What music are you listening to?

[Guest Ringu]

I specifically said "Did you hear the new Dntel?" to you 3 weeks ago

[Ananas]

Chevelle's new album is great. Most modern alt/nu-metal releases tend to fizzle out beyond a single and maybe a few good tracks, but this one is basically good from start to finish. Definitely a must for fans of the genre.

[YI]

I specifically said "Did you hear the new Dntel?" to you 3 weeks ago

[ROC]

Chevelle's new album is great. Most modern alt/nu-metal releases tend to fizzle out beyond a single and maybe a few good tracks, but this one is basically good from start to finish. Definitely a must for fans of the genre.

[YI]

"The Reminder" by (Leslie) Feist

Feist is probably 'best' know for being part of the mega band of misfits, Broken Social Scene. This is her third solo release, and is very much the style of the likes of Regina Spektor. The first thing you notice, in the first 2/3 songs alone is the great amount of variety on the album. It kicks off with "So Sorry", which is laid back, sweet, with quiet instrumentation, with all the focus being on Feist's brilliant vocal work. From there we go up-tempo, with "I Feel It All", which is very strong in indie-rock influences, which builds to a 'big', incredibly catchy ending. Then there's the 'instant single', "My Moon My Man", which is built on a simple, yet incredibly catchy piano chord progression, which runs throughout, verse and chorus. The chorus makes the most of Imogen Heap style layered vocals, giving it a very whimsical feel. But what's so great about this song...just in a way you have your 80's disco classics...this strangely you could see as a 00's disco classic...no doubt about it. So already you've got so much variation. Your indie, your laid back - vocal based song and the dancey-single. From there it gets a little boring. "The Park" does very little for me...it goes on too long. I like it when the brass instrumentation comes in, but 4 and a half minutes is too long, for what should be a short, sweet little song. "The Water" is really solid, got a very bluesy, lounge singer kind of feel to it. Which I don't hear enough of these days...granted I'm probably looking in the wrong place, but still. "Sea Lion Women" is back to the indie-rock vibe, mixing in electronics and building up to a 'big' guitar riff. So whilst there is a fair amount of variation, the album really does struggle as far as flow goes. And lots of it doesn't sound like it really belongs together. See the song that follows is like folk......so you've gone....lounge singer - electro/indie - folk, with absolutely no transition. The only track I cannot take anything from is "Intuition", which I just don't like one bit. Much like "The Park" and a couple of others on the album, it goes on far too long, but unlike other songs, it appears to have no redeeming features, no hooks, no nothing, its just literally dull. She's fairly adventurous at what she tries to cram into one 13-track album, but it really does disrupt the flow, and whilst individual songs may be great, as far as it goes as a unit goes it leaves a lot to be desired. It clocks in at over 50 minutes, so there's no real need to have a number of songs drag on as long as they do. One last note. She's got an amazing voice. Especially in the quieter tracks, where her vocals really carry the song.

RATING - 74/100

BEST SONGS - "My Moon My Man", "So Sorry", "Brandy Alexander", "The Water" and "How My Heart Behaves".

"Alternative Press Acoustic Session" by Strike Anywhere (Can be heard HERE - http://altpress.com/media/ ......and select the Strike Anywhere acoustic session)

