Monday, January 28, 2008
new cds for this week! SPIN THOSE CDS!
Hot Chip- MAde In The Dark
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Goldenfrapp - A&E (single)
Matt Pond PA - People Have A Way
Jason Collett - Here's to Being Here
Lauren Kate - Back Roads
Sia - Some People Have Real Problems
Kate Nash - Made Of Bricks
Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Rivers Cuomo - Alone
State Radio - Year Of The Crow (single)
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Wyclef Jean - Carnival VOl II
Juno Soundtrack!
more cds are being reviewed but these we know are great ones. Especially try Lauren Kate! She's a friend from home and her cd is awesomeeee. Very good piano-pop. You'll fall in love. trust me.
As for my top albums of 2007? It's really impossible to break this down, but i'm going to have to go with the cds that had the most songs that I listened to. Ones I was always playing, boppin my head around campus on and telling everyone else aboot.
In no order, they are:
Burial - Untrue
Iron and Wine - Shepherd's Dog
Tegan and Sara - The Con
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War
Bat For Lashes - Fur And Gold
Justice - Cross
Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kordedala
Jason Anderson - Tonight
Tie These Hands - We Work Out
feist- The Reminder
doesn't count because its their live cd! no new musiccc :( but regardless, memorable and got me through finals!!!
Daft Punk - Alive
Oh btw, we will be broadcasting online in the "not-so-distant-future". WOO!
AND THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CAME TO THE MCPHAILS SHOW! those that didn't, your so dumb. such a good show, ask anyone who went. Videos/photos/interviews online soooooon
Big thanks to:
Matt Pond PA
Jason Anderson
NYC Smoke
and Tom Leschke
those that helped: exec board, todd and mcphail's staffers!
talk to you all sooon!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Welcome to the New Year all! We are so stoked for the New Year of 2008 ahead of us. We have our AMAZING show January 26th, a Saturday. Playing are:
Matt Pond PA
Jason Anderson
NYC Smoke
Tom Leschke
in McPhail's starting at 730! WOO! 5$ pc students, 10$ for non pc students. Should be amazing. DONT MISS IT!
As for new music, well one cd i've been infinitely stoked about:
Lightspeed Champion - Falling Of The Lavender Bridge
of course there are many new cds on the way such as Head Automatica, Glassjaw, Cat Power that I'm also stoked for. I'm sure there will be more great music ahead of us! Enjoy!!!!!
Monday, November 19, 2007
So sorry for the lack of updates! It's been hectic the past month or so and I haven't been able to update and review new cds. Unfortunately our DJ meeting this Sunday was a bust with about 15 people showing up (out of atleast 70!! why?!?). So, here are the new cds of this month!:
The Owls - Daughters and Suns
Ween - La Cucaracha
Up up Down Down Left right left Right B a Start - Worst Band Name Ever
Nicole Atkins - Neptune City
Madison Project - I Am The target
Luna Hal0 - Luna Halo
Bela Karoli - Furnished Rooms
The Caribbean - Populations
Ready The Jet - New Record Highs
Brimstone Howl - Guts of Steel
Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II
Brad Laner - Neighbor Singing
Joe Lally - Nothing is Underrated
The Wagner Logic - Easiest to Grab
Kiss her For The kid - Prettier Than Me
Half Acre Day - Fourteen Trips Around The Sun
The Mary Onettes - The Mary Onettes
Saturday Looks Good To Me - F*** Up The Room
Georgie James - Places
Coconut Records - Nighttiming
Please keep these on the left side if you use them AND DON'T STEAL! Just bring your computer in and burn them, takes 5 minutes. So remember, keep these cds listed above on the top left side (paper divider tells you). 10 DIFFERENT ADDS PER SHOW! that means from 10 different cds, 10 different tracks. Thank you! Happy turkey week!
-Brandon
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
New Atlantic - The Streets The Sounds and The Love
Coming Soon
Monday, October 29, 2007
Nellie McKay - Obligatory Villagers
Nellie McKay's third and newest cd is very short, but full of her beautiful voice and witty compositions. This cd, she completely wrote and orchestrated all parts. She was very much so the composer. She continues her style of Broadway-esque music but while similar to Sufjan Stevens, is more orchestrated than Sufjan...
