Category: Metal (Page 2 of 11)

Bullz-Eye’s Favorite Albums of 2010: Staff Writer James Eldred’s picks

I would like to preface this list by saying that I have not yet listened to Cee-Lo Green’s new album nor Kanye West’s latest – which everyone and their mother is telling me is a freaking masterpiece. So a more apt title of this list might be “The Top 10 albums of the year that I got around to.”

1. Foxy Shazam: Foxy Shazam
If I had my way this list would have one album. That’s right, this album is so good that it is actually the 10 best albums of the year. Hell, it’s the 20 best albums of the year, and the five best albums of 2009. Foxy Shazam aren’t just a band; they are a force of nature that will kick your ass, steal your lunch money and make sweet love to you all at the same time. “Count Me Out,” “Bye Bye Symphony,” “Bombs Away,” the list just goes on and on, every song on this album could be a Top 10 single. Yet somehow none of them have been. America, you’re letting me down even more than usual. There is no greater band on the planet than Foxy Shazam. They are here to take over the world and be the biggest rock stars since the Beatles. So if you all could just accept that already and buy this album now, that would be great.

2. Goldfrapp: Head First
Most artists who try to recreate that classic ’80s dance sound usually crash and burn, sounding more like a parody of the music they’re trying to replicate (Owl City springs to mind) than the real deal. But Goldfrapp pulled it off with this release, channeling the soundtrack to “Flashdance” and Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” (in a good way!) on instantly danceable tracks like “Rocket” and “Alive.”

3. The Sword: Warp Riders
There are not enough metal bands making concept albums about intergalactic space battles. Thankfully the Sword realized this, and updated their mythology-based themes for the 21st century, changing their focus on medieval wizards and warriors to space-faring heroes and transcendental beings who traverse space and time. The fist-pounding metal that accompanies the far out narrative is pretty damn good as well.

4. Coheed & Cambria: Year of the Black Rainbow
Okay, maybe there are other bands creating concept albums about intergalactic space battles. But while the Sword is like “Aliens,” direct and to the point, Coheed & Cambria’s conclusion to their epic Armory Wars saga is like “Star Trek,” “Star Wars” and Rush’s 2112 all rolled into one incredibly overblown and bombastic delight.

5. Sleigh Bells: Treats
What is it about Brooklyn and male/female electronic duos? First Matt & Kim, and now these two. But while Matt & Kim delivered the audio equivalent of a big hug with Sidewalks, Sleigh Bells’ Treats is like a sonic punch in the face, a bizarre combination of industrial, punk and straight-up noise that is louder and more original than any other record this year.

6. Matt & Kim: Sidewalks
Not everyone seems to be jamming on this, the third release release by the Brooklyn duo. But why not? Sure, they opened up their sound a bit and don’t have the same lo-fi charm they had on their first two albums, but with fun-beyond-fun tracks like the opener “Block After Block” and “AM/FM Sound,” who cares? The funnest record to come out this year.

7. Nitzer Ebb: Industrial Complex
This has been out in some form since late 2009, but it didn’t get a wide release until this year, so it counts. Besides, it would be a shame not to shine further light on this shockingly stellar reunion record. Before this, Nitzer Ebb hadn’t been in the studio in 15 years, and they hadn’t been making music worth listening to for even longer. How the hell the could reform after all that time and not only make a good record, but a great record that stands up next to their best, is a welcome surprise.

8. The Orb Featuring David Gilmour: Metallic Spheres
The Orb are well known for creating soundscapes that take their listener’s a trip that is best traveled while on drugs. Taking that into account, its amazing that it took this long for them to team up with someone from Pink Floyd. A trip so deep that you might not even needs heavy medication to appreciate it.

9. Girl Talk: All Day
Opening Feed the Animals with a mash-up of UGK’s “International Player’s Anthem (I Choose You)” and the Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin” was smart. But the opening notes of All Day, which mix together Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and Ludacris’ “Move Bitch,” are pure pop genius. Girl Talk didn’t do anything new with his latest all-illegal release – he just did what did before, masterfully mixing together dozens of songs all at one, better than he ever has before.

