Barenaked Ladies - Grinning Streak

These guys look like they're getting ol....F%*k I'm getting old...

 

So, after a long hiatus it’s time to tell you guys about my favorite album I listened too when I wasn’t posting weekly. Let me give you guys a little background first before you start scratching your heads. Barenaked Ladies is one of the first bands I ever got into. I can’t tell you guys how many times I’ve listened to Stunt and Maroon in my life. When vocalist and song writer Steven Page left in 2009, I was really scared how the band would continue . Page’s snarky and humorous lyricism was something that I always loved about the band, something that made them stand out from the crowd in my mind. 2010s All In Good Time kind of quenched my fears. It was good, but the humorous lyricism was toned down, and the album was a little too long for my liking. Grinning Streak manages to take everything wrong with All In Good Time and bring Barenaked Ladies back to the qualities that made them so lovable in the first place. The humor is back, but the band does an excellent job of still featuring that there is progression from their Stunt young days.

The first thing that stands out about Grinning Streak is the lyricism and song content. BNL does a fantastic job at balancing humor and seriousness (sometimes even in the same song) with the songs on the album. A song like “Did I Say That Out Loud” is a great, adult love song that has some great lines in it that will get a good laugh out of you. The band also showcase progression that was hinted at with All In Good Time with more adult topics within songs. Songs like “Off His Head” that deals with the stress of parenthood, and “Keepin’ It Real” which looks at how to deal with haters, and bullies internally, show that the band is willing to look at much more adult subject material like they did in All In Good Time.

I also give the band major credit for stretching out their instrumentals to make each song unique. “Boomerang”, and “Odds Are” are great adult pop rock songs, “Off His Head”, and “Did I Say That Out Loud” are great acoustic rock songs, and “Smile” is close to country, but damn infectious with how catchy it is.

The final verdict:  While not every song works on Grinning Streak, it’s still a very welcome return to form from BNL. The album tells listeners that the band has now found its stride in balancing humor and heartfelt seriousness. The band has also finally shown that they are confident that they can carry on without Page at the helm. Grinning Streak is a happy, welcome surprise in my book from one of my favorite bands. Here’s to many more years of one of the best adult rock bands delivering good songs that make me think, and laugh

FINAL GRADE:  A-

CHOICE CUT:  “Off His Head”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hln6OiumEM

Btw...if you see me listening to this album...this is usually how I look...have a good week readers

A Little Bit of An Explanation of What Happened...And What's To Come!

Hey readers. So let me explain why I haven't posted in a while. Two main reasons

1. I had to take summer classes to fully transfer into my new school which was a lot more work than I anticipated on top of working 4-5 days a week (that's a lame excuse I know but I'm a person who likes to be honest)

2. I've been thinking of changing the way I do this up for a while now. The Sleeping With Sirens review was a test run of sorts. Unfortunately, I made that at 1:30 in the morning and really wasn't thinking straight so I understand that it was pretty bad. I did that because what I would love to do is to post written reviews, but also audio reviews for bigger releases. A way to switch things up a bit, and get another opinion on some albums to be more entertaining for you guys. I've been trying to find a good co-host who would be willing to take the work load and have some fun, but I'm still searching.

So that's it, but I'm back now! I have a lot of reviews of great albums I've listened too since I last posted (and some not so great) to share with you guys! It will go back to the normal, reviews on Thursday's, and on weekends I'll post extra reviews, or editorials (I got one I'm whipping up for you readers about Warped Tour). I'll also keep you guys updated on every idea I have with this going into the future. So, for now, enjoy and here's to a great future for The Music Basement!

Oh...one last thing...check out http://moviespoilerspodcast.com/ where I do movie reviews with my good friend The Phenomenal One!

Sleeping With Sirens - Feel

AUDIO REVIEW! 

Hello readers (hopefully listeners as well) so I go more in depth in the audio, but I decided to try this as a podcast. I feel I'm better explaining my points in audio than in writing. Hopefully you guys like it, and I can continue to build the idea into something great. Thanks to everyone who has made this blog into what it is, and kept my confidence up with it. So...without further adieu....here is The Music Basement's first Audio Review! Sleeping With Siren's Feel

http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/16988484/Feel_Audio_Review 

Bad Rabbits - American Love

Time to get....FUNKY

May seems to be kicking off as the month of summer movies, sunny days, and for music, bringing back the funk and soul. After Random Access Memories last week, I thought I wouldn’t have a soulful or funk release for quite a bit. But fear not, because one of my most anticipated albums came to the rescue this week! Bad Rabbits with their major label debut, American Love.

Bad Rabbits have been on my radar since 2009 and the release of their second EP Stick Up Kids. The EP was the perfect mix of awesome funk and soul rock, mixed with subtle touches of punk influences. It still to this day is one of my most favorite EP’s of all time. So 4 years go by, and finally, fans get word that Bad Rabbits is finally recording their first full length album. I got excited as F$%K and nobody else really knows who the hell they are (and I understand that people probably still don’t). Let’s see if I can change your minds though and persuade you to pick up American Love.

American Love starts off with the lead single “We Can Roll”, a song that will get you dancing quickly once it gets into the swing of the beat. It’s infectiously fun funk that the band master perfectly. The lyricism lets you know quickly that this band is confident, and ready to get you dancing and having a fun time. Bad Rabbits lyricism isn’t about being deep, it’s about what most soul and funk is about, being sexy and having a damn fun time. Songs like “Can’t Fool Me”, “Take It Off”, and “Doin’ It” features Bad Rabbits at it’s finest having confident lyrics that are sexy and fun at the same time. While most pop today is just generic and stupid with its sexy lyrics, Bad Rabbits use such a great sense of imagery to paint a better picture than most pop artist can.

The one problem I have with American Love is that the album does lose it’s fun at the end. It’s not that the songs aren’t funk songs, it’s just the lyricism and musicianship they lack the fun energy the rest of the album has. It does hurt my rating on the album quite a bit, but the rest of the album still has a lot of energy.

The final verdict:  Like I said before, May seems to be the month of soul and funk, and I’m loving it! American Love brings the funk back in a time where it’s awesome to have it back. I can’t wait to see what Bad Rabbits does next as almost every song they craft gets your booty moving quickly to a funky beat. Watch out, because these guys could get very big, very quick.

FINAL GRADE:  B+

CHOICE CUT:  “Doin’ It”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfxR0A32Ia0 

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

 

Ooo! Futuristic!

 

 

I’ve said before it’s hard for a band, or artist to radically change their sound late into their careers. Especially when that band brought a genre to mainstream listeners. If the Foo Fighters went from being a rock band to a reggae band, people would probably lose their minds. Fans might get pissed, and not buy the new album, even though it might be good. I bring this point up because today we have the highly anticipated new album from Daft Punk, Random Access Memories. Fans of Daft Punk need to be told before listening or reading, this is not the same Daft Punk that released “Touch It”, or “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” It’s not fast paced electronic songs anymore that got them famous. Instead, Random Access Memories sees Daft Punk taking a bold step musically by stepping back in their speed, and looking at older music as an influence. The result is something that people could either not enjoy because of their association with Daft Punk's older songs, or see as the game changer as I do for modern electronic music.

