SONAR | Music Review Station |

[~NOiSE~]

Would you be willing to bring on additional reviewers? I feel it'd be a good way to hone my writing skills and also listen to more music. I've written before if you'd like to see credentials.

[.Rai]

[quote name='Mako109' timestamp='1351836693' post='6059229']
What's the next one you're working on? I'm curious.
[/quote]

I have Monarchy and John Legend in the works. I'm a little delayed while I'm working on a graphics tutorial.

[quote name='Coral Blue' timestamp='1351916823' post='6060045']
Would you be willing to bring on additional reviewers? I feel it'd be a good way to hone my writing skills and also listen to more music. I've written before if you'd like to see credentials.
[/quote]

I tried it before and it worked out well. I probably will end up doing it; give me a bit of time to sort it out.

[Night]

[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--e5gk_HSspg/UDZvdFJRkdI/AAAAAAAABwQ/UsMCbF1ea68/s1600/tempimg.jpg[/img]

Whenever you get to it.

[b]Notable tracks:[/b]

Too Close
Hummingbird
Tightrope
Treading Water
Up All Night

EDIT:


[quote name='.Rai' timestamp='1351979395' post='6060502']
I'm working on a graphics tutorial.
[/quote]

Woahwoahwoahwaitwoahwaitupwaitupwoahwaitupwoahwaitnojustwaitwoahwoah.
Why is this my first time hearing about this?

[.Rai]

[quote name=''Night' timestamp='1351983121' post='6060543']
[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--e5gk_HSspg/UDZvdFJRkdI/AAAAAAAABwQ/UsMCbF1ea68/s1600/tempimg.jpg[/img]
Whenever you get to it.
[b]Notable tracks:[/b]
Too Close
Hummingbird
Tightrope
Treading Water
Up All Night
EDIT:
Woahwoahwoahwaitwoahwaitupwaitupwoahwaitupwoahwaitnojustwaitwoahwoah.
Why is this my first time hearing about this?
[/quote]

I'll add that in, just because I really like Alex Clare.

Nw, this is in my sig, you know :3

[center][img]http://i49.tinypic.com/wvvmz4.jpg[/img][/center]

It's probably the biggest guide to colour ever.

[Night]

[quote name='.Rai' timestamp='1351983794' post='6060547']
I'll add that in, just because I really like Alex Clare.

Nw, this is in my sig, you know :3

[center][img]http://i49.tinypic.com/wvvmz4.jpg[/img][/center]

It's probably the biggest guide to colour ever.
[/quote]

[img]http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac28/Amirzmom/NWNightlyReaction.png[/img]

:l

[.Rai]

[quote name=''Night' timestamp='1351985469' post='6060562']


[img]http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac28/Amirzmom/NWNightlyReaction.png[/img]

:l
[/quote]

Pffft, it's not as if I'm covering anything else apart from colour. We can still do this.

[Susie]

[quote name='.Rai' timestamp='1351979395' post='6060502']
I have Monarchy and John Legend in the works. I'm a little delayed while I'm working on a graphics tutorial.

[/quote]

Sounds interesting I've never heard of those guys, so I'm curious to read the reviews when they come out

[Susie]

Oh hey when you start to accept requests will you add these to the list:

Boards of Canada - Music Has The Right to Children
They're a really unique electronic duo that have a sort of warm analog 70's feel

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
His best album he released the Rolling Stones had said that he went further in ambient music than Brian Eno did

Mayhem - It's Murder
It's a free download album by him
[url="http://lapfox.bandcamp.com/album/its-murder"]http://lapfox.bandca...lbum/its-murder[/url]

Taps - THE SIX
Yeah it's brony music but this guy knows what he's doing for sure
[url="http://tapsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-six"]http://tapsmusic.ban...m/album/the-six[/url]

[Ｍｒ．Ｒｏｂｏｔ]

So, if you do accept other reviewers I would help with the other review with one or two album per week and a couple recommendation reviews for other talent that deserve more listen.

[Agro]

[img]http://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2008/6/9/helloanybodyho128574938199823036.jpg[/img]

[CinnamonStar]

Yeah, wheeeere?

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/PrFDA.gif[/IMG]

Unless Rai prefers doing the graphics thing.D=

Also, not sure if interested into a sticky, but I could, ya know.

[.Rai]

Cinnamon, if it could be stickied, that would be awesome.

Right, practically forgot about this. I'll start back on my reviews.

I'll start to accept other reviewers, if wanted. Fill in the form in a post, and if I OK it, then replace the form post with your reviews.

[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Expertise of Reviewing:[/b]
[b]How Regular are your Reviews?:[/b]

Doesn't matter how regular in your reviews, as you can see, I'm not one to judge on it.

[Susie]

[right][u]Currently Working On:[/u][/right]
[right][color=#5A5A5A][font=tahoma, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(251, 253, 254)]Deftones - Koi No Yokan[/background][/size][/font][/color][/right]
[right][color=#5A5A5A][font=tahoma, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(251, 253, 254)]Autechre - Amber[/background][/size][/font][/color][/right]
[right][color=#5A5A5A][font=tahoma, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(251, 253, 254)]Secret & Whisper - Great White Whale [/background][/size][/font][/color][/right]
Requests: [b]Open[/b]

[spoiler=First Batch]
[spoiler=Daft Punk - Human After All]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/yxGH3.jpg[/img][/center]
[center]Rating: 3/5[/center]

Daft Punk are the most well-known electronic music duo to this date. Besides the Tron:Legacy album Human After All is their latest album. The album was done within six weeks but it doesn’t feel like it’s a rush job. Out of all their albums I feel that this one is the most unique and distinct ones. It mixes hard rock and minimal techno their old school House sound. Which isn’t something easy for them to pull off, considering that they weren’t treated too well by critics when the two of them were in a punk rock band.
I personally think that within the time they made this album, they did a pretty good job on it. The album was made only within a few weeks/a month. It’s a good album, but my only problem with it is that it gets so boring after a while. Almost all of the songs sound similar to each other. This really makes it hard for me to listen to the full album. It’s good when you listen to each of the songs separately, but when trying to listen to the full album makes the songs seem annoying as hell.

The album starts off with “Human After all” which is quite the catchy song, but it gets boring after 3 minutes in, and it’s not worth listening to the extra 2 minutes added onto it. Near the middle is the single known as “The Brainwasher”. Even though it is a little bit annoying and will give you a headache after repeatedly listening to it, there are some minor things that make this track unique, such as the intro and some weird vocal effect that is thrown onto the vocals, that is most likely some parameter on their vocoder, on the occasion. Finally there is the bore fest known as “Emotion”, it’s basically just auto tuned breathing with the word emotion being repeated over and over again. Then eventually a synth sound is added onto it, and the sound is the exact same one used by them before. The only song that is completely different from the others is “Make Love” which is my personal favorite from this album, although that’s just because it’s the same as the others and also because it’s their first attempt at a slow song besides “Nightvision” and their remix of “Forget About the World”. This one is arguably similar to the older Daft Punk songs around the “Discovery” era.

Overall I think that this is a creative album and definitely a stretch from what made them originally famous. I do like the album very much, but my only problem is that almost every single song sounds the same. It’s what makes this album boring and repetitive. The repetition of the tracks themselves I don’t mind, but I can only listen to this album one song at a time so that I don’t get bored of it too quickly.

