http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=1222&mname=ArticleGroup Music reviews en-us 60 By Jacob Schneider July 2009 Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff It's almost hard to believe that it's been over 15 years since Green Day released Dookie, their debut album on Reprise Records that spawned three number one hits, a Grammy award for best alternative album, and sold more than 10 million copies. Upon entering Chicago's United Center Monday night I quickly came to the realization that somehow this pop-punk trio from the bay area has become a top-tier act in the international arena of rock music. Undoubtedly the majority of that success can be accredited to the release of American Idiot, the 2004 rock opera that saw the abandonment of their typical verse-chores-verse style as they came into their own with more elaborate songwriting. Touring in support of their second rock opera, 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day remains at the top of its game in terms of crafting cohesive albums composed of well written songs with strong lyrical substance. Bearing witness to their live show for the first time, a production long known as a wildly entertaining interactive spectacle commanded by band leader Billie Joe Armstrong, I couldn't help but think to myself that this shtick seems as though it has gotten a bit stale over the years. There is no doubt that Billie Joe has developed into one of rock music's most captivating front men. Opening the set with the title track of 21st Century Breakdown, Armstrong told the crowd that he "wanted every motherfucker in the United Center jumping up and down," just before a blast of pyrotechnics lit up the stage. For the new single, "Know Your Enemy" Armstrong dazzled the crowd by playing a blistering solo with his guitar behind his head . At age 37, Armstrong still leads every show with energy at peaked levels, but his means of achieving this status has led to desperate acts of attention that come off slightly cheesy. Using everything from toilet paper guns, squirt guns, even an arena t-shirt gun to excite the crowd, it became clear that these guys were running out of ideas. One odd moment during the show was when Armstrong told the crowd, "alright here's what we're gonna do. Everyone in the crowd make fucking noises." It came off as a last ditch effort that reeked of desperation. I'm sure the 13-year-old kids in the mosh pit were having the time of their life (no pun intended), but I almost wanted Armstrong to quit the shenanigans and get on with the show. I came here to see a rock opera after all. The setlist was heavily composed of new material from 21st Century Breakdown, with pieces of American Idiot assorted throughout, and sprinkled with tracks from the rest of their catalog. For Dookie's "Longview," one male and one female were selected from the audience to perform vocal duties. The rather large bald gentleman handled his business well, while the young lady ruined her experience by making the most horrific attempt at a stage dive into the crowd these eyes have ever seen. It looked like a violent cannonball. You could feel the whole place cringe when she nailed the people trying to catch her. One song I was looking forward to seeing was Green Day's take on Operation Ivy's "Knowledge," typically reserved for the portion of the show where Billie Joe picks one lucky fan from the audience to play his guitar while he leads the sing-along. Unfortunate for me, but awesome for the 10-year-old kid who got pulled on stage, they decided to ditch the Op-Ivy cover and replace it with new track "Jesus of Suburbia." The encore ended with Armstrong taking to the stage by himself with an acoustic guitar for "Good Riddance (Time of your life)." It was an appropriate way to wind down the crowd after 2 nonstop hours of ridiculous action, just before they rushed into the arena hallways to purchase overpriced band t-shirts at the merch table. If I learned anything at my first Green Day show tonight it is that these guys are desperate to keep their aging fan base on board by crafting intricate musical arrangements, while at the same time creating a new generation of fans with their wily antics. Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:31:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23295&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23295&mname=Article By Justin Kunesh Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff July 2009 Wilco (The Album) Wilco 2009 Nonesuch Records $9.99 Wilco is one of those bands that can sit in the driver seat of stardom and fame, yet never be accused of selling out. It’s probably due in part to the pioneering of new aural titillations and also due to their dismissal from Reprise Records for refusing to alter the album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and eventually releasing it independently. It’s been two years since Wilco’s last album, Sky Blue Sky, and apparently the band has been putting in some long hours. Wilco have spent their 15-year existence cultivating a sound that is truly theirs and it finally shines true in every aspect. Wilco (The Album) takes those years and previous projects and blends them together to create cognitive soundscapes containing lyrical masterpieces about love, life and acceptance. In the opening number, ironically entitled Wilco, singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy confronts the anxieties and depressions of humanity and prescribes a little bit of Wilco as a cure. By offering the listener “a sonic shoulder for you to cry on,” Tweedy sells his music as a way to cope with the lemons of life. But Wilco doesn’t obsess over the bad. They return to the roots of straightforward high-spirited rock and roll from the likes of their 1994 release A.M. The best example comes midway through the album on a track entitled “You Never Know.” Tweedy perceptibly points out, “every generation thinks it’s the worst, thinks it’s the end of the world,” but he counteracts this heavy statement with a vibrant steady beat and a rebellious call to not “care anymore.” If one thing is certain about Wilco though, it’s that they do care. The band decided to stream the entire album for free on their website for their fans, and this new album speaks directly to them. Every song on Wilco (The Album) shines with brilliance and integrity as a whole and within each small part. They have mastered the art of texturing music with dashes of mesmerizing repetition and flow. Glenn Kotche provides subtle variations in his percussive work that spark up a conversation with the eardrum. He reinvents the way in which the drum set is viewed on numbers such as “One Wing.” Every instrument on his kit becomes a useful tool to set down a well thought out and perfectly executed beat. The highlight of the album comes a bit early, however. “Bull Black Nova” is going to be one of those songs that people either love or hate. There’s no in between for this piece. As the fabric of hypnotic drones is laid down, and compelling guitar tones stereophonically duel for your attention, the budding of a song reveals itself. “Bull Black Nova” is the complete definition of Wilco in a single song. It starts as a montage of raining instruments culminating in an energy storm of anxiety and nervousness. As bass and drums keep the repetitive beat going, guitars, pianos and electric noise eventually find their foothold. Wilco (The Album) has taken the band to a new level of maturity and focus. It leaves the listener ready for the 2nd, 3rd and 50th listen. There is always something to explore and gain from each listen, and this becomes apparent throughout the album’s theme: The world and materiality will someday be gone, but emotion and music will live on forever. Viva Wilco! Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:27:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23292&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23292&mname=Article By Adam Barndt July 2009 Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff Ontario based indie-rock outfit The Most Serene Republic ditch the concept album and work with Broken Social scene’s engineer Dave Newfield on their tranquil and hooky fourth album …And the Ever Expanding Universe. The Most Serene Republic blend hipster indie rock with frolicking pop and dashes of classical nuance on …And the Ever Expanding Universe. The combination leads to a series of well-crafted and pleasant songs that bounce from calm introspective ambiance to catchy pop hooks with electronic blips and stitches. The album is a product of the bands desire to move away from concept albums to a less cohesive collection of songs. While there may not be a running theme or story behind the tracks, their similarity in style blends them together making for a complete album. The tracks are different enough to keep listeners guessing, yet similar enough to retain the feel of a concept album. The sound is at home with indie contemporaries like Death Cab for Cutie and Grizzly Bear, but offers a more fleshed out, full sound by adding more atmosphere and layering without losing pop responsiveness. The tone is set early with the pounding piano intro of “Bubble Reputation,” which quickly switches from ambiance to indie rock sway. “Vessels of a Donor Look,” offers the albums most accessible piece, beginning with the acoustic strum of a Ben Gibbard like riff building to a catchy chorus featuring the bands signature male/ female vocal harmonies. Mood and layering are not lost even on the albums most tightly crafted pop moments such as “Vessles,” and “Phi.” The swirls of electronic staccato and mellow indie sadness are always present. The instrumental track “Patternicity,” is the albums most composed, classical throw back moment. Driven by a several piece string section, the track sounds more at home in a symphony hall than a rock club. Singers Adrian Jewett and Emma Ditchburn’s voices play off each other throughout the entire album, creating alluring and haunting harmonies that give the album a sound setting it apart from contemporaries. …And the Ever Expanding Universe is right at home in the current indie-rock climate. Not setting a new direction but rather solidifying the current state of hipster sound. In doing so, however, they created an accessible, yet deep and complex album that will appeal to more than just American Apparel hipsters. Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:24:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23290&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23290&mname=Article J. Holiday By Tameka Smith July 20, 2009 Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff Round Two Capital Records March 10, 2009 R&B $12.99 Rating System: 2.5 out of 5 stars Sex Sells! The new signer sensation, J.Holiday, stayed undetected and unknown to the world when he first released his song, “Be with Me,” in 2007 which mingled at the number 83 spot on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs Charts. It wasn’t until Holiday released his hit single “Bed” that he became an instant sex symbol and hot commodity that fans hummed his catchy lyrics everywhere. “I wanna put my fingers through your hair, wrap me up in your leg, and love you till your eyes roll back, I’m trying to put you to bed, bed, bed.” Sex always sells! Bed remained number one for five weeks on Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs and number five on US Billboard Hot 100. J. Holiday released his R&B sophomore album, Round Two in March 2009. Anticipation was just as high for the singer to release a well rounded album like his first. However, it wasn’t going to be much of a Holiday to celebrate this year compared to previous works from Holiday. Unlike his first gold-selling album that sold 105,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number one on the top Hip-hop/R&B albums, Round two sold a disappointing 55,000 in its first week. A complete TKO and I don’t mean by the singer. The advantage Holiday had over his first album was the privilege of working and producing with one of the hottest song writers and producers out right now—The Dream. Holiday had more input on his second album which may have led him to his own downfall. Round Two stepped away from what might have appealed to his broadest audience the most---sex, drugs, and the deceit. Holiday mimics the soul sounds of R&B music from the 90’s when Silk, Joe, Dru Hill, and Keith Sweat where making hit after hit. Many of whom, the younger generations cannot relate to; except for the older audience. Yet, the older audience who can remember the soulful sounds of Tyrese and Boyz II Men, usually don’t go to the store to pick up the album of a young popular new comer to the music game. Depending on what type of audience, the type of album Holiday produces will either appeal to the older or younger generation. He’s losing his younger generation to old school concepts they weren’t raised on. You know, like some of the traditional concepts like asking the woman’s father for hand in marriage or actual dating before having sex. In this generation everything is about “Birthday Sex.” What happened to birthday flowers and a movie? The creative flow that was present in his debut album isn’t present in Round Two. In his song, “Sing 2 U” he uses hit phrases from songs and collaborates them all into one song. “Do you like it nice and slow, just let me know, cause baby if you do imma have you singing in your falsetto, I don’t see nothing wrong with a little bumping grind.” In those couple lines alone, he used classic lyrics from Usher, Dream, and R.Kelly. As far as the sounds of the R&B singer, he has kept a consistent tone and melody that works well with his songs. Many artists are beginning to use auto tuning devices like that distorts the voice and corrects vocal pitches. The device results in the singer’s tone sounding like a stringy guitar, which takes away from the quality of the song and singing. Holiday kept his music natural sounding which makes songs from him easy to identify. Holiday’s influences growing up were the smooth sounds of Marvin Gaye and Al Green. Later, he found the enriching sounds of Jodeci and Boyz II Men to be the key pitch to the notes he sang. It’s apparent in his Round Two that he returned to his earlier memories of what he viewed as music and incorporated that touch in his songs. I can’t knock J. Holiday for wanting to get involved with song writing and taking a different approach to his sophomore album. That’s what the audience listeners expect, to see growth and maturity from a new upcoming artist. Especially when the artist was as breathe taking as Holiday was. But, his songs were too mundane. If you’re going to sing about the traditional love stories and how you’re changing your ways from a boy to a man, do it in a way that hasn’t been done. Too many of the hooks and melodies were too similar to really differentiate between songs. Although he took a more mature approach to the album, there wasn’t enough creativity to make me suggest to a friend to buy the album. I would rather sing the hit of his first album; because quite frankly that’s exactly what his second album did… put me to bed, bed, bed. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:23:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22963&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22963&mname=Article Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} By Tanisha Shabazz Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff July 4, 2009 Jay Z Death of Autotune Roc Nation/Atlantic Recording Corporation June 23, 2009 Rap $1.99 USD Jay Z’s new single, Death of Autotune is exactly what the hip-hop community needs. The genre is in a state of crisis and Death of Autotune reiterates the true definition of hip hop music. While I was growing up, it was almost impossible not to be influenced by hip-hop music. As a former dancer I can tell you that the hip-hop culture played a huge role in the art of dance and still does. The music should be raw, unfiltered talent with quality lyrics over a hard base line. The lyrics should tell a story and share a message. Death of Autotune does just that and raises a great question. Is Hip hop getting too soft? For the last few years, Rap music has been a combination of auto tune voices, synthesized beats and empty lyrics. The desire to make a profit has created artists who digress from the true meaning of hip-hop in an effort to commercialize. Jay’s new single calls for the death of auto tune in order to bring hip hop back to its roots. Hip hop is getting too soft, in fact it has been soft for quite some time. The lyrics in Death of Autotune call out the artists who choose to make a profit over hip hop. First things first. Who is Jay Z and why does he think he can call other rappers soft? Jay Z and his fans refer to him as “the best rapper alive,” and arguably so. Since 1995, Jay Z has been a trend setter in the world of hip hop. His lyrics tell the story about his life as a crack dealer. In the song, Izzo off of the Blueprint album, Jay tells his fans not to sell drugs. He says, “Like I told you to sell drugs, no Hov' did that so hopefully you won't have to go through that.” Jay continues with, “I seen it all before. I seen hoop dreams deflate like a true fiends weight.” This is an example of how Jay can share a message and still sell records. He’s an established icon in the hip hop community. When he said death to auto tune, the message had meaning. It’s no secret that every one of Jay Z’s songs is not deep. Songs like Can I get A and Big Pimpin,’ aren’t about anything of substance. It’s your typical mainstream rap song but this is rare. He has over 8 platinum albums and less than half of his music is mainstream rap. Death of Autotune is a continuation of what Jay Z represents-real hip hop. The single has quality lyrics with a clear message. The single was produced by Kanye West and No I.D. The beat is classic with a soulful, American Gangster vibe. It takes the listener back to a post Vietnam America with heroin addiction and crime. Jay’s voice is aggressive, emotion filled, and not his traditional delivery. In the Death of Autotune, Jay uses a combination of his old calm, cool and collected approach heard in the hook, “Na Na Na Na goodbye.” This is woven in with versus in which Jay’s voice is aggressive, emotion filled and charged. On most of Jay Z’s past songs he is known for a calmer delivery. The variety on this track is something new for Jay, but works very well. In this single, like many of Jay Z’s other songs, the influence of Notorious B.I.G. is apparent. Jay uses Biggie’s lyrics when he says, “Stop the blood clot cryin, the kids, the dog, everybody dyin no lyin.” Many artists including Nas, argue that Jay Z is not a strong lyricist because he quotes Notorious B.I.G. in many of his songs. I would argue though, that Jay’s influence is rooted in the tradition of hip hop and he attributes his success to the artists that came before him. All four elements of hip hop give voice to the streets and Jay is paying respect to a close friend who also happens to be a highly respected artist in the hip hop community. Anyone who knows anything about Jay Z knows he doesn’t write his lyrics down and he records every track in one take. Technically I can’t say the lyrics were well written, but they were definitely well thought out. In the single he says, “I know we facin a recession but the music yall make gonna make it the great depression,” and later, “You singing too much, get back to rappin you T-painin too much.” He is saying that auto tune has made it difficult to separate a quality lyricist with a message such as Talib Kweli from someone clearly trying to sell a record like T-Pain with songs like, “I like the bartender.” The song is a call to action, forcing listeners to re-evaluate what they call hip-hop. The technical aspects of the song did not include an auto tune voice over. Autotune is the first single off of Jay’s album, The Blue Print 3. Some argue that the single is hypocritical because Kanye is one of the producers and recently released 808’s and heartbreak, an album with auto tune on every song. Kanye West has stated there will be no auto tune on Jay Z’s album, scheduled for release September 11. Overall, the single is great for those who want to reconnect with real hip hop. Presently, mainstream hip-hop is too soft. The lyrics fail to ask difficult questions and fail to share knowledge or a message. It is too early to predict, but Death to Autotune may be the beginning of a shift back to the roots of hip-hop. If The Blue Print 3 is anything like the single hip-hop fans looking for substance will find their fix. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:19:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22961&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22961&mname=Article By Kaleb Schwecke July 20, 2009 Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff Flogging Molly Summerfest concert review Every year on the Fourth of July, Americans celebrate Independence Day. But this was not the case this July 4th at the Miller Lite Oasis stage on the Summerfest grounds. The first words out of Flogging Molly frontman Dave King’s mouth as the band took the stage were “happy St. Patty’s Day”. And although it was not technically St. Patrick’s Day, all the Guinness and Irish jigging was enough have me convinced that it was. The first thing that I noticed as soon as Flogging Molly’s unique blend of Irish folk music and punk rock tore through the audience, was that it was impossible not to smile. Flogging Molly, a seven-piece band from Los Angeles, has been pumping out smile inducing songs since they started playing weekly shows at a small pub called Molly Molones in their hometown. The real heart of the band comes from frontman King’s rough and accent-laden vocals. He commanded the stage as he strutted up and down wielding his acoustic guitar. A little known band from the 80s called The Pogues was one of the first bands to fuse together old Irish folk elements with newer punk influences. The Pogues had a great influence over Dublin born Dave King, and lead him to incorporate traditional Irish and folk instruments in with newer punk roots. This fusion of old and new leads to a very eclectic assortment of instruments on stage. Flogging Molly skillfully weaves in such obscure instruments as uillean pipes and a bodhran to compliment the normal assortment of bass and acoustic guitars. But despite using some old instruments that have been around since the days of St. Patrick, Flogging Molly packed the Summerfest benches with a relatively young crowd. While there were very few people there that could actually grow a serious beard, there was a handful of old diehards sporting fiery red beards and plaid kilts. Thankfully, the no crowd surfing policy was enforced because that is something that kilts were not exactly designed for. For the entire 90-minute set the crowd was a jumping, jigging, and clapping mass. While the crowd was always bubbling and foaming (Guinness analogy) a few songs whipped them into a proper frenzy. The night got kicked off with a couple songs off of their latest album, Float. This was their fourth full-length album and was released in 2008. While not the best album all around, the title track from Float really worked very well live. Drunken Lullabies, the title track off of the 2002 album that just very recently went gold, was the song that really made Milwaukeeans dance the jig. Drunken Lullabies rides on the fast-paced frantically joyous fiddling of Bridget Regan. Regan not only masterfully plays the fiddle, but in the words of King, Regan is the most beautiful black-haired beauty he has ever seen. Which is good since the two are married, having met when the band formed and since fallen in love. Not only does Flogging Molly know how to play a raucous jig, but such slow songs as Forever and If I Ever Leave This World Alive had the strange effect of making everyone in the audience want to hug. Strangers put their arms around one another and in unison swayed back and fourth singing along with King. And those are only two gears that Flogging Molly has: slow-swaying-heartfelt-folk-songs and in-your-face-take-two-shots-of-whiskey-before-joining-in-the-pub-brawl. But it works. Just when you think that you can’t jig anymore, they give you slight reprieve with a slow song about love lost or love found. And when you have had just enough time to catch your breath and rest your legs, Flogging Molly demands that you get back on your feet and jig until you’re out of breath. Although today is the 5th, and no longer St. Patty’s day, just because the music has stopped, doesn’t mean that the smiles have faded. Cheers, and I’ll see you next St. Patrick’s Day. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:18:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22960&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22960&mname=Article By Jacob Schneider Concert Review Stevie Wonder @ Summerfest June 28 2009 Just a mere three nights after receiving the news that one of his most admired musical counterparts, "the king of pop," Michael Jackson had died, Stevie Wonder was hardly able to keep it together at times during his headlining performance at Summerfest’s Marcus Amphitheater Sunday night. After a welcoming opening set by up and coming r&b superstar John Legend, Aisha Morris, Wonder’s daughter, escorted her father to the seat of his piano. Stevie addressed the crowd, giving a fitting nod to Barrack Obama’s successful election (Stevie also performed at Obama’s inauguration ceremony) saying it was “the most incredible thing to happen in the world,” following that statement Stevie called the death of Michael Jackson a great tragedy because we had lost one of our greatest entertainers in the world. It was expected that Stevie would mention Jackson’s passing, or perhaps even cover a few of Jackson’s songs throughout the evening, but this concert started to feel like a Michael Jackson memorial ceremony and displayed some very odd moments as it progressed. After bringing John Legend out for a duet of one of Michael’s songs, it became clear that Stevie Wonder was a man still learning to cope with the loss of a dear friend when he started sobbing uncontrollably as Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” was played over the house P.A. After trying to hold the tears back by covering his face, Stevie let loose, keeling over the bench of his piano. It was an alarming sight for those in the front of the house. It appeared as though Wonder was suffering from a seizure as his body winced heavily due to his excessive crying. Fears were calmed and order was restored after Aisha made her way to her father’s side and consoled him the point where he was able to continue the show. After regaining composure, Stevie told the crowd that he was not ashamed of his heart. As shocking as it was, it was genuine and heartfelt. Considering that Jackson and Wonder have collaborated in the studio and onstage numerous times throughout their careers, it comes as no surprise that along with all the negativity that surrounded Jackson’s life, he made a great impact on the lives of those closest to him. The dark cloud of sadness was lifted from the crowd as soon as Stevie began to belt out some long awaited hits like “Higher Ground,” “Uptight,” and “Superstition,” which seemed to breathe some life back into a show that had turned into a sobfest. No disrespect to Mr. Wonder, or anyone else that is grieving the loss of the superstar, but people spent a lot of money to see a Stevie Wonder show, not to hear Jackson’s tunes played over the house P.A. periodically throughout the night. It would have been another story if Stevie and his 14 -piece band had actually played a medley of Jackson’s tunes themselves. Hell, that would have been something to brag about seeing, but it was just awkward watching this group of seasoned musicians just standing up there listening to someone else’s music. Although Stevie did entertain the crowd with numerous hits from his own catalog, the night came to a close with no encore, but rather a string of Jackson hits ending with Jackson’s introspective “Man in the Mirror,” that was once again played over the house P.A. Those in attendance can definitely say that they saw something special tonight. Emotions ran high and many in the audience were visibly choked up after watching one legend pay his last respects to another, but one can’t help but speculate as to what tonight’s show would have been like under different circumstances. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:15:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22959&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22959&mname=Article By Emily Neibauer 07/05/09 Review Assignment-Kenny Chesney Concert Sun City Carnival Tour. Kenny Chesney. Country. $90.00 Summerfest is one of Milwaukee’s best places to go to a concert. There are bands at any given time of the 11-day festival. Besides the cost to get in, most of the concerts are free. However, the Marcus Amphitheater is where the big shows play. Kenny Chesney is a popular country singer who just happened to be on that big stage. The last time he showed up to Summerfest was about three years ago. But on Friday, July 3 he came to sing in his Sun City Carnival Tour. As a lover of country music and Kenny’s biggest fan, of course I was there. This concert was my sixth Kenny concert, but to say it nicely, he only slightly amazed me this time around. He usually comes out onto the stage and plays hit after hit. He’ll throw in a new song, but it’s not new if you’re a true fan. Then, he’ll toss in something extra, like the songs he only plays at concerts and that aren’t on his records. But this time he did something a little different. Let’s start with the good stuff first. The beginning of the concert was amazing. I heard all the old stuff and some new stuff. The theme was simply oldie but goodie! His songs take me back to the past and life experiences. He plays songs about him. Just like an ordinary country singer, the songs are life songs. That’s what I love about country music and to speak for the crowd I think that’s what country lovers’ love about the music too. The stagecraft was beautiful. Kenny up there dancing around while pictures lit the stage up in the background. His voice is extremely charming. It’s the true sound of country. Of course his guitar and the band’s background added a little something extra to his songs. But, even without the music of the band, his voice would float into the air just the same. He’s talented, that’s for sure. He played hits like “Big Star” and “Young.” The newer songs are still classics, especially “Summertime.” His songs are always the same and I don’t mean boring. I mean they always feel good when they’re heard. It’s no secret that Kenny is popular and so the audience was massive filling up the whole theater. Dancing around with their hands in the air, it seemed like people were really pleased. He played between twenty-five to thirty songs. But, towards the end of the concert, Kenny did something I never thought he would do. It was really surreal to me, but he started playing cover songs. At first it was okay because I thought maybe he’d play one or two, then get back to his stuff. No, that was not the case. About the last seven songs of his concert were cover songs. I was so confused. “Sweet Home Alabama” and “What I got” are good songs, but I came to hear Kenny’s songs. He has so many hits that he could go for hours just on his stuff. Why did he have to bring cover songs into it? Here’s another note about Summerfest. So, on Tuesday I saw Phil Vassar. He’s another country artist. Summerfest always finds time for some of the best country singers. But, Phil did the same thing. I was quite astonished when Kenny did it too. I’ve been to plenty of Phil’s concerts and he always plays some cover songs. When Kenny did it I just assumed that must be the theme this year. At any rate, I wasn’t pleased with the whole cover song idea. That is not what country artists, especially Kenny, do. Kenny still was very charming for the most part, especially when he was playing his own songs. He said he’ll be back next year and that means so will I. Next summer, hopefully I’ll hear more Kenny than cover. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:13:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22958&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22958&mname=Article Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} By Justin Kunesh Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff July 20, 2009 Flatlands Blake Thomas 2008 Americana $12.97 Welcome to the “Flatlands” Throughout the 11 beautifully crafted numbers on Blake Thomas’ new album Flatlands, not a single one of them appear to be flat. It is quite the opposite. Thomas’ lyrics are saturated with heart-felt loneliness and solemn substance that can weigh the body down, but the music itself sits somewhere in a cradle of lighthearted jubilance and textured rhythm. This contrasting emotional mix of melody and lyrics provide for a very exciting listening experience. In his 2006 release of 40 Minutes, one can feel the direction Blake’s music was heading. Thomas has finally found his niche in this blend of folk, Americana and country, and it is apparent that his craft has come to fruition with this latest release. The lineup behind Blake Thomas on this record is also something to croon over. The gentle yet stimulating melodies that violist Shauncey Ali plays over the top of each number add layers of feeling to each nuance buried within. During “Up In Flames,” Blake Thomas epitomizes his feelings of isolation and helplessness when he begs of an unknown woman, “I’d love to help but I wouldn’t know what to do. That’s kind of the same way I feel about you.” With the arsenal of a poet and the ability of a finger-plucking virtuoso straight out of Woody Guthrie’s time, Mr. Thomas forges the way for songs that proclaim, “You got me feeling like the moon, who’s just pining for the sun. Sometimes we meet up in the afternoon when the air is clear and I’ll chase if you’ll run.” It’s hard to escape a chorus as powerful as this one with its literal intentions and lustful overtones. There’s no doubt that “Feelin’ Like the Moon” will be a hit for Blake Thomas. This number immediately captivates the listener with its visions of the future and hard realities about life buried deep in the lyrics. The subtle vibratos that emanate from Blake’s strong baritone really carry home the feelings of struggle and desire. These feelings are mimicked throughout Philadelphia native Adam Davis’ beautiful telecaster work and the long drones of Matt Turner’s thick organ. If there were one weak point in this album however it would be, “Please Cash this Check.” It seems to fall a bit short of the style and feel of Flatlands. This piece is laden with emptiness, and is stripped of everything but Thomas’ voice and his guitar. The song doesn’t ever really move much but retells a depressing story of a broken down Thomas stuck in Texas trying to get back home to his love. Overall there is a great sense of truth and honesty in the work of Blake Thomas. He has worked with producer Justin Perkins throughout the last three albums he has released, and the bond between singer/songwriter and producer is definitely apparent. Flatlands offers a breath of fresh air blown gently into the wind of country and folk. Blake Thomas has found a handful of musicians to help augment the beauty of his songwriting and this offers him, and most of all his listeners, “a little peace, in a world war.” Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:04:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22954&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22954&mname=Article By Cayla Ganter Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff July 19, 2009 Inevitable. Bascom Hill. Arrival Records. 2009. Rock. $9.99 The quite sound of the electric guitar begins, and continues to get louder and louder as the song starts to pick up. Then come the drums, the acoustic guitar, and last but not least the singers voice as the song officially begins. “I can’t help but think that your making the world more polarized,” are the first words that are sung on the track. As soon as I heard that, I knew that this was a CD I was going to like. The CD is by Bascom Hill and is titled Inevitable. There are three members that make up the band. Charlie Victor is the lead singer, Jason Sheridan plays guitar, piano, and backing vocals, and Quin Stickler plays bass. Without a doubt CD definitely fits best into the soft rock genre. The band is fairly new and is still not mainstream yet. They have had one prior CD called “Maybe” that for the most part was similar to their current album. Both CDs have been more new age soft rock. Similar to other more popular artists like Jack Johnson and U2. When I think of the more popular rock bands I think of some sort of yelling, and long electric guitar solos. Bascom Hill is a rock band, but is similar to artists such as Jack Johnson because they go about rock in a different way. They all play music that is in the category of soft rock, but with more modern soft vocals, and acoustic guitar dispersed in songs throughout the CD. The CD contains slow and fast music that takes turns playing throughout. They all have a common theme of singing about a girl. It is an all boy band, and for the most part the songs are about girls, and relationships. The writing of the CD is really well done, and thought out carefully. They are not just lyrics that were thrown together, but really given a lot of thought. Most of the songs are about a girl that they cannot have. For example the song that is the title of the album says, “so follow it down, give up the crown…inevitable.” I think it is great that the song that titles their album really gives a general feel for what the whole thing is about. Charlie Victor is the lead singer of the band, and also co-wrote some of the songs on the album. His voice is so pure with just a slight rasp to it, just enough to make him a rock singer. He really sets the tone for the band; his voice was one of the things I was so impressed with when I first started listening. He never pushes it too much like some rock singers tend to do. I think this is why the band is able to more in the direction of the newer kind of rock. He really leads the music with his voice. I would be happy with just hearing him sing, and no instruments in the background; I think that he really carries the music. There are many different tempos to the songs on the album. I am not usually the kind of person who likes slower songs so the couple of them that are on the CD are probably my least favorites. Surprisingly, even though some of the slow songs are my least favorite, one of my favorite songs happens to be slow. It is called, “Where’d You Go.” It is just the lead singer and the acoustic guitar in the background. It is so well written, and is sung to perfection. “Where’d You Go,” is not a typical rock song, and you would never expect something like it. The vocals in the song are so pure and easy that you are put at ease as you listen. It fits that it is the last track on the CD because they truly saved the best for last. I found myself hitting the repeat button over and over again to listen to it. It just gives you a good feeling all the way through. Even though I did have my favorite tracks on the CD, as a whole I thought it was great. From the words in the lyrics to the artwork on the album cover I can tell there was a lot of thought put into the making of it. I would recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys this genre of music. Bascom Hill definitely has the ability to go mainstream, but I am afraid I wouldn’t want them to. I think there is something about the fact that they are this unknown little group that makes them so great to listen to. It also gives them more ability to continue making music exactly the same way they are without a lot of public opinion. Basom Hill is original and inspiring to listen to. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:58:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22952&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22952&mname=Article By Adam Barndt Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff Wilco(the album) Wilco Nonesuch Records 6/30/2009 Rock $13.99 Best Buy Wilco(the album) has all the hallmarks of what makes Wilco’s albums great. Introspective lyrics, soft country twang, pop rockers, and white noise sound experimentation. All crafted within a sensible pop framework. Wilco(the album) gets off to a slow start. The songs appear boring after a quick listen, but Wilco is a band that is all about the subtleties. After several listens the intricacies of the songs emerge. Drawing elements from Wilco’s early country rock as well their later, more experimental work. The disc sounds like their earlier work with sonic elements of their more recent successes softly filling the background. Songs with the folk pop sounds of Summerteeth, and the twangy rock of Being There get an injection of spacey fuzz-rock noise. The album opens with the early Velvet Underground shuffle of “Wilco(the song),”which sets a strong tone from the beginning. “One Wing,” advances the direction the band took on 2007’s Sky Blue Sky. Starting with the slow chug of a guitar, the song slowly builds while seamlessly switching from catchy hooks to wild yet contained guitar riffs. The song also begins to set the somber tone of the album with lyrics like, “One wing will never fly/ dear, neither yours or mine/ I fear we can only wave goodbye.” An interesting juxtaposition is created as the dark pounding noise rock and pessimism of “Bull Black Nova,” presumably about a hit and run accident, fades out into the sweet optimistic serenade of “You and I.” Jeff Tweedy’s voice carries as much weight and emotion as always. So much power and sentiment packed into a surprisingly thin voice. With as many line up changes and diverse a catalogue as Wilco has, the only clear influence left in their music is themselves. Their psychedelic infused country rock stands alone in the current musical climate. “Bull Black Nova,” and “Wilco(the song),” stand out as the best songs on the album. Set apart by rich textures, complex layering and haunting harmonies. The single “You Never Know,” poses the best chance for radio success with its light rock flare, pop hooks and alluring vocal harmonies. A shame that even rock radio has snubbed Wilco for over a decade. The album presents a musical how-to of coping with the problems of life and love. “Even before the battle’s begun/ This is an aural arms open wide/ A sonic shoulder for you to cry on,” Tweedy sings on “Wilco(the song).” Wilco(the album) offers no surprises or new territory, but is a soft and pensive addition to an already stellar catalogue. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:44:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22948&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22948&mname=Article By Nicholas Teeple Of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff Aug. 15, 2008 Who Owns Culture? Double Dee & Steinski. Personal Artist Release. Compiled from two live shows on Jan. 26 & 27, 2008. Hip-Hop/Collage/Jazz. $5.00. It is far too rare these days to hear artists with wide appeal asking important questions about topical issues. While Hip-Hop's righteous roots place it near the heart of the political music scene, one must actually search these days to find artists that are consistently innovative while speaking about important social issues. It comes as no surprise, then, that it takes a couple veterans of Hip-Hop (middle-aged white guys at that) to produce some compelling new material. Double Dee & Steinski have been educating themselves and others about sample-based music since their first mix, Lesson 1 – The Payoff Mix, dropped in the early '80s as the winning entry to a remix contest. This mix along with other subsequent “Lessons” mixes had untold influence on every producer since. Their most recent release, a live performance, finds the talented duo opening for two of their most popular sampling protégés, DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist. This hour-long mix known to most as the prescient question, Who Owns Culture?, is a pristine live recording with minimal crowd or environment noise. The title, Who Owns Culture?, is the name of a Wired Magazine article and related discussion by Stanford Law professor and American activist, Lawrence Lessig. Double Dee & Steinski use spoken word samples of Lessig throughout the mix, and those titular words are indeed one of first things that they play. In the struggle over ownership, music industry lawyers have always been the first to answer Lessig's query with a resounding, “We do!”. Addressing this state of affairs is another Lessig sample that gets played in the mix, “we need to hear less from lawyers, we need to hear less from lobbyists, and we need to hear more from artists”. It is precisely this proposition that Double Dee & Steinski are only too happy to tackle. These artists compile a sonic collage that is dizzying in its breadth but never feels overwhelming. Two laptops were their instruments for the performance and they take full advantage of the technology to bring their aural vision to life. One understands from listening to these two that they enjoy doing this work to no end. From the completely obscure to the instantly recognizable, Who Owns Culture? is bursting with irreverent audio artifacts. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Double Dee & Steinski's work is that underneath all of these spoken word segments, radio snippets, comedy skits, rap freestyles, monologues, and movie dialog, there exists a groovy bed of classic breaks and beats. These artists have an encyclopedic knowledge of Hip-Hop's past. They showcase this knowledge with these background beats that they mix and layer to such great effect. None of this mix feels forced or awkward. In fact one gets the distinct impression that these mixes flow effortlessly from these artists fingers (with or without the assistance of modern technology). The tracks on this album are mostly titled according to the predominant samples used in that segment. It starts out with the title track, Who Owns Culture? #1, which finds Lessig's voice repeating over a sleepy jazz number. The mood abruptly picks up the pace with the second track, Honeymoon Is Over, which brings in one of those instantly familiar yet unrecognizable bongo beats from the '70s. Honeymoon is a real highlight if the skit is unfamiliar. It plays out like a frantic horse race announcer following the course of married life, “It's romance and affection and domestic bliss / Here comes marriage vows, followed by immediate child / Romance and affection falling off quickly / Mortgaged up the ass overtaking domestic bliss!”. A good mix should be just that, a diverse mix. Who Owns Culture? succeeds because Double Dee & Steinski bring every emotion into play. The thoughtfulness of Lessig leading into the ridiculous comedy of the honeymoon skit is only one of the many examples of eccentric tastes crashing together beautifully. There are stretches where most of the samples will deal with serious social issues. A woman discussing her neighbors' negative reactions to her mother feeding homeless men, a man preaching about revolution. Then comes philosophical musing, The Wet Dog Shakes, adding up to a very diverse, and ultimately very entertaining mix. Who Owns Culture? also succeeds technically. The stage monitor recording is flawless and the sound is full. This contrasts with many audience recordings where it sounds as if artists performed inside a tin can. Steinski wrote on his website that both of their laptops were running Ableton Live. This software, the standard for many a laptop DJ, provides seamless mixing and beat matching capabilities. Ableton also makes it very easy to incorporate additional sound effects into a mix. Thankfully Double Dee & Steinski use these effects sparingly but effectively. Many of the spoken word snippets will echo off into infinity. Some have sci-fi noises, psychedelic warping and other tricky textures applied. The key to using such effects, though, is to not let them become gimmicky nor rely on them too heavily. These veteran producers understand this and never wear on the listener with computer tricks. Too many producers will employ the latest innovations without an idea behind it. Double Dee & Steinski make technology work for them to produce their original vision and not the opposite. Double Dee & Steinski are more than qualified to not only ask but answer the question of who owns culture. From the very beginning their work has possessed very questionable legality. These audio mavericks will commonly fail to obtain permission for their samples of audio and video culture, simply because the owners of the original material refuse to grant it. This means that almost every one of their releases has been strictly bootleg. The reason they can sell this mix on their website is simply because it is a live recording which doesn't require the same legal clearance. It isn't surprising that they are selling these directly off their website. Flouting convention is their forté. Double Dee & Steinski's Who Owns Culture? will own your consciousness, a very funky mix all around. These found sound extraordinaires have only improved in their ability to weave an audio tapestry that reaches back to the foundation of Hip-Hop and sampling. Anyone looking for a musical education would be wise to invest in this stellar performance by true cultural historians. Double Dee & Steinski prove definitively that culture is best served by those who plunder, not the lawyers and lobbyists. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:55:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17925&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17925&mname=Article By Katie Krause of the Frontpage Milwaukee staff Aug. 14, 2008 Coco. Colbie Caillat. Universal Republic Records. July 17, 2007. Pop. $13.00-$18.00. Music can be such a huge aspect of our lives. It can depict what kind of mood we will be in, or what kind of mood we are already in. Melodies can be so beautiful that they move people to tears. Lyrics can be comforting when we are going through moments in life and don’t know how to express feelings in our own words. It takes creative and talented singers and songwriters to be able to produce music in a way that people can relate to as well as fall in love with. Colbie Caillat has become one of these singers with her Pop CD Coco. Her “feel good” music has become well-known among the music world due to her comforting and relatable lyrics as well as her soothing melodies. At age 22, she was discovered by record companies through Myspace. Her popular song “Bubbly” was receiving so many hits and downloads per day that record companies couldn’t ignore the talent that this young adult has. Her genre may be Pop, but she adds such a soulful feel to the music that it gives a little twist to the genre. This makes it much more interesting to listen to instead of the traditional Pop music we are all used to, such as Britney Spears or Ashlee Simpson. Most of the CD’s songs are related to love. Anywhere from the head over heels love to the sad and heartbroken love,; she covers them all. Her breezy and soothing voice gives her a sound that makes you want to keep listening to her for hours. Laid back rhythms just add that much more to the whole experience. She can add a dusky sound to her vocals which makes her style unique and makes you feel like you are sitting out on your porch on a lazy summer afternoon. It is true that other singers such as Vanessa Carlton and Sarah Bareilles have also created similar sounds to their music. They take Pop music and add a soulful sound to it that makes it unique in their genre. However, they also add a harsh sound to their melodies and vocals that Caillat eliminates in Coco. Her CD really is all about feeling good, even if it is talking about bad moments in relationships. She can combine sad lyrics with an upbeat melody and comforting voice, and the lyrics all of a sudden don’t seem so harsh. I think tThis is a special talent she has because not many singers can really make you feel good about everything throughout their whole CD. This is what Carlton and Bareilles lack. They give it to you how it is. If they are upset about something, you feel that in their music. Caillat can take the same situation and make it sound less dramatic. I even had to listen to some songs a few times to realize that they were about relationships that ended badly. Her style is just that relaxed. Caillat’s influences have come from Classic rock like Fleetwood Mac and the Steve Miller Band,; original soul like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder,; as well as music by Lauryn Hill, Bob Marley and John Mayer. Reggae music has also been influential to her style. This is all made apparent in her music. All of them have that laid back and easy going sound that Caillat also imitates in her music. The sunny, summery collection of songs on Coco fit together perfectly. Songs like “Bubbly” and “The Little Things” put a smile on your face and remind you of your first love, where songs like “Battle” and “Midnight Bottle” remind you of those tough times you’ve had when things weren’t working with the one you were dating. She really makes these songs relatable to everyone and this is what makes them so popular. It’s hard to pick out the worst songs on her CD. Each song is like another chapter to the CD and without one of them it wouldn’t be complete. If I had to pick one that didn’t work as well as the others I would have to say her last song, “Capri”. While it’s a beautiful song about a baby and her mother, I thought that it seemed a bit out of place with the rest of the album. It felt like it was just stuck on as an afterthought, and she didn’t know where else to put it. In her song “Bubbly” she sings: “It starts in my toes and I crinkle my nose, wherever it goes I always know that you make me smile, please stay for awhile now, just take your time wherever you go.” Lyrics such as those are what have made Caillat so popular. How is it possible to hear those words and not smile? Other songs are not about such happy moments, but Caillat has the talent to write them in a beautiful tone. An example of this is from her song “Midnight Bottle”. In this song she says: “Midnight bottle take me calmly through my memories and everything come back to me. Midnight bottle make it real, what feels like make believe so I can see a little more clearly. Like every single move you make kissing me so carefully on the corners of my dreaming eyes.” This is beautiful writing and makes you feel almost as if you are in a dream yourself. The simplicity of the melodies and laid back rhythms also add a lot to her lyrics and vocals. Sometimes simple is the way to go. We don’t get enough of that these days. Everyone is just trying to be better than the latest big thing. Caillat’s easy going technicality shows that complicated musicality isn’t always necessary to have popular songs. I fell in love with her music and if you’re looking for a summery album to play while enjoying the last few weeks before school starts, Coco is the CD to get. There is no doubt that her songs will put a smile on your face and just make you feel good about life. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:50:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17924&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17924&mname=Article By Brett Blobaum August 14, 2008 Artist: Flogging Molly Album: Float Genre: Folk Punk Price: $13.99 There are few things in this world that mix as well as drinking and music. Take for example drinking and diving. This is a terrible idea to be sure. It can cost you anything from your license to your life. Some people have tried to combine drinking with cell phones. This is a quick recipe to regret and embarrassment. However, a few pints of Guinness and Flogging Molly’s latest release, Float, are the perfect ingredients to a great time that still seems like a good idea the next day. The market is by no means flooded with offerings that fit into the Irish folk punk category, but Float will leave even the most discerning listener begging for more. Flogging Molly has made their fourth studio release a must have for anyone who is sick of the meaningless lyrics floated over heavy dance beats regularly played on pop radio. The seven members of the band combine to play over fourteen instruments on the album. They are skilled players of everything from a concertina to a more folksy set of spoons. It was this amalgamation of musical talent that made the three prior releases cult classics in the underground music scene. Float builds upon this musical base, but it also brings to the forefront the astonishing lyrical talents born from the spoken word traditions of Celtic culture. Musical talent and lyrical grace combined with hard living and hard rocking styles continue to redefine both folk and punk music in the United States. While the lyrics of songs like “The Worst Day Since Yesterday” were never exactly upbeat, the majority of the songs on Float look upon life and its prospects in a dark light. In “Man With No Country” lead singer Dave King relates that, “Right or wrong, this is where I belong; I’ve always belonged; if the truth be know there’s no place left to go; no place I can go.” The juxtaposition of this bleak outlook with an upbeat delivery and high paced traditional beats leaves the listener considering crying or dancing. All of this combined with a few pints from O’Donoghue’s or Mo’s just might leave you doing both and loving every minute. King’s thick authentic Irish accent mixes perfectly with his broad range in order to lend credibility to his message. He comes across as being very believable in his outlook on life, but he never appears to be preaching. He is simply telling his story and having a great time doing it. The approach is more refined than anything from the pioneers of the genre, such as The Pogues and The Dubliners, but their influence is clear. Nothing is too personal; nothing is held back from the audience. “Float,” the album’s title track, stands apart as the masterpiece of the work. It is more subdued than most of the other songs, but it showcases King’s voice and Bridget Regan’s fine-tuned fiddle skills. A listener can get a true feel for what Float and Flogging Molly are all about by hearing this song one time. The rest of the songs on the album don’t miss this mark of excellence by much. They can conjure up a memory of the best and the worst times in your life in a single stanza. “From the Back of a Broken Dream” follows a story of unrequited love turning into passion and back to the despair of loss. It is rare for a band that rose out of obscurity on an independent label to please hardcore fans while bringing in new listeners. Float is that special of an album. It resembles a great movie because it can strike a cord with anyone of any taste. Float doesn’t just sit on the surface; it soars. Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:28:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17920&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17920&mname=Article By Deidre Steward April 1, 2008 Title: The Cool Singer: Lupe Fiasco Company: 1st & 15th Atlantic Date of Release: December 18th, 2007 Genre: Hip-Hop Price: $9.99-$11.99 You might remember the reverent sounds of the 2006 smash hit single, “Kick, Push” on his debut album entitled “Food & Liquor”. He is a rising star from the streets of Chicago’s West Side. He goes by the name of Lupe Fiasco. He’s back again with his sophomore album entitled “The Cool”. “The Cool” is a Hip Hop album that is reminiscent of the struggles of a young boy growing up on the streets of West side Chicago. This boy grows into a man that finds his love for hip hop and rhyming. Lupe takes us through this journey of the streets and the game. While recording “The Cool”, he went through many hardships himself: He lost his father, his good friend Stack Bundles, and his business partner and mentor Charles “Chilly” Patton, who is sentenced to 44 years in prison. One of the best albums of the year that speaks to the streets of Hip Hop, the CD challenges the “uncool” to make it cool and addresses the issues that are not commonly discussed are all part of Lupe’s lyrical style in creating “The Cool” . Lupe Fiasco’s first album “Food & Liquor” is truly an introduction of the artist Lupe Fiasco. He talks about his love for skateboarding, painting a lyrical picture of his neighborhood, love, the struggle and the streets. The new album “The Cool” and his first album “Food & Liquor” are not comparable in the sound or content of the lyrics. In “The Cool” Lupe Fiasco is singing from a darker period in his life. A place where no one wants to be, a place of feeling lost and having lost those close to you. Although it expresses a deep side, it still gives its fans a taste of his upbeat persona and high powered lyrical voice. The songs on “The Cool” are important subjects to Lupe and to his listeners. Some of his songs have an affect on your mind. They can take you to a familiar place or one that you may be knowledgeable on. The first song on the CD is the intro. It is a spoken word piece recited by Iesha Jaco. She highlights some prominent and horrific events that have occurred recently and in past history. This piece is so powerful in that it addresses the issues that we normally don’t like to discuss, Hurricane Katrina, KKK, police brutality, and gentrification. The theme that is woven between all the songs addresses issues of the street and issues of our society. Lupe Fiasco’s music challenges the status quo. His music makes you think, it asks you to question society and examine the outcome of events. He does this through lyrical personification and parody with multiple uses of metaphors. He challenges mainstream music and gets his point across. His music does more than just tell a story, it looks at issues and concerns of the people through his own sociopolitical views. Lupe Fiasco’s voice is unique to the Hip Hop game. Some may like to compare him to a modern day Kanye West, with a hint of Common and a splash of Twista. His voice is original in that he brings his own musical talent and rhyming to the Hip Hop game. He mixes a jazzy vibe, with a free-style fast rap incorporating new styles of alternative rock and classic hip hop to create a unique sound that he can call his own. It’s easy to see that some of his influences come from Chicago’s own Kanye West, Twista and the talented Jay-Z. The impact that Lupe has on the Hip-Hop game is slowly developing. People are not ready for the truth to come at the level that Lupe Fiasco delivers. He is an artist that many people will have to listen to the album several times in order to understand his message. The songs on this album are not meant to flow in a sequential order. They take us through a journey. Exploring his life right now with hit “Superstar” featuring Matthew Santos, to his life back home with “Go Go Gadget Flow” to a place where he can be accepted “Paris, Tokyo”. Lupe writes with so many analogies, metaphors and knowledge that it’s hard not to listen to what he has to say. The lyrics entertain the mind. His continuous flows of ideas are backed with new sounds that make it possible to memorize every word from beginning to end. There is a unique balance that I find within his musical style. He’s innovative in using new musical sounds, a lyrical mastermind and incorporates abstract imagery and wordplay into every song. The songs were all different on this CD, not one in particular did I find bad. They all gave off a different emotion and feeling. From each different song I encountered a new idea, a new outlook on things and new perception of what’s “cool”. The song “Dumb it Down” says “and I’m mouth less which means I’m soundless now far as the hearing I found it. It was as far as the distance from the earring to the ground is but the doorknockers…” He tries to write in the simplest form so that people can really get the meaning and the understanding of his work and lyrics. Still you have to “dumb it down” in order for people to catch on to the metaphors. On the song “Hi-Definition” he receives some help from West Coast rap star Snoop Dogg to touch on his brief period carrying the weight of his mentor and battling his incarceration convictions. With the latest single “Superstar” he touches on the negative side of the industry that allows for no holiday’s and being “too uncouth/unschooled to the rules and to gum shoe/too much of a newcomer and too uncool.” These are all examples of Lupe Fiasco’s day to day run-ins in the game. Lupe Fiasco’s “The Cool” is sure to move all creative minds and voices. This album speaks to each individual, as each song has a message. This album is sure to drive Hip Hop lovers to find “The Cool” moving and breathtaking. Lupe does it again with his innovative, free spoken rhyming, addressing the issues of the people. This CD is an experience in itself. You wouldn’t want to miss out on “The Cool”. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:26:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17814&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17814&mname=Article Lindsey Paulsen April 1, 2008 CD Review Kala by M.I.A. Released August 8, 2007 XL/Interscope Hip-hop, electronic, dance, experimental $9.99 (iTunes) In 2005, British artist M.I.A.'s debut Arular received resounding applause from critics for its arresting combination of hip-hop, dance, and vocal elements. It was so powerful for a debut album that Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, better known as M.I.A.'s, chances of avoiding a sophomore slump seemed slim. But in the opening track of 2007’s Kala, "Bamboo Banga," she comes right out and says it: "M.I.A. coming back with power, power." And that she does. As if Arular, with its wide variety of musical elements and sound effects, didn’t puzzle listeners enough as to how to classify M.I.A.’s sound, Kala thrusts that answer even further from reach. It seems to be an edgier, less pop-friendly version of its predecessor, as it is heavier with layers of vocals, percussion, and sound effects from all over the world. In combining so many different sounds, M.I.A. seems to challenge the mere concept of musical genre. Kala touches on everything from hip-hop, to dance, to electronic, and if you listen closely enough, even a few blips of indie rock-influence can be felt at points. On top of everything else, each track contains strategically placed sound effects. The combination of so many elements seems chancy, but in the case of Kala the result is a successfully fierce, jagged, multifaceted show of unparalleled experimental style. M.I.A. describes the production of Kala, which was recorded in several different countries all over the world, as “making a big old marble cake with lots of different countries and influences. Then you slice it up and call each slice a song.” This analogy is not only demonstrated in the album’s wide array of musical style, but also in its political themes. In “20 Dollars,” M.I.A. discusses the easy accessibility of AK-47s in Africa, while in “Paper Planes,” she fires a gun and explains “some I murder, some I let go,” as cash registers ca-ching in the background. The vocal tracks on Kala are less prominent than on M.I.A.’s debut album. Her voice seems to take a backseat to the music and sound effects this time around, though this is not a weakness, as her voice becomes more of a musical element itself. In some places, like in the tribal sounding first single “Boyz,” her vocals become more chant-like and in some spots begin to blur into sounds that can no longer be considered words. Even so, M.I.A. maintains a hard-hitting vocal delivery which radiates her sturdy self-confidence. The Bollywood disco cover “Jimmy,” the album’s second single, stands out as the catchiest song on the album with an intense electric violin track layered over a fast-paced electro beat that would normally belong in a trendy dance club. The most unusual track on the album is “Bird Flu,” which combines tribal drumbeats with the sounds of birds squawking and children chanting in the background, further reinforcing M.I.A.’s enthusiasm to stray as far as she can from the norm. Another notable track is “Paper Planes,” whose softer, yet enchantingly catchy musical track and calmer vocals provide the listener with a brief interlude from the heart-pounding beats of the rest of the album. All too often an artist releasing a follow-up to a solid debut album finds itself in an uphill battle to live up to its debut. Even before the new album drops, critics all but have a “disappointed review” template open on their computer screens, just waiting to fill in the blanks about why the sophomore effort fails to live up to the debut. With Kala, M.I.A. has gone in the exact opposite direction from what these critics were most likely expecting. She certainly has come back with “power, power” and has not only lived up to the high expectations set by her debut, but she’s managed to outdo herself. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:01:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17809&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17809&mname=Article Sam Hogerton April 1, 2008 Review: CD For Emma, Forever Ago. Bon Iver. 2/17/08. Neo-Folk. $10.99. Complex Simplicity If you were to say that music could be just as chilling as the harshest winter winds, Jason Vernon would probably agree with you. Last winter Vernon retreated to his father’s remote cabin in Northwestern Wisconsin, where he would spend the next four months becoming “Bon Iver”. The release of For Emma, Forever Ago marks the national debut of both Vernon and his newly acquired alias. The album was recorded entirely by Vernon in the seclusion of his father’s cabin, and the cold northern woods of Wisconsin. Vernon’s solemn neo-folk style, fused with elements of soul, creates a sound that embodies the unique time and place in which it was recorded. Much like a desolate winter landscape, it is one of the most hauntingly beautiful solo-male performances I’ve heard in years. Prior to last winter, Vernon was fronting an Eau Claire based indie-rock group named DeYarmond Edison. When his long time band started falling apart and eventually disbanded, Vernon was reportedly tormented with personal relationship issues as well. Eventually something gave, and he vanished like a ghost into the onset of winter. The original plan was to “hibernate.” He had not planned on seriously recording or writing. Yet, his provisions happened to include an acoustic guitar, a few microphones, and miscellaneous, aging recording equipment. What Vernon thought would be “hibernation,” turned out to be 12-hour daily recording sessions. The result was the construction of a record that captures the tenderness of a man that’s forced to reflect upon his condition. Bon Iver (Vernon) expresses heartache, longing, love, loss, and guilt more vividly than anyone has since the early work of Elliot Smith. After leaving the cabin he self-released the album under the name “Bon Iver” (meant to be pronounced as “bohn eevair,” a French phrase meaning “good winter”). Less than a year later the album was picked up by an indie record label named “Jagjaguwar” and was just nationally released. The use of primitive recording equipment is evident in the rawness of the sound. His voice cracks. The strings vibrate with a low rattle after the sustained tones die. His cold, leathery fingers can be heard sliding up and down the guitar’s frigid neck. The music itself is like a cabin, as it emphasizes the beauty of simplicity. The songs mostly consist of a single acoustic guitar track that rarely transcends simply strumming a subdued progression. Percussion is almost completely absent, aside from the occasional thump of a bass drum to provide a subtle rhythmic frame. The song “Blindsided” establishes a dominant, steady rhythmic presence with almost no use of percussive instruments. The emphasis of the songs falls upon the overlapping vocal arrangements. Vernon does not have a great voice. Yet, it compliments the modest, rustic tone of his music. Like Elliot Smith often did, Vernon overlaps multiple vocal tracks in most of his songs (i.e. “The Wolves”). While many of these tracks are fixed to the falsetto register, there are instances where he attempts to diverge into others (the chorus of “Skinny Love”). There is something extremely raw and intimate about hearing his voice crack through some of these attempts. The vocal depth adds a hidden complexity to these songs that appear simplistic on the surface. If you look close enough, you might notice similar trends in life and reflection of it. Vernon’s lyrics are abstract, yet they successfully reiterate the lonely feel of the album. In “Skinny Love,” a song that seems to lament the frustrations of a failing relationship, Vernon sings “Come on skinny love just last the year… Pour a little salt we were never here… my, my, my… staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer.” We all go through those periods when the weight of the world feels too heavy. When Jason Vernon felt that way, he did something anyone could do; he ran away from it. Yet, while he was hiding, he did something almost nobody can do; he recorded an amazing album describing it in a way his words never could. The album he recorded captures his contemplative vulnerability, and serves as a way for us to reflect on our own. As For Emma, Forever Ago will surely be queued on my play-list over the next warming months, I won’t be escaping the chill of winter as soon as I thought. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:16:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17804&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17804&mname=Article Saul Fofana April 1, 2008 Champion The Audition Victory Records January 22nd, 2008 Alternative Rock/Pop-Punk $13.98 Windy City quintet The Audition is at it again with their second full-length album Champion. After their debut release on Victory Records, 2005’s Controversy Loves Company, the band has set out to define themselves as musicians and prove their maturity. The Audition’s first album, while quite catchy, didn’t do enough to set itself apart from other pop-punk acts to come out of Chicago like The Academy Is, and Fall Out Boy. While those bands have come to dominate the airwaves, many cookie-cutter acts have emerged in an attempt to emulate the success of the aforementioned bands. The Audition seemed to be just another band in a faceless crowd. While their first album showed glimpses of personality and a real creative spark, those rare moments were often overshadowed by the cliché guitar riffs, along with themes and lyrics we’ve heard a thousand times before. With their new album Champion, The Audition has taken those rare gems found on their debut, and brought them to the forefront. Being a median age of 19 when their first album was released, they’ve clearly matured and are beginning to break away from their counterparts, but it still seems that they are falling short in creating their own identity. There are a few standout songs on the album, but the rest of the album is rather predictable, as if the band started to take risks on some songs, but then backed off and played it safe for the rest of the cd. The boys have also rejoined John Naclerio who produced their last album. To my delight their second effort better reflects the chemistry between the producer and the band The album seems very well mixed in most places and it appears as though with the help of Naclerio, they was able to fully realize the dream they had for this album. In order to successfully showcase their talents, the band has opened up their music to a wider variety of genres. Rock, pop, dance, you name it, The Audition have piled it on with songs that take influences from bands like Maroon 5, and even Justin Timberlake. Yes, that’s right, Justin Timberlake. While it seems ludicrous for someone to take a punk band and make the comparison to a pop idol like Justin Timberlake, it seems to be the most worthy choice. To put it simply, the beats on this album are addictive. There are big guitar riffs, groovy baselines and Danny Stevens’ vocal range has highly improved and become more refined from his previous album. The oddly titled intro track on the album “Basbhat” opens up the CD on a fast note and the album barely lets up from there. Keyboards and quick guitar riffs introduce us to a new side of The Audition, and from the get-go this first song allows us to forget all about their first record. The “JT” influence’s strongest evidence comes from the second song “Warm Me Up.” The pre-chorus of this song is nearly identical to that of the pre-chorus in “Cry Me a River,” by Timberlake. The song itself really makes you dance and remains relentless the entire way through with a guitar solo I didn’t even think the band was capable of pulling off. The sexually charged lyrics are expertly executed in this song and really showcase the improvements Stevens has made as a vocalist. Another great highlight of the album is the song “Hell to Sell”, a song that reminds me a bit of Maroon 5 with their single string leads. This song follows the same upbeat rhythms of “Warm Me Up,” with an excellent build up in the interlude, and a really edgy guitar riff. The pre-chorus keeps your head bobbing as it transitions into the soulful and lusting chorus of “Teach you everything you need to know/The way to love and feel it in your bones/Grab the sheets and make her toes ravel/Her lips whisper/She wants you, Oh!” It’s clear on this album that the band has made drastic improvements in terms of style and overall maturity but there are a few places where the album could be improved. First and foremost the lyrics themselves need to be addressed. Controversy Loves Company really lacked an emotional tie that great lyricists can pull off. Many bands in this genre are successful due to their ability to creatively convey their emotions through their writing. Here Steven’s has done a much better job but he still isn’t up to par in comparison to the other bands around him. Lyrics like “My eyes will be locked on you/I'm moving in for the kill so sit still/I want your eyes locked on me/You will be loving me till the morning” in the song “Make It Rain,” really seem forced as if he’s trying to hard, and don’t really add much to the story about his infatuation with a girl. This is a real shame because the music itself in the song is excellent and easily makes you want to get up out of your seat. At times it feels like Stevens, being the vocalist, is just a step behind the rest of the band in terms of his writing. Another thing worth mentioning is the fact that Champion only runs about 37 minutes long and has 10 tracks. This CD is extremely short, which may or may not have been a good thing. On one hand they were easily able to maintain a high level of energy the entire way through the album. Another way to look at is that this band may not be capable of writing a solid 50 to 60 minutes of music and still maintain a fresh and exciting sound the entire way through. I’m not sure that Stevens has enough to write about, nor am I confident that this band can musically produce an album that stays consistently creative throughout 12-15 songs without exhausting their resources. Last but not least, I’m not even sure that this band is unique enough to keep my attention for 15 songs. While this album was a great improvement from their debut, it still lacks the lyrics to really give them attitude and set them apart from the bands they are constantly compared to. On a lighter note this album is fast-paced, and filled with infectious dance hooks. Those who really enjoyed Controversy Loves Company will definitely enjoy their new disc, though I’m afraid they fall slightly short of being considered “Champions.” Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:53:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17802&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17802&mname=Article Dan Curtin April 1, 2008 Title: Licker’s Last Leg Artist: Goon Moon Label: Ipecac Date of Release: May 8, 2007 Genre: Indie Rock, Industrial, and Psychedelic Price: $12.95 The term “super group” is often incorrectly and indiscriminately used when referring to any band that is made up of two or more famous musicians, and the hype for any super group is often so high that most fail to meet the expectations. Goon Moon sidesteps those issues by being made up of two musicians that have always dabbled in multiple musical genres, while never achieving much mainstream success. These two musicians are Jeordie White of Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails fame, and Chris Goss, who is a notable underground producer and lead singer/guitarist for Masters of Reality. Licker’ Last Leg was deliberately made to sound like anything and everything in the world of rock. White’s industrial rock influences are all over the record, while Goss’s desert rock riffs are the building blocks of most of the songs Many bands have delivered unsatisfying and schizophrenic records that are all over the place in an attempt to represent multiple musical genres, but for the most part Goss and White are able to avoid that mistake. Goss and White first met while White was still performing with Marilyn Manson under the pseudonym Twiggy Ramirez. The two musicians soon became close friends and started jamming together when White left Marilyn Manson in 2005. The songs on Licker’s Last Leg are pulled from the same sessions as their first EP, I Got a Brand New Egg Layin’ Machine, but with added help from drummer Zach Hill and a complete overhaul of the vocals. Because of the diverse array of styles, none of the music sounds particularly new or fresh, but it is not too often that so many different styles of rock are heard on album. While there is no overlying theme on Licker’s Last Leg, it is easy to tell that the songs were made just for the sake of having fun. Goss and White are two incredibly accomplished and skilled musicians that hearken back to the days when music was made just for the fun of it. Both Goss and White sing lead vocals on multiple tracks, and each does backup vocals on all the songs on the album. Goss has an everyman voice that can be used to accommodate the more “classic rock” sounding songs. White has a much more diverse voice and can sing anywhere from pop on the song “Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show” to straight up trashy hard rock on “Balloon.” It is really hard to gauge where exactly Goss and White’s influences are coming from, so it is easier to examine their recent work for examples of inspiration. Goss’s time as a producer for desert rock bands Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age has clearly rubbed off on him, while White’s time in the alternative rock group A Perfect Circle allowed him to branch out from Marilyn Manson. The diversity of Licker’s Last Leg is made clear right away with the opener “Apple Pie,” which starts out with an annoying array of strings and then turns straight into a psychedelic/goth affair. Next up is the White sung speed metal song “My Machine,” which is so over the top and tongue in cheek that if you are not enjoying the album by now, you will never get the point. The first real stand out song is the Goss sung “Pin Eyed Boy,” which is all dreamy whispered vocals and 70’s power chords. Unfortunately the majority of the first half of the album is a mostly hit or miss affair, with songs like “Hardcore Q3” and “An Autumn that Came Too Soon” definitely sounding like half baked attempts at real songs. The true joy of Licker’s Last Leg is found towards the end of the album. A cover of the Bee Gees song “Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show” would be a number one single in a perfect world. Every style that White and Goss employ is thrown together for a ten-minute spectacle of a song called “The Golden Ball.” The song is broken up into eight different parts that cover everything from doo-wop to progressive rock. Licker’s Last Leg defiantly took multiple listens before I was able to appreciate the album for what it is, and it is a breath of fresh air to see two artists so relaxed and at ease these days. The album may not be perfect or revolutionary, but it is definitely an enjoyable ride. It is often hard to live up to the hype of being a “super-group,” but thankfully Goss and White had to deal with virtually no pressure and came up with an album that not afraid to try new things, while still creating songs that will stay in your head for ages. 7.5/10 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:37:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17800&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17800&mname=Article Dan Curtin March 7, 2008 CD Review Album Title: Saturnalia Artist: The Gutter Twins Label: Sub Pop Date of Release: March 4, 2008 Genre: Alternative Pop/Rock, Blues Price: $12.95 Love, hate, regret, addiction, and a glimpse of hope have all been recurring themes for Grunge era survivors Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli, and now they have come together to form The Gutter Twins with their new album Saturnalia. Lanegan fronted the underrated but critically acclaimed Screaming Trees during the Seattle Grunge explosion of the 1990’s, while Dulli was the lead singer of another commercially unsuccessful band called the Afghan Whigs. While very little of the Tree’s mixture of psychedelic punk and classic rock can be heard on Saturnalia, the gospel and soul influences of The Whigs and Dulli’s current band the Twilight Singers can be heard all over the album. Given that both Lanegan and Dulli have made their careers off of singing about the darker side of life, it is no wonder that the whole album is based in genres that perfectly personify darkness. Saturnalia is a mixture of traditional alternative rock with blues, soul, gospel, and even world music electronic beats. Obviously not all artists can pull of such a wide array of styles and genres, but on Saturnalia it works surprisingly well. This can easily be attributed the fact that Lanegan and Dulli are chronic collaborators, and have appeared on each other’s projects since the beginning of the decade. Above all things, both Lanegan and Dulli have mentioned several times that they wanted to do something completely new with the Gutter Twins, otherwise there would be no point. Although it is easy to hear a lot of Dulli’s and Lanegan’s influences on the record, their two styles mixed together have produced something that may not be completely new, but is incredible to hear. Saturnalia starts of with a duet between Lanegan and Dulli called “The Stations.” “I can hear the rapture coming, they say he’ll be here soon” sings Dulli, and that is the first of many religious references on the album. “God’s Children” and “All Misery/Flowers” continue the downbeat plodding of “The Stations,” but then things begin to clear up with the acoustic based “The Body.” The whole pace of the album quickly picks up the monolithic “Idle Hands,” which is the albums first single. Throughout the entire album, both Dulli and Lanegan sing on every song, except for the Dulli only number “I Was in Love with You.” Both take turns singing lead and providing backup vocals on every other song. While most of the songs on the album employ an array of droning guitars, keyboards, pianos, and buzzing organs, the two most sparsely instrumental songs on the album end up being the highlights. Both “Who Will Lead Us?” and “Seven Stories Underground” are primarily Lanegan sung tracks that are based off a simple acoustic guitar and some backing keyboards. The next song, “Beta Noire,” is arguably the highlight of the album and is the most accessible with its classic rock inspired guitars and Tom Petty-esque chorus. Unfortunately the low points of the album come towards the end as the electronic “Each to Each” and anticlimactic “Front Street” fails to live up the previous ten songs. Lyrically, Saturnalia finds Dulli and Lanegan revisiting the same dark alleys and seedy locations that have become the focus of their song writing for the past fifteen years. If there is not much lyrical change present, one can be assured that this is some of the strongest songwriting either artist has ever done. Besides the aforementioned lyrics, “Who Will Lead Us?” talks of the loss of faith, while “Idle Hands,” speaks of the evil that both Lanegan and Dulli are capable of, and thankfully that evil is usually only directed at themselves. These two men have suffered from unspeakable addictions and lost several friends and loved ones, but they’ll always be the survivors as the less traveled people on Earth continue to fall. Saturnalia is definitely not for everyone, but its captivating songs and lyrics enticed me to take another trip to the dark side with Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan, and hopefully it wont take them another five years to release a new album. Lanegan and Dulli may have different musical backgrounds, but when they come together, they sure know how to make a good album. Throughout the album tales of love, despair, addiction, and regret keep pulling you back for more, while the atmospheric guitars and keyboards will keep your head and body moving. Saturnalia may not be the new sound that both singers were looking for, but it sure is a worthy entry in each of their careers. 8.5/10 Sat, 08 Mar 2008 22:14:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17756&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17756&mname=Article By Adam Barndt Through the brightly lit, crowded streets of downtown Milwaukee, I made my way to the Riverside Theater. The streets near the theater flowed with the footsteps of rock fans spanning several generations. Some wore ties; some wore ripped jeans and leather jackets; some with long, bleached hair; some bald. They all filled the streets and made their way around the corner into the theater for The Music of Led Zeppelin with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Questions poked out through jumbled speech of hundreds of Zeppelin fans. Is there a singer? Is this a rock show or a classical rendition? People of all ages continued to file in from the wind. Kids wearing new Zep t-shirts along side their fathers, wearing their weathered shirts from a time when Led Zeppelin ruled the charts, walked shoulder to shoulder with patrons wearing the uniform of a classical music connoisseur. Still among them, torn and bloodshot teenage fans finishing their cigarettes steps out side the doors. Men old enough to remember the release of “Zeppelin I,” slowly moving through the crowed aided by a cane. Some ordered drinks, and some found their seats as it grew close to 8 p.m. The orchestra on stage diligently tuned and fiddled with its instruments seated in a semicircle around a drum set, guitar, bass and microphone placed neatly on stands, silencing the question of “is there a band.” Near 8:00, the lights dimmed, and unsure of how to react, some politely clapped as if they were about to whiteness a symphonic show. Others hooted, hollered and cheered rock and roll. The collective hum of 50 tuning orchestral instruments was silenced as a portly man with long, wavy, black hair took the stage and picked up his guitar. Following him, a thinner man dressed in black, conductor and arranger Brent Havens, took to the podium with thunderous applause. Silence overtook the audience, and with the wave of the conductor’s hand, the band and orchestra exploded into a note for note rendition of “The Immigrant Song.” The violins matched the vocals one octave up, and the horn section was a perfect harmony. From off stage, one could hear the screech of what one would think to be Robert Plant himself, if one didn’t know any better. After the second spot on “aaaaahhh ahhh aaaaaaaaah,” vocalist Randy Jackson (not that Randy Jackson) took the stage, shattering the illusion of Robert Plant’s specter. Jackson’s voice, although spot on during the wails and moans, sounded more like Geddy Lee during the choruses and refrains. The band then ripped into a furious rendition of “The Wanton Song.” A booming brass section and blistering guitar played to Jackson’s vocals to create a rendition to rival the original. The band then took a short pause to introduce the orchestra as a whole; the introduction was greeted with a standing ovation no more than 20 minutes into the show. After the introduction, Jackson sat down with an acoustic guitar to perform “Going to California” off Zeppelin IV. Jimmy Page’s soft acoustic arrangement was complimented perfectly by the orchestra. Fluttering violins and soft woodwinds provided a billowing addition to the song and was one of the few songs where the orchestra wasn’t almost completely harmonized with either the guitar or the vocals, leading to one of highlights of the show. A few songs later, the band took another pause to again introduce and give props to the orchestra. They were greeted with another standing ovation, the second of five ovations given to the orchestra. A few songs followed, and then the band left the stage for an intermission not long enough for me to get a beer and take my seat before the beginning again. The band then kicked the show into overdrive with renditions of “Whole Lotta Love” and “Misty Mountain Hop.” During the second half of the show, electric violinist, Alegra, emerged from the orchestra and took center stage. Her newly found presence added to the energy of the show with searing additions to songs like “Ramble On.” Jackson later sat down again with his acoustic guitar and began to finger pick, and the crowd cheered. The intro to “Stairway to Heaven” slowly began to fill the theater. The orchestra was silent for the first few minutes and then slowly began adding color to the composition. The song built and built to the hard rocking climax and exploded to a full out jam. That led to one of the highlights of the show: a several minute explosive duel between the guitarist and electric violinist that took the song to its close along with a near carbon copy of Plant’s vocal by Jackson. The show lasted just over two hours and was full of excitement, wonder and nostalgia. The only disappointment to speak of was the band’s failure to include any material from “Zeppelin I” and their tendency to play mostly hard rockers; I feel the addition of the orchestra could have added more to the slower, thought provoking tunes in Zeppelin’s catalogue. All and all, the mix was good, and the songs provided a near career-spanning view of Zeppelin’s music. The band closed with one song after “Stairway” that I could not recognize (I’m a poser I know), and with that, the band left the stage. The orchestra set down its instruments, and the musicians bowed and began to slowly file away, as the audience did the same. Mon, 19 Nov 2007 21:46:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17658&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17658&mname=Article By Adam Kapaun Nov. 4, 2007 CD Review Title: So Wrong, It’s Right Band: All Time Low Company: Hopeless Records Released: Sep 25, 2007 Genre: Alternative Price: $9.99 (iTunes), $12.99 (Retail Store) All Time Low probably isn’t a house hold name…yet. This Maryland-based pop/punk band released its first EP, Put Up or Shut Up, just last summer. Only seven tracks long, but brimming with potential, All Time Low mixes its versions of punk and pop to create a very unique sound that stands out among any Warped Tour participant. On September 25, 2007, to their fans’ delight, they released their first full length CD So Wrong, It’s Right. They didn’t disappoint. Keeping with the same style that has served them well thus far, All Time Low may be labeled as alternative, but below the surface is a punk-band ready to come alive. By constantly touring and their countless plays on MySpace, All Time Low has been able to win over thousands of fans with ease, although many still have yet to hear their sound. They seem to understand this and pick fun at themselves with the very first track, This Is How We Do. It’s fast-paced with a catchy sound and point-blank lyrics. This serves as a faultless opening thread, showing their Blink-182 influence; it gets your feet tapping and stays stuck in your head for days. If All Time Low will be known for anything it will be their amazingly slick way of avoiding predictability. Refusing to sound like recycled versions of punk-bands of the past, they evade the overly used ‘soft bridge’ near the end of a song. They instead build up for the chorus’ final go-around with the same tempo as previous verses. While they may not be the first band to use that method, they do it with flair. Lead singer, and front-man, Alex Gaskarth’s unique, pleasant, and easily-recognizable voice is what makes this album so great. His range can vary throughout a song with few, if any, pitch problems, and does not take away from the lyrics. In fact, his voice is what makes these songs as fun as they are. Yes, fun. When was the last time you could say a CD was “fun” to listen to? Because of Gaskarth’s style, he brings songs such as Dear Maria, Count Me In, to new heights. Released as the album’s first single on July 3rd, 2007, it begins with a simple opening palm-mute, leading into an instrumental verse with smooth riffs and perfectly timed octave leads. The open chorded chorus seamlessly leads into the half time feel for its second half. This shows the band’s ability to create strong composition and not just make noise. If this CD doesn’t become a classic, this song certainly will. Following the aforementioned opening track, All Time Low keeps the foot tapping beat for the ridiculously catchy Let It Roll. This song pays homage to the band’s early touring days, expressing their mixed feelings and stand-offs with reality. Showing some variety, the band breaks away from the heart pumping beats momentarily for the acoustic ballad Remembering Sunday. Usually what ruins an album is the disruption of a disappointing attempt at sentiment, but All Time Low does a spectacular job with this truly touching track. There are lines such as, “Even though she doesn’t believe in love, he’s determined to call her bluff” that come off as original, moderately creative and most of all, sincere. After the first three minutes of vocal harmonies and dominant acoustic presence, this song breaks out with a string section and drum build up for a home stretch, accompanied by a solid female vocal performance. By creating a complete foundation for a song when others may have failed, this group of teenagers proves they know how to craft a truly remarkable sound. One of the most purely clever songs to turn up in a while, Holly (Would You Turn Me On), is a metaphor in disguise. This song discusses the addictions of the limelight and everything that comes with it: Girls, most notably. A nice touch is added by the subtle use of xylophones during the verse, but what steals this track is its chorus, “Just another pretty face, but I wanted one more taste. Come on Holly, would you turn me on?” This is an album full of some of the most creative writing to come out of the punk scene in many years. Stay Awake (Dreams Only Last For A Night), continues this trend as being the most cleverly written piece of the CD. What stood out the most in this uniquely pieced song is the line “Figure it out. Boy, you're tripping so pull yourself together, or you'll wash up like the rest. This ship is sinking, I'm thinking I'm done for. I'll watch as the sails disappear under water, cause I'm no captain yet”. Maintaining All Time Low’s consistency at “no gimmicks” music, this song will be mimicked for years to come.So Wrong, It’s Right in fact does many things right. All Time Low produces a solid album with a strong voice, brilliant composition and clever lyrics. If you haven’t heard of them yet, this CD will draw your attention. Their awareness of overly used punk band clichés is what will lead them into a path not many of this generation will see. With improved song writing from their debut EP, All Time Low begins to set the standard of what punk/pop should sound like. They are up-front, bold and call it like they see it. Just a group of 19-year-olds singing about loving life, losing love and having fun while you’re still young; they know what they’re doing and doing it with style. Sun, 04 Nov 2007 22:01:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17616&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17616&mname=Article By Adam Barndt In Rainbows Radiohead http://www.inrainbows.com 10/10/07 Rock No set price Radiohead return with a revolutionary concept on its seventh album, In Rainbows. The album currently is available only as a download from inrainbows.com at whatever price the listener chooses to pay. Like past Radiohead albums, In Rainbows is back with grungy guitar riffs, melancholy acoustic ballads, dense layering filled with trippy effects, and astounding instrumental work. It appears Radiohead cannot be stopped or topped with the release of In Rainbows; every song rocks and adds to the feel and flow of the album perfectly. Many of the songs on the album are already familiar to die-hard fans, as they have been a part of the band’s live repertoire for the past year or so. The album opens with the chattering beat of “15 Step,” an electronic masterpiece with a pulsating bass line underneath scratchy percussion and wild background effects. “Bodysnatchers” is the most upbeat song the band has released in some time with a driving guitar lick that harkens back to the band’s earlier grunge influenced music. The song seems to personify what the album and the band are doing, and the plight of the recording industry to date: “Has the light gone out for you/ Cause the light’s gone out for me/ It is the 21st century/ You can fight it like a dog/ And they brought me to my knees.” In Rainbows rocks harder than the band’s previous release, 2003’s Hail to the Thief, which focused more on the electronic aspect of the band’s music developed on 2000’s Kid A. However, the bulk of the album is still the relaxed, slow-moving, atmospheric jams, most of which are so densely layered that you hear something new every time you listen. “Bodysnatchers” “15 Step” and “Weird Fishes / Arpeggi” are the best songs on the album and some of the best songs in the band’s catalogue. Thom Yorke’s voice is as downhearted and emotional as ever and is particularly beautiful on the slow moving ballad, “Nude.” In Rainbows is another astounding release from the band that never fails to amaze, inspire and exude creativity. Sun, 04 Nov 2007 18:19:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17606&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17606&mname=Article By Laura Kezman As the lights began to dim and the bottles of beer were properly positioned to be within arm’s reach of each musician on stage, the raucous teenage screams bellowed through the hall of the Pabst Theater on Monday as members of Bright Eyes made their way behind their red-lit instruments. The music started in, and the intense crowd reaction to frontman, Conor Oberst’s momentary absence from the group couldn’t be ignored. Until the current heartthrob of the indie-pop scene walked swiftly on stage, picked up his guitar, and chimed in to play the band’s opener, “An Attempt to Tip the Scales,” the girl sitting behind me was finally able to release the exaggerated burst of droll emotion and excessive tears she had most likely been holding in since she took her seat three hours prior. Poor girl. Since before the release of their paramount album, Cassadega, which debuted this past April, Bright Eyes has been in a tour bus since last February. Making this its second visit to Milwaukee in six months, the band truly delivered something that would starkly contrast the impression left on the fans able to attend the previous sold-out show. Those anticipating an intoxicating encore of Oberst’s unforgettable performance at the Pabst back in April and a continuation of the instrumentally and lyrically resonating tracks of Cassadega will leave disappointed, but in no way unsatisfied. After the first line of the song was ardently sung into the mic and the projection of multi-colored rings were rotating in the background, Oberst spit into the crowd, gracing the lucky few pressed close against the stage. Joined with just four other band members behind him, all unrecognizable except for Nate Walcott on piano, it can be assumed that the projected sounds of Cassadega were omitted due to his usual string section and female back-up vocalists being absent. “Classic Cars”, the only song played off the new album, was heard halfway through the set, generating an elated crowd response that sang along in affirming, “you can’t trust a heart that’s so bent it can’t break”. In a probable attempt to refresh its collective fingers and ears with new chords to play after months of their tour being centered on Cassadega, the band revisited much off of its earlier albums, including four songs from Lifted Or the Story Is In the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (2002), three from I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning (2005) and others during its prompt 90-minute set. Following the band's brief visit to Cassadega, Oberst took a seat behind the piano that was rolled into center stage to play the enticing sounds of “Spring Cleaning,” muting the crowd to where you could hear each key as it was pressed and the person next to you breathing between pauses. The climax of the show came to its point as the lullaby-like notes of “Lover I Don’t Have to Love” began to echo throughout the hall, marking it the second and final song played on the piano. The growing intensity of this track from the Lifted album illustrated Oberst’s convicting style of delivering his lyrics in a way that embodies the same emotion he would have felt while enduring the circumstance that provoked him to write the song in the first place. Post-encore, the band continued with a rendition of “Walls,” originally sung by Tom Petty, while the opener who preceded Bright Eyes, Simon Joyner, joined the stage with his acoustic guitar. As Oberst muttered a goodnight to the crowd, being the only thing he said all night, the set ended with the not-yet-released song, “Roosevelt Room,” that was as impressive as it was explosive. The last burst of energy Oberst could muster was directed toward pouncing on both the drum-set and the amps, followed by a final deep breath to sing the last lines of the song with the same exuberance he started with. Following Oberst intentionally dropping his guitar at his feet and awkwardly fumbling with the amps before sauntering offstage, each musician stopped playing one by one. It is hard to carry any expectation of Bright Eyes, as its seemingly detached correlation with the crowd does not intend to feed or accommodate it in any particular way. And though this pretentious attitude has proven to be the detriment of bands in the past, it somehow continues to leave their fanbase moaning for more. It is shows such as these that exemplify that, inebriated or not, the soul of Oberst’s songs transpire most inadvertently through his performances, forcing you to feel the stories as he is telling them. Set List: An Attempt to Tip the Scales/ Another Travlin’ Song/ Poison Oak/ Method Acting/ Arc of Time/ You will. You? Will. You? Will./ Classic Cars/ Spring Cleaning/ Lover I Don’t Have to Love/ Man Named Truth/ Bowl of Oranges/ Hit the Switch/ Old Soul Song (For the New World Order)/ Walls (Tom Petty cover)/ Roosevelt Room Sun, 28 Oct 2007 18:37:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17595&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17595&mname=Article By Adam Kapaun Title: So Wrong, It’s Right Band: All Time Low Company: Hopeless Records Released: Sep 25, 2007 Genre: Alternative Price: $9.99 (iTunes), $12.99 (Retail Store) All Time Low probably isn’t a house hold name…yet. This Maryland-based pop/punk band released its first EP, Put Up or Shut Up, just last summer. It was only seven tracks long but brimming with potential. All Time Low mixes its versions of punk and pop to create a unique sound that stands out among any