During the next week or two, Stereo Control will have a less regular update schedule.  With finals and end projects during college, it will be tough to write a review for each day unfortunately (Thanks to my procrastination!).  Of course, we will try to get as many done as we can, but I doubt we’ll be able to keep up with the school work.  Thank you for reading as much as you have done so far, and now for being patient with the site.  As soon as this semester is over, Stereo Control will resume its regular update schedule.

-ryan

Producer: Beau Hill

Released: 1986

Rating: *** 1/2

I had a very difficult time not giving this album a **** rating. At the end of the day, I didn’t think it was appropriate to give Dancing Undercover the same rating as Out Of The Cellar. It’s a good album, but not that good. That being said, Dancing Undercover was probably the last great album Ratt recorded (although I happen to like Detonator).

Dancing Undercover was Ratt’s third album and tour in as many years. The band enjoyed immediate success with Out Of The Cellar and their label (Atlantic) made sure to keep them on the road or in the studio at all times. It’s the way many labels used to operate and it’s a classic recipe for burn-out. If you listen closely to Dancing Undercover you can hear a band starting to crumble. It’s not obvious, but at the end of the somewhat short 35 minutes, the listener is left feeling as if the album falls a tad short.

Is the album bad? Absolutely not. There are some classic Ratt gems on Dancing Undercover including Dance, One Good Lover, Body Talk, Looking For Love and 7th Avenue. It doesn’t stop there. It Doesn’t Matter is a kick ass, rarely mentioned track, but the albums highlight is, without a doubt, Slip Of The Lip. This tune has an impossible-to-forget riff and catchy-as-hell chorus. These are actually my favorite Pearcy lyrics.

After nearly a quarter century, Dancing Undercover has aged surprisingly well. I always felt that the band was aiming for a more mature, “classier” sound on this album compared to their first two efforts. In retrospect, I’m not sure if they succeeded, so much as it sounds different than Out Of The Cellar and Invasion Of Your Privacy. It’s all here. Warren De Martini’s licks might be a tad more laid back (Robin Crosby actually played lead on Drive Me Crazy and Looking For Love), but Pearcy’s signature snarl won’t let you forget that this is pure Ratt.

Ditching the scantily clad babes in favor of individual shots of the band, the cover, for whatever reason, seems pure 80’s to me. Perhaps it just reminds me of a moment in my own history. As I write this review, Ratt is preparing the release of a new album in 2010, their first in 10 years. Warren De Martini has described the new album as a combination of Dancing Undercover and their self titled EP. If that’s true, than the new album should kick ass. If either one of those albums were released in 2010 I’d say, “Job well done, boys.”

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Russian Circles are proponents of the metallic side of post-rock where the peaks and roughs are the largest in the genre. They take up some of the same spaces as Mogwai, Tool, Isis and Najda but they never tend to ape or drift too close to any one of those progenitors.

Geneva is 7 tracks of instrumental mood and impending doom. The start of Fathom is a clear indication that things are going to be cloudy with the chance of a storm and it is only a matter of minutes before the thunder and hail start to dance. The track nicely develops as it rumbles along, taking in riffage and carrying minimal luggage. The title track lifts proceedings into more of a metal realm with Mike Sullivan’s chugging guitar and ringing, sustained notes. It is also the song that the drumming of Dave Turncrantz catches the ear. His style at its heaviest tumbles like the demolishing of a condemned tower block but he can also pleasure with intricate rhythms (Melee) and softer jazz shuffles (Philos). Turncrantz’s playing is a real highlight and the backbone of the album.

Diversity within the genre keeps the album interesting. They hit Sigur Ros glacial beauty on Philos, almost hardcore indie structure and melody on Malko and on Hexed All they approximate Mogwai at their most orchestral and soothing.

So much of this genre can drift off into wank and twiddly bombast but Russian Circles seem to have a grasp of what makes it such an engaging style of music. They generally avoid outstaying their welcome on any one theme or song and they know how to transition from quiet to loud without it becoming a competition to see how much you can surprise the listener. Though it doesn’t add anything new to those who have come before it, Geneva is a bruised and beautiful experience.

Album Cover

Switchfoot

“Hello Hurricane”

November 2009; Atlantic Records

By Emily J Ramey

To be honest, I did a figurative double-take when I put on Hello Hurricane for the first time.  Isn’t Switchfoot the alt-rock outfit that gave us such rapid classics as “Dare You to Move” and “Meant to Live?”  The answer is of course, yes, but Jon Foreman and company are breaking new ground with their seventh LP, Hello Hurricane.

Some might say Switchfoot is coming full circle.  Their first couple of albums, released in 1997 and 1999, was pretty punk – they at least featured a few scream vocals and some serious distortion – but Learning to Breathe and The Beautiful Letdown of the early 2000s were known for their gentler, more lyrical tracks.  On Hello Hurricane, Switchfoot has struck a dynamic and genuine balance between the two, which in itself, is new territory.  Now, let’s all welcome Foreman and his crew back to the top.

