U2 were one of my favourite bands what seems like many years ago. They aren't anymore and haven't been for awhile. It is too easy to take the piss out of Bono and his attempts to make the world a better place so I won't bother.
'No line on the horizon's title track opens up their latest release with a distinctly average but fairly plain pop/rock tune. 'Magnificent' sounds like a cross between something from their Zooropa era and their earliest releases. The Edge's distinctive ringing guitars are in place and Bono doesn't go too over the top making me want to re-listen to their 'War' cd. 'Moment of Surrender' is a 7 minute plus ballad which is about 5 minutes too long for my liking. 'Unknown Caller' sounds like an Unforgettable Fire outtake and isn't too bad for it. 'I'll go crazy if i don't go crazy tonight' feels like a song by Meatloaf but is actually weirdly alright.
'Get on your boots' is U2 at their daftest with the 'sexy boots' line and to make their lyrics sound like REM's 'its the end of the world as you know it..' and have a disco-y rock vibe behind it. Really not pretty for 4 men who must be pushing 50 by now. 'Stand up comedy' doesn't really work either but isn't quite as embarassing. 'FEZ-being born' start off woozy and turns into a fairly good song. 'White as snow' is Bono at his starkest on the cd with a simple ballad. One of the better tracks on the cd. 'Breathe' is their biggest sounding rock song on here and makes me think of the band the Killers and is neither good nor bad.
The lyrics remain as daft as ever and they'll never reach their earlier creative peaks but its good to have them around if only for the promotion of World Peace (and an occasional okay song).
Friday, 27 February 2009
Thursday, 12 February 2009
J Mascis - Live at CBGBs
J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr released this acoustic live cd from the recently defunct 'legendary' CGBGs in 1993. Dinosaur Jr has always been well known for their very loud performances so it is interesting to hear more of the subtlety in their music as he performs it acoustically. 'Thumb' from Green Mind is great - full of fragility and J's lovely cracked voice. J. Mascis' drawl works wonders on 'Not you again'. Another Green Mind track ' Flying Cloud' doesn't differ much from the Dinosaur Jr version but reminds me again why I loved that cd so much. 'Every mother's son' is a Lynrd Skynrd cover which suits J.'s Neil Young like vocals well. 'Get me' is another highlight and again shows how underrated Dinosaur Jr's songwriting is. 'Quest' is a great song and this live version improves upon the original. 'On the Run' is a Greg Sage (of the Wipers) cover which J. makes his own. 'Repulsion', the final encore works very well acoustically and brings to an end his first acoustic gig on a high note.
The songs are catchy and full of hooks and sound even better on some occasions than the much heavier band versions by Dinosaur Jr. J. Mascis has a love it or hate it voice but his ability to right songs which stick in your head for weeks makes him an indie treasure.
The songs are catchy and full of hooks and sound even better on some occasions than the much heavier band versions by Dinosaur Jr. J. Mascis has a love it or hate it voice but his ability to right songs which stick in your head for weeks makes him an indie treasure.
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
The Clash - Live at Shea Stadium
The Clash were always a band of contradictions because of the mix of personalities involved and their changing ideologies. 'Live at Shea Stadium' is a recording of a gig in the U.S. in 1982 and comes as the band were starting to fall apart. The sound isn't bad considering it was a stadium show and they were the opening band for The Who. '
'The Guns of Brixton' is a bit too fast for my liking. 'Tommy Gun' is ferocious and builds nicely towards a flailing ending. 'London Calling' and 'Police on my back' are great as well. 'Magnificent 7' is okay but doesn't have the slight weirdness it has on cd. It segues into 'Armagideon Time' before returning to 'Magnificent 7'. 'Train in vain' sounds as lovely as ever even in a stadium of largely indifferent fans. The live version of 'Career Opportunities' stays short, sharp and full of anger. 'Clampdown' is stretched out which works well in the live setting. 'English Civil War' is okay - i've never thought it was one of their best songs anyway. 'Should I stay of should i go' gets a positive crowd reaction and is played near the end of the gig - a brilliant piece of pop/rock and it ends as chaotically as it should. 'i fought the law' ends the cd (and the gig?) and is another great sing-a-long song.
