Happy Valentine's Day

Hello young lovers,

Happy Valentine's Day everybody! Altruistic love reigns supreme with cute little arrows flying around and those little candy hearts with cute little phrases like "Be Mine" printed on them will abound. Cute puppy love is the easy part. The step after gets tough.

Some days in life always have a sound attached to them. It could be a special sound when you found out that someone loved you, when you found out a loved one died or just a song that brings back memories of youth.

We won't tell you that he's just not into you or tell you 35 sex moves to make your man bark like a dog or even how to score the mega-hottie of your dreams. That stuff is up to you.

What we will tell you, in no particular order, is what to play to put your significant other in the mood. We're also going to be nice enough to tell you what not to play because nothing kills the mood like an inappropriately timed goth rock track.

*Warning: Some songs feature explicit content.

SONGS FOR GREAT ROMANCING:

Maximo Park – "Acrobat": It’s not every day a spunky Brit-pop band puts out a tear-jerking ballad of this quality. The haunting lyrics and whispered vocal delivery tell a story of love and a slight hint of desperation. Oh that and the slow grind rhythms make it downright perfect for slow and dirty activities after dark.

Broken Social Scene – "Lover’s Spit": Fantastic orchestral rock music meets raunchy lyrics. Another perfect slow love song. Oh and Feist sings on this version.

Girls Aloud – "Love Machine": Yes, it’s a cheesy British girl group. But they sound like perfect sex kittens who just want a nice cuddle and a hug. Talk about a low-maintenance lover.

The Undertones – "Teenage Kicks": Listen to it off the 7” record. Forget the CD here. The 7” brings out more warmth to the vocals, which already quaver like a 50’s rockstar. The lyrics about the yearning for more fun yet not-so-innocent exploration make it the perfect cute love song.

Scissor Sisters – "Might Tell You Tonight": A song about finally finding the one you love and want to spend the rest of your life with. I just really don’t want to know what the lines about “burrowing like a sparrow” mean. After that the song is perfectly constructed and more emotional than the standard run of the mill crap.

Cansei de Ser Sexy – "Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above": If your significant other has the good sense to listen to Death from Above, marry that person. End of story.

Siouxsie Sioux & The Banshees – "Last Beat of My Heart": Okay it’s a little depressing at times. But if you want to tell your significant other that you plan on sticking around for a while, this is the song to do it to.

The Doors – "Who Do You Love?" : Take the live version of this track. Passionate love with a poetic sense only Jim Morrison possesses. You can only wish to talk to a girl as well as The Lizard King did.

Duran Duran – "Hungry Like a Wolf": No song screams primal energy like this one. Guys, as much as women love to pretend they are complex beings this song disproves it. I’ve never seen a song take a girl from civilized to downright freaky deaky in one verse. Leave thank you notes as comments at the bottom.

Fatboy Slim – "Praise You": Yes it’s techno. But the demure quality of it overrides America’s inborn hatred of electro. It’s a nice snuggle song.

Feist – "So Sorry": Feist is hot. Her voice is sexy. The song has a pretty quality to it that makes everything oh so pretty.

Josef K – "Radio Drill Time": The how-to guide for indie kids to bag other indie kids. Maybe not so good if you’re in a committed relationship though.

Flaming Lips - "Do You Realize": Space rock from Oklahoma City never sounded so lush or beautiful. The music sweeps you off your feet into a field of lovely flowers and happy smiling people. It's disarming and pleasurable all at the same time. This is what altruistic love sounds like.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps": Art-rockers turned into pimps of the power ballad. The result? A female-fronted love song that put vocalist Karen O into a sort of position with masculine lyrics and feminine sensibilities and emotions. "Maps" becomes a unisex love song for the ages.

Rilo Kiley- "A Man/ Me/ Then Jim": Taking on the story of three separate heartbroken lovers, Jenny Lewis spins a deep tale of love's habit of just fading away.

The Moldy Peaches- "Anyone Else But You": Simple and sincere, this song was sung by Michael Cera and Ellen Page at the end of the romantic dramady Juno and provides an honest declaration of love.

Musiq Soulchild- "Dontchange": It's a rare thing to hear a R&B song with so much depth and beauty, but this song talks about lasting love and not just one night at a club.

Jose Gonzalez- "Heartbeats": The bouncy guitars give off a warm loving feeling that's perfect to cozy up to.

The Beatles- "I Want You (She's So Heavy)": The Beatles have numerous love songs that have stood the test of time, but we just picked this one. Deal with it.

Death Cab for Cutie- "I Will Follow You Into the Darkness": Off of the album Plans, this song shows that love is not always easy and that you must be willing to do anything and go anywhere for love.

