R.E.M. - Accelerate

Whether or not you like R.E.M., you cannot deny the catchiness that they have, and the infectious feeling that songs like "It's the end of the world (and I don't care)", or "Man on the Moon" have. The instant feeling to make you want to jump up and sing along to their tunes.

After their first album in years, an attempt to rehash their repuation (after a collosal failure called Around the Sun), REM release their new album since 2004 called "Accelerate".




As the opening track "Living Well is the Best Revenge" cues in, and the vocals start- you can tell that they're just having fun at this point. The vocals (though seriously written, and written well) sound like he's seen the world and he's bringing back the gift of a light-hearted nature.

While the tracks progress, you can notice the songs feel like they're having callbacks. The chorus of "Supernatural Superserious" sounds strikingly similar to that of the song "Stand"- but a good song nonetheless, and is also the first music video for the new album:



The song "Houston" is played via an acoustic guitar, but with an organ and drum kit backing it up- it gives a very bluesy psuedo-guerrilla feel while making Michael Stipe pull off his traditional raspy-yet-harmonic voice echo that only he could pull off.

In many albums the title track is usually the pinnacle of the album, and often the reason they've named the album after a song so respected in their own magnitude... Though sometimes that song will turn out to be a bit wretched and you can't wait for it to be over, as is the case with the title track "Accelerate", which apparently just seems to repeat the chorus indefinitely over it's three minute span, which I ask why they'd name their album over such a shitty, shitty song.

After the title track, the song "Mr. Richards" comes on, and is probably my favorite track from the album- albeit it may also be the most simple one- simply written, but wonderfully played and sung by all involved with it.

Probably the biggest surprise is the song "I'm Gonna DJ", which is constant drum and rhythm the entire time while Michael Stipe sings affection ally over the entire song.

Though the album is a bit lackluster, it's still a great album. No one can ever deny the writing abilities of Michael Stipe and company. It's nice to see them writing and performing again, but it's a bit depressing knowing they'll NEVER write anything nearly as amazing as they did "back in the day", so to speak- they're an amazing band, and it's hard to understand that those years of brilliant writing are very well behind them, but it's opened up a new door of experimentation- as long as they learn that songs like "I'm Gonna DJ" could be their future- they'll be fine.

Final score: 7.5/10

Album Reviews, part three.

So, I suppose this is the third segment in my album reviews. I'm really digging critiquing albums and stuff, maybe I'm just weird. If you want to read the other parts, click here and enjoy. So, I guess this is the third section.

Also; I've decided that after I run out of albums on my "list" I'm gonna start reviewing newly released albums as well, just to give more of an updated opinion.


1. Late Registration - Kanye West























I gave "College Dropout" a pretty groovy review. I wish I could say the same about this one, I was less than impressed with this record. As far as Kanye goes, it's pretty solid- but you can see more R&B influence in it, and I kind of hate R&B these days, so it didn't really speak out to me. Same beats on those songs, but there were a few solid gems.

Standout Tracks:

Hear 'Em Say (Ft. Adam Levine)
Touch The Sky (Ft. Lupe Fiasco)
Golddigger (Ft. Jamie Foxx, and Ray Charles)
Gone (Ft. Consequence, and Common)

Score: 5.5/10


2. Graduation - Kanye West























Seeing how the "Late Registration" turned out, I could only imagine how this one would go... I hate to say it- it was fucking awesome. Given the most annoying song is "Drunk And Hot Girls", the most of the entire record is pretty awesome, catchy and fun to listen to. Like I said- there are a few lame, boring tracks, but regardless of those- the albums is pretty much solid.

Standout Tracks:

Bittersweet (Ft. John Mayer, Bonus track)
Good Morning
Stronger
I Wonder
Can't Tell Me Nothing
Everything That I Am
The Glory
Goodnight

Score: 8.5/10


3. We were dead before the ship even sank - Modest mouse






















I dig some Modest Mouse, and this record is no exception. The entire feel of the album could be considered one long track, because it kind of has the same nature throughout. There are quite a few good tracks in there. While the feel of the album stays the same and sounds good- it eventually it gets old. It seems after it just started getting old, they change it up give you a cool track like "Little Motel".