[b]Recommended Tracks: Human After All, The Brainwasher and Make Love[/b]
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Green Day - iUno]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/nsoMf.jpg[/img][/center]

[center]Rating: 2/5[/center]
This is by far the worst album that I've heard from Green Day. They've sunk past low and just dug themselves a grave with this whole album. It’s not that this is a terrible album, actually there are some minor spots in this album that are alright, what sets me off about this album is how much of a disappointment it is. Let me quote some of their lyrics:

[i]“Someone kill the DJ, shoot the f***ing DJ. Voices in my head are saying, Shoot that f***er down."[/i]

[i]“Hey! I like your BMW I like your BM-excellent tits. With a tattoo of a pig sniffing glue”[/i]

[i]“Gonna ride the world like a merry-go-round. Like a Ferris wheel that's breaking down. Drinking angel's piss, gonna crash and burn. I just want some action so gimme my turn”[/i]

These lyrics coming from one of the legends of Punk Rock. Honestly it’s like as if they don’t care about anything anymore. If you ask me they need to retire just like many of the other classic bands that seem to not care as well.

Rather than continuing to spit out words of hatred to Green Day why not explain more on this album. It seems too bland, boring and uncreative. The lyrics are either “OH MAH GOSH I LUV U” or “FUK U f*** U YOU f***ing SUCK f*** THIS AND f*** THAT” which basically means that they fail to sound like MSI as well as any other hardcore “not meant to be taken too seriously” bands. Someone needs to bury a grave for Green Day, since this album is their end point, and what gets me even more about this album is that Green Day probably don’t even care that their sinking lower.

The album starts out with “Nuclear Family” which is just plain nonsense, out of all the tracks this one is very hard to follow along with. Into the middle there’s “Let Yourself Go” which is just swearing and repeating the same thing over and over again. After that song comes “Kill the DJ” which just seems as if they’re just trying to piss off a bunch of electronic music fans. Finally at the end is “Oh Love” which just makes them sound like they’re selling out.

I will admit that some more minor parts of the songs are good such as the intro guitar for “Oh Love” and some other guitar parts are okay, but that’s the only positive that I can get from this album. The lyrics are what I hate the most about each of the songs. To me it seems like they’re failing at trying to be offensive.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/dpCt9.jpg[/img][/center]

[center]Rating: 5/5[/center]

Aphex Twin is known as one of the most iconic and historical electronic artists of the 90’s. His music is an influence upon many more familiar artists such as Deadmau5 and Radiohead. This album is a collection of ambient songs that he has done from his past years including ones that he did when he was 14 years old.
Out of all of Aphex Twin’s albums I think that this one is his greatest work. The songs themselves are flawless and beautifully produced. The sounds in each of the songs range from atmospheric pads and leads, to creamy bass lines giving each of the tracks their own unique depth. Each of the tracks sound different and unique from each other, making it interesting for the listener and easy to sit through. There is a wide variety of different styles of ambient music as well. There’s more IDM influenced tracks, there’s even ones that are more of a darker ambient style.

Surely this album isn't as crazy as some of the other things that he’s done and maybe it sounds more simplistic compared to some of his other tracks, but it’s simplistic in a beautiful way. That alone is what makes this album one of those rare gems to find. Even though most people don’t remember this album or even know of its existence, I still think that it should be a part of musical history.

The songs hold meaning and a deeper emotion than any other electronic songs out there. Even though there are no lyrics you feel as if you’re being sucked into the same kind of feeling from other albums that have more deeper lyrics. It’s like almost as if the instruments were speaking the words themselves.

[b]Recommended Tracks: Xtal, Heliosphan, and We are the music makers[/b][/spoiler]
[spoiler=House of Heroes - Cold Hard Want]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/nr9Bo.jpg[/img][/center]
[center]Rating: 3/5[/center]

House of Heroes are a Christian Rock band that have a very modern rock feel to them. The songs don’t have much weight to them which tends to make me feel bored when I’m listening to this album. To my ears this is nothing but your basic modern rock, thrown in with 2 A Cappella songs. There really is nothing that makes the songs in this album pop out. They’re catchy but that’s it, they don’t have any sort of unique lyrics, style or anything. It’s your everyday rock band mixed in with lyrics about Christianity.

HOH if you ask me are not really going to go anywhere with their music, due to how it’s the average everyday modern rock band except they worship god. The only thing that makes them different is that they have Christianity within their lyrics. Though this album is not something that I like it’s not something that I’d jump out a window if I had to listen to it. Like what I mentioned some of the songs are catchy but not even a handful of them are.

The only song from this album that I can say that I actually like from this album is “Comfort Trap”. It sounds more different and it doesn’t sound too much like something that would come out of some stupid modern rock station. The lyrics are good due to the more metaphoric filled descriptions and usage of analogies.

[b]Recommended Tracks: Touch This Light, I Am A Symbol and Comfort Trap[/b][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Taps - The Six]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/dMiYd.jpg[/img][/center]

[center]Rating: 4/5[/center]
Taps is an unsigned brony musician from California. He originally did non-pony related music that contained influences from Dance, Electronic and Underground Hip-Hop. He soon then had become a brony musician when he found out about the fandom as well as the artists inside of it. Taps’ style is basically what you would get if you put Deadmau5 and Aphex Twin together. You get a clash between modern music and older music. Which is what makes him more unique compared to other artists from the fandom. He also had done some more Dubstep related music previously which makes me respect him more due to how he can follow as well as be a leader of music.

What makes this album shine out the most though for me is how you can view it through different opinions. You can view the songs as sad, beautiful and soothing with a light atmosphere or just Pokémon music on steroids. For me this album gives out a mixture of feelings it’s calming, and it’s peaceful as well as sad. There is much tone put into most of the sounds which is most likely what gives off the mixture of feelings.

The only problems that I have with this album are the vocals seem I guess you could say “childish” most notably the ones from “Derpy the Mail mare” which for some people might throw off the tone. For me though, I’m alright with the child-like vocals but they can seem annoying in some occasions.

The track that I find is the most emotional is “Inkie’s Day” which has beautiful piano chords playing with soft and peaceful vocals that aren’t over done with a mild glitch beat in the background that makes me think of more IDM related music. Of course the other songs are also very soft and mellow but they don’t compare to this track in my opinion.

[b]Recommended Tracks: Inkie’s Day, Gummy, and From Grey to Pink[/b][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Renard - This Place Will Grow]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/4Rake.jpg[/img][/center]

[center]Rating: 4/5[/center]

Renard is a solo electronic producer from the record label known as Lapfox, which is basically music done by people of the furry fandom. “This Place Will Grow” is an album that he made with a purpose. It was meant for people who don’t understand the art behind sampling. So just as you could guess this whole album contains carefully selected samples.

What interests me about the samples the most is the wide variety of samples used from different genres. On one track you have Daft Punk, Blur, Avenged Sevenfold and a rap tune, and on another track you can hear Rise Against, Soundgarden and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is all thrown on top of Renard’s usual hardcore electronic style.

The samples are well altered to fit the style of music and can prove that there is art to sampling. I feel that sampling is like a painter making a collage, it’s taking bits out of older things and putting them together. This album is a perfect example of that analogy. Overall I think that this is a well done album and can prove that there is creativity and art to sampling tracks.

[b]Recommended Tracks: Take Me To Space And Back, Good To Know You’ll Be There, and Sinisterrrrrrrr[/b][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Daft Punk - Discovery]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/MPLRP.jpg[/img][/center]

[center]Rating: 5/5[/center]
It's quite the rare opportunity to hear an album that's such a stretch from an artist/band's original style, and for that change of style to be so well done. That's exactly what Daft Punk did with their amazing classic known as Discovery. The album itself is definitley not something out of the ordinary or extremely creative, but it's simplicity put in a beautiful format.

When people say Daft Punk the artwork for Discovery is what some may first picture in their mind. The band's logo put in a shining silver with a multicolor going around the text that seems to be the colors of a rainbow, thrown on top of endless pitch black. This album is the very definition of what Daft Punk are. They are simplistic, easy listening and you can put these songs on at dances as well as back at your house for your enjoyment.

