SICK OF SARAHSick of Sarah
Score: 3 out of 5
I know that a lot of people will like this. Mostly women. It’s got the attitude of AVRIL and the quality of ALANIS with a hint of punk (a la the YEAH YEAH YEAH’s). I enjoyed this album, as well, if only because of the effort put into its variety and production.
I Liked:
“Daises”
“Not Listening”
CORE EFFECT
Armored Shades of Light
Score: 2 out of 5
Wow. I used to love this music. This is BREAKING BENJAMIN meets SEETHER meets CHEVELLE meets ALL THOSE OTHER ROCK BANDS. It’s not bad. It blends in rather effortlessly into that endless well of guitar riffs and smoker-voiced vocalists. I actually liked it a lot, if only because of how it struck chords of nostalgia from my angsty high-school days. However, the rock-heavy focus takes it out of the running because it’s a bit too “101.7 The Fox” for us.
LONELY DEAR
Dear John
Score: 3 out of 5
I kept wanting to really like this album. It’s not bad. It’s not an instant groundbreaking sensation, either. It’s a hybrid combination of THE SHINS and JOHN MAYER (a better comparison eludes me…). The variety is decent although I think they sound the best when they’re being loud. The softer tracks weren’t very good. A few gems, though.
I Liked:
“I Was Only Going Out”
"Violent”
STEPHANIE CHAPMAN
This Song Is To You
Score: 2 out of 5
Sorry STEPHANIE, but I had to cut you short. This is pretty country music (not that there’s anything wrong with that…) and it just won’t fit in the playlist. But I’m sure fans of THE DIXIE CHICKS might enjoy this… She could use a little more practice, though, in my opinion.
FUGITIVE KIND
You’re Being Watched
Score: 4 out of 5
It’s like the lead singer of FLEETWOOD MAC met with THE WHITE STRIPES and started playing indie-rock shows in basement venues. This is surprisingly good. I say “surprisingly” because once you realize that you’re enjoying the music, you realize that the last time you liked something like this was EVANESCENCE. But this is much better than EVANESCENCE, trust me.
I Liked:
“Don’t Waste My Time”
“Break Now”
“Wait”
JUST LIKE HEAVEN: A TRIBUTE TO THE CURE
Various Artists
Score: 5 out of 5
It’s THE CURE meets the indie-rock scene of 2008. Each cover song is done with unique flair from the sixteen bands, few of which I’d heard of before this. I gave this album a 5 because I am a pretty big fan of THE CURE. I am biased. But these are good covers, which is sometimes rare. So the score is a deserved one, I believe.
I Liked:
“Just Like Heaven”
“The Walk”
“Lovesong”
OH NO NOT STEREO
Oh No Not Stereo
Score: 2 out of 5
This is like BLUE OCTOBER meets LIT meets BLINK 182. Not a bad sound… A little too close to something they’d play on a more rock-focused station. The score reflects that fact and not the quality of the band, therefore, because OH NO NOT STEREO does what it does quite well. If I were channel surfing for music and came across a song from this album, I’d probably stop to listen.
KYLE ANDREWS
Real Blasty
Score: 4.5 out of 5
KYLE ANDREWS belongs on the shelf between JACK JOHNSON and ELLIOT SMITH. This is a fantastic thing, in case you were wondering. This is going into my top five for sure. The variety and tempo of this album makes it a solid listen all the way through. A real feeling that the artist put effort into his work.
I Liked:
“I Wanted To Paint A Rainbow”
“Sushi”
“Blow It Out”
ROKIA TRAORÉ
Tchamantché
Score: 2 out of 5
Beautiful music, for the most part, especially when more instruments are introduced as the album plays through, but there’s not a trace of English anywhere but the lyric pages. Not exactly what we’re looking for. The score does not represent the quality of this commendable world music. If I did have to recommend a track, however, I would recommend:
I Liked:
“Aimer”
ANNE HEATON
Blazing Red
Score: 1 out of 5
Nope. Didn’t like it. I tried to like it in the way I like FLEETWOOD MAC or the occasional country slow-dance tune, but even if I had come around to enjoying this album it still wouldn’t have made it onto the playlist. Sorry ANNE HEATON. I tried.
GLASVEGAS
Glasvegas
Score: 4 out of 5
They start the album with an obnoxiously epic first track that lasts seven minutes and the rest of the album follows accordingly. It’s almost too epic-sounding. This makes it hard to pick one track out from the others because they all feel connected in the experience. Their cover of BECK’s “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” was a nice addition, too.
