2007: A Retrospective

Welcome to 2008 sucka!

In the words of k-os, "you have to know where you've been to know where you're going." So as 2008 unfolds, it's appropriate to review some of the significant music moments of the past year. Come with me reader, as we journey through time...

Personally speaking, 2007 was a very colorful year for me.

I traveled around the world, studied abroad, met new friends, ate new foods, worked my arse off, partied hardy, and had some pretty significant loves and losses. To say the least, 2007 was an emotional year.

Amidst all of the chaos and moments of glory, 2007 provided a great soundtrack. After reviewing all of the albums I have come across over the year. Here is the list of my definitive favorite albums '07 provided:

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows

A no brainer there. This 10 track album is the most anticipated music release I have come across, and might be my favorite album of all time. All songs are near perfect and hard to get boring.

2. The National - Boxer

3. Kenna - Make Sure They See My Face

4. Bloc Party - Another Weekend In The City

5. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

6. Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris

7. Do Say Make Think - You, You're A History In Rust

8. El P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead

9. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero

10. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

OK everyone, thanks for reading this year's blog. Be sure to have a good new year. Remember to take care of yourself and each other.

-M

CD Too

As the last required blog for class, it is only fitting that it should be a music release I've been anticipating for a while.

That's right folks, the band Radiohead distributed their discboxes today, and with the releases comes the prized "CD2." The new disk has 8 new songs to follow up "In Rainbows" that have been released as b-sides.

It might be because I have built up the hype and standards to a new level on this release, but I was really expecting something spectacular. Unfortunately though, I am just a tad disappointed.

Don't get me wrong, some of the recorded tracks are great, but I can see why the band chose to keep them out of In Rainbows and only release them as b-sides.

The disk is definitely the more conventional style of Radiohead - creepy music that is a little depressing at times and takes a few times to really absorb everything.

My favorite tracks thus far have been "Go Slowly" and "Up On the Ladder." The 8 track CD lacks song transitions that Radiohead is most notable for from each of their previous albums.

The 8 song CD has 2 fillers on them called the "MK"s. It's nice that they included these 1 minute long tracks, but I found them to be relatively pointless.

I don't even know if Radiohead consider "In Rainbows" as double album, or just a bonus disk, but unless you're a die hard fan like me, I would recommend sticking with the 10 great original songs of "In Rainbows" until you want to look to something new.

Nothing Dirty About It

Honestly, besides a few exceptional albums that came out earlier in 2007, my exposure has been limited legitimate underground hip hop lately.

The Cunninlynguists new album “Dirty Arces” helped revive the rap side of my music tastes and get back into the game. The album differs quite a bit from the earlier releases both lyrically and in its composition when compared to their acclaimed prevous releases “A Piece of Strange” and “Southernunderground.”

What differentiates the Cunninglynguists from many rap groups is how the band climaxes their tempo during many songs, making what starts off as a very slow song to become very up tempo and poppy.

The newer style is quite refreshing though, leaving out many of the boring points that some of the trio's predecessor albums. Strong highlights from “Dirty Acres” include the songs “Wonderful,” “Dirty Acres” and “Summer's Gone.”

Check with Metacritic.com to see what other hip-hop enthusiasts have to say about “Dirty Acres.” Since the album release on Tuesday, the album has already been acclaimed by many; achieving the “#34” position of best albums worldwide of 2007 on rateyourmusic.com.

If you have limited exposure to southern hip-hop and want to know of a place to start, the Cunninlynguists are an ideal rap production to get into.

Cunning Linguist

The niche of of underground hip hop is something that is very interesting to analyze. There are a lot of acts that are out there, but it is hard to find something undercover that is credible.

A lot of politics come into play for an underground artist to gain recognition and respect among the underground community. One such act that is becoming popular as the years progress are the southern US trio the Cunninglynguists.

The act is very similar to Outkast, the notorious rap duo that also hails from Gerogia. The new "southern rap" that both groups exhibit is a common characteristic of the demographic. The rap temo is known for being very fast during a song, but then slows down drastically.

The Cunninglynguists have received a lot of hype since thier acclaimed album "A Piece Of Strange" that was released in 2005.

