Each week I will listen to and review/preview a handful of the more interesting music albums released that week. The genres I will mainly focus on are Rock, Pop, Indie, Hip-Hop, Rap, and Electronic.
Red Hot Chili PeppersI'm With You - Anthony Kiedis, Flea and those other two guys whose names I can never remember release the first Peppers' album since 2006's Stadium Arcadium. If you've visited L.A. over the past few months (and, most likely, other large metropolitan areas), you have probably noticed the rash of posters with a robot, the band's logo and the release date of the album up and down Hollywood Boulevard and other busy, touristy-type streets. Well that date has finally arrived and the new album is out. According to a recent interview Flea did with Spin, on their new disc "life and death is a major theme." Now let's find out if this new album brings renewed life to their catalog or if it will die a quick death.
The album opens with some fun songs that sound like a throwback to their late 90's hits. "Monarchy of Roses" starts slowly but quickly builds to become an enjoyable song with its quirky guitar rhythm and a lively vocals. "Factory of Faith" is another vintage Peppers song with Flea's thumping bass paving the way for a catchy hook that will have you tapping your toe. "Brendan's Death Song" shows they can still produce a credible ballad without forgoing any of their own style. "Ethiopia" is a song that borders between being a haunting and an annoying melody with a bass line that sounds like something out of Final Fantasy II (Scott Pilgrim fans will know what I'm talking about).
Overall, I'm With You is the Peppers best album is their best album since Californication. Anthony Kiedis' vocals are as crisp, with his natural added level of snark, as they were in the band's heyday. Flea and those other guys do a nice job of composing and laying out catchy melodies and infectious hooks. There are a couple of duds near the end of the album ("Even You, Brutus?" and "Meet Me at the Corner") which could have been left off for a more precise album. In the end, though, this release should bring new life to their past records as it shows the band can still reclaim the magic that made their albums from the 90's sparkle.
Score: 7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Factory of Faith" [sample it below] and "Ethiopia"
Stereo MCs Emperor's Nightingale - C'mon, how many of you out there had a clue the Stereo MCs were still together? I certainly wasn't aware of it. The band that brought us the hit "Connected" nearly twenty years ago (jeez, I feel old) releases a new album of updated beats and electronica-heavy pop songs. Their current sound is like a House-y version of OMD or The Petshop Boys current incarnations relying on drum kit beats and synthesizer infused rhythms. There are some decent dance tracks on the album although the music as a whole sounds somewhat dated like techno from a decade ago. Where the band could once be viewed as visionary, they now sound more derivative. If you like bands like Monaco, this album will make decent background music but Emperor's Nightingale doesn't really bring anything new or can't miss to the scene.
Score:6.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Manner" [sample it below] and "Far Out Feeling"
AṣaBeautiful Imperfection - Aṣa (pronounced "Asha") is a French singer/songwriter of Nigerian descent. This is Aṣa's second studio album with her first reaching the Top 15 on the French charts. Aṣa's songs are all in English and have a sultry, neo-soul sound to them. There's a retro-chic coolness to most of the tracks, whether they be the slower ballads or the jazzier up tempo ditties. Although some of songs don't shy away from making a strong political and social statements, the album doesn't feel heavy-handed at all. It's an infectious and enjoyable release whose lows are just as enjoyable as the highs.
Score:8.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Why Can't We", "Be My Man" [sample it below], and "The Way I Feel"
Various ArtistsMuppets: The Green Album - I admit I grew up at just the right time where the Muppets were ingrained in my psyche at an early age and they've never really left. That wacky The Muppet Show was regular weekend viewing in my household and I loved their offbeat humor as they taught life lessons, the humor that can be found mocking pop culture, and (perhaps most importantly) an introduction to the wide range of musical guests that appeared on the show. Similar to the recent Nightmare Revisited release in which modern rock and pop acts re-imagined songs from a Disney property (The Nightmare Before Christmas, of course), this release takes popular songs from the Muppets catalog and hands them over to bands like Weezer, My Morning Jacket, Sondre Lerche, and OK Go.
In all, there are twelve songs covered by twelve different artists with songs that were originally from both the TV show and the Muppet movies. Leading off is OK Go's trippy version of "The Muppet Show Theme Song" which is a good introduction as it presents the familiar tune but in a manner that's been transformed for more modern audiences without losing the feel of the original. Next up is a touching, mostly faithful version of "Rainbow Connection" by Weezer with a singing assist from Paramore's Haylee Williams that instantly took me back to my youth with Cuomo's and Williams' subdued but poignant vocal tracks.