Hello Hurricane on its own is steady and captivating.  Switchfoot has always been one of those rare bands that can create compositions that all audiences can respect and enjoy as generally good music, and their most recent effort is no exception.  More specifically, a few of the stand-out tracks include “Needle and Haystack Life,” which is a static-y, fast-paced beginning, with optimistic lyrics out of a darkened world: ”In this needle and haystack life/I found miracles there in your eyes/It’s no accident we’re here tonight/We are once in a lifetime;” the album’s first single “Mess of Me,” a distorted, post-punk-infused rager, complete with a self-loathing chorus and a ragged, edgy performance from Foreman; “Your Love is a Song,” a cool, breathing-slowly-out type of ballad – its expressive imagery and steady beat fusing together to create a hushed, poetic sound that is immediately likable;  “The Sound (John M. Perkins’ Blues),” which is a punchy, stout track that acts as a get-up-and-fight(!) song with lyrics like, “This is the sound of a heartbeat/This is the sound of the discontented mouths/Of a haunted nation, we are the voice of breaking down;” the unshakable, shadowy “Free” is a pleading sort of confession song with a striking and memorable chorus that’s simple and easily identified with: “Inside this shell there’s a prison cell;” the mellow, quietly sanguine refrain called “Yet” is a raw, stripped-down Switchfoot that could almost be classified as contemporary folk; and “Sing It Out,” a gently sorrowful song, with despairingly passionate lines like, “Sing it out/Sing it out/Take what is left of me/And make it a melody.”

Hello Hurricane is a battle of optimism and cynicism, positive and negative, and ultimately I think Switchfoot comes to a hopeful conclusion, not just in their songs on the album, but with the album as another milestone in their lengthy, ongoing, and consistently thriving musical career.  Switchfoot, believe it or not, has broadened their musical horizons and audiences once again.  Are you surprised?  Yeah, me neither.

496 words

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Sydney’s Richard In Your Mind have just dropped the first release for their new label Rice Is Nice. Summertime EP is a gumbo stew of styles and instruments that feels frenetic, schizophrenic, fun and fearless.

For now at least it is a fresh blast of cut and paste indie hip hop and funk that dually serves the feet and the mind. First track Summertime Boogie (do the) is a big beat bonanza that drops into the electro proto-hip hop of Dismantilising, probably the most original and satisfying moment on the EP.

Intranaut (Return of the Space Hindu), takes us to a sitar trip-hop planet with the Bombay DJ Shadow as the pilot. Make it Chill mixes Beck, The Beastie Boys, the warped aesthetic of Ween and a nod to the delivery of contemporary MCs like Busdriver.

Gumboots stretches the patience after the first ‘that’s a clever piece of editing’ listen. Rainforest floats along on with its soothing and burbling, ambient and analog electronic soundscapes. A breath of fresh air after the spastic Gumboots.

Follow Me rounds things out nicely with an drifting psych strum that approximates late 60s UK pastoral pop and the quietest of the 80s shoegazers. Its a gorgeous summer comedown moment after the sunburn and crashing waves found elsewhere on Summertime EP.

Summertime EP is out now digitally via the good folks at Rice Is Nice.

A few years back we discovered a spate of indiepop bands with somewhat humerous names on My Space here at indie-mp3 and have covered them ever since. Two of them Bubblegum Lemonade & Strawberry Whiplash have now seen succesful releases on Matinee Records whilst the third, Tesco Chainstore Mascara, seem to have more false starts than a clapped out Trabant leaving me to snuggle up to a few mp3’s I managed to download from My Space in the day when they did such a thing. If digital downloads wore out like vinyl then they would be in the landfill ages ago.

However a few weeks ago and just when I least expected it their début long player drops through the letterbox. It’s been a mainstay on the stereo ever since. The band, who consist of Dave (vocals/instruments) and Katie (vocals), have created one of the most enjoyable 30 minutes you are likely to have this or any other year. Good Foundations is chock a block full of pop tunes that no self respecting indiepop dj should be without. From the opener Writers Block to the closer System Restore these 1960’s influenced songs will get the listener bopping, nodding, smiling and doing whatever else you do when listening to good records. Just try not to keep it to yourself ok?

And back to the other two aforementioned bands? Seems that Laz from both taught David to play the guitar and write songs ages ago. He also co-wrote and appears on Stuck Together, one of the albums highlights. As for those mp3’s?  Those songs that kept me so warm are here and if you have heard anything as good or better than Sun’s Shinin’ For You and Just The Weight You Are this year then I wanna hear about them pronto.

The verdict – poptastic as those dj’s would say!!!

Good Foundations is out now on Bubblegum Records.

My Space

When I call Robert Earl Keen a songwriter’s songwriter, I mean it as a compliment – for the most part. It’s a fact that even Keen himself will attest to; in the press materials accompanying his new record, The Rose Hotel, the artist admits that he would love to spend even an hour in the shoes of a great singer — Vince Gill is the one he mentions by name — but affirms that yes, ultimately, his gift is for storytelling, not necessarily performance.

Read the rest at Stereo Subversion.

