Chris Cornell covering “Billie Jean.”
I’ll, be, damned. That’s freakin’ sweet.
Author: David Medsker (Page 80 of 96)
Let’s get straight to it, shall we?
Autodrone: Panic EP (Big Bit of Beauty)
Naming Your Band 101: Do not make “drone” any part of your band name. Other words to avoid include “pain,” “ugly” and “creed.” To be fair, Autodrone’s music does no droning of any kind, but that’s because singer Rachel Luria can’t carry a tune in a bucket, so droning on and on is pretty much impossible for them. The band’s sound is akin to college rock circa 1990, i.e. they wish they were half as good as Throwing Muses. They’re not.
Klaxons: Xan Valleys EP (Modular)
Remember when Flaming Lips released four albums that were supposed to be played at the same time to put everything together? Klaxons decided to do that all on one record. Everyone here seems to be doing his own thing, making the end result about as far removed from flow as you can imagine. This is the kind of music that plays in the Futureheads’ darkest, most twisted dreams. Take that comment any way you like.
LCD Soundsystem: 45:33: Nike + Original Run
The second installment in the Original Run series, this is a significant upgrade over Crystal Method’s mix, which was dreadfully dull. The discs are specifically designed for joggers, so they include a slow build at the front and a cool-down at the end. The groove doesn’t change too drastically, but it is still engaging nonetheless. The one thing they must address, though, is the decision to make the entire album one, long, track. That may be great for running, but it’s not so much fun in the car or the house.
Turn Off the Stars: Turn Off the Stars (Credential Recordings)
Anyone who’s seriously jonesing for a new Coldplay or Doves record should look this one up post-haste. This Ontario quartet has worshiped at the altar of both bands, and while they don’t quite eclipse their idols, it is a more than respectable effort nonetheless.
Joseph Arthur: Nuclear Daydream (Lonely Astronaut)
Granted, Arthur is not the kind of guy who deserves to be orphaned, but really, who does deserve it? His new one is, well, just like the others: occasionally bouncy but mostly gloomy, slightly Neil Young-ish with a faint whiff of Belle & Sebastian (“Enough to Get Away”). “Entertainment Weekly” kisses Arthur’s feet every chance they get, and while he’s a formidable talent, there are better albums out there than this.
Pet Shop Boys lead singer Neil Tennant always rolled his eyes when he did his first round of interviews after the success of “West End Girls,” and people would compare his voice to that of ’70s soft rock god Al Stewart, but the comparison was not unfounded. Indeed, I would argue that the two have far more in common than they realize. Witness Stewart’s “Running Man,” which sports a Latin beat that PSB would later incorporate into their music on 1996’s Bilingual (which, for the record, was way ahead of the whole Ricky Martin thing, for those of you who remember Ricky Martin).
But that’s beside the point. Both Stewart and Tennant write extremely literate pop songs, and the Pet Shop Boys, if they put their minds to it, could come up with a showstopping arrangement of this song, I have no doubt. Check out this performance by Stewart on “The Old Grey Whistle Test,” and tell me that they couldn’t coax Johnny Marr to pop in for a day and lay down both the Spanish guitar and the killer-but-quick lead guitar solos. Lord knows it would be a hell of a lot more enjoyable than them covering, shudder, Diane Warren, like they did on their last album, the lackluster Fundamental.
TMZ says that Eddie Van Halen has found a replacement for bassist Michael Anthony: his 15-year-old son, Wolfgang “Wolfie” Van Halen.
Two interesting bits about this piece of news. For starters, how do you think Wolfie’s mother, former Mrs. Eddie Van Halen Valerie Bertinelli, feels about her high school-age son going on the road with a man who looks like this, father or not? Yumpin’ yiminy.
Second of all, when the hell did Michael Anthony leave Van Halen? Maybe I took that day off, I don’t know, but it didn’t pop up on my radar at all.
Anyway, Van Halen is now Deadie, Alex and Wolfgang. Maybe they can get Marty from “Rock Star: INXS” to sing lead. He has kind of a DLR thing going.
Mute Math’s song “Typical” is available for free download. Never heard of Mute Math? This is what Bullz-Eye’s Mike Farley had to say about them:
On one hand, New Orleans four-piece rock band Mute Math is a throwback to ‘80s synth-pop a la Flock of Seagulls or Power Station, and at times they have an alt-electronica feel akin to Radiohead. But most of all, Mute Math’s slickly produced Warner Brothers debut is an amalgamation of sounds that are blended to create something way greater than the sum of its parts. Deftly mixing guitars, keys and electronic loops with the unique gravel-infused vocals of Paul Meany, Mute Math is a band that is going to win over a wide range of listeners – from the college kids to the music snobs who read “Spin” to the dudes who grew up in the ‘80s that are looking for something new to stick in their musical pipes. The first two singles, “Chaos” and “Plan B,” are representative of the album, but when these guys scale things back, as they do on the stunning track, “You Are Mine,” their potential as your new favorite band goes way up.
To download the song, click here.
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