...Opening the cd is Mother of Pearl. It's got witty lyrics, a staple of hers, about females. It's a great sample into what the entire cd will be like. With the different random voices talking, and chorpophones (clapping etc.) while keeping her jazzy style. Which brings us to Oversure that slams you into her world with the brass chords. Here we are dipped into the song, and feel as if we are in a music. Then comes the verse followed by a "Pajama Game" style instrumental work. "Gin Rummy" to me is as close as she can get to her first cd Get Away From Me. It also has a great catchy chorus with its great melodic line of ooh's into almost a sitcom style theme song. "Identify Theft" has a caribbean feel to it, but continues to put her witty flare despite its happy summer time feeling. It's such a cute song on such satirical words. "Galleon" is a track in a modern style like Spamalots - Lancelot likes to dance a lot. Very upbeat, and even has an electric guitar in it and a sick saxophone solo in the middle on top of a groovy drum setting us into a disco coma. Then, the guitar takes over and if you listen carefully, Nellie McKay is actually singing the solo as well! While this is a great tune, my favorite is "Politan" with its Spanish feel, but very cool guest singers (not listed on wikipedia! OH NO!). Regardless, it's also one of the best jazz style songs on this cd. I think the sax solo proves so. The lyrics feel very intimate but as usual, they are satirical lyrics. One of the best tracks on the cd. "Testify" is exactly what you would think at this point, Nellie's take on southern gospel that is noticeable in the chorus that only grows each time. Before that, it has a gentle Simply Red, 90's alternative feel to it. "Zombie", a track no one has an idea what it really means. Very funny in its comical style but musically, so strong and intelligently done.
Overall, this cd is nothing more than Nellie McKay satisfying her personal needs writing what she loves regardless if anyone loves it. I love it, as its musically satisfying, jazzy, swingy, broadway-esque, and witty. While I suggest you listen to this if you like Sufjan Stevens songs "The Tallest Man the Broadest Shoulders" or "Come on! Feel The illinoise" as they are in the style of 50's band/broadway. Both are amazing composers, writers, and story tellers. Nellie McKay is said to be in works on her next album as well, and here's to hoping its another good one..
Tracks:
1: Mother Of Peal (2:10)
3: Gin Rummy (2:59)
5: Identity Theft (3:28)
6: Galleon (3:22)
7: Politan (4:18)
9: Zombie (5:56)
NYC Smoke - Musique Noir
NYC Smoke is a band I met at CMJ by accident, and so glad that I did. Without a doubt, they play amazingly well on stage and I hope on their next album they capture that sound and energy they gave off at the show I saw. This cd is pretty good, and while it won't make the top lists of the best of 2007, it is without a doubt a band I will be looking into and hoping that they will grow with support of a label as their sound is catchy, great and fun...
...speaking of fun the cd starts out with an jamming introduction done by Pearl Jam it seems, a gentle 90's rock feel to it. It then kicks into "Stay" the first real track. The guitar sound is snarling, but the keys float on top of it. When the words kick in at 1 min, you get hooked as the verse is amazing. So well done. The guitar starts and stops fit perfectly into the working of the verse. It is here we understand the movement of this piece, as it was stuck "staying" into its chords until broken up by the words and music. While there is a huge break in the piece, I wish it had more explosive drum rebound. Regardless, this track is catchy no doubt and a good introduction to NYC Smoke..
"I Can't Hardly Wait" stars like a Fleetwood Mac song (geez, I've done a lot of Fleetwood Mac referencing lately...new trend?). It pulls you in, and the chorus ooh-oohs just fit so well on top of it. It kinda has a Matt Pond PA feel to it, but different. I think it's Howie's (lead singers) voice that kinda resembles Matt Pond's lower sound. A definitely head swinging track but feels like it could use something more. At the same time, i feel as if it was appropriately done to get that I can't hardly wait feel until the very end where it breaks free.
