Jack Johnson - Sleep Through The Static

Jack Johnson - Sleep Through The Static
Released - February 5, 2008 / Brushfire Records

Lets just get it right on the table. I use to be a hippie. I had long hair, I went to Bonnaroo, I burnt incense, I wore corduroys, I had a soul patch, the list goes on. Along with being a hippie I was optimistic. Optimistic life was fun and enjoyable. And it was, in high school and college, but the real world is another story. Now there are just flashes of fun. A little fun hangin with friends here, or going out to drink there. However. Bills arent fun. Work isn't fun. Responsibility isn't fun. When I was in high school I didn't have any of those things so life was fun. The soundtrack to that fun ws Jack Johnson.

I was a huge Jack Johnson fan, and his music brings me right back to those times. Brushfire Fairytales is a great album, easily his best, but something has happened. I'm not sure it happened to Jack Johnson, i'm pretty sure it happened to me. I've grown up. His music doesn't provide a soundtrack to my life as it once did. It is now a mockery to the freedom and fun I didn't realize was so precious.

As he released new albums over the years I cared less and less. From Brushfire Fairytales to On and On to In Between Dreams, I played each album less and less. Brushfire came out only 5-6 years ago, but those are like dog years. So much happened in those years that I feel vastly different from the the 2002 version of Adam.

So, when I heard he was coming out with a new album I wrote it down on my calendar and pre-ordered it from itunes. Eventhough I had little interest in the album and wasn't that fond of the first single, "If I Had Eyes". Maybe I'm trying to recapture those precious years before the memories begin to fade.

I know a lot of people say all his songs sound alike. Maybe they do. AC/DC made the same song over and over again and they kick ass, right? So I say, keep writing the same song Jack Johnson! There is always someone who needs a soudtrack to their life.


(I've seen interviews where Jack Johnson has said this album may be a little darker than previous ones. I think it is totally true. There seems to be a lack of fun, up-beat, put a smile on your face, pop songs. So if your looking for "bubble toes" Jack Johnson maybe you should think twice before buying this album.)


Rating - 6

Favorite Song - "Hope", "If I Had Eyes", "Sleep Through The Static"


Slow Down Everyone Your Moving To Fast,

Adam

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Released - January 29, 2008 / XL Recordings

Really? This is the band you "hipsters" are going with? Really? Wow. I thought Josh would be wrong when he said Vampire Weekend was over hyped. No way could a band with this much attention be garbage, right?

Wrong.

After much hype, Vampire Weekend has finally released......Vampire Weekend. Self Titled? Creative. As I listened to the album I realized I constantly felt like I was in Garden State 2. I thought Zach Braff was gonna show up and say "Good Tunes, right?". I know "hipster" types will probably love this album more than getting asymmetrical haircuts, but I just don't get it. The music isn't "bad", but its just not great either. Its just kind of there. Perpetually going but not really doing anything. Its more like if paint drying had a theme song it would be Vampire Weekend. If my Grandma came over I might put on this album because I know there is no way it will give her a heart attack. That's kind of what this album is. It just is.

Its like when guys ask "how can male porn stars hold out that long?". How can Vampire weekend make an album with out having any sort of crescendo? Its like they decided to do a concept album where they wanted to put lyrics to elevator music.

Don't get me wrong, I can see how people might enjoy Vampire Weekend. They have the "hipster" sound. Under produced, weird lyrics, the vocal track is pushed to the front,.....etc., but I usually like my music with a pulse.

At least Walcott is decent.

Rating - 6/10

Faborite Track - "Walcott"

-Adam

MGMT- Oracular Spectacular

MGMT's Oracular Spectacular hit retail stores last Tuesday and I can't remember a time when I was this impressed with a band's debut album. Rolling Stone finally got something right when they named these guys a band to watch in '08. Oracular Spectacular is 40 minutes of shape-shifting psychedelic pop. The album starts off with "Time To Pretend"; an homage to what true rock n' roll is all about. "Let's make some music make some money find some models for wives/I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin and fuck with the stars." This is something you'd expect to hear on a Guns N' Roses album with heavy guitar licks, but MGMT takes a different route altogether and blends heavy synth beats with poppy instrumental hooks. By the time you get to "Electric Feel" and "Kids" you don't know whether you want to get up and start dancing, or continue to sit back and examine the steadily crafted lyrics. The second half of "Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters" sounds like something Pink Floyd would have cooked up in the early days during their Dark Side Rehearsals. The sonic adventure is definitely a high point on the album. "The Handshake" is an ode to the music industry and getting lost in the chaos that can arise. The song begins, "I just shook the handshake/I just sealed the deal/I'll try not to let them/Take everything they can steal." By songs end, the listener is surrounded by the opportunistic chanting of outsiders "We got the handshake!" combined with innocent whistling; an attempt to add comfort to a band that just signed their lives away. This is definitely an album that will continue to surprise you as a listener; whether it be hearing new musical elements each time through, or listening closely to what the singer wants you to hear, you will not be disappointed.