As with most bands playing stadiums some of the edges are rougher live and something is inevitably lost but the energy of The Clash make this a pretty decent live recording of a band nearing the end of its peak. Still one of the few bands that really mattered! Just ask my son who he likes almost as much as the Tweenies.
'The Guns of Brixton' is a bit too fast for my liking. 'Tommy Gun' is ferocious and builds nicely towards a flailing ending. 'London Calling' and 'Police on my back' are great as well. 'Magnificent 7' is okay but doesn't have the slight weirdness it has on cd. It segues into 'Armagideon Time' before returning to 'Magnificent 7'. 'Train in vain' sounds as lovely as ever even in a stadium of largely indifferent fans. The live version of 'Career Opportunities' stays short, sharp and full of anger. 'Clampdown' is stretched out which works well in the live setting. 'English Civil War' is okay - i've never thought it was one of their best songs anyway. 'Should I stay of should i go' gets a positive crowd reaction and is played near the end of the gig - a brilliant piece of pop/rock and it ends as chaotically as it should. 'i fought the law' ends the cd (and the gig?) and is another great sing-a-long song.
As with most bands playing stadiums some of the edges are rougher live and something is inevitably lost but the energy of The Clash make this a pretty decent live recording of a band nearing the end of its peak. Still one of the few bands that really mattered! Just ask my son who he likes almost as much as the Tweenies.
Monday, 9 February 2009
The Streets - Everything is Borrowed
'Everything is Borrowed' is The Streets fourth cd and could be one of his last as Mike Skinner has said that he will stop recording as The Streets fairly soon. His last release before this was not very good and he is a long way off the peak of his first cd 'Original Pirate Material' which was a fantastic piece of cut up home-made music. 'Everything is Borrowed' is the first song on the cd and feels like a return to earlier form. It wouldn't be out of place on his second cd. 'Heaven for the weather' has an upbeat backing track and appropriately gospel sounding back up vocals.
Mike Skinner's mix of speaking and sort of singing is the kind of thing that can cause annoyance in a lot of people. He isn't as exciting or innovative as he was initally but he still has a good turn of phrase and the music is catchy.
'I love you (more than you like me)' is witty and has a great set of lines about drawing a picture of a woman after he met her and the realisation that 'it was absolutely shit, i'm awful at drawing'. 'The way of the Dodo' is a rubbish song about environmental issues. To be fair I can't think of any good songs about the environment. 'On the flip of a coin' is Mike trying to tell a story about a dad trying to instill strength in his son. It doesn't quite work as it seems a bit forced. 'On the edge of a cliff' passes me by without making much impression.
'Never give in' has a funky background beat as does 'The sherry end'. Decent songs but not interesting enough. 'The strongest person I know' is a lovely little song. 'The Escapist' is in a similar vein as 'Dry your eyes' and although one of the better songs on the cd it isn't quite as good as it is.
Apparently this cd was going to be fully based around parables but he ditched a lot of them as he didn't think it would work. Much better than his last one but nothing to quite match some of his earlier heights.
Mike Skinner's mix of speaking and sort of singing is the kind of thing that can cause annoyance in a lot of people. He isn't as exciting or innovative as he was initally but he still has a good turn of phrase and the music is catchy.
'I love you (more than you like me)' is witty and has a great set of lines about drawing a picture of a woman after he met her and the realisation that 'it was absolutely shit, i'm awful at drawing'. 'The way of the Dodo' is a rubbish song about environmental issues. To be fair I can't think of any good songs about the environment. 'On the flip of a coin' is Mike trying to tell a story about a dad trying to instill strength in his son. It doesn't quite work as it seems a bit forced. 'On the edge of a cliff' passes me by without making much impression.