De Amerikaanse band Polvo staat op een eiland als het om indierock gaat. De band heeft patent op een geheel eigen, tegendraads geluid met altijd verrassende wendingen. Naast schurende gitaren is er steeds een flirt met Oosterse muziek. Dat leverde in de jaren ‘90 van de vorige eeuw platen op zoals Cor-Crane Secret, Today’s Active Lifestyles en Exploded Drawing. Deze platen kunnen gerust gezien worden als klassiekers. In 1998 was Shapes hun afscheidsplaat. Maar dan is het 2008 en de band speelt op het All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in Engeland, en onlangs verscheen In Prism. Hell yeah! Een bezoek aan de platenzaak is altijd al een leuk uitje, maar met het verschijnen van de nieuwe Polvo werd het extra bijzonder. Na het openingsnummer ‘Right the Relation’ gehoord te hebben, dat met een mooie gitaarriff begint en bol staat van onverwachte wendingen, laat Polvo horen dat ze in topvorm zijn. Bij ‘D.C. Trails’ wordt er wat gas teruggenomen om met ‘Beggar’s Bowl’ naar de vijfde versnelling op te schakelen. Wat een geweldig nummer! Ook hier weer die onverwachte wendingen, het mooie oosterse gitaarloopje en de strakke drum. Het nummer ‘Lucia’ wordt rustig opgebouwd, maar ook hier gaan de elektrische gitaren opeens op vol volume. Experiment is er ook aan het begin van ‘Dream Residue / Work’ waarbij de overgang naar een ‘normaal’ gitaarnummer tamelijk perfect klinkt. Mocht je al met je eindlijstje bezig zijn, dan verdient In Prism zeker een luisterbeurt, want na een lange tijd van afwezigheid laat Polvo horen niet aan je lijstje te mogen ontbreken. Geniet er van.

Yvar

Vorig jaar werd ik aangenaam verrast door de titelloze plaat van Hush Arbors. De songsmid van deze band heet Keith Wood. Hij en zijn mannen hebben met Yankee Reality een plaat afgeleverd die aan mooie muziek doet denken zoals de freefolk van Sunburned Hand of the Man, songs van Neil Young en gruizige gitaren met feedback zoals je het wel bij Yo La Tengo hoort. Ook hoor je invloeden van Dinosaur jr. Maar dat is ook niet zo vreemd als je bedenkt dat Dinosaur jr’s J Mascis op een aantal nummers meespeelt en ook verantwoordelijk is voor de productie. Hulde voor deze man. Opvallend is dat ‘Yankee Reality’ wat voller en volwassener klinkt dan zijn voorganger. De liefhebber van klassieke rock met modernere en eigenzinnige invloeden komt hier prima aan zijn trekken. Opener ‘Day Before’ is een prettige start als je van een mooie song met kop en staart houdt terwijl ‘Lisbon’ van een fijn scheurende gitaar is voorzien. Al te gortig wordt het hier niet, maar met ‘Devil Made You High’ gaan de remmen los; een muur van geluid waar je u tegen zegt. Hush Arbors laat op Yankee Reality horen mooie en vooral opwindende muziek te maken die zich weet te onderscheiden. Aanrader! En dat op het allemaal op het mooie label Ecstatic Peace! van Thurston Moore.

Yvar

Kranky staat als label altijd garant voor verrassende en diverse muziek; experiment en drones van Pan American, Loscil en Tim Hecker tot de indierock van Deerhunter. Het Britse trio Felix brengt er ook haar plaat op uit en doen dat in Kranky-stijl. Zij doen in rustige songs met een klassieke invloed. Het klassieke komt vooral door de piano en cello die worden gebruikt. Op hun MySpace wordt Erik Satie als invloed aangedragen en het verwondert me een beetje dat Rachel’s hier niet wordt genoemd. Op You Are The One I Pick hoor je elf verstilde nummers met zeer Britse zang van Lucinda Chua die door minimalistische drums van Chris Summerlin worden begeleid. De plaat begint met ‘Death To Everyone But Us’ en ‘You Are The One I Pick’ wat aarzelend, maar met ‘Ode To The Marlboro Man’ weet Felix te overtuigen. De rest van de plaat is fascinerend, maar het is wel jammer dat de songs wat kort zijn. Een aanrader.

Yvar

Wie naar de eerste tonen van het debuut van Systems Officer luistert, zal meteen worden overspoeld door een golf van herkenning: Armistead Burwell Smith IV is terug. De man die met Three Mile Pilot en Pinback schitterende platen maakte, heeft nu, onder de noemer Systems Officer, zijn soloproject. Een project dat naar verluid uiterst moeizaam tot stand is gekomen. En al had Zach Smith vijf jaar nodig voor het schrijven, schaven, schuren en opnemen van het debuut ‘Underslept’, het resultaat mag er zijn; het biedt een tal van parels en hoogtepunten.
Maar wie bij deze zware bevalling op vernieuwing of verrassing had gehoopt, komt bedrogen uit. Smith blijft heel dicht bij wat we van hem kennen. Hoewel Systems Officer veel met toetsen werkt, hebben de nummers dezelfde complexe, maar intrigerende popdeunen die Pinback zo herkenbaar maken. ‘Sand II’ en ‘East’, bijvoorbeeld.
Daarnaast ademt de plaat de sfeer van Three Mile Pilot; vol dramatiek en zwaarmoedige klanken. Maar er zijn ook enkele lichtpunten, want soms trekt Smith zijn muziek in de richting van iets als Spiritualized of Galaxie 500, zonder dat hij daar heel dichtbij in de buurt komt. Afgezien van dat, doet Armistead Burwell Smith IV gewoon wat hij het beste kan en dat blijft altijd mooi.