What makes me say such positive things about an album that's just filled with songs that could be described as "nothing more than dance music" or "just simple house music, nothing more to it". Daft Punk made it as a huge icon in the musical industry and brought up the rise of House music itself. They are also one of the most memorable bands of them all, and besides you don't a bunch of large complex sounds with highly structured beats to make something great.

This album may not be understandable for some people. Some may find this album to be nothing but average. Sure enough it's average I'll admit that, but does that make it not a classic? Does it make this album terrible or boring? It doesn't, if you can interpret simplicity in a good enough format then it can be turned into something beautiful. Maybe you might not be able to understand it. If that's the case then fine, so be it. Keep on pretending you're that narrow-minded metalhead that hates anything that doesn't involve the electric guitar. To me this album doesn't even need the "Interstella 5555" movie to give it a voice. You may not see it, but it's there hovering below your musical spectrum.

[b]Recommended Tracks: Go listen to the full album, don't bother with only a few tracks[/b][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Isis - Oceanic]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/aCNJ6.jpg[/img][/center]

[center]Rating: 4/5[/center]
Isis are a Metal band that have an atmospheric sound to them. They are able to go from hardcore screamos to beautiful, light flowing ambiances This is something that's rather unique to find from a metal band seeming towards how metal today just revolves around cute boys wearing black make-up singing about how much their life sucks, or it's just plain screaming and growling lyrics about worshiping Satan and killing people. But Isis on the other hand don't fall into either of those categories.

The lyrics are extremely poetic and make all of the songs have their own beauty, the lyrics themselves have a lot depth and with the metal sound it adds an atmosphere that I can't really describe. It has an angry sound along with a touch of light feeling. Which I can imagine is hard to pull off, especially in the way Isis have done it.

Maybe you'll understand my words more better if you heard the lyrics for yourself.

[i]"This is what he'd always known. The promise of something greater beyond the water's final horizon"[/i]

[i]"Porcelain grin is cracking, incest to uncoil. Your laugh spreads yawning, black hole formation"[/i]

[i]"Like liquid was the sadness. Until into the light he stepped"[/i]

Overall the album is different from the usual, and can really appeal towards anyone who is a fan of Ambient and Metal.

[b]Recommended Tracks: Maritime, Weight, and The Beginning And The End[/b][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Squarepusher - Ufabulum]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/6FvBa.jpg[/img][/center]
[center]Rating: 3.5/5[/center]
Squarepusher is one of the original Drum'n'Bass artists. He is also one of the few only electronic producers to use a real bass guitar in his works. The one thing that I have to point out about his newest 2012 release "Ufabulum" is that there are no improvisations on it. This was one of Tom Jenkin's qualities that made him more different, is that most of his stuff was improvised live. But now Tom has changed and now he seems to be going with the flow of all the other producers. Performing live with a bunch of flashy lights while sitting behind this giant dark DJ booth.

What kind of gets me off about this album is that it is nothing like his previous album "Ultravisitor", but then again even Tom himself should find it difficult to achieve something that's a complex monstrosity like "Ultravisitor". The fact that Tom has been able to pull through, make a new album, and continue on his dead legacy, unlike other original electronic artists (HINT HINT Aphex Twin) who decide to leave their music creating lives.

Ufabulum is more modern compared to Tom's previous works, but it still does contain that Squarepusher feel in most of the tracks. Though I may be over dramatic right now just because of the track "Unreal Square" almost sounding like something that some modern EDM artist would make. The album's songs contain little to no atmosphere, unlike Tom's original work. Which could possibly bring disappointment to people who were fans of some of his older tracks such as "Tundra", "Tetra-Sync" and "Ultravisitor". But on the other hand Tom had a habit of doing that.

Overall this is a great album but yet at the same time I feel as if it's a dissapointment when you compare it to the old Squarepusher. But I do credit him for sticking it out and continuing on with his musical legacy.

[b]Recomended Tracks: Drax 2, Dark Steering, and The Metallurgist[/b][/spoiler][/spoiler]
[spoiler=The Prodigy - The Fat of the Land]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/gvoQI.jpg[/img][/center]

[center]Rating: 4/5[/center]
The Prodigy are known as one of the most iconic and creative electronic bands to this date. They're a unique Drum N Bass and Rock music mixture. The Fat of the Land is so far the most well known album by the band. It contains all of your needs towards basic Drum'n'Bass along with mild Rock influences, most notably in the song "Breathe". The sounds used may seem like nothing special but compare it towards electronic artists that were around at the same time and this album stands out as something unique.

Even though today the songs may sound like nothing special, that doesn't mean that this album was done without care, talent or musical skill, as a matter of the fact it's the complete opposite of talentless and not so skilled. The Prodigy had taken their time with creating this album into the masterpiece that it is known as to this date. Some people find that the stuff before The Fat of the Land was better, but that is entirely up to you and your own opinions. What you can't deny though is that this album is a classic.

The only thing that leads me from not giving this album a 5-star rating is the lyrics. Songs such as "Smack my ***** up" and "Diesel Power" seem to hold nothing at all within them, while you have the well done lyrics from songs such as "Breathe" and "Firestarter". To me this album is balanced with above alright and mind-blowingly amazing.

[b]Recommended Tracks: Breathe, Firestarter and Smack my ***** up[/b][/spoiler]
[spoiler=A Lot Like Birds - Plan B]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/SyPkW.jpg[/img][/center]

[center]Rating: 3.5/5[/center]
A Lot Like Birds' style seems to me like a crossover between "Enter Shikari" and "Dream Theater", since that's basically what it is. Post-Hardcore mixed in with Progressive Metal, this does seem like a wierd combination but A Lot Like Birds seem to have pulled it off in the best possible way.

My major problem with this album is the lyrics, they seem quite, I guess you could put it as "Lovey-Dovey". They have a hardcore style but their lyrics are like "The All-Americain Rejects" style. That comes by as a little bit odd, but seeming towards how Post Hardcore is mostly revolved around emo and scene kids I can mildy accept that. But does that mean that the lyrics are good? Why not a chance are these lyrics good. They are your average "trying to make you go daaaw how sweet of you" lyrics. Though they may not be Justin Beiber styled lyrics. I still am not a fan of them. Now I'm not saying that the lyrics are really terrible, but coming from a more hardcore band I'd expect them to at least put a little bit more effort into them.

The style that they have is some what average. There is a little bit of uniqueness, but that only comes from the fact of how they are an unordinary mixed genre band. I kinda do like the style a little bit, but it is definitley not the most creative. I credit them for being unique by mixing two very different styles of hardcore together, but unfortunatley I can't credit them for creativity on both their style and lyrics.

[b]Recommended Tracks: Hallows Or Horcruxes, When The Wolf Is Counting Sheep, and Your Ex Marked My Spot.[/b][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Pendulum - Immersion]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/BlU1I.jpg[/img][/center]

[center]Rating: 4/5[/center]
Pendulum are a Drum 'n' Bass/Rock mixture band. Immersion is their most recent CD before they went on hiatus. Immersion to me seems like it's not enjoyable and enjoyable at the same time. For someone who is more used to old school styled DnB by artists such as The Prodigy and Squarepusher, this album will sound like nothing but mainstream garbage. While as someone who is into modern electronic will easily understand that this album is more of a masterpiece than at it's first looks.

For your first listen this album may sound like nothing but a pathetic exuse of the DnB genre, but if you are able to go through the generic wobble basses and commonly heard leads there is a beauty within it. The way that the sounds flow together literally makes up for the sounds being too uncreative. With the occasional beautiful lyrics makes this album sound incredible and makes it a must have for any modern music lovers.

