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Friday, July 31, 2015

American Authors Script A Tune That's Decidedly One Note

Is the trend right now among young bands to comment on how short life is? Not exactly new news. American Authors throw in their two cents worth, albeit to a rollicking clap along sound. The drums are put to fine use here. Vocally you know these guys are speaking from an earnest place. The window dressing is stylish but I wish we could get material that hasn't been beaten twelve feet under. I admire the video which radiates light, adventure, and imagination. You want to go on an adventure with the guys. Thankfully "Go Big Or Go Home" doesn't take much time to get to its well-traveled point. Making more with less certainly benefits the foursome. Zac Barnett has a crystal clear vocal range. All the better to play pied piper for the kindred spirits eager to walk the walk he's walking. James Adam Shelley plies a mean banjo, Buck Owens/Roy Clark Hee Haw band mean. But, returning to my original gist, we KNOW life is short. We KNOW the time to act is now. You can add as many layers of production values as you want. That's not going to successfully hide the notion we've been given the urgency of now message too many times to count. Health experts would frown on Zac's suggestion that he doesn't need sleep. He'll sleep when he's dead. They'd say you're pushing yourself closer to that by making such a caution to the wind statement. Whiskey Zach? Why sure. That's excellent fuel for what trouble Zach's looking to get into. Life boils down to a giant roll of the dice for him. Such is the way Lady Luck rides. Since musicianship surely is the high selling point here I can tell you the pieces make for a pleasing whole. The musicians have synchronicity down pat. If only the material weren't sound alike. The video showcases a playful side to the band, one you'd love to get a larger glimpse of. "Go Big Or Go Home" sits small in the saddle and adds nothing huge to the conversation we haven't been privy to before. Matt Sanchez drums with authority. Dave Rublin booms on bass. American Authors would do themselves a service by trying out a different playbook.

Monday, July 27, 2015

Kaleo's First Selection More Wispy Than Pretty

It's nice to have a mellowed out Icelandic musical alternative to Bjork. She's bold, daring, and unafraid to mix it up with the paparazzi. Folksy foursome Kaleo don't ask much of its audience if opening single "All The Pretty Girls" is any indication. Are the kids irritable during the road trip? If you slip this into their iPods they might surprise you and peace out for a spell. To add to that this video's delicate unfolding isn't too hard on the eyes either. Wave after wave of billowing musical cloud gazing. The lyrics put meat on the bones. That's saying much of what the overall harmonies aren't. "All The Pretty Girls" has a wispy texture to it that doesn't linger long in the brain pan. If that was Kaleo's goal then mission accomplished. Folk isn't supposed to command the migraines common to heavy metal in its various genres and sub-genres. The '70s made its living off of gentle melodies crafted by tunesmiths like John Denver and The Carpenters. Kaleo warrants a thank you for allowing us to catch our collective breath after digesting the crazy stylings of Bjork and her Vulnicura opus. That's one dark undertaking that only she could have made palatable. But, steering back to Kaleo. Songs that allow the flyer or driving miles to soar past has its place. Trouble is we must ask ourselves, "Will this song be talked about five years down the road. I know that's a tad harsh given Jokull Juliusson, David Antonsson, Daniel AEgir Kristjansson, and Rubin Pollock are newbies to the scene. They came into consciousness in 2012. The four need time to garner a reputation, street cred if you will. Theirs is a studio loft package painted in creamy, light strokes designed to tickle the cranium instead of add to the hubbub. Kaleo gives us a protagonist named Samuel. He's turned backwards by the unfair life he's grappling with. Girls like him though, so all can't be tumultuous in his world. Turns out he's waiting for them to get older so he can sweep them off their feet. It's nice to have a plan in mind, whether it comes to fruition or not. How coquettish they are. Nobody's lending him a helping hand. He tries and tries to declare his intentions but it gets harder and harder. The man wants one of them to lay him down. No translation necessary here. Gliding figures can be very attractive. Take ice skaters or dancers for example. Watching their well rehearsed yet seemingly effortless movement gives their performance the exquisite transcendence Olympic dreams are made of. "All The Pretty Girls" glides in that roll-on deodorant gentle touch up way. For unwinding after a brutal corporate merger this song can relocate your centered place. As a statement beyond audio window dressing I'm not confident a strong shelf life awaits. Jokull, the vocalist of the bunch contentedly stays rooted in the upper register. "All The Pretty Things" amounts to a pretty lullaby. Kaleo needs to bring more to the table if prolonged success in the industry is a goal.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Kelly Clarkson Draws From The Empowered Woman Well...Again