"You Wear Your Sin" opens up almost like an old Queens Of The Stone Age guitar feel. It continues this feel as it drives like QOTSA's "Go With The Flow" as its driving guitar and drumming work it out.
"Use You" kinda has an Artic Monkey's "A Certain Romance" for the verse
One of my favorite tracks is "Heaven" as it has that good vibe you get from The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys (A Certain Romance). It's gotta be that awesome guitar sound they achieve that makes me revert to this all the time, but honestly its great! The guitar lick, is infectious as hell and gets stuck in your head. On of the better choruses as well and this track is definitely one of the standout songs. Also, a sick bridge at that to...
"Guilty" a slower track, but a good one at that. A gently acoustic guitar picks away and has nice keys plucking away over it. A great chord progression helps this song move a lot as it's very pleasing to the ear. The choruses contain the electric guitar, snarling away again but it's done tastefully and fits the song so.
"Give Me An Issue" is a great rock song in general. It has a good pounding guitar chord work and good verse. It even has a short guitar solo in the beginning thats great. The background vocals fit oh so nicely on this track as well. Kinda feels if the Donnas were serious about their rock as it drives so well, its hard to not ignore. Towards the end is the guitar solo we were looking for and had a tease of in the beginning. Pretty good stuff on this one, another favorite track.
"Man On Fire" is maybe the indie-esque track some are looking for, as it has a nice guitar sweeping feel, and glides along. The chorus part is also killer. It's a great pop chorus, and moves well. Great feel on this track and catchy as well!
"Secret Machines" contains a drum machine. WOO! Kinda has the drum machine sound of Tegan and Sara's "Are You Ten Years Ago" but disbands this feel after a minute and goes into a gentle song that has a Stars feel to it. The drums go back to a real kit and give a good gentle pulse to it. The vocals on this one are well done to. Good easy track no doubt.
"Bone, Blood and Cell" is the track that catches you. All around. What a great verse and chorus. This is the other standout track as its instrumentation makes it hard not to listen. A definite head swinger, but the vocals in this one is also fantastic. I really love the melody on this one, and the general vibe you get from it. They ride this train to the end of the song where it climaxes and perfectly transforms back to the catchy rhythm placed in the beginning.
...While not a killer album, its a good album at best. And from what I heard on their new tracks at CMJ, their new cd could possibly be that killer album that they need to put themselves more out there. They've got a good basis, catchy and their live performances are stellar. I'm hoping that this band sticks it out, and pulls through with their strengths (catchy choruses, strong guitar sound, great vocals) and carry up their weakness (not catchy that awesome live sound they had!!!). I promise you, watch out for this band, as their next CD will be all around fantastic and make them known.
The Mohawk Lodge - Wildfires
coming soon
Misfortune 500 - Before This Winter Ends
coming soon
Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War
So finally here is my delayed post on a fantastic album. Stars have become quite famous in the music world for their beautifully crafted LP Set Yourself Of Fire. That CD, defined for me a great year. It was beautiful from beginning to end. What topped it off, was that I saw them with Death Cab For Cutie at Lupo's, front row about 3 years ago (lucky right?) and now they headline their own shows. Glad they've made it (almost) as they are widely apart of Broken Social Scene and Canada's indie movement. Not to mention Torquil's side project Memphis or Amy Milan's solo career are also blooming as well. Enough about that, Stars album actually leaked back in June (around the 30th) and Arts & Craft , as well as the band, decided to let it be bought digitally immediately after the leak. Boy did it work. Finally someone got it right. Good thing to, because this album is another great chapter in Stars discography...
... we open up with an M83 style opening, that leads us right into the first single "The Night Starts Here". One of my favorite tracks, it starts as if a b-side of their Heart LP but about a little over a minute it kicks into an amazing bass beat tracked under excellent, well crafted drums. Amy's voice sounds just as sweet over it all and then the guitar and orchestra swell under Torque's verse. About 2 and a half minutes comes this great guitar riff. It's so driven along with everything else. It's absolutely a great track and a standard in describing Stars sound.
