More Brief Reviews
June 24th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Cults – Cults
I seem to have a real weakness for fun, female fronted, indie pop, with a 1960’s sound, and the Cults hit me where it hurts. I love this album. If you’re looking for a fun summer record this could be it.
The Kills – Blood Pressure
The Kills are another female fronted group, which seems to be a trend in my recent music purchases. However, they bear little resemblance to groups like the Cults and The Civil Wars. They are dark, loud, bluesy, garage rock. Blood Pressure has taken a few listens to really get into, but the more I hear it the more I like it.
Brief Reviews
June 17th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Owl City – All Things Bright and Beautiful
I haven’t listened to Ocean Eyes for a while, so this comparison may be a little off, but this latest release seems to be more pop and less synth-elctro-pop. The clever, cutesy lyrics and electronic beats remain, but musically it seems softer and dare I say it… almost like what you’d hear on any contemporary Christian radio station. Not that that’s bad. There is a market for that. I had just hoped for a little more.
The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow
I love this album. Barton Hollow will appeal to the young indie crowd and older casual music listener alike. It’s like The Swell Season only with heavier folk influences. The musical arrangement is simple and sparse which allows the male/female vocal harmonies of The Civil Wars to shine. Most of the album is pretty low key except for the upbeat hoedown that is the title track. It’s a great listen for a quiet, relaxing, afternoon.
David Bazan – Strange Negotiations
I’m still trying to live with this album. And, I think it’s growing on me. Bazan is a great wordsmith, and this album is no exception. What’s missing for me is the raw emotional outpouring that was Curse Your Branches, but perhaps the lack of emotion is fitting for this album’s subject matter. Musically, Negotiations is a step up and probably a little more cohesive sounding across the board. Lyrically, we find Bazan in a healthier, hopeful, state of mind, picking up the pieces and putting his life back together from the pain he dealt with in Branches. Keep in mind though, this is not the pre-Branches, David Bazan. This is a new model that struggles with the idea of God and rejects his evangelical upbringing.
Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light
June 10th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I had told myself I would hold off.
I was afraid I was going to be disappointed once again.
But, for some reason I gave in.
I decided to give the Foo Fighters another chance.
So, I picked up a copy of their latest, Wasting Light.
And, it’s better than I had expected.
As the packaging suggested, this album is best played at maximum volume. It was recorded that way. It makes me long for the days when my dad would pull out his Led Zeppelin albums and make the house shake. In fact, this album would probably sound great on vinyl.
But, Wasting Light is more than just a loud rock album. It finds Grohl at a nostalgic, emotional state. He seems tormented by ghosts of his past and it’s evident in the albums lyrics and darker sound. It’s a welcome change that harkens memories of earlier albums.
I Should Have Known finds Grohl perhaps at his most tormented as he repeats the lines “I should have known,” and “No I cannot forgive you yet” over and over. It’s not complicated lyrically, but it gets the point across. Something is really bothering him. Maybe it’s the death of a former band mate, or something completely different, but it gives me chills just listening to it.
I could go on, but I’ll leave it at this, if you’ve ever thought of yourself as a Foo Fighters fan, then I encourage you to pick this album up.
Lady Gaga and Cloud Storage
May 24th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I have a dirty little secret to admit. I bought the new Lady Gaga album the other day.
I’ll let that sink in for a moment.
Now that I have you concerned about my musical taste, let me tell you why I actually bought it.
I bought it for $.99 through Amazon so I could get 20 Gigs of free cloud storage with their new service. Resting a little easier now? I figured it was the cheapest way possible to obtain my free 20 Gigs. And, it was also a good opportunity to test out the service itself.
I’m not big into digital music. I feel like it is too easy to lose. If your hard drive crashes, you’re done. It has always scared me. I’d much rather have a physical disk as backup. So, the idea of purchasing something I’m really interested in didn’t appeal to me. At this point, I’d rather have it on cd.
So, when Amazon announced they were running the $.99 promotion with the new Lady Gaga album I thought it was the perfect opportunity to see if a digital locker, or cloud storage, was going to change my opinion about digital music.
After just a few moments of use, I have to say I like the system. It could be the answer to some of my digital music concerns. Cloud storage does seem a little more permanent and less likely to experience data loss.
There is one potentially large issue that could come back to bite users of this service though. And it worries me a little. Amazon didn’t secure agreements with the recording industry before launching the service. I’m not sure what that will mean, but it’s something that holds me back a little.
Also, I worry about the possibility of the service going down at times, or experiencing heavy traffic. What will that mean for users? And, of course you have to worry about the amount of data you’re using. You don’t want to be billed by your cell phone provider for exceeding data limits.
A few more issues will have to be addressed before I feel completely comfortable joining the digital music revolution, but I do like the potential I’m seeing. I’m anxiously awaiting opportunities to check out Music beta by Google, and the forthcoming iTunes offering. In the meantime however, I guess I have that new Lady Gaga album to listen to.
Codes and Keys First Listen
May 23rd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Want to hear Death Cab for Cutie’s Codes and Keys in it’s entirety a week before it’s released? Head over to NPR First Listen http://n.pr/lXDhzn.
I just finished my first listen and I really enjoyed it. It’s tough to pay close attention while at work but for a casual listen the piano and synth driven songs worked quite well. I didn’t hardly notice that the guys set their guitars aside a little more than usual.
Codes and Keys, as a whole, is lighter and brighter sounding than their last couple while still maintaining the signature Death Cab sound. I wouldn’t call this album “pop” but it does venture in that direction at times.
The album seems to build steam as it moves along which provides for an interesting dynamic. Aside from the songs that have already been receiving radio and internet play (You Are a Tourist and Home Is a Fire) one of the songs that stood out to me most was St Peter’s Cathedral. It had a great sound that grew and grew as it progressed. I almost expected it to be the album closer but was surprised when it was followed by the folky Stay Young, Go Dancing.
I’ll have to listen to it a few more times before I really develop an opinion but I liked it. Give it a listen yourself and join me as I pick up a copy on May 31st when it finally comes out.