Let me start off by saying I have no problem whatsoever with women being strong, independent, wearer of the pants in the family, etc...That message always will have a listening ear where I'm concerned. However, Texas native Kelly Clarkson is trying my patience on a number of levels. In the early 2000s I took to "Since U Been Gone" like a duck to water. Had an impressive beat and excellent vocal chops. She continued in the empowerment vein with Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You). Easy to get into a lather there. Propulsive beat and Kelly out in front leading the charge with a no holes barred approach. Here we are in 2015 and Kelly, once again, wants to share with us how unafraid she is, how she's blossomed into a bona fide world beater. I don't care how much high drama you put into the accompanying video. We're treading familiar terrain and now she's behaving like the party guest who doesn't know when to leave. Lots of folks unleashing their inner "hear me roar" Wait a second. Didn't Katy Perry do the whole "I am woman, hear me roar thing not too long ago? To be frank the video looks pretty cheesy. Not that it's horrific cheesy. Just not the kind of thing that would convince me to sashay into a crime riddled area and start cleaning house. Conviction has never been Kelly's problem. Versatility's in Kelly's bag of tricks, too. I thought "Because Of You" was a heart wrenching ballad touching on what the harshness of one man can do to a tender sweet young thing's psyche. "Invincible" does so much chest beating it's a wonder Kelly's rib cage isn't throbbing in agony. I'll send the get well soon card if it helps. The lady doth play on her inner warrior too much. She's awash in how no one hears silent tears. She can take it world, so give her your worst. Beat down on her like a waterfall because freedom is within her grasp. She's lost the scared little girl persona. Can't you sense those balled up little fists of hers vowing she can make it work? Since her American Idol beginnings Kelly's career has been hotter than a gig in Satan's steamiest underworld. "Invincible" probably won't scream career extender and that's due in no small measure to the truism that she needs to either buy a different bag of tricks or refine the bag she's functioning with. Hell, Kelly went aerobic workout for "Heartbeat Song". That proves the woman could potentially have a few of that brand of music in her arsenal. When you try vehemently, over and over to convince your audience how tough you are, what that suggests is you're really trying to convince yourself above all else. At this stage in her career I doubt there's much for her to prove. If you're so inclined, track down this track on the brand new "Piece By Piece" effort. From this blogger's vantage point "Invincible" is far from that. Bolstering up her vocal material would go a long way towards a nifty patch job.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Red Sun Rising Shows Off Its Hard Edged "Side"