Flight of the Conchords- "It's Business Time": This farce of a love song by the dynamic Kiwi duo shows the lighter (and brutally honest) side of love & marriage.

Brand New- "Jesus Christ": If your female companion doesn't enjoy hearing the opening line "Jesus Christ that's a pretty face," then your relationship is probably lacking the love.

Pete Yorn- "Never My Love": Don't be fooled by this title; this ballad speaks of commitment and true love.

Aqualung- "Strange and Beautiful": This song will truly put you under its spell and the quiet strength of it is present from beginning to end.

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova- "When Your Mind's Made Up": Unbridled and raw, this song from the hit indie movie is so passionate that you'll end up discovering new ideas of love.


SONGS FOR ANYTHING ELSE BUT ROMANCING:

Korn- "A.D.I.D.A.S.": It's not like they have a reputation for being crooners, but after you realize just what A.D.I.D.A.S means, you won't think this song is romantic in the least.

Cursive- "Am I Not Yours?": Full of power and passion, but after giving the lyrics a good listen, it just sounds creepy and aggressively desperate.

Spinal Tap- "Big Bottom": Unless you and your significant other embraces the idea of a big derriere, you may want to skip this.

Afroman- "Colt .45": You'll know about 20 seconds in why this isn't the most heartwarming of songs.

Frank Zappa- "Dirty Love": Even if you do indeed enjoy dirty love, don't rely on Frank Zappa to get you in the mood.

Tenacious D- "Double Team": I'll just give you a hint why this song is on the list: it's not about playing defense...

N.W.A- "Just Don't Bite It": Rap's stigma as obscene and dirty sure wasn't settled when this iconic rap group released this gem of a song.

N.E.R.D- "Lapdance": Lapdance for single guys? It's your call. "Lapdance" on Valentine's Day? Sleep on the couch

Blood Brothers- "My First Kiss at the Public Execution": The title alone should tell you to steer clear. This song will scare every ounce of love you have within the first 30 seconds.

Nas- "Oochie Wally": Good lord. There's nothing to say about this song. Just be sure no kids are around when this is on.

Death from Above 1979- "Sexy Results": Not dirty or bad, but the guitars and lyrical delivery are pretty creepy.

Ludacris- "Splash Waterfalls": Another rap song. Picking up a bias yet?

ZZ Top- "Tush": You probably won't be getting much tush with this song in you V-Day rotation.

Billy Idol – "White Wedding": Yes I know Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love used this song as their wedding dance. But unless you really think songs about a heroin-addicted lover are the ultimate in sexy then leave this song off the IPod.

Nine Inch Nails – "Closer": At best she’ll think you’re a closet goth. At worst she’ll think you’re the next best thing to Hannibal Lecter. Neither are good.

Godsmack – "Voodoo": See above, but add more drug refrences.

Blondie – "Heart of Glass": It’s a song about breaking up. Despite the seductive disco beats and gorgeous vocals it’s about the frailty of love. Don’t fall into this sand trap of a song.

The Cure – "Friday I’m in Love": Valentine’s Day is a Thursday this year. Besides, a song about only being in love on the weekends doesn’t exactly ring of fidelity and commitment.

Bloodhound Gang – "Bad Touch": Love you have to clean up with a mop and bucket is not good. Especially on carpeted floors or mattresses you intend on using again.

The Faint – "Worked Up So Sexual": If you can get your girl to do anything this song says then you found a winner. Sad thing is unless your girl is a stripper then you won’t.

The Fratellis – "Chelsea Dagger": Cases of misidentifying a gender don’t make for great Valentine’s Day songs. Besides, if your girl has a man’s bone structure and is named Dagger, then you are in big trouble my friend.

GG Allin – "Give Me Some Head": I know this is what you want, but this is not the way to say it.

Lesbians on Ecstasy – "Party Time (A Womyn’s Luv)": Going through every dirty sexual thing a women can do to another woman may sound sexy. Playing a song about it though? On a day about unrequited love and romance? Probably not the best call.

Plan B - "Charmaine": British hip-hop usually isn't great for love unless your girl thinks track suits and fake gold is sexy. British hip-hop about an unfortunate case of mistaken identity with a tryst that will make you a pedophile is even less sexy.

- Joe Kepler & Garrett Lyons

Vampire Weekend’s self-titled – 8/10

Best Track: A-Punk, Oxford Comma
Worst Track: Bryn

Vampire Weekend’s newly released self-titled album has garnered substantial indie acclaim despite its short existence. The band, consisting of Columbia University graduates, claims to be influenced by African pop and western Classical music.

