08/31: NP: Melody Club
Hey, The Ark fans. Have some extra room on your CD shelf? Then go grab Sweden's Melody Club's latest, At Your Service: a tasty collection of dancefloor-ready, glammy pop. Guaranteed to get your foot tapping faster than Sen. Larry Craig's!
Download Melody Club's "baby" (from This Is Somewhere) | Get it from Amazon.com
There are two camps of Grace Potter & the Nucturnals fans; if you know them for their roof-blowing live shows, their recorded output so far has probably put you to sleep. If, on the other hand, you love the gospel-doused, r&b-tinged folky feel of their albums, seeing them live probably required a set of ear-plugs.
This Is Somewhere attempts to bridge that gap. The first big sign of the change contained within is the bright orange sticker affixed to the cover that announces the inclusion of "Falling or Flying," "as heard on Grey's Anatomy." I'll admit this caused some hesitation, but given my proclivity towards an artist's more mainstream output, it only lasted a few seconds.
While it is certainly a sharper, tighter and refined product (and undoubtedly aiming for mass appeal), there is no lack of quality or of that original presence that has garnered the band so many accolades and followers. Whether rocking out Wilco-style ("Stop the Bus," "Mr. Columbus") or tear-dropping over a piano ("Apologies"), Grace Potter & the Nucturnals deliver a collection of songs that finally summarizes - and combines - both of their sides.
Download Grace Potter & the Nucturnals' "Ain't No Time" (from This Is Somewhere) | Get it from Amazon.com
07/29: Sunday Fortune
(about this series)
Masters of doing everything half-assed, Slaughter never quite dropped a grunge record. Revolution is a blend of experimentation (you know, hippie-ish stuff, sitars), power ballads, typical Slaughter fluff, and a handful of modern-influenced tracks that never get any lift. You have to give credit to the band for sticking to their guns and still playing something so close to hair metal in 1997 - and you know, for the most part, it's a fun album. Or at least as close to fun as anyone can have in the presence of Dana Strum.
Not surprisingly, the best moments on the album are the songs that don't stray away from the Slaughter formula: the mellifluous "You're My Everything" and the funky "Tongue N' Groove" are particularly un-atrocious.Thankfully, Mark Slaughter keeps his polarizing voice closer to a range that humans can actually hear, except for a few cat wails at the end of "Can We Find A Way." The band was never known for their instrumental prowess, and very little here tarnishes that reputation.
If I sound ambivalent - or faint - in my praise, it isn't for lack of trying. Slaughter was a band that came way late to the game, and became the instant poster boys (literally) for Metal Edge and the rest of the "metal" magazines back in the day. With all that fame came a huge backlash (pretty boys! annoying voice!) and stigma that they're still trying to shake off. I liked them alright and Slaughter's voice never quite annoyed me as much as it did my fellow (pop)metalheads. Still, they were just alright. Not the type of band you'd claim as yours (unless you were a 13yo girl with the hots for Blas Elias), not the type of group you'd travel to see live (unless you rocked your denim shorts well enough to get backstage), but decent enough to throw in the tape player while cruising around town. And that's still where I am with them. Certainly, there's a spot for the band in the hard rock canon (their debut, Stick It To Ya, sold over 3 million copies), but I can't really point you to anyone (in this hemisphere) who's even mildly passionate about the band anymore.
Western Slaughter:
Download "Burnin' Bridges" (from Stick It To Ya) | Get it from Amazon.comEastern Slaughter:
Download "Revolution" (from Revolution) | Get it from Amazon.com
How come no one told me this was coming out? I've been a big Tonic fan since the first time I heard "If You Could Only See" (over 10 years ago now) and have been anticipating new material from the band since their last album (the stunning Head On Straight), now five years old.
So while this isn't a new Tonic record (it's a little mellower, overall) it's still a very welcome treat to my ears, which had been missing Hart's strong and emotional voice far too long. Some will call this MOR, radio-friendly fluff or soccer-mom rock, but I'll just call it a greatly enjoyable singer-songwriter album. Songs like "Green Hills Race For California" evoke the reflective mood Tonic did so well in some of their ballads, while first single "If You're Gonna Leave" follows the bombastic pattern that made "If You Could Only See" such a big hit. The other 10 songs fall under one of those two categories, and while that makes for a bit of a monotonous listen, it plays as a balanced and solid, never dipping quality record.
