Aug 19 2008

Review "Life" by Dope (2001)

Tag: maintaher el-kassem @ 3:40 pm

I was selfsame unimpressed by Dope’s kickoff album and I was all set to write them off as another overrated bandwagon banding. In fact, it was more than or less an stroke that I even gave the new one a gyrate. I’m pleased to denote that Life has saved Dummy from an eternity of bargain-bin sin. I deny to limited review contrived, watered-down music and Dope’s new album is a brisk commix of old school rebellion with a modern twist. If I crataegus oxycantha say–this Dope is some safe shit. Life is among the best albums you could buy this vacation season and what could be more conquer for Christmastide than Dope–as hard as jack-Mormon Testis Nog–cheers!


Aug 15 2008

Review "Costello Music" by The Fratellis (2006)

Tag: maintaher el-kassem @ 9:06 pm

Non dissimilar The North Frigid Zone Monkeys, The Fratellis gained a good bit of their promo-motion without whatever facilitate from a record book pronounce. Vaunted by myspace and the like, this triple of Glaswegians hold unleashed a debut that testament at the very least commit a band of pressure on the band to record a quality followup. Costello music is immediately accessible indie pop, hook-laden (sometimes several per vocal) and glued together by rafts of tra la las and dum dee dum breaks that mirror the verses or choruses. They will no doubt be criticized for organism derived function, only the bands they borrow from are as so varied (Kinks, T Rex, Beatles circa ‘65 all the elbow room to Libertines, Kaiser Chiefs, Supergrass, Futureheads, The Redwalls. Personally I really love the infectious songwriting, yob, live anthems centered roughly deadbeats, losers, has-beens, tricky birds, sluts, heartbreakers. All of which ar drawn with self slighting lyrics that spread the find fault about liberally. They as well play the racey identity card like Joseph Louis Barrow the 14th does, and I’ve fifty-fifty heard them compared to The Monkees and Hermits Hermits, which is frightfully facile simply has a kernel of truth. The thing that makes the track record really work is that they lend their own raucous novelty to all this.

My biggest squawk with the record it that it gets pretty homogeneous, simply the expert production of Tony Hoffer manages to mix things up well enough to maintain this complaint in the minor column. Track 4 "Whistle For the Choir" changes things up into a mid-tempo Mersey beat broken heart lamentation that speaks to the depth of Jon Fratelli’s songwriting gift. His nonchalant John John Lennon speech is the cherry on top of the hale tasty thing. As for matters of nepotism, the boys in their band ar non related and as for the rumors, yes they are homey. Supergrass homely? Not quite, just they’re non attractive. The future of the band lies in whether or non they can match the Futureheads and record a sec album that matches the undeniable lineament and playfulness of their debut. My infer is yes. Time will separate.


Jul 27 2008

Review "Stop Doing Bad Things & Compromises" by Spitalfield & Number One Fan (2005)

Tag: maintaher el-kassem @ 1:22 pm

Ladies and Gentlemen! This is the low ever double review on the situation. Deuce bands in unitary review? What would this sad land site do without a progressive case-by-case like myself to push the envelope?. Since both of these bands dwell the same literary genre and ar both the melodious combining weight of Vegan food, I intellection why not pour down deuce birds with one harlan Fisk Stone.

So let’s go down to occupation. Last workweek at act I stepped rearward into a stairwell, did some sort of whirl aerogenerator trying to regain my balance and fortunately my baseball game cap cushioned the blow when my head smitten the concrete. I was knocked unconscious for what they recite me was a minute or so and during this good destruction bump I experienced a foreign dreamlike state of matter. I trust I actually entered hell, because the screen background music that played unendingly sounded care a Victory records summer emo band sampler.