Akron, Ohio, home to rubber (think Goodyear). It claims hard rocking foursome Red Sun Rising as brethren as well. Piercing licks jump off this foursome like sweat jumps off of a pumped up aerobics class. Ryan Williams and Tyler Valendza tag team to ignite some pretty hellacious hooks, and I say that as flatteringly as possible. Red Sun Rising knows it's perfecting maximizing the moments with "The Otherside", a ditty asking us all what does falling from grace really mean when we end up on the other side of life anyway. Kind of flies in the face of a notion that a life left unexamined really isn't much of a life at all. You couldn't ask for drumming any more compact and making the most of the beats allotted than Pat Gerasia does. The mood he concocts matches the super intense subject matter. He doesn't whistle past the boneyard and we know those prickly heats aren't too far away from turning into a stark reality. Ricky Miller gets the festivities started the right way with a super dark contained bass riff. That alone tells you you're not likely to be lifted from the malaise you want refuge from. Vocalist Mike Protich can be clearly heard above the din but he holds back so as to allow the entire Red Sun Rising package to be judged as a unit rather than as a vocalist commanding supporting cogs. The cool riff shifting at the bridge fits ideally with the chord directions throughout this effort. The elasticity lifts "The Otherside" to heights that couldn't be reached if Mike and crew simply stared at their navels bellyaching about how futile their existences are. If you're looking for chords that tend to veer towards minor, icicle creating dirges you'd be better served going for Slipknot's "Killpop". Red Sun Rising never quite leaps off that cliff. It's all about how much zip can you get from a song that's in no hurry to let you up from its murky depths. I'd say Red Sun Rising's chorus stays in psychologically probing territory yet Mike sings as a man trying, in vain maybe but that's for you guys to conclude for yourselves, to come to grips with Life, as most of us do with varying degrees of success. I do admit that I don't think any of us ever really has adulthood figured out. We all try to put enough of the right moves together to craft a life we can live with, occasionally popping up to live with style, grace and, dare I say it, some readily available humor. "The Otherside", as it stands now, demonstrates how Red Sun Rising ably magnifies emotional minefields. This isn't funeral pyre resignation by any means. Heavy is the head, but the burden not so awful that keep on keeping on isn't rendered impossible. Akron can be proud rock and rubber go hand in hand and don't skimp on the lightly salted gusto.

Friday, July 17, 2015

The Struts Get Their Anthem On

Breathe in the oxygen "Could Have Been Me", the how do you do first single from Derby, England's The Struts generates. There isn't any overly deep academically deep minutiae to wade through. You're not left needing to take a shower because you've absorbed something hideously unclean. Lead singer Luke Spiller, backed by compatriot Adam Slack, cuts to the meat of the matter without skipping a beat. His world is about cashing in on the opportunities while they're around. Why be a coulda, woulda, shoulda dude when you can give destiny a nudge in the direction that gives you the most pleasure. I can't help but side with his claim that the bad die last. Billy Joel as much as hammered that concept home decades ago in "Only The Good Die Young". The anthem fires on multiple cylinders because the harmonies are subdued enough so you appreciate the relative urgency with which Luke sings. He's got about as much use for other people's regrets as a bald man has for a comb. Turning to the other components, Gethin Davies drums in full possession of well-deserved confidence. The bounce shuns overaggressive posturing and, in a surprise twist, that makes "Could Have Been Me" supremely call to arms charming. Bass tradesman Jed Elliott allows Luke to stand on his comfortably wide shoulders for a lengthy flight into the stratosphere of what classic old school fist pump made new again should sound like. Much attention gets turned to how crucial it is not to waste energy on undeserving sources. Luke has his sights set on better days and wishes to maximize the gorgeous parts whenever possible. His showmanship draws comparisons to Freddie Mercury, which is by no means bad company to share glory with. The video clip substantiates that claim beyond reasonable doubt. Queen's influence casts a mighty inescapable shadow but, not that anyone minds in the slightest. To hear Luke sum things up there's nothing worse than exiting this life as an unsung hero. I've heard you wouldn't want the song still inside you when you go. "Could Have Been Me" sings out loud and proud. The set up isn't muddled machismo. You can walk hand in hand with Luke knowing contentment on any level is what you're both seeking. The Struts succeed in planting the first of what could be many overtures to greatness in our collective consciousness.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Trust Me, Rob Thomas Took a Backward Step This Time

Any artist can have a period where he or she puts out less than stellar material. The sophomore jinx affects musicians of all stripes. Yes Rob Thomas, you don't get a pass in this department either. Rob has shown impeccable taste in studio musicians. His ensemble for "Lonely No More" made that 2005 nugget the flavorful nugget it turned out to be. It never failed to keep the boredom blahs at bay. His latest, "Trust You" comes from his upcoming "The Great Unknown" album. What I do know is that this song borrows shamelessly from the little black book of so many current male singers you have to laugh or you'll cry. Rob's a smart guy. He knew what he was doing when he brought "Trust You" to the marketplace. For my money Rob sounds like his copping a hip shaking height of the mirth party along the lines of something Rob Sheehan might have added to his recent album. Or Robin Thicke's lips could have found their way to the cresting sex appeal. Rob Thomas the man composes himself like the boy next door you'd love to chat with over a few lagers. "Trust You" the song deserves to be sent in a cab with hardly a passing goodbye to commemorate the occasion. An A-chord mindset swoops in and shanghais whatever loin arousing pleasure there is to be gleaned. The video's artsy to an almost pretentious point. Experimentation isn't objectionable but did we really need a Crayola commercial gone haywire. Had that color scheme been evident in "Trust You" I'd be nicer in my summary. Do you guys sort of roll your eyes at concert performers who stay firmly planted in one spot during the entire show? That's what "Trust You" sounds like. One amplified A-chord that even Rob's affable stage presence can't make any more enticing than it is. I miss the Rob from "Her Diamonds" from the "Cradleongs" release. That effort had heft, an emotional weight that made you want to sit down with it and try your best to reassure it. "Trust You" borrows from hard rock's tits and ass side of the wading pool. How corny can you get with "It's on like Revlon." The free ad must make Revlon's corporate bigwigs smile with whiter than white gleaming. Vanity becomes "I check my hair, but I don't know what it's for." If there was any way to paint a more flattering picture of Rob this go round I would. It took some time to warm up to matchbox twenty but "Mad Season" finally did the trick. If "Trust You" is any indication of what the rest of "The Great Unknown" is fixing to sound like then, trust me, Rob's not bringing his A game.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Shinedown Strikes a Vicious Chord In Its Return To the Rock Arena

Florida's Shinedown can be held responsible for producing music that sounds incredible booming from large stadiums. You'd need that air space to allow guitarist Jasin Todd's burly playing to reach maximum intensity. "Cut The Cord" follows in the electrifying crank it to the rafters work ethic. This outing the guys follow one chord in whatever fang heightened trajectory it might choose to go in. "Cut The Cord" demonstrates Shinedown does stripped down rock and soundtrack worthy epics like "Diamond Eyes" equally well. I have to admit the words leave me in a hard to escape haze. Firstly "freedom" plays an integral role in the group chanting. Secondly head tonsil flasher Brent Smith goes on and on about himself at great length. Exhibit A? "Let me tell you, I'm vicious, not pass-aggressive." Exhibit B? "I'm gonna make it rain, so ring the bell." How very talented of him. Much space gets lent to out and out self-analysis in this vein. What to make of "Now victory is all you need. So cultivate and plant the seed. Hold your breath and count to ten, just count to ten." Not much on the deep meaning tip. That's to the advantage of Shinedown die-hards who, I'm guessing aren't craving much deep thinking with their indescribably stout Florida fist waving. Mission accomplished from the band's end. "Diamond Eyes" gave us chord shifting variation. You could easily say it was highly textured, multi-dimensional guilty pleasure of the highest caliber. "Cut The Cord" gives the faithful exactly what they hunger for. I advise you bring a hefty napkin because Shinedown ladles out goodness in massive quantities. Barry Kerch knows his drums very well. His sticks possess a potency few in his league can match. That transfers very well to this song. You won't hear him skittering about like a demon possessed. Carefully calibrated vim and vigor pushes him along to remarkable effect. Zach Myers has the skills to make his guitar take on a resoundingly in your face life of its own. Looking at the back catalog I take pleasure in observing how different "Cut The Chord" sounds in the eardrums compared to, say, "If You Only Knew". Finesse ruled the mixing boards there. "Cut The Cord" chucks finesse out the window in favor of macho aggressive sing along choral refrain mixed in with Brent striking any bombastic verbal pose he can come up with. I'm not disappointed Shinedown didn't get hyper creative in chord selection. There are instances where a quality burger beats filet mignon. "Cut The Cord" tastes like pure sirloin to me. The cut sticks to your ribs which signals great news to anyone wanting to emphatically get their aggression out.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

The Disturbed Pours Out Vengeance In An Ice Cold Glass

The Disturbed isn't a band known to do anything half way. I remember "Liberate" well. There's no end to the chills that effort gave me. It feasted on rapid fire guitar licks and drumming slapping you around like a battering ram that hasn't found its limits yet. The brand new "The Vengeful One" has that chilling ethos running wild too. Only in this case the Illinois tribe gets teeth on edge by adopting a deliberate punishing crunching merciless tack. Vocalist David Draiman goes a few steps beyond growling. There aren't cookie monster effects to be had but you'd better believe his intensity borders on outright maniacal. Lyrics pull back the curtain to show David stepping into the shoes of unsympathetic vengeance. A world schooled in forgive and forget, at least in this parallel dimension lacks that redemption buying quality. The tormentors laugh heartlessly. Degradation has yanked on the throttle. Judgment Day rears its pulse halting head. Dan Donegan lets his guitar do all the justice dispensing one could ever hope for. It's a venomous little toy that's been yanked up to the nth degree in the name of being the soundtrack to what's likely to be many a nightmare. Mike Wengren makes chaos rise from the drum kit in such fashion that no mere quivering mortal could produce them. Bassist John Moyer keys up a similarly vicious attitude to white knuckle ride effect. When David utters his doomsday tale Dan's guitar matches the man snarl for snarl. David's pipes leap from blood curdling note to blood curdling note. Dan follows this unhinged so and so wherever the decimation leads. In verse two the Messiah emerges from the rubble to make we the people take note of what filthy folk we are becoming. You couldn't draw a clearer picture of what's eating Dan if you tried. The media televises Man at his darkest, most loathsome low point. War assumes the center ring and the media makes its bread and butter through the media circus that bubbles from the froth. It's not the stuff you'd want very young impressionable guys exposed to. Does the video give you heebie jeebies? Cool, then you;ve git functioning pulses. My sincere congrats to everybody. There's much over the top vivid breakdown of the human societal glue here. Again, "The Vengeful One" links the video in sync with the song amazingly. It's blessed (or cursed depending on your faith leanings) with cartoon styled overblown evil. But on to the music itself. At no juncture does the song speed through the anguish. Au contraire, each migraine inducing episode receives the maximum gut punch touch. The Disturbed gave itself the perfect moniker. It's out to disturb, and disturb mightily it does. "The Vengeful One" isn't for the faint of heart. If you like your metal armed for bear that's the best news around.

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Janelle Monae Gravitates Towards a Smoking Hot Yoga Pose