Download Emerson Hart's "If You're Gonna Leave" (from Cigarettes And Gasoline) | Get it from Amazon.com
(Keyboard Glories will showcase a current album that's getting to third base with the fluffy AOR crowd. As a reformed AORster (with the occasional lapse of reason) who doesn't really touch the new stuff (99% of which is regurgitated and 5th rate) but who still loves the classics, most of the reviews will lean towards snark - but the occasional praise should surface, where merited.)
Kevin Chalfant - Fly2Fr33dom (2007, Clique Records)
Normally, when I hear the words "Journey" "tribute" and "album" strung together as a single thought I run the other way. Not because I hate Journey (mostly god-like to my ears) or tribute albums (mostly crap, but sometimes somewhat interesting) but because the idea of someone, anyone trying to emulate Steve Perry gives me a cold chill down my back. But given that every time the Journey seat sits empty Kevin Chalfant's name surfaces, I was curious to hear what he'd do and how he'd do.
I'm not one of those rabid STVE_PERRY_IS_JRNY! peeps, but, I'll admit Perry was pretty unique and, except for those who tried to fill his shoes behind the Journey mic, I just don't want to hear other dudes reaching for those notes. Actually, it's not just about the singer since I'd really give any legitimate Journey vocalist a fair listen. it's the idea of someone foreign to the band recreating their sound note for note. Which is exactly what Kevin Chalfant has set out to do here.
You might (or not) remember Chalfant as the vocalist of Journey spin-off The Storm (which featured ex-Journey members Ross Valor, Gregg Rolie and Steve Smith), a mash of AOR and MOR that actually charted a single in 1992 ("I've Got a Lot to Learn About Love") then disappeared after a second (and far superior) record failed to reach even the bargain bins. So, the guy has a bit of a reason to want to put this tribute out. I mean, he was brought into The Storm because his voice is quite similar to a certain former bandmate of 3/5ths of the band.
The biggest problem with this record (and trust me, there's many others) is the song selection. It reads like the back of a karaoke disc (Songs in the Style of Journey, probably) aimed at the frat house who only knows the hits. Check this out:
Tracklist:
1. DON'T STOP BELIEVING
2. SEPARATE WAYS
3. WHO'S CRYING NOW
4. STONE IN LOVE
5. ANYWAY YOU WANT IT
6. FAITHFULLY
7. FEELING THAT WAY
8. ANYTIME
9. JUST THE SAME WAY
10. LIGHTS
11. WHERE WERE YOU
12. OPEN ARMS
13. SEND HER MY LOVE
In this day and age, when your sole marketplace owns every single Journey album (and off-shoots) in multiple formats, you should really consider throwing a curveball or two.
The covers are ok enough - but played EXACTLY as Journey plays them. Note for note. And sung by someone who is a good understudy of Perry's, but certainly not quite the headliner you paid to see. If this were a karaoke bar, I'd definitely come back next week. But an artistic statement? Or even a well-intentioned tip-of-the-hat to the masters of the genre? Sounds more like an audition tape to me.
Listen to samples at: http://www.myspace.com/kevinchalfant | Clique Records
Normally, when I hear the words "Journey" "tribute" and "album" strung together as a single thought I run the other way. Not because I hate Journey (mostly god-like to my ears) or tribute albums (mostly crap, but sometimes somewhat interesting) but because the idea of someone, anyone trying to emulate Steve Perry gives me a cold chill down my back. But given that every time the Journey seat sits empty Kevin Chalfant's name surfaces, I was curious to hear what he'd do and how he'd do.
I'm not one of those rabid STVE_PERRY_IS_JRNY! peeps, but, I'll admit Perry was pretty unique and, except for those who tried to fill his shoes behind the Journey mic, I just don't want to hear other dudes reaching for those notes. Actually, it's not just about the singer since I'd really give any legitimate Journey vocalist a fair listen. it's the idea of someone foreign to the band recreating their sound note for note. Which is exactly what Kevin Chalfant has set out to do here.
You might (or not) remember Chalfant as the vocalist of Journey spin-off The Storm (which featured ex-Journey members Ross Valor, Gregg Rolie and Steve Smith), a mash of AOR and MOR that actually charted a single in 1992 ("I've Got a Lot to Learn About Love") then disappeared after a second (and far superior) record failed to reach even the bargain bins. So, the guy has a bit of a reason to want to put this tribute out. I mean, he was brought into The Storm because his voice is quite similar to a certain former bandmate of 3/5ths of the band.
