School's been keeping me busy so it's been hard to update the blog...but the long-awaited new album from The Strokes came out a few days ago and I had to talk about it on here! Since I'm perpetually broke, I listened to the album online, and have come to enjoy it. It's definitely a step away from classic Strokes--albums such as the debut Is This It and second album Room On Fire. However, the funky new feel of Angles is exactly what makes things work. This year, artists such as Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys are shifting their usual music style with new albums (Radiohead's The King of Limbs, released last month to mixed critical reviews, and Arctic Monkeys'sSuck It And See set to release in June and already showing its unique sound with the song "Brick By Brick", posted to Youtube three weeks ago and recieving plenty of buzz). The Strokes, an iconic New York indie rock band formed in the late 90s, is just another band breaking away from their traditional mold here in 2011. Many have criticied that Angles doesn't have the feel of a traditional album by The Strokes, but I disagree. With a retro chic, 80s-sounding tune like "Macchu Picchu" starting off the album, you can't go wrong...many people on Youtube (and even non-Youtubers like myself) have admitted to putting the addictive first track on repeat. A song named after Peruvian ruins never sounded so good, huh?
Another noteworthy track on the new album is "Call Me Back", a tune about the problems of whether feelings in a relationship are mutual and the fear of confronting the fact because they want to avoid rejection, a feeling some of us know all too well. The chords in the background are mellow and enjoyable, and arguably another very good track.
Though some people may not say this is the best work from our favorite New York boys, I like Angles just fine. True, it doesn't rank up there with previous albums quite yet, but after a few listens it may grow on you. In its own way, Angles is a pretty solid album, and evidence that changing up like a chameleon doesn't always lead to a disatrous sound.
My 1-10 rating: 8 and a half stars
Other songs to check out: "Under Cover of Darkness", "Life is Simpler in the Moonlight", "Gratisfaction"
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
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
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
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. :)
"Old habits die hard
When you've got
When you've got a sentimental heart
Piece of the puzzle you're my missing part
Oh, what can you do with a sentimental heart?"
The photo shoot concept: Capture fun times and bonding moments between the members of indie folk band She & Him.
The models: Zooey Deschanel (vocals, piano, ukulele), Matthew "M. " Ward (guitar, production)
Above lyrics are to "Sentimental Heart", from their album Volume One (2008).
"[...]When I send a demo MP3 to Matt he'll always come up with production ideas that I never would have thought of in a million years. It's really fun to watch the songs blossom and unfold. Blossoming and unfolding are basically the same thing, but blossoming is more romantic, wouldn't you agree?" -Zooey Deschanel, in an interview for Pitchfork (March 15, 2010).
Christmas time is fast approaching (can you believe Christmas Eve is tomorrow?) and I'm sure that by now, some of you are tired of hearing the same old holiday tunes. So here's a playlist full of good songs to get you through the winter that are not-surprise!-holiday tunes. Hopefully this special playlist, with tunes from the likings of Gwen Stefani, Sara Bareilles, and other artists, will help cheer us up or mellow us out during these chilly wintertime blahs. After all, if we can't get any snow here in Georgia, we can listen to music that helps us visualize it. ;)
Happy holidays, and don't forget to spread the word about The Beatbox to your friends!
P.S.: Playlist.com says that "Winter Wooskie" by Belle & Sebastian is unavailable, which is a shame because it's a lovely song. I've posted the video to it below so you can still listen to it though. :)
Today's video link is to "Do You Want To", a song by the much-adored Scottish dance punk band Franz Ferdinand. Lead singer Alex Kapranos has said that the song is based off of a night at a party at an art gallery. Well, it must've been some wild night because the video and song suggest a crazy night of antics. It's a fun song to dance to (as is the usual for most Franz Ferdinand songs) and you'll get a kick out of the video, I'm sure.
