I have always had fun listening to Weezer. Of course I remember growing up with the Blue album and singing along to Buddy Holly and My Name Is Jonas. Their second album, Pinkerton, was in my opinion a masterpiece. Later they followed up with the much more light hearted Green album. And then came out with the lackluster albums Maladroit and Make Believe. I for one still enjoy all of their albums. Weezer can create some of the most catchiest songs known to man wheter you like them or not... Beverly Hills for example. Well Weezer has now followed up Make Believe with their 6th album entitled... well its self titled and nick named the Red Album.
This cd feels more like a throwback to old school Weezer. The first song Troublemaker feels like an instant radio hit with its fun sing along chorus and ridiculously entertaining lyrics. Escpecially to those who are Weezer fans. The second song and arguably the best song Weezer has ever written is entitled The Greatest Man That Ever Lived is so much fun! The song clocks in at a little under 6 minutes and what a 6 minutes it is. The style seems to change every 30 seconds to another type of music. From the first style feeling a bit Hip-Hop to then straight up Rock, and yes there is some awesome accapella to some chill acoustic pop. Not to mention the lyrics are so entertaining. Pork And Beans was the first single off the cd and of course its got a catchy tune. Heart Songs will let you feel what Rivers (lead singer) feels when he draws inspiration to write his next song. He quotes artists from Micheal Jackson, Abba, Bruce Springsting and Nirvana. One of my other favorite tracks is Dreamin'. The song is just classic Weezer. Trakcs 7,8 and 9 are a real turn for Weezer. Rivers lets the other band members take the lead vocals. The first of the 3 is called Thought I Knew is my least favorite. It sounds like a song from Uncle Cracker... but a good song from Uncle Cracker (which is rare) on the other hand Cold Dark World and Automatic actually work for me. They keep the Weezer flare with a different perspective on vocals. The album ends on a solid Weezer effort. The Angel And The One is in the same vein as Only In Dreams and Butterfly.
All in all this album is awesome! I cant say enough about how much I love this band and their latest effort. Despite that one song Thought I Knew, it was not enough to ruin the album for me because the song is still listenable. If you love fun upbeat catchy music BUY this album.
Grade: A-
For Fans Of: Weezer, Weezer and Weezer
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Cute Is What We Aim For: Rotation
Never can I remember a record label delivering so many bands that so many people either love or hate... from the likes of Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco and Cobra Starship comes another band off of Fueled By Ramen... Cute Is What We Aim For. And like the previous bands I mentioned there is a ton of mixed feelings about these guys. The sophmore album from this band is entitled Rotation which after listening to the album in full a few times, I still dont quite understand the title.
The cd of course starts out like most pop punk bands with a catchy as hell song called Practice Makes Perfect. Quickly followed up with another great song called Doctor which is a ton of fun to listen to which seems to gather a bit of influence from The Used. The third track is where the band completely loses me. The song Navigate Me is a song about sex... and not that its a problem but its hard to take the song seriously with a line like "And I'm going to start from your waist up through your navel"...? What? Ooooh so poetic! "Cause my minds on a mission, with enough ammunition, and the proper position." The lines just seem to be bragging that this guy just had sex for the very first time and he wants everyone to know how good he thought he was. Literally this song almost ruined this cd for me... thats how much I disliked it. Well I am happy to tell you that I do have a feature on my cd player called 'skip' and thats what I will be using when I listen to this cd. Dont get me wrong... this cd got much better for me on the following tracks. Songs like Loser, Do What You Do and Denial will surely get your toes tapping and Hollywood in my opinion is the solid stand out track. This song starts out with big trumpets and a big band feel. Sure the song gets a little politiacl from a guy who in my opnion probably is just against President Bush because its whatevery one else is doing, but I forgive him for that because this song is that much fun.
This cd will most likely not make it into my top albums of the year but there are some really fun tracks on it. The cd is very listenable and for the most part a step in a better direction from their first cd.
Grade: B-
For fans of: Panic! at the Disco, Cartel and Fall Out Boy
The cd of course starts out like most pop punk bands with a catchy as hell song called Practice Makes Perfect. Quickly followed up with another great song called Doctor which is a ton of fun to listen to which seems to gather a bit of influence from The Used. The third track is where the band completely loses me. The song Navigate Me is a song about sex... and not that its a problem but its hard to take the song seriously with a line like "And I'm going to start from your waist up through your navel"...? What? Ooooh so poetic! "Cause my minds on a mission, with enough ammunition, and the proper position." The lines just seem to be bragging that this guy just had sex for the very first time and he wants everyone to know how good he thought he was. Literally this song almost ruined this cd for me... thats how much I disliked it. Well I am happy to tell you that I do have a feature on my cd player called 'skip' and thats what I will be using when I listen to this cd. Dont get me wrong... this cd got much better for me on the following tracks. Songs like Loser, Do What You Do and Denial will surely get your toes tapping and Hollywood in my opinion is the solid stand out track. This song starts out with big trumpets and a big band feel. Sure the song gets a little politiacl from a guy who in my opnion probably is just against President Bush because its whatevery one else is doing, but I forgive him for that because this song is that much fun.
