Category: Rock (Page 114 of 241)

Jimmy Wayne: Do You Believe Me Now?

November 28, 2008 /

Every once in a while, some country artist and/or songwriter takes a chance on a song that doesn’t sound like everything else they release. Jimmy Wayne’s “Do You Believe Me Now?” the title track to his latest, and second album, is that song – essentially a great pop song sung with a twangy vocal and a lyrical theme that is left of center (guy sees the way other guy is looking at his girl, and fast-forwards to when he is the odd man out and the other guy has his girl now). Well, that, and the track is as catchy as anything you’ll ever hear. Read his bio, and you won’t help but feel for the guy, who once saw his stepfather shoot (and paralyze) his stepbrother’s wife and then attempt to kill Jimmy too when he was 15. But mostly this is a new country artist (who co-writes most of his material) armed with a solid album of hooky songs that reflect the variety of music his foster parents listened to – Hall & Oates, Alan Jackson, Iron Maiden among them. Other standouts are the breezy “I Will” and sultry semi-ballad “One on One.” With the title track recently hitting #1 on the country charts, the sky is the limit for Jimmy Wayne, and gives hope to some of the lesser-known but promising songwriting talent on Music Row. (Valory Music Co.)

Jimmy Wayne MySpace Page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Pop, Rock

Great Big Sea: Fortune’s Favour

November 24, 2008 /

Newfoundland’s finest return for their 10th album, this time with producer Hawksley Workman in tow, and though nothing on Fortune’s Favour is unexpected – the band long ago got its act down to a science, if not an art – none of it disappoints, either. Since making its American “breakthrough” in the mid-to-late ‘90s, Great Big Sea has occasionally seemed unsure of which direction to follow – some sets found them tilting a little too heavily toward the pop end of the spectrum at the expense of the trad-folk elements of their sound that make them so unique – but as their U.S. sales have dwindled over the last five or six years, their focus has improved, and this album is as sure-footed as anything they’ve released since Turn. It does present a somewhat mellower picture of the band than some longtime fans may be comfortable with, but that’s appropriate; Great Big Sea’s music has always played on the tension between love of home and love of the road, and if their songs get sweeter and softer with age, it’s probably only par for the course. The album is bookended with a pair of killer cuts (“Love Me Tonight,” “Straight to Hell”), and manages to get through 14 tracks without ever really sagging in between. A no-frills DVD of studio footage is thrown in as a value-added bonus, but unless your idea of fun is watching the band fart around between takes, there’s no reason to buy this other than the music – and thankfully, it’s more than strong enough to stand on its own. (Great Big Sea 2008)

Great Big Sea MySpace page

CD Reviews, Folk, Pop, Rock

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

November 24, 2008 /

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

Switchfoot: The Best Yet

November 21, 2008 /

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

Future Clouds and Radar: Peoria

November 21, 2008 /

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

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

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