The act will release their new album "Dirty Acres" later this week. I am very interested to see how the album will live up to the expectations that surround it, and will check it out later this week.

Lies

As expected, the Liars new album that was released earlier this September is the instant headache I thought it would be. If you want to listen to three guys rambling in chants about nonsense, this album is right for you.

In defense for "Liars", the band really are pushing the boundaries for contemporary music, making it seem like a hybrid artistic expression.

In comparison to the last album "Drums Not Dead", it does seem a little bit more manageable and less intense. Don't get me wrong,the band is still very wacky and nothing makes sense. However, there at least a few songs that are listenable and worth your while.

After listening to the entire album "Plaster Casts of Everything" is by far the album's gem. All other songs are really strange and hard to stomach, but if you are in a certain mood they might be able to suite you.

I don't think that the album will necessarily have any staying power with things you would be interested in listening tom, but it's at least

I fully don't understand what many people find so interesting about the band because the material becomes somewhat repetitive and boring as the previous releases.

If you're feeling adventurous for crazy post-modern tribal music, "Liars" might be worth checking out some time. Some critics like the album such as Pitchfork Media

Don't Believe The Hype

This week is a drought for new music releases that I think are worth your while. So I don't think we'll be focusing on anything that came out lately.

Don't cry though, there's plenty of good music of 2007 to review and critique!

So for this week's post I thought I would discuss a music band that many critics and music sites fancy that I usually have never been very fussed about.

Lately, I have found myself listening to more underground types of music. I wouldn't say that indie is the best way to describe the kind of stuff I have been delving into, but it is definitely not the kind of music you would usually hear about unless you really looked for it on music forums or international music sites.

A lot of times I have found new bands based on other critics or fan's testimonies about how credible the bands are. However, sometimes I disagree with what other people say and struggle to find value.

A prime example of an underground band that is very notorious on the internet and on critics' sites are the Liars.

I consider myself to be able to withstand a lot of unorthodox music, but this New York based band puts out music that is REALLY out there. Despite the unconventional style, the band's 2006 album "Drums Not Dead" was considered the album of the year by many critics.

Pitchfork Media ranked the album number 6 on their list of the Top 50 albums of 2006.

I personally found the album to be complete garbage and incoherent. With strange titles such as "Let's Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack" I was a little overwhelmed by the album's theme and veracity.

Liar's released a self-titled album earlier this year that I haven't had a chance to listen to yet. I will get my hands on it and see how it compares to the last album and whether the bad has made any progress.

Homecoming

As one of the most unorthodox international music bands in the world, one can understand why Sigur Ros would want to focus on their homeland of Iceland and get back to their culture while touring in 2006.

The latest EP "Heima" is music that accompanies the band's upcoming documentary DVD.

Sigur Ros portrays in this release what it means to live in Icleand, and how natural beauty as well as a unique culture is implemented into Sigur Ros' music.

THe EP is separated into two disks. The first disk is unreleased acoustic versions of b-sides the band has accumulated over the years. The second disk is also acoustic, but more like a greatest hits live recording 6 track glimpse to highlights from previous albums.

"Heima" is definitely a nice addition for any Sigur Ros collector. However, it would have been nice to see any new material from the band rather than only b-sides.

The Victory Rose

One of the most interesting things about post-modern popular music is how easy it is to disperse music and strike interests in the the most unlikely listeners.

Sigur Ros, meaning "Victory Rose" in English, is an Icelandic band who speaks not a word of English in their vocals. Despite the language barrier, the band has appealed to audiences around the world selling multi-platinum international records and making them one of the most notorious groups worldwide.

You might not be aware of the band on the name alone, but their ambient music has been behind the scenes in the background for many movie trailers, and public service commercials.

What makes the music of Sigur Ros so interesting is its ability to evoke emotions even if there is a loss of translations in the vocals.

Sigur Ros' music is similar to what a ghost would listen to if it were wandering the world.

"Von," "Agaetis Byrjun," "()," and "Takk..." have been albums considered by music critics to be some of the greatest of the decade. The band has achieved worldwide critical success and is expected to release a new album in 2008.

