Wicked Man's Rest-Passenger

Although I know nobody has heard of this band, the Brit Rock party of five from Brighton has released their debut record recently (August 5, 2008 to be exact) Wicked Man's Rest featuring such classics as Night Vision Binoculars which is an all-in-all creepy narrative of a man who is so in love with a woman that he stalks her and watches her from her neighbor's tree, (haven't we all...) and the title track Wicked Man's Rest, which starts the record off on a slow foot, but deep at that.

The record, as previously stated, starts off a little bit slow, but if you can put the slow-paced title track, and get to Night Vision Binoculars, then it's certain that the listener will be hooked by the upbeat and poppy sounds of the song. The next song on the record, Things You've Never Done, is another slow-going song with great lyric meaning, and it has one of my all time favorite quotes, "Don't be scared of failure, the only failure is the failure to try." The same can be said of the fourth and seventh tracks (Girl I Once Knew  and Four Horses). The tempo kicks up once again in track five, Do What You Like. The record is full of it's great shifts in tempo, and is profound for it's lyrics.

The sound is a mixture between two other British acts of David Gray and sadly, James Blunt for his high pitched Falsetto voice. But this record is far superior in it's class and is a hybrid of Falsetto vocals mixed perfectly with a balanced amount of pop and rock sounds. This rock record paves the way for other British acts, and leaves the door and my ears open to more and more great things to come.

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Top Five Side One Track Ones

My own tribute to High Fidelity

1. Carry On-Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young-Deja Vu

2. Scarborough Fair-Simon & Garfunkel-Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

3. Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35-Bob Dylan-Blonde on Blonde

4. Come Together-The Beatles-Abbey Road

5. Roundabout-Yes-Fragile

Harps and Angels-Randy Newman

As we all know, the 62 year old man who wrote the song from Toy Story called You've Got a Friend in Me and the song from Major League called Burn On (which is a slow bluesy tune about the city of Cleveland, Ohio) recently released his latest studio record called Harps and Angels, which was a new blend of political bluesy music, mixed with the aged reminiscence of a 62 year old artist.

The new record deals with such themes as getting old, universal healthcare, and of course... politics. It would not be a Randy Newman record without involving some form of politics, such as the song Piece of the Pie which touches on certain issues like universal healthcare, education, and the administration in general. The record is typical though, it shows how consistent he is with his sound, but for him releasing so many records, one would think he'd change the way he sings or plays. It is a cool bluesy record, especially in the title track Harps and Angels because it's a laid back tune with simple piano and a lot of lyrics that mean a lot, and relate to his life, but also apply to the daily life of most Americans. Harps and Angels  is a good mellow record that actually does spark thoughts in the listeners mind through the lyrical importance of the words that he sings, especially towards the end of the record in songs like Korean Parents and Potholes. 

In closing, Newman again makes a solid record that strikes at the core of our personal being and what the listeners believe and how the listener should keep an open mind about what others believe. So, although there is a lack of change in the song style, it is still a monumental record for Randy Newman because it gets everything out on the table for him, and he doesn't hold back in his lyrical stand point and lets the listener knows what he's feeling.

The Age of the Understatement-The Last Shadow Puppets

In May, Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane of the Rascals teamed up as the Last Shadow Puppets and released their first LP The Age of the Understatement, which spurred on to a large spread outbreak of Arctic Monkeys fans and Rascals fans, but still has not gained much recognition for the dynamic duo from "across the pond."

The record starts out with the title track of Age of the Understatement, which dragged me into the record from the start because of its attractive up-beat tempo with its techno-esque intro, and then takes it just a bit slower in the second track Standing Next to Me which combines a little bit of up-beat acoustic but still has that dark side to it that is so familiar in Favourite Worst Nightmare (Arctic Monkeys', 2007 release) and Rascalize (Rascals', 2008 release). Which is why they're one of the most perfect combinations because of the mutual darkness in their style of music. It keeps up that same pace all throughout the record, but the song that truly stands out is the fourth track Separate and Ever Deadly which is hard to explain, but it's seemingly a perfect rock ballad.

The record has its downsides. It sounds like all Arctic Monkeys songs, despite having one of the Rascals, and although consistency is not a bad thing, it gets a little old because the band is basically using the same material and putting a new name on it. Not that it isn't good, it's just nothing new. Although, there were a few changes to the music itself, they still had the basic Arctic Monkeys sound. Even though the record has its advantages and it is a great record, it's not perfect, and could use work in a lot of areas. The duo has not quite mastered the sound, but they're close to accomplishing it, and they'll get it if they release a sophomore record."

In Rainbows-Radiohead

This record is long overdue for review. Radiohead has, in recent history, released their seventh record, and even more impressive, they did this one without a record label, after their contract with EMI Records ran out...and I may say, that they have out-done themselves this time...even for Radiohead. The record encompasses everything that it is to be human. The flaws in this record, in a way make it stronger.

