Unlimited Music

Before I start this review, I should confess that I am a huge Jimmy Eat World fan. In fact, it would be fair to say that they are my favorite band. That said, it is fair to accuse me of slight bias with regards to this post.

When I first heard this CD, I initially felt disappointed. “Bleed American,” the single, was one of my favorite radio songs at the moment, but the CD as a whole bore no resemblance to the album’s first single. Unlike “Bleed American,” the majority of Bleed American was full of slow and upbeat songs. Thus I shelved the Jimmy release for a few months, occasionally popping it in to hear the one song I liked, for a few months.

It wasn’t until some time later that I discovered my mistake. Just because songs like “A Praise Chorus” and “Sweetness” were different, didn’t necessarily mean they were bad. Quite the opposite, in fact, was true. J.E.W. quickly proved to me, as I finally gave the entire album a listen, that their true calling were the slower and upbeat songs that turned me away from the band before. Songs that were, no doubt, used as cheering-up mechanisms for thousands around the country. A sound that, no doubt, would be embraced by teenagers everywhere in no time.

Every song on Bleed American is excellent. Some may take time to grow on you, as they did with me, but give it enough time and you’ll love “The Authority Song” as much as you enjoy “The Middle.” Even more impressive is the band’s willingness to reach away from their comfort zone, with darker songs such as the aforementioned “Bleed American” and “Get It Faster.” The band didn’t need to create these tracks, but they did. And I’m a big fan of bands who experiment with other genres and music styles.

Overall, this is a terrific CD. If you still think I’m biased, check it out for yourself.

Grade - A - One of my favorite listens of all time.

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It wasn’t long ago when a person who wanted to strum out the chords of his favorite band’s classic hit had to buy a guitar and learn the arduous instrument himself. These days, however, more and more people are turning to video games to get their fix of playing music.

In 2005, video game publisher RedOctane came out with a simple game named Guitar Hero. Using five color-coded keys and classic rock wonders like Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” and The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated,” the game was a massive hit. Those who played the game could succeed at achieving high levels of play without having to go through the extremely difficult learning process of mastering a guitar.

Now, a few years later, the video game industry continues to revolutionize the musical genre onto their video game consoles. Two games, Guitar Hero 3 and Rock Band, should key the next step in this process. Guitar Hero 3 continues a line of successful games that focus only on the title instrument. The third installment is noteworthy, as it is the first that will offer additional song downloads off of online stores for X-Box owners. One would think in the future, just about any song created could be translated for gameplay.

The latter game, Rock Band, is far more noteworthy as it brings in an element that Guitar Hero has always lacked; other instruments. That’s right, Rock Band will allow players to get a bassist and a drummer and even a lead singer who can all play cooperatively against each other. Most exciting of all is that Rock Band’s producers have promised that full albums of big-name bands will be posted for purchase regularly online.

Most posts on this blog relate to music reviews and news. For those who actually want to experience music in one way or another, however, investing in one of these video games is a great idea. Not only are these games fun, but they actually convince the player that he or she can actually play an instrument (even though they can’t.)

Just don’t go Joel Zumaya on the game…moderation is always a good thing.

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I’m a big fan of international rock bands. Everyone knows about the mainstream American wonder bands of the present day, but for some reason artists who originate from Canada, Britain, or somewhere else in the world often get overlooked. Thats why I felt the need to bemoan the lack of reception Muse has gotten a few days ago. And thats why today I will be reviewing the 2005 album Pushing the Senses by Feeder.

Feeder, for those who are not familiar, are a band that was formed in South Wales. They feature both Welsh and Japanese, the bassist hails from Japan, roots. Their music, however, sounds like something you would expect to find on American radio. Pushing the Senses is an emotionally-driven release that will sometimes need time to be absorbed before continuing through it. Feeder is a band that excels in singing about the sadder and slower moments in life. They experienced first-hand sorrow when their original drummer committed suicide before their fourth studio album was released.