Their songs take on a pop formula associated with indie artists Peter Bjorn & John, Voxtrot, and Matt Pond PA. However, what distinguishes them from the rest is lead singer Ezra Koenig’s energetic vocals coupled with African inspired beats. Songs like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” illustrate the band’s characteristic driving beats varied with the use of bongo drums.

With their vocals and consistent drum work in sync, they rely on simplistic guitar rifts to captivate their fans. The guitar hooks perfectly illustrate their philosophy, “less is more,” which is also seen in bands like The White Stripes. Although they do take on a minimalist approach to their guitar work, their keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij layers a few songs with chamber pop undertones. Demonstrated best in “I Stand Corrected,” the band takes full advantage of their instrumentation by crafting a full-fledged baroque-pop song in just under three minutes.

Clocking in at 34 minutes and 20 seconds, Vampire Weekend manages to incorporate a variety of influences without dragging the album out with excess. In essence, the album is a lucid pop journey that fades before its novelty wears. With a balance of African inspiration and formulaic pop, there are no unwarranted surprises. This leaves you with a delicately crafted album that’s as simple as it is enjoyable.

- Michael Ghassibi

Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma"
http://stereogum.com/mp3/Vampire%20Weekend%20-%20Oxford%20Comma.mp3

Harry Nilsson The point for best concept album, "the Point"

The song “Brandy Alexander” by Feist? It’s about a well-known bout of drunken mischief produced by the writer of this album, Harry Nilsson and John Lennon in which they were forcibly removed from the Troubador bar and night club for harassing a band. Why were they harassing them? Don't know. The drink they were drinking? Brandy Alexanders. What does this have to do with the album? Nothing. Nothing at all, it's just real, man.

You may know Nilsson from the song "Everybody's Talkin'” from a 1995 episode of “Seinfeld” and as the theme from “Midnight Cowboy.”

The Point is an album, with an excellent hand-woven album cover by his then wife, a musical, and an animated movie about a character named Oblio, who is banished from the Land of Point for having no point on his head. He is sent into the Pointless Forest by the evil count, who had become upset because Oblio had just beaten his son in a game of triangle toss. The point of the game is to catch triangles on the point of your head. Oblio did this by resting his dog and loyal companion Arrow, who did have a point, upon his shoulders. The story starts after introductions with the game and Oblio and Arrow being consequently banished to the Pointless Forest from which no one had ever returned. The story consists of Oblio and Arrow's adventures in the Pointless Forest wherein they realize everything has points pointing in every direction at once. And, of course, having a point in every direction at once is what? Well, it's like having no point at all! So goes their very Campbell-esque journey into the realms of societal constructs and their underlying realities, and is very much about forgiveness and positive outlook.

-Mike Ersing

Upcoming albums – Flogging Molly – Float

It’s hard to find a band that can blend two diverse styles of music so well. Flogging Molly is one of the exceptions. The group staked their claim to fame in the Los Angeles punk scene of the late 1990’s with a spectacular cross of Irish traditional folk and punk rock.

Float is the group’s first full-length studio release since 2004’s Within a Mile of Home. Float opens with “Requiem for a Dying Song,” which also was on the iTunes exclusive Complete Control Sessions EP along with the title track “Float.” “Requiem” is a bombastic opening track with a classic punk rock riff done with the Irish fiddle. “Float” is a gorgeous acoustic track with haunting lyrics and spectacular artistic qualities.

Overall, the group’s sound evolved slightly and moved into a direction that is much more Pogues influenced than previous work. Previous work had more of a SoCal vibe to it with Irish instrumentation, but Float takes the sound away from the straight traditional-folk influence with punk rhythms into the sound of classic celt-punk.

Float hits shelves on March 4. This gives you plenty of time to get some new music for your St. Patrick’s Day parties.

-Garrett Lyons

Flogging Molly - Requiem for a Dying Song

Upcoming Artist – The Johnstones

Ska’s not dead. Ajax, Ontario’s The Johnstones are making sure it stays that way.

Throughout the past decade, Ajax has spawned popular musicians like white rapper Snow and the monster-selling pop-punk band Sum 41. Happily, The Johnstones are nothing like these groups.

The Johnstones take equal cues from raucous ska groups like Big D & the Kid’s Table, song construction straight from classic reggae and vocals culled from Minor Threat demos. The group’s innovation helped them sign with The Planet Smashers’ record label Stomp Records (now part of Union Records Group), which features classic Toronto ska artist Westbound Train and reggae-pop stars Bedouin Soundclash. The group also earned a feature spot on CBC Radio 3’s “Breaking New Sounds” and are in the process of recording the follow-up to their acclaimed debut full-length Word is Bond.

