Tunes News

Catch Up

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:00:53 +0000

A few weeks ago I mentioned that sometimes I have albums in a queue ready to review, or sometimes I have albums that are bought, then sit because they don’t excite me, and then I get an album that knocks everything else out of the way to be heard. Well, this time, Avid Reader, I have four albums that fall into the second category. All of them are pretty good, but they didn’t have the fire I was looking for. Biffy Clyro – Opposites – I just saw these guys open for Muse and wanted to give their new album a shot since they put on a solid set. This is pretty safe rock and roll from the U.K. It has some Weezer pop sense, kind of heavy like a post-grunge sound, but it wasn’t enough to make me listen to it more than twice. Check out: "Black Chandelier", "Spanish Radio" or "Opposite". Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away – this is my first Nick Cave purchase and while it is often dark and brooding, like many of the other songs of his I’m familiar with, the album felt very long and drawn out toward the end. I gave it several spins and some tracks stuck out, but the mood just sunk me after awhile. Part of the problem might be that I’m not very familiar with his catalog -- or just the time of year it was released. Check out: "Jubilee Street", "Wide Lonely Eyes", "Push the Sky Away" or "Higgs Boson Blues". Iceage – You’re Nothing – Danish punk rock is rather interesting and many comparisons can be made to other early 80’s hardcore groups these boys are trying to emulate, but they seem to fall short. Yes, it is loud, aggressive and brutal -- still I think the focus was off. There is a lot of potential and I’ll be interested to see what their sophomore album sounds like in time. Check out: "Awake", "In Haze", "Everything Drifts" or "Wounded Hearts". Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob – a new album from these Canadian twins and it takes them in a new sonic direction. All of the clever wordplay and sarcasm is still intact and now it has a dash of 80’s Madonna pop. This is a bold step for a duo that started with just acoustic guitars, and while I liked the idea, it didn’t grab me at first and took a few more listens. The only thing that keeps this album from being total bubblegum is the lyrical content; now it just sounds happier than previous albums. Check out: "I’m Not Your Hero", "Closer", "Love They Say" or "Now I’m All Messed Up". There you have it, four albums no waiting and I’m going to do better about not letting them bunch up for too long -- or just slow down when it comes to picking up new albums. No matter, that’s weight off my desk for this week.

Chris Gordon — The Summer Circuit

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:18 +0000

I've been listening to a lot of self-produced music lately and there's one I'd like to share with you that I feel really deserves some attention due to its delightful sound and artful presentation. The Summer Circuit is a 9-track offering by Philadelphia's own Chris Gordon, a brilliant young musician who possesses a quiet enthusiasm and passion for the act of audible artistry. Whether it's electronic or acoustic, Gordon has demonstrated a willingness and ability with his music to both entertain and charm. Released last year, The Summer Circuit draws inspiration from Gordon's life events and a personal struggle. The album celebrates the strength provided by the help of good people, and every penny the album collects via Band Camp's "name your price" download goes to the Ronald McDonald House charity. In Chris Gordon's own words:

"The product of a year-long attempt to capture the sentiment of growing up. There is something so terrifyingly fragile yet pleasantly unexplored about this part of my life that sometimes I literally couldn’t find the words to say it. But we’ve all taken giant leaps in our lives, so here’s mine."

The album plays as one giant song, and the tracks blend together seamlessly. Much of the album includes a special cameo by a Speak & Spell, used as a drum machine, and there's a nice little tip of the hat to old 8-bit chiptune music in the track "Chip-a-dee Doo-dah." Demonstrating that pop music doesn't necessarily need to sound "poppy," The Summer Circuit breathes fresh air into an established sound of electronic pop, with fun melodies and catchy choruses. Gordon's vocals lend themselves well to this kind of song, and he explores a great vocal range with non-destructive use of effects. It's always nice when auto-tune isn't used as a crutch for bad singing. If you like music that's both fun and heartfelt, The Summer Circuit by Chris Gordon is right up your alley.

