Vol.2 Episode 50.5

Here is my list of favorite albums from 2011 that I have purchased. There are a few albums from this past fall that I have not yet purchased but still plan on getting. Because I don't have them yet they are not included in this list. I will list those albums at the end of this post. I will hopefully get them soon and will also review them next year.

Here is the list of my favorites in no particular order:

Yuck - Yuck
Wierd Al Yancovic - Alpocalypse
Weekend - Red EP
Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls
Tapes N' Tapes - Outside
Surfer Blood - Tarot Classics
Silversun Pickups - Seasick
She & Him - A very She & Him Christmas
Saves The Day - Daybreak
Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
Radiohead - TKOL RMX
Radiohead - Live From The Basement-The King Of Limbs
Philip Selway - Running Blind
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Belong
Owl City - All Things Bright and Beautiful
Kelly Clarkson - Stronger
Jonsi - Go Out EP
Jonsi - We Bought A Zoo
Jill Scott - Light of the Sun
Incubus - If Not Now, When?
Gorillaz - The Fall
Gold-Bears - Are You Falling In Love?
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Falling Up - Your Sparkling Death Cometh
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Don't Say We Didn't Warn You
The Dodos - No Color
Death Cab For Cutie - Codes and Keys
Broken Bells - Meyrin Fields
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
The Black Keys - El Camino
Big Troubles - Romantic Comedy

Here is the list of albums that I have missed but want to have:
Justice - Audio Video Disco
Death Cab For Cutie - Keys & Codes Remix EP
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
Family Force 5 - III
Switchfoot - Vice Verses

I hope that you enjoyed these albums as much as I did or that I at least prompted you to look into these groups and albums.

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope to be starting Vol.3 sooner than later! That is all for now...

Vol. 2 Episode 50

Here it is, number 50. It is not exciting but there is still some interesting things written about. Enjoy!

Weekend – Red EP

This is the second EP from Weekend. It was released in early fall of 2011. The only single released from this five track EP is called Hazel. The song is a super catchy Shoegazer song with Progressive tendencies. The rest of the EP is standard Weekend fair. It is excessive noise pop that will make your ears ring. It is a great EP though. It is just enough music from the group to not be numb in the ears because of the noise that the group can produce. The EP was released on CD and standard black vinyl to start with. It was later released on clear red vinyl with an even later limited release, because of production issues, on clear vinyl with gold splatter. The latter record came in a red plastic sleeve.

Lipps Inc. – Mouth To Mouth

This is the first album from Lipps Inc.  It was released in 1979. There was a single from this album that I have been after since I was a kid called Funkytown. I loved this song as a kid and couldn’t get enough of the track. The robotic vocals that were used in parts of the song reminded me of the Cylons vocals from the TV show Battle Star Galactica. I finally tracked down the album and found out that the group originated from Minnesota. This is a very short album with only four tracks. I was lucky to find a copy still sealed for just a few bucks. 

My Bloody Valentine – This Is Your Bloody Valentine

This is the debut mini album from MBV. It was released in 1985. There are seven tracks on the mini album. This album sounds nothing like the groups future releases. There are heavy gothic and post-punk sounds that happen all over this album. The album bears next to no resemblance to the genre that they would become famous for in the future, shoegaze. There was no official single released from this mini album. This is one of those albums that you don’t need unless you are a completist for the group.

Veronica Falls – Insound StudioSession

Insound.com does in house live studio sessions now and again. Veronica Falls happened to stop by their studio reciently to record a three song set with them. They recorded two album tracks and a new track that has not been heard before. The three track are Beachy Head, Come On Over and the new track Burry Me Alive. All three tracks sound fantastic and it is always to hear new music from any artist. I just hope that they put out this new track on a single. It is a pretty good song.

Big Troubles – Daytrotter Studio Session.

Big Troubles recently visited the Daytrotter studio for a recording session. They recorded four tracks during the session and only one track I had heard previously. This session is free if you are interested in hearing what they sound like. They did put out an album before the most recent album, Romantic Comedy, so some of the tracks could be from there.

Vol. 3 will be starting up near the middle of January with lots of new and old music. 

That's all for now...

Vol. 2 Episode 49

I happen to have some extra time over the long weekend so here is the next episode, enjoy.

The Clash – Combat Rock

This is the fifth album from the classic punk group The Clash. It was released in 1982. It was the last album to feature Mick Jones (fired from the band) and Topper Headon (kicked out because of heroin addiction). There were four singles that were released from this album that I am aware of. The first single released from the album is Know Your Rights. The song is about the base laws of the poor and the disenfranchised. Those three laws are as follows: 1. The right not to be killed. Murder is a crime, unless it is done by a policeman, or an aristocrat. 2. The right to food money, providing of course, you don't mind a little investigation, humiliation, and, if you cross your fingers, rehabilitation. 3. The right to free speech (as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it). The next single from the album is called Should I Stay or Should I Go. This is a track that I remember listening to on the radio as a kid. My parents did not like the punk rock life style though. I did not exactly get it but thought the looks and the way that people dressed were so cool. When ever I tried to dress in an outfit that was similar to the punk rock look I was told to change or to wash my hair. I remember one time after Halloween I had sprayed a purple color in my hair and did not tell my parents that I had done it. I was going somewhere with my father. We had gotten halfway down the block and my father realized I had colored part of my hair. He went around the block dropped me off and told me to wash that shit out of my hair. That was how firm my parents, my father specifically, were against me or my sister looking or thinking like a punk. That did not stop me from liking good music though. The third single from the album is called Rock The Casbah. This is another track that I remember hearing on the radio. It was a big hit and was played very often on the radio station that I listened to as a kid. I remember thinking that this song has similarities to the song Puttin’ On The Ritz. Then I would think of the Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein because the monster sang Puttin’ On The Ritz with the Doctor. It always made me laugh when I heard the song Rock The Casbah. The last single from the album is called Straight To Hell. I don’t really remember hearing this track on the radio personally. The song is on the experimental side for the group. The song is more of a ballad for the group. The song is supposed to be partially about the Vietnamese children fathered by American soldiers during the Vietnam conflict. It is a great song, just not a rockin’ song. I wont say that the album needs to be heard by everyone but these four singles should be heard at the very least.

Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory

This is the first album from the group Linkin Park. It was released in 2000. I got into this group because of my ex-brother-in-law. I use to go skateboarding with him while he was still in high school. I had already graduated college at that point though. I had always liked skating but had put the sport out of my head for a while. When he showed interest in the sport I picked it up again. I had a great time with the kid. I probably inadvertently taught him some life lessons and he entertained me to no end. There was many a night that he would stay over at our house and we would stay up all night skating until we were tired then playing video games till we couldn’t keep our eyes open. This is one of the albums that will always remind me of these times. There were four singles released from this album. The first single is called One Step Closer. The song had some serious anger venting that happened. I liked the song for this reason. I have always had a problem explaining how I felt and why. With this song I could sing along and get out all of my frustrations through the words of this song. It is a great song just for this purpose. Especially while the lead singer is screaming the words, “Shut up when I’m talking to you!” The next single is called Crawling. This is another great song from the group that is a little bit slowed down. It is for sure not a ballad but slightly down tempo from their hard rock tracks. There is still a lot of screaming on the track though. The third single from this album is called Papercut. The song seems to be about being paranoid about ones own life. It is a good track with great music. The last single from this album is called In The End. This track is very down tempo from the rest of the album. It make you think about ones own past and how you can’t change that past. One can only learn from the mistakes that one has made and move on. This song always made me think about things like that anyway. This is a great introspective album from 2000 that everyone should hear at least once. If not the whole album then for sure the last single, In The End, and the first single, One Step Closer.

Pink Floyd – The Wall

This is the eleventh album buy Pink Floyd. It was released in1979. It was released as a double LP. The tour that followed the release featured elaborate theatrical effects. Later there was a feature film adapted from the album. The album is a concept album, as were the previous three albums. This one deals with abandonment and personal isolation. The album is a rock opera that centers on Pink, a character based on Waters or maybe Syd Barrett. Pink's life experiences begin with the loss of his father during the Second World War, and continue with ridicule and abuse from his schoolteachers, an overprotective mother and finally, the breakdown of his marriage. All contribute to his eventual self-imposed isolation from society, represented by a metaphorical wall. There were three singles released from this album. The first, and most popular, single released from the album is called Another Brick In The Wall Part 2. I won’t say that this is the most popular song of the day but it is one of my most recognized songs from this time. I heard it all the time in the garage when my father would work on cars. He always had the radio blaring as loud as he could get it. This was so that he could hear the music over the loud noises that he was already making as he was doing body work on cars. I was not in the garage all the time while he was working but I was in there often enough to hear this song and be able to sing along with it. Part II is a protest song against rigid schooling in general and boarding schools in particular, which led to the song being banned in South Africa during the apartheid regime. It was also released as a single and provided the band's only number-one hit in the United Kingdom, the United States, West Germany and many other countries. The next single from the album is Comfortably Numb. This is another great song from this album. It is a slow song but the vocals work so well with the music that it becomes comforting to hear the song. This may also be because I grew up hearing this song almost as frequently as the first single but that is just me. The last single released from the album is called Run Like Hell. I don’t know this song nearly as well as the other two songs. It is still a good song but I don’t have the same feelings about this song as I do for the first two tracks. Apparently the song is about a hallucination that the lead character, Pink, has while he is at a concert. He dreams that he becomes a fascist dictator and turns a concert audience into an angry mob. It is kind of a strange idea in my opinion but this is a song from Pink Floyd. Not so strange coming from them. This is a staple in rock music history. Everyone should at least hear the first two singles that were released from the album if not the whole album. But it is a rock opera and should be listened to from start to finish is you do choose to listen to the album.

Blur – Modern Life Is Rubbish

This is the second album from Blur. It was put out in 1993. I was not into the group until the next album came out, Park Life. After I got that album I did my normal thing and researched the band. I found out about the first two albums and then started looking form them. I found this album at a used record store. I actually found a demo copy/or a pre-release of the album because it was housed in a clear plastic CD case with just a circular sticker on it with the track listing, the band name and the name of the CD. I thought that it was unique enough so I bought it. I always thought that the album was special because it had so many tracks on it. I found out that the US released of the album had a few extra tracks so it was not that special. It is still in a special case though. I have never seen the case for the CD that I have. There are only three singles released for this album. The first single for this album is called For Tomorrow. The song was about the area in London called Primrose Hill. The lead singer also talks about a house next in Emperors Gate. This is mentioned because his parents lived in a flat next to The Beatles. I think that I read that The Lennon’s owned the flat actually. The next song is called Chemical World. When the video was reviewed on Beavis and Butt-head, Beavis said that he wanted to urinate all over the band and the wildlife, including a snail and Damon Albarn. I thought that this was very funny when I saw it. I did not know anything about Blur at the time though. Recalling the segment still brings a smile to my face though. The whole album is kind of slow so I could see why the two characters would think this of the group. The last single from this album is called Sunday Sunday. The song is about the typical activities that people from The United Kingdom take part in on Sundays. It is kind of a poppy track that picks up tempo in the middle and then drops it back down. It is a fun song. This isn’t the groups best album but if you want to get into the music of the early to mid 90’s you may want to look into this album.

I don't know if any of you care but I have been watching the US version of The X Factor. Bruno Mars, who I really don't care for, sang a cover version of the song It Will Rain (watch it here). There is a version of him singing this song that is going to be on the sound track for the movie Breaking Dawn part 1. I looked up the version that will be on the soundtrack and it seems to fall flat compared to the version that was sung on The X Factor. If you have a chance go to The X Factor YouTube channel and watch it. It is really amazing!

That is all for now.

Vol. 2 Episode 48

Hey every one,

Cutting it down to the wire here aren't I? As it stands I may not get to episode 50 this year. My work obligations for christmas are going to be more cumbersom than I thought this year. I know that it is only to more episodes to make it to number 50 but we will see what happens with december. I will be sure to post on FB (if you are friends with me) and Twitter (PurelyHim) when those last to episodes are released, if they are released though, you can be sure about that. You can always check my twitter feed which usually is only updated when I post a new episode.

On with the show...

