Category: Pop (Page 17 of 216)

Depeche Mode: Tour of the Universe 20/21.11.09

December 7, 2010 /

RIYL: motherfucking Depeche Mode
3/5 Stars

On Pack Up the Plantation, the 1985 live album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the band slowly eases its way into “Breakdown.” Petty sings the first line “It’s all right if you love me” just above a whisper, at which point the crowd takes over, singing all the way through the first chorus and even splitting vocal duties between the lead vocal and the “Breakdoooooooown!” backing vocals. It’s exhilarating to listen to, because you can feel the rush the audience felt by getting the chance to be the star. After a few beats, Petty humbly tells the crowd, “You’re gonna put me out of a job.”

Which brings us to today’s lesson. Letting the audience sing part of one song is one thing; forcing them to sing multiple songs is another.

It made sense that Depeche Mode would want to document their 2009 world tour. They were playing to gigantic crowds, and they hadn’t released a live album since 1993’s Songs of Faith and Devotion Live. With four albums of new material to showcase – though they chose to only play songs from three, skipping 2001’s Exciter entirely – it was time to run the tape recorders once again. Tour of the Universe 20/21.11.09 documents two shows the band played before what looks like the entire population of Barcelona, and you can see why the crowds were so excited. Despite front-loading the set with what feels like half of the band’s most recent album, Sounds of the Universe, Depeche pulled out some gems for this tour, including a whopping four songs from fan favorite Black Celebration. They also had a live drummer and principal songwriter Martin Gore playing guitar almost exclusively during the shows. What’s not to love?

Dave Gahan, that’s what. He’s too busy playing rock star to actually sing the damn songs. Gahan leaves it to the audience to sing far too much – and sometimes makes them sing the chorus twice in the same song – and low-range vocal melodies, even when sung by tens of thousands, cannot stand up to the sound the band is putting out. When the band launches into “A Question of Time,” the crowd is reaching a fever pitch, so when Gahan has them sing the chorus the first time, they’re only happy to oblige. When he forces them to do it a second time, the response is nowhere near as enthusiastic, and you can actually hear the crowd deflating. If you have cameras rolling, and they just captured you killing the crowd’s buzz while you fed your ego, would you really test the crowd’s patience again?

Sadly, the answer is yes…twice. Gahan does it again on “Policy of Truth” and – this is the unforgivable one – “Enjoy the Silence,” the band’s biggest hit. The arrangement of the song is spectacular, with the band launching into a fantastic breakdown, but Gahan will not sing the chorus. Now, this is one thing to watch in person – which we did, because he did the exact same thing when the band played Lollapalooza last year – but it’s another altogether to watch on a DVD, where you’ll be reaching for the Fast Forward button even on your favorite songs. It’s even worse onthe CD, where it just sounds like a karaoke track and the singer is too drunk to read the lyrics on the Teleprompter. If there is one show where Dave should have sucked it up and sung the damn songs, this is the one.

Then there is the matter of their drummer Christian Eigner. His playing is fine, but his snare drum is positively flat, as if the band is too afraid to sound like the rock band they’re pretending to be. They would have been better off giving the bottom end the thump that a live setting demands. As it is, the drum tracks from Music for the Masses – a 23-year-old album – sound harder than what Eigner plays here. The direction of the show is spotty, too, spending far too much time out of focus or, worse, focused on the fans recording the show on their phones (worst, trend, ever).

This was a golden opportunity to showcase Depeche Mode’s staying power and their status as godfathers of electronic music, but Tour of the Universe, despite a great set list and solid performances (when Gahan deigns to sing, anyway), does not cut it. It’s one of those things where you simply had to be there to get the full effect of the experience. If Dave had sung all of the damn songs, this set would be essential. As it is, it’s diehards-only material.(Capitol 2010)

Depeche Mode MySpace page
Click to buy Tour of the Universe from Amazon

Alternative, Artists, CD Reviews, Concert CDs, Concert DVDs, Dance, Electronica, Pop

Bullz-Eye’s Favorite Albums of 2010: Staff Writer Mike Farley’s picks

December 7, 2010 /

It was an interesting year for me music-wise. So much great stuff passed my desk or by e-mail from publicists, but something odd happened: my old PC started getting so slow that I literally could not listen to my iTunes and work at the same time. Makes writing CD reviews tough, but makes listening while I work to get a feel for new music even harder. I persevered, playing stuff in the car and also, finally, getting a super-fast new PC recently. My joy of listening to my iTunes catalog and discovering new music has returned. And so, I give to you, my Top 10 albums of 2010:

1. The Silver Seas: Chateau Revenge
There are two songs on this album that can bring anyone from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs in no time flat: “The Best Things in Life” and “What’s the Drawback.” Daniel Tashian and company continue to make some of the best music that, unfortunately, most people have never heard. So hey, this holiday season, do something about that. Go buy the Silver Seas’ music, and tell them I sent you.

