Category Archives: Music

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

Classic CD Review: A Hundred Miles Off

Leave a comment

Band: The Walkmen
Release: 2006
Label: Record Collection

1. “Louisiana” – A+
2. “Danny’s At The Wedding” – A+
3. “Good For You’s Good For Me” – A+
4. “Emma Get Me A Lemon” – A
5. “All Hands & The Cook” – A+
6. “Lost in Boston” – A+
7. “Don’t Get Me Down” – A-
8. “Tenley Town” – A+
9. “This Job Is Kiling Me” – A
10. “Brandy Alexander” – A
11. “Always After You” – A
12. “Another One Goes By” – A++

Comments: Naturally, this is a fantastic Walkmen album. It’s faster and more instrumentally chaotic than say You and Me or Everyone Who Pretended; more garage rock focused, if you will. Hamilton’s delivery and style is much different than most of what is classified under that garage or post-punk revival umbrella. It’s a more vintage and structurally fascinating way of going about business. Take for example, “Tenley Town.” It’s the band’s heaviest song (can I call it a punk jam?) and might seem a little experimental on the band’s part, but it fits in so well with the softer stuff. “Another One Goes By” is a great Bob Dylan-esque album closer. You can barely hear a really catchy lead guitar part in the middle of the song. Great flow. I’d say it’s my favorite song off this album. Best for last as they say.

Grade: A (96)

Music, News

Wolf Parade Announce No. America Tour

Leave a comment

After seeing Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs tour around these parts last summer, it’s about time to get a glimpse of their main band Wolf Parade!

And this summer a lucky few American cities will get that opportunity.  Here are the dates:

07-08 Montreal, QC – Le National
07-09 Montreal, QC – Le National
07-11 Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall on sale 4/9 @ 10am
07-12 Boston, MA – House of Blues
07-13 NYC – Terminal 5
07-15 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
07-16 Newport, KY – Southgate House
07-18 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
07-19 Winnipeg, MB – Garrick Center
07-21 Saskatoon, SK – Louis (Univ. of Saskatoon)
07-22 Calgary, AB – Republik
07-23 Edmonton, AB – The Starlite Room
07-25 Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
07-26 Seattle, WA – Showbox
07-27 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom on sale 4/10
07-29 Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst Club On Sale 4/8 @ 10am
07-30 Oakland, CA – The Fox
07-31 Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern

July 12 for Boston people. Concert calendar’d.

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: $ (2010)

Leave a comment

Band: Mark Sultan
Release: 4/2010
Label: Last Gang Records

1. “Icicles” – B
2. “Don’t Look Back” – B+
3. “Ten of Hearts” – B+
4. “Status” – B
5. “I Get Nothing From My Girl” – B+
6. “Go Berserk” – A
7. “I Am the End” – A-
8. “Misery’s Upon Us” – A
9. “I’ll Be Lovin’ You” – A-
10. “Waiting For Me” – A+
11. “Just to Hold You” – A-
12. “Catastrophe” – A-
13. “Nobody But You” – A

Comments: This is Sultan’s follow-up to his (wonderful) tastefully distorted 2007 garage pop album Sultantic Verses. “Icicles” begins with four minutes of distortion before Sultan’s fuzzy vocals enter, making the song sound more psychedelic and experimental than we are used to. “Don’t Look Back” is heavy on the drums and jangly on the guitar. It sounds like it’s primed for a Western. To give some mnstrmrs a sense of direction, it sounds a little like “Brian Eno” by MGMT. “Ten of Hearts” is the album’s first endeavor into the world of classic oldies. The production on this track is excellent packed with vintage recording techniques and structures like doo-wop harmonies, a light bass, and horns. “Status” was the first track that we got a sneak of back a couple of months ago. My initial thoughts was that it was chaotic and maybe too much so. The ending is a tad unnecessary in one man’s opinion. “I Get Nothing” is another golden gem with strong lyrics, but a rather done before musical tonality. “Go Berserk” is the funnest gem of the first six! Great guitar prowess! Sultan shows off his vocal range on “I Am the End” in a near superciliously fascinating way. Say what? Basically, Mark Sultan is one of the only men in rock and roll that can sing. Sing sing. “Misery’s Upon Us” is up there as well. This version of “I’ll Be Lovin’ You” is a bit more chaotic than the King Khan and BBQ Show version. It’s slightly sped up, for better or for worse. More guitars, more drums, more distortion and plus it features a slow break followed by a doo-wop arrangement to top things off. “Waiting For Me” is another one of my favorites off of this LP. “Catastrophe” is cool. Not the best, but cool. “Nobody But You” is a neat closer. It’s got some very cool effects on both vocals and guitar. Overall, I really like this album. At first, I wasn’t entirely convinced, but I know its got a handful of really listenable gems.

Grade: A- (90)

Art, Entertainment, Music, pictures

Girls H & E

Leave a comment

Hopes: I HOPE Girls play every song off their fantastic, debut, LP, Album and I love them all and have one of the best concert experiences ever. Perhaps, Glen, Paul, and I meet some of the band members.

Expectations: I EXPECT them to play most of those songs, but also play some B Sides or possibly new/unreleased material that I am unfamiliar with. It will be a good concert, but not top 10, which is hard to beat.

Chris