If you don't believe me after listening to the songs then your expectations are much too high to be listening to something like this. The album itself definitely is nothing more than average, but that doesn't mean that it's a terrible album. If you find the album annoying, like what some people think, then that's your opinion. All that I can honestly say is that this album has simplicity within sounds that flow so nicely together that it makes it sound very nice to listen to.

[b]Recommended Tracks: Crush, Watercolor and Witchcraft[/b][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Justice - Cross]
[center][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/RiyAp.jpg[/IMG][/center]

[center]Rating: 4/5[/center]
Cross is one of the most well known electronic albums to date. The duo that made this album are known as Justice. They were at competition with another well known electronic duo Daft Punk. As for which one is better, that is entirely up to opinion.

Justice have a sound that seems to be a mixture between Drum N Bass and Electro House. The style itself is not the most common, though at the same time it is not the most experienced style to produce. Despite that, Justice are actually a great band to listen to. Their style is not wobble type sounds with some common drum beats thrown ontop of it, which seems to make Justice more "listenable" I guess you could say.

They seem to know what they are doing with their own style and Cross definitely proves that they know what they're doing. This album is a classic modern electronic one for a good reason. It's the common done quite nicely and put into an easy listening format.

Overall this is a definite must have for all EDM lovers.

[b]Recommended Tracks: D.A.N.C.E, Genesis and Phantom Pt. II[/b][/spoiler]
[spoiler=30 Seconds To Mars - This Is War]
[center][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/qNeJe.jpg[/IMG][/center]

[center]Rating: 3/5[/center]

This Is War is the third studio album by the rock band 30 Seconds To Mars. To say it they've gone through quite the change in their style. Going from more harder style Progressive Rock over to, I guess you could put it as lightweight rock. They've done exactly what bands like Linkin Park have done. Turned into a light rock band that have no musicial purpose at all. They are no more than average, at least with your first look at this album.

If you can look deep enough into the album you'll find that some songs are quite dark and almost unsettling, though those tracks tend to get lost behind all of the generic songs about war. It is quite hard to tell where the hell 30STM are planning on going from this album, all of the songs resemble little similarity to those from their self-titled album. The most positive thing I can say about "This Is War" can only apply to a few of their tracks.

Overall this album is definitely not terrible, but it's not the best thing that you could possibly find. Some of the tracks are decent, okay to listen to, and somewhat unique. The rest is nothing more than average rock band wannabe material, even though they did put a half decent job on the lyrics, they still don't have much of a mind blowing experience on this album.

[b]Recommended Tracks: Night Of The Hunter, Stranger In A Stranger Land, and Closer To The Edge[/b][/spoiler]

[Ｍｒ．Ｒｏｂｏｔ]

Currently working on:

House Of Heroes - Say No More

Circle Takes The Square - Decompositions: Volume Number One

Glassjaw - Worship and Tribute

Request: Open

Recommendation Reviews:
[spoiler='Metric - Fantasies ']

 

 

 

 

 

Band: Metric

 

Genre: Indie Pop/Trip Hop

Album: Fantasies

Metric is a Canadian indie pop/Trip Hop band originally formed in 1998 in New York City. While the band just recently drop out a new album earlier in the summer, Fantasies is their 4th album and will probably be remembered as their best afford to date as this LP laid groundwork for future album and showed us that a band can evolve and progress without shedding their old sound while adding new layers of progression without alienating old fans.

Metric will probably always be a bit of a love it-hate it type of band. The group's indie-pop leanings almost guarantee this, and dabbling into synth-pop and trip hop doesn't likely help their case very much. I'm not one to complain, though. The quartet has always offered up a multitude of catchy pop songs ranging from "Dead Disco" to "Monster Hospital", "Grow Up and Blow Away" to "Police and the Private", and "Combat Baby" to "Poster of a Girl". Though it's debateable whether or not Metric has succeeded in writing songs at the same level as aforementioned favorites, with Fantasies the band surely haven't lost a step.

Admittedly, I wasn't all that impressed with Fantasies after my first few listens. Though the album is 'rock-ier' than Grow Up and Blow Away and parts of Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?, and features a greater guitar presence, it hardly deviates from Metric's formula in the past. Which can be a positive or negative, depending on how you look at it. For every Yeah Yeah Yeahs, there's a Shiny Toy Guns, who revamped their sound on Seasons of Poison to meagre results this past fall. The fluctuating quality in terms of individual tracks also contributed to my suddenly hesitant expectations of the album. “Sick Muse" features bouncy guitar lines and lines such as "Everybody, everybody just wanna fall in love" and "watch out, Cupid's stuck me with a sickness" showcase Metric at its poppiest and arguably corniest, and does not exactly inspire confidence after the strength of "Help I'm Alive".

But in typical Metric fashion, Fantasies gnaws at the back of your mind; before you know it, it will be the only thing you'll be listening to. A song like "Sick Muse" might sound just as corny as it did before, but that isn't hard to ignore when the song is so ridiculously awesome. To get to the crux of the matter, Fantasies is simply a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. "Gold Guns Girls" is the album's standout track, throwing together all of Fantasies' elements in a delectable hodgepodge of guitar rock, pop, and trippier driven dance rock."Gimme Sympathy" drops the heavy guitar presence in favour of full on trip hop; where some of the band's contemporaries would have probably screwed up, Metric has managed to keep things fresh and sincere, while still dance-y and memorable. "Collect Call" slows things down dramatically; where the first half of Fantasies is a lively affair, the second half takes a more subdued turn. Swirling keyboards and soft piano form the basis of the track, building up an appealing atmosphere that is as catchy as it is relaxing.

After the mellow piano-pop of Emily Haines' solo records, Fantasies represents a welcome return to the indie pop/rock of Metric's older past. However, the simplicity and maturity that made Knives Don't Have Your Back and What is Free to a Good Home? so enjoyable have a clear influence on the album, not only in the softer songs like "Collect Call" or "Blindness", but also in the record's livelier tracks. In this case, maybe the four year wait was worthwhile after all; Fantasies is not only a top notch record that effectively picks up where Metric left off at Live it Out, but with a sense of genuineness that some of the band's contemporaries have lost. As for "who [I'd] rather be – The Beatles or The Rolling Stones", I'm not sure I can answer that, but I know who'd I rather be listening to right now.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler='Eisely - The Valley']

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Band: Eisley
Genre: Indie Pop
Album: The Valley

 

 

Eisley’s music has always been the kind of thing that you could listen to after a hard day and almost immediately feel relaxed. Such is the power of the DuPree sisters’ voices and the lush, laid-back music that accompanies them. This has allowed their albums to consistently provide a pervasive atmosphere of uplifting serenity – an escape from the real world. This shouldn’t really come as a surprise once you consider the fact that they started as the house band for their local church, and despite their subsequent fame, they’ve never really strayed from their wholesome beginnings – although it should be stressed that they’re not considered a Christian band. Eisley’s third album, The Valley, still retains the same formula that made past albums so comforting, but harsh reality has finally created a bit of grey around the edges.

 

 

The promotional material that accompanies this album is quick to point out that just about every member of this band has endured some sort of tribulation and/or hardship since the release of their sophomore album and it is definitely apparent. That statement isn’t supposed to imply that Eisley have suddenly become edgy or jaded, though, because nothing could be further from the truth. It’s just that buried within a sound that is still very much focused on the sweet vocals of the DuPree sisters is a feeling that life hasn’t been nice lately. The album’s second track, “Smarter”, sums it up perfectly when Stacy sings, “If I sound angry, I’m sorry. This body can only cry for so long. And if you want to blame me, then go on. I’m smiling now because I’m smarter than you think.” In order to capitalize on the blunt lyrical content, the band pushes towards a more riff-oriented direction than a majority of their previous output. Of course, these riffs are still contrasted with melodious backing vocals and subtle piano flourishes that help maintain the peaceful atmospheres that the band are really known for. In fact, no matter how dismal things become, the band never loose sight of what really makes them special.