This cd will most likely not make it into my top albums of the year but there are some really fun tracks on it. The cd is very listenable and for the most part a step in a better direction from their first cd.
Grade: B-
For fans of: Panic! at the Disco, Cartel and Fall Out Boy
Capital Lights: This is an Outrage
If you are reading this and you know me personally then you know that I have a taste for any band that comes off of Tooth and Nail records. They seem to consistently sign bands that deliver solid albums. With a history of bands like Anberlin, Mae, Emery and the Classic Crime they seem to know good music. Well Capital Lights is no different!
The first track titled Outrage is a catchy song that has a huge hook in every sense of the word. It will remind you of bands like The Academy Is.. and Cartel while keeping the song all their own style. Other stand out catchy songs include Out of Control and Work It Out. My favorite tracks of the album are Miracle Man which is a song that will help you enjoy the summer with its roll down the window and sing along chorus. While my other favorite song titled Mile Away has a feel between Death Cab For Cutie with a shot of Green Day influenced vocals. The cd is solid from start to finish. If you are looking for social commentaries or political agendas this album is not for you. But if you are looking for a cd that you will want to sing along with to every song anda cd that will keep you smiling... check out Capital Lights!
Grade: B+ border line A-
For fans of: Relient K, This Providence, Yellowcard or any Tooth and Nail lover
The first track titled Outrage is a catchy song that has a huge hook in every sense of the word. It will remind you of bands like The Academy Is.. and Cartel while keeping the song all their own style. Other stand out catchy songs include Out of Control and Work It Out. My favorite tracks of the album are Miracle Man which is a song that will help you enjoy the summer with its roll down the window and sing along chorus. While my other favorite song titled Mile Away has a feel between Death Cab For Cutie with a shot of Green Day influenced vocals. The cd is solid from start to finish. If you are looking for social commentaries or political agendas this album is not for you. But if you are looking for a cd that you will want to sing along with to every song anda cd that will keep you smiling... check out Capital Lights!
Grade: B+ border line A-
For fans of: Relient K, This Providence, Yellowcard or any Tooth and Nail lover
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Warped Tour 2008
The 14th annual Warped Tour took place at the Utah State Fair Park on Saturday June 28th. How was it? Well... I will tell you! The day started off with Me, Matt, Paul and Torin heading out in Torin's brand new car. As we rocked out to Motion City Soundtrack the anticipation began to build. There were so many bands we wanted to see! We parked and got there a little before 11 in the morning. Doors opened at 11 and music started at 11:30. thank goodness the line went quickly. As we reached inside the fair park we came to the big schedule to see when the main event was. To our surprise it was at 11:30 so we took off to see the band we had to see no question about it. ANBERLIN!!!! They came out on time, dressed very classy. They started with the song Godspeed and the crowd was very energetic! They went on to play a bunch of fan favorites from A Day Late to Paperthin Hymn. They played a few from their Cities album and then closed with Dismantle Repair. If you have not seen or heard of this band, you should check them out soon, because the feeling I got at Warped Tour was that they are on the brink of being the next huge band.
After Anberlin we took a stroll around the park and looked at a few of the booths. We caught a few songs from Relient K. They played a classic song Sadie Hawkins Dance. Which seemed to please the crowd. We met up with our good friend Nate and the group he came with. After which we headed over to go see We The Kings. I have seen them before and like before they put on a good performance. They played alot of the more catchier songs off their self titled album. Then closed with the hit Check Yes Juliet. After We The Kings we got a real treat. A band called Jet Lag Gemini. This band fuses the sound of pop punk with classic rock. Its the only way I can describe it. They put on a great performance. A band that I would recommend to give a listen to. After Jet Lag Gemini we grabbed some lunch. While we ate we listened to a band that seemed to mix rap with techno and some rock elements but with none of the creativity that seems to come from this mixed genre. The band 3O!3... I think... I cant really remember. We then headed over to the myspace tent and caught the tail end of an acoustic performance of a band called Between The Trees. Another hidden gem at Warped Tour. After that we headed over to see a band called Forever The Sickest Kids. If you like pop punk or catchy music this band delivers. More importantly they really deliver live. They were very entertaining to watch and seemed to enjoy playing live.
