I briefly mentioned this in the previous post but here are some more details on the Song Reader album from Beck. He has recorded his Song Writer sheet music finally. It
will be released on CD and DL on July 29th and sometime in September
for the vinyl. Beck has invited many other artists to record the songs though.
Beck has only recorded one of the songs. All of the other songs are recorded by
other artists.
The Gaslight Anthem have a new album called Get Hurt to be
released on August 19th
Slumberland Records have announced a new band on their
roster called Literature. They will be putting out their new album called
Chorus on August 19th as well.
Bleached have a new EP to be released through Dead Oceans on
September 16th.
Lastly, Whirr have a new full length to be released through
Graveface Records on September 23rd
Slumberland Records is repressing a couple of records for
its 25th anniversary from The Aislers Set. The albums are called
Terrible Things Happen and The Last Match. The third album is being repressed
by Suicide Squeeze and is called How I Learned To Write Backwards. I am unsure
that I will be getting these records. They are good but something isn’t sitting
right with me about the music.
I have still not received my copy of The Ar-Kaics new full
length. The owner has sited warping issues with the pressing plant.
I have also not received my copy of the new album from The
Proper Ornaments. I had ordered something else with them and the stock for that
item has been damaged. I am being forced to wait for the stock to be
replenished for the damaged record before I will see that record.
Here we go...
This is the fourth album from The White Stripes. It was
released in 2003 on V2 records. The album was recorded over a two week period
in April 2002 at London’s
Toe Rag Studios. The album was recorded on pre-1960s recording equipment and an
8-track tape recorder. This was done because Jack White decided he didn’t want
to involve any computers in the writing, recording or production of the album.
I really liked the first single and, although it was recorded with the guitar,
I learned to play the riff for the song on the bass guitar. It wasn’t until I learned
to play the part on the bass that I learned Jack White played the song with a
few peddles and the guitar. I was a little disappointed because at that time I
had no idea how to play the guitar. I could probably figure it out now but I
haven’t taken the time to figure out what peddles he is using. I know now that
it is a DigiTech Whammy pedal set down an octave.
There are four singles released from this album. The first
of these singles is the amazing Seven Nation Army. This song has become the
duo’s most well known song. White has said in the past that the title comes
from what he used to call The Salvation Army as a kid. The video is especially
interesting as it features a kaleidoscopic tunnel of mirrored black, white and
red triangles. In the center of the triangles are images of Jack, Meg and other
strange things such as an elephant and skeletons. The triangles come onto the
screen faster or slower as the pace of the song picks up or slows down. It keeps
the tension of the song in time with the graphics. The Glitch Mob did a dub
step remix of this track that nearly tops the song. It is not your typical dub
step remix it really just expands on what is already there. It is a fantastic
version.
The second single from the group is called I Just Don’t KnowWhat To Do With Myself. It is a cover of the song written by Burt Bacharach and
Hal David. It didn’t chart well. Dusty Springfield
was the first to cover the song and made it a hit in 1963. I think it becomes a
different track with Jack White on the lead vocals as opposed to Dusty
Springfield. I really like both versions. There are hints of vocals from groups
that I was listening to in 1993 and 94. They were from when I was a senior or
junior in high school and was dating a girl that was from a different high
school. It was a strange time in my life. I had the freedom of being able to
drive a car and this was why I could get away with dating someone from a
different school. This was when the first Radiohead album was released as well
as Beck’s album called Mellow Gold. Jack’s vocals remind me of Jeff Buckley’s
album Grace and to some extent Ours album called Distorted Lullabies.
The third single from the album is called The Hardest ButtonTo Button. Jack White has said that the song is a bout a child trying to find
his place in a dysfunctional family with a new baby in the family. The song has
a cool bass like distorted basic riff that works well in the song. The drums
are Meg White’s classic hard hitting style. The video is a very cool idea that
uses multiple instruments of the same type popping up on every beat. It is a
lot of fun.
The last single from the album is called There’s No Home ForYou Here. The song didn’t do very well. As a matter of fact, I have never heard
the song on the radio. That doesn’t mean that the song isn’t any good. In fact
it is very interesting and utilizes many different instruments and vocal
styles. The chorus is very full bodied and uses drums, guitar, bass, keyboards
(Rhodes) and multi-tracked vocals. Of course
the song uses Rhodes keys so I automatically
have interest in it.
This is one of the best albums that the group has ever put
out. I still wish that they were together as they created some of my favorite
music of the 00’s. I understand why jack won’t replace Meg and keep the group
alive.
This is Ours first official release. It was released in 2001
on Dreamworks Records. I got into this group because one of my favorite artists
had passed away, Jeff Buckley, in 1997 and I was not ready to give up his style
of music. Ours had a style and sound that was very similar to Jeff Buckley and
I had a way to keep a sound that I liked alive for a while longer. The lead
singer, Jimmy Gnecco, has a vocal range and style that is very similar to Jeff
Buckly as well. All these things worked in my favor to keep the sounds that I
liked so much from Jeff alive in a way. I consider my self very lucky because
of this. How many fans of artists that have passed away have been able to find
a replacement so similar to the artist that has passed away?
There was only one single released from this album and it
was a promo so it wasn’t fully released to the public. The single is called
Sometimes. The songs guitar part in the chorus has a sound that resembles the
Radiohead song Talk Show Host. The vocals are still Buckleyesque. Both styles
are my all time favorites and to have them both on one song makes me feel very
happy indeed.
The rest of the album is just as good or better than the
single that was released from the first track, Fallen Souls, to the middle with
Miseryhead, to the end of the album with Meet Me In The Tower. The album is an
emotional roller-coaster with the amazing things Jimmy can do with his voice. The
group is largely under the radar but deserves recognition.
This is the seventh album from Mushroomhead. It was released
in September of 2010 on Megaforce Records. This is the only metal band of late
that I have been actually enjoying. I bought the album on vinyl and was
pleasantly surprised that the record was translucent red with translucent
yellow dots. The yellow dots look brown when there is no light behind the
record. I have never seen this effect before in a record. The album did really
well in sales in its first week. This was particularly due to the fact that the
lead single was pushed for a few months through different sources including
Headbangers Ball and TNA Wrestiling with the fight of Rick Flair and Mick
Foley.
There were only two singles released from this album. The
first of those two is Come On. The band premiered the song themselves on
Headbangers Ball. The video was later banned from air play not only on MTV but
everywhere else for being deemed too graphic by network censors. It is very
graphic and features people free wrestling in a warehouse. I think that Jeffrey
Nothing’s butcher outfit is a bit over the top and disturbing in the video as
well, not that the next evolution of the costume is any better, as seen in the
video for Your Soul Is Mine. Come On is sort of an arena rock track where the
crowd can chant with the group during the chorus. The song is still very heavy
metal sounding even if it is an arena rock song in style. This is the best song
on the album so if you don’t like this one you won’t like the rest of the album
probably.
The second single from the album is called I’ll Be Here. It
is a slower song that reminds me a little bit of the late 90s alt/metal drivel
that was being pushed down our throats at the time. It has been over ten years
since that crap was being put out so this track is not really as bitter as it
could have been five or more years ago. I also think that this track sounds
much better than that 90s alt/metal music ever could. This is because
Mushroomhead are no afraid to use electronic sounds to make music. They can add
melody parts and aren’t afraid to make a bad song better with electronic sounds
at their disposal. There are so many bands out there that are still afraid of
synth and samples. These tools when used properly can make the difference in
any music.
This really is a great album and I hope that they keep
making music. What they create is so much fun.
That is all for now...
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