Niek

Vanwege een onaangekondigd bezoek van Julie Doiron aan Phil Elverum,
voelde het daaruit voortvloeiende ‘Lost Wisdom’, de vorig jaar
verschenen plaat van Mount Eerie, als een spontaan geheel. Na enkele
dagen samen met Fred Squire in de studio te hebben gezeten, hadden de
drie veel goeds uit elkaar gehaald, met dito resultaat. Op de met
ruige letters gesierde plaat ‘Wind’s Poem’, de nieuwste en onlangs
verschenen plaat van Mount Eerie, is het wel ietwat andere koek.
Elverum opent dit keer met logge en zwaar dronende gitaaraanslagen,
waar overheen hij uiterst bescheiden zijn poëzie brengt. De toon lijkt
gezet. Elverum verkent één van zijn muzikale liefdes: black metal.
Maar het karakter van deze uitgekristalliseerde verkenning is wel één
die bij Mount Eerie past; veel ruimte, rust en oog voor detail,
waarbij de gitaar een middel is om een interessant punt te maken. Met
nummers als ‘The Hidden Stone’ en het met veel noise gesteunde ‘(Wind
Lyrics)’ – wel op de CD, niet op de LP – slaagt hij daar meerdere
keren in. Ook als hij rustiger voor de dag komt, in ‘Between Two
Mysteries’ of bij het mooie ‘Wind Speaks’, overtuigt Elverum je op
zijn manier dat hij opnieuw iets bijzonders aan zijn wonderschone
oeuvre heeft toegevoegd. Mooie plaat.

Niek

Adrian Killens

Selected Demos 2002-2009

There’s something to be said for shunning the limelight, especially in this media-drenched, Li-Lo adulating society that values celeb column inches over actual musical substance.  Well, it can certainly be assumed that Adrian Killens won’t be seen dangling from the arm of any Hollywood starlets in the near future, yet judging from his recent release of ‘Selected Demos – 2002-2009′, there’s nowhere he’d rather be less than in the glare of flashlights or in Heat magazine…no, he’d much rather be in his bedroom, writing songs of such impressive quality, all the camera-hogging songsmith poseurs that litter Heat magazine’s covers can only dream about.

‘Prettyish’ is a quaint opener, but quaint in a really good way, with a chugging acoustic guitar carrying Killens’ scratchy vocal throughout the whole song, a lisping Marc Bolan with Evan Dando’s tongue.  The actual song is a paean to social embarrassment and not wanting to be seen as ‘uncool’, something that the world and his prettyish wife will be able to relate to; however, in releasing this collection of raw, intimate and self-exposing songs, appearing uncool is something Killens is clearly not worried about at all, and is all the cooler for it.

Giving way to the garage rock slacker anthem ‘22′, a song that could easily slot into Weezer’s back catalogue, ‘Selected Demos…’ takes the listener through a tribute to all of Killens’ favourite acts and artists, positing him to be a veritable jukebox of original takes on classic genres.  ‘Bored’ is pure Eels, circa-Beautiful Freak era; you almost expect a nonchalant voiceover from the big E man himself, describing everything that is wrong with youth culture in one continuous monotone.  With the fuzzed up spikiness of ‘It’s Only A Drink’, Killens then dabbles in shoegaze’, a DIY guitar tone lending the whole song an endearingly twee element as he desperately tries to justify him and his friends’ intoxicated antics.

‘Edinburgh’ is hilarious in all its potty-mouthed glory, as the song takes us through Killens’ blurry night out; searingly sarcastic, brashly decadent and wince-inducingly honest, ‘Edinburgh’ could not be more aptly titled.  Its travelling counterpart, ‘Amsterdam’, is quite possibly the most entertaining song about a prostitute since Roxeanne, with its hilariously confessional chorus, “I did something that I’ve never done before, I did some dirty Russian whore”; with English ambassadors like Killens, its a wonder why the tourist board haven’t confiscated his passport yet.

With the lack of proper production and the similar DIY musical style, one would expect the album to drag towards the end; however, this is not the case as the tunes continue to envelope you in their raw intimacy and honest humour, the home recordings simply adding to the sense of unity between Killens and his small, but loyal audience.

As Killens croons on the album’s penultimate track, ‘Maybe’, “Maybe, just maybe all my dreams will all come true, because my goals are so low, that all my dreams just have to come true.”  Ironically, if he aimed his sights higher, he may lose his talent for the perceptive understatement, so let’s be content with his bedroom musical meandering and hope that no one else discovers this hidden gem.

David Harfield

(http://www.roomthirteen.com/cd_reviews/10460/Adrian_Killens__Selected_Demos_20022009.html)

Alan Cohen Experience

Eat The Peace

Bands that offer themselves as any kind of ‘experience’ immediately come up against two major problems; firstly, to claim that you are going to give your audience an actual ‘experience’, as opposed to simply serenading them with music puts an enormous amount of pressure on you as a performer, and conjures up images and expectations of mystical, LSD-fuelled travels through time and space, harking back to the days when to go and see the Zep play, you would have to pack your passport, a teepee and a sacrificial offering to the Gods of rock in the form of a small child, goat or wrap of acid.  Secondly, you’re never gonna beat Jimi, the true Experience.

These fears cast aside, The Alan Cohen Experience have released a small album filled with songs that reference artists as wide ranging in their musical styles as Frank Zappa, Adam Green and Simon and Garfunkel; however, as is the case of many bands that choose to emulate such an eclectic group of idols, The A.C.E. never reaches anywhere close to the heights that they are striving for.

‘Rock Biter’ is a slice of tub-thumping rock from the Primal Scream songbook, yet does not have any of the soul that Bobby Gillespie channels into the ‘Rocks’, the Scream’s hit that Cohen is so clearly basing his plodding funk upon.  ‘Train God’ could probably pass as a Ben Folds Five B-side, but lacks the wit and sparkling sarcasm of Folds’ songs, although clocking in at under two minutes, it is hard to attach any true feeling to it, be it positive or negative.  The bluesy jaunt of ‘Ranger Stranger’ is fairly engaging and is quite fun to follow, it’s melodic, “woo ooh’s” lying just on the right side of twee; however, one decent song in a collection of six average ones is hardly enough for the listener to enjoy the entire experience.