The highlight of the day came at 4. Inside the Myspace tent, Anberlin played an acoustic set. And it was INCREDIBLE!! They started off with A Day Late and then played an amazing version of Inevitable. Then they talked a bit about the new album coming out September 30th. and played a new song called Breaking. The song literally blew me away. It was incredible. If the acoustic version was that good... how fantastic is the final version going to sound? They then played a few other songs like the Unwinding Cable car. And after the set the crowd was chanting one more song so loud. So they played on more. A girl missed their set earlier today and requested Paperthin Hymn. And so that is the song they ended with. The4 girl who requested it started to break down and cry. The song must have a deeper meaning for her. They then announced that they would be back in October. Needless to say, you know I will be there!!
We then headed over to see The Academy Is... I have always enjoyed seeing this band live and they opened the show with Attention and played some of their other hits. They treated the crowd with a new song which was awesome! The only downside to the show was the ridiculous amount of crowd surfers. Any one who has been to a show with me knows how much I hate crowd surfers. Well this time was no exception. a crowd surfer came crushing down on my neck and then grabbed me by the neck and tried to pull me down with him. In a frantic fury, I took my Gatorade bottle and smashed him in the face with it... yeah violence isn't the answer but I was frantic. My neck felt like it was being pulled down off of my body and the only reaction I had was to hit him to get him off of me. Well luckily I didn't get hurt. Shortly after we got out of the crowd to start heading for the next band... who happened to be Cobra Starship. They of course dressed like pop rockers from the 80's like they usually do. The coolest part of the set was when they played Snakes on a Plane... you know the cool theme song from the lame movie. Well the song features guest vocals from the lead singers of the Academy Is.. and Gym Class Heroes. And both bands were at Warped Tour so they both came on stage with them. It was awesome! There were other bands I would have liked to seen like Say Anything and Gym Class Heroes but my neck was sore and the rest of the group was getting to their end. So we called it a day and headed for classic concert tradition... The Pie pizzeria. And of course ordered the usual... Cheese Pull Aparts under the name Biff. All in all it was a very good day. Warped Tour as usual was a blast... and for the second year in a row... no band can hold a candle to Anberlin and their phenomenal performance!
After Anberlin we took a stroll around the park and looked at a few of the booths. We caught a few songs from Relient K. They played a classic song Sadie Hawkins Dance. Which seemed to please the crowd. We met up with our good friend Nate and the group he came with. After which we headed over to go see We The Kings. I have seen them before and like before they put on a good performance. They played alot of the more catchier songs off their self titled album. Then closed with the hit Check Yes Juliet. After We The Kings we got a real treat. A band called Jet Lag Gemini. This band fuses the sound of pop punk with classic rock. Its the only way I can describe it. They put on a great performance. A band that I would recommend to give a listen to. After Jet Lag Gemini we grabbed some lunch. While we ate we listened to a band that seemed to mix rap with techno and some rock elements but with none of the creativity that seems to come from this mixed genre. The band 3O!3... I think... I cant really remember. We then headed over to the myspace tent and caught the tail end of an acoustic performance of a band called Between The Trees. Another hidden gem at Warped Tour. After that we headed over to see a band called Forever The Sickest Kids. If you like pop punk or catchy music this band delivers. More importantly they really deliver live. They were very entertaining to watch and seemed to enjoy playing live.
The highlight of the day came at 4. Inside the Myspace tent, Anberlin played an acoustic set. And it was INCREDIBLE!! They started off with A Day Late and then played an amazing version of Inevitable. Then they talked a bit about the new album coming out September 30th. and played a new song called Breaking. The song literally blew me away. It was incredible. If the acoustic version was that good... how fantastic is the final version going to sound? They then played a few other songs like the Unwinding Cable car. And after the set the crowd was chanting one more song so loud. So they played on more. A girl missed their set earlier today and requested Paperthin Hymn. And so that is the song they ended with. The4 girl who requested it started to break down and cry. The song must have a deeper meaning for her. They then announced that they would be back in October. Needless to say, you know I will be there!!