Key tracks: "Time To Pretend", "Kids", "The Handshake"
Final Grade: 8.5/10


Pick up the album at your nearest Tower Records...wait I mean, F.Y.E....wait they're gone too, better just get it on iTunes.

-Josh

Mac Lethal - 11:11

Mac Lethal - 11:11

Released - October 9, 2007 / Rhymesayers

Last week I posted a song by Mac Lethal, Pound That Beer. I thought the song was interesting and not like anything I've heard in a while. I decided to do a little research on him and see what he's all about. Apparently Mac Lethal, who is from Kansas City, gained notoriety on the freestyle circuit. He won Scribble Jam in 2002. Scribble Jam is like a Hip-Hop Olympics. There are numerous events in beatbox, break dancing, freestyle rapping, and more. Mac Lethal won the freestyling event. This fact makes it easy to make the comparison to Eminem, a little too easy. Which is why I will.

He is like Eminem mixed with Bubba Sparxxx (remember him?). He has the witty lines and flow of Eminem and a little bit of the southern swagger of Bubba Sparxxx. He has an eclectic feel which he lets known in the song "Calm Down Baby "I still think the Deftones are dope, and I like Nick Drake on the days I want to let go of hope, Wilco is great and Ice T is still clever , and no matter what, its always Wu-Tang Forever".

For a person who started off in the freestyle circuit his album, 11:11, is made up of a lot of hilarious one liners. On the song Sledgehammer he raps " If Yoko Ono gave you herpes, would that be strawberry fields forever?". The beats are very simple, but catchy. He has songs destined to become Frat/College Anthems: Pound That Beer and Make Out Bandit. I don't think this album is for everyone, and probably will never see any kind of main stream success. However, I do think this is a good album that is easy to enjoy.

(I just realized I compared him to two white rappers. Are there even any more white rappers to compare him too? You should have seen the first version of this review in which I found a way to compare him to Snow and his song Informer - I lick your boom boom down!)

Rating - 8 / 10

Favorite Tracks - "Pound That Beer", "Make Out Bandit", "Calm Down Baby"

Myspace

Tied to the whipping post,

Adam

Mac Lethal - Make Out Bandit

Check Archives for Pound that Beer post

Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope

Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope

Released - June 13, 2006 / Sire Records

I don't know much about Regina Spektor, and the little bit I do know is directly from Wikipedia. I know she was born in Moscow. I literally know nothing about Russia. In middle school there was a kid who transferred from Russia. His name was Surgay, pronounced Sir Gay. Ouch. Why don't you just name your kid penis face. I guess Russian names don't translate well. Anyway, Spektor gained exposure opening for The Strokes and Kings of Leon. However, the big mystery I have is how she found her way into my itunes. I have no idea how I got her album, Begin To Hope. I don't think I bought it. I don't remember downloading it. Maybe from a friend? Who knows. The point is I'm glad this CD found its way into my itunes.

Regina Spektor has one of the most unique voices I can remember hearing in a long time (And this isn't bad unique like when your friend tries to hook you up and describes the person as "unique"). I'm pretty sure I could listen to Regina Spektor sing the phonebook and be mesmerized. She is that good. When you mix the simple and catchy music with her infectious voice you have an album that is too good to pass up. Along with her voice she has a very unique singing style that is hard to pin down. On the song "Fidelity" she has a way of singing the chorus that is more like laugh/singing, but somehow it gives the song a personality I don't think it would have had otherwise. Most of the albums tracks are sort of funky and mostly are constructed over poppy drum beats and synthesizers, but one song that sticks out is the piano driven song "Samson". It is refreshing to hear Regina Spektor in a stripped down capacity. This song puts her voice center stage, and for Regina Spektor that is not a bad thing.

Rating - 8 / 10

Favorite Tracks - "That Time" , "Samson", "Fidelity" , and "On The Radio"

Ciao,

-Adam

Regina Spektor - Fidelity

Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

Released - September 25, 2007 / RCA

There are only a handful of bands around today that I can see actually being around in 40 years. One such band is The Foo Fighters. When I try to think about which band is going to be the Rolling Stones of the future The Foo Fighters are near the top of the list. (But that list is for another day) They have great songs, and album after album is great. Don't they seem like a fun band to hang out with? If you could hangout with a band for 24 hours wouldn't you automatically think of The Foo Fighters. Who are you going to hang out with, Ashlee Simpson's backing band? Well, I guess its hard to hang out with a tape machine.(Oh Snap!) Anyway, The Foo Fighters have released a new Album.