Standout Tracks:

Dashboard
Fire It Up
Missed The Boat
Little Motel

Score: 6.5/10


4. Let's Face It - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
























So my opinion over the Mighty Mighty Bosstones is this: They rule, when it's a song when Dicky is singing, not screaming. As far as ska goes- this is a solid fucking record, full of great riffs, and great changeovers, distortion, trombone, etc. As far as this being a Mighty Mighty Bosstones album- it's an iffy. It's a good album, but with every Mighty Mighty Bosstones record, there are only a few tracks I really like. Dicky Barrett has such an amazing voice, that he doesn't need the screaming songs, he needs to more ska-core songs.

Standout tracks:

The impression that I get
Let's Face It

Score: 7.5/10


7. Medium Rare - Mighty Mighty Bosstones






















So, this is another Mighty Mighty Bosstones album- except this one is a collection of rarities, b-sides, and three newly recorded songs. For the most part it's VERY solid, and very awesome- and a cool view to see the Bosstone boys back at work with some music. There is also a lot of humour in here too- namely the song chocolate pudding, as well as some depressing in memoriam, a tribute to Desmond Dekker. As I said, it's a great album, even for a collection- but if this is your first Bosstones listen, then go for some Jackknife To A Swan, because this album is pretty much all over the place going from hardcore rocksteady, to some groovy reggae, some ska, andthen some punk influence- nonetheless, a good album and hopefully a new album on the horizon.

Standout Tracks:

Chocolate Pudding
Don't Worry Desmond Dekker
Katie
Is It?
Favorite Records

Score: 8.5/10


8. Zeitgeist - Smashing Pumpkins
























This is the first new Smashing Pumpkins album since 2000. Billy Corgan decided to revive one of the best bands from the 90's... Without the other members, with the exception of the drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. It's Smashing Pumpkins, but it sounds like a shitty, annoying cover band at times. I miss the old days- of Zero, and 1979! WHY BILLY CORGAN? WHY?! The few catchy, groovy songs on here sound immensely the same, with the exception of a few. For the most part it's just depressing to not hear the old Smashing Pumpkins, though let's hope the next album fares better.

Standout Tracks:

That's The Way (My Love Is)
Tarantula
Neverlost

Score: 5.5/10


So I guess this is it for part three. Next times I'll have some Miles Davis, New Radicals, and Millencolin for you :)

- Josh.

Album reviews Part 2

So, I'm up a little early today (depending on what time you're reading this, it's 6:59 AM) and I figured I'd post up the second part of my album reviews. So, sit down and have a read =]

If you recall my blog about me listening to albums, I figured I'd post up the next installment in the series. If you'd like to read the previous album reviews you can read them here feel free to enjoy that.

So, without further ado, here are my listens this week.

1. Ready To Die - Notorious B.I.G.























So, I listened to this record a while ago- and I didn't really think I got the complete "feel" of it, it think it deserved it a relisten. My second time around, I think I appreciate it a bit more, but whenever I'm listening to these albums, it's usually the catchy, or the ones that send me off that strike me. I mean, god knows its an amazing album, and biggie has flow, but I look for songs that stick with me whenever I listen to a CD. Like, the song Suicidal Thoughts, it's such a good song, catchy and crude, but depressing as all hell, even from the opening line "When I die fuck it I want to go to hell because I'm piece of shit it ain't hard to fucking tell", that's some amazing stuff. This is still a really awesome record, but I felt like the "Fuck Me" sketch was just a little too long, especially when I wanted to hear more of biggies voice rapping, and talking about being a gangster... and then a nice little R&B tune would roll in, which ruined it a bit for me.

Standout tracks:

Suicidal Thoughts
Big Poppa
Things Done Changed

Score: 6.5/10


2. Stand! - Sly and The Family Stone
























I knew very little about Sly and The Family Stone before listening to this album, except for two amazing songs I heard from various places, (Hot Fun In The Summertime, Dance To The Music). Now, usually I'm cool for funk, and seeing this was such a well regarded album, I was pretty into taking a listen. I listened to it... But It's just not my thing, they had some good music, but it's all SO, SO, SO repetitive, good stuff just 25 minutes longer than it should be.

Standout tracks:

Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey

Score: 4.5/10


3. The College Dropout - Kanye West
























I've bought Kanye West's album "Graduation" but heard just a few songs from him prior to that. I took a listen to this, and it's all really groovy. Most of it is catchy and features some awesome rappers (Jay-Z, Mos Def, Talib) and there is some funny stuff in there too. I dig Kanye's voice and his flow, really good stuff. There are also some really happening skits in here, which satire our educational system. While this is a good album it's not to say there isn't some lame stuff, on this CD. After a while his constant bitching about being a kid in the hood gets old, and how the man is holding him down.

