Spring Break Review Central!

I'm back! And I've got a lot to say. :D So I'll have loads of new reviews soon, from just about every artist I can think of! Keep reading, new ones are gonna pop up really soon!

-Ryan

Timbaland - Song Leaked Just In "Time"

So Timbaland's debut solo album "Timbaland Presents: Shock Value" hits the shelves on April 3rd, and honestly I cannot be more psyched about it. I'm not a big fan of hip hop and find the lyrics to be rather dull and meaningless for the most part, but this guy is doing all he can to save it. As far as I'm concerned, the new Jay-Z album could have been better, Nas's album was great but not up to his full potential, and I can't stand Akon. But Timbaland's been working with everyone from Justin Timberlake to Duran Duran (my favorite band BTW). But it's his recently leaked work with Indie pin-ups She Wants Revenge that has peaked my interest the most. The song "Time" is spacey like most of Timbaland's production, but it's not until the eerie chorus that the beat really kicks in. It seems like they just got into the studio and had a great time. I just love how he's not trying to be fake and he's adding whatever the hell he wants into his tunes, whether it be 'hey's or claps or pianos or synths or...whatevers. This song's gonna be big, they're gonna play it in dark clubs lighted with dim green glowsticks on the walls. And maybe on the radio too. Take it from me guys, "This one's gonna be haawt."







SHOCK VALUE hits stores April 3rd, 2007.

Review: Nik Kershaw - To Be Frank

"Feeling more like a last plea to rekindle the success of his past rather than an attempt at something new, To Be Frank is a faceless collection of material that leaves you wondering if anyone even cares anymore."
-All Music Guide


First of all, I'd like to know who hires these people to write reviews. While Nelly Furtado's mediocre effort "Loose" received an 8 out of 10, this under-looked masterpiece filled with pop classics that never were received a disappointing 3. Nik Kershaw is an incredible singer, songwriter, guitarist, and an amazing producer. There are maybe one or two filler tunes on this album, and out of 10 tracks, this means that 8 or 9 of them are top-notch. The pop superstar that once was had a big hit in the 80s with a classic 'Wouldn't It Be Good'. His songwriting skills have clearly not faded, and I will agree with AMG on that. However, AMG believes that once you've gotten a hit in the 80s, there's no career afterwards, and using an example of a 5 that Duran Duran received, I can safely say that they aren't looking for songwriting in an album. The opener 'Wounded' is a kaleidoscope of orchestration, with any instrument possible flying around your earbuds. The following track 'Get Up' is better, the best being 'Jane Doe'. In fact, the only two tracks I didn't really care for were 'Take Me To The Church' and 'Die Laughing'. These songs weren't even bad, they just didn't make an impression on me. The closer 'Show Them What You're Made Of' is a great ballad, and the way every album should end; it makes them want to play again from beginning to end. Last year, when I went into school early, my dad would have the album on repeat. From calypso to funk-rock to acoustic, this album seems to bring everyone into a good mood. This under looked album, at end, leaves you wanting "to be Frank" just one more time.



Sample:

"Wouldn't It Be Good"

Review: Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future

Hype never ceases to amaze me. How can a band modestly hand out CD-Rs to audiences at low-profile concerts one day, and the next become the biggest selling band in the UK? It happened to the Arctic Monkeys, courtesy of our 'friends' at NME. Their catchy choruses and pessimistic outlook on city life in the UK earned them praise and comparisons to everyone's favorite band Oasis. NME has now pointed their spotlight towards New Ravers Klaxons, who take everything you've come to know and love about punk and splice it with the ecstacy-heavy big beats of rave to make "Myths of the Near Future", an album that's melodic at heart but comes on to be a heavy hitter. But comparisons to Blur? I wouldn't go that far. Lead single (and amazing tune, at that) 'Golden Skans' could've easily fit into the debut of The Good, The Bad, and the Queen, while opener 'Two Receivers' is a bit more Bloc Party. I wouldn't believe all of the hype you hear, but Klaxon's debut isn't one to miss.

