit:
Mad Season is totally unlike all of AIC's stuff--Layne really uses his voice in a more mellow, jazzy kind of way. My favorite song from that album is "Wake Up," it's really terrific

Jerry Cantrell's new solo album is pretty good too. It's like all the great guitar and song writing without Layne's voice though, which is saddening. Oh well, I didn't think they were gonna make a new album anyway, even if he didn't die.

Clool  yeah I've got Jerry Cantrell's new solo album 'Degredation Trip'. It's really good, but really depressing in places though, especially the songs with stuff to do with Laynes death. But very cool album, and my fave song on it is 'Angel Eyes', kinda reminds me of the AIC song 'Heaven Beside You'. And I didn't really think they'd make another album even if he didn't die either, but maybe a few songs now and again 

[Reply #46 on:]

What the fuck is a tard?

Anyways, the money's in publishing.  Fact. 

You don't own dick in the music business unless your name is on the dotted line at BMI.  That is why some of the newer artists are listed at songwriters on their songs, they know the value of copyright, and are savvy enough to have it put in writing, so that when they're has-beens, the checks keep on coming.

If that were not so, why would artists bid millions for Copyrights to older artists back-catalogs?  (Michael Jackson/Beatles, Paul McCartney/Buddy Holly, etc.)  It's one of the only ways you can make money while sleeping.

Now, Lars Ulrich is listed as songwriter on all of Metallica's songs, yet he never wrote a note in his life.  He's the arranger:  play this for two bars, that for four, then double-time the chorus, etc.  Song written, now where's my check?

He's business-minded, hence the wrangles over Napster.  Therefore, he's gonna try and get every cent he can.  Good luck to him, if I were in that position, me too!

Back to reviews: Otis, if you loved "Justice", you'll love "St. Anger", go get it.

@DrT:  U2 will never surpass "Achtung Baby" in my opinion, and that's no mean feat anyway, as it was one of the best albums of the 90's.

[Reply #47 on:]

 

Originally posted by Melllvar:
What the fuck is a tard?

My guess is it means "retard". And yes, if you ask me, he does look like one.

[Reply #48 on:]

Angel Eyes is my favorite song on there too--I'm always angry because they play Nickleback crap on the radio every 5 minutes but they only played Angel Eyes ONCE. I can't stand the radio. . .

At least if Layne didn't die they might have had a reunion concert. . . 

And I always download music to see if it's good--and if it is--I buy the album. If it wasn't for downloading I wouldn't have bought every Radiohead and Alice in Chains CD I could find. The music industry must be worried because they're one hit wonders are being exposed for what they are before everyone makes the mistake of buying their worthless CDs.

[Reply #49 on:]

 

Oriinally Posted By Oompa Loompa:
Yeah, you heard me, what are your favourite bands? Pls, no rap, eminem, whatever shit, I said music 
I think I have a very good taste when it comes to music, but I would like to know what you guys dig!

My list, although not big, it's the quality that counts!

Radiohead- Magnificent
Live, only in the younger days!
Counting crows: very good.
Unbelievable Truth- what do did you think, the brother of thom yorke for god's sake 
Siguros- Great band that uses his own created language.
REM: Has some good songs
Flaming lips: I like them, but not as much as the other ones.....

I like Siguros Too, and vast. Has anyone Heard Vast? He's Realy great.

[Reply #50 on:]

Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right (...but three do)



15 tracks - 57:02 minutes
Goatee Records/ I Went Fishing And All I Got Was This Lousy Publishing

1. Chap Stick, Chapped Lips and Things Like Chemistry
2. Mood Rings
3. Falling Out
4. Forward Motion
5. In Love With the 80's (pink tux to the prom)
6. College Kids
7. Trademark
8. Hoopes I Did It Again
9. Over Thinking
10. Am I Understood?
11. Getting Into You
12. (untitled)
13. Gibberish
14. From End To End
15. Jefferson Aero Plane

A band like this might not interest most of you, thanks to its label as "Christian Rock," but they're much less gospel singers than they are a band that just has Christian members, like P.O.D. Sure, a few of their songs are more religious than others, but for the most part it's just random rock.

Their style has been called punk, but they're really not -- they're more like ska, just without wind instruments. Light punk, I suppose. Watered-down, if you prefer.  What can I say; I like it.

Anywho, this is their latest effort, and I think a good one. The sound this time around is a little more mellow than before. Most songs flow well into the next track, and in fact when casually listening it is possible to go three tracks and believe you're still on the same song. Though overall not as consistently great as their last CD (The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek), the best tracks on this CD are better than the best on their last.

They experiment a bit with heavier styles and different lead vocalists on some tracks, to great success on "From End To End," where they use a more traditional rock sound. The same is not true for "Am I Understood?", the band just doesn't have the right vocals to support a heavy-metal type sound.

The songs "Falling Out," "Forward Motion," "From End To End," and "Trademark" are all catchy and the best selections on the disc for good combinations of lyrics/music. As always, there is at least one nonsense, just-for-fun song, and "Gibberish" fills the bill. Also appearing is the traditional hidden track, a surprisingly good rap effort by the band's vocalists. The lyrics themselves are random as their hidden tracks always are, but the quality is good.

Perhaps the only thing missing this time around is the tradition of pop culture references sprinkled throughout tracks. Past songs have contemplated Marilyn Manson, Nancy Drew, the Thundercats, and Charles In Charge. Aside from some passing references to Tears for Fears and Jefferson Airplane, there aren't any this time.

Personal favorite tracks include all four of the best tracks mentioned above, as well as "Gibberish" for pure entertainment value, and "In Love With The 80's (pink tux to the prom)" for nostalgia reasons.

Relient K is one of my favorite bands, probably second behind the mighty ska of Five Iron Frenzy. This is great for me because the band members in each group are friends, and often tour together. In short, this band is on my short list of groups who's songs I refuse to download off the internet. I figure they deserve my money.

8.5/10

[Reply #51 on:]

Yeah. I alwaysd buy albums of artists i think its important to support.

[Reply #52 on:]

Electric Six - Fire

1.  Dance Commander 
2.  Electric Demons In Love 
3.  Naked Pictures (Of Your Mother) 
4.  Danger! High Voltage 
5.  She's White 
6.  I Invented The Night 
7.  Improper Dancing 
8.  Gay Bar 
9.  Nuclear War (On The Dancefloor) 
10. Getting Into the Jam 
11. Vengeance and Fashion 
12. I'm The Bomb 
13. Synthesizer 

Anyone who's seen any of the two videos for Electric Six's singles "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar", will know that this music is not for the seriously minded.

That's a good thing, music is meant to be fun and boy are these guys having a blast.  Crammed with party tracks, great hooks and memorable lyrics ("I was born a prisoner in your dungeon of fish" - "She's White" ), this is a record designed to snap the perpetually depressed out of their funk, and get them dancing.

Standout tracks are the aforementioned "Danger! High Voltage" (with the helium co-vocal of The White Stripes' Jack White) and "Gay Bar", closely followed by the brilliant "Naked Pictures (Of Your Mother)", "Dance Commander", "I'm The Bomb" and "She's White" - although the whole album is fun from start to finish.

Evoking funktastic 70's Disco spirit mixed with current trendy garage-band hooks (few songs are much more than three minutes), so if you're not enjoying the current track, don't worry, another one will be along soon enough.

[Reply #53 on:]

 

Originally posted by Squeezit:
Angel Eyes is my favorite song on there too--I'm always angry because they play Nickleback crap on the radio every 5 minutes but they only played Angel Eyes ONCE. I can't stand the radio. . .

At least if Layne didn't die they might have had a reunion concert. . .   

And I always download music to see if it's good--and if it is--I buy the album. If it wasn't for downloading I wouldn't have bought every Radiohead and Alice in Chains CD I could find. The music industry must be worried because they're one hit wonders are being exposed for what they are before everyone makes the mistake of buying their worthless CDs.

Awesome  Yeah I hate the radio too, and Homebase FM (the radiostation where I work) is even worse  I hate the way radiostations try to shape and mould people to listen to what they want us to hear, rather than what we actually want to hear. Just like the manufactered bands they often play, they try to manufacter what we listen to as well, and it sucks.

I'm not sure if Layne would have ever been up to doing a reunion concert ever again, even if he didn't die. They only just managed to get him back to record their last 2 songs in 1998. And in the video for 'Get Born Again', although Layne was in it, he was either covered in weird stuff to disguise his state, or just clips were used from the 'Sea of Sorrow video of him singing. Actually, I'm not actaully certain if it was him covered in that stuff anyway?

