Tonsils Bout To Freeze

We find our heroes deep within a new year, in the throngs of a business in peril. Looking to produce an album that brings the music business out of its stupor, out of the cold and the rain. Can an album sell a record breaking number of copies anymore? I believe we have found an answer. Yes. With an early 2009 release, Hat and Hot Sauce bring us Cu$$ Word, a short EP that is only four songs surrounded by two skits. Despite its short length, Cu$$ Word delivers big time with the two rappers giving a concept so polished, so effortless, and so universal that they can win over any listener. This album is deep within the idea of a revolution, a change, and any other buzz word that encapsulates the American public.

The album's bread and butter comes within Hot Sauce's ability to lay down rhymes that make your head spin. He sprinkles his words of wisdom over Hat's beats like Mrs. Dash on a piping hot steak. His words hold content and substance while maintaining a flow thats unprecedented in modern rap. Combined with Hat's production and guest appearances from Poncho and Eazy D, Hat and Hot Sauce make an album ready for radio, MTV, NPR, and even BET. 

Although my review can speak volumes about this album, to hear it is to need it. This being said, the lead single is available for download below. Even though I got a promo copy of the album, the full and final record will be coming out soon and can be found where all music is sold. Look forward it coming out next week.

Key Tracks

Tonsils Bout to Freeze

(Click to download)

Skit 202

Stars 5 out of 5

Links

Instructables

End of the Year Analysis

As the end of the year approaches, I look back and realize it was a pretty good year for music. Many good releases came out, some higher profiled than others, and personally I expanded my boundaries exponentially. It always feels good to listen to some music that hurts at first but then becomes familiar and pleasing. The initial pain is only that of the mind stretching out of its boundaries. Below is my top ten albums of the year (in order) and some other odds an ends.

 

*This list was so hard because each album on the top ten practically encapsulated my musical ears for some slot of time in the year 2008. I included some EPs even though they are not full length releases. Too many EPs impressed me this year to not let them be on the list.

Top Ten List of 2008

1. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely

Jack White. Enough said. But I can go on. Recorded in Nashville, this lo-fi rock band took their jamming skills to a whole new level, capturing the raw feel of a real band. Using no computers during the recording process, Jack White and Brendan Benson take their band to a whole new level. It is obvious to see that the band has gotten more comfortable with each other as their CD tends to sound more like a jam than a planned out record. With catchy and quick simple songs and a mix of more intricate songs with horns, keys, and fiddle, The Raconteurs write songs with meaningful lyrics, rockin' instruments and some a little story telling, for flavor. Combine all of these elements and The Raconteurs release the best album of the year.

2. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

One of the most interesting albums from a major record label artist. I can't say enough about the production vale especially after listening to their first record. The quality jumps tremendously thanks to David Fridmann, who also produced the Flaming Lips. Looking forward to see what else this duo can do in the future.

3. The Killers - Day and Age

With the addition of worldly instruments and a brass section, The Killers come out with an equally different album like as Sam's Town was. While overall it is not their best effort, it is such a beautiful stab at something new, one at which they pull off pretty well.

4. Thrice - The Alchemy Index 3 & 4

This half of a 4 part concept recording stands out just a little more than the previous half. This truly shows off Thrice's song-writing ability as well as their ability to move in completely new directions. With substantial lyrics and exploration of new musical feels, Thrice scores big.

5. Kanye West - 808's and Heartbreaks

Wait.... A truly mainstream rap artist has substance in his lyrics? Impossible, but Kanye did it. And to top it all off, it was super catchy and even though he used Autotune..... he sang the majority of the record instead of rapping it. This album is practically a completely new genre, not just for Kanye but for pop music in general.

6. The Avett Brothers - Second Gleam EP

In their last effort before landing in the hands of Rick Rubin, The Avetts craft up a handful of songs that show off their naked song writing talent and ability to write from meaningful past experiences. Lets hope this type of honesty and production does not change with the addition of major label support.

7. Astronautalis - Pomegranate 

This guy puts most mainstream rappers to shame. By implementing folk aspects into this record with a crazy knack for getting great drum sounds, this guy released one of the best kept secret albums of 2008.

8. Apes and Androids - Blood Moon

How have these guys not already blown up? In a random PureVolume search for music, I stumbled across these guys and enjoyed their very fresh sound. It stuck with me for so long, longer than expected, and somehow made the top ten list. Definitively, the most creative record of the year.

9. Little Joy - Little Joy

This cute and short CD is strictly a great indie/folk record. The vibes coming off this album are just so uplifting its hard not to sing along and possibly even dance a bit. I hope these band continues even if Strokes' duties call Fabrizio Moretti away.

