The preorder is up for the band Wax Idols on the SlumberlandRecords page. It is a unique pressing with black center and clear outer edge of
the record. The songs that are available for preorder sound very cool.
The preorder for the new Veronica Falls
single, Teenage, is also up on the Slumberland page. It is a different cover
from the UK
version but the same tracks.
On with the show...
This is the fifth album from Blindside. It was released in
August, 2005. From Wikipedia: “The album was largely influenced by a trip to Africa that their lead singer, Christian, had undertaken.
He was very unsettled by his experience and the things he saw influenced the
album immensely. The song "Yemkela" was written about a young African
boy he met on his trip. The boy had HIV and had less than two months to live.
However, Christian Lindskog revealed that on a recent tour in South Africa, he had seen Yemkela (who Christian
expected would be dead) at a show in Cape
Town. To Christian's surprise, he was doing well and
watched Blindside perform his song and sang along.”
The album had two songs released from it. The first being a
song called Fell In Love With The Game. The song is a very straight forward
hard rock song. I really like the group because they have the ability to put
hard rock music to Christian themed lyrics. It is like I get the best of both
worlds and this track is one of their best sounding rock tracks. It makes me
bop my head and for get that the lyrics are dedicated to Christianity at times.
This track contains the line "We wrestle in the mud and the blood and the
beer," which references the Johnny Cash song "A Boy Named Sue."
The second single from the album is called When I Remember.
The vocalist comes off a little whiney with this track. I think it is mainly
because he is just talking through most of the verse parts of the track. The
chorus is sung and pulls at my heart strings as it gets very emotional
musically during this passage. I like the last line in the verse, “When I
remember, a cloud moves in, rain falls, thunder strikes, and sunshine breaks
through the clouds.” It makes me think of the hard times that I have had and
leaning on god for help.
One song that I really like from the album is called MyAlibi. It is an odd way to view it but I think that the song is about spending
time with our creator. The vocalist talks about planning ahead so that he knows
what to say he spent his time on when he gets to “the pearly gates”. He wants
his alibi to be that he spent his time with his creator. The other reason that
I like this song is that they use a really cool electronic sound to create a
solo in the middle of the song. It reminds me of the 90s when a program called
Rubber Duck came out. I use to make sounds with that program that were very
similar the solo part in this song.
This is the eighth studio album from Switchfoot. It was
released in September, 2011. From Wikipedia, “The thematic core of the feeling
of the record rests in the idea of the polarity of life. This idea is rooted in
the entire album, from the artwork to the lyrics, including the lyric
"every blessing comes with a set of curses," found on the title
track. The band says that this record is different from their previous records
in that it is driven more by the drums and bass, whereas their previous records
were driven more by guitar. Unlike the Hello Hurricane sessions, in
which the band tracked over 80 songs, the Vice Verses session saw the
band taking on a more selective process. Instead of writing multiple songs and
picking from amongst them the best for the album, they wrote just enough songs
for one album and focused them so as to perfect each one.”
There were five singles released from the album. The first
single is called Dark Horses. This track would totally fit in the late 90s hard
rock/alternative sound. It is very good but fits in so many stale rock sounds.
I still like it though, it is hard not to.
The second single from the album is called Restless. It is a
song about how the rain falls and that rain waters desire to get back to the
ocean. The singer relates this journey to his own life and desire for a better
life. It is a slow track that has meaning. it is not a track that I have great
interest in but would make a great song to be sung in church.
The third single from the album is called Afterlife. The
chord changes in the song are interesting. They make you feel that something
amazing is about to happen. The lyrics add to this because, for those who
believe in Christianity, we all are looking forward to the next life. It makes
you feel that this isn't all there is to life and gets you excited for what is
next. it is the kind of song that makes me want to keep living this life the
best I can so that I can have the best that the next life has to offer. It is
an inspiring song.
the fourth single from the album is called The Original.