The biggest problem with this record (and trust me, there's many others) is the song selection. It reads like the back of a karaoke disc (Songs in the Style of Journey, probably) aimed at the frat house who only knows the hits. Check this out:
Tracklist:
1. DON'T STOP BELIEVING
2. SEPARATE WAYS
3. WHO'S CRYING NOW
4. STONE IN LOVE
5. ANYWAY YOU WANT IT
6. FAITHFULLY
7. FEELING THAT WAY
8. ANYTIME
9. JUST THE SAME WAY
10. LIGHTS
11. WHERE WERE YOU
12. OPEN ARMS
13. SEND HER MY LOVE
In this day and age, when your sole marketplace owns every single Journey album (and off-shoots) in multiple formats, you should really consider throwing a curveball or two.
The covers are ok enough - but played EXACTLY as Journey plays them. Note for note. And sung by someone who is a good understudy of Perry's, but certainly not quite the headliner you paid to see. If this were a karaoke bar, I'd definitely come back next week. But an artistic statement? Or even a well-intentioned tip-of-the-hat to the masters of the genre? Sounds more like an audition tape to me.
Listen to samples at: http://www.myspace.com/kevinchalfant | Clique Records
Yikes! That was a longer break than I intended. Suffice to say, I've been busier than I'd care to. So what better way to get me blogging again than a list of my Top 10 Records of '07 (so far).
In alphabetical order:
Bon Jovi - Lost Highway The best Keith Urban record he never wrote. Yes, the Nashville sheen is really obvious on this, but at the heart of it lies the most solid (and least wussy) Bon Jovi record the band has made since These Days. Listen to "Whole Lot of Leaving"
Derek Webb - The Ringing Bell For fans of all the "B" bands who don't mind a different subject matter, as Webb is formerly of Christian rock band Caedmon's Call. But Webb's lyrics are never preachy - more questioning and introspective, which makes for a rare -and quite enjoyable - type of Christian pop. Listen to "I Don't Want to Fight"
Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion The ghost of Freddie Mercury lives in Mika's too awesome "Grace Kelly." But the album doesn't end there, and there are enough high points to keep the record going. Like the stickier-than-a-Now-And-Later vaudevillian pop of "Billy Brown."
Nena Daconte - He Perdido Los Zapatos Sure, she's the winner of (one of) Spain's answer to American Idol, and the auto-tuner bugs me a little, but this makes a very pleasant pop record when I want to listen to something in Spanish. Listen to "Pierdo El Tiempo (Acoustic Version)"
The Ruby Suns - s/t A little Belle & Sebastian and a dash of fellow Kiwi, Neil Finn, combine in this dashing Beach Boys' inspired slice of pop. Listen to "Look Out SOS!"
The Sails - Drum Roll Please I think I'm listening to a little too much pop this year, but with albums this strong, can you really blame me? The Sails take the best parts of last year's self-titled debut and adds some even better tunes, filling Drum Roll Please to the brim with Beatles and Byrds inspired power pop that will satisfy the sweetest tooth. Listen to "Best Days"
Sidonie - Costa Azul Since 2005's Fascinado, I've felt Sidonie is one of few Spanish power pop bands that have huge international potential, if only listeners were brave enough to either ignore - or put up with - the language barrier. "Persona" may sound a little too close to "Fascinado" for comfort, but songs like "Los Olvidados" could appeal to fans of jangle pop and indie pop (I hear a little Camera Obscura) alike.
Switches - Heart Tuned To D.E.A.D. Modern radio rock with a touch of that glammy power pop feel that makes me reach for the volume knob every single time. Listen to "Drama Queen"
Sylvie Lewis - Translations Lewis' 2005 Tangos and Tantrums was a fab mix of jazzy chamber pop with a flirty wit matched only by (and only rarely) Nellie McKay. Translations picks up exactly where Tangos and Tantrums left us. There's no real progression from album #1 to #2, but, why mess with a perfect formula. Best served chilled with a twist of bitterness. Listen to "Just You"
Tiny Dancers - Free School Milk First single "I Will Wait for You" reminds me of the better side of The Walkmen, but the rest gets closer to the feel of Boy Least Likely To's Best Party Ever, only a little more country. This one will be hard to beat for the top spot come December. Listen to "I Will Wait for You"
In alphabetical order:
Bon Jovi - Lost Highway The best Keith Urban record he never wrote. Yes, the Nashville sheen is really obvious on this, but at the heart of it lies the most solid (and least wussy) Bon Jovi record the band has made since These Days. Listen to "Whole Lot of Leaving"
Derek Webb - The Ringing Bell For fans of all the "B" bands who don't mind a different subject matter, as Webb is formerly of Christian rock band Caedmon's Call. But Webb's lyrics are never preachy - more questioning and introspective, which makes for a rare -and quite enjoyable - type of Christian pop. Listen to "I Don't Want to Fight"
Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion The ghost of Freddie Mercury lives in Mika's too awesome "Grace Kelly." But the album doesn't end there, and there are enough high points to keep the record going. Like the stickier-than-a-Now-And-Later vaudevillian pop of "Billy Brown."