R.E.M. – Eponymous

This is the second compilation album from R.E.M. (The first greatest hits album). It was released in 1988 and was the last release from the band on the I.R.S. label. With the release of the album Green the group had signed with Warner Bros. There are a few rare versions of songs that are included with this collection. This is a good over view of their work with I.R.S records, their early work as it is. This album does have the alternate title of File Under Grain. The album Document had the alternate title File Under Fire and the album Reckoning had the alternate title File Under Water.  Since it is a greatest hits album I will just talk about the three different tracks on the album. The first is an alternate version of Gardening At Night from the Chronic Town EP. The track is actually labeled as Gardening at Night (Different Vocal Mix). The vocal mix is only slightly different and if you are not listening for it you will not catch it. The next song is called Romance. This song is taken from The soundtrack for the movie Made In Heaven. I have not seen this movie but fits as a great rare song on this collection. The soundtrack for the movie was never put out on CD that I am aware of. The last song is called Finest Work Song (Mutual Drum Horn Mix). This is obviously a different mix on the drums and Horns. Both of these different remix versions are good but don’t seem to stand out as something super special. The rare song on the album that was included on the sound track is a very cool song with a fun bouncy bass line but doesn’t seem like your average R.E.M. song. I like it because it is different. I wouldn’t say that everyone should own this compilation though since there are more current compilations or best of album that are out there. I was lucky to find this for 50 cents on cassette. I thought it would be a fun listen but did not want to spend a ton of money on it. It is a good collection of songs but unless you are a big fan of the group I would probably not recommend getting the album. If you are like me, you may just happen to run across it purely by coincidence. 

Squarepusher – Feed Me Weird Things

This is the first album from Squarepusher, A.K.A Tom Jenkinson. The album was released in 1996. Squarepusher is a brilliant bassist and drum machine programmer. All of the music on this album is completely electronic or electronica as the genre has labeled it. This is one of my favorite album from Squarepusher. There are some very beautiful sounds that are used along with some brilliant jazz ideas. The very first track on the album, Squarepusher Theme, showcases his electric bass chops and overly technical drum programming. This song would probably be way to much for most people but this is where I took my cue to write drums on my first two albums. I loved the myriad of drum hits that were programmed not only on this song but the whole album. It is brilliant, technical and overwhelming at times. The next song, Tundra, slows the music down quite a bit. This is needed after first track really. The opening synth lines are a wave wash of sounds. The drums slowly kick in and start bashing the beats against those waves. It is really a great contrast piece though. Then the song completely changes. The synth line becomes more melodic and the drums almost drop off but come back with a simple rock beat but over time become more full and beat heavy. This is a great track when you want a good beat but still want to relax. My next favorite track on this album, Dimotane Co,  starts out in the most annoying way, a single tone for one minute. Then the song kicks in and you are so glad you waited for that annoying song to stop and the actual song to start. It is all drum and bass electronic but man it keeps you so interested in what is happening with the song. The bass breaks remind me of the music that I used to experiment with on the computer when I first got one of my own in 1996. I did not have access to the instruments and software that Squarepusher had or maybe I would be in a similar position as he, or maybe not, who knows. Anyway, this is yet another track that, now that I have heard it, I don’t think I could live with out. Goodnight Jade is another track that I really like for its simplicity. It is a smooth slow synth piece with nothing on the drums but a steady one hit at the start of every riff. It reminds me of a night where there are hazy clouds out with a full moon giving the sky a really cool green tinge with maybe a London sky line from the country side. It is really beautiful. The last track that I really like from this album is also drum laden with great sounding synth keyboard sounds is called Kodack. There are great shimmery sounds that over lay some simple synth keys and the classic technical electric bass and programmed drums that Squarepusher will have become known for. This is a great peek at what he will do in the future with music. it is also a great place to start if you like electronic and jazz music fused together. I would recommend this album all day to every one!

Beck – Odelay

This is the fifth studio album from beck. It was released in 1996. I remember that I was about to start college and was playing music with a couple of friends over the summer. There were five singles released from this album. It is still a very popular album. The album was produced by the Dust Brothers who had previously worked with many hip-hop artists. The first single from the album is the super famous Where It’s At. I really liked this song and it was the reason that I bought the album. The track starts out with a great intro on a Rhodes keyboard, yet another reason for me to love the track as much as I do. The song is so catchy it is hart to say that you don’t like it. The next single from the album is called Devil’s Haircut. This song is also the opening to the album. There is a cool bass line with a simple and constant guitar chord that plays through the song. There are also some very cool guitar solos that happen on the song none of them are the same and it keeps the song fresh. Beck has said that the song is about how an outsider may view our greed and vanity in our current times (1996). The third single released is called The New Pollution. This is a great drum driven track. Easily danceable and the video featured 60s style dancers in the background, to illustrate my point. There is also a great saxophone solo in this song. The next single from the album is called Sissyneck. This track has a country song feel to it. This feel is overlaid on an electronic sound. The fusion of the two genres actually works quite well. But then beck has always dabbled in fussing different genres. It is not one of my favorite tracks from the album but it does work well. The last track released from this album is called Jack-Ass. This is a slow song for the album. There is a lot of vibrato used in the instrumentation of the track giving the listener time to think about what is being played and said during the song. It has been said that this song is really a lead-in for a future album from Beck called Sea Change, previously reviewed. I would agree with this statement really. It is a beautiful track albeit a little rough around the edges. I would like to add that my absolute favorite track from this album is not a single. It is actually the track called High 5 (Rock The Catskills). There is something special about this song for me. It is very different with a little rap mixed into the electronic rock that the song is. The chorus sings, “High five, more dead than alive/rockin the plastic like a man from the catskills.” There is just something that is so engaging for me about the way that it is sung. The album was reciently reissued as a deluxe album with two CDs, the second CD containing remixes and B-sides from the singles. This is another one of those great albums that everyone should hear at least once!

Air – Moon Safari

This is the first full length album from the French duo Air. It was released in 1998. It is an electronica/down tempo album. I first found out about the group when they did the soundtrack for the movie The Virgin Suisides. I loved that soundtrack and wanted more from them. This was the only album that they had done previous to that sound track. There are only three singles off this album. The first is called Sexy Boy. I remember hearing clips of this track on an MTV2 channel check clip. I always thought to myself that is a very cool sound clip. I wonder who the artist is. I never did the research to find out though. It was not until after the sound track came out that I bought the album and realized who the artist was, after listening to the music on the CD of course. The music has a great bass line that sounds so cool. I think it has some sort of vocal component to the bass line to give it that human/organic sound that attracts the listener. The female vocals help as well. The second single, called Kelly Watch The Stars, also has a great bass line but doesn’t stand out as much as the first single. The vocals on this track are covered up with a vocoder that makes the music blend very well. The vocals are not covered up but are instead linked directly to a keyboard. The lyrics are mainly just the repeating of the title of the track but that doesn’t make it any less of a great song. The third single is called All I Need. This song was co-written with Beth Hirsch who also sang the lyrics on the song. The bass line on this song was taken from their song Les Professionnels that can be found on their first EP, reviewed earlier this year, Premiers Symptômes. The album as a whole is very good. If you like down tempo or want an album to relax to, this is a good album to accomplish that with. The whole album is a great chill out record.