10. Diskjokke: En Fin Tid
I like Tangerine Dream, okay? There, I said it. And this Norwegian DJ and producer made the best Tangerine Dream album since 1979 with this minimalistic and beautiful collection of downbeat but cheerful-sounding dance songs. Not for everyone, obviously, but it was almost tailor-made for me.

Bullz-Eye’s Favorite Albums of 2010: Staff Writer Carlos Ramirez’s picks

2010 was sensational year for music. Not only was there a slew of exceptional rock, metal, and indie records, released from proven acts, there was also an exciting crop of new artists that sprouted up throughout the year. Debut albums from Tame Impala, Aeroplane, and Mumford and Sons all showcased stellar songwriting while veteran artists like Bryan Ferry and Manic Street Preachers proved they still had gas in their creative tanks. For this year’s Bullz-Eye list, I’ve broken down my favorite albums into a few categories.

Best Pop Album

Ellie Goulding: Lights
Initially, this English newcomer performed her self-written material in a more intimate, singer-songwriter setting – but upon entering her university studies, she discovered and fell in love with electronica. She then started working with producers like Frankmusik and Starsmith, who began to reshape her song presentations. The retooling of Goulding’s approach proved to be pop music gold. On Lights, the songstress’ debut album, Goulding’s confessional lyrics and ethereal vocal delivery effortlessly weave through waves of synthesizers, hyper-melodic guitars, and Italo-disco bass lines. While there isn’t anything on Lights that is as obviously radio-baiting as Katy Perry’s inescapable “California Gurls,” there are at least six or seven tracks that top it in quality. There’s a song late on the record called “I’ll Hold My Breath” that I must have played a hundred times this past year. Musically, the track’s intro and first verse are kept lean, with hushed synths and acoustic guitars supporting a honey-sweet vocal from Goulding, but just when you think you know the direction the arrangement heading in, an explosion of crystalline keyboards and thumping drums gushes from your speakers, revealing what in my estimation is the greatest chorus of the last 12 months. Whether it’s dance-floor bangers (“Under the Sheets”) or gorgeous ballads (“The Writer”), Lights never misses the mark.

Best Metal Album

Alcest: Écailles de Lune
Alcest is the brainchild of a French musician who goes under the nom de plume Neige. Écailles de Lune is the project’s second album and is easily the most exhilarating musical piece that I came across in the last 12 months. Although Neige’s roots are in black metal, his wildly inventive arrangements aren’t exclusively bound to that genre’s parameters. Everything from the atmospherics of shoegaze to the barren soundscapes frequently favored by groups like Sigur Rós and Mogwai are explored on Écailles de Lune. Each song on the album is its own sweeping epic, with skyscraping guitars and serpentine mood shifts. Neige’s vocal performance also mirrors the music’s expansive reach. On “Solar Song,” the singer croons like he’s fronting a 4AD band circa 1991, but on the two-part title track, his tortured screeching and growling owes an obvious debt to his black metal background. Time will tell if Alcest finds an audience with non-metal listeners, but there’s certainly enough diversity on Écailles de Lune to warrant it.

Best Indie Rock Album

Best Coast: Crazy for You
It’s often said that writing a simple yet effective pop song is infinitely tougher to do than writing something proggy and complicated. If that’s really the case, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino is a songwriting craftswoman of the highest order. Crazy for You, the Southern California group’s debut album, is 30 minutes of pure jangle-pop ecstasy. Cosentino is an astute student of the popular music songbook. She channels the melancholy spirit of the Girl Group era on “I Want To” and in the irresistible “Our Deal,” she delivers the kind of teenage melodrama-packed single that Lesley Gore would have cut during her chart-topping heyday. Sonically speaking, the classicism of Cosentino’s songwriting and singing style mixed with Lewis Pesacov’s analog-warm production style is a perfect match. Pesacov clearly understands the most appealing aspect of Best Coast is the melodies, and he never lets anything get in the way of them on Crazy for You. Let’s hope both parties work with each other again on the next record.