Daft Punk had a challenge ahead of them. Since their last album back in 2005, a lot has changed in the electronic music genre. Pop music has taken strong cues from it by incorporating it in most of their songs, and dubstep took the idea of bass drops and fast beats and amplified it for better or for worse. So for Daft Punk to do something different, they had to go back and look at a time that wasn’t really explored in electronic music.

Much of the album is influenced from the disco and soul era with the albums themes of love, intimacy, and promiscuity. While the lyricism isn’t that strong on the album because there isn't a lot of it, except for the lead single “Get Lucky”, the composition by Daft Punk gives the album a strong soulful quality that shines in songs like “Give Life Back To Music” and “Lose Yourself To Dance”. It pays off in spades as it feels fresh and different for electronic music. Every electronic album seems to work on the idea that the louder, and faster the music is, the better. Daft Punk take the opposite approach and simply take the mentality of lets make a song that will get people moving, not fast, just moving and having fun.

I do have one slight problem with the album though...I do wish it was more consistent towards the end. The last 2 songs (“Doin’ It Right”, and “Contact”) are fantastic don’t get me wrong, but they don’t fit with the whole soul feel the rest of the album has. Instead, they sound like songs that would have fit perfectly in any other album in Daft Punk’s back catalog. It might be nit picky, but it unfortunately is something that keeps this album from being perfect in my opinion.

The final verdict:  Daft Punk realized that they needed to do something different for the electronic genre, and they mostly succeeded. Toning back and taking time to just craft great songs with a soul influence pays off in spades for most of the album. Even the two songs that don’t feel like they fit on the album are fantastic, and I’m sure people will love them. To me though, I wish the whole album would have been songs with a soul influence, and the album would have perfectly succeeded in being a game changer. I still highly recommend Random Access Memories for everyone though. If you’re a Daft Punk fan that can’t get past the fact that the band changed their sound, you really are missing out on a great electronic album. Now we hopefully get to see the fun part of how this might change the electronic genre in the next couple of years. I get the feeling a bunch of dubstep artist just all screamed AHH S$%T!

FINAL GRADE:  A

CHOICE CUT:  “Lose Yourself To Dance”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kePddy6bN0o

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 Anamanaguchi - Endless Fantasy

 I feel like this could be promo art for Kingdom Hearts III....

 

Confession time...I’m a f$*&in sucker for old video game soundtracks. When I was 3, I got a Sega Genesis from my neighbors. With it came games like Sonic The Hedgehog 1-3, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Toejam & Earl, and many others. I grew up playing these games, and loving the hell out of all of their soundtracks (so much that I have all of them on my iPod...yes I am that nerd). So with this cultural nostalgia revolution going on, a genre that has been born is chiptune. Chiptune is music that uses 8 or 16 bit video game sounds in their songs. Think music made with Gameboys and Super Nintendos.

The idea is right up my alley, and this is what brings us to todays review from a little band called Anamanaguchi. The band has made a name for themselves when they did the highly praised soundtrack for the game, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game. I love that soundtrack to death, and have been eagerly waiting to see what the band would do for their second full length album. Anamanaguchi have done what I hoped this genre would do when it first originated with their second album, Endless Fantasy. That idea is to craft an album that is fun, fast paced, easy to play at a party, and feels like could have been an amazing soundtrack for any game back in the old days of video games.

Endless Fantasy is mostly instrumentals the whole way through, but the 22 tracks pack a creative punch. Each song either works as a song that is fun to dance to, or could have worked perfectly in a soundtrack for a Mario or Sonic game back in the 90’s. Each song has so much life and creativity, that half the fun of the album is creating your own ideas in your head. What do I mean by that? I would be lying if I didn’t say each song painted a story in my head for me. The title track, “Endless Fantasy”, I pictured myself throwing a crazy 90’s party that everyone was dancing to and enjoying themselves. Then you get a song like “Echobo” which I imagined would have been perfect in an underwater type level in a side scrolling beat em up game because it is so fast paced, and epic. Another great one is “U n ME” which you can picture yourself beating the final boss and saving the girl and getting that kiss from her for saving her life. Nerd fantasies aside, the album has so much life, and creativity it’s damn near impossible not to get caught up in it.

I do feel like I have to say this though, this album isn’t for everyone. I know damn well that the album for this audience is a very niche audience. If you don’t like video game music to begin with, chances are you aren’t going to enjoy Endless Fantasy. It might come off as way too weird, which I understand, but you truly are missing out in a very creative experience.

The final verdict:  Endless Fantasy is an album that has managed to have little to no lyrics what so ever, but still take me on an emotional and creative roller coaster that no album has been able to do in a long time. It has the perfect mix of songs that make you want to dance, and songs that can let your mind wander in video game fantasies. To any readers who like or even kind of like video game music, you are doing yourself a disservice to not give this album a look at. To people who don’t like video game music, I still say give this album a quick listen to. Maybe you’ll enjoy it, if not, you really are missing out on the most creative album of the year by far.

FINAL GRADE:  A+


CHOICE CUT:  “Echobo”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CntmohI0bfg

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Twenty One Pilots - Vessels

Remember when Beiber was popular?....BAHAHAHA

In the days where the radio is dominated by the s%$t that is Justin Beiber, and Ke$ha, I always want to find good pop for people to listen to. The fact is I love pop, I don’t like most the crap that is on the radio, but I’m glad to see some well deserved pop acts getting some attention like Imagine Dragons, and Bruno Mars (yes haters, I like him too, shut it). So today, we got the major debut label of Twenty One Pilots, Vessels. Pilots, consisted of Tyler Joseph, and Josh Dunn, is a pop duo from Columbus, OH. The band popped on my radar after they got signed to pop rock super label Fueled by Ramen (home of Fall Out Boy, Fun., Gym Class Heroes, Paramore, I could go on.) So my expectations were I was going to get at least a decent pop rock album that maybe I would hear some of the songs on the radio soon. What I got though, was something drastically different from what I anticipated. Vessels is a pop album that is all over the place with genres. It has elements of hip-hop, folk, pop rock, reggae, and indie rock. Yet, somehow the band makes it all work.

The album starts with “Ode To Sleep”. The song sound dark at the beginning with the synths and lyricism, but then at about the minute 30 mark, it turns into an upbeat pop song by switching the two topics just talked about. It takes you off guard, but not in a bad way, more in a, “What the hell....this is COOL” way. Moments of drastic change like this come in multiple points of the album. I never thought I’d have the day where I would say an indie pop song turns into a hip-hop song with a reggae style synth beat in the back halfway through, but “Guns For Hands” does just that. I know, it sounds crazy, but just go listen for yourself. It works wonderfully, trust me.

Both members of Twenty One Pilots are also very talented musicianship wise. Josh, who drums, is a madman who bring brute and effective force to his drumming. It’s nothing complicated, but he sells it by making himself heard on each song within the album. The rest of the album is created by Tyler, who sings, plays the piano, and ukelele. Tyler is a great vocalist who has range, can sell screaming vocals quite well, and can sell the rap lyrics without it sounding hokey or forced in. It’s a hard balancing act he has as a vocalist, but he pulls it off with ease. One song he could be rapping like in “Holding On To You”, while the next song, he could be making a sweet song with the ukelele to his mother, which is the case with “House Of Gold”. It adds a sense of freshness as you don’t know what you are ever going to get out of these two.