'Never give in' has a funky background beat as does 'The sherry end'. Decent songs but not interesting enough. 'The strongest person I know' is a lovely little song. 'The Escapist' is in a similar vein as 'Dry your eyes' and although one of the better songs on the cd it isn't quite as good as it is.
Apparently this cd was going to be fully based around parables but he ditched a lot of them as he didn't think it would work. Much better than his last one but nothing to quite match some of his earlier heights.
Sunday, 8 February 2009
ABBA - Super Trouper
My wife has requested that I review an ABBA cd so have decided to listen to 'Super Trouper' their 7th album which came out in 1980. ABBA feels like a teflon band. They are omnipresent. There songs are everywhere and Mamma Mia has probably made about 50 billion from the stage and film versions. How can you really not like them when they've released so many delicious pop confections? Especially if you are female or possibly gay. (Is it okay to say this?)
'Super Trouper' is the first song on the cd and irresistably catchy with the ladies vocal harmonies being the focus. 'The Winner takes it all' is next and completes a strong 1-2 punch. It is a song which is meant to be sung in the shower or into your hairbrush. 'Andante, Andante' is a ballad which feels like a b-side to one of their better songs. A lot of the songs use synthesizers heavily as a base for their music. 'Me and I' is a pleasant enough pop song with good vocal harmonies from the ladies including some brief vocodered ones. 'Happy New Year' feels full of melancholy despite the perhaps ironic title. ABBA are good at making light music with occasional touches of sadness. 'Our Last Summer' was used in Mamma Mia and is okay but doesn't really ever build into anything much apart from again having strong vocals. 'The Piper' sounds like something which is meant for the theatrical stage but isn't a very interesting track. 'Lay all your love on me' is another song which stands out because it is a little more upbeat than a lot of the cd. 'The way old friends do' is a torch song ballad that ends the cd and it feels a bit like 'Auld Lang Syne' or something Vera Lynn might have done.
There is a recognisable 80's feeling to the music but most of the songs have aged well. The singles are the strongest songs on it and your best bet might be to just pick up one of the many greatest hits cd out there.
'Super Trouper' is the first song on the cd and irresistably catchy with the ladies vocal harmonies being the focus. 'The Winner takes it all' is next and completes a strong 1-2 punch. It is a song which is meant to be sung in the shower or into your hairbrush. 'Andante, Andante' is a ballad which feels like a b-side to one of their better songs. A lot of the songs use synthesizers heavily as a base for their music. 'Me and I' is a pleasant enough pop song with good vocal harmonies from the ladies including some brief vocodered ones. 'Happy New Year' feels full of melancholy despite the perhaps ironic title. ABBA are good at making light music with occasional touches of sadness. 'Our Last Summer' was used in Mamma Mia and is okay but doesn't really ever build into anything much apart from again having strong vocals. 'The Piper' sounds like something which is meant for the theatrical stage but isn't a very interesting track. 'Lay all your love on me' is another song which stands out because it is a little more upbeat than a lot of the cd. 'The way old friends do' is a torch song ballad that ends the cd and it feels a bit like 'Auld Lang Syne' or something Vera Lynn might have done.
There is a recognisable 80's feeling to the music but most of the songs have aged well. The singles are the strongest songs on it and your best bet might be to just pick up one of the many greatest hits cd out there.
Saturday, 7 February 2009
The Ting Tings - We started nothing
The Ting Tings are Jules DeMartino and Katie Price, an English duo who had been in a few bands before forming the Ting Tings in 2004. Their first cd is this one which came out in 2008 after building up some hype from various radio programs and gigs.
The music on the cd is uptempo party pop with catchy, singalong, sometimes shouty choruses. It is a mixed bag and depending on my mood for the day I would possibly find either quite fun or really irritating.
'That's not my name' is probably the best song on here but the problem for me is overexposure. It was such a prevalent song on radio, TV programs and generally just in the ether that it loses its enjoyability. Still great fun to invent verses and to shout the chorus. 'Shut up and let me go',another single slithers along nicely. 'We walk' is another good song with a very 80's feel to the vocals. 'Impacilla Carpisung' with its synth and 'can we hit it..' lyrics sounds even more dated as an 80s track. Weaker tracks are 'Traffic Light', 'Fruit Machine' and 'be the one' just aren't very memorable and don't have the necessary hook to make much of an impact.