10. Kopecky Family Band - Embraces EP

A band that is not even out of college yet. Their dualistic vocals and amazing song-writing allow for the audience to be captivated in their amazing folk rock five song EP. The only question is when do they record more and how do I get a hold of it?

Honorable Mentions 

Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs

Beck - Modern Guilt

Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher

Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger

Panic at the Disco - Pretty. Odd.

Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down

Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III

Notable (Yet smaller) Artists of 2008

Judd and Maggie

Into It. Over It.

The Morning Of

David Mead

Mugison

Johnny Flynn

Biggest Disappointments 

Metallica

Weezer

Guns N' Roses

Coldplay

Ben Folds

Best Books I've Read This Year

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

The Alchemist by Paul Coehlo

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller

The Mysterious Brandon Flowers

Sampling the critics' reviews from The Killer's sophomore album, Sam's Town, you would think Brandon Flowers was a mysterious lyrical illusionist. And that The Killers best work had already been done in Hot Fuss. In my opinion, both claims would be false, but that is not our subject today. On a rare Monday release, The Killers gave us Day and Age, a  new and ridiculous musical collection that gets better every time I listen. 

Not only does this album field a couple songs waiting to be hit singles, it also can hold its weight all the way through. While one song in the middle drags a hair, other songs such as Spaceman and Neon Tiger clearly make up for the brief drop in pace. Overall, The Killers return to Hot Fuss stylistically, but take their music to new heights. Since their style is usually so over the top anyways, this seems surprising, but with the addition of a few saxophone solos and some world music elements, The Killers make this the most grandiose record of their day.

The lyrics, as always, seem to confuse me a little bit, with Flowers having the same lyrical style as always. While some songs seem to question mankind's existence with a bit of existentialism, others lose me quicker than they begin. 

Nonetheless, The Killers are back to their old tricks, adding new ones to their bag. As I sit here watching them play live on Fuse, my faith in their song writing abilities, production, and a knack for the 80's reel me in just as all of their material has and probably will continue to.

Key Tracks

Spaceman

Neon Tiger

This is Your Life

Stars

4 out of 5

Holiday Cheer

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, I have many things to be thankful for. This semester, while unimaginably busy, has been quite an exhilarating time for me. My relationships have grown bountifully. My financial situation is better than ever and my studies are going better than expected. About the only aspect of my life that has been going poorly is my sleeping time. There is always a price to pay for your gains in life.

Today, I ventured into a Nashville mall. This is certainly a rarity for me as I don't shop much, don't like large masses of people, and am usually to busy to waste my time at such a destination. I came out of the mall feeling slightly annoyed by the Holiday Spirit that was everywhere. I love the Holidays, they mean a lot to me. They also seem to mean a lot to everyone else, but perhaps for a different reason. Preface this trip with the fact that I am already upset by all types of Christmas decorations and music going on BEFORE Thanksgiving (even some before Halloween wrapped up), and I left the mall one unhappy camper. The mall is heaven for the consumer. And a deathtrap for me. So many people throwing their money at the latest trend. So many people diluting the Charlie Brown sponsored message of Christmas. So many people being selfish and over indulgent for the obtainment of material possessions. I don't enjoy ranting on a topic or bringing people down for their personal characteristics, but I could not escape the greed and self desire that almost suffocated me today. Certainly, I have so many things I could do without, and I recognize my fortune, but I just wish some others would try to show a little restraint in their lifestyles.

Look forward to a review of either the Kanye or The Killers CD's that hit shelves tomorrow.

Links

Don Miller Blog

Unforgivable # Who Knows

Waiting for Septembeard!

In September we have a delictable selection of releases all of which I will be discussing here. 

Look for:

Metallica the 12th. 

Ben Folds the 16th.

and of the course the long awaited Jack's Mannequin the 30th.

Until then.

"Like a rolling thunder tent revival revue, the Avetts are a force of nature...get down and shout glory hallelujah"

With one last release before they join the major label game, the Avett Brothers lay upon us a simple, six song EP. While having little of the production or flair of 2007's Emotionalism, the Second Gleam offers a taste of what the Avett Brothers really are: two guys from the same family who have a knack for writing poignant yet simple songs that stick with you for longer than you'd expect.

The song writing efforts on this EP are extremely well done. Only employing guitars, a banjo, and sometimes a piano, this is Avett stripped to the bare bone. Bassist Bob Crawford does not even appear on the release and most songs find a slow rolling groove, similar to a calm river. With the songwriting focused on telling stories, whether it be a lover, a car, or family dynamics, the Avett Brothers shed light mainly on their thoughts; nothing more and nothing less. 