The only problem I have with the album is the consistency. Yes, I’ve been going on about how great these songs are, but not all of them are. The album looses its steam after “Guns For Hands” as the last two songs don’t really have the same amount of flair as the rest of the album. It’s a shame as it keeps the album from being perfect to me.

The final verdict:  Vessels is the type of pop album that is starting to pop up more, and thank god it is. It’s doesn’t hold itself to one genre, and experiments with the idea of pop music and takes it into so many directions by mixing genres and ideas. It’s feels more fresh, and effective than just the same song over and over again like Beiber and Ke$ha pull with every release. I hope these guys get big, as it’ll give hope to many artist who want to try this idea, but are too afraid too. Twenty One Pilots has jumped to the top of my favorite bands list with only one album, and that’s pretty damn hard to do.

FINAL GRADE:  A-

CHOICE CUT:  “Holding On To You”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktBMxkLUIwY

Btw

This happened live when my girlfriend and I saw them...yes that is a drum solo in the middle of the crowd...

Hey readers, my apologies for not posting yesterday, but yesterday was my last day of finals for school, so by the time I got home from school it was midnight...but here is this weeks article!

The Music Basement's SHORT REVIEWS 1:  Alternative Press's 100 Bands You Need To Know PART 1!

Hey! I remember you guys!

Hello again readers! For those of you who have been keeping up with this blog, I promised a couple weeks ago reviews for little bands included in the annual article Alternative Press runs every year; 100 Bands You Need To Know. The article gives readers (including me) a plethora of alternative, rock, metal, and electronic bands to take a look at. So, I thought it would be fun to give mini-reviews of these bands who’s music I can get a hold of. I’ll do at least 5 mini-reviews an article. So...let’s begin shall we, with part 1!

Crossfaith - Zion

For Fans Of:  Enter Shikari, Skrillex

Crossfaith is a band that hails all the way from Osaka, Japan that was recently signed to indie label Tragic Hero Records. The bands first material released in the states, Zion, definitely shows that the band mixes many ideas into their metal. Genres that you’ll find in Zion include metalcore, industrial metal, hardcore, and electronic. Honestly, it reminded me much Enter Shikari with the energy and amazing synth work the EP manages to create in every song. The band aren’t trying to be serious with the lyricism, just fun! Songs like “Jagerbomb” shows that they want you to dance, and mosh at the same time to their sound. It’s a short, and satisfying little EP that establishes Crossfaith as a band to look out for in the future. It might also be easier to look out for them since the band will be on all dates of Warped Tour this summer. The band is set to release their third (first in the states) full length in May.

FINAL GRADE:  A-

CHOICE CUT:  “Jagerbomb”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT4env-Tw2o

Class - Stereo Typical - EP

For Fans Of:  Skrillex, Bassnectar, Attack, Attack!

Class is the electronic side project of former Attack Attack!, and current Beartooth singer Caleb Shomo. Now I know some people might be turned off by that, but Class’s first EP Stereo Typical does show some promise. Shomo, who also did all the synth work with  AA! knows his way around a keyboard. The problem is he has to refrain from going into Skrillex mode and repeating bass drops and sound signatures like he does in most of the album. The song “Lucky Lucky Lou” doesn’t do any of the problems mentioned above, which leads me to believe that Class does have some promise. As it is though, Stereo Typical might come off as a Skrillex dubstep knock off to some, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on Class’s work because “Lucky Lucky Lou” is so damn good.

FINAL GRADE:  C

CHOICE CUT:  “Lucky Lucky Lou”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pGS0IeQoAw

Brothertiger - Golden Years

For Fans Of:  MGMT, Daft Punk

So who likes MGMT? Because if you do, you just might enjoy Brothertiger! Hailing from Toledo, OH, Brothertiger’s creator, John Jagos, starting djing at parties at Ohio University where people loved his relaxed style of electronic music. He then decided to try to become an artist full time, and released his first album, Golden Years, in 2012. The album is solid synth and vocal work by Jagos, who wanted people to feel like they were human and animal while they were listening. The feel is definitely there, as Jagos’s lyricism hones into that idea. The main problem with Golden Years is that there doesn’t feel like there is much difference between songs. It’s only the lead single “Lovers” that has a truly distinct feel. The album is still some very solid work, and Brothertiger could become big in the electronic scene if he takes some risks and makes a hell of an album in the future.

FINAL GRADE:  C+

CHOICE CUT:  “Lovers”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRwX-kMUfEg

Young Guns - Bones

For Fans Of:  Twin Atlantic, Foo Fighters

There is usually one rock album I’m recommended a year from a band that I have never heard of that usually blows me away with how good it is. Bones is that album. The second from the England rockers, Bones is an album that looks at the style of The Foo Fighters and The Killers and somehow manages to mix them into an amazing rock album that should be getting the band some major attention. The lyricism is standard, but the crafting and musicianship of the songs is what really sticks out. Each member is very talented, and all it is going to take is for the right person to notice them, and I could imagine them breaking big.

FINAL GRADE:  B+

CHOICE CUT:  “Dearly Departed”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx1Vtc0Mj0o


Walk Off The Earth - R.E.V.O. - EP

For Fans Of:  Mumford & Sons, Goyte

Funny thing about Walk Off The Earth, you might have already heard of their work. The band did a cover of Goyte’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” that has gained 142 million hits on Youtube, and a celebrity fan in Ellen DeGeneres. Hopefully, Ellen has them back on the show soon, because R.E.V.O. is an awesome indie folk album that is catchy and creative. I’m always a sucker for switching vocals between a guy and a girl and Walk Off The Earth vocalist Sarah Blackwood, Ryan Marshall, and Joel Cassady switch off perfectly within songs. The lyricism is catchy and fun, and is perfect to play on a nice summer night next to the warm bonfire with friends. R.E.V.O. is nothing flashy, it’s just simple and effective. The band has released their first debut album, again called R.E.V.O., which I am now excited to listen too and review!

FINAL GRADE:  A+

CHOICE CUT:  “Gang of Rhythm”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHvl6z56zGc

The Summer Set - Legendary

 

What the hell is it with these misleading titles?

 

Well, after Fall Out Boy made me angry at pop punk, I looked at the schedule of releases for the rest of April. I saw coming up was Legendary, the third album by The Summer Set. Now, I’ve always considered The Summer Set as kind of a guilty pleasure band. They’re not amazing, but they have some very solid songs on their first two albums. So I thought, “Hmm well Fall Out Boy was so damn bad, this will probably be good compared to that!” Oh how my expectations always screw me over....

Yeah, Legendary is pretty damn bad. It’s by far the worst album The Summer Set have ever produced. At least Love Like This and Everything’s Fine had elements that made them different from a lot of pop punk bands, but Legendary on the other hand, seems to aim for pure mediocrity because of how damn generic it is. Seriously, no song on this album is about anything other than a girl or love. Not hanging out in the summer, not enjoying time with your friends. Hell only 2 songs on the album deal with self-reflection (“Someday”, “Legendary”), and they’re the two best songs on the album by far!

