Category: Pop (Page 105 of 216)

UB40: Greatest Hits

October 10, 2008 / David Medsker

Another singles compilation from a band that has already assembled 18 such collections? Yes, and here’s why: singer Ali Campbell, after 30 years with the band, has left the group (his brother Duncan is replacing him), so if you’ve just gotta have that comprehensive – if not exactly definitive – Ali Campbell-led UB40 compilation, this is it. The most shocking thing is how tolerable some of those questionable covers feel today; indeed, the version of Al Green’s “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” sounds pretty damn good here, though perhaps that’s because it comes after their (ahem, million-selling) cover of “(I Can’t Help) Falling in Love with You” and before they suck the soul out of “The Way You Do the Things You Do.” The originals obviously are the prize moments here, and the band’s best singles are all present (“If It Happens Again,” “Don’t Break My Heart”). UB40’s music didn’t change the world, but they did make it a happier, more peaceful place. Buy this and Labour of Love (the first album, not the second or third), and your collection is complete. (Virgin 2008)

UB40 MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Reggae

CD review UB40 Greatest Hits UB40 review

Two Dog Garage: Pinboy

October 10, 2008 / Mike Farley

Culver City, California’s Alex Kimmell is a one-man band, and his band is called Two Dog Garage. So as not to confuse matters, let’s call the project TDG, and let’s call TDG’s debut, Pinboy, a rousing success. There are so many flavors of music at work here, as TDG uses paints from the palettes of classic rock, modern rock, and just about everything in between. And he does it with what seems like relative ease. The songs are not just catchy and well recorded; they have the potential to stand up to just about any commercial recording. TDG is unsigned, but that just means you may have to look in the nooks and crannies of the online music world, but you won’t regret anything once you get there. The title track might evoke thoughts of Toad the Wet Sprocket, and “You’ll Go Blind” may remind one of ‘80’s MTV icons the Buggles (yes, the music is that varied). And then there is the utter beauty of “Everything Happens to Me” and “This Beautiful Life.” Oh, and the instrumental “Anesthesia” sounds like what is probably what your body hears when it’s under, well, you know. So go find Mr. Kimmell, errrr, TDG. Tell him I sent you. (self-released)

Two Dog Garage MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Do You Remember The First Time?

October 6, 2008 / Will Harris

The conversation usually starts late at night, you and your new college friends in someone’s dorm room with a 12-pack, dishing about the lives you lived before they knew you. An old song comes on, and someone says, “This was the first rock concert I ever saw.” This claim is usually met with a “They suck!,” followed by a “Hey, I was 12, I didn’t know any better!” From there, the conversation turns into a can-you-top-this game of who saw the most “embarrassing” band as their first concert. Twenty years later, of course, the shame turns back into pride, as you realize the band was better than you once gave them credit for, but you wouldn’t have convinced the 18-year-old version of yourself of that at the time. Being cool is hard, you know.

And so, over the course of nearly a hundred emails, the Bullz-Eye staff racked their booze-addled brains to recall the first time they heard the roar of the crowd as the lights went down, and the magic that followed. This is our chronological history of the staff’s first shows. Not surprisingly, most of us were baptized by arena rock fire, but as it turned out, one of us was fortunate enough to see the birth of one of the greatest bands of all time.

Curious which one it was…? Just click the graphic below…and when you’re finished with the piece, don’t be afraid to pop back ’round and let us know about your first time!

Alternative, Artists, Concerts, External Music, Metal, Pop, Rock

first concert memories first concerts KISS concert

Anders Holst: Romantika

October 3, 2008 / Mike Farley

Dubbed as the “crown prince of contemporary romantic music,” it would seem Swedish import Anders Holst’s publicist and label are reaching a bit. Reading about him and listening to Holst’s debut album, Romantika, you get the feeling that this is a guy who has always had aspirations to have his music played on light rock stations. And in that lies a problem – the fact that most light rock artists didn’t get there by wanting to get there. They arrived there because they were aging rockers who mellowed over time like wine or cheese, and because their fans mellowed in parallel fashion (think Eric Clapton or the Eagles). Others, like Daniel Powter, wound up on light rock stations by default. But Anders Holst is being marketed that way, and while his songs aren’t bad and are arranged and produced like a cross between light rock and smooth jazz fare, there is something here that sounds forced. Adding a bit of insult is the fact that Holst, while being touted as a songwriter, leads off the record with Billy Joel’s “All About Soul,” proof that even his label doesn’t have enough confidence in Holst’s songwriting. Again, Holst could do much worse than this, and he’s going to find an audience with his nice brand of light romantic pop. But as a whole, this batch of songs will help listeners relax—relax to the point of putting them to sleep. (LABEL: Unheard of Music)

Anders Holst MySpace Page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Jazz, Pop, Rock

Carlon: Johari Window

October 3, 2008 / David Medsker

“Canteloupe,” from New Jersey quartet Carlon’s debut album Johari Window, is one of those lightning-in-a-bottle moments, a slice of Hollies-style genius that seems to stop time. Indeed, singers Michael McWilliams and Ryan McGlynn do such an uncanny impression of Hollies singer Allan Clarke that they should be forced to take a blood test. “Rosie” does not fall far behind with its delightful climbing falsetto vocal. When the band tries to rock out, the results are fine, but do not measure up to the album’s quieter moments. “Have a Window” falls somewhere in between, with the somber verse and fuzzed-out chorus. All young bands naturally want to rock, but Carlon’s talents clearly lie in the hushed moments. Either way, it will be very interesting to see what they do next. (Ropeadope Records 2008)

Download Carlon’s “Canteloupe” here

Carlon MySpace page

Americana, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock