GUEST BLOG: Detroit Mike presents his "Top 10 Albums of the Decade" - Part 3

It's the Final Countdown!

#3

Artist: Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek

Album: Reflection Eternal

Released: 2000

Another one that qualifies as one of the greatest Hip-Hop records of all time. Just flip it to track 9, “Down for the Count” and take it from “Lennox Lewis, (at the time) Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World, seen?” This album is completely unique because of a combination of Hi-Tek’s amazing beat production, and Talib’s syrupy lyrical flow and complex rhymes. Sounds bounce between jazzy brass, drum machines, strings, African hand drums, and twinkling synths. The subject matter and lyrics are just as diverse. One minute you’re hearing how to say the word “love” in every different language, the next it’s battle raps, then maybe a commentary about the state of our society. On another Talib states “If you can talk, you can sing, if you walk, you can dance”. Recently the duo has come together again, calling the group “Reflection Eternal”. They released a mixtape called “Re:Union”, packed with cuts from this album, classic BlackStar (Mos Def & Talib Kweli) tracks and remixes, and teases of new material to be released later in the year. Can’t wait!

#2

Artist: Evol Intent

Album: Era of Diversion

Released: 2008

Production trio Evol Intent, made up of members Knick, Gigantor, and The Enemy, have made the all-encompassing electronic music album of the decade. This is NOT Techno; if you had to break it down literally it’s Drum ‘n Bass, Dubstep, Break-Core, and more. Their production style sounds like Digital Punk Rock. “Death, Lies, and Videotape” a Glitch-Hop march, puts a voice to the rebellious spirit of the beats, and urges listeners “Open Your Eyes!”. While a lot of this record is Drum ‘n Bass, many other genres are represented too. “Awkward Rhythm of the Dance” and “8-Bit Bitch” recall the chippy memories of old video game sound effects. “South London”; “17:30:00”; & “The Oscine’s Lament” are experimental soundscapes, with lots of filtering and effects that create an environment that seems to wrap around you. “Smoke and Mirrors” is the grimiest cut on the album, and is basically a Metal track. It’s followed by “Mutiny”, a clashing Darkstep DnB track making excellent use of samples from the movie “Taxi Driver” with Robert DeNiro. While most electronic music albums contain a small number of relatively long tracks, Evol Intent manage to cram 19 tracks onto their release. The album reaches its peak with “Middle of the Night”, a straight Drum ‘n Bass anthem, with soulful vocals, a massive bassline, and intricate drum sequencing. Musically I would rank this as the strongest album of the decade, but unfortunately to be the best you need to be heard, and “Era of Diversion” just didn’t have that kind of exposure. Which brings me to my #1 album of the 00's...

#1

Artist: The White Stripes

Album: Elephant

Released: 2003

Jack White was a music making machine in the last decade. In the 10 year span he worked on 4 White Stripes albums, 2 Raconteurs albums, and the debut by The Dead Weather. Out of all these strong records, “Elephant” is tops. Despite being a 2-piece band with no bass player, The White Stripes have more dynamic range then bands with 3 times as many musicians. “The Hardest Button to Button” and “Seven Nation Army” have enough crunch to get an outdoor party jumping. “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself” captures a pacing, finger-drumming, kind of anxiety, and really makes you feel it. “Ball and Biscuit” may be the best guitar song ever. White pulls sounds out of the instrument that would match Hendrix, to counter a simple, head-nodding blues beat. His technical skill makes the show, but the emotion in his voice is what moves the songs. By the record’s close, you’re left only wanting more of that medicine.

HONORABLE MENTION(s):

• Green Day – American Idiot (2004)
  Green Day’s concept album proves they’ve still got it after all these years. Double plus one thumbs up to them for refusing to edit the album’s content for the radio or to censor themselves, even though it led to the album not being sold at Walmart, and possibly hurt their sales. Way to stand up for what you believe in and your message.
• Eminem - The Marshal Mathers LP (2000)
  Marshal cleans out his closet filled with vicodin and chainsaws. Still to date his strongest album lyrically, without being too corny. Add in Dre on the production tip, and you’ve got yourself a hip-hop classic. Notable track that didn’t blow up – “Drug Ballad” – mari-juan is everywhere, where was you brought up?
• DJ Shadow - The Private Press (2002)
  Shadow’s follow-up to the epic “Endtroducing” shows even his 2nd best is still magnificent. The master of sampling lays down some solid grooves. Just like his last, you’ve heard all these tracks in commercials and movies, whether you realize it or not. Faves: “Six Days” & “Mashin’ on the Motorway”
• Tool – Lateralus (2001)
  I remember skipping out of school early to go buy this album the day it came out (it didn’t take very much for me to bail on school), being fairly let down (nothing could have followed “Aenima” well), but still rocking it all summer long. People made a big deal about the trippy packaging it came in, but really it was just kind of a gimmick in the days of Napster to get people to pay for what they could take for free – and look where we’re at now..
• The Roots – Phrenology (2002)
  From the time when The Roots were still at the top of their game, they released to us Phrenology. Known for their Jazzy live Hip-Hop, they took the beat in a few other directions. If “Break You Off” doesn’t get you and your special someone going, then get a roadmap and ask for directions cuz you’re clearly lost.
• The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely (2008)
  So much better than their debut. The Raconteurs put the guitars to work on this one. The album closes out perfectly with “Carolina Drama”, a folk/blues story. Consolers probably could have made my top 10, but I didn’t want to double up on the Jack White.
• Slightly Stoopid – Everything you Need (2003)
  Their top album. Get it. Go to the beach. Smoke a joint. Love Life. Nuff said.
• Penduluum – Hold Your Colour (2005)
  Penduluum have been called the group that killed Drum n Bass. They have responded to that title online saying if the style was weak enough that one group could come along, get popular, and kill the genre – then it deserves to rot in its grave. Bold words. Their style is credited with the rise of the “wobble” movement. Listen to “Another Planet” on a system with some bass, and decide what you think.
• El-P – I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead (2007)
  El-P’s 2nd album is some hardcore muffukin’ rap! I’m not talking about gangsta shit and ghetto stories, but experimental beats and inside/out rhyme patterns. Sole beat producer and MC, El-Producto outshines his celeb guests, The Mars Volta, Trent Reznor, and Aesop Rock. On “Drive” he vents “I’m not depressed, man I’m just a fuckin’ New Yorker, who knows that sitting in traffic with these bastards is torture!” Maestro and poet, El-P also wore the hat of label head at the legendary underground Hip-Hop label Def Jux. Unfortunately he has recently called for the end of Def Jux at the label’s 10th anniversary, citing internet downloads and the drain of putting out solid releases nearly every month for 10 years as some of the reasons. He has pledged that with the free time he will concentrate on producing more new music, and touring more. Yes!!!
  
  So there it all is, now let’s fight about it!!!

Thanks again to Mike for his awesome countdown! My list looked completely different, but I think it would be very hard to find two people that would have the exact same Top 10 Albums of the 2000's. I commend Mike for taking the time to actually think about 10 years worth of great music and picking his favorites...that's a lot of reminiscing. Hope you all enjoyed!

GUEST BLOG: Detroit Mike presents his "Top 10 Albums of the Decade" - Part 2

#7

Artist: System of a Down

Album: Toxicity

Released: 2001

I reeaaally wanted to put a Tool album in the top 10, but unfortunately all their stuff was either too old, or couldn’t cut it. Toxicity did. This album shot System out of the underground like the machine-gun music they put out. It also made for a great “heavy metal alarm clock” ala Jackass. Just ask anybody I went to college with unlucky enough to be the last one to rise the morning after a party. They would most likely “Wake Up!” to their hangover with a speaker blasting SOAD next to their head, possibly with the couch or chair they passed out in being shaken violently by other hungover maniacs, screaming the lyrics.

#6

Artist: Girl Talk

Album: Night Ripper

Released: 2006

Before becoming a major act at the big Festies and getting hipsters to shake their asses, Girl Talk was rocking his laptop at gutter Break-Core parties. “Night Ripper” sounds like every big pop, rap, and 80s hit, playing on the radio all at once, mangled together by someone with ADD. Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis) loops and glitches out all the songs you know every word to, whether they’re BS or legit. It’s something you can throw on at a party and everybody’s into. The why-borrow-what-you-can-steal attitude of this album completely blurred the line between “sampling”, re-mixing, and copyright infringement, and literally earned him an appointment with the Supreme Court. Taking the safer route, producers Ewun and Knick made a similar album as a side project called LudaChrist, and gave it away for free on the internet, because they didn’t want to deal with the legalities of selling it, or clearing all the 100s of samples. If you’re already a fan of Girl Talk, check out the LudaChrist mix “Bangfest” at http://www.worshipludachrist.com/ or I Worship LudaChrist on FaceBook.

#5

Artist: Kanye West

Album: College Dropout

Released: 2004

Kanye’s debut is a hip-hop classic, even though he’s still the #1 asshole of the decade. What other star could have their Mother die young and get no sympathy? “College Dropout” has got the choice selection of what Kanye does best: THE BEATS! The hits, “Slow Jamz” (ft. Jamie Foxx), “All Falls Down”,” Through the Wire”, and “Jesus Walks” as well as the lesser known cuts “Get Em High” (ft. Talib Kweli), “Never Let Me Down” and “We Don’t Care” have got soul, but still hit just as hard as the crunkest trunk bangers. This time capsule of an early stage of his career shows unusually modest lyrics: “we’re all self-conscious, I’m just the first to admit it”. But if there’s one thing that actually makes him a genius, it’s the ghetto-maestro production work that most MC’s don’t dare to touch.

#4

Artist: Mr. Lif

Album: I Phantom

Released: 2002

“I Phantom” is Boston MC Mr. Lif’s supercharged take on our capitalist, consumerist society. What Lif brings to the table is conscious, well thought out lyrics, straight up. “Live From the Plantation” is a track ANYONE can relate to about getting up to go to a job you hate, being condescended to, and even a daydream about flipping out on the boss. “Now I'm off to slave quarters, With a whole bunch of other people's sons and daughters, Working so they can be mothers and fathers, Laboring real hard, hoping the boss offers, More petty cash to us bums and paupers, Kissing his ass cuz they hoping they’ll prosper”. Other standout tracks are “Return of the B-Boy” where Lif goes through how he would defeat all the greatest rappers, finishing with an epic battle against himself, and “Earthcrusher” which describes a nuclear holocaust that would end the planet. As with most of the other releases on the Def Jux label, the beat production is on a soundscape of futuristic, space funk.

GUEST BLOG: Detroit Mike presents his "Top 10 Albums of the Decade" - Part 1

First of all, welcome back to O-Nation...that goes for myself as well. Due to a couple crazy fun months I have not had a whole lot of extra time to work on this here blog. I think a lot of my lack of motivation comes from December-March being the down time of the year for shows. But alas...concert season is back and there are plenty of shows on the slate starting next Monday's Coheed and Cambria show at The Webster (which should be of EPIC proportions).

Anyway, one of the guys heading to the show with me is my buddy Mike, or as he is better known around Hartford...Detroit Mike. Mike and I work together at ESPN and share a mutual love for music (and beer). A couple of months ago there were a bunch of us hanging out at the bar and we got to discussing what our Top 10 Albums of the Decade would be. As I had just completed doing my yearly lists I had lost the urge to do another list at the time. Mike volunteered to do a guest blog at the time and that's how this whole thing came about. So without further adieu here's Mike's Top 10 Albums of the Decade...part 1 of 3...

Like everyone else I’m a lifelong fan of music. Since being old enough to choose what I listened to, I’ve been involved with: Alternative - which turned into a love for punk rock and ska, hip-hop, underground electronic music, and reggae. I’ve played in or run sound for several bands, worked as a stage hand for an auditorium that brought through off-Broadway plays, and I’ve run sound for the morning news.

About 10 years ago I started DJing and am known in that scene as SureShot aka Detroit Mike. I spin mostly Drum ‘n Bass mashed up with other styles - hip-hop, dancehall reggae, gheto-tek, whatever I’m feelin’. I know I’m about two-and-a-half months behind on the decade’s best list, but I live most my life about two-and-a-half months behind. Just look at my hair sometime if you need proof of that. Thanks to Matt for putting up my list. Now let’s get down to it.

I have to start out by saying that making this list became a whole lot easier to make once I realized that a whole mess of “recent”, great music came out in 1999, and was automatically disqualified (The Chili Peppers’ “Californication”, Dr. Dre’s “Chronic 2001”, Mos Def’s “Black on Both Sides”, etc.). In this list I’m trying to highlight albums that are solid all the way through, not ones that have 1 really really awesome song. My list has some of the usual favorites praised by the music-critic press, but also others that have been more overlooked. Hopefully this recognition will get them to a few new sets of ears. Here we go…

#10

Artist: Long Beach AllStars

Album: Wonders of the World

Released: 2001

I was surprised to find that LBDA’s best album ‘Right Back’ was quietly released in 1999. However, the band, made up of former members of the iconic group Sublime, managed to just sneak onto the list with their 2nd effort. “Wonders of the World” continues the tradition of chilled out reggae riddims, hip-hop lyricism, and punk rock guitar riffs. This album is perfect for a ride to the beach, or even when the low-rider is all put away and you haven’t seen the sun in months. Highlights include “Rolled Up” (use your imagination); “Kablammin' It”, which sounds like a 10-year-old’s goofy take on sex; “Listen to DJs”, a tribute to classic reggae artists; or if star-power is your thing, “Sunny Hours”, which features Will.I.am from the Black Eyed Peas.

#9

Artist: Wolfmother

Album: Wolfmother

Released: 2006

Wolfmother’s debut record blazes out the gate with “Dimension” and rarely looks back. The guitar driven group from down under sounds like this generation’s take on Led Zeppelin or Guns ‘n Roses. They’ve made a quick impact in the few short years since they emerged. Despite being featured in Guitar Hero, on South Park, and a grip of movie previews, this album got left off a few ‘best of’ lists. Choice cut = “Joker and the Thief”.

#8

Artist: Sean Paul

Album: Dutty Rock

Released: 2002

At a quick glance Sean Paul might come off as just another pretty face trying to cash in on his home Jamaica’s tough reputation. The truth goes much deeper. The Jamaican reggae scene is arguably one of the toughest and one of the most corrupt music scenes in the world. Not just a fly-by-nighter, Sean Paul has been a part of that scene as an MC and a DJ since a young age. While the pop music corporations latched on, he made hits out of traditional riddims (“Like Glue” & “Get Busy”). The impact of his songs led to literally hundreds of remixes, and has made him the best selling reggae artist since everybody’s hero – Bob Marley. Marinate on that.

The O is coming back...

...sorry for the recent absence. Lots of stuff going on right now. Be back up and running within the week with a guest blog from my buddy Detroit Mike who has compiled for O-Nation his Top 10 Albums of the Decade! This is a great list you won't want to miss.

Stay tuned O-Heads...

Top 10 Albums of 2009

Sorry about getting this out after the new year. Been busy with holiday crap and other fun stuff. I hope everyone had a good holiday and rang in 2010 with plenty of fun.

Now that 2010 is here it is time to reflect on 2009 and the Top 10 Albums that defined the year in rock...



#10
Artist: Dave Matthews Band
Album: Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
Released: June 2nd, 2009

To be perfectly honest, I was not expecting much when this album was first released. The previous DMB albums have just been getting worse and worse because of the band’s ever-rising popularity and their record label's desire to appease the masses. Finally, the band went back to its roots a bit on this album. DMB made a huge comeback this summer and as always topped the tour money making list of 2009. While this album seemed to be influenced heavily by Dave's religious side, I think it is kind of cool to see how his music has shaped and formed to his life over the last decade. DMB went through a lot after losing former bandmate, LeRoi Moore, in 2008 and I think this album could not have been a better tribute to his legacy.

Song that defines the album: "Funny the Way It Is"



#9
Artist: Muse
Album: Resistance
Released: September 15th, 2009

I said it in September when I reviewed this album that this would be one of my top albums of the year. It is experimental at times...rocking classic on some songs, dropping beats on others, and then straight pop on others...however, I fully enjoyed this album and I think it is my second favorite Muse album to date (behind "Black Holes and Revelations"). I love the "Exogenesis Symphony" (in 3 parts) to finish the album. The whole CD utilizes a lot of grand piano which attributes to the classy sound of the album.

Song that defines the album: "Uprising"



#8
Artist: Grizzly Bear
Album: Veckatimest
Released: May 26th, 2009

While I am not a fan of some of the tracks on this album, I can't deny how much it made a statement for indie rock in 2009. Grizzly Bear brought back experimental sounds and compositions that haven't been heard in rock since the '80s. The band definitely had two hot singles this year in "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait for the Others"...I just hope that they continue to lead the indie charge into 2010, and that their follow up album will live up to its expectations.

Song that defines the album: "Two Weeks"



#7
Artist: Animal Collective
Album: Merriweather Post Pavilion
Released: January 20th, 2009

This album was voted as the top album of the year by numerous music magazines, blogs, websites, etc. Here's my take. While the album is clearly magnificent, I can't put it any higher on my list because I liked all of the following albums that much better. I agree with many of the publications' lists, but this is not an album I can listen to over and over and over again without becoming insane. Just too many sounds. I am beginning to like SOME electronic music, but one step at a time here folks. "Summertime Clothes" was the best song of the Summer of 2009 and will always remind me of trips to the beach, drunken company picnics, my second trip to Bonnaroo, and of course, my wrecked Acura.

Song that defines the album: "My Girls"



#6
Artist: Silversun Pickups
Album: Swoon
Released: April 14th, 2009

Silversun Pickups may have been one of my favorite new discoveries of 2009. While I had heard of them before (thanks to Rock Band), it wasn't until I heard the song "Panic Switch" that I decided to follow up more on them. This album continues to grow on me and in another couple months could have been in the top 3 easy. With a series of incredibly catchy songs like "Nice to Know You Work Alone", "Substitution", and "Catch and Release" it is hard to think that this band has not gotten bigger, faster. They are certainly a band that will continue to grow so keep your ears open...oh, and they're AMAZING in concert!

Song that defines the album: "Panic Switch", but that's been on here before so check out "Substitution"...


#5
Artist: Monsters of Folk
Album: Monsters of Folk
Released: September 22nd, 2009

Do I have to comment on this fusion being my favorite of the year again? Come on! You all know by now that Jim James is one of my favorite musicians out there, and that I would love nothing better than My Morning Jacket to get back together ASAP, BUT this is the best side project I could have hoped for out of Yim. I hope James, Conor Oberst, and M. Ward just part their ways now, but this album will never leave my collection. It is the perfect rainy day album! Who knew that that much acoustic guitar could not wear on you. Unbelievable.

Song that defines the album: "Say Please", but try something new, here's "Man Named Truth".



#4
Artist: Pearl Jam
Album: Backspacer
Released: November 10th, 2009

Taking a break from the sound of their previous couple studio albums was a great idea for the Seattle grungers. This album brought Eddie, Jeff, Mike and the rest of the gang back to their roots and it is definitely noticeable on songs like "Amongst the Waves" and "Force of Nature". However, what I love best about this album are how powerful Eddie's vocals are. Eddie always had one of the most powerful voices in rock and as he gets older those chords keep getting stronger. Listen to "Unthought Known" and tell me different. There is not a song on this album that I can honestly say I don't like.

Song that defines the album: "The Fixer", but check out Eddie's vocals on "Unthought Known"...



#3
Artist: Passion Pit
Album: Manners
Released: May 19th, 2009

It may have a lot of electronic sound, but I just can't get enough of this album. The songs are just fantastic...all of them. "Make Light" is the perfect "pump-up" song to open the album. "Little Secrets" was my #2 song of the year. "The Reeling" got a lot of radio airplay and climbed the charts for a while. "Sleepyhead", "Moths Wings" , "To Kingdom Come" all contribute to making this album one of the years best. This album is just full of amazing tunes from beginning to end, and on top of it all I got to see them live, and it was one of the better shows I've seen this year. Best of luck to Michael Angelakos and the rest of Passion Pit...I hope your next album kicks as much ass as this one.

Song that defines the album: "The Reeling", but since I've shown the video on here already check out "Eyes as Candles"...probably the best unknown track from this album...



#2
Artist: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Album: It's Blitz
Released: March 10th, 2009

Karen O is clearly the best female voice in rock n' roll today. She shreds up on this album. I've never been one for female leads in rock, but this album has forever changed my mind. Everone knows "Zero" and "Heads Will Roll", but it's the other songs like "Runaway", "Skeleton", and "Dragon Queen" that get stuck in my head all day. I love the way the YYYs seem to just complement each others instrument styles so well. They're a very underrated band as far as individual talent is concerned, and I think that this album took all of the band members to new creative heights with their instruments. I highly suggest this album to anyone who has not heard it from beginning to end.

Song that defines the album: "Zero", but same as before...worn out a lot of these ones...check out "Skeletons"...



#1
Artist: Phoenix
Album: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Released: May 26th, 2009

I don't know how much more praise I can give this album than I already have in previous posts. Every time I listen to this album it grows on me a little more. In fact, I was so undecided as to what order these last three albums should be in that I listened to all of them right before I wrote this. I didn't think anything could change my mind from naming Passion Pit's "Manners" as album of the year, but as I was listening to that album I found that there was just a little something was missing. It was the vocals of Karen O that pushed the YYYs over Pit, but it was Phoenix's masterful composition that pushed them to the top. In particular it was the two-part song "Love Like a Sunset" that completely changed my mind. The way this song builds in the 5:38 instrumental lead-in and then transitions into a short, yet brilliant vocal finish just blows my mind. It is such a beautiful blend of excellent instrumentation. The guitars, the drum entrance, the ambient synths, and the acoustic beginning to the vocal track all attribute to this songs awesome creativity. A creativity that can be found hidden beneath every track on this album. The way this album comes together like that is what makes this Phoenix's masterpiece. They have created not only one of the best albums of the year, but one of the best of the decade, and one of my new personal favorites.

Song that defines the album: "1901", but check out one of my personal favorites, "Lasso".

Top 15 Songs of 2009

It's that time of the year again. We're getting ready to ring in another decade of music. However, before we start doing a "Best of the Decade" list...we gotta take care of the year first.