The music sometimes works well with just the two members and other times it feels like it could have been better with more flesh on its bones. Considering they've been together for 4 years before the cd came out it could have had a few more memorable tracks but they've got at least one that'll end up 'Now thats what I call whatever the 2000s will be known as' compilations and should allow them to afford the large size options at McDonalds in the future.
The music on the cd is uptempo party pop with catchy, singalong, sometimes shouty choruses. It is a mixed bag and depending on my mood for the day I would possibly find either quite fun or really irritating.
'That's not my name' is probably the best song on here but the problem for me is overexposure. It was such a prevalent song on radio, TV programs and generally just in the ether that it loses its enjoyability. Still great fun to invent verses and to shout the chorus. 'Shut up and let me go',another single slithers along nicely. 'We walk' is another good song with a very 80's feel to the vocals. 'Impacilla Carpisung' with its synth and 'can we hit it..' lyrics sounds even more dated as an 80s track. Weaker tracks are 'Traffic Light', 'Fruit Machine' and 'be the one' just aren't very memorable and don't have the necessary hook to make much of an impact.
The music sometimes works well with just the two members and other times it feels like it could have been better with more flesh on its bones. Considering they've been together for 4 years before the cd came out it could have had a few more memorable tracks but they've got at least one that'll end up 'Now thats what I call whatever the 2000s will be known as' compilations and should allow them to afford the large size options at McDonalds in the future.
Friday, 6 February 2009
Diplo - Decent work for decent pay
Diplo is a popular and revered D.J, producer and remixer who has spread his magical touch across a variety of genres including rock, hip hop and baile funk. The 'Paper planes' remix doesn't work as well as the original M.I.A song which uses the Clash sample to such great effect to create such a clever, subversive piece of music. The Spank Rock remix is a dirty, grunting effort which fits their music well. I felt I needed a cold shower after listening to it. 'Reload it' by Kano fits in about 4000 words in a 4 minute song. Very good even if I feel slightly silly listening to it.
Of his own songs, sorry tracks, '200' has a light touch to it and is largely instrumental, 'Smash a Kangaroo' is a politically incorrect piss-take about killing marsupials and macho-ness. 'Percao' has a latin/Spank Rock type vibe to it and is a pretty good song.
'Lets make love to death from above' by CSS is another great song which is only slightly ruined by hearing it so much when it came out. The mix on here improves the song, twisting it further into something even groovier. 'Young Folks' also falls into the category of a song I enjoyed but heard to much. Diplo's mix turns this catchy indie song with whistling middle bit into a funkier beast. The Bonde Do Role song 'Solta O Frango' shakes and shimmies along nicely with it's catchy, although not understandable, vocals and drums. 'Heater' has a fat synthesizer sound which makes me want to take something illegal and go raving (something I have never done and am unlikely to do at my advanced age). 'Shake a fist' by Hot Chip is okay but I've never really felt they were that good so doesn't do a lot for me. The Black Lips remix 'Veni Vidi Vici' slows down the original even more than it already is. It doesn't add much to the song which already isn't one of their best. 'The Whistlerz' by Claude VonStroke isn't very interesting apart from the artist's name which is great.
Overall a mixed bag of remixes and original songs which probably need to be heard in a club to be fully appreciated.
Of his own songs, sorry tracks, '200' has a light touch to it and is largely instrumental, 'Smash a Kangaroo' is a politically incorrect piss-take about killing marsupials and macho-ness. 'Percao' has a latin/Spank Rock type vibe to it and is a pretty good song.