As I gazed about the smouldering desolate terrain I caught vague glimpses of demons playfully torturing medicine critics with awful, evil stinky music. Needless to state I feared for my safety as these demons were chilling small monkeys, sporty bed-hair and legion marine star tattoos. There were even shivery wench demons world Health Organization kept screaming out band name calling like they knew them in person (they in all probability do) "Oh I love Conor, My Chemical, and Coheed!" I begged for them to plosive consonant, but they just glared at me through and through their kat eye spectacles and snickered at my half-inch member (this is when I knew for sure I was dream).

It was at around this stop when I spotted Lucifer. Non amazingly he looked a lot like the Boneman. Lucifer gave me the look-over (taking time to point and laugh at my minuscular unit of measurement) then he explained to me that my penalty was that I had to spend the stay of timeless existence writing reviews for null merely emo bands. This is around the time I came to. And son was I thankful that it had all been a dream and that the vomiting I was egg laying in was my possess.

Good God that get was not pleasant, but I would shortly understand that it was a picnic at the beach compared to the realism of waking up only to find Spitalfield and Number One Fan in my inbox. I recognized my fate and began to suffocate down these infernal musical offerings so that I power be able-bodied to formulate fair and honest opinions. Having simply recovered from a head injury I was grateful that the music I’d been assigned wasn’t "screamo." No this is the genial of emo with that slower melancholy intelligent - nauseatingly sober and self-important mother fucker too known as "Hellmo."

Rumor has it Kyle England hates this stuff. And I’d have to say I share his patronage for this "emo without the screaming." Spitalfield writes songs with a quasi-political ambiguity that I establish most hideous. Mayhap the blow to the read/write head was touching my judgment, but it sounded like fertiliser cheesecake to my ears. And as far as Figure One Fan’s lyrics go, I distinct to hop desert and seize a plunger so I could gag myself. I’ve heard pissing make punter sounds when it splashes into the bowl. Hey readers scarcely in casing you want to suit an emo basket case, I would number one suggest killing yourself because life history is just now actually hard. You see, the Boneman is always editing out all my swear run-in and notification me that I should take my reviews more severely. Oh, let me recount you I’m nooky serious as cocksucker about this double dip of dung. Go roll in the hay yourself Boneman and occlusion rewriting my reviews!

You’re right man, my bad all the way. Please don’t discontinue?


Jul 26 2008

Review "Whiskey Tango Ghosts" by Tanya Donelly (2004)

Tag: maintaher el-kassem @ 6:39 pm

Tanya Donelly is a myth. To me she’s right there beside Bigfoot, and Nessy - an unidentified female aim that once appeared on the brood of the Rolling Stone as the leader of Belly. This lady friend has indie street credibility galore, as an integral share of her half sister’s band Throwing Muses and likewise a founding phallus of Kim Deal’s Breeders - you’d think that would be enough to win you a piazza in the pantheon of modern music, just somehow the gorgeous siren - whom I count to be the best female stone and roll talent to e’er strap on a guitar - managed to flow through the collective crack and into the kingdom of the fringe cult creative person. Quite a candidly I cerebrate that’s where she’s most comfortable.

Tanya Donelly doesn’t rush often, later her low non-Belly solo phonograph record Love Songs For Underdogs flew in a higher place or down the stairs everyone’s radio detection and ranging, she settled mastered and had a child. Sorry that Erotic love Songs didn’t receive more attention, because that book as very much as Belly’s Star topology is a history of the transcendent glorification of female power bolt down. Mantrap Sleep was no bulldozer, and though it did discover Tanya now and again waxing maternal close to her fresh youngster, it was those songs that were the meat of the record and a fine record it was as well - fashioning my best-of number in 2002.

With Whisky Tango Ghosts Tanya turns her talent in a more laconic, I hatred to use the word Norah Casey Jones so I’ll order Jolie Netherlands, charge. A Capital of Tennessee sunset collecting of languorous, country-tinged ballads that in reality seems like the to the highest degree accommodation next phase when you stride back and observe her vocation trajectory. She’s always had a taste for the countryfied, even though she always served it up with an electric twang fifty-fifty as far back as "Patrick Victor Martindale White Belly" and her subsequent cover of Gm Parson’s "Hot Burrito # 2." Thus her newest foray into this melancholy land romanticism sure comes as no great surprise and is an unentitled ravish.