Thank you...A-HOY-HOY!! The tracklist for this half an hour session is as follows - "The Promise", "Hollywood Cemetary", "Ballad Of Bloody Run", "Instinct" and "Prisoner Echoes". For those 'in the know', you will realise all those songs are from "Dead FM", I'd like to have seen them do some old stuff, but it's a chance to hype the new album, so I don't blame them. Plus it's a good selection of songs. It's probably my favourite 4 tracks off "Dead FM" and my least favourite song on "Dead FM" that I wish would be pissed on, burned, and eaten by a fat lesbian (..."Ballad Of Bloody Run"). However......upon hearing this, I have a new found love for the "Ballad Of Bloody Run", I still cannot stand the album version, but the song works incredibly well as an acoustic track. "Instinct" works incredibly well as an acoustic track as well. In fact, none of the songs are bad as acoustic tracks. You could somewhat understand why they used "Dead FM" tracks as well, as for the most part they're catchier and the melodies are more straight forward, however stuff like "To The World", "New Architects" and "Chalkline" (Which I know they've done an acoustic version of before) would have been cool just to freshen things up a bit. Seriously, if these guys aren't invited back to do "Punk Goes Acoustic 2" there's no justice, outside of possibly Alkaline Trio, there stuff is one of the few where it transitions to an acoustic format so well, and so easily. Has anyone seen the tracklist for "Punk Goes Acoustic 2"...well the confirmed bands. I've had shites that are more 'punk-rock'. JACK'S MANNEQUIN!!! Don't get me wrong...Jack's Mannequin is awesome, "Everything in Transit" was one of my favourite albums of 2005, and still gets regular plays from me, but it's about as punk as Jenny Frost. I wouldn't even classify Something Corporate as punk......christ...people. So yeah. This is really nifty for Strike Anywhere fans, Thomas's voice is weird for acoustic, but it really gives it an interesting aspect. A fun listen, fun to sing along to...not sure if it will have lasting appeal, outside of maybe "Ballad Of Bloody Run" and "Instinct", which work head and shoulders above the rest as acoustic tracks. Also, seeing as it's only 5 tracks...and I'm stingey...even though I've paid nothing for this, I still want value for money.

RATING - 65/100

BEST SONGS - "Ballad of Bloody Run", "Instinct" and "Hollywood Cemetery".

I just realised Say Anything are on "Punk Goes Acoustic 2", so that's good. Jack's Mannequin will put a good song out too. Reliant K and The Spill Canvas may do something cool....but for the most part it appears to be emo-y stuff goes acoustic.

Edited March 16, 2007 by YI

[YI]

"Another Day In Paradise" by Strung Out

The debut Strung Out album was released back in 1994, with only one difference to the line-up that the band has now (RIP Jim...even if you were a raging arsehole...your tunes rocked). The improvement that the band has went through over the years is outstanding, not just in individual technical ability, but as a cohesive unit, who for every album they've produced keep on pushing boundaries and changing their sound. Here, naturally they're just getting started. There's a hint of the catchiness that would be found on STWB found. Jason's vocals are solid. They sound a little weird, but personally I just think that's because I'm so used to his aged voice. The songs here feature much simpler vocal lines, in comparison to the later SO stuff, most of it's a lot easier (Which isn't a bad thing...as Jason often struggles a bit live). It's incredible to think that 2 years later they produced STWB. Jordan's drumming here it bog-standard, does not hold up at all by the standard you get in your average punk-rock band (Which is made stranger by the fact I hold him regard as the best drummer in punk-rock, and one of music's best kept 'secrets'), but still, this album's got its charm about it.

It just shows that technical talent is not really needed (To a certain degree), songs written by a band who at the time rehearsed in a carpet store, can be awesome too. As the songs are simple, but have good (simple) melodies, but you cannot help but fall in love with them. I've had a real problem rating this. I admit it had been a while since I listened to it all the way through, so I wanted to come here, slate it, and prove that I'm not just a Strung Out whore, but Jesus Christ, I just cannot do it, listening to it just made me fall in love with it all over a again. You've got your 'classics' that still make rare live appearences like "Ashes" and "Population Control". The stuff that appears even rarer on shows like "In Harms Way", "Mad Mad World" and "Lost"...and of course, the rest, which are just left to 'rot'...but that's not to say they're bad, Strung Out just aren't the same band they were at this time. Nowhere near the tightest record, lyrically not their best, not their best on technical merit, lacks some of the character of their later releases, but there's just something about it, it's got a life of its own, its own character, its own charm, just a band with a lot of potential, playing some good tunes. Another thing it has going for it is that it's quite unlike other SO records as far as choruses go, as they seem to lack the melodic choruses for the most part, instead going for a more shouty, in your face approach....the more I listen, the more I love...damnit. Got some good aspects of 'old-school punk' in there as well. The fact it's just so different from the rest of the SO material makes it stand out. I wonder say there's any GREAT songs on here, but there is a high amount of good punk-rock songs, and as a whole, it flows perfectly.