'Lets make love to death from above' by CSS is another great song which is only slightly ruined by hearing it so much when it came out. The mix on here improves the song, twisting it further into something even groovier. 'Young Folks' also falls into the category of a song I enjoyed but heard to much. Diplo's mix turns this catchy indie song with whistling middle bit into a funkier beast. The Bonde Do Role song 'Solta O Frango' shakes and shimmies along nicely with it's catchy, although not understandable, vocals and drums. 'Heater' has a fat synthesizer sound which makes me want to take something illegal and go raving (something I have never done and am unlikely to do at my advanced age). 'Shake a fist' by Hot Chip is okay but I've never really felt they were that good so doesn't do a lot for me. The Black Lips remix 'Veni Vidi Vici' slows down the original even more than it already is. It doesn't add much to the song which already isn't one of their best. 'The Whistlerz' by Claude VonStroke isn't very interesting apart from the artist's name which is great.
Overall a mixed bag of remixes and original songs which probably need to be heard in a club to be fully appreciated.
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Weezer - Weezer (The Red Album)
'Weezer', their sixth full length cd, came out in 2008 and was produced by Rick Rubin. The first song on it is 'Troublemaker' is a typical catchy short song with silly rhymes which is about rebellion and self-belief. 'The Greatest Man that ever lived' is a much stranger proposition with a mix of styles throughout the song including a piano intro, hip hop singing, harmonies and marching band music with a choral group, falsetto voiced big rock parts and spoken word vocals. It is an ambitious mess which almost but doesn't quite work.
'Pork and Beans' was the first single off the cd and it wouldn't be out of place on most of Weezer's earlier cds. It feels a bit like 'Buddy Holly' crossed with 'Beverly Hills' but isn't quite as good as either of those earlier singles.
'Heart songs' is an average ballad about the love of music, whether it be cheesy love songs or metal tunes or Nirvana. 'Everybody get dangerous' is dull. 'Dreamin' buzzes along happily. 'Thought I knew' and 'Cold Dark World' and 'Automatic' don't make leave me with any lasting impressions one way or the other. 'The Angel and the One' starts out sounding like a bruised plea to a lover and builds into something rather special fading away with gentle instrumentation for the final minute of the song. 'The Weight' is an unecessary cover of a great song not really improved by their version of it. 'Life is what you make it' is a Talk Talk cover which I never want to hear again as it ruined the song for me - it isn't terrible but it doesn't touch the original in any way.
Weezer is a band of contradictions-they sometimes write cynical songs and sometimes focus on sincere heartfelt lyrics. Their music veers between harder rock, pop and experimental music and their lyrics are often simple but their lead singer is an academic.
'Weezer' has its moments but there is quite a few weak songs. Weezer has always been a singles band as far as I'm concerned with their cds not being consistently engaging enough.
'Pork and Beans' was the first single off the cd and it wouldn't be out of place on most of Weezer's earlier cds. It feels a bit like 'Buddy Holly' crossed with 'Beverly Hills' but isn't quite as good as either of those earlier singles.
'Heart songs' is an average ballad about the love of music, whether it be cheesy love songs or metal tunes or Nirvana. 'Everybody get dangerous' is dull. 'Dreamin' buzzes along happily. 'Thought I knew' and 'Cold Dark World' and 'Automatic' don't make leave me with any lasting impressions one way or the other. 'The Angel and the One' starts out sounding like a bruised plea to a lover and builds into something rather special fading away with gentle instrumentation for the final minute of the song. 'The Weight' is an unecessary cover of a great song not really improved by their version of it. 'Life is what you make it' is a Talk Talk cover which I never want to hear again as it ruined the song for me - it isn't terrible but it doesn't touch the original in any way.
Weezer is a band of contradictions-they sometimes write cynical songs and sometimes focus on sincere heartfelt lyrics. Their music veers between harder rock, pop and experimental music and their lyrics are often simple but their lead singer is an academic.
'Weezer' has its moments but there is quite a few weak songs. Weezer has always been a singles band as far as I'm concerned with their cds not being consistently engaging enough.
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall 1971
This live concert from Massey Hall in Toronto came out in 2008 as part of his releases of various live gigs over the years. Neil was 26 at the time and this was between the releases of 'After the Gold Rush' and 'Harvest Moon' and was at the peak of his powers.
