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SHIM is a four-piece guitar-driven rock band from Seattle, but you shouldn’t immediately draw comparisons to birth-of-grunge bands like Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots. No, SHIM is more of a throwback to the days of pure rock. Think maybe a cross between AC/DC, Aerosmith and Deep Purple – with more modern influences like the Black Crowes thrown in. However, that’s all for reference, because SHIM really does have its own sound. Feel Like a King pretty much picks up where the band’s debut, In the Veins, left off. Singer Ragan Crowe has a powerful instrument, a rock tenor that may remind you of Billy Squier. And of course, the bombastic guitar-bass-drum attack is never a bad formula for any rock band, especially when they are delivering songs named “Animal” or “We Got Guns.” But on here, the riff-driven “Highway” is the album’s best track. Still, even though SHIM gives us hope that the Rock is alive and well, Feel Like a King is more of a continuation of In The Veins, rather than an upgrade. (LABEL: self-released) |
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If it seems like there’s been an overabundance of both male and female singer/songwriters the past five years, that’s because, well, there has been. Maybe it’s because recording technology has allowed more and more artists to make albums, but too many of them think they can and really can’t. Those who know how to write solid songs are the ones who stand out, and the ones who have strong vocal ability on top of that stand out even further. New Zealand native Brooke Fraser has all that and more, and her sophomore album, Albertine, is very likely to put her on the map here in the States. Fraser has a breathy, sexy voice, and a pop sensibility brought out by acclaimed producer Marshall Altman (Marc Broussard, Matt Nathanson). You might hear hints of Chantal Kreviazuk or another Down Under artist, Natalie Imbruglia. But Fraser has the kind of songs, some of them inspired by a trip to Rwanda in 2005, that should have her surpassing both of those names in global popularity—if not now, then definitely soon. (Columbia/Wood & Bone) |
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Glen Phillips was the main voice of ‘90’s pop band Toad The Wet Sprocket, a band that had a pretty nice run of success. But since the band split, there has been a noticeable lack of magic coming from Phillips’ music. His solo efforts, including 2006’ Mr. Lemons, have been good, but not coming close to some of the great Toad material. Now, with a short detour into unique subject matter, Phillips has returned with a six-song EP called Secrets of the New Explorers. Phillips’ buddy John Askew collaborated on this effort, and though Phillips came from scientist parents, the subject matter idea was sparked by a conversation the two had when they began writing the songs. The result? An extremely interesting diversion for Phillips, with song titles like “Solar Flare” and “Space Elevator.” Most of the tracks are decent, but there are flashes of brilliances, such as on “They’ll Find Me” and “The Spirit of Shackleton.” On those, if you change the lyrical content, they could have come straight from Toad’s stunning Dulcinea album. (LABEL: Umami Music) |
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David Fagin, former front man of the controversial group the Rosenbergs, has arrived with his debut solo effort, For Promotional Use Only. Fagin has been outspoken in his my-way-or-the-highway approach to the music industry, and was one of the first artists to realize that you can make money on your own without the help of a record label, and that in doing so you can retain creative control. Through it all, Fagin has remained true to himself and his fans, and has created a set of blissful, harmony-drenched pop that is a bit more personal and introspective than the straight-ahead fare of his former band. And while most of the 11 tracks are nicely arranged, and at times oddly happy sounding breakup tunes (“Mess of Love” and “Cry”), there are a few numbers here that are a cut above the rest. “Dust” is a driving, haunting rocker, and the dreamy “Neverland” is not only the best song on this album, it’s one of the best on anyone’s album this year. (Noshpit) |
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After a teaser of a four-song EP in 2007, Chicago rock band Absentstar is back with their debut full-length on Columbia Records, Sea Trials. This quintet has a Brit-pop feel, resembling a cross between the Killers, Keane, and a more melodic version of Blue October. Produced by Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, Absentstar delivers a 12-song set of blazing pop tunes with interesting arrangements and soaring choruses. Lead singer Derek Ingersoll tends to overdo it with that fake British vocal thing, but there’s no denying that this is a talented band with some solid songs. “Half Life” and “For God’s Sakes” are no-brainers as some of the best work here, and were also on the EP. But there is beauty in some of the newly released tracks, such as the haunting “Life Support,” which is driven by raunchy guitar riffs; and “All is Forgotten,” a really pretty piano anthem. Absentstar is not going to set the world on fire, but Sea Trials is certainly a promising debut. (Columbia) |