The five-piece Johnstones found their way for a short stint on Warped Tour in 2007, where the group’s frenzied live shows gained them a rabid fan base and close to a quarter million views on MySpace. The group traveled to California on a grant from the Canadian government. The trip was made to shoot a new music video for the astoundingly catchy “Sunny Days,” which has summery lyrics and a guitar riff that borrows its way into your skull and stays there.

Recently The Johnstones have appeared on MTV Canada and French-Canadian channel MusiquePlus. They have a fanatical fanbase across Canada and are about to embark on a Canada wide tour. A show at Whistler Mountain, British Columbia highlights the tour during the World Cup of Skiing on February 22.

It’s not a matter of if but when The Johnstones break huge in the U.S. They are already luminaries on the ska scene in Canada. These guys have the talent and sheer originality to destroy rock radio.

http://www.myspace.com/thejohnstones

- Garrett Lyons

Ringo Starr - Liverpool 8

7/10

Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr’s new album Liverpool 8 marks his return to the studio for his first full-length solo album since 2005’s critically acclaimed, yet poorly received Choose Love. The ex-Beatle broke off his professional relationship with long-time producer and collaborator Mark Hudson and re-produced the entire album with David Stewart.

The result is a lush album filled with more hooks and sing-a-long choruses than a Boy Scout fishing trip. Liverpool 8 kicks off with the title track and lead single. “Liverpool 8” takes a longing look back at Ringo’s childhood in Liverpool and nostalgia for his old hometown. The track has the same lyricism as groups like The Kinks combined with the poppy melodies of Sgt. Pepper’s-era Beatles. The track even goes so far as to reference his old bandmates and The Beatles’ famous show at Shea Stadium.

Sadly though, about halfway through the next track “Think About You” the album lags. Every track gets repetitive about 90 seconds from its end. The songs just turn into dry blues influenced rockers that get far too repetitive. It’s not that Ringo put out bad songs here. It’s just he settled too far into the same groove of Beatles inspired rock melded with a heavy blues influence. It gives the album amazing coherence, but also acts as a barrier to any sort of major creative breakout.

The album finally picks up again with the bluegrass inspired “Harry’s Song” and continues on a torrid pace with every song picking up some new influence. The real highlight of the back half of the albums comes with “Pasodobles,” where Ringo inexplicably decided to pick up Spanish guitar and flamenco beats. Somehow it works and turns into a lush love song.

Liverpool 8 is a solid, yet unspectacular album. Tracks like the title track and “Pasodobles” are utterly amazing. The rest just fall into the rut of being better than average without being anything to write home about. This is an enjoyable record and should fit nicely into the collection of anyone with a desire for unassuming yet quality rock.

Ringo Starr - "Pasodobles"

-Garrett Lyons

Hello, Blue Roses “Fails to Capture the Beauty” of Latest Release

6.5/10

In an era full of side projects and solo acts, yet another has emerged on the scene. The Portrait is Finished and I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty marks the first release from the duo of Dan Bejar (of the New Pornographers) and female vocalist Sydney Vermont’s band Hello, Blue Roses.

Bejar quipped that his latest project would include songs that are “completely untethered to any of the bulls--- streams coursing through the scene right now...a product of not really caring what people think, but still caring a lot about people." It's often an amusing cliché to hear indie artists criticizing their scene and promising to redefine it and it's more of the same old story here Bejar and Vermont create a stripped-down folk album that isn’t half bad, but don't be in a hurry to run out and buy it.

The first two tracks of the album, “Hello Blue Roses” and “Scarecrow” each have a very Simon & Garfunkel-like folkiness to them. They use minimal instrumentation, relying solely on Vermont’s cherubic voice and the ever-present acoustic guitar.

The album’s feel throughout is very sleepy and dreamy, containing few songs with an upbeat pace. The album pace is peaked on the song “St. Angela,” and that’s simply because it included drums. While it is intimate and has a strong feeling of personal passion between the two of them, the album falls flat on its face in terms of being unique and evocative.

The Portrait is Finished... is monotonous and the songs all sound the same. One song blends into another, and 40 minutes later it all comes to an end. No song in particular grabs your attention and could even be considered a recognizable song when played on its own.

Plus, on a more personal note, it was incredibly annoying and bland to have them start almost every song with the title of the song. It seems petty, but after listening to song after song start with Vermont with the track’s name, it loses its novelty incredibly fast.