Radiohead - TKOL RMX 8
I have reviewed the original seven remix records that the group have released. After the seventh and final remix album was released the group decided to put out three additional tracks on download only.You can get them at The King Of Limbs store and only at the store. The first track is the third part of the Jamie xx Rework. This is an amazing version of Bloom if I do say so my self. The second track is a second part remix from Anstam of the track Separator. This is pretty good but not the best. The third and last remix is from Nathan Fake. This track is a remix of Morning Mr Magpie. It is labeled as Harshdub RMX. This if actually very interesting version. Thom Yorke listed these tracks as they didn't make it in to us in time to be pressed on wax. Good music, check them out if you are into that sort of thing. They can be heard for free before buying them at the Dead Air Space web site.

Hopefully I will be able to get the last to out before the end of the year.

That is all for now...

Vol. 2 Episode 47

The B-52’s Mesopotamia

This is the second EP from The B-52’s. The first was a remix EP so Mesopotamia could be considered the first original music EP they put out. It is also the only EP that was released if you don’t count the remix EP. It just depends on what type of a fan you are I guess. It was released in 1982. It was produced by David Byrne. It was intended to be their third full length album. Because of conflicts with Byrne the recording sessions were cut short and the six songs of the intended ten were released as this EP. In 1990 a few of the songs were remixed and included in a new version of the previously mentioned remix EP titled Party Mix! This EP, Mesopotamia, is a departure from the previous two albums. I think that this EP helped push the next album, Wammy!, to the next level. I can hear the use of the 80s synth being used in some of these songs that come on in full force in the next album. Byrne layered on many instruments and sounds on these tracks making them sound more rich and heavy in sound. Each of the tracks on this EP were released as double A sides. The record that was released outside of the US has extended versions of the first five tracks on the EP. I wish I had that version. The first track on the EP is called Loveland. This song has a great bass line played on a key bass. The vocals are a beautiful round high pitch female vocal. I love the B-52’s for their female vocals. It makes me feel happy. The next track is called Deep Sleep. This song has a cool lounge style about it. There are no lyrics to the track. This is one of the best things about this group in my opinion. They will put a song on an album with no vocals and it will be one of the best songs on the album. The third song on the album is the title track. For me this is the weakest song on the album. The song is just flat or lacking in depth for me. Maybe it is the fact that they had to use the word Mesopotamia in a song. It just doesn’t work for me. The next track is called Cake. They are literally singing about cake. It is just hilarious to listen to the lyrics as they sing about how to eat and different types of cake. The song is just so much fun. I would think that every woman would love this song just for the sheer fact that it is about cake. That may be overstepping my bounds that is what I see in my head. The point is that it is a funny song that I think everyone should hear at least once. The fifth track is called Throw That Beat In The Garbage Can. This song, for me, uses the classic 80s new wave bass sound. This song sounds a lot like something that Devo may have come up with. It is a really fun beat that makes me want to do the Po-Go dance that everyone did in the 80s. The last track on this EP is called Nip It In The Bud. The music for the song is not that great. What makes this song is the vocals. The way that the female vocals sing the title of the song makes this song so much fun. I think that this is an overlooked EP from the group. There are some real great tracks on this EP. Every on should hear it at least once!

The Black Keys – Magic Potion

This is the fourth album from The Black Keys. It was released in 2006. It is the duos first record released on Nonesuch and they have been with this record company, so far, ever since. This is the first time that the group has written all original material on an album or EP. There were three singles released from this album. The first was Your Touch. The song was featured on the movie Zombieland. This was not the first time that I had heard the song though. I started listening to a local radio station called TheCurrent in 2007. This is where I heard this song for the first time. I did not know who the group was at the time but did think that the song was very good when I heard it. It was not until this past year that I purchased the album though. When I listened to the album it dawned on me that I knew this song from listening to my local radio station. It is a very catchy blues song that I think everyone should hear at least once, it is that good! The next single released from the album is called You’re The One. This was released as a download and on CD in 2007. This is a slowed down track but the great guitar work that the lead singer does is just fantastic, keeping the listener engaged in the music. The vocals are nice and clean. They just float over the music like clouds. It is a very enjoyable song. The last single released from this album is called Just Got To Be. This track is classic Blues but more importantly it has become classic Black Keys. This is the second best track on this album next to the first single, Your Touch. It has a rough distorted guitar sound that you just can’t get past. It moves your soul. It always amazes me the tones that Dan Auerbach, the lead singer/guitarist of The Black Keys, can get with his pedals and guitars. I don’t think that this album is the place to start with the group but it is a very good album. If you were to start with an album I would advise the album Attack & Release. There is something magical about that album.

Bon Iver – Blood Bank

This is the first EP released from Bon Iver. It was released the first winter after his first album. It was released in 2009, almost one year after his first album. The title track, Blood Bank, is the first track on the EP. It was recorded at the same time as the tracks for the first album but didn’t seem to fit with the full album and was left off. It was added to the EP along with the three other songs that were recorded at a later date. This title track has the same feel as the first album, For Emma, Forever Ago. It has a smooth slightly distorted sound and it has that same heart wrenching feeling as the first album. The next track, Beach Baby, approaches new ground for Bon Iver. This song is much simpler in that there is no drums to speak of. It also makes use of a steel/lap guitar but it is still in the classic Bon Iver style. The third track, Babys, uses a piano to bring out a little discord in the song. This track also has no drums on it. It is just piano and layered vocals. There is a hint of an acoustic guitar but ever so slight. This is another simple song that is easy to listen to for me. This song may not sit well with some people because of the way that the piano is played. The last track, Woods, makes use of, the then popular, a vocoder/autotune box for the vocals. The vocals are layered harmonically giving a new view on the idea of auto tune. This is a very sweet EP that brings warmth with it. It is a very calming selection of songs that works very well together. This is not for everyone but I do recommend the first full length to anybody and everybody.