And downloading music has it's ups and downs. I often download music just to test an album to see if I like it, so I don't waste a load of money on something I don't like, But often I hear one song by someone  like, then download some more songs off their album, and if I like them, then I'll buy it 

[Reply #54 on:]

ME likey Grandaddy and Flashlight Brown, Two up and coming bands

[Reply #55 on:]

Mindset - A Bullet For Cinderella
1999

1. Giftwrap
2. Sorry
3. System
4. Mother Loves You
5. 8 Beers and a Book on Zen
6. Divided
7. Wasted Time
 8. Laugh
9. Die, Ricki Die
10. W.B.P.M.
11. Everyman
12. Bullet for Cinderella
13. Bottom of the Glass

This is a really awesome album, by a band that practically knowone has heard of. They're a metal band from Virginia Beach, USA. And this album is their second album. Their style is awesome, the guitar riffs are so powerful and kinda funky, but dark at the same time. Their style kinda has aspects of Rage Against The Machine, Deftones, KoRn, Metallica and a whole load of stuff mixed together. But they distinctly don't sound like any of those bands, they have their own style, and views.

They are very against society and the way things are, which is expressed through the lyrics, which aren't shouty, but very melodic. They create a really clool contrast with the sludgy guitars. Also the production is very meaty on the guitars, and it's very clear and well produced too. I actually bought this album back in 1999 when it was released, but my parents took it back because they didn't like the lyrics. I was gutted, and there's nothing particulalry wrong with them. There's a little swearing, but not loads, but it's very anti-society and 'The System', which is one of the songs. That's what my parents had against it. I've tried finding this album since, but I've had no luck because they're so unheard of. I've had to resort to downloading it, but even that's an obsticale because hardly anyone has it online either. But I've managed to get most of the tracks after much searching.

My fave tracks are 'Divided', 'Wasted Time', 'Everyman' and the title track. There other songs are mostly clool too, there's a little filler along the way though. But the good songs more than make up for it. And also, the title of the album isn't literal. It means that they look at a lot of pop music as Fairytale music, and this album is the bullet into that 'Fairytale' music. I'm not sure what's happened since they released this album but I've heard nothing about them since.

But anyway, this album rules, it's just a pitty hardly anyone's heard it.

8/10
 

[Reply #56 on:]

 

Originally posted by SpacemanSpiff:
he also has cotton-eye joe by rednex.
faze, i'm so disappointed in you.

Purely for cheesy nostalgia, I loved it when it came out at the young and impressionable age I was. It's a woeful song though.

For upcoming Aerosmith fans I recommend Just Push Play, Dream On, Big Ten Inch and Last Child.

[Reply #57 on:]

I listen to thesse bands:

Metallica
Linkin Park
Saliva
Limp Bizkit

[Reply #58 on:]

Foo Fighters - Lessons In Aviation
A FF compilation I made for Dadbot - 2001.

1. My Hero
2. This Is A Call
3. Learn To Fly
4. I'll Stick Around
5. Breakout
6. Big Me
7. Monkey Wrench
8. Alone + Easy Target
9. For All The Cows
10. Hey! Johnny Park!
11. My Poor Brain
12. Generator
13. Wind Up
14. Stacked Actors
15. Everlong
16. Next Year
17. Walking After You

This was a comp CD I made, mainly to introduce Dadbot to what a great band the Foo's are - he's a big fan now.  I made sure that I had liberal sprinkles of singles, and selections from all three albums (at the time - this was made before One By One).

As with rules on compilations tapes, there are tracks which are designed to open the album (the obvious choice would have been track 1 from album 1, "This Is A Call" ) - however, I remembered a Foo's gig I went to where they started with "My Hero" - a lot of my single-band compilation tracklists comes from gig-setlists.

The second rule of compilations is to build to a great standout track, that (on this selection) being "Everlong" - still the best Foo Fighters song (for me).  Thereafter putting two slower tempo tracks to wind the listener down after the high-tempo rock tunes.  This is a compilation I'd wish I'd made for myself - with the cover of Pink Floyd's "Have A Cigar" missing from this CD.

Now, how I'd do one including the new album, I'll never know.

[Reply #59 on:]

Evanescence - Fallen

2003 - Epic/Wind Up

Play Time: 44:19

Track List:

1. Going Under   
2. Bring Me To Life 
3. Everybody's Fool 
4. My Immortal   
5. Haunted 
6. Tourniquet       
7. Imaginary       
8. Taking Over Me       
9. Hello       
10. My Last Breath       
11. Whisper 


My ears sure perked up when I heard this.  Goth tinged female fronted hard rock on the radio?  Well, it's about fucking time.

Some may see them as a new style in music, or even pioneers of that sound.  That is not the case.  It is just the first example of the genre to be played on the radio.  that in itself makes this album remarkable and somewhat of an overdue landmark.  Once again America has to catch up to Europe.  Sometimes that takes a few years. 

What we have here, is fairly stock hard riffing guitar rock, (I have heard some comparisons to Linkin Park, but personally, I can't see that) with keyboards, choirs and breif electronic passages. 