RATING - 74/100

BEST SONGS - "Ashes", "Broken", "Lost", "14 Days", "Population Control" and "Mad Mad World".

Now that was a fucking hard review....

Edited March 16, 2007 by YI

[Rashid]

I was really bored today, so listened to around half a dozen albums.

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III: 9/10

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here: 9.5/10

Blink 182 - Cheshire Cat: 7/10

Blink 182 - Dude Ranch: 8/10

Sum 41 - All Killer No Filler: 8.5/10

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon: 10/10

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy: 9.5/10

[Ananas]

Dntel - Dumb Luck is very good. Just some really pallatable listening with no real weak tracks. Not Ben Gibbard clearly wears the pants in the Postal Service arrangement, but it's very good stuff.

Mika - Life In Cartoon Motion is up and down. The early tracks are pretty much great, but the further you get in the more his vocals start to grate. Still, it's definitely not a bad album.

[ILoveNicole]

today I listened to Rollin Stoned and Koast II Koast, both albums by Kottonmouth Kings.

[RPS]

Broken Social Scene

You Forgot It In People

9.8/10

A modern day classic. One of the most beautiful CDs ever and it peaks so many times. After Almost Crimes, you almost think they won't come back and deliver. But than Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl hits and its beautiful - just beautiful. And than Cause = Time hits and blows your mind. I don't know what it is. Perhaps it is the seemingly controlled chaos - that there is so much happening at once but it all yet still comes together to make harmony. Perhaps its because this is one of the best (if not the best) CD to ever be made in Canada. And than you think it'll drop off after Cause = Time, but they still deliver with Lovers Spit and I'm Still Your Fag. A modern day classic. If they had just given up after this CD, I would have died happy. Just... amazing?

[slain]

Karma And Effect by Seether, a fantastic album with great songs from start to finish, thank God for SummerSlam 2005 making me want to buy it.

Life Is Peachy by Korn, pretty good album, but in my opinion it wasn't as great as others were.

[Skummy]

Syd Barrett - Opel

I don't know why I opted to listen to this today. I've owned it for quite a long time, a friend of mine gave me it along with "Madcap Laughs" a while back when he was shocked to learn that I didn't own either of them, but I never really listened to it all that much. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore Syd Barrett, to an obsessive degree. Despite knowing that his life was essentially nothing but a sad case of mental illness and drug abuse, I still imbue his life, his work, his image...everything about him, in fact...with some kind of untouchable, mythic quality. I cried when I read that he died, I was pretty much devastated. When I got the opportunity to see an incredibly rare original release single of "Arnold Layne", my heart must have skipped a beat and, later, when I got the chance to handle a much, much rarer promo copy of "See Emily Play" with original sleeve artwork hand-drawn by Syd, I was actually shaking.

So, for me to all but completely dismiss Opel to the pile of albums that I never listen to, or even really consider worth listening to, would seem quite odd on the surface. But, quite frankly, listening to it today, I was reminded why. It's a good album, but good isn't what I want from Syd...it has none of the energy of "Madcap Laughs", or the almost childlike naivety that made much of "Barrett" so appealing, and it's only really "Golden Hair" and the wonderful "Dark Globe" that make the album worth owning at all, in comparison to his other work. By anyone else's standards, this could well be a masterpiece, but in the case of Syd, it's not. Not at all. And the inclusion of "bonus tracks"...re-takes and different edits, for the most part...it becomes painfully apparent that it's really the sound of a man who's talent, and subsequently life, is falling apart around him.