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Give OMD credit for knowing the limits of their marketplace potential, and serving up a live record that is right in the wheelhouse of the very people (only people?) who would still consider buying an OMD album at this point in time. Live: Architecture & Morality & More, on paper, is a die-hard’s dream come true, a track-by-track performance of the band’s most highly regarded album, fleshed out with various hit singles from the rest of the band’s catalog. The execution, however, is another matter. The mostly down-tempo album doesn’t exactly leap out of the speakers, Paul Humphreys’ keyboard tracks lack the punch of their studio equivalents, and on the two songs where Humphreys sings lead (“Souvenir” and “(Forever) Live and Die),” his voice wavers all over the place. Such a tantalizing idea – how sweet would it be to see ABC do The Lexicon of Love, or the Human League do Dare, in a similar environment – but two more weeks of rehearsal would have done wonders. (Eagle Records) |
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You’ve come to the right place if you want hot links to some of the latest music reviews online. Step right this way to the egress, er…I mean, the newly minted reviews! Over at delovely Bullz-Eye, Jeff Giles has reviewed the latest disc by R.E.M. entitled Accelerate. “The new record’s surprisingly good – and, even better for those kvetchy fans, it’s good in a way that hearkens strongly back to the band’s classic sides,” says Jeff about the disc. David Medsker cuts to the chase on Muse’s new release called H.A.A.R.P. “H.A.A.R.P., much like Green Day’s American Idiot 2005 tour document Bullet in a Bible, is one of those lightning-in-a-bottle moments that captures the band at the height of its powers.” The Black Keys have returned with Attack & Release, and Jim Washington is there to put in his two cents. Says Jim, “Attack & Release is an apt title. The Keys’ music used to grab you by the throat and rock you. On this, they let go a bit.” Switching over to Billboard, critic Sven Philipp has covered the new Rolling Stones soundtrack album, Shine a Light. “Much more dazzling than the guest list: More than 40 years into their career, the Stones sound raw and dangerously alive.” Classic critic-meister Robert Christgau writes up the new Drive-By Truckers CD entitled Brighter Than Creation’s Dark over at NPR. Says Robert, “Like the old cowpunks they are, [Patterson] Hood and his band have a soft spot for losers and total scuzzballs. They’ve also written more good songs about musicians than any competing road dogs you can name.” Carl F. Gauze of Ink 19 weighs in on Murder Mystery’s Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here It Comes, saying “Overall, this is a bouncy, tight band with a clean, happy sound, and the opportunity to make something of itself with its power pop love songs.” Who knew the Breeders had a new one arriving? Well, I do, and perhaps you do, too now. Head over to Rolling Stone to check out Will Hermes’ review of the new disc entitled Mountain Battles. “Steve Albini (Nirvana, PJ Harvey), among other producers, keeps things raw; indeed, the record’s primitive art punk sometimes echoes Nirvana.” Finally, over at Spin, Josh Modell discusses Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltisin’s Pershing. “This Missouri band’s music is so plainly likable that they should consider running for public office — even the off-putting name wouldn’t deter any voters who appreciate the shy prettiness of the Shins and the sweeter, least brash moments of the New Pornographers,” muses Modell. |
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Looking for some new reviews on some of the latest music releases? Look no further! We have just the thing to take away thine curiosity and replace it with good, clean knowledge. How can you beath that? You can’t! Say, that new Raconteurs disc Consolers of the Lonely came out of the proverbial left field this week, didn’t it? Sure did, and Bullz-Eye has Mojo Flucke’s review of it. “Jack’s on top of his game here, as always. God forbid the day he mails in a half-baked record and all his pissed-off rock-critic chickens come back to roost,” says Mojo. Critic David Medsker has recently done the 180 on the band Panic At The Disco. Their new album Pretty. Odd. has left him praising the group, mentioning that “…this, as far as we know, is the real Panic at the Disco, and God help them if they ever