2009 was a great year for music. For those of you who think that rock n' roll is still dead, this past year proved you wrong. Rock stole the scene this year as bands like Kings of Leon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Phoenix released epic albums; new bands like Silversun Pickups, Passion Pit, and Grizzly Bear quickly burst onto the scene and onto the charts; and legends like Pearl Jam, Kiss, and Wilco released albums that rival work that they put out a decade ago. 2009 also saw the formation of several amazing supergroups like The Dead Weather, Chickenfoot, Monsters of Folk, and Them Crooked Vultures, which brought together talent from five decades of rock music (60's/70's - John Paul Jones, 80's - Sammy Haggar, 90's - David Grohl, and 00's - Jack White).

All in all 2009 was a great year for rock. Now, it's time for me to list IN MY OPINION...the Top 15 Songs of 2009.



#15
Song: "United States of Eurasia"
Artist: Muse
Album: Resistance

This song is just purely epic. As the song builds from it's soft piano beginnings, to the instant the guitar wails for the first time I can't help but think that the song reminds me of classic Queen mixed with modern rock. Muse had a big year in 2009, and from the looks of their touring schedule, 2010 could be even bigger for Europe's biggest band.

#14
Song: "Why I Am"
Artist: Dave Matthews Band
Album: Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King

This song was written as a tribute to the band's late woodwinds player, LeRoi Moore. From the moment I heard it I knew it was an instant Dave classic. It sounds more like old Dave than new Dave, which is always a good thing. Plus, when you mix Dave and Tim Reynolds, there is no bad consequences.



#13
Song: "Percussion Gun"
Artist: White Rabbits
Album: It's Frightening

The drums at the beginning of this song are intense...reminds me of Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher". Just when you think the drums are gonna stop...they don't...they carry on for most of the song. I'm also a big fan of the bands vocals. White Rabbits are one of the better bands to have burst onto the scene this year, and this song is their testament to it.



#12
Song: "Hang You From the Heavens"
Artist: The Dead Weather
Album: Horehound

Is there any instrument that Jack White can't play? Besides the awesome playing of him and his fellow Raconteur, Jack Lawrence, the thing I love most about this band is Allison Mosshart. I haven't heard such a strong lead female voice in rock since Karen O burst onto the scene. I wish the best for this band, but I'd still rather see the Raconteurs back.




#11
Song: "While You Wait For the Others"
Artist: Grizzly Bear
Album: Veckatimest

Although "Two Weeks" could easily have been chosen in place of this song, I chose this tune because I find it to be a better song, artistically speaking. It's very soft and subtle, and it really brings out Ed Droste's amazing vocals. This tune just has a great vibe to it. Grizzly Bear has got to be one of the most original bands to come out in the last year.



#10
Song: "Manhattan"
Artist: Kings of Leon
Album: Only by the Night

Everybody knows "Use Somebody", "Sex on Fire", and maybe even "Notion". However, I think this is by far the best song on Kings of Leon's latest album. Caleb's vocals on this song are unprecedented by most any other song the band has ever done. The song just has parts that just hit on so hard you can't help but scream along with him when you listen to it driving alone in the car. Also, nothing is cooler than a bass line that involves heavy slides.




#9
Song: "New Moon Rising"
Artist: Wolfmother
Album: Cosmic Egg

Their first single off of their brand new album has some of the best guitar of 2009. When Andrew Stockdale broke up the original band (once compared to Led Zeppelin) a couple years ago their was a lot of skepticism about what the band would turn in to. So when they released this first single and it started up with this bad ass guitar riff there were a lot of expectations for the album. It proved that it wasn't the band the made Stockdale sound good, it was Stockdale that made the rest of the band sound good.The album turned out to be fantastic, but this song is its crowning achievement.



#8
Title: "Wilco (The Song)"
Artist: Wilco
Album: Wilco (The Album)

Although it sounds like not a whole lot of thought was put into this song...starting at the naming...this song is actually quite complex. "Wilco (The Song)" starts off very simple musically, but it gets more complex as it plays. I think that the lyrics are truly what makes this song one of the best of the year. The fact that the jam rockers use the phrase, "Wilco will love you baby", is classic rock n' roll at its finest.



#7
Song: "Zero"
Artist: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Album: It's Blitz

Yeah Yeah Yeahs hit it big a few years ago with the song "Maps". That song first put the band on the radar and they've been soaring ever since. Their latest album is probably their best work to date and the first song on the album sets the tone for the rest. "Zero" first introduces you to the best female vocals in rock today. Karen O is this generation's rock goddess...eat your heart out Joan Jett. It's rock, it's dance, it's electronic...it's a little bit of everything.

#6
Song: "Panic Switch"
Artist: Silversun Pickups
Album: Swoon

Silversun Pickups may have been my favorite bands of 2009. Swoon, the follow up album to 2006's Carnavas, was easily one of the years top albums, and "Panic Switch" was an easy pick for one of the top songs of the year. Brian Aubert's soft, but grungy vocals are addicting to say the least. His heavily distorted guitars can't even match the power of his voice as he screams, "I'm waiting and fading and floating away...", over and over again.

#5
Song: "Summertime Clothes"
Artist: Animal Collective
Album: Merriweather Post Pavilion

I don't know if there is a "tripier" band out there today than Animal Collective. Their mix of electronic and psychadelic music creates a blend of insanity sometimes, but "Summertime Clothes" is a very melodic tune that can reach out to people who aren't huge fans of their style of music. I find Animal Collective to be an extremely talented group (even though their live performances are lacking) and this song was left on my IPod for most of 2009. Definitely a song for the summer, but this song just some sort of "feel good" quality to it.

#4
Song: "Say Please"
Artist: Monsters of Folk
Album: Monsters of Folk

Regardless of whether or not they ever play together again (hopefully, not until several more MMJ albums are released), the formation of Monsters of Folk may have been one of the highlights of the year in music. Putting together 3 of rocks greatest front men (Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, M. Ward, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket) was sheer genius. Not only are they great front men, but they proved not only on this song, but on the rest of the album...that they are all very accomplished musicians. The three, along with guitarist Mike Mogis, apparently swap positions during their live shows, each playing all of the instruments over the course of the night. If that's not talent, what is? "Say Please" was an incredible tune because all 3 of them take turns singing during the song. It is a showcase of talent from the collective and is overall, a fantastic tune.

#3
Song: "Amongst the Waves"
Artist: Pearl Jam
Album: Backspacer

When Backspacer was first released I remember hearing a lot of critics say that the record just wasn't PJs style, but man were they wrong. I think that this song proved that Eddie and the gang are getting more and more back to their original grunge roots. The guitar riffs are all fantastic, and Mike McCready's guitar solo in this song is one of the best he's put onto an album in years (NOTE: McCready shows off his talent a lot more live, than on studio albums). Eddie's vocals are also very strong on this track as he does what he does best...starts slow and soft and builds his vocal strength over the course of the song, until he opens up his powerful voice as the song nears its conclusion. Although, "The Fixer" and "Unthought Known" could be considered better songs by some, as a Pearl Jam fan, I think this song is one of the best they've put out since the Ten album...and that's saying A LOT.

#2
Song: "Little Secrets"
Artist: Passion Pit
Album: Manners

"Little Secrets" by Passion Pit was my original pick for song of the year, but it came just a little bit short. The Massachusetts based band has an awesome blend of electronic and rock music, but the band's lead singer, Michael Angelakos, stands out amongst the rest of the band. Angelakos' vocals are extremely high at some points during this song, but I think that his voice is a perfect fit for this type of music. This song has sooooo much energy to it...you can't help but move to it. I remember watching them perform this song at Bonnaroo (see below) as I stood next to the tent in line waiting to see Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. As soon as they started playing this song it was like the tent went into a frenzy. Glowsticks were flying, gigantic balloons were bouncing around, and everyone in the tent was smiling and laughing while dancing their asses off! While it may have been a very drug-induced moment for many of those in the crowd, it was one of my favorite moments of the year...there is nothing like observing several hundred fans just instantly lose themselves completely in a song. The whole Manners album is a masterpiece and I can't wait to hear what this band has in store for the future.

