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CD Review, Entertainment, Mark Sultan, Music

CD Review: The Ding-Dongs S/T [2010]

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Band: The Ding-Dongs (Mark Sultan & Bloodshot Bill)
Release: 5/2010
Label: Norton

1. “Ding-Dong Party” – B+
2. “Don’t Ring, Come On In” – A-
3. “Until I Die” – B+
4. “Come On Lil Dolly” – B+
5. “She’s A Tiger” – B+
6. “Woman Cops” – A–
7. “Knock Me Down” – B
8. “You Better Hide” – A-
9. “Military Mama” – C+
10. “Worried Man” – B-
11. “What’s That Sound” – A
12. “Crazy Dreams” – B
13. “Last Laugh” – B

Comments: BYODD. Bring your own ding-dong. That seems like the most logical thing to do at a “Ding Dong Party.” Bloodshot and Mark sing with such conviction that I almost forgot that the concept of such a song is total cheese. The same goes for pretty much all the tracks on this record. As you’d probably guess (judging by the ghost of Mark Sultan and Bloodshot Bill past), this is textbook Rockabilly For Dummies or Primitive Rock and Roll for Junkies. “Woman Cops” stuck in my head since I heard it first a few months ago. Walking down the street or sitting down reading a book, the words “Woman Cops, when you love to beat me” suddenly came to me. It’s such a quick song that I got a feeling of, wait a second, I don’t remember it being THIS short! Oh well! Good track. As I mentioned when I reviewed Waylon Thornton’s latest offering…there is only so much you can do within this kind of framework without really changing things up. True, a lot of these songs are just undifferentiated old school party numbers. Unless, you are listening with absolute acuity, it’s hard to argue otherwise. “What’s That Sound” is more gritty and resolute, more instantly catchy than any other track on here. To answer the song title’s question…I’ll guess pee pee. All right, so let’s get something clear: if you are a die-hard Bloodshot Bill fan, you’ll be loving this. If you are a die-hard Mark Sultan fan, but only like BB marginally (who am I talking about?), you’ll be liking this. If you don’t like anything either of the two have put out (in their respective bands), shit, you are out of luck. BUT WAIT…if I like the King Khan and BBQ Show, will I like this? Not as much as you probably wanted to. This is like Hunts Ketchup vs. Heinz Ketchup. Hunts just doesn’t match up.

Grade: B (86)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Something for Everybody [2010]

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Band: Devo
Release: 6/2010
Label: Warner Bros.

1. “Fresh” – A+
2. “What We Do” – B
3. “Please Baby Please” – B
4. “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” – A-
5. “Mind Games” – B+
6. “Human Rocket” – A-
7. “Sumthin” – A
8. “Step Up” – B
9.”Cameo” – B
10. “Later Is Now” – A+
11. “No Place Like Home” – A-
12. “March On” – B+

Comments: Twenty years later Devo is still “Fresh.” They do what they do. It’s still the same. They still have (now) retro ’80s electro-dance beats going for them. For a somewhat modern reference point, I’d pinpoint you towards the Lost Sounds. There are tons of sci-fi noises, synths, and the kinds of vocal styles that Alicja Trout and the late Jay Reatard mastered. Why compare such a prolific New Wave band to a short lived one? I don’t know! I just did. Of course, Devo is full of more pop hooks and a continually fast rhythm. I would be lying if I said the album through-and-through was constantly catchy. There are some songs that really hit you immediately, others have some lulls. By lulls, I don’t mean bad parts, but rather mild spoilers that bring a song down from memorable to a tad forgettable. Growers like “No Place Like Home” are utterly impressive. The Bob Marley “Buffalo Soldier” esque closer “March On” does its job. It reminds me of some of the dance mixes of Legend. I’m not sure if that is what the band was going for, but it sure sounds like it. Conclusion? This album is awesome. Not awesome in one of the best of the year, but as I’ve said a number of times (about other albums), the great songs on here are just worth listening to over and over. That said, there couldn’t possibly be twelve “Fresh” a-likes. That wouldn’t…be…fresh.