2. Rooney: Eureka
Bullz-Eye Music Editor David Medsker: “Hey, I think you’ll like these guys.” Me, after hearing band: “Um, understatement.” It’s just good, unadulterated pop/rock – no whiny kid voice and no Auto Tune.

3. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
It’s nice that this indie queen is finally getting her due with Disney-owned Hollywood Records, because she’s got the goods. She can write, sing and play. Did I say sing? Yeah, Grace can REALLY sing.

4. Leeroy Stagger: Everything Is Real
You don’t have to be Canadian to dig a good alternative twang artist like Leeroy Stagger. In fact, you have to just dig that fact that he can make music this good.

5. Rogue Wave: Permalight
This band just oozes cool without anyone telling them that they’re cool. This album is a bit different than previous work, but when you’re awesome, you’re awesome.

6. The Album Leaf: A Chorus Of Storytellers
This group continues to make mesmerizingly hip music to chill to. Bonus: chicks dig the Album Leaf. Well, my wife does.

7. Heart: Red Velvet Car
Back with their first studio album in almost a decade, and their best since maybe the ‘70s.

8. Miggs: Wide Awake
Pure pop/rock along the lines of Butch Walker with a bit of New Jersey-ish Bon Jovi vocal tone.

9. Bachman & Turner: Bachman & Turner
Speaking of their best in decades, Randy Bachman and Fred Turner reunite for a new incarnation of BTO with new awesome songs.

10. Aqualung: Magnetic North
“36 Hours” is another top song of the year on another strong effort from Aqualung.

Adult Contemporary, Alternative, Ambient, Americana, Artists, CD Reviews, Lists, Melodramatic, Pop, Rock

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

December 7, 2010 /

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.

Alternative, Artists, CD Reviews, Dance, Hip Hop, Indie, Metal, Pop, Rock

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

December 7, 2010 /

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.

Alternative, Americana, Artists, Blues, CD Reviews, Electronica, Hip Hop, Hipster, Jam Band, Metal, Pop, Progressive, Rock, Rock Babes

Bullz-Eye’s Favorite Albums of 2010: Staff Writer Ted Asregadoo’s picks

December 6, 2010 /

The days of getting lost in an album have passed me by.  This year, I really tried to rekindle that lost listening art of playing entire albums – instead of compiling playlists in iTunes.  It hasn’t been easy.  I think the ease of digitally downloading albums has dried up the sense of anticipation that used to come with a purchase of a physical copy of an album at a record store.  Now, the record store is just part of the millions and billions of distractions that await you on the Internet – much of it for free.

Now, I don’t mean to go on a diatribe against the devaluation of music because of the Internet, but one thing that has occurred because of the sheer plethora of music available with one click of your mouse is a kind of ADD when it comes to listening to music. My colleague both here and at Popdose (that would be Jeff Giles) has written about it more eloquently than I can, but the sentiment is very much the same:  because of the volume of music that is available in downloadable form, it’s difficult for me to form a deep connection with an entire album.   If we could flash back 20 years, it would have been a different story to feature 10 albums.  Nowadays, it’s rare that an entire album can hold my attention.

But, never say never, right?

What you will find here are mostly my favorite songs of 2010, but occasionally you’ll find entire albums.  I know, after all that “downloadable music is ruining my attention span” crap, I say that there were some albums that really captured my attention.  But like I said, I’ve tried to rekindle the art of listening to entire albums, and while I feel I’m losing that battle, I haven’t entirely lost the war.   So, here we go with my top 10 of 2010!

10. Paper or Plastic, “The Honest Man”
Every now and then a link arrives in my inbox that lives up to the hype.  Case in point is the New York group, Paper or Plastic, who has a kind of Ben Folds thing going on with “The Honest Man.”  The song is an example of some very lovely power pop, and you’ll find yourself humming the chorus after a few listens. The band is giving away their EP Ron Save the King on their website.  Get it, if only for “The Honest Man.”

9. Somebody’s Darling, “Lonely”
In my review of this album, I was upfront about my allergy to country music – even if it’s alt-country.  But Somebody’s Darling has enough rock-n-roll in them to make the musical waters safe for a guy with my particular affliction.  “Lonely” is by far my favorite track on the album, and it’s not difficult to hear why. The song is just one big fireball of energy with a great driving beat and some wailing guitars.  But it’s the full-throated vocals from Amber Ferris that takes this song from good to great.