Bush – The Science of Things

This is the third album from the group Bush. It was released in 1999. There are three singles that were released from this album. The first single is called The Chemicals Between Us. This song is unique from their previous albums because of the use of electronic sounds and beats. The lead singer, Gavin Rossdale said that the song was, “About differences and distances between people.” The music to the song has a edgy sound that the band and the alternative genre has been known for. It also has the classic underlying bass guitar sound that I love. It is not a spectacular song but it is for sure a different direction for the group. The second single from this album, Warm Machine, is taken down in pace a notch. This song is in that limbo tempo that becomes almost un danceable, if I were a dancing person that is. There are some beautiful sounds that can be heard on this track but there is also something about it that is unsettling. The last single from this album is called Letting The Cables Sleep. This is the reason that I bought this album. This is an even slower song than the second single from this album. This is that type of song that covers you like a warm blanket of sunshine on a fall day. It is just perfect. The song uses not only the standard guitar, bass and drums but also uses a string quartet to add to the softening of the track. There is also a piano and some electronic background noises. If you had never heard of this group and were interested in them this is the song to start with. If you never hear anything else from this group hear this song!

Vol. 2 Episode 46

I am making my way quickly to the end of this volume. There are only four more episodes after this post. Because of obligations with my place of business, Christmas time is almost upon us, I try to keep these postings going until the end of November. There are no postings in December. Volume three will start up again in January. I am hoping to have the first post up by January 14, 2012. This is just a reminder and I will probably post this reminder up again on the last post of this volume too. Thank you all for reading! On with the show...

Gold-Bears – Something To Think About

This is an EP released in 2011. There are only 4 tracks on the EP and none of the tracks appear on the full length album that came out in the same year. The title track, Something To Think About, has a rhythm that is similar to The Pains of Being Pure At heart. The sound is thinner than The Pains though. This just helps to differentiate the group though. The vocals are a bit hard to judge though because they are so distorted. It can be understood better when the chorus punches in. That is good enough for me though. The next track, So Natural, has a similar sound to the previous song with a bit more distortion overall on the track. The repetition of the title of the song is very catchy though. The third track, Train song, has lyrics that are better understood. The music itself is clearer than the previous two songs. This is my favorite song from the EP I think because of the clarity of the vocals and music. The overall distortion is missing from this track as well. The song is pretty, graceful and more calming overall. The last song on this EP is called Yeah Tonight. It is soft with an acoustic guitar. It repeats the line, “Yeah tonight we fall in love again like we did the first time.” The music behind it fills me with happiness and reminds me of my love life. It also has a Sigur Ros sound in my mind. I love Sigur Ros and to have a group make an attempt to copy them, intentional or not, is absolutely wonderfully butiful. I think that I would recommend this EP to anyone regaurdless of musical taste because of the range that is covered on it.

Gold-Bears – Tally

This is the first single released from the album Are You Falling In Love? It was released before the album in 2010. I was lucky enough to get a copy and it came on white vinyl. It is a three track single. I thought that this was great because usually there is only one B side on a single; we get two with this one. The first song is the title track, Tally. This song has a great jangle sound to it in the verse. The chorus jumps into a hard punk sound with heavy distortion though. Putting these two sounds together is brilliant though. This song has a sound similar to the reason that I got into this band. That reason is because of a song called Record Store from their first album. This song is very special to me because it uses elements from Shoegaze and jangle pop at the same time. Two clashing sounds that for some reason come together so well with this band. The next song from this single is called Jezzer. This song has a sound similar to a lot of the groups that have been putting out music in the New Jersey area, The Gaslight album comes to mind here. I can’t exactly explain this sound but I will give it a shot. If Bruce Springsteen were just coming up in the indie world I think that he would sound similar to The Gaslight Anthem. I hope that comes across well enough. The last song on this single is called HK Song. This song is a song that reminds me of the soft rock of the 70s with a little bit of the 80s new wave mixed in every once in a while with the synth keys added in at the choruses. It is a sweet song but a short song too. It is another great set of song that explores different genres of music.

My Bloody Valentine – Glider EP

This EP was released in 1990. It is the seventh EP released from the group. The title of the EP is in reference to the style or method that is used by the guitarist. Fans referred to this method as glide guitar. The first track, Soon, from the EP was included on the second full length album called Loveless. The song was released from this EP as a single. It has the classic Shoegazer sound that MBV has become famous for. Rough around the edges but soft and warm at its heart. The lyrics are unintelligible for the most part but that is OK with this type of music really. The next track is the title track for the EP, Glider. This song sounds like they tried to take a page from The Beatles with the recorded sounds being played back backwards. It sounds interesting but just doesn’t come close to what was intended. Every thing seems to be layered on piece by piece in a backward fashion. It does this until the very end when it just fades out. There are no lyrics to speak of. The third track, Don’t Ask Why, has a vocal sound that is similar to one of my favorite artists, Abandoned Pools. Abandoned pools cam out many years after MBV but I think that Tommy Walters, the Abandoned Pools vocalist and music writer,  sings the only way that he knows how and Kevin Shields, MBV vocalist and music writer, loves to play with sounds. It may be that Tommy wanted to emulate the sound of this track but I can’t prove that either. I think that this is my favorite track from the EP though. The lyrics are also understandable and singable if you are into this type of music. The last track, called Off Your Face, features a nice sounding airy female vocal. The song has a good beat and is great for a lazy day in the house. I think that I would not recommend this EP to everyone but I would recommend the song Don’t Ask Why to everyone.

My Bloody Valentine – Tremolo EP

This EP was released in1991. This is the eighth EP that the group has released. The title is a reference to the heavy use of the tremolo and vibrato that the group used in creating their music. This EP only has four tracks but Kevin Shields was quoted to say that, “Tremolo had seven tracks on it, but you’re not allowed to do that, so we called it four tracks and didn’t name three of them.” This was in reference to the extended codas on the first three tracks. The first labeled track on this EP is from the second full length album called Loveless. The extended parts of these tracks are not a part of the songs on the second LP. The coda on the first track, To Here Knows When, is not completely different from the first part of the song but is different enough to stand out. The second track, Swallow, has an Indian styled rhythm. The drums are some type of bongo and there is an instrument sound that is reproduced on the track that reminds me of the instrument that you may have seen street performers use in the country to tempt snakes out of baskets. The song is not a heavy distorted song. It is actually quite peaceful. The coda on this song utilizes more reverse recording. There are no drums on this track but the snake instrument seems to be still used on this part of the song. The third song, Honey Power, is very distorted in the intro and breaks of the song. The verse part of the song seems to smooth itself out with some nice airy female vocals. The coda on this song if very clean sounding with Ooo and Ahh vocals from the female vocalist. This is very uncharacteristic for the group and is a welcome change if only for one minute. The last song on the EP is called Moon Song. This song also uses the bongo style drums. The music is still heavily distorted but the vocals seem to be on the loving side. The lyrics are almost understandable over the distortion that is being used on the track. I think that these types of songs are a lot of fun because you can make up your own words if you can’t understand parts. I think that this EP is more for the collector than the casual listener. I like the EP a lot because of the extras that are included in the music though.

