Note:If you need to really know how I feel about Ween as a band, please refer to my review on of their CD Quebec, on this very website. My other review contained a small bit on a time when I experienced Ween live. I have seen them again since, and considering this is a live DVD/CD package, I find it fitting to tell another story. I am sure many of you have heard about the annual hippie subculture festival known as Bonnaroo, as it has become a national phenomenon in the past few years. Over a hundred thousand people doing drugs, selling drugs, sleeping, drinking,, and well, sometimes they watch music too. When asking a general Bonnaroo attendee why he's there, he would probably answer, "The Dead maaaan, and uhh, Dave! Fuckin headie shrooms maaan." Well yes, the Dead (that's the Grateful Dead sans their deceased singer Jerry Garcia), Dave Mathews, and Bob Dylan are some of the main attractions. I was there for one sole purpose: to see Ween. The experience was invigorating, extremely tiring, and three plus hours long. I was amazed, excited, asleep, drunk, and probably a few other things during their extremely long set. Even though … Read more
The Dillinger Escape Plan (DEP) certainly have been enjoying the good life since releasing their last full-length, Calculating Infinity, back … Read more
I want to bash the Killer's debut Hot Fuss so much. The press sets them up easily for a beating; … Read more
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When listening to a band you’ve never heard of, it’s a lot easier to make all those “sounds like” comments. Whether that’s why I think Western Settings sounds so much like some familiar favorites, or if that’s because they really do, well, that’s maybe beside the point anyway. It’s punk rock, man. There’s supposed to be a touch of derivation in it.When I listen to Yes It Is, there’s a solid, familiar backbone to it. It’s melodic but heavy, with Iron Chic-esque soaring vocals, RVIVR-style sing-alongs, and Hot Water Music gruff vocal cues complemented by rhythmic guitars. Throw it all in a blender and drink it down.Smooth.Er, I apologize for that analogy too. The point is that Western Settings may show their influence, but it comes from some of the … Read more
Yo, this CD title sucks. It doesn't even really make sense. Also, fuck the packaging. It's not the average size of a jewel case, so it won't fit on my CD shelf. I have around five hundred cds, and they are taking up three full shelves on a good-sized bookcase, but next to those three shelves are a small pile … Read more
Some would call Zao the musical embodiment of a soap opera. Even in their early years, they went through two lead vocalists and countless other band members. Their defining moments, however, were when vocalist Dan Weyandt entered the band and recorded Where Blood & Fire Bring Rest, Liberate Te Ex Inferis, Self-Titled, and Parade of Chaos. The drama didn't end … Read more
Back in the late nineties a handful of bands like Shai Hulud and Poison the Well began blending technical metalcore with more melodic, Midwest-style emo, building a sound that for the time was pretty innovative. After gaining a large amount of popularity, newer bands began emulating this style and making it more and more watered down. These are bands like … Read more
I love Ryan Adams - in a musical way. When I heard that Ryan Adams's partner in crime, Jesse Malin, was releasing a second album, I was excited. They are not only cohorts in the Finger (shh...they don't want you to know), but they also share the same roots. Boy falls in love with the punk scene, but then matures … Read more
While to some, hardcore is a type of pornography that involves penetration and giraffes, for others it's a style of music, even a lifestyle. When punk and hardcore were originally birthed, they were fast, radical, aggressive, and socially conscious forms of expression. Twenty-odd years later, punk and hardcore have all but lost their edge. For one, neither is all that … Read more
LKN is the side project of Laura K. Newman, who could previously be found playing in the Pensacola, Florida act, Stellamarie. This is her second full length under the LKN moniker and with it, she pulls out all the stops to see that she gets noticed. This album was recorded in several different studios with different gear setups, which detracts … Read more
Remember those spelling/definition tests that you had to take in grade school? You know, the ones where they ask you to give the definition of a word or use it in a sentence. I always loved those, maybe because I thought they were so easy. Okay, term one: "irony." - "Michael, an individual who is not straightedge, enjoys countless bands … Read more
The West Coast seems to have an air of a free spirit that allows songwriters to write various types of music there. About two years ago, I started listening to several California pop bands including Phantom Planet (pre-garage-band-wannabe stage), Rooney, the Like, the Waking Hours, Everybody Else, and Rilo Kiley for their great pop sensibilities. Melée is a pop band … Read more
Meshuggah is one of those bands that make me want to grow my hair out and head-bang for hours on end. When I was around the age of 11, I wanted nothing more than to sport some long flowing locks. Why? At the time, I was attending private school, so we had a fairly strict dress code, one that included … Read more
have the toughest time reviewing material from young bands. For some reason, I feel that just because the band is young, they should have some sort of handicap in terms of review score and such. But on the other hand, if you're this young and this unprepared, you shouldn't be putting out something that is going to sound as immature … Read more
Apparently the title of Les Georges Leningrad's latest translates to "Two Hot Dogs Mustard Cabbage." Whatever. I don't actually own this record. I downloaded it, and for some reason, the titles are different than what how the group's website lists them. I don't feel shame for downloading, but I'd like to state that I do regret not having this on … Read more
For this review I plan on writing about three things: The New Pornographers, summer, and my last week of school (specifically a History of Macroeconomics final). So, for those of you who just want a quick little review, here it is: A.C. (wait, actually, it's Carl, but that's not the point) Newman's debut solo effort The Slow Wonder is a … Read more
Within the world of science there exist certain absolutes that are ever-present and unchanging. While most of these laws are complex to the nth degree, even even the most common simpleton can understand a few of them. For example, the majority of the population knows that no matter how hard you try, oil and water will never mix. Similarly, with … Read more
I'm not going to lie. I first heard this band from one of those Myspace features, and I'm rather glad I did. I was interested in what this band sounded like after I saw their record cover, which displays a discerning-looking panda bear soaking in blood with human body parts in its mouth. Well all right! The sticker on the … Read more
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