Nice Haircut

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:02:02 +0000

When the fall dates were announced for the impending tour to support Because of the Times, I grabbed a pair of tickets to see Kings of Leon make a stop at the Orpheum in Boston. I had never been to the storied venue before and the fall of 2007 would have me there two more times in the span of three months; feast or famine I guess. When I think about concerts that I have bought tickets for and then have to live with the anticipation for a few months, this one is very high on my list. The boys had just released their third album and I loved everything they had done so far, which meant this show would be chock full of tracks that I wanted to hear and was I ever right, Avid Reader. The one thing I remember going into this show was that a day or so earlier Caleb Followill had cut his trademark long hair and many people were upset. Granted they all cleaned up their scruffy image, but we knew this was a move to make Caleb look more visually appealing if you catch my drift. No matter, his hair didn’t impact the show; I just recall people talking about it in the lobby and speculating what he’d look like. Hell, I wanted to know what the show would open up with. After opening bands Manchester Orchestra, a soulful performance, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, which was a bunch of drone and bored me, the lights dimmed for the main event. Nathan walked to his drums, Matthew strode out with guitar around his neck, Jared lugged out his bass, then Caleb came out strumming an acoustic guitar, short haired and all. He played the familiar riff to "Black Thumbnail" and it was all downhill from there. Between the crowd singing along and the overall upbeat mood of the show, it was one of my favorite shows to attend. Dipping heavy in BOTT, they did also mix in plenty of choice cuts from Youth and Young Manhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak. What I liked most about the main set was that all the big singles were covered in the body of the show instead of waiting for the encore, so we heard "On Call" and "The Bucket". Why make people wait for the big song? Just play it and give the crowd some unexpected in the encore. The encore had "Knocked Up", "Charmer", "McFearless" and "Slow Night, So Long" which is my favorite song in their short catalog. Check the set here. I didn’t want the night to end but every show must end at some point. This was a pivotal moment for the Kings as they were approaching the brink of stardom. Their next album would make or break them -- but we can discuss all of that next time around. Have you seen the Kings? Tell me about it.

Michael Bublé, To Be Loved

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:04:49 +0000

Michael Bublé is back in action with his latest album, To Be Loved, which was released April 23 in the U.S. It is his eighth studio album and the singer's fourth consecutive number-one album on the Billboard 200. While his previous album, 2011's Christmas, came out just in time for the eponymous holiday, To Be Loved came out just in time for Mother's Day. If you are looking for another simple, smooth and mildly jazzy Bublé album, you'll be happy to find on To Be Loved that not much has changed in Bublé's approach to musical selection or vocal character. The album consists of a fairly predictable 10 covers and four originals (three co-written by Bublé). The four originals are "It's a Beautiful Day" (the album's lead single), "Close Your Eyes," "After All," and "I Got It Easy." Bublé kicks off the album with smooth sailing on the swingin' 1946 hit "You Make Me Feel So Young," popularized by Frank Sinatra. The original that follows, "It's a Beautiful Day" is a refreshingly peppy tune that contrasts with the crooning in the opener. "To Love Somebody," originally by the Bee Gees, is given a great cover, one of the best on the album. Unfortunately, where there is a best there is also a worst and it follows not shortly after, a cover of "Something Stupid" featuring actress Reese Witherspoon. This isn't the first time that this song has had a star-studded cover; in 2001 Robbie Williams sang the song with Nic0le Kidman. However, Witherspoon brings nothing but a dull voice to the simple harmonies, weighing down the tune. Luckily, there are more high points on the album. Of course, it was nearly impossible for Bublé to go wrong with choices like Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend In Me" and Elvis Presley's "Have I Told You Lately." He also performs well on the title track, Jackie Wilson's "To Be Loved." Bublé once again brings in The Puppini Sisters for help on Dean Martin's jazzy classic, "Nevertheless (I'm In Love with You), and together they get the job done. This is another Bublé album good enough to enjoy, but not necessarily great enough to remember. It makes a fine gift for your mother and a steady contribution to Bublé's growing discography.