Warped Tour participant. On September 25, 2007, to their fans’ delight, the band released its first full length CD, So Wrong, It’s Right. It didn’t disappoint. Keeping with the same upbeat style that has served them well thus far, All Time Low may be labeled as alternative, but below the surface is a punk band ready to come alive. By constantly touring and countless plays on MySpace, All Time Low has been able to win over thousands of fans with ease, although many still have yet to hear its sound. The band seems to understand this and picks fun at itself with the very first track, “This Is How We Do.” It’s fast paced with a catchy sound and point-blank lyrics. This serves as a faultless opening thread, showing the Blink-182 influence; it gets your feet tapping and stays stuck in your head for days. If All Time Low will be known for anything it will be its amazingly slick way of avoiding predictability. Refusing to sound like recycled versions of punk bands of the past, it evades the overly used soft bridge near the end of a song. The band instead builds up for the chorus’s final go-around with the same tempo as previous verses. While All Time Low may not be the first band to use that method, it does it with flair. “We’re the party, you’re the people. This is how we, this is how we do.” Lead singer and frontman, Alex Gaskarth’s unique, pleasant, and easily recognizable voice is what makes this album so exceptional. His range can vary throughout a song with few, if any, pitch problems and does not take away from the lyrics. In fact, his voice is what makes these songs as fun as they are. Yes, fun. When was the last time you could say a CD was fun to listen to? Because of Gaskarth’s style, he brings songs such as “Dear Maria, Count Me In” to new heights. Released as the album’s first single on July 3rd, 2007, it begins with a simple opening palm-mute, leading into an instrumental verse with smooth riffs and perfectly timed octave leads. The open chorded chorus seamlessly leads into the half time feel for its second half. This shows the band’s ability to create strong compositions and not just make noise. If this CD doesn’t become a classic, this song certainly will. Following the aforementioned opening track, All Time Low keep the foot-tapping beat for the ridiculously catchy “Let It Roll.” This song pays homage to the band’s early touring days, expressing the members’ mixed feelings and stand-offs with reality. Showing some variety, the band breaks away from the heart pumping beats momentarily for the acoustic ballad “Remembering Sunday.” Usually what ruins an album is the disruption of a disappointing attempt at sentiment, but All Time Low does a spectacular job with this truly touching track. Lines such as, “Even though she doesn’t believe in love, he’s determined to call her bluff,” come off as original, moderately creative and most of all, sincere. After the first three minutes of vocal harmonies and dominant acoustic presence, this song breaks out with a string section and drum build up for a home stretch, accompanied by a solid female vocal performance. By creating a complete foundation for a song when others may have failed, this group of teenagers proves it knows how to craft a truly remarkable sound. One of the most purely clever songs to turn up in a while, “Holly (Would You Turn Me On),” is a metaphor in disguise. This song discusses the addictions of the limelight and everything that comes with it – girls, most notably. A nice touch is added by the subtle use of xylophones during the verse, but what steals this track is its chorus, “Just another pretty face, but I wanted one more taste. Come on Holly, would you turn me on?” This is an album full of some of the most creative writing to come out of the punk scene in many years. “Stay Awake (Dreams Only Last For A Night)” continues this trend as being the most cleverly written piece of the CD. What stood out the most in this uniquely pieced song is the line, “Figure it out. Boy, you're tripping so pull yourself together, or you'll wash up like the rest. This ship is sinking, I'm thinking I'm done for. I'll watch as the sails disappear under water, cause I'm no captain yet.” Maintaining All Time Low’s consistency at no-gimmicks music, this song will be mimicked for years to come. So Wrong, It’s Right does many things right. All Time Low produces a solid album with a strong voice, brilliant compositions and clever lyrics. If you haven’t heard of the band yet, this CD will draw your attention. Its awareness of overused punk band clichés is what will lead All Time Low into a path not many of this generation will see. With improved song writing from its debut EP, All Time Low begins to set the standard of what punk/pop should sound like. The band is up-front, bold and calls it like it sees it. A group of 19-year-olds singing about loving life, losing love and having fun while you’re still young, All Time Low knows what its doing, and it’s doing it with style. Sun, 28 Oct 2007 18:33:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17594&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17594&mname=Article By Adam Barndt Sky Blue Sky Wilco Nonesuch Records 2007 Folk Rock/ Alt Country $11.95 Atomic Records Wilco follows up its Grammy winning album A Ghost is Born with the relaxed, folksy Sky Blue Sky. The album is a departure form the band’s last two releases, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born. On Sky Blue Sky, the band abandons the sonic experimentation it perfected in its most current releases and returns to its roots with emphasis on song writing rather than on guitar effects. Although a step backwards in experimental creativity, Sky Blue Sky contains well-crafted songs that peak with dizzying riffs and intriguing piano and organ arrangements. Even with the shift toward craftsmanship, the album is not sparse on the extended jams. Songs like “Impossible Germany,” “Walking” and “Shake it Off” begin with soft rock melodies over relaxed piano and acoustic guitar arrangements. Midway through, the songs explode into full out jazz flecked psychedelic jams and then calmly refrain back to the head of the song, leaving the listeners feeling like they’re returning home from a vacation in a mushroom patch. The band retains its alt country roots on songs like “Side With the Seeds” and “Sky Blue Sky,” featuring prominent lap steel guitar arrangements before merging again into psychedelic noodlings. Singer Jeff Tweedy’s voice is as calm and emotional as ever and lends to the emotional themes of songs like “Hate it Here” and “Please Be Patient With Me.” The lyrics on the album are somewhat less inspired than the social commentary on Foxtrot and the poetry of A Ghost is Born. “And if you're trying to paint a picture / But you're not sure which colors belong / Just paint what you see / Don't let anyone say it's wrong,” Tweedy croaks on the optimistic country ballad “What Light.” Despite a few lyrical missteps, most of the songs lyrics paint vivid pictures of optimism. The album is another phenomenal folk rock recording from one of the genre’s leading creative forces from the last decade, with songs sure to be part of the band’s live repertoire for years. Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:52:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17562&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17562&mname=Article Ethan HedmanFrontpage Milwaukee Opinions Editor MardukROM 5:12June 5, 2007Regain Records For the Swedish black metal act Marduk, ferocity has always been the unifying principle in its music. This was apparent when the band release its debut, 1992's Dark Endless.  It was a textbook example of how the Swedish brand of black metal diverged from the Norwegian progenitors that had been playing this style longer.   The album's death metal influence sewed the seeds for contemporary bands like Behemoth and Crionics.  Dark Endless was a genre milestone; it was not only the foundation that Marduk built its career on, but it was also immeasureably influential for many bands to come. In spite of the album's undeniable death metal influence, Marduk received universal acclaim in the small black metal community.  Songs like "Departure from the Mortals" were enough to perk up the ears of genre adherents because of its straigtforward, punishing sound. Fifteen years later, very little has changed for Marduk except its line-up.  Original vocalist, Legion, was replaced by Mortuus for the band's 2004 effort, Plague Angel.  Doubtlessly one of the most rushed records in the Marduk catalog, Plague Angel at least showed that Mortuus had great potential as the band's new vocalist. And he steps up to the plate on the band's new release, ROM 5:12.  It's clear that Mortuus is comfortable in the position of frontman, and his eerie performance is one of the album's prominent features. ROM 5:12 find the band more focused and playing with the level of ferocity that has marked most of its career.  Few black metal bands have hung in there long enough to release 10 full-length studio albums, so Marduk is a rare accomplishment in the genre. ROM 5:12 offers very little that is new, but the old-school black metal sound is a welcome change at a time when bands like Dimmu Borgir are comfortable with releasing symphonic, major label-friendly tripe. Marduk doesn't apologize for its harsh sound; the band insists this is the way black metal is supposed to be played.  And it's correct in that assumption.  This release is far more interesting than than the toned-down sounds of third-wave bands like Rotting Christ.  The frantic blast beats of "Through the Belly of Damnation" lead an aural assault that largely no longer exists in black metal.  When the speed gives way to a sludgy drone, the storm has not calmed so much as it has intensified. Again, while this is nothing new to the genre, it is releaving to hear.  Marduk stands side-by-side with bands like Gorgoroth simply because it's not willing to submit to major labels the way symphonic and third-wave black metal bands have. The atmospheric church organs of "1651" harkens back to the early days of the genre when bands like Emperor were perfecting the feel of the music.  Mortuus's distorted, guttural vocals are primal, sufficiently creepy and slightly reminiscent of Attila Csihar's performance on Mayhem's genre-defining De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. "Accuser / Opposer" is the album's strongest mark.  The nearly nine-minute track is uncharacteristic of Marduk, but it's also the track where the band seems most in sync.  The guitars are razor sharp; the bass is full and thick (a rarity in most black metal); the drums go through enough tempos to keep things interesting; and Mortuus's combination of death metal, grindcore and black metal vocals is truly unique. The album's production, courtesy of bassist, Devo, hits most of the right notes.  ROM 5:12 is a dizzying array of crisp guitars, enunciated bass and maniacal vocals.  The production does seem to falter, however, with the drums, which are too hollow to be as forceful as they could be. In black metal, drums are better off sounding like a blunt-force object.  Here, on the other hand, they sound distant and fail to lead the charge the way they should. Regardless, this release shows a band that the genre is lucky to still have around.  In an age of diluted, third-wave black metal, Marduk has crafted an album that should be a welcome addition to almost any genre purist's collection. Overall: 3.5 out of 5 Sat, 08 Sep 2007 18:07:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17527&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17527&mname=Article By Melissa Warner Review Two Louder Now. Taking Back Sunday. April 25, 2006. Pop/Punk. $13.98 The newfound kings of pop/punk are back with their third release leaving the MTV crowd longing for more and their original fans wondering what went wrong. Taking Back Sunday joined forces in 1999. Their first release Tell All Your Friends, was the most successful independent album of their time. Everyone on the Emo scene spread the word quick and they were the must-know band. After the departure of original members, John Nolan and Shaun Cooper, Taking Back Sunday released their first commercial release, Where You Want To Be. Many fans turned their back feeling betrayed. Not to mention in the underground Emo scene it’s not cool to like anyone’s sophomore album. Bands can’t change their sound either. I stood by Taking Back Sunday through lineup and musical changes. However, with their latest release, Louder Now, I’m confused what happened or even what Adam Lazzara is talking about. There truly is nothing like waiting for your favorite band to release an album after two years of waiting and the album sounding awful. Out of 13 songs I will generously say four are good- five if I stretch it. The album begins with “What it Feels Like to be a Ghost.” The hook is confusing, like the rest of the lyrics, but catchy. The guitar riffs, bass lines and drums are any wannabe mosher’s dream come true. Most listeners will probably skip this decent song to the song MTV made popular, “Liar (It Takes Two).” Any song- good or terrible- that calls someone a liar or cuts them down is destined to be a hit. Just like Where You Want to Be’s most popular single, “A Decade Under the Influence.” To hell with you and all your friends, the lyric almost the loudest screamed at any Taking Back Sunday conert. “Liar” has the same appeal to the popular crowd. “Makedamnsure” isn’t quite the high point of the album, but is a close second. It is the first single from the album with a notable bass line. Lazzara’s whining makes the track either loveable or pure torture, depending on your taste. Following the first single of the album is perhaps the lowest point of the album, “Up Against (Blackout).” The hook is meant to be catchy, Face it/ This is what we're up, up against/You're waiting/And every minute is a minute away/Face it/This is what we're up, up against/You're waiting/And every minute is a minute away. However, it’s no better than nails down a chalkboard. Tracks five and six are the high point of the album. “My Blue Heaven” is a sweet song about giving into one temptation you don’t want to. The slow but heavily bass track is a track worthy of $.99 on iTunes. “Twenty-twenty Surgery” is a track unlike any other on the album. The first time I heard the song I did not even think it was Lazzara on vocals, but it is. The lyrics are confusing, Well all young children listen, 'cause they've got so much to learn/We'll get you home in time to make the rent/Should be for free for being me, but the song is incredibly catchy so the lyrics are easily overlooked. The rest of the album is hardly even worth noting. It is hard to sit through and with terrible music to accompany even worse lyrics. “Divine Intervention” is an awful attempt to recreate the chilling acoustic sound as demonstrated in Where You Want to Be’s only acoustic track, “New American Classic.” With Taking Back Sunday releasing the great let down of “Louder Now” it makes me truly understand why fans long for the day of John Nolan and especially his lyrics. Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:28:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17510&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17510&mname=Article By Katie Matulis I have never been a huge fan of country music, but Chasin' Mason was able to turn a city slicker into a cowgirl for a night. Chasin' Mason is a new-age country band, which recently came out with its first CD. The band's new, self-titled CD contains all original music. Chasin' Mason is an excellent band. It appeals to the young and the old. The five-member band consists of a lead singer, drummer, bass player, guitarist, and pianist. All five are talented and play multiple instruments. Each member describes, under the biography section of their website, when, where, and how they got involved with music. The five musicians all started at a very young age. It is easy to see in their performance that each one has many years of experience. The band not only covers many country artists, but they also make new creative music. Their new songs bring a younger rock sound, whereas their covers mimic older country stars, like Garth Brooks. The music mixes country lyrics with a fast-paced rock rhythm. Chasin' Mason is bringing advances to country music regarding stage presence and sound. I got a chance to check them out live during River Rhythms at Marquette Park. Their amount of energy on stage is awesome. When I heard that a country band was performing, I pictured older men rocking back and forth, singing cheesy songs, while tapping their toes. Chasin' Mason could not be any more different. The 20 something year olds danced, rocked, and sang their hearts out. I can see these guys making it big and changing country music, as we know it. They have a handful of original songs and the majority are love songs. The melodies and musical composition though is where they shine. The instrumentals were very appealing to the ear. The lyrics were lacking and a little corny. I thought, since they are a younger group, they would have a new spin on country music, but found that some songs were very similar to country songs that I have heard on the radio. I was not as impressed by the lyrics, but thought that the band as a whole was spectacular. Billy is the lead singer of the band and you can easily tell why. He has an amazing voice. His voice is very smooth and was always in key. He was also able to change his voice to match whichever singer he was covering perfectly. He especially did a great job while covering Alan Jackson and John Mellencamp. He sounded exactly like Jackson and Mellencamp, which must be difficult because their voices are distinctively different. Each member of the band, lists their personal influences on Chasin' Mason's website. There is a wide variety of influences, such as Keith Urban, Dave Matthews Band, U2, and Harry Connick Jr. Their influences are diverse and it shows through in their music. Each member of the band brings something different to the table. I was able to understand that even more after reading about their influences. I really enjoyed Chasin' Mason. They have a little more work to do when it comes to song writing. My favorite part of the performance was the stage presence and cover songs. So whether you are a country fan or just enjoy an exciting live show, check out Chasin' Mason because they have it all. This popular band has gigs scheduled throughout the rest of the summer. You can go to ">this site to locate their next concert. Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:01:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17508&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17508&mname=Article By Megan Martell July 29, 2007 Josh Gracin Self-titled Album: Josh Gracin 4 out of 5 stars Country singer, Josh Gracin’s self-titled album was first released on June 15, 2004 and produced by Lyric Street Records. You can find this 11-song album in stores for under $20. Josh Gracin’s first album is great, well balanced, and fits perfectly into the Country music of today. His style reflects the style, energy, uniqueness, and catchiness of other artists like Rascal Flatts and Kenny Chesney. Gracin also keeps the Country soul and twang of Garth Brooks and the emotion of veterans like Randy Travis. No matter what Josh is singing, he is always energetic and having fun. Country star, Josh Gracin, is a recent newcomer to the Country music family. He got his big break on the second season of American Idol. On the show, he impressed people with his voice, stage presence, and demeanor. On American Idol, he made it to be a fourth finalist, but fans seemed to want more. Shortly after the show, Gracin came out with his great self-titled album: Josh Gracin. Radio stations across the country realized his success on the show and began playing some of his songs like “I Want to Live,” “Nothing to Lose,” and “Stay With Me (Brass Bed).” And they were right to spread this “Gracin Energy” with the rest of the country. The songs on this album are great in that they reflect his personality, demeanor, and experiences, and Country music fans appreciate this. On American Idol, Gracin made a point to say he was proud to be a Marine where he learned you shouldn’t take things for granted and realized you shouldn’t wait to go after something. He put this message in the song “I Want to Live” with lyrics like “I don't like who I'm becomin’, I know I've gotta do somethin’, before my life passes right by… Take everything that this world has to give. I wanna take every breath I can get, I wanna live.” Gracin’s other messages include go after your dreams because even if you don’t reach them, you gained something, as heard in his fun, up-beat song “Nothing to Lose.” Josh Gracin has other messages through out the album, including some on family importance and pride, along with the sacrifices of loved ones at war, as reflected in the very touching song “The Other Little Soldier. ” This particular song is about this little boy whose dad goes off to war, leaves his loved ones, and dies like many others. The rest of Josh Gracin’s album is very catchy and like other modern Country music complete with fiddles, steel, bass, and electric guitars, harmonicas, banjos, drums, country twang, great harmonies, and great lyrics. Gracin’s themes are also very similar to all Country music, being mostly about women, driving, finding yourself, women, drinking, relaxing, women, music, be alone, and more women. Josh Gracin is brilliant and this album definitely proves it. He’s got a modern style all his own, yet has definite influences from other modern Country music artists but also from soulful veterans. With the album having only 11 songs, and few fun songs, these slight disappointments have, since then, been overturned. Gracin came out with a single last year that set the mood for the summer. This overly energetic, tongue-twisting song, “Favorite State of Mind,” is just a taste of what Josh Gracin has yet to come out with and hopefully will soon. Josh Gracin is a wonderful investment for any true Country fan. Really get into the songs and make sure you “Turn It Up!” Mon, 30 Jul 2007 01:44:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17488&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17488&mname=Article The Smashing Pumpkins: The Comeback Is Here!!! By: Andrew Olejnik The Midwest’s very own, premier alternative rock band is back after nearly seven years of silence with their July 10th release, Zeitgeist. Those involved in the alternative rock group from Chicago have hardly remained quiet during the band’s hiatus with their own solo albums and the creation of the side-project Zawn. With the demise of the newer side projects, however, the old group is back to reclaim their spot in an alternative scene that has been growing less mainstream these days. Bringing back the group really gave fans what they wanted; the old band that they lost. This is visible with a wave of sold out shows during the group’s current American and European tours in support of Zeitgeist. The group originally became one of the bigger alternative acts of the 90’s with its famously attractive but alternative sound, which is the result of an assortment of distortion, noise and static. In the end, listeners have a piece of art that is sure to be a reward for them. For those who do not know or remember, the Smashing Pumpkin’s are most notably known for their 1993 release, Siamese Dream and their 1995 release, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Listening to the new album is like taking a trip back with the group to their early days. The ever so visible 90’s sound is not only a treat for the group’s strong followers, but also a break from recent trends for newer listeners. By no surprise, the album is composed of several renditions of front-man Billy Corgan playing just about every instrument. However, Corgan is also joined by drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Corgan, who recorded demos for Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness in his living room, has always been the man behind the recordings in every detail. Together, Corgan and Chamberlin are the only original members who remain with the group. The two are also joined by bass player Ginger Reyes, rhythm guitarist Jeff Schroeder and keyboardist Lisa Harriton who will tour with them in support of the album. The album’s first single, “Tarantula,” is only a taste of what the album has to offer. Expect other songs to be just as loud but less finely tuned, like something off of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Aside from the raw sound, you can tell Corgan has aged with a more monotone voice that is easily covered up by the heavy guitars throughout the album. This tone is most distinctive in the tune “Doomsday Clock.” “Neverlost” is a great example of a song that is ingenious. The xylophone, combined with guitar solos, a chorus packed with heavy guitar riffs and the simple snare beat brings the groups creativity to life. Corgan has really mastered making sound into art. Listening to each song is like letting your ears page through a portfolio of poetic lyrics combined with a sound that regards no boundaries but visually paints a picture. The song, “Shades of Black”, could easily be mistaken for a song off the group’s earlier material. It contains all the elements of the classic Pumpkin’s sound that had become prevalent during the group’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness release. Corgan and company also have something a little different to offer fans than the usual. The group has released several different versions of Zeitgeist at Target, Best Buy and iTunes. Each release is sold exclusively at these retail locations having added bonus tracks and extended booklets. All in all, there are at least five versions of the group’s new album. Sun, 15 Jul 2007 12:23:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17482&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17482&mname=Article By: Dan Curtin dwcurtin@uwm.edu Young and old fans alike flocked to see guitar legend Peter Frampton at the M&I Bank Classic Rock Stage, Friday night at Summerfest. Early on it seemed that Frampton was not enjoying himself when he started mocking some drunken fans in the front rows, but it was soon apparent that Frampton was having a good time as he played several of his greatest hits. Classic songs such as “Show Me the Way,” “Lines on My Face” and “Baby, I Love Your Way” were played alongside several instrumental tracks from Frampton’s 2006 album Fingerprints. Frampton finished up the block of instrumental songs with a psychedelic cover of Soundgarden’s smash hit “Black Hole Sun.” The highlight of the evening was the expected closer “Do You Feel Like We Do.” The opening guitar riff got the crowd roaring, and the song featured multiple guitar, keyboard and talk box solos. Despite a ridiculous sounding conversation with the audience using the talk box, the 25-minute song was more than enough to show that the aging Frampton still has it. After coming out for an encore and playing one song, Frampton and his band launched into a cover of The Beatles “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” to a very appreciative crowd. The song was a proper way to close the show for such a guitar hero. Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:18:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17480&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17480&mname=Article Rusted Root Summerfest Review By: Dan Curtin dwcurtin@uwm.edu Thursday night was full of jam bands at Summerfest, but world music inspired Rusted Root played one of the more exciting shows of the night at the Miller Lite Oasis. The Pittsburgh natives played for almost two hours to a packed house comprised of hardcore fans and those just looking for a good show. Percussionists Jim Donovan and Jason Miller provided the African and Latin inspired rhythms that are Rusted Root’s trademark, while several other members switched off between multiple instruments. Singer Michael Glabicki provided the rest of the entertainment with his Spanish style acoustic guitar. Although the band has never had a massive hit, several fan favorites such as “Send Me On My Way,” “Ecstasy” and “When I Woke” were received well by a very enthusiastic crowd. Perhaps the most exciting song of the night was a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” with an “All Along the Watchtower” medley thrown in. Rusted Root also played some new material from their upcoming album that has been five years in the making. Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:18:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17481&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17481&mname=Article By Andrew Olejnik Surprises In Store For Manson The saga of the shock rock band Marilyn Manson continued June 5th with the release of the band’s sixth full length Lp Eat Me Drink Me. The album is, definitely, worth Spin magazine’s four star rating. The songs on the LP endure yet another style of music for the group. The new music style that combines an industrial sound, with heavy metal guitar riffs and of course Manson’s classic distorted voice. Marilyn Manson the man and the band has had there share of controversy almost its entire career sparking religious protests and calls for censorship. However, this time around he has endeavored away from that shock theme into a theme that is more about love than shock. The group Marilyn Manson is probably most prominently known for their cover the of the Eurythmics song “Sweet Dreams” and for the song the “Beautiful People” The group’s new sound will catch fans by surprise as the group has adapted a sound that is more comparable to the rock n’ roll riffs of heavy metal rockers. Seemly, this time around Manson has shaped his most of his lyrics around love. This is something he has at times struggled with throughout his career. The rocker has had unsuccessful romantic relationships with celebrities such as Rose Mcgowan and Dita Von Teese. In fact, Manson and Von Teese just recently filed for divorce due to incredible differences January of 2007. The new dark soundtrack of love is most apart in songs such as “If was your Vampire.” In this song Manson’s lyrics portray the rocker’s empty emotion of love and grasps how important the concept is to the performer. The song’s lyrics: “If I was your vampire certain as the moon instead of killing time we’ll have each other until the sun” Add an emotional touch the stresses how empty his life would be without romance. Manson, currently, dating Hollywood actress Evan Rachel Wood are featured together in the bands music video for the single “Heart-Shaped Glasses.” This song, on the album, has its own lyric’s that pretain to love. The song seems like a insercure calling to Wood that he fears hurt once again. Manson says in the song’s chorus “ Don’t break my heart and I won’t break your heart shaped glasses” This is a verse in the song that shows the insecuirty that former relationships have created among the rocker. The song “Putting Holes in Happiness” is the album’s darkest and most obvious song the refers to Manson’s heartfelt feelings for his separation with Von Teese. The song’s catchy chorus “should of picked the picture it lasted longer than you” almost breaks your heart when you hear it. While the new themes and style may catch some by surprise the album is definitely worthy for die hard fans. The music is still loud and hard. The new LP has the potential to be the best hard rock release of the summer. Music listeners looking for a hard rock album with thought provoking lyrics are definitely encouraged to check out Marilyn Manson’s Eat Me Drink Me. Mon, 11 Jun 2007 01:00:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17438&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17438&mname=Article By Karen Paschke Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- Baby 81 Release date: May 1, 2007 Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 Unlike previous albums, BRMC’s Baby 81 doesn’t seem to stand out as much. Howl was not as a strong of album as their debut B.R.M.C. They seem to be competing with other indie type bands and trying too hard to be main stream instead of going their own way as in other albums that they have released. The band needs some sort of tragic event to happen to them or should have spent time on the album to spark some passion behind the lyrics because most of the songs themselves are flat. The tracks that do stick out are: “666 Conductor”, “All You Do is Talk”, “Lien on Your Dreams”, “Am I Only” BRMC definitely reverted back to a heavier, rock sound in this album after experimenting with previous albums with a folksy sound which was atrocious. BRMC does need to stick with more of a mainstream, rock, feel which works for them better but Baby 81 fails with its execution. Overall the album needs some beefing up because there doesn’t seem to be much to go with nor one really stellar track that’s very suitable for radio play. The group has a lot of potential but they have their lost their steam. They need to go back to their roots, to revert to old tactics like with their debut album, B.R.M.C,. which is stellar. Sun, 03 Jun 2007 23:26:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17434&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17434&mname=Article Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero Release Date: April 2007 Rating: 3 out of 5 By Karen Paschke Nine Inch Nails has been around since 1989 and have made a name for themselves with hits like “Perfect Drug,” “I Want to F**K you like an animal” and “Head like a Hole”. They have been the ultimate icon for teenage anarchy, angst and apprehension. Lead singer Trent Reznor seems to speak for everyone in high school with themes about no one understanding you and nothing mattering on top of his industrial “hate everything, including myself” lyrics. They are also a rare, industrial group that is readily accepted by both males and females. Besides being a group that is accepted by both sexes, NIN is also consistent with releasing quality albums very quickly and striving to create albums looked at as a whole, not just individual tracks: “ As a fan, I want to listen to an album, not just singles," says Reznor. "I want something that I can sink my teeth into, something that I can listen to a million times, trying to get more out of it with each spin.” With Year Zero NIN should have spent a little more time on seeing it as a whole but some tracks do stand out: “Survivialism,” “Vessel,” “Me, I’m Not” and “My Violent Heart”. Year Zero exudes a lot of political spite and meeting God type of themes, almost as if Reznor is angry about the state of America. NIN still also exudes a “gothic” outlook on life like on previous stellar albums, plus the ear rattling, industrial beets that makes them so unique. The use of mechanical noises, bizarre symphonic tones, and Reznor’s passionate voice also ensues and listeners can get their aggressions out but not at the adrenaline lined pace in prior albums. Sun, 06 May 2007 13:27:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17398&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17398&mname=Article Porcupine Tree Fear of a Blank Planet Lava Records April 24, 2007 By Ethan Hedman Over the past two decades, British progressive rockers Porcupine Tree have become an extraordinarily rare event in contemporary music. Since its first record, 1991’s On the Sunday of Life, the band has found a way to become only more relevant with every subsequent release. Frontman and primary creative force Steven Wilson has proven himself as an incredible talent. He writes amazing, vivid and touching lyrics and music, and his production skills are truly unrivaled. Granted, not all of the band’s fans have been on board for its recent creative direction. Starting with 2002’s In Absentia, Porcupine Tree has been experimenting with heavy, metallic riffs that have driven off some of the band’s original fans who prefer the more psychedelic progressive approach. For listeners with an interest in this new style, the band’s past two albums have been a tremendous treat. It’s fair to say that the heavier riffs have focused the band much more; the songs are leaner, and the heaviness adds a uniqueness that is missing in most contemporary progressive acts. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, then, that the band’s new record, Fear of a Blank Planet, is an expansive work. Containing only six songs and clocking in at over 50 minutes, Fear of a Blank Planet could very well be the band’s masterpiece. It charts territory that has not been attempted in modern progressive rock, and for as heavy as it is, it is even more progressive. Wilson taps into the angst of the information age with a greater clarity than any songwriter to date. The picture he paints throughout the record of a world bored by the possibilities of instant access is uncanny. We tend to think about these things in a positive light, but Wilson refuses to accept the conventional wisdom. As a result, he has prepared six tracks that are truly visionary and ambitious. His incisive commentary is glaring throughout the entire album, but nowhere is he more cutthroat than on the album’s opening, title track. Wilson sings, “And sex is kinda fun / But just another one / Of all the empty ways / Of using up a day.” Wilson’s riffing on the excesses of an entire generation is bold for a band that stands a serious shot at mainstream success. The disillusionment and boredom cry out through the entire album. It would have been easy for a concept like this to become grating in less capable hands, but Wilson has more or less proven himself as this generation’s preeminent songwriter. His gifts are tremendous, and when he speaks, you listen. His melancholic voice on “Sentimental” is accompanied by some outstanding, even more melancholic music. While it’s difficult to attempt to isolate a single track on this album as being the best, “Sentimental” is probably it. The growing pains that are expressed in the lyrics are things we can all identify with, but there’s something rather dark and boarder line nihilistic about it. When Wilson sings, “It’s no fun to be told / That you can’t blame your parents anymore,” it’s chilling. The apprehensions of an entire generation have been pegged into just two lines, and for as frightening as it is, it’s also amazingly touching. Such expert craftsmanship is abundantly clear throughout all of Fear of a Blank Planet. The inspiring lyrics are rounded out by the band’s best musical performances to date. Bassist Colin Edwin sounds sharp and expansive, while drummer Gavin Harrison is given plenty of liberty to roam as much as he wants on this record. His drumming throughout the entirety of this album is awe-inspiring, particularly on tracks like “Way Out of Here” where he plays a wicked double-bass roll. Keyboardist Richard Barbieri creates some impressive soundscapes for the record that aren’t just background noise. The intro to the album’s closer, “Sleep Together,” is propelled by a synth line that is one of the coolest noises this reviewer has heard on an album in quite a while. What is there not to like about Fear of a Blank Planet? It’s not very often that a record comes along that contains pretty much everything you would want to hear in an album, but this is the case with Fear of a Blank Planet. It might only be April, but there is virtually no chance that any band is going to record an album this year that comes even close to being as good as Fear of a Blank Planet. If you miss this one, you’re really cheating yourself. This record sounds like Porcupine Tree’s most focused release to date. That’s saying a lot for a band that has had a consistently impressive discography. This album takes progressive rock into bold new territory and will likely stand as the measure for everything else in the genre. I can’t stress this enough: buy this record. Sat, 28 Apr 2007 15:42:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17385&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17385&mname=Article Mayhem Ordo Ad Chao Season of Mist Records April 24, 2007 By Ethan Hedman For anyone still in doubt, there are plenty of cold, hard facts to suggest that the Norwegian black metal scene of the 1990s is dead. What replaced it is nothing short of a long list of bands attempting to exploit the controversy of the genre to make a few extra bucks. If that’s not bad enough, the few bands that are still left from this strange time in the history of music seem to be around for no clearly discernable reason. Darkthrone continues to make music that gets incrementally worse with every record, while bands like Immortal and Emperor have reformed apparently for no other reason than exploiting their namesakes. Both are playing limited live dates at exorbitant prices. One distinctly gets the impression this is not what black metal was about. In that sense, it’s good to see a band like Mayhem still thrashing around. Considered the first Norwegian black metal band, Mayhem has had a storied history filled with pretty much the worst parts of the Bible. Death plagued the band in its early era, and it has seen more members than are possible to keep track of. For all the lineup changes, one thing remains: Mayhem has consistently been better than at least 95 percent of the bands in the genre. Even the band’s last record, 2004’s Chimera, was a much-needed shot of adrenaline into the heart of black metal even though it was easily the band’s worst record to date. With its new release, Ordo Ad Chao (Latin for “Order from Chaos”), Mayhem has shown beyond the shadow of a doubt that virtually every other band in black metal is just pretending. Through its grim and violent 40 minutes, Ordo Ad Chao proves that regardless of its lineup, Mayhem is the most potent force in black metal. Likely what has rejuvenated the band is the re-entry of infamous genre vocalist, Attila Csihar. The Hungarian vocalist appeared on the band’s controversial second album, 1994’s De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, which is largely considered to be the band’s best record. Needless to say, Csihar truly steps up to the plate on Ordo Ad Chao. He may have displayed a tremendous range 13 years ago, but his vocals still sounded largely underdeveloped. In the present, he is a powerful, immediately recognizable voice. It’s very probable that you will spend the entirety of this record baffled as to how any human vocal chords could possibly be capable of producing the sounds that Csihar does. Ordo Ad Chao is certainly a dense record. There are no catchy hooks, melodies or harmonies. It is a display of sheer nihilistic power. There are many parts on the record, like the beginning of “Illuminate Eliminate,” that are purposefully plodding. Songs like “Great Work of Ages” and “Psychic Horns” have strange breaks in the music where all sound drops out for what seems like an inordinately long time. Such breaks do nothing to alleviate the tension on this record. In fact, they build the tension to a point where it is nearly intolerable. Ordo Ad Chao is like opening the doors to horror. With every one that is opened, the further from safety you get. This, in tandem with the grainy, raw production, makes Ordo Ad Chao one of the single most unapproachable black metal albums of the past 10 years. That being said, black metal is supposed to be imposing, and Ordo Ad Chao delivers. It is easily Mayhem’s most imposing record since 1997’s Wolf’s Lair Abyss, and one gets the impression that the band purposefully crafted a record that was meant to alienate many modern black metal listeners. There is plenty of speed on this record, though. “Deconsecrate” contains some of the eeriest black metal vocals and music ever laid down on record. Its spastic pace makes it one of the album’s most unforgettable songs. “Psychic Horns” is littered with obscenely fast drumming courtesy of Hellhammer, who is inarguably the genre’s best drummer. His bizarre time signatures in songs like “Anti” are the sign of a seasoned genre veteran. He doesn’t need to play intolerably fast to be impressive, and the true scope of his talent is usually only fully understood when he slows things down a bit. Ordo Ad Chao glows with an unhealthy aura. It is certainly an album that will alienate many listeners, and it’s questionable if its greatness will be comprehended upon its release. It’s great to finally hear a black metal album that is at once a return to the genre’s original principles so much as it is an expansion on them. There is no band in black metal that can do what Mayhem does, and Ordo Ad Chao will likely be a misunderstood masterpiece as it transcends all the garbage that is rampant in the genre and lays waste to any and all expectations of commercial viability. In other words, Ordo Ad Chao is a stunning display of the ferocity of black metal. Thank goodness Mayhem has returned. Maybe this album will clear the air a little bit and bury these commercially friendly black metal bands under time and dust. Sun, 22 Apr 2007 12:09:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17367&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17367&mname=Article Blonde Redhead- 23 Release Date: April 10, 2007 Rating: 4 and ½ out of 5 By Karen Paschke 23 is Blonde Redhead’s 7th album and the band definitely has reinvented itself. It has moved even further away from the punk/hard rock genre it dabbled with in previous albums and has gotten softer, dramatic, more haunting, and more addictive. The change has worked to the band’s advantage; each song is a sweeping melody that takes you somewhere, probably to the inner corners of the trios’ creative minds. The whole album is pure creative genius. With 23, Blonde Redhead has taken the rock genre and flipped it-making its own sub genre. Mixing soft, vulnerable vocals by two of the group members, electronic beets, crashing melodies, and beautiful lyrics, the album is well polished and you can detect the sense of professionalism behind 23. The tracks that really stick out are: “23”, “The Dress”, “SW”, “Publisher” and “Heroine”. The group has been compared to bands like Sonic Youth in the past but with an album like 23, it is definitely its own group. Despite popular belief, the trio is not from Italy, not France, and resides in New York City. The vocalists do have that fantastic, mystical appeal to them that makes them feel very European - that they are far away, out of reach, or on their own planet. Blonde Redhead is out on its own planet of sorts and create music that brings tears to your eyes and sweet melodies to your ears. Sun, 22 Apr 2007 11:58:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17366&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17366&mname=Article Modest Mouse We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank Rating: 2 and ½ out of 5 By Karen Paschke I think I honestly am the only person in the universe who does not like Modest Mouse and their new album "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank". But that's okay; at least I can admit this regardless of if every other critic in the world likes it. I really wanted to like the album. I had heard so much hype surrounding the band. The fans were so excited about the new album, the changes to the group, etc. This kind of thing makes me wonder if people just claim to like an album even if they haven't even listened to it. If I love a band, regardless for how long, and their newest album sucks, I am willing to admit that. So why can't Modest Mouse fans admit that this album really isn't that great? I admit I am not a die hard Modest Mouse fan but I have heard their hits on the radio and I did listen to the whole Ships album. I was curious about the new album, and it seemed like it would be a good "story telling" album (which I usually like). It does tell a story, it is powerful in its own right, and I did enjoy some of the songs. It's not dreadfully bad, but I think they tried too hard and it sounds too commercial. I also have issues with the lead singers voice- maybe there lies the problem? Other positives: I think the band has progressed since first coming out and that they definitely have a gimmick, which is important to stay afloat in the record business (pun intended). Other negatives: I don't feel connections to any of the songs, though they made me bob my head and tap my fingers occasionally. Buy it if you must, but I would borrow it and burn it from a friend- yeah it's one of those albums Sat, 14 Apr 2007 20:36:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17351&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17351&mname=Article Because of the Times Kings of Leon By Adam Barndt Kings of Leon, one of America’s most underappreciated rock bands, is back with their third release, Because of the Times. The album, the follow up to the group’s critically acclaimed sophomore effort, Aha Shake Heart Break, finds the band quickly maturing musically and incorporating a heavier, more diverse sound. The Kings of Leon, who have toured with U2 and are superstars in Brittan, have yet to receive the main stream notice they deserve in America. Whether or not America notices, one of the country’s most talented young bands has released their best album yet. According to Nathan Followill (one of three brothers who, along with their first cousin, comprise the group) this is the first album where all members of the band contributed equally to the song writing process. Each track on the album is different and more expansive than the last, and like their previous album, the band moves seamlessly from folksy jams to hard, fast punk infused riffs at the flick of a switch. The track “McFearless” verges into progressive territory with its staccato guitar licks and spitfire drums, creating a lush yet disjointed sound that opens up the listener for a new Kings of Leon sound. The album’s first single, “On Call,” is a complete departure form the “southern fried Strokes” sound they have come to be known for. The track features an atmospheric intro followed by an 80’s synth inspired bass line with U2-like guitar harmonics chiming over the rhythm section. Caleb Followill’s voice is still the thick, southern screech that fans of the first two albums will recognize. Caleb’s vocal style fits the band and the album’s feel perfectly. However, the uneasiness of it may be the single factor holding this wildly talented band back from mainstream success. The album draws on the bands usual gang of influences, from Neil Young’s country-rock, to the Velvet Underground’s sonic experimentation. However, increasingly evident on this album is the influence of the band’s friends, U2. The influence is felt epically strong on the first half of the album, most notably during the chiming intro too the opening track “Knocked Up.” At times it almost sounds like The Edge is sitting in with the band. The Strokes sound, as with their first two albums is abundantly clear, as the Kings as well as the Strokes have moved to a heavier, fuller, more sporadic sound. The high point of the album comes on the track titled “Ragoo”. A catchy head bobber with a syncopated beat and up stroke guitars and possibly the best vocal the Kings have sung to date. “And I want to say here’s to me to go change the world/ And I want to play until they kick down the door/ And ill be alright as long as I ain’t seen at all.” The Kings of Leon are growing as a band, and their progress is abundantly clear on this release. Fans of the older material may be let down at the slower speed the majority of the album has. What the album lacks in a speed it makes up for with variety and originality, and more complex arrangements. Because of the Times is a good sign of where the band could be heading in the future. Highlights: “Ragoo,” “Fans” and “Camero” Sat, 14 Apr 2007 20:07:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17349&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17349&mname=Article Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder Release Date: January 29, 2007 Rating: 4 out of 5 By Karen Paschke I admit I had not really heard much, if anything at all, from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah before. Working at Borders bookstore has it advantages. The one perk that I really like is being exposed to music. Whenever I walk upstairs and am expected to “work” in our media department, I can’t help myself. I have to check out the new releases and just walk the CD aisles, taking note of bands that are up and coming, ones that I have been curious about, or ones that I had never heard of before but are “new” to me. You should never judge a book by its cover and the same should be for album art. CYHSY’s first cd was one of those that I judged on their album art. It was orange, pink, and white with an abstract cover with multiple people, jumbled up like a barrel of monkeys. Being an art lover myself I decided to look up the group on iTunes and fell instantly in love with the single “Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood.” With that single downloaded, my attentions were pulled towards other groups that were coming out and I forgot about my “abstract art” group for a while. Fast forward to earlier this month and Some Loud Thunder is released by my “one hit wonder group”. I downloaded the new album it and instantly fell in love with the strangely beautiful front man’s voice. So eerily familiar but unique in its own right, I can tell right away that the band would be a group that you either love or hate. It’s hard to put into words what CYHSY sound like. The vocals are scratchy, almost folksy with a hint of “I don’t give a crap” grunge. Chanting ensues, prickly guitars scream and fade, all the while the weird/catchy lyrics get trapped in your brain. Think playschool rhymes revisited, psychedelic tones, angst, almost circus sounding melodies and barely audible words put through a meat grinder, stirred around rapidly and served piping hot and you would get some kind of idea of CYHSY. With songs that are about dancing to Satan, forgetting to stop loving someone, and crippled elephants, the songs definitely vary and are all over the