Of the numerous starlets dotting the contemporary music landscape Janelle Monae knows how to capture her audience's attention better than anyone. She isn't draped in over the top stage theatrics like Lady Gaga. She doesn't stop at a convenient girl next door level like Katy Perry. She's laser precise vocally. Her guest shot on .fun's "We Are Young" lent a needed psychological boost to a number that could've easily fallen into the disposable hipster category before anyone knew what hit them. Her new "Yoga" makes mountain pose worth the effort exerted. Of course we couldn't do without the slightly unsettling hip hop b-boy mantra repeating of the song title. We'd forget what time frame we're occupying. Luckily that takes only hugely small shelf space. "Yoga" revels in the festive posture. Imagine it's the wee hours. You need electrified libation and fast. The barkeep has cut you off. You're about as ripe as could be under reasonable extent of the law. What to do? "Yoga" brings the goods needed to give you first crack at fifth gear. Sex appeal carries substantial weight. Plenty of that can be found in the deliberate pacing. Foreplay bringing an uninhibited nibble to your sensitive spots. Janelle cavorts within her rebellious personality. You get this sense it's impossible to be any more comfortable in her skin than she is. Jidenna contributes the masculinity element. To our relief he doesn't hijack the proceedings. It's not uncommon for artists to locale drop the many gorgeous places they've visited over their histories. Although not particularly high on many people's must see lists Atlanta, home to CNN and World of Coke, gets its chance to snatch some spotlight minutes. Also not an isolated incident an artists details what her cocktail glass contains. Janelle's spirit of choice is Killepitsch as she and Brittany (not sure if it's the Spears persuasion or what) paint the towns whatever color tickles their fancies. Janelle's tells tale that her ducats came from yoga. Maybe not of the type you'd glean from any traditional book but effective nonetheless. Janelle does casual listeners a favor by leaving out no detail which impedes the visual feast for the libido. Much bending over is referred to. Cue the prolonged sweating in pleasure. Fear not practitioners and followers, a yoga pose does creep its way into the lyric sheet. Come to think of it creeping inchworm style primarily makes this song the almost taboo leaning guilty pleasure it becomes but, back to the brass tacks before us. Yoga enthusiasts clearly recognize downward dog. Back when I practiced it I was fairly good at the firm back inverted V. A little credibility never hurt any artist. Janelle smartly mentions part of the discipline while getting us all hot and sweaty. The chorus leaps ever so steadily out from behind the thicket, warning us to get ready for the top of the morning revelry set to explode. Not only is Janelle's voice soulful, its owner guides it well. Vocal coaches know control and care of your instrument is key to getting the most out of it. Control and care also makes for the best possible yoga experience. "Yoga" ushers namaste into the center ring to convincing effect. This is one pose that's well worth striking.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Beck Dreams Up a Beauty Meant For Dancing

Watching Beck at the various stages of his still flourishing career is akin to observing a mad chemist play around in the lab, outdoing himself with each spell he casts. "Odelay" got him critical love. "Guero" was its little brother/sequel. "Loser", the ditty that got folks curious about what he had to offer from the jump, fit the slacker vibe of that age delectably. Beck knows how to get toes tapping, but I think his brand new "Dreams" comes about as close as he's likely ever going to get to producing a mainstream ready piece. It's got the playfulness not uncommon in "Odelay" songs like "The New Pollution". Of course that whole collection tasted spectacular to any music lover raised on a steady diet of '70s groove. Beck's one man band aesthetic bursts through the dark veils of the here and now. Previous generations might liken "Dreams" to a hurdy gurdy machine gone psycho. It's apt commentary. Beck never meant a creative collage he couldn't warm up to. Lyrically he's loose as the dickens. His party hour come hithers reach ultimate fruition through the joyful words he utters. Wouldn't you love to see him revive an '80s era aerobics class using this unchained creation as the basis for liftoff. Up front he lures us out of the dream state we were captive to. Not that he shies away from mysterious elements. Maybe that's the side of the street Christian Science monitor walks on. Who can tell. In the last line of the first stanza Senor Hansen gifts us with the spookiest of scenarios. "Get a dog and pony for a judgment day." We live in a dog and pony show world to be sure. There's much excitement for feminine flesh in the chorus. This temptress is making him high. He wants to be free, or so the story seems to go. A dream's powers of temporary escapism come to light in "When nothing's right just close your eyes close your eyes and you're gone. That dream ship isn't jovial some of the time I can tell you from experience. Beck's boiling on the stove bounce makes the voyage worth the inherent risk. The dream universe belongs to Beck. No one can reach him there. Serenity, elusive serenity beats a path to his door. In the musical realm certain artists have been blessed with enough creative synergy to fill two craniums. Peter Gabriel answers to that charge in my book. Beck's cleaned up really nice since "Loser". That song got on my nerves at the time. It still makes me shrug my shoulders in full on whatever mode. "Dreams" satisfies with the celebratory explosiveness Beck has clothed in '70s retro in decades past. You'll loathe waking up from this somnambulist's paradise.