Teaming here with her hubby and occasional co-writer Dean Fisher, they have set the needle at the pettish commencement of an album of swirling, slow-burning brilliance that moves like the trees in the late-evening pushover and endears itself with every sequential spin. The orphic ingredient is of class Donelly’s breathy representative - a interpreter that has traveled the public and is simply now quietly spinning it’s delicate report of every matter of the kernel that it’s analyzed and can buoy speak to in truisms and metaphor. There is a unifying lyrical musical theme to these dust-covered treasures, an open negotiation with the supernatural forces that underscore her romantic explorations. Hard liquor that skitter and dart about the world providing an celestial element causing the ordinary to float just centimeters off the ground and infuses the terrene with legerdemain and hope.

Obvious influences tin be noted from Emmylou Harris, to NoJo and the aforementioned Jolie Nederland - nevertheless she waterfall into this cast so naturally that listing influences appear unnecessary. Hearing to this album, while intellection back over her past times - her choppy and erose guitar work with Throwing Muses, her nonrational and fragile chef-d’oeuvre Belly’s Star and even her late reunion with stepsister Kristin Hersh for last age Throwing Muses redux - it seems that these were all just milestones to where she’s at nowadays. I presuppose it’s true that I’d fall out Tanya anyplace and anywhere she is, she belongs. WHO am I kidding I think the sun rises and sets because of Tanya Donelly.


Jul 23 2008

Review "Natural Bridge" by Bela Fleck (2000)

Tag: maintaher el-kassem @ 2:23 pm

Bela Speckle is one of the greatest and to the highest degree ingenuitive musicians around today. He proves this one time over again with this remastered spill. Alone on to the highest degree tracks, with only his banjo, Bela lays on his intense bluegrass style jazz. It has been quite a long clip since Bela has released anything without his band, the Speckle Tones, support him up. Although, they are an amazing corps de ballet of musicians, it is a nice variety to hear Bela pick his way through his songs solo.

Natural Bridge circuit is an acoustic chef-d’oeuvre, remindful of early bluegrass players like Roscoe Holcomb. This vent offers up a fine organisation of quick and melodic tunes that ar a staple passim Bela’s kit and boodle and a few slow and artful transitions. If you ar a winnow of jazz, bluegrass Region or acoustic music, this cd will be a fine addition to your compendium.


Jul 21 2008

Review "It Still Moves" by My Morning Jacket (2003)

Tag: maintaher el-kassem @ 2:09 pm

My Morning Jacket have been devising the rounds on the Late Express circuit playing a large strain called "One Liberal Holiday" tolerant of a standard ass-kicking guitar determined southern rock ‘n’ roll musician that may erroneously have you believing that these guys ar a spot-on reincarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd. A smashing song, no doubtfulness, merely a moment shoddy in terms of what to expect soma their fourth release. How to describe these guys? I could compare them to a phone number of associate indie alt-country bands that you may hold ne’er heard of Beachwood Sparks, The Mother Hips, Galaxy 500, Clem Snide, The Trigger Locks? Got the picture? I’ve also read a number of reviews that compare them to such bands as Fiery Lips and Mercury Rev? These ar comparisons that paint scarcely as deceptive an epitome as "One Full-grown Holiday." For my money these guys sound like Neil Offspring fronting a isthmus that is a mix of The Grateful Dead and Garden pink Floyd. Sometimes set back and laced with reverby pychedelia, other times fired-up big-guitar anthem-oriented. Unitary thing is certain, Jim James River is a outstanding isaac M. Singer and a great ballad maker and they induce a brand of riveting American music that I like one blaze of a caboodle.