Alkaline Trio's version of "Moving Right Along" from The Muppet Movie has a sped up, punk-lite tempo that really fits the song well without sacrificing the super catchy piano hook from the original. Sondre Lerche's interpretation of "Mr. Bassman" from one of the episodes (originally sung by Scooter with Floyd from the Electric Mayhem Band) is an amusing and jangly version that manages to bring about the same amount of enjoyment in a song you'd have to be a diehard to remember. The album closes with a sweet and mellow version of "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday" by Rachael Yamagata, a little remembered song from The Muppet Movie that still packs quite an emotional punch.
Muppets: The Green Album is a fantastic album that is much more enjoyable than the two most recent re-imagining of Disney properties, the aforementioned Nightmare Revisited and the more recent Almost Alice. The album is appropriate for kids of all ages although some familiarity with the source material will help but that is not a requirement to enjoy this release. Unfortunately, there are a few duds that prevents this album from achieving a higher score (Andrew Bird's disappointing "Bein' Green" and Brandan Sallar's uninspired "Night Life") but they don't take away from the overall enjoyment to be found on this release.
Score: 8.5/10 Song(s) to Sample:Weezer's "Rainbow Connection" featuring Haylee Williams, Alkaline Trio's "Movin' Right Along" and Sondre Lerche's "Mr. Bassman"
Zee AviGhostbird - Zee Avi is a Malaysian singer/songwriter known for her angelic voice and her frequent use of ukelele in her songs. She was originally discovered off of YouTube when she posted a performance for a friend who couldn't make her live show and was eventually signed to Brushfire Records, a company partially owned by Jack Johnson. This release, her second studio album, features more treacly sweet folk pop music usually backed by simple, acoustic guitar melodies that allows her airy vocals to shine. It all has a very French lounge music feel to it. The real standout track from the album is her already released first single, "The Book of Morris Johnson," which has the most lush harmonies of any song from the album and delectable vocals, similar in style to a slow tempo Emiliana Torrini song. Unfortunately the rest of the album struggles to reach that same level of complexity but there is something subtly enduring, although not totally engaging, about the album as a whole.
Score: 7/10 Song(s) to Sample: "The Book of Morris Johnson" [sample it below] and "Madness"
CSSLa Liberacion - Fresh off their U.S. tour with Sleigh Bells, the female fronted band from Sao Paulo, Brazil put out their third studio album. CSS stands for Cansei de Ser Sexy which, if your Portuguese is as poor as mine, translates to "got tired of being sexy." Well, who can't relate with that sentiment? This album brings 11-tracks of their brand of New Rave music, which is basically a cop-out genre for many styles of indie and electronica music fused together. The beats are generally very infectious although there doesn't seem to be much growth from their previous releases. That being said, it's very easy to digest music with some really catchy hooks thrown in that will appeal to long time and new fans alike. The album as a whole has a very upbeat vibe with clever lyrics (at least the ones not in Portuguese are) which translates to a fun summer release.
Score: 7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Partners in Crime" and "Hits Me Like a Rock" [sample it below]
GangliansStill Living - This four person alternative rock band from my hometown Sacramento, CA releases an album of lo-fi garage music. This 12-track disc features a raw, almost live-sounding, vibe to their music that is made more poignant by the spooky and airy electric guitar work. The vocals remind me of an Ezra Koenig (from Vampire Weekend) trying to sing like Win Butler (of Arcade Fire). Unfortunately, the song construction on the album isn't as nuanced as either of the bands mentioned above. There's a lot of potential on the album with the excellent and beguiling guitar work but the overall result, especially in terms of song construction, falls short of achieving greatness. Let's just say they're not quite at the level of Sacramento's most famous bands like Cake, !!!, and the Deftones yet but the potential is there to reach those heights.
Score: 5.5/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Evil Weave" [sample it below - sorry, the video has been pulled]
Jeff BridgesJeff Bridges - We're probably more familiar with him as Starman, Flynn, or the Dude but Jeff Bridges continues the path he begun when he played Otis "Bad" Blake in Crazy Heart with an album of country hymns and blues jams. This is actually Bridges second album having released his first in 2000 which was buoyed by song compositions from Michael McDonald and David Crosby. This time around Bridges gets an assist from legendary producer T-Bone Burnett and is credited with writing three of the tracks on this album himself.
The 10-track album begins with the infectious "What a Little Bit of Love Can Do" that showcases Bridges low baritone vocal style well over a peppy country melody that combines to create the best track on the disc. It's part Stevie Ray Vaughn and part Eric Clapton with its smooth blues guitar work and unforced vocal performance. "Tumbling Vines" is the second song on the album credited to Bridges and its smooth blues lead guitar work does a nice job of building atmosphere and is the best of the Bridges penned tunes. "Blue Car" is a song with a catchy, if standard, blues melody but features a fun narrative about trying to make one more trip to see "you" that is only enhanced by Bridges natural ability to tell a story.