The clincher, that make this album stand out is the absolutely wonderful voice and controlled singing style of Amy Lee.  Her reigned in emotion and conservative vocal acrobatics suit the music very well.  You can tell, she could really let loose if she wanted to, but wisely does not. 

The songs themselves are not that original, however, are well crafted and provide a good vehicle for Amy's talent.  You can tell the songs were written to suit her voice, rather than the other way around.

The lyrical content is nothing to make one take notice.  Rather dark and haunting by design.  One thinly veiled song about suicide can't help but remind me of "Don't Fear The Reaper" and brings a smile to my face.  Awww...the kids still want to off themselves, how little has changed.

The music is well done and slickly produced.  The guitars sound good and NU with lots of bite and drive, thankfully they are not over used.  The keyboards and choirs are the interesting bits and give a hearty tip of the hat to their (unknown to American listeners) European forerunners. 

I cannot recommend this album without giving major props to the bands that created and honed this type of music for a number of years.  If you like "Fallen" you would do well to seek out recordings by Lacuna Coil, The Gathering, Tristania, After Forever and even the far superior in every respect, Nightwish, although they are more of a classicaly influenced power metal band.

My only knock on this record is the thankfully brief, male backup vocals done in that nauseating rappy-metally jockrock style.  They are mercifully few and far between.

Evanescence will be a band to watch.  In my opinion, they have the potential for greatness.  I sure hope that their target audience does not water them down into another No Doubt.

7/10  Impressive debut effort.

Edit, much later:

I stand corrected.  So I will say Impressive major label debut effort.

Tourniquet is a great, great song and makes the album for me.

 

[Reply #60 on:]

Spicey, good review.  Nuff respect to ya, fella.

I have the album too, and feel a surge of pride that "Bring Me To Life" has kept crappy pop-tunes off the top of the British Charts for 3 weeks now.

[Reply #61 on:]

I disagree. I personally think Evanescence sounds exactly like Linkin Park in their first song. Especially when the Linkin Park reject guy starts "rapping" over a perfectly decent song.

[Reply #62 on:]

That's not rapping, hun.

[Reply #63 on:]

The rappy-male vocals are kept to a bare minimum on the album though - they hardly feature, except in the single.

I'd be interested to hear recordings by the other bands Spicey mentioned.  Lacuna Coil, I've heard of, though not heard.  I shall seek them out.

[Reply #64 on:]

 

Originally posted by Jeremy:
That's not rapping, hun.

That's why it was in "quotes."

[Reply #65 on:]

"shut up."

[Reply #66 on:]

 

Originally posted by Melllvar:
I'd be interested to hear recordings by the other bands Spicey mentioned.  Lacuna Coil, I've heard of, though not heard.  I shall seek them out.

Thanks for the kind words Melll.  Lacuna Coil hail from Italy and has one of the foxyest singers ever  Not that it sways my opinion.  ...Amy is certainly no wallflower. Seek out their latest album "Comalies"  You will be pleasently surprised, me thinks.

[Reply #67 on:]

 

Originally posted by Spice Weasel:
 Thanks for the kind words Melll.  Lacuna Coil hail from Italy and has one of the foxyest singers ever    Not that it sways my opinion.   ...Amy is certainly no wallflower. Seek out their latest album "Comalies"  You will be pleasently surprised, me thinks.

The (rather unfortunately named) Christina Scabbia. Mmm, she's fine (she ain't scabby anyway). As you say, Amy Lee's pretty fine too.

[Reply #68 on:]

Having heard their song, Wake Me Up Inside, I was taken in by Evanescence.  When it was my birthday (April 28), I called my friend to see what CD was worth buying.  Without thinking, he suggested I take them up.  He also was saying that they remind him of Linkin Park.  Evanescense is great, but I think they should be put on a different perspective from that of Linkin Park.  I like both, I'm happy, that's all that matters to me.

[Reply #69 on:]

 

Originally posted by Spice Weasel:
I cannot recommend this album without giving major props to the bands that created and honed this type of music for a number of years.  If you like "Fallen" you would do well to seek out recordings by Lacuna Coil, The Gathering, Tristania, After Forever and even the far superior in every respect, Nightwish, although they are more of a classicaly influenced power metal band.

Based on Spicey's recommendation, I've been grabbing random tracks from the last Lacuna Coil album, "Comalies" - and at first listen, it's pretty damn good.  Quite right in saying that Evanescence's sounds owes a debt to these guys (among others).

The vocals are spot-on, the singer, Christina Scabbia has a fantastic voice, one to match that of Amy Lee.