'Old Man' is classic Neil Young with his great vocals and brilliant lyrics which he introduces by saying it is a song about his ranch. For 'Journey through the past' he introduces the song with the statement that many of the songs at that concert will be new material that he had only recently written. His mention of Canada in the song gets the expected polite applause - typical Canadians. 'Helpless' is a brilliant wailing song and one of my favourite songs of his. Neil combines 'A man needs a maid' with 'Heart of Gold' (his only number one song) in typical stubborn fashion. 'Cowgirl in the sand' is another highlight for me.
Live releases are tricky - do you leave the audience response in? do you leave any mistakes on it or overdub it? 'Live at Massey Hall' does the right thing and leaves in audience noise and Neil's comments/explanations between the songs. It makes you wish you were there to hear this music live as he was creating it.
I certainly never appreciated Neil when I was younger. He always felt like something only older people should listen to with his well aged voice. My appreciation of his maverick style and twists and turns of his musical career and life as well as his beautiful voice has grown as I've become the older person I thought was such a long way away.
'Old Man' is classic Neil Young with his great vocals and brilliant lyrics which he introduces by saying it is a song about his ranch. For 'Journey through the past' he introduces the song with the statement that many of the songs at that concert will be new material that he had only recently written. His mention of Canada in the song gets the expected polite applause - typical Canadians. 'Helpless' is a brilliant wailing song and one of my favourite songs of his. Neil combines 'A man needs a maid' with 'Heart of Gold' (his only number one song) in typical stubborn fashion. 'Cowgirl in the sand' is another highlight for me.
Live releases are tricky - do you leave the audience response in? do you leave any mistakes on it or overdub it? 'Live at Massey Hall' does the right thing and leaves in audience noise and Neil's comments/explanations between the songs. It makes you wish you were there to hear this music live as he was creating it.
I certainly never appreciated Neil when I was younger. He always felt like something only older people should listen to with his well aged voice. My appreciation of his maverick style and twists and turns of his musical career and life as well as his beautiful voice has grown as I've become the older person I thought was such a long way away.
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Kings of Leon - Only by the Night
Kings of Leon's fourth cd 'Only by the Night' came out in 2008 during a year which somehow cemented their position as one of the bigger bands in the world. They headlined Glastonbury and toured extensively. I've had a soft spot for them based on the last two releases before this one - I never really cared much for their first cd.
'Closer' is the opening track and is a typical brooding, mid paced offering by the band. 'Crawl' has a slight electronic edge and clearer vocals than usual by Caleb Followill but doesn't really do much for me. 'Sex on fire' was the first single and the vocals and guitar make it feel like it could be a song by Canadian band Tragically Hip which is a good thing. 'Use somebody' is a stronger song and it could have been the first single despite verging on Razorlight type territory.
'Revelry' is a good mellow slower paced ballad which I can't decide if I like or loathe after a few listens. 'I want you' is a bit dull and doesn't really go anywhere interesting. 'Cold Desert' is a gentle ballad which ends 'Only by the Night' on a high note.
The songs seem to be written to fill arenas with bigger choruses and more straightforward music. Something has been lost in the translation to a stadium band but there is still a quirkiness to their music which means that they still sound like outsiders. Sometimes it is difficult when you like a band who all of a sudden become more well known and popular because it feels like you've lost something special to you.
Source: Spotify
'Closer' is the opening track and is a typical brooding, mid paced offering by the band. 'Crawl' has a slight electronic edge and clearer vocals than usual by Caleb Followill but doesn't really do much for me. 'Sex on fire' was the first single and the vocals and guitar make it feel like it could be a song by Canadian band Tragically Hip which is a good thing. 'Use somebody' is a stronger song and it could have been the first single despite verging on Razorlight type territory.
'Revelry' is a good mellow slower paced ballad which I can't decide if I like or loathe after a few listens. 'I want you' is a bit dull and doesn't really go anywhere interesting. 'Cold Desert' is a gentle ballad which ends 'Only by the Night' on a high note.