place. The Helter Skelter of the songs didn’t shake me, and upon a few listens of the album I grew to really enjoy Some Loud Thunder and appreciate the unusualness. Sun, 08 Apr 2007 14:44:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17337&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17337&mname=Article Dimmu Borgir In Sorte Diaboli Nuclear Blast Records By Ethan Hedman After a four-year absence with little new material, one of the highest selling bands in the history of black metal has finally returned. But was it worth the wait? A few listens of Dimmu Borgir’s new album, In Sorte Diaboli, will likely persuade listeners that it wasn’t. Dimmu Borgir executes almost every single cliché in the black metal book with the exception of terrible production on its new album. The track listing alone belies this truth. You can tell from song titles that all begin with the word “The” that we are treading into serious cliché territory. Then it gets worse. The album’s opening song, “The Serpentine Offering,” begins with a keyboard intro that is supposed to successfully mimic the sound of a full orchestra. Unlike the band’s last two albums, though, the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra is absent on this release. The keyboards are over-bearing and do not bode well for the rest of the album. If that’s not bad enough, vocalist Shagrath sings an almost too typical black metal line in “I am hatred, darkness and despair.” This, of course, is supposed to sound scary, but who’s buying it? A band with as much mass-appeal as Dimmu Borgir ceases to be frightening or unsettling, and in many ways, In Sorte Diaboli is the band’s tamest release to date. You’ll even find a reference to black metal godfathers Bathory on this release. On In Sorte Diaboli’s final track, “The Foreshadowing Furnace,” Shagrath bellows, “I was born for burning.” Did this band run out of ideas for lyrics late in the recording sessions, or is In Sorte Diaboli purposefully aiming to be as cliché as possible? It’s hard to tell. Even the concept behind the album is a black metal cliché. Set in Medieval Europe, In Sorte Diaboli relates the story of a priest’s assistant, presumably around the time of the Spanish Inquisition. The assistant finds that he has little in common with Christianity, and by the end of the album, he has renounced God and embraced Satan. Yawn. That’s not to say that such a concept couldn’t be pulled off. Emperor’s final release, 2001’s Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise, addressed a similar issue of a character at conflict with the spiritual beliefs he had been taught. While it was far from Emperor’s best release, Prometheus was far more challenging than In Sorte Diaboli for no other reason than the fact that Emperor pushed the musical boundaries of the black metal genre in a symphonic direction that still privileged break-neck speed. In Sorte Diaboli, on the other hand, plays it safe. The alternate picking and grandiose soundscapes are nothing new to black metal. It is mind-blowing, however, that the band enlisted the sizable talents of Mayhem drummer, Hellhammer, and did nothing to exploit his overwhelming skill. Hellhammer’s drumming is beyond tame on this record. Dimmu Borgir sounds like it was aiming for a radio-friendly release with this record, but no radio station is going to pick this up. The anti-Christian themes, while nothing new to black metal, are not what one would consider palatable to a mainstream audience. In Sorte Diaboli does have some good moments, though, including a part near the end of “The Sinister Awakening” that sounds like it could have been part of a Philip Glass score. The band also manages to achieve a rather impressive clean vocal melody on “The Invaluable Darkness” without making it sound too forced. On songs like “The Chosen Legacy” Shagrath’s vocal distortion gives a negative vibe that is otherwise missing from what is supposed to be an imposing form of metal. Additionally, the overall performances by the band are tight, but they are far from groundbreaking or engaging. It’s not unreasonable to expect more after a four-year absence. In Sorte Diaboli simply fails to deliver. It was recorded in only two months at the end of last year, and it shows. The album sounds like it was just thrown together to pacify an increasingly annoyed fan base. 2007 would have to be a remarkably slow year in black metal for In Sorte Diaboli to make best album in the genre. With a new Mayhem record on the way, those chances are automatically dashed. In Sorte Diaboli is far too plain to be considered interesting in a genre that is consistently plagued by controversy. Sat, 07 Apr 2007 18:18:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17336&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17336&mname=Article The Receiver- Decades Release date: October 2006 Rating: 4 out of 5 By Karen Paschke I can honestly say that I am a product of "the MySpace generation." I am on MySpace almost every day, in fact. I get countless requests from bands, normally unsigned or brand spanking new, that request to be my friend. These bands are basically a dime a dozen. A few weeks ago, The Receiver requested to be my friend and I thought they would be just like the rest: Barely noticeable. I took a few minutes to browse their page and was wowed the minute I hear the front man open his mouth. Their sound is very raw, folksy and bluesy. I dig the timidity of their name and the lyrics of the songs. It gives them that boyhood vulnerability that I love in indie groups. They aren't full of themselves. Don’t get me wrong, I love mainstream music just like the next guy. But sometimes you get that feeling that it is all about getting the 12 tracks done for the next CD. It isn't about the music anymore. I feel the passion and drive from The Receiver, and I had the pleasure to talk to the Ohio based duo personally. Their influences range from Rufus Wainwright to Radiohead to Elliott Smith. At times I can hear their influences coming through, but the group doesn’t need to rely on other groups for inspiration. They ooze with originality already and with their debut album, Decades, they definitely put themselves on the map. Other groups will be listing them as an influence. The whole album works together marvelously and tells a complete story. It is uplifting, at times touching, and spiritually driven. The songs themselves have a mysterious feeling behind them, and after talking to Casey, the lead singer, he had this to say about the songs: “I try to keep the songs somewhat poetic and try to keep an element of mystery to allow the listener to take a personalized meaning from them. It’s my hope that the lyrics come across as somewhat interesting and intriguing.” They certainly do, and I anxiously await their tour and next albums! Sun, 01 Apr 2007 02:15:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17313&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17313&mname=Article Yours To Keep Albert Hammond Jr. New Line Records By Adam Barndt After three successful releases as the rhythm guitarist with The Strokes, Albert Hammond Jr. releases an astounding solo album. Filled with somber melodies, compressed drums, staccato 8th note strums and apathetic vocals, the album doesn’t stray far from the Strokes’ signature sound. Although similar to the Strokes’ sound, Hammond’s incorporation of folk sounds into the NYC hipster sound sets Yours to Keep apart from anything The Strokes have recorded. The album is the opposite of The Strokes’ most recent release, 2006’s First Impressions of Earth, which found the band tackling a heavier, bigger, more produced sound. The album opens with haunting lullaby “Cartoon Music for Superheroes,” a track witch harkens back to the opening track of The Velvet Underground’s 1967 debut. The first true departure from the classic Stokes sound is also the weakest point on the album. The ballad “Blue Skies” features Hammond on acoustic guitar with chiming bells punctuating the rhythm. “101,” the first single off Yours to Keep, returns again to the classic Stokes recipe with tremendous results and an infectious single. Perhaps the most adventurous and creative tune on the release is “Call and Ambulance.” A tale of longing and rejection that incorporates folk into the NYC hipster, garage-rock sound, “Call an Ambulance” delivers a sense of artistic advancement to the album. On the track, Hammond incorporates a ukulele to add to the up beat folk feel of the song. The disc features collaborations with Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, and Sean Lennon on “Scared,” a song of love lost and longing. “So close we played it as if we cared/ Don’t stop now that we’re almost there,” Hammond pleads on this lingering tune. “Scared” is the most evocative track on the album, featuring a celestial piano contribution from Lennon, who also yields his talents in a swirling back up vocal that rivals and harkens back to his fathers work. Yours to Keep is a great debut album from one of the last decade’s most innovative guitarists. The songs are catchy, yet somber and maintain the aura of NYC hip while branching out and incorporation more styles. This album is sure to become a staple of your music collection if you’re at all a fan of the “The” bands from the turn of the century. Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:26:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17310&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17310&mname=Article Air- Pocket Symphony Release Date: March 6, 2007 Rating: 4 out of 5 Air got its big break on the “Virgin Suicides” soundtrack in 1999 and the song “Playground Love” entranced many. The band’s subsequent albums have been building up to a crescendo of beautiful, relaxing tracks as heard on Pocket Symphony.   Following up the release of their 2004 album: Talkie Walkie, Pocket Symphony is just that, a portable, mini-concert overflowing with passion and light melodies. It seems the French duo had gone through some relationship troubles, because you can’t help but feel the melancholy undertones in album. Even with the sullen attitudes, it still plays off as a soothing and addicting album, and it’s a great stress reliever when you’ve had a bad day or need to hear something original and not “screamy” for a change.   I’m sure we shall see Air on more movie soundtracks and television shows in the months to come, because the duo makes a great “background” song that makes you ask, “Hey, who is that?”   It seems like Air has had made a career out of a lot of “who is that?” but with Pocket Symphony I think they are one step closer to becoming a mainstream group with people knowing who they are. By Karen Paschke Sun, 18 Mar 2007 14:15:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17283&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17283&mname=Article Kaiser Chiefs Yours Truly, Angry Mob Release Date: March 15, 2007 2 out of 5 stars When I heard the song “Ruby” off the Kaiser Chiefs new album Yours Truly, Angry Mob on the radio, it sounded like an ‘80s throwback song. I didn’t know if it was a new band was or an old ‘80s band. I soon learned who the Kaiser Chiefs were, and then everything was hunky dory. The English band resides in Leeds and formed in 1997. “Ruby” is their most successful single to date, and I can see why. “Ruby” is the perfect bar tune: A good song to sing with your buddies, catchy and easy to remember. I eagerly anticipated the release of the new CD because I loved the whole idea of the “Brit-pop throwback” group. It was a little disconcerting, however, that the group never really hit it big in the United States. Upon the first listen of Yours Truly, Angry Mob, it didn’t quite holdup to my expectations of having more catchy, pop, ‘80s throwback songs. Quite a lot of the songs didn’t hold my interest and were forgettable. Besides “Ruby,” there were only a couple songs that I liked and would want to listen to again. It’s a “cut and copy” kind of album, the kind that you take a couple tracks from and put on a mixed cd to only put in the back of some drawer and forget it. There really is no edge or passion that I can hear on the album. It stands, by itself, listless. The album doesn’t speak to me or spark anything in me. When I think of today’s Brit-pop scene, I often thing of bands like The Arctic Monkeys- which are in an entirely different league. The Kaiser Chiefs need to step up their game, scrap the album and start over from scratch. By Karen Paschke Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:21:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17267&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17267&mname=Article Blackfield Blackfield II Atlantic Records March 6, 2007 Steven Wilson might just be the busiest man in music. The hyperactive Porcupine Tree front man has been stirring up excitement for the band’s anticipated ninth release, Fear of a Blank Planet, for over a month now. But if that’s not enough, he has this little project called Blackfield that he’s touring with right now to promote its new album, Blackfield II. The collaboration of Wilson and Israeli singer/songwriter, Aviv Geffen, Blackfield has been something of a treat for Wilson’s growing legion of fans. The duo’s first album, 2005’s Blackfield, displayed a pop sensibility that was more focused on catchy hooks and clean songwriting than the progressive Porcupine Tree. It was clean, earnest music that might not have been Wilson’s best, but it was sure entertaining. Listeners can expect the same with Blackfield II. Far from a groundbreaking release, the album – and likely the band for that matter – is an outlet for Wilson’s more light-hearted fare. It has catchy song arrangements, beautiful keys, wonderful vocals and driving guitar riffs, but it is ultimately somewhat indistinct. The first half of the album is certainly the most exciting, and if there is any part that makes Blackfield II sound like it could be the best album of the year up to this point, this is it. It tapers off in the middle and finishes strong, but the decreased momentum in the middle of the album is sufficient to tune down interest. The opening song, “Once,” is a strong pop ballad with progressive tendencies. The driving guitar riffs, accompanied by Wilson’s sugar-sweet vocals, are almost too poppy at the beginning, but the song is tied together by the strength of its writing. The infectious chorus is bound to get stuck in your head. “1000 People” begins with what could have been a trip-hop beat, but the entry of the acoustic guitars grounds the song in the pop sensibility that Blackfield has become known for. Sure, some of the lyrics are corny, and perhaps a little unsettling (who wants to hear Wilson sing, “I want to die in this moment?”), but it is, like the previous track, a well-written, well-arranged pop song. “Miss U” explores the duo’s progressive tendency with its organ intro, and this is the first track on the album where Geffen takes the microphone. His vocals sound whiny at moments, but his overall performance is strong. He is a central reason for why this track sticks out above most of the others. It’s unfortunate that Geffen doesn’t get much of a chance to shine on Blackfield II. A distorted female vocal line in the second verse of “Miss U” covers up his vocals to such an extent that his vocals are harder to hear. This is repeated on other tracks such as “Epidemic,” where Wilson dominates the verses. This puts Wilson at the center of the record. It may very well be the case that he is the primary creative force behind Blackfield, but the band is promoted as a duo. Most of the lyrics are patent Wilson, so it sometimes begs the question of what exactly Geffen’s contribution was. Furthermore, Geffen’s tracks tend to be weaker. “Epidemic” is without a doubt the album’s biggest kink. The eastern scales are a good idea, but it feels like it’s reaching for something it can’t quite get. There are moments of catchy melody, but the delivery of the track seems unconfident. Geffen sounds put on the spot when he sings on this track. It’s almost as though he’s surprised that he’s being given an opportunity to do so. The middle of the record plods through been-there-done-that territory, but it becomes exciting again at the end. “Where Is My Love?” feels like a sing-along, but that’s good in music like this. These songs should excite you into wanting to sing along with them. “End of the World,” the last song, has a bleaker sound than many of the album’s cuts, but it’s a good note to go out on nonetheless. Geffen and Wilson share vocal duties on this track, complementing one another perfectly. This makes you wish the two had harmonized like this for the entire album. Its slower tempo doesn’t make it any less accessible either. “End of the World” is satisfying pop music that you can listen to if you want something stuck in your head other than what you heard on the radio earlier. Its strings bolster it to anthemic status. Blackfield II is quite an expansion on Blackfield. While the first album contained more memorable songs, Blackfield II explores more territory. That’s ultimately why it gets thrown off track. It’s an ambitious release for a side-project to be sure, but at the same time, that stigma will always be attached to the band. The scale Wilson was reaching for on this release is the sign of a musician who knows how to write and produce engaging songs across genres. Blackfield II is not consistent enough nor a good enough display of the sum of its parts to make it immediately memorable. It’s a fun record to listen to, but it doesn’t get under your skin the way a Porcupine Tree album does. By Ethan Hedman Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:17:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17266&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17266&mname=Article By Adam Barndt “Brand New By Tomorrow” Money Mark Brushfire Records 2/27/07 Acoustic/ R&B Former Beastie Boys collaborator and current keyboardist for the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quintet Money Mark dropped a new Album for Jack Johnson’s Brushfire records earlier this week. The album, “Brand New by Tomorrow” is a light, chilled out, mostly acoustic release with touches of 70’s R&B. The album features collaborations with Sean Lennon (on limited edition bonus disc) and fellow Brushfire recording artist G. Love. Die-hard fans of other Brushfire recording artists will recognize and enjoy the familiar mellow grooves present on this album. However, the average listener is likely to find the majority of the album dull, and despite the R&B tinges, rather soulless. The creativity and originality present on Money’s last album, 1998’s “Pick up the Pieces” is all but gone on “Brand New” in favor of an overly docile sedentary sound that makes Nick Drake sound like Johnny Rotten. What the album lacks in innovation and grit it attempts to makes up for with listenability and catchiness. The disc opens strong with the dragging down-beat “Color of Your Blues” and moves into the highly infectious R&B driven “Pick Up the Pieces” a tune Money co-wrote with label mate Jack Johnson. “Summer Blue” is a slow head bobber with a tranquil electric piano line sharpened with a jazzy guitar riff. After the initial hat trick that opens the album, the funk and appeal of the songs is completely dropped, the middle five tracks on the album all lack character. So soft are the tracks that one struggles to stay conscious through the acoustic anesthetic that is “Every Day I Die a Little” The lyrics match the albums lack luster instrumentation and grooves on almost every track. On one of the albums more sappy R&B infused tracks Money croons “you go where the wind goes then you return to be/ you say you have to touch the sun/ then you’ll return to me.” The zest present in the first few tracks of the disc returns in Moneys collaboration with G. Love “Nice to Me”. An appealing poppy track about a dependable significant other. G. Love contributes memorable harmonica licks to bring out the folksy rhythms of Money’s guitar playing. “Brand New by Tomorrow” isn’t breaking any new ground and falls short of the clever experimentalism Money is known for. While an easy and somewhat enjoyable listen, the album balances the fine line between mellow and boring and often steps over. ?? Out of ????? Highlights include: “Pick Up the Pieces”, and “Nice to Me” Sun, 04 Mar 2007 15:55:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17260&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17260&mname=Article Aqualung Memory Man Release: March 13, 2007 2 out of 5 By Karen Paschke When I heard that British singer/songwriter Matt Hales, aka Aqualung, was going to release a follow up to the immensely popular Strange and Beautiful I admit I was eager to take a listen. Aqualung blew up the charts with the single “Brighter than Sunshine” a few years ago and, just like the teenyboppers who swooned over Hales’s good looks and passionate voice, I too fell in love with the debut album. It had all the right “movie” tracks, as I like to call them - tracks that you find in movies, soundtracks or, more recently, car commercials. And it was also the perfect album to study to. It reminded me of Keane’s first album. The debut album set out to tell a story, and all the tracks blended together nicely. Before listening to Memory Man myself I looked over some reviews from various magazines that praised the album up and down on every possible angle. This also heightened my curiosity. Sadly, with the release of Memory Man, it seems that Aqualung has taken a new direction and not for the better.  I really dislike it when artists take this kind of risk and expect followers to take it. The melodramatic tones and Hales’s soft voice is hiding underneath a lot of empty feeling. It seems like the artist has lost momentum. I disagree with the critics and I believe that this release is a far cry from the debut. I do like two of the tracks so it is not completely hopeless but all the reasons that I liked the first CD are totally wiped out and gone on the second album, and that leaves me scratching my head. The whole album seems lost. Hales’s voice is drowned out by a lot of the instrumentals and his attempts at “up-beat” songs fail miserably. I usually applaud taking risks, but only if the artist knows their limitations, Aqualung does not and should have stuck with what he knows best- singing melancholy “movie-like” songs that tell a story. Sun, 04 Mar 2007 00:58:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17250&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17250&mname=Article Katatonia “July” (Single) Peaceville Release: March 26, 2007 By Ethan Hedman It’s early 2007, and Swedish melancholic rockers Katatonia are still riding high on the crest of a beautiful wave called The Great Cold Distance. The band’s 2006 album was well received by critics and audiences alike and has produced three singles. The newest single, “July,” takes the formula established by the previous two singles by including a track from The Great Cold Distance, a remixed song and a b-side from the album’s recording sessions. There’s a lot of good to be said about a band whose b-sides are amongst the best songs it has ever written but were deemed unfit for the final cut of the album. Ostensibly, the only new track on included is the closer, “Unfurl.” Its quiet, melancholy electronic intro belies the band’s typically heavy yet melodic sound. Once the guitar kicks in, “Unfurl” becomes an interesting listen. Far from a typical Katatonia song, “Unfurl” nixes out the heavy guitars in favor of cleaner melodies. Additionally, the beats are almost all electronic. This gives the new track an industrial yet detached feel. It’s the stuff of heartbreak and disillusionment. The Great Cold Distance commented on a society that is becoming ever increasingly impersonal. “Unfurl” takes that idea and expands on it. Frontman Jonas Renske’s vocals are convincing and forlorn. The distorted vocal passage after the first verse sounds distant and detached, and there are few singers in modern rock who are more honest in their delivery than Renske. His distinctive voice jumps out at you when he sings, “Just like before, I will be on standby.” The powerful emotions behind his lyrics are almost unparalleled in any kind of modern music. Krister Linder’s remix of “Soil’s Song” is quite a radical take on the track. The electronic beats are complimented by Renske’s soothing yet tortured vocals. Few of the organic instruments used on the album version of the song are included in Linder’s remix, but the reinterpretation is head and shoulders above remixes that have been included on previous singles. Linder’s interpretation of “Soil’s Song” doesn’t try to be a more ambient version of one of Katatonia’s tracks. Instead, it’s a re-imagining. Is Linder’s rendition of “Soil’s Song” what a more techno-influenced Katatonia might sound like? Probably. “July” is an interesting listen while we wait on Katatonia’s next full-length opus. There is a feeling that the band will never be this good again, however. The Great Cold Distance and everything that came along with it marks a band that is truly at the height of its creativity. B-sides included, the band has an almost insurmountable task ahead of it in trying to write an album that is even comparably as good as The Great Cold Distance. “July” is a difficult release to justify. It’s certainly not a must-have single. At three songs and less than 20 minutes, it’s merely something to keep the momentum of The Great Cold Distance going. It is an interesting listen nonetheless. “July” displays a Katatonia that is moving further away from its metal roots. The band is easily better than A Perfect Circle at its most inspired. For a three-dollar download, “July” is a pretty good deal. If The Great Cold Distance cast its powerful spell on you last year, “July” is certainly a worthy addition. For a single, it is unique in the sense that it implies an ever-evolving act that improves exponentially the further it gets from its roots. Sun, 04 Mar 2007 00:53:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17249&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17249&mname=Article Money Mark Brand New By Tomorrow Brushfire Rating: 2 out of 5 By Adam Barndt Former Beastie Boys collaborator and current keyboardist for the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez quintet Money Mark dropped a new album for Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records earlier this week. The album, Brand New by Tomorrow, is a light, chilled out, mostly acoustic release with touches of ‘70s R&B. The album features collaborations with Sean Lennon (on limited edition bonus disc) and fellow Brushfire recording artist G. Love. Diehard fans of other Brushfire recording artists will recognize and enjoy the familiar mellow grooves present on this album. However, the average listener is likely to find the majority of the album dull and, despite the R&B tinges, rather soulless. The creativity and originality present on Money’s last album, 1998’s Pick up the Pieces, is all but gone on Brand New in favor of an overly docile, sedentary sound that makes Nick Drake