Best Tracks: Hello Blue Roses, Shadow Falls/ Worst Tracks: Any other track on the album

-Joe Kepler

Cat Power – Jukebox

Cat Power – Jukebox
Rating: 6.5
Best Track: “I Believe In You”
Worst Track: “Silver Stallion”


Start spreading the news: the first song on Chan Marshall’s eighth LP and second cover album is not the version of “New York, New York” one would expect to hear. Marshall, better known by the stage name Cat Power, ditches the brassy showtune vibe and Sinatra’s upbeat vocals in favor of a more bluesy, moody version.

In fact, Cat Power gives all of Jukebox’s 10 covers the blues treatment. Featuring brooding takes on songs by artists like Bob Dylan, Hank Williams and James Brown. Jukebox evokes the same nostalgic feeling as the singers she covers while still making each song her own.

Cat Power is at her best with “I Believe In You,” originally sung by Bob Dylan. The track is upbeat in relation to the rest of the album, and her love of the song translates through to the listener. Her full band, which provides deep guitars and the occasional soulful piano line, is at their best here.

In addition to covers, Jukebox contains two other tracks. The original “Song to Bobby” and a new version of a Cat Power song. Cat Power originally recorded “Metal Heart” for the Moon Pix LP nearly a decade ago, but “upgraded” it for this album with beautiful piano melodies backing up the originally acoustic track. Despite her efforts, the original is more gorgeous in its poignant simplicity. “Bobby” is a well-written and sweet ode to one of her idols, Bob Dylan, although at times it sounds as if she mimics his vocal style a little too closely.

Cat Power’s distinct style also creates some problems. Toward the end of Jukebox, the tracks begin to sound strikingly similar. Her stylistic consistency often toes the line into homogeny on the later tracks.

Jukebox is perfect for creating a blues-club ambience in your dorm room or just winding down after a hard day. It’s also Cat Power’s way of showcasing her vocal talent with well chosen covers that stand out from the originals. Jukebox isn’t a masterpiece by any means, but it’s well worth a listen.

-Amanda Renko

FEATURE: Ten Bands that Need Break Up Immediately

Cartel-
The line was crossed after the group, which surprisingly is made up completely of grown males, decided to become the “band in the bubble” for Dr. Pepper. Needless to say, it was less than riveting television to see a sub-par band feverishly try to come up with anything, ANYTHING!, that could rival the commercial success of 2005’s “Say Anything (Else)” and “Honestly.”
Fortunately, they apparently have briefly faded from the minds of the general public. And I’m “Honestly” glad they have. True, that joke was easy, but hey, it just represents just how generic and bland they are.

Hawthorne Heights-
Before the bleeding hearts jump me for picking on a band that recently lost a member to a tragic death, here’s my pitch. The band now has a credible excuse to no longer make music. How better to go out then with an unexpected death? It worked for Led Zeppelin. Why not for them? God, did I seriously just write that? Sadly, to many people Hawthorne Heights is held in the same regard. Their screamo and cookie-cutter lyrics have been a burden to many for their past two albums and with a new album planned, that burden is not going to get any lighter.

Dave Matthews Band-
Bros, shield your eyes. This portion of the list may not be something you want to see. I know that it has become almost trendy and cliché to talk down about DMB, but it’s not like all those people are just doing it for fun. If you were to tell someone in the future that a man who sings like he has his molars fused together and refuses to sound unique from anything else he’s ever done would be one of the most sought-after acts in the world, they would’ve called you on it.
There’s so much more to music than DMB, but for some reason a band that tops every 90s alternative radio playlist still has appeal to kids who were between 9 and 12 years old at the time of their breakout. The counterpoints are pretty generalized and I’m sure they’re great live after a few dozen drinks, but until they create a new concept to their sound I’ll always hate them. But why would they? They sell out everywhere with tickets ranging from ungodly expensive to downright obscene, so maybe I’m wrong.
There are three things in life you will never be able to win an argument over: politics, religion and how Dave Matthews Band is still accepted as fresh, unique and popular. As comedian Daniel Tosh once so eloquently put, “Dave Matthews Band sucks. If that offends anybody you’re the problem with our country. Because somebody had a difference of an opinion than you, you felt personally attacked instead of focusing on a different issue: why do you listen to s---ty music?”

50 Cent/ G-Unit-
G-g-g-g-good Lord. I owe a debt of thanks to Kanye West for mopping the floor with 50 and his band of merry gangsters. When I think about how history will look back on G-Unit, I predict it will mostly focus on how quickly that stuttering headache of a catchphrase took America by storm. 50 has become the epicenter of the cancerous rot of the hip-hop genre.
God only knows what 50 had to do to get in Dr. Dre’s good graces. Now that he’s rich beyond all imagination, he has kept up the rumor that he has any discernable talent by buying the best production talent to keep the clubs bouncing to his trash. I’m not sure how much G-Unit has left to rap about, but I’m sure they can crank out at least two more albums about guns, gangs, money, promiscuous sex, drugs, drinking and clubbing before they become truly irrelevant.