#1
Song: "1901"
Artist: Phoenix
Album: Wolfgang Amadus Phoenix

The best thing to come out of France since the invention of the croissant has been the band Phoenix. These guys are simply amazing artists, and "1901" was just an anthem of the year 2009. It was everywhere...you could hear it video games, car commercials, and in your favorite TV show. In reality the song is about what Paris was like in the year 1901 and about how much better it was then, rather than now. While all of that may be true, the song's lyrical pattern is what truly makes it magnificent. Thomas Mars is quickly becoming one of the most well-known voices in rock n' roll and I think that this album could easily be one of the best of the decade, but that's for another day (hopefully by New Years I'll have the list out). I can't help but drumming along on my steering wheel as the pre-chorus begins, "It's twenty seconds till the last call. You're going hey, hey, hey!" (who hasn't done that while trying to get one more drink?), and of course everybody knows the tune once it gets to, "Fallin', fallin', fallin', fallin." This song is one for our generation, and without a doubt, is my pick for the Best Song of 2009. The End. Stay tuned later this week for the Top 15 Albums of 2009.

Format Update

So I recently decided to get rid of the Band of the Week section on the right side of the page and do a complete overhaul and change the feature to Band of the Month. I took a big financial hit with this change, but I think it was for the best.

In all seriousness, I changed it because I have the tendency to find a band and listen to their whole collection for just about a month at a time. This way I can have 1 Band of the Month and 4 Songs of the Week from that band. I think it'll work out for the best.

The Big 3: 3D Concerts, MMJ Get Animated, Vibes Returns

1. Dave Matthews, Ben Harper, Gogol Bordello...Now in 3D!

Coming to a theater near you...maybe. So a production company called inconcert3D is releasing a show from each of these bands, which will be broadcast back-to-back-to-back in digital 3D. I guess it's a pretty cool concept, but if I was gonna see a concert in 3D I would want a more visually stimulating concert than any of these bands (even though Gogol Bordello is pretty energetic). Can we get a MGMT, Flaming Lips, and Pink Floyd concert instead? I can't imagine watching Dave doing his foot dance or Ben Harper's up-close vocal expressions being that entertaining, but who knows...prove me wrong.



Anyway, the concerts were all played over this last year at big festivals. Dave Matthews Band's set is from Austin City Limits, Ben Harper and Relentless 7's set is from Mile High Music Festival, and Gogol Bordello's set is from All Point West.



The 3D movie is only available in select theaters and is only playing for a week from December 11-17, so get off your ass if you want to go see it. You can check what theaters it is playing in by going here.







2. My Morning Jacket Gets Animated

Did you see MMJ on American Dad?! It was probably the best episode of the show I have ever seen. Granted I have only seen a dozen or so episodes, but still, it was the kind of episode that makes you want to watch more of a show. Jim James had a few great one liners in the show, but I was more excited about the montage of Stan flying on Jim's back thru an animated journey set to the song, "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt. 2". At least 5 MMJ songs played during the episode, which was surprising...including live concert footage at the end of the show! If you haven't seen the episode, I strongly suggest you watch it...if you call yourself my friend that is...hahahaha



Check out the full episode on Hulu.





3. Gathering of the Vibes Returns in Summer 2010

Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT will once again become a place of good vibes for 3 days this summer, rather than the 362 other days of the year that it is known as being one of the cesspools of crime in Connecticut. Concert organizers announced this years dates as July 29th - August 1st. They will be holding their first town meeting for their concert on Monday over their website...which apparently is going to be followed up with a webcast from Dark Star Orchestra's November 17th concert at Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport. Not sure if the public gets any say on the festival, but if you really wanna find out then tune in on their website, GOVIBES.com, Monday at 7pm.

The Big 3 - Roo Dates, Contra, and moe.

1. 2010 Bonnaroo Dates Released
Sooo...another year is quickly approaching which means that Bonnaroo is only 6 months (or so) away! Although the initial artist announcements are still 2 months (or so) away, the fantastic folks at Superfly Productions have announced this years festival dates as June 10-13. Unfortunately for me I may not be able to swing Roo this year, but I will let the initial lineup decide that for me. If My Morning Jacket is on the list nothing but death itself could stop me from making it down to Manchester in early June. Pre-sale tickets go on sale soon for the holiday season. I would imagine the ticket price is gonna stay around $250 for 1st Round.

In other Roo news the 2009 DVD should be arriving at my house any day now. Pretty pumped because it has "Welcome Home" by Coheed & Cambria on it and Rob and I were definitely front row for that show so it'd be cool to have my face on one of these DVD's (missed out on 08's...dammit). You can check out some of the live performances that will be on the DVD at http://www.bonnaroo.com/

NOTE: If you look at the "Watch it performed here..." section on the right you
can view the Song of the Week, "Little Secrets" performed by Passion Pit at
Bonnaroo 2009 (it's the second one down)...it is one of the ones included on the
DVD.

2. Vampire Weekend's NYC Album Release Shows
Good news and bad news...

Good news first...Vampire Weekend's new album, "Contra" (title inspired by one of the greatest video games of all time), comes out January 12th and to correspond with the album release the band will be playing 3 shows at 3 different venues in New York.

Sunday, January 17th - United Palace
Monday, January 18th - Webster Hall
Tuesday, January 19th - Bowery Ballroom

Bad news...Monday and Tuesday's shows are both 100% sold out. No single tickets are available and tickets are going for $90-175 a piece on StubHub and eBay. So save up that Christmahannukwanza money kids.

I've heard two songs so far off the album and they're both pretty decent. I posted "Horchata" on the blog about a month ago. You can hear their first single "Cousins" on the front page of their website http://www.vampireweekend.com/


3. moe. Announces 20th Anniversary Tour
Chuck, Al, Rob, and Vinny are getting ready to celebrate their 20th anniversary with a nationwide tour starting in January. According to http://www.jambase.com/ the band will be starting their tour where they got big, in the Northeast. The cities that have been rumored so far are Rochester (of course), Boston, New York, Ithaca, and Pennsylvania (apparently it is a whole city now). Tour dates should be solidified in the coming weeks.

Also, moe. is bring back their winter festival, snoe.Down, which will be returning this year from March 26th-28th in Killington/Rutland, Vermont. I wish it was a couple weeks early because my buddies from home and I are going up skiing for a week in KTown. Guess I might have to go back a few weeks later.

Finally, if you haven't seen or heard any videos from moe.'s now-historic Halloween 2009 set from Albany, you really should. They let the fans vote on which covers they would play and the band came out and covered "Dark Star" by Grateful Dead, "Stash" by Phish, "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon, "Echoes" by Pink Floyd, and...I saved the best for last....

Whoops!

I haven't been paying much attention this page lately and I apologize. I gotta a little distracted with life. Posts are gonna be a little more frequent from here on out. I'm starting a new bi-weekly segment called the Big 3...which will deal with the Top 3 music stories of the week and my take on them. Also...I'm going to be looking for some guest writers here to maybe do some album reviews. If you have an album you'd like to review for the page let me know.

Also, coming in December I'm going to be counting down the Top 10 Albums and Songs of 2009. So keep an eye out for that.

Rock on,

Matt

Roo DVD Preview

I know it's still a couple months away until the DVD comes in the mail...and even longer until next years lineup is announced, but still...its hard not to get pumped to think that Bonnaroo 2010 is already in the works.