Good Music Housekeeping Needs Consistency

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:01 +0000

Much has been said about digital music formats, the pros and cons of various types of audio, from Lossless to MP3, and from AAC to OGG Vorbis, have all been detailed ad nauseam. This is not going to be an article about the best audio format. This is going to be the story of a journey to musical freedom, and how I learned that sometimes, what you don't hear is just as important as what you do. My first foray into digital music began in 1995, in the form of downloading MIDI renditions of "Enter Sandman" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" through the use of AOL's file search. At the time, getting actual music onto your machine wasn't so easy, and the file formats were really inefficient. After a little while, I began experimenting with RealAudio files I'd find on various Geocities or Angelfire webpages — shrines devoted to certain bands or musicians, where they'd have some hits uploaded. The audio was extremely lossy, compressed, and sounded tinny. The dynamics of the music were completely lost, yet it was an option. I used my CD drive a lot back then. When MP3 became the torchbearer of music, however, all of that changed. As the years progressed, I got into file sharing and downloaded my fair share of sub-128 kbps MP3s. 128 was really the standard at the time due to the low quality of ripping software and the expense of hard disk storage. If you only had a 12GB drive, you had to make it all count, you know? Eventually, drives got cheaper and larger, and pretty soon I was all about any kind of music I could get my hands on. My file formats were all over the place, too. WAVs, MP3s, AIFFs, AACs... you name it, I had it. Volume was all over the place, treble and bass wasn't consistent, and the listening experience was a mess. A severe lack of consistency in file formats will surely net you a schizophrenic music library, let me tell you. After all was said and done, and many years had passed, I finally settled on 256 kbps AAC as my format of choice. It's high-quality enough to where the songs sound good, and the file size is small enough to where I'm not filling up my hard drive. The same can be said for MP3s with variable bit rate. Whatever you choose is up to you. The important part is keeping it consistent across your library. It makes whatever playback software you use work 10 times better.

It’s My Disease

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:00:37 +0000

By 2005 Kings of Leon were starting to stir up the critics and small clubs in America. I regret never taking the chance to drive out to Hampton Beach and see them at the Casino Ballroom that fall with a friend but I didn’t get my act together in time. No matter; my chance would come. On the strength of their first two albums the boys were invited on tour to open up for some of music's biggest bands: U2, Pearl Jam, My Morning Jacket and even Bob Dylan for some arena shows. Dylan even said that one of his favorite songs was "Trani" off Youth and Young Manhood and liked to hear the band play it each night. Well what happens you spend time on the road seeing more parts of the world in arenas opening up for some pretty big names? The answer is rather simple, Avid Reader: it bleeds a bit into your music. When rumors began that the new album would open with a song over seven minutes long I can remember reading how astounded people were. This was due to the fact that most rock groups were recording short radio songs and something over five minutes was an epic. At one point in time a snippet of the first single "On Call" was released online and my hopes were high for this new album to be better than the last two -- or at least continue their story. In 2007 when Because of the Times was released -- the name comes from an annual religious gathering the boys attended with their father -- I was more than ready to pick up a copy. As the opening epic, "Knocked Up", unfolds over its seven minutes we hear a story of a young couple on the run when a girl becomes pregnant and neither character knows what to do next. The idea of running keeps up through the album and just pushes things along. Another piece that is more prominent here than on previous albums is the bass. Fuzzed up and loud, the bass is often opening tracks or repeating the main riff while the guitars crash in throughout. Even the drumming is heavier as it pounds through with more muscle than before; all I could think to myself is that this band was ready for a larger stage and a little more recognition. The video for "On Call" got some air time and the song did too, but it wasn’t enough to break the band. To me, the fact that they didn’t break it big at this point in time was fine. This was their best record so far as the band sounded much bigger and the songwriting was beginning to stretch out a bit too. My favorite track has to be the closer "Arizona" as it just winds down the album about a drunken night with a girl of the street. I thought the boys could do no wrong at this point. I hate when I think that.