So, The A.C.E. aren’t Hendrix, nor are their gigs likely to play host to anyone drug-charged orgies and their music is anything but extraordinary; in fact, there is little that is actually going for them at all…oh yeah, there’s always that great name.  Sorry, but it’s been a long day.

David Harfield

(http://www.roomthirteen.com/cgi-bin/cd_view.cgi?CDID=10339)

Alan Cohen Experience

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (Soundtrack)

Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman

2007

Walden Media / Varese Sarabande Records

If you haven’t figured out by now that I’m some kind of dork (definite music dork, definite English dork, among others), this review will greatly tip you off.  Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is one of my favorite movies – I saw it in theaters, I own the DVD, and I have bought the soundtrack to the movie.  You could say that I like kids’ movies, and you’d probably be right.  But I have reasons why I watch kids’ movies (and these reasons which I’m telling you for my own credibility can also be used to strengthen your argument against me, I’m fully aware).  First of all, I’m a full-blown optimist (for the most part).  So instead of watching horror / slasher films, I’d prefer to watch a children’s movie that may tug on one’s heartstrings (whatever the hell those are), but still have an optimistic message to get across.  Secondly, a lot of great actors and directors make kid’s movies – that most can be enjoyed by adults – Ben Stiller.  Jim Carrey. And in this case: Dustin Hoffman, Jason Bateman (who, after I became obsessed with Arrested Development, I will watch anything with him in it, no matter how horrible it is – Extract - because Bateman is an amazing actor / comedian.  And no, I do not have a man-crush on him, though it may seem so), and Natalie Portman (who, I completely have a crush on, and I believe can do no wrong – except for the Star Wars movies and dating Devendra Banhart).  And then directors!  For instance, I just saw Fantastic Mr. Fox this weekend solely because it was a Wes Anderson movie.

And yes, I’m using Fantastic Mr. Fox as a transition into my next point.  Thirdly, the music.  Childrens’ movies have some awesome music (You can’t tell me that Danny Elfman’s soundtrack to Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure was not the best orchestrated soundtrack of the ’90’s).  Fantastic Mr. Fox, being a Wes Anderson film, had great music.  Which is thanks to Alexandre Desplat.  Who, if you’ve read the title of this review, composed the music to Mr. Magorium.  See how awesome I am at creating transitions?

Anyway, the music of Mr. Magorium was one of the best orchestrations in soundtracks I’ve ever heard.  This fact is partially due to the idea of the music being included in the plot of the film.  Not only did the music serve as an emotional backdrop to the scenes, but acted as a catalyst for much of the storyline.  Portman’s character is a pianist, and aspiring composer.  During most scenes, she’s seen tapping her fingers like she’s playing a piano to the music that’s supposedly in the background (this was a really cool aspect of the movie – and even lampshaded when an old friend runs into her).  The music makes the toy shop dance in some scenes.  And the finale brings everything together, as the shop completely finished out Portman’s unfinished composition (which is “Mahoney’s Debut” on the album). 

I could go track by track through the album like the normal format on this website.  But I won’t.  Because it’s hard to treat the album like an actual album.  The tracks were composed to be in the movie.  Outside of that context, it’s not much help.  This is also considering that many of the songs are extremely similar using themes found during other songs – which makes the whole soundtrack feel kind of like a classical score.  But also, it’s because I’m kind of lazy and there’s thirty-seven songs on here.  I don’t feel like sifting through each one just to say, “Track 25, ‘A Substantial Offer,’ offers profound insight into blah blah blah blah blah.”  Especially not when most of the songs are repetitive, and there’s no way I’d listen to each song on the album every time I played the album.

But that’s not to say that there aren’t amazing songs on here.  Particularly, the first quarter of the soundtrack is really fun to listen to.  “Night Time,” “Kermit,” “Dodge Ball,” “Toy Store Jam,” and the “Temper Tantrum” songs are really cool.  A lot of the songs on the CD will get stuck in your head, the melodies being repeated necessarily will ensure this.

But, there are three songs on the album that definitely need to be pointed out.  The first is “Good Morning.”  It is an amazing composition, extremely upbeat.  The melody is amazing.  The whole orchestra is amazing.  It’s catchy, arranged very well, and short which warrants numerous listens.  Also, it’s one of the few songs on the CD that, just by hearing the song, one can immediately think about the scene in the movie.  This particular scene is early on, letting the toy store to “wake up” to the music.  And the song accomplishes that mood perfectly (though, I’m pretty sure that the theatrical release used Elfman’s “Breakfast Machine” from the aforementioned Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.  This is a claim that I can’t prove.  I only saw the movie once in the theaters, and the DVD releases have “Good Morning” playing.  I don’t know if I just imagined “Breakfast Machine” playing, or if it really did.  I wish I had a way to find out, but alas, I don’t).

The second song, one that also accomplishes the remembering of the scene from the movie idea, is “Mahoney’s Debut.”  This track features a great orchestra.  The music swells during the entire song; the arrangement starts off quietly, gets louder with the repeated themes, and ends majestically.  It’s a completely hummable melody.  Listening to “Mahoney’s Debut,” I’m reminded of Beethoven.  Now, I’m not saying that Desplat and Zigman are anywhere close to being as great as Beethoven.  I’m simply saying that Beethoven’s music towards the end had a definite heroic theme aspect to his works.  And this is relevant in “Mahoney’s Debut.”  It’s an emotional composition that sounds heroic in a sort-of-way.  It’s even better if you’ve watched the movie.