In the meantime of the album hiatus,the band toured extensively in 2006 in the isolated and majestic world of Iceland. Sigur Ros will release a DVD documentary called "Heima" about their experience on Nov. 20th. The trailer for the movie is very interesting.

In addition, the band will release an EP tomorrow "Heim" appropriately meaning "home" in Icelandic.

The EP will be a 8-track release with songs performed by the band when they were in Iceland 2006. After I get my hands on it, I will explain some of the highlights later this week.

Chormed Out Dreams

Neil Young is in a lot of ways similar to Bob Dylan; both are touring, both have been putting out music for the past 27 years, both are now pretty old.

The significant difference in the two artists lies in the fact how Neil Young still is able to produce great music despite his seniority, and his ability to create distinction among the music industry.

Neil Young's latest installment to his album repituare "Chrome Dreams II" is a pretty solid album that was released by the artist last week.

Listening to something like "Chrome Dreams II" is definitely a blast from the past as far as rock music goes. Many conventional ways of music presentation and production are used in this modern day classic.

"Chrome Dreams II" uses folk influences as well as harmonics similar to the old albums Young is renowned for.

Online music critics from metacritic.com as well as pitchforkmedia.com have praised the album as Neil Young's best since his era in the 1970s music scene.

"Chrome Dreams II" differs from his latest albums of the past decade because there are no political satires or production influences that impacted his music delivery.

Neil Young's previous albums "Living With War" and "Prarie Wind" were political devices used to gain awareness about George W. Bush and skew voter turnouts for the 2004 elections.

Highlights from Chrome Dreams II include "The Boxcar" and "The believer." Check them out sometime if you have some spare time.

Old Man

So this week is a little dry as far as new music goes, so I thought that it would be a good idea to discuss an artist both you and your dad can relate with and their new album of last week.

Yeah, we're definitely not going to degenerate ourselves this week with something like the Backstreet Boys new album "Unbreakable." Pigs would fly before the day that would happen.

Anyways, Last week Neil Young appeared on his 46th album "Chrome Dreams II." With such a long list of albums and credibility under his belt, Neil Young seems like an artist who has almost stayed in the music game for too long.

Neil Young is a music artist who has grown up with the times, in his preliminary albums "After The Goldrush" and "Harvest," were made solely for the music. In the 1970s when these albums were released, there were no slicing of the tracks for production where the artist used a studio microphone, piano, and acoustic guitar.

In comparison, his later albums Neil Young has become much more political with his music. He has become a political activist and in his modern music he uses string arrangements, synthesisers and polish from music producers.

Neil Young is one of the most diverse solo artists of the late 20th century, he has had an immense music experience, been all on both sides of the tracks and had a roller coaster of roles in the mainstream media over the years.

I suggest you look into his music of "Harvest" and "After The Goldrush" to get a glimpse of why he is such a popular solo artist.

Stronger tracks of both albums are "Old Man" "Heart of Gold" and "Don't Let Them Bring You Down."

After I listen to "Chrome Dreams II" I will tell you all about it on Wendsday.

No World For Tommorrow

Coheed and Cambria's latest effort "Good Apollo I'm Burning Star Four Volume 2: No World For Tomorrow" was released earlier this week. As usual, lead singer Claudio Sanchez gave us a very solid hard rock sci-fi album. However, it it can be very hard to stomach at first and might take a few listens to digest.

"No World For Tomorrow" is different from other Coheed and Cambria albums because of the 1980s hair-band vibe that it gives off.

Similarities can be seen in this album to 1980s rockers like Iron Maiden or Van Halen. Such hard-hitting guitar solos may seem a littler over the top for songs on the album and a little bit on the cheesy side.

At first I thought that the songs that are on this album are very annoying, but then I remembered that the cheesiness that Coheed and Cambria put out are some of the reasons that make the band so fun.

As a conclusion soundtrack to Sanchez's graphic novel, I think I expected the tracks to be stronger. However, all other albums Coheed and Cambria make get better with time, so I guess I will have to wait and see what the album is like further down the road.