Grade: B+ (89)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Thank Me Later [2010]

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Rapper: Drake
Release: 6/2010
Label: Young Money Entertainment [Universal Records]

1. “Fireworks” – B-
2. “Karaoke” – B-
3. “The Resistance” – B
4. “Over” – B
5. “Show Me a Good Time” – C
6. “Up All Night” – B
7. “Fancy” – C+
8. “Shut It Down” – B-
9. “Unforgettable” – C
10. “Light Up” – C
11. “Miss Me” – B
12. “Cece’s Interlude” – C-
13. “Find Your Love” – C+
14. “Thank Me Now” – C-

Comments: Aubrey Drake Graham was a nobody without Little Wayne. Little Wayne got a hold of a few of Aubrey’s raps and was like “yo, I want to make this guy big. I want to sign him to my label and a take cut of his income!” Aubrey was like “all right, Dwayne, that’s fine, but I’m not going to make this for commercial purposes.” At any rate, Aubrey was able to get in touch with a shit load of high profile hip-hop players like Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Timbaland, Jay-Z, and Young Jeezy.  to appear, in some capacity, on the album. That’s all nice and all, but does Aubrey know how to tell a story? Yes. He does that at length. “Over” is incredibly Lil Wayne like. It’s more explosive than any of the previous tracks and, for that reason, has more appeal. The chorus is not traditionally annoying, but it’s not anything special. There’s really not much else to say about anything else. I don’t think Drake could have struck out much more on such an anticipated, ultra-hyped album. Most of the songs on here are just average rap songs, lacking solid beats or decent flow. Little Wayne Weezy single-handedly saves “Miss Me.” Drizzy is just weak, ‘yo. “That’s nasty. Yes, my name is Weezy, but I’m not asthmatic.” Damn, Weezy, keep doing your thing. You drop some great lines.

Grade: C+ (78)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Take A Vacation! [2010]

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Band: The Young Veins
Release: 6/2010
Label: One Haven Music

1. “Cape Town” – A
2. “Change” – A-
3. “Dangerous Blues” – B+
4. “Defiance” – B+
5. “Everyone But You” – B
6. “Heart of Mine” – B+
7. “Lie to the Truth” – B
8. “Maybe I Will, Maybe I Won’t” – A-
9. “Take A Vacation!” – A
10. “The Other Girl” – A+
11. “Young Veins (Die Tonight)” – A

Comments: So you’d probably expect a spin-off full-length from former members of Panic! At The Disco to suck. Well, I personally can’t say that I know what Panic! sounds like, but I’m sure it’s something not too good. Probably something unlike this. Well, this group takes on a self-proclaimed ’60s sound — reminiscent of what was considered pop and “garage” back then. Fair enough. Sure, this album isn’t original at all. Sure, it gets progressively worse from tracks 1-5, but utterly amazing towards the end. Besides some of the negative points of discussion, though, this is really good. I’ve read people hating on this, but with what justification? If you are a lover of the kind of music that got this band inspired, why pass hatred to these innocent victims? Pretty much the entire album is catchy. Check out, though, if I request you must “Take A Vacation!” and “Cape Town.”

Grade: A- (90)

Entertainment, humor, Music

CD Review: Before Today [2010]

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Band: Ariel Pink
Release: 6/2010
Label: 4AD

1. “Hot Body Rub” – C-
2. “Bright Blue Skies” – B
3. “L’Estat” – B-
4. “Fright Night (Never More)” – C+
5. “Round and Round” – B
6. “Beverly Kills” – C+
7. “Butt-House Blondies” – C+
8. “Little Wig” – B-
9. “Can’t Hear My Eyes” – C-
10. “Reminiscences” – C-
11. “Menopause Man” – C
12. “Revolution’s a Lie” – B

Comments: Lounge music meets oldies! How cool is that? Not really that cool, huh? I’d call Ariel a similar artist to the more high profile (and more polished) MGMT. The problem with Ariel’s Before Today is the same problem with MGMT’s Congraulations. There is hardly any fucking direction. There are speed ups and speed downs. Heaviness and laziness. Of course, all these elements are present all over the place. Consistency? Screw that! Psychedelic pop be damned! Pop?! “Round and Round,” my whole household mistook this for an ’80s pop tune. This record is so damn strange! Maybe it’s the lo-fi element that really makes this thing sound like a lost-and-now-found cassette. If Ariel wanted to create twelve novelty songs, he succeeded. He succeeded so much. I like to say this is one of those albums I didn’t want to hate at all, but after listening to it…shit it sucks. Sucks in a terribly average way.