This song reminds me of the sound that the group Mute Math creates. It has that
pop feel that Switchfoot hasn't had in the past so much but it is a welcome
sound that better diversifies them from other bands. it is a happy song.
The last single released from the album is called Where IBelong. The song is another slow song that gets boring for me. It sort of comes
off as a Coldplay song really. The vocals are straight up front and the music
has a drive to it. There is also a crowd like chant that happens between
sections. I guess that is where I get the Coldplay feel. It is a good song with
a cool distorted sound that I really like in the guitar.
All in all this is a good album. I personally like the
previous one more but still.
This is the third and final album from Nirvana. It was
released in September, 1993. The cover of the album was significant because it
was meant to convey Cobain’s outlook on his publicized personal life and the
band’s new found fame. The graphic on the back is a collage that Cobain created
on the floor of his living room and was photographed by Charles Peterson. Personally,
I never thought that this album was that great, although, I did buy this album
over Nevermind. I thought that the singles that I heard were grittier than
those on Nevermind and that I probably why I bought this one.
There were two singles released from this album. The first
single is called Heart-Shaped Box. The song initially didn’t have a physical
single release but received major radio air play. The song did get a CD, 12”,
cassette and 7” releases later. The song is a down tempo track that follows the
Pixies ideal of loud, soft, loud. The chorus is loud where the verse is quiet.
The song is quite depressing and reminds me of someone on the edge of sanity. This
is pulled about the lyrics from Wikipedia, “Cobain said the song was inspired
by documentaries about children with cancer.” “…despite Cobain's explanation,
the song actually appeared to be about Courtney Love.”
The second single released from the album is actually a
double A side. One track was All Apologies and the other was Rape Me. All
Apologies is the last track on the album and is played acoustic for the most
part, the chorus has an electric guitar. It was meant to be a song that brought
on peaceful, happy and comfort feelings. It does this very effectively. I
especially like the end fade out lines that repeat, “All in all is all we are.”
Rape Me was designed to be an anti-rape song. Cobain
intended the lyrics to be strong, stating at one point that the song was
supposed to represent a do your worst to me, you will get yours in the end
mentality. The song could also be viewed by Cobain’s distaste for the media’s
coverage of his personal life. The song is in your face and may be startling on
first listen though.
I think that the track called Dumb is one of the better
tracks on the album. It follows suit from All Apologies with the mostly
acoustic feel and the down tempo sound. I think it is probably my favorite
track on the album.
Personally, I don’t think this is that great of an album. It
is a great album for the 90s but considering what is out there, before this
album and after this album, it is not that great.
This is the group’s first release. It was released in 1992,
20 years before their second album release. For some reason I thought that the
record was on clear red. I was mistaken apparently.This is one record that came about in Slumberland Records early years.
There are only three tracks on the single. The first track,
the title track, The Bitter Air, is a echo opus running at almost seven
minutes. The drums are clear and down trodden. The acoustic guitar gets lost in
all the echo except at the beginning and the end. The bass guitar sticks out
just under the cloudy/misty vocals. The end result is very beautiful. I am
saddened that I missed out on this when it was a new release. There is also a
pretty electric guitar feedback sound that rings clear near the end of the
song. The vocals are inarticulate but still serve their purpose.
The second track on the single is called Sometimes… (1965Stereo Mix). I’m not sure what the stereo mix has to do with it other than
kitsch value. It is a cute jangle pop track that reminds me of R.E.M. a little
but with female vocals. There is still a lot of reverb or echo on the vocals. I
like this though, especially with female vocals.
The third track on the single is called Everything’s GoneRain. This track starts off a bit dark but jumps into a happier vibe after the
short intro. The vocals are a little lower in tone than the previous two
tracks. It gives this track a bit of a different feel. The guitar has a bit of
an under water feel to it due to a pedal, I am sure. It is really a bit of a
dreary track for rainy days. I like it that way.
This is an interesting look at the early 90s underground
music scene. I encourage anyone to check it out.
That is all I have for now...
That is all I have for now...
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