Full of material that could've been on Bloc Party's sophomore effort, Klaxons seem to be on a mission to blow your eardrums into the 'lakes of Titan'. At times the loudness of the album can become a bit irritating (see 'Totems on the Timeline') but songs like 'As Above, So Below' show you that they have extreme potential as a band. They're doing rather well in Britain, thanks to the hit single 'Golden Skans', obviously the best song on the album. I actually enjoyed the album a lot, mostly due to the originality. This band seemed to spring out of nowhere with a sound reminiscent of Primal Scream, but...well, not. The sound takes a while to get used to, and it's definitely not for everyone. If you're a fan of the Arctic Monkeys, and you want to get on your 'dancing shoes' with a more beat friendly record, then "Myths" is definitely for you. If you're sick of what you're hearing on the radio that's supposed to be 'dance music', then "Myths" is definitely for you. Finally, if you're ready to dance your spacesuit off to some of the craziest music this side of the Milky Way, then you're ready for "Myths of the Near Future". Definitely a future dance classic (No pun intended.) not to be missed.

RATING: 8.8
VERDICT: Buy
Suggested Tracks: 'Golden Skans', 'Forgotten Works', 'Two Receivers', 'Gravity's Rainbow', 'As Above, So Below'
Sample:

Golden Skans

Review: James Morrison - Undiscovered

The UK keeps pumping these bad boys out. First James Blunt, Lily Allen, and now this great singer-songwriter is the Brit's answer to Elliott Yamin. Cheesy cover aside, and yes, it is a very cheesy cover, Morrison's debut album is worthy of exposure around here. The lead single, 'You Give Me Something', is sure to get attention, but it's the opener 'Under The Influence' that grabbed my attention from the get-go. Strings, drums and piano make for the greatest Motown record that never was. Try taking Usher's 'Caught Up' and get a soulful singer to belt it out on top of a hand-picked backing band. The result would, of course, be 'Under The Influence'. The lyrics aren't too shabby either; it seems like this guy knew exactly what he wanted to say. My favorite thing about the album is that it's not too over-poppy like Lily Allen or Mika. However, this leads to the biggest problem in the album. I think that the album drags on a bit. The slow songs make up the bulk of the album, and the fastest songs are midtempo, wit the exception of 'Under The Influence'. I think that people who are looking for Joss Stone-esque Soul should lean towards the new Amy Winehouse record, which I will review later on. However, that in know way means that you should not think about picking up at least a couple of songs on iTunes. This guy's a great songwriter, and I believe that he's obviously established that in his debut. It's just, y'know, he has to find his niche. Whether that be writing slow ballads or Motown classics-that-never-were, Mr. Morrison will no doubt find success. Number 2 on iTunes Top 100 Albums would be good enough for me. :)

Rating: 6.9
Verdict: iTunes
Suggested Tracks: Under The Influence, You Give Me Something, Wonderful World, The Letter

Sample:

James Morrison - You Give Me Something

Review: Ben Cotten

Ben's awesomer than everyone ever. In the world. Better than Mr. Vecchio. Yeah, I said it.

On The Rise: Lily Allen

Yeah. Pop. Not indie rock. No screeching guitar solos. No powerful drums that beat the sense out of your eardrums. Just a pretty girl with a pretty voice with pretty music backing up her humorous lyrics. Songs like 'Knock 'Em Out' and 'LDN' put you in the glamorous city of London, until you 'look twice' and 'see that it's all lies'. Cleverly crafted samples are backed up by thumping beats that say "We're not afraid to mix pop with hip-hop". This stuff is what the radio was made for. It's not fake pop like new Avril Lavigne, and it's no fake songwriter pop like Kelly Clarkson. As a debut album, "Alright, Still" does marvelously at making her talents stand out, but it's her clever lyrics that really make the album shine. From tales of a 'Ex Boyfriend Revenge' on lead single 'Smile', to poking fun at weight obsessed teens with 'Everything's Just Wonderful', this album twists and turns with emotions spilled all throughout. There's a tribute to her marijuana-smoking brother in 'Alfie', and another boy-bashing embarrass-fest in 'Not Big'; this album's filled with crafty pop hits just waiting to be. 'Smile' can be heard on MTV every once in a while, as Lily's just starting in the US. I'd buy the album as soon as possible and 'catch the wave' before it crashes onto the the beaches of Montauk, so to speak. You'll find yourself humming 'At first, when I see you cry...it makes me smile....'