The last song is the extremely misplaced “Love the World You Find” by The Flaming Lips.  I say “extremely” for a few reasons.  This is the only song on the released soundtrack that isn’t an orchestrated song by Desplat and Zigman.  Out of thirty-seven tracks, this is the only one.  Which is one of my complaints with the album.  Where is “Don’t Be Shy” by Cat Stevens, the song that was played during a pivotal scene?  Where is Mahoney’s rendition of Donovan’s “Jennifer Juniper”?  Why are they not on the released soundtrack?  Also, the song doesn’t even sound like a Flaming Lips song (which, for me, is a positive thing).  It wouldn’t even fit in with their discography at all.  Yes, I’m not a Flaming  Lips fan – and by all accounts, I should be.  But, I genuinely like this song.  Maybe because it does have a positive, optimistic message – which is the sole reason that the song half-fits on the album.

I don’t have many complaints with the soundtrack.  The lack of the two other songs bothers me, for one.  But, an even bigger problem is the track listing.  The songs aren’t in order with the movie.  “Mahoney’s Debut” should be in the thirty-sixth slot, not number two.  Why is “The Funeral” so early on the CD, even before “Triscadecaphobia,” “Dancing,” and “The Euphonium”?  This greatly bothers me.

But that’s all.  The soundtrack is a very hopeful one, in addition to the movie.  But, it’s a nice soundtrack, but outside of the context of the movie, is hard to get into.  For most of it.  Like I said, there are a lot of great compositions, but really, I can’t picture many people buying the CD, especially if they haven’t seen the movie.  Now, I’m not trying to write a movie review, but I feel like I should at least mention that the movie wasn’t really received well by critics.  Which is understandable.  Because nothing about this movie is vague.  It’s an upfront, honest film with itself.  It doesn’t try to be anything less than optimistic.  And the soundtrack is positive right along with it.  It accomplishes its job.  And even goes beyond what most movie compositions do; the music fills in as an almost fifth (or sixth if you include the toy store as another) character.  Desplat and Zigman did a wonderful job.  And most of this could be coming out because I am a complete music dork, but it’s also my emotional attachment side that thinks the movie is great.  Or it could be because I’ll love anything with Natalie Portman. 

Buy This Album

Official Site

Last.fm Page

One night, a long, long time ago, in a dirty hotel room full of empty booze bottles and used condoms, David Bowie, Jon Bon Jovi, and Cher had a threesome – or ménage à trois if you prefer- and pooped out Adam Lambert.

I’ll leave it up to you as to whether or not that’s a good thing. I’ve listened to For Your Entertainment multiple times now, and I’m quite honestly just feeling ambivalent about the whole thing. I am a poor soul who is forced by people in my life to watch American Idol every year. Last season, Lambert was the only thing that got me through that show. He was my sparkly, glittery, makeup-y shining star. And I have to say that I’m disappointed. This whole album is just so, “meh”, and no matter how much I listen to it, I can’t get a feeling of who Adam Lambert is, or what his music’s about. The album is disorganized and doesn’t seem to flow.  It feels like he’s just a tool for the music of multiple other people. A player for a mixtape type of thing. There are a few bright moments in the album, songs that I like to classify as “gay anthem songs” – songs that I expect to be remixed and blaring when I go out to the gay clubs. These include Fever, Sleepwalker, and If I Had You.  I’ll shake my bootie along to these songs when I’m out on Saturday night, but in my head I’ll be thinking about how disappointed I am.

Adam, for your next record, stick to the anthems, buddy!

Posted by Garvey

This album is a lot better than his last mixtape that’s for sure .. This is a solid album .. Some old joints on here but still a good album .. Pick it up here .. Review after the jump!

01.Bout Ya’ll (ft. Josh Everette) (7/10)
02.Chewy (8/10)
03.Friendly (ft. Curren$y) (4/10)
04.Goodbye (10/10)
05.Hit Tha Flo (8/10)
06.Lose Control (5/10)
07.Moola And The Guap (ft. L.C. & Lavish) (5/10)
08.Studio Lovin’ (10/10)
09.Right Here (ft. Josh Everette) (8/10)
10.Red Carpet (Like A Movie) (10/10)
11.Superstar (9/10)
12.Take Away (8/10)
13.This Plane (10/10)
14.Who I Am (7/10)
15.Young Boy Talk (8/10)

117/150 (78%)

Overall Grade: C+

01: Mamacita – Ugh… more fail to take in this week! This song is just no good at all and I have some good reasons for that little statement: First of all, HI-D’s vocals are unbearably whiny to the point where I just ignored his singing until he went with this random whiny notes that just glaringly caught my attention in a bad way. The arrangement is latin-esque with the guitars and r&b beat to mix a little urban flavor in there also, that was the only good thing about this song but this in all honesty was terribly beyond annoying.

02: Throw Your KISS - I honestly don’t know what to say about this song aside that it’s really lame, blatantly lame and maybe I’m bashing a bit too hard but that’s the type of vibe this song just automatically gives me. HI-D’s vocals were a lot better than the previous track and I enjoyed them even though I’ve heard better like for example: Shake Ya Head. The arrangement was all right but it played like background noise after a while and I just stopped caring for it as the song continued because it kept playing the same sounds over and over, I didn’t like it in all honesty but this song will take some time to grow on me so I won’t go too far as of saying that this song is fail because it really isn’t a BAD song, it’s just one that needs some time to sink in more.

