Category: Rock (Page 135 of 241)

What Made Milwaukee Famous: What Doesn’t Kill Us

May 2, 2008 /

What Made Milwaukee Famous hails from Austin, Texas. (Insert geographical joke here.) But seriously, like fellow Austinites Spoon, WMMF’s wheelhouse is perfectly hooky indie rock. The album’s signature song, “The Right Place,” is two minutes of bliss accentuated by the steep changes in frontman Michael Kingcaid’s vocals. The band pulls off an update of Billy Joel’s “My Life” on the infectious “Sultan,” which combines that classic acoustic guitar with a horn section, some keyboard play and a few drum flourishes. Some might find “Middle of the Night” repetitive, but the chorus (or is it the verse?) – “somewhere in the middle of the night / everything’s gonna be all right” – followed by the verse (or is it the chorus?) – “what you need is love / sweet love” – is so damned basic and pretty that it’s the perfect pick-me-up after a bad day. (If this sounds good, go back and listen to “Bldg. a Boat from the Boards in Your Eye” from Trying Never to Catch Up, the band’s debut.) What Doesn’t Kill Us isn’t going to win any Grammys, but it’s a strong sophomore effort full of good, if not great, songs. (Barsuk 2008)

What Made Milwaukee Famous MySpace Link

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, Pop, Rock

Absentstar: Sea Trials

April 25, 2008 /

After a teaser of a four-song EP in 2007, Chicago rock band Absentstar is back with their debut full-length on Columbia Records, Sea Trials. This quintet has a Brit-pop feel, resembling a cross between the Killers, Keane, and a more melodic version of Blue October. Produced by Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, Absentstar delivers a 12-song set of blazing pop tunes with interesting arrangements and soaring choruses. Lead singer Derek Ingersoll tends to overdo it with that fake British vocal thing, but there’s no denying that this is a talented band with some solid songs. “Half Life” and “For God’s Sakes” are no-brainers as some of the best work here, and were also on the EP. But there is beauty in some of the newly released tracks, such as the haunting “Life Support,” which is driven by raunchy guitar riffs; and “All is Forgotten,” a really pretty piano anthem. Absentstar is not going to set the world on fire, but Sea Trials is certainly a promising debut. (Columbia)

Absentstar MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Jukebox the Ghost: Let Live and Let Ghosts

April 25, 2008 /

Seth Timbs and his mates in Fluid Ounces better check their playbooks, because Washington D.C. trio Jukebox the Ghost lifted entire chapters of it for their debut Let Live and Let Ghosts. “Where Are All the Scientists Now?” in particular feels like Fluid Ounces’ In the New Old Fashioned Way album rolled into one song which, for the uninitiated, is a very, very good thing. Granted, the explosive piano work by singer Ben Thornewill is sure to draw more comparisons to Ben Folds than Timbs, but the sad truth is that Folds hasn’t made a record this effervescent in over a decade. Jukebox the Ghost takes the three-man approach of Ben Folds Five, replaces the bass with a guitar, and creates music that merges Queen’s bombastic spirit with the minimalist approach of the White Stripes. Prog rock for sissies, if you will. It’s quirky and undeniably fun, but a few more hooks would take this material a long way. Love the attitude and approach, though. (The Rebel Group 2008)

Jukebox the Ghost MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, Pop, Rock

Division Day: Beartrap Island

April 25, 2008 /

Division Day sure is divided. They can’t decide if they want to be a punk rock band that occasionally branches out into electronic soundscapes, or an experimental electronic band that occasionally takes things up a notch with a tune you can actually dance to. Let’s hope they eventually settle on the former. When they kick up the speed, give their guitar player a real riff to play and let their singer yelp and scream for a bit, they stand out as something worth paying attention to. The energetic “Tigers” highlights the band’s ability to really sound unique when they aren’t afraid to plug their instruments in and let loose. Even better is “Ricky,” an amazing, sinister track with a great squealing guitar riff. Too bad the band seems to avoid doing anything like it for most of the album. It’s almost like Division Day don’t know their own strengths, shying away from explosive songs like “Ricky” and instead moping about in shoegaze purgatory. Of course there’s an audience for that (those My Bloody Valentine fans have to buy something) but it’s not nearly as fun. Oh, and their MySpace page has an awesome cover of Roxy Music’s “More Than This,” which is nowhere to be found on the album. Tease. (Eenie Meenie 2007)

Division Day MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, Electronica, Rock

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