Label: Universal Records Released: January 29, 2008 The Mars Volta really scaled things back for this one. Gone are the super-long songs (the longest here is comparatively radio-friendly at nine and a half minutes). All sarcasm aside, they run completely wild with music that’s almost impossible to follow, yet just as impossible to ignore. On previous efforts, their bold explorations… Read more »
Label: Released: October 9, 2007 A Wilhelm Scream doesn’t exactly break down all the walls on Career Suicide, but they do manage to put forth a solid album that isn’t the same old fare over and over again. The album is largely a metally hardcore affair, but its layered sound (particularly the guitar parts) gives it far greater dimension than… Read more »
Check out Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles’ new video for “Stop and Think It Over”. If you aren’t familiar with their, here’s a review their latest album, Diamonds in the Dark. Myspace
Label: Image Entertainment Released: January 15, 2007 I’m a fan of Yes. I understand that they have serious flaws from Jon Anderson’s esoteric, eastern-philosophy-lite lyrics to their frequent substitution of calculation for emotion, but somehow, they manage to get away with it in my book. Like Yes’ better moments, this DVD often finds itself short on thrills, but long on… Read more »
Label: Flight Plan/Reignition Records Released: September 25, 2007 Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer is yet another power-pop band among what seems like an endless stream coming out these days. So, what sets this female-fronted hook-fest apart from the others? For one thing, energy. In a genre that seems to go through the motions, Zolof is engaged in what they’re… Read more »
Label: Self-released; buy it at CD Baby or Not Lame Released: September 4, 2007 Watts took their name from the drummer of perhaps the most over-rated rock band in history. However, the part of the Stones that they tap into is that of the band in its hungry 60s prime, not the bloated dinosaur of the last 35 years. And… Read more »
The Gypsy Pistoleros would be pigeonholed into a genre that I usually dismiss, but that would be a mistake in this case. Sure, there were some great glam bands, but most of those still hanging around are just old men who can’t admit their day has passed or young bands that want to recapture glam at its commercial peak (which… Read more »
Apparently, this was supposed to go live last night, but is being delayed once again. It’s been in the works for awhile, but if it’s finally OK’d and goes live, then it should mean free access to millions of songs from the four majors. What’s the catch? Advertising. You have to watch the ads (kinda like TV). So, what will… Read more »
Label: Small Stone Records Released: May 29, 2007 The heavy sludge that is the principle ingredient in Hackman’s sound isn’t necessarily a hot commodity these days. In order to stand out, bands have to incorporate more than just a love for Black Sabbath and Hackman does just that. The album starts off slow and heavy, but doesn’t stay that way…. Read more »
Label: 1-2-3-4 Go! Records Released: July 3, 2007 Steve E Nix and the Cute Lepers serve up a fun little slab of old-school punk and new wave on this EP. “Terminal Boredom” is ’77-style punk rock that borrows heavily from the Clash and Ramones, while “Prove It” could almost be a outtake from Elvis Costello’s “Armed Forces.” If you’re gonna… Read more »