The generic lyricism is just downright awful in how stupid it gets (just go listen to “Boomerang” and you’ll see my point). Every song about a girl you can tell what the lyrics are going to say next! Just look at the song titles, they give away what the song is going to be about. If you look at a title like “Maybe Tonight”, your assumption is it is going to be about a one night love right? Correct, because that is exactly what it is about! There is no original idea in this whole album, and it makes it so damn boring!

Like I said in the Fall Out Boy review though, I am fair. As I said before, “Someday”, and “Legendary” are the best songs on the album. Both are songs about self-reflection (something this band should seriously do after this album) that work wonderfully. It’s the type of songs that do make me remember that The Summer Set is a good band, just when they ignore the generic tropes that make pop punk bands. The band also gets minor points for the How I Met Your Mother line in “Legendary”....what? I love that show, and the line works in the story of the song.

The final verdict:  Legendary is so bland, and generic that it is painful to listen too. The only reason I’m not giving this a totally failing score is because “Someday” and “Legendary” are very solid songs. I just wish that they weren’t on this album of crappy love songs that are so predictable that they all feel the same to me. I know The Summer Set is capable of making good music, but this isn’t it by a long shot as Legendary continues to make my month of April in music f$#*%ng horrible.

FINAL GRADE:  D-

CHOICE CUT:  “Someday”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9vUBzcJJ3s
 

 

David Bowie - The Next Day

 

 Why!? WHY DO I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!?!?

It’s time for another one of my favorite posts to do for this blog, reader recommendations! As I was working on my review for Justin Timberlake’s new album, a reader messaged me about doing David Bowie’s new album, The Next Day. I immediately took the challenge as I had never listened to a Bowie album before. I know that might sound like a travesty to some of you, but I don’t really know anyone who is a Bowie fan, so no one ever really told me to listen to him. After listening to The Next Day though, I’ve been blown away. Honestly, this review has taken a long time because I didn’t really know how to take this album at first. It was so weird, so crazy, so different, but when I was listening to it, I couldn’t turn it off! Anytime I just listen to one song off the album, I won’t stop because the next song will kick in and get me addicted before I can hit the next button on iTunes.

This review is tough because to be honest, I can’t exactly pinpoint what I love about this album, but I do! Is it the lyricism? Well, Bowie’s lyrics are some of the weirdest I have ever heard this year. One song can be totally dark and retrospective like “Where Are We Now”, while the next one could be upbeat and fun like “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)”. The album is such a strong form of self expression from Bowie that I’m so damn tempted to look a lot at his older work to see how crazy he was when he was younger!

OK so it might be the lyricism that makes me like the album! What about the musicianship? I think that might be the key here folks. The musicianship is fantastic throughout the whole album in helping Bowie create the specific mood he wants each song to convey. If a song is going to be sad, or mellow, the musicianship is toned down. If the song is upbeat, or the lyricism is poignant, he is going to make damn sure the instruments are all loud and effective. I guess it also hit a nostalgia note for me as a song like “How Does The Grass Grow” reminded me of the type of music my parents would listen to when we went on long car trips as a kid. It makes me want to ask my parents if they ever put on David Bowie on those long car trips and I just didn’t know it back then.

The final verdict:  OK, so in conclusion, I do like The Next Day for the lyricism and musicianship like many albums, but this one was a little tougher to describe why. The lyricism is all over the place, but effective. The musicianship accompanies the lyricism in its weirdness and effectiveness into crafting an album that is so damn hard to turn off once you start it. Apparently this is Bowie’s 24 album, and the first he’s done in 8 years. So I guess the two things to say right now are that Bowie has made a triumphant rock comeback, and I got a s&%t load of new music to look at from this rock legend.

FINAL GRADE:  A

CHOICE CUT:  “How Does The Grass Grow”

(Unfortunately there is no link on Youtube for this song :( )

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Fall Out Boy - Save Rock And Roll

 

...You didn't

So a couple weeks ago, I did a little column on the return of Fall Out Boy. Everyone was excited! Fans have been clamoring for the album since it was announced. The album, weirdly titled Save Rock And Roll, is an album meant to put Fall Out Boy back on the map! So does it do the job? In my opinion...hell no...

Ok, I’ve already accepted I’m going to get hate for this review from the FOB fans, but at least hear me out before you come to me pitchforks and torches a blazing. I can’t take an album that seems like it’s something greater than it really is. Albums that ooze arrogance is one of my biggest pet peeves when listening to an album (hence why you don’t see much mainstream rap reviews on this blog...). Is it a personal criticism, yes it is, but I know it is one I am not the only person on this planet has. FOB for some reason has developed a staggering new found arrogance that the band seems to have that they are one of the best rock and roll bands ever. Newsflash guys...you’re not even close. You are famous and successful yes, but that doesn’t mean you’re the best. Songs like “Young Volcanoes”, and “Rat a Tat” (featuring an appearance by Courtney Love....wow I should have seen that the song was arrogant just from seeing her being on it) just make the band come off as arrogant and douchy. It’s not flattering to listen too. Frankly, it’s just boring since I hear that enough in mainstream music today.

Remember how I said a couple weeks ago in that editorial that I didn’t really relate to FOB anymore because most of their songs were about not getting girls, or love songs? Well besides the new found arrogance, that’s really all you are getting from Save Rock And Roll lyric wise. Most of the songs are about loving girls such as, “Alone Together”, “Just One Yesterday”, and the atrocity to rock that is “The Mighty Fall”! Actually, lets stop and just talk about this song. FOB, you don’t say you are going to “save rock and roll”, and then have one of the worst rappers (Big Sean) in mainstream music come do a guest spot, and make a song that is straight up arrogant, and honestly kind of degrading towards your main fan base. Seriously, get NAS, or Jay-Z, or hell Lupe Fiasco, not a dude who just got famous by saying ASS ASS ASS over and over again!


Now lets move onto the production aspect of Save Rock And Roll. The album is unfortunately produced by Butch Walker. I say unfortunately because I usually love the work he does with pop punk bands! He’s done amazing albums with Bowling For Soup, Lit, and Panic! At The Disco, but I don’t know what happened with him here. I could be wrong by thinking that FOB controlled most of the production and that he was just overseeing the project, but my suspicions might be correct since the only song he helped the band write, “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark” is the best one on the album by far. The truth is I could be wrong, but the album just seems like it’s trying too hard to be bombastic using orchestral sounds that are repeated in multiple songs. I get the idea of sounding epic, but don’t repeat your sounds! That just defeats the whole point of using them in the first place!

Ok, I’ll backtrack and give the fans of FOB a little positive because I always do want to be fair. The bands performances are all fine. Stump gives great vocal work as always, and the band do their job in crafting the songs. I’ll even give it to the band that the first two songs (“The Phoenix”, and “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark”) and the last one (“Save Rock And Roll”) are great. Honestly though, that’s as far as I can go with the compliments.

The final verdict:  Save Rock And Roll does anything but save rock and roll. The album really just does what every other FOB album has done, except it has an arrogant edge that just made me mad because I hear that enough in other music to find it edgy or interesting. I know people aren’t going to like me for this review, and I know fans won’t give a damn since they already bought the album and love it, but I wanted to be truthful in my opinion. If you want an album that does sound like it’s saving rock and roll, go look up Young Guns, or Twin Atlantic, or anything the Foo Fighters have ever produced. Those bands are saving rock and roll, not Fall Out Boy.