So for the time being I will occupy myself with the preview of the DVD. Good to see that this years DVD will include a lot of great performances...not that last years was bad (not even close), but this years looks better. Check out the preview below.

Live from Bonnaroo 2009 Trailer from Bonnaroo on Vimeo.

Now I just gotta figure out a way to get down to the Roo this summer...

Remembering: Neverender

Thursday officially marked the 1-year anniversary since the tapings of Coheed and Cambria's 4-day concert series, Neverender.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Coheed and Cambria played their 4 albums (in order) on 4 consecutive nights in 4 different cities around the world last fall. Thursday marked the anniversary of the first series of concerts at NYC's Terminal 5, which were recorded and released as a DVD and/or CD package earlier this year.

Over the course of the year I was able to watch all 4 DVD's...from The Second Stage Turbine Blade to No World for Tomorrow. I wanted to share with you guys the highlight songs from each night (in my opinion of course).


Night 1: Second Stage Turbine Blade
Song of the Night: "Everything Evil"
Why?: My favorite C&C song. Claudio's vocals are perfect and he has an awesome guitar jam at the end with Travis. Crowd is fucking insane! There is no standing still...just a constant moving wave of people. Best part is the first time Claudio sings, "Would you run?"(about 4:30 in) and the house lights flash for a split second showing dozens of fan jumping into the air with fists raised!

Night 2: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Song of the Night: "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3"
Why?: Possibly the best song to ever start an album (next to "In The Flesh" on The Wall)...it just builds and builds from the beginning. Crowd sings along with every word to the song. If you want to see some awesome crowd footage of people going nuts fast forward to about the 6:55 mark and watch.


Night 3: Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
Song of the Night: "The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut"
Why?: Opposite of night 2's opener...this song may be one of the best songs to finish an album. When I saw them play it at Bonnaroo they played a 20 minute version in which each member of the band spotlighted their talents for a few minutes each. This version may be even better. Split into 3 parts due to the song being 20 minutes plus. Enjoy if you have the time.
Night 4: Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Volume 2: No World for Tomorrow
Song of the Night: "Mother Superior"
Why?: Starts with just Claudio...whole band enters by the end. Crowd sings word for word. Slow beginning builds to heavy end.

Concert Review: Silversun Pickups: 10/20/09

THE LINEUP: Silversun Pickups w/ Cage the Elephant and An Horse

THE DATE: Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

THE VENUE: The Webster Theater, Hartford, Connecticut

THE SETTING: Small theater (Capacity: 1200)

ACT I: "Please make illegal u-turn..."
Due to a crazy "Tri-Birthday Oktoberfest Party" the night before my friends (Bob and Brandon) and I were still recovering from a night of heavy partying...okay, maybe not them, but I definitely was. So needless to say, there wasn't a whole lot of pregaming going on for this show.

Anyway, the three of us met at my place and set out for the show. Bob plugged in the coordinates on his Verizon Navigator and the female voice guides us through some of the worst neighborhoods in the Greater Hartford Area...which is why NAV systems blow. Definitely not a place you want to drive thru after dark. We decided at this point that we were going to take an alternate route home. Another reason why NAV systems are worthless...after getting to a busy four-way intersection the machine tells Bob to go straight....so he goes straight. Then as we drove through the stoplight and down the road a couple hundred yards the thing then tells us "please make illegal U-turn whenever possible." Sure it actually said "a legal", but that's up for debate.

So we finally made it into downtown Hartford and we're driving down a street full of some early 1950's built houses when, out of nowhere, a concert hall and giant tour buses suddenly appeared to our right. It looked nice enough from the outside, but I was amazed to see such a loud venue in the middle of such a highly-populated neighborhood...you'd think they would get enough complaints over the years (especially from a place that regularly hosts some of the heaviest metal acts out there SEE: Gwar, Slayer, Hatebreed, etc.)

No matter though, we decided to pay the $10 for parking in the concert lot so Bob's car stays in one piece. Several people had told me horror stories about their cars getting broken into while they were inside at previous shows...if you ever go to the Webster, I strongly suggest you pay the lot attendant. Finally, we head into the show.


ACT II: "Man that lead singer is pretty hot...in a Tegan and Sara kind of way..."
So the opening act was a band called An Horse. I had never heard of them before, but Brandon said he saw them recently on one of the late night shows. They were definitely something different. They are an Australian duo comprising of a female lead singer/guitarist and a male drummer. You couldn't tell they were Aussies until they began talking to the crowd. In their chats with the audience they mostly told stories about their adventures in Hartford over the last couple days, and then pointed out that the back of the theater must be a bar because that's where everyone is. They were right...a lot of the crowd chose to continue to pre-game during An Horse's set. Like me, most of the people there were probably not there to see An Horse.

Their music was ok...although a lot of it sounded the same to me. It sounded like Tegan and Sara, but without a bass line. Also, replace the female back-up vocals with male back-up vocals...which actually was a pretty cool sound. All in all the band has some potential, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see them. We go grab a red bull to get fired up for Cage.

ACT III: "Holy Shit! Did he just throw his guitar at the bassist!?"
I saw Cage the Elephant for the first time last summer at Bonnaroo and they were absolutely nuts! This show was no exception. Always fun to see a band that has as much fun as them on the stage.

I warned Bob and Brandon before the show that the lead singer (Matt Schultz) is a nut job and sings and runs around the stage like a hamster on speed. They quickly got to see him in action.

There's no doubt about it, this band has a pretty original sound. The guitars are doubled up...the rhythm guitarist, Brad Schultz (who plays his guitar up on his chest...very weird looking), pretty much strums constantly throughout every song, while the lead guitarist (Lincoln Parrish) plays riffs and solos on top. It's a very cool sound. Schultz is an awesome front man and knows how to get a crowd fired up. He literally never stopped moving on stage...running, jumping, and even throwing himself into the crowd while the band jammed out!

The cool thing is that the entire band was as fired up as him...especially since it was the bassists' (Dan Tichenor)birthday. While "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" was their most crowd-pleasing song (for most it was the only song they knew by name...including myself)...it was their final song that sounded the best. Towards the end they all just started rocking out on stage...then shit got crazy. The rhythm guitarist threw his guitar at the bassist, just barely missing him. Then he jumped on his back and they started wrestling on the stage. The lead guitarist and drummer (Jared Champion) were going nuts and then Matt Schultz threw himself into the crowd...singing while surfing! The band continued to mess with heavily distorted sounds and then left the stage...leaving Schultz in the crowd. Then as a final farewell (he did this at Bonnaroo as well) Schultz had the crowd pick him up and he stood on top of the crowd as the fans went nuts! Awesome music, but an even more awesome stage performance...that about sums up Cage the Elephant.

ACT IV: "Nikki is so much hotter up close..."
So it was finally time for the headliners, Silversun Pickups. The first time I ever heard this song was on Rock Band 2. They have a song on the game called "Lazy Eye" which I think is still one of the funnest songs in the game. It is very catchy and the guitar part kicks ass. It was the vocals of the song though that made me interested in knowing more about the band. So I downloaded a whole bunch of their stuff and am now a huge fan of the bands two full albums, 2006's Carnavas and this year's Swoon. I soon became determined to see them live after I had watched them play over the internet at Coachella this past year. All summer I had heard about how they were "wow"-ing crowds at huge festivals like Lollapalooza and Coachella. So when the opportunity finally came around to see them, how could I pass on it?