Best Rap Album

Roc Marciano: Marcberg
Even though guys like Drake and Lil Wayne got the lion’s share of press attention this past year, it was a little-known emcee from Long Island, NY that put together the most compelling rap album of 2010. Formerly affiliated with Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Squad and now going the solo independent route, Roc Marciano possesses a lyrical disposition that harks back to the era of hip-hop when artists like Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Black Moon were getting airplay on urban radio. On the production front, Marcberg finds Marciano rhyming over a collection of tracks that are often cinematic in their breadth and expose his admiration for obscure ‘70s soul and jazz records. Most of the rap releases that come across my desk come off like thrown-together compilations; what makes Marcberg such an accomplished work is that it actually feels like an album should feel. Instead of packing his record with a million guest artists and marring it with an undefined thematic vision, Marciano keeps us enthralled with his bleak yet focused wordplay, and elegantly produced tracks.

Best Comeback Album

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: History of Modern
Just like their fellow British synth-poppers Pet Shop Boys did with 2009’s wonderful Yes album, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark came back this year with their most inspired collection of songs in what seems like ages. The UK press has made a big deal about the group’s return to their classic four-piece line-up, but History of Modern is so much more than a nostalgia trip. While they do tap into some of the same textural flavors they worked with during their commercially successful mid-period, nothing on the album sounds contrived. What we get here is a striking balance of the sparse, synthesizer-anchored arrangements of their early records, with the poppier leanings of their best-known singles. It’s easy to hear OMD’s influence on contemporary artists like La Roux and Little Boots on tracks like “Sister Marie Says” and “History of Modern (Part II),” with their pulsating rhythms and lilting keyboard melodies. What’s clear here is that the time away from each other has invigorated Andy McCluskey and company.

Best Single

“Wonderful Life,” Hurts
Throw this single on your stereo, close your eyes and you’d swear it was 1986 again. Comprised of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synth-op Adam Anderson, Hurts is a Manchester, UK duo that specialize in a sultry brand of pop that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on that country’s Top of the Pops television show two decades ago. Released back in May, “Wonderful Life,” the second single from Hurts, sounded like nothing else being raved about across the blogosphere. One listen to the song and seasoned ears could hear a direct connection to artists like Spandau Ballet and the Human League when they were produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. “Wonderful Life” should have been a hit here in the States, but myopic pop radio programmers don’t bother playlisting stuff this elegant anymore.

Bullz-Eye’s Favorite Albums of 2010: Staff Writer Greg Schwartz’s picks

It’s been another bad year for the recording industry, but another great year for music fans. Rock ‘n’ roll is alive and well, as is the opportunity to see it performed live. Musicians can still make a living, but they have to hit the road and seize modern marketing opportunities. One thing that will never change is the public’s desire to hear great music. Bands that can deliver still have a chance to write their own ticket.

Top 10 lists are of course inherently subjective, and this observer’s faves will always lean toward the guitar-driven rock side of the music spectrum. I was certain that the debut album from the long-awaited Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band would be topping my list this year, especially after the slew of terrific new tunes they delivered in two stellar shows at the New Orleans Jazzfest back in April. But the album isn’t coming out until 2011. Here’s my take on the best albums and songs that were released in 2010.

10. The Henry Clay People: Somewhere on the Golden Coast
This is just an old-fashioned, ’90s-style indie-alternative rock ‘n’ roll album that stands out with its energetic yet down-to-earth sound. No Pro Tools trickery going on here, just a band plugging into their amps and turning up the volume. It’s got loud guitars with melodic hooks, rocking piano and zeitgeist lyrics from singer/guitarist Joey Siara that tap into this modern era of Depression and discontent. “Working Part Time” is one of the great anthems of the year, while “End of an Empire” sounds like an alt-rock prophecy.

9. The Sword: Warp Riders
The Austin, Texas hard rockers deliver a blast from the past that is easily the best metal album to come along in some time. It’s like a cross between Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy, which equals metal heaven. It’s chock full of great riffs, furious rhythms and tight metal mayhem with a twist of classic rock flavor.