03: モノローグ – I’m not really feeling this song to be honest which I am 100 percent of the time. HI-D’s vocals sound strained in my opinion but not all that much though so he still gave a good performance from his vocals. The chorus is the main highlight of this song since I thought it was better than the verses although those were just as good also. The one thing that turns me off with this song is the amount of snyth playing in the background, it sounds blatantly corny and gay-clubish to be honest. This song just doesn’t do anything for me at all.

04: Melody Maker - Why do HI-D’s vocals sound so whiny for some reason? Hmm. This song is pretty all right although I felt that the best part was definitely the chorus when his deeper tones blend in with his higher tones, that was true magic right there. The arrangement plays too light and just fades into the background although it was a nice musical composition, it sounded a bit lank to be honest. I think this song just might grow on me some more but as of now I’m a bit confused and underwhelmed.

05: 騒がしい太陽 - Why are all the japanese titled tracks on this album so odd and uninspired… hmm? I don’t know but I guess this song breaks that whole streak because as soon as the chorus started and HI-D sings that be alright part in there, I fell in love with it. The arrangement is pretty synthed up and r&b-ish, I noticed a lot of pop in there also but all in all it was pretty nice. HI-D’s vocals were really awesome, the chorus was where he truly shined at and that made me actually like this song.

06: Where’re You? - I’m not so sure about this next track but I guess it’s passable. HI-D’s vocals weren’t bad although they were a bit whiny but still all right, passable. The arrangement is what I didn’t really care about the most because it just sounds a bit bland and just there in my opinion. The chorus is all right but I just thought it could have been slightly better but this song all in all is pretty all right, so-so but I don’t think I actually liked it nor cared about it.

07: A・O・GE - I’m really diggin’ this song at the moment, I wasn’t into it in the first minutes of it but it grew some more on me. HI-D’s vocals sound a bit whiny but he did a pretty damn good on this track especially when gets into the chorus with them nice tones which are my preferred tones from him. The arrangement was kinda lame but it had potential and was pretty engaging throughout the entire song but all in all I somewhat enjoyed it.

08: Can’t Go Back - I thought that I wasn’t going to like this song but as soon as it started up I enjoyed it after that. HI-D’s vocals were pretty nice here with his deep and high tones in the chorus, the verses were good also but I thought that the chorus was better than the verses in all honesty. The arrangement sounds a bit island-y with the drum-loops and had some urban sounds blended into it also like for example: the sensual r&b beat. This song all in all is another one of my favorite songs off this album and I’d listen to again if I ever wanted to at some point.

09: COMING HOME - This album decides to turn to an island-y type of style blended with r&b and I’m really diggin’ with this next track. HI-D’s vocals were kinda whiny mostly throughout but he still did good enough with his singing, the arrangement has a bit of a mid-tempo r&b club vibe in my opinion and I keep thinking of Jay Sean’s song called Ride It for some odd reason. This song all in all is pretty nice to my ears, I enjoyed it.

10: Neva Giva(Dream on Dreamer pt.2) feat.Cool M.B - I’m too sure if I even like this song but I really enjoy the smooth flow of the beat. HI-D’s vocals were all right but not the best I’ve heard though since he gets a little whiny after a while and Cool M.B did a pretty nice job with their vocals so it was a bit of a weird ride for my ears. I though that the chorus was the best part of this song and I actually loved HI-D’s ab-libs in this song. Strange.

11: 愛こそすべて’07 feat.BUTCHER - I highly disliked this song when it first started with BUTCHER the feat. artist trying to sing a tune and epically failing at it. HI-D’s vocals were pretty whiny but strangely still good, I loathed the chorus since that was the worst part of this song because it’s like another That Ain’t Cool all over again. The arrangement was pretty generic and repetitive at best, I honestly didn’t care for it at all. I highly disliked this song, it was pretty damn bad, I mean HI-D’s vocals were good though but the feat. artist just fucks up this song in my opinion.

12: KOTOBUKI - What a way to close up an album with such a dully ballad, seriously. HI-D’s vocals weren’t anything special since I’ve heard better from him and I mean a lot better than this song. He sounded like he was ready to fall sleep while singing this song but trying entirely too hard to stay awake to be able to sing the song. The arrangement is painfully slow and I usually like r&b songs like this but on this song it just tires me out. This was not a very good way to end this chore of an album.

1. Mamacita
2. Throw Your KISS
3. モノローグ
4. Melody Maker
5. 騒がしい太陽
6. Where’re You?
7. A・O・GE
8. Can’t Go Back
9. COMING HOME
10. Neva Giva(Dream on Dreamer pt.2) feat.Cool M.B
11. 愛こそすべて’07 feat.BUTCHER
12. KOTOBUKI

Well… I somewhat liked this album in some way but some songs on here were chores though and I won’t even speak on the names of them since you can read what I said about all of the album’s tracks. I’m honesty not a HI-D fan but I do listen to the songs that I like him and come out blatantly surprised since his voice has this warm charm to it when he goes for the love ballads. Fragrance wasn’t really amazing but I mean it was all right but just as much of chore and bore as his 24-twenty four- album was to me. I actually think my review is pretty much void for that album but this one here was good in the mid-section of it and somewhat in the beginning but it seemed to tapper off once it the album was starting close up to the end. I don’t think this album was amazing, I just thought it was pretty decent and so-so although nothing memorable at all.