sound like Johnny Rotten. What the album lacks in innovation and grit it attempts to makes up for with catchiness. The disc opens strong with the dragging, downbeat “Color of Your Blues” and moves into the highly infectious, R&B driven “Pick Up the Pieces,” a tune Money co-wrote with label mate Jack Johnson. “Summer Blue” is a slow head bobber with a tranquil electric piano line sharpened with a jazzy guitar riff. After the initial hat trick that opens the album, the funk and appeal of the songs is completely dropped. The middle five tracks on the album all lack character. So soft are the tracks that one struggles to stay conscious through the acoustic anesthetic that is “Every Day I Die a Little” The lyrics match the album’s lackluster instrumentation and grooves on almost every track. On one of the albums sappier R&B infused tracks, Money croons, “You go where the wind goes then you return to be/ You say you have to touch the sun/ Then you’ll return to me.” The zest present in the first few tracks of the disc returns in Moneys collaboration with G. Love “Nice to Me,” an appealing, poppy track about a dependable significant other. G. Love contributes memorable harmonica licks to bring out the folksy rhythms of Money’s guitar playing. Brand New by Tomorrow isn’t breaking any new ground and falls short of the clever experimentalism Money is known for. While an easy and somewhat enjoyable listen, the album balances the fine line between mellow and boring and often steps over. Sun, 04 Mar 2007 00:46:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17248&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17248&mname=Article Release: January 23, 2007 Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 By Karen Paschke I was blown away by how many people seemed very eager for this release. I work at a music and bookstore, and I remember my co-workers and customers kept mentioning it and asking me when it was coming out. The overall energy surrounding the album was enough for me to want to pick up. Upon the first listen of the album, you know right away that is this going to be different, but in a good way. College students will remember The Shins as the California sounding, folksy group that got its career booster from the movie “Garden State”. It was pure saccharine for the ears that had many, myself included, running to the nearest record store to buy the soundtrack. After gobbling up the two Shins tracks on the “Garden State” soundtrack, the quest for more ensued, but I had some doubts about the group after hearing the group's first couple CDs. They had some solid tracks that stuck with you but not a lot to sink your teeth into and remember. “Wincing the Night Away” puts the group on the map, and they can shake their “Garden State” two minutes of fame and indie branding because the band is here stay. The Shins continue to reinvent themselves with their third full length album. The album has the usual Shins happy folk/pop feelings, with a sprinkling of nostalgia of past times, but with it they also dabble into so many genres delightfully. I definitely know now why so many people were eager to get their little hands on this album because it is brilliant and shines in so many areas, bringing together so many moods and energies like tidal waves in your brain. Sun, 25 Feb 2007 21:01:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17243&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17243&mname=Article Damon Albarn has had a painted career, “a golden road” of sorts. After being in the hit ‘90’s band Blur, Damon was anything but a blur; stardom followed him and made him a household name. The twentieth century rolled around, and Damon apparently wanted to challenge himself and push the envelope as he took on a little project called Gorillaz, the digitally represented band that rocked the charts and introduced a new way of portraying music as we know it. Gorillaz was anything but little as the second album “Demon Days” was released in 2005, catapulting Damon and his monkey group into even more fame and scoring Grammies in the process. Following up his success with not one but two bands, Damon has now conceded to front his new group The Good, the Bad and the Queen with its debut self titled album. TGTBTQ includes other notables beside Albarn: Paul Simonon (The Clash), Tony Allen (Africa 70/Fela Kuti) and Simon Tong (The Verve) also frontline the group. The very name of the group implies political feelings, and the album clearly combines the band’s feelings of the state of England interwoven with today’s Brit-pop, electronic dubs, and Damon’s gritty, vulnerable, voice piercing through melancholy riffs and samples. It seems that Damon’s third group/project is a far cry from his blurring and monkey business days and anyone thinking this is an extension/reincarnation of Blur or Gorillaz think again. Being a Blur and Gorillaz fan myself TGTBTQ is definitely a separate but tantalizing entity. TGTBTQ hits the mark on almost all forms. I found really no flaws only that the second track “80’s Life” is disappointing, and I grew nostalgic for a great dance/upbeat track like the forlorn Gorillaz days, but the other 11 tracks are golden. If you are like me, always on the look out for that “new, sharp, and edgy” band that makes your ear prick up and gives you goose bumps at the appropriate times, then look no further. The group clearly has its act together, and I anxiously await their American tour and future albums. What other tricks does Damon have up his sleeves? Time will tell but in the meantime TGTBTQ will be constantly playing on my ipod. -By Karen Paschke The Good, the Bad, and the Queen Release date: January 23, 2007 Rating: 4 out of 5. Sat, 17 Feb 2007 15:30:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17203&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17203&mname=Article Indy veterans The Apples in Stereo return from a five-year hiatus with the energetic album “New Magnetic Wonder”, released last Tuesday on Elijah Wood’s (yes Frodo’s) newly formed Simian Records. “New Magnetic Wonder” demonstrates The Apples in Stereo’s ability to craft catchy melodies and crunchy fuzzed out guitar riffs as good as any figures in mainstream rock music. The album is a richly textured pop-rock opus driven by highly sing-able vocal melodies over swirling guitars and Electric Light Orchestra inspired synthesizers with psychedelic textures accentuating the tight pop song crafting. NMW is one of the group's most experimental and coherent releases in its discography, as well as its most refined. With NMW, the band takes a departure from its last release Velocity of Sounds' almost Weezer-esque pop-punk grind to a richly layered synth sprinkled success. The album features 14 songs with the addition of 12 musical “link-tracks” that function as free flowing segues between the effectively crafted songs. A wide range of musical influences are present on NMW. Brian Wilson’s impact is felt in the melodies and production, and the sound of many of the instrumental jams invokes recollections of the Beatles' psychedelic efforts from “Magical Mystery Tour”. The Apples even use a Mellotron (the instrument used in the famously dreamlike opening to Strawberry Fields Forever) in two “link-tracks” titled Mellotron 1 and 2. The album is best appreciated in listing to it in its entirety, however there are numerous highlights that beg to be singles. The opening track “Can You Feel It” is a bouncy sing-along pop-shaker that would be right at home in a colorful ipod commercial. The bright punchy tone set by the opening track doesn’t slow for the remainder of the nearly hour-long disc. The momentum is kept straight through the album's first single “Energy”, a too catchy for its own good toe-tapper that you nearly have to listen to twice to get your fill. Other highlights include beguiling rocker “Sundial Song” and the cynical ode to paranoia “Beautiful Machine parts 1-4” (Paranoid in your sleep/ and you have no voice silently/ paranoid in your sleep and you try to speak) which features a soaring instrumental section, and the riffy “Play Tough” that harkens back to early 90’s alternative sounds. NMW is a refreshing taste of originality that is a shining example in what is lacking from the current pop and rock scene: Creativity. This album is sure to have you “Turning up your stereo-o and drowning out the static on the FM radio”. -By Adam Barndt Details: “New Magnetic Wonder” The Apples in Stereo Simian/ Yep Roc Records/ Red Eye Distribution Released 2/6/07 Indy/Pop $14.85 at Atomic Records Sat, 17 Feb 2007 15:24:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17202&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17202&mname=Article Three years ago, Jay-Z put down his mic and walked away from the rap world. It was all too perfect. His grand finale, “The Black Album” was critically acclaimed and sold over 3 million copies. He held a star-studded good-bye concert in Madison Square Garden. All that was left was for him to ride off into the sunset to concentrate on things like running his label and owning an NBA team. But he couldn’t stay away. After three years of mix tape verses and guest appearances, the king is back. And while it’s great to have the “Mike Jordan of recording” officially back, maybe he could have spent a little more time shooting free throws in the gym. In his “absence” as Jay-Z, Sean Carter has been all over. Aside from being made president of Def Jam and becoming part-owner of the New Jersey Nets, Mt S Dot has been filming commercials for Hewlett-Packard and appeared in public with the likes of Bill Gates and Kofi Annan. The new, more mature Jay comes through on several of the more memorable tracks on “Kingdom Come.” The Dr. Dre-produced “30 Something” features Jay proclaiming himself “all grown up” over a subtle keyboard-based beat and telling the listener what it means to be a (not so young) Hov. I’m young enough to know the right car to buy Yet grown enough not to put rims on it I got that six-deuce with curtains So you can’t see me and I didn’t even have to put tints on it The other track where Jay shows some maturity is the Chris Martin (of Coldplay fame) production “Beach Chair.” A somber and reflective Jay looks back on his life and career, using the titular beach chair as a metaphor for the music industry and how anyone can reach their own paradise within it if they’re not afraid to try something else. It’s a refreshing and new side of Jay that he hasn’t shown in his decade-plus in the game. There’s also plenty of the more familiar Jay-Z sound that made his earlier albums great. Longtime collaborator Kanye West only has one track, the funked out John Legend-assisted “Do U Wanna Ride.” The album’s first single “Show Me What You Got” sees Jay’s charisma riding a Public Enemy-inspired Just Blaze beat, and the album’s opener, “The Prelude” sounds like Jay picked up right where he left off on “The Black Album.” But “Kingdom Come” also has its share of head-scratching moments. The undeniable lowlight of the album has to be The Neptunes’ sole contribution, “Anything.” To anyone who thought Pharrell and Chad mailed it in on “Change Clothes,” you would be advised to avoid this song at all costs. Cookie cutter sexual innuendo rhymes, and unnecessarily busy beat and a laughable hook from Usher seem to be the antithesis of the album’s “grown man” theme. Other songs have good intentions but went wrong somewhere else. “I Made It” is an audio thank you from Jay to his mother. While it’s hard to be mad at someone for showing love to their mom, it’s somewhat lacking musically. It doesn’t help that Jay only has the second best “mother song” on his own label in the last year (Kanye West’s “Hey Mama” takes the crown there.) The Hurricane Katrina-inspired “Minority Report” is the most socially conscious song “Che Guevara with bling on” ever released. It’s on point lyrically with bars like “Sure I ponied up a mil/But I didn’t give my time/So in reality/I didn’t give a dime/Or a damn/I just put my money in the hands/Of the same people who left my people stranded.” The problem is that for some inexplicable reason, Jay switched up his flow and what could have been a forceful and thought-provoking reflection on what happened last year in New Orleans seems more like Jay reading someone else’s lines. Jay also addresses some of the well-known beefs he’s been involved in recently with mixed results. He addresses Roc-A-Fella co-founder and former Puff to Jay’s Biggie Damon Dash on “Lost Ones,” expressing regret for losing Dash’s friendship, but not to the point where he’s going to admit he ever did anything wrong anytime soon. The silky-smooth Dr. Dre beat matches the tone of semi-regret Jay seems to be feeling. However, the sledgehammer-subtle “Dig A Hole” is something else entirely. Here Jay goes after rival rapper Cam’ron in a way that makes you wonder how the same man could have scorched previous rivals with songs like “The Takeover” five years earlier. Cam wins just by Jay “stooping to this level” and acknowledging him. The bottom line on “Kingdom Come” is a very solid album that will make fans remember what they missed about the annual Jay-Z album release. But after a three year layoff, the biggest rapper on the planet can’t come back with anything less than perfection. It looks like Jay has made good on his prophecy to “come back like Jordan wearing the 4-5.” For those who remember, Michael Jordan’s first comeback season has its share of great moments (scoring 55 against New York) as well as low points (losing to Orlando in the second round of the playoffs.) “Kingdom Come” follows that pattern right down to the last disappointing moment. Hopefully, the next album out will be Jay’s 72-win season. -By Tyler Casey “Kingdom Come” Jay-Z. Roc-A-Fella Records. 11/21/06. Hip-hop. $9.99 at Amazon.com. Sun, 28 Jan 2007 15:59:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17136&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17136&mname=Article Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins Rabbit Fur Coat Team Love Records By Erin Petersen Jenny Lewis has teamed up with the soulful Watson Twins for her first solo CD, Rabbit Fur Coat. Having fronted indie-rock band Rilo Kiley since 2001, it’s about time Lewis broke out on her own. The end product is a delightful narrative, with lessons about life, love and God. On Rabbit Fur Coat, Lewis channels the down-to-earth country vocal styling of Loretta Lynn and layers it with heavenly three-part harmony, supplied by Kentucky based vocalists Chandra and Leigh Watson, also known as The Watson Twins. Lewis first formed Rilo Kiley in the late ‘90s. At its inception, the group had a country feel, a throwback to folk music of the 1960s. In recent years, though, the group has progressed to indie-rock, collaborating with other indie groups like Bright Eyes, The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie and making its mark on the underground music scene. In 2004, Rilo Kiley signed with Warner Brothers to re-release its album More Adventurous and gained even more popularity. Yet, in her first solo venture, Lewis has gone back to the group’s country roots, producing an album that is entertaining and personal at the same time. The album itself seems to liberate Lewis from the boys’ world that is indie-rock and supply her with a forum to analyze - or romanticize- her own experiences. Throughout the album, Lewis draws on experiences from her childhood as an actress- having appeared in motion pictures and television shows- and how they translate into her adult life and her relationships with lovers, family members and higher powers. In the song “Rise up with Fists”, Lewis laments, “What are you changing?/ Who do you think you're changing?/ You can't change things/ We're all stuck in our ways/ It's like trying to clean the ocean/ What do you think, you can drain it? Well it was poison and dry Long before you came.” In this sense, she questions the control she has over her own life. Yet in the chorus she belts, “There before the grace of God go I,” implying that, with the help of a greater power one might carry on, calling upon the religious roots of the classic country singers her vocals are so reminiscent of. Other tracks like “Born Secular” and “The Charging Sky” demonstrate Lewis’ love/hate relationship with the traditional Christina dogma. In “Born Secular”, she sings, “God goes where he wants/ but who knows where he is now/ not in me”. Combined with the buttery gospel-like style of The Watson Twins, even this heathen song could make it into Sunday Mass. This is a common theme throughout the album. It is almost as if the 30-year-old singer is discovering the world for the first time. However, as the album goes on, Lewis further defines this notion. In the album’s title track, Lewis offers a haunting and yet simplistic view into her childhood. “Rabbit Fur Coat” describes the struggles of Lewis and her mother to make it in Los Angeles. The messages at times are cryptic, with lyrics such as: “I became a hundred thousand dollar kid/when I was old enough to realize/ wipe the dust from my mother’s eyes/is all this for that rabbit fur coat?” When one listens to this song, it almost feels intrusive, yet it leaves the listener with a thirst for more. It leads listeners to research Lewis as an actress and singer, something not many artists can say for their songs. Lewis goes on to demonstrate her musical prowess with “Handle with Care”. The song is a cover from the band The Traveling Wilburys, made of up musical giants such as George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Bob Dylan. However, through her seemingly effortless vocals, Lewis translates this song into current culture. Lyrics such as “I’ve been in airports/terrorized” instantly create an emotional connection to 9/11 for listeners, creating an emotional thread that ties listeners to this particular track as well as the album as a whole. Overall, Rabbit Fur Coat is an elegant story of Lewis’ life and personal experience. At times sad but liberating, it is like reading a page out of her diary, connecting listeners to her own experience while validating their own. Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:03:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17066&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17066&mname=Article Daughtry Daughtry RCA By Abby Zelhofer It’s hard to imagine how a win on “American Idol” Season 5 would have boosted Chris Daughtry beyond where he stands today. Despite being eliminated earlier from the competition than most expected, Daughtry was quickly signed to a recording contract. The debut album proved his label's confidence was clearly warranted. His band’s self-titled hard rock album Daughtry dropped at number two on the Billboard Top 200. One week later, the hit album was already at the top of the charts, and I can clearly see why. I absolutely love this album. Losing “American Idol” might have been the best thing that happened to Daughtry. Otherwise, his album wouldn’t have been the same. Daughtry’s not a pop guy trying to do rock. He’s all rock-and-roll. No longer singing the works of others, like his previous performances of Fuel’s “Hemorrhage In My Hands” and Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive,” Daughtry’s album ranks with Kelly Clarkson’s Thankful as one of the best post-Idol debut albums. Not only that, but among rock albums record high sales have already been recorded. Daughtry’s voice is amazing. He can go very low with his voice and hit the high notes too. With such a unique voice, he is unlike anyone else, even though some say Daughtry’s throaty growl is reminiscent of Nickelback’s Chad Krueger. While Daughtry’s true strength is as a charismatic and talented rock vocalist, this first album is also clearly intended as a showcase for his songwriting talents. Writing or co-writing 10 of the 12 songs on the album, he received help writing songs from a slew of prominent artists including Brad Arnold (Three Doors Down), Carl Bell (Fuel), Mitch Allen (SR-71), and Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20). The best song on the album is “Home,” which was written before the success of Idol. It is a prophetic song about the loneliness of being away from his family. There may not be a bad song on the album, which is what makes it so excellent. Daughtry’s also not afraid to mix things up. “Feels Like Tonight” is an arena rock classic waiting to be released and “What I Want,” featuring Slash on guitar, gave Daughtry the opportunity to add some bluesy metal swagger to the album. The variety in the songs keeps listeners wondering what’s next. Lyrics describe heartache (“It’s Not Over” “Used To,” “Breakdown,” and “What About Now”) to love (“Feels like Tonight” and “What I Want”). While the lyrics are good, they certainly are nothing profound or something that will make you think. It is very easy to pick out the titles of all the tracks because the title phrase is repeated many times through out the songs. “What about now/ What about today/ What if you’re making me/ All that I was meant to be” clearly comes from “What About Now.” The only pitfall is that the album was recorded before the band was formed so Daughtry recorded with studio musicians instead of his new band members. Maybe this is why everyone besides Daughtry is blurred beyond recognition on the cover of the album. There’s definitely something catchy about this album. It hasn’t left my CD player since I got it the day it came out. If this album is any indication of what Chris Daughtry is capable of, then he is going to have one very successful career. His vocal talent is absolutely amazing. Add in that he’s not afraid to mix things up and that I like all but two songs on the album, and you’ve got yourself a star. Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:02:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17065&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17065&mname=Article Ray Lamontagne Till the Sun Turns Black RCA. By Amanda Mauch We should be thankful that Ray Lamontagne woke up on time one specific day in his past to the song “Treetop Flyer” by Stephen Stills. That glorious morning, Lamontagne abandoned his job at a shoe factory in Maine, picked up the Stills album (1991’s Stills Alone) and began bringing the world his bittersweet melodies with his first album, Trouble. Lamontagne emerges again, this time a bit more experimental than the tradition county-folk style of Trouble, with his new album, Till the Sun Turns Black. Teaming up with veteran producer Ethan Johns (Who has worked with such acts as Ryan Adams and the Jayhawks) for the second time, Lamontagne incorporates several different styles into his new album. Songs range from the folk style Lamontagne is best known for in songs like “Lesson Learned” and “Gone Away From Me,” to bluesy, jazz beats in “Three More Days.” Lamontagne sings his honest lyrics with a raspy, yet pleasant and soothing, voice that has won him comparisons to Van Morrison. A more modern comparison would be a more rustic, rough-around-the-edges Amos Lee or Damien Rice. Perhaps the most charming thing about Lamontagne is his knack for telling it like it is but doing it in a gentle, touching way. In “Empty,” Lamontagne sings, “You see I’ve been to hell and back so many times/ I must admit you kinda bore me.” The song is so beautiful against the violin accompaniment you wouldn’t know it was about the feelings of emptiness and disappointment that Lamontagne has felt so many times before in his life. That’s not to say that Lamontagne isn’t capable of a love song either. “Can I Stay” is the sweetest song by far on the album, with lyrics like, “Can I stay here with you ‘til the morning/ There’s nothing I want more than to wake up on your floor.” Even the most cynical can enjoy a song like this. Perhaps the best song on the album is also the first single of “Till the Sun Turns Black.” “Three More Days” is a deep, jazzy-soul hit featuring a variety of horns and instrumentals. Ray Lamontagne proves he can conquer any form of music, not just folk music. Compared to his first album, Trouble, Till the Sun Turns Black is Lamontagne’s best work yet. He’s grown up a bit, rumored to have gone through a divorce, and it shows in his songs. Anyone who needs some calming, wisdom should pick up Till the Sun Turns Black immediately. Heck, pick up Trouble while you’re at it too, if you don’t already own it. Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17064&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17064&mname=Article Thom Yorke The Eraser XL By Mike Affholder When Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke speaks, we listen. So when he revealed that he was going to make a solo album with longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, fans were already salivating uncontrollably at the mere thought. Radiohead hasn’t released an album since 2003, so this was both a pleasant surprise and a mystery. It was when Yorke revealed that he was making an electronic album created entirely on his laptop that things started to get weird. Sure, Yorke is no novice when it comes to making amazing electronic music (2000’s Kid A simultaneously redefined what modern pop music could be and became one of the best electronic albums ever), but he’s always been held in more esteem than a run-of-the-mill laptop minstrel one could find at every coffee house open mic ever. Yorke’s resulting album, The Eraser, is a tapestry of electro-soundscapes and hypnotic beats, all seamlessly blended with his trademark surreal vocals. Fans hoping for a new Radiohead album without the other members can keep holding their breath, because The Eraser belongs to Yorke alone. The album opens with its titular song, starting with a jagged, disorienting piano loop that soon introduces clever beats, dissolving into Yorke’s minimalist vocals, “The more you try to erase me/ The more that I appear.” The album’s first single, “Black Swan,” combines savvy hooks with beats that refuse to be forgotten. The hissing of synthesizers and the spectral quality of Yorke’s voice blend together so well, it’s no wonder that at least one of the songs on this album was meant to be included on Radiohead’s 2003 album, Hail to the Thief. The album’s standout, “And It Rained All Night,” is a Martian dance party filled with synthetic textural bliss, “The tick-tock-tick of a ticking time bomb/ Fifty feet of concrete underground/ One little leak becomes a lake/ Says the tiny voice in my earpiece.” The Eraser proves to be more valid than a simple side-project for the iconic Yorke, leaving behind an album that stands up to even Radiohead’s best work, Kid A especially. Though Yorke may have been screwed out of winning the UK’s prestigious Mercury Prize (damn you, Arctic Monkeys!), The Eraser is an album that needs to be heard in this consumer age of technology fueled by a new ADD generation. It may not be Radiohead, but it’s the closest thing we’re going to get for a while. Tue, 02 Jan 2007 11:59:00 CST http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17063&mname=Article http://www.frontpagemilwaukee.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=17063&mname=Article