Mudhoney, Paradise, 5/10/13

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:00:29 +0000

Sweat, beer, body odor and sweat. By some strange luck my buddy and I managed to stand dead center at the stage for Mudhoney’s 70+ minute set and by the end of the night I had beer on my pant legs, someone else’s sweat on my shirt and I smelled of worse BO than when I entered. These are all signs that you went to a small club and had a hell of time, Avid Reader, so make note. This show was down and dirty which is true to form of Mudhoney. Granted, the guys in the band are older than when they started back in the mid-80’s, but the age range at the show was impressive. It ran the gamut from 18-40 and no one was safe when the classics were raging. Opening with the first two tracks off the new album was a good way to get everyone charged; however, when they made it to the fourth song of the night, "Suck You Dry", that’s when the movement began and never let up. We had our hands on the stage watching Mark Arm’s every move, while Steve Turner blasted guitar fuzz, Dan Peters pounded the drums and Guy Maddison played some slinky bass. Mark isn’t the type of front man to be slapping fives with the crowd, trust me I tried, but he did lean over us on several occasions and screamed into the microphone as loud as he could. Pulling heavily from the new album, they still managed to throw in enough of their back catalog to show that all of their songs can blend together. When the seminal "Touch Me I’m Sick" came up in the middle of the set, most folks in the crowd couldn’t contain themselves and the floor surged. In moments like this you need to plant your feet, hold on to something and just use your back to push everyone behind you. Practice at home before your next gig and you’ll see what I mean. Between this show and seeing/meeting the Melvins last fall, my inner alt-rock-grunge nerd yearnings have been satisfied. I’ve now managed to see the heroes of my heroes and they have lived up to all expectations, even shattered most of them. Mudhoney proved that they thrive in clubs and can still work up any kind of a crowd. Viewing the setlist, we noted that there were no encore songs, and when they returned to finish us off, more of their back catalog came into play with the surprise of "The Money Will Roll Right In" and "In ‘N’ Out of Grace". Twenty-five years on and it seems the cult following of Mudhoney will always surface when called. This show was fun and made me miss small venues and respect the band even more, check the set to see if your favorites were played. Opener White Dynomite had their own fuzz driven edge and pumped up the incoming crowd for a raucous night ahead. (Mudhoney tours Europe next, beginning in Dusseldorf on May 21st. See here for details.)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mosquito

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:00:34 +0000

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an indie rock band from New York, comprised of lead singer and pianist Karen O, guitarist and keyboard player Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. Formed in 2000, the group has now released a total of four studio albums. Their debut, Fever to Tell, was released in 2003, followed by Show Your Bones in 2006, Its Blitz!, in 2009, and now Mosquito, which was recently released on April 15. In an interview, Karen O described the album as their "soul record," also noting that it was quite playful and tongue-in-cheek at times. The interview is available as part of an hour-long track-by-track commentary and album preview posted on YouTube on Noisey's account. Now, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs certainly weren't trying to come up with a hit on this new album, but if any of the songs on the album make it to the radio (doubtful), it will be the album opener "Sacrilege." Karen O is steady and strong on the vocal front. The gospel choir woven in at the end was a smart addition and really adds to the single. Unfortunately, this high point on the album is followed by a lull that is hard to get through. "Subway" is a sudden change of pace: much slower yet harder to follow than the one before it. On a positive note, it serves well as a warning that the album will attempt to follow no particular formula. The title track, "Mosquito" is a huge disappointment. It is surprisingly (and overly) literal in meaning and not very enjoyable. Had it not been the title track, this track probably could have been overlooked. As it stands, it's hard to understand why the band brought this piece to the center of attention. "Slave" has some commendable guitar work and is one of few songs on the album that you could confidently classify as rock, while the heavily electric "These Paths" is on the other side of the spectrum. Two of the songs, "Always" and "Wedding Song" are in reference to the lead singer's recent marriage (well, 2011) to director Barnaby Clay. Mosquito is by far the most eclectic Yeah Yeah Yeahs album to date. It comes off very much on an artistic front; it can be appreciated, but not so much enjoyed on repeat as entertainment. It's been nearly a decade since the group's "Maps" put their name on the map (no pun intended). Since then, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have had trouble coming up with another song that really catches the attention of the music community, and it looks like this year will be no different.