Clean, crisp guitars mix with harmonized vocals; keyboard and piano provide comforting ambience, and leisurely tempos deliver graceful lyrics all in an effort to create an overall sound that is smooth and full of hooks. Eisley’s range of influences seem to pull as much from bands such as The Carpenters or The Beatles as they do any modern act, and it’s what allows them to stand out. It’s what gives songs such as the title track its lush uplifting feel and the ability to come off as playful, yet intelligent.
It’s the reason “Kind” can come off like a modern reinterpretation of an old-time love song with its bubbly piano melody and Broadway play-like violin accompaniment. This is the same formula the band had already perfected by the time they released their debut, and a little bit of grey around the edges certainly wasn't going to ruin it. No – as opening track “The Valley” clearly displays, a few bumps in the road of life aren’t going to suddenly force Eisley to deliver anything other than the uplifting, relaxing music that they’ve always excelled at.

It’s hard to find any real faults with Eisley’s third album, The Valley. Sure, it’s essentially the same formula that they’ve always used, but that’s probably what most fans would like. Nobody wants to see Eisley lose the endearing warmth that makes their music so easy to listen to, and on The Valley nobody is going to have to.
Granted, the album is less cheery and a bit rougher around the edges, but the core sound is still quintessentially Eisley. What really matters is that The Valley is full of the kind of music that you can throw on at the end of a rough day and feel immediately at peace – harsh realities be damned.
[/spoiler]
 

Request Reviews:
[spoiler='Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon']

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Band: Pink Floyd
Genre: Progresive
Album: The Dark Side of the Moon

 

 

 

 

It's an amazing feeling when we discover an artist whose music speaks to us in such a profound way. Whether we found them in the local record store, or some where in the countless webpages that make up the internet. It's such a surreal experience when we press play and the music that comes out immediately blows us away, and we say to ourselves, "How could I have gone this long in life without knowing this music exists?" And it hurts so much more when we discover that this artist was well before our time.

 

 

 

 

Pink Floyd- The entire world knows this name and what their music sounds like, even if they've never actually listened to it. And when that name is mentioned, "Pink Floyd", most of the time the average mind goes to a certain image- A triangle in a background of endless black and a thin ray of white running across it as it transcends into a rainbow on the opposite side. The Dark Side Of The Moon is a classic and whatever I have to say about it in this review, has probably been said millions of times by a number of other more professional writers and fans alike.

 

 

The music on this album is unbelievable. At times it's strange and obscure, in some moments it's ethereal in beauty, and in other times it's just plain rock and roll. It's a classic and it will remain as such, forever to be enjoyed by generations to come. It's Pink Floyd's gift to the world. But if we look at the history of Pink Floyd, this album took the world by surprise. Everyone knows the story. After the release of their groundbreaking 1967 debut, The Piper At The Gates Dawn, the band went through a lot of personal turmoil and all of it the hand of its leader, Syd Barrett.

 

 

Syd Barrett, the tormented genius of our time and the protagonist mentioned in the track "Brain Damage". Barett began to grow mentally unstable at an inconvenient time, right at start of Pink Floyd's career. Just when they were beginning to garner worldwide attention for their debut album, Syd Barrett could no longer function as the head of the band and would gradually be replaced by David Gilmour during the Saucerful Of Secrets sessions in 1968. After the departure of Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd would take a long time to develop the sound that would later define them. The band would slowly departure from the Psychedelic sound that Syd Barrett had build the band upon with every record that came. Releasing several albums before The Dark Side Of The Moon, exploring new dimensions within their music and pushing themselves to even stranger realms. Though many of these albums are often overlooked by fans and even Pink Floyd themselves.

 

 

The music of Dark Side Of The Moon is actually much more accessible than that of their previous albums. The songs are much easier to grasp due to their short lengths and have a rather traditional orchestration than the avant-garde experiments found on albums like Atom Heart Mother and Ummagumma. But even still, a track like "Any Colour You Like", an instrumental piece clocking in at a little over 3 minutes, accomplishes a much more enriching experience than the 23 minute epic of Atom Heart Mother's title track. "Any Colour You Like", is not as experimental as "Atom Heart Mother", but that doesn't make it any less artistic, and yet it's much more cohesive. The atmosphere that the instruments create is like a dream, a surreal vibration of sounds that seduce the mind and hypnotize us out of our conscious world while leaving us lost in a musical haven. I suppose this is the reason why The Dark Side Of The Moon became so popular, the music is not as complex as in their previous efforts but it accomplishes so much more. The instrumentation in Dark Side Of The Moon are otherworldly. So engenius and innovative, and without even doing much. Pink Floyd is working on a whole other level here. Whether it's the fiery rock sound in the guitar solo of "Money", or the more restrained, soothing atmosphere found in "Us And Them". The music that embodies this album are arrangements of sounds that go far beyond something to simply listen to, it's music that takes you on a journey throughout the imagination realms of your mind.

 

 

But it's not just the sounds of the instruments that makes this album such an enriching listen, but the lyrics as well. Each song is like a look into the human psychology- the greed caused by personal gain, to the fear of what is uncertain like the future, and of course, our inevitable death. In a way, Pink Floyd is getting us to look deep within ourselves, our own psychology. The message that is spoken in "Time", for example speaks the following;

 

 

"You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.

 

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you,

no one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun."

 

They're speaking directly to the listener and having us reflect on our own lives, have we wasted our years? Or have we made use of the days that have passed us by? Leaving us to ask ourselves, if I was to die today, did the world lose anything of actual value, or just one less mouth to feed?

 

 

There is a strong philosophical presence within the lyrical content of this album, and it's most evident in the album's finale, "Eclipse". Within all of the narcissism we humans seem to bury ourselves in, putting so much importance in superficial things like physical appearance, financial and sociological success, to even spiritual pressures from organized religion, or any other personal matters- "Eclipse", in all of it's Nihilistic and Existential nature, reminds us how insignificant we truly are.How all of our experiences on this Earth, all of our actions and all of our thoughts that we stress ourselves over, are in the end, all meaningless. We live and we die, and when the human race is finally extinct, new life will reign over the same Earth that birthed us. It's a continuous cycle. Life, and the order of the universe, carries on with or without us. To refer back to the lyrical message of "Time", we must make the best with our time on Earth, and to learn to not waste it.

 

 

But perhaps the greatest vocal delivery of the album is one that doesn't have a message or lyrics at all, just simply the sound of a human voice. Clare Torry's vocals in "The Great Gig In The Sky", is both haunting and outstanding at the same time. Instead of singing, she turns her voice into an instrument, while performing a solo with enough passion and soul to rival any guitar arrangements ever performed by David Gilmour. I've heard that the meaning behind Clare Torry's non-lyrical delivery and use of screams is suppose to reflect the pain in the experience of death, and when the song slowly starts to calm down and her moans become much softer, it is suppose to represent the final passing from the conscious world and into the mysterious realm of afterlife. It's a very intriguing piece, and like the rest of the album, a sophisticated work of art. The music that comprises The Dark Side Of The Moon are compositions that simply describing by mere words do them no justice. It's an album that must be heard by any admirer of not just Progressive rock, but music in general. Now as to whether this is Pink Floyd's greatest work- that's all a matter of opinion, though it certainly is among their finest.

[/spoiler]
[spoiler='Green Day - iUNO']

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Band: Green Day
Genre: Pop Punk
Album: iUNO!