Daughtry-
I never truly appreciated just how much influence “American Idol” had on popular culture until I heard that Daughtry was nominated for a Grammy and actually won an American Music Award. This fourth-place finisher from the 5th season of Idol has apparently sold his soul and has risen to the cream of the Idol alum crop. Here’s a little-known fact about Chris Daughtry: he has helped write songs for legends such as 3 Doors Down and, of course, Nickelback.
His two hit singles “It’s Not Over” and “Home” were the eighth and tenth most played songs in the country in 2007. Frankly, I didn’t know he even released two separate tracks because they sound almost spot-on alike. Daughtry and his band show just how far a band with a generic sound and “passionate” lyrics can go in today’s close-minded music scene. Here’s a test to see if you favorite band is truly unique and fresh: name all the bands that they sound like. If you can list more than 10, you may want to consider broadening your horizons.

Nickelback-
This band is really a head-scratcher. They’re perpetually mocked and criticized by almost everyone I’ve ever met, but they still manage to go multi-platinum with every album. Get this: their latest album went seven times platinum. SEVEN TIMES?! Who is buying that slop?
Nickelback fans should all be checked for Attention Deficit Disorder, because every Nickelback albums contains the following themes: one “I’m your typical ass-kicking but emotionally aware bad boy who’s cut from a different cloth,” i.e “Rockstar, “Too Bad,” etc. track. That theme is followed closely by a power ballad that has about as much depth as a puddle, such as “Photograph,” “How You Remind Me” and many others. It’s not hard to imagine Chad and the bros chilling at the mansion with a 30-rack of Zima deleting words from past hits and simply filling in a few blanks as they go along. Six months later, voila! Another multi-platinum middle finger to all the true artists of the world.
Stop me if I go too far, but Nickelback is the Darfur of the music industry: it’s trendy to be associated with them (I’m talking to you, Santana), they’re well-known throughout the world and everyone knows all about how terrible they are, but nothing is being done to stop either. Take a stand people.

Linkin Park-
While they will continue to make an absolute killing in Japan, Linkin Park’s reign of mediocrity needs to come to an end here in the States. Beyond the obvious fact that Chester’s voice should crap out any day now, there are more artistic reasons for why we need to ship them out. Aside from their latest release Minutes to Midnight, if you play their albums Hybrid Theory, Meteora, Reanimation and Collision Course together, you will have a massive album that refused to go beyond the restraints of the dreaded good-but-not-great stigma.

Plain White T's-
I always pity bands that have absolutely no future, so I’ll go easy on them. “Hey There Delilah” was a heartwarming tale of optimistic, undying love no matter the distance. That song also came out in 2005. Let’s just get over it already. I didn’t hate the song itself (three years ago), but for this band to continue making music after setting such a high ceiling is laughable and almost tragic. Anyone who can tell me with a straight face that anything else that they’ve done is worth listening to is a fool.

Avenged Sevenfold-
When we’ll look back on this era of music, I pray to the musical gods that the likes of Avenged Sevenfold will be nothing but a punchline. The idea itself isn’t a stretch, considering the band has ridiculous names such as M. Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, The Rev, Synyster Gates and Johnny Christ. I’ve often wondered if Synyster Gates actually forced his family and friends to call him by that hilarious name.
To give you an idea of just how gutter awful this band is, even bros don’t like them, and they basically bathe in music this generic. I know I’ve been picking on you bros a lot, but kudos to you all for resisting the urge. Their bitchin’ guitar riffs have wooed legions of fans who’ll bitterly scratch and claw to make you stop criticizing them. Instead of fighting a lost cause of convincing me that they are, in fact, a legitimate band, you’d be better off snapping another high-angled MySpace picture.

Senses Fail-
As with any other new and upcoming scene band, Senses Fail introduced themselves into the music world by relying heavily on failed relationships with a twinge of over the top emotional psychosis. By relying on their fan’s uncompromising need for tepid hooks and melodies, they have built a career out of stereotypical heart-breaking lyrics. Fortunately for them, their formula worked, and their albums have earned a spot in the average scene kid’s 5th-generation iPod. It’s been an awfully long time seeing them capitalize on teen angst, and we here at The Modern Age think its time for them to end the misery.

-Joe Kepler

Liam Finn – I’ll Be Lightning

Rating: 9
Best Track: “Lead Balloon”
Worst Track: “Wise Man”


Liam Finn was previously known only as the son of Neil Finn of Crowded House and frontman of New Zealand band, and frequent Crowded House opener, Betchadupa. You mean you haven’t heard of them?