8. Stone Temple Pilots: Stone Temple Pilots
Back together with their first new album in years, STP deliver a rocking platter that recalls their ’90s heyday as alt-rock icons. Guitarist Dean DeLeo is at his best throughout, putting on a clinic of plucking guitar strings and alternative guitar strumming. Scott Weiland conquered his demons (temporarily at least), and sounds great here. The band doesn’t play it safe, either. There’s big rockers like the Zepp-ish “Take a Load Off,” the swaggering “Huckleberry Crumble” and the hard-charging “Hazy Daze.” But the band also stretches out with pop rock gems like “Dare if You Dare,” the uplifting “Cinnamon” and the Bowie-esque “First Kiss on Mars.”

7. Juliana Hatfield: Peace + Love
In a year where peace and love were in short supply, the Gen-X songstress delivered a stripped-down acoustic album that comforts the weary soul. It’s low-fi, but it’s some of Hatfield’s best work, demonstrating what a deep vibe can be conjured from just a girl and her guitar (and a little bit of piano and percussion here and there.) Songs like the title track, “The End of War”, “Why Can’t We Love Each Other” and “Faith in Our Friends” offer a melodic sense of hope for the future that I found myself returning to time and again.

6. The Macrodots: The Other Side
Rock goddess Cathy Richardson has been wowing audiences since 2008 in Jefferson Starship, where she fills in for the legendary Grace Slick in stunning fashion. Now she’s taken that classic rock aura and teamed up with former Scandal guitarist Zack Smith to create a great new band. Richardson has a dynamic range that few can match, evidenced from the powerful opening title track. “Beautiful Girl” shows a softer side, yet in compelling fashion. The metaphysical “I Am” soars, while “Not Too Late” and “Every Time” just flat out rock with great hooks and arrangements. This is a band ready to break out to a large audience if they could just get the exposure.

5. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
Vermont blues babe Grace Potter has got her band clicking at a higher level here with the addition of bassist Catherine Popper (formerly of Ryan Adams & the Cardinals). There’s a variety of classic rock influences at work, yet the band’s sound ripples with fresh energy. There’s lots of big hooks, hot riffs and a variety of vocal styles from Potter. The songs range from hard rock to pop, blues and even a bit of reggae. The dynamic bass playing from Popper boosts the sound throughout, and especially in the live setting, making her the rock ‘n’ roll acquisition of the year.

4. The Dead Weather: Sea of Cowards
With the nation plunged into the worse economic depression since the 1930s, there were plenty of blues to mine. Few albums provided as cathartic an antidote for venting out those blues than this barnburner from Jack White, Alison Mosshart and company. White sets up Mosshart to be the star, giving the dark angel a perfect setting to belt out those intense blues in compelling fashion. “Hustle and Cuss” has one of the year’s best grooves, while “The Difference Between Us” and “I’m Mad” find Mosshart really cutting loose over the deep, dark riffage. The album’s urgent energy and masterful old-school production value really stand out.

3. Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses: Junky Star
This album finds Bingham moving in bit more of a country-ish direction, following his Oscar win with “The Weary Kind.” But he still delivers some of his best rock ‘n’ roll tunes – he’s just interpersing them with some more atmospheric tunes. It’s hard to think of anyone else who is blending rock, country and blues as seamlessly as Bingham does. He’s got one of the most soulful, comforting voices in rock and everything sounds great here thanks to production from T Bone Burnett. The album has a cinematic sort of flow, and some of the year’s best lyrics with zeitgeist rockers like “Depression” and “Direction of the Wind”, both of which tap deep into the hard times of the foul economy and shameful political climate.

2. Galactic: Ya-Ka-May
The New Orleans funk masters score their best studio album yet by bringing in a wide variety of friends to help them explore their diverse influences. There’s memorable vocal tunes like “Heart of Steel,” “Dark Water” and “You Don’t Know.” There’s deep party grooves like “Boe Money” and “Cineramascope,” where the band emphasizes the horns. There’s raucous bounce rap, atmospheric blues, a little bit of everything. It’s all an intentional mix to emphasize the Crescent City’s many diverse sonic flavors. The common denominator is drummer Stanton Moore, who puts on a groove clinic throughout.