Say what you will about 21st Century Breakdown. It may be pretty terrible, but at least it’s terrible in a colossal, massively ambitious way that’s kind of admirable. It has the pretense of being a grand statement from a band that doesn’t have the language to communicate what it means, but God bless them for trying, right? Then again, maybe I’m just giving it a charitable read out of some obligatory sense of nostalgia, because here I am, listening to Uno!, a record that duds like a crumpled up piece of paper hitting the rim a of a trash can, longing for the days when Green Day imploded like a neutron star, capable of inspiring something other than a nagging sense of disappointment.What’s worse: a band that doesn’t have a thing to say but desperately wants to say something? Or a band that writes nothing about nothing then literally puts a smug little smile on the whole thing as if to say “f*** all y’all”?

Uno! is the first of three albums by Green Day in a post-Green Day world where you don’t have to give a s*** because neither do they. Like, actually; the band has come to inhabit a cultural space closer to Justin Fuckin’ Bieber than Billie Joe might like to admit and when this whole douchily titled trio-album project was announced, literally the only thing it had going for it was that Green Day had dropped the political posturing, embraced “their roots,” and were back to writing simple, straightforward pop songs. And that’s what Uno! is: simple to the point of weightless, straightforward to the point of predictable, and so laden with nuggets from Billie Joe’s cliché collection that I don’t think any of the songs are actually about anything. Whereas on older albums, it’s possible to hear objectively ridiculous lyrics and offer a forgiving smirk for the spirit, Uno! is almost exclusively objectively ridiculous lyrics, some of which include:

 

 

 

“I’m wearin’ my heart on a noose.”- “Oh, Love”

 

 

 

”Someone kill the DJ/ Hold him underwater till that motherf***er drowns.”- “Kill the DJ”

 

 

”I woke up in a pool of sweat/ my first thought was that I pissed the bed/ Heart of stars in the midnight hour/ A kiss of death from the Eiffel Tower.”- “Fell For You”

 

 

”All this f*** fuckin’ with my head now”- “Let Yourself Go”

This is not nonchalance with sneering charm as found on Dookie or Nimrod. This is word vomit without a hint of substance, nothing to be thought about for longer than 3-4 minutes lest you realize that there is actually nothing going on beyond the regurgitation of commercial rock and roll without the slightest pretense of heart.Dem’s some strong fightin’ words, granted, but they’re not unfounded. The album’s made up of sugary, megaproduced anthems so wedded to basic rock and roll tropes that they go by quickly without making the slightest imprint, without once announcing themselves as something worth paying attention to. This isn’t to say Uno! can’t be catchy, at times--Green Day don’t have it in them to do anything remotely dissonant--but it’s catchy in a way that’s competent at best, completely devoid of originality and strikingly dull at worst. Every chorus, drum break, and guitar solo is calculated for utmost efficiency in making Uno! inoffensive and vaguely fun, and all this math sucks it of any spirit. This is lazy, 70s rock-by-numbers with no goal other than to be lazy, 70s rock-by-numbers, perfectly functional with no edge, message, or raison d’etre to speak of.

Uno! has some genuinely nauseating moments, the most obvious of which are singles “Kill The DJ,” a song that aches for the hook from Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out” but settles on a trite, edgeless faux-strut, and “Oh, Love,” a power ballad that actually manages to have more base platitudes and be less inspiring than “21 Guns.” “Carpe Diem” holds about as much meaning as its title suggests; in a bitterly meta moment, Billie Joe sings “Livin’ a cliché” before soaring into “Carpe Diem! A Battle Cry! Are we all too young to die?”

Clearly not. That much is clear from the immortal iHeartRadio meltdown. There’s a perverse irony in watching Billie Joe announce “I’m gonna play a new song” then whine about the disrespect to his legacy for two minutes. But to be fair, 19-fuckin’-88 is a long time to be doing what Green Day does, and to BJ’s credit, they have nothing to prove. The first of the Spanish albums didn’t have to revitalize Green Day’s career and indeed it comes nowhere close. But that does not excuse it from being a remarkably dull, pedestrian affair from one of the last big rock bands. The defense that it isn’t trying, that it’s just for kicks, would I guess be admissible if the songs weren’t so entirely devoid of substance. Instead, Uno! is pretty much like watching two drunk forty year old men smash their guitars when their television set is cut short: sad, a hurtful reminder that three guys who once inspired a generation of teenagers who fancied themselves disenfranchised, who, even when they sucked, seemed to have aspirations worth believing in, have stopped being relevant. And they can’t be f***ed to try.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler='Boards of Canada - Music Has The Right To Children']

 

 

 

 

 

 

Band: Boards Of Canada
Genre: Electronica
Album: Music Has The Right To Children

They do what they do very well. The kind of music Boards of Canada plays just isn't fully understood at face value, nor can it ever be even upon dozens of scrutinizing listens. The Scottish IDM duo are the black hole of their genre, constantly pulling your mind in deeper and never letting you look back. Their sound feels like it can never be fully defined to the listener due to its enigmatic and mystic tone. In reality, all music can be considered interpretive art, but then again, Boards of Canada seem so far from reality. What Boards of Canada do so well is create the type of music that evades the title "collection of songs" and wears "artistic movement" like a crown.Their songs have the lasting value and inspirational force to impact virtually everything around them, from their listeners to peers alike. Even if they do have peers, none of them can ever be as hard-hitting as Boards of Canada, and they can never create an album quite like Music Has the Right to Children.

What separates this record from most electronic albums is its atmospheric intensity combined with a unique, genuine charm. Music Has the Right to Children is very nostalgic in tone, often sounding warped and kaleidoscopic to sound either happy or sad based on your interpretation. "An Eagle in Your Mind", "Roygbiv", "Aquarius" and "Turquoise Hexagon Sun" all embody this feeling the best, and also serve as some of the album's highlights as well.Moods conveyed here have a wide range, even if they aren't easily fathomed. Music Has the Right to Children has some easily identifiable atmospheres, but it also has some very different songs that seem to tread entirely new ground in this respect. Album opener "Wildlife Analysis" has an elusive vibe, one that could most accurately be associated with words like "fantasy" and "eerie", but fits the feel of a gleaming album opener best of all. "Kaini Industries" and "Happy Cycling" also have very unique moods. The creative and distinct feelings imparted among each song are one of the main facets to Music's massive interpretive prospect.

So we understand that this album is very different for everyone, much like Boards of Canada's darker follow-up Geogaddi. Between the two albums, it's without a doubt that Boards of Canada are masters of creating their own unique world. But what mold holds this realm of possibilities together? On Music, the production utilizes hip-hop beats for its primary form of percussion, though other songs feel more formless. "Rue the Whirl" and "Sixyten" have great beats that cradle the eerie melodies at their hearts. On the other hand, "The Color of the Fire" has no percussion or beats to let one of the album's most bizarre and spooky melodies float shapelessly around with no recognizable rhythm to hold it together. Like many tracks on Music, the song chimes away with higher-pitched computer noises with a murky, mellow undertone carrying it through. With all that said, "Roygbiv" stands as the album's strongest highlight, using a head-bobbing hip-hop beat, airy and smooth melody progression, and a very infectious, catchy allure. Its surprisingly powerful for how short it is in comparison to other tracks on Music, and there's any good choice for a song to represent this album, its "Roygbiv".

The duo performs no vocals on the record, and instead sprinkle various samples of voices across their songs. "Aquarius" includes random samples of the word "orange", in addition to a woman counting in the later half. On "The Color of the Fire", like many songs here, samples a child's voice make up the vocal portion of the track, with a child saying "I love you" over and over. The children's vocals are usually handled in a spooky way, trying to sound unusual and haunting. This aspect works great just like every other part that makes up Music's apparatus.