Coheed and Cambria - A Touchy Subject

Coheed and Cambria are a great band, but go against the rock music genre's grain in a lot of ways, leaving many people with a love / hate relationship towards them.

The band itself comes out of bit of compromise to attract new listeners, the lead singer's voice is extremely high making him sound similar to an eunuch. If that wasn't enough, the band looks like a mix between star trek and the muppets.

If the above factors were able to make potential fans steer clear from any music that the band puts out, Coheed and Cambria have made a new rock genre since thier establishment.... Sci-Fi Rock.

Claudio Sanchez, the band's lead singer /guitarist and frontman not only makes rock music, he also makes a science fiction comic book.

"Coheed and Cambria" is also the title of a graphic novel that Sanchez has taken full creative control over since its first edition in 2000. Coheed and Cambria (the band), makes thier music as a soundtrack to the comic book and somewhat coincide with what its contents entail.

The songs Sanchez make somehow are coherant and make sense to a lot of contexts that many people can relate with.

Coheed and Cambria are going to finish thier album story of "Coheed and Cambria" with thier final album "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV: No World For Tommorow" on Tuesday.

Check out some decent Coheed and Cambria songs "33" or "Crossing The Frame." This band is definitely worth your time if you can admit that you like them.

Make Sure You See His Face

As stated by a music review in Barnes & Noble, Kenna's biggest problem, disregarding the multiple delays that accompany his releases -- although the two may be related -- is how to categorize his music, and therefore, how to market it.

"Make Sure They See My Face," mixes almost every effect that your 1988 Casio keyboard can produce, new wave influences, as well as hip-hop drums and break beats. The styles of Kenna somehow live harmoniously in his latest album - but do take some effort and involve a sharp learning curve to get acquainted with.

Kenna polished his musical craftemsthip to the tee on his latest album "Make Sure They See My Face."

Since his haitus to music since 2002, it is definitely nice to hear such a solid and consistant album as "Make Sure They See My Face" released this Tuesday.

Although "Make Sure They See My Face' is very similar to its "New Sacred Cow" predessesor, new Kenna took different musical directions this time and introduced a theme to his album about achieving personal success.

Chad Hugo of the Neptunes helped produce this album and obtain such a clear sound. The album isn't perfect, but overall is another key player for the 2007 music scene.

Weaker tracks from the album include "Loose Wires" and "Say Goodbye To Love." However, those are pretty much the only tracks that are disappointing.

Visit Kenna's MySpace page to hear songs from the album.

Kenna's Dilemma

For a new music artist one of the hardest things to accomplish is gaining credibility and recognition. Unfortunately, many striving musicians aren't able to make it and find their music stardom limited as an opening act to someone like Nelly Furtado.

Kenna Zemedekun is one great musician that has fallen into the vast category that is simply known as "underrated." Most people you will meet probably haven't heard of him, but the rare ones that have can attest that his music is awesome.

One of the biggest problems Kenna has is that his music is a prime example of a "grower" - music that on first listen seems mediocre, but after a few spins in your CD player you can really appreciate the music.

Malcom Gladwell exlpains in his book "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" how most people who listen to Kenna only do so for less than a minute before giving the rest of his music a chance.

Kenna often struggled to get his name out to the public, but with a little persistence and effort he finally released "New Sacred Cow" in 2002.

The album achieved little success commercially, but is well-renowned from music critics and fans of the indie genre.

In 2006, Kenna took another stab at stardom, by beginning his new album and trying to get more promotion.

You might be able to recognize Kenna from this commercial for Son'ys PSP.

After 5 years of recording and promotion from Target, Kenna will finally release his sophomore album. The new album is properly titled "Make Sure They See My Face" and hits stores tomorrow.

If "Make Sure They See My Face" is as good as its predecessor, Kenna might be able to finally get the reputation he deserves.

Best Album You Will Hear In 2007. Taste The Rainbow...

Don't let the terrible album title or hideous artwork fool you, "In Rainbows" is definitely the most acclaimed album of 2007 and lives up to all of the hype Radiohead has developed in its hiatus over the past four years.