FINAL GRADE:  D

CHOICE CUT:  “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkIWmsP3c_s

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Paramore - Paramore

 

 

Lookin at the Farro Brothers like what up we got a new album...ok that joke

was terrible

I feel like I should start this review like an episode of Behind The Music with all the S$*t that has happened to Paramore since the release of Brand New Eyes all the way back in 2009 (damn I’m getting old). As most fans know, in 2010 guitarist Josh Farro, and drummer Zac Farro left the band. If that wasn’t bad enough, they released a scathing blog post that accused singer Hayley Williams of being controlling of the band since she was the only one signed to Atlantic Records. Turns out the accusation was true about Hayley being the only one signed to Atlantic, which put the remaining members of Paramore in a negative light. Jump 3 years later after the drama, and the trio, consisting of singer Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York, have finally put out their album, Paramore. To myself, it was a make or break album for Paramore. Could they keep up the great standard of pop punk that they established without 2 of the bands founding members? Could they show fans that they weren’t some band controlled by the label, and that they were going to show that the blog post was wrong in thinking that they were? The answer to both of those questions is a very loud F%*K YES! Call me girly, but i really don’t care! Paramore kicks all kind of ass, and proves that this band is not going to slouch in quality any time soon.

The key factor to this album is that you don’t know what the heck is going to hit you next. It’s like many of the albums I’ve looked at this year, where the album doesn’t stick to one genre, but experiments with many. Paramore let loose on this album, exploring how they would sound if they did power pop (“Anklebiters”), country (“Hate To See Your Heart Break”), straight up pop (“Still Into You”), I could go on. The album is just unbelievably fun to listen to, as you can tell that the band just didn’t care about making their label happy. They just wanted to make the music they wanted to make, and they succeeded with flying colors. You honestly have no clue what you are going to get with any of the songs. A freaking ukelele pops up on multiple occasions and leads to one of the best interludes I have ever heard (“Interlude: Moving On”). It’s this sense of freshness and surprise throughout the album that makes it so fun!

As for the lyricism and performances, everyone brings their A game as always. Hayley once again proves that she is one of the best front women in the rock genre right now with her control and wide range of vocal talent that she showcases. York and Davis also get time to feature their skills as they both have solid solos throughout the album. The lyricism could easily be associated with the breakup, but it doesn’t make up the whole album. Songs like “Still Into You” and “Ain’t It Fun” show that Hayley is happily in love and confident about it. Songs like "Proof" also tell the listener that the band isn't going to let all the drama deter them from delivering quality songs.

The final verdict:  Paramore shows that the band’s quality of great modern rock isn’t going anywhere. The band have realized that they are talented musicians and they are willing to experiment with their sound to look at different genres and see how they sound. The payoff is an album that is fun in guessing where it is going to go next. I’m happy to say that Paramore is back with full force, and everyone should take notice.

FINAL GRADE:  A

CHOICE CUT:  “Anklebiter”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h_v71TNCxo

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The Color Morale - Know Hope

Huh....it must have been shipping one big F$&*in tree....

When you are an established band, it’s hard to take your sound and drastically change it. Whether it’s because your fan base might get upset, or your label might get upset. So how does that come into play with today’s review? Today we are looking at the third album from Rockford, IL rockers The Color Morale. The album, Know Hope, is the third one on Rise Records after 2009's We All Have Demons and 2011's My Devil In Your Eyes. The third album sees a drastic change from the band that might irk some fans, but I see it as a drastically positive step in progress that will help the band in the long run.

So what is this change? Well, it comes from vocalist Garret Rapp, who decided to go for a more live tone with his voice on Know Hope. The last two albums from the band have had bassist Justin Hieser doing unclean vocal work, but this time around Rapp takes a good amount of the duties. Some people might find his voice odd, but I love it. It’s different, it’s fresh for a genre that has a good amount of generic voices, and it gives The Color Morale that push to make them different from their competition. Major compliments to the band and Rapp for making this decision 3 albums into their career. It’s a bold idea that pays off very well for making a distinct impression on the listener.

As for the lyrical content and musicianship, lets start with the musical style. Know Hope is like a melting pot of all types of hardcore. You’ll definitely hear traits of metalcore, regular hardcore, post hardcore, and djen metal. Just look at the song “Silver Lining,” which starts out as a straight up hardcore song, but brings the breakdowns hard! Guitar solos from Devin King and Aaron Saunders fly all around the album mixed in with crushing breakdowns to great effect. It’s just another aspect that gives the band a distinct sound above their peers. The drumming by Steve Carey and bass work by Justin Heiser are also excellent as they each get moments to show they are talented as well.

The lyrical content is some solid work as well. The band take a Christian mindset with their lyricism, but don’t become excessively preachy that some bands do. They make some very solid points with some songs. A perfect example is again “Silver Lining” which Rapp calls out the people who are just being fake in believing a religion. It’s an idea most people don’t want to talk about or admit, but being a person who has seen this happen, I give the band major points for taking a bold topic to talk about.

The final verdict:  Know Hope is a bold, and strong step for The Color Morale. The band has always been talented, but just needed a push into becoming different from their peers. They’ve discovered it with Know Hope as Rapp’s vocals, and the bands idea to mix so many ideologies of hardcore together make for a lasting impression on the listener. It might not work on every song, but it hits more than it misses, and when it does hit, it hits HARD!

FINAL GRADE:  B

CHOICE CUT:  “Saviorself”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34xveem-Sqw

P.s. I found this looking for the album picture...I'll leave this here...

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Tyler, The Creator - Wolf

WHO'S READY TO ENJOY WOLF (Only Tyler fans will understand why that's in caps)

Alright, I know that whatever I say in this review, Tyler, The Creator won’t give a s%$t. Over his last two albums (Bastard and Goblin), and the one in question today, Wolf, he has made it clearly obvious that he’s not a fan of angry kids who just blog to criticize and hate. Here’s the thing though, I’m not here to hate on Wolf. In fact, I’m here to say that Tyler has created a rap album I’ve wanted to listen to for a very long time. One that, for the first time ever, I actually have gone back and listened to multiple times. I didn’t listen to it multiple times because that’s what I do for this blog, but because I loved it so damn much. It’s an album that is crazy but structured, angry but positive, silly but sincere, it’s one big paradox that somehow makes sense like only Tyler The Creator can.

Like his other albums, Wolf has a central story that weaves the songs. While Goblin and Bastard dealt with therapy sessions with Tyler’s conscious (Dr. T.C., Tron Cat), Wolf takes a different approach and tells the story of one of Tyler’s alter ego’s Wolf. Now, I’m going to explain the story, as it will help with my arguments later. As I go through the story, I’ll explain the story then put in parenthesis at the end what song this takes place in. IF YOU DON’T WANT THE STORY SPOILED. SKIP THE NEXT PARAGRAPH. IF YOU READ IT, YOU WILL SPOIL THE STORY, DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU!