Pushing the Senses features a variety of different tunes. The first single off the CD, “Feeling A Moment,” can also be seen as one of the best songs off the CD. The song uses wailing background vocals mixed with a interlacing chorus and comes off wonderfully in the end. Other good hits include the album’s title track and “Tender.”

Of course, as mentioned before, the majority of the tracks on this CD tend to be downtrodden, making it hard to listen to Feeder all the time. There are not many songs for traditional rock fans looking to hear about fun, girls, and partying. That being said, there are moments, and you know which ones I am referring to, when everyone needs quiet and somewhat sad music to listed to. For that reason, Pushing the Senses, as well as Feeder’s last CD Comfort in Sound, are good additions to a music library.

Grade - B+ - A solid listen all around but not something that can be on at all times because of the tone.

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Before Foo Fighters were formed as a band, Dave Grohl, as most people know, was the drummer for Nirvana. During his tenure with the famous band, Grohl often found himself writing songs of his own. These songs, however, were never used by Kurt Cobain, as Grohl feared being ostracized for doing another band mate’s job.

But the song ideas were not scrapped. Instead, Grohl kept them and formed a new band, Foo Fighters, based on his creative music. Five studio albums and twelve years later, Dave Grohl’s side project has turned out to be just as successful as his old band. All five of their released albums have been certified either Platinum or 2x Platinum. Thus it should come as no surprise that the Foo Fighters are on the brink of releasing their sixth CD, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace.

Although this new album is scheduled for release on September 25th, 2007, little has been known about the band’s new tracks for quite a while. That is, until now. Just recently, the first single off Echoes was released to the general public through radio and other means. “The Pretender” has been an instant hit with Foo Fighter fans, as it keeps the band’s style and inventive lyrics intact. This song can be found just about anywhere on the internet and has been getting heavy play on the airwaves for the past week.

Long term success is never easy to achieve for bands. Especially not in the music industry today. People want bands to mature and change over time by experimenting with different music styles and genres. At the same time, they don’t want their artists to drastically change all at once, forgetting what got them to the top. Throughout the twelve years they have been together, Foo Fighters has always been up to the challenge of releasing new music that is sure to please all of their fans. The recent release of “The Pretender” should assure these same fans that Dave Grohl and company haven’t lost a beat.

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Although Black Holes and Revelations has spawned several singles since release last year, such as “Knights of Cydonia,” “Starlight,” and “Supermassive Black Hole,” Muse still remains a widely under-appreciated band in America. There aren’t too many better bands out there and the truth of the matter is that Black Holes and Revelations was good enough of a release to be considered the best of last year.

The first thing that will pop out to listeners about Black Holes is the wide variety of music to listen to. There isn’t a single song that sounds like a repeat effort of another track. The aforementioned “Knights of Cydonia,” also the first single off, features wacky and outlandish sound effects mixed with a hypnotizing guitar melody. The first minute or so of the song demands repeat listening. On the other end of the spectrum, “Starlight” mixes a lighter tune with powerful lyrics to create one of the best songs in recent memory. And “Supermassive Black Hole” employs a talk box to absolute perfection.

And that’s just scratching the surface. There are plenty of good songs outside of the singles released for the radio. Muse has always been on the cusp of greatness and this CD is the one that should push them over the top. The sheer confidence and creativity shown in their lyrics and music styles from song to song is enough to make this a must-have for fans of the rock genre. Black Holes and Revelations never lets up, its an excellent listen from start to finish that demands multiple replays. Its a CD that is full of songs that will be stuck in your head for the next couple of weeks.

In short…its a CD you need to have.

Grade - A+ - What more is there to say? Get it ASAP!

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When first listening to the 2005 CD by the All-American Rejects, a listener is tempted to do just as the album asks him or her to do. Listen to the title track and “move along.” But after further samplings, many will find that the album goes far deeper than just one single and has plenty of tracks to get hooked on.

One cannot review this CD without first, however, heaping praise onto the aforementioned title song, “Move Along.” Everything works. From the perfect piano solo in the middle of the song to the message-sending tracks to the unbelievably awesome music video. “Move Along” is the type of song a person wants to hear every time he or she goes out for a drive.