8. Daft Punk:  Tron Legacy
I used to be an avid soundtrack collector, but those days have passed me by.  When I got a hold of the “Tron Legacy” soundtrack, however, it reminded me what I used to love about these kind of soundtracks:  the combination of standard orchestration with tasteful touches of synth laced in for good measure.  And that’s what Daft Punk has delivered in what could have been some cheesy-ass electronica music cues.  Serving the weighty tone of the movie, Daft Punk avoided the familiar clubby territory of their music and went right for a fusion of classic music cues with flourishes of electronica.  

7. Kanye West, “Dark Fantasy”
While most music critics are jizzing in their pants over Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I was underwhelmed by most of it. However, give me a great hook, and I’ll take West’s tone-deaf singing any day.  And Kanye delivers both on the album opener, but thankfully keeps the singing to a minimum. Sure, the chorus of the song is tremendously catchy, but West also adds some lyrical heft with rhymes like these:

Hey, teacher, teacher / Tell me how do you respond to students/

And refresh the page and restart the memory / Respark the soul and rebuild the energy / We stopped the ignorance, we killed the enemies / Sorry for the night demons still visit me / The plan was to drink until the pain over / But what’s worse, the pain or the hangover?

6. Devo, “Sumthin’”
Devo was such a part of my high school and college experience, that it was so refreshing to hear that classic Devo sound resurrected for 2010.  With “Sumthin’,” it’s like it’s 1982 all over again, and it’s heartening that the Spud Boys, after their breakup and detour into the world of TV soundtrack work, haven’t lost that jerkin’ back and forth feel on this song.  The entire album is good, but this track stands out as the strongest on the album – and one that I keep coming back to over and over and over. 

5. Prince,  “Lavaux”
In this day of the instant download, how do you create a buzz around an album release? Well, if you’re Prince, you make it difficult to obtain the album outside of the certain geographic region. Case in point is the release of 20Ten – which Prince only gave away in the UK to readers of The Daily Mirror and The Daily Record.  He undoubtedly knew that once the physical CD was ripped and uploaded to a torrent, it would go viral and people would be talking about the entire album – and not just a single.  Alas, the album for me was more of a miss than a hit.  But when Prince did “hit,” as he did in “Lavaux,” it was reminder of the kind of sublime pieces of music he’s capable of making.

4. Chromeo, “Hot Mess”
This Canadian duo’s brilliant lead track on their 2010 release, Business Casual, is a sonic delight with some wonderful ‘80s throwback production techniques. Plus the fact that song is just pure pop joy doesn’t hurt matters at all.  Pretty good work from a group whose lead singer is working on a PhD at Columbia University.

3. Arcade Fire, “Suburban War”
Another album that’s bound to make many ‘o critic’s top 10 this year, and yet it’s another album that really didn’t impress me.  But what did impress me was “Suburban War” with its ’60s-era Byrds-inspired guitar work and hypnotic vocals. If the song stayed with that tempo and style, it would have been a kind of sleepy standout track on the album, but Arcade Fire did something interesting:  they upped the tempo (and the tension) of the song for the final ride out that masterfully raised the emotional depth – which is something rare in popular music.

2. Rush, “Caravan”
I don’t apologize for my love of Rush, but I’m not such a fanboy that I will laud everything the band puts out.  The two singles they released in conjunction with their Time Machine Tour are a study in contrasts.  “Caravan” has a number of classic Rush flourishes, but it’s also a song that has enough quirky elements that it demonstrates Rush’s commitment to progressive rock in that, they are never quite comfortable resting on their reputation.  I have to admit to not liking the song when it first came out, but when I saw it performed live, it was such a blistering rocker that it quickly became a favorite in Rush’s oeuvre.  I can’t say the same for “BU2B (Brought up to Believe)” – which I found a bit of retread of some of the weaker songs on Snakes & Arrows.

1. The Gaslight Anthem, American Slang
If you’re a fan of rock anthems that’ll get you singing songs that sound like they were written during Bruce Springteen’s heyday, then you’ll fall in love with the Gaslight Anthem’s second full album release.  Song after song exemplifies the best in this style of rock music. The album is free of any filler, and while the hybrid of Springsteen and the Clash suggests a lack of originality, The Gaslight Anthem are able to use the old wine skins that has influenced their music and make a new wine that’s tasty, taut, and thunderous. 

Alternative, Americana, Best of 2000s, CD Reviews, Country, Electronica, Hip Hop, Instrumental, Pop, Power Pop, Progressive, R&B, Rap, Rock, Soul

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 Eat Sleep Drink Music

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