Overall this self-titled album has a few high points but it is not an album that I can recommend wholeheartedly as its inconsistent nature causes it to be a snooze at times. Bridges vocals are mostly competent, if somewhat lacking in range, but he manages to get through the songs in a more than credible manner. But the downtempo classic country arrangements mean that sparks of life are few and far between especially if you're like me and are not a huge country fan to begin with. This first song is worth purchasing but be sure to sample the album before you get the rest.
Score: 5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "What a Little Bit of Love Can Do" [sample it below]
Blue OctoberAny Man in America - The five person alternative rock band from Texas best known for their 2006 hit "Into the Blue" releases their sixth studio album. The first thing to be noted about this disc is that it has a very serious tone with most of the songs dealing with frontman Justin Furstenfeld's recent divorce and child custody battle. "The Flight (LNK to MSP)" is the real standout from this album with a somber violin opening playing behind a heartbreaking voicemail recording of Furstenfeld and his wife talking about his lack of readiness to have custody of their daughter before poignant rap-style vocals are introduced that taken in whole with the hard rock chorus create one extremely well written and produced song. It's even a better song than the first single from the album, "The Chills," which has been available on iTunes for over a month. Any Man in America is a very personal album to the band and that shows through in the music. However the heavy feel and tone of the album makes it difficult to digest when listening to it multiple times without feeling really sad about the heartbreak that comes with divorces but it's a good album if you are already in that mood.
Score: 6.5/10 Song(s) to Sample:"The Flight (LNK to MSP)" and "The Getting Over It Part"
Hercules & Love AffairBlue Songs - H&LA is New York based electonica music project whose style fits somewhere between house and nu-disco. Their eponymous debut album from 2008 reached as high as #31 on the UK charts while their new album has been out over there since the beginning of February and drops in the U.S. today with a bunch of previously unavailable bonus tracks. Most of the songs feature some kind of vocals although if you're familiar with the band's first album the singers have changed this time around and the difference in vocal styles is immediately noticeable. That's not all that is different as the songs on this album have a more Detroit-style beat on the faster tempo songs although the euro influences are still present to a lesser degree. Also gone is the extensive use of blaring horns instead going for dexterous uses of more subtle, non-standard electronica instruments like a solo flute or a xylophone. It's a different style of electronica this time around but I still found Blue Songs an entertaining disc with more substance and less flash than before.
Score:7/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Painted Eyes" [sample it below] and "Blue Song"
Jay-Z & Kanye WestWatch the Throne - Modern hip-hop masters Jay-Z and Kanye West combine efforts to release a new album of collaborative raps and funky beats. Is it me or does the cover and title of the album seem somewhat pretentious? Well, given the self-assured, bordering on outlandish, natures of the two stars I guess it makes sense. Let's hope they kept their egos in check enough to produce some quality music on this 16-track release that also features a handful of guest artists like Otis Redding, Curtis Mayfield, and (of course) the obligatory Beyonce sung song. This album was made available on iTunes beginning yesterday and will be available in all other retail outlets starting this Friday.
The album opens slowly with "No Church in the Wild" (featuring Frank Ocean) which features a cool bass line and beat but doesn't really go anywhere. The other song featuring Ocean (appearing much later in the album), "Made In America," has a sweet and infectious melody that really showcases Ocean's smooth crooning tenor.
The album really starts to take off for me with "Otis" which is built on the classic Otis Redding song "Try A Little Tenderness" but adds alternating raps by West and Jay-Z that shows their genius in both creating and manipulating music. "Why I Love You" is another sweeping track where Jay-Z's verbal play about being king and watching the throne matches Kanye-heavy orchestral backing music by showcasing both a playful and a serious side.
Watch the Throne is a great album and will be one of the best hip-hop album to be released this year. It's not flawless by any means with the album failing to find it's footing towards the beginning but what flaws there are end up being very small when viewed from afar while the bright spots can be blinding at times. They manage to cover a wide range of subjects over the 68-minute disc including, but not limited to, religion, poverty, and the cost of success with much verbal aplomb and clever wordplay.
Perhaps the biggest concern when you get two musicians of this magnitude recording together is their ability to rein in and blend their varying styles competently. Early on it seems like the two artists are still struggling to find that balance but after the first couple of songs not only do Kanye and Jay-Z make beautiful music together they also do so in a way that combines their styles into a joyful union that at times transcends what they could do individually. An instant classic destined to win lots of Grammy's next year.
Score: 9/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Otis" [sample it below], "Why I Love You," and "Who Gon Stop Me"
Pepper Rabbit Red Velvet Snow Ball - Pepper Rabbit is a indie pop/experimental duo from Silver Lake, CA. This ten track release features a downtempo psychedelic pop with lush instrumentation by incorporating eleven instruments in composing their melodies. Songs like "Family Planning" and "In Search of Simon Birch" feature a slow tempo but the wide variety of instruments and well-layered tunes have a quality that will sweep you along at times for a very pleasant and surprising journey. Comparably, I would say their music is part Friendly Fires and part Shins with a more doleful overall feeling to the album. I do wish there was more variety on this sophomore release as this is not a disc you'd want playing to cheer you up but for those in a melancholy mood, I can think of few 2011 releases that would be as apt.
Score: 7/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Family Planning" and "Rose Mary Stretch" [sample it below]
The New MastersoundsBreaks from the Border - The New Mastersounds is a four person funk band from Leeds, England. Although they've released about a dozen albums since they formed about a dozen years ago, this is the first one to be recorded in the U.S. For a modern funk band, the music presented on this release has a real throwback feel to a Ohio Players/James Brown era of music. The guitar work is more than competent and the rest of the musicians perform adequately but the production work makes the disc sound very dated and not in a positive way like the most recent Raphael Saadiq album. Diehard funk fans can add two points to my score but there are virtually no new-sounding or standout songs on this album that helps differentiate it from past funk albums.
Fountains of WayneSky Full of Holes - The four member pop band from New York named after a lawn ornament store in Wayne, New Jersey follow their pretty regular pattern of releasing a new album every four years. Jeez, has it really been eight years since Rachel Hunter reminded us how how she still can be in the popular and breakout video for the band, "Stacy's Mom"? This album brings us 13 new power pop songs and acoustic-driven ballads to whet our appetites.
The album begins with the fun "The Summer Place" that shows they still can pull the power pop strings with its simple but bewitching melody. "Acela" is a cleverly worded and jaunty song about making a love connection on a train. However acoustic-driven songs like "Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart" or "Action Hero" don't have the oomph or the dynamic sound that the band can reach at it's greatest heights. "Cold Comfort Flowers" has potent lyrics and the song as a whole is enhanced by the subtle but welcome piano work in the refrain and chorus. Then you get tracks like "Firelight Waltz" with its slow country twang that act as a serious disconnect to the rest of the album.
Sky Full of Holes is a somewhat entertaining release that has some modest bright spots although it doesn't do enough to separate it from other pop releases from this summer. It might be the amount of time since I last heard one of their albums but frontman Chris Collingwood's vocals are sounding more and more like John Flansburg with its high tenor, east coast twang. The ballads end up being the biggest letdowns with very monotonous melodies that never seem to go anywhere. The songwriting in terms of storytelling is still very compelling and interesting and that helps buoy the album over the humdrum parts. Unfortunately, I can only recommend this release to fans of the band as their isn't enough to entice new or casual fans.
Score:5.5/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Acela" and "Cold Comfort Flowers" [sample it below]
O.A.R.King - Alternative jam band O.A.R., which stands for Of A Revolution, release their seventh studio album. Like most jam bands, live shows is where O.A.R. really shines usually playing versions of their songs that are more rollicking and longer lasting than what can be found on the album. Their last album, 2008's All Sides, was their biggest commercial success ranking as high as number 12 on the U.S. charts. This is the band's first album under record label Wind-up Records which also handles releases for bands like People in Planes and Evanescence. King is a very lively and energetic album with well layered vocal and instrumental tracks. The best tracks are the ones that the bands branches out on by incorporating non-standard instruments (although not completely non-standard for O.A.R. albums) like a horn section to create a more complex and robust sound ("Not For Me" and "Are You Low"). Unfortunately, the energy and complexity don't carry over to the wearying ballads which seem overly cookie cutter. Overall it's a generally fun album that seems to be channeling early Sublime tunes with its carefree feel and light ska touches. King isn't king of the summer albums but it's certainly not a jester either. Maybe "Jack" or "Ten of Spades" would have been a better title.
Score: 6.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Not For Me" [sample it below] and "We Made It - Interlude Part I"
Keb MoThe Reflection - Legendary blues singer/songwriter/guitarist Kevin Moore, AKA Keb Mo, releases an album of new school blues jams and old school funk grooves. Helping out on the 12 tracks of this album are well-known performers like India.Arie, Vince Gill, and Dave Koz, among others. The Reflection is an album chock full of groovy jazz and blues songs that are primarily soulful, guitar driven ditties. Keb Mo does show his age a little as some of the songs venture beyond his blues background into more bland adult contemporary melodies. A good album to play at a dinner party with friends, it has a lot of tunes that are engaging without being overpowering.
Score:7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample:"The Whole Enchilada" [sample it below] and "Crush On You"
