Category: Alternative (Page 76 of 155)

Bullz-Eye’s Favorite Albums of 2008: Staff Writer Mike Farley’s picks

December 23, 2008 / Mike Farley

Every year I wonder what my new favorite albums are going to be, and if the artists I follow will be able to live up to the lofty expectations I have for them (see Nada Surf below). I also wonder what artists will come into my life that weren’t there before (see most of list below, especially Gabe Dixon and Paddy Casey). Well, 2008 turned out to be pretty awesome music-wise, and while my list won’t match that of most critics, I made this list up based on my own taste, and I’m proud of it. And as you can see, I think some of the artists are proud as well…

Top 10 Albums of 2008

1. Gabe Dixon Band: Gabe Dixon Band
You know when you hear an album for the first time and you get that rush of excitement, kind of like the teenage crushes we all remember? Gabe Dixon Band’s debut on Fantasy Records is more than that. It’s like the cute brunette with glasses who you find out is also smart and watches football in her sweatpants on Sunday. Maybe that’s a weird analogy, but Dixon’s music is not only ridiculously addictive pop music – it also has a depth to which you hear something new every time you listen. And the songs? Well, this Nashville cat is right at home in Music City, but with these timeless tracks, he’s being mentioned in the same breath with the likes of Elton John and Jackson Browne as an artist. And that’s not something anyone should take lightly. “Five More Hours” is my favorite track of 2008.

Gabe Dixon accepts his award: “I am thrilled and honored to be included in Bullz-Eye’s top albums of 2008. The band and I put a lot of heart and soul into this recording, so it is gratifying to be named number one on the list! Thanks Bullz-Eye!!”

2. Paddy Casey: Addicted to Company
Okay, so I’m a sucker for ‘70s-style pop. Imagine Josh Rouse with an Irish accent, and you’ve got Paddy Casey’s latest. The melodies, vocal lines, arrangements and production make this sound like a summer day in 1974.

Paddy Casey accepts his award: “Very nice of you to choose my album, thank you…now if we could just convince the rest of the world!”

3. Nada Surf: Lucky
How does Nada Surf follow up their best album yet, The Weight Is a Gift? With Lucky, which sounds more like a continuation than a follow up. And that’s good news for us fans.

4. The New Frontiers: Mending
The New Frontiers may be the new Snow Patrol, Keane, or even Coldplay – dreamy alt-pop drenched in pretty harmonies. Okay, honestly, it’s a better album than the new efforts from the other three bands just mentioned.

5. Low vs. Diamond: Low vs. Diamond
Here is one of those American bands that sounds British. Not that there is anything wrong with that, because if you’re into the likes of the Killers or the Darkness, Low vs. Diamond is like an American version of those groups, with great songs to boot.

6. Snow Patrol: One Hundred Million Suns
Like Nada Surf, Snow Patrol had a lot to live up to after the huge success of Eyes Open in 2006. Thankfully, they have delivered yet again, with a set of anthems, driving alternative rock, and dark, moody ballads all wrapped together.

7. Kings of Leon: Only by the Night
I know that some true fans of Kings of Leon were disappointed with this latest effort, and to be honest I was never a huge fan to begin with. But there is something about Only by the Night that is absolutely intoxicating. The band’s psychedelic flavored, guitar-driven rock sound reminds me of going to concerts as a teenager in huge, pot smoke-filled arenas.

8. Benjamin Taylor: The Legend of Kung Folk Part 1
If James Taylor and Carly Simon had a kid, he would sound like this. Oh wait…..Seriously though, if Benjamin came around 20 or 30 years ago, he would be way more of a household name than he is today.

Benjamin Taylor accepts his award: “Well would you look at that: ol’ Breezy in the top 10… Top of the world, Ma. I’m off to Disneyland.”

9. Sarah Bettens: Shine
Former K’s Choice singer Sarah Bettens has lightened up a bit in her solo career, the music being more mainstream and mature, and not as dark as K’s fare. “Shine” is one of the year’s simplest, prettiest songs.

Sarah Bettens accepts her award: “I love being on a top 10 list! Especially when it doesn’t say ‘worst possible artist and most poorly dressed person in the whole wide world’. Thank you, Bullz-Eye. I feel honored being chosen among such talented people.”

10. Augustana: Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt
This kind of melodic, AAA-radio stuff never gets the critical props it deserves. Well, here are some props, Augustana.

Honorable Mentions

Amos Lee: Last Days at the Lodge
Jason Reeves: The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache
Jon McLaughlin: OK Now
Ray LaMontagne: Gossip in the Grain
WAZ: Sweet Bye and Bye
Coldplay: Viva La Vida
Uh Huh Her: Common Reaction
Val Emmich: Little Daggers

Album Released in 2007 That I Reviewed in 2008 and Would Have Ranked in Top Three

Jason Spooner: The Flame You Follow

Jason Spooner Reacts: “I’m thrilled to have been cited on Mike’s Best of list. He clearly works with a wide variety of quality artists & labels and it’s always a great feeling when your record is plucked out of the crowd.”