*ALRIGHT, STILL... out now.

Suggested Tracks: Smile, LDN, Everything's Just Wonderful, Alfie, Smile (Version Revisited)

Rating: 7.8

Sample:

Review: Justin Timberlake - Futuresex/Lovesounds

Okay, enough laughing. I'm a music reviewer, and my job (or hobby, rather) is to review all kinds of music with no bias whatsoever. But why is he playing soccer with a fishbowl? The answer is beyond my flexible imagination, but the ability to review the album is not. Believe it or not, the album makes a perfect DJ set when the filler is extracted and replaced with...more Timbaland? I'm not a biased Timberlake fan; in fact, I can't stand his personality. I can, however, appreciate his use of the KLF method to acquire a No. 1 hit without really trying. 'Futuresex/Lovesounds' is his 2nd solo effort and, although not particularly 'brilliant', is innovative nonetheless (courtesy of a certain producer) and has some rather catchy songs.

I'll start by applauding my favorite song on the album, 'LoveStoned'. I love the 'complex simplicity' of it. The song is practically acapella, with the exception of some Studio 54-style strings accompanied by an occasional disco 'gee-tar'. I love the production of the whole album; Timbaland makes it seem as if Justin Timberlake is Prince. In fact, I would pay quite a lot to see something of a 'Face to Face' tour between the two. You probably already know the singles on the album; 'What Goes Around', 'SexyBack' and 'My Love', along with the title track, are the best songs on the album. Unfortunately, they are just about the only tracks that aren't filler. Even 'Summer Girl', although incredibly catchy at the first moment, becomes rather dull and boring. This is why you haven't heard anything from Timberlake's debut on the radio lately. Although great on first listen, the album will become rather boring and somewhat meaningless. I would reccommend mixing it with the best songs from Nelly Furtado's album "Loose", which is somewhat better in my opinion.


Final Verdict: This album is not one of the worst of 2006, but it's by no means one of the best. If you're expecting a new R&B classic, I suggest you instead get the 'new' Outkast album instead. This album is definitely not 'all killer, no filler', but there are great songs that will give it a decent rating. I would suggest you look at my 'suggested tracks' at the end of the review and iTunes the songs that were chosen. Mix those with whatever you feel like, perhaps something spacey with a dance feel, and become a DJ that will rock the turntables with crowds of people dancing around you. Or maybe you'll just plug your headphones into your iPod and listen as your favorite songs fill your eardrums. Whatever's your pleasure. :)

Selected Tracks: FutureSex/LoveSounds, SexyBack, My Love, LoveStoned, What Goes Around
Rating: 6.5
Judgement: iTunes

Review: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Rumor has it that Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler can cough up golden bricks. Not billion dollar golden bricks that would be fit for the Taj Mahal, but a golden brick worth, say, five thousand apiece? Let me tell you, if I could get a video of the 'Making Of...', I'd be a hero among Indie fans worldwide. Until said video comes out, my friends all around the world will have to keep listening to the latest Arcade Fire release, "Neon Bible". I'd like to start out by stating the obvious; this is the greatest album that I have heard in the 7/10ths of this decade. I wasn't particularly a fan of "Funeral" until I listened closely to the carefully orchestrated strings that flew into each song perfectly. 'Laika' and 'Rebellion (Lies)' shared a warm home in my Indie Love playlist. However, Arcade Fire's sophomore effort came out exactly how Win had imagined it, by the looks of it. The shiny, extremely reverbed production makes you feel like you're in the sky, right above an ocean of smooth, silky violins. It shows signs of a band that keeps on growing and growing. Most praise, however, is being thrown at the Texas-born (Yes, Texas) frontman. Is he the new Bob Dylan? Is he the new Phil Spector? George Martin? No, no and no. He is Win Butler, and he is the musical genius of this century.