The sonic quality is naturally less of what I would like it to be. It's easy to tell this was not their goal in recording this EP. The vocals are a little mushy, even naturally and beautifully out of tune (a rare find in the days of Autotune). Often, I find that the guitars sound more polished than the vocals and it would be very interesting to know more about the studio techniques that led them to this overall sound.

Overall, Avett strikes again, in a way much differently than anticipated, but nevertheless again. With a major record deal and Rick Rubin by their side, big things will be expected from Avett on their next full length release, which they are currently working on. For now though, we have this simple and relaxing reminder of Avett's potential with so little. With Emotionalism being an example of what Avett is capable of doing with full production and more ornamentation, the Second Gleam offers us a taste and a reminder that at the core, Avett's songs are written soundly, melodically, and simply. And I can't think of a better way for them to be written.

Key Tracks

Tear Down the House

If I Get Murdered in the City

Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Links

Jack's Mannequin

Everybody Get DANGERous!

From getting a job (Half Price Books) to going to Bonnaroo, I have had little time to even begin listening or thinking about reviewing the new Weezer disc. On top of that, I feel that a band as important as Weezer deserves more than just the typical quick review that are given to other albums in order to get them out as soon as possible. Weezer, love, hate, or indifferent, can and should be argued as one of the most important post grunge 90's rock band for two reasons: The Blue Album and Pinkerton. The Blue Album, a commercial and critical success, while Pinkerton a more underground DIY legend, single handily (or double) put Weezer into rock legend status. Influential for all the whiny emo kids (Dashboard) and the DIY folks (Jack White), these two albums are highly important for the 1990's rock scene and beyond. After these two, Weezer seemed to drop off, arguably never to be the same. While I thoroughly enjoy Maladroit, it is no Blue or Pinkerton for sure. Some Weezer purists will never touch any record besides the first two. Make Believe and The Green Album were not bad per-say, just a disappointing effort for the Cuomo camp. Even with this said, I feel there is always hope in every Weezer's fans heart that there next album will return to undeniable greatness. 

This being said I needed to let the album thoroughly marinate in the my mind, read other reviews (Rolling Stone, Paste, and AllMusic.com), debate with friends and take into full account the opinions of the Weezer purists I know personally. Along with a trip to Bonnaroo, this has been why it has taken me a while to fully come out with a decision and it's still mixed feelings a little. Luckily, I have come to a more definite conclusion than what I began with.

The aptly titled Red Album is pretty standard post-Pinkerton Weezer material. With a knack for writing poppy hooks, the band fills it in with crunchy guitars and simple drumming techniques. While many songs catch your attention, the album still seems lacking. It's certainly hard to put my finger on it, and maybe I am simply setting Weezer up with too high of standards. The songs are certainly pop laden, but maybe too much so, following more in the footsteps of Make Believe rather than the Blue Album. It just does not have the same artistic quality of the Blue Album, yet strives for a more overall catchy sound.

The one thing that bothers me most is the ever simplified production of Rick Rubin. While a musical genius in his early years, his music has reached a sort of predictable dullness. Either he is getting too lazy or just too busy with multiple projects to truly care about each record individually. Coming from Pinkerton which is one of the most raw, well produced, and dynamic record of our age, I feel cheated hearing such a bland Weezer album. The guitar tones are crisp and distorted, the overall tone full of too much high end. It seems almost positively that this was solely recorded digitally because it lacks the air and mid range punch of any analog techniques. It simply makes me frustrated to know their potential, yet not hearing it. 

Lyrically, Weezer has seemed to fall into a mid life cheesiness that looks for jokes, references, and tongue in cheek style to prevail. While this may work for some, I fail to connect as well to this style as many others. Melodically, Rivers cannot be faulted as this is just slightly less catchy than Make Believe. Many songs have potential for single status and in a geeky way (true to Weezer) many of the songs are lighthearted and fun felt. In one way, Weezer has returned to its pop roots very well, it just forgot the other half of Weezer somewhere in the 90's.

Overall, the record is mediocre, especially compared to where they could be. Maybe it's just me with high standards and a preset view of where Weezer needs to be. Nonetheless, I cannot see myself enjoying much more than a few tracks occasionally on this record. While lacking the overall body of work that I enjoy and sounding just like every other recently produced Rubin album, I am sad to say Weezer has left me disappointed again. I hope this changes in the latter stages of my listening.

Key Tracks

Everybody Get Dangerous

Dreamin'

Rating

2.5 out of 5 Stars

Links

A different viewpoint

Walter E. Williams