1. School of Seven Bells: Disconnect from Desire
It’s always hard to decide which album is the best of the year, but this one gets the nod due to the utterly unique sonic landscape it explores. There’s no other album that made me feel like I was hearing a new sound. Guitarist/producer Ben Curtis conjures a mystical vibe by blending his creative guitar work with trippy electronic flavors and big beats for a soaring dream pop sound. Twin sisters Ally and Claudia Deheza then add their siren-like vocals for mystical harmonies that often seem to conjure another reality. It’s too bad that Claudia dropped out of the band this fall, but it doesn’t diminish what an achievement this album is.

Honorable mentions

Herbie Hancock: The Imagine Project
Beats Antique: Blind Threshold
Big Gigantic: A Place Behind the Moon
Earl Greyhound: Suspicious Package
Sheryl Crow: 100 Miles From Memphis
Los Lobos: Tin Can Trust
The New Pornographers: Together
Robert Randolph & the Family Band: We Walk This Road
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers: Mojo
7 Walkers: 7 Walkers
Hole: Nobody’s Daughter
Nas & Damian Marley: Distant Relatives
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings: I Learned the Hard Way
Here We Go Magic: Pigeons
She and Him: Vol.2
Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening
Sleepy Sun: Fever
Jenny & Johnny: I’m Having Fun Now
Railroad Earth: Railroad Earth
Devo: Something for Everybody
Melissa Auf Der Mauer: Out of Our Minds
Michael Franti & Spearhead: The Sound of Sunshine
Slash: Slash

Songs

10. “The New Fuck You,” Street Sweeper Social Club
This killer tune blends Boots Riley’s hip-hop rebel style with some of Tom Morello’s classic Rage-style riffage for one of the year’s best anthems. In a world that is rapidly sliding down the tubes while most stand around feeling helpless, Street Sweeper Social Club lays it on the line in this instant classic chorus – “Revolution is the new fuck you.” You wanna stick it to the Man? Stop spending your money at McDonalds and Wal-Mart.

9. “Summer Day, Sheryl Crow
This combo of deep soul and a catchy hooks is what great pop songs are all about. Sheryl is at her best here and it’s great to hear her tapping back into her roots.

8. “Collector,” Here We Go Magic
This is a next-level song that has the kind of unique sonic energy that suggests this band is just scratching the surface of what seems to be an immense potential. The blend of minimalist style with surging sonic hooks is one of the year’s most unique tunes.

7. “The Game Gets Old,” Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
This majestic soul tune about dealing with another broken heart offers instant catharsis to the lovelorn. That makes it an instant classic, especially with way Jones and crew bring the old soul vibe into the modern era with such feeling and craft.

6. “Laredo,” Band of Horses
If the whole album rocked like this infectious melodic gem, Band of Horses would be my favorite new band. Alas, this is far and away the best tune on the album.

5. “Black Elk Speaks,” Railroad Earth
This bluesy ode to the legendary Sioux medicine man is probably the hardest rocking song the band has ever put out, and it’s got an appropriately mystical flavor that makes it one of the year’s best. Deep stuff.

4. “Tiny Light,” Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
The band’s lead single has it all, a classic rock vibe with a mystical twist, some of Grace’s best lyrics and most urgent vocals, plus a smoking jam at the end that proves you can stick a jam into a pop rock song and get away with it.

3. “Babelonia,” School of Seven Bells
This tune is a magical blend of rock, pop and psychedelia. The tight rocking beat and angelic vocals make for a compelling dichotomy.

2. “Shotgun,” Earl Greyhound
Power trio rock at it’s best, this hard-hitting tune has a mesmerizing quality that can transform an audience of casual onlookers into instant converts.

1. “Depression,” Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses
The government is clearly lying about the unemployment rate, but leave it to the rockers to tell the truth about how this so-called Recession is really a Depression. This cathartic, up-beat rocker about transcending that economic Depression taps the current zeitgeist like no other tune did this year.

