Label: Universal Music Released: February 5, 2008 The fact that this DVD flat out rules is no surprise. Iron Maiden is one of metal’s most technical and most literate bands and, as if that’s not enough, they’re a blast live. Other than a few foggy Spinal Tap-esque moments during the epic “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Maiden never comes across… Read more »
Label: Yep Roc Records Released: January 8, 2008 I usually listen to music on the cheap stereo in my little Toyota. But as I’ve listened to Angels of Destruction! over the past few months, I’ve encountered a problem that I’ve never, ever had before. The sound is just too big. In my book, big sound is a good thing. I… Read more »
Label: MVD Entertainment Group Released: February 19, 2008 After a brief introductory piece, this live recording from the 1989 ABWH tour moves into solo medleys by Anderson, Howe and Wakeman. While these clearly demonstrate things we already know (Wakeman and Howe are top notch technicians and Anderson is likely the not-so-distant descendant of an elf), there is little of real… Read more »
Label: Released: January 29, 2008 It’s not often that I find a record that offers as much musically as it does lyrically (unless, of course, it’s bad at both). On Highway Prayer, it’s hard to decide which Twilight Hotel does better. The songs fill the whole spectrum from the fun, upbeat opener, “Viva La Vinyl,” a song about record collecting,… Read more »
Label: Deep Elm Records Released: February 18, 2008 At this point, emo is pretty played out, so even the genre’s best bands struggle to be interesting. Desoto Jones is certainly among emo’s best, but the real question is, do they transcend its confines. Oddly enough, emo has become a genre more concerned with technical skill than emotional release and Aurora… Read more »
Label: Lujo Records Released: February 12, 2008 For this review, Chuck and I decided to collaborate. We both queued up the album at the same time and had a conversation about our thoughts. It came out more as the anatomy of a review, but the result was at least interesting. We’ll be trying this again (maybe every other week) to… Read more »
Label: Kill Rock Stars Released: January 29, 2007 We Brave Bee Stings and All begins and ends like it may be a simple twee pop album. Both songs have a thin, light pop sound that could be mistaken for a novelty. What happens between those two songs, however, is anything but. There is no doubt that a twee influence runs… Read more »
Label: Facedown Records/Dreamt Music Released: January 22, 2008 When Dreams Become Reality would be an ambitious album even if it was the fourth or fifth release for San Diego’s Thieves & Liars. As a debut, it’s even more impressive. They draw on a lot of influences, some of which entrench them in hard rock and others which allow them to… Read more »
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: Smithsonian Folkways Released: January 29, 2008 I attended a memorial service for a coworker’s husband a few years ago. The chapel was small, and the service was filled with speeches and laughter and the occasional gut-wrenching sob from the front of the room. It was touching, but as someone who didn’t know the dead man, it was relatively mundane…. Read more »