Ultimately, despite my words seeming to kiss this album's ass, I don't expect you to give this a 5/5 at all. Rather, I advise you to listen to this without any expectations at all, because this album is at its best when you let its amorphous meaning take on your own personal shape. Just like Geogaddi, there's interpretation to be loaned here, even if their 2002 album is a bit more fluid. This album is an essential to fans of Boards of Canada, and a great listen for fans of daydreamy electronic music or IDM. Its breezy and a bit subtle in its presentation, making Music Has the Right to Children a very unique listening experience.

 

 

[/spoiler]

[spoiler='Morcheeba - Big Calm']

 

 

 

 

 

 

Band: Morcheeba
Genre: Trip Hop
Album: Big Calm

At first listen it's easy to dismiss London's Morcheeba as an imitation of Portishead, as yet another band jumping on the Bristol trip-hop bandwagon. But once you move past the fact that Skye Edwards' voice bears strong similarities to Beth Gibbons', you will find that is where the doppelganger stops. While Portishead have captivated the free world with their distant film noir, Morcheeba's groove is warmer and more organic, boasting a greater range of texture.

The key is Ross Godfrey's genteel display of multi-instrumentalism -- from guitars (traditional, pedal and lap steel) and bass, to organ, piano and synths (proudly declaring no factory pre-sets). And nothing sounds heavy-handed or out of place. The opener, "The Sea," lets you know just where Morcheeba's heads are at, with Edwards drawing you in with her smooth, seductive vocal as lazy beats shuffle by underneath. "Part of the Process" shows a definite country music influence, complete with fiddle part. "Bulletproof" is a hypnotic hip-hop instrumental, while "Big Calm" is unadulterated rap, unabashed and funky. "Over and Over" is way catchy, with a string arrangement that sounds out of place on Love Come Down classic Forever Changes. "Friction" invites reggae to the hop with most pleasing results.

Each of the twelve songs on Big Calm builds upon the last. Morcheeba presents listeners with an overall feeling and vision. There are few bands that can really achieve such a feat. From the rapping on the title track to the instrumental Bullet Proof I’m bowled over by Morcheeba’s greatness. Yes, you just heard that correctly. The thing that really draws me to the British foursome is Edwards and the soft groove that is warmer and more organic unlike the gloomy, cold winter atmosphere feel most Trip Hop bands/act like to wrap their music upon.

 

 

[/spoiler]

[spoiler='A Lot Like Birds - Conversation Piece']

 

 

http://photo.sing365.com/music/picture.nsf/A-Lot-Like-Birds-Conversation-Piece-Cover/8D5F98D0FAFA70C348257931001300D0/$file/Conversation+Piece.jpg

 

 

 

 

Band: A Lot Like Bird
Genre: Post Hardcore
Album: Conversation Piece

The idea of change is initially an exciting prospect, but after the dust settles it’s rather disquieting. When orienting yourself with a particular idea over time, having it snatched away in an instant is an experience that can leave you feeling numb. It truly takes guts to step away from the calming comfort of staying true to what comes most instinctually, especially when the ground under your feet has shifted vastly. A Lot Like Birds know this phenomenon quite well; the process of shuffling through vocalists doesn’t quite leave as many constants as, say, the departure of a bassist.After all, the vocals of a band serve as more than a mere piece to the conceptual puzzle they work towards as a unit. It’s the pinnacle of ideas spewing directly from their minds, a “cutting of the middleman”, so to speak, which allows music to be more relatable to us, to mean much more emotionally.

Noting this, the former Dance Gavin Dance vocalist, Kurt Travis, had a lot to live up to within this landmark release. Conveniently, Travis’ bands share a niche in the post-hardcore realm, so the biggest concern was actually balancing upon the delicate tightrope between preserving the original style found in A Lot Like Birds ’ earlier work and contributing to a broader musical palette, expanding the band’s potential. Their choice to let Kurt in was indeed a wise one, and in the long run contributes to the most exhilarating and entertaining release of 2011, and should most assuredly sate the hunger of those that have been itching for a good post-hardcore outing.

“Il était un fois” (translated to “once upon a time” in French), Conversation Piece's opening line, portrays astutely the dynamic nature of the album’s lyrics, and sets a fitting precedent for the rest of the album. The lyrics really do tell intriguing stories, for instance, by stringing off-kilter analogies that usually should be nowhere near each other “When learning how to crawl became a substitute for walking; biting my tongue a fair exchange for talking to myself”; telling a story through the most imaginative means possible. Kurt Travis' collaboration with band mate Cory Lockwood over microphone duties complements the pandemonium of the music itself rather excellently, and when their voices soar above the music during the stirring choruses, the former problem the band had of finding competent vocals seems to all but have faded away. Inevitably, the gravelly vocals will be found irksome by some, but it honestly adds to the integrity of the album. And not only are the vocals incredible, but the music itself is incredibly heartfelt, honestly the most genuine display of post-hardcore in quite some time. And with blots of progressive sprinkled throughout the release, Conversation Piece has quite the apt title; this release is an enormously fascinating one, in that so many genres are melded together successfully. Not only are they magnificently pulled off; frankly, the band one-ups the specializations of many of its predecessors. The annoying-more-often-than-not vocals of Dance Gavin Dance find a more fitting home on Conversation Piece, letting the music do the talking when necessary, because as enjoyable as the grittier vocals are, they are most potent in moderation and this is realized by the band. Also, the progressive styling of the album reminds one of Circa Survive ’s more experimental side, except actually used towards a goal and not just abused without cause.

These gentlemen are just immeasurably endowed, being able to accomplish within one album (and not even a particularly long one) what so many others have been striving for, from one album to the next. It would not be, by any stretch of the imagination, too much to claim that Conversation Piece serves as a definitive time capsule of the best that post-hardcore has had to offer throughout the years. With what is only their sophomore release, we can truly expect greatness from this group, as A Lot Like Birds are becoming more and more fundamental to the scene they belong to with every ounce of new material, and will indeed serve as a conversation piece for many years to come.

 

 

[/spoiler]

[Cute Rotten Yoshika]

[right][u]Currently Working On:[/u][/right]
[right]Saori@destiny - Japanese Chaos[/right]
[right]MEG - BEAUTIFUL[/right]
[right]Luca Turill - Prophet of the Last Eclipse[/right]
[right]T-ara - Breaking Heart[/right]



Requests: [color=#ff0000][b][u]CLOSED[/u][/b][/color] (ZERO OF TWO SPOTS)

Review #1: [b]Crystal Castles - [i](III)[/i][/b]
[spoiler=][b]Artist: [/b]Crystal Castles
[b]Album Title[/b][b]:[/b] (III)
[b]Label(s):[/b] Fiction Records, Polydor Records
[b]Release Year: [/b]2012
[b]Rating: [/b][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/i3du80.jpg[/img][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/i3du80.jpg[/img][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/i3du80.jpg[/img][img]http://i47.tinypic.com/2isp61.jpg[/img][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/2uh1hg5.jpg[/img]

