I have to admit that some of these bands never really appealed to me. So why am I writing about them? Everyone has room for opportunity to improve. With some of my core genres starting to really be monotonous and repetitious, I tend to look for inspiration and influence from other genres. In the past few years, this has led me to blues, jazz, classical. And as knowledgeable as I may come across (depending on who you talk to) I even need help finding music sometimes. I rely on readers, friends and family to hook me up with new tunes all the time.
That being said, I am looking forward to spinning these albums during the week and seeing what everyone else sees in their music (currently listening to The Kindred as I type this). So be a good sport and pick up and album or two. If not the record store for your fear of over stimulation, then hot up an online retailer or another legal source to buy them. Cheers!
(Silversun Pickups -The Singles Collection)
Ambitious and anthemic, tracks like "Panic Switch" and "Lazy Eye" have proven indelible classics, a guarantee of rare danger and invention amidst the anodyne dross of much contemporary rock. What's more, the indefatigable quartet have made it their mission to bring their unique music to the people, touring the planet nearly non-stop to reach a devoted and ever-growing international fan following. Now, as they prepare to embark on their next creative voyage, Silversun Pickups pause for a last look back at the musical milestones that have marked their journey thus far. -Contact Music
(Beck - Morning Phase)
Fittingly, Morning Phase serves as the artist's wake-up call to himself. The album plays out much like a vivid Kinetoscope, offering shimmering vignettes of a bleary-eyed, sandpaper-voiced Beck as he emerges from a six-year hiatus.
Morning Phase isn't Beck's best album, nor does it eclipse the pathos he so artfully channeled on Sea Change. There's an unfinished, first-chapter quality here, a structure building toward some as-yet-unheard climax that, as Beck has hinted publicly, suggests there's a line of other projects waiting in the wings. Even if fragmented, however, Morning Phase stands tall in comparison to Beck's larger catalogue, something that could not be said of his last few albums. -Slant Magazine
(The Fray - Helios)
As much as they try to fuse styles on their latest album, there are a few tracks on here that maintain the classic The Fray sound, going for a moodier vibe. “Keep On Wanting” taps into their inspirational side against a solid pop/rock sound, one of my favorites of the bunch. There is also “Shadow And A Dancer” and “Same As You”, the two closing songs, which also happen to be the longest. “Shadow” channels an early Peter Gabriel sound, while chronicling the ups and downs of an unexpected relationship: “The summer thrill is gone/But we’ve never been so in love.” “Same” finds itself on an echo-driven, almost spacey kind of ground, far different from anything else on here. -Pop Goes The Charts
(Twin Forks - LP)
Carrabba has said that this is exactly the kind of music he wants to make right now, that as he’s gotten older he’s returning to more of his musical roots. The album’s 12 songs, including the five from the EP, hit that note in each and every song. One of the real stand-out elements of the album is the background vocals and effects. Between the backing vocals from Suzie Zeldin - who sounds like a mix of Lelia Broussard and Lily Claire (Lily and the Parlor Tricks) - and the other audio fills, each song is incredibly rich and complex and sets Twin Forks apart from other acts today. -Emo At Heart
(Drive-By Truckers - English Oceans)
All in all, should you need reminding, it’s a pleasant reminder of how effective mainstream rock music always has been: Drive-By Truckers write hooks that could stay in your head for months. However, there’s got to come a time where they realize that there’s more to music than the sound they’re making, and they have the capability and artistic freedom to do so much more than this. Basically, this is the sound of a band happy to be coasting, which can be a chore to listen to. -Music OMH
(The Kindred - Life In Lucidity)
Right off the bat, it’s brilliantly clear that the main strength and driving force behind this ensemble is frontman Dave Journeaux. From the first word, through numerable high notes executed perfectly and lurid byways, Dave’s voice is simply unique. He can be compared to several big names, but it’s unneeded. Dave possesses a certain quality that is intriguing; he sounds pained but excited, motivated by some hurt, to take on the world. The result is disturbing and intriguing.
Let’s address this duality directly, for it lies at the heart of Life in Lucidity. The album draws its life-blood from two main sounds: fast and heavy breakdown riffs more in tune with the rest of Sumerian Record’s track record and a bluesy, organ-tinged, melancholy. The first can be heard vividly on ‘Everbound’, containing an anchoring riff coupled with solid cymbal work to create a heavy feeling that suffuses the entire song. -Heavy Blog Is Heavy
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