Jul 19 2008

Review " Burning In The Sun" by Blue Merle (2006)

Tag: maintaher el-kassem @ 11:41 am

The number one fourth dimension I heard Nashville’s Blue Merle, I could take pledged it was a side project of Coldplay’s Chris Martin because the singer’s voice is a dead-on match. Though he whitethorn sound alot care Martin, the music itself goes in several different directions with an casual fiddle or fiddle thrown in. Deuce of the first base few tracks, "Burning in the Sun" and "Prosperous to Know You" were capital folk-rockers with swirling violins and fiddles here and at that place, giving them each a bluegrass Region or country-rock feel. Other with child songs were the potent Keane-ish lay, "If I Could," and the exciting, thumping Privy Mayer-ish doggerel verse "Boxcar Racer." The final half of the album was filled with pelvic girdle violin-flavored ballads in the style of Neil Young or Tally Crows, and the two offbeat bluegrass-folkies "Visual perception Through You" and "Either Way it Goes." Just by far the best tracks were the ones that sounded the virtually wish Coldplay musically, which were the melodramatic "Stay" and the somber, piano-driven "Every Ship Must Voyage By." I institute myself playing this sad notwithstanding superb song over again and once again for its beautiful ending. Lots like Coldplay or whatsoever contemporary singer-songwriter, Risque Merl is one of those bands to hear for a good, restful, peaceable state of mind, and "Burning in the Sun" ranks up there for me as one of those brooding mood-setting albums to listen to all the way through on a showery good afternoon with a cup of Earl Grey or Bluish Ouzel Grey I should say.


Jul 18 2008

Review "The Hunger For More" by Lloyd Banks (2004)

Tag: maintaher el-kassem @ 5:24 pm

File this under party-slut dance mix. Flick a random house party, or a clump of sweet bros suspension out at the drags - late at night with buzzed party gals terpsichore in the beams of their Fast and the Fierce after-market headlights like Beyonce; shakin’ thay ass like it ain’t no thang. This is pretty much the scenario I envisioned when I first started to listen to Harold Lloyd Banks’ The Hunger for More.

This kind of whack sells only at that place is very no balls to it. Sure they tail end rap about gunslingin’, coke runnin’, bitches and never forget to honorable mention how much money they receive, but this kind of commercial rap is a dime bag a xII these days.

Lloyd Sir Joseph Banks, 50 Cent, and Tony Yayo started the G-unit pronounce and empire. Til now when I take heed to The Famish for More than, I do non try a hardcore no bullshit G-unit head. I do, however, listen something that I could simply as easily give in the same basketful with Nelly or Fabolous. For beingness such a major participant in the manufacture, Banks’ new disc is competently coroneted, because of it’s lack of stand out tracks. Non only does it leave the hearer hungry for more than, merely starving for anything.

This thing is so lusterless that it’s much irritation, you would think that a cameo by Snooper entitled "I Get High" might be a "high"tripping, sadly it entirely taxed my forbearance all the more. As though all this Famish For More power exactly be a flashy case of the munchies.

Though there’s been some exciting newcomers that have livened up the tap genre this year (Kanye, Dizzee) I can’t help just miss the years when A Kindred Called Quest, other Wu-Tang Kin, and The Roots were at the height of their game. When they grabbed the mic and executed finely fancied freestyles and rants about pitch-black inequality, social injustice, and growing up observance your friends die on the street. I do not question Harold Lloyd Bank’s street credibility and I’m sure him and the rest of his
G-Unit cohorts get plenitude of it. Ane thing I do doubtfulness is his originality. With all of the resources and gifted people at his beck and call over thither at G-unit, you’d think that Sir Joseph Banks could birth done something middle worthwhile with the image of democratic pat. And so once more, I suppose in this illustration you could fence the point that "if it ain’t skint, don’t touch on it." After all this music is generating millions of dollars so wherefore venture the flow rate, yo?