That being said, the CD Move Along does feature many other good tracks. The first single off the CD, “Dirty Little Secret,” is a good listen on its own right. The same can be said for the most recent radio hit, “It Ends Tonight.” Two good songs which don’t get much hype, however, are “Night Drive,” played in the last Madden game, and “Dance Inside.” “Night Drive” is one of the few songs on Move Along that goes away from the norm by using clapping and a different pitch of singing to create a catchy track. “Dance Inside” is the closest the album comes to repeating “Move Along,” but the song opts for a lighter and more heartfelt chorus than the upbeat one of the latter.

This CD is is not groundbreaking or revolutionary and it will never be considered best of anything. There is no question that Move Along will be remembered, in the long run, only for its best song and nothing else. But for those looking for fun music, there are other pretty good gems to be found on this CD. Certainly any fan of the band should check this album out before writing it off.

Grade - B- - As mentioned before, this CD will ultimately be forgotten in a few years…but for now its a good, light-hearted listen. I’d recommend checking some of the mentioned songs out.

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The 2004 release of Futures marked the arrival of Arizona-based band Jimmy Eat World. Although their previous album, first named Bleed American and then subsequently renamed as a self-titled CD, was a very good mix of tracks that received mostly positive press, Futures is the album that got the band into the national spotlight permanently. Now, after a somewhat long hiatus, Jim Adkins and his crew are finally ready to release their sixth studio album.

The new CD, named Chase This Light, has been given a release date of October 16th, 2007. The new release will be produced by Butch Vig, previously affiliated with Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, and should give J.E.W. fans a clear indication which direction the band is heading in for the future. Their historic success was based on emotional yet upbeat music that one could listen to over and over again. But all of their old CDs were also marked by some unusual, “different” songs like “Get it Faster” on Bleed American and “Pain” on Futures.

Will Chase This Light be more of the same lovable Jimmy Eat World? This fan of the band sure hopes so. Too many bands in the industry today, like the aforementioned Linkin Park, feel the need to immediately separate themselves from past identities. And while recreating an image works for some musicians, rushing this transformation can result in failure.

Thankfully, Jimmy Eat World seems to be on the right track with their new album. Many of the CD’s tracks are based off of lyrics and music Adkins wrote years ago. But we won’t know for sure what their new, or refurbished old, sound is like until the new CD is actually out. So circle October 16th on your calender and hope for the best, after all, Jimmy has always delivered in the past.

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Since their formation in 1996, Linkin Park has been one of the most unique bands in the nation. Their blend of screaming vocals with cool rapping was original and instantly appealing to millions of fans. Their first two CDs, Hybrid Theory and Meteora, were terrific listens from start to finish. Just about every song on both CDs succeeded in its own merits and had fans asking for more. Even their remix CD, suitably named Reanimation, and their cooperative effort with Jay-Z, Collision Course, were well produced, intelligent releases. With such expectations behind their third studio album, Linkin Park band members assured the public that this effort would be their best yet weeks before the CD came out.

Unfortunately, this promise wasn’t met, not by a long shot. The general premise behind Minutes to Midnight is that it would signal a shift in the traditional “Linkin Park style” and set a map for the future for the group. This was emphasized by the lack of traditional formula songs, featuring Chester Bennington screaming and Mike Shinoda rapping in between. While this departure from the normal can certainly be seen as bold, it simply did not work.

There probably isn’t a Linkin Park fan in the world who wanted to hear Mike Shinoda sing instead of rap. Or for Minutes to Midnight to be dominated by U2-style “issue” tracks and “Breaking the Habit” clones. It is clear that Linkin Park forgot the golden rule of not fixing something that isn’t broken. Just check out this interview here. Why are Bennington and co. so desperate to change their music style?

While their newest album is sure to sell well due to their fanbase and is far from terrible, it is monumentally disappointing. If the band wants to change their image and style, thats fine. No band can survive pumping out the same old over and over again. But make it a slow change, with a good transition in-between.

Grade - C+ - A pretty average CD overall with few memorable tracks and a huge letdown to long-time LP fans.

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