I Liked:
“S.A.D. Light”
“Geraldine”
MYLES TURNEY
Ordinary Suffering
Score: 2 out of 5
Yep. It happened. I got tired of this kind of music. This is acoustic guitar played behind some guy singing rather poorly, yet oddly alluringly in the notable angsty tone. This is BRIGHT EYES and THE GOOD LIFE. This is the guy who assumes he is very talented who sings with his eyes closed while playing mostly sad songs and depressing the crowd.
ALICE RUSSELL
Pot Of Gold
Score: 4 out of 5
If you close your eyes and imagine that ARETHA FRANKLIN was brought into the studio and given a healthy dose of funk and jazz and a LAURYN HILL booster-injection, you’d get something along the lines of ALICE RUSSELL (who probably doesn’t look anything like you’d think, considering the voice that you hear through the speakers). The name of the album doesn’t lie. It’s another generation’s music brought back with a powerful singer and dance-inducing tracks.
I Liked:
“Living the Life of a Dreamer”
“Hesitate”
“Universe”
HABITAT
Two-Disc Compilation
Score: 2.5 out of 5
Little did I know that there were so many bands making this kind of music. This compilation is made up entirely of music of the ANIMAL COLLECTIVE realm (which is the only band I know of to compare this to, since I had no idea there was such a market for it). But here were have about thirty songs that consist of mostly sound effects and repetitive noises. Some of it is high-quality stuff, I admit, and some of it’s just creative. But still a bit too abstract for my taste.
THE REFUGEES
Unbound
Score: 2 out of 5
I was going to be mean and give this one a 1 out of 5, but I gave it a second listen and figured it wasn’t so bad. It’s standard country-music fodder: songs about heartbreak and hope and love. Nonetheless, we’re not looking for country, so it gets a 2.
TAMARAMA
Wonderland City
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Finally a band that matches the laid-back attitude of JACK JOHNSON and challenges his position as my favorite lazy day artist of choice. Unfortunately this album is way too short. The music is uplifting and calming and simply wonderful. Comparable perhaps to JOSEPH ARTHUR and EARLIMART, as well as the often-mentioned JACK JOHNSON.
I Liked: All tracks.
GARTH MELVIN
Ketch One Sessions
Score: 1 out of 5
This was just not very good. GARTH MELVIN doesn’t have a good voice. He probably knows that. And the instruments backing him up don’t help. Maybe the quality’s poor because it was recorded live. I’m all for singers not having smooth singing voices (I’m a huge MODEST MOUSE fan), but some people just shouldn’t sing.
FIRES OF ROME
You Kingdom You
Score: 4 out of 5
This has the fun of OK GO mixed with the rock of WOLFMOTHER and the aggressive vocals of IMA ROBOT. It’s the birth-child of some of my favorite bands. A bit rough for the casual indie listener, but awesome nonetheless. I recommend this one with two thumbs up.
I Liked:
"I’ll Take You Down”
“Monkey in a Cage”
“Down Lament”
NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST
Official Soundtrack
Score: 3 out of 5
A pretty decent compilation. Based on what I know about the movie, the music fits right up there next to your Garden State soundtrack. Like most compilations, the tracks are hit and miss. I picked out my favorites and gave the album a decent score for effort.
I Liked:
“Middle Management” by Bishop Allen
“Xavia” by The Submarines
“After Hours” by We Are Scientists
YOU ME & IOWA
The Adventures Of You Me & Iowa
Score: 3.5 out of 5
I was intrigued to see if this band sounded different after I heard them two or three years ago at the Phoenix in Petaluma. They do, for the most part. The vocalist has matured. They sound like a blend of PANIC! AT THE DISCO and JIMMY EAT WORLD. It’s an improvement for the band. It’s hard to tell if I like them for nostalgia or for real talent. I’ll be fair and give them a 3.5.
I Liked:
“Dress The Stage”
“The Song Entire”
JAGUAR LOVE
Take Me To The Sea
Score: 3 out of 5
I’ve already commented on JAGUAR LOVE before when we got a smaller sampling of their stuff a few weeks ago. My favorite of those three tracks makes a comeback on this album and it’s just as catchy as it was before. It’s also the best track on this album, too, if only because the admittedly grating vocalist is subdued and meshes better for the ears. Overall, they are a little too rough to garner a wide audience, but a portion of listeners will enjoy the AFI / MARS VOLTA / BLOOD BROTHERS blend.
I Liked:
“My Organ Sounds Like…”
“Georgia”
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