decide to go back to being wordy emo dorks. Pretty. Odd – they appear to have moved the awkward punctuation out of their band name and into their album titles – is as massive as pop records get these days.” Not bad at all. Check out the full write-up here. For all the Sevendust fans out there, the band’s latest Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow is out and about and Bill Clark lets you in on his thoughts about the disc, saying that “The album contains nary a dull moment, as is the case with every Sevendust record to date, but the collective effect doesn’t match that of Alpha or Animosity – the two albums that the band puts in the blender to achieve their sound here. ” Spinning the dial over to Rolling Stone, critic Caryn Ganz reviews the latest from Moby, a little number entitled Last Night. “A concept album about an all-night bender, Last Night solidifies Moby’s link in the chain that binds DJ pioneers like Todd Terry to slinky futurists like Justice.” Yes, but is it any good? Next, at Billboard, Jeff Vrabel offers up his take on the latest from Flo Rida entitled Mail on Sunday. “Flo Rida’s flow is an engaging/ringy-dingy/he-sounds-like-Nelly thing. ” Hey is that good or bad? Moving along to NPR, Tom Manoff explores the latest recording by keyboardist and conductor Richard Egarr. “While I’ve admired Egarr’s recordings for some time, he’s even better in person. His recent performance with the Portland Baroque Orchestra was one of the most exciting musical evenings I’ve had in years,” notes Manoff. We’ll land this mother at Almost Cool this week. They’re taking aim at the new Fuck Buttons album Street Horrsing. “On the surface, this Bristol, UK duo isn’t doing anything entirely new, but they are taking crazy noise and melting it with a bit of primal energy and a wisp of gorgeous textures and melody to create something that sounds just new enough that their name is worth remembering for more than novelty status.” I’m there. |
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Music reviews! You want ‘em? We got em. Here’s a fine variety of critics’ thoughts on some of the latest releases from around the web. Bullz-Eye’s Jim Washington gives his well-written report on Snoop Dogg’s latest Ego Trippin’. Sez Jim, “At first listen, Snoop’s latest album seems to fall into a pattern arguably going back to his first solo disc – a couple of killer singles surrounded by a lot of filler – but the more you listen, the more the filler grows on you, and the singles reveal themselves as some of his most entertaining work in years.” Gnarls Barkley surprises everyone by releasing their latest earlier than expected. Jeff Giles writes up The Odd Couple, noting that “nothing on The Odd Couple offers as much in the way of immediate gratification as St. Elsewhere’s breakout hit, “Crazy”; though Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo still sound just as disconnected from current trends as they always have.” “If you’ve been with PUSA from the beginning, you’ll surely enjoy this one.” So says I in regards to the latest from The Presidents of the United States of America and their great new CD, These Are the Good Times People. The B-52’s are back…again. For good or bad, David Medsker states what many may have predicted about their new album Funplex: “Funplex is more traditional B-52s, for lack of a better word, with a surprisingly strong libido. It is neither their best nor their worst album, but it rights the band’s ship better than anyone had a right to expect.” Over at Billboard, critic Kerri Mason tackles Junkie XL’s latest Booming Back at You. “Booming still sounds like music to machine-gun an alien attacker by, but with the subcultural electricity of a guy who’s played a packed Los Angeles nightclub or two, in the current, rock-happy decade,” quoth Mason. Rolling Stone’s always enjoyable critic David Fricke gives a higher than average review for R.E.M.’s new album Accelerate, saying “[Michael] Stipe has not sounded this viscerally engaged in his singing and poetically lethal in his writing since the twilight of the Reagan administration.” Ben Sisario of Blender covers The Kills’ new Midnight Boom and isn’t exactly bowled over. “‘Getting Down’ is a dizzy, horny dance; the lyrics are faux-menacing boho nonsense, but if you turn it up loud enough it won’t matter.” Finally, Ink 19’s Jeff Montgomery takes a listen to the new reissue of Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey’s Mavericks: Calling Mavericks ‘precious’—in the best sense of the word—is a pretty accurate summation. The album showcases more of the acoustic ’60s folksy pop influences of the two songwriters and even throws in a cover tune that was originally recorded by the Byrds.” |