Beat! Beat! Beat! – Stars (2009)

German bands don’t often manage to cross to this damp isle, and it’s only really when they can sing in English, but let’s face it, many of our own artists have trouble doing that anyway. Beat! Beat! Beat! have been hailed as the ‘new Foals‘, cracking out some angular guitar parts with disco beats all over the shop. This is their debut release, and at the ripe age of 18, these guys have got tons of time to take over the indie-pop scene.
The album opens up with Stars, a seriously catchy pop track, with some ambient elements coming in at the beginning before some great lyrics and well-written guitar riffs. We Are Waves is another great number, although it is a bit more downtempo to the rest of the EP, and almost has elements that remind me of The Strokes in the vocal work.
I heard about Fireworks courtesy of the NME, who gave it away as a free track. This has so many elements of Foals in it you might even think they kidnapped one of the guitarists and let him lay down the riff. It’s a pretty awesome though, and also makes sure the indie-disco beat stays strong. The main riffs works so well together, sliding all over the place in perfect synchronisation. Punchy basslines and pretty random lyrics make this song a good one to nod your head to.
One thing I have noticed is that the tracks all seem to be a little bit different. This could be a good thing, or it could be that they are still climbing the rickety ladder to find their ‘core’ sound. Fireworks is certainly my favourite of the 3, but this EP is just a taster to show people what they can do, so their full-length album is sure to cause a bit of commotion.

By Mark Allen

Diary 1 2 3 4 5
LP2   1 2 3 4 5
reviewed for FasterLouder

Sunny Day Real Estate were a ‘best kept secret’ for many years, especially in these parts of the world, so it is interesting to see the attention they are now getting and the level of cult fandom they have achieved. I first came into contact with them in the mid 90s when a friend returned from Seattle raving about this amazing band he had seen. Dodgy name I thought but pretty soon the CD had circulated around town and everyone was sold on them.

With the re-release of their first two albums (with the original lineup of Jeremy Enigk, Dan Hoerner, William Goldsmith and Nate Mendel) time also gives us the opportunity to put them in the context of the times. Their debut Diary was released in 1994 and it stood out from the prevailing winds of grunge by incorporating the quiet/loud dynamics patented by the Pixies (and taken to the masses by Nirvana) and more intricate and dextrous musicality of indie and the post rock stylings of bands like Slint who were stretching punk rock’s possibilities.

Diary contains one of the band’s best known songs in Seven with its landslide rhythms and the incessant riffing of Hoerner. Each member of the band brought their own signature style to the album. Goldsmith played every beat with manic intent while Mendel was almost the antithesis, coaxing and massaging the notes out of his bass. Seven personifies their early songs with the stop/start dynamics and Enigk’s voice reaching into the stratosphere when he strains and sings, You’ll taste it, you’ll taste it, in time”. Its a glorious moment.

the rest of Diary has its moments of greatness, none quite matching Seven and for that matter In Circles. The song with the eternal riff that circles and squeals until the verse brings relief, the calm before the chorus. SDRE pull back slightly for the gentler waters of Song About An Angel, add some metallic crunch to the Pumpkins-like 47 and add some wonky sideshow piano on Phuerton Skuerto to prove they weren’t just angst and bombast.

Looking back 15 years later, it is impressive that on Diary they could bottle and maintain their tension across the whole album. They seemed to be giving so much in each song, something most bands struggle to master in just one song.

The relative success of Diary meant touring became a priority and eventually a chore to some members of the band. Enigk in particular struggled with the lifestyle, culminating in him experiencing a ‘religious explosion’, contributing to the dissolution of the group. Thankfully they managed to scratch together some existing songs and wrote a bunch more that became the basis of LP2 or as many refer to it The Pink Album.

LP2 is a superior example of what SDRE were capable of creating in that it strips back the layers to reveal the essence of their sound. From the opening lullaby notes of Friday there is a greater sense of calm and maturity. They sound more comfortable in their skin. The screams and exultant wails of Enigk are still there but they are more controlled, settled and tamed.

The melodic guitar playing of Hoerner rises to the surfaces on LP2. His mastery of riffs that just fall into place and work so perfectly with the other musicians is magical to listen to. Theo B twinkles and has a chiming quality that sounds effortless. His clever shifts and changes in 5/4 betray the post rock influence of bands like Slint and Fugazi, showing that SDRE was unfairly lumped in with the so called grunge movement. They offered quite a different emotional feel to those other bands.

Enigk made up a lot of the lyrics during the recording of LP2 and many of his words are hard to grasp the meaning of. This isn’t a bad thing as it turns the spotlight onto the music which has the ability to paint a million shades of meaning with its time signatures and contrasts. Iscarabaid is schizophrenic and at times queasy as the verses snake along. As the chorus crashes in the fog lifts and the mood shifts to a determined rallying cry.

Though SDRE went onto release further albums with different members (all worth checking out) it is Diary and LP2 that remain closest to the hearts of their fans. Inspiring and instilling passion in the audience is the much sought after holy grail for bands and SDRE certainly achieved that. It was evident in the way we hunted down their music in the 90s and the level of excitement that has been generated by the 2009 reunion of the original band. Great music never dates and SDRE still sound as vital and invigorating as ever.