Nena Daconte - He Perdido Los Zapatos Sure, she's the winner of (one of) Spain's answer to American Idol, and the auto-tuner bugs me a little, but this makes a very pleasant pop record when I want to listen to something in Spanish. Listen to "Pierdo El Tiempo (Acoustic Version)"
The Ruby Suns - s/t A little Belle & Sebastian and a dash of fellow Kiwi, Neil Finn, combine in this dashing Beach Boys' inspired slice of pop. Listen to "Look Out SOS!"
The Sails - Drum Roll Please I think I'm listening to a little too much pop this year, but with albums this strong, can you really blame me? The Sails take the best parts of last year's self-titled debut and adds some even better tunes, filling Drum Roll Please to the brim with Beatles and Byrds inspired power pop that will satisfy the sweetest tooth. Listen to "Best Days"
Sidonie - Costa Azul Since 2005's Fascinado, I've felt Sidonie is one of few Spanish power pop bands that have huge international potential, if only listeners were brave enough to either ignore - or put up with - the language barrier. "Persona" may sound a little too close to "Fascinado" for comfort, but songs like "Los Olvidados" could appeal to fans of jangle pop and indie pop (I hear a little Camera Obscura) alike.
Switches - Heart Tuned To D.E.A.D. Modern radio rock with a touch of that glammy power pop feel that makes me reach for the volume knob every single time. Listen to "Drama Queen"
Sylvie Lewis - Translations Lewis' 2005 Tangos and Tantrums was a fab mix of jazzy chamber pop with a flirty wit matched only by (and only rarely) Nellie McKay. Translations picks up exactly where Tangos and Tantrums left us. There's no real progression from album #1 to #2, but, why mess with a perfect formula. Best served chilled with a twist of bitterness. Listen to "Just You"
Tiny Dancers - Free School Milk First single "I Will Wait for You" reminds me of the better side of The Walkmen, but the rest gets closer to the feel of Boy Least Likely To's Best Party Ever, only a little more country. This one will be hard to beat for the top spot come December. Listen to "I Will Wait for You"
06/08: Me sabe a azucar
I meant to write a longer post about this, but it's 1:15 'til I shut the computer down and head out for vacation so a paragraph will have to do.
Heading down to Puerto Rico for the week - to visit family and, hopefully, catch up with some friends. The trip always makes me listen to more Spanish-language music, and this was no exception. I've compiled 14 songs that stay true to the "Sounds Like Sugar" template: hooky and saccharine commercial pop/rock. From Spain's El Canto del Loco's alt pop to the chart-topping sounds of Ednita Nazario and Shakira to Cristian's cover of Dan Reed Network's "Ritual," this is a diverse set that should appeal to melody fans everywhere, whether you understand the words or not. Buen provecho!
Download all songs in a .rar file, or individually below.
1. Zayra - "Entiendeme" (Yes, she of RockStar Supernova fame.)
2. El Canto del Loco - "Insoportable"
3. Nannette - "Mi Vida Eres Tu"
4. Ednita Nazario - "Te Quedaras Hundido"
5. Circo - "Cascaron"
6. Nek - "Si Se Que Te Tengo A Ti"
7. Maria Conchita Alonso - "No Hay Tiempo Que Perder" (written by AORster Mark Spiro)
8. Cristian - "Ritual"
9. Mineralwater - "Mi Plan Perfecto"
10. Shakira - "Si Te Vas"
11. Nirvana - "Generacion Espontanea"
12. Volumen Cero - "Despiertame"
13. Corazones Extrangulados - "Soy Culpable"
14. Sí Señor - "Verano Del '96"
See you in a couple of weeks.
Heading down to Puerto Rico for the week - to visit family and, hopefully, catch up with some friends. The trip always makes me listen to more Spanish-language music, and this was no exception. I've compiled 14 songs that stay true to the "Sounds Like Sugar" template: hooky and saccharine commercial pop/rock. From Spain's El Canto del Loco's alt pop to the chart-topping sounds of Ednita Nazario and Shakira to Cristian's cover of Dan Reed Network's "Ritual," this is a diverse set that should appeal to melody fans everywhere, whether you understand the words or not. Buen provecho!