Bullz-Eye’s Top Ten Music Moments of 2010: Staff Writer Rob Smith’s Picks

In my mind, 2010 will be remembered more for moments of strangeness, oddity, and lessened expectation, than it will be for transcendent music. The throwaway nature of pop has never been more transient or incidental; technology enables us to hear as much as we want and, by the sheer volume of those possibilities, to actively listen as little as we ever have. How else to explain Ke$ha and the Glee cast recordings, much less the continuing nonsense of Black Eyed Peas? Raise your hand if you think Bruno Mars or Rihanna are still going to be churning out hits ten years from now, or that Katy Perry (more about her below) will still be squeezing into latex after she and her pasty Brit hubby have two or three little Russells to contend with, and things start saggin’.

I will remember 2010 for several key moments:

Top 10 Music Moments of 2010

1. The Roots, Being the Roots. Are they the best band on the planet? It’s hard to argue when their versatility is put on display every weeknight, and when they reiterate their overall excellence by turning out two of the best records of the year (How I Got Over and Wake Up, with John Legend).

2. Dio, Chilton Die. We lost metal’s gentle sorcerer (Ronnie James Dio) and Big Star’s genius-in-residence (Alex Chilton) within a few months of one another. May they both rock in peace.

3. “The Bed Intruder Song.” Some television producer obviously thought putting Antoine Dodson’s rant on the evening news would make for amusing viewing. Add Autotune, YouTube, and stir, and you have the most unlikely viral hit of the year.

4. Michael Jackson single: Real or Fake? It’s him. Not even Sony would be so dumb as to taint their posthumous cash cow by trying to pawn off a soundalike as the man himself. It’s too easy to get caught. Until MJ rises from the dead (which I firmly believe will happen), this is how he’ll stay in the headlines.

5. ICP’s “Miracles” Video. There is no WTF moment from 2010 nearly as WTF as this WTF moment.

6. Katy Perry’s Breasts Make Videos. Perry’s videos display the two things she does best: making catchy singles and showing off her breastuses. Not since chocolate and peanut butter were mixed by H.B. Reese has a combination worked so well.

7. Rush Become Movie Stars. Who’da thunk the kimono-wearin’, prog-playin’, not-very-pretty Canucks who made Hemispheres and 2112 would ever be so compelling on film? They’re funny, charming, and have more inside jokes than you and your seventh-grade buddies did.

8. Tyler to Idol. It is my fervent hope that Steven Tyler’s defection to television does what 20 years of shitty Aerosmith records was unable to do—namely, stick a fork in a band that has rattled on long past its expiration date.

9. Bret Michael Survives. Dude’s got nine lives. Twenty-five years of groupies, lite metal, drugs, booze, and more groupies has to be good for you.

10. Quasi release “Bye Bye Blackbird.” It’s been in their set for a while, but to hear it on American Gong was something of a revelation. Play it loud enough, and you will be moved. Maybe out of your shoes.

Black Sabbath: Paranoid Classic Albums DVD

It’s been said that Black Sabbath’s landmark Paranoid album spawned the genre of heavy metal, and if you watch this awesome video from Eagle Rock Entertainment, you can see why.  The four members of Black Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward -created music their own way, and it was a powerful sound that appealed to stoners and those craving stuff equal to or heavier than Led Zeppelin.  The band also appealed to the masses who were protesting the Vietnam War in 1970, because making music that went against the grain was something these folks could relate to.  But this DVD is just outstanding in that every member of Black Sabbath is interviewed, as well as folks like sound engineer Tom Allom and long-time fan and recording artist Henry Rollins.  There is awesome archived footage of the band playing live, and detailed descriptions of how each song on Paranoid was written or how it began.  Fans of Black Sabbath, or anyone who is too young to remember them but curious, should all grab this DVD, because not only is it a history lesson, it’s a lesson on how music should be made – with the artist driving the proverbial bus.  (Eagle Vision 2010)

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