That is all I have for now....

Vol. 2 Episode 45

Big Troubles – Romantic Comedy

This is the second album from Big Troubles and the first album that I have ever heard from the group. It was released in 2011, obviously. The album is so new that they are still releasing singles from it. The first single from the album is Sad Girls. It is the first song that I had heard fro the group. I was surfing the Slumberland records web site and they had a link to the sound cloud where the track was up. I loved the song and bought the 7” single as soon as I could. I made a recording of the 7” tracks and listened to them non stop for a few days after it. I found that I really liked the quiet sounding lyrics on the two tracks that I had from the 7”. I purchased the full album, on red limited vinyl, a couple weeks after it was released. I also found that Slumberland will be releasing a second single later in November for the song She Smiles For Pictures. This song doesn’t have the same feel as Sad Girls but is still a good song. I look forward to hearing the b side that comes with the new single. I have actually talked to the guy that runs Slumberland a couple times via email and a phone conversation as well. It was a bit of an effort to find the phone number to the offices but I have a background in finding addresses and phone numbers so it was not that difficult really. He is a good guy and I hope that he continues to put out some great releases and I hope that there is also a release for the last b side from The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. I want a physical copy of the song Steel Daughter so bad. You hear me Ma and Pa Slumber!!!

Mr. Bungle – Mr. Bungle

This is the first album from the strange group, Mr. Bungle. It was released in 1991. This album was introduced to me in my second year of high school. We used the single Quote Unquote (Travolta) in our homecoming showcase. I was part of the group that made the showcases every year for homecoming with the exception of freshman year where it only took 2 people to create it. I can’t remember what team we played for my sophomore year but I think that the tag line that we used was something like electrocute the ….  We had a fake skeleton being electrocuted in the chair. We had the song playing on a loop before and during judging. We won the showcase for homecoming every year. Sometime later in the year I dubbed a copy of this album. The music is so odd that once you start listening to it is hard to turn it off. It is sort of like watching a car wreck, you just can’t turn away. I later found out that the lead singer was also the lead singer for the band Faith No More. I thought that the vocals sounded similar I thought when I found this out. I made me like the group even more because I have such a love of the group Faith No More, I especially the vocal styling of the lead singer Mike Patton. Warner had the track Travolta renamed to Quote Unquote for legal reasons. There are many strange samples used in this album as well. Examples include parts from the movie Blue Velvet, various video games and pinball machines including Altered Beast and Cyclone. The Cyclone pinball machine is my all time favorite pinball game. This is just another reason for me to like this album. I want to buy the Cyclone pinball machine someday in the future too. There are a lot of sexual references in this album. For example the song Girls of Porn uses samples directly from the pornographic movie called Raw Footage. The lyrics are very disturbing describing specific sexual acts that seem ridiculous but may be real fetishes too. The album as a whole is so strange and has many different types of music interwoven into this indie rock album.

Nada Surf – The Plan/Telecope

This is the absolute first released from Nada Surf. It is a 7” released in 1994. It is a two track single. This single was repressed for the Nada Surf box set that also contained the groups first five albums and a special download of a group of rare and live tracks. Both tracks are easily found. The plan, the A side, is a track on their first album, High/Low. Telescope, the B side, can be found on their first EP. The first EP was recently repressed on clear red vinyl. I guess it was actually a couple years ago now that the EP was repressed but I am sure that you could find it if you wanted it. For me, this 7’ was a nice bonus in the box set along with the bonus download album. I love the two songs because they bring me back to my high school days. Some of my favorite high school memories are of finding new music via MTV’s 120 Minutes and other shows that were on MTV including Beavis and Butt-head. 

Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral

This is the second full album from Nine Inch Nails (NIN). The album was released in 1994. This is yet another album that brings me back to my high school years. I remember talking to a fellow class mate about this album in an art class that I was taking. He made fun of me for getting into the latest fad. I had purchased the album but did not know the history behind the band or very much about the previous album and EP. I knew the singles but, at that point in my life, I did not always keep track of my favorite artists back catalog. But, because of this conversation with this fellow art student I now have an incessant urge to fill out an artists back catalog when I find a new to me artist in the middle of their career. This goes the same for a series of movies too. I recently purchased a back catalog of James Bond 007 movies on laser disc. I purchased a ten movie lot and then proceeded to fill out the five missing movies on laser disc along with the non-EON produced movie as well. The album was pretty hard core to me at that time in my life. There are some very interesting things that are going on with the album. It is not so freaky as to make me feel uncomfortable but it is, for me at least, very hard core. There were two singles that were released from this album. The first single is called March of The Pigs. This is a very fast paced and hard sounding song. The saving grace of this song is the piano/synth breakdown in the song. I think that the song would be almost too hard with out those break downs. The single was released as a two disc set. The first disc is packaged in a double disc eco pack so that when you bought the second disc you could keep the two discs together in the same case. They did the same thing with the second single as well. The second single is called Closer. This was the bigger hit of the two singles released from this album. The most memorable part of the song is the disco beat used in the drums. The lyrics in the chorus are a little bit raw for most teenagers though. I suppose that I was old enough to get away with purchasing this album as it did have the parental guidance sticker on it. There is also a deluxe version and a dual disc version of this album that was put out. I think that the 5.1 mix of the album is interesting but I think that the standard stereo version is still more fun to listen to and I would choose it over the 5.1 version 99% of the time. The deluxe version has a second disc with all of the B sides from the album along with movie soundtrack songs like the Joy Division cover of Dead Souls that is contained on the soundtrack for The Crow.

That is all I have for now...

Vol. 2 Episode 44

 I had a bit of a delay getting this one out with MEA in the schools and all, sorry.