Wolf is at Camp Flog Gnaw for the summer with only his clothes and bike, Slater. As soon as he gets there, he meet Samuel, the camp bully (“Wolf”). Samuel is dating Salem (“Cowboy”), who Wolf immediately develops a crush on (“Awkward”). As Wolf is trying to fit into camp, he rides his bike to feel better (“Slater”). At a campfire, Wolf and Salem start to become attracted to each other, and then go off on their own (“PartyIsntOver / Campfire / Bimmer”). Samuel finds out and gets F$%&ing PISSED and vows revenge on Wolf (“IFHY”). Wolf asks Salem why Samuel is such a d#*k and she explains that he came from a bad area where he was bullied a lot (“Pigs”). Wolf realizes that Samuel has found out he is hanging out with Salem and vows to fight him (“Parking Lot”). Samuel finds Wolf's friend, Earl, and shoots him, killing him (“Rusty”). At the same time, Salem is at a performance Wolf and his friends are performing. They hear the gunshot, but don’t think about it (“Trashwang”). Salem and Wolf head to Salem’s tree house for alone time (“Treehome95”). Later, Wolf is caught having some hanky spanky, self-pleasure time by the camp counselor. He is then sent to the counseling office to visit Dr. T.C. (“Tamale”). As he sits down with Dr. T.C., he explains that he is still upset about the death of his grandmother who raised him, and that Samuel is going to pay for killing Earl (“Lone”).

When I got Wolf to listen to, the first two songs (“Jamba”, “Cowboy”) got me very nervous. Tyler was acting like most other rappers, just bragging about how fame gets him money and girls. This wasn’t the Tyler I knew from Bastard and Goblin. The Tyler that was very different, rapped about his problems, and his imagery and dark humor made the songs compelling. After the first two songs, the album kicks into high gear and never lets up. Tyler becomes the Tyler we all know, rapping about his problems and demons, but having a sense of snark to the lyricism. He deals with such strong topics such as his coming to terms of the death of his grandma, the fact his father still hasn’t contacted him, and how he doesn’t want fame and just wants to be a normal kid. Hell, the song “Colossus” about a fan at six flags, goes from normal to messed up quicker than you can snap your fingers, but for Tyler fans, it’s all normal.

The other major aspect is that, unlike his other albums, Tyler has solely produced Wolf all on his own. It’s easy to tell that this album is meant to be listened to in the summer, outside. It feels like a rap album that has meaning, but is fun to listen to on a summer day. For Tyler’s first time producing, he does a great job of setting up the aesthetic of each song. You look at a song like “Answer” which starts out with a simple, slow drum beat and guitar hook. You realize quickly that the song is going to be personal, and probably a little sad, but it works wonderfully with the lyricism. Then you get a song like “IFHY” which starts out with a weird carnival-esque beat that sets up the song perfectly to sound like some dark messed up carnival ride of love that you, the listener, are going to go on. While some of the songs do use the same sounds, it’s really hard not to give Tyler props for taking the initiative to try production for the first time.

The final verdict:  When I was thinking about what was bad with Wolf, I realized I was getting really nit-picky. Yes, the first two songs, and “Trashwang”, are not good, but the rest of the album is so fantastic that I really forgot how bad they were. Tyler takes a bold step in his career with Wolf. Not only does he show that he can produce and tell a messed up summer tale, but he is still the same Tyler, The Creator we have fallen in love with and respected since Bastard...just not worshiping the devil as much anymore. Even though Tyler probably doesn’t give two s^%ts as to what I think, I can say that you all should give this album a chance. You might find it weird, or disturbing, but it will charm you after a while

FINAL GRADE:  A

CHOICE CUT:  “Rusty”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yS1ay045B4





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 Conditions - Full Of War

Oh...no joke this week...BUY THIS! PLEASE

It’s rare that an album comes out that truly changes my life. It has only happened three times to me in my life. The most recent one was in 2010, a band called Conditions released Fluorescent Youth. The album was one of the most well structured, and poignant albums I had heard in years. It was like the thoughts I wanted to say but were too scared to about society were talked about in every song. It was a perfect album in my opinion. One that made me realize that bands were still around to deliver great music with amazing, meaningful lyricism. Now, its three years later, and that band has finally delivered a follow up, Full Of War. My expectations were exceptionally high, and I was pumped that I would get another fantastic album. I’m glad to say that, while it’s not as exceptional in my opinion as Fluorescent Youth, Full Of War is a solid rock album that keeps me wondering why the hell this band hasn’t become big yet.

Here is why Conditions is my favorite band in music today. The lyricism the band emotes in every song is some of the most impressive work I have ever heard. They can take a bold topic no one wants to talk about, and totally make it work in a fantastic song. Take the strong “Descent Of Man”, which is a great song about what do you do if you know a guy who is taking advantage of someone he shouldn’t. The song raises questions about the state chivalry is in today, and what do you do if you are in this situation. Someone you know, doing such a terrible thing as taking advantage of someone. It’s questions like these Conditions aren’t afraid to tackle with their songs. It makes them brave, bold, fierce, and refreshing to listen to.

I’ll be honest with you guys...the song “Wonderful Lie” is an early front runner for song of the year to me. The song deals with the fear of growing up, and what happens to that confidence and happiness you had as a kid. It was so touching, and eye opening to me that it actually brought a tear to my eye thinking about MY own childhood. It made me think about how I used to be this super confident, happy kid who wasn’t afraid of anything. It made me think about how I am now, a guy who is super afraid of my future sometimes and it messes with his confidence. The song really made me contemplate my life, and it is now my anthem into trying to think more positive, like I did when I was a little kid.

It might seem like I’m gushing about this album, but I did have a bit of a problem with it. The first couple of songs, I was really frightened that I was going to be disappointed. The first two songs (“Walking Separate Ways”, “Skeleton”) are solid, but the next two (“Love Elusive”, “Best Mistake”) were kind of disappointing in how simple they were. The lyricism was good, but not amazing like the first album. Then “Love Elusive” started, and the album kicked it into high gear and never let up. It’s rare that the back half of the album is the stronger one to me, but once again Conditions make me drop my jaw in amazement.

The final verdict:  To the members of Conditions, singer Brandon Roundtree, guitarist Alex Howard, drummer Ryan Tinsley, and bassist Corey Thomas, you guys are truly my heroes. You make the music I wish I could make every day. Catchy, fun, and meaningful. Each song you make always has great lyricism that will make me think, and wonder why there aren’t more bands like you. While I didn’t enjoy Full Of War as much as Fluorescent Youth, it still is an amazing album that deserves you guys so much attention. So hopefully my review can give you guys some new fans, because you definitely deserve them. If you like rock or alternative bands, you are doing yourself a disservice to not at least check out Full Of War. The songs will make you dance, and think at the same time, which is never a bad thing!

FINAL GRADE:  B+

CHOICE CUT:  “Wonderful Lie”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy4y01fFvd0

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Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience

He looked at pop music in the last 2 years and said "Damn, I gotta fix this

Readers, it’s time to get the beat going, because Justin Timberlake is back! After the release of 2006’s brilliant FutureSex/LoveSounds, JT took a 7 year break from music to act in various endeavors. While I do like him as an actor, I was starting to get a little worried that we would never get another great album from Timberlake. Especially when pop music was getting worse and worse by the month. Then, to start the new year of 2013, we all got great news, JT was coming back with a new album, The 20/20 Experience. JT fans rejoiced, music critics nodded their heads in happiness, and Justin Beiber S%#T his pants in the fear that his crappy pop would be upstaged by true genius. I’m glad to say that while the album is flawed, The 20/20 Experience is the swift kick in the ass mainstream pop has needed.