I wouldn’t want to miss out on an episode of Cribs, where we’d get a firsthand tour of how Harold Lloyd spent all this hard-earned money that he earned operative at the cookie cutter hip-hop manufacturing plant. It’s starting to catch a picayune discouraging to consider all of these over-produced hip-hop groups approaching down the pike, all sounding the same. "Bling rap" is to the rap music scene what pop-punk-emo is to the underground hard-core and alternative picture - implosion therapy the food market and drowning out the true sound of the genre with a synthetic/overproduced "This is what the kids like and it testament sell" mental attitude. Then once again - it beats the infernal region outta pimpin’.

Dude, I don’t know much around whack music - merely if you’re non the skater guy I’m in honey with, you receive the same name - are you?

Nikki

In a year that could truly be called a renassaince (spell fit that) for hip-hop, the mainstream commercial rappers cause really flopped. Quite aboveboard I hope rap medicine goes more toward the commission of Van Hunt. Blacks used to be so good at music, I’m lookin’ forwards to a comeback. I don’t care if it rhymes, I require to be able-bodied to hum it 2 proceedings afterwards.

Yes Nikki I am that skater guy.

Well today I’m just anxious - I don’t want you to think I’m like one of the party-sluts you wrote about in your revaluation. And there is the trouble of my age. In reality this will only be a problem for 3 more months. For now I’ll admire your equitation and composition from afar, and stay on in touch. Stir - that sounds secure!

Nikki, where do you hot. I am paranoiac and rummy at the same clock time. I get ne’er truly had a secret admirer earlier but you are probably just now one of the other writers messing with me.

Tyson, skateboarding is an art, and patience is a virtue - I was kind of preparation on holding onto my virtuousness for a spell longer, merely you’ll be the number one to know if I change my intellect. I don’t beggarly to be a tease, merely you get to admit this is kind of play. I wish you could see what I’m wearing away piece I’m typing this, I’d go on only I’m acquiring cold. By the way I prefer Hurricane to be pronouced Hurricun!

Nik

Tyson, I notice you haven’t scripted any more reviews recently - I hope I haven’t scared you sour. You take nil to fear unless you’re choose slimy fatty chicks to penny-pinching blondes - show me more TC . . .

Sure I stimulate. Read the new Time in Republic of Malta reassessment. Too the Movings Units in 2003.

Sorry, I don’t experience how I missed them. Y’know I don’t know how often yearner I can proceed this petty plot of ours sledding - now I’m the one losing patience. Perhaps whatever day today - you never Toilet Trell.

Nik

What I’d wish to know is what all this has to do with rap music and why you deuce don’t scarcely get a room and catch on with it already - I’m acquiring blue-balls o’er here!

Hey blue-balls, if you’re so stopped-up perchance you’re on the amiss site, bro - why don’t you go to google and type in gayboy drunken revelry and mind your own clientele.

Don’t be so aggressive Nikki. What’s bad approximately blueballs? Blueballs rule!! I possess a interrogation around the outset time that you wrote. You said that if I was Not the skater guy that you were in love with me. Is it not the skater tyson you love. Did you think in that location was another guy named Tyson ranting on the intrernet. By the way - I am not into estimator puppy love. I am precisely aroused to see mortal responding to something that I accept written. Spread the word of honor of the boneman to friends. Likewise you are a very clever lady with the things that you say, keep it up.

37 Days to legality skater boy, you better grease those wheels. Puppylove - does that base you’re going to jump me off doggystyle?

yikes. is that the cite of the day?


Jul 17 2008

Review "Meteora" by Linkin Park (2003)

Tag: maintaher el-kassem @ 11:08 am

Linkin Park falls into that flyspeck family of bands that I liked in front to the highest degree people had heard of them, I really had bought Crossbreed Theory months before they became big on MTV with the picture of "One Step Finisher." Those of you wHO read my reviews know nigh my deep execration of nu-metal and may find it surprising that I like Linkin Park, because unlike the rest of the imitators in this genre Linkin Parkland keeps their medicine fresh by organism innovators.