Fat Boy Slim – You’ve Come A Long Way Baby

This is the second album from Fatboy Slim. It was released in 1998. It is considered to be a big beat electronic record. The album had issues with profanity, primarily for the track Fucking In Heaven where the word “Fucking” is spoken 108 times from a sample of DJ Freddy Fresh. The album was given a parental advisory sticker because of the profanity issue. There are four singles that were released from this album plus a fifth promo single. The first single is The Rockafeller Skank. Because of the four samples used in the song, Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook), does not receive any royalties for the song. The royalties are split 25% to each of the owners of the songs that are sampled. It is a great song with a great beat. I think that he got robbed with the ownership of this song. I think that he should have gotten to keep at least 25% of the profits on this song. The song couldn’t have been made with out his creative ideas to put the samples together to make the song. He should have gotten paid too is all I am saying. The next single from this album is called Gangster Tripping. This song uses samples mostly from other DJ artists. I think that, by using other DJs works, the royalties mainly remained with Fatboy Slim on this track. This song has a cool funky beat to it with no swear words in it (kid friendly). The third single, just about everyone from the 90s should know, is called Praise You. The song is supposedly about praising the clones, if science was successful, as normal human beings. The video, also very memorable for the time, was made by Spike Jones. It featured a “dance troop” that was seemingly home video taped while they danced a routine to this song. The video was kind of quirky but still funny to me. The next single released from the album is called Right Here, Right Now. This song has a really cool beat that is backed by a building string chord progression. It has a great sound and makes me want to, if not dance, bob my head to the driving beat. The repetitive word through the song is “Bounce”. There have been some musicologists that say the echo of the word has been edited to sound like the name of Norman’s favorite author, Ben Elton. I think that this is a bunch of baloney because who in their right mind would try to edit the echo of a word. That is ridiculous in my mind. But who am I to second guess a musicologist?  Anyway, the song is another fun song to bob your head to. The whole album is fun really. With the exception of the song Fucking In Heaven the album is pretty clean in my opinion.

R.E.M. – Automatic For The People

This is the eights album from R.E.M. It was released in 1992. There were a whopping six singles released from this album. This album was released on the heels of Out Of Time. The first single, Drive, was not the hit that the band thought that it would be. At least, it was not the number one single that past albums initial released singles have been. It is still a good track in my opinion though. The next single from the album is called Man On The Moon. The song is a reference to Andy Kaufman and his crazy antics ranging from Elvis impersonations to his work with wrestlers. The song also references the conspiracy theory that the moon landings were faked. The song also lent its name to the movie from 1999 that is based on Andy Kaufman’s life. I like the music for the song but I could care less about the lyrics. The band has a tendency to make songs about reality though, such as *69 and this song, so you kind of have to live with them if you are going to be a fan of the group. The next single from this album is called The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight. This is not a great song but it is a good song. It is classic R.E.M. Sometimes, when this song is on, I find myself thinking that this is a good song but when is it going to be over. I like the track but it is not a song I want to hear all the time. What I do like is the organ. I don’t usually like the organ played in a song but this organ sound is very sweet. The fourth single is called Everybody Hurts. This was a track that stood out in my life during high school. It was played to no end it seemed on MTV. The video took place in a major traffic jam on a major highway during rush hour. The video moves by many cars with people in each car. Each car is different and each person in each car is different. The band and the people get out of the cars and start walking. It is really a do nothing, go nowhere video but it somehow still has meaning. That meaning is that we are all the same in some way. By the lyrics we are all the same in that everybody hurts. There are, of course, more ways that just this that we are all the same but just as many that show we are different as well. The next single is called Nightswimming. This is my favorite track on the album. It reminds me of something that I always wanted to do. The lyrics perfectly depict what I would imagine it would be like. The song is a slower song with a wide array of instrumentation. I particularly like the string arrangement when it is accompanied by the Obo. The song also reminds me of the last scene in the movie Hackers. The pair are in a pool that is closed and across the way the buildings light up with their alias names. It was a cute end to the movie. Anyway, on to the last single. It is called Find The River. This song is not one of my favorites. It is still interesting though. It kind of has a Midnight Cowboy feel to it. I really like the theme to Midnight Cowboy. I think that I am not a fan of the song because of the lyrics. Midnight Cowboy theme is just music. It just doesn’t seem to work for me to add lyrics to the song. I think it would have been better if Find The River would have been remade into an instrumental track. This album seems to be very depressing. If you are in that mood then, by all means, go and listen to the album. 

OK Go – OK Go

This is OK Go’s first album. It was released in 2002. I fell in love with them on their first single, Get Over It. The song features the classic Bass drum hit and clap alternating similar to the song We Will Rock You from Queen but a bit more simplistic and rhythmic. I really like the song because I can easily sing the lyrics as they are annunciated very clearly through the song. The next single from the album is called Don’t Ask Me. This is a song that has a great beat to dance to. It is yet another song that is clearly annunciated and easy to sing along with. The lyrics to this song lead me to believe that they are singing about someone that seems to think that they are better than the singer is and the lyricist can’t stand it and lets them know that they can’t stand it too. Singing this song, for me, is a good way to get my angered emotions out. It is also just a lot of fun to sing along with these songs too. There was only two songs released from this album as singles. I will say that when I was wooing my wife I made her a CD with the track called C-C-C-Cinnamon Lips on it. It is a track that describes parts of the body, nothing explicit mind you, in a delicious way. It was a cute way to say to her that I thought she was cute. Her sister did not really like the track but then I was not trying to woo her sister. It all worked out in the end I guess. The album was very indie for the time I guess. I always seem to have been on the lookout for underground music I guess but I have said that in the past very frequently too.

 

Kenna – New Sacred Cow

This is the first album by the artist known as Kenna. It was released in 2003. I found out about Kenna from MTV. They had put out the video for the first single about a year before the album was released. I remember being fascinated with the video. I wanted more from this new artist. Then I found out that the album had been delayed. I kept my eye out for the album though. The video is brilliant and everyone should watch it. The name of the first single that was released is Hell Bent. The second song released from this album is called Freetime. This track is more upbeat than the first single was and the video to go with it seems to be happier as well. The video for this one is just as creative. It is viewed from a worms eye view. What I mean is that the video is shot from the shins of the actors down. The video is also a love story. It is a very interesting way to view a love story at that. You can see that video here. The last single released from this album is called Sunday After You. The release version of this song is actually a remix of the song by Chad Hugo. This version is very different from the album version. This is a really great dance album with a wide variety styles on it. It is a lot of fun but can be a downer at the same time. 

Well, That is all I got for now...

Vol. 2 Episode 43

Here is the review that I have been avoiding for a few years now. I am not sure why I have been avoiding it but here it is in its full 20 years later experience. There are, of course, some other goodies included after it.