Well, get acquainted with I’ll Be Lightning, Finn’s exceptional solo debut. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist manages to put together a gorgeous collection of songs with rich harmonies and a sensibly retro-rock feel.

Straight through, I’ll Be Lightning may run the risk of sounding too uniform to unfamiliar ears, but most music fans will see the album as something impossible to tear away from. Each song, from the upbeat “Better to Be” to “Shadow of Your Man,” a piano ballad reminiscent of Elton John, is virtually flawless.

Despite his tragically large beard and unkempt appearance, Finn’s light and folky vocal style and effortlessly layered harmonies sound more hippie than hobo. Songs like the surf rock “Second Chance” and the acoustic early ‘70s folk of “Energy Spent” and “Fire In Your Belly” take listeners back to a simpler time and almost uplift the soul.

I Am Lightning is hard not to fall in love with. Liam Finn makes beautiful rock music that is accessible, but doesn’t lose its musicality or meaning. His debut is remarkably promising of a great career to come.

-Amanda Renko

Kate Nash – Made of Bricks

Rating: 8.5
Best Track: “Foundations”
Worst Track: “Play”

She’s a sassy, vulgar, genre-hopping Brit with an anti-relationship attitude and eccentric style. No, Lily Allen didn’t put out a new album. But Allen, a MySpace success story, certainly wouldn’t object to Kate Nash encroaching on her territory, especially considering she jump-started Nash’s success by adding Nash to her top MySpace friends. Since then, Nash’s tracks have created a massive buzz on music blogs, earned her a stint as MTV’s Artist of the Week and garnered infinite references to “Lily Allen 2.0.”

In the midst of this collective Nashgasm, it’s hard to avoid the inevitable comparisons, but Kate Nash is her own act. The twelve catchy, piano-driven tracks on Nash’s full-length debut, Made of Bricks, distinguish her as someone to watch out for in 2008. Her unique, floating, heavily accented voice meshes well with the piano and carries the lyrics well.

Kate Nash is one vulgar lady – not for show, but for the sole purpose of “keeping it real.” Songs like “Dickhead” and “Shit Song” aren’t likely to get played on the radio and lines like “Birds can fly so high/and they can shit on your head” probably won’t get embroidered on any pillows in the near future. However, they just add to the rawness of Nash’s simple but relatable songs of unrequited love.

The instrumentation is gorgeous. While her songs focus mainly on the piano, Nash branches out into different genres – take the disco-pop “Shit Song” or “Birds,” an acoustic love ballad including the aforementioned head-shitting line. The songs are slick, with just enough production to sound put together without being overdone.

The well-chosen first single, “Foundations,” is a raw and emotional look at a failing relationship set to a cheery pop riff. Other high points are “Mouthwash,” a Sara Bareilles-like ode to self-confidence, and the 70s-inspired “Merry Happy.”

The only two songs that fail to grab attention are “Play,” a pointless introductory ditty that adds nothing to the album, and “The Nicest Thing,” an acoustic bore lamenting a boy that doesn’t notice. These songs are too simple and mainly predictable.

Neither Nash nor her songs take themselves too seriously, which is refreshing in today’s often-pretentious musical universe. In some ways, the sheer simplicity of Made of Bricks is what makes it such a great album. It’s relatable yet still emotional, unrefined yet still introspective. Within this balance, Nash will find her success.

- Amanda Renko

Rivers Cuomo - Recordings Leave Much to Be Desired

Rivers Cuomo, front-man of the nerd rock band Weezer, takes a giant step away from the pop-friendly rock of his past and enters a world that has a less refined sound but full of eccentricities in his solo album Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo (1992-2007).
The album is a 15-year span of Cuomo’s career, and it contains the sugary pop and childish sound that Weezer fans will bask in for all 45 minutes.
The album’s first four tracks are literally all over the place, with a hymn-like “Ooh” giving way to a soothing ballad “The World We Love So Much,” which oozes sincerity and emotion. “Lemonade,” along with numerous tracks throughout the album, has the feel of a typical Weezer track that you will feel like you’ve already heard a thousand times. The final song of the four is a cover of Ice Cube’s “The Bomb.” It has all the appeal you would expect of a white nerd covering a gangster rap selection, which is to say, not much.
A third of the album are songs that are no more than two minutes and feel like they’re something Cuomo just came up with when he was bored. Cuomo, a mainstream emo pioneer, does nothing to shake that stereotype and his “I’m so lonely and sad” style wears thin after the impressive “World We Love So Much.”
It’s safe to say that Cuomo was unchallenged and resigned himself to not standing out in the slightest. Cuomo collected these 18 tracks to represent the best of his demo work and if that is the case, he should head back to the drawing board. His latest works are good, but not great and he fails to be any different than the generic Weezer sound.
5/10
Download: World We Love So Much, I Was Made For you
Avoid: Lemonade
Geffen Records