[Reply #70 on:]

Good on ya, Melll.  I'm glad you took the time to delve deeper into that Gothy-Girly-Metalesque sound, of which I'm a pretty big fan of.  It's a fairly crowded subgenre, that make Evanescence's effort that much more impressive, as it stands up well with it's forerunners. 

[Reply #71 on:]

Ive been too lasy to buy any albums lately. Ive been considering radioheads newwy but, things got in my way..like the front door.

The last album I bought was either "The white stripes- elephant or Hot hot heat - make up the breakdown...for the last month ive been listening to trail of dead- sources tags and codes...

ive heard good things about the mars volta's debut, ill probaly get that..

[Reply #72 on:]

Alkaline trio's new album, Good Mourning, gets a B+ from me.  Not as good as FHTI, but it's catchy and beatful. Longer review in time. 

[Reply #73 on:]

Jamiroquai - Syncronized
1999

1. Canned Heat
2. Planet Home
3. Black Capricorn Day
4. Soul Education
5. Falling
6. Destitute Illusions
7. Supersonic
8. Butterfly
9. Where Do We Go From Here?
10. King For A Day

(bonus track). Deeper underground

This is my fave Jamiroquai album, I love every track. 'Canned Heat' opens the album, I love this track, has a really clool retro disco feel and is a great beginning for a great album. 'Planet Home' goes back to JK's roots about environmentalism and how alienated our planet has become. It gets you thinking. Also it's nice that the Didgeridoo is still being used, in 'Supersonic'. And the album carrys on with great track after great track, and even the slower tracks like 'Falling' and 'Butterfly' are awesome too, with really nice lyrics. 'Soul Education' is so funky, and 'Deeper Underground' is one of my all time fave Jamiroquai trax. It wasn't originally intended for this album, but became so popular they added it as a bonus track, and I'm very glad they did. It fits on really well too. Their newer album 'A Funk Odyssey' is a lot more electronic than all their others, which is not a bad thing. But it seems this is their last album, for now anyway with their original formula. But some nice experimentation that really works.  Awesome album 

9/10

[Reply #74 on:]

 

Originally posted by mikey:
ive heard good things about the mars volta's debut, ill probaly get that..

yeah, it's awesome. i'm gonna buy it soon (as soon as i have the money).

dibs on a review of that one here! 

[Reply #75 on:]

Too bad someone here already bought it!

:: points to self::

Yeah baby, that was me. And it fucking rocks!

[Reply #76 on:]

7/10 for evanescence? really? wow. i give them 10/10. The music is gorgeous, i love the lyrics and i like Ben's vocals. I saw them in concert last night and they are amazing live. We demanded one more song, so she came out and gave us 2 and then mtv (they were filming) came out and said because of a few audio problems they needed to redo two songs so we ended up getting a second encore, they did their 2 songs and then ben decided he wasn't done yet and forced Amy to sing "road to nevernever land" (i doubt thats the name of the song but its the only lyric i remember from it)but she didn't know the words so she tried to steal his guitar and ended up dragging him across the stage on his back cause he wouldn't let go. It was all in good fun they were laughing the whole way. and she did get his guitar eventually and ran away with it. Their gonna air it all on MTV but i don't know when.

EDIT: SpiceWeasel, you made a mistake. Fallen isn't their debut album. Origin is. But origin was a limited release album that is now out of print. you can only get it off of Ebay for like 300 dollars but Amy Lee said in a radio interview that she doesn't want people spending that much and to just dl it.

[Reply #77 on:]

Sounds like Evanescence singing Enter Sandman?

Check out the other bands Spicey mentioned if you like Evanescence, Lacuna Coil are pretty damn good.

[Reply #78 on:]

enter sandman! yeah i think that's it. yeah im listening to lacuna now, but i think evanescence is better. Amy's voice is nicer.

[Reply #79 on:]

 

Originally posted by Spice Weasel:
The songs themselves are not that original, however, are well crafted and provide a good vehicle for Amy's talent.  You can tell the songs were written to suit her voice, rather than the other way around.

well, that makes sense considering Amy helps write all of the songs.

i'm listenign to lacuna right now and for some reason her voice reminds me of that lady in the Cranberries. i'm listening to "stars" right now and all i can think of is that lady. Some of the other songs sound very 'evanescency' but i think evanescence could do covers of some of these and make them sound better then the originals. Like "falling" i would love to hear Amy's take on that. she did a great cover of orestes's "perfect circle" and Nirvana's "heartshaped box" and what she remembered of "enter the sandman" last night sounded awesome.