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace is actually a little different from previous Foo albums. The main difference is I can actually listen to the whole album without getting bored. The Foo Fighters are one of those bands whose songs land in one of three places. Great, mediocre, and bad. I've found previous albums have the two or three good singles, two or three decent tracks, and the rest is boring and non-interesting. It's like how every one thinks the Phillies are going to be amazing every year because they have Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and J-Roll, but they forget that Antonio Alfonseca is in the bullpen. However, this album actually doesn't have as much drop off as previous albums. Every track is by no means great, but I don't find myself skipping tracks as much as previous albums. The best song is definitely the first single "The Pretender", and I usually hate when they put slow jamz on the album, but I fell in love with the song "Statues". It a great mellow song that really shouldn't be skipped over.

There's not much you can say about a Foo album. You know what your getting, and they don't really change the formula much. Its a good album definitely worth a listen.

Rating - 7 / 10

Favorite Tracks - "The Pretender", "Statues" , and "Long Road To Ruin"



Classic Foo:

"Big Me" video





Po Po Zao,

Adam

Wyclef Jean - Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant

Wyclef Jean - Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant

Released - Decemer 4, 2007 / Sony

I believe Wyclef is a musical genius. His first Album, The Carnival (1997), was amazing. It is still one of my Top-10 albums ever. The album is unique and showcases his aptitude for music and melody. His new album is the Carnival Vol. II. Vol.II? Really? When I heard this I was very nervous but also excited. I have been waiting for Clef's return to glory for some time, and i was hoping this would be it. I assumed this album would be a great album or awful, and by awful I mean.......

So this album?.....awful. I love Wyclef and desperately wanted to like this album. I listened to it over and over again hoping it would get better, but it didn't. The album is random and there is no real theme, which has been a problem for him in the past.

For some reason Wyclef loves to collaborate. Wyclef likes collaborating more than Amy Winehouse likes drugs. (Allegedly). The collaborations are what make this album feel scattered. Is he hoping that he will eventually stumble across the next "Hips Don't Lie". I picture Wyclef making an album like Jack (Matthew Fox) from the end of season 3 of Lost. He's semi-drunk, unshaven and yelling -

"I wasn't meant to make music on my own! I need to collaborate!"

Wyclef is trying to make "Do they know its Chrsitmas" on every song -

(you know....that corny 80's song with 10,000 artists singing on it)

At least the album has good parts, like the line: "If you make it rain, she'll be under the weather". Exactly.

Rating - 5.5 / 10

Favorite Tracks - "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)", "Fast Car", and "Riot (Trouble Again)"

Champagne and Cufflinks,

Adam

The Color Fred - Bend To Break

The Color Fred - Bend To Break

Released - October 30 2007 / Equal Vision Records

If you don’t know Fred Mascherino, you should. He grew up in Coatesville, and went to Temple University. He Started playing in the band Brody, and then Breaking Pangaea. He then joined Taking Back Sunday in 2003. In October he announced he was leaving TBS and was going to begin working on a solo album.

Bend To Break is that album.

I must say before Fred found any sort of success he was a guitar teacher, my guitar teacher. So, maybe I’m a little biased, but there is no need to be biased against good music. Bend to Break is a simple 11-song album, with each song more catchy than the next. It is hard to argue against great pop-rock. It easily transitions between up-beat catchy gems (Get out) and slower more simple songs (Don’t Pretend). This is definitely an album worth checking out

Rating - 7/10

Favorite Tracks - "Get Out" , "Minnesota", and "If I Surrender"

Holla at ya Boy

Adam

The Color Fred - If I Surrender

Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight

Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight Released - August 2007 / Warner Bros.

I had no idea what to expect before listening to “Under the Blacklight”. I knew nothing about Rilo Kiley or what kind of music they played. After the first listen I wondered why anyone would subject themselves to this chick singing over boring elevator music.

Well I couldn’t have been more wrong. I gave the album another shot and realized I had made a big mistake. The album was quite complex. The layers were a treat to hear and the music was very melodic and chill. I’m usually a hard sell on chick singers (besides Gwen and Ashlee) but Jenny Lewis definitely won me over.

Rating – 7.5 / 10

Favorite Tracks - "Dejalo", "15", and "Silver Lining"

Keep It Pushin'

Adam