Sometimes You Gotta Try a New Ice Cream Flavor (Album review + a summer playlist)

First off, let me start this post by saying I enjoyed Arctic Monkeys’ latest release, Suck It And See. I wouldn’t go as far to say that it was their best album, but it had a nice sound to it and I enjoyed “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”, “Library Pictures”, and “Black Treacle” the most.  I think The Monkeys first started to really change things up stylistically with 2009’s Humbug, and while I prefer Humbug to SIAS, I still recommend giving their new album a listen. :) Like always, our favorite Sheffield boys produce a great music effort.

My 1-10 rating: 7 out of 10

Other songs to check out: “Reckless Serenade”, “Love is a Laserquest”, “All My Own Stunts”

Now, for the real reason behind this post. I’ve been doing conditioning for cross country these past few weeks, and it has been HOT. Heck, even when I’m not running, it’s hot. I’ve turned on the fan, now drank plenty of water, and even had some ice cream to try and cool off, but I know by now that music is the ultimate way to make me feel better. So I’ve scoured the Internet and my own personal song collections to make a satisfying summer mix of 30 songs that includes classic rock, contemporary alternative/indie stuff, and—yes—even one or two pop and country songs. Don’t knock it until you try it though, and once you listen, you may start to feel cool as a cucumber despite the sizzling heat, especially on those long and boring road trips. Enjoy!

Note: Though a lot of them are about summer, there are also songs I threw in there because they’re upbeat and fun, or chill and laid-back.

1.       “Dusk and Summer” –Dashboard Confessional

2.        “A-Punk”—Vampire Weekend

3.       “Summer of ‘98”—The Secret Handshake

4.       “California”—Phantom Planet

5.       “Summer Nights”—Van Halen

6.       “Holiday”—Green Day

7.       “Walkin’ on Sunshine”—Katrina and the Waves

8.       “Ocean Avenue”—Yellowcard

9.       “Summertime”—Kenny Chesney

10.   “Summer Nights”—Rascal Flatts

11.   “Soak up the Sun”—Sheryl Crow

12.   “I Can Talk”—Two Door Cinema Club

13.   “End Love”—OK Go

14.   “Florida”—Modest Mouse

15.   “No, Not Now”—Hot Hot Heat

16.   “Wine in the Afternoon”—Franz Ferdinand

17.   “Bambi”—Tokyo Police Club

18.   “Teddy Picker”—Arctic Monkeys

19.   “Summertime Blues”—The Who

20.   “Summer Skin”—Death Cab For Cutie

21.   “Dani California”—Red Hot Chili Peppers

22.   “Sunny Afternoon”—The Kinks

23.   “Horchata”—Vampire Weekend

24.   “Lovers In Japan”—Coldplay

25.   “The Great Escape”—Boys Like Girls

26.   “Summer Angel" — Minus the Bear

27.   “The Beach”—All Time Low

28.   “Summer Love”—Justin Timberlake

29.   “Hey Ya!”—Outkast

30.   “Rebellion (Lies)”—Arcade Fire

So sorry I couldn't compile all the songs into an online playlist like my winter playlist, but I had too many songs to work with this time. Hopefully all can be found online so you can make your own mix yourself!

English Invasion!

Today we haul our butts across the pond to the United Kingdom--to England, to be specific. Jolly old England has a rich musical history, spawning dozens of centuries, from the folk songs of old to the rock and popular music we have today. No matter who you are or what your music taste is, this UK culture that also shares its borders with Scotland and Wales (also great centers of music) has plenty of artists and bands that are sure to delight. Here are a few of them, reviewed here and now on the Region Spotlight.
Note: I will soon be doing individual reviews of artists, but I'm still going to also review bands in the Region Spotlight. Just get used to seeing a bunch of reviews on here from now on. :P


Name: The Clash (1976-1986)
Origin: London, England
Discography: The Clash (1977), Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978), London Calling (1979), Sandinista! (1980), Combat Rock (1982), Cut The Crap (1985)
Genre(s): punk rock
Website: http://www.theclash.com/ (official)

The Clash, a product of the original wave of British punk music, was one of the most iconic and critically acclaimed bands of its day. This band is amazing in my opinion because of their musical experimentation and the fact that they weren't afraid to espouse their political views in their work, whether you agree with them or not. They were an inspiration for many English musicians associated with punk, and even some American bands credit The Clash as one of their influences. Their debut album and London Calling are perfect examples of what punk rock music is all about, and their musical style is a great one that people of past, present, and future can identify and enjoy. Though they are broken up now, and their later years saw a decline in their music, may we all remember the awesomeness of one of the best English bands of all time.