Download all songs in a .rar file, or individually below.1. Zayra - "Entiendeme" (Yes, she of RockStar Supernova fame.)
2. El Canto del Loco - "Insoportable"
3. Nannette - "Mi Vida Eres Tu"
4. Ednita Nazario - "Te Quedaras Hundido"
5. Circo - "Cascaron"
6. Nek - "Si Se Que Te Tengo A Ti"
7. Maria Conchita Alonso - "No Hay Tiempo Que Perder" (written by AORster Mark Spiro)
8. Cristian - "Ritual"
9. Mineralwater - "Mi Plan Perfecto"
10. Shakira - "Si Te Vas"
11. Nirvana - "Generacion Espontanea"
12. Volumen Cero - "Despiertame"
13. Corazones Extrangulados - "Soy Culpable"
14. Sí Señor - "Verano Del '96"
See you in a couple of weeks.
05/30: I bet you gonna ambush me
I finally caught the VH1 Rock Honors show last weekend and was as mesmerized as the rest of the Internets with Gretchen Wilson and Alice in Chains' performance of the Heart classic, "Barracuda." So like the good geek I am, I *had* to put this on my iPod. I ripped the audio off VH1's website, converted it to an mp3 and figured I might as well put it up here. Enjoy!
Gretchen Wilson and Alice in Chains' "Barracuda" | Watch it on VH1's V-Spot.
BTW, youtube, this was uncalled for:
Meanies.
Gretchen Wilson and Alice in Chains' "Barracuda" | Watch it on VH1's V-Spot.BTW, youtube, this was uncalled for:
Meanies.
With the Marvelous 3's major label debut, Hey! Album, Butch Walker proved there could be life after hair metal. Combining his sugary hooks with acerbic wit, Butch hit upon a magic formula that would come in high-demand once we turned the century corner. With Butch as a go-to writer and producer, the artists included in this mix found the structure, polish and hooks they needed to crack the charts and glance at success. Sure, Avril already had a couple hits under her belt, but on her second album, Butch gave her a sense of maturity that helped her overcome what could have been a major sophomore slump.
When you put these tunes together back-to-back, it's impossible not to notice the Butch touch. It is so obvious that it does get a little tiresome after so many songs. But, Butch has done a commendable job at not overwhelming the records he works on by only contributing a couple of songs to each project (whether this is intentional on his or the artists' part, I don't know, but it helps me, as a listener, not grow as tired of his sound as I would otherwise).
As with everything, some songs work better than others. To my ears, female artists make the most of his compositions. Maybe it's the simple fact that a woman's voice creates enough of a difference for me whereas when it's a guy singing I tend to think "Butch would sing this much better." In turn, my favorites here are the songs that sound least like a song Butch should've saved for himself: Puffy AmiYumi's "Call Me What You Like (If You Like Rock-n-Roll)", SR-71's anthemic "Right Now" and Lindsay Lohan's (yes, fire crotch) "A Little More Personal." On the other end of the spectrum, I find the Gob, Wakefield and Default tracks just as forgettable as the rest of their output.
I peppered the mix with a couple of Butch moments: the first track is an alternate intro to his album Left of Self-Centered, and track 12 is a short acoustic bit that's tacked at the end of "My Way" on that same album. Also, the bonus track is a bonus track just because I had a hard time fitting it in with the rest of the mix, stylistically speaking. It's got more of a funky, church-y feel to it, yet it does carry that Butch feel all the same.
01 - Butch Walker - Arena Rock Intro
02 - SR-71 - Right Now
03 - Lindsay Lohan - A Little More Personal
04 - Bowling For Soup - Life After Lisa
05 - Default - All She Wrote
06 - Pink - Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)
07 - Puffy AmiYumi - Call Me What You Like
08 - Tommy Lee - Good Times
09 - Rock Star Supernova - Be Yourself
10 - Lit - Sunny Weather
11 - Courtney Jaye - Can You Sleep
12 - Butch Walker - Untitled
13 - Avril Lavigne - My Happy Ending
14 - Sevendust - Honesty
15 - Gob - Give Up the Grudge
16 - Injected - Lights Are Low
17 - Bowling For Soup - Girl All The Bad Guys Want
18 - Lindsay Lohan - If It's Alright
19 - Wakefield - After School Special
20 - Pink - Long Way to Happy
21 - SR-71 - Goodbye
Bonus: Family Force 5 - Put Ur Hands Up