The songs seem to be written to fill arenas with bigger choruses and more straightforward music. Something has been lost in the translation to a stadium band but there is still a quirkiness to their music which means that they still sound like outsiders. Sometimes it is difficult when you like a band who all of a sudden become more well known and popular because it feels like you've lost something special to you.
Source: Spotify
Monday, 2 February 2009
Phosphorescent - Pride
Mathew Houck is the sole member of Phosphorescent. 'Pride' is his third full length release and his first on the Dead Oceans label. 'Pride' should be listened to late at night as it is a dreamy, fragile collection of songs which reach out to you in a cracked, warbling voice. 'Wolves' is a brilliant creaking tune which wouldn't sound out of place on a Bonnie'Prince' Billy release. Matthew Houck's voice and song arrangements sound like a cross between Bon Iver and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy in the best possible way. 'Pride' is a wordless choral song which ends the cd complete with yelping and a campfire vibe. My favourite tracks are 'Wolves', 'A picture of our torn up praise' and 'the waves at night'.
This is a cd which I really liked the first time I heard it but suspect that I will enjoy even more with further listens. Highly recommended if you are a fan of ghostly folk music.
This is a cd which I really liked the first time I heard it but suspect that I will enjoy even more with further listens. Highly recommended if you are a fan of ghostly folk music.
Sunday, 1 February 2009
One Month In / All Request Sundays
So I've managed to keep up (more or less) the daily music reviews for one month and not completely lost it yet. It has been more challenging than I thought it would be but I'm kind of enjoying it and hopefully my reviews will get better and I'll come across more good stuff I can share with anyone checking this out.
I've decided to set aside Sundays as request days and will take on all comers. If you've got something you think I might like to hear let me know.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
I've decided to set aside Sundays as request days and will take on all comers. If you've got something you think I might like to hear let me know.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Cage the Elephant - Cage the Elephant
'Cage the Elephant' is this Kentucky band's first full length cd which came out in mid-2008. I was given a copy for my birthday yesterday from two of my kind and generous friends.
'Ain't no rest for the wicked' was the first single released and is catchy with indie riffs and blues guitar but never really explodes the way I thought it might. 'Tiny little robots' sounds influenced by the View and the Strokes but is not as good as either band. 'Lotus' and 'Back against the wall' try to be as literate as the Arctic Monkeys and use a similar vocal style but fall well short. There are a lot of obvious influences which doesn't have to be a problem but if nothing new is added it makes for quite a generic cd. 'Back stabbing Betty' has a blues-y vibe and uses swear words to try to make it more interesting.
There are a number of bands playing this variety of music and Cage the Elephant don't do enough on their first cd to stand out from the crowd. 'Free Love', the last song on the cd is one of the better ones (along with 'ain't no rest..' and 'James Brown') and it brings it to a frenetic but overall unsatisfactory finish.
Nothing to write home to mom about and although I really appreciate the present they aren't quite interesting enough yet. Thanks to Claire and Dan for all the cds though.
'Ain't no rest for the wicked' was the first single released and is catchy with indie riffs and blues guitar but never really explodes the way I thought it might. 'Tiny little robots' sounds influenced by the View and the Strokes but is not as good as either band. 'Lotus' and 'Back against the wall' try to be as literate as the Arctic Monkeys and use a similar vocal style but fall well short. There are a lot of obvious influences which doesn't have to be a problem but if nothing new is added it makes for quite a generic cd. 'Back stabbing Betty' has a blues-y vibe and uses swear words to try to make it more interesting.
There are a number of bands playing this variety of music and Cage the Elephant don't do enough on their first cd to stand out from the crowd. 'Free Love', the last song on the cd is one of the better ones (along with 'ain't no rest..' and 'James Brown') and it brings it to a frenetic but overall unsatisfactory finish.
Nothing to write home to mom about and although I really appreciate the present they aren't quite interesting enough yet. Thanks to Claire and Dan for all the cds though.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)