5 songs to check out: Rock the Casbah, London's Burning, Spanish Bombs, Police & Thieves, The Card Cheat


Name: Arctic Monkeys (2002- present)
Origin: Sheffield, UK (located in South Yorkshire, England)
Discography: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006), Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007), Humbug (2009)
Genre(s): alternative rock, post-punk revival, garage rock revival
Websites: http://www.arcticmonkeys.com/ (official), http://www.myspace.com/arcticmonkeys (Myspace), http://twitter.com/ARCTICMONKEYS (Twitter), http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/ArcticMonkeys (Facebook)

The Clash paved the way for bands like Arctic Monkeys, creating a song that these Sheffield boys would only expand upon two decades after the original punk wave band dissolved. Headed by vocalist and lead guitarist Alex Turner, also known for his side project band The Last Shadow Puppets, this band is fun, loud, and one of the finest acts England has to offer, both musically and in terms of their amazing lyrics, complements of Mr. Turner himself.

Their style seems to shift with each new release, but it's all for the better, as the Monkeys can deliver a good performance no matter what music and lyrics they have to work with. They're a good hip-shaking, food-stomping dance floor romp, something relaxing to listen to in an empty room, or a headbanging tune that keeps buzzing in your ears even after the final chords. And with an anticipated fourth album coming out this year and a planned apperance at the Benicàssim International Festival in Spain along the likes of  The Strokes, Arcade Fire, and Scottish band Primal Scream, who knows what this English quartet will drum up for us next? Only time will tell, but I have a feeling it'll be a pleasant surprise.

5 songs to check out: Fluorescent Adolescent, Crying Lightning, Teddy Picker, A Certain Romance, Fake Tales of San Francisco



Name: The Libertines (1997-2004, 2010- present)
Origin: London, England
Discography: Up the Bracket (2002), The Libertines (2004)
Genre(s): indie rock, garage rock revival, post-punk revival
Websites: http://www.thelibertines.com/ (official), http://www.myspace.com/thelibertines (Myspace), http://twitter.com/carlbaratmusic (frontman Carl Barat's Twitter)

Though the band had its ups and downs, mostly thanks to the downward spiral of vocal and rhythm guitarist Pete Doherty (also of Babyshambles fame), there's no doubt that The Libertines, another iconic band (in the early 2000s, they helped launch the garage rock revival movement that many UK bands would later be a part of), have a wonderful thing going on. While Barat and Doherty had differing musical styles, their collaboration forms something unique and musically satisfying. A review at popmatters.com describes The Libertines and their debut album as "overbearing, loud, and abrasive", but overall "great fun to listen to". I have to agree on that. While they did get off to a rough start, London's Libertines were able to sail towards popularity with their often deep lyrics and personal relationships with fans, often playing a Guerrilla gig so fans could see them up close and personal. This band is a must-listen, and after reuniting in August 2010 where they played at England's Reading and Leeds festivals, there's no doubt that maybe, just maybe, we could hear even more tunes from these guerrilla and garage rockers.

5 songs to check out: Time For Heroes, Can't Stand Me Now, What Became of the Likely Lads, The Man Who Would Be King, Vertigo

News: 2011 release dates

Happy New Year! It's a new year and with that comes new events in the world of music. Here are a few releases coming out in 2011, in various genres, so you can look forward to great music throughout the year:

Confirmed dates:

January 18: The King Is Dead- The Decemberists

January 25: Mine Is Yours- Cold War Kids

May 23: Born This Way- Lady Gaga

Unconfirmed dates/titles:

Untitled album- The Strokes

Untitled album- Coldplay

Untitled album- Radiohead

Untitled album- Passion Pit

Untitled album- Arctic Monkeys

Untitled album- Franz Ferdinand

Untitled album- Paramore


Wow, there's a lot of albums by bands to look forward to this year! Hopefully I'll be able to do some album reviews once some of these CDs come out. :)