MGMT – Oracular Spectacular

7.5 out of 10

Brooklyn based MGMT’s sophomore album Oracular Spectacular is a trippy mindscrew of a record. MGMT (pronounced ‘management’) has already garnered attention from the music establishment, with Rolling Stone calling the group one of their “Artists to Watch” for 2008.
Happily, MGMT matches that claim. “Oracular Spectacular” starts off with the heroin-fueled yet sentimental “Time to Pretend,” crosses dance-pop with an atmospheric space rock feel. While the space rock elements continue throughout, Oracular Spectacular settles into a British Invasion-meets-Arcade Fire groove that helps the album glide out of the speakers.
MGMT takes the best elements of the Williamsburg sound of groups like Liars, TV on the Radio and Ratatat with strong psychedelic overtones and melds it into an innovative sound with a hauntingly familiar feel. In fact, MGMT might be the penultimate product of the entire Williamsburg sound. The group’s sound is much more closely related to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah than the oft-cited Flaming Lips.
Despite the overall tightness and reliability of the album, there are problems with it. The mutual influence that all recent bands from Brooklyn have on each other mutes MGMT’s creative streak. There are points where MGMT seems to want to break out and do something unique, particularly in “The Handshake,” but just can’t to totally break away. So despite the shiny gloss of originality, Oracular Spectacular is simply another Brooklyn band.
Overall, Oracular Spectacular is a solid album. It’s not the best album ever, but it’s a tight release with a well-defined and simply fun feel to it. It’s well worth a listen. Just don’t expect too much from it.

- Garrett Lyons

Best Tracks – “Of Moons Birds & Monsters” and “Weekend Wars”
Worst Track – “4th Dimensional Transition.”

The Battle Royale – Wake Up, Thunderbabe

Rating: 6/10
Best Tracks: Racecar, Hollercopter, and Notebooks
Worst Track: Wake Me Up
Afternoon Records

What happens when a bunch (of) high school kids get together with a keyboard and indie-rock dreams? Usually they’re humiliated and scoffed at by their peers. However, The Battle Royale, an indie-electro dance band from Minneapolis, rivals the electro hits of Klaxons, the angst of At the Drive-In and the catchiness of Razorlight.

This quartet of angst-driven disco teenagers have created a unique blend of guitar solos, keyboard strokes, voice modifiers, drum machines and lyrics to the limits. Although it may bring up a red flag to those who think multi-layering in bands is a dead art form, The Battle Royale have proven their worth in Wake Up, Thunderbabe.

This album clocks in just under 43 minutes with the longest song at the end at six minutes. Wake Up, Thunderbabe starts off shaky with the nostalgic sound of a skipping vinyl record under lacing a techno guitar, then quickly shifting to stability to let the listener know they mean business. The band’s first single “Racecar” shows how diverse they make their sound, starting with a hollow drum moving into a multi-layered disco beat with crooning male and female vocals swallowing the listener into indie-electro goodness.

The album as a whole has a wide range of sound. While it has its indie-electro beats with “Custom Clothes” and “Notebooks,” the acoustic goodness found in “Confessions Pt. 2,” “Scream Scream” and “Our Thoughts are A-Pourin’” show The Battle Royale’s diverse use of instrumentation and musicality in their sophomore album.

While Wake Up, Thunderbabe lacks some concentration from over-drawn guitar riffs and electronic beats, The Battle Royale have created a solid album mixing the best aspects of music: the good, the bad, and the electronic.

- Ryan Poole

Modern Age of Music Mission Statement

Welcome to The Modern Age.
In the do-it-yourself spirit of independence, a group of students decided it was time to break conventions and do something different. Instead of waiting for a boss or professor to give us an idea, we have came up with a truly grassroots project with no pretenses. No games. No tricks. No gimmicks. This is all about the music.
We here at The Modern Age promise to bring you the best music news, reviews and opinion possible. We promise to give it to you straight. As much as we love watching Britney Spears have her latest meltdown, we’re sick of talking about it. The Modern Age isn’t about pop culture. It’s all about the music.
The Modern Age isn’t going to bore you with narcissistic writings on our favorite television character or whatever we did in our past life. We’re simply going to bring you everything about music. We’re not going to discriminate. We’ll give you everything from indie to rap to classic rock to electro to emo. If the music is worth discussing, it will be in The Modern Age.
So sit back and enjoy.