Check the reviews on rateyourmusic.com to see how it compares to ALL other releases worldwide in 2007.

If you have the chance to snag any of the albums I have been ranting about for the past 6 weeks, "In Rainbows" is definitely the place to start.

From the opening track "15 Steps" to the epic closer of "Videotape"; The album will keep you engaged and hungry for more once it's all over. Luckily however, "In Rainbows" is a double album and the second disk will be available on December 3, 2007.

On each new album that Radiohead records, their music styles significantly. For example, on the 1997 release of "OK Computer," the band produced alternative-rock sappy enough to make your dog howl. However, on the acclaimed production of "Kid A" in 2000, the band incorporated Eurotrash-electonica production that has been a musical landmark for most modern rock of the 21st century.

As a Radiohead fan, it is often difficult in explaining their music style and what makes them most appealing.

Most first impressions are that Radiohead are extremely melancholy. However, with enough exposure and right demeanor, I can guarantee you that the music is not depressing. I can't necessarily explain to you why it's not; but that is type of personal discovery is what makes the band most enjoyable.

Being a fan of Radiohead is like being on an inside joke. It's definitely not fun until you understand what the context is; but once you finally "get it" makes all the difference.

Through "In Rainbows," the band seems to have found resolve from struggles and that the band is normally associated with.

The album has a general theme about priorities that a person should experience in their life. The melodramatic techno has been dropped in this album, but holds music directions similar to "OK Computer. is often times proclaimed as the best album of the 1990s.

"In Rainbows" itself takes you on a journey from start to finish. "15 step" follows a general sense of doubt and uncertainty associated with the band. Afterwards, the tracks show an overall growth and closure that a person can achieve when they pass away. The closing track "Videotape" keeps a steady drumbeat but at the end stops, similar to a dying heartbeat.

Because of the long delay and unorthodox distribution of "In Rainbows," I have a feeling that it will be Radiohead's last album.

I would not be disappointed it was the band's choice to let their recorded music die out at their peak. All of the tracks have been polished to the tee and are close to perfect.

If it's your first time exposure to the Radiohead, "In Rainbows" would not be a bad album to start.

After Years Of Waiting... The Rainbow Connection

Music piracy and file sharing from the Internet are the biggest threats to the conventional music industry today. Many record labels as well as bands have been coping with the fact that millions of people across the world aren't paying for music these days. Ultimately however, if you can't beat them, join them...

Last Sunday, my favorite band Radiohead shocked the world after an excruciatingly long 4-year music hiatus and announced their latest album “In Rainbows.”

The album has received absolutely no press coverage or any promotion. The album was only given a 10 day advance warning for its release this Wednesday from the band's blog.

What's even more shocking about the album release is the groundbreaking format and revolutionary delivery of how it is being distributed. To get the album, it's now become a question of your own piracy morals... YOU decide how much you want to pay for it.

To obtain the album, you simply place your name and e-mail address in an online form and decide how much the new album is worth. If you think the album is worth zero pounds, that's fine, you still get a download code for “In Rainbows” on Wednesday.

Only the bands' website has details on how to obtain the album. That's right, the band has no record label and are going to release “In Rainbows” themselves.

You can also pre-order to the album on vinyl for 40 pounds. The vinyl will be released this December, and rumors are buzzing around the Internet that the album will be released in traditional CD format this January..

Radiohead's “In Rainbows”online release has shocked music critics and bands alike across the world recently. Go to www.ateaseweb.com to read a few articles on record label representatives and their reaction.

Radiohead have shown in their latest release how much trust they have in their audience. The band are proving through this release that they are only releasing music based on its content rather than trying to climb the album charts.

Oh, and about the album itself, I have followed Radiohead's progress of the new material since their 2003 release of “Hail To The Thief” and can guarantee that “In Rainbows” will be the definitive album of 2007.

"In Rainbows" is the most anticipated album I have ever come across, and I think it will be the most significant album of the 2000s decade.

I will most definitely let you know what "In Rainbows" is all about on Wednesday after I have given it a proper listen.

D. Confessional: Poisioning Your Music Collection One Album At a Time

Dashboard Confessional's latest album "The Shade Of Poision Trees" is pretty much the antithesis of a decent album of 2007.