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Hope you had a good week, dear readers. Here’s what’s cooking this week over at Bullz-Eye’s music reviews section. First off, James B. Eldred dives headlong into the new Nine Inch Nails album Ghosts I-IV. James also offers up his thoughts on Fractured Life by Air Traffic. Next up, Jeff Giles returns having listened to Here Is What Is by Daniel Lanois, along with Soul Speak by Michael McDonald, and finally Wisely by Willie Wisely. Mr. TV himself. Will Harris returns from his small screen escapades to chime in on Get the Party Started by Dame Shirley Bassey. This writer gives his opinion on the new reissue of Jesus of Cool by Nick Lowe. Yes, it’s still very cool after all these years. Mojo Flucke wants you all to know how he feels about Squeal by Swamp Cabbage. With a name like that, you know you want to find out how things turned out. And to wrap things up, Michael Fortes discusses his thoughts about The New Crystal Silence by Chick Corea and Gary Burton. So that’s it! Do enjoy our reviews as always, and stay tuned for another new assortment next week. |
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Hello, all! Here’s what’s cooking this week in the music reviews at Bullz-Eye. Jeff Giles is Superman this week bringing you five…count ‘em five reviews! He sets his sight on Discipline by Janet Jackson, and then slides on over to Erykah Badu’s New AmErykah Part One. Who will win the battle? It’s a close one, I tell you. Giles also throws his opinion down on the meh-worthy self-titled disc by Simple Plan, Small-Time Machine by Cassettes Won’t Listen, and finally Medeski, Martin & Wood’s Let’s Go Everywhere. Give Giles a cookie, everyone. That’s a lotta work for one critic! But wait, there’s more! Michael Fortes drops in to give us his take on Saturnalia by The Gutter Twins. Jim Washington is back and weighs in on Slick Dogs and Ponies by Louis XIV. Is Mister Kinks himself still worth listening to? Taylor Long lets us know in a review for Working Man’s Cafe by Ray Davies. Lastly but not leastly is dear old Mojo Flucke telling you the way it is in regards to West Side Strut by Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater. |
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Hi again, dear readers. Yours trly here once again to announce yet another new feature debuting on ESDMusic this week. I call it the “Bullz-Eye Hi-Fi.” Here I will be bringing you all the latest links to our weekly music reviews. If you need a refresher course on where you can find the main vein for most everything music-related on Bullz-Eye.com, then head over this way, but in the meantime, here’s what the stylus is finding its groove in this week on B-E: Bauhaus - Go Away White - I check out the new and final Bauhaus disc. Was it worth the wait? Can it possibly live up to expectations? Jeff Giles serves up three reviews this week, covering Alex Nackman’s Still Life Moves, Richard Julian’s Sunday Morning in Saturday’s Shoes and Paul Thorn’s A Long Way from Tupelo. Our in-house musical doctor Mojo Flucke is doubling up on the grooves this week , giving his critical opinions on both Marah’s Angels of Destruction and The Raveonettes’ Lust Lust Lust Black 47’s Iraq is placed under the proverbial microscope by Jim Washington, while our good man Mike Farley weighs in on The Afters’ Never Going Back to OK. Finally, Mr. Pop Goodness himself, Will Harris takes us on a retro trip for the new release of Michael Jackson’s Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition. We also have four new Quick Takes in the hopper, kicking things off with a look at Paddy Casey’s Addicted to Company. |
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The Barenaked Ladies thought they were being funny when, on their 1992 debut, Gordon, they sang these lines: “Maybe it’s a lack of inspiration that makes me stoop, or maybe it’s a lack of remuneration – I can’t recoup – but if you want it, folks, you got it: it’s all right here in my box set.” While the song, “Box Set,” might keep BNL from releasing a multi-disc career-spanning collection (mostly because they would never, ever hear the end of it), plenty of other artists have dipped into the vaults and put together compilations which mix their best-known material with heretofore-unheard tracks. In some cases, however, artists dispense of previously-released material altogether, cull together all the rarities they can find, and make it an affair strictly for the fans. All told, there are so many such releases in existence that we here at Bullz-Eye didn’t even try to do a formal “Best Ever Box Sets” list. Instead, the writers put together lists of their personal favorites, and we separated out the various-artists collections into their own separate list, just to make it a little less confusing. The musical genres are decidedly across the board, but with the holidays coming up, if you’ve got a friend or family member who’s a full-fledged music geek, we might just have a few ideas for you to consider as gifts. Here’s an example…