We then headed over to see The Academy Is... I have always enjoyed seeing this band live and they opened the show with Attention and played some of their other hits. They treated the crowd with a new song which was awesome! The only downside to the show was the ridiculous amount of crowd surfers. Any one who has been to a show with me knows how much I hate crowd surfers. Well this time was no exception. a crowd surfer came crushing down on my neck and then grabbed me by the neck and tried to pull me down with him. In a frantic fury, I took my Gatorade bottle and smashed him in the face with it... yeah violence isn't the answer but I was frantic. My neck felt like it was being pulled down off of my body and the only reaction I had was to hit him to get him off of me. Well luckily I didn't get hurt. Shortly after we got out of the crowd to start heading for the next band... who happened to be Cobra Starship. They of course dressed like pop rockers from the 80's like they usually do. The coolest part of the set was when they played Snakes on a Plane... you know the cool theme song from the lame movie. Well the song features guest vocals from the lead singers of the Academy Is.. and Gym Class Heroes. And both bands were at Warped Tour so they both came on stage with them. It was awesome! There were other bands I would have liked to seen like Say Anything and Gym Class Heroes but my neck was sore and the rest of the group was getting to their end. So we called it a day and headed for classic concert tradition... The Pie pizzeria. And of course ordered the usual... Cheese Pull Aparts under the name Biff. All in all it was a very good day. Warped Tour as usual was a blast... and for the second year in a row... no band can hold a candle to Anberlin and their phenomenal performance!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Coldplay: Viva La Vida
I have heard it all too many times... Do you know how I know youre gay? Becasue you like Coldplay. It was one of those lines from the 40 Year Old Virgin that was so overused when I mentioned I liked the band. So funny... Yeah not really. When you consider the previous three albums by Coldplay... Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to The Head, and X&Y. Their fourth cd is titled... Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends.
The first track on this album entitled Life in Technicolor catches your attention right away with its spanish inspired guitar track and virtually no vocals. The song starts to pick up with a haunting drum beat, almost like a tribal beat. The cd only picks up and gains momentum from here. Cemeteries Of London has a classic Coldplay feel. One of my favorite tracks however is Lover In Japan/Reign Of Love. The song starts to soar from the start where Chris Martins vocals nail every emotion that the song tries to portray. The best part of the song is where you think its over and you think a new song starts but you realize its the same song and the second half of the song devles into the softer side of the idea. I would have to say the standout track off of the album is the title track Viva La Vida. This song uses amazing violin riffs and a catchy tune. You may recognize this song off of the itunes commercials. Its absolutely incredible and shows what a band can do by thinking outside their usual formula. After this is the first single entitled Violet Hill. Its a solid song about relating love to a cold winter.. or so I think. Sometimes it takes me a bit to find the meaning behind the song. And the cd finishes strong with the second half of the title track Death and All His Friends. My only complaint about the album is that it was 10 tracks long. Although you do get every bit of what you pay for.
I cant say enough about this cd. Its different from what Coldplay has done in the past. Its more raw and electric. Dont go into this cd thinking that Coldplay has completely changed... because they havent. They seemed to have drawn some influences from Indie rockers like Arcade Fire and The Stars. The album has a darker tune then the previous three and definetly worth a listen if you have ears. And no this album wont make you gay nor will their previos three cds.
Bottom Line: Solid CD and high contender for album of the year!
Grade: A
The first track on this album entitled Life in Technicolor catches your attention right away with its spanish inspired guitar track and virtually no vocals. The song starts to pick up with a haunting drum beat, almost like a tribal beat. The cd only picks up and gains momentum from here. Cemeteries Of London has a classic Coldplay feel. One of my favorite tracks however is Lover In Japan/Reign Of Love. The song starts to soar from the start where Chris Martins vocals nail every emotion that the song tries to portray. The best part of the song is where you think its over and you think a new song starts but you realize its the same song and the second half of the song devles into the softer side of the idea. I would have to say the standout track off of the album is the title track Viva La Vida. This song uses amazing violin riffs and a catchy tune. You may recognize this song off of the itunes commercials. Its absolutely incredible and shows what a band can do by thinking outside their usual formula. After this is the first single entitled Violet Hill. Its a solid song about relating love to a cold winter.. or so I think. Sometimes it takes me a bit to find the meaning behind the song. And the cd finishes strong with the second half of the title track Death and All His Friends. My only complaint about the album is that it was 10 tracks long. Although you do get every bit of what you pay for.
I cant say enough about this cd. Its different from what Coldplay has done in the past. Its more raw and electric. Dont go into this cd thinking that Coldplay has completely changed... because they havent. They seemed to have drawn some influences from Indie rockers like Arcade Fire and The Stars. The album has a darker tune then the previous three and definetly worth a listen if you have ears. And no this album wont make you gay nor will their previos three cds.
Bottom Line: Solid CD and high contender for album of the year!
Grade: A
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