So what do I mean by the swift kick in the ass? Well, think about most of the pop that is on the radio today. The songs are usually about one of two things:  partying, or love. The song topics are so generic that it baffles me to this day that it’s still the formula to get a popular song on the radio. All you need is generic lyrics in those 2 topics, good looks, and a decent producer to get a hit.

So here is why JT coming back is a very good thing. He went into this album with no goal, no focus. He just wanted to make an experimental pop album that he thought would be good. What came out was something just short of a soul pop masterpiece. The album starts with “Pusher Love Girl”, which opens with a wonderful orchestral opening that sets the mood for the rest of the album. As JT sings the first words, you remember what got him popular in the first place. This is a artist who is filled with soul, charisma, and talent. He kills it throughout the album with his singing, and elevates songs that most other artist would have messed up. Instead of being like most pop artist who just say, “I love you girl!” to a generic beat, Timberlake makes each song so soulful and romantic that you feel like you could easily play each song with your significant other to set the mood for a sexy night.

Half of this success is because of Timberlake’s second hand man with this album, producer Timberland. Timberland and Timberlake work so well together as every song is different and risky. One song could be a soulful love song like “Pusher Love Girl”, another song could be a mamba style dance song like “Let The Groove Get In”, or it could be an incredibly simplistic, but very effective love anthem like “Blue Ocean Floor”. Timberland and Timberlake balance all these different ideas and influences, but make them all work. It’s the type of bold risks that pop music desperately needs. Even though the lyrics are nothing new, all the songs feel fresh and new thanks to taking some awesome risks in terms of production of the album.

Now, there are some problems here. As I mentioned before, the lyricism is nothing new. Only one song really shines in term of lyricism (“Blue Ocean Floor”) while the rest of the album treads normal ground in terms of love songs. The other main criticism I have is the length of the songs. Besides “Suit & Tie” and “That Girl” each song clocks in around 7-8 minutes. I would understand this long running time if the songs flowed for the whole time, but they don’t. Most of songs feel like they are repeating themselves after 5 minutes of listening to them.

The final verdict:  While it has some problems, The 20/20 Experience is the kind of album that pop music needed. Its bold aspects in terms of production work, and Timberlake’s talent and showmanship makes the album a blast to listen to, even if the songs run too long. For anyone who is in a relationship with someone, or if you’re trying to get that crush you have to try to have a night of intimate fun, this is the album to put on. JT brings sexy back to pop music, after having a couple years of having pop music turn into an ugly animal

FINAL GRADE:  A-

CHOICE CUT:  “Blue Ocean Floor”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgNk_TV3otA

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The Story So Far - What You Don't See

 Huh...gotta be honest
this is a new one in terms of album covers....

Ever just have one of those moments in the cold, winter days? One where you are walking in the cold, looking up at the clouds and saying, "DAMMIT I WANT SUMMER NOW!" Well, I feel ya readers. I go to a school where lake effect gives me a S%$&ton of snow, and only one day a month of sun if mother nature is feeling nice. As you can imagine, my frozen members need a dosage of summer every once in a while. So, I turn to music to give me a bit of summer in the winter, specifically pop punk. Pop punk is the music of my summer days and nights. It's fun, upbeat, and the best ones are wonderful in lyricism. Think of this idea like a nice ice cream cone on a warm sunny day, and the lyricism is the sprinkles or icing on top. Why do I bring all this up? Well this week we got The Story So Far's second album What You Don't See. The band, who has been making quite a name for themselves in the pop punk scene, are known for being one of the upcoming powerhouses for the genre. So does the band fall into the sophomore slump, or do they deliver a exceptional follow-up? I'm happy to say they avoid the sophomore slump for DAMN sure.

This is the type of pop punk album I love. One filled with catchy guitar hooks, experimental instrumentals, and meaningful lyricism. You readers will hear me repeat these concepts, but it's the concepts that work in making me love an album. Lets start with the instrumentals. Catchy, dance inducing guitar hooks fill this album to the brim thanks to guitarists William Levy and Kevin Gayer. Whether it's a hook that makes you want to dance in the back of a car with the roof down in the summer, or one that makes you want to throw down in the pit, there's something for everyone here. I even tested this point on my girlfriend with the song "Framework". As she listened, she told me it was the type of beginning that sounds like a great song to dance to on a nice, summer day. And I'll be damned if she isn't right! It just makes you want to dance, and have fun. Then you look at a song like the opener, "Things I Can't Change". It's a song filled with wonderful, creative breakdowns that will get the pits started at Warped Tour this year for the band.

As for the rest of the band involving instrumentals, I love that each band member gets a chance to shine throughout the album. Drum solos by drummer Ryan Torf are fast and furious, and come in at great times in the songs. Bassist Kelen Capener even gets to showcase his quick fingers with some fancy bass solos, including the short but effective one in "Things I Can't Change".  I appreciate a band in pop punk who gets to show that each band member has some skills instead of a band who will just throw in a breakdown to keep the song progressing.

Now lets look at the lyricism. The lyrics are wonderfully executed in writing, and performance. While the lyricism is typical pop punk fare (break-ups, standing up for yourself), The Story So Far find a way to make it original and fresh. A great example of this is "The Glass" which is a wonderful song about someone leaving your life. It's a topic done before, but the song works thanks to the wonderful imagery conveyed convincingly by singer Parker Cannon.

The only problem I have with the album is that not every song hits. It's not that any songs on the album are bad, but some just weren't as strong as others for me. It's a shame that I have to say that, as the songs that do hit for me, hit really F$*%ing hard! They're songs that will probably make it onto my best of the year list in December. I just wish that every song hit like that to me, instead of about 3/4's of the album.

The final verdict:  What You Don't See proves that The Story So Far are going to be a pop punk force in the next couple of years. All the members are talented musicians who know how to make an album that can really appeal to anybody. It's catchy for the people who like pop, it's heavy for the people who like punk, but most importantly, it's fun as hell. I can guarantee that this will be an album that is blasting out of my car in the summer with the windows down. I hope that the band makes a lot of new fans on Warped Tour this summer, because they damn well deserve them.

FINAL GRADE: B+
CHOICE CUT: "The Glass"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-yt7yUNvlQ

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 Crown The Empire - The Fallout

Generic metal cover, check, evil looking font, check....

oh dear....

When it comes to releases by Rise Records, you will either get a great or S&#t release. If the album is produced by Joey Surgis, well.... you will at least get a great production! Sure, it’s in a sea of generic breakdowns, but you have to give the dude credit. I mention these two factors because we have the debut album from Crown The Empire from Dallas, TX. The album, The Fallout, produced by Surgis and released by Rise Records, is kind of surprising. No, it’s not the amazing album that is going to shock everyone, but… let me explain.