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Live/1975-1985 (Columbia) “Ladies and gentlemen…Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” the calm voice of a faceless PA announcer breathes, as the opening piano notes of “Thunder Road” begin the incredible retrospective journey that is Live/1975-85. From intimate clubs like The Roxy in 1975, where Springsteen plays “Thunder Road” solo on a piano, to Meadowlands Arena in 1981 for a full-on band assault of “Cadillac Ranch” and “Candy’s Room” to the mega Born In The U.S.A. tour in 1985 and nearly every hit finding the LA Coliseum stage that year, Jon Landau mastered a beauty here. The Boss tells stories (“Growin’ Up”), opens his diary (“Because the Night”), and simply rocks out with the force of 100 men (“Born to Run”), all to wild applause of fans from coast to coast over a decade of non-stop touring. It’s a box set like no other: all live, all real, and with all albums (up to the release date) well represented. Covers of Tom Waits’ “Jersey Girl” and Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” are impeccably-done, if unexpected, nuggets that sound as fresh as any original. This was the perfect Christmas gift for a pimply-faced kid in working class America back in 1986 who would have otherwise had to work two weeks for enough money to buy a 3-album set, and it remains indispensable in 2007. – Red Rocker …and here’s the rest of the piece. Did we miss any of your favorites? Filed under: Rock and Pop and Alternative and Country and Jazz and CD Reviews and Boxed Sets and Songs and Artists and Concert CDs and External Music Comments: None |
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I love The Onion.
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Okay, music fans, correct us if we’re wrong, but unless you’re one of those wannabe hipsters that only buys this week’s buzz album, we’re guessing that somewhere in your collection, you’ve got an LP, a cassette, a CD, or even an 8-track that you picked up on a whim, fell in love with, and absolutely love to tell people about… and your introduction usually begins, “Look, I know you’ve probably never heard of this person/these guys, and I don’t know why it didn’t sell a million copies, but, seriously, you’ve got to hear it.” Maybe they’re a local or regional band who never made the big time. Maybe they did make it to a major label, but the musical climate wasn’t right…or the label didn’t bother to promote the album…or, heck, maybe the band broke up five minutes after the record was released. Whatever the case, far too many great albums have ended up selling far too few copies, which is why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to try and rescue some of these all-too-unheralded releases from obscurity. We’ve also managed to get in touch with almost all of the artists whose albums we’re praising in this piece – the lone exception had the very good excuse of having died, but we did, at least, get in touch with one of the producers of his album – and asked them to answer a quick Q&A for us. So not only will you (probably) be introduced to several new albums, but you’ll also feel like you know a little bit about the person or persons responsible for recording them. Here’s just one example:
The Argument: Your New Favorite Band (Self-released, 2000) Recommended If You Like: Ben Folds Five, Barenaked Ladies, Toad the Wet Sprocket The critics can go on and on about how quirky bands don’t last long unless they’re named Barenaked Ladies, and about how songs like “Inflatable Amy” are downright laughable…and, hey, the Argument’s lead singer, Scott Simons, can even say he’s “embarrassed” by his former band’s self-released debut. But when you burn an album into your iTunes and, even seven years later, you can’t stop listening to it, there’s a higher power at work – or, then again, maybe Simons and his band mates had something special that not enough industry types recognized. (Personally, I’m going with the latter.) This West Virginia quartet toured so much in a van pursuing “the dream of being rock stars” that, eventually, their van and their will both stalled with an empty tank. While the album is out of print, its endearing combination of pop, rock, jazz, soul and every other influence under the sun showcases a solid group of musicians who could string melodic hooks and harmonies together as well as anyone. – Mike Farley Notable Tracks - “Grudge,” “Disappear,” “The Ballad of Ernestine Jackson” Our interview with Scott Simons of The Argument can be found here. Check out The Best Albums You’ve Never, Ever Heard (Well, Probably Not, Anyway) in its entirety by clicking here…then feel free to come back and offer up some of your own favorite unheralded albums! Filed under: Rock and Pop and Alternative and Country and CD Reviews and Lost Bands and Songs and News and Artists and Lists and External Music Comments: 14 Comments |
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