'Intervention' is probably the fullest song that I've heard in a long time. The whining guitar, the blinking bells, and the Phantom-like organ are joined by powerful drums, strings that are even powerful, and booming vocals that are by no means technically amazing, but pull a perfect 10 on the emotional scale. From the opening of 'Black Mirror' you can already sense the 'Ocean of Noise' coming to you, but it's not until 'Keep The Car Running' begins that you can shriek "YES! YES! THIS IS GREAT!" just like I did. I don't understand how after a mere 3 years between albums, they can both sound incredible, epic, everything that "Sam's Town" wasn't. And there's more; the recording of "Neon Bible" only took a full year. Strings, Accordion, Drums, were all recorded in 365 days or less. I can picture Win going into the studio thinking, "All right, these are great songs, and they are going to sound exactly how I want them to sound". They're not over-produced, the vocals are not perfect, even the piano sounds detuned. But that's what makes the package all the more complete. Arcade Fire have produced a magical, charming sophomore effort that is replayable as 'Revolver' or 'Pet Sounds'.

Final Verdict: Neon Bible is a little bit of Spector. It's a little bit of Bright Eyes. It's Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Jeff Magnum, Jeff Buckley, Thom Yorke, and Brian Wilson rolled into 11 songs that never have to end, ever. Every song has a meaning, and I like to follow it as a concept album although it probably wasn't meant as one. Don't listen to all of the Funeral lovers who believe that there will never be another; it's like comparing Radiohead's OK Computer to Kid A, like comparing The Beatles' 'Revolver' to 'Abbey Road'. It just isn't fair for the artist. But Arcade Fire wouldn't care anyway; Arcade Fire knows when they've created a masterpiece. And this, my friends, is a genuine masterpiece. Like coughing up a golden brick.

Selected Tracks : No Cars Go, Keep The Car Running, Intervention
Rating: 9.8
Judgement: Buy Album [ASAP]

*Selected as a [ReptarCereal Essential]*

Random Blurb: Reptar Cereal/Once Upon a

Do you recall the episode of Rugrats where Grandpa takes Tommy to the Supermarket to go shopping, and Tommy sees the Reptar Cereal display and goes on a mini adventure to get to the top? Well, I was searching for some Rugrats episodes on the internet and I found an actual Reptar Cereal. Suddenly, the taste of 'Rugrats In Paris Pop-Tarts' filled my mouth. Wow, I remember how gnarly those were, although Pokemon cereal could've been better. I love how marketing campaigns with catchy theme songs and bright colors automatically sell millions! By the way, does anyone know where I can buy Reptar Crunch?

They're round, they're mean, they turn your mouth green!





On a side note, I got together with my best friend Jacky and 'the gang' to sit down and watch Disney's version of Once Upon a Mattress. The product of a colourful Disney movie with bad actors, added to the energy that can only be unleashed while 'high on Ring Dings', would equal to the amount of fun we had yesterday making fun of this film. Apparently, The Queen (Carol Burnett)'s body was...not ready for the dress that she wore. The same goes for Lady Larkin, but it didn't seem like Sir Harry minded (I can see it now, down to every small detail...:P) It didn't seem like Tracy Ullman was born to play Winnifred, but that is a heck of a lot more than I can say for Denis O'Hare, who was casted as Dauntless and looks like he has much more interest in Sir Harry, or perhaps the Wizard, who is in fact a man! The ensemble, especially during Shy, made some faces and dance moves that were subject of our inappropriate jokes. I didn't think it was possible to turn a children's movie into...well, Once Up On a Mattress. ;)