Standout tracks:

We Don't Care
All Falls Down
Jesus Walks
Breathe In Breathe Out

Score: 7.0


4. Letting Off The Happiness - Bright Eyes
























Jesus, what an amazing album. I've always dug a bit of Bright Eyes, I've listened to Cassadaga and some of the stuff from Noise Floor, but never really took a good look at their early stuff. The album starts off like all of Bright Eyes albums I've heard; random inaudible noise, makes little sense- still sounds cool. After that weirdness it sets into a really cool acoustic performance by Connor. The rest of the record is just as good. Relaxing, peaceful- very lo-fi considered to some of their stuff. While it's a good album, there is very little substance- which isn't a BAD thing, but too much of too little is too bad. Most of the songs include the same acoustic chords, and some drum and piano. The occasional pretty duet, stuff like that.

Standout Tracks:

If Winter Ends
June On The West Coast.

Score: 8.5


5. In With The Out Crowd - Less Than Jake
























I'm a big LTJ fan, and this album was... Less than underwhelming. I'd say 3/4 of the CD ditches the brass section, or they are turned down- which in any other band it's fine, but this is Less Than Jake... An amazing ska influenced band. There is a tiny bit of catchy stuff in there, but for the most part- I was less than happy with this album. As a punk album goes though, it's alright- it talks about growing up, and reflecting on all of this.

Standout Tracks:

Overrated

Score: 5.0


6. Anthem - Less Than Jake
























Unlike the previous LTJ album, this one is straight up amazing. It starts off with a hardcore riff in the song "Welcome to the new south", a few songs in the vibe calms down (just a little) for the song "Look What Happened", a song about getting out and staying out. More often than not, this record delivers energy and insane good music that is hard to find, even though the album was made back in 2003. There are few bad things I can say about this;

1. There are some really good, re-listenable tracks here, but the ones that aren't don't give you much of a reason to go back and listen to the album again.

2. The Surrender cover at the very end.

Standout Tracks:

Motown Never Sounded So Good
Plastic Cup Politics
Look What Happened
The Science Of Selling Yourself Short
That's Why They Call It A Union
The Brightest Bulb Has Burnt Out

Score: 8.0

-------------------------------------

So, that's it for part two, god knows when I'll have another one up.
Have a day.

- Josh.

Albums Reviews.

So, if you read one of my earlier posts, I talked about albums I'm gonna start checking out, and listening to.

http://theinnovationofsilence.blogspot.com/2008/02/albums-i-plan-to-listen-to-starting.html

I've listened to four albums since then, and I figured I'd lay down my opinion on them.

I figured I'd give a little review over each of them, tell you what I thought.


1. A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
























I've been getting into Jazz lately, and so I figured- check out some John Coltrane, considered one of the greatest saxophonists of all time. I can't say I dug it as much as I dig "Walkin" by Miles Davis, or even "Kind Of Blue", but nonetheless- still a really great jazz record.

5.5/10

2. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots


























I've heard a lot about this record, but never really listened to it- nor the Flaming Lips for that matter. I thought it was alright, though a lot of it was repetitive chords, and arrangements. I still though it knew how to innovate at moments and go fucking insane into weird synth tones and stuff. There weren't that many tracks that stood out to me, but the one that really did was the first track "Flight Test".

6.0/10

3. Welcome To The Cruel World - Ben Harper
























So this was Ben Harper's first "real" album. He did a demo a year earlier. You can really note that he didn't know what he was doing when you compare it to "Lifeline". I still think it's good, there were only a few standout tracks to me; "Walk Away", "Forever", and "Mommas Got a Girlfriend". The latter being very funny. The other tracks are kind of bland to me, really. Still, It's not a bad album for those three tracks alone.

5.5/10

4. Ágætis Byrjun, – Sigur Ros

























Ah, Sigur Ros- my least favorite Post-Rock band. I don't mean that in a bad way- I mean it because Post-Rock isn't exactly a dominated field. It's a field of very few talented musicians. I'm still listening to the album right now, so I can't say TOO much about it. It's good though, very jazzy on some tracks. My standout track so far is Ny Batteri which means New Battery. It's good though, also... kind of predictable. You won't need another Sigur Ros album to understand how this plays out. Still a good album. If you DO like Sigur Ros, then I recommend these artists:

Do Make Say Think
Explosions In The Sky
Pelican
Fly Pan Am
Godspeed You! Black Emperor

All really good bands.

5.5/10