Flaming Lips, The Terror, 2013

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:00:59 +0000

I try to review new albums as close to their release date as possible; I’ve been slacking a little as of late and this one has not helped me at all. My queue was all set, Avid Reader, since I have a few albums from March that haven’t been touched, but for some reason the new Flaming Lips has been on repeat and I would much rather tell you about this one than any of the others that are waiting around. Not many bands can express real emotion the way the Lips can. Their use of sound, harmony, texture and vocals can often make a song rise up ("Do You Realize??") or just sound silly ("She Don’t Use Jelly"), and they’ve been known as a trippy strange band for three decades. This new album is a first for them as it is just one big downer -- and I don’t mean that the songs are bad, rather, the mood is just very depressing. One of the best examples I can think of is Pink Floyd’s "Welcome to the Machine", and if you apply that overall feeling to this album then you might have an idea of what I’m trying to say. For those of you that have no clue about that reference, go out and get some Floyd, then we can talk. Wayne Coyne’s usual uplifting voice is monotone, low and often more sarcastic than you’d expect. The Lips had stated this album was a concept of sorts: what if love never existed to push us along in life? We’d be left with violence, lust and a terror of the world never getting better. This album does an excellent job of capturing those moods and cramming them into 9 tracks. From the droning guitar and synthesizers to the downright awful feeling you’ll get when the album is finished, this was well executed. Having said all of that, I would check out: "Be Free, a Way", "Look… The Sun Rising", "Try to Explain" or my favorite track "You Lust"; for some reason the repetitive keyboard section in that track is the crux of the whole album. This is a great example of how the Flaming Lips can create magnificent sounds, even if it is rather drab, and bring you right into their world. This album was great, many folks looking for something a little more lighthearted would do well to stay away, but if you are a Lips fan you’ll give the attention it deserves. If you can pry out the sadness and focus on the music being made you’ll come away with a bigger reward.

Jeff Hanneman, 1964-2013

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:00:34 +0000

This past week, on May 2nd, the world of metal lost a fantastic artist, as Jeff Hanneman, guitarist for the thrash metal band Slayer, lost his two-year battle with a rare skin disease and succumbed to liver failure after much treatment. An immediate outpouring of thoughts and sympathy occurred worldwide after the band announced Hanneman's unfortunate and untimely death. The posting, as it reads on Slayer's official Facebook page:

"Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM this morning near his Southern California home. Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed.

Our Brother Jeff Hanneman, May He Rest In Peace (1964 - 2013)"

A pioneer of thrash metal, Jeff Hanneman began playing guitar at a young age and, together with Kerry King, founded Slayer in 1981. Hanneman's father fought in Normandy in World War II and his brothers in Vietnam; his knowledge of and interest in war was quite vast and became a heavy contribution lyrically and thematically to many of Slayer's songs. "War Ensemble" and "Angel of Death" are two notable songs written by Hanneman that deal with war as a driving theme, the latter being based off of stories surrounding Nazi "physician" Josef Mengele, who conducted experiments on human beings in the Auschwitz death camps. That particular song caused a good bit of criticism for the band as they were labeled Nazi sympathizers and racists for many years. Obviously, the message was lost on some. Jeff Hanneman's musical influences included acts of early heavy metal and punk rock like the Dead Kennedys and the Sex Pistols, influences that would be greatly showcased in Slayer's 1996 album Undisputed Attitude, which included two tracks from a punk rock side project Hanneman was involved in around 1984 called Pap Smear. As a member of one of the "big four" thrash metal acts of the eighties, Hanneman helped bring a unique style of music to the forefront of a culture dealing with a slight identity crisis, and had a defining role in the evolution and influence of a movement in rock and metal that is still alive today. RIP.