--Ryan

Review: The Fratellis - Costello Music

I love a good garage band. Y'know, there's one right by my house, see. They don't play very well, they break out into a 5-second snippet of Crazy Train, forget the riff, break out into Iron Man, forget the words, and then they decide to play an acoustic version of some speed metal song. Oh, and the singer's terrible too; extremely emo girl who couldn't sing a note if her life depended on it, which wouldn't say much anyway. But this band is not The Fratellis, a band that seemed to come out of nowhere for me, seemed like another garage band to me. Memories of the emo girl's band filled my head. The beginning of 'Henrietta', however, seemed to blow the emo girl out of the water. I've never heard such amazing energy in a band. The drummer's constant use of the always-faithful 'crash snare kick' method puts a smile on my face. Their lack of extreme musical talent is complimented by incredible songwriting, showing that musical simplicity isn't always a bad thing, but can be if you're a bit too radio-friendly. Bits and pieces of Duncan Sheik's debut album are filling my mind so let's move on, shall we?
"Flathead"'s 'Ba da ba-ba da da da da' isn't the most incredible lyric ever, but it really is catchy! The best lyrics for me come from 'Chelsea Dagger', a song about a prostitute, from what I've gathered. Henrietta is an amazing song, the next four songs come pretty close. I'm glad that this album came out when it did; it's great to see that people still play instruments that don't sound like 8-bit instruments. Lyricwise, I liked 'Whistle For The Choir', one of the rare ballads that comes on 4 tracks into the albums, and it's well worth the wait. That song in particular showcases the brilliance of the 'three lonely boys'. I look forward to a sophomore album!
FINAL VERDICT: The Fratellis's debut peaked at No. 2 on the UK Billboard Charts, second to the incredibly talented singer-songwriter speed-metal virtuoso prodigy Justin Timberlake, which is clearly not a feat to be ashamed of. Fortunately, the music is far better than Mr. Timberlake's sophomore album, and this is coming from an extreme Timberlake fan. This debut is one that rivals those of Oasis and The La's, where songwriting clearly comes before musicianship. I'm looking forward to the American release of the album so good music can once again rule the Long Island airwaves. Someday, my friends, we will live in a pop-free world where Dragonforce isn't considered metal and Ciara is not considered hip-hop. We will just have to wait for that day, and while we're waiting, we might as well play The Fratellis, remembering those crazy times we had at Costello Music.

Rating: 8.7
Judgement: Buy Album


Copied from my Ultimate Gutar account and touched up so I didn't sound so stupid. :)

On The Rise : Test Your Reflex

If you can picture yourself in an underwater utopia three-hundred years into the future, listening to a band whose beautiful synth textures float seamlessly among scratching guitars reminiscent of Alternative Rock-legends U2, which are complemented by hard drums and strong vocals that could be compared to those of Linkin Park, then you're probably crazy. Either that, or you're picturing Test Your Reflex, an indie band hailing from Southern California. Or maybe both. Regardless of the state of your mental health, TYR will still be rocking hard and writing awesome tunes as they tour with fellow indie rockers Electric Six, whose impressive debut album "Fire" will be reviewed someday soon. Test Your Reflex's debut album "The Burning Hour" will be released to the public on April 24th, 2007. Recently I got a hold of an advance copy from a friend and I can tell you it won't be one to miss.

The album sets sail with the opener "I'm Not Sorry", an uplifting behemoth of a ballad that may be mistaken for, you guessed it, U2. But the album is far from a snore-fest; actually, it's quite the opposite. The next song (and lead single) "Pieces of the Sun" is among the best, and one of the most accessible. You can find it on iTunes as the Single of the Week. With its heavy drum beat and self-reflection style lyrics "Every little thing I promised you, I'll make it come true, I'm not ready to stop...", it makes a great radio tune. In fact, the whole album is filled with Alt-Emo-New Ave, Punk, Pop-masterpieces, my favorites being the extremely catchy "New Year" and the dance-tastic classic "Black Hearts". If this band's incredible debut is under looked like Rock Kills Kid before them, then all music listeners will be missing out on a band that's not ready to let hip-hop dominate the airwaves.


Am I torturing you with the near-accurate description of their unique sound? Fear not, friends! You may have to wait until April 24th to hear the album in its entirety, but if you're really itching for a taste of TYR, I'd like it (and I'm sure they would like it as well) if you'd
check out their Myspace. Close your eyes and find yourself immersed in water, losing all ties with reality.


--Ryan

First Post

Hey guys,

So I'm gonna do all of my ranting and raving here so I don't have to do it in person. The pen is mightier than the sword, they say. :)