[b]Review: [/b]For the uninitiated, Crystal Castles are a massively popular electronic duo from Toronto. Famous for their incredibly abrasive walls of sound, glitch effects, and vocalist Alice Glass's pained scream, they have been taking the world by storm for 6 years now. However, their newest album, [i](III)[/i], heads in a different direction. Instead of the acerbic Atari mash of [i]Crystal Castles [/i]or the dreadfully organic [i](II)[/i], [i](III)[/i] is a more chilly album. The crashes and beeps have all been replaced with haunting synth effects and Alice's trademark vocals are muffled and distant. The overall effect is quite interesting, if not terribly original. Songs like [i]Wrath of God[/i] are a fun listen and hold up fairly well against their older works. Unfortunately, this unoriginality sometimes becomes downright pedestrian. [i]Sad Eyes [/i]represents the nadir of this album in the form of a nauseatingly familiar club hit. Fans of classic Crystal castles songs such as [i]XXZXCUZX Me[/i] or [i]Alice Practice [/i]will find almost nothing for them here and will likely even be turned off by the lack of punch [i](III) [/i]carries. People who are looking to ease into the Crystal Castles experience and fans of their more low-key work like [i]Knights [/i]or [i]Vietnam [/i]will get a lot more from this. Speaking personally as someone who appreciates both elements of their work, i personally find this to be an acceptable release. While not on the level of their more energetic output (and certainly not as addictive as some of their other songs are), it is an enjoyable listen and something I would even recommend to other people, though perhaps not Crystal Castles fans.
[b]Top Songs:[/b] [i]Kerosene, Wrath of God, Transgender[/i]
[b]Songs to Avoid: [/b][i]Sad Eyes, Insulin, Child I Will Hurt You[/i][/spoiler]

Review #2: [b]Polysics - [i]Karate House[/i][/b]
[spoiler=][b]Artist: [/b]Polysics
[b]Album Title: [/b]Karate House
[b]Label(s): [/b]Ki/oon Records (Japan), Myspace Records (USA)
[b]Release Year: [/b]2007 (Japan), 2008 (USA)
[b]Rating: [/b][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/i3du80.jpg[/img][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/i3du80.jpg[/img][img]http://i47.tinypic.com/2isp61.jpg[/img][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/2uh1hg5.jpg[/img][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/2uh1hg5.jpg[/img]

[b]Review:[/b] It is hard to say what exactly the appeal of Polysics is. They're hyperactive, acerbic, nonsensical (literally, as they heavily use nonsense lyrics) and in general a challenge to enjoy. Though thats likely what makes them so enjoyable. Unfortunately, [i]Karate House [/i]is not a good example of this. While it does attempt to work on the same level as other releases it just fails. It just misses the mark. On one hand you have songs that are nice but just don't do enough (Catch on Everywhere is the prime example). The other extreme end is songs that try far too hard to just be obnoxious without the payoff of also being good (プロテニス [[i]Pro Tennis[/i]]). It is not a BAD experience by any means. But it isn't a cohesive experience. And it isn't a good Polysics experience. If you absolutely love them and somehow haven't gotten this album yet, check it out. Otherwise, you're better off skipping it.
[b]Top Songs: [/b][i]Catch On Everywhere, [/i][i]You-You-You, [/i]ハードロックサンダー [[i]Hard Rock Thunder[/i]]
[b]Songs to Avoid: [/b]プロテニス [[i]Pro Tennis[/i]], ズーバーマン [[i]Superman[/i]], 赤いマスター [[i]Akai Master[/i]][/spoiler]

Review #3: [b]Perfume - [/b][i][b]Perfume ~Complete Best~[/b][/i]
[spoiler=][b]Artist: [/b]Perfume
[b]Album Title: [/b]Perfume ~Complete Best~
[b]Label(s): [/b]Tokuma Japan Communications
[b]Release Year: [/b]2006 (limited edition run), 2007 (regular release run)
[b]Rating: [/b][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/i3du80.jpg[/img][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/i3du80.jpg[/img][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/i3du80.jpg[/img][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/i3du80.jpg[/img][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/2uh1hg5.jpg[/img]
[b]Review: [/b]A compilation of Perfume's early singles (and despite the misleading title, an incomplete collection at that), [i]Perfume ~Complete Best~[/i] is a wonderful showing for a great group. It's not a groundbreaking release, for Jpop or anything else, but it doesn't need to be. It's incredibly well put together and fun. There tends to be the attitude among some people that every album needs to advance music as a whole to be worthwhile. I completely disagree. Even if we ignore how silly it is to judge the progress of all music for all time by a single release, a good album that doesn't take risks can be just as appreciated. This album really doesn't take risks. From Monochrome Effect to Linear Motor Girl to Wonder2, this album is completely and entirely Jpop. But Jpop done well. Jpop that any fan of Jpop should own and enjoy or possibly a good jumping off point for someone looking to get into the genre. The only fault I can find with this release is the incompleteness. While it isnt short for an album (51 minutes), it's not weighty enough for a compilation. It feels like its over too soon. But regardless, this work is wonderful and I highly urge you to get it, whether you are a Jpop fan or not.
[b]Top Songs: [/b]Monochrome Effect, Vitamin Drop, Wonder2
[b]Songs to Avoid:[/b] n/a[/spoiler]

[.Rai]

[quote name='MoogSourceVermona' timestamp='1354139022' post='6080420']
might as well give it a try
Username: MoogSourceVermona
Expertise of Reviewing: I'll review almost any genre, even if they are ones that I don't like that much. Though my greatest reviews are from any sort of electronic or metal music
How Regular are your reviews: I stopped doing them for a little while because I had so much to do, but now I have loads of spare time so they probably would come in by a couple of days
[/quote]

[quote name='Phantom Stranger' timestamp='1354165398' post='6080731']
Joining.
[b]Username:[/b] Phantom Stranger
[b]Expertise of Reviewing: [/b]I can review almost any genre but mainly I'll go for hardcore and Trip Hop/alternative
[b]How Regular are your Reviews?: [/b]That depends though but I'll try to review at least two a week.
[/quote]

[quote name='clairedestroyer' timestamp='1354166299' post='6080736']
sure id like to write a thing or two.
[b]Username:[/b] clairedestroyer
[b]Expertise of Reviewing:[/b] i will try a wide range of things but areas i focus on especially are noise/noise rock, pop, japanese releases, post rock, and general experimental stuff
[b]How Regular are your Reviews?:[/b] wildly varies. ill try to keep things going up pretty often though.
[/quote]

All accepted, use a similar format to what's in the opening post. Don't feel rushed with reviews, have fun, guys!

[Susie]

Alright nice to know that I've been accepted, but I have one question to ask can we accept our own requests for reviews

[.Rai]

[quote name='MoogSourceVermona' timestamp='1354677088' post='6085630']
Alright nice to know that I've been accepted, but I have one question to ask can we accept our own requests for reviews
[/quote]

Absolutely. Use a similar format, have a request box. Feel free to post in this thread if you want to notify a change in your request status etc.

[Susie]

Okay my requests are open for those of you who have an album in mind

[Ｍｒ．Ｒｏｂｏｔ]

Ok, already add 1 review and my request slot is open.

Check it here:

[url="http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/290429-sonar-music-review-station/page__st__20"]My review slot.[/url]

[✪RION]

[color=#008000][b]Haven't check out any review from the new reviewers yet but since the two of you are open for request, I wanna see a review of iUno from Green Day from both MoogSourceVermona and Phantom just to see what are your thoughts about the album and get the general point of view of the album from the two reviews.[/b][/color]

[Susie]

[quote name='Hardcore Punk' timestamp='1355062366' post='6089050']
[color=#008000][b]Haven't check out any review from the new reviewers yet but since the two of you are open for request, I wanna see a review of iUno from Green Day from both MoogSourceVermona and Phantom just to see what are your thoughts about the album and get the general point of view of the album from the two reviews.[/b][/color]
[/quote]

Alright I'll add it on my list

[Cute Rotten Yoshika]

might be a good idea to list the other reviewers in the op with links to their posts etc.

in other news i should have a review up sometime today

[.Rai]

Done. I'll list you in the reviews when you get your post up.

[Cute Rotten Yoshika]

[url="http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/290429-sonar-music-review-station/page__st__20#entry6080736"]first review is up![/url]