Alternative, Americana, Artists, Folk, Lists, Pop, Rock

Amos Lee Augustana Benjamin Taylor Best of 2008 Bullz-Eye Coldplay Gabe Dixon Band Jason Reeves Jason Spooner Jon McLaughlin Kings of Leon Low vs. Diamond Mike Farley Nada Surf New Frontiers Paddy Casey Ray LaMontagne Sarah Bettens Snow Patrol Uh Huh Her Val Emmich WAZ

Gramercy Arms: Gramercy Arms

December 19, 2008 / Ed Murray

Billing itself as a revolving collective rather than an actual band, New York-based Gramercy Arms is somewhat of an indie-pop supergroup as well, comprising former members of Guided By Voices, Luna, Joan as Police Woman, The Dambuilders, Fuzzy and Too Much Joy…and guest appearances by Lloyd Cole and Sarah Silverman (yes, the comedienne), as well as Chris Brokaw, members of the Pernice Brothers, Mascott, Shudder to Think and others. As you’d expect with those kind of pedigrees kicking around the recording studio, the music is shimmering and gorgeous, and exquisitely produced. It’s a short, joyful blast of summery pop-rock, and repeated listenings reveal numerous charms. The stuff they’re doing with vocals alone will entice any fan of the New Pornographers, Stars, Metric, et. al. The only real complaint? At just over 30 minutes (!), it’s over far too soon.

MySpace Link

Alternative, Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews

Dambuilders Gramercy Arms Gramercy Arms CD review Guided by Voices Joan as Police Woman Lloyd Cole Luna Pernice Brothers Sarah Silverman Shudder to Think Too Much Joy

Popdose’s Top 100 songs of the past 50 years: less vomit-inducing than Billboard’s list

November 24, 2008 / David Medsker

It started as a simple “can you believe this?” post and soon morphed into a battle cry. Billboard announced their all-time songs of the Billboard era, and Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” topped the list (the song actually topped Billboard’s singles chart twice), followed by such timeless classics as “Smooth,” “How Do I Live,” “Macarena,” “We Belong Together” and “Un-Break My Heart.”

The Popdose staff, needless to say, was not amused.

And so, we (ESD writers David Medsker, Will Harris, Jeff Giles, Michael Fortes and Mojo Flucke, PhD are all Popdose contributors) set off to create our own list, one that would surely be just as flawed as Billboard’s list – women and non-whites are woefully underrepresented – but would have infinitely better taste. In the end, I think our list is a grand example of our extreme whiteness, but also a damned fine list. I’m still pissed that “The Air That I Breathe” didn’t make the cut, though.

To view Popdose’s Top 100 songs of the past 50 years, click here.

Alternative, Americana, Artists, Blues, Dance, Lists, Metal, Pop, Power Pop, R&B, Rap, Rock, Songs, Soul

Billboard Popdose top 100 songs Top 100 songs Top songs of past 50 years

Switchfoot: The Best Yet

November 21, 2008 / R. David Smola

Switchfoot has been described as evolving from a Christian rock band to an alternative band with provocative, Christian-themed lyrics without the “peachiness” that the former genre often contains. The band isn’t so convinced that they weren’t the latter all the time, but labels are made for those who don’t want to do the homework and understand the entire body of work. The Best Yet is a satisfying 18-song set of the band’s output from 1997’s The Legend of Chin through the release of 2006’s Oh! Gravity. 2003’s breakout record, The Beautiful Letdown represents 33% of this hits package by supplying six songs, including the chart smashes “Meant to Live” and “Dare You to Move.” Clearly the U2 and Foo Fighter influences are present in the music, but there are certainly elements of bands like Tonic (particularly in “Meant to Live”) represented here. The occasional heaviness of the guitar playing is a fascinating contrast to the crystal-clear vocals of Jonathon Forman. “Stars” almost feels like two different songs between the time the crunchy guitar blasts in and Forman delivers his sincere and pristine vocals. Their sound alternates between the catchy and crunchy numbers that flirt with the grunge loud-soft-loud formula and songs which fall closer to the ballad end of the spectrum. They are effective at both creating a very good 76+ minute experience for the uninitiated or those who might have only grabbed Letdown. (Columbia/Legacy)

Switchfoot MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

Christian rock Switchfoot Switchfoot CD review The Best Yet CD review

Future Clouds and Radar: Peoria

November 21, 2008 / Lee Zimmerman

After setting a high standard with the band’s double-album debut, former Cotton Mather front man Robert Harrison pares down the set list, though not the lofty ambition, with Future Clouds and Radar’s sophomore set. Truth be told, Harrison still needs to fine-tune his approach; while Peoria shows a penchant for melancholy melodies and a wistful glance, the sweeter songs are forced to compete with more amorphous entries, a kaleidoscopic cacophony that finds the group becoming increasingly unhinged and badly in need of a more defined direction. Opening track, “The Epcot View,” and the entry that follows, a mellow, meandering “Old Edmund Ruffin,” would seem to bode well for Harrison and company’s ability to manage the mood, but the trippy psychedelic indulgence of “Eighteen Months” and “Follow the Crane” abandon any sense of melodic intent, which isn’t recouped until the album’s final fade. So too, with only eight offerings in all, the band’s allowed itself very little room to negotiate for nuance. Ultimately, Peoria shows promise, but until Future Clouds and Radar find some focus, the forecast for success remains somewhat overcast indeed. (Star Apple Kingdom)

Future Clouds and Radar MySpace page