The album isn't so much as bad, as it is annoying. “The Shade Of Poison Trees” sounds exactly the as the old same bland-yelling acoustic albums of their past.

Ryan Cabbera still is belting out the slow paced acoustic music about love and loss in the latest album.

However, in defense for “The Shade of Poison Trees,” it might be fitting for any young music enthusiasts. Younger audiences might enjoy the album if they like the “emo” music of today.

Stronger tracks of the album are “These Bones” and “Clean breaks.

For a more concise review of “The Shade of Poison Trees,” check out the reviews at rateyourmusic.com.

For next week's entry I will be focusing on my all-time favorite band Radiohead and their revolutionary new album "In Rainbows."

Get Your Cry On...

We've all been there at one point or another in our teenage adolescence; listening to terrible music.

In the midst of teenage angst, a lot of teenagers feel a little fed up with the world and want to express themselves through their music.

Around the early 2000s a new wave of teeny-bopper music hit the mainstream scene in contrast to the boyband / rap-rock era of the 90s.

The new genre that became prevalent to teenage audiences became extremely emotional songs about pain and perservance of challenges. The emotional music genre became known as "emo" and plagues us even to this day.

One of the staples of "emo" when the genre was still in it early stages was Dashboard Confessional. The band played purely acoustic guitar mostly about puppy love that most teenagers go through.

Frontman of the band, Chris Caberra, has no problem wearing his heart on his sleeve and showing the world how he feels.

The first two albums "The Swiss Army Romance," and "The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most" are the band's best productions. The later albums are more soft-rock and very sappy.

The band will release it's fifth major release tomorrow "The Shade of Poison Trees."

I think I have a good idea what the new album will be like this week, but would like to see if the band has advanced themselves, or grown up at all.

So, grab some tissues, it's going to get emotional in here come Wendsday after I tell you what "The Shade of Poison Trees" is all about.

Echoes, Silence, Patience n' Grace?

The Foo Fighters have done it again this week by releasing their sixth major release “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace.”

This album starts out pretty standard compared to the past releases. The first six or so songs of the album are more rock directed, whereas the last half has a folk-alternative feel.

The biggest gripe about the Foo Fighters is how inconsistent they are on some of the tracks. For example, “Erase Replace” has a great paced pre-chorus, but the actual chorus is very slow does not match well to the rest of the song.

“Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” has a variety of music styles that make it pretty interesting, but overall the album is very relaxed.

It might be because Dave Grohl and the rest of his fellow Foo Fighters are nearing their 40s that the album is considerably more mellow than any of their previous releases.

The track “Come Alive” starts the album transition to more a more folk and blues genre. The acoustic tracks are all pretty great, but after a while, the songs all start sounding the same and the album gets old.

Overall, “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” is a good contender to any other Foo Fighters release, but gets a little boring towards the finish.

Another One For The Foo

The Foo Fighters are one of few bands of the 1990s and 2000s that have been able to stay together and consistently release new albums.

The driving force that makes Foo Fighters so appealing to listeners is directly related to lead singer Dave Grohl. Grohl was drummer for the notorious band Nirvana, which is credited by many to the development of both grunge and rock of the 90s.

Since Nirvana's break up, Grohl has dropped the drum set and contiunes being guitarist / lead singer for The Foo Fighters. Since the band's establishment they have been a hit in the music scene, releasing some of the best albums of the past decade. The band is named after Foo Fighter, an aerial reconnaissance aircraft designed for reporting on UFOs during World War II.

As the band's development continues, the Foo Fighters are keeping their momentum going with tomorrow's release of "Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace."

This latest album is meant to follow music directions similar to the Foo Fighter's acclaimed 1997 release "The Colour and The Shape."

On the new album, the band will be reunited with producer Gil Norton who worked with the band on "The Colour and The Shape." Norton is most notably known for his work with the Pixies.

Read PitchforkMedia for an article about what to expect on the latest release. As the band's styles often change on every album, it will be interesting to see how the "Echoes" will follow up to the previous double album "In Your Honor."