Lead singer/guitarist, Brian Aubert (who looks just like Daniel Faraday from Lost...not kidding...I'll post a picture at the bottom),may be one of the most talented indie rockers on the scene right now. The L.A. based band quickly made a name for themselves and a lot of it has to do with his heavily distorted guitars and a vocal range that can quickly turn from a quiet whisper to a throaty scream (think Billy Corgan, but a male...burn). His voice can be very soft at times, and I actually thought for a while that Nikki Monninger, the bands talented (and gorgeous)bassist, was the singer for a long time because his voice definitely gets feminine sounding at times.

So the band takes the stage just after 10pm. Aubert comes out with one of the coolest looking guitars I have ever seen played in a live setting (pretty sure it was a Gretsch). The drummer, Chris Guanlao, had a pretty simple set-up with the exception of a crash simple that was about 6-feet in the air. The keyboardist, Joe Lester (dawning an Elvis Costello look), started things off with an array of sounds before the band opened their show with "Growing Old is Getting Old" off of their latest album.

The set list was pretty well rounded and included songs off of the bands two albums and their first EP, Pikul. Here's what we heard:

1. "Growing Old is Getting Old"
2. "Well Thought Out Twinkles"
3. "Sort Of"
4. "There's No Secrets This Year"
5. "The Royal We"
6. "Little Lover's So Polite"
7. "It's Nice to Know You Work Alone"
8. "Future Foe Scenarios"
9. "Kissing Families"
10. "Catch and Release"
11. "Panic Switch"
12. "Lazy Eye"

Encore

1. "Substitution"
2. "Creation Lake"
3. "Common Reactor"

In my opinion, the 8-12 block was simply incredible...each song built off each other and just made the show better as it went on. "Future Foe Scenarios" is becoming one of my favorite tunes from them. The crowd went nuts as soon as they heard "Panic Switch" and the fans were all sorts of fired up when Aubert screamed out the last few lines of "Lazy Eye".

All in all, my favorite thing about the band (besides Nikki) was how great they related to the crowd. Simply put, I have never seen a better crowd in a small venue in my life...and apparently neither had the Pickups. They got insane amounts of applause whenever the music stopped, people were chanting their names, and they were gracious for it. At one point they just stopped and Aubert asked for the house lights to come on and he was just visually blown away. They pointed out that this was their first time in Hartford and that they didn't know how much people knew them on the East Coast, and that they were nowhere near prepared for what this crowd showed them...which was a lot of respect and a lot of fun. They even screwed up in the middle of a song...still not sure what exactly happened, maybe something with the equipment...but they laughed about it with the crowd and it was very cool. All in all, they just seemed like a band that you could bullshit with after the show over a beer. Very down to Earth...not what you would expect out of an L.A. band.

After the band gave their final goodbyes (one band member left the stage at a time) we got back on the road (car all in one piece) and took a completely different way back home.

We all agreed the show was incredible. The venue was small, but very intimate. It made you feel like you were in a bar listening to a band for the very first time. The acoustics were decent, and although the venue didn't allow moshing, crowd surfing, etc...there was still a lot of energy in the crowd. The bill itself was great...An Horse was a great warmup act, Cage got the crowd fired up, and the Pickups sealed the deal like they were headlining Madison Square Garden.

Only video I could find on YouTube of the show...here's 1:46 of "Sort Of".


Next scheduled concert review: Nothing is on the slate currently. Waiting to see what the New Years Eve lineup looks like in the city. Stay tuned.


Brian Aubert (left) ; Daniel Faraday (right)

Vampire Weekend Releases New Single

The preppy indie pop-rock kings are coming back with a new album after the huge success of 2008's breakthrough debut album Vampire Weekend. Although the bands second album, "Contra" (hopefully named after the NES game...gotta love the spread gun), is not being released until January of 2010, the band has decided to give us a taste of the new album with their first single, "Horchata" (the MP3 is available for free download on vampireweekend.com).

Have a listen:



It sounds to me like the band is experimenting with a few new electronic and guitar sounds, but all in all, the sound remains similar to that found on the first album ("M79" in particular). Ezra Koenig continues to use his Ivy League education on his lyrics by rhyming and using words in ways that make me feel like I need a thesaurus to fully understand the meaning of the song. "Horchata" is fun and catchy, but I expect more from the rest of their second album.

And for those of you wondering what the hell Horchata is... it apparently is some gross milky beverage dranken by Latin American and Spanish cultures consisting of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley, or tigernuts...yep delicious tigernuts.

Foo Fighters "Wheels" Gets Leaked

So, in case you're face down in a gutter in the Meat Packing District of NYC, you probably have heard about Dave Grohl's new side-project super-group, Them Crooked Vultures (they kick ass by the way). They're currently touring the globe and probably will be for the next year, so to tide over the millions of fanatics (and to presumably make a shit ton of extra dough) Foo is releasing a Greatest Hits album with 2 new tracks.

Anyway, one of the songs got leaked over the internet this week...it's called "Wheels" and you can find it on Spin.com.

Not a bad song at all...kinda classic rock sounding, not at all the punk-grunge sound that was heard on Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace...but I'll let you decide for yourself. I, however, am a fan.

Album Review: "The Resistance" by Muse

BAND: Muse
ALBUM: The Resistance
RELEASE DATE: September 14th

For those of you unfamiliar with Muse...get familiar. The British trio is probably the biggest band to hit Europe since U2 (who they're presently touring with as well), and with good reason.

If you're an American and you've heard of Muse, most likely it's because you know one of three songs: "Knights of Cydonia", "Hysteria", or "Starlight". All got major radio play and all are great songs, but you need to continue your education and pick up this latest album, because it blows away everything else the band has ever done.

It seems that Matthew Bellamy, probably one of the most well known lead singers in the world today, decided long before he started on this album that it was going to be the band's masterpiece. You can easily notice it in the way the album plays out from beginning to end. I don't want to call it a concept album, but in some ways it's similar....some of the songs fade into each other, and the tempos vary a lot from song to song...but more than that it is an album with a message...that one day (maybe the near future with the way things are going right now) the world must unite or humanity will fail.

The album starts with the grungy new single, "Uprising", which introduces the album to the public (it is also the first single, and it's getting a lot of airplay). It's very much an anti-establishment song...just listen to the lyrics:

Interchanging mind-control,
Come, let the revolution take its toll,
If you could flick a switch and open your third eye,
You'd see that we should never be afraid to die

Rise up and take the power back,
It's time that the fat cats had a heart attack,
You know that their time's coming to an end,
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!

They will not force us,
They will stop degrading us,
They will not control us,
And we will be victorious!

It's a powerful song...the power chords are riddled with heavy distortion and Bellamy's voice rings with a rallying charisma from the start. From there the album continues with some revolutionary ballads...a possible future single, "Resistance", followed by "Undisclosed Desires"...which is a song for those of you who like the hip-hop beats and heavy bass. It is probably my least favorite track on the CD, but is still very good.

The fourth track may be the bands greatest creation. "United States of Eurasia" may be my favorite song of the year. It mixes a lot of different sounds, but I believe that Muse took a lot of inspiration for this tune from Queen. That's right...Queen. It's not just the classical grand piano to begin and end the tune...it's Bellamy's voice...and it's very apparent in the small Brian May-ish guitar riff when the lyrics "there can be only one!" (Highlander?) are sung coming out of the second verse. The song may just end up being Muse's "Bohemian Rhapsody".

NOTE: A word on "United States of Eurasia". I found this excerpt on Wikipedia about the treasure hunt that took place around the world to release this song...one of the coolest promotions I've ever heard of. They hid pieces of the song in 6 different cities on 6 USB drives and the fans that found them had to upload them onto the bands website to release a free download of the song. Which is now available. Pretty cool.