Next comes "Take Me To The Riot" that opens as if it was a U2's Bloody Sunday, but then we are brought back to the sweet vocals of Amy and Torquil (those blips in the beginning yeah?). The pre chorus also has a great hook that leads us into a great chorus. At the end it just gets more epic, truly another standout track.
One of the few tracks that really give Amy Milan's voice a chance to shine is "My Favourite Book". It is perfectly suited for her. It kinda has a Fleetwood Mac chorus to it, and kinda a Natalie Imbrulia (Torn? remember that tune?) emotional sound to it (All the ways you moveeee). Could just be the harmonizing on that section though... Regardless it has a great bridge and a sweet orchestral moment with snarling violins with steady vibrato.
"Midnight Coward" pulses like a march with its driven drums and bass line. The keys in this are outstanding (and mandolin!). They fit into this one perfectly. That's one thing I love about Stars, they can be very expansive in their instrumentation but it works so well. You can hear the upright piano, grand piano and electronica keys but it sounds great. Torquil also showcases his best vocal performance yet.
So the next track "The Ghost of Genova Heights" I thought was the intro to Michael Jackson's "I Wanna Rock with you". That snare just sounds so damn familiar. Anywho, this track is mostly Torquil and is a gentle sweet tune. Kinda disco-y after the chorus! and i love it! While not the best, it doesn't fill like a filler track at all. It ends beautifully like a Stars track should.
One of the most interesting tracks is "Personal". It has a sick guitar riff in the distant on delay/reverb bouncing around in background. A gentle piano, and gentle limited guitar notes provides a very touching track, which is indeed why its called "Personal". An interesting track about two strangers meeting and it keeps this tone throughout. Interesting, but a favorite for its artsy appeal connecting title with its feel.
"Barricade" is a good track for Torquil but feels to 80's for me because the chorus. It doesn't match the feel that the Stars generally have. It contains a riot chant in the middle and end which is interesting, but this is not a standout track in my opinion...
"Window Bird" starts with Amy Milan possibly singing the highest I've ever heard her. Sounds sweet, a bit straining but emotionally driven. The end is what really sells the song for me as it reminds me of "He Lied about Death" from their last cd. While slower that "He Lied About Death" it gets disjunct, dissonant but appropriately done.
"Bitches In Tokyo" grabs your intention with loud tom drumming but settles into a cymbal and snare hit. Then the chorus pulls you in with the shortest "song" on the album. A great track nonetheless and it carries itself well with the drumming and piano. The bridge rocks everything up with explosive drumming and some great keyboard work.
"Life 2: The Unhappy Ending" is a great track. One of Torquil's best yet. I just love the drumming and instrumentation for this track. From the xylophone's, orchestration, guitar, keyboards, and singing its all around one of the more impressive instrumentally done tracks. The drums in this are perfect for the song and is understandably one of the best tracks on the cd. Very well done lyrically and done perfectly as I would expect them to do with their lyrics.
"In Our Bedroom After The War" is the title track, and last song. So epic, its unbelievable. It's as if they took the whole storytelling thing to heart and in the end wrote a movie. It builds gently but strongly when it hits its climax. It feels like a big hoorah, and that the war is finally over and now rest and peace can be achieved. And at the end, the camera pans out to the ending, leaving us and satisfying us with a great record...
...A lot of people compare this cd with Set Yourself On Fire which isn't fair. Stars have grown a lot since then experiencing new things, solo and side band, and learning to grow. Lyrically, its as good as Set Yourself On Fire and instrumentally done just as well. I think people were expecting a charged cd like "What I'm Trying To Say" but i feel as though they've been juggling with writing well crafted songs in their "elegant pop" style. They have done this perfectly well as it almost feels as if its painted, just like the cd cover. A well done cd, and a cd they should be proud of because it showcases great growth and sign of a good direction. The next cd will no doubt be their best yet, as they have found their balance of their dance rock and elegant pop finally.
tracks:
2: The Night Stars Here
3: Take Me To The Riot
4: My Favourite Book
5: Midnight Coward
7: Personal
11: Life 2: The Unhappy Ending
13: In Our Bedroom After The War (6:47)
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