Grade: C+ (77)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Future Breeds [2010]

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Band: Hot Hot Heat
Release: 6/2010
Label: Warner/Dangerbird

1. “YVR” – B+
2. “21@12” – B
3. “Times A Thousand” – B-
4. “Implosionatic” – B
5. “Goddess on the Prairie” – A-
6. “Zero Results” – B+
7. “Future Breeds” – B
8. “JFK’s LSD” – C+
9. “Jedidah” – C
10. “Buziness Az Uzual” – B-
11. “What Is Rational?” – C+
12. “Nobody’s Accusing You (Of Having A Good Time)” – B-

Comments: Poor Hot Hot Heat. Their debut album Make Up the Breakdown [Sub Pop, 2002] was positively reviewed for the most part. It was a goodie, I’ll admit. Since they’ve effectively “sold out” by signing to Warner Music, they’ve been kind of slapped around by both mainstream and independent music critics. Guitarist and Wolf Parade member Dante Decaro jumped off the band’s ship in 2005. Hot Hot Heat opened for Snow Patrol and Editors — two UK bands that have barely garnered major audiences stateside — in 2007 and 2008, before hitting the drawing board for this album.  If the band aimed to do anything notable on here, it was making up screwy song titles. Also, the band would probably win an award for “band that most sounds like Head Automatica.” The latter is actually nice in a strange way…HA hasn’t put out a record in four years. To start off with the good…the band knows how to craft catchy songs in the dance-punk genre. If you dig the singer’s voice, you’ll most likely be satisfied by the music. For some, though, this may pose a challenge. Three releases after going major, it’s not like the band is purposely “forced” to make something commercial. This thing isn’t forced at all. It seems like the group is just as creatively spirited as it was on its debut. “Goddess…” is full of hooks and straight up fun. It seems HHH took some cues from Spoon for that song and the next. Even though “JFK” is noisy and memorable and all…it’s overload. Chill out, dudes. The second half of the album takes on a more serious tone…for the worst.

Grade: B- (82)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Melted [2010]

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Band: Ty Segall
Release: 5/2010
Label: Goner Records

1. “Finger” – A
2. “Caesar” – A
3. “Girlfriend” – A
4. “Sad Fuzz” – A
5. “Melted” – A-
6. “Mike D’s Coke” – B-
7. “Imaginary Person” – A
8. “My Sunshine” – A+
9. “Bees” – A-
10. “Mrs.” – A-
11. “Alone” – A-

Comments: With such a soft beginning, I’m sure you got a little bored with “Finger” at first. Next thing you know, the song becomes a noisy medley of effects and distortion. “Caesar” stuck out in my mind as a top-shelf single and my thoughts on the song haven’t changed much as I’ve been listening to it on a fairly regular basis. “Sad Fuzz” is this album’s most overt attempt at a ’60s psychedelic-pop retrospective. It’s a success. “Melted” ends rather abruptly…aka the point that I was about to get into it. “Mike D’s Coke” seems a bit unnecessary and…filler. Filler alert. Segall’s best attempt at trying to sound like Jay Reatard — songwriting and actual voice/instrumentation — comes on “Imaginary Person.” Of course, Segall is a great songwriter himself, so he adds in a few solid touches of his own. The four chord dirty sound of “My Sunshine” is engaging. I really love the wet lead guitar riffs. This “sound,” if you will, continues onto the next track and, of course, folks, that means we have a great song on our hands. When the Strange Boys esque (minus the vocals) “Alone” speeds up…damn! Awesome. Besides a few bumps in the road, this LP contains plenty of exciting tracks. Listen!

Grade: A- (92)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Lux [2010]

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Band: Disappears
Release: 4/2010
Label: Kranky Records

1. “Gone Completely” – A-
2. “Magics” – B+
3. “Pearly Gates” – A-
4. “Marigold” – B
5. “Not Nothing” – B+
6. “Lux” – B+
7. “Old Friend” – B+
8. “Little Ghost” – B+
9. “New Cross” – B
10. “No Other” – A

Comments: Disappears is a band to keep your eyes on. It’s cool to see they are signed to Kranky Records, which has put out great discs by the likes of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound. I’d compare them to the former due to their light proto-punk sound and lo-fi prowess. The first few songs really caught my attention and the basis for such a comparison grew as one song switched to the next. Consider the jam-out on “Pearly Gates.” Not as epic as Deerhunter’s “Nothing Ever Happened,” but fun as fuck. These kind of jam-outs are more common on here than I anticipated. The only aspect of the record that I think could be improved upon would be vocal volume. Another thing I like about this band is that they portray a real sense of confidence. This sort of goes with what I said before. They don’t seem afraid to just rock out. And it’s not like they are rocking out with no sense of direction. “Old Friend” has some shouts that recall Thee Oh Sees. (A positive). The last song, “No Other,” is a winner. Good line: “when’s this gonna end? How’s it gonna be? Immediate death or slow and painfully?” OK so: while this album doesn’t necessarily stick out in the grand scheme of CD Reviews, I’m glad I ran into it.

Grade: B+ (88)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music, Wolf Parade

CD Review: Expo 86 [2010]

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Band: Wolf Parade
Release: 6/2010
Label: Sub Pop

1. “Cloud Shadow on the Mountain” – Krug – A-
2. “Palm Road” – Boeckner – A–
3. “What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had To Go This Way) – Krug – A-
4. “Little Golden Age” – Boeckner – A-
5. “In the Direction of the Moon” – Krug – B+
6. “Ghost Pressure” – Boeckner – A
7. “Pobody’s Nerfect” – Boeckner – A-
8. “Two Men in New Tuxedos” – Krug – B
9. “Oh You, Old Thing” – Krug – A
10. “Yulia” – Boeckner – B+
11. “Cave-o-sapien” – Krug – B+

Comments: Spencer Krug starts the record off in a manner that I’ll dub uncharacteristic. He does a little spoken-word before singing in his oh-so characteristic way.  “Cloud” is (and I hate that I’ll keep referring to it at this) very Sunset Rubdown. Of course, it’s more dynamic and more dance. I like that it’s instantly catchy. It’s the catchiest tune on this LP. The Boeckner-led “Palm Road” is neat. There’s a lot of noticeable instruments going on in the background — some with weird, but cool effects. There’s also the break around the two minute mark that adds some lasting meat to the tune. The upbeat “What Did” contains an array of neat guitar riffs and a constant drum line that insists on you moving around. I absolutely am fascinated by “Little Golden Age.” Hot damn. Krug starts doing his “wa-who-wa-who” deal at the end and then Boeckner kicks back in with the chorus. Just great. “In the Direction” is a bit draggy, I’ll admit, but overall it is pretty consistent in being that, which isn’t bad. There are things I like. As I mentioned in song reviews “Ghost Pressure” features excellent synthesizer notes and a killer bridge/chorus. “Pobody’s Nerfect” has a cool rhythm section. Not breath-taking, but well enough. Too long? It makes the next song, “Two Men,” seem like an extremely short number. Comparatively so. “Oh You, Old Thing” is tight. It’s a very variable tune. It certainly has me not knowing what to expect next. For now, I’ll label it as a grower. Fantastic ending. “Yulia” just keeps getting better and better as it progresses. Matter of fact, that’s how a lot of Dan’s songs are. Cool effects are also present on “Cave.”

Grade: B+ (89)