Yeah Yeah Yeah's refresh their style with this recording - lending new life to a classic track. I love it.
AWOLNATION's latest is probably the most pure rock and roll I've heard from them. No autotune, minimal electronics, just good clean playing, and I gotta say even though it's a drastic shift in sound for them, I enjoyed it. Here Come The Runts explores traditional rock's many faces but their sound is still passionate, high-energy music full of big intense vocals and anthem-like hooks.
Enter Shikari brought every bit of expected energy and then some. The crowd’s energy was easily that of a group twice the size, and the exchange between the band and crowd was a true spectacle. For this photographer, it was almost enough to set my camera gear aside and wade into the pit. Check out our collection of photos from a fantastic show at the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C.
Moments when a band is able to completely capture the energy of the crowd and harness it are rarer than one would expect, but with their performance of “Middle Fingers” MISSIO was able to do just that. As all 500 concert goers triumphantly waved both middle fingers high, the restless energy of current political and social events was given a momentary catharsis. Expect to see big things from this band and if you can, check them out live on their currently sold-out nationwide tour. Check out our collection of photos from a fantastic show at the U Street Music Hall in Washington D.C.
In my experiences, just mentioning Red Hot Chili Peppers is often enough to spark a full-on debate. I think this speaks to the fact that they're just one of those bands that you either love or hate. So, like any millennial would, I posted a status on Facebook asking my friends to tell me how they feel about them, and they sure came through.
Like a lot of today's music, trying to put a label on or even describe their overall sound is damn near impossible. It's a little bit of pop, a little bit of punk, a little bit of electronic, a little bit of hip-hop, and a whole lot of countless other influences. It all sounds highly experimental, and a bit chaotic, but never so much that they lose their cool. Young Fathers have crafted something special here and I've found it difficult to pull myself away. This one is a must experience.
Although Boarding House Reach is probably Jack White's most experimental project yet, there's heavy influences from blues, country, and most surprisingly funk, with entire songs dedicated to said genres, he still keeps that sincere approach to his music. All in all, it was an unexpectedly experimental album that's a mixed bag of good and bad, but the good largely outweighs the bad.
Green Day may have been the best rock band of the 2000s. At least, they were for those of us blessed to be teens at the time. Those of us once willing to spend 4 hours straight mastering moves in Tony Hawk's American Sk8land instead of actually skating. Those of us savvy enough to acquire bootleg copies of 'Parental Advisory' level Green Day albums because "hey, we're old enough and it's on the radio!"
Thirty Seconds to Mars have apparently gone from assailing our senses with Deftones-level walls of sound to ooohhhhing and aaaahhhhing at us with, frankly, derivative tunes. A fairly straightforward EDM experience, but way less rock than there ought to be.
Wye Oak's latest feels decidedly more accessible than say "Civilian", but in reality their compositions are as dense and layered as ever, but the new synth and rhythm additions make their sound so much more expansive. And it's the interplay between the bright expansive backdrop and the highly introspective lyrics, sung through her still incredibly beautiful airy vocals, that make this such a fulfilling listen.
In the Manic Street Preachers' latest, resistance may be futile but they're one of the last warriors still fighting to their last breath. It's solid raucous rock with a touch of punk spirit that gets the blood flowing and has you ready to stand up and fight.
From a child prodigy, to rock producer, to leader of the first truly integrated rock/soul/funk band, and author of some of the best modern music and two of the best rock/soul/funk albums around, Sly Stone's life and musical story is a sadly unfinished one full of 'what-ifs.'
Most of the big names like Greil Marcus, Robert Christgau, and Simon Frith are still around; somewhere in columns in established cultural magazines, books, and even academia. But it seems that their style of integrated cultural, musical and sociological analysis that at the same time deconstructs and reconstructs certain musical work is less and less visible. What has happened?
Sonically and melodically The Wombat's latest album is a beautiful record who's bubbling upbeatness is infectious which creates an interesting dynamic between it's content full of heartbreak and a bad love. This may not be one of the deepest nor thought provoking rock albums I've heard in recent memory but it's certainly one of the most enjoyable. And sometimes that's what it's all about.
Whether John Fahey intentionally shied away from 'success' is a debatable thing, he himself, in one of his famous quotes said - “from a social perspective, I am looking for friends, not acolytes.” But his musical, visual, verbal, and even eccentric legacy remain, as they should be.
The Neighbourhood have tried to recapture some of their initial musical potency with their third studio album, and while I felt like it was a solid effort overall, it still felt a bit contrived when compared to everything else out there and at this point I'm not sure what they could do to regain that initial spark.
Lionlimb's "Tape Recorder" is a neat and extremely interesting, albeit challenging, album to experience. It's likely to be quite unlike anything you've ever listened to - shimmering with nuanced note choices and a delicate balance of melancholy.
David Byrne has always been pleasantly weird and experimental and he once again tries to push the musical envelope. What results from that sincere push is at best, a mess however. It's a mash up of different sounds and influences that, when it works, can be refreshing and exhilarating, but those moments are far too often undercut by clunky breakdowns and unnecessary introductions of new elements.
Throughout Western history, music has had a place in daily life - growing its foothold year after year. With the turn of each decade, music has turned as well. Perhaps in an effort to appeal to a developing society... Perhaps as an indicator of that same society's development...
In 1967, Arthur Lee and his then stable band, Love, came up with Forever Changes - widely considered to be their, and one of rock’s greatest masterpieces. While making some impact in Europe, in particular England, at the time, the album was practically ignored in the US. Now, 50 years later, the album is being recognized for what it is (even by Rolling Stone, who missed its greatness the first time around).
I'm not saying The Decemberists come off as gimmicky or overtly "hipster" but I have no problem imagining many of the songs here being played at a local renaissance fair or in the soundtrack to one of Wes Anderson's latest movies, and not in an ironic way either. But for as much as I found myself eye rolling, I found myself singing along, which in itself is the ultimate goal of music isn't it.
Marilyn Manson...love him? Hate him? Too scared to say?
Thirty Seconds to Mars try their hand at a politically charged record but they ultimately come up well short of saying or adding anything worthwhile to the conversation. It's essentially an album that's full of vapid buzz words/phrases set to painfully generic electro-infused pop rock. It's not a "terrible" album but it's not a particularly compelling one either.
[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]here is power in a band’s genuine relationship with their fans. A tangible connection that is somehow greater than...