The band seems to bring a theatrical experience to the metalcore genre. Think Attack Attack! mixed with Panic! At The Disco.  If that idea makes you throw up in your mouth, jump ship now.  I won’t be able to convince you this is crap otherwise. For those of you staying, lets continue. The idea of giving a theatrical experience to metalcore is a good idea in my opinion. Yes, most bands use synths, but I will give Crown The Empire credit for making this their selling point. Using synths is one thing, but expanding on simple tech sounds to add an element to your atmosphere is something I can get behind! Most bands in the metal genre just use one synth or techno sound for the breakdown to make people say, “Awesome,” when the breakdown is generic and not that creative. The thing that makes Crown The Empire different is they add synths to use as an element in building an atmosphere for their songs.

Now, does the idea of mixing theatrical and metalcore elements play out in the album? Well, yes and no. Some songs use the idea to great extent. Songs like “The Fallout” and “Memories of a Broken Heart” show that the band can mix these two elements pretty well and have room to grow creatively. Unfortunately, most of the album suffers from the Rise Records effect, or the Joey Surgis effect. Whichever one you want to go with, I won’t care either way. The fans think it’s the same thing. This effect is the idea of generic lyricism and have breakdown after breakdown. As you can expect, this becomes monotonous and aggravating, especially after a strong opening with the first few songs.

Finally, we get to the last, and best, song on the album:  "Johnny’s Revenge.” I usually don’t point out a single song to form my thoughts on an album, but “Revenge” is such an important song to finalize my opinion for this album. It is exactly what this band has been trying to do the whole album.  Mixing theatrical elements Panic! At The Disco uses so well with great metal-core. The song opens with a jester-like fanfare that adds an element of creepiness to the lyrics. It’s hard not to get drawn in because the song is a great conclusion to make you think about the rest of the album.

Did the band finally nail what they were aiming to do at the end of the recording process, or was the label holding them back from making songs like “Revenge?” I wish I could answer those questions because it would have a big impact in how I feel this band in the long run.

The final verdict:  Crown The Empire has a great idea on their hands. Points in the album show they are capable of pulling off a new potential genre if they really push themselves. Unfortunately, a majority of this album was very generic and changed my opinion. Crown The Empire has potential to do something different, but I hope they realize this on their next album.

GRADE: C
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Choice Cut: Johhny’s Revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-sJ30yOUdY

Editor Note: So I have a Facebook Page for the blog now, and I made it look all pretty and S$#T (well to the best of my ability)! If you like what I do, go like the page for the latest updates on all my endeavors and future reviews! Thanks readers!
http://www.facebook.com/TheMusicBasement

Bring Me The Horizon - Sempiternal 

 A much tame cover if you ask me!

Lets go back to 2008 before I get into this. I’m in 10th grade, a kid starting to get into heavier music. My friend comes up to me and shows me the artwork for the album she is listening to on her iPod. The album cover depicts a girl holding her bloody intestines. Going what the F$#% in my head, I ask her what the hell she is listening too? She tells me it’s a song called “Diamonds Aren’t Forever” by Bring Me The Horizon. I ask her if I can take a listen. As I put on the headphones, I am suddenly thrown into a violent head banging session as the heaviness takes over my body. I tell her, “THIS IS AWESOME” and go home and get the album, Suicide Season, for myself. Jump to 2010, I am waiting till midnight of October 3rd, 2010 for the highly anticipated release of Bring Me The Horizon’s third album There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It, There Is a Heaven, Lets Keep It A Secret. The album hits the web, I download it, and I love it. While yes, it wasn’t even close to being as heavy as Suicide Season, the album was more structured musically. The lyricism was dark, but different dealing with topics such as personal discovery and realization.

The reason for this long introduction is simple, Bring Me The Horizon is a band that doesn’t do the same album twice. It’s what makes them one of my favorite bands. I know they have a wide variety of haters, but I can appreciate a band who tries to experiment and do something different, than just chug out the same album time after time (I’M LOOKING AT YOU WIZ KHALIFA). That being said, if you expected Bring Me The Horizon to go back to the heavy days of Suicide Season, you might be a little disappointed. Don’t let that deter you from listening to Sempiternal though, because Sempiternal is a bold step for Bring Me The Horizon. One that sees the production of experimentation hit a high and surprising level.

The most prominent change with the band this album is the heavy inclusion of electronics. Anyone who has read an interview with singer, Oli Sykes, knows Sykes loves electronic music and has wanted to incorporate it into the bands sound for quite a while. The band recruited keyboardist Jordan Fish of the band Worship to help give that electronic sound to Sempiternal. You see this implemented in just the first song, the very different but in my opinion catchy as hell “Can You Feel My Heart”. You can get a sense that keyboards are now a part of Bring Me The Horizon. The keyboards are heard on every song as Fish makes a nice transition into the sound of Bring Me The Horizon as he adds elements to help the mood and atmosphere of each song. A great example of this is the song, “Crooked Young,” which explores the question of if faith really matters.

Another big change with Sempiternal is singer, Oli Sykes, finally making the full transition to using clean vocals. A change that I say, “BRAVO OLI!” Sykes clean vocals are not far from his screaming voice, but they are still unique. The use of clean vocals also helps with expressing the lyricism better than any other Bring Me The Horizon album has been able too. An incredible example of this is the last song, “Hospitals For Souls”. The song is the most mature song lyrically, and musically the band have ever produced. The lyricism, dealing with the acceptance of the fear of death, is made all the more stronger by Sykes clean vocals. It works to the atmosphere to sing clean and low the prominent lyrics of losing that person you care about than screaming them out. It’s eerie, but beautiful to listen too, and should shut up any hater that says Bring Me The Horizon doesn’t have musical talent.

It’s weird because the bad I have to say about the album is in the two songs released before the album, “Shadow Moses,” and “Antivist”. It’s not that the songs are bad, it’s just that they are both the weakest on the album in terms of musicianship. Moses suffers from the generic chorus, breakdown, chorus formula that is rampant in the metalcore genre today. In terms of “Antivist” the song just feels out of place on the album as it is almost too angry. It feels like a song that would have worked perfectly on Suicide Season, but doesn’t exactly work on Sempiternal.

The final verdict:  If you won’t listen to Sempiternal because you don’t think it is heavy enough, or you are a hater of Bring Me The Horizon, you are truly making a mistake. Sempiternal is a bold album for the band, as two key changes lead to a drastically new sound. Mix in some experimentation music-wise, and you have a HELL of an album that is going to shock a lot of people. I just hope that shock is in a good way as Sempiternal is an album I feel like is going to be on my best of 2013 list at the end of the year.

FINAL GRADE:  A
CHOICE CUT:  “Can You Feel My Heart”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5aibZNVqS4&list=PLcZMZxR9uxC8x1b-IqehsFsSWemdLJWgk

Just to drive the point home...this is a pretty accurate depiction of my face when the album finished

A Bit of An Update Of What To Come

Hello readers! First off, I want to thank everyone who has looked, or read any of my pieces. The fact that some people have read my silly little opinions is motive enough to keep moving forward. As for the next couple of weeks, I got a lot planned for you readers. I'm definitely going to be experimenting with my own personal writing style in terms of making myself a little different from the rest of the pack. I also just received my copy of Alternative Press's 100 Bands You Need To Know issue. So a lot of those bands will be covered by me in the next couple of weeks in a new series of mini-reviews. As for my regular reviews and editorials, I promise you readers at least one a week. This is my goal and I am going to stick to it to the best of my ability. I hope you readers keep checking out my work and it helps you all find some great tunes!