This record is the soundtrack for human existence, if one was to be compiled. The reasoning behind that judgment isn't so much in the music itself, but rather the tempo that it poses. It starts out with a catchy, up-beat anthem called 15 Step, signifying birth and early childhood, how everything is fast, and really catchy, and up-tempo, and restless. Then, as the record progresses, it starts to get a little slower, and then picks up again here and there. Just like mid-life. All of the sudden, you're at the end, and it just stops. Now, I'm not trying to give the entire record away, rather telling my readers what to expect when the turn on 15 Steps, and start the hour long ride of your life...literally.

As for the actual review of the record, I hold true that it is one of the best records of 2007-2008, and it makes it even more special because this was made completely on their own, with no help from the label. They jumped one of the most difficult hurdles in their new record, and that is pulling a complete 180 on their sound, and turning it in to something that is monumental for them as a band. Which is why I agree with Rolling Stone Magazine when they say, "The Future Belongs to Radiohead." They've done something that, in a way, is impossible to do. They changed their genre. They went from being a typical rock band, with "something about them" to being known to me now as "God knows what that is, but it's damn good." That, my friends, is what I say Radiohead's new genre is.

The one, true downside I could find with this record, is that you can't understand a lot of the lyrics, and I think that actually adds to the signifigance of the music itself. Although, I would like to have been able to understand some of the lyrics that Thom Yorke had put into the record without having to look them up. It's an outstanding record, with vocals that compliment the background noise in flying colors. I really hope that Radiohead stays the same way for their next record (also hoping that it doesn't take them two years to release it.)

So, to In Rainbows, I give 5 stars. It took me almost an hour to find a flaw in it. Absolutely go out and buy it. By far the best self-released record that I've ever heard (even though self-released records come from up-and-coming artists who have little money or talent for that matter.) It's brilliant on almost every level.

The Black and White Album-The Hives

In October, the Hives released their new record called the Black and White Album which actually was a different brand of punk rock from the dynamic five Swedish guys who can be declared as the different breed of punk rockers who, instead of ripped Levi's, they choose black slack, and rather then a Misfits t-shirt, they choose a black dress shirt, and instead of a leather jacket, they choose the white dress jackets. "Why?" One might ask, and the only legitimate explaination to think of, is to be different.

That's exactly what this record was. Different. To say the least. Very new for them, and unknown. Which hints a label of "a different type of punk rock." That's what they are all-in-all, is a punk rock band. One of the only surviving ones, at that. They're so pure about it, and nothing is phony, and that's what makes the Hives punk. The fact that they don't care about what they look like, or what their music sounds like. I applaud that. Which makes them the kind of band that you listen to to get pumped up.

One of the most fun things about this band is how egotistical their lead singer Howlin' Pelle Almqvist is. He takes a great sense of pride in what they create and he thinks that it is perfect. And in all honesty. It is. He once said in an interview, "We've been explaining to the world a lot of things about our new record, and how good it is, when it will eventually come out. Sometimes it feels like we're making Chinese Democracy." I mean, if the record sucked, he would sound like an asshole, but the record was a classic, so you don't even care, and in fact, you find it moderately funny.

This record, compared to the other records which areTyrannasaurous Hives, Veni Vidi Vicious, and Barely Legal (try to download that one on LimeWire) this one is way different. Frankly, some of it's downright weird, but it's still cool....a lot like Daft Punk. Especially songs like T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S. and A Stroll Through Hive Manor. It's punk, but, as I said earlier, it's a different breed of punk rock.

One thing that did pain me to see, was that they toured with Maroon 5. In response to that, I quote the movie Superbad,"That's like slapping God in the face for a great gift." Anywho. That doesn't really matter anymore. I'm excited to see what they do for their fifth record. It should be rather interesting...to say the least. Also, I apologize for the tardiness of this review, considering it was released almost a year ago. I give it four stars, and not five, because it was a little lengthy...which shouldn't be surprising to me anymore. Most records are now.

Geology-The Stock Market Crash

The Stock Market Crash is becoming a pretty big deal 'round these parts of Oklahoma. They've really started to show what they can accomplish musically with their sound, and how experimental they can really get. They're just not your average, local band. Also, despite how old this record is, it still stands out as a phenominal record...especially for an up-and-coming Okie band.

I realize that most of my readers have never even heard of The Stock Market Crash, so thus, you have no idea what the Hell I'm about to talk about...even though you should definately go check these guys out. Their record Geology is definately a great starting record, because although it's a great record, you can tell where they can improve for their sophomore record, to cut what could be a legendary rock record.