The fifth and sixth songs on the album are both fantastic and continue the overall premise of the album. "Guiding Light" is another song the brings out Bellamy's strong vocals, while "Unnatural Selection" may be the most guitar-ridden track on the album. The next two tracks slow the pace down a bit before the incredible ending.

The final three tracks on the album are all one song entitled "Exogenesis", but is separated into three parts..."Overture", "Cross Pollenation", and the finale, "Redemption". Apart from each other the songs are all good, but together they really have that composition that makes it a work of art. "Redemption" is the perfect close to the album...it builds and builds and builds and then slowly fades out with another comforting piano part.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The bands sound is at its peak...its a mix of instruments and sounds of all genres...guitars, drums, synths, keys, bass...and its all done by three amazing musicians. Matthew Bellamy has the strongest, most powerful voice in rock music today and his heavily distorted, grungy, guitars are similar to the style of Tom Morello at points. Chris Wolstenholme plays some incredible bass parts throughout the album...particularly his bass line in "Resistance" is very prominent, and sounds like it was played by [Red Hot Chili Peppers'] Flea himself. Finally, drummer Dominic Howard may be one of the most underrated drummers in rock. Howard's fills in "Unnatural Selection" are awesome...heavy hitting snare, lots of crash symbols, overabundance of energy.

All in all...one of the best albums of 2009. This is the album that shoots Muse to superstar status. Mark my words...this tour with U2 will be the final non-headlining tour of their career.

If you want more Muse...they have their own Wiki.

Here are the first two singles off the album..."Uprising" and "United States of Eurasia"...

Concert Review: Kings of Leon: 9/9/09

The summer is just about over, which means the end of those cool nights laying down in the lawn and watching your favorite band jam outdoors...and time to head indoors to uncomfortable arena shows with jacked up ticket prices and overpriced food and alcohol. Unfortunately, for me, I had to move indoors a little bit early this year to catch a much anticipated Kings of Leon show at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.

What had originally been a group of 3 or 4 people going quickly turned into a group of 10-12 in the months leading up to the concert. So, needless to say, we couldn't all sit together and a whole coordination process followed to make sure we all got rides down and had time to grab a drink and eat before the show. That's part of the atmosphere of being at Mohegan Sun though...lots of great food.

During dinner it was decided that no one had any great ambition to see the opening act, The Features (also from Nashville and signed to KoL label). So after sandwich's, beverages, and v-neck t-shirt jokes at Geno Auriemma's bar we decided to head into the arena at around 8pm to catch the show. We split up into groups and found our seats. It actually worked out well because we all had different views of the stage, which accounted for different stories.

When we entered the opening act was already done, and the stage was already set up for Kings of Leon. They had a pretty nice stage set-up (our side view was obstructed, but I saw some other pics and videos)...two giant wide-screens on top of the stage, surrounded by columns of speakers, but behind them was draped just a plain ole' curtain. The curtain seemed a little simple compared to the rest of the setup, but whatever, I wasn't that concerned with the setup from a side view.

The band came on at about 8:40pm and started with the song "Crawl" off of their latest album, Only by the Night. It was a great way to start the concert...it was heavy, energetic, and it was a song that both old and new fans knew. You could hear people belting the lyrics, "You've gotta learn to crawllllll...before you walk awayyyyyyy...before you walk awayyyyyy..." Great way to start the show.


They followed it up with another hit single, "Charmer", before regressing (much to my applause) to the earlier days by breaking out their first single, "Molly's Chambers", before getting people on their feet with the always-catchy tune, "Soft". Then it was time for some slower stuff as Caleb traded in his back-up electic, for an acoustic to accommodate "Fans".


It seemed like not a whole lot of the crowd knew of those three songs so the band reminded the fans "Hello...we're Kings of Leon"...which was lame. Everybody in this crowd paid $60 bucks a piece to come see you guys...they better know who the heck you are if they shelled out that kind of green. Anyway...to get the new fans back into the show the band switched back to their latest album...Jared's bass-line could be felt through the seats as the band cruised through "Revelry" and people were getting close on the floor when they followed with "I Want You".


They left the crowd wanting more as they switched melodies between, "The Bucket", "My Party", "Be Somebody" and "Four Kicks" before giving the crowd what they wanted...their smash hit "Sex on Fire". You could hear the fans singing along over Matt's riffs as they rolled through what was probably the best song of the night. Well at least that's what I thought until they finished the song and began one of my favorites, "Notion", right after. Caleb's vocals were flawless on one of their most testing tunes...I was very impressed.


From there they finished their set with "Manhattan", "Cold Desert", "On Call" and then left the stage after finishing with "Slow Night, So Long". The first set seemed short, and as a fan of their older stuff, I was waiting to hear an encore jam-packed with some of their early singles like "King of the Rodeo" and/or, "Red Morning Light". The crowd did the normal applause and cheering routine until the band took the stage for an encore.

The house lights come down, the electronic sounds begin to fade up through the sound system on top of the cheers, and Caleb Followill's haunting vocals come in as the blue lights pierce the darkness and "Closer" begins.

The encore continued as they switched back to their jammier roots with the 7-minute anthem, "Knocked Up", before appeasing the bandwagon fans with their pop-garbage latest single, "Use Somebody" (sorry...not a fan). Luckily, they finished off the show on a great note with the powerful, "Black Thumbnail". The crowd gave the band a well deserved applause as they threw out the picks and sticks and walked off stage.

So there's the concert...hope you enjoyed it...here are my post-show thoughts:

• The band has not gotten over their "new to America" status. The fans are over it, but the media and the band are not. The fans that were there surprisingly knew a lot of their older tunes, but the band still introduced themselves...twice.


• It sounds like they've been over-doing this tour a little bit (which has been going on since the beginning of summer 2008). Caleb brought a lot of energy in his vocals, but not in his on-stage antics. There was little to no crowd interaction, no putting the mic down and letting the crowd sing, or misdirection in song selection.
  
• As far as the instrumentation goes...although Matt and Jared played their guitars flawlessly...it was Nathan's drumming that stood out to me the most...he was energetic, his cymbals were right on all night long, his fills were perfect, and he never missed a beat. However, as a band together, there was not a whole lot of energy present.


• I had a lot of fun...the set list was great, the people I was with were great, and all-in-all...it was a show I'll never forget. The band has grown a lot over the years and you can hear it on their albums and through their sound...now, as they reach a "make or break" point in their career, they must not look down on the newer fans that missed them in the early days, but they must make those new fans want to go back and listen to how their sound matured and led them to such a highly celebrated album.
  
  

In my previous post I gave a list of criteria that I would've liked to had been met for the show to be considered a "good" show. So here are my final thoughts:

CRITERIA TO MAKE THIS A GOOD SHOW
1. "King of the Rodeo" must be played. - FAIL...the set list did not include this song.
2. "Red Morning Light" must be played. - FAIL...not played.
3. "Use Somebody" CANNOT be the final song...don't leave a crowd on a slow song...ever. PASS...although I had my doubts at some points.
4. Being that there is no opening band to the extent of my knowledge...the show must last AT LEAST 2 hours. N/A...there was an opening band, the concert lasted about 1:40 mins.
5. B-Lar and I must remember the concert. PASS! Geno's Strawberry Daquiris got nothing on B-Lar!

So they went 2-2-1...not a bad score. Either way it was well worth it. I'm also pleased to announce the next show on the concert agenda will be Silversun Pickups w/ Cage the Elephant on Tuesday, October 20th. Stay tuned for more information and enjoy the first weekend of NFL Football...