Fitz and the Tantrums Fool Around In a Fun Way

One thing's for sure. Fitz and the Tantrums know how to brighten up any day. "The Walker" was covered in humorous vibes, a fact made apparent by the accompanying music video. In the case of "Fool" keyboard fuels the hilarity. Big props to James King for making it all possible. Not much in the way of drumming courtesy of John Wickes but his relative absence doesn't need to be treated like a liability because much of your air space will be taken up laughing at how Michael Fitzpatrick's a total cut up in this video. So what's the band trying to get across here? Simply that mama didn't raise no fool. That mama has her eyes on vixens so they'd better not be giving Michael any trouble. "Fool" doesn't skimp on the levity at all. Sure the message may not be earth shattering but the conveyance sure is a breath of fresh air. Mike name drops Kanye West who needs the attention like I need a tongue ring. Mr. West warns Mike about women who sell men out. Of course Kanye regards himself as the resident expert on everything so I'd take his advice with a grain of salt. The second verse carries on the somewhat proud tradition of wagging the finger at women who look closely at the bank account of the man rather than the man himself. Eventually he kicks this self-serving bitch to the curb without even a backwards glance in the rear view mirror. Frankly, Joseph Karnes' bass guitar seems tacked on mostly as an afterthought. Nothing to worry about though. The ear to ear grin on your faces more than compensates for the laid back musical paintbrush approach. Also priceless is the video's shot of Michael crooning gleefully in a highly rich bubble bath, his onscreen mother not far from view. In the short time I've known Fitz and the Tantrums I've grown enamored of their cheeky sense of humor, and hope that continues to be a trend going forward. For my money "Fool" is one smartly constructed piece of whimsy.

Fall Out Boy Champions A Thirst For Rock Anthems

Fall Out Boy pulls no punches as it pertains to "Champion", the first single from its new "Mania" album. Patrick Stump belts out Rocky styled motivational tricks and, given the masculine make up of Fall Out Boy's core audience I'd say the tricks are highly effective. Joe Trohman deserves to receive better than unsung hero cred for the blazing guitar work he offers. Pairing Patrick's authoritative tonsil flashing with Joe's surgically precise chords is an exercise in brilliance. Midway through the song Joe has pretty much assured you that "Champion" gives you your money's worth and then some. Let's not forget the well placed drumming from Andy Hurley. No inspirational ditty would be complete without that. Simply put, he answers the call marvelously. So....can a song that's only 3 minutes 12 seconds in duration really motivate you to kick off the covers and put your dreams into action? In this case, yes. Fall Out Boy has the good sense not to beat around the bush. A good strong dose of "Live through this" powers the band's desire not to let limitations define it. Instead it forges forward bravely in its quest to conquer the rock world. Pete is ballsy enough to let us know he's still young enough to believe in dreams and to have the stones to question what in the world he should believe in. The video is filled to the brim with amplified gusto. You wouldn't expect inertia to spill into the recording studio now would you? Take the wheel of your life themes aren't new to the music universe but in Fall Out Boy's hands some extra zing carries the moment. Patrick utters pleasantries from the future implying the fog of the past gives him a massive headache. I can champion "Champion" because it's a concentrated burst of timely energy that, though not too similar from the self help rock songs of the past, remains worth listening to when your holstered gun has proven it fires only blanks.

Nickelback's New Track Is Nice...To a Point

If you can get past all the nursery rhyme references found in Nickelback's latest single "Must Be Nice", culled from the Canadian band's hot off the presses effort "Feed The Machine", then you'll be able to rock out like nobody's business. Chad Kroeger, the guy many rock purists love to hate, still has that raspy voice of his in top form. Why he'd let himself be coaxed into singing a warped version of the Humpty Dumpty story, as medically accurate as it might be is anybody's guess. Wave enough dollar bills in front of him and he might spend all the studio time belching into the microphone but, I digress. The man has a following that's likely going to hang on his every word here simply because subtlety isn't something deeply desired by Nickelback's core audience. Give 'em some choice guitar licks and the throngs will go nuts. The solo at the bridge certainly gets into the mouth watering end of the music appreciation spectrum. Along with chocolate and pizza that brand of macho posturing constitutes one of Earth's divine delights. Daniel Adair drums out a sold performance without overstaying his welcome. The point Chad's trying to make in the lyrics is that there's this female he knows who hasn't failed at anything in her whole life. The reason? She's living in a fairy tale world so far removed from reality that it amounts to a slap in the face to the millions out there who haven't had it nearly that easy. I gotta know. Did Chad's ego tell him "Man I'm such a big star I could compose a hokey interpretation of classic children's stories and kindergartners everywhere would be begging their parents to buy it for them. Word from the wise, Chad. That's not your core audience that's pushed you to the level of arena filling international superstars. I'd be a little nicer to "Must Be Nice" if it wasn't being cute in a way that mocks what hard rock stands for. The musicianship hasn't missed a beat. If you're not one of Nickelback's haters you're going to find "Must Be Nice" highly satisfying. My only quibble with Nickelback's latest tune is that the band has been an irresistible force for a decade and a half now. It doesn't need to drum up attention by whipping up a corny if not novel concept. In the end "Must Be Nice" continues the proud band tradition of shoot from the hip hard rock tunes but getting back to naughtier themes is bound to keep it from alienating the large rabid fan base it already has.

Radkey Roars Out of the Gate In Perfect Sync

If brother act Radkey's "Dark Black Makeup" is any indication, there will be plenty more to say about them in the not too distant future. At least one YouTuber has wondered if Dee Radkey, the lead vocalist and guitar player for the group somehow managed to swallow Glenn Danzig. That's pretty high praise and well deserved given both vocalists share that haunted eerie quality. No lack of vigor behind "Dark Black Makeup. It has the power to make ninety year-old nursing home patients feel like the teenagers they shake a fist at. Dee's voice and guitar are equally smoky. He sings to the back row and gets heard by the folks occupying the cheap seats. Way to project, Dee. Drama classes seem united in their belief that you need to project so that the audience that doesn't hear so well can get in on the fun also. Drumming brother Solomon does more with less. No gaudy solos found here. Quite simply he's pumped out a workmanlike effort. Bassist Isaiah does his part to keep the flame burning bright. The result in "Dark Black Makeup" equals far more than the sum of the parts. Dee does an outstanding job playing out the role of curmudgeon. I mean what kid would actually say "Kids these days they want it all." That's funny coming from someone who doesn't have much life experience under his belt right now himself. However, he embraces his lines with boisterous glee. Even the implied grudge comes off as hilarious coming out of Dee's mouth. Nothing left to the imagine in the chorus lines "When the world starts waking these kids up from their games and their dark black makeup. Everywhere I just can't shake it. I'm gonna take them away." Dee's thespian antics give "Dark Black Magic" its undeniable identity, and that identity enables the brothers of Radkey to stand out in a crowded rock marketplace. In the video they're having a blast which you want in aspiring rock stars. What letdown can you possibly find in this song? "Dark Black Makeup" settles into fourth gear and doesn't miss a beat. With this release being in the dark soothes the soul like nothing else that's come before.

Hell or Highwater Gives Its All

Hell or Highwater's "I Want It All" is metal music guaranteed to put hair on your chest. I feel more masculine already. The whole song rumbles like a Texas thunderstorm. Each note rattles your rib cage profoundly. To add to that vocalist Brandon Sallers wails from the top of his macho range, a strategy that only gets the glow in the dark cell phones going as if you were at one of Hell or Highwater's live shows. If these guys keep pumping out bangers like "Hell or High Water" there will likely many shows full of ruthless, grateful, metal mavens. This outing clicks in all the ways a metal song should. Joey Bradford and Jon Hoover dual guitar assault shall leave you shaking down to your pinkie toes. They are truly marvelous things to behold. Drummer Kyle Rosa hits the right degree of menace, which means he's bashing at a Goldilocks perfectly flavored porridge level. Nobody in Hell or Highwater is going out of his way to be a big showoff, and that helps up the power ante tremendously. Each member gets his chance to either explode or put forth a brutally effective simmer. For instance Nick Maldonado's bass makes "I Want It All" growl ferociously. This is one back alley you don't want to face without a few buds handy. Nick's insanely wicked here. So what are the words behind the explosive instruments? Well. let's just say Brandon doesn't exactly consider gluttony to be a mortal sin. He wants it all, and there's nothing you can do to change his mind. If you can make it on your own it's his time. Imagine you hail from a big city, New York or Los Angeles for instance. Any and all earthly delights are hanging on your doorstep. Letting Brandon loose in such a temptation soaked atmosphere would do wonders for either city's tourism industry. So many women, so much hooch, so little time. Anyway, Brandon's voice clearly underscores his lust for taking a bite out of the pecan pie that is life. I'm not so sure what the treasure the mystery person left behind draws reference to but Brandon's beyond done with that confining lifestyle. He's out strictly to conquer, not even remotely divide. The guitar work at the bridge gives the metal community what it wants and then some. One of my favorite musical magic tricks yes, you guessed it, the chord shift set to stun, makes "I Want It All" an absolute no dietary rules need apply treat. The video makes it hard to ignore the hedonism on display. Then again, why would you want to. This genre's demise won't be on the horizon so long as Hell or Highwater's around to carry the torch. "I Want It All" gives metal fans and plain old fans of well constructed rock everything they want and more.

Joywave's Trip Should Be Cancelled

If you've ever had the misfortune of sitting on a bar stool listening to some four sheets to the wind dude discuss his life philosophies with you then Joywave's "It's A Trip" represents the migraine you never asked for. Musically this New York foursome has an ingratiating playing style that gets under your skin little by little until there's nowhere to run or hide. The opening line of verse one alludes to "creepy little sneaky foreign places". This song has an established creepiness going for it as if it had been plucked from the soundtrack of a low budget film, maybe for a cheesy spaghetti western. Kudos to Sean Donnelly for ladling on enough steamy bass for everyone to share. Beyond that though "It's A Trip" isn't meant for greatness by any stretch. It's way too slow and plodding to capture anyone's attention for too long. To add to that the chorus nags about the human desire to want which is spelled out in four different yet equally annoying sentences. First we get "When you've gotten what you want (desire satisfied)". Then it's onto "There's nothing left to want (I got too greedy so now that I've consumed it all what's left?). Next we have "You don't know what you want (I'm going through an existential crisis)". Finally we come to "Just tell me what to want (Please don't force me to have to make an actual adult decision)". Too much waffling and not enough decisiveness doesn't an engaging rock song make. No amount of Benjamin Bailey's keyboards can change that. What we're getting is a boring person trying to use mood enhancer to cover up the fact that the guy next to him on the bar stool is bound to run away screaming, not because the philosopher's a physical threat but because this poor guy's losing daylight to this word barfing mouth breather. If there's a point that "It's A Trip" is trying to make, it's totally lost on me. I hope the guy renting out the studio got value for his money because otherwise he could have gotten more bang for his buck making a down payment on good blow. "It's A Trip" doesn't merit racking up frequent listener miles.

Oh Man, Is The New Killers Cut Strut Worthy

Correct me if I'm wrong but this is 2017 we're slogging through, right? So how come The Killers are living in disco era 1970s America free from apology by serving us "The Man", the opening cut from the soon to be released "Wonderful Wonderful" album. Plainly Brandon Flowers and crew have been channeling the ghost of Bee Gees past. How else can you explain this stunner of a party starter that finds its mark only to take the coolness factor up a notch at the transition from pre-chorus to chorus. I mean the chords change, the heat intensifies, the sweat accumulates. "The Man" represents the total package of aural delight. Brandon hits the mike fangs fully loaded. With Ronnie Vannuci, Jr. hammering away behind him Brandon's dripping macho animal attraction. Mark Stoermer injects smooth bass fills into the mix that only makes casual listeners want to strip down to their legal briefs even more. Brandon's decorative keyboard contributions would go well at a soiree heavy on spiked punch. Who wouldn't want to accompany Brandon to this dance given how sure of himself he is at all times. Brandon's protagonist character knows the lay of the land, and you'd be wise to let him take the lead whenever possible. He doesn't give a damn about "those other boys". Past singles like "When You Were Young" and "Smile Like You Mean It" wouldn't make anybody think The Killers had a funk snack like "The Man" stashed in their list of ingredients but the proof lies before us. Empty calories these aren't. Try listening to this song enough times and see if everything testosterone based about you men in the audience except for the promise of spiking flagging levels of testosterone gets a definite boost. Brandon Flowers has proven himself capable as both a solo artist and highly emotive front man. Usually I'm not too high on rock luminaries shining too bright a light on how great they are but in Brandon's case I'm willing to make an exception here. Brandon's truly the man here. "The Man" surely will appeal to Killers fans of both sexes.