I think I like this record so much because it's so easy to review, because as soon as you read this, and listen to the record you know exactly what I'm talking about. Also, I feel somewhat connected with the record because I did a sample review of Geology when I was with NONzine for a short time (which is a small, quazi-tabloid, bi-weekly Arts & Music magazine in circulation in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.)

For starters, Matt Bacon (lead vocals) has one of the most innovative and inventive voices that I've ever heard. A little Bob Dylan-esque in many ways, but at the same time, it's his own way of singing. It's unlike anything I've ever heard before. He also backs it up with great lyrics though, i.e. the song In the Mouth of the Whale when he sings the line "It's a full time job/To be a part-time lover." It's so simple, yet quite deep when you think about the truth behind that (as I've said before in my Top Ten Songs in Modern Music post.)

The music that backs him up is different as well. There's no real explaination for that either. Pedals for the guitars, maybe. It's just all around different...I guess that's why I like this band. A lot of it, I guess, would be the fact that it's simple guitar (no solos really, or anything gaudy that makes their music seem so phony) put with interesting effects. All-in-all, that's the only way to really explain the sound.

The record did have it's downsides though. Despite how good it was, it still seemed like they had no idea where to put the songs on their record. Song placement is a very big factor in putting together a great record. If it doesn't tell a story (which many records do now) then you still can't bore your audience. If you have a slow song, don't toss it in the middle of the record, put it close to the end, so that by the time your audience gets to the middle of the record, they're still very into what they're hearing...and then throw the slower song on them...see how they like it.

Also, the pace of the record may have changed, but the songs seem to start running together at some points. It's like the songs start to sound the same. I'm not saying that ALL their songs run together, but a fair few of them (on this record) do. Not that that's even a bad thing, but it does get a little too much to handle, especially when you can't remember which song's which, when trying to tell a friend to listen to them, like Don't Walk and In the Mouth of the Whale. I always used to get those two songs mixed up, because they sound so damn similar.

All-in-all, it is a great, and very artistic record, where you can tell that there's a lot of British influence, and a little blues influence in it, because of the tone in the lyrics. I'd give it four stars. Which is great considering it's a debut record. I look forward to seeing The Stock Market Crash unveil newer stuff very soon, and I think they have the potential to get up there, and make it. So, do yourself a favor, and buy it on iTunes. You'll like it.

With a Little Help from my Friends

In 1960, four guys in Liverpool, England started up a band. They grew to be one of the biggest and most popular bands in the history of Rock & Roll. These guys are the soul purpose of modern rock music...at this point, you should know that I'm talking about the Beatles.

Despite how ridiculously cheezy of an opening that was, just think of what the Beatles have done. I'm not going to spill a bunch of BS about how the Beatles "invented" rock music, because we all know that's not true. In fact, Elvis Presley didn't even "invent" it. In my own personal opinion, I think that Chuck Berry invented rock & roll music. So, the Beatles might not have made it, but damn it, they perfected it.

Think where Rock music would be today with out The White Album(which is number one on my favorite records.) No one had heard that before. No one had even thought about that before, and yeah, maybe it was the acid talking, but it's still tops. The song Helter Skelter alone could be considered as part of the reason we have distortion in guitars. Who knows, Daft Punk might have been influenced by the trippy "musical experience" that one experiences in Revolution No. 9.

My point is, hands down, the Beatles are the greatest rock band ever. I'm not even saying that from a fan stand point. Led Zeppelin is up there (and I'm not even a Zeppelin fan) but you have to take into consideration that Zeppelin was most likely influenced in some way by the (at the time) revolutionary sound the Beatles had come up with.

Song writing is a totally different story. Neither of those bands come close to the level of song writing of Bob Dylan, who I hold true to be the greatest song writer ever. I think I could say that even the Beatles were influenced by him in some way...his early stuff. If you listen to a lot of the lyrics that the Beatles wrote (especially in the latter days of their life as a band ie. Abbey Road) there's a lot of similarities. The one aspect that really stands out to me, is the fact that they're both incredibly symbolic with their words. A lot of metaphors and similies are used...and people don't write like that. It sounds odd to say, but the people (usually) who are influenced by Bob Dylan are influenced souly by his sound, not so much the words he uses...with the exception of the Redwalls.



I say the Redwalls, and anyone who knows them knows why, because they are...Dylan. The sound sounds damn-near flawless, and some of the songs are written the way Dylan would write them...just full of symbols...plus many of their songs are political. But not in a bad, sell out kind of way, but rather, it's more of a release, which isn't exactly bad. You just have to get over it, and listen to the music, despite if you agree with the artist or not.

This is nothing more then a rant...it's going on 2:30 here. In fact, tomorrow, I'll probably wake up and read this, and be totally disappointed with myself. I'm tired, dozing off here-and-there. I'll update again very soon. Thank you.

Kevin