Nirvana – Nevermind

This is the second album from Nirvana. It was released in the fall of 1991. It is now 20 years later and everyone is doing reviews on it. I have been avoiding doing the review since I got a repressing of the album. There is not much to be written about this album that will change anybody’s personal view. It is and always will be the album that started grunge and alternative music to me though. It is also just as iconic today as it was on its release date. Surprisingly, I never owned this album until a few years ago when I purchased it as a repressing on vinyl. I always felt that there was no reason to get it since all of the good songs were already played on the radio. I could just about turn on the radio and hear one of the songs almost instantly. The songs from the album were overplayed enough to me to justify not getting the album. I do remember hearing the first single, Smells Like Teen Spirit, in the fall of my freshmen year in high school. I can even pinpoint where I was at the time. I was in the car, a station wagon I think, at the grocery store parking lot, Rainbow Foods (Cub was not near by then), with my mother and sister. I asked my mother to keep driving around the parking lot because this song was on and I wanted to hear it very badly. It sounded so cool and different from what I had been listening to in the past. The time was probably after dinner, mom worked during the day, but it was still light out. It had to be the end of summer or early fall. What I can’t remember is if the new school year had already started. I think that it would have had to have started already. But this, along with everyone else in the USA, was a start to a new world in music for me. The second single from this album is called Come As You Are. The song features a chorus pedal being used on the guitar and in parts of the song on the bass. I think that it is because of the sounds on this song that I became infatuated with the use of the chorus pedal on the bass guitar. I bought the cheapest pedal I could find, not knowing much about pedals, and it worked. The problem I have is that the pedal eats nine volt batteries for lunch. I never did get a power cable for that pedal either. Lithium is the third single from Nevermind. This song follows in the classic Pixies sound, loud soft loud. I loved the quiet parts of this song. It was so mellow and melodic, these parts spoke to me. The hard parts, especially the break in the song, were hard edged perfection to me. I also like the sound of the Fender Precision Bass that the bassist used on this album. I don’t own one, I have a Fender Jazz Bass, but the sound works so perfectly with this group. The last single to be released on this album is called In Bloom. Apparently the song was about those people who were not into the underground music at the time and did not understand the groups’ message. The video that went with this song was parodying the variety shows of the 60s’.The video was quite funny, I recommend seeing it as it is the funnier video of all four songs.

Oingo Boingo – Good For Your Soul

This is the third album from Oingo Boingo. It was released in 1983. This is one of my favorite albums from Oingo Boingo, next to           Nothing to Fear (the second album). I bought this album in the early 00s’, I know, it is a little late, My point is that I am not sure about what the singles were on this album. I have some favorite tracks but I don’t know if they were the singles or not. I do have some interesting facts about some of the songs though and will pass them on here. First off, the album has been out of print since 2009. You can still get it as a download though. You could also probably find it used if you looked for it too. One of my favorite tracks is the first track on the album. It is called Who Do You Want To Be. The song basically asks the question, “Who do you want to be when you grow up?” It is more specific about time though, replacing “when you grow up?” with “today.” The lyrics then go on to offer some ideas of what you may want to be to day, such as someone on TV or a stranger in a strange strange land. The next song, called Good For Your Soul (The title track), is about trying new things to see if they should be things that you are doing. The full line goes, “Once or twice is good for your soul.” I think that for the most part it is an interesting way to live life, finding out the things that you should and should not be doing in life. The next song, No Spill Blood, is an interesting song based on the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. It would seem that they are taking lines from the 1933 movie adaptation of the novel called Island of Lost Souls. I have not seen this movie but would be interested to for this reference alone. The next song that I like is Wake Up (It’s 1984). This song is obviously a direct reference to the George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. There are references to Big Brother and that everyone is watching you. I had to read this book in high school (I am sure that everyone did) and I thought that it was an interesting concept. To have a song reference the song makes a link to that time in high school and of course to the book. The last song that I want to share as a favorite is called Pictures of You. It has a repeating bass synth line that is so simple; I can’t get enough of it. There is also the use of the Rhodes keyboard that also gets me. There is also something special about this song. It could run on forever and I would not mind at all. I think that some songs have a certain cadence that really attracts me to them. This happens to be one of them. The description of the strange pictures in the song is also very intriguing. They are very interesting view points.

Morrissey – Vauxhall and I

This was his second solo album apart from The Smiths. It was released in 1994. This is a very dark album. This may have been because he had lost three people very close to him. This was a perfect spring album for me. I was in a depressed moo at the time of this albums release. I would go walking by myself for long periods of time with just this album playing. This was released at the end of my senior year of high school. I fell in love with the sounds and stories on this album. The first single, The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get, always reminded me of my first girlfriend. When we stopped dating (in seventh grade) she did just that, ignored me, and I just kept pushing for us to get back together. It did not work of course. It is not that I pushed to get back together for six years but that the song put a reminder about that first girl I was interested in. There were two other singles released from this album. The second single was called Hold On To Your Friends. This was not one of my favorite songs from this album but it does have a very catchy guitar riff which is its saving grace. The tone of his vocals also works very well in the song. I think that the song doesn’t work for me because I never thought that I had many or any real friends. Every one in my school were more like acquaintances than friends. Aside from my wife, who I met more than a decade after high school, my best friend is someone that I met almost at the end of my last year of high school and did not really get to know him until after I graduated. This song did not really apply to me when it was released. The last song released from this album is called Now My Heart Is Full. This is a beautiful song in its entirety. It is beautiful. Morrissey’s voice works so well with the other tones that are used by the guitar and background synth sounds. The song comes off as happy and sad at the same time. It just works so perfectly to my ears. What a great way to start off an album, this is the first track on the album.

The Hives – Tyrannosaurus Hives

This is the third album from The Hives. It was released in 2004. For me, this is a fun album with lots of music to behold. There are four singles released from this album. The first is called Walk Idiot Walk. There is an awesome sounding distorted bass in the song that hits like a brick. The song takes hints from the previous album and builds on them while having fun at the same time. The next single is called Two-Timing Touch and Broken Bones. This song has been compared to (I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone from The Monkees, Kicks by Paul Revere & The Raiders and in general sounding like Devo. The song has been compared to these bands because of certain similarities to the songs or artists. I can totally see the similarities but The Hives are a garage rock band with interest and influences in these types of bands, similarities are bound to happen. The third single released is called Abra Cadaver. For me this song is just another fast paced punk song from the group. It is not great, it is not awful, it just is. The good part is that it is very listenable and leads into the rest of the album. The last single from this album is called A Little More For A Little You. This song is a very bouncy fun song with a early 50s’ style pop sound mixed with the punk sound. It gives it a very unique sound. This album went right under most people’s radar. The singles were hardly played on the radio. I would recommend this album to anybody interested in punk or indie in the mid/early 00s’.

That is all I have for now...