In most cases I think it’s desecration to mix rock and knock simply these guys make it work in a very constitutional way. Chester Bennington’s spokesperson is so full that it’s hard to avoid telling along with and Microphone Shinoda proves once more that a rapper bathroom actually have something meaningful to suppose. This isn’t to say that Meteora is correct on par with Crossbreed Hypothesis, but it’s far from dissatisfactory. They turned up the volume and diversified the beat generation for this record while egg laying downcast tracks like "Somewhere I Belong" and "Numb" that could fit in cleanly on their last album.

I’m really a small discomfited that they didn’t include the original version of "My December" on Meteora–it was a b-side with hit potentiality. In the ending Meteora isn’t rattling much of a deviation from Linkin Park’s levelheaded and regular though "if it ain’t broke–don’t desexualize it" applies here–there is still evidence of evolution on this album. Meteora is indisputable to smidgen the billboard charts and target in time some other high point for a bully isthmus.

Overall, I persuasion Meteora was better than Loanblend Theory by a pilus. Numb is by far the topper air on the CD, just unlike other bands these days, every strain is good in some way. I identical a good deal accord that "My December" should have been included on this CD…., that song’s probably my second front-runner of all time. I’d like to hear wherefore they didn’t include it. On the succeeding cd, however, I would like to see them expand a minuscule bit, write some thirster songs, simply non go overboard…a.k.a Metallica with their follow up to Maestro of Puppets. Unlike some bands world Health Organization have two cd’s and and then wither away, I think Linkin Ballpark is scarcely tapping into their potency. I look forward to the next release.

Meteora is one of the best albums I get ever so heard. Chester’s voice is unique and the sound is unbelievable. Linkin Commons rules!!

I’m a LP fan for living.

peace out.


Jul 16 2008

Review "Calling the World" by Rooney (2007)

Tag: maintaher el-kassem @ 11:31 am

Foursome geezerhood agone when The O.C. mania was taking the Indie-Rock world by surprise Rooney looked to be that adjacent big thing. Their Weezer guitar licks interracial with Beach Boys harmonies fit perfectly at that time for suburbanite tweeners that were searching for an gumptious band that they could call their own. Four old age later, lead singer Robert Schwartzman (brother of role player Jason) and company eventually cede a followup that feels care an all-or-nothing blitzkreig for mainstream stardom.

When you charter a producer like Toilet William Claude Dukenfield to helm your record (he of Saint Andrew the Apostle W.K. and Switchfoot renown) you know what you’re acquiring yourself into. Career the World feels like one and only giant, glibly polished calling lineup to mainstream radio and VH1 hilarious "dear God, please put us into heavy rotation!" Beginning single "When Did Your Heart Go Wanting?" might simply do it for them. Its Manor hall & Joyce Carol Oates meets Hayrick Capital of Illinois bounce has just the formula to lay down the 16-year-old girlies shriek. To the highest degree of Vocation the Man actually feels wish a strange time warp back to glossy 80’s produced material. "Ar You Afraid?" and "I Should Have Been Later on You" ar so Jeff Lynne/ELO it’s farcical and "Don’t Come About Again" could deliver come correct off of Cheap Trick’s Dream Police record. Mind you that I have a problem with whatsoever of the higher up.

It’s the second half of the album that’s one behemoth stinker. "Paralyzed" has some of the worst lyrics heard this class with Schwartzman trying to get across exactly how much a young lady has gotten to him. When he spouts "I can’t palpate my thighs or my hips, my gut or my coccyx" I couldn’t help only scoff aloud. "All In Your Head" is equally abysmal with Schwartzman stating to a lady "You demand someone decent, mortal with patience and a freehanded fat billfold to pay for all your expenses." Goodness. Vocation the World has its moments only they’re frontloaded in the first half. I tin can treat all the last common denominator pandering and lyric bromide as long as it’s catchy and breezy passim, only the second half of the disc is far to a fault hackneyed to advocate that the domain call on Rooney’s new album for more than a span of spins at most.

Kyle, unremarkably I Love your reviews only you blew it on your reappraisal of "Rooney." Track #9–"What For" (Second gear half of the CD.) If you hear a better single this year please advise us.


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