Motorhead - Best Of

I started re-reading Lemmy's autobiography today so, in-between the odd Hawkwind mp3, I finally got around to sticking this on again. Motorhead are better than most bands. That's all there is to it. Just raw, raucous, fucking ROCK AND ROLL. And it's pure cool. Even when the lyrics are ridiculously bad ("Metropolis/When worlds collide/ain't nobody to be on your side"), the music's good enough to make up for it. Sadly it stays a little too close to the "formula", and you don't get to experience Motorhead's rarely-acknowledged forays into other styles or genres, such as "1916", "Whorehouse Blues" or the spine-tingling "Don't Let Daddy Kiss Me", but there's a few surprising inclusions, like the original Hawkwind version of "Motorhead" (featuring some of the best violin work in any rock song, period), and Girlschool's version of "Bomber", so that more than makes up for it. They venture into corny heavy metal cliche more often than not, but it's Lemmy, so he's allowed to. He IS corny heavy metal cliche.

Edited March 19, 2007 by Skummy Lugosi's Dead

[Fitzy]

Seemless - What Have We Become - 8/10

Excellent stuff. For those that liked Jesse Leech's version of Killswitch Engage may like this since it is his new band. Personally, I like Howard Jones KSE over Leechs KSE and I like this band over Leechs KSE, too.

[SRN]

Gojira - The Link 9/10

A great album, especially for an Arch Enemy fan like me.

Gojira - From Mars To Sirius 7/10

Despite also being a good album, it dosen't quite live up tot The Link.

Edited March 20, 2007 by SVA

[tristy]

Nine Inch Nails' With Teeth

Almost 2 years from it's release date, I finally sit back and relisten to this album from a non-bias point of view. I've come to the conclusion that, while "With Teeth" isn't what I wanted from Nine Inch Nails at that point in time, it's still a good album. If any other band released this as a debut, as a follow-up, etc. it would be near perfect, but since it's Nine Inch Nails, myself and many other fans hold the album quality to near impossible standards. I now realize that "With Teeth" will never be "The Downward Spiral" version 2, or a repeat of "The Fragile". It's the first "With Teeth" (but hopefully the last ).

Songs Recommended: All The Love In The World, With Teeth, Only, Sunspots, The Line Begins To Blur, Beside You In Time, Right Where It Belongs

[Rashid]

Albums I heard recently:

Pulp Fiction Soundtrack: 9/10

Reservoir Dogs Soundtrack: 9.5/10

My Chemical Romance: I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love: 6/10

My Chemical Romance: Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge: 6.5/10

Since MCR's popularity blowout in 2004, I never paid much attention to them. Didn't care for 'em, and I finally decided I'd give their albums a try. They're better than I thought, but still nothing great. I'm by no means a fan of MCR, but I do like several of their songs. And I do plan to listen to 'Black Parade' next, but only cause it was inspired by 'The Wall'.

[John Stones' Paint Trophy]

EDIT: Double post.

Edited March 21, 2007 by Jordan Stiva

[John Stones' Paint Trophy]

Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won

Some live albums are worthless add-ons to a band's discography while some can showcase a band at the height of their brilliance. Luckily, this is the latter. From insane soloes, both on the guitar and 19 minutes of drum in Moby Dick to a 25 minute version of 'Dazed and Confused', this is probably the greatest live album ever and, come to think of it, one of the best I've ever heard. What everyone should listen to.

10/10

[METALMAN]

Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five

It's been quite a while since I last listened to this album. This was the album that introduced me to Ben Folds and in my opinion, it is so brilliant that none of his following work, while good, hasn't been able to live up to this. I love every song on this album, except "Boxing", which is just alright. This album has quite a few jazz influences which can be heard in the chord sequences, key changes and instrumentals. By jazz I mean post 70s Jazz like Steely Dan, Weather Report and the like. I can't remember the name for that so I'll just call it jazz. Altogether, a brilliant album and one of my all-time favourites.

Recommended songs: Philosophy, Underground, Sports & Wine

9.8/10

[John Stones' Paint Trophy]

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

Albums like this are going to make it impossible to pick an album of the year as it only adds to the already awesome start to 07. Anyway, this is an album for everyone and I find it impossible that someone could listen to this and hate it. Utter brilliance.

10/10

I'm From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce my Friends

So glad I finally downloaded this. When someone told me they were akin to The Polyphonic Spree, I was a bit apprehensive but this is excellent. So catchy and it flew by so quickly. Definately one that I'll pimp for a long time.

8/10